VP Binay leads Pabahay Caravan in Bicol

by Aida Alcazar-Naz

Legazpi City, October 14 (PIA) -- To hasten the shelter program of the government, a partnership with the local government units (LGUs) will be firmed up in a two-day Pabahay Caravan set today until tomorrow at the La Piazza Hotel and Convention Center, Legazpi City led by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

Vice President Jejomar C. Binay who is the chairman of HUDCC will lead shelter agencies in the country in presenting the government’s housing plans and projects.

HUDCC’s regional office Bicol head Engr. Cristina B. Abaño said that the Pabahay Caravan will launch the granting of financial support to LGUs so that they will be able to implement their own housing projects.

Aside from VP Binay, other top officials of shelter agencies like Maria Ana R. Oliveros, president Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC); Joseph Peter S. Sison, president National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC); Atty. Antonio M. Bernardo, CEO and commissioner Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB); Atty. Darlene Marie B. Berberabe, chief executive officer Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) and Atty. Chito M. Cruz, general manager, National Housing Authority (NHA) will discuss the respective agencies housing programs and services.

Among important issues for discussion include comprehensive land use plan, inventory of lands, housing regulation and land use planning, national drive against professional squatters and squatting syndicates, group housing loan program, community mortgage program, and disposition of acquired assets.

Expected to attend in the two-day event are 114 city and municipal mayors including their sangguniang chair of committee on housing and planning and development officer.

At the end of this housing caravan, participants, particularly the LGUs, will be able to prepare a shelter plan for their respective cities or towns.

Under Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, LGUs have important roles in pursuing housing programs for their constituents.

Abaño said that the Pabahay Caravan is expected to ease the housing backlog in the region which is about 46,000 per year. According to Abaño, Juaning alone has caused total and partial damages to 10,000 homes.

Based on the HUDCC inventory, the housing backlog in the country is estimated to 3.7 million units. The Bicol leg of the Pabahay caravan is the second to the last of the series of forum in all 17 regions in the country. (MAL/AAN, PIA Albay)

Youth commission invites college students to Japan Student Exchange Program

LEGAZPI CITY, October 14 (PIA) -– The National Youth Commission (NYC) invites college and university students, who are preferably first time travellers to Japan, to grab the opportunity of joining the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange Students and Youths (JENESYS) program.

NYC Chairman Leon Flores III says this program would be a great learning opportunity for the Filipino participants.

“This will be a chance for them to learn everything about Philippine-Japan relations; Japanese culture; and issues on technology, environment, tourism, and health. They will interact with experts and will have a chance to live with a Japanese family. So anyone who’s interested in the Japanese culture is most welcome to apply,” Flores added.

A total of 100 slots are available to Filipino students from all over the country who have good moral character and a grade weight average of 2.25 or 85 percent equivalent.

Aside from the completed application form, interested applicants must submit a short essay which details his/her reasons for applying, what he/she can contribute to the recovery of a community after environmental disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, and his/her plan of actions after returning from Japan.

The JENESYS program is an annual exchange program carried out by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) with the active participation of the Japan Information and Cultural Center (JICC) of the Embassy of Japan in Manila and NYC.

For more information about the JENESYS Program and for a complete list of the application requirements, log on to www.nyc.gov.ph or the NYC Fan Page on Facebook.

For inquiries, please call the Social Marketing Division at 4162833 and look for Mr. Mark Z. Fernandez or the Naga Office at 8115804/4730435 and look for Khian Jamer and Mercy Palenda. (MAL/NPDelfin, NYC)

NYC dismayed over COCOPEA statement on “No permit, No exam” policy

LEGAZPI CITY, October 14 (PIA/NYC) -- The National Youth Commission expressed its dismay on the statement issued by the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) on the implications of prohibiting students of post secondary and higher education from taking their midterm or final examinations due to unpaid tuition and other school fees.

According to NYC Chairman Leon G. Flores III, the COCOPEA’s statement clearly manifests the priorities of the private educational institutions.

“The educational institutions should be more considerate and humane especially in these trying times. While we are aware of the costs of upgrading school facilities and adhering to labor requirements for their employees, it is recommended that students should be spared from undue stress by allowing them to take their examinations and just withhold their clearances until they are able to settle their outstanding obligations,” he said.

Flores added that the parents are already burdened with the escalating costs of education and even if it will entail so much sacrifice on their part, they are willing to pay the price to be able to live up to their dream of seeing their children finish their secondary or tertiary education.

On the part of the students, their inability to pay their school fees in time for the midterm or final exams should not be sanctioned by preventing them from taking their examinations. In most cases, delays in tuition fee payments are usually caused by certain economic and humanitarian factors that impact on the educational requisites of students.

Commissioner Gio Tingson, NYC Committee on Education head, said that under current proposed legislation, if it’s security of tuition and fees payment the schools want, it’s that very same security they can get. There are courses of action that private colleges and universities can invoke in ensuring that their students pay for the education they provide. Particularly, schools can withhold the release of grades, deny admission or enrollment for the succeeding semester, and refuse issuance of school clearance to students with delinquent accounts.

Tingson added that, students label the closing weeks of a semester as “hell weeks” due to the impending exams and multiple deadlines. Schools that enforce a no permit no exam policy put, not only their students, but also their parents under a different kind of hell week, pestering them to scramble for tuition payment during the time on which the students should be attending to their academic obligations, he said.

The Commission advances the notion of Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW) that guards against certain prerogatives and discretion exercised by schools that infringe on fundamental rights of students. The policy of exacting financial obligations at the winding weeks of a semester impinges on student welfare as it causes undue distress to students and their families.

NYC as the voice and advocate of the youth, is ready to engage COCOPEA and other parties concerned with the intention of fostering educational environments that do not distract our students from learning.(NPDelfin, NYC/PIA)

Palawan river text promo to give away P30 million in cash prizes

LEGAZPI CITY, October 14 (PIA/DENR) -- A lucky texter stands to win the biggest prize money in text messaging with the launching of the “Pera sa Kweba” text raffle promo for the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) in Palawan.

The promo, which runs for 90 days from September 30 to December 28 of this year, will give away more than P30million worth of cash prizes, with the grand prize set at P25 million and five consolation prizes of one million pesos each to be drawn on December 30, 2011.

Texters can also win P10,000 in daily draws, P100,000 in bi-weekly draws, and P250,000 in monthly draws throughout the promo period. All winning numbers will be drawn electronically.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje said that the promo is an initiative of the private sector to promote Puerto Princesa City as an important ecotourism destination, particularly the PPUR which is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

He added that the promo would educate the public more on the PPUR and “show everyone why it is a deserving finalist in the New Seven Wonders of Nature global competition.”

The text raffle promo is open to all postpaid and prepaid subscribers of Globe, TM, Sun, Smart or Talk N’ Text at P2.50 per SMS. There is no need for registration.

Raffle entries are automatically earned each time a subscriber votes for the PPUR as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature by texting PPUR, or when downloading trivia by texting PPUR ON also to 2861. Winners will be notified via text, call or registered mail.

Each trivia downloaded or text sent will earn two raffle entries from October 1, 2010 to November 10, 2011, and one raffle entry for the period November 11-December 28, 2011. The “Pera sa Kweba” promo is retroactive for all those who were able to register in the SMS voting for the PPUR since last year.

“Among others, this text promo will generate excitement and pride among Filipinos here and abroad in recognizing the PPUR as a true wonder of nature as proven by La Venta,” said Paje, referring to Italian geographical association La Venta Esplorazioni Gegrafiche, whose members had earlier unearthed mineral and fossil findings in the PPUR cave. (MAL/DENR V)

Water district to supply water 24/7 beginning October 15

SORSOGON CITY, October 14 (PIA/SCWD) -- Locales in this city have something to smile about and enjoy before the semestral vacation and Christmas season.

Truthful to its commitment to provide 24-hour water supply for consumers, Sorsogon City Water District (SCWD) will begin round–the-clock water production operation starting October 15 this year.

The directive was issued in a Memorandum dated October 10, 2011 by Engr. Ronaldo G. Barboño, SCWD general manager to Engr. Jonathan G. Fortades, Production Division head to schedule the said 24-hour water supply operation this coming Sunday to promote good water quality and services for the consuming public.

Prior to the memorandum, a meeting with the Division Heads was held to know the status of the District’s operations especially along the intensive leak detection and repair, pipeline replacements and water meter replacements in some areas.

Three months after the 24-hour water production test-run last June this year, it has been reported that old and deteriorating pipelines have already been replaced in Barangay Sirangan and in the Subdivisions of Pang-Pang and BLISS Macabog. Water meter replacement is almost complete in Sea-brezee Homes Subdivision in Cabid-An. These identified areas showed a remarkable drop in water usage as reflected in the billed water data during the said test-run.

Leak detection and repair has been made more intensive with the commissioning of a team headed by a newly-hired engineer. And this will be made more effective with the use of high-end leak detection equipment with its procurement now already in process.

These updates and the installation of a variable frequency drive (VFD) in Bibincahan Pumping Station are just good reasons to finally go into a 24-hour water supply operation. The Bibincahan Pumping station is the fourth pumping facility to be installed with a VFD this year.

Meanwhile, Fortades stated that water production will be to the fullest, from 18 hours to 24 hours operation. He further added that aside from the continuous supply of water, added benefits are quality water with sand pumping minimized, air gush when water supply resumes eliminated and possible intrusion of water contaminants prevented.

As the prayer of Sorsogueños is answered for the need of water with the round-the clock water supply, the District also hopes that its maximum production shall also be put into good use while the wet season has not yet left the region. (MAL/MJumamil, SCWD)