BALIKATAN EXERCISES’ HUMANITARIAN MISSION KICKS OFF

SORSOGON Province -- The RP-US Balikatan humanitarian mission formally opened Wednesday (April 1) in a simple ceremony at Barangay Guruyan in Juban town, this province.

Barangay Guruyan is one of the identified recipient barangays of the joint military forces’ engineering and medical missions.

Barangay Patag in Irosin, also among the identified priority areas, will receive health assistance, school buildings and road component projects.

Aside from Sorsogon, the provinces of Albay and Masbate were also identified as concerned areas in the Bicol region and beneficiaries of infrastructure and medical projects.

Juban Mayor Ma. Teresa Fragata said that officials of the recipient barangays were glad and thankful for the benefits that the mission would provide them. However, they are apprehensive of possible armed confrontations between military and communist terrorists that may harmly affect or hurt civilians in the midst of project implementation.

With this apprehension, she assured the local residents that the US-RP military groups are purely on a humanitarian mission and are non-combatants. “They will only stay here for a short period of time, and just like visitors, let us warmly welcome them,” she said.

Asked about her position toward protesters, Fragata said that she would not bar any groups or organizations from holding protests against the conduct of Balikatan Exercises. “I believe rights and beliefs of every individual or groups must be respected, in fact, I have issued permits to hold protests to some militant groups here, and my office remains open to issuing permits to anyone who desires to hold the same,” se added.

She made an appeal to protesters to maintain sobriety and peace, and to New People’s Army (NPA) to ward off armed confrontations, particularly in areas where there are civilians. She urged the public to be supportive but vigilant while the mission is going on.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Army 901st Infantry Brigade is confident that following the massive public information drive they have conducted in coordination with the Provincial Peace and Order Councils of Albay , Masbate and Sorsogon, and even during the recently concluded Youth Day Camp in Albay, more Bicolanos have understood and will become more generous to give their share in the conduct of RP-US humanitarian missions in the region.

The 2009 RP-US mutual defense treaty or Balikatan Exercises are inclusions under the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement, which will cover both humanitarian and civic assistance projects for one-month period to be conducted by both Philippine and American military forces. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon)

PNP TO HIRE 500 POLICEMEN THIS YEAR

LEGAZPI CITY – The Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office here announced yesterday that they are now accepting applications for the recruitment of 500 new policemen this year.

Chief Sup’t. Paterno Bangui, Bicol police regional director, said that the recruitment is in line with government’s job generation program to provide employment in the countryside.

He said the additional policemen will be fielded to various police stations in the six provinces of Bicol to gradually improve the current ratio of policemen per population which now stands at 1 to 1,100 compared to the ideal ratio 1 to 500.

He said that qualified applicants can file their applications directly with the Regional Police Human Resources Division at Camp Simeon Ola this city.

Bangui said they expect to process the first batch of about 300 applicants by the end of this month.

He said that the new policemen will receive a basic salary of P15,000 plus about P3,000 in allowances.

He added that last year PNP Bicol recruited 250 policemen. (EAdeLeon, PIA)

DPWH SETS UP “LAKBAY ALALAY” FOR SEMANA SANTA

LEGAZPI CITY — Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bicol regional director Engr. Orlando Roces has ordered the deployment of Motorists’ Assistance Teams along the national highway of Bicol.

In a radio interview with Roces, he said that each District Engineering Office in the region has an existing organized team ready to give free roadside emergency repair assistance to traveling public during long holidays.

“The Motorists’ Assistance Centers, dubbed “Lakbay Alalay”, are composed of engineers, car mechanics, equipment operators and other service crews,” he said.

“Lakbay Alalay” will start during the Holy Week on Saturday, April 4 to April 13, Monday on a round-the-clock shift, in coordination with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

In Albay province, the assistance centers will be established in Daan Maharlika Jct. Legazpi-Sto. Domingo-Tabaco-Camarines Sur Boundary Road, Sto. Domingo town; Busay, Daraga town; and, DPWH-CEO, Paulog, Ligao City.

In Camarines Norte, the Office of Traffic Mgt. Group, Jct. Daet, Diversion Road, Daet will serve as the center, with a Roving Unit plying the entire stretch of the National Road.

DPWH Sub-Office, Agrupacion, Ragay; Tambo, Pamplona, Camarines Sur; Cams. Sur Traffic Mgt. Group (TMG) Headquarters, Daang Maharlika, Concepcion Grande, Naga City; Mambulo Nuevo, Libmanan; DPWH Junction, Tigaon; Lagonoy Poblacion; Crossing/Diversion, Baao; and, Bato Resthouse, Agos, Bato will work as the assistance centers in Camarines Sur.

Sorsogon province has “Lakbay Alalay” in Pepita Park, Bucalbucalan, Sorsogon City; and, Multi-Purpose Bgy. Hall, San Pedro, Irosin town.

In the island province of Catanduanes, DPWH has set up the assistance centers in Manambrag, San Andres; Pagsangahan, San Miguel; Bato; and, Sicmil, Gigmoto.

Twelve (12) stations have also been set up in Masbate province, including Masbate Poblacion fronting Masbate Cathedral; Masbate-Milagros Section, Bgy. Malinta; Masbate-Balatucan Section, Bgy. Marintoc; Jct. Buenavista-Cawayan Road, Jct. Buenavista; Jct. Buenavista-Cawayan Road, Bgy. Del Carmen; Jct. Buenavista-Cataingan Road, Balocawe, Dimasalang; Jct. Balatucan-Cataingan Road, Jct., Cataingan; Jct. Cataingan-Placer Road, Bgy. Katipunan; Roving Unit (National Road covered Masbate 2nd DEO/3rd Legislative District); San Fernando South Road (Batuan Section); San Fernando North Road (San Fernando, San Jacinto and Monreal Sections); and San Pascual-Claveria Road (San Pascual side & Claveria side)

In a memorandum issued by DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr., he also instructed all regional directors to ensure that sufficient numbers of legible informative/regulatory warning signs are installed along national highways.

“Efforts are also channeled on the maintenance of critical road sections. Our Secretary
specified that our roads must be free of potholes,” said Roces.

“A skeletal workforce from the Maintenance Division (tel. #482-0429) will man the office on April 4 to 6 and April 9 to 12, 2009. They are tasked to receive reports from field offices and to render emergency services that may be required during the said holidays,” he added.

“We have also organized Regional Office Roving Team (RORT) headed by Eng’r. Edwin Jadie, the Asst. Division Chief of Maintenance Division,” said Eng’r. Antonio Saguinsin, Maintenance Division Chief.

RORT will be dispatched in the different provinces of the region. “They will be roaming our national highways to monitor the activities of the District Office Motorists’ Assistance Centers and to ensure the travel convenience of the public,” Engr. Saguinsin added. (LVCastañeda, DPWH/PIA)

CATANDUANES STEPS UP ANTI RABIES CAMPAIGN

CATANDUANES Province — An intensified rabies elimination campaign of the provincial government here has reeled off Tuesday (March 31) in the bid to attain a rabies-free Catanduanes by 2012.

In time for the Rabies Awareness Month on March, Gov. Joseph Cua, along with Vice Gov. Alfred Aquino, provincial and national government officials, joined Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Dr. Victor Atienza, DA Regional Executive Director Dr. Jose Dayao, and DOH regional director Dr. Nestor Santiago in the launching activities, including the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement for a joint undertaking in carrying out the provincial anti-rabies campaign.

Provincial veterinarian Dr. Jane Rubio, in a meeting with the government officials, discussed the present situation on incidence of rabies and measures adopted by the local government in the prevention and control of rabies.

She noted that from 14 human rabies cases in 2000, the number went down to just 3 in 2007, while four cases were recorded during the first quarter of 2008, all of whom died.

Health officials however said that only one of the four had tested positive with the others deemed caused by rabies due to external manifestations while confined at the provincial hospital.
This year, two dogs from Sogod-Tibgao, Virac and San Jose, Panganiban tested positive for rabies after examination at the Regional Animal Diagnostic Laboratory.

Rubio said that the provincial government is set to launch the Search for the Best Barangay for Rabies Elimination Program aimed at empowering the barangay to implement anti-rabies program, in consonance with Republic Act 9482 (The Anti-Rabies Act of 2007) and Provincial Rabies Control Ordinance.

These national and local laws provide for compulsory dog registration and vaccination, control and disposal of stray, unvaccinated and unregistered dogs, creation of Rabies Control Committees and the conduct of information, education and communication campaign.

She explained that the awards program intends to ensure the province with zero rabies incidence in 2010, two years before the 2012 target, as required by law, and recognize the efforts of key players in the campaign.

The provincial government, meanwhile, will shell out some P615,000 for the purchase of dog catching gear, leashes and collars, rabies vaccine supplies, training of dog catchers, elimination and disposal of stray, unregistered and unvaccinated dogs, castration and spaying and the hiring of vaccinators.

Rabies vaccines worth P750,000 would be provided by BAI while municipal governments would provide counterpart funding totaling P468,000 while barangays will chip in P363,000 for the conduct of barangay assemblies, impounding of stray dogs, door-to-door vaccination and continuous monitoring of stray dogs.

The province’s 11 towns (excluding Gigmoto) had an estimated population of 15,398 dogs in 2007, with nearly 6,000 of them in Virac and San Andres. During the period from 2001 to 2007, 42 dogs had proven positive for rabies, with the highest at 16 in 2002.

Dog vaccination efforts by local government have been spotty at best, with the highest percentage recorded in 2003 at 54 percent of the estimated dog population. In 2007 alone, no vaccination was done due to lack of funds for the purchase of the vaccines. Last year, the Department of Agriculture sent 200 vials, good for 2000 dogs, which were distributed to the different municipalities. (EABagadiong, PIA Catanduanes)

CAMARINES NORTE AMONG TOP 3 PACT AREAS

DAET, CAMARINES NORTE – The province of Camarines Norte is chosen as one of the three shortlisted areas with good practices from among the ten entries submitted nationwide to the Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT).

Governor Jesus O. Typoco, Jr. said that this is in connection with the search for good practices in the campaign against child trafficking and the province’s compliance to the mandated roles and responsibilities of local government units as provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 9208 otherwise known as “Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

He said that evaluators are now in the province this week for the validation and documentation process headed by Ms. Mayette Macapagal of the Consultancy Team hired by PACT.

Purita Briñas, Community Affairs Officer of Provincial Government and PACT Secretary for National Campaign Council and Regional Convenor for Luzon, said that said evaluators will be conducting interviews and filed visit in the different government agencies, non-government organizations and other stakeholders who are involved in the program of anti-child trafficking campaign.

She added that the province of Camarines Norte will surely be put in the limelight again in the anti-child trafficking campaign in international scene. (RBManlangit, PIA Cam. Norte)

DOJ URGED TO RESOLVE SOON COMPLAINTS ON LEGACY SCAM

While most of the victims of the multi-billion peso Legacy scam may be left holding the bag, their loss can be somewhat assuaged if Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors make sure that the prosecution and conviction of Legacy self-confessed owner Celso de los Angeles and his cohorts are in the bag.

After the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) and some private investors have filed several complaints for syndicated estafa against De los Angeles and his conspirators, the onus of finding probable cause is now with the special panel of investigating prosecutors of the DOJ.

Crimes have obviously been committed, the victims are numerous, the modus operandi have been established, and what remains to be done is to prosecute the culprits and secure their conviction.

The BSP and the PDIC have painstakingly documented the paper trail on De los Angeles’ liability before the complaints were instituted.

The DOJ must act with reasonable dispatch for it is not a Herculean task to verily appreciate the criminal greed and culpable deception that attended the collapse of the Legacy group of rural banks, pre-need companies and conduit firms.

The crime of syndicated estafa of the magnitude attributed to De los Angeles carries the maximum penalty of reclusion perpetua (life imprisonment) and is non-bailable. (Press Statement of Cong. Edcel C. Lagman)

Holy Week more meaningful with Abu’s hostages release -- Remonde

MANILA — Press Secretary Cerge M. Remonde today expressed earnest hopes the Abu Sayyaf terrorists will help make the Holy Week observance next week more meaningful by freeing their two remaining hostages, following their release of Mary Jean Lacaba, a Filipina volunteer worker of the International Committee of the Red cross (ICRC).

The two other ICRC hostages -- Andreas Notter, a Swiss national and Eugenio Vagni, an Italian medical doctor – are still held by the terrorists in Sulu,Remonde made his wishful remark noting that something sensational usually happens on Good Friday every year, and hopefully this year it will be the release of Notter and Vagni.

On Lacaba’s release, Remonde said “God is really great” and hopefully the crisis in Mindanao created by the kidnapping of the ICRC workers will finally be resolved and the repetitive kidnapping for ransom is comprehensively addressed.

He assured the government remains focused on the release of Notter and Vagni but stressed the urgent need to root out terrorism and kidnapping in Mindanao.

The Press Secretary said it may not be proper now to talk about future actions but the government will have to take a tougher stance and adopt more stringent measures against terrorists to prevent future similar kidnapping incidents.He stressed, however, that Malacañang is correct in policy to leave the task and responsibility of negotiating with terrorists to local officials who know better and are more familiar with the situation on the ground, with the military and the police providing them proper support.

In a related development, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said the government is now also tracking down the movements of foreign terrorists after reports on the involvement of a Singaporean terrorist in the hostage crisis in Sulu has been confirmed.

Gonzales, in similar radio interview, indicated that there are other "international terrorists” in other parts of the country, including Sulu and Basilan.

He said there could be some 20 suspected foreign nationals affiliated with the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah terror network, the regional arm of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network.

”I can only say the JI and Abu Sayyaf have a formal tie-up,” he added.

Sen. Richard Gordon earlier said the man claiming to be Albader Parad turned out to be a Singaporean terrorist who speaks fluent English, which was why he doubted if he was really Parad.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno informed Gordon the Singaporean terrorist is believed to be Mawiya, who has ties with the JI and has been hiding for years now in southern Philippines. (PIA V Release)

PGMA reaps praises from SM president

MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s prudent fiscal and economic policies reaped praises from Teresita Sy-Coson, president of the SM Group of Companies and CEO of Banco de Oro and China Bank and Trust Company.

“Everyday bad news confronts us dampening our spirits. The United States, Japan, China and Europe have banded together to tackle the crisis and the G20 nations have now reached a stimulus package for global recovery,” Sy-Coson said.

“The Philippines is relatively better off than these countries. Our growth may have gone slightly down but because of the economic astuteness of our President and the fiscal policies she has implemented, including sound banking policies, we are not as badly affected as 2/3 of the world’s economy,” Sy Coson said.

She said the Arroyo administration has done a marvelous job in managing the economy—keeping it in a better position than most of its neighbors—but there are problems that persist.

“To us Chinese, we look at problems as opportunities,” Sy-Coson said.

“We should continue supporting our government by intensifying our investments in the country. We must draw our strength in numbers and pool our efforts and resources together so we will make a difference,” Sy-Coson added.

She challenged the participants in the 27th Biennial Convention of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) to each adopt projects (in the 170 chapters) that can employ and generate income for a greater number of our population so that we can do our share in lifting our economy out of the global financial crisis.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo thanked Sy-Coson for “believing in your government and for not wavering in your support to prop up our economy.”

She said the SM Group of Companies is an example of how a Filipino Chinese family can bring economic progress to a country.She also lauded the FFCCCII for “always espousing the spirit of volunteerism which I am now reviving by harnessing local talent, resources and cooperation to help our country get out of the current crisis and propel it to first world status in 20 years.”S

he said her decision to scrap the annual parade during Independence Day and replace it with nationwide Jobs Fairs, which she asked the FFCCCII to “actively participate in through their individual companies” is to ensure that “we provide employment to the unemployed, the underemployed and those displaced by the current crisis abroad and in local export-oriented industries.”

“Of course, I will miss the dragon dance, which I personally asked to be included in the annual Independence Day parade but the nationwide jobs fairs are far more important to me now than parades,” the President stressed.

The President disclosed that the 46,000 displaced workers from abroad can find local employment here from the different companies that are participating in the jobs fair as well as from another 5,000 jobs that will soon be available in Sentoza, Kuala Lumpur, which prefer Filipino labor. (PIA V Release)

SUCs ordered to finds ways to reduce college drop-outs

MANILA — Malacanang has tasked state colleges and universities (SUCs) to find solutions to discourage students from dropping out of school.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued an executive order to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to instruct all SUCs “to devise a flexible, socially-sensitive tuition fee plan and reform the no-payment, no examination policy that is currently being applied.”

The President also instructed the Student Assistance Funds for Education (SAFE) administration to expand its coverage to include the granting of monthly stipend to students that will subsidize transportation fares, laboratory research and book allowance.

During the recent gathering of Sanggunian Kabataan officials and members in Tagbilaran City, The President stressed that her administration’s social safety net programs are focused on expanding educational opportunities to promote young men and women from poor families.
“My father was born into abject poverty. But because a philanthropist gave him a scholarship to finish school, he became number I in the bar examinations, he was able to work in a good law office, he became congressman, vice president, and president. I want all the youth to have the same chance,” said the President.

“My doctrine in the prime of your life, ten years 20 years from today, you will see the Philippines on the verge of first world, that in the prime of your life, poverty shall have be marginalized, and the marginal race to a robust middle class, in the prime of your life we have achieved the hall marks of a modern society where institutions are strong,” said the President,” And by today, when you are not yet in the prime of your life, you are strengthening the institution of the SK I know that you the SK have the drive and the will to achieve a strong republic in the first world by the time that you are the adults and the leaders of our country.” (PIA V Release)

DFA LOOKS CLOSELY AT CYBER-HACKING

MANILA — President Arroyo has ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to look closely into reports of cyber-hacking or spying into the Philippine information technology (IT) system.

“We should not comment yet until we have verified the extent of this cyber-hacking. I’m not very familiar with IT, to be honest. But we must undertake measures to maintain the integrity of the Philippine IT system,” Deputy Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said during a media briefing this afternoon in Malacanang.

She said she was trying to get a reaction and verification of the cyber-hacking report from Secretary Rey Anthony Roxas- Chua III of the Commission on Information Communication Technology (CICT).

Reports said the computer networks of the DFA have been infiltrated by a cyber spy network based mainly in China, according to Canadian researchers.

The Philippines is said to be one of 103 countries where classified documents from government and private organizations, including the computers of Dalai Lama and Tibetan exiles, have been hacked into, the reports said citing the Information Warfare Monitor, Ottawa-based think tank of Toronto’s Munk Center for International Studies.

The cyber espionage network involves 1,295 compromised computers from the ministries of foreign affairs of the Philippines, Iran, Bangladesh, Latvia, Indonesia, Brunei, Barbados and Bhutan.

The reports added that the researchers also discovered hacked systems in the embassies of India, South Korea, Indonesia, Romania, Cyprus, Malta, Thailand, Taiwan, Portugal, Germany and Pakistan.The DFA earlier said it was looking into the cyber espionage expose and will do all it can to protect its IT software and networks. (PIA V Release)