20,000 FILIPINOS NEEDED TO WORK IN SOUTH KOREA EXPORT ZONE

LEGAZPI CITY — Some 20,000 Filipino workers are needed to work at the newly established Integrated Free Export Zone (IFEZ) at Incheon, South Korea, according to Albay Governor Joey Salceda.

Salceda said the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Philippine government and the IFEZ is being finalized to formalize the hiring of Filipino workers, especially from Albay, in South Korea’s highly industrial district.

IFEZ is the biggest integrated development project which is 35 times the annual infrastructure budget of the Philippines, he disclosed.

Salceda, one of the top presidential economic advisers, was installed last week as Economic Adviser of the South Korea Incheon Metropolitan Authority, the agency implementing the P178-billion IFEZ project.

Salceda’s economic advice had been frequently sought by Incheon Mayor Sang Soo, who is widely expected to become president of South Korea.

The investiture of Salceda held in Incheon was witnessed by the mayors of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Honolulu, Brisbane, Beijing, Manila’s Mayor Alfredo Lim and representatives from 150 major cities in the Asia Pacific.

Salceda was accompanied by four Philippine governors, and 14 of the 18 Albay mayors led by League of Municipalities (LMP) provincial president Polangui Mayor Jesus Salceda, father of the Governor.

Meanwhile, organizers and participants of the Asia Pacific Summit, also held in Incheon, hailed Albay for the province’s most unique ad creative strategies for development, citing programs on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Prof Yoo, summit moderator, specifically accentuated the institutionalization of Albay Public Safety Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) and the Centre for Initiatives for Researches in Climate Adaptation (CIRCA). (MALoterte, PIA V)


POLICE COLLARS COUPLE LINKED TO ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE

MASBATE CITY — A couple suspected of dealing illegal drugs was arrested by police operatives in a densely populated village here.

Arrested during the raid conducted in a house in barangay Nursery early Friday morning were Ramon C. Absalon, 54, and his wife Leny, 53.

Supt. Jeffrey S. Fernandez, Masbate City Police chief, said the couple had been under surveillance after the police intelligence agents got a tip that suspected drug users often got their supply of shabu from the couple.

Acting on a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 45 Judge Manuel L. Sese, the police intelligence operatives stormed Absalon’s house at sitio Punta, Nursery, around 5 a.m. and found methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in six plastic sachets.

The raid was conducted in the presence of two kagawads of barangay Nursery, Norman Mencidor and Mydel Francisco. (EADelgado, PIA Masbate)


D(BP)MLC LINKS BICOL REGION THROUGH MOVING BRIDGES

SORSOGON PROVINCE (September 23) – The Development Bank of the Philippines Maritime Leasing Corporation (D[BP]MLC) is facilitating deployment of Roll-On Roll-Off (RoRo) vessels, particularly in RORO missionary routes through the acquisition of safe and suitable ships, either second hand or through local construction, for lease to qualified operators under financial or operating lease arrangements for the Road RoRo Terminal System (RRTS) and Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH).

Angelita S. Villarosa, DMLC senior vice-president for finance, told participants in a forum held here recently to venture on leasing vessel industry saying that DMLC can pump-prime RoRo business that local investors would enter into using their inherent talents and skills as well as the RoRo marine vessels facilities available.

Among the Bicol linkages that the DMLC has identified and prioritized for the RoRo missionary routes are: Pilar, Sorsogon to Aroroy, Masbate with a distance of 30 nautical miles (NM) or three hours travel time; Pasacao, Camarines Sur to San Pascual, Burias Island with 23 NM distance or 2.3 hrs travel time and Pio Duran, Albay to Claveria Burias Island with 12 NM distance or 1.2 hrs travel time.

Villarosa said that in the proposed route, investors can venture on consumer goods, construction supplies, bottled goods, cattle/livestock and passengers as well for the RoRo activities.

She also explained that RoRo vessel operators can have a full recovery of investment within 10–11 years only, “not too long for a good investment with a very good profit,” she added.

Other services DMLC offers aside from leasing are route assessment/advisory services and technical assistance.

“DBP–MLC targets an additional 20 brand new and 26 second hand second hand vessels to its current fleet within the period of 2009–2013 under the government’s Strong Republic Nautical Highway project,” she said.

In general, the country has 46 routes with 34 missionary routes and 12 developed routes.

Missionary routes refer to areas that are not deemed commercially viable at first but are eventually seen to generate sufficient traffic.

Bicol region now has four existing RoRo route namely Lucena to Masbate City, Pilar, Sorsogon to Masbate City, Matnog, Sorsogon to Allen, Samar and Catanduanes to Tabaco, Albay.

The vessel acquisition program consolidates the national government’s efforts to hasten the development of missionary routes, and optimize the benefits of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway program, that aims to bring down costs of inter-island shipment of goods and passengers. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon)


POLICE, MILITARY SIGN PACT ON INTERNAL SECURITY OPERATIONS

LEGAZPI CITY — The Bicol Philippine National Police regional office here and the 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army signed Wednesday (September 23) the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) intensifying the conduct of Internal Security Operations (ISO) against the communist group, New People’s Army.

Police Chief Superintendent Ruben E. Padua, PESE, acting Bicol PNP chief, and Maj. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, AFP commander, 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army inked the accord in a simple yet solemn ceremony held at PNP Bicol Headquarters here.

Padua said the accord is a joint public safety and security endeavor aimed at crushing the decades-long insurgency problem in Bicol region by mutual support and clarity of purpose.

He stressed the agreement highlights and further defines with clarity and resolve the significant and crucial roles each organization must play in ensuring the decimation of communist insurgency in Bicol region, a perennial threat to national security and roadblock to economic prosperity in the country.

“With the MOA on ISO, security forces, specifically the police and the military with jurisdiction over the Bicol region, with the active support and participation of the vigilant community, specially among local government units (LGUs), we are optimistic we are capable of reducing the communist threat in a given locality into inconsequential number,” he averred.

He added, “Once contained, this security problem will now be turned-over to local Peace and Order Councils (POCs) of every local government units concerned, with the PNP as lead agency of the security aspect in maintaining law and order.” (ELBron, PROV/PIA)

NYC LAUNCHES GAWAD SA KAMPEON NG KABATAANG PILIPINO 2009 AWARDS

The National Youth Commission (NYC) will spearhead the search for Gawad sa Kampeon ng Kabataang Pilipino 2009 this September to December 2009.

This search aims to give recognition to Local Government Units (LGUs) and Local Legislators for their significant contribution and investment on youth development in line with the Philippine Medium Term Youth Development Plan (MTYDP); and to create a databank of outstanding LGU programs and legislators on youth development that may be replicated by others.

The awards program is comprised of two categories, namely: Local Government Units (LGU) category and Local Legislators category.

LGU category is open to all provincial, city and municipal local government units. Applicants should have the following youth development initiatives: a Local Youth Development Council (LYDC) or a similar structure and created and approved thru ordinance; an integrated and fully implemented Local Youth Development Plan (LYDP) that is anchored from the Philippine Medium Term Development Plan (MTYDP), and the local youth situationer; a permanent youth coordinator or youth affairs office; a local confederation of youth organizations recognized and duly registered by the NYC and LGU concerned; and related youth policies, programs and service in education, health, environment, employment, values, youth participation and other policies that enhance the development and empowerment of the youth sector.

The Local Legislators category is open to all incumbent vice-Governors, vice-mayors, board members, councilors, PCL presidents, ABC presidents and Sangguniang Kabataan Federation presidents.

Applications or nominations for the Local Legislator category will be based on legislation principally sponsored by the applicant or nominee during his present or previous terms for the position he is presently occupying. The legislator can apply or be nominated for different legislations, separately. It must have been passed and approved/enacted as ordinances through a process provided in the Local Government Code.

Guidelines and mechanics, and application forms for the two categories are downloadable at the NYC website: www.youth.net.ph. Said documents are also available at the NYC Naga Area Office, 3/F Monzon Bldg., Elias Angeles, Naga City.

For further information, please contact us at tel. nos. (054) 8115804 / 4370435; mobile no. 09175800538 or email address: nyc.nagacity@yahoo.com. Deadline for submission of entries is on October 16, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. (NYC release/PIA)


CAMSUR HOSTS URBAN AND RURAL POOR SECTORAL LEADERS' FORUM

Pili, Camarines Sur — Leaders of the urban and rural poor sectors from the 35 municipalities and 2 cities Camarines Sur province convened Wednesday (September 23) for the Sectoral Forum at the Eco Village in the provincial capitol compound here.

The forum provided the participants updates on the latest laws, jurisprudence, government directives and policies which will redound to the benefits and welfare of the marginalized sectors of the society.

The Provincial Government of Camarines Sur, under the auspices of Governor LRay Villafuerte, Alliance of National Urban Poor Organizations Assembly (ANUPA) Canaman Urban Poor Federation Inc., and the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor jointly sponsored the one day assembly.

Pantaleon C. Morallos, ANUPA national chairman, gave an overview of the interfacing underscoring the most current issues and concerns affecting the urban and rural poor sectors.

Morallos also disclosed plans to create a more centralized body for the urban and rural poor sector so that their rights and welfare will be properly addressed.

He said that the proposed group also intends to strengthen participation of people’s organizations in national and local governance.

ANUPA is an organization geared at developing more effective measures in line with the programs and policies of the government to advocate, coordinate, and boost pro-poor development plans and strategies in order for the less fortunate members of the society to have greater access to basic services of the government.

Ma. Elena M. Manila, project officer of Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PICUP) discussed various urban poor-related laws such as the E.O # 152 and 153, Presidential Proclamations and ELAVED.

Director Pablo S. Sayson, ANUPA vice president, meanwhile tackled laws on sectoral representation like NAPC, A.O. # 182 and R.A. No. 7160.

The event was highlighted by an open forum where participants aired some of their issues and concerns about the current economic situation. Deliberations were also conducted on matters pertaining to programs and projects which are yet to be launched in their localities. (ANDujar, MMEC/PIA)