Kalibo mayor takes pride in coco industry
by Venus G. Villanueva
Kalibo, Aklan (2 September) — Even as Kalibo, the capital town of Aklan is the center of commerce in the province and at the same time a rice-producing municipality, it is still devoted to coconut and its newly-elected chief executive, Mayor William Lachica, said he is proud of this fact.
“This should inspire our coconut farmers to exert more effort to increase coconut production and work hand-in-hand with the executive and legislative so the industry continues to flourish,” Lachica told the audience, composed of coconut farmers and organizations of Aklan’s 17 towns, PCA officials from the regional and provincial offices of Western Visayas and Aklan officials.
Lachica appealed to PCA Regional Manager Jose Cruz and other agency officials to help in extending support to the coconut industry in the province.
On the other hand, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Rodson F. Mayor, who represented Governor Carlito S. Marquez in the program, told PCA officials that Aklan is targeting to rehabilitate this year some 200 hectares of coconut plantations.
Mayor said the province will also be assisting in the intercropping of some 250 hectares, and will be providing some 1,000 bags of fertilizer.
Mayor also extolled the health benefits of coconut, telling the audience of the benefits of drinking coconut water based on his personal experience.
“Let us continue planting coconuts so more people could benefit and will have added income,” Mayor said.
Aklan was chosen as the venue of the celebration because in Western Visayas, it has the biggest coconut cover, according to PCA Regional Manager Jose S. Cruz. (PIA)
Application for 2011-2012 DOST undergraduate scholarship program now open
By Neil D. Lopido
Tacloban City (September 1) — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Regional Office 8 is now accepting application for the DOST Undergraduate Scholarships for school year 2011-2012.
Director Esperancilla informed that there are two program categories where students may apply for scholarship wherein the deadline for filing of application is on October 8, 2010 and the examination will be on November 15, 2010 in designated test centers in each of the provinces of Region 8.
According to Esperancilla, RA 7689 scholarship, otherwise known as the S&T Scholarship Act of 1994, provides scholarships to talented students whose family’s socio-economic status does not exceed the set values of certain indicators as approved by the Advisory Committee on S&T Scholarships while the DOST-SEI Merit Scholarships is awarded to deserving students whose socio-economic status exceed the said indicators.
Esperancilla further informed that application forms and information brochures can be downloaded at http://www.region8.dost.gov.ph or it can be secured and filed in any of the DOST provincial offices as follows: PSTC-Leyte, Government Center, Candahug, Palo, Leyte; PSTC-Biliran, NSU Campus, Naval, Biliran; PSTC-Southern Leyte, Capitol Site, Maasin City; PSTC-Samar, SSU Compound, Catbalogan, Samar; PSRC-Eastern Samar, ESSU Compound, Borongan, Eastern Samar; and PSTC-Northern Samar, UEP Compound, Catarman, Northern Samar.
For more information, you may visit DOST Regional Office 8 located at the Government Center, Candahug, Palo, Leyte or you may call at telephone number (053) 323-7111 and look for Florentino L. Quiñones, Jr. or Ms. Ma. Divina Gracia L. Advincula. (PIA-8/DOST-8)
Catbalogan offers ‘healing’ mass for victims of hostage drama
by Ninfa B Quirante
Catbalogan, Samar (September 1) — Catbalogan local government officials offered a ‘ healing mass’ at the San Bartolome Parish Church yesterday afternoon as their flag flies half-mast in reverence to those who perished during that fateful hostage drama crisis in Manila.
He added that times are hard and we need extra efforts to pray so that people who have lost hope maybe inspired and not to resort to desperate actions.
Tabones also reminded the faithful to be “responsible for their actions”.
Madames Ybeth Velasco of the Mayor’s Office said she had goose bumps as she lighted her candle in memory of those who died in the hostage drama.
Ms Ruby Robosura of the Accounting Department of the LGU led a prayer for the faithful departed especially those who died as an aftermath of the hostage situations.
A special prayer was also offered for ‘healing’ the relationship of the two countries strained by the pains of the death of Hongkong nationals.
The hostage drama was about a sacked PNP member who wanted an audience with his officers to review his case but something went wrong somewhere that resulted to his death and also at least five Hongkong tourist nationals who were on board the ill fated bus.
The offered mass and special prayers were meant to unite with those in Manila who offered a prayer rally for the very same purpose according to Vice Mayor Art Gabon and Councilor Stephany Tan.
Those who attended the mass offered candles and silent prayers for the physical and emotional healing of those hurt deeply in the incident. (PIA-Samar)
Capiz town to launch birthing clinic
by A. Lumaque
Roxas City (1 September) — A birthing clinic will be launched at the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of Mambusao, Capiz on September 4 to formally provide quality and affordable maternal health care services to the town?s residents.
The health facility is capable of serving the medical needs and ensuring safe delivery of pregnant women, said Mambusao Municipal Health Officer Dr. Dorothy Navarra.
Provincial Health Office (PHO) records showed that birthing clinics were established at 16 Rural Health Units (RHU), Roxas City Health Office and 43 Barangay Health Stations (BHS) since 2004.
However, some of the birthing clinics were temporarily closed down for repair and expansion to better serve its respective clients.
Dr. Raoul A. Bermejo, Medical Specialist II of the Provincial Health Office in Capiz said that additional birthing facilities will be established at the various BHS before the end of 2010 to address the problem of maternal deaths in the province.
The facilities are complemented with the on-going orientation and organization of community health teams provincewide to lessen maternal and infant deaths in the province.
In 2009, PHO records also showed that for every 100,000 live births there were 115 maternal deaths while for every 1,000 live births there were ten infant deaths. (PIA)
DOH uses D.E.N.G.U.E. against dengue
Iloilo City (1 September) — The Department of Health (DOH) has refocused its efforts in fighting dengue during its peak months by adopting strategies with the necessary guidelines that use the letters of the disease itself.
DOH spokesman and National Epidemiology Center chief Dr. Eric Tayag said DENGUE stands for the following:
Daily monitoring of the patient’s status including temperature and urinary excretion
Encourage oral fluids including Oresol
Note for any dengue warning signs such as stomach pains, difficulty in breathing, and convulsion, in the case of small children
Give paracetamol (and avoid administering aspirin which would aggravate bleeding)
Use temporarily mosquito net for patients who are recovering at home
Early consultation is advised once warning signs are detected.
Tayag said during a Malacanag press conference these guidelines will help health workers in determining dengue patients and in screening those who need to be brought to hospitals or just stay behind for home treatment, and later in making follow-up care of patients during convalescence.
The new strategies were adopted by the DOH in view of concerns of overcrowding of patients in several hospitals for possible dengue infection.
Tayag said that the screening is a foremost thing to be done at the level of health centers. (PIA 6)
Community support vital to crime prevention, says PNP
Tacloban City (September 1) — Community involvement is a vital ingredient in crime prevention. It is communities which have proven to be the catalyst for much of the work on crime prevention. As they are the ones who are most directly affected by crime, it is logical that they should be involved.
This was emphasized by Philippine National Police Region 8 Community Relations Chief and Spokesman Colonel Manuel Cubillo during the Media Forum on Crime Prevention held at the Harampang Ha PIA at Gerry’s Grill Tacloban, recently.
The police cannot be everywhere, Col. Cubillo said, because the number of policemen is small compared to the number of citizens who needs to be protected. The police rely on the support of the community, he said, to report to the police any unnatural happenings or the presence of unidentified persons in the community.
The value of helping people who are in need cannot be over-emphasized. The good Samaritan in each and everyone should be reincarnated. The community should be ready to help when their fellowmen is being victimized, even just by reporting to the police authorities. If there is no report, the police cannot respond.
Atty. Danilo Rosillo of Napolcom said that there are three elements which must be present so that a crime could be committed. First, there must be the opportunity to commit the crime. The community should not give the unscrupulous people the opportunity to commit a crime by being vigilant, he said.
Another element is instrumentality which refers to the firearm, deadly weapon that is used in committing the crime. The third element is motive to commit the crime which may either be for personal gain or revenge.
If one of the three elements is missing, a crime cannot be committed, Atty. Rosillo said. Theft and robbery are committed most often because of the negligence of the victims. In other words, they gave the criminals the opportunity to perpetrate the crime.
Crime prevention should be the lookout of the family and the community. There is a need to upgrade the security in the case of the business establishments. There should also be an increased awareness on detection of criminals.
The observance of the first week of September as the National Crime Prevention Week was started in 1994 through Presidential proclamation No. 461.
Now, in its 16th year, the celebration’s theme focuses on bringing together bonds between and among the police and other sectors of the community which result to maximum community participation in the government’s anti-criminality campaign particularly in strengthening of the role of the police in harnessing community participation in crime prevention for an improved socio-economic development.
The celebration also helps create a secure and safe community environment through sustained and reinvigorated community-based crime prevention programs and inculcate in the hearts and minds of police officers, especially new police the importance of nurturing a good leader in implementing programs that are beneficial to the community.
Various activities were lined up for the week-long celebration in the Region in order to achieve its theme “Komunidad at Pulisya, Magkasama sa Pag-Unlad ng Bayan” and this year’s slogan: “Ako, ikaw, Tayong Lahat, Laban sa Krimen.” (PIA 
