iSIQUIJOR
infobits
TIn preparation for the upcoming National and Local elections this May, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), in cooperation with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Siquijor province, has invited the local candidates to a Peace Covenant Signing on March 17, 8:00 A.M at the St. Francis of Assisi Church Grounds, Siquijor, Siquijor. -------ooo-------ooo------The Peace Covenant aims to encourage local candidates and election stakeholders to declare their support and commitment as we strive to promote clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful elections . -------ooo-------ooo------The Provincial Tourism and Environment Office has called for a meeting with the tourism and environment stakeholders this afternoon, March 16, to discuss environment issues reaching the Provincial Government particularly on the dark smoke coming from the Asphalt Batching Plant in Barangay Dumanhog, Siquijor that urged the office and the Zero Waste Task Force to take immediate action and hold the responsible people accountable. -------ooo-------ooo------The meeting also discussed other issues and concerns of the Solid Waste Management Board which needs immediate attention, including discussions on the provision in the Environment Code, passing of immediate resolution, reconstitution of the Provincial Solid Waste Management Board, and other concerns. -------ooo-------ooo------As coordinator of the PPCRV, Rev. Fr. Leonardo Tan thanked the May 2022 election aspirants present in the Peace Covenant Signing saying that their presence indicates that they are peace loving people.
#Empowering Communities
SIGNING OF PEACE COVENANT AND INTEGRITY PLEDGE As we inch closer to the May 2022 National and Local Elections, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Siquijor Police Provincial Office (SPPO) Siquijor PPO PNP, PRO7, Philippine Army (PA) , Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), and other line agencies and stakeholders are one in the Signing of Peace Covenant and Integrity Pledge that aims to encourage local candidates and election stakeholders to declare their support and commitment as we strive to promote clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful elections.
DOST Siquijor holds EQ drill
-------ooo-------ooo------Quoting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his message to the US Congress, Rev. Fr. Leonardo Tan encouraged the candidates that to become a leader means to become a leader of peace. -------ooo-------ooo------Rev. Fr. Tan noted that as we embark to this coming election, we are also besieged with many problems that the leaders have to respond citing the Ukraine war, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and typhoon Odette and many more pressing problems that should keep both the generation of leaders and voters aware. We are challenged and should be dictated by our conscience to vote wisely, he said.
The Department of Science and Technology-Provincial Science and Technolgy Center (DOST PSTC) personnel took heed of the national call to perform an earthquake drill inside its office at Baluarte St., Poblacion, Siquijor on March 10, 2022. At 9:00 a.m., the drill started with Engr. Mario de la Peńa taking the lead in demonstrating the proper way to execute the “duck, cover, and hold” during an earthquake. Some materials were also distributed among them as basis for a more visual simulation learning. The personnel successfully performed the drill under a peer assessment. Within an hour, they ended
it with a reminder from each other that a real one would surely not be taken for granted. The DOST PSTC Siquijor building is a three-storey building and stands close within the parameter of a coastal area in Siquijor, Siquijor. It is susceptible to an occurrence of a tidal wave resulting from an earthquake. According to the Philippine I n s t i t u t e o f Vo l c a n o l o g y a n d Seismology, the Philippines is an earthquake-prone country, registering quakes every day though most are not noticeable. PHIVOLCS confirmed that an average of 20 earthquakes take place in a day and 100 to 150 earthquakes in a year. (PR/Jose Aldous Arbon II, DOST Siquijor PSTC)
iiSIQUIJOR SIQUIJOR 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. 10| No. 10 march 13 - 20, 2022
‘LGU Larena, a champion of good governance,’ says DILG
By Cindy Bonachita, Larena Information Office
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) 7 Regional Director Leocadio Trovela lauded the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Larena, Siquijor for its efficiency in delivering and implementing local government projects in the municipality during the turnover ceremony of six DILG-funded projects on Feb. 23, at the Larena Sangguniang Bayan (SB) Session Hall. Larena, led by Mayor Dean “Danny” Villa, has been a consistent recipient of locally administered projects from the DILG for years. Some P35.2 million worth of completed assistance priority projects were formally turned over to the recipient barangays funded through different financial assistance programs of the DILG from 2017 to 2020: Core Local Access Road in Brgy. Nonoc (2017) Provision of the Potable Water Supply Assistance to Municipalities in Brgys. Bontod, Cangbagsa, Helen, Nonoc, North Poblacion, and South Poblacion (2017) Local Road Upgrading in South Poblacion (2018) Improvement / Rehabilitation of Evacuation Center in North Poblacion (2019) Local Access Road in South Poblacion (2019) Upgrading and Improvement of Municipal Road in North Poblacion and South Poblacion (2020) DILG-Siquijor Provincial Director Dennis Quiñones said Larena has consistently performed well in the implementation of DILG projects in the past several years. Larena Mayor Dean Villa in his speech thanked the DILG for all the support given to the municipality and expressed his gratitude after their back-to-back recognition of the local govenrment unit.
DILG-7 Regional Director Leocadio Trovela (center) leading the turnover ceremony of six DILG-funded projects to the Municipality of Larena, Siquijor on Feb. 23, 2022. (LGU Larena)
The Philippines is 3rd in the vaccination administration among 10 ASEAN countries, 11th out of 47 countries in Asia, and 17th out of 205 countries globally, with a total of 139,066,734 vaccine doses administered as of March 14, 2022. The Philippines ranks 3rd among ASEAN countries in terms of seven-day average daily rate of 283,005 doses administered. There are 69,844,400 Filipinos who received their first dose while 64,660,228 Filipinos are now fully vaccinated. The country has administered 1,981,037 vaccine doses in the past 7 days. The country has administered 11,224,502 booster doses. Meanwhile, 64.4% of the eligible population aged 5 years old and above are fully vaccinated and 68.8% of 12-17 years old population are fully vaccinated.
iSIQUIJOR GOVERNMENTNEWS
#EmpoweringCommunities
DOST, LGU Maria: Agents of values formation
By Jose Aldous Arbon II, DOST Siquijor PSTC
The Siquijor Provincial Science and Technology Center (PSTC) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Maria conducted a Values Formation training among members of livelihood associations of Maria, Siquijor with the incorporation of elements of Gender and Development. The activity was spearheaded by DOST-Siquijor PSTC Director Engr. Mario de la Peńa and Maria Mayor Meynard Asok with SB member Roselyn Asok and Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Manager Aldrin Daguman. DOST Science Research Analyst Jose Aldous Arbon II discussed the topic “Mga Mithi sa Kinabuhi: Deciding What Values Are Important In Sustaining A Livelihood Association” in Brgy. Looc, Maria, Siquijor. The sharing started with an
emphasis that man’s values are inherently good and among a number of values, man must know how to prioritize them. There were short activities asking the participants to list their values according to priority. Arbon reminded the participants of three indispensable truths: (1) Every person is unique; (2) Every person has gifts and talents from God; and, (3) Every person is important. Arbon also instilled the value of women among the participants. The session capped with a challenge in the form of a question thrown to the members: “What personal values, talents and gifts you can share with
has approved the recommendations of the finance department to support poor households in response to the rising fuel prices, the Palace announced on Wednesday. The recommendations include the retention of the fuel excise taxes and the grant of P200-per-month cash aid to the bottom 50 percent of Filipino households, acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said. During President Duterte’s Talk to the People aired on Wednesday, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said that retaining fuel excise tax collection will benefit at least 12 million individuals from low-income households in the country. Apart from the poor sector, the excise tax on fuel imposed under Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law will also provide the budget for the salaries of state workers and help fund infrastructure developments in the country, Dominguez pointed out. Tax collections from fuel will provide the budget for target subsidies of 200 per month per household from the lower 50 percent of the Filipino population or roughly 12 million individuals, amounting to 33.1 billion per year, he noted. The finance chief also refuted claims that suspending the collection of fuel excise tax will help soften the blow of the oil price hike, saying that this will instead cause more harm than good if
domestic product (GDP) ratio to increase. If the tax on fuel is reduced, it will only benefit the top 10 percent of income earners in the Philippines, which consume almost 50 percent of all the fuel. Continuing the collection excise tax on fuel will therefore soften the blow for all sectors, making the measure “very equitable” for all Filipinos and not the country’s top earners and car owners, said Dominguez. Meanwhile, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua who was also present in the meeting, said he agrees with the finance department’s recommendations, noting NEDA is closely monitoring inflation in the country to minimize its massive impact on the
other members for your association to grow and to sustain in the long run?” The participants realized that though they are diverse, their association can be united if they share the “same purpose, same mind, same heart, and same act.”
President Duterte okays grant of P200 monthly cash aid to low-income families President Rodrigo Roa Duterte it causes the Philippines’ debt-to-gross whole population.
In his report to President Duterte, Secretary Chua recommended three measures to curb the effects of inflation: providing targeted relief to vulnerable sectors, doing unconditional cash transfer, and promoting energy conservation through the implementation of 10-hour, four-day work week. Shortening the regular work week to just four days would reduce work commute and help the government manage the economy, according to the NEDA director general. Similar measure was also implemented in 2008 in a bid to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices, he added. Under NEDA’s proposal, public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers will receive service contracting subsidy of at least P6,500 per month for two months. PND
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over a meeting with key government officials prior to his “Talk to the People” at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on March 15, 2022. The topics discussed were the oil crisis, online live cockfighting, and COVID-19 related concerns. JOEY DALUMPINES/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
iSIQUIJOR GOVERNMENTNEWS
CEBUANO NEWS
Pagpahibaw kabahin sa Mandanas-Garcia Ruling, nagpadayon
Ang National Economic Development Authority Region 7(NEDA-7) padayong ni lihok sa ilang mandato pagtabang sa hapsay nga pag implementar sa Mandanas-Garcia ruling nga ipagawas sa Supreme Court. Bisan pa man nga ang nagunang mga ahensya nga gitahasan niini mao ang Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) ug ang Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Matod sa NEDA-7, nagpadayon ang mga information drive nga ilang gibuhat aron mahatagan og saktong mga impormasyon ang mga nagka lainlaing Local Government Units(LGUs) dinhi sa Central Visayas kabahin niiing mga kabag-uhan nga ilang masinati sa ilang mga bulohaton isip usa ka lokal nga kagamhanan nga moserbisyo nga adto sa katawhan. Sa DYRC program niadtong Marso 2, si Maria Teresa Alambra, chief of division and planning division sa
NEDA-7, nipadayag sa ka importante sa mga information drive nga mao ang kinahanglan sa mga LGUs ilabi na nga karon mo dako ang ilang share sa budget allocation isip mando sa Mandanas-Garcia Ruling. “Kay dili kaayo sakto ang mga impormasyon nga ni abot sa mga hingtundan, kinahanglan gyud ta og mga information drive pagpahibalo sa mga LGUs unsay ilang mga responsibilidad kay sila na baya ani ang mo sawo sa mga proyekto nga ihatag sa mga National Government Agencies isip resulta ining MandanasGarcia Ruling”, si Alhambra miingon. Ubos sa Mandanas-Garcia Ruling, ang mga National Government Agencies (NGAs) igo nalang mupahimangno og mo tambag kay ang kadaghanan sa mga proyekto og programa nga kaniadto ilang gikuptan ibalhin na kini ngadto sa mga LGUs. Ang NGSs lakip ang NEDA, mamahimong mohatag og
rekomendasyon kabahin sa mga proyekto og programa nga angayan ipatuman sa mga LGUs karon nga madungagan ang ilang pondo. Magsilbi usab giya ang NEDA ngadto sa mga LGUs sa pagdesisyon og pagplano niini sa mga serbisyo nga pagahimoon alang sa paglambo sa ilang syudad og munisipyo. Karon nga naghinay-hinay na ang pag implementar sa maong kamanduan, ang chief of formation and planning sa NEDA-7 midasig sa tanan nga magtinabangay alang sa malampuson nga pagpatuman sa Mandanas-Garcia Ruling. “Atong giawhag atong mga LGUs nga ato nang sugod nga iimplement ang kani nga balaod nga kita na ang muhatag og mga serbisyo sa katawhan og sa katawhan usab hinaot motabang ta sa atong mga LGUs nga maayo untang ma implement ang MandanasGarcia Ruling”, batbat ni Alambra. (RGC/PIA7)
Nasayod ba mo kung unsa kining Mandanas Ruling? Resulta kini sa gipasaka nga Usa kini ka desisyon sa Korte Suprema kabahin sa angayang petisyon nila Batangas Governor madawat sa Local Government Units (LGUs) nga ambit gikan sa katibukang makolekta nga buwis sa sentral nga panggobyernuhan. Pasabot niini Hermilando Mandanas ug kanhing Bataan Governor Enrique Garcia Jr. nga mutaas og 25% ang bahin nga makuha sa LGUs. Aron masayran pa ang dungag impormasyon mahitungod sa mga programa DSWD, bisitaha ang opisyal nga website: https:// fo11.dswd.gov.ph.
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. THERE IS GOOD NEWS EVERYDAY.
FOLLOW US online! /Pia Siquijor /PIA Siquijor @PiaSiquijor