2 vol 4 isiquijor 1 18 16

iSIQUIJOR Information is our business.

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. 2 January 11-18 , 2014

DTI turns over production equipment to Siquijor women’s groups

SIQUIJOR (PIA) -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) with the local government unit (LGU) of Siquijor as its cooperator launched the Shared Service Facility (SSF) Program with the turn-over of productio e q u i p m e n t t o t w o w o m e n ’s organization in the municipality.

At least 20 Singer manual sewing machines, four Juki hi-speed machines, two Singer 5-thread edging machines, two button holders, ten motor attachments and two steam irons with stand were turned over to Rural Improvement Club (RIC) of Barangay Dumanjug and the Municipality of Siquijor Sewers Association (MUSSA) for the production of garments, home, and souvenir items.

DTI head Nimfa Virtucio, during the turn-over, said more micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and LGUs are now benefiting from the increased budget allotted

by DTI to its SSF program.

She said this is one of the economic benefits of the great economic policies and programs of the present administration that gave rise to the country as one of the fastest growing Asian countries, turning it into a tiger economy.

SSF program, Virtucio said, is a strategic development initiative of DTI as a major component of the Big Push for SME Development Program that aims to address the gaps and/or bottlenecks in the supply/value chain in the processing sector.

With the SSF facility,

MOA Signing (above photo) and turnover of DTI-SSF production equipment to the Municipality of Siquijor Sewers’ Association (MUSSA) and RIC of Barangay Dumanjug, Siquijor.with Siquijor Municipal Mayor Mei Ling Quezon, Vice-Mayor Richard Quezon and DTI provincial directot Nimfa Virtucio.

Photo below also shows Siquijor Govenor Zaldy Villa giving message to the participants.

she hopes to see products that are made in Siquijor and

by Siquijodnons themselves.

The program, she also said, is not just about MSMEs development but also about women empowerment to allow them to raise income for their

family and to contribute to the the country’s economic growth.

The program is providing appropriate manufacturing tools, equipment and technologies for the common use of the MSMEs in the same cluster or sector, she said. (rac/PIA7-Siquijor)

iSIQUIJORGOVERNMENTNEWS

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

First Philippine microsatellite ‘Diwata’ set to launch

The potential uses of Diwata, the first all-Filipino assembled microsatellite, include: improved weather detection and forecasts, disaster risk management, detecting agricultural growth patterns, and the monitoring of forest cover, mining, protection of cultural and historical sites, and the territorial borders of the Philippines.

Diwata was turned over to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to prepare for its launch into space in April. With Diwata, comes the Filipino dream to have its own Philippine Space Agency.

Officials of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), UP Diliman, Tohoku University (TU), and Hokkaido University (HU) handed-over the project following the completion of the assembly and testing of the 50-kg Philippine Earth Observation Microsatellite. It is set to be released into space from the International Space Station (ISS) later this April.

Recognizing the advantages of using satellite-based remote sensing, the government invested in the construction and launching of the Philippine scientific earth observation microsatellite, under the PHL-MICROSAT or Diwata program, with the budget of P800 million for three years.

Diwata is the country’s first microsatellite designed, developed, and assembled by Filipino researchers and engineers under the guidance of Japanese experts from Hokkaido University and Tohoku University. The satellite is designed to provide real-time images for disaster risk management and other applications.

Seven engineering students

from the University of the Philippines and two science researchers from DOST’s Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) were sent to Tohoku University and Hokkaido University in Japan to work on the microsatellite bus system and payload design while pursuing advanced degrees, as part of the PHL-MICROSAT program.

The bus development team worked on the design, the implementation, and the testing of various structural, mechanical, and electrical aspects of the microsatellite bus.

The payload and mission design team on the other hand contributed to the science mission analysis and objectives that lead to the specifications of the payload sensors and instruments. The team studied the technical specifications of the payload instruments towards proper testing and calibration of its outputs.

Part of the three-year program is the development of a second microsatellite (Diwata 2) to be launched in 2017.

The PHL-MICROSAT team also intends to develop course and training materials on small satellite technology design and testing, which are proposed to be incorporated into science and engineering undergraduate and postgraduate elective courses, as well as local industry short seminars.

A microsatellite simulator and testbed, antenna design and testing facility and amateur radio satellite station are also currently being set up as part of the establishment of the local microsatellite research and instructional facility within UP Diliman.

The rest of the PHL-MICROSAT team at UP Diliman are focused on developing a ground receiving station

(GRS) that will allow space borne images to be transmitted to earth. It will also be used to transmit commands from the ground to the microsatellite to carry out is mission effectively.

Diwata-1 is a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite set to fly 400km above the earth. It serves as a training platform and will pave the way for the Filipino team to further develop their skills in space technology.

More than this, the potential uses of Diwata’s images include improved weather detection and forecasts, disaster risk management, detecting agricultural growth patterns, and the monitoring of forest cover, mining, protection of cultural and historical sites, and the territorial borders of the Philippines. Diwata will be sending vital images and data back to Philippine Earth Data Resources and Observation (PEDRO) Center which was set up to receive data from the satellite.

DIWATA 1 is equipped with a high precision telescope (HPT) that can determine the extent of damages from disasters, like typhoons and volcanic eruptions. It can also monitor changes in cultural and natural heritage sites, like the Mount Apo or Mayon Volcano.

Its spaceborne multispectral imager (SMI) with LCTF will be able to monitor changes in vegetation and monitor oceans’ productivity.

It also carries a wide field camera that will help scientists and weather forecasters better observe cloud patterns and more accurately predict weather disturbances.

Its middle field camera assists in determining the locations of images captured using the HPT and SMI. (PAGASA).

Malacanang defends anti-poverty efforts, says CCT’s impact starting to be felt

MANILA, Jan. 18 -- The Palace defended its anti-poverty program saying that although there is still poverty in the country, the number of poor people continue to decline as a result of government social support efforts.

Opposition party Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) has scored the administration for its failure to create a trickle-down effect on poor Filipinos amid the economic growth that the country has been experiencing.

Citing the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey, the NPC said there are around 11.2 million families remained poor in the last quarter

iNFOBYTES

Women folks of Larena town waiting for their turn for Papanicolaou Test or commonly known as “Pap Smear” offered for free last January 20-21 at the Rural Health Unit.

Some staff of Marie Stopes Ligation Population Services Pilipinas, Inc. from Cebu also initiated a FREE Bilateral Tubal Ligation assisted by RHU Larena Staff.

Undergoing a routine screening through Pap Smear is one way of preventing cervical cancer, says the health authority. (Larena Review)

of 2015, while some 7.4 million Filipinos rated themselves food-poor.

As a response, Usec. Manolo Quezon of the PCDSPO said: “Well, I think ang simpleng sagot lang dito is you can look at the glass as half-empty or half-full. Lahat tayo umaamin na mayroong kahirapan sa ating bayan.”

“The question is tuloy-tuloy ba ang pag-angat ng mga kababayan natin? As I mentioned this morning sa ating opening statement, we’ve been able to show that 4.4 million households are benefiting from CCT and almost 1.55 million of them have been lifted out of poverty, and that’s just a preliminary estimate.”

Quezon cited in an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan the vicinity of the UP Town Center, which he said, is now part of a growing

economy with so many restaurants.

He said that if the people view the situation as half-full, it will encourage to dream even higher and work even harder to do even more, as always mentioned by the President.

“Because after all ang nakasalalay dito is mga buhay ng ating mga kababayan and we all have to be working to make things better for them,”

Asked to comment about the need to institutionalize the CCT so that it will be implemented by the succeeding administrations, Quezon said CCT is an existing government program.

Some social observers are even saying that it would be a wrong move if the CCT is discontinued, he said adding the issue must be discussed thoroughly. (PCOO) .

Cebuano News: Free medicine for hypertensive 100-day maternity and diabetic patients leave, aprubado na sa Senado

iSIQUIJORGOVERNMENTNEWS

Individuals with hypertension or diabetes can avail of free maintenance medicine by signing up for the Department of Health (DOH) Hypertension and Diabetes Club at the nearest DOH health center.

The Department of Health (DOH) spearheads the establishment of the DOH Hypertension and Diabetes Club. This will be launched nationwide to enhance the initiatives in addressing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) and will serve as a support group in communities to disseminate information and ensure that appropriate management is provided to all patients.

NCDs like cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, lung disease, and cancer killed 38 million people worldwide in 2012–16 million of them are under the age of 70 (WHO Global Status Report in NonCommunicable Diseases 2014). Unhealthy habits such as smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse, and unhealthy diet have sparked an epidemic of diseases which together constitute the leading cause of death.

Non-Communicable Diseases in the Philippines

“The current dilemma in addressing NCD in the Philippines is that patients usually seek treatment in hospitals when they are already sick or already in long-term complications. In order to fight NCD, it is important to practice healthy lifestyle choices early. Also, early detection and care using cost-effective and sustainable health care interventions that are integrated in primary health care facilities are essential.” Health Secretary Janette P. Loreto-Garin said.

In the Philippines, deaths related to NCD are attributed to: cardiovascular diseases (33%), cancer (10%), diabetes (6%), and chronic respiratory diseases (5%) (WHO Report on NCD Country Profiles 2014).

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) National Nutrition Survey showed that there is an increasing prevalence in the following behavioral factors from 2008 to 2013: diabetes from 4.8% to 5.4% and overweight among adults from 26.6% to 31.1% while decreasing trends for hypertension from 25.3% to 22.3% and current adult smokers from 31.0% to 25.4%.

DOH recognizes the importance of addressing NCDs, and initiates the promotion of healthy lifestyle through ‘Pilipinas, Go 4 Health’. The primary focus of this advocacy is to promote and educate behavioral risk factors that may lead to NCD such as ‘Go Sigla’ for physical activity, ‘Go Slow sa Tagay’ for moderate consumption of alcohol, ‘Go Sustansya’ on proper diet, and ‘Go Smoke-free’ to address the harmful effects of smoking.

- Aprubado na sa Senado ang balaodnong dugangan ang maternity leave sa mga babayeng kawani sa pribado ug pampublikong sektor ug himuong tulo ka buwan o 100 ka adlaw.

Sa kasamtangang balaod, mokabat lamang sa 60 ka adlaw ang maternity leave alang sa mga kawani sa gobyerno ug 60 taman 78 usab sa mga kawani sa pribadong sektor, depende sa ‘mode of deli­v ery’ niini.

Matud pa ni Sen. Pia Cayetano, sponsor sa Senate Bill No. 2982, ang kasamtangang maternity leave mas ubos sa 98 ka adlaw nga minimum requirement sa International ­L a b o r O r g a n i z a t i o n ( I L O ) .

Giingong ang Pilipinas naulahi usab sa ubang nasud sa ASEAN region kalabot sa “maternity leave duration”.

Pasabot pa ni Cayetano, ubos sa SBN 2982 o Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2015, tuyo niining mahatagan og igong panahon ang mga inahan nga mabalik ang ilang kusog ug mahimo ang ilang ‘maternal roles’ sa dili pa mobalik sa ilang trabaho. (mbcn/ecb/PIA7-Bohol)

iSIQUIJOR

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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