400-computer slh opens in bnhs - City of Balanga · Barangay Week v.2.0 Mutya ng Lungsod ng Balanga - Coronation 400-computer slh opens in bnhs. 2 GALING BALANGUEÑO Learning Barangay

GALING BALANGUEÑO 1

Parade of Floats and Street DancingCompetition

Story on BYD (BUILD YOUR DREAMS) and its Benefi ts FOR BALANGA

LearningBarangay Week v.2.0

Mutya ng Lungsod ng Balanga - Coronation

400-computer slh opens in bnhs

GALING BALANGUEÑO2

LearningBarangay Week v.2.0

2018 Galing BataanTrade Fair Opening

Mayor Francis opens10th Batang Sining Workshop

Brigada Eskwelakickstarts in BES

Millennial Moms take the stagein Mother’s Day Celebration

‘Passport on Wheels’fast-tracks to COB

COB’s GRAND SANTACRUZAN 2018 highlights Flores De Mayo

COB Dads’ triumph at Father’s Day Pre-celebration

Ika-120 Taong Pagpapahayag ng Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas

INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEMTraining Level III

COB Heads on New Local Budget Memo for 2019

Peer Facilitators’ Training

Rak of Aegis

400-Computer SLH Opens in BNHS

Parade of Floats and Street Dancing Competition


Story on BYD(BUILD YOUR DREAMS) and itsBenefits for BALANGA

GRAB TRIKE:Revamping Transportation for Balangueños

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BP Bantayan, Alta Presyon Maiiwasan

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CONTENT


Volume IX - Issue No. 30Copyright (c) COB-MISO, 2018

EDITORIALThe City Government is in continuous motion towards development as it pro-vides superior services to the whole community.

We have undertaken several activities every year that serve the various sec-tors and industries which are key for a progressive city like Balanga.

The Galing Bataan Trade Fair spic-es up not just the city’s but the prov-ince’s commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan, more commonly known as “Bataan Day.” Here, indigenous prod-ucts of Bataan are manufactured and showcased for the locals and visitors alike to try out and appreciate.

To usher in the “Banga” Festival --- the fi rst in a series of events in celebration of the Pistang Balangueño on April 28 --- a colorful Parade of Floats com-bined with a highly energetic and com-petitive Street Dance Competition was held. This year’s parade and competi-

tion lived up to the hype of what City of Balanga has to offer in terms of en-tertainment and creativity, thus, show-casing the warm relations between the city and business sector which has supported the event since its inception.

Much-anticipated events such as the Mutya ng Balanga Coronation Night, Parade of Floats and Street Dancing Competition, take us on a glimpse of Balangueños’ pride, talent, and crea-tivity.

As old as tradition itself, the Grand Santacruzan held at the month of May, has always been celebrated most es-pecially for its religious representations of devotion.

For the City Government, the health and welfare of our residents are of prime importance. Our fi ght against to-bacco use and proliferation continues relentlessly despite a minor setback when RTC Branch 93 ruled in favor of Philippine Tobacco Institute (PTI) that the University Town Ordinance is un-constitutional and invalid. Our various awards and recognitions, local and international, are a testament to our city being deemed as the torch-bearer in health promotion and tobacco con-trol. The fi ght continues! That is why we held the 3rd Ride for Tobacco-Free Generation --- a sports activity that campaigns to uphold the city’s drive against tobacco use through massive road bicycling. The number of partici-pants continues to rise each year with this year’s topping at 1,600 riders.

The city is not alone in combating this giant of an enemy. The Provincial Gov-

ernment and some international or-ganizations also took part in the city’s event “Hataw TFG sa Bataan” where some 5,000 high school students from all over the province were assembled to seek their pledge not to engage in any tobacco-related activities.

Our concern is not limited to the con-fi nes of our city’s jurisdiction. We are also concerned about global issues like health care and the environment. Thus, through a Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution, we launched a campaign to declare “plastic holiday” on Thurs-day and Friday of each week. This is our small way of helping Mother Nature to recover from the abuse and neglect that humankind has done to her.

Complementing our efforts to be one with the international community on its major programs, we still make sure that our local development programs are addressed. From smoother and more productive offi ce operations and per-sonnel performance, to undertakings that address particular needs of the community, we continue to fi nd more and better ways to improve the quality of lives of those whom we serve.

We encourage everyone to continuous-ly support the city’s programs, projects and activities so that together, we can ride the wave of excellence towards the realization of our vision.

Hon. Francis Anthony S. GarciaCity Mayor

GALING BALANGUEÑO4

The trade fair was themed: “Kagitingan at Pagmamahal sa Pilipinas Para sa Tunay na Pagbabago.”

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) held the Galing Bataan Trade Fair at the Plaza Mayor de Balanga from April 4 to 9 in line with the 76th Araw ng Kagitingan.

Ms. Raquel Garcia, wife of City Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia and Chair-person of Balanga City Tourism Coun-cil (BCTC), led the ribbon cutting to formally open the Galing Bataan Trade Fair on Wednesday morning, April 4, 2018.

Guest of Honor EBA Construction’s Engr. Eusebio B. Aquino, also a busi-nessman, in his brief speech said he always thinks of Bataan Province as his inspiration in his construction ven-tures as he travels across the country.

After going around the different booths that sell Bataan-made products, the party proceeded to The Plaza Hotel for the program proper where Ms. Raquel Garcia warmly welcomed the guests.

DTI-Bataan OIC Provincial Director Nelin Cabahug encouraged the public to patronize the products that range from food, household items, bags, foot-wear, and accessories.

The trade fair was themed: “Kagitingan at Pagmamahal sa Pilipinas Para sa Tunay na Pagbabago.”

The week-long activities are organized by the Bataan Peninsula Tourism Coun-cil, Inc. headed by its Chairperson, Ms. Victoria Sandejas-Garcia, mother of Bataan Governor Abet Garcia.

Also in attendance were Bataan 2nd District Representative Jose Enrique S. Garcia, III and wife Ms. Isabel, DTI Provincial Director Ms. Nelin O. Caba-hug, Bataan 1st District Board Member and Chairman, Committee on Tourism Aristotle J. Gaza, Ms. Amanda Battad, and city department heads and em-ployees led by City Administrator Ro-dolfo H. De Mesa.

Galing Bataan Trade Fair is an annu-al event jointly organized by DTI and Bataan Provincial Government. It has been an integral part of the Araw ng Kagitingan celebration. By: Cyrus Dela Cruz

2018 Galing Bataan Trade Fair Opening


The streets of City of Balanga were fi lled with talented performers and gi-ant fl oats as the city formally opened Pistang Balangueño 2018.

Anchored on the theme “Da Best ng Balanga, Kahanga-hanga”, Pistang Balangueño 2018 was organized by the City Tourism Offi ce in partnership with the Balanga City Tourism Council and Balanga City Historical, Culture and the Arts Council.

Nine (9) barangays and eight (8) busi-ness establishments took part in City of Balanga’s annual Parade of Floats and Street Dancing Competition on April 16, 2018.

Taking off from two different points --- Diversion Road and Four Lanes Ave-nue --- the participants danced their way along major city streets preceded by their assigned fl oats, and passed through Plaza Mayor on their way to Bataan People’s Center where the competition was held.

Barangay Talisay emerged as Champi-on of the competition with Barangays Doña Francisca and Bagumbayan placing 1st and 2nd Runners-up, re-

spectively.

The Parade of Floats and Street Danc-ing Competition ushered in the Banga Festival --- a series of events culmi-nating in the celebration of the city fi -esta on April 28. While historically the city was known for producing durable and beautiful “banga”, or clay pots, the present-day Banga Festival aims to mold city residents to become good cit-izens who are aware and proud of their culture and heritage.

The City Government thanked par-ticipants to the Parade of Floats and Street Dancing Competition: Ba-rangays Ibayo, Talisay, Bagumbayan, Pto. Rivas, Cataning, Poblacion, Ma-labia, Doña Francisca and San Jose. Special thanks also to Cebuana Lhu-illier, Fiesta Communities, K-Servico, La Jolla Residential Beach Resort, M. Lhuillier, McDonald’s, Penelco, and GR Bank for sponsoring the fl oats.By: Cyrus Dela Cruz

Parade of Floats and Street DancingCompetition

GALING BALANGUEÑO6

“...a peerfacilitator is an emotionallymature student leader whorecognizes and intervenes in prob-lemsidentifi ed at school.”

Peer Facilitators’ Training

High school students from the City’s various public and private secondary schools, together with their school counselors/ coordinators, project de-velopment offi cers, and Values Educa-tion teachers, attended the three-day Peer Facilitators’ Training organized by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), at La Vista Inland Resort, City of Balanga.

Peer Facilitators training is one of the initiatives of the Health Promotion Board (HPB), an organization under the City Government of Balanga com-mitted to promoting healthy living in the city. The said organization’s prima-ry goal is to increase the quality and years of life, as well as prevent illness, disability, and premature death.

Meanwhile, a peer facilitator is an

emotionally mature student leader who recognizes and intervenes in problems identifi ed at school. Peer facilitators have been trained in confl ict resolution and confi dentiality and can help stu-dents with a variety of issues including, adjusting to high school, coping with family issues, dealing with peer con-fl icts, sorting out boyfriend/girlfriend issues, handling stress and anger, fi guring out how to talk with teachers, parents, and other adults, planning for future college and career goals, and feeling comfortable with themselves.

Peer facilitators also know when a stu-dent needs to be referred to an adult for further assistance and intervention.

The training, which ran from April 11 to 13, had Department of Health (DOH)

Psychologist Ron Julius Espada as main resource person with graduates of last year’s training acting as facili-tators under the guidance of the City Health Offi ce (CHO).

Peer facilitators are available every school day. A student can come to the School Counseling Offi ce and request to meet with a peer facilitator at any time.

Representing the City Government were City Administrator Rodolfo H. De Mesa, CHO Head Dr. Mariano Antonio T. Banzon, CEEDO - OIC Mrs. Tarra Ann Pagdanganan, and CHO nurse Mr. Oliver Enriquez. By: Cyrus Dela Cruz


Not even a downpour could keep city residents from eagerly watching the Coronation Night of the Mutya ng Lungsod ng Balanga which began at Plaza Mayor. To keep the show going, a transfer of venue to Razz Bar and Grille transpired on April 25, 2018.

Gene Rose Brigeth Flores happily took home the crown in this year’s Mutya ng Lungsod ng Balanga Beauty Pag-eant. Flores, who hails from Barangay Malabia, landed on the throne, making Rene Anne Antonio First Runner-up.

Winners of minor awards were: Jade Nicole De Jesus (Best in Casual Wear); Rene Anne Antonio, Aira Camille Baltazar, and Marjorie Tolenti-no, Best in Talent winner, 1st and 2nd runners-up respectively; Leimmalyn Villaluz (Best in Swimsuit); Louiza Kris-tina Pelayo (Miss Photogenic & Best in Long Gown); Mhika Georgia Mendoza (Miss Congeniality); and Patricia Ma-rie Lopez (Miss Smart Texters’ Choice Award).

Out of ten offi cial candidates, Jade Nicole De Jesus bagged most of the awards from sponsors during the pre-pageant night on April 23 at Vis-ta Mall - Bataan. Again, the pageant was broadcast live on Facebook, en-abling people to informally place their

bets on the most popular candidate. However, the tables were turned in the grand coronation night when the can-didates faced the judges in the ques-tion-and-answer portion. Five candi-dates were chosen from the original ten during the coronation night. Aside from Flores and Antonio, these fi ve fi -nalists included Louiza Kristina Pelayo, Jade Nicole De Jesus, and Marjorie To-lentino.

Prior to the announcement of fi nalists, the Mutya candidates impressed the crowd in their evening gowns.

Pelayo, De Jesus, and Tolentino were respectively hailed as second, third, and fourth runners-up. The previous year’s muses were present to turnover

their crowns. Mikhaela Baluyot, 2017’s Mutya ng Balanga had her fi nal walk as a sign of gratitude to her supporters.

Vice-Mayor Vianca Lita Gozon was present in behalf of Mayor Garcia. Members of the Sangguniang Pan-lungsod joined the vice-mayor in giving awards to candidates.

More than the beauty queens’ honorifi c titles, the new Mutya ng Balanga win-ners were given advocacies in various areas such as “Culture and Heritage”, “Eco-tourism”, and “Excellence.”By: Cyrus Dela Cruz


GALING BALANGUEÑO8

Rak of Aegis

The plot of “Rak of Aegis” is very simple, its message very clear: Love exists even in times of calamities.

Pistang Balangueño’s grand fi nale night featured the Philip-pine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) RAK OF AE-GIS, The Concert, brought to us by The Plaza Hotel’s Engr. Eusebio Aquino on April 29, 2018.

Stressing challenges faced by Filipinos is the main thought of comedy musical “Rak of Aegis.” It is a story of everyone --- each one of us dreams to be successful despite various predicaments. The musical somehow manages to highlight that Filipinos should not get used to systemic failures.

The plot of “Rak of Aegis” is very simple, its message very clear: Love exists even in times of calamities. It also refl ects the reality of Philippine society.

Homegrown talents, original and new-generation UTown art-ists, and GBoyz provided the front act which was composed of songs from The Rock of Ages.

City Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia --- with his wife Raquel, Chairperson of the Balanga City Tourism Coun-cil --- aims to provide a unique and world-class form of entertainment each year that will not merely entertain but also inspire Balangueños to aspire for and reach their full potential in the realm of culture and the arts.

The “Rak of Aegis” by PETA was organized by the City Government of Balanga headed by Mayor Francis Antho-ny S. Garcia in collaboration with The Plaza Hotel as part of the celebration of Pistang Balangueño 2018.By: Cyrus Dela Cruz


Mayor Francis opens10th Batang Sining Workshop

Mayor Garcia warmly thanked offi cials and employees who joined forces in making the annual workshop possible.

After completing the workshop, COB ended the event with a blast with a completion ceremony at Vista Mall Bat-aan. These youngsters who undertook

the different training disciplines took center stage and show-cased what they have learned.

City Administrator Rodolfo H. De Mesa, together with Public Schools Division Superintendent Ms. Janet Andales and facilita-tors from Tanghalang Tatsulok, SPA students of BNHS, Guhit Pinas, and MISO staff, awarded the certifi cate of completion to the workshop fi nishers.

Also present in the ceremony were department heads of the city government.

City Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia formally opened the 10th Batang Sining Workshop which ran from May 7 to 18, 2018 at Bataan Nation-al High School (BNHS).

Batang Sining --- an annual art work-shop organized by the City Education and Excellence Development Of-fi ce (CEEDO) of the City Govern-ment of Balanga --- aims to train el-ementary and high school students on various disciplines, i.e., Theatre Arts, Arts & Crafts, Painting, and Photo/ Vid-eo Editing. Facilitators for these disci-plines are Tanghalang Tatsulok, SPA students of BNHS, Guhit Pinas, and MISO staff with advanced knowledge in photo/video editing respectively.

GALING BALANGUEÑO10

It will be used as a resource and training center for senior high school students for them to develop a career-oriented mindset.

LEARNING

400-ComputerSLH Opensin BNHS

City Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia inaugurated another School Learning Hub (SLH) at Bataan National High School on May 28, 2018, bringing the number of SLH in the city to two, the other one being at COB NHS. The event was facilitated by the City Edu-cation and Excellence Development Offi ce (CEEDO).

The new SLH has 400 computer units donated by Global In-House Center Council Philippines (GICC) and is sit-uated in a two-storey, ten-room Senior High School building inside the school campus. It will be used as a resource and training center for senior high school students for them to develop a career-oriented mindset. Telecommu-nication company PLDT provided 1 gi-gabyte bandwidth internet connection for the computers.

Others present in the inauguration were Vice-Mayor Vianca Lita V. Gozon, GICC Director Commodore Amado A. Sanglay, OIC-Schools Division Su-perintendent Carolina S. Violeta, BN-HS-SHS Principal Norma Rico, city councilors, and department heads of the City Government.

counterpart at the barangay level.

Twin Hubs of Excellence

Like BLH, the SLH units also use Khan Academy, a website that provides self-guided learning. The website also has a lite software version which can be installed in a computer unit and can be used offl ine.

SLH facilities also serve as Tech4ED (Technology for Economic Develop-ment) Centers. It can be recalled that Tech4ED is a national government pro-ject under the Department of Informa-tion and Communications Technology.

Through this project, the national gov-ernment came up with a comprehen-sive information system that would help students access Tech4ED Center’s services.

However, what separates the SLH from BLH is that the former also specializes in training students for business pro-cess outsourcing (BPO) company-re-lated jobs.

The local chief executive is in con-stant pursuit to equip Balangueños with the necessary skills and re-sources as the city reaches its vi-sion to become an emerging hub for tech-related businesses by 2020.By: Kalvin Gerald S. Orgasan

Wal-Mart has also donated a number of b r a n d - n e w c o m p u t e r units, but these will go to future Ba-rangay Learn-ing Hubs (BLH), SLH’s


Brigada Eskwela kickstarts in BES

With its theme, “Pagkakaisa para sa Handa, Ligtas, at Matatag na Paaralan Tungo sa Magandang Kinabukasan,” the annual Brigada Eskwela kicked off on May 28, 2018 at Balanga Elementary School (BES).

Teachers and school personnel from primary and secondary schools in the city and volunteers from various stakeholders’ groups gath-ered at Plaza Mayor for an early morning caravan. Afterwards, all participants proceeded to BES via motorcade.

Meanwhile, City Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia led the contin-gent from the City Government composed of the Sangguniang Panlungsod headed by Vice-Mayor Vianca Lita V. Gozon and city department heads.

With his vow to support all public schools in Balanga City, the local chief executive advised everyone in the activity to exert greater ef-fort to implement cleanliness and order in schools. He said that with the start of the new academic year, having this Brigada Eskwela could greatly improve the learning facilities for students.

City Administrator Rodolfo H. De Mesa also reiterated that the city government will always have its door open to all public schools and guarantees to immediately process their needs.

With that in hand, attendees all stood and witnessed the City Gov-ernment’s donation of janitorial supplies like whisk brooms, fl oor mops, buckets, and gallons of paint for classroom improvement.

These donations were purchased through voluntary contributions by city government employees. Ceremonial turn-over and accept-ance of donations from other stakeholders were initiated afterwards.

OIC-Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Carolina S. Violeta thanked volunteers and donors who continuously support the Briga-da Eskwela.

Aside from infrastructural rehabilitation, this year’s Brigada Eskwela also focused on providing participants with knowledge about health and sanitation through an orientation about “school safety and pre-paredness” and sanitation in schools.

-City Marshals-Division Offi ce Personnel -City Government Offi cials-Balanga ES-Bagong Silang ES-Bani ES-Bo. Central ES-Cabog-Cabog ES-Cataning ES-Cupang ES-E. Bernabe ES-G.L. David Mem. ES-M. delos Reyes Mem. ES-M.P. Cuaderno Mem. ES-Our Lady of Lourdes ES

Below were the participating schools and offi ces in Brigada Eskwela 2018:

-Pto. Rivas ES-Tanato ES-T. Camacho ES-Tenejero ES -Tortugas ES-Tuyo ES-Bataan National HS (JHS/HSH)-City of BalangaNational HS (JHS/HSH)-Federated PTA Offi cers-A P’s-Stakeholdersand Volunteers


Millennial Moms take the stagein Mother’s Day Celebration

They got it from their Moms.Mother- employees of the City Govern-ment of Balanga shrugged off work for a while as they belatedly celebrated Mother’s Day at Emiliana Hall on May 17, 2018.Themed “The Millennial Moms,” these mothers comprised six (6) groups coming from different departments showcased amazing talents with spe-cial participation from their kids.

With the competition titled, “I Got It From My Mom!,” respective teams and tandems displayed their talent for sing-ing, dancing, and acting.

At the end, the group named “The Twinny Frenny Goals” swayed the audience with their dance moves and bagged the grand prize. Meanwhile, “The Prettiest Moms” and “The Vendet-ta Moms” clinched the fi rst and second prizes, respectively. The three remain-ing teams also got consolation prizes.

Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia thanked his wife, Raquel for being the best mother to their children. He also recognized all the working moms of the city for their sacrifi ces.

Ms. Raquel Garcia, on the other hand, shared her own challenging but won-derful times with her children. She also advised the mothers to at least have time for themselves despite their hec-tic schedules. The same sentiment was shared by Vice-Mayor Vianca Lita Gozon who also thanked and saluted everyone in the event.

In addition, Psychometrician Ron Ju-lius Espada, who was the guest speak-er in the activity, lectured mothers on

how to give the best treatment for their family.

Also present in the event were Coun-cilors Vic Baluyot and Benigno Meriño.

Below were the award winners in the celebration:Mother and Child Tandem of the Day - Ms. Chi Canare and her daughterFit and Fab Mom of the Day - Ms. Jo-belle Lyn Dela RosaThe Millennial Mom of the Day - Ms. Ria ValenciaThe Most Lodi Mom of the Day - Ms. Nerissa AnilaoThe Most Petmalu Mom of the Day - Ms. Annie CabusaoThe Prettiest Mom of the Day - Ms. Lorenza OliverosEarliest Mom of the Day - Ms. Alicia Tiangco


‘Passport on Wheels’ fast-tracks to COB

To ease the trouble of making passport appointments, Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) “Passport on Wheels” went to the City of Balanga to provide Mobile Passport Service (MPS) at Vis-ta Mall Bataan on May 12, 2018.

With aid from the city government, through the Local Civil Registry Offi ce (LCRO), the activity aims to hurdle the diffi culty of securing appointment dates and slot shortages when accessing the DFA’s website. There are currently four (4) Passport on Wheels vans, with each able to process 500 passports.

MPS pre-processes fully accomplished application forms with complete per-

tinent papers required for new and renewal passport applicants. A whop-ping 1,015 applicants were approved, exceeding the 1000 slots opened by DFA. Compared to the last MPS, only fi ve (5) applicants failed to comply.

Meanwhile, some fi rst-time applicants who failed to register for e-payment of the processing fee were allowed to pay during the activity. According to LCRO, residents of Bataan should expect strict rules for e-payment in the next visit.

Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia also fi led for application and stood in line like the rest. He remarked on the suc-cess of the MPS and projected another

activity by the end of the year.DFA Regional Consular Offi ces Coor-dinating Center (RCOCC) Team Lead-ers Noli Sison and Princesa Tabago praised LCRO for the smooth fl ow of the system and good governance dur-ing the activity.

Passports are due for release 20 days after application via its courier-partner, LBC.


COB’s GRANDSANTACRUZAN 2018 highlights Flores De Mayo

Mutya ng Lungsod ng Balanga Titleholder Gene Rose Brigeth E. Flores of Barangay Malabia was “Reyna Elena.”

Amidst the heat of summer, the cel-ebration of Flores De Mayo still glis-tened as this year’s Grand Santacru-zan, a procession of the Holy Cross, commenced at Plaza Mayor De Balan-ga on May 25, 2018.

Mutya ng Lungsod ng Balanga Title-holder Gene Rose Brigeth E. Flores of Barangay Malabia was “Reyna Elena.”

Carrying bouquets, other former can-didates of Mutya, together with some of the most beautiful Balangueñas, stood as “Sagalas.” Clad in their stun-ning colorful gowns, these lovely ladies partnered with young kids as prince/princes and gave their best to repre-sent various historical-religious fi gures.

The procession which circled around Ibayo, Tenejero and San Jose is pure-ly devoted to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary.

With the Santacruzan was a joyful street dance parade known here in the City of Balanga (COB) as “Sambale.”

This tradition has always been asso-ciated with the celebration as it repre-sents the thanksgiving that happened after the Holy Cross was found in Jeru-salem and brought back to Rome.Dancing to the music, the much-await-ed event was led by Mayor Francis An-thony S. Garcia with his wife Raquel. Vice-Mayor Vianca Lita Gozon, Provin-cial Board Member Noel Valdecañas, city councilors, select Punong Ba-

rangays and department heads, and city government employees also par-ticipated.

Meanwhile, so as not to disrupt the provision of regular service to clients of the city government, a skeletal force for frontline offi ces stayed and served until the fi nal minutes of offi ce hours.


COB Dads’ triumph at Father’s Day Pre-celebration

City Government of Balanga’s pre-cel-ebration of “Father’s Day” was on June 14, 2018 at Emiliana Hall.

Human Resource and Management Offi ce spearheaded and tagged the celebration as, “My One Cool Dad.”

Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia ad-vised fathers that quality time and guid-ance are big factors in raising a good family. His wife Raquel, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of setting a good example to their chil-dren.

The whole event was fi lled with raffl es and various interactive games for the dads of COB to enjoy.

Councilors Vic Baluyot, Benigno Meriño, Jernie Jett Nisay, Ric Mag-pantay and ABC Elmer Castrence also graced the event.


Ika-120 TaongPagpapahayag ng

Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas

The City Government of Balanga led by Vice-Mayor Vianca Lita V. Gozon observed the 120th Philippine Inde-pendence Day celebration on June 12, 2018 at Bataan People’s Center.

Participants coming from the academe, national government agencies and var-ious socio-civic and non-government organizations braved the inclement weather as they marched along Capitol Drive from Plaza Mayor going to Peo-ple’s Center on Tuesday morning.

On behalf of Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia, Vice-Mayor Gozon greeted and reminded everyone to cherish the

freedom we now enjoy: freedom from ignorance and poverty, and freedom of expression and religion.

Guest Speaker Mr. Kevin U. Facun, Ten Outstanding Students of the Phil-ippines awardee, shared his view on independence. He urged his hearers to view independence according to its true purpose, that is, to unite the na-tion.

Tanghalang Tatsulok, a community theater group, similarly shared their talents in commemorating the Inde-pendence Day celebration through a dramatization of the country’s journey

to independence.

The City Government employees were divided into four clusters which compet-ed among themselves based on four types of independence: “Kamangman-gan,” “Pamamahayag,” “Kahirapan,” and “Relihiyon.” Winners were: City Hall Main-Kalayaan sa Kahirapan; GSO- Kalayaan sa Kamangmangan; PSO- Kalayaan sa Pamamahayag; and City Hall Annex-Kalayaan sa Re-lihiyon.

“Pagbabagong Ipinaglaban, Alay sa Masaganang Kinabukasan”



City Government of Balanga took a bigger step in safety protocol as repre-sentatives from different Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils, government agencies, department heads of the City Government, private stakeholders and select employees attended the weeklong Incident Com-mand System (ICS) Level III training course at Crown Royal Hotel.

The week-long Incident Command System (ICS) Training Level III, which ran from June 18 to 22, 2018, ended with participants submitting their Inci-dent Action Plan (IAP) - a template that formally documents incident goals, operational period objectives, and the response strategy defi ned by incident command during response planning. It contains general tactics to achieve goals and objectives within the overall strategy while providing important in-formation on event and response pa-rameters. Equally important, the IAP facilitates dissemination of critical in-formation about the status of response assets themselves. Because incident parameters evolve, action plans must be revised on a regular basis (at least once per operational period) to main-

tain consistent, up-to-date guidance across the system.

ICS master trainers, referred to as “CADRE,” facilitated the fi ve-day course.

Representing the CADRE, Chief Facilitator Mr. Sherwin Rosales re-minded participants on the need to be prepared for any unforeseen emergency incidents. On behalf of Offi ce of Civil Defense (OCD) and CADRE team, he gave assurance that in times of unexpected calam-ity events, the cadres are just a call away to lend their full support to the City Government.

In his message, City Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia thanked the cad-res and participants for their dedica-tion and commitment. He also gave some updates about the recent fi re at Galeria Victoria Mall and what is currently being done to rehabilitate the structure to ensure the safety of workers and the public when it once again opens for business.

This batch is now just two levels shy

of completing the fi ve-level ICS Train-ing Course. Completion of the fi ve-lev-el ICS Training is expected to result in a clear chain of command that will lessen miscommunication in times of disasters and calamities.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council convened imme-diately after the training.

ICS is a system designed to be used or applied from the time an incident oc-curs until the requirement for manage-ment and operations no longer exist. It consists of a standard management hierarchy and procedures for manag-ing temporary incident(s) of any size, and includes procedures to select and form temporary management hierar-chies to control funds, personnel, facil-ities, equipment, and communications. Personnel are assigned according to established standards and procedures previously sanctioned by participating authorities.

Incident Action Plan (IAP) - a template that formally documents incident goals, operational period objectives, and the response strategy defi ned by incident command during response planning.

INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEMTraining Level III


Learning Barangay Week v.2.0Constituents are the true foundation of society which imposes upon leaders to regard their people highly. On this premise, it is clear that people relations should not be based on dished-out pro-jects, but on empowerment and active participation.

Former mayor and now 2nd District Representative of Bataan Jose Enri-que “Joet” S. Garcia, III formulated a unique way where the local govern-ment can be brought closer to the peo-ple.

Way back in 2007, during his fi rst year in offi ce, he launched a program that is known today as “Learning Barangay Week.”

In the Philippine political system, the “barangay” is the basic political unit. Thus, getting in touch with barangays means getting in touch with people in the community.

In 2007, it was simply known as “Ba-rangay Day” – a whole-day event for former Mayor Joet Garcia to immerse himself in the community. He allotted a single day for each of the City’s twen-ty-fi ve (25) barangays, fi ve of them in upland areas.

Seeing that a single day is not enough for all the communities’ needs and con-cerns, Barangay Day was expanded into “Barangay Week” where it was the barangays that plan activities for the week-long program. The idea came up when the former city mayor attend-ed the International Conference on Learning Cities in Beijing, China. Later it became “Learning Barangay Week” which integrated a learning aspect, until it was upgraded to Learning Ba-rangay Week version 2.0 which even the current administration implements.

Learning Barangay Week is not a mere


community visit. Here, the City Gov-ernment launches medical missions. Seminars on peace and order imple-mentation, employment and livelihood generation, disaster response, civil documentation, barangay governance, education and scholarship, ecotour-ism, dengue disease prevention, and consultation with Integrated Bar of the Philippines- Bataan Chapter (IBP) are also conducted. Every Learning Ba-rangay Week culminates in a General Assembly where community folks lis-ten to their community leaders’ devel-opment reports.

The City Government has even made Learning Barangay Week a fun-fi lled activity, complete with interactive activ-ities that entertain people during gen-eral assemblies.

The most important feature of the Learning Barangay Week is that it makes people part of the governance process. Through Learning Barangay Week, the city’s projects are effectively communicated to the communities.

Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia ar-ticulated that staging of the program is two-way since the City Government can immediately relay its programs to the barangays while, at the same time, barangay offi cials and residents can directly make their plans and sugges-tions known to the City Government. “Every barangay week, city depart-ments will come to your barangay to directly serve you,” he further added.


Story on BYD (BUILD YOUR DREAMS) and its Benefits for BALANGA

Engineer Miguel Sanchez, city en-gineer, describes the initial phase of the monorail transit system to cover six kilometers around the fast growing component city.

City government offi cials led by Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia also per-ceived that the establishment of mono-rail transit is presumed to lighten vehic-ular traffi c and heighten the quality of transportation service in the city.

cia and Sangguniang Panglalawigan members, City Vice-Mayor Vianca Lita V. Gozon and members of the Sanggu-niang Panlungsod, municipal mayors, department heads of the city and Pro-vincial Government and members of the Philippine and Chinese media.

A Chinese technical team is expected to begin its comprehensive feasibility study on the third week of June this year, on the proposed monorail transit system in this city.

Balanga City Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia, Bataan Governor Albert S. Garcia, and Auto Sales Division Gen-eral Manager of BYD Auto Industry Company Limited’s Mr. Liu Xueliang signed a Memorandum of Understand-ing that will set in place the possibility of a self-driving monorail transit system on May 30, 2018, at La Casas Filipinas De Acuzar, Bagac, Bataan.

The MOU was signed in the presence of Vice-Governor Maria Christina Gar-


Liu Xueliang, General Manager of BYD Asia-Pacifi c Auto Sales Division, artic-ulated in his offi cial visit with his team in Bataan, that the monorail will be built in Balanga City as soon as a feasibili-ty study is completed. Balanga City is the capital city of Bataan Province in Luzon.

The BYD group understands the con-cern of Bataeños in terms of mainte-nance. BYD General Manager Liu Xue-liang himself assured the Government of Bataan that they have all the exper-tise in the maintenance of the electri-fi ed transportation. They will transfer the technology and train the people who will be assigned to maintain said multi-layered transportation.

In an interview prior to the contract signing, Governor Albert S. Garcia ex-pressed that, “One of their proposed projects is for us to have a monorail here,” Garcia told local newsmen. Other related development projects particularly related to mass transpor-tation and renewable energy will be discussed during the scheduled press conference with the Bataan press, Ma-nila-based reporters, and the Chinese media.

Gov. Garcia similarly said that the fast economic growth and high value-add-ed employment opportunities that Bataan currently enjoys, brings about the need to develop better infrastruc-ture, educational institutions, health

facilities, and transportation system, to name a few.

Meanwhile, Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia focused his message on the environmental benefi ts of this massive transport. According to Mayor Garcia, “committed to achieving lower carbon and sustainable development, both the BYD and the provincial govern-ment of Bataan are working closely to introduce the fi rst batch of 10 units of BYD electric buses for operations be-fore December 31 this year in Balanga City.”

“In cooperation with BYD, the city will build a public transport system that will optimize the transportation conditions both in Balanga City and the rest of Bataan Province,” Mayor Garcia said. He also expressed hope that the mon-orail transport system will not only ad-dress traffi c congestion, but also build a green and environmentally friendly public transport system.

With this development, both the pro-vincial government and BYD of China are committed to pursue a sustainable growth in the use of a greener trans-port solution that will sustain environ-mentally sound communities and pro-vide smart growth technologies.

As part of Filipino hospitality, primarily of Bataeños, the international guests were warmly welcomed by Bataan’s local talents - the BPSU brassband. Grade school children from nearby

school waved fl aglets of China and the Philippines which made the event fes-tive.

The entourage boarded two buses and proceeded to the Dambana ng Kagitin-gan atop Mt. Samat in Pilar town where they were toured in the museum con-taining WWII memorabilia. After which, they went straight to Hotel Oriente in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Ba-gac for the signing ceremonies where they were again greeted by good mu-sic courtesy of the Pangkat Kawayan of PUP-Mariveles and the Rondalla Romano.

Our very own Koro Bangkal Magbikin serenaded the guests with their angelic voices while the El Gamma Penumbra awed the audience with their meaning-ful, relevant and amazing performanc-es.

A press conference participated in by both foreign and local media was held before dinner. The night was sealed with the spectacular fi reworks display collaborated with the amazing fi re dancers making it, indeed, a night to remember.


GRAB TRIKE:Revamping Transportation for

BalangueñosLet’s say you have an important meet-ing in your offi ce. The problem is you are 25 minutes away from work and your house sits on one of the city’s outlying barangays. Waiting for a trike to come by is the only transportation option.

Tricycles comprise a great part of the mass transport system within Balanga City, but some commuters still fi nd it hard to get a ride. Fare overpricing, or cancelling a trip, due to the far distance a person needs to go also happens.

So how do you think we should deal with this problem? There’s a couple of options we can choose from: hiring a service driver to pick up a person, or, if you have the right amount of cash, buy a new vehicle.

But just recently, the city found a third alternative. Introducing: GRAB TRIKE.

A Ride to Balanga

On January 20, representatives from Grab Company introduced the new

service to the BACFETODA commu-nity during their General Assembly at Bataan People’s Center, and fi nally launched the Grab Trike in February.

With this, Grab Product Launcher Team also conducted a thorough mon-itoring program all over the city before they formally executed the app.

City Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia, together with City License, Permit and Franchising Offi ce’s Offi cer-in-Charge Mr. Noriel Dacion, welcomed the tech-nology company with optimism during their visit. The mayor hopes that Grab Trike will bring balance and fair service to commuters and tricycle drivers of the city.

The Grab Company

Grab Trike is one the many services of Grab --- a smartphone-based transport booking platform that was originally developed in Malaysia as MyTeksi to revamp the taxi and transport indus-try. Grab Trike, on the other hand, was contrived in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The said city conceptualized the pro-ject along with Grab Company to pro-tect the riding public from fare overpric-ing, colorum tricycles, and other faults.

Booking a Ride

So the next question is how do we use Grab Trike? Well, fi rst you have to download the Grab application. Re-member to have an internet connection if you are going to use the app. From then on, follow these instructions:

1. Open the Grab app.2. Select GrabTrike icon.3. Input your pick-up and drop-off loca-tions and check estimated fare (make sure you’re within the specifi ed areas mentioned).4. Click “book” and wait for the confi r-mation that you already have a driver.5. Contact your driver.

For more info on Grab, visit their web-site at www.grab.com/ph/


COB Heads on New Local Budget Memo for 2019

Offi ce of the City Mayor executed a Budget Forum for the City Government of Balanga (COB) at City Hall’s AVR on June 13, 2018.

Along with Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia, members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Chairman of the Commit-tee on Finance & Appropriation Atty. Jorescel Panganiban, department heads, and other concerned employ-ees of COB assembled for the discus-sion on the guidelines for the prepara-tion and submission of Annual General Fund Budget of Offi ces / Departments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019.

These guidelines are to be observed by all offi ces and departments in the preparation of budget proposals in line with Local Budget Memorandum No. 77, or the Internal Revenue Allotment and Guidelines on the Preparation of the FY 2019 Annual Budgets of Lo-cal Government Units, dated May 15, 2018.

The memo’s purpose is to inform the local government units (LGUs) of their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shares for FY 2019 based on the cer-tifi cation of the Bureau of Internal Rev-

enue (BIR) and to prescribe the guide-lines on the preparation of the FY 2019 annual budgets of LGUs.

City Budget Offi cer Joer Grace H. De Mesa, City Accountant Myrna B. Ro-man, and City Planning and Develop-ment Offi cer Ms. Elsa P. Ilagan dis-cussed topics on proper budgeting and fi nancial disbursement, respectively.

The memo’s purpose is to inform the local government units (LGUs) of their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shares for FY 2019


FINANCIAL REPORTS





RODOLFO H. DE MESA

HON. FRANCIS ANTHONY S. GARCIA NENETTE B. SANTOS

JOHNDEL ARNIE B. SALAVERIA

JOSE D. CABRERA

KALVIN GERALD S. ORGASAN

MISO STAFF

JOAN D. CONSUS

City Admin/Consultant

Editor-In-Chief City MIS Officer

Art Editor

Writers

Photographers

EDITORIAL STAFF


BP Bantayan, Alta Presyon Maiiwasan

Concern was raised about the fi rst batch of laboratory test results that came in that show many employees of the City Government --- which puts a premium on the health and welfare of its workers --- suffering from hyper-tension. To address it, the City Health Promotion Board (HPB) collaborated with the City Health Offi ce (CHO), City Human Resource and Management Offi ce (CHRMO) and the Skills and Hobby VAC to hold a forum about Hy-pertension at City Hall AVR on May 30, 2018.

Hypertension is considered as the number one contributing risk factor for global deaths, causing strokes,

heart attacks, and other cardiovascular complications. An increasing number of younger adults suffer from strokes each year, caused mainly by high blood pressure, or hypertension.

Themed “BP Bantayan, Alta Presyon Maiiwasan,” the forum was in line with DOH’s celebration of Hypertension Awareness Month.

Guest Speaker Dr. Ariel Ilaya made a clear presentation about the topic be-fore an audience composed of City Government employees.

Today’s forum was just the initial in a series about the same topic that HPB

plans to hold for personnel of the City Government so they could stay fi t and healthy.

The month of May is declared as the “National Hypertension Awareness Month” to prevent and control this disease. It is an opportunity not only to campaign to have blood pressure checked but also to check other health risk factors such as blood sugar and cholesterol to ensure a healthy body.

EDITORIAL STAFF

GALING BALANGUEÑO NEWS QUARTERLYBalanga City Hall, Poblacion, Balanga City 2100, Bataan



Balanga City Stands Strong in Anti-Smoking Campaign

STEMify Stirs STEMEducation to BES

COB Coastal Clean-up Drive: Channeling

Awareness in theCommunity

10th Education SummitIntroduces the FutureGeneration

Plastic Holiday Defi nes Eco-Friendly

GALING BALANGUEÑO2

Balanga City Stands Strongin Anti-Smoking Campaign

10th Education SummitIntroduces the FutureGeneration

STEMify Stirs STEMEducation to BES

COB Coastal Clean-up Drive:Channeling Awareness in the Community

COB Hosts CongressionalBarangay Day

COB Adapts to Climate Change

LCC, PNU gather LiteracyInfo on COB

Universal Health Coverage:A Worldwide Concern

RIDE FOR TFG 3 Ups ‘End-Game’ of Tobacco

Stronger and BetterVision-Aligned Circles

Junior Tour-Guiding Competi-tion Closes Tourism Month

Gabay Guro Pays Tribute to Teachers of Bataan

Bataan ObservesWorld Rabies Day

BCPC Seminar Pivots in 1% IRA

Plastic Holiday Defines Eco-Friendly

Groundbreaking of Waltermart & Plans for Balanga Grand Terminal

‘Hataw TFG sa Bataan’Enlightens Youth on Tobacco Use

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NEWS BITS

FINANCIAL REPORTS

COB Offers Sakay Alalay

NEWS BITS

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CONTENT


COB Hosts CongressionalBarangay Day

Some 3,000 Balangueños gave their time and effort to attend the Congres-sional Barangay Day at Vista Mall, Bataan on 18th of July, 2018 despite heavy rains. It was an event to inform representatives of the 25 barangays of the city about the recent programs and initiatives that would be available to the community soon.

Hon. Jose Enrique “Joet” S. Garcia, 2nd District Representative, headed the event which focused on the theme

“Go 4 Health” and “Educhild Program.” To highlight its relevance, Mr. Dennis Dela Cruz of City Health Offi ce present-ed the journey towards a healthy life-style and Ms. Teresa Mogar, Educhild Coordinator, gave an overview on each of the the Educhild Modules.

Mentioned during the event were pro-grams that encourage healthy lifestyle such as the Comprehensive No Smok-ing Ordinance of Balanga City, 30M budget appropriated for additional ba-

rangay service vehicles, and construc-tion of Balanga City National Science High School (BCNSHS) at Barangay Bagumbayan. Special guest, Hon. Karlo Nograles, Davao City 1st District Representative, said he supports and will push for pro-viding the National ID card for all eligi-ble citizens, an additional building for Bataan General Hospital, and tuition fee subsidy.

Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia up-dated residents on the recent fl ooding caused by Southwest Monsoon and gratefully reported zero-casualty for the city. Vice-Governor Cris Garcia, in behalf of Gov. Albert S. Garcia, men-tioned lower poverty incidence in the province and more jobs for the com-munity. Vice-Mayor Vianca Lita V. Gozon, members of the Sangguniang Pan-lungsod, ABC President Ernesto Nisay, City Government department heads, barangay offi cials and councils and other sectors of society joined in the event.

Volume IX - Issue No. 31Copyright (c) COB-MISO, 2018

GALING BALANGUEÑO4

COBAdapts to Climate Change

environment. Ten months had passed since the ICS training when Tropical Depression (TD) “Josie” inundated the City of Balanga. Flood waters caused incalculable dam-age both to property and the environment, but with minimal casualties. During Josie’s onslaught, most of the barangays were submerged which rendered roads impassable, except for certain elevated are-as in the city. Water supply became insuffi cient due to power interruption. Emergency medical services, or Water Search and Rescue (WaSAR) task force units under the CDRRM Council, were activated to assess and respond with proper action. The res-cue operation made use of available equipment of the City Government and coordinated with de-partments including City General Services Offi ce (CGSO), City Social Welfare and Development Of-fi ce (CSWDO), City Public Safety Offi ce (CPSO), Philippine National Police (PNP), 48th Infantry Bat-talion, and the City Health Offi ce (CHO) as part of risk reduction management. Critical in every decision were the number of re-al-time feedbacks received from the 25 barangays. At the same time, barangay captains were regu-larly alerted in case evacuation to higher ground became necessary. Weather updates through the use of social media became an important source of information when power supply around the city became limited. As part of risk reduction manage-ment, a designated area for evacuation and food packs was readied to accommodate families as they took shelter during the worst stages of TD “Jo-sie”. Just a day after the calamity had struck the city, do-nations of relief packs coming from various sectors, agencies, and areas outside of the province began to pour in. These were distributed to affected fam-ilies in the City of Balanga. Further, the aftermath of TD “Josie” required clearing operations to bring normalcy to the community. Soon offi ces and other establishments opened once again to offer basic services and goods.

On July 22, disaster hit the whole of Bataan as fl ood waters rose and swept through most of the province. The water level within the city recorded one of the highest on its historical timeline. Nevertheless, the City Government showed resil-ience, containing the threat of fl oods by utilizing available resources and systematically coordinating with different de-partments and agencies. Occurrences such as Tropical De-pression (TD)“Josie” clearly demonstrate that the ever-chang-ing weather conditions now dictate that the old, traditional way of coping with disaster should be replaced with one that is able to adapt to the effects of climate change.

As the old adage goes, “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.” Prior to this calamity, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offi ce (CDRRMO) underwent a three-day semi-nar on Incident Command System (ICS) on September 2017. It functions to recognize and respond to disasters, and to pre-vent, or minimize loss of life, or damage to property and the


LCC, PNU gatherLiteracy Info on COB

With the City of Balanga (COB) already positioned in the Hall of Fame, the Lit-eracy Coordinating Council (LCC), to-gether with the Philippine Normal Uni-versity (PNU), placed the city on their sight and conducted data gathering for their research study at Tortugas Ele-mentary School, August 7, 2018. Titled, “A Fundamental Framework for Exemplary Community-based Literacy Programs and Engagement: Basis for Policy Development,” the study aims to aid in the creation of: 1) a standard, or framework, to follow when establishing a community-based literacy program; 2) a tool to use for monitoring and eval-uation; and 3) research-based data that would form the basis for national and local policy development. With this, PNU researchers Dr. Merry

Ruth M. Gutierrez and Prof. Al Ryanne G. Gatdula, and LCC Secretariat Ms. Jen Beryline S. Bualat, initiated a focus group discussion with ten (10) Local Government Unit offi cials, ten (10) im-plementers, and ten (10) benefi ciaries involved in the city’s literacy program. The study mostly focused on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (or, SWOT) that City of Bal-anga encountered in implementing its literacy program. Councilor Victor Baluyot warmly wel-comed the visitors and promised to maintain all literacy programs that the city has developed over the years. It can be recalled that from 2012, 2014 and 2016, the City of Balanga has de-veloped and sustained its literacy pro-

grams and has built a family-oriented city with a strong learning environment that ensures sustainable development and strong participatory governance. Because of this, LCC elevated the city to the Hall of Fame as an outstanding Local Government Component City in the 2017 National Literacy Conference. After the activity, the researchers also conducted household interviews regarding the compliance of Bal-angueños in literacy and educational projects of COB.

GALING BALANGUEÑO6

COB Offers Sakay Alalay

“Sakay Alalay,” which started August 3, 2018, is a transport service offered by the City of Balanga in partnership with Genesis Bus Transport Service, to commuters affected by the on-go-ing massive concreting of roads to and from coastal barangays Puerto Rivas Lote, Itaas, Ibaba and Tortugas. The onset of high tide further aggravates the situation that has become a con-stant source of delay for students and workers to get to work, or school, on time. Collaborating on the project, City Administration Offi ce and City Licens-

ing, Permit & Franchising Offi ce estab-lished pick-up and drop-off points for commuters to enable them to reach their intended destinations with less complications.

While development is perceived as progress, safety of the community is still top priority. Commuters should have options when it comes to travel-ling in the most convenient and acces-sible way. With Sakay Alalay, students, offi ce workers, PWDs, senior citizens, and pregnant women are given the

most consideration.

The transport assistance is offered from Monday to Friday with morning and afternoon schedules. City Public Safety Offi ce personnel work to keep travel as pleasant and as systematic as possible. Further, the City Govern-ment will continue its service until such time all affected roads are completely rehabilitated.


Give back to farmers and fi sher folks. City of Balanga (COB), through the City Agriculture Offi ce, continues to blaze a trail as it bagged two recognitions in the 2018 Regional Gawad-Saka Awards at Orchid Gardens Resort in San Juan, City of San Fernando, Pampanga on September 7, 2018. The Outstanding Entrepreneur Award went to Ms. Armanda T. Battad who re-ceived a plaque and P50-K cash prize. Ms. Battad is known for Amanda’s Ma-rine Products --- the leading business entity in food processing in Bataan. The City also received the Outstanding

City Agricultural and Fisheries Council (CAFC) Award and was given a plaque and cash prize of P75-K. Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia promised to bring in more innovations to COB’s agriculture and other related sectors. Currently, the city is vying to reach the Gawad Saka National Lev-el and, again, compete in the following years. Gawad Saka is an annual activity of the Department of Agriculture which acknowledges farmers, fi sher folks, as well as distinguished groups and indi-viduals, who have excelled and made signifi cant contributions in the develop-

ment of agriculture and fi shery sector in their regions. and in the country.

July 3, 2018 – National Disaster Resiliency Month was celebrated at Plaza Mayor with the theme “Katatagan sa Kalamidad ay Makakamtan Kapag Sa-pat ang Kaalaman sa Kahandaan.” The activity was spearheaded by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offi ce (CDRRMO). Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia presented recent acquisitions in strengthening the city’s disaster response. A motorcade followed right after the program.

July 6, 2018 - City Government of Balanga, through the City Social Welfare and Development Offi ce (CSWDO), conducted an Orientation Seminar on the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability (PWD) themed, “Kakayahan at Kasanayan para sa Kabuhayan Tungo sa Kaunlaran” at Lou-‘is Resort and Restaurant.

Resource Speakers were Philip Salvador P. Acuña, Social Welfare Offi cer III - DSWD RO-II, and Dr. Maila S. Rostrata of DOH RO-III.

News Bits

COB Grabs Awards in 2018 Regional Gawad Saka

GALING BALANGUEÑO8

Universal HealthCoverage: A Worldwide

ConcernHealth is everyone’s concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) is doing its best to address this since it was established in the late ‘40’s. How-ever, recent challenges and risks, par-ticularly NCD’s (non-communicable diseases), ageing, climate change, and urbanization that are the main caus-es of increasing mortality rate, have placed a greater responsibility and on-erous medical bills to those affected. At present, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is aggressively pursued through policy making that hopes to provide the community access to quality health

services without incurring fi nancial bur-den. According to WHO, “It recognizes the essential role of the parliamentar-ians in health by enacting legislation, approving budgets and mobilizing resources, providing oversight to en-sure government accountability and transparency, ensuring national imple-mentation of global commitments, and fostering the participation of constitu-encies.”

At the recently held Asia-Pacifi c Par-liamentarian Forum for Global Health Fourth Meeting in Manila on August

23-24, 2018 themed, “The Role of Par-liamentarians in Strengthening Financ-ing and Regulation for Universal Health Coverage,” 62 parliamentarians from 21 countries came to attend. A site visit to the Province of Bataan underscored the local initiatives being undertaken in addressing leading health issues in the Philippines. The Forum was brought to the Plaza Hotel, Balanga City and was welcomed by Provincial and City Gov-ernment offi cials.

Gov. Albert S. Garcia gave an overview of the Province of Bataan at the start

GALING BALANGUEÑO8


of the program, proudly heralding its Freeport Area in Mariveles as the en-gine of economic growth, thus, putting Human Development Index (HDI)to a high specifi cally because of the job opportunities it provides. However, he added that the province, though poised for progress, still encounters challeng-es in housing projects and provision of adequate social services because of the increasing population. Included among their concerns are access to education and longer life expectancy which are being addressed through the implementation of environmental and health programs.

City Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia highlighted health promotion in the City of Balanga such as the anti-smoking ordinance. The ordinance has already impacted nearby municipalities and other provinces by providing indicators and demonstrating how the city’s vision guides them in crafting socially and en-vironmentally conscious programs.

2nd District Representative Jose En-rique S. Garcia, III, along with other health advocates, answered questions raised by the parliamentarians on how they were able to reach the grassroots to implement the anti-smoking ordi-nance and how resources are being

utilized to work effectively in push-ing for the changes they seek. It was shown that with the cooperation and collaboration of young people, parents, various sectors, and agencies with the government, big leaps are possible with less budget utilized for the imple-mentation of the programs.

The visit in the province was made possible through the Senate Commit-tee on Health and Demography and the House of Representatives’ Com-mittee on Health, with support from the Department of Health (DOH) and in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).


RIDE FOR TFG 3 UPS ‘END-GAME’ OF TOBACCO

The force is strong in the 3rd Ride for Tobacco-Free Generation as they pro-moted the Tobacco END-GAME for Balanga University Town 2020. Ride for TFG as Balangueños call it, is an annual campaign to uphold the city’s drive against tobacco use through massive road bicycling. Early in the morning of August 27 at Plaza Mayor, the Health Promotion Board revealed its new advocacy before participating bikers. Tobacco END-GAME for Balanga Uni-versity Town 2020 is City of Balanga’s latest campaign that targets the youth

born from the year 2000 onwards to prevent them from starting smoking, or even touching cigarettes. “Kaya ang end-game natin, sa lahat ng ipinanganak ng 2000 onwards, pigilan natin ang mga kabataan na magsimula na manigarilyo, but of course hindi ito sapilitan. Bibigyan syempre natin sila ng mga kaalaman, tulad ng kung ano ang mga sakit na nakukuha sa panini-garilyo at ano talaga ang masamang naidudulot nito hindi lang sa kalusug-an, at pati na rin sa productivity nila,” TFG Coordinator Oliver R. Enriquez said.

In July 2017, the Philippine Tobacco Industry (PTI) fi led a case against City of Balanga for its Comprehensive No Smoking Ordinance (CNSO). The Re-gional Trial Court in the city ruled in fa-vor of PTI on July 5, 2018 and declared the CNSO as unconstitutional and in-valid. With the new campaign, the city has turned up the volume of its anti-tobac-co stand to solicit greater sympathy among Balangueños. “Ngayon, ang gusto naming kumilos ay ‘yung mga kabataan na talagang sakop ng ordinance na ‘to. Hindi alam



RIDE FOR TFG 3 UPS ‘END-GAME’ OF TOBACCO

ng PTI na ‘yung mismong mga kabat-aan gusto na ‘to, kaya pati yung mga host natin ngayon, mga youth na vol-untarily ginagawa nila ‘yan at the same time, ‘eto talaga ‘yung passion nila,” Enriquez followed. True-blue Rider Advocates

Compared to the 600 and 1,200 par-ticipants over the last two years, an estimated 1,629 bikers pedalled their way around areas of Pilar and Orani for the 8km- and 41.2km-circuits. These bikers were composed of various indi-viduals and groups -- TFG advocates, professional bikers, and people from neighboring towns. According to Councilor Jernie Jett Nisay, chairman of the Committee on Health and main supporter of TFG, one of the reasons for this surge of partic-ipants is their big support for the ordi-nance. These bikers traversed three circuits simultaneously on the same day. Adult

bikers covered a greater distance of 41.2 km, followed by the youth for a 19.8 km ride, and kids who covered an eight (8) km-ride around Enrique Gar-cia, Sr. Avenue (Four Lanes). Dr. Koong Heng Nung, Tobacco-Free Generation international founder, came all the way from Singapore to support and participate in the ride. He said that many organizations around the world look up to Balanga for putting the TFG concept in real action.

It can be recalled that from 2008 until the fi rst quarter of 2016, the city made great leaps in its campaign against to-bacco. It completely eradicated tobac-co use in government places and in the proposed University Town Area. From then on, City of Balanga has received numerous recognitions and awards for its anti-tobacco campaign.

The event was also made possible through the support of Gov. Abet Gar-cia, Cong. Joet Garcia, Mayor Ace Jel-

lo C. Concepcion of Mariveles, Mayor Ma. Angela “Gila” Garcia of Dinalupi-han, City of Balanga Vice-Mayor Vian-ca Lita V. Gozon, and the City Sanggu-niang Panlungsod and SK Federation. A Youth-Driven Ride

Along with Ride for TFG, Balanga SK Federation celebrated International Youth Day (IYD), parallel to the end-game campaign, IYD’s theme Safe Spaces for Youth 2018 signifi ed a clean and healthy environment free from vices and immoralities. Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia thanked those who attended and joined the ride, especially the vast number of young Balangueños who supported TFG. “As you can see, our TFG now stands for Tobacco-Free Generation, but at the same time it also means ‘The Fu-ture Generation,” Mayor Garcia con-cluded.



The Vision-Aligned Circles (VACs), working under the Performance Gov-ernance System --- a tool adopted by the City Government of Balanga to adhere to, and promote good govern-ance --- have kept their strategies and activities in line with the city’s vision to be recognized as the Hub for Technolo-gy-related businesses by 2020.

In the 3rd Local VACs Revalida which took place on July 31-August 2, 2018 at the Plaza Hotel, 30 VACs went un-der scrutiny of panelists coming from different sectors and agencies, put-ting their existing programs and future plans to a test. It was an arduous task. However, each VAC’s yell --- which sig-nifi es its objectives --- took some of the pressure off from those who participat-ed. The activity was expected to sharp-en up programs for more productive output and validate initiatives that merit approval and encouragement.

For their VACs day which was held at Pradera Verde Water Park, Lubao, Pampanga on August 28, 2018, all city

employees --- including participants of the three-day Revalida, affi liated agencies, and NGOs came together for a thanksgiving celebration for all their hardships. Recognition was also given for their accomplishments this year. Mayor Francis Anthony S. Gar-cia, with his wife Ms. Raquel Garcia, offi cially opened the program which in-cluded raffl es, dance performances by selected employees, games, and other entertainment numbers which guaran-teed enjoyment for all. The event also became a venue for the employees to personally greet and present a birthday cake to Ms. Garcia as she celebrated her natal day.

The City Government has shown ap-preciation and support along with the Performance Governance System (PGS) Core Team headed by City Ac-countant Ms. Myrna B. Roman and OSM/CPDO Head Ms. Elsa P. Ilagan.

The event was truly a happy and mem-orable one.

Also joining the event were members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and Barangay Technical Advisers.

On top of the program, this year’s win-ners were recognized, namely: Trail-blazer Award, which goes to DRM Inc, Vertigrow, Techno Club, Balanga Start-up Forums, HMS-Happy Club, Best in Cheer Presentation awards were won by Bezur and DRM Inc. Revalida Shirt Design awards were given to Mr. Khairy Alonto and Mr. Johndel Sala-veria for its concept and overall look. Best VAC awards were given to Tech-no Club, Life, Remando, Vertigrow, Startup Incubation, Balanga Startup Forums, Likap, Bezur, and COBIH Content. Best VAC Documenter award was presented to Ms. Ana Margarita Samson; Best VAC Member awarded to Ms. Alicia Adricula; Special Award --- Employee with three VACs, --- was given to Ms. Rowena Manlapid, fol-lowed by thirty (30) more VACs Special Awardees.

Stronger and BetterVision-AlignedCircles


“Basta Balanga,Kahanga-hanga.” This tagline is being used in the recent campaign to entice more tourists to vis-it this emerging tech city. To boost cit-izens’ capability to attract visitors and also to conclude Tourism Month, City

of Balanga c o n -

ducted a Junior Tour-Guiding Compe-tition at Plaza Mayor on September 28, 2018. The competition was divided into Ele-mentary and High School categories. Competing participants all came from Balanga City. Fifteen (15) groups of kids fl aunted their talent and knowledge on tour guiding where they advertised the wonders of Balanga City through their own unique interpretations. M.P. Cuaderno, Sr. Elementary School snatched the Grand Prize while Tortu-gas and Cupang Elementary Schools placed 2nd and 3rd respectively. In the High School Category, City of Balanga National High School dominated the stage while Bataan Heroes’ Memorial College’s Senior High School and Bat-aan National High School followed in

Second and Third Places. Councilor Victor Baluyot, committee Chairman on Tourism, welcomed par-ticipants and pushed students to be more spirited in developing their social skills. City Tourism Offi ce OIC Nelia G. Castor thanked all those who at-tended the activity and encouraged Balangueños to learn more about the city’s culture and traditions for further tourism development. Meanwhile, Dr. Carolina S. Violeta, OIC City Schools Division superinten-dent, advised kids to keep on learning and to try their best to address queries from tourists.

Junior Tour-Guiding Competition Closes

Tourism Month



A student hears the bell ring, walks to his class, and starts his day. At the oth-er side of the room a teacher pushes back her chair, gathers her prepared lessons, and gets ready for the day. These are the most common and con-ventional scenes inside the school we see every day, but more often than not we miss seeing the sacrifi ces and hard-earned discipline that go with the job. WE OWE so much of who we are today to OUR TEACHERS, and PLDT-Smart Foundation is paying tribute to our mentors by bringing Gabay Guro Teacherfest and Tribute Show to the Province of Bataan on September 9, 2018. This is in coordination with the City Government of Balanga and the Provincial Government of Bataan. During the morning session of the pro-gram, simultaneous seminars were held in two different venues to provide teachers a day of learning as part of the objective of the Gabay Guro which

is to equip them with the necessary tools to contribute to the change in the lives of their students and families. Bat-aan Peninsula State University, Main Campus Library hosted two hundred (200) public school teachers as they gathered and listened to Mr. Adrian Ro-bles presenting “Teaching and Surviv-ing in the Digital Age,” while 500 public school teachers at Emiliana Hall atten-tively noted Mr. Alexander Kibanoff’s effective discussion on Lessons for Ef-fective Teaching titled, “The Teacher’s Treasure Chest.” The second half of the program was held at Bataan People’s Center where

live entertainment showcased the amazing talents of the Gabay Guro art-ists -- Regine Velasquez, Gabby Con-cepcion, Jaya, Mark Bautista, Christian Bautista, Jonalyn Viray, Randy Santia-go, Regina and Boobay. Provincial and City Government offi cials -- Gov. Albert S. Garcia, 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman, 2nd District Repre-sentative Jose Enrique S. Garcia, III and Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia -- showed deep gratitude and appre-ciation to PLDT-Smart Foundation for bringing the artists to Province of Bat-aan to take part in the Gabay Guro Teacher Fest.



Bataan Observes World Rabies Day

the appropriate medical treatment of infected wounds. During the contest proper, different breed of dogs displayed their prowess in the Dog Agility Competition where-in owners/trainers guided their pets to conquer various obstacle courses. There was also the Short Distance Race provided for undersized dogs. Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Albert S. Venturina explained that the event is a global celebration and is commonly commemorated on September 28 --- the death of the rabies vaccine devel-oper Doctor Louis Pasteur. Venturina campaigned that vaccination should be mandated by law to prevent further rabies incidents. The competition also attracted groups of dog trainers from Pampanga and Tarlac to participate in the event. Pam-

panga Agility Paws Association (PAPA) President Marcus Cariño recognized that Bataan has a favorable environ-ment for pet lovers. The Association provided the equipment needed for the contests. PAPA was directly contacted by the government of Bataan to encourage dog owners to be responsible and aware of their pet’s well-being. Board Member Jose Villapando, Vice-Governor Cris Garcia, and Coun-cilor Benigno Meriño put in their advice on how to properly care for pets and stray dogs in the community. Winners received cash prizes and to-kens while remaining contestants got souvenirs for their participation.

It seems canines of Bataan have something more to show aside from just being man’s best friend. Provincial Government of Bataan, in partnership with the City Government of Balanga, observed World Rabies Day by holding a dog show titled, “Bat-aan’s Dog Agility Competition 2018” at Vista Mall Bataan on September 26, 2018. Themed, “Be A Responsible Pet Own-er, Share the Message, Save a Life,” the event centered on rabies aware-ness. Provincial Public Health Offi cer Bernadette Manahan gave tips on how to identify victims with rabies --- a viral disease that causes infl ammation of the brain in humans and other mam-mals. It spreads through scratches, or bites from an infected animal which could lead to death if not properly cared for immediately. She also taught


‘HatawTFG sa Bataan’

Enlightens Youth on Tobacco Use

“Hataw Tobacco-Free Generation (TFG) Bataan” unifi ed the future gen-eration of the province to fi ght back against tobacco use at Vista Mall Bat-aan, Balanga City on September 27, 2018.

The event signaled a stronger move-ment which encompasses not only Bataan’s component city, but its other municipalities as well. Recently, the Philippine Tobacco Industry (PTI) fi led a case against City of Balanga for its Comprehensive No Smoking Ordi-

nance (CNSO). The Regional Trial Court in the city ruled in favor of PTI and declared the CNSO as unconstitu-tional and invalid. As a counter meas-ure,TFG, through numerous programs, sought connection with the youth to educate and encourage them to be-come part of the campaign against an-ti-smoking.

About 5,000 high school students rep-resenting Balanga, Dinalupihan, Her-mosa, Orani, Samal and Pilar joined and pledged to avoid participation in

any kind of tobacco-related activities during an oath-taking ceremony. Also called “Hataw” in Balanga City, the main activity dubbed as “Clubbercise” ignit-ed participants to danced their hearts out in this zumba-inspired aerobic fi t-ness program that has already been a regular recreation for Balangueños. This action emulates a healthier envi-ronment for the citizens of Bataan free from cigarette-caused diseases.

Balanga City Mayor Francis Antho-ny S. Garcia was present to give his


welcome remarks. He pointed out the huge progress made since the imple-mentation of CNSO and added that the battle between the city and PTI will continue so long as Balangueños support the campaign. The mayor also hoped that this advocacy would reach every corner of Bataan soon.

Also showing their support were Gov-ernor Albert Raymond S. Garcia and 2nd District Representative Jose En-rique S. Garcia, III. Since its formula-tion, they have always been the central fi gures behind the anti-smoking ordi-nance.

Meanwhile, Department of Education Sec. Leonor Briones, Department of Health Usecs. Rolando Enrique Do-mingo & Gerardo Bayugo, National Youth Commission Chairman Ronald Gian Carlo Cardema, and Kabayan Party List Rep. Ron Salo came to the event with a strong support on policies regarding TFG. Other offi cials such as 1st District Rep-resentative Geraldine Roman, Dinalu-pihan Mayor Angela Garcia, Hermosa Mayor Jopet Inton, Orani Mayor Efren Pascual, Samal Mayor Gene dela Fuente, Balanga Health Promotion Board Head Councilor Jett Nisay, and

the Balanga Peer Facilitators Group all agreed to oppose the distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products. All the way from Singapore, TFG Founder Dr. Heng Nung Koong and Singaporean Journalist Dr. Lynn Ong also witnessed the historical event. Faculty members and scholars from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Bataan Risers Team, and Mut-ya ng Bataan 2018 candidates also joined the activity.



BCPC Seminar Pivots in 1% IRA

The City Government’s Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) held an orientation on Proper Barangay Budgeting at Crown Royale Hotel, Balanga City on September 6, 2018.

City Council for the Protection of Chil-dren (CCPC) through the City So-cial Welfare and Development Offi ce spearheaded the semi-workshop which focused on the Allocation of One Per-cent (1%) Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) for the strengthening and imple-mentation of the Programs, Projects and Activities of the Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPC) un-der the RA 9344.

City Budget Offi cer Joer Grace H. De Mesa came in as resource speaker tackling BCPC’s IRA allocation. The orientation also served as CCPC’s

capability training for the city’s 25 BCPC’s.

After the discussion, each BCPC creat-ed a model focusing on the formulation of barangay programs and services related to RA 9344. These models will soon be improved by the city and will be considered for implementation in the barangays.

Sangguniang Panlungsod Commit-tee Chairman on Women and Family Councilor Benigno P. Meriño advised the councils to always provide a safe environment for family members and children- in-confl ict with the law (CICL). Meanwhile, on behalf of Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia, City Social Welfare and Development Offi cer Gloria M. Abejar instructed participants to help the city improve family life in each ba-rangay.



Plastic Holiday Defines Eco-Friendly

Our environment is suffering from the weight of the amount of garbage we produce every single day. Most of it goes right to our dump sites, but still a large amount of it goes right to our waterways and oceans that clogs and deteriorates our marine ecosystems. The City Government of Balanga through Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution No. 223 S. 2017, or “Plas-tic Holidays,” regulates the use of plastic bags in groceries, restaurants, and other establishments in the City of Balanga, Bataan. It encourages non-use of plastic bags on Thursdays and Fridays as a solution to lessen plastic consumption and, at the same time, disciplines the community to care for environment. Based on data on the tons of garbage collected every month within the city, plastic bags top the list as the most polluting material. The City Environment and Natural Re-sources Offi ce (CENRO) regulates and enforces the resolution via intensive information dissemination and actual visits to the City Public Market. Early this year, Balik Basket and Bay-ong Program --- a waning tradition of carrying goods, was reintroduced to consumers. As the City Government continuously demonstrates to the pub-lic how this program works, data show it can yield 1 kilogram up to 1.4 kilo-grams of used plastic bags in just a few hours. The whole process includes

substitution of plastic bags and replac-ing them with fi shnets, or baskets. On August 31, 2018, the city govern-ment met with close to 50 establish-ments to discuss the “Plastic Holidays” resolution. The city government dis-cussed on how they can gradually tran-sition from their current packaging to packaging made of paper, or other food-grade biodegradable materials. This September, “Plastic Holidays” not only necessitates monitoring compli-ance but reinforced activities such as establishing the No to Single-Use Plas-tic Campaign. Regular customers who frequent the public market are encour-aged to bring their own reusable plastic containers for meat, poultry, and sea-food products they purchase. For sev-eral weeks the City Government has already distributed 950 donated reus-able plastic containers as incentives to market-goers. The program is gaining support from the public and has shown some decrease in the use of plastic bags in the meat and poultry sections. Through the collective efforts coming from the community and City Government, the next generation will have a better chance to live in a world with less pollution. Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia seriously supports and encourages promotion of environ-mental protection.



Bataan’s component city secured

two major infrastructures such

as the Balanga Grand Terminal

and Walter Mart shopping center

which signals a highly modern-

ized cityscape transformation.

Plan for Grander Transportation

Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia, to-gether with Sangguniang Panlungsod and Supermalls Transport Services Inc., (STSI), discussed plans for the construction of Balanga Grand Termi-nal on September 24, 2018 at Balanga City Hall. Attended by representatives of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offi ce (CDRRMO), City Engineering Offi ce (CEO), and City Planning and Development Offi ce (CPDO) it mainly focused on public transportation route and road access once the terminal is completed. How-ever, Mayor Garcia cited possible traffi c congestions and parking prob-lems, but STSI gave assurance viable

solutions will be provided. As regards preparing for unexpected calamities like fl ooding, STSI has developed a hy-draulic system for fl ood control. STSI is a joint venture agreement entered into by LKY Group of Companies and SM Prime Holdings, Inc., whose prima-ry purpose is to manage all transport terminals located inside SM Mall com-plexes. The terminal is intended for future customers of Super Mall (SM). Its con-struction along Lerma Street is slated to commence in January 2019 while target date for the opening of both SM Mall and Balanga Grand Terminal is in March 2020. Soon to Rise Walter Mart

Expect Walter Mart Balanga to open in the near future as its Groundbreak-ing Ceremony was held along Roman Highway, Barangay Tenejero on Sep-tember 25, 2018.

City Mayor Francis Anthony S. Gar-cia, Vice-Governor Cristina M. Garcia, Vice-Mayor Vianca Lita V. Gozon and Waltermart and SM Supermall repre-sentatives proceeded to the site for the ceremonial time capsule-laying and the ceremonial dig of the fi rst shovel of dirt to mark the fi rst day of construction of the building. Also present in the ceremony were members of the Sangguniang Pan-lungsod.

Walter Mart is the fi rst community shop-ping center format in Southern Luzon.

The establishment is a welcome addi-tion to the growing number of big-ticket investors in the city. According to Wal-ter Mart General Manager Simplicio T. De Guzman Jr., the store will open next year.

Groundbreaking of Waltermart & Plans for Balanga

Grand TerminalGALING BALANGUEÑO20


August 29-30, 2018 - City of Balanga’s barangay offi cials, together with their Sangguniang Kabataan, underwent a workshop titled “Barangay Newly Elect-ed Offi cials (BNEO) Grassroots Renewal and Empowerment for Accountable and Transparent (GREAT) Barangays at Emiliana Hall.

September 3, 2018 –Sixty loose fi rearms resulting from PNP’s “OPLAN KA-TOK” were presented before city hall employees by the Balanga City Police during its fl ag-raising ceremony at Plaza Mayor. The display was made in observance of PNP’s 24th National Crime Prevention Week themed, “Mama-mayan, Sama-samang Makialam Upang Krimen at Korapsyon ay Hadlangan.”

August 31, 2018 – National Lung Month was celebrated as the City Health Offi ce organized a Tuberculosis (TB) case-fi nding activity at Barangay Doña Francisca Covered Court. It was a joint effort with the Department of Health’s Regional Health Offi ce III and Bataan Provincial Health Offi ce.

News Bits

July 20, 2018 - A Bronze Award was given to the City Government of Bal-anga by the Civil Service Commission in Davao City for having achieved a process-defi ned HRM in the four core HRM systems under the Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Manage-ment (PRIME-HRM).


Balanga City Stands Strong in Anti-Smoking Campaign

City of Balanga has been international-ly recognized as the fi rst Tobacco-Free Generation city in the world. With its comprehensive anti-smoking cam-paign, the city guaranteed the general welfare of its people through strict to-bacco control. Passed to sustain the city’s vision to become a University Town, City Ordi-nance No. 9, S. 2016 which amend-ed City Ordinance No. 20, S. 2010 (CNSO, or the Comprehensive No Smoking Ordinance of Balanga City), prohibits the sale, distribution, use, ad-

vertisement and promotion of tobacco products within the University Town Area and three (3) kilometers from the radius thereof. Meanwhile, Ordinance No. 16 Series of 2016, also known as the Tobac-co-Free Generation (TFG) Ordinance of Balanga City which forbids the sale of tobacco products to Balangueños born on January 1, 2000 onwards, en-sures a healthier environment to a new generation. For the city’s relentless drive to push

for the highest standard of health it can provide, the Department of Health even honored Balanga City, elevating it into the Hall of Fame in the Red Orchid Awards for tobacco control. Bully in Sheep’s Clothing

On July 5, 2018, Judge Philger Noel Inovejas, Regional Trial Court Branch 93 in Balanga, declared Section 1, oth-erwise known as the “University Town Ordinance” as unconstitutional and in-valid. The ruling favored Philippine To-bacco Institute (PTI).



Representing Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC), PTI bickered that PMFTC loses P15 million a month on profi t because of the ordi-nance.

PTI representatives also averred that CNSO is a backdoor attempt to rewrite the national law or specifi cally, Repub-lic Act No. 9211. But according to the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), the petition is a clear case of David versus and Goliath and hypocrisy on the part of Philip Morris Internation-al, whose website claims the compa-ny supports a smoke-free future and which has even funded the Foundation for a Smoke-free World. Director of the SEATCA Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo said that tobacco companies are like bullies and suggested to dis-regard their threats and still push an-ti-smoking ordinances. Dr. Dorotheo also sees PTI’s petition as disgusting, suing a small city like Balanga which is only trying to protect its citizens from

the harmful effects of tobacco. World-Class Influence

It is clear that Balanga City has one of the most solid supervisions in tobacco control. Through intensive information drive and anti-tobacco health pro-grams, the city has been a landmark in Bataan and has infl uenced other towns to also transform into a smoke-free

community. Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia said that the decision would be appealed. Though the PTI won the fi rst round, CNSO is still in effect and is still being implemented in Balanga.

Former Mayor and now Rep. Jose Enrique Garcia III said that the court’s decision was a setback, but he is con-fi dent that the ordinance would be “up-held in the end.” With the support of Balangueños and other anti-smoking advocates and organizations, City of Balanga still stands as a world-class city and a force to be reckoned with.


10thEducationSummitIntroducesthe FutureGeneration


To enhance the capacity of teachers and parents to provide a higher level of education, the 10th City of Balanga Education Summit offered talks on pro-gressive teaching in the age of Millen-nials and Gen Z.

The two-day event at the Grand Ball-room, Lou’-is Restaurant held on Au-gust 14-15, 2018 was themed, “Isang Dekadang Dagdag-Aral para sa Pang-habangbuhay ng Mag-aaral.” This year’s summit focused on honing un-derstanding of, and relating to the viewpoints of the younger generation.

Guest speaker Adrian Robles, Assis-tant Vice-President (AVP) of PLDT-SMART Center for Excellence, and Psychologist Michelle S. Alignay dif-ferentiated Millennials from Gen Z. According to Robles, those born from 1981 to 1996 should be considered as the Generation Y, or Millennials. Kids born between 1997 to 2012, on the other hand, are now the post-Millennial generation, or Gen Z.

“Hindi naman millennials na ‘yung mga tinuturuan natin eh. Actually, a lot of teachers and other working people now are millennials. We should refrain from calling kids millennials because they’re not,” he argued.

Robles mostly concentrated his lec-tures on how to deal and connect with these new generations.

“The difference between Millennials and Gen Z from other generations is that they are more into changing, or helping, the world than benefi tting from

it. Kasi mas nakikita nila ngayon ang nangyayari sa paligid natin,” the AVP followed.

Meanwhile, another guest speaker --- Corazon Aguilar David, LLB national trainer and consultant on Women and Child Protection --- enlightened par-ents of Balanga City about their obliga-tions to their child under the law.

Emotional expressions of happiness must radiate from the parents to the kids according to David. She then enu-merated specifi c rights of parents to their child.

“Parents should support the child in its needs,” David stated.

Moreover, she also guided teachers on their particular role to elementary and high school students.

A Decade of Progressive Learn-

ing

Bataan 2nd District Representative Jose Enrique S. Garcia, III conceived the conduct of the fi rst Education Sum-mit ten years ago. The former mayor had this idea of uniting teachers and parents of Balanga through extensive seminars and lectures while, at the same time, leading the oath-taking of the General Parents and Teachers As-sociation (GPTA). Through this huge assembly, the city was able to provide a venue for two complementing factors to form partnership to support a more progressive education.

Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia is

known for his intellectual approach in improving the city. With the recent Ed-ucation Summit, the Local Chief Exec-utive reiterated his primary programs that currently benefi t Balanga.

In terms of quality education through the use of technology, the formation of Barangay Learning Hubs and School Learning Hubs has been attached to his legacy. Mayor Garcia also gave emphasis to other issues such as transportation, fl ood control projects and health-related programs. “Gumanda ang experience ng students mula pre-school hanggang high school to college that will get them ready for their careers,” said Mayor Garcia, ex-plaining the advantage these programs provide to the youth. Furthermore, Dr. Carolina S. Violeta, OIC-Schools Division Superintendent of the Department of Education, re-ported on increased enrollment, quality education, Magaling na Guro Project, support from the City Government, ISO Certifi cation, and WISH (Winsome Im-mersion of the School and the Home) ever since the summit transpired.


STEMifyStirs STEMEducationto BES

Young Balangueños learned the won-ders of electricity as they participated in the Stemify Urban School implementa-tion and workshop at Balanga Elemen-tary School (BES) on August 8, 2018. In cooperation with the City Govern-ment of Balanga through the Tech-no Club Vision-Aligned Circle (VAC), Grade V elementary students at BES were the fi rst to undergo the workshop in the country. STEMify is a community project sup-ported by the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative of the United States State Department and The Asia Foun-dation to primarily address the gaps in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in Southeast Asia. The fi rst run of the

project was implemented in Bali, Indo-nesia. Its second run being here in the Philip-pines, the STEMify team --- composed of various professional individuals and college students from Bataan --- creat-ed low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) elec-tronic toolkits for kids aged 8 to 12. These toolkits provided basic electrical circuits and basic electronics knowl-edge. The project hopes that, by introducing the applications of basic electrical cir-cuits and electronics to kids, they will be more interested and inspired to take STEM tracks in the future. With this, the 35 toolkits used during the workshop were also donated to the

students to further their learning. PGS Core Team Chairman Myrna B. Roman and Offi ce of Strategic Manage-ment Offi cer-In-Charge Elsa P. Ilagan graced the activity. Ms. Roman advised the students to pursue STEM-related programs and expressed hope that they will contribute to the city’s vision of becoming an emerging hub for tech-re-lated businesses in the Philippines.


Engr. Dan William Martinez, STEMify project lead said that the city should expect a continuous implementation of STEM projects in the future. He also said that the team plans to impart the DIY toolkits to various teachers and some government employees. This will give said representatives a chance to properly adopt and teach the project in other areas in the community on their own.

Moreover, the project also hopes to assess and address the gaps between urban and rural communities in STEM education by also doing workshops in rural areas.

...the project also hopes to assess and address the gaps betweenurban and rural communities in STEM education by also doing

workshops in rural areas.


COB Coastal Clean-up Drive: Channeling Awareness in the CommunityCoastlines of Bataan which lie oppo-site the shores of Manila Bay remain susceptible to pollution. Besides the junks Balangueños produce, that por-tion of Metro Manila which generates tons of waste every day also factors in. Whether intentionally discarded or not, a large volume of this trash is swept into the sea with some frequently end-ing up along the strands of the prov-ince. With its looming effect on Balanga’s environment, the city government has been exerting a huge effort to resolve this environmental nightmare. One of City of Balanga’s (COB) initiatives is the annual Coastal Clean-up Drive (CCD) conducted each September where the International Coastal Clean-up Day (ICC) is carried out worldwide. United for a Greener Environment

In the observance of the 2018 ICC Day, COB offi cials and employees par-

ticipated in the said event through the Annual Local Coastal Clean-up Activity and Barangay Clean-up Drive with the ABKD (Ayusin, Buhayin, Kalingain… Daluyan ng Tubig Natin) initiative on September 22, 2018. The activity was a coordinated effort between the Provincial Government of Bataan and the Bataan Integrated Coastal Management Program to ig-nite environmental awareness in the mind of citizens.

With efforts to protect and preserve the environment, the theme, “Building a Clean Swell for Future Generations” clearly corresponds to the target sector of Balanga’s 2020 vision which is the youth.Apart from COB, volunteers from all over the city came together to collect trash and record each item found lit-tering the coastlines of Balanga. Riv-er banks and gutters connected to the sea were also cleaned.



City Administrator Rodolfo H. de Mesa acknowledged the City Environment & Natural Resources Offi ce (CENRO) for spearheading the activity and remind-ed participants to always fi nd better ways to ensure a brighter future for the next generation. Meanwhile, Commit-tee Chair on Environment and Solid Waste Management Ricardo Magpan-tay emphasized the need to care for our coastlines. Overwhelming support came from members of the Sangguniang Pan-lungsod, barangay offi cials/councils, city government employees, PNP, military personnel, NGOs, National Service Training Program (NSTP) stu-dents from different schools, students and teachers from public/private high schools/colleges, and private citizens to dedicate this day for environment care.

“More than Meets”… the Sea

According to Journalist Corrine Henn of One Green Planet, trash and plastic pollution in the sea affect 100 million

marine mammals each year. With ar-tifi cial substance produced by human wastes, the ocean’s ecosystem would fall into devastation if people keep on abusing their environment.

The Philippines is also a huge part of this abuse. Some rivers in the country are considered as among the most pol-luted waterways in the world. Accord-ing to Rappler, about 8 million plastic wastes are dumped in the oceans every year. More than half of this garbage comes from Asian countries including the Philippines. Scientists even predict that in the future, there might even be more trash than fi sh in the sea.

Coastal clean-up like that of COB’s is more than just cleaning the coasts and beaches of its community. The most important purpose of the drive is to en-gage people from all over the globe to be aware of their surroundings, to iden-tify sources of waste, and to prevent pollution from spreading out on a much larger scale.



FINANCIAL REPORTS





RODOLFO H. DE MESA

HON. FRANCIS ANTHONY S. GARCIA NENETTE B. SANTOS

JOHNDEL ARNIE B. SALAVERIA

JOSE D. CABRERA

KALVIN GERALD S. ORGASAN

MISO STAFF

JOAN D. CONSUS

City Admin/Consultant

Editor-In-Chief City MIS Officer

Art Editor

Writers

Photographers

EDITORIAL STAFF

Documents

400-computer slh opens in bnhs - City of Balanga · Barangay Week v.2.0 Mutya ng Lungsod ng Balanga - Coronation 400-computer slh opens in bnhs. 2 GALING BALANGUEÑO Learning Barangay