Bicol surgeons sponsor benefit concert for cancer patients

By Analiza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, April 16 (PIA) -- The Pay it Forward Project Asia Foundation, Inc. (PIFPAF), in partnership with the Philippine College of Surgeons-Bicol Chapter (PCS-BC), slated a Charity Dinner Concert on April 20, 7 p.m. at The Tent, Avenue Plaza Hotel here for the benefit of cancer patients.

The benevolent endeavor aims to specifically help thyroid and breast cancer surgery patients to have a renewed chance to live a normal life after medical intervention. The surgical procedure will be given free of charge.

Here in Bicol, the organizers have already identified 100 thyroid and breast cancer recipients who can avail of the free medical surgery.

Ms. Eleanor Zuniga Montemayor, marketing consultant and event specialist, said that they wanted to convey the message of hope to those who can not afford to subject themselves to the costly surgery, that there are still generous and compassionate hearts who are willing to help those in need.

“Our goal is to raise funds for a surgical project to sponsor free surgical operations of 100 thyroid and breast cancer patients in the Bicol Region. PIFPAF has been active in assisting individuals and communities through educational scholarships, medical/dental missions, various community outreaches and supplemental feeding programs since 2002 and was officially incorporated in 2012," Montemayor said in an interview.

The Charity Dinner Concert, an event for a noble cause is a pilot project of PIFPAF and PCS-BC. The organizers wish to sustain the said project for years to come.

“Dr. Michael Peter M. Tuazon, president and founder of the Pay it Forward Project Asia Foundation, Inc. is indeed very eager to raise fund so that it will be used to help others. So we are appealing to everyone to please support this worthy cause to help indigent cancer patients," Montemayor added.

Aside from the great food, music and entertainment, 2012 Junior Master Chef Finalist Louise Mabolo will also prepare an authentic Indian cuisine for the partakers. More or less 600 doctors, businessmen and professionals are expected to be in attendance.

Celebrity performers like Juris, Luke Mejares and Kitchie Nadal will also entertain the audience during the said event.

Tickets are available for P1,250 (inclusive of dinner) at SM City, Avenue Plaza Hotel, Olympia Gym, Popoy's Seafood and Grill in Magsaysay and London Beauty Salon at Avenue Square. For more information, those interested may contact Ms. Kay R. Cortezano at 09177018329 or email hepayitforwardprojectasia@gmail.com. (MAL/LSM/PIA5-Camarines Sur)


Info drive for Kasambahay Law underway in Bicol


By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, April 16 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional office here has stepped up massive information campaign for the Batas Kasambahay in Bicol’s six provinces starting today.

DOLE Bicol regional Director Nathaniel V. Lacambra said the Batas Kasambahay information drive intends to solicit views, issues and concerns about the law in preparation for crafting the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) expected to be out in time for the celebration of Labor Day.

“We want to cover all provinces because we want to know what the town people say and think about this new law as well as respond to the many queries and apprehensions made be some calling the regional and different provincial offices of DOLE,” Lacambra said.

The provincial consultation cum press briefing is set today in Sorsogon and Albay, while April 17 for Camarines Norte and Masbate, April 18 for Catanduanes and Camarines Sur.

Prior to the provincial sorties, DOLE regional office here held a regional consultation with the Regional Information Advocacy Committee (RIAC) meeting last month.

Agreement reached included putting a one-stop-shop for the processing and issuance of SSS, Philhealth and HDMF documents, while tackled issues were that Article 100 of the Labor Code or the non-diminution of benefits, illicit cash advances, illegal recruitment and issues on monitoring.

“Although the issues we have gathered may have reflected the views of the stakeholders in the region, there is still a need to conduct the advocacy at the provincial level for wider dissemination of the law,” Lacambra noted. (MAL/PIA5-Albay)



Church group, Namfrel trains coordinators in CamSur's cities, towns

By Analiza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, April 16 (PIA) -- The Archdiocese of Caceres, through the Caceres Social Action Foundation, Inc. (CASAFI), recently launched the Voter’s Education Program through an orientation attended by its municipal coordinators.

The orientation aims to strengthen the church’s contribution in ensuring a peaceful, honest and fair election this coming election.

National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) provincial coordinator Fr. Jeffrey John Briones, also the concurrent assistant director of CASAFI, said that they will ensure that the voters understand the electoral process and are taught how to get to know their candidates and cast their votes according to the dictates of their conscience.

“Our role is to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, strengthen citizen’s participation while preserving democracy in a peaceful and non-partisan manner,” Briones said in an interview.

NAMFREL has six major roles to fulfill: conduct voters education program, monitoring of campaign finances, deployment monitoring of election paraphernalia, monitoring of voter’s list, mobile poll watching and random manual audit.

As one of the accredited Citizen’s arm of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for May 13 National and Local election, NAMFREL is also tasked to provide volunteers with opportunity to assist in the implementation of rules on electoral contribution and finances and report their findings based on their monitoring.

“We are inviting volunteers to join the NAMFREL in our desire to be of service to our country. They will be trained and will be involved in analyses sessions for them to be equipped with know- how on the roles of the parties, getting-to-know the candidates and how the system works,” Briones added.

NAMFREL also hopes to engage volunteers to appreciate logistical challenges in election administration and how to address it. These volunteers should report their findings, analyses and give pertinent recommendations. All these things are geared towards the achievement of credible polls.

The big task of engaging in mobile poll watching is also on the shoulder of NAMFREL volunteers. That would mean that they have to be specifically vigilant in monitoring the entire electoral cycle. This has to go through three phases: the pre-election process which is during the campaign period, on the election day which is the conduct of the poll and the post-election phase which is the over-all assessment of the election.

“We are encouraging everyone to be constantly vigilant and actively promote honesty as we place the names of our selected candidates on the ballots,” Briones said in closing.(MAL/LSM/PIA5-Camarines Sur)



161 kids in Camarines Sur town benefit from feeding program

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, April 16 (PIA) -- One hundred sixty-one (161) school children from Barangay Daculang Tubig in San Fernando, Camarines Sur will benefit from the three-month supplemental feeding program sponsored by the Philippine Goodworks Mission Foundation, regional office of the social welfare department and the municipal government of San Fernando, Camarines Sur .

Bicol regional director Arnel Garcia of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with San Fernando Mayor Eugenio Lagasca, recently turned-over a check amounting to P163,275.00 to school head Vienna Sibulo of Malaking Ilog Elementary School to cover the first three months implementation of the feeding program.

Garcia said that the supplemental feeding program will augment the food provision to the regular meals to either the day care and school children.

“The program covers six months feeding program whose beneficiaries are children aged 5 to 12 years old and are enrolled this coming school year. Each child will be provided with hot meals amounting to P15 per child per day, five times a week,” he added.

The meals, according to Garcia, will be served during lunch so that the children will not go home instead they will have their lunch in the school. The parents will prepare the food while the recipes or suggested menu for the day will be provided by the Regional Dietary Nutritionist of the DSWD 5.

The town’s rural health unit will conduct the regular weighing and de-worming of the children and attend to other health concerns. (MAL/EEJerusalem-DSWD5/PIA5)