Legarda Supports Government’s Ecotourism Boost

Senator Loren Legarda today welcomed the government’s plan to boost ecotourism through a partnership project between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Legarda, a staunch environmentalist, said that the Philippines has already been hailed as the World’s Center of Marine Biodiversity – the epicentre of biodiversity and evolution. However, the country is also one of the world’s top biodiversity hotspots, with a large number of species that are endangered or threatened of extinction.

“It is sad to note that the unique biodiversity that our country is greatly blessed with is deeply threatened by irresponsible acts. But I am hopeful that this partnership project between the DENR and DOT will promote the natural attractions in our country while ensuring environmental conservation and sustainable development,” she stressed.

The DENR-DOT project is called “Partnerships for Biodiversity Conservation: Mainstreaming in Local Agricultural Landscapes,” which will primarily promote the natural wonders of Agusan del Norte, Aklan, Antique, Cagayan, Capiz, Davao Oriental, Negros Occidental, Occidental Mindoro, Quirino and Palawan.

Part of the program’s goal is to educate tourists about the need to protect and preserve the environment, while generating livelihood opportunities that would encourage local communities to pursue sustainable development.

“We must refrain from undertaking activities that would result to loss of biodiversity such as land degradation, especially overgrazing and deforestation, as well as pollution, overfishing, hunting, species invasion, land-use change, and the overuse of freshwater,” Legarda said.

“We are confronted with the task of protecting our country’s unique but endangered biodiversity. Pursuing a kind of development that has genuine regard for the state of our natural wealth has never become more crucial than today. We would want to promote our natural resources, but the greater challenge is for all of us to make our environment cleaner, greener and safer for future generations,” Legarda concluded.

Legarda: PNoy’s Visit to MILF Camp, Another Milestone in Peace Process

Senator Loren Legarda today hailed the visit of President Benigno Aquino III to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s main camp as another milestone in the peace process.

“I support the government in its programs for the Bangsamoro people. It is a good sign that even before a formal peace agreement is signed between the government and the MILF, the administration of President Aquino has already started providing the much-needed basic services for the people of Mindanao,” Legarda said.

President Aquino visited the MILF main camp today to distribute Philhealth cards, and launch various services on education, social welfare and technical skills training.

“I am hopeful that this significant step taken by the government will gain the trust and faith of the Bangsamoro people and of the whole nation that the peace process is really underway, because ink on parchment alone cannot solve the problem. Any peace agreement will not be successful without an economic package. And it’s not enough that resources are made available. Resources must be translated into jobs, livelihoods, food, education, healthcare, and welfare for the Bangsamoro people,” Legarda concluded.

Legarda Joins Filipino-Chinese Community in Celebrating 2013 Chinese New Year

Senator Loren Legarda expressed solidarity with the Filipino-Chinese community as she enjoined all Filipinos to share in the celebration of the 2013 Chinese New Year.

“I wish to extend my warmest greetings to all Filipino-Chinese on the occasion of the 2013 Chinese New Year. The Filipino-Chinese community has played a key role in the economic and cultural development of the country. They are known not only for their acumen in entrepreneurship, but also for their deep sense of volunteerism and corporate social responsibility,” Legarda said.

“For centuries, Filipino and Chinese communities have had extensive ties. Our relationship then was primarily built on trade and commerce, but it has gradually evolved so as to encompass the economic, and socio-cultural history of the Philippines,” she added. “We must cultivate the good relationship that our two cultures have forged.”

Legarda is co-author of the bill declaring the Chinese New Year as a special working holiday in the Philippines. The proposed measure has been approved by both the Senate and the House.

“Under this bill, we aim to recognize the immense contribution of the Filipino-Chinese in the Philippines and further strengthen the ties that bind us,” she concluded.

PBB facts disseminated to PDEA VIII employees

 

 

            Palo, Leyte – Much has been said about the Performance- Based Bonus (PBB) which government employees had been awaiting since December of last year, but to date has not yet been received by any of the government offices in the Eastern Visayas region, including PDEA.

 

 

            On January 30, 2103, a workshop was conducted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for information officers/agency spokespersons of different government agencies regarding the Performance Based at the Central Office. The workshop aimed to cascade information from the heads of offices down to the employees to address their queries and concerns about the PBB.

 

 

            As per verbal instructions of the Director General, all service directors, regional directors and chiefs of offices were directed to inform their personnel on the PBB ratings they will receive according to their forced  rankings.

 

 

            To aid in this task, the Office of the Chief, PIO sent scanned copies of the PBB Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and the PBB powerpoint presentation to the services, regional offices and offices attached to the National Headquarters

 

 

            Said FAQs was posted in the information corner of PDEA RO VIII as a must-read material for all personnel.

             

PDEA RD visits Baybay SP Session

 

            Baybay City – Atty. Gil T. Pabilona, PDEA RO VIII Regional Director, personally appeared before Hon. Michael L. Cari, Vice Mayor and the Sangguniang Panglungsod of the City of Baybay, yesterday, February 4, 2013 to espouse PDEA’s request for satellite and/or liaison offices in the different cities and provinces of the Eastern Visayas region.

 

            Following a brief meeting with Mr. Deogracias Pernitez, City Administrator of Baybay City, Atty. Pabilona proceeded to the City Legislative Building where the SP was conducting its regular weekly session.

 

            Vice-Mayor Michael L. Cari reiterated the city’s desire to accommodate PDEA within its territorial boundaries, as a protective and control measure against the proliferation of dangerous drugs in the city. “We are aware that by its proximity to Ormoc, our fast-developing city could become a logical extension of the drug pushers that abound there,” the vice-mayor said. “to prevent this, we are once again extending our invitation to PDEA to establish a satellite or liaison office here.”

 

            Atty. Pabilona welcomed the invitation, saying that it is his duty to ensure that PDEA presence will be felt all over the region, particularly in the cities where there is greater chances for exposure to illicit drug use and trafficking. “I thank the city of Baybay for recognizing that the drug menace exists and for taking the initiative to pre-empt the situation.”

 

            Atty. Pabilona indicated that he will be gracing the SP session in the near future to forward PDEA’s proposed legislation for control and eradication of the drug menace in the city.

 

Legarda Hopes for Passage of World Interfaith Harmony Week Bill

Senator Loren Legarda, author of Senate Bill No. 3276 or the World Interfaith Harmony Week Bill, said that the measure has been approved on third reading in the Senate and now awaits the concurrence of the House of Representatives.

"I hope that the World Interfaith Harmony Week Bill will be passed by the House before the close of Fifteenth Congress next week. The rationale of the UN resolution is a need to find genuine understanding amongst people of different faiths and belief systems. This finds resonance in the Philippines, as we will certainly benefit from dialogues between leaders and representatives of religious institutions. The harmony we are pushing for is democratic, and built on effective communication and mutual respect," she explained.

The proposed measure will mandate all government agencies and instrumentalities on the first week of February every year to carry out the observance of activities designed to advance the message of harmony and goodwill in accordance with religious traditions and practices.

"Gatherings and activities for World Interfaith Harmony Week have been held in various countries across the world with diverse backgrounds, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Italy, and Jordan. Even in our country, the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP) staged a gathering in Zamboanga City in honor of inter-religious cooperation. Beginning 2014, we can conduct nationwide immersion programs and educational discussions geared towards forging lasting friendships," she added.

"I believe that this measure will greatly contribute to easing any conflict or tension caused by differing religious beliefs in the country," Legarda concluded.

Legarda Bats for Mandatory Healthcare Coverage for Indigent Filipinos

Senator Loren Legarda today stressed the importance of the passage of a measure that would institutionalize mandatory healthcare coverage for poor families in the country.

Legarda, principal author and co-sponsor of Senate Bill 2849 which aims to amend the charter of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), said that even as the national government is doing its share to cover the health insurance needs of indigent Filipinos, a law that will institutionalize such arrangement is needed to ensure continuity of the program.

“It is encouraging that through the Department of Health’s Kalusugan Pangkalahatan, the poorest 20% of Filipinos identified in the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction have been automatically enrolled by the national government to PhilHealth. It is now the task of Congress to institutionalize this program through an amended National Health Insurance Act,” she explained.

The Senator pointed out that the bill, which was recently approved on Second Reading, mandates that an affordable and accessible healthcare coverage should be made available to all citizens and that the national government will subsidize the contributions for indigent enrollees and abandoned children.

“As we race to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, the health of the public deserves to be on top in the scheme of priorities of the government. By institutionalizing this program through the Amended National Health Insurance Act, we can extend quality and cost-effective healthcare to families in need,” Legarda concluded.

Legarda Stresses Need for Better Regulation of Environmental Planning Profession

Stressing the crucial role of environmental planners in the development of sustainable communities and ecosystems, Senator Loren Legarda said that there is a need for a more responsive and comprehensive regulation of environmental planning practice in the country.

Legarda, principal author of Senate Bill 3138, the Environmental Planning Act of 2012 recently approved on Second Reading, said that the law regulating the practice of Environmental Planning in the Philippines, Presidential Decree No. 1308, was enacted more than 30 years ago and many parts of the law have to be updated.

“Senate Bill 3138 provides a more responsive and comprehensive regulation for the registration, licensing and practice of the profession of Environmental Planning in light of local and international developments in the field, which encompasses a plethora of planning concerns such as climate change, natural and built environments, subdivision planning, disaster prevention/mitigation/response, among others,” she explained.

“With the need of the national government and local government units (LGUs) for various types of planning for the super-regions, regions, provinces, districts, cities, and municipalities, it is imperative that these environmental planners are proven competent to perform such sensitive tasks and to assume the attendant professional responsibilities and civil liabilities for their prepared, signed and sealed plans,” Legarda said.

The bill also proposes a clearer definition of the practice of Environmental Planning and the expansion of the types of academic degrees required to qualify for the licensure examination, likewise providing for continuing professional education to make Philippine Environmental Planners globally recognized and competitive.

Legarda Pushes for Declaration of Waling-Waling as Nat’l Flower

Senator Loren Legarda is pushing for the declaration of the Waling-Waling as another national flower to make its beauty known to the whole country and to the world.

“The Waling-Waling’s beauty adorns our treetops, especially in Davao, Cotabato, and Zamboanga where it is endemic. But there are threats to its survival, as the flowers that grow and thrive in the wild are harvested for commercial and decorative purposes, and their habitat is destroyed by deforestation,” Legarda said.

In October 2012, Legarda filed Senate Bill 3307, or An Act Declaring the Waling-Waling Orchid as National Flower of the Philippines in Addition to Sampaguita as Declared in Proclamation No. 652 Dated 01 February 1934 by Governor-General Frank Murphy.

The bill, which was submitted for the Senate’s approval under Committee Report 497, was passed on second reading on January 28.

“The approval of this measure will place the Waling-Waling under protection, as it will mandate the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources to promulgate rules and regulations for conserving and propagating the Waling-Waling orchid together with Sampaguita,” the Senator stressed.

The Waling-Waling, known as the Queen of Philippine Orchids, has been confirmed by the National Museum of the Philippines as indigenous and endemic to our country, while the Sampaguita is native to India and Arabia.

“Our national symbols are vital to our identity as Filipinos. As we discover more about ourselves, we must also update the symbols that represent us. I believe that initiatives to do so increase the engagement of everyday Filipinos with the symbols of our nation, and aid in our nation-building process. Thus, in addition to Sampaguita, I hope that the Waling-Waling Orchid be declared a National Flower of the Philippines,” Legarda concluded.

Dole intensifies drive to reduce job mismatch

 

CARIGARA, Leyte, Feb 11 (PIA) – The Department of Labor and Employment in Eastern Visayas has intensified the drive to reduce the incongruity in skills of job seekers and jobs actually needed in various industries.

 

In line with this quest, the first ever Municipal Career Advocacy Congress (MCAC) in Region 8 recently took place at the Kangara Gymnasium in Carigara, Leyte, during the LGU’s 442nd Founding Anniversary.

 

With the theme, “Follow the guide.Tag a career. Like the Future,” the undertaking was the first LGU version of the recently concluded 1st Regional Career and Employment Advocacy Congress held on November 9, 2012 at Ritz Tower de Leyte, Tacloban City and the National Career Advocacy Congress on May 24-25, 2012 in Manila

 

In said event, DOLE 8 OIC-Regional Director Exequiel R. Sarcauga, tackled the  lingering problem of job mismatch addressing some 1,500 high school and college students as well as their parents, teachers, and guidance counselors.

 

“Regardless of who chooses what course to take in college, be it you or your parents, it has to be an informed decision,” Director Sarcauga said.

 

He explained that by this he meant choosing a course which would still be available 5 to 6 years after graduation, a course which responds to the ever-changing need of the industry, a course which would lead the student who will be the future worker, to be globally competitive and eventually be employed. 

 

The Labor Regional Director said that the country has abundance of labor supply but if the workers lack the necessary skills required by thecompanies, they will really find it difficult to get jobs.

 

To address the problem, DOLE conducts career guide seminars before the school year ends, targeting senior students to educate them on which courses to take so they could get a job faster.

 

Along with DOLE-RO8, the first-ever MCAC was attended by heads and representatives of different agencies like CHED, Dep-Ed, PRC, DOST, TESDA and Hon. Trinidad G. Apostol, Municipal Mayor of Carigara, Leyte, Ms. Florence Panao, DOLE Information Officer said.

 

Highlighting the event was the lecture-series on career in the industries and government interventions on career guidance which was discussed by said agencies who play distinct roles in the world of work. 

 

 Meanwhile, Assistant Regional Director and Head of North Leyte Field Office Engr. Cyril L. Ticao disclosed that prior to the MCAC, a Job Fair was conducted in the municipality of Carigara. A total of 105 applicants registered. Twelve (12) were hired on the spot and a large number of them were considered for second and final interview, ARD Ticao said