2012 Sinulog in Cebu, Philippines

Communications Officer
Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.
Tel. no. (63 32) 418 7234 loc. 504
Email: Haidee.Emmie.Palapar@rafi.org.ph

Prayer is best way to celebrate Sinulog

The Feast of Sto. Niño on Jan. 15 is full of festive food, overflowing drinks, and street
parties. But nothing beats a solemn prayer to celebrate the day, according to two Sto. Niño
devotees.

Gloria Enclonar, who has been a devotee since she was 19 years old, said that beyond
the food and the dances, people must remember prayer as still the best way to thank the Holy
Child.

"Prayer is still the best gift for Sto. Niño and the best way to celebrate. For me, I would
complete the novena masses every year even under threats of a storm," she said in Cebuano
during the Pagtuki episode last Saturday.

Pagtuki is the radio program of Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), which airs every
Saturday, 10-11 a.m. at dyLA.

Enclonar said that she personally experienced the miracle of the baby Jesus when she
was 35 years old. The doctor had informed her of her difficulty to get pregnant. A believer in the
power of prayer, Enclonar asked Sto. Niño to grant them even just one child.

Now, she and her husband are raising their three biological children.

For Julia Maru, another Pagtuki guest who has been battling breast cancer for three
years, the miracle of Sto. Niño is manifested through the love and support of her family.

She continues to encourage her three sons to celebrate the Sinulog by attending the
novena masses.

"My Sinulog will be complete when I attend mass and give thanks to Sto. Niño. For me,
prayer is most important of all our Sinulog activities," she said in Cebuano.

Karl Damayo, exhibitions and museum collections officer of the Casa Gorodo Museum
of RAFI, said that Sinulog is really intended for giving thanks to Sto. Niño.

"The Vatican acknowledges the Sinulog as a prayer through a dance. There are only two
dancing prayers recognized by the Vatican. The other one is in Spain," he said.

KALAHI-CIDSS Project for newly-chosen municipalities

The Department of Social Welfare and Development recently conducted a forum on Conditions and Precedents of the KALAHI-CIDSS Project to provide newly-chosen municipalities with the framework, design, implementation process and key requirements for enrollment to the Project.

The Local Government Unit Forum was intended to provide mayors and their key officials the basic knowledge on how KALAHI-CIDSS is implemented so that these local government units can "make informed decisions" on their inclusion in the project.

The municipalities of Kapalong, Davao del Norte and Pantukan, Compostela Valley will join KALAHI-CIDSS in January next year after they were chosen during the municipal selection process held in July this year.

The forum was also a way of communicating the LGUs with "opportunities to engage the Provincial LGUs and the KALAHI-CIDSS Regional Project Management Office around the possible provision of technical assistance and other forms of support in KC implementation."

"The forum provided the mayors the venue where they could get the much-needed knowledge in assessing the dynamics in KALAHI-CIDSS implementation," said DSWD Regional Director Ester A. Versoza, also the KALAHI-CIDSS regional project director.

Versoza said the forum also allowed the department to link up with the municipalities not only for the implementation of KALAHI-CIDSS but also for other poverty reduction programs.

KALAHI-CIDSS or Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services is a World Bank-funded project which utilizes the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach.

Donate Caskets to Sendong Typhoon Victims in CDO and Iligan City

by Gideon C. Corgue

The provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur donates 100 handmade caskets for victims of the flood-affected area who died in a deadly flash floods that hit Iligan City in Southern Philippines.

Provincial information officer Leo Santillan said Governor Antonio H. Cerilles on Tuesday has ordered the provincial warden to immediately prepare funeral caskets for the victims.

Santillan said the caskets handcrafted by the 103 inmates of provincial jail were loaded in 5 dumptrucks delivered and turned-over this morning to a morgue n Iligan City.

Santillan said the caskets were intended to the victims in Iligan saying that it is near compared to Cagayan de Oro, whose people and properties also suffered death and destruction brought by typhoon Sendong.

OIC-provicial warden Arnell Joe Arcoy was impressed with the carpentry skills of the inmates adding that they have successfully produced the number of caskets as ordered by the chief executive despite the short number of hours given to them.

Arcoy closely supervised the inmates in making the caskets inside the Zamboanga del Sur reformatory center.

The efforts exerted is a show of unity between the government and civic organizations who manifested their great concern over the well-being of those who were victims of flashfloods Santillan said quoting Cerilles.

Despite the vicissitudes and turbulence in life, we, Filipinos still have the courage to rise up, Santillan added.

Seaweed Summit in Philippines

by Thelma C. Bicarme and Max Prudencio

To further develop the seaweed industry in Cagayan Valley region, several plans have been laid out during the recent Seaweed Summit in Region 2, participated by representatives from national and local government agencies, state universities and colleges and non-government organizations.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Seaweeds Action Officer, Dr. Evelyn Ame said seaweed resources here are faced with threats and constraints which impeded its full development and optimum utilization.

Ame likewise laments that the seaweeds present in region 2 generally have low utilization as a food source.

"Seaweeds are highly nutritious and can help address nutrition problems among our constituents, sadly, these are hardly utilized except in the coastal communities," the seaweeds expert said.

"The open-access regime still exists, which if left unchecked, can eventually lead to lesser productivity. The gracilaria industry, on the other hand, suffer from low price as the seaweeds are mainly dried and shipped out of the region," Ame said.

To address these concerns, BFAR, with the assistance of other government agencies shall focus on the expansion of production areas, distribution of drying equipment, conduct of demos on seaweed processing and utilization, conduct of research on seaweed tissue culture and standardization of drying technique.

BFAR shall also create seaweed sanctuaries, pass resolution for regulated gathering and conduct massive information and education campaign on importance of seaweeds as alternative livelihood.

Philippine Football Players Play for Sendong Typhoon Victims

Philippine Football Players Play for Sendong Typhoon Victims

There is a reason to go back to the field on Christmas eve.

Football players will play a weekend more on Saturday, this time to raise funds for the flood victims of the devastating Sendong which recently hit Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City and claimed some 1,000 lives.

Dubbed DFAid II, the fun games will be staged at the Davao Crocodile Park football complex with four football fields playing simultaneous games. It will be the second DFAid football-for-a-cause after the first one last July 7 to help raise donations for the flood victims of Matina.

DFAid II is organized by the Davao Football Community and Bravetower Events Promotions in cooperation with Davao Football Association (DFA), Davao Crocodile Park, Mindanao Travel Channel, and ABS-CBN.

"Yes, we are going back to the football field on Christmas eve to help the flood victims. We celebrated our Christmas party on the same day the floods hit Cagayan de Oro and we felt we need to go back and play, not to celebrate but to help," said Boboy Arrieta of the DFC after declaring that there will be football games this Saturday.

The DFC has already declared no games on Saturday after the completion of the three-leg DFC tournament and its Christmas party last Sunday.

Neil Bravo of sports firm Bravetower said he spoke to Davao Crocodile Park Football Academy coach Christian Ea who was in Cagayan de Oro with the Metro TMS club in the ongoing Philippine Futsal League Mindanao and was told of the situation in the calamity-hit city.

Bravo was told by Ea that there were even reports that there were some players and referees whose families perished in the floods.

"We hope that our football community will respond the way they did during the first DFAid. Maybe even more this time because of the gravity of the situation and the spirit of the Christmas season," Bravo said.

He added that Davao Crocodile Park president Sonny Dizon expressed elation over the social responsibility shown by the sports community.

ABS-CBN Davao through DXAB head Andy Rara already responded to receive and deliver the donations to Cagayan de Oro.

DFAid II will be a fun games format with teams playing 7-a-side. All four fields will be used simultaneously. Registration will be P500 per team with all proceeds going to the flood donations. Players and even non-players are encouraged to bring foodstuff, clothing, and bottled water which are the immediate need of the flood victims.

Activities at FARMC national level

by Thelma c. Bicarme and Max Prudencio

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (FARMC) in region 2 recently elected its new representative to the planning, consultation and related activities at the FARMC national level.

The newly-elected representative, Alexander Agra, the current chairman of the Municipal of Claveria, together with his alternate, Eminio Albindo of MFARMC Sta. Ana, shall represent the fisherfolk of region 2 at the national level.

As Regional FARMC Chair, Agra said his priority would be to initiate the mandatory registration of all municipal fisherfolk and work for their accreditation at the department of labor, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and other relevant government agencies.

Likewise, Agra said that he will also recommend for the conduct of continuous enhancement training for current MFARMCs and the training for Deputy Fish Wardens.

The creation of FARMC is mandated at the national level and in municipalities abutting municipal water, and it intends to institutionalize the major role of the fisherfolk and other resource users in the planning and formulation of policies and programs for the management, conservation, protection and sustainable development of fisheries and aquatic resources.

Meanwhile, Senior Aquaculturist Venchito Villarao, BFAR 2 focal person for the Integrated Coastal Resources Management Project, disclosed plans to reactivate the Babuyan Channel Integrated FARMC early next year as measure to have a unified approach towards the management of the Babuyan Channel and expedite the resolution of issues affecting the area.

Floods in Bulacan State University, Philippines

by Jose Mari M. Garcia

College students in low-lying Bulacan towns struggled to travel from their homes to attend classes during the previous massive flooding only to find out that Bulacan State University (BulSU) was also submerged.

With this perennial flood woe, the BulSU Board of Regents recently approved an P18 million budget to elevate the roads inside the main campus here and to repair the clogged drainage system which triggers backflow of rancid-smelling seepage.

BulSU president Mariano De Jesus said the fund came from the savings of the 20,000-strong university which was spawned from the development fee paid by the students.

"I am embarrassed seeing the students wade through flood waters while I'm in the comfort of my car. So when I saw that there was fund which can ease the problem, I decided to take action," said De Jesus.

When it rains, water pumps are placed in the main and second gates of the university to seep the flood which reached two-feet high and divert it to the roads outside.

Students were relieved at the said plan of the school.

"This plan to repair the road is beneficial. Our problem is that the flood outside the university is higher so the water is collected here inside. If this will push through, this will be a big help," said Lyndon Saguinsin, a fifth year in Civil Engineering.

Third year Journalism student Katherine Mae Corbillon was delighted as this flood problem has has been there ever since she entered the 107-year old university.

Doctors to the Barrios Program

Ten young medical graduates were recently deployed to 10 doctor-less municipalities in Eastern Visayas under the 'Doctors to the Barrios' program, Department of Health Region 8 director Edgardo Gonzaga said.

Gonzaga said the doctors were assigned in fifth and sixth class municipalities namely, Limasawa in Southern Leyte; Jipapad in Eastern Samar; Hinabangan, Tagapul-an, Santo Nino and Matuguinao in the province of Samar; and Laoang, Silvino Lobos, San Antonio; and Gamay in Northern Samar.

The doctors are part of the 73 doctors who were recently assigned in various regions of the country namely, Northern Mindanao, 12; Western Visayas, seven; Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, seven; Ilocos Region, six; Cagayan Valley, five; Mimaropa, five; Cordillera Administrative Region, four; Central Visayas, four; Zamboanga Peninsula, three; Central Luzon, two; Calabarzon, two; Bicol Region, two; Caraga, two; Davao, one; and Socsargen, one.

Said doctors were trained by the National Telehealth Service Program, a collaboration of the Department of Health (DoH), the Department of Science and Technology, and the University of the Philippines Manila, in using telemedicine applications to support their practice in doctor-less and single-doctor communities.

They were trained to do tele-referrals to refer difficult to handle medical cases to specialists in government-run Philippine General Hospital.

Gonzaga said that telemedicine is bringing more Filipino doctors to the barrios. The government is now using information and communications technology to expand the scope of public healthcare services to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

Due to the absence of doctors in rural communities, indigent patients have to travel long hours to seek medical attention from clinical specialists in provincial or city centers.

Seal of Good Housekeeping

Another feather in the cap for the municipality of Bayog!

Mayor Leonardo L. Babasa Jr. received yesterday, December 20, 2011 another award from the Department of the Interior and Local Government in a simple ceremony held at TIMMULCO Bldg., this municipality.

DILG Regional Director Paizal O. Abutazil arrived in the municipality to award the "Seal of Good Housekeeping" in behalf of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo who was tied up with the relief operations in Visayas and Mindanao as an aftermath of typhoon "Sendong." Abutazil came with Provincial Director Abcede H. Asjali, Al Haj, Elmer L. Egama and Rhea A. Romanos, both DILG 9 staff.

Bayog bagged the award for passing the standard of good governance set by the DILG: compliance with the Full Disclosure Policy, no adverse findings from the Commission on Audit, and how the municipal officials run the local government in various aspects.

With this award, Bayog will get P1 million Performance Challenge Fund which Mayor Babasa received yesterday. This means the local government will benefit from the LGSP wherein LGUs will receive more assistance from other national agencies.

The awarding ceremony was also attended by the legislative body headed by Vice Mayor Romualdo Goding, barangay chairmen of the municipality's 28 barangays headed by Hon. Cesar A. Dela Cruz, President of the Liga ng mga Barangay, department heads and other key officials.

Public Warned on Swindlers in Isabela, Philippines

Public Warned on Swindlers in Isabela, Philippines
by Merlito G. Edale, Jr.

The Isabela Police Provincial Office has called on Isabelinos to be careful against swindlers who are operating in the province, following the arrest of some of members of said syndicate in the province yesterday.

Police Senior Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag said the arrest of the suspects is the result of the vigilance of the public in reporting to the police the dubious activities of the syndicate.

Mabanag said the modus of the suspects is the exchanging of fake checks to business establishments wherein they were caught at San Mariano, Isabela.

Police in the province believed that the apprehended seven-member swindling syndicate in the province is only a part of a big syndicate operating not only in the province but in other parts of the Luzon.

The suspects are now at the police custody and a three-count case of swindling has been filed against them at the province's prosecutors office.

Mabanag has called on Isabelinos to report to the police those people who are doing doubtful financial transactions using fake checks.

He said swindling syndicates tend to take advantage of the holiday season when employees encash the checks they received from their employers.