Country reaping the fruits of government reforms, says Aquino in Easter message

The country has progressed a lot when the true power of government was given back to the people, President Benigno S. Aquino III said in his Easter message Saturday.

In his message, the President said the resurrection of Jesus Christ mirrors the hope of the Filipino people to rise from the ill effects of corruption and despair.

“Mula nang naibalik sa mga Pilipino ang tunay na lakas ng pamahalaan, at naiwaksi ang kultura nang pagkakanya-kanya at panlalamang, nagawa nating buhatin sa landas ng kaunlaran ang ating bansa,” the President said.

For the past several years ago, many Filipinos left the country to find better opportunities elsewhere, but today, the President said there is a renewed interest for them to return to the Philippines because of an improving economy.

Also, millions of marginalized and poor people are being prioritized by government to improve their living condition through the Pantawad Pamilyang Pilipino Program, he said. More than three million households are receiving assistance from the government under the program.

The government also has made strides to remedy the shortage in classrooms in the country, the President said. The government has been expecting to eliminate the 66,800 classroom backlog before the end of this year.

There is also sufficient food supply for Filipinos today, he said. In the past, the country was importing millions of metric tons of rice that eventually rot in government storage facilities, he said.

“Kung dati, ilang milyong metrikong toneladang bigas ang inaangkat at binubulok lang sa mga bodega, ngayon, natatanaw na natin, hindi lang ang pagiging self-sufficient sa bigas kundi ang pagiging exporter nito,” he said.

The government is now truly a government by the people that selflessly focuses on their welfare, the chief executive said. With the ongoing initiatives, the government was able to save the country from chaos and hopelessness and in the future will start to reap the fruits of its labor.

The President also highlighted in his message the spirit of volunteerism that strengthened the country’s unity.

“Ang pagtulong ay nagbibigay-lakas at kalayaan hindi lamang sa natulungan, kundi maging sa nag-abot ng tulong. Muli’t muli nating pinatutunayan: wala tayong hindi makakamit kung imbes na magkakanya-kanya ay magsimula tayong magbigayan. Sa ating kolektibong pagtutulungan, tiyak na magdudulot ito ng pag-asa at kaunlaran para sa lahat ng mamamayan,” he said.

GSIS grants P126-M in refund for DepEd workers this April

By Apipa P. Bagumbaran

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 30 (PIA) -- State pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) announced that it will refund the amount of P126.47 million to more than 20,500 active and retired employees of the Department of Education (DepEd) beginning first week of April.

The second tranche of refund represents the payment of premium contributions pertaining to the government share, which were previously deducted from the life insurance benefits of these employees.

Last January, GSIS provided an initial refund amounting to P362.35 million which benefited more than 73,000 DepEd personnel.

This, after the pension fund received the P3.46 billion payment of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), representing half of the total P6.92 billion in unpaid compulsory premium contributions-government share of more than 800,000 teaching and non-teaching employees of the DepEd from July 1, 1997 to December 31, 2010.

“The settlement formed part of a milestone agreement signed in September last year, among DBM, DepEd and GSIS, which finally addressed the chronic issue on the non-remittance of premiums affecting the right of DepEd workers to avail themselves of their full GSIS benefits while in service and upon their retirement,” GSIS President and General Manager Robert Vergara said.

Those covered by the refund include employees whose Cash Surrender Value (amount paid to the policyholder upon separation from the service) or Maturity Benefit (benefit payable upon maturity of the endowment policy) were deducted premiums-in-arrears for due months July 1997 to December 2010.

As a result of the second tranche of refund, “more than 14,000 DepEd employees in active service will enjoy a proportionate increase in loanable amounts and potentially, increased retirement benefits,” Vergara said.

GSIS will also recalculate the benefits received by 6,530 separated and retired employees and will refund any deducted amount. Their pensions will likewise be adjusted.

The refund will be released through the employees’ UMID (Unified Multi-Purpose ID) eCards; those without eCard will be released through checks.

For any question on the refund, DepEd employees may call the GSIS hotline number (02) 847.4747. (GSIS-Cagayan de Oro Branch/PIA10)

Comelec reminds candidates campaigning is prohibited on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

By Rutchie C. Aguhob

OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental, Mar. 28 (PIA) -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has reminded the candidates that campaigning is prohibited on Holy Thursday, March 28, and on Good Friday, March 29.

Lawyer Stalin A. Baguio, Provincial Elections Supervisor (PES) of Misamis Occidental, said this is in order to give the people the full opportunity to ponder on the significance of the Holy Week and give them the chance to properly observe its traditions with religious fervor without prejudice of interest.

Baguio said this is also stipulated in Comelec Resolution No. 9385 entitled “Calendar of Activities and Prohibited Acts in Connection with the May 13, 2013 National and Local Elections.”

During these two days, the following acts are also prohibited: Selling, furnishing, offering, buying, serving or taking intoxicating liquor, as well as giving, accepting free transportation, food, drinks, and things of value, Baguio added.

Meanwhile, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday have been included in the list of regular holidays of the year pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 459 signed by President Benigno Aquino III.

Black Saturday, March 30, 2013, which falls between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, has been traditionally declared a special non-working day throughout the country.

The President said this is to give full and uninterrupted holidays, from Maundy Thursday until Easter Sunday, for those who may want to go home to the provinces and be with their respective families during the occasion. (RCAguhob/PIA10-Misamis Occidental)

Feature: Camiguin lenten walk 2013 is on!

By Jorie C. Valcorza

MAMBAJAO CAMIGUIN, March 27 (PIA) -- Are you up for a 64-kilometer walk? There is no other place in the world that you need to be this lent, but in this superb island paradise, lying in the northern coast of Mindanao.

It’s more fun here! The province unique way of observing the lenten season has continued to entice more and more tourist each year. Buttered up with great scenery, cool waters, and stress free environment.

This traditional Lenten walk, dubbed “Panaad” is a religious vow of sacrifice among pilgrims to take the 64-kilometer walk around the island, don with an uphill climb to the station of the cross in Mt. Vulcan, where the 14 Stations of the Cross are located.

This is the only time in the island, where you get to see the streets crowded with pilgrims from all walks of life, young and old, walking on the streets even in broad daylight.

One thing that sets it apart is the safety it could offer to tourist and pilgrims. You can bring along your tents and pitch it just anywhere along its coastline whenever you feel weary and tired of walking all day and enjoy a refreshing dip from its clean beaches where locals are also are warm to offer their help, even providing food and water for free to pilgrims.

The walk around the island is usually matched by a "visita iglesia" where they get to see the old churches here including the old church ruins in Catarman town which was destroyed by volcanic eruption.

Devotees start the walk right after they get off the ferries in Mahinog town, going to Mambajao until they reach back to Benoni port. It usually takes a day or two or even more depending on your speed.

A number of these devotees have been regular walkers here every lent, claiming that this religous sacrifice has truly helped and enriched their lives and relationship with God.

Get the experience for real! Hop on the boat now and register for the Panaad 2013! (JCV/PIA)

NGCP guarantees reliable power transmissions in 2013 elections

By Jasper Marie Oblina-Rucat

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 27 (PIA) -- The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) assured the public that the power transmission will remain reliable and stable during the crucial May elections this year.

Atty. Cynthia P. Alabanza NGCP spokesperson and head of corporate communications said during the Power 102 – Transmission Development Plan (TDP) and press conference here, March 26, that the company formed a special task force which will be responsible for the smooth transmission of electricity and creation of contingency plans and measures during the election period.

Part of the task force’s mandate is to secure the lines and substations from any threats to avoid unplanned outages.

She added that NGCP had no transmission related outage in the 2010 elections and they intend to have the same set-up this year.

As part of its preparations, NGCP emphasized that it will not conduct its regular maintenance activities a week before and after the elections to make all the transmission assets available for power delivery.

Further, she explained that they can only guarantee that there will be no transmission-related interruptions. However, power interruption caused by other factors, such as generation deficiencies, or those pertaining to distribution utility operations, are beyond their control.

Earlier this month, the Department of Energy (DOE) created a Power Task Force intended to secure the country’s power supply for the mid-term elections. Together with other energy agencies, NGCP is also a member of the said task force.

NGCP’s task force is aligned with the Power Task Force created by DOE.

"We shall be in constant coordination with them and with other agencies in the power industry, to ensure that we have a power interruption free election this year,” said Alabanza. (JMOR/PIA10)

DOLE-10, ILO-IPEC train anti-child labor advocates on knowledge sharing system

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 27 (PIA) --- Around 50 anti-child labor partners and advocates in Northern Mindanao have undergone a hands-on training on the use of the Child Labor Knowledge Sharing System (CLKSS) on Tuesday.

The CLKSS orientation and training was conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 10 in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC).

The CLKSS is a new web portal for sharing and collaboration of all anti-child labor advocates.

Jodelen Mitra, ILO-IPEC Program Officer for Monitoring and Evaluation, said the system was developed to contribute to the elimination of child labor in the country.

She said the 2011 Survey on Children conducted by the National Statistics Office revealed that around 3.21 million children in the country are in child labor.

The CLKSS aims to become the go-to-site for everything child labor in the country, she further said.

According to her, there is no common platform for knowledge sharing before the development of the system.

Program partners and advocates were not informed of initiatives where they could have possibly involved while good practices were not shared and replicated, she added.

With the CLKSS, partners and advocates can access child labor data, share information on good practices with other online community member, promote advocacy against child labor, and monitor program delivery effectiveness.

The key features of the system include information on different child labor programs, services, partners, resources and updates; report generation; integration with referral system and real-time monitoring of child labor cases; repository of child labor materials, articles, case studies and good practices; as well as a forum or a discussion board. (APB/PIA10)

COA appointed FAO External Auditor anew

ROME, ITALY, March 26 -- The Philippine’s Commission on Audit (COA) was appointed as External Auditor of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for another six-year term during the 148th session of the FAO Finance Committee last March 19.

It was selected over other shortlisted candidates, Germany and United Kingdom.

This is the second time that the Commission will serve as FAO External Auditor. It was first elected last June 2007 at the FAO Council’s 132nd session with a four-year term from 2008. In April 2011, its term was extended for the period 2012-2013 during the 141st session of the FAO Council.

“Our triumph in the Food and Agricultural Organization bid is a recognition of our distinct expertise in the field of international audit,” said COA Chairperson Ma. Gracia M. Pulido Tan. “This achievement is shared by all of us in the Commission. I thank my colleagues in COA and all those who have extended their unwavering support in our campaign.”

To date, this is the Commission’s third international recognition under the leadership of Chairperson Tan. In May 2011, it was elected as External Auditor of the World Health Organization during its 64th Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. In March 2012, it was elected to a three-year term in the governing board of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) during its 12th Assembly in Jaipur, India.

Accompanying Chairperson Tan during her oral presentation for the FAO bid were International Audit and Relations Office (IARO) Director Lito Q. Martin, Office of the Chairperson Director Ma. Milagros A. Lapus, Philippine Embassy Minister Grace Cruz-Fabella and Agriculture Attaché Lupino Lazaro, Jr. (COA/PIA10)

Young volunteers learn the basics in house building

By Jasper Marie Oblina-Rucat

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 26 (PIA) -- More than 500 young volunteers from various public high schools, state universities and religious organizations here learned the ropes of how to build a house from scratch since the start of Bayani Challenge 2013 on March 23.

Engr Oswaldo Saarenas, Bayani builder and coordinator said they are starting from the very beginning with volunteers from National Service Training Program (NSTP) of the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) at the SM-BDO relocation site at Canitoan, this city.

"We are clearing the area, taking all the pieces of wood out and transferring soil from one area to the next. Hollow blocks are prepared and stocked and filed, same with all needed materials," he said.

With the City Engineer’s Office looking after and supervising the project, volunteers learn to make a foundation using tire wires and round bars, and connecting these at the same time.

Despite the heat, these students work tirelessly to make sure they make accurate calculations and quality foundation.

The second relocation site is the Shell-Village at Canitoan. Aside from the young volunteers, Couples for Christ CFC – Gawad Kalinga (GK) volunteers, Handmade of the Lord organization and a number of foreigners from America and Europe are also leading the pack in house building.

About 16 units of houses are already measured and designed to be added to the existing Shell-Village relocation site.

In this area, volunteers have started to prepare the land and transferred hollow blocks through passing from hand to the other in one huge line.

CFC GK sector 1A coordinator George and Diding Balingit said volunteers will still surge in the days to come as some did not arrive on Sunday. (JMOR/PIA10)