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iSIQUIJOR 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. 1 | NO. 10 August 16, 2013
Siquijor holds forum to thresh out agri issues By Rizalie A. Calibo
SIQUIJOR (PIA)—The provincial government of Siquijor recently held a forum on Siquijor Comprehensive Agriculture and Fisheries Development Plan (SCAFDP) to thresh out problems confronting the province in agriculture-related issues. Provincial Planning and Development
Coordinator Gladys Estrellada said the forum was necessary in crafting a comprehensive development plan that will benefit all Siquijodnons. "We need to thresh out issues and problems, needs, threats and potentials that lead us the way to development," she said. Issues raised during the forum include government projects, programs and services for agriculture and economic development, farm production and marketing strategies to help farmers improve their production, environmental protection, prices of prime commodities like fisheries, vegetables, fruits, poultry, and livestock and other by-products. Inputs, suggestions and recommendations from the stakeholders will be presented to the governor and other concerned officials
Francisco Sopsop of the Department of Agriculture - Regional Field Office - 7 (DA-RFO-7) presenting the CY 2013 program, projects & activities for Central Visayas during the Forum on Siquijor Comprehensive Agriculture & Fisheries Dev't Plan at Tan Bongco Complex, Larena, Siquijor. He Urges Siquijor to come up with a plan responsive to the ClimateChange.
Provincial Veterinarian Bernardita Tabada tackling on livestock dispersal and other related issues.
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for concrete actions, Estrellada said. She stressed the need for agricultural development to boost the farmers and fisherfolks’ income, thus leading t o f ood suff iciency in t h e is la n d . At least 80 participants from both the government and private sectors attended the forum held at Tan Bongco Complex, North Poblacion , Larena, Siquijor. (rmn/RACalibo/PIA-Siquijor)
PIA News Digest CSC grants emergency leave for govt workers in calamity-hit areas CEBU CITY (PIA)--- Civil Service Commission (CSC) is granting emergency leave for government workers in areas directly affected by natural calamities and disasters. Pursuant to CSC Resolution No. 1200289 issued last year, government personnel in officially-declared calamity areas may avail of the special emergency leave for five straight working days or on a staggered basis. Said special leave will not be deducted from the employee’s regular leave credits. According to CSC Chairman Francisco Duque III, CSC sees the need to provide relief to state workers affected by natural calamities in the form of a special leave. The policy covers state workers affected by typhoon Maring whose effects were intensified by southeast monsoon or habagat. The leave may be used by employees stranded in affected areas, for urgent repair and clean-up of damaged house, for recovery from disease/ illness, or for caring for immediate family members affected by natural calamity. The affected government worker can avail of the emergency within 30 days from the from the first day of calamity declaration by proper government agencies/authorities.(FCC/PIACEBU/ CSC)
iSIQUIJOR SCIENCETECHNOLOGY
DOST PAGE
DOST's free online reviewer for scholarship exam is now up By Ma. Elena A. Talingdan, S&T media Service, DOST PCIEERD
Graduating elementary students wishing to bag a scholarship slot at the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) will now have better chances of passing the National Competitive Examinations (NCE) of the country’s premier science secondary school. This opportunity is made possible through the Department of Science and Technology’s latest initiative called the PSHS online reviewer. The free reviewer, which is now available online, is designed to help aspiring scholars to prepare better for the PSHS NCE. It can be accessed at pshsreviewer.org
and pshsreviewer.dost.gov.ph. A c c o r d i n g t o D r. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, executive director of the DOST’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development of the (PCIEERD), the online reviewer is the official practice test provided by the PSHS. It is free and accessible through the Internet such that even students who live in the provinces and outside the country, especially those who can not afford the services of private review centers, can experience and learn from the exam simulation. The official online
reviewer provides a uniform and accessible practice test environment that simulates the actual PSHS examination. The question grouping, time constraints, and format follow the actual examination while a pool of experts formulated the questions. The better testtaking strategies and practice drills familiarize users with the nuances of the exam, giving them better chances of passing the PSHS examination. In developing the software, project leader Dr. Susan P. Festin of the University of the Philippines said that her team benchmarked from current industry practice for online testing such as SHL and
ExamBuilder. Both tests, for a fee, provide companies with assessment tools across various sectors. SHL provides a portfolio of more than 1,000 off-theshelf assessment tests, while ExamBuilder provides exam authoring, delivery, reporting, and analytics. For DOST college scholarship aspirants, Dr. Guevara said that DOST is coming up with the free online reviewer for the DOST-Science Education Institute examination in a few weeks. The DOST-PCIEERD is the monitoring agency for the development of the software programs, including said PSHS online reviewer, under its S&T human resource program.
RIGHT TO BASIC NEEDS In the Philippines, consumerism is a subject less known to consumers and businessmen. This has resulted into the misconception that consumerism is anti-business or proconsumers. Whatever way consumerism is perceived to be, this is the result of poor consumer education. We hope to educate the consumers of their rights and responsibilities, consumer tips through social media where you will interact, create, share, and exchange information and ideas. (DTI-Siquijor)
iSIQUIJOR GOVERNMENTNEWS
DENR-7 attains more than half of NGP target to date By Juju Manubag-Empuerto
Government officials and other stakeholders (seated) led by Department of Tourism--7 affix their signatures on the Covenant of Commitment for the Protection of Children in Tourism during the launching of ChidWise Tourism Programme at Plaza Independencia, Port San Pedro, Cebu City on August 17, 2013. (VVV/PIA Cebu)
News Feature: Cebu says NO to Child Sex Tourism By Ferliza calizar-contratista
CEBU CITY (PIA) --- Cebu made a resounding commitment for a Child Wise Tourism in the province. This after thousands of Cebuanos from different parts of the province joined a caravan on Aug. 17 covering one municipality and three cities bringing with them banners, leaflets, balloons, shirts, and caps bearing one strong message which is "NO to Child Sex Tourism." The caravan passed by the following local government units: Municipality of Cordova, Lapulapu City in the island of Mactan, and cities of Mandue and Cebu. Cordova, a fishing municipality, made headlines recently after the clandestine industry on internet pornography involving children was exposed to be operating in the town. On the other hand, Lapulapu City has over 60 resorts and hotels and an average of 3,000 tourists quarterly. Mandaue and Cebu cities have facilities and services catering to the tourism industry. Maria Rica Bueno, director of Office of Tourism Standards and Regulations of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Cebu is becoming a prime tourist destination in Asia and in the whole world. The Philippines, as a whole, has a rising market economy because of tourism accomplishments. “But despite the good news, much more is to be done to sustain and most specially in containing the downside of tourism, to protect our national treasure, our children,” Bueno said. She said there is a need to get the support of local government units to continue the advocacy since they are the ones who can monitor closely the front liners of the tourism industry. She said street children are at a high risk of being lured into the sex trade. The ages of children involved in pornography and sex videography are getting younger, Bueno added. Josephine Alforque, advocacy officer of End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography
and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), said that sex tourism is a lucrative industry whose growth is driven by the demand for children in tourist destination. She said that unlike adult prostitution, the child prostitute is always the victim. “There are no excuses for the sexual exploitation of children at any time and any place, that is why we measure our success with the cooperation of the local government units who are on their own crafting setting up local legislations addressing the issue,” Alforque said. Grace Paulino, Cebu Provincial Tourism Officer, said Cebu already has a Women and Children’s Code that covers children’s protection and development. Lapulapu City Tourism Officer Hembler Mendoza said they also have a local ordinance for women and children and they constantly meet with hotel and resort owners for security reasons and share reports of suspicious looking tourists. Cordova Vice Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho, for her part, said the CWT is a welcome initiative since her town needs all the help from the local, national, and international levels to stop the child sex industry from proliferating. Teodolo Romo, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), said they had always been a partner with DOT and other agencies in empowering the disadvantaged. “DSWD is deeply involved with DOT with the 5.2 million assistance for poor households particularly those living within or near tourist sites,” Romo said. During the launching at the historical Plaza Independencia, a Covenant of Commitment for the Protection of Children in Tourism was signed by representatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Education (DepEd), DSWD, LGUs, and partner agencies. CWT Program was established in 2001 encouraging tourists and the public not to turn a blind eye to situations wherein children are placed at risk. The public can report suspicious incidents that might lead to child sex prostitution to a 24 hour-hotline: 0919-777-7377. (rmn/FCC/ PIA-Cebu)
CEBU CITY (PIA) -- More than 50 percent of Central Visayas' target coverage under the National Greening Program (NGP) plantation establishment have already been met to date, according to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-7 Information Officer Dr. Eddie Llamedo. Llamedo said 12,413.73 hectares were covered with various native and agroforestry tree species. This is more than half of the total 24,361 hectares of plantation establishment targeted by DENR-7 in Central Visayas under NGP. DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo R. Montejo has earlier pushed to speed up the plantation activities in various selected forest land areas in the region to meet at least half of the target on or before August 15. Montejo said that aside from conducting massive tree planting or growing activities, "it is our responsibility also to ensure that these planted seedlings would result to a high survival rate through the conduct of regular monitoring and validation." Based on records from forest management services (FMS), as of August 15, the partial accomplishments of the region are, namely: Cebu with 4,797 hectares planted with 2,694,106 seedlings; Bohol with 2,630.00 hectares planted with 2,385,795 seedlings; Negros Oriental with 4,921 hectares and 2,707,222 seedlings; and Siquijor with 66.5 hectares planted with 13,303 seedlings. M o n t e j o a d d e d t h a t N G P ’s intention is to put back trees on hundreds of thousands of hectares of land where they once stood. He said: “Our goal is to meet the plantation establishment requirement of 24,361 hectares before November 30 this year and with this 50 percent mark already, we are confident that we will be able to meet our target for NGP for 2013." NGP also seeks to improve water quality in rivers and irrigation of farmlands, reduce the potential for flooding, soak up carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and lay the foundation for an expanded woodproducts economy.
iSIQUIJOR
is a weekly electronic newsletter produced by the Philippine Information Agency-Siquijor Information Center and the DOST Provincial Science and Technology Center with stories submitted by local and national government agencies and from other Provincial Information Centers in Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental.
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iSIQUIJOR GOVERNMENTNEWS
DAR-Siquijor launches 1st CP-WASH project in E. Villanueva By JB Villamil/DAR-Siquijor
SIQUIJOR (PIA)—The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Siquijor province recently launched the CommunityManaged Potable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (CPWASH) Project in barangay Tulapos in Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor. CP-WASH is a low-cost water supply technology and sanitation systems for agrarian reform communities (ARCs) in greatest need of potable water supply and sanitation systems, says the DAR office here. For Siquijor province, the first community to get the project is barangay Tulapos. Stakeholders here determined their priority needs through the participatory water and sanitation resource inventory assessment via its proponent organization, the Kapunungan sa mgaAnak sa Yuta ug Dagat (KAYUD). Counterpart funding from the local government unit of Enrique Villanueva and the DAR formed the investments that the communities themselves manage and develop for the sustainable operation and maintenance of the facilities through the CP-WASH project. DAR said, community workers will be trained to use lowcost technologies for installing potable water and sanitation systems. The project further introduced waste management and sanitation technologies such as the biogas digester and wastewater treatment to enhance the agrarian reform beneficiary ( ARB) households’ access to potable water and sanitation services. Enrique Villanueva LGU committed P75,000 and the rest come from the DAR with little counterpart from KAYUD. The launching was attended by former mayor Melojean Orquillas, representative from the DAR Beneficiaries and Coordinating Division, the Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee, Barangay Captain Dicky Atienza and members of KAYUD.(mbcn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor with reports from JBVillamil/DAR-Siquijor)
DTI7 RD Asteria Caberte talks to members of the NAPO Romblon Makers Association during the turnover of Shared Services Facilities (SSFs) project sewing machines in Siquijor.
Turn-over of machines under the Shared Services Facilities (SSFs) project to the to president of Napo Romblon Makers Association Gina Dandoy (far left). Looking-on are Mayor of San Juan Wilfredo Capundag Jr. (3rd from left), DTI Siquijor provincial director Nimfa Virtucio (next to the mayor) and DTI Regional Director Asteria Caberte (holding the microphone)
Feature Keep your family safe: Don't refill butane canisters with LPG Portable gas stoves are becoming more and more popular in households across Visayas. This is particularly true for butane camping stoves which are designed for use during outdoor activities like camping. Due to its portability, these camping stoves are now becoming a fixture in many kitchens in the region. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), butane camping stoves use butane gas as fuel that is sold in 250-gram net capacity. The gas is sold in canisters made of tin metal sheet with no welded joints. Pure butane gas is similar to the gas content that you can find in disposable lighters. Using the butane camping stove pose no threat to one’s safety. However, using butane canisters that are refilled with LPG make it dangerous. The Department of Energy (DOE) here has received reports that used butane canisters are now being refilled with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and sold in the market. The cheaper price of LPG-refilled canisters compared to buying a new one is attracting many butane gas stove users for economic reasons. But DOE-7 Regional Dir. Antonio Labios explained that butane canisters refilled with LPG are in danger of causing an explosion because LPG does not have the same characteristics with that of butane. Butane canisters are not designed and suited to the gas pressures of LPG. In closed containers, butane gas produces pressures that are lower than that of LPG, thus the canisters are manufactured to withstand this minimum pressure. On the other hand, LPG - which is a combination of butane and propane – has a higher pressure than that of butane, needing a much stronger type of material to contain it. Labios added that most of the butane canisters sold in the market are imported Korea and are manufactured to be sold for one-time use only. “These canisters are nonrefillable,” he said. DOE has also received reports of individuals resorting to backyard refilling facilities which are now mushrooming around Cebu province. “We have yet to pinpoint the exact location of these illegal activities,” he said. He warned that these activities do not have business permits from the government nor do they have fire safety certificates from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). To keep your homes safe from fire accidents, do not forsake your family’s safety in exchange for saving a few pesos. Although you can save money by resorting to refilling your butane canisters with LPG instead of buying original butane canisters, it also puts your and your family’s lives at risk. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.