10 CSU graduates among LET Top 10 regional placers

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Jan. 11 (PIA) -- Ten Catanduanes State University (CSU) students were cited by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for being among the top 10 placers in the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) in Region V.

The LET regional placers from CSU are Carlito T. Gelito, 3rd placer (and 10th placer in National level); Joan S. Guerrero, 4th placer with 85.80 percent; Jinky Lou T. Sarmiento, 4th placer with 85.80 percent; Ronald A. Teves, 4th placer with 85.80 percent; Ian Lopez, 5th placer with 85.60 percent; Eddie Cadag, 6th placer with 85.40 percent; Donna Nerisse Sapico, 6th placer with 85.40 percent; Aizel Cerillo, 7th placer with 85.20 percent; Melvin Fernandez, 8th placer with 85 percent and Daniel L. Alfaro, 9th placer with 84.80 percent.

PRC, through its Board for Professional Teachers, also honors top 10 placers in LET regional levels aside from the top 10 national LET placers.

The awarding was the highlight of the oath taking ceremony of the LET placers and passers in Bicol.

Dr. Mila D. Vela, dean of the College of Education, led the CSU delegation in the conferment of the LET Regional Award.

The CSU College of Education is a Commission on Higher Education Center of Development in Teacher Education. (MAL/EAB/GSRubio-CSU/PIA5)


Evacuation center up for construction in Malilipot

By Sally Atento

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 11 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the provincial government of Albay recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the construction of an evacuation center at San Jose Elementary School in Malilipot, Albay worth P10 million.

Evelyn Jerusalem, DSWD regional information officer, said that the project will benefit around 1,000 families from barangays San Roque, Canauay, Calbayog and San Jose.

“These barangays have been affected by flooding, lahar flow and landslides and remains susceptible and prone to the same hazards,” she said.

Jeruslaem added that the project is a multi-purpose center complete with facilities that can be used as evacuation center during disasters and calamities and as classroom during normal situations.

The project is part of the relentless campaign of the provincial government to achieve “zero casualty” during disasters where affected residents can take shelter in time when pre-emptive evacuation is advised. (MAL-SAA-PIA5/Albay)


Livelihood program under CRABS kicks off in 14 island village in Albay

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 11 (PIA) – Fourteen coastal villages in the islands of Cagraray in Bacacay and Batan in Rapurapu will benefit from the provincial government’s programs on poverty alleviation, hunger mitigation and population management.

Jeresha San Jose, program officer of the Albay Millennium Development Goals Office, said Batan and Cagraray (located in eastern seaboard of Bacacay and Rapu-Rapu towns ) are areas that the provincial government will be providing livelihood project comprising of training, production of specific raw material, product development and marketing.

The two villages were areas identified for economic development growth under the Cagraray, Rapu-Rapu, Batan and San Miguel Islands or CRABS program.

San Jose observed that for long time residents of these areas who depend their livelihood from producing and processing “Karagumoy” were never introduced innovation on technology or product development to improve their crafts and products.

Karagumoy, with scientific name Chlorophora Excels Calso), is also known as “screw pine” because of its pineapple-like leaves in corkscrew pattern and belongs to the specie of Pandan.

Products that can be derived from Karagumoy, which have been well-received both in the local and international market, vary from bags, organizers, baskets, wine holders to home décor like floor lamps, dividers, mirrors and even furniture.

Weaving of baskets from natural fibers like Karagumoy is the answer to reduce the proliferation of plastics that are non-biodegradable.

“The idea also conforms with the province’s policy and relentless drive to do away with plastic and “Balik Bayong” program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also to reduce to reduce garbage and pollution from plastic,” San Jose noted.

Karagumoy baskets have great potentials for export because other countries are also conscious of their environment and developing these baskets for export would mean livelihood and added income for the rural folks.

San Jose said that upon completion of training program, the community will be divided into cluster and each is entitled to receive P50,000 to P100,000 capital from, with zero interest payment to the provincial government.

CRABS program covers 60 barangays, including the island areas of Cagraray and Batan, that aims to transform the coastal and island areas of Albay into investment and eco-medical tourism destinations.

Aside from community empowerment through the provision of livelihood, the PHP program also aims to pursue community-based tourism in the CRABS areas.

Batan and Cagraray have common resources that can serve as a converging project for the coastal barangays. (MAL-PIA5/Albay)


MGB urges LGUs to take heed on geohazards warnings

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 11 (PIA) -- With the recent spates of typhoons and continuous heavy rains, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has called on local chief executives in Bicol to take heed the warnings on the likelihood of geological hazard occurrence in their respective areas.

MGB OIC regional director Theodore Rommel E. Pestaño in a statement said, “on the on-set of the rainy season during the last quarter of 2012 which normally continues until the month of February, more landslides and flashfloods are expected in identified disaster prone areas in Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon and Camarines Norte.

Pestaño noted that the bureau has already completed the geohazard mapping and assessment of the region in 2010 leading to the production of 1:50,000 scale geohazard maps.

“We have distributed these maps to most disaster prone LGUs down to barangay level in Bicol to integrate preparedness and mitigation, including possible relocation or evacuation, into their local disaster risk reduction planning” Pestaño explained.

“All 113 municipalities and cities region wide were covered in the MGB’s 1:50,000 scale geohazard mapping program” he said. This is to broaden public access to the geohazard maps which have become an important tool in disaster risk reduction and management, Pestaño added.

Pestaño also said the geohazard mapping program of the DENR is continuing with the launching two years ago of another major project to produce 1:10,000 scale geohazard maps for flood and landslide-prone areas nationwide.

”This project is called the densification of geohazard and climate change maps which aims to produce geohazard maps with scale of 1:10,000 covering critical areas to show more details of the area covered by the map and we have started the densification or enlarging of these maps.” Pestaño further explained.

Among the details that can be found in a 1:10,000 scale geohazard maps include location of populations at risk, parameters or features in the area that may affect ground stability and the type of landslides that can possibly occur. Relocation sites can now also be plotted in the 1:10,000.

“Selected municipalities and or cities in Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon and Masbate in Bicol were covered in the densification project” Pestaño said.pointed out.

These 1:10,000 scale geohazards maps will be available by 2014.

“The geohazard mapping and assessment program of the DENR-MGB is an important component of the government’s risk reduction and disaster management program. The program involves the identification of areas in the country prone to various geologic hazards like rain-induced landslides, floods, ground subsidence or sinking, coastal degradation and other forms slope instabilities” Pestaño further said. (LDValdez-MGB5/MAL/PIA 5)