Vol 5 Issue 9 Published by: PIA 6, 7 & 8 March 2 - 8, 2015

WESTERN VISAYAS

In this IssueIn this IssueIn this Issue Gov't works on 'Yolanda' coconut rehab in EV

LGUs strengthen solid waste management plans

More on Region 8, pages 6-7.

Also CLICK Here...

New equipment, facilities to improve Mactan’s immigration services

Hazel F. Gloria

CEBU CITY (PIA) --- The Bureau of Immigration

(BI) has installed new equipment and facilities for

better services at the immigration counters for

International-bound passengers at the Mactan Cebu

International Airport (MCIAA).

“These upgrades have been lobbied for quite

some time and we are very happy with the new

development," said BI commissioner Siegfred Mison.

Recently, there were 29 new passport readers and

20 computers were installed at the counters while the

immigration arrival counters were moved to the

newly-renovated International Arrival Area 2.

“The new counters and equipment will ease

passenger congestion at the arrival area and cut

waiting time by more than half”, said Mison.

In 2014, the Anti-Fraud Laboratory was set

up at MCIA, complete with the necessary equipment to

detect fraudulent documents.

Last year, BI-MCIA was able to process 13,940

flights and 1,763,470 passengers.

“These numbers are expected to receive on a

yearly basis and we are confident that the BI is

fully-equipped and ready to receive the demands of the

international passengers,” Mison concluded. (rmn/HFG/

PIA-7/BI)

By Consuelo B. Alarcon

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, March 4 (PIA) –

Secretary Francis Pangilinan of the Office of the

Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural

Modernization (OPAFSAM) has doubled efforts

towards accomplishing the Yolanda Coconut

Rehabilitation and Recovery Program in Eastern Visayas.

During his visit recently in the city, Pangilinan said

he wants to get the job done in coordination with the

Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), the local

government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders.

Pangilinan said he also welcomes feedback

mechanism to know what‟s happening in areas funded

by the rehabilitation program.

“If there is information that you think will help us,

please relay to us and we will validate and we will check

and cross check and double check, “Pangilinan said.

Relative to this, a helicopter survey will be

conducted soon to validate reports of accomplishments

relative to the implementation of the Yolanda Coconut

Rehabilitation and Recovery Program in Eastern Visayas.

Some 2.8 million coco trees reportedly destroyed

by Yolanda in the region were already cut during the 30

-day operation from January 25 to February 28, this

year.

However, OPAFSAM Undersecretary Fredelita

Guiza said that even if the targets were met and even

exceeded, said figure has to be validated first by way of

ocular survey, drone or ground validation by various

parties. An estimated 2.9 million remaining coconut

trees are targeted to be cut by March 30, 2015.(ajc/cba/

PIA-8)

More on Region 7, pages 4-5.

Also CLICK Here…

More on Region 6, pages 2-3.

Also CLICK Here…

EASTERN VISAYAS

CENTRAL VISAYAS

Elsa S. Subong

ILOILO CITY, March 2 (PIA6) --- Local

government units in Western Visayas are set to

implement strengthened solid waste management

(SWM) plans this 2015.

The Regional Ecology Center (REC)-6 reviewed

and evaluated the SWM plans by the different LGUs in

the region during its first meeting and workshop with

member-agencies held February 25-27, 2015 at Eon

Centennial Hotel here.

The plans are based on the standard framework

established by the National Solid Waste Management

Commission as prescribed on the 10-Year SWM Plan

outline.

According to the Department of Environment

and Natura l Resources - Env i ronment a l

Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)-6, some 80 local

government units from the provinces of Aklan,

Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, and Guimaras submitted their

SWM plans.

Atty. Jonathan Bulos, DENR-EMB 6 Regional

Director, said the review and evaluation

conducted by REC will fast-track the endorsement to

the NSWMC.

He said that there is a need to hasten the

implementation of the SWM plans as this has been long

overdue.

The SWM plan is mandated by Republic Act 9003

or the "Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of

2000".

Meanwhile, the REC is a multi-sectoral body,

comprising government agencies and organizations,

that advocates the benefit of a good environment. (JSC/

LTP-PIA6 Iloilo)

TESDA Director General and Secretary Joel

Villanueva talks about job opportunities for

skilled workers abroad as well as TESDA's

training programs for the public in a short

meeting with members of Dumaguete press

recently. Villanueva also disclosed that for

2015, the agency has P3.2B budget intended

for its training programs. (PIA7-NegOr)

Ilonggo Senate President Franklin Drilon

articulates the importance of improving

facilities and infrastructure in the Iloilo Fish

Port Complex (IFPC) in the rehabilitation of

the Iloilo River during the inauguration of

various IFPC developmental projects held

Thursday, March 5 at Brgy. Tanza, Iloilo City.

(PIA6)

Philippine Information Agency OIC Regional

Director Alicia E. Nicart leads students and

teachers of the Eastern Samar National

Comprehensive High School in making a

pledge of commitment to climate change

advocacy. This happened during the Kabataan

Para sa Kalikasan Students Forum held on

February 27. (Daniel Mausisa)

Office of the Presidential Assistant for Food Security and

Agricultural Modernization (OPAFSAM) secretary Francis Pangilinan

(2nd from left) hands in a check worth P23M to governor Sharee

Ann Tan of Samar for the rehabilitation and recovery of the

coconut industry affected by super typhoon Yolanda during the 2nd

meeting of the Task Force – Yolanda Coconut Rehabilitation and

Recovery Program held at NIA regional office 8, Brgy. Marasbaras,

Tacloban City, March 2. Others in photo are (l-r) PCA admin

Romulo Arancon, Leyte governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla,

OPAFSAM Usec Fredelita Guiza and Leyte vice-governor Carlo

Loreto. (Raul S. Tiozon, Jr./PIA-8)

WESTERNWESTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 222

NIA inaugurates communal irrigation project

in Aklan

KALIBO, Aklan, March 3 (PIA6) -- The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) recently inaugurated its communal irrigation

project in Lupo, Altavas, Aklan.

T he Agbalili Communal Irrigation

Project, which took 14 years

to be realized by the NIA

for people of Altavas, has a potential

to serve some 200 hectares of ricefields

benefiting 180 farmer beneficiaries

o f B a r a n g a y L u p o a n d t h r e e

other neighboring ones – Odiong, Ginictan and

Man-up.

The inauguration was led by NIA

Administrator Florencio Padernal who came all

the way from Manila to grace the event

together Deputy Administrator Estrella

Icasiano.

Also present during the inauguration were

Aklan Governor Florencio T. Miraflores,

Congressman Teodorico Haresco, Altavas

local officials led by Mayor Denny Refol, NIA

Aklan and Capiz officials and employees,

Altavas barangay officials and irrigators

associations and the local media.

In his message, Administrator Padernal

said the irrigation project will now make it

possible for farmers in the area to be able to

have 2 to 3 croppings a year compared to a

single cropping when the ricefields were yet

rain-dependent or rainfed.

Padernal said the project will enable the

farmers to increase their income and improve

their living conditions.

For his part, Governor Miraflores told the

farmer-beneficiaries of the irrigation system to

take care care of the project and to cooperate

with each other when availing of irrigation

water for their respective ricefields.

“This is the result of your long wait and

this will be a big help to your livelihood”,

Miraflores said.

He also praised NIA Administrator

Padernal for personally gracing the event. “In

my years as a provincial governor, this is the

first time that an administrator from NIA came

to Aklan to inaugurate a project”, he said.

On the other hand, Rep. Haresco told the

farmer beneficiaries that with the availability of

irrigation water, they could avail from the P249

million livelihood for cooperatives and be able

to plant high value crops like lettuce and other

vegetables through the Aklan State University

(ASU).

After the inauguration, the group

proceeded to Sigcay, Banga, Aklan for the site

visitation of the proposed Diversion Dam of

Aklan River Irrigation System, then to Aklan

State University (ASU) Banga campus for the

project presentation of the proposed diversion

dam. (JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)

By Venus G. Villanueva

ILOILO CITY, March 5 (PIA6) --- The Port of Dumangas has brought the municipality into the limelight of progress and

development.

Port opens new development opportunities for Dumangas

By: Leonard T. Pineda I

I n the recent inauguration of the

new terminal building in Dumangas

port, Mayor Rolando Distura said

that a number of businesses have been

e s tab l i shed s ince the port was

opened and more investments are expected to

pour in.

“The port‟s development is a vital

component of plans to put up an economic

zone in Dumangas,” he said.

He said the port is an immense

contribution to the efforts of developing the

municipality into becoming Iloilo‟s second

component city.

He said that the population also increased

due to migration as people see the municipality

as a secure and peaceful place to live in.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)

allocated a P180-million grant for the upgrade

of the Port of Dumangas which serves

passenger ferries and roll-on-roll-off (RORO)

vessels.

The port is a vital link in the SRNH

(Strong Republic Nautical Highway) Western

Nautical Highway.

The port links to the Port of Pulupandan

in Negros Occidental where basic commodities

such as fish, vegetables, meat and dairy

products, cement and animal feeds pass

through.

The Port of Dumangas operates on a 24/7

service with an average of 23 trips daily. (JSC/

LTP-PIA6 Iloilo)

SAN JOSE, Antique, March 5 (PIA6) - - The National Food Authority (NFA) here is buying palay from farmers which will

likewise help farmers improve their lot, and beef up the buffer rice stock and food security of the province.

A ssistant Regional Manager Hedy G.

Jardeleza, who is also acting as the

Provincial Manager of NFA Antique,

urged farmers to bring their rice at the NFA

buying stations in order to avail of additional

incentives.

NFA would be buying dry palay at P17.70

for individual farmers, and P18.00 for

Farmers‟ Organization with additional incentive

of P0.20 for drying and up to P0.50 delivery

incentive.

In Antique, there are only two buying

stations located at the NFA-Antique

Provincial Office, Barangay San Fernando, San

Jose de Buenavista with telephone number

(036) 5403697 or mobile no. 09278557191;

and at GID Culasi Warehouse, Barangay

Caridad, Culasi, Antique with tel. no. (036)

2778593. Jardeleza said that the issuance of

farmer‟s pass book is now simplified and free

of charge.

To secure an individual farmer‟s/ master‟s

pass book, a farmer should submit any of the

following requirements: certification from the

Barangay Captain, Municipal Agricultural

Officer, NIA, Municipal Agrarian Reform

Officer indicating hectarage and whether the

area cultivated is irrigated or not, as basis in

determining procurement allocation for

individual farmers.

Likewise, for farmers coop/associations/

organizations, they must submit CDA or SEC

Registration or any registration certificate from

any government registering agency and list of

farmer-members certified by Municipal

Agricultural Officer indicating hectarage, yield

per hectare and location of farm as basis in

determining procurement allocation of the

farmer association.

Meanwhile, the new NFA administrator is

Renan B. Dalisay.

The agency is now back with the

Office of the President along with three

other agencies, namely, Philippine Coconut

Authority, National Irrigation Administration,

and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority

under the newly created Presidential

Assistant on Food and Agricultural

Modernization with Secretary Francis

Pangilinan as head.

NFA is keeping its linkage with the

farmers with its slogan “Agrikultura ay

pagyamanin, buhay Pinoy ay paunlarin.” (NFA/

JSC/VWV-PIA6 Antique)

NFA Antique beefs up buffer rice stock By Vicente W. Villavert

WESTERN WESTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 333

Capiceños thank Japan gov’t for help

By Jemin B. Guillermo

ROXAS CITY, Capiz, March 5 (PIA6) – Capiceños are grateful to the Japanese government for the continued help to

super typhoon Yolanda-affected residents in the area.

P anay mayor Dante Bermejo said that

they are very thankful to the

government of Japan for the various

assistance to his people who were among the

victims of the November 2013 typhoon Yolan-

da.

He said that the Japan government

through the Japan Heart was the first to

respond to his town after the devastation of

the typhoon that displaced many of his

residents. “Aside from the Japan Heart, several

other Japanese organizations have likewise

extended their help to us particularly in

providing livelihood opportunities for the

coastal and island residents,” he said.

Bermejo added that the Japanese

government has likewise partnered with the

UN Habitat and Department of Social Welfare

and Development in the construction of 70

houses. He also expressed his appreciation to

the said government for positively responding

to their request for food for work program in

the area.

The Japan government through its

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

donated to Panay town a total of 175.11 metric

tons of rice for the identified 5,837 families in

the area for the food for work program. The

donation to said municipality is part of the

580.08 metric tons of rice donation for victims

of Yolanda in Carles, Iloilo and Balete, Aklan.

The rice donation, for which Panay is the

only recipient in Capiz, was made through the

ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve

(APTERR) for the Tier 3 program. Bermejo

said that each beneficiary is given a total of 30

kilograms of rice after rendering five days

works such as clean-up and clearing activity in

the barangay roads and highways as well as

dredging of canals and drainage.

The donation turnover, March 5, in

Panay town was personally attended

by APTERR General Manager Wiroj

Saengbangka, MAFF-Japan Director General

Akira Karasawa, Japan Embassy in the

Philippines First Secretary Ryutaro Aoki and

other Japan officials.

Also present were top officials

of the National Food Authority led by

Deputy Administrator Ludovico Jarina and

NFA Assistant Administrator Joseph Dela

Cruz, DSWD representatives, as well as

those from the provincial governments of Iloi-

lo, Aklan and Capiz. (JSC/JBG-PIA6 Capiz)

BFP encourages hiring of expert for electrical installations

ILOILO CITY, March 3 (PIA6) - - As the country observes Fire Prevention Month this March, the Bureau of Fire Protection

(BFP) here in Western Visayas advised the public to consult knowledgeable person for the installation of their electrical

systems to prevent fire.

T he BFP 6 consolidated report

showed that electrical connections

are the leading cause of fires in the

region last year. Around 460 electrical fire

incidents were recorded.

In a radio interview on Sunday, BFP 6

Director Sr. Supt. Eleuterio Yturriaga

encouraged the public to hire knowledgeable

persons such as professionals or master

electricians to perform the job to prevent

electrical system overloading that puts them at

danger and risk.

Likewise, Yturriaga reminded parents to

put matches and lighters in safe places or to

keep them out of reach of their children.

Based on the same BFP 6 data, lighted

match sticks or lighters that are often played

by children are the second cause of fires in the

region in 2014 numbering to 193.

Other causes of fires are cigarette butts

and open flame due to unattended cooking or

stove and candle or „gasera‟. Over-all, BFP 6

recorded a total 1,571 fire incidents in 2014,

about 93 more as compared to 1,478 listed in

2013. The damage to property of the recorded

fire incidents in 2014 was estimated at

P217,750, 170.12.

Of the 1,571 recorded fire incidents in

the region, 750 are categorized as structural

fires and 821 as non-structural fires. Under the

structural fires, residential fires recorded the

highest with 509 incidents while under the non

-structural fires, accounting the most incidents

are grass, forest and rubbish fires with 755.

To further intensify their fire prevention

awareness campaign, Yturriaga said they

continue to enlist the support of the public,

especially those in the grassroots or the

barangays, to their various activities that

include the establishments of barangay fire

volunteer brigades.

He encouraged barangay officials to have

their own barangay fire brigades who will act

as first line of defense during the occurrence of

fire in their localities.

Yturriaga said the BFP mission is “to

prevent and suppress destructive fires,

investigate its causes, provide emergency

medical and rescue services, and enforce other

fire related laws with active involvement of the

community”. (JSC/LAF-PIA6)

By Lilibeth A. French

BACOLOD CITY, March 4 (PIA6) – The local government of Bacolod welcomes the entry of more investments from the first

branch in the country of a premium Korean coffee chain to real estate investments and new mall locations.

B acolod is the first site in the country

of the popular Korean coffee brand

Tom N Toms Coffee with chain

already found in the United States, China,

Australia, Mongolia, Qatar, Thailand, Singapore

and Vietnam.

This franchise is bringing their

international flavor to the City of Smiles as well

as their taste, quality and services, a release

from the City Public Information Office said.

Aside from Tom N Toms, the city will

soon see the rise of two CityMall Commercial

Centers Inc., a subsidiary of DoubleDragon

Properties Corporation.

Bacolod City Mayor Monico O.

Puentevella disclosed that DoubleDragon

Properties Corporation has purchased a 1.1

hectare corner lot in Goldenfields Commercial

Complex and a 1-hectare prime property along

Lacson Street in Barangay Mandalagan.

Ayala Land Incorporated is also set to

ground-break its new locations for

development in Bacolod City although these

properties are previously owned by the

Provincial Government.

“This is good news for Bacolod,”

Puentevella said while adding that the city is

doing well with the influx of investors.

Meanwhile, President and Chief Operating

Officer of CMCCI Ferdinand Sia in his letter

addressed to Puentevella said that they

strongly believe that Bacolod is one of the

most economically prosperous cities in the

Visayas and an attractive destination for

investors and the decision to put up two

CityMalls is a worthwhile investment.

“We believe that this additional

investment in Bacolod City will further spur

substantial local economic growth and will

provide decent employment to the local

workforce of your vibrant city,” Sia expressed

in his letter. Tom N Toms Coffee President

Kim Do-kyun who was here during the shop‟s

opening February 27 is impressed with Bacolod

because the people are very kind and they

always smile, adding he wanted to come back

soon, this time to play golf here. *(JSC/EAD

-PIA6 Negros Occidental)

Bacolod City welcomes more investments By Easter Anne D. Doza

CENTRALCENTRAL VISAYASVISAYAS 444

DUMAGUETE CITY, Feb. 27 (PIA) – A Cabinet official announced that government will intensify its climate change mitigation

and adaptation interventions to areas that are highly susceptible to the ill effects of this climate crisis.

Gov’t ups climate change mitigation and adap-

tation interventions

S ec. Neric Acosta, the Presidential

A d v i s e r o n E n v i r o n m e n t a l

Protection, said they will concentrate on

introducing adaptive technologies and other

climate change mitigation innovations to the

most vulnerable provinces, cities and coastal

communities in the remaining days of President

Aquino‟s term.

He cited that Eastern Visayas as well as

Cebu, some parts of Mindanao, areas

surrounding the Laguna Lake and Metro Manila

are included in areas where the government

will focus their interventions.

Acosta was in Dumaguete City for a

speaking engagement in Foundation University

on environmental imperatives for present

environmental initiatives.

In a meeting with members of the

press, Acosta talked about his office‟s initiative

in capacity building of communities and

engaging local government units, schools, ba-

rangays to take actions against climate change.

“We are here to engage schools, the

community, barangays, non-government

organizations because that‟s what really what

counts,” he said.

Acosta also encouraged local leaders to

have science and empirically driven policy

decisions and community engagement kind of

intervention that will enable citizens to shift to

green design as part of climate change

adaptation and mitigation measures.

The Presidential Adviser also lauded

Foundation University‟s environmental

sustainability programs and projects and he

hopes that this could be replicated to other

parts of the country.

Meanwhile, also made an emphasize to

Manila Call to Action on Climate Change, a

joint statement of the Philippines and France

addressing the climate problem during the visit

of French President Francois Hollande in the

country.

Acosta said Manila‟s call to action will also

set the direction or focus to government‟s

intervention against climate change in the

coming days. (rmn/ral/PIA7-NegOr)

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Feb. 25 (PIA)—The Department of Social Welfare and Development allocated over P110 million

for its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) in Bohol this year, according to the Regional Program Coordinator.

DSWD allots P110M budget for Bohol’s SLP

D SWD‟s SLP Bohol coordinator Cher-

ry Merin revealed this during the

recent Convergence Strate-

gy Orientation for the Media held at the

Reynas Garden and Haven, February 24.

SLP is a community-based capacity

building program that seeks to improve the

program beneficiaries‟ socio-economic status,

implemented through a two-pronged

program,.

SLP gives focus on microenterprise

development, where it empowers communities

into micro-enterprises development by

capacity building people in small venture

organizations to become organizationally and

economically viable.

On the other hand, it is also into job

facilitation, when it helps community

members access appropriate employment

opportunities. As the DSWD empowers through

community driven development, it

implements its SLP by an approach

called Community-Driven Enterprise

Deve lopmen t (CDED) , w i t h th e

end goal of creating 2.3 million

self-sufficient Conditional cash Transfer families

in 2016.

This trains and capacitates the

program benef ic iar ies to act ive ly

contribute to production and labor markets by

looking where these workers are necessary,

where markets and employment chances are

open.

For its SLP, DSWD puts in Self

Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K),

which provides entrepreneurship trainings,

facilitates access to business service providers,

provides start-up capital and increase business

portfolio through mentoring and coaching,

Merin points out. For SEA-K, DSWD allocates as much as

P25, 470, 000 capital seed fund for Bohol in its

2015 budget.

This however pales in comparison to the

P77, 940, 000 for technical-vocational trainings,

which should get family member beneficiaries

the right skills to land in jobs.

In fact, another allotment for pre

-employment assistance at DSWD SLP

reached P1,945,000, according to DSWD.

Again, DSWD allots Cash for Building

Livelihood Assets (CBLA) at P1,683,000.

This would be in form of compensation to

members who work to build communal or

privately owned livelihood assets from DSWD

assistance.

Project community mobilization fund sums

up as a locally counterparted amount of P3,

225, 960.00 from the DSWD and P32,000 from

Local Government Units.

Over all, the SLP budget runs to P110, 305, 960.0, Merin said. (rmn/RAC/PIABohol)

Central Visayas, Feb. 27 (PIA)--- The Police Regional Office (PRO-7) here revealed an increase in the number of operations

conducted and cases filed involving illegal drugs from 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Intensified illegal drug drive boosts operations, cases

I n the recent Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis

(TSIP) Forum PRO 7 data showed that

cases filed in courts involving illegal

drugs rose from 372 in January to February 19,

2014 to 867 of the same period this year.

The same data then showed that illegal

drug operations intensified from 286 in January

to February 19, 2014 to 389 covering the same

period in 2015.

PRO -7 also recorded a 168% increase in

the cases filed on illegal drugs in the region

from 1, 622 cases in 2013 to 3, 605 in 2014.

As to operations conducted on illegal

drugs in Central Visayas, PRO-7 reported that

from 1, 390 in 2013 it then rose to 2, 526 in

2014.

With this development, PRO-7 reported

that at present of the 142 barangays in Central

Visayas 4.72% of it were already cleared from

illegal drugs mostly from Siquijor.

Deputy chief of operations division of

PRO -7 and acting Cebu City Police Chief P/

SSUPT. Conrado Capa said that although illegal

drugs is peculiar and one of the social

problems in Central Visayas the police force

here were able to find ways to combat against

it.

All police units in the region is strictly

implementing weekly target on illegal drugs

from identification of person involved up to the

conduct of the operations.

PRO-7 also revealed that factors seen to

be effective in the campaign against illegal drugs

include intensified operation on street

pushing, secret raid and f irearm

recovery. (rmn/ays/PIA 7/TSIP Forum)

Roi Anthoni B. Lomotan

By Amorganda Y. Saludar

Rey Anthony Chiu

CENTRAL CENTRAL VISAYASVISAYAS 555

SIQUIJOR, March 2 (PIA)— Coordinating Roads and Infrastructure Investments for Development (CR+ID) project of the Asia

Foundation and the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, in partnership with the Siquijor Chamber of Commerce and

Industry Inc. (SCCII), will focus on tourism and agriculture the priority sectors for Siquijor province.

T his is made as an offshoot of the

Provincial Consensus Building

workshop held February 13, 2015

where multi-stakeholders arrived at an

agreement on tourism and agriculture,

particularly banana and coconut as

the priority sectors and subsectors of the

province.

To help multi-stakeholders trace the

movement of goods and services from the

production, processing and marketing areas

and identify Strategic Road Links (SRL) and

Strategic Infrastructures (SI) in the province,

the SCCII conducted on February 25

to 26 Value Chain Analysis Workshop on

Tourism and Agriculture (Coconut

and Banana).

This facilitates the movement of certain

products as they flow through key market

actors such as farmers, traders, processors,

transporters, wholesalers and retailers to be

lobbied for inclusion in the 2016 budget, says

SCCII Chair Judy U. Booc.

CR+ID, according to regional project

coordinator Condrado Pono, is a successor to

the CRID project or Coordinating Road

Investments for Development, implemented

over the last two years in five provinces: Bohol,

Cebu, Guimaras, Surigao del Norte, and

Surigao del Sur.

It coordinates and rationalizes road

investments through the use of Value Chain

Analysis in identifying strategic road links

(SRLs) with local government units (LGUs) and

national government agencies (NGAs) adopting

a more regionally coordinated and integrated

infrastructure investment program, Pono

added.

It partners with the private sector, SCCII

for Siquijor, LGUs, NGAs that are funding road

and infra projects, and Congressmen who are

using their PDAF as well as other legislation to

support road projects, he also said.

Last year, the Australian Government and

the Asia Foundation jointly agreed to expand

CR+ID in two ways: thematically, to include

not only roads but also key infrastructure with

disaster risk and hazard identification, and

geographically, to include all provinces in

Regions VII and XIII, as well as three provinces

in Region VI.

The Australian Government‟s support

enables The Asia Foundation to provide

assistance to provincial governments to

complete their road network and key

infrastructure maps, identify strategic roads and

infrastructure with the private sector, and

c o n d u c t m u n i c i p a l l e v e l r o a d

investment planning workshops. (rmn/RAC/

PIA7-Siquijor)

CR+ID program in Siquijor to focus on

tourism, agri dev’t

CEBU CITY, Feb. 27 (PIA) --- The Social Security System (SSS) has opened a full-service branch at Gaisano Grand Fiesta Mall

in Tabunok, Cebu on February 4, 2015.

T his new branch will serve members

in the municipalities of Talisay,

Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando and

Carcar, Cebu covering a total of 14,442

employee members and 3,000 self-employed or

voluntary members.

It is also expected to help boster SSS

membership in the southern part of Cebu with

17,000 members in the area.

SSS Assistant Vice President for Central

Visayas Helen Solito said that one of

their priority thrusts is "to make SSS

accessible to our current and potential

members especially to the informal sector

workers.”

SSS Talisay Branch offers issuance of SS

number, accepts and processes applications on

benefit claims such as sickness, maternity,

disability, funeral and death applications as well

as UMID Data Capture Section.

SSS President and chief executive officer

Emilio S. De Quiros Jr. and Cebu Vice

Governor Agnes A. Magpale formally opened

the said branch.

Meanwhile, bloggers and media from

Cebu went home with inspiring stories from

the two-day ecovoluntourism event held in the

island of Bantayan recently.

Around 20 selected members of Cebu‟s

press and the Cebu Blogging Community

(CBC) went back to the mainland with pictures

and stories of the island‟s beauty, people‟s

resiliency, and how the Bantayanons

rose victorious after being hit by typhoon

Haiyan, so far the most devastating storm to

batter the Philippines.

The participants also staged a show of

force as they painted, cleaned and do

other carpentry works, in helping in the

construction of houses in the Gawad Kalinga

site on the island. (rmn/HFG/PIA-7/SSS with

FCC report)

SSS opens new office in Cebu

By Rizalie A. Calibo

Hazel F. Gloria

CEBU CITY, March 3 (PIA) --- The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. and the Probe Media Foundation, Inc. are set to launch in

Cebu the Search for Journalists of the Year (JOY) on March 5, 2014 at Crown Regency Hotel, Fuente Osmeña Blvd, Cebu City.

Visayas launch of Metrobank Foundation's Journalists of the Year set in Cebu

T he Search will recognize three (3)

journalists as paragons of their

p ro f e s s i on an d t h e m ed i a

industry.

Each of them will receive a Php 300,000.00

cash prize and a specially designed medallion.

The awardees will also be bestowed the

title “Metrobank Foundation Fellows in

Journalism”, where they will share their

expertise and experience through professional

lectures for students, academic professionals,

and media practitioners in different parts of the

country.

Interested parties are requested to

register via online form at http://bit.ly/

JOYCebu.

Now on its 2nd year, the JOY

Search recognizes excellence in Philippine

journalism.

It celebrates and honors Filipino

journalists from print, television, radio and

online media whose excellent stories have

contributed to the development of the nation,

and have influenced and inspired their

colleagues and the broader media industry

over the years.

The first journalists recognized by MBFI in

2001, and then known as the Search for

Outstanding Journalists (SOJ), were Sheila

Coronel, Jessica Soho, and the late Armando

Malay. In 2013, it was re-launched to become

the Search for JOY with Malou Mangahas,

Jarius Bondoc, and Jiggy Manicad as the

awardees.

For further information, please contact

the Probe Media Foundation, Inc. (PMF) at tel.

n o . ( 0 2 ) 4 3 3 - 0 4 5 6 o r e - m a i l :

metrobankfoundation.joy@gmail.com or visit

t h e f o l l o w i n g l i n k s t o a c c e s s

downloadable forms: http://bit.ly/2015JOY,

w w w . m b f o u n d a t i o n . o r g . p h o r

www.probefound.com. (rmn/PIA Cebu/PR)

By Rachelle M. Nessia

EASTERN EASTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 666

89 LGUs earn seal of 'Good Financial

Housekeeping'

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, March 4 - Eighty-nine (89) or about 60% of local governments in Eastern Visayas passed the Seal of

Good Financial Housekeeping for 2014.

T his was revealed by Regional

Director Pedro A. Noval Jr. of the

Department of the Interior and Local

Government (DILG) in Eastern Visayas who

cited the official list released recently by the

DILG Bureau of Local Government Supervision

(BLGS).

“I am glad to report that all six provinces

in our region, namely: Leyte, Southern Leyte,

Biliran, Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern

Samar passed the Seal of GFH. So did six

cities: Tacloban, Ormoc, and Baybay in Leyte;

Maasin, Southern Leyte; Borongan, Eastern

Samar and Catbalogan, Samar, ” said Dir.

Noval, adding that 77 of 136 municipalities also

passed the GFH.

The GFH, a component of the Seal of

Good Loca l Governance (SGLG),

was formerly known as the Seal of Good

Housekeeping (SGH), which the Department

initiated in 2010. GFH applies the same SGH

minimum criteria: that a local government must

have an Unqualified or Qualified COA Opinion

for the previous year, and full compliance with

the Full Disclosure Policy (FDP).

Director Noval explained that for an LGU

to be a recipient of the stepped-up SGLG, it

should also pass the two other essential

assessments on Disaster Preparedness and

Social Protection. It should likewise pass at

least one of the three essential assessments on

Business Friendliness and Competitiveness,

Environmental Protection and Law & Order

and Public Safety.

Noval said that the assessment was

conducted last year through cross posting of

Regional Assessment Teams (RATs) composed

of DILG Field Officers, representatives from

CSOs and NGAs. The complete list of GFH

passers is available at the DILG website

www.dilg.gov.ph. The GFH Certification is a

requirement for local governments in order to

access loans pursuant to Local Finance Circular

No. 1-2012, and to avail of programs such as

Grassroots Participatory Process (GPP) and

Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig sa Lahat

(SALINTUBIG) program of DILG.

LGUs that failed to pass the GFH have

some immediate recourse if the reason was

non-compliance with the FDP. They simply

have to fully observe FDP requirements on

posting to avail of the “After Assessment

Compliance” and secure GFH certification

without waiting for the next assessment

period. On the other hand, if the LGU was

subjected to an “Adverse” or “Disclaimer”

opinion from COA, it should fully comply with

all the findings in order to garner a passing

opinion on the next Annual Audit Report

(AAR). (DILG-8/PIA-8)

Biliran towns to roll out 'Oplan Listo'

NAVAL, Biliran, March 4 (PIA) – Just right after the launching of the Oplan Listo in the province of Biliran, the eight towns in

Biliran province have already prepared lists of activities for the roll-out of the Oplan Listo initiated by the Department of the

Interior and Local Government (DILG).

D ILG in Biliran province headed

by Marilyn Saboy, provincial

director, launched Oplan Listo on

Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at the Naval State

University (NSU) Hostel with municipal

mayors, municipal disaster risk reduction and

management officers, officials and personnel of

the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire

Protection and members of the Biliran

provincial disaster risk reduction and

management council in attendance.

One of the activities in the launching

of Oplan Listo was for each town to present

the plan of activities they have prepared which

will help the people in the community have a

clear understanding and better grasp of what

Oplan Listo is all about. “Oplan Listo is one of

the components of disaster preparedness

initiated by DILG to strengthen the capacity of

LGUs in responding to disasters anytime and

anywhere they strike” Saboy informed.

Cabucgayan town, the first to present,

listed down activities like conducting a forum

with barangay officials and residents on Oplan

Listo, meeting with the members of the

municipal disaster risk reduction and

management council and conducting other

Oplan Listo-related activities that would best

inform the public on this disaster preparedness

activity. Other towns like the municipality of

Almeria will conduct a motorcade around the

town as a way of bringing awareness to the

constituents in the town on the importnce of

Oplan Listo in terms of saving lives and

properties through putting preparedness on

top anytime and anywhere disaster strikes.

Meanwhile, the provincial office of DILG

in Biliran province will conduct two more big

activities to solicit the support of the private

sector especially coming from the different civil

society organizations, people‟s organizations

and non-government organizations including

the youth sector in the province.

DILG-Biliran will conduct the provincial

dialogue on March 17 to be joined in by the

different civil society organizations, people‟s

organ izat ions and non -government

organizations and will hold a Wenboree on

April 15-16 to be participated by the different

youth organizations in Biliran province. (ajc/fj/

rvictoria/PIA 8 Biliran)

By Rodrigo S. Victoria

Foundation turns over 48 new classrooms to Leyte schools

T he new classrooms, costing P1.2

million each, will benefit more than

4,000 students in 18 schools in

Kananga, Merida, Isabel, Albuera and Ormoc

City.

The Lopez Group constructed the said

classrooms using funds donated to ABS-CBN

Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. (ALKFI)

while the Energy Development Corporation

(EDC), which operates the Leyte geothermal

power plants, donated P4.5 million and

supervised the construction of the classrooms.

In his speech during the turnover

ceremony, Leyte Governor Leopoldo Petilla

lauded the project and said that “what the

Lopez Group is doing is not just building

classrooms but building the future of the

students.”

Clarissa Ocampo, Managing Director of

ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc.

(ALKFI) and Richard Tantoco, President and

Chief Operating Officer of Energy

Development Corporation (EDC) led the

turn-over of the new classrooms.

The rebuilding project has programmed to

construct 64 new classrooms and repair of 10

classrooms in 23 schools in Ormoc, Kananga,

Albuera, Merida, Palo and Isabel using

donations to ALKFI.

An additional 32 classrooms will also be

constructed in Ormoc City and Kananga using

funds from companies under the Lopez

Group.

This project will support the Adopt-a

-School Program of DepEd.

Last September 2014, the Lopez Group

finished construction of 24 typhoon-resistant

classrooms for the following schools: New

Ormoc City National High School and Milagro

Elementary School in Ormoc City, Matlang

Elementary School in Isabel, and San Joaquin

National High School in Palo. (EDC/PIA-8)

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Feb. 27 – A total of 48 typhoon-resilient classrooms were turned over recently by the Lopez Group

to 18 schools in the province of Leyte as part of its Leyte Rebuilding Project.

EASTERNEASTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 777

Discipline your child when no longer angry, says parent-advocate

BORONGAN CITY. Eastern Samar, March 4 (PIA) - ―I now wait until my anger passes,‖ Oliva Bajado, a positive discipline

parent-advocate said when asked how she switched to positive discipline on her children.

B ajado, a mother of four, faced

members of the local media during a

briefing sponsored by the European

Union through Plan International on March 3,

2015 at Hotel Doña Vicenta in Borongan City.

According to Bajado, she avoids

confronting her children when she is still angry.

Once her anger passes, she discusses the

misdeed with her children and tries to get

them to realize their mistake.

Bajado who is married to a police officer

has even convinced her husband to adopt

positive disciplining as well.

“My husband was always the strict

disciplinarian but after I attended the training

on positive discipline, I shared to him what I

learned and he was also convinced,” she

shared.

“I am proud to say that today, my husband

is trying to change his discipline methods,” she

said.

Plan has been pushing for local

government units to pass ordinances that

prohibit corporal punishment and in 2011 the

town of Llorente passed one.

The town has even allocated 1% of its

internal revenue allotment for the promotion

of non-violent discipline approach and training

of parents and educators.

According to Plan, in the towns of

Llorente and Maydolong, several day care

workers and parents groups have gone through

trainings with regards to positive discipline.

“I was also raised in a family that

employed corporal punishment,” Llorente

Mayor Tito Codoy, Jr. said but this did not

stop him from supporting the positive

discipline advocacy.

According to the mayor, parents need not

be divided on the issue because it is all about

providing unending support to children.

Instead of physically and verbally punishing

children, Jayson P. Lozano of Plan Int‟l urged

parents to provide a loving and caring home so

children will know right from wrong. “I always

remember a quote from mass media figure Boy

Abunda. He said, pain is never an expression of

love,” Lozano said. (ajc/mnq/PIA8-ESamar)

DOH award shows active public health sector

in SoLeyte

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, March 3 (PIA) -- The Department of Health (DOH) recently conferred the 2014 Health

Excellence Award for this province, dubbed Kalusugang Pangkalahatan Second Prize, and this clearly showed that DOH-driven

programs and projects had reached their intended targets at the grassroots level where it mattered most.

F urthermore, the citation likewise

recognized the concerted efforts of

all stakeholders, the political leaders

down to frontline wellness workers in the field,

in the effective implementation of

health-related activities to ensure maximum

compliance.

This was the common assessment shared

by leading health professionals as to how the

province landed for the first time at

second place in a nationwide ranking of 80

provinces.

On Friday, February 20, the province was

cited in a ceremony held at Pasay City “for

best performance in achieving systems-based

approach in local health reforms,” with a

corresponding P400,000.00 cash prize.

Dr. Noel Lumen, Provincial Health Officer

I, during the Provincial Report cable TV

program last week, recalled that for some

years now, the province was the very first LGU

cited by the DOH nationwide as having

eliminated the filariasis illness, hence the DOH

granted the Filariasis-free tag, the first ever.

Health concerns that happened in the

province thus far had not reached epidemic

proportions, while health advocacy campaigns

were duly carried out, making the province a

show window in Region 8 for DOH program,

project implementation.

DOH Representatives Dr. Verna

Fernandez and Letty Tan called on the people

to continue complying the health campaigns of

the DOH like the rabies-free campaign, dental

care, among others, even as they thanked their

cooperation that eventually was a big factor for

the overall Pangkalusugan award.

Dr. Edmund Villa, Provincial Health

Officer, was also grateful to the local chief

executives and the health workers for

supporting the health programs of the province

and the national level, and he rallied them to

exert more efforts to win the number one

spot for the next round of evaluation. (ajc/esg/

mmp/PIA8-Southern Leyte)

RDRRMC-8 monitors 'Yolanda' efforts

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, March 3 (PIA) - More than a year after typhoon ―Yolanda‖ hit Region 8 on November 8, 2013, the

Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) again gathered its member agencies to tackle the

intervention measures provided by different thematic areas to address the needs of its beneficiaries.

A ccording to Director Blanche

Gobenciong, Office of Civil Defense

(OCD-8) and chair RDRRMC, the

thematic areas involved are social services,

infrastructure, livelihood, and resettlement that

the RDRRMC is spearheading to mobilize efforts

in addressing the needs of all typhoon “Yolanda”

affected areas and other disasters that hit Region

8.

Based on the data provided by the

Department of Social Welfare and Development

(DSWD) there are 3,002 families still living in

bunkhouses and 508 families located in

transitional shelter, and around 152 families had

already been placed in the permanent shelters

commissioned by ridgeview which provided 66

permanent shelter and GMA Kapuso Foundation

which provided 86 permanent shelters.

The DSWD had served 50 trafficked

persons for the period January to August 2014

and 14 of which had been provided financial

assistance.

The Department of Public Works and

Highways (DPWH) had implemented a total of

Php286M out of Php1.6B funded amount worth of

infrastructures which involves repair and

rehabilitation of national roads, national bridges,

flood control projects, local or access roads

connecting to the national roads.

The Office of the Presidential Assistance for

Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) had

targeted a total of Php 75.67B worth of

resettlement projects which involves 205,128

housing units involving 116 municipalities and

cities that would construct disaster resilient hous-

es that can withstand a wind load of up to 250

kph.

It informed though that the project cannot

be totally implemented because of some pressing

issues that prevent its implementation such

as land availability, island barangay, coastal

communities, livelihood opportunities and unsafe

areas that are dependent on the suitability and

unsuitability of such facilities.

Dir. Gobenciong said that the best thing that

the government should do is to coordinate,

collaborate, and cooperate to address the needs

of its beneficiaries. Dir. Gobenciong thanked all

the member-agencies of the RDRRMC for their

support and cooperation on the success of the

year 2014 program of work even if the

responsibilities, duties and accountabilities are

broad to consider everything.

Dir. Gobenciong was teary-eyed when she

spoke before the council that soon she will be

assigned to OCD central office and Assistant

Regional Director Rey Gozon will take over until

a replacement had been chosen. She anticipates

that her successor can equal or even surpass her

accomplishment. (ajc/jhb/PIA-8)

By Medora Nimfa Quirante

By Marcelo M. Pedalino

By Jonnie H. Buenaventura

One Visayas e-newsletter is published weekly by the Visayas Regional Cluster of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) comprising Region 6, 7 and 8. Its main editorial office is located at PIA Region 6, Iloilo City.

One Visayas e-newsletter is part of the online news and information dissemination services of PIA and is powered by www.issuu.com. For inquiries and suggestions, call Tel. Nos. (033) 3378719/3377301 or e-mail piaamo6@yahoo.com.

Editorial Consultants

Ms. Minerva BC Newman Atty. Ma. Janet C. Mesa, Ph. D. Ms. Alicia E. Nicart

Regional Director, PIA 7 Regional Director, PIA6 Regional Director, PIA8

Managing Editor

Jaime S. Cabag, Jr.

Contributors

All PIA Information Officers of Regions 6, 7 & 8

Production and Layout

Edson J. Bañares Lynnor C. Regalado

Regional Offices:

PIA 6, 2/F RC Building, Rizal St., Iloilo City, Iloilo 5000, Tel. Nos. (033) 337-8719/3377301/509-0993, Fax No. (033) 337-8719/509-0993, e-mail: r6_pia@yahoo.com/ piaamo6@yahoo.com

PIA 7, Room 304, 3/F Machay Bldg., Garardo Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu 6000, Telefax No. (032) 232-4062/232-4126, e-mail: pia7_cebu@yahoo.com.ph/r7_pia@yahoo.com

PIA 8, Children‟s Park Compound, Sen. Enage St., Tacloban City, Leyte 6500, Tel. No. (053) 325-5124, Telefax No. (053) 321-2029, e-mail: pia_ev@yahoo.com/r8_pia@yahoo.com