News Release

Sorsogon province banners tourism this 2011

By: Irma A. Guhit

Sorsogon City, (PIA) – “Tourism has never been this good in the province of Sorsogon. Donsol has indeed opened a very wide avenue for our province. The whaleshark interaction activity in Donsol is a phenomenon. That as we have seen, Donsol, from a fourth class local government unit has zoomed into a first class municipality in terms of its economy, now it is globally known as one of the best eco-tourism destinations.”, Cris Racelis, the newly appointed Provincial Tourism Officer, designate, explained during the tree-day Conference on Community Based Rural Tourism (CCBRT) held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, Subic Bay Freeport last January 12-14, 2011.

“It is too heartwarming that during the three-day CCBRT activity, I was given the chance to present the tourism destinations of our province. I have also interfaced with almost all of the tourism personalities from several countries whose prime economic come on is tourism. I have listened to all the experts on tourism development, have known the current tourism trends, the prevailing issues, challenges and opportunities. I was awed by the different tourism  destinations of the different countries shown through video presentation but also felt proud that Sorsogon province and the video document I have presented was well received and appreciated,” Racelis beamingly explained.

The three-day conference was conducted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) attended by six hundred forty nine (649) participants composed of tourism officers, elected officials, government department heads, academe, private sectors and civil society organizations, where thirty nine (39 participants are from the Bicol region and three (3) from Sorsogon – Cristina J. Racelis, Manro Jayco of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and management Council (PDRRMC) and Philip Bartilet, president of Aggrupation of Advocates for Environment Protection (AGAP) Bulusan, Inc.

DOT Secretary Alberto Lim served as the keynote speaker expounding on the topic: “The Role of DOT in Developing Rural Tourism”.

In the conference, Mr. Joselito Bernardo, the director of Agriculture Department of APO Japan, presented the Framework for the Development of Community-Based Rural Tourism and Successful Models of CBRT in Asia. Mr. Rajenda Narsingh Suwal from Nepal shared on the Sustainable Development and Management of Natural Resource Endowments in Rural Areas for Recreational and Adventure Tourism.

“My being the Provincial Tourism Officer Designate now is a very challenging role that I accept wholeheartedly and I hope to do my bestaccording to what is expected of me. Governor Raul R. Lee, in our dialog after I presented to him the excerpts from the three-day conference I attended has instructed me to submit the one-year development plan for our province and series of consultations will be done as he has commissioned tourism consultants and experts who will conduct research, help the province lay-out the provincial tourism master plan to include marketing and advertisement. In our initial talks, Gov. Lee expressed that tourism will be his banner program this 2011 and onwards,” Racelis further explained.

“I am sending several personnel to attend meetings, conferences and undergo capability enhancement on tourism development. In fact, we have now the Sorsogon Ecotourism Code that will serve as our guide in our province. Sharing our attractions, destinations and focusing on Community-Based Rural Tourism will provide our people in the grassroots communities an awareness to take pride on what nature has provided them and see it as a marketable potential for livelihood. In fact, I have produced through “Himig Kapitolyo”, our local singing group composed of employees from the provincial government, singing selected songs from pop, ballad and love songs with video clips of the different tourism destinations of every municipality. This will be distributed on waiting areas in airports, seaports and other places where tourists can view what we offer. After all, Sorsogon is still unexplored. To tourists, this is our best offer, a well-spring of natural resource,” Gov. Lee stressed. (PIA Sorsogon)

Dolphin na nakuha sa Matnog ligtas nang pinakawalan ng mga tauhan ng PVO

Tagalog News Release

Sorsogon City, (PIA) – Pinakawalan na rin kahapon ang dolphin na nakuha sa Matnog, Sorsogon matapos na masuri at malapatan ito ng lunas ng mga tauhan ng Provincial Veterinary Office sa pangunguna ni provincial veterinarian Dr. Enrique Espiritu.

Ayon kay Espiritu, linggo, February 6, nang makita ang dolphin na pinaglalaruan sa baybayin malapit sa may pier site ng Matnog, Sorsogon. Agad aniya silang tinawagan ng mga tauhan ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources region 5 at iniskedyul kahapon ang pagsusuri sa dolphin.

Sa ginawang pagsusuri, napag-alamang buntis ang dolphin na may bigat na 250 – 300 kilos at may mga sugat ito sa katawan.

Ayon kay Espiritu isinailalim din nila sa blood at stool analysis ang dolphin at kumuha din ng sample mula sa sugat nito upang masuri din.

Matapos bigyan ng bitamina at tuluyang manumbalik ang lakas ng dolphin ay agad na rin nila itong ibinalik sa laot. (PIA Sorsogon)

Lason ng red tide sa Sorsogon Bay mataas pa rin; suplay ng white mice kinukulang

Tagalog News Release

Sorsogon City, (PIA) – Pinag-iingat pa rin ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ang mga residente sa pagkain ng shellfish mula sa Sorsogon Bay dahilan sa pagiging positibo pa rin nito sa red tide toxin.

Ayon kay BFAR Sorsogon Fisheries Chief Gil Ramos, sa isinagawa nilang water at meat samples sa labing-apat na samplings sa Sorsogon Bay, lumalabas na lahat ay positibo pa rin sa pyrodinium bahamense o harmful algal bloom.

Sa huli nilang tala, nasa 200 microgram per kilogram of shellfish meat ang taas ng lason sa sampling activity na ginawa nila.

Maliban sa tahong, araw-araw ding nagpapadala ng sample ang mga magbabadoy sa Sorsogon upang isailalim ito sa sampling analysis bago nila ito ibenta sa mga pamilihan.

Samantala, sinabi ni Ramos na nagkukulang sila ng suplay ng mga puting daga o white mice na ginagamit nila sa laboratory analysis. Ipinaliwanang niyang sa isang laboratory service mahigit sa dalawampu’t-pitong white mice ang kailangan at double testing din ang ginagawa nila upang matiyak ang resulta kung kaya’y nagkukulang sila sa mga white mice.

Sa bawat laboratory testing, tatlong daan hanggang isanglibo din ang laboratory fee subalit sa BFAR Sorsogon ay inililibre na ito bilang social service na rin nila.

Ipinaliwanag din ni Ramos na hindi basta-basta ang pag-aalaga ng mga white mice. Dapat aniya’y mayroong konkretong kulungan, aircon ang lugar, inilalagay sila sa banig at distilled water ang ipinaiinom dito. May kaukulang timbang din na dapat abutin bago ito magamit sa sampling na kung tawagin ay mouse bioassay.

Kaugnay nito, inirekomenda nila ang pagti-training ng mga technician para mag-alaga ng white mice at bigyang kapangyarihan na rin ang Fisheries division ng Department of Agriculture na mag-alaga ng mga white mice. Sa ngayon kasi ay tanging ang Bureau of Food and Drug Administration lamang ang awtorisadong mamahagi nito.

Samantala, nagpaabot naman ng pasasalamat si Ramos sa suportang ibinibigay ng mga lokal na pamahalaan dito lalo na ang Sorsogon City kung saan nasa dalawang milyong piso din ang ibinigay na tulong nito sa kanila upang mamantini ang kanilang mice pen. (Bennie A. Recebido, PIA Sorsogon)

News Release

OPAPP conducts consultation and planning on PAMANA in Sorsogon

By: Irma A. Guhit

Sorsogon City, (PIA) – Anchored on the acronym “PAMANA” (Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan), the P-Noy administration, through the Office of the Presidential Advisory on the Peace Process (OPAPP), during the one-day Sorsogon Consultation and Planning on PAMANA, here, February 3, 2011 has presented its legacy for peace, that of building “Peaceful and Resilient Communities”.

“Our coming here is to sincerely bring the P-Noy administration by seeking to address the root causes of armed conflict, identified as insurgency. The Philippines is one of the top 5 countries with the longest running recorded conflict in the world. The four others are Myanmar, India, Euthopia and the United Kingdom,” USec Luisito G. Montalbo of OPAPP, explained to the participants during the opening program.

“The Aquino administration would like to find out how we can collectively address this problem which is now close to a century before his term ends as a legacy to our people,” USec Montalbo said.

“On the side of the government and through OPAPP, we have negotiated political settlement through peace talks and resumption of peace negotiation,” he further explained.

Two presentations were provided to the participants focusing on Local Poverty Situation given by Mr. Dominador Jardin of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) and the Local Peace and Security Situation provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The presentation showed Sorsogon as a province with a lingering record of armed conflict that dates back from 1971.

Three tools were presented to identify related issues surrounding the problem of armed insurgency and guide the participants in making group decisions about priorities for addressing conflict issues for the Conflict Analysis Workshop.

The participants were divided in three groups, each group using the Three Pillars, the PAMANA Framework and Operational Guidelines for the workshop.

The first tool used by the group I was a graphic presentation named “The Conflict Tree”. Meta cards were provided to write single idea to find out if this is a root or the fruit of the conflict.

The second tool used by group II was the Force Field Analysis. It identified the different forces, groups or entities influencing a conflict. It also clarified the existing different groups if these are working towards or against the resolution of the conflict or is contributory to the persistence and even the escalation of the conflict.

And the third tool by the group III was the Conflict Pillars. It showed the graphic illustration of elements, factors, situations or issues that are holding up, maintaining and/or supporting the persistence of the conflict.

The Conflict Analysis Workshop through each group presentation  were one in their analysis that the root cause of insurgency is dissent or dissatisfaction  in the delivery of the social basic services, implementation of economic policies social injustice  and corruption . The other identified issues where either the effects of the root cause.

One revealing reasons thou was that  Sorsogon is strategically located for the insurgents activity, this being a very strategic entry point to several areas going to Masbate, Catanduanes and even to the Quezon province.

Two groups were also formed to provide strategic action steps to come up with a plan on how to come up with possible solutions based on the root causes of insurgency in the province.

To address insurgency a need to  provide more venues for continued negotiations and peace talk was  recommended and that  government should also look at the family of rebels as a different form of indigency – that of having dysfunctional families. Through OPAPP, another form of the 4Ps may be adapted to focus on the needs of the family of the rebels as government’s intervention to start an initiative for peace. (PIA Sorsogon)

Mga barangay sa Juban makakatanggap ng cash grant mula sa OPAPP

News Release

Sorsogon City, (PIA) – Dalawang-daan limampung libong piso ang matatanggap ng bawat barangay sa bayan ng Juban, Sorsogon mula sa Office of the Prresidential Adviser on thePeace Process dahilan sa pagiging beneipisyaryo at sa pagpapatupad na rin nito ng KALAHI-CIDDS program.

Ito ang ipinahayag ni OPAPP Usec Luisito G. Montalbo sa ginanap na isang araw na Sorsogon Consultation and Planning on PAMANA o ang Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan.

Ayon kay Montalbo, aabot ng 6,250 milyong piso sa kabuuan ang matatanggap ng dalawampu’t limang mga barangay sa Juban.

Naging emosyonal at malaki naman ang naging pasasalamat ni Juban mayor Jimmy Fragata sa naging pahayag na ito ni USec Montalbo.

Ayon kay Fragata, malaking tulong ito sa kanilang bayan at sa mga naninirahan dito lalo na sa pag-ahon ng ekonomiya at pisikal na kondisyon ng Juban matapos ang pinsalang dinala ng mga naging pagbaha sa ilang mga barangay doon.

Dagdag pa niya na ang patuloy na pag-uulan ay nakaapekto sa kanilang mga sakahan, mga produktong agricultural, mga kalsada at iba pang mga imprastruktura.

Ayon pa sa alkalde ang pagmamalasakit na ipinapakita ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Aquino upang agarang matugunan ang sitwasyong tulad ng sa kanila ay indikasyon lamang ng tunay na hangarin ng pamahalaan na tugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga mamamayan.

Sinabi naman ni Montalbo na nasa proseso na rin ngayon ang pagpapalabas ng pondo upang agaran na itong maibigay sa mga baranagay. (Bennie A. Recebido/PIA Sorsogon)