Labor Day in the Philippines

Workers called for duty today, May 1, gets 200% more of his regular pay for the first 8 hours of work and another 30% of the hourly rate for the day when he works more, the local labor office says.

  Bohol labor office, through Teri Salas said May 1, traditionally celebrated as the international Labor Day is also a regular holiday in the country and has not been moved as practiced in other holidays. 

  And pursuant to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Memorandum Circular No. 1, issued March 2004, and citing Executive Order 203 as amended by Republic Act 9177, she said workers for the day, even if they do not go to work collect 100% of their pay rates.

  If the day falls on the workers' rest day and he is called to render duty, he collects 30% more of the 200% rate he gets for the day. He shall not be held for absence if he chooses not to work and can even collect 100% of his day pay, the law states. 

  Moreover, if the day happens to be the worker's rest day, and if he works and renders more than his mandatory 8 hours, he gets 30% of his hourly rate on that day. 

NPA Denies Philippine Masscre of a Family

The communist New People's Army (NPA) washed its hands Thursday off the gruesome massacre of a family in Gingoog City in northern Mindanao last April 9.

NPA North Central Mindanao spokesman Cesar Renerio blamed a paramilitary group for the crime and slammed the military for passing the blame on the NPA to win people's hearts and minds.

"We call on all peace and human rights advocates, the religious and well-meaning politicians to conduct an in-depth investigation to delve on the truth on who really are the perpetrators of this gruesome massacre," Renerio said in an article on the Communist Party of the Philippines website (www.philippinerevolution.net).

Renerio claimed members of the paramilitary group Bungkatol Liberation Front (Bulif) were the ones who massacred the Suarez family last April 9.

Killed were Manuel and Jocelyn Suarez and their children Jan Mark, 6, Bebi, 5, Along, 2, and Niño, two months-old. The incident occurred at Sitio Kamanikan, Malinao in Gingoog.

Women in Poverty Reduction Program

     Anchored on the theme, Babae, Yaman Ka ng Bayan (Woman, You are Wealth/Asset of the Nation), this year's celebration of Women's Month focuses on the critical role of women in nation-building and recognizes the significance of women in poverty reduction amid the global financial crisis.

      Women's groups, provincial and local government employees and concerned stakeholders from different private and government line agencies converged on Tuesday last week at the Jagna gymnasium to kick off the month-long celebration of the National Women's Month.

      They converged in a grand parade which started from the municipal hall compound and snaked through the thoroughfares of Jagna where the women participants were clad in Filipiniana attire.

      Mayor Exuperio Lloren and wife, Nimfa Abaya-Lloren- -chair of the Local Council of Women (LCW), led the unveiling of Jagna's vernacular translation of the theme in a program at the town's gymnasium.

      In his message, Mayor Lloren commended the around a thousand women who participated in the activity for their willingness to create a gender-responsive environment.

      "I am encouraging you to support and engage yourselves into high-value and more meaningful economic activities and enterprise development as your contribution in uplifting your family's standard of living and in nation-building in general," Mayor Lloren said.

      Provincial Board Member Aster Apalisok-Piollo, chairperson of the PB Committee on Women and Family Welfare, was the guest speaker during the launching ceremony.

      She cited the women as the first teachers of the children, and enumerated the strengths of a woman, foremost of which is her faithfulness both to her husband and to God; her creativity, resourcefulness, flexibility and wisdom to know her rights and privileges that highlight her significance in a community.

      Estrella Espinosa, local area coordinator of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), also gave her message on solidarity, through which she reminded the women on their importance and their vital role at home and in the community's economic agenda.

      A symposium on human trafficking was conducted at the same venue in the afternoon with the Philippine Against Child Trafficking (PACT) Regional Convenor Fe Josol as the guest presentor.

      The month-long celebration also includes the debut of a special radio program on women over the Jagna community radio station DYJP-FM, involvement in the series of activities of the GREAT Women project, participation in the provincial-level celebration of the Women's Month on March 20 and the local culmination activities on March 27.

Philippine Fertilizer Scam

 None other than the Agriculture undersecretary on operations absolved Secretary Arthur Yap over accusations that the agency is embroiled into another scam, over fertilizer again. 

  Undersecretary Emmanuel Parras belied the claims alleged by a national daily columnist that another fertilizer scam is in the brew and it involves Chinese Filipino businessmen and fertilizer dealers accordingly favored by Yap. 

  Parras initially clarified that Yap came after the controversial fertilizer scam and could not be involved in it.

  In fact in a letter sent to Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Neal Cruz, Secretary Yap equivocally denied any part in any of the fertilizer transaction investigated by Senator Ramon Magsaysay in the 13th Congress and by Senator Richard Gordon in the 14th Congress. 

  Moreover, he also stressed during the telephone interview with DyTR that it is unlikely for the Department of Agriculture (DA) to be involved in the alleged fertilizer scam when there is a government procurement process being followed and that the department is not having any hand in getting its supplies and materials now. 

  Speaking in the vernacular through a radio interview, Parras, who used to be with the National Irrigation Administration said that the DA under Yap is not even giving out fertilizers but discount coupons.

  In the same letter to Cruz dated March 9, Yap reiterated that under his watch, the fertilizer support program of the Department of Agriculture now involves mere distribution of Fertilizer Discount Coupons to farmers, through master-lists provided by Municipal Agriculture Officials. 

  "Farmers choose what organic or inorganic fertilizers they want and just get discounts for their purchases by using the coupons we are handing out to them in coordination with local government units. The DA no longer procures the fertilizer or dictates the fertilizer brands they have to use," Yap said.

  We have laws and so we can't really say we have favored suppliers, Parras also added. 

  Just as the DA rebuttal came, many hint that the columnist's bone of contention could be provoked by instigation from Bohol. 

  The subject article also questioned why DA Sec. Yap is always visible in Bohol, especially in the third congressional district where he is rumored to run. 

  Parras also added that Yap is named the cabinet steward for the Administration's Comprehensive Livelihood Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP), where the DA is actively implementing agri-related infrastructure and organic fertilizer production programs.

  Over the observation that Tap is often in Bohol, he said "my visits to Bohol must also not be injected with political color because my extra work in Bohol and in Region 2 are on account of my recent designation as the Cabinet Steward for the President's Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program or CLEEP in these areas.

  Former Congressman Eladio Jala, speaking also in an interview with DyTR said he thanks Sec. Yap for bringing in projects to the district now represented by his son, Adam Relson. - Rey Chiu, PIA

Philippine Native Baskets

With a production volume topping 11,000 assorted pieces a week and generating a weekly average of P1.2M, baskets and handicrafts in Bohol prove to be one brilliant industry to rely on in this time of global financial crunch, bares trade regional director Asteria Caberte. 

  Relying on this fact and relying on the viable industry here owing to the big source of ready raw materials, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) brings to Bohol trainings in basketry, bayong making, beadwork, flora arrangement and franchising seminar to kick-off the government's emergency livelihood and employment program.   

  And that, DTI Caberte said is still Antequera production. Anteguera is Bohol's basket capital.  

  Aside from Antequera now, DTI is also assisting basket weaving communities through a national program call Subcontracting partners for Innovation (SPIN) and OTOP clusters especially in Inabanga area to widen the industry to help more Boholanos. 

  Caberte presided over the DTI- Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) Roadshow at the Jjs Seafoods Restaurant March 11. 

  As in the road-show which cascaded relevant information about how DTI helps the government get its aim of more jobs to keep people above water in the advent of shaken industries, the agency also hosted trainings and seminars. 

  People flocked to the beadworks, floral arrangement, bayong making, basket weaving and business opportunities as well as pricing and product costing seminars set in different venues at the sprawling restaurant property.  

  These skills trainings also support each other like beads with bayong and baskets, baskets with floral arrangements, with pricing and costing and business opportunities superimposed on top of them, pointed out a DTI Bohol staff.  

  Director Caberte explained that the activity is part of the government's P160-B economic stimulus package where P100-B has been tagged for infrastructure development. 

  The idea is to keep generating jobs so that people find work and sustain the economy. 

  "When people have less disposable income, they tend to hold from buying, and that is bad for the economy like what we have now," explains Caberte.  

  At the CLEEP road show, some 41 trained in beadworks, another 40 enrolled in flower arrangement, a practical skill to have when in an island where tourism becomes a by-word. 

  In the advent of trending towards eco-solutions, DTI also put up bayong making and basket weaving in preparation for mainstreaming native recyclable and environment friendly alternative packaging.  

  About 35, mostly women trained in weaving the bayong while 12 registered in the basic basket weaving training, a fact many note as not as brilliant when Bohol basket industry has gone from basic to designs already. 

  For the small and medium enterprise owners, 31 came in to enroll in the seminar on pricing and costing while 43 listened to resource persons talking about business opportunities here. - Rey Chiu, PIA

Save the Children and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation at UP, Diliman

Save the Children and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation cordially invite you to the launching of the State of Filipino Mothers 2008 Report on March 10, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at Balay Kalinaw, University of the Philippines- Diliman, Quezon City.

The report examines the health and well-being of mothers in various parts of the country and calls on our national and local policymakers to protect children by addressing the reproductive health needs of Filipino women.

The launch will be attended by local and national government officials, heads and representatives of various government, non government and private institutions, academe and other partners.

It is our fervent hope that you can join us on this day.  Your support through media coverage will be of great value to the success of this endeavor.

Should you have further queries please feel free to contact:

Ms. Stephanie Anne Sison      Gia-Marie Chu

Cell: 0917-8655049            Cell: 0917-8590759

Office: 8523064 loc 204       Office: 8523064 loc. 152

ssison@savechildren.org       gchu@savechildren.org

Video Australia in Bohol Philippines

Awesome. 

  This sums up the impression of the directors and television crew of Video Australia who came in to shoot footages of Bohol and the Philippines for a travel segment to be shown in the continent down under.  

  The team composed of Rusty Cage Productions managed by Estee Wallace was sent by the Department of Tourism to help promote the country, including Bohol to Australians and Micronesians reached by the Australian broadcast. 

  Segment director Alexander Begetis and cameraman Andrew Grant had the time of their lives composing spectacular shots of Bohol as TV segment presentor and Hollywood star Morgan Burrett couldn't stop commenting his amazement of the quaint province with astounding destinations.      

  The television team and crew came to film Bohol and the Philippines for a month-long series on Philippine and Bohol scenic spots and wonders, explained Estee Wallace as the crew arrived at the city airport Saturday last week. 

  The film output would be a month-long presentation in a series the wonders of the Philippines and would be coming out in October this year over Australian Channel 10, adds Begetis, in a casual talk with the media. 

  In Bohol, the team however missed the dolphin and whale watching trip as the crew refused to risk the equipment on the scheduled date because of a squall brought about by low hanging clouds around Pamilacan. 

  The group went to shoot segments of the show at the Chocolate Hills, in the ricefields of Batuan, the man-made forest of Loboc and Bilar, the church in Loboc and Tagbilaran, the floating restaurants, the rustic roads in Cambanac and the tarsiers in Corella. 

  Moreover, Bohol has been hosting promotional film and television crews in government cooperative efforts to make the island a top eco-cultural tourism destination in the country.  

  Many people here believe that eco-cultural tourism is viable as it has moved the province out of poverty in past decade.  

  Hosting the crew for Bohol were the provincial government, Angels' Wings Tour and Travel, Amarela Resort, J4 Tours and Transport and Bohol tour-guides Chito Vaño with another KABO guide. - Rey Anthony Chiu, PIA

Philippine Agriculture Jobs

An adopted Boholano has recently committed to start agriculture related jobs in Bohol as part of the one-eighth share in the national commitment to generate one million jobs to insulate the poor against a zapping global economic meltdown. 

  Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, a Boholano by affinity pledged this in his capacity Cabinet as steward in charge of livelihood and emergency employment projects. 

  He said "these jobs not only benefit the rural workers but also recoup the country's agriculture through increased food production, cut production loses and honed small farmers' and fishers' competitiveness, over a press material from his agency.  

  In Bohol, local sources here speculate that the agriculture department would immediately fund the rehabilitation of irrigation facilities and the farm to market roads development. 

  The speculation came after Governor Erico Aumentado has formally asked Bohol mayors to help facilitate the acquisition of road right of ways for the upgrading of Malinao Dam in Pilar. 

  The governor told the mayors during the recent meeting in Batuan about the proposal to extend 5 meters to the dam in preparation to Bohol Irrigation Projects III (BHIP 3) to be funded by Korean Government.  

   Earleir, Sec. Yap, who coordinates for President Arroyo's Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) in Northern Luzon and Bohol has initially said that more than half of the total length of the country's farm to market roads would be built in Central Philippines and the Mindanao Super Region, where major food production sites are located. 

  On this, 567.60 kilometers of FMRs in Central Philippines are expected to benefit 56,760 farmers and create 14,190 new jobs.

  These developments however have raised blips among political observers' radars while not ignoring Yap's visible presence and multi-million projects in fish ports, organic fertilizers and farm sector development researches in Bohol. 

  The report has also floated talks that Yap's frontloading of the agency's programmed spending could hand easily hand him the silver platter of a congressional seat.

  When asked for commitments at jobs summit in Malacanang, Sec. Yap, who was named special steward in Bohol and Cagayan Valley has pledged immediate accomplishment of 80,000 jobs for DA. 

  Such jobs include cultivation of organic fertilizer in Ilocos; construction of flatbed dryers, irrigation projects and agro-forestry projects in Cagayan Valley, organic fertilizers production and vegetable planting programs in the Cordillera Administrative Region, livestock production and irrigation construction in Central Luzon. 

  The Aggie department wants to create an initial 131,000 new jobs in the agriculture and fisheries sector this year under the Arroyo administration's emergency employment package. This forms part of the P330-billion economic stimulus program designed to insulate Filipinos from the adverse effects of the worsening global financial meltdown. 

  Of this, DA wants to generate 81,134 jobs in the repair and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities nationwide and another 10,400 under its organic fertilizer production program. - Rey Anthony Chiu

Loon Anti-Rabies Campaign

By Rey Anthony Chiu

PIA

  Anti-rabies advocates in exchange for medical health insurance, you bet. 

  While spending a sizable budget for medical health care (Medicare) insurance assistance, Loon Mayor Lloyd Peter Lopez figured out he could also ask a payback from his constituents. 

  In a PowerPoint presentation to Asian group visiting Bohol to study the province-wide anti-rabies prevention and eradication program implementation, Mayor Lopez bared the plan to engage more of his people to respond to the threat. 

  Lopez, who is also a physician by profession said the town has practically been alarmed by the unusually high population of stray dogs in his town, some canines taking their posts at key municipal hall alleys.  

  Loon was once of the first few Bohol towns that wholeheartedly adopted the campaign ahead, the mayor cognizant that he ought to have a head start. 

  Loon has got the most number of barangays in Bohol at 67, and in an anti-rabies saturation drive, local officials would need all the time they can get.  

  From an initial budget of P10T, Loon upped the anti-rabies fund to P90T the following year, the mayor reported in an apparent move to show the conviction of local officials about the threat.  

  Despite starting ahead, while many Loon residents expect a down in reported bite cases, the town registered almost double bite cases last year. 

  To this, Dr. Lopez attributed to the awareness people now reporting dog bite cases to get the vaccination, rather than getting traditional remedies instead.  

  Putting up a gallant stand against the magnanimous challenge of getting Loon Rabies Free by 2010, and with the lack of manpower to campaign for responsible dog ownership, the town dad has proposed getting the help from indigent insurance beneficiaries.  

  The move also earned the nod of Asian study tour group members noting that creative ways of getting to the aim of ridding the risk of rabies should not be limited to fund scarcity. 

Increasing Food Supply in a Philippine Town

      Increasing local supply of food crops takes the top slot in this year's priority list of Talibon Mayor Juanario Item.

      For this purpose, a total of 75 barangay officials recently attended a one-day seminar-workshop on the production of Carbonized Rice Hull and Vermi-Composting held at the Farmers' Information & Technology Services (FITS) center in barangay San Roque.

      Among the participants were the 25 village heads, chairpersons of the barangay committees on agriculture and the barangay agricultural workers(BAW).

      In his message during the activity, Mayor Item said the activity helped make the participants and all land tillers appreciate the compost fertilizer more than inorganic ones.

      Item also pointed out that his administration's focus this year is on increasing the local supply of agricultural products like rice, banana, root crops and vegetables.

      Through the program, the municipal government aims to ensure the town's food security.

      "If all farmers will support his agenda to forget commercial fertilizers in favor of the organic ones, it will lessen the burden of crop production," according to the mayor.

      In fact, the mayor said he has already started applying compost fertilizers on his ricefields.

      Agricultural Technologist and FITS Manager Ponciana Cruda, for her part,  encouraged the farmers to try the CRH and vermin composting method of producing local fertilizers.

      Vermi-composting technician, Generoso Evardo, introduced the importance of vermi-culture and vermin composting.

      After the lecture, the participants had hands-on activities on the production of carbonized rice hull and preparation of a container for vermin-culture.

      Mayor Item personally distributed the certificates of attendance to the participants. (Onad Munalem)