WB spearheads expenditure review workshop
by Lizel S. Macatangay

NAGA City, (PIA) — The World Bank (WB) in cooperation with Ateneo De Naga University, its Knowledge Development Center Partner here, conducted the 2010 Philippine Public Expenditure Review (PER) over the weekend at the Avenue Plaza Hotel, Magsaysay Avenue, Naga City primarily to provide information and key findings on public expenditure in the past decade.

The workshop was attended by private representatives, academe delegates, media practitioners and government personnel, among others. The discussant centered their talks on the findings from the 2010 Public Expenditure Review on the context of regional equity, the results and analysis on the efficiency of public spending in the Philippines and on how to bridge the gap in public expenditure in terms of sufficiency, efficiency and equity.

Findings from the study revealed that the Philippines showed evidence of inefficiency in terms of expenditure in priority areas, like basic education, health and transport which is significantly lower as compared in other countries.

The study further revealed that LGU spending contributed to the rising income and education inequality among regions. This decline in basic education significantly resulted to the deterioration of enrollment rate, completion rate and test scores of the students.

Financial constraint, specifically from the poor sector, also contributed to the decline of putting health concerns on the lower priority of poverty-stricken families, leading to the decline of health spending which is low by regional standards and with average efficiency.

According to Ms. Justine Diokno-Sicat of WB, although the prevalence of underweight children aged under 5 declined from 1998 to 2005, this increased again in 2008 and remains high as compared to other countries. These findings run contrary to our government’s MDG commitment to reduce child mortality in the country.

On the transport sector, the study mapped out under funding of the road sector, particularly on road maintenance. This after their research showed that the percentage of the national roads in good and fair condition and the percentage of paved national roads have broadly stagnated since 1982.

WB Senior Public Sector Specialist and Task Team Leader Rosa Alonso I Terme, after discussing the wide gaps on Philippine expenditure said that an increased tax effort through both policy tax and tax administration measures can be one of the surefire ways to augment and bridge these gaps.

Summing it up, the study still considers that there are still measures that the government can consider to boost the impact of public spending in priority areas without actually raising total spending – and that is by re allocating the expenditures towards a more efficient delivery of the basic services to increase available public resources and priority expenditures. (PIA Camarines Sur)

DENR vows strict implementation of EO 23

LEGAZPI CITY— The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Bicol has assured the public of strict imposition of the Executive Order (EO) 23 issued by President Aquino that upheld the moratorium on tree cutting in natural and residual forest.

“We will see to it that every field office will abide by the EO and monitor rigorously activities in identified natural forest in the region,” assured DENR Bicol Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada.

Fragada said that in Bicol Region illegal logging/tree cutting operation is insignificant since there are no Industrial Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) holders.

The last known logging contract in Bicol was cancelled during the seventies.

On the issue of unscrupulous illegal tree cutters, Fragada stressed that these violators will be meted with fines and penalty as provided by the law.

He warned local tree cutters and “mag-uuling” to steer clear of these illegal activities specifically cutting down mangroves and using it for their charcoal selling business.

“The DENR believes that EO 23 will provide a good balance of forest for perpetuity by shifting timber harvesting in tree plantations only” the director added.

Meanwhile, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje earlier explained that with the EO, timber extraction has now become a purely “what-you-plant-is-what-you-cut enterprise” especially for the 145 holders of the 25-year IFMA, which cover 1.02 million hectares of forestlands.

Paje also downplayed the impact which EO 23 might have on the local wood supply, noting that by expanding the harvesting operations in tree plantations can very well fill up for wood sourced from natural forests, which account for some 108,000 cubic meters annually.

According to Paje EO 23 has elevated forest protection as major activity of the state’s armed apparatus, namely the Armed forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), citing section 3 of the order which specifically orders the two to play a major roles in the creation of anti-illegal logging task force. (ASAraya, DENR V/PIA Albay/mal)

Bicol observes Adoption Consciousness Week

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — The National Organizing Committee, chaired by the government’s social welfare agency, has extended the observance of the Adoption Consciousness Day 2011 into a week-long event from February 5-11 to intensify promotion and awareness on child adoption laws and concerns among Filipinos.

Bicol Regional Director Remia Tapispisan of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Bicol explained the celebration was held annually based on Proclamation No. 72 dated February 2, 1999.

She said the event kicked off with the establishment of an Adoptive Inquiry Desk on Feb. 5 at SM City in Naga City and at LCC Supermart in Masbate City, other activities included media guesting and adoption forum.
Tapispisan said that adoption is socio-legal processes which enable a child who cannot be reared up by the biological parents acquire status wherein he/she can benefit from a new relationship with a permanent family.

She also disclosed that there is an increasing number of an orphaned, abandoned and neglected Filipino children in need of parental care and family environment.

At present, DSWD Bicol has 41 abandoned, orphaned and neglected children placed under the care of the Reception and Study Center for Children in Barangay Nasisi, Ligao City in need of either temporary or permanent alternative care

Tapispisan said that Bicol has 24 foster families who are giving care to children who are in need of temporary family care and a home environment. (EEJerusalem, DSWD V/PIA Albay/mal)
Reyes’ death wake up call to legislators from engaging in trial by publicity

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — The death by suicide of former AFP Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes sends the message to legislators to desist from engaging in trial by publicity and to defer to prosecutorial and judicial officials the jurisdiction over purported crimes.

Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagaman, in an email to PIA Bicol News Service, said that Reyes possibly could not bear his own and his family’s embarrassment due to repeated allegations and innuendoes of wrongdoings so much so that he preferred death to dishonor.

“It is of no moment that the person who perished is innocent or guilty because one’s death diminishes the entire society,” Lagman commented.

“We must respect the decision of Reyes to take his own life to foreclose the continuing assaults on his integrity without the benefit of a judicial process wherein innocence is presumed before final conviction,” he said. (MALoterte, PIA Albay)

Bicol attracts 2.5 million tourist in 2010
by Ed de Leon

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — Bicol tourist arrivals in the first nine months of 2010 grew by 41 percent with some 2,480,928 tourists visiting the region or 718,578 more than the same period of 2009 according to the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office here.

DOT Bicol Regional Director Maria Ravanilla said that of the total number of tourist arrivals in 2010, Camarines Sur contributed 75 percent with 1,879,192.

She added that Camarines Sur is now considered the fastest growing tourist destination in the country today registering a growth rate 53 percent topping even Metro Manila, Cebu and Boracay.

She disclosed that last year some 1,999,350 local tourists visited Bicol while 481,781 were foreigners.

Of the foreign tourist arrivals , the Americans topped the list with 61,689 , second were from England with 34,850, third were from Israel with 27,665, fourth were from Australia with 22,959 and fifth were from South Korea with 21,392.

Ravanilla said that from among the six provinces of Bicol, Albay’s Legazpi city registered the highest growth rate with 65.05 percent or an increment of 92,586 over the 2009 figures.

While Camarines Sur is a close second with 650,123 more tourist arrivals or a 53 percent more than in 2009 and third is Sorsogon with 21 percent growth while the rest registered a decline in tourist arrivals.

She said that for the period under review the tourism industry has contributed some P1.5 billion in gross receipts to the Bicol economy and generated an estimated 3,026,732 jobs for Bicolanos in the various tourism related industries in the region in like hotels, restaurants, resorts, transportation, handicrafts and the entertainment sector.(EDLeon, PIA V/Albay/mal)

Cua creates Steering Committee and Technical Working Group for LINGGO NG KALIKASAN

VIRAC, Catanduanes, (PIA) — The Provincial Government of Catanduanes has endeavored to pass Provincial Ordinance No. 003-2010 otherwise known as Ordinance Institutionalizing the Annual Celebration of Linggo ng Kalikasan every 3rd week of June in the Province of Catanduanes as a mechanism to effect behavioral change among Catandunganons and rally them towards the protection of the fragile ecosystems of the province.

A Steering Committee and a Technical Working Group was created by Gov. Joseph C. Cua to provide guidance and technical assistance for the successful celebration of the said activity.

The steering committee is composed of the Governor as Ghairman, Vice-Governor as Vice-Chairman and the members are representatives of the ff: Congressional District Office, SP Chairman Committee on Environment, Provincial Treasurer, DENR/PENRO, DepEd Division Superintendent, Catanduanes State Colleges President, PNP Director, 83rd IB Battalion Commander, Catanduanes Sustainable Ecosystems Development Heritage, Inc., Center for Ctaandungan Heritage, Inc., Virac Ladies Circle, 905th Phil. Coast Guard Auxilliary, PTA Federation President and DZVC Radyo ng Bayan Virac.

On the other hand, the technical working group is composed of Provincial Administrator Engr. Luis L. Surtida, Marionito S. Socito, Ma. Juliet S. Araojo, Joselyn T. Alberto, Ma. Nelita M. Panti, Dr. Minerico Morales, Engr. Gil Augustus A. Balmadrid, Marlon D. Inigo, Carmel B. Garcia and Dr. Hazel A. Palmes. (EABagadiong, PIA Catanduanes)

CSC to conduct Penology Officer Examination

VIRAC, Catanduanes, (PIA) — The Civil Service Commission will conduct the Penology Officer Examination on March 20, 2011. The said examination is conducted is conducted to establish a roster of eligibles from which certification and appointment to the second level ranks in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and other functionally related agencies shall be made, provided said eligibles meet the qualifications and other requirements of the said positions.

The Penology Officer Eligibility is considered appropriate to second level ranks in the jail management and penology, and functionally related services only, except for ranks under the Philippine National Police (PNP).

All interested applicants must be able to meet the following qualifications: must be a Filipino citizen, mentally and physically fit or free from any deformities which would render them incapable of performing the duties required of the BJMP ranks of good moral character must not have been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving moral turpitude, or of disgraceful or immoral conduct, dishonesty, examination irregularity, drunkenness or addiction to drugs and must not have been dishonorably discharge from military service or dismissed for cause for any civilian position in the government.

The application forms may be secured at any CSC Regional and Field Offices. ((EABagadiong, PIA Catanduanes)

BIR RDO 64 to implement immediately anti red tape act
by Rosalita B. Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte, (PIA) – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) RDO 64 will implement immediately Republic Act 9485 or the Anti Red Tape Act of 2007.

Assistant RDO Modesto R. Avila Jr. said that RA 9485 is “An act to Improve the efficiency in the delivery of government service to the public by reducing bureaucratic red tape, preventing graft and corruption and providing penalties therefore”.

He said that as mandated in the RA 9485 the BIR is directed to comply with the prescribed policies and procedures, including the processing time and documentary requirements in rendering eight (8) identified Registration-related frontline activities.

Avila said that the frontline services include: processing of application for Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Registration of Self-Employed Individuals, Estates and Trusts and the processing of application for TIN and registration of Non-Individuals including their branches or facilities.

Also other frontline services are: processing of application for TIN and registration of local employee, application for TIN under EO no. 98/ONETT, subsequent registration of manual books of account, subsequent registration of loose-leaf Books of accounts, subsequesnt request for authority to print (ATP) receipts/invoices; and the processing of request for certification of certificate of registration/ATP/TIN Card.

He explained that the BIR is also tasked to post their vision and mission at the main entrance, post information billboards/tarpaulins, establishment of the Public Assistance and Complaints Desk manned by a personnel about the frontline services, posting of procedures on filing complaint, no lunch break policy, posting of CSC Anti-Fixer Campaign Banner and the use of suggestion boxes or other feedback mechanisms.

He added that they will organize their office in order to comply with the requirements for the full implementation of the said act. (PIA CamNorte)

DSWD celebrates 60 years of service

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development has turned 60 years old this January, with the theme “DSWD @60: Committed Social Service with Integrity”.

DSWD Bicol has celebrated the month-long event was kicking-off with the blowing of the anniversary candle last Jan., led by Bicol Regional Director Remia Tapispisan. Other activities were thanksgiving mass, a cultural presentation and the bestowing of awards and recognition to the staff with exemplary performance.

The awards program was be part of the culmination of the month-long event, and also highlighting the celebration was the homecoming of those persons who had been part of the institution.

The agency through the PRAISE or the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence has cited employees with excellent performance and made an extraordinary contribution to the attainment of the agency’s mission.

The Regional PRAISE Awardees are the following:
• Nene M. Lanuza, Best Technical Staff, Sub-Professional Category
• Marilyn B. Maraño, Best Technical Staff, Professional Category
• Francela C. Jardin, Best Support Staff, Sub-Professional Category
• Marichu R. Regalario, Best Support Staff, Professional Category

“Lakas ng Karakter” Award is a special recognition accorded by the DSWD to the employees who have exhibited an exemplary character trait like: diligence, endurance, patience, trustworthy, discretion and enthusiasm.

The “Lakas ng Karakter” awardees are: Nida Macinas, Francela Jardin, Jay Bolaños, Marichu Regalario, Arwin Razo, Ma. Cristina Samson, Randy Macines, Nancy Basallo, Judina Dave Lorena and Joy Belen.

Another eight employees who have rendered dedicated service to the department were also cited, including:

• 20 years of service - Ranulfo Pasano
• 25 years of service - Generosa Millete and Gelacio Grefal
• 30 years of service - Evelyn Labayo and Armando Brinces
• 35 years of service - Marichu Regalario, Dolores Lolita

Meanwhile the DSWD Bicol was also accorded two awards during the celebration of the 60th
founding anniversary at the DSWD Central Office. For the national PRAISE Award Ms. Nene M. Lanuza was bestowed as the Best Technical Staff, sub-professional category and 2nd for the Best Booth competition. The booths displayed the livelihood products of the beneficiaries under the Self-Employment Assistance Program of the DSWD.

The Naga City Government was also vested as the Gawad Paglilingkod ng Sambayanan
(GAPAS) Award as Model LGU implementing Day Care Service.

For 60 years and beyond, the DSWD is moving towards convergence. This convergence
Framework for Poverty Reduction which was initiated by Secretary Corazon Juliano Soliman aims to maximize the impact of poverty reduction programs through the effective targeting system and a holistic community development approach. This Framework consists of the three key programs of the department which are: the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, KALAHI-CIDSS and the Self-Employment Assistance Program. (EEJerusalem, DSWD V/PIA Albay/mal)

CSC enforcing "no smoking" rules in Masbate
by Ernie A. Delgado

MASBATE CITY, (PIA)—The office of the Civil Service Commission warned government workers of sanction if they are 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 grounds 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. (PIA Masbate)

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, PIA Masbate)


532 new infrastructures 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)