Public urged to visit PIA website

 By Fayette C. Riñen

CEBU CITY, April 18 (PIA) --- Stories that inspire and news that tell about how programs of government have made a huge impact on the lives of local communities that are contained in the website of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) speak of hope and optimism that should make a nation and its people be more positive towards the future.

Amid news reports in media on recent happenings in the domestic scene may it be on crime stories, political bickerings or issues such as the unending oil price hikes, articles that are developmental in nature is highlighted in the PIA website basically to tell the Filipinos that there are good stories to tell throughout the country which can give inspiration amidst a time when difficulties are ever more pronounced.

PIA Director General Atty. Jose Fabia told around 16 regional PIA editors in a recent workshop that ”information can make a difference. It can save lives and help save lives and improve the lives of the people.”

“There is also peace and development because of the good news,” according to Fabia.

Fabia stressed that “we need to focus more on citizen journalism,” focusing on positive news to inform the community how programs and projects of the government have made a big difference particularly among ordinary folks.

The PIA Director General also said that PIA stories should not compete with the private media because articles should be developmental in nature.

“We are happy to inform you that millions of people from across the globe visit the PIA website. We are not only catering to our own brothers here but also our countrymen working abroad who want to know the latest news in their locality,” Fabia said as he added that readers of the website included foreigners.

Visiting the PIA website will see the top stories in the front page which changes headlines as more stories are being posted coming from the different regions. Those who want to read specific stories in certain localities, one can just click the particular region to check what news articles are posted for the day.

   

Although developmental in approach, there are also articles in the website that contain straight news such as on anti-criminality measures or launching of government programs or projects and updates on existing programs with corresponding data as well as efforts of local government units to combat social ills like illegal drugs, HIV/AIDS and other health issues and education which are also part of the thrusts of the national agenda.

Part of the website on the side also contains the ‘Weather Watch,’ which for the first quarter of this year alone, registered 1,109,052 readers.

“Even the United Nations issued a statement reporting that the Philippine Government uses facebook (referring to the Weather Watch) to save lives,” Fabia proudly disclosed.

The PIA Facebook which is seen at the side of its website also had other essential categories apart from the Weather Watch which are the Drug Courier Watch, Disaster Watch, Regional Watch and the planned OFW Watch to be activated soon. 

 Fabia said “we have the social responsibility to inform the people on what government is doing through the different agencies” and that the website is one avenue to inform the Filipinos about it. (PIA-Cebu)

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NGO recommends 6-point agenda for improved health services

By: Minerva BC Newman

Cebu, April 18 (PIA) – A non-government organization in Southeast Asia, Health Care Without Harm (HCWH-SEA) recommends a 6-point agenda for providing quality health services in the Philippines.

HCWH-SEA executive director Merci Ferrer said this is in response to the 61 local bills promoting national health services approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives.

Included in the approved bills are the establishments of municipal hospitals, increasing bed capacity and upgrading and modernizing hospitals.

Ferrer, however, reminded the lawmakers, hospital administrators and health officials that in all of these improvements, “we need to make sure that the hospitals do not contribute to environmental pollution.”

The group then recommends ‘PRIMER’ for providing quality health services. PRIMER means Proper waste segregation; Recycle; In-house food production; Mercury-free; Efficient use of alternatives; Renewable and alternative energy.

Ferrer said each hospital needs a dedicated waste management committee that ensures that wastes are properly segregated and placed in proper bins. 

 “They also need to make sure that the infectious and pathological wastes are properly treated thru autoclave, microwave2 and other non-burn systems before disposal,” Ferrer explained.

Second, hospitals must have recycling programs for used items such as boxes, bottles and papers. 

Based on HCWH’s study, about 85% of the total hospital wastes are like regular household wastes that can be recycled.  Composting area on the other hand may be provided for food wastes from the kitchen. 

The compost may be used for plants around the hospitals or may even be sold.  Recycling and composting programs can generate income for the hospitals.  

Thirdly, hospitals should consider an in-house food production.   According to Ferrer, locally produced food in the community is better than food from big establishments.

These are healthier for patients and hospital workers alike and it saves cost in transporting food as well as supports livelihood of local farmers, Ferrer added. 

Fourthly, hospitals should be Mercury-free.  In 2008, the Department of Health (DoH) ordered the phase-out of mercury devices by September 2010.

“With this Administrative Order, improved health services should now mean the use of mercury-free medical devices,” said Ferrer.

Fifth, hospitals should have efficient use of alternative materials, which are non-toxic and environmentally friendly.

A good example of alternative materials on the other hand is using tetrapacks as insulators instead of the regular expensive insulators. 

“This allows hospitals to re-use materials that would otherwise be discarded,” Ferrer explained.

Sixth, the group likewise is pushing for use of renewable and alternative energy generation such as solar or wind energy.  This can be used for lighting, generation or pumping of water to the facilities. 

Ferrer added turning down the air conditioner during cooler days, turning off and unplugging equipments when not in use are other measures that will go a long way in saving energy usage in the hospitals.    

“We hope that ‘PRIMER’ will be incorporated in the improvements that the health sector wants to provide to the people,” Ferrer concluded. (PIA-7/MBCN)

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Senator urges gov’t for total ban on use of plastics

By: Minerva BC Newman

Cebu, April 18 (PIA) – Senator Loren Legarda, chair, Senate Committee on Climate Change urged the government to prohibit the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags in offices and for the local government units to start creating their own laws and ordinances in their respective areas.

San Francisco town in Camotes Island, Cebu and the City Government of Muntilupa have already implemented the total plastic ban program in their areas that forced their constituents to use re-usable bags.

According to San Francisco, Camotes Vice Mayor Alfredo Arquillano who is also a UNISDR designated champion that the ban for the use of plastic bags can be started in all public schools, hospitals, and in government offices.

“It took us in San Francisco nearly three years to convince the people to segregate wastes and now, we are going at the ‘purok’ or ‘sitio’ level to campaign in households not to use plastic bags in all of their grocery activities,” Arquillano said.   

 Legarda on the other hand calls on all local government units to fast-track the passage of their own versions of the total plastic bag ban.

“We need to ensure that this new lifestyle and way of thinking is implemented in all households in the barangay and municipal levels,” Legarda added.

 There are numerous alternatives to non-biodegradable plastic bags. There are baskets, bayongs, eco-bags, paper bags, cloth bags or katsa, bags made of recycled tetrapacks, and many others.

“We just have to be innovative and ingenious in finding substitute packaging materials or containers,” the senator explained.

Legarda recently filed Senate Bill 2759 or the Total Plastic Bag Ban Act, which seeks to prohibit the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags by groceries, supermarkets, public markets, restaurants, fast food chains, department stores, retail stores and other similar establishments all over the country. (PIA-7/MBCN with reports from the Office of Senator Legarda)

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CV KALAHI Convergence Group to track MDGs progress

Cebu, April 18 (PIA) -- The Regional KALAHI Convergence Group in Central Visayas (RKCG-7) has recently agreed to serve as the monitoring arm of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA 7) in tracking the region's progress in attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

RKCG 7's action was in response to a DBM-NEDA Circular No. 01-2011 that provides the guidelines to institutionalize reporting of agencies' budget allocations and expenditures including physical targets and accomplishments for the MDGs.

The institutionalized reporting aims to help track the progress of the region's attainment of the eight MDGs.

The eight MDGs include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; activate universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce infant mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development.

The DBM-NEDA Circular dated March 3, 2011, gives NEDA the task of assessing the overall agency performance and progress of the MDG indicators.

DBM on the other hand, shall monitor the agencies' fund utilization vis-à-vis budget allocation.

It shall also assess physical accomplishments versus targets to ensure consistency with the agencies' Budget Accountability Reports.

Initial MDGs progress tracking will be done for the period 2008-2010.

RKCG 7 is a committee under the Central Visayas Regional Development Council. NEDA-7 regional director Marlene Catalina Rodriguez is Acting Chairperson of RKCG 7.

The RKCG-7 will make plans and coordinates, monitors poverty reduction programs, projects and resources in the region. (PIA-7& NEDA-7)

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Wage increase petition of a labor group untimely 

By Eli C. Dalumpines

Cebu City, April 18 (PIA) – The wage increase petition filed by a labor group in Cebu which is the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) dismissed on Wednesday is quite untimely, Acting Director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Region 7, Exequil Sarcauga clarified today. 

Sarcauga, in an interview, explained that the reason why the P124-wage increase asked by the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) last month was denied
because the board sees no sufficient ground that would warrant an increase by the time the petition was filed.

The board, according to Sarcauga, has yet to determine whether the present economic condition following a series of increases of petroleum products would warrant an increase in wages.

He informed that the board had an initial meeting on Tuesday to keep abreast on the issues regarding the effect of oil price increase on basic commodities but the data that was presented before the members cover only the reports up to March 31.

Last week, Sarcauga said, the country had experienced at least two rounds of increases in the price of oil, one involving over P1.00. These certainly have an impact in the price of basic commodities, he added.

The DOLE official said the board has to incorporate the report on the effect of the latest price increases before they can decide if there really is a ground
for another wage increase.

Under normal condition, RTWPB cannot act on the petition because it was barely seven months ago that the board approved the last wage increase.

The Labor Code provides that no wage hike can be implemented within a one-year reglamentary period unless there is a “supervening condition” like a sudden increase in the price of oil and if the existing inflation rate hits three to five percent.  

APL, however, filed a motion for reconsideration before the RTWPB. (PIA 7/ECD)

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Multi-sector ‘Run and Plant’ to help green the PHL

By: Minerva BC Newman

Cebu City, April 18 (PIA) – The Cebu Provincial Government, other local government units, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), various government institutions, corporate groups with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. will organize a multi-sector ‘Run and Plant’ event to green the Philippines.

This is dubbed as “Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines ” that is linked with the expanded Green and Wholesome Environment that Nurtures (eGWEN) Our Cebu Program’s environmental protection and enhancement component.

The event has two segments, the running and the planting. The project is an approach to promote health among people by running and health of the environment by planting native tree species.

“Thus good for both people and the environment,” Neil Papas, program coordinator of the GREENIN Philippines Program, said.

This project targets to plant 160,000 native tree species simultaneously all over Cebu on June 25 in commemoration of the Philippine Environment Month and World Environment Day. 

Simultaneously, the other 50 municipalities and component cities of the Province of Cebu will hold the Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines in their respective jurisdictions, making the event a province-wide endeavor.

The central event will be held in a 30-hectare forestland in Jaclupan, Talisay City. The area is within the critical Mananga watershed that shall be developed into a forest model through a co-management agreement among DENR, Cebu Provincial Government, Talisay City Government, Metro Cebu Water District, and RAFI, Papas added.

“The activity does not end on June 25. Through the eGWEN Our Cebu Program, the Cebu Provincial Government and RAFI will undertake post-planting activities in collaboration with DENR, various LGUs, partners and volunteers to ensure that the native tree seedlings planted will grow and become forests after a few years,” Papas added.

RAFI’s GREENIN Philippines Program seeks to develop, protect, enhance and co-manage denuded forestlands; brush lands and degraded residual natural forests by planting native tree species. (PIA-7/MBCN)

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Barangay Ermita tops with high malnutrition rate among Cebu City preschoolers

By: Juju S. Manubag

CEBU CITY, April 18 (PIA) --- Barangay Ermita tops among the 80 barangays of Cebu City with a high prevalence malnutrition rate of 13.30 percent in 2010 among preschoolers aged zero to seventy-one (71) months.

City Health Department (CHD)-7 North Area Nurse Supervisor and Nutrition Coordinator Emma Gaviola said in an interview with PIA that the other four barangays in Cebu in the top five spot with the highest prevalence malnutrition rate in 2010 are Alaska with 11.79 percent, Duljo with 9.60 percent, fourth placer Sapangdaku with 9.37 percent and fifth placer Buot Taup with 8.92 percent. 

The data was taken from the City Summary Report on ‘Operation Timbang’ (OPT) 2010 where said age groups of children are weighed regularly in the barangay health centers to check their nutrition status.

More than 136T preschoolers were weighed from January to March last year where OPT results showed that there were 2,955 children out of the total figure were underweight (UW) and 826 are severely underweight (SUW) or a 4.37 percent malnutrition prevalence rate, based on the summary report of CHD.

Per Gaviola, Barangay Opra has recorded the lowest malnutrition prevalence rate of .38 percent among the 80 barangays in Cebu City.

Gaviola also said that the malnutrition prevalence rate in 2009 was 5.60 percent and it went down to 4.23 percent in 2010.

Gaviola stressed that the mother has the crucial role in ensuring that their children are well-fed right from the day they are conceive as nutrition starts from the womb.

Mothers should visit the barangay health centers often and to be healthy always, Gaviola said.

As long as, mother and child eats balanced diet and nutritious foods with more on vegetables and fruits, carbohydrates (rice) and protein (animal meat) then there is no reason that malnutrition among children will persist.

Infants until six months old should be breastfeed and beyond six months, complementary foods should be introduced but breast milk must be continued even after two years, Gaviola said.

Gaviola put emphasis on having the children vaccinated right after they are born and completes the vaccination until the child reaches 15 months. (PIA-Cebu/JSM)

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Economic transformation team to assist local economic dev’t of LGUs

By: Minerva BC Newman

Cebu, April 18 (PIA) – The Local Governance Support Program (LGSP) of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has recently organized the Regional Economic Transformation Team (RETT) to assist the economic development initiatives of the various local government units in the country.

DILG-7 regional director, Pedro Noval, Jr, in his opening statement during the organizational meeting and planning conference held at the Marco Polo Hotel on April 15 noted the role of the various national government agencies (NGAs) and the multi-sector collaboration to assist local communities to be economically viable.

“If we are to develop the local barangays, we are in effect developing our country,” Noval said.

LGSP-Local Economic Development program coordinator Randy Alampay explained that the RETT is specifically organized to assist LGUs to craft local economic development using local resources and creating a healthy well-being at the local communities.

“This means more jobs, more business and increased income among the mircro and medium enterprises that comprise 92% of the local economy in the country,” Alampay said.

Alampay further explained that with the local economic development, the public, business and NGO sectors in a specific locality could work collectively to create better conditions for economic growth and employment generation.

The LED framework positions alternative mechanisms for the national government agencies to assist LGUs in developing entrepreneurial leadership, systems and champions with business acumen.

Noval on the other hand said that the creation of the RETT is a better platform to improve LGUs entrepreneurship to become globally competitive.

The RETT is expected to support LGUs in a bundled approach to local economic development.  It is also the delivery mechanism of the national economic transformation team for LGU identified LED in the country, Noval added.    

It will also promote greater LGU access to national government agencies’ services and facilitate or address some gaps in project implementation as well as provide studies, research and financingg to LGU-LED programs.

According to Alampay there are four pilot LED programs in the country that the economic transformation teams (national, regional and provincial economic transformation teams) will support.

Alampay reported that the national economic transformation team is on its organizational and collaborative phase in developing local economic drivers that LGUs chose that would eventually be coordinated and supported by the various economic transformation teams.    

The Pangasinan Alliance of LGUs in region 1 and the BIAD V in Bohol in region 7 will develop the economic viability of organic rice.  

“Right now, Pangasinan and Bohol have started putting up the ‘Balay sa Humay’ Museum that will serve well as a tourism attraction,” Alampay reported.   

Guimaras in region 6 will develop its community-based rural agri-tourism program while Zamboanga del Sur in region 9 comes up with the DDKaRoma growth Corridor that wants to expand and explore its sardines and cassava products as export drivers for the region.

DILG-7 Regional Director Pedro Noval, Jr chairs the Central Visayas Regional Economic Transformation Team with DTI-RD Aster Caberte as vice-chair.  Memberships include the agencies of TESDA, DOST, DENR, NEDA, DOLE, DA, CHED, DOT, DAR, BFAR, CDA, PIA, DBM, DepEd, NSO; presidents of the various chambers of commerce and industry of the four provinces in the region as well as private sector representatives.

The CV-RETT was organized as a sub-committee of the Economic Development Committee (EDC) of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the region. (PIA-7/MBCN)

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DOLE-7 hopes good news ahead for labor on May 1

By Eli Dalumpines

CEBU CITY, April 18 (PIA) --- Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Acting Regional Director for Central Visayas Exequil Sarcauga expressed hopes that something positive for the labor sector will come out during the Labor Day celebration on May 1. 

Sarcauga said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) headed by the DOLE-7 will convene next week to discuss the possibility of instituting a wage increase for workers in the private sector. 

“We hope the board will have some good news to tell the workers on Labor Day,” Sarcauga disclosed during an interview over DYRC-AM this morning. 

Sarcauga clarified though that it is important to consider the present economic situation in the region as this is the only basis that any wage increase can be approved at this point since the region is still facing a one-year reglamentary period set by the Labor Code. 

To recall, the board approved the last round of increase last September 1, 2010. Under the Labor Code, no wage increase can be implemented within one year since the approval of the last increase unless there is a “supervening condition” that would justify one. 

The DOLE-7 official informed that as of today, the board has not received any petition for a wage hike from the labor groups in the region. 

According to him, only the National Capital Region and Region 2 have received petitions for wage increase as of Friday, last week. 

Sarcauga, however, said he would love to see a positive development, whether it be in the form of wage hike or non-wage benefits, that will redound to the benefit of the labor sector. (PIA-Cebu/FCR)