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Archive for August, 2006

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Biliran to train personnel on nitrate testing for blasted fish

Posted by Michille on 31st August 2006

Biliran to train personnel on nitrate testing for blasted fish – PIA!

by Flor Jackson

Naval, Biliran (31 August) — As the campaign against illegal fishing is intensely pursued, the provincial government of Biliran is set to send personnel from their office to train on testing for blasted fish. The move is aimed to put a stop to the selling of fish caught illegally through dynamite fishing.

This was revealed recently by Gov. Rogelio J. Espina during a meeting with the heads of national government agencies based in Naval at the governor’s office.

The plan was hatched to put an end to illegal fishing and to preserve the marine resources of Biliran seas which are always threatened by fishermen who use illegal means of catching and gathering them.

He said that after the completion of the training on nitrate testing for blasted fish, the personnel being trained becomes a member of the composite team that will be posted at the Biliran bridge where members are personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Agriculture to include personnel from the provincial health office here who will be tasked to check vehicles carrying sick persons who seek treatment at the Biliran Provincial Hospital to ensure that these ill persons are not carriers of contaguious diseases that might affect the Biliranons.

It was learned that the provincial government of Biliran through its Task Force Bantay Kalikasan is coordination with the eight municipalities of the province is strictly monitoring Biliran seas of fishermen who use dynamite fishing in catching fish for commercial purposes and likewise monitoring the forests of the province against illegal cutting of trees.

Gov. Espina added that on the part of the DENR as member of the composite team, it is also tasked to educate the members of the composite team on clearance procedures of lumber and logs that are brought in or outside the province.

He added that the familiarity of the procerdural requirements to confiscate all illegals that may enter the province of Biliran is a very important aspect that the team members should know in order to be effective in their functions as such. (PIA-Biliran)

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Two nursing board members face raps over test leak

Posted by Michille on 31st August 2006

Two nursing board members face raps over test leak – ABS-CBN News!

The National Bureau of Investigation is set to file criminal charges against two Board of Nursing (BON) members for leaking test questions and answers during the June 2006 Nursing Licensure Examinations (NLE), ABS-CBN’s Bandila reported Wednesday.

A source in the NBI said BON members Anesia Dionisio and Virginia Madeja violated Republic Act 8981, otherwise known as the Professional Regulation Act. Penalties for violating RA 8981 include a six- to 12-year jail term and fines ranging from P50,000 to P100,000.

NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said he submit the complete report on the leakage to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Department of Justice and Malacañan on Thursday.

The Bandila report said Madeja drafted questions for Test 3 of the NLE while Dionisio wrote Test 5.

Bandila tried to get the sides of Dionisio and Madeja. Dionisio, however, had reportedly left for Abra while Madeja has been advised by her lawyer not to comment.

A PRC report earlier identified the two as the possible beneficiaries of a P7-million bribe paid by George Cordero, ex-president of the Philippine Nurses Association.

The PRC said Cordero allegedly presented the leakage during the final coaching session of the INRESS Review Center two days before the board exams. Cordero is the owner of INRESS Review Center.

Bandila said Cordero nominated Madeja to the BON while he was still chairman of the PNA nomination committee.

Bandila earlier received a copy of a PowerPoint presentation, which was allegedly used during the final coaching session. Two nursing graduates confirmed that the presentation was the one seen by more than 1,000 nursing students in June.

One of the graduates, Dennis Bautista, earlier testified before a congressional inquiry that he overheard Cordero boasting that he paid P7 million for the test leakage.

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Mayon acts up anew

Posted by Michille on 30th August 2006

Mayon acts up anew – Tempo News!

LEGAZPI CITY – Mount Mayon again exhibited heightened restiveness yesterday after showing a downward restlessness for several days as six ash explosions and a more vigorous lava flow were observed by scientists of the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) based in this city.

Ed Laguerta, resident volcanologist at the Ligñon Hill observatory here, said that the ash explosions occurred at 6:25 a.m. 2:58 p.m., 4:56 p.m., 5:48 p.m. the other day, 12:26 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. yesterday.

He said that the explosions sent grayish to dark brown ash clouds 100 to 500 meters high from the summit, which drifted towards west-northwest towards the town of Malilipot and Bacacay in the first district of Albay.

The ash explosion, he said, also triggered several secondary explosions at the southeastern sector of the 2,642-meter high volcano.

Laguerta said that the seismic stations detected 24 volcanic earthquakes which means that magma is being pushed upward towards the crater while the Sulfur Dioxide emission was lower at 3,364 tons per day compared with the 4,649 ton the other day.

He said that lava flow was intensified further as compared to the other day and it is flowing towards the Miisi and Buyuan channels overriding the Mabinit lava flow before dispersing and terminating at the middle to slower slopes of the volcano.

He explained that with the erratic behavior of Mayon it was to early to say whether or not the volcano was simmering down.

He said that during the 1984 Mayon event, the eruption took place after a weeklong lull. That explosion caused a very scour at the southeastern slope of the volcano now known as the Bonga gully.

He added that at this point the possibility of a very explosive eruption similar to that of 1984 remains very high. (Ed de Leon)

STAY IN EVACUATION
CENTERS, FOLK TOLD

The National Disaster and Coordinating Council (NDCC) called yesterday on residents living within the extended danger zone of Mayon to stay in their designated evacuation centers, warning that hazardous explosion of the volcano is still possible at any time

Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Jr. Personally made the appeal yesterday after local disaster officials informed him that a number of residents have started sneaking out of the evacuation centers to return to their houses following a lull in Mayon’s activities for the past days.

“We appeal to the evacuees to return to evacuation centers. They’re safer there. Sometimes, we have to be patient,” said Cruz in an interview in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

This was echoed by the Phivolcs in its 8 a.m. Mayon update yesterday.

“A hazardous explosive eruption is highly possible and, therefore, all existing danger zones should be considered very high-risk areas and should remain off-limits until further notice,” Phivolcs said in the report. (Aaron Recuenco)

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Forced evacuation of 100 families ordered

Posted by Michille on 30th August 2006

Forced evacuation of 100 families ordered – Sun.Star Bacolod!

DUE to the imminent danger posed by the two-week-old oil sludge in their communities, about 100 families were evacuated Tuesday from two fishing villages in Nueva Valencia town in Guimaras.

Governor JC Rahman Nava said the families are from Sitio Banacan, Barangay Cabalagnan and Sitio Lusaran, Barangay Lapaz.

They are now complaining for suffering skin and respiratory ailments, allegedly caused by the harmful fume emitted by the sludge, Nava said.

Nava, however said, that evacuees were given the options to either stay with their relatives in other barangays or poblacion or go to the designated evacuation centers.

More affected families, aside from the first 100, will be evacuated this morning, he added.

As of press time Tuesday, Nava said about 35,000 Guimarasnons have already been affected by the spill.

Nava said the Provincial Government is feeding the evacuees everyday.

Japanese vessel coming

On the other hand, Nava said Shensie Miru, a Japanese salvage vessel hired by Petron Corporation is coming to their province Wednesday afternoon.

The crewmembers of this vessel will immediately conduct an underwater survey to determine the real position of the sunken m/t Solar I at the belly of Panay Gulf.

Another solution is for the experts to siphon the remaining bunker fuel and leave m/t Solar under sea forever, the governor said.

“For me, what is important is for Petron and Sunshine Maritime Development Corporation (SMDC) to hasten it’s clean up operations to restore our provinces’ pristine beauty,” he said.

Legal claims

Nava, on the other hand, dismissed reports of him contemplating to file a P1 billion damage claims from Petron Corporation.

“It’s not yet in my mind,” stressed the Guimaras governor, saying that his current priority is the clean up operation and the fasttracking of the spill containment.

But probably, we can finalize our move on damages claims by the first or second week of September.”

The Guimaras governor also lifted the five-day ultimatum he earlier gave to Petron and SMDC to clean spill only in five days starting on August 26.

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DAR sets P36.9 million project for DavNor

Posted by Michille on 30th August 2006

DAR sets P36.9 million project for DavNor – PIA!

STO. TOMAS, Davao del Norte (30 August) — Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Nasser Pangandaman turned over P36.9 million worth of infrastructure projects to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and residents of Davao del Norte settlement area.

These projects consist of Level 11 water system for barangays New Visayas and New Katipunan; health stations for New Katipunan and La Libertad; road rehabilitation of purok Narra-purok Lawaan; six classrooms each for Sto. Tomas Elementary School and Balagunan high school; and another two classrooms for Bobongon Elementary School.

Also included in the turn over was the Tuganay communal irrigation system in Carmen, Davao del Norte, costing 19.8 million which can irrigate an area of 250 hectares with 172 farmer-beneficiaries benefiting from it. The project was turned-over to the Gravity Irrigation System Association (GISA).

These projects were implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) thru the Mindanao Sustainable Settlement Area Development (MINSSAD) funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JIBC).

Sto. Tomas mayor Maximo Estela, made an assurance that they will take good care of the projects that they have received so that the children of today and their children’s children can still enjoy benefit from its use.

Davao del Norte Division Superintendent Aurora Cubero expressed her thanks and gratitude to the national government for extending support in terms of construction of school buildings and classrooms.

She said that with these infrastructure projects equipped with complete facilities, there could be no more reasons for these schools not to produce quality graduates.

Secretary Pangandaman in his keynote speech said that these projects are really intended for the benefit of famrer-beneficiaries living in agrarian reform communities (ARCs), providing them the needed support services to improve their economic conditions.

He said that he was indeed very happy to see that support services and projects of the national government were successfully implemented in this settlement area, bringing great help especially to the people living in the far-flung communities.

This he said is in line with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 10 point agenda to boost agricultural productivity, quality education and in the countryside.

Pangandaman also assured the people of this municipality that another 40 million MINSSAD projects will be earmarked and soon to be implemented in this settlement area.

According to Pangandaman, the government is now focusing its economic development in terms of programs and projects in Luzon and Mindanao in line with the President’s directives to develop these two super regions to be agriculturally productive.

He also expressed his thanks to the government of Japan, national and local government for the successful implementation of these projects in this settlement area. (DAR XI-Dolly Amaut/PIA XI)

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NVizcaya moves to improve plight of village guards

Posted by Michille on 30th August 2006

NVizcaya moves to improve plight of village guards – PIA!

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (30 August) — The Provincial Peace and Order Council(PPOC) here has allocated more than P56,000.00 for the organization and possible provision of assistance to more than 2,000 barangay tanods in the province.

The PPOC’s special Action Committee for Barangay Tanod recently introduced the Barangay Tanod Enhancement Program(BTEP) which resulted to the organization of the NV Federation of Barangay Tanods.

The BTEP was anchored on the Local Government Code of 1991, recognizing the vital role of barangay tanods on the maintenance of peace and order in their respective communities.

Governor Luisa Cuaresma, also the PPOC chairman said that with the federation of the barangay tanods, their problems will be easily identified and be given through the PPOCs intervention.

Cuaresma also said the federation will also be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) before it will be accepted as a regular member of the PPOC.

The governor said that the barangay tanods are needed to augment the insufficient number of policemen in responding to criminalities in their areas of responsibility.

“Hopefully, we can do more later to enhance and improve their capabilities as guardians of peace and order in their villages,” Cuaresma stressed during the PPOC 3rd quarter meeting. (PIA-NVizcaya)

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