DTI all set for 2012 Barakalan sa Plaza in Catanduanes

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, April 3 (PIA) -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here is all set for the 2012 Barakalan sa Plaza to be held from April 2-13 at Plaza Rizal.

This year’s event is the third edition of the summer trade fair organized by DTI which offers native food, handicraft, furniture, herbal oils, bonsai, and high-value crops seedlings to tourists and local residents.

According to Director Ireneo Panto Jr., said activity is in partnership with the Catanduanes Producers Association and municipal government of Virac.

The Barakalan will also feature local products by 40 local exhibitors engaged in the production of native delicacies like pili, latik, laing, and tilomk; cargumoy and abaca twine bags; handmade paper; wall décor; and abaca carpets and other products.

The affair also feature a Visita Iglesia on April 4-6 wherein a fee of P550 per head shall be collected to cover lunch and transportation and a tour of seven churches - Batalay Shrine, St. John the Baptist (Bato), St. Lawrence (Baras), Batong Paluway, and St. Andrew (San Andres), Our Lady of the Assumption, and Immaculate Conception Cathedral (Virac).

A technology demonstration on bakery products, hot kitchen cook, and cold kitchen cook will also be conducted. (MAL/EAB-PIA 5, Catanduanes)

BIR sets April 16 for individual ITR filing this year

Target tax collection for 2012 increased by 13%

By Benilda A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, April 3 (PIA) -- BIR Sorsogon reminded anew the public of the deadline of filing of individual Income Tax Returns (ITRs) which falls on April 16, 2012.

Asst. Revenue District officer Eutiquio Grajo said the BIR will also be using a new ITR form that is why he also calls on taxpayers to pay their taxes earlier than the deadline set in order to be familiar with the new form.

Grajo said no extension for filing of individual ITR will be given, unless otherwise, a new memorandum from the BIR Central Office will be put into effect.

Meanwhile, Grajo disclosed that Sorsogon Revenue District Office failed to meet the Php423,444,000 target collection for Calendar Year 2011. “We have only collected some Php408,075,648.42, shortfall of Php15,368,361.56 or 3.6 percent of the actual target,” he added.

This year, Sorsogon Revenue District office has to doubly work for the Php460,360,000 target collection set by the BIR Central Office. The target collection is way higher by 13 percent compared to the target collection in 2011.

However, despite the increase of target collection set, Grajo is optimistic that they can surmount the target this year because on the first month of 2012 alone, they have recorded already an actual collection amounting to P39,015,461.89 as against the P35,025,000 their target collection set for the month of January. (MAL/BAR-PIA 5, Sorsogon)

DepEd approves extra P9M for schools' repair and rehabilitation

VIRAC, Catanduanes, April 3 (PIA) -- The Department of Education (DepEd) recently approved P9 million additional fund request for the repair and rehabilitation of school buildings in the province.

DepEd’s move was in response to the request of Congressman Cesar V. Sarmiento. With this, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) recently issued Sub-Allotment Release Order (SARO) for P9,079,165.50 to DepEd Catanduanes Division, charged to the Continuing appropriations of 2011 GAA.

Last year, DepEd released P5 million for the repair and rehabilitation program.

Beneficiaries of the said repair and rehab program are as follows: Hinipaan, Bacak, Suchan and San Rafael, Bagamanoc; Moning, Guinsaanan, Paniquihan and Putsan-Danao, Baras; Carorian, Batalay, San Pedro and Guinobatan, Bato; Panique and San Jose, Caramoran; Gigmoto and Dorotian, Gigmoto; San Isidro, Porot, Marambong and Catamban in Pandan.

San Miguel, Babaguan and Mabini, Panganiban; Yocti, San Jose, Bagong SIrang, Jose Rizal, Cabcab and Codon, San Andres; Pacogon, Sisay, Dayawa, Obo and San Marcos in San Miguel; Botinagan, Almojuela, P. Vera and Sagrada, Viga; and Simamla, Sto. Niño, Cavinitan and Magnesia in Virac town will also receive a portion of the additional funds. (MAL/EAB-PIA Catanduanes)

NYC opens search for Youth Ambassadors

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, April 3 (PIA) -- The National Youth Commission (NYC) has announced the screening for the 27 slots to be young delegates and one national leader who would represent our country to the 39th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP.

Nydia P. Delfin of the Naga City Area Office said SSEAYP is an annual cultural exchange program aims to promote and strengthen friendship among the young people of the participating ASEAN countries and Japan by providing them the opportunity to live together on board the luxury vessel M/S Fuji Maru, visit participating countries and engage in various activities such as institutional visits and goodwill exchanges with local youth.

Delfin said participating youth should be: Filipino citizen, single, between 18-30 years old as of April 1, 2012; of good moral character; residing for at least two years in the region to be represented; physically and mentally fit to travel; preferably a first time traveler; and not a recipient of NYC or Japanese government funded international program; with strong background of Philippines history, geography, culture and arts; knowledgeable of the current issues of the Philippines, Japan and ASEAN countries; must have been serving the youth sector as an active officer/member of any youth or youth organization for at least two years and must be willing to be an NYC volunteer after the program.

She added that interested applicants must also be willing to take a leave of absence from school or work and complete the trainings and activities before, during and after the program on the following schedules: Pre-Departure Training – July 16-25; Pre-Departure Activities – Sept 22-Oct 22; Cruise – Oct 23-Dec 13; and Post Program Evaluation – Dec 14-16, 2012.

The Japanese government as the primary sponsor of the program, shoulders the round trip airfare of the participants, expenses for meals and accommodation on-board the ship, transportation and admission fees required for the study tours.

Application requirement includes the following documents: one copy of application form with passport sized photo (photo should have a white background, original and not scanned; one copy of the applicant’s resume (max of three pages only) no other attachment; and one original copy of the certificate of residency issued by punong barangay where the applicant is residing.

The deadline for application is on April 13, 2012 at the NYC offices. Application form could be download at the NYC website: www.nyc.gov.ph. For more information, please contact the SSEAYP secretariat at (02) 416-2833 or the NYC Naga Area office (054) 8115804/4730435.

Be one of the Ambassador of Goodwill to represent the Philippines on the 38th SSEAYP, Apply now! (MAL-PIA 5, Albay/NYC)

City folks join Earth Hour

By Analiza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, April 3 (PIA) -- Dubbed as Earth Hour 2012, 60+, city folks here led by City Mayor John Bongat, City Councilor Nathan Sergio, Committee on Environment Chair and other city officials, joined thousands of environment advocates here on Saturday, March 31, in a simultaneous and unanimous call to switch their lights off for at least an hour.

This endeavor is in support of a global crusade to combat the ill-effects of climate change and raise the consciousness of every citizen that a single but collective contribution to be a part of this cause can help a lot in saving our planet, following this year’s theme: “I will, if you will.”

In Naga City, the sky was illuminated with more or less 250 paper lanterns set off by city hall officials. The public was also given a chance to express their promises through a “commitment wall” where they can scribble their words of support to save the world from further environmental cataclysm.

The Kapisanan ng mga Sangguniang Barangay Kagawad (KSBK) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation also actively took part in the said activity. Various establishments in the city supported the campaign by being a venue of various programs to promote the Earth Hour.

The Naga Smiles Performing Arts and members of the University of Northeastern Philippines Center for Culture and the Arts (UNEP CCA) also rendered their performances depicting the love and concern for Mother Earth. A video presentation on Global Earth Hour was also shown at SM City Naga to hype the said campaign.

Naga City First Lady Farah Bongat, who is also a very strong environment advocate and the Chairperson of Naga Earth Hour, challenged everyone to go beyond the 60-minute time and be among the key cities in the world, in breaking our own world record of having the most number of participants who shared their time in the said event since the Philippines joined the movement in 2008.

Earth Hour begun in Sydney in 2007 and has now grown to be the largest demonstration of support to raise environmental awareness. It was initiated by the World Wildlife Foundation and has reached two billion people last year, involving 135 countries, including the Philippines. (MAL/LSM - PIA 5, Camarines Sur)