by magnolia_eic | Jun 2, 2010 | Headlines, National News
MALACAÑANG has joined the calls for the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill in the Lower House, saying it would give more teeth to the constitutional right to know and the state policy of full disclosure of transactions involving public interest.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Rogelio Peyuan said in a news conference on Tuesday that the Palace is hopeful that this bill “will come to life” when lawmakers tackle the bill on June 4, Friday.
Peyuan said the passage of Freedom of Information Act would mean a lot for each and every outfit or individual practitioner in the media circle.
The FOI bill seeks to ensure the implementation of the right of the people to information on matters of public concerns guaranteed under Section 7, Article 3 of the 1987 Constitution and the state policy of full disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest under Section 28, Article 2 of the Constitution.
If passed, it would allow the right of the people to access information on matters of public concern, such as official records and to documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, decisions, as well as government research data used as basis for policy development.
The Senate approved its version of the bill Dec. 14 last year with 12 senators voting for the measure. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jun 2, 2010 | Headlines, National News
MALACAÑANG is confident that private sector workers will soon get their much-awaited increases in daily wage, saying that efforts of the tripartite boards looking at the wage structure could bear results “within the week.”
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Rogelio C. Peyuan said the likely wage hike will be the welcome news to the labor sector , particularly the minimum wage earners.
Last May 1 during the Labor Day celebration, Peyuan said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had ordered the various Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards to hasten the process of resolving the P75 across-the-board wage increase petition from the private labor sector.
For government workers, the President had announced that they will continue to have yearly salary increases until 2012 pursuant to the salary standardization law.
Upon the President’s directive, the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) said the wage board in Metro Manila is deliberating on the pending wage petition and is expected to come out with a decision this week. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jun 2, 2010 | Headlines, National News
FEW more days and the 1265 National Census on Population and Housing enumerators would be wrapping up the 2010 census data.
But National Census Office authorities here in Bohol said the data may not yet be available on June 11 but later or by the end of the year.
To this, Jessamyn Anne Alcazaren requests local leaders not to press the enumerators to share the raw data as this would have to be forwarded yet to Manila.
Please spare the census enumerators if they could not share the data yet, these would still have to be validated, Alcazaren said.
Besides, the enumerators are instructed to keep the information confidential, she explained just as the data shared by respondents are kept in privacy.
by magnolia_eic | May 31, 2010 | Headlines, National News
WORLD Health Organization (WHO) selects “Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women” as the theme for this year’s “World No Tobacco Day”, May 31, 2010.
In an internet site, WHO said “Controlling the epidemic of tobacco among women is an important part of any comprehensive tobacco control strategy”.
World No Tobacco Day 2010 will draw particular attention to the need to protect women and girls from the harmful effects of tobacco marketing and smoke in accordance with WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
WHO accused tobacco companies of spending heavily on alluring marketing campaigns that target women knowing that women are gaining spending power and independence, so they are more able to afford tobacco and feel freer to use it.
Tobacco companies are also investing heavily in the low-income and middle-income countries, where most potential new female users live, and the problem is compounded as many countries do not do enough to protect their people from second-hand smoke.
WHO also said many women do not know about the harm done by second-hand smoke, or feel as if they have no right to complain. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | May 31, 2010 | Headlines, National News
THE Brigada Eskwela wont be just for a week, instead becomes a sustainable activity of communities helping the schools attain the ultimate goal of education for all, explains Department of Education authorities during the recent Kapihan sa PIA.
According to Dr. Erlinda Mahinay, the Brigada Eskwela, which allows members of the communities to show their concern for education through voluntary services in repairing and maintaining government schools is just the formal opening of a yearlong activity implemented by the DepEd.
This is so that by June 15, the pupils do not necessarily get stalled for clean up or repair jobs but proceeds directly to their classes and miss nothing of the 202 school days for this year, Dr. Mahinay said.
The Brigada eskwela also happens to be just one of the major activities characterized by a massive DepEd campaign to get all school age kids back to classes. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | May 31, 2010 | Election 2010, Headlines, National News
INSTEAD of public school teachers, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has deputized its lawyers and police trainees to serve as Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) in the special elections in Lanao del Sur on Thursday.
In an 11-page resolution, the Comelec ordered the replacement of election officers in Lanao del Sur’s seven municipalities with Comelec lawyers and Philippine National Police (PNP) trainees.
Comelec lawyers will be assigned as chairmen of the Board of Canvassers as well as election officers for the special polls.
At the same time, the Comelec also ordered police trainees from Regions 10, 11 and 12 to be on stand-by in case there would be a shortage of teachers who will serve as members of the special BEIs.
The police trainees will undergo training in the operation of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and procedures for voting and counting.
Earlier, the poll body declared failure of elections in the seven Lanao del Sur towns after teachers there refused to perform election duties last May 10 due to threats and violent incidents. (PIA-Bohol)
