NEWS BRIEFS

Wage hike set in Cordi; Baguio pay P300 daily

BAGUIO CITY -- The Department of Labor and Employment-Cordillera announced last week increase in minimum wage in the region with this city set at P300 a day.

The increase from P285 to P300 was established by the Cordillera Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, RTWPB chairman and DOLE regional director Exequiel Guzman said.

Guzman said the increase will be applied by all business ventures and industries that have 11 employees and above. For those that employ 10 workers or less, the minimum wage is set by the RTWPB-CAR at P285.

He said in the areas of Tabuk City, Kalinga; Bangued, Abra; Bontoc, Sagada and Bauko Mt. Province; Lagawe, Ifugao and Tublay, Benguet’s minimum wage for industries employing 11 and above was raised to P290 from P275; and P280 for those employing 10 and below.

Other areas in the region who are employing 11 and above is now P280 and for those employing 10 and below now to P270.

Only Itogon, Tuba and Sablan in the province of Benguet were not included in the wage order as a leveling-off of the current wages with the others.

A separate wage order was issued by the RTWPB which pegged the minimum wage of domestic workers to P3,000 in cities and first-class municipalities and P2,500 in other municipalities.

Wage Order CAR-DW-02 covering domestic workers approved in April 19 took effect on May 8, while Wage Order RB-CAR-18 approved on April 19 will take effect on June 5.

PNP on full alert in Central Luzon

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — The Central Luzon Police Force is on full alert status following President Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao to address the siege of Marawi by Maute Group gunmen and other terrorist threats in the southern region.

 Chief Supt. Aaron N. Aquino, regional director of the Central Luzon police, said that since the Police Regional Office 3 has been on full alert status since Wednesday, all leaves and passes of PNP personnel are cancelled.

“I have directed all unit commanders within Region 3 to strengthen target hardening on all vital installations, economic key points as well as places of convergence and ensure high state of operational readiness to thwart any hostile action that may be launched by terror groups,” Aquino said.

Mt Province groups benefit from bounty chicks dispersal

BONTOC, Mountain Province --  Supply of poultry meat and eggs in the province would increase as more local livestock farmers benefited from dispersal of three to four weeks old “bounty chicks” by the provincial government.

Focal person for provincial poultry development program June C. Pinayakan of the office of the governor said the second batch comprising 13 organizations were recently provided with 100 heads of bounty chicks each. The chicken’s housing and food supply shall be the counterpart of the organizations.

The second batch were from District II covering the municipalities of Sabangan, Sagada, Tadian, Bauko and Besao as earlier planned to ensure synchronized and orderly distribution of chicks to the recipients. Also, the provincial government targets one organization in every barangay to ensure equal distribution of poultry.

The second batch of recipients are Heifer Partner Families Cooperative, Masika Organization, Bun-ayan Organization, Maggon RIC Organization, Palpalidan Livestock Growers, Suysuyoc Women’s Organization, RIC Lagan, Demang RIC, Lagawa Caputan Farmers Organization, Banao Farmers and Animal Raisers Association, Ub-ubbo Farmers Organization, Kabalikat Organization and Bansa Women’s Organization.

Qualified to avail are registered organizations, with 15 minimum members, and has submitted a copy of resolution requesting to be included in the program. Organizations must seek approval to avail of the program from the respective Punong Barangay.

Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr.and Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved  allocation of P1.5 million pesos for purchase of bounty chicks to be dispersed to the identified organizations. --  Alpine L. Killa

Baguio folks urged: Comply with building standards

BAGUIO CITY – City building official engineer Nazita Banez urged owners of residential and commercial buildings here to strictly comply with the structural and building safety requirements to ensure the soundness of their structures.

In her report before city officials and employees led by Mayor Mauricio Domogan and Vice Mayor Edison Bilog last Monday, Banez said that while the city building and architecture office imposes only the minimum requirements and guides through the issuance of building permits, the responsibility of ensuring the structural soundness of their buildings still rests with the owners and the contractors.

“The National Building Code and the Civil Code of the Philippines place the responsibility and the accountability to the owners and their contractors to build their structures safe for occupancy,” Banez said.

She said the NSCP requires the structural design of buildings to withstand 6.5 magnitude earthquakes but in the case of the city, owners can “command their engineers to design their buildings sturdier to withstand up to 8 magnitude, though, it will cost much.”   

As per the Environment Code, soil tests and slope stability tests should be conducted to determine the holding capacity of the lot and any additions or alterations of buildings should not be allowed unless reviewed and certified by an accredited structural engineer, Banez added.

Furthermore, the Fire Code and Mechanical Code require buildings to have fire alarm systems and firefighting paraphernalia.  Firewalls should be built with fire-resistant materials and should have no opening .

Banez said that based on their monitoring and inspections, the most common violations found in city buildings were the non-provision of fire protective systems, elevators and the conversion of parking areas to rentable spaces.

To address the said violations, CBAO has initiated filing of cases in court against the erring owners for violation of the National Building Code. – Aileen P. Refuerzo

 Domogan backs Duterte’s martial law declaration

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan expressed support to the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to declare Martial Law in Mindanao in response to the terroristic acts of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-inspired Maute group in Marawi City that led to still on-going clashes with government troops.

In a statement, the mayor said he fully trusts that the President knows what is best for the country at this moment and that he had enough reasons to justify the imposition of direct military control in Mindanao.

“We support the action of the President in declaring Martial Law in Mindanao.  We have full trust that the President had been supplied with sufficient facts that can justify the declaration of Martial law in the said area,” the mayor said.

The mayor said he sees no cause for worry as to the basis for the declaration because under the Constitution, the President is mandated to “report and explain to Congress within a prescribed period the reasons why he had declared Martial Law.”

“With the declaration of Martial Law, we hope that the Armed Force of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will quell and stop the lawless violence and rebellion in the said area to save innocent civilians from possible death and injuries and also damage to properties,” the mayor said.

The mayor also confirmed that one of those killed in the on-going conflict was a policeman who hailed from the city. – Aileen P. Refuerzo

Ramadan in Ilocos not affected by martial law

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union -- The declaration of martial law in Mindanao by President Duterte has not affected the celebration of the Ramadan in all Muslim communities in the provinces of Region 1.Allan Macapundag, the president of La Union Muslim Community based here, said that their Ramadan begins with a one-hour prayer that will start at 8 p.m.“Simultaneously, this will be also the start of our one-month fasting for the celebration of the Ramadan,” said Macapundag. He appealed to all Filipinos to join them in praying for the safety and security of their brother Muslims in the Marawi City. He also prayed for the immediate solution to the trouble in Marawi City that is the restoration of peace and normal lifestyle of the residents in the area. – Freddie G. Lazaro

 City hall areas to be used as art gallery

BAGUIO CITY – The city council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance allowing the use of the Baguio city hall as an art gallery to include its lobby, available walls and other possible areas as a gallery for visual art, and creating a committee to act as a gallery curator.

            The ordinance authored by Councilor Lilia A. Fariñas stated the City General Services Office of the local government will be tasked as the lead agency in the implementation and regulation of the local legislative measure and it shall outline the implementing rules and regulations for its operation, with the approval of the City Council, and perform such other duties contained in the said measure.

            Under the proposed ordinance, the City General Services Officer shall determine spaces such as walls along the halls of city hall, the lobby, and other areas which can be utilized for the exhibit for visual arts such as paintings, tapestries, sculptures, and other works of art. -- Dexter A. See

Dagupan opens evacuation center for 1,000 victims

DAGUPAN CITY -- The newly-inaugurated three-storey evacuation center worth P15.1 million can accommodate 617 households here in Barangay Salapingao hopes to decrease injuries and fatalities during calamities and distress times.

Funded under the Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB) project of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and by the city government, the center may also provide similar temporary shelter to neighboring Barangays Lomboy and Pugaro with its 1,000 person capacity.

DILG Region 1 Director James F. Fadrilan in a report to DILG officer-in-charge Catalino S. Cuy said the facility, which has a land area of 1,236 square meters, includes basic amenities such as potable water; electricity; comfort rooms for females, males and persons with disabilities (PWDs); communal kitchen; dining and laundry area.

Other equally important components include a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Office, clinic infirmary, breastfeeding area, stock room and a roof deck.

Cuy said that prior to the construction of the evacuation center, residents only have school classrooms and few sturdy structures to take refuge in during typhoons and flooding.

 P9M housing aid given to 60 Ilocos Norte families

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte  -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development gave a total of P9,100,000 in housing assistance to some 60 families in Ilocos Norte whose houses were damaged by typhoons through its Core Shelter Assistance Program.

CSAP is one of the intervention schemes of DSWD in disaster response and rehabilitation.

It aims to provide environment-friendly, structurally-strong shelter units to victims of disasters or those living in hazardous areas.

The 50 family-beneficiaries of the CSAP are from Navotas, Laoag City who received P160,000 each for their single-detached core shelter unit which will be built on an 80-square-meter lot given by the city government.

The lot serves as the counterpart contribution of the local government of Mayor Chevylle Fariñas, who also committed to provide augmentation to other logistical requirements such as site development and skilled workers.

The other 10 families from Barangay Buyo, Bacarra were also provided with the CSAP program amounting to P1,100,000, with each family beneficiary receiving P110,000 for the construction of their units. Chito Chavez

HSWs in Bicol get extra P1,000

Ifugao town turns over new building to PNP

KIANGAN, Ifugao- - The municipal government of this town turned-over a newly constructed Community Police Assistance Center to the Philippine National Police to strengthen their capability in maintaining peace and order in the community.

The COMPAC in Barangay Poblacion costing about P500, 000 was constructed by the municipal government under Mayor Joselito Guyguyon through the effort of Kiangan town police chief Roy T. Awisan.

The inauguration   began with the ribbon cutting   led by the mayor, Ifugao PNP Director Constancion Chinayog Jr., and   Awisan joined by Councilors James Talib and Gemma Dimog. It was followed by a short program.

 In his message, Guyguyon said that the COMPAC was accomplished as a show of their cooperation, support and gratitude to the services of the Police in the town led by Awisan.

Chinayog thanked the Kiangan LGU for its support to the PNP. This project he said was the first in the province   that is funded by an MLGU and expressed hope this will be replicated by the other municipalities of Ifugao.  -- PIA Ifugao

Market wholesalers told: Comply with gov’t rules

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan urged wholesalers of products in the city public market to comply with rules and regulations to prevent immediate confiscation of their products by the alert personnel of the Public Order and Safety Division.

During recent dialogue between POSD personnel and  wholesalers in the public market, Domogan said what had been agreed upon is for them to unload their products in the identified areas in the public market on or before 5 am and that they are allowed to take their products to their stalls until 7 am.

He added products that will be left unattended in the designated areas after 7 am will be confiscated by the POSD personnel and will no longer be returned to the wholesalers because their violation will be qualified as obstruction.

Under existing guidelines, rules and regulations which were crafted by the local legislative body, products that are left unattended along roads and sidewalks will be classified as obstruction and that the same will no longer be returned to the owners while violations of illegal peddling will allow the vendors to claim their products after paying the fine of P1, 000.

If there will be wholesalers that will arrive later than the prescribed time, he said the said traders will only be allowed to unload their products in certain areas within the public market as it is not the fault of the city government that they arrived late.

He said that if the wholesalers want their violations of obstruction to be treated as illegal peddling, then they must appeal to the City Council to amend the ordinance that provided for such definition so they can claim back their products once they pay fines. -- Dexter A. See

 PENRO-Kalinga readies 3 million seedlings for planting

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office through its partner people’s organizations is preparing at least three million tree seedlings for this year’s enhanced National Greening Program.

Acting-PENRO Noel Barientos reported planting starts as soon as the rains come in June. The extended enhanced NGP in the province included fruit trees and bamboos in its 2,700 hectares target planting area.

 DOLE gives P2.5-M to four Abra groups    

BANGUED, Abra -- Four people’s organizations in the province were  recipients of  P2.5 million Kabuhayan Assistance from Department of Labor and Employment.

DOLE-Abra provincial head George G. Lubin, Jr.  said 507 members of the three organizations will directly benefit from livelihood assistance in the form of production equipment, tools and materials.

Lubinsaid the Rural Improvement Club of Tangadan, San Quintin was given P334, 530.00 for the procurement of sewing machines and materials and for their catering.

The Association of Dalit OFW Returnees and Dependents in the municipality of Pilar received P378, 750.00 for their farming project.

The municipality of Lagangilang has two PO-beneficiaries. The Lagangilang Farmers Irrigators’ Association that serves eight barangays was given P1, 441,450.00 for its farming project while the Lagangilang Women’s Food Processors Association received P377, 100.00 for the food processing projects of the women members.

The local government units of Pilar, San Quintin and Lagangilang serve as conduits of the project funds. As such, they are in charge of the procurement of production materials and facilities and also in the provision and delivery of these to the project beneficiaries.

The projects are expected not only to benefit the direct project beneficiaries through increased production and profits but also to generate employment for their families and communities. -- Maria Teresa B. Benas

Kalinga LGUs urged” Put  up PWD rehab centers

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- National government agencies concerned  with welfare of  Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)  are urging   local government units to establish their own rehabilitation centers for said sector.

Remegio Basilan of the Department of Health provincial office said with Department of Social Welfare and Development and   Lin-awa Rehab Center personnel, said they are going around the province to orient local government units on establishment of rehabilitation centers for PWDs. 

They also monitor health facilities if they are complying with the PWD access law and are giving discounts on drugs and medicines.

The PWD access law provides establishments should be PWD -friendly and barrier-free   with built-in ramps, holders and safe passages.

“LGUs should consider in their budgets the needs of this sector and look at intervention programs for PWDs not on the side of charity but rather a public service since they are a constituent sector in the community that needs government assistance,” Basilan stressed. -- Peter A. Balocnit

  PVET teaches farmers organic feed formulation

HUNGDUAN, Ifugao --The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVET) here recently conducted skills training on organic swine and poultry raising and feed formulation to 83 farmer- recipients of native pig raising project of the provincial government.

The training was to enable pig raisers gain more profit in their backyard livestock endeavor by formulating their own organic feeds using ingredients and materials that are abundant and indigenous in their places rather than relying on commercial feeds which are very expensive, said PVET training coordinator Ferdinand Dunuan.

By adopting organic farming  that  includes feed formulation to reduce feed cost,  they can produce not only animal meat products which are safe and fit for human consumption but also earn more profit because organically produced farm products nowadays are in great demand.

Dunuan   lectured to participants on animal husbandry, issues on bio-organic inputs and good agricultural practices.

Gilbert Caclini, also of PVET, demonstrated the preparation of the feeds using the indigenous materials with the hands on participation of the farmers  so that they can learn and experience on the spot organic feed formulation.

The ingredients and materials used during the actual preparation of  50 kilograms (kgs) of organic feed include 20 kilos rice bran, 5 corn grits, 5 corn bran, 3 chopped banana stalk, 3 chopped camote trunk and leaves, 3 ofipil leaves, 10 ofazola, a kilo of brown sugar, another kilo of indigenous micro-organism (for fermentation) and two liters of rice wash.

The farmers said were happy with what they learned and promised that they will immediately start preparing their own feed supply. -- Daniel B. Codamon

 
DOST upgrades baking skills of Ifugao small entrepreneurs

LAMUT, Ifugao -- The Department of Science and Technology trained 30 young and old small entrepreneurs of the province to upgrade their skills and knowledge in making bakery products.

The DOST tapped expert chefs and bakers from the ACHIEVERS Food and Bakery Ingredients Corporation based in Quezon City as resource persons. The company offers wide range of locally manufactured and selected imported quality food ingredients to produce a wide variety of breads, cakes, pastries, dimsum and other confectionaries and also supply bakery equipment and tools.

Provincial Science and Technology Director Genna Jallorina said that the training  under the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Project or SETUP  aims to enable the bakery operators in the province improve the quality and quantity of their bakery products by learning and using new and better ingredients, technology, equipment and facilities thereby making their business more profitable and  competitive.

Among the equipment introduced and demonstrated hands-on by the chefs and bakers from the ACHIEVERS Corporation to the trainees are the deck ovens, cake mixers, rack ovens, spiral mixers, chillers, proofers, dough machines, roasters, fondue machines, ice machines, bread slicer, bread racks and other machine products.

The participants learned proper processing and cooking of bakery foods like pastel rolls, pandesal with malunggay leaves, donut variety, hopia, chiffon cake and choco chiffon cake. -- PIA Ifugao