by anyajulia | Dec 18, 2009 | Headlines, Major Events, National News
CHRISTMAS season fast approaches and as the celebrations associated with it peaks, local health authorities and the Department of Health (DOH) have resounded the call for “Oplan: Iwas Paputok.”
The operation plan puts up a firecracker and pyrotechnic safety consciousness amid the frenzy of thunderous explosions Philippine Christmas and New Year celebrations have become.
The equation of Christmas, New Year and firecrackers and pyrotechnics has also left in its resonance scores of injuries.
Last year, in Metro Manila alone, where the most of celebrations come to a heated peak, after the smoke of the celebrations settled, some 733 injuries were recorded from December 21, 2008 to January 5, 2009.
The figure is 280 or 28% lower than the previous four-year average, and 136 (16%) cases lower than the 2007 report.
Over all these, the health department appeals to parents to keep their children away from all types of firecrackers, stressing that even the ones that are allowed for the Yuletide revelries could still cause injuries.
Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Wednesday that “legal” firecrackers are no guarantee against injuries, adding that two of the five most harmful fireworks used in the 2008 festivities were permitted by regulators.
“The seemingly harmless luces can burn up to 1093 Celsius (2000 Fahrenheit) or 10 times the boiling point of water,” Duque said in an article posted on the DOH Website.
DOH data showed that the five most harmful firecrackers in last year’s revelry were the piccolo, kwitis, five-star, luces and home-made or altered firecrackers.
According to Duque, kwitis and luces, are both allowed fireworks, but were no. 2 and no. 4 in the list of causes of injuries.
Piccolo, an illegal firecracker, remained the top cause of injury during the last holiday season.
In contrast, the DOH noted there was no injury from organized public fireworks display.
Duque also disclosed that the top 5 firecrackers causing “Blast Burn with Amputation” were home-made or altered firecrackers, 5-star, camara, rebentador, and whistle bomb.
Also, DOH records show that watusi (also known as dancing firecracker), long considered as illegal, continued to sneak in the market and caused two injuries last year.
But health authorities also noted a significant increase in the number of stray bullet incidents caused by indiscriminate firing of guns. These were reported in the two regions in Mindanao.
On the other hand, Duque said the DOH is aiming to further lower the number of fireworks-related injuries for this year.
In preparation for the celebrations, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has introduced the department’s Fourmula against the dangers of firecrackers.
Duque, who has been trying to come up with witty and easy to recall tips has discouraged the use of firecrackers with his Fourmula.
“Una, huwag magpaputok. Gumamit ng ibang pangpaingay (Do not use firecrackers. Use other items that produce noise instead)”.
Second in the Fourmula is “Huwag pupulutin ang paputok na hindi pumutok (Do not pick up firecrackers that did not set off).”
Third on the list is the washing of hands. If people can not avoid the use of firecrackers, they should always wash their hands after use, reminded Duque.
Last and the most important is to avoid indiscriminate gun firing.
“Huwag na huwag tayong magpaputok ng baril. Kung meron man sa kanila (PNP) na magpaputok, dapat ay meron tayong tinatawag na reponsible gun ownership,” said Duque. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Dec 18, 2009 | Election 2010, Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
SOME nine million voters who may have missed voters’ registration deadlines set last October 31 have their final chances as the Supreme Courts tells the elections body: reopen voters registration starting December 21 until January 9.
But reports from the Bohol Comelec office however bared that Election Commissioner and lawyer Eliseo Labaria accordingly said he would await for the officials go signal from higher Comelec office to start the implementation.
Whenever it arrives, the holiday break may well be the perfect time for registering, as the High Court declares null Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 8585.
The resolution fixed the deadline of voters registration last October 31.
Via its nine-page decision, Associate Justice Conchita Carpio Morales wrotes, the High Court directs the Comelec “to proceed with dispatch in reopening the registration of voters and hold the same until January 9, 2010.”
With the decision immediately executory, the SC cited the Voter’s Registration Act of 1996, which says the Congress has determined that the period of 120 days before a regular election and 90 days before a special election.
Such is to give enough time for Comelec to make all the necessary preparations with respect to the coming elections.
The 120-day period starts on January 10, 2010. Thus, the deadline of application for registration of voters should be on January 9, 2010, and not October 31, 2009 which is 70 days earlier than what the law provides.
In Bohol, sometime few months agoi, Kabataan Party-list representative Raymond V. Palatino revealed he has petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify the Comelec resolution for being unconstitutional.
The COMELEC ruling reportedly usurps the power of Congress to legislate.
On another hand, the Comelec fixed the deadline of registration on October 31, 2009 to better prepare for the 2010 elections.
The COMELEC needs to complete voting precincts, constitute the Board of Election Inspectors, finalize computerized voters list, supervise the campaign period and prepare, bid, print and distribute voter’s information sheets. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Dec 18, 2009 | Headlines, National News
The Senate passed the Mindanao Economic Development Authority (MEDA) bill. The bill will become a permanent agency that will integrate Mindanao’s socio-economic development.
Senate Bill 3496 or MEDA bill was unanimously approved on third reading and the Senators agreed to adopt House Bill 6958, the counterpart bill approved by Congress on 16 November, as the final version.
The passage of the MEDA bill will pave the way for the creation of a permanent Mindanao body that will integrate and harmonize peace and development efforts in Mindanao. It has also been pushed in view of the need for Mindanao to catch up with the mainstream national development.
General provisions of the MEDA proposal seek to strengthen the existing Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) by converting it into a permanent MEDA.
Established in 1992 through EO 512, MEDCo operates as the only existing Mindanao-wide government mechanism that provides a coordinated and rationalized platform for program implementation and monitoring, investment promotion and policy advocacy for Mindanao. (MEDCo)
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by anyajulia | Dec 17, 2009 | Election 2010, Headlines, National News
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Oplan is for political candidates must be the role model in complying with their tax obligations.
BIR is mandated under Revenue Regulations No. 8-2009 dated October 22, 2009, to strictly monitor the withholding tax payments of five per cent on campaign-related expenditures of political parties, campaign contributors and candidates for the forthcoming local and national elections.
The five per cent creditable withholding tax is not a tax on the candidate, political party or contributor but a tax on the income of the supplier of goods and services. It is collected through the candidates, political parties and contributors by the latter deducting the tax from the agreed transaction price upon making the payment and remit such amount to the BIR. (BIR/PIA)
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by anyajulia | Dec 17, 2009 | Headlines, Major Events
The Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) or Pag-IBIG Fund targets 1 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) members by 2010.
Pag-IBIG Fund’s current membership for OFWs accounted to 470,000 and they aim to double the membership by 2010.
With the huge contribution of OFWs to the country’s economy and as their gesture of recognizing these efforts they came up with fitting tribute to them by letting them understand further the benefits they get from the Fund as members and a simple celebration in time for the Christmas season.
Total remittances of OFWs from 2003 to 2008 amounted to US$ 70..5 billion or P3.2 Trillon. Figures for 2009 accounted to P284 billion or equivalent to 71 percent of the national budget of the Philippine government for 2010.
The BSP figure showed a projection of $17 b remittances or a growth rate of 4.2 percent compared to last year’s total remittances amounting to US$16 billion.
10 percent of the Philippine population are working abroad of about 8.5 million are OFWs against the country’s population of 85 million.
With the passage of the new law or Republic Act 9679, the OFWs in 2010 are covered by Pag-IBIG Fund as compulsory members. (PIA)
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