Coral reefs destruction in the PHL alarming

By: Minerva BC Newman

CEBU, May 29 (PIA) --- Environmentalist in Central Visayas are alarmed over the continuous destruction of the country’s coral reefs.

According to reports marine life area damages measured about twice the size of Manila and poachers harvested more than 21,000 pieces of black coral, killed hundreds of marine species including 161 endangered turtles with market value of about P35M.  

Just last week, the Bureau of Customs in Cebu seized about P15M worth of black corals that prompted Malacanang to call on the public to boycott jewelries that are made from black, blue or red corals.

Based on media reports, poaching ravaged approximately 7,000 hectares of sea bed within the Moro Gulf and the Sulu Sea.

Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and Committee on Climate Change filed a resolution to look into the said incident and called the attention of government agencies mandated to enforce Republic Act 8550 or the Fisheries Code of the Philippines.

According to the DENR there are estimates that one square kilometer of healthy coral reef can support as much as 35 metric tons of live fish.

Legarda lamented that of the 27,000 square kilometers of the country's existing corals only five percent (5%) are in excellent condition.

This situation is indeed very alarming considering that this kind of environmental exploitation has been banned for thirteen years.

A damaged of this magnitude could have been prevented with the strict implementation of the Fisheries Code of the Philippines that Congress passed in 1998, environmentalists commented.

Under the Fisheries Code of 1998, a ban is imposed on the exploitation and exportation of corals as well as the fishing and taking of any rare, threatened and endangered species.

Mandated to enforce this code are the law enforcement officers of the Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police and law enforcement officers of the LGUs and other government enforcement agencies, such as the various Bantay-Dagat teams of the local government units. 

These corals do not just grow overnight. They take years to form. Destroying coral reefs is stealing the homes of marine life organisms, Legarda said.  

“Our law enforcement agencies should go after the perpetrators of this crime against nature and ensure that our seas and marine species are safe from such cruelty,” the senator passionately added.

It is lamentable that a nation like the Philippines that is blessed with a rich biodiversity has been included as one of the world’s top biodiversity hotspots largely because of these acts that destroy the country’s natural resources, environmentalists here said.

In conclusion, Legarda stressed the importance of authorized law enforcement officers to prevent violators to cause such irreparable harm to coral reefs and this should not be tolerated. (PIA-7/mbcn/ with reports from the Office of Senator Legarda)

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DTI sets out Diskwento Caravan in Region 7

by: Juju Manubag

CEBU CITY, May 28 (PIA) --- The Department of Trade Industry (DTI)’s ‘Diskwento Caravan’ Project will expand its scope to bring discounted goods to consumers in Central Visayas  following the success of the same endeavor in the National Capital Region.

DTI-7 Information Officer Jojesilia Villamor bared in an interview with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)- Cebu that their office have made representations with manufacturers and suppliers of basic prime commodities and school supplies in the region to have their products be made available at discounted prices from May 31 to June 15 for the DTI’s project: Diskwento Back to School Promo and Caravan.

DTI-7 bared that the Diskwento Store-based Back to School Promo and roving Caravan will be held with the following suppliers and manufacturers in the schedules indicated:

According to Villamor, the Store-based Diskwento Back To School Promo will be participated by Island City Mall, Plaza Marcela, Alturas Main, Alturas Talibon, Bohol Quality Corporation from May 31 to June 2 in Bohol while the Diskwento Caravan will be in the towns of Talibon, Trinidad and Ubay to be participated by the Alturas Group of Companies from June 7 to 8.

Villamor added that in Negros Oriental, the store-based Diskwento Back to School Promo is to be participated by Lee Super Plaza from May 15 until the month of July while Cang’s Inc. will participate from May 15 to June 15.

The roving Diskwento Back to Shool Promo in Negros Oriental will be in Bayawan City on June and the town of Guihulngan on June 3, Villamor said. This will be participated by Lee Plaza, Island Merchants, Macro Distributors, Tulong Sugar and the National Food Authority (NFA).

The roving Diskwento Caravan in Siquijor will be at Capitol Square and Poblacion of Siquijor, Siquijor on June 3 and to be participated by Alvarico Warehouse, Park N Go Bakeshop and Julie’s Bakeshop.

The roving Diskwento Caravan will also be in Larena Queen Gate and North Poblacion Siquijor, Siquijor on June 10 and to be participated by R2M Marketing, Alvarico Meatshop, Alfonso Siquijor Plaza, Lynard One-Stop Shop, Jayvee Marketing, Meying General Merchandise, Inocencia Baroro Dry Goods Store, Islands Trends & Fashion, Almie Dry Goods Center, Rafonsel Dry Goods Store, AM & M Store, Uni-J Thrift Mart, Capricorn Twenty Two Store, Uy Chiao Tian Commercial, Elvis Tan Store, Star General Merchandise and Stefi Denise Store. 

In Cebu, the Diskwento Caravan will tentatively be in the towns of Argao and Dalaguete on June 4 and 5 as bared by DTI-Cebu Division Chief Zaide Bation to PIA.

The project is aimed to help consumers with tight budgets and they can expect the products sold in the Diskwento Store-based Back to School Promo and roving Caravan will be a lot cheaper than those sold at supermarkets and public markets.

For more information on the Diskwento Back to School Promo and Caravan, interested parties may call the DTI provincial Offices: DTI Bohol at tel. # (63) 038-501-8260 or 038-411-3533, DTI Cebu at tel. # ( (032) 412-1863 or 253-2631, DTI Negros Oriental at (035) 422-2764 or 225-7211, DTI Siquijor at tel. # (035) 480-9065 or (035) 344-2238. (PIA-Cebu w/ data from DTI Jojesilia Villamor)

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9T Pantawid Pasada cards for CV ready for distribution next week

By: Juju Manubag

CEBU CITY, May 28 (PIA) – The 9,000 Pantawid Pasada cards for Central Visayas are now in the hands of Land Transportation Office (LTO)-7 Regional Director Raul Aguilos and ready for distribution next week.

This was bared by LTO-7 Officer-in-Charge Aden Belza,in an interview with Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Cebu.

Belza said that they will be distributing the cards sometime next week through its different district offices in the region.

Belza further explained that Director Aguilos will be meeting with them and officials of the Department of Energy (DOE) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for the distribution scheme.

He advised that franchise holders are requested to have the following documents ready in claiming their Pantawid Pasada cards because in the absence of any of these requirements will be a ground for them not to release the cards: original and photocopy of the current confirmation certificate, decision/ order or Certificate of public conveyance from LTFRB, LTO Official Receipt (this should be valid from April 2010 until March 2011)/Certificate of Registration, Valid government issued ID w/ photo, SEC or CDA registration, Authorization from organization or board resolution, ID of representative,  and list indicating name of operator and plate numbers.

DOE-7 earlier said that the Pantawid Pasada cards are free of charge and that no fees will be collected upon the redemption of the cards. The card is valid until May 2016.

Card holders are also reminded that the P1,050 load will be available only after five days upon receipt and is meant for the purchase of diesel alone at gas stations w/ POS machines displaying “Pantawid Pasada cards accepted here”. (FCR/JSM/PIA 7-Cebu)

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Wage board in C. Visayas to wait for feedback from

Provinces before deciding on ‘supervening condition’
By Eli C. Dalumpines

CEBU CITY, May 28 (PIA) – The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Central Visayas will wait for the feedback from the series ofpublic consultations that are scheduled to be held in the provinces before finally deciding whether or not there exists a supervening condition in the region.

RTWPB-7 Legal Counsel Atty. Glenn Tabon, in an interview with PIA, said the board, in its meeting last Thursday night, agreed to put on hold any discussion on the existence of a supervening event pending the result of the public consultations in the provinces.

Atty. Tabon informed that the board has set the public consultations in Dumaguete City on June 2  and June 8 in Tagbilaran City to get the pulse of the people in these areas regarding the need to increase the salaries of workers.

The agreement was reached after the board heard the comments of the different sectors on the reports of government agencies on the economic situation inCentral Visayas during the public consultation held here Thursday afternoon.

An official of the Department of Energy (DOE) here reported during the consultation that prices of oil has dropped these past few days from its peak in April. 

DOE-7 said the average price of gasoline is now P55.00 per liter, which is two-peso lower than its price in April which reached P57.00. Diesel, which powered public transport, has also gone down to P44.60 from P49.45 in March and April.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) meanwhile, said that despite the rising cost of fuel the region has experienced lately, the prices of basic commodities here was kept stable because of intense competition in the market.

DTI-7 Director Asteria Caberte explained that there was no remarkable increase in the prices of basic commodities in the region except for flour which noted a P100 increase per sack.  A sack of flour is currently priced at P920 from the previous cost of P820, according to Caberte.

Meanwhile, Fred Escalona of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry(CCCI) expressed willingness to grant wage increase but he hinted that it should only involve a minimal amount so as not to harm the business sector.

He added though that considering wage increase at this point may be untimely since the exports sector particularly the furniture industry has yet to recover after it went a downturn in 2008.

Earlier, RTWPB-7 Chairman and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Director 
Exequiel Sarcauga informed that listening to the opinion of the various sectors on this issue will help them in determining if there is a need to revisit the region’s existing wage order. (FCR/ECD/PIA 7-Cebu)   

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PRO-7 reactivates its website

By: Juju Manubag

CEBU CITY, May 28 (PIA) -  The Police Regional (PRO)-7 reactivated its website and urged the public to check the latest news at their website address www.pnp-pro7.org .

This is bared by Senior Superintendent Mariano Natuel Jr., chief of the Regional Police Community Relations Division (RPCRD) and the Regional Police Information Office (RPIO) during the recent Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP) forum.

Natuel said that they have reactivated and added new features of this site in its efforts to reach out to the public throughout the region. Posted in this site are various information on PRO-7s police offices, records, telephone and cellphone numbers, programs, activities, most wanted criminals, press releases, reports, crime statistics and upcoming events that is of public interest, according to Natuel.

Senior Superintendent Josephus Angan, chief of the directorial staff of PRO-7 said this is a tool in bringing PRO-7 close to the public and apprise them on the latest information and measures undertaken by the police to ensure peace and order remains favorable.

Natuel also urged the public to check their Facebook account which is Police Regional Office 7.(FCR/JSM/PIA 7-Cebu)