by magnolia_eic | Jan 7, 2011 | Headlines, National News
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Thursday urged the military to suspend offensive
operations to give way to relief and rescue work.
OCD administrator and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive
director Benito Ramos in a radio interview said there should be peace in areas where rescue
and relief work for those affected by the floods and landslides are needed.
Ramos’ call came a day after the Communist Party of the Philippines said New People’s
Army fighters have been mobilized to help in disaster relief operations in flood- and landslide-
hit areas in Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao.
“Given the severity of the damage wrought by these recent disasters upon the masses, the
revolutionary forces in flood- and landslide-affected areas are prioritizing disaster and relief
operations in order to ensure the safety of communities and help affected families recover
from the calamities,” the CPP said in an article posted Wednesday on its website.
The CPP’s order came shortly after a ceasefire between the government and the NPA ended
at midnight last Monday. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Jan 7, 2011 | Headlines, National News
Baguio City, Metro Manila, and other parts of the country will continue to feel the cold spell
until February, a weather forecaster said Wednesday.
Robert Sawi, senior forecaster of state weather bureau PAGASA in a radio interview said that
the northeast monsoon, locally known as the “hanging amihan,” is causing the temperature
plunge.
He said the phenomenon will last until the middle of February.
Sawi expects the summer of 2011 to be rainy because of the La Niña phenomenon. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Jan 7, 2011 | Headlines, National News, Weather Coverage
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Tuesday ordered the National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council (NDRRMC) to conduct a thorough review of the country’s disaster
risk reduction measures to minimize loss of lives during calamities especially in communities.
The President issued the directive to NDRRMC head and Defense Secretary Voltaire
Gazmin following reports of casualties in Southern Luzon, Bicol region, Eastern Visayas and
Mindanao due to floods and landslides last month.
The President noted that in spite of his earlier directive for concerned agencies to evacuate
residents in risk areas, there were still casualties.
“Today , I asked the Secretary of National Defense, being the head of the NDRRMC, to find
out exactly why there were two people who died in the same place, “ he said referring to St.
Bernard in Southern Leyte , where over a thousand residents died when flashfloods hit the
community in 2006. The recent heavy downpour also caused floods and landslides in the
area and claimed at least two lives.
The NDRRMC said at least 37,124 families or 197,641 people from 242 barangays in 39
towns in 10 provinces had been affected. (PIA/PCOO)
by magnolia_eic | Jan 6, 2011 | Headlines, National News
Department of Health officials advised the public to take precautions against respiratory
ailments stemming from the prevailing cold weather.
Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, the Health Department’s program manager for emerging and re-
emerging infectious diseases, said sudden weather changes may particularly be a concern
for those with asthma.
“Sudden increase or decrease in temperature will have an effect on the lungs… Our bodies
have to adjust to the climate,” Lee Suy said in a radio interview on Wednesday.
National Epidemiology Center head Dr. Eric Tayag also said in a separate interview that
children, the elderly and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable. He said the cold
weather is likely to be a factor behind acute respiratory tract infections, colds, coughs, and
even flu.
Tayag urged the public to take vitamins, especially Vitamin C, wear extra layers of clothes
and eat nutritious food like fruits. (PIA/DOH)
by magnolia_eic | Jan 4, 2011 | Headlines, National News
Padayon gihapon ang pagsaka sa mga natala nga nasamdang biktima sa pabuto pila ka
adlaw human ang pagsaulog sa Bag-ong Tuig.
Nigawas sa datos sa Kampanya Kontra Paputok Surveillance Team sa Department of Health
(DOH) nga niabot na sa 890 ang gidaghanon sa mga natala nga firecrackers related injuries.
Matud pa sa mga opisyal sa DOH, mas taas pa kini og 17 porsiyento kon itandi sa milabay
nga lima ka tuig sugod niadtong tuig 2005 hangtud 2010.
Nasayran nga sa 844 nga kaso tungod sa mga pabuto, 36 tungod sa stray bullet, 11 tungod
sa fireworks ingestion ug usa usab ang natala nga namatay.
Sa 17 ka rehiyon sa nasud, ang National Capital Region (NCR) pa gihapon ang nitala sa
pinadaghan og biktima nga anaa sa 55%.
Samtang ang pabuto nga piccolo pa gihapon ang daghang nabiktima nga niabot sa 240, 125
tungod sa kwitis, 52 tungod sa 5-star, 47 tungod sa pla-pla ug 38 usab ang tungod sa lusis.
(PIA-Bohol/ecb)
by magnolia_eic | Jan 4, 2011 | Headlines, National News
The Department of Education (DepEd) is planning to hire more than 10,000 teachers this year to serve
almost 2.5 million preschool children in the country.
“This new year, we are renewing our commitment to reach all children of school age as part of our
intensified efforts towards achieving the Education For All (EFA) commitment,” Education Secretary
Armin Luistro said.
Luistro said that with the increase in DepEd’s budget this year, the department will implement the
universal public kindergarten program for five-year-olds.
In line with this, the department is set to undertake a ground mapping of all school-aged children by
way of pre-registration all over the country starting January 15.
“The pre-registration will not only allow us to determine the interventions needed to ensure that the
EFA commitment is within the department’s reach, but it will also enable us to have a wider reach of
children who are deprived of basic education,” Luistro said.
From the 1,914,137 who were reached in 2010 in both public and private schools, DepEd targets to
raise the number of preschool children it will serve to almost 2.5 million or a 21 percent increase in
2011.
Currently, there are 29,615 preschool teachers. Of these, only 2,299 hold permanent items and the rest
are on contract of service status.
This year, DepEd targets to open more than 700 permanent teaching positions and accommodate more
than 10,000 contractual teachers.
