RH and national budget bills deserve equal priority -- Lagman

LEGAZPI CITY, August 22 (PIA) -- The Reproductive Health Bill (RHB) and the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) must enjoy equal billing as priority measures because the RHB complements the GAB.

Minority Leader and Albay Representative Edcel C. Lagman, the principal author of the RHB, made this call as he underscored that “no amount of trillions of appropriations will be adequate if the increase in the national budget is eroded by an inordinate population growth because parents, couples and women are not fully afforded the right to responsibly and freely determine the number and spacing of their children.”

The priority enactment of the RHB was recently given presidential imprimatur and has been included as one of the additional priority bills of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

Lagman, who was the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations during the First Session of the 14th Congress, said that the complementarity of the RHB and the GAB are clear in the following major instances:

(1) Quality education will always be hampered by huge backlogs in classrooms, teachers and textbooks as the annual escalation of school enrollment outpaces the budget for education.

(2) Healthcare expenditures will continue to rise if maternal and infant morbidity and mortality are not reduced because reproductive health information and services are not accessible to the marginalized and disadvantaged sectors. Empirical studies conducted by the Guttmacher Institute and Likhaan Center for Women’s Health have consistently shown that effective RH services reduce the prevalence of fatal high-risk pregnancies and result in millions of savings for the government.

(3) Despite budgetary allocations and incentives for job generation, the problems of unemployment and underemployment will defy solution if the huge number of annual entrants to the manpower pool remains unchecked. Worldwide studies also show that excessive population growth bloats the unemployment rate and debases wage rates.

(4) The appropriation for the protection of the environment and the containment of climate change is rendered deficient as the environment becomes the casualty of population influx and the country’s carrying capacity is impaired by unbridled population growth.

A 2009 study from the London School of Economics on the interconnectedness of family planning and environmental degradation concluded that “each $7 spent on basic family planning would reduce CO2 emissions by more than one ton.” By comparison, the use of low-carbon technologies will cost a minimum of $32 to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by the same amount.

It determined that family planning is more cost-effective than most low-carbon technologies and recommended that “family planning methods should be a primary tool in the optimum strategy for reducing carbon emissions.” (MAL/Office of Rep. Lagman, I District of Albay)

Phivolcs warns barangays near Mt. Mayon of possible lahar flows

by Aida Alcazar-Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, August 22 (PIA) -- If Albay experiences heavy rainfall similar to tropical storm Juaning last month, lahar flows may occur endangering barangays in the slopes of Mayon volcano, warned Eduardo Laguerta, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) resident volcanologist during Philippine Information Agency’s (PIA) radio program Aramon ta Daw last week.

Laguerta’s report was based on the aerial survey conducted by the Philvocs, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Philippine Air Force (PAF) last week per request by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda.

The appraisal of river channels at the slopes of Mayon Volcano revealed major observations such as blockade of the Padang River Channel due to breached earth dike. With the rupture of the river channel, areas in danger for possible lahar flows are the upper portion of Barangay Padang this city, the Legazpi golf course and part of Sto. Domingo town.

At the western side of the volcano, a spillway in Guinobatan town is heavily silted so that heavy rain may cause landslide in barangays Maipon, Masarawag and Mauraro.

The Nabonton Channel in Ligao City may block the road side and the road network available is the Nasisi road to Tabaco City. If not, a circuitous route from Polangui may be utilized if people will travel to Tabaco.

Laguerta added that Phivolcs will further check other areas like barangay Tandadrora in Guinobatan and Camalig villages. An assessment of the siltation in barangay Quirangay will be conducted as other communities of Camalig like Tumpa and Salugan including the poblacion may be affected by landslides if heavy rains occur.

The Phivolc s also reported that the heavy rains brought about by Juaning has mobilized the pyroclastic materials of past Mayon eruptions.

Laguerta called on the residents of affected areas and local disaster councils to be on the alert at all times especially during heavy rains.

The findings of the aerial survey were forwarded to the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) for information. (MAL/AAN, PIA V)

Japan-RP ink P404-M grant for Albay emergency evacuation centers

LEGAZPI CITY, August 22 (PIA/LGU Albay) -- The Philippine Government through the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed the grant agreement for emergency shelter assistance in the province of Albay.

Mr. Abundio Nuñez Jr., of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) said the signing of the grant agreement for the construction of emergency evacuation centers was held in Manila, August 18.

“The project was conceptualized by the provincial government, through the Albay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, to establish a permanent evacuation center in every town and city in Albay.”

The emergency evacuation centers will be constructed starting next year in the municipalities of Manito, Sto domingo, Libon, Oas, Polangui and in Legazpi City.

The evacuation centers will have dual purposes. Aside from being an evacuation center during emergencies or disasters it will be used as a class rooms on ordinary days.

“Aside from a multi hazard evacuation center it is a gender sensitive facility,” Nuñez said.

Aside from being a gender sensitive, the evacuation center adhere to the principle of universal right-based facility for emergency. This means that the structural design has complied with the needs of vulnerable groups like for people with disabilities, children, elders and women.

The evacuation center is complete with basic facility including an emergency power supply.

Albay governor Joey Salceda on the other hand explained that emergency shelters are places for people to live temporarily when they can't live in their previous residence, similar to homeless shelters due to disasters.

“The main difference is that an emergency shelter typically specializes in people fleeing a specific type of situation, such as natural or man-made disasters, domestic violence, or victims of sexual abuse.”

A more minor difference is that people staying in emergency shelters are more likely to stay all day, except for work, school, or errands, while homeless shelters usually expect people to stay elsewhere during the day, returning only to sleep or eat. Emergency shelters sometimes facilitate support groups, and/or provide meals.

“Providing emergency shelter during disasters and emergencies is a basic way of carrying out this duty,” Salceda said

According to him the emergency evacuation center will ensure safety, food, services, comfort, information, a place to sleep until it is safe to return home, and the support and assistance of family, friends, and neighbors. (MAL, PIA V/MDR/LGU Albay)

Rice supply, sufficient in Camarines Norte -- NFA

by Rosalita Base-Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte, August 22 (PIA) -- “We have enough supply of rice in this province,” assured provincial manager Jose Nieves of the National Food Authority (NFA) in response to reports that there will be an increase of rice importation next year.

He said that there are buffer stocks of 137,400 bags of palay, 38,800 bags of rice and another 25,000 bags of rice for shipment here making the supply sufficient until the end of this year.

Nieves said that this coming harvest season to start on September the agency will again purchase palay and will be the reserve for next year.

He explained that NFA rice at a price of P27.00 per kilo is available in any of their outlets in eight Tindahan sa Parokya, 212 bigasang bayan, 58 tindahan sa palengke and 5 in bagsakan centers across the province.

He said that they have ample amount of palay during the last harvest season because of the good harvest of farmers due to the programs of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to enhanced the rice production and other support of the government.

He explained that one of the support was the Rapid Seed Supply Financing Project wherein they have subsidy in the certified seeds for farmers and of the P1,200 per bag of certified seed, P600 was charge to the project, P200 was charge to the provincial government, P100 to the local government concerned and only P300 was charge to a farmer beneficiary.

He added that they have distributed some 5,000 bags of certified seeds last May 16 to July 31 this year and 5,600 last September last year to March 15 this year. (MAL/RBM/PIA Camarines Norte)

Bicolana named one of the ten outstanding students for 2011

by Aida Alcazar-Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, August 22 (PIA) -- An unassuming young teacher, Arleen delos Reyes, who graduated cum laude at University of Caceres in Naga City, Camarines Sur, was named one of the 2011 Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP).

The pleasant news was relayed to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) by Commission on Higher Education (CHED) TOSP Bicol focal person Dr. Manuel Mendoza, Ph.D.

TOSP recognizes recently graduated college students who are exemplars in academics, co-curricular activities and community involvement during their college years.

Completing the magic circle from 32 finalists are Geminn Louis Apostol of Ateneo de Manila University, Christopher Millora, West Visayas State University and Kendrick Nigel C. Tan, Centro Escolar University of the medicine and health related profession learning discipline; Sean Vincent Aquilino, University of the Philippines-Diliman; Julius Paul Juen, University of St. La Salle and Jonathan Andro Tan, Siliman University for the agriculture, science, and math education field; Sittie Norhane Lao, Mindanao State University and Maria Angelica Reyes, De La Salle University-Lipa City for humanities, communications, and social sciences specialization; Athena Plaza of the University of San Carlos for business, entrepreneurship, economics, industry, criminology, law discipline.

Delos Reyes bested five other finalists in the teacher education discipline.

No finalist from the engineering, architecture, maritime, and information technology and accountancy field of learning were named in the TOSP 2011.

CHED and RFM Foundation the lead entities in the TOSP awards have not announced the date of the awarding ceremony that usually has the President of the Republic of the Philippines as the guest of honor.

De los Reyes was graduated cum laude, Bachelor of Secondary Education of UNC, was an awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Students of Bicol by a non-government organization, a university leadership and outstanding education student awardee of her school and a delegate to the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Leadership Journey.

The awardees including Delos Reyes road to the TOSP honors started from their respective universities and colleges nomination to the regional TOSP search to representing respective regions to the national search. All the achievers are bona fide Filipino citizen with no criminal record and are not over thirty years old.

The TOSP was established by businessman Jose Concepcion Jr., chairman of RFM Corp and RFM Foundation on June 19, 1961, Jose Rizal’s 100th birth date. Concepcion believes that the youth should take inspiration from Rizal and that the key to a nation's prosperity, peace and harmony is for the youth to be aware of the values of high integrity, good morals and education.

Bicol has had its share of TOSP winners in the past --UNC has now two awardees, Delos Reyes and Butch Saulon of TOSP 2005. Four more were from Ateneo de Naga University, Ira Sheena Howard in 2008, Julie Lucille del Valle and Ben Secretario in 2007 and Jose Bas, Jr. in 2004. From 1994, Bicol had finalists to the TOSP search.

For 2011 two finalists came from Bicol, Delos Reyes and Domar Nicolas Sara, a graduate of Ateneo de Naga University. (MAL/AAN, PIA V)

Philhealth E-Claims Phase 1 in Bicol underway

LEGAZPI CITY, August 22 (PIA) -- With the major thrust of improving operational efficiency through information and communication technology, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) will venture into an online or electronic processing of claims.

Dr. Veronica Mateum, regional director of Philhealth V, said the agency recognizes the role of technology to better serve PhilHealth members and will continue to strengthen its partnership and linkages with health care services providers utilizing on-line transactions.

“It is on this mount that PhilHealth has embarked on an undertaking dubbed as “E-Claims Project” directed towards on-line submission of claims.

Earlier this month, Philhealth V spearheaded an orientation on the implementation of phase 1 of the E-Claims Projects to health care services providers which were already given the green light for the said project.

Phase 1 of the E-Claims Project, according to Mateum, is the Claims Eligibility Web Service (CEWS) which aims to reduce the number of Return-to-Hospital (RTH) claims, adding that with this utility in place, the participating hospitals can verify in real time the eligibility of a member to avail of his benefits, as they link with the PhilHealth database.

The parameters for eligibility which can be verified through the CEWS are the following: 1) Member’s name and date of birth, 2) Declared Dependents, 3) Contribution Eligibility, and the 4) Forty-five days limit for room and board allowance for members and dependents.

Already set to carry out the system are Estevez Memorial Hospital and Tanchuling Hospital in this city and the St. John Hospital in Naga City and Goa, Camarines Sur.

Said hospitals have the technology capability and were able to meet the requirements for the CEWS to be functional.

Other hospitals which have applied for the implementation of the project also include Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital, Albay Doctors Hospital, Dr. Amando D. Cope Memorial Hospital, Inc. in Albay province; Bicol Medical Center, USI-Mother Seton Hospital, Sta. Maria Josefa Hospital Foundation Inc. in Camarines Sur: Sorsogon MMG Hospital and Health Service Cooperative in Sorsogon; and Sto. Niño Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camarines Norte.

“With the availability of the CEWS, and eventually the phase II which is Electronic Claims Submission (ECS), our members are assured that the processing time for PhilHealth claims would certainly be shorter as long as there are no deficiencies with the prescribed documents and his eligibility to claim is established,” Mateum said.

“For the record, Philhealth V is one of the few regions that has no backlog in claims processing. We have an average of 22 days turn-around-time for the processing of claims, a period much shorter than the 30-45 days prescribed by the law. We give the credit for this to the hardworking staff of the Benefit Administration Section headed by Dr. Ronald Santelices and also to all the personnel of PhilHealth Region V who have their commitment to deliver with efficiency and effectiveness,” she concluded. (MALoterte, PIA V/ Philhealth)