RTWPB-7 urges workers to wait for results of public consultation
By Eli C. Dalumpines
By Eli C. Dalumpines
CEBU CITY, June 22 (PIA) -- The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Central Visayas urged workers to wait for the result of the series of consultations conducted by the board to determine the need for a wage increase.
RTWPB-7 Legal Counsel Atty. Glenn Tabon, in a recent interview, said they are scheduled to hold the final leg of the region-wide public consultation in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Thursday, June 23.
After this, the board will collate all the data they gathered, including the comments of all the stakeholders, and deliberate on whether there exists a supervening condition in the region, which will be the basis for granting a wage increase, according to Tabon.
Earlier, he informed that the move to conduct public consultations is a unique move of the wage board here so that members will see firsthand the socio-economic condition of the people in the region as well as to directly feel their pulse concerning the issue.
The board conducted the first public consultation here in Cebu City last May 26 while the second was held in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental last June 2.
Meanwhile, the RTWPB-7 Legal Counsel defended the board from criticism that it acted so slow in taking steps to declare a supervening condition saying that they are rather careful in instituting wage increase because it can never be withdrawn once it was granted.
A supervening condition is said to have existed if there is an extraordinary increase in the price of fuel and of basic commodities, which results to high inflation rate.
Atty. Tabon, however, said that should the board fails to declare the existence of a supervening condition in their meeting next week, the workers are assured that the petitions for wage increase filed by various labor groups will be treated on September 1, during the anniversary of Wage Order No. 15. (FCR/ECD?PIA 7-Cebu)
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San Remigio town in Cebu plans to build museum to house artifacts
By Eli Dalumpines
CEBU CITY, June 22 (PIA) – The mayor of the northern Cebu town of San Remigio informed over the weekend that they are planning to build a museum to house the artifacts recently discovered at their church’s backyard.
San Remigio Mayor Jay Olivar, during a recent dialogue with members of the Cebu Association of City and Municipal Public Information Officers (CAOCAMPIO), said he had just visited the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to ask for guidelines on what they are going to do with the relics.
Olivar said that at this point, the objects that are being uncovered by a team of archeologists from the University of San Carlos (USC), University of the Philippines and the University of Guam are being brought to Museu sa Sugbu located at the provincial capital because the town has no museum yet.
To recall, archeology students from the USC led by Prof. Jojo Bersales conducted an archeological dig at the backyard of San Juan Nepomuceno Church last March and uncovered six burial sites and various earthen pots that dates back to the Iron Age (from 500 B.C. to 900 A.D.).
Late last week, the joint team discovered another burial site, believed to be that of a woman, and some additional potteries.
Olivar said these discoveries placed San Remigio, a third class town, in the spotlight for being the site of the oldest civilization in Cebu.
“Now we can claim that our place nurtures the oldest civilization in this part of the country,” he said
“We hope that our children will be able to know and appreciate the rich cultural heritage of our town,” the mayor added. (FCR/ECD/PIA 7-Cebu)
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Top Cebuana NPA leader arrested, AFP-CENTCOM reports
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, June 21 (PIA) – The military scores another victory against the continuing fight against the decades-old insurgency as it arrested a top ranking leader of the New People’s Army (NPA), a Cebuana at that, in neighboring province Negros Occidental just this weekend.
Marilyn Badayos of Barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City holding three aliases named “Jona, Mina and Eunice” is currently the Secretary of the armed group Southeast Front of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Sentral Bisayas (KRSB), according to a statement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines – Central Command (AFP-CENTCOM).
Badayos reportedly replaced the position of Danilo Badayos upon the latter’s arrest last October.
According to CENTCOM, Badayos whose original base is in Negros Oriental, was arrested during a joint operation by the Bacolod City Police Office and members of the 303rd Infantry Brigade at Omars Pension House in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental last Saturday morning.
Only the province of Negros Oriental in Central Visayas is still plagued by armed rebels while some parts of Negros Occidental in Region VI is afflicted by the NPA.
The Cebuana armed leader’s capture was based on the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Ananson Jayme of Regional Trial Court Branch 63, Bayawan City, Negros Occidental for the crime of rebellion with case number 969. This is the same warrant of arrest dated Jan. 14, 2010 that led to the arrest of Danilo Badayos last October, CENTCOM stated.
Badayos is currently detained at Station 4 in Bacolod City as proper charges will soon be filed against her.
Documents recovered from Badayos’ possession during the arrest were of high intelligence value and some assorted letters and personal belongings.
CENTCOM will likewise conduct a separate investigation against Badayos for the following incidents:
a) She reportedly ordered the killing of Quenciano Rendoque last October 04, 2010 as well as the military informant in barangay Basiao, San Jose, Negros Oriental
b) Badayos was allegedly part of the NPA group who encountered the team of Pfc Ucag that resulted to the wounding of Pfc Anadia at sitio Catubahan, barangay Tayak, Siaton, Neg Oriental
c) The Cebuana was also allegedly part of the group who encountered the members of the 1st Scout Ranger Company last March 16, 2011 at sitio Payawyawan, barangay Nagbinlod, Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental that resulted to the killing of NPA members Lando Sueto and Jocelyn Benlot and the wounding of alleged NPA members Villagonzalo, Solano, Villegas and Paglinawan
d) And lastly, the encounter with the members of the 2nd Scout Ranger
Company last May 03, 2011 at Sitio Avocado, Brgy. Talalak, Sta. Catalina Negros Oriental that resulted to the killing of Capt Montenegro. (PIA 7-Cebu)
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Cebu City awarded with label ‘Cities of Culture’
by ASEAN Ministries of Culture
by Fayette C. Rinen
‘recognition to boost promotion in cultural tourism’
CEBU CITY, June 21 (PIA) – As the oldest city in the country, it is no wonder that Cebu City has been chosen as one of the three cities nationwide awarded with the privileged label “Cities of Culture” by the ASEAN Ministries of Culture along with Manila and Vigan.
The recognition brings to fore the rich contributions of Cebu City to the country’s cultural heritage as apart from the earliest European settlement established by Spanish conquerorMiguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565, one of the city’s famous tourist attractions --- Fort San Pedro --- is where the first Spanish settlement in the country, Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesus, was located. Fort San Pedro was initially constructed in 1565.
Calle Colon in downtown Cebu City is also considered as the oldest street in the country and named after explorer Christopher Columbus.
City Councilor Margarita Osmena who chairs the Committee on Tourism in a local news report claimed the award gives recognition to Cebu’s culture, heritage and tradition.
“I feel proud and we are challenged,” Osmena was quoted in the same news report.
Osmena declared she would sponsor a resolution to declare July 15 as a ‘Day of Culture’ in Cebu City in time for the city’s awarding to be done here. Preparations are now underway as Osmena admitted that she is coordinating with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Center for Culture and the Arts.
Mayor Michael Rama on the other hand, said the award certainly brings honor to the city.
Such recognition enhances the image of Cebu in general as not only a favored vacation haven especially among foreign tourists with its white pristine beaches but a place with a rich history in culture and the arts with a huge potential of becoming one of the nation’s cultural tourism destinations.
But the honor given to the cities of Cebu, Vigan and Manila is an honor for each and every Filipino as the Philippines is the only country in Asia bestowed with such an award. (PIA 7-Cebu)
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Inclusion of ethnic origin in national census to better address needs of IPs
By: Minerva BC Newman
CENTRAL VISAYAS, June 21 (PIA) --- There is a need to include information on ethnic origin of people in the conduct of the national census as a way to better address the needs of the Indigenous Peoples groups in the country.
These data and information are useful in determining the specific concerns of IPs in various areas and finding suitable solutions to their myriad problems.
This was aired by some groups and non-government organizations in Central Visayas as they discovered that there is a dearth of information and disaggregated data on the exact population of the Indigenous Peoples and their communities.
To date, the government, particularly the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), relies on estimates based on outdated figures.
According to NCIP-7 OIC-Regional Director Hazel Torrefiel, more than a decade has passed since the recognition of the rights of IPs through the passage of the landmark legislation Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA), but we are still lacking on data on the exact population of our indigenous brothers and sisters.
Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities has proposed Senate Bill 2858 that would allow the inclusion of ethnic origin in the national survey conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), which would be useful in determining the specific concerns of IPs in various areas.
Under the proposed measure, the NSO shall include “ethnic origin” in its national survey and national census starting the year 2011.
To serve as guides of NSO enumerators are NCIP employees, who must be knowledgeable of the different ethno-linguistic groups of the Philippines , and must know the dialect and appropriate manner of talking and asking culturally-sensitive questions to members of indigenous cultural communities (ICCs).
“This bill seeks to remedy the absence of information on members of IP groups by formally including the ethnicity and ethno-linguistic variable in our national census, Legarda said.
It is only through this knowledge that we can effectively make policies that will truly promote their welfare and address their pressing needs, Legarda added. (PIA-7 & Office of Senator Legarda)
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Micro-finance may improve access of poor households to water supply
By: Minerva BC Newman
CEBU, June 21 (PIA) --- One of the approaches identified in improving the access of poor households to water supply and sanitation is through micro-finance that is also considered one of the tools to alleviate poverty.
In a Visayas-Mindanao Orientation Seminar on Micro-finance Program for Water Supply and Sanitation in Un-served Communities that was held at Parklane International Hotel recently, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, a leading NGO in Cebu with micro-finance programs learned that poor households and un-served communities can have access to water supply and sanitation thru micro-financing economic activities that address health and social needs of the poor.
RAFI Micro-finance area manager for Camotes and Leyte, Harry Cyrus Jorolan shared that right now, the foundation is engaged in product development and it is studying how it can include a product that will increase the access of poor families to safe water.
“That would be a great avenue to address one of the most important issues in the communities, apart from providing them with financial opportunities for a stable and rewarding livelihood,” Jorolan noted.
During the seminar, the Philippine Water Revolving Fund Support (PWRF-SP) reported that only about 80 percent of the Philippine population has access to safe water supply, leaving the other 20 percent fending for themselves with unreliable water sources such as standpipes, open water sources, or vended water.
The Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCP) on the other hand cited that some water service providers are reluctant to serve poor households due to the perception on these households’ ability to pay, lack of clear tenure, and right of way problems as well as high transaction costs involved in billing and other transactions.
According to Jorolan, the PWRF-SP with the Microfinance Council of the Philippines (MCP) are collaborating to conduct orientation seminars and capability building trainings as one of their advocacy activities in integrating the micro-finance program for improving access to water supply and sanitation to their network organizations. (PIA-7/mbcn & RAFI/Nancy R. Cudis)