High incidence of teenage pregnancies in Region 8 alarming

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
July 12, 2006

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte – Eastern Visayas has the second highest percentage of teenage pregnancies. About 8% of female teenagers in the Region have been pregnant. By age 17, seven percent haven been pregnant; by age 18, eleven point nine percent have been pregnant; and by age 19, twenty-three point five percent have been pregnant and majority of these pregnancies are out-of-wedlock.

These are some of the alarming statistics which the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey results revealed. The survey was conducted in 2002 when the Sexual Maturity was age 15, the Sexual Maturity at present, the survey revealed is age 12. This means that young girls become mature earlier nowadays than it was four years ago.

One of the reasons for the increase in teenage pregnancies is the prevalence of live-in arrangements among young people. The survey revealed 78.6% of never-married teenagers have lived-in while 5.1% of teenagers aged 15-19 years old, are currently living in.

Another reason given for the increase in teenage pregnancies is that the percentage of female teenagers who have had pre-marital sex increased from 4% in 1994 to 6.1% in 2002.

YAFSS claimed the third reason is the low contraceptive use among sexually active female teenagers. Only 17.6% use contraceptives during the last time they had sex.

Another terrifying fact is that teenage mothers are more likely to experience pregnancy-related problems than older women. Worse, the teenage mother’s health also affects the health and survival of her baby.

Teenage pregnancies have social consequences like reduced chances of attaining higher education for young females, jeopardized chances for better employment opportunities, cause early school drop-out among young women, extended financial dependence of young females on their families and possible inability to tackle responsibilities of motherhood due to lack of emotional and psychological maturity.

In order to address the problem of teenage pregnancies, the YAFSS Survey recommended that there is a need to provide medically accurate sexuality education and information in schools and in media and to encourage policy makers to acknowledge the linkage between expectations for education and employment and sexual risk-taking and pregnancy decision-making of adolescents.

There is a need for all the agencies and concerned sectors to look into this problem.

KARAPATAN led indignation rally protesting the spate of killings in the country

Press Release
By KARAPATAN
July 11, 2006

QUEZON CITY, Philippines  – The human rights umbrella organization KARAPATAN led an indignation rally in front of the NICA (National Intelligence Coordinating Agency) headquarters on Monday to protest the spate of killings, abductions and disappearances over the recent weeks.

In the last three weeks, ten (10) persons were killed; fifteen (15) more were abducted, six (6) of whom have been surfaced and wrongfully charged with criminal offense.  The activists killed were:

KARAPATAN said NICA and other intelligence agencies of the AFP have a complicity in the stream of extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearance of our fellow Filipinos. “Under the Oplan Bantay Laya (Operation Plan Freedom Watch), civilians are subjected to so-called target research. Anyone arbitrarily tagged by these so-called intelligence agents as communists or communist sympathizers are then placed in an order of battle and killed,” said Jigs Clamor, KARAPATAN Deputy Secretary General.

Clamor said, “It is now beyond question that there is indeed a trend in the killing of civilians, 297 of them activists. Many are ordinary people. The victims are unarmed, who had either pursued or supported political causes. The killings and disappearances happen nationwide – in the Eastern Visayas, Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Southern Mindanao Region - areas identified by the military to be the alleged hotbed of the communist insurgency.”

KARAPATAN said the means, motives and opportunity behind such killings point to the elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and/or their agents like the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and death squads.

Death squads are motorcycle-riding men wearing masks and armed with high caliber pistols or rifles. KARAPATAN records show that there were more than 50 killings that involved this kind of operation, and were implemented nationwide.

“The AFP, being the biggest armed group in the country, has the means of launching such offensives on a nationwide scale. It has enough resources and manpower to undertake a systematic attack on the progressive movement.” Clamor said.

KARAPATAN also said pronouncements by the regime’s Cabinet Oversight Committee for Internal Security (COC-IS), the book “Trinity of War” and intelligence briefing materials like the “Knowing the Enemy” CD, and very recently, the virtual call to war by the Commander-In-Chief Gloria Arroyo herself, reveal the motives behind the killings.

“They cannot anymore deny that they are the killers. We cannot anymore contain our outrage at these crimes being committed against our fellow Filipinos,” Clamor said, to which he added, “we are calling on all freedom-loving Filipinos to pour out into the streets in protest of the killings. Our concerted action will let us prevent impunity and prevent the return of draconian rule in the Philippines.”

PGMA’s renewed mega regional development plan excites the whole nation

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
July 11, 2006

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is really serious in putting in place a new concept in development planning that seeks to develop the provinces as part of the renewed mega-regional development plan which she plans to unveil during her State of the Nation Address on July 24.

Indeed, nothing is more contagious than enthusiasm. The President’s enthusiasm has caught on with the region’s development planners and has inspired the local government executives. At last, the Regions will be able to really complement each other so that development will no longer be centered in just one specific region but in all the Regions. The regions will no longer think as an individual region but in relation to the other regions belonging to their mega region.

Even the media practitioners from the Region who went to Cebu to cover the joint Cabinet-RDCs meeting came home talking and writing about the supra regions as a new concept in development planning. By the way they have been discussing the topic the past two days means that they too are happy and amenable with the way things are intended to be done.

Fresh from her meeting with the Central Philippines and the Mindanao local officials and development councils last week-end, President Arroyo is again set to have a simultaneous meeting,  this time with the three supra regions of North Luzon, Central Philippines and Mindanao Region, for a second round discussions of development planning.

The simultaneous meeting is intended to fast-track the discussion on the proposed revisions to the Medium Term Public Investment Programs which aims to raise additional funds for infrastructure, education, health and other social projects in the next five years.

President Arroyo unveiled the plan to develop North Luzon Region as an Agribusiness Quadrangle, saying that “the strength of Northern Luzon is agribusiness...the strongest way to fight poverty the area is to concentrate on agribusiness investments in this area." For Metro Luzon, the President encouraged greater logistics investment in Clark and Subic Economic Zones; investments in expressways and ports in the urban beltway as well as Aurora; and agribusiness investments in Nueva Ecija, the country's number one rice-producing province. She also batted for investments that will make the island provinces of Mindoro and Marinduque benefit from the development of Calabarzon.

The President envisions Central Philippines as the country’s Tourism Center and the Center of a New Green Philippines. The Mindanao Region will become the Agribusiness Center in the South.

No haven for CPP/NPA/NDF in Northern Leyte

By 2LT MALINCHE Y. TOMARONG (INF) PA
July 10, 2006

ORMOC CITY, Leyte  – The 19th Infantry (Commando) Battalion scored anew in its intensified campaign against the CPP/NPA/NDF in Leyte. Barely more than a week, following the arrest of Arlene Tarong y Rapada alias Alma/Leslie, Finance Officer of Section Committee (SK-4), Northern Leyte Front (NLF), the Commando unit, in joint operation with 8ISU, 8MIB, MIG8, and PNP led by the Battalion Commander himself, LtC. Lope C. Dagoy, nearly captured the province’s top Communist/Terrorist (CT) leader known as Bibiano Rentillosa alias Elmo/Tomas/Tommy/Sinto, the current Secretary of NLF.

At about 8:45 AM on July 8, 2006, acting on the information provided by the unit’s informant on his presence in Bgy. Sto. Niño, this city, together with his party wife alias Teray, Head of Propaganda & Education, the troops pursued the couple when they were spotted to have entered the compound owned by one Dr. Ramon Agudo at said barangay. However, the couple managed to flee said compound just before the troops arrived in the place, but not without leaving behind their daughter Liezel Laurente y Rentillosa alias Winz who has a two-month old child and herself one of the team leader of the Medical teams of NLF, along with two (2) of the four (4) Security Forces of Rentillosa, namely: Nathaniel Agustin y Del Pilar alias Ronnie/Regan vice squad leader of Security Force (SF), Front Operational Command (FOC) and Jojo Robellos y Agapito alias George Political Guide (PG), Security Force (SF), Front Operational Command (FOC), who were subsequently apprehended by the pursuing troops. The two (2) also managed to flee with the couple.

The 3 captured NPA members

It was found out later from this operation that one of the houses inside the compound and its immediate vicinity was used by the couple as their Safe House for some time now. And notably, another tunnel was discovered to be under construction just adjacent to the house. Recovered from the three (3) apprehended CTs were the following: Three (3) M16A1 Armalite Rifles; One (1) Colt Super .38 Cal Pistol with fifteen (15) live ammunitions; Twenty Three (23) assorted magazines for M16 with 495 live ammunitions; Two (2) sacks full of subversive documents; 8 books of Katilingban ngan Rebolusyon Pilipino; 13 books Hamubong Kurso alang sa Kababayen-an sa Kabaryuhan; 5 books Batakang Kurso Partido; 4 books Ang Partido; 5 books Hamubong Kurso sa Katilingban ng Rebulosyon Pilipino; 9 books Ispesyal nga Kurso Alang sa Batan-on; 20 bundles CT’s propaganda visual aids; 2 booklets Pambansa Demokratikong Paaralan; 1 pc. CD Player/Walkman; 2 cartoons printing paper; 1 cassette recorder; and personal belongings.

LtC. Dagoy emphasized that this latest operational success against the CTs is proof of the efficacy of the peoples’ support in the campaign against the insurgents. “We are making their world smaller each day until they will find no way out, but to surrender” he said. He is confident that he will get Rentillosa the soonest possible time ahead of his given personal schedule of six (6) months to one (1) year. “Rentillosa has done more than enough havoc in the economy and the lives of the people of Leyte. It’s just about time he must be stopped by all legal means possible”, he adds.

The three (3) are now in the custody of the unit for documentation and for the appropriate filing of criminal cases against them and their cohorts.

On the part of the owner of the property where the safe house was located, investigations will be conducted to determine his knowledge on the personalities and background of the Rentillosa and those that were apprehended, considering that the CTs have been using his property for quite some time now. If the evidences warrant, then he will be charged criminally as well.

Activities for Nutrition Month celebration in Samar set

By ELI C. DALUMPINES, (PIA Samar)
July 10, 2006

CATBALOGAN, Samar  –  It’s all systems go here for the celebration of the 32nd Nutrition Month as schedule of activities has already been set by the Provincial Nutrition Committee (PNC).

Provincial Nutrition Action Officer (PNAO) Ms. Alva Gadin confirmed this in a radio interview over DYMS-Aksyon Radyo Thursday morning during “Huruhimangraw”, a weekly radio program sponsored by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

Gadin informed that among the activities the PNC has set in line with the celebration was the conduct of school tours in the different schools here to assess whether or not nutrition topics have already been integrated in science and other related subjects.

One of the issues that the health and nutrition authorities raised in the past was that nutrition concerns were oftentimes overlooked in schools due to the overemphasis in the teaching of pure sciences to children and the lack of competent teachers to handle said subjects.

Lately, however, the Department of Education (DepEd) expressed willingness to give them focus in the school curriculum in response to the rising problem of malnutrition in the country.

This year’s theme “Kumain ng Right para bata’y maging Bright” aims to stress proper nutrition to school children, which is the focus for the 32nd Nutrition Month celebration, Gadin noted.

Gadin urged teachers to always give strong emphasis to proper nutrition in the classroom as this is one of the determining factors in the academic performance of children.

She likewise reminded the parents to be a model to their children by promoting highly nutritious food in their homes, not to mention the promotion of good health practices that their children can emulate.

PNC will also promote the National Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) in schools so that students and teachers will have better grasp of the nutrition issues and concerns, Gadin further informed.

The celebration kicked off here Monday with the launching of the Nutrition Day program at Samar’s capital which was attended by the capital town’s officials.

Stop the killings, open letter and petition urge

Press Release
By Asian Human Rights Commission
July 8, 2006

HONG KONG  –  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Thursday urged the new police chief in the Philippines to "exhaust all possible means" to stop the relentless killings of human rights defenders and social activists there.

In an open letter to General Oscar Calderon, who took his post on Wednesday, the Hong Kong-based regional rights group said that he should make the identification, arrest and prosecution of killers his top priority.

"It is not sufficient to say that simply addressing the unrelenting killings is a part of your agenda; it must be at the TOP of your agenda," Basil Fernando, executive director of the AHRC, said.

Meanwhile, a petition was launched on Thursday calling for the government of the Philippines to take unequivocal steps to stop the killings in order "to avert a new social crisis".

The online petition, which was launched by the United Filipinos in Hong Kong, Philippine Independent Church and Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants together with the AHRC, estimates that there have been over 290 killings of activists since 2004.

A new website, www.pinoyhr.net  was set up to host the petition.

Two more activists were reported killed just as the petition was being launched.

The petition describes the response of the authorities to the "extraordinary number" of killings as "completely inadequate".

Both the petition and the open letter identify witness protection as a key area for attention by the police chief and justice department.

"The Witness Protection Security and Benefit Act (6981) does not appear to be operative at all. Nor are we aware of any efforts made by the police to recommend that persons at risk be recommended to the Department of Justice as beneficiaries under this law," Fernando said in the letter.

He cited the killing of Enrico Cabanit in Davao del Norte on April 24 as an example.

Cabanit's daughter survived the attack but she has since received no protection, and the perpetrators of the crime remain at large.

Similarly, Amante Abelon survived an attack in Zambales on March 20 in which his wife and son were killed. He too has since been unprotected, and witnesses to the attack also fear for their lives.

The AHRC highlighted a number of other recent cases of concern, including the failed investigations into the killings of George Vigo and his wife on June 19 and Reverend Andy Pawican on May 21.

It also said that whereas the police had allegedly been behind an attempt to kill labour activist Gerardo Cristobal on April 28, the target was instead himself charged with attempted murder.

The petition states that the killings speak to the government's failure to meet its obligations under international law, in particular, in relation to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

It also called for the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines to play a stronger role in addressing the killings.

Full text of the petition may be read online at www.pinoyhr.net.

When it is signed, copies of the letter are sent to the justice department, UN human rights experts, the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines and the Pope.

The government of the Philippines recently outlawed the death penalty just prior to a visit to the Pope by its president.

To sign the petition, please visit: www.pinoyhr.net/signature.php.