2014 budget should CARE for victims of calamities Drilon bats for P15 billion rehab fund for 2014

MANILA-To ensure that the 2014 national budget will provide for funds to assist in the reconstruction of areas devastated by recent massive calamities, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon has proposed the creation of a CARE (Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Effort) Fund under the proposed P2.268-trillion 2014 national budget which the Senate is set to hear next week.

"The 2014 national budget must provide for funds badly needed by our countrymen, who suffered the misfortunes brought about by the series of massive natural and man-made disasters," said Drilon.

"The magnitude of the damage caused by the recent calamities most specifically super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ is extensive. The rehabilitation aspect would require much more funds,” he added.

However, the proposed expenditures for next year, noted Drilon, did not take into account the need for massive and immediate rehabilitation of infrastructure that is set to be undertaken by the government because no one could have predicted the severe damage caused by the calamities that struck the country in the last quarter of 2013.

“I proposed the creation of a Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Effort, or ‘CARE’ Fund to be used exclusively for the construction of housing units, repair and rehabilitation of irrigation systems, school buildings, power infrastructures, hospitals, and public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and government buildings,” emphasized Drilon.

The CARE is proposed to be funded with P15 billion under the 2014 national budget to be used for the rehabilitation, repair, and construction works and activities in areas devastated by typhoons Santi, Labuyo and Yolanda, 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the Visayas region, and the siege in Zamboanga City.

Drilon proposed to source the fund for the CARE from Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund which has P81.06 billion allocation for 2014.

The Senate chief asked to reduce the funding requirement for the filling up of unfilled positions by P8 billion from P35,65 billion to P27.64 billion and the funds for the creation of new positions by P7 billion from P16.07 billion to P9.07 billion.

Drilon recommended that the P15 billion CARE fund be distributed to the Department of Public Works and Highway (P6 billion) for the repair and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, government buildings, as well as the restoration of declared historical sites and structures; Department of Education (P2.75 billion) and State Universities and Colleges (P1.25 billion) for the repair of school buildings; and National Housing Authority (P1.5 billion) for the establishment of relocation sites and construction of housing units.

Likewise, Drilon has proposed to allocate P1 billion to the Department of Health for the repair of hospitals, as well as P750 million each to the Department of Energy for the restoration of power utilities and the National Irrigation Administration for the repair of irrigation systems.

Lastly, another P1 billion is being proposed to be given to local government units for the repair of rural health units and hospitals and to fund other rehabilitation programs.

His amendment said that “release of funds under this purpose shall be made directly to the appropriate implementing agencies and/or concerned local government units in accordance with the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council and approval of the President of the Philippines.”

Drilon recalled that the same provision was applied in the 2007 General Appropriations Act when the country was beset by catastrophic typhoons namely Milenyo, Paeng, Reming, and Seniang. An amount of P8 billion, lodged under the Calamity Fund, was allocated for rehabilitation, repair, and reconstruction works and activities in areas damaged by those typhoons. Drilon was the Finance committee chair at that time.

Cabanatuan water rates increased by 16%, affect 34,000 consumers

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – The Cabanatuan City Water District has increased water rates among residential and commercial establishments in the city by 16%, affecting 34,557 consumers with service connections.

          The rate hike is in line with efforts by the CCWD to generate funds to finance an expansion program of the CCWD, said general manager Mario Villasan.

          Villasan clarified that the latest tariff rate is actually not a a new rate increase as the management only implemented the proposed sets of tariffs approved during a public hearing in June last year whose implementation was held in abeyance for more than a year because of the opposition made by affected sectors.

          “Basically, the 16% increase in water rates does not constitute a new increase since we only enforced the prescribed rates which were approved during last year’s public hearing,” he said.

          In fact, he added, what the CCWD only implemented was the water rate for 2012 with the approved rate for 2013 still to be implemented.

He said they actually tried to implement it in the past but decided to suspend it due to numerous complaints. “It (new rate) was long overdue actually,” he said.

          In the hearing, held on June 27,2012, the approved water rates would be implemented in four tranches. The 1^st one involving a 16% increase would take effect in September 2012 while the next tariff adjustments would be implemented in September 2013 (17.7%), September 2015 (5.3%) and September 2017 (8%).

          Based on the water rates, residential and government establishments using the smallest meter of size ½ will be levied a service charge of P192 for consumption of up to 10 cubic meters while a size 4 meter will have a service charge of P13,824.

For the same smallest meter connection, a commodity charge of P21.60 will be collected for consumption of between 11-20 cubic meters, P23.80 for 21-30 cubic meters, P26.40 for 31-40 cubic meters, P29.60 for 41-50 cubic meters and P33.70 for consumption ranging from 51 cubic meters and above.

          For commercial establishments using the smallest meter, the service charge ranges from P240 to P384 and commodity charge of between P27 to P43.20 for consumption of 11-20 cubic meters, P29.75 to P47.60 for 21-30 cubic meters, P33 to P52.80 for 31-40 cubic meters, P37 to P59.20 for 41-50 cubic meters and P42.15 to P67.40 for consumption of 51 cubic meters and above.         

          The series of rate adjustments would affect consumers in 67 of the city’s 89 barangays, 90% of whom are residential.

          Villasan said the  rate adjustments are fair and reasonable and affordable to low-income groups. He stressed that the CCWD will still have the lowest water rates among “Category A” water districts which refer to WDs with consumers of 30,000 and above.

          “We will be at par with the Angeles City Water District with the second lowest water rate in Central Luzon, lower than the rates of Mabalacat and San Jose del Monte,” he said.   

          Villasan said that the tariff adjustment was necessary to enable the CCWD to tap fund allocation for new water sources, raise additional budget to cover price changes brought by inflation, address the decline in water sales due to the lowering of water consumption, expansion of water services to 21 additional barangays and compliance with the Clean Water Act.

          He said the expansion of services include construction of pumping stations, pipelines and service area connections for unserved barangays, infiltration wells, district metered areas, climate change adaptation measures and the establishment of a clean water plant by 2014.

          The clean water plant (CWP) project, he said, will serve as a refilling station in the unserved barangays not covered by the expansion. He added that a pilot CWP has already been constructed in Barangay Bagong Sikat and is now serving quality water for P15 per gallon of container.

          In pursuing a set of tariff adjustments, Villasan said the CCWD has complied with the requirements set forth by the Local Water Utilities Administration which prescribed that in determining the water rate, it must not exceed 60% of the existing minimum and commodity charges and it must not exceed 5% of the minimum charge for residential connections with the smallest water meter. (Manny Galvez)          

Central Luzon Top PNP Visits Aurora Police

BALER, Aurora-Police Chief Supt. Raul D. Petrasanta, Regional Director of Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) has been keeping on his toes and has been conducting series of command visits at the different provincial/city police offices here in Central Luzon.  

            Petrasanta was welcomed with the arrival honors composed of a company-sized police formation at Camp Victor Ravina, Brgy. Sabang, Baler, Aurora.

            A short program was conducted wherein he spearheaded the distribution of eleven (11) brand new Glock 17 9mm pistols to the personnel of Baler Municipal Police Station. He said that the continuous distribution of the new guns is part of the modernization program of the PNP which aims at attaining a 1:1 police-to-pistol-ratio.

            Petrasanta gave his guidance to the officers and personnel of Aurora PPO where he emphasized his administration’s program under the directives of the Chief PNP, Police Director General Alan Purisima.

  

            Prior to his visit in Aurora Provincial Police Office, he also visited Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales Provincial Police Offices last month.

            Petrasanta is scheduled to visit Angeles and Olongapo City Police Offices in the coming days. (CLMA News)

Legarda On Yolanda Aftermath: We Must Rebuild Stronger Communities

MANILA-Amid the ongoing relief efforts by the government and various socio-civic organizations for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda, Senator Loren Legarda said that local governments are facing the greater challenge of building back better communities.

“I deeply commiserate with families who have lost their loved ones due to Typhoon Yolanda. It is truly heartbreaking to see the devastated communities. As we offer prayers for the victims and all those affected, we hope that this disaster will serve as another lesson to us especially as we rebuild our communities. Affected citizens in many areas in the country immediately need food, clothing, shelter and medicines, but we must now also start addressing the need to rehabilitate affected communities,” said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change.

“It will not be enough to build people’s lives and communities to where they were before the disaster—we need to rebuild communities with the confidence that we are not rebuilding the risks again; we need to ensure that reconstruction of homes and infrastructure will be in safer ground following sound construction standards; we need to soon restart and create livelihoods; and restore normalcy in people’s lives with a stronger sense of hope and confidence for the future,” she stressed.

Legarda said that aside from post-disaster damage and loss assessment, there should be a social needs assessment so that there is equal attention to the social needs of affected communities, including for alternative employment and livelihood opportunities.

“We must build back better and more resilient communities. We must prevent disasters and be prepared in the coming of the next natural hazards. We must also ensure effective early warning systems that will facilitate early actions,” she said.

The Senator noted that before Typhoon Yolanda made landfall, many local governments have prepared for its coming, enforcing evacuation of many families in barangays located along the coast or are prone to floods and landslides. Despite this, 1,774 individuals were reported dead according to the latest update from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and thousands more are believed to have died especially because of the storm surges that occurred.

“This disaster also tells us about the urgent need to save and care for our environment. It may be a great challenge to relocate all families living in coastal barangays to ensure that they are safe from storm surges during typhoons, but we must act to reduce the risks they face,” she said.

Legarda, author of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Law (R.A. 10121), explained that aside from early evacuation before typhoons make landfall, coastal barangays must strengthen their natural protection from storm surges through mangrove reforestation and rehabilitation of coastal wetlands, among other initiatives.

Furthermore, existing programs like the National Greening Program and the Integrated Coastal Management Program must be implemented at full speed and parallel efforts from the private sector will be most helpful.

Legarda recently filed Senate Resolution 332 urging LGUs to establish their respective local disaster risk reduction and management offices.

“We must rebuild communities that are better, stronger and more resilient to give our people not only hope for the present, but also confidence in the future. We must free our nation from the exhausting and costly cycle of rebuilding our communities every single time natural hazards occur by doing everything in our capacity to prevent disasters,” Legarda concluded.

Drilon asks DBM to revise 2014 budget to include P10-billion funds for rehabilitation of calamity-stricken areas

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon sought today the creation of a special fund, amounting to at least P10 billion, in the proposed 2014 national budget that can be used to address the damages brought about by the recent calamities, including the devastating super typhoon Yolanda that wrought havoc in Central Visayas particularly Leyte, the typhoon Santi that hit Central Luzon, the siege in Zamboanga City, and as well as the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol and Cebu provinces.

“We will propose for the next year budget that we should create a special fund amounting to at least P10 billion only for the rehabilitation of public infrastructure including roads and bridges, and damaged houses and power utilities,” Drilon said before the 300 delegates of the Philippine Dental Association and House of delegates’ midyear session on Monday.

Drilon emphasized that this was done in the 2007 General Appropriations Act, during which he was the Committee on Finance chairman, when the country was beset by catastrophic typhoons namely Milenyo, Paeng, Reming, and Seniang. An amount of P8 billion, lodged under the Calamity Fund, was allocated for rehabilitation, repair, and reconstruction works and activities in areas damaged by those typhoons.    

“I would propose that the P2.268-trillion national budget for 2014 be reconstituted and recast in order for the government to have a rehabilitation fund which the government can tap to respond quickly to the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure and address the need of the people greatly affected by the past calamities,” stressed Drilon.

The Senate chief said the President’s Social Fund can handle the relief operations, but what is critical is the massive rehabilitation of infrastructure which was destroyed by the recent calamities.

“I would urge the Department of Budget and Management to submit a new budget proposal which we can consider in the Senate and in the bicameral conference committee taking into account the need for funds for massive rehabilitation that we would need,” he pointed out.

He added: “This is necessary because the proposed 2014 budget clearly did not take into account the need for massive and immediate rehabilitation of infrastructure. “When this proposed budget was crafted at the start of the year, certainly nobody could have predicted the severe damages caused by the recent typhoons Yolanda and Santi, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol and Cebu and the siege in Zamboanga City.”

The DBM is in the best position to review its proposed items of expenses in 2014 budget and recast the budget so that when the General Appropriations Act of 2014 is passed, it will already reflect the fund needed for the rehabilitations of all these areas, he noted.

The Senate chief expressed confidence that the senators will realize the need to revise the budget considering that the 2014 budget that will be brought to the floor for interpellation when session resumes next week.

Drilon to keynote dental groups gathering on Monday

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon is set to address the 300 leaders of the country’s dentistry profession as the keynote speaker for the opening ceremonies of the Philippine Dental Association (PDA) and House of Delegates' Midyear Session, to be held on November 11/Monday, 1pm, at the Manila Hotel.

Drilon's speech will focus mostly on the government's healthcare programs, the issues confronting the health sector, and as well as the reforms needed to further advance the health condition of Filipinos in line with the 2015 Millennium Development Goals.

The Senate chief is also expected to explain briefly the pork barrel controversy now hounding the Philippine Congress before the 300 delegates representing more than 99 constituent chapters and 25 affiliates of the PDA nationwide, along with members of the PDA Executive Board, and former presidents of the said dental association.

Also expected to be in attendance are the officers of the PDA House of Delegates (HOD), past HOD Speakers, deans of various dental colleges in the country, along with representatives from the Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC) Board of Dentistry.

With this year’s theme of “Intensifying Professionalism”, Drilon is expected to discuss the vital role of the nation’s political and medical sectors in delivering services that can uplift the country’s condition.

The Senate chief will also comment on the issues confronting the dentistry profession in the country today, especially on the impact of the Mutual Recognition Agreement, which will facilitate the mobility of dental services professional within the South-East Asian region starting in 2015.

The Philippine Dental Association is a non-stock organization founded in 1908 to form a strong national organization of dentists in the country; it has since then made various efforts to promote better dental health nationwide, and as well as to enhance the integrity of the dental profession.

Legarda Wants Verde Island Passage Declared as Protected Area

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda has filed a measure that will intensify the government’s drive in preserving the Verde Island Passage, which is a source of livelihood to millions of Filipinos, a vital passageway, and a national heritage that is teeming with unique marine species.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, is proposing the declaration of Verde Island Passage, as a Marine Protected Area and Ecological Tourism Zone.

“We must ensure the sustainable use of the resources of the Verde Island Passage and considering its economic potential, there is an urgent need for the government and other stakeholders to coordinate their efforts towards the conservation of this national heritage,” she said.

The Verde Island Passage Marine Corridor is a 1.14 million hectare stretch of water along portions of the provinces of Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon. It is located right in the middle of the Coral Triangle and with the highest concentration of marine species in any region of the world.

Legarda noted that a 2005 joint study by marine biologists from the World Conservation Union and the Smithsonian Institute of the United States revealed that the Verde Island Passage is believed to be the “center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity in the world”. 

The same study also revealed that, despite existing laws, illegal fishing and unregulated shipping lanes still persist in the area, and that the continued degradation of its marine habitat could possibly lead to the extinction of species.

“The Verde Island Passage Marine Corridor is an important source of livelihood for over 7 million people who engage in fishing, aquaculture and tourism, among others. It likewise provides important passageway for both commercial and industrial ships travelling from Manila or Batangas going to the southern parts of the country and vice versa. It is a vital resource for the country but we must not abuse it,” Legarda explained.

On November 8, 2006, Executive Order No. 578 was issued to create a Task Force on Verde Island Passage to ensure the protection, conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity in the Verde Island Passage Marine Corridor and the formulation of the Verde Island Passage Management Plan.

Despite this intervention, the area remains under threat from over-exploitation and possible oil spills and other contaminants from industries located along the port of Batangas, and by climate change, as well.

The proposed Verde Island Passage Act will create a Verde Island Passage Advisory Council (VIPAC) that shall formulate policies and regulations to ensure its protection, conservation and sustainable use. A Master Plan shall be prepared by the Council, which contains mechanisms and management strategies to ensure participatory decision-making among concerned local government officials and agencies.

Doctors, dentists barred from collecting separate fees in hospitals- BIR

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga-Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reminds doctors and dentists in Central Luzon that they are barred from collecting separate fees from patients who are admitted in hospitals.

 

 

“Under Revenue Regulation No.14-2013, the professional fee should be included in the hospital bill. The withholding tax due from his/her fee should be deducted and remitted to us,” BIR Region No.4 Assistant Director Conrado Lee said.

 

 

“The hospital must withhold 15% of the professional fee if the annual income is P720,000 or more and 10% if less,” Lee added.

 

 

Revenue rules require hospitals to annually submit the list of its doctors and their addresses while doctors are obliged to post their fees in their offices.

 

 

BIR Region No.4, which covers six out of the seven provinces of Central Luzon, targets P18 billion in revenue collection this 2013.

 

 

The goal is spread out in its 10 district offices in Tarlac City; Paniqui town, Tarlac; Olongapo City; Subic Bay Freeport; Bataan; North Pampanga; South Pampanga; Aurora; North Nueva Ecija; and South Nueva Ecija which has a total of 1,463,688 taxpayers as of December 2012. (Rebecca Grace S. David)

Legarda Promotes Culture of Peace Through Relevant Policies

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said she will actively pursue proposed measures aimed at promoting intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace, which UNESCO advocates.

Legarda, head of the Philippine Delegation to the 37^th UNESCO General Conference in Paris, France, said that the Philippines, being a historically plural and multi-ethnic society, should be at the forefront of efforts to promote unity among diversity.

“There are 110 indigenous peoples groups in the Philippines and each island and province in the country has its own culture. But despite the difference in traditions, belief systems and faith, in the end, we are all Filipinos. It is the same with nations, we may be governed by different laws and customs but we must be united because we live in only one planet which we must care for,” she stressed.

“In line with this, we must give due importance to our respective cultures as we strive to understand the culture of other groups and nations,” said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities.

The Senator has filed several proposed measures in the Senate that aim to promote unity among diversity, primarily by providing equal rights and opportunities to ethnic groups and indigenous peoples, which have significant contributions to the story of the Filipino people.

Senate Bill No. 1391, which will create the Department of Culture, will reorganize the existing National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and ensure its place in the priorities of the government.

Senate Bill No. 105 seeks to preserve the country’s traditional folk arts through the regional museums of the National Museum.

“With these regional museums showcasing traditional folk arts, we hope to start a cultural revolution through an immersion in the Philippine art from the ordinary folks of old,” said Legarda.

Meanwhile, Senate Bill No. 669, which seeks to safeguard the traditional property rights of IPs starting with the inventory of all cultural properties of the various indigenous communities in the country.

Senate Bill No. 515 will require government offices and private enterprises in areas where members of indigenous cultural communities are predominantly located, to give preferential employment to IPs, who must constitute at least 10% of their work force.     

Senate Bill No. 534 aims to include ethnic origin in the National Survey conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), which will be useful in determining the specific concerns of IPs in various areas and finding suitable solutions to address such matters.

Senate Bill No. 1357 will prohibit profiling, violence and all forms of intolerance against persons based on ethnicity, race, religion or belief, language, disability or other status.

DPWH demolishes 642 illegal structures along Pampanga River Delta

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has demolished 642 illegal structures along Pampanga River Delta that drain down Manila Bay.

 

Included in these encroachments were homes of informal settlers and prohibited fish pens.

 

“562 of the structures we had removed were located in the villages of Bebe Anac, Bebe Matua, San Agustin, Sagrada, Puti, San Pedro, Bulacus, and Malauli in Masantol while the remainder were in barangay Consuelo in Macabebe town,” DPWH Regional Director Antonio Molano disclosed.

 

Demolition took place from June 12,2012 to June 30, 2013.

 

“Crucial to the rehabilitation of Manila Bay is the relocation of informal settlers that reside within the three meter radius of the bodies of water surrounding the area,” Molano added.

 

Meanwhile, DPWH is currently working on the relocation of 573 informal settler families in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac that are also within the Manila Bay area.

 

“Demolition happens after the local government units have developed their Local Shelter Plans and identified their resettlement sites,” Molano explained.

Legarda Leads PHL Delegation to UNESCO’s 37th General Conference

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda will stress on the country’s experiences on environmental protection, heritage preservation, peace building and sustainable development at the 37th General Conference of UNESCO in Paris, France.

As head of the Philippine Delegation, Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committees on Cultural Communities, on Climate Change, and on Environment and Natural Resources, will deliver the Philippines’ policy statement for the General Policy Debate of the 37th Session of the UNESCO General Conference on November 8, 2013 at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

“The message that we would want to impart to our fellow member states is clear—we are facing wars that could be far greater than the wars of the past. We need to address extreme poverty that affects 1.2 billion people; we must find resolution to violent conflicts, which endanger the lives of 1.5 billion people; we must defend our communities from climate change and disasters that kill at least 400,000 every year; and we must give our wholehearted commitment to save our planet, which is nearing its biophysical limits,” the Senator said.

Legarda will share how the Philippines is addressing these concerns, especially through national policies on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and programs to support the preservation of natural and man-made heritage such as the Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras, the Historic City of Vigan, and the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

“We aim to share our best practices as we also pursue to strengthen other programs especially in light of disasters that shocked us including Typhoon Bopha, the single deadliest disaster in the world in 2012 that claimed the lives of 1,901 people in the Philippines; and the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Central Visayas that destroyed not only lives and livelihoods but also historic structures and centuries-old churches included in our World Heritage Tentative List,” she said.

Legarda will be joined by Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Cristina Ortega, UNESCO National Commission Secretary-General Virginia Miralao, and NatCom Education Committee Chairperson and Commission on Higher Education Secretary Patricia Licuanan, among other members of the Philippine Delegation.

The Senator will also hold bilateral talks with UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova to further discuss issues contained in the Philippines’ Policy Statement, the country’s programs and agenda that are closely related to UNESCO’s work, and the Philippines’ candidature for a seat in the World Heritage Committee.

Legarda Reso Calls for Earthquake Risk Audit, Retrofitting of Structures

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda has called for the assessment of the structural integrity of public infrastructure in the country to ensure that they can withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake, as mandated by law.

Legarda filed Senate Resolution 333, which directs the government to conduct an earthquake risk audit over all government infrastructure projects and buildings.

The resolution also urges the government to mandate the retrofitting of public structures to ensure compliance with the revised National Building Code, which states that all structures and buildings must be able to withstand a magnitude 8 temblor on the Richter Scale.

“The recent devastation that befell Cebu and Bohol when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Central Visayas region shows the urgent need to conduct a review of the structural integrity of all building structures and to retrofit them to meet the standards under the Building Code,” she explained.

“The national government should take the lead in promoting the structural soundness and resilience of buildings and structures in order to minimize, if not prevent, damage to persons and property in the event of a strong earthquake,” said Legarda.

The death toll in the Central Visayas earthquake is at 222 and damages have been estimated at P2.257 billion, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The Senator noted that the recent Greater Metro Manila Risk Analysis Project conducted by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), along with other government agencies, revealed that a magnitude 7.2 earthquake along the West Valley Fault could kill 37,054 persons and cause P2.4 trillion in total property damages.

Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS) conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2004 revealed that a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Metro Manila could cause the destruction of 40% of the residential buildings, damage 35% of all public buildings, kill 34,000 people, injure 114,000 individuals, and the ensuing fires could also result in 18,000 additional fatalities.

Jinggoy: Activate OFW reintegration mechanisms

MANILA-Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada says that the government must now activate reintegration mechanisms for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in light of the implementation of Saudization policy and crackdown of illegal foreign workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 

This developed as Saudi Arabia, a top host country for OFWs, starts the implementation of a nationalization program of its workforce following the lapse of the November 3 deadline set for the correction of status of illegal and undocumented workers in the Middle East country.

 

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), there are an estimated 674,168 overseas Filipinos in Saudi Arabia.

 

“Thousands of OFWs have already been repatriated and are expected to return to the country following the Saudization policy. Our government, particularly the Department of Labor and Employment and its attached agencies, must be ready to receive and assist displaced workers through its reintegration mechanisms,” Jinggoy says.

 

Sen. Estrada, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, also called on the authorities to strengthen such reintegration programs in preparation for possible nationalization policies across the world intended to ease unemployment rate among its nationals.

 

Sen. Estrada noted that apart from Saudization, there was also Emiratisation or the preferential treatment of local workers in the hiring process in the United Arab Emirates, another Middle East country which is a top destination of OFWs. Similarly, Singapore has recently announced tighter rules on hiring foreign professionals and has been encouraging companies to accommodate more of its nationals, especially the elderly, as employees.

 

Republic Act 10022 or the amended Migrant Workers Act, prescribes the creation of a mechanism for reintegration of returning OFWs into society, local employment, and tap their skills and potentials for national development.

 

Specifically, the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) is tasked, among others to “cushion the impact of forced repatriation due to unexpected events.” Included in its roster of reintegration tools are skills training and upgrading, financial literacy and money management, micro-enterprise development, job assistance for local or overseas employment, and rescue and economic assistance.

 

RA 10022 also states that the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Technology Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC), and other government agencies involved in training and livelihood development shall give priority to returnees who had been employed as domestic helpers and entertainers.

Clark airport ‘water salute’ to airline earns recognition

CLARK FREEPORT-A photo of Clark International Airport’s “water salute” to the arrival of Emirates Airline last October 1 currently holds the top spot in the best route launch Fire Truck Water Arch (FTWA) of an online international contest.

 

Titled “Emirates Dubai to Clark International”, the photo of Clark International Airport Corporation Corporate Communications Office photographer Eugene Ignaxius Raymond Orejas got a score of 32.9 out of a possible 40, knocking off four other entries, which had a score ranging from 17 to 30.

 

In an interview, Orejas said he is thankful with this recognition and this is also a source of motivation to do his job even better.

As an award, the CIAC Emergency Services Department was given the Arch of Triumph certificate from Airline Network News and Analysis (anna.aero).

According to anna.aero, the airport that achieves the highest score in what remains of 2013 will also be crowned “Arch of Triumph” Champion.

Anna.aero is an open website dedicated to outstanding airline network planning intelligence, produced by a multi-disciplinary team.

 

Its “Arch of Triumph” contest is a new FTWA scoring system, which is the only global standard for judging the quality of the traditional airport fire chief welcome for new routes. 

PCCI names Tarlac as ‘Most Business Friendly’ province for second straight year

TARLAC CITY-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has named Tarlac as the “Most Business Friendly” province in the entire archipelago for the second straight year.

 

“PCCI based the award on five criteria namely trade, investments and tourism promotions; public-private partnership; micro, small and medium enterprises development; quality management system, innovations and human resource development; and inter-local government relations,” Provincial Media Affairs Office chief Arvin Cabalu disclosed.

 

Tarlac defeated national finalists Isabela, Camarines Sur, Bulacan, and La Union.

 

In a statement, Governor Victor Yap thanked PCCI for recognizing his administration’s efforts and the province’s achievements anew during the past 12 months.

 

“This is an award that is dedicated for the people of Tarlac province for without their full cooperation and support to my administration’s programs and projects, this award will never be realized,” Yap said.

 

In relation, PCCI-Tarlac was likewise named as best chamber in the entire country.

 

Chapter president Deogracias Baron received the recognition in behalf of the group. (Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu)