P5.5-M alloted for pocket forests in NegOr villages
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 23 (PIA) --- In line with measures to protect the environment in Negros Oriental, the provincial government here has allocated a total of P5,570,000 for villages to set up pocket forests in their areas.
Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo in a recent forum disclosed that each of the total 557 villages in the province will receive P10,000 to undertake the mini-forests. "The funding will be used not only for the planting of trees but also for the barangay to grow them," he said.
The governor said he is expecting each barangay to grow at least 100 trees this year.
The pocket forest initiative is a result of consultations with environmentalists in the province, Degamo added.
He has also instructed the Environment and Natural Resources Management Division to monitor the barangays to ensure that they are growing the trees in the pocket forests. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
=========
| Dumaguete City as ‘Lakbay Jose Rizal @ 150 Heritage Trail ’ site by Jennifer Catan-Tilos DUMAGUETE CITY, June 22 (PIA) The Department of Tourism (DOT) has identified Dumaguete City and Fort San Pedro, Cebu City in Central Visayas as one of the destinations in the country where local and foreign tourists are encourage to visit to promote ‘Lakbay Jose Rizal @ 150 Heritage Trail.' In line with the 150th birth anniversary of national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the city government has supported the program of DOT to convince the tourists to visit and rediscover the sites that once became part of Rizal’s life. City Tourism Officer Andrey Tumulak said Dumaguete City is one of the place visited by Dr. Jose Rizal in the Visayas area, where Rizal’s boat the S.S España went ashore. Rizal then visited Negros Island Governor Regal and a classmate Herrero Regidor, said Tumulak. The project aims to identify all built heritage, structures and sites all over the country with relevance to Jose Rizal, and to create a heritage and tourism promotional campaign centered on Rizal 150th celebration, it is learned. The Lakbay Jose Rizal @ 150 is a tourism heritage campaign centered on the life of Rizal, so that every Filipino have a chance to get to know better our national hero and appreciate the significant places in his life. Tumulak is encouraging tourists to travel as a pilgrim and be a part of the Lakbay Jose Rizal @ 150 and visit the different sites promoted in their brochures, and while travelling have it stamped as proof of said visit. The first 100 pilgrims who have visited all the Rizal sites with proof of the complete stamps on their travel brochure can present it to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) in order to win a token plus an official “Kalabay ni Gat Jose Rizal” certificate. The stamping on the brochure passport will be from June 19, 2011 to June 19 2012. Aside from the Certificate, the tokens for the pilgrims may range from books or shirts or domestics air tickets, among others. Stamp sites are located on-site where the curators can stamp the brochure or passport. Other stamp sites can be located at the DOT regional offices. (PIA NegOr/JCT) |
==========
Dumaguete City tricycle drivers accept now fuel cash aid
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 22 (PIA) The Dumaguete City government together with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) have started distributing yesterday the fuel cash assistance under the Pantawid Pasada program to some 2,230 tricycle franchisee-drivers in the city.
City Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria assisted the local DILG Chief Felix Ablir in handing over the P150 financial assistance to the driver-beneficiaries.
For the remaining claimants, Ablir asked the tricycle operators to claim the cash at the City Treasurer’s Office together with their drivers. Ablir said if the operator has not time to get the cash, drivers are allowed to claim with written authorization from the franchise holders or operators.
The Pantawid Pasada provides a one-time grant of P150 for tricycles with franchises registered with the local government units (LGU ) as of March 28, 2011, however, the cash assistance is intended for the tricycle drivers only.
While Dumaguete has a total registered number of 2,500 tricycle drivers, the remaining 270 will also be given the same amount after renewal of their units.
As a counterpart, according to CLGOO Felix Ablir Mayor Sagarbarria has pledged to allocate some P33,500 for those drivers not included in the list of DILG.
Apart from the P150, the LGU, if it has the capability, may opt to provide a counterpart grant or shoulder the administrative cost in the implementation of the program.
The distribution of fuel assistance for passenger tricycle drivers is pursuant to Executive Order No. 32 issued by President Bengino S. Aquino III to implement the “Pantawid Pasada Program” and to cushion the impact of the spiraling fuel prices to members of the transport sector. (PIA NegOr/JCT)