Vol I Issue 16 Published by: PIA 6, 7 & 8 December 12 — 18, 2011

WESTERN VISAYAS  

Food and Nutrition Research Institute-DOST science and research specialist Salvador Serrano (standing) talks on the different food technologies and food safety during the NUTRICOMNET meeting and forum held at the PIA regional office, Tacloban City, December 13 as FNRI SRS Susan Encarnacion, DOST-Leyte provincial director Glenn Ocaña, PIA 8 regional director Olive Tiu and DOST 8 regional d i rector Edgardo Esperanc i l l a listen. (Vino R. Cuayzon)

by Amor Saludar

CEBU CITY Dec. 13 (PIA) -- The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas and the Cebu City government recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to battle graft and corruption. Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama signed the MOA, which was aimed at taking actions and instituting measures to fight corruption within their respective jurisdictions. The two leaders urged government officials and the public to support the campaign against corruption, as well as in the enforcement of laws geared towards curbing corruption.

Apostol cited unity as the most important element in winning the battle against corruption and added that the “surest way to victory is to have a united front against corruption”. “We failed in our (previous) campaign against corruption because we were not united in our efforts. Some (were) not sincere in the implementation of the rules against anti-corruption,” Apostol said. In response, Rama pledged his commitment to lead Cebu City in the combat against corruption as part of his calling as a public leader. “This is a calling and let us honor our commitments,” Rama concluded. (FCR/AS/PIA-CEBU)

In this IssueIn this IssueIn this Issue

ILOILO CITY, Dec. 13 (PIA) -- The government has adopted the Philippine Quality Award to encourage private and public companies and organizations in the country to improve their quality and productivity especially in serving their clients or customers. A flagship program of the National Action Agenda for Productivity, PQA also seeks to promote standards on organizational performance comparable to those of leading businesses or organizations abroad, establish a national system for assessing quality and productivity performance, and recognize organizations which have achieved the highest level of quality and excellence, providing benchmarks for others. At a recent PQA Assessors Preparatory Course held in Metro Manila, Executive Director of the Center for Industrial Competitiveness of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Virgilio Fulgencio said PQA is an integrated approach to

organizational performance management that results in delivery of ever-improving value to customers and stakeholders, contributing to organizational sustainability, improvement of overall organizational effectiveness and capabilities, and organizational and personal learning. So far, 37 private and public organizations have received recognitions and benefited from the award since it started in 1997 with United Laboratories, Inc. as the first recipient of the PQA for Performance Excellence in 2008. Among the benefits that can be derived by participating organizations in the program are: achieving greater success and outside perspective of organization’s strengths and opportunities for improvement; increasing employee involvement and team capability; and becoming benchmarks and models for other organizations in performance excellence. (JCM/JSC/PIA6)

TACLOBAN CITY Leyte, Dec. 13 (PIA) -- Alfredo Q. Roble, a 63-year old farmer-turned-barangay official from Ormoc City, Leyte leads this year’s national winners of the Gawad Saka, the annual search for outstanding achievers in agriculture and fisheries. Winners were honored Tuesday, December 13 at Rizal Hall in Malacanang by President Benigno S. Aquino III and Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala. Barangay chairman Roble of Valencia, Ormoc City, has managed to harvest up to 12 tons of palay per hectare from his two-hectare farm, enabling him to clinch the outstanding hybrid rice farmer award. A jubilant DA-8 Regional Executive Director Antonio Gerundio and DA-8 Rice Focal Person, Dr. Rufino Ayaso III, informed that Roble shares the lime-light with Anna Cagulada, a lady-farmer from Dujali, Davao del Norte, who was adjudged as the country’s best integrated rice farmer. Roble and Cagulada, along with other individual winners will each receive a cash award of P100,000. The 2011 Gawad Saka national winners, com-posed of 14 individuals and nine groups, each received a Presidential citation and trophy, and corresponding cash incentives for individual winners and project grants for group winners, totaling P4.25 million.

Another Leyteño is this year’s agricultural scien-tist, Dr. Carlos dela Cruz of Balinsasayao, Abuyog, Leyte. He conducted breakthrough researches on jackfruit production and pest management. He will receive a project grant of P1 million from the DA’s Bureau of Agriculture Research (BAR). The group awardees are led by the Calumpit Multi-Purpose Cooperative from Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro. It will receive a project grant worth P150,000 from the DA-National Agricultural and Fishery Council (NAFC). (PIA-8)

Leyte hybrid rice farmer leads 2011 Gawad Saka national winners

PQA promotes organizational performance excellence

More on Region 8, pages 6-7.

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More on Region 7, pages 4-5. Also CLICK Here…

More on Region 6, pages 2-3. Also CLICK Here…

Cebu City LGU, Ombudsman-Visayas sign MOA to fight corruption

Commitment Signing. Lt. Gen. Ralph A. V i l l a n u e v a , C o m m a n d e r , CENTCOM, signs the Commitment of Support to Preserve the Peace and Security of the Province of Aklan right after the joint signing of the declaration of Aklan as an insurgency-free province by Aklan officials led by Governor Carlito Marquez and MGen. Emmanuel T. Bautista, Commanding General, Philippine Army. The signing was held recently at the Governor Corazon L. Cabagnot Tourism and Training Center. (PIA/VGV)

EASTERN VISAYAS  

CENTRAL VISAYAS  

Assessment. Pantawid Pamilya Beneficiaries present comparative analysis on the status of program implementation relative to the compli-ance with the conditions of the pro-gram. (Upper right) Regional Director, Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre encourages beneficiaries to continue being an exam-ple. (PIA-7)

Alfredo Q. Roble (right), a 63-year old farmer turned barangay official from Ormoc City, Leyte leads this year’s national winners of the Gawad Saka. With him is DA-8 Technical Director Arsenio Fortin. (Photo courtesy of DA-8)

WESTERNWESTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 222

S edino is one of the 383 graduates of the Agri-Pinoy SOA on Organic Farming and Sustainable Agriculture

of the Department of Agriculture who were confirmed and given certificates of completion during a program, which had the semblance of a traditional graduation recently in Iloilo City.

SOA on Organic Farming and Sustainable Agriculture was aired three-times a week over DYRI from 4:00 – 4:30 a.m., which started July to November this year and has attracted more than 600 enrollees from the provinces of Iloilo and Guimaras.

In her testimony as one of the outstanding graduates, Sedino said although the SOA requires her to multi-task, preparing food for her children and herself for school while listening to the radio, she decided to enroll because she found the course timely and relevant.

She said whatever lessons on organic farming and sustainable agriculture she gets from SOA teachers, she transfers the same to her pupils and even shares them during the Parents-Teachers Association meetings.

Joining Sedina in the list of outstanding graduates were Elna Soldevilla of Pototan, Iloilo; Wilfredo Galicia of Calinog; Anita Detore of Dingle; Zenon Molanda of Maasin; Romeo Cordero of Pototan; Ricky Olimpo of San Enrique; Iris Villanueva of Mina; Leila Rosbero and Ma. Jelly Ayalin of Passi City; Rubelyn Malutao of Btac. Viejo; and Magdalena Tacay of Leon.

Special citation was given to Arla Arenga, a DA employee who religiously followed the program, had a perfect score during the final assessment examination given to find out the level of knowledge acquired by the enrollees on the topics covered in the course.

He may not be included in the out-standing graduates, but 52 year old Nonito Biyo of Abangay, Janiuay, Iloilo is also proud to be a recipient of the certificate of completion. Biyo even bought a re-chargeable transistor radio, so he would not to miss the lessons on the air. A for-mer OFW, he he wanted to increase his knowledge on agriculture especially on organic farming.

DA 6 Regional Technical Director for Operations Engr. Remelyn Recoter congratulated the graduates and recognized their continued support to the SOA as some of them have also completed the other SOAs conducted by the regional office.

She also stressed the importance of the topics of the almost five-month course on sustainable and organic agriculture in the country’s efforts to achieve food sufficiency and address climate change. (JCM/LAF/PIA-Iloilo)

Ilonggos learn to farm through SOA

ILOILO CITY, Dec. 13 (PIA) -- Teacher Leydee Sedino of Buenavista, Guimaras said she is very thankful to the Department of Agriculture for initiating the School-on-the-Air (SOA), which is beneficial not only to farmers but also to educators like her.

by Lilibeth A. French

KALIBO, Aklan, Dec. 13 (PIA6) -- Congestion at the Aklan Rehabilitation Center (ARC) will soon be eased with the construction of an additional building within the compound in Barangay Nalook, Kalibo, Aklan.

New building to ease congestion at ARC

A RC Provincial Warden Gelacio Guarino said the building, worth P1 million, is already 85 percent

finished and will contain 3 cells for in-mates.

When it is already operational, the building will help decongest the

current cells housing 263 inmates, Guarino said.

Presently, the ARC has 9 cells housing various numbers of inmates, the highest of which is 51, held by Cell No. 51.

Guarino said the ideal number that a

cell could hold is 20. Aside from the P1 million building, the

provincial government will also construct a P500,000 worth of perimeter fence.

“This is to prevent our inmates from escaping,” Guarino said. (JCM/VGV PIA6 Aklan)

by Venus G. Villanueva

Biz owners urged to renew business certificates by Pilar S. Mabaquiao

P rov i n c i a l D i r e c to r J o se Divinagracia of DTI Antique said that existing business owners

are set to renew their permit come 2012, while owners of new businesses which will operate this coming year are encouraged to register their business name this December 2011.

Registering a business with DTI only requires a simple procedure, said Engr. Lynna Joy Cardinal, Trade and Indus-try Development specialist of DTI An-

tique. The applicant can fill up the form

available online or at the DTI provincial office together with any copy of a valid identification card and payment of a registration fee that corresponds to the territorial scope of the business.

For a bu s ines s opera t i n g province-wide, an applicant will pay P1000 plus P15 documentary stamp.

Those based in the municipalities, on the other hand, need to pay P500 and P15

documentary stamp. Lastly, for barangay level operation, they will be charged P200 and P15documentary stamp.

The law states that it is generally unlawful for a business to use a business name without registering it with the Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection.

DTI said this is one of their services aimed at regulating and monitoring business transaction practices. (JCM//PSM/PIA6 Antique)

SAN JOSE, Antique Dec. 13 (PIA) -- The Department of Trade and Industry is urging business owners to renew their Business Name Certificates starting January 2012.

WESTERN WESTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 333

CSC issues Christmas reminders by Elsa S. Subong

ILOILO CITY, Dec. 14 (PIA6) -- The Civil Service Commission has reminded all government agencies this Christmas to ensure that their services to the public are not interrupted by their conduct of Christmas parties or year-end conferences.

A press release from the CSC-6 said that agencies may celebrate the holidays but their front-line areas

should provide continuous services. CSC Chair Francisco Duque III said it

is the responsibility of the heads of offices to implement appropriate strategies, such as shifting schedules and skeletal work force, to ensure that the public is served within the prescribed office hours.

Duque added that communication lines should also be kept open and there must always be someone to answer

calls. He also reminded civil servants not to

accept gifts in exchange for performing their duties, especially from clients, suppliers and contractors with whom they are facilitating business.

“Serving the public is our duty and we must give the best possible service without expecting anything in return,” Duque said.

He cited the provisions of Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials

and employees, which prohibit civil servants from soliciting or accepting gifts, favors, loans or anything of monetary value in the course of some official duties.

CSC-6 Director Atty. Rodolfo Encajonado said in a previous PIA interview, that public servants must at all times show the best behavior towards their client and uphold self-respect by not indulging in bribery. (CSC/ESS/JCM/PIA-Iloilo).

“ Ten distributors and manufacturers participated in the event,” according to DTI – Capiz director Ermelinda P.

Pollentes. Consumer products available at the

caravan, included among others, cheese, ham, sausages and other food products, flavoring and spices, pasta, bath and laundry soaps, toilet bowel cleaner, dishwashing detergents, noodles and softdrinks.

The day-long selling event aimed to improve consumers’ access to prime commodities as well as noche buena products at low prices by involving the private sector.

“Capicenos came and bought products at manufacturers or distributors prices,” Pollentes noted

An in-house Diskwento Caravan was also conducted by by DTI – Capiz last May in coordination with the local retailers

association. The Diskwento Caravan is a

nationwide project by DTI to ease the financial burden of the consumers brought by high fuel prices and provide additional or alternative market for manufacturers and producers, especially MSMEs. (JCM/AAL/PIA 6 Capiz)

Diskwento Caravan in Capiz held Dec. 15

ROXAS CITY, Capiz, Dec. 15 (PIA) -- As part of the government’s Christmas present to Capiceños, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Capiz Provincial Office conducted the “Diskwento Caravan” on Dec. 15 at the public plaza here.

by Alex A. Lumaque

NegOcc best health workers honored

BACOLOD CITY, Dec. 15 (PIA) -- The 2011 Best Performing Barangay Health Workers (BHW) of Negros Occidental were named during the annual general assembly and Christmas party of the BHW Federation at the Negros Occidental Multi-purpose and Activity Center (NOMPAC) recently, a press release from Capitol said.

A warded as the Best Performing BHW was Cornelia Artesano of Himamaylan City (South Central

Inter-Local Health Zone), followed by Ma. Teresa Estampa of Valladolid (Midland ILHZ) and Evelyn Gerongani of Kabankalan City (South Negros ILHZ).

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr., in his message, said that all

BHWs will be enrolled in the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program (NOCHP) starting next year.

Out of 6,500 registered BHWs, only 546 are currently enrolled.

He said this is one of the incentives that BHWs will get for their hard work and for being the front liners of basic health services in the province.

Vice Gov. Genaro M. Alvarez, Jr. also expressed gratitude to the health workers for their services to the people of Negros.

Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer II also thanked the health workers for their continued support to the programs of the provincial government and for their sacrifices and hardwork.CAD/ PIA6/CAPITOL NEWS)

by Carolina A. Dionela

CENTRALCENTRAL VISAYASVISAYAS 444

T he port was formally turned over by the provincial government led by Gov. Roel Degamo to the

local government unit of Dauin represented by Mayor Neil Credo in a ceremony recently.

The turnover ceremony was witnessed by Dauin’s Sangguniang Bayan members and barangay officials.

The port cost around P5 million to

construct, with Gov. Degamo pouring in P2 million to accelerate its completion, said Capitol Information Officer Adrian Sedillo.

Construction of the mini-port was started during the time of then Gov. and now Congressman George Arnaiz in 2003 under the auspices of then Dauin Mayor and now Provincial Board Member Rodrigo Alanano, said Sedillo.

The port is expected to start operating next year.

Sedillo said the port was built to facilitate trips between Dauin town and Apo Island.

Apo Island is a 72-hectare island off the coast of Dauin town and is considered one of the best diving spots in the world. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)

DUMAGUETE CITY, Dec. 12 (PIA) -- Tourist traffic in Dauin town is seen to go up next year following the recent completion of the construction of a mini-pier in Brgy. Maayong Tubig in Dauin, Negros Oriental.

P5-M mini-pier in Dauin town completed by Rachelle M. Nessia

RN Heals program deploys nurses to poor C. Visayas towns

D r. Lakshmi Legaspi, assistant regional director of the Depart-ment of Health (DOH) 7 said

the nurses were deployed in two batches. “In February, we deployed 688 nurses

all over the region and another 788 nurses were deployed last month. A total of 1,476 nurses were deployed for this year alone,” Legaspi said.

Cebu got more than 300 nurses in the first batch due to its large population which needed more manpower

augmentation in providing basic health care services in rural communities, Legaspi said.

For the second batch, 520 out of the 788 nurses were assigned to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), a government-manned tertiary hospital under the DOH based in Cebu City, Legaspi disclosed.

The VSMMC accommodates indigent patients from various provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The RN Heals is a program designed to provide jobs to nurses and deploys them to poor communities to make essential health services accessible to poor communities.

RN Heals also provides a venue for nurses to practice their profession and hone their skills. It also augments the number health workers in public hospitals and rural health units. (PIA-Cebu)

by Fayette C. Riñen CEBU CITY, Dec. 13 (PIA) -- Almost 1,500 nurses were deployed to poor municipalities in Central Visayas this year, to provide healthcare services to unserved or underserved communities. Deployment of nurses under the Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service (RN Heals) program will last for a year.

NOPPO says NegOr will be drug-free in time by Jennifer Catan-Tilos

N OPPO provincial director P/SSupt. Edward Carranza also said that the drug menace in

the province is under control, and with vigorous drug-law enforcement and multi-sector cooperation, the availability of illicit drugs can be reduced.

During the year-end conference of the Negros Oriental Drug Abuse Prevention Council [NORDAPC) recently, Carranza gave a report on the drug situation in the province.

He said that the operations of various drug enforcement agencies resulted in the arrest of 144 persons that included 107

drug pushers, 36 drug users and one marijuana cultivator from January to November this year.

According to Carranza the Police had filed 170 cases this year compared to 81 cases filed in 2010. Most cases filed at the Regional Trial Courts in the province are in violations of RA-9165 or the Anti-Drug Law.

Shabu is still the number one popular drug choice among users in the province, according to the report. In 2011, 122.604 grams of shabu were confiscated, four times greater than the 26.30 grams confiscated the previous year.

The NOPPO also reported that in 2010, it had confiscated nearly 60 grams of marijuana leaves. Even before the end of 2011, however, the agency has already seized over 7,531 grams of dried marijuana leaves.

Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo is pushing for a 100 percent drug-free Negros Oriental as he encouraged the NORDAPC to intensify its campaign to reduce supply and demand of illegal drugs in the province. (mbcn/jct/PIA-NegOr)

DUMAGUETE CITY, Dec. 12 (PIA) -- The Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office [NOPPO) recently declared that it is "just a matter of time" before a drug-free society can be achieved.

CENTRAL CENTRAL VISAYASVISAYAS 555 Pilar, Camotes makes it to the top 10 finalists in Global Solution Search

A ccording to a release from www.solutionsearch.org, more than 100 entries from 48 countries

worldwide were submitted for the contest that included implementation of no-take zones; introduction of innovative fishing gear and the development of alternative livelihoods.

Rare president and CEO Brett Jenks in a release said, “For too long the conservation community has focused on problems, but there are a lot of working solutions in remote parts of the planet.”

A panel of seven judges has selected

the 10 finalists, and starting November 16 to December 24, 2011, the public can vote for the solution that is most likely to turn the tide for coastal fisheries at www.solutionsearch.org.

The entry that receives the most votes will be declared the grand-prize winner and be awarded a U.S.$20,000 project grant and a video on National Geographic’s Ocean website.

Two runners-up will each receive a U.S.$5,000 project grant and the winners will be announced on Jan. 6, 2012.

Pilar, Camotes vice mayor, Eufracio Maratas, Jr. is calling on Filipinos all over

the world to vote for the Pilar Municipal Marine Park or PMMP the same way we did for the Puerto Princesa Underground River that made it to the New 7 Wonders of the World.

To vote, Maratas encourages the public to log at www.rareplanet.org; go to the ‘Solution Search’ tab near the top of the page and visit Pilar’s entry at http://www.rareplanet.org/en/solution-search-entry/mult i -stakeholder-co-management-scheme-pilar-municipal-marine-park.(PIA-7/mbcn)

CEBU, Dec. 9 (PIA) -- The Pilar Municipal Marine Park (PMMP) in Camotes Island, Cebu made it to the top 10 finalists in the Rare and National Geographic's search for community-based solutions for global environmental issues specifically innovations for near-shore fisheries based on proven successes.

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec. 9 (PIA) -- 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.

T he call from PACT came as the world commemorated the Internat ional 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 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 Palakasin, Child Trafficking Sugpuin”, in a 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.

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)

Barangays need ordinances to discourage child trafficking—PACT

by Minerva BC Newman

by Rey Anthony Chiu

SIQUIJOR, Dec. 12 (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture-Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Office (DA-PATCO), in Siquijor held last week a two-day workshop to formulate a plan to develop organic agriculture for the province of Siquijor.

P rogram Coordinator Bernadith Bunado said the workshop was aimed at gathering first hand each

agency’s activities to develop organic agriculture as basis for formulating a provincial roadmap for organic agriculture.

Prior to the workshop, a series of

trainers’ training was conducted in November on the implementation of Republic Act 10068, otherwise known as Organic Agriculture Act 2010.

Bunado said that apart from providing farmers with fertile soil, organic agriculture reduces pollution and

destruction of the environment, prevents depletion of natural resources, and further protects the health of farmers, consumers and the general public, Bunado added. (mbcn/rac/PIA-Siquijor)

DA-PATCO holds planning workshop to develop organic agri in Siquijor by Rizalie A. Calibo

EASTERN EASTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 666

T he move to accredit local government units would make it easier for PhilHealth members to

pay promptly, PhilHealth senior staff Henry Magdula, who is also the designated Information Officer disclosed during its weekly radio program.

The members, who used to pay at

designated banks, can now pay at their respective municipal treasurer’s offices, Magdula said.

He advised members to keep the white–colored receipts, while the yellow-colored copies will be submitted to the municipal treasurer’s office.

Premium payments must be updated

to ensure continuous coverage, Magdula added.

Meanwhile, Magdula also disclosed that most of the rural health units (RHUs) accredited with PhilHealth can now accommodate all PhilHealth members. (ESG-PIA SoLeyte)

PhilHealth accredits all SO Leyte LGUs as collection partners

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Dec. 14 (PIA) -- All of the local government units in the province which had been newly accredited by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) now serve as collection partners to provide convenience to its insurance members in the remittance of monthly premiums.

Eastern Samar to conduct RSBSA survey

S imilar to other provinces in the country, the survey as initiated by the Department of Budget and

Management (DBM), will be spearheaded by the National Statistics Office, with the cooperation of the Department of Agri-culture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The survey is expected to gather important data and/or profile of farm laborers/workers and fisherfolks to aid policy makers and program framers at the national level in crafting programs and projects for the farmers.

According to Ronnie A. Bajado, provincial statistics officer of the National Statistics Office (NSO) before the registration activity starts, there shall be

several level-training to be conducted: First level training to be conducted in Manila; the second level is called Trainors Training to be attended by Local Gov’t. Operations Officer of (DILG), Municipal Agriculturists Oficer of (DA), Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer of (DAR) and Municipal Planning and Dev’t. Officer ( MPDC) of 22 municipalities; and one city of E. Samar conducted on Dec. 7-9, in Borongan, Eastern Samar.

The third level training will be undertaken in the barangays and the schedule are as follows: Dec. 14-16 – Hernani, Giporlos, Arteche and San-Policarpo; Dec. 19-21 – San-Julian, Taft, Can-avid, Oras, Llorente, Salcedo, Mercedes, Guiuan and Lawaan; Dec. 20-22 – Balangkayan, Dolores, Maslog and

Jipapad; Dec. 21-23 – Borongan and Maydolong and Dec. 27-29 – Sulat, Borongan, Gen.Mac-Arthur, Quinapondan and Balangiga. Expected to attend these training are Brgy. Captains, Brgy. Secretaries and one hired interviewer or enumerator.

The registration activity by house-to-house visit and face-to-face interviews will be held on January 2 to 24, 2012.

The RSBSA shall cover all barangays nationwide, but the initial stage shall only cover the barangays of 20 provinces in nine regions in the country which are identified as disaster-prone local government units and one of these prov-inces is Eastern Samar. (PIA-E. Samar)

Borongan City, Eastern Samar, Dec. 14 (PIA) -- In line with his social contract with every poor family that they rise above poverty, President Benigno C. Aquino III, has instructed some line agencies to conduct a study dubbed as Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) in order to obtain a baseline data for the farmer sector.

by Samuel D. Candido

NAVAL, Biliran, Dec. 15 (PIA) -- Teams composed of barangay captains and volunteers from LGU-Naval were formed to help in the identification of priority projects for implementation under the Makamasang Tugon Round (MTR) 1 projects.

J onathan G. Adriatico, municipal monitor of MTR1 said in an interview with the Philippine

Information Agency (PIA)- Biliran that the barangay representation teams (BRTs) will visit the 26 barangays in Naval town on December 15 to validate the project sites where these MTR1 projects will be implemented.

Adriatico said that the purpose of the project site validation is to know whether or not the project proposal addresses the top priority needs of the constituents.

Adriatico further said that some members of the BRT who are also members of the Project Representation Team (PPT) will also help identify in the prioritization of MTR1 projects for implementation in June next year.

He added that the assessment and findings of the BRT will serve as bases in their prioritization of projects through the Municipal Inter-Barangay Forum (MIBF) for participatory resource allocation that is scheduled to be held on January 6, 2012.

The MIBF is a forum where the PRT will vote on a project proposal of a certain barangay based on their assessment in their project site validation conducted, Adriatico said.

He revealed that there might be 13 projects prioritized for implementation in Naval next year.

Adriatico assured that their office or the officials of the local government unit (LGU) of Naval will intervene as to the prioritization of projects. (PIA 8 Biliran)

Brgy Captains, volunteers identify projects for Naval, Biliran by Rodrigo S. Victoria

by ES Gorne

EASTERNEASTERN VISAYASVISAYAS 777

T he pledge of commitment took place recently in the island municipality of Daram as health

officials from the provincial health office, the rural health unit, in cooperation with USAID, sponsored “Buntis Congress”.

The Sangguniang Bayan chairman on Health Jimmy Barantes, said that Daram has the highest child mortality rate in Samar, so he urged the mothers to go to a facility-based health center to deliver their

babies. The Buntis Congress also included a

presentation of DOH Maternal and Child Health Program and high–risk pregnancy as presented by the town’s heal officer Dr Khrystina Cielo Mabutin.

Mabutin said that despite the support of the LGUs to the RHU, only a few mothers avail of health services.

“Mothers still have to achieve a health-seeking behavior,” Mabutin said.

After the series of lectures, pregnant mothers lined up to avail of blood pressure taking, health classes, and counseling.

Organizers hoped that the theme, “Pagbubuntis alagaaan, malusog na baby at maginhawaang pagbubuntis ay makakamtan" will be absorbed by mothers as they committed to do just that. (PIA -Samar)

T his was disclosed by Mayor Minda Tan who said the presence of the two secretaries, Social Welfare

Secretary Dinky Soliman and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala during the launching of the “Agrikulturang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino,” a DSWD-DA Partnership for Sustainable Livelihood and Guaranteed Employment in Las Navas, Northern Samar Monday ignited the aspirations of marginalized farmers whose main economic activity depends solely on agriculture.

She added that the commitment made by the secretaries to provide the town with farm implements and other agricultural inputs are the best Christmas

gifts they have received. The Agrikulturang Pantawid Pamilyang

Pilipino, is envisioned to implement agricultural productivity projects that would provide sustainable livelihood and emergency or short-term jobs that would develop the skills and guarantee em-ployment opportunities of the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in communities and areas under agricultural zones in the countryside.

Tan added that the constituents are deeply appreciative of this cooperation program and poses a challenge for the local government to continuously will and advance the cause of agricultural productivity for every Las Navasnon and

Nortehanon. In his message, Governor Paul Daza

thanked the two secretaries who personally provided support and assistance not only to the town of Las Navas in particular but to the whole province of Northern Samar.

Daza said the national government and the provincial government are giving priority to identified towns belonging to the poorest. He added that as per reports, almost 300 hectares of the land with paddy dike have been irrigated and this is just the initial activity of the food-for-work program of the government. (PIA-Northern Samar)

Las Navas town welcomes DSWD-DA convergence program

Daram, Samar mothers commit to uphold health-seeking behavior by Ninfa B. Quirante

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, Dec. 15 (PIA) -- Some 122 pregnant mothers from the barangays of Bakhaw and Poblacion 1 pledged to submit to pre-natal check up, give birth in a health facility, and avail of the services of a skilled birth attendant.

by Ailene N. Diaz

CATARMAN, Northern Samar, Dec. 13 (PIA) -- The convergence and partnership initiatives which harmonize efforts of government agencies as a strategy in helping poor communities sparked the hope of marginalized farmers in Navas town, this province.

DPWH-8 gets P1.93-B additional budget for EV infra projects

T his is more than the P1.8 billion budget for the entire year, thus making DPWH Region 8 the only

region in the country with additional budget higher than the regular budget, DPWH-8 Director Rolando Asis said.

Asis explained that the additional fund is part of the stimulus package of the Aquino government that is aimed at boosting the infrastructure spending in the

Region. With the additional releases,

the DPWH in the Region has to fast track works for ongoing projects in order to achieve at least 80 percent accomplishment by the end of December, the DPWH director added.

Asis said that among the projects covered in the additional budget are the road opening connecting Babatngon and

Barugo towns in Leyte; diversion road construction in Calbayog City, San Isidro-Lope de Vega road opening in Northern Samar; Arteche–Lapinig Road improvement linking the provinces of Eastern Samar and Northern Samar; and the rehabilitation of the Carigara Bridge in Leyte. (PIA-8)

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Dec. 15 (PIA) -- An additional P1.93 billion budget for East Visayas infrastructure projects was released in the last quarter of 2011, the Department of Public Works and Highways in the region said.

One Visayas e‐newsletter is published weekly by the Visayas Regional Cluster of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) comprising Region 6, 7 and 8. Its main editorial office is located at PIA Region 6, Iloilo City.  One Visayas e‐newsletter is part of the online news and information dissemination services of PIA and is powered by www.issuu.com. For inquiries and suggestions, call Tel. Nos. (033) 3378718/3377301 or e‐mail piaamo6@yahoo.com.   

Editorial Consultants Ms. Minerva BC Newman Atty. Ma. Janet C. Mesa, Ph. D. Ms. Erlinda Olivia P. Tiu Regional Director, PIA 7 Regional Director, PIA6 Regional Director, PIA8

Managing Editor Jaime S. Cabag, Jr.

Contributors

All PIA Information Officers of Regions 6, 7 & 8

Production and Layout Edson J. Bañares Lynnor C. Regalado

Regional Offices:

PIA 6, 2/F RC Building, Rizal St., Iloilo City, Iloilo 5000, Tel. Nos. (033) 337-8719/3377301/509-0993, Fax No. (033) 337-8719/509-0993, e-mail: r6_pia@yahoo.com/ piaamo6@yahoo.com PIA 7, Room 304, 3/F Machay Bldg., Garardo Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu 6000, Telefax No. (032) 232-4062/232-4126, e-mail: pia7_cebu@yahoo.com.ph/r7_pia@yahoo.com PIA 8, Children’s Park Compound, Sen. Enage St., Tacloban City, Leyte 6500, Tel. No. (053) 325-5124, Telefax No. (053) 321-2029, e-mail: pia_ev@yahoo.com/r8_pia@yahoo.com