COMMUNITY BILLBOARD

Balili River website launched

BAGUIO CITY  -  In celebration of the Balili River Day  Sept. 16, the Balili River System Revitalization Coalition (BRSRC) website was officially launched with the theme “Save the Balili River, Count me in,” at the University of the Cordilleras auditorium.

The project aims to design website for the BRSRC as a medium of information dissemination, to develop a web based Balili River monitoring system and to involve the community in the conservation of the Balili River through short messaging system (SMS) and web technology.

The UC developed the BRSRC website featuring its profile, projects and activities as well as researches, news and updates about Balili River. 

The contents of the Balili water quality monitoring system will show the water quality data and statistics from the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) and the Environmental Management Bureau-Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR). 

It also shows the google satellite imagery with sampling points.  The community will have the opportunity to express and react through the BRSRC Forum by the SMS.

Benguet State University College of Arts and Sciences Dean Aurea Marie Sandoval presented the BRSRC background and the key result areas. 

The Balili River as water quality management area (WQMA) and its rehabilitation activities were also presented in the said launching.

In celebration of the Balili River Day, a simultaneous clean up drive by the local government units of the city, La Trinidad and Sablan.  --JhoArranz

Baguio therapy sessions for children set Oct 6-7 

A Child's DREAM, Baguio's 1st therapy center for children with special needs, invites all to join "A Fair To Remember" on Oct. 6  and 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free evaluations, family, occupation, physical, speech and special education  therapy sessions  will be held.

Call 074-446-6121 to register. limited slots onl. Free kindermusik, dance, story telling, financial wellness, nutritional counseling will also be held.

Organic food and Human Nature products will also be up sale in booths at Baguio Pines City Lions Club, Gov. Pack Road. Visit www.achildsdream.ph or email info@achildsdream.ph 

NCIP education fund benefits 293 students in Mt. Province

BONTOC, Mountain Province –  Two hundred ninety three students from the province  are beneficiaries of the Education Assistance Program of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. 

According to Florence Fadchar of  the NCIP provincial office here, effective first semester of school year 2013-2014, each of these student- beneficiaries who are now in second year to fourth year college, receives a financial assistance of P5,000 per semester.

Fadchar said for the past years, the NCIP and the Office of the Congressman of Mountain Province have been jointly implementing their  education assistance program  wherein each of the student beneficiaries have been receiving a financial assistance of P2,500

But effective this first semester, Rep. Maximo B. Dalog  implemented  his education assistance program through  the Commission on Higher Education.

Meanwhile, staff of the NCIP provincial office have  conducted information, education campaign (IEC) regarding the new guidelines of the agency’s education assistance program which will be implemented effective school year 2014-2015 for incoming first year college students.

Fadchar said the IEC was conducted among high school students particularly in far flung barangays to give them the chance to avail of the agency’s education assistance program.

She said the new guidelines of the NCIP education assistance program requires an aptitude examination to interested fourth year high school students which will be conducted this November; third year average rating shall be 80 percent and above; and parents’ income shall not be more than P150,000.00.

Students who will qualify under this program are required to enroll in any of the state colleges or universities.

Preferred courses for student beneficiaries to enroll include Social Science, Agriculture, Forestry, Economics, Community Development, Education, Environment Sciences, Entrepreneurship, Anthropology, Foreign Service and Geology.

Fadchar said each student beneficiary shall be receiving a financial assistance of P10,000.00 per semester but has to maintain an average rating of 80 percent and above every end of semester. – Juliet Saley

Livelihood program benefits 397 MP folks

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- The livelihood program of the provincial government  here has benefited 397 individuals as of August 29  said Dominga Ortiz of the Provincial Cooperative Office.

The provincial livelihood program is a project of Gov. Leonard G. Mayaen to help jobless individuals in the province who want to start livelihood projects with financial assistance.

The provincial government has allotted P2.5 million in 2011 which was loaned out to some 29 self-help groups and associations or a total of 303 individuals.

Ortiz said the amount was used to finance exclusively approved livelihood activities they have applied for.

Most of the beneficiaries who availed of the program in 2011 have paid their loans and the total amount of P650,000.00 from the collections were also loaned out last year to some 23 groups and associations or a total of 73 individuals, Ortiz said.

This year, as of August 29, the amount of P710,000.00 was also loaned out to some 11 individuals. There are also 17 individuals who filed their application and are on waiting list since collections were already loaned out,  she added.

Ortiz said the loan is payable together with its annual interest of five percent for a period of one year from the date of release.

Payment of loan starts on the seventh month since the beneficiaries are given six months to roll the money they have loaned. A surcharge of one percent is  charged on the monthly amortization due in case of failure to pay the amortization on time.

Ortiz said to ensure the effective implementation of the program, applicants are required to have two co-makers who are permanent employees of the provincial government.

A memorandum of agreement  is  entered into by and between the provincial government represented by the provincial governor, applicant and his/her co-makers.

Under the MOA, the co-makers agree to be the guarantor of the applicant for the payment of the loan and further agree that the obligation shall be deducted from their salaries from the default of payment of the loan until the obligation shall have been fully paid. – Juliet Saley

Abra leaders push for plastic-free environment              

BANGUED, Abra -- The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Abra recently  passed a proposed ordinance regulating the use of plastic bags and styrofoams as the province’s contribution to the global action to promote a plastic-free environment.

                

The proposed ordinance authored by SP Member Kathleen Maria A. Balbin prohibits use of plastic bags on dry goods and regulates  its utilization on wet goods.

It prohibits use of styrofoam in the province to minimize  use of environmental hazard materials.

Said measure  was presented in a recent public hearing. 

In Abra, the use of plastic bags and styrofoam is rampant as well as cases of improper waste disposal.

During rainy season, these solid and non-biodegradable materials which are not properly disposed cause clogging of canals, creeks and other waterways. This is one of the main causes of flash flood in the province  especially in some areas of Bangued, the provincial capital.

Lagawe trike group pushes P1 fare hike

LAGAWE, Ifugao--  The  tricycle association in this capital town  is pushing a P1 fare  increase in selected parts of   the municipality.

The Lagawe Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (LATADO) passed a resolution to the Sangguniang Bayan for approval fare increase.

According to LATODA president Tejano Balinon,  requested fare hike  is due to the increasing price of gasoline and spare parts of motorcycle that gravely affected the economic condition of the more than 800 members of the association.

He said the P10 minimum fare in the poblacion will not be affected  by  said fare increase but only some selected parts of the four urban barangays of the municipality. -- Marcelo Lihgawon

4 govs, 3 private sector reps nominated  to top RDC post

BAGUIO CITY-- Four provincial governors and three private sector representatives were nominated as incoming Cordillera Regional Development Council chairman here last week.

Final list of nominees included former RDC chair Kalinga Gov. Jocel Baac, Apayao Gov. Elias Bulut, Abra Gov. EustaquioBersamin and Ifugao Gov.  Denis Habawel from the government sector.

Private sector representatives were also nominated:   Voltaire Acosta of the Development Administration committee, John Bugaling of the agriculture committee and MarietaParagas of the Social Development Committee.

The list of nominees will be submitted by the RDC, through its acting chairman, National Economic Development Authority-Cordillera Director Milagros Rimando, to the Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning, who shall endorse it to the President of the Philippines.

President Benigno S. Aquino III shall then choose from among the nominees the region’s RDC chairman and co-chairman who shall serve for three years. -- Redjie Melvic Cawis

Infra tops typhoon Labuyo damage report in Benguet

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Infrastructure incurred the most damage  due to typhoon Labuyo aggravated by the continuous monsoon rains that battered  the province and other Northern Luzon areas  during the second week of August,  reports of the provincial government showed.

Semi-final damage reports of the provincial government showed  that of total damage cost  of P135,397,122.54 in the province, infrastructure damage amounted to P100,685,000 while the damages in the agriculture sector totaled P34,712,122.54.

Road network damages amounted to P54.02M while damages to flood control structures amounted to 42M. The rest covering waterworks and irrigation systems including residential houses totaled P4.665M worth damages.

In agriculture, high value crops recorded the highest damage with a total of P31.5M while agri-infra such as damage to greenhouses and warehouses, among others amounted to P2.77M.

Livestock and aquaculture damages totaled P441,440.00.

For towns, Buguias had the most damages accruing to a total of P55.089M. Affected most were flood control structures amounting to P20M followed by damages in high value crops amounting to P15.554M then road networks worth P15.415M.  -- Susan Aro