BCPED holds trainers’ training on advocacy for culture of peace in bicol
By Aida Alcazar-Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) – In order to strengthen advocacy efforts of the Bicol Consortium for Peace and Development (BCPED) on the need to organize a speakers bureau tasked to train others how to teach and promote peace education especially in the academe, a three day thematic enrichment seminar is set on February 23-25 at Villa Amada Hotel, Daraga, Albay.

According to Dr. Herbert B. Rosana, director of BCPED Secretariat said the trainers’ training is a sequel to the series of training-workshops conducted in 2009-2010 per suggestion from some participants who recommended the need to increase their knowledge based on the themes of peace education.

Similarly, the exercise will provide inputs in instruction and integration of peace concepts and peace education in the basic and higher education curricula for state universities and colleges and private institutions.

For government and private offices, the training shall contribute in the module preparation of peace efforts and the development of culture of peace in general, especially that the Aquino dispensation is working out that peace will prevail in the country.

The pursuit of just and lasting peace is a priority agenda of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) under President Benigno S. Aquino III administration.

The Thematic Enrichment Seminar in Peace Education for the Trainers’ Training of BCPED as a capability building activity will discuss various topics with peace advocacy at the core.

These are inner peace; non-violence and conflict transformation; religion, values and peace education; human rights and gender equality; challenging prejudice and building tolerance; and updates on peace policies of the Government of the Philippines (GPH).

Among the invited resource persons are Rev. Fr. Jovic Lobrigo, former Albay Social Action Center executive director; Prof. Elvira Asuan from the academe; Director Rolando Asuncion of the Office of the Presidential Adviser of the Peace Process (OPAPP), the agency tasked to lead the peace talks among other peace building activities of the government.

Meantime, BCPED is still accepting research proposals on peace education until February 28. Such research plans may be along regional research and development thematic program areas agreed upon during the research agenda setting workshop held November 9-10, 2010. These are on topics along human security; environment, natural resources and sustainable development; social service, business and entrepreneurship; peace education; and governance, policy advocacy and networking.

BCPED is chaired by Bicol University President Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya, Ph.D. with select state universities and colleges, private institutions, government and non-government offices as members.(PIA V/ALbay)

NYC opens Search for youth ambassadors

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — The National Youth Commission (NYC) invites anew young people to join the 38th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP).

Nydia Delfin, coordinator of NYC in Bicol, said the NYC SSEAYP is an annual cultural exchange program aims to promote and strengthen friendship among the young people of the participating ASEAN countries and Japan by providing them the opportunity to live together on board the luxury vessel M/S Fuji Maru.

“Participants visit ASEAN participating countries and engage in various activities such as institutional visits and goodwill exchanges with local youth,” she said.

Delfin explained that participating youth should be: Filipino citizen, single, between 18-30 years old as of April 1, 2011; of good moral character, residing for at least 2 years in the region to be represented; physically and mentally fit to travel; preferably a first time traveler and not a recipient of NYC or Japanese government funded international program; with strong background of Philippine history, geography, culture and arts; knowledgeable of the current issues of the Philippines, Japan and ASEAN countries; must have been serving the youth sector as an active officer/member of any youth or youth organization for at least 2 years and must be willing to be an NYC volunteer after the program.

She said that interested applicants must also be willing to take a leave of absence from school or work and complete the trainings and activities before, during and after the program on the following schedules: Pre-Departure Training – July 17-28; Pre-Departure Activities – September 24-Oct. 24; Cruise – October 25-December 16; and Post Program Evaluation – December 16-18, 2011.

The Japanese government as the primary sponsor of the program, shoulders the round trip airfare of the participants, expenses for meals and accommodation on-board the ship, transportation and admission fees required for the study tours.

Application requirementa include application letter, notarized application form with passport size picture; resume; certificate of good moral character; resident certificate; police or NBI clearance and 2 self-addressed mailing envelopes with P20.00 worth of stamp.

Delfin said that the deadline for application is on April 15, 2011 at the NYC offices. Application form could be downloaded at the NYC website: www.nyc.gov.ph. For more information, please contact the SSEAYP secretariat at (02) 416-2833 or the NYC Naga Area Office (054) 811-5804 / 473-0435. (NYC/MALoterte, PIA V/Albay)

DENR, PNP operatives seize abandoned ‘hot’ lumber in Masbate

MASBATE CITY, (PIA) — Operatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the police seized 88 pieces or a total of 592 board feet of sawn lumber from the hinterland of this city, DENR and police reports said yesterday.

Chief Insp. Romeo Lupango Jr., acting chief of Masbate Police Office, said the 88 pieces of good lumber were discovered by DENR forester Felipe P. Esperanzate and operatives from city police and Masbate Provincial Public Safety Company during an anti-illegal logging operation in the mountain villages of the city on Sunday.

Lupango said a steel chainsaw, which apparently was used in the illegal logging, was also recovered in the area.

The following day, a truck driver was arrested by the same police operatives for unauthorized transport of over a hundred flitches of coconut lumber.

Reynaldo A. Atibagos Jr., 30, was nabbed by police as he drove a truck loaded with 114 flitches of coconut lumber at Boulevard Extension in Barangay Ibingay at around 10 p.m.

The truck was impounded and the coconut lumber were seized and turned over to the office here of the Philippine Coconut Authority, police said.

The government has banned the cutting of coconut trees and transport of coconut lumber to save the coconut industry from the adverse effects of indiscriminate cutting. (EADelgado, PIA Masbate)

DePEd Albay to continue early registration, advise schools of austere grad rites
by Aida Alcazar-Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) – Even if the early registration was conducted last Saturday of January, the Department of Education (DepEd) in Albay continue with the early enrolment for pre-school, incoming Grade 1 including possible first year high school students.

This listing will continue until the enrolment set before school year 2011-2012 starts in June, according to Asst. Superintendent Maria Luisa Samaniego when interviewed over PIA radio program Aramon Ta Daw last week.

The January 29 early registration is part of the department’s annual family mapping activity in coordination with barangay officials to locate potential enrollees for pre-school, grade 1, high school freshman, and returning pupils and students including out-of-school youths who quit school in past school years.

Pre-school listing is for those aged five while potential grade 1 pupils are six year-olds.
The data will be used in preparing for the oncoming school year in terms of manpower, school building, books and related needs, added Samaniego.

She reported that around 50-60 per cent of potential enrollees joined the pre-enrolment activity explaining that some parents would rather register their children during scheduled enrolment days.
Samaniego, though, encouraged parents to visit any school nearest their residence for listing from Monday to Friday.

Meantime, DepEd Albay has come out with a division memorandum calling for austere graduation in both elementary and high schools. This is in line with DepEd memorandum no. 4 signed by Sec. Armin Luistro.

Same memo also set graduation rites be held any day during the first week of April.

Samaniego said that schools utilized as evacuation centers during the heavy rains experienced in January have already extended during week-ends as make-up classes in order to complete the number of school days required by the department. These schools are found in Manito, Sto. Domingo, Malilipot and Jovellar.

DepEd Albay, too, will be conducting advocacies on the K+12 scheme which will start this school year 2011-2012 with the pre-school children. Samaniego said that the campaign is focused to parents so to eliminate doubts or negative feelings if there are. (PIA V/Albay)

532 new infrastructures completed for Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Bicol Region completed 532 various infrastructure projects under its CY 2010 program. “These projects are part of the P5.9 billion region-wide allocation implemented by our Regional and District Engineering Offices,” said DPWH 5 Regional Director Danilo Dequito.

These projects include roads, bridges, water supply, school buildings and other public structures. “The COMELEC building in Legazpi City, Cagraray ECO Park in Bacacay and the now famous Puro Boulevard also in Legazpi City are among our accomplishments in Albay Province alone,” the Director further said. “More high-impact projects were implemented in other provinces of the region,” he added.

Puro Boulevard is part of the 4.085 kms. Legazpi City Coastal Road that traverses the coastal barangays of Victory Village, Dapdap, Puro and Lamba. “Amenities like jogging lane, bicycle lane, rock-causeway and lighting facilities were provided to attract tourists in the area,” said DPWH 5 Assistant Regional Director Jesus Salmo.

This coastal road now serves as an alternate route to decongest traffic jam from the City proper and likewise provides commuters safe access and easy transport of marine, livestock and agricultural products to commercial centers.

The allocation for last year’s infra corresponds to a total of 786 projects wherein 131 are still ongoing and 75 are not yet implemented due to the late release of funding requirements. (LVCastañeda, DPWH V/PIA Albay/mal)

New benefits extended to senior citizens

VIRAC, Catanduanes - The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Catanduanes passed a Resolution recently urging water districts and electric cooperatives in the province to strictly adhere to and comply with the benefits extended to senior citizens by Republic Act 9994 otherwise known as ‘The Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.’

The Resolution sponsored by provincial board member Wilfredo P. Santelices states that RA 9994 is an act granting additional benefits and privileges to senior citizens which has been enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines.

Section 4 of the said law states that senior citizens shall be entitled to the grant of a minimum of five percent (5%) discount relative to the monthly utilization of water and electricity supplied by the public utilities provided that the individual meters for the foregoing utilities are registered in the name of the citizen residing therein and that the monthly consumption does not exceed 100 kilowatt hours of electricity and 30 cubic meters of water and that the privilege is granted per household regardless of the number of senior citizen residing therein.

The resolution also states that water districts and water cooperative in the province should strictly adhere to the implementation of rules and regulations of RA 9994 to all concerned stakeholders. This would help attain the objectives of the said law, to give full support to the improvement of the total well-being of the elderly in the province.

The resolution was approved by provincial Governor Joseph C. Cua. (EA Bagadiong, PIA Catanduanes)