by anyajulia | Apr 30, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
BOHOL hosts this Wednesday some 150 youth participants to the ‘Urdaneta Camp and Cruise’ which brings them to Bohol from Cebu.
The camp and cruise, one set to introduce to the youth the person of the Spanish navigator, Augustinian missionary Fray Andres Urdaneta, builder and responsible for spreading Christianity in the Visayas.
Urdaneta, along with his cousin captain Miguel Lopez de Lagaspi landed in Cebu on April 28, 1565. That fateful day, Urdaneta rediscovered the image of the Santo Nino in a hut in Cebu, which later would be enthroned in the Basilica Minore de Santo Nino de Cebu.
In honor of his contributions to the Philippines and the world, the Augustinians in the Philippines, the Urdaneta 500 Cebu and the Philippines as well as the National Commission for Culture and the Arts brings the camp and cruise for the country’s future leaders.
The camp and cruise would allow the youth to know the great man and emulate his leadership skills and values, says organizers.
The activity forms part of the 5th centenary celebration of Urdaneta’s coming to the Visayas and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has issued Proclamation 1423 recognizing the man’s substantial contribution to history and culture and nodded to the 5th centenary celebration.
Urdaneta, along with his cousin Miguel Lopez de Legazpi came to the Philippines leading the expedition sent by King Phillip II of Spain. Both sailed from Spain in November of 1564 with a fleet led by flagship Capitana along with San Pedro, San Pablo and the smaller tenders San Juan and San Lucas.
The expedition at one time landed in Bohol in March 25, 1565 where Fray Urdaneta stood as witness to the blood compact between his cousin captain Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and a local chieftain Sikatuna.
While in Bohol, the cruise participants visit Baclayon Church, the shores of Loay where Legaspi’s fleet once replenished their provisions, the old town of Loboc to hear the singing and musical groups there and the Chocolate Hills.
The group also goes to PuntaCruz in Maribojoc, to watch the Sandugo Reenactment and a special show of the Tawag sa Bantayan. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Apr 29, 2009 | Headlines, National News
GOING pro-active against the swine influenza scare and keeping people from any respiratory illness, the ASEAN Secretariat Working Group for One Health (ASEC-ONE Health) comes out with a ten-points tip.
“These are general precautionary measures in Asia to prevent any type of influenza or any respiratory illness now capable of spreading from person-to-person from hitting,” the group explained.
First, they said, there is no substitute for hand washing. Frequent hand-washing with soap and water many times of the day and then drying your hands after washing should do the trick. However, when water is not available, the use of alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers will be enough.
Second, touching eyes, nose or mouth may be bad practice. Influenza viruses are often spread when a person touches surfaces that are contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
Third, people must avoid close contact, especially with people who are sick. This should mean temporarily refraining from shaking hands with or kissing other persons while there are reported outbreaks of influenza.
Fourth, it is always good to stay at home when you are sick. If possible, avoid crowded places when sick. This helps prevent others from catching the illness.
Fifth, when sneezing or coughing, covering of mouth and nose with a tissue or a handkerchief is recommended. This helps prevent the spread a tissue. If one doesn’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into upper sleeve, not in the hands.
Then, discard used tissue into the waste basket immediately. A surgical mask may be polite and keeps you from contaminating others, the group added.
Sixth, keep your distance when you are sick, this protects others from getting sick too.
Seventh, nothing beats practicing good health habits, stopping from smoking, getting enough rest, having regular exercises and being physically active. Managing stress also helps, while drinking plenty of fluids and juice or taking in nutritious food also keeps one insulated from infection.
Eighth, when one feels he is sick, he must consult a doctor. ASEC One says seeking medical attention can help arrest the illness, and when one feels the symptoms: difficulty of breathing, confusion, severe vomiting, seeking medical attention is the best.
Ninth, if one feels sick, he must defer travel. Refraining from getting on an airplane or other forms of public transport to travel helps contain the viral spread. If one must travel by plane to a country reported to have swine influenza outbreaks and feeling ill after returning from it, doctors must immediately be consulted.
Finally, ASEC one says it pays to listen to local health authorities and keep updated of the situation on the influenza outbreak (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Apr 29, 2009 | Headlines, National News
WORKERS called for duty today, May 1, gets 200% more of his regular pay for the first 8 hours of work and another 30% of the hourly rate for the day when he works more, the local labor office says.
Bohol labor office, through Teri Salas said May 1, traditionally celebrated as the international Labor Day is also a regular holiday in the country and has not been moved as practiced in other holidays.
And pursuant to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Memorandum Circular No. 1, issued March 2004, and citing Executive Order 203 as amended by Republic Act 9177, she said workers for the day, even if they do not go to work collect 100% of their pay rates.
If the day falls on the workers’ rest day and he is called to render duty, he collects 30% more of the 200% rate he gets for the day. He shall not be held for absence if he chooses not to work and can even collect 100% of his day pay, the law states.
Moreover, if the day happens to be the worker’s rest day, and if he works and renders more than his mandatory 8 hours, he gets 30% of his hourly rate on that day.
Employers in the private sector shall also observe the same policy. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Apr 29, 2009 | Headlines
CO-OPERATING with a power cooperative in Bohol, Sevilla may now have enough to pay for additional benefits to its town-paid teachers, says information officer Walter Pondoc.
Sharing this information during the recent Association of United Development Information Officers (AUDIO) in Danao town last week, Pondoc revealed that it was the town leaders’ decision that placed them in a better position to earn revenues from the power generated by the power plant.
Sevilla is the only local government unit partnering with a private power cooperative to operate the power plant, he beamed as he added that the power plant has since generated P30M after its full operations.
Under the leadership of Mayor Ceferino Digal and Mice Mayor Carlito Fernandez, Sevilla has struggled to keep good use of its resources, one especially with the river which has been identified as a strong potential for hydro-power.
Putting up l5% capitalization while Bohol Electric Cooperative I puts up the remaining 85%, Sevilla is also entitled to the shares generated by the power plant, he explained.
The Sevilla Hydro Electric Plant located in Ewon Sevilla has also generated as much as P1.3M in real property taxes, enough source for the town to extend its honoraria for locally paid teachers.
He added that unlike other towns which host power plants, Sevilla does not just collect real property taxes for the property where the facility sits, it also invested a sizable amount for the power facility.
He said from the generated power revenues, the town now is in a better position to allocate for its priority projects, all because their leaders had seen the investment potential right before them. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Apr 29, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
AUDIO is quite clear about it.
Members of the Association of United Development Information Officers (AUDIO) in Bohol say that Danao has indeed braved the way and pioneered in establishing a new niche for tourism in Bohol.
Far from the usual destinations where tourists see beautiful and amazing features, Danao dips one into an outdoor experience that tests his body strength and stamina against the natural forces of nature, all along, learning how it was then at a time when the place sheltered the rebels under Francisco Dagohoy.
Extreme eco-adventures in Danao include the country’s highest and longest (to date) zipline, 100 meter or 60 meter rappels, root climbing, bouldering, kayaking, rubber tubing, spelunking, river trekking, historical tours and village interaction.
“Here, we allow the guests to be filled with nature experience,” says Anna Loinda Saluan, town tourism officer designate, adding that it is precisely what EAT Danao means.
Danao is not for the weak hearted and soft willed, says AUDIO president Ric Obedencio, who took the liberty of documenting his members’ experiences.
And it is definitely exciting, agreed AUDIO members who had their skills enhancement and personality development workshop in Magtangtang Eco-Adventure Park April 23-24.
Working on ways to enhance and develop information officers’ skills to make tourism promotion agents for their respective towns, or government development writers, the AUDIO Bohol used the Danao experience as jump-off experience for the workshop.
After logging hours on write-shop inputs, members gathered details for their feature articles by experiencing extreme adventure.
AUDIO members took on the famed suislide here; a traverse 300 meters up and at least 900 meters far to get their minds into a working mode.
And just as Danao puts up this kind of high for tourists, the country reaped another international tourism accolade, it being the most popular and well-liked travel destination in Asia.
In this year’s World Travel Fair held in Shanghai, China, the Philippines won over popular public vote over other destinations participating in the fair.
“In spite of the global financial crisis, things continue going our way,” the President said as she cited some very encouraging developments that have raised the Filipinos’ optimism about the future of the country. (rachiu/PIA)
