DSWD forms male group to protect women against violence

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, May 8 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has recently created a group of men advocates to pursue protection of women against violence.

DWSD-5 has organized the Men Opposed to Violence against Women Everywhere (MOVE) in different barangays of Albay, comprised of dedicated male members with active involvement in advocating the elimination of threats, discrimination and violence against women.

Male members of MOVE come from various groups including the private sector, academe, non-government organizations, government agencies, and now extending to local government units in the municipal and barangay level.

“Importante po ang MOVE na maorient ang mga kalalakihan para maiwasan ang bagay na nagigibo ning problema sa saindang mga agum at para maintindihan bilang mga lalake, kita mismo ang maprotekta sa mga babae (MOVE along the way will play an important role to increase awareness among men to prevent acts of violence against women and promote men involvement in programs and advocacies to protect the rights of women),” barangay captain Joseph Noriega of Lanigay, Polangui said.

The orientation on the first part of the activity tackled women sector welfare laws to enlighten the male audience on legal grounds regarding women’s rights. Legal counsels discussed laws such as Republic Act (RA) 9710 entitled as the Magna Carta of Women, ‘Solo Parents’ Welfare Act (RA 8972), Anti-Trafficking in Persons ACT (RA 9208) and Anti-violence against Women and their Children (RA 9262).

“Na-enlighten po kami na barangay officials sa mga batas na tigaprotektaran ang mga kababaihan (We were enlightened on various laws that protect the rights and promote welfare of women),” Noriega added.

Moreover, the next level of the activity involved the participation of the barangays to formulate their plans of action based on the issues identified during the open forum.

Albay is the pilot area in Bicol region to form the MOVE organization reaching more male advocates for violence against women at the local level. (MAL-PIA5 Albay)


DOLE-5 crafts labor manual

LEGAZPI CITY, May 8 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has crafted an all-in-one Career Guidance Manual and Training Module, which encompasses all there is to know about job, job trends, workers benefits, job placement, illegal recruitment and aligning the career path of the students to the needs of the labor market.

“The manual and training module will be the bible of not just the jobseekers but all the guidance counselors and Public Employment Service Office (PESO) managers and in the region in improving the state of employment. This will guide the students in enhancing their employability and productivity,” explained assistant director Exequiel Ronnie A. Guzman of DOLE-5.

“The crafting of this manual was an offshoot of the cooperation DOLE-5 and Bicol Career Guidance Network (BCGN),” he said.

The crafting of the module was pursued after the participants based on previous trainings conducted by DOLE to PESO managers and BCGN members noted that it needs to be further improved to be more responsive.

“The development of the module incorporates knowledge on quality and productivity entrepreneurship, values formation among other’s which are needed in developing the total personality of the students in preparation for their eventual participation in the labor market,” Guzman added.

The development of a responsive module for career guidance training will bridge the gap between knowledge and skills to be acquired by students vis-à-vis the demand of the labor market. The present curriculum cannot address all the needs of students. The training module is expected to supplement the existing curriculum so that after graduation the students are prepared to join the labor market either as productive workers or entrepreneurs.

DOLE-5 clearly believes that good governance is building alliance with social partners and this initiative is an obvious example of creating public value thru tripartite convergence.

“Economic reform cannot be achieved by the government alone. We need the people to act to achieve it.” DOLE Bicol Regional Director Nathaniel V. Lacambra said.

The new manual and training module will be used in Career Guidance trainings in the entire region and is considered to be the first initiative of this kind. (MAL-PIA5 ALbay)


BFP Sorsogon City intensifies “Ugnayan sa Barangay”

By Benilda A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, May 8 (PIA) -- Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Sorsogon City Fire Marshal SInsp Walter Marcial said that BFP’s campaign on fire prevention is going-on even if the Fire Prevention Month in March is over.

SInsp Marcial said that as part of the BFP’s mandate stated in RA 9514 or the Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008, Sorsogon City Fire Station has intensified its Fire Prevention Program through the Ugnayan sa Barangay.

Ugnayan sa Barangay is one among the many programs of the BFP that aims in educating residents of barangays in fire prevention and basic fire suppression techniques.

“Ugnayan sa Barangay is one of the strategies that our office implement citywide to help educate the constituents, Barangay Fire Safety Officers and barangay officials about our advocacy on fire safety awareness,” Marcial said.

“We also believe that through this strategy, we can cut the growing statistic of destructive fires particularly in fire prone areas or large residential areas within the city,” he added.

Just three days ago, personnel of BFP Sorsogon City conducted said Ugnayan activity in Brgy. Talisay drawing 20 participants from different households.

They were given introduction and overview of the activity and lectured on how to prevent fires, what to do in case of fire, how to use fire extinguishers, and fire safety tips.

How to apply first aid was also demonstrated, followed by the conduct of the pre-fire planning strategies.

Marcial encouraged barangay residents to constantly hold the same activity to make them updated on whatever information there is related to fire and disaster preparedness.

“Since January to April this year, we had already conducted Ugnayan sa Barangay in 10 barangays out of the 64 total number of barangays in the city. We had already distributed letters to the remaining barangays to inform them of their schedule hoping to conduct the same activity, of course, through the support and cooperation of its officials and residents as well, before the year ends,” he said. (MAL/BAR-PIA 5, Sorsogon)



DOH-MSD launches free cervical cancer screening in Bicol

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, May 8 (PIA) -- The Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) Philippines, launched the free nationwide Cervical Cancer Screening Program in the Bicol region Friday, May 4, at Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH) as part of the Cervical Awareness Month celebration this May.

The celebration, now on its 5th year, was highlighted by the turnover of cryotheraphy machines to three government hospitals which include BRTTH, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, and Cotabato Regional Hospital. These machines use extreme cold to freeze and destroy cancer tumors.

The free nationwide screening is open to women between 25 to 49 years of age.

The test is offered at 58 DOH-retained hospitals nationwide every Monday in Luzon including the BRTTH, Wednesday in Metro Manila, Friday in Luzon, Tuesday in Visayas and Thursday in Mindanao.

According to the latest survey conducted by the World health Organization, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide, with about 500,000 new cases and 250,000 deaths each year.

Basically, 99 percent of cervical cancer cases are linked to genital infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract. (MAL/SAA-PIA5 Albay)