3,000 seedlings planted during 7th 'Lakad Tanim Para sa Puso'

LEGAZPI CITY, Feb. 18 (PIA) -- Thousands of advocates for the environment joined in a five-km brisk walk and tree-planting activity to celebrate the 7th year of the Lakad Tanim para sa Puso last February 14, Valentine’s Day.

The advocates walked from the Philippine Air Force Camp in Barangay Bogtong up to Barangay Pawa before planting at least 3,000 seedlings of pine trees and “ipil-ipil” given by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Barangay Pawa, located at the slopes of Mayon Volcano.

Mayor Carmen Geraldine B. Rosal said the city government will continue to pursue reforestation and environmental programs under her administration and encourage support of the populace to plant and care for more trees even at their own backyard.

“In time for the celebration of Valentine’s Day, we celebrate by way of caring for our hearts and the environment. We walked to be physically fit and plant trees to protect and show our care for the environment,” she said.

Rosal said he was impressed at the number of participants, from different government agencies and private sectors, which manifested that more and more Legazpeños are getting aware of the importance of physical fitness for a healthy living and planting trees for the care of the environment.

She added that future generations will benefit from the concern shown for the environment today.

Pawa village is considered as a destination for tourists looking for adventure. It features lava dome trekking, extreme motor sports, all-terrain vehicle rides, among others. (Manny P. Solis, Legazpi City LGU/MAL/PIA5)

Bicolano senator hails UNHCR citation for IDP bill

LEGAZPI CITY, Feb. 18 (PIA) – Bicolano Senator Francis Escudero has lauded the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for citing the reconciled bill of the Philippine Congress protecting internally displaced persons (IDP) as a “constructive achievement of the Philippines in the resolution of the plight of IDPs.”

Bernard Kerblat, UNHCR Representative in the Philippines, issued the recognition to the IDP bill which Escudero sponsored in the Senate as chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

The bill is awaiting the signature of President Benigno Aquino III.

The bill, according to Escudero, will in many ways complement the truce and the peace agreement that the government is seeking to cement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after the initial Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed in Oct. 15 last year.

The bill recognizes that majority of IDPs resulted from flight of individuals away from areas of armed conflict.

The decades-long conflict in Mindanao had spawned periodic humanitarian crisis in the southern region which the IDP bill seeks to address but the lasting solution to this problem still rests on the success of efforts between the government and the MILF to forge lasting peace, Escudero said.

The Philippines had been tagged among the countries with the “biggest displacement in the world” by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Center prior to the peace pact with the MILF.

Escudero said he holds the protection of human rights as non-negotiable and that the plight of IDPs is among the worst example of violated rights.

He noted the vision of Mindanao as a land of promise depends greatly on achieving enduring peace and the signing of the framework agreement constitutes a great leap forward. (MAL-PIA5/Office of Sen. Escudero)




Bicol's youths to benefit from P1.3-M wage, self-employment training program

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, Feb. 18 (PIA) -- The government has allocated some P1.3 million for a sustainable intervention aimed at improving the plight of the youth in the Bicol region.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Bicol regional director Arnel Garcia said a series of trainings will ensure competency of the young generation for wage employment or “trabaho,” and self employment or “sariling hanapbuhay” in their areas of residency or in other places.

Garcia said that the series of trainings was initially launched last Feb. 12 in Donsol, Sorsogon with a total 50 youth beneficiaries qualified in the training for commercial cooking and welding.

“Out of 50 trainees, 21 of them are already beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps,” he noted.

The project is a joint initiative between DSWD and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), which will organize and facilitate the training programs.

In Bicol region, 3,286 slots are to be filled up with an allocation of P20,000 in the form of training vouchers and toolkits for each of the trainee.

Garcia said that DSWD 5 has coordinated with local governments’ social welfare and development offices to submit the lists of qualified trainees. (MAL-PIA5, Albay)