10 prominent personalities to judge for Miss Earth 2012 in Albay

The candidates for the 2013 Miss Earth Pageant

LEGASPI CITY, Nov. 13 (PIA) -- Ten prominent personalities in the country will sit as members of the board of judges in the upcoming Miss Earth 2012 beauty pageant that will in this city on November 16 – 17, 2012.

Legazpi City and Sto. Domingo Mayors Geraldine Rosal and Herbie Aguas, respectively, are all out in their preparations for a hearty welcome not only to the 30 “beauties for a cause” but for the ten honorable judges as well.

Members of the board of judges include Juan Miguel Zubiri of Bukidnon and Juan Edgardo Angara of Aurora, Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda, 2nd District Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara, AKB Representative Christopher Co, Legazpi City Mayor Geraldine Rosal, Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman-Luistro, Sto. Domingo Mayor Herbie Aguas, Former Albay Vice Governor Brando Sael and LP Congressional candidate Atty. Leni Gerona-Robredo of Naga City, widow of the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, himself a staunch supporter of climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The invited judges are known for their commitment to environmental protection and climate change adaptation and mitigation and sustainable development.

Manuel “Nong” Rangasa, president and chair of the Local Climate Change Adaptation for Development (LCCAD) Inc., revealed that the staging of the Miss Earth 2012 composed of 30 countries beauty queens to Albay is meant to promote the National Climate Change Consciousness Week that immediately follows the beauty pageant and the Clean Air Month which is the whole month of November.

“With international beauty queens indorsing the promotion of a just, clean, healthy and progressive, sustainable environment”, Rangasa said, “There is a great possibility that climate change adaptation will be sustained locally, nationally and globally.”

From the hectic schedule of the Miss Earth candidates, the beauties will have a tour of the eco-cultural tourism community beside Dawitan River, in Bagacay here considered the show window of the rich biodiversity and mangrove plantation, which are the city’s efforts in climate change adaptation.

The contestants will proceed to the site of the Ecological Solid Waste Management, another adaptation project of the city government the city’s response to climate change mitigation as well as to provide livelihood to the upland communities.

In Sto. Domingo, preparations are also in placed for the massive tree planting activity on the day following the beauty pageant at the Mayon Volcano Eco Park.

They will have a chance to plant and name their trees for posterity.

They will be joined by members of the Global Legal Action on Climate Change (GLACC), Bicol Chapter and students from the Bicol College, Bicol University and community adaptation practitioners from various sectors in the province. (MAL-PIA5/CBV-LCCAD)



Tabaco’s Tingog 2015 re-launched

TABACO CITY, Nov. 13 -- The United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC), in partnership with the city government here and Social Watch Philippines/Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement re-launched Tingog 2015 in Tabaco City on Saturday, November 10.

Tingog (Bikol term for “voice”) 2015 is a citizen monitoring and feedback mechanism which aims to hasten the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly, Goal 4- Child Health and Goal 5- Maternal Health, through text messaging or SMS and the internet.

The program provides ordinary people a voice through their feedback and suggestions about government services and for these reports to be given immediate response and appropriate action.

Citizens send their reports using any mobile phone or carrier which will be transmitted to the Tingog 2015 platform and forwarded to concerned local government offices for action.

Tingog 2015 in this city will address reported issues on infant, child, and maternal healthcare based on the menu of services of the city government. This program, however, can be expanded to cover other local government services.

Mayor Krisel Lagman-Luistro has stressed,“Only when there is an effective communication mechanism involving the very people we serve we can truly expect real human development.”

Tabaco City, the only local government unit-city level in the Philippines piloted for Tingog 2015, highlight during the kick off ceremony with a flash mob in three strategic areas in the city participated in by local government employees, barangay officials, health workers, residents, media and the three leading telephone companies (Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, and Sun Cellular), program partners, sponsors and regional representatives of national government agencies. (MAL-PIA5/LGU Tabaco City)




Bicol U, to represent the country in World Business Capability Congress

LEGAZPI CITY, Nov. 13 -- Bicol University will represent the Philippines in the World Business Capability Congress on December 5-7, 2012 at Auckland, New Zealand.

The Congress will showcase presentations from the world’s best business speakers and scholars with over 150 presentations of organization improvement, 14 keynote speeches, 3 panel discussions and over 30 best practice presentations.

The Philippines will be represented by Dr. Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya, president of the Bicol University and the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) V; and Gilbert Mirandilla Llovit, MPM, the Bicol University’s Technical Adviser for ISO 9001: 2008 and Faculty of the University of the Philippines.

Lauraya and Llovit’s paper entitled, “ Academe’s Journey to Total Quality Management: Bicol University’s ISO 9001 Experience” will chronicle the university’s thrust and programs incorporated in its system and how quality of service in higher education has been anchored in its mandates for teaching, research and extension and partakes to inspire other institutions to emulate its best practices.

Bicol University has been conferred in January 2011 as the first state university in the Philippines to be certified to ISO 9001: 2008 for its quality management system.

President Benigno Aquino has conferred BU last January 2012 an ISO certified university that implements quality management program pursuant to EO 605. In a span of almost four decades, BU has gradually transformed to become what it is now – a multidisciplinary and multi-campus university.

To date, it has been identified by the Philippines’ Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as one of the leading State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) for its Disbursement Acceleration Plan based on Quality and Excellence.

Speakers for this World Congress will come from Canada, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA, Russia, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Denmark, Iran, India, Sweden, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, etc.

The Congress is being organised by the Centre for Organisational Excellence Research (COER), New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation, and the New Zealand Organisation for Quality (NZOQ).

The Congress includes the 27th NZOQ Conference, 7th International Benchmarking Conference (the annual conference of the Global Benchmarking Network) and the 2012 New Zealand Business Excellence Awards. (MAL-PIA5/BU)



Caceres archdiocese to install new See of Caceres

By Analiza S. Macatangay

His Excellency Rolando Octavus Joven Tria-Tirona

NAGA CITY, Nov. 13 (PIA) -- Its all systems go for the installation rites of His Excellency Rolando Octavus Joven Tria-Tirona, as the new archbishop of the Archdiocese of Caceres, November 14, Wednesday here. 

Fr. Louie Occiano, Director of Caceres Commission on Communications (CCCoM) said that they are expecting around 700 guests for the ceremony. Most of them, he said, will come from Infanta, Quezon, where Tirona came from while others will be coming from other neighboring towns in Bulacan and Metro Manila. About 40 bishops will also attend the momentous occasion. 

After the liturgical reception at Tabuco Parish, Tirona’s group will go straight at the Basilica to visit the image of Inang Penafrancia after which they will proceed to the Archbishop’s residence. 

At around 5:15 p.m., a reception honors will be headed by the 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army and will be participated by officials comprising Governor Luis Raymond Villafuerte, Mayor Madelaine Alfelor-Gazmen, Mayor John Bongat , MGen Romeo V. Calizo, PCSupt Arne Delos Santo, and Msgr. Noe Badiola. 

On November 14, Most Rev. Leonardo Z. Legaspi will spearhead the Installation and Canonical Possession of Tirona as the Fourth Metropolitan Archbishop of Caceres at 10 a.m. at theMetropolitan Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist at Elias Angeles Street, this city. (LSM-PIA 5, Camarines Sur)