Pag-IBIG Issues Landbank Cash Cards free of charge
By Juju M. Empuerto
CEBU CITY, Dec 15 (PIA) --- The Pag-IBIG Fund in cooperation with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) is issuing free LBP cash cards to the first 75,798 applicants here.
The 75,798 free cash cards will be divided to the applicants coming from the Cebu South and North branches or 37,899 free cash cards each for the south and north branches. Cebu South covers the southern part of the province and the provinces of Negros Oriental and Siquijor while Cebu North covers the northern part of Cebu and the Province of Bohol.
This was bared by Pag-IBIG Fund Visayas Group Vice President Victoria de la Peña as it celebrates today its 31st Anniversary with the theme ‘Makabuluhan, Matatag, Maasahan!” in a Kapihan sa PIA.
De la Peña said that the LBP cash card is a debit card. It functions as an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card and is accessible to all ATMs nationwide that are affiliated with Expressnet, Megalink, and Bancnet member banks and Point of Sale (POS) accredited merchants.
The card has the following salient features: It has no maintaining balance; no opening deposit requirements; no specimen signature cards; no interest; no dormancy period, the aggregate monthly credit is P100,000; has three years validity; ATM limit is P50,000/ day; P20,000/day is the POS limit; and the reactivation fee is P50.00 after a period of three years.
The program is in line with its vision of providing efficient and better service to its members, according to de la Peña.
With the LBP cash card, members will no longer be absent from their work just to queue in from the time of their application and in withdrawing their Multi-Purpose Loan (MPL) proceeds at LBP.
To avail of the LBP Cash Card (LCC), a Pag-IBIG member must avail of the MPL and apply personally from Monday to Friday between 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. only in order to have their account activated automatically.
Interested members must also bring original and photocopies of two (2) Photo-bearing identification (ID) cards with signature to avoid delay in the card distributions.
After the first 75,798 applicants from both the Pag-Ibig Fund Cebu North and South branches have been given the free cash cards, the LBP will already collect a fee of P100. (FCR/JSME/PIA-Cebu)
4 Cebu LGUs sign MOU with Pag-Ibig for Housing Loan Program
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, December 15 (PIA) -- Four local chief executives in Cebu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pag-Ibig Fund Cebu South Branch to provide affordable housing to their employees.
Anthony Maglungsod, Pag-Ibig acting assistant division manager for operations bared that the municipal local government units (LGUs) of Balamban, Argao and Dalaguete and Cebu City have inked a partnership with Pag-Ibig to avail of the latter’s new Group Housing Loan Program for LGUs.
The MOU was signed last December 2.
Maglungsod said the housing program for LGUs is meant to fast track the provision of housing needs of ordinary employees who dream of owning their own house but cannot afford to do so.
“There are ordinary employees in the rural areas that want to own their own house but cannot do so because socialized housing units are not provided in their area,” Maglungsod said.
“Also, most housing developers are focused in developing housing project sites in urban areas,” Maglungsod added.
To avail of this new program, LGUs should own the lot where the housing project site will be constructed, this is said.
The Pag-Ibig official likewise declared that the loan amount for the housing program will depend on the type of housing project; whether this would be constructed in a residential area or a condominium type.
For residential project sites, the Pag-Ibig Fund can grant a loan of P20M per phase and P40M per phase for the condominium type.
Maglungsod said the LGUs can start providing housing needs for their municipal or city employees then can expand the program to include their constituents.
Interest rates are very minimal at six percent per annum for a socialized housing unit worth P400,000 and seven percent/year for a housing unit worth more than P400,000 up to P750,000, this is learned.
Monthly amortization rate for a P400T housing unit is at P2,500/month and P5,000 per month for more than P400,000 to P750,000 housing unit cost, according to Maglungsod.
Criteria to qualify for a P400,000 housing unit is a monthly income of P6,000 and P12,500 monthly salary for a housing unit worth above P400,000 to P750,000. (PIA-Cebu)
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E-Blotter system launched in Cebu City
by Amor Saludar
CEBU CITY December 14, (PIA) -- The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) launches today the E-Blotter System at the new Fuente Police Office, Cebu City.
The E-Blotter System is a technology used for systematic records of all cases in every police station in the country, storing it into just one database.
The system is also intended for easy detection of any unsolved cases and for making updates on cases that need to be followed-up and it will produce a detailed and standardized blotters for people to have an easy access to a certain cases, this is learned.
Prior to the launching of the said system, 15 policemen from the 11 police station in the city as well as special units underwent training on the operation and use of the Philippine National Police’s E-Blotter system.
Just yesterday, the former Police Regional Office–7 Intelligence Chief Sr. Supt Augusto Marquez, who is now serving under Camp Crame’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, also conducted a whole day training session.
In a media interview, Marquez said that” later on through e-blotter, wala na ta’y cold file. It will automatically prompt if a case is still unsolved and later on ma-update nato ang status sa kaso.”
The Cebu City government meanwhile, provided the hardware to be used in running the system.
“If not for the support of the Cebu City government, who offered to provide the hardware, the said project would have remained just a plan,” Marquez said.
The system’s process will start with the police reports from every police station which would then be sent to their respective provincial offices and from there, the reports are directly sent to the police headquarters in Camp Crame instead of letting it pass through their respective regional offices.
Aside from Cebu, the E-Blotter system is only used in Pampanga, Tarlac, Butuan, Batangas and the National Capital Region. (FCR/AS/PIA-CEBU)
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AFP-CentCom chief urges PIOs to build good reputation, promote transparency
by Amor Saludar
CEBU CITY, December 14 (PIA) – Armed Forces of the Philippines – Central Command Chief Lt. Gen. Ralph Villanueva called on members of the Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO) in Central Visayas to build a good reputation and ensure transparency in delivering information to the public.
Villanueva in his message read by Lt. Col Jacinto Bareng said the role of public information officers (PIOs) is “to do more than just press releases and build links with key media representatives.”
“You must know by heart that your role is not to be top mister or miss congeniality who brags, make lofty remarks or protect the name of the organization you represent. Rather, it is more on ensuring that you build a good reputation of the organization; built through developing relationships and what an organization does,” Villanueva’s message stated.
Villanueva also encouraged the PIOs to practice transparency and tell the truth rather than fabricating stories to project a good image of the organization in order to claim the trust of the public.
“Kahit gaano mo pa gastusan ang ‘pagbabango’, ika nga ng ating organisasyon, it has little to do with the real world and people will always have reservations if you are telling the truth or not vis-a vis what they actually see or know about our organization,” Villanueva stressed.
He further disclosed that being “government information officers do not mean building the name of the organization but to defend its reputation.”
Villanueva cited one important responsibility of a government’s information officer which is to convey objective information to the public through the media irregardless of the fact that the organization might sound negative.
The CentCom commanding general also tagged the work of information as a difficult task but believed that the government’s information officers have the capacity to contribute in keeping the reputation of their respective organization.
“Stay professional, disciplined, humble and ‘transparent’ in all your dealings; and surely, you will, in no way, be astray,” Villanueva concluded.
Bareng represented Villanueva during the recent Yearend Assessment and Analysis of AGIO-7 Programs and Activities held at CentCom headquarters in Cebu City. (FCR/AS/PIA-Cebu)
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Pag-Ibig celebrates 31st anniversary, cites doubling
of assets to P300B as major accomplishment
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, December 14 (PIA) – As the Home Development Mutual Fund popularly known as Pag-Ibig celebrates its 31stanniversary today, top officials here proudly reported its major accomplishments including how the funds of its over 1M members in Central Visayas have grown to more than double than it was 10 years ago.
Victoria de la Peña, vice president of the Pag-Ibig Fund Visayas Group bared that in 2001, the assets of the government-owned and controlled corporation was pegged at P123B which grew to P191B in 2006 and that by yearend, the assets have ballooned to about P300B.
“In ten year’s time, from 2001 to 2011, our assets have grown to more than double from P123B to P300B this year,” De la Peña reported.
“And we continue to assure our members that we will act according to our mandates in their best interests,” De la Peña said.
As of September, this year, there are 1.3M members of Pag-Ibig in Central Visayas. Their target coverage for 2011 however, is 1.3M
De la Peña admitted that they may not be able to meet their target coverage for this year but that they are constantly conducting aggressive campaign for employers to register their employees with Pag-Ibig since this is mandatory.
Rio Teves, department manager III of the Pag-Ibig Fund Cebu South Branch said they registered a nine percent increase in membership.
“Last year, the total members were 323,000 which grew this year to 351,691 members,” Teves said. The Cebu South Branch covers the southern part of Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
Jovelita Custodio, department manager III of Pag-ibig Fund Cebu North Branch likewise said their membership also increased by 94,109 new members.
“As of end of November, we have a total number of 304, 839 members including the 94,000 new members this year,” Custodio declared.
De la Peña said that they are continuing their aggressive campaign in calling out to employers to enroll their workers with Pag-Ibig.
“Our coverage now also includes household helpers, drivers, and other plain workers as long as he or she has an average monthly income of P1,000,” De la Peña said.
This year’s celebration carries the theme “Makabuluhan. Matatag. Maasahan” which de la Peña translated to English that means relevance, stability and reliability. (PIA-Cebu)
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Pag-Ibig celebrates 31st anniversary, cites doubling
of assets to P300B as major accomplishment
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, December 14 (PIA) – As the Home Development Mutual Fund popularly known as Pag-Ibig celebrates its 31stanniversary today, top officials here proudly reported its major accomplishments including how the funds of its over 1M members in Central Visayas have grown to more than double than it was 10 years ago.
Victoria de la Peña, vice president of the Pag-Ibig Fund Visayas Group bared that in 2001, the assets of the government-owned and controlled corporation was pegged at P123B which grew to P191B in 2006 and that by yearend, the assets have ballooned to about P300B.
“In ten year’s time, from 2001 to 2011, our assets have grown to more than double from P123B to P300B this year,” De la Peña reported.
“And we continue to assure our members that we will act according to our mandates in their best interests,” De la Peña said.
As of September, this year, there are 1.3M members of Pag-Ibig in Central Visayas. Their target coverage for 2011 however, is 1.3M
De la Peña admitted that they may not be able to meet their target coverage for this year but that they are constantly conducting aggressive campaign for employers to register their employees with Pag-Ibig since this is mandatory.
Rio Teves, department manager III of the Pag-Ibig Fund Cebu South Branch said they registered a nine percent increase in membership.
“Last year, the total members were 323,000 which grew this year to 351,691 members,” Teves said. The Cebu South Branch covers the southern part of Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
Jovelita Custodio, department manager III of Pag-ibig Fund Cebu North Branch likewise said their membership also increased by 94,109 new members.
“As of end of November, we have a total number of 304, 839 members including the 94,000 new members this year,” Custodio declared.
De la Peña said that they are continuing their aggressive campaign in calling out to employers to enroll their workers with Pag-Ibig.
“Our coverage now also includes household helpers, drivers, and other plain workers as long as he or she has an average monthly income of P1,000,” De la Peña said.
This year’s celebration carries the theme “Makabuluhan. Matatag. Maasahan” which de la Peña translated to English that means relevance, stability and reliability. (PIA-Cebu)
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DENR-7 to donate confiscated forest products to DepEd-7
By: Hazel Gloria
CEBU CITY, December 14 (PIA) --- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-7 will donate and turn over confiscated forest products without court cases to the Department of Education [DepEd-7).
With an estimated value of P613,944.24 totaling 36,593.76 board feet of mahogany, gmelina, bagalunga, makaasim, molave, narra, teak, sangilo and acacia lumber pieces, these forest products after an inventory were found to be free from all liens and encumbrances with no cases filed in court, the DENR said.
DENR-7 regional director Maximo Dichoso said that DENR Secretary Ramon JP Paje instructed them to exhaust all means possible to hasten adjudication of cases of illegally sourced and transported forest products in line with the present direction to donate them to the Department of Education (DepEd).
“Secretary Paje has ordered that all confiscated logs by the DENR without court cases will now be turned over to the Department of Education (DepEd) as one of his priority or flagship programs,” Dichoso added.
Most of these forest products were seized due to lack of necessary documents and requirements during transport, Dichoso explained.
The logs were deposited at the Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENRO) in Tagbilaran City in Bohol; and in Pamplona and Ayungon, Negros Oriental.
The DepEd as donee will use these donated lumber or flitches for the construction of various public school buildings or the manufacture of office fixtures, desks and tables, this is learned.
As contained in the Deed of Donation, a certificate of completion of any DepEd project, signed by the Project Engineer supported with photographs and an itemization of forest products used in the project will be submitted to DENR.
A Commission on Audit (COA) auditor will be invited to witness the turnover for documentation and proper accounting purposes.
“A continuous inventory of seized forest products has been conducted to determine which are up for donation so that these could be useful as construction materials for school buildings, desks and tables,” Dichoso concluded.(mbcn/hfg/PIA-7 & DENR)
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DSWD warns public against unscrupulous solicitations this season
by: Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, December 14 (PIA) --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) in the region advises the public to be careful in dealing with individuals or groups who are soliciting this Yuletide season in the guise of using the identity of DSWD or the clients they are serving.
DSWD-7 regional director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre further clarified that the following methodologies of solicitation are prohibited: house to house, vehicle to vehicle, public transport solicitation and other similar activities and other means contrary to law, public policy and morals.
Macapobre cited Memorandum Circular # 2 Series of l999 that DSWD can openly issue “Permit to Solicit” if the purpose of the activity is for public welfare or charitable purposes only. It issues the permit if the activity covers two or more areas in the region.
Macapobre explains that since there is a growing number of non-government organizations, associations and societies in various civic activities and projects, the government finds it necessary to prevent illegal fund drives as well as regulate the practice of solicitation to protect the general public from those agencies and individuals who seek donations and voluntary contributions without DSWD permits.
According to DSWD, public solicitation refers to any activity or project conducted in a particular region or nationwide for a maximum period of six months to one year, intended to generate funds from the public for charitable purposes.
Macapobre however added that caroling during Christmas season as a form of solicitation does not anymore require a DSWD Permit as caroling is part of our culture and tradition.
The DSWD informs the public that all applications for Public Solicitation follows the regular assessment procedure by the Department’s Field Offices before the start of its fund raising or solicitation activities.
DSWD enjoins the public to double check and validate if the permit is legal.
One can call the DSWD office at 2329507 0r 2329505 to check if the details in the permit or if the paraphernalia bears the DSWD logo, authority number, coverage and effectivity, and expiry. These information should jibe with the DSWD records.(mbcn/hfg/PIA-7 & jb/DSWD)
One can call the DSWD office at 2329507 0r 2329505 to check if the details in the permit or if the paraphernalia bears the DSWD logo, authority number, coverage and effectivity, and expiry. These information should jibe with the DSWD records.(mbcn/hfg/PIA-7 & jb/DSWD)
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RAFI to launch two anniversary exhibits
CEBU CITY, Dec 13 (PIA) -- The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI), a Cebu-based NGO
through its Culture & Heritage unit, will launch the “Belen sa Casa Gorordo” and “RAFI @ 45” exhibits to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the Casa Gorordo Museum on Dec. 15 at Lopez Jaena St., Cebu City.
The Belen sa Casa Gorordo exhibit is one of the museum’s 4-house traditions. Every Christmas season, the museum puts on display the Gorordo family’s priceless 19th century collection of figurines that depict ten scenes from Christ’s nativity to early childhood.
RAFI @ 45 is another exhibit that traces the history of the foundation. It begins with the charitable works of Ramon Aboitiz in the early 1900s to the philanthropy of the Aboitizes in the following decades, and on to RAFI’s full emergence as a benchmark institution in the field of social development by the 1980s.
The two exhibits will be opened in time for the 28th anniversary of the Casa Gorordo Museum. RAFI opened the museum to the public in Dec. 15, 1983, making the foundation a pioneer in heritage work in the Visayas and Mindanao region.
It showcases a prominent Cebuano family’s and historic Parian district’s late 1800s lifestyle.
Today, the Casa Gorordo, which is managed by the Culture & Heritage unit of RAFI, has become a well-known landmark in Cebu City.(mbcn/PIA-7 & nrc/RAFI)
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PhilHealth holds dependents registration
by: Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, December 13 (PIA) --- PhilHealth-Region 7 sets up service desks near the Office of the Civil Registrar in the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Talisay, to cater to members who have dependents to declare on their Member Data Record (MDR).
On December 12 to 16, a PhilHealth Mobile Team will be processing member data amendments at the Cebu City Health building lobby on Gen. Maxilom Extension, Cebu City; and on December 12 to 14 in the city hall lobbies of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Talisay, between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
PhilHealth members can declare a legal spouse who is not a PhilHealth member as dependent; legitimate, illegitimate, adopted or stepchildren below 21 years old, who are neither married nor employed; children aged 21 years or older but are completely dependent on the parent for support on account of an acquired or congenital disability; and parents 60 years old or older who are not PhilHealth members.
To declare dependents, members should present a photocopy of the following documents (whichever is applicable): marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, and birth certificate of parents with the member’s birth certificate.
All qualified dependents are entitled to PhilHealth coverage without additional premium cost on the part of the member. Members are urged to update their MDR with their dependents before they can avail of benefits.(mbcn/hfg/PIA-7 & Philhealth)