Tourist arrivals in Dgte drop by 6%
By: Rachelle Nessia
Tourist arrivals in Dumaguete City fell by 6% in 2005 compared to the previous year, data from the City Tourism Office in Dumaguete showed.
Records show that in 2004, tourist influx totaled to 155, 703, while in 2005 a total of only 147,065 tourist arrivals were recorded.
The drop in local tourist activities is in stark contrast to the international tourist arrivals in the country which went up by 18.6% year-on-year in November 2005 as the country hosted the Southeast Asian Games, data from the DOT Tourism Research and Statistics division showed.
The 6% drop here may be attributed to several factors, including the worldwide travel advisory issued in early 2005 pertaining to the peace and order in the country which was shaky at that time, according to Maritone Mascardo of the City Tourism Office Visitors' Bureau.
Mascardo also noted that the exit of some sea vessels plying routes to Dumaguete resulted to limited accessibility options. "We used to have Supercat and Delta, but now there is currently only one fast ferry operating here," she said.
Aside from this, other factors Mascardo pointed out are deficiency in airport and seaport services, lack of investment initiatives from government and private sectors and lack of appreciation of tourism as an industry.
Travel agencies here are all promoting outbound travels, but rarely do they promote inbound travels so that more tourist groups will be coming in to Dumaguete, says Mascardo.
Mascardo added that Dumaguete's non-inclusion in the nationwide Byahe Na campaign of the Department of Tourism has also has also affected the city's tourism industry.
Of the total 147,065 tourist arrivals in the city last year, 14,916 were transients while 130,099 were long-staying tourists.
Americans topped the list of transients who visited the city, followed by the Japanese and South Korean tourists.
Of the long-staying tourists, 121,564 were domestic tourists while 8,535 were foreign tourists.
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Sugar prices decrease in NegOr; costs of basic goods remain stable
By: Rachelle Nessia
Sugar prices in the province went down slightly this week as the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) assured that there is enough supply of refined and brown sugar in the country, particularly in Central Visayas.
Jojo Sumido, enforcement officer of DTI here, revealed that this week's prevailing price for refined sugar is P38.25 per kilo from the P38.50 the previous week.
Price of brown sugar also dipped slightly from P30.00 last week to the current price of P29.50 per kilo based on the price monitoring report conducted daily by DTI here.
Early this year, sugar prices have been on an upsurge. SRA notes that the abnormal price behavior of sugar indicated hedging and speculation by traders and some producers who seem convinced and are anticipating that the country will be short of sugar this crop year.
SRA however dismissed the perceived tightness in the supply of domestic sugar, saying that there will be no sugar shorage at this time and there will be none for the next six (6) months.
World prices for raw sugar have been rising steadily over the past few weeks. Per SRA’s sugar industry situationer, as of January 26, 2006 world price for imported sugar is pegged at 14 US cents/lb or P1,000/50 kg and has risen up to P17.80 US cents/lb or P1,200 at present and still rising.
Meanwhile, Sumido said that prices of basic goods and prime commodities in the province remain stable, except for cement which increased by P2.00 over the weekend, from P168 last week to the current P170.
Cement manufacturers reported that the price movement is due to the high cost of fuel and electricity, according to Secretary Peter B. Favila in a memorandum dated January 30, 2006.
Grains retailers, farmers groups support NFA
By: Rachelle Nessia
Grains retailers and farmers in the province are pushing to make NFA the sole rice importer free of tariff duties to allow it to sell rice to consumers at a reasonable price.
In a resolution, the Grains Retailers Confederation of the Philippines (GRECON) and the Provincial Farmers Action Council (PFAC) urged the government to have NFA stay because its existence as rice and corn distributor is of paramount importance to the Filipino people.
Both GRECON and PFAC have submitted resolutions expressing their support to NFA in the aim of a continuous stabilization of rice supply at affordable prices.
The clamor to abolish NFA will negate the success of rice stabilization, claimed the two groups in their resolution.
“Though the production is on an uptrend, still it cannot cope with the increasing demand of a growing population,” says Rolando Lazalita, information officer of the National Food Authority (NFA) here.
According to local NFA Provincial Manager Marianito Bejemino, the established mandate of NFA is food security of the country. In order to successfully fulfill such mandate it has to stabilize the supply and prices of rice, which is considered as a major staple food of the Filipino people. “With the strong support from your associations, I do believe that the authorities will listen to your request,” Bejemino told the grains and farmers groups.
GRECON and PFAC in their resolution also urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to make available certified seeds and fertilizers to the farmers through the NFA because these are now too highly commercialized making difficult for lowly farmers to avail.
DAR distributes another set of CLOAs in Valencia
Around 70 farmer-beneficiaries in Valencia will receive their Certificates of Land Ownership (CLOA) today as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) here will distribute a total area of 18.5 hectares of Government Owned Lands (GOL) PNOC.
DAR Information Officer Aileen Alaban said the activity will be attended by DAR CARPO for Operations Tessie Corpuz and other DAR officials.
Last month, DAR distributed a total of 47.1758 hectares of GOL PNOC to 214 farmer beneficiaries in Valencia.
Health Summit successfully launched in Bayawan
By: Rachelle Nessia
The Sta. Bayabas (Sta. Catalina, Bayawan and Basay) District successfully launched the 1st Health Summit and Healthy Lifestyle Program recently, making it the first district in the country to respond to Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Proclamation No. 958 declaring 2005-2015 as the Decade of Healthy Lifestyle.
The summit held at Bayawan City was attended by local government officials from Bayawan City, Sta. Catalina and Basay together with representatives from the Department of Health Center for Health Development Region 7, doctors, midwives, nurses and other stakeholders such as the National Confederation of Barangay Health Workers and health investor Salinas Foods, Inc.
The health summit tackled issues promoting healthy lifestyle and the significance of inter-LGU cooperation such as legislative support on health programs and projects and LGU governance in health.
The role of barangay health workers was also played up during the summit as barangay health workers and barangay nutrition scholars are considered the frontliners in the effective implementation of the healthy lifestyle campaign because of their daily house-to-house monitoring.
On the other hand, Salinas Foods Inc. participated as the health investor by advocating the benefits of mineral supplementation and making available the NIGARI Mineral Supplement Drops as part of the community-based healthy lifestyle program.
The summit was highlighted by the ceremonial signing of a multi-sectoral memorandum of understanding by different stakeholders who pledged to uphold the community-based healthy lifestyle program.
Bayawan City is the first city in Visayas and Mindanao to be awarded the Healthy City by the Department of Health.
The Sta. Bayabas Health District is headed by Dr. Fidencio Aurelia who initiated the Peso for Health program, a community-based health financing program.
Bayawan City is now fully adopting the Healthy Lifestyle Maintenance Program, which will have the following components: NIGARI exercise; mineral supplementation in the community through the Patak Center.
Efforts vs. trafficking in persons intensified in NegOr
Efforts to combat trafficking in persons are now being intensified in the country following the release of the United States Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report that placed Philippines in its Tier 2 watch list, which could lead to diplomatic sanctions in the release of financial aid for development programs in the Philippines.
The US State Department annually classifies each country depending on the concrete actions taken by the government to combat the trafficking problem.
Philippines’ spot in the tier-2 watch list is reportedly because there are no convictions made yet on traffickers, says Vic Abadesco, Visayas Coordinator of the Visayan Forum during the recent Kapihan forum conducted by the Philippine Information Agency.
Abadesco warns that trafficking in the country has become alarming that the country faces the possibility of being downgraded to Tier 3.
Visayan Forum is spearheading the launching of the Filipino Initiative Against Trafficking in Persons (FIAT) road show campaign, the 4th leg of which will be launched in Negros Oriental.
Visayan Forum is a non-government organization that began in 1991 and started partnership with the Negros Oriental provincial government last year.
Abadesco says Negros Oriental plays a pivotal role in the campaign as the province have been identified as one of the trafficking “hotspots” or one of the major recruitment grounds for victims and potential trafficking of victims. “Negros Oriental is a transit area and at the center of development, commerce and transportation and it is a fertile recruitment ground for traffickers,” he said.
Abadesco revealed that last year, in a span of 5 months, they were able to intercept 45 trafficking victims from Negros Oriental during their surveillance and detection activities conducted at the Manila North Harbor and Batangas in partnership with the Philippine Ports Authority.
In the same forum, Cecil Hoffman of the Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation (G-WAVE) stressed that trafficking is an international issue. Citing statistics from a 2001 United Nations report, Hoffman said there were 4 million persons trafficked across borders each year of which 80% are women.
Hoffman adds that 50% of trafficked persons are children according to the 2004 US Trafficking Report while data from the International Labor Organization showed that 70% are absorbed by the sex industry.
In response to the alarming increase of trafficking activities in the country, Republic Act 9802 or Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act was passed in May 2003, whioch put a maximum P5-million fine or life imprisonment for convicted traffickers.
Sibulan’s grand love day treat
Residents of Sibulan received a grand treat on Valentine’s Day this month when the Sibulan municipal government launched the municipality’s state-of-the-art Chemistry Analyzer at the Municipal Health Laboratory.
Sibulan residents were able to avail for free services such as blood sugar, creatinine and cholesterol level tests with the Chemistry Analyzer during the launching.
Administering the tests were Rural Health Unit Medical Technologist Susie Siglos assisted by Marivic Castor.
A minimal cost would eventually be charged for Sibulanons who want to monitor their health status, says Sibulan Information Officer Concepcion Rosales.
New road boosts livelihood in Cang-isad
By: Rizalie Calibo
For some people, the construction of a farm-to-market road is no big deal. To them, it is just a structure built to connect two places. The structure’s primary aim is to make travel from the barrio to the poblacion a lot easier.
To the residents of Barangay Cang-isad in Siquijor province, however, the road is more than just an ordinary structure. It is a means to enhance the town’s economic progress and its residents’ livelihood opportunities.
Barangay Cang-isad is just one of the 42 villages composing Siquijor. It is home to more than 32 families whose main products are corn and root crops.
Reliable and sturdy roads were what residents needed in order to complement the industriousness of hardworking farmers and haba-habal drivers. The old road was rock-peppered and too treacherous to walk on, which was always the villagers’ number one dilemma during rainy season. This would disrupt businesses in the area.
“During the rainy season, even the children were affected because teachers living in the upper portion of the village, would not be able to make it to school,” said Barangay Captain Danilo Bation.
The residents’ dream for a better and sturdier highway was finally answered in April 2005 through the DSWD’s Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive & Integrated Delivery of Social Services: Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (Kalahi-CIDSS:KKB) Project. Under the Project, the poorest one-fourth of all municipalities within a target province is covered. All barangays in that municipality are covered.
KC:KKB is funded by the World Bank, with the Department of Social Welfare & Development (DSWD) as the lead implementing agency. The KC:KKB Project aims to empower local communities or barangays and improve their governance by providing fund support for basic infrastructure, training programs and other capability-building activities.
NOT PRIORITIZED
The fact that Barangay Cang-isad was not among the barangays prioritized in the first cycle did not dampen the hopes and dreams of the community volunteers, especially Sabiniana Omentic’s. When she saw that most of her counterparts felt helpless when the second cycle was about to start, her fighting spirit was unwavering. Never mind if she was often called “way grado” by some volunteers from other barangays.
Nang Sabiniana gradually convinced her fellow volunteers by setting a good example herself. “Ako ra primiro ang mutambong sa mga meeting ipatawag sa Kalahi, pero wa magdugay ako ra gihapon sila nadani pagpasalig sa Kalahi.” (At first I was the only one who would attend the meetings, assemblies and seminars conducted by Kalahi, but later on I was able to convince my fellow BSPMC members to trust in the project.)
Instead of wallowing in disappointment for her barangay’s failure to make it into the priority circle in the 1st Municipal Inter-Barangay Forum (MIBF), Nang Sabiniana challenged her fellow volunteers to improve their craft in the next cycle. And prove they did. In fact, they ranked number one in the overall standing, along with Barangay Poblacion, which proposed a drainage system as its sub-project.
“Nahibulong ang mga tao ngano ang wa’y grado ang nakadaog sa ranking. Maglisod sila ug tu-o. Pero ako ra gikatawa ang ilang giingon nga wa ko’y grad okay naangkon man namo ang among pangandoy,” Nang Sabiniana shared during the sub-project’s inauguration.
Having ranked number one during the MIBF was precisely a big feat for the community volunteers since most of them did not even finish school. MIBF is one of the vital step of Kalahai’s 16-step process, where representatives from different barangays together to rank their respective sub-project concepts based on a criteria they themselves set up. During MIBF, sub-project concepts are not only ranked but are also prioritized for funding under KALAHI-CIDSS.
In one of the pre-training implementation workshops, they realized that one need not be college graduate to handle overall project management. They were provided training on project preparation, procurement, implementation and financial management. Through these trainings, volunteers became active participants even in the Barangay Development Council.
During the implementation stage, more residents showed their involvement to the sub-project and pitched in either in cash or kind contributions, or free labor.
The local barangay council, on the other hand, provided adequate resources for food of workers during the implementation phase.
NEW ROAD AT LAST
When the road was finally inaugurated on January 21, 2005, the BSPMC dubbed their new sub-project “Kalahi Panaghi-usa Road.” The BSPMC also reported that the farmers in the barangay as well as in the neighboring barangays are now free to move around and transport their goods even if heavy rains occur. Even the teachers are now able to carry out their mission to teach the children in the area.
“We are grateful to Kalahi for granting our request for a repair of our old road. Our farmers, whose main livelihood is planting root crops, corn and mongo, could not deliver their goods to the market because of bad road. But now, life is starting to improve because farmers can now sell their wares at more competitive prices and more businessmen are coming in.”
The Kalahi Panaghiusa Road also serves as the gateway to adjacent Baragay Cang-inte and indirectly connecting to Barangay Panlautan.
“Nagpasalig man sa amo-a ang mga taga-Kalahi nga di ka kinahanglan gradweyt para makaapil sa proyekto. Ako ug ang akong kauban sa grupo nagpa-ila lang nga kakugi ug cooperasyon sa usag-usa ang kinahanglan para makab-ot ang pangandoy,” teary-eyed Nang Sabinana concluded. (The Kalahi staff assured us that we need not be college graduates to participate in the project. We are a true testament that all it takes to have one dream achieved is hardwork and cooperation from each other).
Guv urges local officials to support anti-bird flu efforts
By: Rizalie Calibo
Siquijor Provincial Governor Orlando B. Fua urges all local officials to support activities that will keep the province avian flu free.
During the contingency planning held earlier, the governor ordered the formation of provincial and municipal task forces in support to the government’s fight against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) or what is commonly called bird flu. He also ordered the Provincial Planning and Development Office to allocate budget for the anti-avian flu activities while urging the six local government units to make a thorough review on the use of calamity funds even during the prevention and preparedness stage.
Through the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC), a provincial AI task force was formed earlier with the Farmers Information Technology Services (FITS) Consortium at the helm of its information, education and communication (IEC) campaign.
To date (February 3), the consortium is conducting its eighth of a series of anti-avian flu campaign at the Siquijor State College, Larena, Siquijor. It started last January 25 at the LGU-Maria followed by LGU Larena on January 26; LGU-Enrique Villanueva, January 30; LGU-Lazi, January 31, LGU-Siquijor, February 1, Lazi National Agricultural School (LNAS)-TESDA & LSDC (Lazi Skills Development Center) in the morning and LNAS-DepEd High School in the afternoon of February 2. LGU-San Juan is scheduled on February 7 and the Siquijor Provincial Science High School on February 8. Target audiences are the local chief executives and other municipal officials, school principals/heads, Association of Barangay Captains, teachers and students.
Member agencies of the FITS consortium are the Provincial Veterinarian Office with Dr. Bernadita Tabada as the chairman, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as secretariat, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Department of Agriculture-Research and Development Center (RSDC) and Provincial Agriculture Training Center Office (PATCO), Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Fiber Industry Development Authority, Provincial Government/Provincial Planning and Development Office, Siquijor State College, Lazi National Agricultural School from the academe, the six LGUs represented by their respective Municipal Agricultural Officers, the Philippine Coconut Authority and the Philippine Information Agency.
The infodrive aims to give its participants a better understanding the disease, its transmission and overall effect and counter measures in case it will affect the country. It also urges the activation of task forces from the provincial down municipal level.
To date, the Philippines and Singapore are the only countries in Southeast Asia not affected by H5N1 virus that causes bird flu. Provincial Veterinarian Bernardita Tabada said the best way to keep the province free from the deadly virus is to be properly informed of the disease and be vigilant. (pia)
Squalork [oui completes projects, to get a boost
By: Rizalie Calibo
The rising town of Siquijor has gained significant ground in its project implementation as various rural infrastructures funded by the provincial government and the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (KALAHI) were completed and inaugurated last year.
Mayor Richard Quezon said the completion of these projects would augur well for the economy of the local communities in their municipality. Aggressive implementation of these projects forms part of the thrust of the government to accelerate infrastructure development in the countryside, he said.
High on the priority list and of particular focus in Siquijor's 2006 development plan are the Phase III completion of its Old Public Market and the Vegetable Bagsakan or the Farmers Trading Post, the construction of baywalk and fish port and transportation terminal at the pier and the improvement of solid waste management and tourism. The local government is now on the threshold of setting motion its development targets as worth P1 million fresh funds from Senator Mar Roxas and other finances from the national and local governments are on the pipeline and are ready for implementation this year.
Citing tourism as their One-Town-One-Product (OTOP), Quezon said it is high time for Siquijor to establish a good foundation for a better and more revitalized tourism and travel program through the implementation of these projects.
To note, Quezon made it into the national limelight last year after being picked as the country's most outstanding mayor through the Gawad Pangulo and the Gawad Parangal awards.
In a related development, President Arroyo has certified as urgent Sen. Richard Gordon’s bill seeking to reorganize the Department of Tourism and its attached agencies to boost tourism and attract investments in the tourism industry.
More efficient tax collection vowed
By: Rizalie Calibo
Negros Oriental Rep. Herminio Teves said Congress will work towards attaining a more efficient tax collection system this year.
Along with this, the local government unit of Larena through the offices of the municipal mayor, market supervisor and municipal treasurer urged all delinquent market vendors to pay their business taxes and stall rentals.
In December last year, the market vendors were made to sign an agreement for them to settle their overdue accounts until December 29. The agreement stipulated that the vendors who pay on or before the deadline are given the opportunity to pay without penalties imposed. Those who cannot pay on or the deadline are not allowed to do business in the public market, meaning their goods will not be displayed. They can resume business only after settling all their obligations with the municipal government.
Failure of the stall occupant to settle his delinquent account on a specified grace period would give the right for the local unit of Larena to award the contract to other interested and qualified applicants.
The move is part of the Executive-Legislative Agenda (ELA) of the municipality. This remedial policy was imposed in response to the increasing number of delinquent public market vendors who were previously tolerated to continue business that resulted to less collection, among others, according to the municipal treasury personnel.
Agri technology beefed up in Siquijor
By: Rizalie Calibo
To further support the government's self-sufficiency in food, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) in Siquijor is presently conducting different season-long trainings that teach farmers to employ the latest farm technologies that aims to increase farm yields.
Gay Therese M. Bucol, OPA's Traning Facilitator here said farmers in these trainings are expected to demonstrate and internalize new farming trends and cultural management practices by engaging in high value commercial crops through the use of the latest farm technologies.
Recently the Office in cooperation with the Harbest Agribusiness Corp. launched a new "green house" in barangay Tacdog in Siquijor wherein some vegetables such as cantaloupe, lettuce, broccoli and the like are grown inside in a mechanical, controlled way. Bucol said that with this method veges are produced in a controlled environment away from excessive sunlight, rain and pests. She added farmers here can grow vegetables and other crops during off seasons. At present, farmers from different municipalities are trained here starting December 8 last year up to the second week of March this year. They will be given evaluation/examination after this season-long training.
Another related development is the graduation of 34 farmers in Larena from the Vegetable Production Training this February 10, 2006. The training which started on October 5 last year is a joint cooperation of the local government of Larena through the Municipal Agriculturist Office (MAO) and the OPA.
Meanwhile some mango growers and contractors in the province attended last January this year the Mango Processing Training at the OPA. The training aimed to exploit the market potential of the fruit, provide farmers alternative source of livelihood and diversify the agricultural output in Siquijor. Finished products during the demo were mango puree, mango jam and dried mango.
INFOBITS:
What is Value-Added Tax?
VAT is a consumption tax imposed on the sale or importation of goods and services in the ordinary course of business.
Is this a new tax?
No. Most goods and services are already subject to VAT. But we still need the reforms in the VAT System (RA 9337) to increase government revenues.
Why do we need RA 9337?
The government needs to raise additional revenues to provide basic public services (like education, health, etc.) for the growing population and to immediately address the country’s debt that has accumulated through the years.
In 2004, for every peso earned by the government, 86 centavos go to debt servicing- 37 centavos go to interest payments and 49 centavos to principal payments.
For every peso spent by the government, 11 centavos are spent on infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools, buildings and other public needs.
What are the salient features of the RA 9337?
The 10% VAT rate is retained; however, the President shall increase the VAT rate to 12% starting January 1, 2006 if any of the conditions imposed by RA 9337 is satisfied.
The following goods and services are now subject to VAT: petroleum products and other indigenous fuels; power and electric cooperatives; services rendered by doctors and lawyers; domestic carriage of passengers by air and sea; non-food agricultural products; and works of art, literary works and musical compositions.
Why should the VAT rate be increased from 10% to 12%?
This is part of a bigger effort to address the country’s budget deficit. We need to increase our tax collection to sustain the government’s delivery of basic services. While we can conceptually reduce government expenditures, we can only reduce it by so much because the public relies on government for these basic services, which include education and medical services.
If we increase the VAT rate from 10% to 12% in 2006, we can raise as much as P35.12 billion more. On the other hand, if this measure is coupled with the repeal of the VAT exemptions mentioned above and other provisions of the VAT bill, we can raise up to P81.41 billion assuming a 70% collection efficiency.
Raising these additional revenues is expected to translate to the strengthening of the Peso-Dollar exchange rate and better interest rates arising from improved investor perception in the Philippines.
First conviction on human trafficking spurs more initiatives in the regions
The Filipino Initiative Against Trafficking in Persons (FIAT) plans two more roadshow campaigns this year, the first in the Visayas Region, with hopes of gaining more convictions for violations of RA 9208.
This is after convictions under RA 9208 were gained in Zamboanga and Quezon City last December through the efforts of both government and non-government organizations.
The Visayas Region campaign is scheduled for February 20 to 24 in Dumaguete City with the second scheduled for February 26 to March 1 in Calabayog City.
The road show campaigns scheduled for Dumaguete and Calabayog Cities are intended to further increase awareness and provide much needed training for law enforcement personnel, prosecutors and service providers in a bid to further boost anti-trafficking convictions in areas where human trafficking incidents have been reported.
The convictions last December show that FIAT’s efforts to raise awareness on human trafficking is valuable in laying a foundation for the successful enforcement of RA 9208. the guilty parties involved in Zamboanga and Quezon City were sentenced with the maximum penalty under RA 9208 of life imprisonment and a fine of two million pesos.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales said his department fully supports current anti-TIP initiatives and expects more convictions to be handed down in 2006.
The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), a government-led body mandated to oversee the implementation of the anti-trafficking law, and three major civil society-led netoworks: the Multi-Sectoral Network Against Trafficking (MSNAT); the Coalition Against Trafficking of Women in Asia and the Pacific (CATW-AP) and the Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT), agreed to work together, in partnership with local government units and other actors, to wage a campaign against trafficking in key areas in the Philippines identified as trafficking “hotspots”. The Filipino Initiative Against Trafficking road show campaign is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
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