BFAR V enforcers apprehend, file cases vs. trawl operators in San Miguel Bay

CALABANGA, Camarines Sur, Aug. 16 -- Four fishing vessels operating in the coastal waters of San Miguel Bay within this municipality were caught in the act of illegal fishing by a team of fishery law enforcers from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Deputized fish Wardens (DFW) of the Philippine Army, and the municipal Bantay Dagat during a sea-borne operation.

F/B Florson, a vessel owned and operated by Fernando Sanchez together with four fishermen on board, was caught in the act of trawl fishing (galadgad) at around 2:30 in the afternoon in the coastline of Calabanga.

The other three fishing vessels were caught at the vicinity of Barangay Bonot, Calabanga at 8 o’clock in the evening of the same day namely: F/B Arvin John owned and operated by Glen Toledo with four crew on board; F/B Jason, another vessel owned by Fernando Sanchez and operated by Vicente Decerares with three crew on board; an unnamed vessel owned and operated by Johan Santa Ana with three fishermen on board.

The apprehended operators and fishermen aboard the four apprehended fishing vessels violated Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, particularly Section 86: Unauthorized Fishing or Engaging in other Unauthorized Fisheries Activities, Sec. 89: Use of Fine Mesh Net, Sec. 90: Use of Active Gears in the Municipal Waters and Bays and Other Fishery Management Areas, Sec. 92: Ban on Muro-Ami, Other Methods and Gear Destructive to Coral Reefs and other Marine Habitat, and Sec. 106: Obstruction to Fishery Law Enforcement Officer.

According to Francisco Ombao, chief of BFAR V Fisheries Resources Management Division, cases were already filed at the Camarines Sur Provincial Prosecutor’s Office with Cc # V-10-INV-116-00643 to 56. The illegal fishing paraphernalia were confiscated and docketed at the said office.

The Fishery Law Enforcement Team were composed of personnel from BFAR-5: Johnson de la Rosa, Audie Gonzaga and Nathaniel Basco; Charles Capricho, Chairman of Pederasyon ng mga Maliliit na Mangingisda sa San Miguel Bay, PFC Maynard Pedido of the Philippine Army (PA); Eduardo Olalo, Deputized Fish Warden (DFW) of the PA, and Mario Cabrador, DFW of Calabanga. (MAL/KIHilotin, BFAR V)

Geo-sciences bureau’s mining tenements cleansing reaches 100.5% in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY, Aug. 16 (PIA/MGB) -- The Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) regional office here has completed cleansing records of non-moving mining applications following the June 30, 2011 deadline set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Director Reynulfo Juan of MGB V said the bureau has accomplished processing of 100.5 percent or 195 mining applications from the 194 actual target applications in the region.

"The bureau has approved one (1) application, denied the 181 and endorsed 13 to MGB central office for clearance and or approval," noted Juan.

MGB V, according to Juan, along with MGB regional offices in Regions 1, VII, VIII, X and XII were able to meet their targets at least 100 percent in terms of physical accomplishment, while other regions have yet to meet their targets.

MGB central office has reported that the over-all cumulative accomplishment of its 15 regional offices nationwide has already reached 93 percent or 2,034 of the 2,180 target applications nationwide as of June 30.

For the 2,034 applications, 1,525 dormant applications were denied while 509 were endorsed by regional offices to MGB central office for clearance and or approval.

Mining tenements include Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA), Exploration Permit (EP), Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA), Industrial Sand and Gravel Permit applications (ISAG) covering an area of more than five (5) hectares and Mineral Processing Permit (MPP).

It can be recalled that early this year DENR Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje directed all regional directors of the MGB to cleanse their respective regions of all pending and inactive mining applications by implementing the “Use it or Lose it” policy.

The cleansing aims to institute reforms in the mining sector and is part of the Department anti-corruption program.

Pursuant to Memorandum Order 2010-04, a mining application is denied if the applicant fails: a) to abide with the “three letter-notice policy” which gives the applicant a maximum of 30 days in between notices to comply with the prescribed requirements; b) to secure the “Free and Prior Informed Consent“ from the rightful Indigenous Peoples concerned as certified by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP); c) to secure the NCIP Certificate of Non-overlap within one (1) year, NCIP Certificate of Precondition (Compliance Certificate) within three (3) years from the date of NCIP’s receipt of the pertinent letter request from the MGB, and proof of consultation with the Sanggunian concerned within two years from date of acceptance of mining application; and fails to complete the publication, posting radio announcement requirements within one year from date of acceptance of the mining application.(MAL, PIA V/MGB V)

Philippine Red Cross bares accomplishments

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, Aug. 16 (PIA) -- The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) provincial chapter based here has provided numerous civic services and assistance to the people of the province of Sorsogon in terms disaster operations, safety services, nursing and community health services, youth, among others.

Salvacion L. Abotanation, PRC chapter administrator, said in a regular monthly board meeting of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) held here last week at the PRC building, Atty Arnulfo L. Perete, chairman of the board lauded the different committees for the accomplishments forwarded earlier to his office.

The Disaster Management Services Committee (DMSC) reported several accomplishments. A training on 143 was conducted at barangay Pamurayan with 44 participants trained on disaster risk reduction and management.

According to her, during the fury of Typhoon Juaning, under the DMSC, the chapter had a standby staff and volunteers conducting regular coordination with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Office.

An in-depth reporting on the situation of the province was also forwarded to the Operation Center at the PRC national headquarter.

.DMSC also served one family with a total house damaged at barangay Cogon, Donsol Sorsogon provided them the usual assistance of food pack from the chapter..

The Safety Services Committee, reported on the services provided as first aid assistants on the conduct of the Coast Guard Search and Rescue Drill at Matnog last August 9 participated in by 4 Safety Services Volunteers.

The occasion was also attended by the chapter administrator, Salve Abotanatin and the chair of the Committee on Social Sevices and Special Events, Mrs. Irma A. Guhit both serving as process observers. Guhit provided the documentation and report to the chapter.

Mr. James Paul F. Angeles, Water Safety Instructor of PRC, Sorsogon also participated to the drill as a rescuer. Meanwhile he had also assisted a victim of near drowning incident at Alburo Resort.

Dr. Cecilia Ortiz, chair of the Nursing Health and Community Services Committee (NHSCC) reported the conduct of training provided to 17 Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) at PRC Training Hall done last week of July 2011.

CHNSC had also conducted a massive information dissemination drive about communicable disease prevention to 44 participants of the 143 Red Cross Youth at barangay Pamurayan last August 6.

She said that the CHNS committee with 10 barangay health workers together with PRC conducted an information dissemination campaign about dengue and tuberculosis prevention in selected barangays and municipalities in coordination with the local government's request..

"We have also done sputum collection in 5 barangays in Sorsogon City with the following number of people / patients served . In barangays: Basud 976 ; Pangpang 976 ; San Isidro 845 ; Barayong 920 ;Bucalbucalan 240." she said.

"PRC has also extended the same services to the local government of Pto Diaz, in barangay Gogon , and a total of 1,200 people were served and in barangay San Francisco, Bulusan the CHNS committee served 237 people", Ortiz also explained.

The Red Cross Youth Committee chair, Mr. Edwin Divina reported that they conducted a leadership training to the following schools with the corresponding number of participants : 31 students from SPEEd Computer College, 34 students from Sorsogon College of Criminology ;and 70 students from Sorsogon State College.

According to Divina they have conducted a tree planting activity at the Casiguran Vocational High School as part of activity of the local government's program on Climate Change mitigation and adaptation.

According to Divina they have also participated in the candle lighting ceremony for a drug free community at the Sorsogon State College with 25 RCY volunteers.

In coordination with the International Community for the Red Cross (ICRC), the Social Services Committee (SSC) assisted the conduct of family visits to two political detainees at the Sorsogon Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) last July 26 and August 1.

The members of the family were provided with transportation allowance assistance and counseling to thresh out certain concerns raised.

Atty Arnulfo Perete graced the occasion of the 903rd Infantry Brigade Philippine Army f headed by Col. Felix J. Castro, Jr. during the flag raising ceremony to administer the Pledge of Commitment and Adherence to the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to the members of the brigade.

SSC chair Guhit provided the lecture on IHL and Republic Act 9851 to the members of the Philippine Army after the flag raising while Belinda Pelagio explained the 7 services of the PRC.

Distribution of IHL information materials and posters were also provided to 2 schools , St Louise de Marillac College and Sorsogon National High School last August 6. while a schedule to disseminate IHL will be conducted to these schools on Aug. 20,2011.

To highlight the celebration of IHL, today Aug.6, three members of the PRC board, Atty Arnulfo Perete, Judge Rofebar Gerona and PIA Information Center Manager Irma Guhit will be the guests at DZGN FM, Recado de Progreso radio program at 12:00 N to 1:00 PM to provide the public the significance of IHL celebration andthe importance of Republic Act 9851. (IAG, PIA Sorsogon)

OWWA strengthens fight against human trafficking

by Lizel S. Macatangay

NAGA City, Aug. 16 (PIA) -- With 52,059 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) coming from the Bicol region who are now toiling abroad either to earn a living or simply fulfill a dream to set foot on a foreign land, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is left with a gargantuan task to look after their welfare and ensure their dependents are protected.

This was one of the key points discussed by OWWA OIC regional director Jocelyn Hapal during the discussion on Mainstreaming Migration in Local Development Plans held at the Avenue Plaza Hotel, Magsaysay, Naga City over the weekend.

OWWA, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is also mandated to ensure that the provisions of RA 10022 or an Act “Amending Republic Act No. 8042 Otherwise Known as the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, as amended, further Improving the Standard of Protection and Promotion of the Welfare of Migrant Workers, Their Families and Overseas Filipinos in Distress, and For Other Purposes” are properly implemented.

“Camarines Sur has the highest number of OFWs, totaling to 42 percent of the total OFWs in the region. These are the documented workers who have registered in our office. We should not forget that there are still a lot of our kababayans who left the country without completing their documents,” Hapal added.

Camarines Sur registered a total of 17,903 land based OFWs and 4,101 sea based workers, totaling to 22,004. The province of Albay comes next with 28 percent of the share from the total of 12,094 land-based OFWs and 2, 608 seafarers totaling to 14, 702 contract workers.

The province of Sorsogon also contributed 5,756 registered OFWs; Camarines Norte with 5,068; Masbate with 2,421 and Catanduanes with 2,108 constituents working and employed in various parts of the globe.

Hapal also reiterated the LGUs role in combating human trafficking, which are mostly emanating from far flung municipalities. She insinuated that Chief Executives of various local government units also plays a significant role in combating the proliferation of illegal recruiters, victimizing a lot of barangay folks, most of them of minor age.

“The LGUs are also mandated to launch an aggressive campaign against illegal recruitment. They shall provide legal assistance to victims of illegal recruitment and, when necessary, coordinate with appropriate government agencies regarding the arrest and/or prosecution of illegal recruiters. They shall report any illegal recruitment activity to the POEA for appropriate action.” (MAL/LSM, PIA Camarines Sur)