Download - One Visayas e-Newsletter Vol 5 Issue 38
Vol 5 Issue 38 Published by: PIA 6, 7 & 8 Sept. 21 - 27, 2015
In this IssueIn this IssueIn this Issue DILG urges CSOs to help BuB project implementation
COMELEC urges qualified voters to validate, bares ‘no bio, no vote’ policy
More on Region 8, pages 6-7.
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DRR needs sustainable APEC-wide interventions - Gazmin
ILOILO CITY, Sept. 22 (PIA6) – Disaster risk
reduction is not just a concern of a single or small group of economies but it requires a robust and sustainable inter-economy cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region,
according to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. In his keynote message at the opening of the two-day
9th Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum of APEC 2015 here, September 22, Gazmin said the prevalence of
disasters in the “new normal” manifestation has serious
implications to our inter-economic relations as it cuts across several APEC concerns and priorities.
The “new normal” manifestation referred to by the Philippine government official is the present nature of disasters wherein they are becoming unpredictable with
increases in frequencies, magnitude and scope. This new normal phenomenon causes major
disruptions to trade relations, businesses and investments
across the Asia-Pacific region, he said. The official cited the actions already made by APEC
member-economies on the issue for the past years with
present initiatives focused on introducing innovations,
developing policies, and organizing working groups to
address disaster impacts. With the emerging concept of the new normal,
Gazmin said what is needed is a more holistic, proactive,
multi-stakeholder, and longer term interventions, specifically to make APEC member economies resilient. (JCM/JSC-PIA6)
BY JENNIFER C. TILOS
DUMAGUETE CITY, Sept. 8 (PIA) -- The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has encouraged the civil society organizations (CSOs)
to participate in the implementation of the Bottoms-Up Budgeting (BuB) projects.
DILG provincial director Dennis Quiñones cited this in a training on Citizen‟s Monitoring and Evaluation to fast
track the implementation of the BuB projects in Negros Oriental. DILG‟s continuing training activity for its field officers, CSOs monitoring teams and local planning and
development coordinators in different cities and municipalities was held this week.
This is to achieve BuB program implementations
which started in 2013 to help the country in attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for inclusive
economic growth and poverty reduction. Quiñones said,
“DILG will continue to partner with the CSOs for capacity-building interventions relative to the BUB Program.”
Quiñones also emphasized his message on the role of CSOs in the local governance. He encouraged the participants to actively participate in the monitoring and evaluation of the BuB projects as this is very important to
achieve genuine transparency in respective local
government units (LGUs). To date, according to DILG director only 42 percent
of the 2013 BuB projects were implemented or are being
implemented. For 2014 and 2015 approved projects, only 34.1 percent and 1.8 percent of the BuB projects respectively have been implemented.
Local government operations officer VI Aquilina
Eltanal said, “As of now, we are trying to inculcate the elements of good governance, transparency on the part of the CSOs and government, to attain our goals and to
maximize the use of fund resources to different projects as identified, to make a reality.”
Interacting with the local poverty reduction action
team (LPRAT) and implementing agencies, Eltanal said after all projects been monitored, the group has to discuss the
findings and make recommendations to formulate a catch
up plans for those projects. LPRAT Co-chair of LGU Dauin Victorina Elumir said,
“We are very grateful that we are involved in this program
of the government and to know more on how we can help DILG and LGU in the implementation of BuB in the municipality of Dauin.” (mbcn/jct/PIA7-Negros Oriental/ with reports from Ronelyn Faith Vailoces, SU intern)
More on Region 7, pages 4-5.
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EASTERN VISAYAS
CENTRAL VISAYAS
Ma. Rebecca G. Cadavos
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sep. 24 (PIA) – In a joint Regional Development Council-Development Administration Committee (RDC-DAC) and the Southern
Leyte Provincial Development Council meeting held Friday here, Commission on Elections Provincial Supervisor Atty. Antonio Gulay, Jr. informed that there are still 6.2% remaining registered voters in Eastern Visayas having
incomplete or without biometrics data. He stressed that in the coming 2016 National
Elections, Comelec will impose the “no vote, no
biometrics” policy, hence urging those who have not yet
validated their data to visit nearest Comelec office since the deadline will be on October 31, 2015.
Gulay said that the validation process started last year yet, saying that the registered voters without biometrics will be automatically deactivated from their
records. In Southern Leyte, out of the total registered voters
recorded at 248,148, whle 9,190 of whom have not yet
validated or without biometrics data or 3.7% without validation, Atty Gulay reported.
For Samar, out of 407,722 voters registered, 42,514 remains to have incomplete biometrics data; Northern
Samar with 323,727 and 25,477 without biometrics;
Eastern Samar, 271,482 total voters with 17,270 without biometrics; Leyte province at 1,086,297 total registered voters and 54,673 with no biometrics data yet; and for the
province of Biliran that has 102,107 total registered voters, 2,048 not yet validated.
“Validation is the process of taking the biometrics of voters whose biometrics such as picture, signature and
thumb mark have not yet been captured,” Gulay revealed. In his presentation during the joint meeting,
Gulay tackled activities regarding the upcoming 2016
National Elections like the filing of Certificates of
Candidacy for all elective positions which will be on October 12-16, 2015, the use of security personnel on
election period, inclusive dates of campaign period, among other activities and prohibited activities on election matters.
The RDC-DAC joint meeting with the PDC of Southern Leyte presided by its Chairman, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Director Imelda C.
Laceras, was attended by municipal mayors, some Provincial Board members, local department heads, among other members of the RDC-DAC. (rgc/PIA8-SoLeyte)
Climate Change Youth Forum with Elpidio
Simon PENRO @ Wright National High
School, Paranas, Samar Sept. 23, 2015 (pics by
JunArc)
WESTERN VISAYAS
Undersecretary Alexander Pama, Executive
Director of the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council, provided
the media with updates on the disaster risk
reduction framework presented in the 9th
Senior Disaster Management Officials' Forum
during a press briefing held Wednesday, Sept.
23 at the International Media Center at Amigo
Hotel here. Also in the photo is Usec.
Ferdinand Cui, Jr., SOM Vice Chair. (LTP/
PIA-Iloilo)
PCOO Sec. Sonny Coloma delivers his
keynote message during the Launching of the
Search for Outstanding Barangay Treasurer in
Cebu City initiated by FINEX-Cebu held at
Gallery, Ayala Center Cebu.
Defense Secretary and NDRRMC chair Voltaire Gazmin delivers the
keynote message during the opening, September 22 of the 9th
Senior Disaster Management Officials‟ Forum of the ongoing
Asia-Pacifi Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Iloilo City. (LTPI/PIA6)
WESTERNWESTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 222
ILOILO CITY, Sept. 21 (PIA6) - - Local micro, small and medium enterprises play a crucial role in realizing the goal of making
Iloilo City the top destination and the best liveable city in the Philippines.
MSMEs are engines of growth in Iloilo City
Lilibeth A. French
I n his welcome remarks during the
opening of the 2015 National MSME
Summit at the Iloilo Convention Center,
September 21, Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said
the city government under his administration is
now focused on maintaining the growth of the
MSME sector here as they believe it is not only
an important sector of the economy but also
plays a crucial role in realizing their goal to
make the city as the top destination and best
liveable city in the country.
Mabilog said MSMEs are also engines of
growth in any development oriented economy
in the world and because they have inherent
labor intensive production processes, they
provide a viable platform for inclusive growth
and job creation.
“Iloilo City today has more than a fair
share of MSMEs in operation. They have
bolstered the metro economy, helped the local government unit reduced poverty and are
helping shape the business environment while
developing entrepreneurial potential and
stipulating competition,” said Mabilog.
He bared some of the initiatives
undertaken by the city government for the
development and growth of the MSME
sub-sector here.
These include the trimming of the
processing time of business permits and
creating business-friendly framework
conditions and market development fir services
relevant to MSMEs, including meeting with the
banking sector to improve access of MSMEs to
short, middle and long-term financial credit,
among others.
Securing business permits in this city now
only takes 30 minutes.
Appropriate free hands-on livelihood,
vocational and technological training to
unemployed youths and adults through the
Iloilo City Technical Institute were also
provided as part of the efforts of the city
government to create and nurture a steady stream of Ilonggo entrepreneurs.
The city government continues to take
the initiative and to partner with both public
and private sectors to assist MSMEs compete
in the global market, according to Mabilog.
He said the national summit will unite
everyone in the national MSME community.
United in purpose and intent, MSMEs could
easily fuel the nation‟s nonstop drive for a
better future.
Around 600 participants composed of
members of the various provincial SME
Councils in the country and development
partners are attending the two-day
summit here which coincide the holding of the
APEC Ministerial Meeting on Friday, September
25.
Some of the summit participants will also
join other APEC events which will be held to
support the Ministers‟ meeting.
Other APEC events which also began
today are the APEC Workshop on Facilitating
SME Trade through Better Understanding of
Non-Tariff Measures in the Asia Pacific Region for Agriculture, Food Processing and
Handicrafts Sectors and APEC Accelerator
Network (AAN) Forum II: From Start Up to
Scale Up. (JCM/LAF/PIA6-Iloilo)
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Sept. 22 (PIA6) - - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-6 is holding its 4th Regional
Career Advocacy and Employment Congress on September 23-25 at Planta Hotel and Residences, in Bacolod City.
A release from DOLE 6 said, more than
300 delegates from the Regional
Networks of Guidance Counselors
(GC) and Career Advocates, Public
Employment Service Office (PESO) Managers
and Human Resource (HR) Officers as well as
representatives of the national government
agencies and intermediaries are expected to
join the congress.
The congress with the theme “Building
Human Capital: Backbone of a Full and Decent
Employment” aims to provide the avenue for
participants and stakeholders to have more
technical learning and to be seriously involved
in molding the minds of the youths by giving
them (youth) the needed support as they
prepare for the real world.
According to the release, the Philippines is
home to globally competitive workers but an
increasing gap between the competency levels
of graduates here with that of other countries
is noted.
Topics include Labor Market in the Local
and International Arena; Career Coaching:
The 21stFilipino Youth; K to 12 Career
Development Program and Career
Decision-Making; and, Human Capital: The
Essence of Organizational Success which will
be discussed by experts from all over the
country.
Those interested to join, may confirm
their attendance to Ms. Lucy U. Muralla,
Department of Labor and Employment
Regional Office No. 6, Iloilo City at contact
numbers 033 3206905/09173276818/
09173276515 or to DOLE Field Office in
Negros Occidental at the following contact
numbers (034) 7091690 or 09173275919. *
(JCM/EAD-PIA6 Negros Occidental)
DOLE congress focuses on labor meeting market demands
By Easter Anne D. Doza
ROXAS CITY, Capiz, Sept. 23 (PIA6) – The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has established coconut nurseries in shaded
areas in order to protect coconut seedlings from direct sunlight in anticipation of the El Niño phenomenon.
P CA – Capiz manager Jeffrey Delos
Reyes said that there are about
50,000 seedlings in the nurseries up
for planting in view of the Yolanda Replanting
and Rehabilitation Program (YRRP) which
targets 328,000 seedlings in 3,280 hectares
provincewide this year.
Some of the seedlings for the
program are sourced out by PCA from local
suppliers.
De los Reyes added that PCA targets to
plant 46,000 coconut seedlings on top of the
Yolanda replanting initiative.
Based on PCA records, there are
about 1.1 – million fruit bearing trees left by
supertyphoon Yolanda provincewide.
However, the damages on the local
coconut industry will be restored with the
massive planting and replanting activities since
2014.
By end of this year, at least 85 percent of
the damaged coconut trees have been restor
Coconut farmers are also urged to
intercrop coconuts with banana, corn, coffee,
vegetables and sweet potato or camote as
additional source of income during the
drought. (JCM/AAL/PIA6 Capiz)
PCA measures readied for El Nino
Alex A. Lumaque
WESTERN WESTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 333
Kalibo conducts Public-Private Partnership orientation
KALIBO, Aklan (PIA6) – The Municipality of Kalibo conducted a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) orientation in its desire to
fully understand the PPP Code of the Provincial Government of Aklan before its adaptation.
A ttorney Alberto C. Agra, a Certified
PPP Specialist and the only one in
Southeast Asia having such distinction,
which he obtained from the Institute for Public
–Private Partnership (IP3) in Arlington, Virginia,
USA, was the resource speaker of the
orientation.
Atty. Agra defines PPP as a contract
between two consenting bodies wherein there
is trust, own contribution to the arrangement
and have the desire to last the partnership up
to the end of time.
“The only challenge of PPP is when
the formal leadership changes because
the project may be dissolved depending
on the new leader, but can be answered with
the stakeholders‟ role in the partnership - that
is maintaining stability of the project,” Agra
said.
Agra stressed that before implementing a
PPP project, LGUs must have a framework to
be consistent, to be followed by everybody and
to be transparent.
The LGU can create its own framework,
refer to templates, or adopt the provincial
ordinance for the PPP project.
The Provincial Government of Aklan is
currently adopting Atty. Agra‟s framework in
the implementation of the PPP projects of the
province.
Meanwhile, the Office of the
Sangguniang Bayan of Kalibo, proposed
resolution to adopt the PPP Code of
the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of
Aklan.
Atty. Agra recommended LGU Kalibo to
conduct an intensive study regarding PPP to
fully understand and appreciate the importance
of the PPP.
The orientation was participated in
by the officials and department heads
of the municipality of Kalibo, National
Government Agencies , media, and
other stakeholders of PPP. (JSC/SQP-PIA6
Aklan).
Sheila Q. Patoza
Financial inclusion, connectivity to markets, keys to MSMEs growth
ILOILO CITY, Sept. 22 (PIA6) -- - To increase the participation of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in boosting
economic development in the Asia Pacific Region, these businesses must be financially included and are well connected to
markets.
D oris Magsaysay Ho, Chair of the
APEC Business Advisory Council
(ABAC), said that financial inclusion
is key for MSMEs to access opportunities in the
regional and global trade.
“Unfortunately, many MSMEs are
unable to access financing, thus, stifling
their ability to grow their business, pursue
innovation, or comply with minimum standards
to enable their participation in local
supply chains, much less global value chains,”
she said.
She said that financial inclusion requires
access to financial services and improving bank
lending efficiency as well as broadening the
range of financing instruments available to
SMEs.
“ABAC also calls for innovation. We need
financing instruments that will provide financing
start-ups as well as financial innovation that
responds to the changing business models,” she
stressed.
She also encouraged initiatives
promoting an enabling environment for trade
and supply chain finance and alternative
financing mechanisms and to identify best
practices for strengthening MSMEs resilience
against disasters and financial crises.
“As Asia-Pacific is the world‟s most
natural disaster-prone region, we have to equip
MSMEs with responsive financial instruments
that will allow them to mitigate disaster risks
and to recover quickly,” she said.
She said there is also a need to look at
digital financing solutions that potentially allow
deeper penetration than financial services
providers in many economies.
“The economic evolution brought
about by the digital revolution affords us
options that we have never had before,” she
said.
She added that it is necessary to address
digital finance issues that impact financial access
and their alignment with global and regional
efforts. (JCM/LTP/PIA-Iloilo)
Leonard T. Pineda I
Antique products need more exposure
to lure investors
By Vicente W. Villavert
SAN JOSE, Antique, Sept.23 (PIA6) - - The Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Trade and Industry Chair said that
Antique’s local products need exposure in order to attract both domestic and foreign investors.
S P Member Dante Beriong said that the
Iloilo City‟s hosting of APEC Meeting is
expected to also promote other
locations in the region, and Antique
should consider this as an opportunity to
showcase its resources to attract new
investments in the province.
“This is an opportunity for our products
to reach international markets and heights,”
Beriong said in a PIA interview.
Just recently, three Pasalubong Centers
were established at the Iloilo International
Airport, SM City, and in Boracay where some
60 micro and small enterprises are
showcasing Antique‟s products in the pursuit
of local tourism promotion that shall certainly
redound to socio-economic multiplier in the
local economy.
Governor Rhodora Cadiao in her aim to
promote Antique as a tourist and
investment destination also said that a
booth that will showcase the best of
Antique was put up at the Iloilo Convention
Center in time for the opening of the APEC
Summit in Iloilo City. The Department of
Trade and Industry also said that ten
entrepreneurs also joined the National SME
Summit in Iloilo City.
In a Malacanang news report, Trade and
Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo said that
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
are vital to achieving the Asia-Pacific Economic
goal of inclusive growth.
MSMEs cover 97 percent of all businesses;
create 50 percent to 80 percent of jobs in
APEC economies; contribute 13 percent to 60
percent of the gross domestic product (GDP);
and comprise 35 percent of exports.(JCM/
VWV/PIA Antique)
CENTRALCENTRAL VISAYASVISAYAS 444
DUMAGUETE CITY, Sept. 15 (PIA) – The Dumaguete City Social Welfare Office (CSWDO), in cooperation with the Family
Steering Committee, is inviting families to join the Family Week Fun Run on September 27, Sunday.
Dumaguete City invites families to Family Week Fun Run
T he event is part of the activities in
observance of the National Filipino
Family Week from September 20
to 27 with the theme “Gender Equality
and Children‟s Rights in Contemporary
Families."
According to City Information Officer
Syril Repe, there are two categories in the fun
run: 5K run for families with children aged 12
years old and above; and 3K run for families
with children aged 12 years old and below.
Starting point of the fun run will be at the
Kiwanis Bldg. at Sta. Catalina Street to start
at 5:45 a.m. while the start of the 3K run is at
6:00 a.m.
Registration period begun last Sept. 5 and
will end on Sept . 25. The event is free of
registration.
Contestants should fill up registration
forms and submit it to the Family Week
Steering Committee at the City Social Welfare
and Development Office, Flores Ave., Brgy. 1,
this city.
Contestants can claim their race sash
during the check-in time on Sept.
27. Contestants should wear their race sash in
the duration of the race.
One important rule in the fun run is that
families should finish the race together.
On the other hand, contestants will be
provided with drinking water at designated
water stations while medical aid will be
available at certain points along the way and at
the finish line.
For more inquiries, interested
participants may contact Ike Villaflores,
head of the City Sports and Youth
Development Office through 422-8109 or the
Family Week Steering Committee through the
CSWDO at 225-0637 or 422-8117. (rmn/ral/
PIA7-Negros Oriental/with reports from Syril
Repe, City PIO)
Roi Anthoni B. Lomotan
TAGBILARAN CITY, Sept. 14 (PIA) -- From 120,000 liters produced in 2015, Bohol Dairy Processing and Marketing Enterprise
(BDPME) taps a P9,227,528.64 loan and equity from local sources to hit close to a production of 200,000 liters of carabao milk
in 2020.
Bohol dairy group eyes 20T liters caramilk production in 2020
T his will mean between 5% to 7%
a n nu a l i n c r e a s e o f f am i l y
income from this year onwards.
With a loan from World Bank at
P4.470 million, another P1.490 million from
Philippine government and the Provincial
Government, and P1.777 million equity, the
Bohol Dairy Processing and Marketing
Enterprise enhances the present enterprise in
Bohol already set up in the National Dairy
Farm Complex in Lomangog, Ubay, Bohol.
Still picking up what can be salvaged from
the fire that razed its assets and freak accidents
that caused substantial losses in capital and
manpower, the new pitch relies on the Bohol
Dairy Producers Association (Bohol Dairy),
according to a project brief provided by the
World Bank Implementation Support Mission
now gathered in Bohol until Wednesday.
The marketing enterprise will do this
ambitious plan by procuring raw milk products
for the 23 identified clusters to 27 after 4
years, involving some 504 farmer dairy carabao
growers to a projected 2424 farmers in 2020.
The plan also intends to expand to other
farmers and increase farm animal holding
capacity for maximized dairy production.
Now helping farmers set up milk
production in 35 barangays in Ubay, Mabini,
ALicia, Dagohoy and San Miguel, BDPME
aspires from the stock infusion from the near-
by Philippine Carabao Center (PCC).
Resting inside the PCC, the dairy
processing plant also proposed to ask the PCC
to upgrade local carabao breeds via genetic
development or cross breeding to increase
milk production.
The project then entails milk collection,
consolidation of milk collected from farmer
members to the association of Bohol Dairy,
tolling and processing at the PCC and national
Dairy Authority Plant to storage as well as
marketing in identified retail outlets, which the
NDA plans to be located in tourism areas in
Bohol, according to PCC sources.
BDPME is now set for funding by the
World Bank-Department of Agriculture
Philippine Rural Development Project (WB-DA
PRDP) for Investments in Rural Enterprises and
Agriculture and fisheries Activity Program
(I-REAP). (rmn/rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
Rey Anthony H. Chiu
CEBU, Sept. 21 (PIA) -- The local government unit of Mandaue City, Cebu is among the three LGUs considered for funding
for environmental sustainability efforts this October from among the 21 member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic
Conference (APEC)
Mandaue City, nominated for APEC2015
funding for environment strategies
I n a press release, the nominees
are Krasnoyarsk City, Russia; Mandaue
City, Philippines and Subang Jaya,
Malaysia. The funding in particular are the
strategies leading to the reduction of carbon
use.
According to the Department of
Energy (DOE) undersecretary Loreta
Ayson who is also the Philippines Senior
Official on Energy, the Low Carbon Model
Town (LCMT) Project of the APEC Energy
Working Group (EWG) will choose in next
month's gathering in Cebu, who will receive
the technical assistance.
"We are constantly looking for potential
LCMT candidates and it impresses me to find
Mandaue City with such a comprehensive plan
involving land use, green building and
transportation,” Ayson said.
Mandaue City accordingly has a clear
target for reducing its CO2 emissions and has
long been crafting measures to establish a
sustainable city to address air pollution and
traffic congestion.
Its proposed project consists of
developing green growth areas and
interconnecting these areas within Metro
C e b u . A n o r d i n a n c e i s a l s o
proposed promoting disaster-resilient buildings
in the city.
The LCMT Project of the APEC EWG has
been greatly instrumental in encouraging
communities in the region to embark on city
planning initiatives promoting low carbon
technologies to manage the rapidly increasing
energy consumption and consequently, mitigate
the adverse effects of greenhouse gas
emissions on the environment.
Previous winners include the city of Da
Nang in Vietnam which implemented an
innovative system of electric motorbikes and
charging facilities.
Samui Island in Thailand also got support
for its feasibility study to utilize solar, wind and
small hydro power; reliance on electric
vehicles and reforestation and protection of
existing forests.
They also adapted Green technologies for
resort and hotel developments such as solar
water heaters, solar panels on rooftops,
biomass power generation of kitchen waste
and increased ventilation for natural cooling.
Mandaue is located on the central-eastern
coastal region of Cebu, and is one of the three
highly urbanized cities on the island and forms
part of the Cebu Metropolitan area.
It is connected by two bridges to the
island of Mactan. Mandaue is also known as
t h e “ f u r n i t u r e c a p i t a l o f t h e
Philippines.” (mbcn/fcc/PIA7-Cebu)
Ferliza Calizar-Contratista
CENTRAL CENTRAL VISAYASVISAYAS 555
DUMAGUETE CITY, Sept.18 (PIA) -- A group of six mass communication students of Silliman University (SU) has organized
the ‘Bottles Out Campaign’ symposium recently to raise awareness of the negative impacts of plastic bottles in the
environment at Silliman Hall, Dumaguete City.
SU MassCom students hold symposium on water bottles
T he group students of Environmental
Journalism 53 called themselves
Training from Roots to Enrich the
Environment (TREE), held the symposium in an
NSTP-CWTS session to reach out to the
freshmen.
Invited speakers include Integrated Solid
Waste Management Program of Environmental
and Natural Resources Office (ENRO)
coordinator Armand Adanza; Edwin Romano
Jr., chair of the Negros Oriental State
University chemistry department; and Ra‟z
Salvarita, founder of the Gugma Gaia.
Adanza talked about existing programs in
the city on solid waste management.
He believes that managing plastic bottles,
like plastic bags, is one of the main problems of
Dumaguete City.
“The problem with Dumagueteños is that
they don‟t segregate their wastes, making it hard for the city government to manage solid
waste,” he said.
Some of the local initiatives of ENRO
include reducing the volume of garbage waste
in Dumaguete from 60 tons to 30 tons, strictly
implementing the Integrated Solid Waste
Management of Dumaguete City or City
Ordinance No. 115, among others.
The ordinance requires the segregation
of solid waste into biodegradable,
non-biodegradable, and toxic and hazardous
wastes.
Adanza, also an SU alumnus, added that
he knows Sillimanians are environment lovers.
The TREE members are Kateleen
Ogabang, Alana Gayle McCulloch, Richelle
Osumo, Santia Onnycha Ursabia, and Lovelein
Catubay.
TREE also aims to reduce the use of
plastic bottles in Silliman University (SU).
Meanwhile, Romano spoke on the effects of water bottles in the human body. Plastic
bottles usually belongs to the polyethylene
terephthalate (PETE) family of plastics, said
Romano.
“PETE is also used in soda cans. It is an
endocrine disruptor, affecting the hormones in
your body like estrogen and other
reproductive hormones,” Romano said.
Salvarita, the 3rd speaker, shared in his
lecture titled “Junk to Funk” that there are
2.6 trillion garbage in the world, and reducing it
is in the matter of attitude of people towards
it.
“I think that if we have the desire to
change our attitude of throwing everything
after using these, then to make a difference is
possible,” Salvarita said.
He added that society has to transform
the materials they use to something creative
and useful than throw them away. (mbcn/jct/
PIA7-Negros Oriental/with reports from Andrea D. Lim, SU intern)
BY JENNIFER C. TILOS
NEGROS ORIENTAL, Sept. 16 (PIA) --- A technical working group (TWG) composed of religious, academe, labor, and the
business sectors will conduct a validity study on the claim that Negros Oriental is indeed Conflict-Manageable and
Development Ready (CMDR).
I n a recent Provincial Peace and Order
Council (PPOC) meeting, Father Thadeu
Enrique Balongag, vice-president for
Academic Affairs of Colegio Sta. Catalina de
Alejandria (COSCA), presented the outline
of the study that will look into the
conflict situation in Negros Oriental and an
analysis of the circumstances that will
support whether or not the province is conflict
-manageable.
Balongag added that the TWG will also
take into consideration the indicators of the
development readiness of the province and an
assessment of the circumstances surrounding
the province's development readiness.
Relative to this, a field study will be
conducted to gather local indicators as
respondents coming from National Economic
Development Authority (NEDA), Department
of Trade and Industry (DTI), Negros Oriental
Electric Cooperative (NORECO) ll,
Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR), Philippine National Police
(PNP), Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) and from the Disaster Risk
Reduction & Management Councils of the
city and province. Furthermore, Balongag
said that respondents to be interviewed
in verifying the truthfulness of its
conflict-manageability will come from the
conflict-areas in the hinterlands of Negros
Oriental.
The study, according to Father Balongag,
will start in October and will be completed
by December 2015. (rmn/lpp/PIA7-Negros
Oriental)
TWG to hold validity study of NegOr as conflict-manageable
Leandria P. Pagunsan
TAGBILARAN CITY, Sept. 17 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) listed about 56,628 Bo-
holano families as active beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as of September 2015 and are found in
Bohol's 47 towns and in Tagbilaran City with Ubay town as having the biggest number of beneficiaries.
4 Ps Program and evaluation officer Karen
Ferrolino said those families with an
annual per capita income of below
P18,847.00 are aided with the cash grants
called conditional cash transfers.
Family beneficiaries get cash grants with
conditions: P300 each for a maximum of three
kids aged 0-18 and P500 for health assistance,
allowing a family a two months pay-out of
P2,800.
The cash are given to screened family
beneficiaries with kids from 0-18, with incomes
below the poverty threshold, whose kids
regularly attend classes and get to the rural
health centers for de-worming and nutritional
weigh ins and who regularly attend the Family
Development Sessions.
The Family Development sessions are
venues where families get tips on health,
nutrition, livelihood, personality development,
disaster reduction and management, counseling
and several other self-help topics. These
FDSs happen once every two months, Ferolino
said.
DSWD 4Ps provincial Grievance officer
Joan Florable Felicio bared that the DSWD had
cleaned up the lists from complaints that the
local grievance teams deliberated and found
that some family beneficiries do not deserve
the grants anymore.
Felicio said there are cases of of missing
beneficiaries now in Bohol. They mean those
who, after the calamities that hit Bohol,
decided to leave town and could not be traced
anymore.
4Ps information officer Phoebe Jen Indino
called on these missing beneficiaries on the list
to just simply inform their municipal links and
do some paperwork, and DSWD can just
transfer the cash grants to their new
residences.
Indino added that if the absence of the
beneficiaries is noted for three periods,-6
months, it will be another cause of delisting.
(mbcn/rac/PIA7-Bohol)
DSWD lists 56,628 4Ps beneficiaries in
Bohol
Rey Anthony H. Chiu
EASTERN EASTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 666
Team work, unity spells SGLG conferment
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, Sept. 22 (PIA) - Team work, unity, one direction are the top three strategies done by the local
government of Gandara to achieve the Seal of Good Local Governance.
T he SGLG is awarded by the DILG
to local government units who
comply with the best local
governance parameters and spells millions
worth of projects as incentive, for Gandara it is
Php 3 M.
In his state of the municipality address
delivered on Sunday, Mayor Eufemio Oliva
shared the honor to all the LGU department
heads and elected officials by regularly
mentioning their efforts as he raved on with his
accomplishments.
The chief executive said that it is only in
Gandara where despite the elected officials
belonging to different political parties, they
still find their common goal to achieve
development.
His seven-fold accomplishment he said
focused on health, social services, peace and
order, agriculture, infrastructure, disaster risk
reduction and general services.
The chief executive also greatly
acknowledged the role of the national
government in his „moving upward‟ to new
heights, especially in relief operations after
typhoon Ruby.
He also recognized the assistance of
non-government organizations and some
people‟s organizations.
Municipal and barangay officials donning
their best Filipiniana wardrobe listened to the
speech that lasted for more than an hour.
The mayor delivered his speech in Tagalog
and received more than a dozen applause.
The mayor particularly prided himself in
constructing a 4 storey-green building, beside
the town hall, which could serve as an
evacuation center in the upper floors and
offices in the ground floor.
DILG personnel who rated the LGU said
that all department heads are hardworking and
befit their designation.
Regional Director Pedro Noval of the
DILG commented that Gandara scored on
disaster preparedness, social protection, and
good financial housekeeping; and one essential
Indicator which was peace and order. The
director challenged them to continue the good
governance practices and comply with the full
disclosure policy.
Reports said that it was only Gandara
town out of the 26 LGUs in Samar province
that was an SGLG awardee, along with the
provinces of Biliran and Northern Samar, and
the municipalities of Barugo, Carigara and Jaro
in Leyte; and Limasawa in Southern Leyte. (ajc/
nbq/PIA 8-Samar)
NINFA B. QUIRANTE
DOH holds Hi5 Kalusugang Pangkalahatan roadshow in Maasin City
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sep. 24 (PIA) -- The Department of Health in close coordination with the Provincial Health
Services Office of Southern Leyte and the Maasin City Health Unit conducted the Hi5 Kalusugang Pangkalahatan (Universal
Health Care) Roadshow, September 22, 2015.
T he Kalusugang Pangkalahatan focuses
on the Hi5 health services of the
health department such as the
Maternal Care, Child Care, Infant Care, HIV/
AIDS /STDs prevention and the Service
Delivery Network.
DOH Development Management Officer
V Dr. Verna Fernandez said that the
activity dubbed as “Kalusugang Tuloy-Tuloy
Para sa Pamilyang Pinoy,”is responding to
clients such as mothers, pregnant women and
women in their productive age, children and
infants, senior citizens/elderly, the youth,
including the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and
Transgender (LGBT), and teens, among the
few. Fernandez said that high impact
breakthrough is targeted to reach the goal of
the Philippine Universal Health Care Agenda
under the Millennium Development Goal
(MDG) on May 2016.
The Hi5 roadshow which started with a
motorcade around the city proper, conducted
a short program thereafter at the city
gymnasium, and service delivery network was
conducted afterwards at the same venue.
The services delivery network activity
catered clients for family planning, dental
services, blood typing, immunization and those
defaulters, blood pressure, Penumococcal
injection, nutrition education, u4u teen trail,
healthy lifestyle tips, men‟s nutrition, usapang
maginoo, HIV/AIDS testing, including oral
health and ultra sound for pregnant women,
among other health services.
Dr. Fernandez said that the health team
will be holding the same activity in Barangay
Ichon Multipurpose Hall in Macrohon and
Padre Burgos Multipurpose Hall, Padre Burgos,
both in Southern Leyte on September 23 and
24, 2015, respectively.
She added that the Universal Health Care
High Impact Five Plan focuses on the critical
Universal Health Care interventions with high
impact on health prioritizing the poor,
providing tangible outputs which are “felt”
within a breakthrough period and with
synchronized nationwide implementation of
activities. (rgc/PIA8-SoLeyte)
Ma. Rebecca G. Cadavos
PCA aims to plant 2,900 hectares more to coconut in Southern Leyte
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 17 (PIA) - The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) aims to plant 2,900 hectares more
to coconut in the province by next year.
A ccording to PCA Senior Staff Carmelita
Maturan, after enlising those coconut
farmers who are willing to join the
growing and planting of coconut seedlings this
year, the coconut agency of the government
will start rolling its Participatory Coconut
Planting Project, a new planting program with
incentives by next year.
Maturan said coco farmers who are
participating in the said project will grow their
own coconut seedlings of their choice of
variety and will be paid by the PCA at P18.00
per good coconut seedling.
Then after five months when the good
seedling has already grown as high as two feet,
the coconut agency will again pay the amount
of P 22.00 per plant, she added.
“The project was conceptualized
when farmers complained of worn coconut
seedlings brought about by the transportation
pressures when these are being brought by
PCA down to their communities, “ Maturan
explained.
She said a farmer is entitled to at least
one hectare to be planted with coconut under
the project, wherein each hectare will be
planted with 120 nuts., according to the
project design.
However, a maximum of five hectares per
beneficiary can be availed if there is less
participation among the coconut farmers in an
area, she said.
A maximum of 2,900 farmers were
expected to benefit the full-of incentives
coconut growing and planting project, she
added. (ajc/esg/PIA8 SoLeyte)
ERNA S. GORNE
EASTERNEASTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 777
Samarnons scour coastal areas for marine debris
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, Sept. 22 (PIA) - More than a thousand Catbaloganons joined the International Coastal Clean-up
Day Saturday, September 19.
T ons of marine debris were collected
as the Samarnons from office girls to
beauty queens and hunks scoured
the beaches of Catbalogan.
Edgar Guya, Catbalogan City Environment
and Natural Resources Officer said that aside
from those deployed at Pier Uno, the residents
of some 28 coastal barangays were also
mobilized for the same purpose.
“ Our program continuously advocate
for taking responsibility in cleaning up our
marine debris to save the environment,” he
said.
The department is pushing this program
through constant education, habit formation,
discipline and providing good examples for a
sustainable environment, he added.
As this reporter noticed that fish
vendors are the first offenders of the clean
Catbalogan, he added that his office will
never tire reminding them and even
reprimanding them about disposing their waste
properly.
Rummaged garbage include several plastic
containers, styrofoams. mineral water
containers, damaged fish nets, umbrellas, plastic
cups and plastic spoon and forks.
The whole Samar Sea has virtually
turned into a big waste basin, one „cleaner‟
commented.
CENR Officer of the DENR Mar Torres in
an earlier interview said that it takes many
years for plastic to melt.
International Coastal Cleanup provides
an opportunity to clean up the beaches,
coastal regions and surroundings.
It is considered the largest volunteer
event in the world.
Last year, in the Philippines, some 107
thousand volunteers scoured the coastal areas.
September 19 is the 30th International Coastal
Clean-up Day. (ajc/nbq/ PIA 8-Samar)
Limasawa island-town mulls solar power
for energy needs
W ell, not exactly a pure, full-speed
reliance from the sun‟s boundless
energy, for they will still use the
existing generator, like what they are
using now for evening light only, said Mayor
Melchor Petracorta, but just the same the
use of hybrid power system is a history-in
-the-making event.
“The National Power Corporation
will provide the materials to generate
electricity using the sun, our counterpart is
the site, and as of now we are waiting for
the deed of donation from the lot owner,”
Petracorta told PIA in an interview during a
break on the occasion of the DILG conferment
of Seal of Good Local Governance early this
month.
That translates to a P 50 million to P 60
mil l ion investment for the state
power-generating firm and no equity on the
part of the LGU except for the provision of
enough land space for the solar power plant,
which is more or less half a hectare.
The prospect on using solar energy for
the island came about when PIA inquired on
updates of a submarine cable line proposed
two years ago by former Energy Secretary
Jericho Petilla.
On July 1, 2013, Petilla, the guest speaker
during the 53rd Southern Leyte founding
anniversary, spoke about the island‟s inclusion
for submarine cable projects.
Petracorta said the plan was eventually
shelved due to prohibitive costs, and
solar power was seen as a more viable
alternative.
With stable, 24-hour power supply, other
tourism-related projects may follow, like the
long-held idea to put up a huge, tall cross in the
island, in which visitors can climb by elevator,
and the horizontal side of the cross utilized as
internet café and other business uses, the
Mayor mused.
He exuded confidence the solar project
can start the soonest possible time once the
deed of donation for the lot from the private
owners to the name of the LGU can be
perfected. (mmp, PIA8-Southern Leyte)
LIMASAWA, Southern Leyte, Sept. 24 (PIA) -- If plans do not miscarry, this historic place will stake another claim in the
country’s history as the first local government unit to go solar for electricity needs of its residents.
Marcelo M. Pedalino
OCD-8 conducts 4-day regional contingency plan workshop
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Sept. 23 (PIA) – Around 50 participants from different areas in Eastern Visayas are converging for a
4-day regional contingency plan formulation workshop at Hotel Alejandro this city which begins Monday until Thursday.
T he activity is aimed at strengthening
the capacity of the local government
units towards disaster mitigation,
preparedness, response and recovery
capabilities to reduce risks to human life and
properties as well as build resilient
communities.
Office of Civil Defense 8 acting
regional director Edgar L. Posadas emphasized
the importance of a contingency plan to
address whatever challenges that may come
along the way in case a similar catastrophic
incident like Yolanda happens again in the
future.
“Planning plays a crucial role. We have
to carefully map out the response to effectively
and more efficiently address the threats
that hazards pose in our communities
and in the immediate environment,” Posadas
said.
“We have to customize plans that
we could effectively activate as needed to
reduce the impact of devastating events as
well as allocate meager resources in times of
disasters,” he further said.
At the beginning of the workshop, OCD-8
acting assistant regional director Rey M. Gozon
discussed in detail the Philippine Disaster Risk
Reduction (PDRR) Profile including the major
disasters that hit the country and the paradigm
shift in the PDRRM‟s.
With the geographical location of the
region, it is but timely to draw out plans that
would be responsive to the needs of the
people that will ultimately save lives and
properties.
After the workshop, it is expected that
the participants could come up with a draft
integrated plan based on the prioritized
hazards in the region.
The final draft plan will be submitted to
the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council (RDRRMC) for approval
and this will be endorsed to the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (NDRRMC) and will serve as a
regional plan to be crafted down to the LGUs.
(ajc/cba/PIA-8)
CONSUELO B. ALARCON
NINFA B. QUIRANTE
One Visayas e-newsletter is published weekly by the Visayas Regional Cluster of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) comprising Region 6, 7 and 8. Its main editorial office is located at PIA Region 6, Iloilo City.
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Editorial Consultants
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Regional Director, PIA 7 Regional Director, PIA6 Regional Director, PIA8
Managing Editor
Jaime S. Cabag, Jr.
Contributors
All PIA Information Officers of Regions 6, 7 & 8
Production and Layout
Edson J. Bañares Lynnor C. Regalado
Regional Offices:
PIA 6, 2/F RC Building, Rizal St., Iloilo City, Iloilo 5000, Tel. Nos. (033) 337-8719/3377301/509-0993, Fax No. (033) 337-8719/509-0993, e-mail: [email protected]/ [email protected]
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