EDC distributes school supplies to 5,300 pupils in 14 host communities

by Irma A. Guhit

Sorsogon City, June 17 (PIA) – "We have just completed last week the distribution of school supplies to 5,300 elementary school pupils in our 14 host communities here in Sorsogon and Manito , Albay amounting to almost Php 900.000.00 plus", Mr. Eduardo Jimenez", head of the Energy Development Corporation - Community Partnerships Department (EDC-CPD) said in an interview conducted by the Chair of the Information Education Campaign  Committee (IECC) during the regular quarterly  monitoring this week of the Bacon - Manito Geothermal Multipartite Monitoring Team (BMGMMT) of the EDCs' operations here.

Mr Dante Gabad, in charge of the Education Component of the EDC-CPD Corporate Social Responsibility Program said that the pupils including Day Care and Kinder who received the school supplies were from the 14 host communities of EDC.

"We have distributed the school supplies as early as June 6 during the opening of the school classes this year. Only this week we have completed the distribution to all the pupils in our 14 host communities comprising of  the elementary schools of  Tublijon, Rizal, Bucalbucalan, Benita Delgado Jesalva Memorial Elem School, Capuy and ,Ticol all of the West District here", Gabad said.

"In Bacon District, we also distributed the school supplies to the elementary schools of Tiris, Gajo,Osiao,Gayong and Sto Nino. While in  Manito, Albay the schools in Nagotgot, Manito and Inang Maharang 's distribution were already done also".

EDC is now about ready also to distribute the 4,200 school bags but this will be given primarily to the elementary school pupils only, Gabad explained.

"The distribution of the school bags will be done this last week of June since our supplier was a bit late in their delivery  of this item. The bags should have been distributed together with their school supplies", Gabad expressed.

The company will also shoulder the miscellaneous fees of all these elementary school pupils which will total to almost  one million Php according to Gabad and will be paid this July.

"All the miscellaneous fees of these pupils will be be paid by EDC which inlclude Parent - Teacher Fee (PTA) , Red Cross and  Boy /Girl Scouts contributions ", according to Gabad.

Last summer of this year, the company has also conducted here the yearly summer camp which is now on its 7th year of implementation. It  has a batch of 90 young adults who graduated and again benefited from the education advocacy of the company.

"Hopefully, EDC will be providing these children in our host communities additional benefits next year.Our company  intends to give them the equal opportunity to good education and also lessen the burden of parents when school year begins" Engr. Liberato S. Virata , plant manager and Vice President of EDC also expressed

"It is always a pride and joy that our company heeds the call of partnering in making education the basic thrusts of our company and providing our host communities through their children, the essence of our CSR" Virata stressed. (PIA-Sorsogon)

WoW SME Diskwento Caravan inaabangan na ng mga Sorsoganon

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, June 17 (PIA) – Hindi lamang ang kapistahan ni Sts. Peter and Paul sa darating na June 29, 2011 ang inaabangan ngayon ng mga Sorsoganon kundi maging ang pagdating ng WoW SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) Diskwento Caravan sa susunod na linggo, June 22-23.

Kaugnay nito, abala ngayon ang Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Sorsogon bilang paghahanda kaugnay ng pagiging punong-aabala ng lalawigan sa darating na WoW SME Diskwento Caravan na gaganapin sa Aemilianum College, Inc. grounds, lungsod ng Sorsogon.

Ayon kay DTI Sorsogon Assistant Provincial Director Marnela Hernandez, nasa tatlongdaan limampu ang inaasahan nilang dadalo sa opening ceremonies sa June 22 na magmumula pa sa iba’t-ibang bahagi ng rehiyong Bicol at maging sa labas nito.

Inaasahan din ang pagdalo sa aktibidad ni USec. Merly M. Cruz, ang under Secretary ng DTI – ROG.

Samantala, inaabangan na rin ng mga lalahok ang gagawing Go Negosyo Seminar (NEGOSEM) Provincial Caravan at Project/Factory Visit na gaganapin sa kaparehong araw matapos ang maikling opening program.

Kasabay ng aktibidad ay ang apat na araw na Todo-Todo Diskwento kung saan maaaring makapamili ng mga murang groceries, school supplies, gulay at iba pang mga agricultural products. (PIA Sorsogon)

BIR Sorsogon naghayag ng kanilang posisyon ukol sa tax exemption

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, June 17 (PIA) – Dapat na bigyan ng kaukulang exemption ang sinumang tax payer na kwalipikado lamang ayon sa itinatakda ng batas.

Ito ang posisyon ng Bureau of Internal Revenue sa panukala ng mga tricycle operators at drivers na pumapasada dito sa lungsod ng Sorsogon na ma-exempt sila sa pagababayad ng percentage tax.

Matatandaang suportado ni Sorsogon City Councilor at Committee Chair on Transportation ng Sangguniang Panlungsod Victorino Daria III ang mga operators at tsuper ng traysikel sa lungsod na payagan ng BIR Sorsogon ang kanilang hiling na tax exemption, matapos na aprubahan ng konseho ang isang resolusyon sa nakalipas na regular na sesyon ng Fourth City Council noong June 7, 2011.

Ayon kay BIR Sorsogon Revenue District Officer Ma. Thelma Pulhin, wala silang makikitang suliranin sa inaprubahang resolusyon kung matutukoy nito ang mga tricycle operators at drivers na kwalipikado bilang marginal income earners alinsunod sa Revenue Regulations No. 11-2000.

Dagdag pa ni Pulhin na hindi lahat ng operators ng mga traysikel ang makakapasok sa nasabing exemption sapagkat dedepende ito sa kung ilang yunit ng traysikel ang nakarehistro at hindi dapat lalampas sa P100,000 gross receipts ang kita  ng mga ito sa loob ng isang taon.

Nilinaw din ni Pulhin na ang boundary ng mga tsuper na iniintrega sa operators ay hindi dapat kabilang sa kanilang net income at hindi rin kasabay sa percentage tax.

Sa ngayon ay hinihintay pa diumano ni Pulhin sa kaniyang tanggapan ang kopya ng nasabing resolusyon upang mabigyan na ito ng agarang aksyon. (HBinaya/PIA Sorsogon)

Ordinance of Smoke Free Province of Sorsogon on final reading

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY , June 16 (PIA) .....In the Sanggunian Panlalawigan joint committee hearing here held Friday last week, the Ordinance on a Smoke Free Province of Sorsogon was collegially discussed by several member- agencies invited to the meeting.

Hon. Renato D. Guban , principal author , joined in by Hon Eric Ravanilla, member,  Committe on Health, Population and Social Services presented to the body the full text of the ordinance for thorough discussion and deliberation.

Several inputs were provided by Dr. Liduvina Dorion, assistant department head of the Sorsogon Provincial Hospital here.

She  said that this ordinance should really be passed since smoking is a public safety hazard, aside from it is considered a form too of addiction and that this affects more those non-smokers or called passive smokers.  

"A lot of money from government hospitals are spent when this public safety problems can be avoided should those smokers quit smoking", she said.

Dr. Dorion spoke in reference to the many smokers who have been confined in the Sorsogon Provincial Hospital. She said some deaths in the hospital were recorded as caused by smoking.

What is really disheartening she shared is some patients who are confined are non- smokers with failing lungs due to second smoke effect.

Bacon District Sorsogon City Health Officer Dr. Hazel S. Calleja said that Sorsogon City has already implemented its smoke free ordinance and that those who are smoking specially employees were designated an area where to smoke so as not to affect those who are non-smokers.

Meanwhile Engr. Maribeth Fruto, department head  of the Provincial  Environment and Natural Resources  (PENRO) pointed out that the Philippine Clean Air Act was approved in 1999 and not in 2003 as stated in the ordinance and should be corrected/ rectified while  The Tobacco Regulation Act was approved on 2003, otherwise known as Republic Act 8749.

According to the ordinanace it is of public concern that the scientific studies revealed very high statistical findings and data that smoking and the effect of second hand smoke pose serious health hazards to persons who are in the presence of smokers.

The ordinace presented also gave insights on the increasing number of Filipinos each year who die due to tobacco related illness caused by smoking and second smoke due to exposure to smokers.

In  the deliberations it was discussed and emphasized that childrens rights are also violated by parents who smoke inside their house since children can not complain nor reason out with parents who expose them to effects of second smoke.

Children according to Dr. Dorion are also the most vulnerable group exposed to this kind of health hazard and little do parents smoking  know that when these children suffer colds , symptoms of intense coughing and primary complex  these can be attributed also to exposure to second smoke specially if a member within the household is a smoker.

She also expounded that there is a third smoke attribution, these are the residue that has been left to curtains, table clothes and other materials that can accumulate in places where smoking is done.

These can be present in places like restaurants, bars , hotels and closed areas where constant smokers hang on.

The merits of the ordinanace according to those who attended should be thoroughly spelled out in the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) so that the public will be well informed. and this ordinance should it be approved will be well implemented.

Dr. Dorion further stressed that there are a lot of medical practitioners who can now affirm that they have quit smoking and can be best resource on how they could share how they did it.

This ordinance needs to be popularized and given massive information dissemination so that the province of Sorsogon can best become a testimony for good governance practices, according to most of the participants.

The discussion was also focused as to who should monitor its implementation, the sanctions to be imposed and how everyone and all agencies concerned be of assistance to its full implementation.

This ordinance according  SP member Guban is a must in the observance of the Clean Air Act.

Employees are to report those whom they see are smoking and that they will be reprimanded at first offense. Stipulated also are the penalty violation which according to Guban will be reviewed.(PIA-Sorsogon)

Suplay ng bigas sa Sorsogon nananatiling sapat - NFA

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, June 16 (PIA) – Tiniyak ni National Food Authority (NFA) Sorsogon Manager Edna De Guzman na nananatiling sapat ang suplay ng bigas sa lalawigan ng Sorsogon at nananatili pa rin sa P25 hanggang P27 ang halaga ng bawat kilo ng bigas sa mga pamilihan.

Aniya, ito pa rin ang ipinatutupad na patakaran ng NFA Sorsogon upang hindi mabulok ang mga stock nila ng bigas, lalo pa ngayon na dumating na ang alokasyon ng bigas para sa kasalukuyang taon.

Sinabi pa ni De Guzman na mayroong dalawampu’t anim na libong sako ng bigas mula sa Vietnam ang dumating sa rehiyon ng Bicol kung saan limapung libo nito ay nakalaan sa lalawigan ng Sorsogon.

Aminado din si De Guzman na mahigpit nilang ipinatutupad ang “First In, First Out” police dahilan sa sapat pa rin ang stock ng bigas sa lalawigan hanggang sa huling buwan ng taong 2011.

Ang pananatili din diumano ng halaga ng bigas sa P25 hanggang P27 sa mga pamilihan ay dahilan na rin sa magandang produksyon ng palay noong nakaraang anihan. (HBinaya/PIA Sorsogon)