by anyajulia | Mar 6, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
TRUE to her promise, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo packed in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) some P372M to realize an ambitious highway through the mountains of Bohol and connects Tubigon to Jagna Ports.
According to sources at the Capitol, this year’s GAA reflects an appropriation of P372M, a hundred million more than the President’s earlier commitment when she launched the Jagna Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) port two years ago.
The project, which is critical segment of the integrated tourism circuits developed here supports the presidential dream of making the Visayas super-regions as a tourism hub for the country.
The road accents the inter-island mobility and accessibility and completes the port to port access where tourists can easily take the ferries and land trips in between to their favorite destinations via the SRNH-RoRo.
Many Boholanos have earlier said that the president was only making good time with the pronouncement, adding that the project would definitely need an amount the president may not be able to singularly grant.
Doubters need to stand aside now, the GAA is already enough proof that concreting of the Tubigon to Jagna road could be just as close.
The development has elated Governor Erico Aumentado and the provincial officials as they agreed that the president was really meaning what she said.
The Capitol report, which was printed in local papers here cited the funds as the source for concreting specific sections of the junction of Tagbilaran East Road and Jagna-Sierra Bullones Road.
Detailed in the GAA are the P93.37M Canjulao-Boctol-Jagna road section, the P93.2M Sierra Bullones section and the P93.03M Matin-ao- Magsaysay, Villa Garcia Sierra Bullones sections. These all sum up to P372.8M.
The fund, Governor Erico Aumentado said, excludes the cross roads to Alicia, another crucial highway section alternative to the Jagna exit.
During the latest League of Municipalities of the Philippines meeting In Batuan, Gov. Aumentado has directed Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren and Sierra Bullones’ Simplicio Maestrado to be on site at all times to supervise the implementation.
He also urged both mayors to start interceding for the government the acquisition of the road right of way to fast-tract the project implementation. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Mar 6, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
GOVERNMENT commissioned builders arrived here last week to finish the Panglao Island Master Plan within 100 days.
In an exclusive interview aired by a radio station here, Architect Felino Palafox, assured Boholanos that the Panglao and Dauis towns masterplan blends with the set tourism development in the island.
Palafox, who heads Palafox and associates has been commissioned by the Provincial Government to prepare the island’s zoning and the especially with the Panglao Bohol International Airport now in the pipeline.
He called the PBIA the best magnet for development.
Palafox and Associates are credited to have transformed a desolate desert in the Middle East into one landmark of development and progress, which is now familiarly Dubai of the United Arab Emirates.
While studying the PBIA and the general appearance of Panglao Island, Palafox readily suggested that Boholanos go into overdrive in planting trees.
On the blatant disregard of beach occupants to follow the mandatory 20-meter easement zone, Palafox said the law should be enforced adding that other countries have even enforced the 200 meter salvage zone.
A no nonsense and self confessed environmentalist, Palafox has said he would never bargain the environment for progress.
Palafox has also been lately coming up in the news when he gave up $1M architectural fee as a sign of protest over the indiscriminate cutting of century-old trees at the Subic Free Port Zone. (rachu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Mar 6, 2009 | Headlines, National News
City Hall officials and employees with unliquidated cash advances were urged to explain. “This is the only way to get to the bottom of this controversy,” said City Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso.
The details of the P6,478,903.46 unliquidated cash advances was finally released by City Auditor Teresita Irig after receiving orders from COA Chairman Reynaldo Villar who had been informed by Veloso that copies of which are withheld by the city auditor and city accountant Kurt Bungabong.
Under COA rules, there are two types of cash advances – regular and special. A regular cash advance are those released to disbursing officers (ex.: for salaries and wages) while special cash advances are for official travels.
Elected officials can be granted cash advances for their official travel expenses while appointive officials may be granted advances but limited to their cash bond to the Bureau of Treasury which is renewed every year.
A cash advance for local travel should be liquidated within 30 days and foreign travels in 60 days.
The vice mayor notes that there are several accounts in the list that are long overdue, and a number of them have remained unliquidated for more than a year now.
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by anyajulia | Mar 6, 2009 | Headlines, National News
In terms of the percentage of women in senior management positions in corporations, the Philippines is number one globally. These were the results of the survey conducted by Grant Thornton International, an accountancy and advisory firm.
The survey, which covered 7,200 privately held businesses (PHBs) in 36 economies, revealed that 47 percent of senior corporate posts in the Philippines are currently occupied by women. This is way above the global average of 24 percent.
In second place is Russia with 42 percent, followed by Thailand with 38 percent and Poland with 32 percent. Tied in the fifth place with 31 percent are Mainland China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Mexico.
Figures from the Department of Labor and Employment actually show more women executives in Philippine Privately Held Businesses. In 2002 the ratio was 1.86 million females to 1.4 million males in supervisory and executive positions. In 2006 the ratio was 2.257 million women managers to 1.629 million men. By 2007 there were 2.281 million female managers to 1.677 million males. (PIA)
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by anyajulia | Mar 6, 2009 | Headlines, National News
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Marianito Roque assures that there is enough job opportunities for local workers, as well as for displaced OFWs.
Roque says that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s emergency employment program alone can generate more than 200,000 jobs.
Under this program, all government agencies are ordered to set aside 11.5 percent of their savings so that they can hire temporary workers and cancel the effects of the global crisis.
The aforementioned program will start in April after the completion of its guidelines. (PNA)
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