Naga City, Masbate studes top Bicol 2012 essay writing competition on Robredo's legacy

By Rosalita B. Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte, Dec 11 (PIA) – Althea B. Abergos of Ateneo de Naga University (AdeMU) and Mylene C. Gludo of Osmeña College, Masbate City won the championships of the secondary and tertiary category, respectively, in the Bicol 2012 essay writing competition on the legacy of Secretary Jesse M. Robredo held over the weekend in Naga City.

Abergos and Gludo each received a cash prize of P10,000 in the regional championships, adding up to their earlier P5,000 cash prize each in the provincial level feats, plus trophies and certificates of recognition.

Ray Duovani N. Regondola of Abaño Laboratory High School of the Camarines Norte State College and Joanna Rizza Figueroa of Gallanosa National High School, Sorsogon bagged the second and third places, respectively, in the secondary level, while Valerie Salon of Libon Community College, Albay and John Ely B. Templonuevo of Catanduanes State University won the second and third places, respectively, in the tertiary level. All also received trophies and certificates of recognition

The second placers both in the high school and college levels won P7,000, while third placers got and P5,000 plus trophies and certificates of recognition.

Also the provincial winners of the first, second, and third placers were awarded with a cash prize of P5,000; P3,000 and P2,000 respectively and certificate of recognition together with their coaches. The first placers were given a trophy of memorabilia of Sec. Robredo and competed at the regional competition.

Daet Mayor Tito Sarte-Sarion, Publisher of the Bicol Harvest Magazine and one of the main proponents of the literary competition said that the winning essay will be published at the said magazine in order to inspire more people.

Sarion urged young writers to continue their advocacy through writing on the good governance and transparency that the late Secretary has imparted to all especially the leaders and the future leaders of this country.

Councilor Lord Arnel Ruanto of Infanta, Quezon representing Harvey S. Keh, the founder of the Kaya Natin Movement, also the co-proponent of the contest served as one of the board of judges together with Atty. Leni Gerona - Robredo, widow of Sec. Robredo.

The co-proponents and sponsors who also served as the board of judges include: Officer-in-Charge Aida Naz of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA); Asst. Regional Director Elouisa T. Pastor of the DILG; Education Supervisor Dr. Acelodonio Balderas of the Department of Education (DepEd); Education Supervisor Dr. Jean Salalima-Go of the Commission of Higher Education (CHED); Station Manager Amy-Garcia Villafuerte of ABS-CBN- Naga; President of Seaoil Foundation, Inc. Mark L. Yu, and Naga City Vice Mayor Gabriel Bordado.

Other sponsors were the Philippine Postal Corporation, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), SEAOIL, Moringa Vita, Planters Products, Penafrancia Tours, Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce, Inc. LMP-Camarines Norte, Chowking, Mr. Donut, BIGGs, Bob Marlin, Manila Bulletin, Bikol Reporter, various media groups also made the objectives of the said regional activity realized.

The event was also supported by the local government units of Naga City, Iriga City, Legaspi City, Albay, Tabaco City, Ligao City, Casiguran of Sorsogon, Catanduanes and Masbate City. (MAL/RBM-PIA5/Camarines Norte)



201 island children get early Christmas presents

By Shannah Marie O. Montales

LEGAZPI CITY, Dec. 11 (PIA) -- Christmas came early to the delight of children from indigent families in the villages of Rawis and Visita in San Miguel Island, Tabaco City through Hirirasan 2012 held over the weekend.

“These children come from families whose houses are simple and small – one is considered lucky if it has a television. Computers, laptops, internet, touch screen phones, and other forms of modern technology are not the trends here,” said Janine Bio, chair of the Committee on Social Awareness and Responsibility (CSAR) of CSEB and a native of Tabaco City, of the beneficiaries and community-recipients of the gift-giving project.

Hirirasan 2012 is a project of the CSAR of the College Student Executive Board (CSEB) of Divine Word College of Legazpi, in cooperation with the Community Extension Service and Student Affairs Offices, and accredited student organizations of DWCL, with support from Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman and Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda.

“Other groups and organizations prefer to conduct an extension service activity in poor communities in a city or in the mountains. Conducting it in an island is somewhat rare. That is why we chose two barangays in San Miguel Island to be our beneficiaries,” she said.

Each of the 201 grade one and two pupils of Rawis and Visita Elementary Schools were given schoolbags with two pieces of handkerchiefs, towel, toothbrush, and an umbrella.

There was also a Christmas program which included speech and dance presentations of the children from Visita elementary school and fun games which were participated not only by children, but by mothers as well.

Administrators and faculty of Visita Elementary School said not many people from the city and most especially from far places like Legazpi City, who come to visit their island to extend help to the students.

They were so thankful to the DWCL students and to those who helped them conduct the activity. What the children experienced through it was such a rare opportunity so she advised them to study hard as a form of gratitude to their benefactors.

This was the second time of Hirirasan 2012 in San Miguel Island. The first time was last June 9 for the Balik Eskwela Program in which the same group, in partnership with the Young Men’s Christian Association of Albay (YMCA) distributed school supplies to same beneficiaries.

All the items given to the beneficiaries for the two projects all came from students of DWCL.

The Hirirasan 2012 is in line with the Millennium Development Goals to eradicate poverty and giving assistance to primary education. 

“May this serve as a reminder to the government that we still have a lot of fellowmen out there who do not experience its services and need its attention and assistance,” Bio said. (MAL/SOMontales-PIA5/Albay) 

Bangko Sentral warns public of proliferation of fake money

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, Dec. 11 (PIA) – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) branch in this city has warned the public against counterfeit money especially during the holidays.

Marlyn Paje, BSP Legazpi City deputy director, said fake bills may proliferate as demand for goods and services goes up, adding that cashiers and ordinary people are at risk of being victimized as even bank tellers sometimes fail to recognize these counterfeit money.

Paje urged the public to “look, feel, and tilt” when accepting payments of bills especially those in big denominations.

“Detection of a genuine or counterfeit peso bill can be done outright by examining the paper quality of every bill,” Paje said.

Paje explained that genuine peso bills are printed on a special paper made of combination of cotton and Abaca fibers that are coarse and rough to touch while counterfeit money is mostly printed on bond papers, are smooth and thin.

She furthered that counterfeit money is easily torn while the legitimate ones are stronger and with some sort of elasticity before breaking.

During manufacturing of the special paper, the watermark, security fibers, security threads and iridescent band are incorporated. During printing, the different printed features are well-defined, sharp and distinct and slightly embossed which can readily be felt by the fingers.

Meanwhile, data obtained from BSP Legazpi City branch show decreasing trend in counterfeit money proliferation in Bicol region.

From June to November last year, BSP recovered counterfeit money in different denominations: P1000 - 409 pieces; P500 – 412; P200 – 150; P100 – 104; P50 – 32; and P20 – 36.

From January to November this year, the recovered bogus bank notes were; P1000 – 176 pieces; P500 – 296; P200 – 124; P100 – 72; P50 – 28; and P20 – 37.

“The public must remain aware, observant and vigilant for these counterfeit money syndicates to be either prevented or brought to courts,” Paje said.

The BSP has assured the public of immediate assistance from the bank’s cash department if one gets hold of a doubtful or counterfeit note or coin.

BSP agents, furthermore, have been working closely with other regulatory authority such as the Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Officer of the Solicitor General in its fight against fake peso notes. (MAL-PIA5/Albay)

Bicolano student leaders joined ‘Youth Hours’

By Shannah Marie O. Montales

LEGAZPI CITY, Dec. 11 (PIA) – Twenty-eight schools all over the region participated in the Outstanding Students of the Philippines – Bikol Youth Hours 2012 last December 1, 2012 at the Naga College Foundation, Naga City. 

Now on its second year in Bicol, Youth Hours is an annual youth formation workshop which is focused on the three pillars of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP) program: academic and professional excellence, leadership, and social responsibility. 

Carrying the theme (EDGE)n or “Elevating Every Day Great Examples to Nation-building,” the event, which serves as a marketing collateral for the TOSP Program, aims to celebrate the positive ideas of the young participants, regard their ability to contribute to the region’s human development, and to awaken their sense of leadership grounded in moral values and nation building. 

The theme was lifted from the book EDGE: Stories of Every Day Great Examples, a collection of stories of past TOSP awardees which is catered to the cause and the tasks inherent to building a better nation. 

The morning session was highlighted with a Talk Show on (EDGE)n with guest speakers who shared their success stories and motivational tips to the participants. 

The guests were: Dr. Ofelia Samar-Sy, President of the Pinoy Power Bicol Coalition; Lynn Zuniga-Padillo, 2008 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Teacher of the Philippines; Carlo Buenaflor, Young Entrepreneur of the Year and VP Marketing of Biggs Diner and; Janine Patricia Robredo, 18-year old youth advocate and daughter of the late Sec. Jesse Robredo. 

In the afternoon, the TOSP Bikol and TOSP Alumni Community facilitated simultaneous parallel workshops on leadership, social responsibiilty and academic and professional Excellence. Each was designed to help the student leaders in their different fields of endeavor. A separate workshop was also intended for school administrators present. 

“The workshops were designed as something that we students really enjoyed. There were games, group-dynamics, and group-sharing activities which were actually focused on our self-realizations,” said Mark Piolata, a student leader from Legazpi City. 

“We at Naga College Foundation are happy to host the Youth Hours 2012. This proves that what others say about young people not caring for their nation anymore is not true. I am very impressed to see youngsters who have a balance of everything –good grades, leadership skills and selfless civic responsibilty,” remarked Ms. Margaurite Michelle Padua-Hornby, President of Naga College Foundation. 

Youth Hours 2012 was made possible by The Outstanding Students of Bikol, The Outstanding Students of the Philippines Alumni Community, in cooperation with RFM Foundation and was participated in by student leaders who are in their third and fourth year in college, respectively, and some school administrators. (MAL/SOMontales-PIA5/Albay)