LBP grants P3B loans to Bicol’s priority sectors in 2010

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) – The Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) provided last year over P3-billion loan to its priority sectors in Bicol including small farmers and fisher folk (SFF), cooperatives, small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs), agribusinesses, socialized housing and environment-related projects.

In a statement here Monday, LBP assistant vice-president and Bicol regional head Renato Eje said of the P3.077 billion loan granted in 2010, the government-owned banking institution released P1.43 billion, or 46 percent to agriculture infrastructure projects of local government units (LGUs).

He said SFF cooperatives and other financial conduits such as rural banks, irrigators and farmers’ associations got 25 percent, or P763 million of the total priority sectors loan that benefited a cumulative 252,687 number of farmer-beneficiaries in the region.

Total loans to SMEs reached P423 million or 14 percent of the region’s total priority sector loans while LGUs got P1.552 billion marking a P157-million increase over the P1.395 million it posted in 2009.

Bicol’s Countryside Financial Institution loans last year was P484.142 million which was up 13 percent from P427.144 in the previous year, he said.

Those releases were part of the P3.24-billion loan portfolio of the LBP in Bicol last year which was over P1.9 billion more than its total outstanding loans four years ago, Eje said adding that such growth was product of the bank’s sustained efforts to deliver credit assistance to its development partners particularly those in the agricultural and small businesses sectors.

LBP loan releases for pump-priming and agribusiness projects in Bicol last year amounted to a total of P1.56 billion with agricultural production posting the highest at P597.49 million followed by marketing support at P447.138 million, he noted.

“We are continuously growing in Bicol as shown by our deposit portfolio which was P11.525 billion in 2010 that was up by over P5.5 billion from 2006 which was only P5.98 billion,” Eje said.

LBP in the region had already 14 branches and adding one more in Polangui, Albay next week as it prepares for the additional influx of clients with the expanded implementation of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) of the Aquino administration which makes the bank its exclusive servicing outlet, he added. (DOCalleja, LGU Legazpi City/PIA Albay/mal)

BU now ISO-QMS accredited

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — The Bicol University (BU) in Albay has become the first state-run university in the country which programs and courses all passed the international
standard of managing a tertiary learning institution and offering academic service.

BU President Dr. Fay Lea Patria Lauraya said the university has received recently the certification which serves as proof that it had passed the worldwide quality management system (QMS) set by the International Standardization Organization (ISO) through auditors from the Germany-based Technicher Uberwachungs Verein-Technical Inspection Association-TUV.

Lauraya said that the ISO accreditation gives BU the privilege to level up with fellow ISO accredited schools in other countries and gain international market access such as exchange of learning strategies, students, and program offerings.

“BU as now ISO accredited, we expect better opportunities for our graduates once they decide to work abroad, or even merely to continue their post-graduate courses outside the Philippines,” Lauraya said.

Lauraya furthered that BU would open additional programs such as medicine and meteorology, and courses incorporating climate change adaptation topics.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda meanwhile said that the province would extend all its resources to
further improve the services of the state-run university here.

“In fact, Albay’s scholarship programs benefit thousands of BU students already, and more are set to benefit through our expanded Albay Higher Education Contribution Scheme (AHECS),” Salceda added.

As the biggest tertiary school in Bicol, and the most populous in the country, BU is consistently producing topnotchers In accountancy, engineering, nursing and teachers’ board exams.

Aside from its main campus here, BU also has satellite and extensions in Tabaco City, Daraga, Guinobatan and Polangui,all in Albay; Gubat in Sorsogon; and Camp Crame in Quezon City. (MALoterte, PIA Albay)

Sec. Soliman, Governor lead convergence services
By Rosalita B. Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte, (PIA) — Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman visits this Camarines Norte today and meet with beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the town of Mercedes.

The visit has conincided with the 4th Provincial Services Caravan of the provincial government and the planning workshop for the convergence of DSWD services.

Soliman said that President Benigno Aquino III battle cry of “kung walang corrupt walang mahirap” can really be felt in similar activities like this bringing the services right to the people.

The services caravan of the provincial government,led by Governor Edgardo Tallado, provides programs and services to the people of every town-beneficiary where it is being held, now in Mercedes.

She said that on Pnoy’s “kayo ang boss ko”, DSWD officials are visiting provinces nationwide to respond the needs of the constituents, specially the indigents communities.

Soliman said that Camarines Norte is one of the convergence areas out of the 47 provinces in the country to benefit from the three-corner programs of the DSWD.

She explained that one of the 3 corners or “tatlong sulok” program is the sustainable development wherein those beneficiaries of the 4Ps in 2008-2009 will be provided with 5,000-10,000 with no interest and payable in two years for them to use in small medium enterprise (SMEs) for their livelihood.

She said that the Guaranteed Employment Scheme is a job opportunity in coordination with the local government units and the national government agencies projects and the last is the KALAHI-CIDDS for the building of day care centers, classroom and other facilities and other needs of the barangays.

She said that aside from the above the DSWD will implement complementary feeding in day care centers for the children 3-5 years old and the on going 20% discount for the Senior citizen in medicines, transpotation, movies and 5 % discount in electricity.

She also cited the that the DSWD in now covering the 1.4 million indigents for the 4Ps and is targeting to reach the 2.3 million by the end of this year and a total of 5 million indigents for the duration of the program.

The Secretary added that they are covering now 74 cities and 936 municipalities nationwide for the 4Ps.

Also a meeting with the local chief executives was made during her visit. (PIA, Camsarines Norte/mal).

Skills development training of FARMC's as partners in local governance set

VIRAC, Catanduanes, (PIA) -- A one-day training for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (FARMC's) will be held on April 28, 2011 at the Provincial Capitol Dome here.

The said activity will be attended by the eleven (11) municipal mayors and vice-mayors, Sangguniang Bayan chairman on agriculture and fisheries, Municipal Planning and Development Officer (MPDO), Agricultural Technician for Fisheries and Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council Chairman.

The training "Strengthening Skills Development of FARMC's as Partners in Local Governance Sustainable Fisheries Resources in Catanduanes" aims to identify issues and concerns involved which hinders the active participation of a particular FARMC's to identify the necessary solution and recommend management options for specific MFARMC and to conduct orientation regarding Level of FARMC development.

FARMC in the province has been established since year 2003 but not totally functioned as what Fisheries Administrative Order No. 196 provides, of the government, to achieve sustainable development of fisheries and aquatic resources, attain food security and eradicate poverty among coastal and inland fishing communities and pursuant to the provisions of RA 8550 otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. (EABagadiong, PIACatanduanes/mal)

COMELEC's continuing voters registration reset

VIRAC, Catanduanes, (PIA) – The COMELEC has reset the resumption of continuing registration of voters in the non-ARMM areas from April 1 to May 3, 2011, to expedite the distribution to the field offices of application forms, as contained in the March 2, 2011 Minute Resolution No. 11-02681.

The resolution provides for the delegation to the regional election directors the authority to procure said application forms for use in their respective areas of jurisdictions.

The re-scheduling aims to give the regional election directors sufficient time to procure the application forms and deliver the same to the offices of their respective provincial election supervisors.

Application for registration, transfer of registration records, change/ correction of entries in the registration records, reactivation of registration records, and inclusion of registration records, reinstatement of the name in the list of voters shall be personally filed beginning May 3, 2011-October 31, 2012 at the Office of the election officer of the municipality or city where the applicant resides, from Monday to Saturday, inclusive of holidays during regular office hours at 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The applicant should personally appear before the election officer and present any valid identification documents that bear the applicant's photograph and signature. (EABagadiong, PIA Catanduanesmal)

Chiz tops Pulse Asia survey

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Francis Escudero topped the latest awareness and performance ratings of senators in a survey conducted by Pulse Asia from Feb. 24 to March 6 this year.

Escudero garnered 82 percent approval rating, followed by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, and Senators Loren Legarda and Franklin Drilon, completing the top five highest pointers among the senators.

Santiago scored 79 percent approval, while Estrada enjoyed 75 percent awareness. Legarda and Drilon both received 70 percent awareness ratings.

Following them were Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano (69 percent), Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (68 percent), Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III (67 percent), Sen. Sergio Osmeña III (64 percent), Sen. Gregorio Honasan (61 percent), Sen. Teofisto Guingona III (61 percent), Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (60 percent), and Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (55). (Office of Sen. Escudero/PIA Albay/mal)