Issue No. 33, Nov. 10, 2005

Prov'l gov't steps up wildlife conservation efforts
As the moratorium on wildlife hunting in Oriental Negros is coming to an end, the provincial government here is rallying up community support to its campaign to protect and conserve the wildlife in the province.

Environment and Natural Resources Management Division Chief Mercy Teves in yesterday's Kapihan sa PIA forum said the provincial government together with the local Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and CENTROP have been conducting a provincewide awareness campaign on RA 9147 or the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act.

The provincial government is also conducting reforestation to rehabilitate the degraded natural resources in the hinterlands.

Teves said the forest cover in the province has improved over the years, but the increase has been minimal. "About five years ago, we were saying that the forest cover in Negros Oriental is only around 5 percent. Now we are getting feedback from DENR that the forest cover is 6 percent. This increase is very small, so we need to make more efforts," she said.

Teves said they are mobilizing community groups in hinterland barangays to assist the government in conserving forest resources.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan here has enacted in 2002 Ordinance No. 14 or the Wildlife Hunting Ordinance, which imposed a 5-year moratorium on hunting of wildlife in the province.

However, Vice Governor Jose Baldado who is spearheading the said campaign here, laments that there is still a need for further education campaign for the public. "Kulang ang awareness on wildlife that it's so discouraging," laments Baldado, adding that in spite of their campaign, there are still even authorities who lack the motivation to implement the wildlife law.

The provincial government is also campaigning for local government units to put up rescue centers and wildlife sanctuaries in their areas.

The Center for Tropical Conservation Studies run by Silliman University is the only rescue center in the province.

But CENTROP has announced that they cannot accommodate any more wildlife, says Teves.

So far, Teves said Bayawan City has responded to their call as it allocated funds and a lot for a rescue center in their area. Technical assistance will come form the (CENTROP) and the Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) in Dumaguete City.
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No bird flu case here, DA assures
Amidst circulating reports of bird flu cases in Dumaguete City and in some towns of Negros Occidental, the Department of Agriculture (DA) here assured the public that Oriental Negros remains free from bird flu.

Dr. Alfonso Tundag, Oriental Negros Chief Quarantine Officer, confirmed that there are no cases of avian flu anywhere in Oriental Negros.

Tundag's assurance came in the heels of circulating text messages saying there is a bird flu case reported in Escalante. But Tundag negated this. "When I heard this over the radio, I immediately sent a text to a city veterinarian in Negros Occidental and he confirmed that there are no bird flu cases there," he said.

Tundag's assurance is backed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here as Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Antonio Cabrido stressed that the chance of the avian flu ocurring in Oriental Negros is highly remote.

Cabrido said most birds that migrate here come from Luzon and Panay areas. "There are no migratory birds from outside the Philippines that come to Oriental Negros."

He said most migratory birds in Visayas flock to Olango Island Wetland Sanctuary in Cebu, which spans a total of 1,230 hectares. "These birds, if the see abundance in one area, they don't transfer anymore," Cabrido said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has earlier ordered DENR to specifically maps out the areas in the country where migratory birds go "so the people in these areas can be more aware".

She said there are around 20 such areas in the country hosting migratory birds, the most popular of which are the Olango Island Wetland Sanctuary in Cebu, the Candaba Swamp in Pampanga and the Liguasan Marsh in Mindanao.

The national government is currently intensifying its campaign against the avian flu, pumping in P160 million for the multi-agency efforts to contain the dreaded disease.

President Arroyo, who keynoted the opening sessions of the first Asia-Pacific Eco-Minds Forum recently, said one of the reasons why the Philippines remains avian flu-free, despite its fragile ecosystem, is its environmental initiatives.

The Philippines, she noted, is the second largest archipelago in the world, next to Indonesia, and its archipelagic nature may have contributed significantly to its non-contamination yet by the avian flu.

"In fact, in taking care of our fragile ecosystems, one of the successes that we are proud of about our environmental policies is that we are now the only country in the region that does not have the avian flu", the President said.

Just recently, Tundag said his office has received an order from the Bureau of Animal Industry prohibiting the shipment of ducks. "Per this order, before we can issue a permit for the shipment of ducks, we have to take a blood sample first and test it for bird flu virus," explains Tundag.

Once the results are negative, then a shipping permit is issued.

Bird flu or the avian influenza is considered a zoonotic disease, or an animal disease that's transmissible to humans.
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Vehicle owners urged to observe "Carless Mondays"
By observing a "carless day" every Monday of November, vehicle owners can contribute to the reduction of air pollution.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here is urging government agencies and local government units in the province to observe a 'carless day' every Monday of this month.

The month of November has been declared as 'Clean Air Month' under Proclamation No. 1109.
'Carless Day'on Mondays is one of the highlights of this month's observation focusing on this year's theme "Let's All Act to Clean the Air" with DENR spearheading a series of activities for the month-long celebration.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Antonio Cabrido said that the 'carless day' campaign is in support of the Clean Air Act which calls for the 'amelioration of a clean air atmosphere as well as the government's energy conservation drive.

Cabrido urged vehicle drivers, particularly tricycles, to undergo emission testing.

He said his office is currently monitoring emission-testing centers here to determine local emission trends.

Cabrido also cited the cooperation of the local government unit of Bayawan City, which has put up a Clean Air Act billboard in support of DENR's clean air campaign.
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KNN chosen as finalist for Child Rights Award
The Kabataan News Network (KNN) has been cited as one of the top ten finalists of the Child Rights Award in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Produced by the Probe Media Foundation Inc., KNN is an innovative child-focused and produced television series providing an outlet for children to report on their own stories from their own perspective.

This episode includes short stories including a story on colorful butterfly sanctuary in Cebu City, a festival in Mountain Province where young people express themselves through a band festival, the life of the families of overseas Filipino workers and a look at the state of kite flying.

Also among the top ten finalists were two other Filipino-produced programs, GMA Channel 7's I-Witness: The GMA Documentaries for its episode on child drug pushers and ABS-CBN's Juvenile Justice, an in-depth, hour-long documentary on the reality facing young juveniles, which bagged the award.

The Child Rights Award was established in 2001 by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) and United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).

The award recognizes the efforts of broadcasters in pursuing both the production of top quality children's programming and better news coverage of children's issues. The award is given each year in recognition of the best television programming on a child rights issue produced in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Child Rights Award is an important part of what must be an ongoing effort to strengthen the commitment and capacity of broadcasters in Asia and the Pacific to continue to produce quality programming on children.

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) is a non-profit, non-government, professional association of broadcasting organizations, formed in 1964 to facilitate the development of broadcasting in the Asia-Pacific region and to organize the co-operative activities amongst its members.

For nearly 60 years, Unicef has been the world's leader for children, working on the ground in 157 countries and on territory to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.
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Sibulan forms body to look into illegal reclamations
The local government unit of Sibulan recently created an Ad Hoc Committee that will look into matters concerning illegal reclamations and constructions in the area.

This developed after the Sibulan LGU and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (formerly Public Estates Authority) in Manila recently held a joint public forum/consultation to address illegal reclamations and constructions along foreshore lands in the province.

Held October 27 at the Sangguniang Bayan Hall of Sibulan, the forum came about after Sibulan Mayor Antonio Renacia sought assistance from PRA on how to deal with unauthorized reclamation projects, particularly along the foreshore lands of Brgy. Maslog, according to Sibulan Information Officer Connie Zamora-Rosales.

Rosales disclosed that PRA defines unauthorized or illegal reclamation as reclamation projects which had been undertaken and completed or are being undertaken and/or completed without the required permit from PRA and approval from the President of the Philippines.

During the form, representatives from PRA led by Mrs. Josefina Castro, assistant general manager for Project Development and Evaluation, presented the rules and procedures for special registration of unauthorized /illegal reclamation projects or PRA Administrative Order 2005-01.

PRA is currently holding a nationwide special registration for a limited period of six months.
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PAGASA holds I.T. trg for Visayas, Mindanao personnel
In a bid to update and improve the communication technology skills of its personnel, PAGASA is set to train its personnel in Visayas and Mindanao this month.

According to Provincial Meteorological Chief Edsin Culi of PAGASA here, selected personnel from all PAGASA field stations in Visayas and Mindanao will attend separate orientation-trainings on the operation of laptop, cellphone, software and data entry.

Culi said the training is in line with PAGASA's move to upgrade the communication equipment of its field stations nationwide under the PICWIN-CMT Project.

The Visayas cluster training is slated on November 11-13 at the Mactan PAGASA Station Complex in Mactan, Cebu while the Mindanao cluster will train on November 14-16 at the Butuan PAGASA Station in Butuan City.
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Teens report on HIV/AIDS

On Kabataan News Network this week, a teenage team from the Dumaguete Bureau reports on cases of HIV/AIDS in Negros Oriental and what local organizations are doing to curb the spread of the disease.

To be shown this Saturday at 3 p.m. over ABC 5, the segment titled "Magdalena" features how a local reproductive health clinic gathered together female sex workers in the province to become HIV/AIDS education advocates. The group calls themselves the Magdalena Group.

Produced by the KNN Dumaguete Bureau's young team, the segment also tackles sexually transmitted infections that a person can get from unprotected sex and how these can be avoided.

The KNN Camarines Norte Bureau, meanwhile, features child workers in mini-carnivals locally known as perya. In the segment Batang Perya, kids tell of the hazards they encounter working in carnivals such as playing dangerous animals and being bullied by the audience.

The KNN Baguio Bureau brings a festive mood to this week's episode as they present the Tossed Salad Festival, which features the city's agri-tourism industry and, at the same time, healthy eating among Filipinos. The event also showcases the fresh produce of Baguio, particularly vegetables.

A project of Unicef Philippines and Probe Media Foundation, KNN is the country's only TV program produced, written and directed by young Filipinos aged 15 to 18 from various provinces nationwide. It is also shown on NBN 4 at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays and as short segments daily on Nickelodeon. Send your story ideas to knn_@hotmail.com and receive special gifts.
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INFOBITS

Some view charter change with suspicion. Why is that so?

Political mudslinging, character assassination and trial by publicity seem to have become part of our political life so much so that people have a high level of mistrust in their political leaders. Thus, any political action, regardless of its timeliness or inherent relevance, is viewed with doubt and skepticism. This is a sad reflection of the degeneration of our political system that makes it difficult for any leader to make any headway.

There are some who look at charter change as a diversionary tactic and/or a graceful exit scenario for President Arroyo. Is this reasonable?

We must not trivialize the urgency of need for constitutional reforms.

During the Ramos administration, there was a strong clamor for charter change, which focused on the lifting of term limits and restrictions on economic provisions. This was continued during the Estrada administration, through the constitutional correction for development, with emphasis on economic liberalization measures.

President Arroyo, on record, is the only presidential candidate in the 2004 elections who pushed for the fundamental change in our political system as part of her five reform platforms in the campaign. No other candidate dared to take it up out of apprehension over its acceptability.

Pres. Arroyo in her 2004 State of the Nation Address, called on Congress to consider the resolutions for charter change after completing her economic reform initiatives.

The Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan which Pres. Arroyo, together with her economic team including those who resigned personally authored, has a specific chapter on constitutional reform.

There are others who say that charter change and the impeachment raps should not proceed simultaneously.

The majesty of our democracy is that we have two proper and separate fora for these issues to be threshed out. Congress is structured into several committees to tackle and address several issues at hand.

Why did the President announce to start the great debate for charter change?

The President's practical experience of systematic failure and the need to give more powers to the local governments made her realize to put the long-term interest of the nation above the short-term political gains.

Charter change shall signal the beginning of an authentic political and social revolution.