DSWD-7 commends NGOs as big help in rehabilitating juvenile delinquents
By: Hazel Gloria
CEBU CITY, September 30 (PIA) --- The Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) 7 commends Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) as big help in rehabilitating juvenile delinquents. DSWD-7 child welfare and specialist Emma Patalinghug said during an interview at DYLA station.
Patalinghug said, especially so that there are only very few rehabilitation centers for juvenile delinquents in Central Visayas.
“In Region 7 alone, only Cebu City, Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental, and Tagbilaran City in Bohol have centers for children in conflict with the law (CICL),” Patalinghug added.
She pointed out that every local government unit is required to have a juvenile center but this is not happening, for some reasons or another.
Lawyer Cheryl Cabutihan, Child's Rights Protection Unit project coordinator of Children's Legal Bureau (CLB), said that the government needs to address first the lack of juvenile centers in the Philippines before amending the Juvenile Justice Act of 2006.
“We need to check if we have complied with international standards, including putting up the right juvenile centers. How could we say that the law (Juvenile Justice Act of 2006) did not work when we did not even give a chance for CICLs to be rehabilitated through juvenile centers,” Cabutihan asked.
Under the Juvenile Justice Act, a minor above 15 years old but below 18 years may be held liable for criminal offenses if proven that the child acted with discernment.
The call of amending the said law, lowering up to 9 years old of conviction among CICLs became louder after the spate of juvenile crimes that proliferated in the news, including a 16-year-old boy who allegedly killed his mother and half sister in Naga City, Cebu.
Meanwhile, in Cebu City, the Cebu Bidlisiw Foundation with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundaiton Inc. (RAFI), a Cebu-based social development organization had been active in organizing child and family healing programs designed to put juvenile delinquents on the right track.(PIA-7/HFG & RAFI)
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NYC to hold forum on RH Bill in Cebu this Sat., Oct. 1
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, Sept. 30 (PIA) -- Commissioners Percival Cendaña and Erwin Chua-Andaya of the National Youth Commission (NYC) along with former Party-List Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel will be in Cebu on Saturday, October 1 to frontline the campaign for the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill in a forum at the University of Cebu (UC) - Mambaling Campus, Cebu City.
The forum set from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. is an undertaking of the NYC in partnership with the UC to make the students understand the merits of the bill.
The NYC is going full blast in its campaign to support the legislation and implementation of the HB 4244 or the Consolidated Reproductive Health Bill.
One mandate of the NYC is to protect the welfare of the youth including young mothers who need accessible and affordable reproductive health services, the NYC stressed in a statement.
The NYC said it is staunchly supporting the clamor of the Filipino youth and maintains its position as an advocate.
While the Commission does not promote early sexual encounters and young pregnancies, it nevertheless recognizes its duty to protect the physical, intellectual and social well-being of the Filipino youth and providing access to health services is a critical component to this end.
The Population Commission-7 previously bared its all-out support in the passage of the bill into a law in line with the health department’s stand that such legislation will ultimately reduce the cases of maternal deaths in the country. (PIA-Cebu)
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Cebu-based NGO to build home for elderly, PWDs
by: Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, September 29 (PIA) -- The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, prominent NGO in Cebu and the Missionaries of the Poor inked a memorandum of understanding recently to build a home for elders and persons with disabilities on a newly-purchased 4500 sq.m lot in barangay Poblacion, Taliisay City, Cebu.
It will be called “The House of the Lord” with funds donated by the late Jose Miguel Aboitiz. It is designed to provide shelter and care for 100 elders and persons with disabilities in Cebu as part of MOP’s three-year development plan.
According to RAFI, the home for elders and persons with disabilities fulfills MOP’s mission in Cebu, that is to take care of the homeless, persons with disabilities, and the poor. RAFI starts the construction of the fence this month while the building itself is set to be constructed early 2012.
Presently, the MOP brothers are already taking care of 30 indigent senior citizens in a make-shift temporary center in Barangay Sawang Calero, Cebu City.
The MOP, which pledged to rescue the indigent and abandoned children, is also operating a permanent residential facility in Cebu called “Little Lamb Center” that caters exclusively to children with multiple disabilities.
Also located in Barangay Sawang Calero, the center houses and cares for over 40 special children with cerebral palsy, autism, and Down’s syndrome, among others.
Established in Kingston, Jamaica, the MOP is an international religious order of brothers dedicated to the Joyful Service with Christ on the Cross to serve the poorest of the poor.
MOP is one of the beneficiaries under RAFI’s Grants program.(PIA-7/hfg & RAFI)
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Crime volume in Cebu Province dips by 14% for past 8 mos.
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, Sept. 29 (PIA) – Crime volume in Cebu Province dipped by 14 percent for the past eight months from 5,810 cases last year for the period January to August down to 4,970 cases of the same period this year.
Cebu Provincial Police Director S/Supt. Patrocinio Commendador said the rigid enforcement of their Police Integrated Patrol System (PIPS) was a major factor in bringing down the number of crimes.
PIPS focuses on police visibility especially in crime-prone areas where police regularly conducts rounds via police cars, beat or foot patrol and motorcycles, this is said.
Index crimes are the most crimes committed in the province or crimes against persons and properties such as snatching, robbery, hold-up and theft while non-index crimes are violations of special laws such as illegal drugs, illegal logging and illegal fishing.
With 1,203 barangays in Cebu with insufficient number of policemen, Commendador said he had to cluster the different barangays and even towns to maximize the police visibility in the area.
“We have already implemented one policeman per barangay with the strategy of clustering these barangays to be visited by the police regularly. But we are also in constant coordination with the barangay tanods and officials for them to also complement our efforts in maintaining peace and order in their respective areas,” Commendador declared.
Commendador also said the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and the Regional Special Action Unit (RSAU) which are special action units of the police are not only confined in the provincial headquarters as one team will be deployed in the City of Carcar in the south and another team in Danao City in the north.
“We have also activated three units of our Tourist Police in tourist-frequented areas in Malapascua, Sta. Fe and Badian,” Commendador disclosed.
According to Commendador, with the perception of rising crime volume during the “ber” months due to increased economic activity, “this notion could turn into a fact if no interventions are made.”
“This is why we are strengthening our PIPS program to further decrease crime rate in the province as the Christmas period approaches,” Commendador stressed. (PIA-Cebu)
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Mining firm turns over school buildings to a community
By: Hazel Gloria
CEBU CITY, September 29 (PIA) -- As part of its community responsibility services, Apo Cement Corporation in Naga City, Cebu turned over some infrastructure projects worth P400T to the officials of Naalad Elementary School in Naga City, Cebu Province.
The infra package is composed a newly-constructed Principal's Office and a repaired one-storey building of two-classrooms. According to the regional director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7) Loreto Alburo, these are funded from the annual social development and management program (SDMP) of mining companies nationwide.
Alburo explained the turnover of the school buildings is one of the community development projects of Apo Cement Corporation as indicated in the SDMP to help out and assist the communities near mining sites.
“DENR Secretary Ramon JP Paje instructed us to closely monitor our mining companies for them to become fully compliant to the provisions of Republic Act 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, particularly in providing community projects,” Alburo added.
MGB said, SDMP of mining firms shall be utilized in implementing all plans, projects and activities of the company towards the sustained improvement in the living standards of the host and neighboring communities.
"Hopefully, we can create responsible, self-reliant, and resource-based communities aside from improving their living standard," Alburo stated.
The turnover ceremony was witnessed by Apo Cement Corporation Human Resources Administrator Danilo P. Antonio, MGB-7’s Mining Environment and Safety Division Chief Armando L. Malicse, and Naga City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Caridad C.Labe.
In similar development, MGB-7 reported that Apo Cement Corporation has an annual SDMP budget of P2M for 2011 to cover livelihood projects worth P720T that includes natural farming, sewing and rag making and water supply.
Other projects include infrastructure worth P620T; social and school support woth P460T and information, education and communication programs woth P200T.
The social and school support projects actually include medical and dental missions, cement donation, academic incentives, day care center, and other community partnership activities.
Alburo bared that for August 2011 alone, Apo Cement has spent some P1,520,054.56 million or 76 percent of the P2 million pesos that it has allocated for the year.
“SDMP intends to develop and implement community programs, projects, and activities in consultation with the host and neighboring communities,” Alburo added.
Alburo explained that the good thing about SDMP is the company holds a consultative dialogue or a stakeholder’s forum with selected barangays to obtain information from these communities on what programs or projects should be implemented and prioritized.
“We urge our mining companies to implement projects such as construction of school buildings so that our children will be afforded with convenient and well-situated units which are conducive for better learning experience,” Alburo concluded.(PIA-7/hfg & DENR-7)
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DBM increases budget for state colleges, universities
by Amor Saludar
CEBU CITY September 29 (PIA) – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that the funding for state universities and colleges (SUC) has been increased by P3B for 2012 from P23.1B this year to P26.1B next year.
The increased budget allocation for SUCs runs contrary to the protests made by students and teachers of a cutback in their annual budget.
DBM Secretary Florencio Abad Jr. said the P26.1B budget allocation, P23.1B of this amount is automatically appropriated for the SUCs; P2B billion to fill up vacancies lumped under the Miscellaneous and Personnel Benefit Funds (MPBF); and P500 million under the Committee on Higher education for SUC Development.
Sen. Chiz Escudero however urged the DBM to show transparency and proper allocation for the SUC budget next year and that the DBM should have a detailed lump sum entry for next year’s SUC budget so that suspicions of slashing of funds will be avoided
“If DBM is able to explain how the University of the Philippines budget is itemized, it should also be able to show aggregates of other SUC budgets to prevent the protests and to actually show what and how much exactly goes to where,” Escudero said.
Last week, students and teachers in Metro Manila and across the country held protests against the P146 million deductions to the proposed SUC 2012 budget. The protesters claimed that each SUC in the country will only be given a budget of P45-million which cannot be convened by the budget, this is reported. (FCR/AS/PIA-Cebu)
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Legarda to launch handbook on disaster preparedness, first aid
CENTRAL VISAYAS, Sept 29 (PIA) -- Senator Loren Legarda, chair senate committee on climate change will formally launch a "Handbook" on disaster perparedness and first aid on September 30, 2011 at the Senate press Office.
Legarda said the "Handbook" was accomplished in cooperation with the DENR, PHJILVOCS, NDRRMC, DepEd, DOH, PAGASA, BFP, MGB and the Vigan City-DRRMC.
The senator said, through this manual, she hopes th ateveryone will be equipped with preventive measures to lessen, if not eliminate, the impact of natural hazards.
"We must be ready to face these hazards and we must know what to do in order to secure ourselves in case of a disaster,” legarda said.
The handbook includes disaster risk reduction and management for various natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, tropical cyclones, flood, storm surges, thunderstorms, tornadoes, landslides, heat waves, and human-induced hazards such as structural collapses and fire.
More importantly, the handbook informs readers on what to have during emergencies.(PIA-7/mbcn & Office of Sen. Legarda)
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Japan hiring Filipino nurses, caregivers, POEA-7 says
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, Sept. 29 (PIA) – Filipino nurses and caregivers are needed in Japan as the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) here urged licensed nurses with at least three-year experience to visit their office in case they are interested to work in Japan.
POEA-7 Public Information Officer (PIO) Fenita Berdon said they are now accepting applicants in their office which gives nurses the opportunity to work overseas with the downtrend recruitment of nurses for the United States.
Berdon said caregivers are also wanted in Japan but their requirement for the position should be college degree holders.
“Japan is strict in hiring caregivers unlike other countries where they accept Filipino caregivers as long as they have completed a caregiver training course,” according to Berdon.
Berdon however, added that with the overflowing number of nursing graduates, the position of caregiver for Japan makes them qualified to apply even without experience.
The POEA-7 PIO however, did not specify how many nurses and caregivers Japan needs but just declared that those interested may visit their office.
“This is the 5th batch that we will be sending to Japan (nurses and caregivers). And this will be a continuing program,” Berdon bared.
Those that will be accepted will have to learn Niponggo or the Japanese language, Berdon said.
The Government of Japan and the Republic of the Philippines have an agreement for the former to hire nurses and caregivers from the country, this is learned. (PIA-Cebu)
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PNP-7 chief wants C. Visayas Police Office to be the best performer in PNP
by Amor Saludar
CEBU CITY September 29 (PIA) -- The newly installed regional director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) -7 C/Supt. Marcelo Garbo Jr. is determined to make PRO-7 the best performing PRO in the country.
Garbo who led the panelists in the recent Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP) forum said that his goal for the PRO-7 to be the best police regional office would mean that all police offices throughout the region should show positive performance especially amid Pres. Aquino’s challenge to the new PMP leadership to intensify its fight against criminality.
“Our main focus is not to address crimes but rather to prevent crimes from happening which means proactive measures should be put in place,” according to Garbo.
Garbo also said he wants the police not only to be visible at all times but for them to be felt by the public.
“I want our police here in the region to be heard and talked about. Police must be visible and active in all areas even down to the barangay level. And I want my deputy officers to be working deputies,” Garbo declared.
Periodic assessment and review of performance of each police office will be done to ensure that strategic anti-crime measures will be adopted, this is said.
Garbo added his office has already drawn the blueprint on anti-criminality in line with the 10-poiint Agenda of the PNP for implementation to improve the performance of the police forces and as a result, ensure the safety and security of the public.
Garbo revealed that his administration wanted all police offices in the region to have a renewed goal setting program to be focused in their different areas of responsibility and that documentation is a must to review and evaluate their respective anti-criminality program.
Periodic assessment, timeliness in every project and program, and presentation of clear outputs are the essential factors to improve and assess their performance, according to Garbo.
“Periodic assessment means meeting with police commanders and other police officials to discuss important matters such as their strengths and weaknesses for improvement. This is also the time for the top police officials to present their outputs and accomplishments and validate their outputs and if what they are saying are really done on time”, Garbo said.
Garbo however, lauded the police officers in the region because in his one year and eight months at the PRO-7 as deputy regional director for operations, he has witnessed that there are a lot of best practices. “What is needed is just to improve existing best practices for more performance as well as some adjustments in some policies and rules,” Garbo said.
One of Garbo’s main thrusts is the enhancement of the tourist protection program in every police office by strengthening its Police Turista which is anchored on the Police Integrated Patrol System (PIPS).
Lastly, the PRO-7 chief also promised to strengthen their enforcement on special laws including illegal logging, illegal fishing and cyber sex crime as well as heinous crimes. (FCR/AS/PIA-Cebu)
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Police to strengthen intel build-up against robbery groups during “ber” months
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, Sept. 28 (PIA) – After the attempted robbery of an armored van in Cebu City early this month, the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 is now strengthening its intelligence build-up against the entry of armed robbery syndicates in Central Visayas especially in Cebu.
PRO-7 Regional Intelligence Division (RID) Chief S/Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas said that with the “ber” months leading to the yuletide season could be an opportunity for big-time robbery groups from other regions to strike in Cebu.
Lawas said that as Christmas nears, and with employees from both the public and the private sector getting their bonuses is a time wherein armed robbery groups could plan a heist or hold-up.
“We are also trying to enhance the accounting of wanted persons to try to reduce the occurrence of crimes,” according to Lawas.
Lawas said they have also told the lower police units to enhance their capability in intelligence gathering to prevent crimes from happening.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Police Director Melvin “Ramon” Buenafe said the foiled hold-up robbery of the Ozamiz Robbery Group in Robinsons Place last September 5 which killed three robbers after a shootout with responding policemen showed the capability of the Cebu City police forces to address big-time robbery threats.
Buenafe said the implementation of ‘Oplan Universal’ where all police offices throughout the region will coordinate with each other to respond to a big crime and help in the pursuit of the criminals serves as a warning to armed robbery syndicates not to come here. (PIA-Cebu)
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New PNP-7 chief orders police commanders to strengthen tourist protection
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, Sept. 28 (PIA) -- Newly-appointed regional director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) -7 C/Supt. Marcelo Garbo Jr. ordered all police commanders in the region to go high in tourist protection enhancement program as he considers Central Visayas as the number one tourist destination in the Philippines.
“Tourist arrivals in the region are increasing and we want them to feel safe and secure when they have their vacation anywhere here in the region,” Garbo stressed during the monthly ‘Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP) Forum this morning.
Then provinces of Cebu and Bohol are two of the popular tourist havens in the country. In Cebu alone, around 1,000 to 1,500 Koreans arrive daily followed by the Japanese, this is reported.
Garbo said there is a lucrative potential in the growth of the tourism industry in the country and that this cannot be realized without favorable peace and order situation.
“This is why it is very important for the police to implement programs that enhance tourist protection,” Garbo declared.
Immediately upon his assumption as new PRO-7 chief last Monday after a turn-over ceremony attended by new PNP Chief Gen. Nicanor Bartolome, Garbo paid a courtesy visit to Lapulapu City Mayor Paz Radaza to assure her of the police’s support geared towards tourist protection. Lapulapu City, known for its beautiful beaches, houses the most high-end resorts in the province frequented by tourists.
In Cebu City, a tourist police outpost at the main road leading to Waterfront Hotel and fronting the IT Park with several establishments also frequented by tourists will soon be constructed before the year ends.
“We just had a meeting yesterday with the top management of the Waterfront Hotel and they are willing to fund the construction of the tourist police outpost which will also help as a deterrent to ward off criminals due to police visibility,” according to Cebu City Police Director S/Supt. Melvin “Ramon” Buenafe.
Buenafe said a memorandum of agreement is the next step in the realization of the outpost.
Cebu Provincial Director S/Supt. Patrocinio Commendador likewise said they have activated three tourist police units in Badian, Malapascua and Sta. Fe --- three most frequented areas visited by tourists.
“There is also a plan to build two police tourist buildings in both Malapascua and Sta. Fe in the 4th district and that Rep. Benhur Salimbangon has already expressed willingness to fund the structures,” Commendador disclosed. (PIA-Cebu)