LGU Summit+3i pursues Climate Change Adaptation advocacy among LGUs
…Albay sponsors interfacing anew

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — The Provincial Government of Albay, through the Centre for Initiatives and Research on Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) will embark anew in pursuing the advocacy on climate change adaptation (CCA) cum disaster risk reduction (DRR)… now with chief executives of some 800 towns across the country.

Albay province, acclaimed a key front liner in CCA advocacy in the country and abroad, takes the lead anew in staging the LGU Summit+3i – Mindanao Leg in Davao City set on March 15-17, 2011 at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City.

Manuel “Nong” Rangasa, executive director of CIRCA, told PIA News Service that the Mindanao leg is the third and final of the series of the LGU Summit+3i in the three main islands of the country.

Albay earlier hosted and sponsored the two CCA summit involving the League of Governors of the Philippines held in Albay on November 2010 and League of City Mayors in Iloilo on December, also last year.

Rangasa said the summit evidently manifests that the implementation of direct adaptation measures remains local or lies on the hands of LGUs and residents.

Rangasa added the Mindanao leg also forms part of the unrelenting pursuit and strengthen commitment to mainstream CCA to address climate variability and extremes, moreover, direct adaptation measures among localities in the country.

The CIRCA executive director elaborated further that in the end local governments will increase appreciation on the concept that the “development as usual” approach, without considering climate variability and extremes, may pose as threat in meeting development goals.

The series of interfacing among chief executives and other stakeholders, according to Rangasa, intends to raise the urgent need for a concerted effort to fast track achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the United Nations (UN), especially at the local level, to meet the 2015 target and share experiences of LGUs in tracking their MDGs progress; and

“With provincial and city chief executives across the country earlier demonstrating their commitment to develop resilience and adaptive capacities of communities to the adverse impacts of climate change, the summit will now seek the commitment among towns’ chief executives to accelerate achievement of MDGs through appropriate interventions, including CCA measures,” he noted.

Along the way, according to Rangasa, local governments will be able to determine priority adaptation measures in line with the National Strategic Framework on CCA that would protect and facilitate MDG achievement by target year 2015.

The LGU Summit+3i Mindanao Leg is part of the over-all effort of the Climate Change Commission (CCC), in partnership with the Provincial Government of Albay, CIRCA, Climate Change Academy for LGUs, all under the helm of Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda.

The summit is supported by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Spanish Government Assisted Project MDG-F 1656: Joint Programme on Strengthening the Philippines’ Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change. (MALoterte, PIA Albay)
Vietnamese philanthropist distributes relief goods to Bulusan victims
By Irma a. Guhit
SORSOGON CITY, (PIA) -- Supreme Master Ching Hai, a Vietnamese philanthrophist and a global advocate for climate change mitigation and adaptation, visited the province of Sorsogon yesterday primarily to hand over relief goods to the victims of Mt. Bulusan's ash explosion.
The relief operation was held in the municipalities of Irosin and Juban considered as areas greatly affected by the volcano's unrest.
The organization that Master Ching Hai represents advocates "Be Green Go Green Save the Planet" pursuing alternative lifestyle by promoting a change in belief, changing one's heart, changing one's food intake, and becoming healthy and loving.
Master Ching Hai, a practicing vegetarian, is making rounds all over the world in his advocacy of a green environment and shares his advocacy specially to those people who are now affected by the change in temperature.
His belief to share and provide assistance to those who are victims of natural calamities is a shared commitment of their group who now are calling to have a sustainable environment by being vegetarians.
The group shared 247 sacks of rice, soap, and other household stuff.
Residents of the nine barangays in the municipality of Juban comprising of Rangas, Catanusan,Sipaya,Taboc, Catanagan, Guruyan, Embarcadero, Binanhuahan, and Biriran were given the relief goods.
Seven barangays in the municipality of Irosin were also recepients comprising of Gulang-Gulang , Macawayan, Monbon, Tinampo Gumupia, and Tungdol.
Members of the group of Master Ching Hai who were with him were Lin Hsu -O, Carol Chan, Younghan, and Rosean Villones.
"We are here to share our belief in the sustainable development of our world by advocating a green enviroment, being a vegetarian and the care for our environment by also lessening meat for our intake," Ching Hai said.
The greenhouse gas emission urged his group to globally campaign to go vegetarian, plant trees, strengthen sustainable energy, and of course pray.
Master Ching Hai said that to save our planet, the research conducted by Dr. Gordon Eshel and Dr. Pamela Martin, both geophysicits from the University of Chicago non - consumption of meat by a person in just one year will lessen 1.5 tons of carbon emmission which is one of the causes of global warming.
Persons should also refrain from buying a lot of things that only accumulates at home and sometimes are not used and this will soon be part of household wastes that will be dumped and most are non-biodegradables if made of plastics..
While Master Ching Hai's visi there was to share relief goods to the victims of the natural calamity caused by Mt. Bulusan, he said that sharing his gained- knowlege and belief is one of his passion to save the planet and let everyone do his share too. (PIA Sorsogon/mal)
Operation of 2 hydropower plants in Catanduanes now in full swing
LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — Two hydro power plants are now fully operational and are supplying the entire island province of Catanduanes with 3.6 megawatts (MW) of clean and renewable energy.
The two hydro facilities operated and owned by the Sunwest Water and Electric Co. Inc. (Suweco), an independent power producer (IPP), are among the three hydro power plants included in the pipeline projects that Suweco will put up in Catanduanes.
Suweco, a Bicolano-owned IPP, has put up the Hitoma power facility in Barangay Obi in Caramoran town with a rated capacity of 1.5 MW and the Solong plant in San Miguel town with a rated capacity of 2.1 MW.
The Hitoma plant has been operational since October last year while the Solong became in operation in January this year.
The third hydro power plant is being constructed in an upland village in San Miguel town in Catanduanes.
With an investment of P800 million, the two hydro power plants supply power to the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative (Ficelco) with a total of 3.6 MW.
This cheap, environment friendly and renewable energy reinforces the electricity supplied by the diesel-powered generators of the National Power Corp. (NPC).
Aside from the two Suweco hydro power plants, the island’s generating system is composed of two diesel power plants in the towns of Bato and Viga, the Balongbong hydro power plant operated by the NPC, Power Barge 110, four mobile gensets rented from Monark and the 3.6-MW bunker fuel genset operated by the private company Catanduanes Power Generation Inc.
With the operationalization of the two hydro plants and with other power generation suppliers, it would give Ficelco, the only power distributor in the province and its 35,000 consumers a sustained, reliable, and clean energy supply.
Ficelco data indicate that some 315 villages in all 12 towns in Catanduanes are fully energized, but these areas are not fully supplied with energy because of the deficient power generation facilities.
The full operation of the hydro power plants would help meet the island’s 6.5-MW power demand, Suweco president Jose Sylvestre Natividad said.
He said the cost of power from the hydro plants is cheaper than those from the ones being powered by bunker or fossil fuel, aside for being an environment friendly generating facility as these utilize water and and convert it to energy.
Suweco envisions a sustainable and reliable power supply to the province as the company believes that energy is a catalyst for any economic activity.
Elizaldy Co, board chair of the Sunwest Group of Campanies, said Suweco’s hydropower plants will help lessen the national government’s spending on missionary electrification by P80 million to P100 million a year.
The impact would be felt in terms of investments thus increasing employment generation while at the same time protecting the environment.
With the present energy potential, Catanduanes, a rich province for its natural resources, is now bullish in inviting prospective investors to engage in business ventures in field of tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing, Co said.
Natividad said hydro is a renewable energy thus it helps protect the environment against global warming because “you need to plant trees to sustain the hydro plant and it gives livelihood to the communities by employing people to reforest the area.” (MALoterte, PIA Albay)
67 OFWs receive P10,000 cash assistance from OWWA
By Ed de Leon
LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA)- The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) regional office here reported today (Mar. 9) that 67 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) repatriated from troubled Libya received the P10,000 cash assistance each from the government.
OWWA Bicol regional director Jocelyn Hapal said that the agency has disbursed a total of P670,000 pesos to the 67 OFWs who came to their office within this week.
She said that the processing of the cash assistance to each recipient took only one day as long as they can produce the necessary documents, like their passports, travel documents, and/ or two valid ID cards with photo.
OWWA Bicol expects more Bicolano OFWs who were caught in the turmoil in Libya and were already repatriated to the country to avail of the one-time cash grant. The agency has listed a total of 251 Bicolano OFWS working in Libya.
Hapal explained that the grant is part of the government’s repatriation assistance program for OFWs displaced by the ongoing turmoil in Libya to cushion the impact on unemployment and income displacement affecting OFWs who were already repatriated to the country.
She said that OWWA initially allocated P100 million for the program and distributed to the 17 OWWA regional offices to make it easier for the displaced OFWs to avail of the cash grant.
Hapal also said that apart from the financial relief assistance, the National Reintegration Center for OFWs has readied a package of assistance that includes psycho-social counseling, skills training and upgrading, referral, and placement assistance for them. (PIA V/Albay/mal)
DOLE Bicol optimistic more companies comply with labor laws and policies
LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — At least 45 large companies in Bicol are expected to fully comply with the labor and employment laws and policies following the initial Self Assessment Training participated in by employers from two major business centers in the region.
Atty. Alvin Villamor, Bicol chief of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the 45 owners and managers of business establishments from the province of Albay, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon underwent the training and now became fully aware of the labor and employment laws in the Philippines, such as issuances and policies of the agency.
“They all committed to comply with these laws and policies. But the agency will remain on guard to ensure that employees will get their shares, benefits and claims due to them by their employers,” Villamor said.
He added that most of the participants of the training were from Albay and Camarines Sur being the major business areas of the region.
The training, according to Villamor, forms part of the three approaches in labor regulation compliant being implemented by the DOLE, including technical assistance visit (TAV) for establishments with less than 10 workers; labor inspection (LI) for establishments with 10 to 199 workers; and, Self Assessment (SA) for companies with 200 or more workers.
“SA is a developmental approach. We brief and train owners, managers and human resource managers of large companies,” he said.
Villamor also said, “in reality, large companies are not the problem in complying with the laws and policies, but the micro, small and medium enterprises we are worried about.”
The training focused on basic labor laws, monetary benefits computation like overtime pay, holiday pay and night shift differential, service incentive leave and retirement pay.
Meanwhile, advocacy on the inclusion to company policies of other related labor laws and issuances (ORLLI) like sexual harassment, HIV/AIDS, TB, Family Welfare and Child Labor programs were also discussed.
One Alvie Costa, Member Personnel Division (MPSD) chief of ALECO Tabaco field office, said that the training was very beneficial and informative, adding that “I also plan to conduct an echo-seminar in her office in the coming week.”
“Magayon talaga dakulun akong na ukudan. Dakul pa palan akong dae aram sa labor laws. Maray man at least munyan maipapasabot ko sa opisina ini. (The seminar is very good. I learned a lot. I just found out that I know too little about labor laws. I already told my staff to mark the date of the echo seminar will be conducting in the office),” Alvie said.
The next training on labor laws particularly on TAV is set by DOLE Bicol this March.
“Let’s try first these developmental approaches before we go to inspection. I am dreaming of a Bicol with companies that are self-regulating and with dignified workers,” Villamor stressed. (RPEscalante, DOLE V/PIA Albay/mal)

NFA Bicol launches iron-fortified rice (I-Rice)
LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) -- The National Food Authority (NFA) will launch nationwide on March 15, 2011, Iron Fortified Rice (I-Rice) Program, in an effort to create public awareness on the nutritional benefits of vitamin-mineral fortified rice and lessen the prevalence of Iron-Deficiency Anemia (IDA) of children and adults.
Officer-in-charge Piolito Santos of the NFA Bicol said that I-Rice is the mixture of white milled rice and iron rice premix at a mixing ratio set by the Bureau of Food and Drugs. A daily intake of approximately 4 to 6 cups will meet the daily iron requirement of the body, because a 100-gram I-Rice contains six milligram iron. Because Filipinos are basically rice-eating people, rice is an excellent vehicle for fortification.
Santos said that the regional launching ceremony in Bicol will be held at NFA Conference Hall here at 8:00 am. Similar kick-off activities will be conducted in Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon.
He said that as part of the launching activities, selected Day Care centers in barangays have been identified as beneficiaries of the feeding program.
Resource speakers and program endorsers will include officials and representatives from the National Nutrition Council, Department of Health, congressmen, governors and LGU officials.
NFA stakeholders, members of the academe and tri-media were similarly invited. Taste-test of I-Rice with viand will be served.
A Declaration of Commitment in support of the program to fight hunger and malnutrition will likewise be held during the launching.
I-Rice will be made available through NFA-accredited rice outlets within the Bicol region. (NEAlcantara, NFA V/PIA Albay/mal)
NFA Catanduanes to launch iron-fortified rice (I-Rice)
By Edna A. Bagadiong
VIRAC, Catanduanes, (PIA) -- The National Food Authority (NFA) provincial office here will spearhead the Nationwide Simultaneous launching of the Iron Fortified Rice (I-Rice) on March 15, 2011 at Virac Sports Center at 09:00 a.m.
Republic Act 8976 calls for the mandatory fortification of staples including among others rice, flour, refined sugar and cooking oil.
Likewise, it encourages manufacturers of other processed foods to fortify their products, the objective of which is to address the micro-nutrient deficiency which is the most prevalent nutritional disorder in the world today.
Being the prime mover of the grains industry, the NFA leads the government efforts in the implementation of rice fortification program in the country.
In line with its advocacy campaign, the agency has invited representatives from LGUs, media, academe, consumer's group and other sectors in the province to attend the said activity. (PIA Catanduanes/mal)
Impeachment not a purely partisan enterprise -- Lagman
(Statement of Minority Leader Edcel C. Lagman at the Resumption
of the Impeachment Proceedings Against the Ombudsman on 08 March 2011)

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) -- The Supreme Court in Estrada vs. Desierto (G.R. Nos. 146710-15, 08 March 2001) admitted that the “exact nature of an impeachment proceeding is debatable”. Many authorities, however, assert that it is sui generis, a class by itself.

But it is most errant to claim that an impeachment proceeding is simply a “political exercise” or a purely “partisan enterprise”. It is not.

While impeachment is not a judicial process in the nature of a court litigation, it is akin to a prosecutorial and adjudicatory proceeding. It is for this reason that the Rules of Procedure in impeachment proceedings of the House of Representatives under Section 16 of Rule VII thereof provides that “The Rules of Criminal Procedure under the Rules of Court shall, as far as practicable, apply to impeachment proceedings before the House.”

Even judicial terminologies and parlance pervade the impeachment rules, like “verified complaint”, “finding a probable cause”, “notice to respondent and time to plead”, “submission of evidences and memoranda”, “conduct a hearing”, “period of examination and cross-examination”, “power to issue compulsory processes”, and “The House of Representatives shall act as the sole prosecutor at the trial in the Senate”.

Moreover, the Committee is tasked to find probable culpability, if any, on the part of the respondent. Determining “probable culpability” is not simply political in nature. It partakes of an adjudicatory process.

I raise these points in order to impress on the leadership and membership of the Committee on Justice not to jettison the immutable tenet of due process. The critical imperativeness of due process must not be sacrificed to imprudent haste or partisan importuning. Impeachment of a respondent at all costs is not the raison d'être for redeeming a campaign promise.

The call for the observance of due process and rules of impeachment is regardless of the final outcome of the proceeding as I do not speak for the Ombudsman. It is call to fealty to the Constitution and adherence to genuine fair play.

Consider the following:

1. It was only yesterday afternoon when Members of the Committee on Justice received the voluminous evidentiary submissions of the complainants, measuring approximately two feet in height. Incidentally, it was also only yesterday when Members were given copies of the two answers of the Ombudsman.

We must perforce give justice to the complainants for such “herculean” preparations, but Members of the Committee cannot read and assess all of these pieces of evidence just overnight and be expected to vote on probable cause the following morning, this morning.

While some quarters are attacking some members of the Supreme Court for voting for the issuance of the status quo ante order without the ample opportunity of reading the petition of the Ombudsman, are we going to heedlessly follow suit, granting that the accusations against the Justices are true.

2. The established precedent in impeachment proceedings in the previous Congresses is the creation by the Committee on Justice of two panels of discussants or speakers – one for the endorsers or proponents for the impeachment and another for the oppositors.

This practice was initiated and subsequently followed to expedite the proceedings without sacrificing due process and in order for the contending sides to explain, ventilate and summarize their respective positions, and afford the Members of the Committee to fully assess the issues before casting their respective votes.

The contending panels were created to determine “sufficiency in substance” of the complaint. With more reason the panels should be activated to determine a higher level of sufficiency – sufficient grounds for impeachment.

3. Are we going to abandon this beneficent precedent and vote now with inordinate alacrity?

4. The ascertainment of probable cause in a criminal proceeding should not be any different from assuring the existence of probable cause in an impeachment proceeding. As provided by our Rules of Impeachment “The Rules of Criminal Procedure under the Rules of Court shall as far as practicable apply to impeachment proceedings before the House.” Indeed, it is practicable.

In Philippine jurisprudence, “probable cause has been uniformly defined as such facts and circumstances which would lead a reasonable, discreet and prudent man to believe that an offense has been committed” by the accused or the respondent (Co vs. Lansanas, G.R. No. 150877, 04 May 2006).

“Probable cause is defined as such facts and circumstances that will engender a well founded belief that a crime has been committed and that the respondent is probably guilty thereof and should be held for trial.” (San Miguel Corporation vs. Puzon, Jr., G.R. No. 167567, 22 September 2010).

Probable cause “requires more than a bare suspicion”. (Illusorio vs. Illusorio, G.R. No. 171659, 13 December 2007).

Verily, the ascertainment of the existence of such facts and circumstances determinative of probable cause demands a conscientious and deliberate assessment, which standard could be negated by imprudent haste.

5. The respondent seasonably filed her answers to the two complaints within the new deadline imposed by the Committee. What are the procedural steps required under the rules subsequent to the respondent’s filing of her answers? Whether the answers are considered responsive pleadings or part of the Ombudsman’s evidence, effectively the admission of the answers set back in time the process and makes the earlier findings of “sufficient grounds” premature and precipitate.

a) Under Section 5 of Article III on “Finding a Probable Cause”, it is provided that “within three (3) days from receipt of the answer, the complainant may file a reply, serving a copy thereof to the respondent who may file a rejoinder within three (3) days from receipt of the reply, serving a copy thereof the other complainant.

b) The same Section provides “together with their pleadings, the parties shall file their affidavits or counter-affidavits, as the case may be, with their documentary evidence”.

c) Likewise, the same section provides that “notwithstanding all of the foregoing, failure of any respondent to file an answer will not preclude him/her from presenting evidence in support of his/her defenses.”

d) Only after compliance with the foregoing procedures, will it be seasonable for the Committee to “determine whether the complaint alleges sufficient grounds for impeachment.” (Section 6, Rule III)

e) Section 6 also provides that “if the Committee finds that sufficient grounds for impeachment exist, the Committee shall conduct a hearing.”

f) For purposes of the hearing, “the Committee through the Chairperson, may limit the period of examination and cross-examination.”

6) It is usually said that at the end of the day, impeachment proceedings are a veritable numbers game. But would it not be much better if these are a confluence of superiority of numbers and ascendancy of reason and arguments which obtained in the past? (Office of Rep.Lagman, Albay I District/Pia Albay/mal)