81% of trike owners in Bicol claim fuel assistance

by Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, June 13 (PIA) -- At least P4.5 million has been released by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional office here to local governments across Bicol for distribution of fuel assistance amounting to P150 each tricycle owner or operator under the “Pantawid Pasada” program.

DILG Bicol regional director Blandino Maceda told PIA News Service that some P4,514,520.00 of the P5.577.900.00 total funds or 81 per cent as of June 6 has already been distributed to 74 local out of the 94 target local government units (LGUs) in the region.

The fuel assistance, also known as Pantawid Pasada Program (3Ps) - Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP), is being pursued by the national government to ease the impact of recent series of oil price hikes in the local transport sector.

In Albay, Some 6,182 tricycle operators already benefited from the government’s fuel assistance program through their respective city or municipal governments after DILG has since released the funds last month.

Balndino Maceda bared that a total of P927,300.00 had already been released to 13 local governments of cities and towns in the province as of June 6. The program targets a total of 9,122 tricycle operators to receive the P150 fuel assistance under “Pantawid Pasada” in Albay.

Five more localities in Albay province, though submitted the list of beneficiaries, have yet to claim the fuel assistance fund, including this city, Bacacay, Jovellar, Malilipot and Tiwi.

Some P767,550.00 meanwhile has been released to Camarines Norte for 5,117 tricycle operators out of 5,125 target while Labo municipal government is yet to claim the fund from DILG, according to Maceda.

A total of P1,219,050.00 has been distributed to franchisees in Camarines Sur for 8,127 out of 8,455. Bula, Canaman, San Jose and Sipocot towns have not yet claimed the fuel assistance, he said.

In Catanduanes, some P261,000.00 was claimed by 1,740 or 100 per cent of the franchisees, P674,700.00 for 4,498 out of 4,669 in Masbate, while Sorsogon got P664,650.00 for 4,431 out of 8,075. (MAL, PIA V/Albay)

Airlines give way to airport rehab

by Ernie Delgado

MASBATE CITY, June 13 (PIA)-- ZEST Air and Air Philippines has temporarily stopped flying to Masbate to give way to rehabilitation of the airport.

The carriers’ booking offices have announced that their daily round-trip flights from Manila would be suspended for more than a month until June 16.

In a separate announcement, Josefina I. Nuñez of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the airport would temporarily stop aircraft movement and handling of passengers and cargo from April 27 to June 16.

During the period, Algimar Construction and Hi-tone Construction and Development Corp. would undertake repairs of the runway, Nuñez said.

She said the repairs, which were part of the infrastructure projects of the Department of Transportation and Communication, involves asphalt overlaying of portions of the runway and the damaged section of the pavement.

“Our intention is to offer a better air service by improving our facilities and the safety of our flying public,” Nunez said.

The Masbate airport, officially known as Moises R. Espinosa Sr. Airport, had been rendered inoperative a few years ago by slow repairs that lasted until late 2009.

CAAP has designated Masbate a “one-way airport” for all carriers to prevent a repeat of landing accident that occurred in 2008.

This means all takeoffs would be towards the sea while landings should in the opposite direction.

In the accident, an Asian Spirit Airlines flight overshot the runway on Jan. 3, 2008. (MAL/EAD, PIA Masbate)

Governor, foe comes together for Independence Day rites in Masbate

by Ernie Delgado

MASBATE CITY, June 13 (PIA) -- Masbate Governor Rizalina Seachon-Lanete and Mayor Socrates Tuason of this city led the flag-raising ceremonies at the provincial capitol grounds here at 7 a.m yesterday in commemoration of the 113th Philippine Independence Day.

Lanete and Tuason, who had been widely acknowledged as her strongest opponent in the gubernatorial race in 2013, reviewed the participants before raising the Philippine flag.

Also present at the ceremonies were Masbate City Vice Mayor Allan Cos and several city councilors.

Tuason and City Hall personnel arrived early for the flag-raising ceremonies.

The celebration here of the country’s 113th Independence Day may not measure up to that at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite, where Philippine Independence was first declared on June 12, 1898, or that in Barasoain Church in Bulacan, which was a temporary residence of General Emilio Aguinaldo.

But it is no less significant with the tens of hundreds of flag-waving soldiers, policemen, office workers and students, among others, taking part in the two-kilometer parade after the flag-raising. (MAL/EAD, PIA Masbate)

PhilHealth Sabado II rolls off on June 25

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, June 13 (PIA) -- The nationwide PhilHealth registration day replication, dubbed as "PhilHealth Sabado, Magseguro, Magparehistro" is one of the major activities that will pursue the Aquino health agenda: the universal health care program, a strategic thrust to improve financial risk protection through the expansion of the National Health Integrated Program (NHIP) enrolment and benefit delivery.

In a meeting conducted Thursday, here at Casa Dominga , Mr. Alfredo Hubilo, PhilHealth field officer expounded on the replication program of the PhilHealth Sabado conducted last October 2, 2010, and again to be done this June 25 in Cumadcad National High School, Castilla,Sorsogon and Burabud, Elementary School, Sorsogon City.

Sorsogon’s successful registration scheme last October 2, 2010 has 40,000 plus enrolees, and according to Hubilo, and about 2, 700 cards have been distributed already as per validation done by their office and 10,830 yet for processing.

This year, the registration will be replicated and onwards registration will be done in every local government units.

"The registration will not end but the second launch will be moving onwards as a continuous action of PhilHealth to attain the universal health program which is the end goal of the PNoy administration.

Dr. Napoleon Arevalo, Department of Health (DOH), provincial health team leader here gave the participants insights on the success of last year’s registration and the enthusiasm shown by the LGUs through their support through the high registration they garnered.

According to Arevalo, only Sorsogon in the whole Bicol region has a province-wide launch that the positive number of registration of 40 thousand plus is indicative that the constituency would like to be enrolled in PhilHealth and be given the right health care and the dignity be restored for the poor and the underserved through the assistance program.

Arevalo stressed that the NPHRD II framework will focus on health insurance advocacy, information and empowerment campaign, thus the effort is not limited by the number of indigent that the province may enrol but more on the number of people to be reached out and provided education specially in the importance of being a PhilHealth member.

The local government of Castilla, through its representative in the meeting informed the body, that it will allocate Php 301,000 for the registration of the identified indigents in their municipality.

This year's PhilHealth registration campaign will be spearheaded by the Department of Education (DepEd) assisted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) specially in the validation of those enrolled to come up with a clean listing and beneficiary focused program. (MAL/IAG, PIA Sorsogon)