Information is our business.
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. 12 August 30, 2013
Feature: Siquijor heading towards right direction, DOT By Rizalie A. Calibo
Siquijor is an attractive island because it is rich in natural and human resources and has a share of the existing ready markets like Cebu and Bohol. Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Rolando Cañizal, in a tourism forum dubbed “Siquijor Within the Perspective of the National Tourism Development” held recently, said that with the island’s unspoiled environment and cultural assets, charm and mysticism, and its friendly and hospitable people, Siquijor, will no doubt, become one of the country’s premier tourist destinations. He said that the local government unit being the main driver for destination development, should harness the island’s natural and cultural resources for tourism growth. It should formulate a tourism development plan, vision, strategic directions and programs; create or strengthen local tourism council with greater private sector participation; develop new products to attract tourists and invest in marketing and promotion, he said. “Siquijor is heading towards right direction,” Canizal said, noting the province's tourism management system, with the cooperation of the private sector and the local government, and the strong support of the DOT. “ Yo u a r e l u c k y b e c a u s e y o u have the strong support from the DOT”, Cañizal said, adding that Siquijor is in the Central Visayas Cluster, one of 20 thematic destinations covering 78 priority areas of the Department of Tourism (DOT) of the proposed National Tourism Development Plan. If Siquijor intends to protect this lucrative market, it will need to reassess how it wants to position itself when targeting the leisure travellers, he said. You need to be more aggressive
PIA News Digest The domestic economy accelerated in the second quarter of 2013 to 7.5 percent from 6.3 percent recorded the previous year boosting the 2013 first semester growth to 7.6 percent from 6.4 percent in the first half of 2012. The second quarter growth is the fourth consecutive GDP growth of more than 7.0 percent under the Aquino Administration. The resilient Services sector, which grew by 7.4 percent, remained the main driver of the country’s growth supported by the 10.3 percent and 17.4 percent growth of manufacturing and construction, respectively
and innovative in the way you package and promote them. This is your defining moment. Let’s all join hands and we will go far, he said. Latest figures from the partial report of the DOT Region 7 shows that of the total 1.2 million tourist arrivals in Central Visayas for the first four months of this year (January to April). Cebu with 844,794 tourists arrivals; Negros Oriental with 153,346; Bohol with 143,388 and Siquijor with13,643 arrivals. There was an increase of 15.52 percent compared to the same period in 2012 according to the DOT-7.
The province’s top ten markets are France, Germany; USA, U K , A u s tr a l i a , 6 , S w e d e n , C a n a d a , Switzerland, Netherland and Denmark. Provincial tourism records further shows that staying tourists from 2010 to 2012 are French, German, 4,246, American, 4,177, British, 2,642, and Australian, 1,840. Eighty eight percent of these tourists, the report said, come to the island for pleasure, 8% to visit friends and relatives and only 4% for business, professional works and other purposes. Thirty five percent enjoy the island’s marine attractions, 31% come simply to relax and rest, 22% to enjoy the mountains and only 11% come to see the Siquijor ’s culture and history. Tourism Consultant Leonilo Agustin said that if Siquijor wants to compete for the share of the international tourism market, it must bolster demand for more accommodation, tourism services, and transportation. The first step, Provincial vicegovernor Dingdong Avanzado also said, is to put in place necessary foundation to establish a culture of tourism in the hearts and minds of all stakeholders.(mbcn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor) Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Rolando Cañizal (above) talking about “Siquijor Within the Perspective of the National Tourism Development” during the Tourism Forum at Cocogrove Resort, San Juan, Siquijor. (PIA-Siquijor)
Philippine Economy posts 7.5 percent GDP growth in 2nd quarter; 7.6 percent in first half of 2013 boosting the Industry sector to grow by 10.3 percent. On the demand side, the growth came mainly from consumer and public spending buttressed by increased investments in Fixed Capital. External trade has been lackluster. The growth in the Net Factor Income from Abroad at 2.7 percent together with the impressive growth in the domestic economy pushed the Gross National Income (GNI) to grow by 6.8 percent from 6.5 percent 2012. For the first semester of 2013, GNI grew by 7.3 percent from 6.1 percent in the
FOR MORE REGIONAL STORIES, LOG ON TO: http://pia7news.blogspot.com
first semester of 2012. On a seasonally adjusted basis, GDP grew at 1.4 percent but this was slower than the previous quarter’s growth of 2.3 percent. Similarly, GNI grew by a slower pace of 1.2 percent in the second quarter of 2013 compared to 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2013. With projected population reaching 97.2 million, per capita GDP accelerated to 5.8 percent. Similarly, per capita GNI upped its growth by 5.0 percent while per capita Househo0ld Final Consumption Expenditure (HCFE) slowed down by 3.5 percent. (http:// www.nscb.gov.ph)
iSIQUIJOR SCIENCETECHNOLOGY
OWWA-PCSO’s Scholarship Program helps boost country’s S&T The Overseas Workers of the national government to of educational assistance under (CMWSF) to qualified OFWs Welfare Administration (OWWA) advance science and technology the Congressional Migrant and dependents. has been responding to the call in the country through the granting Workers Scholarship Fund Since its launch in 1999, the CMWSF funded by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) already produced 213 graduates most of whom took computer-related courses, I n f o r m a t i o n Te c h n o l o g y, Cebu City (PIA) --- schools and eco-efficient the Korean technology. With this system, Electronics and Communications The Department of Science infrastructure. and Technology (DOST) This also aims to rainwater and storm water Engineering, Biochemistry/ l i n k e d w i t h t h e U n i t e d promote green schools are collected for treatment Chemical Engineering and other Nations Economic and Social and eco-efficient water and are used for washing, highly technical courses in top Commission for Asia and the i n f r a s t r u c t u r e i n t h e toilet flushing, gardening universities and colleges all over purposes. Pacific (UNESCAP) for a Philippines. the country. Currently, DOST- free advocacy workshop on In a press release For school year 2013the Development of Green from DOST, it is learned that UNESCAP project promotes 2014, 91 OFW dependents shall Schools and Eco-Efficient topics for discussion were Green Schools that uses be granted the scholarship. Water Infrastructure in the divided into three sessions the ISWM facility, in which Next school year, 101 Philippines on September 17 a n d a r e a d m i n i s t e r e d its proposed architectural slots are up for grabs. To qualify, at the DOST VII Conference by Korean experts that designs will be presented in the OFW dependent must be R o o m - E l e n a O . D i o l a included: Eco-efficient Water workshop. A t t e n d e e s o f below 21 years old, belonging M e m o r i a l H a l l , S u d l o n Infrastructure Development to the top 20% of the high school Lahug, Cebu City. and Green Growth; Green t h e w o r k s h o p a r e k e y T h e w o r k s h o p School for Eco-efficient stakeholders, LGU officials, graduating class, and with family discusses concepts, models, Water Infrastructure; and n a t i o n a l g o v e r n m e n t annual gross income of US4,800 and issues related to green Best Practices on Eco- agencies, DOST related or below. Application period for schools and eco-efficient efficient Water Infrastructure a g e n c i e s , c o n s t r u c t i o n CMWSF ends on August 30, industry and developers, water infrastructure as well as for Green Economy. 2013. Interested applicants may business, academe, water to strengthen the capabilities Part of the workshop of government officials and is a tour to DOST7 Integrated districts, university officials coordinate with OWWA Regional key stakeholders on green Storm Water Management and NGOs from relevant Welfare Offices all over the System (ISWM) facility that areas.(mbcn/AYS/PIA7/ with country. (http://www.owwa.gov. ph) serves as the demo-facility of reports from DOST7) DTI CORNER
DOST hosts advocacy workshop on green schools, eclo-efficient water infra
ISWM in the Philippines using
iSIQUIJOR GOVERNMENTNEWS President Aquino spells out DENR-7 investigates safeguards in budgetary releases cutting of trees to avoid corruption in school compound
President Benigno S. Aquino III has laid out the safeguards in budgetary releases for projects to prevent corruption amid the pork barrel scam allegations. In his statement delivered in Malacanang on Friday, the Chief Executive said his administration will create a new mechanism "to address the needs of constituents and sectors, in a manner that is transparent, methodical, and rational, and not susceptible to abuse or corruption." The President underscored the need to issue the safeguards to ensure that public funds will be used for the benefit of the people, and not for the benefit of a few greedy individuals. "We will continue the practice of requiring that projects to be funded come from a specific menu of qualified projects," the President said. "They cannot include consumable soft projects, such as fertilizers, seeds, medicines, medical kits, dentures, funding for sports fests, training materials, and other such items—these projects of which the results and impact we cannot conclusively identify, and which may only be ghost projects, used only as a source of income by the corrupt," he added. "They cannot be temporary infrastructure, and neither can they be dredging, desilting, regravelling, or asphalt-overlay projects," he said. The President said the funds cannot be disbursed to non-government organizations (NGOs) and certain Government-owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs,) such as ZNAC Rubber Estate Corporation and National Agribusiness Corporation. "Both of these GOCCs will be abolished, along with others of their kind that have become notorious for anomalies, and which seem to serve no other purpose aside from being instruments of corruption," the President said. The funds must be limited to the district or sector of the legislator who sponsored it, he noted. The President said all items will be subject to open and competitive bidding, with all bid notices and awards posted in the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System or PhilGEPS. "So that the public may monitor the implementation themselves, we will make sure that each item will be disclosed in the DBM and related agency websites and the National Data Portal of the government," he said. Senate President Franklin Drilon expressed support for the abolition of the pork barrel, while Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago filed a resolution for the three-year phaseout of the congressional pork. Several other senators expressed support for the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Senators Francis Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano earlier filed separate resolutions seeking the scrapping of the PDAF. Other senators who expressed support for PDAF's scrapping are Ralph Recto, Gregorio Honasan, Teofisto Guingona III, Aquilino Pimentel III, Loren Legarda, Grace Poe, Juan Edgardo Angara, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Benigno Aquino IV, all members of the majority bloc. Members of the minority who supported the idea of scrapping the PDAF included Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito. PND (js)
PhilHealth now covers bilateral cataract surgery CEBU CITY, August 27 (PIA) --- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) now covers bilateral cataract surgery. This is offered under two separate packages at a case rate of P16,000 each, according to Atty. Karisma Agraviador, Chief of Philhealth’s Public Relations Office. The package is inclusive of coverage for facility or hospital charges at P9,600 and professional fee charges at P6,400 that is paid to the health care institution, she added. Surgery of cataract for both eyes are performed with a less than 90-day interval between each procedures. It is treated as a single period of confinement and paid under one package rate only. It is their policy that on single period of confinement, it bars coverage of re-admissions less than 90 days later for the same illness or injury, said Agraviador. Philhealth’s policy on readmission for an illness or injury that has already been managed by a health care provider is highly discouraged and must be avoided, she stressed. Agraviador added that institutional health care providers (IHCP) and health care professionals must give complete optimum care to patients before discharging them. On the other hand, there are medical cases when complete quality care do not happen in one admission or in one
instance, but in a series of time-bound interventions that could happen within 90 days and among these cases is bilateral cataract surgery, Agraviador bared. The recently issued PhilHealth Circular 17-2013 now exempts bilateral cataract surgery from the 90-day period rule. Effective August 21 this year, cataract procedures for both eyes are done in the same or different confinement period with at least a one-day interval between each and will be paid as two separate packages. For example, a cataract surgery on the left eye done on August 26 and a cataract surgery on the right eye to be done on August 28 will be covered as two separate packages because there is a oneday interval between the two procedures. This means the member will be able to avail of a total of P32,000 for the procedures on both eyes, explained Agraviador. Members may avail of this benefit package in PhilHealth-engaged hospitals and ambulatory surgical clinics providing cataract surgeries. PhilHealth requires cataract presurgery authorization for all claims involving cataract procedures to ensure quality provision of services and appropriate availment of benefits. Hospitals and ambulatory surgical clinics providing cataract surgeries are required to have the IHCP portal installed and activated in their respective facilities through which all authorization requests are coursed.
CEBU CITY (PIA) --- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) is looking into cases of cutting trees within school compound. DENR-7 recently invited Nimfa Balili, a school principal of Don Sergio Osmena Memorial National High School (DSOMNHS), Barangay Labangon in Cebu City for administrative proceedings for allegedly authorizing the cutting of trees within the school compound. Cebu City Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) forest ranger Danilo Orbasido conducted the investigation on August 23 and found out that Ms. Balili gave the instructions to cut down a number of trees without DENR permit to improve the beautification of the school. DENR-7 regional executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo said, “this is part of the process that we usually observe to listen to an explanation or justification on what prompted them or who authorized them to cut those trees as existing policy requires the approval or a clearance before tree cutting will be made.” In an incident report that Orbasido addressed to CENR officer Anastacio Cabalejo, it stated that four mahogany, two narra and two indian trees were cut down. “Narra trees or Pterocarpus indicus are considered as premium tree species and these trees should not be cut down unless permit or clearance from the DENR specifically at the Office of the Undersecretary for Field Operations in Manila is obtained per February 5, 2013 DENR memorandum,” Montejo added. The same assessment also indicated that based on the account of a teacher Jose Ray Abella who supervised the cutting of trees, Balili gave him instructions to cut down those trees for ground beautification without the approval of the Cebu City Schools Division Superintendent. As a result of this, a notice of administrative proceedings was sent out to Balili to come for the conference Friday (August 30) at the CENRO Cebu City, Pier 3 Area, Cebu City to get her views or facts of the incident. (mbcn/ HFG/PIA-7 & DENR-7) Attending eye surgeons must also be PhilHealth-engaged and duly affiliated with the facility where the surgery will be performed. Eye doctors who perform cataract surgeries are advised to update their affiliation profile with PhilHealth. Philhealth members who need to undergo cataract surgery must also update the Member Data Record (MDR) prior to the operation schedule before any authorization request is processed. Individually-paying members must present to the hospitals or ambulatory surgical clinics providing cataract surgeries a proof of at least nine monthly contributions within the 12 months immediately prior to his availment. Employed members, on the other hand, must have at least three monthly contributions within the six months immediately prior to availment and must have their employer sign Part II of the PhilHealth Claim Form 1. Sponsored and land-based OFW members must ensure that the cataract procedure is performed within the validity period of their coverage. Validity period is reflected in the enhanced MDR. Lifetime members need only present a photocopy of their lifetime member ID. Qualified lifetime members must first register with PhilHealth before undergoing the cataract surgery if they do not have an updated MDR and PhilHealth ID yet. (rmn/ JSME/PIA-Cebu/PHIC)
iSIQUIJOR GOVERNMENTNEWS
PNP-Siquijor spearheads solidarity run in celebration of IHL month By Rizalie A. Calibo
S I Q U I J O R , (PIA)—In celebration of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Month this month, the Siquijor Provincial Police Office (SPPO) spearheads a Solidarity Run for the province on August 30. At least 250 government employees, teachers, students and some from the private sector joined the Solidarity Run that kicked off at the Siquijor Boulevard and ended at the the Capital square where a short program followed. Solidarity Run is one of PNP’s activities to raise the people’s consciousness and promote greater awareness on the principles of the IHL as stated in the executive Order No. 134, says provincial director Police Senior Superintendent Primitivo Tabujara Jr. in a meeting recently at the SPPO Transformation Chapel in Caipilan, Siquijor. Executive Order No. 134 declares the month of August as International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Month. It principally provides that “The Philippines adheres to the principles of human rights and humanitarian laws enshrined in international human rights treaties and instruments to which it is a State Party,” Tabujara added. This years “International Humanitarian Law Month” is themed “Pagsunod sa IHL, Susi sa Kaunlaran at Katahimikan” which aims to increase awareness on the basic principles of IHL and promote its observance in times of armed conflict. International humanitarian law, also known as the law of war or the law of armed conflict, is a set of rules which seek, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects persons who are not or are no longer participating in the hostilities and restricts the means and methods of warfare. (mbcn/ RACalibo/PIA7-Siquijor)
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.
FOLLOW US! on FB: PIA Siquijor on twitter: @PiaSiquijor