Asian Dev't Bank eyes Albay for scaled up KALAHI-CIDSS implementation

LEGAZPI CITY, April 26 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Bicol region together with Asian Development Bank (ADB) has conducted a scoping mission in the Albay province as part of the scaled up implementation of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) at the provincial level.

DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman, during her visit here recently, explained that the visit in Albay is part of ADB’s two-week scoping mission in the Philippines which aims to evaluate the engagement of provincial local government units (PLGUs) in the implementation of community-driven development (CDD) programs such as the Kalahi-CIDSS.

“What we would like to do is really explore and expand the engagement of provincial local government units and see the scaling up of the process and implementation at the level of the province,” Soliman said.

The pilot implementation of expanding the Kalahi-CIDSS at a provincial level in partnership with ADB will be conducted in regions 5, 8, and 11.

“ADB is our partner in doing this effort and we’re now in a scoping mission to do a pilot in three provinces in the three island regions. So it’s Albay for Luzon, Leyte for Visayas, and Compostela Valley for Mindanao,” Soliman added.

The ADB Team is comprised of Education Specialist Joel Mangahas as mission leader and Social Development Specialist Yukiko Ito from Japan, and Health Specialist Gerard Servais from Belgium as mission members.

Part of their scoping mission in Albay is the consultation meeting with the team of Albay governor Joey Salceda from which relevant information, suggestions, and best practices on the successful implementation of the project in the province were noted.

“We really would want to work with you because as we know, Albay has been very innovative in many aspects of governance and we know that Gov. Joey Salceda is convinced with CDD,” Soliman pointed out.

Aside from Salceda’s team, the consultation also involved representatives from the LGUs, national government agencies (NGAs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) in the region to encourage support and explore mechanisms for provincial implementation of CDD.

The mission team together with the Kalahi-CIDSS Regional Project Management Team also visited Barangays 5 and Rawis of Pioduran to conduct community interview on their preferred manner of implementation and perception on the effectiveness of Kalahi-CIDSS as a CDD.

Community-driven development is the strategy used by Kalahi-CIDSS, one of the core programs by DSWD, to empower barangays in development activities, address the needs they have identified and manage assets in a sustainable way. (MAL/SAA-PIA5/DSWD 5)


Bicol U to host int’l workshop on SMART technology for DRRM

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, April 26 (PIA) -- Bicol University will host the international workshop on SMART technologies for disaster risk reduction management (DRRM) come April 30 to May 2 that aims to strengthen collaboration between and among agencies involved in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management.

Expected to participate in the three-day activity are DRRM practitioners, local DRRM heads, DRRM chairs from 81 provinces, 15 DRRM from municipal and cities, state universities and colleges’ technology developers, and non-government organizations (NGOs).

Working towards the goal of strengthening the national and sub-national capacities for managing disasters and reducing vulnerabilities, the provincial government of Albay, BU Extension Service Center, the Bicol Extension Disaster Education Network (Bicol-EDEN), National Defense Support Command, and the Marine Experimentation Center will initiate and institutionalize smart disaster proofing technologies in the up-scaling of local and community-based disaster management approaches, systems and technologies in the country.

It is along this line, that a national conference was conceptualized to be able to showcase technologies both indigenous and exogenous that can be used to forward the goal of disaster risk reduction and management.

Noted and prominent speakers will handle different topics in the said conference. Dr. Cedric Daep of APSEMO will talk on Early Warning System, Communication Protocol and Evacuation Procedure-The Zero Casualty Strategy. David Weber of Martin Corp. will be discussing Communication, Information and Media Relations, Technologies to Enable Rapid Communications & Collaboration for HADR Operations.

Meanwhile, Leo Ebajo, head of the Emergency Rescue Unit, Disaster Management Division of the Philippine National Red Cross will deal on the topic Mass Casualty Management, and Atty. Prescilla Duque will also discuss Cluster Approach for Disaster Response.

On May 1, 2012 the topic High Frequency Doppler Radar Support for Typhoon Tracking and Search and Rescue will be handled by Ian Fernandez of UP Marine Sciences Institute.

Other proposed topics are on Water, Sanitation and Health, to be handled by Engr. William Sabater of DOH RegionV, Jim Chaney of Greenpath Technologies will discuss on Expetitionary Energy and Power Supply, while the topic on Disaster Resistant Housing and Construction Technologies will be handled by Guy Akasaki of Greenpath Technologies.

There will be more speakers to talk and discuss about Risk Reduction Planning & Management, Safe Settlement Planning, Green Livelihood, Psycho Social Interventions, Hydrometeorological Hazar and Emergency Research and Hazard Mapping among others.

Meanwhile, Senator T.G. Guingona will be discussing about Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act of 2010 on the opening day after the welcome address of Shujie Chang, director, MARFORDAC and the keynote address of Maj. Gen. Carlos Holganza, Commander of AFP NADESCOM.

Bicol University President Dr. Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya will also give her welcome address and Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay will give his message. (MAL-PIA 5, Albay/PBP-BU)


BIR collection in Bicol for Q1 surpasses target by .08%

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, April 26 (PIA) -- Internal revenue collection in Bicol region for the first quarter’s (January to March) reached P1.313 billion surpassing its target for the period of P1.312 billion by more than P1 million or .08 percent, according to regional official of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) regional office here.

BIR Revenue Region 10 director Esmeralda M. Tabule has commended all revenue district officers in the region and has also conferred Certificates of Recognition during the regular monthly staff conference last April 13, 2012 for exerting extra efforts in attaining their respective collection targets.

Tabule continued to encourage them to sustain their good performance for the succeeding months until the end of this year.

March’s collection of P442.655 million exceeded the target of P429.374 by P13.28 million or 3.09 percent and is higher by P103.6 million or 30.58 percent over the P338.9 million collections last year.

Cumulative collection as of March is also higher by P246.4 million or 23.10 percent as compared to P1.066 billion last year.

Among the seven district offices in the Bicol Region, Revenue District Office No. 69 (Catanduanes), headed by Ma. Teresa Noemi A. Pizon, topped the collection performance for a P26.2 million with 21.55 percent increase against goal of P21.620 million, followed by RDO-64 (Daet, Camarines Norte), led by Nemesia G. Giano, for more than P41 million collection with 20.66 percent increase against goal of P33.989 million, and RDO-67 (Legazpi City), under Ariel M. Calabia, with P164.9 million collection having an increase of 18.32 percent against goal of P139.440 million.

The fourth top collection performer is RDO-68 (Sorsogon City) under Maria Thelma F. Pulhin for a collection of P44.680 million with 21.55 per cent increase against goal of P40.339 million.

Tabule remains optimistic for more achievements in the coming months with the continued cooperation of the taxpayers, tax agents and the collaborative efforts of the revenue officials to pursue its thrusts for a strong republic. (MAL-PIA 5, Albay)


NSO to update list of establishments

VIRAC, Catanduanes, April 26 (PIA) -- The National Statistics Office, Catanduanes Provincial Office will be conducting the 2012 Updating of the List of Establishments (2012 ULE).

The ULE, a regular activity of the Industry and Trade Statistics Department of NSO, will be undertaken nationwide, which is conducted primarily to provide an updated and reliable sampling frame for the census and survey of establishments.

The activity aims to provide an updated list of establishments/enterprises with information on their characteristics; distribution of establishments/enterprises; information on business births and deaths and other business demographic indicators; and list of emerging industries.

It involves getting hold of “new” establishments and listing their characteristics; updating the status and characteristics of “old” establishments; and de-listing “closed” establishments that should no longer form part of the List if Establishments (LE).

Moreover, it shall serve as preparation for establishment surveys and censuses and the Survey of Enterprises in the Philippines.

The filed operation is from May 2 to June 16, 2012.

The list will also serve as a guide to survey planners in the geographical allocation of resources based on the number of establishments in the area.

Some of the uses of the LE are providing reliable statistical frame for the conduct of establishment/enterprises/censuses/surveys; providing bases for for sampling and coverage decision; creating of list of enterprises; and compilation of micro, small, medium enterprises statistics.

The respondents are assured that the information obtained from them are held confidential and shall be used for statistical purposes only. (MAL/EAB-PIA 5, Catanduanes/NSO Catanduanes)


UNFPA and Albay to conduct P40-M population dev't project

By Marlon A. Loterte

 LEGAZPI CITY, April 26 (PIA) -- The United Nation Population Fund Agency (NFPA) and the local government of Albay on Monday signed a letter of understanding (LOU) to jointly undertake population development activities in the province.
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Albay Governor Joey Salceda said the joint partnership carries a P40-million funding spread over a five-year project timeline starting this year.

He said the fund will be used to carry out reproductive health projects in the 15 towns and three cities of the province.

The project involves IEC campaign on RH on women, youngsters, HIV AIDS; trainings, and the pursuit of MDG components on maternal health, reduction of child mortality, promote gender equality, combat HIV/AIDS and eradication of poverty.

Ugochi Daniels, UNFPA country representative, said that the rate of teenage pregnancy in the Philippines is highest among six major economies in the Association of South East Asian Nations, and urged government to address the problem as this is part of the Millennium Development Goals.

A UNFPA 2011 annual report said that there are 53 births per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 19 in the Philippines.

The same statistics on female adolescent pregnancies indicate that the total number of annual births changed little over the preceding 10 years. But the number of teenage pregnancies has risen 70 percent, from 114,205 in 1999 to 195,662 in 2009.

Of the 1.75 million live births in 2009, the latest review year, over 11 percent were by teenage mothers. The numbers have climbed steadily every year over the period.

Data shows that one fifth of the country’s population belongs to the 15 to 24 years old brackets or 16.5 million youngsters in 2000 and by 2030 it would reach 30 million. (MAL/MSA, ALbay)