Aguinaldo Shrine Pagsanjan Falls Taal Lake Antipolo Church Lucban Pahiyas Feast

Dispatch for May 9 , 2014 (Friday) , 2 Weather Watch ,11 Reg’l. Watch , 1 OFW Watch , 15 Online News

1. Weather Watch

24-Hour Public Weather Forecast

Issued at 5:00 a.m., 09 May 2014 Valid beginning: 5:00 a.m. today until 5:00 a.m. tomorrow

Predicted Mean Sea Level WindAnalysis for 8 a.m., 09 May 2014 Predicted Mean Sea Level Wind

Analysis for 8 a.m., 09 May 2014

Satellite Image  

 Synopsis: 

Easterlies affecting the country.

 Forecast:  

The entire archipelago will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening. 

Light to moderate winds blowing from the east to southeast will prevail throughout the archipelago and the coastal waters will be slight to moderate.

2. Weather Watch

16 hours agoGMA resident meteorologist Nathaniel Cruz:-Maalinsangang panahon pa rin ang asahan bukas sa bansa.-Sa datos ng The Weather Company, posibleng umulan mula hapon hanggang gabi sa Metro Manila bukas, gaya kanina.-Inaasahan naman ang mahihinang ulan sa northern at central sections ng Luzon at sa ARMM at SOCCSKSARGEN Regions sa Mindanao.

Weather Watch

May 9 , 2014 ( Friday ) as of 6:00-7:00 AM

CAVITE : Partly Cloudy LAGUNA : Partly Cloudy BATANGAS : Partly Cloudy RIZAL : Partly Cloudy QUEZON : Partly Cloudy

PIA Regional Watch

1. PIA Regional Watch about an hour agoPIA-4A/QUEZON: The municipal government of Sampaloc in coordination with DTI-Quezon recently celebrated its 4th Bulihan festival in Sampaloc, Quezon. Bulihan festival aims to promote local products made of buri such as hat and other decorative items.

2. PIA Regional Watch about an hour agoPIA-4A/CAVITE: PNP Cavite Provincial Director Police Sr. Supt. Joselito Esquivel Jr. commended the personnel of Silang Municipal Police Station for recent arrest of the number 9 most wanted person in Silang (municipal level). Director Esquivel said those involved in the arrest of the suspect identified as Eddie Buklatin will be given appropriate medal and commendation.

3. PIA Regional Watch about an hour ago

PIA-4A/BATANGAS: Patuloy ang pagbibigay ng libreng circumcision ng Municipal Health Office sa bayan ng Rosario sa mga batang edad 9 hanggang 13.Layon nitong makapagbigay ng libreng serbisyo lalo na sa mga mamamayang nakatira sa malalayong barangay at walang kakayahang magpatuli sa mga pribadong doktor.

4. PIA Regional Watch 19 hours agoPIA-4A/QUEZON: The Quezon Metropolitan Water District has announced water interruption beginning today, May 8 until tomorrow, May 9 in Lucena City which will affect the downtown area and nearby barangays due to the interconnection of pipelines along Diversion road, infront of Welmanville Subd. Lucena City.

5. PIA Regional Watch 19 hours agoPIA-4A/QUEZON: The city government of Lucena through the “Pasayahan sa Lucena” executive committee has lined up various activities on May 20-30, 2014 in line with the city fiesta celebration. The activities which aim to promote local tourism in the city include: grand parade, “Tiangge sa Kalye,” Chame festival, and Flores De Mayo.

6. PIA Regional Watch 20 hours agoPIA-4A/CAVITE: The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the local government of Maragondon is inviting the public to the commemoration of the 117th death anniversary of Andres Bonifacio on Saturday, May 10, 2014 from 9:00-10:30 am at the Nuestra Senora Dela Asuncion. The event features: wreath-laying ceremony; messages from NHCP Commissioner Dr. Maria Serena I. Diokno, Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor C. Remulla, and response from Gregorio Bonifacio, a living descendant of Andres Bonifacio; and singing of patriotic songs.

7. PIA Regional Watch 20 hours agoPIA-4A/RIZAL: The Bagong Bayani Foundation is set to confer Angono musician Saturnino Tiamson Jr. with the Bagong Bayani Award in the field of arts and culture to be awarded on June 2014 for his outstanding achievements. Tiamson has also received the Dangal ng Bayan and Sangguniang Bayan awards as well as a scholarship through the Asian Youth Orchestra.

8. PIA Regional Watch 20 hours ago

PIA-4A/RIZAL: The Bagong Bayani Foundation is set to confer Angono musician Saturnino Tiamson Jr. with the Bagong Bayani Award in the field of arts and culture to be awarded on June 2014 for his outstanding achievements. Tiamson has also received the Dangal ng Bayan and Sangguniang Bayan awards as well as a scholarship through the Asian Youth Orchestra.

9. PIA Regional Watch 20 hours ago

PIA-4A/CAVITE: Delegates from the provincial government of Bataan expressed satisfaction over their recent study mission and benchmarking activity in the province of Cavite. The delegates were able to observe and analyze current programs and projects in investment promotion initiated by the Cavite provincial government.

10. PIA Regional Watch 23 hours ago

PIA-4A/BATANGAS: Mahigpit na ipinatutupad sa lungsod ng Tanauan ang pagbabawal sa pagkakalat ng anumang uri ng basura, pag-ihi, pagdumi at pagdura sa pampublikong lugar bilang pagpapatupad ng Ordinansa Bilang 96-1.

11. PIA Regional Watch Yesterday

PIA-4A/LAGUNA: Palarong Pambansa 2014 update: The top three regions are: National Capital Region- 37 Gold, 20 Silver, 26 Bronze; Calabarzon- 16 Gold, 18 Silver, 21 Bronze; and Western Visayas Region - 15 Gold, 11 Silver, 15 Bronze.

OFW Watch

1. PIA OFW Watch 17 hours agoGMA: Isa na namang OFW sa Middle East ang patay dahil sa MERS-CoV. Makakatanggap naman ng benepisyo ang naiwang kaanak ng pumanaw na Filipina nurse sa Saudi Arabia dahil aktibo raw itong miyembro ng OWWA.

QUEZON

CAVITE

LAGUNA

BATANGAS

RIZAL

09 MAY 2014.

No taxes, landing fees for U.S. military under EDCA, says defense officialUse of radio frequency by U.S. military under EDCA does not need Congressional approval: Official

No taxes, landing fees for U.S. military under EDCA, says defense official Under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), the US military will not pay the Philippine government any tax since it is a government-to-government agreement and not a contract for commercial purposes, a defense official noted on Thursday.

“This is a defense cooperation agreement,” Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said in a press briefing in Malacanang.

“This is not a transaction that would generate income. That was not the purpose of the EDCA. We think that through the defense cooperation that will be implemented here, the benefits that will be enjoyed by both the AFP and the US military would be mutual,” he said.

Tax issues are also consistent with the provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the US, said Batino, who chaired the Philippine panel in the EDCA negotiation.

The VFA provision states that the US military will be exempted from paying landing charges or port charges.

It is in recognition of the rule that a sovereign power does not have jurisdiction over another sovereign, he explained.

Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya, member of the Philippine panel representing the Department of Foreign Affairs, said the reason why there is no provision on compensation in the EDCA is that it was envisioned to be a mutually beneficial agreement.

Malaya said there is a distinction between a defense agreement, which by nature is a government-to-government agreement, and a contract of lease.

This is not a contract of lease where rent is required, he said, noting that in fact, Japan and South Korea, which host large US military bases in their respective territories, provide subsidies for the maintenance and operation of the US bases.

He cited that in 2011, Japan provided $3.7 billion in subsidy to the US military for the maintenance and operation of US forces there.

South Korea this year allotted $749.6 million for the maintenance of the US bases in its territory, the ambassador said, adding that it is the same with Germany and other places where there are US facilities.

On the issue of taxes on utilities, Malaya said these are counterpart funds on the part of the Philippines, and this is an accepted practice in the country, particularly with respect to the receipt of foreign donations and foreign assistance.

“This is what you call as a matter of assumption of the taxes that are supposed to be collected from a foreign government entity,” he added. PND (as)TOP

Use of radio frequency by U.S. military under EDCA does not need Congressional approval: Official Under the newly signed Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), American forces using the country’s airwaves do not need a franchise from the Philippine Congress, a foreign affairs official said Thursday.

Some quarters have asserted that a franchise from Congress is necessary for the US military to be allowed to use frequencies or spectrum in the Philippines.

Ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya however said that based on the country’s laws, franchise from Congress would be required if the operation of a radio frequency is intended for commercial purposes.

Malaya is a member of the Philippine panel for the negotiation of the EDCA, which was signed by the Philippines and the US late last month.

The presence of US forces in the Philippines under the EDCA is not for commercial purposes, he told reporters during a media briefing in Malacanang.

“We did a lot of consultations during the course of the negotiations with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and they told us that they allot a bundle of frequencies to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is envisioned that under this agreement, the NTC will not grant a new bundle of frequencies to the US military,” Malaya said.

The AFP will just allow the US military to use existing frequencies or spectrum for the latter’s temporary use, he explained.

US troops coming to the Philippines will be bringing telecommunications equipment only for internal use and not for commercial purposes, according to Malaya.

“That is the same arrangement that we give, for instance, to other visiting military personnel who come to us, including those who have assisted us during Typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan,” he said. PND (as) TOP

 

08 MAY 2014.

Under Enhanced Defense Agreement, Philippine consent necessary before prepositioning of U.S. troops Arrest of Chinese fishermen in accordance with police duty to enforce environmental law: PalaceDOH, JICA to rebuild typhoon-damaged health facilities in Eastern VisayasMalacanang hopes for peaceful resolution of political situation in Thailand

Under Enhanced Defense Agreement, Philippine consent necessary before prepositioning of U.S. troops  The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) recently signed by the Philippines and the United States stipulates that the consent of the Philippines must be given first before US troops are prepositioned for military activities, an official said on Thursday.

The EDCA “institutionalizes two joint activities, namely the prepositioning of US equipment within AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) locations, and the construction of related facilities to accommodate such prepositioning and other enhanced defense cooperation activities,” National Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said in a press conference in Malacanang.

“We would want to emphasize though that under EDCA, it is very clear that, for any prepositioning and construction activity to happen, the consent of the Philippine government is necessary,” Batino said.

“In fact, the EDCA specifically makes reference to the Mutual Defense Board and the Security Engagement Board, which is the existing bilateral security mechanism between the AFP and the US Pacific Command,” he added.

He pointed out that the EDCA “expressly provides that the agreed locations within which these construction and prepositioning activities would take place, would be determined and provided through the AFP.”

Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya, who is a member of the Philippine negotiating panel for the EDCA, joined Batino at the press conference said the agreement “is mutually beneficial and that there’s ample legal and constitutional support for the provisions that are now reflected in this defense cooperation agreement which we have with the United States.” PND (rck)TOP

Arrest of Chinese fishermen in accordance with police duty to enforce environmental law: Palace The arrest of 11 Chinese fishermen last Tuesday is part of the duty of the Philippine National Police Maritime Group to enforce the country’s environmental law and wildlife conservation law, a Palace official said.

Five Filipino fishermen were also arrested on Tuesday for the same offense, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. told reporters during Thursday’s press briefing.

“The action taken by the Philippine National Police in apprehending a foreign fishing vessel and a local fishing boat is in accordance with its duty to enforce environmental protection and wildlife conservation laws while upholding Philippine sovereign rights over our exclusive economic zone,” said Coloma.

“Relevant authorities in Palawan will address this case in a just, humane, and expeditious manner,” he added.

Maritime Police seized the Chinese and local fishing vessels at the Hasa-Hasa Shoal (Half Moon Shoal) off Palawan province.

Police found nearly 400 live sea turtles aboard the 15-ton Chinese vessel and 70 live sea turtles on the local fishing boat.

The Hasa-Hasa Shoal is 100 kilometers off Balabac town in Palawan, well within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.

Manila and Beijing are engaged in a bitter territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). PND (ag)TOP

DOH, JICA to rebuild typhoon-damaged health facilities in Eastern Visayas The Department of Health (DOH) is working together with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a P700-million project to rehabilitate health facilities damaged by Typhoon “Yolanda” in Eastern Samar.

In a memorandum for President Benigno S. Aquino III dated May 6, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the DOH signed a memorandum of agreement with JICA on April 30 for the health facility project.

He said the DOH-JICA project will include the construction of an outpatient department (OPD) building for the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in its new location, as well as the rehabilitation of rural health units in Dulag and Abuyog in Leyte, Marabut in Western Samar, and Lawaan in Eastern Samar.

According to Ona, the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center will be relocated to a 25-hectare DOH property in Cabalawan, Tacloban City.

The new facility will be a 500-bed hospital that can serve as a command and evacuation center during disasters, he said.

JICA will fund the construction of the OPD through a P500 million grant while the DOH will arrange the procurement of hospital equipment. PND (as)TOP

Malacanang hopes for peaceful resolution of political situation in Thailand The Palace on Thursday expressed hope that the political situation in Thailand would be resolved peacefully after a court ordered Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down.

“We affirm our support for the resolution of the political situation in Thailand in a manner that will maintain peace and harmony throughout the kingdom,” Presidential Communication Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said during a press briefing.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court said Wednesday Yingluck Shinawatra’s “prime minister status has ended” and she “can no longer stay in her position acting as caretaker prime minister”.

The court ruled unanimously that she acted illegally when she dismissed Thawil Pliensri as Thai National Security Council secretary general in 2011, a move which opponents said would benefit her party and a family member.

The Thai cabinet appointed Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan to act as caretaker prime minister.

Yingluck, Thailand’s first female prime minister, is sibling to former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin was removed from office in a military coup in 2006, also after allegations of abuse of power. PND (ag)TOP

 

08 MAYO 2014

Sa pinag-ibayong pagtutulungang Pantanggulan ng Pilipinas at Estados Unidos kailangan muna ang pahintulot ng Sandatahang LakasPagdakip sa mangingisdang Tsino, naayon sa tungkulin ng pulisya na ipatupad ang batas ukol sa kapaligiranMagtutulungan ang DOH at JICA para magawa ang mga pasilidad sa kalusugan na winasak ng bagyo sa Silangang Kabisayaan

Sa pinag-ibayong pagtutulungang Pantanggulan ng Pilipinas at Estados Unidos kailangan muna ang pahintulot ng Sandatahang Lakas Nakasaad sa katatapos na lagdaang Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) ng Pilipinas at ng Estados Unidos na dapat munang pumayag ang Pilipinas bago magtalaga ng mga kawal-Amerikano ukol sa kanilang military activities.

Ito ang niliwanag ni Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino ng Tanggulang Bansa sa pulong balitaang ginanap sa Malacanang Huwebes.

Sinabi ni Batino na dalawang pinagsanib na gawain ang nilinaw ng EDCA at ito ay ang paglalagay ng mga kagamitang militar ng Estados Unidos sa kinaroroonan ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas at ang pagtatayo ng ano mang pasilidad para paglagyan ng dadalhing kagamitan at iba pang bagay na may kinalaman sa EDCA.

“Ibig naming bigyang diin na sa ilalim ng EDCA, malinaw na malinaw na ang ano mang positioning at kostruksiyong gagawin ay kailangang may pahintulot muna ng Pilipinas,” paliwanag ni Batino.

“Sa katunayan, tiyakang tinukoy ng EDCA ang Mutual Defense Board at ang Security Engagement Board na siyang umiiral na mekanismo sa bilateral security sa pagitan ng AFP at ng US Pacific Command,” dagdag pa ni Pangalawang Kalihim Batino.

Niliwanag ni Batino na “malinaw na isinasaad ng EDCA na ang Sandatahang Lakas ang tutukoy at magtatakda ng pagkakasunduang lugar para pagtatayuan ng kostruksiyon at pagdarausan ng mga karampatang gawain.”

Kasama ni Batino sa pulong balitaang ito si Embahador Eduardo Malaya ng Pilipinas sa Malaysia na isa sa mga kagawad ng Philippine negotiating panel para sa EDCA.

Binigyang diin ni Malaya na ang kasunduang ito ay “kapaki-pakinabang sa magkabilang panig at may sapat na suportang legal at kostitusyunal para sa mga tadhanaing nakasaad ngayon sa defense cooperation agreement natin sa Estados Unidos.” PNDTOP

Pagdakip sa mangingisdang Tsino, naayon sa tungkulin ng pulisya na ipatupad ang batas ukol sa kapaligiran Ang pagdakip sa 11 mangingisdang Tsino noong Martes ay bahagi ng tungkulin ng Maritime Group ng Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas na ipatupad ang batas ukol sa kapaligiran at sa pangangalaga sa yamang dagat ng bansa.

Ito ang binigyang diin ni Kalihim Herminio Coloma, Jr. ng Presidential Communications Operations Office sa pulong balitaan sa Malacanang Huwebes.

“Ang hakbang na ginawa ng Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas na pagdakip sa isang dayuhang bapor-pangisda at sa isang lokal na bangkang pangisda ay naaalinsunod sa katungkulan nilang ipatupad ang pagsisinop sa kapaligiran at pangangalaga sa yamang dagat kaalinsabay ng pagpapatupad ng kapangyarihan ng Pilipinas sa nasasakop na esklusibong sonang pang-ekonomya,” paliwanag ni Coloma.

“Ang mga kinauukulang maykapangyarihan sa Palawan ay lulutas sa usaping ito sa isang makatarungan, makatao at mabilis na paraan,” dagdag pa ng Kalihim ng PCOO.

Sinamsam ng Pulis ng Karagatan ang bapor pangisdang Tsino at ang isang lokal na bangkang pangisda sa may Hasa-Hasa Shoal (Half Moon Shoal) na hindi kalayuan sa lalawigan ng Palawan.

Nakuha ng mga pulis ang halos 400 buhay na pagong sa 15-toneladang bapor-Tsino at 70 buhay na pagong sa lokal na bangkang pangisda.

Ang Hasa-Hasa Shoal ay 100 kilometro ang layo sa bayan ng Balabac sa Palawan at nasa pook na sakop ng 370 kilometrong esklosibong sonang pangkabuhayan ng Pilipinas.

Ang Maynila at Beijing ay may sigalot dahil sa West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). PND (ag/zaf)TOP

Magtutulungan ang DOH at JICA para magawa ang mga pasilidad sa kalusugan na winasak ng bagyo sa Silangang Kabisayaan Magtutulungan ang Kagawaran ng Kalusugan at ang Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) sa P700 milyong proyektong ayusin at gawin ang mga pasilidad na pangkalusugan na winasak ng bagyong “Yolanda” sa Silangang Samar.

Sa memorandum para sa Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III na may petsang Mayo 6, sinabi ni Kalihim Enrique Ona ng Kalusugan na nilagdaan ng DOH ang isang memorandum of agreement sa JICA noong Abril 30 para sa proyektong mga pasilidad na pangkalusugan.

Sinabi ni Ona na ang proyekto ng DOH-JICA ay kinabibilangan ng kostruksiyon ng gusali ng outpatient department (OPD) para sa Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center sa bagong pagtatayuan nito, gayundin sa pag-aayos ng mga rural health units sa Dulag at Abuyog, Leyte, Marabut sa Kanlurang Samar at Lawaan sa Silangang Samar.

Alinsunod kay Ona, ang Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center ay ililipat sa isang 25 ektaryang lupaing pagmamay-ari ng Kagawaran ng Kalusugan sa Cabalawan, Lungsod ng Tacloban.

Ang bagong pasilidad na ito ay magiging 500-kamang ospital na magsisilbi ring command and evacuation center sa panahon ng mga kalamidad, dugtong pa ni Ona.

Popondohan ng JICA ang pagpapagawa ng OPD sa pamamagitan ng pondo nitong P500 milyon, samantalang ang Kagawaran ng Kalusugan naman ang bahala sa pagbili ng mga kagamitan ng nasabing pagamutan. PND(as/zaf)TOP

ONLINE NEWS

08 MAY 2014

DFA obtains European reprieve for Filipino seafarersDFA Statement on the decision of the Constitutional Court of ThailandEnd-April 2014 GIR stands at US$79.61 billionDelinquent lady trader and construction company from Quezon City charged with willful failure to pay taxThe Philippine Software Industry intensifies its presence in JapanROXAS: e-Subpoena to enhance administration of justiceDOE enhances measures for Mindanao power situationBIR charges Laoag City builder with tax evasionBangsamoro pact to fulfill genuine autonomy as mandated in PH ConstitutionDA prepared to tackle El Niño - Sec. AlcalaMay 2014 Civil Engineer Licensure Examination results released in two (2) working daysVice President Jejomar C. Binay's statement on the observance of National Health Workers' DayPNoy admin rolls out P2-B for Yolanda-hit entrepreneurs; Abad: Loan aid to jumpstart livelihood recoveryApril Inflation rises slightly to 4.1 percent

OWWA XI holds tree planting activity in New Bataan, Comval

DFA obtains European reprieve for Filipino seafarersSource: https://www.dfa.gov.ph

8 May 2014 - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that the European Commission Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DGMOVE) acted favorably on the DFA’s request for additional time to allow the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) of the Philippines to implement structural and policy changes to meet regulatory standards set by the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, as amended (STCW Convention).

In a meeting of DGMOVE’s Committee on Safe Seas and the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (COSS) held in Brussels last April 23, the Committee agreed to send another audit team to the Philippines from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to look into the measures which the Philippine maritime authorities will be implementing to ensure compliance with STCW standards. The EMSA audit team intends to arrive after the start of the new school year in September/October in order to monitor the delivery of maritime education by the country’s higher education and training institutions.

EMSA has been sending audit teams to the Philippines since 2006 in order to ensure that the 82,000 Filipino seafarers working on board European Union (EU)-flagged vessels are qualified and competent. The last EMSA audit took place in October 2013 and its report was submitted to DGMOVE early this year. COSS was expected to render a verdict on the status of the Philippine compliance with the STCW Convention at its April 23 meeting. Noting that the implementation by MARINA of its new structural and policy changes have not been fully completed, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario instructed all Philippine ambassadors posted in EU countries to launch a sustained and broad-based diplomatic offensive to stave off European withdrawal of recognition of Philippine STCW compliance certificates issued to Filipino seafarers. The Philippine envoys were directed to earnestly seek support from their respective host governments to give the Philippines an additional period within which to fully implement Republic Act No. 10635 which consolidates all compliance responsibilities to the STCW Convention with MARINA. The new law, principally authored by Senate President Franklin Drilon in the Senate and ANGKLA Partylist Representative Jesulito Manalo in the House of Representatives, was signed by President Benigno Aquino III only last 13 March 2014, or after the EMSA audit last October.

Secretary Del Rosario made a similar appeal to the European ambassadors in Manila when he invited them to a meeting where they were informed of the focus and commitment of the Philippine government to satisfy STCW standards.

With the decision adopted by COSS on April 23 not to pass final judgment on the implementation of the STCW Convention by the Philippines, the personal efforts of Secretary Del Rosario and the country’s envoys posted in European capitals obtained the requested reprieve which will now allow MARINA to concentrate on its consolidation of STCW-related functions under R.A. No. 10635.

In her remarks before a recently concluded Maritime Summit hosted by Representative Manalo last April 25, DFA Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Maria Zeneida Angara-Collinson stressed that the DFA takes seriously its mandate to provide support and protection to Filipino migrant workers and their families, both those working on land and at sea. She said this is the reason why Secretary Del Rosario and our envoys in European capitals did not hesitate to vigorously solicit support from European governments to give the Philippines the additional time it needs to implement the reforms in the country’s maritime educational system. She added that the DFA will now focus on providing support to MARINA as it rectifies deficiencies in the country’s maritime education system before the next EMSA audit. |TOP|

DFA Statement on the decision of the Constitutional Court of ThailandSource: https://www.dfa.gov.ph

The Philippine Government notes the recent developments on the political situation in Thailand, particularly today’s decision by the Constitutional Court.

In this regard, as a fellow member of ASEAN, the Philippines hopes that the people of Thailand will find an early resolution to the political situation in a manner that upholds the rule of law and preserves peace and harmony throughout the Kingdom. |TOP|

End-April 2014 GIR stands at US$79.61 billionSource: http://www.bsp.gov.ph

Preliminary data showed that the country’s gross international reserves (GIR) reached US$79.61 billion as of end-April 2014, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Officer-in-Charge Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. announced today.1 This level was slightly lower by US$0.04 billion than the end-March 2014 GIR of US$79.65 billion. The GIR remains ample as it can cover 11 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and income. The GIR level is also equivalent to 6.9 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 5.1 times based on residual maturity.1

The slight decline in reserves was due mainly to outflows arising from payments by the National Government (NG) for its maturing foreign exchange obligations and foreign exchange operations of the BSP. These outflows were partially offset by the foreign currency deposits of the Treasurer of the Philippines (TOP) of loan proceeds from multilateral sources.

Net international reserves (NIR), which refer to the difference between the BSP’s GIR and total short-term liabilities, also decreased to US$79.60 billion as of end-April 2014, compared to the end-March 2014 NIR of US$79.63 billion.

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1 The final data on GIR are released to the public every 19th day of the month in the Statistics section of the BSP’s website under the Special Data Dissemination Standards (SDDS). If the 19th day of the month falls on a weekend or is a non-working holiday, the release date shall be the working day nearest to the 19th.2 Short-term debt based on residual maturity refers to outstanding external debt with original maturity of one year or less, plus principal payments on medium- and long-term loans of the public and private sectors falling due within the next 12 months.|TOP|

Delinquent lady trader and construction company from Quezon City charged with willful failure to pay taxSource: http://www.dof.gov.ph

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) today filed separate criminal complaints with the Department of Justice against two (2) delinquent taxpayers: one individual and one corporate (including its responsible corporate officer) for Willful Failure to Pay Taxes under the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended (Tax Code).

Charged for violating Section 255 of the Tax Code was GIGI DONAIRE CHUA (CHUA). She is the sole proprietress of WANGLER COMMERCIAL with registered address at No. 218 Cordillera Street, Peter I, Quezon City.

CHUA was sued for deficiency tax liabilities in the aggregate amount of P329.79 million, inclusive of increments, for taxable year 2007 consisting of P238.41 million in Income Tax (IT) and P91.38 million in Value Added Tax (VAT).

Likewise charged for violating Section 255 in relation to Sections 253 and 256 of the Tax Code were VAZQUEZ BUILDING SYSTEMS CORPORATION (VAZQUEZ CORP.) and its President EDGARDO G. VAZQUEZ.

VAZQUEZ CORP. is a domestic corporation located at No. 1269 EDSA, Balintawak, Quezon City. It is engaged in the construction of buildings and residential houses, supplying materials and labor for building construction. VAZQUEZ

CORP. and its responsible officer EDGARDO G. VAZQUEZ were assessed deficiency tax liabilities for taxable year 2008 in the sum of P84.35 million, inclusive of increments, broken down as follows: IT - P51.47 million; VAT -P30.65 million; Expanded Withholding Tax – P1.54 million; and Documentary Stamp Tax – P0.69 million.

BIR records of investigation showed that the abovementioned respondents were served the corresponding Letter Notice (LN), Letters of Authority (LOA), Preliminary Assessment Notices (PAN), Final Assessment Notices (FAN) and Formal Letters of Demand (FLD) with Details of Discrepancies but failed to protest said assessments, hence making the same final, executory, and demandable.

The subsequent issuance of Preliminary Collection Letters, Final Notices Before Seizure, Warrants of Distraint and/or Levy and Garnishment, and Demands Before Suit were ignored by the respondents, as the said tax assessments remained unpaid. The respondents’ obstinate failure and continued refusal to pay their long overdue deficiency tax assessments, despite repeated demands, constitute willful failure to pay the taxes due to the government.

The cases against GIGI DONAIRE CHUA, and VAZQUEZ BUILDING SYSTEMS CORPORATION and its President EDGARDO G. VAZQUEZ are the 241st and 242nd, respectively, filed under the RATE program of the BIR under the leadership of Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares. These are likewise RATE cases of Revenue Region No. 7, Quezon City.|TOP|

The Philippine Software Industry intensifies its presence in JapanSource: http://icto.dost.gov.ph

The Philippine software industry is looking to solidify its presence in the Japanese market. For twelve consecutive years, the country has been participating in the Software Development Expo (SODEC), and had consistently done so with the involvement of both the public and private sectors. SODEC is Japan’s largest annual software and IT trade show, where more than 80,000 visitors, as well as 1,500 exhibitors, are expected to attend at the Tokyo International Convention Center (Tokyo Big Sight) on May 14-16, 2014.

In its desire to cement the rapidly advancing position of its software industry as a key player in the international arena, the Philippines, led by the industry through the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) and the Government, through the Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICT Office), will showcase its Philippine-based, globally-competitive software companies and IT outsourcing (ITO) service providers. Continued conduct of this trade mission to Japan aims to capture opportunities and will position the Philippines as one of the more mature and preferred destinations for ITO. Together with the DOST-ICT Office and the PSIA, the delegation will be composed of Alliance Software Inc., Advanced World Systems Inc., PNI Business Solutions Inc., Pointwest Technologies Corp., Tsukiden Global Solutions Inc., and Ubiquitous Technologies Philippines, Inc.

Three-fold Participation

The Philippine delegation intends to maximize this mission through the conduct of seminars and related meetings that complement the presence of the country pavilion in the 3-day SODEC expo. On May 12, the delegation shall be conducting company presentations to at least two giant Japanese companies

Meantime, on May 13, the delegation has organized pre-arranged business matching meetings with nine Japanese companies at the Philippine Embassy in Roponggi, Tokyo. The Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) Tokyo in the Embassy of the Philippines is leading the pre-arrangement of such business matching meetings.

Following the business meetings, the Philippine delegation has scheduled the conduct of the Philippine Software and ITO Seminar to be held at the ASEAN-Japan Centre. This is the tenth consecutive year that such an annual event is conducted, and this year, Japanese executives and senior managers from some 130 companies are expected to attend the Seminar. This will serve as a venue for the members of the Philippine Delegation to describe the country’s value proposition in the global ITO market as well as promote its specific capabilities. The Seminar, to be conducted in

Nihonggo, will also feature speakers from the Philippine Government including His Excellency, Manuel M. Lopez, Ambassador of the Philippines to Japan, as well as a testimonial from Mr. Yasuhito Okabe of Fujitsu Ltd. entitled “The Role of the Philippines in Fujitsu's Global Business.”

The Rationale

PSIA maintains that the country’s participation at SODEC is critical. Aside from being a lucrative trade mission for the participating Filipino companies, the Philippine pavilion at this mega expo is also the country’s primary and only direct initiative in sustaining its branding as one of Japan’s reliable global business partners for its IT and software service needs. Revenue-wise, the Philippine delegation to SODEC 2012 and 2013 composed of 6-8 companies have closed a combined amount of almost US$ 400,000 while some US $ 300,000 worth of contracts are still under negotiation.

“Through SODEC, we hope that we will be able to increase awareness of Filipino software development talent amongst the Japanese market, which we hope will also encourage Japanese businesses and government agencies alike to organize inbound missions into the Philippines. In fact, as of this year, a couple of delegations from Osaka and Kanagawa have already visited the Philippines and met with PSIA members for potential business matching opportunities,” notes Mr. Joey Gurango, President of the PSIA.

“Unlike 5 to 6 years ago, not all Japanese companies who are looking for Philippine based software development and IT service providers ask me about the availability of Nihongo capable Filipino software professionals. It is very clear that more Japanese companies are now looking for English proficient software and IT talents in the Philippines in order for them to expand their business outside Japan," says Ms. Tae Abe-Abion, the head of Japan Market Group of PSIA.

On the part of the Philippine Government, Undersecretary Louis Napoleon C. Casambre, Executive Director of the DOST-ICT Office noted that, “It’s gives us great privilege once again to be part of this very important mission to the strategic market that is Japan. We have a rich supply of young, hardworking, and competent Filipino IT professionals who are able to provide a range of world-class IT services in whatever language or domain that clients may require.”

Finally, a recent study from the International Data Corporation (IDC) reveals that Japan originated companies’ (JOCs) IT service spending in Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at CAGR 8% from 2014 to 2017, surpassing the domestic spending growth (1.9%) and average overseas spending growth (5.2%).

More supporters

In the spirit of public-private partnerships, various organizations have also given support to the Philippine Delegation. The ASEAN-JAPAN Centre has been consistently providing its support in arranging business matching meetings and seminar arrangements in Tokyo. The delegation is also supported in this mission by the Information Technology and Business Processing Association of the Philippines (IBPAP). There continues to be very strong government support to this mission, including from the Department of Trade and Industry, through its Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Tokyo led by Commercial Counselor Ma. Bernardita Angara-Mathay, and the Export Management Bureau, as well as the Philippine Embassy in Japan.

Strong government and industry supporters are good indicators of the country’s readiness in pursuing its goal as being Japan’s #1 software solutions and services partner.|TOP|

ROXAS: e-Subpoena to enhance administration of justiceSource: http://www.dilg.gov.ph

 Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas today directed the Philippine National Police to extend their all-out support to the e-Subpoena System, a web-based information system which facilitates the issuance and expedites the transmittal of court subpoenas and other court notices, through electronic mails or e-mails.

The system, launched during simple rites at the Philippine National Police (PNP) National Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, is designed to enhance the administration of justice as it ensures that subpoenas and other notices issued by the courts will reach concerned police investigator in charge of a case.

Designed for the exclusive use of the court administrators and clerk of courts and the PNP through PNP Administrators and Court Process Officers (CPOs), the system will be helpful in monitoring police compliance of subpoenas issued by the court.

A joint initiative of the Supreme Court, Department of Justice and the DILG, the delivery of e-subpoena through electronic mails or e-mails marks the gradual shift from the traditional postal service and hand-carry mail delivery of court subpoenas and other court notices to a faster and more cost-efficient e-mail delivery system.

“The adoption of the e-subpoena will be a big step towards the widespread reestablishment of justice and peace in our country,” Roxas said.

“Matitiyak nito na makakarating sa tamang tao ang mga subpoena, maging sa malalayong lugar,” he explained.

Aside from monitoring of actions taken by PNP personnel on court subpoenas, the system provides an efficient and effective feedback mechanism of the PNP to concerned courts; provide data for purpose of assessment and analysis of various reports pertaining to compliances; postponement of hearings, non-attendance of court duties and other matters pertaining to court proceedings to be attended by the PNP; and enhances archiving of relative documents as well as faster or easier documents retrieval.

Policemen dutifully attending scheduled hearings will ideally result speedy disposition of cases by the concerned court. On the part of the PNP, it will ideally result to higher conviction rate.

Roxas explained that the e-mail system will allow faster transmittal of court subpoenas and other notices to concerned parties whether they are the arresting officer, or police officer in-charge of the case, through the PNP Administrators or the CPOs.

“Kadalasan kasi ang scheduled hearing ay napo-postpone dahil sa hindi pagtanggap ng mga kinauukulan ng subpoena o court notices. Dahil din dito, nadi-dismiss ang mga kaso kahit na matibay ang ebidensya laban sa mga akusado,” the DILG chief pointed out.

“Sa pamamagitan ng e-subpoena, mapapadali ang pag-deliver ng subpoena at court notices at tiyak na matatanggap ng ating mga pulis. Dito, walang dahilan para hindi maka-attend ng hearing ang mga pulis at ma-postpone o ma-delay ang court proceedings na syang nagiging pahirap lalo na sa mga kababayan natin na walang kakayahang magbayad sa abogado,” he added.

Roxas noted that under the postal service or hand-carry mails, delivery takes 10 to 15 days while through e-mails, delivery takes a few clicks of the “mouse.”

He said once fully operational, the e-Subpoena System will also allow the PNP to monitor the police’s attendance of scheduled court hearings, which will eventually form part of their performance evaluation under the merit and demerit system of the PNP.

Under the system’s procedure, the courts shall issue various subpoenas to particular PNP units through the e-Subpoena and via e-mail. The Court Process Officer (CPO) designated shall acknowledge receipt of subpoena through the e-Subpoena, print and deliver the subpoena to the concerned PNP personnel.

The Courts will then update the system if the PNP personnel Attended/Not Attended the court proceedings. Meanwhile, the Chiefs Of Offices shall ensure the timely delivery of subpoenas and the appearance of all concerned PNP personnel.

The e-Subpoena System requires at least one computer unit per police station, an internet connection, an office or unit PNP private-email account, a web browser, and a user-account, specifically dedicated for the purpose.

Accordingly, all NHQ Offices/Units of the PNP were already given e-mail accounts. These e-mail accounts can be accessed at the PNP website.

Roxas said that the PNP has started training PNP personnel who will be assigned as to handle the e-mail accounts as CPOs.

“Sa pamamagitan ng e-Subpoena, magkakaroon ng katuparan ang kautusan ni Pangulong P’Noy na tiyakin ang pagkakaroon ng ‘Justice, hindi just tiis’,” Roxas said.

The launching of e-Subpoena System was attended by Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno who sits as chairman of JSCC and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who sits as Roxas co-vice chairman.|TOP|

DOE enhances measures for Mindanao power situationSource: https://www.doe.gov.ph

The Department of Energy (DOE) continues to improve and push for short-term and long-term measures to address the current power situation in Mindanao.

One of the options for Mindanao that the government offers is the resumption of an enhanced Interim Mindanao Electricity Market (IMEM), allowing for re-nomination three (3) hours before the actual trading interval. This gives ECs the flexibility to adjust their IMEM exposure by allowing them to factor in the actual available output of their power providers, and the demand requirements for the particular trading hour. This is an improvement from the previous day-ahead market for the management of all available power supply in the region.

Last month, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla together with the energy agencies met with the Presidents and General Managers of Mindanao electric cooperatives (ECs) to clarify and resolve concerns on the operations of the IMEM. As a result of the meeting, the DOE recently issued Department Circular DC2014-05-0010, which incorporates the agreements made with the stakeholders to implement demand-side bidding with ECs being the ones who will set the price of power and minimize the price volatility for customers.

Trial operations of the enhanced IMEM are targeted within the month. It may be recalled that the IMEM has been suspended last February following the power system collapse in the region. Other activities to resolve operational and commercial issues and concerns are likewise currently being undertaken.

Likewise, the Mindanao Interruptible Load Program (ILP) is still in effect. ILP serves as an option for Distribution Utilities like Davao Light and Power Company and electric cooperatives to ask their big load customers to serve their own power needs by using their own generator sets in the event that all available mechanisms implemented to ensure supply are not enough to cover the demand for electricity.

In retrospect, to facilitate participation in the IMEM and ILP, the DOE and ERC have issued Department Circular 2014-03-0006 and ERC Resolution No. 4 of 2014, allowing the power generators to operate even if their Certificate of Compliances (CoCs) are still in process.

In addition, the Modular Genset Program (MGP), offered as early as July 2013, is an on-going measure. It remains to be available on voluntary basis and gives options for electric power providers and consumers to manage their requirements. According to the National Electrification Administration (NEA), which has been tasked to implement the program, over P100 million out of the P4 Billion fund sourced from Malampaya Funds have been currently provided to Mindanao ECs who willingly availed of the program.

Alongside these measures, the DOE continues to encourage the entry of new power investments, as a long-term solution for the Mindanao power situation. Through the DOE’s aggressive promotion of the country’s energy portfolio to power developers since 2010, power projects including the 300 megawatts (MW) Coal-Fired Therma South Energy Project and the 200 MW Southern Mindanao Coal-Fired in Sarangani have started construction and are expected to come online in 2015. Meanwhile, the 405 MW Coal-Fired Power Plant of FDC Utilities Inc. in Misamis Oriental is targeted to come online by September 2016.

Moreover, the Mindanao supply situation is likely to improvewith the partial availability of the 100 MW out of the 210 MW of the STEAG Coal Fired Power Plant at 7pm last night (07 May 2014).

Even with STEAG augmenting the supply in Mindanao, the DOE appeals to the public to conserve electricity and water to be able to sustain the water elevation needed in operating the hydropower plants in the region.

With all these measures, the DOE ensures that the government is one with all the people in aiming for the stabilization of the power situation in Mindanao that will not only result to supply reliability but will also take into consideration consumer acceptability.|TOP|

BIR charges Laoag City builder with tax evasionSource: http://www.dof.gov.ph

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) today filed a criminal complaint with the Department of Justice against CONSTANTINO A. LLANES, JR. (LLANES) for Willful Attempt to Evade or Defeat Tax, Deliberate Failure to File and Pay his Income Tax Return (ITR), and Willful Failure to File and Pay 2nd, 3rd and 4thQuarterly Value Added Tax (VAT) Returns for taxable year 2009, all in violation of Sections 254 and 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended (Tax Code).

Respondent LLANES is the sole proprietor of JME BUILDERS with registered address at Barangay No. 47, Bengcag, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

The investigation of LLANES was initiated through a Letter Notice (LN) issued for taxable year 2009. The LN indicated discrepancies discovered as a result of the computerized matching conducted by the BIR on information/data provided by third party sources in its Reconciliation of Listing for Enforcement (RELIEF) and Third Party Matching-Bureau of Customs (TPM-BOC) Data Program and/or Tax Reconciliation System (TRS) amounting to P9.90 million for income tax and P9.56 million for VAT.

Due to LLANES’ failure to refute the above findings (discrepancies), an access letter was sent to Robinsons Land Corporation requesting for a certification as to income payments it made to LLANES. Reply to said access letter disclosed that Robinsons Land Corporation paid LLANES P9.90 million from August to December 2009.

Letter of Authority (LOA) No. 211-2014-00000105 authorizing the examination of LLANES’ books of accounts and other accounting records for all internal revenue taxes covering taxable year 2009 was thereafter issued.

Another access letter was sent to BIR Revenue District Office No. 01, Laoag City to determine whether or not LLANES filed his ITR and VAT returns for taxable year 2009. Certification issued by the said BIR office showed that despite earning a substantial amount income, LLANES, however, failed to file his ITR for taxable year 2009, as well as his VAT returns for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters of the same taxable year. LLANES filed his 1st Quarter VAT return for taxable year 2009 declaring the amount of only P339,852.23 as his gross revenue.

As a consequence of his willful failure to file his ITR and Quarterly VAT returns, as well as his failure to declare his correct taxable income from Robinsons Land Corporation, LLANES was assessed an aggregate deficiency tax liability of P9.95 million, inclusive of surcharges and interests, broken down as follows: Income Tax – P7.21 million; and VAT – P2.74 million.

The case against CONSTANTINO A. LLANES, JR. is the 243rd filed under the RATE program of the BIR under the leadership of Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares. It is likewise a RATE case of Revenue Region No. 1, Calasiao, Pangasinan.|TOP|

Bangsamoro pact to fulfill genuine autonomy as mandated in PH ConstitutionSource: http://www.opapp.gov.ph

Manila — Government chief negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said that the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) aims to realize the aspirations of our people for peace and autonomy as enshrined in the Constitution, and it is up to Congress to bring the agreement to life by passing the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Coronel-Ferrer, in her keynote speech to hundreds of graduates of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Social Sciences and Philosophy on April 26, said that the CAB “gave flesh to all the noble aspirations and struggles of our peoples that have been codified in our Constitution.”

Among these is the creation of an autonomous region in the Philippine south, which enjoys more powers compared to other local government units (LGUs) in recognition of its distinct characteristics. “The Constitution provides the list of such powers and the process that would put in place the autonomous region,” she said.

According to the CAB, the Bangsamoro shall replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) after the ratification of the Bangsamoro Basic Law in the prospective areas of coverage of the new entity. The Parties agreed that the Bangsamoro will adopt a parliamentary system.

Coronel-Ferrer said that the Constitution states that “the structure of government in the autonomous regions shall be provided by law,” and as such it did not contemplate an exact replica of the structure in other LGUs.

“To attain peace, the Constitution mandated that the country renounce war as an instrument of national policy and adhere to the policy of peace. In the President’s capacity as commander-in-chief and chief executive responsible for the peace, order and well-being of the country and its citizens, the President appointed us, the negotiating panel, to pursue peace in Mindanao,” explained Coronel-Ferrer as to the basis for pursuing the political settlement on the Bangsamoro.

She pointed out that the goal of the GPH-MILF peace negotiations has been to preserve the unity of the country. “Hinding-hindi naging agenda ng negosasyon ang independence. (Independence was never an agenda in the negotiations.)”

Coronel-Ferrer shared that the CAB signed with the MILF on March 27, after 17 years of peace negotiations and decades-old history of struggle, brings hope for peace in Mindanao.

“Marami ang umaasa na sa pagkakaroon ng CAB, mangyayari na ang hinahangad na kapayapaan at kaunlaran sa mga lugar ng Mindanao kung saan matatagpuan ang mayorya ng ating mga kababayang Muslim at Moro, at siya ring nabibilang sa mga pinakamahihirap na mga probinsya sa ating bayan. (With the achievement of the CAB, many people are hopeful that peace and development are at hand in places in Mindanao where you can find majority of our fellow Muslims and Moros, and places that are among the poorest in the country.),” she said.

In another keynote speech at the graduation ceremony of the College of Social Work and Community Development on April 27, she recounted that almost a million people were displaced in 2000 while 500,000-600,000 residents of Central Mindanao were forced to stay in evacuation centers in 2003 and 2008, when the ceasefire between the government and the MILF broke down.

A study found that in the 2003 displacement, most of the evacuees were women and Muslims. This reflects a gender

dimension to conflict and partly explains the alienation of the Muslim population from the government, she said. "But today, the ceasefire is firmly in place."

"Unlike typhoons, the tsunami and storm surge, people choose to make war," Coronel-Ferrer said. "We can also choose peace."

Coronel-Ferrer, in both keynote speeches, urged UP graduates to support and contribute to the work of achieving peace in the country. “Ang kapayapaan ng ating bansa, ang kaginhawaan ng ating bayan, ang katahimikan sa ating mundo ay nasa kamay natin. (Peace in our country, the well being of our nation, peace in our world are in our hands.)”|TOP|

DA prepared to tackle El Niño - Sec. AlcalaSource: http://www.da.gov.ph

The Department of Agriculture is prepared to deal with the adverse impact of the El Niño phenomenon.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala made the assurance following the announcement of the Department of Science and Technology that an El Niño phenomenon may start affecting the Philippines in June and peak by end-2014.

In fact, as early as last month, DA has been implementing cloud seeding operations to induce rains in major watersheds and farming communities in Cagayan Valley that did not receive a rainfall for at least a week, said Secretary Alcala. And with a protracted dry spell now an increasing possibility, Secretary Alcala said DA would intensify cloud seeding operations so as to save harvestable crops and other produce from damage, in tandem with DOST.

To date, the DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) has already completed 15 cloud-seeding trips in drought-affected municipalities in Isabela. These sorties, agriculture officials explained, prevented damage on some 4,155 hectares of corn farms across the province, of which 3,490 hectares are in reproductive stage and 665 hectares in the vegetative.

Aside from cloud seeding sorties, the Department has also started to distribute shallow tube wells and drought-tolerant crop varieties to help farmers in areas most affected by the drought. For rice, it includes PSB Rc14 popularly known as “Rio Grande," a rainfed lowland rice variety which matures in 116 days with a maximum yield of 6.1 tons per hectare. Meanwhile, farmers who don’t intend to plant rice are being advised to consider drought-resistant crops such as sweet pepper, ubi, alugbati, mungbean, cassava and sweet potato.

Several water-saving technologies are also available. For instance, in rice, the Philippine Rice Research Institute promotes controlled irrigation or alternate wetting and drying (AWD) technology. It also minimizes greenhouse gas emissions in paddy fields. PhilRice has also been teaching farmers nationwide to adopt Palayamanan Plus, a highly integrated and diversified system of farming where rice is grown with other crops and livestock, among others. With diversified sources of food and income, farmers are able to enhance their resilience to adverse weather conditions such as a prolonged drought.

DA through the National Irrigation Administration has been in touch with irrigators associations nationwide to ensure efficient water allocation and use in irrigation systems.

Undersecretary Emerson U. Palad of the DA-Field Operations Service (DA-FOS) said a newly formed task force on El Niño is set to meet to firm up strategies meant to cushion the impact of the impending extended dry spell on farming and fishery sectors. The task force -- composed of Usec. Palad as head, with members that include heads of key attached bureaus and agencies and national directorate programs for rice, corn, livestock, fisheries and high value crops -- is expected to come up with an action plan and its corresponding budgetary requirements.

For the purposes of monitoring and crafting of possible interventions, DA-FOS has identified 44 provinces and two cities as highly vulnerable and moderately vulnerable local government units to the impacts of a prolonged dry spell.

Highly vulnerable LGUs include: Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union and Pangasinan in Ilocos Region; Cagayan in Cagayan Valley; Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales in Central Luzon; Cavite and Rizal in CALABARZON; Occidental Mindoro and Palawan in MIMAROPA; Capiz, Iloilo and Negros Occidental in Western Visayas; Zamboanga City in Zamboanga Peninsula; Misamis Oriental in Northern Mindanao; and Sarangani and South Cotabato in SOCCSKSARGEN.

Moderately vulnerable LGUs include: Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province in the Cordilleras; Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino in Cagayan Valley; Batangas, Laguna and Quezon in CALABARZON; Romblon in MIMAROPA; Sorsogon in Bicol Region; Aklan and Antique in Western Visayas; Bohol in Central Visayas; Samar in Eastern Visayas; Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay in Zamboanga Peninsula; Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao; and Davao Oriental and Davao City in Davao Region.

The last prolonged drought recorded in the country was in 2009-2010.|TOP|

May 2014 Civil Engineer Licensure Examination results released in two (2) working daysSource: http://www.prc.gov.ph

 The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,862 out of 4,289 passed the Civil Engineer Licensure Examination given by the Board of Civil Engineering in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi and Lucena this May 2014.

The results were released in two (2) working days after the last day of examination.

The members of the Board of Civil Engineering are Engr. Apollo S. Enriquez, Chairman and Engr. Praxedes P. Bernardo, Member.

Registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will start on May 19, 2014 but not later than May 21, 2014. Those who will register are required to bring the following: duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, current Community Tax Certificate (cedula), 1 piece passport size picture (colored with white background and complete name tag), 2 sets of metered documentary stamps and 1 short brown envelope with name and profession and to pay the Initial Registration Fee of P600 and Annual Registration Fee of P450 for 2014-2017. Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.

The date and venue for the oathtaking ceremonies of the new successful examinees in the said examination WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER. |TOP|

Vice President Jejomar C. Binay's statement on the observance of National Health Workers' DaySource: http://ovp.gov.ph

I salute all health workers on the occasion of National Health Workers’ Day.

Our public health workers play a crucial role in our goal of attaining a healthier society that can propel our goal of inclusive economic development.

They are our modern heroes. Despite the meager pay, lack of benefits, and better opportunities abroad, they continue to serve our people, especially those in the countryside who cannot afford and lack access to health services.

I support our health workers’ calls for increased benefits and improvements in their living conditions. Let us give them the chance to live dignified lives, even as they serve to make the lives of others more meaningful.

Mabuhay ang ating mga alagad ng kalusugan!|TOP|

PNoy admin rolls out P2-B for Yolanda-hit entrepreneurs; Abad: Loan aid to jumpstart livelihood recoverySource: http://www.dbm.gov.ph

The Aquino Administration, through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), has given the green light to release a total of P2 billion worth of loan assistance to approximately 416,000 micro-entrepreneurs residing in communities previously hit by Typhoon Yolanda.

Through the Credit Support Fund, affected micro-entrepreneurs will be provided loans at extremely low interest rates for various livelihood activities, such as sari-sari stores, livestock, hog, cattle and goat raising, piggery, fisheries, poultry, and farming, among others.

Budget and Management Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said that the P2 billion financial aid complements ongoing reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in areas ravaged by the super typhoon.

“The Aquino Administration is committed to ‘build back better’ the communities ravaged by Typhoon Yolanda and other calamities. Alongside the reconstruction of destroyed roads and public facilities, the government is also working to restore the livelihood and incomes lost to the typhoon,” he said.

“The Credit Support Fund is designed to help communities not only to get back on their feet but also to make their lives even better than before the calamity struck. By financing livelihood projects and supporting micro-entrepreneurs, we are rejuvenating local economies in a way that enables these to achieve inclusive growth,” he added.

The P2-billion Credit Support Fund—released to and charged against the Bureau of Treasury’s (BTr) Special Account in the General Fund—will be transferred to the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) under its Calamity Rehabilitation Support (CARES) Program. The funds will then be lent to microfinance institutions (MFIs) which specialize in financing livelihood programs with only a 4.5-percent interest rate.

Of the total P2 billion release, 50 percent or P1 billion will be loaned to MFIs which will be re-lent to microenterprises. The other 30 percent or P600 million will serve as a credit guarantee to the end-borrower or the micro-entrepreneur, while the remaining 20 percent or P400 million will be provided to microfinance conduits as operational support.

Among the eligible MFIs to carry-out the program include rural, cooperative, and thrift banks, cooperatives, and non-government organizations. Governing and management committees composed of representatives from Department of Finance (DoF), BTr, DBM, LBP, MFIs, and the private sector, will ensure the efficient and effective implementation of the program.

“By tapping MFIs, we are not only speeding up the delivery of much-needed livelihood assistance to our affected communities. We are also strategically investing in inclusive social structures that empower our poor countrymen through direct, immediate and substantial access to capital. The Aquino administration’s ‘build back better’ strategy, after all, is consistent with its overall goal of inclusive development,” Abad said.

For more information on microfinance and MFIs, please follow the link to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) website: www.bsp.gov.ph/about/advocacies_micro_facts.asp|TOP|

April Inflation rises slightly to 4.1 percentSource: http://www.bsp.gov.ph

Headline inflation increased to 4.1 percent year-on-year in April 2014 from 3.9 percent in March, and was within the BSP’s forecast range of 3.6-4.5 percent for the month. This brought the year-to-date average inflation rate to 4.1 percent, within the Government’s inflation target range of 4.0 percent ± 1.0 percentage point for 2014. Core inflation—which excludes certain food and energy items to better capture underlying price pressures—rose slightly to 2.9 percent in April from 2.8 percent in the previous month. On a month-on-month seasonally-adjusted basis, the consumer price index went up by 0.2 percent.

The higher April headline inflation rate was driven largely by the higher prices of food, electricity, and domestic petroleum products. Food inflation accelerated as the prices of all food items, except fruits and vegetables, rose due to some tightness in domestic supply conditions. Similarly, non-food inflation increased as a result of higher gasoline and diesel prices and the upward adjustment in electricity rates, due, in turn, to higher generation charges at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and increased demand for power with the onset of the summer season.

Officer-In-Charge Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. said that the April inflation reading continues to support the BSP’s assessment of a manageable inflation environment over the policy horizon. Going forward, the BSP will remain guided by its primary objective of maintaining price stability along with safeguarding the resilience of the financial system. The BSP stands ready to deploy appropriate measures as needed to ensure sustainable, non-inflationary, and inclusive economic growth. |TOP|

OWWA XI holds tree planting activity in New Bataan, ComvalSource: http://www.owwa.gov.ph

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration-Regional Welfare Office XI in partnership with the Local Government Unit of New Bataan, Compostela Valley Province, through the cooperation of Public Employment Service Office (PESO), held a tree planting activity dubbed “A Date with Mother Nature: A Tree Planting Activity” at the municipal grounds of New Bataan, Compostela Valley Province last February 13, 2014, attended by one hundred (100) OFC members in the municipality. The project aims to develop environmental awareness among OFC members. A total of 100 seedlings of Bagras tree (Rainbow Eucalyptus), a fast growing forest tree good for reforestation and landscaping project, were planted during the activity. This tree can help mitigate the effects of any natural and unpredictable disasters that may hit the area. Municipal Environment and Natural Resources (MENRO) provided the seedlings. The tree planting activity was considered one of a kind activity initiated by OWWA XI and the first activity of the OFC in the area for the year. Each participant put a name tag on the tree they planted and wrote a message as proof of their participation. The project was facilitated by Ms. Jely C. Lindaan, Family Welfare Officer.

The municipality of New Bataan was one of the areas hardest hit by super typhoon Pablo last December 4, 2012 which killed hundreds of residents and damaged almost all of the resources in the area. After the devastation, the municipality has not yet fully recovered. Mountains are still quite bald and trees have not grown yet due to continuous raining and flooding in the area. The tree planting activity will help the mucicipality to restore its green and natural resources and one way of making New Bataan a strong and rising municipality after the disaster.

The activity started with a short program at the municipal hall to welcome and acknowledge the guests and participants. Municipal Administrator, Mr. Vetus Sotero Vigil, who was one of the people who organized the OFW Family Circle in 2008, gave his message. Mr. Vigil said, “We should love and never leave our place despite of the calamaties happened. Instead, we will work together in bringing back our natural resources. It is a great privilege that OWWA XI continued to support the OFWs and their familes in our area.” On the other hand, Mr. Eduardo E. Bellido, OIC-Regional Director, OWWA-RWO XI, also gave his inspirational message where he stressed the relationship of climate change, migration, and tree planting in our daily lives. “Mostly, if we experienced calamities brought about by climate change, we lost our livelihood and even our lovedones so others find opprotunity to work abroad. He also cited some of the livelihood projects of other OFCs in the province so that others may have ideas on the livelihood projects they will engage in.

Meanwhile, Mr. Marlon Esperanza, New Bataan PESO Manager, was thankful to OWWA XI for iniatiating this kind of activity which is so beneficial to their municipality. The unending support of OWWA to the OFWs and their dependents was appreciated by the Hon. Mayor, Lorenzo L. Balbin. Mr. Esperanza further said, “Mayor Balbin is so supportive to all

the activities of New Bataan OFW Family Circle because he sees the active leadership of the OFC officers”. Everyone came home with a smile and with high hope that whatever disaster may hit in their municipality, they will be saved by the trees they planted. |TOP|

  

Thank You and God Bless !!!!