BORONGAN, Eastern
Samar –
Population management does not mean abortion, so said Eastern Samar
Governor Ben Evardone in his keynote address recently during the
launching of Local Legislators League on Population, Health
Environment and Development (3LPHED) at the provincial capitol.
Evardone who himself
believes in a small family size, as still far better than a large one
because parents can readily meet the education, health and other basic
needs of their children. Thus he stressed, that there is a need for
couples to understand the implications of very close spacing of child
birth against those which are spaced by at least three years.
In Finland where the
Governor went with President Gloria Arroyo recently, he observed that
the huge land area of the country have only about five million people;
many couples have only one child and their unemployment rate at 15% is
very much higher than the Philippines’ 11%. But it does not mean that
there are less employment opportunities in
Finland,
Evardone reported; it is because many refuse to work because they are
subsidized by the government. Apparently, the country must be capable
to provide not only the basic needs of their people. The Governor even
mentioned of Mercedez Benz and Volvos plying the routes of
Finland
as taxi cabs.
Back to his homeland,
Evadone added in his speech that while he believes in small family
size, he, just like the Population Management Program of the
Government, is also pro-life. He therefore urged the Sangguniang
Bayan members present to place on top priority the reproductive health
mothers and the health needs of the children in their area. With the
projects of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) now being
piloted in the municipalities of Llorente, Maydolong and Sulat,
Evardone is hopeful maternal and child deaths rate of the province
pegged at 22 and 12 respectively per 1,000 births will be reduced or
better yet eliminated. Putting health in the LGU is the essence of
devolution he quipped. As envisioned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,
the realization of the Medium Term Development Goals (MDG) rests upon
the local legislators, the young governor further stressed.
In his presentation,
Mr. Renato Llorin, Program Manager of one UNFPA project, mentioned
that the Arroyo Administration (2004-2010) aims to reduce population
growth rate from 2.36% to 1.9%. This is not however absolutely
compelling couples to adapt the modern family planning methods as
misinterpreted by some sectors, but rather couples are made aware on
the four pillars of population management: 1) Responsible Parenthood
2) Respect for Life 3) Birth Spacing 4) Informed Choice. Thus, it
follows that couples are free to choose an option whatever is
comfortable to them, the officer said.
However, Llorin added,
that a study revealed that, some couples tend to produce more children
than what they plan to raised which they attribute to either lack of
adequate information or the lack of health services in Rural Health
Units. This problem will only be addressed by the local policy makers
of the province and municipalities Llorin opined because they are
actually the most knowledgeable persons who can muster local
development strategies.
The UNFPA team was in
town recently to advocate with the local policy-makers for policy
solutions and support as they play a critical role in population
management. If the current growth rate of 2.36% is not addressed,
experts estimate that by 2020 an increase of 37.1M is likely to
happen, Llorin disclosed. This would mean, bigger population, bigger
problems in health, education, employment and environment Llorin
concluded.
Nonetheless as for the
ULAP Spokesperson, abortion is illegal, and in whichever form, or
kind, he said, it is against the will of God.
CSC, DBM push for passage of
wage bill for government employees
By Philippine Information
Agency (PIA 8)
October 12, 2006
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. of the Department of Budget and
Management revealed that the Civil Service Commission and the
Department of Budget and Management are pushing for the passage of a
new wage bill for government employees.
The Civil Service Commission
and the Department of Budget and Management, Secretary Andaya said, is
set to introduce and lead efforts to drumbeat support for the passage
of the proposed Wage Bill, which designs a compensation and benefits
program for all state workers.
Secretary Andaya who was in
Tacloban yesterday, made the revelation during the Press Conference
conducted by PIA for the launching of the PX Commissary in Region 8.
He said that he is hoping
that the new wage bill will be passed this year and that it will be
effective starting next year and fully implemented after four years or
in 2010. With the passage of the Wage Bill comes the standardization
of salaries in the government agencies. From the salary grades which
total to thirty three (33), there will only be twenty two (22) salary
grades, Secretary Andaya said.
It could be recalled that
the government employees have not been given an increase in their
compensation for the past several years. They have only been given
non-wage benefits like the PX Commissary where government employees
will be able to avail of basic commodities at a cheaper price.
The last financial incentive
is the granting of P3,000.00 additional allowance for the government
employees.
Secretary Andaya’s
revelation comes as good news for the workers in government. Some
government employees expressed optimism that this will be passed in
Congress.
Others opined that the
government employees all over the country must lobby with their
respective congressmen so that they will vote favorably for the
passage of the administration bill.
DTI-Samar gives away 20 PCs
to Calbayog City public high schools
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
October 11, 2006
CATBALOGAN, Samar
– DTI Samar distributed some 20 personal computer (PC) units to Mag-ubay High School and Calbayog City High School on October 6, 2006
as part of the Personal Computers for Public High schools Project
(PCPS) Phase III.
The simple ceremony was
attended by Calbayog City Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento and Congressman
Reynaldo Uy along with DTI Provincial Director Ruth Thelma Samonte.
Speaking before a gathering
of students and teachers, Sarmiento said that the installation of the
PCs is relevant because he is trying to promote Calbayog City as the
next ICT hub. He added that some investors have expressed willingness
to invest in his city for the technology.
Sarmiento added that the
modern times require computer literacy, saying that even buying in
drugstores and grocery stores involved computers.
Congressman Reynaldo Uy
likewise extolled the merits of computer literacy and urged students
to take advantage of the high-tech facilities offered for free.
Samonte told PIA that 37
high schools all over Samar Division have been installed with a total
of 500 PCs mentioning Calbayog City, Jiabong and Hinabangan as
recipients among others.
This Saturday, October 14,
2006, another ten (10) PCs will be installed at the Clarencio Calagos
Memorial School of Fisheries in Calbayog City.
To promote mastery of PC
manipulation, another computer training will be held for teachers of
the schools that received the PCs.
DTI said that Phase II of
the PCPS project distributed PCs to some LGUs in Samar while Phase I
was concentrated on distributing PCs to public schools.
The project was initiated by
then DTI Secretary Mar Roxas and since proven effective, incumbent
Secretary Peter Favila chose to perpetuate.
Political motive
behind Bishop Ramento slay strong
KARAPATAN skeptical
on PNP investigation
Press Release
By KARAPATAN
October 11, 2006
MANILA, Philippines – The human rights watchdog
KARAPATAN echoed the skepticism of the family and colleagues of
murdered Bishop Alberto Ramento over result of police investigation on
the case. The Philippine National Police hastily concluded that the
killing of Bishop Ramento on October 3, 2006 was a simple case of
robbery with homicide even before a thorough investigation had begun.
"We are of the view that the
PNP hastily dismissed the slaying of Bishop Ramento as robbery with
homicide to downplay strong suspicions that the killing of the bishop
was one of the hundreds of politically-motivated killings," said
KARAPATAN Deputy Secretary General Jigs Clamor, who joined the
fact-finding team on October 4.
Clamor said, "With the
unending spate of political killings in the country under the Arroyo
government's Oplan Bantay Laya, the murder of Ramento cannot be simply
dismissed as a common crime."
KARAPATAN recorded 762 victims of extrajudicial killings, all of them
non-combatants, 328 of them were political activists.
There are glaring
indications that Bishop Ramento's murder was thoroughly planned and
politically motivated. KARAPATAN believes that the brutal killing was
a consequence of his principled engagement with the people and their
struggle for social justice.
Clamor said, "The brutal
manner of killing of a frail and defenseless old man demonstrated a
serious intent to kill rather than to steal. There was no valuable
item lost except his ring."
"Based on our fact-finding
team's initial investigation, there was no DVD player taken on October
3. The DVD player was stolen from his quarters on September 23, 2006,"
Clamor added.
It is public knowledge that
the late Bishop was receiving numerous death threats. He even reported
these threats in a recent forum held at the University of the
Philippines on September 18, 2006.
On September 29, 2006, three
days before he was killed, he already expressed alarm over the
intensity of the threats that he seriously considered drawing up a
security plan for the San Sebastian Church with the assistance of his
son. It was even suggested that his car be darkly tinted to discourage
possible perpetrators.
"The police refused to look
into these circumstantial evidences, that's why the result of their
investigation is dubious," Clamor said.
KARAPATAN said that the case
is far from solved with the arrest of suspects. "The PNP will also
have to prove that the suspects, beyond reasonable doubt, are indeed
the perpetrators of the gruesome murder before the police can boast
that the case is closed,"
Bishop Ramento is the first
personality of national prominence to be killed and the 23rd among
church people who were victims of extrajudicial execution under the
watch of the Arroyo administration.
NPA
massacres a family in Matuguinao town
By Maj. FELIX M. MANGYAO,
(INF) PA
October 8, 2006
CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan,
Samar – A gruesome and violent atrocity was perpetrated by
the Communist Terrorist New People’s Army in Samar Province when they
massacred a family in a remote barangay of Mahanod, Matuguinao town
yesterday October 7, 2006 at 6:00 in the morning.
A band of Communist
Terrorist (New People’s Army) led by communist terrorist leader
Artemio De La Cruz alias Ato massacred the family of Julie De La Cruz
and wounded the rest of her family members. The CTs mercilessly fired
their high-powered firearms and hit Julie in the different parts of
her body causing her instantaneous death. The wounded were identified
as Domingo, Juvic, Johnny and Mylene, all surnamed De La Cruz, who
were rushed to Catbalogan Provincial Hospital for medical treatment.
According to sources, the
CTs were irked by the family De La Cruz for not heading to their
demands of extortion and other illegal activities. Likewise, they
deliberately opposed the CTs recruitment of their family to be members
of the underground movement.
Major General Rodrigo F.
Maclang, Commanding General of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine
Army condemns the CTs atrocities in strongest possible terms. He said
that, “the tragedy is a vivid example of how gruesome and ruthless the
communist terrorists. They harm defenseless civilians to sow terror in
order to pursue their anti-people and anti-development objectives. I
call and appeal to the civilian populace to cooperate with the
Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines by
giving testimonies and other valuable information to facilitate the
resolution of the case. Likewise, I encouraged the people to provide
timely intelligence information in order to prevent the CTs from
conducting similar inhuman acts and atrocities in the future”, Maclang
added.
PDC commends, adopts Alocilja Southern Leyteña
By BONG PEDALINO (PIA
Southern Leyte)
October 8, 2006
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte – A
unanimous mass motion by the members of the Provincial Development
Council (PDC) in its regular, monthly meeting at the RK Kangleon
Function House, this city, October 4, summed up the mood of
gratefulness everybody has as a fitting tribute towards Schools
Division Superintendent Violeta Alocilja.
In two successive resolutions raised one after the other, the PDC
commended Alocilja and the rest of her teaching staff and
administrators down the line for a job well done, for giving honors to
the province by reaching academic excellence as shown by the latest
results of the national achievement tests (NAT).
Another resolution, moved by Provincial Administrator Genis Murallos,
came as a natural, inevitable consequence for such kind of success: a
measure to have Alocilja as an adopted Southern Leyteña.
Earlier, the comely Alocilja made a presentation on the data from the
national office of the Department of Education showing ten elementary
schools in various barangays and towns of the province sweeping the
top ten spots, in numerical order, out of the 35,000 plus public
elementary schools in the country for the grade six NAT results.
For first year high school, eight public high schools landed in the
top 30 nationwide listing, and the topmost three all came from
Southern Leyte.
The result for fourth year high schools also showed Southern Leyte
Division on the number one slot, it was learned.
“There are still pockets of achievements on specific subjects, and we
are still waiting for the list from the Central Office. But all
schools in Southern Leyte are above par,” Alocilja said during the
presentation, although she did not elaborate.
She likewise expressed her deep thanks to the local government
officials, the DepEd family, and all other stakeholders in the
academic sector, particularly the parents and students for their
heartfelt support to the innovative approaches in learning she
undertook in the province as a matter of policy.
It was learned that schools conduct extended classes every Saturday as
part of their discipline and tedious preparations for the nationwide
examinations, and this has been taken as a policy being implemented
provincewide.
But in spite of all the accolades and honors thrown her way, Alocilja
humbly concluded it all by saying “To God be the glory.”
