Public execs to PNP Band: ‘Thank you for the music’
by Jaime S. Cabag, Jr.
ILOILO CITY, July 4 (PIA) -– The Regional Association of National Government Executives (RANGE) turned over a check for P45, 0000 to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Police Regional Office No. 6 as donation for the PNP PRO 6 Band.
National Police Commission (NPC) 6 Regional Director Honey M. Paredes turned over the amount to PNP 6 Deputy Regional Director for Administration PCSupt. Ernesto A. Tesoro Jr. during the flag raising and kick-off ceremonies of the 16th Police Community Relations Month celebration held July 4 at Camp Martin Teofilo Delgado here.
Paredes turned over the check in behalf of RANGE since it was during her term as president of the association that the fund-raising activity was held. RANGE is now headed by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Evelyn A. Trompeta.
Paredes said that the donation is a form of appreciation for the support that the PNP band had extended to RANGE during certain special events of their association wherein the services of the band were needed including the Career Service Executive Officers (CESO) national convention held here in 2009.
Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Regional Director and former RANGE President lawyer Ma. Janet C. Mesa said the gesture is their way of saying to the PNP band, “Thank you for the music.”
RANGE is composed of the regional directors and heads of national government agencies, government owned and controlled corporations, government financial institutions and state universities and colleges in the region. (JCM/JSC/PIA6)
Capiz produces 100 liters of VCO a month
by Alex A. Lumaque
ROXAS CITY, Capiz, June 28 (PIA) -– Three virgin coconut oil (VCO) producers in the province continue to produce the product since the VCO demand hit the domestic and export markets five years ago.
“These producers generate about 100 liters of VCO a month,” said PCA Provincial Coconut Development Manager Jeffrey de los Reyes.
He added that the production is basically for marketing in the local market “but some VCO users buy and bring it abroad.”
The natural oil is claimed to lower cholesterol, clean body toxins, strengthen the digestive system, manage diabetes, control allergy, and enhance immune system and metabolism.
It is also an effective cure for external body problems especially on skin disorders, among others.
Recently, Researchers of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) tested samples of VCO for trans fatty acid using the standard method of the American Oil Chemist Society (AOCS) and found that it contains very low trans fatty acid content which can be declared as “zero” based on the 2008 US FDA Food Labeling Guide.
The study showed that the moisture and the fatty acid content of the VCO were within the prescribed Philippine National Standard (PNS) set by the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards (DA-BAFPS) while the cholesterol values were lower than the edible oils found in the market.
The study found that VCO contains mostly short and medium chain fatty acid, fifty percent of which is lauric acid. (JCM/AAL/PIA 6 Capiz)
DTI-6 cites job generators for the region
by Elsa S. Subong
ILOILO CITY, June 29 (PIA) -– The relatively high number of wage earners in Western Visayas can be an indication the more than 40,000 medium and small micro-entrepreneurs have created local jobs, said Dir. Dominic Abad of the Department of Trade and Industry.
Abad said Iloilo is experiencing a fast-paced development in service-related industry like call centers which is an opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to venture into ancillary services such as eateries, restaurants and convenience stores.
On the other hand, Abad said the DTI has engaged in the promotion of tourism by giving enterprising persons the chance to exploit foreign and domestic tourism markets, so that the more or less 36,000 graduates every year will not go jobless.
They give assistance in the form of marketing intervention and sales, investments/capital and enterprise development.
Furthermore, Abad said, the DTI has also instituted the MSME Stars Award so that aspiring and existing entrepreneurs can learn from best practices and success stories of model businessmen.
Likewise, he said, aspiring entrepreneurs can also look up to the One Town-One Product (OTOP) program which highlights the unique, distinct products of a municipality.
It has partnered with the Go Negosyo, a private organization focusing on MSME development, to help entrepreneurs develop their skills and strategies.
He said ties between the public and private sectors will lead to a stronger MSMEs sector which can uplift the livelihood of more than 40 percent of the Ilonggos. (JCM/ESS/PIA-Iloilo).
Rice subsidy program for farmers, fisherfolks underway in Negros Oriental
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 28 (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has embarked on a short-term rice subsidy program for small-scale farmers and fisherfolks in Negros Oriental.
The program’s beneficiaries will be required to undergo a four-day training. “They will be taught innovative ways in fishing and farming to help them in their livelihood,” Lariba said.
In return, the beneficiaries will receive P267 per day for the duration of the training and the seven-day community development work they are expected to undertake afterwards.
“After the training, the farmers and fisherfolks are expected to give back to the community and apply what they learned for seven days,” said Lariba.
Asked for the total number of beneficiaries in Negros Oriental, Lariba said DSWD has yet to pinpoint the exact figure as the program is still ongoing in the province. “We just started implementing the program early this month,” she explained.
The beneficiaries are chosen based on the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction conducted earlier by DSWD.
One of the local government units (LGUs) seen to benefit from the program is the town of Pamplona which announced in a press statement that 1,388 farmers in their area have been chosen to benefit from the rice subsidy program.
“These beneficiaries come from 15 villages in our town,” said Pamplona Information Officer Lee Janette Buscaino in the statement.
The Rice Subsidy Program is spearheaded by DSWD in cooperation with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of Agriculture.
A short-term poverty alleviation project, the program aims to provide temporary employment to small-scale farmers and fisher folks particularly to families who are distressed/displaced or needing assistance during the lean season. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
PNOY cites contribution of tourism to economy
by Jaime S. Cabag, Jr.
ILOILO CITY, June 26 (PIA) -– President Benigno S. Aquino III admired Boracay Island as a first-time visitor to the world-famous resort island off Caticlan in Malay, Aklan.
But more than this personal admiration of the “paradise island”, President Aquino recognized Boracay as a major contributor to the country’s tourism industry.
Last year alone, tourist arrivals in the island reached some 700,000 and brought some P11.1 billion revenues to the island’s resort owners and other industry stakeholders.
“Malaki ang ambag ng mga local na destinasyong tulad ng Boracay sa turismon ng bansa (Local tourist destinations like Boracay greatly contributes to tourism industry),” said the President.
Also, the impact of Boracay and other tourism assets to the country’s economy was also admired by the President.
“At gaya nga po ng palaging paalala ng mga ekonomista, ang mayabong na turismo ay susi sa mas maunlad na ekonomiya (Economists say that a robust tourism industry is key to a progressive economy),” acknowledged the President.
The present renovation of the Caticlan Airport is only the beginning of a bigger development project for the airport being put in place by TransAire Development Holdings Corp. through public-private partnership on a build-operate-transfer scheme.
TransAire, an affiliate of San Miguel Corp., renovated the airport by installing state-of-the-art facilities at the terminal and including night navigation facilities for night-time flights. It will operate the airport over the next 25 years under the PPP scheme based on an agreement with the government.
With the President at the airport inauguration were Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang, Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez, Malay mayor John Yap, and other government and SMC officials.
The President confided in his speech that he had known of Boracay only through pictures when his mother, former President Cory Aquino visited the island 24 years ago.
With his visit last Saturday, he said: “Sa wakas, natanaw ko na po ng personal ang isla ng Boracay.” He said he was eager to see the island.
However, he said, half in jest, that he had to put off spending a vacation on the island till 2016 (when his term ends). The Chief Executive had to return to Manila after the event to attend to the needs of people affected by the typhoon and flooding in Metro Manila. (JCM/JSC/PIA6)
Pag-IBIG calls on all employers to register, update info using the online registration system
by Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, June 19 (PIA) —Pag-IBIG calls on all employers to register and update their information using the online employer registration system of the Fund that can be accessed at www.pagibigfund.gov.ph.
Effective July 1, all transactions with PAG-IBIG Fund will be based on the Members Identification (MID) or Registration Tracking Number (RTN).
Employers must also ensure that their employees are registered with the Fund. Those who do not have MID or RTN must register online.
Members without MID or RTN due to non-registration may experience difficulty or delay in the posting of their contributions.
Upon the implementation of this new policy, the employers must indicate the MID or RTN of each of their employees in the Membership Contribution Remittance Form (MCRF) and on the statement of deduction of loan amortization remittances.
For more details, PAG-IBIG urges the employers and members to call 415-5002 or visit their office located at the Pag-IBIG Fund-WT Corporate Tower, Mindanao Avenue, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City or Dumaguete Extension Office, Phil. Nat’l. Red Cross Bldg., Legaspi St., Dumaguete City with tel. no. (035) 225-7713.(PIA-7 & Pag-IBIG Fund Cebu)
Iloilo City steps up efforts against dengue
by Lilibeth A. French
ILOILO CITY, June 20 (PIA) — The Iloilo City government has further stepped up its efforts to prevent and control the spread of dengue virus in this city with two deaths since January, this year.
As part of measures to prevent and control the spread of the disease, the Iloilo City Public Information Office reported that the city government has instituted a dengue management program involving various agencies.
The Iloilo City PIO said coordination has been made with the Department of Education principals and head teachers and the Association of Barangay Captains specifically on mosquito control, through the Iloilo City Health Office. The CHO has also coordinated with the City Barangay Secretariat for the implementation of regular clean-up activities; with the regional office of the Department of Health for disease surveillance and epidemiologic investigation; and the Department of Interior and Local Government for monitoring of the regular clean-up in every locality.
Other dengue prevention and control related activities being done are the “pulong-pulong” and distribution of flyers in barangays and the dengue updates which are included in the regular monthly meetings of barangay health workers in each district health centers.
Sanitary inspectors have also inspected places with cases of dengue and gave advocacy on sanitation. The chemical larvicide in the form of “Abate” were used for killing mosquito larvae in areas with big amount of stagnant water.
Records of the CHO showed that from January to June 14 a total of 85 dengue cases with two deaths had been recorded. Lapaz district has recorded the most cases while the two deaths came from the City Proper District.
Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said in the press report that “there will be no let up in the campaign against mosquitoes to totally eliminate the disease here.”
Dengue is a disease transmitted by a bite of Aedes aegypti mosquito. Some of its symptoms include fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, body weakness, skin rashes among others. (JCM/LAF/PIA-Iloilo)
Shortfall ups copra price, benefits farmers
by Alex A. Lumaque
ROXAS CITY, Capiz, June 6 (PIA) — Coconut farmers are enjoying the high selling price of copra in the market due to the shortfall of coconut production brought about by the prolonged drought in summer of 2010.
“Average selling price of copra in the market is at P34.00 per kilogram,” said Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Provincial Coconut Development Manager Jeffrey Delos Reyes.
“It even reached P42 a kilo in January,” he stressed, adding that the amount was the highest recorded selling price in the province.
The province has at least 29 accredited copra traders accommodating the produce of more than 32,000 coconut farmers based on PCA Capiz records.
Moreover, Delos Reyes said that price of matured whole nuts range from P8 to P10 a piece at the Capiz Small Coconut Farmers Marketing Cooperative (CASCOFAMCO) center in Barangay Ondoy in Ivisan town.
Copra production is expected to increase by September or October. (JCM/AAL/PIA 6 Capiz)
DOT invites tourists with ‘Tara Na’
by TWVillavert
ILOILO CITY, June 1 (PIA) — The Filipinos should be encouraged to discover their own world-class tourist spots, said Director Edwin Trompeta of the Department of Tourism, Region 6 as he explains the concept of “Pilipinas, tara na”.
The campaign aims to 1) raise Filipinos’ awareness of local tourism by making them experience the natural beauty of the country, and 2) generate local jobs in the remote areas, Trompeta said.
“These concept is actually not new to us considering that there were tourism slogans then like “huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan,” Trompeta said. “We really don’t have to look at foreign tourism as the measure in the development of tourism in the country.”
He cited a study that showed that for every 100 tourists roaming the country, 80 percent are domestic tourists.
“Even in our world renowned Boracay, of the 10 tourists visiting the place seven are domestic and only three only accounts for foreign tourists,” Trompeta said.
The DOT 6 visitor arrivals in Boracay during the period covering January to April 2011 showed that the domestic tourists recorded at 198,627 outnumbered the foreign tourists who were registered only at 120,041.
Trompeta however emphasized that both the foreign and local tourists are main ingredients in helping push the tourism industry in the country and likewise propel our economy.
The January to April generated income in this sector has reached 6,105,200,673.60, the DOT record disclosed.(JCM/TWV/PIA6-Iloilo)
DSWD hires 227 new staff for EV’s Pantawid Pamilya program
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, May 30 (PIA)–Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 8 Regional Director Leticia Corillo, said that the expansion of the implementation of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program does not simply respond to the need for poverty alleviation, targeting the poorest of the poor, but likewise, provides jobs for the unemployed Eastern Visayans.
Corillo disclosed that the DSWD Region 8 recently conducted basic orientation seminars for the 227 newly hired staff for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) in Eastern Visayas.
Corillo said that the newly hired workers will be assigned in the different provinces where the program has expanded its implementation in the region namely, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran and Leyte.
During the orientation, the 227 participants were divided into four groups depending on their positions. For Social Welfare Assistants (SWA) and Project Development Officers, the orientations were held in La Rica Hotel.
The orientation for the Municipal Roving Bookkeepers, Senior Bookkeepers, Administrative Assistants, Administrative Officer and Human Resource Officer at the Department of Agrarian Reform Training Center; and another group for SWA at SMED Center, Capitol Grounds, Tacloban City.
The DSWD’s mandate and reform agenda were presented by Pantawid Pamilya Provincial Links for the participants to comprehensively understand and be aware of other existing programs the DSWD has.
The Deputy Program Manager, Virginia Idano presented the DSWD and Pantawid Pamilya Organizational Structure of the Region.
Director Corillo expressed hope that more Eastern Visayans will be employed with the implementation of the expansion of Pantawid Pamilya program in other municipalities which are not yet covered. (PIA 
