rotunda - naga.gov.ph

The ROTUNDA at Concepcion Pequeña welcomes all guests and weary travellers coming from and going to all the four directions leading to the City with the warm and environment-friendly topiary image of the Virgin of Peñafrancia, Patroness of Bicolandia!

A Quarterly Magazine of theCity Government of Naga

Bicol, Philippines

ISSN 2094-9383

Vol. 6, No. 3 | July - September 2014

JOHN G. BONGATCity Mayor

NELSON S. LEGACIONCity Vice Mayor

SIEGLINDE BORROMEO-BULAONG

Editor

JASON B. NEOLASenior Writer

RAFAEL RACSO V. VITAN Layout and Design

ANSELMO B. MAÑOWebsite Administrator

This magazine is published by the City Government of

Naga, thru the Ciy Publication Office and the City Events,

Protocol andPublic Information Office,

with editorial office at City Hall Compound,

J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City 4400 Philippines

Tel: +63 54 472-2136Email: [email protected]: www.naga.gov.ph

FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. REUEL M. OLIVEREditorial Consultants

JOSE V. COLLERAXERES RAMON A. GAGERO

SYLRANJELVIC C. VILLAFLORPhotographers

JOSE B. PEREZALLEN L. REONDANGA

PAUL JOHN F. BARROSATechnical Advisers

ALDO NIÑO I. RUIVIVARMAUREEN S. ROJO

Staff Assistants

The “Naga SMILES to the World” logo is composed of the two baybayin characters, na and ga.

Na, shaped like a mountain, provides a strong foundation for the Narra tree which grew abundantly along the Naga River while a zigzag line denotes the majestic Malabsay Falls.

Ga, shaped like a farmer’s plow, is symbolic of the Nagueño’s agricultural roots and hardworking personality.

The baybayin Naga characters rest on a wave-like element which represents the Naga River and the serpent, which is read in Sanskrit as naga.

This new branding for Naga, launched in 2010 by the dynamic Bongat administration, envisions a more livable city that is world-class.

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T SCOVER STORY

3 NAGA -- PH’s 3RD MOST COMPETITIVE CITY; NO.1 IN GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

THE PASSING OF A BELOVED ARCHBISHOP 6 FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR ARCHBISHOP LEGASPI

7 MAYOR’S TRIBUTE

9 THE NEW ARCHBISHOP’S LIFE OF SERVICE

PEÑAFRANCIA FESTIVAL/TOURISM

10 FIESTA! A MOSAIC OF COLORFUL EVENTS

P MISS BICOLANDIA 2014

P TRASLACION

P 2ND REGIONAL BAND/MAJORETTE/FANCY DRILL COMPETITION

P REGIONAL BSP/GSP PARADE

P CIVIC PARADE AND FLOAT COMPETITION

P PEÑAFRANCIA VOYADORES FESTIVAL

P REGIONAL MILITARY PARADE

P REGATTA 2014

P FLUVIAL PROCESSION

P 2ND REGIONAL CHEER DANCE COMPETITION

P PEÑAFRANCIA LONG BOARD FESTIVAL

P TATTOO ART & SKATE FESTIVAL

25 SHORT FILM FESTIVAL BRINGS OUT FACETS OF BICOL’S FAITH

28 JOINT OPERATION CENTER ENSURES PEACEFUL, ORDERLY AND SOLEMN PEÑAFRANCIA FIESTA

29 10 REASONS WHY I LOVE NAGA

31 PEÑAFRANCIA: THE FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS

GOVERNANCE, ADVOCACY AND DEVELOPMENT

33 LENI FILES BILL CEMENTING ROBREDO LEGACY

34 MNDC INITIATES GENDER RESPONSIVENESS IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE

35 NCCWPC: INITIATIVES AND INNOVATIONS DO NOT STOP IN SERVING THE INTEREST OF CHILDREN

1 JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

The “An Maogmang Lugar“ logo is an attempt to capture Naga as we want it to be – a city that is progressive and yet environment-friendly, where the people freely participate in the day-to-day affairs of the government, and where culture and arts are flourishing.

The stylized design of “NAGA” represents the city’s aggressive march towards modernization and progress. The sky-blue background, the Narra tree, and the Naga River represent our people’s desire for an ecologically-balanced community.

The ring of people surrounding the entire design shows the Nagueños’ participatory mechanism which is part and parcel of the city’s way of doing things. It also shows the people’s concern and unity in everything that is good for the city.

Today, the city, as Maogmang Lugar, aims to portray more than a happy place but a happy people who are the true beneficiaries of everything good that is happening in the city.

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

37 RDC OKs NAGA AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT

39 NAGA RIVER TRANSPORT SYSTEM LAUNCHED

41 IN FOCUS: CITY OF NAGA POWER COMMISSION

43 INFOBOARD BOOSTS GOVERNANCE EFFICIENCY TARGETS

LEGISLATION

44 LEGACION KEYNOTES SANGGUNIAN SECRETARIES BOARD MEETING, WORKSHOP

45 NAGUEÑOS IN THE WAKE OF TYPHOON GLENDA

47 SP PASSES MEASURE TO MAKE SURE EVENTS START ON TIME

49 TRIUMPHS IN HEALTH AND NUTRITION

BUSINESS, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

50 10TH BICOL BUSINESS WEEK

53 2014 HALYAO AWARDEES HONORED

57 PANICUASON CORN FARMER WINS ‘GAWAD SAKA’ REGIONAL AWARD

59 NAGA’S GREEN AND FLOWER PROGRAM

61 CCTV, COMPUTERIZATION AND 5S AT NAGA CITY PEOPLE’S MALL

63 CITY HALL PROVIDES EMERGENCY JOBS TO TYPHOON VICTIMS

BEST PRACTICES/REGIONAL RELATIONS

64 NAGA’S E-GOVERNANCE VOTED ‘BEST OF THE BEST’ IN SINGAPORE FESTIVAL

SPORTS

65 9,000 RUNNERS HIT MILO MARATHON NAGA ELIMINATION

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014 2

Naga -- PH’s 3rd mostcompetitive city; No. 1 in

government efficiency

FROM No. 9 in 2013, the City of Naga leapfrogged to No. 3 in the ranking of the most competitive cities throughout the country, an

impressive performance that gained so much respect and commendation from both the business sector here and the general public.

Daet in Camarines Norte, meanwhile, maintained its No. 1 spot as the most competitive municipality based on an index that ranked cities and municipalities throughout the country.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, thru the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, honored the City of Naga and the Municipality of Daet for the prestigious awards and citations they just received for being among the most competitive and dynamic LGUs in the country in their respective categories.

The Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) is an annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC), together with the Regional Competitiveness Committees (RCCs), with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

City Mayor John G. Bongat, who just returned home fresh from a governance forum in Singapore, received the award during ceremonies held in Manila on August 7.

By JOSE B. PEREZ


The Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index

is an annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council, through the Regional Competitiveness Committees (RCCs), with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development.


The CMCI measures competitiveness at the local government level using 28 indicators grouped into three equally-weighted pillars: Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, and Infrastructure. Scores on each pillar were combined to form the overall score used to rank cities and municipalities.

This year’s CMCI featured 136 cities and 399 municipalities, up from 122 cities and 163 municipalities in 2013. Makati City was adjudged the most competitive city, followed by Cagayan de Oro City, with scores of 53.24% and 49.36%, respectively, where Naga scored 49.08% in the overall cities ranking.

The other 7 cities in the Top Ten are: Davao (47.72%), Marikina (45.47%), Iloilo City (45.00%), Cebu City (43.69%), Manila (43.15%), Valenzuela (43.02%), and Paranaque (42.70%).

It will be noted that in the overall ranking, five cities from Metro Manila, two from the Visayas, two from Mindanao, and only one from Bicol and the rest of Luzon made it to the Top Ten. Iriga City in Camarines Sur was ranked No. 17 overall.

In terms of economic dynamism, Parañaque, Makati, and Manila took the top posts for cities. Naga City was ranked 4th in this category where it was not in the Top Ten in 2013.

Mr. Guillermo M. Luz, co-chairperson of the NCC, explained that the scores for economic dynamism are based on the size and growth of the local economy; capacity to generate employment; cost of living; cost of doing business; financial deepening; productivity; and presence of business and professional organizations.

Naga City this year ranked No. 1 in government efficiency, followed by Iloilo City and Angeles City in Pampanga.

Government efficiency was measured from data on transparency scores, economic governance scores, local taxes and revenues, local competition-related awards, business registration efficiency, investment promotion, compliance to national directives, health, and education.

In the infrastructure category, Naga City fell from No.1 in 2013 to No. 18 this year. The top cities in this category are Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Marikina.

Infrastructure scores were measured using data on existing road network, distance from the city center to major ports, health infrastructure, education infrastructure, and basic utilities, among others.

The most competitive municipalities were Daet (Camarines Norte), General Trias

(Cavite), and Kalibo (Aklan), in that order.

Luz said it is important for all stakeholders to work together to build cities and municipalities that are affordable, accessible, socially acceptable, environmentally friendly, economically viable, climate-resilient, and competitive. “In this way, they will be able to attract the right businesses to their city or municipality.’’

He also underscored that what makes the index more significant is that it is not based on public opinion surveys or boards of judges. “It is based solely on statistics and data collected per LGU. We have tried to remove as much subjectivity as possible in any selection,” he added.

The results highlight the importance of being competitive in several factors, especially those which are closely examined by potential investors. It should be noted that the top three cities and municipalities for overall competitiveness also received at least one award in a category.

The CMCI was designed to encourage local governments to regularly track data and eventually benchmark performance against other cities in the ASEAN to better manage their regions.

PHOTO BY j o s e v. c o l l e r a

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014 4JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014 4

C ITY Mayor John G. Bongat on August 11 issued Proclamation No. 2014-005 declaring August 11-13, 2014 as days of mourning over the passing of Caceres Archbishop Emeritus Leonardo Z. Legaspi,

O.P., D.D.As directed by the same proclamation, the

national flag in all public offices, buildings, and installations in Naga City were flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on August 12, 2014.

Archbishop Emeritus Legaspi passed away at 5:00 o’clock in the morning of August 8 at the UST Hospital in Manila. His death coincided with the 37th anniversary of his episcopal ordination and the feast day of St. Dominic of Guzman, the founder of the Dominican Order to which he belonged.

His body was brought to Naga via Legazpi airport on August 11 for vigil by his parishioners until the early morning of August 13, when it was flown back to Manila and stayed there until interment at the Santuario de Sto. Domingo in Manila on August 15.

Reverend Monsignor Legaspi was appointed Archbishop of Caceres at the age of 47 on October 20, 1983 and retired on September 8, 2012 at age 76 which spanned 28 years of continuous service to the Catholic faithful of Naga City and the Bicol Region. He had been known for contributing immensely to the growth of the Catholic faith within the Archdiocese and the

Flags in city fly at half-staff for Archbishop Legaspi, 76

whole of Bicolandia, being the primate emeritus of the Bicol Region. He was also instrumental in deepening the devotion to our ‘Ina,’ Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia,

patroness of Bicol.Born in Bulacan by Tagalog

parents, the archbishop was conferred upon his retirement the singular title of “The Beloved Honorary Nagueño” by virtue of Sangguniang Resolution No. 2012-408 for his distinguished service to the City of Naga and for his exemplary leadership in bringing the faithful closer to God, through ‘Ina.’

“I earnestly request the people to assemble … in their respective places of divine worship to bow their heads in submission to the will of the Almighty God, and to pay their homage of love and reverence to the memory of a great and good man,” Mayor Bongat stated in his

proclamation even as he invited “the people who share our grief to join us in this day of mourning.”


intercession of our Patroness, Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia.

As the Archbishop of Caceres, he was the Primate Emeritus of the whole Bicol Region.

When he was installed as our Archbishop on January 18, 1984, many were awed by his superior credentials, including that of being the first Filipino Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical and Royal University of Sto. Tomas and later as Titular Bishop of Elefantaria in Mauritania and as Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, among others.

Archbishop Leonardo Zamora Legaspi was indeed too big for his assignment in the rural Archdiocese of Caceres. Physically, he was 6 feet tall with too big a heart that made us in the Archdiocese so blessed and grateful. The children thought he was Christopher Reeve, or Superman, in priest’s clothes. Well, they were not wrong, because he proved he was.

Perhaps not many know that he was one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines awardees in 1974. His other awards include the Rizal Pro Patria Award and the International Association of University Presidents Award which he received in 1975 and 1976, respectively, when he was still a very young man given the privilege to hold high positions in the church hierarchy and academe.

On the first year of his installation here, Archbishop Legaspi’s first major act was to petition the

Vatican, through Pope John Paul II, that the title “Basilica Minore” be granted to the church of “Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia” in Balatas, Naga City.

To have a basilica in Naga is to have the Pope in Naga, for the basilica is the official church of the Pope. It is a rare privilege for us Bicolanos, because there are only a few basilicas in the country and throughout the Christian world. For that, we are most grateful to our Archbishop Emeritus of Caceres, the Most Reverend Leonardo Z. Legaspi.

Much has been said about the man. He was a father to all of us, a teacher and pastor, too, to all those within the Archdiocese. He was our shining light that gave justice to his motto, “Illuminare Omnes,” or “A Light to All,” as he inspired and brought us even closer to our Ina, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, and to her Son, through the devotion to the El Divino Rostro.

My chance to work closely and personally with our beloved Archbishop began when I assumed office as Mayor of Naga City in 2010. Through an executive order, I constituted the Naga City Peñafrancia Executive Committee Inter-Agency Task Group and the Unified Emergency Joint Operations Center. During that time, the Archdiocese and the city were so excited and busy preparing for the tercentenary of Ina, the Patroness of Bicolandia. It was the grandest of the Peñafrancia celebrations that we made sure it was conducted peacefully and orderly despite the large volume

I t is a great coincidence, which the heavens may have so designed, that the good archbishop should say goodbye on August 8, 2014, the feast of

St. Dominic of Guzman and incidentally, his 37th episcopal anniversary. You will all definitely agree with me that Arch. Legaspi left us peacefully. Why should he not, one good reason I can think of, is his being bestowed the singular title of “The Beloved Honorary Nagueño” by virtue of SP Resolution No. 2012-408 issued on September 8, 2012.

While in mourning and great sorrow, I am honored and privileged to be given this chance to say a few words before I bid goodbye to our dear Archbishop. He was our guide and spiritual leader, who for 28 years had placed us-- his parishioners-- under the loving Grace of God Almighty, with the

Most Rev. Rolando Tria Tirona, Archbishop of Caceres, the family, relatives and friends of Archbishop Emeritus Most Rev. Leonardo Legaspi, Members of the Clergy, Provincial Officials headed by Governor Migz Villafuerte, Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Naga headed by Vice Mayor Nelson Legacion, ladies and gentlemen, maray na banggi po saindo gabos.

By MAYOR JOHN G. BONGATCity M ayo r


of pilgrims, tourists and prominent guests that included the Papal Nuncio.

Every September thereafter, the inter-agency committee, now better known as the Joint Operations Center, would be reconstituted to ensure the safety and convenience of visitors and pilgrims, as well as the host parishioners themselves.

The JOC thus develops and enforces command, control, coordination, collaboration, and smooth communication systems that would spell a very successful and peaceful Peñafrancia fiesta. At the head of this Joint Operations Center are yours truly and the good Archbishop himself who was ably represented by his appointed parish priests and key personnel at the Archdiocese.

Apart from its collaboration with the task force that was mainly composed of representatives from public and private agencies, including the uniformed personnel, Archbishop Legaspi also created committees to relay to the people the significance of the religious events over commercialization, including the declaration of Naga as the Pilgrim City of the Philippines, an unprecedented move that officially capped our over 300 years of religious culture and history.

At the conclusion of the fiesta, the Archbishop would thank us and all the members of the Joint Operations Center for a job well done. He would tell us that “with our coordinated efforts for the success of the Peñafrancia celebration, we have once more expressed our love

for our dearest Mother, our Ina.”But in 2012, right after the fiesta,

the good Archbishop was so elated that he tendered a party for all the members of the Joint Operations Center. He was so happy in the middle of the celebration that he asked me and then Vice Mayor Gabby Bordado to dance with the performing University of Nueva Caceres (UNC) Glee Club and be merry. And so we

danced, for lack of choice of course, very much to the delight of the good Archbishop, though it was very much against our will. Everybody laughed and clapped their hands, including the Archbishop. We forgot that by that time the good Archbishop was only a few days about to retire, after 28 years of service to God and his Bicolano parishioners.

It was on September 8, 2012 that Pope Benedict XVI accepted his retirement as Metropolitan Archbishop of Caceres.

Undeniably, his eminent reign had contributed immensely to the expansive growth of the Catholic faith not only in Bicolandia but in the entire nation as well. He was two-time president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, in 1975-77 and 1988-1991.

As our father, he always implored us to love Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the Mother of God, the Patroness of Bicolandia. We call her our Ina, he said, for she protects us and walks with us at all times-- in peace and in times of tears and calamities. Indeed, it is Ina’s loving providence through the years that makes us survive as children of God.

As his grateful flock, we promise to keep the legacy and good teachings that the good Archbishop left behind. We shall nurture them and pass them on to our children because he will always be part of our history, our lives and our hearts.

Farewell, our dear Archbishop. You are now with the Lord. We know you will continue to pray for us, especially now that you are up there with our Creator. With your eternal love and guidance, may the Pilgrim City of Naga that you helped build continue to remain safe and blessed, now in the able hands of Most Rev. Rolando Octavus J. Tria Tirona. No, we will not miss you. You will forever remain in our hearts.

Viva la Virgen!

‘‘ My chance to work closely and

personally with our beloved Archbishop

began when I assumed office as Mayor of Naga City in 2010.

’’


A life of serviceArchbishop at 68 :

MOST REV.ROLANDO OCTAVUS TRIA TIRONA

I N the morning of November 14, 2012, the bells chimed a joyful tune, accompanied by fireworks as more than 200 priests filed into the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral followed by bishops, with

Most. Rev. Leonardo Z. Legaspi, O.P., D.D. at the end of the line holding his miter and staff, symbols of his possession of the Archdiocese of Caceres.

As the procession went up the altar, the faithful whose number literally burst the cathedral to its seams, clapped their hands. Even those outside who found shade in tents set for the occasion, joined the applause given to the outgoing Archbishop. To the left of the altar, Msgr. Legaspi positioned himself for the last several seconds as Archbishop of Caceres. At the right was his successor, the Most Rev. Rolando Octavus Joven Tria Tirona.

On July 22, 2014, Caceres Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona celebrated his sixty-eighth birthday with priests of the Archdiocese offering masses for him and conducting tree planting activities in the Rinconada and Partido areas of Caceres.

According to Archbishop Rolly, it was a fitting offering to Mother Nature after the destructive typhoon Glenda. The day was spent by the Archbishop in thanksgiving for the gift of life. A mass was also held at the Cathedral with the clergy.

Archbishop Tirona’s 68 years are full of life, meaning, and love. Born on the feast day of Mary Magdalene, Tirona is the youngest of eight siblings. Thus, the second name Octavus, the Latin word for eight. Unlike others, he did not hear the call to priesthood at an early age. He went to College first and obtained a

degree in Political Science at the San Beda College Manila in 1965. He then pursued priesthood by entering the San Carlos Seminary in Makati. At 20, he professed his vows to the Order of Discalced Carmelites and in 1970, obtained his degree in Theology at the Carmelite Monastery in Haifa, Israel. On April 21, 1974, after studying in Rome, he was ordained a priest.

He became a Bishop at the age of 48. But Archbishop Rolly, as he is fondly called, does not see his position as a source of power but as a means to serve. A walking example of a servant leader, Tirona has been assigned in Manila, Malolos (Bulacan), and Infanta, before being appointed by His Holiness Benedict XVI as the 4th Archbishop and 34th Bishop of Caceres, succeeding His Grace, Most Rev. Leonardo Legaspi, O.P. D.D. on September 8, 2012.

In his TV Program “Kumusta po Bishop”, he thanked all those who prayed for him and sent their greetings. He said “life is indeed a blessing from God. It becomes more meaningful and joyful if spent in love and service.” He thanked all those who continue to support his pastoral ministry, and promised that he will continue to serve the people entrusted to him by God.

On his second year in the Archdiocese, he has already captured the hearts of his faithful for his love for the poor, his down-to-earth homilies and pastoral care to his flock in Caceres.


Fiesta ! Once a purely religious rite of thanksgiving and praise more than three hundred years ago, the Peñafrancia festivities quickly evolved into a leitmotif that portends not only a week of religious enthusiasm and piety but also a colorful mosaic of variant socio-economic and historico-cultural activities that expand the celebration to more days of fun, food, music and revelry. Every town and city in the Philippines has a fiesta of its own; at any time, there is sure to be a fiesta going on somewhere. But it is only in Naga, in the heart of Bicol, that we have the Peñafrancia fiesta– the biggest Marian Festival in the whole of Asia!As in the previous celebrations, the following pages will retell this year’s edition of Bicol’s biggest and only regional fiesta. Because every picture paints a thousand words, we see that any textual description or caption will be moot, and therefore, unnecessary. jbp


M I S S BICOLANDIA 2014

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PEÑAFRANCIA

THESE events were the newest in the activities lined up for the fiesta, drawing enthusiasts from as far as Metro Manila, Batangas, and other provinces in Bicol.

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Short film festival

brings out facets of

Bicol’s faith

A LTHOUGH the subject was inherently limited to the devotion to Bicol’s patroness, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, or Ina, five short films in the “Second Ina Short

Film Festival” brought out the nuances Bicolanos practice in their faith.

A joint project of the Naga City Government and the Archdiocese of Caceres, the five films of amateur filmmakers interpreted the theme “Choose to be brave, to live and love like Ina,” that according to Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona brings to light “the celebration of the Laity and the call to be like Mary.”

Interpreting the theme in a 30-minute film composition, five out of eight films submitted were chosen as finalists by jurors composed of Bicolano film industry personalities that included Shamaine Centenera, Jaime Fabregas, Alvin Yapan, Rez Cortez, Babyroth Villarama Guttierez, Tito Valiente, and Dexter Dela Peña.

By Juan Escandor Jr.

TITO VALIENTE, one of the members of the Board of Judges, an Ateneo de Naga professor, fomer chair of the Manunuri ng Pelikulng Pilipino, and currently head of the Film Journalism Desk of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, gives a brief talk during the awarding ceremonies.


The five short films, largely drama, show interpretations of how the characters embraced the devotion and faith in their lives.

The third best short film “Atang (Offering or Gift),” that revolves around the life of a woman named Susan, unwittingly exposed the life of a mother who makes a living by singing the pasyon or receiving some kind of payment from Ina devotees for praying for their petitions.

Susan’s devotion to Ina remained strong even when her son went blind which was the greatest test of her faith.

The second best short film “Harayo, Harani man (Far, Also Near),” postulates that the devotion to Ina must be in the heart which had been juxtaposed with the situation of an overseas worker-mother who stayed connected with her husband and son because of love and the celebration of the fiesta which can be anywhere other than Naga City because devotion knows no bounds.

For the best short film “Nawawara (Missing),” the story of devotion was allegorical where the disappearance of the wife of the protagonist symbolizes the devotion to Ina.

When the wife of the character Simon disappeared, he became irresponsible and neglectful of his responsibilies to his children that can be equated with losing an anchor or direction.

But the acceptance of the painful reality of losing a wife led Simon to rectification and reintroduction to the devotion to Ina in the final scene where he journeyed into the river with his children.

The finalist film “Kapit” is more like an anti-abortion clip spiked with horror-genre sound and score and comedic take that earned startled reactions and laughter from the audience.

Finally, finalist film “Inay” dramatized the travails of a mother whose life is centered on her children and the devotion to Ina, with a story line that parodies a television soap opera.

Valiente, revealing the process of selecting the winners in the short film festival, said that after “going through the rubrics in Manila,” and then during the final discussion on who were going to win, “we came with strong statements to the point of turning ‘violent’ in our discussions.”

He said the story of devotion need not contain the obvious, like scenes showing the traslacion, the transfer procession of the image of Ina from the Peñafrancia Shrine to the Naga Cathedral or fluvial procession at the Naga River, but in the narrative of the stories.

A large AUDIENCE came for the opening ceremonies at the USI auditorium.


The CAST, staff and crew, and some relatives of the winning short film “Nawawara” as they pose for pictures on the stage after formally receiving the premiun prize.

The CITY MAYOR, with Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona and First Lady Farah Bongat.

BICOLANO film celebrities Jaime Fabregas and Rez Cortez, and guest Melinda Ngo.P

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Valiente said out of the top five, three remained consistently on top of the selection, and the challenge they were testing the filmmakers was “to tell the story of Peñafrancia in the original and fresh way.”

Sharing his thoughts about the film fest, Fabregas recalled the late director Marilou Diaz Abaya, an “adopted daughter” of Naga, who contributed to the promotion of devotion with her film “Ikaw Ang Pag-ibig.” He said he remembered Abaya telling him that no matter how low the situation in the story of the film, it should always end with hope.

“The sliver of light-- that is what keeps us going,” Fabregas added.

He shared with the audience his nostalgic debut into the theater when he was nine years old and a pupil of Naga Parochial School in the same stage of the Colegio de Sta. Isabel (now Universidad de Sta. Isabel) where he was standing.

The Joint Operations Center is in the frontline to ensure an orderly, peaceful, and solemn celebration of the Peñafrancia Fiesta

By JOSELITO SA DEL ROSARIOExEcuTIVE DIREcToRNAGA cITy PuBLIc SAFETy oFFIcE

A FTER the Traslacion procession held last September 12, 2014, members of the Inter-Agency Task

Group Joint Operations Center (IATG-JOC) immediately went back to the drawing board to fine tune preparations and contingency measures for the upcoming Fluvial Procession.

THE FLUVIAL PROCESSION

As the culminating activity of the Regional Fiesta of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, more than two million pilgrims and devotees come to observe and participate in the biggest Marian festival in this part of the country.

General logistical presence in Naga

comes close to 600 deployed personnel from the Philippine National Police, mostly from the Police Regional Office 5 thru P/SSupt. Victor P. Deona and with the assistance of PSSupt Esteban and PSSupt Panganiban.

PNP Naga under the leadership of PSSupt Filmore B. Escobal, supported by PSupt Roldan and PSupt Gomez, reported an increase in petty crimes. But apprehensions of the suspects were accordingly made.

The 9th Infantry (SPEAR) Division, Philippine Army, thru the generous support of MGen Yerson E. Depayso of the AFP deployed more or less 600 equivalent personnel under the close supervision of LTC Joselito C. Pastrana, 9TF Commander. The Bureau of Fire Protection under FSupt Lorenzo D. Rellosa, FCInsp Paz and FCInsp Rachel R. Verbo, on the other hand, dispatched more or less 200 personnel.

The Department of Health, through the BMC HEMS, City Health Office and City Hospital, in partnership with private nursing institutions, fielded no less than 300 medical personnel and deployed 22 units of ambulances to cover the medical aspect. The Philippine Red Cross fielded almost 200 volunteers for emergency purposes. Close to 70 individuals who were reported injured during the actual fluvial procession were ably attended to by the medical group.

For communication support, 200 Kabalikat Civicom Inc. operatives were tasked to closely monitor the event. The elaborate land security was coordinated by the Task Force Peñafrancia, composed mainly by personnel from the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army.

The Philippine Coast Guard, as lead

agency of Task Force Fluvial, mustered close to 120 personnel from various stations of Bicol, the number almost half of their total regional strength. The PCG was further supported by the Philippine Navy, especially the Navy SEALS who took care of the security of the Pagoda. The Maritime Group also fielded adequate number of personnel as part of the Task Force Fluvial with assistance from the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

In all, ten floating assets composed of rubber boats, some of which were acquired by the Office of Civil Defense-5, in coordination with some LGUs, provided over-all security to the pagoda of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in her voyage back to the Basilica Minore.

Two Philippine Air Force helicopters provided by the Tactical Operations Group 5 under LTC Luisito F. Angeles, Jr. were also used for aerial security monitoring and confetti drop during both

the Traslacion and Fluvial processions.CASURECO 2 and MNWD

personnel were on hand to respond to any eventuality of power and water supply interruption. DPWH personnel set up motorist assistance centers along the major thoroughfares of the city. The PNP Camarines Sur Provincial Office, the Highway Patrol Group 5, and Land Transportation Office (LTO), on the other hand, also established assistance centers to help pilgrims along the main highway.

The Criminal Detection and Investigation Group (CIDG) played its role in enforcing extensive intel coordination to prevent any unlawful activity by rouge elements.

The Office of Civil Defense 5 closely monitored the conduct of the activity. Director Raffy A. Alejandro

was personally present at the Joint Operations Center to monitor the whole activity.

The media, thru the City Events, Protocol and Public Information Office, also played a very important role in our celebration. Our barangay leaders also deserve our commendation for their assistance in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

GENERAL SUMMARY

We hope that the various lessons learned this year, as in the past, will capacitate us to further improve our roles in the future.

The peaceful and solemn fiesta activities, especially the fluvial procession can be attributed to solid Church stewardship, in partnership with the Local Government of Naga, thru the partner-agencies, working under the ambit of the Peñafrancia Inter-Agency Task Group-Joint Operations Center, and most especially the pilgrims and devotees who always make it a point to pray and pay homage to our beloved Ina, Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia.


By JAMES Z. CARPIO

P ROVIDENTIALLY, I was born and raised in Naga City. But for school and

work, I had to stay for eighteen years in Metro Manila. While I enjoyed my stay there, I realized that I missed my home city when I came back. And I never want to leave Naga City again. I am back for good.

Here are the reasons why my heart belongs to Naga in a random and not in any particular ranking order...

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The weatherThe climate is cooler here.

I think the temperature is colder by at least one to two degrees. I have noticed that I don’t perspire as much compared in Manila. At dawn, it is chilly and foggy here. There is even a slight mist when you exhale through your mouth.

The fresh airThe air is refreshing here.

Local and foreign tourists notice that first hand. This is obviously so because there are less number of transportation vehicles. The exhaust fumes are not as much that form into particulates and, furthermore, in the morning the smoke that mixes with fog or smog. Another observation is in Manila throughout the day your nasal stuffiness turns into black while in Naga it doesn’t. Your face is clearer and cleaner because of the fresh air.

Less TrafficAdmittedly, there are

rush hours even in Naga but compared to Manila, one would not complain anymore. Getting to my destination here takes about twenty minutes while there it takes one hour and thirty minutes, and that is way back in 2009. After the rush hours, getting to anywhere in Naga takes about fifteen minutes.

CommutingCramped and filled with

people is the general atmosphere when you take the bus or the train in Manila. Queuing also takes a very long period of time. In Naga, commuting is far less a harrowing experience. It is even enjoyable as you experience city life on a smaller scale.

Size and PopulationNaga is a small city and has

less population. Naga has a hundred thousand plus people while Metro Manila has ten million plus people. The feeling is less crowded and much freer. You don’t bump into people as much unlike in the bigger city. Ironically, even though Naga is a lot smaller than Manila you feel that it is more spacious. It is a breathable city.

I LoveNaga10 reasons why


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Progressive and BoomingYou are not going to miss the fast food

restaurants and basic services like banks and other shops as most of them are here now. Naga’s local businesses are even competitive and thriving along with the national franchises. I think you can actually glue Naga into Metro Manila and it would fit seamlessly, but Naga as a stand-alone city is perfect as it is.

Comfort FoodThe coconut based food are, in

themselves, reasons enough to enjoy living in Naga. I particularly savor the Bicol Express, Kinalas, Pancit Bato, Natong, and other delectable dishes. For merienda, I like the local baduya and turon. The breads that we have here are amazing. The maligaya, pan de sal, and the chiffon cake are what my family always misses and eats when they visit Naga. Did I mention the toasted siopao? Pan bonete? They are in a league of their own.

Job opportunitiesI thought that I will never find something

to do here in Naga when I relocated. As I write this piece, that is proof enough. More job opportunities will be available to the job hunter as the city braces itself for more business process outsourcing companies and a possible export zone. Establishments are on the rise and they need people to work in them. The job prospects are surely getting rosier as time goes by. Currently, people are working in companies based in Naga that have started operations in the recent years.

Favorite tourist spotThough I am a certified local of Naga, I still

go to the Panicuason Hot Springs when I get the chance to do so. The experience is so therapeutic that I make sure to go as often as I can. Whenever there is a friend or family visiting, we troop to that place at the drop of a hat. The transition from cool waters to hot and then to cold water again has an indescribable, relaxing feeling. It is a unique experience.

Peñafrancia FestivalThis is the grand scale fiesta of fiestas where

Bicolanos and non-Bicolanos alike converge to the city of Naga in September to celebrate the feast of Ina, Our Lady of Peñafrancia. The city is more alive with religious and other cultural activities. The traslacion and the nine-day novena that culminate with the fluvial procession are the highlights of this festival. It is full of excitement and religious fervor that is always an experience of a lifetime. Like what I read one time, people come as tourists, leave as devotees, and come back as pilgrims. It is kind of magical but as you process it, you discern that it is spiritual. It is good for the soul.

Originally, I was planning to write an article with one hundred reasons why I love Naga. It could even be more like a thousand but sadly, my article has a preset limit. But nonetheless as I go along in time I will expound on the matter little by little. Honestly, I think I will never run out of new things to write about my home city. And this Queen City of Bicol I noticed; she speaks for herself, I only have to write it down for her as a grateful son: a proud Nagueño.

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BANNER PHOTO: A photo of the Traslacion– the street procession which transfers the image of OUR LADY OF PEÑAFRANCIA from her “home” in the Basilica Minore to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral to signal the start of the week-long Peñafrancia festival– once again made it to the front page (as banner photo) of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

OriginAccording to historian Dr. Danilo

Gerona, the devotion to the Virgin of Peñafrancia had its roots in Spain. During the latter part of the 17th century, it was brought here to the Philippines, specifically Naga City (then known as Nueva Caceres), by a secular priest.

Joaquin, whose fictional works are as riveting as his historical vignettes, had his own theory of the Peñafrancia devotion: “The cult of the Peñafrancia was brought to the Bicolandia by the Franciscans, the missionaries who converted Ibalon (the old name of Bicol) to Christianity. Behind the cult is a history that goes back to the times of Charlemagne and the Twelve Peers of France (our Doce Pares). Peñafrancia (“Rock of

T HE scene was almost surreal: thousands of barefoot men, their bodies bathed in sweat, pushed, shoved, jostled, wriggled and kicked their way into the vortex of yet another mass of pushing, shoving, jostling, wriggling and kicking humanity.

Their objective: to touch a tiny image, if only for a few fleeting seconds. They then let out hair-raising cries of “Viva La Virgen” to the applause of about a quarter of a million spectators who jammed the old Naga city’s edifices and narrow streets.

For the uninitiated, the scene would appear to be a throwback into the days of anito worshippers. The primeval cries, the element of machismo and the frenzy fit well into one’s concept of an ancient religious rite as described in some scholarly tomes.

Yet, it was actually the street procession– a prelude to the fluvial procession— in honor of Bicolandia’s patroness, Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

The scene unfolds every September, the intensity never waning, even in the face of the raging monsoon. “September in Naga! From the first week of the month, all roads lead to the holy city of Bicolanos. By land, sea, air and river, come the pilgrims to attend the fiesta of the Bicol patroness,” Nick Joaquin wrote in his book titled “The Seven Golden Cities of the Sun.”

Indeed, after more than three centuries, the Peñafrancia festival has evolved into what it is now a mammoth religious and socio-cultural event drawing pilgrims and tourists alike from all over the country. In a region where feasts abound, the Peñafrancia stands out as the festival of festivals due to its sheer breadth and historicity.

The week-long festivities start with the traslacion (street procession) which brings the centuries-old image from her “home” in the Basilica Minore at the outskirts of the city to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral. On the seventh day, the image is brought back to the Basilica via a fluvial procession on the storied Naga River.

PEÑAFRANCIA: THE FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALSBy GABRIEL HIDALGO BORDADO JR.

(This article is a composite of two essays written by the author and published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

France”) marked the border between Spain and France, and was supposed to be the place where Roland, one of the twelve peers, led his troops against the Moors. Roland perished in the battle, but the Moorish advance into Europe was checked. Because of this, Peñafrancia became associated with the devotion to Mary as the helper of Christian troops in the struggle against the Moors.”

The cult of the Virgin of Peñafrancia, according to Joaquin, thus drew multitudes of adherents, particularly during the period when the Moors were rampaging through the Visogothic Kingdom of Spain.

“Lost or hidden,” Joaquin continued, “a Visigothic image of Peñafrancia turned up in Northern Spain in the 15th century, under miraculous circumstances. The discovery of the

image led to a revival of the cult, which the Spanish carried to America and the Philippines.”

On the other hand, based on extant historical records, the devotion in Bicol purportedly started as a form of appeasement for the mountain folk known as remontados or cimarrones who adamantly refused to recognize the authority of the Spanish colonizers.

In the book “Naga: The Birth and Rebirth of a City,” Gerona claims that “the devotion was closely linked with the initial success of the Spanish missionaries in resettling and bringing back to the folds of the law the elusive remontados. In 1710, a young cleric named Miguel Robles de Covarrubias introduced the devotion to the newly resettled remontados.”


MiraclesMiracles were immediately

attributed to the wooden image (presumably carved by a local artisan) of the Virgin of Peñafrancia. A chapel was soon built for the image and “the once isolated remontados village became a major pilgrimage site for residents of nearby towns.”

Before long, the Peñafrancia devotion, according to Gerona, spread to other parts of the region, particularly with the introduction of the traslacion and the fluvial procession.

“Further innovations were introduced by succeeding prelates particularly Bishop Francisco Gainza. By the last decades of that 19th century the Peñafrancia devotion became not merely a regional festival but had drawn pilgrims from various regions of the country,” Gerona notes in his book.

PEÑAFRANCIA FLUVIAL PROCESSION: For the devotees, the Peñafrancia Fluvial Procession--the rite of bringing the images of Our Lady of Penafrancia (lovingly addressed as “Ina” or Mother) and Divino Rostro (Divine Face) back, via the storied Naga River, to their “home” at the Basilica Minore (after being venerated for a week at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral)--will always prove to be both magical and divine, seamlessly meshing the mundane with the sublime.

HARDWORKING CamSur 3rd Distruct Rep. Leni Robredo working on her papers at the House Plenary Hall as the House continues its deliberations on the 2015 General Appropriations Bill.

Today, the Queen of Bicolandia reigns supreme in this region of fiery volcanoes and pretty maidens. And the centuries have failed to dampen the original fervor of the devotion. Present-day voyadores (the barefoot men who accompany the images of Ina and “Divino Rostro” or the Divine Face of Jesus in the processions) sometimes still display the “crassness” of the cimarrones– which brings the question of false piety to the fore. In recent years, for instance, out-of-town visitors had expressed their misgivings on what they perceived as the fanaticism, the barbarity, the facetious hilarity and the contrived religiosity in the Peñafrancia processions.

However, the late lawyer Luis General Jr., a consummate student of Bicol culture and history, had a ready explanation for this: “For all the faults of his devotion, the Bikolnon acquits himself when he becomes again his quiet self– when he kneels before her altar, forgets the Spanish polysyllables, looks up the dusky face of her statue and sees her universal motherhood as he whispers that dear word Ina! The outsider seldom sees him after the frenzy of the traslacion, when after her image is deposited at the side of the Cathedral’s main altar, some

of her brawny, clumsy, brusque cargadores kneel around her in fearful prayer– and call her tenderly Ina!”

And so, not even the periodic eruptions of Mt. Mayon or the seasonal devastations wrought by typhoons can shake the faith of the Bicolanos in their beloved Ina. Today, despite all the sidelights and divertissements (including, of all things, a military street parade reputedly the longest in the Philippines, lasting almost eight hours), the religious rituals, liberally laced with folk beliefs and practices, remain as the focal points of the festival.

As an anthropologist dabbling in politics puts it, the enduring devotion to Ina has become a unifying factor, a great equalizer for people from all walks of life. It doesn’t really matter whether you are rich or poor, a believer or simply a kibitzer. For as long as you have faith, hope, and love in your heart, the devotion will always be a source of strength and inspiration in this strife-torn world. Indeed, there lies the mystique of the Peñafrancia festival, seamlessly weaving the divine and the mundane into a wondrous tapestry of overpowering emotions and shared memories.


C AMARINES SUR Third District Representative Leni Robredo recently filed The People Empowerment Bill of 2014 at the House of Representatives in Quezon

City. The Robredo bill will pave the way for a more participative form of governance nationwide.

The proposed measure has its foundation on the Empowerment Ordinance of Naga City creating the Naga City People’s Council (NCPC), allowing for direct civil society participation in the governance process.

“The proposed ‘People Empowerment [Bill] of 2014’ seeks to mimic this kind of governance strategy,” Robredo said in her explanatory note.

The bill will push for a participative environment in LGUs all over the country. “After all, the people should be given a venue where they can decide on things that are good for them,” she said.

In 1995, the Naga City government under the leadership of Mayor Jesse M. Robredo passed the Empowerment Ordinance that installed CSO participation in its system of governing. Naga City has prospered greatly as a result of this decree.

Direct people participation allowed for pinpointing relevant concerns and immediate handling. It also led to the strategic planning and execution of programs and projects.

“This is the legacy of my husband. His work in Naga has proven that this is our way to progress. He showed us that a people-led government is the answer to our development woes,” said Robredo.

Governance is not solely about government anymore. It is about society as a whole. It is about us working collectively to raise our community out of its challenges.

- Leni G. Robredo

Leni files bill cementing Robredo legacy

T HE Metro Naga Development Council-Project Management Office (MNDC-PMO) is assisting its member-LGUs to strengthen their gender

responsiveness in their governance structure. This initiative is supported by MNDC Executive Committee Resolution No. 2014-005, entitled “Resolution Institutionalizing Gender and Development Mechanisms in All the Member-LGUs of the Metro Naga Development Council.”

This resolution seeks to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in respective member-localities.

In the same light, the Philippine Congress requires, as part of the annual national budget law, national government agencies and local government units (LGUs) to allocate 5% of their annual budget for GAD concerns and activities.

Guidelines for the implementation of the GAD budget policy were first provided in Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2012-01 signed by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW now Philippine Commission on Women, or PCW), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). This was replaced in 2013 when the PCW, DILG, DBM and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) issued JMC 2013-01, which provides the guidelines for the localization of R.A. 9710, the Magna Carta of Women, and for LGU GAD planning and budgeting.

To advocate the implementation of this recent JMC, the MNDC-PMO is conducting a series of GAD capacity development workshops for each of its member-LGUs. For those which were part of the GREAT Women Project, the MNDC GAD-accredited trainers focus on a one-day Gender-Responsive Budgeting, or GRB (also called Gender Planning and Budgeting).


MNDC initiates gender responsiveness inlocal governance

The training-workshops mentor key LGU officials and personnel (mostly the members of the GAD Focal Point System) on how to make their LGU programs, projects and activities (PPAs) gender responsive and how to utilize and maximize the use of the 5% allocated for GAD concerns from their annual budget, plus the counterpart for ODA funds, and mainstreamed attributable budgets.

For the other LGUs, the two-day training starts with gender sensitivity sessions, a basic requisite on GAD awareness, followed by the GRB workshop on the second day.

To date, 9 LGUs had already undergone the said trainings. These are the municipalities of Bombon, Bula, Camaligan, Canaman, Gainza, Magarao, Milaor, Pili, and San Fernando.

The MNDC Training team is composed of Ms. Sieglinde B. Bulaong, MNDC Executive

Director; Mr. Nicolas C. Motos, Jr., LGU Naga’s i-Serve Executive Officer; Ms. Maristela T. Santy, LGU Bula’s retired Municipal Agriculture Officer; and Mr. Rosendo STJI Badilla, an Ateneo de Naga University professor.

The GAD Plan seeks to integrate activities aimed at influencing the LGU to have a gender lens. Activities must go beyond women’s month celebrations, parades, livelihood trainings, and the like, and look at

their deeper impact toward women empowerment.

Activities are also geared toward the raising of awareness on gender equality, reduction of domestic violence, and the promotion of the recognition that the world’s resource is composed of 50% women talent and 50% men’s.By ALDO NIÑO I. RUIVIVAR


By DANILO C. ROQUID JR.

H AVING been given a place of honor in the Hall of Fame for winning thrice the prestigious Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities, the City Government of Naga continues to aim higher

and work harder to make sure that children’s welfare and interests are served and protected at all times.

As Vice Mayor Nelson S. Legacion would stress, “the children are the new stewards and leaders of our society. The protection of their rights and promotion of their welfare are vital in ensuring the sustainable progress of our “Maogmang Lugar.”

Early this year, City Mayor John G. Bongat, through Executive Order 2014-003, called for the creation of the Naga City Council for the Welfare and Protection of Children as a special body tasked to

plan and design a comprehensive program focused on advancing the interests of young Nagueños.

City Councilor Elmer S. Baldemoro, as chair of the SP Committee on Children and co-chair of the NCCWPC, has taken it upon himself to walk the extra mile to promote and protect children’s rights and welfare in the city.


Under his watch, a series of organizational and special meetings were accordingly conducted and Council membership was likewise expanded to include new stakeholders from government offices and the non-government sector; a federation of Barangay Kagawad-Committee Chairmen on Children was likewise suggested so that the federation president-elect will also sit as member of the NCCWPC. The intention is to widen and facilitate feedback and information mechanism where all concerned sectors are covered.

At the barangay level, almost ninety percent (90%) of all the 27 barangays in the city had crafted their respective resolutions reconstituting their own Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC). The Annual Work and Financial Plan of each barangay were also submitted to concerned offices, and the goal of organizing a Children Organization in every barangay is gradually taking shape where the leader-elect will be admitted to the BCPC as child representative.

In the desire to further strengthen and organize the NCCWPC along with the BCPCs in all the 27 barangays, a series of capability-building trainings were held on July 4 and 5, 2014 at Naga Regent Hotel. A known child advocate from Manila in the person of Madam Jane U. Zamar was invited as resource speaker.

Management trainings on handling child-related cases have been slated to be held in October 2014.

According to UNICEF, or the United Nations Children’s Fund, child protection pertains to “preventing and responding to violence, exploitation, and abuse against children.”

Child protection encompasses all processes, policies, programs, interventions, and measures that aim to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation, and abuse against children, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the overall development of children to their fullest potential.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) stipulates that every child has the right to protection from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The first law enacted in compliance with the CRC’s mandate is Republic Act 7610 of 1992 (Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act), otherwise known as the “Child Protection Law.” Such law provides for stronger deterrence and special protection against child abuse, exploitation and discrimination, and its corresponding penalties.


Budgeting, said the DOTC is the proponent of the project, which the Naga City local government unit was endorsing for approval for it to be included among the nationally-funded projects with multi-year budget.

Abion said the international airport in Daraga, Albay, with a total project cost of P4.7B is one such project with a multi-year budget in the yearly General Appropriations Act until completion.

The DOTC, as the proponent, must comply with the requirements of the NEDA and the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC), the body that decides on major projects exceeding P1 billion.

ICC is comprised of a Technical Board, Cabinet Committee, and the NEDA Board, headed by the President, that finally approves the inclusion of projects for multi-year funding.

The approval of the endorsement of the re-orientation of the runway of the Naga Airport in the national budget will first pass through the evaluation and approval of the Technical Board of the ICC, according to Abion.

Abion said the NEDA regional office initiates the evaluation of the proposed re-orientation of the runway of the Naga Airport based on the soundness of the project in

Airside Aerial Perspective View from East

RDC OKs Naga airport redevelopmentBy JUAN ESCANDOR JR.

T HE Regional Development Council (RDC) in Bicol has finally approved the conditional

endorsement of the P3.53-B Naga Airport Development Project during a full-member meeting in Legazpi City September 8, 2014.

Naga City Mayor John G. Bongat said the supportive gesture of Bicol RDC Chairman and Albay Gov. Joey S. Salceda that led to the conditional endorsement was something that the people of Naga and Camarines Sur fully appreciated.

“It is an act that unifies the entire Bicol region,” he added.

Bongat said a team from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) from Manila attended the RDC meeting but the presentation of the project was dispensed with because the RDC immediately tackled as the first order of business the Naga Airport Development Project and thereupon approved the conditional endorsement.

Mr. Gilberto A. Abion, the Chief Economic Development Specialist of the Project Development Division and Investment Programming and


terms of technical, environmental, social, economic, and financial viability.

He said the evaluation starts with the submission of the project proposal of the DOTC.

“Upon review of the project proposal, the NEDA regional office will make an evaluation report and present it to the Investment Coordination Committee for approval,” Abion said.

He said they have received the feasibility study of the reorientation of Naga Airport’s runway and an inter-division team was created to conduct the detailed evaluation of the P3.5 billion project.

As a policy of the ICC, he further said, the region-specific projects are evaluated by the NEDA regional office, which makes it under their jurisdiction.

All government projects with over a billion-peso cost go through the process of the ICC, Cabinet Committee and NEDA Board, but projects below P1 billion are approved by agency heads, and in

this case, the DOTC secretary. The DOTC gave Naga City

LGU the Final Report of the Feasibility and Master Plan Study for the Naga Airport Development Project that three consultancy firms-- Philipp’s Technical Consultants, Engineering & Development Corporation of the Philippines, Pacific Rim Innovation and Management Exponents, Inc.-- submitted to the DOTC in April 2014.

The project comprises of P47.33 million for “the continued operation of the existing Naga Airport up to year 2018” and “P3,532.90 million for full transfer of commercial aviation operations from Naga Airport to the proposed New Oriented Naga Airport starting year 2019.”

The major components of the Naga Airport Development Project are the reorientation of the runway from North-Northwest to South-Southeast direction in Barangay San Jose in Pili, Camarines Sur and the

new airport terminal that can accommodate five commercial planes.

The present Naga airport, with its short runway, can only accommodate small turbo-propelled airplanes that are vulnerable to flight cancellations in times of unpleasant weather. The smaller load of passengers per flight also makes the cost of Naga-Manila-Naga flights more expensive for passengers. All these, according to Mayor Bongat in earlier interviews, turned off many prospective investors to Naga despite its being acclaimed as the most dynamic and competitive urban center in the region.

The clamor for a reoriented and re-envigorated Naga Airport has earned unanimous and strong support from both the officers and members of the Metro Naga Development Council (MNDC) and the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) who issued their separate resolutions for the expeditous implementation of the project.

Airside Aerial Perspective View from Northwest

Curbside Perspective from Southwest


M AYOR John G. Bongat has called on every Nagueño to take the lead in making Naga River truly a river of life.

“Let us all be leaders in loving the Naga River,” he said before a multi-sector crowd last September 2 at the Naga City People’s Mall Wharf during the launching of the Naga River inaugural trips and riverbank beautification project.

The transport system is expected to bring economic activities along the river and its banks with the mobilization of two 20-seater passenger/tourist boats and the marketing and selling of agricultural products coming from the coastal barangays of the nearby towns of Canaman, Magarao, Bombon, Libmanan, and Calabanga.

The passenger vessels will regularly run and dock at five wharves constructed near the Magsaysay Bridge, Colgante Bridge, Delfin Rosales Bridge, Tabuco Bridge, and Sabang Bridge. The daily schedules are 6:00-8:00 in the morning and 4:00-6:00 in the afternoon. Each vessel, namely, MB Peñafrancia and MB Divino Rostro, is operated by a highly trained

RIVER TRANSPORT. “More than the infrastructure, what we need is a new culture of ownership of the river of life, we call the Naga River. If we maintain it clean as a people, the whole world will see in it our real character as Nagueños!” thus declared Naga City Mayor John G. Bongat during the launching of the Naga River Transport System last Tuesday, Sept. 2 at the Naga City People’s Mall wharf. The River Transport is part of the Integrated Naga River Revitalization Project and is just one concrete manifestation that the city’s heart throbs with the people enjoying its full potential as a river of life.

Naga River transport system inaugurated, riverbank beautification project launched

navigator, an assistant, and a tourist guide who will be responsible for the safety and security of the river commuters.

Passengers, in required life vests, are conveyed upstream or downstream. The boats will also be made available to tourists who wish to retrace the route of the annual fluvial procession.

Part of the plan to beautify the river is the P300M revetment project being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways. The amount was secured by Congresswoman Leni G. Robredo who manifested her full support to the interventions being undertaken by the city.

Bongat said that ”the infrastructure project and the Naga River Transport System are not all about beautification but only a manifestation of our commitment to the river.’’ He emphasized that environmental protection anchored on discipline should be within the consciousness of every Nagueño.” By doing so, ‘‘he said,” we shall become triumphant in our endeavor to preserve the Naga River, thereby, nurturing our values and character as Nagueños.”

He further said that it will be useless to beautify the river and its banks if the public, especially the people living near the river, will prove to be uncaring and heartless by indiscriminately throwing wastes into the river.

By JASON B. NEOLA


P H O T O S B Y S Y L R A N J E L V I C & J O S E C O L L E R A ( C E P P I O )

MAYOR John Bongat (top photo) welcomes guests during the brief program; in photos, left downward, are City Councilor Joaquin ‘Chito’ Perez, SWMO Dept. Head Joel Martin sharing their thoughts on the project, City Officials and First Lady Farah R. Bongat, and the billboard showing the Naga River cruise route. Photos below are the wharf at the Naga City People’s Mall with two tourist boats in the foreground, and the City Officials and guests cruising the Naga River. CEPPIO


W HEN Mayor John G. Bongat signed the Executive Order creating the City of Naga Power Commission (CNPC) early this year, it became

the first ever Power Commission throughout the country with three primary exigent objectives: a) to ensure the interest of power consumers as stakeholders is protected b) to develop renewable and alternative sources of energy, and c) to ensure supply and the least cost of power within the area coverage.

Although the Puerto Princesa Power Commission in Palawan was created three years earlier and was technically the first Power Commission created by an LGU, its existence though was solely for the purpose of negotiation with their power suppliers during the energy crises that beset their island province sometime in 2010 and to avert imminent power cut-off. It was eventually disbanded after it fulfilled its mission in securing a long term contract with the new power suppliers in the same year.

On the other hand, the CNPC has a broader mission and a protracted lifework. It is mandated to assist the electric cooperative (EC) to achieve sound energy planning, evaluate its financial and operational capability and viability and recommend applicable measures in compliance with Sec. 23 of the EPIRA Law. After all, an efficient EC with affordable power rate will ultimately redound to robust economic activity and commercial and industrial stability in the city which will sequentially benefit not

By MELVIN S. DEL PUERTO

IN FOCUSCity of Naga

Power Commission

just a few, but the whole surrounding areas and power consumers of the EC.

Renewable and alternative sources of energy, such as solar, mini-hydro, and waste-to-energy power generation projects are being evaluated for inclusion in the CNPC’s five-year development plan with ambitious, but realistic goal of 20% reduction in dependency of electric supply from the EC by the City’s energy consumers through self-generated power.

The Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting project, which is given priority implementation for immediate cost saving consideration, is currently in the pipeline. LED lighting will eventually replace all existing Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) and other types of low-efficiency bulbs currently used in street lights and expectedly save the City at least 40% in street lights electric bill. Monthly bill alone runs up to an average P3.7M for the more than 3,000 installed street lights spread throughout the 27 barangays of the city. What makes this project more appealing and propitious is it does not involve any cash outlay from the city. Payment for the LED replacement lightings will come from the savings in electric bills. It is expected that after


MARGUERETTE MICHELLE PADUA-HORNBY, Chair of the City of Naga Power Commission

THE CNPC during one of its meetings.

LED lighting consumes 40% less electricity than compact fluorescent lamps (CFL).

2-3 years they will be fully paid. The city will get the full savings thereafter with 2 more years of reserved warranty; notwithstanding LED lighting normally lasts up to 10 years.

The roof of the City Hall is also being considered for Solar Power, so with the almost one-hectare area of the Naga City People’s Market concrete roof. With solar panels installed in both roofs, at least 1-1.5MW (depending on the type of Photo-Voltaic panel used) of electricity can be generated -- more than enough to supply the whole power requirements under their roofs. But, because of electric franchise issue, the city government can only consume what it generates for itself; it cannot directly sell its excess power to other private consumers. It can, however, sell it to the EC which owns the electric distribution franchise, or the city creates a separate entity as an option to go to generation and selling power business (if power generated is more than enough to warrant creating such entity) similar to Independent Power Producers (IPP) such as Aboitiz Renewables, San Miguel Power Corp. and smaller IPPs.

Then there is the aborted Waste-to-Energy project which is now thoroughly re-evaluated by a more competent Technical Working Group

(TWG) of CNPC. New proposals from reputable suppliers and contractors from Australia, Japan and US are currently being screened, appraised and assessed for technical and financial competency to ensure that the past mistake would not be repeated. This project, if it becomes reality, can generate additional 5-7MW (utilizing just the wastes produced in the city) equivalent to 15-20% of the city’s future total power requirement.

The CNPC, indeed, is one of the perfect examples and show windows of the city’s pioneering concept in innovative private-public participation mechanism in good governance now embraced and adopted by LGUs throughout the country.

The first and present chairperson of the CNPC Board of Commissioners fittingly comes from the academe-- the President of Naga College Foundation, Ms. Marguerite “Mitz” Padua-Hornby. Other commissioners are from business and the private sector with the able participation as well of select members of the Sangguniang Panglunsod headed by topnotcher City Councilor Gabriel Bordado, Jr.


By JASON B. NEOLA

T OOLING up the mechanism on governance efficiency, the City Government of Naga has come up with

the eTransparency InfoBoard, an electronic information platform which contains postings of annual budgets, expenditures, contracts and loans, procurement plans, and other transaction reports that every government entity has to undertake.

The novel idea takes advantage of ICT using a 22-inch touchscreen monitor with stable desktop computer connected to the Local Area Network (LAN), an innovation inspired by the late Secretary Jesse M. Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) when he was the mayor of this city.

Robredo spearheaded the launching of the i-Governance program in 2001 after returning from a one-year fellowship at the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard. It was built around the principle of “information openness,” which is intended to empower ordinary citizens by making key information about their local government freely available through the city website and the

Transparency Boards at the City Hall, the Naga City People’s Mall (NCPM), and the Bicol Central Station (BCS).

When he became Secretary in 2010, these innovations in Naga became the basis of a series of “full disclosure” policy reforms that he introduced at DILG.

With Mayor John G. Bongat’s strong adherence to promote good governance, accountability and transparency in office, the approach was further developed into a more concrete and accessible touchscreen format.

It was the Innovative Service and Value Entitlement program of the city government or i-Serve which developed the apparatus that provides access to the public. Content management is shared with the city’s i-Governance team for

InfoBoard boosts LGU’s governance efficiency targets

THE Naga City eTransparency InfoBoard helps define the Nagueños’ advocacy for good governance.

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PHOTO BY S i e g l i n d e b . b u l a o n g

data updating and maintenance.i-Serve is a service assurance

program of the city government created by City Ordinance 2008-092, sponsored by Mayor Bongat when he was still a city councilor. The city mayor wanted that the equipment be installed in other locations frequented by the public like the NCPM at the Central Business District I and BCS at the Central Business District II.

Nicolas C. Motos Jr. is the Executive Officer of i-Serve.


V ICE Mayor Nelson S. Legacion, presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga, served

as the keynote speaker of the Bicol Association of Sanggunian Secretaries (BASS) Regional Executive Board Meeting cum Workshop held on September 10-12, 2014 at Eurotel, Barangay Dinaga, this city.

Seeking to advance transparency and people-empowerment in local legislation, the BASS, headed by Ms. Doris Francisco, secretary to the Sangguniang Bayan of Labo, Camarines Norte, sought Vice Mayor Legacion to share the best practices of Naga, a known model of good local governance, in promoting accountability and in involving the people in crafting regulatory policies.

Legacion graced the event with notes on the innovative measures he introduced in the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga, particularly the tracking of pending items at the committee level, the Codification Project, the Sangguniang Panlungsod Student Participation Program (SP-SPP) and the Empowerment and Advancement of Barangays on Local LEgislation (ENABL2E) Program.

In his keynote speech, Legacion stressed the importance of monitoring the performance of all the committees in a legislative council to ensure the body’s responsiveness to development issues and, at the same time, engaging the people, especially the

marginalized and the youth, in finding equitable solutions to such concerns.

“We believe that all our efforts should boil down to one simple maxim– salus populi est suprema lex (the welfare of people is the supreme law),” Legacion said.

In a nutshell, the tracking of pending items at the committee level is done through the furnishing of the Secretariat of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the reports of the items disposed by each of the committees and the matters still pending before them. As of August 2014, the Sangguniang Panlungsod has a disposal rate of eighty percent (80%).

The Codification Project, meanwhile, seeks to categorize, consolidate, and codify all ordinances of the city. The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga passed Resolution No. 2014-016, sponsored by City Councilor Elmer S. Baldemoro, stipulating the council’s commitment to undertake such project and creating the Codification Committee that will oversee its fruition.

On the other hand, SP-SPP invites students to observe the city council’s regular sessions and, after each session, engage them in a forum with the city vice mayor and the city councilors where the

youth can ask questions, raise development issues and/or propose recommendations for improvement of government mechanisms. The program is being implemented pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement between the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga and ten (10) tertiary institutions in Naga, namely University of Nueva Caceres (UNC), Universidad de Sta. Isabel (USI), Ateneo de Naga University (AdeNU), Naga College Foundation (NCF), Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Technology (BSCAST), AMA Computer College (AMA-Naga), Computer Communication Development Institute (CCDI), Philippine Computer Foundation College (PCFC), STI College Naga, and Worldtech Resources Institute (WRI).

The ENABL2E Program, established through Ordinance No. 2014-008, introduced by Vice Mayor Legacion and sponsored by Councilors Vidal P. Castillo, Esteban Greg R. Abonal III, and Elmer S. Baldemoro, covers a one-day seminar on barangay legislation, a one-day observation of the SP session, a forum with the council, and the establishment of an incentive mechanism through the Outstanding Sangguniang Barangay Awards. It

also seeks the proliferation and replication of the city’s best practices in the 27 Sangguniang Barangays of Naga.

In attendance at the aforementioned regional executive board meeting and workshop were Mr. Danilo Gascal, secretary to the Sangguniang Bayan of Makilala, Cotabato and President of the Philippine League of Secretaries to the Sanggunian, Inc.; Ms. Doris Francisco, Secretary to the Sangguniang Bayan of Labo,

Camarines Norte and President of the Bicol Association of Sanggunian Secretaries; Ms. Nimfa Cas, Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Camarines Sur and Head of BASS-Camarines Sur Chapter; and the Sangguniang Secretaries of the various local government units in Bicol.

By PAUL JOHN F. BARROSA


Nagueños in the Wake of Typhoon Glenda

T he City of Naga and the rest of the Bicol Region witnessed a horrible catastrophe on July 15, 2014. Moving at a speed

of 19 to 26 kph, for over 4 hours, from 8 PM to 12 midnight, Typhoon Glenda, with its very intense wind velocity of 130 to 150 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 160 to 185 kph, swooped away hundreds of roofing and, for some, the whole of their houses, uprooted trees, destroyed vegetation, wrecked lines of telecommunication and electricity and, ultimately, endangered people’s lives.

Based on the official report of the Office of Civil Defense, a total of 424,190 Bicolanos or 87,956 families were distressed by the typhoon. 378,277 were displaced from their homes and sought shelters in evacuation centers. In Naga, there were 1,768 affected families, or 7,072 individuals who took refuge in our evacuation centers. Indeed, we were hit again with a major typhoon eight years after Super Typhoon Reming.

In the morning after Typhoon Glenda’s strike, the 11th Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga convened in a special session and enacted, on joint and collective motion, Resolution

No. 2014-216 declaring Naga in a state of calamity. We also passed, along with it, Ordinance No. 2014-041 appropriating P10 million

from the Calamity Fund to finance purchases of

relief goods, construction materials and other in-kind assistance meant for distribution to families greatly affected by the typhoon. Immediate intervention of the city government is necessary to bring back normalcy in our lives.

During our special session, we also held a briefing with OIC General Manager Rolly E. Pante of Camarines Sur Electric Cooperative (CASURECO) II. Bringing back electricity to our homes and commercial establishments is an utmost priority to revitalize Naga’s usual economic dynamism. It is also important in ensuring peace and order as darkness at night definitely invites people with evil intentions to ply their respective modus operandi.

Engr. Cesar H. Federizon of the Metro Naga Water District (MNWD) was also in attendance in the aforementioned briefing as we have to ensure that our water remains flowing and clean from contamination that the typhoon may bring. Unsullied water is crucial in keeping our constituencies healthy and free from water-borne diseases.

At these perilous times, we are very thankful that we have reliable partners who are committed to securing and promoting our people’s welfare. They are brave men who dedicate themselves to public service. Thus, in recognition of the vital help being extended by our friends in

ATTY. NELSON S. LEGACIONCity ViCe Mayor


Agreement with DOLE and, as far as initial discussions go, employ at least 500 people (mostly head of the displaced families to be determined by the Liga ng mga Barangay) for 20 days at a wage rate of 260 per day. The city will shell out One Million and Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P1,500,000.00) for the program chargeable against the fund of the Metro Public Employment Services Office. DOLE will also release the same amount from its coffers.

We believe that the emergency employment program will not just help in restoring back the lives of Nagueños afflicted by Typhoon Glenda, but it will also greatly assist the city in its aim of reinstating order and cleanliness. The damage to property caused by the typhoon is also staggering. The roofing or, for some of our colleagues, friends, and relatives, their entire homes, have been swept away by the typhoon. Trees, old and new, have been uprooted and have blocked some of our roads. Garbage has littered our streets, making them, at the very least, unsightly.

The additional warm bodies to be recruited under the program will significantly boost our clean-up drive operations which, for one week, have been continuously going-on. They will augment the efforts of our city hall employees and of the noble individuals from the private sector, who, rain or shine, persevere in showing their love for the city and selflessly aid us in sweeping the streets, in collecting trashes and, ultimately, in reinstating Naga’s usual cleanliness and vibrancy.

For the honorable men and women who relentlessly H2ELP our City, the city officials of Naga sincerely salute you. The 11th Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga, in particular, during our 52nd Regular Session, enacted

public utility companies, national government agencies and our very own city government employees, the 11th Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga passed Resolution No. 2014-217 thanking them for their invaluable services in this tumultuous period. We salute the people of CASURECO II, MNWD, Philippine National Red Cross, Department of Public Works and Highways, 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Bureau of Fire Protection, Naga City Police Office, as well as our colleagues in the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Public Safety Office, City Engineer’s Office, Environment and Natural Resources Office, General Services Department, Solid Waste Management Office, Building Maintenance Office, City Events, Protocol and Public Information Office, City Health Office, Naga City Hospital, and City Social Welfare and Development Office. Without them, emergency response and post-disaster operations will be very difficult and sluggish, compromising the Naguenos’ safety and well-being.

At such depressing moments, aside from the relief goods that were immediately provided and cash assistance that was given by the city government, employment opportunities, even for just a short period, were also needed. It is in this regard that the Department of Labor and Employment and the City Government of Naga joined forces to implement the Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program.

Through Resolution No. 2014-219, passed last July 22, 2014 during our 52nd Regular Session, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga authorized the city mayor to enter a Memorandum of

resolutions of commendation and gratitude to our benevolent citizens, such as the owners of Asog Garden and Atlantic Bakery and members of the Rotary Club of Metro Naga, and to our very own employees in the city council as a sign of our deep appreciation of your efforts.

Typhoon Glenda is yet another trial to our Maogmang Lugar and to us, Nagueños. It is a test of our strength, of our faith and, more importantly, of our unity as a people. Through our collaborative efforts, we have survived the storm and have sustained no loss of a valuable life. Providentially, no one died and only twenty five (25) people sustained minor injuries (those admitted to the Naga City Hospital) thanks to effective risk reduction mechanisms, to the cooperation of our people in heeding our advice and warnings, as well as to the intercession of our Lord and of Ina, Our Lady of Peñafrancia. The Nagueños are known to rise up magnificently from the ashes. We are a resilient people. Surely, as what we, in the city government say, “Buildings may fall, but not our spirits.”

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SP passes measure to ensure City Hall events start on indicated time

S TRESSING that “Pilipino time” is not a cultural trait to be proud of and that the time lost over delayed meetings or programs could have been spent on valuable productive endeavors, the members of Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP)

approved Resolution No. 2014-201 enjoining all City Hall event organizers to see to it that every City Hall-related activity should promptly begin at the announced starting time.

The SP resolution penned by City Councilor Esteban Greg Re. Abonal III said “people involved in these activities do not have the compulsion to arrive on time having been malformed by nearly a lifetime of previous activities that do not begin on time.”

He added that the common experience is that meetings, assemblies, events, activities, and/or programs planned, organized, or implemented by City Hall or City Hall-related offices and organizations and other similar occasions attended by City Hall officials begin later then the starting time indicated in letters, invitations, programs, fliers, and/or stage decorations.

The measure, which is expected to develop a culture of promptness and punctuality among Nagueños, also directs all the city’s 27 barangays, people’s organizations and other institutions to adopt the same policy direction.

The resolution, which was unanimously seconded by the entire council during its approval last July 1, this year, is consistent with the fourth area of concern enumerated under the “10 Little

By JASON B. NEOLA


ON our story on Page 4 of Naga SMILES April-June 2014 issue, entitled “State of Our City Report,” we wish to correct the item on the result of the 2014 First Quarter Poll on Naga City Poverty and Governance on the City Councilors’ satisfaction rating as 42.67% instead of 49.6%. In that same survey result, the city mayor enjoyed a high satisfaction rating of 59.5% while Vice Mayor Nelson Legacion got 49.3%.

On Page 39 of the same issue, the word “Progress” on the graph provided in the article “People’s Participation in Local Goverance of Naga City, Camarines Sur, Philippines: The Legacy of Jesse Manalastas Robredo” by Gabriel Hidalgo Bordado Jr. should have been correctly written as “Process.”

Our apologies.

Things A Proud Nagueño Should Do” authored by Mayor John G. Bongat, which says, “I am on time, and I work hard and save for my future.”

The same measure is in harmony also with Republic Act 10535 which decrees that “developing a culture of punctuality and practicing wise time management will allow us to be more exponentially productive at home, school and the workplace.”

The law further directs all national and local government offices including all schools, people’s organizations, non-government organizations and civil society groups to conduct public awareness and continuing information campaign about the value of time and the need to respect the time of others.

IT is prevalent among Filipinos, and it has eventually become part of their culture. Keep in mind, however, not

all Filipinos follow “Filipino time” nor is it applied to every occasion. Filipinos often follow

“Filipino time” when going to parties or meeting up with friends. They actually observe punctuality when attending classes, going to work, attending meetings, etc.

The real reason behind it is unknown, but there are many theories and factors that may have caused it.

One theory is that they inherited this from the Spaniards when they were colonized for more than 300 years. It was told that whenever Spanish royalty would go to a gathering, they would always enter last. Thus, Filipinos followed suit to get a feeling of importance.

Another theory would be that traffic and travel times are invariable. The number one excuse a Filipino would give you if he/she arrives late would be “traffic”. Traffic is really bad in urban cities like Manila.

Not having a standard time is also another possible cause behind “Filipino time”. It is quite rare to find 3 clocks with the same time in the Philippines-- there’s usually a 5-10 minute difference.

There are also other theories such as Filipinos being quite shy when going to gatherings that they don’t want to be seen as overly eager; or their easygoing nature which switches off their sense of time and gives them the mentality that their friends/colleagues will understand/accept. Ask.com

Is Filipino time a culture?

E r r a t a


Stallholders’ Federation (NAMASFED) bagged the honor of being Grand Awardee (informal sector) in the Search for Good Practices in the Promotion of Breastfeeding in the Workplaces. SM City Naga was also considered as one of the finalists in the Formal Sector Category of the said search.

Given by the Technical Working Group on Exclusive and Continued Breastfeeding in the Workplaces (TWG on EBCFW) composed of representatives from, among others, the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines, and other national agencies and non-government organizations, the award received by NAMASFED and the honor gained by SM Naga as a finalist bring considerable glory to Naga. It is a testament to their enthusiasm to promote the welfare of mothers and their children who are working and/or shopping at the Naga City People’s Mall and at SM Naga. Through Resolution Nos. 2014-337 and 2014-338, proposed by Councilor Cecilia V. De Asis, we are extending the

W E firmly believe that a Maogmang Lugar should not just have a

happy, empowered, proud, and empowered citizenry, but should also have a healthy and well-nourished constituency. Exposure of our people to infection, maternal death, and malnutrition will affect the Naguenos’ productivity and their quality of life. Thus, we have committed, as embodied in our H2ELP your CiTy agenda, to promote and enhance the people’s health and nutrition.

Throughout the course of Team Naga’s term, various innovative programs have been implemented at the city level, including the promotion of breastfeeding in the workplace, and support mechanisms have also been extended to the barangays for the improvement of their barangay health centers. For Naga to SMILE to the world, we have to ensure that everyone, especially the laborers, the women, and others belonging to the vulnerable sectors, have access to basic health services and have the opportunity to rear their children in a healthy environment.

We are glad to receive information that our efforts are bearing fruit. With the help of our partners in the barangays and in the private sector, the City of Naga has gained once again the limelight in public health and nutrition.

In the recently- concluded National Conference on Exclusive and Continued Breastfeeding in the Workplace (ECBFW) held on August 26, 2014 at Y2 Hotel, Makati City, the Naga Market

ATTY. NELSON S. LEGACION City ViCe Mayor

SP HIGHLIGHTS:

Triumphs on Health and Nutrition

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Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga’s official expression of congratulations to the two institutions for their laudable efforts.

Another triumph for Naga’s health and nutrition programs is the honor conferred to one of the city’s barangay nutrition scholars, Marilou A. Jimenez of Barangay Carolina, who was adjudged by the National Nutrition Council as the 2013 Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar. Two of our barangays, Barangay Carolina and Barangay Mabolo, were also named as among the 2013 Top 11 Performing Barangays on Nutrition Programs. The two barangays achieved grades of at least 95 percent based on the standards of NCC. These recognitions cement Naga’s reputation as a true champion of health and nutrition programs in the country. Upon motion of Councilor Vidal P. Castillo, we, therefore, commend the two barangays, through Resolution Nos. 2014-334 and 2014-336, on their effective and innovative implementation of nutrition programs. We also wish to convey, through Resolution No. 2014-335, our congratulations and commendation to Marilou A. Jimenez for her excellent work and outstanding dedication as a barangay nutrition scholar. People like her– ordinary employees who do extraordinarily in their tasks and trade – are the pride of the City of Naga.

Health and nutrition of our people are crucial in advancing the city towards sustainable and inclusive socio-economic growth. The acknowledgments we garnered this time reflect that we are advancing these important development

factors through strong cooperation and participation of

the barangays and the private sector. Today’s triumphs are manifestations that all of us are heeding the call to, through our own capacity and ability, H2ELP our CiTy.


By JOSE B. PEREZ

A COUNTRY director of a Belgium-based NGO that has tied up with the Metro Naga

Chamber of Commerce and Industry underscored that there is a huge opportunity in the upcoming implementation of the ASEAN economic integration effective December 2015 due to an impending enormous market of young people and a growing middle class within the region that favors good quality products.

Ms. Gudrun Cartuyvels, country director of Trias South East Asia, was one of the speakers during the program that marked the formal opening of the 10th Bicol Business Week at the city’s Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum last August 26. The BBW has for its theme, “Priming Bicol, Winning Asia,” which is focused on the ASEAN economic integration as an inevitable challenge to the ASEAN

10th BICOL BUSINESS WEEK

ASEAN integration tackled

member nations as key players in a borderless exchange of trade and commerce.

Cartuyvels said that with the economic integration, the ASEAN will become one of the biggest unified markets in the world with a combined population of over 600 million young people from the 10 member-nations. “Input costs are expected to become lower [and] the increased competition will rationalize businesses and boost competitiveness.” It will urge specialization and innovation, she added.

AT THE OPENING PROGRAM (from right) Ms. Gudrun Cartuyvels (foreground right) country manager of Trias SE, a Belgian-based NGO, that is supporting MNCCI projects to assist small and medium micro enterprises in Metro Naga and Camarines Sur, with MNCCI Pres. Nicolas Beda Priela and City Mayor John Bongat.



NAGA City Councilors Babet Lavadia, Miles Raquid-Arroyo, Gabby Bordado and Vice Mayor Nelson Legacion grace the opening ceremonies.

PCCI VP for South Luzon Ed Nicolas and PCCI Governor for Bicol Jeremie Lo award Naga City Mayor John Bongat a plaque extending the PCCI national leadership’s commendation to Naga City for its having been ranked as the 3rd Most Competitive City in the Philippines for the year 2014.

PCCI Governor for Bicol Jeremie Lo being interviewed by Mylce Mella of ABS-CBN Naga.

quality products, low cost and tax-free products where entrepreneurs in certain industries would be forced to sell at very low prices. “Staying competitive and using unique selling advantages are the key. The question is: How fast can entrepreneurs innovate and would capital requirements be met?” she asked.

She argued that in regional market integration, the local and small producers would be the most affected. “They compete with limited capital input, limited technology, lack of knowledge and skills in the most competitive markets of mass consumption and have to measure up with multinationals that target the bottom of the pyramid with [more] effective strategies.”

She said that at such point, the role of the local business chambers should be emphasized. They should be catalysts for business growth,

providing business opportunity, business matching, capacity building and advocacy, and lobby with the local government for support.

She advised that for small entrepreneurs not to miss the boat, they need intensive coaching and an integrated package of services to grow their economic venture and transform them into growth-oriented enterprises.

Sen. Villar also shared similar apprehensions and sentiments. She said that some of the challenges being tackled are those that concern micro-small-and-medium enterprises (MSMEs) such as access to information, market, human resource development and skills, finance, and technology. As regards specific issues on MSME financing, she cited lack of acceptable collateral, slow loan processing,

Meanwhile, in a speech by Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, the BBW’s guest of honor and speaker who was not able to make it to Naga due to heavy rains in Manila that morning, through her representative, Ms. Tanette Perdito, manager of Camella Homes-Naga, it was stated that with the impending economic integration, there are opportunities that we have to be prepared to seize. “The key is preparedness and enhanced competitiveness,” the senator further declared.

The ASEAN economic integration starting in 2015 will mean free flow of goods, services, skilled labor, investments and capital, enabling the region to minimize transaction costs and maximize trade gains.

Cartuyvels said that with opportunities also come clouds of uncertainties. This, as she lamented that in the drafting of the integration agreements, the business sector, though involved, was not able to significantly influence the output, thus, their interests were not sufficiently integrated.

She said the integration will also open the Philippine market to a mixture of low and good


MNCCI Directors Elmer Abad (from left to right), Joe Perez, Elsie Dy, Helios Pastoral, and Amy Villafuerte, Chair of 10th Bicol Business Week.

ONE of the speakers of the various seminars and business fora lined up during the business week.

SHOPPERS and entrepreneurs crowd the trade exhibit booths.

THE Naga City Choir provides the music during the mass and opening program.

short repayment period, high interest rates, difficulties in loan restructuring, and lack of start-up funds. “There are, however, government and private institutions which are providing needed support,” the senator disclosed.

She said that MSMEs comprise more than 90 percent of the businesses in our country and provide more than 50 percent of jobs. “We need a closer and enhanced coordination between government agencies and the MSME sector to make MSMEs not only ready for AEC integration but to be globally competitive.”

She stressed that the Philippines-- with the second largest population next to Indonesia in the

ASEAN, and the highest growth rate-- is in the highest position to benefit from the regional economic integration. “Let us all seize the opportunities and possibilities that are presenting themselves to us,” she said.

Mayor John G. Bongat who led the formal opening of the BBW at the JMR Coliseum, along with the other city officials headed by Vice Mayor Nelson Legacion, extended the city’s congratulations and unwavering support to the BBW. He noted that BBW’s 10th year celebration came at a most auspicious time when the City of Naga was hailed as the 3rd Most Competitive City in the Philippines, leapfrogging from its 9th rank during the previous year.

He said that more developments in the business and trade sector will take place in the coming months that will further affirm the city’s role as the most dynamic and progressive urban center in the Bicol region.

2014 Halyao a w a r d e e s h o n o r e d

By BONG V. VILLACRUZ

A FOUNDER of an IT college, two agri-business entrepreneurs, and a successful

businesswoman were honored as Outstanding Bicolano Businesspersons of the Year while a hardworking multi-tasking construction businessman from Iriga City and a forward-looking pili nut food processor from Sorsogon City were hailed as this year’s Young Bicolano Entrepreneurs in the 2014 Halyao Awards held last August 30 at Royale Emelina, along J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City.

The honors were presented by Naga City Mayor John G. Bongat, President Nicolas Beda A. Priela of the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a representative of Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano. The senator, who was invited guest speaker, was not able to make it to Naga City because of bad weather in Metro Manila.

The Halyao Awards, now on its 10th year, is traditionally the culminating activity of the annual Bicol Business Week hosted by the MNCCI, in partnership with the Naga City Government.

MNCCI Director Jose B. Perez, Chairman of the 2014 Halyao Awards, and MNCCI Director Amy G. Villafuerte, Chairperson of the 10th BBW, also assisted in the presentation of the Halyao awardees.

This year’s awardees are as follows:

Outstanding Bicolano Businesspersons of the Year (in alphabetical order by province)--

1. REYNALDO A. BELLEZA (Albay) – He is the founding President of the Computer Arts and Technological College, one of the pioneering IT institutes in the Province of Albay established in 1987. A Certified Public Accountant and MBA Degree holder, he developed multiple strategies for management implementation and designed forecasting models for management planning. He allocates not only scholarship grants to the less privileged but deserving students but also offers free computer trainings to public school teachers every summer. He also brings computer education in

THE 2014 HALYAO AWARDEES with Naga City Mayor John Bongat(extreme left) Daet Mayor Tito Sarion (second from right) and Dr. Butch Figuracion (extreme right) who represented Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as presenters. The awardees are (second from left to right): Ryan Detera (Sorsogon), Zita Hababag, (Sorsogon), Solomon Ngo (Cam. Sur), Raffy Moraleda (Cam. Norte), Rey Belleza (Albay), Zosimo Saba (Cam. Sur)


2014 Halyao a w a r d e e s h o n o r e d

the barangays through his mobile school.

2. RAFAEL N. MORALEDA (Camarines Norte)-- A former livestock inspector of the Department of Agriculture who left government service following the devolution of certain DA employees, Mr. Moraleda in 1990 started by raising two heads of sow in his own backyard. He is now one of the A1 swine raisers in Bicol. Availing of a loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines, the swine raiser now maintains a 3.5-hectare farm in Daet with its 8 housing units, a feed mill and feed mixer, and a new breeder

house. As an environment-friendly entrepreneur, he collects the animal wastes in his farm, dries and mixes them with carbonized rice hull to be made into organic fertilizer. Raffy, as he is fondly called by friends and peers, attributes his success to sheer determination and hard work. He also believes that sharing what you have with the less fortunate makes life easier and brighter. He has adopted 94 school children to allow them to finish their studies and sponsors a regular student feeding program in at least two schools within the neighborhood.

EMCEES Issa Borromeo, Eric ‘Eruptions’ Tai and Mylce Mella of ABS-CBN.

3. ZOSIMO A. SABA (Camarines Sur)-- An agri-entreprenuer, Mr. Saba, as early as 1972, started planting various commercial crops such as calamansi, mango, rambutan, cocoa, pili, coconut, banana, dragon fruit and sugarcane. He is also into livestock production-- hogs, cows, carabaos, goats, ducks and free-range chicken. His farm in Tigaon, Camarines Sur is recognized by Pensumil as the most efficient when it comes to harvest per hectare of sugarcane. It generates year-round workers of 50 and almost 200 during harvest time. He donated land to accommodate the growing population of a primary school located near his farm and promised to donate another half-hectare lot once the school offers secondary education. His achievements as a successful entrepreneur have been featured in a national TV program some years back.

PRESENTORS. Joe Perez, 2014 Halyao Awards Chair (left, to right), together with MNCCI President Nicolas Beda Priela, and 10th BBW Chair Amy Villafuerte, anxiously wait for the next awardee to be recognized on stage.


4. ZITA D. HABABAG (Sorsogon) After returning home from the USA where she owned and operated a fastfood business, she bought an ice plant and cold storage in Sorsogon City and bought another in Bulan town. Her expanded operations serve more fisherfolks in the two localities even as she continues to manage their family’s rice mill, retail store, and gasoline station. As a business and civic leader, Mrs. Hababag is always active attending to various community concerns like reviewing the city’s Revised Revenue Code, spearheading power rates consultations, and offering part of her property for free use by the Sorsogon Producers Association as display center for handicrafts, processed foods, and other locally-made products.

Outstanding Young Bicolano Entrepreneur Award (in alphabetical order by province)—

1. SOLOMON C. NGO (Camarines Sur)-- An engineer by profession, this young entrepreneur from Iriga City owns and runs several companies that involve general merchandising, trading and construction. With sharp business instincts and effective management, he was able to triple gross

sales with an expanded area of coverage for his business, including his brewery products service delivery. His companies now employ over 400 office and field workers even as he initiated computerization and paperless transactions within his companies. Still, he has time to become an active civic leader. Networking with various groups and sectors, he was able to drum up support for government programs that promote the growth and development of his community, whether these concern sports development, peace and order, better policy environment for investors, or development of livelihood programs.

2. RYAN D. DETERA (Sorsogon)-- At 34, Ryan has now become a full-fledged entrepreneur after taking over his parent’s pili processing food company based in Bacon, Sorsogon City as its administrative and marketing manager. As the new registered owner, he revolutionized the company’s image by changing the company label and improving product packaging. He supplies his products

GUESTS come to witness an important event.

MAYOR John Bongat in a lively conversation with NCF President and MNCCCI Director Marguerette Michelle Padua-Hornby and Mr. Dough Jackson from the Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council.


MEMBERS of the CamSur Multi-Purpose Cooperative proudly pose with DTI Camarines Sur Provincial Director Edna Tejada (second from right) after receiving their special award for being this year’s best performing cooperative in Bicol.

to institutional buyers in Manila, Cebu, and in leading cities in Bicol. To enhance his knowledge and gain more product accessibility, he makes himself a regular participant in various regional, national and international food exhibitions in Manila and Hongkong. He also joined the US Market Reconnaissance in 2009 where he met potential buyers and visited stores and warehouses of food companies in San Francisco and Los Angeles, USA.

A special citation was given to the CamSur Multi-Purpose Cooperative for being the Best Performing Bicol Cooperative of the Year.

This multi-million peso multipurpose cooperative, with over 2,814 members, has been so successful and productive through its dynamic innovations and impressive management expertise that it has expanded

its original product lines from simple lending and food catering to extending farm loans, purchase order loans, emergency loans, business and honorarium loans, and even pension savings to members.

Other forms of loans and services were, furthermore, introduced and offered even to non-members, such as bonus and trading loans and time savings deposits from the bank to the cooperative. They also purchase palay and corn harvests of farmers and venture into fertilizer dealership and distribution that help ensure full collection of their farm loans and protect farmers from unfair trade over their harvests. While doing these, the cooperative has always been conscious of and active in delivering its responsibilities not only to its members but also to the community through various community-oriented projects,

GUESTS coming from the different business chambers in Bicol wait for the presentation of awardees.

charitable causes, calamity relief operations, and environmental awareness.

The Halyao awards, launched in this city in 2005, is the region’s sole regional award for successful Bicolano entrepreneurs who have practiced their management excellence for Bicol’s growth and development. Awardees are measured based on the highest standards of excellence in business and entrepreneurship capped with huge amount of corporate social responsibility and faith in the Bicol economy.

This year’s Board of Judges is composed of DTI Regional Director Jocelyn LB. Blanco as Chair and Engr. Boy L. Aman (former Halyao awardee), Philtrust Naga Manager Ma. Theresa G. Enojado (representing Camarines Sur Bankers Club), Engr. Wesley D. Villanueva (Mall Manager, SM City Naga), and BU Prof. Nolan G. Belaro (of Bicol Foundation for Higher Education) as members.

The well-attended program was hosted by Issa Borromeo and Mylce Mella of ABS-CBN Naga and Eric (Eruptions) Tai of “It’s Showtime,”a noontime program aired over ABS-CBN nationwide.


C ORN plantations prove to thrive well in the upper barangays at the foot of Mt. Isarog, just a few kilometers away from the city’s central

business district, thus helping provide added income to local farm hands.

From these verdant corn fields, farmer Alfredo Gatongay came out as Outstanding Corn Farmer after besting other nominees from the Bicol Region’s farming municipalities during the Gawad Saka 2014, an annual awarding conducted by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Along with other finalists from the country’s 17 regions, the corn farmer from Barangay Panicuason will receive his plaque and cash awards in Cagayan de Oro City during the Quality Corn Achievers Awarding ceremonies in October 2014.

Gatongay, who uses a low-cost technology, was named outstanding corn farmer of the year after hitting a yield of 10.3 tons of hybrid corn per hectare consistently every year. His farming technology, he said, is adoptable by small-time corn farmers who wish to increase their hybrid yield during dry seasons. During wet season, Gatongay averages 8.5 tons per hectare.

Gatongay is one of the 386 corn farmers benefitting from assistance under the city government’s SARIG Naga program, an acronym for Sustainable Agriculture for Rural Income Growth in Naga.

Panicuason corn farmer wins ‘Gawad

Saka’regional award

By JASON B. NEOLA


Using the same technology, the farmers harvest 4 tons of open pollinated variety (OPV) during wet season, specifically in the months of November to December, per hectare. This, while other farmers harvest only 3 tons per hectare on wet season.

The program, which was conceptualized under Mayor John G. Bongat’s administration, is focused on

farmers’ income growth, not only on production growth. Under the SARIG principle, the city determines the measure of success in farming through net income derived, not cavans per hectare. The program, thru the use of some interventions, works for the reduction of production cost, resulting to farmers’ higher net income.

OIC City Agriculturist Edna B. Bongalonta said the farmers, like any other beneficiary of SARIG, are regularly receiving, assistance from the City Agriculture Office. These include seeds and various farm inputs like fertilizer and lime, the latter used as soil neutralizer.

Bongalonta and the City Government of Naga are vying for the nationwide Search for Outstanding City Agriculturist and Top 25 Cities/Municipalities categories, respectively, under the Gawad Saka 2014. Meanwhile, Naga City Agricultural Technician IBenedicto C. Heraldo will receive his national Quality Corn Achievers Award as Outstanding Corn Technician for 2014.

Naga City’s nominee to the nationwide Search for Outstanding Corn Coordinator is Engr. Menandro U. Calingacion, the City Agricultural Technologist.



A SIDE from its good governance advocacies, the city government of Naga is also pre-occupied

with projects that can lift the spirits of its citizens by continually making green its surroundings, with additional color to boot, by transforming certain road sections, public plazas, and idle lots into islands of ornamental plants and flowering plants.

City Environment and Natural Resources Office (City ENRO) head Oscar P. Orozco had long entertained the idea since the late DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, who was city mayor then, instructed him in 2004 to establish a nursery that will complement the city’s requirement for different varieties of ornamental plants.

Six years later when Mayor John G. Bongat took over the reins of the city government in 2010, the city turned green with its number of outdoor beautification projects under his Pilimania and Buskad Burak sa Barangay programs that aim to beautify the environment and at the same time provide livelihood opportunities for Nagueños.

The nursery provides the seedlings needed for the city’s tree

planting activities, in partnership with various public and private groups and organizations.

Joining the frontline with Pilimania, Buskad Burak and other beautification projects to complement their desired targets is the City Parks and Recreational Facilities Management Office (CPRFMO) headed by Sieglinde Borromeo-Bulaong. Aside from maintaining the landscaping of the Rotunda, Quince Martires, and Plaza Rizal, the office is also tasked with fixing and upgrading the city’s major road islands by planting them with ornamental plants like dwarf pandakaki, lantana, sun drops, santan, forget-me-nots, peanut yellow, ti plants, palm trees, and ara-alas dose.

Nursery

Situated at Km. 10, Zone 1 in Barangay Carolina, this city, the seedling facility, now called the City ENRO Nursery, serves as sanctuary not only for different types of ornamental plants but also for forest trees (mahogany, gmelina, narra, acacia, and Palawan cherry) and fruit-bearing trees like pili, jackfruit, guyabano, star apple, atis, kamagong, gumian, and aratiles.

A team of nursery aides from

the City ENRO headed by Mr. Antonio A. Añonuevo, head of the Watershed Management Division, takes care of the plants and seedlings, along with nursery foreman Mr. Pablo M. Maleniza and nursery team aides Roberto P. Sanchez, Leopoldo D. Rosco, and Erlinda I. Salazar.

Tree Planting

Last September 9, the city government engaged in massive tree planting together with representatives of the SM Foundation, Inc., the Philippine Army (9ID), members of the

Naga’s green and flower program

By JASON B. NEOLA


Mt. Isarog Guardians (MIGs)-- an NGO, beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, and the city ENRO.

Dubbed as “Grow a Million Trees” project, the undertaking aims to boost the national greening program of the DENR, which allows the city government and its partner private and public agencies to actively participate in the national government’s goal of planting 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares of land

nationwide for a period of 6 years from 2011 to 2016.

Orozco disclosed that an initial target of planting 32,000 seedlings in a 20-hectare protected area situated at Mt. Isarog Natural Park in Barangay Panicuason is what his office is working on at present along with partner institutions, with funding support from the SM Foundation. He said his office is eyeing another 30 hectares for the same project.

More than 4,500 saplings of endemic trees like narra, pepe, lauaan, balinad, malabayawas and almasiga were planted on the same site last September 9

by representatives from the aforementioned institutions, along with 50 beneficiaries of 4Ps and 25 MIGs who were hired as laborers. They were also joined in by personnel of the Philippine Army’s 9th Infantry Division based in Camp Elias Angeles, Barangay San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur. Continuous seedling production, planting and maintenance are also being undertaken by the MIGS and 4Ps beneficiaries.

NARRA trees and green plants at the Plaza Quince Martires offer shade and cool sanctuary to guests, and weary travellers.

PHOTO BY X E R E S g a g e r o

CCTV,repair works, computerization and 5S at the Naga City People’s Mall

T he Naga City People’s Mall (NCPM) continues to become the preferred place for shoppers who are budget conscious but are uncompromising about orderliness, safe access and

convenience in the marketplace.Interestingly, improvement works

and other innovative measures are being vigorously pursued to better serve the

shopping public, as well as the stallholders and vendors themselves in the name of efficient and responsive public service and delivery.

These works include the computerization of the billing and collection sections of the Market Enterprise and Promotions Office (MEPO) that operates and manages the mall, formerly known as the Naga City Public Market. The amount of P200,000 has been earmarked for this specific project, which is expected to be completed in September this year.

By JASON B. NEOLA


CONSTRUCTION laborers do repair works on the flooring of the entire fresh fish section of the Naga City People’s Mall in such a way that water is drained naturally to a passageway and, thus, prevent waterlogging. The rehabilitation work, which costs P700,000 and covers 113 stalls, was completed on the third week of August this year.

City Administrator Florencio T. Mongoso Jr. said that aside from speeding up transactions and services at the MEPO, other vital physical structures are also being undertaken to improve its facilities at the cost of P1.3M.

Also in the pipeline is the installation of surveillance cameras and closed circuit television (CCTV), also eyed for completion within September, this year. The amount of P500,000 has been allocated for this purpose.

NCPM Manager Ramon J. Florendo said the installation of cameras and CCTV is expected to reduce cases of theft, snatching and robbery within the mall. In 2010, there were 57 reported incidences of snatching and 54 stalls ransacked by thieves.

The figures have dramatically declined in the following years because of the active responses from the members of the mall’s security force. Last year, MEPO recorded 16 cases of snatching and 7 cases of ransacked stalls. From January to July 2014, seven cases of snatching and 6 ransacked stalls were reported.

All these are in line with the Naga City People’s Mall’s “Mercadong Malinig, Negosyo Masarig” project that MEPO formally launched May 31, this year.

Florendo said a competition will be conducted among stallholders of the 28 sections of the public mall, particularly the members of the Naga Market Stallholders Federation (NAMASFED) to determine who observes best the culture of orderliness and cleanliness within the premises.

The contest, to last until the end of this year, aims to instill and institutionalize the culture of orderliness and cleanliness in the entire mall by encouraging all stallholders to adopt Japan’s 5S of good housekeeping. The

5S stands for sort, set in order, sweep and shine, standardize, and self-discipline.

Under the competition’s tool of evaluation, the 28 stalls were divided into 3 categories, namely, wet,

semi-dry and dry. Stalls under each category shall be graded with stars; those which are found to be the cleanest and most orderly will receive up to 5 stars.

The monthly evaluation, which will end in December 2014, is being conducted by a team composed of representatives from the Kapisanan ng

mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas (KBP), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO) and two from the private sector. The awarding of winners is slated on December 31, 2014.

Aside from making the NCPM clean and orderly, Florendo said his office is also conducting a series of activities that will help stallholders

improve sales and profits that include business counselling by different

public and private entities.He said MEPO, in

collaboration with DTI and other entrepreneurs,

will soon spearhead seminars on food and fish processing. A GrOW Negosyo Center will also be set up inside the NCPM.

“While we endeavor to create the culture of

discipline in our lot and provide our small

and micro entrepreneurs conducive areas

where they can sell their products and merchandise,

the city government’s primary role is to create more livelihood

opportunities, which go along with the mandate of improving the technical capability of the entrepreneurs for them to be able to effectively manage their own businesses and increase their sales and profits,” Florendo explained.


GLENDA’S victims who were displaced from their work are hired for temporary employment under LGU Naga’s Emergency Employment Program para sa Biktima ng Bagyong Glenda. The hired workers are fielded to do roof repairs and cleaning, rehabilitation of public structures, hauling of tree trimmings and broken branches, roadside clearing operations, and augmenting the crews of Casureco II in the restoration of collapsed electric poles in the barangays.

By JASON B. NEOLA

City Hall provides emergency employment to Typhoon victims

A IMING to cushion the impact of Typhoon Glenda in the lives of Nagueños, especially the poor and the most vulnerable, and in order to address the need for the immediate rehabilitation of public infrastructures, the city government of Naga released the amount of P1, 040,000 to provide at least 200 heads of families with financial assistance to help them cope with the

difficulties wrought by the disastrous weather disturbance.Heads of families are those who work as breadwinners. They can either

be their own family’s father, mother, son, or daughter. Based on the project proposal prepared by Metro Naga Public Employment Office, the initiative called for the hiring of family heads as emergency workers for the city government’s clean-up operation and restoration works.

Dubbed as Emergency Employment Program Para sa Biktima ng Bagyong Glenda, the project has achieved two goals: emergency employment generation and immediate rehabilitation of government’s lifeline facilities. The emergency employment took effect from July 16 to October 31, this year.

Mayor John G. Bongat said the program’s direct beneficiaries are jobless indigents and displaced workers whose economic base was affected by the closure of the company or shop that they worked in or slowing down of operation of their source of livelihood in the aftermath of the disastrous typhoon.

Naga City was declared under a state of calamity, through Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution No. 2014-216, a day after it was buffeted by Typhoon Glenda on July 15, this year, leaving homeless around 1, 768 families, or an estimated 7,072 individuals.

Significant losses were reported on properties, infrastructure projects, power and telecommunications, and agriculture as Typhoon Glenda battered the city with its strong winds hissing at 130-150 kph.

The hired workers were able to provide their families of their basic needs

as they worked for 40 days under minimum wage, while hoping that things would return to normal, as they did, in due time. They cleaned up the road sides and other public places in the barangay and acted as labor complement in the rehabilitation of destroyed public infrastructures within the city.

It did not take long that the city and its residents were back on their feet again.

Meanwhile, Engr. Joel P. Martin, head of the city’s Solid Waste Management Ofifce (SWMO) reported that at least 250 tons of garbage everyday were hauled since the day Typhoon Glenda left after battering the whole Bicol Region for 5 hours last July 15.

The hauling and disposal of uprooted trees and their broken branches and regular household and commercial wastes were being undertaken by SWMO with the help of volunteers from different government and private institutions.

Personnel from the Philippine Army and the Naga City Police Office were also dispatched in different areas to assist in the clearing of tree trimmings, using the 20 dump trucks lent by several construction companies that beefed up the 10 dump trucks owned by the city government.

Employees of City Hall including the departments heads and division chiefs, too, were deployed to various public areas to help in the clearing operation.

Also joining the effort were personnel from the Public Safety Office and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) based in the neighboring Canaman town, the city’s scholars, and schools like the Naga International Technology Center.

Naga City was reported to be the first in the region to have cleared its streets and highways of typhoon wastes and debris and the fastest to have restored its energy supply in just a few days after the typhoon.


N AGA City bested other cities in the Asean Region and China during the “International Policy Innovation Festival” held in Singapore where

it was bestowed the “Most Inspiring Innovation” Award.

The festival was held at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, from August 5-7, 2014.

It showcased award-winning programs on governance and policy innovations of emerging cities from the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia. It also presented celebrated public sector innovations in Government and Participation, Sustainability and the Revitalization of Public Spaces, Enhancing Efficiency and Public Services, and Promising Pilots and Learning.

Naga City Mayor John G. Bongat, together with representatives from other award-winning cities and agencies, showcased their respective innovations thru slide presentations. The award was based on student votes who observed and participated in the policy innovation festival.

The City of Naga’s e-governance innovations using ICT for civic engagement towards responsive decision-making and focusing on resolving health and disaster resilience issues as presented by Mayor Bongat was voted as the best of the best.

Naga’s e-governance voted ‘Best of the Best’ in Singapore festivalby JASON B. NEOLA


Over 9,000 runners joined the 38th National Milo Marathon elimination in Naga City last Sunday, August 24.

Mario Maglinao, 26, of Legazpi City clocked 1 hour, 12 minutes and 47 seconds to rule the men’s division while Luisa Ruterta, 33, a native of Laguna, topped the distaff side in 1:32:10.

Both Maglinao and Ruterta took home P10,000 each and slots to the December national finals along with 64 others.

Maglinao never had any formal training in running while Tuterta coaches youth runners during her spare time.

PHOTO BY xeres ramon a. gagero


rotunda - naga.gov.ph

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