UNANG DOMIGGO SA BAR EXAMS MALINAWON

Cebu City (September 3, 2007) – Sa pagsugod sa upat ka Dominggo nga bar examinations kagahapon, ang Korte Suprema nidili sa pagsaba og siyagit siyagit sa mga mga estudyante og uban pang mga supporters sa mga nikuha sa maong bar exam.

Ang mga supporters, magtutudlo, mga fraternity og uban pang estudyante igo na lang sa pagpahigayon og hilom nga pagpadangat sa ilang suporta sa mga bar examinees nasagmuyo nga nagpundok sa gawas sa De La Salle University sa kauluhan.

Kung mahinumduman, ang Korte Suprema nimando sa tanan sa dili pagsaba-saba sa panahon sa bar exams aron mahimong hapsay og malikayan ang kaguliyang sa panahon sa bar exam.

Ang pipila ka libo ka mga bar examinees gilaumang motapos sa ilang pasulit sa ikaupat nga Dominggo, petsa biente tres ning bulan sa Septembre.

Ang bar examination maoy giisip nga pinakalisud nga eksaminasyon sa nasod. (Roberto M. Cabardo/PIA AMO 7 Cebu)

ERC MIMANDO PAG-OS-OS SA BAYRANAN SA KURYENTE SUGOD OKTUBRE

Cebu City (September 3, 2007) – Ang Energy Regulatory Commission gikatakda nga mopakanaog og bag-o nga direktiba alang sa pag-os-os sa bayranan sa elektrisidad nga magagikan sa Napocor sunod bulan.

Sa press statement nga gipagawas sa Malacañang sa niaging semana, nasayran nga ang resolusyon sa ERC momando sa kapin sa piso nga pag-os-os matag kilowatt hour base na usab sa Incremental Currency Exchange Rate Adjustment sa ginansya sa Napocor nga nikabat og setenta y otso bilyones ka pesos adtong tuig dos mil singko og saez cienta y singko bilyones sa tuig dos mil saez.(Roberto M. Cabardo/PIA AMO 7 Cebu)

Cebu guv angered over busted bridge cameras

Cebu, Philippines (05 September)—Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia lambasted a contractor over busted cameras that were put up on the two Mandaue-Mactan bridges in time for the 12^th ASEAN Summit late last year and early this year.

In a regular meeting of the Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) recently, the Regional Maritime Office-7 reported that out of 10 surveillance cameras on the two bridges, only two cameras are working.

RMO and the DPWH in the region also reported that workers from Gampik, the contractor of the controversial lampposts had accidentally cut or damaged the cables for the closed-circuit TV (CCTVs) and it was blamed for the mal-function of the traffic lights along the Mandaue side of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

These issues had already surfaced in several meetings in the past five months. The governor, who chairs the MCBMB could not contain her anger this time and demanded that Gampik with California Electronics must coordinate with each other, with the supervision of the DPWH-7 to restore the traffic lights and the cameras and “set things right!”

“You restore them or I will sue you! The governor said. “I will use whatever power I have as governor of this province to see to it that you set things right,” she said angrily.

Jock Parba, manager of California Electronics (the contractor of the CCTV/cameras) said, all 10 cameras were installed in late August and were working well in November 2006.

These cameras were installed last year to monitor traffic flow and address the safety and security concerns of the ASEAN Summit and the MCBMB had already paid California Electronics more than half a million pesos for those cameras.

To restore ease and comfort of the MCBMB meeting, both contractors (Gampik and California Electronics) promised to work together and repair all CCTV units by September 12 and the traffic lights at the UN Avenue by September 18.

“All’s well that ends well” but safety and security of the two bridges continue to occupy a good portion in the discussion.

Gen. Ronald Roderos, PRO-7 deputy director for administration proposed the hiring of private security guards (blue guards) to man the Marcelo Fernan Bridge on a 24-hour basis with a 12-hour shift and any losses on the bridge will be shouldered by the contracted security agency. This will cost the MCBMB some P620,000 annually.

Roderos said, the DCDO/Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) will be responsible in supervising and coordinating the security and protection of the bridges on a daily basis.

With the blue guards manning the new bridge, problems of vandalism, cable pilferages, suicides, car accidents, overloading and the like can now be prevented.

The MCBMB approved Roderos’ proposal and the board’s bids and award committee will be meeting soon to discuss the details of the bidding for publications. (PIA-Cebu/MBCN)

PGMA mimando sa SSS paglugway sa condonation program

Gimandu-an ni Presidente Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ang Social Security System (SSS) nga lugwayan pa ang housing loan condonation program niini sa laing unom pa ka buwan ug kusganong giduso ang pag-apil sa mga Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sa iyang 27 ka milyon nga miyembro.

Ang pangulo mipalusad sa maong kamandu-an atol sa ika-50 nga anibersaryo sa nahisgutang ahensya kagahapon.

Isip kabahin sa social payback sa mga reporma nga gihimo sa gobyerno, ang presidente namahayag nga ang condonation sa penalidad ug pag-restructure sa housing loans naka-benepisyo na sa kapin 6,000 nga mga miyembro sa SSS.

Sa nanglabay nga pipila ka tuig, ang SSS, ug ang ubang ahensya nga gitugyanan pagpanukot ug buhis, nag-implementar ug nagkalain-lain nga mga reporma nga diin mi-resulta ug taas nga koleksyon.

Hinungdan niini, matud sa presidente, mitubo ang mga asset sa SSS ngadto sa P248 billion ug ang iyang investment income sa milabay nga unom ka buwan miabot na ug P15.58 billion.

Kabahin sa gasa ngadto sa mga Pilipino nga mga mamumu-o nunot sa anibersaryo, ang presidente miingon nga ang SSS mipausbaw sa pension sa iyang mga miyembro makaduha na sa naglabay nga 12 ka buwan, 10 porsyento sa milabay nga Septembre sa miagi nga tuig ug laing 10 porsyento sa milabay lang nga buwan.

Miaghat usab ang presidente ngadto sa SSS pagpalapad sa iyang membership lakip na ang mga OFWs, labi na kadtong mga manakayan ug barko, ingon man ang plano pag-amendar sa Charter sa ahensya ug ang pag-institutionalize sa actuarial standards ug mga formula.

Gipasalamatan sa presidente ang nahisgutang buhatan tungod sa paghatag niini ug P1 bilion isip special window alang sa micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) diin, matud niya, dunay daku nga natampo paghatag ug trabaho sa nasud.

Ang presidente mipahalipay kan SSS President Corazon de la Paz isip una nga babaye nga Asyano nga nangulo sa International Social Security Association (ISSA). (ECD/PIA 7)

CFO to conduct info campaign on international migration and intermarriages

To protect those who are planning to migrate abroad from becoming prey to human traffickers and illegal recruiters, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) will conduct its annual Community Education Program (CEP) in Bohol and Siquijor on September 9-16.

CFO Acting Executive Director Jennifer O. Gonzales said this education and information campaign aims to inform those who are contemplating either to work abroad or to marry foreign nationals on various issues concerning migration and intermarriages to raise their level of awareness on these issues.

Gonzales further informed this information campaign will also orient prospective migrants on government policies and programs directed against illegal recruitment, documentation fraud and human trafficking.

In an effort to reach wider audience, CFO, together with the representatives of some government agencies, is set to conduct symposia in schools, hold dialogues with non-government organizations, religious leaders and local government and community leaders in these provinces.

CFO also set to conduct press briefings and interviews with the different media outfits in these areas, Gonzales said.

Among the areas CFO will visit are Tagbilaran City and Panglao town in Bohol and Larena and Siquijor in the island province of Siquijor.

These provinces were reported to have large number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) among the provinces in Central Visayas. (PIA 7/ECD)

NAVFORCEN on Community Outreach

Cebu City (September 02, 2007)---The Naval Forces Central (NAVFORCEN) has been conducting a series of Community Outreach Programs since June of this year in Brgy Gilutongan, Cordova, Cebu in commemoration of its 30^th Foundation Anniversary on October 19, 2007.

A total of three hundred (300) adults and children availed of the free medical and dental services rendered by the medical and dental teams of NAVFORCEN, Central Command, and 7^th Regional Community Defense Group, Philippine Army on August 25, 2007 under the leadership of COMMODORE ROBERTO Q ESTIOKO AFP.

The activity was in cooperation with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) that donated the medicines during the said activity that benefited mostly the many of our less fortunate residents in the area especially those at the grass roots level who cannot afford to avail of basic health services.

Michel Lhuillier provided sports equipment and financial assistance while the Kiwanis Club of Cebu – Mandaue North donated various school supplies to Gilutongan Elementary School.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Civil Military Operations Group Command (CMOGC) on the other hand, initiated other Community Relations activities in the barangay such as Feeding Program which was sponsored by Kiwanis Club Cebu-Mandaue North, Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation, and the VIMCONTU Broadcasting Corporation.

Moreover, the First Aid and Basic Life Support Seminar was also conducted with the assistance of personnel from the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation.

Twenty (20) garbage bins were also donated after the joint coastal clean-up activity last June 23 with the Association of Government Information Officers in Region 7. (PIA-7/HFG)

CV is still bird flu and FMD free

Cebu, Philippines (04 September)—The Department of Agriculture in region 7 (DA) had declared once again that Central Visayas is still bird flu and FMD free.

“There is nothing to fear that bird flu and hog cholera might spread in the region as it hit the hog farms in Bulacan recently. We have been closely monitoring the various animal farms in Central Visayas,” Eduardo Lecciones, DA-7 regional director said in a media interview yesterday.

Lecciones added that the DA-7 is constantly on the look-out and are not letting off its guard in continuously monitoring these diseases among the various animal farms in the region. “We continue to immunize and vaccinate farm animals and we are coordinating with the various LGUs specifically those with livestock and poultry farms.”

The DA regional director also revealed that a bird flu diagnostic laboratory costing more than a million pesos is now under construction and is expected to open anytime within the month of September.

The Avian Influenza Diagnostic Laboratory in Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga were among the recommendations made by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to be constructed to facilitate the detection of the AI-virus as well as for the immediate testing of specimens, he said.

According to Davino Catbagan, the regional head of the BAI-Central Visayas, presently, specimens and samples of poultry products are shipped for testing to the Regional AI-Diagnostic Lab in Pampanga, the very first diagnostic facility in the country to detect the bird flu virus.

These new diagnostic labs in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga were funded from a grant from the Japanese Trust Fund and when completed shall comply with international standards for a bio-safety laboratory that are capable of conducting various test to immediately detect the presence of the bird flue virus in both live and dead samples, Catbagan explained. (PIA-7/MBCN)