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The official e-Newsletter of PIA Visayas
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Vol 5 Issue 20 Published by: PIA 6, 7 & 8 May 18 - 24, 2015
In this IssueIn this IssueIn this Issue BFAR-7 to prioritize ―poorest‖ fishermen in CV for livelihood programs
Multi-million worth septage facility to be constructed in Tanauan, Leyte
More on Region 8, pages 6-7.
Also CLICK Here...
Innovations, key to surviving in Manufacturing
Easter Anne Doza
BORACAY, Aklan, May 18 (PIA6) - - Innovate or die. Inventec Corporation chairman Richard Lee‟s strong
opening statement in a special session on Innovation and
Manufacturing at a Public-Private Dialogue on Services during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation 2015 being held in Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan Province until the 24th this month.
“Companies must continue to innovate to survive. The only thing that does not change is change itself. Change faster, change all the time,” Lee said.
Among the top 10 most valuable company in 1995, only three sustained, Inventec included while the other seven are new internet companies.
According to Lee, about a third of the companies included in the 1970 Fortune 500 vanished before 1983 either through acquisition, merger or they just broke into
pieces. Industry 4.0, a new trend in the manufacturing
industry which when merged with smart automation is the
new mainstream of manufacturing for greater efficiency and productivity, Lee said.
Lee added that Industry 4.0 is capable to become smart, green and urban – smart for superior quality, green
for clean, efficient and sustainable while urban for moving practically in cities.
In 2008 when cloud computing starts to boom
Inventec became the largest company with cloud infrastructure which they started to further diversify in developing and manufacturing storage network in 1998.
“Information Technology industry is a fast changing
market. Customers demand the newest of products. Must find innovative ways to survive,” Lee added.
The special session on innovation and manufacturing
underscores the critical role of innovation, information technology and research and development, to help firms adapt to global competitive pressures. *(JCM/EAD-PIA6 Negros Occidental)
Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU, May 19 (PIA) -- Over 5,000 fisherfolk-household beneficiaries in Central Visayas stand to gain from the livelihood programs rolled out by Bureau
of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-7) this year. BFAR-7 Regional Director Andres Bojos said the
move is part of the government‟s thrust to reduce poverty incidence by capacitating the “poorest of the poor” and
uplift their quality of life. “There are 5,190 fisherfolk-household beneficiaries
that will be given priority for identified livelihood
programs” that will be rolled out this year for them, said Bojos during the weekly forum of the Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO-7) that tackled
the celebration of May as Fisherfolks Month.
Bojos said the 5,190 recipients represent five percent of the “poorest of the poor” among the fisherfolk sector in
the region and chosen based on the cross-match of their fisherfolk registration system and the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction used
by Department of Social Welfare and Development.
According to Bojos, BFAR-7‟s registration data on fisherfolk population is currently at 107,000 but still counting as they are dependent on the local government
units to give them the list of legitimate fishermen in their area.
Livelihood projects to be rolled out for the intended beneficiaries include „guso‟ making, mangrove planting, fish
farming, and crab farming. BFAR-7 Assistant Director Allan Poquita in the same
forum said a P34-M budget has been allocated for the
purchase of fishing materials to help the intended beneficiaries.
We are given a timeline between September to
October to complete the projects for the identified
fisherfolks, said Poquita. Several activities are being undertaken by BFAR-7
until the end of the month in celebration of Fisherfolks Month including various capacity-building trainings to fish wardens and fisherfolks. (rmn/fcr/PIA-7)
More on Region 7, pages 4-5.
Also CLICK Here…
More on Region 6, pages 2-3.
Also CLICK Here…
EASTERN VISAYAS
CENTRAL VISAYAS
CONSUELO B. ALARCON
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, May 20 (PIA) – A multi-million worth septage facility is set to be constructed in the Municipality of Tanauan, Leyte soon.
Tanauan Vice Mayor Ronald Flores, who is the main proponent of the project said, he is now in the process of finalizing the ordinance establishing a septage management system that will benefit the entire territorial jurisdiction of
the municipality. However, Flores said he is open for modifications in
the future where nearby municipalities such as Sta. Fe,
Pastrana, Tabon-Tabon and Tolosa will also benefit as each local government unit (LGU) is mandated to have a septage facility.
“Said facility will supplement provisions of the existing
laws related to solid waste management,” Flores said. In the recent WASH and Wins Annual Operational
Workshop for Tanauan, Leyte, Flores emphasized the
importance of passing the ordinance as it will enhance ecological balance in the locality through sustainable septage facility.
“Once approved all households, public and commercial establishments should have a septage management system that would enhance ecological balance in the municipality through sustainable septage facility,”
Flores added. The project will be patterned after the septage
treatment facility in Dumaguete where the official
inspected sometime in April. The national government through the Department of
Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and some
international non-government organizations such as Oxfam
and Samaritan‟s Purse are more than willing to help in order to materialize the project. (ajc/cba/PIA-8)
DILG Secretary Mar Roxas turns over funds
for Recovery Assistance on Yolanda (RAY)
Batch 2 amounting to 155.9 million pesos to
the local treasurer of Tacloban City . Also in
photo are LMP President Sandy Javier and
DILG City Director Atty. Darwin Bibar.
WESTERN VISAYAS
RDRRMC-7 # APEC2015 Contingency
Planning Workshop at Crown Regency, Cebu
City. The activity led by Office of Civil
Defense-7 is part of the emergency
preparedness measures for Cebu's hosting of
APEC 2015.
Hon. Mario G. Montejo (extreme left) of the
Department of Science and Technology
delivers his welcome remarks during the APEC
Meeting on Policy Partnership on Science,
Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) held
recently in Boracay Crown Regency, Boracay,
Malay, Aklan. #pia6
Innovate or die. Inventec Corporation chairman Richard Lee urges
companies to continue to innovate to survive during the special
session on Innovation and Manufacturing during the APEC 2015
Public-Private Dialogue on Services held at the Sagana Hall,
Shangrila Hotel in Boracay Island. *(EAD-PIA6 photo)
WESTERNWESTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 222
Tax policies should benefit travel, tourism industry
BORACAY, AKLAN, May 20 (PIA) --- The Aklan provincial government is open to best practices and benefits of taxation and
policies that will impact the further growth of tourism in the province.
I n his message during the conference
on enhancing tourism competitiveness
in the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic
Conference) region held Tuesday, Governor
Joeben Miraflores said that there is a need
to raise awareness on the latest tourism
trends and respond on issues and development
relevant to the industry.
“We a need to have a shared vision
to assess impact of current taxation
measures in our respective economies and
provide a comparative analysis of taxation
levels in the travel and tourism industry,” he
said.
He said Boracay Island has become one of
the most important tourism destinations not
only in the province but in the country as a
whole.
“We targeted 1.5 million tourist
arrivals for 2014 and reached 1,472,353.
Our take on to the statistic is not
that we fell short but we triumphed
despite man-made and natural adversities,” he
stressed.
The visitor arrivals in 2014 as per
Department of Tourism-6 was able to reach a
total provincial income of P1.09-billion as
translated into tourism receipts.
The local chief executive said that
tourism stakeholders enabled the province to
be recognized due to its highest contribution
to locally-sourced income among the country‟s
81 provinces.
He said that Boracay is also considered
the country‟s cruise haven having received nine
cruise ship visits last year.
For 2015, 12 cruise ships are
scheduled to visit the island resort. (JCM/LTP/
PIA-Iloilo)
Leonard T. Pineda I
OrchidsOrchids
BORACAY ISLAND, Malay, Aklan (May 20) – Foreign affairs Undersecretary Laura Del Rosario set the tone of the
2nd APEC 2015 Senior Officials‘ Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM2) which starts today here as she unveiled an image of the
Asia-Pacific as a region working towards inclusive growth to help uplift the lives of ordinary people.
Asia-Pacific region seen as ‗inclusive, empowering‘
Jaime S. Cabag, Jr.
“ Here (in APEC) we fearlessly tackle
issues which would have direct
contributions to uplift the lives of our
people”, said Del Rosario in her welcome
remarks.
“We see economic growth thru the lens
of inclusiveness taking into consideration the
varying contexts that characterize the
Asia-Pacific region and promote areas of
cooperation not only through chain and
business facilitation but also on issues that
affect the man on the street,” she said.
“We talk of connectivity with the end in
view of an integrated economic and human
system built on sound economic policies which
are truly inclusive and empowering,” said the
SOM chair.
She also said Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) should fully participate in
creating the value of chains in the region‟s
economy.
Underscoring the importance of human
capital, Del Rosario said our children and
future generations should be educated and
equipped with the knowledge and skills that
will sustain them through the changing
economic and technological landscape.
Del Rosario also mentioned:
The full harnessing of the advances in
technology towards the improvement in the
quality of life of the people and in sustaining
our way of life rather than extinguish the
resources on which people‟s sustenance
depends.
Embedding governance and regulatory
regimes in all economic systems.
She told her fellow senior APEC officials
that they work with the future in mind and
chart it towards inclusive growth through the
different initiatives and programs set and must
be fulfilled. She cited the spirit of industry and
entrepreneurship of the Tirol couple and later
the people that transformed Boracay Island
from a farming area into a leading tourist
destination that it is now as the same kind of
spirit that drives the work of APEC to open
the highways to new frontiers and address next
generation issues with a forward-looking
approach to economic policy.
She expressed hope that Boracay and its
transformation is a good backdrop “of what we
want to achieve” and “where the earth, sea
and sky are one”.
She also hoped that the visiting officials
would find time to enjoy what the island has to
offer and realize that “it is indeed more fun in
the Philippines”. (JCM/JSC-PIA6)
ROXAS CITY, Capiz, May 20 (PIA) – National Food Authority Administrator Renan Dalisay was in Capiz recently to conduct
an inspection of the various facilities of the NFA in the province, according to Information Officer Mary Christie Hari-on.
F acilities inspected were the NFA
warehouse in Santa Cruz, Dumalag
town and the two warehouses in Bolo,
Roxas City, which were repaired by the
World Food Programme, after the onslaught of
super typhoon Yolanda that damaged said
facilities.
Hari-on said that Dalisay likewise
checked on the ongoing repair of the damaged
Warehouse B also in Roxas City, which
funding from the NFA reached more than
P2-million.
“The other post harvest facilities such as
the rice mills and driers were also inspected,
she said.
Dalisay also conducted an on-the-spot
inspection in the public markets here,
particularly in Ivisan and Sigma towns to
check on the presence of NFA rice in the
markets and the compliance of grains
businessmen with the agency‟s requirements
for rice retailers.
“Our NFA administrator was impressed
with the compliance of rice retailers especially
in Ivisan town when, during his inspection, the
NFA rice stock was available and placed in a
rice box with the rice price tag and NFA sign
board,” she said.
Dalisay also commended the cleanliness
and orderliness of the market by putting a
section for rice retailers only, Hari-on said.
According to her , the NFA
administrator reminded them to make
government rice available to the public so they
would have access to quality and affordable
staple food. (JCM/JBG/PIA6-Capiz)
Capiz NFA facilities, rice supply meet inspection check
Jemin B. Guillermo
WESTERN WESTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 333
Flores de MayoFlores de Mayo–– SantacruzanSantacruzan
GSIS reminds new members of UMID enrolment deadline
Vicente W. Villavert
SAN JOSE, Antique, May 17 (PIA6) – The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) here reminded its new members and
pensioners that the deadline for the UMID eCard enrollment is set next month.
“ We only have until June 15, 2015 to
enroll all our members here in the
province,” said GSIS Antique Satellite
Office head Leo F. Frigillano in an interview
during the PIA radio program, recently.
Frigillano said that UMID stands for
Unified Multi-Purpose ID, and it is required for
all GSIS members in all government agencies
and for newly hired government employees
and teachers.
“The UMID card functions as an ATM
card when the members transact for their
loans, policy loans, claims, retirement benefits,
among others.
Frigillano said that the UMID eCard
enrollment started last March at the GSIS
Antique Satellite Office at G/F AML Building,
corner Dalipe-Atabay, San Jose de Buenavista,
Antique,” and there is no need for them to go
to Iloilo, because we are bringing the GSIS
services nearer to the public.”
He said that some 1,812 number of
enrollees are expected to meet the deadline by
June 15.
The GSIS Antique Satellite office head
said that for Antique there are about 13,000
active members and some 4,000 to 5,000
pensioners.
He said that what the GSIS is doing is for
the welfare of its members, and presently
there are around seven kiosks established in
the province, and these are located at the GSIS
office, DepEd Antique Division Office, New
Capitol, and at the local government units of
Tobias Fornier, Culasi, Pandan and Caluya.(JSC/
VWV-PIA6 Antique
ILOILO CITY, May 19 (PIA6) - - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources 6 (DENR 6) and the local
government unit of Guimaras distributed on Tuesday 500 land patents to qualified beneficiaries from the five municipalities of
the province.
D ENR Undersecretary for Field
Operations Demetrio Ignacio led the
distribution held at the Provincial
Covered Gym. He was assisted by Governor
Samuel Gumarin, Dr. Lucille Nava, wife and
Chief of Staff of Congressman JC Rahman
Nava, DENR 6 Director Jim Sampulna
and Guimaras OIC Registrar of Deeds Mara
Ausan.
Ignacio congratulated the new land
owners and urged them to take care of their
lands as this will help improve their lives and
later, they have something to pass on to their
children.
He also cited the efforts of the local
government units in helping fasttrack the
processing and distribution of the titles to
qualified occupants of public agricultural lands
under the „Handog Titulo‟ program of the
department.
Qualified beneficiaries of the land patents
are Filipino citizens who have occupied the
public land for 30 years.
Among the beneficiaries is sixty-three
year old Isidro Cabaling of Igcawayan, San
Lorenzo who expressed his gratitude to the
government for facilitating the titling of the
agricultural land he farms and owned by his late
Uncle under his name.
Cabaling said he will continue to till the
land. He has 12 children, four are still single
and hopes that the two who are in school last
school year - a high school and a college taking
up agriculture, will pursue their studies this
opening.
For Estelita Gallarde of Brgy. Maabay,
Sibunag, the land title symbolizes that they now
own the lot her family has stayed for a long
time and she is very happy about it. She also
lauded the effort of the government to process
the titling of the lands which was divided and
now registered to the names of her three
children.
Ignacio said the processing of the 500 land
titles started last year and another 500 will be
processed and distributed next year to
qualified beneficiaries in the province.
He said under the administration of
President Benigno Aquino close to 500,000
titles were already distributed nationwide
including some 27,000 in Western Visayas. For
2015-2016, another 8,000 titles more will be
processed for distribution in the region
including the 500 in Guimaras. (LAF/PIA6)
Guimarasnons now proud land owners
Lilibeth A. French
APEC-NOC committed to responsible
tourism in Boracay
Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan, May 18 (PIA6) -- The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation – National Organizing Committee
(APEC-NOC) remains firmly committed in encouraging responsible tourism in the wake of the influx of visitors in
Boracay Island with the holding of the Second Senior Officials‘ Meeting and Related Meetings from May 10-21 and the
Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting from May 23-24.
T his assurance was issued by APEC
spokesperson Asec Charles Jose at
the press briefing held May 18 at the
International Media Center at the EcoVillage
Resort and Convention Center here.
Asec Jose said this commitment had been
initially shown through the conduct of clean-up
drives along the shores of the island led by the
APEC NOC together with the Department of
Interior and Local Government (DILG),
Department of National Defense (DND,
Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire
Protection (BFP) and the Philippine Coast
Guard (PCG). He disclosed that a beach
clean-up with these groups was held early
morning of May 18 while the previous ones
were conducted on May 13 and 15.
“This forms part of our overall effort
to reduce our carbon footprint. Since last year,
we have been advocating for the use of
less paper throughout the Philippine hosting
of APEC, encouraging agencies and local
government units to instead circulate
information through email and social
media”, Asec Jose told members of the
international, national and local media
attending the briefing.
The APEC spokesperson and DFA
Asec also revealed the partnership
w i t h E M o t o r s I n c o r p o r a t e d , a
F i l ip ino-owned company and the
APEC 2015 green electric mobility
partner, to set up an e-trike system to
transport delegates between venues in
Boracay.
He also revealed that as of this
time, over 1,500 delegates from all 21
APEC member economies have registered
for the meetings. Theme of the 2015
APEC is “Building Inclusive Economies, Building
a Better World”. (JCM/VGV PIA6 Aklan)
By Venus G. Villanueva
CENTRALCENTRAL VISAYASVISAYAS 444
BOHOL, May 19 (PIA) -- The Department of Education (DepEd) spearheads the National School Maintenance Week and rolls
out the Brigada Eskwela 2015 on May 18 to 22.
Brigada Eskwela starts Monday to Saturday
T hrough Memorandum 41, series of
2015, the DepED adopts "Tayo para sa
Kalinisan, Kahandaan at Kaligtasan ng
ating mga Paaralan," while engaging all
stakeholders to contribute time, effort and
resources in ensuring that public schools and
their facilities are ready for the opening of
school year 2015-2016
At the recent Kapihan sa PIA, DepEDs
Adopt-a-School focal person sIvory Garces
said, apart from ensuring clean and
accident-free schools, the DepEd intends to
mainstream disaster preparedness principles in
schools.
This is while maintaining school
preparedness and disaster safety guides to
transform schools into safe learning facilities,
Garces explained the meaning of annual
Brigada Eskwela.
Brigada Eskwela enlivens the spirit of
volunteerism from all education stakeholders--
Government and non government
organizations, teachers, parents and concerned
organizations to take part in the repair and
maintenance activities.
Following this, it also presupposes that
Brigada Eskwela does not make non
participation a requisite for a kid's enrolment,
and even collecting fees for the activity is never
allowed, the DepED clarified.
We render voluntary work for the
Brigada, because we care for our kids and
their comfort while getting public education,
we know they are in a safe building, one
parent who said he will render service shared
to PIA.
This Monday, Bohol Division would be
opening the week with a caravan from the
Division office to Sta. Cruz Elementary
School in Maribojoc, where the launching
program is.
At the same school site, the DepEd would
be recognizing elementary and secondary
schools which have shown good examples in
the implementation of the school maintenance
activities last year.
Cited and made Bohol entries to the
regional fest of best Brigada implementers are
two Bohol high schools and two elementary
schools.
In the afternoon, Garces said the DepED
is doing a massive volunteer work at the Sta.
Cruz Elementary School.
The same school, which sits on the loose
reclaimed land on top of a hill at the church
complex, was massively hit by the earthquake,
buildings blown off by Yolanda and the
succeeding storms while a fire gutted three of
its classrooms at the height of storm Seniang.
(mbcn/rahc/PIA7-Bohol)
Rey Anthony H. Chiu
CENTRAL VISAYAS, May 19 (PIA) --- The Regional Association of PESO Managers in Central Visayas (REPESOM 7) recently
gathered for better collaboration and sharing of concepts and practices.
CV PESO managers converge for collaboration, practice sharing
T he event held in Dumaguete City,
Negros Oriental is a convergence of
Public Employment Service Office
(PESO) managers particularly from the
provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros
Oriental.
Other delegates were representatives
from the academe, Local Chief Executives
and/or their counterparts, and representatives
f rom Overseas Workers Welfare
Administrat ion (OWWA), Nat ional
Reintegration Center of OFWs (NRCO),
P h i l i p p i n e O ve r s e a s Em p l oy me n t
Admin i s tr a t ion (POEA) , Techn ica l
Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA), and Bureau of Local Employment
(BLE).
In a press release, Department of Labor
and Employment (DOLE-7) Officer-in-Charge
Regional Director Exequiel Sarcauga
noted in his message before the delegates
that PESO managers play a vital role in
bringing to the public the services of
the department.
“I thank all PESO managers for helping the
government deliver its programs.
They are a big help to DOLE in terms
of making the people see and value the
importance of the services it implements,”
Sarcauga said.
Part of the three-day event was the
first hand services and program updates
brought to the doorstep of REPESOM while
representatives of OWWA, NRCO, POEA,
TESDA and BLE equipped the PESO Managers
with the latest developments, information, and
trends to help them serve the public more
efficiently.
REPESOM 7 President Dr. Bonifacio N.
Mercado, Jr. also presided the annual
General Assembly that paved way for
PESO retirees to be given tribute for their
valuable contributions in their respective
PESOs.
Participants to the Search for Best PESO
and the institutionalized PESOs were also given
plaques of appreciation. (rmn/ays/PIA-7/Luchel
Taniza, DOLE-7)
Amor Y. Saludar
OrchidsOrchids
SIQUIJOR, May 20 (PIA) - - With Siquijor island becoming a haven for tourists, foreign and domestic arrivals continue to soar
with France, USA, Germany, United Kingdom and China nationals topped the list of staying foreign tourists.
PPDO says tourist arrivals in Siquijor Island soars
S iquijor Provincial Planning and
Development Officer Gladys Estrellada
reported this during the Green
Economic Development Sensitization and
Business Matching for Tourism Enterprises in
the island.
Estrellada presented the island‟s
tourism trend showing a good leap in the
last six years. Staying and walk-in tourists
soared in 2014 with 209,819 from 71,178 in
2008; 104,474 in 2009; 112,658 in 2010;
123,864 in 2011; 126,172 in 2012 and 150,889
in 2013.
Domestic and foreign staying tourists
were registered at 23,345 and 17,140,
respectively or a total of 40,485 in 2014 from
33,431 in 2013.
Tourism data also shows 88% of the
tourists come to the island for pleasure and
vacation; 8% come to visit friends and
relatives while 4% come for business
professional work and other activities.
Thirty five percent of those tourists
indulged in marine activities such as diving,
snorkeling and paddle boating; 31% mainly
come for relaxation and resting; 22%
went to mountains and nature activities like
biking, trekking, spelunking and swimming;
while 11% of the tourists wanted to
experience Siquijor culture with visits to the
old churches and convent, folk healing and
festivals.
Siquijor island has now a total of 108
accommodations establishments with 678
rooms including resorts, inns, hotels and
homestay. (mbcn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor)
Rizalie Anding Calibo
CENTRAL CENTRAL VISAYASVISAYAS 555
CEBU, May 19 (PIA) -- Cebu‘s hosting of this year‘s APEC meetings is expected to drive local trade and tourism.
A mbassador Marciano A. Paynor, Jr.,
APEC 2015 National Organizing
Comm i t t e e (NOC ) D i r e c tor
General, said that Cebu, being a
manufacturing center and an export center, will
benefit from hosting some of the ministerial
meetings.
“Our total trade with APEC member
economies is 80 percent, and because
Cebu is a manufacturing and an export
center, then definitely Cebu is affected
by APEC policies and improvements,”
said Paynor in a press conference after
his first meeting on May 14 with Cebu‟s
local organizing committee members at the
Capitol.
Statistics released by APEC NOC
show that 80.7% of total trade and
80.81% of the total tourist arrivals in
the Philippines are from APEC member
countries.
Total external trade for 2013 with
APEC member countries amounted to $96.104
-B.
Cebu will be hosting a series of
meetings from August 24 to September 11,
with more than 3,000 international delegates
expected to be coming in and out of Cebu
during said period.
Cebu was also designated as the de
facto alternate venue for any meeting that will
not be held in its assigned area due to weather
issues.
“In the event that any meeting elsewhere
cannot be held where they are due to weather
disturbances or natural calamities, we will
transfer it here,” said Paynor.
Cebu was chosen as the alternate
venue due to the number of facilities
for conference services and hotels and the
presence of an international airport here. (rmn/
PIA7-Cebu)
APEC 2015 hosting to boost Cebu economy
Rachelle M. Nessia
CEBU CITY, May 19 (PIA) -- Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that an average of 10 people die
every hour due to smoking. This is equivalent to 90 million deaths a year.
DOH appeals to widen the graphic warning on cigarette packs
T he Department of Health (DOH)
pursues to widen the use of graphic
health warnings (GHW‟s) on cigarette
packs.
I n a K ap i h an s a P IA - C eb u
recently, DOH7 Tobacco Control Officer
Josette Navarro said bolder and bigger GHWs
will be a great help for the smokers to notice
the warning and will be discourage to continue
the habit.
“These GHW will include images
of a diseased mouth, and suffering
lung cancer patient and more of
the ill-effects of dangerous smoking,” Navarro
said.
DOH7 pushes for the 70 percent
of the total cigarette pack printing on
the cover however only 40 percent is
being used. Navarro said it is placed on
the half lower back portion of the cigarette packs.
“If we compromise these warnings,
smokers will still continue their habits because
some of these people are illiterates and
having such big GHWs will be helpful for their
awareness” Navarro stated.
A smoker from Tejero, Maria (not her
real name) said such warnings are quite
ineffective.
“I can't even see the warnings placed in
the cigarette packs most of the time,” Mayang
said.
On the other hand, Jho from Danao
City, who admits being an occasional smoker
said the warnings might be helpful to smokers
and non-smokers. However he said it depends
on the person if he really wants to quit
smoking.
“Even if the cigarettes were made
expensive for the consumers but still
there are a lot of buyers, perhaps the
government should focus on formulating s o m e t h i n g t h a t w o u l d r e a l l y
awaken the public on the dangers of smoking,”
Jho said.
Republic Act. 10643 [or An Act to
Effectively Instill Health Consciousness through
Graphic Warning on Tobacco Products] that
mandated the display of graphic health
warnings on tobacco products.
Commonly used is the graphic image
of a man exhaling smoke through a hole
in his throat as a warning was an
adaptat ion of the one used by
the Food and Drug Authority of the United
States.
T h e l a w r e q u i r e s c i g a r e t t e
manufacturers to use half of a cigarette pack‟s
display area for pictures showing ill-effects of
smoking.
The graphic health warnings should appear
on the lower portion of the front and back
panels of cigarette packs.
May 31 is World No Tobacco Day. (mbcn/fcc/PIA7-Cebu/with reports from Caren
P. Gabisay, CNU Devcom Intern)
Ferliza C. Contratista
CEBU CITY, May 21(PIA)— Reforested areas in Central Visayas is now at 84 percent of the targeted area for reforestation.
I n a Kapihan sa PIA recently, Department
of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR-7) information officer Eddie
Llamedo said the agency has reforested 66,000
hectares in the four provinces since the start
of the National Greening Program (NGP) in
2011.
Llamedo added DENR-7 aimed to
reforest some 75,000 hectares In its six year of
implementation involving 207 people's
organizations in the region.
According to Llamedo NGP budget in
the region already reached billions since each
reforested hectare costs more or less P18,000
each with a minimum of 575 trees.
Each tree costs P27.24.
In terms of seedling production, the
agency recorded 3% excess for seedling
production in this year‟s National Greening
Program (NGP) target.
DENR-7 managed to produce 11,890,701
seedlings for 2015; 3% higher for the year‟s
target of 11,557,500.
According to DENR's latest data,
Negros Oriental recorded the highest
with 6 ,918,185 seedl ings fol lowed
by Bohol with 2,859,500 while Cebu
produced 1,987,659 and Siquijor with 125,357
seedlings.
The NGP is a massive rehabilitation
program of the government established
by virtue of Executive no. 26 issued on
February 24, 2011 by President Benigno C.
Aquino III.
It seeks to grow 1.5 million trees in 1.5
million hectares nationwide within a period of
six years from 2011 to 2016. (mbcn/fcc/
PIA7-Cebu/ with reports from Joshua
Cabonilla, CNU Devcom Intern)
CV reforestation now 84 percent accomplished
Ferliza C. Contratista
Flores de MayoFlores de Mayo–– SantacruzanSantacruzan
EASTERN EASTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 666
DAR gives out P49.5M worth of shredders
R egional Director Sheila Enciso disclosed
that 100 ARBOs who are going to receive the 100 shredder machines were
meticulously screened making sure this project won‟t
fail. Enciso explained that this project intends to
turn biodegradable debris into income generating activities using the shredders.
According to her, this project will teach the ARBOs to produce community-based organic fertilizer. However, she added that they have the
option which of the three business models to venture in collective production and marketing of African night crawlers, organic fertilizers, and/or
naturally grown crops. Aside from the shredder machines which cost
P49.5-million or at P495,000 per unit, DAR has
likewise earmarked P5-million for the inputs such as African night crawlers, compost tea brewer,
preparation of vermi-beds and for the training.
Enciso further disclosed that this activity is funded under the Agrarian Reform Communities Connectivity and Economic Support Services
(ARCCESS). Though these are not among the
recommended common service facilities (CSFs) for the ARCCESS project, she explained that these are
given by the agency in addition to typhoon affected areas to provide farmers livelihood and recover from losses.
Nonoy Moraca, technical consultant of the RU Foundry, the manufacturer of the shredder machine, assured DAR and the ARBOs that they will extend
the necessary assistance in order to achieve success in this project.
To immediately proceed with the project, RU
Foudry committed to provide the complete package to 15 ARBOs consisting of 30 kilos of African night
crawlers, two units of compost tea brewer and six
units of vermi-beds, comprising as starter kit. Meanwhile, DAR Assistant Regional Director
for Program Beneficiaries Development Ismael
Aya-ay also revealed that some 10,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries and ordinary farmers will be benefited by this project.
More than half of the ARBOs identified come
from Leyte being the most affected province, he added.
According to him, 54 are from Leyte, 16 from
Eastern Samar, 10 from Biliran, 9 from Samar, 7 from Southern Leyte, and 4 from Northern Samar.
Though this activity is DAR‟s contribution to
the Rehabilitation After Yolanda (RAY) project, Aya-ay explained that the province of Northern Samar was included for it was also devastated by
typhoons Ruby and Senyang in December last year. (DAR-8/PIA-8)
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, May 19 – As a prelude to a livelihood being worked out by the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR) for agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in ―Yolanda‖-ravaged agrarian reform communities
(ARCs), the former had started orienting the latter before giving away the 100 shedders now available at the DAR
Regional office compound.
Phalaenopsis x intermedia Orchid variety also Phalaenopsis x intermedia Orchid variety also
known as Star of Leyte known as Star of Leyte
GK Bayanihan Challenge campaigns to end poverty
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, May 20 (PIA) -- Gawad Kalinga (GK) Bayanihan Challenge 2015 reaches Samar barangays in a
campaign to end poverty.
A s the project reached remote barangays
like Barangay Dinagan, Calbayog City the tarp placed on the stage drumbeats „end
poverty‟.
During the opening program, a dance number „Unity Dance‟ ushered the introduction of the different volunteers with the beneficiaries and the barangay folks.
Edward Baltazar, Samar Area Coordinator of Gawad Kalinga said that they prepared livelihood training on Bamboo Propagation to help farmers
augment their income.
They will join the National Greening Program (NGP) of the DENR where each bamboo is paid a
certain sum. “With the 10 thousand bamboo we will plant, I
am sure, it can somehow ease financial worries, they
just need hope and determination,” he said. This early, the GK beneficiaries have
prepared the bamboo shoots in plastic containers
that will be transferred to a site identified by the DENR.
Bamboos are very easy to plant and can give lots of benefits, said Baltazar.
The woven root system of the bamboo acts as
a cohesive for colloidal particles, making the plant a
very important species as a soil protector near rivers.
According to him, during rainy season
bamboo absorbs large amounts of water, it stores the water both in its rhizomes as in the stems and soil.
This means that bamboo has a high water
storage capacity. Later on, due to the effects of concentration, the water is returned to the soil, rivers and streams during the dry season. Baltazar
shared some bamboo info to explain why they chose
bamboo. Bamboo is also used as construction materials
for homes of the poor, said GK beneficiary Nanay Dengdeng.
Aside from the preparations for the bamboo
propagation, Dinagan folks also maintain backyard gardens of vegetables where they plant leafy veggies, legumes and root crops.
GK Bayanihan Challenge 2015 also continues to build houses though the coordinator admits “are being done in a very slow pace.”
“We have few donors,” he added.
The 2-hectare lot allotted the GK project was
donated by the heirs of Tomasing Gomez, a known
Calbayognon for his charities. There are supposedly 52 target houses in
House Build but only two have been finished and
are ready for occupancy. One is still under construction.
Baltazar further said that they have also restoration of Green Houses, Paraisong Pambata
(Feeding Program), Planting Mahogany Tree, Clean Up Drive and School Refurbishing activity.
“Gawad Kalinga Program and the
people in it are not only friends but also family
for us beneficiaries of Dinagan,” Fe Comedia Masiga said.
Jefferson Jalalon Provincial Management Team of Gawad Kalinga Samar said that they will continue their campaign to really end poverty in this part of
Samar. In the closing program on May 17, the
volunteers mostly government army elements, young
people from Calbayog City, beneficiaries, GK officials and the barangay folks shared a humble meal through a boodle fight where the veggies were harvested from their own yards. (PIA 8-Samar with reports
from Ron Roma)
DILG 8 allots P253.6-M for rehab of brgy structures BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar, May 18 (PIA) - After inaugurating town structures in Gen. Mac Arthur town repaired
under the first phase of the Recovery Assistance on Yolanda (RAY), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)
secretary Mar Roxas announced that DILG has allocated another P253.6 million for RAY‘s second phase.
R oxas visited Eastern Samar to inaugurate
Gen. Mac Arthur‟s public market, covered court and town hall and Llorente‟s Brgy. San
Miguel Salin Tubig Project.
According to the secretary, the funds will be used for the repair of 178 barangay halls, 61 day care
centers and 118 civic centers in 206 barangays in the entire province.
DILG through the secretary distributed certificates authorizing town mayors to disburse the
funds. For the town of Guiuan, Mayor Christopher
Sheen P. Gonzales received P152.9M for the repair of 89 barangay structures damaged by typhoon Yolanda.
Mayor Edgar Boco of Hernani received P26.5M for eight day care centers and seven civic centers.
Balangkayan and Salcedo LGUs received P11.8M and P11M respectively while Quinapondan
and Gen. Mac Arthur received P7M each. The local government unit of Lawaan through
Mayor Banjo Tolentino received P13.4M for 12
barangay halls and two civic centers. Other LGU recipients included: Balangiga
– P8.7M, Giporlos – P5.5M, Llorente – P1.7M,
Maydolong P3.2M, and Mercedes – P3.7M. According to Roxas, the national government
through President Benigno Aquino made sure the funds would go to the towns directly to boost local
economy after the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda. (ajc/Medora Quirante/PIA8-Eastern Samar)
EASTERNEASTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 777
SoLeyte partners with MSR Health Care for
health services
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 18 (PIA) - The provincial government of Southern Leyte is set to deliver improved
health services with available modern laboratories and dialysis centers in all provincial, district and community hospitals in the
province soon.
G overnor Roger Mercado led the provincial
government officials and health team in the signing of Memorandum of Agreement
(MOA) with MSR Health Care Inc President and
CEO Manuel S. Reyes VII at the Provincial Capitol last May 12, 2015 thru the Public -Private Partnership program.
“Thru this private public partnership, MSR
Health Care Inc. will pour in investments in the form of modern laboratory medical equipment put up dialysis centers, provides for the re-agents
chemicals, maintenance of the medical equipment
and if necessary, the needed manpower to operate the medical equipment,” Pres. and CEO Manuel S.
Reyes VII said.
Gov. Mercado noted that aside from the provision of modern facilities of the said company at the Southern Leyte Provincial Hospital,
these will also include the district hospitals in Sogod, Anahawan and Pintuyan and community hospitals in Padre Burgos and Lilo-an.
Presently, there is only one dialysis
center at the Catholic Healing Center in Maasin City throughout the province but do not honor PhilHealth member- patients, Sangguniang
Panlalawigan Atty. Teofisto Rojas noted.
It was noted that payment of their services are coursed thru the PhilHealth benefits and packages of
the Philhealth member-patients.
Pintuyan District Hospital Head Dr. Jude Asperin said it would be more convenient for the people to get dialysis treatment right at their
hospitals' doorsteps unlike today where patients have to be transported to other places to get the needed medication which is very difficult and costly on the patients.
Meanwhile, the municipal mayors and health officers, who witnessed the MOA signing, echoed warm welcome of the partnership as these are long
overdue solution in the deficiency of the delivery of
health services by the public hospitals to the people, they said. (asj/esg/PIA8 SoLeyte)
2015 EV Search for Outstanding Volunteer on
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, May 18 (PIA) – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has announced the
conduct of the Search for Outstanding Volunteer (SOV) for 2015.
T he search which is an annual activity
of the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), together
with the National Volunteer Service Month (NVM)
Steering Committee and the Search for Outstanding Volunteers Regional Search Committee aims to highlight the exemplary performance and dedication to service of Filipino volunteers in helping
people and communities. It also recognizes the role of volunteerism in development and nation-building.
NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio G. Uy who is the chair of the NVM Regional Steering Committee VIII said, like in the previous years, the
2015 SOV is composed of two award categories namely: the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award (VLAA) and the National Outstanding Volunteer
Award (NOVA). The VLAA is conferred to an individual or
organization for consistent and outstanding volunteer
service and whose achievement is regarded as a role model in the field of volunteerism while NOVA is conferred to an individual or organization for outstanding volunteer service that has made a
significant contribution to uplifting the lives of the
people and communities they served. NOVA is categorized into Individual and
Organization. Individual is further categorized into
Youth and Adult while Organization is categorized into Non-Profit and Corporate.
To qualify for the VLAA, the individual or organization must have been engaged in
consistent volunteering activities for at least 25 years and must have been a recipient of regional, national or international awards in relation to
volunteerism. On the other hand, to qualify for the NOVA
under Individual category, a volunteer must have
provided volunteer assistance for three (3) years and for the youth category and at least five years for the adult category at the time of the submission of
nomination. “The search is open to individuals of Filipino
citizenship; Filipino or local chapters of foreign/
international non-profit or corporate organizations currently providing volunteer assistance in the Philippines,” Uy said.
Uy added that a special citation in volunteerism
is also conferred to recognize volunteering efforts
and/or support to volunteerism by an individual, group or organization that do not qualify under the SOV categories but which are deemed equally
meritorious in their accomplishments. The deadline for the submission of nominations
is on June 30, 2015. Nominations forms are available at NEDA Regional Office 8, Government Center,
Palo Leyte and can be downloaded from www.pnvsca.gov.ph and at http://nro8.neda.gov.ph/downloads.
The duly filled out nomination forms must be submitted to NEDA regional office. Screening and validation will be done by an inter-agency Regional
Search Committee chaired by NEDA VIII. The awarding for national winners will be in
Manila during the national volunteer month
celebration in December 2015. For more information for those interested, you
may contact Ms. Ma. Victoria C. Cuayzon, or Ms
Resurrection Q. Enage at NEDA Regional Office 8 with telephone numbers (053) 323-2975, 0 9 1 6 5 9 5 9 2 6 5 o r ema i l a d d r e s s a t [email protected].(ajc/cba/NEDA-8/PIA-8)
CONSUELO B. ALARCON
Flores de MayoFlores de Mayo–– SantacruzanSantacruzan
Camote hailed as healthy food and typhoon resilient crop
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, May 18 (PIA) - Farmers are urged to cultivate and plant camote not only because it is healthy
but it is also a typhoon resilient crop.
B oard member Alvin Abejuela convinced
farmers from Barangays Buenavista, Balente, Roxas, and Dolongan all of Basey to slightly
modify their eating habits and switch to camote
instead of rice. Abejuela, being the Chairman on Agriculture
for the province of Samar encouraged all the people present to decide and change their eating
lifestyle. Instead of relying on rice which has a high
production cost and needs irrigation, rural folks
were told that "one bowl of cooked rice is the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar.
This does not matter whether it is white,
brown or herbal rice." He advised them to prefer "camote" which is
considered a typhoon resilient crop has has low
production cost, yet contains high essential minerals and vitamins needed by our body.
The farmers were taught to establish a
calendar for planting camote to ensure a whole-year supply.
For starters, the farmers were asked to produce camote for their immediate community.
In case of surplus, dedicated proponents of this program, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research &
Development (PCAARRD), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Visayas State University (VSU) and LGU-Basey gave the farmers assurance for
potential markets. This scheme will also prepare our farmers with
the expected implementation of the ASEAN
Free Trade Area (AFTA), they will likewise be equipped with the capacity to do their share in the
food security of the province of Samar.
In the course of the meeting, Abejuela himself testified as to the health benefits of camote by making it as a substitute for rice and depended on it as his primary source of
carbohydrates. “It is effective in losing weight and
having firmer skin,” the local legislator was quoted
saying. According to the statement of North Athlantic
Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, camote
(sweet potato) is the world‟s healthiest food. (ajc/nbq/PIA 8-Samar with BM Abejuela)
ERN S. GORNE
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.
One Visayas e-newsletter is part of the online news and information dissemination services of PIA and is powered by www.issuu.com. For inquiries and suggestions, call Tel. Nos. (033) 3378719/3377301 or e-mail [email protected].
Editorial Consultants
Ms. Minerva BC Newman Atty. Ma. Janet C. Mesa, Ph. D. Ms. Alicia E. Nicart
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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