Jobs in Iloilo

Iloilo offers abundant opportunities for job seekers in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry and property developers for the information and communication technology (ICT) industry.

Joeven Tansi, executive director of the Iloilo Federation for Information Technology (IFIT), said there is a need for additional infrastructure support with more investors eyeing Iloilo as their hub.

Last year, he said three investors signified their intention to establish a hub in this city.

Currently, there are two available sites ready to take in BPO companies- the Plazuela de Iloilo at the Diversion Road in Mandurriao district and a building that is owned by Alfonso Tan along Quezon Street at the city proper.

He said they have also inquired at the Ayala Hub in Mandurriao district if they could provide additional IT hub.

Megaworld Corporation, once its development is completed, will augment the necessary infrastructure support needed to respond to the growing BPO locators here.

Currently, Iloilo plays host to six call centers, one animation services and seven others that specialize in web content developer and real property processing, among others.

BPO companies also remain as one of the top job generators in Iloilo. Last year, Tansi said close to 6,000 were employed by BPOs. With the increasing need for workers, he added that they have to augment their talent pool in Iloilo from other provinces.

Applications for absentee voting

The provincial election supervisor here has urged all government officials, police and military authorities as well as members of the media to submit their applications for absentee voting the soonest possible time.

Lawyer Dinah Cagampang-Sapong, in an interview with PNA, said the military and the police have until March 15 while the members of the media until March 31 to submit their applications to avail of the absentee voting privilege.

Sapong said the application forms are now available at the Provincial Comelec Office at Capitol Compound, Pagadian City or may be downloaded from www.comelec.gov.ph, the official website of the Commissions on Elections (Comelec).

This absentee voting privilege is contained under Resolution 9637, which outlines the rules for early voting for security authorities, poll watchers and other government employees and members of the media, Sapong said.

The media practitioners include the following: print journalists, television journalists, photo journalists, online journalists, radio journalists, documentary makers, and television/radio production staff.

Sapong said government officials and employees including the military and police who are duly registered voters are allowed to vote for national positions only such as senators and party-list representatives in places where they are not registered, but where they are temporarily assigned to perform election duties on Election Day as provided under Executive Order No. 157 and Republic Act No. 7166.

She also said media members availing themselves of absentee voting will be able to vote only for national candidates like senators and party-list.

"You can vote only once," she said citing "the penalty is harsh for those who will vote twice."

Media voters shall vote in the Comelec office where they filed their applications to avail the local absentee voting, she said.

The media entity or corporation to which the applicant is employed should also provide a certification that the applicant is a bonafide employee and may not be able to vote due to the performance of his functions in covering and reporting the conduct of elections.

Establishment of a welfare institution in Philippines

Pangasinan (4th District) Rep. Gina de Venecia has filed a bill seeking the establishment of a welfare institution that will take care of special children or those with autism, and hearing and speech impairments.

House Bill 6547, which De Venecia filed in Congress, is an Act providing for the establishment of centers for children with autism and those with hearing and speech impairment.

Under the proposed law, she said there should be one special children's center in each of the 17 regions of the country where children suffering from autism, impairment in speech and hearing can study for free.

As chairperson of the Congressional Spouses Foundation Inc. during the term of his husband, five-time House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., she helped established The Haven for Women for members of the fairer sex who had been victims of rape; The Haven for Children for street children; and The Haven for the Elderly for neglected senior citizens.

Equipment for more efficient firefighting capabilities

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) regional office here will beef up its personnel and procure additional equipment for a more efficient firefighting capabilities.

BFP regional director Ariel Barayuga said they are now in the process of recruiting additional personnel that would respond to fire incidents in Central Luzon

Barayuga said the BFP-3 are in need of more than 1,000 additional firefighters to meet the ideal ratio of one fireman per 2,000 residents in the region.

At present, he said there are only 1,250 firefighters in the whole region.

"We are continuously recruiting new firefighters to augment our manpower," Barayuga said as he disclosed that they have 104 new recruits who will undergo training for six months.

Aside from boosting the manpower requirement, he said they are looking into the procurement of additional firetrucks and other equipment.

At present, he said they are awaiting the arrival of three firetrucks which the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has acquired from Vienna.

The purchase is funded by a soft loan from the Austrian government.

"We are really in need of more firetrucks because we still have 13 municipalities in the region that do not have firetruck nor fire station," he said.

He said there are 155 firetrucks in the region wherein some of which were old and outdated.

He also appealed to residents to always inspect electrical connections and liquefied petroleum gas tanks, the usual causes of fire incidents.

Production of biodegradable plastics out of sugarcane

The ban on the use of plastics in packaging here did not discouraged the Sugar Regulatory Administration to urge entrepreneurs to venture in the production of biodegradable plastics out of sugarcane.

In her recent visit here, SRA Administrator Maria Regina Bautista-Martin said products out of sugarcane should not be limited to sugar alone but to biodegradable plastics, bio-water, bio-ethanol and cogen.

Sugarcane can also be used for producing paint, cosmetics, textile, among others. Coming up with other products other than sugar can help boost the value of sugarcane in the market, she stressed.

Diversifying sugarcane production, according to the official, can help cane planters and millers survive the impacts of lower tariffs on subsidized imported sugars come 2015 and beyond due to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Free Trade Agreement (AFTA).

Producing biodegradable plastics made from variety of plants such as corn, sugarcane and switchgrass is considered nowadays as the "clean" alternative to petroleum-based plastics.

In other countries, the use of biodegradable plastic has established a market and the demand on environment-friendly packaging are projected by experts to grow through the years.

But in this city, the use and sale of any kind of plastics is prohibited pursuant to City Ordinance No. 562 otherwise known as Plastic Ordinance effective November 23, 2012.

Quezon Governor David “Jayjay” Suarez

Quezon Governor David "Jayjay" Suarez visited Quezon's north-eastern towns of the REINA area comprising Real, Infanta and General Nakar to inaugurate road infrastructure projects and health programs for constituents recently.

The governor was in General Nakar to turn over the P2.375 million-peso health coupons under the Lingap Kalusugan sa Barangay or Serbisyong Suarez Health Coupons for the town's 19 barangays.

Barangay leaders, kagawads (village councilmen) and tanods (village security force) welcomed the provincial governor at the turnover rites.

Barangay Pamplona Captain Alfredo Moises and Catablingan Barangay Captain Fabian Villareal also joined Governor Suarez as he inaugurated the Kuyapi provincial road which connects the barangays in General Nakar.

The Quezon Governor also led the blessing and inaguration of the Infanta-Ilog provincial road with Infanta Vice-Mayor Ricky Macasaet and Ilog village chief Mario Cuento.

While continuing his leg of the visit to Real, Governor Suarez administered the oath of office of the Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI) officers at the municipal court.

Unfazed by the inclement weather, Barangay Poblacion 1 residents converged at the program venue to witness the inauguration of Kinasinan-Kisusuyo provincial road.

Real Mayor Joel Diestro and Vice Mayor Edith Escama welcomed and assisted the Governor during the inaugural rites at the municipal covered court.

Quezon 1st district Board members Tetchie Dator, Gerry Talaga, Romano Franco Talaga and Poblacion Barangay Captain Bautista Avino also attended the event.

The provincial leader also turned over certificates of ownership for the 20 wheelbarrows and a four-wheeled tractor for the farmers of Barangay Bagong Silang in Real.

Teachers in collecting real property taxes

The Mandaue City Treasurer's Office is planning to tap public school teachers in collecting real property taxes.

Mandaue City Treasurer Regal Oliva said he will ask teachers to help his office send demand letters to property owners that have yet to pay their taxes.

Last December, Oliva said the city sent demand letters to about 3,000 real property owners.

The letters helped the city raise its collection to P258.3 million last year, an increase of 103 percent from 2011.

"The demand letters we sent to real property owners were a factor in the increase," Oliva said.

Apart from real property, taxes the city was also able to increase its collection of business taxes. As of January 25, it collected P236 million, an increase of 26 percent from last year's.

Despite the demand letters, some property owners have yet to settle their unpaid taxes.

Oliva said about 500 real property units are set for public auctions.

But owners can still save their properties from getting auctioned if they heed the final demand letters the city will send soon with the help of public school teachers.

Supplemental feeding program for children

Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Sonia Leyson announced during Monday's flag-raising rites at the Quezon Provincial Capitol that the supplemental feeding program for children will now be a regular feature in the community improvement thrust of the province.

The social welfare official made the assurance after Quezon Governor David Suarez and the DSWD regional office firmed up the allocation of some P 65.5- million pesos for projects to combat malnutrition in the province.

At the provincial celebration of Children's Month last October, the supplementary feeding was among the priorities for children beneficiaries program, according to Leyson.

She also assured that the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps is now fully implemented throughout the province.

Leyson also announced to provincial officials and employees that Director Leticia Diokno has assumed as the new regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Calabarzon regional office.

Cafgu Killed in NPA Encounter

A member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) was killed while five soldiers were wounded in an encounter with elements of the New People's Army (NPA) Monday morning at the hinterlands of Kapalong, Davao del Norte.

Captain Nathaniel Morales, commander of the 3rd Command Information Company of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade, identified the fatality as Rafael Imba while those injured were Corporal Rico Ganza, Private First Class' Roel Guisadio, Rex Barete, Jene Boy Gabotero and Maher John Romarate.

Morales said that elements of the 1003rd IB led by one Lt. Revalle were conducting a foot patrol at the vicinity of Barangay Gupitan at 10:30 a.m. following reports of the sightings of the rebels in the area allegedly conducting extortion activities among civilians there.

But as they arrived at the place, they were met with a volley of bullets that resulted to a gunfire.

Morales said that it was just unfortunate that since they were on the disadvantaged area they suffered casualties on their side.

Establishing a cooperative for jeepney

Instead of putting them in jail Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is mulling establishing a cooperative for jeepney 'barkers' whose presence is prevalent in almost loading and unloading areas of the city here.

This was in response to the move of the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (ICLAJODA) urging the local policemen and the traffic office here to strictly enforce the city's "anti-barker" ordinance.

"Barkers" in exchange for assisting public utility jeepneys (PUJs) pick passengers are given P5 to P10 for every trip. However, the ICLAJODA currently, complains that "barkers" are already getting bold even threatening drivers should they refused to give the amount.

They are earning as much as P700 a day, according to ICLAJODA.

Mabilog said that he wanted "barkers" organized so that a livelihood project will be provided to them instead of just staying in their current state.

He said that putting them in jail is never a solution because once they get out they will still go back to their old work.