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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. 3 | NO. 5 February 1-7, 2015

Siquijor Chamber to jumpstart road, infra investment

SIQUIJOR, Feb 17 (PIA)—The Siquijor Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (SCCII) is implementing the project, Coordinating Roads and Infrastructure Investments for Development (CR+ID), a partnership with the Asia Foundation and the Australian Embassy in the Philippines.

One of the components of the CR+ID project, according to SCCII President Engr. Judy U. Booc, is the Value Chain Analysis (VCA) that identifies Strategic Road Links (SRL) and Strategic Infrastructures (SI) in Siquijor.

The SRLs, she explained, are interconnected roads within the province, regardless of classification, which are most often used in transporting goods and people and the SIs are backbones that interconnect modern economies.

Strategic Infrastructure, she added, will only drive sustained economic growth when it is properly aligned with the province’s priorities.

They must create the greatest impact in terms of economic growth, social uplift and sustainability

in the province, she said.

She also said that a Consensus Building Workshop for Key Economic Drivers is done in coordination with the Provincial Government of Siquijor and convene multi-stakeholders to present the Strategic Direction of the Province and validate the Provincial Economic Data by the VCA team of the project.

The determination of priority economic subsector of the Province also takes place and serves as basis in the succeeding data gathering for the VCA, she shared. (RAC/ PIA7-Siquijor/w reports from SCCII) Famous for its tales of witches and ghosts, Siquijor island proves that the real magic are its must-see natural attractions (The Philippines).

Salagdoong Beach, Maria, Siquijor | Photo by RM Bulseco on flickr Want to try cliff diving? Salagdoong Beach is the perfect place to indulge your thrill-seeking self. The blue waters and the beautiful beach create a serene and magical atmosphere for visitors. Although not blessed with fine white sand, Salagdoong Beach boasts breathtaking views of the sunset and an ideal location for holiday goers. (read more at- http://insights.looloo.com/siquijor-destinations/?utm_source=fb&utm_ medium=boost&utm_campaign=fbboost

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DOST Siquijor intensifies anti-dengue drive

dengue-carrying adult mosquitoes.

During the turnover of the package, OL school coordinators expressed their support for the ongoing study regarding the efficacy of OL traps.

In an interview, Provincial Science and Technology Director Engr. Mario E. de la Peña said that the schools were identified by the regional office and were assigned corresponding number of items based on imposed criteria.

“ S o f a r, t h e r e s p o n d e n t schools have been very cooperative”, he said. (RAC/PIA7-Siquijor/ Reinhold Jek Abing/DOST-Siquijor.

SIQUIJOR (PIA) --The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) here in coordination with DOST-7 distributed ovicidal-larvicidal (OL) Kits and related reading materials in a bid to intensify efforts to educate the public about the OL trap and its ability to prevent dengue.

The identified secondary schools include Basac National High School, Candaping National High School, and Enrique Villanueva National High School.

Each school was given sets of “Ang OL Trap sa Brgy. Ma dengue”, educational comics intended to inform

the public especially high school students about OL Traps and dengue.

Also included in the package are ovicidal-larvicidal (OL) pellets, ladles and containers.

The OL pellets works by attracting female Aedesaegypti mosquitoes as its site for laying eggs.

Six days after the OL solution has been exposed as laying site, mosquito eggs and larvae will be killed by throwing the solution to dry areas during sunny days and by putting boiling water during rainy days.

In this process, they are killed even before they mature as

by Engr. Reinhold Jek Abing

(L-R) Angie Manginsay of Candaping High School, SST-IEstergelina Estergelina T. T. Laranjo Laranjo of FromSSP-I left to right: SSP-I Angie ManginsayNational of Candaping NHS, SST-I of Basac Basac NHS NHS and and SST-III Darlene T. Patagoc of Enrique Villanueva NHS receive the package containing educational comics and OL kits SST-III Darlene T. Patagoc of Enrique Villanueva NHS receive the package containing educational comics from DOST.

and OL kits from DOST.

CSC career service exam set on May 3

CEBU CITY, February 16 (PIA) --- The Civil Service Commission (CSC-7) announces the conduct of the Career Service Examination (CSE) for professional and nonprofessional level on May 3 for interested applicants who want to join government service.

CSC-7 public assistance and liaison division chief, Prolaine Dacalan said, the application form can be secured from any CSC Regional or Field Office or downloaded from the CSC website www.csc.gov.ph.

Eligible to apply for the CSE

- Paper Pencil Test (PPT) in both levels are Filipino citizens, at least 18 years old and of good moral character.

Applicant must have no criminal record nor have been dishonorably discharged from military service or dismissed from any civilian position in the government. Applicants also must have not taken the same level of CSE within three months from the last exam taken.

Documentary requirements needed include four ID pictures taken within three months prior to application and an original and photocopy of any

valid ID. An examination fee of P500 for the PPT will be charged.

“Deadline for submission of application is on March 12 as interested applicants can inquire further details from their office or any CSC field office,” said Dacalan.

The CSE has a passing rate of 80 percent while results of the test are usually released after 45 days and will also be posted on the CSC website.

According to Dacalan, Central Visayas has an average passing percentage of five to 10 percent. (mbcn/fcr/pia7)

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National Greening Program promising, but more is needed

A recent study by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) found some promise in the government’s National Greening Program but suggests there is still room for improvement in areas of information management, monitoring, and fund management.

The Policy Note titled “The National Greening Program: Hope for our Balding Forests” written by Dr. Danilo Israel and Maria Diyina Gem Arbo, PIDS senior research fellow and research analyst, respectively, discusses the performance of the NGP, ways to improve its implementation mechanisms, and the newly commenced impact assessment project being conducted by PIDS.

The NGP launched in 2011 to plant 1.5 million seedlings in 1.5 hectares over a period of six years is an attempt by the government to include objectives beyond restoring forest areas, such as reducing poverty; promoting food security, environmental stability, and biodiversity conservation; and enhancing climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“The NGP has provided some measure of hope for the recovery of our already balding forests, an objective that previous national reforestation programs have miserably failed to achieve,” say the authors.

Despite the achievements of the program, there are plenty of areas for improvement, such as data and information gathering and analysis; monitoring and inspection of tree survival; access to funds and increased personnel; and reporting and auditing practices.

The rate of deforestation in the Philippines over the past century is a thing of notoriety. The Philippines is one of the 17 mega diversity countries.

Conservation International ranks the country fourth on the most threatened forest hotspot. Annually, from 2000 to 2005, the country lost 1.98 percent or 157,400 hectares of forests—one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world.

Deforestation is fundamentally caused by human demand. There are laws in place, but the lack of implementation makes it difficult to properly regulate logging, mining, and land conversion to areas of agriculture or settlement.

While it can be argued that social progress is worth the cost, the rate at which deforestation occurs is unsustainable.

Balete Tree in Campalanas, Lazi, Siquijor Photo by Joshua Berida Balete trees create visions of kapres and aswangs, but you won’t see any of these mystical creatures when you visit the centuries old balete tree in Siquijor. Be awed by its longevity, girth, and height as you dip your feet into the pool just below it.

Without inclusive programs, habitats, biodiversity, and the entire ecosystem remain in peril. Deforestation also leads to spikes of carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

It is clear that it isn’t enough to reintroduce trees into deforested land.

A comprehensive reforestation program is what the NGP hopes to achieve.

To improve and enhance the NGP’s performance, the authors of the study emphasize addressing the challenges that slow its progress.

F i r s t l y, s u b s t a n t i v e d a t a must be gathered and provided to fully come up with a substantive picture of the program’s progress.

The available data—exceeding planting sites and actual target per hectare by 14 percent by the end of 2013, and yet missing the yearly seedling target per year—are not enough to determine whether or not the NGP is on the way to achieve its objectives.

S e c o n d l y, m o n i t o r i n g a n d inspection of trees have to be enforced to monitor, ensure, and increase the

rate of survival, which currently sits at 61 percent. The goal is 85 percent.

The Commission on Audit (COA) criticized the Department of Environment and Natural Resources report on the NGP for not having an inspection or monitoring system for the survival rate of the seedlings. The program focused its evaluation too much on quantity instead of quality, according to the COA report.

That same year, a study, also by Israel, claimed that participants on the ground viewed the program’s performance positively. It increased livelihood opportunities and improved environmental condition. But delays in availability of mobilization fund and limited personnel have held back NGP performance, making it only partially effective and efficient.

The framework for the impact assessment of the NGP contains four components – economic, social, environmental, and institutional. All of which will be evaluated as the program continues, hopefully to provide a more in-depth picture for studies to improve implementation mechanisms for the NGP and for future reforestation programs.

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by Rizalie Anding Calibo

Cebuano News

Palasyo mohatag ug dugang pundo alang sa pagpalambo sa public education programs

MANILA, (PIA) – Ang Malakanyang mi anunsyo nga dugang pundo ang gitagana alang sa pagpalapad sa mga programa sa Department of Education DepEd) aron mapalambo ang kalidad sa edukasyon sa nasud.Namahayag si Presidential Communications Operations Officer Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. sa Radyo ng Bayan nga mokabat sa P10-billion ang gitagana alang sa pagkuha

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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ug dugang 39,000 ka bag-ong magtutudlo ug 1,500 ka non-teaching positions alang sa mga publikong eskwelahan.Miingon ni Coloma nga ang Department of Budget and Management mo tagana usab ug laing P3.5 billion nga ipalit ug dugang textbooks ug teaching materials.Aduna nay P54-billion nga gihatag alang sa pagtukod ug 31,728 ka bag-ong classrooms ug ang pag reconstruct sa laing 9,500 classrooms lakip na ang pagtukod ug 13,586 ka water and sanitation facilities, 455 technical-vocational laboratories ug 1.3 million nga classroom seats.Miingon si Coloma nga ang computerization program sa DepEd, pundohan usab ug P8.5 billion nga ipalit ug 24,000 ka information and communications technology package ug multi-media laboratories alang sa mga estudyante sa mga public high schools ug laing computer laboratories nga basic multimedia equipment alang sa mga elementarya.Nahibal-an nga usa ang DepEd sa mga ahensya sa gobyerno nga nahatagan ug dako nga pundo sa 2015 national budget sa kantidad nga P367.1billion, taas kini ug 19% kung I kumpara sa 2014 budget nga P309.5-billion, matud ni Coloma.Gipatas-an usab ang badget sa tanang state colleges ug universities sa tibook nasud karong tuiga sa kantidad nga P44-billion kumpara sa mi aging tuig nga P38-billion. (mbcn/lpp/PIA-7/Negros Oriental)