PNP 8 to hold muzzle-taping of firearms for New Year

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
December 22, 2011

CAMP RUPERTO K. KANGLEON, Campetic, Palo, Leyte  –  With just few days before New Year’s Eve, the Eastern Visayas police personnel is set to tape the muzzles of their firearms to make sure it will not be used for the New Year revelry.

A simultaneous taping of muzzles of issued firearms on December 27, 2011 at 9:00 o’clock in the morning inside the PNP-8 Camp, Police Superintendent Elizar Egloso PNP-8 chief of the police community relations, said.

The Chief of Regional Headquarters Support Group in coordination with Regional Personnel Human Resource Doctrine Division and Regional Logistics Division shall spearhead the said ceremonial taping of muzzles of issued firearms.

This is pursuant to the memorandum of PDG Nicanor A. Bartolome and with the letter of instruction of PCSupt. Arnold Revilla, PNP Region 8 director.

The order is for the PNP 8 police personnel to implement proactive measures against the indiscriminate firing of firearms during the celebration of the Yuletide Season.

To recall, most often, the indiscriminate firing of guns have caused serious injuries and loss of lives to hapless civilians.

It may be recalled that weeks before the Christian world celebrates Christmas and New Year, PNP Chief PDG Nicanor A Bartolome issued a stern warning on indiscriminate and illegal discharge of firearms by government and civilian gunholders.

The 140,000-strong police force will be putting their guns on “silent mode” before and after Christmas and New Year celebrations as they will tape their guns to show their support to the government’s campaign to prevent firearms and firecrackers injuries which may lead to death and loss of properties as millions of Filipinos celebrate the yuletide season.

PDG Bartolome said the muzzle taping will be done as a measure and to remind all PNP personnel to refrain from firing their guns during the yuletide celebrations.

Bartolome had already issued LOI 42/2011 in order to warn PNP personnel of getting heavy punishment for illegal discharge and indiscriminate firing of guns on and after the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

All PNP units shall schedule muzzle taping, to be supervised by senior PNP officials of the seventeen Police Regional Offices down to the provincial, city and municipal police stations nationwide.

Eastern Visayas surpasses 2011 National Greening Program target

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
December 22, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY  –  Eastern Visayas has more than 100 percent accomplishment for this year’s target under the National Greening Program (NGP).

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Region 8 reported this to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III through DENR Secretary Ramon Paje.

DENR 8 was given a 2011 target of 4,052,500 seedlings for production and 8,105 hectares for planting with indigenous tree species under the NGP.  Acting Regional Executive Director Manolito D. Ragub disclosed that the targeted area for planting and the seedlings for production were 100% accomplished by the DENR’s field offices using the regular budget allocation.

Excess accomplishment resulted from the DENR’s social mobilization strategy wherein different partners from various sectors were made to plant trees under the program.  The convergence initiative of the Environment, Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Departments posted an accomplishment of 83% by producing 70,000 seedlings out of the target of 84,000 seedlings.

The Convergence has also planted 50 hectares out of its target of 60 hectares posting an 83% accomplishment.

Under the Congressional Initiative, 1,260 hectares were planted out of the 1,160 hectares target or a 108% accomplishment, while 625,000 seedlings were produced out of the 605,000 target or a 103% accomplishment.

Even without a set target, the German Technical Cooperation (GIZ), other government agencies, people’s organizations, State Universities and Colleges and the Energy Development Corporation’s BINHI Program produced a total of 472,971 seedlings and planted a total of 804.31 hectares, OIC RED Ragub informed.

Pursuant to Executive Order No. 26 of President Aquino, the National Greening Program is a program seeking to “plant some 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares for a period of 6 years from 2011 to 2016, in lands of the public domain.  This has quad goals of poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation.  Key partners as stipulated in the said Executive Order are: DA, DAR, DENR, DepEd, CHED, DSWD, DBM, DILG, LGUs, DOH, DPWH, DOTC, DND, DOST, DOJ, NCIP.  Social mobilization strategy is however adopted by the DENR to encourage partners from all sectors of society to join the program.

Meanwhile, Ms. Purificacion Daloos, DENR Regional Public Affairs Officer, informed that field officers of the DENR are now required to first appear before a notary public attorney to swear on the correctness of their accomplishment reports before submitting them to the DENR’s head office in Quezon City.

This after DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje has ordered the notarization of all reports submitted by his 16 DENR regional executive directors and other DENR field officers playing key roles in the implementation of the National Greening Program (NGP) in an apparent move to remove doubts on the veracity of NGP reports submitted to his office.

“The intention is also to raise the agency’s competence in providing accurate reports to our people and the President,” explained Paje, adding that the reports will in turn be submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA) for validation.

Secretary Paje described the requirement as a “necessary measure” to heighten transparency and accountability, as he stressed that his order applies to all DENR's regional directors, heads of line bureaus, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officers (PENROs), and Community Environment and Natural Resources Officers (CENROs).

Despite SOMO, NPA disrupts peace in Northern Samar

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
December 21, 2011

CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan City  –  Despite the goodwill shown by the Armed Forces of the Philippines through its declaration of a unilateral ceasefire, the local terrorists in the municipality of Las Navas consistently defy the call for peace.

A soldier got killed while another was wounded while performing community work when members of the communist terrorists attacked them in the early morning of December 20 at Barangay San Miguel, Las Navas, Northern Samar.

Lt. Colonel Niceforo Diaz, spokesman of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, informed that the casualties have been evacuated from the site of the incident.

The identification of both soldiers’ who are members of the 34th Infantry Battalion are withheld until their families have been notified, Lt. Colonel Diaz said.

Murder charges are now being prepared against the alleged perpetrators who remain at large.

To recall, upon the recommendation of the AFP, the government has declared an 18-day truce from December 16 to January 2 of this year.

The government traditionally declares a suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) with the communist NPA rebels during Christmas and New Year’s Day to give both sides a respite to celebrate with their loved ones.

Last year, two days before the start of the Christmas truce, 10 Army soldiers were killed along with a nine-year old bystander in a rebel ambush in Las Navas, Northern Samar.

DOH deploys ‘doctors to barrios’ in 10 doctor-less East Visayas LGUs

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
December 21, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY  –  Ten (10) young medical graduates were recently deployed to ten doctor-less municipalities in Eastern Visayas under the ‘Doctors to the Barrios’ program, Department of Health Region 8 Director Edgardo Gonzaga informed.

Director Gonzaga said the doctors were assigned in fifth and sixth class municipalities namely, Limasawa in Southern Leyte; Jipapad in Eastern Samar; Hinabangan, Tagapul-an, Santo Nino and Matuguinao in the province of Samar; and Laoang, Silvino Lobos, San Antonio and Gamay in Northern Samar.

The ten doctors were part of the 73 doctors who were recently assigned in various regions of the country namely, Northern Mindanao, 12; Western Visayas, seven; Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, seven; Ilocos Region, six; Cagayan Valley, five; Mimaropa, five; Cordillera Administrative Region, four; Central Visayas, four; Zamboanga Peninsula, three; Central Luzon, two; Calabarzon, two; Bicol Region, two; Caraga, two; Davao, one; and Socsargen, one.

Said doctors were trained by the National Telehealth Service Program, a collaboration of the Department of Health (DoH), the Department of Science and Technology, and the University of the Philippines Manila, in using telemedicine applications to support their practice in doctor-less and single-doctor communities.

They were trained to do tele-referrals to refer difficult to handle medical cases to specialists in government-run Philippine General Hospital.

Director Gonzaga said that telemedicine is bringing more Filipino doctors to the barrios. The government is now using information and communications technology to expand the scope of public healthcare services to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

Due to the absence of doctors in rural communities, indigent patients have to travel long hours to seek medical attention from clinical specialists in provincial or city centers.

Telemedicine connects health workers from poor remote rural communities to government specialists.

Under the five-year NTSP, local health professionals from 606 poorest municipalities and regional centers are connected to clinical specialists via telemedicine.

The Doctors to the Barrio (DTTB) Program was spearheaded by one of the Department of Health’s (DOH) most memorable secretaries, Dr. Juan A. Flavier, in 1993, in response to the findings of a rapid assessment conducted by the DOH.  The assessment showed that 271 municipalities in the Philippines had been without doctors for at least 5 years.

The thrust of the DTTB Program was to provide medical care by deploying competent, dedicated doctors twice a year to far-flung areas that needed them most. These areas were typically underdeveloped and economically challenged municipalities described as isolated, depressed and hard to reach. Doctors were expected to render two years of service in the municipalities they were deployed to.

Heed weather advisories, geohazard maps, DENR says

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
December 21, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY  –  In the light of the recent tragedy brought about by typhoon Sendong to the people of Northern Mindanao, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Eastern Visayas exhorted the local government units and the public as a whole to heed weather advisories and to take geohazard maps seriously.

Forester Manolito Ragub, DENR-8 Regional Technical Director for Forest Management Service and current DENR-8 OIC, made the pronouncement during the Suruswerte Ha PIA radio program on Tuesday.

RTD Ragub said that DENR has distributed geohazard maps where the disaster prone areas are identified, to all local government units, so that they will be properly guided in taking the necessary steps before, during and after a calamity.

“The geohazard maps are critical planning tools in the local government’s risk reduction program,” RTD Ragub underscored.

Geo-hazard maps contain information as to the level of susceptibility of areas to flooding and landslide, including areas that could possibly be used as relocation or evacuation sites, in case of calamities.

RTD Ragub said the recent calamity is another wakeup call for everyone to do his or her part for the conservation and protection of the environment.  Eastern Visayas is lucky because it still has forests with good vegetation and rich biodiversity in Samar Island.

The DENR 8 OIC added that the Sendong tragedy sends a strong message to work harder in building disaster-prepared and disaster-resilient communities by enhancing the local disaster risk reduction and management councils.

Under Republic Act No. 10121 or the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, LGUs are tasked to evacuate residents in flood- and landslide-prone areas and relocate them to safe areas in times of impending typhoon and other weather disturbances that could bring heavy rains.

The Act requires all provinces, cities, and municipalities to have a Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) systems to have a greater responsibility in building the disaster preparedness of communities and institute disaster risk reduction within their jurisdictions.

DOLE grants safety awards to four EV companies

By MARIVIC ALCOBER, PIA 8
December 20, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY  –  The Regional Director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 8 Atty. Forter G. Puguon was proud to disseminate that four companies in Eastern Visayas were among those who were given recognition by DOLE’s nationwide Safety Milestone (SMILE) Recognition Awards.

According to Labor Communications Officer Virgilio Doroja, Jr of DOLE, the announcement was made upon the return of Director Puguon from his travel to Manila to attend the 2011 SMILE Recognition Awards Ceremony, which was conducted last December 12, 2011.

It was bared that the four business establishments from Eastern Visayas who were among the companies nationwide that were given said recognition are the Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc., Tacloban Plant; Petron Corporation Tacloban Depot; Petron Corporation Ormoc Depot; and the Petron Corporation Isabel Depot.

The SMILE Recognition is an incentive award which is given to a company that has achieved an excellent safety performance of having no lost time accidents for a particular period, Doroja said.

Further, Doroja informed that the program aims to motivate and encourage more companies to be steadfast in the implementation of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) programs and activities thus facilitate compliance with the provisions of OSH standards which would result to a safe and healthful workplace.

Likewise, it was shared that DOLE through the Bureau of Working Conditions, headed by Director Brenda Villafuerte, has been continuously initiating activities and programs for an effective administration and enforcement of OSH standards.

8th ID transports first wave of relief goods for flood victims in CDO City

By PIA Samar
December 20, 2011

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  The 8th Infantry Division (8th ID) has dispatched an army truck loaded with relief goods to Cagayan de Oro City today.

In a text message, 8th ID Commanding General Mario Chan said that a G4 truck containing relief goods from 8th ID Philippine Army, Catbalogan City, Samar jumped off from the Stormtroopers Headquarters 201200 Dec 11 to 8FSSU to Liloan, Southern Leyte to Lipata Surigao City and finally to the 4th ID Headquarters, Cagayan de Oro City.

He identified the relief goods that contain 82 sacks of assorted used clothing, 9.5 boxes of sardines, 2 boxes of bluebay tuna, 14 boxes of noodles and two sacks of rice.

The text further stated that a certain Pfc Araniego was escorting the items, said army official with his relief goods will be met by a Captain Regis for the turn over to LtC Anayron G7/4 of 4th ID.

Earlier, Chan mobilized all the units under him to gather relief goods for the victims of the worst flooding in Mindanao particularly Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan where close to a thousand persons are believed to have died.

Some other units have reportedly continued to receive some more goods that will be transported later.

“It is in times of tragedy when people can best manifest the spirit of sharing and giving, which is the true meaning of the holiday season,” Chan said in an earlier message.

All 70 barangays in Maasin City energized - Tourism and Investment office says

By BONG PEDALINO, PIA Southern Leyte
December 20, 2011

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte  –  The seventy (70) villages comprising this city were already reached with electricity service provided by the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO), according to Royeno Segovia, the City Tourism and Investment Officer.

In a brief chat with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) yesterday at his office, which is ideally located just across city hall, Segovia said the electric connections have even penetrated down to the farthest sitio level, or sub-village, giving households there who can afford the opportunity to tap the services of SOLECO.

It was not easy in coming, Segovia reckoned, because SOLECO, despite the city-LGU’s constant prodding, would always consider a return of its investment when extending lines to distant, mountainous areas, requiring at least ten households that would install electricity.

This dilemma was solved when the city government embarked on an intensive acquisition of basic materials like posts and cables, and SOLECO’s role was only to provide the technical manpower to put up these materials, which the utility agreed, Segovia said.

As it turned out, the expected ten units in a service area were exceeded, as more households were inspired by the thought that they can finally avail of SOLECO’s service, lighting their homes at night, he added.

One of the farthest hinterland barangays in the city, barangay Tigbawan, used to operate a generator for their electricity needs, but this was no longer the case, reserving the genset in case of brownouts, which were few and far between, Segovia also said.

Segovia said that as a positive impact of this development, several electronics stores have opened in the city, perhaps these investors were anticipating a huge demand of electronic supplies as a direct result of the 100% electric connectivity of the city’s barangays.

Providing electricity in all the 70-strong barangays of the city, including far-off sitios, has been one of the 13-point governance agenda pursued by City Mayor Maloney Samaco, one that involved Overall Barangay Development, it was learned.

Southern Leyte’s Barangay Hingatunggan wins as 1st runner-up for LTIA national award

By R.G. CADAVOS, PIA Southern Leyte
December 20, 2011

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte  –  Barangay Hingatunggan in Silago town is this year’s Lupon Tagapamayapa Incentive Award (LTIA) 2011 search first runner up at the national level.

The search spearheaded by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines conducted its awarding ceremony December 7 at Malacañang Palace with no less than Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III gave the awards to the winners as the guest of honor, DILG Information Officer designate Loren Abrau-Aniciete reported to PIA-Maasin this morning.

Barangay Hingatunggan received a P50,000 cash and a plaque, Aniciete disclosed in a phone interview, adding that the awarding ceremony was attended by Silago Vice-Mayor Pacita Almine, Hingataunggan Barangay Chairman Rosalinda Lumaas and Municipal Local Government Operations Officer Jhonel Añavesa based in Silago.

Local Government Operations Officer IV Aniciete revealed that “within a decade of the Lupon Tagapamayapa Incentive Award (LTIA) search, Barangay Hingatunggan won four times as a national finalist and twice as national nominee,” referring from year 2001-2010.

The national LTIA winner went to Barangay Quezon, Mainit of Surigal del Norte and Barangay Ambassador,Tublay from Benguet province as second ruppner up, Aniciete added.