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THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY-7 | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH VOL. 2 | NO. 7| May 8, 2013

INFOBYTESTOPSTORIES

CEBU CITY (PIA) – It’s all systems go for the 2013 elections in Central Visayas, according to police officials. “We a re 100 pe rcen t prepared," S/Supt. Audie Villacin, chief of the Police Community Relations Division here said. Villacin told the media during the recent ‘Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis’ forum that based on the recent meeting of the Regional Joint Security Coordinating Center, all security action plans of the different provincial police offices in Cebu, Negros Oriental, Bohol and Siquijor as well as the various city police offices have been implemented as the police in the region is now on full alert. Only the provinces of Cebu and Bohol admitted that they still lack personnel to ensure that all polling centers will be secured. “We still need 360 more security personnel,” said S/Supt. Glenn Ares, deputy provincial director for administration of the Cebu Provincial Police Office. This, despite an augmentation of115 forces from PRO 7 and 143 from the CentCom to the already existing 1,174 CPPO personnel that have been deployed. Ares said some poll ing precincts are located in hinterland barangays which necessitates the additional number of security forces. In Cebu, there are over 3,000 clustered precincts. Bohol Provincial Director S/Supt. Constantino Barot Jr. on the other hand, said that they still need 800 security forces as the whole province is under election watch-list area (EWAS).

Barot said the PRO 7 has augmented them with additional security personnel but admitted that they still need more. The needed number of security augmentation is based on the ideal plan that every polling center should be manned by two police personnel. But in case of shortage of manpower, the Plan B is to place police personnel in clustered polling centers, this is said. “We will review the request of Cebu and Bohol on the exact number of security personnel really needed,” said Villacin. Though Siquijor, like Bohol, has also been placed under EWAS, so far security preparations are smoothly implemented with no major encounters that could pose

By Fayette C. Rinen

a problem on the conduct of the elections on May 13, disclosed Siquijor Provincial Police Director S/Supt. Primitivo Tabujara Jr. Negros Oriental Provincial Police Director Nollie Andrade Romana meanwhile, said they have never received verified reports on the issues on permit to campaign and permit to win fees by the CPP-NPA. “ B a s e d o n i n f o f r o m intelligence community, there are no validated reports on the demand of rebels for permit to campaign and permit to win fees in Negros,” clarified Romana adding that they are fully prepared with four days more to go before Election Day. Villacin sought the public’s cooperation that the success of the elections largely depends on everybody’s support. (PIA7)

All systems go for 2013 Elections in C. Visayas, PNP says

"police 100 percent ready for Monday's polls"

A young voter from Siquijor seriously fills out the sample ballots during the "mock election" on the Final Testing and Sealing of the PCOS machine at the Capital Square in Siquijor. (RACalibo/PIA-Siquijor)

TOPSTORIESINFOBYTES

CV provinces join simultaneous FTS of PCOSBy MineRva B.C. newMan

Cebu rice farmers recieve insurance from DA

CENTRAL VISAYAS, May 8 PIA) -- The town of Siquijor was the first to complete its final testing and sealing (FTS) of its 44 PCOS machines that were done at the Siquijor Capital Square today. Siquijor election assistant Jude Tan reported that as of 11:00 a.m. today, 100% of the PCOS machines deployed in Siquijor town functioned well. “No reports of PCOS malfunction so far,” Tan said as quoted by PIA-Siquijor information officer Rizalie Calibo. In Negros Oriental, Valencia town has also completed its final testing of its 33 PCOS machines without any glitch. According to the PIA-NegOr provincial information center manager, Jennifer Tilos, the compact flash card, the

ballots or the PCOS machines are now being re-sealed ready to be returned to the hub where they are secured by the police and military personnel. Tilos reported that Valencia town has 33 clustered precincts in 24 barangays and 330 voters, 10 voters for each PCOS machine tried to vote today to test the machines’ accuracy and found to be working well. PIA-Bohol provincial information center manager Rey Anthony Chiu said that Tagbilaran City is set to schedule its final testing at 1:00 p.m. today while all other Bohol towns have started to test their respective PCOS machines. Chiu reported that Bohol province has 1,533 PCOS machines deployed to 48 areas in the province where police and military forces are also tasked to

secure these election equipment and paraphernalia. In Cebu, initial reports from PIA-Cebu information officer Ferliza Contratista reported that there are 52 PCOS machines deployed in Mandaue City. Contratista noted that the testing of the PCOS machine in Mandaue City took a while because the board of election inspectors took each step slowly to make sure that they will notice even the slightest defect of the machine. As of 12:00 nn today, only two PCOS machines were reported to have been defective in Mandaue City, according to Faye Luarez, PCOS technician supervisor. More follow-up reports from Central Visayas will be filed later this afternoon. (mbcn/PIA-7)

CEBU CITY, May 4 (PIA) -- More than 300 rice farmers in Cebu recently received insurance coverage from the Department of Agriculture (DA). During the launching of the International Year of Rice, 331 rice farmers from all over the province of Cebu received Certificates of Insurance Cover (CIC’s) and Accident Dismemberment Scheme Cards. Angel Enriquez, DA Regional Field Unit (RFU-7) Officer in charge said the insurance covers death and dismemberment of both the farmer and the insured animal or crops. The farmer-beneficiaries were from the different towns in the south, mostly from the second district of Cebu where majority of the rice lands are located.

Carcar City from the First District has 121 farmer-recipients covering 65.85 hectares. It has the most number of rice lands from the seven other municipalities covered which are in the 2nd district. In the town of Barili with 35.7 hectares of rice lands, 74 farmers received insurance coverage while 55 farmers benefited from Moalboal town with 29.8 hectares of rice lands;Dalaguete town has 22 farmer-recipients covering 13.2 hectares; Argao with 29 farmers covering 7.5 hectares; Dumanjug with 6.8 hectares has eight farmer-beneficiaries and Asturias with 19 farmer-recipients covering 2.3 hectares. The town of Alcantara with .076 hectare has only three farmer-beneficiaries. Enriquez expressed hopes

that more farmers will be covered with insurance now that there is already an assurance of a strong coordination between DA and the Province of Cebu. Cebu Acting Governor Agnes Magpale assured DA they will work for a larger budget for the department. Very recently, the Provincial Government got back as consultant, Dr. Romulo Davide, a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for his farming innovations.

Davide started and institutionalized the Farmer Scientists Training Program (FSTP) which was halted in 2011 for alleged political reasons. Cebu province is currently 2.65 rice sufficient, producing 3.21 metric tons per hectare for its close to four million population. (FCR/FCC/PIA7)

PCOS machine testing and sealing in Cebu: BEIs, poll watchers and PCOS machine technicians checking the official ballot (left photo) being fed to the PCOS machine. A total of 22 PCOS machines were delivered at the Lahug Elementary School for final testing and sealing. (VVV/PIA Cebu)

CEBU

COMMUNITYNEWSINFOBYTES

INFOBYTESis a weekly electronic newsletter produced by the Philippine Information Agency-Region 7 with stories submitted by its Provincial Information Centers in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

NEGROS ORIENTAL

DUMAGUETE CITY, May 3 (PIA) -- More than 20 local and overseas companies participated on Labor Day Jobs Fair at the Robinson's Place - Dumaguete attracting over 2,000 job seekers.

The jobs fair was led by the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (TIPC) of Negros Oriental. Of the total number of job applicants, around 1,379 were registered with complete documents as other applicants appeared with lacking credentials.

Over 20 overseas, local firms offer jobs for Negrenses on Labor Day

By JenniFeR C. tilos However, 30 jobseekers were hired on the spot for local employment while of the 700 individuals applying for work overseas, only four were hired on the spot. A n c h o r e d o n t h e t h e m e “Manggagawang Pilipino: Handa sa Hamon ng Makabangong Panahon”, the event was co-sponsored by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), local government and non-government sectors. T h e l o c a l c o m p a n i e s t h a t participated in the jobs fair included Rush Cash Lending Corporation, Robinson’s Retail Group, Qualfon Dumaguete, SPI Global, Teletech, Copylandia, Alano & Son’s Credit Corporation, ASA Philippines, Pick and Carry, Sans Rival Food, Inc., Royhle Flight Training Academy, SYL Hermanos Trade, Inc., Lancera BPO Philippines, Inc., Philam Life, and Camella Homes. While for agencies that were open for recruitment abroad included Jenerick International Manpower, Inc., MIP International Manpower Services, FVJ Overseas Placement, Inc., East West Placement, Inc., Pisces International Placement, United Global Manpower Resources, Inc., YWA Human Resources Corporation, Camox Philippines, Inc., Lees United Corporation, Ruru Global Recruitment Services, Inc., and the ASC Glocal Recruitment. Jobs open for recruitment abroad by overseas agencies were welders, factory workers, pipefitters, heavy equipment laborers, skilled helpers, waiters, waitresses, electricians, construction workers, foremen, cleaners, nurses, supervisors, mechanics, steel fabricators, laborers, grinders, riggers, drivers, crane operators, and steel fixers. Similarly, local establishments looked for loan officers, branch managers, bookkeepers, collectors, customer service representatives, copy editors, waiters, waitresses, service crew, cold fusion developers, office staff, IT project managers, a company driver, technical support engineers, a restaurant supervisor, and a cashier. (FCR/JCT/with reports from Christine A. Antosada/Pia7-Negros Oriental)

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Bohol welcomes tourists at new Bohol Tourism Complex

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, May 2 (PIA) -- A fenced complex, neatly tucked along the city’s main thoroughfare, yet inconspicuous for its distance from the buzz of traffic, is now fast becoming a tourism centerpiece for city tours. The complex, topped by a 1920 structure which was later rebuilt to reflect the renewed political climate in 1965, also includes at least three more buildings that broadcast to tourists of Bohol’s development priorities in the present administration. The new Bohol Tourism Complex is a visible sign of Bohol’s eco-cultural tourism centerpiece for development program and puts tourists into a better understanding of Bohol development priorities in its effort to oust its people from poverty, explained Cristopher Boncales, Bohol employee at the Tourism Office and one of Bohol’s respected tour guides. Governor Edgar Chatto also urged tour guide members of Kahugpungan sa mga Bol-anong Tour Guides (KABOG) Inc. to include Bohol Tourism Complex in their tours, which has been retrofitted to bring back its grandeur as a residence of past governors. Chatto inducted the new officers and members of the board of the KaBoG Tuesday at the main hall of the Mansion, the complex’s centerpiece heritage structure. The complex features the Governors’ Mansion, the official city residence of the governor, which was built in 1920’s as a dormitory for girls from out of the city and nearby towns as they attend Bohol Provincial High School. During the incumbency of then Governor Carlos P. Garcia, who hails from Talibon town, the building was transformed into his unofficial city residence, which also marks the year when the building was embellished to suit into the stature of the residing official. It was then called the Governor’s Mansion, in consideration of Garcia, a name which will stick until after the EDSA Revolution. During the war, officers of the Japanese Imperial Army used it as their billeting quarters, according to a printed profile of the Governor’s Mansion. This could be the reason why some people affix a negative connotation on the building, making the succeeding governors distance themselves from the care and upkeep of the building, according to a neighbor who added that a certain derision against the Japanese army came out naturally from peace loving Boholanos then. Years of neglect and cursory fixes later, the building underwent major face-lifting by a local architect in the administration of Governor Lino Chatto, recalls historian Marianito Luspo. Arch i tect Venerando Dumadag transformed the structure into the now stately mini-Malacanang of Bohol, complete with well

manicured lawns and lit-up fountains. In the late 1980’s, the Governor’s Mansion was renamed People’s Mansion, a name it retained until recently. The ascent of Gov. Edgar Chatto to power also marked a new season for the People’s Mansion. The administration saw the potential of the Mansion to be a showcase of Bohol’s eco-cultural tourism destination and centerpiece programs of the administration. Recently, the government refurbished the historic facility, which now can be claimed as reflective of the cultural heritage of Bohol, Boncales pointed out. To complete the tourist allure, Bohol also housed within the complex the Telephone and Radio System Integrated Emergency Response 117 which links and coordinates local rescue and response units through its communications unit, emergency medical unit and rescue and retrieval teams in the event of emergency and disaster. Also inside the complex is the Bayanihan Coordinating Unit, which mainstreams the synergy, cooperation and collaboration and teamwork for the sustainable development of the Boholano. Among the Bayanihan Coordinating Unit’s flagship programs is forging partnerships in education especially in classroom building construction, provision of teaching equipment and school supplies to raise the quality of education and private sector participation. Among the complex’s features is a Bahay Kubo and vegetable garden showcase. The garden is a demonstration farm which eloquently states the Bohol agricultural development and food sufficiency plan with its Food Always in the Home (FAITH), herbal and Organic Plants Enhancements (HOPE) and Chicken Always Raised in the Yard (CHARITY) slogans. Another key service, the Bohol Tourism Office sits at a nook in the complex. With tourism as one of the key economic drivers in the province, Bohol legislated the office which shall be responsible in implementing tourism development plans serving as tourism promotion and marketing arm of the province. Now located inside a single stop, the place, called Bohol Tourism Complex poses itself as a veritable first stop for guests coming into the province especially that the Department of Tourism set up Bohol as a “Tourism learning center,” a brochure from the complex said. On this, Governor Chatto said the complex will be open and will accommodate guests in the Tabilaran City Tour Package. The complex will support functional linkages with other key stakeholders of the tourism industry for the promotion and tourism advancement in Bohol, Chatto told the tour guides. (rmn/RAHC/PIA Bohol)

By Rey anthony h. Chiu

BOHOL

SIQUIJOR

Siquijor now ready for elections - Comelec, PNP

S I Q U I J O R ( P I A ) - - W i t h preparations now in place, Siquijor is ready for elections, according to local offices of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). In a Provincial Joint Security Control Center (PJSCR) command conference meeting Friday afternoon, election supervisor Atty. Eliseo R.Z. B. Labaria said preparations have already been set according to the election timeline with the security, logistics, and personnel in place. Trainings for personnel involved in the election process have also been completed and "we are only waiting for the final day for the implementation of our plans," he said. Secu r i t y p repara t i ons and deployment before, during, and after elections are sufficient, said Police Senior Superintendent Primitivo Tabujara Jr.

By Rizalie anding CaliBo

COMMUNITYNEWSINFOBYTES

“We are ready for any activity that concerns about security of this province,” he said while presenting PNP's complete deployment plan with assigned personnel and contact numbers in each polling center in the six municipalities. He said the office will be deploying two personnel per polling center following their request for augmentation from Police Regional Office 7 to meet the minimum requirements. The off ice, according to i ts presentation, has an actual total strength of 195 personnel. Fourteen of these are Police Commissioned Officers (PCOs). Police Non-Commisioned Officers (PNCOs) total to 181, of which 139 are male and 42 females. The current strength of PCOs is at 58% compliance while the PNCO is 94.7% compliance or an over-all compliance of 84%, according to the PNP report in its

presentation deployment plan briefing. Tabujara assured the people of Siquijor that PNP is ready to address any untoward incidents. “Any activity which concerns security, call us and we’ll do our best to perform," he said. “We cannot fail in this election. We are tasked and we are working in unison for smooth election,” election supervisor Labaria also said. (rmn/RACalibo/PIA-Siquijor)

Siquijor gets stable power supply -PROSIELCO

SIQUIJOR (PIA)-- Siquijor province is now getting a stable power supply with three new generating machines and five more coming in mid-May. Province of Siqui jor Electr ic Cooperative Inc. (PROSIELCO) General Manager Laureen Malolot assured there is enough power supply for the load requirement in Siquijor during elections. ”If all generating machines function normally, we have an excess of 300 kw for the island,” she said during the recent Provincial Joint Security Control Center (PJSCC) Command conference. Supporting the earlier claims of

Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) of well-prepared elections in Siquijor, Malolot said they have also addressed issues on power supply and made sure that there will be stable power supply in the province particularly during elections. "We have all our lines and posts checked and replaced those that need replacement," she said. Linemen have already been assigned in sectionalized points with their contact numbers provided to the public so they can immediately address complaints within their areas of responsibility. Malolot added that their warehouse is ready and open with all the materials needed. Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla during the Visayas Power Summit on April 26 in Cebu said there will be no power outages during elections except “when there is the usual power tripping” of power plants. Petilla was in Cebu during the Visayas-wide Power Summit to brief the stakeholders about the power outlook. (rmn/RAC/PIA-Siquijor)

Province under election watchlist

SIQUIJOR (PIA)-- The province of Siquijor has been placed under the Election Watchlist by the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) -7, a Philippine National Police (PNP) report said. The PNP said Siquijor there exists intense political rivalry between members of the Fua family and their political opponents. Incumbent governor Orlando A. Fua Jr. and provincial board member Orville Fua, both under Lakas-CMD, are running against Liberal Party's bets Dr. Jose Jay Pernes and Zaldy Villa, respectively. Political Rivalry in the province, the PNP noted, “is severely high, the Fua family having held several political positions for 28 years and incumbent candidates accumulated many supporters in the province." “The Pernes and Villa tandem being the administration candidates and under the banner of the Liberal Party and known as prominent personalities and businessmen have also a huge number of supporters, thus, dragging the intensity of rivalry between the two contending parties,” said the PNP report. But despite the “intense political rivalry,” Comelec and PNP officials here said there has been no armed or violent threats. Siquijor remains peaceful and secure with no reported election-related violent incidents, so far, said Police Sr. Supt. Primitivo Tabujara Jr. Tabujara assured that PNP is well-prepared. In fact, we were commended by the PJSCR for its well-prepared election plan, he said. PNP’s Quick Reaction Team with augmentation troops from the regional PNP office and the Philippine army are ready to provide security, Tabujara said. Election Supervisor Atty. Eliseo R.Z. B. Labaria also assured the public that they are trying their best to have a smooth election. He hopes the peaceful image of Siquijor remains untainted or unmarred by any violence at all. “Siquijor is now ready. We cannot fail...we are working in unison for a smooth election,” said the Comelec official. Siquijor province has only one Congressional district. Its six towns are divided into two political districts, the first covering the towns of Siquijor, Larena, and Enrique Villanueva while the second, Maria, Lazi, and San Juan towns. It has 134 barangays with 64,804 registered voters. Its total established precincts is at 408 with 142 clustered precincts. (rmn/RACalibo/PIA-Siquijor)