It’s a marshMelo Commission!

Victims’ kin mull boycott of Melo Commission

Press Release
By HUSTISYA
October 3, 2006

QUEZON CITY, Philippines  – HUSTISYA! a broad formation of human rights victims under the Arroyo government, held a press conference Monday to express its disappointment over the Melo Commission, hinting that an imminent boycott of the investigation was in the offing.

“After a month of observing how the Melo Commission functions, we have become more skeptical of it. We are unimpressed and greatly bothered by the Commission’s actions that tend to exonerate the AFP and the state even before gathering evidence and listening to the victims,” Evangeline Hernandez, HUSTISYA! head convener and mother of slain human rights worker Benjaline “Beng” Hernandez said.

She accused the Commission of allowing AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon and Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan to clear their names and impute ill-motives to the aggrieved parties even before establishing the facts of the case.

“The Commission has yet to inform us and the public of its procedures for investigation but it has already issued statements that virtually clear Palparan and Esperon. How can they expect us to participate in this kind of a process?” she asked.

Hernandez said they would only participate in the Commission’s investigations if the minimum requirements as outlined in the Amnesty International memorandum to President Arroyo were followed.

HUSTISYA! also said they were more confident in presenting their complaints to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings and Summary Execution or other international bodies “that, unlike the Melo Commission, are not beholden to President Arroyo and can be truly independent.”

Aside from its lack of independence and credibility, Hernandez said the Commission’s powers were severely limited. “The Commission’s mandate is like a marshmallow – sweet on the outside but empty. It will never give us justice.”

Petilla authored bill on professionalization of vocational and technical occupations

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
October 2, 2006

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte   –  Congresswoman Remedios Petilla of the First District of the Province of Leyte is working for the professionalization of vocational and technical occupations.

This was learned from the lady solon during the Education and LGU Collaboration Conference held recently at the Department of Education Regional Office 8.

The lady solon revealed that she is the principal author of House Bill 04869 in Congress which is called the “Professionalization of Vocational and Technical Occupations Act of 2005.”  The bill is an act regulating the practice of all vocational and technical occupations, creating a vocational and technical licensing commission, appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes.

Congresswoman Petilla said that she envisions that the practice of vocational occupations should entitle the practitioner to become a professional in her vocational field of endeavor.

This will hopefully erase the stereotype notion of many people who look down at vocational and technical courses as a second class way of earning a living. With the passage of this bill, after a number of years practicing the vocational or technical occupation, will entitle a person to be called a professional.

“Through the bill, we will soon have professional mechanics, professional make-up artists, professional welders, professional technicians and many other professionals,” Petilla said.

Whether people will accept it or not, the graduates of vocational and technical courses, land a job faster and easier, than the graduates of baccalaureate courses. Besides, for poor families, it is also easier to send the children to vocational and technical schools than to colleges and universities.

This will also be a plus factor for the students who cannot qualify the Intelligence Quotient required by the colleges and universities before they are accepted to college. Many students are also disappointed when doors to college education are closed to them because they are unable to pass the entrance examinations.

The bill of Congresswoman Petilla will keep the sun shining for these young people because even if they are not college graduates they will still have the chance of becoming professionals.

VP Noli orders Pag-IBIG to fastrack release of Milenyo calamity loans

By Philippine News Service
October 2, 2006

MANILA, Philippines  – Fully aware of the extent of damages brought by typhoon Milenyo and the urgent need of members to rebuild their lives following its aftermath, Vice President Noli ‘Kabayan’ De Castro ordered Pag-IBIG Fund to fast track the processing of calamity loan applications of members from typhoon-stricken areas in different parts of the country.

Vice President de Castro, who is also the concurrent chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), announced his directive after assessing the damages brought by Milenyo particularly to houses severely affected by the storm.

“Tunay ngang napakalaki ng pinsalang idinulot ng bagyong Milenyo hindi lamang sa mga lalawigan at mga bayan kundi sa mga lungsod din, kabilang na dito sa kalakhang Maynila. Dahil dito, dapat lang na mabigyan ng kagyat na tulong ang ating mga kababayan. “

As of latest reports, the provinces of Bataan, Cavite and Bicol and the cities of Muntinlupa, Manila and Calamba, among other areas, have been declared under state of calamity and thus, would authorize the release of funds for relief and rehabilitation. More areas are expected to be declared under state of calamity after the assessment of damages has been finalized.

The Vice President advised Fund members to file their loan applications at the Pag-IBIG office nearest them to avail of this benefit.

He also reminded members that the calamity loan program may be availed only within a period of 90 days from the occurrence of the calamity.

Pag-IBIG members can avail of loans of up to 80% of their total savings. To qualify, they must be residents of localities declared as calamity areas who have paid at least 24 monthly contributions, and are active members at the time of application. They must continue to remit their contributions during the term of the loan. Also under the program, members with existing multi-purpose loans can avail themselves of the assistance but the outstanding MPL balance will be deducted from the proceeds of the calamity loan, bearing an interest rate of 10.75 percent per annum payable in 24 months exclusive of a grace period.

“Nais lamang ng pamahalaan na makarekober agad at maibalik sa normal na pamumuhay ang ating mga kababayan matapos ang bagyong nagdaan. Ang loan na ito ay tiyak na makakapagtawid sa atin sa ganitong panahon ng pangangailangan.”

Teenage pregnancies and pre-marital sex alarming in Southern Leyte

By ERNA SY GORNE, (PIA Southern Leyte)
October 1, 2006

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte   –  Rampant teenage pregnancies and pre-marital sex occurrences alarms the provincial government here as they seek to synchronize all the activities and services addressed to the needs of the youth sector, Population Officer Velma Kangleon disclosed in a phone interview with PIA recently.

Provicial Health Officer I Dr. Zenaida Abiera, Chief of the Technical Services of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) scheduled a forum on Adolescence Reproductive Health among the non-government organizations whose services are child-centered, the academe, media and youth leaders in selected municipalities by the end of the this month.

IPHO led in the implementation of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan # 009-2004 on Reproductive Health Program and Responsible Parenthood to help the youth cope with the complexities of adolescence among the youth.

According to Kangleon, the latest result on the the Pinoy Youth survey in close coordination with Population Commission was staggering as Eastern Visayas ranks second in the prevalence of teenage pregnancies and pre-marital sex incidence next to Metro Manila to include Southern Leyte.

It was also learned that teenage pregnancies does not exempt children at elementary level specifically those who have already their monthly period, Kangleon reported.

The provincial government has to act swiftly and push for united efforts for the existing NGOs namely the World Vision, Kinderhilfe Philippinen, PLAN International, College of Maasin Extenxion, German Technical Cooperation and leading learning institutions to work as towards the social problem that they hope to resolve hence the scheduled forum.

She further disclosed that media plays crucial role in the said social dilemma as they were considered as surrogate parents to the youth today.  While it is given that what the young people watch over televisions, books, magazines, internet, among other media channels, are most likely they follow suit. Sad to note that unregulated lewd and indecent films that can viewed in almost all mediums of communication and unfortunately accessible to the youth beyond control, triggers their desires.

Meantime, IPHO has been intensifying awareness campaign on reproductive health among the youth from their classrooms down to the barangay level, she added.

NNC bares Regional Nutrition Awardees

By GEMMA TABAO (PIA 8)
October 1, 2006

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  – After several months of careful and comprehensive evaluation on the local level implementation of the nutrition programs and projects in the region, the regional technical working group on nutrition headed by National Nutrition Council (NNC) Regional Director Carina Santiago, has finally came up with the nutrition awardees for the current year 2006 during the regional deliberation held recently.

Acknowledged winners are the Municipality of Limasawa in Southern Leyte as the Outstanding Municipality and Maasin City as the Outstanding City based on the evaluation results.

Also pronounced awardees for the year are Sonia Evardone of Northern Samar who was adjudged as the Outstanding Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, and Leni Ramos of Tacloban City as the Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar in the Eastern Visayas region.

The selection of winners was based on the effectiveness and efficiency in the implementation of the nutrition programs in the different localities, as a result of the monitoring and evaluation conducted regionwide.

The regional nutrition monitoring and evaluation is a yearly activity of the Regional Technical Working Group on Nutrition, the purpose of which is to assess the impact of the health and nutrition efforts of the government in addressing the malnutrition problem of the country.

The regional evaluation team that conscientiously did the efforts of the evaluation is composed of the National Nutrition Council, Department of Health, Department of Education, Philippine Information Agency, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Trade and Industry, National Economic Development Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Agriculture, Commission on Population and the Eastern Visayas State University, among others.

1 dead, 2 missing, damage estimated at P180M as Milenyo passed by Eastern Visayas

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
September 30, 2006

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte   –  One person died by drowning in a swollen river in Barangay Curva while two others are missing at Barangay R.M. Tan, both in Ormoc City, as the tropical storm Milenyo passed through Region 8.

Reports coming from the Office of Civil Defense, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Agriculture in the Region revealed an estimated P180 million damage brought about by typhoon Milenyo.

Director Adriano Fuego of the Office of Civil Defense said that reports from the different provinces still continue to come in and so no definite amount could be given yet as to the damage of the typhoon.

But as gathered from the reports received thus far, the damage to infrastructure was placed at P178.6 million by the Department of Public works and Highways while damage to agriculture was placed at P2 million.

In Barangay Liloan of Ormoc City, twenty three families were affected and evacuated whole in Barangay Sabang Bao of the same city 439 persons  were affected.

Estimated damage to crops in Kananga is placed at P2 million while damage to infrastructure was estimated at P5 million.

Meanwhile in Arteche, Eastern Samar, forty four homes were partially damaged while 56 were totally damaged at the height of typhoon Milenyo.

Five barangays of Catarman, Northern Samar were reported to have been affected by typhoon Milenyo. In Barangay Kawayan, 82 families consisting of 486 persons were affected; seven houses were totally damaged while one was partially damaged.

In Barangay Dalakit, 77 persons or 22 families were affected while in Barangay Baybay, 25 families were affected, bringing the total of families affected to 129 families or 550 persons, in the capital town of Catarman.

Initial reports also stated that in the municipality of Mondragon, also in Northern Samar, 100 families were affected. The whole of Northern Samar is still experiencing brown-out as of press time, because 60% of the electric posts fell down during the height of the typhoon.

Communist Terrorist racket revealed

By Maj. FELIX M. MANGYAO (INF) PA
September 30, 2006

CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan, Samar  –  A platoon of combined elements of Charlie Company and Headquarters Service Company of the 19th Infantry Battalion under the command of Lt. Col. Lope Dagoy while conducting combat operation at Brgy. Mahayag, Ormoc City discovered abandoned enemy encampment at Sitio Tugob of said barangay on September 26, 2006 at around 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon.

The discovery was a result of an information provided by a barangay official of Mahayag, Ormoc City who pinpointed the exact location of the enemy encampment. According to Lt. Col. Dagoy, the camp was located in a forested area approximately five (5) kilometers away from the heart of Ormoc City. In an interview with some barangay residents, they averred that the said camp was then utilized by the slain Communist Terrorist leader Bebiano Rentillosa alias Elmo and his group as staging point in their extortion activities in Ormoc City and its adjacent areas. Likewise, the area was also utilized as temporary shelter and hiding place of their new “minor” recruits trained to pose as letter couriers in their extortion rackets.

Recovered from the said camp was a long list of local officials, businessmen and sugarcane planters believed to be victims of their extortion activities. Also in the list are some personalities whose names are reportedly involved in illegal drug trade in the region. A gas stove with two (2) burners, improvised landmines, blasting caps, detonating cords, and voluminous communist documents of high intelligence value were also recovered.

MGen. Rodrigo F. Maclang AFP, Chief of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, commended the soldiers of the 19th Infantry Battalion fro a job well done. He likewise extends his appreciation and thanks to the barangay official who was instrumental in the discovery of the communist terrorist encampment and also to the people of Leyte who are continuously giving their wholehearted support and cooperation to the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army. Without their support and cooperation, the military would not have neutralized communist terrorist leader Bebiano Rentillosa alias Elmo, one of the most wanted terrorists in Eastern Visayas, Maclang added.