8 vol 4 isiquijor 02 29 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. 8 February 22-29 , 2016

Feature: Siquijor Great Weekend Getaway, a success

by Nimfa Virtucio, DTI

SIQUIJOR (PIA) --- The Great Weekend Getaway at the Paliton Beach, San Juan, Siquijor on February 26 and 27 was a resounding success as proven by the series of activities that delighted both locals and visitors.

The highlight was the 5th and final leg of the 16th Philippine Hobie Challenge participated in by 17 teams from Australia, Belgium, Taiwan and the Philippines.

While waiting for the teams’ arrival on the 26th, various fun-filled activities were simultaneously done on the beach.

An open beach volley tournament was held participated in by 17 teams from Maite, Paliton, Tambisan, Candanay, SMACOY, Bohol Institute of Technology and Carmelite College.

Food stalls were also put up by the different resorts, bars and restaurants in San Juan as well as a souvenirs from all over the province.

Tu g o f w a r f o r m e n a n d women was also held while a live band played in the background.

The arrival of the hobie cats was a sight to behold. The 17 competing and three rally hobie cats when docked together on the beach was an amazing sight. Their colourful sails fluttering in the wind added more color and excitement to the already buzzing crowd.

But behind that amazing sight and fun, comes the real beautiful experience these visitors could get and had to offer to the islanders.

Amidst fatigue and maybe drowsiness from their long journey to the island, these sailors and organizers, with extra vigor and strength proceeded to Maite Central school in San Juan town where schoolkids and some barangay folks await their equally amazing outreach program.

Solar lamps, world maps, sports equipment and other school and medical supplies were generously shared to two identified schools, namely, Cangasa and Maite Elementary Schools and water filters with free training to

the town’s ten identified barangays.

These items were donations made through the Philippine Inter-Island Sailing Foundation Inc. (PHINSAF), Waves for Water, and the Lifeline Rescue.

“Touched and flattered” is what Governor Zaldy Villa had to say of the outreach program. “Your presence and your generosity make us feel important to you,” the governor said.

The second day of the Great Weekend Getaway started early when the hobie cats started the final leg and sailed around Apo Island. While on the beach, the fun continues.

While the kids are having their pictures taken with Barnie or Elsa or having their faces painted, grown-ups lazed on the beach, drinking beer or cheering for their favourite team playing in the championship of the beach volleyball.

Everything came to a stop, however, when sails were spotted from a distance. First to arrive and winner of the 5th leg was team Ancient Mariners, followed by team Not Dead Yet who is the overall winner. Both teams are from Australia.

People swarmed the beach to have their pictures taken beside the hobie cats and the teams gamely posed with those brave enough to ask.

Before the sun set, all sails were down, the hobies were stripped and ready to be shipped. But the festivities are far from over. The beach volleyball played their championship games and the following were the winners: for the male category, first place is Tambisan; second, BIT 1 and third, Candanay. For the female category, first place is Tambisan; second, BIT 1 and third, Candanay.

The event was capped by a spectacular display of fireworks and the Willfreedo band playing till the wee hours of the morning.

Organizers and sponsors include the Cocogrove Beach Resort and the Provincial Government of Siquijor with the participating local resorts like the Baha Bar, Joel’s Lechon, Coral Cay, Royal Cliff, Danish Lagoon and the Infinity Heights who put up their booths at the Paliton Beach.

For the Beach Volleyball, Dagsa, Treasure Island and Joel’s Lechon sponsored the meals and snacks and Rotary Club of Siquijor, LGU-San Juan, SB members of San Juan, Park and Go, Julie’s Bakeshop, Standard Insurance, Oceanjet, Landbank, Metrobank, Nathandrei, Jaylan Shipping and DCCO for the prizes. (rmn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor w/ reports from Nimfa Virtucio/DTI-Siquijor)

iSIQUIJORGOVERNMENTNEWS

LGUs in Action

Siquijor Municipal Mayor Mei Ling Quezon turning over a peanut grinder to the Luyang Women Association officers and members as a component of her Gender and Development (GAD) project for the municipality.

The turnover was done February 18, 2016 at the Municipal Agricultural Office. In photo are from Mayor Quezon (right), Luyang Barangay Captain Lecenio Abing and LUWA President JelieAbing. On the left side is Municipal Agriculturist Officer Chita Maglinte, with Luyang Women Association officers and members at the center. (rac/PIA7-Siquijor with photo from Mercy Jay Ocso/LGU-Siquijor)

DENR, EV town hold coastal clean up

SIQUIJOR (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here and the local government unit of Enrique Villanueva conducted a coastal clean-up activity at the Binoongan Marine Sanctuary as part of the celebration of World Wetlands Day and National Wetlands Day.

During the clean up activity, employees and members of the people’s organization were advised not to remove seagrasses and seaweeds from the shore but arrange and leave them to decompose for the beach nourishment and as a natural part of the ecosystem,

said Chief of the technical division Vicente Calizar of DENR.

He said the activity was supposed to be done on February 2 but due to several activities of the DENR, it was moved later.

He said information and education campaign on the importance of coastal ecosystem and wetlands are also held for Grade 5 and 6 pupils of Enrique Villanueva Central School with the theme: “Wetlands for our future: sustainable livelihoods.”

World Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally each year on

SIQUIJOR (PIA) -- The construction of more infrastructure and implementation of more projects are seen to boost the town’s economic growth.

Larena Mayor Dean Villa, in a gathering of fisherfolks recently at Taculing, Larena, said that several projects are being undertaken to promote economic activities here.

Among the projects that will soon rise in Larena are the construction of Fish Port and Cold Storage at Barangay

Taculing funded by the National Anti Poverty Commission (NAPC).

Villa said these two projects will boost the fisherfolks’ income.

Another establishment is the new Hypermart Mall at the pier area, which will make available cheaper goods and commodities so that Siquijodnons need not go to Dumaguete or other neightboring island provinces.

He also cited the P157 million worth of Larena pier extension project

February 2.

It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on February 2, 1971.

World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997. Since then, government agencies, non-government organisations and community groups have celebrated World Wetlands Day by undertaking actions to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits and promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands. (rmn/rac/ PIA7-Siquijor)

More projects to boost economic growth in Larena

and the road projects within the town aimed at attracting more shipping companies to invest and bring more convenience to the increasing number of tourists in the island.

To complete the package, the mayor said he is pushing for the promotion of vegetable gardening as part of the government’s effort for food sufficiency and stability as he envisions Larena to be the vegetable basket in the province. (rmn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor w/ reports from IAAbatayo)

PHL Hobie Challenge 2016 in photos

iSIQUIJORGOVERNMENTNEWS World Wetlands‬ and National Wetlands Day observance with the employees and people’s organization of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Enrique Villanueva LGU at Binoongan Marine Sanctuary. (PIA7-Siquijor)

DBM announces BUB coverage to expand next year

SIQUIJOR, Feb. 24 (PIA) – Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary for Special Concerns Karen Villanueva recently announced in Siquijor province that the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BuB) will be expanded to cover 42,036 barangays next year.

This was announced during the orientation with the barangay captains of Siquijor at the GAD Building in Siquijor.

BuB is the government’s reform program that institutionalizes the people’s participation in the budget process.

Each barangay will receive a subsidy of P1 million for the implementation of projects that they have identified, Villanueva said.

She said the program is expected to aid barangays in better formulating poverty reduction action plans and monitoring the delivery of basic services in the communities.

During the orientation, Villanueva revealed that some 12,000 barangays will receive funding from the national government in 2017 for the various programs, of which implementation will be in batches.

In Siquijor province, nine barangays of Larena town will be piloted for the program.

During the orientation, the barangay captains were provided with inputs on how to implement the projects on their own.

They were also briefed on procurement law, budget law and regulations, and improving their

governance at the barangay level.

This is part of the efforts to make good governance directly seen, felt, and benefitted by all Filipinos, she said.

Villanueva said DBM has started national consultations with barangay captains to engage them in the discussion on barangay BuB.

This will be followed capacity building sessions and project preparation for the first batch of barangays to pioneer BuB.

She said BuB coverage expansion is made in response to the clamor of the various associations of barangay councils (ABCs), civil society organizations (CSOs) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP).

Before BuB, decisions were made at the top. Now, local communities with their local government units (LGUs) are given the power to decide on what priority projects should be implemented in their areas.

Over the years, Villanueva said BuB has been recognized as one of the five best practices in Fiscal Transparency from around the world during the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit held in Mexico City last November.

“The Philippines was also granted the Gold Open Government Award for BuB in the inaugural OGP Awards at the United Nations Head Quarters in New York City in September 2014,” she said.

The country was recognized for its outstanding efforts to deepen citizen engagement in the budget process, one of three gold awards given to recognize

innovative and citizen driven initiatives in designing and implementing public policy.”

BuB is also being credited as one of the reforms that have helped to improve country’s standing in global benchmarks of budget transparency.

Likewise, the International Budget Partnership Open Budget Survey (OBS) for 2015 ranked the Philippines as number 0ne in Budget Transparency in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) because of programs such as the BuB. (rmn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor w/ reports from IAAbatayo.)

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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