Land Bank renews MOA for Pantawid Pamilya cash payout
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, July 19 (PIA) --- The government-owned Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) has renewed its memorandum of agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the payout of conditional cash grants to Pantawid Pamilya program beneficiaries.
This was disclosed by LBP First Vice President and Regional Manager Ruel Romarate a day after the July 14 MOA signing during his visit in Dumaguete City where he met with mayors of the second congressional district in Negros Oriental.
Romarate said LBP is ready to serve the growing number of beneficiaries under the state-led poverty alleviation program numbering 145,000 in the region, with 80,000 more expected to be added next year.
“We are looking at partnering with LGUs, rural banks and cooperatives so we can serve the beneficiaries better,” said Romarate during the forum held at El Camino Blanco Restaurant, this city.
The bank intends to link with rural banks in the localities that do not have LBP branches in handing out the cash assistance to the program recipients in the area. “This will save them the costs of going to other towns and cities just to get their grants,” he said.
As of May this year, a total of P45 million have been released to the beneficiaries for the January to February 2011 cash payout in 17 LGUs implementing the Pantawid Pamilya program in the province. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Two public school chiefs in NegOr pledge to follow smoke-free policy
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, July 18 (PIA) --- The aggressive campaign for local governments to strictly implement the Tobacco Regulation Act or Republic Act 9211 in their areas is now also making headway on public school grounds.
This after two public school chiefs pledged to bring the smoke-free policy inside their campuses during Amlan town's second anniversary celebration of their smoke-free ordinance on July 15, 2011.
Amlan Information Officer Sheilah Mae Ligon said that Rhona Silva, Department of Education (DepEd) Amlan district supervisor, has announced that student marshalls were assigned in schools under her district to enforce the smoke-free policy inside the campus.
Negos Oriental State University (NORSU) campuses, on the other hand, are now also adopting the anti-smoking rule. “If a student wants to smoke, he must do it 100 meters away from the school, church and other public places,” said NORSU President Dr. Henry A. Sojor.
Department of Health (DOH) Region 7 Director Dr. Susana Madarieta welcomed the school chiefs' anti-smoking efforts, adding that DOH will soon confer a Red Orchid Award for tobacco-free schools.
The Red Orchid Award, of which Amlan was a recipient this year, is given by DOH for local government units (LGUs) to recognize their efforts to be 100 percent tobacco-free.
Inspired by Amlan's successful anti-smoking measures, three LGUs in Negros Oriental launched their own smoke-free policies this month of July, starting with Dumaguete City on July 15, Bindoy town on July 13 and Jimalalud on July 14.