Build-Up activities isasagawa ng Transport Group sa Sorsogon bukas

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, March 30 (PIA) – Mariining inihayag ng mga transport organizations dito sa Sorsogon na march protest lamang ang gagawin nila dito sa lalawigan maging sa buong rehiyon ng Bikol bukas sa kabila ng panawagang nationwide transport strike bukas.

Ayon kay Pinag-Isang Samahan ng Drivers at Operators Nationwide (PISTON) president Sorsogon chapter Eduardo Ferreras na hindi umano sila sasabay sa transport strike bukas bilang antisipasyon na rin sa gagawin nilang pagsabay sa tigil pasada na ilulunsad nila ngayong Abril sakaling hindi masagot ng pamahalaan ang kanilang mga hinaing.

Sinabi ni Ferreras na march protest ang gagawin nila upang maipaabot sa pamahalaan ang kanilang panawagang pagbasura sa oil deregulation law at pag-alis sa 12% VAT na ipinapataw sa mga petrolyo.

Kabilang din sa mga build-up activities na gagawin nila ay ang pamamahagi ng mga information materials sa publiko, radio guesting/interviews, signature campaign at iba pa.

Matatandaang nauna nang naglunsad ng tigil pasada ang mga transport group dito sa Sorsogon bilang pakikiisa sa isinagawang regionwide transport strike sa Bicol noong March 16, 2011. (PIA Sorsogon)

Fun Run ng mga kababaihan isinagawa kanina

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, March 30 (PIA) – Naging masaya at matagumpay ang isinagawang fun run ng mga kababaihan kaninang alas sais ng umaga dito sa lungsod ng Sorsogon bilang isa sa mga aktibidad kaugnay ng selebrasyon ng Women’s Month ngayong Marso.

Ayon kay Provincial Gender Advocacy and Development Council vice-chair at Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Rebecca Aquino, ginawa ang fun run upang maipakita ang pagkakaisa ng mga kababaihan sa pagpapaabot ng kanilang panawagan upang mapalakas pa ang kampanya ukol sa gender equality at women empowerment.

Aktibong nilahukan ang fun run ng iba’t-ibang mga women’s organizations, non-government organizations, peoples organizations, private at public schools at mga kinatawan mula sa mga government national agencies dito sa Sorsogon.

Nakatakda ding gawin ang culminating activity mamayang gabi  sa pamamagitan ng isang awarding ceremony na tinaguriang “A Night for the empowered Women of Sorsogon” kung saan kikilalanin at pararangalan dito ang mga natatanging kontribusyon ng mga Sorsoguena sa larangan ng pulitika, negosyo at iba pa.

Pararangalan din sa gabing ito ang Best Municipal Gender Advocacy and Development Implementor at Best Non-Government Organization GAD Implementor. (PIA Sorsogon)

PIA TALKING POINTS RE ISSUE OF THE EXECUTION OF FILIPINO DRUG COURIERS IN CHINA

1.     "In the past two years, four Japanese and a British national were also executed in China for drug trafficking. Persistent pleas for clemency by their respective governments' officials and diplomats failed.

                                                                                                                                            

2.     Britain had done everything within its power to secure a fair trial and clemency for Akmal Shaikh who was found guilty of drug smuggling in 2007. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has intervened personally on a number of occasions: he has raised the case with Premier Wen Jiabao, including at the Copenhagen summit, and has written several times to President Hu Jintao to appeal for clemency for Shaikh but to no avail. Shaikh was executed by lethal injection on December 29, 2009.

3.     In April 2010, four Japanese nationals convicted of drug trafficking - Mitsunobo Akano, Teruo Takeda, Hironori Ukai, and Katsuo Mori - were executed in China even if Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada expressed concern over possible backlash from Japan in his reported meeting with Chinese Ambassador Cheng Yonghua. The Japanese government just appealed to the Japanese people to understand that execution is legal punishment for drug smuggling in China and there was not much that Japan could do to interfere in this."

Talking Points on the Issue of the Execution of Filipino Drug Couriers in China

1.   The Philippine government provided the three Filipinos all possible legal and consular assistance. The government ensured that their legal rights were respected and observed and their welfare protected from the time of their arrest and throughout the judicial process and even up to this day. We have also exhausted all possible representations to appeal the cases of the three.

2.   The Philippines respect and will abide with the Chinese laws and the finality of the verdict of the Supreme People's Court of China. Drug smuggling is a serious crime and the Chinese criminal law automatically stipulates mandatory death sentence for smuggling heroin in quantities more than 50 grams. The Chinese judiciary is independent of the government and that the Supreme Court had made a decision and is vigorous in defending its justice system.

3.   In the past two years, four Japanese and a British national were also executed in China for drug trafficking. Persistent pleas for clemency by their respective governments' officials and diplomats failed. Britain had done everything within its power to secure a fair trial and clemency for Akmal Shaikh who was found guilty of drug smuggling in 2007.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has intervened personally on a number of occasions: he has raised the case with Premier Wen Jiabao, including at the Copenhagen summit, and has written several times to President Hu Jintao to appeal for clemency for Shaikh but to no avail. Shaikh was executed by lethal injection on December 29, 2009.

In April 2010, four Japanese nationals convicted of drug trafficking - Mitsunobu Akano, Teruo Takeda, Hironori Ukai, and Katsuo Mori - were executed in China  even if Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada expressed concern over possible backlash from Japan in his reported meeting with Chinese Ambassador Cheng Yonghua. The Japanese government just appealed to the Japanese people to understand that execution is legal punishment for drug smuggling in China and there was not much that Japan could do to interfere in this.

4.   According to the DFA, the families of the three Filipinos set for execution have been informed of the carrying out of the sentences and arrangements are being made for them to depart for China this weekend in order to visit and see their loved ones,

5.   We are appealing to all Filipinos, especially those overseas, to be extremely cautious when dealing with strangers in airports and other areas of transit and not to allow themselves to be victimized by international drug syndicates.

World Vision orients Sorsogon media on social mobilization on tuberculosis project

By: Irma A. Guhit

Sorsogon City, March 29 (PIA) – An Orientation/Presscon Cum Lunch for the members of the media community here in Sorsogon on the Social Mobilization on Tuberculosis (SMT) Project  was hosted  by the World Vision (WV) yesterday at Villa Isabel Hotel to provide the members of the media community of the global and local situation of tuberculosis incidence.

This public awareness campaign seeking the assistance of the members of the media community here is in consonance with the yearly celebration of the World TB Day awareness celebrated every March 24.

According to the report of the WV the implementation of the SMT through its Global Fund asisted project here in the city of Sorsogon, tuberculosis is considered a global epidemic and should be addressed collectively with the active participation of the media.

Sorsogon assistant city health officer, Dr. Ruel Rebustillo gave the orientation on the global and local scenario of tuberculosis which he said is the cause of deaths of about 1.6 million people each year, mostly in the third world countries.

In the Philippines .75 Filipinos die from TB everyday and is considered the number 6th cause of death and of sickness in the country.

The Philippines ranks 9th worldwide in TB  and ranks 3rd in the western Pacific among countries with highest number of TB cases as of the  WV findings

According to Rebustillo, the TB facts gathered from global to local context around the world showed an 8.8 million people infected with TB each year and 2 to 3 million people die of TB every year.

According to the report given by Rebustillo based on the WV findings TB is killing the most productive members of society aged 30-59 years old and who are mostly male.

The Philippines loses around P26.4 billion income due to premature deaths from TB and an untreated TB patient can infect 10-15 people in a single year according to the report.

The WV in its thrusts to implement through the Global Fund a response to the high incidence of the TB in the Philippines is now on its second phase of implementation here in Sorsogon City.

The first phase of the SMT here was started in October 2006 to 2008 while the second phase was started last January 2009 to continue this 2011.

Based on the report given by Rebustillo, the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) case findings in Sorsogon City has a record  of  95 cured TB adult patients as of last year , with 96 infiltrative  and 40 cavitaries cases.

This year through sputum testing 65 are undergoing a 6-month treatment while  cases of 42 infiltrative and 18 cavitaries  found out through chest X-rays.

Number of children tested with PPDs summed up to 545 while 103 adults were found out to be sputum positive done  through contact tracing provided by the Tuberculosis Task Force Volunteers.

Case detection rate provided by the National Epedimiology Center (NEC ) showed that in 2010 through the TB Task Force tracking, out of the 621 case- findings 96 were found out to be positive which is 19% of the referrals made by  the Sorsogon CityTB Task Force conducted here aside from those considered as walk ins.

Dr. Rebustillo also stressed that tuberculosis infection is brought about by  the bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis which is usually transmitted  through coughing from persons infected with tuberculosis and inhaled by another person.

The old belief that persons who smokes and drinks can have tuberculosis is not true while smoking and drinking can aggravate the situation of the person with tuberculosis and can cause

Dr. Rebustillo gave the symptoms of persons infected with tuberculosis to be with the following signs: fever present every afternoon, loss of weight, loss of appetite, continuous coughing for almost two weeks, and having chest  and back pains.

Dr. Rebustillo said that it is always recommended to consult the doctor or those from the barangays their health centers for easy and early detection..

Tuberculosis is curable and it is always suggested to eat plenty of vegetables, fruits which will always aid the body and will strengthen body resistance.

The World Vision through its City Development Officer, Leo C. Legaspi has requested the assistance of the media community here in Sorsogon to continue its partnership with Non- Governmental Organizations in popularizing programs that will provide the public awareness like the prevention and elimination of tuberculosis.

Several members of the media community were in attendance yesterday coming from the print, broadcast, television and the event facilitated through the assistance of the PIA- Sorsogon.

A project launch for the acknowledgement of 260 TB Task Force Volunteers followed at the St. Louise de Marillac College at 3:00 PM attended by Sorsogon City Mayor Leovic R. Dioneda and former Governor Sally Ante-Lee.

The fight of tuberculosis and HIV Aids is one of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals that falls under goal number 6. (PIA-Sorsogon)