by anyajulia | Dec 21, 2009 | Headlines, Major Events, National News
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is now offering a moratorium on housing and consolidated loans of members. This was done to alleviate the plight of flood victims and in compliance with President Gloria Macapagal Arroys’s directive to offer a one-year moratorium on housing and consolidated loans to help members affected by the onslaught of the recent typhoons.
The program shall cover the amortizations for the month of October 2009 to September 2010 or a total of 12 months. The unpaid amortization shall earn an interest of 5% per annum or.42% per month.
The program is limited to borrowers whose consolidated and housing loan accounts were not declared in default as of September 30, 2009. An account is considered in default if it has more than six unpaid monthly amortizations. (PIA)
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by anyajulia | Dec 21, 2009 | Headlines, Major Events, National News
Starting January 2010, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will ban the importation of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or ‘freon’.
The import ban on CFCs is in consonance with the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer as well as the National CFC Phase-out Plan. This is according to DENR Secretary Lito Atienza.
Discovered in the late 1920s, CFCs are used in various industries as refrigerant, propellant, solvent and cleaning agent. Studies, however, showed that CFCs are capable of destroying the ozone molecules in the atmosphere resulting in the thinning of the ozone layer. Included in the banned list of CFCs are CFC 11, CFC 12, CFC 13, CFC 113, CFC 114, CFC 115 and R 502.
With the import ban, all refrigerant dealers are urged to purchase their CFC supply only from registered importers.
The discovery of an ozone ‘hole’ over the Antarctic prompted governments all over the world to come up with drastic measures to reduce the production and consumption of a number of CFCs and several halons through the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer adopted on Sept. 16, 1987.
Report from the National CFC Phase-out Plan Project of the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau, which acts as the national coordinator for the implementation of the CFC phase-out, indicates that the country’s CFC importation and consumption has dipped to 169 metric tons last year, from 3,382 metric tons in 1995. (DENR)
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by anyajulia | Dec 21, 2009 | Headlines, Major Events
The first Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs (DSG CCA), H.E. Bagas Hapsoro, takes oath of office t the ASEAN Secretariat.
DSG Bagas will assist the Secretary-General of ASEAN in managing the CCA Department of the ASEAN Secretariat and in ensuring that the Secretariat has the systems, procedures and resources required to fulfil its roles and mandates in building the ASEAN Community and in the implementation of the ASEAN Charter.
The CCA Department performs a range of core corporate support functions, such as human resource and financial management, administration and information technology.
In accordance with the ASEAN Charter, there are now four DSGs. Two DSGs are nominated by ASEAN Member States based on alphabetical rotation for a non-renewable term of three years and two DSGs are openly recruited based on merit for a three-year term which may be renewed for a further three years. (ASEAN Secretariat)
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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 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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by anyajulia | Dec 4, 2009 | Headlines, Major Events, National News
Government State prosecutors Leo Diocera, Al Calica, and Edilberto Jamora filed 25 counts of murder charges against Andal Ampatuan Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao, and 24 others in connection with the November 23 Maguindanao massacre.
Prosecutor Jamora explained that only 25 counts of multiple murder were filed so far “because that is the number of information filed during the inquest in Gen. Santos City.”
The prosecutors presented to the court two boxes of documentary evidence in filing the charges.
While the charges are being filed against Ampatuan at the Hall of Justice here, the military prevented the Ampatuans from leaving their homes in Shariff Aguak town. (PIA)
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