by anyajulia | Oct 30, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
THREE holidays mark the beginning of November. Three more are expected by the end of the month.
This as by law, November 1, which falls on a Sunday has been declared special non working day while the following day, November 2 was also lumped in Proclamation 1699 as additional special non working day.
November 1 is traditionally celebrated in the Christian world as All Saints’ Day while November 2 is All Souls’ Day.
The Proclamation, which President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) signed last December 24, 2008 declared 12 other regular and special holidays of 2009.
Meanwhile, by virtue of Republic Act 7448, November 4, Wednesday is a special non-working holiday in Bohol to commemorate the birth anniversary of the late Boholano President Carlos P. Garcia.
The act leaves Tuesday, Thursday and Friday as regular working days for the week.
Over the “hassle” caused by Tuesday as a working day and then breaking again on Wednesday, some school administrators here have reportedly contemplated on declaring Tuesday as non-working day.
That also means they would be putting up a Saturday class on a convenient date to make up for the lost class day, unconfirmed reports bared.
Towards the end of the month, when the Muslim worlds celebrates Eid’l Adha, PGMA has declared November 27-28 Friday and Saturday as national Holiday through Proclamation 1808.
Eid’l Adha or the feast celebrated when Abraham offers his son Isaac is one of the two great Islamic feasts and resembles the greats Christian feasts of Christmas, Easter and All Saints Day.
According to the proclamation, the declaration is an accommodation of ethic traditions, which the Filipinos respond.
By November 30, another regular holiday comes with the nationwide celebration of Bonifacio Day. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Oct 30, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
AT least four bodies would have their hands full in conducting separate probes in aid of legislation over the recent resurfacing maltreatment of tarsier incident in Loboc.
Bohol’s adorable wildlife showcase, the nocturnal insectivores called tarsiers have been listed as threatened species and tourist establishments with tarsiers need a Department of Environment and Natural Resources permit to display tarsiers to tourists.
Board member Alfonso Damalerio argued earlier that protecting the threatened tarsiers should mean banning their display in areas outside the conservation site in Corella town.
Damalerio has authored a Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) ordinance to the effect, which, sources said, has awaited the governor’s concurrence before it could be implemented.
Over the reported animal abuse, the Bohol SP has tasked its Tourism, Environment and Public Accountability Committees to conduct separate investigations.
The probes’ outputs should be basis for recommendations and future action against the owners and operators of tarsier establishments as well as the foreign Asian tourists and their tour guide Jacinto Tan, says a legislator who asked not to be named.
Meanwhile, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Nestor Canda said his agency would probe the incident, clarifying further that his office has not issued any more wildlife permits to the tarsier establishments in Loboc.
He clarified that present permits obtained were issued by the DENR Regional Office and were processed here but he did not issue its renewal as yet.
Tourism Committee Chair Corazon Galbreath in a radio admitted that she is alarmed by the incident and added that she has foreseen the problem with the perception that even the local government is adverse to the SP ordinance.
It may be recalled that a certain Rachel Moralla took and amateur video of the incident she reported to authorities.
The Moralla video uploaded at youtube, dated October 25 showed Asian foreign guests force-feeding the tarsiers at SuperCarp.
The video also showed tourists using midribs with pierced crickets and poking at the animals, which DENR listed as threatened species.
Moralla, who personally explained to tourists about the no-touching, no flash policy was allegedly threatened by Tan, a Cebuano tour guide.
The complainant filed her suit at the Loboc Tourism Office and the reportedly at the Police Station.
Bohol Tourism Officer Josephine Cabarrus, in a radio interview admitted that the tarsier display in Loboc has long been a tourism concern in Bohol.
A concerned citizen also opined that the DENR should have done something as soon as the issue on protection and conservation cropped up. It has done exactly nothing, she bemoaned. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Oct 30, 2009 | Headlines, TBTK
The first-of-its-kind BCBP USA Grand Gathering on October 10, 2009, saw the installation of BCBP Southern California (SoCal) Outreach as a Chapter, the first ever outside Philippine shores. As the 65th chapter of BCBP, BCBP SoCal Governance Team is composed of the following: Chapter Head, Dito de la Cerna; Mission Director, Rusty Carluen; Formation Director, Lib Madamba; Program and Services Director, Polet Tiano; Unit Heads, Boholano couple Hermes and Yonnie Quijada and Carlos Gorospe; Treasurer, Ed Obra; West Covina Mission Team Head, Edwin Dimaculangan.
The whole day event, held at Mary, Star of the Sea Parish Auditorium in San Pedro, California, kicked off with a Grand Breakfast, which was attended by more than two hundred guests and members. The guest couple sharers were Larry Veloso, BCBP National President and his wife Dedit.
A two-part retreat conducted by Father Herbert Schneider for BCBP Southern California and Northern California members followed thereafter. Then, a Holy Mass was held at 5PM prior to the installation rites proclaiming BCBP SoCal Outreach as a Chapter.
BCBP President Larry Veloso gave the opening message during the Chapter Installation. Bro Manny Jimenez, Area Managing Director – South Luzon announced the official appointments with Jun Obra, RCD – South Manila, handing over the appointment letters to each governance team member. Fr Schneider then prayed over the new Governance Team. The installation was witnessed by members and guests from the US and the Philippines headed by Bro Louie and Sis Lilli Morales, BCBP Alabang.
Hermes Quijada and wife, the former Leonarda ”Yonie” Bontog are graduates of the BCBP-Tagbilaran sponsored Christian Life Program (CLP) 3 in 1993 and are active members of the BCBP community since then. Bro. Hermes hails from Mariveles,Dauis Bohol and was Auditor of the Norkis Group of Companies. He used to hold office in the company owned building along CPG Avenue corner Ma.Clara Street. Whereas Yonie, who was born in Carmen,Bohol, is a Chemical Engineer by profession and was a Math and Science teacher of the former Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology(CVSCAFT), now Bohol Island State University in Tagbilaran City. She currently is teaching Chemistry at the Dominguez High School in Compton, California. They have two children, .Jannie Vince, 18, a college student and Dan, 16 ,a High School juniors. The Quijada family migrated to the United States in April,2004. Other Boholano members of the BCBP SoCal are : former Loay Vice-Mayor Nandie Maniwan and wife Gela, Lorrie Matig-a, and Sylvia Fortich .
Douglas B. Hontanosas
by anyajulia | Oct 29, 2009 | Headlines, National News, Weather Coverage
Warnings for the new looming storm are up, as announced by disaster officials in Central Luzon and Metro Manila. The new storm is said to hit the end of the week.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said tropical storm ‘Santi’ (with international name ‘Mirinae’) has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) last night (October 28, 2009).
In it’s 11 p.m. weather advisory, the storm was spotted 1,520 kilometers east of Central Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 105 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph and is forecast to move west-northwest at 30 kph.
Santi continues to intensify and its winds may reach up to 200 kph.
Meanwhile, Mindanao is being affected by Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). (PIA-MMIO)
Click here for full article.
by anyajulia | Oct 29, 2009 | Headlines, National News
Mayon Volcano puffs out new ash early yesterday morning around around 5:32 am, lasting for about one minute. Thus indicating sign of heightened unrest which could lead to a possible major eruption, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Phivolcs has already issued today a 24-hour advisory to local authorities and residents of areas surrounding the volcano on the current abnormal activity of the volcano.
The ash explosion today occurred exactly a month and 13 days after its first ash explosion on September 15.
According to its latest bulletin issued 8:00 AM today, the institute said that its seismic instruments recorded eleven (13) volcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours.
The institute strongly recommends that the 6-km radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) around the volcano and the 7-km Extended Danger Zone (EDZ) on the southeast flank of the volcano remain off-limits to human activities. And also warned that active river channels and lahar prone areas in the southeast sector of the volcano should also be avoided. (PIA)
Click here for full article.
