by dalareich | Jul 11, 2008 | Local News / Bohol Balita
HATING to be perceived social burdens, the country senior citizens are mapping for a “last hurrah.”
And if their blueprint snowballs, they can kiss goodbye their tiresome complaints on denied privileges.
“We’re eyeing P210 M in annual funds we can use to buy eyeglasses, hearing aids, crutches, wheel chairs and dialysis machines for senior citizens. This should unburden local governments,” Capt. Antonio Oppus said during a press conference at the Miravilla recently.
Oppus, a Baclayanon former manager of the Mactan International Airport Authority came home to Bohol to retire, only to find out that the dire situation confronting the country’s aging citizens.
Meeting the press here in Bohol Thursday, July 10 after the National anti Poverty Commission (NAPC) Senior Citizen’s sector held their the country’s sectoral council meeting, Oppus, who admitted he is not even a member of the Federation of Senior Citizens of the Philippines (FSCAP) added the move should take issue of senior citizens from the government’s list of worries.
The catch in the Oppus plan however is for the country’s five million senior citizens to rally behind the sectoral party enough to propel three representatives who could get at least P70M each in pork barrel.
“We are launching in Bohol Kapulongan sa mga Katigulangan Pilipino (KKP) or the Senior Citizen’s Party, Philippines (SC-P) as our first step in availing of the P210 annual funding to serve our needs,” Engr. Felix Abella, Visayas FSCAP President said.
The move should be able to solve the nagging issue of being denied the mandatory 20% discounts on medicines, slowly empower the aging citizens to still be productive, put up enough livelihood support for the old but still capable, agreed NAPC Sectoral council representative Pedro Marcelo, during the press meeting.
By this, he also believed that the leaders can significantly improve the fiscal position of the country’s top federation of senior citizens and not just back-ride on the NAPC.
Here is also the need presenting itself as an imperative on strengthening the party system, which we failed in the past due to lack of coordination, Labangon Cebu Barangay Chairman Felix Abella added. Abella sits as the regional FSCAP President in the Visayas.
Oppus, upon presenting the plan, was joined by Abella, who also committed to spearhead advocacy in the region.
The idea came when I visited the Baclayon Social Welfare Officer and was told that the senior citizens are always dependent on the mercy and good graces of the local government officials, he shared.
As per Commission on Elections, Oppus said a party only needs to muster at least 330 thousand votes to send a representative in Congress. At the present number of retirees and aging citizens, it would not be hard to generate a million votes to propel three representatives to Congress. With P70 M annual pork, were talking here of 210M to be prorated and given to the country’s 3 regions.
By that time, we do not even have to ask for the 1% mandatory share of the Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) as benefit from the LGUs, as we can easily remove the senior citizens from the country’’s problems, Boholano Oppus said. (rachiu/PIA)
by dalareich | Jul 11, 2008 | Local News / Bohol Balita
MOTIVATED by the success of a student farmer who earned P60 thousand from a 500 sguare meter watermelon patch he grew while enrolled at a farmers’ training program, Catigbian farmers now troop to get into a Farmers’ Field School (FFS) program the local government is implementing.
Mayor Roberto Salinas said it’s is just sad they had to turn down some of the applicants.
For the town aiming to be a green haven of progress and development, the FFS alone develops a minimum of 13,500 sq meters of lots with the 27 farmers now starting FFS.
“Initially, it was hard to convince farmers to join, perhaps because they have been unsuccessful in the past,” Salinas confessed in an interview.
“But with the considerable success we had, we felt sorry to turn down some applicants now,” he admitted. “But limiting the participants allow the technicians handling the program better personal supervision,” he continued.
Cognizant now of miracle in modern farming, farmers have trooped to get in line with the second batch to get new technology.
Salinas said the Department of Agrarian Reform in tandem with the Department of Agriculture through the Provincial Agriculture Office introduced the project.
“The project brings down technology by training local farmers the modern farming techniques, let them adopt practices and help market their produce,” he explained.
With East-West Seed Company, Catigbian gets the company’s best agri-technician supervisors, best seeds and the latest farming technologies.
The technology itself is worth the money, Salinas assured.
Farmers from 22 barangays present a minimum of 500 square meters or a maximum of 1000 square meters of farm to be eligible for the program.
Aside from the best seeds, farmers get inputs on the kind of soil, mitigations for production and basically what to do with their farms.
The company also loans P6,000 which the farmers repay from their harvests, Salinas added.
By December, the mayor expects to harvest their second batch produce. He has also accordingly asked the town council to buy the products make sure that their farmers get the money they were promised. (rachiu/PIA)
by dalareich | Jul 11, 2008 | Local News / Bohol Balita
WITH hands busy in governance battle, mayors have expressed alarm over losing an important player in its team.
Mayors added they feel slighted by the recent Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) move in reshuffling its Bohol field officers, right when everything is running fine.
The DILG, through its Department Order No. 2008-680, has confirmed the reassignment of 23 field officers, stirring mayors who admitted they were offended by the move.
The saddest thing, Catigbian Mayor Roberto Salinas said is the fact that “we were not even consulted of the move”.
At the recent League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) meeting, Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren stressed that mayors “do not disagree with the rotation order, but they feel slighted by the process it was done.
About 23 Municipal Local Government Operations Officers in the towns are affected by the order.
“When I heard about it, I called the (DILG) Provincial Director until I got connected with her. She told me the order is from DILG Manila’, Balilihan Mayor Victoria Chatto shared.
Salinas and still many mayors do not believe the Manila word would come without local instigation.
Reading from a copy of the order, he pointed out that the subject of the order stated that the re-assignment was just a confirmation of Regional Order dated June 19.
Over this, the LMP said it would pass a resolution to take the cudgels of those affected by the order, Tubigon Mayor Luna Piezas said.
The resolution should make the DILG talk to the mayors first about their moves so as not to let the towns lose a vital cog in its machinery at a bad timing, Salinas added.
Lloren suggested that the proposed resolution would also invoke the harmonization of national and local offices, so that at least informing the mayors beforehand of similar moves in the future would not be out of order.
The DILG confirmed the transfers of Liza Jayoma, Nilda Unajan and Elvira Mandin of the Bohol Provincial Office to Loay, Trinidad and Dagohoy respectively.
Meanwhile, Jose Jeffrey Bernasor who used to be assigned in Bilar moves to the Bohol Provincial office.
Balilihan’s Dioscoro Caberte moves to Sikatuna, Ted Mascariñas of San Miguel transfers to Antequera while Redemcion Cag-ong of Antequera moves to Balilihan.
Franklin Medequiso of Loon goes to Cortes, Catigbian’s Josie Montes transfers to Loon while Jogepons Roluma moves to Sagbayan from Sierra Bullones.
Carmen’s Jose Roel Tumarao goes to San Miguel, Mabini’s Lito Dajalos is off to Duero while Jose Jekeri Taningco of Guindulman goes to Mabini.
Vissia Bunado leaves her post in Jagna for Garcia Hernandez, Ma. Reina Quila moves from Garcia Hernandez to Jagna while Ismael Vincent Igcalinos goes to Valencia from Candijay.
Cecilio Nisnisan of Anda takes Bilar, Nicanor Bungabong of Valencia goest to Loboc and Maura Justol of Trinidad is reassigned in Buenavista.
Adonis Damalerio, who used to be in Bien Unido is moved to Carmen, Glenda Asoy from Sagbayan gets Catigbian post, Jeanette Camilotes of Buenavista gets Getafe and Raynon Estoque of Pres, Carlos P Garcia takes Sierra Bullones.
DILG’s Asec Gutierrez stated that the order was made in the interest of public service and effects immediately. (rachiu/PIA)
by dalareich | Jul 10, 2008 | Local News / Bohol Balita
SCRAP metal businessmen may have escaped the wrath of Bohol chief executives this time, but perhaps not in the coming days.
Faced with the technical problem of quorum Thursday afternoon, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Bohol Chapter agreed to “allow a few more days for the issue to be taken,” or at least until they could muster a neat majority to decide.
The meeting started with a good majority, but some mayors, attending to pressing official concerns have begged the afternoon off, leaving a no quorum.
All however agree that the scrap metal industry has become a major problem in towns.
Earlier, League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) President Exuperio lloren, in a radio interview admitted that the scrap metal industry needs regulation in as much as it has attracted fly by night operators who buy and fence stolen items.
Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco has said the industry has instigated the robberies happening in towns, and it is compounded when scrap metal buyers unleash an army of kids to gather scrap in barangays.
A current law deters police authorities from apprehending minors.
Tubigon Mayor Luna Piezas opened the discussion with a sad tale of a commercial communications tower facility in his town having to rewire three times in a month. The facility reportedly lost its service drop-wires to daring robbers who steal live wires for the copper content.
Aside from Tubigon, service drop wire robbers did not spare public water facilities in Corella and Balilihan while Loom also reportedly lost its plaza lighting facilities when at least two high school students stole the wires.
Junkshops and scrap metal buyers copper pay about P220 per kilo of stripped copper wire, information reaching mayors revealed.
Also on top list of stolen items that often end up with the scrap buyers are water meters, lose metal accessories, car batteries, steel gates and even hinges, said Piezas.
Mayor Lloyd Peter Lopez said Loon waterworks lost 46 water meters in a span of 6 months, seriously causing problems.
Mayor Victoria Chatto of Balilihan argued that if there are no scrap metal buyers, then there would be no more robbers.
Based on this fact, Evasco proposed that towns junk the scrap business.
His stand is based on the fact that “it is not just buying or selling, but the illegal use of kids and the instigation to steal.
While he admitted suspending permit issuances to junk buyers, businessmen resort to mobile scrap collectors who to hound communities.
While everyone admitted a move to do something on the scrap industry, mayors however decided to take the topic on another day to fully appraise other town heads.
The issue is calendared to the next LMP special meeting this July 16. (rachiu/PIA)
by dalareich | Jul 10, 2008 | Local News / Bohol Balita
BOHOL Operators of Land Transport Association has yet to meet to start the formal process of getting the benefit of implementing the newly approved fare rates.
Atty. Alvin Uy, BOLTA President said he has yet to meet members of the organization to ask them to formalize their intent on implementing the new tariff rates for public transport here in Bohol.
During an exclusive interview, Uy revealed that it is just right for the organization to also implement what the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has asked from the government so as to help operators recoup the increasing prices of oil and spare parts.
Uy, whose family owns and operates the St. Jude Transportation Company of Baclayon pointed out that the rising cost of tires alone would make the transport industry rethink its routes.
Bolta, a local organization, which allows its members to service major Bohol routes said the increase is long overdue especially when they have seen the rise in prices of diesel and lubricants but stuck to the old fare rates.
Sources also revealed that the last time BOLTA effected an increase was still using the P6 minimum and applying the peso per kilometer rate.
With the sudden rise in crude oil price in the international markets, the country has seen corresponding increases in the price of oil and other petroleum based products. This has also seriously affected the prices of oils and other lubricants.
With the onset, LTFRB has been hearing rate increase petitions from the transport sector.
Recently, however, on behalf of the country’s transport sector, the government transport franchising board has asked for the National Economic Development Authority Board approval of the new fare rates.
The new rate, according to LTFRB’s Thompson Lantion would be adopting a minimum of P8.50 for the first four kilometers and P1.50 for every succeeding kilometer.
As for taxicabs, passengers will have to add P10 to the amount registered by the taxi meter.
For ordinary buses, the minimum fare is now P10 for the first five kilometers; plus P1.95 each for the succeeding kilometers. Aircon bus fares, on the other hand, are normally 20 percent higher than ordinary bus fare rates, said Lantion.
The jeepney and taxi fare hikes are “across-the-board” nationwide, while the rate increase for buses is for Metro Manila. (rachiu/PIA)
