by btpo | Aug 25, 2009 | Local News / Bohol Balita
The Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Agriculture jointly issued the Administrative Order No. 2, series of 2008 otherwise known as the rules and regulations of the grant of special discounts to Persons with Disability (PWD) on the purchase of basic necessities and prime commodities. Republic Act No. 9442 on April 2007, grants special discounts on basic and prime commodities to Persons with Disability. Under the said rules and regulations, every person with disability shall enjoy a special discount of five percent of the regular retail price of basic necessities and prime commodities exclusively listed in the order. However, the total amount of said purchase shall not exceed the amount of P1,300 per calendar week without carry-over of the unused amount. To avail of the discount, a PWD must present his or her ID issued by NCDA or by authorized office of Local Government Units where he or she resides. A purchase booklet shall be presented by the PWD to the retailer every time a purchase is made. Under the administrative order, retailers covered are those persons engaged in the business of selling consumer products directly to consumers, which shall include among others, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience and mini-convenience stores and shops, excluding sari-sari stores with a capitalization of less than P100,000 public or private wet markets, talipapa and cooperative stores.
by btpo | Aug 22, 2009 | National News
Senator Loren Legarda expressed dismay that the Pag-Ibig Fund used P172 million in so-called informercials featuring Vice President Noli de Castro instead of using the same for the housing needs of at least 432 Pag-Ibig members. Loren issued the statement during the hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs on taxpayers’ money that are being used by government officials like De Castro for advertising purposes.
“Pag-Ibig claimed to have generated revenues of P23 billion from the P172 million it had spent for the ads, but I wonder how its officials were able to say that the purported income was a direct result of the ad placements on radio, television and print media,” said Loren. “The money would have been better spent had it been lent to Pag-Ibig members during this time of crisis, when taking loans from banks entails being saddled with high interest rates,” Loren added.
Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Health Secretary Francisco Duque, Pagcor chief Efraim Genuino, MMDA chair Bayani Fernando also attended the hearing to defend their respective infomercials. Loren said that there’s no need for Pag-Ibig to spend on advertising since it is catering to people who are already members and not the general public. The Senator saying that “Advertising is used when you want to penetrate a market and not when you already have a captive market as in the case of Pag-Ibig and its members,”. And that there are more cost effective ways for Pag-Ibig to reach out to its members, including by sending them bulk emails or text messages.
by btpo | Aug 22, 2009 | Headlines
Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) will initiate a dialogue with drugstore owners, physicians and municipal health officers to urge them to fully implement the Generics Law which was envisioned to extend affordable and effective medicines to the public. The Department of Health began implementing the Cheaper Medicines Law placing 21 prescription drugs under a 50-percent mandatory price reduction. The SP already tasked a team to check whether drugstores are following the imposition of the price cut under the Cheaper Medicines Law.. SP stress that generic medicines should be accessible by the public although some selected branded drugs are already made cheaper by the new law. And that doctors should prescribe to consumers the generic equivalent of medicines which are generally more affordable. In the recent SP session, a joint committee headed by Board Member Cesar Tomas Lopez was created to investigate if pharmacies abide by the Cheaper Medicine Law. Lopez, a physician, said the Boholano consumers should now start availing of the half-priced medicines in local drugstores.
Reports were received by the Provincial Health Department that many drugstores in the province did not comply with the mandatory price cuts on specified drugs covered by the Cheaper Medicines Law prompting lawmakers to closely monitor compliance of pharmacies on the new measure.
by btpo | Aug 11, 2009 | Headlines
It is just one step closer to the realization of the construction of the bridge linking Bohol to nearby Cebu province. Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said a Korean government assured to finance the feasibility study for the construction of the 18-kilometer bridge to link Bohol and Cebu. Sec Ebdane committed to endorse the same to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Ebdane’s assistance on the documentary requirements after Country Representative Kim of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund assured him in a prior meeting that the Republic of Korea will fund the feasibility study of the same via grant. The bridge is estimated to be 18 kilometers (km.) long – a “baby” compared to the bridge linking an Airport and a City in South Korea , spanning some 45 kms. The Bohol-Cebu Multi-Access Friendship Bridge already has Bohol Provincial Development Council and Central Visayas Regional Development Council endorsements.
Meanwhile, EXPECT groups of Africans from Swaziland to visit Cebu next year after the provincial government and the African country signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to boost cultural and economic ties. The country of Swaziland wanted to create a cultural exchange between their people and Cebu, said Macford Sibandze, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Minister. Sibandze, who saw Cebu as a cultural capital similar to Swaziland, said Swaziland officials hoped that that by next year they would be able to bring cultural groups from Swaziland to Cebu to learn about the Cebuano culture and in turn they also wanted to bring cultural groups from Cebu to Swaziland. He said his country would like to gain more insight on the Cebuano’s hospitality with the cultural exchange between both countries. Sibandze also showed interest on learning about tourism in Cebu. He said he would send foreign exchange students to study in Cebu colleges and university. Sibandze said he was banking on his country’s friendship with Cebu to let Cebuanos know about Swaziland. Swaziland has its borders with South Africa and Mozambique. An epitome of culture in South Africa, the country offers a great diversity, in people and culture, the sweeping landscapes, the waterfalls and the wildlife. A notable tradition is the “The Umhlanga” or more popularly known as the “Reed Dance”, a tradition upheld for more than 400 years, where 100 thousand maidens congregate and dance for the public
by btpo | Aug 11, 2009 | Headlines
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is now into aggressive demand reduction by going into information awareness campaigns and rounding schools to discuss on the ill effects, symptoms of drug use and how communities can do their share to stop the menace. Amidst intelligence reports that illegal drugs continue to enter Bohol through the northwestern towns facing Cebu, to start this week police officers are deputized as anti drug agents. Survey indicates that Boholanos do not consider drugs as a huge problem; nevertheless, the PDEA has already netted 11 convictions, according to the PDEA, Intelligence officer Steven Valles. Valles said the new deputized narcotic agents in uniform can apprehend and raid as long as they can get a raid control number from the regional office, one that the local office can facilitate.
Valles, with regards to the new narcotic agents, said that a training set on August 10 to 14, 2009 includes the standard operating procedures for police as quasi-drug interdiction agents. Valles cited that most drug cases dismissed in court involve technicality proceedings and are being extensively used by defense lawyers. PDEA however said on pending the finalization of memorandum of agreement among the PNP, PDEA, PIIB and other drug enforcement agency and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and Capitol, that the legal assistance for effective law enforcement program may not be totally be available for officers who get entangled with the law while performing their duties.
PDEA, Intelligence officer Steven Valles said that because of the undermanned PDEA, the office accepts independent reports and information from well-meaning citizens about drug related operations. Valles assures that the information submitted to their office would be treated with confidentiality.
