Police chief assures safety of Dagupenos
By Danny O Sagun
Supt. Mariano Luis “Sonny” Versoza told the KBP Forum at the Philippine Information Agency office here that cases from January to July this year involving crime against person have actually decreased to four from six cases in the same period last year.
Versoza made the assurance in the midst of concerns that the peace and order situation particularly in the entire province of Pangasinan is deteriorating because of the series of killings in the past few weeks.
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz even issued a circular-letter to parishes under him raising deep concern about the worsening peace and order situation. He called on concerned authorities to act immediately.
The sangguniang panlalawigan also expressed its concern as it called on the provincial police office headed by Sr. Supt. Percival Barba to strengthen its campaign against criminality. Board Member Alfonso Bince expressed alarm over the rising criminality in the province as shown by the 132 reported killings.
Barba, denying that his office has been remiss in its job of maintaining peace and order, claimed that the Pangasinan police have been doing its job in solving criminal incidents as proven by statistics.
Versoza however admitted that incidents involving crime against property have increased, attributing it to the economic hardships being experienced during these times. He noted that suspects involved in cellphone snatching, pickpocket and theft belong to families located in a depressed area in the city.
Lately, personnel from the Philippine Information Agency central office became victims of bukas-kotse gangs when a van they left at the parking area of a fast food outlet at Post Traffic No.1 was forcibly opened. Several valuables were taken including P10,000 cash, the victims reported.
The police chief noted that criminals would strike when there are no policemen in sight although, he pointed out, his men are conducting constant patrols in busy areas of the city like schools and business sections.
Assuring safety of the residents, Versoza maintained that the four incidents recorded since January were considered isolated including the killing of the daughter-nurse of a media practitioner who was waylaid while on her way home at dawn some three weeks ago.
Investigation of the case continues because of change in the ballistic examination result earlier submitted, he said. The gun of the suspect, a security guard, turned out to be negative. “Pero tuloy ang imbestigasyon kung involved talaga sya,” he said.
On what to do with the depressed area in the city where suspected criminals reportedly lurk, he said the place needs a long term intervention measure. “Hindi lang pulis ang involved dyan, dapat may long-term solution,” he said. Once he tried to do something for children from the area, even bringing them to the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City to observe how poor but deserving students can excel in the society thru scholarships being offered by the government. Apparently, his efforts were not enough.
Meanwhile, the new PNP building in the city costing some P18 million may be finished in December. A separate quarter for personnel will also rise courtesy of a donor who, he said, refused to be identified. (PIA Pangasinan)
PSU marks 30th year; confers doctorate degree to COA chief
By Danny O Sagun
Dagupan City (22 July) — The Pangasinan State University marked today its 15th Biennial Celebration with the theme “PSU at 30: Sustaining a Culture of Responsibility, Integrity and Excelence.”
Several activities were held including the conferment of Doctor of Humanities (honoris causa) to Commission on Audit chair Reynaldo A. Villar who delivered the keynote address as guest of honor and speaker during a program at the PSU Convention Hall at the university’s main campus in Lingayen town.
Dr. Victoriano C. Estira, PSU president, assisted by Dr. Lauro B Tacbas, who is president of PASUC and UNP, and Dr. Caridad O. Abuan, OIC-Director of the Commission on Higher Education, conferred the honorary degree to the proud son of Sto. Tomas town. Villar is the elder brother of Undersecretary Antonio “Bebot” Villar, who is chair of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG).
Another highlight of the celebration was the turn-over of funding check for the operationalization of the Pangasinan Institute of Environmental Governance by engineer Federico E. Puno, president and chief executive officer of Team Energy Foundation Inc., which operates the Sual Coal-Fired Power Plant.
The 30th founding anniversary celebration started Tuesday with campus level activities in Bayambang, San Carlos City, Asingan, Infanta, Urdaneta City, Sta. Maria, Binmaley, Lingayen and Alaminos City.
Other events for the four-day celebration include exhibit and trade fair, street dancing and cultural presentation, search for Mr. and Miss PSU Biennial 2009, sportsfest, medical mission, talent showdown and grand fellowship and awards night on the fourth day.
Estira, who last week guested at the weekly KBP Forum at the Philippine Information Agency office, proudly announced that the state university is number one in Region 1 and number seven on passing percentage in the nursing board, while its engineering department based in Urdaneta is number one in the region and number six in the country among state colleges and universities.
The university also saw increase in the number of enrollees from 9,000 to 12,000 when it adopted the open admission system, he bared. He quickly clarified that the government-run educational facility maintains its level of excellence in spite of the open system.
On the proliferation of local government-operated universities which is being protested by private schools, Estira explained that the law allows the establishment of such institutions if the city or the first class town can support them. “Kung kaya ng kanilang budget, puede silang mag-operate ng university,” he said. But the Commission on Higher Education, he stressed, should see to it that said learning institutions conform to standards.
The Urdaneta City University and the Eastern Pangasinan University in Binalonan are two examples of LGU-run universities.
Private school owners have complained that their schools undergo several years of efficient operation for them to attain college or university status. Yet LGUs, they pointed out, can just put up their colleges or universities without going thru tedious processes.
Estira noted however that government-run institutions charge “pang-masa” tuition fees like PSU. (PIA Pangasinan)
4 die of chemical intake in Nueva Vizcaya
by Ben Moses Ebreo
Villaverde, Nueva Vizcaya (21 July) — Four male students of the Bintawan National High School here died after drinking chemical-laced softdrink at 2 p.m. Wednesday(July 8).
Dr. Edwin Galapon, chief of the provincial health office who conducted initial investigation said that based on their interview from the classmates of the victims, the seven students, all in third year level went inside the school’s comfort room to do the ‘experiment’.
“We suspected that perhaps they wanted to experiment the effect of the chemical when mixed with a softdrink,” Galapon said.
The victims were Severino Quiyot, 16 of barangay Kabuluan, Joanie Molina, 18 of barangay Ibung, Jefferson Retorio, 16 of barangay Kabuluan and Rommelson Dacusin, 20 of barangay Nagbitin.
The other students who tasted the softdrink were Sunnyrex Beria, Kelvin Olaga and Louie Bueno.
Galapon said the victims mixed the suspected Urea fertilizer on a 250 ML 7-Up softdrink contained on a plastic before drinking them. “The fatalities consumed all of their softdrink while the other three spit it out due to its unsavory taste,” Galapon said.
He said that 10 minutes after taking the softdrink, the four fatalities started to suffer seizures and were brought to the nearest hospital. “They died before arriving in the hospital, ” Galapon said.
He said they have already taken samples of body fluids from the victims’ body for confirmation if the powder which was mixed with the softdrink was a type of fertilizer that caused the death of the four students. (PIA NVizcaya)
Solon donates P.5-M to CDC prosthesis lab, training center
Clark Freeport (22 July) — Pampanga 1st District Rep. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin has donated P500,000 to the Clark Development Corporation’s (CDC) prosthesis laboratory and training center based inside the Clark Polytechnic here, the state-owned CDC announced.
CDC President Benigno N. Ricafort said Lazatin on Thursday, July 16, awarded to the CDC a check worth P500,000 which was derived from the solon’s Priority Development Assistance Fund.
Ricafort said the CDC established the prosthesis laboratory and training center last February 15, 2009 which aims to provide more prosthetic legs to hundreds of amputees in Pampanga and other nearby provinces.
According to Ricafort, the prosthesis center is part of CDC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. He added that the CDC has forged ties with the Physicians for Peace (PFP) in close collaboration with Pampanga congressional representatives, mayors, Kapampangan Development Foundation, and various civic groups.
Ricafort added that the partnership between the CDC and the PFP begun more than a year ago with the official launching of the Walking Free Pampanga, a program supported by Lazatin that aims to provide free prostheses and wheelchairs for the indigent amputees.
“The goal is to enable them and their caregivers to go back to productive life. The project has provided 124 prosthetic legs to more than 100 patients and 172 wheelchairs to date,” Ricafort said. (PIA)
photo credit: mela sogono
DSWD dad encourages sectors to support PWD rights and benefits
Tuguegarao City (21 July) — Regional Director Arnel Garcia of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 2 has advocated the recognition of rights and benefits of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) as mandated in several laws and orders.
Garcia said, during the opening ceremony of the 31st National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) week, the accessibility law recognizes PWDs equal opportunities with other Filipino citizens.
The law, Garcia said, provides PWDs equal access to education, health services, employment, other privileges and even on infrastructures.
He also mentioned Republic Act 9442 that recognizes PWDs discounts on medical services, medicines, transportation, restaurants and groceries.
“What we are looking for now is the commitment and compliance of stores and groceries to give discounts to PWDs down to the barangay level,” the Director said.
The Director also encouraged Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officers to comply with the provision of Identification Cards (IDs) as basis in granting discounts and other privileges to all PWDs.
In addition, Garcia campaigned to all sectors of the society not to exclude PWDs in any activity they conduct and ensure to cater to their special needs in all planning activities.
“We have to see to it that the rights and benefits of PWDs are not compromised. Let them decide and choose the things that they do, because they are the ones who could state their limitations,” Garcia said.
On the other hand, Garcia inspired PWDs as he mentioned well known individuals who soared high in the field of their specializations as they overcome their disabilities and attained their missions in life.
“Michael Angelo, Beethoven, Apolinario Mabini, Gov. Grace Padaca and many others live as inspiration as they dominate their limitations and overcome their fears, not only to become like any other normal citizen but more than any other able-bodied person,” Garcia stated.
He also cited as an example his own staff, Denis Antonio, amputee, who works with minimal supervision and presents an output that is far better than that of his physically normal officemates. Antonio also inspires the public, in playing basketball with the normal players. (Ver/PIA 2)
DOST to conduct science and technology week celebration
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya (16 July) — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Cagayan Valley will be conducting the celebration of the Science and Technology Week from July 27-31 at the Reale Mall in Tuguegarao City.
Urdujah Tejada, DOST regional director said this year’s celebration carries the theme: “Responding to Global Challenge thr
ough Science and Technology.”
The highlight of the celebration, according to Tejada will be the conduct of the Philippine Coconut Summit to showcase the benefits, opportunities and recent breakthroughs on coconut in the country and around the world. Other DOST regional offices will also ran a series of activities such as exhibits, seminars, public talks, competitions and demonstrations, cultural shows and other interesting and worthwhile activities.
In Cagayan Valley, Tejada said the week-long celebration will kick-off with a press conference for mediamen to impart the DOST’s new trends, technologies and other programs and projects designed to help accelerate the country’s economy. (PIA NVizcaya)
photo credit: anne_jimenez
Anti-illegal logging task force gives computer to PNP Ilagan
Ilagan, Isabela (17 July) — The province’s anti-illegal logging task force has turned-over one unit laptop computer to the Philippine National Police- Ilagan Police Station through its police chief.
Environment and Natural Resources Officer Gerry Cabaccan, who heads the task force, said the giving of the laptop computer to the Ilagan PNP is one way of expressing gratitude for their support in the implementation of Anti-illegal logging operations.
It is recalled that since the task force
was created in 2008 by Governor Maria Gracia Cielo M. Padaca, it has topped the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army to strictly enforce environmental laws in the province.
Through the cooperation of these two law enforcement agencies, the task force has yielded more than one million bd ft of assorted logs and sawn lumbers including narra flitches and good lumbers as of second quarter this year.
“The impressive assistance of PNP Ilagan to the task force is a manifestation that our drive to protect our remaining forests will continue and will stop illegal logging in the province,” Cabaccan said.
Ilagan Police chief P/Supt Baltazar Israel committed its all out support to the province’s enforcement of environment laws and said that his police station will uphold what is right and strictly enforce the laws not only for environment but also for anti-criminal operations which are the PNP’s major activities.
P/Supt Israel said the computer unti handed by ENRO is essential for office work of Ilagan PNP and will be beneficial for Ilagan populace. (PIA Isabela)
photo credit: anne_jimenez
Kalinga IPs join Luzon cultural festival
Tabuk, Kalinga (22 November) — Twenty performers from the province joined recently the Timpuyog Cultural Festival of Luzon, an occasion for indigenous peoples (IPs) in Luzon to celebrate the richness of their unique culture and an opportunity to exchange what they have for better understanding among themselves, held recently in Santiago City, Isabela.
According to National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Commissioner Domingo Bakilan, the festival also served to foster deeper understanding and
an avenue to preserve the culture of peace among IPs in Luzon. He said the province’s representatives came from Tanudan headed by Cultural Master Vicente Gummuang.
Various students from colleges and universities in Region 2 came to watch the historic affair as part of cultural awareness and for them to appreciate the diverse Filipino cultures still practiced today.
Bakilan said sixteen major cultural communities gathered for the celebration that promoted the advocacy of preserving and integrating traditional culture and various creative expressions in mainstream society.
Heherzon Alvarez, Presidential Adviser on Climate Change and Global Warming who was Guest Speaker stressed on the importance of culture as a way of life, according to Bakilan. In his message, Alvarez told participants to be proud to be Filipino even if they belong to different cultural communities with diverse culture.
NCCA Chairman of the Board and Department of Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador encouraged the IPs not to allow themselves to be exploited. She directed school administrators in Luzon to stop teaching modern dances to their pupils and students but teach them instead the traditional and cultural dances in the locality.
The six-day celebration according to Bakilan is a project of Sub-Commission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts of NCCA hosted by the City government of Santiago. (PIA-Kalinga)
photo credit: glenmcbethlaw
Administrative order on water saving technology in rice areas in RP under study
by Alice D. Tabuno
Baguio City (18 July) — A Luzon-wide consultation meeting to formulate and ratify an Administrative Order (AO) on guidelines for the adoption of water saving Technologies (WST) in irrigated Rice Areas in the Philippines was held at the Summer Place Hotel, Baguio City last July 14, 2009.
The consultation meeting was attended by DA Regional Director
s, GMA Rice Program Regional and Provincial Coordinators, National Irrigation Administration Officials and Irrigators Association Farmer members, and Rice Implementors from Region I, II and CAR.
DA RFU CAR Regional Director Cesar D. Rodriguez in his welcome remarks stressed the importance of coming -up with concrete guidelines so as to attain or continuously achieve the maximum yield in producing the number one (1) staple food or commodity which is Rice.
Rodriguez cited in his experiences outside Region CAR and Knows that insufficient water supply especially in low-lying areas will have adverse effect in rice production.
The consultation meeting participants had a chance to know what the AO is all about. They gave their inputs, suggestions, issues and concerns on the AO’s general provisions presented by the Secretariat from IRRI, PhilRice and DA.
During the program, Engr. Evangeline B. Sibayan. Technical Working Group (TWG) Chairperson from PhilRice presented the draft AO.
According to Engr. Sibayan, Agriculture is the biggest user of water amounting to 80% of the total freshwater withdrawal, more that 50% of which is used for irrigated rice production.
She further revealed that research results on WST showed that 15% to 35% of irrigation water can be saved without significant yield reduction.
She added that the Philippine Rice self-sufficiency Plan (RSSP) specifies the need for judicial use of water resources in support of the attainment by year 2013 of 100% sufficiency level of the staple food of the Filipinos.
To reach this goal, DA Secretary Atty. Arthur C. Yap issued the AO for the adoption of Water Saving Technologies in the operation of all irrigation system in the country.
The AO is formulated with a framework that considers environmental protection and conservation, sustainability and increased land and water productivity, through equitable distribution of, access to irrigation water.
It also provides for the mainstreaming and institutionalization of water-saving technologies (WST) in the functions, and responsibilities of all relevant government agencies and instrumentalities, mechanism for monitoring the level of adoption of WST among farmers, changes in water regime, in irrigation systems and potential social, economic, environmental and technical impacts.
Furthermore, the AO shall cover the technical considerations of WST, the dissemination and field implementation strategies, Institutional arrangements and other provisions for proper and sustained implementation.
The TWG was formed to oversee the implementation of the AO. They are accountable and will be reporting to the oversight committee. Members consist of Philrice, BSWM, DA-FOS, ATI, NIA, and DA-GMA rice program representatives.
NIA-CAR manager Abraham Akilit said that the Cordillera boasts of vast water resources considering its thick and virgin forests, which had been considered as watershed areas and supplies enough water in low-lying areas in the region.
As soon as the AO draft will be revised, it is ready to become a law which will benefit farmers and fisherfolks in the country. (DA)
photo credit: xornalcerto
DBP loan jumpstarts missionary route in Luzon
Manila (20 July) — State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and the Northeastern Luzon Pacific Coastal Service, Inc. (NLPCSI) signed recently a P64.7 million loan agreement to finance the acquisition of two ferry vessels that will ply the missionary route in northeastern Luzon.
The ferry vessels will serve the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, and Aurora, providing an affordable, reliable and convenient mode of transportation to move passengers, agricultural and marine products from coastal towns to mainland markets.
DBP president & chief executive officer Reynaldo G. David said the initiative is in line with DBP’s flagship project, the Sustainable Logistics Development Program (SLDP) and supports the national government’s Strong Republic Nautical Highway.
He added that the opening of a missionary route will improve economic conditions and harness the tourism potential of northeastern Luzon, subsequently generating more employment opportunities for residents of coastal towns in the area.
NLPCSI president and chief executive officer Sec. Jose Mari Ponce, who is also administrator of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) said the initiative will link two economic zones — the Aurora Economic Zone and the Cagayan Free Port. He expressed optimism that the initiative will boost economic activity in the three provinces.
Isabela Governor Ma. Gracia Padaca, on the other hand, said the project will also help in promoting eco-tourism in the area while supporting the campaign against logging activities in the Sierra Madre mountain range.
The project supports the Road Roll-on Roll-off Terminal System which is one of the three components of DBP’s Sustainable Logistics Development Program (SLDP). This is an investment financing facility for a comprehensive and integrated transportation system as well as related infrastructure and support services. The other components are the bulk grains highway which facilitates the transport of corn from Mindanao to Northern Luzon, while the cold chain highway is aimed at re-engineering the logistics system for perishables.
Founded in 2003, NLPCSI was formed by the provinces of Aurora, Isabela, and Cagayan, and the CEZA to establish a RORO system along the northeastern coast of Luzon. (PIA)
photo credit: Jun Acullador
