PNoy visits Naga, graces launch of Freedom Obelisque
by Lizel S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, (PIA)- Visiting Naga for the first time as President of the Republic of the Philippines, President Benigno S. Aquino was in the city for the groundbreaking ceremony of a symbolic figure signifying Naga’s continuous pursuit for peace, freedom and justice.

Dubbed as the “Freedom Obelisk,” the structure will serve as multi purpose structure that will address the educational needs of the community, specifically by serving as guide for the young generation to have a glimpse of our forefather’s heroism that have placed Naga in the annals of history.

Alec Francis Santos, executive assistant at the city mayor’s office relayed that the short notice and limited preparation did not stop the city engineering team in securing the approval of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) to have President Aquino as the groundbreaking Huespe de Honor.

The “Freedom Obelisk” is located at the former site of a billboard structure beside the Plaza Quezon, a strategic place where Naguenos and visitors alike can take a glimpse of the three historical events that it aims to depict: 1) the struggle of the Arejola brothers during the Philippine-American War, 2) the successful yet short-lived liberation of Naga by Tancong Vaca guerrilla forces during World War II, and 3) the strong political opposition of Naga to Martial Law and the strong participation of its people during the EDSA Revolution.

Mayor Bongat, who is currently in Australia as an official delegate of the Philippine Center for Young Leaders in Government, also thanked the President thru a communication, for his visit in Naga and assured him of the presence of People Power in the heart of every Nagueños.

After his message of thanks, the President, accompanied by DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, Sec. Proceso Alcala of the Department of Agriculture, DENR Secretary Ramon Paje, and Regional and Provincial Directors of the Region, went straight to Brgy. Sto. Nino, Pili, Camarines Sur to grace the launching of the El Verde Movement spearheaded by the local government of Camarines Sur. (PIA Camarines Sur)

Massive Ash fall in Irosin and Juban alarms farmers and residents
by Irma A. Guhit

Sorsogon City- Feb.23 : The aftermath of the Mt. Bulusan volcano ash explosion last Monday, February 21 has created not only fear from the local residents of Irosin, Bulan and Juban but the more pressing concern on the effect of the ashes on the agricultural and health issues.

Reports coming from farmers and farm owners forwarded to the Department of Agrarian Reform Municipal Office(DARMO) in Irosin the coverage of the ash fall has greatly affected the ricefields and if no rainfall will be observed within this week the ashes will just stick on the palay plants and this will have an effect on the harvest this season.

The assessment and report coming from the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) here on the impact of the ashfall and are still to be validated, on the physical side and looking at the volume of ashes that covered the ricefields in Irosin,Juban and some parts of Bulan this is visually seen even from afar.


Residents are also fearful that if there will also be heavy rains it will also trigger an induced lahar flow in the different areas in their place and will also affect those low lying areas and their river systems.

Meanwhile the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)- LGU Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Engr. Maribeth L. Fruto said that proper coordination with DENR -Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has been done to find out the water quality and air quality in the area within Irosin , Juban and Bulan.

"We are now conducting water sampling ang air quality monitoring." ,Engr. Fruto said." We are also coordinating with the local government executives, the water districts and the health officer of all the affected municipalities to inform the residents to take the necessary precautions and boil their drinking water."

"The local government of Irosin and Bulan will be conducting this afternoon at 1:00 PM a massive clean up activity together with the Bureau of Fire Protection in the schools, public buildings and the road of the national highway.Proper coordination with respective agencies are also being done to facilitate initiatives to address the problem.", Irosin Mayor Jun Ong said.

"The BFP will conduct flashing and we are also requesting local residents to do the same in cleaning their homes to avoid some diseases brought about by this event especially asthma and pneumonia. Hopefully with this concerted effort we will be really doing our share as participative citizens." (PIA-Sorsogon)

RICE SUPPLY IN BICOL SUFFICIENT, STOCKPILE TO LAST MORE THAN 5 MONTHS
By Aida Alcazar-Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) – The National Food Authority (NFA) Bicol assured the consumers that there is enough supply of rice that will last more than 5 months equivalent to 161 days as of February 15.

This announcement was made by NFA’s Regional Information Officer Nelsie Alcantara during Wednesday’s episode of PIA radio program Ugnayan sa Bicol.

Alcantara said that a total 1,589,894 sacks of 50 kilogram bags are safely positioned in the warehouses of said grains office.

Sixty-five per cent of the stock corresponding to 854,861 was acquired through the rice procurement program of the agency while the remaining 735,033 are imported rice.

Other than the 2,000 bags of damaged rice during the January floods in this city, all NFA stocks are fit for human consumption. No case of spoiled rice is reported in Bicol unlike what turned up in Zambales, recently.

The estimate on rice supply is based on the sales pattern of said staple food of Bicolanos, where the daily average sales are 9,924 sacks of 50 kg. rice.

Camarines Sur being the biggest province in terms of population and land area has the highest number of daily sales equal to 3,896 bags, followed by Albay province with 2,462 sacks.

The island province of Masbate and Catanduanes have almost similar daily sales at 1,060 and 1,039 bags, respectively. Sorsogon everyday rice trading is 976 bags while Camarines Norte is 491 sacks.

NFA sells rice at P26 per kilo to wholesalers who in turn sell to consumers at P27 per kilo.

Alcantara encouraged consumers to contact the nearest NFA office if they meet problems regarding sales of government rice.

With the coming harvest season, NFA will continue to undertake its procurement scheme from farmers said Alcantara. Its 70 buying stations scattered across the region are ready to buy palay from farmers at P17 per kilo or P17.70 for farmer organizations as incentive. They are reminded to bring their passbook.

Meantime, NFA continue to help farmers especially those hit by the early 2011 flooding. The agency goes on selling certified seeds at 50 per cent subsidized price.

The certified seeds are sold to farmers at P600 per bag. These planters are encouraged to see the Municipal Agricultural Officer found in their area for speedy purchase of seeds. (PIA V/Albay)

Chiz wants prisoner-exchange treaties with other countries

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) -- Senator Chiz Escudero is urging the Philippine government to initiate a prisoner exchange treaties with countries hosting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, reiterated this call in the light of the case of Ramon Credo, Sally Villanueva and Elizabeth Batain – Filipinos condemned to die for drug trafficking in China. Their executions were temporarily suspended after China’s Supreme Court extended a “special arrangement” regarding their cases.

The senator said the government could work out a prisoner-exchange arrangement with other countries similar to the RP-Spain Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement, which aims to ensure the effective reformation and rehabilitation of Filipinos serving sentences in Spain since they will be afforded the opportunity to serve their sentences in the Philippines.

“We have OFWs serving long sentences and are awaiting death sentences in countries where no family can visit them. This is already a scourge to both the convicted and their families. The anguish of not being able to talk to or see their families forever is already a sentence that amounts to death,” Escudero said.

Escudero said the prisoner-exchange agreement should be pursued through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) by way of a bilateral treaty.

The senator also said that the agreement should not be on a quid-pro-quo-basis, which means that all prisoners should be transferred to their country of origin regardless of the number of foreign nationals in Philippine prisons.

“We should pursue this treaty especially since we have more citizens in foreign jails rather than the other way around. We pursue this move not because we condone their deeds but because it is the government’s duty to look after the welfare of its citizens no matter if they are guilty or not,” Escudero said. “Let all available remedies and steps be exhausted to afford our fellows the services of their government.”

Records from the DFA show that there are more than 3,000 Filipinos abroad who are either in detention or facing criminal prosecution. Of these, 70 percent are embroiled in immigration-related offenses and will be deported after serving brief sentences. The rest are in custody for crimes such as theft and drug trafficking.

In China, 78 Filipinos are convicted for drug charges and awaiting death sentences.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has recorded 630 Filipinos currently serving jail sentences worldwide for transporting drugs, mostly as mules for drug lords. Sixty-two percent of this number are female. (Office of Sen. Francis Escudero/PIA Albay/mal)

Training for out-of-school youths begins

DAET, Camarines Norte, (PIA) – The training courses under the Educational Program for deserving Out-Of-School Youth in this province has started Monday (Feb. 21).

The training courses were under the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of the provincial government.

PESO Manager Nida Tusoc said that 25 students are now undergoing the training for the shielded metal arch welding while 25 for the electrical installation and maintenance that will last for three months.

The tuition fees and the materials for the trainings are being provided by the provincial government and the training is being conducted by the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) at their training center in Iberica, Labo this province.

On the following months 25 students again will undergo training in automotive servicing, 25 for consumer electronics servicing, 20 for driving NCII, 15 for carpentry NC II, 25 for computer hardware servicing, 20 for baking and pastry production and 20 for mansory.

The deserving OSY qualifications include: high school graduate, 18-30 years old, parent’s income must not exceed P72,000 and must not be a graduate of any four year course. (RBManlangit, PIA Camarines Norte)

New ruling set for nepotism in local governments

MASBATE CITY (PIA) — Provincial Director Andronico D. Lanuza of the Civil Service Commission said Friday the CSC has issued a new ruling on nepotism following the occurrence of legal quandary in some local governments.

Lanuza said that in response to a query from Flosie F. Tayag of the Bureau of Local Government Finance, the CSC said the rule on “nepotic” appointment under Section 79, Title III of the Local Government Code of 1991 should apply on local governments.

The section states that “no person shall be appointed in the career service of the local government if he is related within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity of the appointing or recommending authority.” (EADelgado, Masbate)

CSC enforcing ‘no smoking’ rules in Masbate

MASBATE CITY (PIA)—The office here of the Civil Service Commission warned government workers of sanction if they were caught smoking in government premises.

Andronico D. Lanuza, CSC director for Masbate , said his office will start monitoring compliance with a CSC policy which penalizes smoking in buildings and gro-unds that belong to the state.

Lanuza said the CSC in a recent directive decreed absolute prohibition of smoking in government premises, particularly those providing health, education and social welfare services.

Heads of agencies should put up “no smoking” signs in their premises, he said.

Lanuza said other government agencies ought to designate “open spaces” in their premises as “smoking area” where smokers can light their cigarettes.

“Open space” means it is not located within 10 meters of entrances, exits or any place where people pass or congregate, has no permanent roof and walls and not more than 10 square meters.

Lanuza said the anti-smoking policy in the civil service is an offshoot of the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 and the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

It seeks to compel government personnel to quit smoking and protect non-smokers from exposure to secondhand smoke, he said.

“Even small amount of secondhand exposure can be harmful to people’s health,” Lanuza said. “It causes lung cancer, increases the risk of heart attack, triggers asthma attack and acute respiratory ailments. (EADelgado, PIA Masbate)

3 dead, 1 wounded in Caramoran hacking incident

VIRAC, Catanduanes, (PIA) — Three were killed and one was seriously injured in a hacking incident at around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday (Feb 22) at the residence of Ma. Ana Opancia in Barangay Bulalacao, Caramoran, Catanduanes,

Police identified the fatalities as Ma. Ana Opancia y Brizo and her sons Alan San Opancia y Brizo, 10, Sam Opancia y Brizo, 3, while Shena Opancia y Brizo, 2, was wounded and rushed to Caramoran District Hospital for treatment.

Police investigation revealed that the victims were hacked to death and injured by a certain Daniel Dizon y Tapia, live-in partner of Shena.

Investigation conducted by the Caramoran Municipal Police Station after the incident showed the incident was due to a heated argument between the suspect and Ma. Ana.

Elements of Caramoran and San Andres Municipal Police Stations, together with the 83rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, conducted hot pursuit operations and set-up checkpoints which resulted to the arrest of the suspect at around 8:00 this morning at Barangay Lubas, San Andres, Catanduanes.

Appropriate charges are now being readied against the suspect. (EA Bagadiong PIA/Catanduanes)