More Tindahan Natin outlets to open in OrNeg
About 32,000 families in the province’s depressed barangays will benefit from the Tindahan Natin outlets as more stores will be put up in the 24 cities and municipalities in Oriental
According to DSWD Project Evaluation Officer Evelyn Catada, some 104 Tindahan Natin barangays will be established on Friday, September 22, in addition to the 56 that are already operational in 11 municipalities in the province.
Catada said each barangay is supposed to cater to 250 family-beneficiaries per retail outlet, however some barangays have less than the desired number of resident-beneficiaries.
The National Food Authority (NFA) here is also encouraging entrepreneurs, community-based associations, non-government organizations, LGUs, barangay councils and existing retail stores registered and accredited by government regulating agencies to apply for a Tindahan Natin outlet in the province.
According to NFA PMDO and Information Officer Rolando Lazalita, there is a need for more Tindahan Natin outlets in the province to benefit more families particularly in depressed areas to avail of low-priced but good quality basic commodities.
Lazalita said there are currently only a total of 43 Tindahan Natin operators in 56 barangays in the province.
The Tindahan Natin project is one of the projects under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), the flagship poverty alleviation program of the government.
Tindahan Natin outlets will offer basic commodities such as rice, noodles, sugar and canned goods at prices lower than market prices.
Under the project, retail outlets will be identified and endorsed jointly by DSWD and local government units and accredited by NFA.
“Interested applicants will have to go to the local DSWD in their area as DSWD will identify them, then recommend them to DSWD regional office. Once their application is approved, NFA will accredit them and inspect their stores for compliance of requirements,” explains Lazalita.
Each outlet-operator will have a capital of P20,000 for basic commodities such as rice, sugar, noodles and canned goods at reduced prices.
DSWD in
DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral said that a total of 1,415 outlets are now operational nationwide.
With a total cost of some P154.5 million, the Tindahan Natin program will prioritize the 49 provinces, which the National Nutrition Council (NNC) has identified as having high hunger and poverty incidence.
Meanwhile, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo L. Neri said “the economy should grow five to six percent and then to seven percent to make growth more pro-poor.”
He said growth in any sector is welcome, as it fuels growth in others as well. “For example, building public highways leads to private real estate investment, which in turn feeds construction, the cement industry, iron and steel, utilities. Jobs created in one sector are multiplied into others,’ explained Neri, who is also director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
German Ministry of Defense donates medical supplies to NOPH
A non-government organization (NGO) in Germany has turned-over eight (8) boxes of medical supplies donated by the German Ministry of Defense to Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) on September 18, 2006 at the NOPH Medical Conference Room.
The turn-over ceremony was led by Ms. Nanette Tindoc, Supporting Officer of the German NGO Sampaguita Deutsch-Philippinischer Club, who handed over the hospital supplies to NOPH represented by Provincial Health Officer 2 Dr. Dante Domingo.
The donated medical supplies include hospital instruments/consumables, gauze bandages, injections, needles, blades, oxygen mask, catheters and surgical instruments.
Tindoc said the Sampaguita Deutsch-Philippinischer Club led by its chairman and founder Araceli Bejar-Heimann facilitated the donation and shipping of the medical supplies from the German Ministry of Defense after the latter visited the provincial hospital.
She saw the poor condition and the crowded rooms when she visited the hospital, says Tindoc.
Tindoc said this donation is just a start as the NGO hopes to extend more humanitarian assistance here.
Heimann is a Dumagueteña married to a German national. A former librarian at Silliman University Elementary School, she founded an NGO in Germany along with other Filipinos, mostly Filipino women married to German citizens.
Sampaguita Deutsch-Philippinischer Club is an NGO that aims to extend humanitarian assistance, particularly for Filipino children.
The boxes of medical supplies were forwarded by the German Balikbayan Quality Service.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo L. Neri said the government needs funds to build highways, farm-to-market roads, water supply networks, irrigation facilities, classrooms, and health centers. “It is vital to ensure the resources for such infrastructure as they directly lift families out of poverty,” he asserted.
The socioeconomic planning secretary also noted that growth must promote employment. Neri said the government should continue its interventions in agriculture and pursue adequate infrastructure spending to boost economic growth and employment. Other policy agenda that should be pushed, he said, include support to micro entrepreneurship and an improved industry regulatory framework.
Sibulan hosts 2nd District Run competition
The local government unit of Sibulan will host this year’s Second District Run Competition on September 23 at 6:00 a.m.
According to Sibulan Information Officer Concepcion Rosales, the athlete’s run will kick-off at Polo, Tanjay and end at the Sibulan Covered Auditorium where a program will be held.
The competition has three categories, namely: elementary, high school and college.
Rosales said the competition is conducted in coordination with the Department of Education, provincial government of Oriental Negros and sponsors Ceres Liner, Olgalacs Ent., Mr. Mohan Hassaram, Sibulan Water District, Sea Forest, BM Bakeshoppe and Cebuana Lhuiller.
Warming sea temperatures point to onset of weak El Niño
The warming sea temperatures observed in the equatorial Pacific indicate the possibility of the onset of a weak El Niño in the country.
According to Provincial Chief Meteorologist Edsin Culi of PAGASA, slightly warmer than normal sea surface temperatures have been observed in the equatorial Pacific from May onward this year.
Weaker-than-average, low-level winds blowing from the east have also been observed across most of the equatorial Pacific since early July.
Culi said these are patterns indicate that a warm episode is already starting to develop over the equatorial Pacific.
PAGASA said that based on trends and statistical and coupled model forecasts, the warming sea temperature in the equatorial Pacific is likely to continue through the end of this year and into early 2007.
Should these conditions persist, then it is possible that Philippines will soon experience a weak El Niño, says Culi.
“However, we can’t say for now which parts of the country will be affected,” he adds.
Conditions over the equatorial Pacific have already influenced the rainfall conditions in the country, a statement from PAGASA said.
According to the weather bureau, rainfall conditions during the second half of August were below average in the following areas: Northern Luzon, Bulacan, Zambales, Bataan, Rizal, Batangas, Laguna provinces, northern Palawan and western Mindanao.
Likewise, recent rainfall conditions from September 1 to 17 have been observed to be below average in most parts of the country.
SMED-C rep calls for networking, innovation of SMES in Siquijor
Visayas Sector Representative of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Council (SMED-C) Joyce Natalie U. Yang called for networking and innovation of small-scale entrepreneurs in Siquijor.
Speaking at the opening of the Halad Siquijodnon Fair and Exhibits 2006 today (September 13), Yang stressed the need for SMEs to network and innovate so as to position themselves to take advantage and go along with the direction of global trade.
Producing world-class products should lie at the core of our concerns, and this can be achieved through innovation and networking”, she said. “Without these, SMES can’t move forward, with the potential to retard, rather than enhance, the welfare of our entrepreneurs”.
Innovation,she said, includes designing/packaging of products to effectively meet market competition while networking means linking with other neighboring provinces to increase market access and to improve viability and operational efficiency.
Yang pointed out the role of policymakers and program implementors to come up with innovative ideas and even “mediocre plans” and develop them in promoting SME’s business activities.
“This ‘capable team’ could be your strongest attractions if all skills and energies are engaged in business-related activities”, she said. This team as well as the people of the host communities best determines SME’s quality, its intent, and its effectiveness as a vehicle for economic and social development. She likewise called for broader community involvement in tourism planning and development
Yang also expressed high hopes for the outcome of the fair and exhibits in terms of economic development.
The world is taking notice of our advances in all fronts of development, social reform and security.
As noted, political noise has been abated and economic gains are shining through as we have already weathered the worst of political turmoil, and the upward trend all our economic indicators is clear proof that we are on the right track.
The Administration’s call for national unity and reconciliation is in earnest and all hands are welcomed to help the people and the Government push this nation up and forward.
Meanwhile, on the commemoration of the declaration of the Martial Law, Malacañang said the Administration has always been at the forefront of strengthening democracy and fighting off all forms of political tyranny.
The Administration called on the public to celebrate Philippine democracy in its most vibrant moments and fight all attempts to undermine it.
“The lesson of Martial Law is that the Filipino people cannot be led by the nose like cattle, but will only accept the rule of law based on free choice,” says Malacañang.
Seventy nine days before the ASEAN Summit, a top official from National Transmission Company (TRANSCO) assured that there will be electricity during the international event that Cebu is hosting in December.
This was disclosed by Engr. Crispin Lamayan, AVP for the Visayas System Operations of the transmission company. During the weekly Kapihan sa PIA, he said that TRANSCO has already made arrangements with power generators and other key industry players for contingency plans should power supply drop during the conduct of the summit which will be attended by delegates not only from the member countries but also from other parts of the world who may have trade and diplomatic relations with these group of Asian nations.
°We cannot afford even a minute of brownout,¡± said Lamayan.
Officials from local and national government with the help of the private sector have been actively involved in the preparation for the ASEAN Summit which will be held on December 11-14, 2006 in some places in Cebu City , considered to be the tourism hub of the Philippines .
Among the heads of state who are expected to attend the summit are those from Brunei , Cambodia , Indonesia , Laos , Myanmar , Malaysia , Thailand , Singapore , Vietnam , Timor Leste and the Philippines .
Historically, the summit in Cebu is going to be the second to be held in the
CANADIAN EMBASSY JOINS JOURNALISTS CELEBRATE PRESS FREEDOM WEEK IN
In celebration of Cebu Press Freedom Week, the Embassy of
The forum which was also in honor of the famous Canadian communication theorist and educator, Herbert Marshall McLuhan, was attended by Ambassador Peter Sutherland.
Two of the countryy’s McLuhan fellows joined Cebu¡¯s Press Freedom Week celebration by conducting a lecture forum on the Challenges of New Media in Governance yesterday afternoon at the
Yvonne T. Chua and Ellen Tordesillas, two veteran journalists, shared their views and experiences with the new tools of journalism to over 200 communication enthusiasts composed of students, professors, and media practitioners who attended the said event.
In her presentation, Chua who was awarded McLuhan scholarship in 2000 and last year, gave a quick review of the highlights of the evolution of the country¡¯s mass media vis-à-vis some of the turning points of the country¡¯s history. She started by quoting McLuhan saying, Technological development determines social and cultural change.
She explained that the new technology now that includes blogging, podcast, SMS, have given journalists a chance to inform a broad public, a different audience – local and global; helped set news agenda-setting role of journalists, and created the need for journalists to rethink how journalism is done. Chua warned, however, that content is still what matters, for without good content, technology is nothing.
Ellen Tordesillas, who became a McLuhan fellow in 1999, shared that the latest addition to a journalist’s toolkit nowadays can be used as disinformation tool, in which there is a problem with accountability; a boon to journalists—for journalists hardly work without them; and that like all tools, it’s only as good as how one uses it.
Among those present were
Another lecturer was Nini Cabaero of Sunstar Network Exhange (Sunnex) while the two reactors were JV Rufino, editor in chief of Inq7 and Armand Nocum a reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer who was the first to become a McLuhan fellow in the
Based on a website dedicated to him, McLuhan who was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1911 and died in 1980 was a communications theorist and educator who had taught at the Univ. of Toronto (1946—80) and at other institutions of higher education in Canada and the United States. He gained popularity and fame in the 1960s with his prophetic proposal that electronic media, especially television, were creating a "global village" in which "the medium is the message," i.e., the means of communications has a greater influence on people than the information itself. His books include The Mechanical Bride (1951), The Gutenberg Galaxy (1962), Understanding Media (1964), From Cliché to Archetype (1970, with W. Watson), and City as Classroom (1977, with K. Hutchon and E. McLuhan).
Meanwhile, the special police unit tasked with investigating the killings of activists and journalists claimed that it had surpassed the deadline set by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to solve 10 cases in 10 weeks.
"We have solved more than 10 cases in less than 10 weeks. We solved most of the cases on the eighth week, to be exact," Deputy Director General Avelino Razon, chief of Task Force Usig.
As of this posting, Razon and other police officials are discussing the cases in a conference at
Arroyo gave the task force and Department of Justice the deadline on August 1, after she began coming under increasing criticism for the unabated killings.
Based on the accomplishment report of Task Force Usig, 36 of the 110 murders of activists the unit has counted since Arroyo assumed power in 2001 are already the subject of court cases. Of these 36 killings, 16 were allegedly committed by communist rebels. Only six killings were attributed to the military and, of these, only four are now the subject of court cases.
In media killings, the task force said 21 cases have been filed out of 26 murders it investigated.
Task Force Usig said it found "no government policy -- official or unofficial, formal or informal, written or covert -- to suppress political dissent and fundamental Constitutional freedoms, much less torture or murder critical journalists, party list (and) militant (group) members or the political opposition."
0 comments:
Post a Comment