MAY 3, 2010 (MONDAY) declared of as REGULAR HOLIDAY

throughout the country (in lieu of MAY 1, Labor Day)

by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 2043

TASK FORCE SCORES ANEW RIDDING MASBATE OF LOOSE FIREARMS

MASBATE CITY – The Special Task Force (STF) Masbate, led by PSSupt Victor P. Deona, has cored anew recovering loose firearms in its relentless effort to rid the province of Masbate of instruments of violence through its Oplan Sagip Baril

Joint elements of the task force, Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), National Police Commission (Napolcom) and local government officials have primarily employed the use of appeal and persuasion in convincing the various political leaders to voluntarily give up their illegally possessed guns and ammunitions. .

Myrna L. Guban, Napolcom Masbate provincial officer, and Governor Elisa T. Kho also helped out in the negotiations resulting to the surrender of high-powered firearms from people who were convinced by the sincerity and dedication of officers and men of the STF Masbate.

Deona cited that the measures were born out of the longing of the Masbateños, who for a very long time, lived under atmosphere of fear and violence.

Surrendered firearms totaling to 23 high powered firearms, consist of 2 M60 Light Machineguns, 1 bush master rifle (cal. 5.56), 1 Baby Armalite with M203, 6 NM16 rifles, 1 M14 rifle, 3 Sub-Machineguns (KG9), 5 cal. 45 pistols, 1 magazine for M14 rifle, 5 magazines for M16 rifle, 5 magazines for cal. 45 pistol, 4 magazines for Machine Pistol and 810 rounds for M60 machineguns were presented after the PPOC meeting.

The painstaking efforts of the Joint AFP-PNP Special Task Force Masbate in winning the trust and confidence of the Masbateños have also spawned the organization of a multi-sectoral peace advocates who are now spearheading the crusade that power does not come from the barrel of a gun.

It also emphasized that there is a superior and more civilized way to attain lasting peace and promote the development of the province through mutual trust, respect, and reverence for life.

The meeting of the PPOC here presided over by Defense Sec. Norberto Gonzales, Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali, commander of the Southern Luzon Command, Maj. General Pabustan of the 9ID, PCSupt Cecilio B. Calleja, acting regional director of PNP Bicol , Governor Kho, and different stakeholders of the province towards encouraging others not to live under the false mantle of protection and the barrel of the gun, instead abhor violence by surrendering illegally possessed firearms to the police and embrace the culture of peace. (PRO5/PIA)

ALBAYANOS SIGN UP FOR 10 MILLION MOVEMENT

LEGAZPI CITY – To show that beauty and brain should complement the campaign on ecosystem conservation and protection, contestants of the Magayon Festival Bikini Open signed up for Earth Day’s 10 Million Movement last April 21, 2010.

Led by the 2010 Bikini Open winners Keshia Mae Dee and Warren Flores, the contestants committed to incorporate in their lifestyle green acts like waste minimization, energy conservation and water conservation.

Addressing hundreds of participants at the Peñaranda Park, Legazpi City, Environment Management Bureau (EMB) Regional Director Gilbert Gonzales lauded the significant increase of participants in the annual Earth Day celebration.

Gonzales said that the 10MM is part of the campaign to gather 10 million commitments for the environment from all over the country.

Under the movement, every Filipino is encouraged to commit to an environmental-friendly act, which can be as simple as turning off the lights and all electrical appliances when not in use.

He pointed out that the importance of the event is the heightening of the public awareness from all stakeholders on environmental conservation and protection.

“Magsisimula sa bawa’t isa ang patuloy na pangangalaga natin sa Kalikasan, huwag na natin antayin kung ano ang gagawin ng gobyerno para sa atin, datapwa’t bawa’t isa sa atin ay kumilos na. (Environmental conservation will begin from all of us, let us not wait for our government’s action instead each one of us should move now),” emphasized Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Bicol..

Among Earth Day 10MM volunteers were Wilfredo Intia, City Disaster Coordinating Council chief and representative of Legazpi City Mayor Noel E. Rosal, personnel from DT, CSC, DOH, HDMF, PNP, AFP, PhilHealth, Napolcom, COA, DepEd, LGU Legazpi City, provincial government of Albay, various services of the DENR V and other stakeholders.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroo has declared April 22 as the “Philippines’ Earth Day” through Presidential Proclamation No. 1481, amending Presidential Proclamation Nos. 553 and 1276, making Earth Day a permanent environment holiday in the Philippines.

Earth Day 2010’s national theme is “Hamon ng Panahon Climate Change: 10 Milyung Solusyon (Kols Na! Ngayon Na!). (EMB V/PIA)

ABOITIZ INKS POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT WITH ALBAY

LEGAZPI CITY — Member-consumers of the Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO) expressed a sigh of relief after the local electric cooperative was successful in getting a bilateral agreement with Aboitiz Power Renewable’s Inc. to supply cheap electricity in the province.

ALECO has recently entered into an agreement with Aboitiz, an independent power provider (IPP), for the latter to provide the cooperative with 40 percent of its electricity requirements.

Engr. Alex Realosa, ALECO acting general manager, said he himself and ALECO Board Chair lawyer Rudolfo Bonafe signed the agreement on April 12, 2010 marking the start of a bilateral contract between the two power firms.

The contract states that Aboitiz, the firm also operating the geothermal power plant in Tiwi, Albay, would provide 40 percent of the local cooperative electricity power requirements.

“ALECO would pay Aboitiz P50 million worth of electricity supply per month,” Realosa said.
Aboitiz would be selling its power to ALECO by P4.21 per kilowatt hours compared to P65 per kilowatt hour imposed by the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

He said the agreement would be beneficial to the 150,000 member consumers of the cooperative as this would bring down its power rates unlike the very high electricity price spikes imposed by the WESM.

WESM is administered by the Philippine Electricity market Corporation (PEMC) and is presently supplying ALECO with 60 percent of the 23 million kilowatt hour electricity power requirements of the cooperative.

Realosa said he is working out for other bilateral agreements with IPPs as provided for by the Electricity Power Industry Reform Act or the EPIRA law granting cooperatives to enter into agreements with IPPs for power supply generation and distribution.

He said ALECO is presently facing a tight spot in its finances because of its total dependency for its source of electricity from WESM.

Realosa said aside from the P1.8 billion in outstanding accounts from the National Power Corporation (NPC) and Transco, the WESM through the PEMC has billed the cooperative covering January 26 to February 25 this year a staggering amount of P317 million for its electricity supplied to ALECO.

Another statement in the amount of P321 million was billed by PEMC covering the months from March to April this year.

ALECO receives from some P150 million in monthly sales revenues from 150,000 member-consumers across the 15 towns and three cities of the province.

He claimed that the WESM electricity price of P65 per kilowatt hour hit a 300-percent spike from the P7 previously priced, saying this would definitely paralyze the cooperative operation.
The price spike, once passed on to consumers, will be prejudicial to them and will eventually bear the brunt of this exorbitant and baseless billing, Realosa said.

For this reason, the ALECO has petitioned the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to arbitrate and issue a cease and desist order directing the PEMC to refrain from collecting from the cooperative the payment for its electricity bill until this case is finally decided by the commission. (MSArguelles, PNA/PIA)

SORSOGON POLICE LEADS PRAYER FOR H.O.P.E. 2010

SORSOGON CITY — The unity and cooperation shown by the different sectors in this province promise an honest, orderly and peaceful election comes May 10, this year, assured the police provincial official here.

Police Provincial Director P/SSupt Heriberto O. Olitoquit made this remark following the successful conduct of the National Prayer for Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Election 2010 held Wednesday (April 21) at the Camp Salvador Escudero here.

Olitoquit stressed that the successful activity led by the Philippine National Police (PNP) office here is part of the continuous effort to achieve a peaceful electoral process.

Present during the activity were the PNP Provincial Headquarters personnel, under the headship of Deputy Provincial Director Police Supt. Elmer M. Ferrera, Sorsogon Public Safety Management Company, headed by Police Chief Inspector Rogelio A. Beraquit, elements of the Philippine Army, headed by Major Christopher Morales, chiefs of police from the different police stations across the province and members of the Provincial Council of Community Elders (PCCE).

Olitoquit said that he personally invited leaders and members of various religious sects, including Catholics, Islam, Iglesia Ni Kristo and the Life Giver Church Worldwide, among all other existing spiritual groups in the province to be the forefronts in the said unified prayer.

Sorsogon City Election Officer Ryan Filgueras, meanwhile, in his thanksgiving message put across a positive view about the forthcoming election and challenged everyone saying that the success of any electoral activities lie in the unity, commonality of purpose and fortitude of each one to attain the desired goal, regardless of one’s affiliation or group. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon)