Bicol unemployment rate down 6.1% in 2011 -- NSO

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, April 11 (PIA) -- Unemployment rate in the Bicol region went down to 6.1 percent in 2011 from 5.9 percent in 2010 based on the Annual Labor and Employment Estimates Survey for 2010 and 2011 conducted by the National Statistic Office in the region.

In the Philippines, there were about 2.8 million unemployed Filipinos in 2011, 63 percent of which or 1.772 million were males while 37 percent or 1.042 million were females translating to about 700,000 more unemployed men than women.

On the other hand, the national employment rate estimate increased from 92.7 percent in 2010 to 93 percent in 2011.

Across regions, Cagayan Valley recorded the highest employment rate with 97.1 percent, Zamboanga Peninsula with 96.8 percent, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao or ARMM at 96.6 percent, MIMAROPA and SOCCSKSARGEN both at 96.1 percent and Northern Mindanao at 95.5 percent.

In contrast, four regions registered employment rate lower than the annual national rate. These are National capital Region as the lowest at 88.7 percent, CALABARZON at 90.3 percent followed by Ilocos Region and Central Luzon both at 91.5 percent.

For the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) or the proportion of those in the labor force to the population aged 15 years old and above, Bicol region stayed at 64.4 percent for 2011.

All over the Philippines, about 40 million were in the labor force or economically active out of the 61.9 million population aged 15 years old and above; this sums up to 64.6 percent LPFR for 2011.

Majority of the employed persons were wage and salary workers comprising 55.2 percent of the total workers, 41.5 percent of which work in private establishments and 8.2 percent in government corporations.

About 30 percent of the employed persons were self-employed workers without any paid employee while almost 4 percent were employers in family-operated business.

Meantime, the number of underemployed persons in 2011 increased to 19.3 percent from 18.8 percent in 2010. These persons are employed workers desiring for longer working hours or additional job aside from what they currently have.

The Bicol region recorded the highest underemployment rate since 2010 although the rate inched down by 1.4 percent from 36.8 percent in 2010 to 35.4 percent in 2011. (MAL/SAA-PIA 5, Albay)

DA turns over P12.3-M agri goods and projects to Catanduanes

VIRAC, Catanduanes, April 11 (PIA) -- Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso J. Alcala has turned over agricultural goods and projects worth P12.3 million to the province during his two-day visit in the province from April 9 to 10.

During his visit, Alcala inspected existing projects and lead a dialogue with stakeholders, development partners, local investors and industry leaders and local officials lead by Governor Joseph C. Cua.

Meanwhile, the farm equipment that were turned over to farmers and irrigators association and local government units (LGU) under the counter parting scheme include one unit of 4WD mini-tractor worth P28, 300; two units of hand tractor worth P114, 500 each; one rice thresher worth P108,575; one drum seeder worth P6,500; one seed cleaner worth P78,000; and seven units of Shallow Tube Wells (STW) worth P75,000 each.

For the selected vegetable and high value crops farmers the following were given: two bags organic rice seeds, 150 bags organic fertilizers, assorted vegetable seeds seedling trays garden tools and UV film with a total cost of P226,000. A vermin culture production set worth P163,000 was also given to an irrigators association.

Moreover, LGUs of San Andres, Bato, Gigmoto, San Miguel, Virac and Bagamanoc received two units knapsack sprayers with a total cost of P3,900 and two units PH meter with a total cost of P9,900.

Also, 32 recipients of DA Akbay Livelihood in the province received P10,000 each as start-up capital for swine fattening project and an additional of 12 recipients were also given P10,000 each fom the roll-over fund.

Four coconut farmers’ associations received an total of 10,892 pieces of stabilized coco seedlings amounting P217,772 under the Prairie Crop Protection Planner (PCPP) phase II project.

Furthermore, seven fisherfolk associations, five barangay councils and the LGU of San Miguel received P2.3 million worth of fishery project, which includes techno demo on polyculture of mudcrab and bangus in brackish water pond, aquasilvi project, fishcage culture, squid pot project, fish pen project, deep water payao, innovative technology on crablets collection/gathering, deep water payao, municipal tilapia hatchery and hapa-based tilapia hatchery.

The Catanduanes State Colleges was also given funding assistance amounting P1.5 million for its R&D project on sustainable technology infusion in inland fisheries development program and another P3.4 million for its community based multi-species hatchery and hapa-based tilapia hatchery.

Alcala also lead the ceremonial mangrove planting and the Mangrove Reforestation Project which covers 90 hectare in Barangay Batalay of Bato Town.

A press conference and dialogue was also conducted as part of the official’s visit in the province. (MAL/EAB-PIA5 Catanduanes)

Sorsoganons peacefully celebrate “Semana Santa” 2012

By Benilda A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, April 11 (PIA) -- Assessment of the Philippine National Police Sorsogon Provincial Office (PNP-SPPO) bared that aside from the electrocuted 16-year-old male in one of the beach cottages in Bacon District, Sorsogon City, the celebration of “Semana Santa,” a Spanish term for the Holy Week, was generally peaceful.

Devotees and Catholics in general were in their prayerful mood especially during the Visita Iglesia and processions on Good Friday. Priests in their Lenten homilies reiterated Pope Benedict XVI’s call for Charity which is the very heart of Christian Life.

According to PNP Sorsogon Director PSupt John CA Jambora, they attribute the success of the activity to the full support and cooperation shown by Sorsoganons, “that is why we are thankful to them that no untoward incidences were noted all throughout the entire observance of the Holy Week,” he added.

Meanwhile, passengers bound for Manila and Legazpi City were irritated with the insufficient number of bus and vans. According to some commuters departing for Manila, they had to wait for about six hours or more to be accommodated.

Philippine Coast Guard Sorsogon Station through PO2 Rico Gabion reported that their assessment of the observance of “Semana Santa” in Sorsogon this year was very successful since there were no problems and negative incidences noted. He admitted however, that fewer passengers in three major ports here were recorded compared to that of last year.

Latest data reported from Matnog station stated that there were 1,535 passengers in Matnog port. There were no reports yet from Pilar and Bulan stations as to the number of their passengers during Holy Week.

However, PCG and PNP both said that they will keep on strictly monitoring major ports and terminals in the province as part of their “Oplan Summer Vacation” since tourists and vacationers will continue to flock for the summer season.

Aside from terminals, the PNP has also deployed their personnel including police trainees to areas frequently visited by tourists such as the town of Donsol for the whale shark inter-action, Bulusan for Bulusan Lake activities, Sorsogon City for its Paguriran Island, Pto. Diaz for mangrove tour, Casiguran for the famous freezing Orok Spring, Barcelona for its breathtaking and huge corals, as well as the province’s prime beach resorts in Bacon District, Sorsogon City, Gubat, Sta. Magdalena and Matnog towns, among others. (MAL/BAR-PIA 5, Sorsogon)

NSO conducts consumer survey

VIRAC, Catanduanes, April 11 (PIA) -- The National Statistics Office (NSO) in Catanduanes is administering the April 2012 Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) with the actual interviews to be conducted from April 2 to 14.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in order to collect comprehensive information on the business conditions of the country in the household sector, contracted the National Statistics Office (NSO) to conduct a Consumer Expectations Survey.

It is NSO’s responsibility to undertake the data collection and encoding of the questionnaires while BSPs responsibility is the generation of tables and analysis of the results.

The CES is a household-based survey on the consumers’ assessment of their financial situation, the economic condition of the country and the overall performance of the government.

The objectives of the survey are to provide a quick and regular assessment of the financial condition of the consumers and economic condition of the country at present and in the near future, from the consumers’ own view points; to generate forecasts in the direction of the country’s economic activity based on the consumers’ outlook in the next twelve months and to provide quick and regular assessment of consumers’ outlook in terms of their income and expenditures.

Consumer spending and saving decisions have an important influence in determining the course of the national economy. The core questions cover three broad areas of consumer sentiments: personal finances, business conditions and buying conditions. The results of the survey will guide planners in forecasting the direction of change of the economy as well as the behavior of key indicators such as inflation rate, interest rates and exchange rates.

The respondent shall be the household head or any responsible member of the household present during the time of interview who can provide reliable answers to the questions asked by the enumerator.

The authority for the survey emanates from Commonwealth Act No. 591, which authorizes the NSO, under Section 2 of the act “to conduct by enumeration, sampling or other methods, for statistics purposes, studies of social and economic problems of the country. Like any other surveys undertaken by the NSO, the data that will be gathered in the said survey are for statistical purposes only and will be published in summary forms. Information obtained from the respondents shall be held strictly confidential and shall not be used for investigation, taxation and law enforcement purposes and shall not be divulged to any person except authorized NSO personnel acting in the performance of their duties.”

In the province, one sample barangay, will be interviewed, covering 14 sample households in Barangay Icanbato, Caramoran.

The reporting unit is the household which means that the statistics emanating from this undertaking will refer to the characteristics of the population residing in private households. (NSO/MAL/EAB-PIA5)