PNoy reaches out to regional business sectors
Tacloban City (September 13) — President Benigno Aquino III is set to attend regional business consultations in three growth centers of the country to inform them of the government’s thrusts and to assure them of the government’s all out support.
Trade and Industry Undersecretary and Board of Investments Managing Head Cristino L. Panlilio informed that the dialogue between the President and the business community is an initiative of the economic cluster of the Aquino Cabinet.
The economic cluster is composed of the Departments of Trade and Industry, Finance, Tourism, Energy, Agriculture, Justice, Transportation and Communication, and Public Works and Highways, and the National Economic & Development Authority.
The activity is aimed at reaching out to regional centers to keep the people informed of what the economic cluster is doing to promote the development of the country.
This is also part and parcel of the Aquino Administration’s thrust to keep in touch and reach out to the people.
Business dialogue with the President will be done in every region on a regular basis, USec Panlilio disclosed.
This is basically keeping in touch with the business sector in the regions, the USec added.
It would be recalled that the economic agenda of President Aquino as could be gleaned from his platform of government during his campaign include his vision of change from government policies influenced by well-connected private interests to a leadership that executes all the laws of the land with impartiality and decisiveness.
Another thrust is a change from a government that dampens private initiative and enterprise to a government that creates conditions conducive to the growth and competitiveness of private businesses, big, medium and small. (PIA 
Maasin tree planting to start massive refo effort
Iloilo City (8 September) — The tree planting dubbed “Piyesta sa Kakahuyan” that will be spearheaded by the provincial government of Iloilo at the watershed area in Maasin, Iloilo on September 11 will be a symbolic activity of a bigger project that will be undertaken in the province.
Defensor, who initiated the project 16 years ago during his first stint as provincial governor, said the provincial government will sustain the tree planting activity to cover other watershed and forest areas in the province.
He said the efforts of the past 16 years have a substantial result. Nevertheless, he added that the recurring problem of water insufficiency requires a sustained and massive tree planting in critical areas.
The tree planting in Maasin this coming Saturday will be participated in by national government offices, schools, civil society groups, the business community, and other sectors. The tree planting activity had also been held here before.
“Piyesta sa Kakahuyan” was institutionalized by the provincial government as an activity every second Saturday of September by virtue of a provincial ordinance way back in 2000. The theme of this year’s activity is “Tubig sa Kagulangan: Maasin Watershed Balikan.” (PIA 6)
Aklan PNP to launch “Pulis Ko, Titser Ko” program
by Venus G. Villanueva
Kalibo, Aklan (8 September) — The Aklan Police Provincial Office (APPO) here will be focusing on another community responsibility, this time as teachers through the “Pulis Ko, Titser Ko” Program, which will be launched September 13 at the New Buswang Elementary School.
Aklan PPO Police Community Relations Officer Belshazzar Villanoche said the launching in New Buswang Elementary School will also be graced by APPO Provincial Director Epifanio Bragais and DepEd officials. The program is implemented by the PNP through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the DepEd.
The Aklan PPO will be deploying a female member of its force in Buswang Elementary School to teach a section of Grade IV pupils.
Before the “first day” of class, the Aklan PNP was tasked to make necessary preparations and coordinations with the school officials of the school and prepare their police-teacher for the “opening” of classes, points and factors to consider during the opening and for the subsequent success of the program.
The PNP has also to establish individual baseline data of students to be used in the evaluation later such as the needs of the students through exhibited behavior like low self-esteem, depression, crime risk behaviors (delinquency, substance use, violence, risky sexual behavior, quarelling, and corruption-risk behaviors like cheating, dishonesty, lying, stealing, etc.)
The PNP will also need to establish a baseline data on academic underachievement of pupils like poor academic performance, cases of school dropouts, cutting of classes and many others.
When the baseline data is completed, the police-teacher will work on how to improve identified problems of concerned pupils through the program and through the various interventions introduced to create change.
The PNP said the preparations as well as the strategies applied for the program aims to make sure that it will have a significant impact on the lives of the pupils. The positive result of this program is seen to merit replication and adaptions of other classes and schools and to gain support from the community eventually.
The APPO holds office in Camp Pastor Martelino, located in New Buswang, one of the 16 barangays of Kalibo.
For Poblacion Kalibo, the Kalibo PNP has chosen the Kalibo Pilot Elementary School (KPES) to benefit from the program. (PIA)
Barangay, SK elections to push through in October – Comelec
by Rachelle M. Nessia
Dumaguete City (8 September) — The synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections will push through in October this year.
This was the assurance given by Provincial Elections Supervisor Atty. Eddie Aba during a recent Kapihan forum held by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in the midst of speculations that the upcoming barangay and SK polls will be postponed.
“Madayon gyud ang elections because a budget has already been set aside for this and there is no basis to postpone the elections to a later date,” stressed Aba.
He disclosed that the election period will start from Sept. 10 and end 15 days after October 25, 2010.
Aba said that the gun ban and other election-related prohibitions will be enforced during the same period.
The election officer said that unlike the national elections held last May, this year?s barangay and SK polls will follow the conventional process. “This time, our ballots are not pre-printed and voters will have to write down the names of the candidates just like in previous elections,” said Aba.
Aside from this, the upcoming elections will not utilize counting machines in counting the number of votes.
“Now that there are no PCOS machines, balik ta sa kinaraan and we have to write down the names of the candidates of our choice,” said Engr. Fred Magallano, member of the Diocesan Electoral Board here and one of the speakers in said forum.
COMELEC central office in Manila has cited Negros Oriental for its “remarkable accomplishment” in the May 10 national elections.
“Our COMELEC chairman did not hesitate in issuing certificates of appreciation for the organizations here in the province who played vital roles in the last election,” disclosed Aba.
Aba said the province showed the best results among in the recent elections “despite the problems that we faced.”
He noted that among the provinces in Region 7, it can be recalled that Negros Oriental holds the highest record for insurgency in addition to the presence of private armed groups.
The elections officer But because of the cooperation from the NGOs, the Philippine National Police and the military specifically the 302nd infantry brigade, we were able to have a well-conducted elections last May 2010, said Aba. (PIA/rmn)
PNP Cebu tells tourist bus drivers not to let police hitch a ride
Cebu City (7 September) — Tourist bus drivers are cautioned against policemen who flag down any tourist bus to hitch a ride amid the recent hostage tragedy that killed eight Chinese tourists when a dismissed policeman hijacked a tourist bus at the nation’s capital.
Cebu Police Provincial Director S/Supt. Erson Digal stressed policemen are not supposed to hitch a ride because this could scare the tourists inside the bus.
“It is but natural for tourists to get scared when they see why a man in uniform is inside the tourist bus especially if that person has a gun and this we want to prevent, “according to Digal.
Digal requested the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) here to inform the tourist bus operators about this rule not to let anybody who thumbs a lift get inside the bus because this opens the opportunity for highway robbery or worse, a hijack.
The provincial police commander also said that in case of checkpoints, the tourist bus driver should see to it that the checkpoint is manned by police officers in uniform and that there should be a police patrol car nearby.
Due to the hostage crisis, Digal said he has established the ‘Tourist Pulis’ with outposts in four municipalities frequented by visiting international tourists.
“We have initially installed tourist police outposts in four towns frequented by foreigners namely in Malapascua Island in daan Bantayan, San Francisco in Camotes Island, Sta. Fe in Bantayan Island and Moalboal,” Digal disclosed.
Digal said these tourist police personnel stationed in the identified towns are not under the local police in the area but under the Cebu Provincial Police Office.
These tourist police personnel assigned in the different tourist police outposts have the primary duty to assist tourists in their area.
“We want to create a tourist-friendly police where not only do they provide security in the specified tourist areas but they serve as a center for assistance as well,” Digal disclosed.
In Cebu, Digal said the incidence of crimes committed by motorcycle-riding criminals is on the rise. Cases of murder and attempted murder are mostly committed by motorcycle-riding criminals not to mention snatching and hold-up by men aboard motorcycles, this is said.
Digal said the Police Regional Office-7 and the Cebu Provincial Police Office is reviving the’Task Force Motorsiklo’ to pre-empt and prevent crimes.
Recently, Gov. Gwen Garcia issued the Executive Order No. 9 creating the Cebu Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force on Criminality to ensure that Cebu maintains its image as a peaceful province.
The task force headed by Garcia was formed reportedly due to the spate of killings that have been occurring in the past weeks as well as the proliferation of firearms. The Cebu Provincial Government will provide the necessary budget and the logistical support needed by the task force.
Digal said he plans to coordinate more closely with the DOT-7 on how they could provide more security to visiting tourists to Cebu after the tragic hostage incident.
The DOT-7 on the other hand, is conducting daily assessments on losses incurred due to the hostage incident as three big hotels in Cebu reported booking cancellations after August 23, this is learned. (PIA-Cebu/FCR)
DAR-8 head vows to hit 2010 target
Tacloban City (7 September) — The newly-installed Regional Director of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is determined to hit this year’s target on land distribution in Eastern Visayas despite the limited time that is left for him.
Regional Director Alexis Arsenal is faced with the challenge of accomplishing in the remaining four months a huge balance from this year’s target left by his predecessor, Mr. Jose Alsmith Soria, DAR Regional Information Officer said.
The day following his installation into office, Director Arsenal met all the Provincial Agrarian Reform Officers (PAROs) of the six provincesin the Region, including key officials at the regional office to check on the status of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) implementation throughout the region.
He found out that a total of 12,903 hectares of private agricultural lands or 98.6 percent of the 13,080-hectare target, remains untouched and needs to be generated with certificates of landownership award (CLOAs) and distributed to potential agrarian reform beneficiaries to meet the 2010 target.
During the conference, the DAR 8 Director instructed the key officials of the Department to work closely with the line agencies involved in the process of generating CLOAs to meet the mandate.
Meanwhile, he likewise directed the Administrative Division to extend the necessary support.
The following Monday, he began meeting field implementers starting with the Municipal Agrarian Reform Officers (MAROs) in Leyte where the bulk of the balance is.
After two weeks, Arsenal had been to four other provinces in the region giving inspiration to field personnel to hit their respective targets.
To motivate the field personnel Arsenal compared the organization to a game. According to him, we are all players that need to contribute in attaining our goal. He added that unlike in a basketball game where some of the players remain at the bench, here everybody must do his part.
Under Republic Act 9700 or the CARPER law, DAR is tasked to distribute about 64,000 hectares of agricultural lands to an estimated 29,000 potential agrarian reform beneficiaries in Region-8 from July 1, 2009 to June 30 2014. Majority of this are private agricultural lands deemed to be excess of the five-hectare retention limit allowed for every landowner as prescribed by this law. (PIA 8/DAR
Posting of “No Smoking” posters highlights RACE caravan in Biliran
By Rodrigo S. Victoria
Naval, Biliran (7 September) — The posting of “No Smoking” posters in the premises of some government offices in the province of Biliran highlighted the one-day information ?dissemination caravan dubbed as “Caravan in a RACE to Serve”.
The caravan which was held yesterday, September 6, 2010, is a kick-off activity of the month-long celebration of the 110th year of the Philippine Civil Service this September with the theme: In a R.A.C.E. to Serve: Advancing, Responsive, Accessible, Courteous and Effective Public Service.
The caravan was led by Director Lysander G. Navales, OIC-Director II of the field offices of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in Ormoc City and Biliran province in tandem with the Provincial Council of Personnel Officers in Biliran (PCPO-Biliran).
The group started the caravan by joining the officials and employees of the provincial government of Biliran led by Biliran Governor Gerardo J. Espina, Jr. in their regular flag raising ceremony held every Monday at the capitol grounds. This was followed by the posting of the ?No Smoking “poster at the entrance of the capitol building and a brief talk with the governor regarding the activity.
The caravan also went to the office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Biliran Engineering District where Director Navales had a brief talk with Assistant District Engineer Benefredo P. Elatico and followed by the posting of the “No Smoking” poster at the office premise.
The caravan moved on and visited the seven municipalities in the province except the island municipality of Maripipi. In the municipality of Naval, the group was welcomed by Mayor Susan V. Parilla; in Biliran town by Mayor Leandro B. Enage, Cabucgayan Mayor Gemma G. Adobo, Caibiran Vice-Mayor Gracia. G. Baribe; Culaba by Mayor Enrico B. Uyvico; Kawayan by Mayor Gerardo S. Espina, Sr. and Almeria by Mayor Dominador O. Agajan.
Director Navales explained to each of the local chief executives (LCEs) of the seven municipalities visited the rationale of the caravan and the posting of the “No Smoking” poster. He also entertained some concerns pertaining to human resource presented by some LCEs. (PIA-Biliran)
PNoy declares September 10, end of Eid’l Fitr, as non-working holiday
Tacloban City (September 3) — President Benigno Aquino III has declared September 10, the end of Eid’l Fitr or the Feast of Ramadan as non-working holiday.
The President has issued Proclamation No. 26 dated September 2, declaring Friday, September 10, 2010 as a regular holiday throughout the country in observance of Eid’l Fitr, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
In issuing Proclamation No. 26, President Aquino said that Republic Act No. 9177 declared Eid’l Fitr or the Feast of Ramadan, as a regular holiday throughout the country.
Eid’l Fitr is celebrated by the Muslim World for three (3) days after the end of the month of fasting. The main date for the celebration of Eid’l Fitr for the year 2010 has been determined to fall on Friday, September 10, 2010.
In order to bring the religious and cultural significance of the Eid’l Fitr to the fore of national consciousness, President Aquino deemed it necessary to declare September 10, 2010 as regular holiday throughout the country.
The celebration of Eid’l Fitr in Islam carries a “distinctive meaning and spirit as compared to other cultures.” According to Islamic website www.islamonline.net, Muslims normally start each day of the three-day festival by “taking a bath and wearing their best clothes.”
While Muslim families unite in simple gatherings, it is a prayer that brings them together “to remember Allah’s bounties and celebrate His Glory and Greatness.”
The about seven million Filipino Muslims take the occasion as an opportunity to do charity and good deeds. The feast is not an occasion to take a vacation from Islamic responsibilities and commitments or to waste time and money in extravagance.
It is a chance to multiply good deeds by bringing happiness and pleasure to the hearts of other Muslims by helping and supporting the poor and needy, and by getting involved in pastimes that emphasize the strong and serious Islamic character.
Before the day of Eid, during the last few days of Ramadan, each Muslim family gives a determined amount as a donation to the poor. This donation is of actual food to ensure that the needy can have a holiday meal and participate in the celebration. This donation is known as Sadaqah al-Fitr (charity of fast-breaking).
Eid’l Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month that follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar. It is a time to give to those in need, and celebrate with family and friends the completion of a month of blessings and joy. (PIA
Cebu airport notes no significant decline in tourist arrivals after hostage tragedy
Cebu City (3 September) — There has been no significant decline in tourist arrivals nor has there been any flight cancellations at the Mactan Cebu International Airport a week after the hostage tragedy transpired at the country’s capital.
Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) Public Affairs Manager Ahmed Cuizon said that so far, they have not received any flight cancellations due to the tragic incident.
Although Cuizon did not rule out the possibility that the tourism industry in Cebu will be greatly affected by what happened but that “maybe in the next few weeks, there might be flight cancellations as the travel ban to the country by China has already been issued.”
“We have to understand that travel bookings are done in advance so it is too early to tell about flight cancellations due to the incident,” according to Cuizon.
But Department of Tourism (DOT-7) Officer-in-Charge Rowena Montecillo said that following the hostage crisis that left eight Chinese tourists dead, chartered flights from Shanghai and Canton have been cancelled.
Cuizon said the incident serves as a challenge to all especially the tourism stakeholders on how to initiate actions to overcome the negative publicity the country is getting due to the handling of the crisis.
The MCIAA based in Lapulapu City for its part joins the city government in initiating a promotional package program together with other tourism sectors like resorts and establishments designed to attract tourists to come to Cebu, Cuizon said.
Cuizon said it is the initiative of the Lapulapu City Government to come up with a promotional tourism package after the incident occurred as the city is home to many luxurious hotel resorts, one of the sectors that will be greatly affected is tourist arrivals decline.
The MCIAA public affairs manager said he believes that this is just a temporary setback citing that relations between the Philippines and China dates back centuries.
“I still believe that the hostage tragedy was an isolated case and that relations between both nations will be mended,” Cuizon stressed.
Cebu Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce President Filomeno Lim on the other hand, said the severity of the damage caused by the hostage incident to our tourism industry cannot be quantified.
Lim said the damage is not only economic in nature although it is the most basic consideration.
“You have to consider that one tourist spends an average of US$1,000/day and this alone is a much significant loss if we multiply this to the number of tourists who have decided not to push through their visit to the country,” according to Lim.
Lim however, said that despite the fact that the victims were his countrymen, he still would do his best to help the government by promoting the Philippines to his relatives and friends in China.
Cebu has been a consistent favorite tourism destination among international tourists but after the tragic incident, three hotels reported booking cancellations from tourists coming in from China, this is learned.
Montecillo said that in Central Visayas, Cebu and Bohol are the most visited provinces by foreign tourists.
Chinese tourists ranked fourth as the most frequent travelers to Cebu with Koreans as number one, Montecillo disclosed.
Bohol however, has Chinese tourists as their top traveler to the province as Montecillo admitted that this would really have an impact to Bohol’s tourism sector.
Montecillo said despite what happened, they would not cease in their promotional campaign abroad.
“We have regular sales mission and our marketing teams are assigned in the promotional campaigns abroad. In fact, we have one schedule to China,” Montecillo said.
The DOT-7 chief said that after the hostage tragedy, they paid a visit to the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China to Cebu ans apologized and offered their sympathies.
“We also held a mass and offered prayers for the victims of the hostage tragedy,” Montecillo added. (PIA-Cebu/FCR)
Over 2,000 tree seedlings planted on solon’s natal day
16 durian trees cut in San Francisco
By Bong Pedalino
Maasin City (2 September) — Here is a study in contrast: while Cong. Roger Mercado continues to walk the talk on his tree-planting advocacy, especially during his birthday, some 16 full-grown durian trees about to bear fruit were cut in San Francisco town.
And the Southern Leyteno lawmaker knew about the sad fate of the durian trees a day before his birthday on Sunday, August 29.
Still, it did not deter the solon from going ahead with the scheduled tree-planting after an early Sunday Mass, this time including the sides of the road of an interior highway from Prinsesa to Dongon, left turn to sitio Gotosan, barangay Bogo, and on to the grassy peaks of Bogo’s mountain ranges.
More than two thousand various varieties of tree seedlings, including fire trees and talisay were planted after the activity was over, participated by many employees from government agencies and the private sector.
On Saturday, right after his radio program, one Reynaldo Baja, a resident of barangay Central, San Francisco, showed Cong. Mercado and members of the local media “gruesome” pictures of what had been done to his durian trees, some starting to bear fruit.
He narrated that this happened June 24 this year at a mountainous area in barangay Bongawisan, about five kilometers from where he lived.
He said he had the incident blottered at the local police office, and intimated that he already had an idea on who were the suspects.
The durian trees were already cut when he came to the site after learning about it, Baja said.
Cong. Mercado, apparently saddened by what had happened while seeing the photos of the cut durian trees, asked the media to help disseminate the information leading to the capture of those responsible.
At the tree-planting site, PIA chanced upon Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Ranulfo Arbiol and sought his reaction about the incident.
Arbiol said he only knew about it through Jani Arnaiz of the Inquirer that very same morning. He said he would task the CENRO Officer in San Juan town to investigate the matter. (PIA-Southern Leyte)
