Dumaguete City observes Disaster Consciousness MonthCity has 24-hr standby emergency rescue team
By Jennifer C. Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 5 (PIA)--- The City Government of Dumaguete joins the nationwide observance of National Disaster Consciousness Month, which began Monday morning with a motorcade parade around the city streets.
City and barangay officials, students, and representatives from different national and local agencies joined the activity.
City Disaster Risk Reduction Management head Jose Chu said the month of July is declared the National Disaster Consciousness Month with this year’s theme: “Ligtas na Bayan, Maunlad na Pamayanan.”
Chu said that as far as disaster preparedness is concerned, the city government has a 24-hour standby or on-call emergency rescue team.
He urged every sector here to actively participate in disaster preparedness and remain vigilant amid the onset of the rainy season.
The celebration comes at a time when a low pressure area (LPA) is currently spotted east of Mindanao that will affect the Visayas Region including Cebu on the other day. (rmn/JCT-PIA 7, Negros Oriental)
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Tanjay City’s good housekeeping award provides fund for infra projects
By Jennifer C. Tilos
TANJAY CITY, Negros Oriental, June 5 (PIA) -- The Tanjay City government is set to construct road concreting and farm-to-market roads in its barangays from a support fund of P28 million from the Seal of Good Housekeeping award earned by the city granted by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Mayor Lawrence Teves said in a media conference held Tuesday that Tanjay City has received the award for its implementation of good governance plans and programs, including delivery of basic services to the people and sound fiscal management.
Mayor Teves said with the P28 million prize, the city government has added P3 million as its part for Brgy. Bahian road concreting and another P3 million for a farm-to-market project.
The P12 million is allocated for road concreting project from Brgy. Pal-iw to Sta. Cruz Nuevo, while another P13 million for the same infrastructure project from Sicopong River to Sto. Niño center with a total of P31 million.
In the same presscon, the newly constructed 700-meter boulevard was showcased where the city government recently added an allocation of P11 million for the construction of a sea port connecting the boulevard.
With this seaport, Teves said the city government may allow fastcrafts to moor and take trips to and from Bato, Cebu. (RMN/JCT-PIA7 Negros Oriental)
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DTI urges N. Oriental motorists to buy prescribed helmets ASAP
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, July 5 (PIA) -- With less than a month before the full implementation of the Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2010 in Negros Oriental, motorists here are urged to start buying the prescribed helmets in order to avoid violating the law.
Provincial officials from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here made the appeal to the motorcycle-riding public after the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced the full enforcement of said law on August 1.
Dumaguete LTO Chief Rolando Ramos said his office, along with deputized personnel from the Philippine National Police here, will start their roadside inspections for standard helmet use among local motorists on the said date.
The guidelines of RA 10054 states that the helmet law will be implemented on July 28.
“But since that day falls on a Saturday, I might as well (move it) to Monday, August 1, to give our motorists more time,” Ramos said.
DTI officials led by Provincial Director Javier Fortunato on Tuesday met with local helmet retailers to seek an inventory of their supply of the standard helmets.
DTI records show there are currently only 1,300 standard helmets available for sale in around 20 shops in Dumaguete City as of July 3.
There are around 20,000 motorists registered with Ramos’ district alone.
Helmet retailers are reportedly wary about increasing their stocks of the standard helmet due to the current low demand. “They are just waiting, when the demand goes up, that’s the time they will order more helmets,” said Fortunato.
The DTI provincial director said that motorists need to start purchasing the prescribed helmets now to avoid the last-minute rush buying.
“Of the total motorists registered here, we don’t know how many of them have the standard helmets already. We just assume that there are several thousand of those that need to buy helmets and there are only a few on stock right now,” said Fortunato.
Under the helmet law, motorists are required to wear either a half-face helmet with clear visor or a full-face helmet with a clear visor, according to Ramos.
Motorcycle riders who fail to wear the prescribed helmet will be penalized P1,500 for the first offense and P3,000 for the second offense. Those found wearing sub-standard helmets also face a P3,000 fine.
During random roadside inspections, enforcers will look for the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker which DTI affixes at the back of helmets that passed their inspection.
Dr. Angeline Gonzalez of DTI told media that that motorcycle owners with helmets that do not yet have an ICC mark should bring their head gear to the DTI office, along with a photocopy of their driver’s license.
“We will inspect them for traces of dents or impact marks because helmets that already encountered impact are not assured to be safe,” said Gonzalez, adding that once the helmets pass their inspection, the ICC sticker bearing a colored hologram with unique security features will be affixed at the back.
Helmets will also be inspected for telltale signs of tampering. “We will not issue (an ICC sticker) for helmets that show traces of tampering using solvents or any fuel to remove labels because these will diminish the durability of the (helmet’s) outer shell,” added Gonzales.
Motorists who are about to buy helmets are advised to purchase only those bearing the ICC sticker. (RMN-PIA7 Negros Oriental)
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Tanjay City allots P2.5M for its fiesta celebration
TANJAY CITY, Negros Oriental, June 5 (PIA) -- The Tanjay City government allocated P2.5 million for its month-long grand fiesta celebration this month with the theme, “Malambuong Tanjayanon Kanunay Mapasalamato”.
This year’s fiesta director, Atty. Arnel Vibar, said the fiesta day will take place on July 25 but it is traditionally celebrated for the whole of July in honor of patron saint St. James the Greater.
The daily activities lined-up for the celebration include Miss Tanjay beauty pageant, sugbaanay sa parke, little Mister and Miss Tanjay City, Senior Citizen’s Night, well baby and cooking contest, gay basketball, dakpanay ug baktin, sports competition, civic parade, live band and a concelebrated mass.
The highlight of the feast is the commemoration of the Saulog Festival on July 24 to be participated in by eight cluster-barangays with a flurry of colors and contagious rhythmic drum beats parading around the city.
Atty. Vibar said the fiesta committee invited the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) General Manager Mark Lapid along with Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo to grace the Saulog Festival competition on July 24.
The committee called for the cooperation and support of all Tanjayanons in order to ensure a successful holding of this year’s fiesta celebration. (RMN/JCT-PIA7 Negros Oriental)