NEWS BITS

Woman killed, daughter  hurt in knife attack

TAYUG, Pangasinan  – A woman was stabbed dead while her daughter was wounded by an unidentified man who barged into their home in Barangay Lawak here April 11.

Merly Elas, 52, died at the scene while her daughter Annabelle, 19, was rushed by neighbors to the Eastern Pangasinan District Hospital here.

Police said the victims were asleep when the assailant barged in and attacked them with a bladed weapon. -- Eva Visperas

Tabuk City launches campaign against dengue  

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office recently launched campaign against dengue vector aedis mosquitoes.

CDRRM officer Christian Luyaben said the move involves local government unit conducting massive indoor residual spraying among households, schools and establishments with the community cleaning surroundings to eradicate breeding sites of mosquitoes.

‘To realize greater impact of our program against dengue, we should strengthen LGU-community partnership where LGU teams lead and residents sustain the initiative, Luyaben said.

All efforts against dengue would be futile if mosquitoes still have abundant breeding sites, he said urging  residents to do community action like clearing of canals.

Aside from spraying, the teams also treated canals from kiti-kiti.

The CDRRMO targets to cover all barangays of Tabuk this summer before the rainy days come. -- PIA

BSP-Ifugao holds 44th provincial jamboree

KIANGAN, Ifugao --  With the theme “Peace and development through scouting,” the Boy Scouts of the Philippines-Ifugao Council recently held its 44th provincial jamboree at the Kiangan Central School grounds here.

Gov. Denis  Habawel told 400 boy scout delegates from the province, the  jamboree is a very important episode in their lives because they  experience how it is to live alone away from their parents,   applying the skills and knowledge they learn as boy scouts to survive hence, preparing them for independence.

He encouraged them to make the most of the  event as it is very important for their skills development, moral transformation and a sense of responsibility to become more productive and good citizens of their community and the country with the scout slogans and motto as their guiding principles.

The boy scouts had activities involving song interpretation, plastic recycling, making recycled burners, mono-printing, networking, emergency preparedness, poster making, extemporaneous speaking, quiz bee contest, dance drama, creative ensemble and single writing and singing.

The delegates  also toured historic places of the municipality such as the Kiangan Shrine, the Yamashita Surrender Site, the Kiangan Rice Terraces, Open Air Museum and the Utu Water Falls. -- PIA

Woman slain by son-in-law over pig feed

LUNA, La Union  – A 73-year-old woman was shot dead by her son-in-law after she accused him of taking her pig’s feed here Monday.

Gloria Bautista of Barangay Barrientos was declared dead on arrival at a hospital due to a gunshot wound in the body.

Bautista reportedly scolded Reynaldo Carbajal for the missing sacks of animal feed, Chief Inspector Reynaldo Soria, town police chief, said.

Carbajal allegedly pulled out a 9mm pistol and shot his mother-in-law at close range.

The suspect was arrested by responding police officers.

Village exec shot dead

DELFIN ALBANO, Isabela – A 45-year-old village councilwoman was shot dead by a farmer here last week.

George Macatuggal fled, taking with him the firearm he used in killing JuliebenBernardez, said town police chief Senior Insp. Roberto Guiyab.

Reports said Bernardez went to the suspect’s house in Barangay Isidro to settle a dispute over a missing rope between the suspect and his daughter, who sought her help.               

Bernardez died while being treated at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center in this city. 

DOLE Kalinga hires 126 interns under GIP

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The Department of Labor and Employment provincial office here, in cooperation with Office of Rep. Manuel Agyao, is hiring 126 interns under the Government Internship Program (GIP).

The interns were oriented and  started work March 16 to end  August 14 through a six-month service contract.

They will receive stipend of 75 percent of the regional minimum wage. Most of the interns are assigned to hospitals.

The memorandum of agreement was also signed between DOLE and partner agencies including municipal local government units.

Agyao’s office provided P3.7 million to pay the stipend of the interns including payment of a one-time Government Service Insurance System membership.

Engineer Sammy Bayangan who represented Agyao challenged interns to do their best while serving in government. “Develop your talents and skills so you may be armed to look for permanent job later,” he told interns.

Dr. Alexander Gumabol of DOLE in orienting the interns emphasized the importance of work discipline, role modelling, and dedication to public service. -- PIA

Bangus Festival opens in Dagupan

DAGUPAN CITY  — The Bangus Festival opened here Friday highlighted by  “Gilon-GilonedBaley” street-dancing competition along the downtown loop. A total of 19 contingents that participated in this year’s competition are small barangays clustered into one contingent.

Gilon-gilon dancers performed the same original dance steps that portrayed the traditional livelihood of harvesting of bangus. Barangay Pantal returns to the competition this year to defend its title won last year. It was also cited “Best in Musicality” while Barangay Lucao got the “Best in Costume” award. -- LiezleBasaIñigo

Emergency hotline set at Ifugao State University

LAMUT, Ifugao -- An emergency hotline was established at the Ifugao State University (IFSU) main campus here to be used in times emergency situations.

The emergency hotline was established early this year as project of the University Supreme Students Government with financial aid  lawyer Raymond Marvic C. Baguilat, guest faculty under political science program.

Michelle Binwag, USSG president, said the hotline will help ensure safety and serve as a dedicated security hotline for students at IFSU main campus when in the face of threat, danger and assault.

“Students may send their text messages to the hotline number  09153716441, on concerns of any untoward incident or suspicious operation within the campus and in IFSU boarding places,” Binwag said.

Texters should identify their name and the college to which they belong whenever they send their text report.

Student’s identity is kept confidential, she added.  

“By identifying themselves they help ensure that the text messages are not prank texts that may compromise safety of the responding IFSU Security Force. We enjoin out fellow students to help make the IFSU Hotline very beneficial to them by using it responsibly.” Binwagsaid. -- PIA

Man nabbed for raping niece

TUGUEGARAO CITY  – Police recently arrested a 40-year-old farmer for allegedly raping his niece in Allacapan, Cagayan.

The farmer was arrested at his home in Barangay Nagattatan based on a complaint filed by the 16-year-old victim, Senior Insp. Joefferson Gannaban, town police chief, said.

Reports said the suspect and his wife adopted the victim in 2013.

No bail was recommended for the suspect’s release.    

SPES grantees sign contract

BAGUIO CITY --  Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) grantees recently signed contracts with the city government and Dept. of Labor and Employment (DOLE).  

SPES grantees were oriented at Baguio City multi-purpose hall for them to be aware of their duties and responsibilities as grantees.

“The city has allotted funds for the employment of 300 students for deployment to the city’s various government departments,” said executive assistant and public employment services office designate manager Jose Atanacio.

He said over 98 percent of SPES registrants are either third year or graduating high school students.

“The SPES grantees will be divided in two tranches, the first batch of high school students will be working from April until May, while the second batch of college students will be working from June to July,” said Atanacio.

SPES is based on Republic Act 7323, or an “Act to help poor but deserving students pursue their education by encouraging their employment during summer and/or Christmas vacations, through incentives granted to employers, allowing them to pay only 60 per centum of their salaries or wages and the 40 per centum through education vouchers to be paid by the government, prohibiting and penalizing the filing of fraudulent or fictitious claims and for other purposes. 

With this program, the SPES grantees will develop their skills with support of government employees in the city. -- JhoArranz

               

2 Pangasinan areas positive for red tide

DAGUPAN CITY – The coastal waters of Bolinao and Anda in Pangasinan have been found positive for algae causing the red tide toxin.

The findings were contained in a shellfish bulletin issued and signed on April 11 by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources director Asis Perez.

Laboratory tests conducted by the BFAR and local government units showed that shellfish collected from these three areas contained paralytic shellfish poison beyond the regulatory limit.

Local government units were advised to require market inspectors, quarantine officers and administrators to demand an auxiliary invoice or clearance from fish dealers who transport shellfish from other provinces or municipalities.— Eva Visperas

SSS, DSWD to provide protection for contractual, job order employees

BAGUIO CITY -- The Social Security System and the Department of Department of Social Welfare Development -Cordillera Regional Office have partnered to  provide social protection and benefits to contractual and job order employees of DSWD – CAR through recent memorandum of agreement.

For the SSS – DSWD partnership  under the “AlkanSSSya” micro – savings program, 477 DSWD employees will now be enrolled and covered by the social protection and benefits of SSS.

Signatories to the MOA were DSWD regional director Janet Armas, SSS Baguio branch head Nancy Umoso, Baguio Accounts Management Section OIC-Section head  JhonaLegaspi, and Libertine Balicdang, representing DSWD  job orders and contractuals.

Umoso said under AlkanSSSya,  DSWD workers will benefit from SSS’s educational loans as well as funeral, maternity, sickness, disability, death and retirement benefits.

“Those who can complete at least three months of contribution may get the sickness and maternity benefit; with 36 months contribution, they may avail of loan and disability benefits; and those who will complete 120 months contribution will acquire the retirement benefit,” Umoso said.

Armas told  their workers SSS insurance coverage is one way of getting the proper welfare and social protection as their work involves travelling and exposure to man-made or natural disasters.“Para sa kapakanan niyo din ito (It is for your own welfare).”

SSS VP for Northern Luzon Luis Olais, in an interview, said  the AlkanSSSya program was introduced last September in Baguio for vendors at the city public market with a metal cabinet with coin slots serving  as a “savings” box for vendors to drop P10 – P20 per day to cover their SSS membership monthly due.

For the DSWD,  it will be the e-AlkanSSSya (electronic version) wherein the monthly contribution will be deducted from their salary and will be electronically transmitted by DSWD to SSS, Olais said.

Mayor urges ‘house to house’ collection of garbage fees

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan urged barangay officials of the 128 barangays in this mountain resort to take the initiative in the collection of garbage fees here.

Domogan said, “the barangays should already go around every household to collect from their constituents the required P20 a month garbage fee per household.’

“This will insure that the barangay will get their share of the garbage fee,” he said.

The city government has already adjusted the sharing scheme on garbage fees where 70 percent of collections will go to barangay funds and 30 percent will go the city coffers.

Domogan said,” the adjusted sharing scheme is already very advantageous for the barangays.”

“This is a challenge for barangay officials, if they really want to get their 70 percent share from collections, then they should take the initiative to go house to house and collect the garbage fees to make it sustainable,” he said.

The mayor highlighted the poor collection of garbage fees from barangays and the slow compliance to the waste segregation policy which should be strengthened to insure better waste management.

Domogan also urged the barangays to submit the master list of households availing of the services or a complete census of barangay constituents in order to have a rough computation on the actual garbage fees to be collected. 

The barangay treasurers are also obligated to collect and enforce remittance, computation of shares and determine the households where fees will be collected.

The barangay officials are also required to monitor the compliance of their constituents to the no-segregation-no-collection policy.

Residents who indiscriminately dump their garbage and violate anti-littering ordinances will be meted the following; first offense –warning, second offense - P500 fine and third  - P1,000 fine. 

The mayor said,” this is already a chance for barangays to strengthen collection efforts as this is a very good source of revenue for every barangay. – Paul Rillorta  

DOLE awards P1.9M  to Abra  associations

BANGUED, Abra -- The Department of Labor and Employment recently awarded P1.9 million livelihood assistance to four group beneficiaries in  the province.

According to DOLE-Abra new provincial director George G. Lubin, the livelihood assistance is under the agency’s Kabuhayan Program which aims to provide interventions to aspiring entrepreneurs to boost the economic activities in the countryside.

The four local groups given livelihood assistance were LumabaAp-apaya Framers Organization of Villaviciosa  – P592,550.00;  Poblacion Women’s Light Bringer Organization of Malibcong – P476,980.00; Poblacion Women’s League Association of Barangay Guimba, San Juan – P434,700.00; and the Organization ngmgaKababaihanng Barangay Dugong, Bucay – P410,242.00.

The fund was expected to benefit  305 members and make an impact in their communities in terms of poverty alleviation and thus make solid contribution to achieving the administration’s agenda of attaining inclusive growth.

DOLE’s Kabuhayan Program is a community-based employment program adopted to develop and sustain local enterprises that would generate self-employment and increase productivity.   

It is implemented through efforts of agencies such as Department of Trade and Industry that provides the skills trainings and local government units that procure the equipment, tools and materials needed by the organization including the monitoring and evaluation of the business activities of the groups. -- Josa Mai Ramirez

Baguio City’s top 10 taxpayers bared

BAGUIO CITY  -- Baguio’s top payers in business and real property taxes were recently cited in simple ceremony here at  city hall grounds.

DHL Global Forwarding Philippines, Inc. was this year’s top business taxpayer paying P1,943,000 followed by Pilipino Cable Corporation with P1,871,497 payment and Highland Gaming Corporation paying P1,550,236 to the city.

Rounding out the top ten business taxpayers were Puregold Price Club, Inc., Imelda Lao, Jarco  Realty and Development Corporation, Jollibee Foods Corporation Legarda Branch, Foghorn Incorporated, Philippines American Life and General Insurance and ACE Hardware.

Top three spots in real property tax payments are Fog Horn Inc. (Azalea Residences, Leonard Wood Road Hotel), City Light Properties Development Corporation Hotel at Upper General Luna and Ayala Land, Inc. at Pineridge Condominium, Brentwood.  

In fourth to tenth place for payment of real property taxes were Golden Crown Group Realty Inc. at Navy Base, Session Brent Property Holdings, Inc. at Session Road, Eurotel Corporation Hotel at Abanao Extension, Benguet Apartments and Hotel Inc. at Prime Hotel Session Road, Mr. Peter Ng of Supreme Hotel, Magsaysay, Alfredo Go of Good Taste, Cariño Street and Er-Al Enterprises, Inc. at Chapis Village Marcos Highway.

Hall of fame plaques of recognition were given to Pilipino Cable Corporation as business taxpayer and the Ayala Land Inc. as real property taxpayer.  -- JhoArranz

Bishop Cenzon won’t join calls to oust PNoy

By RedjieMelvicCawis

BAGUIO CITY -- Bishop CarlitoCenzon  of  the Diocese of Baguio and Benguet  is backing  President Benigno S.  Aquino III to finish his term  amidst call for  him  step down from office.

“He is the President, let him fulfill his term, ” said Cenzon, adding   he will not join call of his fellow bishops in the Catholic Church to oust  the President.

Various sectors including the Catholic Church are calling  for Aquino to step down due to many issues  hounding the administration,   the latest of which is the  Mamasapano  incident   where  44 Philippine National Police  Special Action Force commandos were killed.

Batangas Archbishop Ramon Arguelles and Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo Dela Cruz called for Aquino’s ouster slamming the chief executive for being “incompetent” in leading the country following the bloody encounter.

“Lahat ng tao may pagkukulang,” Cenzon said, saying people should understand the stand of the President on various issues . Unless we have something serious against him then we should call for him to step down but for now he should fulfill his mandate and responsibilities to the Filipino people, he added.

Cenzon instead called on both the President and the people to learn to listen to each other to have a harmonious relationship.

“P-Noy,  may mga sinasabi ang mga tao noon pa, pakinggan mo,” said Cenzon. All leaders should know how to listen to the people, at one time or another, the people’s voice becomes serious, he added.

“Let us not only look at the mistake of the president, let us also look on how we can contribute to make things better.”

In a recent report, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines  President Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said “The CBCP cannot morally join in the calls for the President’s resignation, leaving this decision to his humble and prayerful discernment of his capacity to lead and the support he has not only from officials of government but from members of Philippine society.”

Vandals warned of numbered days

BAGUIO CITY – Pesky graffiti vandals recently got stern warning from the head of the city’s anti-graffiti task force here.

“You are no longer safe because we’re coming for you.  Even if you’re juvenile, we’re coming for your parents,” anti-graffiti management committee co-chair Charles Niederstadt Sr. said during  kick-of of anti-graffiti program at the city hall.

Niederstadt who co-chairs the task force with Mayor Mauricio Domogan said they will start implementing the campaign by April 23.

“The tools (for an effective program) have been given by the mayor.  It is now up to us to do the work,” he said as he rallied residents to contribute to the program by helping remove the graffiti, donating spare materials for the removal of the writings, reporting graffiti acts and making contributions in any way to the task force.

The campaign will be anchored on the Anti-Graffiti Code of the City of Baguio or Ordinance No. 41, series of 2008 and the anti-graffiti action plan now being firmed up by the task force.

During the program, representatives from both the government and private sectors committed to fully support the drive.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the manifestation of support by representatives from both the government and private sectors last Monday is crucial to the cause of the revitalized campaign to stem the worsening problem on vandalism.

He thanked Niederstadt, a foreigner married to a Baguio native, for taking the lead in the campaign.

The foreigner’s crusade against graffiti which took roots from his family’s brushes with the vandals even in the United States prompted the city to tap Niederstadt’s group Stop Tagging Other People’s Property (STOPP) in 2012 to provide assistance in the implementation of the code.

In 2013, the mayor created the AGMC as a private-led government-supported system of management which will oversee the implementation of the Anti-Graffiti Code in consonance with the operational plan which will involve the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), students, volunteers, barangays and media.

He tasked Niederstadt as his co-chair with STOPP as the revenue-generating arm to raise funds in addition to the government appropriation beginning 2014 onwards.

Last February, the mayor ordered the finalization of the action plan and the appropriation of the budget to fully enforce the ordinance.

The mayor also incorporated the campaign in the city’s clean and green program by making it as one of the criteria in the yearly barangay contest.

Under the code, violators will be penalized with fines ranging from P1,000 to P5,000 and imprisonment.  Community service will also be employed as penalty for violators. – Aileen Refuerzo