38 isiquijor 11 08 15

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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. 3 | NO. 38 November 1-8, 2015

CR+ID gets nearly P500M for Siquijor road dev’t projects

SIQUIJOR (PIA)—Nearly P500 million worth of road development projects in Siquijor province are eligible and approved for funding under the national government’s Human Development and Poverty ReductionAccelerated and Sustainable AntiPoverty Program (HDPR-ASAP).

This was bared during the Validation Workshops on Tourism and Agriculture as the province’s prirority sector identified through the Coordinating Roads and Infrastructure Investments for Development (CR+ID) project of the Asia Foundation and the Australian Embassy in the Philippines.

The province has proposed for a total of P643,083,342.49 worth for eight road projects provincewide as a result of the Provincial Consensus Building and Value Chain Analysis workshops conducted

by CR+ID earlier this year where multistakeholders arrived at an agreement on tourism and agriculture, particularly banana and coconut as the priority sectors and subsectors of the province.

The projects are validated based on the following criteria: increased efficiency - 20%; spur economic activity 20%; reduced cost of doing business - 20%; Volume of production - 15%; connectivity - 15%; and volume of traffic - 10%.

Approved for HDPR-ASAP funding are Concreting of Canggomantong (Sitio Canggaya)-Bandilaan-Cantabon Road, P53,827,969.04; Concreting of Poblacion-Tulapos Marine Sanctuary Road (via CVRP Mangrove forest), P12,153,020.59; Concreting of BanbanPili-Canghunoghunog-Cantabon Road, P52,831,563.34; Concreting of Canlambo-Ponong-Manan-ao-BalolongBalolang-Canlasug-Bintangan Road, P85,894,861.93; Concreting of TigbawanCangclaran-Kinamandagan-Kimba-Cangatuyom-Cang-asa-Campalanas Road’ P129,194,850.90; Concreting of NagerongTagmanocan-Capalasanan-Poo Road, P82,940,494.40; and Concreting of San Antonio-Cantabon-Bandilaan-Cangapa (Cabilao) Road, P83,053,048.55.

The projects are seen to speed up tourism and economic development, as well as poverty reduction efforts of the province.

To ensure safety of both locals and tourists, Siquijor Police Provincial Director Erson DIgal has directed all police stations in six municipalities to intensify drive against criminality, increase police visibility and set everything in place to secure the province against possible attacks of terrorism.

CR+ID is a successor to the CRID project or Coordinating Road Investments for Development, implemented over the last two years in five provinces: Bohol, Cebu, Guimaras, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur.

It coordinates and rationalizes road investments through the use of Value Chain Analysis in identifying strategic road links (SRLs) with local government units (LGUs) and national government agencies (NGAs) adopting a more regionally coordinated and integrated infrastructure investment program.

It partners with the private sector, SCCII for Siquijor, LGUs,

NGAs that are funding road and infra projects, and Congressmen who are using their PDAF as well as other legislation to support road projects.

CR+ID also works to strengthen the Regional Development Council for broader participation of businesses and local governments in the realm of investment programming.

NEDA Region VII highlights the importance of investment in infrastructure, especially on transportation in the updated Central Visayas Regional Development Plan for 2014-2016.(mbcn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor)

iNFOBYTES & BLOGS anywhere World’s Best: Why 7 is the Philippines’ Lucky Number

(picked from http://www.choosephilippines.com/go/islands-and-beaches/3641/worlds-best-why-7-philippines-luckynumber/

7 of the 7,107 Philippine islands are the best in the world!

The Philippines has, more or less, 7,107 islands.

Should Planet Earth have a contest on naming the world’s best islands, we have about 7,107 chances of winning.

And, mind you, we just did!

Backpackers and travel bloggers Sonal (from India) and Sandro (from Germany) of Drifter Planet rounded up the “55 Best Islands in the World” through the help of fellow world travelers. “Which island should you visit next?” the duo asked and top travel bloggers heeded the call to name their favorite island destination.

(Image from Drifter Planet)

Of the 55 on the list, seven are islands of the Philippines.

Right on our trail is Greece, which has six islands on the lineup. The other countries like Spain, Thailand, Indonesia, French Polynesia, and Australia only have one or two, three at most.

Here are the seven islands that some of the world’s

popular travel bloggers deemed as topnotchers:

1) El Nido, Palawan (MiMaRoPa Region)

By now, having El Nido as number one on a world’s best list is already a nobrainer!

Situated in Bacuit Bay in the northernmost tip of mainland Palawan, El Nido has been the subject of praises by travel magazines and travel bloggers all over the world. Its islands are riddled with towering marble cliffs, enchanting lagoons, prehistoric caves, waterfalls, and white sand beaches, which adventurers can explore for days.

Sabrina Iovino is also one of our very own global Travel Insiders and she shared her El Nido experience to Choose Philippines two years ago.

“I remember that I felt like Alice in

Wonderland. El Nido had blown my mind.”

2) Batanes (Region II)

Batanes, an archipelago province in the region of Cagayan Valley, is located at the northernmost part of the Philippines. It is known for its undisturbed and unspoiled beaches, beautiful coves with multi-colored rocks, and vast grasslands.

3) Flower Island, Taytay, Palawan (MiMaRoPa Region)

Taytay in Palawan is one of the oldest kingdoms pre-Hispanization. It is now known for its beach resorts that offer a unique and off-the-beaten-path vacation.

4) Siquijor (Region VII)

Siquijor in Central Visayas is the third smallest province in the country, after Camiguin and Batanes. It is often associated with mystic traditions and has a long-time reputation as a place of magic and sorcery. In this place of enchantment, diving spots, waterfalls, beaches, and caves abound.

5) Tinaga Island, Calaguas, Camarines Norte (Bicol Region)

Tinaga is one of the two major islands in Calaguas, the other one being Guintinua, in the province of Camarines Norte. It is famous for its eight-kilometer long white sand beach, which is called “Mahabang Buhangin” (long beach).

6) Coron, Palawan (MiMaRoPa Region)

Coron is the third largest island in the Calamian group of Palawan. It is known for wreck diving, snorkeling spots, rock formations, and amazing coves.

Forbes Traveler Magazine once named the sunken WWII Japanese ships off Coron Island as one of the 10 best scuba diving sites in the world. ( 7) Puerto Princesa, Palawan (MiMaRoPa Region)

More than half of the islands in this list are in the Palawan archipelago.

This is not a surprise since it is the country’s largest province. Palawan has a land area of more than 1.7 million hectares. This includes the long and narrow Palawan Island, the Calamian Group of Islands (northeast), Durangan Island (westernmost part), Balabac Island (southern tip), Cuyo Islands, and the disputed Spratly Islands.

iSIQUIJORGOVERNMENTNEWS iSIQUIJOR GOVERNMENTNEWS

SEC issues warnings vs pyramiding, investment scams

November 10 (PIA)--Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issues warning against recruiters, sellers and those who offer unregistered securities as the alarm against Ponzi and pyramiding scheme and other forms of investment scams continue to proliferate, some of them operating in Bohol.

By Ponzi scheme, SEC said it is an illegal investment scheme where investors are enticed to high returns despite showing no viable business operation.

Under this scheme, funds collected from new investors are used to pay from the promised profits to earlier investors, according to the SEC.

On the other hand, pyramiding is a modified Ponzi scheme masked as a multi-level marketing where participants

get profits primarily through recruitment of people that funds are invested by down-lines to pay for the up-lines.

While SEC hints that multi-level marketing can be legal, it becomes illegitimate when the company offering the investment focuses on marketing efforts rather than recruitment.

In an advisory sent to media and the Philippine Information Agency, SEC said scammers have used novel schemes and devises that use gold, precious metals, hidden treasures, travel opportunities, cars and luxuries to make it tough for the public to distinguish the genuine investment opportunities from the fraudulent ones.

SEC insists that securities can only be offered for sale if the

investors are SEC registered and no person shall engage in business of selling securities as a broker or dealer unless registered with the Commission.

SEC named the following highyield high-risk investments as Emgoldex Philippines into gold trading; One Lightning Corporation into cosmetics and healthcare products; My Video Talk (internet based software) sold by Bridges Team Effort Network and Marketing Corp; Alliance of Networkers of the Philippines.

At the onset of the scams, whether in person or internet based selling, SEC finds it appalling that a number of victims have admitted awareness of the illegal and non-sustainable investment and even involved by recruitment of their families. (mbcn/rac/PIA7-Bohol)

The Department of Health and the Philippine Red Cross in coordination with LGU-Larena recently conducted a free Donor Recruitment Orientation for Local Recruiters held at Larena Elementary School Planning Center. This is a program to strengthen our voluntary blood donation, participated by all Barangay Health Workers (BWHs). The speakers on the said activity were Philippine Red Cross Siquijor Chapter Representative, Ms. Rowena L. Maputi and our very own MHO Dr. Susan Jojie O. Villa. The Local Chief Executive, Mayor Dean S. Villa graced the event as he delivered his inspirational message.

(Larena Review)

Slow court action hinders gov’t anti-corruption fight

MANILA, Nov 18 -- The government’s anti-corruption efforts would be more effective if the court act more expeditiously especially in sending wrongdoers to jail, President Aquino said on Monday.

President Aquino, in a Dialogue with CNN’s Andrew Stevens, vented his frustration on the courts’ inability to act quickly that affects the anti-corruption fight.

“We have three branches of government. And what I tell the executive which I hold is that: ‘the key to the corruption fight is not the ability to file cases against somebody, but actually sending somebody to jail,’” he told Stevens when he was asked whether he was

satisfied with the efforts to fight corruption.

“If we can remove this belief that you can get away, literally, with murder then we will have achieved something. But you now, we are expecting some major decisions on cases that have been pending.”

The snail-paced judicial process has been frustrating for him, he said.

He said that the Constitution says that once a case is submitted for resolution, the Supreme Court has a maximum of two years to decide on that particular case. There are cases that have been languishing in the court for decades.

This also impacts on government infrastructure projects, as

some projects being delayed by the rather slow court litigation process.

“For instance, they are not able to give a restraining order obstruction,” he said.

“So the new method was on valuation questioning, the valuation effectively delaying the projects so that some of the targets we are hoping to accomplish before we step down will not be met.”

But the Supreme Court is taking action after it was reminded that there is a law that says it shouldn’t stop government infrastructure programs, the President said.

The President joined top Asia Pacific executives on Monday in Makati City during the APEC 2015 CEO Summit. (PCOO/PND (as))

iSIQUIJORGOVERNMENTNEWS

President Aquino highlights importance of SMEs in economic development

MANILA, Nov 18 -- Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have huge potentials, especially in terms of creating jobs and opening more opportunities for Filipinos, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Small and Medium Enterprises Summit held at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati City, President Aquino noted that since the country’s “strongest competitive advantage” and “most important resource” is its people, the government invested massive funds into health, education, and other social services, empowering them to participate more fully in economic growth.

“Of course, if we are investing in their potential and in their abilities, then why should we not invest in their dreams as well? In 2013, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) comprised over 99 percent of all business enterprises in the Philippines and account for 63.7 percent of total employment,” he said.

“These statistics alone would be reason enough for government to support the sector, but we see far beyond the numbers. For us, these statistics represent Filipinos opening doors of opportunity for so many other Filipinos,” he added.

The government, he said, has carried out several initiatives to strengthen SMEs in the country.

Awesome and Fantastic!--Those power words the bloggers say about Siquijor’s hosting of the first ever ‪#‎InfoTourismAdventureRace‬ give us that overwhelming feeling of triumph until this day. It’s worth all our efforts.

Our sincere thanks to all our generous sponsors, cheerful givers, organizers, facilitators,volunteers and all the participants for making the ‪#‎1stInfoTourismAdventureRace‬ a great success. Daghan kaayong salamat. -- PIA-Siquijor/ ‪#‎SensationalSiquijor‬ team

CEBUANO NEWS: OFWs gi alerto batok sa “tanim-bala”

MANILA, November 4 (PIA) — Si Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapiliz-Baldoz namahayag nga adunay gikatahong “tanim-bala” nga ga panghitabo sa mga airports dinhi sa nasud.

Gi awhag ni Baldoz ilabi na ang mga pasahero sa eroplano nga OFWs nga angay silang magmatngon ug magmabinantayon sa ilang mga bagahe. Kinahanglan nga dili sila magpalayo panahon sa inspeksyon ug kung adunay mamatikdan nga kadudahang lihok sa mga kawani sa airport I report gilayon sa mga nahitungdan nga opisyal.

Mas labing maayo nga mag inventory sa mga sulod sa bagahe sa dili pa moadto sa airport aron adunay ikapakita sa otoridad kung gikinahanglan alang sa himoong nga screening ug checking , matud ni Baldoz.

Nasubo ang labor and employment chief sa mga nahimong biktima sa “tanim-bala” scheme nga mga OFWs. Matud ni Baldoz nga ang maong panghitabo makahatag ug kahadlok sa mg OFWs ilabi na kadtong mopauli ug mo bakasyon sa nasud alang sa umalabot nga holidays.

Tungod niini, gimando-an ni Baldoz ang mga Overseas Workers Welfare Administration nga naka pwesto sa nagkalain laing airports nga magmatngon usab sa ilang pag ayuda sa OFWs nga mosulod ug mogawas sa nasud. (lpp/PIA7/Negros Oriental)

Through the Access of Small Enterprises to Sound Lending Opportunities, more than P153.1 billion has been released to more than 174,000 enterprises from 2010 to 2014, he said.

He further said that by requiring banks to allocate 10 percent of their total loan portfolio for credit to MSMEs, more than P427 billion has been lent to Filipino entrepreneurs as of last June.

“We want to ensure that they do not just have access to capital—but that they are able to maximize it,” President Aquino said.

T h e D e p a r t m e n t o f Tr a d e and Industry has also pioneered the establishment of Shared Service Facilities, or common production centers for MSMEs. A total of 1,305 SSFs have been set up around the country as of September this year to meet the needs of different sectors.

The Chief Executive cited 13 MSMEs in Kalibo, Aklan, which are making use of 60 handlooms in an SSF to meet the high demand for abaca cloth products coming from France and the United States; and six MSMEs in Diffun, Quirino that have moved beyond producing gifts and souvenir-type products to producing fresh and dry vegetable noodles from squash and carrots through an SSF.

In Ifugao, more than 750 coffee growers are making use of an SSF with such equipment as coffee hullers and pulpers, allowing them to more than quadruple their production from 230 packs to nearly 1,000 packs a month.

Their market has expanded drastically, with sales increasing sixfold from P10,000 to P60,000 a month, the President reported.

The government also has an SME Roving Academy, which travels around the country, conducting training seminars in marketing, product development, and financing to help SMEs become more competitive.

The participation of private sector partners has helped realize the same kind of success in specific sectors, President Aquino said. PND (as)

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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