PIA-BOHOL LOCAL ENGLISH NEWS

2012-01-28T09:46:00.002+08:00

DOE launches nat’l e-trike

AutoCAD design contest

Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, January 27 (PIA) – Here is something for Boholano CAD graphic designers.

If you or your friends are 18 years old or over, residents of the Philippines and familiar with computer based Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawing, then designing the new generation electric tricycles (e-trikes) could be a starting challenge.

This as the Department of Energy (DOE) launches the Nationwide e-trikes Design Contest through two-dimensional (2D) or three dimension (3D) CAD design for the best aesthetic and functional design of the three-wheeled electric vehicle which sits a maximum of six passengers excluding the driver.

The catch however is that you will have to compete and assert your creativity by clawing to the top, where three designs are assured of a cool P200 thousand to pocket.

Top 3 design winners automatically become DOE’s property and may be used, copied, reproduced and printed by DOE in any size or medium for exhibition, advertising and promotions or similar purposes.

The next top seven post is also tempting as placers can still be recompensed P50K each, upon which the short-listed design could be adopted in the implementation of the country’s e-trike project, according to the contest rules.

Contest criteria includes aesthetics and creativity (50%), originality and innovation (20%), Safety and Functionality according to Land Transportation Office standards (20%) and ergonomics which include ease of accessibility, space requirements and total passenger comfort (10%).

Contest rules, which can be accessed by opening the DOE portal through www.doe.gov.ph, said one only needs to produce a 2D or 3D etrike design using AutoCAD software, with its corresponding design descriptions and specifications.

That is, after completely filling up the Official Registration Forms downloadable at the DOE portal or at www.pia.gov.ph.

The design has to be new, original and has never been used for commercial or demonstration purposes, all designs not bearing any logo or similar markings that can be identified with any participating individual, school or establishment.

Entries must be submitted in CD and A3 hardcopy, sealed in an envelop with the contest Official Registration Form, a notarized Oath of Ownership of the submitted design and sent by courier not later than 4PM February 17 to National e-trike Design Contest, c/o Energy Utilization Management Bureau, Department of Energt, Merritt Road, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, 1631.

For more information, contact PIA Bohol at 412-2292 or 501 8554. (30)

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Voice behind Inyong Alagad

Inducts new AUDIO officers

Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 27, (PIA) Bohol Tri Media Association president and the iconic voice behind Inyong Alagad urges Bohol Information Officers to continue feeding the media with developmental news, a move to engage new breed of writers swerving from emerging trend of sensationalism.

At the induction of newly elected officers of the Association of United Development Information Officers (AUDIO) in Bohol, Inyong Alagad anchor Teofredo Araneta hinted that broadcast news in Bohol could even be more enhance with more local developmental stories.

Himself a respected veteran broadcaster, Araneta has seen how radio broadcasts could be presented much better with stories coming from the often left corners of the province.

While news streams everyday from local radio stations here, the bulk of stories rarely talk about the towns, a thing most information officers can actually do being part of their tasks.

In his message to the newly inducted AUDIO officers and members, Araneta also reminded information officers that even when news writings is just telling stories, he said news use specific story-telling skills which [information officers] learn through constant practice.

Acting as induction officer on his birthday, Araneta said it was the first time he celebrated his special day with his other family: media.

That same day, AUDIO re-elected Capitol media chief as its president for 2012, during its recent gab at the Casa Rey Francis, Thursday.

Augustus Escobia, former Philippine Information Agency employee and not Capitol Effective Development Communications head takes his second consecutive year steering the organization largely composed of developmental information officers from national government agencies and Local Government Units in Bohol.

Scheduled to finally get its Securities and Exchange Commission registration within the year, AUDIO, which has long been an informal organization seeking wider developmental information dissemination of programs and projects by respective government units and agencies would soon get its juridical personality, if plans do not miscarry.

Also elected, after the group ratified its constitution and by-laws, were two Vice Presidents. Members voted for Ma. Lydia Bantugan of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) as Vice President for National Government Agencies and Trinidad Information Officer Jojielyn R. Buendia (VP for LGUS).

Elected Secretary is Garcia-Hernadez’s information officer Lindsey-Marie Vismanos, while Treasurer is Candijay’s info officer Judith Villamor.

Auditor is Sagbayan information officer Jildo Cempron while Board of Directors include Bruce Gideon Zabala of Bohol District Jail (District 1), Teodulo Yecyec Jr of Dagohoy (Distrcit 2) and Ruben Tinio of Duero (District 3).

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Farmer marketing centers

Up for 4 ARC towns soon

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan 27 (PIA) – Agrarian reform’s integrated support for stirring the rural economy can never be more eloquently manifested that its slowly rising bagsakan centers with a wider scope now.

Officially termed Agricultural Information and Marketing Center (AIM-C) for Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs), the complex of the Bagsakan Centers also annex in them information and marketing center and offices.

While these structures sprouting in the country sides complement the government’s initiatives at perking up rural economies through increased spending, their effects to agricultural economic revolution and jumpstarting the engines for progress is undeniable.

Other than the AIM-C, Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) implementation of the country’s flagship social justice program in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reforms brings to four towns in Bohol stimulus funds through the foreign funded Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Program (ARISP III).

The ARISP brings out counterpart funds for construction of irrigation and drainage facilities, post harvest facilities, farm to market roads, potable water supply development, institutional development and project administration, according to ARISP III website.

“The logic is simple. You open up farm to market roads to make these areas accessible to development. Then you also open up information and marketing centers to production can be adjusted to demands while storage facilities also keep these harvests in a place where there is lesser chances of wastage,” explains project engineer into building these structures.

This also opens for Alicia, Balilihan, Catigbian and Danao the chance to access support funds from Japan Bank for International Cooperation of its the AIM-C Post Harvest Facilities (PHF).

While several Bagsakan Centers have drastically altered the rural landscapes all over the country in the past years, these have been funded by the country’s agricultural modernization funds which have already dripped to a stop.

In Alicia, the Central Project Monitoring Office (CPMO) has recommended revisions for its 72 square meter warehouse’s detailed design and program of works as proposed by the LGU following October 28’s survey.

ARISP spends for the warehouse building construction while the local government spends for the display center and office in the AIM-C.

In Balilihan, its municipal AIM-C has already a P2.75M and construction is ongoing at pegs a 50% accomplishment, the building project utilized the LGU counterpart funds, and opting not to use the standard design furnished by the project proponents.

Here, the LGU puts up P2M for the project while ARISP III gives in the P750K.

Another P8.6M similar structure rises in Catigbian after the ARISP and LGU can agree on implementing the revisions recommended by project consultants for the structure’s detailed design and program of work.

Like Balilihan, Catigbian also opted not to follow the standard design for these projects.

Soon, another AIM-C PHF will rise in Danao, that is, after the feasibility study is completed and all the necessary requirements in place and complied with. (30)

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Mayor Cajes seeks advice on

how to deal with some NGOs

Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, January 25, 2012 (PIA) -- How do we deal with Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), asks Trinidad mayor and former Congressman Roberto Cajes.

Feeling concerned over military reports which flagged a personality in his town as new head of the Bohol White Area Committee (BWAC), Mayor Cajes said he want to be clarified on how military sources tagged Eloy Tabada in the military’s peace and order situation report for Bohol.

At the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) Meeting held in Antequera, Bohol, Cajes asks the council how a person identified as heading an accredited non-government organization (NGO) be easily flagged by the military.

In his report to the council, 802^nd Brigade Commander Colonel John Bonafos reported the sectoral leadership change in the BWAC.

Ira Pamat was replaced by Carmelo “Eloy” Tabada, Col. Bonafos told council members.

Military intelligence reports earlier said that the BWAC has been largely responsible in coordinating the re-organization of the insurgent’s mass base in some barangays in Bohol.

The same reports said the reorganization is to lay the ground-works for the planned return of the fleeing rebels here on account of the building hostilities they encountered when they fled Bohol years ago.

BWAC is composed of several legal organizations, some apparently cooperating with government but are allegedly fronts for organizing former rebel-movement supporters to accept returning comrades, according to military sources.

Research showed that Ira Pamat, the former BWAC head leads Women’s Development Center (WDC), an NGO actively engaged in organizing women in rural areas for livelihood and rural development.

On the other hand, Carmelo Tabada is of Farmers’ Development Center, an organization largely engaged in forming farmer groups and owning wide access to rural communities engaged in agriculture.

While these organizations have been doing legitimate work on the surface, there is a different story running below, a source who used to lead the military’s special operation team revealed.

But for Mayor Cajes, who personally knows Tabada, he wants to be given guidelines on what to do with NGOs whose alleged tasks include organizing against the government.

I do not understand how the military marks Tabada when even the Presidential Security Group, who saw no alarm over these NGOs, green-lighted the past Presidential Visit here in my town, Cajes asked.

Himself assuming the leadership of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) in Bohol, Cajes openly aired his wonder why international funding agencies continue to support these NGOs who have been allegedly stirring ill sentiments against the government.

Reacting to Mayor Cajes’ inquiry, Col Bonafos assured these NGOs are not illegal but hinted their “underground” activities so local leaders can be forewarned.

He also urged local leaders to keenly assess NGOS in their areas and note those that should be watched for above allegations. (30)

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Feature…

ARISP III’s CIPs…

Irrigating peoples hopes

For a harvestable future

Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Jan. 27 (PIA) -- Cognizant of the help irrigation facilities can in doubling up rice harvests, farmers living in Bohol Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCS) lobby for their identified and prioritized Communal Irrigation Projects (CIPs).

Communal Irrigation Projects: irrigating community spirits

According to National Irrigation Authority, a Communal Irrigation Project (CIP) puts in a system: small-scale irrigation facilities constructed with the participation of farmer-beneficiaries thru their irrigation associations (IA).

This not only bonds farmers to a certain level of cooperation, it also lends to them the necessary skil to coordinate, construct and maintain the system they now own, a NIA Irrigation Development Officer said.

The operation and maintenance of CIS is turned over to IAs upon project completion subject to a cost recovery arrangement, that’s why.

Farmers amortize the chargeable cost for a period not exceeding 50 years at 0 percent interest at a pre-arranged and acceptable re-payment scheme by both parties.

And with Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR Bohol) seeing the point farmers have pressed, through the foreign funded Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project (ARISP III), the coordination works take root with the empowered farmers also compelling the lobby from local governments of Alicia, Balilihan, Catigbian and Danao for CIP green lighting.

For DAR Bohol, no convincing is needed.

DAR has seen that a CIP in one of Bohol’s top rice harvesting communities in Cayacay in Alicia town could increase average harvest per hectare with about 80 hectares of farms in its neighboring farmlands benefiting.

In fact, a survey by the Bureau of Agricultural statistics showed a huge disparity of average harvest yield on irrigated farms compared to rain-fed and upland farms.

Helping the town leaders and ARC beneficiaries, DAR forecasts a haul in better harvests with the small irrigation facility called the Cayacay CIP, set to be completed before 2014.

Project feasibility has pegged P22.5 million funds from the ARISP III needed, data from the Bohol Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) bare.

With post qualification ongoing, farmers here have shown an elevated enthusiasm especially that Pre construction conferences have been initiated last month.

Not wanting to be counted out in the tally for spurring agricultural economic activity, local town leaders completed the P5M Cambaol CIP as its “dip-into-its-pockets” counterpart of the ARISP III agreements.

To even up the ante, Cambaol CIP can also sustainably irrigate 50 hectares of ricelands, local data showed.

That similar thing is also happening in Balilihan as with other ARISP III towns.

In another ARISP III beneficiary town, the Balilihan CIP, which is estimated to service 85 hectares of farmlands covers parts of barangays Sagasa (55 hectares), Dorol (20 has) and Sal-ing (10 has), according to the data from DAR.

Some P12.7 million funds have been spent here, and the ARISP has intimated for the funding of diversion structures, main, lateral canals and structures including some farm ditches.

The LGU has positively concurred to funding supplementary farm ditches, as its counterpart.

With the development, large patches of rain-fed farms would now find a better and more reliable water supply to significantly increase production, a farmer has earlier shared.

On the other hand, developing the Catigbian Irrigation Project has been in the works and DAR Central project Monitoring Office has validated the right of way claims when it was submitted late last year.

The approval of the project which is set to irrigate 75 hectares of farmlands in Poblacion and Ambuan could be approved anytime, updates a DAR Bohol source.

Per approved feasibility study, construction cost is a little more that P9M.

Irrigation development is also pursued in Danao town, a valley nestled amidst the rolling hills and mountains of Central Bohol.

Hibale-Nahud Communal Irrigation Project has been identified for development which is capable of irrigating an aggregate expanse of 75 hectares, ARC beneficiary farmers said.

While the feasibility study for the project is still ongoing, ARISP has initially assented to the development of diversion structures, water pumps acquisition, main and lateral canals construction, farm ditches and canal structures including culverts and embankments.

Enthused by the offer, the local government also initially committed to fund the construction of supplementary farm ditches.

The development have presented to the people a better reason to work together and mold a communal economic development direction while its also made a more cohesive working team at the DAR, upon whose shoulders lay the burden of effective service deliver and accountability. (30)

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FEATURE: ABCDs of DAR’s FMRS…

ARISP III rolls out “ways” for

Better harvest marketability

Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Jan 27 (PIA) -- Increasing product marketability has never been as easy as, in the ABCD template.

Soon, expect fresher, crispier, less-bruised and more succulent farm products reaching key Bohol markets in the next few months.

This as the binge of strategic road infrastructure constructions are spread out in four key agricultural towns: all because of the Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project III implemented in its template forms at Alicia, Balilihan, Catigbian and Danao (ABCD) towns.

The move to smoothen the road access to the markets came as the government, wanting integrated support to its Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) saw that increasing harvests still could not be translated into income for the farmer’s pockets even with the newly introduced farm technologies.

“Farm harvests have never been so good, but production loses still remain alarmingly high that the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Program (ARISP) spreads a network of strategic farm to market roads (FMRs) to get these harvests to the markets fast and in their highly marketable price,” DARs information Officer Ma. Lydia Bantugan shared.

In its entire project span, ARISP III, funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation has committed P151, 820, 301 to roll out some 42.229 kilometers of key roads that would link farms to key highways and markets.

And just as foreign funded ARISP projects involve tripartite approaches, the funds are leveraged by local sources, which open up much longer road networks via local sources, said another key DAR executive in Bohol.

“As the ARISP III projects spread into four Bohol towns, other government agencies there into similar mandates pool in resources to prop up local economies that are surely identified as dynamic engines of growth,” DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Atty. Antonio del Socorro explained some few months back.

For local counterparts, these towns agree on a 60/40 sharing of costs to fund the construction of community identified projects and this in a way helps extend government presence and effectively puts communities as co-owners of their projects, del Socorro added.

This way, protecting the projects and keeping its upkeep is assured, DAR aspires.

ARISP’s 42.229 kilometers of FMRs stretch further with the four LGUs funding some 46.58 key FMRs, record from DAR showed.

Of these LGU funded farm roads, Balilihan tops with 24 kilometers of FMR funded from in its local sources, Catigbian funds 11 kilometers more and Danao puts up 7.48 kilometers while Alicia opens up 4.1 kilometers of barangay access roads, according to the same record.

While some of these road networks are still on their initial construction stages, DAR urges community residents to bear with the inconvenience of construction as project implementers also assured fast-tracking of such to get these infrastructure facilities operational by the next cropping.

In fact, since these roads sometimes traverse creeks and rivers, the project also includes components of bridges and culverts construction that an aggregate of 31.2 linear meters of bridges are also permanently set up as complements, records show. (30)

2012-01-25T09:51:00.003+08:00

Bohol Blood council elects

Executive board members

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan 24 (PIA) – Evading from the usual lengthy discourses and processes of working out a task so important to its organizational strengthening, the Bohol Blood Council elects members of an 11 man Executive Board to delegate the task.

In its first organizational meeting in 2012, the Bohol Blood Coordinating Council, and upon whose shoulders lie the burden of working out the details of the local implementation of the program that ensures adequate safe accessible blood for Boholanos, tasked the Executive Board however to set up the details.

Led by Council President Governor Edgar Chatto, the council’s setting up of the Executive Board to decide on the details of the upcoming Provincial Blood Coordinating Council Planning Workshop has effectively won time.

Earlier, Governor Chatto, who also skillfully delegated his authority to the Board so as not to hold the activities of the council at the mercy of the his overloaded schedule, pushed for the 11 member executive Board whose tasks include reporting to the governor any council developments and updates.

Cognizant of the task and the dire need to get blood for transfusion immediately accessible to poor Boholanos, the council proceeded to pick Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Health Committee as Executive Board President.

The 26 member council also elected Gov Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital Laboratory Department Chief, Dr. Juanita Arcay to be vice president.

Picked to be secretary is Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) Administrator Nenita Briones, as the PNRC also sits as council secretariat, based on the Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque issued Administrative Order No. 2010 series of 002.

The multi sectoral council also pushed private sector representative Marietta Gasatan of the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry as treasurer while the council also elected government’s sector representative Rey Anthony Chiu of the Philippine Information Agency as press relations officer.

Elected Auditor was Dr. Portia Reyes, head of the Department of Health in Bohol.

Completing the list of Board are five more Board Members, all chosen for their potential strategic sector representations that will bolster the council’s programs.

Elected as Board members are League of Municipalities of the Philippine Bohol Chapter and Trinidad Mayor Roberto Cajes, Provincial pathologist and Provincial Health Office-based Dr. Jessica Socorro Yu, PSsupt Constantino Barot, Liga ng Mga Barangay President Board member Crspina Vergara and the Philippine Army represented by Col. John Bonafos.

The Executive Board will now decide when to convene the full council for its strategic planning workshop in February, says Gov. Chatto. (30)

2012-01-23T15:19:00.000+08:00

Feature….

Ube-tter believe it and

other uber ube rituals

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, January 20, 2012, (PIA) -- If you ever wonder what an empty coconut shell hoisted on a stick on all corners of an ubi patch is doing, count yourself one of the many people baffled by such a scene.

But if you ask the ritual experts, they would surely tell you the eyes of the coconut shell, like crude parabolic antennas, keep watch over your patch and protects it from anyone intent on spoiling your good harvest.

Funny? Don't ever show that to an ubi farmer, lest he be insulted.

They would do it as an envious neighbor may bury in the ubi patch half a coconut or a fiddle crab and it’s all it takes to lose an entire harvest, beliefs here state.

Rituals and strange beliefs surrounding the ubi lend to it an enormous vacuum, which ascribe to the yam variety the mystical foreboding most Boholanos connect to this ethno-religious crop.

Revered to the point of bordering the sacred, ubis in Bohol are kissed, cajoled and given its due respect in makeshift altars befitting the sacred as the rootcrop has accordingly fed generations when droughts destroy rice and corn harvests.

Coming in the form of kinampay, baligonhon, kabus-ok, iniling, binanag and 9 other local names with hardly any huge difference for each other, ubi still ranks among the major things that unite

Boholanos.

Once, two militaimen were locked on to the death in a fight in Mindanao and even the threat of their commanding officer untangled the two, But when an elder, out of frustration rolled an ubi near them, both stopped, picked the ubi and kissed it, a common tale would bare.

You plant ubi facing the sun always, says Ricardo Guiritan, a master teacher at Panglao Central Elementary School and town ubi-production coordinator.

He offers no explanation to that, but Boholanos gathered around him listening as he details the strange rituals involving the crop prudently refrain from probing. Here, probing about the irrational reverence to the crop is still considered rude.

Ubi, or the yam species which is commonly identified by its purple variety called kinampay and baligonhon is scientifically named dioscorea alata, Guiritan said specifically putting the stress in the dios, perhaps to reinforce his thesis that the root-crop is indeed a gift from the gods.

In the hinterlands of Bohol, it’s common to hear stories of only naked women endowed with the biggest frontal bumpers performing the “palihi,” the ceremonial planting of the first ubi sitt (seedling) in a moonlit night.

Stories bare that a certain incantation is recited as the first sitt is fed into the waiting mound (hutok), intoned to make sure that the crop grows as big as the woman’s breast and crack like it is down there.

Palihi, also entails putting up the antidote (sumpa) for a rotten harvest.

It includes an assemblage of a broken earthen pot, bendita sa lukay (palms blessed on Palm Sunday), pitogo leaves and remnants of lit candles from the local church. These are placed in the middle of the field where ubi is planted.

asked why, nobody can rightfully satisfy one's curiousity.

It's like emptying the whole ocean into a whole ina sandy beach, somebody said in allegory of Saint Augustine seeking to fathom the msytery of the trinity.

But, did i tell you, Saint Augustine is the patron keeper of Pangalo, where the most ubis in Bohol are accordingly grown?

Rituals, perhaps a healthy marriage between pagan offering practices to Christian thanksgiving occupy the ubi farmers hierarchy of priorities here, non-adherence to these preset beliefs could spell the difference between a weighty harvest or a poorly filled bamboo basket (bukag).

You do not put ubi harvests in a sack, or carried on top of your head, says Guiritan, who has been holding demonstration classes for ubi all over Bohol.

Reverence to this wonder crop ubi allows parents to do outrageous things too, he said.

When a child drops an ube he is carrying, he receives a spanking, the ubi gets a kiss.

“You lose nothing if you follow them,” Guiritan said attempting to convince a small group of people mildly amused while listening to him recount the rituals associated with planting and transporting the ubi.

Guiritan, who has been planting the 13 species of ubi in his patch at home shared that kinampay and baligonhon command a good price and are more that worth the six months of wait for the money to start coming in.

Funny you would say.

But, for Boholanos taught never to poke fun at the yam which shares the name of God and a heart for leaves, a speck of wisdom rests in better toeing the line and believing rather than being sorry. (30)

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Ubay opens high caliber

Basketball tournament

Asserting itself as a town to get to when it comes to top caliber sports, Ubay, through its Sports Commission, in cooperation with key local officials bring in competitive caging to national standards.

Louie Bernales, Ubay Sports Commisioner said the activity is just part of the many come ons that build up to the major evet: the feast day of the Holy Child celebrated here January 27, Friday.

This year’s town fiesta well-wishers are in for a treat of high class basketball, some players are said to be Philippine Basketball Association aspirants, information reaching Sunday Post said.

Local officials hope bringing in high caliber sports talents elevate local competitions to a new high by its open basketball tournament as its fiesta sensation.

District Congressman Erico Aumentado, Ubay Mayor Eutiquio Bernales, second District Gerardo Garcia and Vice Mayor Constantino Reyes pooled resources to bring in competing teams from as far as Cebu and national league players, all to make the Santo Nino festivities merrier.

Ubay, a town now slowly emerging as the major force to reckon with in competitive sports is also getting the attention of other sports enthusiasts who look up to model aces in different sports disciplines.

Other than basketball, the town also opened up lawn and table tennis tournaments to raise the fiesta festivities, said Virgie Dupa, information officer.

This year’s participating teams pool in top caliber cagers including Team Cargo (Cebu), Akira Sinandigan (M-Lhuillier), CPG Gerry Garcia composed of Philippine Basketball Association Aspirants League players and La Petra Beach Resort (Bohol Selection).

Opened last January 19, the round robin elimination round was set to complete its competitions yesterday, sources from Ubay said.

On its first night of hardcourt encounter, team Akira frustrated Team Cargo with a 96-93 win at the fourth canto.

In its second game, Team Gerry Garcia succombed to La Petra Beach Resort, 122-125 after two overtimes, Virgie Dupa, Ubay Information Officer said.

Set to meet still after a single round robin match, the hostilities inside the covered court is still up for boiling matches after the opening jitters, said Ubay Administraor Atty Dexter Bernales.

Atty Bernales, who also is the Ubay Sports Commission executive Director bared that ongoing lawn tennis and table tennis were also matches not to miss.

Since the 19^th, Ramon Magsaysay Sports Complex in the town has been the venue of the sports hostilities, where observers have seen motivated teams.

And who would not, when the champion team would get as much as P100,000 plus trophy in a week-long tournament, organizers said.

Championship games would be on the big day, January 27, 2012.

2012-01-21T06:38:00.000+08:00

Bohol rice production

Up by 16.44% in ‘11

Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, January 20, 2012 (PIA) – Rice production in Bohol increased by about 16.44% last year compared to the previous year.

In fact, according to a data provided by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) here, the feat in 2011 is higher than in 2008, when Bohol’s over-all palay production peaked at 218,701 metric tons.

This year, total palay production in Bohol as gathered from a composite of irrigated, rain-fed and upland rice areas reached 225,246 metric tons.

The development elates Governor Edgar Chatto who has aggressively urged Boholanos to adopt new technologies and high yielding seeds to increase production and solidify Bohol’s claim as Central Visayas’ food basket.

This year, Bohol also put up another P2 million in support to the rice program implemented by the local agriculturists.

On the good news, Engr. Maximino Servillon pointed out that the result is even the partial tabulation as BAS would still needs to process more of the remaining last quarter data collected

Servillon, BAS provincial statistician showed that palay is Bohol’s biggest agricultural produce which comprises 36% of the whole pie in an agricultural crops contribution chart.

In 2008, the BAS data shared to key government offices showed Bohol rice production at 218,701 metric tons, which was the highest tally in previous years. This data went down to 195,445 in 2009.

It may also be recalled that in 2008, the national government put in hybrid rice seed subsidy and the provincial government also joined in to fund other farm input needs.

By the next year, and with the national government subsidy cut-off, rice production further dwindled to 193,491 metric tones while registering the smallest yield per hectare in the last four years at 2.58 metric tons per hectare.

Alarmed by the down trend and stirred by the pronouncements by commercial hybrid rice dealers that Bohol has one of the country’s lowest yields per hectare, agricultural authorities launched massive campaigns for scientific farming, certified seeds use and proper farm inputs intervention.

While this year showed significant increase in rice production, the same victory can also be seen in the average yield per hectare at 2.89 metric tones.

This is also slightly higher than the 2.87 metric ton average posted in 2008, or when Bohol attained its highest rice sufficiency.

According to Larry Pamugas, Bohol Assistant Provincial Agriculturist, the increase is most notable in irrigated rice areas where the increase is .44 metric tons per hectare, the data showed.

Pamugas pointed out that the increase is noted while an increase of nearly hectares of harvested area is added to the 74,958 hectares planted last year. (30)

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Crisis crops star

At 12^th UbiFest

Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, January 20, (PIA) – They are huge, they are wild, and they are called “crisis crops.”

At the on-going 12^th Ubi Festival which gathers the province’s 13 best yam varieties including the famous purple yam, crisis crops and popular rice substitutes: “Bot,” “Kot” and “Limalima” never fail to draw people’s attention.

“It is usually the size that draws people to the display,” admits Benedicto Bulawan, 50 year old ubi farmer from Can-agong Sikatuna, who, along with agricultural technicians, mans their display booth with an array of ubi varieties from fist sized crops to massive crisis crops.

The Sikatuna booth also goes out the extra mile to side-feature a “bot” which weighs 38 kilos, “kot,” that bears more that 40 kilogram tag and a lima-lima that grew to a spreading 50 kilograms.

Crisis crops, they are called because these crops survive long droughts and seldom feed communities when all their crops have died or wilted, explained assistant provincial agriculturist Larry Pamugas.

Bot, a wild apale, grows on abandoned root-crop patches and have grown wild that when they are unearthed after four or five croppings, they would have grown massively, according to Bulawan.

On the other hand, “kot” is that wild ube that could grow huge after regenerating following cropping seasons, he adds.

“Care must be taken however in preparing lima-lima, suggests a Sikatuna agritechnician.

When cooked, this has to be washed in running water, air-dried, washed again and dried before it can be cooked or food poisoning can occur, he adds.

Lima-lima, although not usually picked by starving communities for its notorious thorns, can also be eaten as rice substitute too.

These crops have helped communities survive wars simply by digging these wild crops from their forest hide-outs, Pamugas said.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculture, in cooperation with other cooperating agencies bring out the Ubi Festival in its efforts to present the potential of Bohol’s leading ethno-religious crop.

Its is ethno-religious because apart from its an old world crop, several Boholanos go great lengths to show particular reverence to the crop.

Here, it is usually okay to spank a child if he trips and the ube he carries falls. The ube gets the kiss.

Or, failure to do this could be a disastrous cropping in the offing. (30)

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Early registration for SY

2012-13 set this Jan 28

Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, January 20, 2012 (PIA) – Giving soul to making education universal and in line with the government’s “education for all” (EFA), the Department of Education (DepED) opens public elementary and secondary schools on January 28, Saturday for a one-day Early Registration activity.

And for a day’s activity simultaneous all over the country’s public elementary and secondary schools, DepEd authorities appeal to the public and concerned individuals to help get the information across to make sure no one is left behind in the campaign.

“To be registered are kids eligible for kindergarten, grade one, out of school children (OSC) and out of school youth (OSY) including those with disabilities who may have problems accessing basic education,” said Dr. Erlinda Mahinay of the City DepEd division.

“The early registration allows the DepEd and local stakeholders to get a glimpse of how to prepare and assess the resource needs for school year 2012-2013,” Dr. Mahinay explained even as she said this has been an annual activity.

By virtue of DepEd Order No. 4, series of 2012, Dr. Mahinay, the City Assistant Schools Superintendent, bared the activity is an attempt to reach out to all 5 and 6 year olds to ensure their enrolment in kindergarten and grade 1 in the next school year.

On that day too, out of school children (OSC) and out of school youth (OSY) from disadvantaged indigenous peoples groups and street children aged 5-18 are listed to get them their preferred educational delivery system. It also establishes a census of OSC and OSY with disabilities to provide them alternative interventions, according to Rodrigo Almedilla, city Education program Supervisor.

“Working” OSC or OSYs are to choose between formal Alternative Delivery Mode or the Alternative Learning System (ALS) to get them the access to the basic constitutional right, adds Presentacion F. Dagondon, District ALS Coordinator.

“Registration is free, and parents just need to bring the kid’s birth certificate or a barangay captain’s certification of the kid’s residence to get accounted,” Almedilla interjected, during the forum aired over DyTR.

“The country espouses free basic education, and since we would want to determine how much we would be preparing as the school year 2012-2013 opens, we would need the data,” he stressed.

Four registration centers would be set up in all elementary and secondary schools, Dr. Mahinay said.

Center 1 accepts children eligible for pre school, those born October 31 2007 or earlier, Center 2 accepts grade 1 of kids born October 31-2006 to October 30, 2007.

Meanwhile, Center 3 caters to out of school children aged 6-8 while Center 4 caters to OSYs aged 9-11, according to Almedila.

Four registration centers also open up in the high schools where OSY aged 12-13 are listed, center two caters to OSYs aged 14-15, Center 3 for OSY aged 16-17 and Center 4 for OSY aged 18 and above.

Students currently enrolled in the schools need not register as the DepEd automatically forwards the list of active enrollees to the next school level, Dr. Mahinay said.

“This is for us to facilitate our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and attain the EFA objectives,” Dr. Mahinay said.

To help carry out the activities, the early registration would be ushered in by Child or Youth Find activities to make sure that these target students who should otherwise be in schools but are not, are herded back, stresses Dr. Mahinay. (30)

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LTO issues warning to

racing buses in Bohol

Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 19 (PIA) -- Bent on picking the most fares on their routes and leaving nothing to their competitors, public utility buses find the public’s ire on them for putting the lives of people in undue danger.

Complaints against these “pedal to the metal bus drivers” rammed its way to the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) as a concerned citizen, sensing an accident waiting to happen should this speedsters not be corrected, has asked for immediate intervention.

PPOC member and Land Transportation Officer Joel Maloloy-on, in his succeeding investigations, confirms they have warned passenger bus operators whose units have been tagged for over-speeding.

At the PPOC Meeting last week, the soft-spoken Bohol LTO registrar Maloloy-on admitted that the over-speeding and reckless driving complaints earlier lodged at the PPOC have been verified and are found to be true.

In their investigations, Maloloy-on identified City Transport and Super Five buses with franchise along the routes from Tagbilaran City to Tubigon and vice versa are involved in dangerous chases along the narrow highways to the detriment and peril of passengers and the riding public.

A complaint earlier filed at the PPOC detail how these passenger buses are “accidents waiting to happen” while they chase each other to pick up fares along the route.

On this, he told the PPOC convened for the HEAT Caravan in Antequera that the LTO has already warned operators and threatened them to suspend their franchises if they are found to have violated the speed limits.

He also said that they have issued similar warnings to Clynn and St. Jude Trans operators, with their passenger transporting franchise are in other parts of Bohol.

Although it is the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board which has the direct authority to suspend or cancel land transportation franchises, the LTO has the recommending power which is also compelling for the LTFRB, sources shared.

Independent sources at the LTO also added that they can put red flags on drivers who have been tagged in these dangerous chases and may impose sanctions or more stringent measures in their license renewals to impose road discipline. (30)

2012-01-08T06:01:00.000+08:00

36 towns now earn DILG

Housekeeping seal stamp

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan 6 (PIA) – If the recent local government performance results were any indicator, then governance in Bohol must be excellently run with 27 new towns now showing off their seals of good housekeeping (SGH).

By this, these new 27 towns qualify to get grants from the Millennium Challenge Fund for additional resource in their efforts to beat the United Nation’s established millennium development goals.

The overseer of all local government operations in the country; the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) awards the seal to local government units which have satisfactorily shown exemplary transparency and accountability, participation and performance innovation into institutionalized status for better service to their constituents and the country in general.

LGUs with exemplary performance in good governance and internal housekeeping which can be gleaned from good planning, sound fiscal management, values transparency and accountability and a good performance monitoring, are awarded the seal, says DILG Bohol SGH focal person Maria Reina Quilas.

All LGUS are subjected to the test of good housekeeping, DILG in its website said.

But for LGUS to earn the seal and qualify for the grant, they must comply with the SGH criteria in key governance performance areas in planning, budgeting, revenue and resource mobilization, fiscal management and budget execution and procurement.

Passing the threshold for these criteria in the third round of evaluations are Tagbilaran City, Alburquerque, Antequera, Baclayon, Bien Unido, Bilar, Buenavista, Calape, Catigbian.

Corella, Danao, Dimiao, Garcia-Hernandez, Getafe, Guindulman, Inabanga, Lila, Loon, Sagbayan, San Isidro, Sevilla, Sikatuna, Talibon, Trinidad, Tubigon and Valencia.

Earlier, the towns of Maribojoc, Catigbian and Balilihan received the awards during the first round of evaluations.

Then, Loboc, Panglao, Dauis, Clarin, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, San Miguel, Jagna and Ubay snagged the awards during the second round of local government performance management system assessments.

This ten makes 36 towns and city in Bohol with the seal, 11 more towns of Bohol’s 47 hoping to get the stamp as soon.

The third round of evaluations had also the DILG formally stamping to Bohol Province the Seal of Good Housekeeping, one of the very few provincial governments brandishing the citation, says Governor Edgar Chatto last week. (30)

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Garbage not really a problem?

LGUS “not really serious”

With waste management

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Jan 6, (PIA) – While many people consider garbage disposal a serious problem, several local government units seeming do not see it like they do.

Take this: no LGU in Bohol could sufficiently say they have complied with the provisions of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law, admits Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto.

But, instead of sweeping the problem under the mat, Chatto urged LGUs to keep up in coming with creative solutions to the problem or Bohol governments may be sued administratively for failure to comply.

During the recent Ecological Solid Waste Management Technical Working Group meeting at the Crab House in Mansasa, members of the provincial monitoring and evaluation team packed shovelful of comments that detail the apparent lack of concern from some local government units on trash.

For starters, despite a law which has banned the operation of open garbage dumpsites for solid wastes with the option to switch to controlled dumps since 2004, not a sanitary landfill facility has been constructed here, reveal environment sources at the local Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

If according to Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Program, even the controlled dumps, which have been allowed until 2006 or five years after the law took effect in 2001, should have been closed for sanitary landfills this time.

Cognizant of the limiting resources needed for the determination, construction and operation of the sanitary landfill facility, Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto said it is high time that local governments explore creative ways to finally bury the trash problem this year.

A study by the National Solid Waste Commission Secretariat estimated that each person produces an average per capita of .5 kilos of garbage every day.

With 1.2 million people here, that would mean Bohol produces a daily garbage average of 60 metric tons a day or 180 metric tons a month.

With no clear garbage disposal and treatment facility, it could be safe to assume that these trash will soon get into our river systems, clog our canals and cause irreparable damage to the tourism industry here, says a member of the Bohol Tourism Council who shared on the condition of anonymity.

While the cited law mandates the creation of ESWM Municipal Boards, Bohol Environment Management Office’s Maria Socorro Trinidad said they found out in their evaluation that most of these boards do not even meet or could not present minutes of their meetings.

In her report to the council members, Trinidad said “only 15 LGUS have legitimized 10-year Integrated ESWM Plans which are adopted by Municipal Development Councils and Sangguniang Bayans”.

She identified these towns as Alburquerque, Baclayon, Balilihan, Corella, Cortes, Dauis, Loon, Maribojoc, Sikatuna, Tagbilaran City and Tubigon.

As to ordinances, she said “Very few ordinances are aligned with the 10-year Integrated ESWM plan of the LGU” and as monitoring and evaluation team member, she adds, “very few LGUs have deputized EWM enforcers”.

Thirteen first district towns, six second and eight their district towns have adopted their ordinances to the ESWM plan.

Only the towns of Corella, Cortes, loon, Maribojoc and Tubigon in District 1 and Duero, Jagna and Loboc in the third district have trained ESWM enforcers, most of them, not vene deputized by the towns, said BEMO’s reports. (30)

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Thrashing OLIDI MOA slams

door for Bohol opportunities

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan 6, (PIA) –Unluckily, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) recommendation for Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto to rescind the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for leisure island development offshore Panglao means suspending golden opportunities for the province.

Bohol businessman and one of Oasis Leisure Islands Development Inc. (OLIDI) proponents said this as he added the joint-venture MOA signed by then Governor Erico Aumentado and OLIDI is still in effect until the governor acts on the recommendation.

The MOA in question is that which allows Bohol and OLIDI to conduct scientific studies in relation to the proposed prime properties through offshore islands development over the otherwise less productive tide-flats of Doljo and Danao in Panglao, says Norris Oculam.

“We have brought our team of people to assess the area and came up with the proposal,” he said.

The proposal, “is to create extra prime real estate areas where huge local and international investors intending to build in Panglao can have them, and be spared from the hassles of consolidating declared small properties in mainland Panglao,” he explained.

Not a few prospective investors intending to put up properties in Pangalo have returned empty handed, Oculam, who was past president of the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry shared.

“A huge investor in Panglao would need at least some 200 meters of beachfront and some five hectares of lots for their facilities, one which is nearly impossible to get now,” Oculam, who used to be former Governor Erico Aumentado’s economic consultant, said.

“In the absence of such a consolidated piece of property, we looked at creating artificial offshore properties, one with the least impact to the environment,” he said.

He said OLIDI has initially sought the help of a team of technical people who surveyed possible areas and found the shallow tide-flats as potential for less impact to the otherwise productive and largely bio-diverse seas off Panglao.

“These tide-flats are so shallow water temperature is high, fish do not spawn here, he said.

According to him, their experts see occasional sea grasses, “which support marine life and so we skirt away from them, planning for a series of islets away from these areas, compared to putting up a contiguous property.”

It’s like starting the development right, and then imposing applicable laws to make sure environment is less impacted in line with Bohol keeping its International Standards on Environment Management by the ISO.

These islets would have better master plans anticipating solid and liquid waste management, power generation and water services utilities, sewers and road networks in its planned island theme parks, retirement homes and major high end strips, said Oculam.

The plan has OLIDI getting into a series of barangay public hearings last year, and the results are more than we expected, he said.

People from Doljo and Danao have seen the potential for better life with the development plan, adding that even a hotcake baker is optimistic the coming of more hotel staff means more sales and better food for her family.

“I have six daughters, I do not expect them to go out and fish,” a fisherman from Doljo once said. “Getting them service jobs in those planned resorts by OLIDI would keep them near us when we grow old instead of going abroad,”

“If [Governor Chatto] however cancels the MOA, these dreams would be nipped in the bud,” says Oculam, by added “we are not giving up easily for these small people.

“With the prospect, we have already talked with our lawyers for our next steps,” he assures those people who dreamed of good life.

Already unanimously approved by the past SP under then Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera, the joint-venture MOA was referred back for further studies to the Bohol legislative body, months after Gov. Edgar Chatto took the helms, Oculam said during the recent Kapihan sa PIA Thursday.

At the forum aired live over DyTR, Oculam feigned surprise how most senior members of the board who green-lighted the agreement they reviewed, suddenly reversed their stands.

The subject MOA, Oculam said contains the express permit for the parties to initiate scientific studies to finally take on the feasibility of the proposal to put up comprehensively planned artificial islets.

We want the scientific study to start, not because we want to be proven right, but because we will need the study to convince our investors that we are doing right, he said.

And like the MOA stipulation, if the study shows the resource use is not judicious, we would immediately withdraw the plan, Oculam pressed. (30)

2011-12-23T17:19:00.000+08:00

Unpaid land owner denies

Investigators tower access

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Dec. 22 (PIA) – An owner of a lot near the bombed untapped power tower in Santa Catalina Sagbayan denied police investigators to get near another tower for banned police investigators from poking into a nearby tower.

PSSupt. Constantino Barot shared this during the recent Provincial peace and Order Council meeting December 20 at the People’s Mansion, while updating council members of the progress of the investigations.

Earlier, authorities formed a joint police and military investigation team to look into the possible motives of the bombing of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ tower 164 last December 3.

Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) released its investigation results a few days later, all negating claims that the bombing, which did not even scratch the legs of the tower, was handiwork of returning members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

The bombing happened a few hundred meters from where an ambush incident by NPA rebels happened in March 2000 resulting to the deaths of 6 soldiers and 4 militiamen.

But the investigators said the bomb components retrieved at the site show them as ones used by amateurs and no indications of the signature bombs used by rebels in the region can be found.

According to PSSupt. Barot, the owner denied police investigators’ access to the property as we was not yet paid for the lot used.

The incident also boosts the SITG theory that a land row is a probable motive for the terroristic act.

Reports of unpaid “right of way” along the areas where the towers are erected continue to float, although several of these allegations are unconfirmed.

On the other hand, the SITG is also looking at disgruntled workers not paid well by contractors erecting the facilities.

Governor Edgar Chatt has pointed out that there apparently was no intent to damage the tower during the bombing.

It’s more of sending a message, he said.

In a press material sent to Bohol media, NGCP said they are now coordinating with police and residents as to security arrangements of the 250 towers upon which lines of the Bohol Backbone Transmission Project would be strung. (30)

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Chatto earns AFP

Bayanihan award

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 21, (PIA) – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) awards Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto for being an Outstanding Partner during the Gawad Bayanihan Night as highlight to the 76th AFP anniversary at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo December 19.

The AFP names Chatto, along with Negros Oriental representative Jocelyn Limkaichong outstanding partners for their exemplary leadership in advocating for convergence in their respective areas in the Visayas and elevating soldiery into new heights.

Chatto, who flew in from the awarding ceremonies in Manila announced the feat during the Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting Tuesday, a day after the rites.

Humbled by the feat, the governor said he shares the honor and recognition with every Boholano who has worked hard for the attainment of peace and security, which has played a huge part in setting the environment for development here.

Put up as a venue for recognizing local government efforts in partnering with the military in its new kind of fight against insurgency, Gawad Bayanihan has started this year in recognizing the key role of Local Governments in the fight against insurgency.

Now trailblazing a new template for the country’s most successful counter insurgency program, Bayanihan highlights convergence of efforts with the government, the military and the civil society which has critically advanced development and progress, not by destroying the enemy but by building peace.

Instead of ruthlessly engaging the enemy in bloody firefights, Bohol and its government forces instead opened up venues for talks and brought down its Community Organizing for Community Development teams to the communities to train and empower people to struggle our of the death grip of poverty.

Bohol, through Chatto appropriated funds for development support through the commissioning of the military’s special operations teams who are also trained in organizing communities for livelihood and anti-poverty efforts.

With Department of Trade and Industry and business leaders, the AFP launched Sub-contracting Partners for Innovation (SPIN) where soldiers train locals in high-end basket-weaving to supply a Cebu-based exporter.

With the Department of Education, Bohol Government and the AFP National Development Support Command of the AFP, the soldiers have successfully built 19 two classroom buildings with all its attendant furnishings and learning modules at the cheapest cost.

These efforts have significantly contributed to peace-building which reaped its success when Bohol was declared insurgent free.

Since the awards has just been launched, Chatto revealed that it was indeed an honor as the award was the first ones the armed forces gave for Bayanihan.

We are happy with all these efforts and that they are recognized, Chatto beamed with pride during the meeting.

These are for the various programs that we have jointly undertaken, and for this, we would like to commend everyone, he said.

This just shows that the Bayanihan we are using in Bohol mirrors the real spirit of the Bayanihan which the AFP has seen in Bohol, the governor ended.

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PPOC mulls fund aid

for gov’t witnesses

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Dec. 21 (PIA) – If the goal is to speed up convictions by enticing more witnesses to boldly come out and testify, the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) here looks at inserting an assistance system into its law enforcement program.

Earlier, Governor Edgar Chatto and PPOC chair tasked Romeo Teruel, head of the Bohol Center for Development Studies to submit a proposal for an operational program to help government witnesses with the expenses attendant to attending court hearings or trials.

The decision came up after an out-of town council meeting in Guinduman where Councilor Ephraim Licayan theorized that one factor leading to early acquittals and low conviction rates in the court is the dire need for witnesses to support and build solid cases.

The councilor said he has once volunteered as witness, but he said the hassle he has to go though, spending for his transportation, meals and time spent would be too much for ordinary well meaning citizens.

Police investigators also air similar concerns.

We would want to help them if only to assure conviction and keep criminals off the streets, but we too have our own constraints, a police station investigation officer shared.

On this, Teruel, in his report to the PPOC last month submitted two options: an amendment of the old Legal Assistance for Effective Law Enforcement Program (LAELEP) or the establishment of a separate Witness Assistance Program by an executive Order or by Provincial Board legislation.

In Bohol, due to similar problem of suddenly losing a case to technicality, or aiding law enforcers who are sure for performance of official tasks, the LAELEP came in partnership with the local Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

Paragraph 2, (a.) of the Memorandum on the establishment of the LAELEP says that the program shall render legal services to members of the PNP, employees and officials of the Provincial Government of Bohol, officers and men of the military based in Bohol, NBI personnel assigned in Bohol, forest guards and rangers of the DENR performing law enforcement duties including barangay tanods who are charged with criminal, administrative and civil cases in connection with the performance of their duties.

Teruel recommended that the paragraph would include actual transportation expenses and meal allowances to witnesses of government in criminal cases without private complainants and who are not enrolled under RA 6981.

The proposal also states that (b.) the fund for this program shall be used to defray litigation expenses, posting of bail bonds, conduct of continuing legal education and training seminars, maintenance and other operating expenses including actual fare (going to and from residences to the court) of witnesses not only of covered law enforcers but also of those filed by government without private complainants including meal allowances of not more than P300 a day.

The other option, Teruel said it’s the establishment of a separate Witness protection program either through and Executive Order of the governor or an Ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to be funded by the PLGU with an annual allocation of P50,000 and managed by the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office or the PNP.

Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio has intimated his bias for amending the MOA adding that the LAELEP is already in place. (30)

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Sustaining the peace….

Bohol deploys 15

Prosperity teams

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 23, (PIA) – Sustaining peace and development in Bohol needs a different breed of rural development specialists, exactly the kind of job for 15 Bohol Prosperity Teams (BPT).

Formed as an integration of skilled experts from the 2nd Special Forces’ Special Operation Team and the former Bohol Poverty Reduction Management Office’s Community Organizers for Community Development (COCD), the joint team is now into an ambitious mission: Purok Power Movement for Peace and Development.

802nd Brigade Commander Colonel John Bonafos shared this during the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) Meeting held at the Mansion Tuesday.

These teams have passed through four stages of trainings, and were just recently deployed to target barangays, he said.

Now deployed in 15 barangays of 12 towns previously picked as pilot areas for the teams, the BPTs would zero in, on purok development initiatives, sources at the PPOC said.

The teams are now in Doljo Panglao, Totolan Dauis, Matabao Tubigon in the first district.

In the second district, another team is in Santo Nino Talibon, Calanggaman and Pangpang Ubay, Nueva Estrella and Nueva Esperanza Bien Unido, Concepcion Danao and Cagawasan Dagohoy.

The BPT is also in Paraiso Mabini, Katipunan Alicia, Panadtaran Candijay and in Montesuerte and Villarcayo in Carmen.

The team integrates all the interventions by both SF and Bohol Capitol in areas formerly affected or threatened by insurgency, efforts which include community organizing for livelihood projects and technical assistance, skills development which tools communities on basic skills to get them off poverty.

Called special operations teams, these experts have largely been credited as filling the void after Bohol was declared insurgency free.

Now the front liners in the government’s service arm reaching the barangays, these prosperity teams who were deployed in threatened barangays would not spread into puroks for more focused development interventions.

The BPT is again Bohols response to the reported re-entry of communist rebels who were formerly chased out of the province during multi-faceted anti-insurgency interventions in the past.

This early, the BPT has accomplished pulong pulongs and dialogs, the most prominent of it is the reported “denunciation of the Communist Party of the Philippines New People’s Army” by members of affected farmer’s sector in Barangay Bay-ang Ubay, reports Col. Bonafos. (30)

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7% up in pyro victims,

Mostly kids, drunks

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Dec. 22 (PIA) – Last year’s accidents by firecrackers and pyrotechnics increased by 7% compared to the previous year, records from the Bureau of Fire reveal.

According to Fire Officer Vincent Ente, most of those in the 7% are children and intoxicated persons who still handled firecrackers and explosives despite relentless campaigns against these kinds of risky behavior to mark traditional celebrations.

Alcohol and firecrackers simply do not go well, Ente stresses, adding that alcohol, which is a nervous system depressant has been proven to numb the senses, slow body responses and blur vision.

Dealing with firecrackers require an extremely high sense of concentration

Speaking at the Kapihan sa PIA, Ente, who came in for Fire Superintendent Pepe Rebusa, said their contribution to Oplan Paalala is exactly this; reminding revelers the risks of improperly playing with firecrackers to mark the holidays.

Oplan Paalala is the Bureau of Fire Protection’s proactive way of stressing the need to be safe than sorry especially in celebrating the holidays.

In coordination with local authorities and the police, Oplan Paalala allows firefighters and police officers to visit barangays and remind residents of the safety measures in handling firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devises in holiday celebrations.

Despite aggressive campaigns to do away with firecrackers and explosives and use paper horns and other safe noisemakers, authorities said they are just realistic and would rather disseminate the right information down just as fast.

Other than reminders about the dangerous mix between alcohol and firecrackers, the BFP also said their campaigns include doing away from picking are relighting dud firecrackers or those that refuse to ignite.

The best thing to do is to douse the firecracker or explosive with water, that way we can be sure they do not ignite anymore, Ente said.

One more thing, he adds. Not everyone likes firecrackers, that’s why we have asked municipal authorities to designate firecracker zones where people can freely enjoy and where revelers are safely at a distance.”

On electrical appliances, Ente reminds, “Follow products specifications.”

Do not install indoor electrical devices outdoors and do not overload. Series lights are not designed for a series of connections, this can seriously overload the wire capacity and cause short circuits, he warns. (30)

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Bohol gets DILG’s seal

Of good housekeeping

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 23, (PIA) – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) reinforces its “best governed province” for Bohol with this year’s Seal of Good Housekeeping, says Governor Edgar Chatto.

Among the first provinces to be given the award in this year’s round of evaluations, the seal effectively gets Bohol into the list of local government units that can access a rich resource of development funds in the Millennium Development Corporation’s funds sources, according to the governor.

Breaking the news during his weekly media interaction Kita ug ang Gobernador, Chatto shared that the DILG has been handing out the seal of Good Housekeeping for towns who have consistently shown high ratings in the Local Government Performance Management System (LGPMS).

The LGPMS is a web based self-assessment management and development tool that enables municipalities, cities and provinces to determine their capabilities and limitations in the delivery of essential social services, according to Government Assessment Portal.

The LGPMS attempts to support the development of local governments through improved use of fiscal and human resources, compare local government achievements with set standards and advance these innovations to national platforms for possible replication, explains local DILG key authorities.

In the previous rounds of Seal of Good Housekeeping evaluations, three Bohol towns got to the DILG list.

Catigbian, Balilihan and Maribojoc towns each received P1,000,000 as cash award and another resource for locally prioritized programs and projects that dent on the United Nation’s established Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

The following year, eight more towns barged into the same list after satisfactorily passing the bar of transparency in public service and service capability as sought by the LGPMS.

The towns of Clarin, Loboc, Dauis, Panglao, San Miguel, Carlos P. Garcia, Jagna and Ubay each qualified for the P1M grant even as Maribojoc, Balilihan and Catigbian easily maintained their seals.

At the weekly media forum carried over all local radio stations in Bohol, Chatto said the year has been truly fruitful for Bohol.

Last September, Bohol emerged the “Best Governed Province” among all provinces including component and highly urbanized cities topping them all by capping a total score of 4.935 in a scale of 5.

Recently, the DiLG also handed Bohol the Pamana ng Lahi regional Award for its exemplary governance, one that qualifies it to the national search.

The national government, through Technical Education and Skills Development Authority also handed Bohol its prestigious Kabalikat Award for its local innovations in job generation while partnering strongly with the government skills tooling agency. (30)

2011-12-21T10:49:00.000+08:00

RDC Visayas pushes for family

visitation rights for RDs, ARDs

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Dec. 20 (PIA) -- Christmases and holidays in the Philippines are special opportunities for family gatherings and reunions.

But, realities tell of several government officials who may not necessarily have that quality time, in the service of men and country.

For them who are on distant assignments from their residences, Christmas and such supposed to be get together holidays can be that of a scourge.

Feeling for these workers and seeing the need to find a happy and healthy compromise, the Central Visayas Regional Development council agrees with other peace councils in the country when they push for a presidential approval of granting visitation privileges to third level government officials.

By third level, the beneficiaries are above division chiefs that exercise managerial positions like under secretaries, assistant secretaries, bureau director and assistant director, regional director, assistant regional director, department service chief and other positions defined by the Career Service Board.

In its effort to be of help and minimize the adverse effects of absentee parenthood by third level government officials, the RDC here believes these officials should be granted visitation privileges of at least 2 working days per month, excluding travel time.

If acted upon positively, the visitation privileges come with transportation expenses: a round trip transportation expense paid by the office, but without the usual per diems.

In its draft administrative order presented during its past meeting, the Visayas RDC cites section 1 article 15 of the Philippine Constitution which states that the state recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation.

The council also added that the state shall strengthen the family’s solidarity and actively promote its total development.

The council also argues that the state must, by public policy, cherish and protect the family as a basic social institution, citing Article 149 of Executive Order 209 of the Family Code.

Because of this, family relations then are governed by law and no custom, practice or agreement which destroys the family shall be recognized or given effect, the council members said

In support of the goal of National Decade Plan for the Filipino Family, to foster a family-friendly environment, promote strong family ties among its officials and employees to promote efficiency and improve morale, the council has officially asked President Benigno S. Aquino to authorize the granting of family visit privileges to third level officials.

To be covered then, are third level officials assigned to an official station outside the region where his family is permanently residing. (30)

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Chatto: get anti-drug

Drive down to puroks

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 20, (PIA) – Seemingly losing grips on the illegal drugs tug of war, Governor Edgar, who has seen the battle plans topple one after another, now wants the war to be fought in the puroks.

Himself starting the innovation of mobilizing the puroks as the barangay’s smaller political units during his stint as a mayor, Chatto has seen the potent power in the barangay zones.

At the closing ceremonies of the recent Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) strategic planning workshop at the CrabHouse in Mansasa District this city December 13-14, Chatto issued the challenge to council members who had two days of digesting the hard facts in the country’s seemingly losing anti-drug campaign.

During the workshop, PADAC members’ expectations include the participation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the lead government agency in the campaign against illegal drugs and the provision of hard data upon which the council can anchor its plans.

To everybody’s frustration, the PDEA first begged off, and then came late during the workshop, and worse, its representative was not ready with the needed data.

At the workshops where law enforcement agents, legislators, members and representatives of the academe, the youth, civil society, church and government sector, everybody agreed that the anti-drug campaign can never be left to the narcotics agents and the law enforcement agents alone.

With lack of manpower and logistics saddling the government’s anti-drug campaign, law enforcers also add up to the sorry pile when they complained about very low conviction rates for drug cases.

Meanwhile, as these issues rage on, PDEA reports that drugs continue to enter Bohol through sea and airports, the mail and parcel services, the unguarded coastline and even through the RORO systems.

Even with the continuing information education and communication campaigns by well meaning groups, which hardly dent upon the problem, drugs now have reportedly breached into schools, unconfirmed intelligence sources said.

At this, council members divided into workshop groups and tackled issues by presenting programs projects and activities that tend to respond to the issues raised.

With the plans to be implemented in the coming year, the last thing members ask was: could they bank on logistical support from its allies.

In response to the poser, Gov. Chatto assured Capitol and its official’s support while pressing on the need to bring the fight down to the puroks where the governor believes the battle with finally find its traction.

At the puroks, everybody knows everyone and it would be easy to pinpoint the drug users and pushers who supply them with the commodities.

At the puroks, Chatto said it would facilitate parental accountability for their errant children and thus engage the parent’s support in the campaign. (30)

2011-12-17T21:47:00.000+08:00

Bohol antidrug drive find

Two allies: sniffing dogs

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Dec. 10 (PIA) -- Nosey anti-drug authorities in Bohol find two extra-nosey allies.

Sniffing dogs, they are, but drugs, these two certainly do not do.

Bohol officials showed Wednesday one of the two drug sniffing German Shepherd dogs and its handlers, to add brute muscle and beastly instinct to the country’s incapacity to fund for the keeping of drug sniffing dogs to track and help control its porous coastlines.

The presentation came after President Benigno S. Aquino III admitted the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has only 16 detection dogs distributed throughout the country’s 16 regions.

These dogs only work two hours every day on the maximum and are practically helpless in keeping the country’s coastal boundaries as no drug entry zones.

Detection dogs are trained animals that use their highly acute sense of small to pick up scents of drugs and illegal substances stashed in the baggage, cargoes or packed with other scents that could mask the odor, according to Wikipedia.

With an island province like Bohol and lying right smack on an area so close to certain cities in Mindanao identified as drug hotspots, and with the steady stream of inter-island traffic, drugs can easily pass through or are shipped effortlessly for distribution in Bohol.

In fact, PDEA Regional Director Jigger Montallana, in his power-point presentation during the latest Regional Peace and Order Council Meeting identified Bohol as one of the destination of drugs from Mindanao, Cebu and Manila.

He also showed that PDEA has ruled that apart from sea ports and airports, drugs are also sent through mail and parcel systems, shipped through the open coastlines and get through the Roll-on-Roll Off system.

At the suggestion that K9 units be put up at Bohol ports, PDEA has hinted that the agency does not have the fiscal capacity to acquire more detection dogs.

Sources who also refused to be named said a sniffing dog and its handler can easily cost P1.5M, and that discounts the other incidental costs of keeping the dog at the peak of its condition.

Even then, at the recent Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council planning workshop, provincial administrator Alfonso Damalerio easily convinced council members of the detection dogs’ capability.

As a test, the leashed dog eagerly leaped to search mode.

It picked on boxes one by one and doubled up, sitting right next to where earlier, an agent secretly placed a re-sealable cellophane with methampithamine hydrochloride (shabu) taped to the box underside.

These dogs are trained to sit right next to where the illegal substance is hidden, explains its handler.

On the next attempt, the handler place three transparent plastic cellophanes each under three covered monoblocs; only one had drugs.

The detection dog did not fail to pick the right cellophane too. (30)

============

Boholana leads Phil delegation to ‘11

Taiwan

future leaders’ study camp

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Dec. 16, (PIA) - - Unknown to many, a Boholana from a prominent family of Baclayon led the country’s delegation to the 2011 Taiwan Study Camp for Future Leaders from its Pacific Allies.

Atty. Denya Gracia D. Uy – Anastacio, sister of Baclayon Mayor Alvin Uy headed the country’s seven-man delegation to the study camp held in Taiwan, between November 16-25 this year.

Organized by the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan, the study camp hopes to weld stronger relations between host Taiwan and its allies in the Pacific by immersing study camp participants to the culture and development of the region’s one of the most prominently evolving economies.

From a nation that used to be a recipient of international donations, Taiwan has since been shaken off from its economic stupor to compete with the ever expanding race among region’s promising economies.

“How its does this, Taiwan shares with the study camp participant delegates who come from other sovereign nations as Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Nauro, Marshall Islands, Palau and other southeast Asian countries,” Anastacio modestly shared.

Part of the goal is to cultivate future leaders and make them understand more about ROC (Taiwan) by promoting its developments in the areas of bio-technology, green energy sources, tourism, and cultural developments.

As an awakening power,

Taiwan

, which figures prominently in Chinese history, conserved its rich artifacts and heritage structures reminiscent of its being the Chinese capital when Chinese President Chiang Kai-Shek relocated it here.

The preservation and conservation of its history, culture and heritage has become one of the key strengths of Taiwan tourism industry, she said while hinting the Philippines can learn Taiwan’s lessons.

During the delegation’s stay in Taiwan, they would attend briefings, workshops and would be immersed in sessions introducing Taiwan development and visit other parts of Taiwan such as Taichung, Hsinchu, apart from Taipei. (30)

==========

7 more Bohol towns get

Into 4Ps beneficiary list

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Dec. 16 (PIA) – Almost six thousand families from seven additional towns in Bohol would expect a good head start in 2012 for their inclusion into the government’s conditional cash grants.

This puts the number of Bohol town beneficiaries to 31, or 18 more towns to cover the whole province in assistance.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) provincial link Angelita D. Genil hesitantly breaks the good news, not really wanting to jump into the details without first giving the privileged information to the local chief executives first.

Pressed for data during the recent DSWD 4Ps forum with the local media at the Philippine Information Agency here Thursday, Genil admitted the regional office only learned of the development a few days before the forum.

According to her, residents in the selected barangays in the towns of Guindulman, Candijay, Clarin, Duero, Lila, San Isidro and Valencia can start verifying the list posted in the barangays.

Of these, Guindulman tops the most number of beneficiaries in a town with 1338, followed by Candijay with 1,281 and the Valencia with 1,035.

Other beneficiaries would come from Clarin (738), Duero (712), San isidro (334) and Lia, (329).

With the recent development, the DSWD expects and additional 5,807 household beneficiaries from these seven towns.

For those expansion town residents, DSWD advised that they would need to check if their names are in the list posted at barangay halls.

“As soon as residents find their names in the posted list, make sure they come for the registration while bringing along with them birth or baptismal certificates of children 0-14 years old, certificate of enrollment from the schools, marriage contracts (if beneficiary is married), two 1x1 picture in white background, with name and corresponding household id written on a board,” DSWD urged.

“We have been attempting to connect to several mayors in the seven expansion areas, unluckily, some of them do not have fax machines and we are at a loss on how to get the news to them,” Genil said.

On this, the media offered help during the forum.

It may be recalled that by November of 2009, from Danao town, the 4Ps spread to set 3 areas in Alicia, Bien Unido, Buenavista, Carmen, Dagohoy, Inabanga, Getafe, Mabini, Pilar, CP Garcia, Trinidad and Ubay.

Few months later, 4PS crossed over to Anda, Balilihan, Batuan, Calape, Catigbian, Danao, Loon, Sagbayan, San Miguel and then to Talibon.

Not long later, Tagbilaran City and Sierra Bullones followed suit, said Genil.

This then puts a little more than 40,000 poor Boholanos availing of the government assistance. (30)

==========

Para-vets get awards

at livestock Congress

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol Dec. 16, (PIA) – Cash awards and plaques rained to anti-rabies and livestock advocates Wednesday as the 2nd Bohol Livestock Partners Congress convened at the spacious Carlos P. Garcia Complex.

The day, which was formerly known as Barangay Livestock Aides (BALA) Congress, the Livestock Partner’s Congress was set as a venue to recognize outstanding initiatives in the livestock industry as well as to acknowledge sustaining initiatives in keeping Bohol rabies free, says Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz.

BALAs, or livestock partners, is the island’s in the sleeves in its attempting to deal with the issue of inadequate veterinarians to dispense livestock services all over the province.

Envisioned as para-veterinarians, the BALA establishment catapulted Bohol to the prestigious government innovative programs of the Galing Pook in 1997.

Since then, annual congresses have been set and, for the second time in a row, the Congress forms as the venue for annual livestock awards especially in citing the successes of the Provincial Rabies Prevention and Eradication Program (BRPEP).

This year, The congress provided the venue for the Gov. Edgar Chatto Awards for Best Performing Municipal Rabies Prevention and Elimination Program.

Earning each some P10 K in awards and a plaque are the anti-rabies programs of Loon, Tubigon, Baclayon, Maribojoc, Inabanga, Jagna, San Isidro, Mabini, San Miguel, Antequera, Catigbian, Duero, Dauis, Cortes, Sikatuna, Batuan, Corella, Calape, Dagohoy and Bien Unido.

Compared to last year, only Baclayon, Maribojoc, Inabanga, Jagna and San Isidro maintained their top ten spots while Loon, Tubigon, Mabini, San Miguel and Antequera showed better performance to unseat former winning towns from the top ten list.

From top ten in 2010, the awards opened to the top 20 programs this year while the criteria for judging was tougher, says Romy Garcia, one of the program evaluators.

Criteria for the contest includes program attaining over 70% dog registration and vaccination, key program innovations, continuing rabies patrols in the barangays, dog population control and responsible pet ownership advocacies, according to the details in the evaluation sheets.

On that same day, awards also went to Best Bantay Rabies sa Barangays.

Leading Bohol’s 1,109 barangays are San Roque Mabini, Haguilanan Catigbian, Bugho Loon, Pondol Loon, Basac Loon, Cabawan Maribojoc, San Roque Maribojoc, Tultogan Calape, Tungod Inabanga, Poblacion Inabanga, Lawis Inabanga, San Isidro Mabini, Salvador Sierra Bulones, Abaca Mabini, Danicop Sierra Bulones, Punta Cruz Maribojoc, Canmaya Diot Sagbayan, San Vicente Norte Sagbayan, Danicop Antequera and Hanopol Weste, Balilihan.

Each of the barangays also received P10K and a plaque.

Compared to last year’s winners, San Roque Mabini, Haguilanan Catigbian and Basac Loon maintained their top ten slots.

Unseated were Cogon Norte Loon, Oy Loboc; Santo Nino Inabanga; Canduao Oriental Valencia, Moto Sur Loon, Lapsaoan Dimiao, San Agustin Sagbayan, Lawis Inabanga, Can-agong Sikatuna, Cabanugan San Isidro, Tabuan Antequera, Tangohay Dimiao, Poblacion Bien Unido, Tupas Antequera, San Agustin Sierra Bullones and Aurora Pilar.

OTHER AWARDEES (INDIVIDUAL)

With another key program called Livelihood Enhancement Towards Sustainable Human and Environmental Paradigm for Bohol, the congress also awarded individuals who were able to fully pay the animal dispersal incorporated in the program and “passed on the gift” with a local animal dispersal.

Awardees include Epifanio Tuston (Buyog FA or Getafe), Eutemio Quimado (Can-agong FA Sikatuna for the Caring and Sharing category; Justiniano Lague, Mariano Laurol and Dorotea Percigas for sustainability and self reliance category. Each of them received P1,500.

AWARDEES FOR Improved Animal Management are Gulliermo Calipes Sr., Ansberto Coquilla, Policarpo manatad, Daniel Quiño, Casimero lugsanay, Apollo Sarong, Quintin Anbgcahan, Rogelio Canda, Lucio Tamayo and Pelagio Genson.

For the Nutrition and Income category, awardees include Eulita Estelloro, Christopher Dolera, Crispina Gementiza, Amadeo Perucho, Bernardo Jomo and Marcea Cruta.

As to improving the environment, awardees are Lorena Uli, Pastor Genita, Teodora Huyno, Gregorio Canda and for Gender and family focus, this years’ awardees include Rosemarie Amorganda, Ricardo Andoy and Leonor Flor.

For spirituality, the awardees in 2011 include Nieves Andoy, Jose Polinas and Villasis Geloca.

PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATION

Awarded for passing on the gift was Cagawasan CARPFB MPC; for Accountability: NAMAO Buenavista, Boyog FA Getafe, DACBA Danao, CEUFA Catigbian and Capayas WA San Miguel.

CKPK San Isidro wins the sustainability and self Reliance while Poblacion WA San Isidro bags gender and family focus award.

POS awarded for improved animal management include Tubod MPC Clarin, Poblacion UFMPC Batuan, Calingaan FA Sevilla while SMART Danao and HUSFA Catigbian bags improving the environment category.

Awardees for full participation are: SFG Inabanga, Cogon SFA Balilihan, Quezon SCFO Batuan, Bagtic NagkaMag Catigbian, Bikals FA in Bien Unido and Liberty Mangrove Planters Assn in Bien Unido.

Three Municipal Advisory Boards each received awards too: MAB-Softwyre San Miguel, MAB Bantayog Talibon and MAB Ubay. (30)

==========

Feature….

Pantawid and family’s tale

of crossing over, together

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 15, (PIA) – Working in distant places as house help was unthinkable for Ana Shirley, who has vowed to stake it out with husband Mauricio Bitancor, in good times and bad.

Years later and having been blessed with seven children to feed, that promise would have to be broken.

Forced to work away, the young mother left with a heavy heart.

Mauricio would then have to left at home, to care for the kids and tend a patch of land as a peasant, of which the income is never enough to make both ends meet.

To eke out a living, the husband was forced to cultivate a small garden to help sustain the kid’s food needs.

Then, everything else was up to their prayers: that one day, luck tilts their way.

And it did.

In November of 2009, the national government picked Pilar; one of Bohol towns in dire straits, as a beneficiary for its conditional cash transfer (CCT) packed in the Pantawid sa Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Living in Barangay Aurora, a remote village with some of its farms submerged by the Malinao Dam Irrigation Facility, service access has since haunted the people: the lake forming because of the dam has positioned them at P50 habal-habal ride away from the Poblacion, which is only some few kilometers across the lake.

Forced to take P20 boat fare to cross a manmade lake to get to the town center where services are, one can understand right away why residents of the village choose to rather stay in the inter-generational vicious cycle of depravity.

Mired in poverty and compounded by contentious social irritants in irrigation issues, Mauricio, who is a church pastor, can only think of a miracle to pick them out of their sad lot.

Not really lacking in industry, the Bitancor family thought, if only there is something more they could do, they would rather bind as one and face their future hand in hand.

The 4Ps presented to us a perfect opportunity, my wife need not go far to work, after all, the P1,400 per month cash grant would be enough to get us focusing on other tasks that can get us out of this sorry state, shares Mauricio at the recent Kapihan sa PIA.

Granted with certain conditions, the cash grant can only be given to poor families which the National Household Targeting System (NHTS) for Poverty Reduction survey identified the poor families most needing the help, says Angelita M. Genil, DSWD 4Ps provincial link for Bohol and Siquijor.

4PS Conditions

Only those families in the survey directory like the Bitancors: with kids aged between 0-14 or with pregnant women, with no fixed income and are not government employees can be in the list, she reiterates.

From 2009, when the Bitancors enrolled in the program, they still have Mary Grace at grade 5, Myra in grade 4 and Mauricio Jr. in Grade three, all eagerly attending more than the 85% of the school days, per 4Ps condition.

The cash transfer grants P300 for each child aged between 0-14 (maximum of 3 per family) and another P500 for health assistance. This also makes it possible for the Bitancors to get P1,400 monthly in cash assistance.

What is funny is that parents then, who used to ask their children to help them in the harvest, are now pushing their kids to school, lest their cash grants are suspended, Aileen Lariba, 4Ps information Officer added.

The family also makes sure that their visit to the health center becomes regular and they do not miss any Family Development Sessions (FDS).

Family Development Sessions

A crucial part of the conditions for the cash grant is for the family to involve itself in the FDS, stresses Jocelyn Adalid, 4Ps social worker.

Here, families are taught basic skills, health tips and share technology to equip them with the right capacities to work out solutions to their problems, Lariba points out.

At the FDS, one of the sessions we had was about vegetable gardening. That was when we realized that it could be a good investment, Mauricio admitted.

Wanting to earn more about it, the Bitancors took several other FDS very carefully learning about just anything they can on the livelihood option before them.

With the DSWD in convergence with other government agencies, the Bitancors also took Farmer Field School (FFS) and agricultural technologists piled upon them new technologies, modern farming methods, free seeds and organic farming technologies.

And our children too, when they see how serious we are, they pick on chores without even having to ask them, she Anna Shirley shares.

Since then, Ana Marie, has long stopped working as house help in Manila, he said.

We learned the benefits of organic farming and getting alternative livelihood, adds Mauricio, who shared that apart from a bigger garden, they also ventured into hog and poultry production.

No, it’s not the P1400 we get after every 2 months, it is the sessions that prove to be that which opens to us the way to honorably dig our way out of poverty, Mauricio stresses.

Poverty is not just about income, it is also about access to services, he implies.

“Now, we are happier. It’s unthinkable, us not sleeping or going together. We want this to be a lasting memory for our kids: loving parents in the hope that they too would build their families with the same bond,” Mauricio said nervously evading the camera.

“Even our neighbors would tease us: Who is the jealous type between you? Anna Marie laughs while volunteering the information.

Getting more and more engrossed on improving their lot and helping their community, Mauricio also crosses over as peer educator.

On the other hand, Anna Marie, who heads the Aurora Women’s Organization constantly seeks ways to improve their life and bringing along their community through the natural hindrances to get them where the 4Ps wished they would be after the program expires. (30)

2011-12-13T20:09:00.000+08:00

Bohol PADAC strat-planning

w’shop rolls off, sans PDEA

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 10, (PIA) –The two day Provincial Anti-drug Abuse Council (PADAC) Strategic Planning Workshop rolls off today, December 13-14, 2011 without the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Convened by the Capitol through Governor Edgar Chatto, who authored the ordinance creating the PADAC, the workshop gathers at the CrabHouse in Mansasa District, legislators, representatives from the academe, provincial, municipal, barangays governments, socio-civil sectors, law enforcers, student organizations and volunteers.

After the workshop facilitators from the local Center for Local Governance of the Holy Name University presented the activity process flow, participants agree that reliable data on the gravity of drug affectation to be truly effective in the planning workshop.

These data however can only be from the PDEA, being the lead government agency mandated to spearhead the anti-drug campaign.

According to Clyde Ebojo, Capitol based workshop coordinator, the drug agency earlier confirmed its attendance to the workshop. But on the last minute, PDEA informed organizers about an emerging situation in Cebu, which prevented them from getting through.

Workshop participant and City councilor Mariquit Oppus said she wished the workshop provides a time for participants to be appraised of the real drug situation in Bohol so as to achieve and track a measurable accomplishment based on available data.

On the other hand, Camp Dagohoy representatives hinted that the PDEA would have all the council-needed data to be able to surgically address the problem here.

The PDEA as the lead agency in the campaign deputizes the police and issues control numbers to legitimize police anti-drug operations without the PDEA presence.

Beyond police anti-drug operations, it is the PDEA that police file post-operations report.

Pinspector Jojit Mananquil admit police may have some data but these are on drug personalities on the drug watch-list which is obviously not for public consumption.

Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio, who called PDEA Regional Director Jigger Montallana to update the workshop was informed that a PDA representative (not Montallana himself) was enroute to the workshop.

Seriousness in support to the drug problem popped as one of the key issues the council members discussed during the workshop. (30)

2011-12-12T16:52:00.000+08:00

AIDS council bare ambitious

Targets for Bohol thru 2015

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec. 8, (PIA) – A council in Bohol against the spread of Human Immune Virus (HIV) picks ten goals as targets for accomplishment through 2015.

While most of these goals reflect the global effort to rouse international awareness about the almost always fatal virus, the goals include ambitious reduction into half sexual transmission of HIV, AIDS related maternal deaths, TB deaths among people with HIV, countries that have counter-productive practices on HIV transmission and those that ban entry, stay and residence of HIV victims.

This as the Provincial HIV/Acquired Immunity Disease Syndrome Multi-Sectoral Council (PHAMSC) has identified these goals after a series of workshops and planning activities, says Mila Israel, program coordinator.

First, the council, which has been largely coordinating efforts to spread the word said, they want to reduce by half sexual transmission of HIV, its attention beamed on young people, men who have sex with men and commercial sex workers.

In its 2011 strategic planning workshop, the council stressed that the campaign would be focused in schools, out of school work environments with the end goal of organizing young advocates, she shared.

In fact, to kick off the campaign, the council conducted the HIVAIDS Quiz Bee for city high schools to open up more creative avenues for information dissemination and spreading.

In a hand-out leaflet distributed during the World AIDS Day Celebration at the Island City Mall, the council also pegs an ambitious reduction into half, AIDS related maternal deaths including the elimination of the transmission of HIV from mother to infant.

Also at the recent Kapihan sa PIA, Israel bared that aside from the two major goals, the council also aims to prevent new HIV infections among people who use drugs and, fourth; attain universal access to anti-retroviral therapy to people living with HIV and eligible for treatment.

Israel

explained that HIV AIDS is global concern, in unity with its global partners, the council aims to reduce by half tuberculosis deaths among people living with HIV.

Sixth, the council said in as much as households affected by HIV ought to gain access to care and support, national and social protection strategies are addressed.

Seventh, the council echo the global advocacy to reduce by half, countries with punitive laws and practices around HIV transmission, sex work, drug use or homosexuality that block effective responses.

Eighth, countries with HIV relater restrictions for entry, stay and residence shall have been eliminated if not halved, the council said.

Ninth and tenth, HIV specific needs of women should be addressed in at least half of all national HIV responses and finally for the country to implement zero tolerance for gender-based violence. (30)

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CHR notes decrease of

HRights cases in Bohol

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec. 9, (PIA) – From 30 cases filed at the Commission on Human Rights in 2010, the cases dropped to 19 this year as Boholanos continue to advocate for the universal protection of human rights.

Bohol CHR Provincial officer Rito Montes bared the decrease of human rights abuse cases at the recent Kapihan sa PIA in celebration of the National Human Rights Consciousness Week.

According to Montes, since January to November, Bohol CHR records only 18 cases which victims and their families personally filed, while on another case, the CHR pursued it motu propio, or on their own accord, not really waiting for some one else to file the complaint.

Over the huge decrease, Montes showed though a matrix that cause oriented groups did not figure out in any of the 18 cases.

This was in comparison to cases in 2002, or about a decade ago when Bohol recorded 88 cases of human rights violations, most of these cases filed by cause oriented groups.

That year, Bohol was at the height of its insurgency problem.

CHR also noted an erratic trend in its human rights abuse monitoring when it noted 24 cases in 2008 and 2009, 30 cases in 2010 and 19 this year.

Foremost in the possible case of human rights abuse which the CHR is investigating involves 10 cases of inmates allegedly being subjected to inhumane conditions, Montes showed.

Of all recorded cases, CHR Bohol said they have found probable cause on 4 cases and to which these have been elevated to the Ombudsman in the Visayas.

Around 13 cases have been docketed at the CHR Regional Office for investigations, Montes said. (30)

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Integrate trafficking, cyberporno

Topics in curriculum, says RDC 7

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec. 9 (PIA) -- In the rising cases of human trafficking and cyber-crimes that has reached alarming levels, how do you make dependable information spread to the grassroots?

For the Central Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC), it could be facilitated by pushing for the integration of topics on human trafficking and cyber pornography to the school curriculum.

In its meeting last November 18, the RDC has deliberated on the recommendation and acted positively on the move by endorsing to concerned agencies in the education sector to integrate relevant topics into the curriculum they are offering to their students.

With government information campaigns apparently not denting as much on the issue, the Social Development Committee has endorsed the Regional Sub-Committee on Gender, Anti-Trafficking and Violence against Women (RSC-GATV) recommendations.

The sub committee recommends to ask the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to integrate in their respective curricula relevant topics on human trafficking and cyber crimes.

The RSC-GATV has noted the alarming steady increase in the trafficking in persons and cyber-pornography in the region.

Since then, the search for a no-nonsense program to get information spreading quick pops as police authorities in the region continue piling cases against trafficking in persons and cyber-crimes suspects.

Even Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto has aired alarm over reports that several Boholanos have been rescued from potential case of abuse through trafficking.

At least a case of women and minors on their way to promised job in Manila were intercepted by Cebu Port Police, while two Boholana minors were also safely assisted home from Cagayan de Oro on a potential case of trafficking, weeks ago.

In its recommendation to the SDC, the RSC-GATV cited the significant role that the schools play in creating awareness and in mobilizing action from the students especially on topics deemed important for the protection of children. (30)

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Sevilla invests P 5.3 M

In agri-related services

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 10, (PIA) – Talk about putting the money where the mouth is, leaders of this largely agricultural town plans to invest some P5.3 million for agriculture and related services, in hopes that by sowing seed money into the sector, farmers would reap the benefits.

Here, local leaders are convinced that keeping the farmers’ access to the markets spell the difference between losing perishable farm produce and getting them on time in the highways to the city.

For this, jumpstarting Sevilla’s progress would have the town spending P3M this year for barangay farm to market roads maintenance and bridges repair in this town that is crossed by the headwaters of Loboc River.

Similarly, with some of its barangays separated from the highways by creeks and rivers, the town also invests some P85,000 for the improvement of its footbridges, and make sure the link from households to schools and social services is assured.

Aiding it in its task of road maintenance is a newly acquired road roller and compactor vibrator, which the town amortizes annually at a little more than a million.

As to its markets, Municipal Engineer Alma Ganas is set to implement some P500K improvement of its block tiendas and open some more economic enterprise opportunities for its residents.

In this largely agricultural town, the town leaders also deemed it proper to put in funds into its largest single source of income: agriculture, which includes livestock, aqua-fisheries and vegetable production.

For this, in efforts to upgrade its existing breeds of hogs, the town ventures into P500K hog breed upgrading and dispersal program, P10,000 purchase of liquid nitrogen for its artificial insemination program, P30,000 poultry raising and dispersal program, P15,000 for Tilapia Culture and Aquafisheries while it also allocates P10,000 for livestock protection program; the seed money goes to dewormers and veterinary services collaterals, said Budget officer Eumar Barro.

For crops, the town puts up P25,000 for the purchase of certified seeds to hopefully entice farmers to suit into the practice of using high yielding seeds, P6150 for the purchase of vegetable seeds and another P10,000 for its crop protection.

Other then these, the town also invests in the improvement of Bugwak Waterworks system and allocates P400,000 for the purpose.

This year, Sevilla town plaza and park gets an allocation of P300K.

Strained in its finances, the town could not disregard its local government units and apportioned P1.2M as municipal aid to barangays and their identified priority projects, according to the AIP of 2012.

In general, of the town’s P39 million 20% Development Fund, some P10.9 million goes directly to projects which the people benefit.

Another P19 million goes to personnel services and salaries for the administration of the identified programs and projects as well as mandatory services of the town.

These services include the executive, legislative, planning and coordination, Treasury, Accounting, Engineering, Civil Registry, Assessment, Budget, Social, Agricultural, Health, Auditing and an appropriation for calamities, states the AIP prepared by Planning and Development Officer Artemio Perin.

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Spending for its priorities

Key to Sevilla’s progress

Rey Anthony Chiu

SEVILLA, Bohol, Dec. 10, (PIA) – In terms of triggering an avalanche of development for a fifth class town, what can you expect from Sevilla?

So much, says municipal information officer Walter Pondoc, who has brought with him documents to prove that it is not the limitations of funds but the vision and judicious spending of meager resources that would matter for his town in the end.

For a landlocked town with 13 mountainous barangays, old town Sevilla has clearly had a generous share of hard times.

But for Mayor Ernesita Digal, sulking in their misery is not going to help.

For her, empowering people, whose major occupation is agriculture, into getting the right technology and giving them access to whatever they would need to elevate their economic condition levels the playing field for residents in far-flung barangays.

Cleverly apportioning its resources according to its priorities, Sevilla has set aside some P6.6 million of its Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) funds for its priority projects and also succeeded in sourcing out some P4.3 million for outside sources to trigger a spending of P10.9 million for projects and programs here.

This year, the town has appropriated some P2M from its Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and completed its maintenance and rehabilitation of barangay roads.

Moreover, the town also opened up better access for Lobgob residents to the highway which is located on the far side of the Loboc River.

Sevilla then funded the construction of the P300K Lobgob foot bridge, another hanging bridge spanning the headwaters of mighty Loboc River.

This is to facilitate the flow of farm products to the markets and similarly allow technology and new information to reach the farmers for better productivity, he said pointing to the town’s list of completed projects.

And to make sure that there is a place that would entice city-based businessmen and entrepreneurs, the town officials have been relentless in sourcing out funds to put up the necessary facility that would support their goal of brisk trade in their local market.

Their insistence has been providential, as Sevilla found Congressman Arthur Yap, Senator Ramon Revilla each giving them a million a piece for the improvement and rehabilitation of their old public market.

The P2M which the town sourced out was in fact propped up with Senator Chiz Escudero who gave another P500 thousand from his pork barrel for the same project, the list showed.

Also seeing the town’s potential as a fresh market hub, the Department of Agriculture also nodded to a P1 million Bagsakan Center, which construction is still ongoing.

Now an emerging tourist destination town for its alternate adventure experience in the hanging bridges crossing, the town has decided to put its money where its mouth is, Pondoc claimed.

Already racking in from the daily tourist traffic visiting Sipatan Hanging Bridge in Barangay Ewon, the own has set aside P85,000 for the annual repair of the bridge and the construction of a waiting shed for the place, its tourism earnings being rolled into the same investment.

Believing that tourism generates jobs and opes up countless opportunities for their people, Sevilla also funded for the P610,000 Sipatan Souvenir Shop to give the locals a presentable venue for them to sell souvenirs in the predominantly cottage industry and crafts villages nearby.

In the town center, he town leaders also set aside P1M for the development of their municipal park and plaza.

As to social development, the town reached deep into its pockets to fund the construction of its senior citizen’s building, on the firm belief that the sector provides an integral role in mapping up the local development of the town.

From its IRA sources, Sevilla appropriated P100 thousand for the purpose.

For health development, the town judiciously spent half million from its IRA funds for developing access to potable water via the Bugwak Waterworks system project and another P85,000 for the purchase of water meters for the project.

From the Department of Health, the town also accessed P800 k for the renovation of the town health center and improve its services to its constituents.

In education, the town also appropriated P200K in town aid for the site development of the proposed Bohol Island State University-Sevilla annex.

As the town procured the lot for the complex, Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry also funded the construction of a two-classroom building

For sustainable environment in this slowly emerging tourism town, local officials funded the ongoing construction of the P450,000 Municipal Materials Recovery Facility, in its efforts to keep their solid waste properly managed and sustain the river which has become one of Bohol’s signature tourist attractions.

Whilesome towns would most likely fund infrastructure projects, Sevilla’s adversity has taught us a lot of things. The biggest of them is intelligently prioritizing things to fund the provision of needs of the people, he said. (30)

2011-12-10T22:16:00.002+08:00

Bohol Island State U annex campus soon to rise in Sevilla

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 11 (PIA) – Another annex campus of the Bohol Island State University [BISU) will soon rise in Sevilla town, taking one step at a time as the Sanggunian Bayan authorized Sevilla Mayor to buy a lot for the state university.

Sevilla mayor Ernestina Digal is pushing hard to comply with the CHED requirements and she has identified the probable location in barangay Cambagui and immediately shared to the owners about the plan.

Sevilla vice-mayor Emily Dagaang also said that there is a pending request for the opening of BISU Annex at barangay Cambagui.

Dagaang added that the ultimate plan is to open up the Bohol Island State University (BISU) annex in the town, more on the technical and vocational courses through the BISU system.

“This should present a good opportunity for our youth to get the proper training needed for them to land good jobs,” the vice-mayor said.

At the top of the requirements was for the identification of a site to construct the school buildings therein.

Soon the lot was found and after both parties arrived at a deal in the negotiations, the local government unit, through the express nod of the Sangguniang Bayan allocated P125,000 in its 2010 20% annual development fund for payment of the needed lot.

But, even before the sale took effect, the local government unit of Sevilla sought the help of interested parties who could assist the LGU in preparing the site for the annex.

The Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce responded. The organization built two 2-classroom buildings for the new site, said Mercedes Ocio, municipal secretary.

But the heirs of the lot-owners Fabian Cabagnot had a hard time processing the documents due to some problems with the extrajudicial settlement of the estate, the original owners being deceased.

The process would have been simple; extra-judicial settlement of estate of deceased person and to shorten the process, a simultaneous sale would have to be consummated.

To remedy the situation, the LGU assented to the request of the heirs of the lot for additional amount to be used in the processing of the documents and the subsequent transfer of the property.

The town agreed to comply and just recently, the Sangguniang Bayan issued the authorization for Mayor Ernesita Digal to purchase the lot for the proposed BISU Annex. [mbcn/rahc/PIA-Bohol)

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Army, police say: NGCP bombing, not NPA work

Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY , Bohol , Dec 10 (PIA) – Police and military authorities investigating the latest bombing of a government power facility in Sagbayan town denied that rebels had a hand in the terrorist act.

Police SSupt Constantino Barot at the weekly radio program “Kita ug ang Gobernador” said that after careful analysis of the evidences collected at the crime scene, investigators agreed that it could never be the handiwork of the dreaded New People’s Army (NPA).

Police and military investigators are now on to a lead that pointed to a brewing misunderstanding between the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and its contractors, unpaid workers and unsettled right of way disputes.

It can be recalled that on or about 10 PM on December 3, reports reaching the media detailed of at least three bombs wrapped at the foot of the NGCP steel tower 164 located in Sta. Catalina Sagbayan exploded.

The incident hardly dented on the still constructed structures, police authorities said.

Sta Catalina was also the same barangay where rebels staged a brutal ambush against government forces where many resulted in the death of six soldiers including commanding officer 2Lt. Socrates Que and four CAFGUs.

While Sagbayan police, in a radio interview last Monday detailed that they were not discounting that the bombing could be a work of the NPA’s following alleged extortion letters sent to NGCP, Supt Barot and Special Forces Commanding Officer Lt. Col Romeo Brawner believed otherwise.

Pointing to the standard operating procedures for NPAs, Brawner said the rebels unmistakably used the incident as propaganda and would immediately owned the bombing.

He cited bombing incidents in Surigao and Tarlac where the rebels immediately issued statements.

Brawner, who used to be the spokesperson of the Philippine Army added, besides the bomb used, based on the unexploded parts revealed no signature NPA improvised explosive device.

He said NPAs in the Central Visayas use PVC pipes and not tin cans in their devices.

“It’s amateurish,” he suggested as he pointed that the components used, the method of deployment and the intention of the atrocity was definitely unlike their confirmed NPA handiworks based on past experiences.

On the reported claims that the bombing signals the return of the NPAS in Bohol , Barot said based on police intelligence reports, the rebels do not have an organizational structure capable of such act as yet.

They are still on the underground and recruitment stage and doing any atrocity at this time could alert internal security forces and can hamper any forward organizational movement. (mbcn/rahc/PIA-Bohol)

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PHL human rights grade still notably low - CHR

Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY , Dec. 10 (PIA) – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Central Visayas rates the government’s efforts to advance human rights awareness as low and is equally pessimistic that it can improve in the next years.

CHR-7 regional director Atty. Alejandro Alonzo Jr. said at the Kapihan sa PIA Thursday that his personal rating is 5 in a scale of 10.

Alonzo explained that his assessment is also based on the ratings by international human rights monitors poring into the human rights situation of the country.

Alonzo cited the International Covenant in Civil and Political Rights that a Hongkong-based Asian Human Rights Commission noted that the country has not met the average compliance in terms of the country’s commitment to respect civil and political rights of peoples.

The covenant is a multi-lateral treaty in protecting peoples’ civil and political rights that the United Nation adopted with 74 signatories and more than 167 parties committing to its provisions.

Alonzo said that while extra legal killings have been reportedly rampant during the time of President Arroyo, the crime still continues under the Aquino Administration.

“The monitors also said cases of enforced disappearances continue without let-up,” Alonzo cited.

Citing Amnesty International, the CHR director said that the rights group has noted the country’s apparent failure to comply with its commitments on the International Covenant on Economic and Social rights.

According to Alonzo, Amnesty International rates the Philippine low on giving access of potable water to potable water, decent housing and the right to health.

Aside from a widening poverty base, the Philippines is still saddled with housing backlog and often find itself evicting urban poor dwellings and demolishing them without an option for relocation, Alonzo said.

CHR added that despite a law that bans keeping patients with outstanding balances from discharging in hospitals, there are still cases where patients complain being held against their will.

Similar law says it is illegal to admit patients only after they have deposited an amount and has satisfactorily proven their capacity to pay.

On this, Alonzo said he still hopes the president, as the representative of the country to the covenant, can use his executive power to address these issues and end the prevailing culture of impunity in the country. (mbcn/rahc/PIA-Bohol)

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AIDS council bare ambitious targets for Bohol thru 2015

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY , Dec. 10 (PIA) – The Provincial HIV/Acquired Immunity Disease Syndrome Multi-Sectoral Council (PHAMSC) in Bohol identified ten goals as targets for accomplishment through 2015 after a series of workshops and planning activities held recently in the province.

PHAMSC program coordinator Mila Israel said while most of these goals reflect the global effort to rouse international awareness about the virus, its ambition is to reduce by half sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS related maternal deaths; TB deaths among people with HIV; countries that have counter-productive practices on HIV transmission and those that ban entry, stay and residence of HIV victims.

The council which has been largely coordinating efforts to spread the word wants to reduce by half sexual transmission of HIV among young people and men who have sex with men and commercial sex workers.

In its 2011 strategic planning workshop, the council stressed that the campaign shall focus in schools, out of school work environments with the end goal of organizing young advocates, Israel shared.

To kick off the campaign and in celebration of World Aids Day, the council conducted the HIVAIDS Quiz Bee for city high schools at the Island City Mall in Tagbilaran City recently to open up more creative avenues for information dissemination.

In a hand-out leaflet distributed during the event the council aims to reduce by half AIDS-related maternal deaths including the elimination of the transmission of HIV from mother to infant.

At the Kapihan sa PIA recently, Israel bared that aside from the two major goals, the council also aims to prevent new HIV infections among drug users and to attain universal access to anti-retroviral therapy to people living with HIV and those eligible for treatment.

Israel explained that in unity with its global partners, the council aims to reduce by half tuberculosis deaths among people living with HIV and to address social protection strategies for HIV victims to gain access to care and support.

Israel added that the council echoes the global advocacy to reduce by half countries with punitive laws and practices around HIV transmission, sex work, drug use or homosexuality that block effective responses.

It is hoped that countries with HIV-related restrictions for entry, stay and residence shall have been eliminated if not halved, the council said.

Israel explained that the council hopes to address the HIV-specific needs of women in at least half of all national HIV responses and finally for the country to implement zero tolerance for gender-based violence. (mbcn/rahc/PIA-Bohol)

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Group suggests barangays enact ordinances to discourage child trafficking

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY , Bohol , Dec. 9 (PIA) – With the alarming surge of trafficking of persons in the country, a group –the Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT) called on barangays to enact ordinances mandating all recruiters to register first before they are allowed to recruit in the localities.

The call from PACT came as the world commemorates the International Day against Trafficking on December 12.

PACT said communities must exhaust all possibilities to pursue creative programs that track recruiters so as to make them accountable for their recruitments.

According to the group, the registration of recruiters allows local officials to trace the recruits’ destinations and the agencies that hire them.

PACT also said there has to be more community efforts to convince parents that there are still other means of earning a living other than sending their minors to work.

The group noted that extreme poverty has pushed most parents to send their kids to work in distant places to lessen on the mouths to feed while earning at the same time.

“The prospect of milking out income from minors, their high value for the different forms of abuse from human slavery to prostitution, and them as warm bodies for the country’s continuing armed conflict, pile up for the lucrative income a trafficker gets from this illegal business,” says police officer Tomasita Carino of the children and women’s desk at Camp Dagohoy .

These kids however do not always end up with the jobs promised, Carino noted.

Most of the stories recounted by victims detail gory experiences of abuse so inhumane they find ways to get rescued, Carino shared, while wanting to keep these details confidential.

This year’s theme for the International Day against Child Trafficking is “Komunidad Palaakasin, Child Trafficking Sugpuin”, in apparent call for communities to get involve.

PACT still keeps the hope that the problem of child trafficking can be addressed through proper action and accurate information.

Moreover, PACT said lack of education and information get these children or women close to being trafficked because their parents who lack skills push them to work instead of school.

Other reasons for trafficking which the group details include a sick sense of women and children as sex objects, displacement from armed conflicts, unscreened access to technology and broken families.

Over this, PACT calls on everyone to continue learning about trafficking, to seek creative ways to equip workers with the right skills for work and to establish community based livelihood programs to stop people from leaving their communities to work. (PIA-Bohol/mbcn/rahc)

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Feature: In Sevilla, their tables make everyone even

By: Rey Anthony Chiu

SEVILLA, Bohol, Dec 10, (PIA) –If, sometime you hear that in Sevilla town, “la mesa ra’y patag,” [only tables are even) think of it as a joke. But believe me half of it is probably right!

The other half is that fiesta tables here are great equalizers and nothing can be a better leveler than the moneyed and the barefooted rubbing elbows in a sumptuous feast that they believe would sate their bodies and their souls as well.

When you partake at the lavish banquet at the feast day of Virgin of Guadalupe, the town patroness, there you would be glad why tables here should be flat, or your stewed carabeef soup would spill before you could take in a deliciously long sip.

Historically, the place was formerly called “Panas” for its characteristic rock cliffs, a part of nearby Loboc town.

Many historians believe that the town only came to be called Sevilla after Spaniards who could have been from Seville , south of Spain came to settle and establish formal government in the town in 1872.

“Panas,” being located on top of the gorges carved by Loboc River the natives settled here who saw the rockslides at the riverbanks and the hinterlands as a perfect venue for escaping the white skinned conquerors’ probing eyes and be relatively independent in their remoteness.

Practically a place diligently carved out of the cliffs, Sevilla’s flat surfaces can be a glaring testament of man’s adaptation to the harsh environment and a little ingenuity to fill the rest.

Having been administered by missionary priests from mother town Loboc, Sevilla picks the habit of taking its mother town’s devotion.

With Loboc’s devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe as its secondary patroness after Saints Peter and Paul, Sevilla also took on the devotion of Guadalupe.

That accounts for the two feats days for Guadalupe: May 25 for the Guadalupe de Extremadura of Loboc and December 12 of the Guadalupe de Mexico of Sevilla.

Loboc, picked Our Lady of Guadalupe de Caceres, patroness of Extremadura.

Guadalupe de Caceres is notably the carved black Madonna (Mary with a child) as legends say that Luke, the evangelist personally carved the image and was buried with him.

Guadalupe de Mexico on the other hand, is that unmistakable image on a wooden plank with the light radiating from her body.

When Luke’s tomb was excavated, the statue was brought to Rome , and at a time when there was a plague that hit the place, the statue was taken out for a great procession and the epidemic ceased.

The statue was buried again in a casket near Guadalupe ( Hidden River ) to hide it from the invading moor. That was when the statue came to be called The Lady of Guadalupe.

Years later, yet another miracle caused its excavation and the statue was then put in a Franciscan hermitage in Guadalupe, an autonomous region south of Spain .

As a Franciscan monk became bishop of far-away Mexico , the prelate heard of another Marian apparition, this one to Juan Diego.

The visionary said the virgin told him her name as Coatlaxopeuh (Quatlasupe) which when translated from its Inca term into “She who crushes the Serpent.”

The image of the lady crushing the serpent is also a common presentation of Mary.

To the monk, the name couldn’t be far sounding than the Guadalupe de Caceres in distant Spain .

Loboc’s virgin of Guadalupe devotion then is that which allows them to celebrate every May 25, while the Guadalupe of Sevilla is the virgin of the Mexican apparition that celebrates her feast day every December 12.

So, on December 12, Sevilla makes sure her tables are leveled and enjoins every devotee of the virgin of Guadalupe to come and partake on the table where the rich and the poor sit as equals in thanksgiving for the blessings.