ISSUE NO. 10, MARCH 9, 2006

(above) City Health Officer Dr. Ava Vios disclosing statistics on the leading
causes of mortality and morbidity in Dumaguete City. She said that lifestyle diseases
are on the rise, replacing infectious diseases as the leading causes of morbidity
in the city.

(above) The panel of discussants during the forum held at Bethel Guesthouse.

(above, L-R) Dr. Fidencio Aurelia, Sta. Catalina-Bayawan-Basay health district officer,
and Bayawan City Vice Mayor Rene Gaudiel.

(above) Barangay health workers in the city turned up to attend the
Kapihan forum held by PIA on lifestyle diseases.
(below) Johnny Khong Hun, president of the Salinas Group Inc.
discussing the benefits of a diet rich in iodine.

(below) Dr. Fidencio Aurelia, Health District Officer of the
STA-BAYAWAN-BASAY health district explaining the healthy lifestyle
program adopted in his district through a community-based health
maintenance system.

(below) PIA Infocen Manager (extreme right) Jennifer Catan-Tilos
moderating the Kapihan forum. At far left is Bayawan City Vice
Mayor Rene Gaudiel together with Alejandro Montenegro, DOH
Representative of Bayawan.

Tsunami panic caused by false alarm- PAGASA
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is calling on the public to confirm first with concerned government agencies regarding unverified reports of alleged tsunami incidents to hit areas in the country.

PAGASA has recently issued a disclaimer to media reports circulating from a yet unknown source that a tsunami will allegedly strike the coast of Surigao on March 6, 2005.

PAGASA said there are no scientific basis for this report as there has been no strong earthquake monitored from either the PhiVolcs or from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center of any tsunami that could possibly affect the region at this time.

Rampant rumors of a tsunami has raised panic and caused some communities to evacuate their homes out of fear.
PAGASA noted that there is a need to coordinate and confirm critical disaster warnings with the concerned government science agencies such as PhilVolcs and PAGASA.

Historically, the Moro Gulf earthquake in 1976 triggered a tsunami that killed 8,000 people in the region. A strong magnitude 7 earthquake is needed to cause a tsunami.

Lifestyle diseases on the rise
Diseases caused by an unhealthy lifestyle are now the leading causes of mortality in Dumaguete City.

This was disclosed by City Health Officer Dr. Ava Vios who said that lifestyle diseases are now on the rise in the city.

Records from the City Health Office show that the ten leading causes of mortality in the city are the following: M.I or heart attack, sepsis or infections, cancer, pneumonia, kidney diseases, congestive heart failure, cerebral vascular disease or stroke, tuberculosis, liver cirrhosis and still birth.

Heart attack accounted for 336 deaths last year, making it the topmost killer disease in Dumaguete with a mortality rate of more than 100%.

Cancer is now the 3rd leading killer disease in the city with a total of 24 fatalities, of which lung cancer had the highest death rate followed by liver cancer, colon cancer and ovarian cancer.

Vios said that infectious diseases like bronchopneumonia are no longer the killer diseases in the city. "Now it's cancer, heart disease or heart attack, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, liver cirrhosis which are lifestyle diseases," says Vios during the Kapihan forum held recently by the Philippine Information Agency.

On the other hand, infectious diseases are still the reason why most people in the city were hospitalized last year.
Based on records presented by Dr. Vios, the top ten morbidity diseases are acute respiratory infection, pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, acute gastro-enteritis, angina, hypertension, goiter and toxic goiter.

The city health officer lauded the efforts of the community-based health maintenance management adopted by Bayawan City, which has been able to eradicate tuberculosis as one of its five leading causes of deaths.

Bayawan City, together with Sta. Catalina and Basay, have earlier adopted the healthy lifestyle program in response to the national government's challenge on health promotion programs in the grassroots level.

Since then, the Bayawan City government has intensified its health promotion program, of which one of the results is the reduction of deaths caused by TB, says Alejandro Montenegro, Department of Health representative in Bayawan City.

Montenegro said that areas within the city premises in Bayawan has been established as no smoking areas while a 30-minute healthy lifestyle exercise is also conducted by the Bayawan City Health Office every Friday.

In the same forum, Sta. Catalina-Bayawan-Basay district health officer Dr. Fidencio Aurelia said that the healthy lifestyle program has also resulted to the family heath workers system in which a family member in each household is put in charge of the family's health.

Bayawan has a population of 202, 194 with 47,000 households and in each of the household, there is one family health worker. "This is a more effective health care delivery system," says Dr. Aurelia.

Vios also said that the VALEDALAN SA DAKONG BULAN health district composed of Valencia, Dumaguete, Dauin, Sibulan, San Jose, Bacong and Amlan is still currently being re-organized.

BIR-Dgte boosts tax collection efforts to meet PM985 goal
With a tax collection goal of almost P1 billion this year, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Dumaguete is stepping up collection efforts to keep up its record of exceeding its goals for five years now.

BIR here has a goal of P985 million worth of tax collection to meet by the end of this year, a mean feat to achieve for the revenue office, as this is the highest goal that has been set for them yet.

In fact, our goal this year is 30% more than the total tax we collected last year, says Jose Senador, chief of the taxpayers' service section of BIR here, during a recent forum held by the Philippine Information Agency.

The revenue district office in Dumaguete City has been consistently exceeding their tax collection goal since 2000 up to last year.

Senador disclosed that BIR here has started adopting new measures to generate revenues for government as well as meet its collection goal.

"Later part last year, we tried collecting taxes by telephone brigade which we found very effective," he said.
Some of the big taxpayers in Dumaguete City paid substantial amounts by way of appeal and not by threat or garnishment.

BIR had to issue warrants of garnishment to two big taxpayers in the city who were delinquent in their tax payment last year.

"We hope that we will not always be resorting to this kind of collection," said Senador.

To check on the accuracy of tax information filed, BIR is also gathering data from other sources or third party information to cross check data and cross match figures indicated in the individual income tax or corporate income tax returns. "For example in the case of petroleum dealers, we gather data from suppliers of these dealers," he said.
The likelihood that BIR here can meet its goal this year is high judging from the opinion of a well-known businessman in the city who foresees the local business sector's cooperation to the revenue district's efforts.

Businessman Tyrone Uypitching in the same forum said he believes that BIR will not encounter any problems when it comes to the business sector. "Personally, I don't think BIR here will have so much problem collecting from the businessmen because we can see there is so much development happening here made by the local government," says Uypitching.

Under RA 9337 or the Reformed Value Added Tax Law, local governments will receive a 50% share from the revenues for the construction of public elementary and secondary school buildings, energy, environmental conservation and agricultural modernization.

Meanwhile, aside from scheduled provincewide information drives in Negros Oriental and Siquijor, a tax mapping activity or routine check up of all establishments is also being done by BIR in the province. "We check on their administrative requirements like registration receipt and book of accounts as mandated by the tax code," he explained.

BIR is also set to conduct a tax mapping for lending institutions which Senador said has been sprouting in the city.

He disclosed that to date, his office has received 21 complaints from borrowers of lending institutions here. "The scenario is like this: lending investors are lending money to middle-class or below middle-class borrowers. Panahon kolektahan sila, magipit sila, they fail to pay so the lending company will file a collection case against them in court. The borrowers then come to us and file a counter case against these lending companies for not issuing receipts," Senador said.

As long as the complaint is properly documented, Senador said BIR can immediately impose a sanction of penalty for non-issuance of receipt.

Penalties range from P10,000 to P20,000 and 4 to 6 years imprisonment.

PhilPost boosts Sibulan delivery force
The Philippines Postal Corporation has moved one letter carrier from the municipality of San Jose to Sibulan to augment the latter's delivery force.

Postal District Manager Benito P. Quiros' move is in line with EO No.366 or the Rationalization Program of the government, which prohibits filling up of vacant positions.

"However, should we be authorized to fill up vacant positions, the Sibulan Post Office will be given priority," says PhilPost Region 7 Director Estrera.

Earlier, Sibulan Mayor Tony Renacia has requested PhilPost to fill up the vacant positions at the local Post Office created by the retirement of some of its previous staff.

However, the mayor's request was denied in view of EO 366, says Concepcion Rosales, Sibulan Information Officer.

Rosales said the municipal government had to provide job orders at the post office to assist the postmaster for the meantime.

Literary Contest extended until March 31
All Filipino writers, students and professionals have until March 31, 2006 to submit their entries to the 100 Years of Filipino Migration to Hawaii Literary Contest.

The Commission on Filipino Overseas and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts are extending the contest's deadline to ensure a nationwide participation and in response to the request of interested Filipino writers from the provinces as well as abroad.

With the theme: "100 years: The Filipino Legacy in Hawaii," the literary contest is divided into three categories: poetry, essay and one-act play. Winners of the contest have the chance to win P15,000, P10,000 and P7,500 for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes respectively for each category.

For the poetry writing competition, entries must be a collection of 5 to 10 poems an may be rhymed or in free verse. Essay writing entries must be 2,000 to 3,000 words in length. Entries to the one one-act play category should translate to 30 to 45 minutes in actual performance and must be accompanied by a one-page symopsis and a list of the cast of characters. All entries must be original.

The literary contest forms parts of the series of activities from December 2005 to December 2006 in celebration of the 100 years of friendship with the island-state of Hawaii. For more information on the 100 Years of Filipino Migration to Hawaii Literary Contest, please contact Atty. Golda Myra Roma or Mr. Frencel Louie Tingga at 561-8329 or 561-8321 locals 600 to 604 or browse through www.cfo.gov.ph and www.ncca.gov.ph.

Amidst rumors of coup, fashion TV model school conquers Cebu
While Manila seems to project the country as one that goes through a crisis in politics and economy, Fashion TV (FTV), the world's channel on the latest of fashion and style still sees the good side of the country as it launched the first reality-based school for aspiring models in this part of the Philippines.

FTV in cooperation with the Bigfoot Entertainment Incorporated and the International Academy of Film and Television launched the first reality-school in the country. The school aims not only to produce models that will have a greater chance of breaking into the international arena.

"In 7-20 years, we will try to build Cebu as the next fashion capital in the Philippines," said Jackie Aquino, one of the mentors of the said school and considered to be one of the top fashion directors in the country.

When asked why FTV chose Cebu, Rebecca Picket, an international model and producer replied, "FTV is very proud to be here in Cebu because we want to make the Philippines to be one of the up and coming fashion capitals, we also want to work with the local designers and the talents especially the young people here in Cebu who want to be international models. We believe we have a lot of talents here, this is my third time here and we want to have a lot more events here. We also have Bigfoot Entertainment here and the facilities and we believe this is beautiful island and has some great locations, a lot of good designers and great people and photographers."

Larry Mercado, school's general director, said that they aim to elevate the standards of the modeling in the country to make Filipino models get international exposure. Mercado also narrated that FTV founder and owner, Michel Adams, came to Cebu last week and expressed his excitement about the project. In his stay in the city, Adams joined other officials of the school in conducting a walk through of Ayala Center where most of the 10 reality sessions will be made. Kick-off session will be on March 25.

Among the mentors are a mixed of local and international fashion artists that include multi-talented ramp and commercial model Tweetie de Leon-Gonzales, coordinator for schools Lilo Aliño, fashion guru Jackie Aquino, ace photographer Eisen Alquiza, and art and stage director Daisy Baad.

Meanwhile, Philip Rodriguez, former president of Cebu Designers Guild, welcomed the FTV-Bigfoot-IAFT initiative of creating a school that will expose students to the demands of modeling abroad. The said Cebu-based top designer of the country also revealed that to his knowledge only three Cebuano models made it big in the international arena, namely, Verna Buckley, Vince Cañizares, and Margie Ramirez.

Should the school's program succeed here, FTV aims to use it as a benchmark in establishing other reality schools. The program covers personality development, hair and make up, etiquette, posing for the video and photo shoots, runway modeling, and the what and the who they need to know about the modeling internationally. It also hopes to help increase employment in the country by providing the needed world class skills and knowledge of those aspiring to conquer the runway not only here but also outside the Philippines. As these Filipinos model abroad, they will hopefully be promoters of goodwill who know how to maintaining grace under pressure.

LGU-Lazi bags 2005 best municipal police station
The local government unit of Lazi grabbed the national award as the "Best Municipal Police Station of the Year 2005." A plaque of merit was presented to Police Inspector Ronald Laggui, chief of police of Lazi-PNP during the awarding held recently at Camp Crame, Quezon City during 15th PNP anniversary.

The PNP Lazi station was chosen in view of its outstanding performance in police administration, particularly in the areas of crime prevention and control law enforcement and community relations. These contributed to the attainment of the overall mission and objectives of the PNP. Basing on the criteria for judgment, the Lazi PNP bested other nominees from the police stations of Trinidad, Benguet and Jolo, Sulu.

It may be recalled that the station had also won in the search for the "Best Municipal Police Station of the Year 2004" in the regional level.

Municipal Local Government Operations Officer Chester Gumalo said the outstanding achievement is a great honor for the constituents of Lazie. This will hopefully serve as a big boost to the local officials under the leadership of Mayor Orville Fua in their earnest efforts to get rid of all forms of criminality in the municipality.

SIRMAP spells out anew Siquijor's development
In an effort to help bring Siquijor into the mainstream of development, the Siquijor Integrated Resource Management (SIRMAP) has gathered this week all local government agencies to discuss and spell out programs for this year 2006.

The forum was aimed to consolidate recommendations and ideas that will make Siquijor an attractive area for development.

The major elements of SIRMAP include development strategies, public administration and local governance components. It is in this context that the project was created in order to efficiently mazimize the use of its resources by enhancing capacities of the local government unit (LGU) officials and representatives of the civil society as a basis for social and economic development. This is done through an integrated and intersectoral development approach.

Particularly focused on Siquijor province will be the initiation of projects or activities in local governance, economic and environ development and physical infrastructure orientation phase, SIRMAP is providing a support system to instigate socio-economic growth in Siquijor province through the funding assistance of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

Israel-Based group seen investing $300M In RP
Africa Israel investments Ltd., an Israel based conglomerate, will invest between $250 million and $300 million in the Philippines, particularly in real state, infrastructure, energy and water sectors.

Africa Israel Asia-Pacific vice president for development Jacob Ben Moshe said the amount would only be the company's initial investment here and it was keen on infusing more cash into various industries in the country later.

He said the conglomerate, which was 80-percent owned by diamond magnate Lev Leviev and 20 percent owned by the public via the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, was very "comfortable" in the Philippines. Its Philippine investment is its first in the Asia-Pacific region.

The conglomerate has forged a partnership with Filinvest Development Corp. through the acquisition of 40 percent of Cyberzone properties Inc., a Filipino subsidiary involved in information technology park development.
Ben-Moshe said Africa Israel also had other projects with Filinvest including the construction of residential buildings in Alabang.

The conglomerate also has a venture with the Century Properties Group of Jose Antonio, which involved construction of residential developments in Metro Manila, he said.

He said the group was also looking at teaming up with Metro-Pacific Corp. for a $200-million white oil pipeline project for Philippine National Oil Co.

The pipeline will run from Bataan to Pulilan in Bulacan, and will transport white oil, which is used by the textile, chemical and plastics manufacturing industries.

Ben- Moshe said the group was also interested in water projects and some of National power Corp.'s power generation assets.

Japanese lured to infrastructure
The Philippine government is inviting Japanese companies to invest in major infrastructure projects.

In a meeting with major Japanese firms like Marubeni Corp. during a recent "no-deal" road show in Tokyo, Trade Sec. Peter B. Favila said, he asked them to consider investing in infrastructure projects like road construction.

"I enjoined them to invest in major infrastructure projects like the construction of C-6, the North Luzon Expressway extension and the construction of a toll road linking Sto. Tomas (Batangas) to Quezon province," Mr. Favila said.

Circumferential road 6 or C6 is a 48-km. 4-lane, toll way that will link South Luzon Expressway in Alabang and the North Luzon Expressway via Taguig, Taytay, Antipolo, Marikina, San Mateo, Rodriguez and San Jose, del Monte.

PGMA visits "Go Negosyo" Summit Expo
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visited recently the exposition of the first "Go Negosyo Entrepreneurship Summit which showcased the entrepreneurial skills of the Filipinos at the Market! Market! at the Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Presidential Adviser on Jobs Generation Arthur Yap said the visit of the President to the expo site only shows her support on a "revolution of entrepreneurship".

The Chief Executive went around the more than 300 stalls showcasing the creativity and innovativeness of the Filipino entrepreneurs.

Recently, the President was the keynote speaker at the opening of the summit at the Plenary Hall of the Global City, where she hailed the Filipino entrepreneurs as "patriots" for their support in creating jobs and feeding families.

In her 10-point pro-poor agenda, the President has vowed to support entrepreneurship as one means to help her create 10 million jobs by 2010.

SOUNDBYTES:

Villar endorses gov't pay hike bill
Senator Manuel Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on finance sponsored a bill calling for the appropriation of P13.1 billion to finance the grant of the P1,000 a month extra allowance for government employees.

Napolcom promotes 294 licensed line officers
The National Police Commission recently signed three resolutions approving the appointment of 194 licensed criminologists to strengthen the Philippine National Police.

Gov't workers to get P1,000 allowance hike this month
The country's more than one million government employees will finally receive their much-awaited P1,000 additional monthly allowance starting this month, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. said.

Public schools to teach concept of IP rights
Starting next school year, all fourth year high school students will be taught the concept and value of intellectual property rights in all public schools in the country.

Expensive medicines distributed free to poor
The Muntinlupa City Health Office in cooperation with a leading pharmaceutical firm, held a medical mission as part of the activities lined up to mark the 11th year of its cityhood.

Tourist traffic up 22.1%
Tourist arrivals in January rose 22.1% from a year earlier to 268,818, the Department of Tourism said.

SSS releases P140-M loans
The Social Security System has released more than P140 million in social and business loans last year to fund 10 development projects as part of efforts to spur economic development in the country.

Price of LPG rolled back
The price of liquefied petroleum gas was rolled back by P0.50 per kilogram by the LPG Marketers Association; in view of the per barrel drop in international contract prices.