TRENDS (10 June 2010)

NKTI to celebrate kidney month in Northern Mindanao

Cagayan de Oro City (10 June)—The National Kidney and Transplant Institute-Renal Disease Control Program (NKTI-REDCOP), in cooperation with the Department of Health and the Philippine Information Agency, will hold a lay forum on prevention of kidney diseases and promotion on organ donation on Friday, January 11, at the Dynasty Court Hotel, this city.

The forum highlights this year’s kidney month celebration with the theme, “Healthy Kidneys, Healthy Family.”

Kidney diseases, especially End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), are already the 7th leading cause of death among the Filipinos. One Filipino develops chronic renal failure every hour or about 120 Filipinos per million population per year.

More than 5,000 Filipino patients are presently undergoing dialysis and approximately 1.1 million people worldwide are on renal replacement therapy.

Reliable estimates reveal that the number of these patients will double in 2010.

As such, the NKTI has been sending resource speakers to the countryside to promote a healthy lifestyle. As one of the promotion strategies involved, the lay forum helps the public understand factors leading to kidney diseases and its prevention.

Joining the forum are noted nephrologist Sandra Oliveros and urologist Raul Winston Andutan, both of Cagayan de Oro. For his part, REDCOP Program Manager Dr. Antonio R. Paraiso will discuss the program and how it works.

Likewise, Dr. Enrique T. Ona, NKTI-Executive Director, will grace the event and will give a message.

Further, Dr. Jaime S. Bernadas, Regional Director of the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) in Northern Mindanao is set to welcome guests, participants and organizers to the activity.

Meanwhile, Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar S. Moreno will deliver an inspirational message. (NKTI / PIA)


4-day festivities on Independence, Charter Day in CdeO set

The City Government of Cagayan de Oro has lined up a four-day series of activities to highlight the joint celebration of the 112th Philippine Independence Day and the 60th City Charter Day.

On June 12, City Mayor Constantino “Tinnex” Jaraula and members of the City Council, to be led by City Mayor-elect Vicente “Dongkoy” Emano, will lead the 6:30 a.m. flagraising ceremony and commemorative rites at the Kiosko Kagawasan in Divisoria.

Local top officials and dignitaries from the military, police, national line agencies and socio-civic sectors are also expected to offer a mass floral offering to the different monuments of local and national heroes during the commemorative rites.

Later in the morning until 6:00 p.m., television network ABS-CBN will sponsor a variety show featuring its top-rating shows with the participation of local bands and talents, while the live band performance to be sponsored by the San Miguel Beer Corporation will wrap up the festivities at the Divisoria’s Night Café starting from 6:00 p.m. and onwards.

On June 13, The Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines-Makahambus Lodge No. 315 will hold the 1st Freedom Run where hundreds of local runners are expected to join the 6:00 a.m. morning run starting in Divisoria.

Television network GMA 7 will sponsor on Sunday afternoon a variety show at Divisoria from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. while the popular 4th ID Band of the Philippine Army will treat the public with its classical songs during the “Serenata” at the Kiosko Kagawasan later on.

Local singing talents from the different barangays of the city will belt out their favorite songs as the shipping company Negros Navigation sponsors a videoke singing contest at 6:00 in the evening at the Kiosko Kagawasan on June 14.

Cagayan de Oro City’s 60th Charter Day celebration on June 15 will kick off with a 7:00 a.m. flagraising ceremony at the Divisoria, which will be followed by another round of ABS-CBN’s variety show starting at 9:00 a.m.

The action-packed City Hall Inter-Department Sportsfest championship round in basketball and volleyball games will treat sports enthusiasts with thrill and excitement during its finals set at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall quadrangle.

The city’s Charter Night at the Community Amphitheater in Divisoria will cap the festivities with a presentation of a variety of entertaining songs and colorful dances by selected City Hall departments and barangay councils.

As an added attraction, Mayor Jaraula has authorized the holding of a special Night Café on Tuesday along Tirso Neri and R.N. Abejuela Streets, bounded by Burgos and Rizal Streets, in order to provide a festive atmosphere surrounding amphitheater areas.

The scheduled series of activities was laid out by the executive committee chaired by City Treasurer Lino Daral whose tasked is to prepare a simple but fitting activities for this year’s joint celebration. (City Information Office)


NGCP holds forum on ancillary services, explains true cost of electricity

In a move to shed light on the significant increase in ancillary services charges billed to its direct customers, power system operator and transmission utility National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has been holding dialogues with its direct customers in Mindanao to fully explain the dynamics of its billing and charging procedures.

NGCP bills and collects ancillary services charges from its direct customers then remits these collections to the ancillary services provider per an Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (ASPA) approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). As the collecting agent, NGCP does not get revenues from the said fees.

Transmission rates per se have remained stable in the past few months. Charges for ancillary services, on the other hand, have increased from P77/kW in December 2009 when the supplying power barges were still owned by the National Power Corp. (NPC) to around P607/kW in April 2010.

Ancillary services charges in Mindanao are based on prevailing world market prices for fuel used in running the power barges which supply the ancillary services. The charges are not subsidized anymore by the government and thus reflect the true cost of electricity per current market forces.

NGCP reiterates that its billing computation and collection for these ancillary services remitted to the ancillary services provider have been duly approved by the regulatory body. Power customers in the Luzon and Visayas grids likewise pay for their own ancillary services per separate ASPAs approved by the ERC.

Ancillary services refer to power supplier-driven services that are necessary to support the transmission of electricity from power resources to load customers and to maintain the reliability of power services.

NGCP’s direct customers are these load customers which include distribution utilities (private utilities, electric cooperatives, government-owned utilities, ecozones), and large industries, government and non-government companies directly connected to the grid.

Amidst the ordinary power customers’ growing concern over the increase in power charges to be recovered by the distribution utilities and electric cooperatives serving their area, widespread power interruptions lasting from 4 to 9 hours daily continue to be experienced in Mindanao. These outages are attributed to a “generation deficiency” or lack of power supply generated by plants. If the ancillary services provider’s power barges are not connected to the grid, outages are estimated to last for a minimum of 9 hours daily in Mindanao. (NGCP Press Release)


PNP arrests most wanted person

Cagayan de Oro City (10 June)—Police Regional Office in Northern Mindanao’s effort to cleanse the region with lawless elements once again succeeded with the capture of the province of Bukidnon’s number two most wanted person.

Joseph Palomo aka “Bonjing” fell into the hands of the police troops at around 5 o’clock this morning through the joint efforts of the intelligence operatives of Bukidnon led by SPO3 Rodrigo Ramos and Don Carlos municipal police station led by PInsp. Mar Pinohan.

Palomo who carries P90,000 reward for his neutralization was arrested in P-9A Sinangguyan, Don Carlos in Bukidnon.

Two full grown suspected marijuana were also uprooted in the vicinity during the operation. (PNP Press Release)


1,000 schoolboys avail government’s free circumcision

Malaybalay City, Bukidnon (10 June) – In these dire economic times, more and more parents opt to avail of the government’s program on free circumcision for their schoolboys.

Malaybalay City Health Officer Dr. Dennis Sangalang said 1,429 young males earned their ‘manhood’ through routine circumcision, which is up by 25 percent more than last year.

“The Malaybalay City Health Center also funds the ‘post-operation’ drugs as the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) does not cover circumcision. PhilHealth funds the foreskin removal only if it is needed medically like penile infections,” Dr. Sangalang said.

The average cost of circumcision in private clinics/hospitals in the province is P2,500, more than enough money to dissuade parents who are having trouble scraping up the school fees.

“Money saved by parents can go to families’ basic needs as school opens this month,” Sangalang ended. (Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy, PIA Bukidnon)