INFOBYTES 32

Information is our business.

INFOBYTES

THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY-7 | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH VOL. 2 | NO. 32| October 10, 2012

TOPSTORIES

CEBU

DENR-7 to strictly implement ' one-strike' policy on ilegal logging by

Hazel F. Gloria

CEBU CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) will strictly enforce the “one-strike” policy on illegal logging to all field officials in Central Visayas.

The policy covers any illegal cutting or harvesting of forest products within the area of jurisdiction of a certain field official, said Isabelo Montejo, executive director of DENR-7.

The department will continue to establish closer ties with local government units (LGUs) and other law enforcement

agencies in the crusade against illegal logging that includes detection and apprehension of illegally-cut or gathered forest products in all provinces in the country.

Montejo added failure to detect, report, or apprehend the transport of illegallyharvested forest products whether sourced from a certain area where the official has jurisdiction or another area, including apprehension or confiscation made by other law enforcement agencies and LGUs without his or her knowledge, would make those officials liable.

According to the recent memorandum issued by DENR Undersecretary for Field

Operations Demetrio Ignacio Jr, all officials violating the one-strike policy will immediately be relieved and corresponding charges filed, after the violation has been verified and confirmed.

“Secretary Ramon Paje is serious against violators of forest laws, rules and regulations as he instructed us to establish interregional strategies and closely coordinate with other relevant government agencies,” Montejo said.

Montejo added that field officials are now directed to focus more and more on the enforcement and implementation of this order consistent to the principle of command responsibility. (mbcn/HFG-PIA-7/ DENR-7)

Karina Constantino-David, Trustee GSIS Board (w/mic) during the Kapihan sa PIA on Improving Social Security benefits and frontline service delivery of the GSIS. Other guests are top officials of GSIS. (L-r) Fatima R. Alvarez, Branch Manager, GSIS Cebu; Dionisio C. Ebdane, Jr., Sr. VP for GSIS VisMin; Mario "Mayong J. Aguja, Trustee, GSIS Board and Joel R. Defeo, Officers II, GSIS Corporate Services Group. They were also in Cebu for the Regional Consultative Meeting with the Public Sector Unions.

EMB-7 initiates clean-up drive in cities

By Hazel F. Gloria

CEBU CITY (PIA) -- Over 1,500 participants joined the clean-up drive in the 19 barangays in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue on September 22.

Participants are from the local government units, private sectors, academe, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Department of Public Works and Highways and other stakeholders.

The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) led the activity to raise awareness in environmental protection by educating

communities situated along the water bodies on the adverse and negative effects of improper waste disposal.

DENR-7 Executive Director Isabelo Montejo said garbage collected are mostly plastics, particularly shampoo sachets and diapers.

Nearly 10,000 kilos of these trash were collected in a simultaneous clean up drive in Butuanon, Guindarohan and Pilipog-Gabi rivers and Tipolo, Jagobiao, Hipodromo and Luknay creeks, Montejo noted.

Montejo said, continued support and cooperation among barangay officials and the communities in maintaining and sustaining the efforts beyond the clean up month of September is equally important.

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“ We w a n t t o p r o m o t e a n d somehow institutionalize good sanitation and solid wastes management practices among our rivers or estero communities through education and actual participation in the clean up as they are the direct beneficiary,” he said.

To reduce or lessen incidence of water-related diseases and those associated with poor sanitation such cholera, diarrhea and dengue, particularly among children is primarily the focus of this activity, Montejo commented.

Presidential Proclamation No. 244 declared September as a national clean up month by then President Fidel V. Ramos and this year’s theme is “Let’s do It! World Clean up 2012.” (mbcn/HFG-PIA-7 & DENR-7)

NEGROS ORIENTAL

INFOBYTES TOPSTORIES

Buglasan fest booth open for business

By Jennifer C. Tilos

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) -- The Provincial Tourism office announces that booth spaces at the Capitol Area and at the Sidlakang Negros Village (SNV) are now open for rental for the upcoming Buglasan Festival, a provincial fiesta of Negros Oriental.

Provincial Tourism Officer Myla Abellana called on interested concessionaires for the Buglasan Festival specifically for commercial, dry goods and corporate booths including the Negros Oriental Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants (NOHHR) may set up to sell and display its products and services.

The following rates for each type of booth in the capitol area covering the entire duration of the Buglasan Festival from October 12 to 21 include; fruit and

food stands for P2,500; small stalls booth, P5,000; dry goods, P7,500; and corporate booth, P25,000, said Abellana.

“While for NOHRR A and B booths, the provincial government will charge P30,000 and P15,000, respectively, as these occupy right beside the capitol jet fountain, however, a commercial booth with sponsorship will cost P50,000,” Abellana added.

For now, Abellana said small stalls and food stands fronting the capitol building stage and along Kagawasan Avenue are all booked or sold out.

Restaurants, small stalls and fruit and foods stands are also open to concessionaires for rent at P7,200, P2,500, and P1,500, respectively at SNV.

Abellana said the bases for fixed

Siliman University assists in coastal resource mural in Mati

DUMAGUETE CITY, (PIA) -- Silliman University took part in helping establish an 87-meter long mural painting depicting the threatened marine mammals in Mati City, Davao Oriental.

The mural is a project of the Regional Integrated Coastal Resources Management (RIC) hosted by the Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology (DOSCST) as part of its advocacy campaign.

Silliman University Office of Information and Publications (SUOIP) Director Mark Raygan Garcia said the campaign aims to drum up awareness about the importance of biodiversity conservation and coastal resources management.

Around 100 students from four high schools in Mati City participated in completing the mural which featured paintings of endangered marine species of turtles (Hawksbill, Leatherback and Olive Ridley), dolphin, whale shark and sea cow.

"It gives life to both sides of the fence along the main road where DOSCST is located, stretching from the area to the right side of the RIC building towards the administration

building," said Garcia.

The mural painting campaign was led by Filipino mural artist AG Sano who oversaw the three-day painting of the fence.

With the entire Region 11 as its coverage, DOSCST-RIC 11 serves as a hub for biodiversity monitoring, research, training and demonstration and IEC activities.

DOSCST-RIC 11 is one of three regional centers in Visayas and Mindanao established under the Integrated Coastal Resources Management Project of the Philippine government through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The project runs on a loan from the Asian Development Bank and a grant from the Global Environment Facility.

C e b u Te c h n o l o g i c a l University and Masbate School of Fisheries serve as the other RICs for Regions 7 and 5, respectively.

Silliman University is the assisting institution to the three RICs in Visayas and Mindanao, with it involved from the setting up of the centers, capacity-building up to its first phases of operations.

RIC Director Lea Jimenez

rates include the location, type of booth or stall, area, size, electricity and water consumption.

Interested concessionaires may visit the Provincial Tourism Office or call Earl Warren Jumalon at 226 3105 for available slots and pay directly to the Provincial Treasurer’s Office at the capitol building.

The Buglasan will kick off on Friday, October 12 with a grand citywide civic parade to start at 2 p.m. at the Quezon Park grounds.

There are 64 participating contingents from giant television networks with their artists, local government units, schools, civic clubs, commercial businesses, including 21 bands that will parade around Dumaguete City.

The parade starts from the assembly area to Colon and Real Streets proceeding to Kagawasan Avenue or Negros Oriental High School, to capitol building passing the review stand.

At 5 p.m., an ecumenical service will be performed followed by a Buglasan opening salvo production.

Provincial Governor Roel Degamo will officially declare the festival open at the capitol and at the SNV at the local government unit industrial booths and exhibits at 6 p.m. on October 12.

(MBCN/JCT-PIA7 Negros Oriental)

said the mural painting is a product of an ideal partnership with the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental and the City Government of Mati.

"When you have something visual, something that they can see, messages become clearer. Through this wall, we hope people will ask questions such as 'Where are these marine species now?' 'How come we don't see them that often anymore?'

-- and eventually encourage them to do something to protect these endangered species," Jimenez added. (RMN/PIA7 Negros Oriental with reports from SU-OIP)

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Bohol

INFOBYTES COMMUNITYNEWS

PNoy: P7.4-B infra to increase economic, tourism activities in Bohol

By Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol2 (PIA) -- President Benigno Aquino in his visit to Bohol revealed three major infrastructure projects that he said will increase the province’s global competitiveness as one of the top tourism destinations in the world.

“We have apportioned P7.4 billion for this project. We anticipate the initial construction in November next year. And before my term ends in 2016, you will have a new and modern airport, the President spoke in Filipino, before a gathering of barangay officials for the First Barangay Day in Bohol held at the Bohol Wisdom School Gymnasium, September 26.

“Alam nating turismo ang isa sa mga pangunahin ninyong industriya.

Sino ba naman ang hindi makakakilala sa Chocolate Hills at tarsiers ng Bohol?

Kaya dagdagan pa natin ang magandang balita: inaprubahan na noong ika-4 ng Setyembre ng NEDA Board ang New Bohol Airport na itatayo sa Panglao,” (We all know that tourism is one of your main industries. Who does not know the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers of Bohol.

Now, let us add more good news: On September 4, the NEDA Board has approved the New Bohol Airport that will be built in Panglao) Aquino said.

In similar developments, the President also revealed the construction of the P138 million Sagbayan-Danao National Road that leads to Bohol’s

premier extreme adventure experience as a national priority.

The paving of the 20+ kilometer road stretch cuts travel time from Tagbilaran to Danao.

With the on-going construction of the road, Danao is still three hours away from the city. The long travel time often discourage tourists from trying the extreme experience of the "Plunge" a canyon-swing experience that drops harnessed-tourists from a swinging platform to an abyss 200 meters below.

Soldiers hone writing skills for peace

By Rey Anthony H. Chiu

BILAR, Bohol (PIA) -- Army Special Forces in Bohol underwent training on writing skills to become information advocates in villages.

These soldiers are assigned in areas where peace had been restored and believe that combat tactics are now inconsequential.

They are going through another kind of war --that of winning the community’s hearts through information dissemination.

Capitol’s socio economic and environment management (SEEM) cluster Official Tiara Lourdes Torero, Bulilan said, the training included news writing and photojournalism to equip them in bringing the good news from

Bohol to host RADIO-7 convention

By Rey Anthony H. Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) -- Bohol information officers from local and national government agencies are preparing for the upcoming Regional Association of Development Information Officers (Radio) convention slated on October 24-26.

The Radio convention to be held in Bohol Tropics in Tagbilaran City will be hosted by the Association of United Development Information Officers (Audio) of Bohol.

The gathering brings to Bohol Central Visayas-wide, a network of information officers from local governments and national government agencies of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor to discuss topics in the use of the new media in the development of information dissemination.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Sonny Coloma is invited to be guest speaker.

Other interesting topics for the gab include internet broadcasting, video streaming, and the social media including its effective use and the popularity of information boards as strategic launch pads for disaster and development communication.

The event's theme, “Information

President Aquino also told the residents of Bohol of the ongoing road network of Antequera-San Isidro to Libertad-Tubigon Road to ease travel of goods and services as well as ensure safety of people traveling these areas.

The road network effectively connects landlocked town San Isidro to Antequera and Tubigon, its nearest port to Cebu.

The President hopes that completing these infrastructure projects will increase economic activities and tourism potentials of Bohol. (mbcn/rahcPIA7 Bohol)

Officers and the New Media,” gives a perfect opportunity to engage information officers to a network of information disseminators which take on the technology not as a threat but an opportunity to advance government information agenda, Bohol Provincial Information Officer Augustus Escobia said.

Escobia is this year's Radio-7 president with a network of information officers from towns and cities as well as national government agencies within Central Visayas.

The member organizations of Radio-7 include Audio-Bohol; Association of Negros Oriental Public Information OfficersNegOr; Siquijor Association of Information Disseminators; Association of Government Information Officers, and the Cebu Association of City and Municipal Public Information Officers.

Last year, Radio-7 convention was held in Dumaguete City and energy conservation issues with the Department of Energy were discussed. These engaged Visayan information officers in the national campaign for energy conservation and cleaner and greener energy sources. (mbcn/rahcPIA7, Bohol)

communities to mainstream media.

Torero, with mediaman Ric Obedencio and the Philippine Information Agency in Bohol, handled news writing and basic photojournalism courses for the Special Forces at their camp at Riverside in Bilar on August 22 and September 20 respectively.

The trained SF members teamed up with police officers and Bohol community organizers as part of the Prosperity Teams organizing the Countryside Development Program Purok Power Movement in Bohol’s villages, said SF Civil Military Operations Officer Captain Jason Que.

Capitol SEEM Cluster and PRO Teams coordinator Liza Quirog explained that these soldiers are now development communicators to veer away from their usual warrior image in mobilizing and organizing communities for peace and security.

The shift in the operational mission of the army in Bohol is brought about by the declaration of Bohol as insurgency-free, after winning the peace through poverty alleviation initiatives and proactive means to bring government to the people.

Fighting a war against local insurgents suddenly became trivial as warfare is now on delivering services and getting people to participate in governance.

The paradigm shift also equipped soldiers with new skills that makes them competent in telling about the developments from the countryside. (mbcn/rahc-PIA 7, Bohol)

INFOBYTES

is a weekly electronic newsletter produced by the Philippine Information Agency-Region 7 with stories submitted by its Provincial Information Centers in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

INFOBYTES COMMUNITYNEWS

SIQUIJOR

Guv, local officials support Magna Carta of Women

By Rizalie A. Calibo

LARENA, Siquijor, Oct. 2 (PIA) -- Siquijor provincial governor Orlando Fua Jr with mayors, barangay captains and national agencies attending the information caravan pledged support on the Magna Carta of Women.

ov. Fua in his welcome message said Siquijor is one in advocating for the Magna Carta of Women.

"We, the elected officials, along with other appointed officials, are one acknowledging the contribution of every woman in community development," he said as as he advised women to stand up.

He acknowledged that in order to progress and advance, it must not only be the men that should be reckoned with but the women, admitting that "behind every man's success is a

Infocar on Magna Carta of Women reaches Siquijor

By Rizalie A. Calibo

LARENA, Siquijor, Oct 1 (PIA) -- The information caravan for the advocacy of RA 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women (MCW) reached Siquijor when the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) conducted on September 27 the 2nd of the series of information caravans scheduled in six identified provinces in the country.

PCW technical officer Anette Baleda in her overview on the salient features of the law said, the first was conducted in Northern Samar.

The information caravan aims to bring the law closer to the hearts of women and key provincial implementers in the province.

The Magna Carta of Women, she added is a comprehensive women’s rights law enacted in 2009 that mandates the State to institute affirmative action measures.

These include empowerment of women within the Civil Service to achieve a fifty-fifty (50-50) gender balance especially at the top levels of leadership and at least forty percent women membership in all development councils from the regional, provincial, city, municipal, and barangay levels.

The law also assures representation of women’s groups in international, national, and local special and decision-making bodies, including participation of grassroots women leaders in decision and policy-making bodies in their respective sectors.

The Magna Carta of Women also provides for specific women’s rights to comprehensive health services, education and scholarships, agriculture, fisheries, shelter, decent work, equal treatment before the law, protection in times of disaster and calamities or other crisis situations, participation in sports, leave benefits, equality within marriage

and the family, non-discrimination in employment in the military and police, non-derogatory portrayal in media, among others, Balelda noted.

The law also mandates all local government units (LGUs) to review ordinances, policies, and programs as to their gender-responsiveness and repeal or amend those accordingly.

LGUs are also required by law to develop a gender and development (GAD) Code and establish women’s desk that will tackle cases of violence against women (VAW) in every barangay.

Other salient features included the specific roles of LGUs on protection and security in times of disasters, calamities and other crisis situations; provision of comprehensive health services, and protection of girl-children and senior citizens.

Department of Agriarian Reform (DAR) resource person James Arsenio Ponce discussions Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and other Violence against Women and Children (VAWC) -related Laws.

Participants including government officials were asked to write their commitments to the implementation of the Magna Carta of Women.

Heads and representatives of national/local government agencies, local chief executives headed by Siquijor governor Orlando Fua Jr., Sangguniang Panlalawigan and Sangguniang Bayan chairpersons of the committee on women, barangay captains and women and other civic organizations attended the information caravan.

It was held at the Siquijor State College Gymnasium and facilitated by the Provincial Government of Siquijor through the Planning and Development office headed by Gladys Estrallada, also the Gender and Development (GAD) focal person in Siquijor. (mbcn/RACalibo/

woman."

He vowed to comply with the mandate of allocating 5% of the provincial development fund for gender and development (GAD) programs.

Maria town mayor Rebecca Padayhag, during the commitment setting also vowed to allocate 5 percent of the local government unit 2013 budget and implement thoroughly the Magna Carta of Women.

She also vowed to call for enactment of GAD code in the local Sanguniang Bayan and reorganization of women councils in barangays.

Maria Poblacion Norte barangay captain Licerio Adlao also said he will allocate 5 percent of his budget for program GAD projects and services.

Provincial Planning and Development Officer (PPDO) Gladys Estrellada, also GAD focal point, said she promised to reecho provisions of the Magna Carta in the municipalities especially those that were not represented in the information caravan.

Tr i n i d a d P a l m i t o s o f t h e Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) promised to support MCW advocacy as one of the legal basis in the implementation of programs and services and continue to provide services to women especially those needing assistance or are in difficult circumstances.

Lina Medel, also of DSWD said she will continue the info caravan and integrate in their regular conduct meetings in six MSWDs through the weekly family development sessions.

In the Magna Carta of Women, LGUs are mandated to appropriate at least 5 percent of the total LGU budget for programs and services that respond to the distinct needs of women and men.

It mandates all LGUs to review ordinances, policies, and programs as to their gender-responsiveness and repeal or amend those accordingly.

LGUs are also required by law to develop a gender and development (GAD) Code and establish violence against women (VAW) desks in every barangay.

Other salient points of the law which spell out specific roles of LGUs include protection and security in times of disasters, calamities and other crisis situations, provision of comprehensive health services, and protection of girlchildren and senior citizens. (mbcn/ RACalibo/PIA-Siquijor)