Day: June 19, 2024

MANILA: The country’s healthcare system response capabilities will get a shot in the arm as the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the request of the Department of Health (DOH) to purchase 141 units of medical vehicles.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has approved the Authority to Purchase Motor Vehicles (APMV) amounting to PHP387 million on June 11, the DBM said in a statement Wednesday.

The motor vehicles to be purchased include land and sea ambulances, as well as passenger vans for patient transport.

The acquisition is part of the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP), which aims to address gaps in healthcare delivery and make facilities and services more accessible.

‘Improving the responsiveness of our healthcare system is crucial to ensuring timely and effective medical care for everyone, particularly in underserved and geographically isolated areas,’ Pangandaman said.

‘The HFEP aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to providing efficient health se
rvices for all Filipinos,’ she added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LAOAG CITY: The city government here has chosen Barangay 1 San Lorenzo as this year’s best-performing lupong tagapamayapa (peace committee), with a rating of 95 percent, for demonstrating exemplary performance in settling disputes at the grassroots or village level.

The most outstanding lupon received a cash prize of PHP25,000 and a plaque of recognition.

Mayor Michael Keon, who led the awarding ceremony in front of the city hall on Wednesday in time for the city’s 59th Charter Day celebration, lauded the efforts and commitment of village officials as well as members of the lupong tagapamayapa (peacemakers), for their support and cooperation in making the city peaceful and livable.

‘Thank you for your hard work and dedication in supporting the city government’s thrusts, especially when it comes to the maintenance of peace and order in your respective barangays,’ he said.

In receiving the award, Barangay 1 San Lorenzo village chief and peace committee chairperson Manny Morales said he is happy that the vil
lage has gained from their effort.

‘With this, we are inspired to be more competent and to implement good governance not just in our barangay but for the whole city of Laoag,’ he said.

Barangay 1 San Lorenzo has been a consistent provincial winner under the component city category for its best practices in maintaining peace and order in the community.

Its lupon addresses misunderstandings in the village such as rumormongering, land disputes, family relationships, and money, through the so-called ‘la casa’ technique to let complainants write down whatever they want to say when they arrive at the Lupon office.

According to the Lupon officers, the technique works best in cases of conflict with families or neighbors, so that when they face off, the complainant feels better and calmer after writing down his or her feelings.

Another technique is the use of biblical verses, teachings, and parables flashed on a digital screen to condition the minds of both parties.

The lupon also ensures its creativity is compl
emented with efficiency measures, such as the observance of settlement procedures and settlement deadlines, the systematic maintenance of records, timely submission of reports to concerned agencies, and the conduct of monthly meetings exclusively on the barangay justice system.

Source: Philippines News Agency

DAVAO CITY: Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said Wednesday President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s instruction to push through the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) is ‘very clear’ despite its funding issues.

‘The President’s announcement is clear and is still a go. The project’s details were checked, and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) fixed the technical description and the funding,’ he said in a press briefing here.

While funding is still being secured, the DOTr is exploring alternative sources such as Official Development Assistance (ODA) from foreign governments and international banks.

‘According to DOTr Secretary (Jaime) Bautista, they are studying the project’s design. From what I know, the proposal for the MRP was a diesel-powered train, and I think we will no longer use the diesel-powered because most are using electric powered [train[,’ Magno said.

He said the DOTR, being the project’s lead agency, is assessing not the viability but the applicability of the exist
ing design that was given.

The first phase of the MRP will start with pre-construction activities in the cities of Davao, Tagum, and Digos.

Land acquisition for the project is ongoing from Tagum to Digos via Davao City.

MRP Phase 1 includes eight stations, spans 100.2 kilometers, and has a projected cost of PHP81.6 billion.

Upon completion, it is expected to serve 122,000 passengers daily and reduce travel time from Tagum City to Digos City from three hours to just one hour.

The entire MRP will cover 1,544 kilometers, connecting key areas in Mindanao such as Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Butuan, Surigao, and Malaybalay.

Meanwhile, Magno also assured the Mindanaoans that the current administration is committed to implementing major infrastructure projects in Mindanao.

He also emphasized his commitment to coordinating with the agencies responsible for the projects to ensure their progress.

‘We are here specifically upon the instructions of the Office of the Presiden
t to identify and pursue potential projects for Mindanao,’ he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The House Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources is closely coordinating with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to capacitate Filipino fisherfolk and protect their livelihood in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In a statement on Wednesday, Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan, panel chair, said BFAR should ensure the efficient use of its funds to provide full support to small fisherfolk in the WPS, considering that the agency’s budget has been consistently increasing by an average of 45 percent annually since 2022.

He said over 385,000 fisherfolk dependent on the waters of WPS for their livelihood need to be protected from China’s ‘acts of intimidation and provocation’ in the disputed waters, particularly with Beijing’s new anti-trespassing rule that reportedly took effect on June 15.

China has empowered its own coast guard to detain for up to 60 days without trial foreign trespassers who will cross what it claims are its borders, including those overlapping i
n the WPS which are within Manila’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

‘As chair of the House aquaculture and fisheries committee, we are closely coordinating with BFAR to find ways to improve the capability of municipal fisherfolk fishing in the West Philippine Sea as well as in protecting them and our marine resources from illegal activities,’ Yamsuan said.

He said BFAR has assured Filipino fisherfolk that they can continue to fish in portions of the WPS that form part of the country’s EEZ.

‘BFAR itself said that our fisherfolk can continue fishing in the West Philippine Sea. But such pronouncements should be backed by action and concrete support for our fisherfolk,’ he said.

BFAR reported to the House panel that there is an allocation of PHP1.8 billion in its 2024 budget for WPS-related programs, which include strengthening its Integrated Marine Environment Monitoring System (IMEMS) to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF), implementing science-based policies on fisher
ies conservation and sustainability in the WPS, and improving the management of its data assets through an enhanced fisheries regulatory and information system.

BFAR also reported that it is planning to procure two more Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) patrol vessels and a food boat this year in line with its initiatives to support the government’s efforts to protect the country’s marine resources in the WPS.

Yamsuan, however, said the procurement of boats for municipal fisherfolk has always been delayed.

He said 37 of BFAR boats funded under the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA) were only issued their respective “Authority to Pay” on May 9, 2024, while only 15 of the 52 more boats funded under the 2023 GAA are ready for distribution next month.

‘We want to find out from BFAR what needs to be done to speed up the procurement so that it can provide the support that our fisherfolk need, especially those dependent on the West Philippine Sea for their livelihood,’ he said.

Yamsuan, meanwhile, s
aid the government’s recent formal declaration before the United Nations of maritime entitlement to an extended continental shelf on parts of the WPS complement the current steps being undertaken to assert the country’s rights over the contested area and protect fisherfolk from China’s bullying activities.

He also commended the Armed Forces of the Philippines (A.F.P) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for continuing to protect Filipino fisherfolk in the WPS.

‘All these measures demonstrate how the Philippines has resorted to restraint in dealing with this national security concern,’ he said.

‘Our calibrated response will help us sustain the support we have earned from the international community as shown by the latest pronouncement of the G7 bloc condemning China’s increasing use of dangerous tactics in the WPS,’ he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LEGAZPI CITY: A total of 900 women from two towns in Albay province are now reaping the fruit of their hard work after participating in the WE LEAP (Women Empowerment on Leadership in Economics Resources, Access, and Participation) of Fundación Educación y Cooperación (Educo) Philippines, an international non-government organization (NGO).

In a press conference at the Marison Hotel here on Wednesday, Carmela Lorayes, WE LEAP program officer of Educo Philippines, said the project under their Gender-Responsive Protection and Governance Mechanism provided livelihood material, equipment support, and training to the women organized into 61 groups in the municipalities of Manito and Camalig.

She said the project gives women the ability to further assert their rights by being able to provide for their families through livelihood and business enterprise.

“These livelihood activities were developed by the women themselves. They underwent training in business development, and they also have resource inventory mappin
g. The project also wanted to encourage business economic development in the community by being able to use and maximize the resources of their community,” she said.

Lorayes said the various livelihood and business enterprises were now operational and contributing to the women’s economic development and family sustenance.

“In the social aspects, we want them to assert their rights and lead the family, not just the father, but also want them to take care of themselves and rear their children well by giving sessions on positive parenting, maternal health, and early childhood care. We are not just focusing on women, but we also want to provide interventions reaching children,” Lorayes said.

On the political aspect, the project also initiated the active involvement of “duty bearers” or barangay council members, violence against women and children’s (VAWC) desk officers who were capacitated in reporting, and referral of child protection and gender-based violence cases in the community.

Lorayes said the project
was funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) with its local partner organizations as direct implementors –the Mayon Integrated Development Alternatives and Services for Camalig and the Bicol Center for Community Development for Manito.

Meanwhile, in another conference on knowledge-sharing at the same venue with the theme “Babayi Ka, Bako Babayi Sana”, the women’s group members relayed inspiring stories, accomplishments, and good practices.

Gemma Castill-Goliat, Educo country director, during the conference, emphasized the importance of stakeholders and the government in implementing projects.

“Kahit gaano kayaman ng non-government organization (NGO) na yan, (no matter how rich an NGO is), they cannot do work among themselves. You need other stakeholders and partners to make it happen. We exist to complement what the government is already doing,” she said.

Goliat also encouraged partner agencies and local government units to support the project and the sustainability
of the organized women’s groups in their community.

Educo is a global development NGO present in the Bicol region since 2005. Currently, it carries out more than 200 projects in 14 countries and is part of the ChildFund international alliance.

Source: Philippines News Agency