Cam Sur convergence initiative gains support
By Lizel S. Macatangay

CADLAN, Pili, Camarines Sur, (PIA) -- Another first of its kind in the province, the public-private-partnership (PPP) program being pushed by the administration of President Benigno Aquino III has gained popular support, not only from its counterparts and local stakeholders but also from investors who participated in the first ever National Convergence Initiative (NCI) held at the Capitol Convention here.

Spearheaded and initiated by the local government of Camarines Sur thru CamSur Governor Luis Raymond Villafuerte, the gathering was strategically participated in by a triad of agencies comprising the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The merging of these agencies’ programs is in tune to the attainment of the ridge to reef enterprise development, being the main focus of the convergence. The union was sealed with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the local government units and its partners, historically signifying the formal commencement of NCI in the region.

The convergence is a comprehensive project composed of various priority projects of the local government aimed on attaining food security, job generation, entrepreneurship promotion, poverty reduction and sustainable development in various areas of implementation. It also seeks to promote alternative avenues to create electricity thru non renewable and conventional sources like solar energy, bulk water, biomass and wind-powered electricity production.

DENR Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada cited that the agency’s primary role is to arrest the impact of climate change while ensuring a paradigm shift in the attainment of sustainable development and intervention for small fisherfolks and marginalized upland dwellers.

To realize this, the DENR handed over free patent and forest/fruit tree seedlings, DAR to distribute CLOA Certificate of Land Ownership Agreement; BFAR to award fishery projects while PCIC will award 50 insurance policies to farmers.

The Department of Agriculture also distributed a project package worth P 48,000 for the establishment of a pili nursery along with nine (9) units of shallow tube wells amounting to Php 675,000 and a mechanical dryer as the agency’s post harvest support to the cluster. (PIA Camarines Sur/mal)

Bicol Police receives P100 million worth of communication equipment
By Ed de Leon

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) – To further improve the operations of the Bicol police in its fight to check criminality in the six provinces of the Bicol region, Philippine National Police PNP) chief Raul M. Bacalzo turned-over P100 million worth of various communications equipment today to Police Regional Office V.

Sr. Inspector Ayn Natuel, PRO 5 spokesperson, said that the communication equipment were turned-over at Camp Simeon Ola 9:00 am today by Chief Supt. Roque G. Ramirez, Director for Communication Electronics Services at PNP National headquarters, who represented the PNP chief who was suppose to arrive for the turn-over rites.

The Communication equipment were received by Chief Supt. Cecilio B. Calleja, PRO 5 regional director, who thanked the PNP chief for providing the much needed equipment.
Calleja said that the new communication equipment will help boost the operational capability and further improve the coordination among the various Provincial, City and municipal police stations of the region.

He said that they will immediately set up the equipment to make them operational as soon as possible. (PIA V/Albay/mal)

Legarda: Intensify teamwork among gov’t agencies for swift action on OFWS’ concerns

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) -- Senator Loren Legarda today said that various government agencies, particularly the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Labor and Employment, must synergize their efforts to give immediate assistance to overseas Filipinos returning to the country.

“Our embassies and consulates abroad must continue to monitor political developments in their respective territorial assignments particularly in the Middle East, and must be prepared to adopt contingency measures even before things get worse,” she said.

“Meanwhile the Department of Labor must focus on job placements and skills matching for returning OFWs,” she added.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said that as several countries in the Middle East and Africa, such as Libya and Yemen, continue to face political unrest, more OFWs in said nations would feel the need or be compelled to return to the country for their own safety. However, their future remains uncertain with their abrupt displacement.

“We hear stories of returning OFWs who were not able to bring anything with them. They are now home and safe with their families; they are now safe from the dangers they could have met had they stayed abroad. But now they will have to face the threats of being unemployed. These OFWs are the breadwinners of their families and they will have to find a way to immediately get back to work,” she stressed. (Office of Sen. Legarda/PIA Albay/mal)

DAR ARC Bagsakan Center receives aid from Gov. Cua
By Edna A Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes (PIA) - The Provincial Government of Catanduanes, through the Provincial Agricultural Support Office (PASO), granted Php 500, 000 worth of equipment to a DAR-assisted Agrarian Reform Community (ARC), for the operation of their Bagsakan Center.

The K-4 (Kapatiran Kaunlaran at Kilusan ng mga kababaihan sa Mislagan-Capilihan), a 36-member People's Organization organized by the Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office in 2007.

Senior Agriculturist Ligaya San Roque designated bagsakan center coordinator of the PASO said that the equipment is being released into two batches, the first release worth Php 300, 000 was on January 4, 2011 while the final batch will follow anytime.

Delfin Advincula , ARC's K-4 cooperative chairperson personally received the aid from Governor Joseph C. Cua.

Members of the cooperative were thankful that the aid will help boost the center's capacity and services that was launched in April 2010.

Provincial Agriculture Reform Officer of DAR here, Alexander Teves expressed his appreciation for the assistance given to ARC, citing its usefulness to the center in sustaining the operations. He also said that this is a good indication of governments continuing effort to converge various services from the different agencies in promoting economic development of their common client.

Government Cua handed over its first batch of release to K-4 officials the following equipments manual and electric meat grinder, electric rice grinder, digital price computer scale, powered coconut grater, 24 plastic crates, 1000-kg capacity vascular scale, four (4) chest freezers, showcase chillers for 300 L and 620 L capacity, two (2) hanging weighing scales (100 kg capacity), and two (2) 20-kilo stand weighing scale. (PIA Catanduanes/mal)

DA Holds Consultation with Stakeholders
By Lizel S. Macatangay

SAN AGUSTIN, Pili, Camarines Sur (PIA) ---- Recognizing the importance of its stakeholders’ support, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Office here conducted a 2-day comprehensive Planning Workshop and Partnership Building basically to impart the over all strategic framework of the Agrikulturang Pilipino program among its partners.

The consultation which was held at Macagang Business Center in Nabua, Camarines Sur early this week, were joined by representatives coming from the municipal and provincial offices, district legislators, heads of DA’s attached agencies, agriculturists from the provincial and municipal level and collaborators from various local government units, State Universities and delegates from non government organizations.

Aimed at building a more strategic alliance among its partners, DA Regional Executive Director Jose V. Dayao lauded the enormous support shown by the participants during the said consultation. Dayao remarked that in spite of the calamity that invaded the agriculture industry, it was still able to post a comparatively stable growth in both the agriculture and fishery sectors.

On the other hand, Dayao also emphasized that much is yet to be done in order to maintain and sustain the agency’s various programs. He reiterated the need to improve agriculture investments by using modern technology and encouraged the participants to think of strategies that would arrest the ill-effects of climate change.

Attendees also discussed the issues surrounding high value crops specifically vegetables, fruits, rootcrops and industrial crops and staple foods.

One of the highlights of the confab was the drafting of the Regional Management Council (RMC) of an agricultural blueprint for 2012 in line with the objective of the Agri-Pinoy program. A natural resource -based management, sustainable agriculture, food security and local development are only some of the principles being embodied in Agri-Pinoy. (PIA Camarines Sur/mal)

PRC Initiates Convenio Project Implementation in Camarines Sur
By Lizel S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, (PIA) ---- The Philippine Red Cross Camarines Sur Chapter together with the Spanish Red Cross and the Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional Para El Desarrollo (AECID) marked another landmark project in selected towns and barangays in Camarines Sur as the Convenio Project formally kicks off in Camarines Sur.

In a simple yet remarkable launching of the Convenio Project and the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between PRC and its partners/stakeholders held at the Regent Hotel here, Ms. Nanette Rodrigazo, PRC-Camarines Sur Chapter administrator expressed her great gratitude for the support of other Red Cross chapters, particularly the Spanish and Australian Red Cross for pursuing these projects in the most vulnerable areas of the province.

Complementing the PRC’s role are its partner agencies, specifically the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The towns of Lagonoy, Siruma and Garchitorena were among the lucky recipients of the project. For the first time, PRC will also include groups and members of the indigenous communities located in the city of Iriga and the town of Buhi . Interventions concerning Vulnerability on Health and Disaster Preparedness will be undertaken in the aforementioned areas.

The project aims to contribute in the reduction of the vulnerability of selected communities to health risks and the risk to natural disasters. Specifically, it also aims to strengthen the capacity of the members of the community and the local structures herein for the improvement of their health management and risk reduction for natural catastrophes.

The beneficiaries’ inclusion in the project is based on the donor’s criteria, citing among others their poor access to health services, specifically remote areas with high prevalence of water borne diseases and malnutrition; areas with limited sources in terms of livelihood, areas with highly populated puroks/ sitios; areas without or with poor access to potable water and areas which are prone to natural disasters.

The donors also chose the areas where there is good acceptance of the project while exhibiting high potential for synergies with LGUS and other agencies/projects.
The local government of Camarines Sur thru Governor LRay Villafuerte has also expressed its 100 percent support for the full implementation of the Community Health Management and Disaster Risk Reduction Program of the Philippine Red Cross. (PIA Camarines Sur/mal)

Representatives of UN state members to visit Albay

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) – Representatives of the United Nations member states are set to visit the province of Albay to witness first hand operations and programs of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), and World Food Programme (WFP).

UNDP country director Renaud Meyer, in a letter addressed to Albay Governor Joey Salceda said that the Philippines has been chosen as the site of 2011 joint field visit of the executive boards of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNPF, Unicef, and WFP because of the innovative development and humanitarian initiative undertaken in the country.

The visit is to enable the executive board members to understand the contribution of UN agencies are making and the challenges faced in assisting the country in attaining national objectives, in the context of sustaining development, the Millennium Development Goals and other internally agreed goals.

The delegation will spend one full week in the Philippines late this month and part of their itinerary is a three-day visit to UNDP project sites in this city and surrounding municipalities for March 29-31.

The project UNDP-Albay Strengthening the Philippine’s Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change has been chosen to showcase the results of UNDP programs in partnership with the local government.

Albay has been recognized by United Nations as local government unit champion and model on climate change adaptation initiatives. (MALoterte, PIA Albay/)