Sorsogon commemorates 113th year of Philippine Independence

By: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, June 11, 2011 – The people of Sorsogon is one with the country in commemorating the 113^th year of proclamation of Philippine Independence on Sunday, June 12, 2011, with the theme “Kalayaan: Paninindigan ng Bayan”.

Sorsogon Governor Raul R. Lee on Monday, June 6, directed all chief of offices of the local and national government agencies, government owned and controlled corporations as well as the lone state college here to participate in the commemorative ceremonies to be held at the Provincial Capitol Park at 7:30 in the morning in celebration of the country as an independent and sovereign nation.

Residential, government and private offices, as well as business establishments were also requested to display the Philippine Flag to show love of country and as part of their inherent duty as citizen and as mandated by law.

Fourteen municipalities and one city here through their local chief executives and other local officials are also set to conduct simple ceremonies highlighted by the simultaneous Philippine Flag Raising, Panunumpa sa Watawat (Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag) and wreath-laying at the foot of Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s monument.

Prior to the 7:30 AM activities the Philippine Coast Guard will spearhead the blowing of fog horns and sirens of all sea vessels and banging of church bells.

Meanwhile, military vehicles of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) such as armored car, 6x6 trucks and mortars were already displayed at the Provincial Capitol Park. K-9 dogs and some hundreds of military men were also deployed at the said park and in various strategic areas in the province. Aside from their static display, they will also have their kinetic presentations tomorrow.

Philippine National Police personnel across the province were also in full alert and strengthened further its community visibility in anticipation of the activities tomorrow. (PIA Sorsogon)

Photo by: Diane Recebido

Sweetest and largest gumihan and baligang fruits found in Ligao and Iriga

Legazpi City, June 10 — Crizalde Quiapos of Ligao City, Albay and Nestor Franz Fortuno of Iriga City, Camarines Sur both bagged the first place in the Pataramisan sagkud Padarakulaan Contest for gumihan and baligang, respectively. This was held last June 6, 2011 at the Pacific Mall Activity Center here.

The second and third prizes in the gumihan category were received by Orestes Sta. Clara of Sto. Domingo, Albay and Salve Bondad of Tabaco City, Albay, respectively. Likewise, the entries of Clarita Repatacodo, Iriga City, Camarines Sur and Marissa Francisco, Legazpi City, Albay got the second and third places for baligang. Ten other participants with entries in the gumihan category and 9 other for baligang received consolation prizes as well.

The winners received cash prizes of PhP5,000 for the 1^st prize, PhP3,000 for the 2^nd prize, PhP2,000 for the 3^rd prize, and PhP500 for each consolation prize. Likewise, fruit entries were bought for PhP30 per piece for gumihan and PhP300 per 3-kilo basket of baligang.

The winning entries were selected based on the fruits’ size (30%), taste/sweetness (30%), color (15%), smell (15%) and physical condition (10%) and were selected by the panel of judges consisting of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Provincial Director Rodrigo Aguilar, Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Regional Director Eduardo de Leon, Amelia Detera of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Jason Gonzales of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Regional Trial Court (RTC) Legazpi Judge Edgar Armes, Efren Operio Jr. of the Ecosystem Research and Development Service (DENR-ERDS), and Ma. Theresa Alcantara of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

After the final judging of the fruit entries, participants and spectators during the contest proper were encouraged to taste and eat the fruits. The seedlings gathered during the contest proper were then turned over to the Energy Development Corporation - Bacon-Manito (EDC-BacMan), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other industries for their greening and adopt-a-river/mountain programs.

 

The Pataramisan sagkud Padarakulaan Contest was spearheaded by the Environmental Management Bureau V (EMB V) and was concocted in the mind of the agency’s Regional Director Fernando Quililan, who hoped that the contest generated awareness as well as encouragement among Bicolanos to preserve and propagate two of the region’s endemic fruits.

“With this contest, I suppose that the familiarity with the two fruits, particularly the gumihan which is unknown to many, have already begun” RD Quililan said. “And hopefully, these fruits will be another reason for people from other parts of the country to visit our region.” (DENR-EMB/PIA)

Sorsogon, pangatlo sa may pinakamalaking bilang ng OFWs – OWWA Bicol

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, June 9 (PIA) – Inihayag ni Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Bicol Regional Director II Jocelyn Ortega-Hapal sa isang press conference dito kamakailan na pumapangatlo ang Sorsogon sa may pinakamalaking bilang ng mga rehistradong Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) na kasapi ng OWWA.

Ayon sa opisyal, mula Abril 27 ngayong taon hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay umaabot na sa 52,059 OFWs ang naitatala ng OWWA kung saan nakuha pa rin ng lalawigan ng Camarines Sur ang pinakamalaking bilang ng mga Bicolanong nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa, pumapangalawa naman ang lalawigan ng Albay habang sinusundan naman ito ng Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Masbate at Catanduanes.

Sa Sorsogon, nangunguna naman sa may pinakamataas na bilang ng nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa ang Sorsogon City na may 2,188 OFWs, sinuusundan ito ng bayan ng Bulan na may 666 OFWs, Gubat na may 606 OFWs, Irosin 404 OFWs at panghuli ang Pilar na may 246 OFWs.

Inihayag din ng OWWA ang limang nangungunang bansa kung saan marami ang mga Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) na pinangungunahan ng bansang Saudi Arabia na may 925 land at sea-based OFWs, sinusundan ito ng United Arab Emirates (UAE) na may 721 OFWs, Hongkong – 381, Kuwait – 263, at Singapore na may kabuuang 259 OFWs.

Nilinaw din ni Hapal na ang inihayag nilang istatistika ay base sa mga legal na kasapi ng ahensya o mga OFWs na rehistrado ng kanilang tanggapan. (HBinaya/PIA Sorsogon)

CARE Program ng PCA regular na ipinatutupad

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, June 9 (PIA) – Kinumpirma ni Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Region V Acting Project Development Officer Emily Lopoz na regular na ipinatutupad ang PCA Calamity Assistance for Rehabilitation Program partikular sa mga lugar na naaapektuhan sa tuwing nagkakaroon ng kalamidad kung saan pinakahuli dito ang nagdaang bagyong Chedeng.

Ayon kay Lopoz, sa lalawigan ng Sorsogon, regular din aniya ang implementasyon ng mga CARE Funded Project sa mga bayan ng Matnog, Pilar, Irosin, Magallanes, Castilla, Casiguran at sa lungsod ng Sorsogon.

Laman ng nasabing programa ang Participatory Coconut Planting kung saan target nilang itanim ang 130,530 na puno ng niyog.

Sa pinakahuling tala ng PCA Bicol, 100,555 na coconut seedlings na ang naitanim sa 870 ektaryang lupain sa unang bahagi ng proyekt

Nagsimula na ring tumubo ang 44,119 na puno ng niyog na naitanim sa ikalawang bahagi ng programa, hindi maglalaon ay ipatutupad na rin nila diumano ang ikatlong bahagi ng programa.

Sa ilalim naman Salt Fertilization Technology, natapos na rin nila diumano ang 6.25 ektarya sa Sorsogon mula sa target na 6.87 ektarya. Habang masaya namang ibinalita ni Lopoz na napunuan na rin nila ang 42.5 ektarya sa ilalim ng intercropping project.

Samantala, makabalik na rin diumano ang magandang produksyon ng kopra matapos na maapektuhan ito ng nagdaang tagtuyot.

Ayon kay Lopoz, umaabot na sa P49 hangang P50 ang halaga ng kopra ngayon sa mga pamilihan.

Umaasa si Lopoz na magpapatuloy ang pagsigla ng industryiya ng niyog hindi lamang sa Sorsogon kundi maging sa buong rehiyon ng Bicol. (HBinaya/PIA Sorsogon)

Nationwide PhilHealth registration Day II replication rolls off on June 25

by Irma A. Guhit

 

SORSOGON CITY, June 10 (PIA)..... The Nationwide PhilHealth Registration Day Replication, dubbed as "PhilHealth Sabado, Magseguro, Magparehistro" is one of the major activities that will pursue the Aquino Health Agenda: Universal Health Care, particularly the strategic thrust to improve financial risk protection through the expansion of the National Health Integrated Program (NHIP) enrolment and benefit delivery.

 

In a meeting conducted yesterday, here at Casa Dominga , Mr. Alfredo Hubilo, PhilHealth Field officer expounded on the replication program of the PhilHealth Sabado conducted last October 2, 2010, again to be done this June 25 in Cumadcad National High School, Castilla,Sorsogon and Burabud, Elementary School, Sorsogon City.

 

Sorsogon successful registration scheme last October 2, 2010 has 40,000 plus enrollees and according to Hubilo, 2, 700 plus cards has been distributed already as per validation done by their office and 10,830 for processing.. 

 

This year, the registration will be again replicated and onwards registration will be done in every local government units.

 

"The registration will not end but the second launch will be moving onwards as a continous action of PhilHealth to attain the universal health program which is the end goal of the PNoy administration.

 

Dr. Napoleon Arevalo, Department of Health (DOH), provincial health team leader here gave the participants the success of the last years registration and the awareness shown by the LGUs through their support in the high registration harnessed.

 

According to Arevalo, only Sorsogon in the whole Bicol region has a provincewide launch that the positive number of registration of fourty thousand plus is indicative that the constituency would like to be enrolled in PhilHealth and be given the right health care and dignity be restored among the poor and the underserve through the PhilHealth assistance program.

 

The NPHRD II according to Arevalo hopes to serve the target population comprising of Identified Indigent (NHTS), the Informal Sector and the PhilHealth members and no-members.

 

Arevalo stressed that the NPHRD II framework will focus on Health Insurance Advocacy, Information and Empowerment campaign, thus the effort is not limited by the number of indigent that the province may enroll but more on the number of people to be reached out and provided education specially in the importance of being a PhilHealth member.

 

The Local Government of Castilla through its representative in the meeting informed the body that LGU Castilla will allocate Php 301.000.00 for the registration of the identified indigent in their municipality.

 

This year's PhilHealth registration campaign will be spearheaded by the Department of Education assisted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office specially in the validation of those enrolled to really come up with a clean listing ang beneficiary focused program.  (PIA-Sorsogon)

Sorsogon to host Bicol’s SME Negosyo Caravan

By: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, June 10 (PIA) – The nationwide SME Negosyo Caravan started by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) last April 27-28, 2011 in Bukidnon has been to eight regions of the country and will be in the Bicol Region this coming June 22-23, with the Province of Sorsogon as host to this highly awaited Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) regional event of the year.

DTI Senior Trade & Industry Development Specialist & Info Officer Senen Malaya said that the project which will be held at Aemilianum College Inc., Gymnasium and grounds in Sorsogon City aims to improve access and awareness of SMEs to government and private sector services particularly to areas where the provision of business development services may be limited.

Malaya said that resource speakers from institutions who are experts in their respective fields will be brought to the region to conduct training and counseling sessions to promote entrepreneurship, access to markets, access to finance, and increase SME productivity and efficiency.

Simultaneous sessions on the following topics will be conducted: Choosing the Right Market and Product Development, Business Plan Preparation, Putting Business Online, Requirements of Good Manufacturing Practices, Credit Sourcing Management, Packaging and Labeling Requirements and Franchising.

“The event will be participated in by about three hundred entrepreneurs from all over the region with the Province of Sorsogon expected to share 50% of the participants,” he also said.

Meanwhile, DTI provincial Director Leah Pagao said that back-to-back with the SME Caravan is a three-day “TODO DISKWENTO PROJECT” aimed to help consumers through discounted prices of school supplies and basic commodities.

Pagao said that the project will be held on June 22-24, 2011 with leading local stores together with the National Food Authority-Sorsogon and the San Miguel Integrated Sales, participating. 

“Specifically, products offered at discount include notebooks, papers, pencils, pens, school bags and shoes, and selected food items as sausages and canned items (children’s baon),” she added.

For more information, please contact DTI-Sorsogon at telephone numbers: 4215553 or 4215399 or any DTI Provincial Office nearest to you. (DTI/PIA Sorsogon)