Naga passes resolution benefitting solo parents

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, Oct. 12 (PIA) -- The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga passed Tuesday the Solo Parents’ Ordinance of Naga to give special privileges to the concerned party and their children and in consonance with the existing provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8972 otherwise known as the Solo Parents’ Act of 2000.

The ordinance was sponsored by City Councilors Nelson Legacion and Raoul Rosales. They said it aims to especially assist the single parents in raising their family especially those who are burdened with economic difficulty.

Legacion and Rosales added that they foresee a substantial number of solo parents in Naga City in the upcoming years, thus a need for a decree that will respond to their need for economic security, among others.

Aside from the stipulated and declared policy of the State pursuant to Section 2 of RA 8972, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of this city, will pursue in their local area of jurisdiction, the same pertinent benefits such as livelihood assistance, guidance through counseling and critical stress debriefing and other related endeavor.

To ensure that children of solo parents can still avail of education, the ordinance clearly stipulated among its provisions the granting of Tertiary Scholarship assistance, subject to the accomplishment of the requirements provided under City Ordinance 2010-063. This allows an allocation of 15 percent of the scholarship slot to the children of solo parents.

The same is stipulated under the Basic Educational Services of the City which states that children of solo parents will be one of the priorities for the inclusion in the under the city’s Sanggawadan Program- an initiative of the city which allows less privileged students to receive free rice allocation and school supplies from the City Social Welfare Office.

Solo parents under the said ordinance, will also automatically become members of the city’s Quality Universal Elementary and High School Education in Naga, popularly known as the QUEEN Program. The said program aims to ensure that all school children in Naga City will have an access and will complete quality elementary and high school education.

This is also aligned with the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) commitment of our country which specifically pushes for a more accessible access of school children to complete primary education by 2015.

Aside from the aforesaid educational assistance, the ordinance also specified housing services to the solo parents and their children. Section 5c of Article 3 of the said ordinance says that: no less then fifteen percent (15%) of the beneficiaries in any new housing site under the city’s Socialized Housing Program should come from the ranks of the solo parents, subject to the program’s requirements.

Other assistance that the solo parents can avail of under the said ordinance includes death or burial assistance, medical assistance and other privileges and benefits that the city is currently giving or may subsequently offer.

A solo parent office under the direct supervision of the City Social Welfare and Development shall be created to specifically coordinate with other agencies of the government for the effective delivery of their services. (MAL/LSM-PIA5/Camarines Sur)


CDA cites Gawad Parangal 2012 Regional winners

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, Oct. 12 (PIA) -- Eleven cooperatives and four (4) cooperative leaders from all over the Bicol Region vied for this year’s Gawad Parangal Awards spearheaded by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).

This is pursuant to the CDA’s mandate of acknowledging and honoring deserving cooperatives that have, in some way or another, contributed to the social and economic development of their community.

Ms. Monette Bechayda, CDA Regional Coordinator said that the regional nominees who made it as finalists, have shown exemplary performance in terms of continually enhancing the quality of their services and have executed their tasks pursuant to their commitment of excellence and utmost professionalism.

The contending cooperatives were categorized based on their existing assets: Large for cooperatives with over P100M assets, Medium for those with over P15 to 100M assets and Small for those cooperatives with P3 to 15M assets.

Regional finalists for the Large Category are Basud Development Cooperative from Camarines Norte and Baao Parish MP Cooperative from Baao, Camarines Sur. Baao Parish MPC was able to get the judges’ nod.

Camarines Sur Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative or CASTEMUPCO and CamSur Multi Purpose Cooperative (CMPC) both from Camarines Sur made it on the final list under the Medium Category. Other contenders for the same scale includes LACE MPC from Albay, Masbate Agricultural Cooperative (Masbate), Barcelona Development Cooperative and CNSC MPC in Camarines Norte.

This year’s winner for the said category is Camarines Sur Multi-Purpose Cooperative. Last year, CMPC was also adjudged as the Most Outstanding Cooperative under Medium Scale Category for Luzon.

Vying under the Small Category are Camalig (Albay) Credit Cooperative and Mother Seton Hospital Employees Credit Cooperative. The latter was adjudged as this year’s Small Category winner.

The Provincial Cooperative Enterprise Development Office of Albay was also cited as Regional winner under the LGU Category.

Cooperative Leaders who were also named as finalists include Mr. Bertito Laganson from Albat, Mr. Angel Echano from Camarines Norte. Ms. Evelyn Sayson and Ms. Corazon E. Malaya from Camarines Sur. Malaya was named as this year’s winner.

The CDA Gawad Parangal, being one of the banner programs of CDA, also aims to encourage existing cooperatives to continually push for excellence as instrument of fairness and promote capacity building by enhancing human capital following fair work ethics.

CDA Acting Assistant Director Gracia P. Layosa who headed the Technical Working Group said that the documents submitted by the nominees were thoroughly screened, evaluated and validated by their team. The results, including the supporting documents were then submitted to the Regional Screening Committee headed by CDA Regional Director Atty. Ma Lourdes P. Pacao.

National winners will be given the same recognition during the 11th National Cooperative Summit which is being held at Cagayan De Oro City on October 10 to 12. (LSMacatangay/ PIA-Camarines Sur)


2012 Palarong Panlalawigan kicks-off

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Oct 12 (PIA) -- The 2012 Palarong Panlalawigan in Catanduanes started October 10 with the theme: “Bringing Unity, Solidarity and Teamwork Through Sports.”

The four-day activity kicked-off with a parade and was preceded by an opening program at Catanduanes Athletic Complex.

According to Jose L. Doncillo, OIC Schools Division Superintendent, the Palaro promotes physical education and sports playing major part towards the full development of the youths’ potential.

“When we speak of total human development, we mean to develop persons who are physically fit and socially responsible,” he added.

More than 800 athletes representing four zones will compete in the different events such as athletics, basketball, swimming, etc.

Winners of the 2012 Provincial Meet will represent the province in the 2013 Palarong Bicol which will be held in the province on March, 2013. (EAB-PIA5, Catanduanes)


PRC to spearhead Global Handwashing Day

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Oct 12 (PIA) -- Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Catanduanes Chapter will lead the celebration of the Global Handwashing Day in the province on October 15.

The celebration aims to promote awareness among Filipino schoolchildren about the importance of hand washing with soap to prevent diseases.

The theme for the first GHD was “Focus on School Children” that intended to get the maximum number of schoolchildren to hand wash with soap in more than 70 countries.

According to PRC, proper handwashing can help prevent occurrence of diseases like diarrhea especially among children.

A cholera outbreak was declared in the province last summer which killed around 20 people.

PRC added that diseases like this and other respiratory infections can be prevented with proper handwashing.

GHD is part of Uniliver’s global advocacy under its “Billion Better Lives” program which seeks to help one billion people worldwide improve their health and wellbeing by the end of 2012.

PRC team will go to selected schools and communities in the province for the Global Handwashing Day. (MAL/EAB-PIA5, Catanduanes)


Sorsogon’s Kasanggayahan Fest honors writer-artist in a lecture series

By Benilda A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, Oct. 12 (PIA) -- He used to organize the annual Sorsogon Heritage Lecture Series for more than a decade; this year, he was honored and his works were highlighted in an afternoon of exposition of his meaningful and relevant contributions to enrich Sorsogon’s colorful culture and history.

Sorsogon Arts Council (SAC) once again conducted the annual Sorsogon Heritage Lecture Series in celebration of the Kasanggayahan Festival 2012 as a fitting honor to the man who started it all.

“Dubbed as PAG-ANI: Si Tootsie Nan Saiyang Mga Gibo (HARVEST: Tootsie and His Works), this year’s heritage lecture focused on the contributions of the late Sorsogon Arts Council (SAC) President Reynaldo Jamoralin in the field of arts, culture and history of Sorsogon,” SAC OIC President Ella Gajo-Jamoralin said.

The lecture was held Wednesday, October 10 at the Governor’s Training Hall, Sorsogon Provincial Capitol.

According to Gajo-Jamoralin, five panelists featured Jamoralin’s works on specific fields of interest, including University of the Philippines Professor/Anthropologist Francisco Datar who delved on Jamoralin’s researches on history; Bicol University Professor and playwright Julio Mendoza discussed Jamoralin’s stage plays; Poet and Palanca Awardee Francisco Peñones Jr. highlighted Jamoralin’s literary masterpieces; Maria Leny Felix reminisced Jamoralin’s struggles as an activist and, radio commentator; and newsman Ramon Diño expounded Jamoralin’s commitment as a print and broadcast journalist.

Started in early 1990s, SAC under the leadership of Jamoralin, launched the lecture series, the first-of-its kind in Sorsogon to serve as a venue for exposition of studies, researches, and seminal papers about Sorsogon’s history and culture. After more than four years bout with paralysis due to stroke, Jamoralin died on March 12, this year at the age of 66. (MAL/BAR/JJPerez-SAC/PIA5)


Sorsogon’s Kasanggayahan Fest goes global with worldwide Photowalk

By Benilda A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, Oct. 12 (PIA) -- For the first time, the annual Kasanggayahan Festival of Sorsogon province will gain international exposure in a worldwide photowalk both by professional and photography enthusiasts from Bicol and Sorsogon in a half-day event to capture the culture and beauty of the province through the lens.

“On Saturday, October 13, the whole world will be walking again with Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and the number one bestselling technology and photography book author, in his Fifth Annual Worldwide Photo Walk— the world’s largest global social photography event in the history of photography,” local multimedia artist/photographer Geri Matthew Carretero of Kurit-Lagting Art Group said.

Carretero is the lead convenor of the event in Sorsogon City of this worldwide event which will be held at the Sorsogon Provincial Capitol Park to Sorsogon City Baywalk on October 13 starting at 8 a.m.

Kurit Lagting is the newest accredited member organization of the Sorsogon Arts Council undert the visual Arts discipline.

The event is supported by UNA Pizzeria, Sorsogon Arts Council, Kasanggayahan Foundation Incorporated, Independent Sorsogon Artists, Quimlat Multimedia Provincial Government of Sorsogon, Aguador Water Station, Paralaba Ko Laundry Services, Jehl Copy Center and Step Yes! Consultancy, and Training Company, Carretero said.

“For more information, visit http://worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/sorsogon-city-bicol-philippines/ where you can also sign up to participate in the Photo Walk which is free and open to anyone who owns a camera – even disposable cameras,” Carretero said. More Photo Walk details are available at: http://worldwidephotowalk.com/or visit the Scott Kelby Photo Walk G+ page. (MAL/BAR/JJPerez-SAC-PIA5, Sorsogon)


New pineapple varieties on test in Camarines Norte

By Rosalita B. Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte, Oct. 12 (PIA) -- Two new pineapple varieties--the Super Sweet Snack Pineapple or “Ulam” and MD-2 hybrid pineapple from Mindanao--are now on test planting in this province.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has introduced new pineapple varieties in the province to reverse the declining yield of farmers. One reason for the decline was attributed to farmers planting only one pineapple variety, i.e., the “queen” or Formosa pineapple.

DA Researcher Inocencio Obrero said the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) here has purchased 1,000 pcs. of the “Ulam” variety while 1,000 pcs. of the MD-2 hybrid was purchased by the Bicol Office of the DA from Bukidnon.

He said that both varieties are now planted at the Research Outreach Station of DA in Calasgasan, Daet.

The ulam variety was develop and registered by Dr. Acosta of Bukidnon. It has spiny leaves similar to Queen Pineapple and was claimed to produce sweet fruit with soft edible core.

On the other hand the MD-2 hybrid was reported to be developed by multinational but is now in the hands of farmers in Mindanao. It has similar plant stand with the spineless smooth cayenne or Hawaiian variety but is said to produce sweeter fruit.

Both varieties are being planted in high elevation areas of 400-800 meters above sea level in Mindanao. Camarines Norte pineapple production areas are reported at 4-35 meters above sea level only.

He said that some plant experts believed that the main reason for the smaller fruit harvest of farmers were due to crop management and not by using a single variety.

Pineapple is unlikely to be affected by inbreeding because planting materials used are suckers and not seeds.

The most likely reason for lower yield is low fertilizer rates, use of the same area for the same crop over and over again and early flower induction of pineapple, he explained.

It can also be caused by prevalence of pests and diseases as aggravated by the prolonged rainy season due to climate change. (MAL/RBM-PIA5-Camarines Norte).