DILG cites Iriga City as winner of Gawad Pamana ng Lahi

by Lizel S. Macatangay

IRIGA City, Oct. 5 (PIA) -- The Iriga City local government received the 2011 Gawad Pamana ng Lahi award of the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG).

Under the leadership of Iriga Mayor Madelaine Alfelor-Gazmen, the city showed an excellent performance in administrative, social, economic and environmental governance in her area of responsibility.

Local government units are selected and are assessed in the following criteria: Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS) Overall Performance Index (OPI) with an allocated regional performance point score of 80 percent, Seal of Good Housekeeping with 10 percent point score, Innovations and Awards and Distinctions with 5 percent each – a total of 100 regional point score.

Through this program, the DILG aims to remind the heads of local government units of their responsibility as allies of the national government in alleviating the people from poverty and ensuring that programs are properly implemented. This intends to ensure that these programs are geared towards economic prosperity and general welfare of the populace.

Recently, Gazmen was also included in the list of DILG’s top performing public officials after garnering a high score in DILG’s Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS).

The city automatically qualifies for the Gawad Pamana ng Lahi the National Award to be held in Metro Manila on October 11. (MAL/LSM, PIA Camarines Sur)

Environment management bureau pushes ozone preservation through HCFC phase-out

LEGAZPI CITY, October 5 (PIA/DENR) -- The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office here conducted a briefing on the Philippine Phase-out of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) at the DENR Multi-Purpose Hall last September 30, 2011.

Said briefing was attended by practitioners in the print, radio and television broadcast media within the province of Albay.

EMB V regional director Eva S. Ocfemia gave a presentation on the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances, and the schedule and Philippine laws governing for said phase-out.

Nonetheless, her discussion focused on HCFCs and its uses, consumption pattern and implications in the country. Moreover, she answered the inquiries of the participating media practitioners during the open forum.

The bureau conducted the activity to intensify everyone’s awareness on ozone layer preservation as well as ODS reduction particularly HCFCs with the aid of media industry members who serve as multipliers of environmental information.

Furthermore, EMB V held the briefing to highlight the celebration of the National Ozone Month which complements the observance of the International Ozone Day every September 16. This year, said occasion has a theme “HCFC phase-out: a unique opportunity” to present the public with an opportunity to accelerate the phase-out of HCFC consumption by utilizing alternative technologies that replace it.

HCFCs are ozone-depleting gases and also greenhouse gases that are over 2,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. (MAL/SBBonos, DENR V)

12 Bicol LGUs to receive DILG’s Gawad Pamana ng Lahi awards

LEGAZPI CITY, October 5 (PIA) -- At least 12 local government units (LGUs) in Bicol will be awarded on Friday the 2011 Gawad Pamana ng Lahi, an annual search for outstanding LGUs in Bicol.

DILG spokesperson Grace Joy Tango, in an interview, said the Gawad Pamana ng Lahi Award is given to outstanding LGUs that demonstrated exemplary performance in administrative, social and environmental governance based on the results of the Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS) which is a self assessment tool for the LGUs.

Tango said the awardees would be named during the awarding rites on Friday at the DILG Training Hall.

She said among the Gawad contenders are three provincial LGUs, four City LGUs and five municipal LGUs. The awardees will received P3 million for the provincial level, P2 million for the city level and P1 million for the municipal level.

For the 2011 Gawad, 12 LGUs will be awarded as regional winners making them a finalist for the Gawad national screening.

Another 25 LGUs in Bicol will received the Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH), an award given by the agency to LGUs in recognition of exemplary performance in internal housekeeping in areas of good planning, sound fiscal management, transparency and accountability and valuing performance management.

Among the awardees at the first round implementation are the towns of San Lorenzo Ruiz, San Vicente, Talisay in Camarines Norte, Canaman, Gainza, San Fernando in Camarines Sur, Pandan, San Miguel, Viga in Catanduanes, Baleno, Esperanza, Mobo, Palanas in Masbate, Casiguran in Sorsogon and Ligao City in Albay.

For the second round implementation are the towns of Bacacay, Tiwi, Malinao and Legazpi City in Albay, Daet, Basud, Jose Panganiban, Labo in Camarines Norte, San Andres, Virac in Catanduanes and Castilla in Sorsogon.

These LGUs will received P1 million each under the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) grant which the LGU can use to finance projects geared to fast track the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Gawad awarding rites on Friday would form part of the highlights of the celebration of the 20th year of the implementation of the Local Government Code of 1991 on October 10, this year. (MAL/MSA)

Kasanggayahan Festival 2011 opens with a big bang

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, October 5 (PIA) -- Senator Joseph Francis ”Chiz” G. Escudero keynoted the grand opening of this year’s 117th Kasanggayahan Festival 2011 last October 1 , here at the newly renovated Balogo Sports Complex .

The event kicked off with the longest foot parade that started from 1:00 pm and ended at almost 3:00 pm participated in by almost all sectors of society in the province led by the public officials of the 15 local government of Sorsogon, government employees, the academe, the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, business sector, students, bands, drum and lyre corpse of the different schools and invited guests.

Senator Escudero lauded the Kasanggayahan Foundation Incorporated (KFI) through Msgr. Francisco P. Monje , its president for partnering with the private sector headed by Michael Sulit president of the Sorsoganon Kami Inc. for taking the initiative to volunteer in spearheading and taking the lead in this year’s celebration.

Escudero said that the Kasanggayahan Festival should be the moving spirit for every Sorsoganon to show one’s commitment in involving oneself contribute to the development of the province and should be celebrated through this festival.

Meanwhile Maria “Nini” O. Ravanilla, regional director of Department of Tourism V in her message underscored the value of tourism.

“All assistance to improve tourism here in the province here is being provided from accessibility in form of roads. Bulusan concreting is in the amount of P90 M and P2M Ecotourism project for the development of the Buenavista Tourism Center in Irosin and the construction of a tourism building for Gubat,” Ravanilla said.

She profoundly stated the richness of the province in terms of destinations, attractions and the Kasanggayahan Festival as the cultural strategy to mainstream tourism as a way of life of the province engaging local communities and local officials to provide the support systems like roads, improved amenities and planned year round events that should be a come on for tourists.

Former governor Sally Ante-Lee, delivered a message for and in behalf of the governor extending appreciation to the whole constituency for the very active participation and support to this year’s festival.

The local version of the Pantomina, “Sinakiki” interpreted by the dancers of the local government of Gubat wowed the audience in their very lively performance and colorful costumes and festive participation.

Stalls of the LGUs and other participating business enterprises selling different produce and products were also inaugurated after the opening program.

The whole complex was for the first time in so many years a venue of the evening wait of people to watch the display of fireworks that was donated by the DOT RO V and was started at 8:00PM. (IAG, PIA Sorsogon)

NSO surveys overseas Filipinos sector

VIRAC, Catanduanes, October 5 (PIA) -- As part of the mandates of the National Statistics Office (NSO) being a primary statistical agency of the government to conduct surveys, NSO is currently undertaking the regular Quarterly Labor Force Survey which shall be conducted together with the 2011 Survey of Overseas Filipinos (SOF).

The Labor Force Survey is a nationwide survey of households which aims to provide a quantitative framework for the preparation of plans and formulation of policies affecting labor market.

This is designed to provide statistics on levels and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment for the country, as a whole and for each of the administrative regions, including provinces and key cities.

On the other hand, the Survey on Overseas Filipinos(SOF) is a nationwide survey that seeks to gather information on Filipino citizens who left for abroad during the last five years from October 2006 to September 2011.

It aims to provide data on overseas Filipinos particularly the overseas contract workers and their contribution to the economy. Specifically, it seeks to obtain national estimates on the number of overseas Filipinos including overseas workers and their socio-economic characteristics and provide estimates on the amount of cash and in kind transfer received by the families and mode of remittances.

The reporting unit is the household which means that the statistics emanating from these undertakings will refer to the characteristics of the population residing in private households. Persons residing in institutions like convents, sanitaria, etc. are excluded.

Actual enumeration is from October 8, 2011 to October 31, 2011. Commonwealth Act 591 authorizes NSO to conduct censuses and surveys. Pursuant to the provision of Section 4 of this Act, information obtained from the respondents shall be held strictly confidential and shall not be divulged to any person except authorized NSO personnel acting in the performance of their duties. (MAL/EAB/NSO)