INFOBYTES, Issue No. 18 Vol. 1 (July 28, 2005)

Secure permits, foreign nationals urged
The Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) here is urging foreign nationals staying in Oriental Negros to secure proper business permits if they wish to set up businesses in the province.

Local Acting Alien Control Officer Peter Bueno said foreign nationals should apply for permits from the Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Internal Revenue and the local Treasurer’s office before putting up a business.

For foreigners living outside Dumaguete City, Bueno urged them to go to their local treasurer’s office for more details.

Agent Arnaldo Fineza of the National Bureau of Investigation said they are closely monitoring the activities of foreign nationals in the province.

Authorities from the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) teamed up with NBI agents to monitor foreigners linked to the retail business in the country.

So far we haven’t received reports of foreigners going into business without the proper documents in Oriental Negros, reports Fineza.

Records from BID’s office show that Americans top the number of foreign nationals staying in Oriental Negros with 184, followed by Chinese, 107,and Koreans, 73.

Other nationalities in the top ten list of foreigners here are Germans, Indians, British, Australians, Swiss, Japanese and Dutch.

The immigration bureau is urging the public to report cases of foreigners engaging in the retail business without the proper documents.
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Dumaguete peaceful on SONA day- PNP
Peace and order prevailed in Dumaguete City during the State of the Nation Address delivered by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on July 25, 2005.

City Police Chief Manuel S. Hidalgo said the city was generally peaceful, despite one protest rally staged that day.

Hidalgo estimates around 700 protester gathered in Quezon Park, but no untoward incidents occurred.

The city police force has been on a heightened alert since Sunday morning in preparation for Pres. Arroyo’s second State of the Nation Address.

The city police chief said around 70 policemen from the city and provincial police stations were deployed with security forces surrounding Quezon Park where the protest rally took place.

A civil disturbance management group was also stationed at City Hall.

Aside from Oriental Negros, Siquijor was equally peaceful during the SONA as no protest rallies against the administration were held in the said province.

All six (6) mayors of Siquijor province are reportedly contented with the Arroyo administration.

The rest of Central Visayas was also declared generally peaceful during the SONA according to PNP Police Regional Office 7 Public Information Officer P/Supt. Carmelo Valmoria.

Valmoria said elements from the Armed Forces of the Philippines has augmented the civil disturbance group to make sure that protest rallies for and against the President will be done peacefully.
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Water springs eternal in 335 households in Siquijor province
At the crack of dawn till sundown, Lamberto Angot and the men folks of Brgy. Pasihagon in Siquijor, Siquijor travel around one-kilometer away from home just to fetch water from a distant source. This has been a daily chore as far as these men could remember.

The women, with their young children and a “head-ful load” of laundry would go to San Juan, a neighboring town where water is gloriously abundant, to wash clothes and take a dip at the town’s popular spring that is situated in front of the municipal hall and is maintained by the local government unit of San Juan. This has been a weekend kind of family “picnic.”

“Mogasto gyud mi ug P60 kada adlaw sa tag P20 kada lima ka galon nga tubig sa akong balay, mga tulo ka tag-lima ka galon among mahurot. Dinaginot na gyud na gani,” says Lamberto. (We spend P60 a day at P20 per 5-gallon of water and in my house, we consumed about 3 containers. And this is already being economical.)

Brgy. Pasihagon could only dream of water from their faucets; a lifetime vision and perennial politicians’ promises until the barangay folks were called to a meeting. “Gi-meeting mi sa barangay kabahin sa proyekto sa tubig. Wala gyud dayon mi mutuo. Kalabanan sige lang na saad,” some of the men said. (We were called to a meeting at the barangay regarding a waterwork project. We didn’t believe it right away. We thought it was just the same promises).

KALAHI-CIDSS organizers recalled that they had a difficult start due to the residents’ pessimistic attitude. Despite the wait-and-see attitude of the community, KALAHI persisted until Lamberto decided to give it another try and convinced the men folks to join and participate in the planning and countless consultations which is the “KALAHI way” of implementing projects.

As the project evolved, more local folks shared and offered food, cash and hardworking volunteers as they began the strenuous drilling process that required at least 90 feet down ground level to be able to tap the abundant water source.
From then, the rest was a joyful celebration.

On January 27, 2005, the Pasihagon Waterworks System was inaugurated with a lavish celebration with the imposing stainless water tank as the visible and concrete manifestation of the community’s “labor of love” as the 191 household families there proudly described the water project.

Truly, water transforms lives and springs eternal in the other 23 more barangays in Siquijor. With the success of the Pasihagon Waterworks System, the other barangays buckled down to work and started their respective waterworks project using the KALAHI-CIDSS: KKB formula.

To date, Siquijor province is a recipient of seven (7) waterworks projects in 24 barangys benefiting 335 household families. All these cost more than P21.8 million with counterparts from the national government through the KALAHI at more than P13.8 million and local funding at a little more than P9 million.

The highlight of the projects it seems is the “all-out” support from the barangay residents themselves, young and old and without political color.

“Karon pa ko ani nga nagtinabangay gyud ang tanan aron makab-ot ang gipangandoy nga tubig,” Lamberto happily expressed his sentiments as he looked up to the huge stainless steel tank that reflected the morning sun. (PIA-Cebu)
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NFA beats rice distribution target due to good rice quality
The National Food Authority (NFA) here has exceeded its target rice distribution in Oriental Negros by 23.18% due to a high clamor from the consuming public here.

Records from NFA show that from January to June 2005, NFA has distributed a total of 109,630 bags of rice provincewide, far beyond its target of 89,000 bags for the same period.

NFA Information Officer Rolando Lazalita said the public demand for NFA rice stems from the good quality of rice coming from the food agency.
“Maayo ang quality of rice sa NFA, because it has been upgraded and it is well-milled,” says Lazalita, adding that the Vietnam rice his office is selling is 25% broken.

Aside from this, Lazalita said NFA increased its rice supply in retail outlets during the lean months of April to June to offset the reduced supply of commercial rice in the market.

NFA rice is available in 60 Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke outlets, 101 outside-the-market-outlets and 14 accredited farmers’ cooperatives in the province.

Beneficiaries of indigent programs in some 14 local government units have also availed of the NFA rice this year.

Lazalita said two Tindahan ni Gloria Rolling Stores are also going around the barangays in the province selling repacked NFA rice at 2 kilos per pack.

Each rolling store unit is packed with 100 bags of rice everyday.

The NFA here has earlier assured the public of sufficient rice supply in the province as the food agency reports that it has surpassed its target rice inflow.
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GSIS members’ relatives can now avail of accident insurance
Relatives of government employees can now avail of a personal accident insurance from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) after the latter expanded its accident insurance services to cover the family members of civil workers as well.

According to local GSIS Information Officer Jaydon Villaverde, GSIS is offering public servants the rare opportunity of insuring their family members for up to P5 million through the Enhanced Personal Accident Insurance.

Under this enhanced insurance program, the active GSIS member and any of his or her insured relative who incur medical expenses as a result of an accident will be reimbursed of their medical costs.

Also offered are bereavement and death or disability assistance ranging from P50,000 to P5 million, depending on the premium the GSIS member has chosen to avail of.

GSIS members need only to pay a one-time annual payment for a minimum of P52.50 in order to be covered and this is renewable each year, says Villaverde.

Non-GSIS members who are qualified to sign up for the personal accident insurance are the active GSIS member’s legitimate spouse, parents not more than 70 years old and legitimate children not less than seven years old.

Interested applicants can call up GSIS at 2255476 for more details.
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Four more KALAHI projects completed in Siquijor
Many factors can spell the success or failure of a project.

But perhaps, it can be safe to say that most projects attain success if the beneficiaries themselves unite and readily lend a helping hand in its implementation.

Such was the case of the KALAHI-CIDSS projects in Enrique Villanueva (Talingting), Siquijor, or the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan: Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services.

“The Enrique Villanueva experience is one of the best practices for poverty reduction in the country having the highest participation rate so far,” says Regional Director Todulo R. Romo Jr. of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 7.

Romo recounted the huge success in the implementation of the electrification project in Brgy. Olave which was named the national winner in the Best in Project Category from a pool of KALAHI projects all over the Philippines last year.

Four more projects under the second cycle of the program were completed this month in the municipality.

An inauguration, blessing and turn-over ceremony was conducted yesterday (July 27) at Enrique Villanueva Social Center attended by Dir. Romo, local officials, project coordinators/faciliators and beneficiaries.

“Totaling some P4.79 million with P4,191,852 coming from the KALAHI-CIDSS grant and P596,799.50 from the local government counterparts, the newly completed projects are Balolong Farm to Market Road with a total project cost of P1,017,064; Tulapos Day Care Center, P680,700; Bolot electrification, P1,646.359; and Olave Farm to Market Road with a total funding of P1,444,528.
Local government counterparts include funds from the provincial, municipal and barangay government units aside from the villagers’ participation in terms of manpower, operations and maintenance of the project.

“Dako gyud ug ikatabang kanato ang maong dalan (This farm to market road is really a big help to us,” says Operation and Management Chairperson Joel Sayre of Brgy. Balolong, while accepting the responsibility and giving his commitment for the maintenance of the project. “Pero, kinahanglan ko sa inyong tabang (But I need your support),” Sayre told the barangay folks.

“Pulo na ka tuig kong pinuyo diri, karon pa gyud mi nakasuga, makapahayahay na mi ug tan-aw ug TV…maayo gani kay naay KALAHI (I have been staying here for more than 10 years, it is only now that we get to taste the comfort of having electricity…thanks to KALAHI!),” exclaims 34 year-old Myrna Sabanatic, another beneficiary of the electrification project in Sitio Pondol, Brgy. Bolot.

In Brgy. Tulapos, Brgy. Captain Ceasario O. Alcala, with his infectious smile, also said “At last naa na gyud mi tinuod nga Day Care Center kay sa una magklase ra ang among kabataan sa barangay hall ra man…mora pud ug mag-session. (At last we have now a real day care center! Our kids used to attend classes in our barangay hall…as if attending a session).”

KALAHI-CIDSS has been adopted as one of the government’s poverty reduction program that tries to pursue the following goals: reduced poverty, improved governance and empowered communities.