RH Bill gaining more grounds in Congress - Lagman
...Appropriations committee approves appropriations provision

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) -- Minority Leader and Albay I District Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, the principal author of the RH bill, has announced that the members of the Committee on Appropriations all but guaranteed Thursday (Feb. 16) “the inexorable progression to enactment of the reproductive health bill.”

In an email to PIA News Service, Lagman said that the Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved the appropriation provision of the consolidated RH bill which reads: “The amounts appropriated in the current annual General Appropriations Act for reproductive health and natural and artificial family planning under the DOH and POPCOM shall be allocated and utilized for the initial implementation of this Act"

"Such additional sums necessary to implement this Act; provide for the upgrading of facilities necessary to meet Basic Emergency Obstetric Care and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care standards; train and deploy skilled health providers; procure family planning supplies and commodities as provided in Sec. 10; and implement other reproductive health services, shall be included in the subsequent years' General Appropriations Acts.”

The Committee, according to the Albay solon, voted 20 to 3 in favor of the measures.

The current substitute bill is a consolidation of House Bills 96, 101, 513, 1160 and 3387 as approved previously by the Committee on Population and Family Relations.

After getting the approval of the Committees on Population and Family Relations and Appropriations, the substitute bill together with the Committee Report of the Committee on Population and Family Relations will be submitted to the Committee on Rules so that the RH bill could be calendared for plenary debates, Lagman said.

He also underscored that, “we do not only have the superiority of numbers; we also have the superiority of arguments.

Lagman added that “central to the bill is freedom of informed choice and access to information and services promoting both natural and modern family planning methods.”

The proponents of the RH bill in the House are confident that the controversial measure will finally become a law before the year ends.

Lagman stated that the enactment of an RH law will confirm the results of almost two decades of surveys documenting the peoples’ overwhelmingly support for the passage of an RH law. (MALoterte, PIA V/Albay)

PhilHealth files cases vs 9 employers for remittance failure
by Ed de Leon

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) - For failure to regularly remit their employees monthly premiums to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), nine Albay based private employers are now in hot waters and are facing criminal cases in the Legazpi City courts.

Dr. Veronica Mateum, Philhealth regional office officer-in-Charge, disclosed this during a press briefing held last Monday during the 16th anniversary of the government health insurance firm.

She said that cases were filed by their legal officer Atty Dean Salvosa to show that the PhilHealth is serious in going after erring employers who fail to remit the health insurance premiums they have deducted from their employees.

She added that the failure of employers to remit the monthly premiums of their employees will make them liable for the reimbursement of payment of a properly filed claimed when an employee or his dependent is confined in a hospital.

This, she said, is aside from the other penalties imposed under RA 7875 which includes a fine and imprisonment.

Mateum, however, explained that employees whose premiums were not remitted by their employers are still covered by PhilHealth if they or their dependents are confined for an ailment because it was not their fault that their premiums were not remitted by their employers.

She therefore urged private employees to file their complaint with the PhilHealth regional office legal office so that the agency can take the appropriate legal action. (EDLeon, PIA V/Albay)

Govt.,NGOs prepare for disasters through capability building seminar
by Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, (PIA) – With various mishaps besetting Sorsogon City over the past months, a three-day capability building (CapBuild) activity for vulnerable barangays is being conducted here to ensure that areas at risk in the city is prepared enough in times of calamities.

Said CapBuild activity slated February 16 - 18, was realized through the partnerships of the Federation of Associations for Communities and Children’s Empowerment (FACE) Incorporated, and Batit Anay Project (BAP) through the assistance of the ChildFund Philippines and the Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Risk Management Office (SPDRMO) as part of their disaster risk reduction effort.

“The first day’s activity was a success with the active participation shown by the members of the Barangay Development Council (BDC) from the six barangays of Sorsogon City, specifically barangays of Sirangan, Sampaloc, Balogo, Piot, Talisay, and Bitano-Dalipay,” said SPDRMO OIC head Jose Lopez.

The training will capacitate the partner barangays of FACE, BAP, and ChildFund Philippines so that they can keep abreast of the principles of R.A. 10121 (Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010) in crafting a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan or Contingency Plan and at the same time to organize a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee with representatives coming from the children and youth sector.

“It is also expected that by the end of the training, participants will be able to come up with their respective barangay profile and suitable maps that can be used as basis of their Disaster Contingency Plan,” said Lopez.

Risk and capacity assessments will be facilitated by the SPDRMO while representatives of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) will discuss the geohazard and meteorological component of the CAPBUILD training. (PIA Sorsogon)

EDSA run in Bicol, why not?
By Aida Alcazar-Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) – Bicol, particularly Legazpi City in Albay, is one of the 10 areas in the country which will carry out the Edsa Run outside Metro Manila on February 27.

The fundraiser run, spearheaded by the Ninoy and Cory Foundation (NCAF) will not only commemorate the 1986 People Power Revolution but help build 25,000 classrooms across the country.

The Bicol Run is a joint undertaking of the civil society, government and private sectors with the Pinoy Power Bicol Coalition of Volunteers (PPBCV) at the helm.

Said fun run hopes to raise funds from the donations of institutions and runners themselves via contributions and the purchase of t-shirts. So far, some P35,000 donations were received.

PPBCV President Ofelia Samar-Sy, M.D. said in yesterday’s meeting that a target of 8,000 participants may be feasible, what with the early commitment of would-be participants.

The Philippine National Police along with the Armed Forces of the Philippines assured some 2,000 runners; 3,000 intermediate pupils, high school and college students; 1,000 employees from government offices and local government units; some 700 from the private sector and civic organizations.

The Bicol Run secretariat said that runners from Naga City have signified their intention to join.

Dr. Sy said that pre-registration is extended until February 18 especially for those ordering the specially designed T-shirt, the official garb of the fun run. Inscribed in said t-shirt aside from proclaiming the Bicol Run is the caption, I am a classroom donor.

Walk-in participants are likewise encouraged to register early on the day of the run, February 27 starting 3:30 a.m. at the Peñaranda Park where the jog will commence up to Embarcadero in Legazpi City.

Bicol Run will begin 5:30 in the morning, the same time that Edsa Run and other provincial runs will commence.

A runner can select whether to take 3 kilometers or the 5 kilometers.

As this is a fun run, the organizers will start with a warm-up exercise, set up three to five water stations with bands to encourage them to finish the course.

Prizes await the fastest runners while all finishers will receive certificates of completion, Sy added.

Other provincial run will be held in Vigan, Ilocor Sur; Clark, Pampanga; the cities of Cebu, Davao, Dipolog, Zamboanga; and the provinces of Zambales, Sultan Kudarat and Zamboanga, Sibugay.

NCAF President Rafael Lopa said that the run is a new form of people power that will build classrooms for the Department of Education (DepEd).

NCAF believes that the project will help the education department reduce the severe classroom shortage in the country.

Interested groups or individuals desiring to join the Bicol Run can visit the PPBCV office at Bicol Medical Plaza, Rizal St., Legazpi City or call (052) 481-5087, 820-5087 or CP#0920-0600076. (PIA V/Albay)

Police bust private armed group
by Ernie A. Delgado

MASBATE CITY, (PIA)—A threat to kill a resident of Uson town, Masbate led to what is believed to be the first busting of a private armed group after the recent election season in a town with a long history of electoral violence.

Policemen were responding to a report of the presence of rifle-wielding men in front of the house of one Henry M. Valdez in Barangay Quezon in Uson when they caught one Leo C. Ubay and Eric U. Ortega with firepower.

Ubay, a 33-year-old native of Sto. Tomas, Batangas and Ortega, 28, a native of San Jacinto, Pangasinan, and both temporary residents of Barangay Armenia, Uson, were unable to present the necessary documents for the three firearms and scores of ammunition that were uncovered.
The suspects were immediately taken into police custody.

Charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition were being prepared against Ubay and Ortega.

In the report released by Camp Bonny Serrano, police community relations chief Elmo P. Guevarra said police had received a report that Valdez had been threatened by Ubay and Ortega for a still undetermined reason.

Responding policemen moved to arrest the suspects when they tried to conceal the firearms under the bushes.

Police confiscated a baby Armalite rifle and a .9mm GLOCK 17 pistol and various ammunition.
Armed goons employed by politicians were common in the town but which one Ubay and Ortega were working for remained undetermined.

This is the first time that an armed group has been identified. (PIA Masbate)

CSC Statesman bags 14 awards in Luzonwide journalism contest

VIRAC, Catanduanes, (PIA) — The CSC Statesman, the official student tertiary student publication of the Catanduanes State Colleges reasserted once more its track record when it garnered 14 major awards in the group and individual writing contests in the recent 2011 Luzonwide Higher Education Press Conference in Baguio City.

The official tertiary student publication of the Catanduanes State Colleges contributed the biggest wins for Region V delegation, thus steering Bicol in the seven competing regions in Luzon, including the guest region Central Visayas.

Some 700 regional winners vied for the Top 10 places in 12 journalism categories.

The CSC’s winners are John Elmar B. Templonuevo (BSE) - 4th, Editorial Writing English and 4th Copyreading and Headline Writing English; Jonathan V. Tulod (BSCE) - 3rd, Sports Writing English; Elvin Randolph R. Jubay (BSA)- 4th Poetry Writing Filipino; Cyril Patrice O. Bernardino (BSBio), - 3rd, Feature Writing English and 9th, Poetry Writing English; Dave S. Tolentino (BSE)- 2nd, Feature Writing Filipino; Bren Garette Z. Rivera (BSBio) - 4th Place photojournalism Filipino; and Jobert C. Angelo Toledo (BSIT)- 9th Place, Comics Strip Illustration.

In the group competition, the CSC Statesman Magazine was also proclaimed among the Top 10 winners – Best News Page, 6th; and Best Cover Design, 4th while the CSC Statesman Newsletter was adjudged Best in DevCom Page, 9th; Best in Editorial Page, 6th; Best in Sports Page, 8th.

Two hundred thirty-one (231) publications from various government and private colleges and universities also vied for the Top 10 places in the group contests.

The CSC Statesman acknowledges the CSC administration for making possible their participation in the competition as well as Dr. Charlene Cantar, Prof. Amelia Armea, Prof. Esperanza San Juan, Raissa G. Tan, the Office of CSC Administrative Officer V, PR and Information Services and Engr. Fernan A. Gianan of Catanduanes Tribune for their valuable support and technical assistance.

The biggest intercollegiate campus press competition, which is now on its 10th year, was jointly conducted by Association of Luzonwide Tertiary Press Advisers and the Commission on Higher Education – Cordillera Autonomous Region on February 2-5, 2011 at Teacher’s Camp in Baguio City. (EABagadiong, PIA Catanduanes/CSC)