Religious sect holds “lechon” festival
by Ben Moses Ebreo
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya (September3) — A religious sect here on Wednesday opened their annual “Lechon” festival in barangay Bonfal East here.
Now on its 4th year, the festival was attended by hundreds of sect members, politicians, government officials, businessmen and other supporters and friends of the sect in Senora Falls, a mini-resort developed by the sect members and touted as a hidden paradise.
Some 40 pigs were manually grilled and chopped by the sect members and shared among visitors scattered in various cottages overlooking the Senora falls. Other visitors also took the opportunity to enjoy the waterfalls.
The first lechon festival started with 15 pigs, 51 during the second and 61 pigs on the third lechon festival.
The pigs which were grilled during this year’s festival, De Guia said were produced by the sect members while others came from donors and friends.
De Guia said the lechon festival was also conceptualized to invite the public to know more about the sect’s learnings and their practices.
“This is our way to open up our community to the public, promote friendship and camaraderie and to thank the Almighty for all his blessings,” he said.
In previous years, the sect has been branded as a cult and criticized for banning entry of non-members in their community.
Politicians however visit the community and offer donations in the hope of getting support during elections.
De Guia said they hoped that the festival will open up a positive understanding on the sect and to correct the bad impression on their existence among non-members.
The Senora water falls is a 500 hectare mountain which was awarded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to the sect in 1976.
Some 1,000 members of the sect have settled within the Senora falls watershed where members venture into agriculture as a means of livelihood.
“We are now practicing a ‘no tree cutting’ policy to protect and preserve this area which has become our source of livelihood,” De Guia said. (PIA NVizcaya)
PNoy intensifies program of monthly cash grants to RP’s poorest households
Manila (3 September) — The Aquino Administration will not only continue to grant cash aid to the country’s poorest households, he will also increase the number of beneficiaries from the usual 900,000 poorest families to 1 Million by the end of this year and to 2.3 Million by the end of 2011.
Since the program started under the Arroyo administration in 2008, about 900,000 families have received cash incentives from the government under the so-called Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program otherwise known as 4Ps.
The goal of the program is three-folds, to encourage the poorest families to send their children to school, to seek regular health care and to improve their income.
This program is seen to bring about the realization of the MDG goals particularly that of cutting the poverty incidence by half in 2015; increasing the participation rate of children of school age; and reducing mother and child mortality rates.
There are several criteria for a family to be entitled to such cash assistance under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
First, children Children 6 to 14 years old must be enrolled in school and attend at least 85 percent of the classes.
The second criterion is that pregnant women must receive prenatal and postnatal care.
Children under 5 years of age must receive regular preventive health checkups and vaccinations.
Children in elementary schools must receive deworming treatment at least twice a year.
Last but not the least, is that parents must attend Family Development Sessions to break free from the cycle of poverty.
Under the program, families that meet the health commitments will receive P500 per month.
An additional P300 per child per month – with a maximum of P900 per month is given to families who ensure that their children attend at least 85% of the school days. (PIA 
Ifugao opens disaster reduction center, students participate in emergency drills
Lagawe, Ifugao (3 September) — The Ifugao provincial government opened last September 1 its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Operation Center in this capital town.
Balitang enjoined everyone to be prepared in times of disaster in order to save lives and minimize the destruction of properties. He added that the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council members will come up with disaster preparedness standards, create disaster management plans and direct disaster management operations.
“It is high time we institutionalize disaster preparedness. We are facing uncertain times ahead. We cannot always anticipate disasters but we can always be prepared for them. This is why the establishment of this office is very important,” Balitang said.
Meanwhile, about 500 students from the education department of the Kalinga- Apayao State College recently participated in three emergency drills conducted by members of the Kalinga Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).
Hazel Abregania of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Kalinga said that a bomb emergency evacuation drill was included to prepare students from such scenario. Though this is not likely to happen in the province, chances are they could be in such situation when they travel outside the province or even out of the country, she said.
“What they learned could be applicable anywhere where they are exposed to such hazard,” she said.
As part of the regular disaster preparedness activities, the students were also oriented on the fire evacuation and earthquake drills.
It is vital that students undergo said drills considering that schools have dense population, which means that they are more at risk and have tendencies to panic during such emergencies. The drills if learned by heart could save lives, Abregania stressed.
Among those who facilitated the drills were the OCD for the earthquake drill, Bureau of Fire Protection for the fire evacuation drill and the Philippine Army’s 21st Infantry Battalion for the bomb response and evacuation exercises. (PIA)
Police brass urges sectors to work together for common quest for peace
Calamba City (2 September) — In the kick-off ceremony of the 16th National Crime Prevention Week (NCPW) celebration held yesterday at Camp Vicente Lim this City, Pcsupt Nicanor A Bartolome, Regional Director of Police Regional Office 4A exhorted participants to join hands and work together for the common good and quest for peace in the region.
Bartolome cited the indispensable role of the youth in government’s anti-criminality campaign and urges them to be observant, avoid themselves to be involved in any crime and report to the police or concerned authorities any unlawful activity or events in their respective areas.
The NCPW theme for this year’s celebration is “Komunidad at Pulisya, Magkasama tungo sa Pag-unlad ng Bayan” and the slogan “Ako, Ikaw, Tayong Lahat Laban sa Krimen.”
The activity is designed to bring together all sectors in the community to generate awareness and maximum participation in the crime prevention program of the government.
Other activities scheduled for this week-long celebration are the conduct of crime prevention seminars in selected municipalities and schools regionwide to include child abuse prevention, arrest of minor offenders, bad effects and penalty anent to drug abuse, children in conflict of the law, crime prevention and emergency response in times of calamities and others.
Bartolome also informed the participants that tree planting will follow immediately after the program in support to the environment program.
Also present were Mayor Joaquin Chipeco of this city, members of the DILG family, National Police Commission, members of the technical working group (TWG), students, non-government and civic organizations, local government units, religious leaders and others. (PIA)
Agri chief vows support to Isabela, Quirino farmers
Ilagan, Isabela (September 1) — The country’s new agriculture department head vowed full support yesterday to farmers in the provinces of Isabela and Quirino considering the great role it play in feeding a great number of the country’s population.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala made this announcement when he made a round of visits to the rice and corn-producing provinces of Cagayan Valley since the other day visiting the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela and tomorrow in Nueva Vizcaya.
Secretary Alcala, once a two-term congressman in Quezon province, said the department will be implementing major programs that will induce agriculture production in the country.
Alcala, who authored R.A 10068 otherwise known as Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, said that the DA under his watch will be embarking on technical transfer or re-skilling of Agricultural Technologists (ATs) in implementing organic farming, providing access to agri-fund through Land Bank of the Philippines (PBP) and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), marketing of farm products, continuity of constructing farm to market roads, irrigation projects, post-harvest facilities and developing mariculture.
The agri chief said that he wants to bring down up to the barangay level and to the farmers the programs and projects of the department and wanted to see that the farmers would feel the effect of the agency’s lined-up programs.
“Consultations with local government units and farmers will be done to know their plights and in that way we could implement accurate programs and projects” the DA chief said.
Secretary Alcala was here as guest speaker on a one-day Farmers Congress held at Isabela Capitol’s Amphitheater attended by local and agriculture officials, agricultural technicians, farmer-leaders, cooperative leaders and other agriculture stakeholders of Isabela and Quirino provinces.
Secretary Alcala will also be visiting Nueva Vizcaya province meeting local and agriculture officials and farmers today. (PIA Isabela)
PNoy receives P5-M Metrobank Donation
Manila (1 September) — President Benigno Aquino III yesterday received a P5 million check donation of the Metrobank Foundation for his chosen advocacy, in simple ceremonies held in Malacañang.
In an interview, MFI president Aniceto Sobrepeña said the President, had chosen the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission as his advocacy prior to the turnover rites.
Sobrepeña said the amount would be used to help finance the construction of an island reactor at the Estero de Paco that will serve as a sewerage treatment facility in the area.
“We hope our donation will encourage other private companies to support the program of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission as part of our public-private partnership,” he added.
Present during the turnover ceremonies were MFI chairman George S.K. Ty, PRRC chair Gina Lopez, to whom the President gave the check for P5-million and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, who witnessed the event.(rck/3:05p.m.)
