21 beneficiaries in Albay receives CELAs

By Joseph John J. Perez

LEGAZPI CITY, April 30 (PIA) -- With the government’s thrust in providing shelter to the homeless, Vice-President Jejomar Binay led the distribution of Certificates of Lot Award (CELA) to 321 beneficiaries in Sto. Domingo town in Albay over the weekend.

The awarding of CELAs accords with Presidential Proclamation No. 40 that declared the unutilized land of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) in the province of Albay as socialized housing sites to qualified beneficiaries.

“The proclamation gives permission to use the PNR-owned lands that are not used or no longer be utilized by them to transform it into socialized housing,” Binay said.

Barangays which benefited from the distribution are San Andres, Bagong San Roque and Fidel Surtida.

According to Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Regional Officer Engineer Cristy Abaño, more than 139 hectares will be covered by the said proclamation covering the abandoned PNR lines traversing the cities of Legaspi and Tabaco and the municipalities of Malilipot, Bacacay, Sto. Domingo, Daraga and Camalig with a total of 5,850 beneficiaries.

“There is more than 23 hectares of PNR lands covered for distribution,” Abaño said.

The land was disposed through direct purchase scheme under the Administration of the National Housing Authority (NHA), Abaño said.

The number of beneficiaries may increase or decrease due to marriages of household members who stay in the same dwelling unit, death of family heads, out-migration and declaration of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PhiVolcs) as danger area, Abaño said.

“I thank the Local Inter-agency Committee headed by Mayor Herbie Aguas and other agencies that assisted to realize the project, including HUDCC, NHA, PNR and the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP),” Binay said.

Binay also reminded the beneficiaries not to fail the monthly amortization. “This will ensure that in the future you will receive a land title which is very valuable for us Filipinos,” Binay said. (MAL/JJJP-PIA5/Albay)


The “Statesman” literary folio won second Literary Folio award

VIRAC, Catanduanes, April 30 (PIA) -- The Catanduanes State University (CSU) official tertiary student publication’s literary folio won second place award in the 73rd National Student Press Convention of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) recently at University of San Carlos, Cebu City.

The sixth edition of the CSU Statesman’s Abacatanduanes: Ikaanim na Paghahabi book bagged the 14th Gawad ERJ Ikalawang Pinakamahusay na Literary Folio award, along with the Philippine Normal University’s Aklas, first place winner, and Ateneo de Davao University’s Banaag Diwa, third placer.

Named after CEGP President Emeritus Ernesto Rodriguez Jr. the annual Gawad ERJ awards outstanding student publications in the country. Aside from giving recognition to the technical excellence and content of each article in a publication, Gawad ERJ also aims to raise the standard of campus journalism and develop conscious and patriotic student writers.

It can be recalled that the Abacatanduanes: Ikalimang Paghahabi, likewise garnered the 2nd Best Literary Folio in the CEGP 70th National Student Press Congress held in Negros Occidental last April 21-25, 2010.

The anthology authors, photographers and visual artists of the 2012-2013 Abacatanduanes: Ikaanim na Paghahabi, in their order of literary presentation, are John Elmar B. Templonuevo, Ruzzel S. Valdepeña, Jerard Paul V. Tulod, Bren Garette Z. Rivera, Dave S. Tolentino, John Theli D. Bien, German T. Tejada, Gerry S. Rubio, Allan C. Popa, Paul John C. Padilla, Marian Claire V. Tulod, Jonathan V. Tulod, Karen Ailene P. Benavidez, Jordan T. Ignacio, Kathleen M. Arcilla, Howell T. Cilot, Maureen T. Brillante, Elvin Randolph R. Jubay, Joebert Angelo C. Toledo, Charisse L. Faeldonea, Abygale A.Bagadiong, Kyle Rochelle B. Teves, Cyril Patrice O. Bernardino, and Christine May P. Petajen.

Abacatanduanes: Ikaanim na Paghahabi was launched on August 16, 2012 in celebration of the 20th founding of The CSU Statesman. The book likewise pays homage to the richness of multilingual language as can be gleaned from its poetry, essays, short stories and literary graphics. It likewise won separate awards in regional and luzonwide higher education press conventions.

The CSC Statesman senior editors and staff writers who participated in the annual press journalism training were Karen Ailene P. Benavidez, Bren Garette Z. Rivera, Jan Keith Abundo, John Ely B. Templonuevo, and Jerard Paul V. Tulod.

The National Student Press Convention provided lectures and workshops on basic, intermediate and advanced journalism skills. The participants were likewise trained in different literary genres.

As part of the Guild’s dedication to educating student journalists regarding the plight of the country, various socio-political discussions were also featured.

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines is the oldest, largest and only existing alliance of intercollegiate student publications in the country and Asia-Pacific region.

This year, CEGP celebrates its 81st year of existence committed to the advancement of campus press freedom. (MAL/ Gerry S. Rubio,CSU/PIA5)