P1.46M fund released for food terminals in Kalinga

Posted on | Friday 6 May 2011 | No Comments

by Larry Lopez  

TABUK, Kalinga- The Department of Agriculture (DA) released P1,460,000 for the development of food terminals in the province under its flagship program on Agri-Pinoy.

Program coordinator Teresa Desay of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) reported the fund is distributed to four proponents of the project. These are the Camalog Barangay Council which received P500,000; Bulanao Norte Barangay Council – P500,000; Cagaluan Barangay Council – P300,000; and Cawagayan Barangay Council/Rostan Multi-purpose Cooperative – P160,000.

 The fund shall be used for the construction of food terminal buildings, except for Rostan MPC which shall use the money to acquire cooling equipments.

 As counterparts, beneficiaries provide the lot for the building, including labor and other incidental costs, while the DA fund is allotted purely for building construction, Desay noted.

 She said the funds for the project are actually 2010 carry-overs intended for barangay bagsakan centers under the previous program, and released for Agri-Pinoy this 2011.

Part of the fund was used to finance other food terminal projects launched this year in Madopdop-Cahegayan farmers and Agbubukel Farmers Association, both in Barangay Lacnog, Tabuk. Another beneficiary of the project is Pasil municipality.

The food terminal program is awarded as funding assistance to proponents in the construction of trading centers, with the component of providing cooling equipments for use in the operation. (LL-PIA CAR, Kalinga)

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Kalinga-Apayao State College offers law this June

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by Peter A. Balocnit

TABUK, Kalinga – Kalinga-Apayao State College (KASC) is expanding its curriculum as it opens this June by having an Institute of Laws. Enrolment starts May 16.

According to KASC president Eduardo Bagtang, the overall goal in opening a law school at KASC is to prepare and train young professionals in the practice of law in response to the growing number of cases in the province.

The faculty has already been organized and a seminar had been scheduled on May 25 to orient instructors on the new curriculum. “Instructors will come from lawyers in the province and with non-lawyers who will be teaching other subjects that do not need to be a legal personality.”

Bagtang said he wants the premiere state college a venue of discussions on how the justice system in Kalinga, which dispenses justice through customary practices, could effectively and efficiently work.

 The proposed tuition fee per unit is P300. Retired college instructor and former board member Atty. Eduardo Buliyat, has been appointed Dean of the College of Laws. He taught at the Baguio Colleges Foundation now University of the Cordilleras for 20 years, Philippine Military Academy, and the University of Baguio.
Bagtang and Buliyat are optimistic there would be a lot of interested students to take up law at the KASC Institute of Laws. (JDP/PAB – PIA CAR,Kalinga)

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P11 M from tobacco taxes poured into farm-to-market roads

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by Maritess B. Beñas

BANGUED, Abra - Farm-to-market roads (FMRs) in this capital town will be made all-weather lanes with the allocation of P11 million from the 2010 congressional shares of Abra representative Ma. Jocelyn V. Bernos from Republic Act 7171 Funds or the Tobacco Excise Tax.

In an interview with assistant provincial engineer Paterno Bernal, the amount of P11,148,170 had been allocated by the office of representative Bernos and released to the provincial government for implementation.

Bulk of the fund, a total of P8.6 M will be utilized for the concreting of 19 segments of FMRs in 16 barangays or a total stretch of 1,477 meter-road network at intermittent sections in order to make an all-weather road connection from the barangays to the capital town.

The amount of P2.5 M will be used to make the concrete covers of canals in barangays Zones 5 and 6 in the heart of the town to ensure the health and sanitation as well as the road worthiness in the area..

Bernos explained that priority has been given to these farming barangays where agricultural produce need to be transported to the market. She gave assurance that other barangays will benefit from next year’s funds.
The projects will be implemented under the administration and supervision of the Provincial Engineer’s Office. (JDP/MTBB-PIA CAR,Abra)

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Kibungan police chief to represent CAR in LEAD PNP Award

Posted on | Monday 2 May 2011 | No Comments


by Joseph B Zambrano

 - The chief of police of the municipality of Kibungan, Benguet, Police Senior Inspector Arnold Oblas Ventura, will represent the Cordillera Region in the nationwide Search for the Lead Philippine National Police (PNP) Award for Chiefs of Police/Station Commanders.
This was announced by Sr. Supt. Elmer Soria, chairman of the Police Regional Office – Cordillera (PRO-COR) Regional Screening Committee (RSC) .
The search was launched on January 26, 2010 during the 18th PNP anniversary purposely to promote the PNP Integrated Transformation Program and to develop and recognize PNP leaders at the station level.
The screening committee evaluated the nominees as per the documents submitted and conducted panel interview using the following criteria: ability to identify critical issues, having the courage to accept the truth about the critical issues, ability to plan and implement strategic intervention to institute change, and ability to mobilize the community, and resources to support the strategic intervention.
The committee was composed of Reverend Father Benny Casteñeda, parish priest of St. Joseph,La Trinidad, Benguet as vice chair; Dr. Rogelio Colting, president of Benguet State University representing the academe, Harley Palangchao of Baguio Midland Courier representing the media, and Oscar Cadeliña, representing the non-government organizations as members.
The national winner of the search will receive the Lead PNP Award trophy, cash incentive, and post-graduate scholarship grant at the Asian Institute of Management or at the University of the Philippines.(JDP/JBS-PIA CAR)

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Court convicts woman for illegal possession, transport of forest products

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by Andrew Doga-ong

BONTOC, Mt. Province - The Regional Trial Court (RTC) here has sentenced a woman to suffer imprisonment for 12 years and one day to 20 years for illegal possession and transportation of forest products.
RTC Branch 35 Presiding Judge Joseph Patnaan found the accused, Emitina Bautista, of Santiago City, Isabela guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating Section 77 of Presidential Degree (PD) 705 or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines.
PD 705 prohibits and penalizes individuals who cut, gather, and or transport timber or other forest products without the necessary permit or license issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Records of the case show that on October 31, 2005, personnel of the Mt. Province Provincial Police Office and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), upon instruction of their respective heads, proceeded to the Bureau of Equipments, Mountain Province Engineering District compound of the Department of Public Works and Highways and there found an truck undergoing repair loaded with narra lumber, semi finished door, window frames, moldings, and assorted wood tiles of different sizes.
The truck, pplate TMT 724 was being attended to by accused Bautista, her driver Salvador Santiago Jr. and Rogelio Bayaua Jr., both of Santiago City, Isabela, the supposed escort and reportedly a forest ranger at the Community Environment and Natural Resources in San Isidro, Isabela.
DENR inventory and computation of the truckload forest products was valued at P99,612.00.
Based on the documents presented, the court established that accused Bautista is the owner of the Elf truck and its cargo. The court also found that the possession and transportation of the forest lumbers were not covered by proper and the required documents.
While Bautista presented documents to support her ownership and the shipment and denying the charges of illegal possession and transportation of forest products, the Courts found out that these documents were incomplete, uncertified, and illegible copies.
One glaring discrepancy as established by the inventory conducted by the DENR personnel was that the actual cargo did not tally with what was reflected in the Certificate of Shipment.
The court also found another circumstancial evidence where Bautista had no proper documentation. Based on the shipping documents, the vehicle and its cargo were supposed to travel from Isabela to Baliuag, Bulacan but found its way to Bontoc, Mt. Province which the court said a very highly unlikely place to pass through considering that it would be a long and circuitous route passing through about five provinces.
With the above findings, the court said “under the present state of the evidence, the prosecution has proven the guilt of the accused of the offense charged to a moral certainty.” The court also ruled that in addition to imprisonment, the Elf truck and the forest products were ordered confiscated in favor of the government.
The case against co-accused Salvador Santiago Jr. and Rogelio Bayaua Jr. who had not been arrested and are still at large, had been ordered archived. *(JDP/ABD-PIA CAR,Mt. Province)

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SLU inaugurates Sunflower Centennial Halfway Home for boys

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by Lito Dar

The Saint Louis University (SLU) inaugurated last week the Sunflower Centennial Halfway Home for Boys, its flagship Centennial Extension project that would serve as temporary shelter for neglected and abused boys, not only for the city but also for the entire Cordillera.

SLU president Rev. Fr. Jessie Hechanova led other university officials and guests in the blessing and inauguration of the center located inside the SLU main campus, Thursday, which was officiated by Baguio City Bishop Carlito Cenzon.
Fr. Hechanova welcomed all those who attended what he defined as a historic occasion for SLU and also thanked all those in one way or another helped in the realization of a dream of putting up a center that would respond to the need of neglected children which was conceptualized about two years ago.
“Indeed this is another milestone in the history of this university, which continues to accomplish its mission to transform the lives of people,” Hechanova said.
SLU’s Sunflower Children’s Center director Fr. Geraldo Costa also stressed that with the center, they hope to make a difference in the life of people in the community, especially to the life of abandoned, neglected, and abused children that they are going to give shelter to.
According to Fr. Costa, the center has a bed space for 20 children, which, aside from giving temporary shelter, could also help in the schooling, psychological assessment, psycho-therapy, spiritual formation, and sports and recreational activities, among other interventions for the children.
The said center is a complete facility which includes bedrooms, study area, including computers, kitchen, bathrooms, and play area. The center also has two social workers (one permanent and one volunteer) and three house parents.
Fr Costa also stressed that after the establishment of the center, they will now work to build up its sustainability. Thus, he also called on the people and the community to partner with them in building a network of community donors.
SLU is the oldest and biggest university in Baguio City. Founded in 1911 by Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae missionaries, to further the Christianizing of the northern Philippines, it grew as one of the largest and quality educational institution north of Manila. Together with many of its alumni in and out of government, they continue to work together to share their blessings with the communities to transform lives. (JDP/LD-PIA CAR)

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DepEd to parents: enrol your 5- year-olds this school year.

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by Gigi Dumallig

TABUK CITY, Kalinga - Schools Division supervisor Norma Brillantes is encouraging parents to enroll their five year old children in kindergarten this school year as they will be now be covered by the enhanced education program of the government.
The enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program seeks to provide for a quality 12-year basic education program for the Filipino children. This is in compliance to Article XIV, Section 2(1) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which states that “The State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society.”
According to Brillantes, the K+12 refers to Kindergarten plus 12 years of elementary and secondary education, where it requires children upon reaching the age of five to enroll in schools to take up standardized kinder curriculum.
Primary schooling in the elementary education would involve six or seven years of education and upon reaching high school, a student under the K+12 program would be undergoing an additional two years of academic or vocational course after the regular four year high school.
Brillantes said that this system was adopted by the Philippine government to improve the country’s quality of basic education having observed several problems and concerns among students such as the low performance in the national test, unemployment, and lack of emotional maturity and skills to cope with their counterpart in other countries after graduation.
The government, she said, has seen the need for further reforms after poor quality education is reflected in the low achievement scores during National Achievement Test (NAT) for grade 6 putting the Philippines in a very low rank in conducted international tests.
Another reason is that the current Philippine basic education is congested within a 10-year period where normally it should be undertaken in a 12-year curriculum, Brilliantes said. At present, only the Philippines is using the 10-year basic education program in Asia, she added.
Based on a study, the current system could not prepare high school graduates for the world of work or entrepreneurship or higher education since they do not possess the basic competencies or emotional maturity essential to meet international demands and that current high school graduates have not yet reached the legal age to qualify for employment after graduation.
With these concerns, she asked government agencies to help in the promotion of the K+12 basic education system for better appreciation by the public. (JDP/GGD-PIA CAR, Kalinga)

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35 projects worth P68M to boost agriculture production, endorsed to DAR

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by Peter A. Balocnit

TABUK CITY, Kalinga- About 35 infrastructure projects worth P68 million were endorsed to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Virgilio De Los Reyes, for funding under the General Appropriations Act.
Kalinga Congressman Manuel Agyao earlier endorsed said projects considering that the province is covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and one among the poorest provinces in the country.
The proposed projects include the construction and repair of various farm-to-market roads (FMR) and bridges in the seven municipalities of the province. Kalinga and the city of Tabuk according to Agyao are among the priorities under the agenda of President Aquino on infrastructure development.
Earlier, the Provincial Agrarian Reform Office submitted the list to the office of the congressman for proper endorsement. Provincial Agrarian Reform officer Edano Canao said the identified FMRs and bridge projects were proposed by farmers in agrarian reform communities (ARCs).
The city of Tabuk being the widest in CARP coverage, has six proposed projects worth P12 million. The construction of the Malalao-Makilo FMR is expected to get P4M funding.
Balbalan is proposed P8M; Lubuagan – P9M; Pasil – P9M; Pinukpuk – P9M; Rizal – P6M; Tanudan – P7M; and Tinglayan with P8 million in proposed projects. According to DAR-Kalinga, these projects were already validated and concluded that once implemented will boost agriculture production in the province.
Kalinga province and the City of Tabuk, according to Agyao, are among the priorities under the agenda of President Aquino on infrastructure development. (JDP/PAB-PIA CAR,Kalinga)

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Community library opens a wide avenue of possibilities in Pasil

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by Gigi Dumallig

PASIL, Kalinga- Students, pupils, and community folks here could now enjoy better access to research materials and even the World Wide Web if they own a laptop computer with the establishment of a community library and the installation of a WiFi or Wireless Fidelity internet access at the municipal building.The event means not only the using of high tech gadgets but is significant in the fact that access to the outside world and its limitless possibilities also means opening minds and opportunities out there.

The new library building with its newly built shelves already lined up with new books was formally opened with the traditional ribbon cutting during the opening program of the 2011 Salip Festival on April 27, 2011. Located just beside the municipal hall, the one-room building is also furnished with tables and chairs to accommodate clients.

Officials leading the ribbon cutting were Congressman Manuel Agyao, who was the guest of honor and speaker of the festival, Mayor James Edduba, Sangguniang Bayan member Ellen Malannag, and Chevron officials headed by senior public affairs specialist Quintin Pastrana.

During the event, Chevron Philippines Inc. and the Bato Balani foundation donated volumes of books and a computer to the municipal library for the school children. Malannag accepted the reading materials and the computer in behalf of the municipal government and the people of Pasil.
(JDP/GGD-PIA CAR,Kalinga)

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