NSWMC, EMB-V conducts Writeshop for Sorsogon’s Provincial SWM Technical Working Group

By: Bennie A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, September 9 (PIA) – The National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) in partnership with the Environmental Management Bureau-Bicol conducts starting today, September 9 until September 11, 2013 a Provincial Level Writeshop on the Development of the 10-Year Solid Waste Management (SWM) Plan for the Province of Sorsogon.

Held in Legazpi City, the 3-day writeshop aims to strengthen the capabilities of the provincial-LGU in implementing fully the Republic Act 9003 or the Philippine Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

EMB-V Regional Director Roberto Sheen said the writeshop on the development of the SWM Plan is one of the assistance offered by EMB and the NSWMC to its partners to carry out the government’s environmental programs specifically those relative to the implementation of RA 9003.

“This activity is another phase of the technical assistance being extended to the Local Government Units (LGUs). It aims to help the province and its Technical Working Group to compile the strategies and plans developed by each municipalities/cities and create a more comprehensive plan for the province that will address the issue(s) on solid waste management,” Dir. Sheen explained.

Prior to the conduct of this provincial activity, a writeshop entitled “Workshop  Design: Capability Building of Pilot Provinces on the Preparation of Provincial SWM Plan” was also conducted on July 11-13, this year, in Bacon District, Sorsogon City by the Solid Waste Management Section of the EMB-V of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

It was participated by the 14 municipalities and one component city of the pprovince of Sorsogon.  

The output of the SWM plan made by the respective LGUs of Sorsogon will serve as the basis in the preparation of the Provincial Solid Waste Management Plan.

Rule 6 section 2(a) of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9003 mandates the PSWMB to develop a Provincial Solid Waste Management Plan from the submitted SWM Plans of the respective city and municipal SWMBs.

According to the IRR, PSWMB shall review and integrate the submitted plans of all its component cities and municipalities and ensure that the various plans complement each other, and have the requisite components. The PSWMB shall be submitted to the NSWMC for approval.

The Provincial Plan shall reflect the general program of action and initiatives of the provincial government in implementing a solid waste management program that would support the various initiatives of its component cities and municipalities.

Dir. Sheen said that the role of the province to work towards fulfilling their tasks as provided for by the RA 9003 is very significant, and at the end of the 3-day writeshop, it is expected that a Provincial SWM Plan will be crafted for approval by the NSWMC and eventually for implementation in Sorsogon. (BARecebido, PIA-5/Sorsogon)

LGU-Gubat, PCCED empower local residents through Participatory Budgeting Process

Gubat's Participatory Budgeting General Assembly

By: Bennie A. Recebido

GUBAT, SORSOGON, September 8 (PIA) – The Local Government of Gubat in Sorsogon through Mayor Roderick Co, and the Philippine Center for Civic Education and Democracy (www.pcced.org.ph) partnered in empowering the community to partake in the public budget expenditure through the Municipal Participatory Budgeting General Assembly conducted on September 1, 2013 in Gubat, Sorsogon.

Some 300 participants from various sectors including women, farmers, fishermen, senior citizen, youth and persons with disabilities (PWDs) attended the General Assembly.

“In the midst of controversies on spending public funds, LGU-Gubat in Sorsogon sees to it that their public funds will be spent judiciously in response to the needs of its constituents,” said in a press statement sent to PIA by Jospeh Emmanuel Lansang, PCCED Project Manager.

Through the Participatory Budgeting, ordinary citizens directly decide how to spend the public budget. Participatory Budgeting aims to make the Municipal Budgeting Process more inclusive and participatory by allowing ordinary citizens to deliberate and propose spending ideas to the Local Government Unit so that the Municipal Budget reflects the real need of the community.

During the breakout sessions, different sectors identified issues and projects that can help address these issues through deliberation. Following this, each sector prioritized the projects through consensus building. A core group whose members were chosen by the sectors will then research on the projects and make proposals.

A show of active involvement and participation

"In a significant way, participatory budgeting is an attempt to recover what direct democracy is about. Here, ordinary folks represent and argue for their own welfare,” Mr. Reynald Trillana, PCCED executive director said.

Participatory Budgeting builds on the existing structure provided for by the 1991 Local Government Code (LGC). The LGC mandates that the Municipal Development Council composed of the Mayor, Sanggunian Representative, Congressman, Punong Barangays and sector representatives (members of not less than ¼ of the fully organized council) deliberate and plan the social and economic direction of the municipality.

Participatory Budgeting brings the deliberation and planning closer to the people by letting them directly identify community problems and recommend projects that can address the problems they raise. These projects will then be a part of the Annual Investment Plan of the Municipality.

While the LGC provides for sectoral representation in the Local Development Council, Participatory Budgeting focuses on ordinary citizens including those who are not members of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) or People’s Organizations (POs), and those who may have been marginalized with the recent focus on civil society organizations.

Participants listen attentively during the break-out session

The participants openly expressed that through this, they feel that they become closer to the government because they are given direct voice in public governance. "This process of participatory budgeting promotes transparency as everyone is aware of the projects of the municipality," another attendee expressed during the plenary.

Likewise, one community volunteer for PWD named Aida said that if their project gets approved, the PWDs would have medical equipments needed so they can be more productive in the community.

Participatory Budgeting started in Porto Alegre in Brazil in 1989. It has resulted to vast improvement in the delivery of social and economic projects in the country and is now being adapted in many cities around the world including those in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany.

The participatory budgeting process in Gubat is being facilitated by the PCCED, and is supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development and Cooperation (AECID) through Zabalketa, a Spanish NGO. PCCED has been promoting civic education, student and youth empowerment, democratic values, and supporting grassroots democracy since 2007. Over the past years, AECID has been supporting projects that would strengthen democracy and its institutions in the Philippines. (BARecebido, PIA-5/Sorsogon)

Bahay ng PDEA agent sa Sorsogon pinagbabaril

LUNGSOD NG SORSOGON, Setyembre 5 (PIA) – Isang insidente ng grabeng pananakot ang naitala sa isang ahente ng Phiippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) na si IOI Arnel Estrellado kahapon.

Ayon sa ulat na ipinadala ng City Police Station, alas sais ng umaga kahapon nang humingi sa kanila ng tulong si Estrellado na magsagawa ng ocular inspection sa kanyang residensya matapos na pagbabarilin ang kanyang bahay ng di nakilalang mga nakahelmet na suspek sakay ng motorsiklo.

Nakuha ang mga basyo ng bala mula sa kalibre 45 baril na nagkalat sa kanilang compound na hinihinalang gamit ng mga suspek.

Sa inisyal na imbestigasyon, bago ang insidente, alas dos ng madaling araw nang gisingin siya ng kanyang asawa upang ipaalam sa kanya na nakarinig siya ng alingawngaw ng putok ng baril.

Alas singko ng umaga ay nakatanggap ng text message si IOI Estrellado mula sa kanyang impormante na nagsasabing “sinampulan ang bahay mo”.

Ayon kay Estrellado, hindi siya natatakot at bahagi na rin umano ito ng kanilang trabaho at natural ang ganitong mga pangyayari lalo pa’t higit nilang pinaigting ang kanilang kampanya laban sa droga, at maaaring may nasasagasaan silang mga elementong apektado ang operasyon sa droga. (BARecebido, PIA-5/Sorsogon)

Kaso ng pamamaril sa isang retiradong pulis naitala sa Sorsogon City

LUNGSOD NG SORSOGON, Setyembre 5 (PIA) – Ikinalungkot ng mga kasapi ng pulisya sa Sorsogon City ang sinapit ng kakaretiro pa lamang na si PO3 Jungil Dichoso Escalante, 45 taong gulang, may asawa at residente ng Brgy. Pangpang, Sorsogon City.

Ayon kay Sorsogon Police Provincial Office OIC Provincial Director Ramon S. Ranara, agad niyang inalerto ang mga kapulisan hindi lamang sa lungsod ng Sorsogon kundi sa buong lalawigan para sa agarang pagkahuli ng mga suspek at upang maiwasang maulit din ang kahalintulad na insidente.

Sanib pwersa din umano ang Sorsogon City Police Station Intel Operatives, SWAT Team, tauhan ng CPAC2 at MPU sa pagtugis sa mga suspek.

Binaril kahapon ng di nakilalang mga suspek si Escalante sa Ballesteros St. Purok 8, Brgy. Sampaloc, Sorsogon City. Nakasuot ang tatlong mga kalalakihan ng puti at itim na t-shirt at short pants, may edad na humigit kumulang 25 taon, may taas na humigit kumulang 5’4” hanggang 5’5” at may maliit lamang na pangangatawan.

Ayon sa isang saksi, bago ang insidente ay nakita niya ang biktima na may kausap sa kanyang cellphone sa labas ng bahay nito. Bigla na lamang umanong lumapit ang mga suspek na armado ng handgun at agad na binaril ang biktima sa dibdib at ulo na naging sanhi ng agaran nitong pagkamatay.

Ayon pa sa ulat, kinuha pa ng mga suspek ang kalibre 45 baril nito at mismong ang Honda Wave na motorsiklo pa ni Escalante ang ginamit ng mga suspek sa kanilang pagtakas.

Agad namang rumisponde sa pinagyarihan ng krimen ang mga tauhan ng CPAC2 at ang Scene of the Crimes Operatives (SOCO) kung saan naekober nito ang apat na gamit nang lalagyan ng bala ng kalibre 45 baril at dalawang basyo ng bala.

Samantala, inamin naman ng Bagong Hukbong Bayan Celso Minguez Command BHB CMC) ang pamamaril-patay kay Escalante kung saan binibigyan lamang umano nila ng hustisya ang pagkakapatay noon kay Ricardo “Ding” Uy, ang dating chapter president ng Bayan Muna. Sabit din umano si Escalante sa bentahan ng droga sa Sorsogon City.

Sa ipinalabas na press statement ng BHB CMC, sinabi ng tagapagsalita nitong si Ka Samuel Guerrero na nais nilang linawin sa publiko na sila ang responsable sa insidente at maalis ang spekulasyon ng publiko at maiwasang maibintang pa sa ibang tao ang pamamaril. (BARecebido, PIA-5/Sorsogon)