By Mike dela Rama
Private schools in Bicol region have a slim chance of implementing an increase in tuition fee next school year because of continuous opposition from students and parents.
Dr. Dominador Peralta, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) regional director in Bicol, said 16 private schools in the tertiary level have filed their proposed tuition hike.
"As a matter of policy they (schools) are required to conduct consultation with students, parents and teachers to discuss the mechanism on tuition hike," Peralta said.
The decision of the CHED whether to approve the request to implement tuition increase for school year 2009-2010 will depend on the result of the consultation.
"In case students and parents oppose the new hike we can not allow any school to implement the same," Peralta said.
The CHED has received letters from various organizations urging it to disapprove any tuition fee increase.
Meanwhile, Albay board member Neil Montallana, chairman, committee on education, has urged all private schools in Albay to defer their proposed tuition hike. "We have also to consider the present economic condition in the country," he said.
"Any increase in tuition is an additional burden to the Albayanos," he added.
Salceda inducts paramedics
By Rey M. Nasol
The newly-trained Albayano volunteers are now ready to face various disaster scenarios in Albay as the province equips itself with stronger disaster preparedness measures to lessen impact of typhoons, volcanic eruptions, landslides and lahar floods to lives and properties.
Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda inducted the graduates at the Conference hall of the Provincial Disaster Operation Center Wednesday morning.
The group consisting of 107 graduates, called Emergency Medical Responders (EMR), finished a six-month paramedics training under the Albay Health and Emergency Management (AHEM) project.
Jukes Nuñez of the Albay Provincial Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO), the lead agency, said the training was administered through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between Bicol University (BU), Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH), the Department of Health (DOH) and the Provincial Government of Albay.
Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda promptly responds to radio interviews before the induction ritesAccording to earlier interview with APSEMO chief Cedric Daep the training started last October, 2008 from pre-qualification, screening activities and other related preliminary activities. It was followed by a series of lectures on theories and literature from January until last week.
Rey Añunuevo, training director of the APSEMO, said the APSEMO is conducting series of trainings for local government units across the province to encourage them put up their own 'institutionalized' disaster management offices with corresponding permanent personnel and budget.
DOLE tightens helmet rule to promote workplace safety
In the Bicol region, it is not only the police who enforce the helmet rule, but also the regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
In a move to promote workplace safety, particularly in the construction industry, DOLE-Bicol, starting this coming April will strictly enforce the construction safety rules, like wearing of helmet and hanging of safety nets, and other personal protective equipment (PPEs) to avoid workplace-related accidents.
"In this time of crisis, the last thing we do not want is a workplace accident. Accidents are expensive both for labor and management and it will give a lot of headache to everyone. So let's prevent it while we can. Remember, we're doing this not to make the life of construction companies miserable but to prevent accidents. Prevention is better than cure," DOLE Bicol Regional Director Ernesto C. Bihis explained.
DOLE-Bicol information officer Raymond P. Escalante told this writer that there is a need for an information campaign on the Internationally Accepted Safety Measures such that companies which are ISO-Certified (International Safety Organization) are required to promptly comply with safety rules such as ISO-9000 series.
ISO 9000 series certifies a company, particularly those engaged in construction, for Quality Management Systems (QMS) vis-a-vis compliance to international safety standards and practices. Sadly, this writer's random check in recent sorties confirmed very few construction companies in Bicol are adhering to, if not completely ignoring, safety rules, a thing the DOLE-Bicol wants to correct immediately to prevent loss of lives among workers.
To further advocate construction safety, DOLE-Bicol called all construction firms and safety practitioners in the region for a four-day training on construction safety this week at the Kanzo Hotel in Legazpi City. The training aimed to "remind" construction firms about their role in having a safe and healthy working environment.
Participants were reoriented on the various safety procedures on construction, most specifically the adherence on the wearing of personal protective equipment or PPEs.
DOLE Workplace Safety Focal Person Engineer Roberto Aranas said that the training program was actually a review since a similar training had been conducted in previous years.
Gladly in Bicol, workplace deaths are very minimal but small unreported accidents do happen. "These are the accidents that happen because of neglect. These are the accidents that should have never happened if only they adhere to the helmet law and use of prescribed PPEs," Bihis said
DOLE Bicol Assistant Regioanl Director Irma S. Valiente said that a region-wide advocacy on the use of construction helmet and construction safety gears are being pushed by the office through trainings and the institutionalization of safety practitioners. "If mishaps due to carelessness happen or due to non-adherence to this rule, the safety practitioner will be liable. We will strip-off their licenses," Valiente warned.
Tabaco gets P.3M for emergency job efforts
TABACO CITY -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Bicol has granted a total of P300,000 over the weekend for this city's "Tulong Panghanapbuhay Para sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers" (TUPAD) program.
The DOLE said the grant would "shoot two birds with one stone" because aside from providing jobs, the program will also contribute a significant improvement to the environment through cleanups and face lifting of the city's riversides and greening up efforts.
"City Mayor Krisel Lagman-Luistro, managed to get a total of P300,000 grant from DOLE-Bicol for the implementation of the government's emergency employment program," said DOLE-Bicol Information Officer Raymond P. Escalante.
The grant, which was personally turned-over by DOLE Bicol Regional Director Ernesto C. Bihis last weekend during a flag ceremony at the Tabaco City Hall, will be used to pay the wages of some 51 workers from the informal sector affected by the global challenges.
Qualified workers will earn a minimum wage of P260 per day for a one-month work schedule.
The work program focused on the rehabilitation of the Tabaco River which includes riverside clean and green maintenance, dredging, some street sweeping and some paint jobs.
"Mayor Krisel has lined up the work activities to be done by the workers on this emergency employment. We hope that we could at least supplement the needs of the global crisis affected workers thru this program" Bihis said.
The DOLE's TUPAD program was launched last February to specifically address the aftermaths of the global challenges. The aim is to provide immediate job placement to affected workers in the area.
"We plan to implement all TUPAD programs within the 1st quarter. Even though Bicol is not so much affected by the crisis, still we have workers who were affected which needs immediate job," he said.
Bihis said that since January, DOLE-Bicol has already released a total of P 2.4 million for emergency employment to various recipients region-wide.
DPWH puts up P2.9 Billion projects in Bicol
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is now implementing some P2.9 billion worth of pump-priming projects in Bicol for this year. It aimed at exciting the economy which could generate more jobs in the countryside and mitigate the effects of the global financial crisis.
DPWH Bicol regional director Orlando Roces said that the amount will be used to fund some 87 projects in the six provinces of Bicol in line with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's P330 billion pump priming program for 2009.
Roces said the projects include road opening, road concreting, flood control structures, construction of new school buildings, and repair of roads and bridges.
Some 360 workers have been initially hired since the launching of the job generation program of the DPWH two weeks ago.
In a statement, Roces said that a total of 742 applied for the jobs under the "Programang Pangtrabaho ni Pangulong Arroyo" job generation program being handled by the agency.
The initial holding of the one-day jobs fair resulted in the immediate hiring of 360 workers by participating contractors who are undertaking pump priming infrastructure projects of the DPWH in the region.
He said that the DPWH's role is to match the available jobs with the skills of the applicants before they are recommended for hiring by participating contractors.
Roces said that similar job fairs will also be conducted in the coming months to be able to hire more workers who were earlier retrenched by their previous employers.
He added that the job fairs is being undertaken in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the National Constructors Association and the Philippine Constructors Association, Inc.
8 hurt in landmine blast in Masbate
At least six policemen and two civilians were injured by an explosion from an improvised landmine that hit the passenger jeep they were riding on Thursday in Balud, Masbate, a Philippine Army (PA) report said Friday.
Hurt in the blast were Police Officer (PO)2 Rogelio Bolante, PO1s Ian Mark Antiporda, Menard Danao, Darius Capili, Juvy Llunar Ronel Paac and civilians Editha Race and Gilbert Leonor, driver.
Army Capt. Razaleigh Bansawan, 901st Army Brigade spokesman, said the incident took place around 11:30 a.m. Thursday. The victims where on board the jeep negotiating a road at Sitio Pinamangkahan, Barangay San Pablo, Balud town when their vehicle hit an improvised landmine planted on the side of the road by suspected communist guerrillas.
Bansawan said the eight policemen of the 506th Provincial Mobile Group (PMG) were on their way back to Masbate City after completing regular patrol work when they were ambushed by New People's Army (NPA) rebels led by Luis Gonzaga alias "Ka Jaypee".
He said the rebels attacked the policemen with the use of a detonated explosive device planted at the roadside.
The victims were rushed to the Masbate Provincial Hospital. Attending physicians said two of the policemen are in critical condition while the rest are recovering from shrapnel wounds sustained from the blast.
Bansawan said, "The use of landmine by the NPA is clear violation of international humanitarian law, they even fired at the passenger jeep, knowing that there were civilians on board".
Military intelligence said the rebel offensive is a show of force since the NPA will celebrate their anniversary on March 29, with a directive to conduct tactical offensive against government forces in various parts of the country. (Mar S. Arguelles)
Spain turns over P110M projects to Albay
The Spanish government through the Agencia Español de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID) turned over on Thursday some P110 million worth of infrastructure projects to the province of Albay, Governor Joey Sarte Salceda said.
The turnover ceremonies led by Luis Romero Arias, Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines and Salceda including city and town executives here were held separately on Thursday in the cities of Legazpi, Ligao and the town of Daraga where the Spanish government projects are located.
Salceda said the P110 million were financial assistance given by Spain to the province heavily devastated by two super typhoons and the Mayon volcano eruption in 2006.
Salceda said aside from the projects recently turned over by the AECID, another P160.5 million projects are being finalized by the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) in coordination with AECID involving proposals for a disaster risk reduction project in Albay.
He said that P60.5 million of the total amount has been approved with signed project acceptance by the Spanish government, involving construction of two emergency evacuation centers in the towns of Camalig and Guinobatan and the strengthening of APSEMO by providing the office with the latest state-of-the-art communication system to be used in pre and post-disaster operations.
At the turnover rites, Spanish Ambassador Arias said his country is committed to assist the Philippines since the Philippines and Spain have maintained close ties for several centuries.
Arias said "our countries are sisters and we have ratified these commitments to reduce poverty in the country including the preservation of lives and properties during natural disasters."
Arias said, "We are also committed to fight the ill-effects of climate change," as he announced that he will earmark some P15 million as funding for the strengthening of the province's agriculture and livestock industry.
Salceda, for his part, expressed his deep gratitude for the Spanish government assistance, saying that "he will forever be grateful to the terms of endearment and engagement given by Spain to his province."
Ambassador Arias and Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal formally signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) granting the city P93 million for the implementation of a comprehensive solid waste management project.
Rosal said the project involves the setting up of an efficient solid waste management system in the city designed to improve the social and environmental condition of residents in this city.
He said the project will be established in a 12-hectare land owned by the city government in Barangay Banquerohan, some 22 kilometers from the city proper.
Rosal said the project has four components, namely: sanitary land fill development; materials recovery system; reduction, and recycling system and project administration.
In Ligao City, the Spanish Ambassador turned over to Gov. Salceda the newly renovated Doña Josefina Belmonte Duran Memorial District Hospital (DJBDMDH), a 50-bed tertiary hospital servicing the medical needs of residents in the seven towns and a city in the third district of Albay.
The AECID released some P14 million in 2007 for the renovation of the district hospital worth P8 million and hospital equipment worth P6 million.
In Daraga, Albay, the Spanish government also turned over the newly constructed P13-million evacuation center located at the top floor of the new Daraga Public Market.
The evacuation center will be used in times of disaster. In normal times it will be used as training center for livelihood projects and the likes.
Governor Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay Province (center) witnesses the ceremonial key turnover for the newly built Evacuation Center on the roof top of this town’s public market. Spanish Ambassador Luis Romero Arias, representing the donor country through the Agencia Española De Cooperacion International para el Desarrollo (AECID) hands over the key to Daraga town Mayor Cicero Triunfante during the inauguration of the edifice early this month. Photo below shows (from left) Arias’ wife Soledad Lavina, Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda (JSS), Ambassador Arias and Vice Mayor Len Magayanes. Both ladies cut the ribbon for the said inauguration.
Mayon is background for Spanish Ambassador Luis Romero Arias (5th from left) during the inauguratin of the emergency evacuation center here which was donated by the government of Spain. With him are Jesus Molina, Representative of Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, Lidia Hernandez, Regional Director, Mayte Toledano, Junior Professional Officer, Bella Fernandez, Program Officer for Social Development, And Jose Antonio Mira Padial, and Ambassador Arias’ wife, Soledad Lavina. (Photo by Rey M. Nasol)
No comments:
Post a Comment