ARMY TROOPS DISMANTLE REBEL CAMP IN CATANDUANES

LEGAZPI CITY --- Government troops raided on Thursday a rebel camp in the hinterland village of sitio Tacad, barangay Maysuran in Caramoran town in the island province of Catanduanes, an official of the Philippine Army (PA) said.

Capt. Razaliegh Bansawan, 901st Army Brigade spokesman, said the raiding army troops, however, discovered the guerilla camp already abandoned by the communist rebels, who managed to leave their camp following a series of tactical offensive launched recently by the military in the province.

Bansawan said elements of Alpha Company of the 83rd Infantry Battalion, led by 1st Lt. Edmar Gambot, raided the NPA camp around 11:00 am yesterday following a tip from concerned barangay residents and discovered the abandoned camp with eight huts, which can house more or less three comrades, a common toilet, two water points, subversive documents and personal belongings.

He added the camp was used by at least 20-man rebel group led by NPA leader Daniel Frias alias “Tabs” of the Isla Pusa Guerrilla Front operating in the island province of Catanduanes.

Bansawan also said the series of military operation in Catanduanes led to the discovery of 3 other guerilla camps since the start of the military-police pact intensifying counter insurgency campaign in the Bicol region.

MGen. Ruperto Pabustan, 9th Army Infantry Division commanding general, said the military will continue to intensify its counter insurgency measures to topple down the remaining remnants of the communist guerilla in Bicol. (MALoterte, PIA V)

KASANGGAYAHAN FESTIVAL 2009 KICKS OFF OCT. 17

SORSOGON Province — It’s all system go for the opening of the Kasanggayahan Festival 2009 on October 17, coinciding with Sorsogon’s 115th Foundation Anniversary as a separate province from Albay.

The festivities will commence with the Ecumenical Praise and Worship, to be led by interfaith groups at 7 am, followed by a Thanksgiving Mass at the Capitol Park.

Dubbed as “festival of festivals” of the province, Kasanggayahan Festival 2009 is centered on the theme “Pangangalaga sa Kalikasan, Buhay ng Susunod na Salinlahi, Tungo sa Tunay na Kasanggayahan” (Care for the Environment, Life of the Next Generation Towards a True Kasanggayahan).

Msgr. Francisco Monje, Kasanggayahan Foundation, Inc. president, said that this year’s festival will not only serve as the window for showcasing the province’s history and culture as well as its local products and induce economic activity for the province’s advancement, but will also remind the public that the best legacy we can offer for the future generation is but a clean and well taken cared environment.

National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro is expected to usher the opening ceremony and will lead the Kasanggayahan tree planting activity. Maria Ravanilla, Department of Tourism (DOT) Bicol regional director, is also expected to give a message during the affair.

Irma Guhit, Philippine Information Agency manager and chair of the re-engineering committee of the this year’s festival, said that the opening ceremony will also highlight the presentation of the Sorsogon Environmental Code, the Sorsogon Ecotourism Code and signing of Manifesto of Support or Covenant for Environment that will promote care for environment and healthy life of Sorsoganon will also take place during the opening activity.

“The festival will congregate anew in the afternoon the Sorsogon City and municipal festivals in one jovial historico-cultural parade along the city’s main thoroughfares,” she further added.

Pilgrims are invited to join the Pilgrimage Mass on October 18 (8am) in Sitio Gibalon, Brgy. Siuton in Magallanes town, believed to be the site of the first mass in Luzon back in 1569.

“K” Fest ’09 activities will also include the revival and repackaging of the much awaited crowd drawer and now also a regional competition, the Search for Miss Kasanggayahan, which has been quiet for about five years.

Other activities lined-up for the 15-day festivities include: , 1st Provincial Tourism Congress, 2nd Kasanggayahan One Town One Product congress, 8th Kasanggayahan Lecture, drum and lyre competitions, mural painting, Bike for Life, Healthy Lifestyle and zero waste management activities, fireworks display, multi-lingual education activity, Bingohan sa Kasanggayahan, Scouts encampment, skills exhibit, jobs fair, mobile passporting, investment forum and Kasanggayahan youth empowerment forum, coastal clean-up and mass tree planting.

For the entire duration of the festival, visitors can also look forward to the nightly food and beverage fair of the beer plaza, Bisita sa Museo, cultural shows, trade fair and exhibit of Sorsogon’s products and services as well as academic and sports competitions.

Kasanggayahan Festival 2009 culminates on October 30 highlighting the Pantomina sa Tinampo, the most renowned Kasanggayahan Dance Festival which is at the same time a regional competition and Pistahan sa Kasanggayahan, an agape with the general public.

Meanwhile, Sorsogon Governor Sally A. Lee invites everyone to visit and enjoy the province’s festival this year particularly that Kasanggayahan Foundation, Inc. has prepared an array of activities that would surely entice visitors and tourists to flock to the province.

The first Kasanggayahan Festival was held in 1974 under the governorship of the late Juan G.rivaldo, and was revive in 1994 during the province’ centennial anniversary. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon)

LGU SLATES REHAB PROGRAM FOR DAET RIVER

DAET, Camarines Norte – This municipality has slated the Protection and Rehabilitation Outreach Program for Daet River (PRO Daet River) on Saturday (October 17) with the conduct of a massive cleaning and rehabilitation of the water channel and surrounding areas.

Daet Mayor Tito Sarte Sarion, PRO Daet River chair, said that the municipal government here will spearhead the clean up along Daet River tapping all sectors of the community including barangays along the river as well as NGOs, POs and volunteer groups.

Sarion added the outreach program also include radio advocacy, billboard revolution awareness campaign by utilizing PRO Daet River logo among different organizations’ promotional drives

He said that the local government will ensure the consistent garbage collection along Daet River and will initiate the tree planting activities with the assistance of the concerned national government agencies.

On October 2, Sarion had issued Executive Order No. 19-2009 declaring October 17 as PRO Daet River Day, creating the different working committees and appropriating funds for the program thereafter
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The municipal government is very much concerned about the worsening problem on carrying out the solid waste management program in the country, in addressing or mitigating the effects of climate-change, in addition to the man made destruction of the environment.

An advocacy group, dubbed“Tamang Sanitasyon para sa Kalikasan at Kaunlaran”, will also plan out and carry out activities to ensure the preservation of the Daet River and biodiversity in the area.

The group is composed of Maor Sarion as chair, Dr. Wenifrede T. Oñate of CNSC, vice chair, Elpidio Z. Orata of DENR-PENRO forester, and Santiago A. Mella Jr., Ecological Solid Waste Management officer as over-all coordinators, the various government line agencies and private sectors will serve as members. (RBManlangit, PIA CamNorte)

DENR ESTABLISHES PRS92 MOJONS IN MASBATE

LEGAZPI CITY – Some 119 geodetic control points (GEPs) or mojons were established in Masbate province by he Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under the Philippine Reference System of 1992 (PRS92) program.

All the mojons were set up in different areas of mainland Masbate since June this year by DENR Field Network Survey (FNSP) teams. The two teams will also undertake the same activity in the two other islands in Masbate this month.

PRS92 is a homogenous national network of GEPs, marked by mojons established using Global Position System (GPS) technology. GPS is an all-weather, high precision, global satellite positioning system that revolutionalized navigation and surveying operations.

Under Executive Order No. 321 issued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the DENR is mandated to complete the adoption and integration of all surveys into the PRS92 until year 2010.

A major part of PRS92 is the establishment of permanent reference points nationwide to serve as control points of all survey activities of both the government and private surveyors for the benefit of landowners.

By virtue of EO 45, PRS92 became the standard reference system for all surveying and mapping activities in the Philippines. The order also mandated that all new surveys and maps shall be referred to the new network and all old surveys shall be integrated into it.

Among the strategies to support the objectives of PRS92 is information campaign and Adopt-A-Mojon program.

The program aims to enlist the participation of local government units, peoples’ organization, and the general public in the establishment and preservation of PRS92 geodetic control points.

In Bicol, DENR Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada said a total of 60 LGUs have signed a memorandum of agreement with DENR adopting mojons established in their respective area.

The DENR, through the PRS92 Program Steering Committee, oversees the over-all implementation of EO 321. The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), lands Management Bureau, and the DENR Regional Operation Committee are the primary office responsible in executing the order. (ASAraya, DENR/PIA)

NNC UPDATES MTPPAN

The Medium-Term Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (MTPPAN) was formulated in 2005, under the leadership of the National Nutrition Council (NNC), as the country’s blueprint to address malnutrition among Filipinos.

In 2008, the PPAN was updated to be more responsive to socio-political and economic developments brought about by global trends. The MTPPAN aims to contribute to the achievement of the country’s commitment toward the UN Millennium Development Goals and Targets as well as on poverty reduction and hunger mitigation.

For 2008-2010, the updated MTPPAN is directed towards reducing disparities by prioritizing population groups (e.g. pregnant women, infants and children 1-2 years) and geographic areas that are at risk to malnutrition. Investments shall also be increased in interventions that could impact more significantly on undernutrition such as breastfeeding promotion, complementary feeding, supplementation with Vitamin A and zinc and the appropriate management of severe acute malnutrition.

The NNC and its network at various levels will continue to provide the structure and mechanism for coordinating and integrating the implementation of the updated MTPPAN. (CPBabaran, NNC/PIA)



DEPED SETS NEW GUIDELINESIN SELECTING HONOR STUDENTS

LEGAZPI CITY — A new set of guidelines for a more equitable and fair selection of graduating public elementary and high school students will be implemented starting school year 2009-2010, according to the Department of Education (DepEd) Bicol regional office here.

Celedonio Layon, DepEd Bicol regional director, said the agency has come up with the revised guidelines through DepEd Order 92, series of 2009, issued by Secretary Jesli Lapuz, in response to the call for a better procedure in selecting honor students.

“This new guidelines would also give more opportunities to deserving students to be recognized,” he noted.

Following the revised guidelines, aspirants for honors must belong to the top ten pupils or students of the school and must not have grades lower than 80% in ay of his/her subject. The 7-3 points scheme (7 points for academic performance and 3 points for co-curricular activities) will be used to rank the aspirants for the top ten.

The guidelines mandate that only the grades in the current curriculum year shall be used in ranking the candidates for honors. It also specifies that transferees can be considered in the ranking given that they are enrolled not later than the second week of classes of the current school year.

“Equal opportunity among our schoolchildren is very important to the department, Lapus stressed. Previous guidelines did not allow transferees to be part of the ranking, “this order settles that concern while we maintain fairness and excellence,” Layon said.

Moreover, the final rating of each pupil or student candidate would be computed to the third decimal place.

Based on the new guidelines candidates for honors must also be of good morale and have no records of bad behavior during the current school year.

“We must continue to encourage our children to be a model of good behavior,” the director stressed.

“Beyond giving them medals, our ultimate goal is to mold responsible and upright citizens,” he added.

Schools with special curriculum programs (special sciences, arts, sports, special education) and their annexes can also select their own set of honor pupils or students as given that the school is complete with all the curriculum grades/years. (DepEd V/PIA)


Feature

MILLIONS OF FILIPINOS EXPERIENCE FOOD SECURITY

Food security as defined in the World Food Summit exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet the dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy lifestyle.

In the Philippines, achieving food security ma be farfetched since millions of Filipinos continue to suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

Results of the 7th National Nutrition Survey showed that more than three million preschool children suffer from undernutrition. School children, adolescents and adults also suffer from protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Malnutrition among these age groups can be attributed to the unavailability of sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet the individual’s dietary needs.

According to the Food Insecurity Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute as part of the 7th NNS, three in every 10 mothers and two out of 10 children experienced food insecurity in the past three months because there was no food to eat or no money to buy food. Two out of 10 mothers, while one out of 10 children experienced hunger. Skipping or missing meals was the most frequent experience among food insecure mothers and children.

About seven out of 10 mother respondents expressed anxiety regarding the sufficiency of the food in the household and the money to buy food.

The food insecurity survey results are consistent with the results of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) hunger survey which showed an increase in the number of Filipinos who suffered from involuntary hunger. (CPBabaran, NNC/PIA)