President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his speech during the blessing and Inauguration of the Bicol University Health Sciences (BUHS) Building  and Launching of the Doctor of Medicine-Master in Public Administration (MD-MPA) Program at the BUHS building in Daraga, Albay  last May 19, 2014. Also in photo are (L-R) BU College of Medicine Dean Dr. Ruben Caragay, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Patricia Licuanan, BU president Dr. Fay Lea Patria Lauraya and Albay Governor  Joey Sarte Salceda . (Alex Cal/PIA5)

President Benigno S. Aquino III, assisted by Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Patricia Licuanan, BU president Dr. Fay Lea Patria Lauraya and Albay Governor Joey Salceda, undrapes the marker during the unveiling ceremony held at Bicol University Health Sciences Building on May 19, 2014.  (Alex Cal/PIA5)

IN ALBAY : President Benigno S. Aquino III  delivers his speech  during  the United Nation World Tourism Organization ASEAN  International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change held at The Oriental Hotel, Legazpi City  on Monday (May 19).  (Alex Cal/PIA5)

PRESS CONFERENCE : President Benigno S. Aquino III answer’s queries from the media during his attendance at the United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO-ASEAN) International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change held at The Oriental Hotel, Legazpi city on May 19, 2014. (Alex Cal/PIA5)

PNoy to keynote UNWTO-ASEAN Conference on Tourism, Climate Change in Albay

BY: SALLY A. ATENTO                           

LEGAZPI CITY, May 16 (PIA) – President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is expected to grace the opening of the UNWTO - ASEAN International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change hosted by the province of Albay on May 19, 2014.  

                                   

The Presidet will keynote the opening program of the conference at the Oriental Hotel here.

This conference will be attended by the heads of the Asociation of South East Asia Nations National Tourism Organization (NTO) and officials of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Ambassador to the Philippines of Spain, Greece, Russia and India together with two prime ministers are also coming.

Together with the President are key officials of the executive and legislative branches of the government along with tourism industry players and local government executives led by Albay Governor Joey Salceda.

UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai has earlier arrived in the country yesterday for a five-day visit which include the presentation and turnover of the Bohol Reovery Plan aimed at helping the province recover from the effect of last year’s earthquake.  

Special meeting of the ASEAN Tourism Proffessionals Monitoring Committee (ATPMC) has been convened in Albay Wednesday this week ahead of the multiple tourism organizations meeting.

Among the concerns discussed are schedules for regional training sessions for hotel divisions where tourism professionals may find employment in other member countries in fields of frontine services, food poduction and food and beverge services.

Mr. Sounh Manivong of Lao PDR chaired the meeting with Mr. Mohd Daud Moud Arif of Malaysia as vice-chair.        

The ATPMC is composed of national organizations of ASEAN member states in preparation for the ASEAN Economic Community Integration by 2015.       

Albay has been chosen among 156 countries by the UNWTO ASEAN to host four international conventions from May 15 – 20, 2014 at the Oriental Hotel here.

These include the UNWTO- ASEAN  International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change on May 19-20, 26th Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UNWTO Commission for South Asia on May 18 and 25th Meeting of the ASEAN plus three National Tourism Organizations and 12th Meeting of the ASEAN – India Tourism Working Group on May 17.

The two-day 40th Meeting of ASEAN  National Tourism Organizations has started yesterday.

ASEAN member states are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (MAL/SAA-PIA5/Albay)

Postbank opens microfinance banking service in Albay

BY: SALLY A. ATENTO

LEGAZPI CITY, May 2(PIA) -- The Philippine Postal Savings Bank (Postbank) inaugurated  Tuesday this week two branches of its Microfinance Banking Office (MBO) or Bangko sa Nayon in Albay alongside the government efforts to pursue inclusive growth particularly on the countryside.

“Aside from our mandate to serve, the Postbank has chartered a development plan to make our financial services readily available to the people and to respond and contribute to the call of the government to promote inclusive growth particularly in the countryside,” said Postbank CEO and president Cesar Sarino during the inauguration ceremony.

Sarino has been the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary under President Corazon Aquino and Government Service Insurance System president under President Fidel V. Ramos.

Sarino led the inauguration of the MBOs in Bacacay and Malinao Albay together with their local chief executives, Postbank Senior Vice President Higinio Fabia, Legazpi branch head Hector Pili and MBO supervisor Alex Fajardo.

These MBOs have benefitted 30 small business owners with a total grant of P455, 000.00 since it started operations on February this year.

He said such grant may reach more than a million in the coming months to benefit more clients particularly the poor ones who want to improve their livelihood by putting up or expanding their business but lacking in financial resources.

He added that compared with the other two government-owned financing corporations, Postbank renders personal service by going out of their offices to look for clients in need of financial assistance through their MBOs.

“Our MBOs may be small but we are efficient in rendering our service. Our staff has their transportation service for them to personally go to the people in need of financial assistance from the cities down to the barangays” Sarino said.

Postbank MBOs aim to serve two groups of clients which include poor people in need of money for business and local government units (LGUs) with low fundings and are in need of financial assistance to render service and address the needs of their people particularly on water, infrastructure and environment.

Sarino noted that based from their studies 37% of the municipalities in the country has zero or low number of financial institutions such as banks and lending companies.

As such, to address this concern they establish their MBOs in these areas to render financial service not only to help uplift the lives of the people in the community but also to serve as added source of funding for the governing LGU.

Postbank will be opening 22 more MBO branches in the country this year.

 The Bank has opened six branches this year; two of which are in Albay, two in Pangasinan and the other two in Bula and Bombon Camarines Sur also inaugurated April 30 this year.

Among the financial services offered by Postbank are Kabuhayan Deposit, Hanapbuhay Loan and Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (FALGU).

Postbank is a government owned financial corporation created on May 24, 1906 under Republic Act Number 1493 as a division of the Bureau of Posts.  

The objective was to bring banking services to the rural areas and to enable the Philippine government to tap savings in the countryside.(MAL/SAA-PIA5/Albay)

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