Mga Kabataan hinikayat na sumali sa Student’s Independent Film Annual Awards

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Lungsod ng Sorsogon, Disyembre 7 (PIA) – Bilang tugon sa panawagan ng pamahalaan na paigtingin pa ang papel na ginagampanan ng mga kabataan sa pagbubuo ng matatag na bansa, isang Annual Awards for Student’s Independent (SINDI) Films ang binuo ng ilang mga grupo sa bansa.

Sa pangunguna ng Sectoral Anti-Poverty (SAP) Movement Philippines, Inc. ang taunang SINDI Film Awards ay ipatutupad sa pakikipagkawing sa Department of Education (DepEd), ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI), National Youth Commission (NYC), YES Pinoy Foundation (YFP), Innovative management and Communications Network (IMCN), TATS Entertainment Production, at Filipino Movie-makers (FILMS), Inc.

Nagpalabas na rin ng Memorandum No 215 s. 2011 ang Deped na humihikayat sa mga paaralan na suportahan ang adhikaing ito. Maging si Pangulong Benigno Aquino III ay binigyang komendasyon din ang pagsisikap ng SAP sa kanilang malikhaing istratehiya upang pukawin ang kamalayan ng mga Kabataan ukol sa pagiging makabayan.

Matatandaang noong Pebrero ngayong taon ay binuo ng SAP ang proposal na makapagsagawa ng annual search for best Student’s Indie-Films at film makers mula sa mga paaralang sekundarya na nagsisikap na gamitin ang kanilang oras, lakas at talent sa pagbuo ng mga pelikulang magbibigay ng mga positibong kaugalian at katangian ng mga Pilipino. Ang hakbang ay tataguriang Student’s Independent o SINDI Film Annual Awards.

Ang mananalo mula sa 17 rehiyon sa bansa ay makatatanggap ng cash prize, iba pang gantimpala at college scholarship sa paggawa ng pelikula. Nakatakda ang Awards Night sa ika-22 ng Abril 2012 sa AdarnaTheater, UP Film Institute, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Ang sinumang mga interesado ay maaaring bumisita sa website na www.sindifilms@gmail.com o sa sectoralantipoverty@gmail.com. Maari ding tumawag sa (02) 986-2102 at 781-6041 o mag-SMS sa 0910-4277433, hanapin lamang si Ms. Reggie M. Velasco, SINDI-FILM Marketing Events Head o maaari ring makipag-ugnayan sa Philippine Information Agency Sorsogon Information Center para sa iba pang mga detalye ukol sa kumpetiston. (PIA Sorsogon)

Nat'l. Tecnical Conference on the Protection and Conservation of Whale Sharks in the Philippines starts today

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, DECEMBER 6 (PIA).... A thre-day National Technical Conference on the Protection and Conservation of Whale Sharks in the Philippines will be held today, December 6-8 at Villa Isabel here according to Department of Tourism (DOT)  RO V regional director , Maria Nini O. Ravanilla.

The activity aims to convene all the national government agencies,allied organizations and other concerened stakeholders to come up with the plan of action for the protection and conservation of this species listed now as "vulnerable to extinction" by the International Conservation of Nature.

The activity will primarily draw out the Standard of Operating Protocol  (SOP) on  responding to stranded or beached whale sharks.

Expected to be presented will be the latest researches on whalesharks conducted by non-governmental organizations according to Nonie Enolva, team leader, Fisheries Regional Emergency Stranding Response Team, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources,RO V.

Topics on the first day will zero in on the Introduction to Whale Sharks in the Philippines to be shared by Raul B. Burce of the WWF-Phils, -Donsol, Sorsogon.

Topics to be discussed will  also include Photo Identification of Whale Sharks; Genetic/DNA Testing of Whale harks; Whale Shark Tagging; Reconnaisance of Physio-Chemical Characteristics of the Waters in Donsol and IEC on Whale Shark Bantay Butanding ( The Butanding Network: A Databse System).

A visit to the Sorsogon Provincial Museum and Heritage Center Inc. to view the replica of the Butanding and the whale shark vertebrae will end the first day activity.

The second day will provide the participants knowledge on the Philippine Laws and International Laws and Agreements on the Protection and Conservation of the Whale Sharks; the Economic Impact of Whale Shark Ecotourism; Whale Shark Code of Conduct; The Whale Shark Ecotourism; The Role of Local Government Units on the Protection. and Conservation of the Whale Shark and  The Role of the MFARMC on the Protection of the WS.

Meanwhile the Regional Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council  will present the Regional WS Stranding Response Activities and Initiatives to provide the participants how proper handling  of stranded whale sharks be observed and conducted.

Ravanilla explained that day 3 will focus on the formulation of the action plan for the protection and conservation of the whale shark in the Philippines drafted by the national agencies concerned and other participants and this will be observed as SOP in the  implementation on responding to stranded and beached whale sharks. (PIA-SORSOGON)

World Vision and KBP Sorsogon partners to accelerate media’s role in helping reduce TB stigma

By Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, DECEMBER 6 (PIA)….  A two-day training for the members of the broadcast media from Sorsogon  dubbed " Accelerating Media's Role in reducing TB Stigma " was held last week at Hotel Venezia, Legaspi City,  a partnership project of the World Vision and the Kapisanan Ng Mga Broadcasters sa Pilipinas, Sorsogon Chapter.

According to Andy Espinar, KBP Sorsogon chapter president, the training is primarily focused to accelerate media’s role in helping reduce the stigma of persons afflicted with tuberculosis by providing them right information on air.

Meanwhile, World Vision who has the special project of TB case detection and control here said  that despite the long standing fight against TB in Sorsogon City , tuberculosis  stigma remains an obstacle to improve the health seeking behavior  of the populace specially people afflicted with this disease based on their findings. 

“Clarita Detera, 54 from Brgy. San Pascual here died of TB last June 2011.  Her death reminds us that tuberculosis stigma is still rampant despite the absence of research about facts and impact of discrimination and TB stigma in Sorsogon City,” according to Leo Legaspi, Wold Vision Community Development Officer.

“Before she was diagnosed, Clarita showed symptoms of TB for more than a year already, according to the midwife who took  notice of her situation. The midwife in the area encouraged her to visit the health center.  As the usual response of stigmatized person “ubo lang ito”, “wala akong TB”, “bigyan mo ako ng anti-biotics”. Over the years this is how Aling Clarita made her excuse to hide her disease.  Until she can no longer bear the pain, then she finally submitted her sputum for examination. The sad thing, death was faster than the cure. She died weeks after she was diagnosed and treated,” this is a sad fact that World Vision has documented according to Legaspi.

Legaspi explained that stigma can be experienced internally (self-stigma) or externally (discrimination). Internal stigma can lead to a person’s unwillingness to seek help or access resources.

He said that external stigma can lead to discrimination based on one’s perception.  It can be seen through negative reactions that prejudices seriously to the sick person. 

Stigma according to Legaspi as scientifically defined , is the process by which the reaction of others spoil normal identity and this is the usual behavior displayed by persons afflicted by tuberculosis as in the case of Clarita.   

Legaspi said that with this challenge, they have to seek the strong assistance of media and their role is to campaign and articulate to the community that TB is a sickness that is curable and reducing stigma of persons afflicted with this disease should be well understood by the person him/her self and develop a health seeking behavior for its cure.

Legaspi said that the two - day training for media have provided them the needed skills and information in their crucial function in reducing TB stigma by creating informed awareness on tuberculosis to the public through broadcast.

"The question that the media asked World Vision on how they can help in our  program, is through this training that will capacitate them to be partners with WV , and by accelerating their role in reducing the stigma of TB.

Espinar expressed to the members of the KBP that now they have an in depth understanding on how media can help eradicate the stigma and fear of this dreaded disease as perceived by the public.

According to Espinar the training they have undergone will make them responsible and well-informed broadcasters specially  in explaining that a person afflicted with the disease should  develop health seeking behavior and avoid such incident as the “case of Clarita.”

“Media has a major role to play in reducing the stigma of TB by creating informed awareness on tuberculosis.As broadcaster let us partner with agencies like World Vision to improve the health situation here in our province.," Espinar also said.

A total of 18 participants coming from different broadcast outlets here attended the said training and committed to start providing the public the right awareness in eradicating the stigma  of tuberculosis. (PIA-SORSOGON)

Consultation Meeting sa pagpapababa ng greenhouse gas emission isasagawa

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Lungsod ng Sorsogon, Disyembre 6 (PIA) – Isasagawa bukas, Disyembre 7, ang isang stakeholder’s consultation meeting para sa gagawing pagpapatala o registration sa ilalim ng Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) ng United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ng Bacon Manito Geothermal Power Plant 3 (BMGPP3) Project o ang tinaguriang “The Project”, ang proyekto ng Energy Development Corporation (EDC) na matatgpuan sa bahagi ng lalawigan ng Albay at Sorsogon.

Sa pahayag ni Eduardo Jimenez, Senior Supervisor ng Community Development Partnerships Department ng EDC, sinabi niyang sa pamamagitan ng pagpupulong na ito ay matutulungan silang mapatotohanan ang pagnanais nitong maitayo ang isang proyektong makapagbibigay ng magagandang epekto sa kapaligiran.

Ayon pa sa kanya, layunin ng proyektong makakuha ng mga enerhiyang napapalitan (renewable energy) gamit ang indigenous geothermal steam kung saan sa pamamagitan nito ay mababawasan ang gamit ng non-renewable fossil fuel na ginagamit sa paggawa ng elektrisidad.

Positibo ang EDC na malaki ang maiaambag ng proyektong Bacon Manito Geothermal Power Plant 3 sa sustainable development policy ng Pilipinas at epektibong makakabawas sa greenhouse gas emission ng mundo.

Maliban sa mga direktang sangkot at katuwang sa pagpapatupad ng proyekto, bukas din ang nasabing consultation meeting sa publiko o sa sinumang interesadong makapagbibigay ng mga mahahalagang input para sa mas epektibong pagpapatupad ng BMGPP3 Project. (PIA Sorsogon)

Proteksyon sa stranded mammal tampok sa technical conference ng BFAR

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Lungsod ng Sorsogon, Disyembre 6 (PIA) – Sisimulan ngayon ang tatlong araw na Technical Conference on the Protection of Whale Sharks in the Philippines na gagawin dito sa lungsod ng Sorsogon sa pangunguna ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Sa impormasyong ipinaabot ni BFAR Bicol Regional Director Dennis V. Del Socorro, layunin ng aktibidad na pulungin ang mga National Government Agencies (NGAs), mga katuwang na organisasyon at iba pang grupo na makabuo ng Action Plan para sa proteksyon at pangangalaga ng mga mammal species tulad ng pating na kabilang sa listahan ng International Union for Conservation of Nature bilang “vulnerable to extinction” o malapit nang maubos.

Dagdag pa ni Del Socorro na layon din ng aktibidad na makabuo ang mga kalahok ng Standard Operating Protocol sa pagtugon sa mga nagkakaproblemang pating o yaong mga stranded o breached whale sharks.

Ipapakita naman ngayong araw ang pinakahuling resulta ng mga pagsasaliksik na isinagawa ng iba’t-ibang mga non-governmental organizations ukol sa kasalukuyang kalagayan ng mga pating sa bansa.

Sa conference proper, ibibigay ni Raul Burce ng World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Philippines na nakabase sa Donsol, Sorsogon ang paksang “Introduction to Whale Sharks in the Philippines” habang ang presenter namang si David N. David ang naatasan sa Photo-Identification of Whale Sharks in the Philippines, Reconnaissance of Physico-Chemical Characteristics ng katubigan ng Donsol, Sorsogon at ang paglalahad ng Whaleshark Satellite Tagging na halaw sa Joint Technical Report ng Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute at ng WWF for Nature, Inc.

Ilalahad naman sa pamamagitan ni Elson Q. Aca ng Duke University ang Information Education Campaign (IEC) on Whale Shark: Bantay Butanding.

Bago matapos ang araw ay ililibot ang mga kalahok sa Sorsogon Provincial Museum and Heritage Center, Inc. kung saan nakadisplay ang Butanding replica at kalansay ng pating o Whale Shark vertebrae. (PIA Sorsogon)