Aguinaldo Shrine

Pagsanjan Falls

Taal Lake

Antipolo Church

Lucban Pahiyas Feast

Dispatch for June 19 , 2013 Tuesday, 5 PIA Calabarzon PRs , 8 Weather Watch,
7 Regional Watch , 3 OFW Watch , 16 Online News

Weather Watch shared Dost_pagasa's status.

about an hour ago 1. Thunderstorm Advisory No. 29 10:01AM 19 June 2013 Thunderstorms affecting #Zambales, portions of #Bataan, #Bulacan (Obando, Marilao, Bulacan,Bocaue, Sta. Maria, SJDM) within 2 hours and expect to affect nearby areas. All are advised to take precautionary measures against heavy rains, strong winds, lightning and possible flashfloods. Keep monitoring for updates.

Weather Watch
2 hours ago 2. DZMM: Libu-libong residente na naninirahan sa gilid ng Laguna Lake sa may halos 15 barangay ng Taguig City ang tinututukan ngayon ng CDRRMO dahil sa malimit na pagbaha. Ayon kay Taguig-CDRRMO head Ronald Galicia, mahigit 3,000 residente na nasa gilid ng Laguna Lake ang kanilang inilikas noong panahon ng bagyong Ondoy at habagat kaya ganito rin ang bilang na inaasahan nila kapag nagkaroon ng paglilikas dahil sa pagbaha. Kabilang sa mga barangay na ito ang Bagumbayan, Lower Bicutan, Hagonoy, Wawa, Bambang, San Miguel, Sta. Ana, Tuktukan, Kalsada Tipas , Ibayo Tipas, Palingon Tipas, Napindasn, Pususan at Ligid. Sinanay na rin umano ang mga residente sa naturang lugar sakaling magkaroon ng pagbaha. Maging ang kapulisan ng Taguig ay handa na rin umano sa pagresponde sa mga pagbaha.

Weather Watch
2 hours ago 3. GMA News TV: Isinailalim na sa state of calamity ang Brgy. Tanglaw sa Braulio E. Dujali, Davao del Norte matapos bumaha doon ng 4 na araw. 1,700 na mga residente ang apektado ng pagbaha.

Weather Watch
2 hours ago near Quezon City, Philippines 4. DZBB: Pabugso-bugso ang pag-ulan na nararanasan sa Maynila habang may manaka-naka rin na pagbuga ng hangin. Patuloy ang pag-ulan ng malakas sa EDSA northbound at southbound sa bahagi ng Quezon City. Malakas na buhos ng pag-ulan ang nararanasan ngayon sa bahagi ng Ortigas, Pasig kung saan nagkakaroon ng zero visibility ang kapaligiran. Mabigat na ang daloy ng trapiko sa nasabing lugar. Makulimlim ang panahon at patuloy ang pag-ambon sa lungsod ng Pasay.

Weather Watch
3 hours ago near Quezon City, Philippines 5. DZBB: Aabot sa 50 kabahayan na ang nasira dahil sa ipo-ipong tumama kahapon sa Millanilla, Cebu. Umabot ang lakas ng hangin na dala ng ipo-ipo hanggang 200kph na tumama bandang 2:00 ng hapon. Naapektuhan ng husto ang Brgy. Calahuan at Brgy. Tungkil sa nasabing lugar. Ayon sa mga residente, bago ang insidente ay tila umulan pa ng yelo sa kanilang lugar at sumunod na ang malakas na hangin. Wala namang nasugatan sa insidente.

Weather Watch
4 hours ago near Quezon City, Philippines 6. PAGASA weather forecaster Samuel Duran on DZMM: -Lumakas pa ang bagyong Emong at patuloy na pinaiigting ang Habagat na nagpapaulan sa maraming bahagi ng bansa. -Huli namataan ang Tropical Storm Emong sa layong 420km silangan ng Basco, Batanes. -Taglay na nito ang lakas ng hanging umaabot sa 75kph malapit sa gitna at pagbugsong aabot sa 90kph. -Patuloy na kumikilos si Emong pa-hilaga sa bilis na 19kph. -Pinaiigting pa rin ng bagyo ang Habagat na siyang magdadala pa rin ng maulap na papawirin na may katamtaman hanggang sa malakas na pag-ulan at pagkidlat-pagkulog na maaaring magdulot ng pagbaha at pagguho ng lupa sa Luzon. -Maulap na may mahina hanggang sa katamtamang pag-ulan at pagkidlat-pagkulog naman ang asahan sa Kabisayaan,

Zamboanga Peninsula, Hilagang Mindanao at CARAGA. -Ang natitirang bahagi naman ng Mindanao ay magiging bahagyang maulap hanggang sa maulap na may pulu-pulong pagulan o pagkidlat-pagkulog. -Kung hindi magbabago ang paggalaw ng bagyo ay posibleng makalabas na ito ng PAR bukas, Huwebes ng umaga.

Weather Watch
18 hours ago near Quezon City, Philippines 7. DZMM: Bukas ang Malacaang sa mungkahi ng MMDA na gawing mas maagap ang pag-uuwian ng mga mag-aaral maging mga kawani ng pamahalaan sa pribadong sektor. Sinabi ni Usec. Abigail Valte na kabig siya sa mungkahi ng MMDA ngunit dapat isaalang-alang ang magiging epekto nito sa mga empleyado. Binanggit ni Valte na patuloy naman ang pagsusumikap ng pamahalaan upang mapaluwag ang daloy ng trapiko at maresolba ang pagbaha sa kalakhang Maynila ngunit tumatagal ang proseso sa bidding procedure. Tiniyak din nito na may pondo at nakakasa na ang relokasyon ng mga residente sa tinatawag na danger zone.

Weather Watch
18 hours ago 8. PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST issued at 5:00PM: SYNOPSIS: At 4:00pm today, the center of Tropical Storm Emong was estimated based on all available data at 470km east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan (18.1N, 126.4E) with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. It is forecast to move north at 19kph. FORECAST: Metro Manila, Central Luzon, MIMAROPA, CALABARZON, Bicol region and Visayas will experience cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rain showers and thunderstorms which may trigger flash floods and landslides. The rest of the country will be cloudy with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms. Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail throughout the archipelago and the coastal waters will be moderate to rough.

Weather Watch

June 19 , 2013 (Wednesday)

as of 8 :00 AM

CAVITE LAGUNA BATANGAS RIZAL QUEZON

: : : : :

Cloudy and Drizzling Cloudy Faur Weather Partly Cloudy with scattered rainshowers Mostly Cloudy

PIA

Regional Watch

PIA Regional Watch

17 hours ago 1. PIA-4A/RIZAL: DoE Sec. Jericho Petilla, Rizal Gov. Jun Ynares, Altenergy CEO Vicente Perez and Pililia Mayor Leandro Masikip led the groundbreaking ceremony for the 67.5 megawatt Wind Farm Power Project in Pililia, Rizal. The project is set to be the country's second wind power facility.

PIA Regional Watch

20 hours ago near Quezon City, Philippines 2. PIA-4A/BATANGAS: Inalerto ng PDRRMC ang lahat ng C/MDRRMC sa buong lalawigan na magsagawa ng monitoring ng sitwasyon sa kanilang lugar lalo na ang mga flood prone areas. Ito ay upang agarang makapagbigay aksyon sakaling may maapektuhan ng malakas na pag-ulan sa lalawigan.

PIA Regional Watch

21 hours ago near Quezon City, Philippines 3. PIA-4A/QUEZON: Twenty nine (29) students from Mauban, Quezon passed and graduated dual training at National College of Science and Technology (NCST). The graduates finished technical and vocational courses.

PIA Regional Watch

21 hours ago near Quezon City, Philippines 4. PIA-4A/QUEZON: The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Unlad Foundation established a onehectare fish hatchery in Brgy. Punta, Unisan, Quezon. The hatchery will benefit small fishermen and fish operators of mariculture plant in Quezon Province.

PIA Regional Watch

23 hours ago near Quezon City, Philippines 5. PIA-4A/QUEZON: The provincial disaster risk reduction and management council will be holding their quarterly meeting at Kalilayan hall, Lucena City on June 21. The agenda includes preparation for the rainy and typhoon season, preparations for the upcoming national disaster consciousness month and prioritization of fund.

PIA Regional Watch

23 hours ago near Quezon City, Philippines 6. PIA-4A/LAGUNA: Jose Rizal, the movie is scheduled to be shown today, Tuesday, June 18 at 10 am at SM Cinema 1 Calamba City. The film showing is part of the various activities and programs scheduled in celebrating Dr. Jose P. Rizal's 152nd birth anniversary on June 19, 2013. This year's celebration has for its theme "Rizalismo: Gabay ng Kabataan, Inspirasyon ng Mamamayan sa Magandang Kinabukasan."

PIA Regional Watch

Yesterday near Quezon City, Philippines 7. IA-4A/LAGUNA: June 19, Wednesday, is a special non-working holiday in the Province of Laguna to celebrate the 152nd birth anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, our national hero. The declaration, by authority of the President, was signed by Sec. Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on June 14, 2013 under Proclamation No. 600.

PIA OFW Watch

21 minutes ago 1. DFA Asec. Raul Hernandez on DZBB: Re: Pag-rescue sa mga tripolanteng Pinoy sa India -May 14 na Filipinos, 12 Russians at sa ngayon bine-verify pa natin. -Wala pang report na nakakarating sa amin.

PIA OFW Watch

24 minutes ago near Quezon City, Philippines

2. DFA Asec. Raul Hernandez on DZBB: Re: Lagay ng mga pinoy sa Saudi Arabia -Yung mga kababayan natin na nasa Saudi Arabia, marami pa tayong mga Filipino na gustong magpa-repatriate at tinutulungan naman po ito ng ating Emabahada at Konsulada sa Jeddah. -Marami na pong isinoli na passport at dinistribute na rin natin sa ating mga kababayan. Nag-isyu na rin tayo ng travel documents. -Problema ngayon capacity ng Saudi Arabia govt offices. Kasi ang dami-daming ibang nationals na gustong magpa-repatriate gaya ng Yemen, Egypt, Pakistan, India at mas marami pa sila sa atin sa Saudi Arabia. Napakadaming pumupunta sa agency ng Saudi Arabia at hindi nila matugunan sa agarang panahon. -Lahat ng ating kababayan at tutulungan natin, pero at the same time maging pasensiyoso sila kasi ang Saudi Arabia govt may tinatawag na over capacity.

PIA OFW Watch

23 hours ago near Quezon City, Philippines 3. DZBB: Nasa 15 araw na lamang ang natitira sa 90-day grace period na ibinigay ng Saudi Arabia para sa lahat ng illegal migrant workers doon para maiwasto ang kanilang residency at labor status. Kabilang sa mga ito ang tinatayang 22,000 undocumented OFWs. Dahil dito ay nanawagan ang Migrante-Middle East sa gobyerno na maghanda anuman ang mangyari kung hindi ipagkaloob ng Saudi government ang hinihingi nitong extension. Ayon kay Migrante coordinator John Lenard Monterona, ang grace period ay batay sa isang royal decree kaya isang royal decree lang din ang maaring mag-extend nito.

A. QUEZON

B. CAVITE
1. Indonesian agricultural trainers visit Imus FITS center

Tuesday 18th of June 2013 Tweet FacebookYahooEmailShareThis IMUS, Cavite, June 18 (PIA) -- Nine Indonesian agricultural trainers specializing in extension methodology and communication visited the Farmers Information and Technology Services (FITS) centers in the province of Cavite

recently. The visit is part of the activities in the capacity building organized by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) central office which the Indonesian contingent attended last May 28 to June 8. The participants were briefed on the background and accomplishments as well as the linkages and projects of FITS Imus. FITS center manager Sixto Arandia presented the activities while Vilma Constante, assistant provincial agriculturist presented the Office of the Provincial Agriculture Cavite FITS accomplishment and linkages. The FITS center is a one-stop information and technology shop under the Techno Gabay Program initiative of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in cooperation with the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD). The program aims to empower the farmers, processors, traders and entrepreneurs by making information and technology services accessible during critical decision making on production, processing, trading and marketing activities. Services available in the center include: information on technologies in multi-media format, internet access, exhibits of new technologies, IEC materials, packaging and popularizaiong research results/technologies. The center also offers fora and training on technologies, technical assistance, linkaging, support to enterprise development, link to sources of quality planting materials and animal stocks. (CPG/PIA4A with report from Rolando V. Maningas)

C. LAGUNA
1. Forum on nutritional guidelines for Filipinos, kicks-off nutrition month celebration

Tuesday 18th of June 2013 Tweet FacebookYahooEmailShareThis CALAMBA CITY, Laguna, June 18 (PIA) -- A forum on nutritional guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) was held last June 11 at Hotel Dominique, Tagaytay City as prelude to the nutrition month celebration this coming July. Human resource and administrative officers of RDC member-agencies and the academe attended the forum. Regional nutrition coordinator Carina Santiago said government employees and members of the academe should put into practice the NGF and serve as examples to the community.

The idea of involving the HR and administrative of personnel of government offices is to let them identify steps in mainstreaming the NGF as well as the Pilipinas Go 4 Health in staff development activities, Santiago said. The forum was spearheaded by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) 4A and fully supported by the Regional Development Council (RDC) Calabarzon through the sectoral committee on social development (SCSD) and the regional sub-committee on nutrition (RSCN). Gutom at malnutrisyon, sama-sama nating wakasan! (Hunger and malnutrition, together let us end!) is the theme for this years nutrition month celebration. The theme aims to raise awareness on the need for more action in addressing hunger as part of the Philippine commitment to the United Nations Millennium Development Goal to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. On the other hand, this years celebration aspires to increase awareness on hunger issues and actions to mitigate hunger and malnutrition, encourage stakeholders to contribute in addressing hunger issues, and advocate for stronger political action to end hunger. Activities slated for nutrition month celebration include the conduct of nutrition caravan in selected nutritionally depressed areas of the region particularly in Antipolo City. (CPG/PIA4A with report from RDC4A)

D. BATANGAS
1. Tagalog news: P708.8M imprastraktura, naipagawa na sa lungsod ng Batangas

Wednesday 19th of June 2013 Tweet FacebookYahooEmailShareThis LUNGSOD NG BATANGAS, Hunyo 19 (PIA) -- May kabuuang P708.8 milyon (M) halaga ng mga imprastraktura ang natapos na ng pamahalaang lungsod simula Hulyo 1, 2010 hanggang Abril 10, 2013 base sa ulat ng city planning and development office at city engineers office. Ang mga iba't ibang mga proyektong ito na naisakatuparan sa lungsod at ngayon ay pinakikinabangan ng mga Batangueo ay kinabibilangan ng mga sumusunod: sistemang patubig na nagkakahalaga ng P314.9M, City Hall complex P3.9M; City preparedness Unit Warehouse P7.6M, paglalagay ng feeder lines sa pasilidad ng gusaling panglunsod P7.6M; Batangas City Convention Center (Phase I) P45M; Batangas City Convention Center (Phase II) P37M; bagong slaughterhouse P19.5M; San Jose sanitary landfill P20M; walong lane track at oval field sa Batangas City Sport Complex P70M; Batangas National High School Mabini Building redevelopment project P50M; Bahay Pag-asa P12M; pagsasaayos ng Teachers conference Center (Phase I) P7.4M at Phase II P 7.6M; Batangas Integrated Public transport terminal P20M at pagdisenyo ng green retrofits ng Mabini Building P7M. Ang mga proyektong ito ay may kabuuang halaga na P314.9M. Samantala, nakapagpagawa rin ang pamahalaang lokal ng barangay roads/pathways P41.7M; tulay/footbridges P14.8M; drainage system/canal P16.5M; seawall P976,000.00; multi-purpose buildings P35.7M; health centers/day care centers P7.3M;covered courts P26M; patubig P28.5M, gusaling pampaaralan P142.4M at iba pang pagawaing

bayan P52.6M. Isa sa layunin ng pamahalaang lokal na magkaroon ng tama at maayos na mga pasilidad na maaaring magamit hindi lamang ng mga Batangueo kundi maging ng mga dayuhan sa lungsod. Isang paraan din ito upang makaakit ng mga mamumuhunan na maglagak ng negosyo upang magbigay ng karagdagang hanapbuhay sa mamamayan at kita sa pamahalaang lungsod upang mas lalo pang maging epektibo ang paglilingkod sa taumbayan. (PIA Batangas with reports from Letty Chua-PIO Batangas City)

2. Tagalog news: 'Solidarity Walk' para sa SAFE 2013, idinaos sa Batangas City
Tuesday 18th of June 2013 LUNGSOD NG BATANGAS, Hunyo 18 (PIA) -- Nagdaos ng solidarity walk at nag-alay ng misa ng pasasalamat kamakailan ang Philippine National Police (PNP) sa lungsod na ito para sa naganap na Secure and Safe Elections (SAFE) 2013 noong Mayo. Sinabi ni PNP-Batangas city deputy chief of police Edgardo Ramos Dimaano na ikinatuwa ng pulisya na wala ni isang election-related violence na naganap sa lungsod maliban sa tinatawag na verbal abuse ng mga pekeng Commission on Election (Comelec) officials na nangyari sa isang presinto na agad namang naayos ng kapulisan. Ang SAFE 2013 ay proyekto ng Philippine National Police kung saan nakipagtulungan sila sa Comelec, ibat i bang sektor at mga kandidato upang matiyak ang isang matahimik at malinis na eleksyon, Nagpahayag ng kasiyahan sa pulisya si Board Member-elect Marvey Mario na siyang kumatawan kay Mayor-elect Eduardo Dimacuha at Mayor Vilma Dimacuha dahil sa tahimik na eleksyon sa lungsod na naging magandang ehemplo sa ibang lugar. Ipinarating din niya ang kanilang pasasalamat sa mga pulis at mga tumulong upang maging matagumpay ang nagdaang halalan. Bukod kay Mario, nakiisa sa solidarity walk sina Vice Mayor-elect June Berberabe, councilors-elect Julian Villena, Aileen Montalbo, Claudette Ambida, Sege Atienza, Armando Lazarte at Allyssa Cruz, Dumalo rin ang Muslim community sa pangunguna ni Imam Khalid o Yousoph na nagbigay ng isang panalangin, mga bikers group at iba pang samahan. (Angela Banuelos-PIO Batangas City/CPG/MPDC/PIA4A-Batangas)

E. RIZAL
DOST-SEI scholarships now open for application
By Gideon Gapayao Tuesday 18th of June 2013

ANTIPOLO CITY, Rizal, June 18 (PIA) -- The Department of Science and Technology-Science and Education Institute (DOST-SEI) scholarships are now open for application until August 23. Application forms together with instructions are available at the DOST Provincial Science and Technology Center (PSTC), University of Rizal System Morong Campus, Morong, Rizal, said DOST Rizal Provincial Director Fernando Ablaza. DOST-SEI scholarships are open to graduating fourth year high school students nationwide who will pursue priority science, mathematics and engineering courses in accredited universities. The scholarship has two categories namely the RA 7687 (also known as the S&T Scholarship Act of 1994) for underprivileged applicants and the merit scholarships. Successful DOST-SEI applicants will be required to work in the country or in government service upon graduation depending on the number of years of their selected college course. This year's DOST-SEI scholarship examination is slated on September 22. For more information the DOST Rizal PSTC may contacted through landline number 661-2386. (CPG/GG/PIA4ARizal)

18 JUNE 2013.

1. President Aquino declares June 21 as special non-working day in Tagaytay City in celebration of its 75th Araw ng Tagaytay 2. Malacanang calls on victims of alleged sex-for-repatriation scandal to file complaints 3. President Aquino holds Cabinet meeting to assess governments midterm performance 4. President Aquino appoints Padilla as president and chief executive officer of Philhealth, other officials to various government agencies
President Aquino declares June 21 as special non-working day in Tagaytay City in celebration of its 75th Araw ng Tagaytay

President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared June 21, which falls on a Friday, as a special (non-working day) in Tagaytay City in the province of Cavite in celebration of the "75th Araw ng Tagaytay." The Chief Executive issued the declaration through Proclamation No. 601 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on June 14, to give the people of Tagaytay the full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies. On June 21, 1938, Tagaytay became a chartered city by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 338. The city is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations because of the Taal Volcano located in the middle of the Taal lake. PND (js) TOP Malacanang calls on victims of alleged sex-for-repatriation scandal to file complaints

Malacanang is calling on overseas Filipino workers who have been victims of an alleged sex -for-repatriation scam in the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait to come forward to file appropriate complaints in order for authorities to get to the bottom of this scandal. In a press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Department of Foreign Affairs has stepped in and has already instructed the Head of the Embassy in Kuwait and act on this. The DFA is already looking into this. The Head of the Embassy in Kuwait has been instructed to act on this, Valte said. To this date, we have not received any formal complaint from the alleged victims which is why we are encouraging those with information or those who have been victimized by these alleged practices to come forward and to file complaints because the DFA is more than willing to act on them, she added. Reports of the alleged sex-for-repatriation practice of officials and personnel in the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait surfaced this week when an unidentified female OFW who was part of a group of 46 housemaids deported from the Kuwaiti Deportation Center aired a complaint that an "embassy official" allegedly demanded a sexual favor to facilitate her repatriation. PND (rck) TOP President Aquino holds Cabinet meeting to assess governments midterm performance

President Benigno S. Aquino III held a meeting with members of his Cabinet to assess his administrations accomplishments and the work that still needs to be done to sustain the sterling economic performance of the country as he enters into the third year of his term, Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said on Tuesday. In a press briefing in Malacanang, Almendras said the President pooled his Official family on Monday (June 17) to conduct a midterm review of the economic considerations of the Republic of the Philippines. The President ordered that, as we are approaching the middle of his term, he wanted a v ery detailed and a full-blown review of the past three years, looking at questions about the economy, Almendras said. We started with a lot of data gathering, some analysis that was done by NEDA (National Economic Development Authority), and then we shifted into a review/planning mode sometime in February, he added. He said the economic cluster as well as appropriate agencies met with the President to really just understand some of the things that have transpired in the past three years. Yesterday was the first meeting with the President to discuss and report to him what the findings were, what the analyses were, and to begin the discussion on how do we move forward from here on and all the way to the end of 2016, Almendras said. It was attended by members of the economic cluster and a few members from the human development cluster as well as the security cluster that had direct impact or coordination with some of the economic concerns, he said. We had so many things to talk about. We had 11 agencies to go through and we had to integrate some of the programs that were being discussed moving on from here to the future, Almendras said. PND (rck) TOP President Aquino appoints Padilla as president and chief executive officer of Philhealth, other officials to various government agencies

President Benigno S. Aquino III has appointed lawyer Alexander Padilla, Government chief negotiator for talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army/National Democratic Font of the Philippines (CPP/NPA/NDF) as president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth), a Palace official announced on Tuesday. Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte announced the appointment of Padilla during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday. In a transmittal letter dated June 13, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. Informed Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona that the Chief Executive, likewise, appointed Padilla as member of the Board of Directors of the Philhealth, replacing Eduardo P. Banzon. Born to former Senator Ambrosio Padilla and Lourdes De Las Alas Padilla, he is a strong advocate of peace, justice and human rights as manifested by his able leadership in several peace and human rights bodies such as the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG-Metro Manila), Institute of Political and Electoral Reforms (IPER), Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA). He served as Undersecretary for External Affairs and Regulations at the Department of Health and Philhealth Chief Operations Officer. He occupied various positions such as Commissioner of Customs; Assistant Secretary for Local Governments (DILG); Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs (DOH); Special Prosecutor (Ombudsman); and as Senior State Prosecutor (DOJ). He has represented the Philippines since 1982 as a Delegate in numerous international conferences where he

participated in multisectoral discussions on human rights, justice peace and health in the International Visitors Program of the US Information Service on Conflict Resolution and Preventive Diplomacy Program, Torture and Human Rights Violations in the Philippines, Weapons of Mass Destruction Crisis Response Management, and on Movement for Peace and Democracy. In 1987, he graduated from the UP College of Law (rank 8th). He obtained his Bachelors Degree on AB History -Political Science (Cum Laude) from De La Salle University. He served in the academic field as Associate Professor of Law at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines from 2002-2004 and as a Guest Lecturer at the University of the Philippines College of Law in 2004. The other presidential appointees are as follows, - Paz Lucido as vice chairperson of the Board for Professional Teachers, Professional Regulation Commission - Paraluman Giron and Nora Uy as members of the Board for Professional Teachers, Professional Regulation Commission - Architect Augusto F. Villalon as member of the National Museum Board of Trustees, representing the private sector. - Brando Cabalsi as Director IV of the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) - Abdullah Mamacotao as Director IV of the Philippine Information Agency, Presidential Communications Operations Office - Ma. Josefina Abilay, Tomas Brinas and Rowen Gelonga as Directors IV of the Department of Science and Technology - Ma. Victoria Castro as Director III of the National Security Council - Galuasch Ballaho as member of the Regional Human Rights Commission, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao - Maria Amihan Abueva as Philippine representative, representing Children's Rights, ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, Department of Foreign Affairs - Annabelle Echavez as Acting Director IV of Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Mae Chua, Irene Gahid, Jesusa Dimpna Lejos, Eligio S. Mendoza, Ruby P. Muro and Ricky Sanchez as Acting Directors III of the DBM. PND (js) TOP

18 HUNYO 2013 1. Idineklara ng Pangulong Aquino na special non-working day ang Hunyo 21 sa Lungsod ng Tagaytay dahil sa ika-75 Araw ng Tagaytay 2. Hinimok ng Malacanang na magharap ng sakdal ang mga biktima ng sex-for-repatriation umano 3. Pinulong ng Pangulong Aquino ang Gabinete para tayahin ang midterm performance ng gobyerno 4. Itinalaga ng Pangulong Aquino si Padilla na pangulo at CEO ng PhilHealth at humirang ng iba pang pinuno ng iba-ibang ahensiya ng pamahalaan Idineklara ng Pangulong Aquino na special non-working day ang Hunyo 21 sa Lungsod ng Tagaytay dahil sa ika75 Araw ng Tagaytay Idineklara ng Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III ang Hunyo 21, natapat sa araw ng Biyernes, bilang special non-working day sa Lungsod ng Tagaytay sa lalawigan ng Cavite upang ipag-diwang ang ika-75 Araw ng Tagaytay. Inilagda ng Pangulo ang deklarasyon sa pamamagitan ng Proklamasyon 601 na nilagdaan ni Kalihim Tagapagpaganap Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr. noong Hunyo 14 upang bigyan ng lahat ng pagkakataon ang mga mamamayan ng Tagaytay na malahukan at masaksihan ang mga seremonya at programang kaugnay ng pagdiriwang ng anibersaryo ng kanilang lungsod. Naging isang chartered city ang Tagaytay sa pamamagitan ng Batas ng Commonwealth Blg. 338 na nilagdaan ng Pangulong Manuel Luis Quezon noong Hunyo 21, 1938, Ang lungsod na ito na nasa isang panig ng bulubunduking lupaing nasa gilid ng Lawa ng Taal na sa gitna ay matatagpuan ang Bulkang Taal at may mahalumigmig na klimang nahahalintulad sa Lungsod ng Baguio at isa sa mga dinarayo ng maraming turista, Pilipino o mga dayuhan man. PND (js/zaf) TOP

Hinimok ng Malacanang na magharap ng sakdal ang mga biktima ng sex-for-repatriation umano

Hinimok ng Malacanang na lumantad at magharap ng kaso ang mga overseas Filipino workers na biktima umano ng sexfor-repatriation scam sa Embahadang Pilipino sa Kuwait para magawa ng maykapangyarihan ang karampatang hakbang tungkol sa iskandalong ito. Sa pulong-balitaan sa Malacanang Martes. sinabi ni Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte na inatasan na ng Kagawaran ng Ugnayang Panlabas ang Puno ng Embahada sa Kuwait na gawin ang karampatang hakbang tungkol sa iskandalong ito. Gumawa na ng hakbang ang Kagawaran ng Ugnayang Panlabas. Inatasan na ang Puno ng Embahada sa Kuwait na gawin ang kailangang hakbang tungkol dito, paliwanag ni Valte. Hanggang sa sandaling ito, wala pa kaming natatanggap na pormal na sumbong mula sa mga umano ay biktima kaya nga hinihimok namin ang mga may nalalaman tungkol dito o ang mga naging biktima ng umano ay tiwaling gawaing ito na lumantad at magharap ng sumbong para magawa ang nararapat gawin, wika ni Valte. Nabalita ang tungkol sa umano ay sex-for-repatriation na ginagawa ng mga pinuno at tauhan ng Embahadang Pilipino sa Kuwait nang isang hindi nagpakilalang babaing OFW na kasama umano sa 46 ipinatatapong babaing katulong buhat sa Kuwaiti Deportation Center ang nag-bunyag na isang pinuno ng embahada ang umano ay nagsabing para madali ang pagpa-pauwi sa kanila ay pumayag sila sa pakikipagtalik (sex favour). PND (rck/zaf) TOP Pinulong ng Pangulong Aquino ang Gabinete para tayahin ang midterm performance ng gobyerno

Pinulong ng Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III ang mga kagawad ng kanyang Gabinete upang tayahin ang mga nagawa na ng kanyang administrasyon at kung ano pa ang mga dapat gawin upang magpatuloy ang sterling economic performance ng bansa ngayong magtatapos na ang pangatlong taon ng termino niya, yon kay Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras Martes. Sa pulong-balitaan sa Malacanang, binigyang diin ni Almendras na pinulong ng Pangulo ang kanyang Opisyal na Pamilya Lunes (Hunyo 17) upang gawin ang midterm review ng kalagayang pang -ekonomya ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Iniutos ng Pangulo na habang nalalapit kami sa kalagitnaan ng termino niya, ibig niyang maging masusi at puspusanang pagsusuri sa nakalipas na tatlong taon, lalo na sa mga bagay na may kinalaman sa ekonomya, paliwanag ni Almendras. Sinimulan namin ito sa pagtitipon ng data, mga pagsusuring ginawa ng National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) at noong Pebrero ay inasikaso namin ang review/planning mode, dagdag pa ng Kalihim ng Gabinete. Kahapon ginanap ang unang pakikipagpulong nila sa Pangulo upang talakayin at iulat sa kanya ang mga natuklasan namin sa mga pagsusuring ginawa at nang mapasimulan ang talakayan kung paano tayo kikilos nang pasulong mula rito at hanggang sa pagtatapos sa 2016, dagdag pa ni Almendras. Idinugtong niya na dumalo rito ang economic cluster at ang ilang kagawad ng human development cluster, gayundin ang security cluster na tuwirang may kaugnayan sa mga bagay na ukol sa ekonomya. Marami kaming dapat pag-usapan. Labing-isang ahensiya ang kailangannating suriin at pag-pisanin ang ilan sa mga programa na pinag-uusapan buhat dito hanggang sa hinaharap, wika pa ni Almendras. PND (rck/zaf) TOP Itinalaga ng Pangulong aAquino si Padilla na pangulo at ceo ng PhilHealth at humirang ng iba pang pinuno ng iba-ibang ahensiya ng pamahalaan Itinalaga ng Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III ang abogadong si Alexander Padilla bilang pangulo at chief executive officer ng Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), kasabay ng paghirang ng iba pang pinuno sa iba-ibang tanggapan ng pamahalaan. Ito ang inihayag ni Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte sa pulong-balitaan sa Malacanang Martes. Idinugtong niya na ipinaalamni Kalihim Tagapagpaganap Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr. kay Kalihim Enrique Ona ng Kalusugan ang pagkahirang ng Pangulo kay Padilla bilang isa sa mga direktor ng PhilHealth kapalit ni Eduardo P. Banzon. Si Padilla ay punong negosyador sa usapan sa Communist Party of the Philippines/New Peoples Army/National Democratic Front ng Pilipinas. Anak siya ni dating Senador Ambrosio Padilla at Lourdes De Las Alas Padilla at naging Undersecretary for External Affaris and Regulations sa Kagawaran ng Kalusugan at PhilHealth Chief Operations Officer, Komisyoner ng Aduwana, Katulong na Kalihim ng Lokal na Pamahalaan. Katulong na Kalihim for Legal Affairs ng DOH, Special Prosecutor (Ombudsman) af Senior State Prosecutor (DOJ0. Sa kolehiyo ng abogasya ng Pamantasan ng Pilipinas siya nagtapos. Ang iba pang itinalaga ng Pangulo sa tungkulin ay sina: - Paz Lucido as vice chairperson of the Board for Professional Teachers, Professional Regulation Commission - Paraluman Giron and Nora Uy as members of the Board for Professional Teachers, Professional Regulation Commission

- Architect Augusto F. Villalon as member of the National Museum Board of Trustees, representing the private sector - Brando Cabalsi as Director IV of the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) - Abdullah Mamacotao as Director IV of the Philippine Information Agency, Presidential Communications Operations Office - Ma. Josefina Abilay, Tomas Brinas and Rowen Gelonga as Directors IV of the Department of Science and Technology - Ma. Victoria Castro as Director III of the National Security Council - Galuasch Ballaho as member of the Regional Human Rights Commission, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao - Maria Amihan Abueva as Philippine representative, representing Children's Rights, ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, Department of Foreign Affairs - Annabelle Echavez as Acting Director IV ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at Mae Chua, Irene Gahid, Jesusa Dimpna Lejos, Eligio S. Mendoza, Ruby P. Muro at Ricky Sanchez bilang Acting Directors III of the DBM. PND (js) TOP

ONLINE NEWS
18 JUNE 2013
18 JUNE 2013 1. Baldoz enunciates Philippine support to ILO's vision of decent work and social protection to vulnerable workers 2. Baldoz orders investigation on alleged sex-for-fly modus operandi in Kuwait 3. DSWD lauds ratification of amended bill on juvenile law 4. Rural and Coop Banks post 11.57 percent NPL ratio at end-2012 5. Ph supports more development partnerships with MICs for inclusive growth 6. Technology makes local crafts shine anew 7. DOTC Secretary Abaya wants answers on Masbate sinking 8. BI launches long-stay VISA 9. TESDA goes hi-tech with Google Apps 10. PhilHealth pilots Primary Care Benefit 1 package to DepEd personnel 11. NHMFC doubles dividends in 2013 12. BIR collection for May 2013 grew by PhP17.35 billion 13. DSWDs SAFE project saves kids from sexual abuse 14. OWWA-RWO VIII successfully celebrates Migrant Workers' Day 2013 15. OWWA SOCCSKSARGEN tribute to OFWs 16. POEA goes after recruiters collecting placement fees from household service workers

Baldoz enunciates Philippine support to ILO's vision of decent work and social protection to vulnerable workers Source: http://www.dole.gov.ph On the eve of ILO's centenary Baldoz enunciates Philippine support to ILO's vision of decent work and social protection to vulnerable workers Geneva--To an audience composed mainly of leaders from the International Labor Organizations member states, trade unions, employers, and civil society organizations, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday delivered here a statement in the 102nd ILO Conference with a pledge of Phi lippine support to the ILOs decent work agenda, saying the country recognizes decent work as a very important element of any development strategy. The Aquino III administration recognizes decent work as primordial to any development strategy predicated on inclusive growth to improve the quality of life of our people. We reaffirm our support to the ILO as it engages the tripartite constituents in building a future of decent work under a regime of social justice and social cohesion, Baldoz said. Baldoz also boldly challenged the ILO "to continuously review the relevance of international standards to the fast changing world of work and to equip its constituents with capacities to easily adjust and adapt and make decent work a

distinct reality in every workplace." Apprising the ILO on the reforms undertaken by the Philippines in order to promote, achieve, and maintain decent work for Filipino workers, Baldoz said that "achieving sustainable and inclusive growth that generates decent jobs remains to be the priority concern that ILOs tripartite constituents must confront as they look toward the centenary of ILO's global leadership in the 21st century world of work." Each speaker in the ILO conference, as stated in the rules, is allowed only five minutes to deliver his statement, and Baldoz succinctly delivered her statement within the allotted time. She spoke candidly about the persistent problems of unemployment and underemployment the Philippines despite a growing economy. "The 7.8 percent economic growth rate of the Philippines has been preceded by an improvement in the global competitiveness and the achievement of first grade investment rating. The positive growth, however, continues to present a formidable challenge to the persistent problems of unemployment and underemployment," she said, but hastened to add that "there are good indicators that the quality of jobs and the country's decent work profile are improving." She cited that the ratio of the self-employed and unpaid family workers to total employment is narrowing; that wage and salary and full time employment is expanding; and that mean hours of work is increasing. In her statement, Baldoz lauded the country's tripartite partners for their broad participation in policy and decision-making processes, describing it as "unprecedented, propelled by the recent law strengthening tripartism and social dialogue.""The tripartite partners continue to respond to challenges with a combination of reforms that help create a positive climate for investment and improve the employment situation," she said. "Industry roadmaps for growth are being crafted to mainstream employment as central to development strategy of inclusive growth," she added. She particularly mentioned the passage of a law institutionalizing the Single Entry Approach for fair, speedy, and inexpensive labor justice. The SEnA mandates a 30-day conciliation of all labor cases, making arbitration as a last resort. She highlighted the progress in the Philippines's efforts to protect workers' wages and benefits through a mix of developmental and regulatory approaches, such as the hiring of 600 labor law compliance officers who will implement a new labor law compliance system that will benefit micro, small, and medium enterprises. With technical assistance from the ILO and an additional budget of P286 million, the new system covers joint assessment of compliance to general labor standards, safety and health, child labor, freedom of association, collective bargaining, and maritime labor regulations using real-time data captured and transmitted from the field using an electronic checklist stored in mobile devices and gadgets, she added. Baldoz also reported that the Philippines has ratified ILO Convention 189 and enacted a national law, the Batas Kasambahay, that fully recognizes the basic rights and benefits of household service workers. "Just recently, we have concluded with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a bilateral agreement including a standard employment contract that embodies universally-accepted terms and conditions of employment of household service workers. Similar agreements with other countries in the region are under negotiation," she said. "We have already taken concrete steps in securing decent and productive work for its workers. The implementation of the Kindergarten Education Act, the Enhanced Basic Education Act, and the Philippines Qualifications Framework addresses the deficiencies in the countrys education and training system, while the pursuit for a nationally -defined social protection floor (SPF) has been addressed using the ILO Recommendation on SPF," she explained. Baldoz admitted that the country still needs to address challenges posed by climate change, social protection for those at risk, and linking migration with development, among others. |TOP| Baldoz orders investigation on alleged sex-for-fly modus operandi in Kuwait Source: http://www.dole.gov.ph Geneva--Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday ordered the creation of an investigation team that will conduct an investigation on the alleged sex-for-fly activities at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Kuwait by issuing Administrative Order No. 239, Series of 2013. "I am resolved to get into the bottom of any accusation of wrongdoing against our people to uphold their credibility and integrity, whether or not the allegations are malicious or with basis," Baldoz said. The investigative team that Baldoz ordered to investigate the allegation is composed of Atty. Leah Fortuna of the Office of the Secretary as the Chairperson, Atty. Ophelia Almenario of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and Atty. Rosemarie G. Duquez of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). The teams main task involves gathering and validate inform ation and pertinent documents, interview the concerned OFWs, interest groups, and POLO/Embassy officials, and if the allegations were proven as facts, assist in the filing of appropriate charges against erring individuals. The labor and employment chief, who is here in Geneva for the 102 International Labor Conference, was alerted of newspaper reports about the alleged sex-for-fly activities at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Kuwait and immediately directed the POLO to submit a report. The DOLE does not condone any inappropriate act of any of its official and personnel, most especially if it involves the performance of their official duties. Integrity and sincerity in public service are among the core values that we in the DOLE have sworn to uphold and abide by in everything we do, Baldoz said. The report on the alleged sex -forfly practice of officials and personnel in the POLO in Kuwait surfaced when an unidentified female OFW who was part of a group of 46 HSWs deported from the Kuwaiti Deportation Center supposedly sought the help of radio station DZRH

and aired a complaint that an "embassy official" allegedly demanded a sexual favor to facilitate her repatriation. Labor Attache to Kuwait David Des Dicang reported that when this report came out, the Philippine Embassy, through Consul General Raul Dado created an investigation team that included Dicang. "After our investigation, we found out that only one of the 46 HSWs deported came from the Filipino Workers Resource Center. It would serve the interest of justice if the media names the complainant and the officials complained about," Dicang said. Baldoz warned that she will file charges against any DOLE official or employee who will be proven to have violated their oath as public servants, whether they are in the Philippines or abroad. She also called on the victims and those who may have information on the modus operandi to get in touch with the investigating team at telephone numbers (02) 527-3000 local 705, (02) 551-1560, (02) 551-6641, (02) 722-1144, (02) 722-1155. "We take this kind of allegations very seriously," she said, adding that measures to deal with allegations of wrongdoing are well-established in the DOLE. We believe that for us to be able to protect the rights and welfare of every Filipino worker here and abroad, it is a must that we keep ourselves clean; that we keep the Department graft- and corruption-free, she finally said. |TOP| DSWD lauds ratification of amended bill on juvenile law Source: http://www.dswd.gov.ph/ The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) welcomes the ratification, by the Senate and House of Representatives, of the amendments of RA 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act retaining the minimum age of criminal liability of children to 15 years old. The amended bill seeks to strengthen the implementation of the existing law. Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said that with the ratification of RA 9344 we can now pursue and intensify the efforts of Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council of ensuring restorative justice focussed on welfare and the rights of children. Together with other children advocates, we hail our legislators for their propriety not to amend the age of crimina l responsibility despite clamor from some sectors. This is really our stand and we are glad that they recognized our position that children in conflict with the law are victims, too, Secretary Soliman added. If enacted into law, those who use children to aid them in criminal acts will face the maximum punishment for the crime committed by the children. Likewise, children aged 12 to 15 who commit heinous crimes or repeatedly violate the law will be subjected to a community-based intervention program. Moreover, the amended bill provides that if the child failed to comply with the conditions of the rehabilitation center like Bahay Pag-asa or a duly licensed facility, the child would be returned to the committing court for the imposition of the penalty upon reaching 18 years of age. Another vital provision of the bill is the creation of Regional Juvenile Justice Welfare Councils (RRJWC) and attaching of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council to the DSWD. Secretary Soliman said that the JJWC/DSWD hoped to establish more Bahay Pag-asa in different parts of the country, especially in areas where there is high incidence of children in conflict with the law. Bahay Pag-asa seeks to provide Intensive Juvenile Justice Welfare Services to CICL. It is managed by local government units to address the growing needs of children needing protection and rehabilitation. |TOP| Rural and Coop Banks post 11.57 percent NPL ratio at end-2012 Source: http://www.bsp.gov.ph The combined non-performing loans (NPLs) of rural and cooperative banks represented 11.57 percent of their total loan portfolio (TLP) of Php 127.47 billion at end-2012. Although the ratio is higher than the 10.14 percent figure as of December 2011, the banks loan loss reserves for NPLs rose significantly to 61.74 percent at the end of last year from 53.26 percent in June 2012. An increase in loan loss provisioning indicates heightened prudence against credit losses. Rural and cooperative bank loans represent 2.74 percent and 0.30 percent, respectively, of the Philippine banking systems TLP at the end of last year. Rural banks (RB) alone posted a 10.65 percent NPL ratio at end-2012, higher than 10.32 percent figure as of December 2011. RBs loan loss reserves for NPLs, however, jumped to 59.47 percent at the en d of last year from 50.98 percent in June 2012. Cooperative banks, meanwhile, registered a 19.84 percent NPL ratio last December. This figure is more than twice their 9.49 percent NPL ratio six months earlier. The increase, however, was largely due to fortuitous events such as typhoons Gener, Habagat and Helen. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas continues to proactively monitor the NPLs of the various segments of the banking sector to ensure that credit underwriting standards remain high in a low interest rate environment. Industry figures indicate that RBs and cooperative banks continue to take proactive steps in maintaining the level of their NPL as well as coverage ratios. |TOP| Ph supports more development partnerships with MICs for inclusive growth Source: http://www.neda.gov.ph

MANILA Lessons and best practices from other middle-income countries (MICs) can help the Philippines improve its poverty reduction and infrastructure programs towards inclusive growth, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). The variety of experiences of the MICs in dealing with inequality offers a rare opportunity for learning lessons and sharing best practices toward scaling up of programs and activities that will help achieve inclusive growth, both nationally and globally, said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan during the High -Level Conference of MiddleIncome Countries in San Jose, Costa Rica on June 12, 2013. He noted that in the past two decades, substantial poverty reduction was achieved in developing countries brought about by the comparatively rapid economic growth in MICs, particularly in Asia. For inclusive growth and prosperity, the MICs need to play a more active and unified role in forging a much improved environment for international trade, finance, and technology. The improvement is particularly crucial in the area of market access, especially for exports of developing countries, and access to technology, said Balisacan. However, he pointed out that the connection between growth and poverty reduction varies quite enormously between regions of the world, between countries within a region, and between geographic areas and population groups within a country. This opportunity for systematically-expanding knowledge and best practices needs to be enhanced within the MICs, said Balisacan, who is also NEDA Director-General. He identified India's recent experience with the use of new technology to properly identify the deserving poor from the population, which reduced the leakage of program benefits to the non-poor This shows that targeting programs to the poor need not be fiscally prohibitive, the Cabinet official said. Similarly, he noted the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) schemes pioneered in Latin America, such as Brazil's Bolsa Familia and Mexico's Oportunidades, have helped those countries virtually won their war against acute poverty. In Southeast Asia, informed by the Latin American experiences, the Philippines has embarked on a large -scale CCT program to complement its newly acquired status as one of the fastest growing Asian countries today. We hope to reap the same benefits from this program like what the Latin American countries have done, said Balisacan. Furthermore, he identified public-private partnerships (PPPs) of having the potential of augmenting the public sector's fiscal resources and for efficiently managing facilities that have traditionally been reserved to the public sector. If structured properly, PPPs can be an effective instrument for inclusive business. Here is an area where the experiences of a number of MICs, such as Malaysia, may prove useful for designing the policy and legal framework for PPPs and up-scaling it in resource-scarce developing countries, Balisacan explained. Also, he stressed that he potential for MICs to shape the global environment for trade is much stronger now than ever before in the history of modern commerce. But cooperation-and-collaboration is the name of the game. There is much to be gained, for instance, from the deepening of South-South partnerships in trade, finance, and technology and innovations, said Balisacan. The High-Level Conference of MICs, held from June 10 to 14, 2013, was hosted by the Government of Costa Rica and co-organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). |TOP| Technology makes local crafts shine anew Source: http://www.dost.gov.ph Local crafts in Laguna just got better with new looks and better quality through technology intervention by the Department of Science and Technology Region IV-A office. First, technology enabled a locally known wellness and beauty store to repackage its product line. Sherill Quintana of Kutitap Aromatherapy Crafts assisted by Engr. Samuel L. Caperia, provincial S&T Director of Laguna, gave a new look to her ORYSPA-Rice Bran Products by availing of DOSTs Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), a package of technology intervention to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Through SETUP, Quintana was able to acquire a band sealer, bar coding equipment, and inventory control system. Kutitap has been producing wellness-body products for quite some time now. Previously, hand-crafted boxes were used in wrapping Kutitap products. Now, production became faster, the quality improved, and the looks enhanced by using the machines. Similarly, Rolando Bagabaldo of Bagabaldo's Handicrafts availed of DOST-SETUP in the fabrication and installation of a low cost kiln dryer. The kiln has a drying capacity of 25 pieces of various hand-crafted products per day, greatly improving the companys production. In addition, the unit effectively dries products up to a moisture content of 8-10 percent. This rate assures the nonregrowth of mildew typically found in products stored in damp or poorly ventilated areas. Mold, aside from being unsightly, can cause allergies and health concerns among susceptible workers. Thus, the kiln dryer did not only improve the production side but also addressed the health concerns of workers. Meanwhile, in Antipolo City in Rizal Province, Fernando E. Ablaza, S&T Director, assisted Grace Galisano of the Antipolo Pasalubong Center Vendors Consumers Cooperative (APCVCC) in improving the companys packaging and label design

for cashew products. They also worked together to improve food safety and quality of products through the conduct of nutrition facts analysis and training on Basic Food Hygiene and Good Manufacturing Practices to cooperative members on. DOST is also looking at providing a training module for cashew producers, vendors and city health personnel, and continuing the conduct of regular microbial analysis, nutritional analysis, and shelf-life testing of cashew products. SETUP and other DOST programs to help businesses in the countryside, especially SMEs, will be highlighted during the National Science and Technology Week, also known as ExpoScience2013, the biggest annual S&T event in the country. A venue to showcase the best products and services in the local science community, the NSTW will be held July 23-27 at the SMX Hall at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City. |TOP| DOTC Secretary Abaya wants answers on Masbate sinking Source: http://www.dotc.gov.ph Manila, Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya has given orders to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to work with the Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) in order to resolve the MV Lady of Carmel Roll-on Roll-off Ship mishap in Masbate without delay. Now that the Office of Civil Defense, the Coast Guard, and the Philippine Navy have already exhausted their search and rescue efforts and begun retrieval operations, our immediate objective is to determine what circumstances led to this unfortunate incident, Secretary Abaya declared. We want to find out what really happened and we will do whatever is necessary within the purview o f the DOTC, to avoid such accidents in the future, Abaya added. The Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) is tasked to investigate the accident, for the purpose of identifying its cause, as well as concomitant liabilities, if there are any. |TOP| BI launches long-stay VISA Source: http://immigration.gov.ph Foreigners intending to stay longer in the country may now avail of a six-month, long-stay tourist visa that will be launched next week by the Bureau of Immigration (BI). BI Commissioner Ricardo A. David, Jr. also announced the introduction of a new visa sticker that will replace the wet stamp used by the Bureau in implementing extensions of stay in the passports of foreign tourists. David said the Long Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE) project was launched to spur tourist arrivals in the country by giving foreigners the privilege to prolong their stay here without the need to frequent the BI office. Presently, the BI grants foreign tourists a maximum stay of two months each time they apply for visa extensions. Through this long stay visa, we expect lesser crowding in our offices due to the decreased volume of visa extension applicants, David said. As for the new visa sticker, the BI chief said it will prevent the proliferation of fake visa extension stamps that has victimized many foreigners. He disclosed that the sticker has security and tracking features that cannot be copied. It will also speed up transaction in our visa section, allow more efficient tracking of records a nd faster detection of forged and tampered stamps, The BI chief added. According to David, the projects were initiated after meetings were meetings between the BI and Department of Tourism and Department of Foreign Affairs were held on what policy reforms can be initiated to further attract more foreign visitors to the country. The tourist department had said it is aiming to increase volume of tourist arrival to 10 million by 2016. |TOP| TESDA goes hi-tech with Google Apps Source: http://www.tesda.gov.ph The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the country's prime agency for providing technical vocational education and training (TVET), recently worked with Google to increase collaboration and improve communication for all TESDA employees. Technical vocational students, trainers and personnel will now have an access to a collaborative suite of free online apps through Google Apps for Education, also used by many educational institutions. With Google Apps for Education, they will be able to send and receive e-mail with a @tesda.gov.ph domain name, store data and share documents with Drive, hold web-based video conferences with Google+ Hangouts and easily build websites with Sites. "Technology is increasingly playing a starring role in schools and educational institutions in helping students learn. Our adoption of the Google Apps is a testament to this," Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA director general, said.

Janet Suzie Yoon, country lead for Google Apps Supporting Program, said she hopes the use of the apps would provide a new learning experience to both the students and educators, and help expand the reach of technical vocational education among Filipinos in the country and abroad. "We are very excited to be working with TESDA on this groundbreaking project, and hope it will empower both your staff and agencies," Yoon said in a letter to Villanueva sent before the project's official launch. According to plan, the project will first be implemented in the TESDA central office and will be expanded into the regional and provincial TESDA offices. It will also later on be used in TESDA Technology Institutes. Between 50 to 80 TESDA information technology administrators and trainers from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will undergo training and workshop on using the various Google Apps for later implementation. "The hope is that as students leave the classroom, they take the technology with them, not just the enhanced skills, so that jobs would come easy," Villanueva said. For the project, the following Google Apps would be made available: Gmail - a Google-powered email All TESDA employees and officials will have an email account that can be accessed using any device. The email user will each have 30GB of storage space shared between Gmail and Google Drive. Google Drive A free web-based office suite that allows users to create and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and drawings in real-time as well as upload and share any file type. Google Calendar This will help TESDA easily coordinate work or class schedules, meetings and events online. Google Hangout It will provide a free web-based video conference with up to 10 simultaneous users, which can be increased to 15 under Google+ premium services. It may be used to set up meetings and may also be integrated to the TESDA Online Program to facilitate communication between the trainees and instructors. Google Sites This free website creation tool allows one to publish a website. It can be used by TESDA to create websites for its regional and provincial offices as well as its Technology Institutions. Students can also create their personal website using this where they can upload their curriculum vitae, projects, profile, thus building an online portfolio. |TOP| PhilHealth pilots Primary Care Benefit 1 package to DepEd personnel Source: http://www.philhealth.gov.ph The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is piloting its Primary Care Benefit 1 (PCB1) package to members of the employed sectors starting with all teachers and other personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) beginning this June. This is in support to the Aquino Health Agenda (also known as Kalusugan Pangkalahatan) to provide universal health care for all Filipinos. This benefit package covers consultation, including annual health profiling, basic screening for cancer of cervix and breast, counseling to maintain one's health and basic laboratory tests like complete blood count, urinalysis, fecalysis, sputum microscopy, fasting blood sugar, lipid profile and chest X-ray, if deemed necessary by their primary doctor. The DepEd shall identify the accredited PCB1 providers for their employees nearest to their workplace which would include outpatient departments of government hospitals and rural health units/health centers with laboratory services. Knowledge gained from this endeavor shall be a basis in rolling out the outpatient benefit to other employed members of PhilHealth, thereby strengthening the gate keeping capacity of outpatient facilities in the country, and for developing other special benefit packages. The provider shall be paid a Per Family Payment (PFP) Rate of P500 annually for each DepEd employee enrolled, enlisted and profiled, in accordance with set guidelines. |TOP| NHMFC doubles dividends in 2013 Source: http://www.nhmfc.gov.ph The state-run National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC) has more than doubled its dividends this year, Vice President Jejomar C. Binay said. From P18 million in 2012, NHMFC has remitted P42 million dividends to the national government. This represents partial payment of dividends for 2012 net earnings. Through sound management and policy reforms, the Corporation was able to overcome snags a nd continue to contribute to the national coffers, said Binay, who also chairs the NHMFC Board of Directors. NHMFC President Felixberto U. Bustos Jr. turned over the P42 million check to President Benigno Aquino III during the GOCC Dividends Day 2013 held at the Malacaang Palace. NHMFC has remitted to the national government a total of P158 million dividends. The NHMFC, under the leadership of Vice President Binay, has proven its ability to rise above financial challenges to

fulfill its secondary mortgage market development, Bustos said. As the governments premiere Secondary Mortgage Institution (SMI), the NHMFC is tasked to operate a viable secondary home mortgage market. It is also mandated to monitor the performance and implementation of the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) by its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC). The government sees the potential and significance of the role of all GOCCs as tools for economic development. Under Section 3 of the Dividends Law (R.A. 7657), all GOCCs and Government Financial Institutions (GFIs) are required to declare and remit at least 50 percent of their annual net earnings as cash, stock, or property dividends to the national government. |TOP| BIR collection for May 2013 grew by PhP17.35 billion Source: http://www.dof.gov.ph For the month of May 2013, the BIR collected Php111.90 billion in tax revenues, Php17.35 Billion or 18.35% more than collections made in May 2012. Or, PhP 3.22 Billion or 2.8% less than the goal set for May 2013 of PhP 115.12 Billion. For May 2013, collections from BIR operations amounted to Php109.51 Billion, Php17.24 Billion or 18.69% more than collections made in May 2013. Or, PhP 1.42 Billion or 1.28% less than the goal set for BIR operations for May 2013 of PhP110.93 Billion. However, collections from non-BIR operations amounted to only Php2.39 Billion, Php1.80 Billion or 42.9% less than the goal set for May 2013 of PhP 4.19 Billion. Or, PhP 104 million or 4.57% more than the collections made in May 2012. Collections by the Regional Offices amounted to PhP36.08 Billion, or Php7.08 Billion or 24.4% more than the collections made in May 2012. While collections by the Large Taxpayers amounted to PhP 73.42 Billion, or PhP 10.17 Billion or 16.07% more than the collections made in May 2012. |TOP| DSWDs SAFE project saves kids from sexual abuse Source: http://www.dswd.gov.ph In its effort to safeguard the welfare of children and the youth, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) developed a project Keeping a Sexually Abuse Free Environment (SAFE) for Out -of-School Children and Youth (OSCY) Through Protective Behaviour. The program aims to decrease the number of cases of abuses and violence, within the family or the community. This is done by strengthening the family and community members awareness to prevent possible abuse. The SAFE project provides sessions on Usapang Proteksyon, Usapang Magulang, Usapang Kaibigan, Usapang Kabataan, Usapang Kalakasan, and Usapang Serbisyo to raise awareness in the barangays and ensure their readiness to prevent any possible incidences of child abuse. The SAFE project was pilot tested in eight barangays in Regions III, VII, XII and NCR from 2011 to November 2012. These regions reported a higher number of Out-of-School Children and Youth (OSCY) and Children At-Risk (CAR). A total of 120 children and youth together with their families were chosen as participants in the project and were trained to serve as advocates on protective behaviour sessions in their respective communities. In 2011, DSWD recorded a total of 5,966 cases of child abuse with 2,131 males and 3,835 females. There was a slight decrease in 2012, with 5,554 reported cases, 1,897 males and 2,005 females. These are the victims served in the centers managed by DSWD and communities. The reported cases range from rape, incest acts of lasciviousness, prostitution, pornography, and trafficking. The project is in accordance to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, PD 603 or the Child and Youth Welfare Code and Comprehensive Programme on Child Protection (2011-2016) among other national policies and frameworks on child protection. |TOP| OWWA-RWO VIII successfully celebrates Migrant Workers' Day 2013 Source: http://www.owwa.gov.ph Migranteng Pilipino: Tayo ay magkasama sa pag-abot sa pangarap mo Tacloban City With almost 500 OFWs and their families, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Regional Welfare Office VIII successfully celebrated the 2013 Migrant Workers Day la st June 7, at the Leyte Provincial Capitol Gym, Tacloban City. For this year, the OWWA, together with the POEA, celebrated Migrant Workers Day. The said event was aimed at recognizing all the sacrifices, hard work and valuable contribution of OFWs to the Filipino nation. In Region VIII, the celebrations theme was Pista sa Nayon ng OFWs. The activity commenced with the Zumba Dance Workout led by Mr. Romulo R. Claros, a former OFW. The participants actively joined the one-hour exercise which sought to promote health and wellness among OFWs and their families. Rev. Fr. Bryan Murillo celebrated the Migrant Workers Day Eucharistic Celebration. Presentation of OFW Family Circles and Organizations followed shortly. Twenty-two (22) OFW Family Circles (OFCs) coming from the different provinces of the region attended this years festive and lively celebration.

OWWA Regional Director Norma C. del Rosario and POEA Regional Coordinator Rosario P. Jervoso delivered the OWWA and POEA Administrators Message, respectively. Moreover, RC Jervoso, conducted a Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar. In line with the celebration, the Red Cross conducted a Blood Letting Activity and Basic Life Support Seminar. Sixteen (16) participants successfully donated blood while 41 OWWA-RWO VIII Scholars participated in the Basic Life Support Seminar. Likewise, Raffle draws and Laro ng Lahi added fun and festive ambience for this years Migrant Workers day. OFW Pagkakaisa Federation, Sogod OFWs and Beneficiaries Association (SOBA), Sophie, Nabaunag Optical and Camella Homes exhibited their products and services. Globe also provided free overseas calls for the participants. The event culminated with the launching of the new OFW song entitled Abot Kamay. This years Migrant Workers Day was also graced by NMP Executive Director Atty. Forter G. Puguon; NLRC Arbiter Atty. Amelita Docena; Tacloban City PESO Manager Emilia Cruz; Lawaan, Eastern Samar PESO Manager Evelyn Ganas; Lawaan, Eastern Samar Mayor Candida Gabornes MOFYA Seabased-category National Awardee; SWAPI Region 8 Chapter President Melba Esquibel; PIA and media representatives (UNTV, PRTV12, DYVL, Visayan Herald, and LeyteSamar Daily Express). |TOP| OWWA SOCCSKSARGEN tribute to OFWs Source: http://www.owwa.gov.ph KORONADAL CITY A splendid celebration of Migrant Workers Day last June 7, 2013 rocked SM City General Santos, as the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration offered an extraordinary tribute to all Overseas Filipino Workers around the world. 500 participants from all over the SOCCSKSARGEN Region joined in hailing the modern day heroes. They were delighted with lots of exciting activities prepared by the Regional Welfare Office XII. To intensify the essence of the event, some of OWWA XIIs ever-supportive partners, Globe, BPI, Philam Life, and MMG School of Paramedics and Allied Sciences Inc., individually, setup a booth to provide services accessible to all participants, free of charge. Moreover, OWWA RWO XII, in cooperation with POEA, Philhealth, and PAG-IBIG, made the One-Stop Processing Center available during the celebration to cater payments, and other concerns of returning migrant workers. Kristine Marie A. Sison, OWWO III of OWWA RWO XII enthusiastically entertains a client processing Balik Manggagawa as part of the perks of Migrant Workers Day 2013 celebration. Highlights of the activity included a raffle draw that thrilled the participants for different prizes; a Dance Competition, depicting the culture of the people of SOCCSKSARGEN that brought genuine entertainment; and a sumptuous meal served by Jollibee Food Corporation, with an exquisite dance number from Jollibee himself that filled the venue with gladness and laughter. Participants offering a prayer to the God Almighty for the successful celebr ation of Migrant Workers Day 2013. Above all, the music video Abot Kamay Kita, which was played simultaneously all over the world, created an impression and gave a great impact to the crowd that made the celebration an extraordinary one. |TOP| POEA goes after recruiters collecting placement fees from household service workers Source: http://www.poea.gov.ph Heeding the instructions of DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz to make recruiters observe the reform package for Filipino household service workers (HSW), Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac said the POEA is asking placement agencies to stop collecting placement fees from HSW applicants or risk losing their license. Cacdac said there is total prohibition on charging placement fees from Filipino household service workers (HSWs), whether done prior to their departure or on-site through salary deduction, as provided by POEA Governing Board Resolution No. 6, Series of 2006. The administrator also warned recruiters not to circumvent the no-placement fee policy by collecting excessive fees supposedly for medical examination, training, video bio-data, and pre-departure orientation seminar. Violation of the prohibition on placement fee collection is considered a grave offense whereby the imposable penalty is cancellation of license, regardless of the number of complainants. Cacdac said that consistent with most host country regulations, employers shall pay a service fee to shoulder all the cost of hiring and deploying HSWs. Very clearly, licensed agencies can still collect placement fee or service fee, provided that it should not be shouldered by the worker but by the foreign principal, Cacdac added. It can be done, Cacdac said, citing the case of a group of licensed recruitment agencies deploying HSWs to Hong Kong which has decided to scrap collection of placement fees from its workers. I urge other recruiter associations to follow the lead of the 52 members of the Society of Hong Kong Accredited

Recruiters of the Philippines (SHARP), which have committed to support the governments campaign to improve the welfare of Filipino household workers in other countries, Cacdac said. |TOP|

Thank You and God Bless !!!!