Sen. Chiz supports call on NEA's take over of ALECO in Albay

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) -- Senator Francis Escudero has expressed his full support on the call of Albay Gov. Joey Salceda on National Electrification Administration (NEA) take over of Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO).

Escudero, in an SMS to PIA News Service today (Feb. 2), said NEA's take over of the management of the cash-strapped ALECO is in the best interest of the member-consumers.

The senator stressed that he will also make the proper representation with the Deaprtment of Energy (DOE) to effect this at the soonest possible time.

"I also propose a management committee designated by NEA that will pursue a very specific objective and doables. They should also be time bound, to avoid abuse by athourities like what happened with other takeovers carried out by National Power Corporation (NPC) in the past," Escudero said.

Earlier, Salceda already stated that one solution was for government to take over management of ALECO, which he described as a “problem cooperative.”

He said NEA, which supervises the operations of electric cooperatives nationwide, should take over ALECO and institute reforms in the cooperative.

Albay's 15 towns and three cities almost lost the supply of electricity yesterday (Feb. 1) for failure of the electric cooperative to pay last Jan. 31 at least P258 million of its debt of more than P1 billion in electric bills.

Salceda said ALECO owes the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC) at least P1.2billion.

The governor also said ALECO owes P1.7 billion to the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp. and P180 million to the NEA.

A multi-sectoral group in the province, convened by the the Catholic Church here, has also expressed alarm over the inefficient management of the local power cooperative.

“What the cooperative needs is complete reform,” said Fr. Ramoncito Segubience, executive director of the church’s Social Action Center in this city. (MALoterte, PIA V/Albay)

BI ADVISES FOREIGNERS TO COMPLY WITH ANNUAL REPORT
By Aida Alcazar-Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) – The Bureau of Immigration, here reminds all aliens with immigrant or non-immigrant visas to comply with the annual reporting to any immigration office as mandated by law.

Alien Registration Act of 1950 requires foreigners residing in the country to personally report within the first 60 working days of the calendar year.

Alien Control Officer Josephus Ojano, head BI Legazpi Satellite Office made the call during Monday’s program of PIA Bicol’s Aramon Ta Daw, saying foreigners have until March to appear to the immigration office else they will be fined or worst face deportation.

He made an appeal to Filipinas who are wives or girlfriends of foreigners to urge their spouses to fulfill their obligation as aliens residing in the country.

The Legazpi office serves some 500 foreigners residing in Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, and Masbate. Another 400 aliens are registered at the BI Naga Satellite Office covering the camarines provinces of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte.

Aliens are required to pay an annual fee of P300 plus P10 legal research fee. If they fail to report on time, surcharges will be added to the required fee.

According to Ojano most of the foreigners covered by the Legazpi satellite office are retired United States citizens who opted to stay in the country, dislodging from the top list the Chinese nationals. For the last three years the immigration office noted an increase in the number of Indian nationals. There are also British and Australian nationals in the area.

Ojano also disclosed that there are foreigners who temporary reside in the region as part of their job just like the Chinese connected with the Goodfound Center Plant in Palanog, Camalig, Albay and the Koreans at the Rapu-Rapu, Albay mines.

Exempted to appear for yearly reporting are Alien Registration Card (ACR) holders who have special documentation from the United Nation Refugee Agency and those sponsored by a foreign government like Spain and Belgium or foreign non-government organization. These individuals possess special documents issued by the Department of Justice.

SORSOGON NGOS PRESENTS AREAS OF COLLABORATION TO LOCAL MANAGEMENT OFFICE
By Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, (PIA) — Thirteen (13) strong existing Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the province of Sorsogon were in attendance to the First Convener Meeting for NGOs initiated by the Sorsogon Provincial Management Office (SPMO) called by the SPMO Executive Director , former governor, Sally Ante Lee at their newly constructed office, here, last week.

“It has always been my desire to first and foremost extend my warmest appreciation to all the non-governmental organizations in the province of Sorsogon who even during the time when I was still the governor proved to be partners in development and on their own initiated programs and projects that have changed the life of a lot of people in the grassroots”, Lee explained.

Lee also stressed that the purpose of the meeting is to find out the different areas of collaboration that each organization is implementing in the province and that no duplication of programs be monopolized by certain areas or just certain beneficiaries.

“I intend, that through our office, we will be able to assess the current situation of our basic communities and that the programs and projects implemented by the NGOs are initiatives that will answer the needs of the beneficiaries and is also in accordance with the thrusts of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) which is by far the thrusts of all government leaders globally”, Lee expressed.

Each NGO presented their programs though a power point presentation explicitly defining their areas for partnership and complementation. The Peoples Alternative Livelihood Foundation of Sorsogon (PALFSI) provides assistance thru Grammin Banking assisting families and small entrepreneurs to have capitalization , Intervida’s thrust is towards Education and Youth Development; the Aggrupation of Advocates for Environment Protection (AGAP) Bulusan, Inc. partners with local government in tourism activities; Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) focuses on responsible parenting; Green Valley for child education assistance; Coastal Core for sustainable community development ; Provincial Agriculturist and Fishery Council (PAFC) for agriculture and fishery development; FACE for civic education, good citizenship and values formation; while Lingap sa Kalusugan ng Sambayanan, (LIKAS), Inc. for environment, gender advocacy and development and PCEED for organizational development.

The areas of collaboration presented by each NGO according to Lee have served as an add-on to the existing programs of government. With their presentation, the provincial government was able to identify the various programs and projects present in the local government units, the mode of complementation each contribute. She said they have acknowledged the NGOs as potent development partners.

She also extended her invitation to all of them to disseminate their programs through the radio program of the provincial government “Sa Kapitolyo” so as to enhance public awareness. She assured them that she will help facilitate needed by them and cooperate fully to the partnership

“The presence of these NGOs in our province is a clear indication that they have been true development partners and we are one in our understanding that the end-goal of our program complementation is towards offering a better quality of life of the people in the provinces,” Lee further stressed. (PIA Sorsogon)

MOST MASBATEÑOS HAVE CAVITIES, SHOULD ENHANCE ORAL HEALTH - MHO
By Ernie Delgado

MASBATE CITY, (PIA) — Masbateños are in deep cavity trouble. This was revealed by Dr. Lynette Espenida-Villamor of the public health office.

Villamor said Masbateños are typical Filipinos who are having trouble with their teeth.

According to statistics from the Department of Health (DOH), nine of 10 Filipinos or 92 percent have cavities in their teeth, while seven of 10 have gum diseases.

“The situation should be a cause for embarrassment for us,” said Villamor. “Many other countries don’t have problems of cavities among their population.”

According to Villamor, Masbateños should take time out to enhance their oral health especially this February which is observed in the country as National Dental Month.

Dr. Villamor also said that the DOH and Masbate City Health Office will feature several activities that will help impart the importance of oral hygiene.

With the theme, “Ngipin Kayamanan, Pagkasira Huwag Hayaan: Dentistang Mapagkalinga, Handa Kang Gabayan," clinics on tooth brushing open the observance tomorrow in day care centers here.

Together with local chapter officers of Philippine Dental Association (PDA), the government health center’s dentists are poised to conduct dental missions in the city’s slums and far-flung communities.

This year’s highlights include the kick-off for the search for health workers, day care centers and local government units which stand out in promoting oral health. (PIA Masbate)

FICELCO, NAPOCOR HOLD BRIEFING ON POWER SITUATION IN CAT’NES

VIRAC, Catanduanes, (PIA) — A one-day orientation seminar on power situation in Catanduanes sponsored by the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FICELCO) in cooperation with the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) was held yesterday, January 31, 2011 at the Provincial Capitol Dome.

One of the objectives of the activity is to orient and inform barangay officials specially the newly elected barangay captains on the actual situation of power supply in the province due to frequent power interruptions experienced by the consumer members of the FICELCO these past days.

The seminar was attended by around 200 barangay officials from the barangays of Virac.

Topics discussed were the following: FICELCO Profile; Catanduanes Distribution System and Causes of Power Interruptions; Policy on Energy Pilferage and RA +832; Power Restructuring in Catanduanes; Barangay Streetlight and Barangay Power Association. Speakers were Engr. Edwin T. Tatel, Plant Supervisor of NAPOCOR; Engr. Peter L. Amaro, OIC-MOD/SPECD Manager; Engr. Samy T. Mamba, SIRD Supervisor; Engr. Francis A. Gianan, OIC-MSD Manager and Engr. Rodulfo F. Mendoza, OIC General Manager of FICELCO. (EA Bagadiong, PIA Catanduanes)

PRESERVE THE INSTITUTION, RUN AFTER CROOKS – CHIZ

MANILA, (PIA) -- Amid the scandals and corruption unraveling before the congressional inquiry into the misuse of military funds, Senator Chiz Escudero said these investigations should hold accountable those who took advantage of the coffers of the armed forces for personal gain without destroying the institution itself.

“I still believe that majority of our officers and men in uniform are honest and hardworking. It would be a disservice to lump them together with those crooked individuals,” Escudero said.

Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense and security, said that in all these ongoing investigations there should be a conscious effort to always preserve the integrity of the institution as a whole no matter how many rotten men belong to the armed forces.

Escudero added, greed and its monopoly have corrupted the military institution and for this, those who raided the military coffers and raped its system must be held accountable. The investigations should work as to make these crooks know that they are not invincible and that they are not above the law.

According to the senator, former military generals Angelo Reyes, Carlos Garcia, Jacinto Ligot and whoever is into corruption do not comprise the whole armed forces.

“They are the just the little dirty party in the military, the biggest party is still made up of men who work with risk and sacrifice. These are our soldiers who live and die in the name of the country’s freedom and democracy,” Escudero said. (Office of Sen. Escudero/PIA VAlbay/mal)