PNoy declares January 20 as special non-working holiday in Tarlac City

TARLAC CITY-President Benigno Aquino III has declared January 20, a Tuesday, as special non-working holiday in Tarlac City in line with its celebration of the 4^thMelting Pot Festival.

 

Aquino issued Proclamation No. 940 “to give the people of Tarlac City the full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies,”

 

This year’s festival carries the theme “Tuloy ang Pag-Unlad sa Masiglang Lungsod.”

 

Activities include a provincial trade fair, Zumba sa Piyesta, Miss Melting Pot Festival coronation night, Dance Battle, Mega Job Fair, Street Dancing competition, and Balikbayan night. (Lorie Gene C. Cruz)

Ecija lady trader visits dead pa, gets shot dead in cemetery

TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – A 49-year-old businesswoman visited the cemetery here Monday night to pay respects to her dead father, only to end up dead herself after a lone gunman fired at her and her companion Monday night.

          Police Superintendent Wilson Santos II, Talavera police chief, identified 

The slain businesswoman as Julieta Santos of Barangay San Ricardo here. She died from gunshot wounds. Her companion,  Maricel Hipolito, 39, was wounded but survived the attack.

The motive for the attack is not yet known.

SPO2 Rodrigo Valdez, investigator of the Talavera police, said the shooting incident broke out at around 6:15 pm Monday inside the cemetery in Purok 7, Barangay San Ricardo here.

Valdez said Santos and Hipolito entered the cemetery to visit the tomb of the former’s father. The two were chatting inside the mausoleum when the still unidentified gunman surfaced  and fired at them then fled. 

          A bloodied Hipolito managed to cry out for help. She was brought to the nearby extension hospital of the Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center (PJGMRMC) while Santos was brought to the Eduardo L Joson Memorial Hospital (ELJMH) in Cabanatuan City. They were transferred to another hospital  but Santos was declared dead-on-arrival.

          A team from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) led by Chief Inspector Jebie Timario later recovered seven empty shells from a caliber 45 revolver.

Young Ecija mother flees from sex trafficking gang in Surigao

GABALDON, Nueva Ecija – A 23-year-old mother of three has escaped from the clutches of a suspected sex-trafficking syndicate in Surigao Islands which has reportedly been recruiting young women for supposed high-paying jobs only to end up as entertainers and prostitutes.

          Socorro (not her real name) managed to sneak out of a brothel in Surigao Wednesday back into the waiting arms of her grieving mother Veronica Lacandoza of Barangay Calabasa in this town. She and a dozen others have been forced into white slavery in a restaurant used as fronts for prostitution in Surigao.

          The woman, a high school drop-out, showed contusions and bruises in both arms reportedly after she was repeatedly beaten up by three burly bouncers of the restaurant which, she said, was owned by a Japanese national. It was her punishment for refusing to entertain customers, mostly foreigners in the faraway island.

          Lacandoza told reporters that her daughter’s misfortunes started when the latter applied for a job as a waitress in San Pedro, Laguna last October 22. The victim said she was lured by the promise of a high salary amounting to P150 per hour. She identified her employer as a certain Santos.

          “I got interested in the job because it was my way of survival and it would ensure food for my family,” the dusky victim, who has three children aged six, five and three, said.

          The victim has long been estranged from her husband who works as a jeepney conductor in the town. They have not seen each other for nine months.

          The victim added that after a week in her job, she and her two other companions were herded into a van by the employer who said they are going to haul some stuff to be brought to their place of work. While on their way, they fell asleep.

          She said that when they woke up, they found themselves in the company of 11 other women. They were later told by their companions that they were in a mountain island in Surigao. “All you could see outside were mountains,” she said.

          The woman said that in Surigao, they were treated like prisoners as they were not allowed to go outside.

They were also deprived of enough food to eat, making them weak. “Sometimes, we get to eat twice a day and there were times when we ate only once a day,” she said.

          She said they were forced to entertain customers, most of whom were Indian nationals.

          The woman said they may have been drugged by their “Mama Sang” who injected fluids into their body, causing them to lose consciousness. Their employer was described as an elderly, ugly long-haired and burly lady.  

          “For about four times a week, I got dizzy,” she said, recalling that the drugs were injected during the night. She said at times, they were made to sniff something which emits a fragrant then a putrid smell.

          She said that on a number of occasions, she would refuse to entertain customers and in the process, she would be mauled by the bouncers who would only let up when she has lost consciousness.

          The woman said that her employer’s sister, identified only as Jo, took pity on her and her two other companions and plotted her escape.

On January 7 at around 3:30 pm, Jo managed to persuade the employer to allow the woman and her two other companions to go out on the pretext that customers are supposedly waiting for them. “Mama Sang allowed Jo to accompany us because she thought we won’t be allowed to escape. Jo was very much trusted,” the victim said.

Outside, they boarded the trip bound for Matlog, Sorsogon . There, they transferred to another ferry which took them to Manila, using the fare sent to her by her mother.

Ben dela Cruz, one of Lacandoza’s advisers who helped fetched the victim in Manila and back to their home in Calabasa,  called on authorities to investigate and track down the syndicate which has been victimizing unsuspecting women and feeding them to sex-starved customers.

He advised women job-seekers to be wary of advertisements posted in public places promising of high-paying jobs which actually were a modus operandi to lure them and later turn them into sex workers in far-flung places.

           “At first, padadamahin lang sila (they would be entrapped) and afterwards, they would be turned into GROs for the flesh trade,” he said. – Manny Galvez

Once-sizzling Cabanatuan now chilly at 20°C

CABANATUAN CITY - This city - which historically has been notoriously hot and sizzles particularly during the summer months - is now recording cold temperatures over the past nine days, including a 19.3° Celsius last Saturday, the state bureau reported.

          Dominador Campo, chief meteorological officer of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa)-Cabanatuan, said that the January 10 temperature is the coldest so far this year in this city, eclipsing the 19.4° Celsius posted on January 4. 

This city has been experiencing relatively cold spell since January 1 and 2 where it recorded identical temperature of 22.5° C.

It also recorded temperatures of 19.6° Celsius on January 3, 21.9 degrees Celsius on January 5, 21.2° Celsius on January 6 and 23° Celsius on January 8.

Campo said the lowest recorded temperature in the city last year was 15.8° Celsius on January 25, 2014.

Temperatures have been dropping in various places of the country since the onset of the northeast monsoon or amihan last October, with Baguio City, the country’s summer capital posting a temperature of 10.6° Celsius Sunday.

           Its lowest recorded temperature was at 6.3° Celsius on January 18,1961. 

Legarda Hopes Pope’s Visit Will Inspire Climate Action, Foster Peace In Mindanao

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said she looks forward to Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the Philippines, noting that the Pope has been very vocal about the need for man to act against environmental degradation and climate change.

She also expressed hope that the Pope’s visit will breathe new life into the ongoing peace process in Mindanao.

“I look forward to the statements of Pope Francis about climate change and how it affects the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of society. The Pope’s visit to the Philippines, especially in Tacloban which was greatly devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan, signifies not only his concern for Filipinos and the survivors of the typhoon but also his stance on climate change and humanity’s role in protecting the environment,” said Legarda, United Nations Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia-Pacific.

The Senator said that Pope Francis has been calling upon humanity to be the ‘protectors of the environment’. Moreover, the Pope is expected to issue an encyclical on climate change after his visit to the Philippines.

“Pope Francis understands that the poorest citizens of the world are the most vulnerable to the effects of environmental degradation. The Earth that we live in provides us with our needs, and even if we have all the money in the world, we will not survive in a deteriorating environment. I hope this will be among his messages to the Filipinos so that we would be more mindful of our environment by respecting our environmental laws, veering away from a consumptive lifestyle, and working towards sustainability and resilience,” she stressed.

“Protecting and preserving our environment is a moral responsibility for everyone. The impact of nature’s forces on vulnerable communities must be reduced to prevent disasters and alleviate poverty. Inaction to reduce risk is a ‘social sin’, an injustice to the poor,” she added.

Meanwhile, Legarda said she is also optimistic that the Pope’s visit will help advance the attainment of peace and stability in the country, especially in Mindanao.

“We all know how much Pope Francis values peace and inter-religious friendship.  He actively promotes respect and solidarity among men and women of different religions and traditions as he believes that all of us are children of God,” she stressed.

Legarda has been incredibly supportive of the government’s programs for the Bangsamoro people. She said that the ongoing peace talks, accompanied by a genuine dialogue between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is a significant step in gaining the trust and faith of the Bangsamoro people and of the whole nation in the government's efforts for peace and reconciliation.

She added that the issues of cultural and religious biases and prejudices, human rights violations, corruption, land conflict and poverty—the root causes of conflict in Mindanao—must be addressed to finally put an end to this longstanding conflict.

“We are immensely blessed to receive His Holiness. I believe that he will open the minds of both Christians and Muslims and bring Filipinos of different religions and cultures closer together.”

In his 2013 apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis noted that the Church’s relationship with the followers of Islam has become of great importance, since they are now significantly present in many traditionally Christian countries, where they can freely worship and become fully a part of society.

POLICE ARRESTS SUSPECT IN NEWS CORRESPONDENT’S KILLING

CAMP OLIVAS, City of San Fernando, Pampanga – As a result of its commitment to eradicate all forms of criminality in the region and to quickly resolve crimes, the suspect in the shooting to death of Nerlita LEDESMA, Abante news correspondent was arrested  a day after the incident in Samal, Bataan on January 9, 2015.

In the morning of January 9, 2015, joint personnel of Special Investigation Task Group “LEDESMA” conducted follow-up operation in Sitio Torres, Brgy San Juan, Samal, Bataan which led to the arrest of the suspect identified as Inocencio BENDO y Dela Cruz @ Bandio, 39 years old, single and a resident of said place after he was positively identified thru photograph by a witness.

Arrested suspect was brought to Bataan Police Provincial Office for documentation prior his temporary detention at Balanga City Jail.  

Police authorities continue to delve on the motive of the killing and are now focused on whether the arrested suspect is connected to a group of whom the victim had squabbled over the management of five (5) hectares of land arising from the collection of monthly dues and Tagnai land mortgage or a member of a gun –for-hire group paid to neutralized the victim.

Police Chief Supt. Ronald V Santos, OIC, PRO3 lauded the operating troops for the quick resolution of the case and further remarked that one criminal off the street accords citizens with a sound sleep. Moreover, he directed all Police Provincial Offices to conduct an obstinate, efficient campaign and advocacy by implementing a wide-ranging pro-active approach/strategy on its campaign against lawless elements in coordination with various law enforcement and other concerned government agencies. 

 

      

New town hall rises in NE to replace old town hall ravaged by fire

SAN ANTONIO, Nueva Ecija – A brand-new municipal hall was unveiled here Thursday, over a year after a fire burned down the old town hall, allegedly by the camp of the losing mayoral candidate.

          Gov. Aurelio Umali led the inauguration of the new municipal building along with his wife, gubernatorial aspirant Rep. Czarina and close allies led by her running mate, Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos, Mayor Antonino Lustre, Vice Mayor Jose Balagtas and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office director Joe Taruc V.

          The two-story new town hall was funded by the provincial government at a cost of P17 million sourced from the governor’s intelligence funds.

          The town hall replaced the former municipal building which was razed to the ground in a fire that broke out before dawn on June 7,2013, destroying equipment and election materials. It broke out two days after ballot boxes stored there after the 2013 polls were ordered transferred to the Regional Trial Court in Gapan City after former mayor Arvin Salonga filed an election protest against Lustre.

          The Bureau of Fire Protection has filed charges of arson against Salonga in connection with the incident in this town, the hometown of famed broadcaster Anthony “Ka Tunying” Taberna. 

          In his speech, Umali said the project is his administration’s gift to the people of San Antonio, not just to its political leaders and will serve them irrespective of their political color and leaning.

          He recalled that when the old town hall was burned down, townsfolk expressed outrage over the incident. “You could feel the anger and the wrath,” he said.

“It’s time for the people to move on and open their hearts to forgiveness, to forgive themselves,” said.

“It’s time for San Antonio to become known as a zone of peace, adding the people should not allow its dark past to overwhelm them and divide them, referring to the town’s history of political turbulence. He talked of how Balagtas experienced being harassed under the previous administration.

Congresswoman Umali, for her part, said the new town hall speaks of a new house, new government, renewed enthusiasm and new services to the people. – (Manny Galvez) 

Ecija board member says a Duterte on politics : “handa akong mamatay at magpapatay”

CABANATUAN CITY – A close ally of Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali and Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos has become a scene-stealer, stealing the thunder from the two top officials of the province by saying a mouthful ala Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, declaring she is ready to die and to order a killing because these are necessary evils in politics.

          Speaking during the inauguration of the new municipal hall of San Antonio town Thursday, an outspoken Board Member Tess Patiag minced no words, creating a stir when she said she is willing to sacrifice her life and take life in return as a politician.

          “Handa akong mamatay at magpapatay (I’m willing to die and to order killing myself), Patiag said without batting an eyelash before a flustered audience that includes Umali and Padiernos.    

          She said anyone should be prepared for anything that comes once he or she entered politics. “Kung gusto mong maglingkod, harangan ka man ng sibat (If you want to serve, even if your path is blocked with a spear, you can’t be deterred),” she added.

          Patiag then told the people not to fear and that they should be fearless.

        However, Patiag, who is supporting the gubernatorial bid of Umali’s wife, third district Rep. Czarina, later contradicted herself,  saying public servants should be pro-people and should not resort to violence to achieve political ends.

“Politicians should order nobody killed,” she said.

        

        Reacting to Patiag’s pronouncements, Umali who is chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) said he himself was surprised.

          He said no one has the right to take the life of anyone. Nobody is above the law,” he said. (Manny Galvez)

Legarda Echoes Call to 'Go for Zero Waste'

Senator Loren Legarda joins Mother Earth Foundation and the youth in calling for a zero waste economy during the 2^nd Zero Waste Youth Convergence held at the Philippine Normal University in Manila on January 7, 2015. Legarda, principal author and sponsor of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law, said that young Filipinos should take control of their future by being actively involved in addressing environmental issues facing the country today particularly the problem of solid waste management.  

Senator Loren Legarda receives water bonsai from Dr. Ester Ogena (left), President of Philippine Normal University (PNU) and Sonia Mendoza (right), Chairperson of Mother Earth Foundation, after her keynote speech at the 2^nd Zero Waste Youth Convergence held at PNU in Manila on January 7, 2015. In her speech, Legarda urged local government units to effectively implement the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and encouraged the youth to take part in the Zero Waste campaign. 

ANGARA RENEWS PUSH FOR STUDENT FARE DISCOUNT AMID TRAIN FARE HIKE

MANILA-Senator Sonny Angara has renewed his call for the immediate passage of a bill granting 20-percent student fare discount on all kinds of public transportation utilities, including the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) systems.

 

"Majority of Metro Manila students, who depend on the affordability of LRT and MRT, will definitely suffer from the recent fare hike. We should assist the parents and students in shouldering transportation expenses relative to the rising cost of education in our country," said Angara, a known advocate of educational reforms.

   

Presently, the grant of student fare discounts in jeepneys and buses is only through a memorandum circular of the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

 

Angara's Senate Bill 203 seeks to put the thrust of the LTFRB circular forward by institutionalizing the grant of discount privilege to students on all land, water, air and rail transport utilities.

 

If enacted, the 20-percent discount will apply to regular domestic fares in airplanes and ferries, while the LRT and MRT are mandated to designate a student/senior citizen fare booth in their boarding stations.

 

Student fare discount will also be applicable not only during school days but also on weekends and holidays.

 

Students who are refused the fare discount privilege may file their complaints with the LTFRB, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), or the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) for the LRT and MRT.

 

Drivers, conductors or inspectors of land transport utilities, and firms, establishments or agencies of water, air and rail transport utilities who refuse to provide discounts will be fined and penalized with suspension of license.

Angara, who studied in London, said he was able to avail of student discounts on airfare and public transport, including bus and rail transit system.

 

"If students from highly developed countries like UK can benefit from fare discounts, I think our underprivileged Filipino students need and deserve more this kind of assistance from the government," he said.

The House of Representatives has already approved on third and final reading a counterpart version of the bill in November last year.

"I am appealing to our colleagues here in the Senate to pass our version so as to lessen the impact of current economic difficulties brought by the rising cost, not only of the LRT and MRT fares, but of basic commodities and education as well," Angara said.

Two villages in Tarlac City to experience 4 1/2 hour power interruption on Friday

TARLAC CITY-Two villages in the capital will experience up to 4 and ½ hours of power interruption on Friday, January 9.

 

In a statement, Tarlac Electric Inc. (TEI) said their customers in San Manuel and San Pascual will have brownout from 8:30AM to 12:00NN.

 

“Outage is due to tapping of newly extended three phase 15kV distribution lines in San Pascual area and replacement of wooden 15kV distribution line poles at barangay San Manuel,” TEI added. (Lorie Gene C. Cruz)

Parts of Tarlac City to experience up to five hours of power interruption on Saturday

TARLAC CITY-Parts of Tarlac City will experience up to five hours of power interruption on Saturday, January 10.

 

In a statement, Tarlac Electric Inc. (TEI) said their customers in Allied City Estates Subdivision and St. Raphael Villas will have brownout from 7:15AM to 12:00NN.

 

“Outage is due to the re-configuration of primary poles and upgrading of 15kV distribution line poles in San Rafael area,” TEI added. (Lorie Gene C. Cruz)

YEAR-ENDER ‘Purisima-geddon,’ Mercado exposes, HUC snafu, booming Palayan mark Nueva Ecija in 2014

CABANATUAN CITY – Suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Alan Purisima’s several allegedly unexplained properties, former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado’s Senate exposes on Vice President Jejomar Binay’s alleged ill-gotten wealth, the repeated scheduling and eventual cancellation of the plebiscite on the conversion of this city into a Highly Urbanized City (HUC), the gradual emergence of Palayan City as a growth center, political posturings among others were among the issues that hogged the limelight in Nueva Ecija in 2014.

          For at least two months, Purisima’s supposed mansion in San Leonardo town, a poultry farm in this city and another property in Atate, Palayan became hot topic after he was tagged for a lifestyle check.

          Finally appearing in the Senate sometime in September, Purisima got an intense grilling by suspicious senators who questioned the construction of a P11-million “White House” in Camp Crame, the huge discount he got in buying a luxury vehicle among others.

          He tried to fight his critics and adverse public opinion in a typical Purisima-geddon and even questioned an Ombudsman order preventing suspending him and several officials in connection with a shady firearms deal to no avail.  

          Later, he invited media to visit his supposed mansion in Barangay Magpapalayok, San Leonardo to show it was not a mansion and just an ordinary house but some of the mediamen were not exactly convinced. It was just an ordinary house, but only by his standard since he was believed to be flaunting a lavish lifestyle.

          Mercado, who lives and owns a resort in Barangay Cabu this city, appeared in the Senate and exposed Binay’s supposed properties and the overpriced annex building in Makati City Hall. The star witness was later charged with plunder himself for his own alleged involvement in the Makati scam and for himself owning several properties such as cockfighting arena and choiced land in Palawan, this city and other areas.

          The HUC issue, which has polarized the alliance between Gov. Aurelio Umali and Cabanatuan Mayor Jay Vergara, appeared to take off when the Comelec set the plebiscite to January 25 which the Supreme Court stopped. It was reset to September then to November 8 but Comelec cancelled it due to funding problems. The city government will have to raise P100 million for the plebiscite to be held which will involve all registered voters of Nueva Ecija not just Cabanatuan based on the ruling of the Supreme Court.         

While Cabanatuan is considered the province’s trade mecca, its neighboring Palayan City – the province’s provincial capital – made a lot of noise in 2014, the loudest of which was the “Lingap sa Mamamayan” event of the Iglesia Ni Cristo sect.

On February 20, four million INC devotees trooped to Barangay Maligaya in this provincial capital for the launch of its two-day event involving dental health check,  blood pressure (BP) readings, and blood glucose level (BGL) tests.

The Maligaya event came on the heels of the INC’s Worldwide Walk which set a new record for the largest charity walk in 24 hours (multiple venue), drawing 519,521 participants in 13 time zones, 54 countries in 24 hours. This broke the previous record set by Canada involving 231,635 participants who walked for a minimum of one kilometer at 1,011 different locations around Canada on October 2, 2007.

Saturday's event also surpassed the record for the largest charity walk in a single venue with 175,000 participants beating the record set in Singapore in May 2000 with more than 77,000 individuals.The walk for a cause of INC was staged in 135 sites across the globe in the USA, in Europe, in Australia/New Zealand and in Asia including the Philippines.

In December, Umali led the ground-breaking for the construction of an estimated P1.5-billion government center cum trade hub in Barangay Atate which could generate up to 13,000 jobs.

          For sheer magnitude, it was the biggest, single project of the Umali administration which was pursued with some help from the city government which donated the lot for the mega-project.

          The provincial government also spearheaded a public hearing on the P50.3-billion new Bilibid prisons project in Genh. Tinio, Nueva ecija, projected to be  finished in 2018.

          The city government, with neophyte Mayor Adrianne Mae Cuevas as its helm, has been driving on the fast lane to development, with City Hall getting a much-needed face-lift, outpacing even Makati, with its employees now drawing ther salaries through ATM.

For the first time in so many years, barangay roads which were found wanting in infrastructure development were paved while a trade depot was also launched.

In April, Alfredo Olivares Jr. of Barangay Malate became the toast of the baseball world, qualifying in a try-out to play in a semi-professional league in Japan.  

In the political front, the governor’s lawmaker-wife Czarina has jumped the gun on her prospective rival for the Capitol, going on a charm offensive throughout the province, ahead of former congressman Rodolfo Antonino who was also slapped with a case before the Ombudsman.

Nine of the Josons’ mayors have voiced support to Congresswoman Umali, boosting her stock.

Talks swirled that Vergara’s wife Rosanna is eyeing the governorship or Congress to challenge the Umalis.

The oldest local chief executive of the province, Nampicuan Mayor Ubaldino Lacurom resigned in June for health reasons, paving the way for the succession of his daughter Lourdes.

In Aliaga, site of the famous Taong Putik which drew 7,000 mud people in April, Reynaldo Ordanes was briefly installed mayor after winning an election protest against incumbent Mayor Elizabeth Vargas but the latter managed to win a TRO.

Vargas has filed a disbarment suit against a judge in Cabanatuan for allegedly invoking an old law in proclaiming Ordanes the winner while the latter has filed a similar case against Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes for allegedly issuing a favorable ruling to Vargasd, his former client.

As early as September, the Comelec has been sending alarm signals on the possible massive disenfranchisement of voters, with artound 200,000 in peril of being not able to vote due to lack of biometrics registration even as 5,000 dead voters still in the voters’ list in Cabanatuan.    

Crimes – as well as loose firearms (about 5,000 according to the provincial director) were aplenty in the province, with San Jose city emerging as crime capital based on crime stats up to early September.

In February, a councilor survived a grenade attack, touching off a long trail that also saw the killing in August of jail warden Enrico Campos by his assailant Renato Galang who himself killed by lawmen a month later.  A week before Christmas, the municipal accountant of Cabiao was gunned down by a motorcycle-riding gun man.

This even amid frantic efforts of Umali to stem the tide, as he was named by President Aquino in May as chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council. In March, he and Purisima led the ground-breaking of an elegant P20-million hostel for the provincial police force. 

In April, two UP students were arrested by the Army and police for being suspected as NPA rebels and detained in San Jose amid denials by their families. 

Legarda Urges Youth To Take Part In Zero Waste Campaign

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda called on young Filipinos to take control of their future by being actively involved in addressing environmental issues facing the country today particularly the problem of solid waste management.  

Speaking before hundreds of youth leaders from various universities in Metro Manila during the Zero Waste Youth Convergence organized by the Mother Earth Foundation, Legarda said the Filipino youth should strive for a zero waste economy where the output of each resource use is converted into input for another use.

Legarda, principal author and sponsor of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law (Republic Act No. 9003), encouraged the youth to start at home by practicing waste segregation, avoiding buying unnecessary goods, repairing electronics and appliances and patronizing recycled products.

“Parents, educators and local youth leaders play a significant role in making students understand the basics of solid waste management through simple activities and programs that involve the concepts of reducing, reusing and recycling, such as clean-up and recycling drives and green brigades,” Legarda stressed.

Legarda also lauded the Mother Earth Foundation for their relentless efforts in engaging the youth in zero waste advocacy. “I hope that your initiatives would inspire our youth to give nothing less than their wholehearted commitment so that when the next natural hazard strikes, the world will laud us not only for our resilient spirit, but also for our strength as a community.”

The Senator also stressed, “As heirs of our nation's wealth and heritage, the youth has a primary interest in protecting and conserving the environment. We must empower them to become effective catalysts for change. We must encourage them to become the protectors of our environment so that future generations of Filipinos are able to live in a cleaner, greener, safer and healthier Philippines.”

The 2nd Zero Waste Youth Convergence was organized by Mother Earth Foundation in observance of January as the Zero Waste Month. Around 300 student leaders from public and private colleges and universities in Metro Manila gathered at the Philippine Normal University to discuss critical issues on solid waste management and disposal in the country and collaborate towards a Zero Waste Philippines. The theme of this year’s event is “#GoForZeroWaste: Burn Not, Trash Not Our Future”. 

DOLE Central Luzon bags Most Outstanding Regional Office Award

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga-Central Luzon Labor Office was recently named by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as its Most Outstanding Regional Office under Category A for its exemplary performance and consistency in physical and financial performance and good management.

 

Current Regional Director Ana Dione and erstwhile boss Raymundo Agravante personally received the distinction in behalf of the office from Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz during a recent recognition ceremony.

 

“We were specifically cited for our performance in ISO certification, Audit Report Compliance, Anti-Child Labor, Single Entry Approach (SEnA), Anti-Red Tape, and Labor Laws Compliance System (LLCS),” Regional Labor Communications Officer Jerry Borja said.

 

Apart from this, the regional office was commended for its milestones in Labor and Employment Education Services, Special Program for Employment of Students, and implementation of DOLE livelihood grants.

 

It likewise received a Special Citation on LLCS for being the first region to certify an Ecozone as Labor Laws Compliant.

 

“Moreover, Senior Labor and Employment Officer Joselito Diego was recognized as Best SEnA Desk Officer. He and Supervising Labor and Employment Officer Aurita Laxamana were 2 of the Top 3 SEADOs for 2014,” Borja added.

 

The regional office’s mentioned accolades cover the implementation of various DOLE programs, services, and projects that span from 2011 to 2014.

 

Other winners were Northern Mindanao for Category B Regional Offices and CARAGA for Category C.

 

The Outstanding Regional Offices each received a P10,000 cash incentive and certificates, while recipients in the milestones each got P7,5000 and certificates. (Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu)