“PLEASE STOP USING PEOPLE TO KILL PEOPLE…” — BAYLON

MASBATE Province — If the murder of Vice Mayor Antonino de Jesus of Milagros town here is any gauge, then there’s reason to fear that the 2010 elections in this province could become the hottest and bloodiest in the annals of the province.

The grim scenario was underscored by no less than Bishop Joel Z. Baylon in his “open letter” to all elected officials of the province, municipalities and barangays.

Recalling a similar prediction which he made during the celebration of the midnight mass on New Year’s Day, the prelate said that “with the attempt” on the life of de Jesus last Feb. 3 “it seems that this early I am being proven right.”

The three-page letter was issued by the head of the diocese of Masbate three days before de Jesus expired in a hospital in Manila.

Since last year, bishop said he has not only learned about the buildup of political parties and alliances in Masbate.

“I also heard rumors of goons, ruffians, hardened criminals and gun-for- hire being readied for what they call ‘cleansing’ (pagalinis) that must happen if political dreams have to be realized and personal ambitions satisfied,” he said.

Saying the grinding poverty and the wanton disregard of environment in Masbate are enough, Baylon said political killings in the province are too much to hear.

“Why can we not treat each other as human beings (?)… (why do we) act in ways that are worse than those of beasts?”

He continued “In our midst there is a proliferation of guns, and hence many forms of criminal activities, not the least of them murders, are very rampant. The province’s history has been so tainted by political killings and vendettas that now days when people hear of Masbate, what readily comes to their mind is a province where there is political violence and culture of death, a place where people.”

“Please don’t add any more bad things to these, especially those acts of violence that you have knowledge of, or worse, those that you may be responsible for,” he said.

Calling for “a stop to all these atrocities,” the bishop addressed to whom it may concerns: “Please stop using people to kill people.”

For the better politicians, he has this to say: “I know that some of you have been doing your share to address these concerns and have responded positively in solving some of our society’s problems. I ask them to do more.”(EADelgado, PIA Masbate)


SORSOGON LGU, DEPED TO BUILD 2-STOREY LIBRARY HUB

SORSOGON Province — A library hub that will cater to students of the province’s 449 elementary and 73 secondary schools will soon be built through the joint resources of the Province of Sorsogon and the Department of Education (DepEd).

The two-storey building will house 40,000 copies of books, supplementary reading materials and research facilities, providing access to students and researchers with limited reference materials.

In the memorandum of agreement signed between Governor Sally A. Lee and Teodosio C. Sangil, Jr., undersecretary for finance and administration of the DepEd, the Provincial Government of Sorsogon has agreed to donate a parcel of land within the capitol compound and an initial P2,500,000 for the construction of the library hub.

On the other hand, the DepEd is also allocating P1,500,000 for the construction as well as provide the books and supplementary reading materials for the library.

Lee said that the lack of libraries where students can avail of reading materials is a major impediment to the universal promotion of reading and reading habits in the province. “As a partner to public education I strongly support the objectives of the DepEd to elevate literacy levels in Sorsogon.”

Through the Special Education Fund, the provincial government has various collaborative projects with the DepEd to intensify the development of the education sector.(MFDeniega, MAIB Sorsogon)


DOT GRANTS PROVINCE P1 MILLION FOR GAYON BIKOL TRAVEL CAFÉ’ AND RESTROOMS

SORSOGON Province — The province of Sorsogon will receive P1 million assistance package from the Department of Tourism (DOT) for the construction of Gayon Bikol Travel Café’, an assistance center and Gayon Bikol Restrooms for tourists.

The grant was given under the Expanded Grassroots Entrepreneurs for Eco-Tourism (GREET) program of the DOT which had been conceived to enhance livelihood opportunities in the tourism sector.

GREET is designed to provide essential services for tourists while creating jobs for entrepreneurs who can best explore the inherent drawing potentials of tourist destinations.

Governor Sally A. Lee has been pushing for Sorsogon to benefit from the GREET and had directed the Provincial Tourism Office to prepare and submit project proposals which have now been approved for implementation, as confirmed by DOT regional director Maria O. Ravanilla in a letter.

Apart from serving as a processing and information area for tourists, the Travel Café will sell souvenir and indigenous products and handicrafts.

The proposed 150 sq. m. structure will be established within the Capitol Compound. On the other hand, the restrooms will be constructed within the Sorsogon City Terminal in Bgy. Cabid-an.
Under the mechanics of the GREET program, the province will manage and administer both the Café and the restrooms although they must be operated by non-government or private organizations whose staff will undergo capability trainings/ seminars on tourism services.

It will be recalled that in 2007, tourism practitioners in Donsol received GREET program grants in the form of boat improvements, diving suits and paraphernalia, mangrove propagules and capitalization for putting up tourist-friendly enterprises, among others.(MFDeniega, MAIB Sorsogon)


TINAWAGAN-LIBOD FMR PROJECT UNDERWAY

TIGAON, Camarines Sur — The ground breaking of the Tinawagan-Libod Farm-to-Market-Road project named after the two barangays the road project traverses, has brought hope and cheers to the local residents of the two upland barangays at the eastern slope of Mt. Isarog here.

Regional executive director Jose V. Dayao of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Bicol and Tigaon mayor Arnulf Bryan “Arnie” Fuentebella led the launching ceremonies and signing of the Memorandum of Agreement held in barangays Libod last February 25.

Dayao said the national government, through the DA, has allocated some P3M for the said road project as part of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s stimulus program to rev up economic growth, including agricultural productivity in the countryside in the face of global economic slowdown.

The concreting project is expected to be completed within 60 days after the issuance of the notice to proceed to the winning bidder.

“When completed, the FMR is expected to benefit at least 1,321 households and 330 hectares agricultural land planted to rice, coconut, sugarcane, banana, abaca, pili, mango, citrus and vegetables,” he said

He added the FMR is but one of the “hard” projects that the DA will be implementing this year in lieu of “soft” projects like fertilizer support to farmers as the former have greater and more lasting impact.

The DA regional director meanwhile lauded the LGU of Tigaon for its very successful “BIO-N” plant which is now generating much income for the municipality, likewise commended mayor Fuentebella for putting his stake in agricultural productivity and development.

Dayao also related the other proposed project of the LGU of Tigaon, which is the grains drying station, will soon be implemented as the mayor has already raised the required counterpart and project site.

Mayor Fuentebella for his part has thanked the agriculture department for all its assistance to their agricultural projects, including the FMR to be constructed which will soon link to a newly completed road network, also funded by the DA and Cong, Feuntebella under the Bicol Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation (BCARE) project.

He further requested the DA to extend financial assistance for the completion of the remaining 400 meters portion of the Tinawagan-Libod road, noting that municipal government has shelled out the initial funds and probably Cong. Fuentebella could also put in his share to the project.

Although Dayao was non-committal, he promised to look into their budget if they could still put in their share.

Present during the project launching ceremonies were punong barangays Saturnino Sanoy, Jr. and Elorde Espinosa of Libod and Tinawagan, repectively, along with their constituents.

Also present were NIA Bicol regional director William Ragodon, DPWH Camarines Sur assistant district engineer Gemma Timbang, DA Bicol assistant regional director Edgar Madrid, Tigaon vice-mayor Ruel San Gaspar, municipal agriculturist Jose Formalejo and members of the print and broadcast media community.(Emily B. Bordado , DA-RAFID5/PIA)


E-LEARNING CENTER FOR EXTENSION WORKERS’ COMPUTER LITERACY COURSE

ALBAY Province — The Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) in Guinobatan, this province conducted its first-ever training on basic computer and internet operations specially designed for agricultural extension workers (AEWs).

Held on February 23-24, 2009 at the e-Learning Center of the Camarines Sur State Agricultural College (CSSAC), the activity also marked the first time ATI teamed up with the College’s e-Leaning Center.

Some 26 AEWs, a representative of a rural-based organization, and one ATI staff attended the training. Instructors from CSSAC specializing in information technology (IT) served as resource persons.

Consisting of 18 full hands-on training hours, the Computer-Internet Literacy Course explored the computer applications commonly used by stakeholders in agriculture, i.e. word processing, spreadsheets, and visual presentations. It then tackled key concepts in computer networking and the Internet, as well as e-mailing and information retrieval. The participants were able to create their e-mail addresses, send messages and even start simple blogs using these.

Center Director Efren Sabularse of the ATI-RTC discussed the importance of a knowledge-intensive agriculture in the face of challenges facing the sector.

Anthony Francis Malabanan of the Philippine Research Institute (PhilRice) discussed web-based agricultural services of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

These include the interactive functionalities of the Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture (OpAPA) website, www.openacademy.ph, and the Cereal Knowledge Bank.

Discussants from ATI likewise introduced the participants to the Nutrient Manager, a software developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and the e-extension website of the DA, www.e-extension.gov.ph. The participants explored the website and registered in the online courses, and one immediately participated in the forums.

As put by PhilRice, “Experience has shown that conventional methods are no longer adequate to meet the growing demand of stakeholders … to access improved technologies, timely information, and support services. The ongoing revolution in information and communication technology (ICT) and distance education offers a tremendous potential in linking and mobilizing stakeholders towards agricultural modernization in the Philippines.” (PhilRice Volume 21 Special Issue No. 1 March 2008).

AEWs are an important link in agricultural development process. To disseminate crucial information and technologies from development managers, researchers, and educators to farmers, they need to be skilled in accessing the large volume of up-to-date information available electronically.

Most certainly, computers and the Internet are essential tools in agricultural information dissemination whose time has come.(ATI-RTC release/PIA)


LABO TOWN INTENSIFIES ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN

LABO, Camarines Norte — The municipal government of Labo will be conducting an anti-drug abuse drive following reports of proliferation of illegal drugs by the TBS gang in some school campuses here.

Municipal Information Officer and Disaster Coordinating Council deputy Carlos Galvez said the reports prompted the local government recently to hold dialogues with school officials, teachers, parents and students of the different schools.

He said they will create a technical committee which will conduct investigation and draw out measures to prevent the spread of illegal drugs and protect the youth from the ill effects of this social menace.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) chairs the technical committee.

Galvez bared the local authorities found out that the TBS gang has started its illegal modus operandi in Manila, earlier in Daet and now in this town.

In other related developments, he noted during the meeting the town’s peace and order council has reviewed their public safety plan, specifically on law enforcement being led by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other plans of other member-agencies to ensure a safe and orderly neighborhood.(RBManlangit, PIA Camarines Norte)

Arroyo administration has the most number of anti-corruption initiatives -- Remonde

MANILA — The Arroyo administration has instituted the most number of anti-corruption initiatives in the history of the country.

Thus pointed out Press Secretary Cerge Remonde in his latest weekly column entitled “Anti-corruption measures,” stressing, thus: “If you think that the Arroyo administration has been insincere in its fight against graft and corruption, take note: Records would show that this administration has the most number of anti-corruption initiatives that this country has ever seen before, during, and after the Marcos regime.”

Remonde further pointed out that the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo “also has the most notable achievements in the fight against shenanigans in government.

”The Press Secretary enumerated eight such initiatives, among others, namely: the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program; the Run After the Smugglers (RATS) program; the Lifestyle Check program; the establishment of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Task Force (PASTF); the Integrity Development Review; the government’s Electronic Procurement System; the Pro-Performance System; the Contractors Performance Evaluation; the Electronic New Government Accounting System.

“In the fight against corruption, the Arroyo Administration has been focused on punitive and preventive measures, as well as in the promotion of zero tolerance for corruption,” added Remonde.

“It (the Arroyo administration) has also gone into partnerships with vigilant non-government institutions and media in exposing, detailing and prosecuting cases of corruption,” he said.

The administration’s vigilance in its anti-corruption efforts has so far penalized some 121 high-ranking government officials since 2001: “A total of 71 officials were dismissed, 23 were suspended, seven were reprimanded, and 20 given accessory penalties.”

Remonde also cited three anti-red tape and institutional development measures which have so far improved government services delivery:
(1) the Philippines Business Registry Project (PBRP) which harmonizes business registration processes; (2) the Electronic Sanitary and Phytosanitary Certification System (ESPCS) which allows regulatory agencies under the Department of Agriculture (DA) to automate applications through on-line forms, and allows importers to track the status of their applications; plus (3) One-Stop Shop Centers (OSSC) all over the country which “simplify rules and reduce reportorial requirements.”

The Press Secretary also stressed that the performance of government frontline services has also been enhanced through the reduction to half the number of signatures, days/hours of processing, and/or steps/procedures.

“As you can see, we are well-armed in the fight against corruption, but if we just leave the fighting to government without the full cooperation of the people, then the war would take a little longer,” he added.

Under the government’s RATE program, 90 cases have been filed, 67 of which are now pending with the Department of Justice (DOJ); 13 are pending before the courts; four have been referred back to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for further evaluation; and six have been dismissed.

“Under the RATS program, 46 new lawyers were hired to beef up the legal services of the Bureau of Customs (BOC). As a result, 78 criminal cases have been filed against 349 respondents covering shipments valued at P1.7 billion.

Remonde also cited the hiring of additional field investigators for the Office of the Ombudsman for the increase in its annual conviction rate for criminal cases from 19 percent in 2006 to 77 percent in 2007.(PIA V Release)


RP has greatest percentage of women in senior management positions in the world

MANILA — Here is good news for Filipino women on women’s month: The Philippines – which is headed by a woman President -- holds the world record in the greatest percentage of women in senior management positions.

“The greatest percentage of women in senior management is in the Philippines where women hold 47% of senior positions,” said the Thornton International Business Report (IBR) 2009.

“They (Filipino women) are followed by Russia (42%) and Thailand (38%),” added the Thornton IBR which interviewed senior executives of Philippine private firms and cited figures from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) showing that women “have steadily outnumbered men in executive positions.”

“In 2002, the ratio was 1.86 million females to 1.4 males in supervisory and executive positions. In 2006, the ratio was 2.257 million women managers to 1.629 million men. By 2007, there were 2.281 million female managers to 1.677 million males,” it added.

The Filipino women’s breaking the proverbial “glass ceiling” for women in management is in contrast to the global reality of women hardly making it to the top of their organizations.

“New research from Grant Thornton International reveals that women still hold less than a quarter of senior management positions in privately held businesses globally,” according to the IBR’s press release about its 2009 report.

The IBR added that only 24 percent of senior management positions are currently held by women – “a figure identical to 2007 and only a marginal improvement from 2004 when only 19% of senior level positions were held by women.”

The Thornton IBR 2009 also lamented that “34% of privately held businesses globally have no women in senior management.”

The Grant Thornton International Business Report is an annual survey of the views of senior executives in privately held businesses (PHB) all over the world. Launched 17 years ago in 1992 in nine European countries, the report now surveys over 7,200 private businesses in 36 economies providing territory, regional and global trend data on the economic and commercial issues affecting a sector often described as the 'engine' of the world's economy.

Thornton’s IBR 2009 results were released by audit, tax and business advisory firm Punongbayan & Araullo (P&A), a member firm within Grant Thornton.(PIA V Release)

PGMA orders temporary filing up of vacant gov’t plantilla positions

MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the temporary filling up of vacant plantilla positions in government agencies whose Rationalization Plans are still pending approval by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The presidential directive is part of government efforts to assist Filipino workers affected by the global financial crisis.

Under Executive Order (EO) 782, which the President signed last Feb. 10, all concerned agencies and instrumentalities of government were directed to allocate and utilize 1.5 percent of their budget for operating expenses for the temporary hiring of qualified displaced workers and their dependents who are registered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

She also called on government agencies to “campaign to encourage buoyant industries and companies under their supervision to hire on temporary or fixed, short-term basis DOLE-registered displaced workers and their dependents.”

In issuing EO 782, the President stressed that “despite the overall resilience of the economy and the willingness of employers to help the affected workers, greater concerted efforts by and between the government and the private sector are necessary to prevent the deepening of the crisis and to quicken recovery.”

“The effects of the current global crisis are now felt by the country’s economy, particularly in terms of company slowdowns and closures affecting workers… The government must exhibit strong leadership and inspire confidence by contributing to job security of workers and shore up the capacity of the private sector to support this national effort,” she added.

The EO also mandates all government agencies to report to the DOLE the jobs that will be created pursuant to EO 782.(PIA V Release)