UN ISDR NAMES SALCEDA “SENIOR CHAMPION” ON CCA/DRR

LEGAZPI CITY — Albay Gov. Joey S. Salceda has received an accolade from the United Nations (UN) International Strategy on Disaster Risk Reduction (ISDRR) naming him a “Senior Champion” for his initiatives on crafting and implementation of a comprehensive program on Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction in the province.

At the recently held UN ISDRR conference in Bonn, Germany, the organization has conferred the title of “Senior Champion” on DRR to Salceda for his leadership in an aggressive campaign on CCA and designing and putting into action a province-wide DRR strategy saving thousands of lives in times of calamities and disasters.

Salceda, in his acceptance message, said, “I joined the ISDR campaign for resilient cities as global role model for Asia because Albay wants to learn from best practices around the world and we want to push ourselves higher on standard of the ten DRR essentials and push the envelope on development through DRR and CCA.”

As the saying goes "The proof of the pudding is in the eating DRR/CCA,” he said.

Two and half decade passed, Albay put up the Albay Public Safety Emergency and management Office (APSEMO), which conceptualized and orchestrated the disaster management operation maintaining a “Zero Casualty” goal, except in 2006 when two super typhoons came in succession and triggered flooding and lahar flows killing close to a thousand residents in the province.

Salceda said the DRR strategy implemented by the province was an investment and not a cost as it reduced the risks thus it increased business returns and a noted surge in investments even after the spate of disaster like Typhoons Reming, Milenyo and Mayon eruption.

The CCA/DRR allows development to proceed in the midst of disasters since farmers can go on farming, fishermen can go out fishing, school children can attend classes while businessmen can continue with their trade, since the provincial government takes charge of the disaster, thus it creates jobs and promotes human welfare, Salceda pointed out.

“The DRR as a provincial flagship program has its political rewards, as I am possibly the first governor in the history of Albay to run virtually unopposed,: Salceda said. (MSArguelles, PNA Bicol)


PGMA UNVEILS PROGRAMS ON INFRA, HEALTH;
PAYS TRIBUTE TO SLAIN SOLDIERS IN CAMARINES SUR

SAGÑAY, Camarines Sur --- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has inaugurated during her sorties here Monday (May 31) the Tigaon-Mayong National Secondary Road, formerly known as Sagñay-Albay Boundary Road, six years after it was completed.

President Arroyo said that the completion of road networks, such as the Sangay-Tiwi road project here in Camarines Sur, is part of her super region projects which focuses on the economic strength of particular regions.

“In Bicol, Atulayan is one of the potential tourist attractions which would showcase this regions’ potential for economic growth. This will be an essential key for development and eventually, the growth of this community,” the President noted .

Bicol Region belongs to the Central Philippines Cluster, together with three Visayan regions, which focuses on tourism development.

The Tigaon-Mayong road network project, also known as the Sangay-Tiwi Road has a total road length of 24 kilometers.

In October 2000, the project was carried out under the Rural Road Network Development Project Phase II for the concrete-paving of the said road network and completed in November 2004. Now, it serves as the shortest route connecting the 4th District of Camarines Sur to the province of Albay and vice versa.

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, President Arroyo headed to the inspection of the nearby Botika ng Barangay.

The President reiterated her administration’s thrust under the “Murang Gamot para sa lahat, Alagaan ang Kalusugan” to lower the cost of medicines so that everyone, especially the poor, can afford them.

In this town, only one Botika ng Barangay exists in the main Poblacion area. After its venture a few years back, it ceased to operate due to budgetary constraints and lack of pharmacist. It resumed operation under the management of the parish pastoral council of the Saint Andrew Parish.

In her visit, President Arroyo assured the town’s constituents that she will assign one provincial pharmacist to comply with the requirement of the Department of Health (DOH). Currently, there is a total of 27 Botika ng Barangay which are already in full operation in the 4th District of Camarines Sur.

The President also took time to visit Dr. Manuel T. Fuentebella Hospital which is also just within the Poblacion area, for a brief inspection. After taking a quick lunch at Congressman Noli Fuentebella’s residence, she flew back to Pili Airport, motored to the 9th Infantry (Spear) Division of the Philippine Army at Palestina, Pili, Camarines Sur and condoled with the families of slain soldiers who fell victims to the New People Army’s attack in an upland village of Presentacion town, two days ago.

President Arroyo witnessed the awarding of the Military Merit Medal to the slain valiant army officers: First Lieutenant Miguel Logronio, Jr; a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 2009; Corporal Arturo Hernandez, Pfc Albert Jamera and Pfc Edwin Britannico.

She also turned over P1.45M Cash assistance to all the families of ambushed government troop members and P50,000.00 each for those who were wounded in action.

The soldiers were on duty when the ambush happened. They were deployed in the area to watch over PGMA’s flagship project in the region, particularly the road projects linking Presentacion to the town of Caramoan . (LSMacatangay, PIA CamSur/mal)

SORSOGON GEARS UP FOR LA NIÑA

SORSOGON CITY — While everyone experience the occasional rainfall and high rise of temperature the past days, the Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) is preparing measures and strategies to mitigate the impacts of La Niña expected to bring excessive rainfall.

La Niña, sometimes called “El Viejo” or cold event, is the counterpart of the climate phenomenon El Niño which results to more than normal rainfall and typhoons especially of stronger characteristics.

Provincial Public Safety and Disaster Management Office (PPSDMO) Information Officer Manro Jayco of PDCC Sorsogon said that the local disaster response office is currently in the process of conducting follow-up to previously trained Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) municipal officers across the province as part of their mitigation plan in case Sorsogon will directly be hit by excessive rainfall brought about by the phenomenon.

“We are also preparing to orient newly elected officials and Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council action officers if ever there will be new appointees, in order to make them more effective and efficient disaster managers,” Jayco said.

“We will also strengthen the performance of our rain gauge monitoring officers especially in the three identified flood-prone areas in the province, namely Barangays Incarizan in Magallanes, Cogon in Irosin and Banuang Gurang in Donsol, so that they could provide us accurate information relevant to our disaster preparation activities” he added.

Meanwhile, the Sorsogon PDCC has already started doing rounds in areas considered low-lying and flood prone including the coastal areas in different municipalities here to give information and warn DRR leaders on the ill-effects that La Niña may bring.

It can be noted that PAGASA disclosed that frequent precipitations may be experienced in the month of July. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon)

SMOKE-FREE PROGRAM OF LEGAZPI CITY CITED IN 1ST RED ORCHID AWARDS

LEGAZPI CITY --- The city government here has received another feather on its cap after it received the 1st Red Orchid Awards of the Department of Health (DOH) and World Health Organization (WHO) a citation given to local government units (LGUs) for initiating an aggressive anti-smoking campaign.

This city, together with Davao City and three other towns, bested other LGUs across the country in the “100% Smoke-Free LGU” category during the DOH-WHO-sponsored awards program.

City Mayor Noel Rosal and his wife Gie Rosal, incoming Mayor of this city, proudly received the award in an awarding ceremony held at the Crown Plaza Ballroom in Ortigas, Manila on Monday (May 31) and pledged to continue and strengthen the city’s smoke-free campaign as part of its effective local governance program.

The awarding ceremony for the 1st Red Orchid Awards highlighted the observance of the World No Tobacco Day Celebration held every May 31 of the year.

This year’s World No Tobacco Day theme is “Gender and Tobacco with an Emphasis on Marketing to Women”.

WHOand DOH are sounding the alarm on the increasing trend of smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption by women and young girls worldwide.

DOH has encouraged all its attached offices and hospitals LGUs to help promote a tobacco-free environment, hence the Red Orchid Awards was conceived to recognize comprehensive efforts to implement a 100% Tobacco-Free environment following the WHO “MPOWER” initiative where M stands for monitor tobacco use, P for protect people from tobacco smoke, O for offer help to quit tobacco use, W for warn against the dangers of tobacco, E for enforce bans on tobacco advertising and R for raise taxes on tobacco. The R or the raise taxes criterion applies only to local government units.

This is the 1st of a series of awards programs carried out and will be pursued by DOH and WHO in their tobacco control initiatives, for LGUs and DOH hospitals, centers for health development (CHD) and regional health offices nationwide.

DOH has also announced that any LGU, hospital or CHD that will win the award three consecutive times will be beneficiary of a grant as performance incentive.

Rosal approved the Comprehensive Smoke-Free Ordinance of this city last August 12, 2005, while the revised Smoke-Free Ordinance (007-2009) was approved last year to further strengthen the program defining the roles of cooperating agencies and organizations, mode of enforcement, and strategies to really achieve a smoke-free city.

“With the approval of the revised ordinance, the City Health Office (CHO) will take the lead in the implementation of program, projects and policies,” he said, adding that “a smoke-free coordinating council with an established office has been already set up at the city hall,” Rosal added.

The incoming city chief executive, meanwhile, said that the city’s smoke-free campaign will be pursued by her administration, mulling more improvements specifically on the health and enforcement aspect.

Rose Olarte-Orbita of the Adventist Community Team Services (ACTS), a non-governmental organization which initiated, supervised and assisted in the implementation of the campaign, has expressed elation for the citation conferred to the budding program.

“We never perceived our efforts and struggles to magnify this way. We thank Mayor Noel for his strong leadership and political will, the Smoke-Free Committee members who devoted their time and resources. We give honor and gratitude to God, for He continues to move the hearts and minds of our key local officials in protecting His children,” she said.

“This city’s smoke-free experience and best practices are expected to be shared and replicated in other localities across the country,” Orbita added.

Other winners of the 1st Red Orchid Awards for the CHD category are: CHD Metro Manila, CHD CAR and CHD SOCCSKSARGEN.

For outstanding LGUs, the winners are Calauag, Quezon in CALABARZON, Legaspi City in the Bicol Region, Maasin City in Eastern Visayas, Talisayan in Northern Mindanao and Davao City in the Davao Region. (MALoterte, PIA V)

DSWD LAUNCHES 4Ps JINGLE MAKING CONTEST

LEGAZPI CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is spearheading the conduct of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Jingle Making Contest to promote the goals and objectives of the program through music., announced DSWD Bciol Director Remia Tapispisan.

The contest is open to all musical aspirants and enthusiasts. Awaiting the regional winners are cash prize of P10,000 for first placer, P7,000 for second place and P5,000 for the third prize.

The composition must have a maximum of two minutes but not less than one minute playing time. Entries must be submitted in CD form, but contestants must be willing to perform the jingle in person, when called.

Each group (with maximum membership of 5) or individual is allowed to submit only one entry. Contestants below 18 years of age must submit a parental consent allowing the child to join the contest.

All entries must be placed inside a brown envelope with the name of contestant. It must contain the following: a) Properly labeled CD with the track title, composer/performer, and contact information; b) Lyrics of the song which should be typewritten or printed legibly in an A4-sized bond paper. Missing lyric sheets can be cause for rejection of entry; c) Duly accomplished application form. Forms are available at the DSWD regional office, and various Provincial/Municipal/City Social Welfare Development Offices (P/M/CSWDO) in the region.

Entries must be submitted to the DSWD Field Office V, PBN Buraguis, Legazpi City, or any P/M/CSWDO on or before July 9. However, all regional entries must be in at the DSWD regional office by July 18.

Criteria for judging are as follows: a) Lyrics (relevance to the theme), 30 percent; b) Musicality (execution, over-all performance, 35 percent; c) Originality (creativity), 35 percent.

Winning regional entries may be further enhanced and packaged before submission as national entry to the DSWD central office. Winning entries will not be returned and shall become the property of the DSWD”s 4Ps. The 4Ps National Project Management Office (NPMO) reserves the right to modify or enhance the winning entry to be used as advocacy material that can be aired in the different broadcast outfits at the local and national levels. The winning entry shall serve as the official jingle of the program.

For more information, interested parties may contact DSWD Regional Information Officer through 092-5092364 or at 480-5754/820-1309, or email at fo5@dswd.gov.ph. You may also visit www.fo5.dswd.gov.ph for more information.

4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy of the government that aims to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by investing in human capital such as health, nutrition and education. (CLMartinez, KCRSMO-DSWD/PIA)

BICOL TOURISM UPTREND BRINGS IN P364.5 M REVENUE; CREATES .72 M JOBS

LEGAZPI CITY — Bicol’s tourism has generated some P364,506,282.50 gross receipts and created a total of 723,754 jobs for Bicolanos during the first quarter of this year, according to an official of the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office here.

DOT Bicol Regional Director Maria Ravanilla averred Bicol tourism posted some 593,241 tourist arrivals with 13.09 percent increase compared to the 524,544 tourist arrivals during the same period last year.

Ravanilla added that the agency recorded some 80 percent (454,016) of tourists visiting Bicol were locals while only 20 percent or 139,225 were foreign nationals.

She noted that the increase in tourist arrivals was delivered by the three “icons” in local tourism namely Mayon Volcano in Albay, CWC in Camarines Sur, and Butanding (whaleshark) interaction in Donsol, Sorsogon.

Camarines Sur continues to bring in the highest income posting a 348,139 visitors generating P197 million in revenues, followed by Albay with 86,518 making some P65 million in revenue; Catanduanes with 31,432 with P35 million; Sorsogon, 31,049/P27.5 million; Masbate 49,061/P20.2 million; and Camarines Norte with 47,042/P19.2 million revenues.

DOT data also reveals that the industry continues to post an uptrend in gross receipts with P443.5 million in 2007, surge by P782 million in 2008, and hitting over the P1 billion mark last year. (MALoterte, PIA V)

RETURN TO BOTANICAL PESTICIDES, FARMERS URGED
By Danny O. Calleja

CASTILLA, Sorsogon — Sorsogon Vice Governor Renato Laurinaria has urged farmers in the province to start participating in a nationwide drive against the extensive use of harmful agricultural chemicals particularly pesticides by way of returning to botanical pesticides.

“Let’s go back to the basics of using botanical pesticides in our farms and save lives while earning more profits from our crops,” Laurinaria told dozens of farmers from all over the province who visited his agro-tourism farm here over the weekend.

The two-hectare farm which the vice-governor started five years ago boasts of several species of high-yielding fruit trees, root crops, vegetables and other high value crops grown and maintained without the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides.

“I go natural and organic, and you see, without worrying about chemical farm inputs that are poisonous yet very expensive, my harvest gives me more profit than those who rely on chemicals,” he said.

It is a common knowledge that modern agriculture produces high yields but is often not sustainable. Expensive farm chemicals eat into profit. Pesticides upset the natural balance between predators and pests and chemicals poison groundwater and rivers.

He cited a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) saying every year, hundreds of thousands of people are killed due to accidental poisoning by agricultural chemicals.

”Three people are poisoned by pesticides every minute around the world and all in all, about 10,000 die annually due to pesticides,” the WHO report according to Laurinaria.

The AgribusinessWeek in its latest publication reports said that 62 percent of pesticides sold in the Philippines are insecticides. Of these, 46 percent are applied to rice and 20 percent to vegetables. Insecticides had become one of the major expenses of farmers that account for about 40 percent of total production cost.

Experts say people who are eating chemical-laced vegetables are risking their lives since chemicals are not always dissipated. Generally, chemicals are accumulated in the human body.

The lack of regulation in most developing countries like the Philippines often accounts for the importation of banned pesticides. In some instances, farmers try to apply untested chemicals which they think could drive away insects and pest. In 1992, the illegal use of cyanide compounds by cabbage farmers in the Cordillera region provoked a public outcry.

In time, the use of botanical pesticides again gains wider acceptance among farmers. Botanical pesticides are derived from plants which have been shown to have insecticidal properties. Used widely until the 1940s, these natural pesticides were displaced by modern synthetic pesticides that at that time seemed cheaper, easier, and longer lasting.

The increasing awareness of the dangers posed by chemical pesticides to human health is prompting many Filipino farmers to use botanical formulations that they themselves are preparing, the AgribusinessWeek said.

Eric Vinje of Planet Natural in an article said “natural pest controls like the botanicals are safer to the user and the environment because they break down into harmless compounds within hours or days in the presence of sunlight.”

They are also very close chemically to those plants from which they are derived, so they are easily decomposed by a variety of microbes common in most soils, Vinje added.

Many plants have insecticidal properties. Extracts of these plants can be sprayed on the crop to either kill or repel insects. Take the case of atis, which is best used against aphids, ants, and other crawling insects. The seed of the fruit is crushed and mixed with water. The solution is sprayed against target pests, according to Laurinaria.

Manzanilla, on the other hand, he said drives away a wide range of insects. To use it as a pesticide, dried flowers are finely chopped and mixed with fine clay loam and water at the rate of six to seven tablespoons of dried flowers per gallon of water. The mixture is sprayed on infested plant parts.

Tubli, a wild vine, has an ancient reputation as a botanical pesticide. Ethnic groups in the Philippines have long been using it to poison unwanted fish. In Brazilian rivers, it is used to eliminate the deadly piranha.

Tubli’s insecticidal properties were discovered in 1848, when the plant was first used against the nutmeg caterpillar. It was patented for use as an insecticide in England during the late 19th century, and American farmers started using it in 1911.

Applied as a powder or spray, tubli is toxic to a wide range of insect pests–aphids, beetles, borers, the diamondback moth, fruit flies, thrips, cabbage worms, fleas, flea beetles, lice, loopers, mites, mosquitoes, psyllids, and slugs. It is recommended for application on bush and vine crops, too, Laurinaria said.

Another excellent botanical pesticide is kakawate. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that kakawate leaves contain coumarin, which can be converted into an anticoagulant “discoumerol” found to be an efficient rat killer.

“Anticoagulants are an efficient natural method of pest control because they reduce the protein prothrombin, a clotting agent secreted in the liver, and eventually cause death from internal bleeding,” the FAO noted.

Tests have shown that while the toxin produced by kakawate does not act rapidly, repeated doses lead to fatal hemorrhaging within a few days. “Unlike many other poisons, anticoagulants do not produce bait shyness, which rodents tend to acquire as soon as the first victims of other poisons are taken,” the FAO said.

Aside from rodents, kakawate also acts potently on insects. In many countries, its leaves are placed in chicken runs, or left to soak in hot water and used to eliminate fleas and lice on domestic animals.

In Ilocos region, a study made by the Mariano Marcos State University found out that kakawate leaves can be used to control diseases that attack garlic like purple blotch and bulb rot. To prepare the concoction, the leaves are pounded using mortar and pestle.

After that, one liter of water is added to a kilogram of pounded kakawate leaves. The mixture is filtered and sprayed to the plants infested by pests.

In the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, organic rice farmers sprayed their crops with fermented leaves and twigs of kakawate and neem trees to control pests and diseases. Some farmers found it convenient and effective, also, to just allow the kakawate leaves to drift to their farm when they irrigate.

In Baguio, a botanical pesticide prepared from kakawate leaves and other herbals are used against pests that attack cabbage and broccoli like cabbage butterflies, diamondback moths, leafminers, and inchwoitits.

Many other plants can also be used to prepare extracts with pesticidal properties. A mixture of garlic, onion, marigold, and hot pepper can annihilate a wide range of insect pests.

To prepare the concoction, the following are boiled in water for 10 minutes: three to four garlic gloves, two handfuls of marigold leaves, two to three onion bulbs and two to three small hot peppers.

It is left to cool before diluting the mixture with water four to five times the quantity of the botanical materials. Stir thoroughly and spray on infested parts. The mixture is best used within two days.

“Botanical pesticides are one answer to the pest problem in developing countries,” says Gaby Stoll, a German agrobiologist and author of Natural Crop Protection. However, she sounds a word of warning: Not all botanicals are risk-free. “Some are as dangerous as chemical pesticides,” she warns.

But Stoll says the move from chemical to botanical pesticides is “an important step in the search for a balanced, self-regulating agricultural system.”

Another advantage of botanical products is that they are not very persistent. Most of them will break down quickly under influence of high temperature or sunshine. Therefore, they don’t have a long lasting contaminating effect on the environment. (PNA Bicol/cbd)

RP LOOKS AT HIGHER GROWTH TARGET IN 2010

MANILA — The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) sees better economic growth for the country in 2010.

In a news conference in Malacanang today(Wednesday, June 2), Economic Planning Director Dennis Arroyo said the Philippines is looking at a "sustainable" increase in its economic growth target range this year of between 2.6 percent and 3.6 percent.

Most multilateral funding institutions like the World Bank and foreign banks have already upgraded the country’s growth target to as high as six percent.

Arroyo said growth is "looking good" and now "solid" mainly due to the booming global economy.

Arroyo said the government had "stopped being conservative" after the gross domestic product (GDP) rose to 7.3 percent in the first quarter this year. "We are now more confident in our growth estimates," he said.

"What pushed growths were manufacturing which grew by 20 percent and exports by 17.9 percent - the biggest export surge in 15 years," Arroyo explained. (PIA V Release)

BPO CONTINUES TO POWER GROWTH OF SERVICES SECTOR -- PALACE

MANILA — Malacañang said the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector in the country continues to flourish, contributing tremendously to the growth of the service industry.

According to Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza in a press briefing today (Wednesday, June 2), the BPO industry is “giving the glow to the 6.1 percent first quarter growth in the service sector compared to the 1.9 percent a year ago,” Mendoza said.

Overall, first quarter gross domestic product (GDP) on total goods, services and products in the country grew by 7.3 percent, officials said, affirming the figure given by economic agencies

The BPO sector alone generated over $7.2 billion last year, approximating earlier projections which estimated the year end earnings within that range. In year 2000, BPO was a mere $24 million industry.

In the same press briefing, Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III, chairman of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), said that despite the effects of the global economic crisis, the BPO industry grew by 19 percent and generated 440,000 employees despite recession last year.

In her 2009 State of the Nation Address, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo gave importance to developing the BPO sector, citing it as an engine of growth.

With the global economy recovered as of late last year, Chua is expecting an industry growth of 26 percent for 2010.

According to Chua, the country is building a name as a preferred off-shoring destination with the quality of service that the country provides.

He was optimistic that American businesses will continue outsourcing forays, despite attempts by United States lawmakers to pass a bill imposing higher taxes on American firms resorting to offshoring employment.

Chua said the government continuously monitors these developments in the United States.

“We are constantly monitoring the situation and it is up to our bilateral relationship with US to avert any adverse effect of such a move,” Chua said, adding that the global demand for outsourcing services continues to grow.

He also said there are a lot of services that can be outsourced that has not been outsourced, He said the challenge does not lie in the demand but in keeping up the supply of personnel by developing new talents. (PIA V Release)

PGMA FETES AGENCIES INVOLVED IN ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAMS

MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo awarded today (Wednesday, June 2) Presidential citations to government agencies which have successfully implemented poverty alleviation programs that advanced the development and provided greater access to basic services particularly for the poor and marginalized sector of the populace.

The Chief Executive awarded the Presidential citations to the Department Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), Technical education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth).

Receiving the awards from the President at Malacanang’s Ceremonial Hall were Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Social Welfare Secretary Celia Yangco, DTI Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya, TESDA Director General Pastor Guiao, Philhealth executive vice president Melinda Mercado, DA Undersecretary Berna Romulo Puyat and NAPC Undersecretary Catherine Mae Santos.

One of the outstanding accomplishment of the DA is the sustained implementation of anti-poverty programs and projects under the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA).

These include the construction of 6,305 kilometers of farm-to-market-roads; generation of 23,390 hectares of new irrigation areas; rehabilitation of 261,811 hectares and restoration of 153,598 hectares of unserviceable and deteriorated irrigation facilities; and distribution of 41.4 million kilos of organic fertilizer and 3.56 million fertilizer discount coupons benefiting some 1.78 million farmers.

The DA also provided hybrid and certified seed subsidy for some 3.2 million hectares benefiting 2.23 million farmers; distributed 85,478 heads of various animals; 452 million fingerlings and 4 million pieces of broodstock which boosted production and enhance productivity of farmers and fishermen.

The DA also installed 2.016 flatbed dryers nationwide to help farmers minimize post-harvest losses and released P4.9 billion worth of loans to 141,916 farmers and fisherfolk to encourage and develop their capacity to invest more in agribusiness.

On the other hand, the Cheaper Medicines Act provided huge savings for the marginalized with the availability of generic medicines as the DOH established 15,024 Botika ng Barangays which provided affordable yet quality medicines to poor communities nationwide.

The DSWD was cited for the successful implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) that improved the health, education and spending capacity of some one million poor Filipinos while providing community grants for the 200 poorest towns nationwide.

The DTI was cited for the continuing expansion and access to funds of micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which continued to flourish even during the global economic crisis.

TESDA was recognized for the successful implementation of the Pangulong Gloria Scholarship Program which provided more than one million technical and vocational scholarships for the unemployed, underemployed, retrenched/displaced workers and returning overseas workers.

NAPC was likewise recognized for its sustained efforts in conducting local and national level consultations that improved the welfare of the poor and vulnerable sectors such as labor, urban poor, senior citizens, cooperatives, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Philhealth was cited for the enrolment of 85 percent of the population under the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) with health insurance claims reaching P23 billion in 2009 from only P7 billion in 2000. (PIA V Release)

PALACE JOINS CALLS TO RATIFY INFORMATION BILL

MANILA — Malacanang has joined the calls for the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill in the Lower House, saying it would give more teeth to the constitutional right to know and the state policy of full disclosure of transactions involving public interest.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Rogelio Peyuan said the Palace is hopeful that this bill “will come to life” when lawmakers tackle the bill on Friday (June 4).

“We are one with everyone who wishes to see the passage of this proposed bill. And we believe, as we always put our trust and confidence in the entire sector of our media practitioners, that we will see this come to life,” Peyuan said in a news conference today.

Peyuan said the passage of Freedom of Information Act would mean a lot for each and every outfit or individual practitioner in the media circle.

The FOI bill seeks to ensure the implementation of the right of the people to information on matters of public concerns guaranteed under Section 7, Article 3 of the 1987 Constitution and the state policy of full disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest under Section 28, Article 2 of the Constitution.

If passed, it would allow the right of the people to access information on matters of public concern, such as official records and to documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, decisions, as well as government research data used as basis for policy development.

The Senate approved its version of the bill Dec. 14 last year with 12 senators voting for the measure. (PIA V Release)

PALACE HINTS WAGE INCREASES LIKELY

MANILA — Malacanang is confident that private sector workers will soon get their much-awaited increases in daily wage, saying that efforts of the tripartite boards looking at the wage structure could bear results “within the week.”

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Rogelio C. Peyuan said the likely wage hike will be the welcome news to the labor sector, particularly the minimum wage earners.

Last May 1 during the Labor Day celebration, Peyuan said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
had ordered the various Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards to hasten the process of resolving the P75 across-the-board wage increase petition from the private labor sector.

For government workers, the President had announced that they will continue to have yearly salary increases until 2012 pursuant to the salary standardization law.

Upon the President’s directive, the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) said the wage board in Metro Manila is deliberating on the pending wage petition and is expected to come out with a decision this week.

“Hopefully before the end of the week,” Peyuan said. (PIA V Release)

PGMA UNVEILS PROGRAMS ON INFRA, HEALTH;
PAYS TRIBUTE TO SLAIN SOLDIERS IN CAMARINES SUR

SAGÑAY, Camarines Sur --- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has inaugurated during her sorties here Monday (May 31) the Tigaon-Mayong National Secondary Road, formerly known as Sagñay-Albay Boundary Road, six years after it was completed.

President Arroyo said that the completion of road networks, such as the Sangay-Tiwi road project here in Camarines Sur, is part of her super region projects which focuses on the economic strength of particular regions.

“In Bicol, Atulayan is one of the potential tourist attractions which would showcase this regions’ potential for economic growth. This will be an essential key for development and eventually, the growth of this community,” the President noted.

Bicol Region belongs to the Central Philippines Cluster, together with three Visayan regions, which focuses on tourism development.

The Tigaon-Mayong road network project, also known as the Sangay-Tiwi Road has a total road length of 24 kilometers.

In October 2000, the project was carried out under the Rural Road Network Development Project Phase II for the concrete-paving of the said road network and completed in November 2004. Now, it serves as the shortest route connecting the 4th District of Camarines Sur to the province of Albay and vice versa.

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, President Arroyo headed to the inspection of the nearby Botika ng Barangay.

The President reiterated her administration’s thrust under the “Murang Gamot para sa lahat, Alagaan ang Kalusugan” to lower the cost of medicines so that everyone, especially the poor, can afford them.

In this town, only one Botika ng Barangay exists in the main Poblacion area. After its venture a few years back, it ceased to operate due to budgetary constraints and lack of pharmacist. It resumed operation under the management of the parish pastoral council of the Saint Andrew Parish.

In her visit, President Arroyo assured the town’s constituents that she will assign one provincial pharmacist to comply with the requirement of the Department of Health (DOH). Currently, there is a total of 27 Botika ng Barangay which are already in full operation in the 4th District of Camarines Sur.

The President also took time to visit Dr. Manuel T. Fuentebella Hospital which is also just within the Poblacion area, for a brief inspection. After taking a quick lunch at Congressman Noli Fuentebella’s residence, she flew back to Pili Airport, motored to the 9th Infantry (Spear) Division of the Philippine Army at Palestina, Pili, Camarines Sur and condoled with the families of slain soldiers who fell victims to the New People Army’s attack in an upland village of Presentacion town, two days ago.

President Arroyo witnessed the awarding of the Military Merit Medal to the slain valiant army officers: First Lieutenant Miguel Logronio, Jr; a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 2009; Corporal Arturo Hernandez, Pfc Albert Jamera and Pfc Edwin Britannico.

She also handed down P1.45M Cash assistance to all the families of ambushed government troop members and P50,000.00 each for those who were wounded in action.

The soldiers were on duty when the ambush happened. They were deployed in the area to watch over PGMA’s flagship project in the region, particularly the road projects linking Presentacion to the town of Caramoan . (LSMacatangay, PIA CamSur/mal)

PGMA CONDOLES WITH FAMILIES OF SLAIN SOLDIERS;
GRANTS P1.45M CASH ASSISTANCE

CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, Camarine Sur – Family members of the soldiers who were killed and wounded in ambush staged by NPA rebels in Camarines Sur have received cash assistance amounting to P1.45 million from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her visit in 9ID Army headquarters today.

Five soldiers were killed while four were wounded in a series of ambuscades staged by the NPA rebels in Presentacion town, Camarines Sur last Saturday, May 29.

The soldiers were deployed in the area to secure PGMA’s flagship road network project that links Presentacion to the tourist-magnet town of Caramoan.

Several family members came to witness the awarding ceremony held in the 9ID chapel and inside the camp’s hospital.

Edwin Britannico Sr, father of slain soldier Pfc Edwin Britannico Jr, has mixed emotions about the P250,000.00 cash assistance that he received from the President.

He is one of the 5 direct dependents of the fallen soldiers who benefited from the government’s cash assistance.

“I am very thankful that our beloved President has not forgotten the plight of her soldiers’ family members. I may be in deep sorrow but her presence has made me smile for this moment,” said Edwin Sr.

Four other soldiers who were wounded in action (WIA), received P50,000.00 each from the President.

One of them, Private First Class Jerry Magdasoc, was very happy for the fund support that he personally received from PGMA.

“I can use this amount to start a sari-sari store that will be attended by my wife. I proudly salute the President for this financial help,” Magdasoc said.

Major General Ruperto Pabustan, 9ID Army commander, assisted the President during the awarding ceremonies.

The soldiers also received the award of Military Merit Medals for heroism in combat as well as the award of the Wounded Personnel Medal.

The soldiers were cited for their heroic actions during the one-hour firefight after being ambushed by a superior enemy force in an upland village of Presentacion town two days ago.

Though outnumbered and being bombarded with landmines and Molotov bombs, the soldiers held their positions to engage the NPA terrorists until they run out of ammunition after the intense hour-long firefight.

Presently, about 300 soldiers have joined the massive manhunt operations supported by helicopter gunships and artillery units to locate the perpetrators of the bloody ambush.

Meanwhile, security patrols for the construction company that implements the road project have been resumed immediately.

“We will continuously support this important infrastructure project of the government. This will surely alleviate the hardships of the people in this part of CamSur,” said LtCol Ernesto Cruz, commander of the 42nd Infantry Battalion. (HMCabunoc, chief 9ID PAO/PIA)

Four soldiers slain including an officer,two wounded in a rebel stage ambush in Camarines Sur

LEGAZPI CITY ----At least four Army soldiers died and two others were wounded in an ambush staged by New People’s Army (NPA) on Sunday in a remote village in Presentacion town in Camarines Sur, a military officer said today.

The four bodies of dead soldiers including an officer earlier reported to be missing were retrieved on Sunday by Army trooper in an upland village of Presentacion town in Camarines Sur.

LtCol Ernesto Cruz, Commander of the 42nd Infantry Battalion, said that his unit has already found the bodies of the missing soldiers near the encounter site.

“All of my missing soldiers are already accounted for. We will immediately transport them towards our headquarters in Nabua town,” said Cruz.

Cruz identified the fatalities as First Lieutenant Miguel Logronio Jr, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 2009, Corporal Arturo Hernandez, Pfc Albert Jamera, and Pfc Edwin Britannico. All of them suffered multiple gunshot wounds and shrapnel wounds.

Injured were Private First Class Jerry Magdasoc and Carlos Codires, both sustained gunshot wounds on their legs.

Responding soldiers also found Private First Class Bernard Vergara who was unscathed in the said ambush.

The victims were members of a team of soldiers dispatched to conduct pursuit operations against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who were involved in a shooting incident in Bicalen village, Presentacion, Camarines Sur.

The soldiers were ambushed by more or less 20 heavily armed rebels at around 3:00am Sunday at barangay San Francisco, Presentacion, Camarines Sur.

Major Harold Cabunoc, Division Spokesman said that the 12-man squad of soldiers led by First Lieutenant Miguel Logronio Jr, were on combat patrol in a remote village in Presentacion town when they were ambushed by NPA who were positioned in a forested area.

Vergara was among the five soldiers reported missing by military authorities. He was able to send a text message to his superiors about his status, triggering the large-scale rescue operations starting early this morning.

“I was lucky enough to have jumped towards a defilade area during the detonation of the first set of landmines. We gave them a good fight but the terrorist rebels have occupied a higher ground. The number of Molotov bombs and grenades thrown at us seemed endless so I decided to crawl farther away from the encounter site,” said Vergara.

“We had also inflicted casualties among our ambushers. I have personally seen them carrying their dead and wounded from my concealed position near the encounter site,” Vergara added.

Responding soldiers led by First Lieutenant Nonito Alcala found four unexploded landmines near the roadside. His troops also discovered some droplets of blood in the rebel positions.

“The rebels were planning to wipe out any military vehicle that will pass by their ambush position. They have planted larger sized landmines near the road and any large truck can be blown to pieces by those mines,” Alcala said.

Major General Ruperto Pabustan, Commander of the 9th Infantry Division, has directed the 902nd Brigade to intensify its combat patrols and security operations to protect the road project which links Presentacion and Caramoan towns. (MSArguelles, PNA Bicol)

Anti narcotics agents raid marijuana plantation in Albay

LIGAO CITY --- Anti-narcotics operatives swooped down on Saturday a vast marijuana plantation and uprooted some 361 fully grown marijuana plants in barangay Baligang a village at the upper slope of Mayon volcano here, a ranking official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)in Bicol said today.

Joint elements of the PDEA, Philippine National Police (PNP) and Philippine Army (PA) also collared Orly Ocbian the suspected g rower of the MJ plantation located within the designated 6 kilometers Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) area at the upper slopes of Mayon volcano.

Pedrito Magsino PDEA regional director said the raid was in response to a PDEA informant that there exist a marijuana plantation with fully grown marijuana plants ready for harvest in a hinterland of said village.

Magsino said he immediately formed and dispatch a composite team and send them to the area.

The team raided the plantation at around 3:00 a.m. on Satruday and found the fully grown marijuana plants at the 850 square meter government land.

The raiding immediately uprooted the hundreds of marijuana plants and brought them at the PDEA office in Police Camp Gen. Simeon Ola in Legazpi City while the suspect was likewise detained awaiting the filing of appropriate criminal charges for violation of the comprehensive dangerous drug act.(MSArguelles, PNA Bicol)

PGMA CONDOLES WITH FAMILIES OF SLAIN SOLDIERS;GRANTS P1.45M CASH ASSISTANCE

CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, Camarine Sur – Family members of the soldiers who were killed and wounded in ambush staged by NPA rebels in Camarines Sur have received cash assistance amounting to P1.45 million from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her visit in 9ID Army headquarters today.

Five soldiers were killed while four were wounded in a series of ambuscades staged by the NPA rebels in Presentacion town, Camarines Sur last Saturday, May 29.

The soldiers were deployed in the area to secure PGMA’s flagship road network project that links Presentacion to the tourist-magnet town of Caramoan.

Several family members came to witness the awarding ceremony held in the 9ID chapel and inside the camp’s hospital.

Edwin Britannico Sr, father of slain soldier Pfc Edwin Britannico Jr, has mixed emotions about the P250,000.00 cash assistance that he received from the President.

He is one of the 5 direct dependents of the fallen soldiers who benefited from the government’s cash assistance.

“I am very thankful that our beloved President has not forgotten the plight of her soldiers’ family members. I may be in deep sorrow but her presence has made me smile for this moment,” said Edwin Sr.

Four other soldiers who were wounded in action (WIA), received P50,000.00 each from the President.

One of them, Private First Class Jerry Magdasoc, was very happy for the fund support that he personally received from PGMA.

“I can use this amount to start a sari-sari store that will be attended by my wife. I proudly salute the President for this financial help,” Magdasoc said.

Major General Ruperto Pabustan, 9ID Army commander, assisted the President during the awarding ceremonies.

The soldiers also received the award of Military Merit Medals for heroism in combat as well as the award of the Wounded Personnel Medal.

The soldiers were cited for their heroic actions during the one-hour firefight after being ambushed by a superior enemy force in an upland village of Presentacion town two days ago.

Though outnumbered and being bombarded with landmines and Molotov bombs, the soldiers held their positions to engage the NPA terrorists until they run out of ammunition after the intense hour-long firefight.

Presently, about 300 soldiers have joined the massive manhunt operations supported by helicopter gunships and artillery units to locate the perpetrators of the bloody ambush.

Meanwhile, security patrols for the construction company that implements the road project have been resumed immediately.

“We will continuously support this important infrastructure project of the government. This will surely alleviate the hardships of the people in this part of CamSur,” said LtCol Ernesto Cruz, commander of the 42nd Infantry Battalion. (HMCabunoc, chief 9ID PAO/PIA)

ARAW NG PAMBANSANG WATAWAT MARKS START OF FREEDOM DAY CELEBRATION

MANIL A— The National Historical Institute (NHI) has led Friday (May 28) the celebration of the National Flag Day or Pambansang Araw ng Watawat honoring the country’s national emblem and also commencing the commemoration of the 112th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 12, this year.

This year’s Freedom Day’s theme is “Kalayaan: Tagumpay ng Bayan”.

Department of Education Secretary Mona Valisno keynoted the National Flag Day program in Imus, Cavite highlighted by flag raising and wreath laying ceremonies, parade around down town and tableaux in commemoration of the Battle of Alapan.

Valisno, addressing national and local government officials, school administrators, teachers and students, averred the agency just completed this year’s first batch of the Seminar Workshop on the Flag and Heraldic Code, which was participated by private school administrators, teachers and students.

Valisno added she has issued DepEd Memorandum No. 210 directing all schools nationwide for the display of the Philippine flag from May 28 to June 12, 2010.

NHI chair Ambeth Ocampo and Executive Director Badoy expressed enthusiasm in activities set for the big day, with thee display of flags and tarpaulins along major thoroughfares and in all government offices, schools and universities to be led by DPWH, DepEd, DILG and CSC.

Musikalayaan, a free concert of the AFP Band in celebration of Flag Day, was also at Open Air Auditorium Rizal Park last Friday.

SM Supermalls, meanwhile, organized the largest human flag composed of 15,000 people in Cavite together with a special program and parade in SM Molino, SM Rosario, SM Dasmariñas, and SM Bacoor.

Further, DILG Usec. Austere Panadero issued Memorandum Circular 35 enjoining all local chief executives (LCEs) all over the country to conduct simple but meaningful activities such as flag raising ceremonies, wreath laying rites in honor of national and local heroes with a display of the National Flag in government buildings, major thoroughfares, as well as in public parks, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, department stores, malls and banks starting May 28 to June 12, 2010. (BLPeñera, PIA)

APFTI LEADS WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY 2010 IN NAGA CITY

NAGA CITY —“Don’t just buy- buy just.”

Thus states the battle cry of the Advocate of Philippine Fair Trade, Inc. (APFTI) who spearheaded the celebration of the World Fair Trade Day (WFT) 2010 held here.

APFTI, together with the Bicol BEST Producers, the Metro Naga Development Council and the World Fair Trade Organization-Philippines (WTO-Phils.) led the week-long celebration here to promote people’s awareness on responsible buying.

The activity aimed to encourage people to consider the impact of their lifestyles to small producers, their immediate communities and the environment.

Ma. Gemma I. Malapo, APFTI area coordinator, said that the events that the organization has staged in line with the World Fair Trade Day Celebration are intended to raise the awareness of Bicolanos about the importance of trade fair and their ability to change lives.

“By making small changes, for example buying Fair Trade products, consumers can make a big difference in the lives of our small producers, and most importantly, to our environment,” related Malapo.

APFTI believes that by patronizing trade fair products, consumers are assured that small producers get a fair deal, paid proper compensation, and that they are working under safe conditions. Fair trade also secures livelihood. Three million disadvantaged producers from poor communities around the world are benefiting from Fair Trade. Income from Fair Trade helps poor communities to build houses, create new jobs and improve quality of life.

By supporting these locally-made products, consumers are also guaranteed that environment-friendly procedures are carefully taken into consideration.

Ms. Esther Gamboa, APFTI advocacy manager, made mention of their organization’s dream to have an empowered community of entrepreneurs fighting poverty and contributing to sustainable development through Fair Trade.

“Fair Trade provides opportunities to disadvantaged Philippine producers, provides fair and equitable working conditions and helps address climate change, whilst generating profits,” she said.

Fair trade conserves the environment by continuously harnessing local resources and protecting their source of living. Producers on the other hand, responsibly increase their role as stewards of the environment by ensuring that their production process is not in a way detrimental or causing harm to the environment.

“Scrap and discarded materials are still being used, re-used and recycled. In this manner, we are helping mitigate the effects of climate change by doing our share as responsible consumers and producers,” Gamboa added.

The World Fair Trade Day celebration also calls for the transformation in the consumer’s buying behaviour and instilling new perspectives among people. (LSMacatangay, PIA CamSur)

KALAHI-CIDSS CONVERGENCE HELPS MORE COMMUNITIES IN MASBATE

LEGAZPI CITY — Poverty remains the country’s greatest nemesis and over the years, strategies have been developed and refined to defeat poverty that has gripped the Filipinos for many decades.

One revolutionary strategy developed was the Community Driven Development or CDD approach which is being implemented in 12 regions nationwide through the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS).

In Bicol Region, KALAHI-CIDSS covers 24 municipalities with 633 barangays participating in CDD process. The project has funded a total of 666 community interventions that respond to people’s prioritized problems from 2003 to 2009 in the amount of P7.6 million and over 160,065 household beneficiaries presently reap benefits from the project.

In March 2010, KALAHI-CIDSS was officially launched in the municipality of Cawayan in the province of Masbate. Cawayan is the only municipality in Bicol for additional 16 municipalities to implement KALAHI-CIDSS. Adding 16 more to the original 184 municipalities was a directive from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her visit in Arakan, North Cotabato last year.

Shortly after its launch, the project has gained major headway with the institutionalization of CDD by forming a 20-member Municipal Inter-Agency Committee (MIAC), which has the widest representation among KALAHI-CIDSS areas in Bicol. At the onset, the LGU has also provided a complete Municipal Coordinating Team (MCT) as partner implementers in the field whose primary task is to ensure the implementation of Local Counterpart Contribution (LCC) Plan and start-up plan which was prepared by the municipal officials.

To identify other activities and strategies in sustaining CDD at the municipal level, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) headed by Regional Director Remia T. Tapispisan, spearheaded the conduct of ACT-MCT-MIAC Assessment Workshop.

She said that one of the major responsibilities of the LGU that is stated in the Memorandum of Agreement is the institutionalization of Participation, Transparency and Social Accountability (PTA). She added that among the strategies that can be explored is the convergence of national poverty reduction projects and programs implemented at the LGU. Inasmuch as Cawayan is implementing DSWD programs like Self-Employment Assistance Kaunlaran (SEA-K), Tindahan Natin, 4Ps or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Supplemental Feeding (SF) and the KALAHI-CIDSS: KKB.

During the workshop, members of the MCT-ACT and MIAC explored new initiatives to address the development gaps in the implementation of KALAHI-CIDSS in the areas of project implementation, institutionalization and convergence, operation and maintenance (O&M) and gender and development. They also rationalize training initiatives, which were found to be useful in KALAHI implementation.

One key recommendation identified during the planning workshop was the need to firm up agreements on undelivered commitments of the LGU based on the LCC plan.

One of the very helpful topics identified was the clarification of roles, duties and responsibilities of ACT, MCT and MIAC. Ester Mapa, District Guidance Coordinator, said “the topics discussed are very interesting and a great help for me. It equipped me in facilitating community activities with the use of new information and updates discussed in this workshop.”

Aside from the members of the ACT, MCT and MIAC, the meeting was attended by representative from PLAN International and other funding donors.

After the planning workshop, the DSWD through the Regional Project Management Team (RPMT) will monitor and provide technical assistance on the implementation of the action plan.
(CLMartinez/KCRSMO-DSWD/PIA)

FNRI DOST, NCC TO HOLD INTERFACING ON SCIENCE OF HYDRATION

LEGAZPI CITY — The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-FNRI), National Nutrition Council (NNC) in Bicol and Coca-Cola Export Corporation have jointly slated interfacings for scientists as well as lay people on recent scientific findings and applications on hydration, water and beverages.

The organizers set the Science of Hydration H2010 Symposium at 8:00–11:00 a.m. and Science of Hydration H2010 Lay Forum at 1:30-4:30 p.m. at Villa Caceres Hotel in Magsaysay Avenue, Naga City on 17 June 2010.

The morning symposium will offer an educational opportunity for the scientists, academic community, public health workers, food industry representatives, researchers and many others involved in the related fields to learn and discuss recent scientific knowledge and recommendations on hydration, water and beverages.

On the other hand, the lay forum in the afternoon is intended for teachers, representatives of fitness centers and related establishments, parents and the general public who are interested to learn and discuss practical knowledge on the topics water, fluids and hydration: Importance, functions and fluid balance; status of consumption and supply of beverages in the Philippines; fluid needs throughout the lifecycle; water, beverages, energy drink in physical exercise and sports; myths and facts behind soft drinks and beverages; and, industry’s response to fluid needs for health and wellness

Heads and representatives of concerned individuals and organizations are invited to attend the said activities.

For more information, please contact Dr. Pilita O. Lucena or Ms. Arlene R. Reario, Legazpi City Organizing Committee, at telephone nos.: (052) 8205385; 8205388; 4834358 or at email address: tsd.dostrov@gmail.com (c/o Mr. Bong Noguera) or Ms. Rowena Manalansan at 0920-286-1535 or email address: rowenamanalansan@yahoo.com or Ms. Gemma P. Yuchingtat at gemma_y2004@yahoo.com. Registration is free. (POLucena, DOST V/PIA)

DTI BEEFS UP MONITORING OF PRICES OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES IN BICOL

LEGAZPI CITY —The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regional office in Bicol has intensified, through their provincial offices across the region, its monitoring of prices of school supplies in preparation for the opening of classes on June 15.

DTI regional director Joy Blanco said “The public can expect in increase of prices in terms of school supplies but it would be very minimal.”

All provincial offices of the DTI have been conducting simultaneous monitoring both in public market and malls.

Blanco said that immediate sanction will be imposed if the monitoring team will find unnecessary increase in price of school supplies.

DTI Camarines Norte chief Ernesto Pardo said that the agency's monitoring team is staging a weekly check of basic commodities to prevent unreasonable increase in the prices of the said supplies.

He said that recent monitoring of prices of school supplies remains normal based on the suggested retail price (SRP) implemented by the DTI.

"The prices of school supplies, however, may vary depending on the brand of the commodity," he said.

Pardo has urged consumers to canvass the prices before buying them. (MDRama, PNA Bicol)

PALACE THANKS BISHOPS FOR ACKNOWLEDGING PGMA'S ACHIEVEMENTS
IN INFRA, ECONOMIC GROWTH -- OLIVAR

MANILA — Malacanang thanked the Catholic prelates for their acknowledgment of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s achievements in infrastructure projects and economic growth and stability, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar said on Monday.

Undersecretary Olivar, in his opening statement at a media briefing at the New Executive Building, also thanked the bishops for recognizing the principled stand of President Arroyo against aggressive population management, which is consistent with economic theory about the demographic dividend and the advantages of having a large domestic market.

”We accept that much remains to be done in education, even though the President has already built more classrooms, distributed more textbooks and scholarships, and trained more teachers than any president before her," he said.

"Education outcomes are still mixed, which is why she formed the Presidential Task Force on Education (PTFE) some years ago to overhaul the entire education strategy, and also why education reform is at the very top of her legislative agenda as a neophyte congresswoman,” Olivar added.

He also stated that they were puzzled at the failing marks the prelates gave President Arroyo on poverty, considering the improvement over the years in poverty statistics, with self-rated poverty going down to 43 percent last quarter, its lowest since the Marcos years, and the "wide array of anti-poverty programs that cushioned our poorest countrymen" through the depths of the global recession.

"I am reminded of all those candidates during the campaign who said they couldn't believe they were behind in the surveys because of the large crowds they were seeing at their rallies.

Likewise, our daily experience with the images of hunger and poverty can persuade us that such misery is widespread. But those images, no matter how compelling, cannot controvert the numbers, which tell a different story -- one of slow but sure improvement in the lot of the poor," Olivar said.

”We are likewise puzzled at the bishops’ failing marks on environment for a President who sets aside half a day every week on these issues, who is building one materials recovery facility (MRF) in every barangay, and who has received international acclaim, especially for her strategy of sustainable development and her regional advocacy against climate change.

"Perhaps the bishops may be opposed to any kind of exploitation of nature's resources -- such as through large mining projects -- no matter how equitable and ecologically sensitive these projects are. If so, they should remember that nature exists for the use of man, and that denying this truth -- regarding nature as some kind of earth mother, or Gaia -- veers too close to the heresy of pantheism,” the Palace spokesman explained.

"Lastly, we will simply have to agree to disagree with the bishops about issues that long preceded and will long survive the Arroyo presidency -- such as our political culture of patronage -- or issues about her personal likability and popularity. This is the stuff of transient surveys only, and not the impartial judgment of history which even now is already unfolding, and which will look only at how all the numbers posted under this President brought about a permanent upliftment in the lives of our people," Olivar said. (PIA V Release)

PALACE ADMITS 7.3% 1ST QUARTER GDP HAS YET TO CREATE MORE JOBS

MANILA — The Palace cited factors why the country’s 7.3 percent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) or total goods and services produced in the country has not translated to more jobs.

“There is the entry of many Filipino graduates in the labor force. And maybe, the economy’s improvement is applying more to capital-intensive industries rather than labor-intensive sectors,” said Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar.

Olivar said the primary reason the highest year-on-year growth by quarter in the last 30 years is the ongoing global economic recovery.

“As the rest of the world recovers, our imports and exports are growing. In the GDP growth, manufacturing moves up to 20 percent year-on-year for the first quarter,” Olivar said.

Olivar also said critics should bring their complaints to the National Statistics Office (NSO) and the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) instead of the Palace.

“Ito ang lumabas na datos tungkol sa paglago ng ekonomiya: 7.3 percent year-on-year first quarter ng GDP at 9.5 percent ng gross national product (GNP). Ito ay galing sa NSO at NSCB. Mga professional na ekonomista at statistician ang nariyan. Sila po ang kastiguhin ninyo, huwag ang palasyo tungkol sa bagay na iyan (The data on economic growth indicating 7.3 percent year-on-year first quarter growth in GDP and 9.5 percent growth in GNP or total goods and services produced by the country here and abroad, including remittances came from the NSO and the NSCB, which have professional economics and statisticians. Critics should direct their questions to them, not to the Palace),” Olivar said. (PIA V Release)

PALACE TO NOYNOY: BE CAREFUL IN MAKING NEGATIVE STATEMENTS ABOUT ECONOMY

MANILA — Malacanang has cautioned presidential frontrunner Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III from making negative statements about the country's economy.

In a press briefing, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar also challenged Aquino to show evidence that the 7.3 percent Gross Domestic Product growth was a result of campaign spending alone and not due to wise economic policies implemented by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

"We want to see evidence... hindi puwedeng puna ng puna na wala namang ebidensiya. In fact, numbers and statistics show otherwise," Olivar said.

"We can only hope na kapag siya na ang pangulo, realistic, impartial, responsible ang mga statements na bibitawan niya lalo na sa economy," he said

Olivar also advised Aquino not to close his options about raising new taxes, saying that he might eat his own words.

"If in the end you find out that you have to raise taxes, if you're closing out one possible solution, hindi responsible na magsalita na babawiin in the end," Olivar said.

This is in reaction to Aquino's hard stance in rejecting outright the Department of Finance (DOF) proposal to raise the 12-percent expanded value-added tax (E-VAT) to 15 percent to plug the deficit.

Aquino, however, indicated that the incoming administration could effectively address the revenue shortfalls without raising taxes. (PIA V Release)

PALACE UPBEAT ON RP ECONOMY IN Q2

MANILA — Malacanang is optimistic that the Philippine economy will grow further in the second quarter of this year.

"The trend looks encouraging," Malacanang economic and deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar said Monday during a briefing.

Such positive trend includes the 9.5 percent gross national product (GNP) and the record 7.3 percent gross domestic product (GDP) gains, both of which the country posted during 2010's first quarter, he said.

The government earlier partly attributed the gains to elevated levels of manufacturing and construction as well as to increased remittances from overseas Filipino workers and election-related spending.

Olivar also said the improving global economy augured well for better days ahead.
"It's already moving forward," he said.

The National Statistic Coordination Board (NSCB) also sees the Philippine economy to improve further during this year's second quarter from its first quarter level.

"The way we see it, growth then can be higher," NSCB director Raymundo Talento said during the briefing.

He said the second quarter covered the months of April and May when nationwide election campaign was at its peak.

Poll-related spending will help boost economic growth during this period, he said.

Talento said government would revisit its economic projections for 2010 since the Philippine economy grew significantly during this year's first quarter.

"We have a history of understating our estimates and tend to be on the conservative side," he said.

MALACANANG MEDIA OFFICER HENRY A. REVECHE: 61

MANILA — Henry A. Reveche, head of Malacañang’s Media Accreditation and Relations Division (MARD) under the Office of the Press Secretary, succumbed to a heart attack Saturday (May 29) while on an official mission to Shanghai, China. He was 61.

Reveche was with a Malacañang team doing an ocular inspection of the Philippine Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai, which President Arroyo is scheduled to formally open on June 8. Reveche’s part in the mission was to prepare Philippine media accreditation and arrangements for the President’s visit and RP pavilion inaugural.

The deceased MARD head had been in government service for 37 years, mostly spent with government communication entities. He started his government media career in 1973 as a public relations assistant and junior media strategist with then the National Media Production Center (NMPC), now Philippine Information Agency. He rose to become PIA Senior Development Information Officer and a later as Special and Technical Assistant at the Office of the Press Secretary in Malacañang. He took over MARD, a unit of the News and Information Bureau, OPS, in l998.

Reveche completed a BA Philosophy course at the Mount Carmel Seminary and BA in Sacred Theology at the University of Sto. Tomas.

He earned a Master’s degree in National Security Administration (MNSA) at the National Defense College of the Philippines (Regular Class 36 -2000 to 2001) with which he was inducted as Reserved Officer in the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the rank of Commander in the Philippine Navy.

Reveche is survived by wife Marilou and children: Jean, Bam and Pyn. Burial arrangements will be announced later after his remains had arrived from China. (PIA V Release)