Dipolog holds CLUP workshop

DIPOLOG CITY, April 30 (PIA)- - A workshop on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) spearheaded by the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) was held here recently to draw up a more realistic utilization of lands in the city for the next two decades.

Participating in the workshop were representatives from the national government agencies (NGAs) such as the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), personnel from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), City Health Office (CHO), City Agriculturist Office (CAO), City Engineering Office (CEO), City General Services Office (CGSO), and City Civil Registrar (CCR) as well as banking institutions, Dipolog Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and other non-government organizations (NGOs).

City Planning and Development Coordinator Albert Alimpulos disclosed that the participants were able to come up with an integrated land use plan which will serve as the basis in the utilization of lands in the city for the succeeding years.

The city leadership has envisioned to make Dipolog a “Swigapore,” a combination of Switzerland and Singapore by 2030, seeking to build an environment similar to Switzerland with a very healthy ecosystem and to Singapore, a bustling commercial city-state in Southeast Asia. (FPG/PIA-Zamboanga del Norte)

DENR 9 acquires bunch of new IT equipments

by Claro A. Lanipa

Pagadian City, 30, April (PIA) – To  upgrade its capability and data bases using the advance technology, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Region 9 on Friday, April 27, 2012, acquired a bunch of Information Technology (IT) equipments, during the formal turn-over ceremony held at the Liga Convention Center, this city. The IT equipments are composed of 149 desk top computers (70 sets official standard and 79 official professional), five (5) lap tops, 79 printers, and 24 scanners. These equipments were distributed to all Provincial/City Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO’s/CENROs) and other divisions at the regional office of the DENR 9. Four (4) other single motorcycles were also given to each PENROs in the region. The formal turn over of the IT equipments to the recipient users and transfer of accountability from the top management down to the CENRO level was witnessed by two (2) ranking officials of the DENR - Undersecretary  for Field Operations Ernesto Adobo, Jr. and USec for Planning and Policy Demetrio Ignacio, Jr. Regional Executive Director Arleigh Adorable in his welcome address expressed his gratefulness, he said at last these IT equipments are now here which we have longed for so long. He told his employees or to the intended recipients that from now on, you will be bringing with you the computers that we need in trying to upgrade and update our database in the field offices. USec Adobo in his message said,  with the upgrading of our IT facilities, the department would be at par if not be better than any other department in the government.  With these equipments we would be the most advance offices in the field, he added. He also announced that to augment our monitoring capabilities particularly on our forestlands, DENR will be acquiring two units of helicopters that will be assigned one for the Visayas and Mindanao area and the other one for the Luzon area. The expenses for this will be shared by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), he said. On the other hand, USec Ignacio also said, that these equipments are just a tool to make good in your work, but these tools are going to be the backbone in our operations in the next three years. Actually we are trying to upgrade the IT capabilities of the entire DENR nationwide, Ignacio added. Prior to the turn over ceremony, USec Adobo and Ignacio together with the regional and provincial officials visited the on-going construction of the DENR-9 Regional Office building at Balintawak this city, the Clonal Nursery site at Pulacan, Labangan and a courtesy call with Zamboanga del Sur Governor Antonio Cerilles. (CAL/PIA9)

Aquino dili gusto nga padak-on ang kabalaka sa China sa pag-claim sa teritoryo sa Scarborough Shoal

By: Gideon C. Corgue

PAGADIAN CITY, April 30 (PIA) – Si Presidente  Benigno S. Aquino III nagkanayon ning Domingo nga ang Pilipinas magpadayon sa iyang suporta sa iyang baruganan sa diplomatikanhong pagsulbad  pag-angkon sa teritoryo sa giiligon nga Scarborough Shoal ug dili padak-on ang kabalaka tali sa nasud ug China

Kini human nga ang Chinese mihimo sa aksyon batok sa Pilipinas.

Ang Presidente mipadayag sa iyang pagsalig nga ang China dili mihimo ug aksyon batok sa Pilipinas sanglit ang duha ka nasud nakabenepesyo sa pwersa militar ang pagagamiton aron pagtapos sa maong panaglalis.

“Wala kita magtuo ning panahona nga sila ang mohimo ug kalihokan nga militar. Ang atong gihimo mao ang dili pagpadako sa kabakala sa maong sitwasyon,” matud pa sa Presidente.

“Tataw nga kini wala makabenepesyo sa duha ka nasud ug daghan ang sangputanan ang mahitabo kung ang pwersa sa military pagahimoon,”dugtong pa niya.

Matud pa niya nga ang mapadayonong presensya sa mga barko sa China ug mga tripulante sa gikabangian nga isla ang gidokumento aron nga kung kita ang adunay ikapakita nga tukma nga ebidensya.

Miingon usab siya nga ang kagamhanan ang padayon nga nagtuon sa tanang mahinungdanon nga balaod sa gawas aron pag-ila sa mga kalagdaan nga naglihok sa maong dapit. (GCC/PCOO/PIA9-Zambosur)

Street dancing highlights Isabela City’s Cocowayan festival

by Rene V. Carbayas

ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Apr 30 (PIA) – Colorful street dancers from the five clustered groups of the forty-five barangays adorned the main thoroughfares as Isabela City marks its 11^th Founding Anniversary Wednesday (April 25).

Various activities filled the week-long celebration of the Cocowayan Festival, which culminated on April 25 with street dancing, to include medical and dental outreach program, hip-hop and ballroom dance competitions, mural-wall painting competition, a mass wedding, some sports events for city employees, and the soft opening of the city’s children’s mini-library and playhouse center.

In her message, City Mayor Cherrylyn Santos-Akbar congratulated the city officials and employees and constituents for the successful celebration of the city’s founding anniversary.

“For the past eleven years, all of us have been part of this celebration. I would like to thank all of you for supporting my administration,” the mayor said as she takes pride of the significant accomplishments of her administration in terms of infrastructure projects and services.

“We have done so many things for Isabelaños. We have served many poor individuals and families especially in burial assistance, medicines, and medical services, PhilHealth insurance, assisted many groups and organizations like the senior citizens in their different activities, provided scholarship programs to the indigent and deserving students, supported the military, police and barangay officials for peace and progress. All of these projects are visible anywhere in the city,” she said.

The mayor proudly announced, too, that anytime this May, the groundbreaking of the new city police station will be conducted, wherein the DILG Secretary Jessie Robredo has allocated some Php10 million for its construction.

The lady mayor further reiterated her advocacy of unity and cooperation as key to the progress, peace, and development of the city. “I believe, we can never attain peace if we are not united. We have to understand and respect people around us, help others with sincerity, be committed in our actions with the hope to reach-out to other people in the community,” she said.

“It is our social and moral responsibility to help the needy,” she stressed, as she renewed her call for cooperation and unity toward better quality of life.

Impressed with the participation and efforts of the street dance contingents, the mayor gave additional Php10,000.00 for each group on top of the cash prizes. The contingent from cluster 3 bagged the Php100,000.00 1^st prize plus P10,000.00, which consist of Carbon, Diki, Lampinigan, Lukbuton, Marang-Marang, Panigayan, Sta. Barbara, Tampalan, and Balatanay barangays.

Second and third placers get P80,000.00 and P60,000.00 cash prize, respectively. The rest gets a consolation prize of P50,000.00.

The rain before the last contingent completed its performance did not dampen the festive mood of the people. At the awarding ceremony of the winners, the mayor went down from the comfort of the makeshift stage and joined the street dancers under the rain, bare-footed.

The Cocowayan festival is a local annual celebration of the cityhood of Isabela. Cocowayan is  coined from two dominant products: coconut and kawayan.

Through proclamation number 352, Malacañang declared April 25, 2012 as special non-working day in the city to give people the “full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.” (RVC/PIA-9 ZBST)

Aquino mohimo ug sopresang pahibalo para sa empleyado sa gobyerno atol sa Labor Day

ni Alfonso T. Ruda

DIPOLOG CITY, APR. 30(PIA)--- Si Presidente Benigno Aquino III nakatakdang mohimo ug sorpresang pahibalo para sa mga empleyado sa gobyerno atoll sa pagsaulog sa Labor Day, ugmang adlawa, Mayo 1.

Sa pakighinabi sa mga tigbalita human nga mitambong sa pagsaulog adlawng natawhan ni Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali Jr., si Presidente Aquino miingon nga opisyal niyang ipahibalo nga ipadayon sa iyang administrasyon ang implementasyon sa Salary Standardization Law 3.

Ang Salary Standardization mao ang programa sa gobyerno nga nagtumong nga ihatag sa mga empleyado sa kagamhanan ang suweldo nga tukma sa ilang trabaho nga ikatandi sa suweldo sa gobyerno sa ubang mga nasod.

“Duna na kitay pagtugot pinaagi niining maong balaod (SSL 3), busa ang pangutana na lang kung kaya bang iuna ang sunod nga hugna nga mao ang ika-upat nga hugna,” nagkanayon ang Presidente.  

“Busa makompleto na ang SSL 3. Tingali, mas masayo ug usa ka bulan kay sa orihinal nga plano,” dugang pa sa Presidente.

Midugang pa gayod ang Presidente nga makigtagbo siya ugma sa mga lider sa pamuo ug uban pang hingtungdan aron mahisgutan ang mga paagi nga magpalambo sa relasyon tali sa tagdumala ug sa mga mamumuo.

“O, dunay diyalogo ug nangandam na kami para niini aron maplantsa ang mga pangutana ug tubag, ingon man rekomendasyon,” panapos pa ni Presidente. Aquino.(ATR/PCOO/PIA9-Zambo Norte)

PRC set to release Professional Identification Cards tomorrow, May 1

By Alma L. Tingcang

PAGADIAN CITY, April 30 (PIA) - - The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is set to release Professional Identification Cards (PICs) tomorrow, May 1, 2012 at the City Commercial Complex (C3) in time for the celebration of Labor Day.

Atty. Senando N. Esteban, OIC Regional Director said those who renewed their PICs, and those who registered as new professionals on or before July, 2011 may claim their cards from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. tomorrow at the PRC Booth inside the C3.

It is one of the activities during the 110th  Labor Day celebration  aside from the Job and Livelihood Fair spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment which is expected to help hundreds of job seekers find gainful employment.

Meanwhile, Ms. Maurin M. Monjardin, PRC Information Officer said information services will be made available to the public and they could just approach any personnel stationed at the PRC booth.

The PRC’s mandate is to regulate and supervise the practice of the professionals who constitute the highly skilled manpower of the country. As the agency-in-charge of the professional sector, it plays a strategic role in developing the corps of professionals for industry, commerce, governance, and the economy.

It is  the instrument of the Filipino people in securing for the nation a reliable, trustworthy and progressive system of determining the competence of professionals by credible and valid licensure examinations and standards of professional practice that are globally recognized. (ALT/PIA9-Zambo Sur)

CHO launches ‘Nutrition on Wheels’

By Sheila Covarrubias

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Apr. 29, (PIA) - The City Health Office (CHO) recently launched “Nutrition on Wheels”, an outreach program intended to empower communities through proper nutrition. 

The program is another innovation adopted by the CHO headed by Dr. Rodel Agbulos to advance its vision of “Un Ciudad sin Enfermedad”.

Mayor Celso Lobregat together with Councilors Nonong Guingona, Rudy Lim and Myra Paz Abubakar and Dr. Agbulos and staff of the CHO’s Nutrition Division spearheaded the launching of the program highlighted by a feeding program for young children at the CHO compound in Pettit Barracks, April 26.

Dr. Agbulos said the CHO’s mobile van will be used to visit rural areas to conduct feeding programs and information campaigns on good nutrition for people of all ages.

He stressed the program is primarily aimed to eliminate malnutrition in the city. At least 10 barangays have been identified as top 10 in malnutrition problem with barangay Pasobolong as number one in the list.

“The Nutrition Division of the CHO will conduct feeding programs, information drives and check on the nutrition problem in each of the city’s barangays through the use of the mobile van”, Dr. Agbulos said.

The city government through the CHO has been cited for its aggressive nutrition strategies for several years now.

Agbulos stressed that good nutrition is not the intake of costly foods or cuisine but the proper preparation of food and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. (JPA/SC/CIO/PIA 9-ZBST)

City Museum unveiled

By Sheila Covarrubias

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Apr. 29, (PIA) - - The City’s museum or “El Museo de Zamboanga” located at the Jardin Maria Clara in Pasonanca was formally unveiled recently, reinforcing the present administration’s thrust to preserve the culture and historical reputation of the area and in line with the City Development Strategy agenda for advancement.

Mayor Celso Lobregat and Vice Mayor Cesar Iturralde together with members of the majority in the City Council spearheaded the inauguration that coincided with the celebration of Dia de Ma’am Caling marking the 91^st birth anniversary of the late Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat.

Archbishop Romulo Valles officiated the blessing rites for the museum built in the amount of some P11 million. The facility includes numerous features to include the exhibit area, small screening area, lecture area, display area and souvenir shop. A separate building is set up as technical working area.

The operation of the City Museum is pursuant to Ordinance 378 principally authored by Councilors Rudy Lim and Rogelio Valesco Jr.

The city museum will house valuable artifacts, items, collections and memorabilia that have historical, social and cultural significance of Zamboanga.

Based on the ordinance, the museum is intended to enhance the interest of the people, specifically the young generation, for them to aprpeicate the past and diverse cultural personality of the Zamobanguenos and educate, enlighten and immerse them on how the City came to be by representing the old settings to the future”.

Specifically, the museum can provide residents, students, tourists and park goers with cultural enhancement facilities; provide the exhibit area, small screening area, lecture area, display area and souvenir shop; promote tourism, employment and economic activities; enhance the facilities, amenities and activities at the Jardin Maria Clara; establish rules and regulations for the safe and peaceful use of the Museum and provide for the protection and preservation of properties, facilities and natural resources of the museum.

Mayor Lobregat during the turn-over ceremony which coincided with the commemorative program marking Dia de Ma’am Caling at the Jardin Maria Clara in Pasonanca, said the construction of the city museum forms part of his administration’s development efforts.

The first exhibit to be mounted at the City Museum is set for October, the mayor revealed.

The development initiatives include the sprucing up of the establishment of parks and gardens other important infrastructures among others.

The city museum project was undertaken by a private contractor with the supervision of the City Engineer’s Office.

The City Museum staff which is under the Office of the Mayor will take charge of the management and administration of the facility. It will be assisted by the Council of Culture and Arts, a committee that is created based on the ordinance and a technical working group.  (JPA/SC/CIO/PIA 9-ZBST)

City unveils P6.5-M brgy hall, road project in Dulian

By Vic Larato

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Apr. 29, (PIA) – The city government recently motored to the remote barangay of Dulian, Upper Bunguiao in the east coast and inaugurated the newly constructed barangay hall costing P3.8 million and a road concreting project amounting to P2.6 million.

The barangay hall of Dulian, Upper Bunguiao was undertaken by Wil Tan Construction in the amount of P3,897,993.54, while the road concreting measuring 658.30 linear meters was done by Zambusman Construction in the amount of P2,640,720.81 for a total of P6,538,714.35.

City Mayor Celso Lobregat in his message stressed that the projects in Dulian, Upper Bunguiao are indications that the infrastructure program of his administration is not concentrated only in the city proper, but are equally spread throughout the 98 barangays of the city.

He said within a week or two the barangay of Dulian, Upper Bunguiao will also get its new pick-up vehicle amounting to P997,500 for the barangay’s Community, Environment, Livelihood, Security and Order programs.

Excluding the pick-up vehicle, Barangay Dulian in Upper Bunguiao has since 2007 received a total of P32.7 million worth of various infrastructure projects from the city government under Lobregat’s administration.

These projects included road networks, slope protection, foot bridges, multi-purpose and health centers, school buildings and other facilities totaling P32,746,972.55, broken down as follows: P1.9 million in 2007, P3.7 million in 2008, P3.3 million in 2009, P8.9 million in 2010, P5.8 million in 2011, and P6.5 million in 2012, excluding P2.5 million worth of other projects which are now under bidding process.

Joining the mayor were Councilors Mike Alavar, Nonong Guingona, Eddie Saavedra, Lilia Nuno and VP Elago together with City Engineer Luis Vicente Despalo and the constructors along with the barangay officials headed by Chairman Perfecto dela Cruz. (JPA/VL/CIO/PIA 9-ZBST)