DENR-7, NBI establish protocols on 'ivory' investigation
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, Oct 3 (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) met to establish the necessary protocols for a joint field investigation on the reported smuggled trading of elephant tusks or ivory where they are allegedly carved into religious items or icons.
The NBI will take the lead in the joint investigation by providing support to DENR and the team will also coordinate with the National Museum to help out in the identification whether these items or icons date back before 1981 said Isabelo Montejo, DENR-7 executive director.
“We should determine whether these pieces allegedly taken from ivory tusks have the needed certifications or permits from appropriate agencies,” Montejo added.
It was in 1981 that the Philippines became a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), according to Montejo.
This is an international agreement between governments to ensure the international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
The organizational meeting on September 27 in the office of Montejo was attended by two officials from NBI-7 including its Regional Director Edward Villarta; Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Cebu Richard Abella; Protected Areas and Wildlife Division staff Jose Layese Jr., and Ariel Rica.
“Our agreement with NBI is to invite certain persons who are allegedly involved as mentioned in the National Geographic report,” Montejo said.
He added the investigation is not directed at the Church but other individuals or shops perceived to be holding possessions of these items including those in the three provinces of Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
DENR has started coordinating with the National Museum as it does not have the capability or competence to qualify these pieces as antique or not,” he added.
Montejo added part of the investigation is to conduct an inventory on the items made of ivory from other shops or malls. (mbcn/hfg-PIA 7/DENR-7)
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Over 50,000 join Alay Lakad in Cebu‘Walk to send poor, deserving students to school’
CEBU CITY, Oct 2 (PIA) -- Over 50,000, mostly youths, joined the recent Annual Walk for a Cause or the Alay Lakad 2012 in Cebu City.
The event, organized by the Alay Lakad Cebu Foundation Inc. (ALFI), was aimed at raising money to fund the education of student scholars from poor families in Cebu City. These students are out-of-school youths or youths in school facing financial crisis in the family.
ALFI Executive Director Steve Norman Tan in a PIA Kapihan said that for the past 36 years, the foundation served as a vital instrument in helping the youths whether in school and out-of-school youth to have a brighter future through its several programs.
“The foundation specifically cares for the youths by giving them assistance through scholarship grants whether they are in high school or in college. For out-of-school youths, we served as their key to enter school and for those already studying we will be there to ensure that they can finish their studies for a good future ahead,” Tan said.
Tan added that at present, they have 24 high school scholars and three college scholars. The college student scholars are enrolled in public or state universities such as the Cebu Technological University and Cebu Normal University.
The ALFI however, planned to extend the program to cover and to include deserving college students studying in private universities but who are facing financial crisis risking their chance of finishing school.
“We have plans to also include and extend our scholarship grant to students in private universities but who may be in danger of dropping out due to lack of money to pay for their tuition. We want them to really continue their studies despite the financial crisis at home,” Tan said.
Apart from the educational scholarship grants to high school and college students, the ALFI also provided other programs that benefit the youths such as skills training program, livelihood training, and drug prevention seminars.
Since they started offering their educational scholarship program many years ago, the ALFI has produced a total of 3,000 beneficiaries including from their skills and livelihood programs as well as the participation from the drug seminars conducted.
The foundation also sent 58 youths for skills and livelihood trainings, said Tan.
For 2012-2013, the ALFI plans to raise its number of high school scholars to 36 and 12 for college scholars and 150 for skills and livelihood trainees, Tan said.
Themed “Bawat Hakbang Mo, Para sa Kinabukasan Ko Alay Lakad 2012,” the annual Walk-for-A-Cause generated P700,000 from over 50,000 participants here in Cebu. (FCR/AYS-PIA7, Cebu/ALCFI PR)