With
other speakers, LtCol. Reymondo Delgado answered questions
thrown by the attendees during the open forum segment of the
Multi-Sectoral Peace Forum. |
19IB spearheads
multi-sectoral peace forum in Ormoc City
By 19th Infantry Battalion,
8ID PA
October 10, 2015
KANANGA, Leyte – Nearly 400
ROTC cadets and students attended the Multi-Sectoral Peace Forum
organized by the Philippine Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion in Ormoc
City.
The forum which was held
Saturday, September 19 at the Gymnasium of Sto. Niño College of Ormoc
was also graced by competent resource speakers from Ormoc City
Government, Ormoc City Police Office and from the Eastern Visayas
Regional Development Council.
Lieutenant Prolen Bonacua,
Civil Military Operations Officer of 19IB said the activity was
launched to raise awareness on the significance of sustained peace in
the society as the National Peace Consciousness Month is being
celebrated this September.
“It is imperative that in
this generation, people gets clear information on what the government
agencies are doing on issues relative to peace and security”, Bonacua
said.
During the three-hour forum,
participants were presented with lectures and audio-visual
presentations on the peace initiatives of agencies in attendance. They
were likewise given chance to throw questions to the resource speakers
during the Open Forum segment of the program.
Among those who spoke during
the forum was Lt. Col. Reymondo Delgado, Acting Commanding Officer of
19IB who stressed in his lecture two strategic approaches to attain a
peaceful society.
The said approaches were
namely; whole-of-nation approach and the people-centered approach
which were stipulated in his presentation entitled: “Bayanihan as
Catalyst of a Peaceful Society”.
Relatively, Superintendent
Ibrahim Jambiran, Chief, Police Community Relations of Ormoc City
Police Office focused his discussion on the “Effectiveness of
Community Policing and Anti-Illegal Drug Operations”.
Ormoc City Mayor Edward
Codilla, who has earlier expressed his support in the initiation of
the said forum, also presented his assigned topic on “LGUs Role in
Keeping the Peace in Ormoc City”.
A representative from the
Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council, Mr. Leo Christian Lauzon
likewise spoke on the topic: “Peace Advocates of the Modern Society”.
Delgado maintained that the
19th Infantry Battalion, in support to the Internal Peace and Security
Plan “Bayanihan” is firm in its campaign of winning the peace rather
than winning the war.
“We call on the remnants of
the New Peoples Army to peacefully surrender and return to folds of
law as taking up arms against the government is no longer significant
nowadays”, Delgado concluded.
L-R:
8ID chief MGen Jet B. Velarmino, Calbayog City mayor Ronald P.
Aquino, Bishop Isabelo C. Abarquez of Calbayog Diocese, Samar
governor Sharee Ann Tan-De Los Santos, PRO8 acting director
PCSupt Asher A. Dolina during the Signing of Pledge of
Commitment Against Political Violence and Non-Support to Private
Armed Groups (PAGs) at Calbayog City Police Station on October
8, 2015. |
Samar governor and
Calbayog City mayor sign pledge of commitment against political
violence and non-support to private armed groups
By DPAO, 8ID PA
October 8, 2015
CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan City
– The 8th Infantry (Stormtroppers) Division, Philippine Army, the
Police Regional Office 8, Philippine National Police (PNP) launched
the Regional Special Operation Task Group 8 and signing of the Pledge
of Commitment against Political Violence and Non-Support to Private
Armed Groups (PAGs) at Calbayog City Police Station, Calbayog City,
Samar on October 8, 2015.
The provincial and local
executives in the province of Samar signed a pledge of commitment for
an Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections next year with the religious
group, PNP, Philippine Army, election officials, Department of
Interior and Local Government (DILG) and media as witnesses.
Prior to the signing of the
pledge of commitment, a peace dialogue was conducted last month at 8ID
Headquarters that aimed at fostering harmony and non-support to
political violence among the military, PNP, local officials in the
area of Samar and Calbayog City in particular where the shooting
incidents transpired, losing 22 lives this year.
The RSOTG 8 headed by PSSupt.
Isiah Tonog was activated to respond to the security challenges in the
province. Serving warrants of arrest to the perpetrators of the
shooting incidents in Calbayog City will be their primary task.
The activation of RSOTG 8
and signing of pledge of commitment against political violence and
non-support to PAGs was attended by Major General Jet B. Velarmino,
Commander 8ID; PCSupt. Asher A. Dolina, Regional Director PRO8, PNP;
Governor Sharee Ann Tan-Delos Santos of Samar along with her Party;
Mayor Ronald Aquino of Calbayog City and his party; Most Rev. Isabelo
C. Abarquez, DD, Archbishop of Diocese of Calbayog; field commanders
in region 8; the different Municipal Mayors in the province of Samar;
Dir. Pedro A. Noval, DILG Regional Director; Atty. Jose Nick A.
Mendros, Regional Director, COMELEC 8, and the media.
A press conference was
conducted after the ceremony to give assurance to the public that the
activated task group will function in effect to further iron out
security measures, internalize the pledge of commitment and
non-support to Private Armed Group (PAGs).
Major General Velarmino said
the activation of RSOTG 8 will pave way to address lawless activities
in Samar.
In his message during the
ceremony, MGen. Velarmino shared a quote from former first lady of the
United States of America Eleonor Roosevelt: “It is not enough to talk
about peace, one must believe in it and it is not enough to believe in
it, one must work for it.”
Diamonds might be a
girl's best friend, but pearls could soon be the oceans'
World's first pearl fishery
enters MSC assessment for sustainability
Via
MARKETWIRE
October 7, 2015
EMERYVILLE, CA – In a
world first, Australian Pearl Producers Association (PPA) have entered
the Australia pearl oyster fishery to be assessed against the MSC's
standard for sustainable fishing. If the fishery achieves
certification, this could influence the pearl industry globally and
feed the demand for a growing market of people who don't just want to
eat sustainable options but want to wear them too.
Speaking from the fishery in
Broome, Western Australia, Executive Officer of PPA, Aaron Irving is
ecstatic at this game-changing move.
"People care about
sustainability and healthy bountiful oceans and hopefully, if we
achieve certification, they'll be able to wear that sustainability
with the world's first MSC certified pearls," said Mr. Irving.
From the pristine waters of
Western Australia and Northern Territory, the pearl fishery which
produces pearls, pearl meat and mother of pearl products will be
examined over a 12 to 18 month by a team of independent scientists to
determine whether it meets MSC standard.
MSC Asia Pacific Director,
Patrick Caleo, is looking forward to welcoming this unique fishery
into the program.
"We always think of seafood
when we think of fishing but here we have a fishery that will change
how we view fishing, sustainability and the different ways we can look
after our ocean," said Mr. Caleo.
"There's a growing number of
people who want to do good by their oceans but also want to look good.
If certified, the pearl fishery will allow that discerning customer to
not only eat sustainable seafood but also wear jewelry that has
positive impacts on our oceans."
The fishery turns around
AUS$60 - $80 million per year, making it the second most valuable
fishery in Western Australia.
Independent certification
body SCS Global Services will carry out this assessment of the Pearl
oyster fishery. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide input
throughout the process. To comment on the assessment of this fishery,
please contact Dr. Sabine Daume at SCS Global Services: SDaume@scsglobalservices.com.
8ID welcomes 172
candidate soldiers
By DPAO, 8ID PA
October 3, 2015
CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan
City – The 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division, Philippine Army
welcomes the 172 new recruits in an Opening Ceremony of the Philippine
Army Candidate Soldier Course Class 395 - 2015 at Headquarters, 8th
Infantry Division Grandstand on October 2, 2015.
Major General Jet B.
Velarmino AFP, Commander 8ID graced the opening ceremony as the Guest
of Honor and Speaker to motivate the recruits on the true meaning of
service.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant
Colonel Bernaldo Perez Command’s Personnel Officer said that the 172
new candidate soldiers who took their oath are aging from 18 to 26
years of age earning P11, 265 a month, 10 percent of them are college
graduate with highest educational attainment on Bachelor of Science in
Nursing and Criminology, one of them is registered nurse, 25 percent
are college level with highest educational attainment of Bachelor of
Industrial Technology and 63 percent of them are high school graduate
with TESDA skills needed by the AFP. Seven candidate soldiers
recruited from Luzon, 28 members from Mindanao and 137 members from
Visayas particularly in Northern Samar, Western Samar and Eastern
Samar.
In a statement made by Major
General Velarmino, the new breed of soldiers will be molded and be
trained into determined and disciplined soldier that will secure the
people of Region 8 against the people who vehemently destroy and
violate human’s rights.
In the end, the oath taking
ceremony gave more hope to the newly candidate soldiers who will bring
peaceful environment in Eastern Visayas.
TUCP hail World
Bank for a paradigm shift on regular jobs and minimum wage
By TUCP-Nagkaisa
October 3, 2015
QUEZON CITY – Labor
group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa)
lauded the World Bank (WB) for its new paradigm shift in promoting
regular jobs and minimum wage as part of their twin approach in ending
extreme poverty by 2030 and in pushing shared prosperity among the
poor of developing countries.
World Bank President Jim
Yong Kim in his speech at the United States Institute of Peace
gathering in Washington, D.C., on October 1 the other day, said that a
bank study among Latin American countries showed that “enforcement of
labor contracts and a minimum wage” is one of the key elements to a
genuine inclusive growth.
Other elements include
“greater access to schools, progressive educational spending that
favors the poor, pensions, and conditional cash transfers.”
“This study is contrary to
and a complete turnaround from previous prescription of the bank that
always promote for flexibilization of labor markets. This is now a
watershed for working people and we commend the bank for making the
right paradigm switch,” said Louie Corral, executive director of
TUCP-Nagkaisa and the group’s civil society representative to the
World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Corral contends that
flexibilization of labor in the Philippines started after a major
amendment in the Labor Code through Republic Act 6715 also known as
the “Herrera Law” became effective on March 1989. The amendment
spawned new varieties of flexible work arrangements including what is
now known as contractual work or “endo” (end of contract), job orders,
and “555” (5-month contract) schemes.
“We dare the World Bank to
implement this new paradigm in their engagement policy with developing
countries like the Philippines whose government is abandoning its
responsibilities to provide social protection and quality basic
services to people,” said Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the
country’s largest confederation of unions Associated Labor Unions (ALU).
Government’s Labor Force
Survey (LFS) released by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in July
2015 showed 38.5 million Filipinos are employed. However, Corral said,
half of which are contractuals, mostly in the agriculture and services
sector.
“Known as contractuals or
casuals in private companies and job orders or contracts of services
for government employees are work schemes that prevents working people
from getting their fair share of our country’s growth. We would like
to believe that this bank’s new tack will sooner impact the calculus
in the Philippines and tilt the equation in favor of the Filipino
working poor,” Seno said.
Dr.
Orlando Ocampo, president of the Philippine Society of Surgery
for Trauma (PSST), delivers a lecture on Trauma Epidemiology to
participant-doctors at the Trauma Training course conducted by
the PSST and the ICRC from 2-4 October 2015 in Davao City.
(By
NC-ND/ ICRC/ R. Ang) |
Doctors trained in
treatment of weapon-wounded patients
By ICRC
October 2, 2015
MANILA – Over 30
surgeons, anaesthesiologists and physicians from private and
government hospitals are participating in a three-day training course
to enhance their capacity to treat patients wounded by weapons or
explosives.
The training course, which
starts today in Davao City, will be conducted jointly by the
Philippine Society of Surgery for Trauma (PSST), under the Philippine
College of Surgeons, and the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC).
"The objective is to enhance
the capacity of health-care providers to respond more efficiently to
the specific medical and surgical needs of people wounded by weapons
owing to armed violence," explains Beatriz Karottki, the ICRC's health
programme coordinator in the Philippines. "It encompasses pre-hospital
care, triage, hospital care and post-operative care, including
rehabilitation."
Topics dealing with trauma
management, such as assessment of injuries, wound care and anaesthesia,
will be presented by specialists from the PSST, while the Davao
Jubilee Foundation, a non-profit institution providing services to
people with disabilities, will talk about amputation, physical
rehabilitation and prostheses-fitting. An ICRC surgeon, Dr. Martin
Herrmann, will share the ICRC’s experience in war-wound treatment and
wound ballistics.
As part of its mandate, the
ICRC supports the medical treatment of people wounded in armed
conflict. In Mindanao, it provides assistance to five key hospitals
and conducts various training for medical personnel. With the
Philippine Red Cross, it organizes first-aid training for health
workers and local government responders in rural health units in Agusan del Sur, Maguindanao and North Cotabato, and for displaced
communities in Zamboanga.
The ICRC is a neutral,
impartial and independent humanitarian organization whose mandate is
to protect and assist people affected by armed conflict and other
situations of violence. It has had an established presence in the
Philippines for over 60 years.
(L-R)
Lt. Col. Reymondo Delgado, Fr. Edwin Perito, P/SSupt. Franco
Simborio, Col. Dinoh Dolina, Mrs. Clotilde Malatbalat, Mayor
Eduardo Ong, Board Member Mesias Arevalo, Dir. Artemio Caneja
and Ms. Imelda Bonifacio while awarding financial assistance to
a former rebel during the Peace Caravan in Brgy. Caghalo,
Carigara, Leyte. |
Peace caravan helps
indigent residents in Carigara villages
By 19th Infantry Battalion,
8ID PA
September 30, 2015
KANANGA, Leyte – The
Leyte Provincial Peace and Order Council have brought basic social
services within indigent resident’s grasp, in a Peace Caravan for
selected barangays in Carigara, Leyte on Saturday, September 26.
Lieutenant Prolen Bonacua,
the Civil Military Operations Officer of the 19th Infantry Battalion
said its office listed 617 beneficiaries of the various programs and
services laid by provincial government, the military, police and other
line government agencies and NGOs at Brgy. Caghalo in Carigara town.
The beneficiaries came from
seven barangays namely: Caghalo, Upper Hiraan, Canlampay, Hiluctugan,
Libo, Pangna and Baruguhay Sur who availed of free medical, dental and
optical services, medicines, medical consultation for senior citizens,
seeds dispersal and deworming shots for livestock, reading glasses,
grooming services and at least 500 pairs of slippers.
Also part of the activity
was the presentation and awarding of basic financial assistance to two
(2) former members of the New Peoples Army. Each received check worth
P25,000.00 from the Leyte Comprehensive Local Integration Program
(CLIP) as reward for their surrender and return to the folds of law.
The Peace Caravan likewise
includes advocacy dialogue of the primary programs and services of the
Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Social
Welfare and Development, Department of Environment and Natural
Resources, Department of Agriculture and Department of Health.
Peace Caravan according to
Col. Dinoh Dolina, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade is a
convergence of government services with an objective of helping
depressed communities such as areas affected by conflicts,
particularly by lawless armed groups.
In like manner, Ms. Imelda
Bonifacio, the Area Manager of the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA)
in Eastern Visayas described the activity as among the highlights of
National Peace Consciousness Month celebrated this September.
This years’ National Peace
Consciousness Month is celebrated with the theme: “Pagkakaisa Tungo sa
Patuloy na Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran”.
Police and military
personnel from the 802nd Infantry Brigade, 19th Infantry Battalion and
82nd Civil Military Operations Company were also dispatched to assist
the Leyte Caravan Team particularly in securing and hauling the
beneficiaries en route for and from the caravan’s venue.
Barangays who benefitted the
Peace Caravan were among the communities in Leyte where Bayanihan Team
Activities (BTA) of the military are presently being conducted.
In a statement, Lt. Col.
Reymondo Delgado, Acting Commanding Officer of 19IB said he is hopeful
that social issues in villages with Bayanihan Team Activities will be
addressed if basic services are effectively delivered.
Filipino WWII vets
keeps promise, rings bell at Balangiga memorial
By ROSE SAN DIEGO
September 30, 2015
CHICAGO – In a first
time event in the US, bells chime at a Memorial led by Filipino WWII
veterans along with members from the Fil-Am community assembled at a
local American Legion in a Post Everlasting program, remembering the
fallen during the Balangiga battle in Samar the morning on September
28, 1901.
The names of the forty-eight
soldiers killed in action from the roster of US Army Company - 9th
Infantry Regiment were read following a strike from a miniature bell.
A separate list containing
many names of the villagers residing in the surrounding barangays on
that day was folded, in hopes that one day the actual 28 names of the
towns people killed would also come to be known. Then the pieces of
papers with the names were collected, ripped and a match was used to
ignite the internal flame. US veterans organizations use this symbolic
ritual to commemorate the fallen. The chime echoed a historic memory
after each named read.
We should not only be
impressed, but grateful of a promise kept from our elder WWII vets.
The circumstances of that September 28th day is seldom mentioned in
our own news media, even representation from the Philippine Consulate
Chicago Officers, an extended arm of our Philippine Government
designated to work with the Fil-Am community was absent from this
historic event. The WWII vets produced a program that not only brings
recognition to better foreign policy of our two countries, while
showcasing a crucial time in our history never to be forgotten.
The healing process must
begin somewhere, and from someone and it took our nations heroes of
1942 who knows the ugly face of war. The event accomplished its
mission displaying a solemn way of forgiveness from the heart that
ended tragically for both Americans and Filipinos on its anniversary,
now 114 years ago.