Outreach program for “Agta” community held

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, July 6 (PIA) -- In strengthening its efforts to provide adequate information on access to the basic services of the government, the Regional Social Welfare and Development Learning Network (SWD-L Net ) in Bicol conducted last week an outreach program in Barangay Ramon, Buhi, Camarines Sur, for the Agta, also known as the Aeta, community.

A hundred members of the tribe, mostly women and children, were oriented on the government’s programs and services for women and children like PhilHealth membership, health, and medical benefits; DepEd Alternative Learning System; PNP peace, security, and anti-crime initiatives; responsible parenthood focusing on women and children’s rights and welfare, among others.

The network also prepared games for children and adults as well as spearheaded gift giving, including school supplies for school children.

The Department of Agriculture distributed seedlings to the families.

SWD-L Net is composed of national agencies, schools, organizations, and individuals providing capacity building programs on social welfare and development with the Department of Social Welfare and Development DSWD) acting as Secretariat.

Letty de la Cruz, a member of the tribe, gladly expressed her gratitude in behalf of the women members of the community for giving them the opportunity to meet government representatives where they could raise their concerns relative to their welfare.

”Marami po kaming natutunan sa mga ibinahagi sa amin ng mga bisita,” Letty added .

Members of the team were DSWD 5 officer in charge of the office of assistant regional director Felix Armena and representatives from Bicol University Tabaco Campus, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health , Department of Education, Philippine National Police, and the National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP). MAL/EEJ-DSWD 5/PIA)

Philippine Tourism Conference on Climate Change Adaptation, enot na gigibohon sa ciudad nin Legazpi

LEGAZPI – Nakatutok na sa industriya ning turismo an kampanya sa Climate Change Adaptation pakatapos kan serye nin mga aktibidad katakod kan ipigpapaotob na climate change mainstreaming kan satuyang Presidente Benigno S. Aquino III.

Ini sa paagi ninda Secretary Lucile Sering kan Climate Change Commission,  Secretary Ramon Paje kan Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Secretary Ramon Jimenez kan Department of Tourism, asin ni Secretary Herminio ‘Sonny’ Coloma, Presidential Communication Operation Office, pamayo kan public awareness monitoring kan mga LGU asin mga ahensiya pati na mga NGO/stakeholder sa pagpautob kan mga programa paitin mga proyekto sa Climate Change susog man sa mga prioridad na polisiya ni PNOY.

An Local Climate Change Adaptation for Development Inc., o (LCCAD), sarong Non-Government Organization o (NGO), na rekonosido kan Palasyo Malacanang,  na kompwesto nin experiensiyadong mga Community Adaptation Practitioners (CAPs) sa Pilipinas, pinangengenotan ni Nong Rangasa, an pangenot na katabang kan gobiyerno sa gigibohon na kainot-enoting Philippine Tourism Conference on Climate Change Adaptation o (PTCCCA), sa Agusto 23-25 kan taon na ini, sa Oriental Hotel and Resort sa siyodad nin Legazpi.

Ini simbag sa pangapudan kan United Nations asin ni Presidente Aquino na mabawasan an kadipisilan sa buhay, na obheto kan Millenium Development Goals o (MDG) asin an marhay naginibohan kan turismo sa local asin pang nasyon na ekonomiya dara kan torismo.

Mag-kikinabang sa PTCCCA an mga komunidad sa sector kan turismo sa manlaen laen na probinsiya, siyudad asin munisipyo sa bilog na nasyon sa tahaw kan Climate Change Adaptation asin Climate Change Risks Management Initatives.

Sa pagpahiling nin mahiwas asin pusog na suporta sa LCCAD, ipinaluwas an memorandum circular 2012-108, ni DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo kan Hunyo 18, asin pigsugo kaini an mga local na opisyal sa gabos na probinsiya, siyudad patin munisipiyo kan Pilipinas na mag atendir asin magpadara nin mga personahe sa gigibuhon na tulong aldaw na pagtiripon. An PTCCCA sarong ka-kambal na okasyon kan ‘Ibalong Festival’ kan Siyudad nin Legazpi sa pangenot ni City Mayor Carmen Geraldine Barrameda-Rosal.

Binilog kan LCCAD asin mga co-convenors an nasabing proyekto bilang suporta sa pangapudan ni PNOY na pakusugon an Public-Private Partnership initiatives (PPPIs) na pigbubusol sa national asin local level tanganing tawan nin mahigot na partisipasyon an mga pribadong sector na makatabang sa mga kamawotan kan gobiyerno pasiring sa kauswagan panturismo.

Particular na pigsusugo na mag atendir an mga pamayo kan tourism asin environment committee sa kada konseho, kasabay an mga tourism officer, planning officer, disaster officer, agriculture officer, environment officer asin iba pang technical staff kan kada probinsiya, siyodad asin munisipyo.

Nagpahayag si Robredo nin dakulang suporta sa PTCCCA na pinapangenotan kan Climate Change Commission, Department of Tourism asin kan Local Climate Change Adaptation for Development o (LCCAD), na pinapangenotan ni LCCAD Chairman/President Nong C. Rangasa. Si Rangasa iyo man an Conference Director sa nasambit na okasyon.

Segun kay LCCAD president/chairman, Nong Rangasa asin kay DOT regional Director Nini Ong-Ravanilla, ang pagpakusog sa Climate Change Adaptation sa ‘Eco-Cultural Tourism Sector, matao nin permanenteng trabaho sa mga tao, asin buwis sa kaban kan gobiyerno.

Segun pa kay Rangasa, kaipuhan nang magkaigwa man an pilipinas magin an lokalidad, nin imbentaryo kan ‘cultural property, heritage asin impact assessment’ para lalong mapatunayan asin makadara nin turista hale sa iba-ibang probinsiya asin ibang nasyon. Ini sarong bagay na dai pa nagigibo sain man na parte kan Pilipinas.

Tampok sa nasabing pagtiripon an mga lakdang sa adaptasyon asin ligtas na pagsabat sa mga kalamidad base sa experiensiya kan Albay sa pamamayo ni Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda, an kaenot enoteng Global Champion for Climate Change Adaptation asin Disaster Risk Reduction sa pagmidbid saiya kan United Nations Systems.

Si Salceda man an nagbubusol kan ALMASOR o an Albay, Masbate Sorsogon Tourism

Pangenot na mga tagapagtaram sa okasyon an mga siyentipiko, mga experto, edukador, asin mga midbid na opissyales pang turismo sa nasyon. Imbitado man sa nasambit na okasyon an mga senador patinman an mga cabinet secretaries.

Ini papartisiparan man kan mga delegado hale sa man-iba ibang institusyon, sector nin negosyo sa turismo asin pangkalibutan.

An sinabing okasyon binilog kan LCCAD, DOT, Climate  Change Commission, Senate Committee on Climate Change, DENR, Office of Presidential Adviser for Environmental Protection (PAEP), Ako Bikol Party List, asin kan Philippine Information Agency (PIA), gobiyerno probinsiyal kan Albay, Legazpi City Government, UP Los Baños, Senator Loren Legarda.

QUEEN SOFIA IN ALBAY

Queen Sofia of Spain smiles and welcomed by Albayanos during her visit to inspect development projects which receive funding assistance from the Spanish government. (Alex Cal/PIA)

Queen Sofia of Spain visits Albay

By Marlon A. Loterte and Sally A. Atento

LEGAZPI CITY, July 5 (PIA) -- Flag-waving school children, local officials and residents welcomed Queen Sofia of Spain with cheers at the Peñaranda Park in Old Albay District for her visit in the province Wednesday.

She was accompanied by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, Social Welfare Sec. Dinky Soliman, and Spanish ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Domecq.

Part of her visit was the unveiling of the life-sized statue of Jose Maria Peñaranda, the first Spanish national to seat as governor of the province from 1834 to 1843.

After the unveiling, Queen Sofia proceeded for the first leg of her tour to Spain-funded projects in Albay.

One of these is the Camalig Emergency and Educational Shelter, a 14-classroom emergency educational shelter building, which was erected on February 24, 2010 using a P24.7 million funding from the Agencia Espanola De Cooperacion para el Desarullo (AECID).

She also visited the Josefina Belmonte Duran Memorial District Hospital in Brgy. Tuburan, Ligao City, where the AECID gave P14.4 million for its facilities and equipment.

Then, during her visit to the Climate Change Academy at the Bicol University campus here, City Mayor Geraldine Rosal briefed the queen on the Legazpi City Solid Waste Management Project in Brgy. Banquerohan where AECID invested P110 million.

The Spanish government, through the AECID, has released P112.7 million funding support to Albay to finance various projects, which also included the rehabilitation of the emergency evacuation center in Daraga for P13 million; emergency school shelters in Guinobatan and Camalig for P28.7 million each; strengthening of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office equipment for P11 million; and the rural-based flood preparedness project for P16.9 million.

Albay was chosen for the Queen's visit for its projects in disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and MDG achievement with significant foreign development assistance from Spain through AECID.

“She was very happy and quite impressed with Albay,” Gov. Joey Salceda said.

Prior to this visit, the Queen had a meeting with President Aquino and had several engagements with non-government organizations, Spanish institutions, and personnel working for the United Nations agencies in the Philippines.

Queen Sofia of Spain is the second high-ranking foreign dignitary to tour the province after Pope John Paul II visited this city in February 1981. (MAL/SAA-PIA 5, Albay)

Simultaneous planting marks Nutrition Month celebration in Naga City

By Analiza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, July 4 (PIA) -- All 27 barangays of this city simultaneously planted seedlings of eggplant, tomato, horse radish, and malunggay in their respective communal gardens Monday to mark the start of Nutrition Month this year.

The launch of the celebration, with the theme “Pagkain ng Gulay Ugaliin, Araw araw itong Ihain,” was led by the city’s Agriculturist and Nutrition Offices, Department of Education, and the local government.

Edna Bongalonta, OIC city agriculturist, said the simultaneous planting dubbed “ Sabay sabay Pagtanom, Gulay aanihon” aims to provide fresh vegetables to the community, particularly for the consumption of malnourished children in the barangay.

“The produce of the barangays will directly benefit the children, particularly in the upland barangays. This is also in line with the nutrition program of the city to boost their food productivity and ensure that their nutrition needs are nurtured,” Bongalonta said in an interview.

Various programs were also lined up to highlight the said celebration. It includes lecture on the importance of vegetable and vegetable production, radio hopping, and a Nutri quiz for elementary pupils to be spearheaded by the Department of Education.

Streamers were also put up in strategic places in the city, public elementary, and high schools and in every participating barangay to drumbeat the activities lined up for the whole month of July.

Mothers with malnourished children are also invited to attend pre-entrepreneurship training on July 13 at the Metro Peso office.

Children aged 10 to 12 who have a penchant for cooking will also be given anopportunity to be part of the Junior Vegetable Cooking Contest on July 27 at the Naga City People’s Hall.

Part of the highlights of the celebration is the awarding of Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholars and selection of 10 Outstanding Barangay Councils (BNC) awardees. Gulayan sa Barangay and Taranoman sa Tamang Nutrisyon contenders will also be adjudged on July 31.

The activity aims to encourage the stakeholders to partake of the city’s program and be a part of the government’s campaign to ensure food security in the community. (MAL/LSM-PIA 5, Camarines Sur)