Naga City joins observance of Deaf Awareness Week

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, Nov 15 (PIA) -- The Bicol Deaf Adults and Youths, in coordination with the city government here, will spearhead this year’s commemoration of the Deaf Awareness Week from November 10 to 16. The week-long activity kicked off on Sunday with highlights scheduled during the weekdays until November 16.

The Department of Education (DepEd), through its Special Education Division of the Bureau of Elementary Education (SPED-BEE), is mandated to conduct related activities in relation to the aforesaid celebration.

A blood letting activity kicked off the observance held at the Naga City People’s Hall here.

One of the highlights of the celebration is the selection and coronation of Miss Deaf Bicolandia 2012 on November 16 at 5pm. The event is set to take place at the Gualandi Formation Center for the Deaf in Balatas, Naga City, where the tickets are also being sold.

Prizes for the Miss Bicolandia will be taken out from the ticket sales.

This morning, a Sexuality and Sex Education lecture were given to the Deaf while a one-day lecture on basic sign language is also slated for those with impaired hearing on November 14 at the SM Event Center. The attendees will also be taught on how to establish business.

On Thursday, a self-defense and livelihood training will be simultaneously slated for those interested. The said events are set to take place at the Pablo Olivan Hall at CBD Plaza Hotel and at the Gualandi Formation Center respectively.

With this year’s theme: Deaf and Able, the celebration aims to raise the awareness of the public on the plight of our differently-abled brothers. It also endeavors to inform the public on early detection or signs of deafness or blindness and the importance of proper intervention, rehabilitation, education and their possible integration in the mainstream.

The event is mandated under Presidential Proclamation No. 829. (LSMacatangay/ PIA-Camarines Sur)



Safety officer in every firm, to lower accidents in workplaces

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, Nov 15 (PIA) -- With more trained safety officers dispatched all over the Bicol region, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional office here has noted the significant decrease in the number of fatal accidents in Bicol’s workplaces.

DOLE 5 Regional Director Nathaniel Lacambra said the agency has already trained 115 safety officers at the expense of their employers and now overseeing the safety in operations of the different firms in Bicol.

The safety training sessions are still offered for all business establishments, industrial firms and other workplaces in the region until they are fully manned by safety officers to achieve zero casualties in the workplace, Lacambra said.

This was after the conduct of three 40-hrs. basic construction safety trainings in the province of Albay, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes.

Lacambra said there must be at least one safety officer present in every construction site.

“We are not singling out contractors or the construction industry but we are focusing our attention on this sector because it has the highest risk factor,” he said.

The importance of safety training and accreditation of safety officers is being highlighted by DOLE-Bicol as the ‘immediate and effective antidote’ to workplace accidents as DOLE records show how safety trainings affect the results of avoiding accidents.

In 2010, when the agency was not focused on safety trainings, it recorded seven fatal accidents, all in the construction industry.

Last year, however, when the office realized the importance of safety and conducted about four safety trainings, no accident was recorded.

This year, three accidents happened in the first quarter, all in the construction industry which prompted the office to reactivate its safety trainings in the second quarter.

“The statistics are showing us how our safety trainings being conducted relate to saving lives. Now, we are reiterating our call on companies, establishments, firms, even media stations to send in their people to our safety trainings,” Lacambra added.

The agency has slated at least one more Construction Safety Training within this month. (MAL-PIA5/Albay)