Friday, August 5, 2011

Sorsogon PESO reports updates on special recruitment activity and other programs


by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, AUGUST 5 (PIA)......  A total of 119 overseas employment applicants have been assisted  and recorded by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) here in the province of Sorsogon under the Special Recruitment Activity  (SRA) program for the last quarter of 2010 and first two quarters of 2011.

Lorna B. Hayag, provincial government head of the Human Resources Management Office (HRMO) and at the same time PESO officer of the province, in an interview provided to the Philippine Information Agency office said.

 "A total of 11 Overseas Recruitment Agencies and legitimate ones coordinate with our PESO office here and we provided the public the announcement on what jobs these agencies are looking for," Hayag explained.

"We have also assisted Jobs Fair in coordination with requesting Manila based recruitment  agencies and so far deployment of these workers who applied went to the countries of Qatar, Malaysia, Dubai and Hongkong", she said.


"Here in Sorsogon we have also assisted the employment of almost 83 persons through local employment with the opening here of Mang Inasal, a food chain that hires employees. 24 persons are now employed by the said food chain here", she further explained.

According to Hayag another local employment is the Sunwest Group of Companies with 59 assisted applicants for this two quarters of 2011 and as reported almost a total of 30 were hired.

"Basically the PESO  here has been the recipient of of a provincial, regional and national awards. Last year, Sorsogon has been  the national awardee in the  Search for the Best PESO  during the National Peso Congress" , she said.

This year , the PESO here has been  assisting also the different agencies like the Department of Labor and Employment on trainings like the training on Child Labor Knowledge Sharing System ( CLKSS)

It has also been providing on-going posting online of vacancies and have created the PESO website assistance to the different local government websites.

"Just recently we have a meeting in Catanduanes where we have discussed the guidelines again on the Search for the Best PESO which will be held at Davao during the 11th National PESO Congress and  the province of Sorsogon will again  vie  and hopefully will again win and make it this year f", Hayag said.

 The SRA assistance here, she said has been strengthened through the provincial government leadership and their office i by providing employment interventions mechanisms like the scheduling here of the Mobile Passporting activities. Applicants applying for jobs abroad can now on schedule have their passports filed and assessed and then picked up through the PESO office here in the province.

The PESO here maintains 10 overseas recruitment agencies namely the Nonstop Overseas Employment Corporation, One World Enterprises Network,Novation Resources Philippines,Maanyag International Manpower Corporation,Humania International,First Asia Career Solution,Al Alama International Manpower, First Champion  Corporation and International Corporation.

Hayag said that on a yearly basis, these 10 overseas recruitment agencies at least recruit more than 200 job applicants overseas which they disseminate and assist through the PESO.office.

According to Hayag, the provincial PESO office here  have also been providing all municipal PESOs  continuous information on how they can assist in the Phil-Jobnet Establishment Registration through the  Labor Market Information (LMI).

"We are coordinating with the Sorsogon Technical Educational Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) office here in the  job seeker match  and job vacancies scheme in the creation of more and better job  opportunities", she said.

She also said that in their PESO association quarterly meeting held at Catanduanes last August 2, 2011, the PESO officers passed a resolution for the institutionalization of the all PESO office. The national government allocates funds with a plantilla position for a PESO officer with an independent office… It should not just be a ride on work to the HRMOs", Hayag expressed. (PIA-SORSOGON)

Mga istratehiyang magpapaigting sa kampanya ng Philhealth Registration inilatag


Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, August 5 (PIA) – Matapos ang naging pagtatasa ng magkakatuwang na ahensya sa pagpapatupad ng Philhealth registration, lumalabas na kahit hindi man naabot ng Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) Sorsogon Office ang kanilang target na bilang ng mga nagpatala upang magkaroon ng Philhealth card, naging kapuri-puri naman diumano ang suportang ipinakita ng mga local na pamahalaan ng Sorsogon City at Castilla, Sorsogon.

Kaugnay ng kakulangang ito, naglatag ng ilang mga istratehiyang makapagpapaigting at makakasustini sa pagpapatupad ng tuloy-tuloy na pagpapatala ng mga mamamayan bilang kasapi ng Philhealth.

Ilan sa mga istratehiyang inilatag ng mga kasapi ay ang pagbibigay oryentasyon sa mga kasapi ng media dito sa Sorsogon upang higit na maintindihan ng mga ito ang mga mahahalagang kaalaman ukol sa Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) at mga benepisyo sa pagkakaroon nito at mapalaganap ng tama ang impormasyon sa mga Sorsoganon.

Iminungkahi din ni Department of Education (DepEd) Sorsogon City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Virgilio Real ang pagpapalaganap din ng mga impormasyon at kaalaman sa mga paaralan sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay oryentasyon sa mga tauhan nito sa lungsod at sa buong lalawigan.

Iminungkahi din niya bilang bahagi ng roll out activity ng Provincial Health Team ang pamamahagi ng mga Philhealth forms sa mga paaralan na sinimulan na rin noong July 25, 2011. Aniya, base sa populasyon ng paaralan sa lalawigan, dapat na makapaglabas ang Philhealth ng tatlong libong kopya ng survey forms sa lungsod habang mahigit naman sa isangdaang Philhealth survey forms para sa iba pang bahagi ng lalawigan.

Kailangan din diumanong magtayo ng mga Philhealth Desks (PDs) sa lalawigan at maglagay ng mga Information Education Campaign (IEC) materials at survey forms dito. Target ng mga itong gawin ito sa darating na Agosto 29-31, 2011. 

Maganda rin diumanong maglagay ng mga tarpaulins sa 528 na mga paaralan sa lalawigan para sa karagdagang impormasyon sa publiko.

Ilan pa sa mga istratehiyang gagawin ay ang radio hopping, Parent Teacher Association Conference at regular na koordinasyon sa mga Local Government Units (LGUs) at regular na pagsubaybay, pagtatasa at pagpupulong upang pag-usapan ang kinahinatnan ng mga nagiging aktibidad.

Naghayag naman ng suporta si Philhealth Sorsogon manager Alfredo Jubilo sa lahat ng mga mungkahing inilatag ng bawat kasapi ng grupo at ng Provincial Health Team. (PIA Sorsogon)

ADB-ARCP2 pinatataas pa ang kalidad ng serbisyo sa mga benepisyaryo nito


Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, August 5 (PIA) – Namahagi kamakailan ang mga tauhan ng Asian Development Bank – Agrarian Reform Community Project Part 2 (ADB-ARCP2) ng mga gamit pangsakahan o farm tools sa mga kasapi ng Agro-Enterprise Development (AED) Committee sa mga bayan ng Bulan, Matnog at Irosin.

Ayon kay Fe Bailon, ARCP2 AED coordinator, malaking tulong ang mga naipamahaging kagamitan upang magamit sa demo farm sa tatlong mga bayang ito. Ang pamimigay ng mga kagamitan ay bahagi pa rin ng pagsusumikap ng pamahalaan na mapataas ang antas ng kabuhayan at pagiging produktibo ng mga agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Sinabi naman ni Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) Roseller Olayres, na sinimulan na rin ng Beneficiary Development Coordinating Division kasama ng Administrative and Finance Division ng Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Sorsogon ang pag-dedeliver ng mga kagamitan para sa agarang pagtatayo ng mga demo farm sa bayan ng Matnog, Bulan, Irosin at Castilla.

Matapos ang pamamahagi sa mga bayang ito ay isusunod na rin ang iba pang mga bayan at lungsod sa Sorsogon na benepisyaryo ng ARCP2 sa mga makakatanggap din ng kaparehong mga benepisyo.

Samantala, pinagsusumite naman ng ADB-ARCP2 ang bawat benepisyaryong Local Government Units (LGUs) ng kani-kailang mga comprehensive agrarian reform community development plan bago tuluyang ibigay sa kanila ang pondo para sa kanilang Rural Infrastructure (RI).

Ayon kay PARO OLayres habang hinihintay nila ang agrarian reform community development plan ng mga LGUs ay napagdesisyunan nilang simulan na ang Agro-Enterprise Development (AED) upang kahit papano ay may makita ng epekto ang kanilang mga benepisyaryo.

Matatandaang napagkasunduan ng mga kabilang sa ARCP2 na kung walang rural infrastructure, wala ding Agro-Enterprise Development (AED), subalit mas pinili na rin nila diumanong huwag nang paghintayin pa ang mga benepisyaryo upang magamit na rin nila ito nang wala nang mga kondisyon pang kailangang isa-alang-alang. (AARbolente, DAR/PIA Sorsogon)


Thursday, August 4, 2011

Council for the Protection of Children reviews thrusts and directions of children's programs for Sorsogon


by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, AUGUST 4 (PIA).... In a meeting held here last week of the Sorsogon Council for the Protection of Children (SPCPC) at the Sorsogon Provincial Management Office (PSMO), members of the council reviewed the thrusts and directions of the children's program implemented for the first quarter of 2011 for the province of Sorsogon.

Myra Relativo, assistant provincial department head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) presented the accomplishments of the PCPC for the first quarter of 20ll underscoring that all Day Care Centers operating here in the province should be duly accredited as it is one of the key areas for the evaluation of the Child Friendly Award.

"The thrust and direction of the PCPC is to really develop all municipalities as child friendly focusing on child friendly programs and interventions" Relativo explained.

According to Rey Rempillo, Liga ng  mga Barangay representative, some barangays do not have day care centers and some are even clustered in one day care center.

The new tool that is now being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWDO) in the accreditation of the new day care centers is also one of the impediments in the accreditation as this are to be well explained to day care workers according to Blesilda Bontigao, MSWDO of Casiguran expressed.

According to France Bonto, Social Worker Officer II of the DSWDO ROV, the DSWDO tool has long been introduced to the Day Care Workers (DCW)  but the need to assess the the DCW's competence, skills and accomplishments should  be also conducted before the final accreditation.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) assisting in children's programs and currently are present in some municipalities in the province be also included in the directory of organizations assisting children's programs in the province.

Interventions of these NGO's should also be documented and should be included as partners in the enhancement of children's program in the municipality where they operate. They should be recognized as partner enhancers of children's programs.

In Sorsogon there are almost 5 NGOs whose programs are child-focused like the Green Valley, Intervida , Child Fund -FACE (CFF), Visayan Forum and Casa Miani.

Mrs. Linda Encela, supervisor of the Department of Education (DepEd) also reported that they have completed the Orientation on the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children Manual of Operations  to all district supervisors, school principals, Parent Teacher Association presidents and pupil government leaders last May 27-28, 2011 first batch and May 30-31, 2011, second batch here in the province.

"Workers in the DepEd are now well aware of children's programs specially the Rights of Children, their equal protection and involving them also in community activities ", Encela expressed.

Meanwhile the work and financial plan being operationalized for the year 2011 has scheduled a children's congress slated this October 22, 2011 in time for the Celebration of the Kasanggayahan Festival.

Suggestions to also have at least 4 children representatives in the council was taken up and will be recommended by the DepEd and the NGOs working in children's program.

Josefina Deri of CFF has also reported that they have networked with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on activities regarding anti child trafficking interventions and anti- child labor monitoring activities and was reported to the PCPC.

Concerns and issues regarding what has been raised were also threshed out like the need to accredit day care centers and the assessment to be done to BDCW and programs scheduled with linkages from DOLE and the 4 NGOs in the province as to how they implement complementation.

The council will meet again this last week of August to discuss the details of the scheduled children's congress, provide updates of interventions and activities of member agencies to strengthen the programs for children.

So far the programs for children implemented here in the province as reviewed was well implemented and in synch with the work and financial plan of the PCPC. (PIA-SORSOGON)

PSWDO maps out convergence strategy initiatives to fight poverty

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, AUGUST 3 (PIA)...."Convergence strategy as  by word  for development has been started by several national government line agencies (NGAs). Now, it serves as a positive  way to address poverty in the countryside", Myra P. Relativo, assistant provincial government head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) expressed during an interview with the Philippine Information Agency office here.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of  Agriculture (DA) were the three NGAs who used convergence as a banner mechanism for harmonizing actions  and logistics, a unifying consultative process to address issues and concerns in government, specially poverty reduction.

According to Relativo, in the same premise the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWDO) issued a new directive to implement the same strategy as a tool or mechanism of the PSWDO to harmonize the different poverty alleviation programs of the department.

In the directive issued to the PSWDO offices, Relativo explained that the three banner programs being implemented by DSWDO like the Kalahi CIDSS, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program 4Ps) and Self Employment Assistnce-Kaunlaran  (SEA-K) will be converged into one three-leg convergence program to effectively maximize the government resources  and efforts and finally come up with a more specific road map for development as the basic DSWDO program implementating guideline.

She said that , DSWDO Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman initiated this program to unify all programs of the DSWDO into one solid action for sustainable development mechanism and one strong transformative and participatory  action policy of the agency.

"Here at the PSWDO, with our provincial department head, Sonia Garcia-Mirasol, we have made some consultative assessment of the different action strategy plans of the different programs and solidify these three into one enabling self-identity program of PSWDO.', Relativo further explained.

"Synchronization of these three programs of the DSWDO to map out an action for implementation has been  now worked out and in the process  of collating for implementation here in the province'  she said..

The DSWDO directive super imposes the convergence strategy as their tangible mechanism to impact on poverty reduction solution.

As formulated, it will attempt to (a) maximize resources allocated for social protection programs; (b) reduce duplication efforts, strategies and activities at all levels; (c) harmonize and synchronize the processes involved in the implementation of the programs; (d) unify mechanisms for feedback reporting, monitoring and documentation; (e) enhance partnership with the non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private organizations (POs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSos); and (f) enhance knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards collaborative action among stakeholders.

Convergence as a mechanism will ensure that the three core social protection programs of the DSWDO will be coordinated, harmonized and synchronized while maintaining the optimal and effective implementation of each.

"The PSWDO here have come up with the provincial action plan on the implementation of the convergence strategy to implement the three core programs" she further explained. .

As reported by PSWDO here  this strategy is now pilot tested in 289 municipalities, 53 provinces and 17 regions ( including ARMM) in Set 1 and 2 areas of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, that includes the  province of Sorsogon.. (PIA-SORSOGON)