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THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH and the DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.DOST.GOV.PH VOL. 4| NO. 10 March 24-31, 2016
Women micro entreps join GREAT Women Project 2
SIQUIJOR, March 29 (PIA) -- Women micro entrepreneurs (WME) here joined the first provincial convergence on Gender Responsive Economic Actions for the Transformation of Women (GREAT Women) Project 2 spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the province. The convergence initiative is done in coordination with the Department of Labor and Emploment (DOLE), Department of Science and
Techology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Building on GREAT Women Project 1’s success, the GREAT Women Project 2 (GREAT-2) provides a timely opportunity to improve sustainability, productivity and competitiveness of women’s micro-enterprises and to continue to enhance the enabling environment for economic empowerment of women, said DTI Provincial Director Nimfa Virtucio.
She said GREAT-2 focuses on women micro entrepreneurs and aims to establish linkages with selected small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for markets and technical partnerships with compatible value chain development approaches. Project orientation was handled by DTI-7 Trade and Industry Development Specialist (TIDS) Epifania “Joy” Suralta who also talked about Gender and Development (GAD). She said the government is striving to address the constraints to women’s economic empowerment as fundamental to sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction, and food security, and to the achievement of gender equality. A recent study by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) showed that 63 percent of managers/owners of businesses they surveyed were women. Of this, 52 percent were micro-entrepreneurs while the remaining 48 percent were owners of small and medium enterprises. Suralta said GREAT gives bigger focus on improving competitiveness and sustainability of women enterprises as one of the government’s effort to achieve more inclusive economic growth. (rmn/rac/PIA7/Siquijor/DTI-Siquijor)
DTI7’s Joy Suralta (above photo) and DTI-Siquijor Provincial Director Nimfa Virtucio talked about Gender and Development (GAD) and Gender Responsive Economic Actions for the Transformation (#GREAT) of #Women Project 2 during the provincial convergence for women micro entrepreneurs in Siquijor province. (rac/PIA7-Siquijor)
iSIQUIJORGOVERNMENTNEWS
LGUs in Action
Siquijor town leads province’s economic growth, claims Quezon in SOTA SIQUIJOR (PIA) – Siquijor town mayor Mei Ling Quezon, in her State of the Town Address (SOTA) yesterday, said she can justly claim that the town leads the province of Siquijor in economic development and is strongly competing with all other local government units in the country in terms of economic growth. The Mayor reported the various programs and projects implemented in her tenure as the local chief executive as well as the awards and honors that recognized their exemplary performance in the field of local governance. First in her report focused on the financial resources of the LGU which she said is the backbone of their massive development undertakings. “Without a sound budget, the delivery of our mandated services will never be realized,” says Quezon citing her administration’s “efficient and judicious use of resources.” She said the LGU’s programs, projects and policies are tailored on their budget that makes real changes and revitalizes the local economy inclusive of all sectors. The town’s budget, according to Quezon, has an average increase of P8,488,504 per year in three years from P60,267,574.04 in 2013 to P85,731,725.14 this year. This represents an increase of almost 15% of the annual budget since she took office in 2013, she said in her report. The bulk of increase is generated from the local sources or revenue that has significantly increased over the years from P8,050,000 in 2013; P10,334,812 in 2014; P11,254,167.75 to P2,695,032 as of January this year. This exceeds their target by 57% for the first month of 2016 alone, she said. Attributing to the increase, the lady mayor lauded the municipal treasurer’s office for having operationalized the business tax computerization system that she claimed to be the first in the province of Siquijor . She said, the system in conjunction with the business one stop shop (BOSS) participated in by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of Fire Protection, Social Security System (SSS), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), PhilHealth, and the barangay LGU of Poblacion helped much to generate increase in the tax
Siquijor town mayor Mei Ling Quezon givig=ng her State of the Town Address (SOTA) at the Capital Square, Siquijor, Siquijor. (rac/PIA&-Siquijor)
collection while the convergence of the front line services during the one stop shop eased the burden and shortened the time of the taxpayers in paying their tax due and business permits. She acknowledged the support of the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) as the donor of the computer software and for financing the capacity enhancement of their personnel in the treasury department manning the system. With the strengthening of their financial capacity, the mayor proudly reported that Siquijor town is one of the 16 municipalities in the country and the only in Region VII to have received the public financial management program (FPM) duly funded by the European Delegation of the Philippines. The PFM is an essential enabling mechanism though which an LGU can aggregate fiscal discipline, create sound strategies for resource allocation and ensure the efficient delivery of public goods and services, the mayor shared. The program is implemented in partnership with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Bureau
of Local Government Finance (BLGF), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Under the program, Quezon said, the European Union (EU) provided Siquijor LGU with four computer desktop, laptap, printer, LCD with screen and a voice recorder. The EU government also funded the series of trainings and seminars conducted by the joint agencies – DBM, BLGF, NEDA, the DILG and EU, also said Quezon. Those interventions in the LGU financial system helped boost the local financial resources which impact translates to massive economic activities that are now seen and felt all around the municipality, she added. “With our vibrant economy now working in the least of our people, I can justly claim, we lead the province of Siquijor in economic development and we are strongly cometing with all other LGUs in the country in terms of economic, growth,” she said on top of the various programs and services that she is still enumerating in her SOTA. (mbcn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor)
DOH initiates search for 1st Bayani ng Kalusugan The Department of Health (DOH) launches its search for the first Bayani ng Kalusugan to honor individuals and organizations who have rendered time, effort and a part of their life, in meaningful contribution to move the country closer to the achievement of Universal Health Care (UHC) or Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (KP). The Aquino Health Agenda or Kalusugan Pangkalahatan is a health sector reform where DOH has led the country in establishing health programs which aim to give equitable and quality service to the public. “In reality, the DOH only plays a small role. All of our plans will be nothing without you as implementers. All of our policies will be nothing without you walking the talk. All of the funding will be nothing if the programs are not sustained by the front liners. The success of the DOH deeply lies in the commitment, professionalism, and responsiveness of individuals and organizations that support the Department through the years.”Health Secretary Janette P. Loreto-Garin said. The search for DOH Heroes is open to all individuals, institutions and organizations who have made an impact on health of others and on UHC. Individual nominees must be a Filipino citizen and has experience in leading, managing, and rendering service to the health sector at least 1 year prior to nomination. These nominees must not have been convicted of any administrative, civil, or criminal case. Organizational nominees must be Securities and Exchange Commission registered or local government unit/DOH recognized groups and organization of at least 3 years in existence. Nominated organizations must not include political organizations and associations or unions. The areas of achievement may be in the field of health financing, service delivery, health information and research, governance, and health technology. Eligible nominees may include, but are not limited to, health service managers (city health officer, municipal health officer, development management officer, non-government organization leader); health service provider (doctor, nurse, dentist, med tech, other allied health professionals); health volunteer/ support staff (barangay health worker, nutrition scholar, aide, janitor, DSWD parent leader, etc.); officials (governor, mayor, committee on health); citizens doing extraordinary work for health; and organizations (NGO, people’s organization, civic organization, health center, rural health unit, hospital, and other organizations).
Health Sec Janette P. Garin graces the launching of Tamang Serbisyo para sa Kalusugan ng Pamilya (TSEKAP) and turnover of equipment package in Siquijor province last March 20, 2016 at the Capital Square, Siquijor, Siquijor
Achievements for which the nominee is being recommended should be in line with the objectives of UHC and must have been made from July 2010 to April 2016. The nominee must be able to show documentary evidence of achievements cited. Achievements must be attested to by peers and other groups or organizations. The achievement of the nominee must not have been recognized previously by other national and international award giving bodies. Nomination period shall run from February 16 to April 15, 2016. Nomination forms are available in the DOH Bayani ng Kalusugan website. It may also be secured from DOH Central and Regional Offices. Shortlisted nominees shall be endorsed to the DOH Regional Offices
for validation to ensure the veracity of submitted documents, and subsequently to an independent National Evaluation Team. A total of 20 winners shall comprise the 2016 DOH Bayani ng Kalusugan. Winners shall be notified by June 2016. The DOH Bayani ng Kalusugan awarding ceremony shall be conducted in Metro Manila in June, 2016 “Healthcare is something that everybody needs. We achieved Kalusugan Pangkalahatan, not solely because of the Department of Health, not only because of the President’s call to “tuwid na daan”, but also because of these heroes who exemplified excellence in work, commitment and innovation towards attaining Universal Health Care.” Garin concluded.
iSIQUIJORGOVERNMENTNEWS Siquijor Island HealingFestival at Mt. Bandilaan during the Holy Week started well with a Liturgical celebration led by two officiating priests, Rev. Frs. Leonard Tan (below photo) and Hendrix Alar. While he appreciate the giftedness of the healers, Fr. Tan, in his sharing, reminded the people that Jesus is the Greatest Healer, a wounded healer, the God who become human, who suffered and was crucified for the sake of humanity. He called on everyone to deepen the experience in the Healing Festival by incorporating religious sense of the celebration. He said Holy Week is the holiest days of the year, a time for deeper reflection, prayer and almsgiving.., a time for pilgrimage..., an occasion for spiritual growth.
Cebuano News: COMELEC ug CSC, tutokan ang ‘electioneering’ MANILA, Mar. 30 (PIA) -- Giawhag sa Commission on Elections (COMELEC) ug Civil Service Commission (CSC) ang publiko sa pagsumbong sa ilang buhatan kun may empleyado o opisyal sa gobyerno, polis o militar nga nalambigit sa electioneering o partisan politics. Sa joint circular advisory on electioneering and partisan political activities sa COMELEC ug CSC, bawal nga gamiton ang mga sakyanan o uban pang resources sa gobyerno sa pagpangampanya. Matud pa ni CSC Chairman Alicia Bala, ang molapas niini pahamtangan og usa hangtud unom ka buwang suspensyon alang sa first offense ug dismissal sa serbisyo alang sa second offense. Mawad-an og katungod ang mga mapamatud-ang milapas niini nga makakuha og benepisyo ug mokupot pa og bisan unsang government office. Apan wala gi-bawal sa maong joint circular ang pag-like, share, repost, comment sa facebook o uban pang social media account basta wala kini nagsolicit og boto. Wala usab gidili ang pagpahayag kun kinsang kandidato ang ilang suportahan. Sakop usab sa circular ang mga opisyal sa barangay apil na ang mga kagawad sa gobyerno nga ni-file og leave of absence. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)
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is the Island of Siquijor’s first electronic newsletter produced by the Philippine Information Agency-Siquijor Information Center and the DOST - Provincial Science and Technology Center. It contains snippets of information about Siquijor, Central Visayas and the Philippine Government.
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