SSC IN CASTILLA, MAGALLANES NAMED INSTITUTES FOR AGRI-FISHERIES IN SORSOGON

SORSOGON CITY – The Sorsogon State College (SSC) campuses in Castilla and Magallanes towns are now declared institutes for agri-fisheries in the province after the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has conferred the status last December 2009.

Antonio Fuentes, SSC president, said that CHED Programs and Standards Office conducted a field evaluation and validation of the programs, projects, policies of the campuses early last year in accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 7722, otherwise known as the “Higher Education Act of 1994”.

Fuentes related that new stature of the two SSC campuses will definitely enhance the quality of education or trainings in higher education institutions (HEIs) offering agriculture and fisheries in the country.

Castilla and Magallanes campuses each received a grant of P500, 000.00 for priority projects annually subject to availability of funds from the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Meanwhile, Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP) has also certified accreditation to three programs of the Castilla campus.

Fuentes bared these include Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Technology (BSAT), Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Development (BSAD), and Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology (BSVT), which obtained candidate status effective July 16, 2009 to July 15, 2011 in the preliminary survey conducted by the AACCUP.

He added that more students can be assured of a quality education they deserve having passed the criteria set by the said prestigious accrediting body.

The accreditation was a revisit by the AACCUP. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon, with reports from FJazmin, SSC)

PNP EYES CLOSELY ON MASBATE AS COMMANDOS GO AFTER PRIVATE ARMIES

MASBATE CITY—The Philippine National Police (PNP) took the first step toward blunting the violent nature of powerful politicians in Masbate by creating a task force to oversee the security operations in the province.

The creation of “Special Task Force Masbate,” headed by the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Southern Luzon chief, C/Supt. Perfecto Palad, effectively placed this pistol-shaped island province under “special police watch.”

PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa, who convened two weeks ago the police-led Joint Security Coordinating Center (JSCC) at the police provincial headquarters here, said the task force has 100 specially trained commandos of the PNP Special Action Force aside from the 30 personnel from the police regional headquarters in Legazpi City.

To insulate them from politics, the commandos will directly report to Palad.

“Masbateños expect much from the task force,” said Jessie Parion, publisher of a local tabloid. “Many are hopeful that the commandos can go after members of private armies without pressure from politicians.”

Verzosa directed Palad to coordinate all security plans to disband four identified private armies of local politicians who were believed behind many of the killings in the province.

He said the PNP was still validating the existence of eight more non-state forces in the province.

All but five of Masbate’s 20 towns have been declared by the PNP as “hot spots.”

To thwart elected officials from using the towns’ police forces in their campaign, police chiefs in the province were revamped last week, the first in a series in the run-up to the Election Day.

It was widely believed here that politicians exercised too much influence over the police and that they dictated the conduct of police operations.

The PNP chief said additional mobile checkpoints will be set up across the province to disarm unauthorized gun holders.

“It is vital (for us to) maintain a strong presence in Masbate…to break the cycle of election violence in the province,” Verzosa said.

Indeed, dozens of people, including the vice mayors of Milagros and Dimasalang and a provincial board member running for vice mayor of Uson, were already killed in recent months in the name of politics. These murders are feared to be the only first of many killings ahead of the local elections in May, when Rep. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete and Governor Elisa Kho, the espouse of her arch rival, Rep. Antonio Kho, face off in the gubernatorial race.

Political warlords, who are well known to employ private armies that carry out assassinations and counterattacks against their rivals, have for generations competed for political power and the accompanying business riches that government posts in poverty-stricken Masbate offer.

Aside from being a hotbed of communist insurgency, Masbate has been economically stunted by the deadly feud over the control of the local governments and three congressional seats. (EADelgado, PIA Masbate)


DENR REHABILITATES 8,000 HAS. IN BICOL RIVER BASIN

LEGAZPI CITY — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Bicol have rehabilitated some 8,495 hectares of open and denuded forest within the Bicol River Basin last year.

DENR has also rehabilitated some 111 kilometers river banks under a structural measures, 2,738.5 cubic meters gabion/check dams, 2,699 linear meters eco-blocks and nine units small water impounding system were constructed.

The agency’s yearend report said around 2,980 hectares of degraded forest lands were restored in 2009 alone, through upland reforestation, agro-forestry development and assisted-natural regeneration measures in the BRB-covered provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte.

DENR is tasked to oversee the watershed management and development component of the Bicol River Basin and Watershed Management Project (BRBWMP).

BRBWMP is a six-year development initiative that started in 2007 to improve the quality of life of river basin communities.

Primarily, the project aims to enhance livelihood and improve natural resources management through coordinated and sustainable development activities in a river basin context.

The watershed management and development component is carried out using regular fund under the DENR Upland Development Program (UDP).

A total budget of PP327 million had already been released to DENR Region 5 for implementation of project activities.

Details of last year’s accomplishment regarding the restoration of 2,980 hectares of degraded forest lands are as follows:

Under upland reforestation, a total of 2,012 hectares were planted 100 hectares in Albay, 300 hectares in Camarines Norte and 1,612 hectares in Camarines Sur.

Under agro-forestry, 96 hectares of agroforestry farms were established –78 hectares in Sipocot and 18 hectares in Bula town– all in Camarines Sur.

For assisted natural regeneration scheme, a total of 872 hectares were rehabilitated –250 hectares in Barangay Tuaca, Basud, Camarines Norte; 150 hectares in San Lorenzo Ruiz, CamNorte; 222 hectares in Calabanga, Camarines Sur; and 250 hectares in the Bicol Natural Park, Lupi, Camarines Sur.

The DENR Report also states there are now 1,666 hectares established plantations under protection and maintenance in the BRB-covered provinces. (DENR V/PIA)

DENR COLLECTS OVER P12 M REVENUE IN 2009

LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Bicol has generated a total revenue of P12,091,501.00 last year.

Based on the DENR 2009 Annual Report, the Land Management Service (LMS) generated some P8,850,743 and the Forest Management Service (FMS) collected a total of P3,234,758.

The amount was generated from rentals for the use of forest shore areas, public lands, forest lands, and administrative fees such as application, registration, oath, permit, certification, authentication, field verification, inventory, inspection, among others.

The revenue generated in 2009 was P5,037,208 more than that of 2008 totalling to only P7,054,293, with the LMS generating P4,736,396.00 and the FMS collecting P2,317,897. (ASAraya, DENR/PIA)

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR EXEMPLARY GOVERNMENT WORKERS

LEGAZPI CITY — The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has renewed its memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Normal University (PNU) for the grant of baccalaureate, master of doctorate degree scholarships to outstanding civil servants.

Cecilia Nieto, CSC Bicol regional chief, said that the grant will cover the 2010 and future individual recipients of the Presidential Lingkod Bayan, Dangal ng Bayan and Pagasa awards under the Honor Awards Program (HAP).

HAP is an annual undertaking of the commission which recognizes government officials and employees who have displayed outstanding work performance and ethical behavior.

Nieto bared that newly appointed CSC Chair Francisco T. Duque III and PNU President Lutgardao B. Barbo, himself a Presidential Lingkod Bayan awardee in 1997 for his work as governor of Samar, jointly signed the agreement during the flag raising ceremony held last January 25, 2010 at the CSC main office in Manila.

Nieto explained that the grant is transferable to the awardee’s legitimate spouse or child.

“Benefits include free tuition and miscellaneous fees such as laboratory, athletics, medical/dental, library and cultural fees. The beneficiary will be allowed to take one course with a maximum period of five years for baccalaureate degree, two years for master, and three years for doctorate,” she added.

Nieto, quoting Doque during the MOA signing, cited PNU, the country’s National Center for Teacher Education, as one of the foremost supporters of the HAP.

The chairman, according to her, thanked the university for its dedication in providing educational assistance to those in need.

Roynic Aquino, a CSC Pagasa awardee (group category) in 2008 and recipient of a PNU scholarship grant, expressed his sincerest gratitude to the commission for “working hard to solicit for such additional rewards”.

His (Aquino) daughter, Vingelle Jeane G. Aquino, is currently enrolled at PNU as a scholar under the BS Early Childhood Education program. (CSC V/PIA)

Feature:
70 PERCENT PINOY KIDS VACCINATED BEFORE FIRST BDAY
… according to 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey

Immunization coverage among children aged 12-23 months old has markedly improved in the last five years.

Seventy percent of Filipino children aged 12-23 months received all the basic vaccinations, namely, BCG, DPT, polio and measles before reaching aged one and 80 per cent of these children received them at some time before the survey, according to the results of the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

The survey states that these percentages are higher than the corresponding figures from the 2003 NDHS (60 percent and 70 percent, respectively). The survey results are based on information from health cards and mothers’ reports.

Vaccination coverage for each type of vaccine is generally high; more than 90 percent have received the BCG vaccine and the first doses of DPT and polio vaccines. Coverage for the third dose of DPT (83 percent) and the third dose of polio vaccine (83 percent) is a little lower.

Immunization coverage generally increases with mother’s level of education and wealth status. Sixty-six percent of children whose mothers have elementary education as compared to 87 per cent of children among those with college or higher education, and 64 per cent of children in the poorest wealth quintile as compared to 87 percent of children in the highest wealth quintile received all the recommended vaccines.

By birth order, immunization coverage is highest for first births (85 percent) and lowest for sixth and higher births (64 percent). Rural children are slightly less likely than urban children to have been immunized.

The 2008 NDHS is a nationally representative survey of almost 14,000 households and 14,000 women 15-49, conducted from August 7 to September 27, 2008. The 1008 NDHS is the 9th in a series of demographic surveys undertaken by the National Statistics Office (NSO) at five-year intervals since 1968.

Other major findings of the 2008 NDHS will be presented in a data dissemination forum on January 14, 2010. The final report on the survey findings will be distributed in the forum. (NSO V/PIA)

PGMA visits UST Global as part of cyber corridor tour

MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's efforts to develop and expand the cyber corridor got another boost Tuesday (February 2) with the opening of Southern California-based UST Global Delivery Services Center here.

Assisted by Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tinga and UST Global Chief Operating Officer Arun Naragannan, the President cut the ceremonial ribbon and inspected the center's facilities.

The President is on her second day of her cyber corridor tour. Her initial visit was at the Angeles University Foundation Information Center yesterday.

The UST Global Delivery Center, a pioneer and world leader in the information technology (IT) services sector, primarily serves firms in the Fortune 500/Global 1000 market.

With the UST Global opening, 1,000 new positions have been created to add to the half a million jobs generated by the information technology since 2001.

Naragannan said they decided to set up an office here to take advantage of the country's highly skilled IT workforce. He added the company hopes to hire 5,000 more workers in the next few years.

The company operates in 14 countries. (PIA V Release)

Palace tells people to study bets, platforms

MANILA — Malacañang called on the people to study the candidates well and their platforms of government.

In a media briefing Tuesday (February 2(, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar said Filipinos ought to look past the charges and counter-chargers that accompany the campaign period. He also appealed to the political opposition to spare President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the venom.

“We ask our compatriots to use logic and intellect so that they can understand what is taking place,” he said.

The spokesman expressed concern at the mudslinging and how it has been escalating. He said it does not help the electorate make an intelligent choice on who should lead the country.

“I am a little taken aback at the level of poison that is coming from the usual quarters and the way the political campaign is heating up,” he said.

Olivar cautioned those running for office to drop this campaign strategy and instead lay down their program for the people to scrutinize.

He said the people are getting tired of this kind of political campaign. (PIA V Release)

PGMA underscores role of BPOs in creating jobs

STA. ROSA CITY, Laguna — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo underscored the important role the BPO (business process outsourcing) industry plays in improving the economy and creating jobs.

During a lunch hosted by Convergys Phils.. at its facility here Tuesday (February 2), the President noted the industry has grown from a revenue base of $24 million and 4,000 workers when she assumed the presidency in 2001 to $7 billion and half a million employees last year.

The President’s visit is part of her week-long tour to highlight what her administration has done to create human and physical infrastructures that give high-paying jobs to young professionals.

Mariefe Zamora, Convergys vice president and country manager, said government support has enabled her firm to grow to its current size of 20,000 employees in 12 sites nationwide.

Now, she added. Convergys is hiring 640 new employees for its three sites in Cebu.

“We are honored to have the President visit us once again at our environment-friendly Nuvali facility, which she dedicated almost a year ago,” Zamora said.

“We look to further increase that number this year as more and more clients from across the globe request to have their customer management operations located in the Philippines,” she added. (PIA V Release)

PGMA to open International Autism Forum

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leads medical experts, foreign dignitaries and advocacy organizations at the opening of the three-day International Autism Conference (IAC) today (February 3) at the Philippine International Convention Center.

The forum focuses discussions on current research, knowledge, information, diagnosis, assessment, treatment, and policies for autism cases.

In the United States, one in every 91 children is found to have ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). In the Philippines, it is estimated that 500,000 people have autism, but only 5 percent of them are diagnosed and only 2 percent receive the necessary medical attention.

Christine Roa, executive director of Autism Hearts Philippines, Inc., said the event serves as a forum for Filipinos to understand the ailment.

Autism Hearts Philippines, Inc. is chaired by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

The forum highlights the Autism Institute of Asia, a locally based One-Stop-Shop for Children with ASD, the New York-based autism advocacy group Autism Speaks, and the Global Autism Public Health Initiative in the Philippines (GAPH).

Presenters in the conference include the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND), an international, multidisciplinary research organization based in Sacramento, California. (PIA V Release)

ICT, BPO sector creates jobs, brings investment

MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the business process outsourcing (BPO) and information and communication technology (ICT) sectors create jobs with above-average salaries and bring investment into the country.

The President was on the second day of her week-long tour of the so-called cyber corridor.

In her message at the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Tuesday (February 2), the President said the Philippines has come a long way since 2001, when the country teetered on the brink of financial bankruptcy.

In 2001, the President said, the economy was ''jammed in reverse.'' She pointed out she turned things around by developing the labor-intensive, skills-intensive ICT and tourism services and by instilling fiscal discipline, among others.

''We did it from scratch. With only 4,000 workers then,” she said, “we turned the Philippine BPO industry into a global powerhouse.”

According to the President, the cyber corridor is now a multi-billion industry ''made up of the strongest potential locations for ICT firms engaged in software development, medical transcription, engineering design, animation, and game development.''

She added that the cyber corridor now houses 750 BPO companies served by three high-bandwidth backbone and digital networks.

This growth in the BPO and ICT industry is the result of efforts to promote strategic investments in digital infrastructure, adoption of appropriate policies, and the creation of environment conducive to the development of human capital.

She said the government has invested much in human development by providing more than 5,000 schools with computers, 4,000 of them with internet connection.

She added that her administration has established three times more technical schools than the three previous administrations combined.

“Thanks to the cyber corridor, billions of pesos in investments poured into the country, creating half a million jobs in BPOs alone,'' she said. “It is this big number of livelihood opportunities that is part of the legacy I am leaving behind.”

She said her administration, through hard work, has also created a strong and stable economy, presented a renewed global engagement, made major investments in healthcare and education, laid out roads and bridges, and built irrigation systems, and roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) ports.

However, the President said, so much more remains to be done, ''I am determined to turn over to a new government a Philippines on the verge of attaining First World status in 20 years.''

The President added that the Philippines' BPO industry earned $7.3 billion in 2009, not far behind from India's $9 billion for call centers. (PIA V Release)