Anti-dengue drive stepped-up
CALOOCAN CITY, April 26 (PIA) – This city is intensifying its dengue-causing mosquitoes as the number dengue cases tend to rise during the summer season.
The Department of Health (DOH) explains that mosquito-carrying dengue, Aedes Aegypti, multiplies easily during this time in clearer waters – in fower vases, cans, rain barrels, old rubber tires, and the like – to lay eggs for hatching.
Because of this, Caloocan’s Environment Sanitation Services (ESS) was instructed to strictly observe the local government’s campaign dubbed “Caloocan Ko, Love Ko.” It is a campaign aiming to keep the surroundings clean.
In support of the move, all Caloocan barangay officials will enforce similar measures concerning the campaign, in their respective locales. Aside from this, the local government vowed to carry on with its “misting” campaign, a far-easier method to eliminate dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
With misting, workers from the City Health Department will place a certain type of liquid at identified breeding grounds of mosquitoes. Once the liquid dries, it becomes more effective in killing the particular insect.
Dengue patients manifests having high fever – which lasts between two and seven days, joint pain, skin rashes, nose bleeding, vomiting, and producing feces with somewhat dark tone.
Residents who may experience such symptoms are advised to seek immediate help at their nearest health centers and hospital. (Caloocan-PIO/RJB/DBNV-PIA NCR)
PNP 2 conducts random check to ensure zero casualty on Lenten season
by Merlito G. Edale Jr.
CAUAYAN CITY, Isabela, April 21 (PIA) – Police officials and personnel from the Police Regional Office 2 (PRO2) conducted an unannounced random check on some police stations in the province on their security readiness to ensure zero casualty during the observance of Holy Week.
Police Senior Supt Jovencio Carillo, inspected the security readiness of police personnel in the implementation the Police Integrated Patrol System (PIPS) as well as establishment of Police Assistance Center and Mobile Assistance Center to strategic areas in the province.
Carillo said his group will be visiting other police stations in Isabela to ensure peace and order during the Lenten season.
In Ilagan, the Isabela Police Provincial Office (IPPO) chief Jimmy U. Rivera has directed the chiefs of the municipal police stations to strictly implement the required security plans in their areas of jurisdiction to avert criminal activities or terroristic acts.
Since Monday, police personnel had been dispatched in bus terminals and airports to secure passengers in their travel to spend the holy week in their respective provinces. Well- known tourist spots in the province were also posted with police personnel
In Santiago City, rescue units were ordered to stand by even on Holy Thursday and Good Friday to respond to emergencies at a 24/7 basis.
Claro Comoda, head of the Santiago City’s Rescue 922 assured that their office will serve the Santiaguenos evenduring holidays to respond whenever there are emergencies in the city. # (PNP PRO 2 conducts random check on police readiness to ensure zero casualty on Lenten season
BIR exceeds March target collections
MANILA, April 22 (PIA)–The Bureau of Internal Revenue collected a total of P71.56 billion in taxes for the month of March 2011 exceeding its target by about 5.13 percent.
In March 2010, the BIR collected a total of P58.31 billion while this year’s actual collections expanded by P13.25 billion for a growth of 22.7 percent.
The last time March collections grew by more than 20 percent was five years ago in March `06 when actual performance expanded by 21 percent, a news release posted at the DOF website said.
The BIR first quarter tax collections have already reached P199.55 billion, marking a P2.51 billion excess over the first quarter goal of P197.04 billion.
The first quarter performance also marks an expansion over the actual collections for the same period of 2010 at P173.89 billion, by more than P25,65 billion for a growth of 14.75 percent. (DOF/RJB/SDL-PIA NCR)
Immigration to review I-Card documents
MANILA, April 19 (PIA)–THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) will review the documents currently submitted by I-Card applicants to weed out fake documents and ensure that only authentic ones are processed who can get the I-Cards.
The alien certificate of registration identity cards (ACR-I-Cards) serves as proof of a foreigner’s legal residence status in the country and that alien is duly registered with the BI.
The I-card is issued after a foreigner’s application for resident visa is approved by the BI board of commissioners and implemented on his or her passport by the bureau’s executive office.
David added that the bureau is also reviewing the rules and procedures for processing other visas and immigration documents as part of his thrust to cut red tape in the agency.
He said he had received reports that some foreigners managed to acquire I-Cards by submitting fake documents.
“The I-Cards are accountable government forms, thus, we cannot allow them to fall into the wrong hands,” David said. (BI/RJB/SDL-PIA NCR)
DILG to help control cholera outbreak in Palawan
MANILA, April 16 (PIA) — Secretary Jesse M. Robredo of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has directed the regional office of DILG in Region IV-B (MIMAROPA) to assist in controlling the cholera outbreak in the Municipality of Bataraza in Palawan.
Robredo issued the directive to DILG Regional Director Rolando Calabazaron.
Reports obtained from the Department of Health (DOH), revealed that the main causes of the outbreak are drinking “contaminated or unclean” water as well as the “poor sanitation practices” of residents in the area.
Robredo ordered DILG-MIMAROPA to help the local government of Bataraza in ensuring adequate supply of potable water to the affected communities.
The DILG chief also urged the local officials of Bataraza to mobilize municipal health workers.
“Aside from attending to the needs of the victims of the cholera outbreak, their tasks include conducting cleanliness and sanitation campaign in their communities,” said Robredo.
He also directed the regional office to take steps in implementing the “Enhancing the Access to and Provision of Water Services to the Poor Program” of the DILG that should address the water sanitation problem of Bataraza town. (DILG/RJB/JCP/PIA-NCR)
Livelihood programs generate more income to farmers
by Miriam P. Aquino
SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union Apr 12 (PIA) – The Department of Labor and Employment-Regional Office 1 (DOLE-R1) recently awarded livelihood assistance to 55 marginalized farmers in the remote barangays of Fulgosino in Umingan, Pangasinan, as one of the strategies of the Aquino administration in creating community-based employment opportunities to address poverty.
DOLE 1 Director Henry John Jalbuena said the livelihood project, a commercial egg production and processing, will not only provide additional income for the direct beneficiaries, but will also have an economic benefit for other community members.
“Like any business venture, the project will not generate profits at first, but with proper management and hard work from the recipients, returns will soon be realized,” Jalbuena said, adding that chicken egg is one of the most marketable staple food for its wide variety of uses in food processing and beauty products.
“Gains can also be derived from the by-products, which also have beneficial uses,” Jalbuena added.
Valdez said Punong Barangay Ramil Partida expressed his gratitude to DOLE for funding the project, which he believes will create employment among his constituents. He also urged the members of the former organization to strongly cooperate in managing the project.
Partida ensured that for their counterpart, an amount of P112,400.00 for the construction of the poultry housing will be shouldered or derived from the barangay fund. (ANL/MPA-PIA 1 La Union with reports from DOLE-R1)
SSS set to increase contribution by 0.6%
by Danny O. Sagun
DAGUPAN CITY, April 12 (PIA) —The Social Security System is set to increase contribution by 0.6 percent, divided equally by the employer and employee, to gradually bring back its fund life to perpetuity and guarantee future benefits for members.
Dagupan Branch Manager Ceasar Saludo said the Social Security Commission, the SSS governing board, has approved in principle a proposed increase in the contribution rate from 10.4 percent to 11 percent of the monthly salary and the maximum monthly salary credit, the ceiling that serves as basis for contribution payments to P20,000.00 from P15,000.00
The proposed increase would lengthen the fund life until 2046 and result in higher sickness, maternity, disability, retirement and death benefits and bigger short-term loan amounts for members, he said.
From 1957 to September 2010, the benefit payments of P734 billion exceeded the contribution collections of P732 billion and were it not for the cumulated investment income of about P350 billion, the fund would have long been depleted.
In the last actuarial valuation in 2007, the SSS fund life was estimated to last until 2039, a big drop from the valuation in 1980, which was then valued to last to perpetuity, he said.
Pension benefits increased 21 times from 1980 to 2007 but the contribution rate was pegged at 8.4 percent for 23 years and was only increased to 9.4 percent in 2003 and to 10.4 percent in 2007.
“We are taking small steps towards our goal of having a perpetual fund or a fund life of at least 75 years,” said SSS president and chief executive officer Emilio de Quiros, Jr.
“We need to implement reforms, but we don’t want a drastic one-time increase in contribution. We prefer to do it gradually,” he said.
Contributions are savings, an investment for the future, and should not be considered as expense, De Quiros said, adding that the proposed increase should not be lumped with rising cost of commodities.
“We are still in the process of consulting our stakeholders. We will submit the results to the Social Security Commission and the proposed increases will be presented to Malacañang for approval,” he said.
If approved, the increase may take effect in July.
Saludo noted that compared with the 21 percent contribution in the Government Service Insurance System, the SSS contribution is still much lower. (ANL/DOS-SSS/PIA 1 Pangasinan)
DOH hails N. Vizcaya’s smoke free ordinance
by Oliver T. Baccay
Tuguegarao City, March 30 (PIA) – The Department of Health (DOH) region 2 has commended the political will of the officials of the province of Nueva Vizcaya for their serious implementation of the smoke free ordinance.
Dr. Eduard Albano, director III, said Nueva Vizcaya is now declared as smoke free province as it strictly implements the ordinance regulating smoking and penalizing violators.
Albano said there are designated smoking areas in the province and if a smoker violates the ordinance, there are corresponding fines for every offense.
“We also observed that their officials are determined to implement the ordinance that is why it is very successful,” Albano stated.
He mentioned that police officers directly implement the ordinance and were also ordered to set as models of the law.
Albano noted that even the officials and government employees of the province have already stopped smoking to set as examples to the public.
Seeing the good impact of the ordinance, Albano encouraged other provinces and cities to pass the same ordinance to protect public health and environment.
He said majority of the top causes of mortality in the region is attributed to smoking, thus, smoke free policies are very helpful alleviate the situation. (TCB/OTB-PIA 2)
Kalinga civet coffee producers see higher income with new equipment
by Larry Lopez
TABUK, Kalinga, April 1 (PIA) – Producers of Kalinga’s civet coffee, the acclaimed prime brewed coffee of the province, see brighter hope for their industry with the new mechanized coffee roaster-grinder they received from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Estrella Balnao, president of Gawidan Coffee Farmers Association (GCFA) that produces Civet Brewed Coffee and Kalinga Mountain Brewed Coffee said they can now expand their production volume to meet increasing demand for their product.
The new equipment, Balnao said, has brought great advantage to their group since they can do roasting and grinding of coffee at the same time.
Before, it took them much time producing brewed coffee powder from a kilo of coffee beans, while one roasting with the new equipment could contain 30 kilos, she said.
This is of great help to the association, especially now that our products earned wider market after we joined several trade fairs, she claimed.
Formally organized in 2002 as a coffee farmers association, the group ventured into brewed coffee production in 2006.
Members pooled their coffee produce at their center where they do the processing for the finished coffee brewed product.
On the marketing component, each member markets his own product for more systematic way of realizing profits from the operation, Balnao said.
Now that the association has earned seed capital, members started a small business in coffee by buying right at their barangay in Gawidan. They use it as raw product for their brewed coffee production business. Balnao said through the small coffee buying business they put up, they help other small coffee farmers from the cost of transporting their produce to traders at the town center.
With their operation now in the area, Balnao claims small farmers are encouraged to cultivate their coffee, which is a major source of income among upland farmers in the province.
Coffee produced in Kalinga come in three varieties: Arabica which gives invigorating aroma; Exelsa for strong and pure coffee blend, and Robusta for distinct premium coffee taste. *(PIA-CAR/Kalinga)
