AGAPP DONATES TWO PRE-SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN ALBAY
…PNoy sis Pinky leads turn-over to DepEd
By Ed de Leon

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 17 (PIA)— The The Aklat, Gabay, Aruga tungo sa Pag-angat t Pag-asa (AGAPP) Foundation Inc. led by Presidential Sister Pinky Aquino Abellada turned-over today to the Department of Education two pre-school building one to this city and another to Daraga, Albay.

Abellada said during the turn-over rites that AGAPP targets the completion of about 100 such two classroom pre-school building by the opening of classes next school year under the “Silid Pangarap”project of the foundation.

She said that the foundation hopes to build some 2,000 pre-school classrooms in the poorest schools in the country by the end of Pinoy’s term in 2016.

She pointed out that AGAPP is composed of Pinoy’s classmates who joined together to build pre-school building nationwide as part of the Private-Public partnership thrust of the Aquino administration.

Abellada also said that the donated school building is complete with facilities that includes chairs, tables and books to be used by pre-school students.

The facility will also be used as a hub for child-teacher-parent interaction on literacy development and parenting support.

She disclosed that the Taysan Elementary School in this city and the Anislag Elementary in Daraga,Ablay is the first recipient of AGAPP type designed typhoon proof school building in country and was built in only 30 days at less than P600,000 cost.

She thank San Miguel Corporation for donating the funds for the project and Dr. Ofelia Samar Sy , President of the Pinoy Power Bicol Coalition , Inc,for helping monitor the implementation of the project in Bicol.

During the turn-over rites the Presidential sister also gave out to pre-school children books, notebooks, pencils and rubber sleepers. (PIA V/Albay/mal)

HOUSE BILL 1223 PUSHES PUBLIC LIBRARY IN EVERY BARANGAY

LIBMANAN, Camarines Sur, Jan. 17 (PIA) — Camarines Sur Second District Congressman Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo in line with his campaign to improve the quality of education of among students, particularly in the provincial outskirts has recently filed another resolution before the plenary.

Arroyo is now pushing for the approval of House Bill 1223 which, if granted, would allow the construction of barangay libraries within his covered district. The young representative believes that the availability of reading and research materials in the barangay, will give students easier access to pertinent data and information that they need.

House Bill 1223, otherwise known as an “Act Establishing Public Library in every Barangay” is also being supported by his colleagues in the Congress and members of the administration who believes that education and any improvements attached to it, should be taken as a welcome development under President Benigno Aquino’s administration.

Arroyo said that the barangay library will not only be limited to students but also to the public, particularly local barangay officials who also want to continuously improve them thru reading.

Popularly known for his TKO battlecry, Arroyo was also acknowledged in 2008 as the Most Outstanding Neophyte Congressman in the 14th Congress. His passion for public service was so evident in the projects that he has implemented in his district. His accomplishment has earned him a lot of respect and admiration from his constituents.

Among the numerous infrastructure projects that Arroyo has implemented under his Tubig, Kalye, Oportunidad (TKO) Program included farm to market roads, which gave planters an easy way to market their produce; irrigation systems which aided a lot of farmers in growing their crops; establishment of health centers particularly for the mothers, including establishment of several school buildings within his district.

He has also authored and co-authored over a hundred significant bills which are now being enjoyed by most of his constituents. (LS MACATANGAY/ PIA Camsur/mal)

ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR BUSINESS PERMIT ISSUANCE OPENS IN DAET

DAET, Camarines Norte, Jan 17 (PIA) — The local government of Daet has started last week a one stop shop for the renewal of business permits in the said town located at the lobby of the municipal building.

Municipal Administrator Santiago Mella, said that the one stop shop were installed for the business owners easy renewal of their business permits and other transactions.

He said that agencies involved include the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for the fire clearance, Provincial Health Office (PHO) for sanitary permit, Social Security System (SSS), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Philippine National Office.

He also said that business owners should renew their permits as early as possible to avoid penalties.

Mella urged owners of business establishments to manage their garbage by separating the bio-degradable and non-biodegradable for easy collections on their part. (RBManlangit/PIA Cam Norte/mal)


CAMSUR HOSTS ULTIMATE WAKE CHAMPIONSHIP

PILI, Camarines Sur, Jan 17 (PIA) — Known for imprinting a remarkable name in Sports tourism industry, Camarines Sur is now again in full preparation for another upcoming sports event to be held at the spacious Camarines Sur Water Sports Complex here from January 18 until January 23.

Dubbed as Ultimate Wake Championship, sports enthusiasts will once again vie for the main title under wake board disciplines including cable contest, boat contest, and System 2.0 Contest. This will be the ultimate leg of the World Wakeboard Association (WWA) to find out who among the wakeboard enthusiasts stands out from the rest of the wake boarders.

Aside from the sports event, Camarines Sur Governor LRay Villafuerte also stated that they will also prepare various forms of entertainment for foreign and local visitors who will surely flocked CWC for the big occasion.

On the first day of the five-day event, the provincial government has prepared a Casino Royal Party which will feature exciting games, magic trick show and card games like poker and black jack.

The upcoming days is also filled with colorful events like the Comic Strip Party, an open competition for costume lovers who will embody their favorite comic strip characters by mimicking their attires; the Black Light Party which will feature rock bands; and the Fire and Ice Party on the fourth night featuring pole dancers and other great artists.

The sports event will be culminating with the awarding of prizes for winning players and the formal declaration of the Ultimate Wake Champion on the night of January 23.

The local government of Camarines Sur is expecting a big number of wakeboard enthusiasts coming from twenty –nine (29) countries. Prizes at stake are pegged at 200,000 US dollars.

The Ultimate Wake Championship is expected to draw a lot of spectators from different parts of the world and is again being envisioned to be one of the biggest wakeboarding events in the country. (LSMacatangay, PIA CamSur/mal)

HB 1970 TO UNBURDEN TAXPAYERS; SIMPLIFIES TAX COLLECTION SYSTEM

SORSOGON CITY, Jan 17 (PIA) – Local residents here are elated on the proposed reduction or Value Added Tax (VAT) from twelve to six percent for the goods and services they will purchase.

“We support Batangas Rep. Hermilando Mandanas and he has just revealed the hidden truth that it is the consumer or the end-user of goods and services that pays the VAT and not really the businessmen,” say local taxpayers here.

It can be recalled that Mandanas said that VAT net under the present law, allows businessmen to pass on the tax to consumers. He said furthers that the present law, the government, in some cases, ends up incurring a debt in the form of tax credits, which businessmen apply to their tax obligations.

House Bill 1970 authored and filed by Rep. Mandanas also seeks to increase the collection of taxes under the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997, as amended, by simplifying the taxation system, and reducing the discretion or interpretations of tax applicability that increase temptation for corruption and reduce the tax collection efficiency of the government.

It also proposes to change the value-added tax (VAT) system to a Value Simplified Tax (VAST), however all exemptions under the VAT system remains under VAST.

The proposed law would also increase further the exemptions under the VAST system by including all the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Coast Guards and Customs Police, and also retired public school teachers who served over a period of not less than 30 years, or even earlier, if retirement is due to injuries or sickness suffered while in the line of duty.

HB 1970 also intends to raise the ceilings on sale or lease of goods or properties that will not be subject to VAST to further increase the exempt transactions.

Sales of sari-sari stores would be subject to VAST if annual sales exceed P2.5 million. If their total annual sales are below the new ceiling, the stores will be subject to only three percent.

Real estate sales ceilings would be increased. The sales of land below P2.5 million or of house and lot below P3.5 million would not be subject to VAST. The ceilings under the VAT system will only be P1.5 million for land and P2.5 million for house and lot.

Meanwhile, Sorsogon Revenue District Officer-in-Charge Eutiquio Grajo said they can’t do anything but to support once the proposed bill becomes a law particularly that the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) primary function is to work as tax collecting agent. “What the law says, we will follow,” he said.

However, Grajo also suggested that if there will be reduction in tax percentage, the target goal set upon them must also be considered. “If tax imposed will be lowered, it is but just fitting to cut down our tax collection target,” he said. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon/mal)

DSWD CONTINUE TO ASSIST VICTIMS OF FLASHFLOOD

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan 17 (PIA) — The government’s social welfare agency has reported Monday (January 17) the continuous heavy rains affecting the Bicol Region brought an increase from 13,670 families to 19,923 or a total of 96,123 persons in evacuation centers.

Bicol Regional Director Remia T. Tapispisan of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said the affected areas cover the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur and Sorsogon in 19 municipalities and 174 barangays.

Tapispisan also sadi that there are 2,694 families served in 37 evacuation centers. There are also seven individuals reported confirmed dead and 4 are still missing.

DSWD is continuously extending resource augmentation to the local government units of those affected areas. The agency has already released a total of P1,701,840.15 worth of relief supplies, n the form of family food packs, used clothing and blankets.

According to Tapispisan, the Emergency Response Team of the Field Office remains on a 24/7 duty while the Social Welfare and Development Team (SWAD Team) is also in close monitoring and coordination with the local government units with affected areas in their on-going relief operation and to ensure timely submission of disaster reports.

The recent visit of His Excellency President Noynoy Aquino in Legazpi City, the DSWD turned-over 800 family food packs to Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda as additional augmentation support to LGUs which is most affected by these heavy downpour.

During the visit of DSWD Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman has given instruction to the DSWD Field Office V through Director Tapispisan to look into the long-term augmentation support to LGUs considering that the heavy rain caused by the tail-end of cold front will last till February according to PAGASA. The most affected families are those economically displaced farmers, fisherfolks and those who are from the island barangays. (DSWD V/PIA, Albay/mal)

SORSOGON PROVINCE TO IMPLEMENT SPEED

SORSOGON CITY, Jan. 17 (PIA) — Dr. Soe Nyunt-u, World Health Organization Country representative to the Philippines served as the keynote speaker in the just concluded Surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disaster (SPEED) Advocacy Forum last January 13, 2011 at Hotel Ellis, Legazpi City.

“Today’s challenge is to expose local government executives and local health workers to respond immediately in the immediate, efficient and accurate reporting and the gathering of data from the grassroots level in different barangays affected by calamities so that fast intervention can be provided,” according to Dr. Nyunt-u.

The Department of Health (DOH) with technical assistance from the WHO has instituted as high-tech and post-disaster surveillance tool called SPEED.

SPEED, which is the acronym for the surveillance in Post Extreme Emergencies and Disasters, aims to provide immediate information and data that will help decision-makiers and health workers to correctly and accurately respond to illness and injuries after dfisasters or emergencies. It is an early warning and response toll making use of technology like mobile phones and the internet for fast and urgent reporting.

All local government executives comprising of mayors in the Bicol Region were present during the advocacy forum to provide them the basic operational knowledge on how SPEED can be a proactive tool to respond to post disaster emergencies.

The province of Sorsogon has received a two million assistance from the WHO, according to former Governor Sally Ante Lee in the establishment of its Health Emergency Management Staff Office (HEMS) to address concerns in terms of disaster.

“Through the establishment of HEMS we can address the early detection of potential disease outbreaks and monitor trends of priority health conditions,” according to Lee.

This coming January 26-27, two health workers together with one information technician in every municipality in the province will undergo a two-day training on the SPEED implementation. (IAGuhit, PIA Sorsogon/mal)