Thursday, November 21, 2013

Tagoloan River Basin Council organization pushed
By Jorie C. Valcorza

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, MISAMIS ORIENTAL, November 19 (PIA) – The technical working group for the Tagoloan River Basin organization held its third consultative meeting here on Tuesday, November 19, to review, assess, and plan the river’s conservation activities as well as the establishment of the Tagoloan River Basin Management Council.

This will be a replication to the Cagayan de Oro River Basin Management Council which was organized in November 2010. It will be chaired by the Bishop of Malaybalay and co-chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional director and supported by four technical working groups (TWG) involving government agencies, local government units (LGUs), universities, and non-governmental organizations.

The TWG is currently consolidating an inter-agency work and financial plan (WFP) for 2014, which will be submitted to the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project (INREMP) of DENR for funding consideration.

DENR Regional Technical Director Agustilo Obsioma emphasized the need to capture and integrate activities lined up by the LGUs and the Department of Agriculture and its corresponding bureaus.

Other stakeholders were likewise encouraged to prepare their own respective work and financial plan.

Meanwhile, the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement among stakeholders is already set on December 6. (JCV/PIA) 


DOLE issues payment guidelines in the private sector during Typhoon Yolanda
By: Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob

OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental, Nov. 19 (PIA) – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has issued the guidelines on the payment of wages for private sector employees due to inclement weather or natural calamities.

The guidelines are spelled out in Labor Advisory No. 10, series of 2013 (LA 10-13), which DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapiliz-Baldoz, signed last Nov. 7, in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda that hit the country, particularly in the Visayan regions.

Thus, Provincial DOLE Director Jose Robles said pursuant to LA 10-13, all private sector employers are advised of the following rules for pay on suspension of work due to typhoon “Yolanda” on Nov. 7 and 8, 2013:

If the employee did not work, he/she has no pay, unless there is a favorable company policy, practice or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) granting payment of wages on said day.

However, when the employee has accrued leave credits, he/she may ba allowed to utilize such leave so that he/she will have compensation on said days.

If the employee worked on that day, no additional pay is given to them but only their salary on said day.

Likewise, LA 10-13 tells the employers to alleviate the plight of employees in times of crisis, by providing extra incentives or benfits to employees who reported for work.

It also tells the employers to ensure the safety of their employees by providing free transporatation, food, personal protective equipment and first-aid medicines as may be necessary, Robles added. (RCA/PIA10-Misamis Occidental)


DepED-Tangub conducts training on dissemination of Anti-Bullying Act in schools
By: Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob

TANGUB CITY, Misamis Occidental, Nov. 19 (PIA) – The Department of Education, Division of Tangub City (DepEd-Tangub) will conduct a One-Day Training of Trainors on the Dissemination of Republic Act No. 10627, and DepED Child Protection Policy, at the Function Hall, here on Nov. 21.

The training aims to conduct information-dissemination activities and in-service training for teachers and administrators on the protection of children in school from abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying or peer abuse and other related cases, Dr. Victoria V. Gazo, Schools Division Superintendent, said.

It also aims to develop strategies to address the risk factors that contribute to the commission of acts of abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, and bullying and prepare Action Plan and Training Matrix for information-dissemination activities and in-service training of teachers for the institution of effective child protection policy.

Participants of the training are the following:  all Education Program Supervisors, Public Schools District Supervisors (PSDS), District In-Charge, Elementary / Secondary School Principals, Head Teachers and Teachers In-Charge (TIC).
                     
One teacher in every mono grade and/or secondary school, preferably Araling Panlipunan or Social Studies Teacher/Guidance Councilor/President of the School Teachers’ Association and the TIC for multi-grade schools or schools with below seven (7) teachers.

Meanwhile, RA 10627, otherwise known as the “Anti-Bullying Act of 2013,” was signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III, last Sept. 12, to stops all acts of bullying in schools and direct the schools to adopt policies aimed at addressing bullying.

The law empowers DepEd to impose appropriate administrative sanctions on school administrators who fail to stop the bullying and erring private schools shall likewise suffer the penalty of suspension of their permits to operate.

As defined, by RA 10627, Bullying is “any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in reasonable fear or physical or emotional harm or damage to the property.”  (RCA/PIA10-Misamis Occidental)


Nov. 30 holiday wages for daily-paid workers include the COLA - DOLE
By: Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob

OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental, Nov. 20 (PIA) – The cost of living allowance (COLA) will be included in the computation of the wages for the daily-paid workers on Nov. 30, Bonifacio Day.

A regular holiday throughout the country in honor of Andres De Castro Bonifacio, Father of the Philippine Revolution and Supreme Leader of the Katipunan (Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan), Nov. 30 is one of the 10 regular holidays for the year 2013, per Proclamation No. 459 issued by President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Thus payment of the daily wage on this day will be covered by the rules enumerated in Labor Advisory No. 6, s. of 2012, signed by Secretary Rosalinda Dimapiles-Baldoz of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

These rules, DOLE Provincial Director Jose G. Robles said, are as follows: If the employee did not work, he/she shall be paid 100% of his/her salary for that day [(Daily rate + Cost of Living Allowance) x 100%].

If the employee worked, he/she shall be paid 200% or his/her regular salary for that day for the first eight hours [(Daily rate + COLA) x 200%].

If the employee worked in excess of eight (8) hours overtime work, he/she shall be paid an additional 30% of his/her hourly rate on said day [Hourly rate of the basic daily wage x 200% x 130% number of hours worked].

If the employee worked during a regular holiday that also falls on his/her rest day, he/she shall be paid an additional 30% of his/her daily rate of 200% [(Daily rate + COLA) x 200%] + [30% (Daily rate x 200%)].

If the employee worked in excess of eight hours overtime work, during a regular holiday that also falls on his/her rest day, he/she shall be paid an additional 30% of his/her hourly rate on said day (Hourly rate of the basic daily wage x 200% x 130% x 130% x number of hours worked).(RCA/PIA10-Misamis Occidental)


TESDA Lanao del Sur clarifies delay on release of C4TP allowance
By Apipa P. Bagumbaran

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Nov. 20 (PIA) --- An official of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has clarified the reason on the delay in the release of allowances of the Cash for Training Project (C4TP) beneficiaries.

TESDA Provincial Director Tarhata S. Mapandi explained to the listeners of “Ozor ka, Ranao!” radio program of Philippine Information Agency during its airing Monday, November 18, that the papers required for the release were already submitted to the TESDA regional office.

“The papers are now in the regional office for processing of payment to schools and training allowances,” she said.

Mapandi gave her assurance that they will immediately issue the checks to the C4TP beneficiaries upon receipt of their training allowances from the TESDA regional office.

Aside from the allowance, she said toolkits will also be handed-out to those who availed of the self-employment (hanapbuhay) component of the project.

The C4TP is a special program of TESDA in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for job facilitation and entrepreneurial support to identified youth.

The project implemented under two components, the training for wage employment (trabaho) and training for self-employment, has a total of 657 beneficiaries in the entire province.

Mapandi said C4TP was aimed to provide training to poor youth particularly those coming from the Pantawid Pamilya households, and give them opportunities to use their acquired skills as their human capital. (APB/PIA-10)


‘Barog Bukidnon’ launches transparency movement for good governance, citizen participation
By Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon, Nov. 20 (PIA)—A newly-formed citizen action group “Barog Bukidnon,”  launched Thursday a transparency program to promote good governance and citizens participation in the province.

“Barog (stand firm) Bukidnon” aims to independently monitor, report, and campaign local government units (LGUs) transparency and accountability issues especially on corruption, health, and environment.

Emma N. Molina, Barog Bukidnon chairperson, said those behind and committing to the new group—with members representing different sectors including peoples’ organizations, media, and schools—were responsible for showing the “real people power” in working together and organize for better local governance.

“Thousands of Bukidnons have cell phones, access to tri-media, Internet, Facebook, and other social media accounts. These devices are best used in participating in governing process to ensure that LGUs are responsive to the peoples’ needs,” Molina said.

She said the event also formally declared ‘Barog Bukidnon’s affiliation with the Citizens Action Network for Accountability (CANA) to strengthen actions on fostering good governance.

CANA is a three-year project partly funded by the Delegation of the European Union in the Philippines. It is a collaboration of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, the Center for Community Journalism and Development, MindaNews and the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines.

It is in line with the government’s full disclosure policy under Good Governance as reflected in the Philippine Development Plan, Molina said. (RLRB/PIA 10-Bukidnon)


2013 MindaComNet Confab set on December 5-7
By Lorry V. Gabule

ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte, November 20 (PIA)--The Mindanao Communicators Network Inc. (MINDACOMNET) in cooperation with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Mindanao Development Authority (MINDA) will be holding the 2013 Mindanao Communicators Congress and Workshop on December 5-7, 2013 at the Big 8 Corporate Hotel in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

This year’s theme is "Communicating PNoy's Social Contracts with Mindanaoans," with   Secretary Sonny Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) as Keynote Speaker.

The MINDACOMNET is an association of government public information/relations officers from the various national government agencies including government-owned and controlled corporations, government financial institutions as well as local government units based in Mindanao.

Usec Jose Mari M. Oquiñena, PIA Director General, said this annual gathering serves as an important venue for Public Information Officers (PIO) and Public Relations Offices (PRO) to broaden their understanding of President Aquino's priority projects and programs that would enable the country to meet the development objectives outlined in the country's Millennium Development Goals.

Further, he said participants are expected to communicate and convey the key activities, plans and projects to the Mindanaoans in order to gain the stakeholders’ support for the President's socio-economic goals that are geared towards meaningful and "inclusive growth."

All PIO/PRO’s attendance in this annual congress will be on official time.

For further details, interesred information officers or public relations officers may contact the nearest PIA information centers, Mindanao-wide, or PIA Region XI Director Efren F. Elbanbuena, president of MindaComNet at Tel Nos. (082) 2970991 or (082) 2970992.

For PIA-10 Lanao del Norte Infocen, Lorry V. Gabule, center manager, can be reached at tel no. (063) 221-3809 or mobile number 09178557308/ 09285204306. (lvgabule, PIA-10 LDN)

No comments: