Youth commission now accepting entries for Rizal You Tube Contest

LEGAZPI CITY, Aug. 11 (PIA) -- “We should bring Rizal to where young people are, let us bring Rizal online.“ This is the call of the National Youth Commission (NYC) as it opens the Idol ko si Rizal You Tube Video Contest.

The contest aims to make young Filipinos revisit Rizal/s works and find meaning in his heroism and share their reflections with other young people online.

“Bukod sa gusto nating ibalik sa consciousness ng mga kabataan ang ating pambansang bayani, gusto rin nating i-harness ang creativity nila. Gusto nating malaman kung paano ba pinapahalagahan ng kabataang Pilipino ang mga ginawa ni Rizal,” NYC Chairman Leon Flores II explained.

Young people aes 15 to 30 years old are invited to make a short video for YouTube answering the question, “Bakit Idol ko si Rizal?” in celebration of the National Hero’s 150th birth anniversary. The length of the video should be 150 seconds or less. “We encourage the youth to be creative. Any format, genre or style that they can think of will be accepted,” Chairman Flores said.

Cash prizes courtesy of the National Historical Commission of Philippines (NHCP) will be awarded to the winners selected by a jury composed of respected artists and film makers. There will also be an online poll for the most popular videos and the top vote getters will also receive special prizes.

The deadline for the submission of entries is on August 19, 2011. Application forms and detailed contest mechanics are available at the NYC website, www.nyc.gov.ph. (MAL/NYC)

Juaning leaves immense damages to CamSur infra, agriculture

by Lizel S. Macatangay

BATO, Camarines Sur , Aug. 11 (PIA) -- On the height of Typhoon Juaning, more than 75,000 persons in this province evacuated, while affecting some 337 barangays, 64,558 families or 334,329 individuals and leaving nine dead who perished due to drowning.

Heavy rains caused flooding in most of the Camarines towns, particularly in the municipalities of Bato, Nabua, Bula, Baao, Buhi, Balatan, Minalabac, Milaor and Gainza, also Iriga City remained inundated.

Weeks after typhoon Juaning was gone the aforementioned towns remained submerged under floodwater, including most of palay and agricultural crops plantations in the said areas.

According to the latest report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Managament Council (PDRRMC), total damage to agricultural crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, and other root crops reached P242,295,527.75 and has affected 26,488 farmers including a vast area of farmlands totaling to 37,770.57 hectares.

Total damage to livestock and poultry was pegged at P1,388,600 covering 1,670 head count of swines, cattle, poultry and small ruminants. The damage has also affected 301 animal owners. Under the fisheries sector, more or less 20 fishermen suffered a damage amounting to P3,182,000.

Aside from landslides, heavy rains had caused damage to infrastructure amounting to a total of P61,240,000 covering the damages to national and provincial roads , bridges and flood control structures. Damaged houses totaled to 2,462 with 761 totally damaged and 1,701 partially impaired.

In Bato, 2,696 individuals are still temporarily sheltered in 20 evacuation centers within the said municipality, most of them in the classrooms being used by students during daytime and used by displaced families as evacuation centers during the night. More or less 616 families are affected, most of them coming from the barangays of Tres Reyes, Sta. Cruz, San Vicente, Santigo, Tagpolo, Buluang and neighboring towns.

Five casualties were also listed from their town: Niño Mora, 31 years old and Jamele Dancalan, 13 years old both from Barangay Buluang; Domingo Lomitao, Jr., 45 years old from Barangay San Juan; Edwin Lastrollo, 30 years old from Barangay San Isidro and Gil Verras, 31 years old from Barangay Niño Jesus , all of Bato, Camarines Sur.

Bato Mayor Jeanette O.R. Bernaldez has already echoed her appeal to various agencies to help her constituents. PDRRMC already responded by giving out relief goods, mostly containing food packs , purified water and boxes of purifying tablets to arrest the ill effects of contaminated water. Ako Bikol Party list also distributed 300 pieces of food packs. (MAL/LSM, PIA Camarines Sur)

Bicol researchers grace regional symposium on development

by Lizel S. Macatangay

PILI, Camarines Sur, Aug. 11 (PIA) -- The academe, government representatives, members of the local media and other stakeholders joined today’s the 23rd Regional Symposium on Research and Development Highlights held at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA), here.

Bicol Consortium for Agriculture and Resources Research and Development (BCARRD) led the event aimed at showcasing the best accomplishments of our researchers in the area of research and development.

The activity also feted best projects in the fields of agriculture, forestry and natural resources (AFNR) and fisheries.

The said activity also provided an occasion for the sharing of knowledge and experiences among the researchers coming from various consortia member-agencies. Bent towards achieving their desired results, the organizers wished to select outstanding technologies or information from the presentations for nomination to national award giving bodies.

A network of some 17 agencies in the Bicol Region whose main focus is on research, development and extension, BCARRD focuses its effort on the fields of agriculture, forestry, environment and natural resources. It is also the regional partner of PCARRD and 13 other consortia nationwide endorsing researches using the various technological techniques.

Competing papers containing among others, breakthroughs in the field of research were presented. Evaluators coming from various institutions were invited to decide on the best paper under the Research and Development Categories.

Under the AFNR category, the following papers were presented: Diversity of the Medicinal Flora in the Province of Albay, Development of Composting and Enrichment Inoculants for Rice Straw and Chicken Manure Based Compost Production, Vulnerability Assessment of Tubugan Watershed, Biodiversity of Palm Fungi and Verification Trial of Hybrid and Inbred Rice Varieties Under Castilla Corona Clayloam Condition among others.

There are also three entries under the Fisheries Research and Development Category: Assessment of the Fishery for Macro-Invertebrates Gleaning Fisheries in Lagonoy Gulf: Catanduanes Side; Governance, Property Rights and Effectiveness of MPA Management Regime in Lagonoy Gulf and Status of Giant Freshwater Prawn Farming as Alternative Livelihood Opportunities for Small Scale Aquaculture in Bicol.

At the end of the activity, BCARRD, which serves as an effective link among the local and international information and technology players, also yearns to collect relevant information on potentially mature technologies and identify new researchable areas based on completed researches. (MAL/LSM, PIA Camarines Sur)

Coast Guard Sorsogon shows capability, mettle in search and rescue exercise

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, Aug. 11 (PIA) -- Anchored on the theme: Ensuring Maritime Safety through Partnerships and Unity of Action, the Coast Guard Station Sorsogon (CGSS) conducted a simultaneous exercise with member agencies working on disaster risk reduction and management on how to implement a search and rescue operation at sea last Tuesday, August 9 at the vicinity waters of Matnog.

The scenario involved a collision of two ferry vessels, one vessel caught fire, and where passengers of both vessels panicked and jumped at sea, members of the disaster risk reduction management group were in full view and observed how the Philippine Coast Guard implements its full capability in a search and rescue operation.

"The Operational Plan for the Search and Rescue was prepared by the CGSS in cooperation with the Matnog Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Office (MMDRRO) together with the 5 owners of the ferry vessels operating at Matnog Port, the Philippine Ports Authority and the Philippine Coast Guard Auxillary Squadron", Lt. JG Jose Ronnie T. Ong , Jr. Station commander of the Coast Guard Station Sorsogon here, said in an interview.

The actual scenario that implemented the exercise comprised of ,the CGSS headed by Capt. Steven James Dino, the Operation Command Unit 904th Philippine Coast Guard Auxillary Squadron ; LCDR James Paul Angeles PCGA ; officers and Crew of MV Grand Star Roro 3, vessel Jobbet, MV Mac Bryan and MV Maria Ursula. Members of the Matnog Bantay Dagat; the CG Medical Team , volunteer members of the Phlilippine Red Cross, Sorsogon Chapter ; and Matnog MDRRMC were participants to the exercise.;

At exactly 10:00 AM, the narrator of the CGSS, Capt Dino, instructed the observers to board the MV Montenegro while those who will do the critiquing on the implementation were aboard the MV HANSEL JOBBET, MV MAC BRYAN AND MV URSULA.

The observers were invited guests from the National Telecommunication Network (NTC), Provincial Government of Sorsogon, Philippine Information Agency, representatives from the Local Government of Matnog , Philippine Red Cross, Sorsogon Chapter, members of the media community comprising of DZGN-Spirit FM, UNTV and ABS-CBN aboard the MV Montenegro observed the undertaking and documentation of the process.

Capt.Steven James Dino of the PCGAS acted as the narrator. He explained that the capability of the PCGAS in providing the right information and instructions to those who would perform the search and rescue was very vital in an event such as to be witnessed.

According to , Capt. Tranquilino G.Paiton of the Philippine Coast Guard (GSC) who lead the critiquing session, rated the whole event with a very satisfactory result and congratulated those participating agencies in the conduct of the drill.

"It was noteworthy to see that the CGSS here was fully knowledgeable of the processes from communication to action and to the final rescue operation and the putting out of fire in the vessel was very calmly and efficiently conducted", Paiton said.

After the critiquing, the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was entered into by the Philippine Coast Guard represented by Capt Paiton, the Provincial Government of Sorsogon represented by Mr. Daniel Jasmin , the Bicol RORO Operators as represented by their different managers and the local government of Matnog.

The MOA provides complementation efforts and partnership of agencies involved in implementing search and rescue operations and protocols to be followed. (IAG, PIA Sorsogon)


PNRC to spearhead Int’l Humanitarian Law Day

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Aug. 11 (PIA) -- The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) provincial office will lead the celebration of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Day on Friday, August 12, 2011 in Virac, Catanduanes with the theme: "International Humanitarian Law International Criminal Court, and Republic Act 9851: Protecting Against Impunity as an Instrument of Peace".

The PNRC provincial chapter will spearhead a Walk for Humanity from the Provincial Capitol to Plaza Rizal. A poster making contest, search for Miss IHL and raffle draw will also be conducted on the said venue.

The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are at the core of international humanitarian law, the body of international law that regulates the conduct of armed conflict and seeks to limit its effects. They specifically protect people who are not taking part in the hostilities (civilians, health workers and aid workers) and those who are no longer participating in the hostilities, such as wounded, sick and shipwrecked soldiers and prisoners of war. (MAL/EABagadiong, PIA Catanduanes)