GONZALES ORDERS BAN OF HUMAN ACTIVITY
AROUND MAYON PDZ, ASSURES NDCC AID TO ALBAY

LEGAZPI CITY — Defense Secretary and National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Chairman Norberto Gonzalez has ordered Wednesday (December 16) Task Force Mayon in Albay to “close the gate” strictly enforcing ban of any human activity within the permanent danger zone following the escalating restiveness of Mayon Volcano.

In a press briefing held here earlier today, Gonzales also directed local disaster managers in the province to beef up emergency operation and execute evacuation procedures to ensure the safety of all residents and target a “zero casualty” in the wake of the imminent disaster posed by the volcano’s eruption.

He added that some 50,000 dust masks will be provided the soonest possible time to residents directly exposed to ash falls around Mayon, particularly in the towns of Guinobatan, Camalig and Ligao City.

He has also assured provincial officials that immediate assistance, including monetary and food supports, from the national government will be provided should Mayon ensue to a full blown eruption.

Albay local officials meanwhile have requested the provincial board to declare the province under the state of calamity, noting that local government units (LGUs) are now actually moving out thousands of affected residents that have to be taken care of while in the evacuation centers.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda averred that the provincial government has sufficient fund to feed the more than100,000 evacuees in 18 days should there be a massive evacuation of residents in worst case scenario in the wake of Mayon eruption.

The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) in Albay has estimated some 120,413 residents have to be evacuated if affected areas around the volcano will cover up to the 10 kilometer radius.

Cedric Daep, Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) chief, related that at least 30,761 persons (6,559 families) were already relocated to at least 26 evacuation centers across towns and cities surrounding Mayon.

Daep said that evacuation would be continuing until all the 47, 285 residents or 9,946 families in the permanent (6 kilometers) and extended (up to 8 kilometers) danger zone dangers are totally evacuated under Alert Level 3 status of the volcano.

"If the abnormal condition of Mayon will worsen and Alert Level 4 is hoisted, an additional of 72,858 persons (16, 232 families) from the extended danger zone within 10 kilometer radius will be evacuated," he noted.

On the other hand, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum said that institute is still waiting for more intense abnormal parameters of Mayon to warrant raising Alert Level 4.

Solidum has confirmed that at least two lava domes were gradually blocking the 200-meter crater of Mayon.

Phivolcs scientists observed that the domes were becoming bigger everyday, already blocking 25 to 30 percent of the opening of the volcano’s crater.

Solidum noted that, "unlike in the 2001 and 2006 eruptions, Mayon took weeks to months for lava domes to develop, but this time these domes are becoming bigger and bigger everyday."

“Once they collapse or disintegrate due to pressure from beneath the volcano, the occurrence would trigger a huge volume of incandescent materials and volcanic rocks to roll down the volcano’s slopes.

For this reason, he is pushing for the strict enforcement of the "no human activity policy" because of the lava fragments detaching from the dome inside the crater will continuously roll down the gullies and this detached lava fragments produced a small secondary pyroclastic surge generating rock falls and ash falls. (MALoterte, PIA V)


OFFICIAL CANDIDATES FOR 2010 POLLS IN SORSOGON OUT

SORSOGON PROVINCE (December 10) – The list of official local candidates in this province for the May 2010 national and local polls was finally made public by the Commission on Election (Comelec) provincial office here.

Comelec record showed that six has filed their Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) for the gubernatorial slate with former Gov. Raul Lee, and incumbent Sorsogon 2nd District Congressman Jose Solis, Amadeo Brin, Ramon Gallinera, Felizardo Garil and Antonio Imperial composing the list.

Incumbent Governor Sally Lee withdrew her candidacy to give way to her husband Raul.

Six candidates are also running for vice governor, including former Bulan town Mayor Guillermo De Castro, incumbent Sorsogon 1st District Board Member Rosario Diaz, former Vice Governor Antonio Escudero, Jr., former Sta. Magdalena Mayor Nida Gamos and Mirafe Godisan.

Nineteen candidates are vying for the provincial board in the first congressional district, while seventeen contenders for the second district.

Former Casiguran town Mayor Edwin Hamor will be running against incumbent Congressman Salvador Escudero III for Representative of the first congressional district.

Six candidates namely incumbent Sorsogon 2nd District Board Member Arze Glipo, incumbent Bulusan Mayor Juan Guysayko, Flocerfida de Guzman, Edmundo Escalante, Rosario Gavanzo and Ricardo Golpeo signified their intention to run in the second congressional district.

Former allies and both incumbent Mayor Leovic Dioneda and Vice Mayor Edmundo Atutubo will vie for the top position in Sorsogon City.

On the other hand, Robert Ante Lee Rodrigueza, son of Governor Lee, goes against incumbent City Councilor Roel Sta. Ana for the vie mayoralty race .

Atty. Calixto L. Aquino, Jr., Comelec Sorsogon supervisor, meanwhile said Sorsogon City has registered the highest voters’ registration turnout with 83,829, followed by Bulan, 46,125; Pilar, 37,924; and Gubat with 29,816. Sta Magdalena comes last with 9,831 voting population.

“With the recent withdrawal of one mayoralty candidate in Prieto Diaz, the total number of candidates in the province that filed their CoCs lowered down to 601.

The province has 395,371 registered and qualified voters for May 2010 elections.

Sorsogon province is composed of fourteen towns and one city. It has 2,503 established voting precincts in its 541 barangays. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon)

CSC WANTS ENHANCED PROTECTION OF WORKERS FROM SEXUAL HARASSMENT

LEGAZPI CITY— The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has stepped up campaign to strengthen Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) in all government agencies to protect civil servants against work-related sexual harassment.

Acting Chair Cesar D. Buenaflor said that an active CODI will bring swift justice to victims and deter offenders.

“We should assure government workers who are or may have been victims of sexual harassment that they can turn to the law for recourse,” he said.

Buenaflor stressed that sexual harassment and other forms of violence in the public sector weaken the morale and productivity of victim-employees and, thus, are a deterrent to the smooth and timely delivery of government services.

From 1994 to 2009, CSC Office for Legal Affairs has recorded a total of 132 sexual harassment cases where 61 per cent or 81 per cent have been resolved, Of the resolved cases, 73 per cent or 59 per cent were decided in favor of the complainant.

Republic Act No. 7877, otherwise known as the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, mandates the creation of a CODI in all work, educational or training institutions.

The committee shall be tasked to increase understanding and prevent incidents of sexual harassments, as well as conduct investigation of alleged cases.

In 2001, the CSC issued the Administrative Disciplinary Rules on Sexual Harassment or Resolution No. 01-0940 that directed all national and local agencies, state universities and colleges, and government-owned and controlled corporations with original charter to create a CODI that will receive and investigate complaints of sexual harassment, make recommendations to the disciplinary authority, and lead efforts to protect employees from sexual harassment.

In a work-related environment, the committee shall be composed of at least one representative each from the management, the accredited union (if any), the second level employees, and the first level employees, duly selected by the unit concerned.

In an educational or training institution, at least one representative each from the administration, the faculty, and the student body, duly selected by the level concerned, should make up the CODI.

The said resolution defines sexual harassment as “an act, or a series of acts, involving any unwelcome sexual advance, request or demand for a sexual favor, or other verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, committed by a government employee or official in a work-related, training or education related environment of the person complained of.”

The act may come in the form of malicious touching, overt sexual advances and gestures with lewd insinuation (physical); requests or demands for sexual favors and lurid remarks (verbal); and use of objects, pictures or graphics, letters or writing notes with sexual underpinnings.

After due investigation and legal process, an employee who is found guilty of sexual harassment shall be meted administrative penalty ranging from reprimand to dismissal, depending on the gravity and seriousness of offense.

CSC, as the central personnel agency of government, initiates and supports efforts to ensure that sexual harassment has no place in government offices and activities/operations.

In line with its participation in the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW), which ran from November 25 to December 12, the CSC has undertaken a series of discussions on VAR-and gender-related topics that aims to prevent violence and promote gender equality and awareness in the public sector. (CSC V/PIA)