by magnolia_eic | May 28, 2011 | Announcements, Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
HOUSE helpers should only be working as much.
This summary came after labor authorities note that business employers may circumvent the law and hire house-helps to
tend their business enterprises, a practice that is illegal.
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Bohol said since house helpers: maids cooks, handy men, yayas, drivers
and those doing odd jobs in exchange for roof over their heads are not covered by the existing labor laws, business
employers use this ploy to evade from giving these people the righteous wages.
House helps rates are usually determined by personal agreements, some helps do haggle for just rates but those who
do not have the voice to strike deals are bound to slavery that gets them to jobs from 4:00 am to past 10:00, sans any
medical or health benefits, 13th month pay and other perks.
In fact, according to DOLE information Officer German Guidaben, a law enacted in early 1990s which pegs a house
helper’s pay needs an amendment, fast.
Republic Act 7655, enacted August 19, 1993 mandates that house helps be paid P800.00 a month for househelpers in
Manila and in highly urbanized cities; P650.00 a month for those in other chartered cities and first class municipalities;
and Five hundred fifty pesos (P550.00) a month for those in other municipalities.
At this rate and with a minimum wage set at P255 per day in Bohol, employers into business may hire house-helps
but whose tasks include tending stores or other business venture, DOLE’s Chief Wilson Cenas explained at last week’s
Kapihan sa PIA.
In Bohol, the going rate for house helps is P1,500 to P2,500 per month, a pay that entitles them to a free board and
lodging, water, light payments and snacks.
Even with agreeably lax implementation of labor laws in Bohol, with the minimum set at P255, a house help’s net take
home pay is undeniably lower compared to other industry workers.
Apply that to a house help who needs to be up at 4:00 and would have to stay until 10:00 or until everyone in the house
has rested, the pay even shrinks to the state of being undignified.
The worst thing is when, other than these already backbreaking task, some of them would have to tend stores, or are
involved in the operation of a business and do not get a pay out of it, Cenas detailed.
House help really deserve honorable wages and working conditions with dignity. They should be treated humanely and
afforded all the benefits of an employed individual. We trust them with our homes, our children and our lives and that is
almost priceless. While they live with us to work, they are not “family” and their service is as laborious as any good day’s
work, so they must be treated right.
Even with a law filed and needing the urgent certification by President Benigno Simeon Aquino, not much has been done
to improve the house helps’ lot, most workers agree.
House helps who feel they are short changed in this manner can seek assistance from DOLE, Cenas urged. (Rey Anthony
Chiu)
by magnolia_eic | May 28, 2011 | Announcements, Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
FOR school supplies and school item shoppers who are egging to eke out a few savings for the rainy days, try
shopping in major city stores on May 31 to June 2.
This as the Department of Trade and Industry in Bohol (DTI-Bohol), in partnership with local superstores bring
in an innovation in selling through the discounted rates via the Diskwento Caravan program on those dates.
The promotional sale is actually the national Diskwento Caravan: Presyong Panalo Para sa Mamimiling
Pilipino Program brought down with DTI and big-time stores: Alturas Group of Companies and Bohol Quality
Corporation.
Set for launching on May 31, 2011, the Diskwento Caravan is DTI’s efforts to present a visible answer to the
national governments call to implement non-wage benefit to employees, who are heavily burdened in these
during difficult times, says Lucille Autentico, DTI information officer.
DTI-Bohol Provincial Director Maria Elena C. Arbon said the project hopes to improve consumer’s access to
basic and prime commodities at lower prices through the partner companies carrying the products of Manila
based manufacturers to their towns if not to their door-steps.
In Bohol, the Diskwento Caravan comes in two types: the Store Based and the Roving Type.
Store based Diskwento are participated by Island City Mall, Alturas–Tagbilaran, Alturas–Talibon, Plaza Marcela;
all of Alturas Group of Companies and the Bohol Quality Superstore of Bohol Quality Corporation.
“These establishments, in partnership with the government, offers discounted or reduced prices of school
supplies, school items and basic and prime commodities during normal business hours on May 31 to June 2,
2011 at their respective stores here in Tagbilaran City and Talibon town, respectively.”
On the other hand, the Roving Diskwento Caravan will be jointly undertaken by DTI and the Alturas Group of
Companies in the municipalities of Talibon, Trinidad and Ubay and Baclayon, Arbon said in a press material.
For the rolling store Caravan, the schedules are: Talibon-June 7 in the morning; Trinidad– June 7 in the
afternoon and Ubay– June 8 whole day.
A Diskwento Caravan also opens in Baclayon on June 10, 2011.
Boholano consumers are advised to take advantage of this opportunity to purchase their needs in time for the
opening of classes.
For more information, call DTI-Bohol at (038) 501-8260, 501-8828 and 411-3302. (Rey Anthony Chiu with
Lucille Autentico)
by magnolia_eic | May 26, 2011 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
Tagbilaran City, May 25 (PIA) – Gipahimangnuan sa Bohol Employment and Placement Office
(BEPO) ang mga Bol-anon sa pagseguro nga makigsabot-sabot una sa mga lihitimo nga mga
recruitment agencies aron dili mailad sa mga illegal recruiters sa pagdali-dali nga makatrabaho
sa gawas sa atong nasud.
Ang hepe sa BEPO nga si Romulo Tagaan mipahimangno nga adunay mga ahensya nga
padayon nga nangdawat sa buot mo trabaho sa gawas sa nasud nga wala gani mosusi kun unsa
nay kahimtang sa mga trabahador nga gipadala niini sa gawas.
Dugang sa OFW Help Desk, tukoron na usab sa BEPO sa dili madugay ang Anti-illegal
Recruitment Desk aron makalikay ang mga Bol-anon nga mabiktima sa pag-apply sa
pagpanrabaho sa gawas nga gikan sa mga illegal recruiters.
Gitambagan ni Tagaan ang tanang mga nangita og trabaho sa paglikay sa dili katohuan nga mga
haylo sa mga recruitment agencies tungod kay dili man pagtabang ang ilang gihimo.
Dugang pa ni Tagaan, angay usab nga likayan sa mga nangita og trabaho ang makigsabot-sabot
sa mga pribadong balay, ug angay magbantay nga ang balaod nag-require og special recruitment
authority ug approval gikan sa POEA ug angay nga pagahimuon sa luwas ug pampublikong lugar
sama sa munisipyo o city hall, mga buhatan sa PESO sa kalungsoran o sa Kapitolyo.
Gitambagan usab niya kadtong mo trabaho sa gawas nga kinahanglang magpakisusi una sa
buhatan sa BEPO, DOLE o POEA aron malikayan ang mga illegal nga recruiters.
Ning bag-o lang, ang pamilya sa usa ka Bol-anon nga si Bernadeth Dano, usa ka domestic helper
sa Qatar nangayo og pakitabang tungod sa gidangatan niini nga giingong gipaalagad sa tulo ka
agawon, wala gipagawas sa balay ug gipakaon lamang ka usa sa usa ka adlaw. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)
by magnolia_eic | May 22, 2011 | Local News / Bohol Balita
Tagbilaran City, Bohol, May 20 (PIA)—REACHING in for their collective identity from their depths of their past, Garcia Hernandez local officials find a need to revive the Sinugbuan Festival and make it an annual affair to mark their forthcoming Foundation Days Celebration.
There is something that our younger generations should know, something they can own and be proud of; that would be Sinugbuan, shares Lindsey Marie Vismanos, the town information and tourism officer.
Sinugbuan, according to her is the old name of Lungsodaan, which hosted the first town center as soon as the Spanish Government finally acceded to the people’s request for independence for Jagna town.
Sinugbuan, according to her, comes from a local term for a place with many wallowing ponds, one that may still be very visible at several areas in Barangay Lungsodaan of the town.
And, as to their Administrative Code, the town of Garcia-Hernandez was founded on May 27, 1854 through the intercession and influence of two Spanish Priests sympathetic to the people’s cause.
Fr. Victor Garcia, then parish priest of old town Loay and Fr. Narciso Hernandez, then parish priest of nearby parish in Guindulman, gave importance to the incessant clamor of the people and prominent leaders to be independent from the town of Jagna.
The name Garcia-Hernandez was chosen as an open expression of thanks and gratitude to the two who were instrumental to the realization of the people’s dream.
The first seat of government was in Sinugbuan or Lungsodaan and was transferred later to East Poblacion, the town admin code said.
Now, Garcia Hernandez mayor Miguelito Galendez wants to revive the Sinugbuan Festival which came up in 2006 stopped there.
“We want to make this an annual festival that marks our 157th Foundation Days celebration on May 26-27,” the mayor who is also an engineer said.
It would be a fully loaded two-day celebration where our people would be feted to a showcase of local culture, tradition, sports and other activities aimed at achieving an integrated development for the town and people, he said.
The celebration starts off, like any town populated by conservative Catholics, with the Blessing, that of the towns buildings at 8:30 on May 26.
Nearby is the set up of the Agro-Industrial Fair which will be formally opened with the ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:00, a program provided to the media stated.
At the same time, an Inter barangay Volleyball Tournament starts at the West Poblacion Public market.
For successful residents, the Municipal Achievers’ Awards would be handed and to ebelish the night of pride, a Fold Dance Competition also unfolds at the Garcia-Hernandez Cultural Center, said Vismanos.
The following day would be another full day which starts off with a Commemorative Mass at the Sinugbuan site of the old town in West Lungsodaan.
A short motorcade from the venue of the mass to the Municipal Hall ensues at 9:30 which also would usher in the Open PARO Individual Tournament at the Basketball Court in front of Municipal Hall.
At 1:30 PM. A grand parade happens where people participating in the mass movement would be assembled at the G-Hernandez Farmers Training Center, which winds to the G-Hernandez Elementary School Grounds, venue of the 2011 Sinugbuan Festival.
There, the awarding of Agro-Industrial Fair Winners would be awarded by the town leaders.
The celebration caps with the Sangguniang Kabataan sponsored Disco at the Farmers’ Training Center.(Rey Anthony Chiu)
by magnolia_eic | May 22, 2011 | Local News / Bohol Balita
Tagbilaran City, Bohol May 20 (PIA)—IN the current economic scrimp that affects both labor and management, there are workers who would settle for the P255 minimum wage as long as it is strictly enforced.
Department of Trade and Industry Regional Director Asteria Caberte shared this amidst ripened talks that workers are now goading the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB) for another series of wage increase, less than a year after the board set the new increase.
Caberte, who is the RTWPB vice chair added that the board noted a common feeling across the regions that a new series of wage increase may be irrelevant if the P255 minimum wage could not be properly enforced.
It is a common belief that there the enforcement still needs improvement, Caberte said in a radio interview this week.
It is the RTWPB who sets the minimum wage but as to the implementation of and enforcement of the minimum wage set by the board, its is lodged with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The DOLE therefore is directed to direct compliance, she continued.
It is a common observation and it is not just in Bohol, she stressed.
Caberte said their consultations also show that the implementation could be weak in a sense that there are already complaints of non-compliance surfacing.
The RTWPB has been moving across the regions gathering inputs as to the laborer’s demands especially in the fluctuating prices, but hinted that there could be problems of increasing since its has been less than a year since the board recommended the last increase.
On the other hand, DTI, which has been monitoring basic commodity prices every week, said they have noticed a spike in the prices after three months.
These spike may be one of the supervening condition wherein an additional wage increase could be considered even if it would be within a year after the last board recommended pay raise was implemented, she clarified.
Meanwhile, Bohol DOLE Chief, during the recent peace and order council meeting revealed that the RTWPB may still have to fill in a vacancy in one of the sectoral representatives.
The members of the RTWPB are presidential appointees headed by the Regional director of DOLE and with the regional directors of DTI, NEDA and two representatives of the management and another two representative of the labor sector. (Rey Anthony Chiu)
by magnolia_eic | May 22, 2011 | Local News / Bohol Balita
GOVERNOR Edgar Chatto and the Peace and Order Council (PPOC) commend anti-crime and security officers here as the council note reports of significant decrease in crime volume here in the past months.
At the regular PPOC meeting at the People’s Mansion Tuesday, the governor who also heads the Peace Council hailed the efforts of the law enforcers and internal security operators for significantly bringing down crime volume in Bohol.
Both the police and the internal security forces in Bohol established a Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center and agreed to complement each other in crime fighting and deterrence.
PSSupt. Constantino Barot reported that Camp Dagohoy, which collates province-wide criminal records, noted 6 percent crime volume decrease this month, a figure taken from averaging all crimes recorded in police blotters.
The six percent decrease in comparative crime volume was for the period of April compared to the previous month of March this year.
Crimes in Bohol decreased from 193 in March to 181 in April, as compared to a seven percent increase in the March from 180 crimes in February of the same year.
The crime statistics is gathered for the periods between March 11 to April 11.
“All the figures in the first quarter of 2011 are significantly lower as compared to the crimes committed the previous year,” comments the police provincial director who also showed a line graph showing total crimes reported as 236, 302, 366 and 320 from January to April in 2010.
Of all crimes for the month, theft still tops at 225 followed by robbery at 177, his presentation showed.
Carnapping, a relatively newer offense alarmed PPOC members as it pegs itself, third at 145 cases.
Meanwhile, provincial director Barot ascribes the successful curbing of crimes in Bohol to the implementation of the Police Integrated Patrol System (PIPS).
To prove his point, Barot presented a graph with PIPS focused areas detailing almost similar crime trends gravitating at zero to three crimes per week since the program ran.
PIPS focused areas include street crimes, crimes using fire-arms and crimes perpetuated by motorcycle riding criminal elements.
Only crimes committed with the use of fire-arms registered a seven between April 28-May 4, an aberration in the graph that showed an average of three crimes per week all over Bohol since late January. (Rey Anthony Chiu)
