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By Fayette C. Rinen

Information is our business.

THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY-7 | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH VOL. 2 | NO. 37| November 28, 2012

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CEBU CITY (PIA) -- Residents in the Visayas are assured of stable power supply for now as the Department of Energy (DOE) - Visayas Field Office reported that there is 429 MW actual power reserve. Engr. Rey Maleza, supervisor of the Energy Industrial Management Division of the DOE-Visayas, said peak demand for power in Regions 6,7 and 8 comprising is 1,489 MW. “The peak demand was recorded last August 16 while the minimum demand is 1,044 MW which was recorded in April 6,” said Maleza. “The maximum power capacity in the Visayas is 1,869 MW so we have an additional power reserve of 400MW,” assured Maleza. Maleza, one of the resource speakers during the recent Energy Lecture 101 Series on Renewable Energy and Electric Power Industry in Cebu City, presented the ‘Power Situation in the Visayas.’ But the DOE official said 150MW power capacity is needed by 2015 in the Visayas with the surging investments within the region and especially with the plan to put up a Mega World by the Ayala Business Group in Iloilo City. “In fact, a 50MW new capacity is needed starting 2016 to meet the (increasing) demand and required (power) reserve,” added Maleza. Maleza said a total additional capacity of 1,700MW is needed by 2030. The additional power capacity starting in the next few years is based on the 4.52 percent demand rate with an average growth rate of 4.55 percent, DOE-Visayas reported. But in case there is a change in the average demand rate, then there will also be changes in the projected demand for power capacity, the DOE official claimed. “We are trying to coordinate with the respective development councils in the Visayas and is closely coordinating with the respective utilities and the local government units within the region to anticipate and address any demand for power in the near future,” said Maleza. Maleza also said local government units (LGUs) should be in constant coordination with the utilities to determine the current power supply and the growing demand because they are the ones that issue business permit to investors. Power needs will rise with the entry of investments. With more investments pouring in, then the demand for power certainly increases, revealed Maleza as he admitted that at present, most investments in the power industry is geared towards coal-fired power plants. The activity was undertaken by the DOE-Visayas in collaboration with the Philippine Information Agency 7 aimed at strengthening public education, appreciation and knowledge on energy (SPEAK-Energy).

Poor households in CV exposed to natural disasters CEBU CITY, Nov 26 (PIA) -- Poor households in Central Visayas are exposed to dangers and have been victims of natural disasters, a study by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) revealed. The National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) study showed that the poor households in the region live in houses made from light materials, and have no access to safe water and electricity. Data showed that more than half of the poor households, numbering 181,775 in Region 7, are using light materials for their walls, making them vulnerable and at risk to natural disasters like typhoons. The highest numbers of these families are in Cebu Province. NHTS-PR also identified half of the total poor households (155,920) which have no access to safe water. They obtain their water from springs, rivers, streams, dug wells and from peddled or collected rainwater. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all deaths, 99%, occur in developing countries like the Philippines. The same report said that three out of five poor households in the region do not have access to electricity as most of them still relying heavily on kerosene and wood for their lighting and cooking needs. These families are vulnerable to loss of their properties due to fire. DSWD FO-VII urged legislators, local government units and non-government organizations to use the data of NHTS-PR to identify prospective beneficiaries and to formulate appropriate social protection programs and services. Currently, all of the identified poor households in the region are now beneficiaries of PhilHealth’s Primary Care Benefit 1 (PCB) Package. The database of poor households shows various poverty thresholds like the composition of poor households, the household members’ highest educational attainment and occupation, features of the housing structure and access to basic services or facilities like water, electricity, and sanitary toilet, households’

ownership of assets, tenure status of housing among others.(HFG/PIA-7/DSWD-7)

By Hazel F. GloRia

SPEAK ENERGY BENCHMARKING TOUR: Engr. Erick Cabarubias of Cebu Energy Development Corp. (CEDC) explains to the media the basic principle of generation that is for the prime movers to turn the generator so that power is generated. Cabarubias said that CEDC and the Toledo Power Company (TPC), subsidiaries of Global Business Power Corporation (GBPC) in Toledo City, committed to engage the community in their programs and projects. PIA information officers and the Cebu media visited CEDC's Toledo coal plant on Nov. 20. (PIA- Bohol/ECBongosia)

DOE assures stable power supply in VisayasBut additional power needed by 2015 to meet growing demand

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said Capitol Information Officer Adrian Sedillo. “But MGB officials have admitted that this would be difficult for them to do due to the vast area they cover,” said Sedillo in a statement. The provincial government and MGB eventually agreed to hold

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Measure to boost anti-illegal quarry operation in Negros Oriental sought

DUMAGUETE CITY, Nov. 24 (PIA) -- The provincial government here has urged the Provincial Mining and Regulatory Board (PMRB) to strengthen its campaign to crack down on illegal quarry operations in the province.

Construction of OPD building in NegOr to serve people more

DUMAGUETE CITY (PIA) -- The construction of the Out-Patient Department building at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) will be completed before the year ends to serve a greater number of clients in the province. This was revealed by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Dante Domingo in a report to Gov. Roel Degamo. The construction is currently on the final phase with the installation of fixtures like aircon, water, and drainage system, said Adrian Sedillo, capitol information officer. The governor also ordered to expedite measures to repair the modern equipment at the imaging and diagnostic department of NOPH.

By RaCHelle M. nessia Gov. Roel Degamo said his office still receives reports of continued illegal quarry activities in the province. The provincial government earl ier asked the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to conduct an inspection of quarry areas in the province twice a month,

By RaCHelle M. nessia

Confiscated Illegal Drugs Burned in Dumaguete: City government officials and local law enforcers in Dumaguete gather around to witness the burning of confiscated illegal drugs at Quezon Park, Dumaguete City which marked the culmination of the Anti-Drug Week Celebration initiated this month by the Dumaguete City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (DCADAC). (RMN/CPIO PHOTO)

the inspection o f q u a r r y areas to two days every month when t h e P M R B convenes. It was also agreed t h a t t h e Environment and Natural Resou rces D i v i s i o n ( E N R D ) s h o u l d provide the list of areas that will be i n s p e c t e d “since they know bes t the status of each quarry operation in the province,” a d d e d Sedillo. In line with this, the governor also i n s t r u c t e d the ENRD to look into the creation of a task force that will run after illegal quarry o p e r a t o r s . (RMN/PIA-7/NegOr )

NEGROS ORIENTAL

Said equipment, particularly the Magentic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and the mammogram, were earlier damaged as a result of the ongoing construction of the OPD building. “The equipment were affected by the construction work, especially during the times when the welding machine had to be used; this damaged the UPS of the equipment,” explained Capitol Information Officer Adrian Sedillo. Sedillo said the governor plans to procure a new UPS unit, especially since there are many NOPH clients who need to avail of the MRI and the mammogram. (RMN-PIA 7, Negros Oriental)

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)— Amateur performer members of some cultural collectives from Bohol successfully conquered the hallowed grounds of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Manila, when they staged a “documentary play” during

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the 4th National Theater Festival (NTF) November 7-10, 2012. Stepping into the spotlights of the hallowed stages at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has been a dream of countless stage performers in the country. But for members of the Lincod, Cortes, Punta Cruz and Antequera Cultural Collectives, realizing that dream-

BOHOL

INFOBYTES is 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.

By Rey antHony H. CHiu come-true came after a creative team selected members from the town theater groups to comprise the Bohol Collectives pool for the NTF to innovative “docu-play”. “While watching the play, I could not stop imagining a documentary,” said theater worker Joey Vargas, in a talk back session after the matinee show of Bohol 1700 last Saturday. The group, which represents Bohol in this national theater spectacle showed their true grit and proved that amateur play performers can make it to play with the big boys, given the opportunity and the correct preparation. The Bohol collectives staged Bohol 1700: Duha ka Al impo sa Habagat. The play, an improvisation of different theater performances threaded by Bohol stories of the scourge brought in by the south monsoon winds to the coastal communities, is artistically directed by multi-awarded director and Philippine Educational Theater Association-trained stage director Gardy Labad. Labad successfully threaded habagat stories in Bohol through a modern-life play which also creatively inserts dance drama, skits and musical plays in an hour-long show that enthralled audiences at the CCP. The play recounts how the habagat has molded the communities as one against the Moro pirates who ride the crests of the habagat, the legendary heroine Wadje and the pagan shaman Tamblot, all sewn in an intricate script by Reigh Monreal, Rene Eune Ponte and another unnamed playwright. The play was staged twice at the CCP’s Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino or the CCP’s Little Theater and an excerpt was also presented at the ramp entrance of the CCP Main theater during the festival opening ceremonies, Thursday evening. Joey Vargas, an equally renowned theater worker said the play successfully documented in an artistic manner, the plight of community theaters all over the country. The play depicts the struggles and victories of organizing community theaters as a tool for poverty alleviation and integrated community development. Bohol Collectives were among the six regional theater companies which were highlighted during the festival, according to Labad, who shared that Bohol also shared important theater inputs during the conference which was attended by leading theater workers all over the country. (RAHC/PIA-7 Bohol)

Bohol community theaters stage "docu-play" at CCP

National Theater Festival features Bohol

Over 500 media to cover Calungsod event in Cebu

CEBU CITY (PIA) -- All eyes will be on Cebu as a religious historic event takes place on Friday, November 30 with over 500 tri-media accredited for the sacred occasion and graced by President Benigno S. Aquino III. Trinidad G. Silva Jr., chairman of the Commission on Social Communications (CSC) for the National Thanksgiving Mass of San Pedro Calungsod on Friday in a recent media briefing said the number of media wanting to get accreditation is growing. "We have already issued a deadline for media accreditation last Tuesday (November 20) but more and more names are being submitted,” said Silva. A volunteer staff of the CSC showed a list of the total media being accredited that had reached over 500. Apart from Cebu-media, major television, print and radio, networks from Manila also sent their teams to cover the event. Also, members of the Malacañang Press Corps with the presence of President Aquino will be there. An estimated 500,000 to one million devotees, bishops and priests from all over the country, local and national officials will be present to attend the mass that will start at 5 p.m. Silva advised those who will attend the mass at the South Road Properties to bring their own umbrella with the erratic weather and also to expect muddy grounds as only 10 percent of the 27-hectare area is covered in concrete and the rest in limestone. According to William Mensenares of Radio TV Malacañang (RTVM), “We will put up a press center where a monitor will be placed and telephone lines for local calls only. The center will be wi-fi ready which will be provided by the Cebu Archdiocese.” RTVM will take charge of broadcast concerns and assist and provide the media with audio and video outputs. Considering the vast area, screen monitors will also be strategically placed so people at the back could see the ongoing mass in the templete. Meanwhile, at 6 a.m., a dry run for the fluvial procession for the actual event was conducted where 15 media personnel were invited. (PIA 7)

By Fayette C. Rinen

CEBU

Negros Oriental Provincial Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Salustiano Jimenez addressing concerns affecting the public school teachers and the delivery of public education in the province during its Division Executive Conference held Nov. 27 at the Negros Oriental Convention Center, Dumaguete City. The conference was attended by almost 600 schools supervisors in the province. (RMN/PIA NEGOR)

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DOST, UPLB forge agreement to engage

farmers to agri-business

SIQUIJOR (PIA) —The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) have signed a mmorandum of agreement (MOA) to provide financial and technical assistance to the Farmer Scientist Training Program. "The project Urban and Rural Technology Transfer and Commercialization of Farm Products developed by FSTP-Trained Farmers in Region 7 (Phase 1) aims to sustain and inspire more of our FSTP-trained farmers to expand their business operation," said Romulo Davide, program leader and 2012 Ramon Magsaysay awardee during the agri-business conference and workshop held recently in Siquijor. Davide said Corn-Based Farmer-Scientists Research Development Extension (RDE) Training Program (FSTP) has long been in operation in Cebu and Siquijor. It started in Colawin, Argao, Cebu in 1994 and has since expanded to almost all towns of Cebu. Similarly in Siquijor, FSTP started in 2003 and has trained already more than a thousand farmer-scientists. Citing its goal of liberating poor farmers from the bondage of poverty and hunger and as business enterprise, Davide said over 20,000 FSTP-trainedfarmersscientists in region 7 are now successfully engaged in agribusiness. Their annual income has greatly been increased to more than 100% with some of the model farmer-scientists now earning more than a million pesos annually from the sales of their farm products, he said. He said that with the agri-business undertaking with the DOST, Siquijor will be able to identify appropriate farm production, processing and packaging technologies suitable for the local markets and farm-food products needed by the resorts and hotels in Siquijor. This will also boost Siquijor tourism, he said.(rmn/RAC/PIA-Siquijor)

By Rizalie a. CaliBo

MGA KATANGIAN NG MGA KARAPAT-DAPAT NA LINGKOD BAYAN

Mga katangiang dapat makita sa isang karapat-dapat na Lingkod Bayan ay ang mga sumusunod: • Dapat ay may hangaring tapat at mahusay sa kanyang paglilingkod sa publiko. • Dapat ay may pantay at makatarungang pakikitungo sa sinumang lumalapit sa kanyang tanggapan. • Dapat ay may integridad at walang hangaring gamitin ang kanyang tungkulin sa kanyang pansariling kapakanan. • Dapat ay may integridad at paninindigan na hindi tatanggap ng anumang uri ng suhol o lagay. • Dapat maka-Diyos at may damdaming pagserserbisyo lalo na sa mga mahihirap. —

DA, ATI push breadfruit production in Siquijor

SIQUIJOR (PIA) —The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in Region 7 are pushing for the production of breadfruit in the island as substitute to rice to increase Siquijor province’s food staple sufficiency level. A training course on breadfruit production with emphasis on asexual propagation was held recently at the Provincial Agriculturist Office Training Hall in Larena, Siquijor in support to the Food Staple Sufficiency Program (FSSP) of the government. It was attended by 30 participants composed of agricultural extension workers and farmers leaders. The training focused more on the propagation of the tree. As a seedless specie, propagation has to be done through asexual methods such as grafting, budding and layering. One has to be skillful and needs different approaches to get higher percentage of survival, says resource person Domingo Opanda as he demonstrated the “how to’s” of the different methods. Breadfruit are indigenous trees in the island that bear fruits widely utilized as food substitute. The province has identified breadfruit, locally known as “Kolo” or “polo”, in San Juan town as an alternate staple food as practiced by their ancestors. It grows well in the island and can be found in all of its six municipalities based on the inventory of breadfruits trees, both bearing and non-bearing, conducted by the Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Office (PATCO) and the office of the provincial agriculturist here. Massive plantation is further encouraged to alleviate hunger and provide long-term food security. Moreover, developing the breadfruit industry mitigates the effects of climate change and and provide livelihood to farmers, PATCO said. (rmn/RAC/PIA-Siquijor)

By Rizalie a. CaliBo

NSO calls for support in agri, fisheries census

SIQUIJOR (PIA)--The National Statistics Office (NSO) is calling for support in its upcoming Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) in February next year. NSO-Siquijor officer-in-charge Leopoldo Alfantra said the accuracy and success of the census lies on the truthfulness of the information provided by the respondents themselves. Survey respondents are the farm operators or those who grow crops, raise livestock or poultry, fishing operators and operators of fishponds, fish cages, fish pens and other aqua farms. A consultative forum was conducted earlier to prepare and inform the public about the census and the usefulness of data that the agricultural sector can provide. Participants were representatives from the local government units (LGUs), selected farmers and fishermen groups, data users from government and non-government agencies, private sectors and other stakeholders. CAF will be conducted in all the regions and provinces in the Philippines this coming February 2013. (rmn/RAC/PIA-Siquijor)

By Rizalie a. CaliBo