PHL must craft comprehensive labor policy for OFWs
by: Minerva BC Newman
Manila, March 19 (PIA) -- The Philippines needs to craft a comprehensive labor policy an forge agreements with countries employing Filipino workers to protect them from labor malpractice and abuses.
Senator Chiz Escudero said that his office received reports of OFWs working in the Ambatovy project in the town of Toamasina had been asking the government that they wanted to be repatriated after their company, Kentz Engineers and Constructors, failed to pay them salaries and overtime pay.
Escudero also called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to look into the conditions of OFWs working in Madagascar, many of whom have contracted malaria in their work place.
Aside from labor malpractices, OFWs in Madagascar have also complained that they were not given any anti-malaria medication as the place in known to be infested with malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
Since taking on overseas jobs remain a personal choice of millions of Filipinos, Escudero said the government should put in place a comprehensive labor migration policy for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to ensure that they are safe and protected.
According to the senator, the government should address the common complaints of OFWs against health and safety, labor malpractice, non-payment of overtime pay, absence of pay slips, poor accommodation, discrepancies in wages and repatriation in case of crisis, among others.
“OFWs are our modern-day heroes and the remittances they send to their families propel our economy. I think the best way to repay them is to ensure that they would be safe and properly compensated in the countries where they would be deployed,” Escudero added. (PIA-7/Minerva BC Newman with reports from the Office of Senator Escudero)
Senator urges BF, PDIC to speed up processing claims of depositors
Manila, March 19 (PIA) -- After the Monetary Board placed the beleaguered Banco Filipino (BF) under the receivership of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC), Senator Chiz Escudero prods the two camps to buckle down to work so they can begin processing the claims of depositors.
“While at the onset the PDIC has the ball now in so far as fulfilling its mandate to protect depositors, a sort of test-case for its charter, Banco Filipino should be made accountable to its depositors and has a lot of explaining to do,” Escudero said.
The senator said BF was liable for the bank run as they did not forewarn their depositors of its problems, causing worries to depositors who unwittingly got mired in the bank’s troubles.
While the PDIC covers the deposit insurance of up to P500,000 and its takeover of the bank will prevent further losses to its creditors and depositors, Escudero reminded the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to try to strengthen the credibility and integrity of banks through the application of proper safeguards as mandated by laws.
“This should not set precedent to other banks to do the same, letting BSP or PDIC to settle problems with depositors all because banks mismanaged their affairs. Our institutions should always see to it that banks as a whole must be liable,” Escudero explained. (PIA-7/Minerva BC Newman with reports from the Office of Senator Escudero)
Legarda hopes PHL signs UNESCO Convention on Protection and Promotion of Cultural Diversity
Manila, March 19 (PIA) -- Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities remains hopeful that the Philippines will sign the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
The Convention was adopted in 2005 and entered into force as early as 2007 with 116 state parties singing the document. The speed of its entry clearly showed the urgency and political commitment for action by the international community, Legarda said.
Legarda explained that the Convention is a legally-binding international agreement that recognizes the importance of traditional knowledge, knowledge systems of indigenous peoples and its positive contribution to sustainable development.
It also encourages artists, cultural professionals, practitioners and citizens worldwide to create, produce, disseminate and enjoy a broad range of cultural goods, services and activities, the senator added.
UNESCO recognizes that culture can no longer be a by-product of development, but rather the mainspring for sustainable development. Thirty-one projects out of 250 requests for funding by state parties and international NGOs have been approved by the Convention’s Intergovernmental Committee during the 1st call for applications launched in March 2010, Legarda reported.
“By not being a state party to this Convention, we have been missing out on the opportunity to access the International Fund for Cultural Diversity, a fund which could have supported activities geared towards the strengthening of institutional infrastructure and cultural industries, mapping of our cultural communities, funding for research and education, and the preservation of our dying art forms, among others,” Legarda emphasized.
The International Fund was created for the promotion of sustainable development and poverty reduction in developing and least developed countries through the emergence of a dynamic cultural sector, Legarda further said. (PIA-7/Minerva BC Newman & reports from the Office of Senator Legarda)
MOU to upscale the micro-finance sector in the country
Cebu, March 19, (PIA) --To address the continued challenge in the recruitment of quality human resources to fill in the positions in the micro-finance sector in the Philippines, three institutions inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will upscale the micro-finance sector in the country through human resource development.
The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) led by its micro-finance executive director Ma. Theresa Catipay signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of San Carlos (USC)-College of Commerce represented by USC President Fr. Dionisio M. Miranda, SVD,and PinoyME Foundation represented by its President and Chief Executive Officer Danilo Songco.
The signing of the MOU came about after the Partner’s Forum on Dual Training System-Competency Based Education of the Micro-finance Capacity Program held at the University of San Carlos on March 1.
According to Songco, around 10,000 people are needed to fill the vacancies of the micro-finance sector in the Philippines. The MOU will help address this. It was initiated to confirm the collaboration of the three institutions towards the offering of micro-finance education.
Under the MOU, which seals a cooperation that is considered the first of its kind in the Visayas, USC will integrate micro-finance courses in its Business Administration curriculum by rolling out a ladderized program using a competency-based curriculum and a dual training system (DTS).
The DTS will provide students with two venues of learning—the school and the industry—where they can learn how to be a competent loan officer, team leader, and branch manager.
RAFI Micro-finance, as a partner, will cooperate with USC in order to enhance the capability of their human resource and that of the micro-finance sector in general. It will also serve as a venue for students to be exposed and trained in micro-finance operations.
With the support of Hanns Seidel Foundation/Germany, PinoyME will provide USC the necessary technical support, including the competency-based curriculum, the copyrighted learning materials, technical assistance, and training of faculty on dual training system management, among others.
PinoyME Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit organization that engages in social investment banking for micro-finance institutions.
In this program, students learn the principles and concepts of the micro-finance industry. They will also be extensively exposed to the field by doing the tasks of a regular micro-finance institution (MFI) operational employee, depending on the agreement.
The planned curriculum is also ladderized, allowing a student to go through the six-month TESDA-accredited certificate course for loan officers then be employed after the course.
If the student is more persistent to complete the four-year course, he or she will then be graduating equipped with the competencies of an MFI branch manager. A two-year associate course is also available. At the end of each course, the student has a very high chance of being employed directly by a micro-finance institution.
26 LGUs in CV receive ICT equipment
By: Hazel F. Gloria
Cebu City , March 18 (PIA)--Nearly PhP5.4 million pesos worth of information and communication technology (ICT) equipment was turned over yesterday to 26 municipal local government units (LGUs) in Central Visayas under the integrated coastal resource management program (ICRMP).
The 26 LGUs include: Larena, Siquijor, Enrique Villanueva, Lazi, Maria, and San Juan, all in Siquijor; and Alcantara, Alcoy, Aloguinsan, Alegria, Argao, Barili, Boljoon, Badian, Carmen, Cordova, Dalaguete, Dumanjug, Lapulapu City, Malabuyoc, Moalboal, Samboan, San Remegio, Santa Fe, Ronda, and Tabogon, all in Cebu. The ICRMP operates in the provinces of Cebu and Siquijor.
DENR-7 regional executive director Maximo Dichoso said the turnover of handheld radios and personal computers intends to capacitate our local government units in their law enforcement efforts and maintain and keep a database through the integrated information management system.
“We will be capacitating our local government units by training them on the integrated information management system as this is necessary to keep and store bits of information as database on the catalogue of available coastal resources and zoning so that potential resource-use conflict could be minimized,” Dichoso added.
The ICRMP has four project components, namely: policy and institutional strengthening and development; ICRM and biodiversity conservation; enterprise development and income diversification; and social and environment services and facilities.
It is a national program funded by the Asian Development Bank where DENR is the lead agency. This is supported by other national agencies like Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, National Economic Development Authority, Department of Agriculture and Department of Budget and Management in partnership with local government units.
By providing 2 units of handheld radio for each LGU, law enforcement activities will be improved as our coral reefs and mangroves have to be protected to ensure fish habitats and near-shore fish stocks, Dichoso explained.
“We need to sustain the active participation and involvement among our local government units and other stakeholders as our coastal areas provide invaluable benefits such as fishing, aquaculture, tourism and coastal transport of products,” Dichoso added.
The total coastline area of Cebu province is 1,081.984 kilometers while Siquijor province is 100.88 kilometers.(pia7/Hazel Gloria with data from DENR-7)
Economic dev’t committee synergizes PAPs of agencies
By: Minerva BC Newman
Cebu, March 19 (PIA) – The Economic Development Committee of the Regional Development Council (RDC-EDC) gathered recently to synergize implementations of programs, activities and projects (PAPs) of various regional line agencies within Central Visayas .
During the consultations and discussions of the regional development plan (RDP), regional development council members repeatedly expressed concerns on the need to successfully implement and monitor the regional plan to realize the goals and objectives of the region.
There is still the need to involve the RDC and its sectoral committees in the implementation and harnessing cooperation among the national and local government units as well as the private sector.
“Engaging the LGUs is the best approach to total development because the RDC espouses “inclusive growth,” DTI regional director Asteria Caberte, co-chair of the EDC said.
The plan is a rolling document that can be revised and improved when necessary. The need to set regular milestone and specific listing of doable programs, activities and projects are necessary to serve as building blocks for the RDP implementation, Caberte added.
The RDP and its implementation is a work in progress hence, the need to strengthen the performance monitoring system of the regional development council.
This move complements other similar efforts of other regional committees. The Regional Kalahi Convergence group (RKCG) for instance will enhance its monitoring of the MDG-PAPs in the region to ensure the achievement of the MDG.
The regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) on the other hand, will intensify its monitoring of foreign-assisted projects in Central Visayas .
The implementation of the Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) approach also opens up the need to monitor the GAA-funded PAPs.
All these moves are part of the RDP strategy to provide a governance mechanism for the implementation of the regional development plan. (PIA-7/MBCN)