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Invest in Valencia, PGMA urges power-intensive industries
Investors whose industries rely heavily on electricity may soon find their roads leading to Oriental Negros after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo openly invited investors yesterday to invest in the province's geothermal power-heavy town of Valencia.
Pres. Arroyo said that investors can find economic relief in the 50 percent electric bill subsidy enjoyed by Valencia town as host to the geothermal steamfields of Philippine National Oil Company this side of Central Visayas, particularly in the midst of apprehensions of an impending oil crisis
The President made the invitation during her visit to Oriental Negros yesterday to inspect the proposed P1.7-billion Palinpinon geothermal expansion project of the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) in Sitio Nasulo, Brgy. Puhagan, Valencia.
Valencia's 50 percent electric bill subsidy is shaved off from 80 percent of the multi-million royalty tax it is receiving from PNOC.
PNOC is tapping geothermal energy from Valencia's three hinterland barangays of Puhagan, Caidiocan and Malaunay through power plants producing roughly 195.5 megawatts of geothermal power.
For this year, the municipal government is receiving a royalty tax at an average of P12,664,000 M per quarter.
In his briefing before the President, PNOC President Paul Aquino said the Palinpinon geothermal project has the highest percentage utilization in the country of about 88 percent, making it the most efficient Napocor power plant in the country today.
PNOC is building what will be the third power plant in Palinpinon, a 20MW geothermal plant in Brgy. Puhagan costing about P1.7 billion and is pegged to generate between 20 to 25 MW of geothermal power out of the excess steam in Palinpinon geothermal plants.
Congratulating PNOC and Napocor for this project, Pres. Arroyo said, "it is important that we move away from oil-based fuel" as she disclosed that Philippines is now the no. 1 user of geothermal power in the world.
With the shadow of a power crisis looming ahead, the President has been inspecting energy projects around the country to promote the use of alternative fuel, paving the way for the country to attain independence from foreign oil supply.
Pres. Arroyo has proposed to Congress a P1.05T national budget for 2006 as a strategic weapon against the looming oil crisis and poverty.
According to local Napocor manager Engr. Rodolfo Pacaña, in 2004, the government was able to save on almost 2 million barrels of oil due to the operation of its various geothermal plants nationwide. "If we can load up to 100 percent to our quarry units, we can save around 2,772,000 barrels of crude oil every year."
The surge in oil prices in the world market is seen to ripple its way harshly into the country's economy. Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said that in 2004, the country's oil import bill was pegged at $4.5 billion, while from January to May 2005, the country's oil already hit $2.31 billion.
Lotilla said that if the price of oil in the world market hikes up by another $10, the country's oil import bill would soar to $5.5 billion by yearend.
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OrNeg has high number of Filipinos leaving abroad
Oriental Negros is among the provinces in the country from where a big number of Filipinos are leaving for abroad, disclosed officials from the Commission of Filipinos Overseas (CFO) who were in Dumaguete City recently to conduct an awareness campaign on issues concerning migration and intermarriages.
According to Ma. Regina Angela Gallas of CFO in a press conference conducted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) here, between 1998 to 2004, around 4,887 Filipinos from the province left the country to work or live overseas. Of the total, almost half are from Dumaguete City with 2, 237.
In the period from 1993 to 2004, there was a total of 1,692 Negrenses who married foreigners, of which 696 are from Dumaguete.
Janet Ramos of CFO in the same activity disclosed that as of December 2004 already 8.08 million Filipinos left the country, or around 10 of the total Filipino population are now based overseas.
About 3.19 million of the total are permanent residents abroad. Some 70 % are in USA, 14% in Canada, 7% in Australia, 6% in Japan, 1% in Germany and .5% in United Kingdom.
Ramos said the number of Filipinos going abroad has been increasing in the recent years, and based on the trend, she said that the number is expected to increase in the following years.
There were a total of 55,137 Filipinos who left the country as immigrants in 2003, and this increased to 64,824 in 2004.
She said that an average of 300 to 350 Filipinos leaving the country as immigrants register for CFO's pre-departure and guidance counseling sessions daily.
CFO is an agency catering to Filipino immigrants, either through petition or intermarriage, and holds pre-departure and guidance counseling sessions for Filipinos about to leave the country.
The agency conducts annual awareness campaigns in provinces identified to have a high number of Filipino immigrants.
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FBRE calls for action vs. billboards advertising alcohol drinks
The Friends of the Banica River and the Environment spearheaded a petition submitted to the Provincial Board Aug. 18, 2005 calling for action on the highly visible proliferation of billboards advertising alcohol drinks along national and other roads in the province.
FBRE is spearheading the campaign which was signed by various concerned citizens and those from the academe and the local government.
In a press statement, FBRE stated that billboards advertising alcohol and cigarettes purport to "welcome" or direct the traveling public to virtually every municipality and city, barangay and even an elementary school.
FBRE's press statement said that irresponsible messages are being directed at youth, citing the advertisements of Colt 45 with their tags "Kaya mo na, tol!" and "Colt 45, Kool sa driving!"
These are dangerous as the provincial police has noted that many road accidents are caused by drunk driving, said FBRE's press release.
The same statement added that while the province is being extolled as a nature tourism destination, the view of nature here is marred by billboards and the alcohol hard-sell. "Urbanized areas too are a visual clutter of adviertising streamers, billboards and posters plastered anywhere and everywhere, on walls, electric poles and tree trunks. Torn, faded, peeling off or new, they deface almost every city street."
The FBRE is calling for a sense of public order that should extend to eliminating worse forms of what it describes as "visual pollution and commercialism" if Negros Oriental is truly to become a nature destination.
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Nursing grads asked to serve country first before working abroad
Anticipating a shortage of health care providers in the country as the exodus of nurses and doctors-turned-nurses continue to rise, a government doctor appealed to fresh nursing graduates to serve the country at least two years before entertaining the idea of working abroad.
Dr. Helen Retuta of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in a Kapihan sa PIA this morning admitted that she does not blame nurses and even doctors-turned-nurses who want to pursue better opportunities in other countries. Beyond economics, the feeling of security for their families come first in case things don't work well here, Retuta said.
Retuta, a nursing graduate before proceeding for a doctoral degree, said the VSMMC suffers from a shortage of nurses. In one ward alone, there are only two nurses catering to 60 patients. While the VSMMC that has a 400-bed capacity accommodates more than 600 patients from the Visayas and Mindanao, this was learned.
Given an impending shortfall of nurses in the country due to the surge of demand for health care professionals abroad, Retuta asked nursing graduates to practice their profession first in the country for two years to hone their nursing skills and gain them the necessary experience.
Dr. Marilou Viray, president of the Cebu Medical Society, in the same forum bared that every year, 3,000 doctors are taking up nursing, which is double the figure of newly- licensed practicing doctors.
Viray cited three major reasons why doctors are changing profession to become nurses in order to work overseas. First, the opportunities call for it, the country's political instability and financial security.
But there is also a good side to the brain drain of health care providers, Viray noted. Because aside from helping the country's economy through dollar remittances, these health care providers can also apply and share the technology they learned abroad in the Philippines as she has known of some medical professionals who have worked abroad for a long time and came back to retire here. "The Philippines is a good retirement haven and even foreigners opt to migrate here," Viray quoted.
The remittances of overseas Filipino workers for the first six months of this year alone has reached P4.9B and the amount is expected to double by yearend, according to the Central Bank. It was surmised that the growth of dollar remittances is attributed to the mass deployment of medical professionals mainly nurses.
Atty. Roy Ligad, information officer of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA-7) bared that for the first semester this year, their office has processed 815 nurses for deployment abroad including 49 working visas for the US. The figure however, does not include nurse-immigrants for the US while most are off to the United Kingdom followed by Ireland.
Last year, the POEA-7 processed 1,510 nurses. Arnulfo Jaranay, president of the Operating Nurses Assn. of the Philippines (ORNAP) - Cebu chapter said the mass exodus of nurses and doctors-turned-nurses will create a vacuum of health care providers in the health care sector. Albeit the shortage can be augmented with new nursing graduates, he added.
Jaranay said the absence of opportunities in the country and the offer of attractive compensation abroad is a temptation they cannot refuse. On the positive side, working abroad is one way of helping the country's economy and provide decent lives to our families left behind as this is also a huge sacrifice on our part, Jaranay claimed.
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LTFRB-7: Commuters assured of no fare increases despite rising fuel prices
As more oil price hikes are expected in the coming weeks due to the spiraling prices of crude in the global market, commuters can heave a sigh of relief as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) assures the riding public of no fare increases until December 31, this year.
LTFRB-7 information officer Eugenio Ibo Jr. said that an agreement forged with the transport sector is the non-demand of another fare hike until December 2005 with the recent implementation of the P1 fare increase of public utility vehicles. Also recently, public buses have been given the go signal to up their fares.
As government called on the use of alternative fuel in both public and private vehicles to cope with the rising costs of oil, taxi operators in Manila urged the government to provide incentives for those willing to convert their petrol-fueled vehicles to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
In Cebu, Ibo said that so far, there has been no known similar request by taxi operators and agreed that LPG would be much cheaper. The alternative use of LPG instead of imported oil can also be used by jeepneys, according to Ibo.
As this developed, Liquefied Philippines Corp. based in Luzon is looking at the possibility of supplying autogas to the transport sector after some public drivers expressed interest in LPG.
To cushion the impact of the continuing costs of imported fuel, government is recommending the public to use bicycles or walk, in case of short distances to their destinations.
President Arroyo has reduced the tariff on imported oil products and is planning to abolish excise taxes as well to mitigate the impact of rising oil prices. The President likewise has convened her economic team to map out safety measures to mitigate the effects of increasing oil prices.
As part of efforts to conserve energy in the face of the oil crisis, Pres. Arroyo in a radio interview just this afternoon said she favors the re-implementation of the four-day workweek scheme in government offices. Government agencies involve in security, health services and those that have daily transactions with the public are exempted from the four-day workweek scheme.
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Another 1M school building completed in Lazi
Another P1 million four-classroom school building was completed in Lazi this middle of the year.
Appropriated from Congressman Shane Fua's Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), the construction and repair of this school building in Lazi Elementary School was completed last July 30, ten days ahead of targeted schedule. This was made possible through the perseverance and team effort of the technical team of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the leadership of the district engineer, Construction Engr. Jerauld Villaverde stressed.
On the other hand, Engr. Gena Sugabo, Project-In-Charge, said that the construction of the said building was done in accordance with the plans and specifications approved by the department that resulted to high quality of workmanship.
Mrs. Cresencia Boncawel, principal of the school, during the turn-over activity, expressed her gratitude to Congressman Shane Fua, Jr. for slicing a reasonable amount of his congressional funds to fund the project and to the DPWH as well for fast tracking the construction in time for this school year. She is optimistic of better times ahead for the children since the school has been producing professionals through the years.
"Our students can now enjoy the benefit of this school building. In fact, these were the same classrooms our governor and congressman had been entering during their early school days", Mrs. Boncawel said.
Meanwhile, James Dellosa, District Engineer of the DPWH said they have an enormous task that lies ahead of them. "As public servants, we will show to the Siquijodnons the real essence of public service. We really need to supervise and monitor closely all on-going projects based from the approved plans and specifications mandated by the department because if we do this, it will be more advantageous on the part of the government as it will become cost-effective", said Dellosa.
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LNAS, SSC ladderize programs
The TESDA-administered Lazi National Agricultural School (LNAS) & the Siquijor State College (SSC) have ladderized three of their respective regular programs namely: (1) Agricultural Technician Course - Bachelor in Agricultural Technology (ATC-BAT), (2) Hotel & Restaurant Services Technology - Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management (HRST - BSHM), and (3) Textile & Apparel Technology - Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology Major in Garment Trades (TAT - BSIT Garment Trades).
Under the program, a student can take up the first two years of his study at LNAS, graduate as a technician, and proceed to SSC for the remaining two years and graduate with the baccalaureate degree.
The programs were formally ladderized in a workshop jointly conducted by focal persons of both institutions at SSC on May 25, 2005. The program is in compliance with Executive Order No. 358 which provides for the interfacing and articulation of programs between Technical - Vocational Education & Training (TVET) and Higher Education (H.E.) thereby effectively removing barriers.
This is a welcome development for the communities in Lazi and the nearby areas who do not have the luxury of sending their college students for four straight years in Larena.
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PGMA to inspect geothermal project in Oriental Negros
Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to arrive in Oriental Negros on August 24 to inspect a 20-megawatt geothermal power project in Sitio Nasulo located in the hinterland barangay of Puhagan in Valencia town, some 35 kilometers away from the province's capital city of Dumaguete.
Costing about P1.7 million, the Nasulo geothermal project is seen to meet the projected growth in energy demand and supply stable electricity throughout the Visayas Grid.
This is to address the impending energy crisis resulting from the skyrocketing oil prices in the global market.
The Philippine National Oil Corporation's Palinpinon geothermal expansion project includes the development of the Nasulo power plant, which is the newest addition to the "seat of power" in the region, the Southern Negros Geothermal Production Field (SNGPF).
The Nasulo power plant now brings to four the total power plants providing indigenous, clean, renewable and reliable geothermal power in Western and Central Visayas.
Geothermal energy has earlier been found to be one of the more advantageous energy options in the country in terms of lesser greenhouse gas emissions, lower investment, high power plant reliability and renewability.
The President is also expected to grace two inaugural activities - the newly constructed P97.14 M-worth public market in Tanjay City with a total of 540 stalls and the newly completed Hall of Justice in Dumaguete City, which costs P86.4 M.
Two memoranda of agreement will likewise be inked before the President, namely: a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the two governors of Negros Island, Oriental Governor George P. Arnaiz and Occidental Governor Joseph Marañon, and another agreement between the Philippine Ports Authority and Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices for the release of a P12M grant from PPA to complete the Flores Avenue Rehabilitation Project in the city.
DOLE urges employers to hire PWDs
Business owners in the province are missing out on tax incentives offered by the government because they are not employing differently-abled but highly skilled persons or persons with disabilities (PWDs).
This was the concern raised by local officials from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) during a Kapihan forum held August 17 by the Philippine Information Agency.
In the forum, Kenrick Villaluz, labor and employment officer II of DOLE here said the lukewarm attitude of employers when it comes to hiring PWDs mainly stems from unawareness.
About 40 local employers were recently invited by DOLE here to discuss about employment opportunities for local differently-abled persons. "But sadly, no one showed up," laments Villaluz.
The labor officer said the negative mind-set prevalent among business owners towards employing PWDs mainly stems from unawareness. They do not know the benefits that await them if they hire PWDs nor are they aware that there are highly capable PWDs who are qualified to work, said Villaluz.
Employers who hire PWDs can avail of tax deductions like 25% of the total amount paid as salaries and wages of differently-abled persons and 50% of the direct cost on the improvement or modification of facilities as required by BP 344 or Accessibility Law, which naturally follows if an establishment has a PWD employee.
Aside from this, the employment of PWDs is mandated by the law under RA 7277 or the Magna Carta which pushes for equal protection for employment in the differently-abled sector.
Villaluz said his office is set to conduct a series of dialogues with business owners, managers and employers about the said benefits, starting with the members of the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council.
DOLE has been soliciting jobs for PWDs under a program dubbed Tulay Alalay Para Sa Mga Taong May Kapansanan (TULAY) which is a special program aimed at bringing differently-abled persons into mainstream society.
With the country's unemployment rate currently at 11.4%, differently-abled people have a tough time competing for jobs with able-bodied individuals, said Atty. Jose Ogang, provincial director of DOLE here.
Ogang admitted that they find it hard to find jobs for PWDs.
To compensate for this, Ogang said grants are available for organizations of PWDs through the TULAY program, under which DOLE conducts trainings and provides opportunities for employment and livelihood to skilled PWDs.
Villaluz explained that first, DOLE registers the capabilities of the PWDs and then they are counseled. "After this, we refer them to establishments where their skill might be of use," he said.
DOLE also provides grants to qualified PWD organizations to jumpstart livelihood activities for the differently-abled sector.
Ogang said the TULAY program is different from other livelihood programs because it offers grants, not loans, and therefore it is not repaid.
The Dumaguete City Handicapped Association was among the first beneficiaries of the said grant as DOLE conducted a training on food processing for the association's members. "Now they have an oven, freezer and kitchen utensils," said Villaluz.
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36 gov't workers avail of gov't housing program in NegOr, Siquijor
Around 36 state workers in Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces have already turned their dream of a decent and affordable house into concrete through the housing program offered by the Government Service Insurance System to its members.
"Bahay Ko" is a direct lending program which aims to provide decent and affordable homes to qualified GSIS members, said Jaydon Villaverde, information officer of GSIS here.
Members who are eligible to apply for the loan are employees in active government service with a permanent status and a holder of a regular GSIS Policy Contract; not have been previously granted a housing loan by GSIS; below the compulsory retirement age; not a co-maker of an outstanding GSIS housing loan; and up-to-date in the payment of his or her social insurance premiums.
Contractual and casual employees with at least five (5) years of continuous service are also qualified to borrow.
The maximum loanable amount is P500,000 per qualified member and this can only be used for the construction of a house on a lot either owned by the borrower or on a lot purchased and/or mortgaged by the member but still with an outstanding balance and the purchase of a residential house and lot.
The loan is payable up to 25 years for loan packages of P181,000 to P500,000 and 30 years for P180,000 and below.
Borrowers also have the option to choose from several GSIS house designs, of which he will be provided with free building plans and specifications, bill of materials and labor cost estimates based on the chosen house design.
Aside from this, house construction is economical since the material requirements are evaluated for minimal wastage.
Interested applicants may call up the GSIS for further details through tel. no. 2255476.
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Dauin's tourism earnings in 2005 soar to P2.3 M
Tourism is fast becoming a booming industry in the coastal town of Dauin as the town reported a big jump to more than P2 million in earnings from tourist ticket sales from January to August this year.
The fee ticketing system installed within the nine marine protected areas (MPAs) in Dauin generated a total of P2.3 million for the first eight months this year compared to the P264,064 posted from January to December 2004, revealed Marife Tenido, Dauin's public information officer.
The ticketing system generates its sales from diving and ecotourism activities within the MPAs located in eight barangays of Dauin, one of which is Apo Island, the province's major tourist attraction and a premier diving spot in the country.
The other barangays are Bulak, Lipayo, District I, District II, Masaplod Norte, Masaplod Sur, and Maayongtubig.
The Fisherman's Association with support from the barangay and the municipal government manages the MPAs.
Tenido said this year's initial income also partially resulted from fines collected from erring local and foreign tourists who violated the Coastal Resource Management (CRM) Plan and Ordinance, which bans, among others, spear fishing and scuba diving inside the marine sanctuary.
The CRMP is a five-year ordinance that is now implemented and enforced in Dauin's MPAs. It has become a big success that it has attracted several study tours from other provinces and municipalities, says Tenido.
Dauin was earlier awarded as best implementer of the Coastal Resource Management in both the province and Region 7 in 2003.
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Save energy, gov't urges Filipinos
In the face of relentless upsurge on prices of oil and other domestic products in the world market, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Office of the Communications Director to initiate a nationwide awareness campaign on energy conservation.
The president has called on the public to "close ranks" in conserving energy following the jump in the price of oil per barrel which already hit $67 in the world market.
According to DOE's Kuryentipid Tips, electricity conservation does not mean doing without electricity but rather doing it wisely.
"Electricity conservation means using the least amount of electricity without reduction in standards of basic goods and services," states the energy department's website (www.doe.gov.ph).
All households are urged to use fluorescent lights instead of incandescent bulbs as a 40-watt fluorescent lamp produces more light than a 100-watt incandescent bulb at half the cost.
When cooking, use flat-bottom pans with light covers to lessen heat transfer loss while frozen foods should be thawed thoroughly before cooking. The electric stove should also be turned off at the last minutes of cooking since the remaining heat will make the food simmer.
Ironing clothes should be done when it is cooler and more comfortable as this lessens the demand for electricity during peak hours. DOE also advises against excessively dampening clothes, as these would take longer to iron.
Pres. Arroyo recently signed Administrative Order No. 126 directing all government offices to implement a mandatory 10 percent reduction of their average monthly fuel consumption for the first semester of this year.
The president has earlier assured the public that the government is "working round the clock" in implementing measures to cushion the harsh impact of skyrocketing oil prices on basic commodities and services.
Under AO 26, all government agencies and offices are prohibited from using vehicles, aircraft and watercraft for "purposes other than official business." Exempted from this are vehicles used by intelligence and investigative agencies of the government.
Government offices with adequate ventilation are also told to avoid using air-conditioning facilities especially during the cooler months from August to February.
To ensure government offices' strict compliance with the directive, state offices will submit a monthly report of their energy consumption to DOE.
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Teves, clarifies palace's stand on E-VAT
Finance Sec. Margarito Teves clarified that Malacañang is firm on its stand on the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT).
This was Teves's response to the opinion of Albay Cong. Joey Salceda that the Arroyo administration should stop the EVAT implementation amidst the continuing oil price increases to avoid an economic meltdown.
Teves said that the Palace does not intend to follow the advice of Salceda as the non-implementation of EVAT will just put the country at greater risk of economic disaster.
He added that it is important to strengthen the fiscal position of the country to avoid a financial crisis that will surely hamper the delivery of basic services especially those for the poor.
EVAT is expected to generate additional revenue for the government at about P60 to P80 billion.
The government is hoping that with the impending economic crisis in the country, conflicts among Filipinos will be pushed aside to give way to a better solution to the economic woes of the country.
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Info officers in Central Visayas to meet for annual consultative conference
Recognizing the crucial role of effective information delivery in good governance, the public information officers in Negros Oriental will participate in a regional consultative conference of information officers in Panglao Island, Bohol on August 24 to 26, this year.
Bannering the theme "Enhancing Skills of Information Officers for Effective Communication," the conference is hosted by Philippine Information Agency (PIA), which annually convenes all public information officers regionwide.
Close to 60 information officers composing the Regional Association of Development Information Officers (RADIO-7) in Central Visayas are expected to attend the three-day conference.
The conference aims to enhance the basic communication skills of government information officers as well as educating them on libel and media ethics. PIA Director-General Sec. Renato Velasco will deliver the keynote message during the conference while Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado, 1st District of Bohol Cong. Edgar Chato and Dauis Mayor Luciano Bongalos will likewise give their respective messages.
For three days, the participants will have the opportunity to confer with local experts in the information business in Bohol.
RADIO-7 is federation of all government information officers in the towns, cities and provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Oriental Negros and Siquijor
The Association of Negros Oriental Public Information Officers' president, Bayawan City Information Officer Eliseo Manlangit, sits in the RADIO-7 Board of Directors.
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LNAS gets P200T-soybean processing equipment
With foods processing as its distinctive area of competence among the institutes of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Lazi National Agricultural School (LNAS) has acquired a P200,000-worth set of equipment for milling soybeans for processing into various food preparations like soya milk, taho, tokwa, and others.
Contracted to perform the fabrication of the equipment was Kwikway Engineering of Dumaguete City. The equipment will significantly lessen the milling time of soybeands due to its bigger capacity compared to the earlier machines procured by the school.
Along with this, the school has been offering free training on soybeans production, processing and utilization to various groups in the province since the times the technology was acquired from the Institute of Food Science at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna.
A versatile crop, soybeans contains high levels of protein, a fact for the zero prevalence of malnutrition even in populous mainland China due to the heavy consumption of the beans and its various food products among the Chinese.
In the farms, soybeans is a good intercrop for corn, because of its nitrogenous nature. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, particularly rhizobium brady, residing in its root nodules enhance nitrogen levels in the soil thereby aiding growth and development of the crops grown in the field.
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Dengue suspect crisis on the rise in Siquijor
Siquijor remains in the grip of a dengue threat as the deadly disease have already affected about 170 people with 7 deaths reported this year.
Based on records from the Siquijor Integrated Provincial Health Office, suspect cases admitted to the Siquijor Provincial Hospital totaled 143, with 53 cases and 1 death from Siquijor town; 33 cases and 22 deaths, Larena; 23 cases and 1 death in San Juan; 20 cases in Lazi; and 14 in Maria.
On the other hand, Siquijorians going to Dumaguete City and admitted in any of the three hospitals there totaled 27 cases with 3 deaths.
IPHO's records show that 13 cases have been reported in the first quarter of this year, 24 for the second quarter, 29 cases for July and 11 cases as of August. This year's cases increased compared to last year's 5 cases in the first quarter, 1 case in the second quarter, 6 in the third quarter and 17 during the last quarter with no human deaths reported.
In view of this, the Department of Health (DOH) is urging the public to draw defense actions against dengue.
The community is urged to observe cleanliness in their surroundings, dispose possible containers which may serve as breeding places of mosquitoes, cover water storage, use mosquito nets and observe good environmental sanitation.
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Rabies still a public health concern
3 human deaths reported this year
Rabies continues to take a foothold in Oriental Negros as top health officials in the province urged the local mayors to put more teeth into rabies eradication programs at the municipal and city levels.
Three persons have already died from rabid dog bites in Dumaguete City, Bindoy and Mabinay from January to June 2005, according to statistics presented during the mid-year evaluation and planning workshop on the province’s rabies eradication program held August 9.
Provincial Veterinary Officer Dr. Antonio Mutia disclosed that his office has been submitting dog heads to Cebu for examination almost every month this year. Of the total 26 heads examined since January, five were tested positive for rabies.
Provincewide statistics from Provincial Veterinary Office also show a total of 136 dog bite cases recorded for the first six months of this year.
To help put a stop to the spread of the deadly disease, Mutia appealed to local chief executives to integrate rabies eradication in their public health programs. Governor George Arnaiz, speaking during the said workshop, stressed that the “solution to rabies lies at the municipal level.”
The governor disclosed that on average, almost everyday people go to him asking for assistance for dog bite victims.
He said he has witnessed human rabies cases on several occasions and described them as “painful” experiences.
The provincial government is currently continuing the Rabies Action Program-Visayas, a five-year rabies eradication program initiated by the national government in 2000 under which assistance was given for anti-rabies programs in the provinces.
Since RAP-V ended last year, Mutia said the provincial government is implementing the program this year on its own.
So far, some 22,686 dogs of the total 106,604-strong dog population in the province have been immunized. This represents a 26% accomplishment based on the PVO’s target to immunize 80% of the dog population.
The dog population in the province remained steady at 106,604 since 2003. Guihulngan is the most dog populated town with 12,900 followed by Dumaguete City with 11,483.
Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bernarda Cortez in the same workshop said the ideal dog population should only be 10% of the total human population in an area.
Cortez explained that rabies is a highly fatal disease and is one of the oldest known and most feared of human illnesses.
Rabies remains to be an endemic in the Philippines, causing approximately 300 to 600 deaths every year.
Cortez said that based on research findings, 88% of the admitted dog bite cases were by pet dogs and only 10% from stray dogs.
Pet owners are urged to help stamp out rabies from the province by being responsible. Keep your dogs leashed and regularly vaccinated with anti-rabies shots, stressed Arnaiz.
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PRO-7 urges LGUs to activate community public safety plans
The Police Regional Office (PRO-7) in Cebu has made an appeal to local government units to activate their Integrated Area Community Public Safety Plan (IACPSP).
PRO-7 Deputy Director for Operations S/Supt. Ronald Roderos said the plan aims to encourage each resident to contribute to the safety of their area as terrorist attacks remain a possible threat in the country.
According to Chico Pastor, local government operations V of the Department of Interior and Local Government here, IACPSP is implemented each in cities and towns in Oriental Negros. “All LGUs are required to submit their plan at the start of the year,” said Pastor.
He said all LGUs in the province have already activated their plan.
He explained that the IACPSP is a program that focuses mainly on peace and order while also giving attention to disaster management and environmental protection.
Barangays also formulate their own IACPSP.
Meanwhile, Pastor in an interview said that his office is currently re-organizing the barangay intelligence network (BIN) in the total 557 barangays in the province.
BIN is an expansion network program that aims to strengthen intelligence gathering particularly in the barangay level .
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NEGORNET holds prov’l consultation on governance concerns
Civil society leaders and various representatives of basic sectors in the province will convene for the Provincial Consultation on Governance Concerns on August 11, 9:00 a.m. at the YMCA Hall, this city.
According to Greg Fernandez Jr., executive director of the Negros Oriental Network of NGOs, the consultation will be highlighted by a message from former Department of Education Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad who has been invited as the guest speaker.
NEGORNET President Msgr. Merlin Logronio will welcome the participants and present the consultation’s rationale and background. .
Registration will start at 8:00 a.m.
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Tabo sa PAO enforces zero-plastic bag shopping
From now on, consumers who regularly buy from the “Tabo sa PAO” at the Provincial Nursery Compound here will have to bring their own containers or shopping bags as Tabo vendors will start implementing its “zero-plastic bag policy.”
Vendors at the Tabo will no longer sell or provide free plastic bags for customers following a special forum held August 6 between the Provincial Agriculturist Office and Tabo vendors.
During the forum, the vendors agreed to slowly stop using plastic bags in wrapping their produce, disclosed PAO Information Officer Nitz Bangay.
Bangay said this will be the practice at the Tabo from now on until consumers start getting used to a plastic-free shopping at Tabo.
The move is a bid to boost the plastic bag eradication campaign in the province, as Bangay said plastic has been reported to contribute to garbage woes because it is non-biodegradable.
She said Tabo customers are encouraged to use the bayong, a bag crafted from the local material known as buli, which will be made by local farmers here to augment their income.
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CFO to hold awareness campaign on international migration, intermarriages in Dumaguete
A team from the Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) will be in Dumaguete City on August 22 to 25, 2005 to conduct its annual Community Education Program dubbed as “Handa Ka Na Bang Mag-Abroad? Ano Ba Ang Dapat Mong Alamin?”
Representatives of other government offices will join CFO officers in this inter-agency effort seeking to raise public awareness on various issues concerning migration and intermarriages.
The program will also tackle existing government policies and programs directed against illegal recruitment, documentation fraud, and human trafficking.
The team is expected to conduct school symposia, meetings/dialogues with NGOs, GOs, religious leaders and members, pulong-pulong with local government units as well as community leaders and members, press briefings and radio interviews.
The CFO team’s visit in Dumaguete City is the third leg of the commission’s national awareness campaign.
From Dumaguete, the team will proceed to Tagbilaran City, Bohol on August 25 to 27.
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PNP holds recognition day on Aug 12
The Police Provincial Office here will hold a Police Constabulary/Integrated National Police Recognition Day on August 12 (Friday) at 2:00 p.m. at Camp Francisco Fernandez in Agan-an, Sibulan, this province.
The activity will honor deserving active uniformed personnel and retired uniformed personnel as well as other special awardees.
The awarding will be graced by P/Deputy Director General Ricardo F. De Leon who now sits as the Deputy Chief PNP for Administration.
Gen. De Leon was the provincial police director in Oriental Negros from 1987 to 1989.
A testimonial program and thanksgiving dinner in honor of Gen. De Leon will follow.
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Dairy coop receives P1M loan grant; inaugurates processing center
The Kababayehan Alang sa Pagpalambo sa Nasudnong Industriya sa Gatas (KAPANIG), the only dairy-producing cooperative in Siquijor, received a 1 million loan grant from the “Isang Bayan, Isang Produkto, Isang Milyong Peso” program of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo through the provincial government of Siquijor.
The loan is in line with Pres. Arroyo’s poverty alleviation program under the BEAT THE ODDS agenda and the One Town One Product (OTOP) program conceptualized to develop businesses in the locality.
Nanette Arbon, provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here, said the project aims to develop local brands aside from boosting the small and medium enterprises in the province.
Arbon said the move jibes with the province’s aim to boost local tourism which can be achieved by the means of creating “pasalubong” products.
“It is the small and medium enterprise development council’s (SMEDC) and the DTI’s long-term goal to develop SMEs as we promote convergence and focus efforts on certain projects that will generate stable and viable jobs for more people,” says Arbon.
She urged the public to patronize local products as away of giving market support for budding businesses.
Instead of using branded products, our locally-produced fresh milk can be utilized for our children’s supplemental feeding which is part of the government’s nutrition program, stressed Arbon.
Adding significance to the occasion was inauguration of the milk processing center in Cangmunag, San Juan, Siquijor.
In his message, Governor Orlando Fua gave credit to the members’ achievements for taking the path to progress and development through self-reliance.
Citing factors for possible downfall, Fua urged the women of KAPANIG to wisely make use and maximize resources given to them.
The governor pledged to continue giving his full support to the program as he again committed to allocate a P200,000 budget for the repair of a road near the center to ensure a smooth delivery of products and for people’s convenience.
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In its desire to ensure that good quality government rice is always available and accessible in public markets and far-flung areas, the local National Food Authority is increasing the number of accredited outlets in the province.
A rolling store is also deployed daily to serve the areas not reached by the Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke (BGPs) outlets.
The following are the strategic locations of BGPs that are operated by licensed retailers who have grouped themselves to serve their areas and neighboring barangays:
Larena- Poblacion and Basac
Siquijor – Public Market, Cang-alwang and Cangasa
San Juan – Public Market and Cangmonag
Lazi- Poblacion and Campalanas
Maria- Poblacion, Liloan and Candapanig
Enrique Villanueva- Poblacion and Libo
NFA Provincial Manager Clyde S. Omictin assures the public that the agency has laid in place measures to ensure ample rice supply and to stabilize rice prices especially during the traditional lean months of July to September.
He disclosed that the local office is now revalidating the passbooks of accredited retailers.
NFA rice remains priced at P16/kilogram for regular milled rice and P18/kilogram for well-milled varieties even with the rising cost of fuel.
To ensure strict implementation of set prices and other NFA rules and regulations, monitoring teams are keeping close watch over these outlets.
The public is also urged to report irregularities that may be committed by grains businessmen.
As of press time, NFA Siquijor has a total of 32,466 bags stored in its 30,000-bag capacity warehouse. At any given time, it has to maintain its food security stock of 8,220 bags to prepare for any calamity that may strike the province.
Results of an NFA survey show that Siquijor’s daily rice consumption requirement is 274 bags while that of corn is 459 bags or 50 kilograms.
Based on daily consumption requirements, stocks available will last for 118 days.
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KNN goes to Siem Reap, Cambodia
This week, the Kabataan News Network takes you to Cambodia to present the recent 7th East Asia and Pacific Ministerial Consultation on Children which tackled, among others, vital issues affecting the world’s young population.
A sub-conference called Children and Young People’s Forum discussed such relevant topics such as education, HIV/AIDS, child participation, culture change and the role of media, and employment of young people. The episode will be aired this Saturday, August 13, at 4 p.m. over ABC 5.
The forum, which was held in Siem Reap, Cambodia and participated in by children from countries in East Asia and the Pacific, is aimed at strengthening the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which the Philippines is a signatory to.
According to Unicef former Executive Director Carol Bellamy, there have been improvements in the implementation of agreements upholding children’s rights but much remains to be done.
In the Philippines, KNN fosters to the Filipino youth’s right to participate by staunchly advocating their freedom to express their views and sentiments on issues affecting them. In fact, KNN is the only television program in the Philippines which gives its writers, producers and directors (all aged 15-18 years old) the freehand in conceptualizing and producing their segments.
In the same episode, KNN takes a side trip to the various tourist sites in Siem Reap, the most progressive city in Cambodia, and touches on the country’s rich history and culture, which is one of the most colorful in Asia.
Join KNN’s young reporters as they go around the city to take shots of its big hotels, motorcycles that rule the roads, Buddhist temples, and of course the world-famous Angkor temples. Siem Reap also has its own version of tuktuk, one of the most common means of transportation in the city.
KNN is a project of the Probe Media Foundation and Unicef Philippines. It is also aired on NBN 4 at 11 a.m. on Sundays and daily on Nickelodeon as short segments. If you have your own story idea, tell KNN about it by sending an email to knn@hotmail.com and receive special gifts from KNN.
Dengue kills four; cases seen to rise
Four people have already died resulting from dengue fever in the province as of July this year and local health officials warn that dengue cases will still go up in the following months.
Latest records from the Department of Health (DOH) here show that 81 cases have been reported in July this year, bringing to 294 the total cases reported provincewide since January 2005.
These are cases which have been admitted in the three hospitals in Dumaguete City, says Dr. Socrates Villamor, DOH provincial health team leader, in an interview with Philippine Information Agency. The four fatalities each come from Valencia, Mabinay, Tanjay City and Dumaguete City.
Dumaguete has the highest number of dengue fever cases with 106, followed by Amlan with 37, Sibulan and Tanjay City with 21 each, Bais City, 16, Sta. Catalina, 14 and Valencia, 10. Dengue cases reported for the first seven months this year are markedly lower compared to the same period last year.
A total of 350 cases have been recorded from January to July 2004.
But cases are still expected to increase, according to Noel Ferrero, sanitary inspector at the Integrated Provincial Health Office, who warned that August to September are considered the peak months of the dengue months zone period based on the trend of past years.
"The period from June to September is seen as the 'dengue months zone' as these mark the onset of rainy season in the country," says Ferrero.
The sanitary inspector said they are intensifying their health education campaign during regular barangay assemblies, student gatherings and even tapping priests to include in their homily the importance of eliminating mosquito breeding sites at home.
"Instead of fogging, we are pushing for the elimination of breeding sites as this is cost-effective, environment-friendly and very effective," says Ferrero. He stressed that aside from constantly changing water in flower vases, the inner surface of water containers should also be thoroughly scrubbed since mosquito larvae cling to the surface and survive without water for up to one year. The mosquito-borne diseases control service of DOH here is also conducting bednet impregnation wherein curtains and mosquito nets are soaked in chemicals as a preventive measure against dengue. Villamor disclosed that DOH personnel here have also been recently deployed to conduct bednet impregnation in Larena, Siquijor following an increase in dengue cases in the said municipality.The local DOH chief said around two dengue-related deaths have been reported in Siquijor. DOH records show a 41 % increase in cases nationwide from January to June 2005 compared to the same period last year. In a press release from the Media Relations Office of DOH, it was disclosed that from January to June 15 this year, some 5,396 dengue cases have been admitted to different sentinel hospitals across the country. From these cases, 77 deaths were reported. Central Visayas (579 cases) is number six in the roll of regions with the highest number of dengue cases. The most number of cases reported was in Northern Mindanao (1,242), followed by National Capital Region (965), CARAGA (603), and Central Luzon (603).
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Working moms result to lesser breastfed babies in OrNeg
As more mothers are out working to help supplement the family income, more infants in the province are now being formula-fed and thus missing out on the healthy benefits of breastfeeding.
The number of breastfeeding mothers in Oriental Negros slightly dropped from 66 percent in 2004 to 65 percent this year due to economic factors.
An average of 23,000 to 24,000 live births occur in the province every year, says Dr. Bernarda Cortez, assistant provincial health officer at the Integrated Provincial Health Office.
Cortez said more mothers are now working and do not have the luxury of time to exclusively breastfeed their babies. "Aside from this, most of them also do not know that they can store their breast milk and keep it refrigerated," laments Dr. Cortez.
Dr. Cortez also blames what she calls the "media influence" as she points to commercials of milk formulas enticing mothers to buy formulas as breast milk substitute. "But all those elements that milk formulas claim to have are present in mother's milk and so much more," says Cortez.
In a recent forum re-launching the Mother and Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City, it was disclosed that Filipinos spend an estimated P21.5 billion each year to formula-feed their infants and about P430 million go to infant hospitalization, health consultations and medicines for ailments resulting from formula feeding.
According to Dr. Michael Boñates, a World Health Organization representative who spoke during the said forum, breast milk is free food that is nutritionally superior to any other and yet Filipino families pay for breast milk substitutes at a greater cost to their pocket and to the country's economy.
The 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey shows that only 16 percent of infants are exclusively breastfed up to five months, way below the estimated global exclusive breastfeeding rate of 35 percent.
The said survey shows that infants suffer from not being exclusively breastfed 30 minutes after birth and up to their first six months: some 16,000 children below five years old die every year, 1.2 million episodes of illness and 36,000 hospitalization admissions.
The survey added that around P21.5 billion are spent every year to buy infant formula; P430 million on hospitalization, health facility visits and medicines; P1 billion in wages lost to parents missing work to attend to sick children; and P320 million for funeral costs.
In view of this, Cortez said the 3,000 total barangay health workers in the province have been trained to educate and promote among new mothers the importance of breastfeeding.
Various trainings have been conducted under the Family and Community Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses while ongoing sessions are also being done in line with the Female Functional Literacy program, says Cortez.
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LGUs urged to allocate funds for family planning methods
With an annual growth rate of 2.11%, the population of Oriental Negros is at the risk of increasing rapidly in the next years following the recent pullout of USAID's contraceptive support in the Philippines.
Latest data from the National Statistics Office, which is based on the 1995 to 2000 census, shows that the annual growth rate of the province is pegged at 2.11%, a hike from the 1.94% growth rate recorded in the 1990 to 1995 census. The same data pegs the province's population at 1,130,000 in year 2000.
Based on the 2.11% growth rate, Engr. Ariel Fortuito of NSO here said that the projected population in the province for this year is 1,254,292.
According to Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bernarda Cortez, an average of 23,000 to 24,000 live births occur in the province every year.
The increasing growth rate in the province has caused some concern among local reproductive health advocates in light of the phaseout of the contraceptive support from USAID.
USAID has been supplying the Philippines with contraceptives for more than 30 years and contributed about 80% of the total contraceptive requirements of the country.
According to USAID's 2002-2006 Population, Health and Nutrition Results Framework report, if the country's current national growth rate of 2.36% were to continue, the country's population will double in just over 30 years.
In view of this, Engr. Trelly Marigza, president of the Negros Oriental Family Planning and Reproductive Health Advocates Network (NEOFPRHAN) called on local chief executives to put up a separate budget for family planning and reproductive health programs.
Marigza, speaking during yesterday's Kapihan sa PIA forum, disclosed that due to USAID's phase down of contraceptive support, there is no more condom supply this year while the provision of birth control pills have been cut by 50%.
Cortez confirmed that the Integrated Provincial Health Office has not received supplies of condoms, but they were still able to receive pills and injectible DMPA. "But these will soon be phased out too in 2007," she said.
Cortez said there are currently more than 30,000 family planning contraceptive users in the province, and majority of them are pill users. Most of these users cannot afford to buy contraception on their own, she said.
According to Provincial Population Officer Jeanette Villarubia, the family planning program is largely ignored by local governments and there is a low acceptance to the concept of family planning among the public.
NEOFPRHAN has intensified its lobbying for local governments to allocate funds for contraceptives and so far around six LGUs have responded positively. Marigza said Bayawan City, Manjuyod, La Libertad, Ayungon, Siaton and Zamboanguita have allocated funds for family planning programs and purchase of contraceptives.
Support from the private sector is also needed, says Marigza.
Friendly Care, a non-government organization catering to family planning services, is holding clinic at the Little Children of the Philippines (LCP) orphanage in Daro, this city. "But their capacity for now is just for non-scalpel vasectomy, as they still bring ligation cases to the hospital," says Marigza.
Marigza says they are trying to convince the Friendly Care officials to extend their services to the public and not just to LCP beneficiaries.
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DFA's mobile passport services in Dgte moved to Aug. 12-13
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Cebu has moved its scheduled Aug. 11 to 12 mobile passport services in Dumaguete City to August 12 to 13, 2005.
The said activity will be held at the Lamberto Macias Sports and Cultural Complex in Dumaguete City.
According to DFA-7 Regional Director Angel D. Espiritu, the change in schedule is due to the request of the Office of the ASEAN and China Cooperation in DFA Manila for DFA Cebu to assist in the upcoming Drug Demand Reduction Pillar Task Force Meeting of the Dangerous Drugs Board on August 4 to 5.
Among the passport services that will be processed during the two-day activity here are change of citizenship, fiancées and spouses of foreign nationals, minors (below 18 years old), adopted children, etc.
The public is advised to have their requirements ready such as authenticated birth certificate, three copies of 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm. new photo (colored with plain white background) showing the applicant in decent attire with collar.
For more information on the required documents, applicants may visit the DFA website at www.dfa.gov.ph.
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Rubber plantation, a promising industry in Oriental Negros
Rubber plantation may soon become a thriving industry in the province following a tie-up "business/program scheme" between the provincial governments of Oriental Negros and North Cotabato that is aimed at strengthening the agro-reforestation program in the province.
North Cotabato Governor Emmanel F. Piñol was in the province recently to attend the Consultative Orientation forum on Agro-Reforestation Program held July 30 and to show his support to Gov. Arnaiz's plan of setting up a rubber tree plantation in the province.
According to Arnaiz, the said industry is hoped to boost the farmers' income as profits are guaranteed every fifteen days.
The program scheme also includes a tie-up with Mindanao Rubber Development Industries Inc., a marketing arm for rubber produce that exports all the rubber produce in Mindanao to Europe, USA and some Asian countries.
Under the said scheme, Arnaiz said that North Cotabato will provide good quality planting materials and experts for the technology transfer while Oriental Negros will provide seedlings thru a plant-now-pay-later (PNPL) system and facilitate and fund technology transfers thru trainings, etc.
On the other hand, MRDI will act as collection agent of the provincial and municipal governments for PNPL as Land Bank will provide windows for rubber plantation development, soft loans to local government units for their PNPL and rubber nursery development.
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TESDA Siquijor observes TVET month
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Siquijor Provincial Office spearheads the observance of Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) month in August in the province.
Together with its partners and stakeholders, the TESDA provincial office has lined up the activities for the month: August 1-15 will be youth profiling for starring career; August 9-12 "free" assessment and certification in data encoder, electricity, electronics, cookery, bartending, automotive mechanic, baking, dressmaking and welding at the Siquijor State College (SSC), Lazi National Agricultural School (LNAS), Lazi Skills Development Center (LSDC) Balite Institute of Technology (BIT) and Quezon Memorial Institute of Siquijor (QMIS).
There will also be a provincial selection of contestant in the five trade areas on August 23-24, who will represent the province during the 2005 regional skills competition in Bayawan, Negros Oriental.
August 25 marks the celebration of the 11th TESDA anniversary which will feature sports activities at Camogao, Enrique Villanueva Beach Resort with LNAS & LSDC staff together with the members of the Provincial Technical Education and Skills Development Committee (PTESDC), Provincial Competency Assessment and Certification Committee (PCACC), Community Training and Employment Coordinators (CTECs) and LNAS School Board.
A memorandum of agreement will be signed on August 30 between SSC, TESDA-LNASand TESDA-PO regarding the ladderization program of ATC, HRST and TAT and on August 31 the TVET forum.
One of the highlights of the month-long celebration is the conduct of a "free" assessment and certification in selected trade areas which are open to all technical-vocational students, industry workers and walk-in participants who wanted to acquire a Certificate of Competency (COC) or "license" in blue collar occupations. COC of a particular trade area will serve as their "passport" for employment either for domestic or for overseas employment.
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LNAS backs PGMA's food security prog
SIQUIJOR-- The Lazi National Agricultural School (LNAS) has distributed close to 2,000 "lakatan" plantlets (suckers, corns, propagules) to various farmers associations and individuals in Siquijor. Many of these plantlets were given free to indigent farmer-groups.
Recipients included the Calunasan Scavengers Association, Basak Women's Association of Larena and the Balolong Lakatan Growers Association of Enrique Villanueva.
Part of the dispersal package included a three-day seminar workshop on banana production practices facilitated by the school in coordination with the local government units of the respective organization.
One of the outstanding traits of "lakatan" being a close progeny of "Gross Michel," is its superior eating and handling qualities particularly to transporting because of its thick peelings compared to "latundan." "Gross Michel" composed the bulk of bananas first exported from South America to the US and Canada in the 1950's.
The government has identified the food sector a priority area for development. It has noted the relevance of food that goes beyond health and nutrition but also as a significant factor in the country's development.
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PNOC President showing Pres. Arroyo a scale model of the additional 
PNOC President showing Pres. Arroyo a scale model of the additional 
The President underscoring some advantages of
PNOC President Paul Aquino (far left) giving the President
A scale model of the proposed geothermal power plant. 
The President meets the presidents of the farmers organizations
