Farewell visit of AFP chief Gen. David at Nolcom launched today

The  Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines General Ricardo A. David Jr (left) marching together with the new Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) chief Lt. Gen. Gaudencio S. Pangilinan. (Jason de Asis) 

Arrival honors accorded to the  Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines General Ricardo A. David Jr (left) by the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) during his visit here in Camp Aquino, Tarlac City on Friday (March 4) prior to his mandatory retirement on March 8.  To his left is Lieutenant General Gaudencio S. Pangilinan to whom he turned over his post as NOLCOM Commander upon his appointment as Chief of Staff by the President. (Jason de Asis)

The  Chief of Staff of Armed Forces of the Philippines General Ricardo A. David Jr (left) welcomed by the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM)  Lieutenant General Gaudencio S. Pangilinan at Camp Aquino Tarlac. (Jason de Asis)

Zubiri seeks for the immediate passage of Magna Carta for Environment workers

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 3, 2011-Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, yesterday sought for the immediate approval of Magna Carta for Environment Workers where he expressed concern over the alarming rate of killings involving environmental workers following the death of an environment official in Samar due to timber poaching.

The Senator condemned the barbaric death of Pierre Gillo, 51, officer in charge of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) in Sta. Rita, Samar, who was shot to death by unidentified assailants riding on a motorcycle last February 25, 2011 outside his house in V&G Subdivision in Tacloban City where the authorities believed that Gillo was killed due to his campaign against illegal logging activity in Santa Rita, some 40 km away from Tacloban City.

Zubiri said that there is a need to intensify campaign against illegal logging operation in the country to protect our green army, our environmental officers on the ground, who are helpless against big time logging operators and criminals.

There were more than 120 government environmental workers who were killed in the line of duty since 1987 according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) statistics.

DENR Ramon Paje said that the department had lost about eight personnel from July 2010 to present, thus Zubiri expressed his commitment to push for the immediate passage of the Magna Carta for Environment Workers saying that there is a need to ensure their safety, benefits and recognition to our Green army, volunteers, cops, soldiers and lawyers who are tasked to protect, preserve and maintain the quality of  our environment and natural resources.

He said that the task to protect our natural resources is not a walk in the park where he appealed to his colleagues to pass Senate Bill 2550 or the Magna Carta for Environment and Natural Resources Personnel which aims to promote and to improve the health, physical safety, social and economic well-being of the environment and natural resources personnel, their living and working conditions, security and terms of employment.

The said bill seeks to develop their skills and capabilities in order that they will be more responsive and better equipped to deliver environmental management functions and it also offered benefits for them to remain in government service.

Protection and benefits shall be given to the personnel of DENR, its Bureaus, Regional Officers, and attached Agencies, environmental units in the other government agencies and the ecological waste management department of the local government units including forest rangers and park rangers, according to the said bill including the private individuals and groups who are engaged in the protection of the environment such as NGOs and environmental units of private corporations or enterprises.

Those who are involved in hazardous undertakings such as field inspectors, waste monitoring and sampling specialists and those whose duties expose them to radiation, volcanic eruption and other occupational risks will be granted hazard allowance equivalent to 25% of the monthly basic salary while the environmental workers will also get highest basic salary upon retirement, higher insurance premium and increase medical examination package.

He said that if the Magna Carta for Environmental Workers will be approved, it will hasten the investigation, form a task force for environmental killings alone and apprehend the perpetrators the soonest possible time. Recognition for our environmental workers who continue to put their lives at great risk should be granted. (Jason de Asis)

Hard hitting radio anchor missing for 5 years to be remembered today

BALER, Aurora, March 3, 2011-The militant organization here from the Multi-Sectoral Action Group is set to remember in a simple ceremony the reportedly missing for five (5) years who was known as a hard hitting radio commentator airing on DZJO FM.

Mr. Joey Estriber, 37 years old, host of the radio program Pag-usapan Natin (Let’s Talk About It) was abducted at around 6:20 p.m. March 3, 2006 by unidentified men near an internet café here. Witnesses said that they saw  Estriber resisted his abductors, shouting as he was being dragged to a maroon Besta van with tinted windows and no plate number. The Witnesses saw four men surrounded Estriber and threw him into the van face down, after which the van moved south toward the central school, saying that the same van had been parked in the area hours before the abduction.

Estriber left behind a pair of slippers. Two text messages sent through his cellphone were received half an hour later, saying "Huwag kayong mag-alala, ok lang ako," (Don't worry, I'm all right.) and "Nagtatago ako." (I am hiding.) However, those who received the two text messages from Estriber’s cellphone doubted if he was the one who sent the messages.

Estriber, was an active Bataris member, a church-based non-government organization here who was tagged by the soldiers as supporter of rebels in the province and said that this was the reason for his abduction. In mid-February, the Philippine Army’s 48^th Infantry Battalion raided the Bataris office. At about the same time, a military officer claimed on radio that members of non-government organizations like Bataris are in the military's "order of battle."

Estriber was speaker at a forum where four soldiers reportedly tried to force their way in. Family members have made the rounds of radio and police stations but they were unable to gather information about Estriber’s abduction. 

Militant groups are seeking justice for the victim through candle lighting vigil.  (Arnel Turzar, DZJO FM, CMN-Baler, Aurora)

Pampanga Archdiocesan Migrants’ Desk: to celebrate Migrants’ Day in Sto. Tomas

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga, March 3, 2011-Hundred families and relatives of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), students, and parishioners of the Catholic Church in Pampanga are expected to gather to celebrate the national Migrants day on March 6 at Santo Tomas town headed by Reverend Father Arnie Serrano, the director of the Archdiocese Commission on Family and Life.

Ed Balagtas, core group member and head of paralegal and advocacy of the Pampanga Archdiocesan Migrants’ Desk (PAMD) said that the group was organized to provide various services and assistance to families of OFWs in the province where Father Serrano has lined-up various activities to make the annual celebration of migrants’ day more meaningful to the families and relatives of OFWs.

Balagtas said that they already advised the participants to assemble at seven o’clock in the morning at the Pampanga provincial Capitol before going to the St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Santo Tomas where a mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto.

The PAMD will award the winners in the provincial search for the top three outstanding sons and daughters of migrant workers dubbed Gawad Anak ng OFW after the mass.

Rose Clarie Feliciano, PAMD core group member said that the provincial winners will vie for the national search for the ten outstanding sons and daughters of OFWs scheduled on March 17, adding that on the same day, a service forum will be held with representatives of government agencies concerned with the welfare of OFWs as resource persons.

The local Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth), Social Security System and the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) were also invited including the Pampanga Action Center for OFW Concerns (PACOC), an office recently established by Governor Lilia G. Pineda to provide necessary services and assistance to Capampangans who work abroad, has also been invited to participate in the said service forum.

Earlier, the PAMD was organized five years ago and has been conducting family counseling, especially in matters of spiritual concerns, and providing linkage services with agencies of the government among the families of the OFWs which aimed to strengthen the families left behind by the migrant workers by providing necessary counseling services through the parish migrant desk coordinators.

Records showed that the PAMD has coordinators in the parishes of San Roque and St. Rafael in Lubao; St. James in Betis, Guagua; Sto. Tomas; Virgen delos Remedios in Dila-Dila, Sta. Rita; Holy Rosary in Angeles City; Sacred Heart in Palmayo and Divine Mercy in San Jose and Mother of Perpetual Help in Gutad, all in Floridablanca; Sto.Niño in the City of San Fernando; and La Consolacion and Immaculate Conception, both in Guagua. (Jason de Asis)

2 day Mega jobs fair in Tarlac start tomorrow

TARLAC CITY, March 3, 2011-The provincial government of Tarlac will launch a two (2) day Mega jobs fair at the Diwa ng Tarlac saying that thousands of overseas careers will be offered billed as “Handog Trabaho ni Gob. sa Kanyang Kaarawan”.

The occupations needed are motorpool workers (auto-mechanics/electricians/painters/denters/ auto aircon tech), medical & hospital staff (nurse/laboratory technicians/ therapists/medical secretaries/x-ray technicians), construction workers (carpenters/H.E. operators/masons/plumbers/rebar/electrician), maintenance workers, engineers, I.T. personnel, cooks, waiters, dressmakers, baby sitters, drivers, reflexologists and manicurists.

The applicants are advised to bring with them the necessary pre-employment requirements like resume, ID pictures, transcript of records or diploma and clearances where the provincial government reminds jobseekers that they will only be entertained from 8 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon.

The said fair will not be charging application, entrance and registration fees from those applicants according to the participating recruiters from the Philippine Association of Service Exporters, Inc. (PASEI). (Jason de Asis)

Aurora e-village roadshow going-on

NORTHERN, Aurora, March 2, 2011-Farmers and villagers in Dilasag, Casiguran, and Dinalungan here watch out for the Aurora e-village Roadshow which started yesterday until March 3 where the event serves as a jumpstart of Aurora e-village (Phase II) in the said areas which are facilitated by the Development workers from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and Provincial Government of Aurora (PGA).

The project came into reality through the efforts of Senator Edgardo J. Angara where the roadshow is expected to facilitate stakeholders’ awareness of the project and the various agricultural information services that they can access through Information and Communication Technologies or ICTs. The provision of ICT wares and infrastructure is just one of the project’s components.

The Aurora e-village website (http://www.aurora.gov.ph/e-village/) and Aurora e-village Text Center (3914400 for Smart Subscribers and 0908-896-8278 for other networks) are among the services highlighted during the activity, saying that these e-services are developed specifically for the benefit of Aurora stakeholders. The participants experience computer hands-on activity and win freebies from collaborating agencies.

Last year, the Phase I of the e-village was officially launched in Baler, Maria Aurora, Dipaculao, and San Luis followed by related activities such as project orientations for other stakeholders, ICT trainings, kiosk management seminars, and livelihood seminars.

The Aurora e-village Project aimed to give farmers the opportunity to have easier access to farm and market online information that will help them improve productivity, build stakeholders’ capability to retrieve and use information significant to their farming lives. (Jason de Asis) 

Change strategy in the Middle East crisis for OFWs welfare-Angara

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 2, 2011-Senator Edgardo J. Angara, vice-chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations urged the government to change strategy to keep pace with the troubles in the Middle East in order to lessen the negative impact on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) affecting the economy in the continues rise in crude oil prices.

He said that there is a need to learn to anticipate instead of waiting and then reacting to the events in the crisis, saying that a sense of urgency is needed for we are facing serious global situation particularly the affected Filipinos.

“There are two (2) major and inevitable effects of the unrest in the Middle East for the Filipinos where it will directly affect the OFWs currently based in Middle Eastern countries adding that these people might be put out of their jobs if the problem continues and they might be put into harm’s way if they stay.

This is an offshoot of the turmoil in the Middle East and has impact in the Philippine economy. Angara explained that the region supplies much of the world’s crude oil, and as an oil-dependent country, the rise of oil prices would translate into higher transportation fares, then higher food prices and an overall increase in the cost of living. This would ultimately give an unneeded boost to the country’s inflation rates and surely be felt first by the poverty-stricken citizenry.

“The administration should take pro-active measures so that the country’s people and economy stay safe,” Angara said, explaining that it has a domino-effect in the countries of Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and other lands in the Gulf area where a lot of Filipinos work in those places.

The Senator said that there is also a need to put additional funds for the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to good use in providing OFWs a way back to the Philippines and helping them once they get here.

Meanwhile, there are still 4,097 Filipinos awaiting evacuation from Libya and finally repatriation to the Philippines according to DOLE Middle East Crisis Monitoring Center while 3,544 Filipinos are already out where transportation to the Philippines is in various stages.

OWWA reported that they are ready to provide Php10,000 grant assistance to every OFW coming home from Libya in addition to the package assistance of National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NCRO) such as job placements and business loan. (Jason de Asis)

Aurora Coco plantation burned by NPA rebels in 2009 now in full bloom

DINALUNGAN, Aurora, March 2, 2011-In May 2009, a 20-man band of suspected communist New People’s Army rebels stormed the 133 hectare Aurora Province Coconut Development Center (APCDC) in Barangay Dibaraybay  here destroyed facilities and equipments then chopped and burned several young coconut seedlings.

To the surprise of officials of the APCDC, who launched the project 16 months earlier, the incident turned out to be a “blessing in disguise.” The seedlings only grew further and developed into mature seedlings.

Today, the center which is projected to become the breeding ground of quality seed nuts for Luzon is now home to the best coconut varieties. Among them are embryo-cultured Macapuno, Tacunan Dwarf, Catigan Dwarf, Synvar, Baybay Tall, San Ramon Tall and Open Pollinated Variety-Baler. A total of 15,553 coco seedlings have been planted at a 98.7 hectare area of the APCDC in Dibaraybay, some three kilometers from the town proper.

Dennis Calub, regional director for Regions 1, 2, 3 and 4-B of the Philippine Coconut Authority, and project director of the APCDC said that the center - a brainchild of Sen. Edgardo Angara, Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara and Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo - is projected to grow up to 1.7 million coconuts and develop 1.34 million plantable seedlings by 2018.

“By 2018, with this much production, we can plant coconuts in an average of 13,400 hectares per year,” he said, adding that it is enough to supply the demand of the Northern Luzon region.

The APCDC was first set up in this fourth-class town with the ceremonial planting on January 5, 2008. It was formally established on October 2, 2008 following the signing of the memorandum of agreement among the implementing agencies namely the PCA, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the provincial government of Aurora and the municipal government of Dinalungan.

Philiandro Garcia, center operations manager, said that the project was envisioned to be the center for coconut research, development and extension similar to the seed farm in Carmen, North Cotabato where two million coconuts were planted to  some 26,000 hectares of plantation.

Calub stressed that the center’s 6-point mission include promotion and development of a sustainable and globally competitive coconut industry through researches, delivery of extension services and enterprise development for farmers, and commercial production of quality planting materials of high-yielding coconut varieties.

It will showcase the various integrated coconut-based farming and processing technologies for increased productivity and profitability; provision of appropriate training and technical support for farmers to improve their skills and access to capital and markets.

The center is also intended to revive the coconut industry and to contribute to the overall efforts to attain food security.             

A total of 12 high-quality coconut varieties will be developed in the center where a two-hectare nursery for good quality seedlings and mother palms is being maintained. The project will be implemented over a period of 25 years.

Calub said that for the first five years of its operations, the center is projected to spend P215.88 million, of which P78 million has so far been released. The project’s funding was sourced from the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act through the countrywide development funds of Senator Angara.

Last January 22, some P10.5 million worth of facilities were inaugurated at the center, including the P5-million, two-story administration building, perimeter fence, the 1.7-kilometer access road and a 30,000-liter capacity elevated water tank. The administration building houses a library, training center cum dormitory and a laboratory for production of embryo-cultured Makapuno.

Calub said that at the project site, they have also implemented inter-cropping by planting various crops such as malungggay, banana, sweet potato, okra, corn, pineapple, palay, gabi and coffee beans at a 13-hectare area of the coconut plantation.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, who was briefed by Calub on the progress of the project, said high-value crops can also be grown in the project site. He pledged to provide funding for the setting up of a 20 to 30-hectare high-value crop plantation.

Dinalungan Mayor Tito Tubigan said that the project has also provided alternative source of livelihood to 86 residents of Dibaraybay, each of whom receives a daily pay of Php213.

Calub said that the May 2009 incident when the rebels burned the plantation could have been the turning point for the project. “It was one of the project’s biggest setbacks. But somehow, it also turned out as a blessing because the chopped tree trunks grew bigger and better,” he said.

Curiously, the incident also signaled the beginning of the end of the underground movement in the province. Residents protested the incident, resulting in a series of concerted actions which culminated in the declaration of the entire province as insurgency-free nine months later. (Jason de Asis)

Aurora solon files bill for the inclusion of entrepreneurship as separate subject in secondary

BALER, Aurora, March 2, 2011-Aurora Congressman Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara has filed house bill No. 269 that requires the inclusion of entrepreneurship as a separate subject in the high school curriculum where it should be taught in the senior year of both public and private secondary school nationwide.

Angara explained that the Philippine education system produces graduates who fall into the labor market every year and as the number of graduates increase, the number of unemployed countrymen who search for job continue to rise, saying that about 5.5 million Filipinos are unemployed and 3.9 million are underemployed according to statistics.

Angara furthered that the problem of unemployment and underemployment may be remedied if schools can produce graduates who are job creators rather than job seekers. Students need to be taught to face the world with dreams of entrepreneurial success; thus, the solon filed the said bill to deal with the following entrepreneurial matters on management, fund sourcing, program accreditation and requirements, and contemporary entrepreneurial practices.

“The subject will also cover the values and skills-formation aspects of the making of an entrepreneur,” Angara said, adding that the proposed measure mandates the Education secretary to designate a Head Subject Specialist from the Bureau of Secondary Education who shall be the lead person in coordinating all activities necessary for the development and implementation of the subject, making sure that it is attuned to the current policy of industrialization and global competitiveness.

The Aurora solon is hoping that the passage of the bill will lead young Filipinos to have vigor, competitive energy and creativity for small and medium enterprises in advance economies that may push the country’s own economic growth and development. (Jason de Asis)

Phl should move on to pluck out OFWs in Libya-Escudero

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 1, 2011-Senator Chiz Escudero,  chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights urged the government to move on that no single Filipino should be left behind in Libya to pluck out all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) trapped in the political and social turmoil in the North African country.

Escudero said that it is the government’s duty to look after the welfare of every single Filipino who are in troubled in Libya which has been reached and assigned for pick-up and evacuation, adding that the evacuation program adopted by the government should be a one-size-fits-all design to ensure their safety. "This should be the policy we ought to be adopting where the situation in Libya is a powder keg waiting to explode full blown,” he said.

“The political tension there will be exacerbated by the social and ethnic problems among almost 81 tribes vying for domination. Blended together, this unrest will blow in the face of everyone in the Libyan territory," Escudero said.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recorded that there are 26,000 Filipinos working and living in Libya, saying that only 13,000 may be likely evacuated by the government. The 13,000 were reached through the efforts of the Philippine embassy there and others find ways to contact the personnel of the foreign mission on their own.

He said that a big number of Filipinos remained trapped in areas near the Libyan capital of Tripoli. In Al Kufrah alone, 100 OFWs were abandoned by their Korean employers and have been pleading for help in light of the sporadic shots and explosions being heard from surrounding areas.

The government has chartered planes from the Philippine Airlines and Qatar Airways where each flight to Manila costs P13 million and can accommodate 200 to 300 people per flight. The government is allocating P100 million contingency fund for the Libya situation where he called on key agencies concerned to cut all bureaucratic red tapes in the release of the OFW standby fund which is meant for situations such as this in Libya.

Escudero said that all mechanisms, legal, financial, physical to afford protection for OFWs should be interfaced with all efforts from all fronts. They are our modern heroes who keep our economy afloat. The government should protect them from threats and dangers anywhere and no stone should be left unturned in terms of getting them out of harm's way, if our OFWs get the perception of being neglected, they might become ambassadors of ill-will rather than goodwill in foreign lands.

Meanwhile, DFA spokesperson Ed Malaya reported that there were 2,000 OFWs from Libya who returned now in the country. He said that they are targeting to bring the remaining thousand Filipinos in Libya until Saturday by using ship that can accommodate 1,725 people, airplanes and other vehicles.

Today, the DFA is expecting 50 OFWs to come in the country and 32 OFWs tomorrow. (Jason de Asis)

1991 local gov’t. code must be amended for PENRO’s appointment

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, March 1, 2011-Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr., who chair the Senate committee on local government yesterday said that there is a need to amend provisions of the 1991 Local Government Code by mandatory appointment of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The Senator said that the DENR officers in the province are the representatives of the national agency and bring down to the provincial level the programs and policies of the DENR where the PENRO will take those programs and policies and apply them in their assigned provinces.

Sen. Bongbong explained that each PENRO is specific to its respective province since the needs and concerns of every province are slightly or totally different from one another. In contrast, the national policies and programs expressed through the DENR are constant throughout the whole country.

He added that the DENR’s function is to formulate and implement national programs and policies while PENRO would translate it into local projects and strategies that would fit into the varying needs and situations of each community, saying that they need one another, and he thinks that is the way it should be handled.

Referred to the committee on local government, by making the appointment of PENRO mandatory instead of optional Senate Bill introduced by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, seeks to amend Section 463, Chapter 2, Title Four, Book III of Republic Act No. 7160.

The PENRO should be responsible for ensuring that forest lands in every province are protected from wanton and illegal cutting of logs, Senate Bill 2274 directed the government to protect and preserve precious forest reserves to avoid destructive flooding in the future. (Jason de Asis)

Php10 million fish cage livelihood to benefit Casiguran fisherfolks-Alcala

CASIGURAN, Aurora, February 28, 2011-Casiguran fishermen and indigenous Dumagats here will benefit from a P10-million fish cage livelihood project in Casiguran mariculture park which was initiated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said that a total of 32 fish cages will be installed by the DA-BFAR at the Casiguran mariculture park through the initiative of Senator Edgardo J. Angara, Congressman Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara and Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo.

He said that the fish cage features a new design as devised by BFAR called as Alcala fish cage model where bangus and sea cucumber will be raised at the same time, adding that the Bangus will be raised on the top cage, while the sea cucumber will be at the bottom where they will serve as ‘bio filters’ or eaters of surplus feed and wastes of bangus.

Alcala said that every three months, each fish cage is expected to produce at least four tons or 4,000 kilos saying that at the current farmgate price of bangus in Casiguran of P90 per kilo, the fish cage beneficiaries will earn a gross income of P360,000 per harvest.

During the project launch at Casiguran pier, Alcala explained that BFAR wants the small fishermen and the Dumagats to directly benefit from this fish cage livelihood project, saying that we want to change and transform their lives for the better.

“Every two (2) weeks, we will train them to stock and to harvest bangus on a rotation basis so that they will earn a steady income year-round and assist them up to the marketing stage,” Alcala said, adding that they will also put up a mini ice plant with a three-ton capacity to provide the ice requirements of the harvested bangus during transport to markets in Aurora province and nearby provinces such as Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya.

The DA will also provide a refrigerated truck courtesy of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech).

  

Earlier, Alcala led the ceremonial stocking of bangus fingerlings and turnover of the initial batch of fish cages to the beneficiaries composed of small fishermen and Dumagats. (Jason de Asis)

Pimentel eyes raps vs Ochoa, Soliman over gov’t CCT program

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, February 28, 2011-Former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who authored the Local Government Code, said he will file a petition to the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the government from implementing the controversial conditional cash transfer (CCT) with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as the implementing agency.

During the barangay good governance seminar, Pimentel said that he will file a petition for certiorari with the SC this week to compel the government to stop the DSWD from pushing through with the CCT. He said the petition will name as respondents Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa and DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman.

Pimentel said he is not against the CCT per se but he opposed the DSWD being the lead agency to implement. He said the government should let the local government units to handle the program.

“I am not opposing the CCT although I have reservations about it because I fear it’s a dole-out but the LGUs should be the one to handle it, not the DSWD,” he said. “Afterall, it is the LGUs which have the capability to determine which of the families belong to the poor,” he said.

Pimentel said that the LGC has effectively devolved the functions of the DSWD and national government agencies to LGUs and to let the DSWD handle the program is like reverting to the old set-up.

“Besides who is in the best position to determine the level of poverty in the place, is it the LGU and the barangays,” he asked.

He said by letting the DSWD to run the show, it will defeat the spirit and purpose of genuine autonomy, adding that the DSWD’s plan to tap 4,000 people to implement the program is highly questionable. “Imagine you will hire 4,000 peolple just for that? I don’t think it’s practical,” he said. (Jason de Asis)

Zubiri distributed Php8 million PDAF in Tarlac towns

TARLAC CITY, February 28, 2011-A total of Php8 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of Senator Juan Miguel  Zubiri was distributed to several towns in Tarlac for the constructions, repairs and rehabilitation of various school buildings and multi-purpose facilities.

The beneficiaries of the One Town, One Project in Tarlac are the municipalities of San Miguel, Anao, Gerona, Paniqui, Ramos, Victoria, San Jose and La Paz where a brief ceremonial turnover of SARO (Special Allotment Release Order) was conducted by Local chief executives led by Governor Victor Yap and Zubiri at the provincial Capitol.

Zubiri said that it is an important day in the history and he is honored to commemorate EDSA day in Tarlac where the icon of democracy like former President Corazon Aquino, and President Noynoy Aquino started where he encouraged the youth to be "little Cory" of their generation upon visiting the graduation ceremony of Grade 1 and Day Care teachers from Paniqui and Gerona.

After remembering EDSA in Tarlac, Zubiri proceeded to Angeles City, Pampanga as part of a nationwide search for students who excel in academic and civic activities where he launched leadership excellence awards project for high school and elementary students in partnership with the JCI (Junior Chamber Incorporated) dubbed as the “Young Leaders Excellence Awards." (Jason de Asis)

Phl job programs for Middle east OFW’s to get employed needed

SENATE OFFICE, Manila, February 24, 2011-Senator Manny Villar, who chairs the Senate trade panel urged the government to be ready with job programs for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to get employed at once and should start stitching up economic safety nets for the thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East who will be forcibly repatriated as the regional conflagration escalates.

Villar said that once the Midde East-OFWs returned, it has economic impact for they will be bloated in the jobless statistics where the Technological Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) could step in to take lead in providing skill training programs to provide job opportunities for them.

He said that as more Middle East-OFWs come home, the consumer spending which was currently riding on the spending appetite of OFW families will likewise slowdown, adding that they would also drive them to be conservative on their spending and ultimately hurt businesses would be the psychological effect to them and their families not directly affected by the Middle East turmoil.

“Aside from shattered dreams, one big casualty of the Middle East unrest is the expected dwindling of US dollar remittances from OFWs in the region that is being rocked by pro-democracy rallies that is threatening to engulf the entire Arab bloc,” Villar said, adding that the Middle East alone is home to more than two million dollar-remitting OFWs, whose monthly remittance could drastically dwindle if the unrest continues.

Villar said OFWs in Bahrain, Yemen, Iran and Libya are now facing bleak employment future because of the protest rallies in its capital cities by the pro-democracy movements that are spreading wildfires and caught in the middle are our OFWs.

Record shows that there are more than 31,000 OFWs in Bahrain, 1,500 employed OFWs in Yemen, 26,000 OFWs in Libya, and about 1,000 Filipino workers in Iran.

“I would dread the day when the civil uprising spills over to neighboring Saudi Arabia, which is the biggest employer of OFWs reaching 1.5 million and collectively remitting some $1.3 billion annually,” Villar said, saying that the latest order of the government to freeze deployment to Bahrain, Yemen and Libra would further hurt the potential growth in OFW remittances from the region.

“The government should not expect another banner year of OFW remittances this 2011 because of the Middle East situation compared to last year’s $18.76 billion record remittances turned in by OFWs around the globe may now be a difficult to beat or replicate,” he said, unless that the unrest simmers down soon, the government may have to look for another economic booster other than the dollars sent by OFWs.

“The foreign banks estimate that the projected OFW’s remittance of $20.5 billion this year is a pipe dream,” he furthered.

Earlier, Villar called on government to assess the economic impact of the Middle East turmoil to local oil prices and ensure the welfare of OFWs in the said place. (Jason de Asis)