FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2016
End Social injustice by protecting poor from climate change, CCC urges LGUs
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) reminded local government units (LGUs) that their failure to come up with measures to reduce disaster risks is tantamount to social injustice, because it deprives the poorest and most vulnerable sectors the much-needed protection against the adverse effects of climate change.
“Non-action on climate change and disaster risk is a social sin, an injustice to the poor and most vulnerable,” CCC vice chair Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman told local executives who attended the two-day Communities for Resilience or CORE Convergence Forum held in Cagayan de Oro City on 8-9 June 2016. The forum brought together LGUs around the Bauayan-Malungon, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, and Tagoloan River Basins, with the aim of increasing the capacities of local communities on reducing disaster risk and adapting to climate change. De Guzman pointed out the sad reality that sectors mired in poverty, such as farmer, fisherfolk and informal settler families living in danger areas, have higher chance of experiencing the ill effects of climate change due to increased exposure and vulnerability. He said poor people often live, farm or hold assets in areas more exposed to droughts and floods, which put their homes, crops, livestock and even their own lives at greater risk. “They also have limited safety nets or insurance mechanisms to help them cope with climate change related shocks like failed harvests linked to changing weather patterns and loss or damage linked to weather extremes,” he added. In its 2015 report, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction said the Philippines ranked sixth among 10 countries worldwide hardest hit by natural disasters,
sustaining US$1.9 billion in economic damage and affecting an estimated 3.83 million people. “Poverty breeds disaster vulnerability, and those who have least in life risk life most,” De Guzman explained. “Thus, as disaster become more prevalent, the higher is the is the right of the poor to social protection, and the higher is the duty of government to reduce their disaster vulnerability and liberate them from the vicious cycle of poverty and risk.” De Guzman said it is for this reason that the CCC is pushing for climate risk-sensitive national and local development policies, plans and programs so that the underlying risk factors are addressed and disaster risk are reduced effectively. “The CCC is facilitating a whole of government approach--the convergence and integration of the efforts of all sectors and stakeholders-to build resilience of our local communities,” he said. According to De Guzman, there is an urgent and compelling need to enhance the capacity of the LGUs to adapt to climate change and reduce their risk to weather-related disasters in order to protect the nation’s poorest who bear the brunt of climate change impacts. “The impact of nature’s forces on vulnerable communities must be reduced to prevent disasters and worsening poverty,” De Guzman said, adding that the adaptation actions from national down to the local level
offer cost-effective approaches to minimize the negative impacts of natural hazards and extreme weather events. Actions - including preparing risk assessment, protecting ecosystems, improving agricultural methods, managing water resources, building settlements in safe zones, instituting better building designs, improving insurance coverage, developing social safety nets, and strengthening multihazard early warning systems and services, --must be embodied in local climate change action plans required of LGUs by the Climate Change Act. De Guzman said that the most effective way for a country to reduce climate related risks in the medium-
term is through factoring risk reduction into development planning, land use, building, and environmental management. “The challenge of climate change adaptation is fundamentally a challenge of strengthening the capacities for risk governance so that cost effective strategies for risk reduction and management can be factored into developing planning and public investment decisions,” De Guzman stressed. “Unless development investment becomes climate risk-sensitive, it may increase disaster risks and maladaptation,” he added. (Climate Change Commission)
DOLE MisOcc highlights Jobs Fair on Labor Day ALORAN, Misamis Occidental – The province of Misamis Occidental celebrated its 114th Annual Labor Day anchored on the theme “Kinabukasan Sigurado sa Disenteng Trabaho” with various activities starting with a Holy Mass, motorcade and a jobs fair as the main highlight. “The celebration began with the traditional Labor Day Mass at 6:30 a.m. held at the Iglesia Filipina Independiente Church, Aloran town,” reported Department of Labor and Employment, Regional Office No. 10 (DOLE-10) Misamis Occidental
Provincial Field Office (Mis. Occ. PFO) Head Leonardo G. Rodrigo. Rodrigo reported to DOLE-X Regional Director Raymundo G. Agravante that following the Holy Mass, almost 300 people joined at the motorcade around Aloran
thoroughfare, including local workers, employers, Public Employment Service Office (PESO) managers from different Local Government Units (LGUs) and academes, Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) and the DOLE livelihood beneficiaries, some labor groups, key sectors, and other national government agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Alongside Misamis Occidental PESO Managers Association (MOPEMA) in conjunction with the Department of Labor and Employment held a Jobs Fair to commemorate this year’s Philippine Labor Day Celebration, the event’s main highlight. Job seekers were encouraged to have their pre-registration for job and skills matching. The pre-registration will help the jobseekers to match their skills, educational background and experience to the job vacancies available. Of the total job vacancies solicited, approximately 668 jobs were available for local employment from nine participating companies from different industries. Meanwhile, bulk of the job vacancies were job opportunities abroad with 3,010 slots from six companies and recruitment agencies. Rodrigo further informed and as shown in the reports, 12 out of the 102 registered applicants or 11.76% were hired-on-the-spot (HOTS).
A total of 26 local and 23 overseas job applicants were qualified for positions and referred for interview, while 102 applicants were for further interview, both local and abroad. Recent college graduate, Milchin Abonales, 21, was one of the few applicants who got hired on the spot by three companies. She graduated from Stella Maris College, Oroquieta City with a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy. “Na-hired ko sa tulo ka companies, Cebu Mitsumi, Palawan Pawnshop ug Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PMPC), PMPC akong gipili kay nagtuo ko nga ang akong background sa Accountancy ug skills mas mu-match sa position na akong gi-applyan (I was hired by three companies - Cebu Mitsumi, Palawan Pawnshop and Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PMPC) I chose PMPC because I believe that my background in Accountancy and skills will be a strong match to the position (Accounting Clerk) which I am applying for). “I am a fresh graduate and yet I feel so overjoyed that many employers see me as qualified for the positions. I am so much blessed, thankful and happy,” she added. However, near the end of the Interview, she expressed she wanted to aim for a job in the government. “Bag-o lang ko nakapasar sa Civil Service Exam Ma’am, nagplano ko mubalhin sa government,” she said. When asked why she wanted to
work for the government, she cited three reasons---salary, stability and benefits. Marilou A. Ello, 33 years old, from Dalipuga, Iligan City, was also hired on the spot during the Labor Day Jobs Fair. She applied for job vacancies abroad posted by three licensed recruitment agencies including OTG, FJV and YHMD International Manpower Agencies. She qualified for the latter as service crew in Saudi Arabia. She recounted, “Nagtrabaho ko sa Singapore sa una ug two months lang, cleaner ko, pero wala ko nakauyon mao niundang ko dayon niuli ko. Karon ni-try napud ko dinhi basin makakita kog mas maayo dinhi sa Job Fair (I worked as a cleaner in Singapore before for only two months but I did not like my previous job so I quit and went home. And now, I tried again, hoping that I can find a better job in this Job Fair).” “Nagpasalamat ko na nahire ko. Kinahanglan ko mutrabaho kay naa koy upat ka anak nga suportahan (I am thankful I got hired. I needed to work for my family because I have four children to support),” she added. In his speech, Rodrigo encouraged the jobseekers to take advantage of the job opportunities offered in the Jobs Fair. “I applaud the MOPEMA for being our partner and investing their time and effort to make this event possible, especially the Municipality of Aloran,” he added. It was the first time that such
event was held outside Oroquieta City, with the MOPEMA sponsoring the event. In addition to the labor events, several activities had been lined up to mark the celebration such as the Labor Day Group Dance, SPES Interpretative Dance Contest and Awarding of the Tripartite Certificate of Compliance with Labor Standards (TCCLS). The SPES Interpretative Dance Contest was participated by its beneficiaries from Oroquieta City, Calamba, Baliangao, Medina College, and Misamis University. The competition with the theme “Save Mother Earth,” featured dances on issues like environment, conservation, waste management, and the like. Also on this occasion, Rodrigo issued the TCCLS to Faith Hospital in Ozamiz City represented by its Owner and President Dr. Angel Feliciano, Jr. together with Ozamiz City PESO Manager Judith T. Halasan. Director Agravante is in the forefront with TCCLS, which is given by the DOLE to companies that show commitment and exemplary adherence to the provisions on General Labor Standards, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, the Child Labor Law under Republic Act 9231, industrial peace and enterprise stability and competitiveness. The attendees also enjoyed free massage and welding services by the DOLE and 4Ps beneficiaries outside the venue. Before the end of the first
part of the program, the Labor Day Message of DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz was conveyed to the public. Her message underscored the DOLE’s livelihood programs and services. She also gave emphasis on the commitment of the government
to help the Filipino people confront the challenges of poverty by creating decent and productive jobs to further grow and strengthen the economy. The Labor Day celebration was held on 01 May 2016. (Lei Garrett I. Miraflor/DOLE-X Mis. Occ. PFO)
ARMM to hire 933 senior high school teachers
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur – The Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) said it would fill 933 senior high school teaching positions this year. Mobarak Pandi, regional information officer of DepEd-ARMM, said the department is working on the selection process for the applicants. DepEd-ARMM has administered an English Proficiency Examination for 1,216 applicants last June 1, 2016. Successful applicants will be hired for teaching positions in senior high schools in the schools divisions of Maguindanao I and II, Lanao del Sur I and II and Marawi City. The expected salaries of senior high school teachers will range from P19,940 to P39,493. Applicants will be ranked according to DepEd’s criteria for evaluation and selection process. The region’s Education department also assured it would follow general guidelines for the hiring and placement of successful applicants. The schools divisions of Lamitan City, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi also
administered a similar examination for their applicants on June 1. The applicants had to go through a process that includes teaching demonstration, panel interview, and intensive screening of their pertinent papers such as transcript of records, overall average rating in college, and other credentials. Dr. John Magno, ARMM Education Secretary, had earlier affirmed that the processes being undertaken would guarantee that only good quality teachers will be hired in order for students to have a ‘progressive future.’ More than 560 elementary and junior high teachers has recently signed their appointment papers and deployment orders in the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur. (BPI)