by admin | Mar 27, 2017 | DTI Updates, Photo Story
DTI, Robinsons Department Store launch first Go Lokal! store for MSME dev’t in Manila. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez (4th from L) and Robinsons Department Store President and COO Robina Gokongwei-Pe (3rd from R) led the ceremonial launching of the first Go Lokal! store in Robinsons Place Manila on March 24. Go Lokal! is a retail store concept that serves as incubation, marketing, and branding platform for the best of Philippine micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) products including next generation One Town One Product (OTOP) offerings, showcasing modern and indigenous quality products crafted, designed, and created by innovative Philippine MSMEs. It can be found everyday in consumer-frequented locations as a mainstream distribution channel for world-class Filipino products while offering value for money for targeted consumers and tourists. Sec. Lopez said that aside from providing market access for MSME products, the program is a platform for new entrepreneurs to test the marketability of their products without the fear of losing rental and commercial costs because their experience is free of charge. Go Lokal! carries only globally competitive, world-class packaged products to encourage entrepreneurs to always level-up and innovate so they can be featured. After they are incubated and discovered, the program will feature the next deserving batch. Robinsons Department Store, an affiliate of Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc.,is the first to launch the project in a mainstream outlet. Joining them were Robinsons Department Store General Manager Johnson Go (leftmost), DTI Director Rhodora Leaño (2nd from L), DTI Asst. Secretary Rosvi Gaetos (3rd from L), Robinsons Malls Luzon Operations Director Irvin Wu (2nd from R) and celebrity endorser Maricar Reyes-Poon (rightmost).
by admin | Mar 27, 2017 | DTI Updates, Headlines, National News
Construction Industry Undersecretary Atty Ruth B. Castelo, together with DTI Region 8 Director Cynthia Nierras forefronted the unveiling of the 8th CIAP Window in Tacloban City on Monday, March 29 2017. The one stop window facility will cater to licensing, arbitration and training needs of aspiring local contractors in the comforts of their regions. (Pictured from L-R: Philippine Contractors Association Ormoc Chapter Contractors; DTI Region VIII Director Cynthia Nierras; CIAP Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo; PCA Ormoc President Jonathan Bautista; PCA Leyte Chapter Victorio Esperas; PCA Leyte Chapter Contractors)
Tacloban City – With the target to increase competency, the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP) opened a one-stop window facility in Tacloban City last March 20, 2017 to cater to licensing, arbitration and training needs of aspiring local contractors in the regions.
Undersecretary for CIAP Atty. Ruth B. Castelo, together with DTI Region VIII Director Cynthia Nierras fore fronted the opening of the event to enhance the access and delivery of CIAP services in the provinces.
Services that can be availed at the newly opened facility include construction licensing and registration issued by Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB); handling of contract claims, arbitration and mediation for disputes arising from contract concerns administered by Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC); and signing up for various training programs under the Construction Manpower Development Foundation (CMDF).
PCA Leyte Chapter President Engr. Victorio Esperas, Jr. and PCA Ormoc Chapter President Jonathan Bautista graced the event by welcoming such initiative and declaring their support for the project. Also present in the event are TESDA Regional Director Cleta Omega, and representatives from Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), National Housing Authority (NHA), Department of the Interior and Local Government Region VIII, National Economic and Development Authority, Social Security System, PhilHealth, Department of Public Works and Highways and Home Development Mutual Fund -Tacloban.
“By bringing our services to the regions, we’re enabling our contractors to save incidental expenses incurred in fare and accommodation. Filing will be easier and ultimately, we can reduce red tape and eradicate fixers.” said Undersecretary Castelo in her keynote speech.
Usec Castelo also added that for the first time in the history of the industry, President Duterte’s administration acknowledges the fact that the construction industry is a vital factor in development along with other industry sectors’ efforts.
“CIAP, the DTI, Regional Offices and stakeholders are working together to provide our valued Filipino contractors with first-rate services in the comforts of their regions.” Usec Castelo ended on a high note.
There are also service windows currently assisting in Regions I- La Union, III-Pampanga, V-Legaspi, VII-Cebu, X-Cagayan de Oro, VII- Davao and Cordillera Administrative Region.
CIAP is an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry that promotes, accelerates and regulates the growth of construction industry in the country.
It has five implementing boards namely; the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), the Philippine Overseas Construction Board (POCB), the Philippine Domestic Construction Board (PDCB), the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC), and the Construction Manpower Development Foundation (CMDF).
by admin | Mar 25, 2017 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
TAGBILARAN CITY, March 25, (PIA)–It used to be a spot dominated by the power Reserve Officers’ Training Course (ROTC) units in Bohol.
But in the last two years, a newbie has dominated the big boy’s world of army reserve officers training course and appears it is not going to give up the top spot now.
Bohol’s largest town owned college, Trinidad Municipal College ROTC claimed the top spot in the recently held Regional Annual Administrative and Tactical Inspection (RAATI) held for all ROTC units in Bohol.
Of all activated ROTC schools in Bohol, TMC-ROTC garnered a total of 927.95 points out of 1,000 possible points to stake its claim on the top spot as the best ROTC school in Bohol.
The score earned for TMC an Outstanding rating, according to the inspecting team led by Col Nestor Abando.
TMC out classed Bohol ROTC training school greats: Bohol Island State University (BISU), University of Bohol (UB), Bohol Institute of Technology International College (BIT-IC) and Holy Name University (HNU).
In the score sheet provided by the inspecting team, TMC ROTC score 1.95 points past ROTC Training school giant UB, which only managed 926 points to settle for the second spot.
Another superpower, BIT-IC scored 919 points to claim the third spot while BISU settled for the flourth place with its 914 total points.
HNU in Tagbilaran could only settle for the fifth place with 246 points.
TMC only joined the list of RAATI colleges in 2014-2015, school Administrator Atty Roberto Cajes revealed.
But by 2015-2016, its has settled in the top spot for Bohol and picked third in the RAATI for Central Visayas ROTC training schools. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Mar 25, 2017 | Headlines, National News
TAGBILARAN CITY, March 24 (PIA)—By operation of law, the government forfeits a motorboat and over a thousand board feet of iron wood, considered among the hardest hardwood in the country, apparently illegally shipped from the only place where these species thrive in Surigao.
Environment authorities also filed illegal possession and transport of prime rare hardwood, on an undocumented and motorboat overloaded with the hot lumber.
Acting on intelligence reports, elements of the Philippine Coast Guard assigned in Panglao led by Seaman 1 Ralph Barajan intercepted an undocumented motorized banca loaded with 81 pieces of hewn magkono (mancono) Xanthostemon verdugonianus (Naves), March 13, 2016.
The lumber is considered by foresters as the hardest of all Philippine hardwoods, considered rare and sparsely distributed, the species can be seen mostly in the so-called “magkono triangle.”
This is an area in the country formed by the Dinagat Island in Surigao mainland, Homonhon Island in Eastern Samar, and a very small area in Babatngon, Leyte.
The PCG team led by Barajan and comprised of seamen Wilfredo Jubac, Dionevic Flores and Gian Carl Buenaobra boarded the boat, and finding possible illegal cargo, arrested its five crewmembers.
The PCG found the crew incapable of showing documents of the shipped lumber, and the boat.
The PCG team tagged along a Philippine Navy and Philippine Army back-up.
Upon the arrest of boat captain Lolito Tiu (42), Rulie Orcullo (30), Jade Villamor (28), Jundel Dizon (24) and Jerryboy Flores (22), the arresting team escorted the suspects to the local Department of Environment and Natural Resources office in Cortes.
In Cortes DENR Office, authorities made a proper inventory of cargo and disposition of the arrested personalities and their undocumented boat used in the apparent criminal activity.
In the inventory were 81 pieces of hewn mancono lumber of assorted measurements with a total volume reaching 1,836.98 board feet equivalent to 4.33 cubic meters.
Also forfeited for the government as the law prescribes, is a white and blue motorized banca, a bolo, a chisel, DENR records show.
Subsequent information revealed that the DENR in Bohol has filed appropriate charges, through Assistant Provincial prosecutor Aida Digaum-Langcamon.
The suspects are now detained at the Panglao Police Station, since the boarding incident happened in the Panglao police area of jurisdiction.
In matters like this, what does the laws say?
In the Philippines, as early as 1904, via Act No 1148, authorities have regulated the use of public forests and has classified the mancono as among the group of hardwood trees in the country including acle, baticulin, betis, camagon, ebony, ipil, lanete, molave, narra, tindalo, and yacal.
As such, former Bohol PENRO Nestor Canda says a tree cutting permit is needed prior to cutting, the permit among the papers needed as a DENR requirement for the person getting the transport permit.
Section 68 of Presidential Decree 705 says cutting, gathering and or collecting timber or other products without license shall be guilty of qualified theft as defined and punished under Articles 309 and 310 of the Revised Penal Code.
In its primer, the DENR Forest Management Bureau said even possession of lumber or forest products without documents under existing forest laws and regulations is already a violation.
In fact, even the removing of the timber and other products from the forest needs a license agreement or permit issued by either the DENR secretary or his representative, in this case, the PENRO of the area where the timber was cut.
The DENR permit can either be in the form of timber license agreement, timber production sharing agreement, private land timber permits or special permits as the agency deems necessary.
For transporting forest products, the DENR lists the following documents necessary to make the transport legal: Certificate of Timber Origin, Auxiliary invoices, sales or commercial invoices, logs supply contract, Forestry Officer’s mark, and Certificate of Transport Agreement. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
