by admin | Jan 4, 2016 | National News
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) works to incorporate the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) agenda in its trade and investment promotion efforts through its various commercial posts overseas.
“We should not lose the opportunity of joining the bandwagon in pushing for MSMEs development,” DTI says.
DTI underscores the agency’s support in the internationalization of MSMEs, particularly on how to bring MSMEs to be active participant, not just as direct exporters but eventually to be part of the global value chains (GVCs).
DTI emphasizes the importance of inclusive growth, globalizing MSMEs, and addressing barriers to trade and investment, including tariffs and non-tariff barriers to promote the internationalization of MSMEs and integrating them into global value chains (GVCs).
DTI is advancing policy frameworks to promote MSME participation in GVCs and international trade through the APEC MSME Marketplace through facilitating business networking and matching involving MSMEs, enhancing MSME awareness and feedback on trade regulations, and improving mechanism for knowledge sharing on trade facilitation, business support, partnerships, and capacity building activities for MSMEs.
For more information on the services of the DTI visit http://www.dti.gov.ph
by admin | Nov 28, 2015 | Local News / Bohol Balita
CABAYUGAN, Calape – The seven puroks in this hinterland barangay of Calape were the recent beneficiaries of healthy female carabaos which the farmer-beneficiaries greatly welcomed to support their livelihood thru farming.
The carabao dispersal was made possible thru the Countryside Development Program-Purok Power Movement (CDP-PPM) of the provincial government of Bohol. Gov. Edgar Chatto personally turned over the seven carabaos to the barangay officials then to the purok leaders-beneficiaries during the recent mini agri-HEAT caravan, medical and dental outreach at said barangay.
Brgy Capt. Juanita Carajay was profuse in her thanks to the governor for the PPM’s presence in her barangay saying that a lot has improved in their area since the PPM came. And this caravan and outreach is just one tangible proof of the promise of the provincial government that services and development will be brought to the front yard of every barangay to help the constituents achieve the socio-economic development, which is also the main thrust of the CDP-PPM.
But one long-term support the PPM brought to the barangay are the capacity development for its constituents down to the purok and sitios that empowers them to be better leaders through the purok sectoral working committees (SWCs).
Gov. Chatto, in his message said that one clear proof that a purok or sitio is capacitated and empowered and is united is just by looking at its purok centers. The structure may be modest but if it is strong and not reclining or tilting, clean and not unkempt and with bulletin or information boards present, it means the people in the purok gets to meet often and discuss about programs, even at their own level, that would improve their life. That the purok may not necessarily depend or wait for the barangay or the municipal officials to provide for all its needs. This is the essence of the CDP-PPM.
Though the governor admitted that unlike the rain that pours down from the heavens simultaneously, the implementation of the PPM in the barangays in the province is done by batches since the Prosperity Team (ProTeam) that will go and stay with the barangays will still have to capacitate the community through the capacity development trainings and creation of purok SWCs.
Aside from the carabaos, the residents also received 30 heads of native chicken, 100 bags of organic fertilizers, assorted vegetable seeds, rice seeds, coconut seedlings, free haircut and tuli from the 302nd Brigade and 47th Infantry Battalion, free dental services from the Provincial Health Office (PHO), free animal consultation and medicines from Office of Provincial Veterinarian (OPV), free consultation and medicines from the Medical Outreach Unit of the Office of the Governor.
Liza Quirog, chair of the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the CDP-PPM is grateful that the barangay officials and residents alike of Cabayugan appreciated and have benefited from the programs of the provincial government particularly the CDP-PPM.
CDP-PPM is a multi-sectoral socio-economic development program of the province being implemented in about 85 barangays in the province and is growing with the numerous requests from other barangays hoping CDP-PPM will also be implemented in their barangays. Being multi-sectoral, other government agencies that are members of the TWG handles the response of the request of the barangays depending on where the program is being anchored. For instance, for request on agricultural and livelihood assistance, the OPA handles this request and the OPV for the request on native chicken and carabaos.
When asked whether she is ready to be the subject of another issue due to the procurement of these carabaos and native chicken, Quirog said that she has always been confident in all procurements of the provincial government, such as that of the PPM since all procurements of the Capitol, including that of the carabaos are aboveboard since it underwent the usual bidding and procurement processes as required by law. Besides, it is the office concerned who handles the procurement processes of these.
For the carabao procurement, Quirog said that Johnny Samson of the OPV, who is also the provincial artificial insemination coordinator of the province, validated the capacity of the procured carabaos specifically for breeding purposes. Samson said that taken into consideration upon inspection were “the physical characteristic/external features such as body confirmation, structural soundness, health, hereditary defects, good mammary teats and no crooked tails. I also give importance to appearance, temperament, utero-genital and mammary system, feeding capacity and vigor. Besides, the physical characteristics, to check the reproductive system of animals, I conducted rectal palpation which is the most accurate examination of the utero-reproductive organ. For the animals I inspected, I even rejected three carabaos, there were either smaller and bigger in size, which I considered unfit for breeding,” Samson said. Those rejected by Samson were then replaced by the supplier with carabaos that passed the scrutinizing eyes of Samson based on national and international standards.
The procurements were done by the PGBh to respond to the requests of the barangays like the carabaos by virtue of resolutions it submitted to the province thru the PPM. (tltb)
TIARA BULILAN
Communicators Group
by admin | Nov 9, 2015 | Editorial
In two days beginning Thursday last week, police authorities from 47 stations all over Bohol spun to action.
Whether it was ordered or not, police stations stirred and their chiefs of police called their men to a command conference to swoop down on drug personalities and effect the biggest raid in the history of Bohol.
The plan was to offer the heads of 50 or more drug personalities by the 50 raids, to appropriately mark a big day for Bohol police.
Historic, it would be as it would be a tribute to the 50th birth anniversary of Bohol’s top cop, PSSupt Dennis Agustin.
PNP senior officials, or whosoever conceptualized the move, have every reason to do so.
Agustin, upon assumption to Bohol, took to heart the order he received from Police General Prudencio Bañas, who shared a dreamy goal of declaring Bohol as the first drug-free province.
Both Bañas and Agustin had less than a couple of months in newly assigned posts: Bañas to head the regional police while Agustin has the provincial force under him.
What the two apparently did not know was that, they were pitifully dipped in a cauldron where drugs is allegedly stirred into distribution by forces beyond the commerce of men who have no balls of steel.
PD Agustin proved he was no less than that, by horning his way into the police organization and spearheading that infamous crusade that took his some of his finest officers despite shaking a hornets nest which is too close to Camp Dagohoy.
Police officers and station commanders of less timber, have to play it cool, and looked the other way.
Not on the 50th birth anniversary of the provincial police chief.
Those two days netted for Bohol and the police organization P5 million worth of drugs and money, over 50 personalities and an undetermined number of hassling trial appearances for police officers involved in the raids.
We need to congratulate the police for doing so.
The subliminal message beyond these raids however is that: the police have just shown us a reason to believe that they all know who in their respective areas of jurisdiction are into drugs.
For them to be able to sweep a massive raid in two days netting that much number of personalities, drugs and paraphernalia, it must indeed be a huge and sweeping problem, this drug affectation is.
Secondly, another troubling message we get from this is: (and authorities can refute us) the drug campaign in Bohol can all be called “artificial” and “half-hearted” on the very least.
No matter how successful the raids convey to all of Boholanos, the sub-currents tell us, how come the police stations, on non birth days of local officials could not muster the same magnitude of raids, if this was not just for show?
Would this bolster the claim a topnotch lawyer has been persistently announcing on the air: that police, who happen to be getting lifeblood from the local leadership, could do nothing with the problem, if they want their lifeline to be alive?
If this tells us that, then nobody in the high ranks of the police organization in Bohol realized the repercussions of a seemingly harmless, in fact gloriously planned sweeping raid.
The biggest realization we prayed not any ordinary Boholano can connect, is that by the raid, police have just haphazardly shown a drama which projects how extremely powerless and how farcical this local drug enforcement is.
This should not also connect the allegations that, not much of court convictions happen especially to the big-boys in the industry. The courts, according to out information, has been a beneficiary of monetary allowances from the provincial government.
Feeding the hand that feeds, still remains to be one act Boholanos could not do.
Well, except for the Boholanos who claim to be one, but their heart and soul, they have sold to the devil.
So therefore, the 50 raids for the 50th birthday of the police director shown a 50/50 image of the police and drug enforcement. And we hope they will live through this, alive.
by admin | Nov 7, 2015 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events
MARIBOJOC, Bohol – Several residents from the different barangays in this municipality heartily welcomed the community outreach program conducted by the Countryside Development Program-Purok Power Movement (CDP-PPM) of the provincial government of Bohol recently.
Some key local officials and people’s organizations from barangays Guiwanon, Punta Cruz and Bayacabac came as one and expressed their gratitude to Gov. Edgar M. Chatto and the movers of the CDP-PPM for coming to their barangays.
The CDP-PPM team conducted an orientation on the registration and accreditation of non-government organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) in barangay Bayacabac last October 24. This accreditation is mandated by the Local Government Code of 1991 and is also supported and found in the provincial Ordinance C-001 and Ordinance 2012-032. The CDP-PPM team was joined in this activity by the 47th Infantry Battalion which is based in Tubigon as part of their orientation as a new partner of the program.
Emilia Roslinda, executive director of the Bohol Alliance of Non-Government Organizations (BANGON) also supported the move of the provincial government of Bohol in its continued conduct of orientation on accreditation of CSOs in all municipalities in the province. This is to ensure the coordination between and among the CSOs and the government sector and must be aligned with the government programs for a unified and cohesive action for development.
After the orientation, employees from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office distributed items for feeding, fresh milk and solar lamps to several people’s organizations.
The whole day activity earned the respect and gratitude from the officials, residents-beneficiaries in the Barangay.
Guiwanon’s barangay secretary Genara Sanoy said that “gikalipay sa mga lumolopyo ang pagbisita sa taga-province ug pagtuman sa ilang saad nga manghatag ug solar lamps.” (the residents are very thankful of the visit made by the staff of the provincial government and fulfilled its promise of giving solar lamps.)
Ricardo Bagnoran, president of a fishermen people’s organization, also expressed his thanks to the CDP-PPM team. He said that “gikalipay namong tanang mananagat ang among nadawat.”(all the fishermen are happy of what we have received.) Bagnoran was even thankful that they were able to stay away from the “actions and deceptions of the leftist groups. We, the fishermen are happy that we have not joined them,” he added.
In behalf of his people, Lourdes Concepcion Tan-Endo, barangay captain of Punta Cruz also expressed her gratitude and gave assurance that the people of Punta Cruz will always support and always will be with the government.
Despite of this development, the Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET), an NGO which is based in Cebu City made a statement published earlier that it is not happy over what the provincial government is doing for its own Boholano constituents.
Liza Quirog, chair of the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the CDP-PPM just laughed off the pronouncement made by this outsider NGO. According to a staff assigned to the Desk of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) they could not find CERNET as among the legitimate NGOs of the country. Under the law, SEC registration gives legal personality to a non government organization. This registration and accreditation requirements are also mandated in the Local Government Code and Provincial Ordinances. Efforts are being directed to get the official statement of SEC on the legality of CERNET’s operations. This NGO is also not accredited with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Bohol. The Provincial Ordinance also requires that any NGO based outside of the province must get accreditation first before it can conduct any activity in the province to safeguard the interests and security of the Boholano people.
Quirog said that the manifestation and verbal expression of the people of the barangays in Maribojoc, as mentioned earlier in this report, are proof enough that the people welcomes and supports the programs of the provincial government, especially the CDP-PPM since this is specifically implemented to address the socio-economic problems faced by all sectors of the community. She emphasized, however, that the governor is more than happy with the support and complementation extended by the registered and accredited NGOs and CSOs of the province for the achievement of its development goals.
As to the orientation of CSOs accreditation, Quirog emphasized that this is not just the provincial government’s decree but a national law. The accreditation process is given much emphasis now to avoid another Napoles scam scenario where bogus NGOs were allocated billions of pesos for ghost projects.
Medical missions and distribution of items to the farmers and fishermen might also be used as a pattern for bogus NGOs going to the communities so that they could “implement” projects for liquidation purposes of funds given by their donor agencies from abroad. (tltb)
by admin | Oct 19, 2015 | Editorial
We have seen it happen and are seeing it again now.
Every time a storm threatens to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility, we know something would be up and every tourism stakeholder would be crossing their fingers again.
A storm entering the PAR would almost always mean flight cancellations and suspension of sea trips.
This has always been bad for Bohol, who broadcasts to the whole world that it is a tourism paradise which aspires to feed its economy with the revenues the industry generates.
Then, the shippers and sea travelers also hold their breaths. You see, a storm-induced flight or sea travel cancellation nullifies the carrier’s responsibilities. This also burdens the traveler with the discomfort of losing another holiday, and everything which he has invested in a much sought after dream vacation.
Well, for some of them, the sound of a storm brewing in the Pacific is enough to get them the latest updates from orld weather watchers and bulletins.
The wonders of today’s technology however prove to be so much for the world. Less.
The changes brought about by today’s climate makes science seem like a dart game where players hit more or less.
And when the national weather bureau failed to declare a gale warning while the coast guard saw fit to suspend trips, all the more people got confused. The Coast guard is also so mandated to call the shots when they see waves making sea trips by small crafts dangerous.
Fast crafts, Bohol’s aces on the sleeves headed off to safe harbors while the angry seas played to the stirring tempests.
But the planes, only very few are affected.
Which really states one thing. This is that which we have been saying since then.
Bohol’s precarious position in beckoning tourists can be as fickle. An inclement weather is all it takes to make this position sour.
Which pushes us to reiterate that which we have been insisting that should happen to Bohol.
While Panglao Airport is still in the beginning stages of construction and the only visible work done on it is the agitation it has caused tourism stakeholders, the need for Tagbilaran emergency apron to operate is in dire.
When planes are the only link of Bohol to the outside world when the seas get rough, then Bohol must assert to fortify this link.
Election season may be bad time for this, but it may also be a good time.
When election gives politicians the perfect reason to keep off projects, it is also elections when people can force politicians to perform better than ordinary.
So, when local leaders can always have elections as reasons for non-performing, voters can also compel politicians to finally work.
And let’s not keep the waiting, waiting.
