DOST assists small entrepreneurs in Mt Province
by Juliet B. Saley
The SET-UP is a nationwide strategy encouraging and assisting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to adopt technology innovations to improve their operations and thus boost their productivity and competitiveness.
Based on the records of DOST Provincial Office here, there are ten SETUP supported firms in Mt. Province who were granted a total loan of P2,533,410.00.00.
This financial assistance is used to acquire modern equipment to improve their products. The acquired equipment will still be under the supervision of the DOST until such time that the loan would have been paid then it will be turned over to the owner of the business firm.
SETUP granted loan to the following beneficiaries: Lusad Furniture Shop who was granted a loan of P250,000.00, Robert’s Furniture Shop with a SETUP loan of P275,000.00, Feken Finakkar Integrated Farm, P80,000.00,and Maligcong Citrus Nursery with P150,000.00. the four are all operating in the municipality of Bontoc.
The Sagada Weaving and Souvenir Shop was granted P450,000.00 while the Daw-as Farm, also in Sagada, received P105,000.00.
The Triboundary Vegetable Farm of Monamon Sur, Bauko was granted a loan of P724,410.00; and the Kadaclan Furniture Shop of Barlig received a loan assistance of P100,000.00.
The Maguen L.C. Wood Workshop and Ol-is FCM Shop, both of Tadian, received loan assistance of P324,000.00 and P75,000.00 respectively.
According to Fernando Pinos-an of DOST provincial office, the Maguen L.C. Wood Workshop that operated his business in the municipality of Tadian has transferred to Baguio city. Pinos-an said DOST Provincial Director Norberto Cobaldez made a request to Urban Technology Center of Baguio City to supervise the operation of said business.
The ten SET-UP supported firms have employed a total of 65 workers.
Qualified to apply under the program are individuals or groups who have maintained their business for at least three consecutive years to assure the capability of the entrepreneurs to sustain their business and pay back the loan which is payable within a maximum of three years without interest. (PIA MP)
6,000 HS students, educators attend DepEd’s 7th National Leadership Training in Baguio
by Lito Dar
Baguio City (12 September) — For the seventh straight year, the Department of Education’s Center for Students and Co-curricular Activities (DepEd-CSCA), in partnership with the Master’s Lighthouse Foundation and Ateneo Student Trainers, held its National Leadership Training for Student Government Officers (NLTSGO) at the Teachers Camp.
The six-day event from September 4-9, was attended by 5,428 High School Student leaders of Supreme Student Government (SSG) of different public and private schools and about 1,000 educators nationwide. The student participants are also members of the National Federation of Supreme Student Government (NFSSG).
Taking a cue from imperatives of the incoming 2010 election, this year’s NLTSGO theme is “New Beginnings for nation-Building:Seizing Opportunities, Sustaining Initiatives” and with the rallying cry “Ako ang Magsisimula ng Pagbabago.”
DepEd-CSCA Executive Director Joey Pelaez stressed the need to advocate active participation of each one in the socio-political sphere to bring about significant change.
The participants attended plenary sessions, panel discussions and breakout sessions graced by topnotch speakers from the academe, government and private organizations. Among these were Anthony Pangilinan and Mr Ardy Abello of Businessworks; Mr Kaka Constantino of Purpose Driven Life Southeast Asia; Atty. Alexander Lacson; Mr Cito Beltran, Mr Raymond Ciriaco; Mr Diether Ocampo and former presidents of NFSSG.
Famous celebrities and entertainers such as Gary Valenciano and his sons Paolo and Gab, Rivermaya, youth spokesperson Sam Concepcion and some grand champions of the “Are You the Next Big Star” fame, also entertained the participants during evening activities.
In a press conference, NFSSG president Lawrence Payonga, stressed the significance of such leadership trainings in preparing or shaping up the high school students, who can be future leaders of the country.
“I, myself have become stronger and have learned a lot of things, which really built me to be a person, I am now. I can now easily adjust to the challenges, handle projects and problems, through all the work that we have. This is a testimony that public education system is really performing well and is producing future leaders of our country. Likewise, the public education system is producing people who want to be a catalyst of change and improvement in our society,” Payonga said.
Meanwhile, Benralph Yu, a former NFSSG president, also stressed the importance of the national federation of SSGs to the educational system. The NFSSG, he said is the foremost student organization in the country today. This federation acts as a policy recommending body to the education department. It plays a vital role in terms of carrying out the voices of fellow students, as every relevant issues discussed during our annual national conferences are transformed into policies that we recommend to the Secretary of the education for implementation,” Yu said. (PIA)
DSWD releases funds for SEA-K projects in Ifugao
by Vency D. Bulayungan
Edna Duhan of the DSWD said that P150,000.00 was given to Poblacion Self Employment Assistance para sa Kaunlaran (SEAK) in the municipality of Tinoc while P100,000.00 was also given to Kamagong 2 SEAK in Banaue.
Duhan disclosed that the SEAK in Tinoc will fund the micro business of its members who are engaged in buy and sell. The Kamagong 2 SEAK also engaged in the buy and sell of woven products.
Since its inception in 1995, the program with a funding of P9M funded livelihood projects of SEAK members in the 11 municipalities who belong to poor families. Duhan believes that the project was able to meet its objective since almost all the associations under this program have about 96% Return on Investment (ROI). (PIA-Ifugao)
Green Groups Support New Mining Policy In Congress
“Upon careful review of HB 6342, ATM strongly believes that the proposed bill puts forward some policy reforms that are reflective of the genuine needs of mining-affected communities, and that the bill will respond to the regulatory framework necessary to implement large-scale mining without sacrificing social and other costs associated with the extractive industry, which the Mining Act of 1995, after more than a decade liberal interpretation and implementation failed to address”, said ATM national coordinator Jaybee Garganera.
According to Garganera, HB 6342 has a clear declaration of state policy and that adheres to total human development and sustainable development principles.
“ATM is supportive of the clear policy positions that are imbedded in HB 6342, to name a few: 1) Integrating development of communities and science and technology initiatives, which puts local communities at the “center of development”; 2) Adherence to principles of participatory governance in the creation of the Multi-Sectoral Mineral Council that reflects true and genuine participation of local communities and their designated representatives, in accepting, studying, approving and monitoring the application and operations of mining projects, which will ensure authentic and legitimate representation, promote transparency and exact accountabilities from the decision-makers; 3) Recognition of local autonomy and just share in revenues of mining by LGUs that equitably outlines the sources of revenues by which LGUs are entitled to; 4) Addressing the social impacts of large-scale mining by mandating the contractor to prepare and submit an Environmental and Social Impact Prevention and Mitigation Plan (ESIPMP), which is a better mitigation measure than the current EIA system that does not fully address the complexity of mining operations; and 5) Improved Access to Justice where there the bill is able to lay down the policy foundations to ensure protection of human rights, definition of corporate and individual acts resulting to human rights violations, as well as prescribe procedures by which these can be resolved,” enumerated Garganera.
“On the same hearing, the House Committee on Natural Resources also deliberated two House Resolutions (HR) related to mining, namely: HR 25 “Urging the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to uphold its notice of cancellation or termination of Aglubang Mining Corporation’s mineral production sharing agreement No. 167-2000-IV” and HR 360 “Investigation into the effects of large-scale mining activities on the environment and people’s livelihood in Oriental Mindoro”, these covers the provinces that serve as our nation’s food basket threatened by mining operations,” said Garganera.
“The 14th Congress is nearing its end. Yet, ATM remains hopeful that the leadership of Rep. Iggy Arroyo will urgently address the unjust current practices of the mining industry, which is being exacerbated by a flawed mineral policy,” concluded Garganera.
ATM is calling for the passage of HB 6342, filed in Congress last May 13,2009, which was introduced by House Representatives, Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Erin Tañada, Walden Bello, Rufus Rodriguez, and Carlos Padilla. The bill is a proposed policy to scrap the Mining Act of 1995 and introduce a new mining policy to regulate the rational exploration, development and utilization of mineral resources onshore (as well as quarry resources, sand and gravel, guano, and gemstones) and ensure the equitable sharing of benefits for the State, indigenous peoples and local communities and for other purposes.
The Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), an advocacy group and a people’s movement that upholds the rights of the present and future Filipinos against the persisting injustices related to mining. ATM is convened by HARIBON, Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, Kasama sa Kalikasan/Friends of the Earth – Phils. (LRC-KsK/FOE-Phils.) and PhilDHRRA.
For more information:
Jaybee Garganera, ATM Coordinator, (0915) 315.37.19 / Roslyn Arayata, Policy Research & Advocacy Officer (0917) 521.7937
DENR-CAR says watershed protection is everybody’s concern
by SC Aro
La Trinidad, Benguet (12 September) — Environment and Natural Resources Regional Cordillera Administrative Region Director Primitivo Galinato Jr. calls on officials, farmers and other stakeholders to help work out for the protection and conservation of the deteriorating state of the region’s watershed system.
Saying that DENR cannot do it alone, Galinato stressed that something must be done with the sorry state of the watershed system otherwise it will become a survival of the fittest.
According to Galinato, there are only 729,539 hectares of forest cover area remaining in the region, of which more than 481,491 hectares need to be rehabilitated.
He lamented the massive conversion of mossy forests into vegetable gardens. If this goes on, it will lead to massive soil erosion then eventually sedimentation and siltation, he said. The worsening state of the watershed system is aggravated by illegal logging and timber poaching.
We must think of what is to be left for the next generation, he further said.
While it is true that farming is a source of livelihood, the use of the land should not be abused as this would further deteriorate the environment, Galinato said.
He stressed the importance of watershed system. Its water runs the turbines of the dams of the Luzon grid namely the Binga, Ambuklao and San Roque dams. If riverbeds become shallow due to denudation or polluted due to sedimentation or siltation, it affects quality of water.
Dubbed as the watershed cradle of northern Luzon, Galinato said the Cordillera region has 13 major watershed system that feeds irrigation systems of Regions I, II and III.
In efforts to rescue the deteriorating state of the region’s watersheds, a watershed summit was held October last year aimed to identify courses of action to arrest the alarming deterioration of the region’s watershed and to make these sustainable. It also aimed to forge a Covenant for Action among all stakeholders, and to consolidate the position of CAR in co-opting the support of regions 1 and 2 for external assistance to undertake a comprehensive watershed program.
As an offshoot of this was an inter-regional summit held last May among stakeholders in CAR, Regions I, and II to generate their support for CAR watersheds. (PIA-Benguet)
PGMA attends 22nd anniversary rites for Rosales grotto
By Danny O Sagun
Dagupan City (11 September) — President Macapagal-Arroyo last Thursday graced the 22nd anniversary of Our Lady of Rosales in spite of bad weather.
The President, dressed in light blue blouse and black pants, heard mass officiated by Msgr. Eugenio Mercado. Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr., Congressman Conrad Estrella, Presidential Management Staff chief Hermogenes Esperon, Rosales Mayor Ricardo Revita and other local officials joined her. About 150 people from the area also heard the mass.
The grotto was established in barangay Station District in Rosales town following the apparitions on Rowel Darang starting in 1987.
The President arrived at the site past 3 p.m., traveling by land from Pampanga. She visited her home province to lead distribution of relief goods as floods swept the area due to heavy rains caused by depression Maring.
After hearing mass, the President met briefly with host Rowel and then left via chopper for Manila.
Rains, which started to pour an hour before she arrived, began to subside before the mass. (PIA Pangasinan)
Civil service month celebration kicks off in Laguna
Laguna (11 September) — The 109th Anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service kicks off in the province of Laguna as Gov. Teresita “Ningning” S. Lazaro and Director Emma B. Barrera of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) formally open the month-long celebration.
This was held at the Laguna Provincial Capitol Compound in the capital town Sta. Cruz last September 8, 2009. With the launching, Laguna joins the rest of the nation in paying tribute to the public servants all over the country.
Themed “Honoring our Heroes in Republic Service – Responsive, Ethical Public Servants with Vision, Impact, Commitment and Excellence”, the program started with a Thanksgiving Mass followed by the Flag-Raising Ceremony at the Cultural Center.
The month-long Sportsfest Competition for Men’s and Women’s Volleyball including the tournament for Badminton, Darts, Billiards, and Dancesport was also formally opened right after the flag raising ceremony.
Other activities include Book Exhibit at the Capitol Lobby, Barakalan Trade Fair at the FAITH Garden, and Mobile Passporting at the FAITH Training Center on September 8; Exhibit and Sale of Love Birds, Puppies and Rabbits, and the airing of CSC Activities and Interview with Dir. Barrera and Provincial Human Resources Management Officer Eugenia R. Magano at DZJV in Calamba City on September 9; Cooking Contest at the Cultural Center on September 10;
Calisthenics and Employee Wellness Program (Cultural Center) on September 11; Youth Essay Writing and Painting regarding National Crime Prevention Month (Cultural Center) on September 16; Tree Planting at Brgy. Mahipon in Cavinti on September 18; Free Hair Cut for Men and Women (Cultural Center) on September 22; Lecture regarding the theme of the CSC Anniversary (Cultural Center) on September 23; and the Singing and Dancing Contest, Tribute to the Retired Employees from 2008-2009 and Outstanding Civil Servants (Cultural Center) on September 30. The Closing and Awarding Ceremonies will also be held on September 30. (PIA)
Lapus urges private sector to support ICT-enhanced education
Pasig City (11 September) — Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has enjoined the private sector to work closely with the department in promoting learning systems enhanced with information communication technology to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
“Enhancing the curriculum with ICT is the only way for our public school children to meet the challenges of 21st century learning,” Lapus said as 40 Intel Classmate PCs were turned over to public schoolchildren in Concepcion, Tarlac recently.
Lapus said, “We thank our partners in Intel for investing in education, and for supporting our major thrust to introduce technology in education. This intervention would not have been possible without their support to DepEd through the Adopt-A-School Program.”
A Classmate PC includes two gigabytes of memory storage and Microsoft Office. It is internet-ready, portable, and user-friendly for children.
To date, 280 Classmate PCs have been turned over by DepEd’s Adopt-A-School Program to public schools in Pampanga, Baguio City, Sagada, and Taytay, Rizal. Some 400 Classmate PCs are scheduled for turn-over to other DepEd elementary schools in different divisions nationwide.
Lapus added, “This partnership with Intel is geared towards building the ICT Enhanced Elementary School Model, which puts a premium on ICT-enhanced education. We hope to achieve this goal and turn every public school into a space where teaching and learning outcomes are improved by technology.”
Aside from Intel, collaboration is ongoing with Aralandesk.Net for the creation of the ICT Enhanced Elementary School Model. Together with these partner institutions, DepEd ensures full utilization of ICT facilities to improve the teaching and learning process in public schools.
A workshop on mapping digital resources in English is being conducted with support from Aralandesk.Net at no cost to DepEd. The department is also heavily investing in the drafting of a Digital Learning Resource Management Guide that will serve as standards for identifying and harvesting digital materials, and matching these with the curriculum.
The Adopt-A-School Program is DepEd’s venue for cooperation between the government and the private sector. Since it was relaunched by Lapus in 2006, more than PhP12 Billion worth of assistance to public schools have been committed by the private sector. Private groups and individuals can support DepEd’s education initiatives in exchange for up to 150% tax incentives.
Private sector assistance ranges from technology support to supplementary learning materials, from literacy programs to physical infrastructure and facilities to feeding programs. Companies and individuals may also extend direct assistance to public schoolchildren in the form of school supplies.
The DepEd Chief added, “I urge other companies to invest in education through Adopt-A-School and join us as we say Edukasyon Ang Solusyon. Our initiatives in education would not have been successful without our partners’ all out support.” (DepEd)
2 new Bicol bridges now open to motorists
Ligao City (11 September) — Two newly constructed bridges were opened to traffic, linking this city to Tabaco City and other villages in the province, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Albay 2nd District Engineering Office under the leadership of District Engineer Efren C. Manalo, said.
The newly constructed bridges are the Basag Bridge at barangay Basag and Tobgon Bridge at barangay Batang, both in Ligao City.
Albay 3rd District Representative Reno G. Lim inaugurated the Basag Bridge last August 28, 2009, to be followed by another inaugural ceremony on September 18, 2009 for the Tobgon Bridge.
DPWH District Engineer Manalo said some P38.4 million from the President’s Bicol Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Efforts (B-CARE) funds were spent to reconstruct the two bridges destroyed by super typhoon ‘Reming’ in November 2006.
Manalo said the total collapse of the two vital bridges isolated several villages and Tabaco City bringing difficulties in transporting farm products to the this city and other municipalities of Albay.
He said the completion of Basag and Tobgon Bridges would hasten the transportation of farm products to the market, thereby improving the livelihood of the farmers in the rural villages of this city.
Basag Bridge is 30.60 linear meters RCDG Bridge type with 159 linear meters of guard rails at both approaches and project cost of P23.7 million sourced by Congressman Reno G. Lim from B-CARE funds.
Tobgon Bridge is 60.00 linear meters Steel Truss Type (Type CH5D) and 75.00 linear meter span RCDG both Reinforced Concrete Deck Slab Superstructure, one Abutment and Pier Substructure supported by Steel H-Pile Abutment. Slope protection is rested on steel sheet.
Project cost is P14.7 million; it’s a foreign-assisted project from the United Kingdom (UK) with funding counterpart from the Government of the Philippines (GOP).
The two bridges were awarded to and constructed by NFH Construction and Supply.
Manalo said the construction of the two bridges brings to completion the rehabilitation of various infrastructure facilities such as roads, bridges, and flood control structures destroyed by two super typhoons that hit the Albay province in 2006. (DPWH V/PIA)
DOT to step up promotion of Camarines Sur, Bicol’s tourist hubs
by MA Loterte
Pili, Camarines Sur (11 September) — Camarines Sur has earned its niche as world class tourism destination.
The recent visit of Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” H. Durano, along with officials of Department of Tourism (DOT) and tourism stakeholders has reaffirmed the province’s top spot in the country’s most visited tourist destination with the reputation as an extreme sports hub and eco-tourism showcase.
Durano and tourism officials were in this province to look over top tourist destinations in the country in preparation for DOT’s marketing package and intensive promotion abroad to increase tourist arrivals.
Tourism attaché’s assigned in tourist-rich countries like the United States, China, Rome, London, Frankfurt and other European countries were with the DOT chief during the CamSur sorties to give them a first-hand view of local conditions that will be essential in marketing local destinations abroad.
“CamSur was the last place visited, a sort of saving the best for the last,” a DoT official said.
Next step of the country’s tourism marketing strategy will be selling local destinations to ranking tourism operators in their countries of assignment.
In a series of interviews, Durano disclosed that the promotion of CamSur is only part of a tourism tactical support package for the province.
Durano pledged to continue providing financial support to major tourism-related activities in CamSur like international wakeboarding, dragon boat and Ironman competitions.
He also assured DOT will prioritize the recommendation of Governor LRay Villafuerte to upgrade the Naga Airport, a vital component to beef up the industry, through extending the length of the runway to accommodate bigger planes and installation of modern lighting to allow night flights and interconnecting flights to and from other major international airports.
Earlier, the tourism execs led the inauguration of the newly-installed lighting and other facilities in Ligñon Hill Park, a prominent landform in the Legazpi City, Albay located behind the Legazpi Airport Tower and beside the Albay Wildlife Park.
Aside from the Mayon Volcano standing serenely behind it, Ligñon Hill Park is one of the first landmarks that greet visitors upon stepping down from an airplane. The hill’s summit offers a breathtaking 360 degree view of the city scape and the deep blue Albay Gulf, nearby towns and islands, and of course the majestic Mayon Volcano. It is becoming one of the most popular destinations for locals and visitors alike.
The tourism secretaty also made a side trip to Embarcadero Philippines, a major waterfront development also in Legazpi City that is becoming a destination for both local and international tourists alike, and spent the night at Misibis Bay Resorts, a prime commercial and residential estates nestled in the Pacific that boast of a wide stretch of pristine white sand and a scenic route along the Sula Channel putting it firmly on the International tourist map.
Durano capped his city sorties speaking at the International Academic Colloquium, sponsored by Bicol University, expounding on “Tourism Challenges to Higher Education Institutions”. (PIA V)
