LEGAZPI CITY – Broadband users in the countryside are awaiting for full democratization of the internet especially the wireless and the Digital Subscriber's Line or DSL. Most families of Overseas Filipino workers, regardless of the location of their homes badly need internet for communicating with their loved ones in the comfort of their homes without the need to go to the downtowns to avail of internet service from cafés.
Various sources, some of whom did not want to be named, said they have felt the need and helplessly went out of their way during the Holy Week when the public internet shops closed for several days in the observance of the holidays.
"It is now very important for us to be connected on an unlimited basis but it is still very hard to get a fast connection outside the rural areas here in Legazpi and other parts of Albay," Rommel Moral of Camalig, Albay said.
Moral eagerly reacted on Rep. Joseph Santiago of Catanduanes, chairman of the House of information and communications technology committee, who said that the House of Representatives may have to concede financial incentives in order to spur broadband service providers to invest in high-speed Internet access infrastructure in the countryside.
In a statement, Santiagio former chief of the National Telecommunications Commission, said that three out of four Filipinos live in the rural areas. Connecting them to the world via broadband is absolutely imperative to build up the whole economy.
"The current setup, although massively advertised, shows that only those living in the main thoroughfares have access to good quality of internet while even those in between towns particularly the people living near town boundaries have no other choice but to resort to prepaid wireless broadband services which costs P20 per hour," Moral lamented adding that the unlimited internet service costs only around P1.39 per hour but most have no access to the unlimited services because of the backlog.
Reliable broadband access offers a lot of fresh opportunities to rural communities for small enterprises to grow and create jobs, for homes and schools to boost learning, for farmers to reach all potential markets and share new methods, even for ordinary people to simply communicate or obtain helpful information, he said.
For instance, Santiago said a migrant worker would not have any incentives to invest in a personal computer at home if his small town still does not have dependable broadband access.
With broadband access, the worker would be motivated to get a PC for his family here, since this would enable them to communicate cost-effectively via chat, e-mail, or calls over the Internet on Skype, check the crediting of a remittance to a local bank account, pay bills online, and so on, he said.
Santiago said Congress might have to find ways to drive service providers to expand vital broadband infrastructure in rural zones that still do not have any access at all.
One option is to offer tax credits to new investments. Another is to grant extra subsidies to local governments that support private broadband infrastructure deployment in their areas, he pointed out.
In the US, Santiago noted that investments in current-generation broadband infrastructure in areas with zero existing access are entitled to a 20-percent tax credit. They also have a 10-percent tax credit for similar investments in underserved areas, he said.
The total number of Filipinos subscribing to broadband services soared by 67 percent in 2008, reaching more than 1.3 million.
However, Santiago said subscribers are still concentrated in highly urbanized cities. He said telecommunication service providers that offer current-generation broadband connections have been disinclined to invest in potentially less profitable rural areas
Quake jolt, cracks Church edifice
GUINOBATAN, Albay - Confessors of the Our Lady of Assumption Parish here were astonished while lining up for their turn to ask for forgiveness of their sins.
"A quick rumbling sound from beneath the ground was followed by a jolt which reached intensity 5 to 6 in Guinobatan which might have originated from a local fault line that is why only intensity 2 was recorded at the Liñgon Hill Observatory in Legazpi City some 25 kilometers away.
Rev. Father David R. Ramoso (Fr. Dave), the Parish Priest here said that he would seek the help of the municipal engineer to determine the stability of the structure to prevent any accident that might result from the cracks that were created by the earthquake. "In my observation, the cracks were on the cement finishes of the stone blocks that consisted the building and there is really no cause for alarm," Fr. Dave said this morning.
However, some debris fell from the upper portions of the altar, from the belfry and at the entrance area.
On the other hand, Volcanologist Ed Laguerta and his team of scientists from the Liñgon Hill observatory center in Legazpi fielded to Barangay Masarawag and other areas along the slopes of Mayon Volcano to inspect further signs of abnormalities. "The quake might be local fault line in origin, something that is not delineated to the major fault lines that is why there is discrepancy in the intensity in Legazpi and Guinobatan area," Laguerta said adding that they have to really check it out with Mayon Volcano as it manifests crater glows visible to the naked eye during past few days.
"Based on our initial data the direction of the origin is pointing to the third district of Albay where Guinobatan is situated," Laguerta explained.
"What is unusual with this earthquake is the vertical movement of the ground accompanied by rumbling sounds which occurred at around 6:37 and followed by another one at around 8.pm and then at 1:38 early this morning," Jovito Osorio said.
Laguerta admitted that there are indeed local fault lines that are not delineated to the major fault lines but can cause similar events and he calls for more vigilance among the residents particularly those living near the landslide hazard areas and near the cliffs.
Balikatan docs to treat 1,500 pinoys daily
LEGAZPI CITY -- 24,000 indigent Bicolano villagers are expected to be cured of their illnesses as the RP-US Balikatan Humanitarian Mission 2009 doctors arrived this morning at Camp Gen. Simeon A. Ola here, Col. Romeo Ayson of the Philippine Army Civil Military Operations for Joint RP-US Balikatan Humanitarian Exercises said this morning.
"The respective local government units' health officers of the selected beneficiaries shall determine the priority illnesses based on their data base so that the Medical Civic Action Program (Medcap) of the balikatan would reach out to the needy at designated dates.
Major Marlon Bayhon, a pharmacist by profession and also an aeronautics mechanic who is the Medcap team leader, the US purchased the medicines from local suppliers after carefully selecting them upon approval of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).
"A 2-day Medcap is allocated for Irosin Patag, and 3-days at Barangay Alindogan, Juban Sorsogon. In Masbate we shall also extend medical assistance to the towns Bagacay, Marcella, Uzon, and Mobo is Catanduanes. In Albay, we will conduct medical missions at Libon, Cotmon, Camalig, Guinobatan and the city of Ligao," Bayhon said.
Major Anne B. Roberts, US Navy Lt. Commander who is the Media Relations Coordinator for Medcapsaid "We will cure skin diseases, Gastro-intestinal problems, circumcisions, optometric services and even veterinary medical assistance such as deworming, minor wound treatments and anti-rabies vaccination of pets.
Roberts added that their target beneficiaries are 1,000 to 1,5000 per day at any given area to be served by two simultaneous teams composed of 18 representatives from the US side and 19 personel from the Philippine counterpart. "Each patient may avail of several hundreds of dollar cost for his or her medication while special cases such as major surgeries would be referred to designated major government hospitals.
The RP-US Balikatan Humanitarian Exercises will formally be launched on April 17, this year but the engineering teams came ahead to meet their deadlines. "Due to our experiences out of previous balikatan, we decided to start the engineering works as early as April 1 to see to it that all constructions of roads and school buildings would be fully finished once they are turned over to the respective local government units at the end of the Balikatan Exercises," Maj. Bayhon told the said in an interview.
Earlier, apart from infrastructure development, Guinobatan residents, in Albay and its leader have manifested a unique view of the RP-US activities. They want to avail of medical services and the free medicines to cure their illnesses and avail of dental as well as medical checkups.
Mayor Juan Garcia expressed his appreciation for the humanitarian exercises and said earlier that his people want the Medcap on top of the other Balikatan Humanitarian Missions.
"Although we still need more infrastructure developments, we would go for their medicines because they are very potent and the free services save us from the spiraling cost of medications from private institutions, Jovel Ortiola of Barangay Travesia here said Tuesday.
Guinobatan, which was severely devastated by Reming recovered from infrastructure damages after the Bicol Calamity Assistance for Rehabilitation Efforts (BCARE) completed its P10 billion implementation in the region, whose chunks was allocated here.
Col. Ayson added that aside from the doctors, pharmacists and nurses from balikatan, the respective local health officials and their Barangay Health Workers will also assist the group.
USON, Masbate -- Potable water will come out of this deep well being drilled by machines to help the resident of Sawang, Uson, Masbate do away with traditional open-wells that are often contaminated with bacteria during heavy downpours The contuously flowing water shall be impounded into a concrete reservoir and for distribution to the whole Sawang residents and nearby communities for free.
RP, US to probe prostitution allegations
LEGAZPI CITY – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has denied reports that the American servicemen here in Bicol for the month-long RP-US Balikatan exercises, have been provided prostitutes.
Lt. Col. Neneveigh L. Alcovindas, public information officer of the Balikatan mission, said on Monday he was saddened by the report alleging that eight to 10 women were being "delivered" every night to hotels to have sex with the servicemen.
Even if he had issued a denial on behalf of the AFP, Alcovindas said he and his US counterparts have been discussing the matter after the story came out on page one of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
"We have an ongoing joint investigation on this allegation and I have coordinated with US Balikatan public information officer Shane Montgomery," Alcovindas said.
He said Montgomery had assured him that the servicemen were maintaining the highest standard of professionalism and giving due respect to the Filipinos' sensibilities.
"It is true that there were some tourists billeted in various hotels in Legazpi City due to the ongoing Magayon Festival but it could be a case of mistaken identity and the Balikatan servicemen were instead pinpointed," he added.
Tourists rather than the US servicemen might be the targets of the flesh trade but the Balikatan teams were not involved in the 'mess,' the official assured.
555 nurses under ‘NARS’ prgram deployed in Bicol
LEGAZPI CITY -- Some 555 registered nurses have already been dispatched since April 3 to 80 localities across the Bicol region under the Nurses Assigned to Rural Service (NARS) program, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional office here.
In a radio interview at the Ugnayan sa Bikol of PIA, Technical Service and Support Division chief Jose Banda of DOLE Bicol said the newly-hired nurses already underwent orientation on the training modules conducted by DOLE field offices in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon which commenced last April 1.
"The Provincial Training Teams (PTTs) composed of representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Nurses Association (PNA), academe, the Provincial Health Officer, and Head of Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) have conducted the orientation activities," he added.
The NARS Program is one of the job generation programs of the government, that prioritize registered nurses who remain unemployed and whose family member was displaced by the present global economic meltdown.
The newly-hired nurses are deployed at an average of 5 per town or city in the identified 3rd and 6th class municipalities and cities for a six-month tour of duty.
"While on training, hired nurses would be given a stipend of P8,000 per month, while DOLE Bicol has been lobbying to the local chief executives encouraging LGUs to provide additional incentives to the nurses assigned in their areas," Banda related.
"The NARS program will be implemented in two batches, the first batch started April 3 while the second batch will be dispatched in October this year," he added.
"Upon finishing the six-month contract, the hired nurses will be given a certificate of completion which can add to their qualifications if they intend to apply for work here or abroad, " he bared.
He said that some P5.3 million have been allocated for the Bicol region for the NARS program.
The NARS program was launched by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last February as part of the government's efforts to generate jobs for the unemployed workers in line with the pump priming strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of the global financial crisis on the Filipino workforce. (MALoterte, PIA V)
USON, Masbate -- US soldiers are halfway with their construction of a 3-room building at Barangay Dapdap, Uson Msbate as part of the Humanitarian assistance of the US to the Philippine's far-flung communities.
USON, Masbate -- US soldiers are rushing for the deadlines to put up foundation of a water reservoir in Barangay Dapdap, Uson Msbate as part of the Humanitarian assistance of the US to the Philippine's far-flung communities.
USON, Masbate -- Two US soldiers load sand into a mixer for the construction of the 3-classroom school building in Dapdap, Uson Masbate.
USON, Masbate -- US soldiers erest the foundation of the water tank in Barangay Dapdap of Uson, Masbate to serve as water reservoir of one of the deep wells being drilled in two separate villages of this town, the other is in Barangay Sawang.
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