Sibulan identifies possible relocation site for homeless flood victims
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Jan. 27 (PIA) --- A possible relocation site has been identified by the Sibulan local government unit (LGU) for its 206 flood victims who are now homeless after their houses were washed away by raging floodwaters brought by Typhoon Sendong last month.
The site is a privately-owned three-hectare lot in Cansal-ing, Brgy. Ajong, Sibulan, said Sibulan Information Officer Connie Rosales.
Rosales said the municipal government is now scouring for funds that will be used to purchase the lot.
“We need between P8 million to P10 million to purchase this lot,” said Rosales, who also heads Sibulan’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC).
The site is eyed to serve as a relocation area for flood victims coming from barangays that were hardest hit by the storm, namely: Tubtubon, Ajobg, Bolocboloc, Calabnugan, Magatas and Poblacion.
Rosales said in an interview that the construction of houses for the storm victims will not be a problem as several agencies have already offered to build the houses or provide construction materials for free.
“However, these houses must be in a relocation site owned by the LGU,” she said.
Sibulan Mayor Marcela Bartoces has already sought possible funding assistance from the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Office of the Vice President for the purchase of the relocation site.
Rosales said the site will have to be assessed and approved by NHA and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“This is to ensure that the relocation site is in a much safer ground,” she said.
For now, the flood victims are temporarily housed at Sibulan’s Training Center where the LGU is taking care of the evacuees’ basic needs. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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NORECO 1 seeks electrification of 24 sitios in Negros Oriental
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Jan. 27 (PIA) --- The Negros Oriental Electric Cooperative I, one of the two electric cooperatives in Negros Oriental, is seeking the electrification of 24 hinterland sitios in its coverage area this year.
The cooperative has already submitted their request to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for the energization of said sitios that continue to have no access to electricity due to its remote locations.
Around P12.6 million is needed to light up households in said areas, according to Aristarco Samontañes, operation and maintenance chief-officer in charge of NORECO I.
Samontañes said they expect NEA to release the funds sometime within the first quarter of this year.
NORECO I covers 11 towns and cities in the northern side of the island province, namely: Mabinay, Manjuyod, Bindoy, Ayungon, Tayasan, Jimalalud, La Libertad, Guihulngan City, Vallehermoso, Bais City and Canlaon City.
As of December 2007, all barangays in its coverage area have been fully energized.
NORECO I is now focusing on providing power to the sitios in line with NEA’s Sitio Electrification Program that was approved by Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III last year to accelerate socio-economic development in the countryside. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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NegOr to benefit KALAHI-CIDSS now
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Jan. 27 (PIA) The regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently identified 11 municipalities with poverty incidence of at least 33 percent in Negros Oriental are now included in the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan- Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) project.
Information Officer Aileen Lariba of DSWD7 said 11 municipalities in three district of the province to benefit the project include the municipalities of Ayungon, Bindoy, Jimalalud, Mabinay, Manjuyod, Vallehermoso, Basay, Pamplona, Dauin, Sta. Catalina, Zamboanguita.
The KALAHI-CIDSS, Lariba clarified, is a community driven development program aimed at empowering communities to identify and implement projects that helps reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.
This project has been proven, tested and lauded by World Bank as one of the top five anti-poverty programs has finally introduced in Negros Oriental, said Lariba.
The KALAHI-CIDSS is also designed to empower the people to identify the needs of their communities, participate in its implementation and develop strategies to sustain the gains and lessons learned in participatory development and good local governance.
Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre of DSWD has announced that “in Central Visayas alone, KALAHI-CIDSS has covered 349 barangays in 14 municipalities in the provinces of Bohol and Siquijor.”
Macapobre was quick to add that “it has served approximately 80,000 households through 454 subprojects amounting to about P350 million” in its first implementation in Bohol and Siquijor.
The successful outcome of the first two provinces holds a bright example for the 11 municipalities identified in Negros Oriental and a promising change for these communities, Lariba said.
The program has to collaborate between the community and the local government for a counter-parting scheme needs to be established and understood for the implementation to start.
DSWD official cited the important of an LGU Enrollment Forum with the different stakeholders and the mayors to provide a venue to complete the enrollment requirement and compliance to local counterpart contribution.
With DSWD’s thrust to communicate, collaborate and coordinate, Director Macapobre encourage the participants to communicate and be very candid and open in their opinions, suggestions and difficulties so that issues can immediately be addressed and resolved the earliest time.
Infrastructure facilities that have been commonly considered were farm-to-market roads, school buildings, potable waterworks systems, electrification, and day care centers are just concrete results of all the community efforts, hard work and transparency. (PIA/JCT)
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Negrenses invited to join e-Trike design contest
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Jan. 27 (PIA) The Negrenses are called on to participate in the nationwide electric tricycle (e-Trike) design contest by the Department of Energy (DOE).
The contest is open to all Filipinos aged 18 years old and above, whether individual or group residing in the Philippines.
The design contest anchored on the theme “Bright Now! Do Right. Be Right. Go E-Trike!,” aims to showcase modern tricycle innovations, for a more environmental friendly transport in the country.
The participants should feature a design that can accommodate a maximum of six (6) passengers excluding the driver. It must also be a three (3)-wheeled electric vehicle.
Contestant/s must generate 2D and 3D computer-aided drawings using AutoCAD software of the best aesthetic and functional design for the future Philippine E-trike look.
Selection of winners will be based on aesthetics/creativity (50%), originality/innovation (20%), safety and functionality (20%) and ergonomics or ease of passenger entry, space requirements, and total passenger comfort (10%).
Final judging of shortlisted entries will be on Feb. 24.
Top three winners will receive P200,000.00 each while seven participants will receive a consolation price of P50,000.00 each.
Deadline for the submission of entry that includes a CD and hardcopy (A3 size) enclosed in a sealed envelope will be on Feb. 17, 2012.
Eligible participants may submit personally or send by courier the design entry accompanied by completely-filled Official Registration Form and duly notarized Oath of Ownership of the submitted design to Nationwide E-Trike Design Contest at Energy Utilization Management Bureau of DOE, Merritt Road, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 1631.
The forms can be downloaded at the DOE and Philippine Information Agency (PIA) websites. (PIA/JCT)
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NORECO 1 sets district elections for BOD
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Jan. 27 (PIA) Member-consumers of Negros Oriental Cooperative 1 (NORECO 1) are set to take part in district elections for board of directors in February and March, this year.
The three districts elections under NORECO 1 will be conducted in the towns of Vallehermoso on February 25; La Libertad, March 3; and Bais City on March 10.
In a Kapihan sa PIA forums in each area, Institutional Services Manager Lynn Manlalangit of NORECO 1 explained that qualified candidates should be a bonafide member of the cooperative who seeks to represent at least 90 days before the election, and at least 21 years old on the date of election and a resident of the district he/she seeks to represent for at least one year before the election.
Manlalangit said candidates should not in any way employed by or financially interested in a competing enterprise or a business selling electric energy or electrical hardware to the cooperative and/or doing business with the cooperative including the use or rental of poles, among others.
Aspirants must also have no unsettled or outstanding obligations to the cooperative at the time of filing his/her certificate of candidacy, including accountabilities of commercial or industrial connections of which he/she is the owner or co-owner; has not been apprehended of electric pilferage by the coop and has not been removed for cause as director or employee from any electric cooperative.
It is also noted in a forum that government employees who wish to run in the election should secure a permit from his/her Department Secretary/Regional Director/Elective local official or duly authorized representative allowing him/her to run and/or sit as director at the time of filing his/her certificate of candidacy.
Candidate who ran in the local or national elections is disqualified from running for cooperative director within one year from the date of the local or national elections.
Meanwhile, the Manlalangit also discussed regarding the Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizen’s Act of 2010 that mandates a 5.0-percent discount on the electricity consumption of the elderly, chiefly those who are 60 years old and above. (PIA/JCT)