Villages in Bicol to hold general assembly on Saturday
By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) — More than 3,000 villages in Bicol region are set to hold the barangays general assembly in sync with some 42,000 barangays in the country on Saturday, March 26, 2011, according to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional office here.

Director Blandino Maceda of DILG Bicol said the assembly of barangays officials and residents is held twice annually and this year’s interfacing will focus on disaster preparedness and mitigation as contained in a directive of DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo.

Maceda said that Robredo’s directive came following the recent 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan as well as the tsunami that claimed thousands of lives and damaged multi-billion dollar worth to the highly-industrialized country.

He said that Robredo has emphasized in the directive that the barangays general assembly is a very appropriate time and venue for local officials to discuss with their constituents the level of preparedness their village has in case a major disaster happens.

“The recent incident in Japan will serve as wake-up call for the government, including the barangays, to set-up disaster prevention and mitigation mechanisms in order to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives and properties during catastrophes,” reads the Secretary’s memo/directive.

The holding of barangays general assembly complies with Presidential Proclamation No. 342 and the Local Government Code of 1991 requiring barangays governments to conduct such every first Saturday of March and third Saturday of October.

During the assembly, village officials also usually present accomplishment and financial reports to their constituents, on the other hand, the latter can raise their concerns to the former in order to improve governance and delivery of essential basic social services to the resident.

Maceda, meanwhile, has called on the public to actively participate and be heard during the assembly day. (PIA V/Albay)

RH Bill will pass congress - Lagman
By Ed de Leon

LEGAZPI CITY, (PIA) – Congressman Edcel C. Lagman of the 1st district of Albay, one of the principal authors of the controversial Responsible Parenthood-Reproductive Health (RH) Bill otherwise known as HB No. 4244, said today that he was confident that the RH Bill will be approved by congress before his 6th term as congressman ends.

He said he based his optimism on the following reasons, first, there are already more than 100 congressmen who support the passage of the Bill; second, the house leadership under speaker Sonny Belmonte is sympathetic to the measure if we based it on his record during his three term as mayor of Quezon city when he caused the passage of a local ordinance similar to the RH Bill; and third the stand of President Benigno S. Aquino III that he was pushing for responsible parenthood and for an informed choice.

The 1st district solon said that several surveys conducted by reputable polling firms, like the Social Weather Station and Polls Asia, have shown that more than 70 percent of Filipinos are in favor of the passage of the Bill even if majority of Filipinos are devout Catholics.

Lagman said that he will treat the passage of the RH Bill to be his diploma when he graduates from the fifteenth congress.

He also stressed that the RH Bill does not contain any provision legalizing abortion, on the contrary it is pro-life and will reduced by 85 percent the induced abortion reported cases which average about 800,000 cases per year because of lack of access to family planning services offered under the Bill.

Furthermore, the passage of the bill will be able to approximate the targets under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) regarding health, maternal and child care, education, poverty, population management, and environment care.

Lagman also said that the proponents of the RH bill are ready to be interpellated during the plenary session but so far the oppositors are trying to delay the proceedings by questioning the quorum.

Lagman and and partylist Rep. Angelo Palmones of AGHAM were here as guest speakers during the Policy Forum on Responsible Parenthood- Reproductive Health Bill held here today. (EDLeon, PIA V/Albay/mal)

Measles eradication campaign in Camarines Sur kicks off
By Lizel S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, (PIA) -- The Department of Health (DOH)-Bicol, in partnership with the Provincial Health Office in Camarines Sur, launched the commencement of its region-wide campaign to motivate parents and mobilize its partners and stakeholders in support of its measles campaign in a press conference held at the Naga Regent Hotel here yesterday.

This year’s campaign, which is already a sequel to the past three (3) measles campaigns conducted in 1988, 2004 and 2007, sets its sight on eliminating measles as a public health menace before the end of 2012.

Target beneficiaries are children whose age range from 9 months old to below eight (8) years old, the age bracket most susceptible to the occurrence of measles. In Bicol Region, DOH is targeting a total of 1, 138,201 out of the 17,044, 593 beneficiaries targeted nationwide from April 4 to May 4, 2011.

Among the provinces in the region, Camarines Sur registered the highest number of measles cases. As per partial data provided by the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, CHD-Bicol, out of the documented cases of 233 from 2006 to March 2011, Camarines Sur recorded 211 cases. It is followed by Albay, which only registered a meager number of 11; Camarines Norte and Masbate with 4 cases, Sorsogon, 3 and Catanduanes with zero measle case.

To encourage a positive turn up, DOH personnel will strategize a door-to-door immunization. A vaccination team will visit each barangay household to realize its goal of reaching 100% of its target children, especially households from the coastal outskirts and far flung barangays in the province in compliance of the nationwide measles rubella supplemental immunization activity (MR SIA).

Health administrators who will go around in each household and will use the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccines to eligible children in support of this year’s theme: Iligtas sa Tigda ang Pinas.” (PIA Camarines Sur/mal)

Naguenos give “Satisfied” Ratings to Bongat and Bordado
By Lizel S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, (PIA) ---- In a survey spearheaded by the Ateneo Social Science Research Center (ASSRC) based at the Ateneo De Naga University from February 2 to March 3, 2011 Mayor John Bongat and Vice Mayor Gabriel Bordado of this garnered a 51.7 and 57.8 per cent satisfaction ratings respectively, acquiring a total of +41.3 equivalent to a Good Net Satisfaction mark.

The 2011 First Quarter Poll on Poverty and Governance, aside from centering on the performance of the city’s local officials, also converged on other issues including public opinion on poverty and hunger, quality of life, State of the City Address and Waste to energy project.

Respondents were randomly picked from the voting age population of this city, using face to face interview and was conducted by the Ateneo Student Researchers composed of 20 students.

Some 400 respondents were asked to rate the performance of Mayor Bongat and party-mate Vice Mayor Bordado.

Also topping the performance survey among colleagues at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is City Councilor Nathan Sergio, earning a good net satisfaction rating of +40.1 percent. Other officials had a close rating such as Sergio’s.

Only City Councilor Raul Rosales got a moderate net satisfaction rating.

The survey also considered the viewpoints of Naguenos on the issue of poverty, with 56% considering themselves as poor. Thirty percent of the respondents said they experienced hunger and had nothing to eat.

Of those who experienced hunger, 44% came from Class E, 32% from Class D and 5% from the middle class, which is Class C.

Rating their quality of life, 32.5% of Naguenos said that life has been worse in the past three months. Twenty-seven (27%) per cent though, said their life improved and became better.

The survey adopted the SWS terminology for Net Satisfaction Ratings : +50 and above as very good; +30 to +49 as good; +10 to +29 as moderate; +9 to –as neutral; -10 to -29 as poor, -30 to -49 as bad and -50 or lower as very bad. (PIA Camarines Sur/mal)


Php 5.6 million worth of projects for core shelter in San Jose town
By Danilo C. Abad

SAN JOSE, Camarines Sur, (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Bicol region awarded the Certificate of Completion and Acceptance of a housing units worth 5.6 million pesos project to 80 beneficiaries from 4 barangays of San Jose town in Partido area, 4th district of Camarines Sur last March 14, 2011.

Mayor Antonio B. Chavez said that the LGU of San Jose purchased lots in different barangays to serve as the site and counterpart for the Core Shelter Assistance projects of national government.

Mayor Tony Chavez also said that core shelter units were already awarded and occupied by the families in barangay Tambangan, 31 units ; Bahay, 25 ; Danlog, 15 at Soledad, 9 units which are identified as core shelter beneficiaries of the municipal government.

Mrs. Helen J. Mendoza head of MSWD said that core shelter units of the 80 beneficiaries in the municipality which are worth P70,000.00 each .

Meanwhile, Regional Director Remia T. Tapispisan, assisted by MSWD Officer Helen J. Mendoza awarded the Certificate of Completion and Acceptance of said housing units built through the Core Shelter Assistance Project of the DSWD to recipient- families of San Jose .

In a statement, Tapispisan said that CSAP is a project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development aimed at providing typhoon resistant housing units to the disaster-affected families using low cost materials. She said that then agency provides the materials needed for the construction while beneficiaries shoulder the labor as their counterpart. (PIA Camarines Sur/mal)


DPWH directs LGUs to implement strictly PD No. 17 to ensure public safety
By Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has assured the Sorsogon Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and local residents that the agency has already issued a directive to all local government units to strictly implement Presidential Decree (PD) No 17.

DPWH Sorsogon I Administrative Officer Tax Encela said that the agency is now strictly enforcing the PD No. 17 or the Revised Philippine Highway Act as amended by virtue of DO No. 52 - Removal of Obstruction and Prohibited Uses of the Road Right of Way (ROW).

Encela said that Sec. 23 of RO 17 states that it is unlawful for any person to usurp any portion of the road right of way, to convert any part of any public highway bridge, wharf or trail to his own public use or to obstruct the same in any manner.

Here in Sorsogon, Encela said that there are a lot of persons even business establishments that violates Sec.23 of PD No. 17.

Such violation is detrimental to public safety and a lot of accidents happened due to occupancy by persons of the the road using it as extension of their business, putting up of stalls, using the street for drying palay, copra and abaca fiber, according to Encela

In his report to the PPOC, Encela said that DPWH, District Engineer Romeo Doloiras of the 1st disrict of Sorsogon has directed LGUs to immediately remove or cause the removal of all obstructions and prohibited uses within the right-of-way (ROW) of all national roads.

Engr. Doloiras, according to Encela has issued a directive to all local governments units within the first district to observe the implementation of PD 17 in a letter forwarded to them early during the first quarter of 2011.

Encela stated that all kinds of private, temporary and permanent structures, such as buildings, houses, shanties, stores, shops, shed post, canopies, billboards, signage, advertisement, fences, walls, railings, basket ball courts, garbage receptacles and the like found to be obstructing the ROW will be forcibly removed after giving them the deadline to remove such on their own.

The encroachment of the ROW is one of the causes of traffic and most accidents.

The aesthetic view and value of a certain places are no longer seen and appreciated since the ROW are crowded by a lot of obstructions.
specially by stalls of small eateries dumping their garbage beside or anywhere else within their area.

PD No17 also prohibits driveways and ramps occupying or protruding to the sidewalk.

The issuance of the directive by DPWH includes the removal of plants and plant boxes along the designated shoulder of the street sometimes occupied by these obstructions.Sometimes these are also built on the sidewalk streets..

Meanwhile , Police Senior Superintendent Eriberto Olitoquit supported the statement of Encela and said that PPOC should conduct an ocular inspection of the areas or places here in the city and all municipalities within the province to have a firsthand knowledge of these and to assess existing violations committed that is detrimental to public safety.

He further said that the implementation of the ROW should be closely monitored by the local government units and the PNP are willing to assist in its enforcement.

It had been observed that the plant boxes installed along both sides of the main thoroughfares in a lot of municipalities have made the roads narrow and most of the plants planted in the plant boxes creates visual obstruction to vehicles..

Driver cannot visibly see vehicles clearly because of the shadow created by plants planted in the middle of the roads used as the dividing line.

Plants in the middle of the road planted in plant boxes obstruct visibility of incoming vehicles.

The PPOC will create a task force that will also go around the province, dialog with local chief executives and plan an immediate implementation of PD 17. (PIA Sorsogon/mal)

LGU Daet spearheads jobs fair and NBI processing
By Rosalita Base-Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte, (PIA) – A two day Jobs Fair and NBI Clearance processing that started yesterday was spearheaded by the local government of Daet here.

Mayor Tito Sarion said that said activity will be held quarterly to help the unemployed in the town of Daet and in nearby municipalities.

He said that those in need of job can apply in the local firms and even in other countries.

Mayor Sarion said that the local establishments here in Daet participated in the jobs fair to help those who only want to work here.

The activity was under the Public and Employment Service Office (PESO) of LGU Daet in cooperation with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Camarines Norte.

DOLE Regional Director Atty. Alvin M. Villamor said that those in need of job can visit the PESO in every municipality so that they can be guided even if there is no jobs fair.

He added that the DOLE also focus on different programs to give alternative jobs specially in the rural areas in this province and in other provinces. (PIA CamNorte/mal)

PDDRMO cites accomplishment on DRRM issues
By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, (PIA) — The orientation for barangay chiefs on Disaster Risk Reduction Management issues conducted by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office yielded an over-all attendance of 79.11% in 12 separate schedules.

The orientation is a one-day activity composed of two parts namely: the discussion on the salient issues of Republic 10121 and the second part is a contingency planning workshop.

The discussion of the newly enacted law otherwise known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act 0f 2010 focused mostly on the following: The DRRMO Organization at the Regional Level drawn to the hierarchal levels of the LGU's; Reorganization of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and the (LDRRMC) and the composite members of the organizational structure at all levels of the LGU; Institutionalization of the LDRRM Office ad the creation of its manpower components, funding and other support requirement and the transformation of 5% Calamity Fund into Local DRRM Fund.

The workshop activities generates the following data and information which were significant in the context of DRR Management and Barangay Profile; Barangay's Priority Needs for Interventions; Projective Evacuation Centers; Prostructive Merchandise Partners and Families Highly at Risk and Planned Contingency Measures.

The preparation of the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Plan was also discussed as well as its relationship with the Local Development Plans and the corresponding budget process of the BDRRM Fund. Sub Committees for preparedness, response, mitigation and rehabilitation were likewise suggested to guide and facilitate them in the review of consistencies of their programs, projects and activities with DRR concerns. (PIA Catanduanes/mal)