Sibulan LGU to limit illegal structures in coastal villages
by: Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, April 28 (PIA) --- Alarmed by the growing number of illegal structures erected in its coastal villages, the municipal government of Sibulan, Negros Oriental has set in motion efforts to curb the construction of these structures by crafting a Foreshore Development Plan.
The plan will fast track the local government's plan to limit the rise of illegal structures in the town's six coastal villages, namely: Ajong, Lo-oc, Poblacion, Cangmating, Maslog, and Agan-an.
According to Sibulan's Foreshore Assessment Technical Working Group (TWG) Chairperson Connie Rosales, their goup met with a representative from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on April 27 to plot out concrete steps in implementing the said plan.
"Primarily, these will involve the survey of the accretion and reclamation areas in the villages of Cangmating, Maslog and Agan-an," she said.
The development plan will also serve as a reference guide for Sibulan's Sangguniang Bayan in crafting an ordinance that will control construction work along the public foreshore lands of the seaside barangays.
The illegal construction of buildings and beach houses in the coastal village's public lands have continued unrestrained over the years, and Rosales said it's high time for the municipal government to step in. "This will escalate into a big problem if left unchecked, and we need to have an ordinance that will clamp down on these illegal structures," Rosales told the Philippine Information Agency.
A permit from the Public Reclamation Authority (PRA) and the DENR is required by law before one can occupy accretion or public lands. "They also need to seek a building permit from the LGU but they can only do that once they have a permit from PRA and DENR already," said Rosales.
She noted that owners of some of the structures standing on lands within the domain of DENR have heeded the municipality's call and are now processing their permit applications with the said government office with the assistance of the LGU.
Rosales added that Sibulan Mayor Marcela Bartoces is set to seek DENR's assistance in acquiring a special patent for the town's foreshore lands. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Dumaguete social welfare office public service announcement
The Dumaguete City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) is requesting the following senior citizens to immediately report to their office located at the Rizal Boulevard, Dumaguete City during office hours:
1. Providencia Alberta - Brgy. Bagacay
2. Mateo Camilo - Brgy. Banilad
3. Efrucina Clarita - Brgy. Banilad
4. Nezarito Gurisma - Brgy. Banilad
5. Casimira Baybay - Brgy. Batinguel
6. Roselyn Ann de los Santos - Brgy. Batinguel
7. Maxima Susola - Brgy. Candau-ay
8. Vilma Taganili - Brgy. Candau-ay
9. Bedancio Acabal - Bry. Daro
10. Cipriano Catubay - Brgy. Tabuc-tubig
11. Felisa Cabolig - Brgy. Taclobo
12. Elarion Jordan - Brgy. Talay
13. Saravillo Spepanyang Canusi- Brgy. Cadawinonan
City Social Welfare and Development Officer Marina Mendoza is also requesting anyone who are aware of the said senior citizens' whereabouts to contact her office and inform the CSWDO of their status as soon as possible. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Negros Oriental Vice Gov spearheads greening of Dumaguete Airport
by: Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, April 27 (PIA) --- A greener sight will soon welcome visitors at theDumaguete City Airport after a tree-planting activity spearheaded by Negros Oriental Vice Governor Apolinario Arnaiz Jr. takes off on May 2.
Arnaiz will lead a group composed of local environmentalists, including Airport Manager Veronica Chuang and members of the Friends of the Environment in Negros Oriental (FENOR) in planting trees at the Dumaguete Airport Parking Area.
FENOR, in a statement, noted that the trees that bordered the cemented parking area at the airport has gradually diminished over the years, leaving parked vehicles baking under the heat of the sun with their engines idling to keep the air-conditioning unit on inside.
The group said that a vehicle's engines’ idling emits pollution deemed harmful to human and environmental health. "As one of FENOR's climate change mitigation projects, trees will be restored to the airport parking area to provide shade and reduce pollution," the statement said.
Engr. Greg Uymatiao reportedly deployed his workers to open the parking area ground with planting holes while Rene Vendiola along with Esther Windler of FENOR and the Department of Agriculture in Valencia town provided endemic tree saplings for the greening activity. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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San Jose lines up activities for 56th fiesta celebration
by: Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, April 27 (PIA) --- To mark its 56th year anniversary, the municipal government of San Jose led by Mayor Carmelo Emmanuel Remollo has lined up several activities from May 9 to 10 this year.
The fiesta, whose activities will run all month-long, is in honor of Patron St. Joseph the Worker, according to San Jose Information Officer Janet Bacay-Amen.
The festivities will kick off on May 3 with a Pasikatay sa San Jose talent show followed by a Talent Night and Presentation of Candidates for Mr. and Miss San Jose 2011 on May 4, a dance sport competition on May 5 and a variety show on May 6.
On May 7, an Agricultural Fair will be held in the morning and afterwards, a Gay Boxing and Bayot Kitbol in the afternoon and a back-to-back Live Band show in the evening.
The Ayuquitan Festival Street Dancing and Showdown will take place on May 8 and then the Coronation Night for Mr. & Miss San Jose 2011 on May 9 followed by a fireworks display.
May 10 will be Disco night and then on May 21, a Wholesome Mommy Beauty Contest and a Kite Contest on May 28.
The celebration will culminate with a Santa Cruzan procession on May 30. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Efforts to pass twice-rejected ordinance for domestic workers in Dumaguete revived
by: Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, April 27 (PIA) --- Government and non-government organizations working for the welfare of household workers or kasambahay in Negros Oriental are resurrecting efforts to push for the passage of an ordinance that will put in place protection mechanisms for the domestic work sector in Dumaguete City.
This after two proposed kasambahay ordinances failed to get the needed votes at theDumaguete City Council, with the first one proposed by former City Councilor and now Second District Board Member Rotelio Lumjod and just recently by incumbent City Councilor Kenneth Arbas.
Proponents of the ordinance, foremost of which is the non-government organization Visayan Forum and its mass-based group of domestic workers Samahan at Ugnayan ng Manggagawang Pantahanan sa Pilipinas (SUMAPI), were dismayed over the successive rejections but remain adamant to see the ordinance passed at the council.
"We will not give up because we believe this ordinance will benefit not only the domestic workers but their employers as well," said Marlene Pepino of the Visayan Forum in Negros Oriental during a Kapihan forum held April 27, 2011 at Plaza Ma. Luisa Suites Inn.
Visayan Forum, said Pepino, has lately secured the support of the Provincial Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in Persons (PIACAT), a council spearhead by the provincial government, to round up the needed support and figures to back the Kasambahay ordinance the next time it is pushed at the city council.
Romualdo Señeres of PIACAT, in the same forum, said they have started tallying the number of domestic workers in the city. "Next time we face the city council we can present the statistics to show how big a sector the local domestic work is," he said.
The group likewise met with barangay captains and plans to organize the public schools with large numbers of working students to gain more support for the Kasambahay ordinance.
"We are looking at reviving the ordinance at the City Council either third quarter of this year or first quarter of next year," Señeres said.
Should the ordinance be passed, Señeres said they are looking at promoting Dumaguete as a Kasambahay-friendly city in the region.
Aside from addressing the needs and protecting the welfare of domestic workers, the Kasambahay ordinance also mandates barangay captains to come up with a comprehensive listing of househelpers, including working students, in their area. This also includes taking the kasambahay's photo and their pertinent details.
"This listing would also protect the interest of the employers whose families are at the care of domestic workers," said Pepino.
She said there are around 2,000 household helpers in Negros Oriental listed by the Visayan Forum, but this is just a drop in the actual statistics. "Most of those we listed are working students only and does not include domestic workers who are not going to school," she said. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)