Bayambang police chief shot dead by own brother
by Venus H. Sarmiento
ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan, Oct. 31 (PIA) — There are no brothers when it comes to land dispute.
Barangay Chairman Ricardo Legaspi said the Millans were in a nipa hut in barangay Pandan, this city to talk to him and with two (2) barangay councilors, on how to take care of their fishpond, when the younger Millan arrived. After uttering unsavory remarks, Lyndon fired at the couple, he said.
“Lumabas si Lyndon dala yung armalite saka sila pinagbabaril, hindi kami nadamay kasi tumayo si Col. Millan,” Legaspi said.
SPO2 Salvador Mina, investigator assigned, said Lyndon used a baby M-16 armalite and a caliber .45 gun.
After being shot, the elder Millan managed to fire two shots from his 9 mm gun but was unable to direct them to Lyndon due to his multiple wounds.
Mina said land dispute was the probable reason for the murder as the family has sued each other in court several times in the past.
Several deformed slugs, Millan’s 9 mm gun and two magazines were recovered from the crime scene.
A few hours after the murder, the suspect surrendered himself to the Alaminos Philippine National Police saying he had no regrets killing his brother.
“Kung sa pagsisisi, hindi ako nagsisisi,” the suspect said explaining that on August 12, the elder Millan allegedly threatened to kill their mother and sister and even himself.
The younger Millan confirmed land dispute as the root of the gruesome incident and that he surrendered to clarify his actions.
“Sumuko ako to clarify and defend myself in the proper forum,” he said.
He claimed it was his brother and his wife who first fired a gun at him at the nipa hut but authorities said the couple died helplessly and no gun was found from Mrs. Millan.
The Bayambang police force expressed their sadness and grief over the passing of their superior. (JCR/VHS-PIA 1 Pangasinan)
QC ready for All Saints’ Day
QUEZON CITY, October 31 (PIA)– Like everywhere else, Quezon City authorities are ready to implement public safety and order plans at the city’s public and private cemeteries and bus terminals to ensure the orderly observance of All Saints Day on November 1.
Mayor Herbert M. Bautista has directed all concerned departments and offices led by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS), and Civil Registry to immediately prepare the necessary plan of action, including security measures, traffic re-routing on roads leading to cemeteries and bus terminals, and physical arrangements at cemeteries, particularly for public cemeteries in Bagbag, Baesa, and Novaliches.
QC civil registrar Ramon Matabang reported to Mayor Bautista that cleaning of the three public cemeteries had commenced with the assistance of personnel from the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD).
Matabang said that asphalt overlay on roads leading to the three cemeteries is ongoing by the City’s Engineering Department.
At least 30 personnel from Civil Registry have been deployed in the three public cemeteries as early as October 30 until November 2 to provide assistance regarding inquiries, according to Matabang.
DPOS chief Elmo San Diego, for his part, revealed that a total of 400 personnel from his department will be deployed to help prevent traffic bottlenecks on roads leading to not only in the three public cemeteries but also to the three private cemeteries – the Eternal Garden Memorial Park in Balumbato, Himlayang Pilipino in Tandang Sora, and Holy Cross in Quirino Highway.
San Diego said that DPOS personnel will also assist police officers in security and traffic management to routes leading to bus terminals.
He said that his department is closely coordinating with QCPD and the barangays to ensure an orderly and peaceful observance of All Saints Day in the city.
Meanwhile, QCPD director George Regis is urging the public to be vigilant and to take extra precautions against lawless elements.
Regis said that cemeteries’ visitors should refrain from bringing prohibited objects and from engaging in activities that will cause inconvenience to other visitors to the cemeteries.
The QCPD director said that uniformed and plainclothes policemen will be assigned in cemeteries and bus terminals in QC in order to prevent any untoward incident. (RJB/AKG- PIA-NCR/QC-PIO)
DSWD extends livelihood grants to LGUs
MANILA, Oct. 27 (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is extending livelihood grants to local government units.
As beneficiary of the project, the municipality will receive $28,000 or P1.2 million for the three communities in Barangay Ligtong 3, where the project will be pilot tested.
Secretary Corazon Soliman and Mayor Jose Ricafrente Jr. led the launching and MOA signing held recently at historical landmark Tejeros Convention Center in Rosario, Cavite.
The event was also attended by Cavite 1st District Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, DSWD Field Office 4–A regional director Wilma Naviamos, representatives from the World Bank, and city local officials.
The JSDF-LVUC adopts the KALAHI-CIDSS approach in urban areas that will empower local communities through improved participation in local governance, as well as in the preparation and implementation of poverty reductions projects.
The project involves the implementation of labor intensive small scale development projects using an emergency employment scheme adapted from DSWD’s Cash-for-Work program, livelihood skills training for job placements, and community enterprises through business advisory services to be provided by qualified non-government organizations (NGOs).
The LVUC provides support to about 3,750 households in 75 poor urban communities in Cavite and Laguna in Region 4-A, as well as in Mandaluyong, Malabon, and Malate in the National Capital Region.
KALAHI-CIDSS is the government’s poverty-alleviation project implemented by the DSWD through the financial support of the World Bank. (DSWD/RJB/JCP-PIA NCR)
“More cops on the street means more criminals behind bars” – PNP chief
by Jell E. Guzman
QUEZON CITY, October 26 (PIA) — “More policemen on the streets translate to more criminals behind bars.”
This was the statement of Philippine National Police Chief Nicanor A. Bartolome as he ordered the deployment 300 more police personnel to intensify police visibility and patrol operations in Metro Manila.
Bartolome led the sent-off ceremony of 300 office personnel assigned at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
According to the PNP chief, these police personnel who are currently performing administrative duties will be distributed to the five police districts in Metro Manila.
“They will be performing regular police functions such as anti-criminality, operations, beat patrol, and general law enforcement,” said Bartolome.
Based on PNP policy, 85 percent of policemen should be performing regular police duties leaving only 15 percent to perform administrative functions.
The PNP chief added that the same group will also augment the police force during the All Saints’ Day, Eid’l Adha, until the entire Christmas season.
Earlier, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) placed at least 5,000 of their personnel under full alert status for the ‘Oplan Kaluluwa 2011.’
Meanwhile, Metro Manila police spokesman Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said policemen will guard airports, seaports, bus terminals, as well as vital facilities.
“We will put up police assistance desks on All Souls and Saints’ Days, then shift our focus on highways to guard the travelers on their way back to Metro Manila,” Carlos added. (PNP/RJB/JEG-PIA NCR)
DOLE 3 posts record high settlement of labor disputes
by Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, October 24 (PIA) — Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 3 posted a high settlement record of 578 out of 768 filed labor-related cases in the first nine months of 2011.
Borja added that the speedy resolution of the cases paved the way for the payment of around P11.89 million in total monetary claims to 1,124 workers in the region.
SENA is one of DOLE’s answers to President Benigno Aquino III’s directive of reforming labor arbitration and adjudication by streamlining procedures, removing red tape, and ensuring integrity and fairness in the system.
Under this reform, DOLE and its attached agencies have been tasked to strictly follow a 30-day mandatory conciliation-mediation process for all cases so that these will not mature into full-blown lawsuits.
Of the seven provinces in Central Luzon, Borja disclosed that their Tarlac SENA desk achieved the highest resolution in the region during the period amounting to P536,565 which involved one male employee of a well-known publishing and distribution company. (WLB/CLJD-PIA 3)
SP ratifies MOA on rice loan with NFA
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Oct. 18 (PIA) — The Sangguniang Panlalawigan(SP) has unanimously approved a resolution ratifying the memorandum of agreement (MOA) entered between the provincial government and the National Food Authority (NFA) on the rice loan program for relief operations.
A previous agreement had already lapsed last August 26, thus the need to come up with another MOA.
Board Member Raul Sison, who authored the resolution, said its immediate passage would assure the province’s distribution of relief assistance which includes rice to the affected calamity areas.
He also said the ratification of the MOA will enable the province to stockpile sacks of rice to be readily available during emergency situations brought by typhoons and other eventualities.
Board Member Agerico Rosario suggested that the agreement between the province and the grains authority be effective for three years to avert possible shortage of relief assistance for calamity victims.
“We had overlooked this agreement for almost two months as it already expired last August 26, and with this, how are we going to address the victims of typhoon Pedring and Quiel which did occur just recently?” Rosario asked.
However, Majority Floor Leader Angel Baniqued said there is a need for the province to renew the MOA on rice loan program with NFA yearly because the payment for the rice purchase is chargeable against the five percent calamity fund included in the annual budget.
The province has enough stockpile of rice even after the expiration of the MOA and has been able to sustain the distribution of relief goods and rice to the recent typhoon victims, it was learned. (ANL/DOS-PIO/PIA 1 Pangasinan)
DTI to roll out Diskwento Caravan in typhoon-hit areas
by Jerome Carlo R. Paunan
QUEZON CITY, Oct. 18 (PIA) — Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Gregory Domingo on Tuesday said the agency will hold “Diskwento Carvan” in areas devastated by recent typhoons in order to provide affected families with goods at discounted prices.
During a special edition of Communication and News Exchange (CNEX) Forum and Talking Points held at the Philippine Information Agency, Domingo said the DTI will be staging its discount caravans in the affected areas “as soon as the conditions there normalize.”
Currently, at least seven areas, including Olongapo City in Zambales and the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac, are still considered under a state of calamity but are now recovering from the effects of typhoons Pedring, Quiel and Ramon.
“President Benigno S. Aquino III was the one who directed us to stage our discount caravans,” Domingo stressed, adding that the service will be of great help to affected families as it offers different basic products marked down by as much as 70 percent.
These products include bread, medicine, canned goods, processed meat, fruits, vegetables and cooking oil that their manufacturers sell at discounted prices.
Aside from selling goods at discounted prices, the Diskwento Caravan could also serve as a venue for other services-oriented activities conducted by other government agencies.
These activities include job fairs, training seminars, microfinancing assistance and medical missions, among others. (RDA/RJB/JCP-PIA NCR)
Reproductive health services boost maternal health – DOH
MANILA, Oct 17 (PIA) — Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona emphasized Friday the need to improve the public’s access to reproductive health services to promote maternal health in the Philippines and the rest of South East Asia when he addressed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Human Rights Conference on “Promoting Maternal Health: Responding to the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 5.”
“Health is a right that’s why it is important for everyone to have access to adequate health services, including information and services on reproductive health,” he said.
Ona pointed out that numerous studies have shown how mistimed and unplanned pregnancies put women at risk for maternal deaths. “The death of mothers during childbirth – the act which breathes new life into this world – is totally unacceptable,” said Ona.
The DOH Secretary also underscored the need for regional cooperation and collaboration in order to attain the Millennium Development Goals in relation to reducing maternal mortality among South East Asian nations. Hence, he called on ASEAN member states to closely work together to achieve their common goal in improving maternal health.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are targets set by the United Nations (UN) to address eight global developmental challenges by 2015. These include: (1) eradicate extreme hunger and poverty; (2) achieve universal primary education; (3) promote gender equality and empower women; (4) reduce child mortality; (5) improve maternal health; (6) combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; (7) ensure environmental sustainability, and (8) develop a global partnership for development.
The UN projects that about 35,000 women die yearly due to pregnancy. In 2008, 18,000 of these deaths occurred in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, numerous studies have also revealed that the coverage of essential maternal health services such as pre-natal care and reproductive health services are lowest among the poorest income group.
To address the issue of health inequities among poor Filipinos, the DOH is pursuing reforms through its “Kalusugan Pangkalahatan” program which focuses on the health needs of the poor and the marginalized. Related to this, DOH has already enrolled at least 5.2 million poorest or the poor families to the Philippine Health (PhilHealth) insurance to provide them access to healthcare services in government, and even in private hospitals.
Aside from this, the health department continues to provide assistance to local governments in order to improve their service delivery in far-flung areas. Close to 10,000 registered nurses have already been deployed in far-flung areas through the RN HEALS Program. Over 40,000 Community Health Teams will also be deployed to these areas to deliver important health messages and provide health services right in the homes of our countrymen. (DOH/RJB/DBNV-PIA NCR)
PNP needs lawyers, engineers, nurses
by Venus H. Sarmiento
DAGUPAN CITY, Oct. 13 (PIA) — Good news for jobseekers. The Philippine National Police announced the opening for the lateral entry of professionals in their ranks.
Spokesperson Geraldo Roxas of Pangasinan Police Office said the PNP is in need of at least 15 lawyers with a monthly salary offering of P40,000, equivalent to salary grade 23.
The police force is also hiring chemical engineers, electric and communications engineers, chemists and nurses.
Interested applicants should bring their pertinent papers, licenses and other credentials to the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.
Roxas enjoined the professionals to be a part of the police team to serve a greater majority of Filipinos. (ANL/VHS-PIA 1 Pangasinan)
DA puts in P20M for organic farming
by Lito Dar
BAGUIO CITY, Oct 12 (PIA) – - It’s back to basics where good things come from. Basics in farming as government is finding out, is good for everyone’s health. In support of organic farming in the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) allocated P20 million special fund to intensify such program.
This was bared by DA-Cordillera regional technical director Cameron Odsey in a kapihan media forum here last week, which launched the observance of National Consumer Welfare Month in the region.
According to Odsey, the said special fund which covers both crops and livestock, will promote the organization of organic farming councils in the local government units (LGUs), establishment of demo farms, and the provision of training to interested farmers, groups, or organizations.
Odsey said pushing for organic farming is a tedious process but government, through the said special fund, is now taking the initiative to encourage LGUs to come up with their own respective plans in relation to organic farming.
He also affirmed that organic farming is already gaining ground here in Cordillera, particularly in the Benguet province, wherein there are now several model organic farms that are gaining national recognition.
Fruits and vegetables grown the organic way, have longer shelf life, are more healthy for people, and do not dissipate the nutrients of the soil.
“Though getting certification for organic farms is still a difficult and expensive process, we are now intensifying our efforts in encouraging farmers to shift to organic farming,” Odsey said.
In the same forum, Adoracion Ceniza of the Bureau of Plants and Industry (BPI), also assures the safety of vegetable supplies (from traditional farming procedures), as the DA is also continuously strictly monitoring and regulating the possible use of harmful chemicals or pesticides in regular farming procedures.
The Agriculture Department is the lead agency for this year’s National Consumer Welfare Month celebration, which adopts the theme, “Sapat, Ligtas at Abot-kayang Pagkain para sa Lahat” to highlight government’s food sufficiency program and in ensuring the availability of quality, safe, and affordable food for the Filipino consumers.
Consumer Welfare Month is observed each October by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 1098 issued in 1997. It is initiated by the National Consumers Affairs Council (NCAC) created by Republic Act 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines to improve the management, coordination, and effectiveness of consumer programs of various government agencies.*(JDP/LD-PIA CAR)
