GEOTHERMAL CONCEPTS INTEGRATED IN SCHOOL CURRICULUM IN ALBAY

LEGAZPI CITY— Chevron Geothermal Philippines Holdings, Inc. (CGPHI) has been promoting the stewardship of geothermal energy resources among the youth in public schools in the Philippines in congruence with the company’s thrust to expand the use and development of renewable energy resources in the country.

CGPHI hopes to accomplish this objective with the curriculum integration of geothermal energy concepts in public elementary and secondary schools in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) in Albay, Aquinas University of Legazpi and Aquinas University Foundation.

Initially launched in Cale Elementary School, Biyong Elementary School, and Naga National High School in Tiwi, Albay, the pilot Geothermal Education (GeoEd) project aims to educate and foster a deeper appreciation for clean energy sources among students.

Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company's success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of its employees and their application of the most innovative technologies in the world.

Chevron, mainly based in San Ramon, California is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. The company explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including bio-fuels.

The three-year GeoEd project applies the education concept of integrated curriculum webbing. Geothermal concepts like heat energy, steam production, geothermal process, health, safety, security, and environment have been integrated into basic education subjects like Math, Science, English, and Filipino.

Under the supervision of DepEd’s core curriculum writers, Aquinas University Education Department and CGPHI technical staff, GeoEd lesson exemplars were developed, critiqued and finalized in a series of workshops in May 2010.

Pre-testing began this June; thereafter the lesson exemplars will be evaluated and adjusted through a series of workshops by the third quarter of this year. Target date of roll-out in other schools in Tiwi town and the province is 2013.

Through the GeoEd curriculum, the project partners hope to instill energy efficiency and environmental consciousness among the Filipino youth. (EPSevilla, CGPHI/PIA)

MILITARY CONDEMNS REBELS’ USE OF CHILDREN AS HUMAN SHIELDS

CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, Camarines Sur – Army authorities condemned the CPP-NPA’s use of human shields in a clash with government forces in Lupi town in Camarines Sur Thursday (July 29).

First Lieutenant Michael Castro, platoon leader of the government soldiers who figured in the clash, said that the rebels grabbed two children and took them as hostages in the middle of the firefight.

“Seeing that innocent children were taken hostage by the NPA rebels, I immediately ordered my soldiers to cease firing in order to prevent unnecessary casualties. I can’t simply allow children to become hapless victims in this fighting,” said Castro.

Government forces rescued the five children who were caught in the crossfire when the rebels agreed to lay down their arms and free the hostages.

Mercedes Saporco, 30, mother of the hostages, identified them as Aiza,16, Arche,15, Ejigila,10, Alfie,3, and a 3-month old baby named Totoy.

Castro led a platoon of soldiers who swooped down on a house in Tible village after receiving a ‘hot info’ from a concerned resident about the rebels who asked for food provisions from a neighbor’s house.

The soldiers caught the rebels led by Ka Malik of the CPP-NPA-NDF’s Kilusang Larangang Gerilya 73, while resting outside the nipa hut while preparing for their food. A 10-minute firefight erupted at around 3:40pm when the rebels started firing despite being directed to raise their arms to surrender.

The brief firefight left 1 dead rebel and 3 others captured by government soldiers. Soldiers also confiscated 3 M16 Assault Rifles and 1 M14 Assault Rifle along with several rounds of live ammunitions from the rebels.

Fatality on the rebel side was identified as Sonny Custodio a.k.a. Malik while the three captured rebels as Edwin Saporco,40, Eduelo Alpore a.k.a. Ka Brix and Allan Llagas a.k.a. Ka Mark.

One unidentified rebel who traded gunshots with the soldiers escaped towards the forested area in the village.

The 3 captured rebels were turned-over to the police authorities in Lupi town for questioning while an autopsy was also conducted on the dead rebel.

Major General Ruperto Pabustan, Commander of the 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, condemns the use of human shields by the CPP-NPA.

“The use of human shields is another blatant violation of the human rights provisions by the NPA terrorist rebels. I hope that the human rights groups will be enlightened about this sad reality,” said Pabustan.

Human shielding involves the use of persons protected by international humanitarian law, such as prisoners of war or civilians, to deter attacks on combatants and military objectives.

Pabustan has earlier issued a stern warning to all Army soldiers in the Bicol Region to respect human rights as they perform their various duties. (HMCabunoc, DPAO 9ID PA/PIA)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PRIVATIZE LIGNON HILL VIEW DECK IN LEGAZPI CITY

LEGAZPI CITY — The increasing rate of tourist arrival in this city continuous as the local government here remains relentless in pursuing developments for local tourism industry with the Mayon Volcano, budding Embarcadero lifestyle mall, and Lignon Hill on the frontline.

Mayor Geraldine Rosal averred that the surge of local tourism is gaining more grounds to propel the city’s budding economy, now with the private sector will be involved the development of one of these icons in the city’s tourists attraction.

Rosal elaborated that private firm JEDI Property Management, Inc. apparently won the bidding to operate view deck portion on top of Lignon Hill after the Provincial Government of Albay has already authorized the City Government of Legazpi to lease the area and ensuring a reasonable return of investments or stable income pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement dated October 16, 2006.

In the agreement, JEDI will pay the city government P40,000 monthly for the first year of operations, P42,000 for the second and third year, and P44,000 for the fourth until the sixth year.

JEDI, further, will hire their own workers for the maintenance ad cleanliness of all walkways of the said place.

Rosal, meanwhile, said that the privatization of a portion of Ligñon Hill is more advantageous to the city government as it will no longer spend for the maintenance and improvement of the place, adding that the rentals will also be used for other local tourism projects in the area. (MPSolis, LGU Legazpi)

GOVERNMENT TROOP RECOVER REBEL ARMS CASHE IN CAMARINES SUR

LEGAZPI CITY — Army troopers unearthed over the weekend a buried cache of firearms reportedly hidden by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in a remote village in Lupi town a railroad town in Camarines Sur, a ranking Army official said on Monday.

Major General Ruperto Pabustan, Commander of the 9th Infantry Division, said that one of the rebels who were captured by the 31st Infantry Battalion, led the soldiers to the location of the buried firearms at around 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Tible village, Lupi town.

The captive NPA member pinpointed the exact location of the movement’s hidden arms cache during the pursuit operations conducted following an encounter between the rebel group and Army troops on Friday in the village, Pabustan said.

The captive NPA was one of the three rebels captured by Army soldiers in an encounter in the same village on Friday.

The engagement led to the killing of an NPA leader and the recovery of four high powered firearms, he said.

Soldiers led by 1st Lt. Rey Canlobo unearthed five Cal 5.56mm, M16 A1 Assault Rifles, two Cal .45 Thompson Submachineguns and a Cal 5.56mm Ultimax Squad Light Machinegun.

“We are in the right track in our ISO campaign as we have won the support of the people. As you can see, a tipster among the residents in Tible village led to the successful encounter last Friday and now, one of the captured rebels himself led our troops to their large arms cache, appreciating the humane treatment that he received from my soldiers,” said Pabustan.

Pabustan is confident that the communist movement will "die naturally" due to the cooperation extended by the people to the military.

He said that the primary efforts of the Philippine Army is the implementation of the various peace and development programs of the government which is more effective in addressing the root causes of the insurgency problem than combat operations.

As of this date, the Army in Bicol has confiscated 46 high-powered firearms and 27 low-powered firearms from the communist rebels, lowering the number of the NPAs firearms to at least 302 high-powered firearms and 31 low-powered firearms. (HMCabunoc, DPAO 9ID PA/PIA)

REBELS KILL FORMER MILITIAMAN IN MASBATE

LEGAZPI CITY — A former militiaman was shot and killed by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Masbate early dawn Saturday, a military report said on Monday.

Lt. Col. Anthony Purugganan, Commander of the 9th Infantry Battalion, said that Eliacer Madrilejos, 29, a former militiaman and a father of four young children, was gunned down by suspected NPA rebels while on his way to buy bread in a local bakery in Aroroy town at around 1 a.m.

“Madrilejos was on his way to buy ‘pandesal’ (bread) when he was blocked by two armed men. He was shot with a Cal .45 pistol at point-blank range,” said Purugganan.

Madrilejos died instantly after he was hit by two bullets in his head. Responding policemen found spent casings of a Cal .45 pistol in the crime scene.

Che Madrilejos, wife of the victim, claimed that her husband received death threats from unknown people a few days ago. She likewise said her husband was a former member of the movement before serving the Philippine Army as a CAFGU member.

Col. Leoncio Cirunay, Commander of the 22nd Infantry Battalion which administers the CAFGU personnel in the Bicol Region, said that the NPA are the usual suspects in the killings of former and active CAFGU members.

Cirunay said that NPA rebels owned up the killing of Imelda Madrilejos, the victim’s relative, who was killed by the terrorist rebels on May 24, 2010.

“They could not deny that they are the primary proponents of the extra-judicial killings here in the Bicol Region. They want to sow fear among the people in order to control them,” said Cirunay.

Army records show that the CPP-NPA-NDF’s armed members have killed one Army soldier, eight active CAFGU members, five plain civilians and two former militiamen in 2010. (HMCabunoc, DPAO 9ID PA/PIA)