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
DFA, VP Noli reiterate deployment ban to Afghanistan, Iraq
Manila (23 July) — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Vice President and presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW)s Noli De Castro are urging again Filipinos who wish to work abroad to avoid countries with work deployment ban, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
This, after 10 Filipinos were among the 16 who died in a helicopter crash in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
In a radio interview, VP De Castro called on the Filipino people saying, “sana sa mga nakikinig na naghahanap ng ikabubuhay sa ibang bansa, huwag niyong patulan ang Afghanistan.”
He explained that the main reason why the DFA is implementing the deployment ban is to keep OFWs from harm’s way. “Kapit sa patalim pero manganganib naman ang inyong buhay.”
De castro explained that Filipinos are forced to work in Afghanistan because of huge compensation offer. “Malaki kasi ang alok, gaya nitong isa – $1,300 ang suweldo bilang karpentero. Marami talaga ang trabaho doon kasi may ginagawang dalawang base military.”
The Vice President assured the public that assistance is being extended to the 10 OFWs who got involved in the helicopter accident earlier. “Tulungan natin itong mga biktima – legal o illegal man ang kanilang dokumento – kasi mga Filipino din ang mga ito. Hahabulin din natin ang kanilang mga employers para maibigay ang kanilang mga benepisyo.”
VP Noli also revealed that OWWA is also looking at possible benefits which can be extended to the victims. (PIA)
photo credit: Kakashi_Sensei [Carlo]
SONA to Focus on PGMA Accomplishments
Manila (23 July) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will highlight the achievements of her administration and the status of the government’s projects and programs in her upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the opening of the Joint Congress on July 27.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said in a press brie
fing yesterday that President Arroyo will dwell on how her administrati
on has given “too much attention to the overall welfare of the Filipinos.”
He explained that President Arroyo will try to highlight the accomplishments of the major projects she initiated since 2001.
Ermita cited the BEAT THE ODDS program of the government which the Chief Executive will most likely tackle on Monday’s SONA.
BEAT THE ODDS is an acronym for the government’s priority project which stands for: Balance budget, Education for all, Automated elections, Transportation and digital infrastructure, Terminate hostilities with the MILF and NPA, Heal the wounds of EDSA’s I, II and III, Electricity and water for all, Opportunities for livelihood and ten million jobs, Decongestion of Metro Manila, and Develop Subic and Clark.
President Arroyo, Ermita added, may also report the developments on the Super Region concept, the development in Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon and the other parts of the country.
Ermita reiterated that this is President Arroyo’s last SONA and she wants to inform the Filipino people on the accomplishments of her administration and the status of the projects and programs that she initiated for the welfare of the citizens. (PIA)
photo credit: World Economic Forum
OAV registration for 2010 elections breaches record for 2007, says DFA
Still, both totals fared much lower than the 361,457 registered in the two-month registration period for the 2004 presidential elections, records show. The August 1 to September 30, 2003 OAV registration was the first since the law on overseas absentee voting and the law on dual citizenship were passed by Congress.
The second OAV registration was for a one-year period from October 31, 2005 to October 31, 2006, yet the total was the lowest of the three periods.
For that first-time ever registration, foreign posts were on their toes as they have to respond to both face-to-face and online queries by first-time prospective absentee voters and master the mechanics of registering Filipinos abroad. Both registrars and registrants were experiencing overseas registration and actual voting for the first time.
The current seven-month registration period, from February 1 to August 31, shows that the consulate-general in Hong Kong, reaping 14,259, leads some 90 foreign diplomatic posts in attracting registrants. The HK performance accounts for the overall regional lead of the Asia-Pacific, or for a regional total of 39,239.
With only five weeks to go before the August 31 deadline, the OAVS hopes that registration reaches at least 200,000.
DFA Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, OAVS chair, earlier said that he has factored the Filipino habit of scrambling over a project at the 11th hour.
Also, various foreign posts have multiplied their campaign for mobile registration, operating out of public places and centers in the Middle East, Europe, Hong Kong and the U.S. to attract Filipinos to register – and eventually vote in May 2010.
Padalhin said there is nothing unusual about the fluctuation in numbers as many OAV registrants are transient overseas workers. The point is that they have a chance to register and exercise their right of suffrage even when abroad, he added.
Next to Hong Kong, with a large Filipino community of at least 180,000, the top 10 registrars are: Los Angeles, 8,114; Dubai, 7,907; Singapore, 6,300; London, 4,662; Riyadh, 4,570; Toronto, 4,202; New York, 4,085; Tokyo, 3,363, and Washington, 3,214.
The U.S., where many Filipinos are dual citizens, leads among countries where registration is in the top five. The rest are China (15,288), United Arab Emirates (10,555), Saudi Arabia (8,413) and Singapore (6,300).
But DFA noted that there were also enlistment in the newly-opened diplomatic posts of Barcelona (Spain, 1,559), Oslo (Norway, 938), Macau (SAR China, 465), Damascus (Syria, 277), Frankfurt (Germany, 44), and Chongqing (China, 43). (PIA)
