by anyajulia | Dec 4, 2008 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
Atty. Victor de la Serna states that the issue of the Drainage Outfall is still the City Government’s responsibility. He adds that Gov. Erico Aumentado’s stand to “Close the Drainage” is correct, especially now that the City Mayor’s stand is constantly changing in regards to the Drainage Outfall Issue. De la Serna recommends that the city government must also check other areas in the city affected by the outfall.
International Ship Captain Jude Mendez said that the rise in waste and flooding just can’t be helped by opening the drainage. He suggests that the floodwater will be thrown to the quarry instead of just letting it flow through the drainage outfall which directly faces the Tagbilaran City Port to avoid further pollution.
While Aumentado awaits the final recommendation from Department of Environment and Natural Resources Sec. Lito Atienza in his letter to “Close the Outfall” after lab results from San Carlos University showed a huge presence of coliforms. This decision to close the drainage was rapidly done to save the Tagbilaran Bay from furthermore damage. Aumentado adds that this issue would have been easily evaded if the City Government stayed true to their word of creating a Waste Water Treatment Facility& Recycling Plant and as well as fixing the problems in regards to the drainage such as illegal sewage connections.
by anyajulia | Dec 3, 2008 | Headlines
To celebrate the restoration of its 184-year-old pipe organ, Baclayon Church is hosting a night of classical music on December 6, to be led by celebrated Spanish conductor and composer Cristóbal Halffter, principal guest conductor of the National Orchestra in Madrid and recipient of the Gold Medal for Fine Arts from King Juan Carlos of Spain.
Organized with the support of the Zobel de Ayala family, Ayala Corporation, and Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI), the concert will feature Halffter, together with acclaimed Spanish pianist Maria Manuela Caro. The concert will feature performances of classical pieces from Europe and the Philippines, and will signal the return of Baclayon’s pipe organ, which fell into disrepair and has not been used for over 60 years.
Among the pieces that will be performed during the concert are George Frideric Handel’s Largo, Antonio de Cabezón’s Tiento del Primer Tono, and Manuel Velez’s Sa Kabukiran.
The Baclayon pipe organ was modified once in 1902, but many of the changes were of poor quality and often unnecessary. Before its restoration earlier this year, the pipe organ had been left covered with thick layers of dust, with several parts missing or damaged. With the support of Patricia Zobel de Ayala, the organ was carefully taken apart and flown to Manila for extensive repair.
The restoration of the pipe organ is just one of the projects that the Zobel de Ayalas and AFI are undertaking in Bohol. Beatriz Susana Zobel de Ayala Jr., for instance, is advocating sustainable community development and the preservation of natural and cultural sites through a business model for social development. Most of these projects are concentrated in the municipalities of Baclayon and Dauis, which are well known not only for their diverse flora and fauna but also for their rich history and tradition.
Developing Dauis and Baclayon through their historical, cultural, and natural sites provided the framework for Bea Zobel Jr.’s projects, which focus on improving and restoring neglected historical sites, creating new infrastructures to generate income for Boholanos, and conducting training and seminars to introduce new skills and update the business proficiency of Bohol’s micro-entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, on December 5, a day before their performance at Baclayon Church, Halffter will conduct the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in a benefit concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Entitled “Bravo España,” the concert is organized in cooperation with the Spanish Embassy, and will also feature Caro, Filipino pianist Rudolf Golez and the Philippine Madrigal Singers. Among the pieces that will be performed at the concert are several pieces by Spanish composers, including Halffter himself.
Part of the proceeds from the CCP concert will support the PPO’s instrument maintenance program.
by anyajulia | Dec 2, 2008 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
Gov. Erico Aumentado ordered the closure of the San Jose outfall. This was contained in a strongly worded letter of the governor to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Sec. Jose Lito L. Atienza, Jr., following laboratory tests which showed coliform contamination and toxic and deleterious pollutants coming from the drainage outfall which was ordered open by the city mayor last Nov. 6.
The governor earnestly appealed to Sec. Atienza to close the outfall and open it only during heavy rains to prevent flooding along CPG North Ave., but immediately close the outfall thereafter.
This is the recommendation of PENRO Nestor Canda, the governor said after Sec. Atienza asked for an investigation and recommendation on the impending environmental problem in the city.
DENR authorities were alarmed that coliform are too numerous to be counted (2,000 colonies/100 ml) as shown in the lab test of the University of San Carlos Water Laboratory test and another test of the Provincial Health Office which showed 2,400 colonies per 100 ml.
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by anyajulia | Dec 2, 2008 | Business, Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Tech Talk
The Micro, Small and Medium Size Enterprises (MSMEs), here in Bohol, had a chance to present their products and services to the Boholano people . The event was held at the ICM Activity Center on November 27, 2008. The theme for the event is “MSME Xperience: Unleashing the Boholano Entrepreneurial Spirit”. Just like the theme says, it allows MSMEs to show their entrepreneurial skills to possible customers. The event was sponsored by the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) – Bohol.
The event was jump-started by an Opening Program in the morning, which was graced by Regional Director Asteria C. Caberte (DTI – Region VII), Mr. Argeo Melisimo (BCCI – Vice-President), Hon. Dan Neri Lim (City Mayor), Hon. Erico B. Aumentado (Governor), Ms. Joyce Natalie Yang (National SMED Council – Visayas Representative), and Ms. Nanette Arbon (DTI – Bohol Provincial Director) who in turn gave messages for the participating MSMEs.
There was also a program launched by the DTI of the RM Catalogue, Product Catalogue, Product Dev Program SPIN, and the BPLS MOA Signing. Updates of the SMEDSEP Report and SPIN program were also presented, as well as a Creative Presentation of Punta Cruz : A Lesson for Surviving Today’s Business Environment by the Maribojoc Collective.
In the afternoon, a press conference took place at the Prawn Farm Conference Room. Afterwards, a talk show centering on the Tourism , Food, Crafts products & services was held at the Activity Center followed by a Speed Networking Session; while a Financing Forum also took place at the Upper Ground Floor participated by DBP OTOP Facility, FCB Microfinancing, LBP Lending Programs, and the BPI-Ayala-Globe Microfinancing Program.
And lastly but not the least, a presentation on Technopreneurship: Taking Advantage of Networking Technologies followed suit. The first speaker was Mr. Sonny Paredes of ETC Solutions talked about his company’s ICT Success Story on Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). He was then followed by Mr. Jerome Auza of Auza.Net who tackled on “Using the Internet for Marketing & Communications”. Mr. Auza presented their company’s online marketing & communication services such as the BoholClassifiedAds.com, BoholBiz.com (an online business directory), BoholNewsDaily.com, Bohol.info (a search engine just for Bohol), dyrdam.com and Bohol.Asia (an online portal only for Boholanos). Afterwards, a demo was done on Bohol.Asia where interested clients were shown how it works.
Bohol.Asia is unique because the accounts which includes an email address are given only to real Boholanos who sign up at Auza.Net Internet Media Center. It also uses Google Apps which enables several collaboration features like chat, shared documents and email with at least 7GB of space. The accounts are given for free and will follow this format: firstname.lastname@bohol.asia.
The entire event used one of Auza.Net’s services, the Internet for Rent where the participants accessed the Internet on location via WiFi. This service is useful when Internet connection is required by the event. It is a turn-key solution where the event organizer doesn’t have to worry about the technical details required. This is available in areas where Auza.net have wireless network coverage, such as Tagbilaran, Dauis, Panglao and Baclayon.
by anyajulia | Nov 28, 2008 | Headlines, National News
The fist national congress of the Men Opposed to VAW Everywhere (MOVE) is set on November 25 in Kalibo, Aklan.
December 12 is the last day of the 18 – Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) spearheaded by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW).
The 18-day campaign, with the theme “CEDAW ng Bayan: ReMOVE VAW, highlights the critical roles of governments and of men in curbing and responding sensitively to VAW.
The First National Congress of MOVE will center on the vital role of men in the fight against VAW, taking off from previous efforts in building a network of male advocates against VAW. (PIA/Bohol)
