PNP arrests 7 for illegal fishing

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Sept 14 (PIA) -- Elements of Philippine National Police (PNP) arrested seven residents of Barangay Moning, Baras on September 4 after being caught using air compressors to catch fish.

A team composed of SPO1 Renato Acuna, PO3 Warren Obal, and PO2 Roland Tejerero arrested the seven, including two brothers at around 4 p.m. while fishing.

A motorized banca, two spear guns, an air compressor tank and motor, a 25-meter long hose, and a fish net were confiscated from the arrested persons.

On the same day, another fisher, 42, was also arrested while using the same illegal fishing method. A motorized banca, an oxygen tank with a 25-meter hose and fingerlings inside a transparent plastic were confiscated from him.

PNP said using compressor in catching fish is strictly prohibited. They added that their campaign against illegal fishing continues to intensify in order to promote sea conservation and protection.

Arrested individuals were charged with violation of Municipal Ordinance No.01-2005. (MAL/EAB-PIA 5, Catanduanes)



DOLE field office in Camarines Norte has a permanent home now

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, September 14 (PIA) -- It is an every organization’s dream to have a permanent place to call home.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Bicol regional office's dream of a permanent provincial field office in Camarines Norte is now a reality.

A 224 sq. m. lot in the government center was donated by the local government of Daet through Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 155-2012 for the sole purpose of erecting a permanent ‘home’ of the provincial field office.

Exequiel Ronnie A. Guzman, DOLE – Bicol assistant regional director and Daet Mayor Tito S. Sarion led the groundbreaking ceremony last September 1.

“We will indeed build our ‘home’ office here. It shall be realized completely perhaps in 1-2 years time. Our deepest gratitude to Daet for giving this (lot) to us,” Guzman said.

For years, the provincial field office has been renting office spaces in Daet, Camarines Norte.

The office had to transfer several times due to factors like increasing rent, poor accessibility and proximity to an unconducive working environment.

“Lalo na kaito, dipisilunun mag-anap ki maray na arkilahan digdi. Kaya ma tyaga ka talaga sa kung ano ang ugwa (Especially before, it is very hard to find a conducive office space for rent here. The reason why you have to make do of what is available),” Field Officer Ruben L. Romanillos said.

Initially, the DOLE regional leadership plans to put up a single storey office complete with a holding area, like an international airport.

It is also planned to have an active electronic mid-sized billboard to play continuously the programs and projects of DOLE, an all-in-one conference-hearing room, work cubicles, space for DOLE attached agencies wanting to hold office in the province, a garage and a living quarter for its staff.

The building plan will be designed to provide a cozy-accommodating ambience for the clienteles – the Daeteños.

“We want an office that is very inviting to our clients yung bang hindi sila mahihirapan. Kasi nga sabi ng ating mahal na president Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III , sila, ang taumbayan, ang Boss namin. Para sa kanila talaga ang opisinang ito… (We want an office that is inviting to our clients – something that wouldn’t be uncomfortable to them. Because Pres. Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III said the people are our boss. The office is really for them),” Regional Director Nathaniel Lacambra said.

A living quarter for staff was included in the design to save the government from spending hotel charges whenever a visitor form the region or the national office comes in Camarines Norte.

With the dorm, the DOLE is expecting at least a 30 percent savings on travel expenses, which is in accordance with the President’s austerity agenda. This is aside from the sure savings from rent, which to date, amounts to some P16,000 per month.

Under the contract signed by DOLE and Daet LGU, DOLE-Bicol is expected to facilitate improvements on the lot in a span of one year.

“Matatapos natin ito ng pa unti-unti (We will finish this bit by bit) with the help of our Central Office and other allied government agencies. It is not a very ambitious plan anyway. It is doable.” Guzman said.

With the new lot, a new hope of a faster, more reliable, more convenient government services are expected by Daeteños.

Aside from the groundbreaking, DOLE Camarines Norte also released a livelihood grant of P540,861 under the Community Enterprise Development (CED) program.
The grant benefitted 101 Daeteños with their project business, which is the commercialization of pineapple and pili based products.

The livelihood grant of DOLE is said to boost the income of the beneficiaries as well as increase the tourism and export industry of the province. (MAL/RPE-DOLE5/PIA5)

Team Albay, OCD bags 11 disaster council awards

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Sept 13 (PIA) -- The joint Team Albay and Office of the Civil Defense (OCD-5) have notched 11 citations under the awards program “Bakas or Bayaning Likas (born hero)” of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

President Benigno S. Aquino III led the awarding rites yesterday at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, recognizing the heroes who responded in times of calamities especially those who helped during the onslaught of the southwest monsoon and in the search operations for the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda cited that Team Albay-OCD-5 were conferred of the Bakas Parangal ng Kadakilaan for the Provincial Government of Albay OCD-5, Regional Director Raffy Alejandro of OCD 5, Naval Forces of Southern Luzon (Navforsol), Capt. Jason Galang of Navforsol Tactical Operations Group (TOG) 5 of the Philippine Air Force, Col. Augusto Gaite of TOG 5, Water and Sanitation (WatSan) Team and Health and Emergency Management Services (HEMS) of Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Search and Rescue Unit, and including himself.

Salceda said Team Albay-OCD5 were among those units, which helped during the onslaught of the massive flooding due to heavy rains brought about the southwest monsoon in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces, furthermore, in the search, rescue and retrieval operations for the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

The President has also presented the Bakas Parangal ng Kagitingan to the members of Task Force Kalihim, including the divers who helped in locating and retrieving the bodies of Robredo and pilot Jessup Bahinting from the wreckage of the ill-fated Piper Seneca plane.

“Bakas Parangal,” is an award institutionalized and given by the NDRRMC to those who showed exemplary and extraordinary acts of selflessness in reaching out to those who are in urgent need of assistance in times of calamities and disasters.

NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos explained that the Bakas Parangal awards would serve as a reminder that the selfless acts during times of need would not remain unrecognized for what they have done is not only to save lives but also to change lives of many.

“Bakas,” which roughly means “imprint” and an acronym of the words “Bayaning Likas” has three categories for both individuals and organizations namely:

Category I or the Bakas Parangal ng Kadakilaan is given to honor the noble service of units or groups and organizations who participated in rescue efforts despite the hardship of the situations. Awardees will be given plaque of recognition.

Category II or the Bakas Parangal ng Kabayanihan is given to the leader of a unit or group that “exhibited exemplary acts of heroism beyond their call of duty.” Awardees will be given plaque of recognition for the leader of the unit or group accompanied by certificate of recognition for the members.

Category III or the Bakas Parangal ng Kagitingan is given to individuals who “exhibited extraordinary acts of bravery by extending assistance to those in need in times of disaster beyond the call of duty. Awardees will be bestowed with the bronze “Medalyon ng Kagitingan” accompanied by certificate of recognition. (MAL-PIA5 Albay)



Good Governance signature campaign launched in the 1st Jesse Robredo Youth Leadership Seminar

DAET, Camarines Norte, Sept 13 (PIA) -- The local initiative “A call for transparency, accountability and good governance” signature campaign was launched during the 1st Jesse Robredo Youth Leadership Seminar.

It was held September 9 by the Mabini Colleges-College of Business Administration and Accountancy Central Council at the Daet Heritage Center here.

Professor Rex Bernardo said it is their appeal, being conscientious citizens of Camarines Norte, that they have deeply reflected to take action and preserve the legacy of good local governance of Jesse Robredo.

“We have unanimously made the moral calling to demand transparency, accountability and good governance to our leaders,” he said.

He said they will demand to the local leaders of local government units here to immediately enact and pass proposed legislations that promote accountability, transparency and citizen’s engagement – all necessary ingredients that nurture and sustain good governance.

The proposed legislative measures are Productivity Improvement Program, Municipal/Provincial People’s Council, i-Govern “power of information” and Municipal/provincial citizen’s charter.

He said they demand that said proposed legislations be passed in the municipalities and province, since these have long been institutionalized and working in Naga City.

“It is only through these actions that we may be able to follow Jesse Robredo’s legacy in good local governance” he said.

Meanwhile, topics discussed during the seminar were the “Tsinelas Leadership: Robredo’s Brand of People Empowered Leadership” presented by Bernardo, 2011 Young Global Leader Fellow; “Robredo’s Legacy: A Trasformative Style of Servant Leadership” by Elmer Edgar Sto. Domingo, motivational doach; and “A call for Volunteerism: Nation Building the GK Way” by Mary Adelyn Tecson, RN GK regional volunteer coordinator.

An audio visual presentation of “Dare to Dream: Triumphs of Human Spirit” and group presentations on “Parables of Authentic Leadership” were also included in the seminar.

The activity was attended by some 250 college students of the said school. (MAL/RBM-PIA5/Camarines Norte).

Application for police officer recruitment program on- PNP

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Sept 12 (PIA) -- The Catanduanes Provincial Police Office is now accepting applicants for the Police Officer 1 (PO1) Recruitment Program for this year.

The recruitment is intended to fill up the regional and provincial offices with lacking number of police personnel to be more responsive to the demands of an efficient and effective police office.

Accepted applicants will undergo a six month, rigid Public Safety Basic Recruit Course (PSBRC) followed by the six-month Field Training Program (FTP), upon passing all the mandatory processing requirements for permanent appointment.

Application folders must be directed to their respective municipal police stations that will endorse the same to the Provincial Office, then to the Regional Selection Board/Committee at PRO5, Camp Gen. Simeon A Ola, Legazpi City.

In the Regional Selection Board/Committee, applicants will be carefully screened and subjected to various tests, purposely to determine their physical, mental and psychological fitness to undergo the PSBRC training, and ensure that only the best qualified are accepted to the PNP service.

General qualifications for the applicants are as follows: a natural-born citizen; of good moral character; with a formal baccalaureate degree from a recognized learning institution; eligible in accordance with the standards set by the National Police Commission; must have passed the psychiatric/psychological, physical, medical, dental and drug test to be administered by the PNP Health Service and Crime Laboratory or any NAPOLCOM accredited government hospital for the purpose of determining the appointee’s physical and mental health; must have no pending criminal case in any court, including the office of the Ombudsman or administrative case if he/she is already an employee of the government;

Must not be dishonorably discharged from military employment or on AWOL or Dropped from Rolls from the PNP service, or dismissed for cause from any civilian position in the government; must be at least 1 meter and 62 centimeter (1.62m) in height for male and 1 meter and 57 centimeter (1.57cm) for female; must weigh not more or less than 5 kilograms (5.0 kg) from the standard weight corresponding to his/her height, age and sex; and, must not be less than twenty-one (21) nor more than thirty years (30) of age.

Applicants should bring the following documents: duly accomplished CSC Form 212 (Revised 2005); handwritten application letter (using black ballpen); Birth Certificate authenticated by the NSO; eligibility authenticated by the issuing authority (NAPOLCOM,PRC RA 6506); 2 pcs “2X2” black & white picture indicating applicant’s name; bust and whole body picture; Transcript of Records and Diploma (authenticated by the school registrar); Certificate of Good Moral Character from the state college or university; clearances from barangay, local police station, RTC/MTC/NBI; medical certificate issued by the local health office and ECG result; and, fingerprints and handwriting specimen from NAPOLCOM. (MAL/EAB/PNP Catanduanes/PIA)


DTI follows new scheme for processing ICC stickers

By Bennie A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, Sept 12 (PIA) -– The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Sorsogon has announced the new schedule of processing requests for Imported Commodity Certification (ICC) stickers for helmets and visors used by motorists.

Leah Pagao, DTI Sorsogon provincial director, said based from the latest memorandum sent by the DTI central office, the processing of request shall be in accordance with the following scheme: For surnames of applicants starting with letters A to I are scheduled this month of September, surnames beginning with letters J to P are scheduled on October while surnames beginning with letters Q to Z are scheduled November, all this year.

“The implementation of said scheme will thwart possible delay in the processing of requests caused by the crowding of applicants in DTI offices,” said Pagao.

She added that applicants are required to submit the photocopy of their driver’s license when requesting for ICC stickers.

Mandatory certification of helmet and visors was intensified by virtue of the Joint Administrative Order No. 1 series of 2012 of the Department of Transporation and Communication and DTI.

It equires motorists to register their helmets and visors for their personal safety while driving anywhere. (MAL/BAR-PIA5/Sorsogon)


NGCP, Canoreco lead greening project in Camarines Norte

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, Sept 12 (PIA) -- The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) initiated a tree planting program together with Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative (Canoreco) in support to the National Greening Program (NGP) of the government.

The group of officials and employees from NGCP has planted 1,500 seedlings of narra and mahogany in Brgy. Daguit, Labo, Camarines Norte, one of the barangays hosting NGCP’s Labo-Gumaca 230-kiloVolt lines.

“Our partnership with Canoreco does not end in delivering reliable electricity to the consumers. It extends to serving the community and protecting the environment as well,” said Gomercindo De Leon, NGCP transmission engineer in Labo.

De Leon said, as the country’s sole power transmission service provider and system operator, NGCP operates and maintains high-voltage electrical facilities such as transmission lines and substations spread throughout thousands of barangay-communities nationwide.

He added that to replenish trees affected in maintaining transmission facilities, NGCP regularly implements reforestation and tree seedling dispersal activities.

The NGP target is to plant 1.5 billion seedlings in 1.5 million hectares of public lands nationwide from 2011 to 2016. It is more than twice the government’s accomplishment for the past 25 years.

Areas for planting under the program include forestlands, mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, civil and military reservations, urban areas under the greening plan of LGUs, inactive and abandoned mine sites, and other suitable lands of the public domain. (MAL-PIA5/Albay)

Albay hosts Asean tourism conference on climate change

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Sept 11 (PIA) -- Tourism ministers and policy makers from member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meet today until tomorrow in Albay to craft country action plans for climate change adaptation. This aims to make each country in the region more resilient and boost tourism.

Albay hosts this year’s Asean Tourism Conference on Climate Change with the province’s showcase of resiliency which has risen from the wrath of typhoons, storm surges and many geological hazards to become one of the country’s premier tourism destinations.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has also cited the province as a model in carrying out plans and measures in mainstreaming climate change adaptation in the local development process, including for the tourism industry.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda said countries of the Asean come here today as a community of nations to examine closely how tourism in the Asean can promote economic and social integration for development but as well as contribute to the global task of securing the world we have come to love and appreciate so that we, of this current generation, and the future can benefit from the provisioning, sustaining, nurturing functions of the earth.

“Our goal is a resilient Asean through inclusive tourism,” Salceda emphasized.

He said, “A resilient Asean, through tourism, is the categorical imperative for our nations and, collectively, the regional imperative is resilient Asean through inclusive tourism.”

Salceda also explained that tourism relies on the aesthetic and nurturing function of nature in many ways and so the social responsibility and accountability of governments bring them together no longer to simply talk about climate change but to seek ways meet the goals of the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan by 2015 through responsible and sustainable tourism development.

The challenges for the governments, thus, include helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we encourage travel and leisure, citing for instance, build “bridges” across Asean seas that encourage inter-island connectivity using Asean sea lanes rather than just airplanes.

“We have geo-economic gateways that have the potential to be further developed through tourism. We can also bank on our in city travel innovations using non-motorized transport systems,” he said.

Another is the challenge to adapt tourism businesses, destinations, food, water use, entertainment, travel options to the challenges that that changing climate and the climate extremes will present.

Governments are also confronted to seek better technological innovations that encourage tourism while enabling countries and peoples to mitigate and to adapt to climate risks, and the capacity to secure financial resources that will allow us to develop the Asean as a tourism destination that remains resilient despite challenges.

The output of this meeting, Salceda said, will be a good platform to present in the Asean Tourism meet in Laos on January 2013 that will evolve on the theme for 2013 is “Asean Hand-in-Hand, Conquering our Future.”

Participating countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (MAL-PIA5 Albay)


AKBay program benefits 231 households

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Sept 11 (PIA) -- The Agrikultura: Kaagapay ng Bayang Pinoy (AKBay) program of the national government benefited 231 farm and fishery households from eight towns of Catanduanes.

The program was implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through National Agricultural and Fishery Council (NAFC) and was funded under the Japan Grant Assistance for Food Security Project for Underprivileged Farmers.

It supports the attainment of Millennium Development Goal 1, the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger.

Under the program, where majority of the beneficiaries chose swine raising, each recipient household received P10,000 in the form of loan checks as start-up funds for their livelihood projects.

These loans are interest-free and collateral-free.

Aside from the start-up funds, the program extends technical assistance to the beneficiaries in project identification, project proposal writing/development, and project implementation, as well as in marketing the goods.

The loan number recipients from the different towns are as follows: Bagamanoc, 30; Baras, 28; Bato, 29; Gigmoto, 31; Pandan, 30; Panganiban, 25; San Miguel, 23; and Viga, 35.

Beneficiaries underwent resource-based, short-gestating, micro-scale livelihood projects in agriculture and fisheries and are required to put up some equity in the form of land, labor, cost of utilities and required project materials harvested freely in the project area.

Since the program targets only the poorest farm households in 4th, 5th and 6th class municipalities nationwide, there are no recipients from the other three towns of the province. An amount of P2.09 million from the total P4.4 million allocation has been released for Catanduanes in June 2011.

Meanwhile, recipients of AKBay livelihood project expressed gratitude with the promise of repaying in accordance the terms of the program. (MAL/EAB-PIA5-Catanduanes)


Legazpi City ready for more IT-BPO companies expanding operations

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Sept 11 (PIA) -- This city is ready for Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) companies that are expanding their operations outside established hubs like Metro Manila, Cebu and Clark.

“In a big way, we are ready to take in more IT-BPO entries,” City Mayor Carmen Geraldine Rosal said on Wednesday following the city’s hosting of the IT-BPO road show entitled “ICT Road Show in the Next Wave Cities: Harnessing ICT for a Smarter Countryside.”

The road show held at the La Piazza Hotel was organized by the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in coordination with the Albay Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Association and the Legazpi City ICT Council.

ICTO is the Philippine Government’s lead agency on ICT-related matters. Its primary thrusts are in the ICT Industry Development, e-Government, ICT policy development, Internet for all and cybersecurity.

The road show, attended by thousands of students, professionals and other stakeholders in the ICT industry, aims to encourage incoming college students to take ICT-related, engineering and architecture courses to support and take advantage of the country’s fast growing IT-BPO industry.

Panelists of the event were from the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), Contact Center Association of the Philippines, Healthcare Information Management Outsourcing Association of the Philippines (HIMOAP), Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) and Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP).

From here, the next leg of the road show will be on September 7 in Palayan City to be co-organized by the Tech-Novo Ecijano Association Inc.

Rosal said the readiness of the city for more IT-BPO operations is further attested to by its being named into the 10 Next Wave Cities in the country’s BPO industry list of the BPAP last year.

Considered by the BPAP as a feeder city for providing highly qualified manpower to other outsourcing centers across the country, Legazpi joined top listed Davao City and other early entrants to the New Wave Cities such as Bacolod, Baguio, Malolos, Iloilo, Cavite, Lipa and Cagayan de Oro.

The city, the government’s regional center for Bicol, also scored high in the cost of doing business and availability of needed physical IT infrastructures to support the outsourcing industry, the BPAP said.

Its accessibility through land, air and sea transport from Manila, Cebu and other areas of the country added to having reliable telecommunications providers like Smart, Globe, Bayantel and PLDT that provides dependable internet and bandwidth connectivity are important factors that attracted BPO investors to locate in the city, it added.

Being a New Wave City provides a great avenue for local empowerment as increases talent pool and stem salary and rental inflation. It also eases the pressures to raise salaries and rental rates in these major hubs, and spread the benefits of employment, higher incomes and increased business activity across the country.

The BPAP said it sees the Philippines maintaining its position as one of the world's top outsourcing destination, generating annual revenue of USD 25 billion by 2015. More companies are expected to sub-contract services to companies in the Philippines as a way to cut costs.

BPAP said the Philippines is seen to maintain its market share of around 10 percent, despite emerging competitors like Vietnam and other countries in South America also joining the race for more clients. The country’s BPO industry currently employs around 600,000 people.

“We have talents for this industry. We have good schools that produce good graduates. We have good command of the English language. We have the facilities. We have the necessary support of the academe, and there is the definite and strong partnership between the private groups and the local government,” Rosal said.

In support to this the Southern Luzon Technological College Foundation Inc. (SLTCFI) which is itself an IT-BPO provider and training center based here has launched the country’s first BPO high school, a significant step in fortifying the city’s classification as an IT-BPO location.

SLTCFI BPO High School integrates BPO curriculum in the high school and as the pioneer in offering the Business Process Service Management courses in the Philippines, SLTCFI ensures that its graduates are equipped with skills for supervisory positions once they apply for jobs in BPO companies. (MAL/DOC-LGU Legazpi CIty/PIA5)

DRR-CCA empowerment summit held for out of school youth in Bicol

By Sally A. Atento

LEGAZPI CITY, Sept 10 (PIA) -- The Philippine Navy-Naval Forces Southern Luzon (Navforsol), together with other multi-stakeholders in the Bicol region, gathered some 110 out-of-school-youths for the Bicol Youth Empowerment Summit (YES). 

The summit was held at the Coastal View Resort, Sto. Domingo Albay last August 27 to 29. 

The three-day training and team-building activities for this year’s YES was anchored on the theme “Harnessing the Youth Sector in DRR-CCA towards Disaster Resilient Communities.” 

Captain Rommel Jason Galang, Navforsol commander, said the theme is in line with the need to rally support from government and non-government institutions during occurrences of disasters to prevent emergencies, mitigate effects and ensure provision for those in need. 

“The Office of Civil Defense together with the Naval Forces Southern Luzon identified the necessity to educate youth sector most especially the OSY on issues related to Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaption on their level of appreciation for the reason that they are highly vulnerable for this phenomena where recorded numbers of casualties belongs to this youth sectors,” Galang said. 

Galang added they expected participants in the said summit to be empowered with renewed techniques in managing duties and responsibilities in their respective community and be responsive to the current issues and concerns of society. 

Among the issues and concerns discussed on the second day of the summit are Internal Peace and Security Plan Bayanihan, Maritime Domain Awareness, Human Trafficking program, HIV/AIDS prevention, DRR Management and Basic Life Support. 

Members of the Philippine Army, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Naval Forces Southern Luzon and PAO also took turns in capacitating the participants on Disaster Rescue Operations through hands-on orientations on knot tying or seamanship skills, extrication of patients and rappelling techniques, water rescue and other life saving techniques in water. 

YES is part of the multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional approach in guiding and preparing the youth to be globally competitive on the near future. 

Together with Navforsol in implementing the said advocacy in the region are the Office of the Civil Defense, Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Youth Commission, Tactical Operation Group, 901st Brigade PA, and the Provincial Government of Albay. (SAL/MAL/Albay)