PNoy inaugurates Climate Change Academy in Albay …first in the country, first in the world
by Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, November 25 (PIA) -- President Benigno C. Aquino III led today the inauguration of the Climate Change Academy of Albay for Local Government Units (CCA-LGUs) that will serve as a venue for development of competencies in climate change adaptation through research and training for local climate and disaster risk management policy development, integration, training and mainstreaming in the Philippines.

The country’s first CCA-LGUs came about following years of painstaking efforts of developing an institution as Albay’s, as well as the country’s, response and adaptation measure in a bid to ease the adverse impact of global warming resulting in climate change and extreme weather events.

President Aquino, along with Sec. Herminio “Sonny” Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Sec. Florencio “Butch” Abad of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Sec. Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Albay Gov. Joey Salceda led the ribbon-cutting rites and later toured booths of exhibits of government and private institutions showcasing CCA initiatives and programs.

Salceda, also UN senior global champion on climate change adaptation and UN Green Climate Fund adviser, said the academy is just one of the many initiatives and programs of the Centre for Initiatives and Research on Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), under the provincial government of Albay, set up to gather scientific and actual experiences from several stakeholders had been consolidated into modules and manuals, particularly for the different local government units in the country.

Salceda cited the importance of institutionalizing adaptation strategies and policies through the academy to address the impacts and challenges of climate change as well as raising public awareness through the different forms of media.

“Ang Climate Change Academy is the first of its kind in the world. Wala pa pong ganyan sa buong mundo (There is nothing like that in the whole world). It’s essentially a knowledge management institution,” Salceda said.

The academy is the brainchild of the CIRCA of the provincial government of Albay and a concrete output of the MDG-F1656 Albay Demo site of the Joint Programme of the Government of the Philippines (GOP).

Manuel Rangasa, executive director of CIRCA, explained that from its rich history of coping and recent innovative endeavors at disaster risk-reduction and climate change adaptation, it is obvious that Albay is a role model for other LGUs in these areas. It is in the best position to function as a learning laboratory for the other LGUs to learn from.

Rangasa also disclosed that the provincial government of Albay has initially spent some P10 million for the renovation and modernization of the academy building and facilities located at the Bicol University in Old Albay District here.

He added that during the 1st National Media Conference on CCA held here Thursday (November 24), Secretary Paje of DENR has committed P5 million from his department’s fund to augment resources for the academy, while development partners such as the Spanish government’s Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID) has also vowed commitment of similar support.

CIRCA is now implementing the Millennium Development Goal Achievement Fund (MDG-F) 1656 Joint Programme (JP) on Strengthening the Philippine Institutional Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change involving nine Government of the Philippines (GOP) partners and six UN partners with the assistance of the Spanish government.

On November 4, 2010, the Climate Change Academy for LGUs in the Philippines was officially launched and an MOU Signing among the Office of the President-Climate Change Commission, the United Nations System and the Provincial Government of Albay during the Opening of the LGU SUMMIT+3i Luzon and the 4th General Assembly of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) witnessed by the Albay Provincial Board Council, representatives from the Spanish Government/AECID and NEDA Central Office.

Rangasa said local planners, decision and policy makers and even sectoral agencies, can now have a center of excellence where they can develop competencies on mainstreaming disaster risk reduction (DRR) and CCA.

He added that the academy will not only be able to provide the theoretical moorings for climate adaptive localities but it can also be a venue for sharing experiences and best practices on DRR and climate change impact management.

“As the pre-eminent institution in climate change adaptation in the Philippines, the academy’s primary purpose is to develop integrated competencies and provide information and technology for building the resilience of communities to climate change impacts,” Rangasa said.

Rangasa added that the academy is responsible for the development and strengthening of the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of major local stakeholders on climate and disaster risk assessment, focusing on characterization and evaluation of climate hazards, vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities; disaster and climate risk reduction and management; and climate change adaptation and disaster risk management, planning and programming.

The academy will employ the “Capacity Development for Better Governance” approach on four levels, including awareness on disaster risks and climate change issues; modular and progressive training on scenario building, climate and disaster risk assessment, and disaster risk management; Technical assistance for mainstreaming of disaster and climate risk management in local planning processes and outputs; and guided experiential learning in the implementation of “disaster or climate proofing” by local stakeholders. (MALoterte, PIA V/Albay)

Catanduanes State College grad top 7 in midwifery exams

VIRAC, Catanduanes, November 25 (PIA) -- A graduate student of the Catanduanes State Colleges (CSC) placed 7th in the November 2011 Midwife Licensure Examination (MLE).

Nirvana Josabel G. Ortiz, 18, has sustained the Catanduanes State Colleges’ record of producing MLE examination topnotchers for several years now. She earned a rating of 87 percent.

The air that pervaded at CSC, particularly in the College of Health Sciences (CHS), was likewise jubilant when it was declared by the Professional Regulation Commission as the Second Best Performing School in the country. CHS earned an 88.89 passing percentage which is way above the 45.29 national passing percentage.

Nirvana, who hails from Bislig, San Andres, Catanduanes, finished her elementary education at Bislig Elementary School and her secondary education at San Andres Vocational School. She declares being an average student but believes she has never been a stagnant learner. “As one matures, knowledge also exponentially increases,” she said.

This new licensed midwife incidentally is the youngest of the 15 children of Isaias Ortiz, a farmer, and Juana Gurrobat - Ortiz who died when Nirvana was barely 10 months old. Nirvana grew up under the care of her eldest sister Jocelyn.

She told she has always been fascinated with white uniform that it was her childhood dream to take up a health-care profession course. When she did not make it to the nursing admission test, she took up midwifery, which she also considers as one of her top choices for a college degree. Her immediate goal now is to find a job where she can practice her profession.

Nirvana joins 23 other new CSC MLE passers comprised of Abundo, Diana Rose T., Aguilar, Ma. Marife G., Aquino, Jemarie O., Brides, Bevalyn P., Buitre, Rolerose P., Camatoy, Judy Rose C., Camu, Ella Abegail T., Eubra, Maria Ailene T., Flor, Ruby C., Grefalda, Gladys M., Lama, Gissel N., Naldoza, Joy Raine G, Obico, Jhona Rey G., Quintal, Helen Die M., Rodulfo, Rodelyn, Temporal, Michelle Ross T., Sapico, Erel B., Sarmiento, Nealyn C., Surban, Carol Mae P., Tabo, Jehoney B., Tabor, Mary Ann M., Ramirez, Lyzel O., Tusi, Fariza Mae O.

To date, CSC has already produced 14 midwifery board placers, comprised of three 2nd Placers (Kathleen Shiela B. Ramirez - 2010 Erica B. Obogne – 2009, Maria Rosario T. Rodriguez – 2006), two 4th Placers (Erlinda Frondozo-Tabor – 1990 and Kristel Mae V. Cervantes – 2007), one 6th placer (Chique S. Santos – 2007), four 7th Placers (Nirvana Josable G. Ortiz - 2011, Roselyn O. Abines – 2010, Jonna Mae A. Quintal – 2009, Marilyn Idanan-Lucero – 1979), one 8th Placer (Jacqueline P. Laroya – 2008), one 9th Placer (Agnes F. Trinidad – 2007) and two 10th Placers (Cheyserr Kate R. Villegas – 2010 and Janessa M. Medrana – 2007).

Meanwhile, CSC has already earned six citations from the Professional Regulation Commission as Best Performing School nationwide. It was declared Top Performing School in 2010 and 2008, Second Best this 2011, in 2006 and in 2005 and Third Best in 2007.

CSC President Minerva I. Morales commended the faculty members of CSC CHS headed by Dean Jocelyn Ll. Jordan for attaining another significant accomplishment which is barely four months after it produced a 9th placer in the July 2011 Nurse Licensure Examination.

The CSC administration will tender a recognition ceremony to its new MLE placer and passers on November 29, 2011. (GSR/CSC/PIA
Catanduanes)

4,899 beneficiaries of Daet and Talisay included in 4Ps next year

by Rosalita Base-Manlangit

DAET, CAMARINES NORTE, November 25 (PIA) -- Some 4,899 households from the town of Daet and Talisay will be included next year in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWD).

DSWD Regional Director RemiaTapispisan said that of 4,899, a total of 3,637 are from the town of Daet while the remaining 1,262 are from the town of Talisay where the two towns were not included in the list of 4Ps before.

She said that they are now conducting registration and validation of the beneficiaries of 4Ps in the said towns in preparation for the immediate release of the cash subsidy next year.

It will be recalled that of the 12 towns of the province, 10 towns were already included with 24,773 beneficiaries, making the total next year of 29,672 families provincewide.

DSWD Regional Director Tapispisan cited that there will be an additional of 56,000 beneficiaries of 4Ps in the bicol region next year.

She explained that the DSWD has selected the qualified beneficiaries through the National Household Targetting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) using a computer system to pin point the situation of municipalities on who or where are the indigent families located.

The 4Ps is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health nutrition and education particularly children below 14 years old. (MAL/RBM,PIA Camarines Norte)

FIDA launches abaca disease management project cum training in Irosin

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, November 25 (PIA) -- The Fiber Development Authority (FIDA) in close tandem with the local government of Irosin launched yesterday the Abaca Disease Management Project cum Training at the Patag Eco Park with 80 participants in attendance from its several identified abaca potential producing barangays.

Irosin municipal mayor Eduardo F. Ong, Jr in his message said that the local government of Irosin has seen the best opportunity in the abaca as an industry, it being one of the best plants that can be propagated in their town given the topography, land classification and weather conditions within the areas identified as planting sites based on FIDA’s assessment.

Mr. Daniel L. Lachica, FIDA Development Officer here in the province said that the training was more on the identification of the “three deadly trio” disease of abaca namely; Bunchy Top, Bract Mosaic, and Abaca Mosaic and how can these be treated, controlled and finally eradicated given the new technologies discovered by FIDA and the opportunity for its massive plantation in the town of Irosin.

The province of Sorsogon, according to Dr. Editha O. Lomero, Ph.D., regional director and officer-in-charge, has been one of the biggest suppliers of abaca fiber of good quality and since the time that abaca was affected with these three diseases, abaca production here has deteriorated.

The current administration under President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino according to her has pushed to revitalize and rehabilitate certain endemic industries within specific regions and here in Sorsogon, Irosin town has been for the past years one of the volume quality suppliers of hemp.

The farmers yesterday during the training were taught on the disease identification, application of chemicals and the right monitoring on how the abaca plant can be cultivated again to become an economic base of people in the countryside as major livelihood source.

FIDA will also provide job order for personnel who will conduct and assist in the treatment according to Lachica and these will be the abaca propagators themselves who will be tapped.

Mayor Ong has forged commitment with FIDA to start the project and initial funding to the barangays of Bagsangan, Mapaso, Bolos, Carriedo, Cogon, Santo Domingo, Monbon , Cawayan and Patag and will soon be provided. (MAL/IAG, PIA Sorsogon)