DOLE creates TWG to tackle paaling fishing issue
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug. 12 (PIA) The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has created a Technical Working Group (TWG) this week to address the new string of complaints on the recruitment of fish workers for paaling fishing in Ayungon, Negros Oriental.
In a consultative dialogue, Municipal Mayor Edsel Enardecido of Ayungon proposed to a set of government officials concerned to form a TWG to determine each role in monitoring individuals or business engaged in paaling fishing.
This is in reaction of DOLE7 regional director Exequiel Sarcauga’s report on the 38 victims of Pesca Maharlika Marine Resources Inc., the Navotas, Malabon based fishing company now under fire for victimizing 250 fishermen-workers and for alleged violations of numerous laws.
These include anti-human trafficking (RA 9208); illegal recruitment (RA 10022); child labor (RA 7158); and worst forms of child labor (RA 9231).
The fish workers-complainants are residents of Ayungon, a fourth-class municipality in Negros Oriental where the people’s chief occupations are farming and fishing.
However, in consultation among the stakeholders, Dir. Sarcauga stressed the immediate resolution of the case and to avoid the incident to happen again.
In his presentation, DOLE director also focuses on the occupational safety and health conditions, social benefits, and employment terms and conditions for the fishermen employed in paaling operations.
Meanwhile, the Labor department provided a package of livelihood assistance in the amount of P914,000 to the 38 fishermen workers who have filed complaints against Master Fisherman Andrew Labao and Pesca.
The assistance offered to ensure they will not engage in paaling, a deep-sea compressor fishing activity similar to muro-ami, where fishermen, using crude apparatus usually of junk iron and steel material, pound coral reefs to scare and drive fish into a net laid out on the ocean floor, said DOLE official.
The livelihood package will be funded by Integrated Services Livelihood Assistance (ISLA), a project for marginal fisher folk in fishing communities, under the DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood Assistance Program (DILP). (PIA NegOr/JCT)
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Dumaguete bags Most Promising City award in CV
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, August 12 (PIA) --- Dumaguete City bagged the "Most Promising City" award during the 7th Regional Nutrition Action Officers Congress and 2011 Grand Nutrition Awards inCebu City on August 5, 2011.
The city was awarded for its best practices and innovative nutrition programs implemented in its barangays last year and the drop in the city's malnutrition rate for the past five years, according to City Nutrition Officer Lourdes Taburaza.
Three of the city's best practices that impressed the team of evaluators from the Regional Nutrition Council (RNC-7) were the Rabbit Dispersal Program, Healthy Start and Waste Segregation system in the barangays.
The Rabbit Dispersal Program is implemented in identified villages here under the Small Animal Dispersal project of the Office of the City Agriculture which is a member of the City Nutrition Council.
"This livestock program is one of the measures we implemented to combat malnutrition in the villages," Taburaza told the Philippine Information Agency in an interview.
The Healthy Start program is implemented thru the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) wherein Child Development workers in the barangays take care of working mothers' children aged zero to three years old.
On the other hand, all barangays in the city has been employing waste segregation practices under the city's Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) to support the city's nutrition programs.
"A clean, sanitary environment will lead to good nutrition," said Taburaza.
One of the city's innovative programs also cited by the RNC-7 is the City Nutrition Office's (CNO) pig dispersal program that resulted to the now flourishing piggery business of livestock raiser Cecilia delos Reyes of Northern Junob, this city.
Delos Reyes was a beneficiary of said program back in 2007 during which she received one pig from CNO. "From that one pig, she was able to sustain and expand her livelihood and she is now raising ten sows," explained Taburaza.
The pig dispersal project is one of CNO's intervention programs implemented from the P50,000 cash grant the city received in 2007 as a CROWN awardee for maintaining a good performance in propagating nutrition plans for three consecutive years.
Said nutrition programs were responsible for reducing the city's malnutrition rate for the last five years, said Taburaza.
The malnutrition rate here in 2006 was pegged at 7.9%% and except for a slight increase in 2010, it gradually dropped in the following five years: 6.8% in 2007, 4.9% in 2008, 4.4% in 2009, 4.5% in 2010, and 4.1% in 2011.
The city nutritionist is positive that the city will keep up its award-winning performance in the next years. "We hope to win the Green Banner award next time," said Taburaza.
The Green Banner Award is the highest award granted by the RNC-7 to a local government unit for an "exemplary performance in managing its nutrition action plan."
Taburaza is set to meet with the city's village officials today to urge them to continue supporting the city's nutrition programs. "They should strengthen their nutrition councils and continue implementing their nutrition programs," she said.
Dumaguete City Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria has assured the availability of funds to support the city's nutrition programs especially for the underweight pre-schoolers and graders including pregnant mothers.
The city's supplemental feeding program has been expanded to include children from Grades 1 to 4 and underweight pregnant women with an annual budget of P2 million from local funds, while another P1.1 million has been allocated for the city's fresh milk feeding program. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Military launches ‘Bayanihan Para sa Kabataan’
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug. 12 (PIA) The 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army has launched recently a “Bayanihan Para Kabataan” project which set two educational tours for grade school children from hinterland barangays in Negros Oriental.
Dubbed as “Bayanihan Para sa Kabataan, Lakbay Aral Para sa Karunungan,” Battalion Commander Col. Pio Dinoso 111 scheduled the next educational tour for the grade fifth and sixth pupils of the remote Banaue Elementary School, Pamplona town on August 25.
Another exposure trip will be in September for the school children from hinterland barangays of Guihulngan City.
Col. Dinoso said the project aims to promote as the key to a brighter future for both in-school and out-of-school youths in the hinterlands.
“They are the ones who need attention the most to prevent them from succumbing to the ideologies of other forces,” said Dinoso.
For his part, 302nd Commander, Col Francisco Patrimonio said it is important to take care of these children especially those in conflict areas so that they will be insulated from deception and not fall prey to insurgency.
The project aspire to cover distant villages province-wide to widen the horizon and expose the children the opportunity to create a positive outlook in life, military official said.
The children, however, will be accompanied by their school teachers, principals and barangay captains.
For this purpose, the Rotary Mother Club and Visayan Forum pledged to donate P5,000 to purchase slippers and school supplies, respectively, while the ONCAN ways and means committee takes care other requirements such as food for the children.
The activity strengthens AFP’s partnership with the various stakeholders in the province, it is noted. 9PIA NegOr/JCT)
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Sibulan completes three-day coastal resource assessment
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, August 12 (PIA) --- The municipal government of Sibulan has completed a three-day Coastal Resource Assessment Workshop from August 9 to 11, 2011 in line with the municipality's coastal resource management plan.
During the workshop, a coastal resource assessment was made on Sibulan's six coastal villages, namely: Sibulan, Ajong, Poblacion, Looc, Cangmating, Agan-an, and Maslog.
“We evaluated the coastal resource protection activities being done by these coastal areas to determine if they are in line with our expected output based on our coastal resource management plan,” said Sibulan Information Officer Concepcion Rosales in an interview.
Rosales explained that each of the coastal barangays have been implementing coastal resource management activities in their areas.
The workshop also plotted out trainings on coastal resource protection and management for village officials based on their area's needs.
“Based on our evaluation findings, we will be providing livelihood trainings as well for the fisherfolks in these barangays,” added Rosales.
The assessment team was composed of representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA) and Sibulan's Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Division (ENRD) and coastal management consultants.
Said workshop was attended by 50 participants composed of fisherfolks who are members of associations involved in coastal resource management and representatives from non-government organizations and people's organizations in Sibulan. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)