by anyajulia | Jun 15, 2009 | Headlines
T a time when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo wants House allies to put on hold the controversial House Resolution 1109, Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado said the move is inviting a constitutional crisis.
Aumentado, delivering his 111th Independence day message called the controversial house resolution calling for Congress to convene into a ConAs is a violation of the fundamental law of the land.
Early last week, the House Resolution 1109 was passed which calls for Congress to initiate discussions on the charter change, despite an unresolved constitutional issue which the Supreme Court (SC) has to rule.
Questions as to whether the House of Representatives alone, by their sheer number can flatten out the opposition-dominated Senate and rule for the charter change.
The Senate has rejected calls for constitutional change at this time, but Speaker Prospero Nograles says lawmakers can propose amendments without the upper chamber, setting the environment for Supreme Court intervention.
Earlier, Representative Adam Relson Jala has hinted that the people can lodge a case to the SC for a definitive ruling on the interpretation of the provisions to change the constitution.
Aumentado, apparently meaning the sheer number of representatives can flatten out a senate opposition admitted he is a close Presidential ally, but declared his opposition to ConAs via only the House members.
“I can not support the ConAs with only the House of Representatives amending the constitution, without the Senate”, he beamed before the crowd gathered for the customary flag raising activities on the 111th Independence Day.
In fact, he wants the SC to shoot the resolution 1109 down.
In his message delivered before a little more than a thousand local and national government employees gathered at the Plaza Rizal, the governor argued that a ConAs must be done in the true intent of the law and that is by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
He however admitted that he thinks the President is truly distancing herself from the measure seeking to convene Congress into a ConAs.
He then appealed for the people to forge a stronger unity in these times when the situation is compounded by a threatening global financial crisis.
Meanwhile, with the President’s move to put on hold the resolve to convene congress into a ConAs, sources close to her said Mrs. Arroyo wanted to prioritize other measures that would provide more revenues to the country. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Jun 15, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
JUST how sure are customers that the “pricey” commercial feeds from local feeds dealer is exactly of the same quality as the label they want to patronize?
This has become a concern for the Department of Agriculture (DA) Animal Feeds and Drug Control after noticing the uncontrolled proliferation of feeds dealers in the towns and the imminent danger of adulteration.
Appearing at the bi-monthly out-of-town League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) meeting in Inabanga June 10, Venerando Limpot, the province’s deputized control officer appealed to the mayors for help.
Limpot said the department wants to put up control measures to stop and regulate any of these activities to assure customers that they get their money’s worth when they purchase feeds.
Mayors play a critical role, according to Limpot in issuing business permits to these feeds dealers.
What the DA wants is for the mayors to make sure that before they issue business permits to commercials feeds dealers, they also would ask them to present their DA accreditation for feeds distributor as a pre-requisite.
The DA accreditation also allows the government to take samples of the feeds displayed and send them for occasional complete laboratory analysis to ascertain if the products bear the same quality as the ones the product name is bearing.
Limpot explained that feeds also have expiration dates, or dealers may, by mistake distribute a different brand other than the label and short-change the customers.
Over this, the LMP through President Roberto Salinas of Catigbian town promised the DA agent to allow him to coordinate with the municipal agricultural officers (MAO) to implement the necessary steps towards that end.
Salinas said the MAOs could help explain and facilitate the information dissemination on the program and thus, avoid the possible consequence of costumers not getting the value for their money. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Jun 15, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
THE MOVE to make Bohol public and private business establishments friendly to “differently-able” persons and compliant with applicable national law on accessibility gets to the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) and it takes a blind man to show the mayors the way.
Bohol Federation of Disabled Persons (BFDP) president and sight impaired Mateo Quilas pointed to the Bohol mayors that a tourism destination, apart from being a wholesome experience for the normal tourist also needs to be friendly to the physically impaired as well.
Quilas, an active advocate for the rights of the differently abled appealed for the physically challenged persons during the LMP bimonthly meeting in Inabanga town.
The appeal was for the BFDP to partner with mayors in implementing the provisions of the accessibility law and press establishments to do the necessary changes before the local chief executives grant building and business permits and licenses.
The appeal also came as differently abled persons often times find it uncomfortable maneuvering their wheel chairs in narrow passages and unfriendly restrooms in public business establishments, Quilas stressed.
The law provides a standard access ramp for customers in wheel-chairs, standard measures for hallways and places of general access, grab bars and special wider spaced restrooms so that differently-abled customers can easilly maneuver and access areas, Quilas clarified.
“Living a life as differently abled is already hard, not being given the right afforded to them by law makes it even harder”, Quilas explained in Cebuano.
Quilas has also been multi-awarded for showing remarkable leadership skills and in organizing the differently abled persons in the towns to facilitate government supports for these persons.
In his appeal, Quilas also asked mayors to initiate measures to make accessibility law a pre-requirement for granting building permits especially for establishments catering to the public.
“Please help us make Bohol business establishments friendly for the disabled”, Quilas said as he said not many establishments comply with the national law.
Some establishments do not make handicapped persons comfortable as wheel chairs could hardly negotiate narrow hallways in establishments. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Jun 13, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
COOLER heads finally prevailed after two town dads diplomatically banged the hammer to seal an age-long irritant dispute between Inabanga and Clarin towns.
After bearing with problems of alleged boundary incursions and unprotected white sand poaching in disputed Macalingao islet, Mayors Jose Jono Jumamoy and Hermogenes Diezon of nearby Clarin have finally come to the table to talk likereal gentlemen about the issue.
Finally coming up with a win-win solution, both towns agree co-ownership, some parts belonging to Inabanga and the part, to Clarin.
Mayor Jumamoy, in a recent interview bared that Macalinao, an islet off Clarin and Inabanga has been a venue for white sand poaching by enterprising people who see the business of supplying Cebu resorts with white sand for their beaches very lucrative.
The islet, technically an uninhabited sand bar disappears during high tides, but has a teeming sea grass environment and would rather be very helpful in sustaining local fisheries, Jumamoy stressed.
Besides, he added, making it known that the island is co-owned by two towns doubles up its chances of protection, especially in the implementation of the resource and coastal law enforcement measures.
“Protecting Macalingao from poachers now is ascertained, unlike before when towns implementing coastal and island resource protection is uncertain over disputed claims,” Mayor Jumamoy said.
Sources close to both towns agree that the islet, like Puntod and Bugatoson also fall as victims.
Earlier Clarin Mayor Diezon also said his town is happy that they have finally sealed the co-ownership of the islet.
He said his town council has allowed him to initiate settlement proceedings with Inabanga over the disputed islet.
Both mayors reportedly met at Macalinago islet Thursday to finally sign the agreement papers and start co-ownership proceedings. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Jun 11, 2009 | Headlines, National News
GIMANDU ni Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III sa mga otoridad sa mga tunghaan sa tibuok nasud aron itaho ngadto sa mga local government executives ang mamatikdang dili kasarangan nga pagtim-aw sa mga timailhan sa A (H1N1) sa mga magtutuon.
Kini apil sa pagpangandam sa Department of Health (DOH) aron lisoon ang kampanya gikan sa pag contain ngadto sa mitigation”, matud ni Duque.
Kapin kon kulang 77 na ang may mild nga kaso sa A (H1N1) samtang 23 na ang nadeklara nga luwas sa sakit. (rachiu/PIA)
