Saturday, March 23, 2013

Provincial Government of Sorsogon scales-up for Seal of Good Housekeeping, Silver Level



SORSOGON CITY, March 23 (PIA) – On November 14, 2011, Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Assistant Secretary Rolando M. Acosta issued a memorandum to each and every DILG Regional Director (Regions 1 to 8, CAR and NCR) and to ARMM Regional Secretary Haroun l-Rashid Lucman Jr. on the subject of the Seal of Good Housekeeping’s (SGH) third round of assessment and validation for additional potential recipients, which was conducted until November 30 of the same year, at one with the Unnumbered Memorandum signed by Undersecretary Austere A. Panadero, dated November 9, 2011, referred to as Passing the Seal of Good Housekeeping for Local Governments. This was to give chance to the provinces, cities, and municipalities which fell short to act in accordance with the information requirements of the Seal.

As said by Assistant Secretary Acosta in his memo, the information requirements used in the first and second rounds were similarly appropriate for the third round, specifically: 1.compliance to the full disclosure policy in either one of the following modalities of posting: set A – in all modes (conspicuous place within public building, print media, website);  set B – either in website and conspicuous place within public buildings, or in website and print media; set C – in conspicuous place within public building; or set D – in print media and conspicuous place within public buildings; and 2.the absence of disclaimer or adverse opinion rendered by the Commission on Audit on the Local Government Unit’s (LGU) financial statements for Calendar Year (CY) 2010.
 
The DILG memo further said that the standard assessment and validation process detailed in Memorandum Circular Number 2011-95, dated July 1, 2011, labeled as Seal of Good Housekeeping for Local Governments CY 2011 Implementation will strictly remain in the third round. The forms used for these were SGH Form 1 (Data Capture Form), SGH Form 2 (Field Validation), and SGH Form 3 (Regional Validation Form).

On April 25, 2012, then DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo issued Memorandum Circular Number 2012-78 to all Provincial Governors, City Mayors, Municipal Mayors, as well as Regional Directors in Regions 1 to 8, CAR and NCR which stated the commitment of the DILG, through its SGH to insistently move forward and value the brass tacks of good governance necessary in local public administration and development.

The late Secretary Robredo said in his memo that the Seal advances major performance, accountability, transparency and participation because after all, such standards are decisive in building the strategic foundation of a responsible local government system in the country.

Back in 2011, the assessment focused on sound financial management measured through the absence of an adverse or disclaimer COA petition on local financial transactions and on transparency and accountability measured through the observance of the full disclosure policy.

For CY 2012, assessment criteria are those which are prescribed under SGH Bronze and SGH Silver. Local governments that did not succeed in CY 2011 are to be assessed at the SGH Bronze level. CY 2011 recipients meanwhile are to be covered under SGH Silver.  The SGH Gold might also be opened for CY 2012, Robredo’s memo further said. Starting CY 2013, provinces cities and municipalities are to be assessed using the SGH Gold Criteria

Consequently, on June 2012, the Seal of Good Housekeeping for Local Governments (SGH Bronze Level) was conferred to the Provincial Government of Sorsogon in recognition of exemplary performance in its internal housekeeping for CY 2011 in the areas of good planning, sound fiscal management, transparency and accountability, and valuing performance management. In a letter from DILG Provincial Director Ruben Esq. Baldeo, the official informed Sorsogon Governor Raul R. Lee that accordingly, the province will receive P15M from the Local Government Support Fund. Subsequently, this will be used as capital expenditure and adjoin the approved 2012 Annual Investment Plan.

Seeing that the Provincial Government of Sorsogon is a CY 2011 recipient, it makes the grade for the next level to be covered under SGH Silver which has the following criteria: 1.accountable governance – “unqualified” or “qualified COA opinion on financial transactions of the immediately preceding year; 2.transparent governance – a. full compliance to the full disclosure policy of local budget and finances, bids and public offerings as stated in DILG Memorandum Circular Number 2011-134 dated September 19, 2011 and section 84 of FY 2012 General Appropriations Act.

Required documents are those to be posted during the 1st and 2nd quarters of the current year on billboards in all publicly accessible and conspicuous places in the LGU, in its website and/or in newspaper of general circulation within  its territorial jurisdiction; b. compliance to the Government Procurement Act; organized and functional Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) pursuant to the policy standards set by law; and compliance to on-line posting requirement through the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System: (i) bid notice abstract, and (ii) award notice abstract; 3.frontline service performance – excellent or good rating as indicated in the Anti-Red Tape Act report card survey of the Civil Service Commission.

Aside from Sorsogon, other provinces which made it eligible for the 2012 SGH Silver Assessment are Albay, Camarines Norte and Catanduanes.

For the municipal level, here in the Province of Sorsogon, seven LGUs qualified for the SGH Silver Assessment, namely: Matnog, Castilla, Casiguran, Juban, Santa Magdalena, Irosin and Prieto Diaz. (VAELabalan SoR-PIO/PIA Sorsogon)

Agri, Tourism Development sa Cam Norte isusulong ng Team Pinoy



DAET, Camarines Norte, March 23 (PIA) – Isusulong ng Team PNoy senatorial candidates ang mga programa na magpapalakas sa turismo at agrikultura ng lalawigan na siyang magiging daan para makalikha ng karagdagang trabaho at maiangat ang kabuhayan ng mga mamamayan.

Sinabi ni dating Movie and Television Review Classification Board (MTRCB) chair Grace Poe nitong Huwebes, Marso 21 na patitibayin ng pamahalaan ang programa na magbibigay ng mas mababang halaga ng palay, pataasin ang insurance sa pananim, gayundin ang pagkakaloob ng makabagong pasilidad para sa pagaani at pagpapalago ng de kalidad na  punla ng palay.

“Kung maganda ang suporta na ibibigay ng national government dito sa Camarines Sur, tiyak na  dadami ang trabaho at oportunidad para sa mga mamamayan dito,” pahayag ni Poe, isa sa piniling kandidato ng Pangulong Aquino sa Team PNoy.

Ayon kay Poe, natutunan niya sa kanyang namayapang ama na si Fernando Poe, Jr .o FPJ, ang kahalagahan ng mga programang agrikultura para sa mahihirap na magbubukid na siyang sentro ng kanyang kampanya na “Altanghap”  (Almusal, Tanghalian at Hapunan) program noong tumakbo itong Pangulo ng bansa noong 2004.

Kapwa naman ipinahayag nina Benigno “Bam” Aquino at Risa Hontiveros ang kahalagahan na mabantayan ang industriya ng turismo dahil na rin sa tumataas na pangangailangan para maibida ang lalawigan na pamoso sa magagandang tanawin tulad ng Bagasbas Beach resort sa Daet.

Tinanghal na isa sa pinakamalinis at pinakamagandang beach resorts sa buong mundo  dahil sa pinong buhangin at luntiang kapaligiran, dinadayo rin ang Bagasbas Beach resort dahil sa mayuming beach na dinadayo para sa surfing at kite-boarding sports sa Asia. 

Ayon kay Aquino, mapapantayan ng Bagasbas Beach ang kaunlaran na nakamit ng Boracay sa Aklan kung maisasaayos mabuti at mapapaganda ang lugar na may lawak na dalawang kilometro.

Sinabi naman ni Hontiveros na higit na maeenganyo ang mga local at international tourist na magtungo dito kung maisasaayos at mapapaganda ang mga tagong water falls at mga ilog na nagsisilbing sanktuwaryo ng iba’t ibang isda at lamang dagat.

“Tulong-tulong po tayo na isaayos ang Bagasbas Beach at iba pang lugar na magiging pangakit sa mga dayuhang turista at maging sa mga local tourist natin. Kung magiging maunlad ang ating turismo rito, sigurado po ang karagdagang trabaho at magandang kabuhayan ng atring mga mamamayan,” pahayag ni Hontiveros. ###

Reference:
Noel Albano (0999 989 1327)
Manny Angeles (0905 340 3284)
Jeeno C. Arellano (0932 208 4767)

EARTH HOUR: Uniting People to Protect the Planet...

EARTH HOUR: Uniting People to Protect the Planet..


Invite your friends, family members, and relatives to join the World in observing the Earth Hour on March 23, 2013, 8:30-9:30pm by simply switching off lights or reducing unnecessary power consumption.

Friday, March 22, 2013

PILIPINAS NATIN: Bayanihan for Nation Building


PILIPINAS NATIN Logo

PILIPINAS NATIN
BAYANIHAN FOR NATION BUILDING

Habang may Pilipino, may pag-asa sa PILIPINAS NATIN!

Pilipinas Natin is a campaign to build a volunteerism movement that thrives on the peoples’ continuing response to the call for change.

Sa Pilipinas Natin, ang malinaw na mukha ng bolunterismo ay BAYANIHAN!

Pilipinas Natin is a call for active involvement of the citizens, empowering a nation that imbibes, and cultivates the Filipino culture of caring, sharing and bayanihan.

Walang imposible kung WALANG IWANAN sa Pilipinas Natin!

Pilipinas Natin creates an enabling environment where every Filipino is given the chance to contribute to the work of nation building with a special emphasis on poverty alleviation.

Sa Pilipinas Natin, BOLUNTERISMO ang bagong aktibismo!

Pilipinas Natin seeks to empower the young people through on-going values formation and leadership training so that they can channel their boundless energy, youthful generosity and exceptional ingenuity to nation building initiatives.

Dahil ang bawat Pilipino… isinilang na BAYANI!

Pilipinas Natin invests on positive character formation as the only and necessary way to reclaim our innate sense of malasakit and raise a new generation of heroic Filipinos, the force that will make a difference and change the course of our nation’s history.

If you wish to join Pilipinas Natin or if you want to know more about it, here’s how:

·         Join any Pilipinas Natin Forum/ Orientation in your campus or organize one by inviting a Pilipinas Natin coordinator to visit your school, community or organization.
·         After attending a Pilipinas Natin Forum or Orientation, you can now sign up for a BALANGAYAN CAMP, a weekend leadership experience that is guaranteed to awaken the hero in you.
·         Get connected. Visit and like our official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pilipinasnatinmovement and be updated about Pilipinas Natin activities.


           
Hindi Pilipinas ko; hindi Pilipinas mo; hindi Pilipinas nila…
PILIPINAS NATIN!

DENR Bicol all set for the Balik Probinsya Program


LEGAZPI CITY, March 22 (PIA) – Poised to bolster a community-driven social recovery-cum-greening project, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Bicol is all set for the Balik Probinsya Program (BPP) which targets to enroll 500 Albayano slum-dweller families in the same aiming to develop and manage an area covering 1,115 hectares (has) of denuded forestland in Brgy. Tapel and Nagas in Oas.

Director Gonzales said that the program is a means of relocating some Albayanos from slum areas in Metro Manila and also some forest occupants within the identified site.

The project site will be divided into five clusters with 200 has per cluster and each cluster will be managed by 100 families according to a report from Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Imelda Baltazar of Albay.
         
“Our field personnel from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Albay are on the survey mapping and planning process and have been busy laying down the pre-development strategies of the Balik Probinsya Program,” RED Gonzales averred.

“The program per se has a two pronged approach, one is social recovery and the other is the supplementation of the National Greening Program (NGP)” he added. “First it will transform more than a thousand hectares into agricultural-silvicultural farming while empowering the recipient community with adequate financial and infrastructural support vis-à-vis the establishment and maintenance of the project area by the 500 household beneficiaries adopting the concept of NGP”.

Baltazar’s report cited the nursery establishment; seedling production of 631,435 saplings with pili as major species; rice and cash crop production; livestock production; community organizing; community facilities; infrastructure development such as farm to market road, health center, chapel and residential houses as among the project components that the project will offer to the beneficiaries.

“The project is in tune with the convergence initiative that President Aquino is espousing, and among our partner agencies are Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Public Works and Highways, and the National Housing Authority,” Gonzales said. (Ruby Mendones, DENR-V/PIA Sorsogon)

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DENR PHOTO RELEASE:
 
 

Tree for Albay Movement. Team DENR Bicol with Regional Executive Director Gilbert Gonzales offers a tree for the Albay Movement as a show of solidarity. In a message during the soft launching (March 2, 2013) Director Gonzales puts emphasis that the regional office is at one with the provincial government in its effort  to raise the level of awareness of Albayanos to a new level of eco-consciousness. (Photo by Jessel Basanta/PIA Sorsogon)