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.
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.)
DOLE-R1 sets up 2-way feedback mechanism to improve service delivery
San Fernando City, La Union (31 August) — The Department of Labor and Employment-Region 1 has recently set up a 2-way feedback mechanism at its Regional Office and six Field Offices to receive information or questions from the public to be able to further facilitate and improve its service delivery services.
“The effort is aligned with the administration’s thrust of strengthening the process of consultation and feedback, in its bid to respond more effectively and quickly to its clients’ concerns,” DOLE 1 Director Henry John Jalbuena explained.
Jalbuena said that the DOLE Regional Office and its field offices in the Cities of Laoag (Ilocos Norte), Vigan (Ilocos Sur), San Fernando (La Union), Dagupan and Alaminos (Pangasinan); and Rosales (Pangasinan) have set up “feedback boxes” where feedback forms containing comments, suggestions and questions from clients will be dropped.
Broadly, the feedback mechanism involves: 1) receipt of the feedback from the client and 2) communicating the responses back to the client or the general public.
First, an Officer-of-the-Day requests all clients to fill out a form after transacting with the office and to drop it in a box intended for the purpose. The forms will be collected every fifteen days, summarized into reports and submitted to the DOLE Central Office for appropriate action.
“The public can be assured that all their concerns on labor and employment will reach Malacañang through the DOLE,” Jalbuena said, as he explained that all concerns actionable at the regional or field level will be immediately responded to.
All responses to client concerns will be documented by its communications office, which will communicate them back to the clients and the general public for their information.
Jalbuena added that aside from the feedback boxes, its regional website also provides a forum for public queries. According to him, the DOLE 1 replies to at least 10 queries every month since the publication of the website.
To allow for wider communication between the DOLE and the people, DOLE 1 will also look into the possibility of using other mediums like SMS, where the latter may send their questions or concerns to a designated specialized number.
“Ultimately, these communication channels will enable the public to know more about DOLE services and how they can benefit from these by giving them easy access to all our offices,” Jalbuena said. (PIA)
NVizcaya TESDA awards mining firm
by Ben Moses Ebreo
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya (August 31) — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority(TESDA) here recently awarded a mining firm for his support and contribution in advocating and harnessing the skills of Novo Vizcayanos towards employment.
The award was given to MTL Company, a mining firm in barangay Runruno in Quezon town for employing at least 20 skilled workers of cooks, electricians and clerks right after their six month apprenticeship and temporary employment in the company in 2007.
The enterprise-based program award was given to MTL company during the recent culminating program of TESDA’s 16th anniversary which also featured trainings and job and livelihood fairs.
“MTL was awarded for their support and contribution in implementing the programs and services of TESDA in Nueva Vizcaya,” Eva Doniego, TESDA’s senior technical education and skills development officer said.
MTL which was later on transformed into FCF Minerals Corporation also received an award from TESDA for being an active partner on the employment program of the agency and for sustaining its role.
Doniego said FCF Minerals Corporation was an active supporter of TESDA’s recruitment and advocacy program in employing skilled workers from the province through the provision of technical and financial assistance.
From 2006 to 2010, the company has employed some 770 Novo Vizcayanos through the Hanjin Heavy Industries Incorporated (HHII) based in Subic, Zambales.
“We are glad that Hanjin resumed its recruitment through the FCF Minerals Corporation after its participation to the global recession in 2009,” Doniego said. (PIA NVizcaya)
OWWA invites 4th year HS dependents of OFWS to apply for scholarship
by Lito Dar
Baguio City (28 August) — The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is calling on fourth year high school students who are dependent of active Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) to apply for the OWWA Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP).
This was reiterated by OWWA OIC Regional Director Evelyn Laranang during the launching of the regional search of the 2010 Model OFW Family of the Year Award (MOFYA) last week.
According to Laranang, the EDSP is open to all fourth year high school who is either a child of a married OFW or a brother/sister of a single or unmarried OFW, and active OWWA member.
The top 150 examiners for this year’s qualifying examination nationwide will be included as OWWA EDSP scholars.
‘Application for the qualifying examination is already available at the OWWA regional office or can be downloaded from the OWWA website – www.owwa.gov.ph. Deadline for submission is September 30,’ Laranang said.
Last year, six students from the region – one each from Baguio and Benguet and four from Kalinga, qualified for the scholarships. Four of them are now enrolled at the Saint Louis University, one at the University of Baguio and one enrolled in a university in Manila. At present, OWWA-CAR maintains 29 EDSP scholars for the region.
EDSP provides a P60,000 per year or P30,000 per semester scholarship assistance to qualified scholars, who can enroll in any four to five years baccalaureate course in any Commission on Higher Education (CHED)- accredited higher education institution in the country.
For the documentary requirements, applicants need to show an OWWA membership certification for their OFW benefactor, a birth certificate (for a child of an OFW) and birth certificate of both the applicant and his OFW brother or sister (if the applicant is a sibling of a single OWWA member OFW), a certification from their school (for good moral character and certification that they belong to the high school graduating batch), an a health certificate.
The applications can be submitted to the OWWA regional office located at Private Road, Magsaysay Avenue, Baguio City or can be endorsed through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) provincial offices.
For more details and information, interested applicants can call OWWA-CAR at telephone numbers 445-2260 or 300-3658.
Meanwhile, Laranang also reiterated OWWA’s call on any non-government organization, people’s organization (POs), religious organizations or associations, community-based socio-civic organizations/associations, and local government units all throughout the region, to send in their nominations for the 2010 Regional Search for the Most Outstanding OFW Family of the Year Awards (MOFYA). Deadline for nominations is on September 17.
The MOFYA search is a yearly activity of OWWA where two winners will be chosen by a Regional Screening and Selection Committee, one each from the land- based and the sea-based OFW category.
The regional winners will then compete with the winners in the 16 other regions, for the National Model OFW Family of the Year Award. (PIA)
PNoy vows justice to those accountable in hostage-taking incident
Manila (27 August) — President Benigno Aquino III vowed that justice will be served to those found accountable for the Luneta Grandstand hostage-taking incident and subsequent botched rescue attempt by security forces last Monday (August 23) that led to the death of eight Hong Kong nationals.
The Chief Executive made this statement in his speech on Thursday (August 26) at the ground breaking and time-capsule laying ceremonies for the construction of the Teacher Education and Law Center Building of the Rizal Technological University in Mandaluyong City.
The President, however, said that due process will be maintained and the results of the investigation being conducted by the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation into the case will be the basis for bringing the perpetrators to justice.
“Ginagarantiya ko sa inyo: winawasto na nung gabi pa lang noon yung pagkakamali na nangyari at yan po ay ilalabas natin sa nalalapit na imbestigasyong pangungunahan ng DoJ at ng NBI (I assure you, we started to rectify whatever mistakes had been committed Monday evening, and you will be informed of the outcome of the investigation to be conducted by DOJ and the NBI),” the President said.
“May mga nagkulang, may mga magbabayad (There were shortcomings, but there will be justice),” he declared. (rck/2:00 pm.)
Aquino sends high-level delegation to China
Manila (26 August) — President Benigno Aquino III has designated a high level delegation to the People’s Republic of China to officially explain what transpired during Monday’s hostage taking incident which resulted in the death of eight Hongkong nationals.
The delegation is composed of Vice-President Jejomar Binay, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda and foreign affairs secretary Alberto Romulo.
In a press briefing Wednesday (Aug. 25) in Malacanang, the President said the delegation is making the necessary arrangements with the Chinese embassy and will proceed to Beijing to officially send a report to President Hu Jintao.
The delegation according to the President, will then proceed to Hong Kong to have a dialogue with the Chief Executive of the Special Administrative Region, Donald Tsang.
In a phone conversation with Tsang Tuesday (Aug. 24), the President explained the chronology of events that transpired during the bloody incident.
The President said he understands the anger of the people of Hong Kong because of the incident and asked for their understanding.
He assured that the government is already correcting the deficiencies in the implementation of operating procedures during the hostage taking.
“None of us wanted this outcome and we’d like to emphasize the fact that the primary consideration was to secure all of the hostages” the President said. (avc/5:45 p.m)
