47K workers employed for Kalahi-CIDSS projects in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY, June 16 (PIA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has employed thousands of residents in the Bicol region for the construction of community-managed projects under Kalahi-CIDSS programKapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), a community-driven development (CDD) program aimed to reduce poverty in poor villages.

DSWD Bicol Director Arnel Garcia said some 47,283 workers were employed for construction of at least 1,304 projects in 99 poor municipalities in the region from 2015 to present.

The said projects are constructed to provide basic access infrastructure, basic social services, community production, economic support and common service facilities and environment protection and conservation.

Garcia said the total labor cost amounts to Php97,589,529.00 with each laborer receiving a minimum of Php260.00 depending on the prevailing rate in the locality.

Of the total number of workers, 9,202 are women hired as part of the gender mainstreaming in Kalahi-CIDSS where men and women are given opportunities in labor works. Their labor cost amounts to Php16,105,170.

Furthermore, 37% of the total laborers are Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries who received a total Php29, 346 629.00 for their salaries.

Necita Mesa of Baao, Camarines Sur, a housewife with three children, was one of the residents who built their access road.

Her colleague who belongs to the Barangay Subproject Management Committee (BSPMC), the community implementer of the Kalahi-CIDSS project in their village, recruited her.

Hiring workers within the community, Garcia added, is an effective strategy to ensure quality workmanship as they themselves are the beneficiaries of the project.

“Hiring workers within the community where projects are being constructed will not only give them additional income but they will also ensure quality workmanship because they themselves are the beneficiaries of these,” Garcia said.(SAA/DSWD5-PIA5/Albay)



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Legazpi City initiates curfew for minors

By Julius Embile

LEGAZPI CITY, June 15 (PIA) – Reinforcing the drive against juvenile crimes, Legazpi City mayor Noel Rosal has ordered the Legazpi City’s law enforcement bodies to implement curfew for minors below eighteen years old as a new city ordinance.

Yesterday, Rosal ordered Legazpi City’s Chief of Police P/Supt. Joselito Ensico to implement the curfew from 10:00 pm until 4:00 am. Stipulated in the city’s ordinance, law enforcement units would be conducting regular patrols on favorite youth hang-out areas, like internet café and billiard halls, during the said hours.

Rosal urged the city’s PNP, Barangay Curfew Enforcement Teams (BCET) and Public Safety Officers (PSO) to inform the citizens within their given jurisdiction of the curfew, so that parents would be able to hinder their children from staying out late at night.

BCETs would be conducting arrests of minors roaming around public places during curfew hours and will be returned to their parents or guardians. If a youth should be rescued by a personnel of the PNP or PSO, the youth will be turned over to the BCET and parent of the violator would be issued a curfew citation by the BCET team chairman.

Should the minor violators be residents of a different barangay, the BCET would hand them over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office for their safety and protection.

To avoid being apprehended, parents are advised to accompany their children during curfew hours. Emergency purposes, like going to the physician and buying medicines, or scholastic reasons for students are also given consideration by authorities.

For the first violation, parents or guardians of the minor would be given a reprimand letter by the authorities. If the offense is committed for the second time, the parents will be required to attend a one-day therapy session at the Office of the City Social Works and Development.

If the violation is repeated for the third time, the parents would pay a fine of Php 500 or render one-day community service. Failure to comply with the said penalties would result to a criminal complaint filed in court against the parents, to be signed by the Chief of Police due to violation of a city ordinance. (MAL/JBE/PIA5)

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Training on adolescent and youth summit set

VIRAC, Catanduanes, June 15 (PIA) -- The provincial government of Catanduanes, through the Provincial Health Office, will conduct Adolescent and Youth Summit on June 20, 2016.

Dr. Hazel Palmes, Provincial Health Officer, said that the activity aims to help Catandunganon youth to become responsible in addressing their needs related to a wholesome adolescent and youth development.

Palmes further said that young adults who are sexually and non-sexually at risk are facing problem on Pre-marital Sex/Pregnancy/Sexually Transmitted Diseases thereby increasing the need for adequate and factual information to make sound enlightened decision and be responsible to act when confronted with difficult youth health situation, thus this project proposal for the youths adequacy on accurate knowledge.

Topics on the youth summit forum includes the following: Human Sexuality to be discussed by Ms. Delia M. Silvestre, PPO IV; Social, Psychological and Emotional Consequences on Teen-age Pregnancy to be discussed by Ms. Socorro V. de la Rosa, CESO IV; Danger and Risk on DMO V to be discussed by Joseph Richard S. Garay, M.D. and Premarital Sex to be discussed by Provincial DOH Officer.

The activity has an expected participant of around 300 In-School and Out of School Youth including facilitators from municipalities of Virac, Viga, Panganiban and Bagamanoc.

A Colored Fun Run will also be held in relation to the activity. (MAL/EAB-PIA5/Catanduanes)

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Naga City, all set for the week-long Charter Day celebration

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, June 15 (PIA) ---  The city government here has lined up  a string of colorful events within the week until June 19 in time for the celebration of this city's 68th Charter Day anniversary.

This city observed its charter anniversary pursuant to Republic Act No. 9210 signed on June 11, 2003.

With the City Events Protocol and Public Information Office (CEPPIO) on the lead, the week-long celebration started off with the commemoration of the 118th Independence Day or Araw ng Kalayaan 2016, followed by a blood donation activity dubbed “Talingkas Dolot Buhay sa Maogmang Lugar” and capped by a debate at the Plaza Rizal gazebo.

PiliMania Food and Agri Fair Exhibit formally opened today at the Kinastillohan Street, Plaza Rizal here. PiliMania chair Farah Rañola Bongat, wife of the local chief executive, spearheaded the affair.

PiliMania is an initiative of First Lady Farah which she launched in 2011. It endeavors to create a pool of environmentalist and green advocates who will sustain the city-wide planting of pili trees in the city’s 27 barangays and in other open areas and sites.

A 3-day Ginhawang Nagueño Charter will also be held from June 17 to 19 with barangay officials as participants.  The Ginhawang Nagueño program is City Mayor John Bongat’s way of addressing the persistent poverty issues mostly involving the least economically resilient communities in the city.

Several great events were set to fill the last weekday. Lined up for June 17 are simultaneous activities which include Naga Lakaw, Naga City Charter Day Jobs Fair at the People’s Hall, Kinalas Festival and an Inter-school Kinalas Cooking Contest which consists of a Bicol Food Cookfest at 1pm and Food Photography Contest set at 30pm.

The day’s highlight will be the conferment of awards to outstanding Nagueños and Nagueñas who have contributed to the enhancement of the city’s development. The 2016 Mayoral Awards will be held at the Avenue Convention Plaza  on Friday night.

On Saturday, June 18, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office will lead partakers during the Naga City Arbor Day, a tree planting activity at the Mount Isarog Natural Park.  The Naga City Teachers and Employees Association (NACITEA) will also conduct the 3rd Congressional/DepEd Naga Consultation at the Naga City Hall Blue Room.

Simultaneous with the Saturday activities are Dental and Medical mission dubbed “Serbisyong Nagueño” at the Plaza Rizal courtesy of the City Health Office; a Charter Day Pet show called “Hirilingan kan MaluluPET” where an anti-rabies vaccination will also be done , among others.

The week-long activity will be capped by the PiliMania Eco-endurance Challenge which will commence at the Pili Park on June 19 and the commemoration of the 155th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal at the Plaza Rizal. (MAL/LSM-PIA5/Camarines Sur)

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Albay celebrates 118th Philippines Independence Day

Legazpi City, June 14 (PIA) – The provincial government of Albay and city government of Legazpi jointly celebrate the 11th Philippines Independence Anniversary and the 57th Charter Day of the city this June 12, 2016 at the Peñaranda Park here.

With the theme “Kalayaan 2016: Pagkakaisa, Pag-aambagan, Pagsulong,” the celebration started with a thanksgiving mass early in the morning followed by a flag ceremony and short program where troops representing the different branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines held a short parade showing their support for the celebration.

The short program was attended by various representatives of the local government, civic organizations, and various sectors in the province.

In his message, Albay Governor Joey Salceda recalled his nine years of service to the province noting the progress it went through under his administration.

“Albay is now a province with the lowest poverty incidence in the Bicol Region, from 32.3 percent rate to 25.1 percent, from 2006 to 2015, and while it is still 4 percent away from the national average of 21.1 percent, continued support for the programs we have instilled in our system will ensure that we will not only reach the average, but optimistically, we will have a 15 percent rate in the future,” Salceda said.

The Governor also stressed that for this economic freedom to continue and flourish, Albayanos need to further bolster a strong society anchored on active citizenship from the community.  To achieve active citizenship, family values as the core support of active citizenship should be first established.

“I cannot take credit for the progress that Albay is enjoying today, without the full support of the Albayanos, and the other local leaders, we will not be experiencing this growth, while sad as it may be that not everyone experiences this upliftment from poverty, economic freedom will soon be all-encompassing as long as we have intuitive cohesion among ourselves,” said Salceda.

Salceda ended his message by once again profusely thanking the people of Albay for giving him the opportunity to be its chief executive for the past nine years and vowed to give the same focus and passion in his new post as congressman for the Second District of Albay when he assumes the post next month.(MAL/SAA/PGA-PIA5/Albay)

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