Filipinos mull to sail to China grabbed Scarborough Shoal

Even without the nod of the DFA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The leaders of the National Movement for Food Sovereignty (NMFS) and the Green Peace mulls to sail to the disputed Scarborough Reef even without the permission of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Green Peace's ship. Photo Credit: Inhabitat.com

Ka Iza Gonzales of the NMFS said the plan is for a fact finding mission for Filipino fishermen who are banned by the Chinese navy there to fish.

“Puwede naman po, kaya po isa po itong hakbang para alamin po iyong mga mangingisda  natin sa Pangasinan wala  na silang nahuhuli. Pumapalaot po sila pero pagdating ho sa laot tinataboy ho sila, malaki ho ang problema (We can do it, that is why this is our step to inquire why fishermen in Pangasinan have no catch anymore. They went to the high sea but upon reaching there the Chinese drove them away. That is a big problem),” Gonzales said when told not to ask the imprimatur of DoF that was lukewarm to the scheme but instead go ahead with the plan to go to the disputed shoal known among the locals as Panatag.

DILG urges newly-elected LGU officials to submit SOCE

 

DAGUPAN CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has issued a memorandum advising newly-elected and reelected  Local Government Units officials to submit their poll contributions and expenses to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) by June 9.

 

DILG City Director Rhoderick M. Dawis said the memorandum was  addressed to all newly-elected and reelected local officials in the city from the city mayor, vice-mayor and down to members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod requiring each one  to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) to the COMELEC before they will be allowed to assume office.

 

“Newly-elected and reelected local officials must comply with what the law mandates and submit a certification thereof to the DILG showing that they have complied with their obligation by June 17 before they will be allowed to take their oath of office,” said Dawis.

 

Republic Act (RA) No. 7166, otherwise known as “Synchronized National and Local Elections and for Electoral Reforms Act” provides that “No person elected to any public office shall enter or assume the duties of his office until he has filed his or her SOCE.”

 

The law further states that “Every candidate and treasurer of the political party shall, within 30 days after the day of the election, file in duplicate with the offices of the Comelec the full, true and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the election.

 

Dawis further states that winning candidates must also present a Certification from Comelec that he or she has satisfactorily complied with his or her obligation under Section 14 of RA No. 7166 by filing his or her SOCE with the Comelec.

 

“In the absence of this certification, winning candidates cannot execute his or her duties as elected official pursuant to the provision of the law,” he said.

DILG joins ‘One Million Lapis’ campaign

DAGUPAN CITY – In upholding children’s rights to education, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is collecting new and  old pencils for the ‘One Million Lapis’ project of  the Council for Welfare of Children (CWC) in celebration of the National Children’s Month in November.

“Lapis” is a symbolic representation of the child’s needs to express one’s ideas and feelings.

DILG City Director Rhoderick M. Dawis disclosed that the project aims to collect a million of pencils for the underprivileged students in elementary schools in the country who lack the opportunity to pursue schooling and necessary materials for writing.

A documentary report in 2012 reveals that in far-flung villages, some elementary students divide one pencil into three to be able to write and learn.

“This is why the DILG under Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento being one of the lead agencies in building a ‘Child-Sensitive and Child-Friendly Society’ through a mandatory audit system called the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA), puts premium in promoting children’s rights to education especially for children whose socio-economic situations have impeded their chances to go to school,” said Dawis.

The campaign is also being envisioned to enter the Guinness World Record this year for the longest line of pencils.

DENR to plant 1 million seedlings in Pangasinan forests

DAGUPAN CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is set to plant one million seedlings of forest and fruit trees on 1,184 hectares of forestland in Pangasinan to replace the trees that burned due to high temperature this year.

Celso Salazar, community environment and natural resources officer in Dagupan City, said the seedlings, set to be planted in forest areas of Labrador, Aguilar, Mangatarem and Bugallon towns, will cover the forest areas in the province affected by fire from the month of January to the first two weeks of May.

Salazar said DENR will plant seedlings of forest trees, fruit-bearing trees and fast growing trees such as narra, mahogany, molave, bakawan, mango, acasia and ilang-ilang.

He encouraged the public to join the DENR in forestry planting from June to August and help replace the trees burned and reduce the effects of climate change.

“I-develop natin sa sarili natin yong pagmamahal natin sa kalikasan, gawin nating seryoso ang pagtatanim dahil ngayon, tayo ay nasa kalagayan ng climate change at isa lang ang solusyon dyan -- plant trees,” Salazar said during the “Pantongtongan Tayo” radio program of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Pangasinan aired on Tuesday.

Likewise, Salazar urged the public and local community to report any sightings of illegal activities and irresponsible acts to help in protecting and preserving the environment.

He cited among others the illegal cutting of forest trees as well as bakawan in riverside, irresponsible garbage disposal and kaingin farming.(VHS/EMBS/PIA-1, Pangasinan)

COP shares worthy actions thru newsletter

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

POZORRUBIO - The chief of police (COP) here could not shake out his being a renowned former spokesperson of the police provincial office in Pangasinan.

Despite being regional and provincial awardees as the best COP, he saw to it his programs worth emulating see prints.

Chief Inspector Ryan Manongdo, an alumnus of the Philippine National Police Academy, publishes every quarterly and annually newsletters on police actions in his area. Some if not many of these feats catapulted him as recipients of regional and provincial plaudits.

Aside for informing his constituents here, he hopes the publication embellished with photos, graphs, tables on crimes, arrest, and police programs would serve as guide to effectively defeat criminals and win the hearts and minds of the people among other COPs in the four cities 44 towns’ province.

Legarda welcomes gender-sensitive approach to governance

 

Senator Loren Legarda welcomed the move of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to ensure a gender-sensitive approach to governance.

 

Legarda made the statement following reports that outgoing Senator Pia Cayetano has joined Duterte's transition team to ensure that women are well-represented in the new administration and men who will hold government positions are gender-sensitive.

 

"It is important that the incoming administration gives priority to gender equality. We need leaders who will make sure not only gender equality, but also gender equity in the government's policies and programs," she said.

 

"We need to give both men and women equal opportunities and access to resources, but we must do so fairly and based on gender-specific strengths and challenges," said Legarda, who authored several women empowerment and gender-sensitive laws.

 

The Senator said that the Philippines is a leading nation in Asia, and even in the world, in closing the gender gap. She noted that in the annual Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Philippines ranks first in Asia, and always at the top ten countries globally.

 

"We must build on our gains and continue to provide equal support to men and women in reaching their full potential as individuals and as citizens participating in nation building. A gender-sensitive administration is most welcome," Legarda said.

DOLE SPES assists4,817 poor students in Region 1

At least 4,817 poor but deserving students in Region 1 will benefit from this year’s Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES), the Department of Labor and Employment-Regional Office I today announced. 

Regional Director Grace Ursua said a corresponding budgetary allocation of P17,568,386 has been earmarked for the labor agency’s 40% share in the student-workers’ salaries.  The 60% will be shouldered by the program’s participating employers, namely, local government units, educational institutions and private companies. 

Of the data, the six field offices of the DOLE-RO I have recorded significant numbers of beneficiaries, as follows: Ilocos Norte, 1,060; Ilocos Sur, 771; La Union, 578; Eastern Pangasinan, 771; Central Pangasinan, 674 and Western Pangasinan, 963.