BFP-7 celebrates fire prevention month
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, February 28 (PIA) -- The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will observe fire prevention month in March with the theme, “Makiisa, Makialam at Makipagtulungan Upang Sunog ay Maiwasan."
In a forum held today, C/Insp Roy Orbeta of BFP-7 said they are intensifying their fire safety awareness campaign in the community and reminding the public to take precautions in order to reduce fire incidents.
BFP noted that fire incidents in Region 7 decreased by 10.16 percent in 2011 compared to that in 2010.
As of December 2011, a total of 601 fire incidents were recorded which destroyed properties worth P144,870,760.
In 2010, a total of 669 fire incidents with P263,949,840 worth of properties destroyed were recorded. The incidents were mostly caused by electrical connections and electrical appliances.
In Central Visayas, the bureau inspected 42,573 establishments in 2011 and 44,266 in 2010.
Two establishments in Bohol were recommended for closure due to the light materials used during their construction.
On the other hand, Sr. Insp Fritzie Manatad is reminding the public to help the fire prevention campaign by giving tips to the public such as conducting periodic check-ups of electrical wirings in the buildings and houses which can cause overheating, and avoiding overloading electrical circuits with too many appliances.
Matches, flammable liquids, lighters, candles and other combustibles must be properly stored and out of reach from the children, he said.
BFP Officials advised the public to call the hotline numbers 160 for Cebu City, 117 for DILG and 256-0541 in case of fire and other emergencies.
On March 1, the BFP will kick-off their celebration with a "Walk for Fire" followed by a Holy Mass.
Other activities have also been lined up during the month, such as mass wedding for the firemen, photo contest, fire run and the Barangay Fire Olympics for firemen and volunteers.(rmn/hfg/PIA-7)
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BIR-13 in Cebu exceeds collection target in 2011
By Fayette C. Ri�en
CEBU CITY, Feb. 28 (PIA) -- The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Region 13 based in Cebu City slightly exceeded its collection target in 2011 by one percent with P12.456 billion compared to its projected goal of P12.421 billion.
BIR -13 Regional Director Rodita Galanto bared this during the agency’s kick-off of the 2012 Regional Tax Campaign under the theme "I love Philippines, I Pay Taxes" at SM Trade Hall, Cebu City.
Galanto said the bureau is banking on the taxpayers’ sense of patriotism and love of country in its bid to raise tax collection and meet this year’s target collection of P14.677 billion.
“If we love our country, then we have to pay the right taxes on time. Tax is the lifeblood of the country and necessary for the government to be able to implement its projects,” Galanto said.
About 70 to 80 percent of the total tax collections fund the national budget,” Galanto declared.
The Regional Tax Campaign signifies the start of the filing season for 2012 as taxpayers were encouraged yesterday to file and pay the correct income tax returns for 2011.
There are five district offices under the BIR-13 namely Mandaue City, RDO-80; Cebu City North, RDO-81; Cebu City South, RDO-82; Talisay City, RDO-83 and Tagbilaran City, RDO-84.
Jenny Pansito, head of the collection unit of BIR -13 said each district office has its own collection target for 2012.
Cebu City North has the highest collection target of P5.522 M followed by RDO-80 of Mandaue City with 4.830M and third is Cebu City South with 1.911M. Talisay City has 1.227 M and the least is RDO 84 in Tagbilaran City with 1.184M collection goal, according to Pansito.
On March 1, BIR-13 will launch its Information Tax Campaign in Tagbilaran City. (FCR/JSME/PIA-Cebu)
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DSWD-7 taps int'l organizations for camp, data mg't
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, February 28 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Field Office-7 tapped the expertise of the International Organization of Migrants (IOM) and Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Agencies (OCHA) in the operation of evacuation centers/ camps (ECs) in disaster-stricken areas.
DSWD Assistant Secretary Camilo Gudmalin said the expertise from these two partners are needed to educate both national and local social workers and other service providers on how an evacuation center or camp will be managed, including information and tools to come up with a uniform and standard structure for all ECs.
To date, there are 74 ECs installed in the quake-hit towns of Guihulngan (39 ECs), Jimalalud (3 ECs), La Libertad (10 ECs), and Tayasan (22 ECs) in Negros Oriental province.
With these new inputs, the installation of ECs will be improved for the displaced individuals and families and to ensure that their rights are protected through adequate service delivery.
Asec Gudmalin added that climate change is real and that DSWD has to improve its management in terms of its responses as the future will be more difficult and challenging to handle.
"DSWD will not just work for the better but smarter as well," he said.
He warned that more natural calamities could strike the country in the foreture, with the Philippines foreseen to experience 25 typhoons a year, plus its location in the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an area where large numbers of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean.
With the inputs given, the DSWD intends to put into place disaster preparedness measures, such as more effective warning system, disaster risk mapping, evacuation plans, warehousing and logistics, and conducting family disaster preparedness training to the city, municipal and barangay levels.
Added to this is the enhancement of skills for the DSWD’s standing Quick Response Teams (QRT) and the conduct of more simulations and drills to become effective responders.
DSWD-7 is now mass producing its Family Access Cards (FAC) to be used for the 74 identified evacuation centers in Negros Oriental.
With the FAC, the service providers will have an easy way to track the different services as well as relief goods given to all disaster victims.(rmn/PIA-7/hfg/DSWD-7)
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Quake victims get lower-priced goodsthru DTI's 2-day Diskwento Caravan
By Fayette C. Ri�en
CEBU CITY, February 28 (PIA) -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 recently provided quake victims access basic goods at lower prices through a two-day Diskwento Caravan in quake-hit towns of La Libertad and Jimalalud in Negros Oriental.
DTI 7 Regional Director Asteria Caberte said they invited selected distributors to sell directly to the consumers at distributor’s price.
Items sold during the Diskwento Caravan last February 21 and 22 included coffee, milk, beverages, breakfast meal, detergent bar and powder, bath soap, toiletries, canned meat and sardines, batteries with free flashlight, among others.
But the most saleable items were the laundry detergent bar and powder, bath soap and shampoo, milk, coffee, and batteries, this is said.
The said caravan in both towns attracted around 1,566 consumers and garnered total sales of P242,782.30, the DTI 7 disclosed.
La Libertad and Jimalalud towns incurred the heaviest damage along with Gihulngan City in Negros Oriental after the province was hit by a 6.9 magnitude quake that totally and partially damaged some roads, bridges, ports, residential and business establishments.
A few days after the quake, the DTI 7 immediately organized the Diskwento Caravan in Gihulngan City.
The participating distributors in the caravan were Island Merchants Corp. selling Nestle products, Macro Distributors Inc., Unilever, Chiara & Hannah’s Marketing and Consuelo Supermart. The National Food Authority also retailed rice.
The caravans boosted the supply situation in the calamity stricken areas, according to the DTI 7.
Distributors in Negros Oriental on the other hand, have started supplying their accounts up to Guihulngan since two weeks ago. Some stores in Gihulngan City are already opened and sold basic and prime commodities at no price increase.
Caberte, together with the DTI Negros Oriental team, recently conducted a random price monitoring of basic and prime commodities sold within the calamity-stricken areas.
In Jimalalud, however, the team found that some products were above the Suggested Retail Prices (SRPs). The DTI 7 at once instructed the concerned store owners to change their prices based on the DTI SRPs.
Caberte instructed DTI NegOr Provincial Director Javier Fortunato Jr. to conduct weekly supply and price monitoring of basic commodities to assure maximum protection of local consumers.
The DTI 7 chief underscored that violations of RA 7581 or the Price Act will be dealt with according to the law. RA 7581 is a law which provides protection to consumers by prescribing measures against undue price increases during emergency situations and the like occasions.
Caberte said the DTI will continue the conduct of the Diskwento Caravans in various municipalities and cities throughout the country following its success last year.
The Diskwento Caravan is a priority project of President Benigno S. Aquino III to help ease the burden of Filipino consumers from the rising prices of basic and prime commodities. (PIA-Cebu with DTI 7 PR)