Surf in the City
2022 pushes for gender equality in male-dominated surfing

Borongan
City Mayor Jose Ivan 'Dayan' Agda leads the breaking of the
ceremonial surfboard to officially signify the start of the Surf
in the City 2022. With him are Surf in the City Chairman Rupert
Ambil, UPSA representative Ralph Tecson, Congresswoman Fe
Abunda's representative Cora Basada, Governor Ben Evardone's
representative and Eastern Samar Board member Atty. PJ Evardone,
Surfrider’s Club of Eastern Samar President Atty. Bryan
Lassiter, and the Borongan City Councilors.
(Photo by BCIO) |
By
VEE TOLENTINO-GUMBAN
November 26, 2022
BORONGAN CITY –
Though sports have contributed significantly towards unifying
different races and nations in events like the Olympics, gender
inequality remains one of the most hotly-debated issues. Surfing,
for example, is still mostly dominated by men.
Surf in the City 2022 in
Borongan City, Eastern Samar has been making waves not only because
it will award the biggest prize money in surfing competition history
in the Philippines amounting to P1.1 million, but also for its aim
to close the gap between the prize money in the Men's and Women’s
Division. The competition will award the same amount to winners from
both categories.
In a press conference
after the opening ceremony, Surf in the City Chairperson Rupert
Ambil announced that more women athletes joined this year’s
competition. The equal prize money opportunity encourages these
females to further develop in the sport.
“If hindi mo kayang i-explain
kung bakit mas malaki ang prize money ng lalaki sa babae, eh,
fundamentally, mali iyon. Tayo dito naniniwala sa strength ng all
genders. It’s really a statement from all of us, not only the
surfing community but as representatives of Borongan City, Eastern
Samar,” Ambil said, citing gender equality and LGBTQ rights as
“values that a Boronganon respects.” (If you can’t explain why the
prize money for men is higher than for women, then there’s something
fundamentally wrong there. Here in Borongan, we believe in the
strength of all genders. It’s a statement from all of us, not only
as a surfing community but as representatives of Borongan City,
Eastern Samar.)
Meanwhile, John Carby
disclosed that the United Philippine Surfing Association (UPSA) will
not sanction a competition unless there is a counterpart male and
female in both categories. The organization is also trying to
include more women in their judging programs.
“We have a minimum
standard set for our prize ranges. Borongan has gone beyond that,
and also included an initiative to include equal opportunity for men
and women. We celebrate, acknowledge, and applaud the initiative
Borongan has done that nobody else has done. At this point, we hope
other regions see it and increase it and put it into practice,”
Carby noted.
Surf in the City 2022
officially opens
This is the third time
that Borongan City is hosting the event, which brings surfers from
across the Philippines to the capital of Eastern Samar. Almost 250
participants from the provinces of Siargao, La Union, Ilocos Sur,
Cebu, Eastern, Aurora, Sorsogon, Cebu, Catanduanes, Zambales,
Camarines Norte, Leyte, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar are
registered to compete in this year’s Surf in the City.
During the opening
ceremony on Saturday, Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda said
the city plans to institutionalize the event, as part of the local
government’s bigger goals of raising local surf athlete champions.
“The City Government will
not just abandon this program. We intend to institutionalize this.
Yes, we will come in sponsorship but we will see to it that the
spirit of hosting the Surf in the City will not be compromised.
That’s the very purpose why we are holding a Sports Summit next year
- because we intend to institutionalize everything,” Mayor Agda
said.
He added: “If there is
really cooperation and unity politically, progress is what we can
expect. There is no division among us. That is the Estehanon way and
that is the Boronganon culture, we are united as one.”
Gender-sensitive city
For women athletes
participating in the competition, the equal prize money is a welcome
development in the sport.
“Happy ako, excited, kasi
hindi na bias. ‘Yung galing ng isang surfer hindi naka-base sa
gender, kumbaga pareho na yung tingin both male and female kasi same
prize na eh,” said Jessa Jundarino, a 21-year-old surfer from
Borongan. (I’m happy and excited because it’s not biased anymore. A
surfer’s skills are not based on their gender and it’s good that the
prize money now acknowledges this.)
The local government of
Borongan has also implemented other initiatives to make the city
more gender inclusive. It recently created several gender-sensitive
comfort rooms along Baybay Boulevard, where the surfing competition
is taking place.
The comfort rooms cover
four cubicles designated for males, females, gender-neutral, and
Persons with Disability (PWDs). Beach showers were also constructed
for locals and visitors who engage in water and beach sports
activities in the area.
San Jorge
Municipal Police Station Building ready for occupancy

By
GISSELLE G. PARUNGAO
November 25, 2022
CALBAYOG CITY – San
Jorge Municipal Police Station building is now ready for occupancy
by the Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel, says Samar First
District Engineering Office.
Phase I of the building
was also initiated by the office allowing the construction of the
structure. Moreover, phase II of said building is now completed with
a contract amount of P4.8 million under the Tatag ng Imprastrakura
para sa Kapayapaan at Seguridad (TIKAS) Program.
The project aims to
complete the necessary features of the building, thus, its scope of
work includes window security grilles, front desk and directory
board, tileworks and painting of the whole structure. In addition,
perimeter fence and steel gate was constructed as well as solar led
lights are installed.
The construction of the
PNP building will reinforce their operations in San Jorge, and will
boost the morale of the armed forces. This will also provide a more
spacious area to better serve the public.
PH national
surfing coaches train young surfers in Borongan

Mike
Breuker, Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Philippine
National Surfing Team, poses with the ‘Groms’ during the In and
Out of Water Training held in Baybay Boulevard, Borongan City,
Eastern Samar. (Photo by Borongan City Information Office) |
By
VEE TOLENTINO-GUMBAN
November 25, 2022
BORONGAN CITY –
Days before the biggest sporting event in Eastern Visayas, Surf in
the City 2022, more than sixty (60) local youth participated in the
Groms Grassroot Program for young surfers here from November 24-25.
“Malaking tulong ito sa
amin para matuto kami ng mga surfing techniques at disiplina sa
sarili na rin, tsaka syempre libre na ‘to kaya umattend talaga kami,”
said Kai, a young surfer from Bato, Borongan City. (This is a big
help for us to learn about surfing techniques and self-discipline.
Of course, we also attended because it’s free.)
Though most of the
participants will not join in the Surf in the City competition,
everyone was all ears as Philippine National Surfing Team Head Coach
John Carby encouraged the young surfers to become athletes through
discipline, goal planning, and passion.
“Start a small plan and
add discipline to your plan. Then use your passion to reach that
goal. If you already reach that goal, push it a little bit higher.
Let your passion be your flair,” stressed Carby during his talk.
Carby also shared that
surfing events such as Surf in the City in Borongan is a window of
opportunity for aspiring surfers to hone their skills and eventually
create a name in the surfing industry.
“You are the future of
surfing. You have permission to dream big. You have permission to be
who you want to be and to set the limit as high as you can when you
want to represent your country in an international competition. You
are the next generation of surfing,” said Carby.
Mike Breuker, strength and
conditioning coach of the Philippine National Surfing Team, then
conducted an In and Out of Water Training with the participants.
This was followed by a Surfing Techniques and Analysis Training on
the second day of the program.
"Kahit hindi kami lahat
mag-cocompete, umattend kami para matuto kami kung paano maging
mabuting surfer at makatulong sa community na pangalagaan ang
karagatan, kasi for awareness din ito," noted one Grom who refused
to be named. (Even though we won’t be able to compete, we attended
to learn how to become good surfers and how to help the community by
taking care of the sea. This is also for awareness.)
‘Grom’ is a shortened form
of the slang term ‘Grommet’ meaning a child. In surfing lingo, grom
refers to a child or an adolescent surfer.
The grassroots program of
the United Philippine Surfing Association (UPSA) focuses on training
youth or people under 18, and educating them on the values of
surfing at the grassroots levels, such as a healthy lifestyle,
discipline, and techniques or the athletic side of being a surfer
for the future of the Philippine National Surfing Team.
Farmer
organization from a remote Samar village receives farm equipment
from DAR

Samar
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) Alfonso
Catorce turns over various farm equipment to the Panoypoy
Farmers Association in Calbayog City. |
By
JESSA LABAGALA
November 23, 2022
CALBAYOG CITY, Samar
– An agrarian reform beneficiaries organization (ARBO) from this
city’s far-flung village rejoiced as they received another set of
farm equipment from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
“We thank you DAR for
listening to our concerns, for granting us what you had committed,”
said Pedro Abajo, president of the Panoypoy Farmers Association (PFA),
as he expressed gratitude to DAR officials for fulfilling their
promise.
On October 21 this year,
DAR Samar provincial chief, Alfonso Catorce, formally turned over to
PFA a hand tractor with rotavator, a water pump with suction and
discharge hose, a grass cutter and several garden tools.
Catorce disclosed that the
said equipment, with a combined amount of P260,250.00 were funded
under DAR’s Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS)
project.
According to him, the
distribution of common service facilities is in line with Agrarian
Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III’s nine primary goals which
include the provision of modern farm equipment.
PFA identified the above
mentioned common service facilities as what they badly need in their
daily farm activities, which DAR provided under CRFPS’ Sustainable
Livelihood Support to Disaster Affected Areas.
Abajo Shared that the
newly acquired equipment “will surely benefit our members.”
Thelma Alfaro, chief of
the Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD) reminded the
recipient ARBO of their responsibility to maintain the equipment in
good condition and provide a secured storage facility.
Meanwhile City Councilor
Minda Pasacas, who is a resident of this village, and Barangay
Chairperson Maria Princess Montaner, both expressed their gratitude
to DAR for the never-ending support to the agrarian reform
beneficiaries (ARBs) here. “From providing them lands to till, to
livelihood assistance, to linking them to institutional buyers, and
now PFA receives another set of farm equipment from DAR,” said
Montaner.
Municipal Agrarian Reform
Program Officer (MARPO) Jose Arropo further shared that PFA is
composed of 113 members, where 69 of them are ARBs. PFA is into hog
raising and organic vegetable production, Arropo added.
DPWH-Biliran DEO
holds year-end contractors’ meeting

Press Release
November 22, 2022
NAVAL, Biliran –
With only a month away before the year ends, the Department of
Public Works and Highways (DPWH)- Biliran District Engineering
Office (DEO) urged the contractors to fast-track its project
implementation in a coordination meeting held on November 16, 2022.
Highlight of the said
meeting is the implementation on its Prior Year (PY) projects from
2017-2021 which should have been completed on December 31, 2022.
“We have a problem on our
PY projects that is why this meeting is called to address the
problem especially that we have limited time before end of the
year,” said OIC-District Engineer (DE) Alfredo L. Bollido.
OIC-DE Bollido said that
the district office failed to meet the 80% target on PY project
implementation, with only 44.42% accomplishment as of October 31,
2022.
According to OIC-DE
Bollido at least P381.6-M which is composed of 51 projects from year
2017 to 2021 are possible to be reverted to the National Treasury if
contractors cannot complete their projects by end of this year.
Engr. Rosario B. Rosete,
OIC-Assistant District Engineer (ADE) reported that of the 51
projects, 23 are still on-going on the construction, 25 are already
completed but on-going on some minor corrections on the projects
while three are now on the process for final billing.
Under Executive Order (E.O)
No. 91 series of 2019 or known as Cash-based Budgeting System,
contractors have only until a year to complete the construction of
their projects with a three-month extended period on the following
year to process payment.
According to OIC-DE
Bollido, contractors’ failure to finish their projects by end of the
year will not only loss profit but will also be blacklisted to
participate any bidding on DPWH projects nationwide for a year.
“Work double time and
avail the good weather condition so that you can complete the
projects by December 31, 2022,” OIC-DE Bollido said to the
contractors.
South Korea-based
church holds graduation ceremony for over 100,000 Bible students,
the largest in the world

Press Release
November 21, 2022
DAEGU, South Korea
– A graduation ceremony for Bible students from Zion Christian
Mission Center (ZCMC) Class 113 was held at Daegu Stadium on
November 20. With a total of 106,186 graduates from 79 countries
including the Philippines, it was the largest in the world for a
theological education institution.
ZCMC is the Bible
education institution operated by Shincheonji (New Heaven and New
Earth) Church of Jesus, a church based in South Korea. Their
students completed a 9-month theology course that covers the 66
books of the Bible.
This is their second
100,000-person graduation, after almost 3 years. When the pandemic
hit, the institution shifted to online learning and utilized the
virtual platform to make their theology lessons more accessible to
the public including pastors.
In a press conference held
before the ceremony, Chairman Lee Man-hee shared, "When this world
has become corrupt and is full of sin, God desires to carry out the
work of recreation. That one book [Revelation] is actually the
content of recreation... People have to become a new person,
completely changed."
Among the graduates, there
has been a significant increase in the number of pastors and
seminarians for a total of 522 pastors in Korea and overseas.
One of the pastors, Heo
Jeong-wook, presented his testimony at the graduation ceremony as a
representative of domestic graduates. After 20 years of ministry, he
said, “I only learned traditional theology at seminary, but I didn’t
know much about the Book of Revelation. I put aside the difficult
words and only taught the words that are easy to convey to the
congregation members. I repent that I was a sinner who added to and
subtracted from the word of God." He added, “I have let go of
everything I had and have come forward to the truth. I have
completed this course by learning the real theology that leads to
heaven, not human studies. I thank God for giving me a chance at
life.”
The organizers assured the
participants on security measures being observed in cooperation with
the local government, police and health officials, given the high
concern about safety issues in Korea recently. "Above all, in order
to hold the graduation ceremony safely, we prepared with safety as
the top priority above all else”, a church official said.
DAR-8 chief
orders resurvey of CARP awarded lots in Balangiga to correct errors

Protesting
farmers from Balangiga, Eastern Samar thanked officials from the
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for the fruitful
blended-mode dialogue which resulted to the resolution of their
issues. |
By
JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA
November 20, 2022
BORONGAN CITY, Eastern
Samar – To correct the errors as the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR) in this province implemented the Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Program (CARP), Regional Director Reynaldo Anfone ordered to
re-survey the awarded lots in Balangiga town.
Anfone, who was at the
moment in Manila attending a planning conference, joined virtually
the dialogue with protesting farmers at the DAR Provincial Office in
this city on Thursday and ordered Provincial Agrarian Reform Program
Officer II (PARPO II), Lawyer Bryan Lassiter, to conduct the
re-survey of the subdivided lots under Lot No. 2230 in Barangay
Cag-olango in Balangiga to determine the correct area and assignment
of lots based on the actual tillage of the farmer beneficiaries.
The erroneous survey was
found out when the farmers complained that Simeona Bennet, a
recipient of an individual Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA)
for Lot 2230-A, based on the approved survey plan (ASP), is not an
actual tiller; while Elena Balagasay, who is actually cultivating
the said lot, received her individual CLOA for Lot 2230-J.
Lassiter confirmed the
allegations of the farmers which conformed with the findings of the
DAR-Eastern Samar investigation team composed of the Chief of the
Legal Division, Atty. Jane Arra Promeda; Municipal Agrarian Reform
Program Officers (MARPOs) Ma. Flor Daganta and Glicerio Camenforte
Jr.; Geodetic Engineer Renan Cadiente and Cartographer Saldy Corado.
Aside from the issue
involving Bennet and Balagasay, other farmers within the 25-hectare
lot also complained of erroneous survey, prompting Anfone to order
the conduct of re-survey.
Further, Anfone likewise
ordered the simultaneous identification of qualified actual tillers
who will be awarded with individual CLOAs.
Furthermore, Anfone
ordered the filing of petition for the cancellation of the two CLOAs
issued to Bennet and Balagasay and issue CLOAs to the rightful
occupants in this 25-hectare government-owned land (GOL).
Anthony John Jumauay
thanked Anfone and the entire DAR workforce in behalf of the
protesting farmers for a fruitful blended-mode dialogue facilitated
by the Clientele Relations Service headed by Director Jayzon Collado.
Construction of
cross-country roads in progress

By
GISELLE G. PARUNGAO
November 16, 2022
CALBAYOG CITY – An
on-going construction of cross-country roads with a total contract
amount of P187.5 million from Oquendo to Northern Samar will connect
the northern portion of Samar, said OIC-District Engineer Raulito
Yangzon.
This is a multi-year road projects which are targeted to be
completed by 2024.
Phase I is an opening and gravel road which will start in Barangay
Macatingog and will connect to the Municipality of Bobon, Northern
Samar (Allen-Catarman Road).
Moreover, Phase II which is also a gravel road that will start from
Barangay Sigo, along Oquendo-Pilar road and will traverse the
isolated barangays of San Rufino and Cag-anahaw until it taps at
Barangay Tarabucan along Calbayog-Catarman Road.
Both projects will span 4.293 kilometers and a width of 20 meters
and each is allocated with P93.75 million.
Completing said road constructions will further develop those
far-flung barangays and eventually promote peace and order.
Furthermore, it will increase road network capacity and
interconnectivity in the Island of Samar which will bring faster and
more effective mobility from any parts of Samar.
New DAR-8 chief
pays courtesy visit to Samar governor, congressman

Newly
installed Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Eastern Visayas
regional director Reynaldo Anfone (left), pays a courtesy visit
to Samar governor Sharee Ann Tan and second district
representative Reynolds Michael Tan. |
By
JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA
November 11, 2022
CATBALOGAN CITY –
Securing a clearance from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)
and conversion of agricultural lots to give way to the construction
of an airport in this city were among the issues discussed when DAR
Eastern Visayas Regional Director Engr. Reynaldo Anfone paid a
courtesy visit to Governor Sharee Ann Tan and her brother, Second
District Representative Reynolds Michael Tan on Friday, November 4
this year.
During his meeting with
the two Samar officials, Governor Tan consulted Anfone on how to go
through these requirements so the provincial government and the
Department of Transportation (DOTr) can proceed with the project.
Considering that the
construction of the airport is a priority project of the Marcos
administration, Anfone ordered Provincial Agrarian Reform Program
Officer II (PARPO II) Alfonso Catorce, who was also present, to
extend the necessary assistance to the local government unit (LGU).
Anfone, installed as the
new regional chief of DAR on October 18 this year, included courtesy
visits to local government officials to establish harmonious working
relationship with the different LGUs as he went around the region
the past two weeks.
Other issues discussed
during the two-hour meeting were about activities related to End
Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) particularly at the
Calbiga-Pinabacdao Settlement, and funding for the construction of
the DAR Provincial Office.
Governor Tan assured
Anfone and Catorce the inclusion in the 2023 budget of the
provincial government the funding requirement for the construction
of the said DAR building.
Catorce disclosed that the
lot where the DAR provincial office will rise was also donated by
the provincial government.
According to him, at the
moment they are only renting office space along corner San Francisco
Street and Rizal Avenue here in this city.
Media groups
submit complaints to UN experts before PH human rights review
Press Release
November 11, 2022
GENEVA, Switzerland
– Media and academic groups submitted complaints to the office of
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights
Defenders Mary Lawlor several days before the United Nations Human
Rights Council conducts its universal periodic review on the human
rights situation in the Philippines.
Pinoy Media Center (PMC),
publisher of Pinoy Weekly, reported that then National Security
Adviser Hermogenes Esperon has ordered the blocking of their website
and 27 other organizations, which is still inaccessible to the
public.
In its letter to Lawlor,
the independent media outfit also stated that its website have also
been subject to continuous cyber-attacks since 2018. The website
www.pinoyweekly.org had also been hacked between November 17 and 18,
2021, the PMC said.
“Enforcing restrictions to
access our website does not only violate our rights to freedom of
the press, speech and free expression, which are guaranteed under
the Philippine Constitution,” PMC, though its executive director
Angela Colmenares, said.
PMC added that copies of
Pinoy Weekly’s print editions have been confiscated and burned by
members of the Philippine Army and the Bulacan Philippine National
Police three times between September 5, 2019 and July 25, 2020 in
Pandi, San Jose del Monte City and Norzagaray.
Bulatlat.com, the
country’s longest running alternative media outfit, also complained
of its website’s blocking by the National Telecommunications
Commission last June 8 as well as incessant cyber-attacks using the
Department of Science and Technology infrastructure assigned to the
Philippine Army.
“Perpetrated by the state,
the attacks are tantamount to content-based prior restraint and
censorship,” Bulatlat managing editor Ronalyn Olea said.
The submissions were made
by the Philippine UPR (Universal Periodic Review) Watch, a network
of church and human rights organizations, that is currently in this
city to participate in the United Nations Human Rights Council
review on the human rights situation in the Philippines on November
14.
Justice secretary Jesus
Crispin Remulla is again expected to represent a high-level mission
to represent the Philippine government.
Philippine UPR Watch also
submitted to the UN experts a report on academic freedom
developments in the Philippines by the Scholars at Risk Network.
The report said attacks
and pressures on academic freedom escalated during the transition
between the Rodrigo Duterte and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. governments.
“These have included the
threat of red-tagging, anti-terrorism legislated, and censorship
that undermine academic freedom and freedom of expression,”
according to the report.
As both Pinoy Media Center
and Bulatlat, the academics said scholars and academic institutions
have been subjected to red-tagging, it adds.
The report also cited the
killing of two volunteer teachers of indigenous peoples’ schools in
February 2022 as well as former anti-insurgency task force
spokesperson Lorraine Badoy’s red-tagging of former Ateneo School of
Law Dean Antonio La Vina.
Threats to academic
freedom in the Philippines include the censorship of books in
libraries of state universities by the Commission on Higher
Education and the banning of the publication of books by the
Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, an attached agency of the Office of the
President.
Philippine UPR Watch said
that aside from Monday’s review of the Philippines, the submissions
are in anticipation of the official visit of UN Special Rapporteur
on freedom of expression and opinion Irene Khan to the Philippines
next year.
Declining trend
in the number of registered births seen in EV
By
PSA-8
November 10, 2022
TACLOBAN CITY –
According to the latest Vital Statistics Report (January – December
2021) which was released on 13 August 2022, the number of registered
live births by place of occurrence in Eastern Visayas is 56,105.
This figure represents the total number of live births from the
provinces of Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar,
Southern Leyte, and the highly urbanized City of Tacloban.

Figure 1 shows that there
is a declining trend in the number of registered live births in
Eastern Visayas from 2015 to 2021. The number of registered live
births in 2021 is lower by 2,542 (4.3%) from the registered live
births of 58,647 in 2020. Since 2015, the peak of the 10-year
period, the number of live births is declining by an average rate of
4.9 percent annually, except in 2019 when a brief period of an
upward spike occurred. The number of registered live births in 2021
is 29.0 percent lower than the 2015 record with 76,322 registered
live births. (see Table 1)

Among the six provinces
and one highly urbanized city, the province of Leyte had the
greatest number of registered live births by place of occurrence
from January to December 2021, with 22,929 or 40.9% of the total
registered live births in Region VIII. Leyte was followed by the
province of Samar, with 9,795 (17.5%) registered live births.
Northern Samar comes next, with 7,211 registered live births
(12.9%). Biliran has the least number of registered live births with
only 2,344 (4.2%), nearly 10 times fewer than Leyte’s figure. The
City of Tacloban, a highly urbanized city has registered live births
totaling 3,379 (6.0%). (Figure 2 and Table 2)


September recorded highest number
of registered births
Figure 3 shows that the
month of September had the highest number of live births in Eastern
Visayas, totaling to 5,527 live births in 2021. September was
followed by October, with 5,484 registered live births. The month of
February observed the least number of 3,520 registered live births.
(see Table 3)
More males born than females.


More males born than females
Eastern Visayas reported
2,165 (4.0%) more male registered live births than female live
births, after recording 29,135 male births and 26,970 female births
in 2021. This resulted to a sex ratio of 108 males per 100 female
births. (see Figure 4 and Table 2)

FAME+ Market Days 2022
releases new home, fashion, & lifestyle collection for int'l market

By
DTI-TPG-CITEM
November 8, 2022
PASAY CITY –
Emerging from the creative minds that continue to push the
boundaries of Filipino artisanship, a new collection of home,
fashion, and lifestyle pieces was unveiled at the digital sourcing
festival FAME+ Market Days last October 21-22, 2022 via the online
platform Hopin.
A total of 50 brands and manufacturers were able to develop more
than 500 original designs for this year.
The new collection is housed under Design Commune, the culmination
of the product development program by the Center for International
Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). Design Commune is a main
show feature at Manila FAME and a key section of its digital
sourcing and storytelling platform www.fameplus.com.
In collaboration with design specialists Rita Nazareno and Gabby
Lichauco, the collection this year revolved around the concept of
‘Stitch’. Sewing traditions and tools of various cultures was the
inspiration in crafting new indoor and outdoor pieces to showcase
the versatility of Philippine artistry through a contrast of design
disciplines.
The design specialists, in a talk on the first day of the event,
expounded the creative process of Design Commune. “Guided by the
sensibility of our personal universes, we are crafting grander
stories together. This is how we are weaving worlds through the art
of Stitch,” Lichauco shared.
Cultivating a worldwide community through the digital sourcing
festival
A total of 484 participants from different parts of the world
attended the second edition of FAME+ Market Days 2022.
Assistant Secretary Glenn G. Peñaranda of the Foreign Trade Service
Corps (FTSC) and OIC of Department of Trade and Industry-Trade
Promotions Group (DTI-TPG) spoke at the opening ceremony. He
highlighted that this edition is “geared to intensify
business-to-business (B2B) efforts and continuously cater to the
needs of buyers in different parts of the world.” He also encouraged
the attendees to support local businesses in their journey to the
global stage.
CITEM’s OIC Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes D. Mediran, in her
welcome message, said that the digital event is a key component in
strengthening the FAME brand in the digital sphere. “The ultimate
goal in staging this year's FAME+ Market Days is to spur an in-depth
engagement with buyers as exhibitors present their design products,”
she added.
CITEM, the event’s organizer, facilitated more than 100
business-to-business meetings among trade buyers and exhibitors that
spanned for five days, from October 17 to 21. The trade buyers came
from various countries such as the United States, Australia, China,
Singapore, and India among others.
The two-day event augments the initiatives of FAME, the country’s
longest running export promotions program for MSMEs and artisan
communities in the home, fashion, and lifestyle sectors. The program
currently promotes 293 exhibitors and showcases 5,059 available
products on its online platform www.fameplus.com. A total of 2,300
unique trade buyers have registered since it went live in 2020. Last
year, the digital platform booked and negotiated USD635,119 export
sales and generated P21.49M domestic sales.
Manila FAME, its signature event component, has been running for 38
years. However, due to the pandemic, it has shifted to digital means
to reach international buyers. It is set to return onsite next year,
October 19-21, at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City,
Philippines.
Sourcing made convenient
To innovate the digital sourcing experience this year, FAME+ Market
Days introduced pitching rooms where exhibitors themselves shared
their brand stories, inspirations, and latest product offerings
through recorded videos.
These videos were made available on-demand during the event, giving
the attendees adequate time to find brands that match their sourcing
needs. Aside from the pitching rooms, the exhibitors were also able
to showcase their products through digital storefronts in the expo
section of the event. Trade buyers were then encouraged to set B2B
meetings with the brands and manufacturers of their choice.
A shared vision of quality craftsmanship, design, and innovation
Thought leaders on design and market trends were also invited to
share their knowledge with the participants.
Global trend ambassador Patti Carpenter talked about macro trends
that will impact markets for 2023. She shared that “conscious
consumerism” is on the rise, and that both longevity and
sustainability are given importance by buyers of home, fashion, and
lifestyle products.
Carpenter added that more and more individuals are opting for
carefully cultivated spaces with culture-rich interiors filled with
multi-functional, comfortable, and warm design concepts. “A myriad
of material mixes allow technology to coexist with fashionable
fibers and stylish silhouettes mixed with organic elemental
essentials. These are the components for a hearty and hospitable
habitat that finds us rooted in our retreats.”
Meanwhile, Jacqueline Wong, a global trend consultant of WGSN,
discussed consumer profiles and behaviors and their importance in
the product creation. She said that the pieces people buy impact the
spaces where they live, work, and play in.
Advising manufacturers and designers, Wong said, “Create an
emotional connection between your brand or your product and this
cohort of consumers. Support them in cherishing and curating their
keepsakes and memories with mindful design throughout the home.”
Trade chief reiterates e-commerce as important tool for economic development

By
DTI-OSEC-Public
Relations Unit
November 4, 2022
MANILA – The
Department of Trade and Industry, in partnership with the Philippine
Bar Association, held the 1st eCommerce Congress on 4 November 22 at
the Philippine International Convention Center. The event brought
together government officials, members of the business sector, civil
society organizations, and other stakeholders to pursue the
overarching goal of strengthening eCommerce industry in the country.
The eCommerce Congress
tackled the Internet Transactions Bill, a top legislative priority
of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., that aims to harness
the overwhelming potential of the eCommerce market.
Based on Google Temasek
Bain’s e-Conomy SEA 2022 report, the Philippines’ internet economy
continues its upward trend at 20% year-over-year to reach USD20
billion this year, with e-commerce propelling it to USD35 billion by
2025.
According to DTI, the
number of businesses on retail sales via the internet has increased,
while there has also been an increase in the number of consumer
complaints against online sellers. The time is thus ripe for a new,
relevant, and responsive eCommerce Law. In this light, DTI deems the
inputs of players in the internet economy as crucial to the
efficient crafting of legislative policies that respond to the
issues faced by the industry.
"We are grateful to the
DTI for our long-term partnership, founded on common goals. We
remain committed to supporting the eCommerce Road Map and regulatory
framework being built, and believe that together, we can help drive
the growth of the digital economy in the Philippines”, said Lazada
Philippines CEO Carlos Barrera.
Trade Secretary Alfredo
Pascual thanked the participants for their contribution to making
the eCommerce Congress possible to discuss the crucial policy
reforms to boost the e-commerce in the country. The event hoped to
promote a robust eCommerce environment in the Philippines, where
online businesses, especially small ones, can develop and compete
globally.
“We have all the
ingredients – the economic assets – to make this happen: a young and
digital native population, a growing middle class, available and
affordable technologies, and significant surpluses in the financial
sector. E-commerce is one of the most potent tools and fastest
routes in unlocking these economic assets toward sustained
accelerated economic development”, Secretary Pascual said.
Last year, DTI launched
the eCommerce Philippines 2022 Roadmap to employ strategies by the
government that will speed up and broaden internet transactions by
improving the digital infrastructure. The current administration is
bent on working on and enhancing this agenda to increase the
contribution of eCommerce to the Philippine economy with the
development of the eCommerce Philippines 2023-2025 Roadmap.
In closing, Secretary
Pascual mentioned that there are new laws and regulations related to
e-commerce that are currently being drafted, such as on privacy,
digital taxation, the gig economy, and pivoting to a cash-light
society.
“I hope that there will be
productive dialogues in these areas because we urgently need to
develop and improve our policies to create an enabling regulatory
environment for e-commerce to grow. With the brightest legal minds
of the country gathered here today, let me make a humble request and
professional challenge for all of us: Let these policy dialogues be
united by one purpose – better lives for all Filipino families, with a
target of a 9% poverty rate within six years”, he added.
Samar vegetable
growers thank DAR

Thirty-three
agrarian reform beneficiaries from Calbiga, Samar completed the
25 sessions Farm Business School (FBS) initiated by the
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). |
By
JESSA LABAGALA
November 3, 2022
CALBIGA, Samar – A
farmer from Barangay Macaalan in this town thanked the Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR) for the opportunity to learn the different
aspects of marketing their produce such as planning, recording and
even in planting.
Ricky Antony Cardeno, a
leaseholder, was among the 33 agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB)
members of the Calbiga Vegetable Growers Association (CVGA) who
graduated recently from DAR’s Farm Business School (FBS) after
completing the 25 sessions in seven months.
Cardeno was chosen to
receive the Mountain Mover Award for his active participation,
dedication to his craft and the ability to provide solution when
problem arises.
During their graduation,
Thelma Alfaro, Chief of the Program Beneficiaries Development (PBD)
at the DAR Samar Provincial Office, encouraged the participants of
the FBS to apply what they have learned in order to increase their
income.
FBS, according to the
point person, Kimberly Morillo, is a sub-program under the
Enterprise Development and Economic Support (EDES) of the Agrarian
Reform Beneficiaries Development Sustainability Program (ARBDSP). It
is guided by the principle of learning by doing together, which aims
to improve market access and increase incomes of the farmers, she
added.
Meanwhile, Fe Ocasla,
barangay chairperson of Barangay Macaalan, emphasized to the FBS
graduates that “By sharing what you have learned here will also help
improve the lives of other farmers in our village.”
At the moment, Cardeno
disclosed, crops planted in their garden include eggplant, bell
pepper, hot pepper and bitter gourd (amplaya), as a result from the
market survey they have conducted, which was among the activities
they have learned in FBS.
Apayao governor’s
recent order encourages commission of extrajudicial killing, other
rights violations
By
KARAPATAN
November 1, 2022
QUEZON CITY – Human
rights group Karapatan slammed Apayao Provincial Governor Elias
Bulut, Jr. for issuing “an official order that may potentially be
used to drive and encourage the commission of extrajudicial
killings.”
In an executive order
dated September 30, 2022 Bulut offered reward money of P100,000 for
anyone who “captures, arrests or kills in a legitimate military
operation a member of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG).” The
governor upped the bounty to P1,000,000 if the person arrested,
captured or killed is a “high-ranking CTG personality.”
This is a kill order, said
Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay. “It gives the
go-signal for anyone to arbitrarily attack and kill political
activists who have been repeatedly threatened and red-tagged, and be
paid handsomely for it.”
“Is it just a coincidence
that last October 25, Lorraine Badoy and the other talking heads of
NTF-ELCAC recited the names of members and community leaders of the
Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) as ‘mga pangalan ng CPP-NPA’ on
their program aired over the SMNI network?” asked Palabay.
A Cordilleran governor
issues a hit order with bounty, then Badoy and her ilk come up with
a hit list comprised of Cordilleran activists, said Palabay.
“Following the pattern we have observed in other cases,” she said,
“it looks like CPA leaders and activists are being set up not only
for intensified threats, harassment and intimidation, but for
arrest, capture or murder.”
“With incessant
red-tagging and this latest bounty offer, the State has cranked up
its deadly campaign to suppress human rights defenders and other
activists working for people’s rights and welfare,” said Palabay.
“All freedom-loving
Filipinos must forge ranks to counter these virulent and stepped-up
attacks on our civil and political rights.”
Concreting from
Barangays Balud to Jasminez completed

By
GISSELLE G. PARUNGAO
October 28, 2022
CALBAYOG CITY –
Samar First District Engineering Office finished a newly concreted
road from Barangay Balud to Barangay Jasminez in Gandara, Samar.
The said project has a
total contract amount of P48.7 million drawn from the Local Program.
The road will connect the two barangays surpassing eight (8)
barangays if you will go through the normal route along Daang
Maharlika.
This road covers a total
length of 2,803.6 meters and a width of 6.1 meters. Part of its
scope of work is a stone masonry structure which provides for slope
protection along the road. The 60-linear meter stone masonry are
incorporated on the areas which are susceptible to soil erosion. In
this way, the slope will be stabilized, maintain the quality and
functional condition of the road construction by protecting the
surrounding structure from damage and people from injury.
Through the construction
of this road, socio-economic stability will be achieved. This will
provide easiness to employment, social, health and education
services, especially to residents in innermost barangays within the
district.
DTI warns against
establishments implementing a “No Return, No Exchange” policy;
explains to consumers the rule on return and exchange
By
DTI-Consumer Protection
and Advocacy Bureau
October 28, 2022
MAKATI CITY – The
DTI reiterates that the “No Return, No Exchange” policy is
prohibited because this is considered a deceptive sales act. Under
Republic Act No. 7394 (RA 7394) or the “Consumer Act of the
Philippines,” as well as its Implementing Rules and Regulations, the
words “No Return, No Exchange” or words to such effect shall not be
written into the contract of sale, receipt in a sales transaction,
in any document evidencing such sale or anywhere in a store or
business establishment.
The Consumer Act of the
Philippines specifies, “Sellers are obliged to honor their
warranties and grant corresponding remedies to consumers”. As such,
consumers should be allowed to return or exchange the goods, or
avail themselves of other remedies, in case of hidden faults or
defects, or any charge the buyer was not aware of the time of
purchase. In enforcing these remedies, however, consumers should
bear in mind to at least prove the sale transaction and show an
evidence such as the official receipt. In cases where the official
receipt is not available, the buyer may resort to any other
alternative proof.
In the case of medicines,
the seller is obliged to replace medicines that are adulterated,
misbranded, counterfeit or expired upon purchase. However, if the
product bought has no imperfection or defect, or if the medicine
purchased is not adulterated, misbranded, counterfeit or expired,
the seller may either refuse to replace or refund or, in the
exercise of goodwill towards their customers, may grant the
replacement or request for refund.
DTI Consumer Protection
Group (CPG) Assistant Secretary, Atty. Ann Claire C. Cabochan
emphasizes, “Consumers are entitled to the repair, replacement and
refund of products with defects. However, they are not entitled to
these because of a change of mind or a mistake on their part.”
“This is why the
Department constantly advises the consumers to examine the product
prior to purchase and ask about the seller's return and exchange
policies”, Assistant Secretary Cabochan explains.
For consumer-related
concerns and queries, send an email to ConsumerCare@dti.gov.ph or
call the One-DTI (1-384) Hotline.
Caltex and AMCHAM
foundation donate roofing materials to victims of Super Typhoon
Odette in Southern Leyte

Residents
and government officials of Padre Burgos, Macrohon, and Maasin
Southern Leyte express their gratitude for the roofing materials
donated to their communities. |
Press Release
October 28, 2022
MAASIN CITY –
Caltex, marketed by Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI) in partnership
with American Chamber Foundation Philippines (AmCham Foundation),
provided roofing materials to 115 beneficiaries in Southern Leyte
who were impacted by Super Typhoon Odette
Months after Super Typhoon
Odette made landfall in the Philippines in December 2021, homes in
Southern Leyte province are still in need of repair. With the help
of PASAR Foundation who took charge of the distribution of the
construction materials, each family from the city of Padre Burgos,
Macrohon, and Maasin, received 10 corrugated zinc roof sheets and
2kg of roofing nails.
Distribution began on
August 31, 2022 by handing out the construction materials to 46
beneficiary families in Maasin City, 36 beneficiary families in
Padre Burgos and 33 beneficiary families in Macrohon. Residents of
each city attended the turnover ceremony and expressed their
gratitude for the donation to their communities.
“Typhoon recovery can be
challenging, which is why we are always ready to lend a helping hand
in any way we can. We are appreciative that we have partners like
AMCHAM Foundation that assist us in establishing connections with
the communities in need so that we can make these donations,” said
CPI Country Chairman Billy Liu.
Through the Caltex
Biyaheng Pagtulong fuel promo launched earlier this year, Caltex was
able to raise funds to help communities in five other provinces hit
hard by Super Typhoon Odette.
EV employment
rate up at 95.5% in July 2022

By
PSA-8
October 27, 2022
TACLOBAN CITY – The
Employment Rate (ER) in Eastern Visayas in July 2022 was estimated
at 95.5 percent. This translates to 2.01 million employed persons
out of the 2.11 million persons in the labor force. This was higher
by about 182 thousand employed persons than the 1.83 million
employed persons reported in April 2022. This was also higher by 2.1
percentage points compared with the 93.4 percent ER in July 2021.
The region registered a Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of
65.0 percent in July 2022. This placed the region’s labor force at
2.11 million persons who were either employed or unemployed out of
the estimated 3.24 million population 15 years old and over in July
2022. The 65.0 percent LFPR was higher by 5.0 percentage points than
the LFPR in April 2022 posted at 60.0 percent. This means that the
labor force in July 2022 was stronger by around 161 thousand persons
than the 1.95 million persons in the labor force in April 2022.
Moreover, the LFPR was higher by 4.5 percentage points compared with
the 60.5 LFPR in the same period in 2021.
Eastern Visayas’ unemployment rate has improved at 4.5 percent in
July 2022, lower by 1.5 percentage points compared with the 6.0
percent unemployment rate recorded in April 2022. This was
equivalent to around 96 thousand persons in the labor force who were
unemployed in July 2022, lower by 20 thousand unemployed persons
compared with the 116 thousand unemployed persons in April 2022. The
unemployment rate in July 2022 was also 2.1 percentage points lower
than the unemployment rate in July 2021 at 6.6 percent.
The underemployment rate in Eastern Visayas was posted at 16.0
percent or 322 thousand persons out of the 2.01 million employed
persons in July 2022. The latest underemployment rate has improved
compared with the underemployment rate in July 2021 posted at 27.3
percent. However, it is slightly higher by 1.2 percentage points
than the April 2022 underemployment rate of 14.8 percent.
NMP graces the
opening of EVMC medical facility for OFW and seafarers

Press Release
October 25, 2022
TACLOBAN CITY – The
National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) graced the Grand Opening and
Ribbon Cutting of the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) Medical
Facility for Overseas Filipino Workers and Seafarers last 19 October
2022 at the 3rd Floor OPD Building EVMC, Bagacay, Tacloban City.
The said project is a
great help especially for the OFWs and NMP stakeholders particularly
the Filipino seafarers in Region 8 as they no longer need to travel
to Cebu, Manila or to other regions just to undergo the
Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME) which is one of the
requirements to work abroad for both land-based and sea-based OFWs.
The services offered by
the said medical facility are the mandatory Pre-Employment Medical
Examinations such as: Physical Examination, Laboratory, Chest X-ray,
ECG, Drug test, Visual Acuity and Ishihara, Dental Examination,
Audiometry and Psychological Examination.
In her speech, NMP OIC-ED
Mayla N. Macadawan, commended the EVMC for the noble undertaking.
She expressed that NMP, as the only government maritime training and
research institution dedicated for the Filipino seafarers is
grateful for the said initiative. She also emphasized the advantages
of the said facility that aside from its strategic location, it is
owned by the government, thus, it offers services with affordable
rates and performed by competent medical professionals.
“Thank you for stepping
forward in behalf of the OFWs and seafarers of Region 8. This is a
substantial support specifically to our Filipino-seafarers who are
considered as “modern heroes” being at the forefront of delivering
goods and services in all parts of the world even in the midst of
global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic,” OIC ED Macadawan
expressed.
The activity was also
attended by the EVMC Medical Chief Dr. Salvador Evardone, Dr.
Lilibeth Andrade of DOH-8, Atty. Mark Stephen Reyes of the Multi
Sectoral Governance Council and some representatives from DOLE,
MARINA and POEA.
Slope protection
structure built in Gandara, Samar

By
FLORSELISSA A. JUSAYAN
October 23, 2022
CALBAYOG CITY –
Samar First District Engineering Office has constructed a slope
protection structure along Barangay Piñaplata to Barangay Tawiran
Road in the Municipality of Gandara with a total revised contract
amount of P19.50 million drawn from the General Appropriations Act (GAA)
of 2022.
The slope protection
structure has a length of 82 linear meters with a height of six (6)
meters on its left area while on its right side, has a
70-linear-meter length with a 3-meter height. Part of the
structure’s scope of work is a Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP)
on both side of the road with a length 82 linear meters (left) and
70 linear meters (right). This road has a width of 3.35 meters on
each side.
The said project is
located along Gandara-Matuguinao Road which is being requested to be
converted into a national road, thus, widening is already
incorporated. Similarly, the surrounding area is a grassy field and
part of it has a stream of water which contributes to the scouring
of soil, that in turn damages the paved road.
New Army
Commander in Eastern Visayas takes post

By
DPAO, 8ID PA
October 21, 2022
CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan
City – The 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division, Philippine
Army welcomed Major General Camilo Z. Ligayo as he officially
assumes as the new Commander of Eastern Visayas today, October 21,
2022.
In a Change of Command
Ceremony presided by the Commanding General of the Philippine Army,
Lieutenant General Romeo S. Brawner, Jr, outgoing 8ID Acting
Commander Brigadier General Zosimo A. Oliveros relinquished the
leadership to the former 34th Vice Commander of the Philippine Army.
Major General Ligayo
belongs to Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “MAKATAO” Class of
1989. Prior to his assumption, he held key positions such as the
Deputy Chief of Staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (OJ9) and Brigade Commander of the 801st
Infantry Brigade, 8th Infantry Division.
In 2019, during his stint
as 801st Brigade Commander, Major General Ligayo was instrumental in
dismantling four Guerrilla Fronts. Under his leadership, the Brigade
achieved a significant victory against the local Communist Terrorist
Group in a single joint operation with 20 body counts and recovery
of 33 enemy firearms. As the 801st Brigade relentlessly pursued the
enemy through focused military operations, he also put equal effort
into the unit’s civil-military operations by organizing the Youth
Love Sports (YLS) as part of the Situational Awareness and Knowledge
Management Cluster (SAKM) and Sectoral Unification, Capacity
Building and Empowerment (SUCBEM) Cluster, for the youth sector, in
line with the National Task Force for Ending Local Communist Armed
Conflict.
In his assumption speech,
Major General Ligayo asserted his intent to sustain the command's
high gains in internal security operations. “We will continue to
fight against these so called peace spoilers. As we move forward, we
will continue to recognize that the insurgency campaign is a shared
responsibility of everyone in government.”
“I call upon all our peace
and development stakeholders, the different government local units
headed by their local chief executives, the regional chief
executives for your commitment and support to our ultimate goal in
attaining the total defeat of the communist terrorists. Surely, we
will be able to attain this strategic defeat of the CPP-NPA-NDF and
further prevent their resilience in the region. Together we can
succeed,” added Ligayo.
In addition, Major General
Ligayo is also an active sportsman with a Philippine Football
Federation Coaching Certificate. He manages and coaches the Daza
Football Club of the 801st Infantry Brigade wherein it emerged as
the overall champion during the Football for Peace Tournament on the
occasion of the 33rd Founding Anniversary of the 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers)
Division. Six active teams from different clubs in Samar and Eastern
Samar competed against each other.
Daza Football Club girls
were the champion in the Girls Division, the Men’s Daza Football
Club won 1-0 against the talented Calbayog Football Club. The lone
goal was scored by Major General Ligayo performing his best thru a
diving header. He also lead the Army Soccer Team to Championships
and Athletics Relay for Generals against Navy, Air Force, PNP and
PCG.

DAR-EV welcomes
new RD

Engr.
Reynaldo Anfone (left) is now the new Regional Director of the
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Eastern Visayas. |
By
JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA
October 21, 2022
TACLOBAN CITY –
Only three months and four days ago when lawyer Robert Anthony Yu,
then regional director of the Department of Agrarian Reform in
Eastern Visayas, turned over his post to Ismael Aya-ay. On Tuesday,
Aya-ay relinquished it again to Engr. Reynaldo Anfone.
By virtue of Department
Special Order No. 573, series of 2022 issued by Agrarian Secretary
Conrado Estrella III on October 6 this year, Anfone, Regional
Director of Central Visayas, was transferred to Eastern Visayas
replacing Aya-ay.
On the same document, Aya-ay,
who was concurrent Assistant Regional Director for Administration (ARDA)
will now focus on his work as ARDA.
An agricultural engineer,
Anfone said in his acceptance message, “I am expecting so much with
regards to the tasking of the mandates of the Department.”
“I will assess
everything,” he stressed. The new regional director added “Titingnan
natin kung meron dapat baguhin o meron dapat i-improve.” (We will
see if there are things that need to be changed or improved.)
Anfone, the 22nd Regional
Director to serve this region since the agency was created on
September 10, 1971, is a native of Pikit, Cotabato.
He joined the DAR in 1985
as Agrarian Reform Technologist (ART) and rose from the ranks.
From ART, Anfone was
promoted to Engineer II. Then he became Municipal Agrarian Reform
Program Officer (MARPO) for 23 years. In 2018, he was appointed
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO) by then
president, Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
In March this year,
Duterte appointed him Director IV. His first assignment as regional
director was in Central Visayas.
As a regional director,
Anfone said during his installation that he reads and analyzes all
the documents before signing them, but emphasized he is not used to
micro-managing.
He assured the PARPOs and
the MARPOs “I will not interfere on all your affairs. I will just be
directing the PARPOs and the MARPOs.”
Anfone hopes that his
assignment here will not be as short as his stay in Central Visayas.
According to him, he just stayed in Region-7 for only three months
and 21 days. “I hope to stay here for quite a long time, so we will
really know each other,” Anfone quipped.

Flood control
structure underway in Barangay Macatingog

By
GISSELLE G. PARUNGAO
October 20, 2022
CALBAYOG CITY – A
flood control structure is being erected along Barangay Macatingog,
Calbayog City, Samar with a revised contract amount of P48.1 million
under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2022.
This structure will serve
as a protection wall for residents of said barangay that will span
108 linear meters (upstream) and another 100 linear meters
(downstream), built on both sides. Its height varies from 3-6
meters.
As of October 15, 2022 the
accomplishment is already at 45%. The structure runs along Hamonini
River that eventually goes to the city’s main river, Jibatang River
which is a major river basin. This will help to reduce the flood
impact on the community where it is located and a precautionary
measure to ensure that damages caused by flooding are kept at a bare
minimum.
BI-GI Association
and DTI partners to capacitate PICE-Tacloban members on new
standards for black iron and galvanized iron

By
DTI-Regional Operations
Group
October 18, 2022
MAKATI CITY – The
Philippine Association of Black Iron and Galvanized Iron Pipes and
Tubes Manufacturing, Inc. (BI-GI Association) in partnership with
DTI, conducts an Information Campaign with members of the Philippine
Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) - Tacloban Chapter.
The DTI-Bureau of
Philippine Standards released a new Philippine National Standard (PNS)
26:2018 for BI-GI Steel Pipes and its related Department
Administrative Order (DAO) 19-16 Series of 2019, “The new technical
regulations concerning the mandatory products certification of steel
– black and hot-dipped zinc-coated (galvanized)
longitudinally-welded steel pipes (for ordinary uses) and was
published on January 17, 2020.
These regulations will be
the basis for identifying certified products conforming to the
standard. As a practice, the BI-GI Association partners with DTI in
helping disseminate updates to the public thru an information
campaign. Evident distinctions of uncertified and substandard steel
pipe were identified to educate the participants how they can
distinguish it from the standard. Proper handling of these products
was also discussed.
The Information Campaign
on New Technical Regulation on Mandatory Products forms part of the
activities conducted by DTI Regional Office 8 to celebrate the
Consumer Welfare Month.
It was necessary to
conduct it in time with the quarterly meeting of PICE-Tacloban,
composed of engineers and contractors, to ensure the quality of
steel pipes used in construction. The vent was conducted last
October 8, 2022 at the A Venue Hotel, Tacloban City.
Victim’s kin of
Jipapad attack slams CPP-NPA

By
DPAO, 8ID PA
October 10, 2022
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar
– The mother of the 10-year-old child who is one of the victims of
the gruesome attack of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New
People’s Army (CPP-NPA) at Barangay Dorillo, Jipapad, Eastern Samar
slams the CPP-NPA for the vicious attack that resulted in the
killing of two soldiers and wounding of three others including her
10-year-old child.
In an interview, Pia
Mengote, the mother of Princess Norcio, one of the victims, strongly
condemns and calls out the CPP NPA after she almost lost her
daughter in the said attack.
“Gusto ko sana na hindi na
maulit itong pag-atake nila (CPP-NPA) sa aming barangay, para wala
nang madamay na inosenting tao, gaya ng anak ko,” Mengote said.
She also appealed to the
CPP-NPA to stop the pointless killings of soldiers who were only
there to protect and ensure the delivery of government services in
their barangay.
“Kayo na mga NPA sana
hindi na maulit itong pagpatay sa sundalo kasi mayroon din silang
pamilya at mga anak na umaasa sa kanila,” Mengote added.
Mayor Benjamin Ver of
Jipapad, Eastern Samar has also conveyed his dismay and strongly
condemned the CPP-NPA.
“Kinokondena ko ito na
ginawa ng mga taong walang konsensya, walang puso, walang magandang
pag-iisip na makatulong sa ating mga tao, sa sosyodad at lalo na sa
mga residente na naghihirap sa ating barangay,” Ver said.
Meanwhile, the Department
of National Defense, Officer-in-Charge Senior Undersecretary Jose
Faustino Jr. paid tribute to the fallen heroes and visited the wake
of the slain soldiers' Staff Sergeant John Claire Flores, and
Private First Class Mark Edupancho Siscar, in Borongan, Eastern
Samar, Sunday, October 9, 2022.
Along with DND Senior
Undersecretary Faustino were Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief
of Staff Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, Commanding
General Philippine Army Lieutenant General Romeo Brawner Jr. and 8th
Infantry Division Acting Commander Brigadier General Zosimo Oliveros
who extended their condolences and support to the families of the
slain soldiers.
The group of Faustino also
visited the soldiers wounded-in-action (WIA) Sergeant Allan Talania,
Private First Class Lou Mark Mengote, and the child victim Princess
Norcio who are still recovering in the hospital.
The Wounded Personnel
Medal was also awarded by Faustino to the two WIA soldiers. The SND
likewise gave financial assistance to the three victims of the
gruesome attack.
In an interview, Faustino
vows that the National Task Force Ending Local Communist Armed
Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is doing its best to suppress terrorism and
achieve long-lasting peace in the country.
“Makakaasa po kayo na ang
ating defense establishment, particularly ang ating Armed Forces of
the Philippines na gagawin ang kanyang misyon na mapanatili o
maibalik ang normalcy dito sa lugar sa EV. Katuwang ninyo ang
defense establishment kasama ang lahat ng national agencies, local
agencies, local government units at all stakeholders ay
pagtutulong-tulungan namin na matapos na ito,” Faustino said.
DTI boosts
September enforcement, wipes uncertified products in LuzViMin

Deformed
steel bars sealed in Cebu without the requisite labels and
quality marks. |
By
DTI-CPG-Fair Trade
Enforcement Bureau
October 4, 2022
MAKATI CITY – The
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its Fair Trade
Enforcement Bureau (FTEB), inspected retail firms in Bulacan, Cebu,
and Davao in September 2022 to ensure that only safe and reliable
consumer products are in the market.
The DTI enforcement teams
led by Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Undersecretary Atty. Ruth B.
Castelo kicked off the intensified two-day operations in Cebu, 1-2
September. The teams have clamped down on 81,649 pieces of
uncertified tires for automotive vehicles, G.I. steel pipes,
deformed steel bars, and low carbon steel wires worth
P14,776,550.00.
Such was immediately
followed by another successful enforcement operation in Davao del
Norte, 15-16 September, where DTI cracked down 1,765 pieces of
uncertified products worth P830,520.00. The sealed products include
self-ballasted LED lamps, PVC electrical tapes, plugs,
socket-outlets, snap switches, BI/GI steel pipes, low carbon steel
wires, pipes (uPVC) for potable water supply, uPVC rigid electrical
conduit, ceramic Plumbing fixtures (sanitary wares), lead-acid
storage batteries, inner tubes for tires, and tires for automotive
vehicles.
Ending the month strong,
the steadfast enforcement operations in Malolos and Meycauayan,
Bulacan last 22 September has led to the sealing of 1, 472 pieces of
uncertified low carbon steel wires, tires for automotive vehicles,
and lead acid storage batteries worth P1,626,430.00.
Out of the 37 firms
inspected, 23 non-compliant stores were issued Notices of Violation
(NOVs), mandating them to explain within 48 hours from the receipt
of the notice.
The nationwide campaign of
DTI against uncertified items in the market underscores the
enforcement of DTI technical regulations mandating compliance with
Philippine Standard Certification Mark Schemes, particularly
Department Administrative Order No. 02, Series of 2007.
“The DTI and its
provincial and regional offices are one in ensuring that only
certified products are being sold in the market; hence, as part of
our regular function all of our enforcement teams regularly go out
to check products under the mandatory certification,” said Usec.
Castelo.
Usec. Castelo reiterated
that aside from upholding consumer protection, intensified
enforcement operations are also a great way to educate businesses
about mandatory certification that they have to comply with for a
fair trading environment.
From January to August
2022, DTI has already sealed 113,825 pieces of non-conforming
products with an estimated retail value of P34,345,283.98.
To protect consumers or
potential buyers of electrical and electronic products; mechanical
or building and construction materials; and chemical and other
consumer products and systems, DTI-BPS regulates 111 products and
systems through implementing Mandatory Product Certification
Schemes: the Philippine Standard (PS) Quality and/or Safety
Certification Mark Licensing Scheme and the Import Commodity
Clearance (ICC) Certification Scheme.
The DTI enjoins consumers
to report retailers, distributors, and manufacturers that sell
necessities above their SRPs, through the Consumer Care Hotline at
DTI (1-384) or consumercare@dti.gov.ph.
Most innovative food products recognized
Gov’t trade
show revitalizes PH food exports, love for local flavors

From
left to right: H.E. Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad Kazi, Ambassador Embassy of
Pakistan, Mr. Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis of PHILEXPORT, CITEM Deputy
Executive Director Ma. Lourdes D. Mediran; Pangasinan 4th
District Representative Christopher de Venecia; Undersecretary
Ireneo V. Vizmonte, Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Department of Trade
and Industry (DTI). |
Press Release
September 30, 2022
PASAY CITY –
Government-run food trade show IFEX Philippines 2022 successfully
kicked off at the World Trade Center Metro Manila on Thursday,
September 22. IFEX Philippines welcomed nearly 6,000 local and
foreign buyers and visitors from all over the world during the
three-day event, initially generating approximately USD 100 million
in export sales and PHP 56 million in domestic sales. These figures
are still expected to increase. More than 300 Philippine exhibitors
showcased thousands of premium Philippine food products at the
event.
Sen. Cynthia Villar,
Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and
Agrarian Reform, and its Vice-Chairperson Sen. Maria Josefa Imelda "Imee"
Marcos, graced the event to support the Department of Trade and
Industry's (DTI) thrust to uplift the country's food micro, small
and medium food enterprises (MSMEs).
Among those who were also
present at the opening ceremony were top foreign and Philippine
government officials: Undersecretary Ireneo Vizmonte,
Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
CITEM Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes Mediran; H.E. Dr. Imtiaz
Ahmad Kazi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan;
Commercial Counsellor Serhan Ortaç of the Turkish Embassy; Assistant
Director Jhino Ilano of the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB); Executive
Director Maria Rita Matute of the Design Center of the Philippines;
Executive Director Nelly Nita Dillera of Philippine Trade Training
Center (PTTC); Mr. Sergio Ortiz-Luis, President and CEO of
PHILEXPORT; and Pangasinan 4th District Representative Christopher
de Venecia.
Deputy Executive Director
Ma. Lourdes D. Mediran of CITEM, the promotions arm of DTI and event
organizer, said that IFEX Philippines 2022 is designed to be “a site
of reunion and rediscovery” where Philippine food companies and
international buyers can reaffirm their partnerships and make new
connections. Visitors came primarily from the Philippines, the
United States, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Japan, and Australia.
In her recorded keynote
speech, Sen. Cynthia Villar highlighted the role of agriculture in
uplifting the economy and the efforts being made to assist the
sector. According to Villar, supporting the agriculture sector is
necessary to ensure flexibility during crises like the COVID-19
pandemic.
“We should continue
supporting our local produce to ensure our food security and
self-sufficiency,” said Villar.
Meanwhile, Usec. Ireneo
Vizmonte reiterated DTI’s commitment to the food sector. Vizmonte
also acknowledged the global factors that affect the country’s
economy, saying these conditions require sustainable and inclusive
government response.
Vizmonte said that
science, technology, and innovation are essential in building a
competitive economy and will be central to the work of DTI under the
leadership of Secretary Alfredo Pascual.
“The goal is to grow and
develop globally competitive and innovative industries that support
inclusive growth and improve environmental sustainability and the
quality of life for Filipinos,” said Vizmonte.
According to Vizmonte, one
of DTI’s priorities is the digital transformation of MSMEs and the
growth and development of startups. Through innovation and
digitalization, DTI aims to double its efforts to upgrade and scale
MSMEs in order to improve their productivity growth, employment
creation, and participation in global value chains.
“The MSME sector is
instrumental to the growth of the Philippine economy, accounting for
99% of all businesses in the country. Needless to say, it is of
utmost importance that we ensure that entrepreneurs have access to
all the resources, platforms, and technologies that they need to
grow their businesses," said Vizmonte.
In addition to supporting
the MSMEs, he also said that to promote industrialization, DTI will
reconfigure the export industry into three clusters: Industrial,
Manufacturing, and Transport; Technology, Media, and
Telecommunication; and Health and Life Sciences. Through this
strategy, DTI seeks to further build up the country as an exporter
of high-value products.
Assistant Secretary Glenn
Peñaranda, OIC of DTI’s Trade Promotions Group (TPG), echoed this in
his recorded welcome message by highlighting programs that help
MSMEs boost their competitiveness in the global market. These
programs include capacity-building like the Philippine Trade
Training Center's (PTTC) Global MSME Academy; export assistance
programs like RIPPLES; and market access platforms like CITEM’s
signature programs and participation in overseas trade fairs.
“The Philippines is one of
the most exciting destinations for quality food exports, but with
stiff competition from our neighbors, and other drivers such as
climate change and health crises, we must continuously adapt and
reassert our place in the market,” said Peñaranda.
Celebrating Filipino
creativity and innovation in the food sector
Aside from providing an
avenue for food MSMEs to showcase their goods, IFEX Philippines also
recognized the most innovative products for each product category.
CITEM named the winners of the Katha Awards for Food on the opening
night of IFEX Philippines.
Katha Awards recognizes
exporters that explore new galleries of flavors, original brand
ideas, unique food fusions, and creative packaging methods. Through
this, Katha Awards aims to strengthen the reputation of the
Philippines as a go-to destination for globally competitive Asian
food and ingredients.
Sen. Imee Marcos,
Vice-Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food,
and Chairperson of the Committee on Cooperatives, delivered a
special message in which she discussed the current problems in the
food and agriculture sectors, including import reliance, food
shortages, and hunger. She emphasized the importance of supporting
the MSME sector to address these issues. Marcos also lauded efforts
such as the Katha Awards, which incentivizes businesses to develop
new and innovative products for export.
“The truth of the matter
is that I truly believe that in the end, all these depressing views
in the agricultural and food sector can only be righted by a much
more vigorous and vibrant MSME and retail population,” Marcos said.
Here are the winners of
the Katha Awards during IFEX Philippines 2022.
New Product Category
for Beverages
Sol's Italian Food
Rafael Cococnut Cream
New Product Category
for Fine food and specialties
Miguelito's International Corporation
Instant Puto Bumbong
New Product Category
for Marine/Seafood
Fisher Farms Inc.
Gourmet Fillet Sampler Box
New Product Category
for Meat & Poultry Products
Gulf Pacific Integrated Exports/Elarz
Corned Lechon Lagablab
New Product Category for
Snack Foods & Crisp Savoury Products
Innovative Packaging Industry
OSH Choco Dipped Mango Crisps
New Product Category
for Baked Goods & Confectioneries
Theo and Philo
Dark Chocolate Covered Cashew and Honey
New Product Category
for Processed Fruits and Vegetables
Century Pacific Food Inc
Unmeat Luncheon Meat
New Product Category
for Natural, Healthy & Organic Products
Pasciolco Agri-Ventures
Coconut Amínos
Best Booth
Fisherfarms, Inc.
Special Citation for
Sustainability
HIJO Superfoods
Quirino Young Entrepreneur's Association
To learn more about IFEX
Philippines, visit IFEXConnect.com.

ICHRP commends
ICC’s rejection of Philippine government request to halt
investigation of Duterte government officials
Press Release
September 30, 2022
MANILA – “The
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines [ICHRP]
applauds the recent decision of International Criminal Court [ICC]
Prosecutor Karim Khan to reject the request of the Philippine
government to halt the investigation of allegations of serious
crimes against humanity committed on its territory related to the
Duterte administration’s drug war,” said ICHRP Chairperson Peter
Murphy.
“The response of
Prosecutor Khan points out the weakness of the November 2021 request
of the Duterte government, which argued for suspension of the ICC
investigation on the basis of jurisdiction of the tribunal, gravity
of the crimes committed, and supposed domestic mechanisms which can
investigate and prosecute those involved in the killings,” said
Murphy.
“Khan’s response
demonstrates that no such domestic mechanisms exist on a wide scale,
and that no valid argument exists to dispute the jurisdiction of the
ICC in regard to these alleged crimes against humanity. This is in
line with the results of INVESTIGATE PH, which demonstrated a severe
lack of domestic remedies to the human rights crisis in the
country.”
Human rights organizations
like Amnesty International estimate that the number of killings
under Duterte’s drug war may be as many as 30,000. INVESTIGATE PH,
an independent international investigation into the human rights
situation in the Philippines carried out by civil society
organizations in 2021, presented and analyzed witness testimony and
forensic evidence to dispel the Philippine government claims that
the thousands of victims were killed by police in self-defence. It
also showed that genuine domestic mechanisms to investigate and
prosecute the perpetrators of the killings do not exist, despite the
claims of the government.
“ICHRP upholds the call of
the drug war victims and civil society at large for the cooperation
of the Philippine government in the carrying out of the ICC
investigation,” said Murphy. “We also reiterate the call of
INVESTIGATE PH for other intergovernmental bodies, such as the
United Nations Human Rights Council, to launch their own independent
investigation into the current human rights situation in the
country.”
“The international
community must stay vigilant and hold the current and past
administrations accountable until justice is achieved for all
victims of these crimes against humanity,” Murphy concluded.
Lassiter assumes
as provincial adjudicator for DAR E. Samar

Lawyer
Bryan Lassiter now serves as Provincial Agrarian Reform
Adjudicator (PARAD) for Eastern Samar after PARAD Nellie
Canillas turned over last week her workloads to the former.
(Photo by Veah Pascasio) |
By
JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA
September 28, 2022
TACLOBAN CITY –
Provincial Agrarian Reform Adjudicator (PARAD), lawyer Nellie
Canillas, formally turned over last week her workloads in Eastern
Samar to lawyer Bryan Lassiter.
Lassiter, who was
appointed early this year by then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as
PARAD, will succeed Canillas as Department of Agrarian Reform’s
(DAR) adjudicator for Eastern Samar per Special Order No. 512,
Series of 2022, issued on September 1 this year by Agrarian Reform
Secretary Conrado Estrella III to attain maximum efficiency at the
DAR Adjudication Board (DARAB).
In the same document,
Lassiter will also serve as PARAD of Northern Samar.
The said turnover took
place at the office of the Regional Agrarian Reform Adjudicator,
lawyer Virgilio Rosacay, at the Department of Agrarian Reform
Regional office in Tacloban City.
With Rosacay, OIC-Regional
Director Ismael Aya-ay and lawyer Florence Hipe, PARAD of Northern
Samar and Southern Leyte, witnessed the event.
Presently designated
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) in Eastern
Samar in an officer-in-charge capacity, Lassiter is awaiting
designation of his replacement as PARPO II by the Secretary.
Canillas on the other hand
will now focus as PARAD of Western Samar.
Meanwhile, Hipe disclosed
that turnover of his workloads in Northern Samar will be scheduled
in a later date.
Japan-affiliated
telco InfiniVAN’s Submarine Cable Network project with Globe and
Eastern Communications marks new milestone

Press Release
September 22, 2022
QUEZON CITY –
Following the landmark Subic Cable Loading Event in July, InfiniVAN,
Inc. in a joint-build project with two other Philippine telcos,
completed the Siargao landing of a segment of the Philippine
Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) in the Municipality of Dapa,
Siargao Island on September 22.
InfiniVAN, Inc., a
subsidiary of Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed IPS, Inc. (TSE: 4390) took
part in the ceremonial cable pulling event of fiber optic cables
that is part of the ongoing cable laying phase of PDSCN. Five (5) of
the 24 segments have already been completed to date.
The cable-pulling ceremony
was witnessed by Dapa Mayor Elizabeth T. Matugas, Vice Mayor Gerry
Abejo and municipal officials along with representatives from
InfiniVAN, Inc., Globe Telecom, and Eastern Communications. Once
completed, the $150-million joint project that spans around 2,500 km
will provide ultra-fast and reliable connectivity across the
country.
InfiniVAN, Inc. Chief
Technology Officer Alberto “Abet” Espedido said that aside from
connecting major islands in the country, the project is designed to
bring connectivity to tourist destination islands to further boost
tourism and other industries in those places.
“We see this as an
opportunity to fulfill our objective of providing connectivity to
far flung areas. We hope that the project does not only provide good
communications infrastructure to Siargao but also help pump-prime
the island’s economy,” he said.
Espedido shared that the
fiber optic cable technology used in the country’s biggest and
longest submarine cable installation is “future-proof.” This means
unrepeatered 96-core fiber cables used in the project can handle
large data throughputs that can be further expanded through advances
in terminal equipment over the next 20 to 25 years.
This InfiniVAN-initiated
submarine cable project is a cost-effective solution to building a
massive and extensive transmission network through a joint-build
arrangement with Globe, the Philippines’ leading digital solutions
platform and Eastern Communications, premier telecommunications and
ICT solutions provider.
“We consider it an
achievement, as a new entrant in the market, to be working with
well-established partners on this project that will really make a
difference in the next few years. It is gratifying to have so-called
industry competitors join hands to provide a very precious resource
to our countrymen and the country as a whole, in a most unselfish
manner,” Espedido added.
The Express and Western
routes connecting Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will be ready by
December this year and the remaining Eastern routes will be
completed by April 2023.
Global leaders in
public and private sectors call for united voice for peace as an
institution

Press Release
September 20, 2022
MANILA – The 8th
Anniversary of the September 18th HWPL World Peace Summit was
virtually held last Sunday with the theme of ‘Peace as an
Institution: A Foundation for Sustainable Development’. This event
was participated by peace advocates across the world in 146
countries including USA, Germany, South Africa, Australia,
Philippines, South Korea with 5,000 participants, reaffirming the
importance of the sustainable development guaranteed by
institutionalizing peace while the global community has yet to
overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and faces new threats caused by the
Russian-Ukraine conflict.
Since September 18th in
2014 when the peace summit was held for the first time, Heavenly
Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international
peace NGO under the UN ECOSOC, has called for solidarity for
peacebuilding at the global level through collective actions with
various actors including heads of state, ministers, law makers,
religious leaders, educators, youth and women leaders, and
reporters. This annual summit shares peace activities and
achievements in cooperation with governments and civil society
around the world.
From the Philippines,
Senator Risa Hontiveros delivered a congratulatory message, “I thank
the HWPL for living and breathing peace, not only in your programs
to stop conflict, but also in your drive to institutionalize it into
our laws, our policies and our cultures. As a long time peace
advocate myself, I am one with you in your commitment to active
non-violence in all the work that we do and in all the roles that we
play in our lives.”
“While human dignity is
besieged by disease, war, climate change and poverty, we will
overcome these challenges, as ‘WE are ONE!’ with HWPL in supporting
projects that improve human rights and lay the foundation for
livelihood with human dignity,” said Chief Justice Alexander G.
Gesmundo in his congratulatory letter.
Regarding the cause of
peacebuilding at the global level, Chairman Man-hee Lee of HWPL
said, “The global village has suffered from the unexpected COVID-19
that has hit every country. People are not alone in the midst of
difficulties. We live in the same global village, and we are
neighbors and families. Each one of us is obliged to make our world
a better place to live. And shouldn't we pass on our good world to
our descendants?”
Recognizing the crucial
“role of parliaments in building peace and preventing conflict”, H.E.
Marinus Bee, the chairperson of the National Assembly of Suriname,
expressed his willingness to collaborate with HWPL in establishing
peace at the legislative level.
Octavia Alfred, Minister
for Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and
Nation Excellence of Dominica, said that HWPL’s peace education was
introduced to the national school curriculum in Dominica as it was
“integrated into Social Studies, and also as a stand-alone.” She
added that the HWPL peace curriculum is helpful “in addressing the
challenges of not just students, but even what they take home to
their friends and their parents, and also our teachers.”
Prabhu Mahendra Das, the
Temple President of Sri Sri Radha Madhava Mandir of the Philippines,
presented an institutional approach to interreligious dialogue in
terms of the role of religion in contributing to peace. He suggested
that regularizing international exchanges and programs to prevent
conflicts based on religious misunderstanding can be a starting
point for a foundation of peace.
Street food
vendor in Southern Leyte thrives through DOLE’s livelihood program
By
NORMA RAE S. COSTIMIANO
September 19, 2022
TACLOBAN CITY – The
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through its DOLE
Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) has steadfastly provided
livelihood to the needy and deserving informal workers throughout
the years.
Among the many
beneficiaries of the program is Melfo O. Bitor, a 28-year-old former
saleslady from Sogod, Southern Leyte, who tried her luck selling
fishball and kikiam with a capital of only P150.00.
In February 2021, Melfo
received from DOLE Regional Office No. 8 through the Southern Leyte
Field Office (SLFO) a livelihood starter kit for her street food
business worth P12,310.00.
Armed with gratitude and
determination, Melfo strived to manage her business well and
eventually gained success. The assistance from DOLE paved the way
for the living condition of her family to improve, earning a net
income of P2,500.00 per day.
From the income she earned
from one vending cart situated at the Sogod Terminal, Melfo was able
to buy another food cart which she placed beside a department store
in Sogod.
As life isn’t always
perfect, Melfo and her family encountered so many challenges along
the way. Her husband was hospitalized due to COVID, and their house
sustained heavy damages because of the typhoon Odette that struck
the province of Southern Leyte last December 2021. These exhausted
her savings but Melfo did not lose sight of her goal and managed to
rise above the problems.
Presently, Melfo opened
her third street food branch fronting another department store in
Sogod, this time, not only a food cart but a snack house where
customers can dine-in and enjoy their favorite street food.
From fishball and kikiam,
Melfo now offers a variety of snacks such as potato fries, kwek-kwek,
siomai and some refreshments. Her small-scale business is now a
sought-after street food in their place.
Looking back on how she
started, Melfo couldn’t help but shed tears of joy.
“Hindi ko po inakala na
magiging ganito kami. Ang hirap talaga nung una, dahil maliit lang
ang kita naming mag-asawa. Yung bahay namin noon halos
napagkakamalan po na bahay ng baboy. Pero dahil po sa tulong ng
DOLE, nag-iba at gumaan ang buhay namin. Natutugunan na namin ang
aming mga pangangailangan at nakakatulong pa kami sa iba”, Melfo
said.
Melfo’s successful
livelihood project is just one of the many testimonies that DOLE’s
livelihood program is indeed instrumental in improving the lives of
the workers that the department ought to serve.
(with a report from
DOLE-SLFO)
DE Briones to
contractors: Finish prior year projects until Dec. 31, 2022

By
DPWH-Biliran
September 16, 2022
NAVAL, Biliran – District
Engineer Ferdinand A. Briones sets deadline to contractors with
project implementation from year 2021 and below.
During the contractors’ meeting held at DPWH Biliran District
Engineering Office (DEO) on September 01, 2022, DE Briones orders
contractors to finish its Prior Year (PY) projects until December
31, 2022 to avoid reversion of funds per Executive Order (E.O) No.
91.
“Those 2021 projects down to the PY projects, ang reversion ng pera
is hanggang December 31, 2022 nalang, kaya bilis-bilisan ninyo dahil
ang pera ay hindi mag-aantay sa projects,” said DE Briones.
DE Briones explained that under E.O. No. 91 or the adoption of the
cash-based budgeting system, contracts intended to be implemented
for the fiscal year should be fully delivered by the end of the
fiscal year.
“We still have PY projects that are still on-going right now,
although we encountered problems and consequences in the
implementation such as Right-Of-Way (ROW), project not feasible and
doable but this should not be an excuse para ihinto ang project,”
said DE Briones.
As of August 26, 2022, BDEO has still an unpaid balance of P462.97-M
for a total of 77 on-going projects implemented from 2017 to 2021.
According to DE Briones, unpaid balances are not just because of the
unfinished projects but also because of the contractors’ failure to
process billing due to lack of documents, even though the projects
are completed.
“Pag’ binalik ang pera, wala ng pera yan, pag walang pera hindi nyo’
na makukuha, although may ginagawang trabaho wala ng pambayad,” said
DE Briones.
DE Briones also emphasized that projects completed within the fiscal
year has still an Extended Payment Period (EPP) of three months
following the end of the fiscal year.
The District Engineer instructed the contractors to process the
required documents and to fast-track the implementation of their PY
projects in order to finish the projects on the allowable time.
“Whether you like it or not, you need to finish PY projects until
December 31, 2022,” said DE Briones to the contractors.
PH human rights
groups submit alternative human rights report to UN treaty body
By
KARAPATAN
September 14, 2022
QUEZON CITY – A
decade since the United Nations Human Rights Committee conducted a
review on the Philippine government’s compliance to the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the
State party will undergo a fifth review before the UN treaty body
this coming October 2022, with non-governmental organizations
providing alternative submissions to the government report.
Human rights group
Karapatan and Tanggol Bayi, an association of women human rights
defenders, submitted their 29-page joint alternative report on
September 12, covering human rights issues during the
administrations of Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte, as well
as the first months of the Marcos Jr. administration.
In their report, they
stated that “the human rights situation in the country has spiraled
into a crisis,” as they documented and witnessed gross violations on
the right to life and civil liberties, the deeper and pervasive
climate of impunity and the dire lack of effective domestic
mechanisms for redress and accountability, closing civic and
democratic spaces, and unmet obligations to core international human
rights instruments, including the ICCPR.
They cited the continuing
impunity since the Marcos Sr. regime, with the dictator and his
family as well as cohorts yet to be made fully accountable for their
acts of gross human rights violations and massive corruption during
martial law, impeding efforts towards truth and justice.
“Marcos Jr.’s recent
defense of his dictator-father’s martial law glosses over their
family’s rapacious intent to monopolize political power and prolong
their rule by suppressing political dissent and pocketing billions
from the nation’s coffers. Clearly, Marcos Jr.’s presidency seeks to
erase all the crimes of the Marcoses against the Filipino people, to
enable them to keep their massive loot from public funds, and to
further their political ambitions,” said Karapatan Secretary General
Cristina Palabay, reacting to Marcos Jr.’s recent interview
defending his father’s imposition of martial law.
Karapatan added that
“Marcos Jr. continues the draconian and repressive policies of the
Duterte administration, wielding and foisting the anti-terror law
and other repressive policies against those who uphold and defend
human and people’s rights.”
“Marcos Jr. is not intent
on immediately prosecuting those involved in the gross human rights
violations during the Duterte administration and with domestic
remedies remaining largely ineffective in pursuing accountability,
the climate of impunity remains pervasive,” Palabay said.
Karapatan and Tanggol Bayi
highlighted “serious human rights violations” committed by State
actors including extrajudicial killings in the drug war and
counterinsurgency programs of the Philippine government; numerous
cases of illegal/arbitrary arrests and detention, threats including
red- and terrorist-tagging, and judicial harassment; infringement on
press freedom and freedom of expression, as well as freedom of
association and academic freedom; forced evacuations and bombings of
communities due to military operations; cruel and degrading
treatment of prisoners including political prisoners; gendered
attacks against women and LGBTQ human rights defenders, among
others.
“There is an even more
urgent need for the international community and the UN human rights
mechanisms to undertake decisive steps for an independent
investigation on these concerns and to continue to monitor and
report on the human rights situation in the Philippines. We urge the
members of the UN Human Rights Committee to comprehensively evaluate
how the ICCPR has been grossly violated by the Philippine government
through the many years after the last review,” Palabay said.
The groups are also set to
participate in the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council and
the UN Universal Periodic Review, with the Philippines under
scrutiny in the next two months by the UN mechanisms.
Inflation rate in
Eastern Visayas goes 7.2 percent in August 2022
Press Release
September 8, 2022
TACLOBAN CITY – The
Inflation Rate (IR) in Eastern Visayas decreased to 7.2 percent in
August 2022, after five (5) consecutive months of acceleration. The
regional IR was higher than the 6.3 percent national IR in August
2022. With this month’s IR, the region’s average IR from January to
August 2022 stood at 6.2 percent. In August 2021, the regional IR
was lower at 4.5 percent (Figure 1).

The slowdown in the
regional IR in August 2022 was primarily due to the lower annual
increment recorded in the index for food and non-alcoholic beverages
at 7.5 percent, from 8.0 percent in the previous month. This was
followed by transport index whose double-digit IR declined to 13.5
percent in August 2022, from 16.1 percent in July 2022.
On the other hand, IRs
were higher for the following commodity groups during the month:
a. Alcoholic beverages and
tobacco, 7.0 percent;
b. Clothing and footwear,
1.5 percent;
c. Housing, water,
electricity, gas, and other fuels, 9.9 percent;
d. Furnishings, household
equipment, and routine household maintenance, 1.7 percent;
e. Health, 16 percent;
f. Information and
communication, 0.8 percent;
g. Recreation, sport, and
culture, 1.0 percent;
h. Education services, 1.1
percent;
i. Restaurants and
accommodation services, 5.3 percent; and
j. Personal care, and
miscellaneous goods and services, 2.2 percent
Meanwhile, the financial
services commodity group continued to registered zero percent annual
growth.
IR for food index slid to
7.8 percent during the month, from 8.5 percent in July 2022. IR for
food in August 2021 was posted at 5.7 percent.
By food group, the
decrease in the IRs for fish and other seafood at 4.8 percent;
vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses at 3.1
percent; and rice at 2.3 percent contributed largely to the
deceleration of the food index during the month. Moreover, IRs
slowed down in the indices for fruits and nuts at 7.5 percent; and
meat and other parts of slaughtered animals at 23.9 percent.
On the other hand, the
following food groups exhibited higher IRs during the month:
a. Corn, 5.5 percent;
b. Flour, bread and other
bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, 9.6 percent;
c. Milk, other dairy
products, and eggs, 5.0 percent
d. Oils and fats, 10.4
percent;
e. Sugar, confectionery,
and desserts, 20.1 percent; and
f. Ready-made food and
other food products not elsewhere classified, 3.6 percent;
Inflation Rate by Region
Compared with their
respective previous month’s IRs, six (6) regions exhibited lower
inflation in August 2022, nine (9) regions had higher inflation
rates, and two (2) regions retained their previous month’s inflation
rate. Among the regions, Eastern Visayas’ IR at 7.2 percent ranked
fifth highest during the month. Zamboanga Peninsula registered the
highest IR at 9.1 percent, followed by Davao Region and Caraga
Region at 8.9 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively. On the other
hand, BARMM remained as the region with the lowest recorded IR at
4.9 percent in August 2022 (Figure 2).

Inflation Rate by Province
Relative to their IRs in
July 2022, Leyte, Northern Samar, and Southern Leyte recorded lower
IRs in August 2022. On the other hand, increased IRs were observed
in Biliran, Eastern Samar, and Samar. Among the provinces, Southern
Leyte posted the highest IR at 9.6 percent in August 2022. Northern
Samar’s IR came next at 9.3 percent, followed by Biliran at 7.9
percent; Eastern Samar at 7.2 percent; and Samar at 6.8 percent. The
lowest IR was noted in Leyte at 6.7 percent (Table 1).

Meanwhile, IR for Tacloban
City, the lone Highly Urbanized City (HUC) in the region, was
recorded at 4.2 percent in August 2022, lower than its 5.2 percent
IR last month.
DTI, government
agencies and state universities, sign MOA for the creation of the
Regional Inclusive Innovation Center in EV

By
DTI-Regional Operations
Group
September 8, 2022
MAKATI CITY – DTI,
government agencies, and state universities, sign the Memorandum of
Agreement for the creation of the Regional Inclusive Innovation
Center (RIIC) in Region 8 on September 1, 2022.
The Regional Inclusive Innovation Centers (RIICs) are virtual of
physical platforms for collaborative programs purposively to
generate products, process or service innovation that are deemed
important to the goal of inclusive growth and development of the
respective regions.
Collaborations are expressed through government-academe-industry
partnerships, access to shared service facilities such as R&D
laboratories, co-working spaces, fabrication laboratories, and in
the case of regional startups, access to capital and investments.
Prior to the MOA signing, an overview of DTI’s programs geared
toward a more innovative Philippines and the RIIC was thoroughly
discussed by DTI Competitiveness and Innovation Group Undersecretary
Rafaelita Aldaba.
She zoomed in to the current industry and GDP situation of Region 8
and identified industry opportunities that can help the economic
development of the region.
This was backed up by the presentation of DTI Samar Provincial
Director Meilou C. Macabare about the high value coconut products
which micro and small entrepreneurs in the region are producing. DTI
eyes this potential industry to be a priority for the innovative
initiatives through the RIIC. This was supported by all the
provincial directors of DTI.
Present during this MOA Signing were heads of agencies and
presidents and executives of state universities – RD Celerina T.
Bato of DTI; RD Ernesto Granada and PD Glen Ocaña of DOST; RD
Meylene Rosales of NEDA; RD Felix Tabanao, Jr. of DICT; Mr. Erwin
Abonales of PCA; President of EVSU Dr. Dennis de Paz; Vice President
of SLSU Ms. Francis Ann R. Sy; Dir. Marclin G. Aguilar of BPSU; and
Dir. Vivian Moya of SSU Main.
It was also an opportune time for the Philippine-American Academy of
Science and Engineering (PAASE) to discuss innovative ideas and
social innovation with the partners. Present were Dr. Mariano R. Sto.
Domingo, Dr. Joel Cuelo and Dr. Alvin B. Culaba.
Before the meeting ends, a brief tentative action plan was discussed
by DTI ARD Badette Corsiga to mobilize and facilitate the RIIC to be
active.
Peace documentary
on Mindanao premieres in Davao City

Press Release
September 7, 2022
MANILA – In
celebration of the National Peace Consciousness Month, a peace
documentary titled “Great Legacy” premiered in a cinema in Davao
City on the evening of September 6, 2022. Around 500 distinguished
guests from the government, education sector, media, as well as
civic society leaders, religious leaders and peace advocates from
Mindanao have attended.
The documentary was
produced by SMV Media Group, a broadcast company based in Seoul,
South Korea, in collaboration with Heavenly Culture, World Peace,
Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international non-profit
organization advocating for global peace and cessation of war. The
film showcased the groups’ successful peace movement in Mindanao
which contributed to the peace process in the region.
Davao City Mayor Baste
Duterte congratulated and commended HWPL and SMV on the screening
saying, "By showing people documentaries and films on peace, we may
encourage more to be one with us in our peacekeeping and
peacebuilding efforts for our communities."
HWPL’s peace movement in
the Philippines started when HWPL Chairman Lee Man-hee, a Korean war
veteran, visited Mindanao. He mediated a civilian peace agreement
signed by Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla and then Maguindanao
Governor Esmael “Toto” G. Mangudadatu on January 14, 2014 in General
Santos City. Before the audience of 300 people including
politicians, university professors, religious leaders, and students,
the representatives promised to cooperate in ceasing the conflict
and building peace especially in the Mindanao region which has long
suffered the aftereffects of war.
This agreement became the
starting point of HWPL in raising public awareness about peace not
only in Mindanao but throughout the Philippines, based on the
universal principles of mutual understanding, respect, and harmony.
HWPL’s peace initiatives include law enactment for peace, interfaith
dialogues, peace education, and youth and women empowerment.
In the film, Martin Lee
Hojian, former chairperson of the UN Human Rights Commission of the
United Nations, Homoibi, highly praised HWPL Chairman Lee, who
intervened in the realization of peace in Mindanao as a third
person, and the Filipino people who had a keen passion for peace.
Also, Nabil Tirmage, Asia Pacific Broadcasting Development
Organization program manager, said that the civil peace agreement in
2014 is an ‘amazing case of realization of peace that the world
should study’.
Before the screening, a
press conference was held for Mr. John Rommel Garces, Chief Branch
Manager of HWPL Philippines, Ms. Hyun Sook Yoon, Chairwoman of the
International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), and Ms. Sholai Lim, Vice
President for Mindanao of the Philippine Federation of Local
Councils of Women and Publicity Ambassador of IWPG.
IWPG, a partner
organization of HWPL, unveiled the first IWPG Peace Monument on the
grounds of Maragusan, Davao de Oro overlooking the sea of clouds on
September 6 morning. Their delegates from South Korea traveled to
the Philippines for the first IWPG Peace Tour from September 5-7.
CARD MBA opens
83rd provincial office in Zamboanga del Sur

The
83rd provincial office of CARD MBA opened in Zamboanga Del Sur
with Senior Operations Director Oliver M. Reyes; Deputy Director
for Operations Janicekith N. Navera, CARD SME Bank Area Manager
Joel Bermudez and CARD Inc. Regional Director Adonis Saromines,
CARD MBA coordinators, CARD MRI members and staff. |
Press Release
August 31, 2022
SAN PABLO CITY – To
further expand its mission of providing microinsurance to its
members, the CARD Mutual Benefit Association (CARD MBA) successfully
opened its 83rd branch located in Pacigea Sites, Nazareth,
Buenavista, Pagadian City, Zamboanga Del Sur on August 8, 2022.
The event was graced by
CARD MBA Senior Operations Director Oliver M. Reyes, CARD MBA Deputy
Director for Operations Janicekith N. Navera, CARD SME Bank Area
Manager Joel Bermudez and CARD Inc. Regional Director Adonis
Saromines, CARD MBA coordinators, CARD Mutually Reinforcing
Institutions (CARD MRI) clients and staff.
"CARD MBA strives to
provide excellent levels of service through recognizing and meeting
the specific insurance needs of client-members," said CARD MBA CEO
Jocelyn D. Dequito. “It is our contribution to CARD MRI’s goal of
poverty eradication to provide insurance even to the hardest to
reach communities.”
To maintain a high level
of satisfaction, CARD MBA ensures that clients' microinsurance needs
are met from membership to retirement. In fact, the institution
provides microinsurance products to members of the association and
their families. This is comprised of Basic Life Insurance Program,
Retirement Fund (RF), Loan Redemption Fund (LRF) Plus, Golden Life
Insurance, and Family Security Fund.
CARD MBA also offers
community development programs to support socioeconomically
challenged families and individuals of the community. This includes
mass weddings, immediate relief assistance to calamity-stricken
areas, and participation in CARD's other nation-building programs in
health, livelihood, and education.
With a total insured
individual of 23,037,454 as of June 30, 2022, CARD MBA will continue
uplift the lives of the marginalized sectors in the country.