Vol 6 Issue 8 Published by: PIA 6, 7 & 8 February 22-28, 2016

In this IssueIn this IssueIn this Issue Ureka forum pushes e-commerce for SMEs

DBM announces BUB coverage to expand next year

More on Region 8, pages 6-7.

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PRDP finances biggest FMR project in Region 8 By Marcelo Pedalino

SAINT BERNARD, Southern Leyte, Feb. 24 (PIA) -- Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Executive Director

(RED) Leo Caneda disclosed that the concreting of a hinterland road here under the Philippine Rural Development Program

(PRDP) was the biggest in Region 8 -- and second in the entire Philippines.

Caneda made the disclosure in a short talk during the groundbreaking ceremony of the farm-to-market (FMR) road

project, a 14-kilometer stretch passing along nine barangays of Saint Bernard and Hinunangan municipalities.

“PRDP invested in Southern Leyte for about P 500 Mil-lion . . . and this goes a long way,” the DA regional head and

PRDP Project Director declared, hinting that such an invest-ment will have its fair return in due time, in terms of increased

agricultural productivity and improved farmers‟ income because of transport connectivity.

The Mahayahay, Saint Bernard to Manalog, Hinunangan road improvement and rehabilitation costs P 182 Million, in

which the national government through a World Bank financing shouldered 80%, DA 10%, and the provincial government

counterpart, 10%.

The agricultural profile of the whole landscape revealed a

dominant coconut plantation area with 3,226 hectares, fol-lowed by rice at 1,071 hectares, and other crops like banana

vegetable, rootcrops and abaca accounting for more than 300 hectares.

“NEDA data showed that Southern Leyte is the second province in Region 8 that is consistent in rice production,”

Caneda said. Another upcoming PRDP project in Liloan amounting to

P 230 Million is expected to be given the green light sooner, said Roy Abaya, another Project Director, in his brief message.

Beside the infra works, PRDP also has a livelihood com-ponent, on swine, chicken, and duck dispersal for 14 People‟s

Organizations in the province all worth about P 20 Million just awaiting implementation sooner, the Provincial Veterinary

Services Office (PVSO) recently reported. Caneda and other top PRDP officials were met by Gov.

Roger Mercado, Cong. Damian Mercado, and Saint Bernard Mayor Nap Cuaton upon arrival in this interior location shortly

before noon on Friday, Feb. 19, as guests for the laying of time capsule and groundbreaking program. (mmp, PIA8-Southern

Leyte/an)

By Leonard T. Pineda I

ILOILO CITY, Feb. 23 (PIA6) --- Over 500 entrepreneurs and businessmen in Western Visayas converged

in Iloilo City recently for the country‟s biggest e-commerce mass conversion program for businesses.

Union Bank President Edwin Bautista said the forum

facilitated the advancement of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through e-commerce and other relevant technologies.

“We created the Ureka Forum to give Filipino SMEs the opportunity to grow their businesses beyond their potential

through e-commerce,” he said. According to Union Bank, about 100 SMEs were assisted

to in the utilization of e-commerce and were equipped with their own business website.

“Much like how we engaged SMEs back in Northern Luzon last October, we want to bring the same opportunity to

entrepreneurs here in Visayas by helping them grow their respective businesses beyond borders,” said Bautista.

The Ureka Forum kicked off in the country last October in Baguio City.

For the second leg of the forum held Feb. 20 at the Iloilo Convention Center, participating SMEs had the opportunity to

listen to valuable insights from renowned experts and thought leaders including Silicon Valley billionaire Diosdado Banatao,

social entrepreneur Iliac Diaz, Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALt) founder Aisa Mijeno, e-commerce specialist Eireen Ber-

nardo, and Baguio-based artist and entrepreneur Maui Fernan-do, among others.

In recent years, Visayas has proven its promise as a hotspot for different industries – from tourism to business

process outsourcing (BPOs) and multinational companies. The rise of investments and improvement of the regional

economy has encouraged more people to start their businesses.

Based on the latest data from the recently concluded Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, SMEs

provide a major boosts to the economic growth of APEC countries by comprising about 97 percent of all registered

businesses and taking up more than 70 percent of all jobs in

the region.

In the Philippines, there are currently 50,000 local

businesses and 50 million Filipinos engaged in the e-commerce

cycle making the sector a thriving environment.

Through the Ureka Forum, Union Bank and its

consortium partners continue fulfilling their goal of

empowering local businesses to improve their capability and

create a bigger impact socially and economically through

strategic partnerships. (JCM/LTP-PIA6 Iloilo)

More on Region 7, pages 4-5.

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More on Region 6, pages 2-3.

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EASTERN VISAYAS

By Rizalie Anding Calibo SIQUIJOR, Feb. 24 (PIA) – Department of Budget and

Management (DBM) Undersecretary for Special Concerns Karen Villanueva recently announced in Siquijor

province that the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BuB) will be expanded to cover 42,036 barangays next year.

This was announced during the orientation with the barangay captains of Siquijor at the GAD Building in Siquijor.

BuB is the government‟s reform program that institutionalizes the people‟s participation in the budget process.

Each barangay will receive a subsidy of P1 million for the implementation of projects that they have identified, Villanueva

said. She said the program is expected to aid barangays in

better formulating poverty reduction action plans and monitoring the delivery of basic services in the communities.

During the orientation, Villanueva revealed that some 12,000 barangays will receive funding from the national

government in 2017 for the various programs, of which implementation will be in batches.

In Siquijor province, nine barangays of Larena town will be piloted for the program.

During the orientation, the barangay captains were provided with inputs on how to implement the projects on

their own. They were also briefed on procurement law, budget law

and regulations, and improving their governance at the barangay level.

This is part of the efforts to make good governance directly seen, felt, and benefitted by all Filipinos, she said.

Villanueva said DBM has started national consultations with barangay captains to engage them in the discussion on

barangay BuB. This will be followed capacity building sessions and

project preparation for the first batch of barangays to pioneer BuB.

Before BuB, decisions were made at the top. Now, local communities with their local government units (LGUs) are given

the power to decide on what priority projects should be implemented in their areas.

Over the years, Villanueva said BuB has been recognized as one of the five best practices in Fiscal Transparency from

around the world during the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit held in Mexico City last November.

BuB is also being credited as one of the reforms that have helped to improve country‟s standing in global benchmarks of

budget transparency. Likewise, the International Budget Partnership Open

Budget Survey (OBS) for 2015 ranked the Philippines as Number One in Budget Transparency in the Association of

Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) because of programs such as the BuB. (rmn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor w/ reports from IAAbatayo.)

WESTERN VISAYAS

CENTRAL VISAYAS

In ANOPIO (Association of Negros Oriental

Public Information Officers) monthly briefing

held today, provincial statistics head Engr.

Ariel Fortuito of Philippine Statistics Authority

(PSA) presents the importance of civil

registration and vital statistics which

underscores the facts of birth and causes of

death. (PIA7-NEGOR)

Comelec/ PNP checkpoint today near the

Police barracks in Catbalogan City.

Engr. Aisa Mijeno shares her inspiring story when she made the

Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALt) lamp during the Ureka

e-commerce forum held Saturday, February 20, 2016 at the Iloilo

Convention Center here. (LTP/PIA-Iloilo)

Press Conference with DOST Secretary Mario

Montejo in line with the ongoing Science

Nation Tour Western Visayas leg here in Iloilo

City. Also in the photos are PHIVOLCS

Director Dr. Renato Solidum, Jr., DOST 6

Director Engr. Rowen Gelonga, NEDA 6

Director Ro-Ann Bacal and PIA 6 Director

Janet Mesa.

WESTERNWESTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 222

ROXAS CITY, Capiz, Feb. 24 (PIA6) – More than 66,000 Capiceño children will be reached for oral polio immunization.

PHO targets 66K kids for OPV immunization By Jemin B. Guillermo

J ulius Viczon de la Cruz of the Provincial

Health Office disclosed that 66,870

under-five years old children in the

province are targeted for the OPV Catch-Up

Immunization by the Department of Health.

“This is also in preparation for the

Nationwide Oral Polio Vaccine Switch in April

27,2016,” he said.

De la Cruz said that the week-long

catch-up immunization, conducted by the local

health units in province, started last February

22 and will end on February 26.

Capiz is one of the four priority provinces

in Western Visayas for the said activity because

of the low OPV coverage coupled by

inadequate surveillance.

The other priority areas are Antique,

Iloilo and Negros Occidental.

“For a number of years now, we have

zero polio case in the province,” de la Cruz

said.

The DOH explained that the

Ca tch -Up immun i za t ion a ims to

protect the population from the

consequences of importation of wild poliovirus

and circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus

immergence.

It also seeks to guarantee high population

immunity among under-five years old children

in priority provinces and cities. (JCM/JBG/PIA6)

Carles barangay to have light from SALt

ILOILO CITY, Feb. 22 (PIA6) --- Over 590 households in Barangay Gabi, Carles, Iloilo will benefit from the lighting project of

the Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALt), a company that created a lamp that is powered by a saline solution or saltwater.

F ilipino engineer Aisa Mijeno, one of the

inventors of the SALt lamp, said that

they will provide these salt-powered

lamps to households in one of barangays in the

Gigantes who do not have access yet to

electricity.

“We met with the Barangay Kagawad in

Bgy. Gabi in Carles, Iloilo last year while we

were on tour promoting entrepreneurship

among students”, she said.

She said that the beneficiaries are excited

to receive the donations that are targeted to

be distributed this 2016.

“We are focused in communities with no

electricity,” she said.

Aside from Carles, they also have similar

projects of providing salt lamps to the

Hanunuo Mangyan tribe of Bulalacao, Oriental

Mindoro and the Buscalan tribe of Kalinga.

According to the website www.salt.ph,

Engr. Aisa Mijeno and his brother

Ra l ph M i j eno and Eng r . Osc ar

Magtibay invented the SALt lamp

with the goal of eliminating the

sustaining cost in areas that rely on kerosene/

battery powered lamps and candles as their

main source of lighting.

The website said the product will provide

a more efficient light source for people who

use kerosene lamps and candles as an

alternative source of lighting.

A SALt lamp can be used up to eight

hours per day for six months and can be

powered fully by saltwater.

After the six-month mark you

just need to replace the metal

electrodes and the lamp can be

used for another half a year. (JCM/LTP/

PIA-Iloilo)

By Leonard T. Pineda I

Aklan candidates join unity walk, covenant signing

By Venus G. Villanueva

KALIBO, Aklan, Feb. 25 (PIA6) -- Candidates vying for major provincial positions in the May 9, 2016 national and local

elections as well as those in the municipalities running for local posts will be coming together on February 26 in Kalibo for a

Unity Walk and Peace Covenant Signing.

T he Commission on Elections

(COMELEC) Provincial Office said

assembly for the Unity Walk will be at

the Kalibo Magsaysay Park where there will be

Ecumenical Prayer at 6:30 a.m.

The Unity Walk will then start at

7:00 a.m. from the Kalibo Magsaysay Park

to the St. John the Baptist Cathedral,

composed of the Aklan Police Provincial

Office (APPO) Security, Northwestern Visayan

Colleges Band and Lyre Corps, All

Witnesses/Signatories, Provincial Candidates,

Municipal Candidates, COMELEC Election

Officers, Philippine National Police, Armed

Forces of the Philippines-Philippine Army, Parish

Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting,

Philippine Information Agency, Diocese of

Kalibo, Department of Justice, Kapisanan ng mga

Brodkaster sa Pilipinas Aklan Chapter, and

Aklan Press Club.

Newly-assigned COMELEC –Aklan

Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Roberto

Salazar said municipal candidates joining the

Unity Walk and Peace Covenant Signing in

Kalibo on February 26 will be from Balete,

Banga, Ibajay, Kalibo, Lezo, Makato, Malinao,

New Washington, Altavas, Nabas and

Numancia.

Other towns – like Batan and Malay will

have their own Peace Covenant signing on

February 27 and 28 respectively while the rest

must have theirs before February 29, said Atty.

Salazar, as by March, there are seminars election

officers must attend to prepare for this year‟s

elections.

“While the other towns will have separate

covenant signing, all municipal election officers

will be attending the activity in Kalibo,” Atty.

Salazar assured.

A Holy Mass celebrated by Most Rev. Jose

Corazon Talaoc, Bishop of Kalibo will be first

held at the cathedral, followed by a short

program and then the covenant signing first by

provincial candidates for Representative,

Governor, Vice Governor and Sangguniang

Panlalawigan, and for candidates of respective

municipalities.

Some of the acts that the Aklan

candidates will be swearing before God

and the people to observe and to adhere

to as contained in the covenant include

focusing on their respective platform of

government and to refrain from attacking the

personal lives of fellow candidates during the

campaign period; to avoid vote-buying

and all forms of election fraud and

use of threats; and to refrain from spending

beyond what is lawfully permitted during the

campaign.

Accoridng to the COMELEC, besides

signing their names on prepared documents, the

candidates will also sign their names on the

Peace Covenant on printed tarpaulins inside the

church, which will then be brought to their

respective municipalities for the public to see.

(JCM/VGV PIA6 Aklan)

WESTERN WESTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 333

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Feb. 24 (PIA6) – The Office of the Civil Defense – Negros Island region (OCD-NIR) recently held a

three-day workshop to review and update the contingency plan of Mount Kanlaon, an active volcano found in Negros Island.

OCD-NIR Regional Director Blanche

Gobenciong said the contingency plan of Mt.

Kanlaon was prepared back in 2007, hence, the

need to revisit the plan to incorporate the new

mechanisms in terms of responding to the

possible disaster.

“Considering that very important siya, nag

focus ang meeting muna sa mga provinces at

yung areas na likely to be affected,” she said in

the dialect.

(Considering that it is very important, the

focus of the meeting was on the provinces and

areas that are likely to be affected.)

In the scenario that Mt. Kanlaon erupts,

the areas that will likely be affected are Canla-

on City in Negros Oriental, the municipalities

of La Castellana, Moises Padilla and La Carlota

and the cities of San Carlos and Murcia in Ne-

gros Occidental.

OCD-NIR invited resource speakers and

experts that are from other areas of the

national government agencies, led by director

Leni Alegre, chief of the National Disaster Risk

Reduction and Management Council, to

provide the participants with new protocols

guidelines with international standard that can

be adopted and applied with the existing

contingency plan.

According to Alegre, the protocols that

were discussed included Pre-disaster Risk

Assessment, Disaster-response Cluster Ap-

proach, Incident Command System, Rapid

Damage Assessment and Need Analysis Tools

and Post-damage and Needs Assessment.

Mt. Kanlaon is at Alert Level 1 as of

writing and is categorized as “silent,” but the

public must take caution, according to Alegre.

“Kailangan kahit tahimik, ito „yung

pagkakataon na kailangan nating maghanda kasi

hindi na tayo makapaghanda kung nandiyan na

eh,” she said.

(Despite being “silent,” this is the time

that we need to prepare because we cannot

prepare if it erupts). (JCM/CBA/PIA6-Negros

Occidental)

New mechanisms in place for Kanlaon

contingency plan By Carlson B. Alelis

SAN JOSE, Antique, Feb.22 (PIA6) - - Farmer-beneficiaries from the six municipalities of Antique received some 4,500 kilos of

mongo seeds distributed by the Department of Agriculture through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.

P rovincial Agriculturist Nicolasito

Calawag said that the distribution of

mongo seeds is under the government‟s

high value crops development program aimed

to increase production, income and livelihood

of vegetable growers in the country.

The seeds were distributed by Governor

Rhodora J. Cadiao and Mr. Calawag during a

program held at the Evelio B. Javier Freedom

Park in San Jose.

The recipient-municipalities are Hamtic,

San Jose, Sibalom, Bugasong, Valderrama and

Laua-an. Each received 750 kilos of mongo

beans plus packs of soil inoculant.

Calawag said that for one kilo of mongo

seeds planted, it will produce 20 to 30 kilos.

The provincial agriculturist expects a yield

of 70 to 90 tons from the 4,500 kilos of mongo

seeds distributed to the farmer beneficiaries.

Some 42 plastic mango crates were also

distributed to identified mango under the post

harvest facilities support program of the

government.

The recipients are the municipalities of

Anini-y- 5 palstic crates; Patnongon 12; San

Jose- 5; San Remigio- 5; Sibalom- 5 and Tobias

Fornier- 5.

The High Value Crops Development

Program is a banner program of the

Department of Agriculture established to help

address food security, poverty alleviation and

sustainable growth.

The program also helps to increase

farmers income, create livelihood opportunity

and contribute to national agricultural

development. (JCM/VWV/PIA Antique)

Antique towns to have more mongo production By Vicente W. Villavert

DOST cites partners promoting S & T

ILOILO CITY, Feb. 25 (PIA6) -- The Department of Science and Technology 6 (DOST 6) further strengthened its

collaboration and partnership with various stakeholders in Western Visayas by recognizing their valuable contributions to the

development of science and technology.

S cience and Technology Secretary Mario

G. Montejo assisted by DOST 6 Regional

Director Rowen Gelonga awarded the

Plaques of Recognition to 21 recipients of the

Dungog S&T awards coming from the various

sectors in the region during the recent

Sci-Night: S&T Stakeholders Night.

Montejo congratulated the awardees

whom he described as their long time

dedicated partners in the realm of S&T and

have proven that time and again there is more

to science.

“My warmest congratulations to you for

choosing to be involved in various worthwhile

S&T endeavors in Western Visayas,” said

Montejo.

He assured awardees that their labor will

not be in vain and DOST will be with them in

every step of the way in pursuit of building a

strengthened science nation.

Gelonga said the event is an opportunity

not only to review their collaboration and

partnership with their stakeholders but an

opportunity to establish new ones.

The Dungog S&T awardees were the fol-

lowing: for LGU - Province of Iloilo, Province

of Aklan and Province of Negros Occidental;

for SET-UP Beneficiaries - Filbake Corporation,

Herbanext Laboratories, Inc. and Trappist

Monastic Food Products; for NGOs

- Negrense Volunteers for Change Founda-

tions, Inc. Negros Prawn Producers

Cooperative, Association of Negros Producers,

Taytay sa Kauswagan, Inc, Philippine

Association of State Universities and Colleges;

and for Private Sectors and National

Government Agenc ie s – SMART

Communicat ions, Pf izer Phi l ipp ines,

Department of Health 6 and Department of

Agriculture 6.

Also, conferred were Philippine Science

High School-Western Visayas Campus Scholars

who garnered prestigious international awards

namely: Joachium Regalado, Felecia Alodia Ma-

rie Rentoy, Dyan Reizl Valencia, Mickel Lyle

Angelo Pe, Dominic S. Yap, and Czarina

Apdon.

DOST scholars who did not only excel in

their academic performance but garnered top

places in the licensure exams were also

recognized. They are Remington Salaya, Jr.,

Engr. Abraham Porcal, Raxzien Shaye Sesbreno

and Engr. Joe Val Alipin.

The Sci-Night: S&T Stakeholders Night

was part of the activities organized for the

three-day Western Visayas Science Nation

Tour conducted here until February 24. It was

also attended by Dr. Angel Alcala and Dr. Ra-

mon Barba, two of the country‟s 17

scientists. (JCM/LAF/PIA6-Iloilo)

By Lilibeth A. French

CENTRALCENTRAL VISAYASVISAYAS 444

NEGROS ORIENTAL, Feb. 16 (PIA) – Close to 400,000 trees were planted in 470 hectares in Negros Island last year as Energy

Development Corporation (EDC) embarked on massive forest restoration with its ‘10 million trees in10 years for a Greener

Negros’ movement.

EDC’s ‘10M in 10’ plots out for a greener

Negros master plan

E DC recently led the finalization of

commitments to achieve the vision of growing back the forests of the island in the

next ten years with local partner-agencies in Negros

Oriental. Former Assistant Secretary of the Department

of Environment and Natural Resources Prof. Marlo Mendoza presented a proposed roadmap and

strategies to realize the planting, growing and pro-

tecting the 10M native trees in the next ten years as the remaining 403,444 hectares of lands needed to

be restored. It is noted that out of 478,402 hectares of

forestlands on Negros Island, only 16% or 74,958

hectares remain covered with forest in 2010. Prof. Mendoza presented how the island

suffered from deforestation due to commercial

logging, land conversion or sugar cane plantations, Kaingin or slash and burn, and upland migration.

With the movement, EDC‟s various partners

have committed to protect the environment and restore the forest.

“To ensure the success of this greening

program, a roadmap and strategies need to be em-ployed with the various partners in a Bayanihan plantation, adopt-a-plantation, and EDC‟s BINHI greening legacy,” said Mendoza.

However, he said stable watersheds have to be

established, protect the island‟s unique biodiversity, and develop resilient communities and ecosystems

that are able to adapt to climate change impacts. For the past four months after the „10M in 10‟

launched in 2015, EDC has established 470 hectares

planted with 375,556 seedlings, 5,000 mangrove propagules planted in Tanjay City led by Negros Oriental Association of Corps Commanders,

established website and Facebook page to help disseminate faster and valuable information about the

movement, among other activities.

The movement is conceptualized to go beyond tree planting and includes maintenance and management of forests which is also vital in EDC‟s

operation to provide clean geothermal power for decades to come.

When the company first set foot in Negros Island in the 80‟s, forest cover was at a critical 4%,

prodding EDC to embark on a massive environment

program that by 2008, a total of 2,300 hectares all over Negros has been reforested to help reverse

forest loss. That same year, BINHI greening legacy was

launched with a more purposeful science-based

approach to reforest 10,000 hectares in ten years and since then has been recognized as having revolutionized corporate greening programs and has

converted kaingeros into forest stewards. (rmn/jct/PIA7-Negros Oriental)

By Jennifer C. Tilos

CEBU CITY, Feb. 17 (PIA) – The British Council and the A.S. Horby Trust are inviting English master teachers in the

Philippines to join their five-day residential school on April 11 to 15, 2016.

British Council invites English master teachers to join residential

school

T his is in line with their initiative to

enhance the teaching and learning of

English in the Philippines.

Hornby School will be hosted by the

Ateneo Center for English Language Teaching

(ACELT) at the Ateneo de Manila University in

Quezon City.

In the region, the Department of

Education (DepEd) encouraged their English

master teachers to apply for the Hornby

School especially in areas that most need

support for English Language Teaching (ELT).

Participants will then be expected to

cascade the materials and resources to fellow

teachers in their areas.

The Hornby Trust was set up by A.S.

Hornby in 1961 to support English language

teaching worldwide.

A.S. Hornby had a distinguished career in

English language teaching and developed the

Oxford Advanced Learners‟ Dictionary, which

is still published in its 8th edition by Oxford

University Press.

The Trust is a registered charity in the

UK.

Application forms must be submitted by

12.00 nn on Friday, 26 February along with an

endorsement letter from the Schools Division

Superintendent.

Applications will be screened based on

the following criteria: a) experience in delivery

of training to teachers, b) knowledge in MLE

and ELT, and c) previous trainings received in

MLE.

The application form and more

i n f o r m a t i o n a r e a v a i l a b l e o n

www.britishcouncil.ph/teach.

Teaching English in a Multilingual Setting

will be the theme of the residential school

programme and aims to train 30 trainers from

the Philippines and other countries. (rmn/hfg/

PIA-7/British Council)

By Hazel F. Gloria

NEGROS ORIENTAL, Feb. 19 (PIA) -- The Negros Oriental Tourism Council (NOTC) has passed a resolution for the approval

and adoption of the tourism circuit brand for the whole province.

NOTC approves tourism destination brand for Negros Oriental

T he destination brand, ”Negros Oriental:

This is how you want to live,” closely

describe the province's natural

environmental attractions as well as its people,

according to the tourism council.

The formulation of the tagline represents

three tourism circuits in clustered local

government unit-tourism areas in Dauin,

Dumaguete City, and Tanjay City to

Manjuyod.

Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce,

Inc. (NOCCI) President Ed Du said that to

protect the brand name, this should be

patented or registered first with Intellectual

Property Office (IPO).

Once all the stakeholders support and use

the brand in all its official tourism activities in

the province, this will be promoted officially in

all media outlets, said Du.

Under the Local Governance Support

Program for Local Economic Development

(LGSP-LED), local government units are

provided with technical advice and training on

how to improve their business environment to

be more competitive, attractive to

investments, and conducive to job creation.

The Canadian government has extended

funding assistance of P7 million to projects

focusing on tourism development in the

province in partnership with the Department

of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Du said that Dumaguete City is now

growing in all aspects as the top tourism

destination for Chinese tourists or

independent travelers from China as rated by

Agoda.com, 93rd among the business process

outsourcing (BPOs) all over the country, and

5th best retirement place in the world. (rmn/

jct/PIA7-Negros Oriental)

By Jennifer C. Tilos

CENTRAL CENTRAL VISAYASVISAYAS 555

SIQUIJOR, Feb. 24 (PIA) -- At least four argrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in the province recently

received village-level processing centers from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) here.

P rovincial Agrarian Reform Officer II

Louie Naranjo said DAR has allotted

P1.2 million for the four projects with

four local government units where these

ARBOs belong.

These centers were awarded to the

following: Basac Women‟s Association (BWA)

of Larena town which manufactures squash

noodles; Siquijor Women‟s Association for a

Better Environment (SWABE) of Siquijor

town which produces herbal tea and

oil; Kapunungan sa Pagkambo sa

Nasudnong Industriya sa Gatas (Kapanig) of

San Juan producing dairy milk; and Triple M

Farmers Association (TMFA) of Lazi that

works with peanuts.

Naranjo said that the project aims to

develop market competitiveness of the ARBO

products.

It also seeks to enhance enterprise

and livelihood activities of the community

in selected agrarian reform areas through

assistance in product value-adding,

improvement of facilities, and assistance

in documentation and license application. (rmn/

rac/PIA7-Siqui jor w/ reports from

IAAbatayo)

Siquijor ARBOs receive DAR’s village-level

processing centers

By Rizalie Anding Calibo

TAGBILARAN CITY, Feb. 23 (PIA)— There is no such thing as "permit to campaign," according to police regional director

Manuel Gaerlan during an informal press encounter at the Governor's mansion on February 22.

PRO-7 chief: 'No such thing as permit to campaign'

C ommenting on the possible entry of

rebel groups to seek funds as campaign

access fees in communist rebel groups

affected areas, Dir. Gaerlan said that

"politicians are not paying permits to

campaign, but are merely paying for plain and

simple extortion."

Military intelligence sources have warned

the Provincial Peace and Order Council

(PPOC) in Bohol over the reported

re-entry of communist rebels in time for the

elections.

The same military reports bared that the

return of the insurgents would be to raise

funds from politicians they can threaten into

paying "permit to campaign and access fees to

rebel-controlled areas," despite the fact that

the Philippine Army has declared Bohol

free from insurgency since 2010.

Also, PPOC sources added that the

rebel's white area committee members have

been in a flurry of organizing activities and

propping up their mass base to be able to

present a threat which would also stir

contractors and disaster rehabilitation project

implementers into submitting what the former

rebels claim as revolutionary taxes from their

reconstruction project spending.

Recently, the New People's Army through

its legal front the National Democratic Front

(NDF) issued a statement urging people to

report to them drug lords, criminals,

and politicians who are involved in the drug

trade.

The press material, signed by Bohol Island

NDF liaison officer Jose Ignacio, asked citizens

to report to them any person into the illegal

drug trade.

Military intelligence sources, however,

claimed that the letter was an attempt to fool

politicians into thinking that the insurgents

have returned, when in fact, there is nothing to

support such claims.

C/Supt. Gaerlan asked politicians to

reports to anybody they feel comfortable with

when they receive any extortion letter

demanding for said fees.

"Go and report to the chiefs of police,

Camp Dagohoy, the Civilian Armed Forces for

Geographical Units (CAFGU) detachment

heads, Regional Public Safety Battalion heads or

the Army's Special Forces when you get any of

these demand letters," Gaerlan said. (rmn/rac/

PIA-7/Bohol)

By Rey Anthony H. Chiu

CEBU CITY, Feb. 19 (PIA) – Four provincial hospitals in Cebu will have upgrades this year as the provincial government

continues to prioritise health programs.

C ebu Provincial Information Officer Ethel

Natera, in her report to members

of the Cebu Association of City and

Municipal Public Information Officers

(CAOCAMPIO), said that health still tops the

priorities of the provincial government.

In her presentation dubbed as

“Kalamboan sa matag Sugboanon”, Natera said

the four hospitals that are in the cities of Bogo,

Carcar, Danao and Balamban town can already

accept surgeries as they already have surgeons

and anesthesiologists.

“They can already cater to orthopedic,

caesarian, and other surgical procedures, “

Natera said.

In this manner, Don Vicente Sotto

Memorial Medical Center (DVSMMC) in Cebu

City will be decongested and patients and

families will not have to spend more.

Natera said that for this year, there will

additional equipment for the hospitals such as

dialysis, Xray, and ultrasound machines.

“We will also contract services of Radio

Technologists from the private sector so that

results will be available immediately,” Natera

said.

The provincial government also

distributed 48 ambulances in different

municipalities.

Meanwhile, the province created two

commissions that will look into the concerns of

the senior citizens and sports development.

In terms of Agriculture, there are already

8,900 graduates of the Farmer-Scientists

Training Program (FSTP), a pioneer program of

Cebu initiated by Governor Hilario Davide‟s

uncle Romulo Davide.

There were 13 farm-to-market roads

constructed amounting to P1.182 billion, while

water programs were funded at P140.193

million.

“Kalambuan sa matag Sugboanon” means

development for all Cebuanos or inclusive

growth among Cebuanos.

The provincial government hosted this

month‟s meeting of CAOCAMPIO, a network

of public information officers in Cebu local

government units (LGUs). (rmn/fcc/PIA7-Cebu)

Health continues to be Cebu's priority

By Ferliza Calizar-Contratista

EASTERN EASTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 666

Kalahi-CIDSS MCC increases women participation in local governance

TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, Feb. 25 (PIA) – They run day care centers, participated in decision making, manage small

construction projects others became welders.

T his what became of hundreds of women

in Region 08, as a result of the

community driven projects of

Kabit-bisig-Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive

Integrated Delivery of Social Services

(KALAHI-CIDSS) MCC project of the

Department of Social Worker and Develop-

ment(DSWD).

Narra Jean Pacoma of San Sebastian Sa-

mar, Crisanda Pepino, Cal-igan Northern

Sasmar and Jessible Hayahay, Matag-ob, Ley-

te were only among the thousands of Kalahi

volunteers in the region who shared their

Kahalhi experience, how they were involved,

how they were helped and how they were

empowered as an ordinary citizen of their

community.

Delivering her testimony in between

sobs, the emotional Crisanda Pepino narrated

how the DSWD project lifted her and her

family from hunger. With her participation in

trainings and community assemblies, she said

she learned how to decide for her and her

children as she now strive to earn a living of

her own.

Narra Jean Pacoma, despite her arm

infirmity, learned how to become a welder, a

skill used to be dominated by men. She could

even hardly tie her hair at the back, but neither

does it hamper her goal to help her children

gain better future.

Kalahi-CIDSS is poverty alleviation of

program of the national government that uses

the Community Driven Development (CDD)

strategy which gives the power back to the

people.

In the last four years, Millennium

Challenge Corporation in the Philippine

(MCAP) of the U.S. government came into the

picture and poured out financial assistance to

the country‟s pro-poor programs and projects.

To date, a total of 40 municipalities and 1,

232 barangays were covered in Eastern Visayas

by Kalahi-CIDSS MCC since its inception in

2011 where 420, 484 households were already

served.

As of January 31 this year, 1,160

sub-projects were already identified for funding

with a total Community Grant Investment of

Php 1,013,972,053.00 released to different

barangays. These sub-projects served as a

reminder to the communities of the hardship

and cooperative effort to achieve a

transformative grassroots leadership. Said

sub-projects have also benefited a total of

82,253 Pantawid Pamilya households.

The KALAHI-CIDSS MCAP will soon

fold-up after its five years of implementation

and assistance to the poor.(PIA-08 with

reports of DSWD08)

By PIA-08

PNOY boosts AFP

Farming strategies keep hostile elements away

N ot only have they been busy tending

to their high and rich yielding farms

but they have unknowingly led their

families to food sufficiency with a little help

from the state soldiers.

In the 52nd Infantry Brigade, located

in Sta Rita, Samar, Commanding Officer

Nedy Espulgar started off with his

men inside the camp, then as he moved outside

the camp to befriend the locals, he slowly

influenced them to emulate what his

soldiers do.

The project drew the attention of PAMA-

NA Project Manager Imelda Bonifacio who saw

the promise of the project.

“We are transforming military camps to

peace camps with demonstration farms in

organic farming, poultry and hog raising,” said

Bonifacio.

She added that the project has some P 9

Million funds.

“If we can influence our farmers to sustain

their farms as they will be earning and at the

same time provide food for the family, then

we believe we can draw them away from

insurgency,” the lady official of PAMANA

said.

Bonifacio said that aside from the fund, he

also needs the passion of the commanding

officer who has never dwindled from his

passion to reach more locals as what he did in

Leyte.

“Very soon, we will bring our farmers

to more successful peace camps to

show them that it can be done, while

winning peace.” (nbq/PIA –Samar)

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, Feb. 24 (PIA)—Modern farming techniques have been slowly winning locals and farmers to

stray away from the clutches of insurgency.

By Ninfa B Quirante

TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, February 25(PIA) - The Aquino Administration has surpassed efforts of the past three

administrations since the enactment of the AFP Moderzation Act in Feb. 1995, Philippine Army Commander, Lt. Gen.

Eduardo Año informed.

H e s a i d t h a t w i t h t h e

a cqu i s i t i on o f P53B wor th

o f equ i pmen t i n t h e f i r s t

three years, the AFP had been on

track with its modernization program,

with the Philippine Army receiving R4 assault

rif les, armored personnel carriers,

h a d - h e l d r a d i o s a n d n i g h t

fighting equipment and still expected

to arrive are trucks, weapons and

mortars.

He added that they are also improving

facilities to meet the world class standard as

part of transforming PA into territorial defense

modes

The modernization program is intended

to last for 15 years with an initial funding of

P50B in the first five years. (LSDE/PIA)

EASTERNEASTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 777

PhilHealth-Southern Leyte enrollees up by

161%

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Feb 24 (PIA) -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth)- Southern Leyte has

increased its number of enrollees based on the membership enrolment from 2013-2014, PhilHealth Provincial Head Henry

Madula informed.

F rom 14,503,500 in year 2013 it

increased to 37,828,500 in 2014 with an

increased percentage of 161, he said.

Though, by 2015 they had recorded yet up to

the third quarter with 25,677,500 enrollees, he

added.

Madula said that the increase of enrollees

was due to the tax revenues collected from

liquors and cigarettes, known as “sin tax” – a

move of the government three years ago that

raised taxes on liquor and cigarettes. It can be

recalled that the act mainly aimed to pour the

collected money into public health care, it was

learned.

The source further said that the national

government took over the payment on the

annual premiums of indigent PhilHealth

enrollees which was previously handled by the

Local Government Units, because of the

increased taxes collected from both liquor and

cigars.

On the other hand, the provincial

government of Southern Leyte also put in

place the Point of Care Enrolment for

non-Philhealth members that will be

hospitalized in government hospitals

throughout the province.

Madula also assured the public that if

Yolanda privilege program will be pulled out,

PhilHealth with an agreement with Gov. Roger

G. Mercado will immediately enroll the patient

to PhilHealth through its indigency fund. (rgc/

PIA8-SoLeyte/an)

DPWH Southern Leyte jumpstarts infra plans for 2017

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Feb. 24 (PIA) - Still within the first quarter of 2016, the construction arm of the government,

DPWH Southern Leyte District Engineering Office starts to map out plans for infrastructure programs for next year.

A ccording to Southern Leyte District

Engineering Office (SLDEO) District

Engineer Ma. Margarita Junia, 83

out of 84 projects lined up for this year

were all bidded out and has started

simultaneously its constructions across the

province while she instructed the planning

division to start mapping out infra plans for the

next year.

She further disclosed that among the

priority infra projects that will be highly

considered is the construction of 4 to 6 lanes

along the national roads in preparation for the

influx of more motor vehicles that certainly

will cause heavy traffic in the near future in the

province.

It has been noted that congestion of traffic

is being felt in Maasin City recently even as the

city government moved to install the only

traffic light, so far. However,in three more

street corners at the heart of the city, these

are now manned by traffic enforcers to help

decongest the heavy flow of traffic.

DE Junia said acquisition of the

road-right-of-way along the national roads in

close coordination with the affected residents

were underway and ably handled with her staff

since last year. Parking area structures, sari-sari

stores, gates, among others, that were

encroaching within the 20-meters from the

centerline of the national roads were slowly

been demolished with the consent of the

owners, she added.

The 2017 program of projects will also

include the continued strengthening of some

bridges built forty years ago. In 2015, some 35

bridges have completed repairs and another

47 bridges are up for repair this year.

The province has 151 bridges.

Junia also expects a busy year in 2017 as

more constructions to be funded by other

national line agencies like the DA, DOT, De-

pEd and DOH shall be undertaken on top of

their regular infrastructure projects. (esg/PIA8

SoLeyte/an)

By Ma. Rebecca Cadavos

BFAR Eastern Samar to construct 14 CFLCs

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar, Feb. 23 (PIA) ----- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), reported that

they will construct 14 Community Fish Landing Centers (CFLCs) in the province to improve the living condition in poor

fishing villages.

A ccording to Ms. Arlene Orollo,

Provincial Target Coordinator, the 14

CFLCs are located in Arteche,

Can-avid, Borongan City, Maydolong,

Balangkayan, Llorente, Hernani, Gen.

Mac-Arthur, Salcedo, Mercedes, Guiuan, Quin-

apondan and Giporlos.

Each CFLCs, would cost P2.85-M which

will house post harvest equipment and tools

enabling fisherfolks to preserve the quality of

their fish and fishery products, which they

could sell on a higher price.

“Local consumers will also benefit

from the fish landing centers as they will have

better access to safe and quality fishery

commodities,”

The facilities will be used also as venues

for skills trainings on disaster-resilient

fisheries- based livelihood and resource

management such as monitoring fish catch and

stock assessment. (SDC/PIA-E. Samar)

By: Samuel D. Candido

By Erna 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 piaamo6@yahoo.com.

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: r6_pia@yahoo.com/ piaamo6@yahoo.com

PIA 7, Room 304, 3/F Machay Bldg., Garardo Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu 6000, Telefax No. (032) 232-4062/232-4126, e-mail: pia7_cebu@yahoo.com.ph/r7_pia@yahoo.com

PIA 8, Children‟s Park Compound, Sen. Enage St., Tacloban City, Leyte 6500, Tel. No. (053) 325-5124, Telefax No. (053) 321-2029, e-mail: pia_ev@yahoo.com/r8_pia@yahoo.com