Sorsogon police plants 500 Mahogany trees

By Benilda A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, June 25 (PIA) -- Personnel from various law enforcement agencies here conducted tree planting activity on June 21.

Some 500 saplings of Mahogany trees were planted in Barangay Buhatan, Sorsogon City by personnel of Sorsogon Police Provincial Office, Sorsogon Provincial Public Safety Company, and Sorsogon City Police Station.

The said activity is in line with the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) tree planting program dubbed “Pulis Makakalikasan: 10 Milyong Puno, Pamana sa Kinabukasan.”

The PNP is targeting 10 million trees to be planted by police personnel nationwide starting February 2012 to February 2013.

This is the police agency's response to the national government's National Greening Program (NGP) which aims to plant 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares by 2016.

Each PNP personnel is expected to plant six trees every month until February next year. (BAR/EPP/SPPO/PIA)



Dengue cases in Bicol up by 100%

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, June 25 (PIA) -- Health authorities in the region are on alert following the reported 100 percent increase in dengue cases during first half of this year, according to the Department of Health (DOH) office here.

The Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU) has recorded 812 cases based on reports by various public and private hospitals across the region from January to June 2012. There were only 406 dengue cases during the same period last year, said Jaime Guerrero, DOH 5 public information officer.

Camarines Sur topped the list of provinces in region that recorded some 692 cases, followed by Albay with 71 cases, Sorsogon – 16, Masbate and Camarines Norte with 12 each, and Catanduanes with only 10.

Earlier, Naga City health authorities placed the city under a state of calamity due to a dengue outbreak with 325 cases reported for the past three weeks.

Other provinces saw an increasing trend in dengue cases, except for Albay where cases decreased from 76 cases last year to 71 cases during the first half of 2012.

Dengue is a mosquito borne disease transmitted by an Aedes mosquito infected with any one of the four dengue viruses. Symptoms appear three to 14 days after the infective bite.

Dengue fever is a febrile illness that affects infants, young children and adults. Symptoms range from a mild fever, to incapacitating high fever, with severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and rash.

DOH explained that there are no specific antiviral medicines for dengue. It is important to maintain hydration, further, warned that the use of acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. aspirin) and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Ibuprofen) is not recommended.

Dengue haemorrhagic fever (fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding) is a potentially lethal complication, affecting mainly children. (MAL-PIA 5/Albay)


City ordinance that prohibits corporal punishment for children pushed

By Analiza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, June 25 (PIA) -- City Councilor Ray-an Cydrick G. Rentoy recently filed a resolution pushing among others, the prohibition of corporal punishment for children. In the proposed regulation dubbed as an ordinance promoting positive discipline of children, Rentoy reiterated the city's mandate to safeguard the foregoing rights of a child as a legitimate member of society under the general welfare clause of the Local Government Code.

Just recently, Rentoy, together with his co-proponents, Councilors Cecilia De Asis and Dan Paulo Morales, invited members of the local media and the city’s constituents for a public hearing that aims to get the pulse of the public regarding the impact of the said ordinance.

The dialogue was also attended by panelists from Naga City community-based advocacy and monitoring group (CBAMG) for positive discipline comprised of various representatives coming from the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation (SKF0), Ateneo de Naga University, and the Positive Discipline Media Relations and Campaign Coordinator of PLAN International.

Rentoy said that saying no to corporal punishment also means prohibiting other forms of degrading and humiliating punishment for children.

“I firmly support the policy of Naga City to guarantee unto our children an environment where he or she may grow up in an atmosphere of love, respect and understanding and to protect the child against circumstances and conditions that threatens the full development of his or her well-being while with persons entrusted with his or her care and custody, taking into consideration that every child has the right to be equally protected under the law,” Rentoy added.

The proposed ordinance is also pursuant to Republic Act 7610, otherwise known as Special Protection of Children against Abuse, exploitation and Discrimination act which declares that the state shall intervene on behalf of the child. This rule applies even if their perpetrators are their very own parent, guardian, teacher, or anybody who has children under their custody.

Airah Alindogan of Plan International said that the measure is crucial to end the culture of violence and corporal punishment in our society. She added that there is a need to institutionalize the practice of positive and non-violent discipline in every home, schools, and other settings that caters to the needs of every child.

In a study commissioned by the European Union and Plan Germany for the project, “Strengthening Civil Society in Eliminating Violence against children in the Philippines,” it came out that three out of four or 75 percent of parents use corporal punishment to discipline their children. The study also shows that children aged five to 11 who received the said castigation have lowered self-esteem, and fear and confused about their parent’s love for them.

The Naga City Council for the Welfare and Protection of Children (NCCWPC) and the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) shall support this endeavor by taking the lead in the campaign of the realization of the said ordinance. (LSM-PIA 5, Camarines Sur)