DENR-7 signs MOA to expedite the land titles issuance
By: Hazel Gloria
CEBU CITY, October 7 (PIA) --- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the region (DENR-7) recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the local government unit of Cordova to expedite the issuance of land titles, under the Residential Free Patent Act or RA 10023.
DENR-7 regional executive director Maximo Dichoso said this partnership agreement with the municipality of Cordova shows the seriousness to implement measures to hasten the issuance of land titles to spur economic growth and security of land tenure.
“The DENR recognizes the need to improve land administration and management at the local level to fast track the titling of public alienable and disposable lands,” Dichoso added.
The municipality of Cordova will create a cadastral council to provide advice and oversight functions in the execution of titling program to accelerate the issuance of land titles.
RA 10023 cover applications pertaining to untitled public alienable and disposable lands which have been zoned by the local government units as residential areas, including townsites, public schools, municipal halls, public plazas or parks, delisted and abandoned military camps or reservations.
Any Filipino citizen who is an actual occupant of a residential land for at least ten years may apply for a free patent title.
As stipulated in the MOA, the DENR-7 will be assigning Land Management Officers from Community and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Offices or regional office to the titling program and the titling office, and will be providing all the necessary and pertinent records, surveys, maps and other data.
“The DENR-7 will institute express lanes to facilitate the speedy approval of plans and issuance of certifications, and provide technical assistance and conduct surveys, land adjudication, training and capacity building on public administration and management including the relocation and delineation of territorial boundaries between adjacent local government units,” Dichoso added.
The municipality of Cordova will facilitate the titling of lands owned by the LGU through the passage of an ordinance which shall constitute the creation of a local titling program, titling office, adjudication teams, and information office, and create a cadastral council.
“We will be capacitating certain local officials of Cordova through trainings and orientation so that they would be able to know how to initially process and evaluate applications,” he said.
Witnessing the signing of the MOA are Land Management Services Regional Technical Director Diana R. Apistar and Cordova Municipal Assessor Nazario P. Sumalinog, Jr.(PIA-7/HFG/DENR-7)
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ARENA-7 in full support to PWDs
By: Hazel Gloria
CEBU CITY, October 7 (PIA) --- The Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies (ARENA-7) in the region supports Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) by disseminating their various services to all government agencies.
ARENA-7 president and regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Pedro Noval Jr. informed all the members of the association thru letters to allow the masseurs/masseuses and beauticians trained by the Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center II (AVRC) to provide massage, beauty and spa services to the employees as part of the agency’s wellness program.
AVRC II is now intensifying its efforts to provide job placement and livelihood opportunities for its graduates who have already developed employable skills.
Among them are the visually impaired, hearing impaired and polio survivor graduates who are proficient and skillful in Therapeutic Massage and beauty services.
In this way, it can be a very good testimony of how a strong partnership and collaboration between and among government agencies can make a difference in empowering the most disadvantage and most difficult to employ individuals, the persons with disabilities.
The service rates for basic cosmetology such as manicure/pedicure is P40; hand spa is P50; foot spa, facial treatment, body scrub and hair color is P150; hot oil treatment is P100.
Other services such as whole body massage (lying one-hour/seated one-hour) is P140; half body massage and foot massage is P70.
For inquires and arrangement regarding this undertaking, please call AVRC thru Florita Simbajon at tel nos. 261-0001 or 261-8107.(PIA-7/HFG)
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DOH expands GP coverage to include no-smoking campaign
by Amor Saludar
CEBU CITY October 7 (PIA) – The Department of Health (DOH- 7) expanded the coverage of its “Garantisadong Pambata” (GP) Program which now includes a no-smoking campaign as more and more children are now getting hooked to cigarettes.
DOH-7 Regional Director Dr. Susana Madarieta said that based on their observation, smokers are getting younger and that it is already imperative that they be informed and educated on the dangers of smoking to their health.
“Findings revealed that generally, a child is already exposed and started smoking at an early age as young as between 10-11 years old. And so it is very important that the activities and health of the children under this age bracket should be closely monitored,” Madarieta said during the recent Kapihan sa PIA that tackled the GP Program.
The GP Program is an institutionalized, twice-a-year, pre-schoolers health campaign where a package of services is being provided such as immunization to children below five years old, Vit.A supplementation, proper hand washing, ease of toilet, deworming and health teachings to mothers and caregivers on health-related campaign such as on breastfeeding.
But with the early exposure of children today to smoking, the DOH is now including its ‘Anti-Smoking’ campaign in its GP Program which starts this month for its second annual campaign, this is learned.
“So children aged six to 14 years old will now be included as beneficiaries of the GP Program targeting the age group for our anti-smoking drive,” according to Madarieta.
“Smoking is one of the major causes of human illness,” the DOH-7 director bared.
The DOH is intensifying its education campaign on anti-smoking as Madarieta commended the government and other agencies for giving its full blast support to the program since its implementation. (FCR/AS?PIA-Cebu)
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DOE aims to have 200 public buses run by CNG by 2012
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, Oct. (PIA) -- Amid the unstable prices of fuel in the world market which largely impacts on the country’s public transport sector largely dependent on imported oil, the Department of Energy (DOE) is bent on pursuing its goal of seeing 200 public buses run by compressed natural gas (CNG) at the end of 2012 under its Fuelling Sustainable Transport Program.
“Our vision is to have 200 public transport buses ply the route in Luzon at the end of 2012,” according to Energy Sec. Rene Almendras.
Almendras said they are continually exploiting for natural gas deposits within the country as part of their actions to lessen the dependence on imported fuel but more importantly, to promote clean energy.
Currently, there are 60 CNG buses operating in the country particularly in the Luzon area.
CNG, a natural gas, is used to fuel vehicles. Natural gas is found beneath the earth’s crust and is largely composed of hydrocarbons made up mainly of methane. But because natural gas is in its gaseous state at ambient conditions, it must be compressed to about 16-20 MPa to achieve practical energy density for storage on-board a vehicle, this is stated.
The DOE chief said CNG is the most ideal because it is clean energy and does not pollute the environment.
Almendras said bus operators are amenable to operating on CNG-fueled public buses “but the problem lies with the supply” as he added the DOE is continually exploring possible areas that are rich in natural oil deposits within domestic shores.
“There is also a problem of infrastructure on how to transport CNG because this is very expensive,” Almendras declared.
“If we can only have 5,000 CNG-run public buses, we can abate pollution by 81 percent and at the same time comply with the provisions of the Clean Air Act,” Almendras stressed.
Meanwhile, the DOE is pushing for the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a type of natural gas to fuel the public transport system as a clean alternative to fossil fuel. “But the problem again lies in the conversion of the vehicle engine from traditional fuel to LPG,” Almendras disclosed.
“But we are now trying to retrofit 2,000 public utility jeepneys for LPG conversion,” he ended. (PIA-Cebu)