DPWH sets up motorist assistance unit in Camarines Sur
by Lizel S. Macatangay

BARAS, CANAMAN, Camarines Sur, April 21 (PIA) -- Anticipating the arrival of tourists and visitors this weekend for the observance of the Lenten Season, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Camarines Sur District Engineering Office has ordered its personnel to set up a motorist assistance center in strategic part of the province.

Engr. Willard Kenneth I. Atutubo, District Engineer of (DPWH) Camarines Sur-V District Engineering Office V assured travelers that there will be personnel from their office who will render their services during the whole duration of the Lenten season.

Atutubo, in a press statement said they have already set up a motorist assistance center at the DPWH-Sub Office located at Barangay Agrupacion, Ragay, Camarines Sur, just along the Rolando Andaya Highway and Daang Maharlika at the Lupi – Sipocot/ Libmanan boundary.

The said area is one of the fastest routes for travelers coming in and out of the province, cutting short the travel time by two (2) hours without passing the province of Camarines Norte.

The assistance center had been operational since April 18 and will serve the motorists until April 25, 2011. This is to ensure that travelers will be given aid during emergency instances. It will be manned for 24-hours to ensure that there will be no obstruction that would cause delay for motorists plying the route.

The communication office is based at the DPWH Camarines Sur V- District Engineering Office at Baras, Canaman, Camarines Sur which will also operate on a 24-hour basis to monitor, receive and transmit situational report coming from its personnel and report any activities monitored at the DPWH Regional Office. (MAL/LSM, PIA Camarines Sur)

NAPC leads consultation on RH Bill
by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, April 19 (PIA)-- National Anti-Poverty Commision (NAPC) Undersecretary Florencia "Oyen" Casanova-Dorotan will be the keynote speaker today in a one - day consultation conference on the Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill) which will be held at the Governor's Training Hall, Governor's office here.

In line with the Provincial Gender and Advocacy Development Council's (PGADC) continuing thrusts to provide women awareness and right knowledge on current issues as stipulated in the Magna Carta for Women, this project has been set in cooperation with the Sorsogon Women's Network for Development which Usec Dorotan was the president before she assumed her position at the NAPC.(SWND).

"It can be said that one of the pressing issues we are facing today is the topic on the RH Bill " board member Rebecca Aquino of the Sanggunian Panlalawigan said during the small group meeting held here after the assessment of the Women's Month Celebration activities.

After the long month activity, Aquino said there still are a lot of issues that women should know so that they can be given the right for informed choices.

She also said that while a lot of sides has been taken by those who are not really directly involved in the issues in context of the RH Bill, women specially in the countryside and in the grassroots communities are not well-given the right information what the RH Bill is all about, how it will affect women and children directly in terms of choices, the right to information and the right to stand for their choices.

The RH Bill is one of the most controversial bills according to Aquino that has been debated but that its salient features has not been discussed fully nor that its importance to women specially has not been given that importance.

Dorotan meanwhile during the previous meeting held here last February of this year on the planning of how women will become developmental partners underscored that not unless women are well aware of issues and that they be well-informed, still the right to information to make wise choices and stand for these choices will be for naught.

This continuing activities for this year has been planned previously as part of the continuing information education campaign (IEC) component of the PGADC which PIA Sorsogon chairs.

Expected to attend in this consultation conference today are the members of the PGADC, focal person of the Municipal Gender and Development Councils (MGADCs) Vice Mayors League and multi-sectoral organizations.

It is hoped according to Aquino that continuous coordination and consultation will be done by the PGADC to all women sectors here in the province so that the Millenium Development Goal (MDG) no. 3 will be achieved locally to contribute to the achievement of this global goal for women. (PIA Sorsogon)

Irosin conducts basic life support training for lay rescuers
by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, April 19 (PIA) --- A two- day training for basic life support for lay rescuers was conducted by the of Irosin local government through the municipal disaster risk reduction council (MDRRMC), here last week.

"We at the local government of Irosin is mapping out all the necessary trainings needed by the LGU especially in trying to capacitate our constituency, municipal employees and barangays in the disaster risk reduction capability," Mayor Eduardo Ong, Jr. said.

Dr. Edgar Garcia provincial head of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) here, provided the participants, comprising of identified and selected members of the municipal disaster risk reduction council (mdrrmc) and barangay disaster risk reduction councils (BDRRMC) the risks and ailments that usually are prevalent during volcanic unrest, rainy and dry season and how can this be avoided or prevented.

Dr. Gladys D. Escote of the PHO provided the participants the guiding principles on the emergency health care that each family also should be able to know especially during and after volcanic ash explosion and how to handle persons with respiratory problems.

Dr. David Daza gave the introduction of the Basic Life Support procedures to the lay persons incharge of rescue.

He said that presence of mind should always be the guiding principle and that the readiness of health equipment be there to include medicines and other paraphernalia be provided by the LGU.

Meanwhile Fernan Ocampo, a registered nurse, provided the participants the knowledge on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). He explained that persons who are asthmatic may be greatly affected during ash explosion as they will surely be hard of breathing since ashes usually affect them.

Arthur Angeles another registered nurse explained the Automated External Defibrillator (AED). He said that there should be someone in the MDRRMC who can assist persons who are asthmatic especially among old person and children that earlier they be identified and listed as among those priority persons for immediate respiratory health care assistance.

Dr. Francisco De Jesus of the Emergency Management Rescue (E-B has explained on the topic Foreign Body Airway Obstruction.

"With what is happening now both locally ang globally, we local government executives, here are trying to network with all those who can really provide assistance to LGUs also through the League of Municipalities so that we can share and extend services to one another specially in times of these natural calamities, and observe the zero casualty thrust of the NDRRMC and develop resilient communities", Ong stressed. (MAL/IAG, PIA Sorsogon)