Download pdf - Bikol Reporter January 11 - 17 Issue

8/9/2019 Bikol Reporter January 11 - 17 Issue

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OUTSTANDING LOCAL NEWSPAPERFor Five Consecutive YearsSt. Peter Baptist Catholic Mass Media Awards

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REGIONAL EXPONENT FOR PROGRESS

Ayala enters Legazpi mall rush

Daet zeroes in on waste elimination Bikol short lmin int'l fest nals

PENANG, Malaysia --

A seven-minute Bikol lm

[Pa]Duman ([To] Some-

place) was named one of

the nalists at the TropFest

Film Festival 2015. Theannouncement was made

on Thursday, January 8,

in a press conference with

the lmmakers and Trop-

Fest secretariat in Penang,

Malaysia.

[Pa]Duman, which ac-

cording to TropFest web-

site depicts how, along

every road to someplace,

there are stations where

lives may change, is the

third directorial work ofJennifer Lyn M. Romano,

a Communication gradu-

ate from Ateneo de Naga

University. Romanos

rst lm Kuwatro:Otso

was Bicol Regions rep-

(Turn to page 2)

DAET, CNorte -- This towns consti-

tuents will soon say goodbye to their gar-

bage, but not unproductively.

TWO GROUNDBREAKING RITESDaet Mayor Tito S. Sarion was a picture of a leader in ahurry as he led two groundbreaking rites last week. Firstwas the Go Green Daet Waste Diversion/Recyling Facility atBrgy. Bibirao; and later, the Metro Daet Satellite Market atthe CT Terminal Complex at Brgy. Camambugan.

Over the weekend,

Mayor Tito S. Sarion led

the groundbreaking of theGo Green Daet Waste Di-

version/Recycling Facility

located at Barangay Bibi-rao.

Expected to be nished

after 160 working days

once construction starts,

the PhP30-million facil-

ity will process from 17.5to 20 tons of garbage col-

lected daily in the town

into fertilizer and other

products, like construction

materials from non-biode-

gradable waste.According to Sarion, the

eliminating and recyclingwaste will be Daets local

response to the global eco-

logical problem.

The facility, accord-ing to Sarion, will directly

benet some 42 scavenger

families living near the

garbage dump.

Part of the program will

be the purchase of 5 new

garbage trucks which willcollect garbage in the town

on designated days, one forbiodegradable and another

for non-biodegradable

wastes, to create a culture

of garbage segregation,

the Mayor said. -- fpj

By DANNY O. CALLEJA

LEGAZPI CITY -- Ayala Corp.

(AC), one of the countrys busi-

ness giants, is now part of Legazpi

Citys bandwagon of big invest-

ments joined ahead by two of its

close equals -- SM Prime Holdings

of Henry Sy and Robinsons Groupof the Gokongwei family.

(Turn to page 8)


2/10

BIKOL REPORTER2 JANUARY 11-17, 2015OPINION

FX rate (vs. the US$) the local pumpprices of gasoline, diesel and kerosenewill be lower. Our good ination rating

in the last quarter of 2014 can besustained. Lower transport costs favorconsumers hoping that our producerswill cushion their prices by inputting thefuel cost savings in their selling prices.In addition, we pray that the Papal Visitwill bring added luck to our country.

FOREX RESERVES: The Phl ForexReserves hit US$79.8 B last December.The countrys gross internationalreserves (GIR) reect our ability to pay

for import of goods and services and toservice our foreign debt. The year-end GIR level is a bit lower than thatof 2013 (US$83.187B) and of 2012(US$83.572B). Despite the lowerForex Reserves the country isassured of its commercial capabilityin handling international trade andservices.

The GIR year-end level can cover10.2 months worth of imports of goodsand payments for services. At the

Two itineraries of Pope Francis are appropriatelychosen to bring home his expected message of mercyof compassion. They are much like the ideal soil for thesowing of the good seed in the Biblical parable.

The rst is the Mall of Asia in Pasay where he willmeet with families. The MOA, or how it is curtly andpopularly called, like all other malls, has become thecontemporary center of urban family activities andgathering, or as an anthropologist puts it, the newcathedral of consumerism.

The MOA then is a tting venue for this dialoguewhich centers on the family whom the Pope calls thefoundation of coexistence and a remedy against socialfragmentation.

It is not surprising then that Pope Francis will alsofocus on this issue as he considers the importance ofthe family in the survival of humanity. In an address tothe bishops of Brazil in 2013, he described the family asan essential cell of society and the Church.

The contemporary family, in the Popes mind,however, is in crisis.

In a broadcast from the Vatican Radio, he said thatThis revolution in manners and morals has often ownthe ag of freedom, but in fact it has brought spiritualand material devastation to countless human beings,especially the poorest and most vulnerable. Crisis in thefamily has produced crisis of human ecology.

His other itinerary at the Palo Cathedral in Leyte islikewise appropriate as the devastation of the provincein the wake of Haiyan underscore what he termed the

need for a new human ecology.Although the human race has come to understandthe need to address the conditions that menace ournatural environments, we have been slower to recognizethat our fragile social environments are under threatas well, slower in our culture, and also in our CatholicChurch. It is therefore essential that we foster a newhuman ecology and advance it, he urged.

This ecology, he argued during the World Youth Dayin 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, can be promoted by goingback to the basics, like life, which is a gift of God, and avalue to be promoted and protected; integral education,one which is not a transmission of information for prot;health, which is integral for well-being; and security,where violence can be overcome by the human heart.

In the same event, he challenged to youth to berevolutionaries by rejecting the idea that marriage isout-of-fashion, that it is not worth making a life-longcommitment and making a denitive decision, forever.

Children he said, have the right to grow in a family:capable of creating a suitable environment for the childsdevelopment and maturity.

same time, it is also equivalent to8.4 times the countrys short-termexternal debt based on originalmaturity, and six times based onresidual maturity. The exchange ratestrength of the Phl peso is directlyaffected by the GIR level as globalinvestors favor countries with strongpaying capacities.

RURAL BANKING: The ownersand managers of the smaller ruralbanks are concerned by our alertcall on the initial implementation ofthe ASEAN Integration starting thisyear. Under this united regionalprogram, big nancial institutions

throughout ASEAN will be allowedto open banking units or branchesin the Philippines thereby puttingtheir global operations here on equalstatus and at par with domesticbanks.

When the giants play, the dwarfs

can get squeezed or eventually be

bumped out! The Monetary Boardhas issued policies mandating thesmaller banks (thrift and rural banks)to raise their level or operations or tomerge with fellow small operators.Many are opting to stay meantimeas they continually test the waters.But they are ready to sell-out tobanks expanding their horizons.The foreign banks earlier allowedto operate locally are buying smallprovincial banks.

ENCYCLICAL: When our

interior life is caught up in its own

interests, there is no longer room

for others!

(PICPA past president and Hall-

of-Famer, and ACPAPP Lifetime

Achievement Awardee).

GLOBAL OIL: As a result of continuingglut in supplies and downtrends indemand (in mid-winter), world demandfor oil continues to go down due toeconomic slumps in Europe andslowdown in industrial outputs in China.While USA industries are reported to bechurning with improvements, Americanfuel requirements are not huge enoughto counter below-par industrial activitieselsewhere.

Opinions Unlimitedis constrained tochange its earlier predictions that globaloil prices will start to move up gradually.It seems the major oil producers are notfearful of the price rollbacks, even asoil trading is now dictated by reducedorders. Producers minimum thresholdsare continually being adjusteddownward. Biggest oil exporter Saudi

Arabia is expected to remain safe andunhurt even if the price per barrel goesdown to US$40.00!

PESO-DOLLAR: We conrm our

prediction that the Phl peso will soondepreciate against the USD notbecause our economy will falter, but moreso because the USA eco-performancewill improve. Latest statistics (GDP &GNP) seem to indicate that China nowhas the best performing fundamentals,with the USA ranking just close second.With our controlled ination rate (at

2.7%) the domestic currency will notsuffer much in the exchanges.

Global oil will continue to becheaper. If we are able to maintain the

It is Thursday, the rst day of 20l5.

The almost one month wet weather hasnot improved. It is still rainy and windy. Inmy old Caramoan hometown many yearsago, people said that if the rst day of the

year was rainy, the whole January monthwould not be any better.

The rst l2 days of January mirror the

weather for the whole l2 months. My oldfolks could tell if a particular month wouldbe rainy or sunny by taking note of theweather of the rst l2 days.

Each day represents a month.Call it superstition or folk wisdom but

in many cases, they were right/My LoloEleno could predict the weather for a weekby observing the behavior of Mt. Damulogsouth of the barrio. When thick white mistblanketed its peak, it would rain, he once

told me. And for days, the rains poured intorrent.In northern Catanduanes years ago, a

merchant owner of a wooden motor launchcould tell if there was a brewing typhoonby dipping his ngers into the sea. He was

described as a walking barometer.In those days, the barometer was

the only reliable tool to detect a comingtyphoon.

In his regular visit to Tabaco in Albayfrom Caramoran in northern Catanduanes

with a cargo of copra and hemp, and back,he did not meet turbulent seas.

Other motorboat owners, due to theirlong experience with the sea, knew whento make the trip or when to keep theirboats safe in the harbor.

We, Catanduanes traders, trusted the

boat owners with our goods and our lives.

The weather was easy to predict yearsago even without the aid of instruments.Not anymore. The warming of the earthsatmosphere has changed everything. Thewell-pronounced summer or wet seasonis now a thing of the past.

The usually dry months of March toMay and June are now typhoon and ood

months. Areas rarely pounced upon by

natural disasters have been repeatedlysavaged by calamitous weather.

It appears that the earth is revertingback to its inhospitable era. But if everthat period comes, we have nobody toblame but ourselves. The worst enemyof the planet is man, his greed, hisdestructive nature.

It is beginning to be felt.The nightmare of Tacloban City and

nearby towns has revealed a weathergone berserk. There is no apt wordto describe the deluge which claimedthousands of lives.

Nobody knows when anotherYolanda will come. Scientists predictmore violent weather disturbances in thecoming years. That means typhoons,oods, storm surges, landslides galore.

I could see a much displeasedNature. Probably not only displeasedbut boiling mad at how some peoplebehave. They behave badly.

Old folks who before could easilytell the coming weather by looking atthe peak of a mist-covered mountain ordipping their ngers into the sea would

be hard-pressed predicting todaysweather.

Very few people know what theweather will be in the next few days.

Whats the weather tomorrow?

VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

www.bikolreport.blogspot.com

EDITORIAL

Familial Call

LEE G. DULLESCO II

Head, Advertising Associates

0920-533-7766

02082606

Tel. No. (054) 475-6262

ED G. YU

Editor

0939-604-3144

resentative at the National

Cinemarehiyon Film Festival

in Cagayan de Oro City last

year.

[Pa]Duman is written

by prizewinning poet and

translator Victor Dennis T.

Nierva who is also featured

as an actor in the lm along

with writer Frank Peones Jr.

and Chrismund Leao. The

lm was entirely shot in Mi-

BIKOL SHORT FILM . . .

nalabac, Camarines Sur, and

produced by Romano, Nierva

and photographer Gerard Jan

M. Asay who also served as

its chief cinematographer.

The screening of the lm

along with fteen other nal-

ists and the announcement

of winner will be held on the

festival proper on February 1

at The Esplanade in Penang.

TropFest 2015 will be graced

by internationally acclaimed

cinematographer and director,

Christopher Doyle.

The other nalists are:

Kats Diary by Vanessa

Amante, Commune by

Sher Bautista, The Steel

Child by Jake Soriano, The

Little Reader by Inshalla

Montero (Philippines); All

that Could Have Been by

Caston J. Chua, Wheel Roll-

ing Home by Tan Yong Lin,

Emmas Birthday by Joyce

Huan and Nicole Goh, Tank

by Shu Kar Keng (Malaysia);

Lily by Phan Nha Trang

(Viet Nam); Colorful Knots

by Polen Ly, The Ride by

Sok You Chea, The Scaven-

ger by Sothe Chhin, Bub-

ble by Hang Sokharo, A

Fistful of Pebbles by Som-

chanrith Chap (Cambodia);

and Bond by Pek Hong

Kun (Singapore).


3/10

BIKOL REPORTER 3JANUARY 11-17, 2015

By NANCY IBO MEDIAVILLO

LEGAZPI CITY -- The Philippine National Police Re-

gional Ofce 5, aside from preparing for the Papal visit in

Tacloban City, will send 1,500 police ofcers to Tacloban

City to reinforce security measures for the head of the

Catholic Church.

POPE FRANCIS

Welcome to An Maogmang Lugar, the Center of Good Governance. The recent renovation ofthe welcome arch was realized through the collaboration of the city government and Naga CityUSA, an organization of Naguenos based in Los Angeles, California, USA. Thanks Naga CityUSA for your generosity.

SP OKAYS NAGAS 2015 BUDGETThe Sangguniang Panlungsod approved on nal reading the city's 2015 annual budget totaling

PhP834,689,694.14. The amount is 11% higher than last year's PhP751,377,318.

Chief Supt. Victor Deona,

PNP Bicol regional director,

said that aside from the for-

mation of the PNP Bicol TaskForce Papal Visit, a three-bat-

talion Bicol police contingent

to reinforce the PNP Region

8 force, they have also been

preparing security for devo-

tees going to Tacloban by land

through the Bicol Region.

For instance, it has estab-

lished Motorist Assistance

Centers (MAC) in police

stations along the Maharlika

Highway -- from Tabogon,

Daet, Camarines Norte, to

Matnog, Sorsogon.

Deona also instructed Sr.

Supt. Bernie Banac, PNP

Sorsogon provincial director,

to re-implement controlledpoints in Sorsogon City, Iro-

sin, Juban, Casiguran and

Matnog.

The move aims to avoid

long lines of vehicles that will

go to Samar and Leyte via the (Turn to page 9)

By ANA-LIZA S. MACATANGAY

PILI, Camarines Sur

--- Allowing the power of

transparency and the work

of technology to take its

course while realizing its vi-

sion for a more progressivePili, Mayor Alexis San Luis

recently inked a Memoran-

dum of Agreement (MOA)

with the Land Bank of the

Philippines (LBP) and Phil-

ippine Payments and Clear-

ing Systems (PhilPaCS) for

the full automation of its

operations with online pay-

ment capability.

The Capital town of Pili

will be the rst Local Govern-

ment Unit in the country that

will be using the said tech-

nology a great leap in local

governance using the latest

breakthrough in technology.

In an interview, San Luisdivulged the benets that the

automation will bring to the

LGU, particularly to its con-

stituents.

By EMMANUEL P. SOLIS

LEGAZPI CITY -- De-

spite the small area of ag-

ricultural lands in this fast-

developing city, the City

Agriculture Ofce has re-

corded 34.17-percent rice-

sufciency level in 2014, 32

percent higher than in 2013.

City Agriculturist JesusKallos said in an interview

Wednesday that this improve-

ment was the result of the

strong support to the agricul-

tural sector by Mayor Noel E.

Rosal, the Department of Ag-

riculture (DA) and the Nation-

al Irrigation Authority (NIA).

Kallos said this achieve-

ment can be attributed to the

maximization of the use of

rice eld areas and the appli-

cation of rice farming tech-

nology through proper land

and water management, the

usage of high-quality hybrid

rice seedlings, post-harvest

facilities, fertilizer manage-ment and conduct of several

training sessions and seminars

on the best farming strategy

participated in by the mem-

bers of the citys farmers or-

ganizations.

We are looking forward

into enhancing the lives of

our people and making things

easier and convenient to ev-eryone. This will enable the

LGU to be competitive, trans-

parent, more efcient in its

operations and servicing of

its citizens and attuned to the

call of the ASEAN Economic

integration.

San Luis said that everydepartment is connected to a

server through the Executive

or the automated local gov-

ernment suite where all the

transactions will be posted in

real time and can be accessed

by him anytime, anywhere.

This will give him up to dateinformation regarding the

LGUs dealings even if hes

out of town attending other

He said the citys hybrid

rice program has a separate

budget of Php1 million spent

in every cropping cycle.

The budget is for the pur-

chase of high-quality seeds,

fertilizers and other agricul-

tural inputs used by the farm-

ers.

In December last year,

Rosal turned over three com-plete sets of farm tractor, two

threshers with accessories and

irrigation pumps that will be

used to facilitate the farming

activities of the farmers in or-

der to produce more agricul-

tural products.

This aims to ensure that

local foods and other agricul-

tural commodities are always

available and affordable for

the daily consumption of the

people in the community,

Kallos said.

He revealed that the pur-

chase of farm machineries

was part of the Php1 million

cash reward given by theDepartment Agriculture dur-

ing the 2013 Rice Achiever

Award, with the City Govern-

ment of Legazpi as among the

winners.

The DA Bicol Regional

Ofce turned over last year to

the City Administration Php4

million for the construction

of a farm-to-market road in

the southern village of Cagba-

cong to hasten the transport of

agricultural products from the

villages down to the commer-

cial site of this city.

A 75-hectare vacant area

in that place is now on theCAOs drawing board to be

developed into rice eld, Kal-

los pointed out.

The city agriculturist said

the DA also distributed last

year to the citys farmers or-

ganizations three threshers,

three tractors and other farm

machineries to help them in

their daily farming activities.

The NIA has also made a

strong support to the citys ag-

ricultural sector that resulted

in the completion of six irri-

gation projects in the identi-

ed rice areas in the villages

of Tamaoyan, San Joaquin,

Maslog, Bagong Abre, Ban-querohan and San Francisco.

The projects materialized

through the counter-parting

agreement between the City

Government of Legazpi and

the NIA.

Kallos said one of the best

practices of his ofce was the

very good collaboration of the

farmers organizations and the

city administration.

Almost all the projects

of this ofce came from the

recommendations and sug-

gestions of the farmers and

all of these were submitted to

the Ofce of the City ChiefExecutive and to the DA, he

added.

To address the high cost of

fertilizers, Kallos said his of-

ce entered into an agreement

with the ELR Corp. for the

manufacture of organic input

and that the rst 100 bags of

this organic fertilizer will be

given on Jan. 27.

This program would reduce

the usage of inorganic fertil-

izers and enable the farmers

to spend less in their farming

activities.

ELR Corp. is based in Sci-

ence City of Munoz, Nueva

Ecija and is now recognizedas one of top producers of

organic fertilizers being ex-

ported to China, Korea, Viet-

nam, United States, Indone-

sia, Malaysia, Japan and other

countries.

(Turn to page 4)

Matnog port and ensure the

security of the commuting

public and motorists who will

surely ock to Leyte to havea glimpse of the Holy Father

of the Catholics for their once-

in-a-lifetime experience.

Deona underscored the im-

portance of controlled points

in Sorsogon province for the

comfort of the travelers as

these facilities will have facil-

ities like comfort rooms and

eateries.

This, he said, was done

when super typhoon "Yo-

landa" hit Samar and Leyte.

Banac said his men are all

ready for the important occa-

sion, although, he said, there

are not much passengers trav-

elling yet.At peak season, however,

there are about 600 vehicles

and 5,000 passengers that

crowd at the Matnog Port.

He expects this number to


4/10

BIKOL REPORTER4 JANUARY 11-17, 2015HALO-HALO

INNER CHESSBY J. HENRY DANICAN

Tano Ta Bikol, Liwat

idto nin pagtulod, pagpapusog asinpagpapatubod nin kalangkawan ninsarong lengwahe, na iyo an Englishasin an Filipino/Tagalog sa ibangmga rehiyonal na lenggwahe. Anresulta iyo an mga namamanwaanan suhay sa saindang banwaan anhawak asin isip.

Kaipuhan lang ini nin desisyonsa parte kan mga paratukdo namaglakaw pa nin sarong milya.Dikit na higos. Sabi ngani kan mgaTsino, an paglakaw sa sanribongpadumanan, minapoon sa enot nalakdang.

Yaon na an literaturang Bikol saagimadmad asin hablon kan nasyon.Prueba digdi iyo si panggana kansarong taon kan limang librongsinurat asin nakasurat sa tataramonna Bikol.

Kaipuhan ta na lang iningandurugan. Sabi ngani kan mgataga-Iriga, if you cannot agwans,better diskans.

Sa ginibong ika-15ng Region VTertiary Schools Press Conferencesa University of Saint Anthony kannakaaging semana, liwat na namanakong nahapot kun tano ta kaipuhanna itulod an pagsurat sa tataramon naBikol.

Siring sa dati, an sakong simbagiyo ta an tataramon ko Bikol asin anlenggwahe, garo ika-duwang kublit. Daiini mahahali sa sakong pagkatao.

Dai ko natatanyog kan mga riparo nadikit naman an mga nagbabarasa ninBikol, katubuan nagta-Tagalog. Maskisoboot an mga paratukdo nadidipisilanna magtukdo sa mother-tongue kayaano daw ngaya kun Filipino/Tagalog oEnglish na lang.

Sa enot, an hapot ko man siring sahapot kadto kan sarong aktibistangtaga-UP, kun bako kita, siisay?Kun bako ngonyan, nuarin? Siisaymataram asin maataman kan satongsadiring tataramon kun bako kita. Nuarinpa man kita maataman kaini kundi

ngonyan nganing dai ini magresultasa sinasabing language erasure, opagkapara.

Bakong rason an kadipisilan na daina magtukdo. Dai ako nagtutubod naan sarong Bikolnon na paratukdo nanagtataram nin Bikol madidipisilan naitukdo ini. An saindang kadipisilan yaonsa pag-iisip ninda. Bunga sinda kanpalpak na bilingual educational systemkan panahon ni Marcos. Panahon

PAMA-AN

Aroaldaw akong minatingagNi JUSAN MISOLAS*

Sa paglaom na ika yaon sa itaas

kan sakuyang mga mata,sa kalangitan na saimong itinuga

na papadumanan ko sa huring aldaw.

Sinasabat ako nin mga pananguron

na nagriribay-ribay lalawgon:

Aki na may darang tsupon,

kuneho na mabarahibuhon,

kenkoy na nadalan sa telebisyon,

gurang na mabarbason.

Anas puti, garo mga halang na kayo

na pigpapalid nin duros.

Tinutukdo ko ini sa dawa sisay

na sakong mahiling, uy, hilnga ito!

Dangan maribay sinda nin lawog

na garo baga ako sana an gustong pahil'ngan.

Hain man? Tinutukdo ko

hasta madutaan sinda kan sakong muro,

ngarig dai na sinda

makaribay pa nin lawog.

Si Jusan nagaadal saAteneo de Naga, asin aktibo sapagpakarhay kan Rimpos LiteraryFolio asin sa Ateneo Literary

Association.

ofcial concerns.

The online payment ca-

pability feature of the auto-

mation will make payment

schemes more convenient by

using its online features. Resi-

dents of Pili who have migrat-

ed to other countries but still

maintain their properties in

this town, can now pay their

taxes without the hassle of

going through the process of

bank transfers or similar pay-

ing scheme. Booking of tick-

ets and similar transactions

can already be done without

the annoyance of queuing inairlines ofces.

South Luzon Lending

Group First Vice President

PILI TO AUTOMATE . . .

Daisy Macalino and South-

east Luzon Branches Group

Assistant Vice President

Marilou Villlafranca who

were both present during the

MOA signing in Manila last

December 17 lauded San

Luis vision of enhancing its

services and vowed to assist

and provide the banks prod-

ucts and services to the LGU

as its partner.

The agreement will not

just provide transparency of

the LGUs projects but also

the utilization of funds, ow

of inventory and even ap-proval tracking. The auto-

mated system of the LGU is

accessible via internet online

and has a cross-platform ca-

pability where citizens can

view the ow of processes of

their municipality using their

available gadget desktop

computers, laptops, tablets,

and even mobile phones,

San Luis added.

It will also be advanta-

geous on the part of the LGU

since it can easily log on to

the website, have their docu-

ments led, taxes and fees as-

sessed, and obligations paid

without leaving the comforts

of their home or ofce. Pay-

ments can be done using ac-

credited banks and directlydeposited to the LGU Land-

Bank account.

The system also provides

the efciency of a fully-in-

tegrated system where each

completed transaction is di-

rectly logged to the munici-

palitys treasury and logged

in the accounting records in

real time.

The towns constituents

can view the latest municipal

resolutions since they are also

published online. The docu-

ments can also be tracked for

approval purposes.

San Luis capped the good

news by saying that the pos-

sibilities of more efciencies

and technology advancement

for the municipality are lim-ited only by the innovation in

the minds of its implementers

and users.

The in thing today in the Department of Education isK-12. It is a most welcome innovation in the Philippineeducational system. No wonder, it is getting a lot ofpositive feedbacks. Now, we are getting ready to facethe world very competitively in terms of employmentopportunities globally.

Never mind if Mother Tongue is used as a medium ofinstruction. But there is simply no way of putting Englishon the sides. That Filipinos speak good English has

always been a source of pride especially to those whoare working outside the country and in local multinationalcorporations. We have many prominent writers in Englishthat have established a niche in literature some of whichhave been published in world anthologies.

So, we continue to hone our English prociency. Wecontinue to develop our students ability to speak andwrite correct English. We encourage them to read greatbooks in English, the classics for example. Many a writerwho have been recognized for their literary output talk ofreading Shakespeare in English, Homer in English, thebiographies of the Greek playwrights, Omar KhayyamsRubaiyat all these in English. So, unless we continueto sharpen our ability to put English into our system andencourage our students to grow with the language, theywould lose the opportunity to admire the works of theliterary masters and life would not be fullling for them.

It does not mean that we put aside our own. Let usnot, however, forget that we have a national languagewhich is Filioino. We have our local dialects andlanguages that are beautifully written and read.

Today, our Bicol literature is already considered adeveloped literature in the country as there are manyprominent Bicol literary writers, two of whom are FrankPeones and Kristian Cordero. May your tribe increase!

K-12 is going to bring us the fulllment of our dreamto wave high amidst the global competition in the pursuitof better employment opportunities.

K-12, Yes. But English is Still it.

adjotant


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Republic of the PhilippinesTanggapan ng Sangguniang Panlungsod

J. Miranda Ave., City Hall, City of Naga

(472-7919 473-2049 473-2051

ORDINANCE NO. 2014-085VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

AN ORDINANCE CONSOLIDATING THE SENIOR CITIZENS ORDINANCES

NOS. 1992-042, 1992-049, 2002-017, 2006-70, 2010-066, 2011-018, 2013-036,2013-054, AND 2014-034, RESOLUTION NO. 2010-340 AND INTEGRATINGTHEREIN THE SENIOR CITIZENS MONTH EXECUTIVE ORDER 2006-016,AMENDING SOME SECTIONS IN THE PROCESS

Author: Hon. Esteban Greg R. Abonal III Co-sponsor: Hon. Jose A. Tuason

EXPLANATORY NOTE

After the enactment of R.A. 7432 known as An Act to Maximize theContribution of Senior Citizens to Nation Building, Grant Benets and Special

Privileges and for Other Purposes four more related laws were adopted.Immediately after the promulgation of the rst senior citizens law, the City

of Naga likewise legislated Ordinance No. 1992-042 creating the Ofce of the

Senior Citizens Affairs. Then followed several related or amendment ordinances,supplemented by a resolution and an executive order, to wit: No. 1992-049, AnOrdinance Granting Discounted Fares to Senior Citizens in Common CarriersOperating in the City of Naga; No. 2002-017, An Ordinance Appropriating the

Amount of One Hundred Thousand (P100,000) Pesos out of the Unappropriated

Surplus for the Year 2001 to Cover the Death Assistance to Afliated Senior

Citizens of the City of Naga at One Thousand (P1,000) Pesos per Beneciary; No.

2006-70, An Ordinance Creating the Ofce for the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA)

Headed by a Senior Citizen in the City of Naga as Mandated by R.A. 9257; No.

2008-091, An Ordinance Establishing a Cash Assistance for Death Expenses forSenior Citizens of the City of Naga; No. 2010-066, An Ordinance Mandating anIncreased Budget Allocation for Senior Citizens and Persons with Disability (PWDS),

Allocating No Less Than One Percent (1%) of City and Barangay Budgets for EachSector, and Requiring Implementation Beginning Year 2011; No. 2011-018, AnOrdinance Implementing Extra Privileges to Senior Citizens in Naga City; No. 2013-036, An Ordinance Establishing a Trust Fund for the Ofce for Senior Citizens

Affairs (OSCA) in the City of Naga; No 2013-054, An Ordinance Prescribing theReplacement of Senior Citizens Lost/Worn-out and Mutilated IDs and PurchaseBooklets for Medicines and Prime Commodities and Prescribing Fees Thereof;and, No. 2014-034, An Ordinance Amending Section 2 or Ordinance No. 2008-091,

Entitled: An Ordinance Establishing a Cash Assistance for Death Expenses forSenior Citizens of the City of Naga by Increasing the Cash Assistance from TwoThousand (P2,000.00) Pesos to Three Thousand (P3,000.00) Pesos.

This ordinance consolidates these ordinances and integrates the resolutionand executive order all for the purpose of easy reference. Be it ordained by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Naga, that :

SECTION 1. Title. This ordinance shall be known as the ConsolidatedSenior Citizens Ordinances.

SECTION 2. Adoption of Policies and Objectives. The City of Nagahereby adopts the declared policies and objectives in Section 2 of R.A. 9994,otherwise known as An Act Granting Additional Benets and Privileges to Senior

Citizens, Further Amending Republic Act No. 7432, as Amended, Otherwise Knownas An Act to Maximize the Contribution of Senior Citizens to Nation Building, GrantBenets and Special Privileges and for Other Purposes, more specically :

a. To establish mechanisms whereby the contributions of the senior citizensmay be maximized;

b. To adopt measures whereby our senior citizens are assisted and appreciatedby the community as a whole;

c. To establish a program benecial to senior citizens, their families, and the

rest of the community they serve;d. To establish community-based health and rehabilitation programs for senior

citizens in every political unit of society.

SECTION 3. Additional Privileges and Responsibilities. In addition tothe benets and privileges enumerated in Section 4 of R.A. 9994,

a. All senior citizens shall be entitled to the following benets and privileges:

1) Comfortable seats in public conveyances, e.g. buses, vans, jeepneys,tricycles

2) Priority in services in restaurants, groceries, markets,3) Free movie once a week at the designated theater and at the designated

date and time4) Financial assistance of Three Thousand Pesos (P3,000) to the family

for the death of an afliated senior citizen

b. In this regard, the management of establishments shall assume the

following responsibilities:1) Where customers must queue for service, as in fast food centers or

payment counters, to provide marked lanes that shall give priority tosenior citizens;

2) In restaurants and on buses, to reserve seats most convenient forentrance and exit or for embarking and disembarking;

3) In dealing with senior citizens, to extend the utmost patience and duerespect.

SECTION 4. Senior Citizens Coordinating and Monitoring Board.Pursuant to Rule VIII, Section 5 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR)of R.A. 9994, there shall be a mechanism on the implementation of R.A. 9994 to beknown as the Senior Citizens Coordinating and Monitoring Board (SCCMB).

a. The SCCMB shall be composed of: the Social Welfare and DevelopmentOfcer as Chairman; the Department of Interior and Local Government

(DILG) Ofcer as Vice-Chairman; and as members: the Head of the OSCA,

the City Legal Ofcer, the City Health Ofcer, the Department of Trade

and Industry (DTI) Field Ofcer, and the Representative of the Naga City

Peoples Council.b. The SCCMB shall have the following duties and functions:

1) To formulate a City Plan of Activities for Senior Citizens, in coordinationwith the City Government, the Social Welfare and Development Ofce

and Stakeholders;

2) To develop an effective monitoring and reporting system toward efcientand uniform implementation of the law;

3) To develop and institute effective and innovative approaches andmethods to address emerging concerns of the senior citizens;

4) To coordinate the programs and projects of the City Government withresponsibilities under R.A. 9994 and its IRR;

5) To monitor the conduct of orientation, training and other capabilitybuilding programs to maximize the contributions and participation ofthe senior citizens;

6) To coordinate the conduct and evaluation of the plan of action, researchand documentation of good practices and disparities for policy andprogram development; and

7) To prepare a yearly report for the City Mayor and concerned localgovernment units.

c. The SCCMB shall meet at least quarterly to promulgate policies, rules andregulations, and resolve issues complaints and other concerns related tosenior citizens affairs.

d. The SCCMB shall use part of the special purpose appropriation for thesenior citizens budgeted for operation and implementation of its functions.e. The OSCA shall serve as the SCCMB secretariat.

SECTION 5. Ofce of the Senior Citizens Affairs. Pursuant to Section 6of R.A. 9994, there shall be the Ofce of the Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA).

a. The head of the OSCA shall be a senior citizen chosen from a list of three(3) nominees of the general assembly of the accredited senior citizensassociation of Naga City. He shall be selected and appointed by the City

Mayor for a single term of three (3) years without prejudice to an extensionif exigency so requires. During his term, he may not be removed exceptfor reason of death, permanent disability or ineffective performance of hisduties to the detriment of fellow senior citizens.

b. The OSCA shall serve the interest of the senior citizens and shallfunction:1) To plan, implement and monitor yearly work programs in pursuance of

the objectives of this ordinance;2) To draw up a list of available and required services which can be

provided by senior citizens.3) To maintain and regularly update on a quarterly basis the Senior Citizens

Master List and to issue, free of charge for the rst instance, the Senior

Citizen Ofcial Identication Card (ID) and Purchase Booklet which

shall be valid anywhere in the country but shall be distinguishably forNaga City senior citizens.

4) To serve as a general information and liaison center to serve the needsof the senior citizens;

5) To monitor compliance of the provisions of this ordinance and othernational laws, particularly the grant of special discount and privilegesto senior citizens;

6) To report to the City Mayor, individuals but especially establishmentfound violating any provision of this ordinance and applicable nationallaws; and

7) To assist the Senior Citizens in ling complaints or charges against any

establishment, institution, or any agency refusing to comply with theprivileges under R.A. No. 9257 before the Department of Justice or thecity or regional trial court

c. All salaries and wages of items created under this ordinance as well asmaintenance and other operating expenses shall have their own budgetaryallocation in the annual Local Expenditure Program.

d. No less than one percent (1%) each of the city and of the barangay annualbudgets shall be allocated for benets, plans, programs, and activities of

the senior citizens either organized, implemented, and/or sanctioned by theOSCA and/or by other General Administrative, Social, Economic Servicesdepartments/ofces of Naga City or, in the barangay level, by the BASCA

and/or by the Senior Citizens Committee of the Barangay Council.e. All fund disbursements for various plans, programs, and activities for

the benet of the senior citizens shall be based on a Work and Financial

Plan duly endorsed by the Sangguniang Barangay or the OSCA and dulyapproved by the Punong Barangay, or by the City Mayor, as the case maybe.

f. One Hundred Pesos (P100.00) shall be charged for replacement of lost/

worn-out/mutilated ID and Twenty-Five Pesos (P25.00) for replacement oflost or lled-up Purchase Booklet. An Afdavit of Loss shall be required

for replacement of lost ID or Purchase Booklet and that payment shall bemade at the Treasurers Ofce.

SECTION 6. Senior Citizens Associations. Even as City Hall ofcials andofces respond to individual needs of senior citizens, the OSCA shall coordinate

and assist in organized efforts by organized senior citizens associations.a. There shall be one (1) Barangay Association of Senior Citizens Affairs

(BASCA) in each of the twenty-seven (27) barangays of Naga City andshall hold ofce in their respective barangay halls.

b. The Naga City Senior Citizens Federation, Inc. (NCSCFI) shall be recognizedas the ofcial umbrella organization of all the BASCAs in the city.

c. Each BASCA shall submit to its respective Punong Barangay its annualplans and requests for budgetary assistance from the barangay.


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BIKOL REPORTER6 JANUARY 11-17, 2015

d. The NCSCFI shall collate its own as well as all BASCA annual plans andrequests for budgetary assistance from the City Government and submitthe same to OSCA for consideration and accommodation in time for theannual budgeting process of the City Government in August each year.

SECTION 7. Senior Citizens Month. Septemberis declared as SeniorCitizens Month and the City Senior Citizen Ofcials Program (CSCOP) is adopted,

provided:

a. Composition and Manner of Election

1) There shall be one senior citizen counterpart for the City Mayor, one forthe City Vice-Mayor, twelve counterparts for the City Councilors, onecounterpart for the Sanggunian Secretary, and twelve counterparts fordepartment heads or heads of ofces.

2) The SCCMB shall set the period and guidelines and shall supervisethe election of the City Senior Citizen Ofcials.

3) Each Barangay Association of Senior Citizens Affairs (BASCA) shallsubmit to the SCCMB its single member-nominees Resolution ofNomination and Certicate of Candidacy to OSCA; provided, that any

previous City Senior Citizen Ofcial (CSCO) may be nominated and

serve only up to a second time.4) The Presidents of the twenty-seven Barangay Association of Senior

Citizens Affairs shall elect through secret balloting the full complementof fourteen (14) city ofcials from among the nominees.

5) The candidate with the highest number of votes shall be the City SeniorCitizen Mayor; the second highest, the City Senior Citizen Vice-Mayor;and, the next twelve, the twelve City Senior Citizen Councilors.

6) The Senior Citizen Mayor-elect shall designate remaining BASCAnominees as counterparts for the Sanggunian Secretary and fordepartment heads or heads of ofces.

b) Term of Ofce, Functions, and Honorarium

1) The term of the City Senior Citizen Ofcials shall be from September 1

to 30 each year.2) They shall serve as counterpart of the elected or appointed ofcials

and shall perform similar duties and functions of their counterparts,except matters pertaining to monetary disbursement.

3) Each City Senior Citizen Councilor shall automatically become theChairman, Co-chairman, or Member of the Sangguniang PanlungsodStanding Committee in which the regular City Councilor of whom theformer is the counterpart is the Chairman, Co-chairman, or Member.

4) During the joint session with the regular Sangguniang Panlungsod, theCSCOs shall participate in the deliberations but shall have no votingpower.

5) Aside from the joint session, the CSCOs shall schedule a separate dayfor their regular session to deliberate on matters for proposal to theSanggunian.

6) At the end of their term, the Senior Citizen City Mayor shall conveneall the elected and appointed CSCOs for an evaluation of their CSCOPand submit the evaluation report to the City Mayor, the SangguniangPanlungsod, and the OSCA.

7) All CSCOs shall receive honorarium on a daily wage basis.

SECTION 8. OSCA Trust Fund.

a. The OSCA Trust Fund is created and maintained at the Treasurers Ofce to

provide additional nancial and/or material aid to senior citizens for health

care and rehabilitation system for the disabled senior citizens and extendassistance to the needs of the underprivileged, sick, and incapacitatedelderly and give full support to the improvement of the well-being of theelderly.

b. To this OSCA Trust Fund shall be paid/deposited all payments forreplacement of IDs and Purchase Booklets, donations from individualsor institutions, earnings from income-generating activities and projectsundertaken by the OSCA, and savings from externally-funded activities.

c. This OSCA Trust Fund shall be managed by Trustees that by resolutionshall approve disbursements for full and exclusive assistance to seniorcitizens in need and shall require annual audit of the same. The Trusteesshall include:1) City Mayor Chairman2) OSCA Head Vice-Chairman

3) Sangguniang Panlungsod Chairman of the Committee on SeniorCitizens Member

4) City Treasurer Member5) NCSCFI President Member

SECTION 9. Penalties and Other Sanctionsa. The following acts concerning drug and medicine purchases are considered

violations of the ordinance:

1) A Senior Citizen or his/her representative or a person misusing theprivileges by:

a) using several purchase booklets,

b) availing of the discount to buy medicines, drugs, medical accessoriesand supplies not for the use of the senior citizen,

c) unauthorized use of the identication card of the senior citizen.

2) A medical practitioner giving prescription to other persons in the nameof the senior citizen or giving anomalous prescription.

3) Retailers and establishments dispensing medicines:

a) refusing to grant the full 20% senior citizens discount and VATexemption on drug and medicine purchases paid via credit card,

b) making a distinction between branded and generic drugs andmedicines in giving the 20% discount,

c) posting notices and signages telling customers that availment of the20% discount is limited to cash purchases only,

d) limiting of discountable drug and medicine purchases to certainweekdays only, such that senior citizens cannot avail of the 20%discount on other days, and e) restricting the purchase time or periodfor senior citizens to a particular hour each day only, i.e. refusing togrant senior citizen discounts after a certain hour.

b. The following acts concerning food purchases are considered violations ofthe provisions of the ordinance:

1) Pegging a maximum amount of food purchase subject to 20% discountand the VAT exemption, and/or posting of notice to that effect;

2) Refusal to grant the 20% discount and VAT exemption on take-out /take-home / drive-thru orders it appearing that the purchase is for theexclusive use and enjoyment of senior citizens;

3) Refusal to grant a discount for credit card payments; and

4) Refusal to grant a 20% discount and VAT exemption on delivery ordersit appearing that the purchase is for the exclusive use and enjoymentof senior citizens.

c. Any person who refuses to honor the senior citizen card or violatesany provision of the ordinance shall suffer the following penalties: OneThousand Pesos (P1,000) for the First Offense, Three Thousand Pesos(P3,000) for the Second Offense, and Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000) forthe Third Offense and every succeeding offense thereafter.

d. If the offender is a corporation, partnership, organization or any similarentity, the ofcials thereof directly involved such as the president, general

manager, managing partner, or such other ofcer charged with the

management of the business affairs shall be liable.e. Provided, however, that any person/establishment charged with violation

of any of the provisions of this ordinance and does not wish to contest

the charge(s) and is willing to pay the ne voluntarily prior to the ling ofcharges before the proper Court shall be allowed to pay the correspondingne at the City Treasurers Ofce to avoid criminal prosecution within twelve

(12) hours from apprehension; otherwise, the case shall be prosecuted.f. Upon ling of an appropriate complaint, and after due notice and hearing,

the proper authorities may also cause the cancellation or revocation of thebusiness permit, permit to operate, franchise and other similar privilegesgranted to any person, establishment or business entity that fails to abide bythe provisions of the Act, the Implementing Rules, and/or this ordinance.

SECTION 10. Separability Clause. Any provision of this ordinance foundto be in violation of the Constitution or declared invalid by a competent court shallnot impair the other provisions or parts thereof and shall continue to be in force andin effect.

SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. Ordinances, rules and regulations orparts thereof which are inconsistent or in conict with provisions of this ordinance

are hereby repealed. Likewise, all previous senior citizen ordinances particularly,except for the persons with disabilities (PWD) provisions in Ordinance No. 2010-

066, are hereby repealed.

SECTION 12. Effectivity. This ordinance shall become effectiveimmediately upon approval.

ENACTED: December 19, 2014

APPROVED: January 5, 2015xxx xxx xxx

WE HEREBY CERTIFYto the correctness of the foregoing ordinance.

(Sgd.) GIL A. DE LA TORRE

Secretary to theSangguniang Panlungsod

(Sgd.) GABRIEL H. BORDADO JR. City Councilor &

Temporary Presiding Ofcer

(Sgd.) NELSON S. LEGACION City Vice Mayor

CONCURRED:

(Sgd.) JOHN G. BONGAT City MayorBIKOL REPORTERPublished: January 11, 2015


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HOMAR MURILLO

Understanding Scientic

Hypothesis, Theory and LawThe terms hypothesis, theory and law have precise meanings

when used in science. Generally speaking, these terms all tryto provide reasonable descriptive statements about specicphenomena. The big difference, however, is the levels ofcondence attributed to these terms.

The levels of scientic condence are based on the reliability

of predicted result as veried by independent experiments.Hypotheses typically have the lowest scientic condence while

theories and laws have the highest levels of scientic condencebecause they are well-tested and peer-reviewed by scientists.

Contrary to common understanding, hypothesis, theory andlaw do not necessarily imply a continuum. A hypothesis doesnot always graduate into theory or law. Similarly, a law is notnecessarily more well-established than a theory.

Hypothesis

A scientic hypothesis is a tentative explanation about aparticular phenomenon, set of observable facts or implicationsthat remains to be tested. It could be derived either throughdeductive or inductive reasoning based on previous observationsand established scientic theories or laws. Multiple hypothesescan also be proposed, rened and combined to provide amore coherent and comprehensive explanation. This typicallybecomes a working hypothesis, which is a provisionally acceptedhypothesis that is subject to further research.

According to Schick and Vaughn, scientists who areevaluating and comparing various hypotheses should take intoconsideration the following criteria:

1.)Testability or falsiability2.) Parsimony or the application of Occam's razor3.) Scope the apparent application of the hypothesis to

multiple cases of phenomena4.) Fruitfulness the prospect that a hypothesis may explain

further phenomena in the future5.) Conservatism the degree of "t" with exist ing recognized

knowledge-systems

Scientic hypotheses typically have high mortality whenthey are subjected to a barrage of tests. Very few hypothesessurvive to be accepted as factual. Most hypotheses do not leadto breakthroughs even if they become a well-established fact. Ahypothesis could be as mundane and narrow as explaining whythere is a mold growth in a supposedly sterilized agar mediumin a Petri dish or it could be a grand and complex as explaininghow it is possible for biological life to arise from simple organicmolecules.

TheoryContrary to common notion, a scientic theory is not a merely

speculative explanation. A scientic theory is rigorously testedto the point that it becomes a very reliable and comprehensiveexplanation about some aspects of nature. A theory is well-supported by a vast body of evidence that typically comes frommultidisciplinary approach. The tests for the validity of a scientictheory are independently done by various experts in a particulareld of inquiry, complying with the strictest scientic protocolsand other criteria of modern science. A theory is proposed ina way that it can either be empirically veried or contradicted

(falsied).Scientic theories have the characteristics of being capable

of providing accurate predictions. In contrast to hypotheses,which are empirically testable conjectures, theories havealready undergone and survived several empirical tests done byindependent scientists.

Theories may either be modied in the light of additionalevidence or they may be integrated with other theories to form asynthesis such as such as in the case of the modern synthesisof genetics with the Darwinian Theory of evolution throughnatural selection. Very few theories well-established theories arecompletely overthrown.

Historically speaking, few paradigms shifts or scienticrevolutions had completely overthrown well-established theories.Some common examples include the following: geocentrictheory overthrown by heliocentric theory, absolute space-timetheory overthrown by relativity theory, and steady state theoryoverthrown by the big bang theory.

LawA scientic law is similar to a scientic theory in terms of

empirical support and wide acceptability among the experts in aparticular eld. However, the main differences of a scientic lawwith a theory include comprehensiveness, predictive capabilityand explanatory ability. Laws and theories are interrelated anddo not have degrees of superiority compared to each other. It isa misconception to assume that a law is more established thana theory.

A law is a descriptive statement about a specic phenomenonwhile a theory is the explanation behind that phenomenon. Inmost cases scientic laws are contained within theories. Forexample, the three Mendelian laws of inheritance are containedwithin the theory of genetics. The Medelian laws describe thephenomenon of inheritance while the genetic theory explains

Email: [email protected]

DPWH-Bicol completes 315 infra projects in 2014By FLOREO G. SOLMIRANO

LEGAZPI CITY -- TheDepartment of Public

Works and Highways Bicol

regional ofce completed

315 infrastructure projects

in the region in 2014, a re-

port released Tuesday by the

agencys Public Information

Ofce said.

The accomplished infra-

structure projects are part of

the 422 projects targeted by

the agency for the year, in-

volving a total allocation of

Php9.19 billion for the Bicol

Region under the DPWH In-

fra Program.

The projects include roads

and bridges, ood control anddrainage, water system, school

buildings, national buildings

and other public infrastructure

projects.

The big chunk of the allo-

cation was for the construction

and rehabilitation of roads and

bridges with Php7.1-billion

share, DPWH Bicol Region-

al Director Melvin B. Navarro

said.

Navarro explained that the

DPWH-Bicol is one of the

key agencies that provide the

infrastructures necessary to

spur the development of the

region.

The regional ofce and its15 district engineering ofces

have facilitated the delivery of

the much-needed infrastruc-

ture services to Bicolanos, he

added.

Other portion of the

Php9.19-billion total alloca-

tion went to ood control and

drainage, Php1.6 billion; wa-

ter system, Php10.5 million;

school buildings, Php14.0

million; national build-

ings, Php297.0 million; and

other public infrastructure,

Php209.1 million.

Water system and schoolbuilding projects have been

fully implemented while oth-

ers are in progress.

One of the remaining not

yet started (NYS) projects

is ready for implementation

while others are still under the

pre-construction activities due

to the delayed pre-detailed en-gineering activities.

Navarro said that aside

from the current infra pro-

gram, his ofce also imple-

mented carry-over projects

under CY2013, CY2012 and

CY2011 infra programs.

For 2013 carry-over proj-

ects, the total accomplishmentin 2014 yearend was 97.04

percent, with one remaining

NYS project under perfec-

tion of contract; while for the

CY2013 carry-over projects,

SM dominated the pres-

tigious Don Emilio AbelloEnergy Efciency Awards

for 2014, getting a total

of forty eight awards, the

most number given to a

company by the award-

giving body.

SM malls, a department

store and two ofce build-

ings were conferred 48

energy efciency awards,

including a Hall of Fame

award for SM Clark.The Don Emilio Abello

Efciency Awards is spear-

headed by the Department

of Energy in recognition to

outstanding companies and

energy managers who have

undertaken energy efcien-

cy and conservation pro-

grams to achieve substantial

savings in their energy con-

sumption.

For being the only Philip-pine company to receive a n

award at the 2014 ASEAN

Best Practice for Energy

Management in Buildings

and Industries, SM City

Davao was given an Award

of Recognition.

SM City Naga was also

given an award of recog-

nition for its entry for the

Energy Efciency and Con-

servation Best PracticesCompetition in the new and

existing buildings category.

Due to energy efciency

programs implemented in

the malls, SM has saved

P320.28 million in electrici-

ty. Thus, adhering to the ca ll

to contribute to the mitiga-

tion of climate change and

the power shortage.

(Turn to page 9)

(Turn to page 8)

TIP OF ANICEBERG


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Balatas Road, Brgy. Balatas, Naga City

NAME OF DECEASED DATE OF INTERMENTFALABI, JACE AMIEL 4-Dec-141.GEREZ, MARIO P. 6-Dec-142.BUEZA, LEONITO B. 9-Dec-143.TUASON, MARILYN L. 9-Dec-144.

POBLETE, MONINA S. 10-Dec-145.ENCINARES, DANTE L. 10-Dec-146.SALES, NORMA C. 16-Dec-147.AZOTILLO, CEASAR A. 17-Dec-148.ARCEGA, REYNALDO S. 19-Dec-149.KATIGBAK, VALENTINA T. 20-Dec-1410.AGNABO, OTILLO C. 21-Dec-1411.VILLAMORA, CLAYTON JERARD B. 23-Dec-1412.VIOLA, SEVERO C. 26-Dec-1413.DE MATTA, VICTOR V 30-Dec-1414.

For DECEMBER

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATENotice is hereby given that the named parties are thesurviving spouse and only child and sole heirs of thedeceased ANDRES BERNALES PEONES who diedintestate in Naga City on August 7, 2014 with no knowndebts or obligations due against the estate, leaving realand personal properties (1/2 of the conjugal properties ofthe decedent) located in Naga City, Sagay and Tigaon,Camarines Sur more particularly described as follows: a)Residential House and Land located at Naga City; b)Toyota Revo (2002 Model) with Plate No. PLW 985;c) Residential and Agricultural lands located at Sagnay andTigaon, Camarines Sur; the parties adjudicate among thethemselves in pro-indiviso equal shares the entire estate

particularly the real property described, in the manner setforth in the Extra-judicial Settlement, as acknowledgedbefore Notary Public Atty. Carlo C. Villanueva, Jr., Doc. No.315, Page No. 63, Book No. 121, Series of 2014.

BIKOL REPORTERPublished: January 4, 11 and 18, 2015

Republic of the PhilippinesLOCAL CIVIL REGISTRY OFFICE

LUPI, Camarines Sur

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

CCE-0001-2015 RA 10172In compliance with the publication requirement and

pursuant to OCRG Memorandum Circular No. 2013-1,Guidelines in the implementation of the AdministrativeOrder No. 1, Series of 2012 (IRR on RA 10172). Notice ishereby served to the public that JUDEL DOGOS BARROGAhas led with this ofce, a petition for correction of entryin the SEX of the Child from FEMALE to MALE in theCerticate of Live Birth of JUDEL DOGOS BARROGA whowas born at Lupi, Camarines Sur and whose parents areSIMON JR. ALIBUZO BARROGA and DELIA DOGOS.

Any person adversely affected by said petition mayle his written opposition with this ofce not later than

January 26, 2015.

(Sgd.) LORNA T. NOVERO-RIEGO Muncipal Civil Registrar

BIKOL REPORTERPublished: JAN. 11 and 18, 2015

Be a REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON and EARN a

substantial income.

APPLY NOW at Estate Quest Realty Services, Bulusan

Street, Dayangdang, Naga City.

Kindly bring your resume.

Interview is being conducted every Saturday.

Please contact Felix G. Morandarte Jr. at 09209099334

for prior appointment.

the project was taken over

late last year by AC, which

vowed to nish it this year.

He is condent the Ayala

company could do it without

hitches, knowing its reputa-

tion as one of the largest in-

tegrated property developers

in Southeast Asia that offers

innovative and sustainable

lifestyle cities with the devel-opment of malls, residences,

ofces, hotels and conven-

tion centers.

With this new billion-peso

investment, the mayor said,

AC joins SM and Robinsons

in the bandwagon of grand

investors in the city that has

been emerging as the new

shopping and investment ha-

ven in Bicol, given its strate-

gic location and its being the

regional government center

and center of transportation,

health services and educa-

tion.

The city boasts of an ex-

pansive market that extendsfrom the entire province of

Albay to the adjoining prov-

inces of Camarines Sur, Cat-

anduanes, Masbate and Sor-

sogon -- up to Samar areas.

Shadowed by the majestic

Mt. Mayon and named the

City of Fun and Adventure

by the worlds travel indus-

try, Legazpi is also the heart

of Albay and Sorsogon tour-

ism.

SM Prime Holdings now

runs its grand Save More

grocery store within the

sprawling City Grand Ter-

minal Complex and has two

branches of its Banco De Oroin the city.

Robinsons, on the other

hand, has its supermarket at

a prime location near the city

hall and the Albay provincial

Capitol as part of one of the

AYALA ENTERS LEGAZPI . . . largest and most successfulchains of malls in the country

today.

The Gokongwei group

also acquired in 2012 the

Legazpi Savings Bank, the

biggest thrift bank in Bicol

based here, from Albay Con-

gressman Al Francis Bichara.

Rosal said both SM and

Robinsons are still lookingfor spacious lands for their

respective plans of putting up

of more commercial estab-

lishments in the city.

We are impressed by this

response of the countrys

leading investors to our call

for investments after the De-

partment of Trade and Indus-

try cited the Legazpi as the

most business-friendly city in

Bicol for its prompt compli-

ance with the governments

simplied Business Permit

and Licensing System, Ro-

sal said.

The Department of Inte-

rior and Local government(DILG) has also named

Legazpi as Bicols most

business-friendly local gov-

ernment unit, citing its ef-

fectiveness and efciency in

paving the way for the place

to become haven of invest-

ments.

The Philippine Chamber

of Commerce and Industry

has recognized the city as the

most business-friendly for

the whole of South Luzon.

The Asian Institute of

Management named Legazpi

as one of the most competi-

tive cities in the Philippines.

Apart from that, the cityis also recognized as one of

the best places of business

process outsourcing outside

Metro Manila when it ad-

vanced in 2011 to the 10 next

wave cities in the countrys

industry list of the Business

Processing Association of the

Philippines.

Early last year, the city

government won its second

Seal of Good Housekeeping

from the DILG for its ex-

cellence in the eld of good

governance measured by

administrative, social, eco-

nomic, environmental andother forms of achieve-

ments that benefited both

the community and its con-

stituents.

It was followed by an

award given by the Nation-

al Disaster risk Reduction

Council and the Department

of National Defense last

March, which honored the

city government as the 2013

national champion in the

Gawad Kalasag Awards.

Last October, the city gov-

ernment was awarded three

more national championship

accolades that came in a row

within a week's timetheMost Livable City Award,

Galing Pook Award and Sil-

ver Governance Trailblazer

Award for excellence in the

implementation of Public

Governance System.

Ahead of SM, Robinsons

and AC, the Gaisano Grand

Group of Companies of the

Cebu-based Gaisano family

has established here the Pa-

cic Mall Legazpi, the rst

full-sized integrated shopping

center in the Bicol Region.The mall, located at a

prime location within an over

two-hectare property, opened

in 2001 as the centerpiece of

the Landco Business Park, a

master-planned central busi-

ness district in the heart of

the city.

AC is pouring in to the city

an initial amount of Php1 bil-

lion for the establishment of

the City Center Mall (CCM)

within a 1.5-hectare land

owned by the city govern-

ment at the heart of the citys

central business district, ac-

cording to City Mayor NoelRosal.

The property has been

leased by the city govern-

ment to Liberty Commercial

Center Inc. (LCCI) of the Tan

family, a Filipino-Chinese

clan from Tabaco City --

some 30 kilometers north of

this city, which pioneered the

putting up of malls here and

most parts of Bicol starting

way back in the late 1970s.

LCCI runs Liberty Com-

mercial Center (LCC) which

has a chain of malls and gro-

cery stores in the city and

several urban centers of the

region.

Under the contract signed

in late 2013 by LCCI with the

city government, the property

is leased for an annual base

rent of Php5.775 million and

pursuant to the express provi-

sion of the Contract of Lease,

the company has paid a Con-struction Performance Bond

in the amount equivalent to

30 percent of the proposed

structures estimated cost in

order to guarantee the full im-

plementation of the project.

The project cost was not

mentioned in the document

covering the contract but

sources said it is to the tune

of about Php1 billion to cover

the development of the site

into a world-class shopping

and lifestyle center featur-

ing a four-level modern mall

building.

Rosal on Thursday said

the total yearend completion

was 97.94 percent, with nine

ongoing projects and one re-

maining NYS that is under

MOA with an LGU and ready

for implementation.

The total yearend perfor-

mance for 2011 carry-overprojects was 94.81 percent,

with two remaining ongoing

projects.

DPWH-BICOL. . .


9/10


All unredeemed items/articles pawned at ASPE IGUAL-DAD PAWNSHOP, Cor. Igualdad Ext. & J. Hernandez Ave.,Igualdad, Naga City, pawned from AUGUST 1-31, 2014 whoseterms have expired will be sold to public auction sale onFEBRUARY 02, 2015 from 9:00 A.M.-12:00 NOON.

Redemption/Renewals of all pledges covered by theabove-mentioned date will be honored until JANUARY 28,2015 only.

THE MANAGEMENTBIKOL REPORTERPublished: JANUARY 11 and 18, 2015


AUCTION SALE/SUBASTA

All unredeemed items/articles pawned at ASPE EXPLOR-ER PAWNSHOP, Ground Floor, Bichara Complex, Abella St.,Igualdad, Naga City, pawned from AUGUST 1-31, 2014 whoseterms have expired will be sold to public auction sale onFEBRUARY 02, 2015 from 9:00 A.M.-12:00 NOON.



NOTICE TO THE PUBLICAUCTION SALE/SUBASTA

All unredeemed items/articles pawned at ASPE SPEEDPAWNSHOP, JR. Bichara Complex, San Antonio Poblacion,Calabanga, Camarines Sur, pawned from AUGUST 1-31, 2014whose terms have expired will be sold to public auction sale

on FEBRUARY 02, 2015 from 9:00 A.M.-12:00 NOON.Redemption/Renewals of all pledges covered by theabove-mentioned date will be honored until JANUARY 28,2015 only.




All unredeemed items/articles pawned at ROWENA ASPEPAWNSHOP, P. Burgos St., corner J. Hernandez Avenue,Naga City, pawned from AUGUST 1-31, 2014 whose termshave expired will be sold to public auction sale on FEBRU-ARY 02, 2015 from 9:00 A.M.-12:00 NOON.


THE MANAGEMENTBIKOL REPORTER

Published: JANUARY 11 and 18, 2015



All unredeemed items/articles pawned at R. M. ASPEPAWNSHOP, Cor. Panganiban & Elias Angeles Street, NagaCity, pawned from AUGUST 1-31, 2014 whose terms haveexpired will be sold to public auction sale on FEBRUARY02, 2015 from 9:00 A.M.-12:00 NOON.





All unredeemed items/articles pawned at ASPE CROWN-JEWEL PAWNSHOP & JEWELRY STORE, Bichara Mall cornerJ. Hernandez & Gen. Luna Sts., Naga City, pawned fromAUGUST 1-31, 2014 whose terms have expired will be soldto public auction sale on FEBRUARY 02, 2015 from 9:00A.M.-12:00 NOON.



NOTICE TO THE PUBLICAUCTION SALE/SUBASTA

triple during the Papal visit in

Tacloban.

Deona has recommended to

the Philippine Ports Authority

and the Maritime Industry Au-

thority to add more trips of sea

transport plying the Matnog and

Bulan ports, both in Sorsogon,

during the visit.

He also plan to meet the De-

partment of Transportation and

Communication family in the

region on this matter.

In a related story, Governor

Joey Sarte Salceda has issued a

no-work order for Capitol em-

ployees and the suspension of

classes at all levels on Jan. 16.

Salceda said his decision

is based on his comprehensive

consultations and collective ap-

praisal with appropriate gov-

ernment agencies like the Bicol

University and the Department

of Education in Albay.

He said 85 percent of Albaya-

nos are Catholic.

PNP-BICOL READIES FOR PAPAL . . .

The governor said he had also

ordered ofcials and employees

of the Provincial Government

of Albay to make adjustments

on their work schedules before

Jan. 16 so as not to jeopardize

the public.

He also requested the Depart-

ment of Public Works and High-

ways and local government units

to temporarily suspend work on

this day so as to clear the route

from Albay to Metro Manila.

The provincial chief executive

noted that in the past 50 years,

this opportunity happened only

between 15-20 years.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime

event," Salceda claimed.

He stressed that not all Al-

bayanos can have the opportu-

nity to visit the Vatican.

"If those in the National Capi-

tal Region or Metro Manila will

have an opportunity to see the

Holy Pope, why deprive the Al-

bayanos of the same privilege,"

the cause and mechanism of inheritance.For example, the rst law of inheritance (Law of Segregation)

states that every individual contains a pair of alleles for eachparticular trait which segregate or separate before cross breedingfor any particular trait and that each parent passes a randomlyselected copy (allele) to its offspring. This is well-established factthat is observable when breeding diploid organisms. However,this law does not explain why it happens or how it happens.

Scientic laws are narrower in scope while theories are muchbroader and comprehensive. For example, the Newtonian law on

universal gravitation does not apply in very strong gravitationalelds such as in the case of black holes. This law may describeplanetary motions and projectile trajectories but does not providean explanation. By comparison, Einsteins special theory ofrelativity does not only account for the planetary motions andprojectile trajectories but explains gravity as the curvature ofspace-time, thereby providing explanation as to how and whythe paths of motions are curved. More precise calculations canalso be made using Einsteins theory.

Philosophical ViewsScientic hypotheses, theories and laws are all based

on empiricism or the idea that a valid test for truth must bebased on sensory experience and evidence. As a branch ofepistemology, science is primarily concerned with veriable andprovable knowledge. Hence, scientic knowledge is a posterioriknowledge.

On a stricter sense, scientic hypotheses, theories andlaws are limited to methodological naturalism. This means thatscience is limited by facts and ideas that can be experimentallytested or empirically observed. It is based on the assumptionthat nature is coherent, consistent and self-explanatory.

On one hand, the logical positivists assume that scienticconcepts in the forms of hypotheses, theories and laws can bededuced based on the axioms of nature. On the other hand,the semantic view assumes that scientic concepts are bothinductive and deductive in nature but only provides models orapproximation of reality rather than revealing the fundamentaland consequential state of nature.

References:

1. http://austringer.net/wp/index.php/2009/07/03/another-look-at-law-and-theory/

2. http://www.livescience.com/21457-what-is-a-law-in-science-denition-of-

scientic-law.html

3. http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/culture-miscellaneous/

difference-between-theory-and-law/

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientic_law

5. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theory

6. Schick, Theodore; Vaughn, Lewis (2002). How to think about weird things:

critical thinking for a New Age. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. ISBN 0-7674-

2048-9.

TIP OF AN ICEBERG . . .

the governor said.

He claimed that amid the tight

security and crowd control to be

enforced along the route of Pope

Francis, everyone has a chance to

have a glimpse of him.

Salceda said many believe

that no one should squander the

opportunity that awaits Albaya-

nos, in particular, and the Filipi-

nos, in general.

He also believes that this op-

portunity will also give way to

the unication of the Filipino na-

tion as one family and one com-

munity.

"The meeting of the Holy Fa-

ther with the youth will be a great

inspiration to them as the hope of

the society," the governor said.

Earlier, it was announced that

the Pope will meet with families

at the Mall of Asia Arena on Jan.

16, and on Jan. 18, Pope Francis

will meet with the youth at the

University of Santo Tomas.

He will lead a Holy Mass at

the Rizal Park.

Search for gender-fair media launchedTo give due recognition

to gender-fair practices in

Movie, Print and Broad-

cast Media, the Gender

Equality Committee (GEC)

has launched a nationwide

search for recipients of the

GAD Transformation and

Institutionalization throughMainstreaming of Pro-

grams, Agenda, Linkages

and Advocacies (GADtim-

pala) Awards.

The GADtimpala Awards

is an incentive awards system

that recognizes the best gen-

der-fair and gender-balanced

media practices.

GEC Chairman, Secre-

tary Sonny Coloma of the

Presidential Communications

Operations Ofce (PCOO),

said the GADtimpala Awards

will help in mainstreaming

the gender equality criteria

of gender balance in content

and programming, gender-fairlanguage, positive portrayal of

women in media and lm and

other works by professionals

and students.

The award has four cat-

egories: Gender-Fair Radio

Program, Gender-Fair TV

Program, Gender-Fair Print

Media, and Gender-Fair Film.

There will be one awardee

for each category but special

citations may be given to de-

serving organizations. Each

winner will receive a plaque/

trophy from the Media and

Gender Equality Committee

during the awarding ceremo-

ny, one of the highlights of the

Womens Month Celebrationin March.

The committee launched

the search during the kick-off

of the Philippine Commission

on Womens (PCW) 18-Day

Campaign to End Violence

Against Women (VAW) last

November 25 at the Quezon

City Memorial Circle.

For details on the criteria

for the award, nomination pro-

TERTIARY SCHOOL PRESSCONPIA Provincial Head, Ana-Liza S. Macatangay was the keynotespeaker during the 15th Region V Tertiary Schools PressConference held at the University of Saint Anthony in IrigaCity. Macatangay, who also served as Judge and Lecturer onOpinion and DevCom Writing, is joined by CHED SupervisorDr. Christian Rivero and USANT Vice President for AcademicAffairs, Dr. Domingo R. Ortega Jr.

cess, selection/qualifying pro-

cess and to download the nom-

ination form, log on to PCWs

website http://www.pcw.gov.

ph, or contact the GADtimpa-

la Secretariat at (02) 7358509

or 7351651 loc. 131, or send

an email to [email protected].

ph. The deadline for nomina-

tion is January 30.

The GEC was estab-

lished through Section 19 of

RA 9710 or an Act Provid-

ing for the Magna Carta on

Women, to promote gender

mainstreaming, formulate the

guidelines on gender equality

and Code of Ethics for media,

and monitor and evaluate their

implementation.

The committee is com-

posed of representatives of

the PCOO, PCW, National

Telecommunications Com-

mission (NTC), Movie and

Television Review and Clas-

sification Board (MTRCB),Film Academy of the Phil-

ippines (FAP), Film De-

velopment Council of the

Philippines (FDCP), Optical

Media Board (OMB), Na-

tional Commission for Cul-

ture and the Arts (NCCA),

and womens media NGOs.

-PND


10/10


LEGAZPI CITY --

Residents of seven villag-

es in Guinobatan, Albay,

have complained of ies

coming from a poultryfarm in Barangay Binog-

Flies swarm 7 villages in Guinobatan townBy EDUARDO M. CASULLA

sacan of the same town

that are swarming their

localities, to the detri-

ment of their health.

The PNA learned that theresidents have complained of

the situation since October

2014 yet.

They claimed they could

not eat well due to the bad

smell emitted by the poultry

farm, posing danger to their

health.

Even village ofcials could

not help advising their constit-

uents to just catch the ies and

decimate them.

Guinobatan Mayor Ann

Gemma Ongjoco said she

already warned the owner

of the poultry farm, who

has promised to do some-

thing about the problem but

begged not to close h is busi-

ness as he had poured mil-

lions of investments into the

proje ct.

The local government unit

had suspended operation of the

poultry farm for three months

last year but it later allowed

the business to resume opera-

tion after its owner promised

to do something about the situ-

ation.

Then ies also resumed in-

festing the surroundings of the

farm. --PNA