Potable water tops CPG admin agenda

POTABLE water and cold storage facility tops the priorities of Carlos P. Garcia town mayor Tesalonica
Boyboy and she deems it important to get these service utilities soonest.

At the press tour for national and local media organized by Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) to inspect the P19M feeder port that it has partly funded in Pitogo, CPG, Mayor Boyboy said
that getting cheaper potable water services for the town would be a big social service boost in her
town.

Since the opening of the Pitogo ship facility, water, which some islanders source out from the
mainland has gone cheaper but that is not much, residents said.

While the port facility has become a major economic feeder for the town supplemented by the ports
of Popoo and Aguining, potable water has still tide the economic lift-off off the town, Mayor Boyboy
said.

President Carlos P Garcia town is separated from mainland Bohol through the deep Basiao Channel,
has been a key fishing town and livelihood is supplemented by farming and cottage industries.

On this, Mayor Boyboy said that putting up of a municipal waterworks system that complements the
existing three pumping units already in place in barangay San Jose can ease living conditions here.

In the town, potable water is still expensive, in Aguining for example, a 5-gallon container can cost
between P10 to P20, the mayor said.

While it may be cheap for others, in a town listed as one of Bohol’s most deprived, an ease in the
potable water problem could be a sigh of relief to the town’s poor, she stressed.

Aside from the water produced by the three pumps and being sold commercially as purified, other
main source is rain-water which islanders collect in rain water collectors and huge tanks.

Not everybody could build one however, she said.

Asked if the sea intrusion into the local aquifer is a problem, the lady mayor in her second term said
by far, they water dug from the island has been potable without any hint of saltwater intrusion.

To ease the problem, the mayor said they have asked for a P500K funding from Senator Miguel Zubiri
for the installation of a new 1.5 hp water pump. They are still awaiting for positive response form the
senator, she added.

On this, Eloisa Romero of the JICA said she would also explore possibilities on how the Japanese
Government could continue its service to the people of the island. (racPIABohol)

Bohol buildings needs PWD access facilities

IT is still long way to go for tourist destination Bohol in terms of its buildings and tourism facilities.

Still lagging behind in vertical infrastructure especially for tourism services, the dream for Bohol to become a
wholesome tourism destination practically finds wanting if services and standards to this end is concerned.

With the few establishments set up, as far as compliance to accessibility laws, several of them are not
compliant yet, says a person with disability mobility advocate said.

Here, of the few public buildings and tourism establishments that are compliant, they also have access
facilities that are sub-standard.

This surfaced Thursday at the Kapihan sa PIA when the forum resource persons took to the question: what
happens when a tourist who visits Bohol is a person with disability (PWD)?

Here, the leader of a strong Bohol Federation of Disabled Persons (BFDP) said the decade long advocacy to
bring awareness to get the law implemented and allow access to PWDs has not been that much, especially in
Bohol.

Mateo Quilas, a blind man however said he is happy that some establishments here have shown best efforts in
compliance.

The Kapihan segment, which was aired live over DyTR tackled the law enhancing the mobility of disabled
persons by requiring certain buildings, institutions, establishments and public utilities to install facilities and
other devices to ensure access of PWDs.

Some best efforts however prove to be only for compliance.

There are buildings and establishments with the access ramps but these are so steep that a PWD on a wheel-
chair can not negotiate it by himself, elaborates Haidee Cubarol, a physical therapist and Bohol Stimulation
and Therapeutic and Activity Center chief.

Cubarol, whose group has been giving therapies to indigent children with disabilities hinted that the law is
specific on enhancing the mobility of PWDs by putting up standard ramps with the right slopes, sidewalks with
railings and grab bars as well as custom amenities at specialized rest rooms for PWDS.

Even alleyways, doors and facility design should be considerate of the PWD where the floor areas should allow
enough space wheel-chair to maneuver, the lavatories installed with lever type faucets and grab bars running
along the edges of the rest rooms, she cited the law.

Now with the biggest investments still in tourism, both forum resource persons hope that the town planning
and development officers as well as engineers are keener in getting true to the intent of the law and make
thus Bohol a better place for tourists, be he able or with disability. (racPIABohol)

DTI “cautions” against scams

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) cautions everyone against scams in this season of bonuses and cash
windfalls.

“Giving bank account numbers, even without personal identification number (PIN) taught countless scam victims a hard
lesson”, DTI said.

“The modus operandi is a text message, which claims that the promotion has a DTI permit,” shares Information Officer
Lucille Autentico.

Under the law, sales promotion campaign should first secure permits from DTI to ensure that the public is protected
against deceptive or irresponsible sales promo scheme, she revealed.

DTI through Autentico cited the case of a 23-year old young professional and office girl in Makati.

The victim just received her 13th month pay when she received a text message from an unknown cell phone number,”
Autentico said.

The text message said: “Congratulations! Your cellphone number has won P680,000 at the Philippine Charity Foundation’s
third anniversary raffle draw last November 5. For more info, send your name and address. Call Sec. John Fuentes. Per
DTI Permit No. 000812. Thanks.”

Thinking that was a scam but also trying her luck, she accordingly replied with a fake name and address.

The texter, who introduced himself as a Manila-based lawyer then asked for her bank account number where he can
deposit the cash prize.

Thinking that her account is safe if she does not give her signature or Automated Teller Machine’s PIN number, she gave
him her bank account number, DTI added.

It was after two weeks later, when she got back after the vacation breaks, did she realized she was victimized, Autentico
relayed.

When the victim withdrew from her savings account, which she knew had a balance of about P10,000, she was shocked.

She was surprised when she learned from the ATM that she only had P.080 and her account was closed”, she told PIA.

Checking with the bank to trace her bank activities, the victim learned about a one time withdrawal on a holiday.

On this, the DTI warns everyone engaging in negotiations with strange persons or numbers through text.

“Be advised that when you are asked to provide your bank account number and the sender offers to deposit money into
it, it surely is a scam”, DTI said.

Even if the text message appears to be credible because it comes from a trusted government institution or well known
government official, never give your personal data and account numbers, warns Autentico.

Further, for prizes exceeding P500, the law requires that the winner be notified through registered mail, and not through
text messages alone, she sums. (racPIABohol)

PDEA appeals for help to build drug info base

ADMITTING a debacle where they only have few agents whose identity they have to protect, the
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has appealed to the public for help.

Now faced with the singular task of curbing an alarming increase of drug concerns popping up in
Bohol and likely trend of drug related crimes, the local PDEA is forced to make their best efforts, and
appreciates the public’s help in building up the information linking known drug personalities to set up
an information database.

Any information that can help us build a stronger case against these personalities would be a great
help, said a PDEA agent at the Kapihan sa PIA last week.

If any among you notices within your neighborhood an endless stream of activities especially when
these involve strangers coming in and out of the neighborhood, that’s a big chance that a drug deal
within a community is happening, said the agent who asked not to be named.

He said that along with the police authorities, the PDEA keeps a hotline number open for any
information leading to the capture or conviction of the persons involved in the illegal and harmful
trade.

Any information can be coursed through 501 8730, he said as he assured calls and information
received would be treated with utmost confidentiality.

Meanwhile, Bohol Police at Camp Dagohoy are also putting up a Provincial Tactical Operations Center
(PTOC) hotline manned by a desk staff 24 hours a day, said PSSUpt. Constantino Barot.

Police hotlines are 0917-305-1833 and 0912-808-9279, he added.

The drug agent also called on parents, guardians and landlords to keep a tight watch with their
wards in as much as shabu, the most common abused substance in Bohol can now be sold at P500
packs.

This is well within the affordability of students who may decide to pool their money for a drug
session, according to him.

Parents who start to suspect drug use may find their wards finding difficulty sleeping, reduced or loss
of appetite and may manifest involuntary twitching of facial muscles.

He said, “indications of pot session is the presence of tin or aluminum foils, disposable lighters, tissue
papers, improvised burners and denatured alcohol.”

Finding any of these implements, parents can call the hotlines, PDEA said. (PIABohol)

Chatto urges bgy govts To be IRA independent

CAPITOL is coordinating with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in designing
capacity building trainings for barangay officials.

Governor Edgar Chatto revealed during his weekly radio program that along the resource generation
policy of the provincial government, he would urge newly elected barangay officials to seek out other
resources and find other income sources rather than rely on the Internal Revenue Allotment.

While saying that the interior and local governments have their capacity training modules to
capacitate local officials, towns and provinces, Chatto hinted that Capitol can come in and enrich the
modules to empower local governments in their revenue generation tasks.

The local dependence on the IRA has been a noted situation in almost all local governments, he told
media during his weekly forum carried live over local radio stations.

“We can meet so we can come up with measures on how to come up with a wider capacity for
resource generation,” Chatto said.

Chatto also stressed that along with the trainings, the new officials must understand that beyond
seeking more tax legislation measures, there is such a thing as efficient tax collection that can prop
up the fiscal capacity of the barangays.

We can be dependent on the IRA from the start but we shall struggle to stand and attain
independence in the end, he urges local elected leaders.

Meanwhile, in efforts to initially give clues to barangay officials who will start their official amdnates
on December 1, a radio program called “Pamuhis” has been airing at DyTR every Saturday from 4:00
to 4:30.

Anchored by the Philippine Information Agency, the program attempts to educate local government
officials especially barangay dads on the revenue sources for barangays and their possible areas for
widening its tax base.

The program, funded by the national government hopes to engage local governments to generate
income from their own sources and hopefully prop up the government’s fiscal capacity to implement
priority programs and projects. (PIABohol)