Naga City opens children’s home

By Analiza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, April 26 (PIA) -- “Finding a place that they can call home is a longing that I have long wanted to realize, and today I can say, it’s a dream come true.”

This was the statement of City Mayor John Bongat during yesterday’s blessing and inauguration of the first ever local government unit-operated Children’s Home located at the Metro Naga Sports Complex, Barangay Pacol, this city.

“The project also supports the national laws which we now turn to local ordinances. Naga City will support children who are in need, children who are in conflict of the law, street children and any child who needs a home,” Bongat stated.

The Naga City Children’s Home (NCCH) will be under the auspices of the city government, in cooperation with various government agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWSD) and Department of Education (DepEd).

The edifice is complete with amenities complementing the activity rooms, kitchen, administrative office, classrooms and wards specifically designed for those children in conflict with the law. The center will also cater to the needs of abandoned, neglected and abused children.

DSWD Bicol Assistant Regional Director Alex Armenia also expressed the full support of DSWD to the city’s endeavor.

Armenia also lauded the city government for this landmark project and encouraged other government agencies to support the project to help distressed children who are badly in need of guidance, particularly those who needs rehabilitation.

Naga City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) Officer James Reblando said that their office is going to focus on the rehabilitation phase or aspect of the said program.

“These children need to undergo rehabilitation if we want to successfully bring them back to the folds of a normal life and before integrating them in the mainstream,” Reblando said in an interview.

As part of the rehabilitation process, the children will follow a daily home routine like keeping their bedding, preparation of the mess hall and participation in household chores and other endeavors. Before the clock ticks at 7pm, the kids are expected to have finished bathing or cleaning themselves in time for the preparation of dinner. After which, they will be allowed to watch the Knowledge Channel on TV together with some ALS teachers.

On Saturdays and Sundays, nuns from various religious organizations will join them for formation activities. (MAL/LSM/PIA5-Camarines Sur)


700 mother-child participants join synchronized breastfeeding in Albay

LEGAZPI CITY, April 26 (PIA) –- About 700 mother-child participants gathered for a synchronized breastfeeding or "sarabayang pagpadodo" activity at the Albay Astrodome on Thursday morning, April 25 as part of the month-long Daragang Magayon Festival 2013 celebration.

The event was organized by the Department of Health (DOH) Bicol regional office, National Nutrition Council (NNC), Rotary Club of Legazpi and the Provincial Health Office (PHO).

Albay Governor Joey Salceda said the synchronized breastfeeding activity is a social marketing strategy that seeks to piggyback on heightened public attention during the Daragang Magayon Festival in order to widen the reach of information on good nutrition and child-rearing practices.

"The event was timed to take advantage of the heightened public attention in order to promote the practice of exclusive breastfeeding up to the first six months," Salceda said.

The key highlights were a motorcade around the Legazpi-Daraga area; an education through lecture-forum by nutritionists, followed by a well-participated question-and-answer portion with nutrition experts; and distribution of free transportation tickets, food, T-shirts, nutrition kits for infants, personal hygiene kits, and 90-day supply of ferrous sulfate to lactating mothers.

In his inspirational message, Salceda stressed the need for a healthy citizenry as the foundation of a vigorous community and a strong economy.

He also noted that the main objectives of the exercise are right nutrition practices for new-born and under-two-year-old infants; right nutrition for lactating mothers and "birth spacing," an element which, he said, is not just for slower population growth but more so to promote the health of mothers and children since "the breast is not a robot or a vending machine," and to highlight that breastfeeding is not only popular but also the right nutrition so that the rest of the 25,000 births every year in Albay will be guided accordingly.

Salceda requested media's help in propagating the practice of breastfeeding by focusing on the mother-child aspects of the event. (Mike de la Rama, Albay AIDS Council/MAL/MDR-PGA/PIA5)


Sangguniang secretaries of Bicol hold annual assembly in Catanduanes

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, April 26 (PIA) -- The Bicol Association of Sanggunian Secretaries (BASS) is holding its annual assembly here from April 24-26, 2013 at Twin Rock Beach Resort.

This gathering of Sanggunian panlalawigan, pambayan and panlungsod secretaries is being held to tackle different issues and programs that will help strengthen the organization.

According to Ursus de Quiros, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Secretary of Catanduanes, five barangay secretaries and the Association of Barangay Captain (ABC) of the 11 towns of the province also participated in the activity.

Meanwhile, a representative from the Department of Tourism will give a talk to provide awareness and to promote the province’s tourist spots.

Through this, the provincial government expects that the participants from different parts of the region will eventually promote the province’s tourism to other individuals.

Enhancing legislative excellence is one of the topics discussed during the activity. Around 150 persons participated in the event. (MAL/EAB/PIA5-Catanduanes)



Bicol crime volume down by 6%

LEGAZPI CITY, April 26 (PIA) -- The crime volume in Bicol in the first quarter of 2013 has dropped by six (6) percent, according to the police regional office here.

Police Supt. Renato Bataller, Bicol police regional spokesman, said during the “Aramon Ta Day” radio program that during the first quarter of 2013, from January to March, only 2,419 crime incidents were reported, indicating 155 incidents or 6 percent lower than the 2,574 incidents registered during the same period last year.

Of the total crime incidence reported, 1,390 were identified as index crimes while 655 were non-index crimes.

He explained that index crimes are committed in violation of the revised penal code while non-index crimes are crimes committed in violation of special laws and local ordinances.

Based on the crime situation, Bataller said that index crimes registered a total of 1,390 cases this year as compared to the recorded 1,505 cases last year, registering a decrease of 115. While on the non-index crime, a drop of 66 cases was reported or was 9.15 percent lower than the 721 recorded for the same period last year.

He reported that physical injury has still the highest crime volume as in past years with 547 cases, followed by theft with 397 cases, robbery with 215 cases, murder with 86 cases, rape with 77 cases, and homicide with 25 cases.

Bataller also added that Albay recorded the highest crime incidences with 540, next to rank is Masbate with 511 cases while Sorsogon had the lowest with 118 cases beating the record of Catanduanes which had the lowest crime volume for the same period last year with only 105 recorded cases.

Catanduanes’ crime volume, for the first quarter of this year, has escalated with 146 registered crime incidents.

Of the 2,419 total crime incidents, 1329 were cleared while 675 cases were solved representing a crime solution efficiency rate of 27.9 percent, higher than the 25.8 percent rate in the same period last year.

Bataller furthered that the decline in crime volume and increase in crime solution were the result of PNP’s resolve to strengthen its crime prevention campaign and also the active support of the community.

However, according to him, crime volume is likely to escalate this coming election especially to those areas with intense political rivalries among candidates and history of poll violence.

Battaler emphasized that this is a challenge to them to further boost their manpower strength and to all other concerned agencies and the community as a whole to support anti-crime campaigns to assure peace and security throughout the region. (MAL/MZEser-OJT-BU/PIA5)



Honest, peaceful elections can be achieved in Masbate – Solcom chief

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, April 26 (PIA) -- The joint forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and Commission on Elections in Bicol are confident that honest, orderly and peaceful elections can be attained in Masbate, Major Gen. Ceasar Ronnie F. Ordoyo, the commanding officer of the Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) said.

In a press conference during the celebration of Albay’s Heroes Day, Ordoyo noted that for the past three years, a lot of improvements happened noting the cooperation being given by all sectors of society in the province in pursuit of clean elections.

He said a peaceful place will gain economic benefits, citing that the confidence given to the Aquino Administration by the business community within the country and abroad manifest such.

Ordoyo said the government is implementing a cocktail of tactical drives toward lasting peace, attributing to unity and cooperation, assurance from the authorities that the local folk are protected, continuing advocacy campaign to end or abandon the armed struggle or culture of violence and negotiation or peace talks among the concerned sectors, particularly among the enemies of the government.

Ordoyo said the Bicol media also plays a very vital role in the attainment of a lasting peace or in having a gun-less society.

He furthered that this cycle of violence in Masbate will be put into end through this procedure, and more reports are welcome.

He said that for the past three years, the government has maintained the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center in Masbate to ensure peace stability that already brought positive results

The province posted low cases of election-related violent incidents compared to previous elections. (MAL/NIMediavillo-RNB/PIA5)