INFOBYTES, Issue No. 20, August 11, 2005

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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NFA sets up more rice outlets

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.