NSO-Catanduanes leads celebration of Civil Registration Month

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Feb. 7 (PIA) -- The National Statistics Office (NSO) has solicited the people's support and cooperation in celebrating the Civil Registration Month this February with the theme: “Civil Registration, Bringing Public Service Closer to the People.”

NSO Catanduanes Provincial Chief Elisa Solares said the observance of Civil Registration Month reminds the citizenry of their duty to register acts and events concerning the status of persons, enhance nationwide awareness and appreciation of the legal, administrative and statistical values of civil registry documents and underscore the necessity for Congress to provide adequate funds for enforcement and administration of laws on civil registration.

Proclamation 682 declares the month of February of every year as Civil Registration Month affirmed by former President Corazon C. Aquino on the 28th of January 1991.

Solares said NSO offices and municipal civil registrars (MCR) will display streamers and posters for the whole month of February to popularize the celebration and the activities lined-up which includes mobile registration, mass wedding and slogan contest.

She added that NSO Catanduanes will also have a radio program on every Saturday of February to discuss matters on civil registration.

The system of civil registration was established in the country on the 27th of February 1931 through the enactment of Act 3753, “An Act to Establish a Civil Register.” It requires the continuous and compulsory recording of births, deaths, marriages and other acts and events concerning the civil status of persons. The civil status of a person starts at birth and ends at death. (MAL/EAB-PIA5, Catanduanes)


NGCP, DepEd tie up on advocacy for education

By Analiza S. Macatangay

LIBMANAN, Camarines Sur, Feb. 7 (PIA) -- Fifty out-of-school youths (OSYs) and out-of-school adults (OSAs) benefited from the Balik Eskwela Program held here over the weekend.

Department of Education, through its Alternative Learning System (ALS) program, and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) partnered spearheading the launching and implementation of the program in several barangays here.

NGCP Corporate Affairs department head Nelson F. Cabangon said that the activity is also in accordance with the company’s advocacy in pursuing accessible education, particularly for children residing in the countryside.

“NGCP is one with the government’s campaign in promoting education for all, most especially for those children and students who were hampered by financial difficulties but are still willing to pursue their dreams by achieving a diploma,” Cabangon said in an interview.

Cabangon added that this community activity is also communes with the promotion of NGCP’s corporate social responsibility.

The Balik Eskwela Program is a joint project between NGCP and DepEd, in cooperation with Camarines Sur Electric I Cooperative (Casureco I) and local officials of barangays Candato and Bagumbayan in this municipality.

Under ALS program, student-beneficiaries can choose from the modules which would best suit their interest under the module-based learning system. After 10 months of attending classes equivalent to 800 hours of classroom hands-on and lecture, the students will be asked to take the Accreditation and Equivalency Test or AET.

Once they passed the test, lucky applicants can pursue their secondary education or decide to take up a college course.

ALS supervisor Pedro Pelonio led the turnover of learning modules, distribution of school supplies, and the ceremonial signing of their partner’s commitment.

“ALS is a free education program offered by government. This will open the door of opportunities especially for those who cannot afford formal schooling," Pelonio said.

NGCP South Luzon Corporate Communication officer Nelson S. Bautista also cited the members of the media who covered the event and for the stakeholders for making NGCP a part of the community.

“We are very thankful for the warm support of the local barangay officials of Libmanan, our media partners and DepEd and Casureco I officials. Through this activity, we want to send a message of hope to every student that its never too late to pursue education,” Bautista said in an interview. (MAL/LSM-PIA5, Camarines Sur)



DOLE urges Bicolanos to register in the skills registration system

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, Feb. 7 (PIA) -- Twenty officials of Public Employment Services Office (PESO) from the Bicol Region were briefed and trained on the effective implementation of the third phase of the National Skills Registration System (NSRS).

DOLE Bicol regional director Nathaniel V. Lacambra said that the orientation cum training activity, focused on additional knowledge and improving skills of the PESO officials to entice the public to register with the NSRS program.

The NSRS is a registry of not only individuals but also their respective skills placed in a database of every city or municipality.

Lacambra explained that, “When we have a database of skills in every city or municipality, then it will be easier for companies, researchers or anybody wanting to find a necessary skill in the area or locality for employment.”

In Bicol, National Statistics Office (NSO) disclosed last year that Bicol region has recorded the second highest incidence of child labor in the country with some 300,000 next to Central Luzon that tops the list of areas with 316,000.

NSRS database will also become a benchmark data in determining the intervention of DOLE to those localities identified by the NSO with high incidence of child labor.

Lacambra furthered that third phase of NSRS will open avenues for jobseekers and data which could be utilized to sustain concrete intervention necessary in combating child labor, human trafficking and illegal recruitment.

“We, then, encourage all Bicolanos to be part of the program, not only will it become their first move in getting a appropriate job but it will also help them in further developing their skills,’” he said. (MAL-PIA5, Albay)


Training on disaster awareness, preparedness benefits LGU


By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Feb. 7 (PIA) -- A training-workshop on disaster risk reduction and management was conducted last January 14-26 by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Virac town here.

The 12-day activity was aimed at institutionalizing disaster awareness and preparedness of the LGUs in times of calamity and as well as the formulation of Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee as mandated by law under RA 10121 also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

According to the Regional Civil Defense Office of Bicol representative Florito Dapena, the training is part of their office’s programs to reach out to every barangay in Bicol to train and educate officials in mapping out their locality’s susceptibility to disaster as well as improving their capacity to respond under the given situation.

The training was a joint activity of the MDRRMC of Virac lead by Mayor Jose U. Alberto II and Office of Civil Defense Bicol Region headed by Dir. Bernardo R. Alejandro IV.

The participating barangays were clustered according to their topographical location and based on historical events involving 63 barangays of Virac.

The participants were engaged in a series of workshops on disaster mitigation, reaction and rehabilitation in times of disaster. The partakers were also guided on creation of contingency plan, utilization of the calamity funds and the organizational structure of the BDRRMC.

The training was expected to help the participants develop their abilities to mitigate, prepare, respond and recover from any kinds of disasters. (EAB-PIA 5, Catanduanes)