NFA ASSURES SUFFICIENT RICE SUPPLY FOR BICOL

LEGAZPI CITY – The National Food Authority (NFA) in Bicol has assured sufficient rice supply for the region suffice to meet the need for 111 days.

Nelsie Alcantara, NFA Bicol regional information officer, bared NFA inventory of rice as of today in warehouses throughout Bicol stands at 1,427,517 million bags, sufficient for 111 days requirements.

Alcantara said that the agency, on the other hand, has placed measures to cushion the increase in prices of commercial rice in the market, adding that acquisition of palay from local farmers goes on in anticipation of possible price hike in commercial rice.

She said that majority of rice reserved in Bicol are imported.

“In case price of commercial rice goes up, NFA rice remains at a lower price,” she noted.
Price of commercial rice traditionally hikes during off harvest seasons and traders peg the staple’s price based on their palay buying price.

Alcantara explained, “The rule of thumb in rice trading is to double the price of palay when sold as rice. For example, if traders bought palay at P17 per kilogram, they would sell rice at P34 per kilogram.”

“The coming summer harvest that usually starts in February will further boost the food security stocks we have in our warehouses,” she said.

She stressed that it has always been the policy of NFA to maintain a high yearend inventory of rice and preposition stocks strategically to give consumers ready access supply.

“This is to protect the consumers from any unwarranted increase in the price of the staple,” she said

“With adequate buffer stocks in every province, such makes it easier for NFA to increase the volume of rice distribution whenever demand goes up or when infusion of rice from the private sector slows down,” she added.

Alcantara also said the proactive rice importation made for 2010 coupled with the intensive palay procurement in 2009 despite the typhoons is expected to put the agency in a better stock position this year.

Meanwhile, Jose Danilo Nieves, provincial manager of NFA Camarines Norte, assured residents that the province has enough supply for the next 32 days based on daily consumption.

Nieves also assured that public that NFA has put up measures to cushion the reported price hike in rice which was already observed in some Metro Manila areas.

He said that starting this week, they will again sell rice at P18.25 per kilo, in line with the pro-poor program or for sale at Tindahan Natin outlets in barangays and parishes.

NFA will also continue selling rice at P25.00 and P30.00 per kilo in Bigasang Bayan located in public markets across the province.

He added that NFA will also continue their price monitoring of rice and no price hike in rice increase as of press time. (MALoterte, PIA V/RBManlangit, PIA CamNorte)


CAMSUR STEPS UP MEASURES ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

PILI, Camarines Sur — The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) of Camarines Sur is continuously pursuing strategies and initiatives on disaster risk reduction, preparedness and response to strengthen the capabilities of disaster managers and response team to respond to any calamity or disaster the province may encounter in the future.

Held Thursday (January 7) and orientation and licensing seminar for radio land mobile practitioners, especially for PDCC volunteers, was conduced at the Convention Center at the Provincial Capitol Complex.

The seminar and licensing of aspiring radio operators, who will play a vital role in disaster and calamity operations, was made possible in coordination with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), personally supervised by Bicol regional director Ariel A. Padilla.

Resource speakers from NTC Bicol focused their discussions on disaster risk reduction management and communication protocol orientation followed by a comprehensive review and licensing operation for the radio land mobile operator-aspirants.

On Tuesday (January 12) a workshop for media representatives and DCC members is scheduled at the Barriada Complex of Corner’s Place Hotel in Legaspi City on the role of communication networks in the implementation of the Early Warning System, a calamity response component being implemented throughout the province of Camarines and the entire Bicol Region. (GBClaveria, MMEC/PIA)

MFI 2010 SEARCH FOR OUTSTANDING TEACHERS 0N

LEGAZPI CITY — The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MFI) is now accepting nominations for the 2010 Search for Outstanding Teachers who have served as role models to their students and have inspired them to follow a path of excellence.

President Aniceto Sobrepena said 10 outstanding educators who are committed in improving the quality of education in the country and educating the youth will be recognized.

Sobrepena said in its 26th year, the search is open to all elementary, secondary and higher education teachers with 10-year minimum teaching experience.

Secondary schools and higher education categories are entitled to only one nomination per level, to be entered by the school head or principal.

On the other hand, elementary schools can nominate two, one for primary and one for the intermediate level.

Sobrepena said the winners for this year will be selected by distinguished panel of judges based on 3 criteria: personal qualities and character; instructional competence and teaching effectiveness; and professional and community involvement.

Each awardees will receive a P300,000 cash prize, especially-designed trophy, medal and their school will also receive a plaque of recognition.

National finalists will receive P20,000 while regional finalists will get P10,000 cash incentive and a certificate of recognition.

Official nomination forms, guidelines and brochures on the search are available in all Metrobank branches, Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education regional and division offices nationwide.

Deadline for submission of nominations forms at any Metrobank branch is on February 15, 2010. (MALoterte, PIA V)


SORSOGON POLICE BEEFS UP GUN BAN CAMPAIGN

SORSOGON PROVINCE — The Philippine National Police (PNP) provincial office here has since Sunday (January 10) suspended the “Permits to Carry Firearms Outside Residence” (PTCFOR) as the nationwide gun ban commences to beef up security measures for the May 2010 national elections.

PSSupt. Heriberto O. Olitoquit, PNP Sorsogon provincial chief, said that suspension of permit to carry firearms outside residence will be strictly implemented by the PNP until June 9, 2010.

“It proscribes firearm owners to carry their weapons, though registered, outside of their residence during the entire election period set by the Comelec,” said Olitoquit.

Included in the gun ban are deadly weapons such as grenade and other explosives, airgun, airsoft gun and replica of the same banned weapons.

“The public is also warned not to bring sharp deadly objects outside of their residence most particularly if it has nothing to do or are not deemed needed in their respective field of works,” he added.

“Only regular plantilla members of PNP, AFP, and other regular law enforcement agencies are authorized to bear, carry and transport firearms while in prescribed uniform showing clearly and legibly the name, rank, serial number, or in case rank and serial number are inapplicable, the agency-issued identification card showing clearly the name and position with valid mission or letter orders, and in the actual performance of official duty or going to or returning from his residence or station," Olitoquit stated.

"Members of privately-owned or operated security, investigative, protective security agencies duly authorized by the PNP, can possess firearms only while in uniform with valid identification card conspicuously displayed and in the actual performance of duty at his specified area of assignment. Issued firearms of security guards should be left or deposited in their respective posts when off duty," he added.

He said they would strictly implement the gun ban province wide, including prohibitions on the employment of security personnel.

Olitoquit, bared that only two PNP personnel can be detailed to requests of politicians for police securities especially those under threats, however, still subject to approval of the Comelec Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP).

Olitoquit also appealed to the candidates and supporters to follow stringently the guidelines set by the PNP and Comelec to avoid election-related violence and ensure a clean, honest and peaceful election.

“We have also conducted re-shuffling of our chief of police in the whole province to ensure that election-related guidelines are effectively implemented during the entire duration of the election period,” he said.

Meanwhile, checkpoints ssupervised by Comelec representatives are already put-up in strategic locations here to strictly enforce the nationwide prohibition on firearms and unauthorized security personnel.

Aside from weapons check operations, the checkpoints will also be on alert for any violation of Comelec regulations on the employment of unauthorized armed bodyguards and close-in security personnel by candidates.

“Teams from the PNP Highway Patrol Group will also join the Comelec checkpoint to be on the lookout for vehicle-related violations such as unauthorized security convoy, illegal use of police blinkers and siren, and other violations of the Land Transportation Code and special laws involving motor vehicles,” Olitoquit said. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon)

BJMP BICOL HAS NEW “LADY CHIEF”

LEGAZPI CITY – An agency traditionally dominated and led by male, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Bicol now has a fresh twist on the onset of the brand new year as a the newly designated female regional chief commences her reigns of the bureau.

Senior Superintendent Emilie P. Aranas has been designated the new chief of Bicol BJMP, by virtue of Special Order No. 2010-03 issued by the BJMP National Headquarters Office dated January 17, 2010, replacing fellow Bicolano Senior. Superintendent Egmedio R. Callos.

Callos has been now assigned to BJMP Region 8.

The move was part of the bureau-wide revamp aimed at enhancing managerial skills and capability, productivity, and providing opportunity for exposition to higher and challenging functions that makes well-rounded jail managers.

Aranas traces her roots from Guinobatan, Albay but was raised in Metro Manila.

She served in different sensitive positions before setting a history for BJMP Bicol as its first-ever “Lady Chief”. She was the Tactical Officer at the Jail National Training Institute (JNTI), the premier national training school for jail officers, from January 1, 1997 to January 20, 2004 but made a brief comeback after three years from March 26 until August 17, 2007 holding the same position.

She served as the Director for the Directorate for Program Development at the BJMP NHQ from April 10, 2008 until February 1, 2009 tucking along with her significant, innovative programs and accomplishments attributed and distinctly her own such as the Program of Instruction for Refresher Course for Non-Officers Rank (NORs) Policy on Light Duty Status for Pregnant Personnel, E-Market for Inmates Livelihood Products, Policy Guidelines for the Procurement of Inmate’s Food Supplies.

She was also the chairperson on Gender and Development for BJMP. Prior to her appointment to BJMP Bicol, she was also the regional director for BJMP Region 2 since January 30, 2009.
With her vast experience both in administrative and operational functions, Aranas will surely steer BJMP Bicol in attaining the mandates, mission and vision of the bureau and her gender will always be a motivating factor both for her and all the bureau personnel into this common goal of providing quality jail service in the locality. (JLLucila, BJMP V-CRS/PIA)

THERE ARE MORE TO BRIDGES THAN MEETS THE EYE

MANILA —President Arroyo put up more roads and bridges than her three predecessors combined.

With nary a bit of hesitation, Public Works and Highways Secretary Victor Domingo stated that as a fact, and wasn’t quite afraid that skeptics would react violently to his declaration.

The DPWH chief presented to media the facts and figures on the Arroyo government’s achievements in the infrastructure sector to belie allegations that the President gave preferential treatment to her home province of Pampanga, specifically the second legislative district where she is seeking a congressional seat.

Domingo told Palace reporters that a total of 47,773 kilometers of national roads and 289,955 meters of bridges have been put up throughout the country since 2001 when President Arroyo took over the presidency from deposed President Joseph Estrada.

In contrast, former Presidents Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos and Estrada who ruled the country in succession in that order for 15 years, collectively built 34,327 kms of roads and 274,742 meters of bridges.

To critics of the government and the cynics amongst us, these are just inconsequential numbers that don’t add up to anything but part of our daily life. So thanks but no thanks to the Arroyo administration who painstakingly conceptualized and put together these projects to make the Philippines a better place to live in.

But how pitifully wrong they can be in being too indifferent in what the government has doing for the common good. When will they ever realize that there are more to roads and bridges than what they see by perfunctory glance.

For one, roads and bridges are today’s link to tomorrow’s progress. Where there’s a good road, economic growth can’t be far behind. Regrettably, some people don’t see it that way.

In his opening statement on Friday’s press briefing at Malacanan—his first for the new year—Press Secretary Cerge Remonde lamented that his boss hardly gets the thanks “she so richly deserves.”

“I bring up the point to illustrate how this administration must endure unfair criticism at every turn,” Remonde added.

He proceeded to cite some high impact accomplishments of the Arroyo leadership, among them keeping the Philippine economy afloat over the past years while others were sinking.

Remonde also mentioned about President Arroyo impressive success in nurturing the country’s fledgling business process outsourcing industry from a mere 400 call center agents to abut 500,000 workers at present, with each worker getting above average pay and benefits.

I also like the part where the Press Secretary intimated that no one may put up a monument in the President’s honor now or in the foreseeable future. But he added that anybody “who travels the length and breadth of this beautiful archipelago long after our President will have served her full term, will see the unmistakable imprint of her presidency” just by looking around.

Remonde is also quite right in saying that after President Arroyo has stepped down, “critics will turn their bile on the next administration.”

I look to the day when incorrigible faultfinders masquerading as critics can be part of the solutions by offering viable alternatives to the problems. (PIA V Release)


LABOR PARTY ADOPTS “GIBO” AS GUEST PRESIDENTIAL BET, BEBOT BELLO AS GUEST SENATORIAL BET

MANILA — The Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka (PMM), formerly Lapiang Manggagawa (LM) has adopted as Lakas standard bearer Gilberto “Gibo” C. Teodoro, Jr., as its guest presidential candidate in lieu of former Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. who quit the presidential race reportedly for lack of funds.

PMM president Jose Malvar Villegas, Jr. made the announcement before newsmen at the Manila Hotel recently following the approval by the party’s national directorate of the endorsements of Cabinet Secretary Silvestre “Bebot” Bello III, a Lakas-Kampi-CMD senatorial bet and Friends of Ramos for Gibo Chairperson Maricor Imperial for PMM to adopt Gibo as its replacement for Ebdane who opted to run for Governor of Zambales.

Bello, a former Secretary of Justice under President Cory Aquino and President Fidel V. Ramos, was earlier adopted by the PMM as its lead guest candidate for senator in the coming May 10 elections.

In his endorsement to the PMM national directorate, Bello said that Gibo’s track record as Secretary of National Defense which oversees the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the country’s biggest workers’ organization – and as three-term congressman speaks well of his “pro-labor” concern to improve the lives of soldiers, policemen and workers.

“Through pragmatic policies while at the DND helm, he (Gibo) has seen to it that both combatant and non-combatant employees of the AFP were able to avail of higher incentive pay, housing facilities, medicine, scholarship for children of deserving employees and other basic social services,” said Bello. As Congressman, Gibo also sponsored measures aimed to attract investors to the country to provide means of income and employment for the jobless, he added.

Villegas approved Bello’s endorsement after the PMM’s selection committee headed by former Eastern Samar Gov. Jose Tan Ramirez and with former Lanao Del Sur Congressman Jamil Dianalan and Ifugao Gov. Gualberto Lumawig as members, recommended its approval.

The Committee also gave weight to the appeal of the Friends of Ramos (FOR) for Gibo, a Teodoro support group headed by Imperial, for LM to go all-out for Gibo as all former FOR support groups are now fully committed to him.

It can be recalled that under Villegas, LM was one of the key groups that rallied support for former President Ramos in the 1998 presidential polls by being an original member of the Lakas-Edsa Coalition that propelled FVR to presidency.

“LM, now PMM, should not be left out in our political battles. It should again be in the forefront of our consistent struggle for people empowerment,” Imperial said. (PIA V Release)


INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT DEFINES PGMA’S 9-YEAR TENURE

MANILA — As the year drew to a close, the current administration could look back with a sense of great accomplishment.

When she assumed office nine years ago, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo set out to create the physical infrastructure to spur and sustain economic development.

She has kept her eyes on the ball, so to speak. And the country has much to thank for such single-mindedness

Under the 2006-2010 Medium-Term Public Development Program (MTPDP), P94.19 billion has been spent for the construction or rehabilitation and improvement of major road arteries.

SCTEX Tops List

The P32 billion Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), located north of Manila, tops the list of completed new road projects. Now in full operation, the 94-kilometer SCTEX reduces travel time from Manila to Tarlac to one hour and 25 minutes and from Clark to Tarlac to a mere 25 minutes.

And SCTEX, a part of the Luzon Urban Beltway, is just an example of the government’s thrust in this direction.

The newly completed Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Tollway is another. The road cuts travel time from Sto. Tomas, Batangas, to Batangas City by 90 to 120 minutes.

In the Visayas, the P2.2 billion Bohol Circumferential Road does the same for the residents. Completed in 2006, travel time from one end of the island to the other has been reduced by half, from eight to four hours.

Soon, construction of the Halsema highway and Bontok-Tabuk-Tugugarao Road will be completed to make up the North Luzon Agricultural Quadrangle,

Similar other construction activities are being carried out in other parts of Central and Southern Philippines.

Under various stages of rehabilitation and improvement are the Nido-Bataraza-Rio Tuba Road, Panay Island Road Package, Maharlika Highway, Dinagat Island Road Network, Surigao-Davao-coastal Road, Zamboanga Coastal Road, and the Awang-Upi-Lebak Maguindanao Road.

Seaports & Airports

Also in the list of completed projects are 22 roll on-roll off facilities and seaports.
These projects, with an aggregate worth of P5.61 billion, are designed to facilitate the movement of people and goods from Luzon to Mindanao, and vice versa.

In an archipelagic country like the Philippines, seaports are a must.

The government has thus refurbished the Subic Bay Port at a cost of P8.04 billion. Similar other projects and their respective costs are Batangas Port, P6 billion; Jagna Port, Ubay Port, And Tubigon Port, all in Bohol, P128.08 million; and Lucena Port, P32.86 million.

The construction of new airports and improvement of old ones have been undertaken at a cost of P40 billion.

The Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Pampanga and the Poro Point International Airport in La Union fall under this category. So do the Bacolod-Silay Airport and the Iloilo Airport.

Agricultural Facilities

In agriculture, the administration allocated P171 billion for the construction of various agricultural facilities nationwide. About 17,289 kilometers of farm-to-market roads has been completed at a cost of P32.08 billion.

Likewise, 138,763 hectares of farmland has been brought under irrigation. The productivity of 1,463,461 hectares of farmland has been restored with the repair and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities that serve them.

The construction and rehabilitation projects were undertaken to the tune of P87.59 billion.

Social & Environment Projects

For social and environment projects, the government utilized P91.80 billion for power and energy facilities, P6.46 billion for hospital upgrading, P23.40 billion for relocation and housing, and P1.24 billion for sewerage treatment and sanitary landfill.

Altogether, P860.78 billion has been earmarked for the implementation of 149 priority projects.
A total of P242.53 billion has been utilized so far. The remaining P618.25 billion has been programmed for 71 projects now being implemented and 39 projects still in the pre-construction stage. (PIA V Release)


PGMA PRESIDES OVER RP’S LONGEST ECONOMIC GROWTH

MANILA — The nine-year tenure of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is considered one of the longest economic expansion periods in the country’s post-war history.

Mrs. Arroyo assumed the presidency in 2001, just as the country was showing signs of recovery after the 1997 Asian financial crisis. She will step down in mid-2010, just as developed countries like the United States emerge from recession, commonly defined as three quarters of negative growth.

Based on Bangko Sentral data, the Philippines attained growth in 36 consecutive quarters, defying projections, in mid-2009, by the International Monetary Fund of zero growth and by the World Bank of an even dismal negative 0.5 percent growth for the country by the end of that year.

The country’s 2009 growth is projected at a conservative one percent, well within the target range of between 0.8 percent and 1.8 percent. This growth, while relatively small, places the Philippines among a handful of Asian countries, including China, which escaped recession in 2009. Not so lucky were Singapore and Hong Kong, with their strong financial and trading integration with the United States and the European Union, and Thailand and Malaysia with their export-dependent economies.

In her New Year’s message, President Arroyo noted that global recession failed to break the country’s unprecedented growth every quarter throughout her watch, an accomplishment her successor should take care not to fritter away.

With the global economic recovery projected this year, the Philippine economy is expected to be stronger and more vibrant.

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) projects gross domestic product (GDP) or the sum of all goods and services produced in the country, excluding overseas remittances, to grow between 2.6 percent and 3.6 percent.

Being a consumer-driven economy, the country’s growth in 2010 will again be fueled partly by government spending on infrastructure projects and partly by OFW families/beneficiaries spending their dollar-converted money in malls that have made Henry Sy the country’s richest man.

Government spending next year will in part come from the completion of President Arroyo’s flagship projects and in part from the massive reconstruction of Luzon devastated by back-to-back typhoons last September and October.

“We expect a better fiscal situation next year even as we maintain stimulus spending,” said NEDA director-general Augusto Santos.

In the first full year of the Arroyo presidency in 2002, the budget deficit stood at P210.7 billion. By 2007, a balanced budget, one of the priority programs of the President, came tantalizingly within reach. That year, the deficit went down to P12.4 billion. In 2008, however, the deficit soared to P68.1 billion as the government put in place a stimulus program to cushion the impact of the global economic meltdown.

As of November 2009, the deficit stood at P272.5 billion, more than four times the full-2008 figure, as government continued to pump more money into the stimulus program.

In a talk with the business community late last year, the President said her dream of a balanced budget by the end of her term would have to wait because she wanted to provide a government safety net for Filipinos most vulnerable to the global economic downturn.

NEDA now says a balanced budget is within reach in 2013, or at the latest, in 2015. (PIA V Release)