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outstanDing local newspaperFor Five Consecutive YearsSt. peter Baptist Catholic Mass Media awards

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regional eXponent for progressvol. XXii, no. 44 bicol, the philippines july 26-aug. 1, 2015 p5.00

neW MAll Apart from the ongoing construction of Bicol's biggest mall, Robinsons Place Naga, the newest investment soon to rise in the outskirts of the city is STARMALL

NAGA at Del Rosario, Naga City, complete with modern shopping facilities integrated with leisure parks and 4 state-of-the-art cinemas!

By DANNY O. CALLeJA

LEGAZPI CITY — This key Bicol metropolis is fi rming up its hold on green tour-ism in reasserting its “City of Fun and Adventure” travel industry promotion caption and its “Most Livable City” title. City Mayor Noel Rosal resolved on this after looking at the growing number of arrivals that the city has been receiving not only as tourists but also attendees to dozens of grand occasions it has been hosting every year over the past few years. “Our tourism industry must be sustainable and sustainable tourism is about providing environment-friendly services. (Turn to page 7)

Mayor ROSAL

legazpi backs green tourism

Winning DuoCamarines Norte Dist. Rep. Cathy Reyes and Daet Mayor Tito S. Sarion, prospective gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial tandem for the province during the SONA.

bikol reporter2 july 26 - aug. 1, 2015opinion

opinionsunlimited

Atty. TONY (APA) ACYATAN

The new amendment to the Cabotage Law lowers shipping costs for export and import cargoes. The Foreign Ships Co-Loading Act now allows foreign vessels to transport and co-load foreign cargoes for domestic trans-shipment, thereby easing traffic and facilitating cargo-loadings at affordable costs. The law is a potential answer to the question why transporting goods from within domestic ports are at times costlier than those from abroad.

DEFENSE: The BSP is ready to deploy contingency measures anew once the risks arising from economic slowdown in China and the impending rate hike in the US heightens. Monetary authorities are ready to utilize macro-prudential measures if the country’s trade is adversely affected by China’s weakening economy and capital outflows shifting back to the US. Interest rates are likewise being kept steady by the Monetary Board, a ready tool for bolstering economic fundamentals.

Measures adopted by BSP include higher minimum capital requirement for

banks, implementation of comprehensive credit risk management framework, and increase of bank deposit reserves. Other measures are the limits on banks’ forward exposures and non- access to SDAs for non-residents and investment management accounts. Two other factors being watched are our peso exchange rate and the control of our inflation rate.

FDI POLICIES: International business groups have advised the Philippines to re-examine some of our policies in order to attract inflows of more foreign direct investments (FDI) into the country. The American Chamber of Commerce of the Phils. (AmCham) has expressed concern about the slowdown of the country’s FDI inflows in recent months. It seems the recovery of the US economy is pulling out funds from developing countries back to the American investment market.

Phl’s FDIs plunged 43% year-on-year in April, down to $382 million, according to a BSP investment report. In 2014, FDIs soared to a record high $6.201 billion up from $3.737 billion in 2013. The current indicators are not encouraging – whereby we are hit on two fronts: the slowdown of the Chinese economy and the fast recovery of the US business and industry. Let us hope that our economic fundamentals are already that strong so as to withstand the pull-out of FDIs.

PROVERBS: Everybody wants the goodwill of the ruler; but real justice comes only from our God.

(Atty. APA – chairs Acyatan & Co., CPAs-DFK International – is past chair of ASEAN Federation of CPAs, PICPA past president and Hall-of-Famer, and ACPAPP Lifetime Achievement Awardee).

Pres. P-Noy signed two landmark laws aimed at ensuring free trade and allowing foreign vessels to unload their cargo in Philippines ports. The new laws are the Fair Competition Act (RA 10667) and Cabotage Act (RA 10668) – both priority economic bills. The first intends to do away with monopolies in any industry even as it seeks to promote free trade. The experience is that giant corporations are at the helm of biddings and trading – to the detriment of smaller entrepreneurs.

RA 10667 penalizes price fixing during auctions and biddings, as well as anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions. Buy-outs of competition are now prohibited in order to keep business available to as many enterprises. The law likewise bans trade barriers for the sake of driving competition, and prohibits selling goods and services at below cost to undermine the competition. The law prohibits agreements between and among competitors.

ANTI-COMPETITION: Said law prevents economic concentration, which in effect controls production, distribution, trade or industry that will unduly stifle competition; distort, manipulate or constrict the discipline of free markets, even as it penalizes anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position and unfair mergers and acquisitions. If competition is made free – prices of goods and services will become affordable as traders will aspire to prize their offers aligned with others.

Freer Trade Laws

lee g. Dullesco iiHead, Advertising Associates

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eD g. yuEditor

0939-604-3144

VP Binay should have done this a long time ago when the three anti-Binay senators began using their parliamentary immunity to malign him and his family under the pretext of hearings in the Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee in aid of

legislation. Before the courts, they have no parliamentary immunity.

Because of this delayed action, VP Binay has already been pre-judged even if he has not yet been tried in court. The election is in 2016 and many things can still happen.

In a way, VP Binay now knows his benchmark, the people who will support him all the way no matter what as shown in the high rating he is getting in surveys inspite of the black propaganda against him. This shows that many people believe him when he says he wants to do in our country what he has done for Makati City, because of his visible and tangible accomplishments as Mayor of Makati. Like free education, free medial service, free medicines and hospitalization, more benefits to senior

So, Vice President Binay filed a P200 million damage suit against Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and nine others for alleged concerted effort to malign him and derail his campaign for the presidency next year.

Atty. Claro Corteza, Binay’s lawyer who filed the complaint in the City Prosecutor’s office said that the Vice President could not take anymore the baseless accusations against him. Former Law Dean of the University of the East, Amado Valdez said: “It is an inherent right of an individual to sek redress and damages. Sometimes offfense is the best defense.”

“Before the courts, both the Vice President and his detractors will be given equal chances where strict rules on evidence are applied in search for truth.”

Why VP Binay filed a P200M suit & Federalism or the Presidential System?

NeNiTA fueNTebellA-PeÑONes

frommy

window

editorial

You must have heard the phrase, lesser evil, greater evil, surfacing once in a blue moon particularly during election season.referring to Pilipino politicos. It assumes that all public office seekers are evil, some lesser, some greater. The choice is very limited. Either you go for the first or the other. And still end up with evil.

The good guys, the saintly, are outside the circle . They have little interest in the political contest, probably aware they will turn evil.

This is not mere superstition. Our travails are not the fault of the planets. It is your fault.

An Indian tribe in America has the belief that the people most fit for public office are those who do not seek it. The most unfit are the people who salivate for the office.

That is the unsavory truth.How will you make a politico more

unfit.Throw tons of mud at him. With the presidential polls around the corner, contending candidates are now at work in their favorite game of character assassination.The common belief is that the person whose name has been sullied will be helpless.

It is one way to sway people to your side. Destroy your opponent. But you need ample funds. And who are those with

unlimited funds?The members of political dynasty.

This animal has been with us since the beginning of time. Or to be more precise, since the Spanish period. The powerful before are the powerful today. They have a name: oligarchs. They control everything in their fielfdom. They decide who will prosper and who will not,who will go up and who will go down, who will stay ordinary and who will turn almighty.

The ancient name, dynasty, is partly derived from the Chinese imperial rule with the sovereign staying at his throne for a hundred years whether his subjects loved him or not.

Because of the well-entrenched dynasty, the more imaginative have coined a more colorful name for our government: oligarchic democracy. In the modern world, such an animal does not exist. Except in this country.

The Philippines of over a hundred million souls is under the beck and call of a few dozen families.Hard to believe. But that is the painful truth.

There is another term frequently used during election period: dictate of conscience. People are expected to vote according to the dictate of conscience.Still another term is rape of democracy which comes to life when massive cheating and violence occur.

Democracy suffers a terrible beating. It is the day it dies a little, another phrase used to describe our badly battered system.

In every nook and corner of this over 7000 islands, lurks a dynasty, lording it over the bastion for decades.The country can not escape from this Spanish created monster. It has been embedded in the system, very much alive and pulsating.

Anybody who will hurl a Zeus thunderbolt to vanish it forever from this cursed land will have the eternal love of the people. But is there anyone?

The Pilipino politicos: Are they all evil?

salvador d. flor

A Question

ofprivilege

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“SONA” OF A ….A State of the Nation is not an

academic grading system. It is a performance report on the health of a country, on what had been done for the body politic, or what remains to be done to stay fit. As expected, President Aquino dwelt on the cures that he did. The persistent poverty for instance, was given a dosage of the 4Ps and presto, more than 300 thousand were able to go to school and poverty incidence went down from the previous years’ record. Yet, as observed by IBON, the President had only localized the cure when the disease had gone integral. So, the nation is still ill, the database pioneer maintains.

We agree. Nowhere or did we miss him ever mentioning about food security or climate justice? Or even justice for those still crying for it? For instance, Romeo Olea, the hardy and hard-hitting broadcast journalist in iriga who was executed in broad daylight during the feast of the Patron Saint of the city, San Antonio de Padua.The Saint is famous for helping finding lost things, but until now it seems he hadn’t been able to help the police or the justice department headed by Romy’s kababayan, Sec. Leila de Lima, to find his killers four years ago.

Did we miss him saying about the PhP171-B South Line of the North-South Railway Project which had already been announced as a PPP? If he did, thanks. But also no thanks.

For why just now when our region had been crying for help for ages? Ano ini, consuelo de bobo? We have to raise our voices because it looks like it is only by raising our voice that Malacanang listens. Look at the Bangsamoro.

We need to have more bangsa now. Otherwise, each time we will always be beholden to Manila, waiting, like dogs for crumbs, thrown in the banquet of the powerful. Sona of…

bikol reporter 3july 26 - aug. 1, 2015

liveliHooD CHeCKDSWD-V Regional Director Arnel B. Garcia hands to Mayor John Bongat a check amounting to over 8 million pesos for the Sustainable Livelihood Program of the city that Naga accessed from the Bottom up Budgeting of the National Government.

Massive dredging of Naga River starts

DSWD, Naga and CBSUAink livelihood pact

By ANA-LIzA S. MACATANGAY

NAGA CITY --- To complement the City’s on-going Naga River drainage and flood management, in-cluding its river transport component, Asenso Distrito through 3rd District Repre-sentative Leni Robredo and this city government under the stewardship of Mayor John G. Bongat, recently launched the Naga River Dredging Project as an initiative to clear the silts that has accumulated at the river bed for more than a decade now.

The dredging activity will cover the 2.8 kilometer river-stretch starting at the Balatas area to the “Danlugan ni Ina” site at the Basilica in Ba-rangay Magsaysay. The up-stream-downstream clean-up will also build a canal with a sufficient width of approxi-mately 10m to 15m and suf-ficient depth just enough for the Pagoda to pass by.

Once cleared of the ac-cumulated silts, we can now avoid frequent flooding. Navigation would be easier for water transport vehicles and other aquatic organisms

A partnership has been forged between the Depart-ment of Social Welfare and Development, the city gov-ernment of Naga and with the Central Bicol State University (CBSUA) for Sustainable Livelihood Pro-gram last July 20, 2015.

The program aims to im-prove the socio-capacities of the Pantawid Pamilya ben-eficiaries by facilitating their access to micro-enterprise de-velopment and employment opportunities. This will be done through the conduct of training project in partnership with City Local Government of Naga and CBSUA respec-tively.

“We want to provide a sustainable intervention to improve the well being of Pantawid Pamilya beneficia-ries by empowering the disad-vantaged individuals through skills training assistance and entrepreneurial activities to-wards gainful employment, “DSWD Regional Director Arnel Garcia shared.

On the other hand, Naga City Mayor John Bongat ex-pressed his gratitude to the DSWD for the initial grant of 8.7 million. This will benefit about 498 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries from Naga City with seven skills training to be conducted. “This program will translate to have more

productive young people” Mayor Bongat said.

CBSUA will also receive a grant of P 2 million with 162 students; all are Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries to un-dergo three vocational skills straining to be offered.

To ensure the sustainability of the project, Director Garcia said that the DSWD will pro-vide livelihood kit to start the livelihood activity which the beneficiaries will engage in.

Likewise, several schools in the Bicol Region like the Bicol University and the Parti-do State University have also entered Memorandum of Un-derstanding with the DSWD for the same project

might be given a chance to flourish once the water is already clean. During the Penafrancia Festivity, the Pa-goda can smoothly traverse its course without difficulty,” Robredo stated.

Various areas covered by the dredging activity were marked as “stations”. Aside from the Balatas site and Danlugan area under Station II, other priority areas in-clude Barangay Peñafrancia, passing under the Magsaysay Bridge, going to Barangay

Dayandang-Barangay Pe-ñafrancia area going to the direction of Colgante Bridge and passing under it, then to the direction of Barangay San Francisco to Barangay Tina-go area until Panganiban.

The amphibious excava-tor or the dredging machine though cannot be utilized at the Station I, specifically covering the Delfin Rosales Bridge at Panganiban Area so it needs to return at the Dan-lugan Basilica site and then travel going to the direction

of Tabuco area to Magsaysay Road-Diversion Road area and start the dredging works along Tabuco market, pass-ing under the Delfin Rosales bridge going to the direction of Eurotel Hotel at Barangay Dinaga.

In an interview, Robredo stated that she was thankful to DPWH that the excavator was lent to the city for free, knowing that it will owe them a big chunk of rental fee had it been leased for use.

Estimated cost for the city if they will rent an amphibi-ous excavator for the entire duration of six months, start-ing this July 14 until Decem-ber 31, 2015, exactly 119 days

straight excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays will amount to Php2,856,000.00.

“We are so happy that the city will not invest on the rental cost and we want our stakeholders to see and ap-preciate these as blessings. We want them to also own this project to ensure its suc-cess and sustainability. In-frastructure is only the first step, what is important is that we sustain the project, have our personal take and con-

cern and hopefully see the project’s worth in their own lives,” Robredo added.

Bongat also calls on the stakeholder’s cooperation, particularly those who are still residing near the river banks. He said that that their support will help strengthen community ownership over the Naga River revitalization to realize Naga’s long-time dream of a Clean and rejuve-nated river for the next gen-eration.

Proposed agri-tourism park in CSU, validated

VIRAC, Catanduanes, -- The Tourism Infrastruc-ture and Enterprise Au-thority (TIEZA) recently inspected the proposed Agri-ecotourism site at the Catanduanes State Univer-sity that could be promot-ed as a Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone.

The inspection came after Governor Araceli B. Wong endorsed the development proposal of CSU which ac-cording to the official is one of the viable tourism sites in Catanduanes.

The four-member team headed by Hernan Enal paid a courtesy call with Governor Araceli B. Wong at Provincial Capitol last July 1, 2015 and

then proceeded to the site at the CSU campus for an ocular inspection.

The program is pursuant to Republic Act No. 9593 (Tourism Act of 2009) and the framework of the Nation-al Tourism Development Plan to support the development of Philippine Tourism product and elevate the status of the country as a highly competi-tive tourism destination.

It is a joint initiative of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and TIEZA to proac-tively develop strategically important TEZs.

Among the criteria consid-ered in the choice of a poten-tial site are: the property must

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bikol reporter4 july 26 - aug. 1, 2015halo-halo

inner chessBY J. heNRY DANICAN

ANO PO?

dis*Karte*Kusyon*Kurso

frANk PeÑones jr.

sa administrasyon. Alagad, dai ta ma-lingawan na an istorya kan buhay ni Poe garo man lang ki Nora Aunor. Sa-rong istoryang Cinderella.Sa nasyon tang mahilig sa fairy tales, si Poe an minataong lawas sa pangaturugan kan mga Filipno na makahawas sa haloy nang kapagtiosan asin kaapi-han. Ini po an nagtataong populari-dad ki Poe ngonyan.

Alagad an sarong nasyon bakong fairy tale. Kun siring pa an paghiling ta sa governance, panahon na ma-mukna kita sa realidad. Hubaan ta an gabos na boot mamoon satuya kun ano sinda. Sa ngonyan, dai ko pa nahihiling sa siisay man an agdy-enda man lang manongod sa Bikol. Anodaw po kun manindugan kitang mga Bikolnon na kun mayo an Bikol sa saindang radar asin plano, mayong boto. O mas marhay, suportaran ta na an sarong awtonomong rehiyon Bikol nganing magpasar man nin bagong BBL + Bicol Basic Law.

An “po,” sabi kan sakong amiga na si Patty Lacerna, iyo an pinakahali-pot na tataramon sa Bikol na dakul an boot sabihon. Igdi, gagamiton ko an in-terogatibong kahulugan kaini asin bilang kawat aramon (inembento kong da kitar-amon kan ‘pun’ sa English) kan apelyido ni Senadora Grace Poe.

Ano an mapaliwanag kan pangenge-not ni Poe ngonyan sa mga boot magin presidente kan nasyon? Sa hiling ko, ma-sisimbagan ini kan prasesa English na “pay-back time.”

Sabi ni Mar Roxas, igwa siyang track record nin pagtataong dalan (pagpapa-onod sa Rinconada na may konotasyon nin pagpapairarom siring kan onod kan duma). Katakod ining klarado sa “soboot” pagtaong dalan niya ki Noynoy Aquino kan huring eleksyon. Soboot, ta may nag-sasabi na dai man kaya siya magana kaya bako siya an pinili kan Liberal Party.

Kaya sa isip ni Roxas asin mga suportadores niya, it’s payback time. Siya dapat an tambudan ni Pinoy, na-

garo an Ehekutiba garo pamana. Siring man an isip kan mga suportadores ni Poe. Tandaan an pagdaya sa saiyang ama ni GMA kan maglaban an duwa. Para sainda, panahon na mabalanse an baskula na kiniling ni GMA sa saiyan pa-bor. It’s payback time.

Igwa si Poe kan mga kalidad na uyon sa dehadistang ugali tang mga Filipino. Sinusurog ta an sa hiling ta maluya. Si Poe sinasabing kulang sa eksperiencia

Building RomeBy MAFeL R. BARRIOS, MSeS

The Philippines was one of the last few countries in Asia that had yet to implement the K-12 curriculum and was slammed for being backward and slow when it came to educating its children. But under the regime of President Benigno Aquino III, the country and its people made a bold move and pushed for its implementation effective school years 2015-2016.

There had been different arguments and debates on whether pushing forward with this new curriculum would guarantee the country’s development. Some argued that it was high time that the country followed the international curriculum of education, while some moved to be cautioned because there was fear of unpreparedness.

Admittedly, applying the K-12 curriculum this year has proved to be a struggle; the students, their parents, and their teachers are adjusting to the shift in their annual routines. But the only way for something to get better is to experiment something out of one’s comfort zone. Like a small bird being pushed off its nest for the first time to soar high above the canopies, the country would soon find its grove and fly higher than we thought we could.

Presently, the different educational institutions in the country are under the new curriculum. Grade Seven to Ten students are teaming inside classrooms, not knowing what this new educational adventure has in store for them. Teachers themselves are not aware of how the students would take this new move.

No matter how scary and new things were, we see that the stakeholders of the educational system are going with the punches. We see a new resilience in them that we thought not possible when we were following the old curriculum. We see that as the days progress the students’ knowledge and attitude towards the world change as well. Even the educators have reached a new level of resourcefulness and skill that seemed like such a great feat a couple of years back.

Presently, there may be arguments that there are no significant changes among the children or in the educational system in general. Some might see only the flaws or the stumbles taken but if you look at the accomplishments and changes, no matter how miniscule, you would understand that the students, their parents, the teacher, and the government are working towards something bigger than what we can presently see.

We have made the first step but progress will not continue if we focus on the negatives rather than the positives. A lot of tumbles and failures are to be expected; after all, these are all extremely new to us. Despite this, despite how bad it seems, we must continue. We must keep in mind that Rome was not built in a single day. ____________________

About the Author:Mafel Villamer Relayo-Barrios is a faculty member of Science

Department, Camarines Sur National High School. She earned her Masters in Environmental Science major in Biochemistry at University of Nueva Caceres with Excellence Award in Thesis Writing and her Bachelors Degree in Biology at the same school. And she took her Special Learning Package (SLP)-Methods of Teaching at Ateneo de Naga University. Currently, she is finishing her Doctor of Philosophy in Behavioral Management. She is also a resource speaker in various topics in Science and a recipient of different awards in the field and in leadership.

Things we should know aboutchild protection

By FLOReNIA C. TORALDe, Principal IIIriga Central School, Iriga City

All children have the right to protection. They have the right to survive, to be safe, to belong, to be heard, to receive adequate care and to grow up in a protective environment.

A family is the first line of protection for children. Parents or other caregivers are responsible for building a protective and loving home environment. Schools and communities are responsible for building a safe and child-friendly environment outside the child’s home. In the family, school and community, children should be fully protected so they can survive, grow, learn and develop to their fullest potential.

Children should be fully protected. Many of them deal with violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, exclusion and/or discrimination every day. Such violations limit their chances of surviving, growing, developing and pursuing their dreams.

We need to understand the importance of child protection in order to have the opportunity to grow up in a family; b) Every child has a right to a name and nationality. Registering a child’s birth helps to ensure a child’s right to education, health care and legal and social services. Birth registration is a vital step towards protection from abuse and exploitation; c) Girls and boys must be protected from all forms of violence and abuse, neglect and harmful practices.

Families, communities and authorities are responsible for ensuring these protection; d) Children must be protected from all work that is hazardous. Work should not prevent them from attending school. Children should never be involved in the worst forms of child labour; e) Girls and boys can be at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation in their home, school, workplace or community. Measures should be taken to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation. Sexually abused and exploited children need immediate help to stop such abuse.

Through hands-on inquiry instruction, all pupils can develop context-based content knowledge along with language development. Identify inquiry-based science instruction as beneficial to pupils. Pupils participate in activities as they learn vocabulary, pupils work collaboratively and interact with others about science content, and hands-on activities offer pupils written, oral, graphic and kinesthetic forms of expression. Science activities, intentional and explicit vocabulary insctruction can benefit children’s vocabulary and literacy development as they learn science content. As pupils combine science experiences with discussions of words’ uses and meanings, their vocabulary and content

Using Scientific Terms and Phrases in Teaching Science SubjectBy ALMIRA SOTTO-PAJA - Teacher 3Santiago Young elementary School

Nabua, Camarines Sur

knowledge can grow.In order for pupils to develop scientific

literacy, they need to gain a knowledge of science content and practice scientific habi ts of mind. Knowing science vocabulary supports the development of these understandings.

By us ing sc ien t i f i c te rms and phrases during science act ivi t ies, science teachers can model scientific thinking and questioning, including the doubts and dilemmas that are part of making sense of the world. The more opportunities we provide for pupils to experience scientific endeavors, the more natural their scientific talk will develop. We can support pupils’ information

processing by supplementing auditory information wiht visual clues. When we can provide students with multi-sensory experiences observing and communicating, it helps all pupils, especially emerging readers.

Instructions should be given using a variety of visual or aural support materials: drawing, diagrams and pictures to support the spoken word; written instructions on word cards along with verbal instructions; set-up examples to supplement written lab instructions; audio taped instructions alongside written directions; pictures with words in stages of lab procedures that pupils can learn.

bikol reporter 5july 26 - aug. 1, 2015

Teaching Strategy in Mathematicsfor elementary Grade School Pupils

By NIDA O. FUeNTeS - Teacher IIINaipitan elementary School

Nabua, Camarines Sur

Traditional method of teaching makes the learner to memorize information, conduct well organized experiments and perform mathematical calculations using a specific algorithms and makes them submissive and rule-bound. The traditional teacher is information giver and the textbook guided classroom have failed to bring about the desired outcomes of producing thinking students. A much heralded alternative is to change the focus of the classroom from teacher dominated to student-centered using a Constructive Approach.

Mathematics has the ability to confuse, frighten and frustrate learners of all ages. If a child has negative experience in mathematics, that experience would affect his/her achievement as well as attitude towards mathematics during adulthood. The obvious question is whether students’ failure to learn mathematics can be ascribed to problems of curriculum, problem of teaching, or the student, or perhaps the combination of these.

There are many possible reasons as to why pupils fail in mathematics. But most of the reasons are related to curriculum and methods of teaching rather than the students’ lack of capacity ot learn that the existing mode of teaching mathematics in schools has not fulfilled the needs of the vast majority of our students, and that not nearly enough instructional stress is put on the higher order skills.

Personnel Management – SupportingGeneral Management

By SheNA AWA AMPONGANPublic Attorney’s Office

Iriga City District Office, Iriga City

It would not be wrong to say that personnel management is indispensable to general management. After all, it could be the key to the various documents that any organization keep and these documents are valuable.

Personnel management is a significant part of management which is concerned with employees at work and with their relationship with the organization, it functions us to obtain use and maintain a satisfied workforce.

It also tackles compensation integration of people for the purpose of contributing to the organization individual and societal goals. Its nature includes the function of employment, development and compensation. These functions are performed primarily by the personnel officer in consultation with the department, this is what makes the personnel manager of importance in any organization considering that his office is practically and extension of general management. It is connected with promoting and stimulating competent work force to make their fullest contribution to the organization. It exists to advice and assist the line managers in personnel matters and this makes the function of the office of Personnel Management crucial.

Personnel Management lays employee on action rather than making lengthy schedules, plans and methods. The problem and grievances of people at work can be solved more effectively through national personnel policy. Thus, it could be rightly said that the office of Personnel Management goes beyond not just handling the workforce but that it could help solve the problems and grievances of employees at work.

Based on human orientation, it tries to help the workers to develop their potential fully to the concern. It motivates the employees through its effective incentive plan so that the employees provide fullest cooperation.

Teaching Science Through InquiryBy JOY ANNe DAPITO

Teacher IIIIriga Central School

Iriga City

I had always found my day-to-day work as a teacher exciting simply because I teach Science, a subject that is so full of discoveries as all other Science teachers like me will agree. But most importantly, I find the same excitement when I see my pupils find new discoveries.

Science is taught well and effectively through inquiry and considering how curious young boys and girls are, they do not stop asking until they get answered and it is to them a discovery. That keeps them ask for more and the teacher does enjoy working with them and feeding their young minds with more inquiries.

Teaching Science through inquiry results in active learning. As a Science teacher I also use problem solving through inquiries but I encourage my pupils to formulate their own problems. I likewise involve them in collaborative learning. This is to them the chance to work and study and learn together. This is something I see they enjoy very much. Aside from learning Science, they get to learn how to deal with one another and become not just classmates but friends as well. Grouped together, the pupils get to know the meaning of dependence, a healthy exercise. As I watch my pupils work and eventually get to the answers to their inquiries, I could see them face one another like they y have climbed a wall. To myself, I say Eureka like the famous mathematician-scientist who gave that work its magic.

Of course, I have not stopped to use instructional materials some of which the pupils improvised among themselves.

This makes up the excitement of a Science teacher. I am that Science teacher who derive fun and intellectual entertainment from my pupils through the use of inquiry method.

I would not trade Science for another subject for all the fun that teaching the subject is giving me.

MABini WAlKThe 2015 National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week and Birth Anniversary of Apolinario Mabini was celebrated in the city with a walk along the main streets of Naga participated in by multi-sectoral groups and individuals and ends at SM City Naga Activity center.

PhilHealth expands services, benefitsBy ANA-LIzA S. MACATANGAY

NAGA CITY --- PhilHealth beneficiaries can now be assured of a better service coverage under the agency’s expanded pro-grams and improved access to health care providers.

During the Social Health Insurance and Education Series (SHInES) for the me-dia of Camarines Sur held Wednesday at the Villa Cac-eres Hotel, Dr. Israel Francis A. Pargas, PhilHEalth OCI Vice President of Corporate Affairs Group, said the ex-panded program now also fo-cuses on kidney patients who need to undergo hemodialysis sessions.

“Dialysis benefits paid by PhilHealth in 2014 ranked second from pneumonia. Given the immensity of those undergoing the treatment, we want to share another good news that the corporation has approved an extended dialy-sis session from 45 days to 90 days in a year. This will be a

great relief to all our indigent patients who are meeting ends just to survive every dialysis session,” Pargas added.

For pneumonia cases alone, PhilHealth extended P7B to its beneficiaries in 2014. The corporation also paid a total of P4.5B for di-alysis cases in the same year. PhilHealth members who want to avail of the package can go to any accredited Free Standing Dialysis Centers and hospitals nationwide.

Treatment of catastrophic cases like heart ailments, cancer and kidney transplant among others, were once del-egated to contracted govern-ment facilities but recently, PhilHealth opened its doors to private hospitals to ensure that beneficiaries will have more available choices and accessible health facilities to attend to their needs.

Primary health care ben-efits which were once given to accredited health care

centers and accredited out-patient clinics are now open to private clinics as part of PhilHealth’s expanded access to its patients, particularly to the indigents.

Members of the local me-dia in Camarines Sur were also welcomed by PhilHealth Regional Office V Regional Vice President Orlando D. Iñigo, Jr. and acknowledged their potent force to dissemi-nate and extend the informa-tion to their beneficiaries, particularly those families re-siding in the remote areas and provincial outskirts.

Some of the lectures shared to the media were The Na-tional Health Insurance Act of 2013 discussed by Dr. Shirley B. Domingo, PhilHealth OIC Area Vice President, Area II; Membership Program discoursed by PhillHealth’s Member Management Group OIC-Vice President Alberto Manduariano; and the New and Enhanced PhilHealth Benefits as discussed by Dr. Pargas.

Before the morning session ended PhilHealth Corporate Communication Department Senior Manager Maria Sophia B. Varlez briefed the attend-ees on The Role of the Media in advocating in the National Health Insurance Program.

On the second day of the activity, PhilHealth Presi-dent and CEO Atty Alexan-der A Padilla personally led the Turnover of READY, TSEKAP, Go simultaneous nationwide run (SiNaRu) 2015 Proceeds to the Naga City Children's Home and the Agta Tabangnon Tribe of Buhi, Camarines Sur.

PhilHealth was able to raise P1.1Million for the said beneficiaries.

Popularizing Climate ChangeLEGAZPI CITY - Com-

municating climate change in a language understand-able to the ordinary citizen will be the focus of a three-day seminar-workshop slated July 30-August 1, 2015 here, the president of the organizer said.

The seminar-workshop called “Climate Change: Gets mo na ba? will be at-tended by media profession-als and practitioners in the region, according to Roman F. Floresca, the president of

the Philippine Agricultural Journalists, Inc.(PAJI) which organized the workshop.

The impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security, communicat-ing climate change through various media , and even “laymanizing” its terminolo-gies, are but some of the top-ics to be discussed by invited resource speakers like House Committee Chair on Climate Change, Rep. Rodel M. Ba-tocabe, Broadcasters Louie Tabing and Angelo Palmo-

nes, and even Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino Chair Viri-gilio Almario.

The seminar-workshop is sponsored by PAJI, Metro Pacific Investments Corpora-tion, Smart Communications, Inc. Philex Mining Corpora-tion, Department of Agricul-ture; and co-sponsored by CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agri-culture and Food Security of Southeast Asia, International Rice Research Institute and World Agro-Forestry Center.

7K sWiM JMTS/RBMJR/JUNPASA/MMeC

The Caramoan 7K Swim Challenge held on July 12, 2015 was a surreal commune with nature for the 152 participants – all adrenaline junkies – who braved the elements of the “first island hopping race course” and successfully made it to the finish line. CamSur Gov. Migz Villafuerte is continuously promoting Caramoan Peninsula as an adventurer’s lair given its excellent rep as “Survivor” TV series’ favorite location.

bikol reporter6 july 26 - aug. 1, 2015

NAMe OF DeCeASeD DATe OF INTeRMeNT

RAFAeL C. WARDe SR. JUNe 5, 2015GeMMA A. SAN BUeNAVeNTURA JUNe 2, 2015ISABeLITA ALFONSO JUNe 4, 2015VICeNTe AzAÑA JUNe 7, 2015RODOLFO C. CLAVeCILLA JUNe 7, 2015ROSARIO A. BeBONIA JUNe 5, 2015JOSe C. ReBLANDO JUNe 11, 2015SILVeRIO U. ABeNDAÑO JUNe 10, 2015eSMeRALDA S. TARROBAGO JUNe 13, 2015eDGARDO N. De LAS LLAGAS JUNe 17, 2015RITA B. GARChITOReNA JUNe 15, 2015SABAS B. RAzON SR. JUNe 16, 2015JOVITA S. BOLO JUNe 19, 2015JOAQUIN F. PeRez JR. JUNe 23, 2015ROSARIO R. SAN BUeNAVeNTURA JUNe 23, 2015ALeJANDRO V. BAThAN JUNe 24, 2015eRLINDA h. MANLANGIT JUNe 27, 2015MANUeL C. ANTONIO JUNe 27, 2015JOSePh O. LAzATIN JUNe 30, 2015

FOR JUNe

AFFIDAVIT OF LOSS AND UNDeRTAKINGNotice is hereby given that JANE KRISTIN F. LAZADO of legal age and resident of St. Joseph Compound, Jacob Extn. Liboton, Naga City is the daughter of JOSE B. FEDERIZON, planholder of LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED, INC. having been issued a Contract No. 211044-0 and Certificate of Full Payment No. 21049748; said Contract and Certificate were inadvertently lost and could not be found; that Jane Kristin F. Lazado have executed this Affidavit and Undertaking for the purpose of attesting to the veracity and truth of all facts mentioned and for the Replacement of the Policy Contract and Certificate of Full Payment; as acknowledged before Notary Public Atty. Carlo C. Villanueva, Jr., Doc. No. 241, Page No. 49, Book No.144, Series of 2015.

BIKOL RePORTeRPublished: July 12, 19 and 26, 2015

Factors affecting learning achievementBy LUNINGNING DAGATAN NAGRAMPA

Teacher IIISan Vicente Sur elementary School

Iriga City Division

Quality Education is the government’s primary concern in today’s competitive world. Its aim is to develop highly competitive learners who can face and cope up with today’s fast rising technological advancements.

But what is happening to the kind of students we have today based from the results of the national Achievement Test in its General Achievement Level? It is far back from the expected passing mark of 75%. With the personal opinion that I have, the kind of result can be traced from the kind of classroom management that we give to every lesson we undertake. The following factors has a need to be revisited by each and everyone of us.

1. Time Management. How do we spend time in the delivery of lessons since a lot should happen in the classroom in a very limited time?

2. Mastery of the subject matter. Do we prepare the needed plans and materials before the lesson and study it well?

3. Activities. Do we give the appropriate activities for the skill we are supposed to develop and do it interest our learner based from the contents of the curriculum?

5. Assignment. Does it reinforce the skill taught and prepares the student for the next lesson?

6. Attendance. Do we consider the reasons of our pupils in not attending school?

7. Touch. Do we go further beyond the teacher-pupil relations and friends and consider children as our own?

These, my friends are just some of the basics. Let us think about them further for the students depend on us a lot. Let us all be teacher-friends to them in its truest sense.

AFFIDAVIT OF SeLF-ADJUDICATION OF SOLe heIR

Notice is hereby given that MAThIAS RULL VeLASCO is the only surviving son and sole heir of the late Sps. MATIAS L. VeLASCO and ReMeDIOS R. VeLASCO, who died intestate on October 26, 2013 and July 2, 2015, respectively at Naga City, Camarines Sur, Philippines, leaving no LAST WILL or TESTAMENT and no known debts or obligations; that said deceased left parcels of agricultural and commercial/residential lands and buildings in Naga City and Camarines Sur and several business establishments in Naga City; that said Heir adjudicate unto himself the entire estate; as acknowledged before Notary Public Atty. Carlo C. Villanueva, Jr., Doc. No. 112, Page No. 23, Book No.146, Series of 2015.BIKOL RePORTeRPublished: July 26; August 2 and 9, 2015

citizens (remember everybody will become a senior citizen), quality infrastructures, housing assistance to OFWs, etc. Binay believes that having an education is a way to get employment and get out of poverty.

* * * * * Because of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law pushed by

the Aquino administration to have peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who are rebels, there are now people proposing a federal-parliamentary form of government for our country. Among them are former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., former Supreme Court Justice Puno, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and others. There is merit and demerit to this.

When I was studying in the School of Foreign Service, we studied the different forms of government in different countries around the world. I was impressed by the federal form of government in Switzerland, a small country but very progressive. That was the form of government I believed would be good for the Philippines. But as many years passed by, I have changed by mind. It may be good for the Swiss but not for the people of the Philippines because of their temperament.

First, will federalism apease the MILF? What they want is a state or sub-state, our territory (land, air, water) and natural resources as provided in the BBL’s Articles on Territory and wealth-sharing among other provisions which do not conform with our Constitution. The Constitution already gives some regions autonomy like the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao which can be expanded but they do not want that.

I have always been in favor of amending the 1987 Constitution because it was made by hand-picked delegates of former President Corazon C. Aquino and not by elected delegates of the people. There are many good parts in this Constitution but there are also parts that need to be removed or changed.

I prefer the presidential system of government and that we go back to the two-party system. In a presidential system, the people vote directly for President, Vice President and others. In a federal-parliamentary system, the head of state is the Prime Minister and he is elected by the members of the Parliament. Moneyed people like drug lords, gambling lords, may easily bribe or threaten a majority of three hundred members of Parliament but not the fifty million voters in a presidential system. The Prime Minister has no term limit of office. He or she can be Prime Minister for life.

I want senators elected by region not nationally. With two senators per region, in the seventeen (17) administration regions, the nation will elect thirty-four (34) senators: 2 from the National Capital Region, 14 from the rest of Luzon, 6 from Visayas and 12 from Mindanao. Visayas and Mindanao will have 18 out of 34 senators. Imperial Manila will get two.

The regional representatives will greatly improve. Senatorial campaign cost will be reduced sharply. More, better and abler candidates may be encouraged to run for senator. Behavior of senators could change because by being elected nationally, they think they are presidentiables.

The President and Vice President should be elected as a team. The Vice President should automatically preside over the Senate.

Well, let there be my little contribution to the free market of ideas as of the moment.

from my winDow . . .

be at least 50 hectares with a clean title to develop it; must be accessible to an airport, seaport or national road; has basic utilities such as water supply, power, and informa-tion technology;

has a comprehensive land use plan; must have tourism resources, and the owners must be willing to enter into a partnership with TIEZA and commit to the implementa-tion of the master plan.

Gov. Wong, along with the CSU President Dr. Minerva Morales, agreed that CSU meets all the criteria required by TIEZA and that it has more to offer as shown by its busi-ness plan for the establish-

proposeD agri-tourism . . .ment of an Agri-Ecotourism and Conservative Park.

According to Gov. Wong, Catanduanes has a very strong potential of becoming a green tourism destination owing to its vast natural resources and rich potential for tourism de-velopment. -PIA

our children and their chil-dren,” the PNP Bicol chief said.

Fishermen, especially in Masbate and Albay's west coast, have complained that illegal fishers, mostly com-mercial fishers, operating in Bicol waters come from Zamboanga, Negros Oc-cidental, Iloilo and Quezon provinces.

These groups are oper-ating within the waters of Burias Pass and Asid Gulf.

There is another group, the Lucena-Quezon group, which operates in Burias Pass and Ragay Gulf, the complaining local fishermen added.

Also operating in these

pnp-bicol chief vows . . .areas are the Bicol group and the Navotas-Malabon-Cebu, which also operate in Sibuy-an Sea and are equipped with state-of-the-art fish finders and armed men, they said.

At nighttime, the Burias Pass is like a "city of light" or a metropolis due to the presence of mushrooming "pangulong" commercial fishing vessels with super lights and equipped with fish finders and sonar de-tectors, and haul fish, big or small, sadly destroying the coral reefs, coastal vil-lagers in Albay's west coast claimed.

They said the pangulong operation is the most damag-ing in Bicol waters.

The discussant also shared the operational phase of the CBFEWS which includes consultation meeting with the LGUs where roles and re-sponsibilities of stakeholders are explained, site survey and ocular inspection, installation of monitoring facilities, flood signage and hydrographic surveys and on-site training of observers.

Anna De Castro, Span-ish Red Cross delegate also shared her insights on em-powering communities and LGUs in implementing inclu-sive development programs in the Philippines.

“The bottom line of in-

clusive Disaster Risk Man-agement is that everybody is safer and no one is left out. Also to instigate a successful DRM, we need the people to participate in the decision-making process. This means that they are involved and can be active participants in DRM initiatives,” De Castro added.

Some of the topics covered during the entire duration of the training include Basic Orientation on Disability and Development, Understanding Gender, Development and DRR, and Importance of Ad-vocacy in Development Plan-ning, among others.

prc spearheaDs Drr law . . .

Since Deona's assump-tion in his post, several pangulong vessels owned by Quezon province mayors operating in Masbate and

Sorsogon waters have been apprehended by his men, who have filed cases that are now under court litiga-tion. - PNA

bikol reporter 7july 26 - aug. 1, 2015

24K PAWNShOPGeneral Luna St., Naga City

AuCtion sAle on AUGUST 7, 2015 of all unredeemed articles pledged from JANUARY - FeBRUARY 2015 at 9:00 a.m.BIKOL RePORTeRPublished: JULY 26, 2015

r. guinHAWA PAWNShOPGeneral Luna St., Naga City

AuCtion sAle on AUGUST 14, 2015 of all unredeemed articles pledged from JANU-ARY - FeBRUARY 2015 at 9:00 a.m.BIKOL RePORTeRPublished: JULY 26, 2015

There is no way we can run away from using English accepted as a medium of c o m m u n i c a t i o n i n t h e academe. Whether the subject is Mathematics or Science or Literature, the medium used is English. It is ironic that even Filipino can not be taught by using pure Filipino which cannot be understood by many Filipinos so that English has to be resorted to. The medium of communication in business is English. Businessmen meet for meetings and deliberate in that language. Contracts and every single documents are in English. Sessions in courts, whether in the higher

The roaring spirit of volunteerismBy MAFeL R. BARRIOS, MSeS

Filipinos are known for a lot of good qualities. We are known for our hospitality, our love for family, and our volunteerism. It becomes evident that helping others comes naturally to us no matter where we are or who we are helping.

Last May 18 to 24, the Department of Education (DepEd) once again implemented the BRIGADA program, otherwise known as the National School’s Week. This program, apart from providing help for the different educational institutions around the city, aims to provide a clear and tangible image of a group of people working together towards a common goal: the future of our children.

In the BRIGADA program, parents, as well as members of the fire department and the Philippine Army, worked together to beautify and fix the different schools around the city. There were different things to be done. There were tasks like gardening, carpentry, painting, and the occasional scrubbing. The different volunteers were divided by clusters based on their talents and skills.

The BRIGADA program was created by DepEd to provide assistance to the different schools when it comes to any last minute improvements needed before the children are admitted to school. Here, the volunteers helped one another landscape the area or trim the bushes, or even pick up fallen leaves. Some, who have passion for wood working picked up nails and hammers and started working on broken floor boards, busted chairs, and leaning tables. There were some who even helped with re-plastering walls or repainting them. And others helped fix electric wiring.

The scenario that took five days looked like a piece of clockwork. Everyone was doing his part, different people performing different functions, all contributing to one goal. The volunteers worked without making one another feel like it was a burden; they made it feel like it was passion they had, the work was hard but it wasn’t heavy.

People often do work for the sake of getting something in return but the BRIGADA program proved otherwise. The flame of volunteerism and love for children roared louder with every sack of cement the volunteers helped carry, with every streak of paint wiped across the walls, with the nails being pound into the wood, and with the laughter and conversation that went on between and among each other.

DepEd as well as the different educators understand that there are a lot of lessons that can be taught outside the classroom. The BRIGADA program does more than help beautify schools or fix broken equipment. It shows children that no effort exerted is irrelevant. Little hands working together, no matter how small the task, create something of substantial relevance to the community in general.

The BRIGADA program was more than something the DepEd implemented. It exuberates the Filipino’s inclination to help no matter what. It teaches the children and the entirety of the country that anyone can help and that if everyone helps, good things are bound to happen.

The idea of green tourism means you should be thinking about what happens when a tourist gets here. We must of-fer our environment as some-thing that is respectable not only because ours is a com-munity that is highly livable but also as a sensational place of travel,” the mayor said on Tuesday.

Green tourism, which is line with the city government’s green economy advocacy that promotes climate-smart and environment-friendly prac-tices for sustainable devel-opment, he said, should also cover facilities, activities and services made available to tourists that are friendly to the environment. Rosal defined sustainable development as a process for meeting human development goals while sus-taining the ability of natural systems to continue to provide the natural resources and eco-system services upon which the economy and society de-pend. As of now, the mayor said, the city government is in the process of consolidat-ing ideas for the rational and effective use of the environ-mental hotspots — resource efficiency, solid waste man-agement, natural resource management, green transpor-tation, water management and energy efficiency through re-newable sources — as means for catalyzing renewed policy development, cooperation and support of sustainable devel-opment.

Jose Briones, the former Albay provincial tourism of-ficer, said “green tourism is best for the city to prove to its tourism marketing slogan as a City of Fun and Adventure and for its getting the recogni-tion as one of the three Most Livable City in the country.”

legazpi backs green . . .

Speak english – There is No Stopping By NOeL CALLeJA PANGAenglish Subject Coordinator

Rinconada National Technical Vocational SchoolSto. Domingo, Iriga City

or lower courts, are conducted in English. The police blotter is written in English no matter how it is done. . Congress and Senate hold sessions in English so it is expected that the privilege speeches of our honorable lawmakers are delivered in that language. Pronunciation does not matter since the Visayan will obviously carries a Visayan accent as much as the Batangueno carries his.

And how do we account for the use of this language?.

Obviously, the teacher, the businessman, the Senator and the Congressman like all other started to learn the use of the language in school.

It is kind of nostalgivc that our forebears speak of their time and proudly proclaim that even as a elementary grader, they could use the language with facility and felt very comfortable with the foreign language.

This is not sour graping. Obviously, it is never too late to learn to speak the English language with ease. It has only to be spoken in every available time and the best time and the most appropriate one is to use it in school specifically, in the English class where the medium has to be used at all time, every time and there is no turning back. Learning to speak English is a matter of getting used to it and to get used to it means it be forcibly imposed. So, the students have no choice but to use the language because they should and eventually, they get used to it and presto! the students do not feel that it is an imposition but that it is something learned

to their advantage. It becomes therefore some

kind of necessity to impose the use of the language by students not limiting its use in English classes but in other classes and if possible throughout the campus. If this is a policy it has to be an imposition.

The beautiful thing about th is po l icy is when the students realized that they are being helped to become communicative when they start looking for employment. After all, as they will learn later, as graduates they will be interviewed in English, they will speak to their respective publics in English as they will write reports or whatever in the same language.

Believe it or not, but one gets outright respect when he commun ica tes i n a language that is universal and that language he learned by using the language in school considerably the best time the school. You want to be respected intellectually? That’s easy. Speak a universal language; speak English and people will pay you attention because they understand you and speaking English does mean it is not an exercise on futility.

The recognition came from last year’s Livable Cities De-sign Challenge sponsored by the United States Assistance for International Development and organized, among others, by the National Competitive Commission, World Wildlife Fund, Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Reconstruction (ASSURE) and Asia Soci-ety and Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Green Tourism, according to Briones, is literally mandat-ed under Republic Act 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009 that “seeks to promote a tourism industry that is ecologically sustainable, responsible, par-ticipative, culturally sensitive, economically viable, and ethi-cally and socially equitable for local communities”. The same law ensures for local government units (LGUs) the preparation and implementa-tion of tourism development plans that integrate zoning, land use, infrastructure devel-opment, heritage and environ-mental protection imperatives in a manner that encourages sustainable tourism develop-ment. The city government, in accordance with this law, has its tourism development plan, which it reviews and up-dates every year and for next year, Rosal said, “we are fo-cusing more on strengthening green tourism whose greater economic impacts would go down to communities.” He calls it the socially sustainable community-based tourism — meaning, tourism activities that are developed and oper-ated, for the most part, by lo-cal community members and a reasonable share of the rev-enues are enjoyed by the com-munity in one way or another.

Another important feature of community-based tourism

is its respect for local culture, heritage and traditions as its system actually reinforces and sometimes, rescues these and implies respect and concern for the natural heritage, par-ticularly where the environ-ment is one of the attractions. The most important aspect of community-based tourism de-velopment is planning, which ensures sustainability involv-ing community awareness and education that would not only keep people interested and supportive but prepared to take advantage of oppor-tunities. “We are developing local tourism in innovative ways through communities, including various individuals and groups, small business owners, entrepreneurs, local associations and the city gov-ernment, given that the de-velopment of these industries is a growing phenomenon as communities respond to the opportunities of tourism,” Ro-sal said.

In pushing for more green tourism-focused develop-ment, he said, various proj-ects, supported with huge funds by the Aquino admin-

istration, are under works in the city—the biggest of these is the Php2.1-billion mega flood control project that is set to be completed before the end of this year. Another is the “mega tourism highway” project, an about 10-kilome-ter paved road network that will connect the city with the New Legazpi Airport (also called Southern Luzon Inter-national Airport), bypassing the traffic-congested Daraga town. The new airport, which now ongoing construction in Barangay Alobo, Daraga, is a national government project of over Php4-billion in funds while the mega tourism high-way is also ongoing through the Php200-million fund of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Part of the local and national govern-ment’s public investment for access roads leading to tour-ist destinations, according to Rosal, this new road traverses several upland villages along the southern sector of the city to become the new local in-vestment haven and another site for green tourism devel-opment.

PNP-Bicol chief vows end to illegal fishing

BIKOL REPORTER

REgIOnaL ExPOnEnT fOR PROgREss

outstanDing local newspaperfor five consecutive years by the st. peter

baptist catholic mass media awards

8 july 26-aug. 1, 2015

Drr trAiningCSur PIA head Ana Liza Macatangay joins Dir. Mely de Guzman, Spanish Red Cross delegate Anna De Castro, Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK) Sec. Gen. Amparo Miciano, during the DRR law and advocacy training at the Macagang Business Center hotel and Resort in Nabua last week.

LEGAZPI CITY -- Chief Supt. Victor P. Deona, Philippine National Police (PNP) Bicol regional police director, vowed to continue the PNP-Bicol’s unwav-ering fight against illegal fishing in the Region.

Deona made the assurance to the public amid efforts to destroy the image of the PNP by those heavily affected by their no-nonsense campaign against illegal fishing in the waters of the region.

Upon his assumption as Bicol’s top cop, he immedi-ately issued a stern marching order to his men: stop ille-gal fishing, illegal logging, drugs, illegal gambling and loose firearms.

As a result of their numer-ous apprehensions of illegal fishers in the region and the filing of charges against the owners of fishing vessels they caught, some of whom are government officials in other region, a black propa-ganda has been issued thru

the social media about police officers as among those who receive payola from illegal fishermen.

Deona confirmed the presence of payola, which, he said, he immediately

stopped upon assumption as PNP Bicol regional director two years ago, making ille-gal fishers mad with him.

Since then, he has always reminded his men in the field to fight illegal fishing in their

respective territories.“There’s heavy pressure

on the PNP but we are serious in our campaign to save our marine resources,” Deona said, adding, "while there is time, we need to act together to curtail illegal fishing."

Records show that 60 per-cent of big-time commercial fishers in the country go fish-ing in Bicol waters owing to its rich fishing grounds, and the most affected areas are the Burias Pass, Ragay Gulf and Pasacao-Quezon seas.

“I assure you that un-der my watch there will no longer be untouchables in our campaign against illegal fishing in Bicol. We mean business in the PNP region-al command. We’re happy that Congressman Fernando Gonzalez and the city gov-ernment of Ligao initiated the anti-illegal fishing drive. We hope that other LGus will follow the same effort to save our seas as a gift to

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NABUA, Camarines Sur --- As an integral part of the Philippine Red Cross’ mission to empower local communities and local gov-ernment units (LGUs) par-ticularly during the most vulnerable times, PRC Ca-marines Sur spearheaded a 5-day Regional training in understanding Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and strengthening advocacy training held at Macagang Business Center here.

More than 50 participants coming from the youth sec-tor, local government units of Camarines Sur and Ca-marines Norte, local media personalities and other stake-holders took their time to lis-ten to invited resource speak-ers and experts on the field of disaster management.

PRC Cam Sur OIC Chap-ter Administrator Allyn Ag-tarap explained the corporate and political nature of LGUs and their significant respon-sibility to their constituents specifically during the occur-rence of calamities and simi-lar disasters.

By ANA-LIzA S. MACATANGAY

PRC spearheads DRR law,advocacy training in CSur

“It is very important to empower local communities. Whatever they will learn here, like how to properly plan before disaster strikes or the appropriate things to do during the disaster will surely save lives, spare casualties and will minimize harm to our properties.”

PAG ASA-DOST Carlo Magno Ancheta was also invited to talk about Com-munity Based Flood Early Warning System (CBFEWS) and discussed mitigating op-erational structures that inte-grate people, institutions and instrumentation for an effec-tive DRM implementation.

The basic elements dis-cussed which includes timely weather forecast and news releases, observation of rain-fall and flood levels, relay of information to flood response teams and disaster agencies, decision to evacuate by flood response team and evacu-ation of communities are meant to save human lives and mitigate damages caused by natural hazards.

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