by anyajulia | Aug 19, 2008 | Headlines, National News
ONE more hurdle and public school teachers could increase their take-home pay by P9T, one that would put them at the same level with the country’s cops and soldiers pay.
The last barrier, said Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus is the House of Representatives.
Lapuz, along with DepED authorities have been lobbying for the approval of House Bill 4734, which authorizes public school teachers to be compensated an additional one-time increase of P9,000 within three years of its becoming law and another P3,000 every year thereafter.
The bill’s Senate counterpart, Senate Bill 2408, has been passed on second reading, Lapuz reported.
“The welfare of teachers and the benefits due them are foremost in our priority,” Lapus also reiterated.
“DepEd gives its full support for the approval of House Bill 4734 and Senate Bill 2408 because we have always been cognizant of the need to improve the lot of our teachers,” Lapus said.
When Lapus assumed office at DepEd in 2006 he immediately worked for the updating of teachers’ service records (SR).
For years, teachers complained of unauthorized deductions in their contributions with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) because of discrepancies in the records of DepEd and GSIS.
Just 6.6 per cent of the SRs remains unencoded though already submitted to GSIS.
Last year, DepEd paid about P1.7 billion in arrears representing government shares in GSIS contribution for teachers.
DepEd explained the arrears resulted from the increase in GSIS premium from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent for the period from July 1997 to December 1998.
Another P862 million was released to cover employees’ compensation insurance premium adjustments when the GSIS increased the premium from P30 to P100.
DepEd also released P400 million last year to partially settle unpaid loyalty pays, step increments and other entitlements of DepEd personnel especially teachers. This is in addition to the P388 million released to cover PhilHealth premium adjustments because of the increase in premiums from P100 to P112.
In November 2007, DepEd signed a memorandum of agreement with Gawad Kalinga, Pag-Ibig Fund, and some pioneering local government units to undertake an affordable housing program for its more than 90,000 teachers who do not have their own homes yet.
Another beneficial move for teachers under Lapus is the reduced actual classroom working hours for teachers under guidelines set in June, in consonance with a Civil Service Commission ruling. (PNA)
by anyajulia | Aug 19, 2008 | Features, Headlines, National News
OTHER than the cheap rice, Boholanos also get part of the Katas ng EVAT in rice seed subsidies.
Here, farmers are now planting high yielding rice varieties this cropping season as the government helps them get the costly seeds that could spell the big difference in productivity.
The government help is part of the P9-B proceeds from the 12% EVAT collections on oil.
The help also came as the country props up its seed program in the next couple of years to attain agricultural sufficiency and put food on the table of every Filipino as soon.
Local palay farmers here now queue for the National Seed Program subsidies which is implemented by the Bohol Agricultural Promotions Center and the Provincial Agriculture Office, confirms Marilyn Cubero, senior agriculturist at the Bohol Agricultural Promotions Center (BAPC).
National government seed subsidies for both certified rice and hybrid, unlike the local rice accelerated emergency response (RACER) comes with no strings attached, Provincial agriculturist Liza Quirog also bared in an interview.
To immediately fill the sagging rice productivity demand here, Bohol provincial junta recently passed a supplemental budget to fund RACER subsidies and motivate local rice growers.
RACER seed subsidy however operates on a roll over scheme, where farmer organizations pay for the subsidy after harvest.
With rice productivity scarcity felt across the country, the country’s poor felt the scourge of rising stall prices, which alarmed local leaders.
While calls for more productivity echoed, Bohol agriculture promotions center experts said the dream of food sufficiency can only be assured if farmers shift to high yielding varieties, as they noted dwindling agricultural lands for palay, BAPC’s Engr. Eugene Cahiles called.
Intensifying their campaigns for the shift, Cahiles said they could not sell that well with the cost of seeds of high yielding varieties.
Research shows that a sack of certified palay seeds can generate up to 120 sacks of palay or 60 sacks of milled rice.
Now with the seeds subsidized to hit food sufficiency at the earliest time Central Visayas’ food basket has become a primary focus.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap disclosed that about P9 billion has been earmarked for the National Seed Program alone over the next two years.
He also said PGMA also allocated another P6.5 billion for the National Food Authority’s intensified palay procurement program for this main harvest season.
Reports said NFA is to purchase as high as 500,000 metric tons (MT) from farmers this harvest season.
The NFA procurement target, is about 1,460% higher than the 32,044 metric tons of palay it acquired from local growers at the government support price during the same period last year, Yap said.
As this developed, BAPC authorities said they are implementing the government seed subsidy and are giving P770 for the P1200 per 40 kilogram sack of certified rice varieties. Here, the farmer needs to put up P440 to bag the seed for his farm.
On the hybrid varieties, a 20 kilogram sack would normally cost P2,900. The farmer however only pays P1400 while the government pays the P1500. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Aug 19, 2008 | Headlines, National News
PINAAGI sa duha ka Acta Republica, napataas ang sweldo sa mga abogado nga nag-alagad sa kagamhanan diha sa Buhatan sa Public Attorney ug sa Buhatan sa Solicitor General.
Pinaagi sa Republic Act 9406 o ang akta nga nga re-organize ug nagpalig-on sa Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) ug sa Acta Republika 9417 nga nagpalig-on sa Office of the Solicitor General, napatuman na ang dugay nang gipangandoy sa mga abogado sa duha ka buhatan.
Matud ni Department of Justice (DOJ) undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, ang duha ka mga balaod bunga sa paningkamot sa DOJ ug sa panaghisgutay aron kunhoran ang dako nga diperensya sa sweldo sa mga manlalaban sa kagamhanan ug sa mga pribadong abogado.
Ang manlalaban sa kagamhanan nagsweldo lamang ug P25 mil ngadto sa P30 mil agi ug binuwan nga sweldo samtang halos doble ug triple pa ang kita-on sa usa ka pribadong abogado.
Sumpay ni Blancaflor, ang kabag-ohang dala ning mga nahisgutang balaod magpasayon usab sa kagamhanan pagpangaghat ug sa pagpanawat ug mga maayong abogado. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Aug 19, 2008 | Headlines, National News
GISAAD ni Australian prime Minister Kevin Rudd ngadto kang Presidente Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ang suporta alang sa kandidatura ni Sen Miriam Defensor-Santiago ngadto sa International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Kini human niya makita ang dili kasarangan nga credentials isip manlalaban ug magbabalaod nga gihuptan ni Defensor-Santiago.
Tumong ni Defensor-Santiago ang malakip sa nag-unang judicial body sa United Nations (UN) dungan sa pag-expire sa termino sa mga ICJ justices. Kini aron katugbangan ug babaye ang halos gidominar sa kalalakihan nga korte.
Natgkatigum si Presidente Arroyo ug si Rudd didto sa Beijing, dungan sa pagbisita sa Presidente didto. rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Aug 14, 2008 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
The coastal law enforcers here in Bohol are asking all mayors of coastal towns for help in implementing the marine laws. Engr. Renee Villaber, of the Bohol Environment and Management Office, admits that the Coastal Law Enforcement Council has problems not only in the government but also in the additional funds for the Bantay Dagat Movement, enforcers, fish wardens and gasoline for the seaboard patrol.
Other problems include: CLEC I having only two pumpboats while CLEC II and III have only one pumpboat each. Mayor Balistoy of Cortes, head of CLEC I, admits that one pumpboat from Tubigon to Maribojoc is not enough; how much more in the Bohol Marine Triangle which includes the towns of Baclayon, Dauis, and Panglao.
