LEGAZPI CITY — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Albay will train its staff and teachers, who will serve as board of election inspectors (BEI) for May 2010 elections, on the use of the precinct count optical scan machine (PCOS) two weeks from now.
Atty. Romeo Serrano, COMELEC Albay provincial election supervisor, said during a radio interview at PIA Aramon Ta Daw on Tuesday (January 5) that said training will be conducted after his return from Manila.
Serrano will undergo the same training exercise in COMELEC central office within this week.
Serrano also said that the deadline for constituting BEIs is this Friday, January 8.
He said teachers need to be equipped with knowledge and skills on managing the voters and any other eventualities that may arise, such as protests of poll watchers of the different political parties and candidates on the election day.
In the same radio interview, Serrano enumerated the important dates to keep in mind in connection with the May 2010 elections. Total gun ban will start January 10 until June 9 or 30 days after elections.
Transfers are prohibited after February 9, and so is the suspension of local government officials. Hiring, including promotion of employees, is disallowed starting March 6. Likewise, construction ban of public works also starts March 6.
A two-day liquor ban will be implemented strictly on May 9-10.
Total gun ban means all individuals with permit-to-carry are not allowed to carry guns outside their private residences.
Only members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) are exempted from said gun ban as long as they are on duty and must wear proper uniform with name tags. Other law enforcement officers including security guards are excused from the gun ban as long as it is in accordance with their performance of duty.
Serrano also disclosed that Albay’s voters increased to 700,000 from 676,000, spreading out in 15 towns and 3 cities, and are expected to cast their votes in 3,307 voting centers.
In past elections Albay province was not placed under election watch list. (Aida Alcazar-Naz, PIA V)
ALBAY RELEASES P3M CORE SHELTER ASSISTANCE FOR MAYON EVACUEES
LEGAZPI CITY — The remaining 258 families from Barangay Anoling in Camalig town displaced by the recent Mayon eruption can no start building their homes in the lots inside the FVR resettlement site the Provincial Government of Albay has given them.
Albay Governor Joey Salceda has announced that the provincial government has released the initial assistance amounting to P3 million for the construction of the core shelters intended for the Anoling displaced residents.
“These evacuees are still occupying several classrooms in the Anoling Elementary School and are not yet allowed to return to their homes located within the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) with Alert Level 3 still hoisted over Mayon volcano,” Salceda related.
Salceda explained that “we deem it necessary to relocate them permanently to the resettlement site to ease them from the burden of scampering for their lives during lahar floods, eruption and even typhoons.”
The governor meanwhile stressed that the “no classes policy” must be observed if classrooms are still being occupied by evacuees.
“I reiterated to Camalig Mayor that it is against the provincial policy for evacuees being moved out of classrooms since it violates their dignity,” he said.
Salceda pressed for the immediate release of the fund after learning that evacuees were moved out from classrooms so that classes could be held.
“I ordered the Provincial Engineering Office to set up three tents which is good for six classrooms at the FVR resettlement site in Camalig town so that classes can proceed while classrooms continue to serve as temporary homes of evacuees while waiting for the completion of their core shelter,” the governor said. (MALoterte, PIA V)
NO TAXES, CHA-CHA WITHOUT VOTING ON RH BILL—LAGMAN
LEGAZPI CITY — No tax measures and charter change initiative will pass in the House of Representatives during the remaining 10 session days before the long break for the 2010 election campaign without first resuming consideration of and putting to vote the Reproductive Health bill.
Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, principal author of House Bill No. 5043 on Reproductive Health and Population Development, made this statement as he called on RH bill coauthors to hold a daily quorum watch and marshal extensive interpellations on tax measures and the Con-Con bill whose passage are sought to be fast-tracked.
According to Lagman the current RH bill and its precursors “have languished in the legislative mill for more than a decade despite consistent and overwhelming public support for the enactment of a comprehensive reproductive health and family planning law which is rights-based, health-oriented and development-driven.”
Lagman said that the RH bill is “a quality measure which is definitely not inferior to other pending legislative proposals which have been given priority status.”
He further explained that “no amount of new tax laws will shore up the economy if the government continues failing to address the ballooning population which is expected to reach a staggering 94 million Filipinos this year.”
The Albay solon added that “any constitutional change will only be legalese cosmetic if reproductive health and family planning are not upheld and prioritized as basic human rights of parents and couples.”
Lagman reiterated that the RH bill’s major objectives are the following:
1. Afford parents the opportunity to exercise their right to freely and responsibly plan the number and spacing of their children;
2. Improve maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition and reduce maternal, infant and child mortality;
3. Give women more opportunities to finish their education and secure productive work by liberating them from unremitting pregnancies;
4. Reduce poverty and achieve sustainable human development; and
5. Lower the incidence of abortion by preventing unplanned, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies. (Office of Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, Albay I District/PIA)
PRESS STATEMENT:
Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, Albay I District
The comments and opposition to the anti-impoundment provision included in the 2010 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) are partisan sound and fury without understanding the essence and dynamics of the constitutional mandate granting the power to appropriate public funds to Congress, particularly and dominantly with the House of Representatives.
The provision is proper and long overdue for the following reasons:
1. This is clearly constitutional as it seeks to fully implement the Congressional authority over the purse. What Congress appropriates must not be derogated by the Executive’s unrestricted authority to impound budgetary allocations. This provision makes the General Appropriations Act (GAA), an enactment of Congress and approved by the President, superior over the National Expenditure Program (NEP), which is only a budgetary proposal of the President subject to modification and disposition by Congress.
2. This is not arbitrary because if the President’s inability to release funds is justified pursuant to her notification to Congress, the legislative department will not unreasonably withhold its concurrence. This is unlike the present practice of impoundment which is subject to the sole discretion of the Executive.
3. This is not intended for the benefit of a solitary prospective Member of the House of Representatives but this provision would benefit Congress as an institution and assures the release of budgetary allocations not otherwise directly vetoed by the President.
4. This is not protection of the pork barrel which at P10.861 billion PDAF is only a small portion of the P1.541 trillion General Appropriations Act.
5. This is not without precedent because since 2003 there has been a general provision on anti-impoundment but this has been rendered useless because it was subject to the issuance of implementing rules by the Department of Budget and Management which never issued the rules.
6. This is patterned after the U.S. Budget Control Act which was adopted at the time President Richard Nixon started to impound congressional allocations.
7. This is a bipartisan initiative endorsed by 138 Members of the House, including many members of the opposition, and concurred in by the Senate panel during the Bicameral Conference Committee. (Office of Albay I District Representative/PIA)
DFA ANNOUNCES FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER EXAMS
LEGAZPI CITY — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Bicol announces the holding of the 2010 Foreign Service Officer (FSO) Examination to recruit candidates for appointment to the position of Foreign Service Officer, Class IV.
The examination is set on March 28, 2010.
Applicants for the examination must be a Filipino citizen, at least a graduate of a four (4) year bachelor's degree course and less than thirty-six (36) of age on 28 March.
The examination is composed of five (5) parts: (1) Qualifying Test. (2) Preliminary Interview, (3) Written Test, (4) Oral Test; and (5) Psychological Test.
Application forms can be downloaded from the DFA website (www.dfa.gov.ph) or maybe personally secured from the Regional Consular Office here (4th Level, LCC Expressmart Building, Peñaranda St., Legazpi City) or from the Civil Service Commission Regional Office.
The forms must be duly accomplished and submitted to DFA on or before 05 February 2010 with the following attachments:
1) Certified True Copy (CTC) of transcript of records from college or university, bearing seal of the college or university;
2) Certified True Copy (CTC) of diploma or certificate of graduation;
3) Original birth certificate issued by the National Statistics Office, and for a naturalized Philippine citizen: a copy of naturalization papers of Philippine passport; for a Philippine citizen with dual or multiple citizenships: a notarized affidavit stating that upon passing the examination, he/she intends to renounce his/her oath of examination, he/she intends to renounce his/her oath of allegiance to his/her other countries of citizenship;
4) Eight (8) pieces 1-1/2 in x 2in. black and white or color studio-taken photographs, taken within six (6) months before the date of the examination, showing the full frontal view of the face of he applicant with a name tag, i.e. Juan M. dela Cruz, Jr. (photocopied, scanned and digitally enhanced pictures shall not be accepted); and
5) Two (2) self-addressed and self-stamped envelopes marked as priority mail.
A non-refundable admission fee of five hundred pesos (P500.00) will be collected from those who will take the Qualifying Test.
For more inquiries, contact the DFA office at telephone nos. (052) 480-1773 or 820-3396. (MALoterte, PIA V)
RDC ACCREDITATION OF PRIVATE SECTORS REPS FOR 2010-2013 ON
LEGAZPI CITY — The Regional Development Council (RDC) is inviting private sector organizations (PSOs) in the Bicol Region to apply for RDC accreditation. This is in preparation for the election of private sector representatives (PSRs) to the RDC for 2010 to 2013.
RDC accredited organizations nominate PSRs to the RDC and participate in the election of PSRs to the RDC.
A PSO must have the following qualifications to be able to participate in the nomination and selection of PSRs:
a. Legal Personality. The PSO must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or any government agency which registers organizations and associations for the purpose of bestowing legal personality.
b. Track Record. The PSO must have conducted socio economic activities for at least three years from date of registration in the region. The scope of activities must be at least province or citywide.
c. Nationality. The PSO must be a Filipino organization. Organizations managed by foreigners, whose officers and members are primarily composed of foreign nations, or are considered branches or affiliates of foreign organizations are disqualified.
d. Non-government. Organizations which have government officials and employees as ex-officio members or whose operations are funded by the government are disqualified. (Funding support by the government to PSO projects is not considered as funding support to operations.)
e. Deadline for submission of application for accreditation is on 31 March 2010.
f. Application forms are available at the NEDA Region 5, Arimbay, Legazpi City. They can also be downloaded at www.neda5.net .
For more details please contact Cha Berces at telephone 482-0498. (RDC Bicol/NEDA/PIA)
RP had lowest debt to GDP ratio under Arroyo
MANILA — Malacañang today (Friday, January 8) said the country had, on record, the lowest debt-to- GDP (gross domestic product) ratio under the Arroyo administration. And the debts, moreover, were incurred and restructured by previous administrations for the most part.
In his first media briefing for the year, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde belied the criticism of former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno that the Arroyo administration has incurred the highest debt record.
“First, we have inherited the great bulk of this debt from previous administrations, which have only been restructured so this is not necessarily new borrowings, Remonde said.
“Secondly, this administration holds the record of having the lowest debt to GDP ratio. Better than just looking at absolute figures, the best indicator is the debt to GDP ratio,” he clarified.
Remonde stood by an earlier pronouncement of Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar that President Arroyo built the most number of roads and bridges in her entire nine year term than her three predecessors combined. “And this is not bragging because it is true,” Remonde said.
On Diokno’s claim that the performance record of the administration is inaccurate since it is based on a nine-year accumulated figure instead of annual computation, Remonde said Diokno is just trying to justify the shortcomings of the Estrada administration.
“It is not our fault that his administration was short-lived,” Remonde said.
“We stand by our record of having the best performance in terms of infrastructure,” Remonde said citing this as President Arroyo’s greatest legacy to the Filipino people. (PIA V Release)
Investor interest in RP remains keen—PGMA
MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said keen investor interest in the Philippines, both here and abroad, will continue to prop up the economy this year.
“Based on the roadshow of Finance Secretary Margarito Teves to sell Philippine bonds abroad, there is keen investor interest in the country,” the President said.
The country hopes to raise this week as much as $1.5 billion in dollar-denominated bonds although order books, mostly in Asia, are now over $5 billion.
Global ratings agencies Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s assign foreign currency rating of Ba3 with a stable outlook and BB-senior unsecured debt rating, respectively, on the bonds.
Proceeds from the 10- and 25-year bonds due in 2020 and 2034, respectively, will help pay off or refinance foreign debts due this year.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data placed the country’s full-2009 balance of payments (BOP) at $5 billion, an improvement over the previous year’s $89 million but lower than $8.58 billion generated in 2007. A BOP surplus means the economy generated more dollars from exports, remittances, and borrowings than it paid for inputs and debt servicing.
The President has yet to sign the P1.541 trillion national budget, which is 8.6 percent higher than the 2009 budget. In her message for this year’s budget, the President stressed that she intends to complete the flagship projects since she assumed the presidency in 2001.
Immediate beneficiaries of the Arroyo administration’s flagship projects are the 3,000 relocatees at the National Housing Authority’s Southville 7 housing projects here. “This is just one district that benefited from the budget and we have more of these all over the country. There are lots of relocation sites and housing projects for those who want to be relocated,” the President explained.
The President turned over deeds of donation for the 30 school buildings built by NHA in its Southville and Northville projects to the Department of Education, saying that these elementary schools must operate on two shifts—one in the morning and another in the afternoon. (PIA V Release)
MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Thursday (January 7) Republic Act 9903 condoning penalties on delinquent remittances of premium contributions to the Social Security System (SSS).
The government hopes that the condonation would lead to increased collections for the pension fund of employees working in private corporations.
Unremitted premium contributions is estimated at P109 billion, with accumulated penalties placed at P280 billion.
The President said waiving the penalties will be a big help to small companies, especially those struggling to survive the global financial crisis. It will also encourage them to resume their remittances, thus giving their employees the benefits due them under the law.
“For 2009 alone, the penalties amounted to P68 billion, which we did not expect to collect anyway since a lot of companies were so hard up, and this was our way of helping them survive,” said SSS president Romulo Neri. “But they must pay their share of the premiums so that their employees can avail themselves of the benefits under the system.”
Under the premium payment schedules, a downpayment of five percent of total contribution delinquency is made upfront, with the balance paid in equal monthly installments within 48 months from the time the proposal is approved by the SSS.
The installments carry a three percent annual interest.
The penalty condoned by this law will, however, be re-imposed in case the employer fails to remit in full the required delinquent contributions or defaults in the payment of any installment under the approved proposal within the availment period. (PIA V Release)
PGMA set to certify as urgent a bill institutionalizing pro-poor scheme
MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Thursday (January 7) she will certify as urgent a proposed measure institutionalizing the administration’s pro-poor initiative called 4Ps or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
The President asked Deputy Speaker and Mindoro Rep. Amelita Villarosa to fast-track passage of the bill.
In her talk with reporters, the President who was Calauan town in Laguna to distribute livelihood checks to the former squatters relocated to Southville Phase 7, said she wants succeeding administrations to ensure that the most marginalized members of society get the proper support from the government continuously.
The 4Ps program is being implemented and budgeted on the basis of an executive order.
“I want it continued by the leaders who follow me, long after I have left the government,” she said.
The President has patterned the pro-poor scheme after a program she saw in Brazil when she visited that country in June last year. The program there is continuously implemented whoever is in power.
On another area of concern, the President was pleased to hear the report of Vice President Noli de Castro that his office will soon sign a memorandum of agreement with EEI on the one-month skills training for some of the residents so they can be absorbed for jobs here and abroad.
The MOA will be signed by the EEI on one hand and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and National Housing Authority, both under the Vice President, on the other.
The Vice President said he is also talking with an investor to finance mushroom production for the local market.
It is noted that Southville 7 alone has a population of 3,000, which could easily absorb agricultural products grown in the area.
“We are in the process of making this village a wholesome community, where there is livelihood for the residents, schools for the children, and soon, even a public market,” the Vice President said.
The community already has 30 schoolbuildings. (PIA V Release)
Automated national elections will push through – Palace
MANILA — Malacañang expressed confidence the country’s first automated national elections in May will push through despite the reported failure in the initial testing of the newly delivered precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.
“We are confident that any problem will be appropriately addressed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec),” said Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar in a press briefing in Malacañang Thursday (January 7).
The use of automation to ensure the clean, honest and orderly conduct of elections is one of the 10-point agenda of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Earlier, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said some of the PCOS machines failed to read most of the ballots during a lab test at the Smartmatic warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna..
Reports said of 600 ballots, only 30 were read by the machines. The rest were rejected.
According to Larrazabal, the machines were erroneously set at a “high shading threshold,” thus they were unable to read partial and lightly shaded ovals.” (PIA V Release)
Law declares arnis national martial art and sport
MANILA — Arnis is the country’s national sport.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Republic Act 9850, which elevates arnis to the top honor in local sports competitions on Dec. 11 last year.
Under the new law, arnis will be the first sports to be played in the Palarong Pambansa this year and every year hence.
The President directed the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to implement the provisions of the law in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
R.A. 9850 will take effect 15 days after its publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation.
Arnis, also known as eskrima, kali, garrote and other names in various regions and provinces in the country, is an indigenous Filipino martial art using one or two sticks.
It is characterized by the use of swinging and twirling movements, accompanied by striking, thrusting and parrying techniques for defense and offense. (PIA V Release)
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