Albay bishop opposes casino plan
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines -- Invoking public morals, the Diocese of Legazpi supported the move of a multisectoral coalition in Albay to oppose the operation of a casino within the entertainment, food, and shopping complex here known as the Embarcadero de Legazpi.
In a press conference over the weekend, Legazpi Bishop Lucilo Quiambao said he would not allow a gambling den to rise within the so-called "lifestyle mall" envisioned to house as well a P1.8-billion Information Technology Park.
Sitting on 2.6 hectares of reclaimed land, the complex, which overlooks the Albay Gulf, was designed by Australian engineers and inspired by the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California.
The letter signed by the multisectoral coalition led by Quiambao stated that "gambling is not a solution to our economic problems. We are for progress but we can achieve it through means that are proactive and do not destroy the moral fiber of our community."
The statement added that "gambling even damages the economy by wasting man hours and materials on activities that do not produce goods and services, which are required to satisfy basic human needs."
Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal has been asked by the coalition to disapprove the proposed casino project while public officials were reminded to uphold public morals while promoting progress.
Legazpi’s Sangguniang Panglunsod (city council), through a majority vote of nine councilors, had passed a resolution which posed no objection to the operation of the controversial casino.
Last week, the city government of Legazpi conducted a public forum to consult various stakeholders on the proposed casino operation, a first in Bicol.
The opposing multisectoral group, however, complained that many of the concerned stakeholders were not consulted during the initial public hearing here.
They said the city government should push for other alternatives to promote economic growth such as tourism, sports development and livelihood program, food production, shelter and education.
Ironically, the Legazpi bishop was among those behind the group that pushed for the construction of the Embarcadero as it would help provide jobs and uplift the socio-economic status of the people in the Bicol Region.
The Albay Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. and the Legazpi City Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed their support to the planned casino operation, saying that it would help shore up the economy and the city's tourism industry.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
August 19, 2009
Livelihood keeps farmers coming back to danger zones
By Rey M. Nasol
GUINOBATAN, Albay – Farmers tending their crops near the danger zones can’t easily give up their source of livelihood amidst the confusing state of unrest of Mayon Volcano as reported by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Gemma Orcena, a market vendor here said that her commodities are harvested from Barangay Mabalod, a village along the slope of Mayon Volcano some 8 kilometers away from the crater. “If we will leave our farms, our crops might be stolen and we would lose our livelihood and it would be very difficult unless an alert level 3 is raised where assistance from the government or other donors would start to compensate for our sources of income,” Orcena explained.
Orcena said that her family tends to their crop which is within the 7 kilometer extended danger zone which is some 30 minutes walking distance from their village there on the slope of Mayon.
In Camalig town, Mayor Carlos Baldo also told reporters in a brief discussion over the weekend that it is true that even in the villages within the Camalig area, there are farmers who won’t just easily give up farming and assured that they are given warnings and are encouraged to be very vigilant and constantly heed warnings from the disaster officials through the mass media.
Joey Manzilla, a 37 year old farmer of Barangay Sua, Camalig town said his farm is near the boundary of Miisi and Anoling, both within the 6-kilometer permanent danger zones “Because there is apparently no signs of immediate eruption, I see to it that I have a new set of batteries in my transistor radio and listen to the news all throughout the farming hour which we usually spend early morning until around 10 am and in the afternoon from 3 pm till dusk,” he said.
Manzilla said his livelihood is helping him send his two sons to the elementary school and give his family ample income for food and other needs. “Based on previous eruptions, we don’t keep a hard head heeding the warning especially when an evacuation is ordered because we are assured of relief assistance during stay at the evacuation centers while those earlier residing in Miisi and anoling were transferred to their relocation site at Barangay Tagaytay and our village (Sua) is outside the danger zones.
Another resident from Barangay Miisi who sought not to be named said “We are very used to the abnormalities of Mayon and we are confident of the disaster officials warning us and constant vigilance is our strategy for our lives and limited stay at our farms save us from hunger.”
Mayon is under alert level 2 for more than one month since July 3 which means the condition is alarming although no definite prediction as to when it will blow its top.
Governor Joey Salceda reiterated the warning that the 6-kilometer permanent danger zones and the 7-kilometer extended danger zones are hazardous to lives in case of an eruption based on the recommendation from the Phivolcs.
Bid for wage increase pushed in Bicol
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY -- Hot debates for the long awaited increase in the minimum wage rates are still being conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Bicol and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productiveity Board (RTWPB).
Bicol RTWPB chairman and concurrent DOLE-Bicol regional director Ernesto Bihis said “Series of wage consultation conferences in provinces of Masbate, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Albay are being undertaken to determine whether or not an increase is due this year.”
“We conduct this wage hearings yearly to assess if a wage increase is necessary or if the existing wage order will stand,” Bihis explained.
Workers here are speculating of the amount that may be added in the increase but the DOLE & RTWPB will remain silent until the study is finished.
DOLE Asst. Reg. Dir. Irma S. Valiente ensured Bicolanos that deliberations on the issue of wage increase is the priority of DOLE and its Wage Board.
Valiente added that this is not an easy matter and should be studied thoroughly since the fate of the workers will depend on these talks.
“We would like to let the public know that this is not a simple job and a lot of factors must be considered.
“The matter of wage increase entails a delicate balancing act of weighing the needs of workers against the employer’s capacity/ability to pay,” Valiente added.
Scientists fear collapse of Mayon crater
By Rey M. Nasol, Inquirer Southern Luzon
LEGAZPI CITY—Scientists fear a collapse of a portion of Mount Mayon’s crater, which holds an estimated 200,000 cubic feet of rocks, could cascade hazardous materials toward a barangay lying in the southeast sector of the volcano even without a major eruption.
Eduardo Laguerta, resident volcanologist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said Thursday that residents and farmers in Barangay Buyuan in this city could be put to danger once this part of the crater collapses.
He said that during the past 24-hour observation period on Thursday, there has been a resurgence of volcanic quakes from an apparent lull during the past few days. The number of quakes increased to 20 on Thursday compared to four recorded on Wednesday.
“There were 20 volcanic quakes and 14 of them are of low frequency characterizing the presence of magma and the high frequency quakes that tell us of possible small rock collapses or the degassing process,” he added.
He explained that the presence of magmatic movement toward the crater could cause a sideward force that would trigger the collapse of this portion of the crater.
The seismic data obtained from Mayon has been accompanied by intensified crater glow and sulfur dioxide emission measured at 210 tons per day on Thursday. Emissions were recorded at 287 tons per day on Wednesday.
Result of the latest ground and aerial surveys showed there is still cause to maintain the alert level 2 status.
“Definitely there is no chance to lower the alert status to level 1 because Mayon is in a very abnormal condition and the crater glow manifests not just convective heat from the gases from beneath but heat from magma that is moving upwards,” said Laguerta.
Alert level 2 means a state of unrest that could lead to ash explosions or eventually to hazardous magmatic eruption.
The Phivolcs strongly recommends that the 6-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) around the volcano and the 7-km Extended Danger Zone (EDZ) on the southeast flank of the volcano are off-limits due to the threat from sudden explosions and rockfalls from the upper slopes.
Active river channels and those areas perennially identified as lahar prone in the southeast sector should also be avoided especially during bad weather conditions or when there is heavy and prolonged rainfall, added the bulletin from Phivolcs.
Climate change awareness pushed for LGU development plans
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY – The spreading of awareness on climate change issues are now being pushed down the local levels to mitigate its impact and incorporate this important issue into development planning efforts in Albay province.
“A worksop is going on here until Thursday which focuses on climate proofing the development plans of partner local government units to come up with a preliminary analysis of climate change risks as well as initial adaptation strategies to adjust the local plans,” Manuel Rangasa, Project director of the Center for Initiatives on Climate Change Adaptation (CIRCA) in Albay said.
Albay governor Joey Salceda also told media here that the technical planning of LGUs on climate check platforms should focus on adaptation and mitigation in the community and in homes. “There is a need to translate the burst cliate change into technical and technology and people to respond. As early as possible all planning officers must be knowledgeable on these issues so that they can give proper advice on the matter.”
The governor said that climate change the biggest obstacle in the attainment of the Medium Development Goal (MDG) and needs prompt action by stakeholders.
The Climate Check for Local Platforms being held from Aug. 18 to 19 at the PDCC conference hall with officials of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety from Germany is a program developed that can be modified for partners to integrate climate change aspects in their works.
“Representatives from the 15 towns and 3 cities of Albay are expected to become aware of the issues in relation to their respective localities and be able to understand concepts on proofing mechanisms and its tools as well as to develop ideas of how to apply climate proofing tools to their work reality,” said Ilona Porsche, environment and climate change technical advisor of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).
On the other hand, Jojo Elvira said that the climate change has taken its toll to the agriculture sector with its big blow on crops and even on livestock which has not fuly recovered since Reming in 2006.
Elvira explained in a press conference Monday afternoon that Agriculture is the main industry in Albay, which produces such crops as coconut, rice, sugar and abaca. “The effects of climate change can drastically affect our local farmers if the issue would not be addressed promptly particularly on its impact to agriculture.”
Handicrafts is the major source of income to rural communities which contributes fairly large share in the small-scale industries of the province. Forestry and papermaking are another source of livelihood.
The manufacture of abaca products such as Manila Hemp, hats, bags, mats and slippers is one of the main sources of income in the rural areas. Fishing is also done along both shores of the province. Tourism, primarily because of Mayon Volcano, also draws income for Albay. “You see the climate change as a very wide effect to our province and that includes infrastructures that need to adapt to new designs that would withstand stronger typhoons and calamities. But the most directly hit by calamities is the agriculture,” Elvira explained.
Elvira particularly cited the case of swine production in Albay that has no longer been able to recover yet since Reming. “Another hindrance is the swine flu that has driven the fear among farmers to pursue their businesses,” he said adding that the Albay Agriculture Rehabilitation Task Force is doing measures to help the farmers cope with their problems.
Elvira said that his office will slate a National Livestock Summit in albay Astrodome on September 16 to 18 “there is a need to address issues such as food security, intersectoral linkages, international trade, emerging diseases, animal welfare, rural development, research and Biotechnology that is why we are pushing for the summit.”
By Rey M. Nasol
GUINOBATAN, Albay – Farmers tending their crops near the danger zones can’t easily give up their source of livelihood amidst the confusing state of unrest of Mayon Volcano as reported by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Gemma Orcena, a market vendor here said that her commodities are harvested from Barangay Mabalod, a village along the slope of Mayon Volcano some 8 kilometers away from the crater. “If we will leave our farms, our crops might be stolen and we would lose our livelihood and it would be very difficult unless an alert level 3 is raised where assistance from the government or other donors would start to compensate for our sources of income,” Orcena explained.
Orcena said that her family tends to their crop which is within the 7 kilometer extended danger zone which is some 30 minutes walking distance from their village there on the slope of Mayon.
In Camalig town, Mayor Carlos Baldo also told reporters in a brief discussion over the weekend that it is true that even in the villages within the Camalig area, there are farmers who won’t just easily give up farming and assured that they are given warnings and are encouraged to be very vigilant and constantly heed warnings from the disaster officials through the mass media.
Joey Manzilla, a 37 year old farmer of Barangay Sua, Camalig town said his farm is near the boundary of Miisi and Anoling, both within the 6-kilometer permanent danger zones “Because there is apparently no signs of immediate eruption, I see to it that I have a new set of batteries in my transistor radio and listen to the news all throughout the farming hour which we usually spend early morning until around 10 am and in the afternoon from 3 pm till dusk,” he said.
Manzilla said his livelihood is helping him send his two sons to the elementary school and give his family ample income for food and other needs. “Based on previous eruptions, we don’t keep a hard head heeding the warning especially when an evacuation is ordered because we are assured of relief assistance during stay at the evacuation centers while those earlier residing in Miisi and anoling were transferred to their relocation site at Barangay Tagaytay and our village (Sua) is outside the danger zones.
Another resident from Barangay Miisi who sought not to be named said “We are very used to the abnormalities of Mayon and we are confident of the disaster officials warning us and constant vigilance is our strategy for our lives and limited stay at our farms save us from hunger.”
Mayon is under alert level 2 for more than one month since July 3 which means the condition is alarming although no definite prediction as to when it will blow its top.
Governor Joey Salceda reiterated the warning that the 6-kilometer permanent danger zones and the 7-kilometer extended danger zones are hazardous to lives in case of an eruption based on the recommendation from the Phivolcs.
Bid for wage increase pushed in Bicol
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY -- Hot debates for the long awaited increase in the minimum wage rates are still being conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Bicol and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productiveity Board (RTWPB).
Bicol RTWPB chairman and concurrent DOLE-Bicol regional director Ernesto Bihis said “Series of wage consultation conferences in provinces of Masbate, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Albay are being undertaken to determine whether or not an increase is due this year.”
“We conduct this wage hearings yearly to assess if a wage increase is necessary or if the existing wage order will stand,” Bihis explained.
Workers here are speculating of the amount that may be added in the increase but the DOLE & RTWPB will remain silent until the study is finished.
DOLE Asst. Reg. Dir. Irma S. Valiente ensured Bicolanos that deliberations on the issue of wage increase is the priority of DOLE and its Wage Board.
Valiente added that this is not an easy matter and should be studied thoroughly since the fate of the workers will depend on these talks.
“We would like to let the public know that this is not a simple job and a lot of factors must be considered.
“The matter of wage increase entails a delicate balancing act of weighing the needs of workers against the employer’s capacity/ability to pay,” Valiente added.
Scientists fear collapse of Mayon crater
By Rey M. Nasol, Inquirer Southern Luzon
LEGAZPI CITY—Scientists fear a collapse of a portion of Mount Mayon’s crater, which holds an estimated 200,000 cubic feet of rocks, could cascade hazardous materials toward a barangay lying in the southeast sector of the volcano even without a major eruption.
Eduardo Laguerta, resident volcanologist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said Thursday that residents and farmers in Barangay Buyuan in this city could be put to danger once this part of the crater collapses.
He said that during the past 24-hour observation period on Thursday, there has been a resurgence of volcanic quakes from an apparent lull during the past few days. The number of quakes increased to 20 on Thursday compared to four recorded on Wednesday.
“There were 20 volcanic quakes and 14 of them are of low frequency characterizing the presence of magma and the high frequency quakes that tell us of possible small rock collapses or the degassing process,” he added.
He explained that the presence of magmatic movement toward the crater could cause a sideward force that would trigger the collapse of this portion of the crater.
The seismic data obtained from Mayon has been accompanied by intensified crater glow and sulfur dioxide emission measured at 210 tons per day on Thursday. Emissions were recorded at 287 tons per day on Wednesday.
Result of the latest ground and aerial surveys showed there is still cause to maintain the alert level 2 status.
“Definitely there is no chance to lower the alert status to level 1 because Mayon is in a very abnormal condition and the crater glow manifests not just convective heat from the gases from beneath but heat from magma that is moving upwards,” said Laguerta.
Alert level 2 means a state of unrest that could lead to ash explosions or eventually to hazardous magmatic eruption.
The Phivolcs strongly recommends that the 6-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) around the volcano and the 7-km Extended Danger Zone (EDZ) on the southeast flank of the volcano are off-limits due to the threat from sudden explosions and rockfalls from the upper slopes.
Active river channels and those areas perennially identified as lahar prone in the southeast sector should also be avoided especially during bad weather conditions or when there is heavy and prolonged rainfall, added the bulletin from Phivolcs.
Climate change awareness pushed for LGU development plans
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY – The spreading of awareness on climate change issues are now being pushed down the local levels to mitigate its impact and incorporate this important issue into development planning efforts in Albay province.
“A worksop is going on here until Thursday which focuses on climate proofing the development plans of partner local government units to come up with a preliminary analysis of climate change risks as well as initial adaptation strategies to adjust the local plans,” Manuel Rangasa, Project director of the Center for Initiatives on Climate Change Adaptation (CIRCA) in Albay said.
Albay governor Joey Salceda also told media here that the technical planning of LGUs on climate check platforms should focus on adaptation and mitigation in the community and in homes. “There is a need to translate the burst cliate change into technical and technology and people to respond. As early as possible all planning officers must be knowledgeable on these issues so that they can give proper advice on the matter.”
The governor said that climate change the biggest obstacle in the attainment of the Medium Development Goal (MDG) and needs prompt action by stakeholders.
The Climate Check for Local Platforms being held from Aug. 18 to 19 at the PDCC conference hall with officials of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety from Germany is a program developed that can be modified for partners to integrate climate change aspects in their works.
“Representatives from the 15 towns and 3 cities of Albay are expected to become aware of the issues in relation to their respective localities and be able to understand concepts on proofing mechanisms and its tools as well as to develop ideas of how to apply climate proofing tools to their work reality,” said Ilona Porsche, environment and climate change technical advisor of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).
On the other hand, Jojo Elvira said that the climate change has taken its toll to the agriculture sector with its big blow on crops and even on livestock which has not fuly recovered since Reming in 2006.
Elvira explained in a press conference Monday afternoon that Agriculture is the main industry in Albay, which produces such crops as coconut, rice, sugar and abaca. “The effects of climate change can drastically affect our local farmers if the issue would not be addressed promptly particularly on its impact to agriculture.”
Handicrafts is the major source of income to rural communities which contributes fairly large share in the small-scale industries of the province. Forestry and papermaking are another source of livelihood.
The manufacture of abaca products such as Manila Hemp, hats, bags, mats and slippers is one of the main sources of income in the rural areas. Fishing is also done along both shores of the province. Tourism, primarily because of Mayon Volcano, also draws income for Albay. “You see the climate change as a very wide effect to our province and that includes infrastructures that need to adapt to new designs that would withstand stronger typhoons and calamities. But the most directly hit by calamities is the agriculture,” Elvira explained.
Elvira particularly cited the case of swine production in Albay that has no longer been able to recover yet since Reming. “Another hindrance is the swine flu that has driven the fear among farmers to pursue their businesses,” he said adding that the Albay Agriculture Rehabilitation Task Force is doing measures to help the farmers cope with their problems.
Elvira said that his office will slate a National Livestock Summit in albay Astrodome on September 16 to 18 “there is a need to address issues such as food security, intersectoral linkages, international trade, emerging diseases, animal welfare, rural development, research and Biotechnology that is why we are pushing for the summit.”
Sunday, August 9, 2009
These boys are assured they could go on with their past times along the break-water near the Legazpi City Pier site even as high rise buildings for the Lifestyle Mall (Embarcadero de Legazpi) emerge at the nearby foot of the Kapuntukan Hill.
Roderick Mendoza, of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) unwraps one of the Basic Life Support Kits given to 56 barangays around Mayon Volcano together with other emergency equipment and mountain bikes in preparation for possible evacuation of some 127,000 residents in case of an eruption.
The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) has provided two mountain bikes for each of the 56 villages around Mayon Volcano’s hazard zones. Mr. Abundio Nuñez Jr. poses with them before the turnover ceremonies last Tuesday.
EMBARCADERO:Home of a lifestyle mall by the sea, the Embarcadero de Legazpi sits on top of solid foundation along the reclaimed portion of the Legazpi City Port area beside the Kapuntukan Hill known as ‘Sleeping Lion’. This area comes alive especially at night with bars, restaurants, shopping centers, celebration hall and other amenities inspired by the Fisherman’s Wharf of California.
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LCWD to desalinate seawater for homes
LEGAZPI CITY - The city government of Legazpi is planning to boost its water supply by tapping another raw source aside from the Yawa River.
"The residents of Legazpi had suffered months, if not years of inadequate supply of potable water which prompted the local government unit to look for alternative sources for the growing demand," Engineer Rafael A. Villar said.
Villar said that the plan which is now at the committee on laws and rules of the Sangguniang Panlungaod chaired by City Councilor Alfredo A. Garbin, requests a passage of a resolution authorizing Mayor Noel E. Rosal to apply for and or avail of he Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) grant facility for a Seawater Desalination Plant Project with an estimated cost of some US$5 million.
Villar, spokesman of the Albay Consumers Association (Alconas) who was also invited by Garbin to the committee hearing Tuesday said the city said that Legazpi water consumers have been dependent on the natural springs along the slopes of Mayon Volcano particularly at Barangay Buyuan and Mabinit but have earlier been provided with purified tap water from the Yawa River by the Phil Hydro systems and the Legazpi City Water District (LCWD).
The said planned project although not yet clear which country will provide grant through the ODA will get water from the sea to be desalinated and purified and introduced into the existing LCWD pipelines to meet the demand of the consumers.
Villar said he would insist on proposing to the city to avail of the desalination technology which could maximize the by-products of the process such as the collection of salt, and electricity that might be produced in the process of steam and condensation stage. "There are four methods of water desalination plants that I know and these are 1) Electrodialysis 2) Vacuum Freezing 3) Flash Distillation and 4) Reverse Osmosis. And whichever they employ, must maximize the byproducts and resources," Villar said.
Phivolcs urges creation of Mayon watch volunteer groups
SCIENTISTS urge disaster councils to be on close watch and warn tourists to keep away from the Mayon Resthouse Resort in Tabaco City and the Lava Front, both within the danger zones, as Mayon volcano's signs of abnormal seismicity may lead to an explosive eruptions similar to that in previous eruptions.
Renato Solidum, Philippine Institute of Volcano and Seismology (Phivolcs) director on Tuesday came here and asked disaster authorities to strictly enforce their respective disaster preparedness plan in view of the complex abnormal condition of the volcano.
Solidum, also urged disaster authorities to organize a volunteer observer's network to be composed of ordinary residents and even the media practitioners designed to give information to Phivolcs concerning unusual occurrences in their respective areas related to the seismic abnormality of the volcano.
He said the community observation network would supplement the agency's seismic instruments put up to monitor Mayon volcano's condition with what is considered as physical observations
"Community observation reports such as animal behaviors, drying of wells, unusual sounds, increase in ground temperature would help the agency in assessing the seismic condition of the volcano," Solidum said.
Solidum who personally assessed the preparedness plan of the Phivolcs in relative to the Mount Mayon's restiveness said four Seismograph instruments, a Correlation Spectrometer (COSPEC), Global Positioning Satellites (GPS), Precise Leveling survey including visual observation instruments and the Fly Spectrometer are at work in harmony with each others to adequately provide scientific measurements of the activities of Mayon.
But he said the residents' physical observations are also essential and helpful just the same.
The Mayon Volcano crater taken by Roderick Mendoza during the first aerial survey sometime in July, this year that confirmed the need to raise the alert level 2.
He said these instruments would predict volcanic eruptions by recording earthquakes on the geological aspect, measuring Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) emissions on the geochemical aspect, as well as ground deformation for the Geodetic aspect and other precursors.
Solidum urged disaster authorities to be on full alert and be prepared for the complex condition with a possibility for an explosive eruptions manifested by previous eruptions.
Although tourism is inevitable, Solidum suggested to Tabaco City Mayon Krisel Lagman-Luistro that it is best to designate a temporary viewing deck for tourists from a safer distance as the Mayon Resthouse is very near the crater and poses great hazards. "It is even more beautiful to view Mayon from a distance because you would have a full view of it rather than when you are up there," Solidum said.
Solidum citing previous eruptions records said in 1814 and 1897 Mayon volcano exhibited a Plinian eruption (the most violent type such as that of Pinatubo in 1991) that buried the Cagsawa church in Camalig town, 1984 had a Strombolian eruption displayed by lava flow followed later by ash explosion; 1993 was a steam driven explosion that triggered a crater collapsed in the southeastern part of the crater that killed close to a hundred villagers farming at the slopes the volcano.
In 2001, the volcano exhibited a moderate eruption while in 2006 was a Strombolian type of eruption where it exhibited a lava flow that cascaded 6.2 kilometers down the Mabinit channel.
As masbate sleeps one ‘purok’ is born
MASBATE CITY-Every time Masbateños rise to a new day, there are 23 more of them, the equivalent of a new purok.
Each time a month ends, there are 713 more Masbateños, the equivalent of a new barangay.
And each time a new budget of the provincial government of Masbate is approved every year, 8,556 more people are counting on getting something from it.
By the time Governor Elisa Kho finishes his three-year term next year, another 7,843 Masbateños will have been added to around 780,000 constituents today, the equivalent of more than half of the population of the municipality of Batuan.
This is the speed by which the province's population-768,939 as counted in the 2007 census-is growing, posing a heavy burden on government.
With more than one baby being born every hour, the local governments-including one city, 20 towns and 550 barangays-should be racing against time to be able to provide the social services required by its growing constituency.
Surveys have shown that most of the province's residents rely on the government for health, education and security because they cannot afford private services.
The province's dependency ratio shows that one Masbateño is providing for four others, a burden that many poor people are unable to take up and eventually pass on to local governments.
Cash subsidies
There was no available data on how much the provincial government and its counterparts in the lower government units are spending for the social service requirements of every Masbateño.
The national government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, has been providing monthly cash subsidies to at least 33,000 households in Masbate.
Missing LGU support
A recent United Nations-sponsored study reported that Masbate has conditions already approximating those in impoverished, often famine-stricken African countries.
In view of the UN report, two questions beg for answers: Will Masbateño families have enough means to feed their children and provide for their development as productive adults? Will the LGUs' social system for delivering health, nutrition and education become more efficient and faster than the additional children they will need to serve?
LGUs that have been failing low-income families by not helping them to plan their size, which drives them into poverty, ought to answer the questions. (EADelgado, PIA Masbate)
Stakeholders review Abaca Dev’t Program
VIRAC, Catanduanes -- The Catanduanes Unlad Abaca (CUA) Program, a joint of project of the Provincial Government of Catanduanes, Catanduanes State Colleges (CSC), Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) and the Department of Science and Technology, sponsored an in-house research and development review recently and covered ten (10) completed and on-going research projects.
The panel, composed of Dr. Elena de los Santos of the Bicol Integrated Research Council, Catanduanes Colleges President Ephraim Antonio Garcia, DOST Provincial Director Jimmy Cabrera and PPDO planning and evaluation officer Romeo Aquino, reviewed the presentation of the researchers at the CSC Little Theater last July 22, 2009.
The CUA program was launched to address the challenges and concerns in an effort to bring about sustainability and stability of the abaca industry in Catanduanes. It has four major concerns: rehabilitation and densitification, production and mechanization, research and development and monitoring of evaluation.
It was funded for the period 2008-2010 a total project cost of P16.3 million. It also seeks to increase abaca production in the province through improved farming and techniques ensuring the province's dominance in abaca industry in the country. (EABagadiong, PIA Catanduanes)
7 vie for Friendly Schools Search
SEVEN educational institutions in Bicol are competing for the National Search for Sustainable and Eco Friendly Schools, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Bicol Tuesday said.
The national search is a joint activity of the DENR through the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Edeucation (CHED), and Smart Communication.
Gibert Gonzales, EMB regional director, said based on the selection criteria set by contest regional evaluators, the schools qualified to vie for the search are: Catanduanes State College in Virac, Catanduanes;
The Partido State University in Goa town; Camarines Sur State Agricultural College in Pili; Camarines Sur National High School in Naga City, all in Camarines Sur;
The Cawayan Exterior Elementary School in Masbate; the San Lorenzo National High School in Tabaco City and the Sunshine International School in this city.
Gonzales said the regional evaluation of outstanding eco-friendly schools from elementary to tertiary levels will select winners according to their physical accomplished projects committed on pro-environmental advocacy.
Evaluators would select among the qualifiers three of the regions finest schools exemplifying sustainable and eco-friendly programs which will represent Bicol to the National Search on November this year.
All winning regional entries will receive cash prizes and plaques of recognition for outstanding environmental friendly and sustainable programs and will qualify to the national search this November.
For the national level prizes include College, High School and Elementary levels: P50,000 for 1st Prize, P40,000-2nd Prize, P30,000-3rd Prize and plaques of recognition. (MSA)
Nutrition Day celebration held at Barangay Binitayan, Daraga, Albay with the theme "Wastong Nutrition Kailangan: Lifestyle Disease Iwasan" was held on July 31. In photo are pupils including Audi Jay Ante, his classmates and teacher Orly Marigondon.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
JULY 12 - 18, 2009
High School education elusive to Bicol youths
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY - Education among Bicolano youths has become more elusive not only for college but also in the High School level especially at public schools, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) report said.
Engineer Gil Arce, regional director of the NSCB-Bicol said in a separate interview that only half (52.01 percent) of the first year enrollees finish High School in school year 2006 - 2007 while the rest give up on their dreamed education as early as they reach midway of their studies.
"This was revealed by the data we received from a study of the Department of Education (DepEd) during the past two years. The figure is 13.3 percent even lower than the rate recorded for high school before 2007," Arce revealed.
Aside from that, those that manage to survive schooling at secondary level showed an alarming deterioration of quality of secondary schools systems as reflected in the National Achievement Tests.
This condition which affects both private and public institutions is feared to affect the region as well as the country's Human Resources that enter the labor force both here and abroad who bring home the bacon. "However, the rates indicated here refer to public schools only," Arce explained adding that most of the students at private schools are from the well to do families.
Performance indicators showed a general deterioration of the region's secondary school system between school year 2002-2003 and 2006-2007.
"The period saw a 10.6 percentage point decline in participation rate in the secondary level, an indication that more children who should be in high school were not," Arce said.
The study also revealed that the participation rate of 55.3 percent during School Year 2006 - 2007 also means that only a little over half of school-going age children who are supposed to be in high school were enrolled in the same school year.
Notably, the enrollment in private high schools between the 2002-2003 and 2006-2007 school years dropped by 2.7 percent and public schools enrollment increased by 4 percent. The overall enrollment for both private and public secondary institutions, however increased by 3 percent.
Within the same period, retention rate in the secondary level dropped by 7.6 percent points. "This means that the percentage of enrollees in the secondary level who continued to be in high school the following year declined," Arce said.
Transition rate in the secondary level reached 88 percent during school year 2006-2007, an improvement of 5.8 percentage points from school year 2002-2003. transition rate is the percentage of students who graduated from one level of education and moved on to the next higher level such as from high school to college. "While this means that there was a higher percentage of high school graduates who made it to college or technical-vocational courses in school year 2006 -2007 than in school year 2002-2003, there was also lower percentage of students who reached the final year of the secondary level in School Year 2006-2007 as indicated by the 7.1 percentage points decline in the survival rate.
Repetition rate, or the ratio of the number of students who enrolled in the same year level in the current School Year to the total enrollment in the previous school year, significantly increased from 2.7 percent in SY 2002-2003 to 3.4 percent in SY 2006-2007.
Similarly, dropout rate, or the ration of the number of students who left the school for any reason during the school year to total enrollment, rose from 5.8 percent in SY 2002-2003 to 6.1 percent in SY 2006-2007.
Aside from the above indicators, results of the National Achievement Tests (NAT) for secondary schools indicate, and more alarmingly, the deterioration of quality in the secondary schools system. The NAT result covers both public and private schools.
On the average, not once in the three years of record, had the secondary schools in the region surpassed the cut-off (75 percent) for the said evaluation. The underperformance is apparent in all the five subject areas of the achievement tests.
Results in four of the five subject areas of the NAT generally worsened between SY 2004-2005 and 2006-2007. these subject areas were English (by 1.4 percentage points), Mathematics (by 1.7 percentage points), Science and Health (by 5.7 percentage points) and HEKASI or Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika (by 2.4 percentage points).
Only the Filipino subject area showed a measly 1.2 percentage point improvement during the SY 2004 -2005 to SY 2006-2007. On the average, the results of the NAT in the Bicol region weakened by 2 percentage points within the period.
"Human resource is the most important resource of the country's economy. The quality of human resource that enters the labor force bears heavily on the economy's productive capacity. Education and other human capital are important in promoting economic growth and a strong position in international markets," Arce said adding a warning that deterioration in an educational system can result to an inferior labor force affecting employability and productivity.
Education, according to experts can be viewed as an investment that equips individuals with the necessary skills for their optimum contribution to the country's economic and social well-being. "Government and households therefore should invest in education with the expectation that higher benefits would accrue over time," Arce explained.
Bicolanos told to build calamity-proof homes and insure crops
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY -- Lives of people are safe due to zero casualty plan of the Albay public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) but a very vital factor that engages residents particularly farmers at areas supposed to be no-man's-lands because of the livelihood and their crops and properties go to naught in times of calamities.
This is the reason why the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has recommended measures to attain not only zero casualties but also zero property damage to infrastructure as well as home and crop investments.
With the institutionalization of the APSEMO zero casualties during calamities is almost perfectly attainable "but it is very difficult for the properties because calamities bring down economies to square one," Engineer Luis G. Banua, Assistant Regional director of NEDA-Bicol said on Wednesday.
Banua said households, government buildings and farms must be assisted with their respective insurance in order to recover and quickly rehabilitate from damages incurred in calamities. "Households are best designed with stronger foundation and with concrete roofing to make them calamity proof because based on experiences the roofs are normally the first part of homes and buildings that are affected during typhoons," Banua explained adding that a good design for calamity-prone areas are those whose roofs are made of concrete materials.
To lead the advocacy "we started this with the projects assisted by the Spanish government on putting up of day care centers. We also started the same types of construction for other projects of Agriculture Social Support and Environment Facilities Projects funded by the Spanish government in several municipalities of Bicol region," Banua said.
He explained that homes and building that would still use galvanized iron sheets (GI sheets) must provide protective concrete panels around the roof areas to prevent strong winds from destroying them. "So if that is the case, there will be not so much problems on expenses for repairs after typhoons and now it is apt for the people to adapt these strategy and we would gladly help provide them designs if they like," he said.
Banua said that the NEDA has already existing models in various local government units such as the day care centers in the towns of San Jacinto, Masbate, Bato Catanduanes, Canaman, Camarines Sur and other ongoing projects in Albay and other areas of Bicol.
Insurance of infrastructures are being espoused by the Regional Development Council (RDC) to see to it that all government buildings are covered with insurance for its budgets and the RDC is pushing for the insurance budget in the National budget act so that in times of calamities, government agencies would no longer have problems on rehabilitation of their edifices because insurance companies shall immediately take their responsibilities after calamities. The government buildings include school, offices and even infrastructure facilities but Banua did not mention whether the RDC already included dams, roads and irrigation facilities.
The NEDA official said that the DepEd has already adopted this system because of huge losses in terms of school buildings in previous typhoons and other calamities. "Government agencies such as Commission on Audit (COA), the Regional Trial Court are taking so long (one or two years because it has to wait for the inclusion of repair budget to the National Appropriation Act) before they are fully refurbished but with the proper insurance they could have been fully restored nowadays."
The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), although existing for quite sometime is not yet fully availed of by farmers particularly the small time farmers.
"If only farmers are insuring their crops, they would no longer have problems of possible losses in case of typhoons, volcanic eruptions and even landslides and floods," Banua explained.
He also said that health insurance of poor Bicolanos including farmers are already starting to become wider in coverage as some local government units are already sponsoring for the PhilHealth enrollment of their poor residents such as Albay with Target of some 200,000 beneficiaries.
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY - Education among Bicolano youths has become more elusive not only for college but also in the High School level especially at public schools, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) report said.
Engineer Gil Arce, regional director of the NSCB-Bicol said in a separate interview that only half (52.01 percent) of the first year enrollees finish High School in school year 2006 - 2007 while the rest give up on their dreamed education as early as they reach midway of their studies.
"This was revealed by the data we received from a study of the Department of Education (DepEd) during the past two years. The figure is 13.3 percent even lower than the rate recorded for high school before 2007," Arce revealed.
Aside from that, those that manage to survive schooling at secondary level showed an alarming deterioration of quality of secondary schools systems as reflected in the National Achievement Tests.
This condition which affects both private and public institutions is feared to affect the region as well as the country's Human Resources that enter the labor force both here and abroad who bring home the bacon. "However, the rates indicated here refer to public schools only," Arce explained adding that most of the students at private schools are from the well to do families.
Performance indicators showed a general deterioration of the region's secondary school system between school year 2002-2003 and 2006-2007.
"The period saw a 10.6 percentage point decline in participation rate in the secondary level, an indication that more children who should be in high school were not," Arce said.
The study also revealed that the participation rate of 55.3 percent during School Year 2006 - 2007 also means that only a little over half of school-going age children who are supposed to be in high school were enrolled in the same school year.
Notably, the enrollment in private high schools between the 2002-2003 and 2006-2007 school years dropped by 2.7 percent and public schools enrollment increased by 4 percent. The overall enrollment for both private and public secondary institutions, however increased by 3 percent.
Within the same period, retention rate in the secondary level dropped by 7.6 percent points. "This means that the percentage of enrollees in the secondary level who continued to be in high school the following year declined," Arce said.
Transition rate in the secondary level reached 88 percent during school year 2006-2007, an improvement of 5.8 percentage points from school year 2002-2003. transition rate is the percentage of students who graduated from one level of education and moved on to the next higher level such as from high school to college. "While this means that there was a higher percentage of high school graduates who made it to college or technical-vocational courses in school year 2006 -2007 than in school year 2002-2003, there was also lower percentage of students who reached the final year of the secondary level in School Year 2006-2007 as indicated by the 7.1 percentage points decline in the survival rate.
Repetition rate, or the ratio of the number of students who enrolled in the same year level in the current School Year to the total enrollment in the previous school year, significantly increased from 2.7 percent in SY 2002-2003 to 3.4 percent in SY 2006-2007.
Similarly, dropout rate, or the ration of the number of students who left the school for any reason during the school year to total enrollment, rose from 5.8 percent in SY 2002-2003 to 6.1 percent in SY 2006-2007.
Aside from the above indicators, results of the National Achievement Tests (NAT) for secondary schools indicate, and more alarmingly, the deterioration of quality in the secondary schools system. The NAT result covers both public and private schools.
On the average, not once in the three years of record, had the secondary schools in the region surpassed the cut-off (75 percent) for the said evaluation. The underperformance is apparent in all the five subject areas of the achievement tests.
Results in four of the five subject areas of the NAT generally worsened between SY 2004-2005 and 2006-2007. these subject areas were English (by 1.4 percentage points), Mathematics (by 1.7 percentage points), Science and Health (by 5.7 percentage points) and HEKASI or Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika (by 2.4 percentage points).
Only the Filipino subject area showed a measly 1.2 percentage point improvement during the SY 2004 -2005 to SY 2006-2007. On the average, the results of the NAT in the Bicol region weakened by 2 percentage points within the period.
"Human resource is the most important resource of the country's economy. The quality of human resource that enters the labor force bears heavily on the economy's productive capacity. Education and other human capital are important in promoting economic growth and a strong position in international markets," Arce said adding a warning that deterioration in an educational system can result to an inferior labor force affecting employability and productivity.
Education, according to experts can be viewed as an investment that equips individuals with the necessary skills for their optimum contribution to the country's economic and social well-being. "Government and households therefore should invest in education with the expectation that higher benefits would accrue over time," Arce explained.
Bicolanos told to build calamity-proof homes and insure crops
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY -- Lives of people are safe due to zero casualty plan of the Albay public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) but a very vital factor that engages residents particularly farmers at areas supposed to be no-man's-lands because of the livelihood and their crops and properties go to naught in times of calamities.
This is the reason why the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has recommended measures to attain not only zero casualties but also zero property damage to infrastructure as well as home and crop investments.
With the institutionalization of the APSEMO zero casualties during calamities is almost perfectly attainable "but it is very difficult for the properties because calamities bring down economies to square one," Engineer Luis G. Banua, Assistant Regional director of NEDA-Bicol said on Wednesday.
Banua said households, government buildings and farms must be assisted with their respective insurance in order to recover and quickly rehabilitate from damages incurred in calamities. "Households are best designed with stronger foundation and with concrete roofing to make them calamity proof because based on experiences the roofs are normally the first part of homes and buildings that are affected during typhoons," Banua explained adding that a good design for calamity-prone areas are those whose roofs are made of concrete materials.
To lead the advocacy "we started this with the projects assisted by the Spanish government on putting up of day care centers. We also started the same types of construction for other projects of Agriculture Social Support and Environment Facilities Projects funded by the Spanish government in several municipalities of Bicol region," Banua said.
He explained that homes and building that would still use galvanized iron sheets (GI sheets) must provide protective concrete panels around the roof areas to prevent strong winds from destroying them. "So if that is the case, there will be not so much problems on expenses for repairs after typhoons and now it is apt for the people to adapt these strategy and we would gladly help provide them designs if they like," he said.
Banua said that the NEDA has already existing models in various local government units such as the day care centers in the towns of San Jacinto, Masbate, Bato Catanduanes, Canaman, Camarines Sur and other ongoing projects in Albay and other areas of Bicol.
Insurance of infrastructures are being espoused by the Regional Development Council (RDC) to see to it that all government buildings are covered with insurance for its budgets and the RDC is pushing for the insurance budget in the National budget act so that in times of calamities, government agencies would no longer have problems on rehabilitation of their edifices because insurance companies shall immediately take their responsibilities after calamities. The government buildings include school, offices and even infrastructure facilities but Banua did not mention whether the RDC already included dams, roads and irrigation facilities.
The NEDA official said that the DepEd has already adopted this system because of huge losses in terms of school buildings in previous typhoons and other calamities. "Government agencies such as Commission on Audit (COA), the Regional Trial Court are taking so long (one or two years because it has to wait for the inclusion of repair budget to the National Appropriation Act) before they are fully refurbished but with the proper insurance they could have been fully restored nowadays."
The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), although existing for quite sometime is not yet fully availed of by farmers particularly the small time farmers.
"If only farmers are insuring their crops, they would no longer have problems of possible losses in case of typhoons, volcanic eruptions and even landslides and floods," Banua explained.
He also said that health insurance of poor Bicolanos including farmers are already starting to become wider in coverage as some local government units are already sponsoring for the PhilHealth enrollment of their poor residents such as Albay with Target of some 200,000 beneficiaries.
Authorities securing Mayon danger zones
By Mar S. Arguelles
LEGAZPI CITY -- Disaster authorities heightened security measures by setting up police and military check points in designated danger zones around Mayon volcano to ensure the safety of residents in case the volcano erupts.
Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) chairman at Sunday's council meeting, said the measure would prevent people to trek the volcano's surrounding, the 6-km Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) and the 7-km extended danger zone at the southeast quadrant of the volcano.
Salceda said “we have to enforce the off limits rule to prevent any untoward incidence that might occur once the volcano goes at an eruptive stage.”
“The rule will apply to all residents and visitors including media reporters covering the Mayon eruption event, reinforcing the long standing policy of a 'Zero Casualty' objective of the province in times of disasters," Salceda said.
Army Col. Marlou Salazar, commanding officer of the 901st Army Brigade here, said he has set up checkpoints in 12 villages surrounding the PDZs around the volcano covering Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Polangui towns and the cities of Ligao and Legazpi.
Salazar said the brigade has deployed a battalion of soldiers to man the checkpoints and maintain security in times of evacuation.
He also reported that 15 (6X6) Army trucks and several light vehicles are on stand by for dispatch when disaster authorities declares mass evacuation procedures. The trucks can load 30 people, Salazar said.
Aside from the check points, soldiers are also holding dialogues with village officials and residents concerning rescue and evacuation procedures in times of eruptions, he said.
Salceda said under Alert Level 3 disaster authorities will have to evacuate over 8,000 people or 1,785 families living near the 6-km PDZ and under Alert level 4 around 75,144 people or 15,243 families in 39 villages around the volcano have to be move to safer grounds.
As this developed, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Mayon's alert status remains at level 2, meaning the volcano is on a moderate stage of unrest.
Bicol tourism up despite GFC
By Bennie A. Recebido
PIA-Sorsogon
Despite the economic slowdown felt around the world today, this province is still doing well in tourism industry.
Data from the Department of Tourism (DoT) during the last quarter of 2008 has revealed a total number of 83,541 tourists, with a gross rate of 39 percent, visited the province, out of whom 71,570 are foreign and 11,971 are local tourists.
The DoT is still currently working out for statistics of tourists coming in to the province for the past two quarters of 2009 which they have initially assessed as still increasing.
Kinatawan Francisco Ravanilla, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Tourism chair, said the global financial crisis can be a challenge toward creative ways of marketing Sorsogon's tourism industry.
Citing the whaleshark in Donsol, the prime tourist attraction in the province, Ravanilla said that it has consistently attracting local and foreign tourists since the town was officially declared as "The Whaleshark Capital of the World" in 1998.
"Aside from Donsol's whaleshark, other eco-tourism destinations in the province also promise better opportunities for investment and economic development as well as job generation among the locals," he said.
Among the other attractions he enumerated were the mangrove forest in Pto. Diaz town, Bulusan Lake in Bulusan, also situated at the foot of Bulusan Volcano, the natural hot springs in Irosin and the white-sand beaches in Gubat town and in Bacon District in Sorsogon City.
It can be noted that the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAs) has identified Sorsogon as a "major hit" among the foreign tourists and has mapped out plans for the tourism industry of the province and the current economic crunch.
NAITAs is the largest group of travel agencies working together to come up with attractive tourism package. (PIA Sorsogon)
Farm, fishery sector RPs top job creator
LEGAZPI CITY - Almost half a million jobs were generated from the farm and fishery sector this year, making it the top job generator for the first quarter of 2009, according to Presidential Economic Adviser and Albay Governor Joey Salceda.
Salceda on Tuesday said that based on data of the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics, employment in the farm and fisheries sector as of April 2009 was estimated at 12.318 million, which is higher by 3.47 percent compared to 11.905 million for the same period last year.
"Philippine agriculture created more jobs than the trade sector, which only ranked second with 345,000 jobs," he added.
He said "this proves that the Arroyo government's decision to reverse 30 years of official neglect of the agriculture sector through sustained, higher public investments is now reaping positive results."
The government has also increased spending for agriculture, focusing on irrigation and other rural infrastructure which already yielded positive results with the increased of palay rice production by 5.1 percent or double its average growth a year ago.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has also fast tracked rehabilitation and restoration work of irrigation system that has allowed farmers to plant an additional 69,000 hectares of farmland or 5.7 percent more than last year.
The administration of President Arroyo has increased spending on agriculture, P25.36 billion in 2007, P35.39 billion in 2008 and P46.86 billion this year.
Salceda further recommended to the government to pour more "stimulus funds" into the country's agriculture, particularly into irrigation, to sustain the sector's resilience and its status as a primary growth driver even in the midst of a global financial contagion.
"Without the agriculture growth contribution, GDP [gross domestic product] would have been sub-zero. Despite the obvious odds, its 2.1-percent increase in gross value added may not be stellar but it was the highest among the sectors which best proves the logic of government budgetary stimulus, specifically to the Department of Agriculture,'' he said.
He added that the Department of Agriculture's policies in the last two years have enabled the agriculture sector, which accounts for 20 percent of the economy, to remain resilient while every other sector had gone into a slump.
From 2001, the start of the Arroyo presidency, to the present, the government was able to generate a total of 8.95 million jobs in the private sector and at least 12 million jobs were created through government projects, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). (PIA V Release)
Funds out to speed up land acquisition for new Airport
LEGAZPI CITY - The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) has transferred to the Albay Provincial Government P85 million to pay for the 140-hectare prime land straddling the areas of Daraga and Camalig town to be developed for the Bicol International Airport .
DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza recently turned-over to Albay Governor Joey Salceda the funds for the purchase of the new airport site.
DOTC officials and Albay local officials, including Camalig mayor Irwin Baldo and Daraga mayor Cicero Triumfante, and officials of the five barangays on the actual site of the proposed airport witnessed the turn-over ceremony.
Mendoza said construction works on the proposed airport are expected to start shortly and set its completion within 30 months or two and a half years.
Salceda conceptualized the idea of the Bicol International Airport and has since pursuing the construction of the new airport in Albay province to fast track and catapult the region's economic development.
He said the proposed airport and its facilities will answer the need for a modern airport in Southern Luzon that will cater to more business activities in the area and conveniently links Bicol to the rest of the country and the world.
He added the air transport facility would further improve the performance of the region in tourism arrivals, employment generation and business investment.
The Bicol International Airport easily qualifies as among the biggest and most ambitious government projects in the Bicol Region to date, with prospects of even greater returns on investment. (MALoterte, PIA V)
PhilHealth targets universal coverage in Bicol by October
LEGAZPI CITY— The remaining months in office of President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo will be devoted to education, peace talks and call for civic duty, according to Albay Governor Joey Salceda.
Salceda, who is also a senior economic adviser of the President, said the Arroyo administration will focus on upgrading the educational system in the country, including the hiring of additional teachers, construction of more classrooms and other school facilities.
“We can expect the administration to pour in more money on education and pursue the establishment of regional universities based on the recommendation for Philippine Main Education Highway,” he noted.
He said the administration is also determined to reopen and pursue peace negotiations with the National Democratic Fronts (NDF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Fronts (MILF).
“Talk is cheap… but in the peace process, talk is very critical. So, this is the only instance where talk is not cheap. At least in talking, it will put us back in the peace process,” he stressed.
Salceda further said the President will encourage more involvement from the civic society to share the burden of nationhood, especially a call for civic duty among the youth.
“Such may be the main theme of the upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President on July 27,” he averred.
As to the achievements of the President in 2008 alone, Salceda said he gave President Arroyo a passing grade of 92 percent for handling very well the national economy, adding that she was able to overcome all crises, especially the economic slowdown.
“We are one of only nine countries that did not contract, we were still able to produce a lot more jobs,” he stressed.
“Also in 2008, the Arroyo administration devoted more on social welfare programs and services in response to fuel crisis, food, crisis, financial crisis, and then later the global economic crisis,” he added.
Salceda further stated “as far as her performance from 2001 to 2009 is concerned I will give her 82 percent and my basis was the target goal set by the President herself.”
He said President Arroyo had set her own goal for the country, wherein she was somehow able to achieve a balanced budget, automated election, and developing Subic and Clark into a world class and revenue generating economic zones.
“On education, decentralization, peace process, healing the wounds of EDSA, water and electricity, job generation, and decongestion of Manila, “all these are conditional, which means the administration needs more efforts to achieve these goals,” he averred.
He, however, noted that the administration has achieved 70 percent of the 1 million jobs target per year, wherein each year at least 700,000 jobs were generated; much has also been done to keep the prices of water and electricity stable; more infrastructure projects were completed and some are underway for Metro Manila.
In President Arroyo’s almost nine years in office, she has accomplished the much needed fiscal reforms of the government, including the P300 million additional revenues from the R-VAT, the EPIRA Law which opens the power sector from monopoly and oligarchy, and strengthening of the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) especially in Subic and Clark economic zones.
Salceda stressed the present administration has solid achievement in terms of pursuing its goal in setting the thrust “BEAT THE ODDS” in consonance with the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2004-2010,
“The President wants to leave a legacy of a strong economy that works for the poor, secures peace, invest in the future—basically on education, and a lot more about on education reforms,” he concluded. (With reports from Marlon A. Loterte, PIA V)
Nutricomnet-DOST holds cookfest on malunggay recipes
LEGAZPI CITY - The Nutrition Communication Network (NUTRICOMNET), in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Bicol and the Energy Development Corporation (EDC), spearheads the Malunggay Recipes Regional Cookfest on Thursday (July 23) at the LCC Event Center here.
The cooking contest highlights the celebrations of the National Nutrition Month this July and the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) on this third week of the same month.
Elementary pupils, who qualified from 13 school divisions-six provinces and seven cities in the region, are expected to participate in this regional competition.
Malunggay recipes featured in this competition will be developed and printed into pamphlets and brochures to be distributed to nutritionally-depressed barangays in the region.
Winning entries could also have potentials for technology adoption either for home or school use or enterprise development.
Based on the guidelines of the contest, all contestants are required to submit a certification of enrolment for the present school year from the school principal. There will only be one contestant per division.
Contestants are required to bring their own contest supplies, materials, ingredients, tools and equipment. They should be at the venue 20 minutes before the contest in their official school uniform with ID. Only the contestants, board of judges and contest administrators are allowed inside the cookfest area.
The recipe to be prepared either original or an innovation of an existing recipe is for a snack - easy to prepare, low cost, nutritious and can be sold in school canteens. It should yield 10 servings with nutrition contribution of 200 calories for the snack and two tablespoons powder for the drink.
The name of the recipe, its general description and process flow should be printed in a whole cartolina with black print to be displayed in a designated area. A copy of the entire recipe is required to be submitted at 1:00 p.m., July 23, 2009 before the contest proper to the NUTRICOMNET Secretariat.
This must consist of the ingredients, procedure, estimated total nutrient content, number of servings, total preparation/cooking time, estimated total cost based on prevailing supermarket price in Legazpi City , and estimated cost per serving. Props are not allowed during the presentation of the finished product.
Criteria in the selection of the regional winners consist of the following: Nutritive Value - 30%; Cost of Recipe per serving - 20%; Time of Preparation - 10%; Neatness and Orderliness - 10%; Proper Use of Utensils/Tools/Implements - 10%; Appearance of Food - 10%; and Palatability - 10%, a total of 100%. Major cash and consolation prizes, and plaques/certificates await the winners and non-winners, and their coaches. Judging in this contest is final and irrevocable.
NUTRICOMNET's full support and participation in this regional endeavor will go a long way in its efforts to improve the nutritional status of schoolchildren in the region.
Contestants are advised to contact NUTRICOMNET through Ms. Shirley B. Borja, Chair, Core Group at DepEd Region V (821-1143) or Dr. Pilita O. Lucena, DOST V at (052) 821-7930 for any other details regarding this contest. (POLucena, DOST V/PIA)
Pagasa calls for year round disaster preparedness
LEGAZPI CITY - The country might be visited by 15 more typhoons in the remaining months of this year, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said here Sunday.
But Nathaniel Cruz, Pagasa acting deputy administrator for operation and services, said in a lecture-forum here that "it is not only typhoons that call for preparedness but also other hydro-meteorological hazards such as heavy and continuous rains, thunderstorms, cold fronts, easterly waves, intertropical convergent zones, and tropical cyclones."
"The Bicol region, particularly Albay province which is very prone to these weather disasters, including Mayon volcano's lahar, has put all preparedness measures in place, especially during floods and landslides that also occur amid mere heavy and continuous rains," Governor Joey Salceda told reporters during the open forum.
Warnings
Bicol, which is closely similar to Batanes Islands when it comes to typhoons, needs to prepare not only during the typhoon season but also on a 365-day-a-year basis, according to Cruz.
"When there is typhoon, however, the people of Albay are no longer afraid because they have been trained to prepare themselves on the basis of the preemptive measures."
Although Mayon volcano is not posing any possible eruptive threat, Landrico Dalida Jr., assistant weather services chief of the Pagasa central office, warned Albayanos that the province is host to cloud formations that bring rains even without warnings.
"Warnings are there in the events of typhoons but during rains, it is the built-in initiative of the people of Albay that guide them against these hazards," Dalida said.
Salceda said the installation of the modern Doppler Radar System was on the way. The Doppler Radar to be installed in Catanduanes and Camarines Norte will form part of the upgrading of the Legazpi Weather Station into the Southern Luzon Weather Bureau.
The Doppler Radar System is financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, said Salceda.
By Mar S. Arguelles
LEGAZPI CITY -- Disaster authorities heightened security measures by setting up police and military check points in designated danger zones around Mayon volcano to ensure the safety of residents in case the volcano erupts.
Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) chairman at Sunday's council meeting, said the measure would prevent people to trek the volcano's surrounding, the 6-km Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) and the 7-km extended danger zone at the southeast quadrant of the volcano.
Salceda said “we have to enforce the off limits rule to prevent any untoward incidence that might occur once the volcano goes at an eruptive stage.”
“The rule will apply to all residents and visitors including media reporters covering the Mayon eruption event, reinforcing the long standing policy of a 'Zero Casualty' objective of the province in times of disasters," Salceda said.
Army Col. Marlou Salazar, commanding officer of the 901st Army Brigade here, said he has set up checkpoints in 12 villages surrounding the PDZs around the volcano covering Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Polangui towns and the cities of Ligao and Legazpi.
Salazar said the brigade has deployed a battalion of soldiers to man the checkpoints and maintain security in times of evacuation.
He also reported that 15 (6X6) Army trucks and several light vehicles are on stand by for dispatch when disaster authorities declares mass evacuation procedures. The trucks can load 30 people, Salazar said.
Aside from the check points, soldiers are also holding dialogues with village officials and residents concerning rescue and evacuation procedures in times of eruptions, he said.
Salceda said under Alert Level 3 disaster authorities will have to evacuate over 8,000 people or 1,785 families living near the 6-km PDZ and under Alert level 4 around 75,144 people or 15,243 families in 39 villages around the volcano have to be move to safer grounds.
As this developed, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Mayon's alert status remains at level 2, meaning the volcano is on a moderate stage of unrest.
Bicol tourism up despite GFC
By Bennie A. Recebido
PIA-Sorsogon
Despite the economic slowdown felt around the world today, this province is still doing well in tourism industry.
Data from the Department of Tourism (DoT) during the last quarter of 2008 has revealed a total number of 83,541 tourists, with a gross rate of 39 percent, visited the province, out of whom 71,570 are foreign and 11,971 are local tourists.
The DoT is still currently working out for statistics of tourists coming in to the province for the past two quarters of 2009 which they have initially assessed as still increasing.
Kinatawan Francisco Ravanilla, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Tourism chair, said the global financial crisis can be a challenge toward creative ways of marketing Sorsogon's tourism industry.
Citing the whaleshark in Donsol, the prime tourist attraction in the province, Ravanilla said that it has consistently attracting local and foreign tourists since the town was officially declared as "The Whaleshark Capital of the World" in 1998.
"Aside from Donsol's whaleshark, other eco-tourism destinations in the province also promise better opportunities for investment and economic development as well as job generation among the locals," he said.
Among the other attractions he enumerated were the mangrove forest in Pto. Diaz town, Bulusan Lake in Bulusan, also situated at the foot of Bulusan Volcano, the natural hot springs in Irosin and the white-sand beaches in Gubat town and in Bacon District in Sorsogon City.
It can be noted that the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAs) has identified Sorsogon as a "major hit" among the foreign tourists and has mapped out plans for the tourism industry of the province and the current economic crunch.
NAITAs is the largest group of travel agencies working together to come up with attractive tourism package. (PIA Sorsogon)
Farm, fishery sector RPs top job creator
LEGAZPI CITY - Almost half a million jobs were generated from the farm and fishery sector this year, making it the top job generator for the first quarter of 2009, according to Presidential Economic Adviser and Albay Governor Joey Salceda.
Salceda on Tuesday said that based on data of the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics, employment in the farm and fisheries sector as of April 2009 was estimated at 12.318 million, which is higher by 3.47 percent compared to 11.905 million for the same period last year.
"Philippine agriculture created more jobs than the trade sector, which only ranked second with 345,000 jobs," he added.
He said "this proves that the Arroyo government's decision to reverse 30 years of official neglect of the agriculture sector through sustained, higher public investments is now reaping positive results."
The government has also increased spending for agriculture, focusing on irrigation and other rural infrastructure which already yielded positive results with the increased of palay rice production by 5.1 percent or double its average growth a year ago.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has also fast tracked rehabilitation and restoration work of irrigation system that has allowed farmers to plant an additional 69,000 hectares of farmland or 5.7 percent more than last year.
The administration of President Arroyo has increased spending on agriculture, P25.36 billion in 2007, P35.39 billion in 2008 and P46.86 billion this year.
Salceda further recommended to the government to pour more "stimulus funds" into the country's agriculture, particularly into irrigation, to sustain the sector's resilience and its status as a primary growth driver even in the midst of a global financial contagion.
"Without the agriculture growth contribution, GDP [gross domestic product] would have been sub-zero. Despite the obvious odds, its 2.1-percent increase in gross value added may not be stellar but it was the highest among the sectors which best proves the logic of government budgetary stimulus, specifically to the Department of Agriculture,'' he said.
He added that the Department of Agriculture's policies in the last two years have enabled the agriculture sector, which accounts for 20 percent of the economy, to remain resilient while every other sector had gone into a slump.
From 2001, the start of the Arroyo presidency, to the present, the government was able to generate a total of 8.95 million jobs in the private sector and at least 12 million jobs were created through government projects, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). (PIA V Release)
Funds out to speed up land acquisition for new Airport
LEGAZPI CITY - The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) has transferred to the Albay Provincial Government P85 million to pay for the 140-hectare prime land straddling the areas of Daraga and Camalig town to be developed for the Bicol International Airport .
DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza recently turned-over to Albay Governor Joey Salceda the funds for the purchase of the new airport site.
DOTC officials and Albay local officials, including Camalig mayor Irwin Baldo and Daraga mayor Cicero Triumfante, and officials of the five barangays on the actual site of the proposed airport witnessed the turn-over ceremony.
Mendoza said construction works on the proposed airport are expected to start shortly and set its completion within 30 months or two and a half years.
Salceda conceptualized the idea of the Bicol International Airport and has since pursuing the construction of the new airport in Albay province to fast track and catapult the region's economic development.
He said the proposed airport and its facilities will answer the need for a modern airport in Southern Luzon that will cater to more business activities in the area and conveniently links Bicol to the rest of the country and the world.
He added the air transport facility would further improve the performance of the region in tourism arrivals, employment generation and business investment.
The Bicol International Airport easily qualifies as among the biggest and most ambitious government projects in the Bicol Region to date, with prospects of even greater returns on investment. (MALoterte, PIA V)
PhilHealth targets universal coverage in Bicol by October
LEGAZPI CITY— The remaining months in office of President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo will be devoted to education, peace talks and call for civic duty, according to Albay Governor Joey Salceda.
Salceda, who is also a senior economic adviser of the President, said the Arroyo administration will focus on upgrading the educational system in the country, including the hiring of additional teachers, construction of more classrooms and other school facilities.
“We can expect the administration to pour in more money on education and pursue the establishment of regional universities based on the recommendation for Philippine Main Education Highway,” he noted.
He said the administration is also determined to reopen and pursue peace negotiations with the National Democratic Fronts (NDF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Fronts (MILF).
“Talk is cheap… but in the peace process, talk is very critical. So, this is the only instance where talk is not cheap. At least in talking, it will put us back in the peace process,” he stressed.
Salceda further said the President will encourage more involvement from the civic society to share the burden of nationhood, especially a call for civic duty among the youth.
“Such may be the main theme of the upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President on July 27,” he averred.
As to the achievements of the President in 2008 alone, Salceda said he gave President Arroyo a passing grade of 92 percent for handling very well the national economy, adding that she was able to overcome all crises, especially the economic slowdown.
“We are one of only nine countries that did not contract, we were still able to produce a lot more jobs,” he stressed.
“Also in 2008, the Arroyo administration devoted more on social welfare programs and services in response to fuel crisis, food, crisis, financial crisis, and then later the global economic crisis,” he added.
Salceda further stated “as far as her performance from 2001 to 2009 is concerned I will give her 82 percent and my basis was the target goal set by the President herself.”
He said President Arroyo had set her own goal for the country, wherein she was somehow able to achieve a balanced budget, automated election, and developing Subic and Clark into a world class and revenue generating economic zones.
“On education, decentralization, peace process, healing the wounds of EDSA, water and electricity, job generation, and decongestion of Manila, “all these are conditional, which means the administration needs more efforts to achieve these goals,” he averred.
He, however, noted that the administration has achieved 70 percent of the 1 million jobs target per year, wherein each year at least 700,000 jobs were generated; much has also been done to keep the prices of water and electricity stable; more infrastructure projects were completed and some are underway for Metro Manila.
In President Arroyo’s almost nine years in office, she has accomplished the much needed fiscal reforms of the government, including the P300 million additional revenues from the R-VAT, the EPIRA Law which opens the power sector from monopoly and oligarchy, and strengthening of the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) especially in Subic and Clark economic zones.
Salceda stressed the present administration has solid achievement in terms of pursuing its goal in setting the thrust “BEAT THE ODDS” in consonance with the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2004-2010,
“The President wants to leave a legacy of a strong economy that works for the poor, secures peace, invest in the future—basically on education, and a lot more about on education reforms,” he concluded. (With reports from Marlon A. Loterte, PIA V)
Nutricomnet-DOST holds cookfest on malunggay recipes
LEGAZPI CITY - The Nutrition Communication Network (NUTRICOMNET), in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Bicol and the Energy Development Corporation (EDC), spearheads the Malunggay Recipes Regional Cookfest on Thursday (July 23) at the LCC Event Center here.
The cooking contest highlights the celebrations of the National Nutrition Month this July and the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) on this third week of the same month.
Elementary pupils, who qualified from 13 school divisions-six provinces and seven cities in the region, are expected to participate in this regional competition.
Malunggay recipes featured in this competition will be developed and printed into pamphlets and brochures to be distributed to nutritionally-depressed barangays in the region.
Winning entries could also have potentials for technology adoption either for home or school use or enterprise development.
Based on the guidelines of the contest, all contestants are required to submit a certification of enrolment for the present school year from the school principal. There will only be one contestant per division.
Contestants are required to bring their own contest supplies, materials, ingredients, tools and equipment. They should be at the venue 20 minutes before the contest in their official school uniform with ID. Only the contestants, board of judges and contest administrators are allowed inside the cookfest area.
The recipe to be prepared either original or an innovation of an existing recipe is for a snack - easy to prepare, low cost, nutritious and can be sold in school canteens. It should yield 10 servings with nutrition contribution of 200 calories for the snack and two tablespoons powder for the drink.
The name of the recipe, its general description and process flow should be printed in a whole cartolina with black print to be displayed in a designated area. A copy of the entire recipe is required to be submitted at 1:00 p.m., July 23, 2009 before the contest proper to the NUTRICOMNET Secretariat.
This must consist of the ingredients, procedure, estimated total nutrient content, number of servings, total preparation/cooking time, estimated total cost based on prevailing supermarket price in Legazpi City , and estimated cost per serving. Props are not allowed during the presentation of the finished product.
Criteria in the selection of the regional winners consist of the following: Nutritive Value - 30%; Cost of Recipe per serving - 20%; Time of Preparation - 10%; Neatness and Orderliness - 10%; Proper Use of Utensils/Tools/Implements - 10%; Appearance of Food - 10%; and Palatability - 10%, a total of 100%. Major cash and consolation prizes, and plaques/certificates await the winners and non-winners, and their coaches. Judging in this contest is final and irrevocable.
NUTRICOMNET's full support and participation in this regional endeavor will go a long way in its efforts to improve the nutritional status of schoolchildren in the region.
Contestants are advised to contact NUTRICOMNET through Ms. Shirley B. Borja, Chair, Core Group at DepEd Region V (821-1143) or Dr. Pilita O. Lucena, DOST V at (052) 821-7930 for any other details regarding this contest. (POLucena, DOST V/PIA)
Pagasa calls for year round disaster preparedness
LEGAZPI CITY - The country might be visited by 15 more typhoons in the remaining months of this year, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said here Sunday.
But Nathaniel Cruz, Pagasa acting deputy administrator for operation and services, said in a lecture-forum here that "it is not only typhoons that call for preparedness but also other hydro-meteorological hazards such as heavy and continuous rains, thunderstorms, cold fronts, easterly waves, intertropical convergent zones, and tropical cyclones."
"The Bicol region, particularly Albay province which is very prone to these weather disasters, including Mayon volcano's lahar, has put all preparedness measures in place, especially during floods and landslides that also occur amid mere heavy and continuous rains," Governor Joey Salceda told reporters during the open forum.
Warnings
Bicol, which is closely similar to Batanes Islands when it comes to typhoons, needs to prepare not only during the typhoon season but also on a 365-day-a-year basis, according to Cruz.
"When there is typhoon, however, the people of Albay are no longer afraid because they have been trained to prepare themselves on the basis of the preemptive measures."
Although Mayon volcano is not posing any possible eruptive threat, Landrico Dalida Jr., assistant weather services chief of the Pagasa central office, warned Albayanos that the province is host to cloud formations that bring rains even without warnings.
"Warnings are there in the events of typhoons but during rains, it is the built-in initiative of the people of Albay that guide them against these hazards," Dalida said.
Salceda said the installation of the modern Doppler Radar System was on the way. The Doppler Radar to be installed in Catanduanes and Camarines Norte will form part of the upgrading of the Legazpi Weather Station into the Southern Luzon Weather Bureau.
The Doppler Radar System is financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, said Salceda.
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