MORE NEWS, BAGUIO CITY

OFWS abandoning families in Cordillera now declining

BAGUIO CITY – The number of cases of Overseas Filipino Workers in the Cordillera has gone down

To date, 30 percent abandoning their loved ones have reportedly been recorded which resulted to existence of dysfunctional families in the community.

While it is true that some OFWs are abandoning their families for reasons known only to them, most of the families of OFWs in the different parts of the region turn out to be successful in their endeavors.

Manuela Pena, regional director of the overseas Workers Welfare Administration in the Cordillera, said abandonment of families is one serious negative impact of overseas employment but the agency is doing all possible interventions to reduce such incidents and sustain the existence of a wholesome family relationship even if one member of the family is away from home.

According to her, overseas employment brings economic progress to a lot of families but there are social costs which they have to pay such as cases of abandonment.

However, Pena disclosed the cases of abandonment of families of OFWs have gone down from 50 percent last year to 30 percent this year which could be attributed to the various interventions instituted by OWWA in their quest to preserve meaningful family relationships.

Among the cases being brought by family members of OFWs to their office are non-remittance, delayed remittance, lack of or no communication and reports on the alleged involvement of a third party.

Despite the prevalence of these cases, Pena said they have instituted various innovations in the pre-departure orientation seminar through the incorporation of a three to five days cultural orientation to acquaint the OFWs and their family members of what is expected in their points of destination to avoid the usual culture shock.

Moreover, the OWWA has launched the Search for the Model OFW Family nationwide to serve as an avenue for family members of OFWs to strive hard in maximizing their time for productive endeavors to help in the country’s economic growth.

In fact, she cited the criteria for the search was revised whereby 50 percent will be for the wholesome family relationship of the OFW and his or her family members while the economic success, which had a heavier weight in the previous searches, is now only 10 percent of the criteria.

Pena, a former welfare officer based in Lebanon, said while it is true that OFWs play an important role in the country’s vaunted economic growth, the OWWA is also doing its part in trying to preserve the wholesome family relations so as not to greatly affect the morals of their children and continue the bonding of the OFW and his or her family while they are away from their loved ones.

She aid with innovations they are introducing to cater to the welfare of the OFWs and their family members, cases of abandonment will go down while admitting there are cases which are considered to be irreconcilable despite efforts to mend the relationship being exerted by the concerned agencies and their own family members and relatives. -- Dexter A. See


P5.6 billion allotted for Cordillera road projects

BAGUIO CITY – The national government has earmarked at least P5.6 billion in next year’s 1.4 trillion budget for the Cordillera to rehabilitate and improve its various road networks to help spur economic development especially in the remote areas which were previously left out in the development thrusts of previous administrations.

Next year’s allocation for the region is at least twice more than the P2.89 billion allocated for various projects in the different parts of the region under the P1.227 national budget this year.

State of the Nation Address (SONA) projects make up at least 95 percent of the programmed projects under the Department of Public works and Highways to ensure that the commitments of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the region will be completed on or before 2010.

Mariano Alquiza, regional DPWH director, said Kalinga will get the highest allocation next year which amounts to P1.77 billion worth of projects while Mountain province, which usually gets most of the funds for infrastructure over the past years will receive P1.44 billion infrastructure projects.

Ifugao is expected to get a total of P224.5 million for its SONA projects while Benguet will be getting at least P721 million in terms of foreign-assisted projects, which includes the on-going rehabilitation of the Abatan-Mankayan-Cervantes secondary arterial road which has a total project cost of P673 million.

Alquiza, who is the chairman of the Regional Development council’s infrastructure committee, added Benguet will also get P438 million worth of projects for the rehabilitation and construction of damaged national roads, P127 million for road upgrading, P116 million roads to enhance tourism and P20 million for roads to enhance tourism and another P20 million for various infrastructure including local projects.

Ifugao is set to get P518 million for SONA projects, road upgrading, road opening and construction of missing links of national roads, roads to enhance tourism, rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged national roads and various infrastructures including local projects.

Abra stands to receive P501.8 million, Apayao – P471.1 million, Baguio City – 80 million and P18.5 million for the regional office for the various road projects in the region.

Since 1989, the RDC had been constantly lobbying for national recognition of the need to rehabilitate its circuitous road networks to bring development to the far flung communities of the region, thus, it crafted the Cordillera road Improvement Project (CRIP), the blueprint of the region’s infrastructure development, which serves as a basis for funding by foreign and local funding agencies.

President Arroyo has prioritized the infrastructure development of the Cordillera to improve the
tourism, agriculture and economic development which is geared towards improving the lives of poor Filipino families in the countryside.

Alquiza cited the RDC’s all-out support for the recognition of the region’s desire for better roads to attract the influx of investors in economically viable areas especially in terms of tourism development. – Dexter A See


AIM survey: Baguio 18th in competitiveness list of 25 medium-sized cities
Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – Despite the intensified efforts of city officials to uplift the image of this mountain resort city, Baguio continued to slide down in the list of competitiveness among medium-sized cities all over the country.

This developed after the Asian Institute of Management ranked Baguio City No. 18 among 25 medium-sized cities nationwide. This was based on a competitiveness study AIM conducted in 2007.

The city was given a rating of 6.27 percent or above-average rating in competitiveness based on the survey and group discussions with proponents of local small- and medium-scale enterprises and some members of the Baguio-Benguet Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.

Researchers said the 6.27 percent rating is an all time high for the city, noting that it was given a rating of 5.81 percent in 1999, 6.14 percent in 2001, 5.87 percent in 2003 and 5.82 percent in 2005.

The AIM study reflects the state of the city in 2005 and 2006 when the data were gathered.

The criteria for rating and ranking of the cities are based on the cost of doing business, dynamism of the local economy, human resources and training, infrastructure, responsiveness of the local government units to business needs, and quality of life.

Baguio had some strong points, chalking up a perfect score of 10 for having a very low rate of business taxes and easy access to commercial banks.

The other strong points included an excellent police force, access to an airport, minimal existence of informal fees or bribes in government offices, access to government banks, membership in local business chamber, access to potable water supply, overall quality of workers and reliability of telephone services.

The AIM study shows the city’s weak points due to the very low number of universal and commercial banks, low ratio of doctors and hospital beds per 100,000 population, and low number of registered businesses, high electricity and water rates, lack of membership in any other business groups, provision of investment incentives, enforcement of land-use regulations such as zoning, and transparency of the city government in its dealings.

The AIM competitiveness study conducted last year covered 90 cities which were classified into metro, medium-sized, and small, based mostly on population.

The top-performing medium-sized cities last year included Cabanatuan, General Santos, Lucena, Olongapo, San Pablo, Tagum, and Tarlac.

The Philippine Cities Competitiveness Report is a biennial independent study conducted nationwide. Its goal is to rank cities on the basis of economic performance and responsiveness to business enterprises.