INFOBYTES, Issue No. 15 July 8, 2005

Public urged to be on guard vs dengue
In view of an increase in dengue cases reported in June this year, the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) here is strongly urging the public to remove breeding sites of mosquito larva at home.

Dr. Bernarda Cortes, assistant provincial health officer here, disclosed that 50 cases have already been recorded provincewide in June this year compared to 45 cases reported in June 2004, while one fatality was reported in Tanjay City in March this year.

Based on records from IPHO, Dumaguete City showed the highest number of dengue fever cases reported in June this year with 21 and followed by Amlan with 10.

In Dumaguete City, Brgy. Bantayan holds the highest number of dengue cases reported from January to May this year with 8 cases, followed by Calindagan and Junob with 6 cases each.

Cortes said an increase in the number of mosquito-borne diseases and gastro-intestinal infectious diseases are expected during the start of the "Dengue Months Zone" from June to September every year.

The highest number of dengue cases reported in the province was during an outbreak in September 1998 with 950 cases, says Cortes.

The health officer called on household members to strictly observe the 4 o'clock habit of destroying mosquito larva breeding sites at home on a daily basis.

All objects that may collect water like empty bottles, tires and tin cans must be disposed and water storage containers should be emptied and cleaned thoroughly before refilling and should be covered tightly.

Household members are also advised to use insect repellants, install screens in homes and spray living quarters with insecticides.

Cortes also called on school authorities and local government units to intensify dengue fever awareness campaigns and mobilize dengue brigade activities.

Dengue brigades in all barangays in Dumaguete City have already been mobilized by the City Veterinary Office headed by Dr. Lourdes Socorro.

The brigades act as the monitoring arm of CVO in ensuring that clean-up activities are done in the puroks.

CVO is currently conducting an information campaign in the barangays to educate the residents on how dengue can be prevented.
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Seminar on Child Domestic Work

Oriental Negros together with the Visayan Forum Foundation will hold a two-day Legislative Advocacy Seminar on Child Domestic Work from July 21-22, 2005 at the South Sea Resort in Dumaguete City.

According to Ms. Ma. Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, president of the Visayan Forum Foundation, Inc., the seminar will discuss the proposed Batas Kasambahay, a magna carta pending in the Senate and Congress that aims to uplift the standards for household helpers.

The workshop aims to consult the expertise of local legislators and partners in coming up with a deeper understanding of issues related to child domestic workers and assist policy makers in exploring policy recommendations for local government units in the province to be more creative and flexible in dealing with the supply and demand of child domestic workers.

The seminar is also supported by the International Labor Organization-International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC).
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Malnutrition rate in NegOr declines
The Integrated Provincial Health Office reported an improvement on the nutritional status in Negros Oriental following the implementation of a more improved nutritional program in the province.

In the Kapihan forum held Wednesday by the Philippine Information Agency, Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bernarda Cortes said the malnutrition rate in the province last year is only 15.8%, far below from the 27.6% national malnutrition underweight prevalence rate.

The rate is a result of the Operation Timbang conducted from January to March 2004 using the International Reference Standard, which the Department of Health started using only recently.

Of the 138,234 target children aged 0 to 71 months old to be weighed during the Operation Timbang, 130,687 or 94.5% were weighed.

Cortes explains that starting last year, the Philippines switched to using the International Reference Standard from the Philippine Reference Standard in weighing children from 0 to 71 months old.

So although we cannot compare the 2004 malnutrition rate to that of the previous years, we have noted an improvement in the nutritional status in the province, says Cortes during the forum held to celebrate the Nutrition Month this July.

Negros Oriental is not even in the country's top 10 malnutrition rank, which includes Negros Occidental, Southern Leyte, Antique and Masbate, among others, Cortes said.

Records show that in Negros Oriental, the town of Tayasan registered the highest malnutrition rate with 22.8 followed by Vallehermoso with 22.5 and La Libertad with 22 percent.

In the same forum, Atty. Luisa Villegas, Provincial Nutrition Council Vice Chair, attributed the improved nutritional status here to the provincial government's full support in the intervention measures conducted by the provincial health office to lower the malnutrition incidence in the province.

IPHO is currently conducting fresh milk feeding in barangays identified to have high malnutrition rates in the towns of Pamplona, Bacong, San Jose, Sibulan and Tayasan.

Negros Oriental is also a Green Banner Awardee in Region 7 for three years now due to the implementation of nutritional programs here.
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Philippine's first wastewater treatment plant for communal sewage broke ground in Bayawan
The local government of Bayawan City together with the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) recently broke ground with the launching of the first Wetland/Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Philippines.

The first of its kind in the country, the project aims to clean the wastewater of the Fisherman's Village, a housing project currently under construction in Brgy. Villareal, Bayawan City, says Imelda R. Balbuena of GTZ-CO Visayas in a press statement.

Seen to finish construction later this year, the wastewater treatment plant will clean, treat and reuse the wastewater from more than 300 inhabitants expected to occupy the Fisherman's Village.

During the groundbreaking ceremony held June 14, Andreas Kanzler, GTZ Water Program Director, in his opening speech said that the treatment plant "is a real groundbreaking in the truest sense of the word. We are breaking ground for new technologies and solutions which have not yet been used in this country until now."

Kanzler explained that the treatment plant is suitable for areas like Bayawan City since there is extremely low maintenance and running cost involved.

GTC will ensure the technical advisory and capacity development of the project while the construction of the plan will be financed by a loan through the city government of Bayawan.

"An artificial wetland is close to the nature's treatment method, conceptually designed for decentralized use, meaning no long and costly sewer network is embedded," says Kanzler.

For his part, Bayawan City Mayor German Saraña said the treatment plant is a new technology which will be useful in improving the sanitation situation in Bayawan.

The mayor stressed that under his leadership, sanitation is a priority and non-negotiable. "I am looking forward to launching with GTC not only the first water treatment facility in the Philippines, but also the second, third and fourth facilities."
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Surgical mission "Operation Share III" to visit Siquijor
The surgical mission dubbed "Operation III" will bring its services to the Siquijodnons on September 12-16, 2005.

The mission is sponsored by the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) alumni and volunteer friends from USA together with the six local government units and the provincial government of Siquijor.

The mission team comprising of at least 20 health specialists will operate on cases of paratid tumors, goiter, harelip, first stage cleft palate, breast, stomach, gall bladder, colon, hernias, rectum and anus, urinary bladder, cysts and other skin lesions.

General and gynecology surgery will be accommodated pending medical clearance at least one week before the mission.

Listing and screening will be done at the respective rural health units soon.
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Siquijor celebrates Nutrition Month
The province of Siquijor is celebrating Nutrition Month this July with the theme: "Batang May Kapansanan, Sa Wastong Nutrisyon Simulan."

A joint provincial, municipal and barangay kick-off was held today (July 1) at Timbaon, San Juan, Siquijor.

Governor Orlando B. Fua in his message said the province's program has been geared towards creating a healthy province with healthy people citing some projects such as corn, rice, vegetable, fruit production and the dairy's project in San Juan.

San Juan Mayor Edwin Quimno likewise called for a concerted effort to eradicate and not just minimize malnutrition.

San Juan has the highest malnutrition rate here, although the number has slightly dropped form 250 to 217 malnourished kids last year.

Quimno said the San Juan local government through the Early Childhood Development (ECD) program funded the supplemental milk feeding to pre-school children and grade one pupils in schools in the said town.

The municipality has allocated P160,000 for the procurement of nutritious foods for the supplemental feeding program.
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DPWH inaugurates SONA school building
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) here recently inaugurated and turned-over a one-classroom school building to Cangclaran Primary School in Cangclaran, Lazi, Siquijor.

The project is in line with the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's SONA School Building Program for the school-less barangays.

DPWH Information Officer Romeo L. Lopez Jr. said a funding of P260,000 for the construction of the classroom was taken from the budgeted program of the President and P550,000 from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of the barangay for the purchase of a 927.27 square meter lot as its counterpart.

According to school teacher Eugene Gumisad, they started accepting enrollees in 2004 even when they had no school building.

The pupils, Gumisad said, were only found squatting in a house of a concerned citizen which was offered as their classroom.

"This is a dream come true…now we are happy that our pupils will go to a place conducive for learning," says the school teacher.
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Dairy project brings hope to KAPANIG women
"Dako gyud ug gikatabang ang dairy project sa among panginabuhi (The dairy project really helped us a lot)," recounts Victoria "Nang Oya" Maglasang, president of the Kababayen-an Alang sa Pagpalambo sa Atong Nasudnong Industriya sa Gatas or KAPANIG.

KAPANIG is a group of women running the dairy project in San Juan town.

Nang Oya and other housewives in barangays Cangmunang, Catulayan and Timbaon in San Juan once thought they were helpless partners in augmenting their family's income.

With their husband's meager pay, they thought there was no way they can uplift their lives or send their children to college, or even improve their houses at the least.

But then the Dairy Industry Development Project came along, bringing with it a glimmer of hope for Nang Oya and the other housewives like her.

Introduced by the National Dairy Authority (NDA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) the said project is in line with the government's effort to alleviate poverty in the countryside.

Barangays Cangmunang, Catulayan and Timbaon in San Juan are now among the Poverty Free Zones identified by DOLE.

From 19 dairy cows (2 lactating, 4 gestating and 13 breedable) distributed to the women members of KAPANIG in 2002, the number grew to 38 in a span of two years.

Of the total, 19 are already milking and the rest will soon be.

The dairy cows are producing around 70 liters of milk a day which the association sells at P50 per liter.

In 2004, KAPANIG started supplying fresh milk to schools in San Juan as part of the town's supplemental feeding to improve the school children's nutritional status.

With a budget of P240,000, the malnourished kids are fed daily with fresh milk for 120 days.

Each member gets a share of at least P1,000 per week, says Nang Oya. She recounts how a member has been able to renovate her house and the others were able to send their kids to school in Cebu because of the dairy project.

The dairy project continues to flourish especially now with more blessings both from the national and local government pouring in. Recently, the provincial government here released P300,000 for the completion of the project's processing center aside from the P1 million from JICA, P100,000 from DOLE and P94,000 from the organization as its counterpart.

Currently, the first floor of a two-storey building has already been completed.

"We are very grateful to the government because it never turned its back on us. We have been give hope and this pushes us to strive harder for development," expressed Nang Oya.

The association is now busy looking for a potential market for their produce with some government agencies trying to campaign for the benefits of milk among the public.

Urban poor groups in Cebu not inclined to join anti-government protests

Urban poor organizations would rather busy themselves in working hard to survive than marched the streets to protest against the present administration.

Clemen Quiros, development management officer III and the area coordinator for Mandaue City's urban poor of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor in Central Visayas (PCUP-7) echoed this observation.

Although Quiros limited her comment to the slightly over 100 urban poor organizations (UPOs) in Mandaue City with over 15,000 members, she however added that local government units play a crucial role in dissuading UPOs from joining anti-government rallies. "If the mayor is pro-administration, chances are likely that urban poor groups won't be inclined to join anti-government street protests and especially when the basic needs of the groups are being addressed by the mayor," she quoted.

As Cebu's local officials even on opposing ends are known Arroyo supporters, Quiros safely surmised that it would be difficult for hard-core critics of the government to pull UPOs to the streets. In case there are members of any urban poor groups that have joined radicals in the streets, these are minimal in figure, according to the PCUP-7 officer.

Based on experience in dealing with UPOs whose members include vendors, tricycle drivers, trisikad drivers, factory workers, jeepney drivers and even government employees, Quiros said these people are working very hard to make ends meet while their priority need is the security of land tenure.

In Mandaue City, the local government's top priority project for the urban poor is the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) to address their housing needs. Through the National Home Mortgage Financing Corp., the CMP enables the urban poor to have a roof over their heads with a monthly amortization between P300 to P500.

Quiros lauded members of the urban poor groups here for their good foresight because aside from not participating in futile street rallies as this could just hamper their daily livelihood, these people do not want to remain squatters all their life. Members of the urban poor would rather opt to work double-time to acquire their own house.

Because most UPOs in Cebu are more objective, left-leaning groups frustrated with the present government have found it difficult to convince UPOs to join them in their cause.

The PCUP-7 officer however, said she does not blame members of the urban poor in Manila who have been used by politicians to join rallies against the government for a price as life in Manila is harsher compared to in Cebu.
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TESDA CENTRAL VISAYAS TO GET 10,000 APPRENTICES
(July 5, 2005-BTO)

With the increasing demands of daily living plus globalization and change in technology, Filipinos who are multi-skilled and have the right attitude towards work surely have the edge. To realize this objective, the Technical Educational Skills Development Authority (TESDA) aims to field 10,000 apprentices in the region. Based on the records of TESDA, the provincial targets are five thousand in Cebu, 3,000 in Bohol, 1,500 in Negros Oriental, and 500 in Siquijor.

TESDA 7 Reg. Dir. Engr. Ernesto Beltran said that the program is in line with the role of the office to enhance the employability of workers by providing them programs that would cater to the local and global needs. He also said that the office now has more than a hundred partner institutions, especially those at the economic zones where more slots are now given to student apprentices.

Kasanayan at Hanapbuhay Program (KASH), also known as Apprenticeship-Learnership Program, is a training within employment involving a contract between an apprentice and an employer on an approved apprenticeable occupation. The move which is an industry-and-TESDA linkage program provides a better alternative to those who are jobless and are in need to upgrade their skills and rethink of their work attitudes aside from helping the industry players.

The small and medium enterprises (SME's) and other industry players that participate in the program have an opportunity to enjoy tax incentives, the chance to be provided with human resource development assistance by the government, and to develop the skills of workers to fit to their enterprise's requirements.

An applicant for the program must be at least 15 years old, physically fit for the occupation in which he/she desires to be trained, and can comprehend oral and written instructions. Interested individuals may submit their (1) application letters, (2) resume, (3) ID picture, and (4) other relevant credentials to the Provincial Employment Services Office (PESO) at the Ground Floor of Cebu Provincial Capitol, and the Department of Manpower and Development Project (DMDP) in Jakosalem St. (near Gaisano Main Store), or the TESDA Regional Office in Archbishop Reyes Ave., Cebu City.

Meanwhile, SME's and other employers who intend to hire apprentices simply have to submit a (1) letter of application addressed to the Regional Director of TESDA, (2) Skills Training Outline, and a (3) certification that the number of apprentices to be hired shall not be more than 20 percent of its total regular workforce.

Aside from enjoying the social security and health benefits, an apprentice is either given a payment of wage equivalent to 75 percent of the prevailing minimum wage, or a payment of full wage and availment of deduction from taxable income the one-half of the value of training expenses incurred. Thereby, saving 50 percent in labor cost on the part of the employer. The period of apprenticeship ranges from 4 - 6 months depending on the type of occupation being apprenticed.

Beltran also encouraged those who may have other queries on TESDA Programs to call Cebu City PESO thru T# 254-4348 and Cebu Province PESO at T# 253-5710, 412-7157, and TESDA 231-6718 or 231-1596.
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