Cebu City observance of Holy Week peaceful - Cebu police
By Fayette C. Ri�en
CEBU CITY, April 10 (PIA) -- Cebu City police efforts to maintain a peaceful Lenten Season were successful as no record of snatching, robbery, or theft was recorded from April 2 to 9.
Cebu City Police Director S/Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe said the measures they adopted to ensure the safety and security of passengers and churchgoers as well as tourists have been effective.
“I like to commend the efforts of all policemen for doing a good job as no single case of snatching, robbery, or theft was recorded during the Holy Week,” Buenafe said.
Buenafe also credited the peaceful and orderly observance of the Holy Week to the cooperation of the public by being cautious such as not wearing too much jewelry so as not to attract criminal elements.
“We also strengthened our information drive on how to prevent burglary in the homes like making sure all doors and windows were locked before going out. And to make sure, that you request a neighbor to check on your house every now and then for any suspicious people lurking by,” Buenafe declared.
The city director further said they also augmented the number of policemen in areas frequented by the people such as in Good Shepherd in Banawa for the Way of the Cross, the Siete Palabras at the Cebu Cathedral, and other religious activities.
According to Buenafe, private establishments were also cooperative and made sure that security measures were put in place to foil any possible robbery attempts.
Buenafe lauded everyone especially his men for a good job expressing hopes that community vigilance will continue even after the Holy Week for a safe and peaceful environment. (PIA7, Cebu)
===========
DepEd calls on multi-sector advocacy for K to12 system
By Minerva BC. Newman
CENTRAL VISAYAS, April 9 (PIA) -- The Department of Education (DepEd) called for a multi-sector advocacy for the implementation of the K to 12 curriculum system to address the poor quality of basic education in the country.
DepEd assistant secretary Jesus Lorenzo Mateo presented a special report on the K to 12 curriculum and other DepEd initiatives to the committee on social development of the Regional Development Council (RDC-7) during its 1st quarter meeting in March 2012.
Mateo said that the rationale of the K to 12 was based on the low indicative results of the national achievement test over the years and as compared with other countries.
Scores in Mathematics and Science had been deteriorating because what was supposed to be taught in 12 years of basic education was compressed in 10 years, making it difficult to teach all the competencies required, Mateo explained.
“Thus, two years of basic education have to be added to the present curriculum to give public schoolchildren an even chance to succeed,” Mateo added.
According to the DepEd, before the K to 12 curricula was implemented, the agency had gone into a series of conferences, summit consultations, workshops, and orientation briefings throughout the country.
Mateo said research literature showed that the human brain develops between 0-6 years old thus the need for children ages 5 years to have a pre-school experience to be ready for the first grade.
Studies also noted that two years have to be added to the present 10-year basic education curriculum, he said.
DepEd then explained that the K to 12 curricula will thus have six years of elementary schooling, four years of junior high school, and two years senior high school.
“This would prepare students either for a university degree, or technical-vocational education, entrepreneurship, or employment,” the DepEd assistant secretary added.
The K to 12 ASEC Mateo continued is a learner-centered and focuses on topics that are developmentally-appropriate or age-appropriate, to allow mastery of important competencies and teaching is done seamlessly.
“For example, skills like reading graphs will be taught in Math before they are used in Science, Health or Economics. A K to 12 student goes to kindergarten at 5 years old then successfully transition to Grade 1 where the curriculum includes the mother tongue to facilitate student learning,” Mateo stated.
To facilitate the smooth transition from the present curriculum to the K to 12 program, DepEd has organized transition management teams or technical work group in each region as well as a program steering committee composed of the DepEd, TESDA, and CHED with public and private sector reps as members.
Mateo said consultation workshops, surveys, and advocacy efforts have been conducted since January 2011 to inform the parents of the K to 12 curricula.
He then requested local government units and members of the Regional Development Council to ensure that information reach the communities and to participate in future consultation workshops.
After DepEd’s presentation, Bohol governor Edgar Chatto suggested to ASEC Mateo that DepEd also strengthens the participation of a multi-sector groups led by the LGUs, particularly the school boards and parent-teacher-community (PTCA) associations and get them to help in disseminating information on the K to 12.
Mateo noted on governor Chatto’s suggestion and added that the DepEd is also tapping the private media to help in the government’s advocacy efforts on the K to 12 educational systems. (mbcn-PIA 7)
===========
Special Report: 2008-2010 MDG progress accomplishments for CV
By Minerva BC. Newman
CENTRAL VISAYAS, April 8 (PIA) -- The Philippines is one of one of the signatories that adopted the Millennium Declaration in addressing extreme poverty while promoting gender equality, education and environmental sustainability.
This set of time-bound targets with the 2015 deadline is popularly called the Millennium Development Goals or (MDGs).
It contains new approaches to address poverty placing people as the center of the program investing in their capabilities to chart and improve their living conditions.
It has eight goals that included the following: Eradication of Extreme Poverty & Hunger; Achieve Universal Primary Education; Promote gender equality and empower women; Reduce Child Mortality; Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases; Ensure Environmental Sustainability and Develop a Global Partnership for development.
The Central Visayas Regional KALAHI Convergence Group (RKCG) and the Regional Development Council (RDC-7) tracked the progress of the MDGs in the region with the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA-7) as its working secretariat.
Cebu City mayor and RDC-7 chair Michael Rama hopes that the region will continue to monitor the achievements of the MDGs by using the 2008-2010 progress report.
“I hope that local and national government use this report as a tool for awareness-raising, advocacy and sustained efforts to attain each of the eight MDGs by 2015,” Rama said during the presentation of the report in January 2012.
According to NEDA-7 OIC-regional director Efren Carreon, the pioneering feature of the 2008-2010 report is the inclusion of the strategic programs/projects and concrete sets of actions of key agencies needed to keep the region on track in its MDG targets by 2015.
Carreon added that this report covers the MDG achievements from 2008-2010 because “we are still completing the 2011 monitoring report from the agencies concerned.”
Poverty, Hunger and Employment
On reducing poverty and hunger, NEDA-7 reported that based on 2003, 2006 and 2009 NSCB Poverty Statistics Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental have consistently been among the top 12 provinces with the highest share of poor families in terms of magnitude in the entire country.
This means 11.8 percent of the poor Filipinos in 2003, 2006 and 10.8 percent in 2009 reside in Central Visayas.
The report read that while poverty incidence in the region was high at 32.1 percent in 2003 and increased to 33.5 in 2006, it slightly lowered to 30.2 percent in 2009.
According to the 2009 data 415,303 people living below the minimum income level in Central Visayas needed P17,848 a month to satisfy the food and non-food requirements of a family of 5 members.
One factor that usually contributes to poverty incidence is the lack of gainful work especially among the marginalized and vulnerable groups.
The report however said that labor productivity has been improving in the recent years. According to the regional data, from P36,196 in 2004, employment productivity increased to P36,680 and P37,602 in 2006 and 2009 respectively due to the good performance of the industry and ser=vices sectors in the region.
Education and Gender Equality
One of the most tangible gains of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the improvement of the region’s indicators on access to primary education.
The 2008-2010 MDG progress report indicated that rates of participation, cohort survival and completion at the elementary levels have tremendous marked improvements in recent years.
The report said elementary participation rate steadily gained momentum from school year 2005 at 80.43 percent to SY-2010 at 84.77 percent.
According to NEDA-7 net enrolment rates were almost at the same levels as participation rates for the same period.
Cohort survival rates on the other hand, increased from 69.33 percent in SY-2005 to 95.78 percent in SY-2010 while completion rates from 56.21 percent in 2005 to 93.34 percent in SY-2010.
The report also noted that although education sector showed remarkable upward trends, there is a slim change of ensuring that ALL children will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling to be attained in 4-years’ time.
At the secondary education level, participation rate remained below 50 percent at 40.27 in SY-2008 and 42.68 in SY-2009 while completion rates were recorded at 51.11 and 57.27 percents for 2008 and 2009 respectively.
The report also highlighted DepEd’s efforts to improve and intensify access to schools and to provide sufficient education resources to enhance the learning environment in the region.
From 2008-2010, DepEd constructed 535 new elementary school buildings and classrooms. It repaired 452 classrooms and buildings and installed 341 toilets in classrooms and in school campuses.
In terms of gender equality, disparity ration in SY-2010 for elementary was at 103 females per 100 males pupils.
For the high school level, gender disparity ratio in 2010 was at 123 females per 100 males. DepEd said gender disparity may be due to the tendency of males to get out of school either to work to help augment family income or simply they had lower motivation than females to go to school, the report reads.
The report also underscored the consistent higher rates of cohort, survival, participation and completion among female students than the males from elementary to tertiary levels from SY-1990 to SY-2010.
Maternal & Child Health and Prevalence of Infectious Disease
Another area that Central Visayas performs well is on reducing child mortality. The report said Infant mortality rate substantially declined from 28 percent in 2003 to 9.4 percent in 2008.
Under-5 mortality rate also declined steadily from 39 deaths per 1000 live births in 2003 to four (4) deaths per 1000live births in 2008, the report added.
The 2008-2010 MDG report also noted that Negros Oriental and Siquijor did not submit their respective mortality reports in CY-2010 thus, improvement in maternal and child mortality rate is an area of concern in central Visayas.
The same report said that while level reached 60 deaths per 1000 live births in 2005 and improved to 67 deaths/1000 live births in 2008, the ratio went as high as 83 deaths per 1000 live births in 2010.
“This level is even higher than the 2000 baseline level of 80 deaths per 1000 live births. Should this trend continue, it is unlikely that Central Visayas can achieve the target of 20 deaths per 1000 live births by 2015,” said NEDA-7 RKCG coordinator, Aina Hubahib.
On the prevalence of infectious diseases in the region, Department of Health (DOH-7) reported that in 2010, HIV/AIDS prevalence among 16 years old and above was less that one percent.
But in terms of major diseases the prevalence of malaria recorded a declining morbidity rates at 15 percent in 2005 to 4 and one percent in 2008 and 2010 respectively. No mortality in Central Visayas was recorded for Malaria since 1990.
Tuberculosis (TB) detection on the hand was reported at 70 percent in 2008 and 2009. It improved to 72 percent in 2010. TB detection improved its prevention and control from 89 percent in 2008 to 90 percent in 2010.
Environmental Sustainability
According to NEDA-7 OIC-regional director Efren Carreon, equally vital in the attainment of the MDG is the protection and preservation of the environment.
“Proper management of the country’s natural resources is a key to sustainable development,” Carreon added.
The MDG report noted that indicators =such as forest and coastal zones areas, quality of air and river systems are important measures of sustainability and these are still wanting in region 7.
The report quoted a DOH’s Field Health Service Information System (FHSIS) data that said, the proportion of families without access to safe water supply has slowly declined from 14.5 percent in 2004 to 10.4 percent in 2010.
Similar trend was observed for the proportion of families without access to sanitary toilet facilities. Data showed that from in 2005 there were 33.19 percent of families without sanitary toilets and this declined to 23.23 percent in 2010.
To cap the MDG progress report, NEDA-7 included its initial review for 2011 scorecard in terms of positive and negative tracer.
MDG 2011 early achievers are on reducing the number of underweight children, gender disparity at secondary level, under-5 and infant mortality; reducing TB incidence and eradicating malaria.
Slow progress is noted under the goals of reducing the number of families living on $1/day; increasing primary enrolment, reaching last grade and primary level completion and achieving universal access to reproductive health.
Scorecard on reducing maternal mortality is regressing while providing safe water and sanitation are on track, the 2011 MDG initial report noted. (mbcn/PIA-7)
============
DSWD, 6 others lead in poverty alleviation programs in CV
By Minerva BC. Newman
CENTRAL VISAYAS, April 8 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Services and Development (DSWD-7) and six other government agencies led in hunger and poverty alleviation activities in Central Visayas and in the implementation of programs that support the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
This was noted during the 1st quarter meeting of the Regional Kalahi Convergence Group (RKCG-7) in February 2012 at the NEDA-7 conference room at EcoTech Lahug, Cebu City.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-7) also reported that part of tracking the progress in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals was a DBM-NEDA joint circular # 01-2011.
This provides for the guidelines to institutionalize the reporting of budget allocations and expenditures as well as the physical targets and accomplishments for the MDGs among local and national government agencies.
RKCG-7 with NEDA-7 as secretariat agreed to monitor 17 agencies for their respective MDG progress vis-à-vis their physical and financial accomplishments on key strategic programs and projects identified in that joint circular.
For Goal 1, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger includes issues on malnutrition, rising food prices, poor dietary diversity, lack of access to potable water and sanitation, poor health status among others.
In Central Visayas from 2008-2010, seven government agencies –DSWD, DA, PCA, BFAR, DepEd, NNC and NIA had invested substantial government resources on projects that aimed to lessen poverty and hunger.
According to the 2008-2010 MDG progress report, the DSWD is foremost in government agencies that initiated poverty alleviation programs through a ‘convergence’ strategy of its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program (4Ps), the KALAHI-CIDSS and the Self-Employment Assistance (SEA-K) programs.
The report noted that DSWD-7 spent over P765.7million for its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program; P245.8M for KALAHI-CIDSS and P105.266M for the SEA-K to the some 109,964 (4Ps) household beneficiaries from 2008-2010.
According to DSWD-7 assistant director Nimia Antipala to accurately identify the poorest of the poor families in Central Visayas, the agency uses the scientific survey method called National Housing Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).
Antipala added that DSWD spent some P32.1 million for this activity in Central Visayas alone. It recorded and included in its database 637,619 household beneficiaries in Central Visayas in 2009 and additional of 84,517 households in 2010.
Antipala said that DSWD’s spent about P146.5M to fund the various feeding programs from 2008-2010 while the Department of Education (DepEd-7) also appropriated over P54.9M for its own feeding programs for school children in the region consisting of breakfast and lunch.
The Department of Agriculture meantime reported that its rice subsidy program got the agency’s bulk of expenses at P111.9 million for the 3-year (2008-2010) period. It was used to fund programs for the needy farmers in the region.
The National Nutrition Commission (NNC-7) supervised the program on Accelerated Hunger Mitigation and consolidated the agencies’ efforts to address hunger concerns in Central Visayas.
To improved farm productivity, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA-7) spent some P722.35 million for the irrigation and small water impounding projects that served over 1,005 hectares of farmlands in the region.
NIA also constructed, rehabilitated and restored irrigation units and provided other support infrastructure systems including irrigation, diversion dams, among others that benefited over 36,042 farmers between 2009 and 2010.
Meantime, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA-7) appropriated around P30M for coconut intercropping and salt fertilization as its contribution to hunger and poverty alleviation in Central Visayas that benefited some 7,000 coco farmers for PCA’s incentives payment for stabilized seedlings planted in 2009, the MDG report read.
The Bureau of Fisheries (BFAR-7) on the other hand intensified its aqua-marine and other marine projects and spent almost P15 million as its contribution to reduce poverty and hunger in the region within 2008 to 2010.
For 2011 initial MDG Scorecard report, the above mentioned agencies have already spent over P2.950 billion for their various poverty alleviation programs and projects in Central Visayas. (mbcn/PIA-7)
=============
RDC-7 endorses P2.7B worth of infra, irrigation projects in NegOr
By Minerva BC. Newman
CENTRAL VISAYAS, April 9 (PIA) -- The Regional Development Council (RDC-7) in Central Visayas recently approved the endorsements of various roads, drainage, seawalls, and irrigation projects of Negros Oriental worth over P2.704.2 billion for DPWH and NIA funding.
Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo said the various road projects will serve as support infrastructure facilities to the agricultural and economic development of the province as well as upgrading infra networks and service standards in far-flung areas.
“These infra projects will create job opportunities and increase access to quality facilities and services at the community level,” the governor added.
Specifically, the Negros Oriental Provincial Development Council (PDC) endorsed five road projects worth P575 million. These projects include the expansion of the NegOr Trans-Central highway; improvement of Nagbagang-Tamlang road in Sta. Catalina; and concreting of Sta. Catalina-Pamplona road costing P100 million each project.
The rehabilitation of the Ayungon-Kabankalan road via Carol-an, Ayungon is worth P75 million while the concrete paving of roads leading to declared tourism hubs and spokes, province-wide is worth another P200 million.
DPWH-7 assistant regional director Juvy Cordon presented another set of infrastructure projects consisting of various drainage and seawall construction and development that is estimated to cost over P484.2 million.
Cordon endorsed to the RDC-7 the construction of Port Breakwater Project in Sibulan; South Coastal Road and Seawall Shoreline Protection, Dumaguete City; and the construction of 2,300 lineal meters of Seawall in Sta. Catalina costing about P78.2 million, P71 million, and P50 million respectively.
Cordon also presented for RDC approval the extension of Piapi-Bantayan Coastal Road and Seawall Shoreline Protection, Dumaguete City that is worth P200 million and the development of Tanjay City Infrastructure Drainage System worth P85 million.
These projects were identified as priority because they serve as mitigating infrastructure measures to identified highly flood-prone and vulnerable areas in Negros Oriental, Cordon added.
Lastly, ARD Cordon presented eight various irrigation projects for NegOr worth over P1.645 billion for inclusion in the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) funding for 2013.
Cordon endorsed for RDC-7 approval the Communal Irrigation Projects of Silab-Jugno and Tambojahangin in Amlan; Amlan Communal irrigation; Hibaiyo, Guihulngan City; and Tamlang Valley, Sta Catalina.
According to Cordon the above communal irrigation projects will cost about P700 million while the Naga-Mantuyop Small Reservoir Irrigation project in Siaton and the Kinalan Small Reservoir Irrigation project in Mabinay will cost P75 million and P195 million million, respectively.
“The Masulog Communal Irrigation System and Extension Project in Canlaon City will cost P75 million,” Cordon added.
Cordon noted that these proposed irrigation projects for Negros Oriental can contribute greatly to spur agricultural production and self-sufficiency in cereal and food security in the province.
According to Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, these infrastructure and irrigation projects were included in its 2011-2016 provincial development and investment plan. (mbcn - PIA7)