by anyajulia | Oct 12, 2009 | Headlines, National News
Damage caused by tropical depression Pepeng almost reached P2 billion, as said by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).
The council pegged the damage at P1.959 billion, or P1.670 billion for infrastructure, P286 million for agriculture and P2.77 million for houses and businesses.
While Luzon is still reeling from the impact of two successive cyclones, an intensifying El Niño is seen to last until the first quarter of 2010, PAGASA said.
El Niño, a warming of surface ocean waters in the eastern Pacific, causes mild to severe prolonged droughts in nearby landmasses. The Philippines experienced a severe El Niño in 1998. (AMP)
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by anyajulia | Oct 10, 2009 | Headlines, National News
DOCUMENTATION on the highly successful counter-insurgency program as national peace building template starts.
The government brings in the Orientation Workshop on the Documentation of Peace Building Good Practices for Team Bohol at the Bohol Plaza this October 13-14.
Team Bohol, the unified team of implementers of the famed Bohol Peace Formula is composed of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, the church and the civil society and the local government, which converged resources for a singular goal.
Such is to dramatically reduce the incidence of armed conflict in the province, not just by the might of the arms but also by peaceful means.
The peace initiative which has resulted in Bohol’s getting off the list of the country’s 20 poorest provinces speak of good governance practice, one that needs to be made a template for replication.
In an invitation to participants sent by Governor Erico Aumentado, he told Team Bohol stakeholders “the efforts of the province to provide the lessons and good practices which can be evolved into models in peace building and can be replicated in other conflict areas.
With the move to keep the peace process forward, he added the government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) used the services of the Local Government Academy of the Philippines (LGAP) to facilitate the two day workshop.
With the LGAP is the project tem of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).
The workshop hopes to come out with valuable policy and program recommendations for the national government to keep the peace process moving forward.
The ultimate goal is to create a snowball and multiplier effect of these good practices throughout the country by scaling up the process towards an adoptive replication process, Aumentado said. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Oct 10, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
ARTISTS from Bohol’s community theaters would lead the local action to press governments and their leaders across the globe to realize their commitments to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
This as the deadline for the 2015 comes fast and that poorer nations still have to make a dent on the extreme poverty situation despite the pledges of financial commitments from wealthy nations.
To insist on the urgency for action, the Boholano community picks activities to show solidarity with the poor of the world by standing up in one venue this October 17, Saturday.
The move is to dramatize the call for the government to hear the demands of ending poverty and inequality, claims organizer Lutgardo Labad.
Here, amateur theater artists, cultural dancers and an expected huge number of Boholanos would converge at the Maribojoc Cultural Center to make their own statement to advance the commitments of nations as incorporated in the MDGs, he added.
Organized with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council, Capitol and communities of Maribojoc, Cortes, Antequera and Anda along with city based artists, the action also hopes to generate Boholano commitment to help overcome extreme poverty.
Last year, Bohol’s major activity was the first Bohol Poverty Fair, which allowed international funding agencies to see project proposals, which fit their requirements.
The event also gathered Boholanos to show their action in a pledge of commitment read by Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera then.
Reports claimed that about 43.7 million people joined Stand Up worldwide campaign last year setting a new world record.
This year, the United Nations and well meaning organizations are asking people to Stand Up and Take Action on October 17-19, 2008.
This will to ensure governments worldwide hear their demands to end poverty and inequality, Labad said.
Taking Action to end poverty and inequality and for the Millennium Development Goals is this year’s Stand Up call. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Oct 10, 2009 | Headlines, National News
PUBLIC OFFICIALS and partners from the executive agencies and civil society for regions 6, 7 and 8 converged in Cebu City recently for the 4th area consultation on the National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRA).
Executive secretary Eduardo Ermita, chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Committee (PHRC), in a statement read by USEC Severo Catura, said “the consultation will put in place the much-needed public policies, programs, and resources with human rights standards.”
The Cebu leg is the fourth in a series of area consultations since August 2009 and is palnned to end by December via a national summit, Catura added.
Catura, the executive director of PHRC further said, the area consultation is a problem solving mechanism. It aims to instill national ownership of the plan in as many stakeholders as possible.
“We are pushing for a new and a broader way of looking at human rights as it would impact the full development of our people and the nation as a whole,” he said.
Ermita in his statement also said, the consultation hopes to address human rights issues at their roots. It involves more than identifying wrongdoers and exhorting government to improve on its obligations.
“Largely, we will venture to capacitate and empower all sectors of Philippine society to claim and extend these human rights obligations and entitlements, bringing out genuine improvement at all levels of governance in the country,” Ermita stated.
Ermita added that the NHRAP becomes the expression of “our political will” and perhaps, one of the legacies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to ensure that human rights protection and promotion becomes a matter of policy that will transcend politics. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Oct 9, 2009 | Headlines, National News
At least 160 people killed by flooding and landslides in the northern Philippines.
The country is dealing with the aftermath of two major storms. Ondoy has left at least 300 people dead and hundreds of thousands stranded, while Pepeng caused further damage just over a week later.
In Pangasinan province, dams had to be opened to release the pressure of accumulated flood water. Strong currents and continuing rain rescue operations difficult in flooded areas. 60-80% of the land remains flooded as 30,000 people had been evacuated.
While landslides were reported to have hit several towns in the Benguet province.
Heavy rains still continue to batter the Philippines. (BBC)
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