DOLE helps teacher get due retirement pay

By: April M. Montes

 

DAGUPAN CITY  – The Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Single Entry Approach or SENA has enabled a grade school teacher for 36 years to get enough retirement compensation.

Rosita Javier, 60, worked as an elementary teacher for 15 years at a catholic school in Dagupan City before retiring as a principal from the same school.

Disbelief overcame Javier when the school director presented to her a computation of her separation pay. She thought the amount was too small for the long years of dedicated service she spent in the educational institution.     

To resolve the issue between her and her former employer, she sought the assistance of the DOLE-Dagupan Field Office. After learning her correct monetary entitlement, she decided to file a request for assistance with the office on September 2.

On the second conference regarding her request on October 27, Javier and her former employer agreed to amicably settle, resulting in the payment of her separation pay in the amount of P80,000.

“My heartfelt gratitude to DOLE in helping me amicably settle with my former employer regarding the correct computation of my separation pay. Keep up the good work,” Javier said as she thanked the labor agency for the assistance.

DOLE-1 Regional Director Grace Ursua said the purpose of the SENA is not to assign fault, nor take side with either of the parties.

Cayetano pushes for Mindanao railway system to ensure efficient food supply

If they get elected in higher office next year, the 2016 electoral tandem of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano will push for the completion of the Mindanao Railway System, which, if constructed, would connect all food producing provinces in the region and ensure a more efficient and low-cost transport of food commodities throughout the country.

This is what the senator said during a consultative meeting with lacatan banana farmers based in Kidapawan City. Cayetano was in the city on Wednesday to attend a Federalism Forum organized by Hugpong Pederal, a movement that is backing Mayor Duterte’s proposal for a federal form of government in the Philippines.

The farmers complained that their products are being damaged due to the lack of a proper transport and shipping system in the region.

Cayetano said that establishing a railway system in Mindanao will particularly make it easier for farmers to transfer food commodities from agricultural areas like North Cotabato to the ports of Davao, General Santos, and Cagayan de Oro. Landlocked agricultural areas with no access to ports or cargo-loading airports will greatly benefit from the project, he added.

BRGY. TAPUAC LASS IS MISS BALON DAGUPAN 2015

DAGUPAN CITY – April Ann Melecio of Barangay Tapuac was chosen as this year’s 2015 Ms. Balon Dagupan during the pageant night at the city plaza on December 12.

A 20-year old Radiologic Technologists student of Lyceum Northwestern University, Melecio also won in the Best in Long Gown competition.

“I thank God for giving me this opportunity to join this prestigious pageant to gain new friends and have the spirit of camaraderie, to boost my self-confidence and self-esteem, to bring out my inner self, to explore more of what life has to offer me and to be an inspiration to every individual who never stops dreaming and to pursue them without any hesitation,” said Melecio.

She added that winning the pageant was a wish come true for her mother Virgie Ramos Melecio who celebrated her 48^thbirthday on December 14.

Melecio similarly sent her praises to the two other Miss Balon Dagupan candidates Nikki Marmolejo and Dorothy Faye Londonio Centeno for being adjudged as first and second runners up, respectively.

Centeno was adjudged Best in Swimsuit along with other minor awards like Ms. Sizzling County, Ms. New Leaf, Ms. Flawless, Ms. Wearelse, Ms. JustSkin and Ms. IP productions.

Melecio and her court will be formally crowned on December 26 at the city plaza during the Pawil Dagupan Night. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/Dec. 15, 2015)

DAGUPAN CITY ALLOCATES P10.8M FOR PEI

DAGUPAN CITY – A merrier Christmas holiday awaits city hall employees following the approval by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of supplemental budget No. 2 which includes an appropriation for the Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) of qualified officials and employees of the citygovernent.

During its regular session on Monday, the SP passed Ordinance No. 2052-2015 approving and appropriating P29,920,600 million to cover the cost of various city expenditures including the employees' PEI.

Of the total amount, at least   P16,811,600 was drawn from personal services savings from various offices; P4,744,000 million from savings on maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) of various regular offices; P2,925,000 from other unspent MOOE and capital outlay from various non-offices; and P5,440,000 from savings on various infrastructure projects under the 20 percent Development Fund for 2015 or a total of  P29,920,600.

All of these were reverted to the unappropriated account of the general fund of the city.

The amount will cover the costs of terminal leave pay; overtime pay; water expenses; repair and maintenance of motor vehicles and watercrafts; documentary stamps and subscription expenses; telephone and internet expenses; gasoline expenses; repair and maintenance of government buildings; office supplies and equipment; consultancy and other professional services; representation expenses among others.

An amount was also appropriated to cover the cost for the repair of Senior Citizen building at Tondaligan; installation of 10 pathway lighting at Sitio Calamiong, Bonuan Gueset; repair of Barangay Hall at Barangay Tebeng; upgrading of PCC pavement at Sitio Pangasinan, Calmay and Bayanihan road, Caranglaan; rehabilitation and repair of covered court gym flooring of Mangin Elementary School and the demolition cost of the old PNP building.

A total amount of P10,874,063 was appropriated for the employees PEI.

The ordinance was authored by Councilors Jeslito Seen, Jose Netu Tamayo and Lino Fernandez. It was signed after its approval by Councilor Karlos Liberato E. Reyna IV, presiding officer pro tempore and approved by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/Dec. 16, 2015)

Scam eyed as cause to brutal murder of city dad

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SAN CARLOS CITY – A source said that a joint team of law enforcers are near completion their investigation that a swindling case caused the brutal slay of a city councillor here.

CORPUS DELICTI. The body of San Carlos City Councilor Mienrado
Ynzon, Sr., who was brutally murdered last December 7 by two suspects who
were inside his Mitsubishi's Montero. He was strangled by the killer by using
the driver's seat belt while the other malefactor stabbed him for 21 times.
 MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA.

The source, who asked anonymity, said Mienrado Ynzon Sr., had a quarrel with another person who defrauded him for several thousands of pesos.
He cited that the joint team of the Provincial Police Office, the Criminal Investigation & Detection Group, and this city’s police are finalizing the case against the killers of Councilor Ynzon.
“There were eye witnesses who saw the suspects talking with the councillor in his vehicle before he was murdered,” the source said.
Ynzon who drove his Mitsubishi’s Montero was strangled by a passenger who was seated at the back while another passenger who was seated at the front seat stabbed him incessantly by using a small knife, not ice pick as earlier reported by the media, for 21 times.
The cadaver of the councillor was found last December 7 seated tightly as his car was parked at Barangay Agdao in front  of the Heaven Bound Bible Baptist Church or four kilometres from his home in Barangay Taloy.
He was bound to attend the morning session of the Sanguniang Panlungsod (city council) when his body was found at 5 Pm.
“The seat belt was tied on his neck and the head rest of the driver’s seat. His larynx was broken due to the seat belt and the struggle he had with the killers. Most of the stabbed wounds were on the stomach and two were on the abdomen. Blood and fats from his lower torso oozed and soiled his red polo shirt,” the source said.
Another source media man Harold Barcelona told last Tuesday this city’s chief of police Supt. Charles Umayam at DWPR- Radyo Asenso that what caused the murder was a Muslim trader who sold gadgets to the councillor.
Barcelona cited that Ynzon wanted to return the gadgets after he found them fake and asked for a refund of his money.
Umayam told Barcelona that he would look at that angle as his station welcomes all information that could bring for the immediate solution of the case.
Ynzon left his home in Barangay Taloy at 10 Am last December 7 for the regular session of the city council here. Councilor Jun Banaag  said he even saw Ynzon's Montero parked at the Baptist Church. At the council, this city’s Vice Mayor Joseres Resuello had been calling him for several times  becauese they lacked quorum but to no avail. When Councilor Banaag travelled back home he saw the vehicle of Ynzon still parked in front of the  Church. Suspecting that the councillor had a heart attack he stepped down from his car and checked the car. After he called Vice Mayor Resuello, the latter saw through the tinted window a body slumped on the driver’s seat.
This city’s Deputy Chief Insp. Gregorio Abungan said the suspects made sure that the victim could not get help by locking the car;'s doors and ran with the car's key.

Ynzon served three terms -- from 1998 to 2007 -- under the late Mayor Julian Resuello. When Resuello’s son Julien became mayor in 2007, Ynzon was the city administrator here. He again ran and won a seat in the city council in 2010 and 2013. He filed his certificate of candidacy for reelection in the next year's poll.

LP’s solons will desert Roxas after kickbacks

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

A veteran politician and a successful contractor of government projects told me that those congressmen who did not only swear to high heaven their support to lethargic presidential wannabe Mar Roxas but even campaigned for him whenever he barnstorms in the provinces will desert him 45 days before the May 9, 2016 election.

Why? Because   the bidding of the projects awarded to the chosen and favourite contractors of these congressmen would be finished before that time as mandated by election law,” he told me.
As you know solons who are allied with the Aquino Administration move heaven and earth to look for hundreds of millions of pesos of projects at the Departments of Public Works & Highway, Social Welfare & Development, Education, Agrarian Reform, National Irrigation Administration, and others and then look for the intercession of Malacanang patrons like Roxas to funnel these to their districts.
With the projects budget already allocated at the Department of Budget & Management, their favourite contractors give them advance sum to be deducted to their kickbacks they call S.O.P from the 20 percent or more of say P100 million highway concreting projects so they can use the monies for their electioneering.
But with Roxas’ pathetic poll performance, these congressmen would just use him for the meantime and run to their popular presidential bet after they get their S.O.P so they can maintain their racket in the next administration.
Who said pork barrel was already abolished?

Economy

Compared the Ramos and Arroyo Administrations to the present Aquino Administration, which among them was the best in expanding the growth of our economy?
According to the December 7 Merrill Lynch’s report, President Benigno Aquino, Jr. was responsible for the 6.5 percent spike of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in his last five years against President Gloria Arroyo’s 4.8 percent growth GDP in the nine years in office and President Fidel V. Ramos’ 3.1 percent hike under his six years’ term.
But it doesn’t mean that Aquino was much better than Arroyo. The research penned by analysts Jojo Gonzales and Claudio Piron said
“However, we argue that the fiscal reform and monetary policy path benefiting the Philippines today began seven to eight years ago, and was strengthened by the current government,” the research noted.
Merril Lynch said that what buoyed the economy under the Aquino Administration was the Value Added Tax (VAT) that was implemented under the Arroyo, the former economics professor of Aquino in college.
The study said VAT helped avert the country against a financial crisis at that time.
Merril Lynch credited the Aquino government with spending reform and enhanced revenue collection—practices that have taken root and should continue beyond 2016,” the research said.
“In this context, a longer-term GDP growth rate in excess of 5 percent per year is likely achievable.”
                                                                 Military
These economic perceptions were analogous to the military build-up of the country.
With the arrival of the aerial, land, and naval weaponries, many thoughts that the present dispensation was responsible for all of the procurement of these from other countries and solicitation of donations particularly from the United States.
Although Aquino was credited for the massive shopping of these armaments, some of them like the United States Hamilton Class Cutters now BRPs Gregorio del Pilar and Ramon Alcaraz, one C-130, seven Poland made Sokol combat utility helicopters, and others happened because they were ordered during the Arroyo Administration.
So what was the contribution of the administration of my friend FVR, a West Pointer, and my favourite interviewee the rabble rousing House Speaker  Jose de Venecia to our defense despite their 3.1 percent GDP after they exited from their office?
They should be procuring a combat jet squadron or two of McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet or General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 Fighting Falcon during that time but went pfft. They said in the past it happened because of the crippling Asian economic crises that struck the country on that time.

(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)

Mangaldan “Pasalubong Center” opens

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN – This town runs shop center here had its soft opening last December 16 to simultaneously ushers with the Misa de Gallo.

Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno poses with Pangasinan 4^th District congressional aspirant Christopher de Venecia at the facade of the P2.5 million Pasalubong Center  of Mangaldan. The first local government run center that sells home grown products in the District if not the entire province of Pangasinan. De Venecia pledges to the mayor that after he wins the 2016 election he will boost the tourism come-on of the burgeoning town.

Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno said that it will sell home grown products like pindang (dried beef), longganisa (long pork sausage) processed milk fish like boneless bangus, sardine, and other products like the plastic packaged peanut brittle manufactured by entrepreneurs here.
“There are consignments of goods there. But those that are not consigned because they are owned by the LGU (local government unit) are the processed meat, longganisa, and the processed fish like bangus sardines. There are other products that are in display there”.
The mayor said the grand opening of the Center will be on December 30 or on the Rizal Day Celebration.
“The very first Pasalubong Center in the 4th District and we received a special recognition award already last week from the provincial tourism office and our last fiesta celebration. Thanks to our one -product- one -town come on like pindang where we celebrate it as Pindang Festival,” the mayor crowed.
Parayno said the Center, situated besides the town hall, will not be a threat to local meat vendors whose shops are located at the public market because she will see to it that the prices of the Center will be at par with those with the vendors.
“It is a friendly competition na ibig sabihin, nakikita ang products talagang pino-promote ng LGU. Iyong ibang gustong pupunta sa palengke, kung sino ang pipiliin nila, endorse ng iba kung sino ang gusto nilang bilhan andiyan at present na pag close market nandiyan ang pasalubong center".

She said the Center will be opened until 9 pm to cater to people who come from work.