Archive for March, 2009
Written by anyajulia on 31 March 2009
WITH over 90% of the town anti-rabies workers enabled to implement the law, it may not be long before Bohol gets the 80% target accomplishment for its dog registration and vaccination program, sources from the Provincial veterinarian say.
An accomplishment less than 80% would not be tolerable, especially in a tourist province.
In Bohol’s 47 towns and a city, only five town’s anti-rabies workers remain to be trained in para-legal measures to try cases on the violation of the Anti-Rabies Ordinance.
With the trainings, town anti-rabies workers get sterner bite to “force a reduction of stray dog population and make owners decide to keep or eliminate,” anti-rabies council said.
Bohol officials were alarmed over reports that Bohol top-rated in Central Visayas’ human rabies cases, a record that consequently dragged the region in the country’s top five watch areas.
With a tourism industry booming, a threat of rabies is indeed one Bohol could not just shrug, Governor Erico Aumentado once said.
According to the Provincial Veterinarian, Bohol Rabies Prevention and Eradication Program authorities need yet to complete the para legal training for the Bantay Rabies sa Barangay in Tagbilaran City, San Isidro, Talibon, Anda and Duero before the council shifts gears.
By shifting gears, more drastic means would be implemented to arrest rabies threat.
Now on its second attempt to make Bohol rabies free after getting near rabies free rating in the 90’s, anti-rabies council banks on the people to transform the program into a sustainable kind, says veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz.
In the late 90’s, the Capitol used government funds to counter the threat. Now egging to go sustainable, the council plans to use dog-owner’s responsibility, to co-share the rabies prevention program.
On the other hand, Bohol Sangguniang Panlalawigan through Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera has passed the enabling ordinance to institute the program in the municipalities. This too was complemented by a recent executive order issued by Governor Aumentado to engage the people into observing an annual anti-rabies month.
The ordinance puts up penal provisions for pet-owners who refuse to register, vaccinate and take care of bite victims caused by their dogs. It also established a mechanism for complaints so as to allow people to actively participate in the program, council members explained.
Wanting to go slow but sure on the program, the Rabies Prevention and Eradication Council has opted to put in massive information dissemination while enabling the local counterparts in the villages to make the program work.
After all these, we expect people to be more conscious of their responsibilities as dog owners, Council members agree. (rachiu/PIA)
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Written by anyajulia on 31 March 2009
MASSIVE multiple role-playing game anyone?
This time however, it is not the usual multi-level online games generation Ragnarok is so notorious of, but for the environment.
The country’s premier youth instituted organization is now inviting everyone to join an activity aimed to generate massive multiple action, to trigger the greening of the Philippines and mitigate the effects of climate change.
“We hope to engage and mobilize our 16 regional directors to start their own regional pro-environment action programs to realize the Green Philippines Project that the president has initiated,” Sangguniang Kabataan National Federation (SKNF) President Jana Censoria Cajes said.
SKNF executive assistant Jubelyn N. Pulgarinas also shared the details of the same project plan at the recent Kapihan sa PIA, Thursday.
The forum aired live over DyTR also afforded Boholanos the chance to hear for themselves the recent program developments in local SK youth advocacy and the environment.
Relying on triggering a critical mass of the country’s young in the same manner as online-internet game followers can amass in a day, SK also hopes to generate that much to break-ground for the project.
To be organized under the SK through its national federation, the ambitious plan, called Sama-Sama para sa Kalikasan (SK) would be enjoining the youth to a journey, not to ragna-land but to the final fantasy, a later version of a better world.
The SDNF would be launching the program during the national convention in Bohol this week, SK Bohol staff Chris John Torralba bared.
The convention, set March 31 to April 3 at the Bohol Tropics puts up 122 of the country’s top youth organization leaders in a gathering themed Kabataan: Gabay sa Makakalikasang Aksyon.
The convention would be capped with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo launching the SK National Environment Campaign, which will signal the start or organized massive tree planting activities, intensified environment advocacy campaigns in schools and information education programs in different venues across the country.
Joining the president would be Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, SK sources said.
“With the felt climate change, it is high time for the youth, who have been unjustly labeled as carefree, to show that they too can make a difference,” Capitol SK’s Torralba said.
I believe the youth could do something, Torralba pressed even as another SKNF executive assistant Jubelyn Pulgarinas noted that there is already an indication that youth are starting to get involved in the community.
Unlike then when SK is associated with discos and sports leagues, Pulgarinas said much of the youth now is into youth and environment advocacies, “but we need society to guide them, help them with the available resources and acknowledge their efforts”.
In Bohol, a parallel organization implementing SK programs is the Volunteer Club (SKVC), one which has been into more radical environment conservation and damage mitigation by engaging in mangrove planting and rehabilitation projects, shares Ann Crusit, SKVC president.
“This is also what we hope to do as our little contribution to the global effort to take care of the only planet we have,” she added. (rachiu/PIA)
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Written by anyajulia on 31 March 2009
IT would be another “armed struggle” with former rebels now peace converts as Bohol Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera gave them seeds of hope to start anew.
The peace converts, or more popularly known in Bohol as “kauban sa reporma” (KR) belong to the latest batch of rebel returnees decided stopping their pursuit of a lost war.
The new “armed struggle” is essentially one that uses the KRs arms in tilling the soil and produce food from the sweat of their brow.
Still stigmatized as former extremists, the 26 returnees here found themselves hard up in finding livelihood opportunities much less, the capital to start a decent life anew.
Through the Office Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the government, with the help of local officials here succeeded in granting P20T livelihood assistance.
Seeing that majority of these peace converts decide to be anonymous farmers, the vice governor, who heads the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s Agriculture committee found the perfect opportunity to recruit new allies.
The seeds, a complete Pinoy pinakbet pack consists of ampalaya, eggplant, squash, okra, string beans and tomatoes were each given to peace converts as starter seed set to germinate at home, Herrera said.
This may be a real small thing, but great beginnings start from here, Herrera said in the vernacular as he elaborated on the parallel effort growing the seeds of hope in the government’s honest peace initiatives.
In his engagements across the province, Herrera has been convincing people to go back to agriculture as a response to the global crisis that threatens to shake rock-steady economies across the globe.
He shared his dreams of keeping backyard gardens so that families can cut on spending costs.
Consequently, Herrera has been on the recruiting binge to convince people of the vision for food sufficient Bohol.
In support of his personal crusade, the province of Bohol has recently allotted P1M more to feed the Herrera dream of food security, shared Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo during the awarding ceremonies last week. (rachiu/PIA)
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Written by piabohol on 30 March 2009
GITAMBAGAN ni Presidente Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ang mga opisyales sa mga local government units nga magsagop sa dili gastoso nga pamaagi pagtipig sa basura subay sa epektibo nga programa alang sa solid waste.
Matud sa Presidente, mahimo ra nga magtukod og materials recovery facility ang mga LGUs nga dili makagasto sa pag-dumala sa usa ka sanitary landfill, nga maoy unang gitumbok nga paagi sa pagtipig sa basura subay sa Ecological Solid Waste Management Program sa nasud.
As mga MRF, mahimo nga mabahig ang basura aron dyutay na lang ang isalikway samtang magamit pag usab ang mga kapahimuslan pang basura.
Kini usab maoy kasagarang gitambag sa Presidente alang sa mga kabarangayan, kay nakita nga mas barato ang mag-atiman og MRF kay sa sanitary landfill. (rachiu/PIA)
mas barato ang mag-atiman og MRF kay sa sanitary landfill. (rachiu/PIA)
Uling gikan sa basura,
Usa sa sugyot ni PGMA
MAKINA nga maghimog uling gikan sa basura, kini maoy usa sa mga sugyot ni Presidente Gloria Macapagal Arroyo agig solbad sa pagdumala sa solid waste.
Inay mogastog nminilyon alang sa abri nga labayanan sa basura, mas barato ang paghim niinig uling, matud sa Presidente.
Una nga nga gibutyag ni Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi nga ang makina nga maghimog uling sa basura mobalor ug P63,500 lamang kon itandi sa minilyon nga landfill.
Hinuon, ang ma-uling aron iklasugnod, kadto lang mga basura nga biodegradable ug organic.
Dugang ni Gerochi, ang pag-uling usab makatabang sa pagkunhod sa paggamait sa mga kahoy ug produkto sa lasang.
Gawas pa sa uling, makasapi usab ang katawhan niini, panapos ni Usec. Gerochi. (rachiu/PIA)
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Written by anyajulia on 30 March 2009
WHEN President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo comes to Bohol, April 1, it would probably be her briefest official visit here.
The president is expected to breeze through Bohol late Wednesday morning and be off for another official engagement at 1:30.
But the youth sector awaiting here are making sure it would be one that leaves the longest imprint in environmental protection as they hope it would re-vitalize her dream Green Philippines.
Green Philippines Project is an environmental campaign that President Arroyo has been spearheading since she assumed office and immediately uncovered details of making the country clean and green.
It may be recalled that it was also in Bohol when PGMA also launched Green Philippines during the first Bohol Youth Day, in March of 2007.
In her address to the youth then, she said “We still have time to shape up our nation in the right direction: clean, healthy, productive and beautiful.”
While asking the youth to rally with her, she wanted to realize the dream in next five years.
On her re-visit two years after the 2007 launch, Sangguniang Kabataan President Jane Censoria Cajes, said she expects the youth to get a recharge on the president’s Green Philippines call for adopting a clean, socially responsible environment policy.
The president then shared her seven-year vision of making the country a model of environmental stewardship while engaging the youth to do the legwork.
For the project, President Arroyo wants to use the youth to bring out innovative land management strategies and care of the environment.
“I fully believe that within the seven years, the Philippines can be a model of environmental stewardship, she bared then,
The move, then spearheaded by the National Youth Commission and the Tagbilaran Diocesan Youth Commission, aimed to make a strong Boholano pro-environmental statement.
In 2009, PGMA would engage the youth anew in her reinvigorated national environment campaign. (rachiu/PIA)
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Written by anyajulia on 30 March 2009
OVER the Presidential directive to “cut government waste, belt-tightening measures and living within one’s means, Bohol Capitol responded with an order to leave all government cars at the Manison or Capitol.
And just as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered all government departments and agencies to save money for food, fuel and rice subsidies for the poorest of the poor, Provincial administrator Tomas Abapo said Governor Erico Aumentado has issued corresponding directives for strict compliance.
These steps, Atty. Abapo presses, are few of the moves to stop unnecessary and wasteful spending, especially in fuel.
Speaking at the weekly Governor’s Report, Abapo said drivers have been instructed to leave their keys at the Capitol or Mansion guards to make sure no Capitol vehicles are being abused during the week-ends.
This as President Arroyo ordered all state agencies including the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the PNPA to spearhead the “belt-tightening measures” that would allow the government to provide incentives to help the private sector to generate jobs, and rescue the poor by providing them subsidies on food, fuel, and rice.
Mrs Arroyo shared she wanted all these to sustain funding the subsidies for the poor.
”How do we fund all these? The answer is: cut government waste. In challenging economic times, the government must tighten its belt and live within its means just like the average Filipino household,” the President said.
Recently, the President had directed departments and agencies to set aside 1.5 percent of their maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), and save up to P7 billion to fund emergency employment and subsidies to mitigate the negative effects of global economic crisis.
She added that savings and revenue sourced out from MOOE of all government agencies will be allocated to emergency employment for the next six months.
She also ordered electricity and fuel saving measures to bring down by 25 percent the consumption of fossil fuels, reduce electric consumption by at least 10 percent within 10 weeks, obliging all government offices to use incandescent fluorescent bulbs to save energy and electric consumption.
The President also reiterated that the government must convert 20 percent of its vehicles in major cities to non-fossil fuels like bio-diesel.
“Government vehicles including police cars, not on official trip, should be garaged in the agency office and the keys kept by guards during weekend and holidays. Government vehicles used by officials below Cabinet rank may not have security plates unless there is imminent danger to their lives,” she stressed. (rachiu/PIA)
CUTTING on fuel costs, Gov. Aumentado orders all government vehicles to be stored at the Capitol or mansion grounds on Fridays to keep them from abuses during weekends, says Atty. Tomas Abapo. (PIA)
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Written by anyajulia on 30 March 2009
LEVEL UP. Youth sector representatives present their pro-environment plan during the recent Kapihan sa PIA which tackled on the youth and their environment advocacy. In Bohol, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo would be joining the SK in launching Green Philippines this Wednesday. (PIA)
ANTI RABIES COUNCIL top men Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz, Dr, Reymoses Cabagnot and media representative Lito Responte answers queries about Bohol rabies program during a visit by Asian learners. (PIA)
GERMINATING HOPE. Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera finds new recruits in his food sufficiency dream for Bohol with the 26 rebel returnees who get starter seeds for their new lives in peace. With Hererra in the picture are Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo (partly hidden) OPAPP Usec. Cesar Ramboanga Jr. and 302nd Bde Commander Col. Alan Luga. (PIA)
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Written by anyajulia on 27 March 2009
Malacanang has demanded oil firms to explain the oil price hikes implemented since Tuesday (March 24).
Department of Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes already called on Petron, Shell, Caltex, PTT Philippines and Total to discuss the ’surprise’ hike of their gasoline prices by P1 per liter and diesel and kerosene prices by 50 centavos.
Under the Oil Deregulation law, oil firms should inform the DOE about any adjustment on oil products. The DOE also requires that the oil firms announce the price changes a day before implementation. (PNA)
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Written by anyajulia on 27 March 2009
The Department of Defense assures that government will explore all possible options for the safe release of the Red Cross volunteers held hostaged in Sulu.
DND Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said the President has strict instructions to make efforts to protect the safety of hostages. Teodoro adds that the military will remain where they are to maintain pressure and prevent escape of Albader Parad and his gang of bandits.
Parad threatened to behead hostages if soldiers do not withdraw from Indanan by the end of the month.
The Abu Sayyaf has been holding Mary Jean Lacaba, Andreas Notter and Eugenio Vagni for more than two months now. (PIA-MMIO)
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Written by anyajulia on 27 March 2009
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gave an order to all government departments and agencies to save money for food, fuel and rice subsidies for the poorest of the poor.
She ordered all state agencies including the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the PNPA to spearhead the “belt-tightening measures” that would allow the government to provide incentives to help the private sector to generate jobs, and rescue the poor by providing them subsidies on food, fuel, and rice. (PNA)
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Written by anyajulia on 27 March 2009
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph G. Recto recently called for the implementation of unemployment insurance for the laid-off workers and more scholarships for the youth.
Recto proposes that the unemployment insurance be made available to Social Security System (SSS) members who have been working and contributing to the agency for two years and have recently lost his/her job.
Around 6,500 OFWs were laid off, compared to the 50,000 domestic workers as of March 10. There are also around 60,000 working less due to compressed work weeks, job rotation, and forced leaves. (NEDA-PIA)
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