e-mail: rubenbabar_br@yahoo.

com

outstanDing local newspaper

For Five Consecutive Years
St. peter Baptist Catholic Mass Media awards

vol. XXii, no. 44

www.bikolreport.blogspot.com

regional eXponent for progress

bicol, the philippines

neW MAll
Apart from the ongoing construction of Bicol's biggest mall, Robinsons Place
Naga, the newest investment soon to rise in the outskirts of the city is STARMALL

july 26-aug. 1, 2015

p5.00

473-8888

NAGA at Del Rosario, Naga City, complete with modern shopping facilities
integrated with leisure parks and 4 state-of-the-art cinemas!

legazpi backs green tourism

By DANNY O. CALLeJA

LEGAZPI CITY This key Bicol metropolis is firming up its hold on green tourism in reasserting its City of Fun and Adventure travel industry promotion caption
and its Most Livable City title. City Mayor Noel Rosal resolved on this after looking
at the growing number of arrivals that the city has been receiving not only as tourists
but also attendees to dozens of grand occasions it has been hosting every year over the
past few years. Our tourism industry must be sustainable and sustainable tourism is
about providing environment-friendly services.
(Turn to page 7)

(Turn to page )

Mayor ROSAL

Winning Duo

Camarines Norte Dist. Rep. Cathy Reyes and Daet Mayor Tito S. Sarion, prospective
gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial tandem for the province during the SONA.

3rd floor, GerONiMO blDG., bArliN sT., NAGA CiTY TelefAX: (054) 475-62-62 CP 0921-3183720 / 0919-2822901 / 0920-5337766

opinion

bikol reporter

editorial
SONA OF A .
A State of the Nation is not an
academic grading system.
It is a
performance report on the health of
a country, on what had been done for
the body politic, or what remains to be
done to stay fit. As expected, President
Aquino dwelt on the cures that he did.
The persistent poverty for instance, was
given a dosage of the 4Ps and presto,
more than 300 thousand were able to go
to school and poverty incidence went
down from the previous years record.
Yet, as observed by IBON, the President
had only localized the cure when the
disease had gone integral. So, the
nation is still ill, the database pioneer
maintains.
We agree. Nowhere or did we miss
him ever mentioning about food security
or climate justice? Or even justice for
those still crying for it? For instance,
Romeo Olea, the hardy and hard-hitting
broadcast journalist in iriga who was
executed in broad daylight during the
feast of the Patron Saint of the city, San
Antonio de Padua.The Saint is famous
for helping finding lost things, but until
now it seems he hadnt been able to
help the police or the justice department
headed by Romys kababayan, Sec. Leila
de Lima, to find his killers four years
ago.
Did we miss him saying about the
PhP171-B South Line of the North-South
Railway Project which had already been
announced as a PPP? If he did, thanks.
But also no thanks.
For why just now when our region
had been crying for help for ages? Ano
ini, consuelo de bobo? We have to raise
our voices because it looks like it is only
by raising our voice that Malacanang
listens. Look at the Bangsamoro.
We need to have more bangsa now.
Otherwise, each time we will always be
beholden to Manila, waiting, like dogs
for crumbs, thrown in the banquet of the
powerful. Sona of

july 26 - aug. 1, 2015

Freer Trade Laws

(Atty. APA chairs Acyatan & Co.,
CPAs-DFK International is past chair of
ASEAN Federation of CPAs, PICPA past
president and Hall-of-Famer, and ACPAPP
Lifetime Achievement Awardee).
Pres. P-Noy signed two landmark laws
aimed at ensuring free trade and allowing
foreign vessels to unload their cargo in
Philippines ports. The new laws are the
Fair Competition Act (RA 10667) and
Cabotage Act (RA 10668) both priority
economic bills. The first intends to do
away with monopolies in any industry
even as it seeks to promote free trade.
The experience is that giant corporations
are at the helm of biddings and trading to
the detriment of smaller entrepreneurs.
RA 10667 penalizes price fixing during
auctions and biddings, as well as anticompetitive mergers and acquisitions.
Buy-outs of competition are now prohibited
in order to keep business available to
as many enterprises. The law likewise
bans trade barriers for the sake of driving
competition, and prohibits selling goods
and services at below cost to undermine the
competition. The law prohibits agreements
between and among competitors.
ANTI-COMPETITION:
Said
law
prevents economic concentration, which
in effect controls production, distribution,
trade or industry that will unduly stifle
competition; distort, manipulate or constrict
the discipline of free markets, even as it
penalizes anti-competitive agreements,
abuse of dominant position and unfair
mergers and acquisitions. If competition is
made free prices of goods and services
will become affordable as traders will aspire
to prize their offers aligned with others.

opinions
unlimited
Atty. TONY (APA) ACYATAN
The new amendment to the Cabotage
Law lowers shipping costs for export and
import cargoes. The Foreign Ships CoLoading Act now allows foreign vessels to
transport and co-load foreign cargoes for
domestic trans-shipment, thereby easing
traffic and facilitating cargo-loadings at
affordable costs. The law is a potential
answer to the question why transporting
goods from within domestic ports are at
times costlier than those from abroad.
DEFENSE: The BSP is ready to deploy
contingency measures anew once the risks
arising from economic slowdown in China
and the impending rate hike in the US
heightens. Monetary authorities are ready
to utilize macro-prudential measures if the
countrys trade is adversely affected by
Chinas weakening economy and capital
outflows shifting back to the US. Interest
rates are likewise being kept steady by the
Monetary Board, a ready tool for bolstering
economic fundamentals.
Measures adopted by BSP include
higher minimum capital requirement for

banks, implementation of comprehensive

credit risk management framework,
and increase of bank deposit reserves.
Other measures are the limits on banks
forward exposures and non- access to
SDAs for non-residents and investment
management accounts.
Two other
factors being watched are our peso
exchange rate and the control of our
inflation rate.
FDI
POLICIES:
International
business groups have advised the
Philippines to re-examine some of our
policies in order to attract inflows of more
foreign direct investments (FDI) into
the country. The American Chamber
of Commerce of the Phils. (AmCham)
has expressed concern about the
slowdown of the countrys FDI inflows in
recent months. It seems the recovery
of the US economy is pulling out funds
from developing countries back to the
American investment market.
Phls FDIs plunged 43% year-onyear in April, down to $382 million,
according to a BSP investment report.
In 2014, FDIs soared to a record high
$6.201 billion up from $3.737 billion in
2013. The current indicators are not
encouraging whereby we are hit on
two fronts: the slowdown of the Chinese
economy and the fast recovery of the
US business and industry. Let us hope
that our economic fundamentals are
already that strong so as to withstand
the pull-out of FDIs.
PROVERBS: Everybody wants the
goodwill of the ruler; but real justice
comes only from our God.

Why VP Binay filed a P200M suit &

Federalism or the Presidential System?
So, Vice President Binay filed a P200
million damage suit against Senators
Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV,
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, the
Philippine Daily Inquirer and nine others
for alleged concerted effort to malign him
and derail his campaign for the presidency
next year.
Atty. Claro Corteza, Binays lawyer who
filed the complaint in the City Prosecutors
office said that the Vice President could not
take anymore the baseless accusations
against him. Former Law Dean of the
University of the East, Amado Valdez said:
It is an inherent right of an individual to sek
redress and damages. Sometimes offfense
is the best defense.
Before the courts, both the Vice
President and his detractors will be given
equal chances where strict rules on
evidence are applied in search for truth.

from
my
window
nenita fuentebella-peones
VP Binay should have done this a
long time ago when the three anti-Binay
senators began using their parliamentary
immunity to malign him and his family
under the pretext of hearings in the
Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee in aid of

legislation. Before the courts, they have

no parliamentary immunity.
Because of this delayed action, VP
Binay has already been pre-judged even
if he has not yet been tried in court. The
election is in 2016 and many things can
still happen.
In a way, VP Binay now knows his
benchmark, the people who will support
him all the way no matter what as
shown in the high rating he is getting in
surveys inspite of the black propaganda
against him. This shows that many
people believe him when he says he
wants to do in our country what he has
done for Makati City, because of his
visible and tangible accomplishments
as Mayor of Makati. Like free education,
free medial service, free medicines and
hospitalization, more benefits to senior
(Turn to page 6)

The Pilipino politicos: Are they all evil?

02082606

Tel. No. (054) 475-6262

ed g. yu
Editor

0939-604-3144

Lee G. Dullesco II

Head, Advertising Associates

0920-533-7766

You must have heard the phrase, lesser

evil, greater evil, surfacing once in a blue
moon particularly during election season.
referring to Pilipino politicos. It assumes
that all public office seekers are evil, some
lesser, some greater. The choice is very
limited. Either you go for the first or the
other. And still end up with evil.
The good guys, the saintly, are outside
the circle . They have little interest in the
political contest, probably aware they will
turn evil.
This is not mere superstition. Our
travails are not the fault of the planets. It
is your fault.
An Indian tribe in America has the belief
that the people most fit for public office are
those who do not seek it. The most unfit
are the people who salivate for the office.
That is the unsavory truth.
How will you make a politico more
unfit.Throw tons of mud at him. With
the presidential polls around the corner,
contending candidates
are now at
work in their favorite game of character
assassination.The common belief is that
the person whose name has been sullied
will be helpless.
It is one way to sway people to your
side. Destroy your opponent. But you
need ample funds. And who are those with

A
Question
of
privilege

salvador d. flor

unlimited funds?The members of political

dynasty.
This animal has been with us since the
beginning of time. Or to be more precise,
since the Spanish period. The powerful
before are the powerful today. They
have a name: oligarchs. They control
everything in their fielfdom. They decide
who will prosper and who will not,who will
go up and who will go down, who will stay
ordinary and who will turn almighty.
The ancient name, dynasty, is partly
derived from the Chinese imperial rule
with the sovereign staying at his throne
for a hundred years whether his subjects
loved him or not.

Because of the well-entrenched

dynasty, the more imaginative have
coined a more colorful name for our
government: oligarchic democracy. In
the modern world, such an animal does
not exist. Except in this country.
The Philippines of over a hundred
million souls is under the beck and call
of a few dozen families.Hard to believe.
But that is the painful truth.
There is another term frequently
used during election period: dictate of
conscience. People are expected to vote
according to the dictate of conscience.
Still another term is rape of democracy
which comes to life when massive
cheating and violence occur.
Democracy suffers a terrible beating.
It is the day it dies a little, another
phrase used to describe our badly
battered system.
In every nook and corner of this
over 7000 islands, lurks a dynasty,
lording it over the bastion for decades.
The country can not escape from this
Spanish created monster. It has been
embedded in the system, very much
alive and pulsating.
Anybody who will hurl a Zeus
thunderbolt to vanish it forever from this
cursed land will have the eternal love of
the people. But is there anyone?

july 26 - aug. 1, 2015

bikol reporter

Massive dredging of Naga River starts

straight excluding Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays will
amount to Php2,856,000.00.
We are so happy that the
city will not invest on the
rental cost and we want our
stakeholders to see and appreciate these as blessings.
We want them to also own
this project to ensure its success and sustainability. Infrastructure is only the first
step, what is important is that
we sustain the project, have
our personal take and con-

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY --- To

complement the Citys ongoing Naga River drainage
and flood management, including its river transport
component, Asenso Distrito
through 3rd District Representative Leni Robredo and
this city government under
the stewardship of Mayor
John G. Bongat, recently
launched the Naga River
Dredging Project as an
initiative to clear the silts
that has accumulated at the
river bed for more than a
decade now.
The dredging activity will
cover the 2.8 kilometer riverstretch starting at the Balatas
area to the Danlugan ni Ina
site at the Basilica in Barangay Magsaysay. The upstream-downstream clean-up
will also build a canal with a
sufficient width of approximately 10m to 15m and sufficient depth just enough for
the Pagoda to pass by.
Once cleared of the accumulated silts, we can now
avoid frequent flooding.
Navigation would be easier
for water transport vehicles
and other aquatic organisms

Proposed agri-tourism
park in CSU, validated
might be given a chance to
flourish once the water is
already clean. During the
Penafrancia Festivity, the Pagoda can smoothly traverse
its course without difficulty,
Robredo stated.
Various areas covered by
the dredging activity were
marked as stations. Aside
from the Balatas site and
Danlugan area under Station
II, other priority areas include Barangay Peafrancia,
passing under the Magsaysay
Bridge, going to Barangay

Dayandang-Barangay
Peafrancia area going to the
direction of Colgante Bridge
and passing under it, then to
the direction of Barangay San
Francisco to Barangay Tinago area until Panganiban.
The amphibious excavator or the dredging machine
though cannot be utilized
at the Station I, specifically
covering the Delfin Rosales
Bridge at Panganiban Area so
it needs to return at the Danlugan Basilica site and then
travel going to the direction

DSWD, Naga and CBSUA

ink livelihood pact
A partnership has been
forged between the Department of Social Welfare and
Development, the city government of Naga and with
the Central Bicol State
University (CBSUA) for
Sustainable Livelihood Program last July 20, 2015.
The program aims to improve the socio-capacities of
the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries by facilitating their
access to micro-enterprise development and employment
opportunities. This will be
done through the conduct of
training project in partnership
with City Local Government
of Naga and CBSUA respectively.

cern and hopefully see the

projects worth in their own
lives, Robredo added.
Bongat also calls on the
stakeholders cooperation,
particularly those who are
still residing near the river
banks. He said that that their
support will help strengthen
community ownership over
the Naga River revitalization
to realize Nagas long-time
dream of a Clean and rejuvenated river for the next generation.

We want to provide a
sustainable intervention to
improve the well being of
Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries by empowering the disadvantaged individuals through
skills training assistance and
entrepreneurial activities towards gainful employment,
DSWD Regional Director
Arnel Garcia shared.
On the other hand, Naga
City Mayor John Bongat expressed his gratitude to the
DSWD for the initial grant of
8.7 million. This will benefit
about 498 Pantawid Pamilya
beneficiaries from Naga City
with seven skills training to
be conducted. This program
will translate to have more

LIVELIHOOD CHECK

productive young people

Mayor Bongat said.
CBSUA will also receive
a grant of P 2 million with
162 students; all are Pantawid
Pamilya beneficiaries to undergo three vocational skills
straining to be offered.
To ensure the sustainability
of the project, Director Garcia
said that the DSWD will provide livelihood kit to start the
livelihood activity which the
beneficiaries will engage in.
Likewise, several schools
in the Bicol Region like the
Bicol University and the Partido State University have also
entered Memorandum of Understanding with the DSWD
for the same project

DSWD-V Regional Director Arnel B. Garcia hands to Mayor John Bongat a check amounting
to over 8 million pesos for the Sustainable Livelihood Program of the city that Naga accessed
from the Bottom up Budgeting of the National Government.

of Tabuco area to Magsaysay

Road-Diversion Road area
and start the dredging works
along Tabuco market, passing under the Delfin Rosales
bridge going to the direction
of Eurotel Hotel at Barangay
Dinaga.
In an interview, Robredo
stated that she was thankful
to DPWH that the excavator
was lent to the city for free,
knowing that it will owe them
a big chunk of rental fee had
it been leased for use.
Estimated cost for the city
if they will rent an amphibious excavator for the entire
duration of six months, starting this July 14 until December 31, 2015, exactly 119 days

VIRAC, Catanduanes,
-- The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Authority (TIEZA) recently
inspected the proposed
Agri-ecotourism site at the
Catanduanes State University that could be promoted as a Flagship Tourism
Enterprise Zone.
The inspection came after
Governor Araceli B. Wong
endorsed the development
proposal of CSU which according to the official is one
of the viable tourism sites in
Catanduanes.
The four-member team
headed by Hernan Enal paid
a courtesy call with Governor
Araceli B. Wong at Provincial
Capitol last July 1, 2015 and

then proceeded to the site at

the CSU campus for an ocular
inspection.
The program is pursuant
to Republic Act No. 9593
(Tourism Act of 2009) and
the framework of the National Tourism Development Plan
to support the development of
Philippine Tourism product
and elevate the status of the
country as a highly competitive tourism destination.
It is a joint initiative of
the Department of Tourism
(DOT) and TIEZA to proactively develop strategically
important TEZs.
Among the criteria considered in the choice of a potential site are: the property must
(Turn to page 6)

bikol reporter

halo-halo

Building Rome

ANO PO?

By Mafel R. Barrios, MSES

The Philippines was one

of the last few countries in
Asia that had yet to implement
the K-12 curriculum and was
slammed for being backward
and slow when it came to
educating its children. But
under the regime of President
Benigno Aquino III, the country and its people made a bold
move and pushed for its implementation effective school years
2015-2016.
There had been different arguments and debates on whether
pushing forward with this new curriculum would guarantee the
countrys development. Some argued that it was high time that
the country followed the international curriculum of education,
while some moved to be cautioned because there was fear of
unpreparedness.
Admittedly, applying the K-12 curriculum this year has
proved to be a struggle; the students, their parents, and their
teachers are adjusting to the shift in their annual routines.
But the only way for something to get better is to experiment
something out of ones comfort zone. Like a small bird being
pushed off its nest for the first time to soar high above the
canopies, the country would soon find its grove and fly higher
than we thought we could.
Presently, the different educational institutions in the
country are under the new curriculum. Grade Seven to Ten
students are teaming inside classrooms, not knowing what this
new educational adventure has in store for them. Teachers
themselves are not aware of how the students would take this
new move.
No matter how scary and new things were, we see that
the stakeholders of the educational system are going with the
punches. We see a new resilience in them that we thought not
possible when we were following the old curriculum. We see
that as the days progress the students knowledge and attitude
towards the world change as well. Even the educators have
reached a new level of resourcefulness and skill that seemed
like such a great feat a couple of years back.
Presently, there may be arguments that there are no
significant changes among the children or in the educational
system in general. Some might see only the flaws or the
stumbles taken but if you look at the accomplishments and
changes, no matter how miniscule, you would understand that
the students, their parents, the teacher, and the government
are working towards something bigger than what we can
presently see.
We have made the first step but progress will not continue
if we focus on the negatives rather than the positives. A lot of
tumbles and failures are to be expected; after all, these are all
extremely new to us. Despite this, despite how bad it seems,
we must continue. We must keep in mind that Rome was not
built in a single day.

____________________
About the Author:
Mafel Villamer Relayo-Barrios is a faculty member of Science
Department, Camarines Sur National High School. She earned her
Masters in Environmental Science major in Biochemistry at University
of Nueva Caceres with Excellence Award in Thesis Writing and her
Bachelors Degree in Biology at the same school. And she took her
Special Learning Package (SLP)-Methods of Teaching at Ateneo de
Naga University. Currently, she is finishing her Doctor of Philosophy
in Behavioral Management. She is also a resource speaker in various
topics in Science and a recipient of different awards in the field and in
leadership.

Things we should know about

child protection
By FLORENIA C. TORALDE, Principal II
Iriga Central School, Iriga City
All children have the right to protection. They have the right to
survive, to be safe, to belong, to be heard, to receive adequate
care and to grow up in a protective environment.
A family is the first line of protection for children. Parents
or other caregivers are responsible for building a protective
and loving home environment. Schools and communities are
responsible for building a safe and child-friendly environment
outside the childs home. In the family, school and community,
children should be fully protected so they can survive, grow,
learn and develop to their fullest potential.
Children should be fully protected. Many of them deal
with violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, exclusion and/or
discrimination every day. Such violations limit their chances of
surviving, growing, developing and pursuing their dreams.
We need to understand the importance of child protection in
order to have the opportunity to grow up in a family; b) Every
child has a right to a name and nationality. Registering a childs
birth helps to ensure a childs right to education, health care and
legal and social services. Birth registration is a vital step towards
protection from abuse and exploitation; c) Girls and boys must
be protected from all forms of violence and abuse, neglect and
harmful practices.
Families, communities and authorities are responsible for
ensuring these protection; d) Children must be protected from
all work that is hazardous. Work should not prevent them from
attending school. Children should never be involved in the
worst forms of child labour; e) Girls and boys can be at risk of
sexual abuse and exploitation in their home, school, workplace
or community. Measures should be taken to prevent sexual
abuse and exploitation. Sexually abused and exploited children
need immediate help to stop such abuse.

july 26 - aug. 1, 2015

An po, sabi kan sakong amiga na

si Patty Lacerna, iyo an pinakahalipot na tataramon sa Bikol na dakul an
boot sabihon. Igdi, gagamiton ko an interogatibong kahulugan kaini asin bilang
kawat aramon (inembento kong da kitaramon kan pun sa English) kan apelyido
ni Senadora Grace Poe.
Ano an mapaliwanag kan pangengenot ni Poe ngonyan sa mga boot magin
presidente kan nasyon? Sa hiling ko,
ma-sisimbagan ini kan prasesa English
na pay-back time.
Sabi ni Mar Roxas, igwa siyang track
record nin pagtataong dalan (pagpapaonod sa Rinconada na may konotasyon
nin pagpapairarom siring kan onod kan
duma). Katakod ining klarado sa soboot
pagtaong dalan niya ki Noynoy Aquino
kan huring eleksyon. Soboot, ta may nagsasabi na dai man kaya siya magana kaya
bako siya an pinili kan Liberal Party.
Kaya sa isip ni Roxas asin mga
suportadores niya, its payback time.
Siya dapat an tambudan ni Pinoy, na-

Dis*Karte
*Kusyon
*Kurso
frank peones jr.
garo an Ehekutiba garo pamana. Siring
man an isip kan mga suportadores ni
Poe. Tandaan an pagdaya sa saiyang
ama ni GMA kan maglaban an duwa.
Para sainda, panahon na mabalanse an
baskula na kiniling ni GMA sa saiyan pabor. Its payback time.
Igwa si Poe kan mga kalidad na uyon
sa dehadistang ugali tang mga Filipino.
Sinusurog ta an sa hiling ta maluya. Si
Poe sinasabing kulang sa eksperiencia

sa administrasyon. Alagad, dai ta malingawan na an istorya kan buhay ni

Poe garo man lang ki Nora Aunor. Sarong istoryang Cinderella.Sa nasyon
tang mahilig sa fairy tales, si Poe an
minataong lawas sa pangaturugan
kan mga Filipno na makahawas sa
haloy nang kapagtiosan asin kaapihan. Ini po an nagtataong popularidad ki Poe ngonyan.
Alagad an sarong nasyon bakong
fairy tale. Kun siring pa an paghiling
ta sa governance, panahon na mamukna kita sa realidad. Hubaan ta
an gabos na boot mamoon satuya
kun ano sinda. Sa ngonyan, dai ko
pa nahihiling sa siisay man an agdyenda man lang manongod sa Bikol.
Anodaw po kun manindugan kitang
mga Bikolnon na kun mayo an Bikol
sa saindang radar asin plano, mayong
boto. O mas marhay, suportaran ta na
an sarong awtonomong rehiyon Bikol
nganing magpasar man nin bagong
BBL + Bicol Basic Law.

Using Scientific Terms and Phrases in Teaching Science Subject

By ALMIRA SOTTO-PAJA - Teacher 3
Santiago Young Elementary School
Nabua, Camarines Sur

Through hands-on inquiry instruction,

all pupils can develop context-based
content knowledge along with language
development. Identify inquiry-based
science instruction as beneficial to pupils.
Pupils participate in activities as they learn
vocabulary, pupils work collaboratively and
interact with others about science content,
and hands-on activities offer pupils written,
oral, graphic and kinesthetic forms of
expression. Science activities, intentional
and explicit vocabulary insctruction can
benefit childrens vocabulary and literacy
development as they learn science content.
As pupils combine science experiences
with discussions of words uses and
meanings, their vocabulary and content

inner chess
by j. henry danican

knowledge can grow.

In order for pupils to develop scientific
literacy, they need to gain a knowledge
of science content and practice scientific
h a b i ts o f m i n d . K n o w i n g s c i e n c e
vocabulary supports the development of
these understandings.
By using scientific terms and
phrases during science activities,
science teachers can model scientific
thinking and questioning, including the
doubts and dilemmas that are part of
making sense of the world. The more
opportunities we provide for pupils to
experience scientific endeavors, the more
natural their scientific talk will develop.
We can support pupils information

processing by supplementing auditory

information wiht visual clues. When
we can provide students with multisensory experiences observing and
communicating, it helps all pupils,
especially emerging readers.
Instructions should be given using
a variety of visual or aural support
materials: drawing, diagrams and
pictures to support the spoken word;
written instructions on word cards
along with verbal instructions; set-up
examples to supplement written lab
instructions; audio taped instructions
alongside written directions; pictures
with words in stages of lab procedures
that pupils can learn.

july 26 - aug. 1, 2015

bikol reporter

PhilHealth expands services, benefits

By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay

NAGA
CITY
--PhilHealth beneficiaries can
now be assured of a better
service coverage under the
agencys expanded programs and improved access
to health care providers.
During the Social Health
Insurance and Education
Series (SHInES) for the media of Camarines Sur held
Wednesday at the Villa Caceres Hotel, Dr. Israel Francis
A. Pargas, PhilHEalth OCI
Vice President of Corporate
Affairs Group, said the expanded program now also focuses on kidney patients who
need to undergo hemodialysis
sessions.
Dialysis benefits paid by
PhilHealth in 2014 ranked
second from pneumonia.
Given the immensity of those
undergoing the treatment, we
want to share another good
news that the corporation has
approved an extended dialysis session from 45 days to 90
days in a year. This will be a

great relief to all our indigent

patients who are meeting ends
just to survive every dialysis
session, Pargas added.
For pneumonia cases
alone, PhilHealth extended
P7B to its beneficiaries in
2014. The corporation also
paid a total of P4.5B for dialysis cases in the same year.
PhilHealth members who
want to avail of the package
can go to any accredited Free
Standing Dialysis Centers and
hospitals nationwide.
Treatment of catastrophic
cases like heart ailments,
cancer and kidney transplant
among others, were once delegated to contracted government facilities but recently,
PhilHealth opened its doors
to private hospitals to ensure
that beneficiaries will have
more available choices and
accessible health facilities to
attend to their needs.
Primary health care benefits which were once given
to accredited health care

MABINI WALK

The 2015 National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation

(NDPR) Week and Birth Anniversary of Apolinario Mabini was
celebrated in the city with a walk along the main streets of
Naga participated in by multi-sectoral groups and individuals
and ends at SM City Naga Activity center.

Teaching Strategy in Mathematics

for Elementary Grade School Pupils
By NIDA O. FUENTES - Teacher III
Naipitan Elementary School
Nabua, Camarines Sur
Traditional method of teaching makes the learner to memorize
information, conduct well organized experiments and perform
mathematical calculations using a specific algorithms and
makes them submissive and rule-bound. The traditional teacher
is information giver and the textbook guided classroom have
failed to bring about the desired outcomes of producing thinking
students. A much heralded alternative is to change the focus
of the classroom from teacher dominated to student-centered
using a Constructive Approach.
Mathematics has the ability to confuse, frighten and frustrate
learners of all ages. If a child has negative experience in
mathematics, that experience would affect his/her achievement
as well as attitude towards mathematics during adulthood. The
obvious question is whether students failure to learn mathematics
can be ascribed to problems of curriculum, problem of teaching,
or the student, or perhaps the combination of these.
There are many possible reasons as to why pupils fail in
mathematics. But most of the reasons are related to curriculum
and methods of teaching rather than the students lack of
capacity ot learn that the existing mode of teaching mathematics
in schools has not fulfilled the needs of the vast majority of our
students, and that not nearly enough instructional stress is put
on the higher order skills.

centers and accredited outpatient clinics are now open

to private clinics as part of
PhilHealths expanded access
to its patients, particularly to
the indigents.
Members of the local media in Camarines Sur were
also welcomed by PhilHealth
Regional Office V Regional
Vice President Orlando D.
Iigo, Jr. and acknowledged
their potent force to disseminate and extend the information to their beneficiaries,
particularly those families residing in the remote areas and
provincial outskirts.
Some of the lectures shared
to the media were The National Health Insurance Act of
2013 discussed by Dr. Shirley
B. Domingo, PhilHealth OIC
Area Vice President, Area
II; Membership Program
discoursed by PhillHealths
Member Management Group
OIC-Vice President Alberto
Manduariano; and the New
and Enhanced PhilHealth
Benefits as discussed by Dr.
Pargas.
Before the morning session
ended PhilHealth Corporate
Communication Department
Senior Manager Maria Sophia
B. Varlez briefed the attendees on The Role of the Media
in advocating in the National
Health Insurance Program.
On the second day of the
activity, PhilHealth President and CEO Atty Alexander A Padilla personally led
the Turnover of READY,
TSEKAP, Go simultaneous
nationwide run (SiNaRu)
2015 Proceeds to the Naga
City Children's Home and
the Agta Tabangnon Tribe of
Buhi, Camarines Sur.
PhilHealth was able to
raise P1.1Million for the said
beneficiaries.

Popularizing Climate Change

LEGAZPI CITY - Communicating climate change
in a language understandable to the ordinary citizen
will be the focus of a threeday
seminar-workshop
slated July 30-August 1,
2015 here, the president of
the organizer said.
The
seminar-workshop
called Climate Change:
Gets mo na ba? will be attended by media professionals and practitioners in the
region, according to Roman
F. Floresca, the president of

7K SWIM

the Philippine Agricultural

Journalists, Inc.(PAJI) which
organized the workshop.
The impacts of climate
change on agriculture and
food security, communicating climate change through
various media , and even
laymanizing its terminologies, are but some of the topics to be discussed by invited
resource speakers like House
Committee Chair on Climate
Change, Rep. Rodel M. Batocabe, Broadcasters Louie
Tabing and Angelo Palmo-

nes, and even Komisyon ng

Wikang Filipino Chair Virigilio Almario.
The
seminar-workshop
is sponsored by PAJI, Metro
Pacific Investments Corporation, Smart Communications,
Inc. Philex Mining Corporation, Department of Agriculture; and co-sponsored by
CGIAR Research Program
on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security of
Southeast Asia, International
Rice Research Institute and
World Agro-Forestry Center.

jmts/rbmjr/junpasa/mmec

The Caramoan 7K Swim Challenge held on July 12, 2015 was a surreal commune with nature
for the 152 participants all adrenaline junkies who braved the elements of the first island
hopping race course and successfully made it to the finish line. CamSur Gov. Migz Villafuerte
is continuously promoting Caramoan Peninsula as an adventurers lair given its excellent rep
as Survivor TV series favorite location.

Teaching Science Through Inquiry Personnel Management Supporting

General Management

By JOY ANNE DAPITO

Teacher III
Iriga Central School
Iriga City

By SHENA AWA AMPONGAN

Public Attorneys Office
Iriga City District Office, Iriga City

I had always found my day-to-day work as a teacher exciting

simply because I teach Science, a subject that is so full of
discoveries as all other Science teachers like me will agree.
But most importantly, I find the same excitement when I see my
pupils find new discoveries.
Science is taught well and effectively through inquiry and
considering how curious young boys and girls are, they do
not stop asking until they get answered and it is to them a
discovery. That keeps them ask for more and the teacher does
enjoy working with them and feeding their young minds with
more inquiries.
Teaching Science through inquiry results in active learning.
As a Science teacher I also use problem solving through
inquiries but I encourage my pupils to formulate their own
problems. I likewise involve them in collaborative learning. This
is to them the chance to work and study and learn together. This
is something I see they enjoy very much. Aside from learning
Science, they get to learn how to deal with one another and
become not just classmates but friends as well. Grouped
together, the pupils get to know the meaning of dependence,
a healthy exercise. As I watch my pupils work and eventually
get to the answers to their inquiries, I could see them face one
another like they y have climbed a wall. To myself, I say Eureka
like the famous mathematician-scientist who gave that work its
magic.
Of course, I have not stopped to use instructional materials
some of which the pupils improvised among themselves.
This makes up the excitement of a Science teacher. I am that
Science teacher who derive fun and intellectual entertainment
from my pupils through the use of inquiry method.
I would not trade Science for another subject for all the fun
that teaching the subject is giving me.

It would not be wrong to say that personnel management is

indispensable to general management. After all, it could be the
key to the various documents that any organization keep and
these documents are valuable.
Personnel management is a significant part of management
which is concerned with employees at work and with their
relationship with the organization, it functions us to obtain use
and maintain a satisfied workforce.
It also tackles compensation integration of people for the
purpose of contributing to the organization individual and
societal goals. Its nature includes the function of employment,
development and compensation. These functions are performed
primarily by the personnel officer in consultation with the
department, this is what makes the personnel manager of
importance in any organization considering that his office
is practically and extension of general management. It is
connected with promoting and stimulating competent work force
to make their fullest contribution to the organization. It exists to
advice and assist the line managers in personnel matters and
this makes the function of the office of Personnel Management
crucial.
Personnel Management lays employee on action rather than
making lengthy schedules, plans and methods. The problem
and grievances of people at work can be solved more effectively
through national personnel policy. Thus, it could be rightly said
that the office of Personnel Management goes beyond not just
handling the workforce but that it could help solve the problems
and grievances of employees at work.
Based on human orientation, it tries to help the workers
to develop their potential fully to the concern. It motivates
the employees through its effective incentive plan so that the
employees provide fullest cooperation.

july 26 - aug. 1, 2015

bikol reporter

Factors affecting learning achievement

By LUNINGNING DAGATAN NAGRAMPA
Teacher III
San Vicente Sur Elementary School
Iriga City Division
Quality Education is the governments primary concern
in todays competitive world. Its aim is to develop highly
competitive learners who can face and cope up with todays
fast rising technological advancements.
But what is happening to the kind of students we have today
based from the results of the national Achievement Test in its
General Achievement Level? It is far back from the expected
passing mark of 75%. With the personal opinion that I have,
the kind of result can be traced from the kind of classroom
management that we give to every lesson we undertake.
The following factors has a need to be revisited by each and
everyone of us.
1. Time Management. How do we spend time in the delivery
of lessons since a lot should happen in the classroom in a very
limited time?
2. Mastery of the subject matter. Do we prepare the needed
plans and materials before the lesson and study it well?
3. Activities. Do we give the appropriate activities for the
skill we are supposed to develop and do it interest our learner
based from the contents of the curriculum?
5. Assignment. Does it reinforce the skill taught and prepares
the student for the next lesson?
6. Attendance. Do we consider the reasons of our pupils in
not attending school?
7. Touch. Do we go further beyond the teacher-pupil relations
and friends and consider children as our own?
These, my friends are just some of the basics. Let us think
about them further for the students depend on us a lot. Let us
all be teacher-friends to them in its truest sense.

AFFIDAVIT OF SELF-ADJUDICATION
OF SOLE HEIR
Notice is hereby given that MATHIAS RULL VELASCO
is the only surviving son and sole heir of the late Sps.
MATIAS L. VELASCO and REMEDIOS R. VELASCO,
who died intestate on October 26, 2013 and July 2,
2015, respectively at Naga City, Camarines Sur,
Philippines, leaving no LAST WILL or TESTAMENT
and no known debts or obligations; that said deceased
left parcels of agricultural and commercial/residential
lands and buildings in Naga City and Camarines Sur
and several business establishments in Naga City;
that said Heir adjudicate unto himself the entire estate;
as acknowledged before Notary Public Atty. Carlo
C. Villanueva, Jr., Doc. No. 112, Page No. 23, Book
No.146, Series of 2015.
BIKOL REPORTER
Published: July 26; August 2 and 9, 2015

AFFIDAVIT OF LOSS AND UNDERTAKING

Notice is hereby given that JANE KRISTIN F. LAZADO
of legal age and resident of St. Joseph Compound,
Jacob Extn. Liboton, Naga City is the daughter of
JOSE B. FEDERIZON, planholder of LOYOLA PLANS
CONSOLIDATED, INC. having been issued a Contract No.
211044-0 and Certificate of Full Payment No. 21049748;
said Contract and Certificate were inadvertently lost and
could not be found; that Jane Kristin F. Lazado have
executed this Affidavit and Undertaking for the purpose
of attesting to the veracity and truth of all facts mentioned
and for the Replacement of the Policy Contract and
Certificate of Full Payment; as acknowledged before
Notary Public Atty. Carlo C. Villanueva, Jr., Doc. No.
241, Page No. 49, Book No.144, Series of 2015.
BIKOL REPORTER
Published: July 12, 19 and 26, 2015

PNP-Bicol chief vows . . .

our children and their children, the PNP Bicol chief
said.
Fishermen, especially in
Masbate and Albay's west
coast, have complained that
illegal fishers, mostly commercial fishers, operating
in Bicol waters come from
Zamboanga, Negros Occidental, Iloilo and Quezon
provinces.
These groups are operating within the waters of
Burias Pass and Asid Gulf.
There is another group,
the Lucena-Quezon group,
which operates in Burias
Pass and Ragay Gulf, the
complaining local fishermen
added.
Also operating in these

areas are the Bicol group and

the Navotas-Malabon-Cebu,
which also operate in Sibuyan Sea and are equipped with
state-of-the-art fish finders
and armed men, they said.
At nighttime, the Burias
Pass is like a "city of light"
or a metropolis due to the
presence of mushrooming
"pangulong"
commercial
fishing vessels with super
lights and equipped with
fish finders and sonar detectors, and haul fish, big
or small, sadly destroying
the coral reefs, coastal villagers in Albay's west coast
claimed.
They said the pangulong
operation is the most damaging in Bicol waters.

PRC spearheads DRR law . . .

The discussant also shared
the operational phase of the
CBFEWS which includes
consultation meeting with
the LGUs where roles and responsibilities of stakeholders
are explained, site survey and
ocular inspection, installation
of monitoring facilities, flood
signage and hydrographic
surveys and on-site training
of observers.
Anna De Castro, Spanish Red Cross delegate also
shared her insights on empowering communities and
LGUs in implementing inclusive development programs
in the Philippines.
The bottom line of in-

clusive Disaster Risk Management is that everybody is

safer and no one is left out.
Also to instigate a successful
DRM, we need the people to
participate in the decisionmaking process. This means
that they are involved and
can be active participants in
DRM initiatives, De Castro
added.
Some of the topics covered
during the entire duration of
the training include Basic
Orientation on Disability and
Development, Understanding
Gender, Development and
DRR, and Importance of Advocacy in Development Planning, among others.

Proposed agri-tourism . . .
be at least 50 hectares with a
clean title to develop it; must
be accessible to an airport,
seaport or national road; has
basic utilities such as water
supply, power, and information technology;
has a comprehensive land
use plan; must have tourism
resources, and the owners
must be willing to enter into
a partnership with TIEZA and
commit to the implementation of the master plan.
Gov. Wong, along with the
CSU President Dr. Minerva
Morales, agreed that CSU
meets all the criteria required
by TIEZA and that it has more
to offer as shown by its business plan for the establish-

ment of an Agri-Ecotourism
and Conservative Park.
According to Gov. Wong,
Catanduanes has a very strong
potential of becoming a green
tourism destination owing to
its vast natural resources and
rich potential for tourism development. -PIA

Since Deona's assumption in his post, several

pangulong vessels owned
by Quezon province mayors
operating in Masbate and

Sorsogon waters have been

apprehended by his men,
who have filed cases that
are now under court litigation. - PNA

from my window . . .
citizens (remember everybody will become a senior citizen),
quality infrastructures, housing assistance to OFWs, etc. Binay
believes that having an education is a way to get employment
and get out of poverty.
*****
Because of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law pushed by
the Aquino administration to have peace with the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front who are rebels, there are now people proposing
a federal-parliamentary form of government for our country.
Among them are former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr.,
former Supreme Court Justice Puno, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo
Duterte and others. There is merit and demerit to this.
When I was studying in the School of Foreign Service, we
studied the different forms of government in different countries
around the world. I was impressed by the federal form of
government in Switzerland, a small country but very progressive.
That was the form of government I believed would be good for
the Philippines. But as many years passed by, I have changed
by mind. It may be good for the Swiss but not for the people of
the Philippines because of their temperament.
First, will federalism apease the MILF? What they want is
a state or sub-state, our territory (land, air, water) and natural
resources as provided in the BBLs Articles on Territory and
wealth-sharing among other provisions which do not conform
with our Constitution. The Constitution already gives some
regions autonomy like the Autonomous Region of Muslim
Mindanao which can be expanded but they do not want that.
I have always been in favor of amending the 1987 Constitution
because it was made by hand-picked delegates of former
President Corazon C. Aquino and not by elected delegates of
the people. There are many good parts in this Constitution but
there are also parts that need to be removed or changed.
I prefer the presidential system of government and that we
go back to the two-party system. In a presidential system, the
people vote directly for President, Vice President and others. In
a federal-parliamentary system, the head of state is the Prime
Minister and he is elected by the members of the Parliament.
Moneyed people like drug lords, gambling lords, may easily bribe
or threaten a majority of three hundred members of Parliament
but not the fifty million voters in a presidential system. The
Prime Minister has no term limit of office. He or she can be
Prime Minister for life.
I want senators elected by region not nationally. With two
senators per region, in the seventeen (17) administration
regions, the nation will elect thirty-four (34) senators: 2 from
the National Capital Region, 14 from the rest of Luzon, 6 from
Visayas and 12 from Mindanao. Visayas and Mindanao will have
18 out of 34 senators. Imperial Manila will get two.
The regional representatives will greatly improve. Senatorial
campaign cost will be reduced sharply. More, better and abler
candidates may be encouraged to run for senator. Behavior of
senators could change because by being elected nationally,
they think they are presidentiables.
The President and Vice President should be elected as a
team. The Vice President should automatically preside over
the Senate.
Well, let there be my little contribution to the free market of
ideas as of the moment.

for june
Name of Deceased

Date of Interment

RAFAEL C. WARDE SR.

June 5, 2015

GEMMA A. SAN BUENAVENTURA

June 2, 2015

ISABELITA ALFONSO

June 4, 2015

VICENTE AZAA

June 7, 2015

RODOLFO C. CLAVECILLA

June 7, 2015

ROSARIO A. BEBONIA

June 5, 2015

JOSE C. REBLANDO

June 11, 2015

SILVERIO U. ABENDAO

June 10, 2015

ESMERALDA S. TARROBAGO

June 13, 2015

EDGARDO N. DE LAS LLAGAS

June 17, 2015

RITA B. GARCHITORENA

June 15, 2015

SABAS B. RAZON SR.

June 16, 2015

JOVITA S. BOLO

June 19, 2015

JOAQUIN F. PEREZ JR.

June 23, 2015

ROSARIO R. SAN BUENAVENTURA

June 23, 2015

ALEJANDRO V. BATHAN

June 24, 2015

ERLINDA H. MANLANGIT

June 27, 2015

MANUEL C. ANTONIO

June 27, 2015

JOSEPH O. LAZATIN

June 30, 2015

july 26 - aug. 1, 2015

bikol reporter

Speak English There is No Stopping

There is no way we can
run away from using English
accepted as a medium of
communication in the
academe. Whether the subject
is Mathematics or Science or
Literature, the medium used
is English. It is ironic that even
Filipino can not be taught
by using pure Filipino which
cannot be understood by many
Filipinos so that English has to
be resorted to. The medium of
communication in business is
English. Businessmen meet
for meetings and deliberate
in that language. Contracts
and every single documents
are in English. Sessions in
courts, whether in the higher

By NOEL CALLEJA PANGA

English Subject Coordinator
Rinconada National Technical Vocational School
Sto. Domingo, Iriga City

or lower courts, are conducted

in English. The police blotter
is written in English no matter
how it is done. . Congress
and Senate hold sessions in
English so it is expected that
the privilege speeches of our
honorable lawmakers are
delivered in that language.
Pronunciation does not matter
since the Visayan will obviously
carries a Visayan accent as
much as the Batangueno
carries his.
And how do we account
for the use of this language?.

24K PAWNSHOP

General Luna St., Naga City

AUCTION SALE

on AUGUST 7, 2015 of
all unredeemed articles pledged from JANUARY
- FEBRUARY 2015 at 9:00 a.m.
BIKOL REPORTER
Published: JULY 26, 2015

R. GUINHAWA PAWNSHOP
General Luna St., Naga City

AUCTION SALE

on AUGUST 14, 2015

of all unredeemed articles pledged from JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2015 at 9:00 a.m.
BIKOL REPORTER
Published: JULY 26, 2015

Obviously, the teacher, the

businessman, the Senator and
the Congressman like all other
started to learn the use of the
language in school.
It is kind of nostalgivc that
our forebears speak of their
time and proudly proclaim
that even as a elementary
grader, they could use the
language with facility and
felt very comfortable with the
foreign language.
This is not sour graping.
Obviously, it is never too late
to learn to speak the English
language with ease. It has only
to be spoken in every available
time and the best time and
the most appropriate one is
to use it in school specifically,
in the English class where the
medium has to be used at all
time, every time and there is
no turning back. Learning to
speak English is a matter of
getting used to it and to get
used to it means it be forcibly
imposed. So, the students
have no choice but to use the
language because they should
and eventually, they get used
to it and presto! the students do
not feel that it is an imposition
but that it is something learned

to their advantage.
It becomes therefore some
kind of necessity to impose
the use of the language by
students not limiting its use
in English classes but in
other classes and if possible
throughout the campus. If
this is a policy it has to be an
imposition.
The beautiful thing about
this policy is when the
students realized that they
are being helped to become
communicative when they
start looking for employment.
After all, as they will learn
later, as graduates they will
be interviewed in English, they
will speak to their respective
publics in English as they will
write reports or whatever in the
same language.
Believe it or not, but one
gets outright respect when
he communicates in a
language that is universal
and that language he learned
by using the language in
school considerably the best
time the school. You want to
be respected intellectually?
Thats easy. Speak a universal
language; speak English and
people will pay you attention
because they understand you
and speaking English does
mean it is not an exercise on
futility.

Legazpi backs green . . .

The idea of green tourism
means you should be thinking
about what happens when a
tourist gets here. We must offer our environment as something that is respectable not
only because ours is a community that is highly livable
but also as a sensational place
of travel, the mayor said on
Tuesday.
Green tourism, which is
line with the city governments
green economy advocacy that
promotes climate-smart and
environment-friendly practices for sustainable development, he said, should also
cover facilities, activities and
services made available to
tourists that are friendly to the
environment. Rosal defined
sustainable development as
a process for meeting human
development goals while sustaining the ability of natural
systems to continue to provide
the natural resources and ecosystem services upon which
the economy and society depend. As of now, the mayor
said, the city government is
in the process of consolidating ideas for the rational and
effective use of the environmental hotspots resource
efficiency, solid waste management, natural resource
management, green transportation, water management and
energy efficiency through renewable sources as means
for catalyzing renewed policy
development, cooperation and
support of sustainable development.
Jose Briones, the former
Albay provincial tourism officer, said green tourism is
best for the city to prove to its
tourism marketing slogan as
a City of Fun and Adventure
and for its getting the recognition as one of the three Most
Livable City in the country.

The recognition came from

last years Livable Cities Design Challenge sponsored by
the United States Assistance
for International Development
and organized, among others,
by the National Competitive
Commission, World Wildlife
Fund, Alliance for Safe and
Sustainable Reconstruction
(ASSURE) and Asia Society and Urban Land Institute
(ULI).
Green Tourism, according
to Briones, is literally mandated under Republic Act 9593 or
the Tourism Act of 2009 that
seeks to promote a tourism
industry that is ecologically
sustainable, responsible, participative, culturally sensitive,
economically viable, and ethically and socially equitable
for local communities. The
same law ensures for local
government units (LGUs) the
preparation and implementation of tourism development
plans that integrate zoning,
land use, infrastructure development, heritage and environmental protection imperatives
in a manner that encourages
sustainable tourism development. The city government,
in accordance with this law,
has its tourism development
plan, which it reviews and updates every year and for next
year, Rosal said, we are focusing more on strengthening
green tourism whose greater
economic impacts would go
down to communities. He
calls it the socially sustainable
community-based tourism
meaning, tourism activities
that are developed and operated, for the most part, by local community members and
a reasonable share of the revenues are enjoyed by the community in one way or another.
Another important feature
of community-based tourism

The roaring spirit

of volunteerism
By Mafel R. Barrios, MSES

Filipinos are known for a

lot of good qualities. We are
known for our hospitality,
our love for family, and our
volunteerism. It becomes
evident that helping others
comes naturally to us no
matter where we are or who we are helping.
Last May 18 to 24, the Department of Education (DepEd)
once again implemented the BRIGADA program, otherwise
known as the National Schools Week. This program, apart
from providing help for the different educational institutions
around the city, aims to provide a clear and tangible image
of a group of people working together towards a common
goal: the future of our children.
In the BRIGADA program, parents, as well as members
of the fire department and the Philippine Army, worked
together to beautify and fix the different schools around
the city. There were different things to be done. There were
tasks like gardening, carpentry, painting, and the occasional
scrubbing. The different volunteers were divided by clusters
based on their talents and skills.
The BRIGADA program was created by DepEd to
provide assistance to the different schools when it comes to
any last minute improvements needed before the children
are admitted to school. Here, the volunteers helped one
another landscape the area or trim the bushes, or even
pick up fallen leaves. Some, who have passion for wood
working picked up nails and hammers and started working
on broken floor boards, busted chairs, and leaning tables.
There were some who even helped with re-plastering walls
or repainting them. And others helped fix electric wiring.
The scenario that took five days looked like a piece of
clockwork. Everyone was doing his part, different people
performing different functions, all contributing to one goal.
The volunteers worked without making one another feel like
it was a burden; they made it feel like it was passion they
had, the work was hard but it wasnt heavy.
People often do work for the sake of getting something
in return but the BRIGADA program proved otherwise. The
flame of volunteerism and love for children roared louder
with every sack of cement the volunteers helped carry,
with every streak of paint wiped across the walls, with the
nails being pound into the wood, and with the laughter and
conversation that went on between and among each other.
DepEd as well as the different educators understand that
there are a lot of lessons that can be taught outside the
classroom. The BRIGADA program does more than help
beautify schools or fix broken equipment. It shows children
that no effort exerted is irrelevant. Little hands working
together, no matter how small the task, create something of
substantial relevance to the community in general.
The BRIGADA program was more than something the
DepEd implemented. It exuberates the Filipinos inclination
to help no matter what. It teaches the children and the
entirety of the country that anyone can help and that if
everyone helps, good things are bound to happen.

is its respect for local culture,

heritage and traditions as its
system actually reinforces and
sometimes, rescues these and
implies respect and concern
for the natural heritage, particularly where the environment is one of the attractions.
The most important aspect of
community-based tourism development is planning, which
ensures sustainability involving community awareness
and education that would not
only keep people interested
and supportive but prepared
to take advantage of opportunities. We are developing
local tourism in innovative
ways through communities,
including various individuals
and groups, small business
owners, entrepreneurs, local
associations and the city government, given that the development of these industries
is a growing phenomenon as
communities respond to the
opportunities of tourism, Rosal said.
In pushing for more green
tourism-focused
development, he said, various projects, supported with huge
funds by the Aquino admin-

istration, are under works in

the citythe biggest of these
is the Php2.1-billion mega
flood control project that is
set to be completed before the
end of this year. Another is
the mega tourism highway
project, an about 10-kilometer paved road network that
will connect the city with the
New Legazpi Airport (also
called Southern Luzon International Airport), bypassing
the traffic-congested Daraga
town. The new airport, which
now ongoing construction in
Barangay Alobo, Daraga, is a
national government project
of over Php4-billion in funds
while the mega tourism highway is also ongoing through
the Php200-million fund of
the Department of Public
Works and Highways. Part of
the local and national governments public investment for
access roads leading to tourist destinations, according to
Rosal, this new road traverses
several upland villages along
the southern sector of the city
to become the new local investment haven and another
site for green tourism development.

PNP-Bicol chief vows end to illegal fishing

regional exponent for progress

outstanding local newspaper

For Five Consecutive Years by the St. Peter
Baptist Catholic Mass Media Awards

BIKOL
REPORTER

july 26-Aug. 1, 2015

LEGAZPI CITY -- Chief

Supt. Victor P. Deona,
Philippine National Police
(PNP) Bicol regional police
director, vowed to continue
the PNP-Bicols unwavering fight against illegal
fishing in the Region.
Deona made the assurance
to the public amid efforts to
destroy the image of the PNP
by those heavily affected by
their no-nonsense campaign
against illegal fishing in the
waters of the region.
Upon his assumption as
Bicols top cop, he immediately issued a stern marching
order to his men: stop illegal fishing, illegal logging,
drugs, illegal gambling and
loose firearms.
As a result of their numerous apprehensions of illegal
fishers in the region and the
filing of charges against the
owners of fishing vessels
they caught, some of whom
are government officials in
other region, a black propaganda has been issued thru

the social media about police

officers as among those who
receive payola from illegal
fishermen.
Deona confirmed the
presence of payola, which,
he said, he immediately

stopped upon assumption as

PNP Bicol regional director
two years ago, making illegal fishers mad with him.
Since then, he has always
reminded his men in the field
to fight illegal fishing in their

respective territories.
Theres heavy pressure
on the PNP but we are serious
in our campaign to save our
marine resources, Deona
said, adding, "while there is
time, we need to act together
to curtail illegal fishing."
Records show that 60 percent of big-time commercial
fishers in the country go fishing in Bicol waters owing to
its rich fishing grounds, and
the most affected areas are
the Burias Pass, Ragay Gulf
and Pasacao-Quezon seas.
I assure you that under my watch there will no
longer be untouchables in
our campaign against illegal
fishing in Bicol. We mean
business in the PNP regional command. Were happy
that Congressman Fernando
Gonzalez and the city government of Ligao initiated
the anti-illegal fishing drive.
We hope that other LGus
will follow the same effort
to save our seas as a gift to
(Turn to page 6)

DRR TRAINING

CSur PIA head Ana Liza Macatangay joins Dir. Mely de Guzman,
Spanish Red Cross delegate Anna De Castro, Pambansang
Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan (PKKK) Sec. Gen.
Amparo Miciano, during the DRR law and advocacy training
at the Macagang Business Center Hotel and Resort in Nabua
last week.

PRC spearheads DRR law,

advocacy training in CSur
By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay
NABUA, Camarines Sur
--- As an integral part of
the Philippine Red Cross
mission to empower local
communities and local government units (LGUs) particularly during the most
vulnerable times, PRC Camarines Sur spearheaded
a 5-day Regional training
in understanding Disaster
Risk Reduction (DRR) and
strengthening
advocacy
training held at Macagang
Business Center here.
More than 50 participants
coming from the youth sector, local government units
of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, local media
personalities and other stakeholders took their time to listen to invited resource speakers and experts on the field of
disaster management.
PRC Cam Sur OIC Chapter Administrator Allyn Agtarap explained the corporate
and political nature of LGUs
and their significant responsibility to their constituents
specifically during the occurrence of calamities and similar disasters.

It is very important to
empower local communities.
Whatever they will learn
here, like how to properly
plan before disaster strikes or
the appropriate things to do
during the disaster will surely
save lives, spare casualties
and will minimize harm to
our properties.
PAG ASA-DOST Carlo
Magno Ancheta was also
invited to talk about Community Based Flood Early
Warning System (CBFEWS)
and discussed mitigating operational structures that integrate people, institutions and
instrumentation for an effective DRM implementation.
The basic elements discussed which includes timely
weather forecast and news
releases, observation of rainfall and flood levels, relay of
information to flood response
teams and disaster agencies,
decision to evacuate by flood
response team and evacuation of communities are
meant to save human lives
and mitigate damages caused
by natural hazards.
(Turn to page 6)