COMMUNITY BILLBOARD

Ifugao forms sports development council

LAGAWE, Ifugao-- Gov Denis Habawel issued an .executive order creating the provincial sports development council (PSDC) for effective implementation of the province’s sports program. 

The council is chaired by the governor with the vice governor as vice chairman and the schools division superintendent as secretary-general.

Members are provincial director of the Department of Interior and Local Government, provincial president of the league of mayors of the Philippine and Sangguniang Panlalawigan committee chairman on education and a representative from the non-government organization to be chosen by the council.

The council shall act as policy-making body that approves plans, devises and strategies in development, implementation and monitoring sports programs of the province.

It shall also establish linkages and call on other public or private entities or individuals for assistance needed in the promotion and development of sports programs and activities.--Marcelo B. Lihgawon

SM plants 50,000 trees 

BAGUIO CITY — SM City Baguio celebrates 10 years of working together with its shareholders, various sectors of the government and members of the community in the pursuit of making this Summer Capital a better place with the planting of 50,000 trees.

SM North Luzon public relations manager Karren Nobres said the greening program executed by SM Baguio employees, together with their local partners, has already planted its 50,000th tree.

Nobres said this was made possible with the help of various government agencies, the police, schools and private organizations.

 Colorful Christmas show set in Baguio opening on Dec. 1

BAGUIO CITY – Residents and tourists here are in for another spectacle of lights and colors when the city launches the Christmas in Baguio calendar of activities on Dec. 1 via the ceremonial lighting of the giant Christmas tree and the lantern parade which has turned into a crowd-drawing event in the city.

            

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the city expects a huge crowd to witness the lantern parade which last year drew a record number of spectators in Panagbenga fashion, inspiring the city to transform the erstwhile simple activity into an institutionalized and more colorful show.

            

Councilor Elmer Datuin, Christmas in Baguio action officer, said Session Road will be closed to traffic the whole day to give way to the launching activities which will begin with the SilahisngPasko grand opening day extravaganza topbilled by the Children-Parents Christmas Mardigras at 8 a.m. showcasing day care pupils and parents garbed in Christmas costumes who will parade down Session Road.

            

This will be followed by a program at Rose Garden at 9 a.m. at the Miss and Mr. Little SilahisngPaskosa Baguio 2013 awards ceremony, children’s Kultura-O-Rama and dancefest.

            

At 3 p.m., an opening Christmas concert featuring local talents will be staged at Upper Session Road.

            

Program proper will begin with the opening program at 5:30 p.m. and the ceremonial lighting of the giant Christmas tree at 6 p.m.

            

This will be followed by the lantern parade to be participated in by the Saint Louis University students and other groups.  The parade will start at Session Road and will wind up at the Baguio Athletic Bowl where the lantern parade participants will stage a field demonstration.

            

The launching will capped by a fireworks display.

            

Domogan encouraged residents to witness the activities designed to nurture the Christmas spirit in the city.

            

While the city feels for the victims of the recent calamities in the Visayas being a victim of a disaster in the past, it believes that the yuletide spirit must remain to also boost the morale of its people and visitors.

            

City officials decided to do away with four of the main activities in the calendar and the funds allotted for them will be donated to the typhoon Yolanda victims.

            

The mayor also encouraged business establishments, schools and barangays here to spruce up and decorate their locations in keeping with the Christmas in Baguio theme “Let Baguio Glitter in Gold this Christmas Season.”

            

A bunch of activities will be staged the whole month of December for the festivities. -- Aileen P. Refuerzo

Machine operation training  now open at TESDA-CAR

BAGUIO CITY -- The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-  Cordillera regional office is calling on interested people for a training on CNC (Computer Numerical Control)  machine tool programming and operation.

TESDA regional director Genaro Ronald IBay, said  they are now conducting trainings on CNC operation.

From June 26 to Oct. 11, 40 graduated from the program and another 20 are set to graduate Nov. 26.Ibay said the training program is a project of the Metals Industry Research and Development Center through a grant-in-aid program of the Department of Science and Technology.

TESDA and Metalworking Industries Association of the Philippines are in charge of the trainers for the 52-day training program which is being conducted at TESDA regional training center along Loakan Road,.

MOOG Controls Corp. Philippines takes care of   the 10-day on-the-job training.

The training program has three parts: basic and common competencies, core competencies and industry  immersion.

“The program aims to machinists for work abroad and boost the competitiveness of the country’s metals and engineering industry,” Ibay said.

He announced that the training is open to any interested person who has completed either a technical-vocational course or at least 2nd year college and those with machining background.

“The training is free for unemployed participants who will also receive a daily allowance of P300 to defray their cost of living. For employed applicants, there will be a minimal P10,000 training fee,” he  said.

Moog Controls Corporate Relations Director Efren Alberto, in the same interview, outlined the importance of such training especially with high demand for skilled machinists.

He disclosed that for Moog alone, which products are flight controls for international commercial aircraft, around 80 to 85 percent of its machinists are graduates of the program.

Through their continuing partnership with TESDA, they are developing highly skilled pre-employment skills especially in machining.

“Our formula  in coming out with world class machinists is at least three years in engineering, TESDA training and on-the-job training at Moog. Aside from the skills, proper work values and work attitude  are  also important”, Alberto said.-- Carlito C. Dar

Kalinga police prepares for  “Oplan Paputok”

TABUK CITY, Kalinga --The Kalinga Provincial Police Office started briefing station and field officers in  preparation for  the implementation of  “Operation Paputok” (oplan paputok) this Christmas  season.

Provincial police director Senior Supt John Colinio reported the operation is a regular mandate of the police to regulate sale and proliferation of firecrackers during the traditional celebration of the season.

Starting first week of December, police teams will round-up outlets and stores here to inspect sale of these banned items.

Colinio said Kalinga police will strictly enforce the ban in line with the national police’s aim for zero-victim  of  firecrackers.

Police will confiscate banned firecrackers  being sold that are highly explosive and can cause major injuries.  

As a result of sustained enforcement of OplanPaputok by the police, there had been remarkable drop in the cases of accidents arising from firecrackers every year, Colinio said.

Oplan  Paputok has also  given teeth to the city ordinance regulating sale and proliferation of firecrackers in Tabuk  to protect the public, particularly young children firecracker accident during the Yuletide revelry, Colinio added. --  Larry Lopez

22 Abra, Apayao health stations set as birthing centers by Jan

BAGUIO CITY—Twenty-two  barangay health stations  in  the provinces  of Apayao and Abra will be  fully equipped and functional birthing centers  by January  through a project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

JICA, in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), has a Cordillera-wide project which aims to strengthen health services in the region especially on efficient delivery of maternal and child health services  to encourage health facility birth delivery and reduce cases of mother or child death.

Dr. Makoto Tobe,  JICA project chief advisor, said last week they  recently completed delivery of P6 million worth of medical and non-medical equipment for 17 barangay health stations  in Apayao and five BHS in Abra.

JICA also provided training support to all midwives handling maternal and child health services in the said barangays  for the 22 BHS to be DOH certified BEmONC or basic emergency obstetrics and neonatal care facilities.

These BHS   are expected to be fully operational birthing service centers by January next year.

To be it is their ultimate goal to ensure that no mother would die while giving birth.

According to him,  region wide average of facility-based delivery in the  Cordillera is almost 80 percent  mostly in  urbanized areas.

In some provinces and remote municipalities, facility-based delivery   is as low as 40 percent.

            

DOH assistant regional director Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, in the same forum, also disclosed maternal death  remains a concern in the region.

In 2012, there were  25  recorded cases compared  to the 22 and 21 cases in 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Pangilinan added improving maternal and child health were goals  of the Aquino health agenda of “Kalusugang Pangkalahatan.” 

Aside from its partnership  with JICA, the DOH is also investing on Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) where 37 projects have been completed  while five are   on-going.

These projects include upgrading of hospitals, rural health units and BHS to be fully functional BEmONC, in terms of facility and health personnel  --Carlito C. Dar

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