NegOr disaster council donates P1M to Luzon flood victims
By Jennifer C. Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug 11 (PIA) -- The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) of Negros Oriental has offered P1 million to the victims of the flooding caused by monsoon rains in National Capital Region and neighboring provinces in Luzon.
In a special meeting on August 9, the PDRRMC passed a resolution to extend financial assistance to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) for the flood victims.
Considering the number of local government units affected by the south-west monsoon rains, PDRRMC chair Governor Roel Degamo said the money will be coursed through the NDRRMC which is responsible in sharing out the funds.
So far, some 10 cities and six provinces have been affected by the flooding in the Luzon area.
The financial assistance was taken from the Quick Response Fund (QRF).
Under the new Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System, only 30 percent of the local calamity fund shall be allocated as QRF, or stand-by fund, for relief and recovery programs.
The 70 percent of the local calamity fund is being set aside for disaster risk management activities, such as pre-disaster management preparedness programs and trainings, purchase of life-saving rescue equipment, supplies and medicines and post-disaster activities, among others. (mbcn/JCT-PIA 7, Negros Oriental)
=============
Negros Oriental to boost tourism dev't plan
By Jennifer C. Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug 11 (PIA) -- The Negros Oriental tourism officials started to improve on the province’s tourism development plan with similar strategies set up in the National Tourism Development Plan.
In a workshop held recently, the Department of Tourism (DOT) with tourism officials from Puerto Princesa and Bohol, whose tourism industries are well-advanced, has urged local government units in Negros Oriental to come up with doable tourism plans in their localities.
“Negros Oriental has a lot of tourism assets and destinations to offer to foreign and local tourist but somehow it lacks technical knowhow on product development, infrastructure support, marketing and promotions,” said DOT officer Warner Andrada.
Tourism is the second industry in the world, while it stimulates economy it also creates local pride, Andrada said as he noted that tourism development should be more sustainable and inclusive.
Andrada challenged the province to replicate the Puerto Princesa and Bohol best practices in tourism development to catch up with the world of tourism industry.
Local government units play a very important role in tourism development to influence other stakeholders to support the industry to grow positively, said tourism operations officer Rebecca Labit of Puerto Princesa City.
“We expect also industry players to be considerate by providing accurate data, for instance the number of foreign and local tourists coming in the province so that the government can create strategic infrastructure development,” Labit said.
The DOT also outlined some factors crucial to tourism development such as the mismatch of promotion of eco-tour destinations, high prices of services and products, eco-cultural against mainstream tourism, uncontrolled environmental law violation, waste disposal problem, lack of marketing strategy and unstable power supply, among others. (mbcn/JCT-PIA 7, Negros Oriental)
=============
Bamboo forum to discuss future of bamboo industry
By Jennifer C. Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug 11 (PIA) -- The bamboo industry development council will hold a bamboo forum in September here to promote bamboo as good livelihood and as means to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
The forum aims to gather stakeholders of the bamboo industry in the province as well as in the region to draw future plans for this.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) led the creation of local bamboo industry development council in Negros Oriental to comply with Executive Order (EO) No. 189 to help intensify the bamboo industry in Negros Oriental.
DTI provincial director Javier Fortunato briefed the members on the significant items of the EO that directs the full implementation of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Program.
The DTI will invite bamboo experts to discuss the state of the bamboo industry in the country, its value chain and directions.
The activity also includes resource mapping, product development and technology transfer, and capability building-training.
The local bamboo development council is composed of various government agencies that include the DTI as the chair; the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Education (DepEd), Science and Technology, Labor and Employment, the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce Inc., Philippine Bamboo Foundation Inc., Buglas Bamboo Institute, among others.
The EO tasked the DepEd to procure the equivalent of at least 20 percent of the annual school desk and armchair requirement of all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide in bamboo furniture. (mbcn/JCT-PIA7, Negros Oriental)