DSWD warns 4Ps beneficiaries against text scam
By Jennifer C. Tilos
DUMAGUTE CITY, June 7 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 7 (DSWD-7) has warned the public, particularly the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), against circulating text scams.
According to DSWD-7 Information Officer Aileen Lariba, the text comes from a certain Lea Ramos, which states “Congratulations, President Noy-Noy Aquino Foundation 4Ps Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, your sim # won P950,000 as second prize winner in the Handog Pangkabuhayan raffle promo, DTI 0154s’12."
Lariba said the text message is not true and that DSWD does not hold any raffle promos or draws.
Under the conditional cash transfer of Pantawid Pamilya program, the government provides cash assistance to impoverished families.
With this, Lariba urges all those who will receive this text message to immediately report to the nearest DSWD office or text the Pantawid Pamilya Grievance Text Hotline 0918-912-2813. The public may also get in touch with Lariba at 0917-381-5555 or (032) 2321192 loc. 123. (rmn/JCT/PIA-Negros Oriental)
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NegOr to get P961-M for disaster-damaged infra
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 7 (PIA) -- The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) regional office in Cebu City is set to release this month the P961-million cash assistance earlier requested by the provincial government for the repair of damaged infrastructure projects here.
This was announced by Gov. Roel Degamo in a forum held Wednesday in Dumaguete City.
Pres. Benigno Aquino III has approved the provincial government’s request for monetary aid to rehabilitate the damaged government-owned infrastructure in the province after typhoon Sendong hit Negros Oriental in December 2011.
“The president has instructed the DBM to facilitate the transfer of funds to Negros Oriental,” said Degamo.
Once the funds are released, the governor said they will be used for the immediate construction and repair of the devastated infrastructure facilities, such as roads and bridges.
Not soon after Sendong, Negros Oriental was on the receiving end of another disaster, when a 6.9-magnitude earthquake rocked parts of the province in February this year.
Both natural calamities displaced thousands of families in the affected areas here and resulted to the loss of almost a hundred lives.
Infrastructure facilities worth several millions of pesos were likewise damaged by the twin disasters.
The provincial government earlier extended nearly P80 million in calamity assistance consisting of food and non-food items to the victims, including initial repair and rehabilitation of the affected infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, river control, dikes, and gabions. (RMN/PIA 7, Negros Oriental)
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DOST gives 14,348 OL mosquito traps for anti-dengue
By Jennifer C. Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 7 (PIA) -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) here has distributed 14,348 ovicidal-larvicidal traps (OL traps) to public elementary and secondary schools in Negros Oriental last week to help in the fight against dengue.
DOST provincial director Gilbert Arbon said the DOST provided an initial two-month supply of the OL trap kits for 7,174 classrooms in the five cities and Negros Oriental divisions.
“OL traps prevent the larvae from maturing into dengue-carrying mosquitoes, thus we aim to contain and reduce the spread of the disease in places where mosquitoes congregate and breed during daytime, like classrooms," DOST Secretary Mario Montejo said.
The OL trap is a simple technology that kills the eggs and larvae of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries the dengue virus. The black container attracts mosquitoes to lay their eggs on the lawanit strip soaked with the OL pellet-water solution.
The OL pellets, made of organic and non-toxic material, attract mosquitoes and kill their young, in effect reducing the number of the next generation of mosquitoes.
DOST’s school-based OL Trap program intends to reduce the number of mosquito population in schools and communities, and subsequently lower dengue incidents, through the use of the OL Trap.
On June 1, the science and technology department delivered 4,836 Ol trap kits to the following city divisions: Bais City for 431 classrooms; Bayawan City for 661 classrooms; Dumaguete City, 460; Guihulngan City, 431; and Tanjay City with 435, all with a total of 2,418 classrooms.
For Negros Oriental division with 23 districts under the Department of Education, DOST gave out 9,512 kits for 4,756 classrooms.
Through OL trap system project, the DOST, DepEd and health department hope to reduce the number of dengue cases in the province.
In a press statement, Montejo said, “in this program, DOST works very closely with the health, education, and local government departments. Each agency has a very important role in the program to significantly reduce the number of dengue cases among our school children.” (rmn/JCT/PIA-Negros Oriental)
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Dumaguete turns over school building to public elementary school
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 7 (PIA) -- The Dumaguete City government turned over a two-storey school building to the Calindagan Elementary School in Brgy. Calindaga.
Dumaguete Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria led the turnover ceremony, which was also attended by Dumaguete City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Ramir Uytico.
Uytico welcomed the additional school building, saying that this will improve the delivery of educational services in the city and help the Department of Education’s aim of providing quality basic education.
The turnover was witnessed by Negros Oriental Vice-Governor Jun Arnaiz, Calindagan barangay officials, local businessmen, teachers, parents, and students.
Monsignor Julius Heruela of the Diocese of Dumaguete administered the blessing of the said classroom building.
The building was built through the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of Sen. Serge Osmeña III amounting to P5 million, said a statement from the Dumaguete Information Office. (RMN/PIA 7-Negros Oriental)
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Valencia town releases P2M financial assistance to Sendong victims
By Jennifer C. Tilos
VALENCIA, Negros Oriental, June 7 (PIA) -- The local government of Valencia will distribute Monday the financial assistance for affected households of tropical storm Sendong that hit the town on December 2011.
This will be the last batch of financial distribution by the local government for the affected families.
Valencia Mayor Ricky Gonzalez said the local government has extended a total of P2.063 million to the 1,421 families whose houses were either totally and partially damaged and those classified as affected.
Gonzalez added that families whose houses were totally damaged received P10,000 and for those partially damaged, P5,000.
Families who were classified as affected received P2,000 cash assistance.
The amount was sourced from the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund and donations from other local government units and non-government organizations.
Local social welfare record shows that of the total houses hit by 'Sendong' in Valencia town, 108 were totally damaged, 119 partially damaged and 194 affected. (rmn/JCT-PIA 7, Negros Oriental)