BFAR-RFTC ushers
in 411 jobs for Samarnons
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
January 6, 2008
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar
– Bureau of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources
Regional
Fisheries
Training
Center
(BFAR-RFTC) based in the Samar State University Mercedes Campus was
able to provide some 411 jobs to Samarnons in its various livelihood
trainings in 2007.
This was bared by
Ronnie Berida, Training Director of BFAR-RFTC in an interview with PIA.
Berida added that it
has conducted some 66 trainings to benefit participants engaged in
tilapia and bangus production, seaweeds and mudcrab culture, bangus
deboning and newline products for mussels and other related livelihood
activities.
PIA also learned that
the agency has existing techno demo farms in Jiabong, SSU Campus in
Catbalogan City and a mudcrab culture farm in Palompon, Leyte.
BFAR RFTC has also
established new techno demo farms for an Integrated Provincial
Freshwater Hatchery in San Jorge and Bangus fingerlings farm in
Jiabong.
Berida emphasized that
his office has made connections and coordination with agencies like
Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office (DA-RFU)/National
Agriculture and Fisheries Council (NAFC)/Provincial Agriculture and
Fishery Council (PAFC), Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) 08,
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Samar, Philippine Business for
Social Progress (PBSP) Samar, Pasar Foundation, Coastal Care
Inc.-Northern Samar, Plan Philippines and Philippine Crop Insurance
Corporation (PCIC) for the much needed complementation of resources.
BFAR is hopeful
that with the province landing in the Priority 2 of the Hunger
Mitigation Program, more programs and projects will be funneled to
Samar and BFAR would be one to implement and share its expertise in
fisheries – a passion and pride for the Samarnons.
4th National
Skimboarding tilt ends in a big bang
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January
3, 2008
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The 4th National Skimboarding Competition held at Tanauan, Leyte,
the skimboarding capital of the Philippines, was a big success, Mayor
Roque Tiu announced.
"Judging on the
success of the Competition, we are now contemplating of making two
competitions annually," Mayor Tiu said. The summer or Easter Sunday
Competition which is the usual schedule of the national skimboarding
competition will still be continued while the December Competition
will still push through every year.
This will still depend
on the availability of sponsors for the event, Mayor Tiu said. While
he knew that Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla and the other
sponsors, will still be willing to sponsor the two skimboarding
events, he said that he still need the support of more benevolent
benefactors and the promotional support from the national government
so that this competition will really be included in the annual Tourism
activities of the Philippines.
Several members of the
media voiced out the need for the support of the national government
so that the Skimboarding initiatives of the local government of
Tanauan, Leyte will get a big boost. This kind of activity which has
been launched through local initiatives, must be given the necessary
logistics and promotional support from the national government, the
local media opined.
The Competition was
capped with an Awarding ceremonies, followed with a Reggae Party which
lasted until three o’clock the following morning. This was
participated in by hundreds of participants and other spectators from
the different parts of the country.
Two hundred skim
riders participated in the three categories of the National
Skimboarding Competition, the Groumet division for the
youngsters category, the Wahini Division for the women
participants and the Open Men’s Division for the professional skim
riders.
As in the past, the
riders from Tanauan lorded it in all categories, over the other riders
from all over the country. This is not a hometown decision, Mayor Tiu
said, because the judges came from the Philippine Skim Association.
For the groumet
division, Jhonry Cinco got his second championship title, followed by
Frande Piamonte, Carl Gabas and Hendric Vargas, all of Tanauan, Leyte.
Woman rider Sheryl
Pajelleno was again adjudged as the Wahini Division champion for the
second year. The other winners are Kikay Espada, Tina Cumpio, all of
Tanauan; and Jamaica Salceda of Cebu as the 3rd runner up.
Obet Yanuario emerged
as champion in the Men’s Division. Obet was the emerging champion last
year but he ended up as a runner up because he suffered a foot
dislocation on the last day of the competition.
Dariel Espada of
Tanauan, who was last year’s champion, won as the first runner up
while cousin Leo Espada who is this year’s first International
Malaysian Skimboarding Champion emerged as 2nd runner up. Dags Hermosa
of Cebu placed 3rd runner up.
As Philippine
Skimboarding Association President Juan Duazo said, the Skimboarding
competition in Tanauan does not only provide a venue where the riders
can compete and enjoy the ocean, it is also an opportunity to meet
other riders from all over the country, renew friendships and develop
love for the sea and nature. When one loves the sea so much, that will
really make him want to protect the environment.
He thanked Mayor
Tiu and the local government of Tanauan for taking the lead in
promoting skimboarding as water sport.
Biliran launching of
Pamaskong Handog ng Pangulo successful
By FLOR JACKSON (PIA Biliran)
December
30, 2007
NAVAL, Biliran – The
weather was cooperating as it was a sunny day on Friday when the
activity dubbed “Pamaskong Handog ng Pangulo” in Biliran province was
launched at the bus terminal of Biliran town, one of the six
municipalities in the entire province identified to receive gifts
from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo this Christmas season.
Sec.
Sergio Apostal (2nd from right) with line agency regional
directors during the same feat in Sta. Rita, Samar.
(PIA 8 Samar Infocen) |
Residents from the
barangays who were identified by the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) at the
regional office as the poorest in their areas trooped to the venue of
the activity as early as six o’clock in the morning to receive their
package of gifts.
Secretary Sergio
Apostol, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel who arrived Biliran by
chopper at the Biliran National Agricultural College (BNAC) helipad at
around 9:00 o’clock in the morning together with his party composed of
regional Directors of the line agencies led in the ceremonial
distribution of the gift packs from the President to the first 20
identified recipients coming from the barangays of Biliran town. He
was assisted by Director Juan Sabulao of the Technical Education
Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), Director Letecia Corillo of
DSWD, Asst. Director Adelaida Asperin of DOH, Regional Manager
Benjamin Marta of the National Food Authority (NFA), Director Olive
Tiu of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Director Leo Caneda of
the Department of Agriculture (DA) and other officials.
Aside from the gift
package of goodies, the recipients of the Pamaskong Handog ng Pangulo
likewise received a package of services to help them earn livelihood
that would augment their family income.
In his welcome
remarks, Mayor Carlos “Charlie” Chan of Biliran town expressed his
appreciation and thanks to President Arroyo through Sec. Apostol and
to the guests as he said, he was deeply honored that today, his town
was visited by government officials who brought in the Pamaskong
Handog ng Pangulo saying that this would make the less privileged
families in his town happy during this holiday season.
He said that if there
would be another Pamaskong Handog ng Pangulo in the future, he hopes
there would be more for the poor families of Biliran town.
Mayor Chan was
delighted to say that he felt so good because his very own town-Biliran,
was the first to receive the Pamaskong Handog ng Pangulo in the whole
of Eastern Visayas.
“We would like to
graduate from the list of poorest provinces in the country. Please
give priority always to Biliran town and Biliran province”, he said.
For his part, Sec.
Apostol who represented President Arroyo was the guest of honor in
this morning’s launching ceremony said “this is only the beginning of
a series of activities that will help the parents of poor families
keep their children in good health through proper nutrition”.
“Biliran is lucky
because it is the first province in region 8 to receive the grace of
the program of President Arroyo on poverty alleviation through the
Pamaskong Handong ng Pangulo. Biliran is priority two, meaning in
region 8, it is the priority area”, he said.
He ended by saying “we
are here to help bring the gift from the President to the people of
Biliran town and the entire province”.
According to Mercedita
Ochea of the DSWD regional office and point person of the activity in
Biliran, the distribution of the gift package in other municipalities
in the province was done simultaneously with Biliran town this morning
except for the municipality of Kawayan which will distribute the
Pamaskong Handog ng Presidente in another schedule.
The activity in
Biliran town was very dramatic as everyone saw the placards displayed
by the parents of the beneficiaries and some beneficiaries themselves
at the venue of the program thanking President Arroyo for the jobs
they have at present through the trainings they got from concerned
agencies on poverty alleviation.
The placards carried
messages like “Salamat Madame President, Ang Anak Ko Nagtatrabahon na
sa Qatar”, “Nagtatrabaho Na Ang Anak Ko sa Holiday Inn – Salamat
Madame President, “Salamat Ma’am, may sarili na akong welding
shop”, and many more messages of thanks especially from parents whose
children have landed in jobs abroad because of President Arroyo’s
program to help poor families increase their income through skills
training and other livelihood programs.
On the other hand, the
beneficiaries in Biliran town, thanked the President for the gift they
received through Sec. Apostol.
Eufemia Mendoza, 59
years old, laborer with nine children and a resident of Brgy. San
Isidro, Biliran, Biliran was teary-eyed as she thanked President
Arroyo for the packs of goodies, in an interview.
Norlita Corpina, 36
years old, a housewife with five children and likewise one of the
recipients of the gift pack from Brgy. San Roque said, “ito ang unang
pagkataon na ako at ang aking pamilya ay nakatanggap ng regalo mula
kay Presidente Macapagal-Arroyo. Sana tuwing Pasko may pamasko kami
galing sa kanya”, she said.
She added that the
goodies she received are enough to let her family especially the
children feel the joy of the holiday season.
As part of the
Pamaskong Handog ng Pangulo gift package, the DSWD through Director
Letecia Corillo distributed the Tindahan Natin Operators (TNO)
certificates to operate to the beneficiaries.
Scholarship coupons
and training starter kits for the “Galing Mekaniko Ako” and “Galing
Masahista Ako” were given to the trainees in this particular program
by TESDA through Director Juan Sabulao.
Certificates to
operate a Food Terminal in Naval and seeds were also given to the
beneficiaries by Director Leo Caneda of the DA.
On the other hand, DOH
through Assistant Director Asperin who represented Director Teogenes
Baluma turned over drugs and medicines to the Biliran Municipal Health
Office.
Earlier before the
arrival of Sec. Apostol and his party, the NNC through the Leyte State
University (LSU) conducted a cooking demonstration to teach the
beneficiaries especially the mothers how to prepare nutritious but
cheap meals and other menu for the family. During the cooking demo,
they prepared “puto” made of squash, vegetable lumpia and other
nutritious recipes and foods.
A total of 7,011
households in six municipalities were beneficiaries of the Pamaskong
Handog ng Pangulo in the entire
province of
Biliran.
The distribution of
the gift packs by the local officials in Biliran town continued even
as Sec. Apostol and his party has left by chopper for Sta. Rita in
Samar province for the same activity.
Flower barangay in Sta.
Rita, Samar receives PGMA's Pamaskong Handog
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
December 30,
2007
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar
– Barangay Bokinggan (literally a flower) played host to recipients
of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Pamaskong Handog as distributed
by Secretary Sergio Apostol.
The
beneficiaries of the PGMA Training for Work Scholarship Program
shows placards showing their gratitude to President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo during the Pamaskong Handog ng Pangulo at Sta.
Rita Samar. (PIA 8 Samar Infocen) |
Some 200 poor
residents of this flower barangay received their Christmas packages of
rice, noodles and carne norte on Friday in this part of
Samar.
Barangay Chairman
Jocelyn Yerro had to mobilize her constituents to ensure that guests
do not get wet with the steady downpour of rain. They hoisted a
makeshift tarpaulin-roof to protect their guests.
Secretary Apostol with
the different regional directors of line agencies arrived by chopper
from Biliran where they also attended to a similar gift giving feat.
Apostol in his speech
relayed the Christmas message of the president to the poor people of
the barangay who were beneficiaries of the gift giving.
Michelle Pacsa, 27
with four kids held on tightly to her pack, she knew Apostol and that
PGMA gave those gifts. She said two of her kids aged 6 and 3 are
malnourished. She was grateful for the package and smiled shyly
saying, the pack would assure them food for at least two days.
Jennilyn Pacsa was
breastfeeding a 2-month old baby as she waited for her turn to receive
her gift. The baby she held was not malnourished, one of the elder
kids was. Unlike Michelle, she would wait till New Year to consume her
carne norte, she would add it to spaghetti which she plans to prepare
come new year’s eve.
Chairman Yerro said
she is aware of the malnutrition problem in her barangay, she said she
would fund a feeding program and mothers class for mothers to be
educated on feeding their children.
Sta. Rita Mayor
Lisandro Kim Adolfo said it took them only ten days to prepare for the
grandiose reception, but because of the full cooperation of his staff,
they were able to host the launch successfully.
More than 23 thousand
families benefit from the Pamaskong Handog in ten municipalities in
Samar.
Samar is one of the
31 poorest provinces that were given the gift as part of PGMA’s Hunger
Mitigation Program.
Rights group happy
that missing couple surfaced
Press Release By KARAPATAN
December 29, 2007
QUEZON CITY,
Philippines – Rights group express
joy on the sudden surfacing of the couple Manuel Pajarito and Juliet
Fernandez after seven months of disappearance but also harbor serious
doubts on their fate and ask that the military be held accountable for
their illegal arrests and arbitrary detention.
Fernandez, 32, was
abducted by elements of the 52nd IB on May 11 in Calbiga town, Samar.
She organized local fisherfolk to join the Pambansang Lakas ng
Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya).
Fernandez was formerly
a member of the peasant women's group Amihan. She also served as
secretary-general of Gabriela Youth while she was a student.
Families and relatives
of Pajarito and Fernandez have been searching them for so long. They
had sought assistance from human rights groups to search for them. On
June 19-21, a fact-finding mission was conducted by Karapatan and
Gabriela to search for Juliet Fernandez. The team visited the 801st
Infantry Brigade but Major Armand Rico denied having custody of
Fernandez and refused to issue a certification denying her custody.
The team also went to the police stations of Calbiga and Pinabacdao
but they did not find any police blotter on the abduction of Fernandez
and Pajarito. Last October 16, Gabriela launched a protest action in
front of Camp Aguinaldo to demand that the military surface peasant
leader Juliet Fernandez.
"We are surprised by
the testimonies made by Fernandez and Pajarito that they were treated
kindly. Their public presentation by the military has all the
hallmarks of a staged or scripted play. Given the length of time they
were in the complete control, custody and even mercy of the military –
in absolute isolation from anybody else – and given serious reports of
torture, intimidation, and even rape, the voluntariness of their
statements that are not only self-incriminatory but unbelievably
wholly favorable to their captors remain dubious, if not contrived.
The couple must be completely set free from the control of their
captors so that they can tell their real story."
The mere deprivation
of liberty and denial of their custody to their families is definitely
a kind of treatment that they don't deserve considering the fact that
on mere suspicion they were abducted. It adds insult to injury that
persons who are disappeared will be forced – under pain of further or
future threat and harm to them and their families – to absolve from
any liability their captors who capitalize on the basic instinct for
survival." Karapatan Secretary General Marie Hilao-Enriquez said.
"The Pajarito and
Fernandez case clearly points that the military, specifically the 62nd
IBPA under Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce is committing the dastardly act of
disappearance, illegal arrest and detention contrary to what
government functionaries, under a president who condones and tolerates
them, has parroted that they are not involved in any of these crimes
on hapless civilians." Enriquez added.
Reference:
Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Secretary General, Contact Number - 09178176274
Escudero to amend
procurement law
Press Release By Office of Senator Chiz Escudero
December 29, 2007
MANILA, Philippines
– Senator Chiz Escudero has filed a bill amending Republic Act 9184
also known as the Government Procurement Reform Act.
Senate Bill No. 1963
seeks to address three points in the currently existing government
procurement system embodied in the RA 9184 in view of the recent
anomalous contracts favored and concluded by the government such as
the ZTE and the CyberEd projects.
Firstly, according to
Escudero, the bill puts under the coverage of RA No. 9184 the
procurement of infrastructure projects, goods and consulting services
funded by loan or credit under the Official Development Act, RA No.
8182, as amended.
Escudero said this is
in the light of the interpretation that the procurement of certain
infrastructure projects, goods and services can be made exempt from
the operation of RA No. 9184 on the basis of Section 4 of said law
which mandates the observation of treaties or international or
executive agreements affecting procurement in relation to Section 1 of
RA 8555 which on the other hand empowers the President of the Republic
to waive application of any law in deference to the contracting of a
loan or credit with a lending institution.
Secondly, SB 1963
proposes to strengthen and advance transparency by mandating the
posting of decisions of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) relative
to criteria, ratings and calculations of bids as well as all other
bids, responsive or otherwise, on the procuring agency’s website or
that of the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB).
“We want this included
in the provisions of the procurement law to bolster and reinforce
accountability of public officials by making public how BAC members
decide and why. If there be any anomaly in the bidding, the
responsible BAC member may be identified” Escudero said.
Thirdly, the bill
seeks to lessen the discretion of procuring agencies specifically in
the consideration of single calculated/rated and responsive bid
submissions, and the use of observers.
On the consideration
of single calculated/rated and responsive bid submission, a procuring
agency can only do so by, in addition to the current requisites
provided for in RA 9184, subjecting it to the approval of the GPPB.
“In this manner the procuring agency will have the inability to rig
biddings through a consensus amongst competing contractors or bidders
in that agency” Escudero said.
The senator added that
on the matter of using observers in the bidding process, the
invitation of observers is made strict by limiting the number of times
an observer can be invited by a procuring agency. This is being
proposed in consideration of the fact that the observers who become
regulars of the BAC become friendly, if not, even cohorts in anomalous
biddings and transactions.
Escudero said the
passage of this bill would address the problems and issues that have
resulted from the ZTE and Cyber Ed projects.
Local PNP to get
housing projects as well
By ALICE NICART (PIA Eastern
Samar)
December 28,
2007
BORONGAN CITY, Eastern
Samar – More policemen shall be blessed with additional government
housing projects as the country’s economy continues to reap heights.
This was the gist of
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye’s message in his weekly column
“The View From the Palace”. Bunye said that aside from the new
medium-rise housing project at Camp Bagong Diwa, more units are
programmed to be constructed in
Camp Panopio,
Quezon City, San Miguel, Bulacan, Camp Castaneda in Silang, Cavite and
Baras, Rizal.
For Eastern Samar PNP,
whose personnel mostly do not own permanent residences, Director
Prudencio de la Cruz reported that Governor Ben Evardone has included
the said concern in his priority projects for 2008. Initially the
provincial government will be looking for the appropriate site for
local PNP housing project.
“Alam naming yan na
isa yan sa mga pangunahing programa ng Presidente, kaya napag-usapan
naming ni Governo Evardone kamakailan lamang and tungkol diyan at
magpapahanap daw siya ng lupang magandang pagtayuan ng mga pabahay
para sa mga pulis ditto sa local command”, said Dir. De la Cruz in a
phone talk with this writer.
He added that, the
City Police Office of Borongan is quite advance as it has already
identified a location. He mentioned that City Mayor Fidel Anacta, Jr.
has for a start identified an 800 sq. meter lot for the City Police
Housing Project, which can be expanded eventually, he said. According
to him Mayor Anacta is likewise concerned on the dwelling problem of
some of his police, thus the initiative.
Reliable source from
the PNP Police Headquarters stressed that for many times they already
have attempted to acquire a housing site, either thru PAG-IBIG or GSIS
programs. However, the plan would always find the backstage when the
financing institution asks for the location, adding that security is
also a critical factor to consider. |