AboitizPower to expand its “Cleanergy” portfolio, looks forward to 2021

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The AboitizPower group looks forward to 2021 to expand its “Cleanergy” portfolio with its 59-megawatt-peak solar power facility in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental which is among the organization’s assets that invests on clean energy program.

AboitizPower President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Rubio said that this solar farm helps prevent the emission of more than 44,000 tons of carbon dioxide over 20 years, which is equivalent to taking around 10,000 cars off the road.

“Our targets in the next decade remain the same.  We will continue to pursue a major shift in our energy mix by 2030, but while we remain focused on addressing the country’s energy trilemma of energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability, we will be shifting the balance from ensuring low-cost energy to providing energy from more sustainable sources,” Rubio added. 

According to him that in the next 10 years, the company is still set on significantly expanding its portfolio of renewable energy power plants and by 2030 its capacity mix will have been transformed into an almost 50:50 Thermal to Cleanergy ratio.

With its balanced mix strategy, Rubio added that AboitizPower is able to provide the country with a reliable and cost-efficient power supply, creating a greener and safer environment for the country and the rest of the world.

Rubio went on that AboitizPower had high hopes for 2020 as it anticipated the realization of its growth strategy over the next decade, but the pandemic brought about an unprecedented impact on the power company.

“It forced it to transition from significantly growing the business to keeping it afloat, and from expanding the organization to making necessary adjustments in its workforce.  Despite all these, we remain committed to advancing business and communities by continuing to provide reliable, reasonably priced, and responsibly produced power solutions even in the new normal,” Rubio said.

The year 2020 may not have been what we expected, but it was the year that revealed how resilient AboitizPower was through the group’s successes despite the challenges it faced in the last nine months, Rubio stated.

He revealed that the AboitizPower Group and the Department of Energy (DOE) successfully turned over around P650 million in direct remittances under the Energy Regulations No. (ER) 1-94 program to various host communities across the country as of Dec. 28, 2020.

The ER 1-94 program is a policy under the DOE stipulating that communities hosting power generation plants get a share of one centavo per kilowatt-hour generated by facilities operating in their area.

With this circular host LGUs can use these shares to help manage the effects of the new virus, in accordance with the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act that included the facilitation of mass testing by providing and constructing facilities and acquiring proper medical testing kits as well, he added.

 

Rubio further itemized the other highlights of 2020 for AboitizPower.   The company renewed its pact with First Bay Power Corp. (FBPC) on the supply of Cleanergy, the company’s brand for renewable energy that will help power the livelihood and development of the municipality of Bauan, Batangas.

This renewed partnership between the two companies signals the start of the delivery of 10 MW of clean power to First Bay from AP Renewables, Inc.’s (APRI) MakBan geothermal facility.  

“This further aligns with the thrust of the Aboitiz Group to grow its Cleanergy portfolio and position itself as a major player in the renewable energy space,” Rubio said.

He added that despite the challenges this year has brought to the business sector, AboitizPower remained steadfast in its drive for operational excellence in 2020 as it bagged several awards and recognitions throughout the year.

AboitizPower won a Silver Stevie Award for its Integrated Response and Awareness towards COVID-19 Hazards (I-REACH) program under the Most Valuable Corporate Response category in the 2020 International Business Awards, underscoring the company’s proactive approach in dealing with the pandemic.

The group was also recognized for the third year in a row as a constituent company in the FTSE4Good Index Series. This measures the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices and is used by a variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds and other products, Rubio bared.

The holding company Aboitiz Power Corporation also received ISO re-certification from the standards body International Organization for Standardization, he said that this further demonstrates the organization’s commitment to operational excellence even amidst the global health crisis. (Photos: AboitizPower/Victor Anthony Silva)

 

DA-7 equips cacao, corn-cassava, rice farmers in NegOr with production/marketing training

 MIERVA BC NEWMAN

NEGROS ORIENTAL – The Department of Agriculture (DA-7) has equipped farmers in Negros Oriental with trainings on production and marketing for cacao, corn, cassava and hybrid rice to enhance their skills and knowledge on new farming technologies for sustainable income and livelihood from agriculture.

According to DA-7 Agricultural Program Coordination Officer (APCO), Sarah Perocho that the agency encourages farmers of all kinds of agricultural products to undergo the various trainings they offer for them to become competitive in their agri-production and income.

Perocho announced that in Bais City, Negros oriental for example, some 22 Cacao farmers completed recently the 16 weeks or four-month Season-Long Farmer Field School (FFS) training on Cacao Production from August to December 2020.

"The learnings and skills you get from the training will help you increase your cacao yield.  Despite the pandemic, you are still motivated to attend the training and that's a good point," Perocho told the 22-cacao farmer-graduates during their graduation event Tuesday.

Bais City Agriculturist Wilfredo Manila said that these Cacao farmers took a pre-test and a post examination to check if they have learned from the training after the completion of the training that started last August 20 this year.

A farmer-graduate Lolita Academia of Nalandan, Bais City expressed her deep appreciation to the DA and its City Agriculture Office (CAO) for the support provided to them to broaden their knowledge and skills.

"Daku kaayo ni nga oportunidad nga gitudluan mi sa sakto nga pamaagi sa pagpananum og cacao alang sa among panginabuhian. Kining kahibalo nga among nakuha gikan sa pagbansaybansay, amo kining i-apply ingon man amo kining ipa-ambit sa mga kauban namo," Academia said. (We are grateful for this opportunity to be trained on the proper cacao production and management. The learnings we gained from this training will be applied in our farms and will also be shared to others.)

Ricardo Guzarem, another cacao farmer said that the training gave him additional knowledge on cacao production.  "Kun wala kini nga training, dili mi makabalo sa mga insaktong pamaagi. Makatabang kaayo kini namo nga mga mag-uuma. Manghinaut ko nga unta anaa sab nga makina alang sa pagproceso sa tsokolate," Gusarem said.  (Without this training, we won't learn the right practices, and this will also help us a lot. I hope, a machine will also be provided for the processing of chocolate.)

 Corn, Cassava production/marketing

In Dumaguete City meanwhile, some 50 corn and cassava farmers-stakeholders attended the production and marketing training last December 11 to enhance stakeholders' skills in production and marketing of cassava and corn.

Perocho said that a market matching was held between the corn and cassava farmers and buyers to get their commitments on the volume they can produce and demand for a price based on the suggested retail price (SRP) of the year.

"We need to help them because DA is always behind them, supporting them in all their endeavors. Market matching is needed to help the corn and cassava farmers market their produce,” she added.

According to Rey Liabres Negre, the Area Coordinator and representative of San Miguel Corp, (SMC) that the company targets to buy around 3,000 tons of yellow corn for the 2021 as the demand for animal feeds is increasing.

Nelda Silay, Chairperson of San Vicente Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (SAVARBA), a farmers group in Siaton, Negros Oriental said that they joined the training to be able to link with a buyer.

"Sige ko attend ug mga trainings aron motaas among abot ug kita. Unya, if naa na mi buyer, di na mi magworry sa amo abot unsaon namo pagdispose. Sa pagkakaron wa sa ko mo-commit pila ka toneladas nga mais," Silay said.  (I always attend trainings in order to increase our production and yield. Once we have our buyer, we will no longer worry on how to dispose our produce. As of now, I have not yet committed as to how many tons of corn I can produce).

Dante Osorio, President of the Kalumbuyan Multipurpose Farmers Association (KAMULFA) in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental committed 200 tons of yellow corn which will be available by March 2021.

Adrian Enriquez, the assistant City Agriculturist said that farmers in Bayawan City can produce more than 600 tons of yellow corn while the Local Government Unit of Bais City also shared that they have 55 hectares of farms planted with yellow corn.

On the other hand, the Mabinay Farmer Scientist Organization (MAFSO) has committed cassava since they have around two hectares of farms planted with cassava.

For Canlaon City, Perocho said that the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) recommended six inbred rice varieties to the rice farmers there after they introduced these varieties through the Palay SIKATAN, a rice technology field demonstration conducted on December 9, this year in Barangay Aquino, Canlaon City.

The recommended inbred rice seeds were the RC216, RC222, RC160 as national varieties, PSBRC18 as regional variety while the RC442, RC480 were new varieties, Perocho said.

During the field day and forum, rice farmers were toured at the demo site to get firsthand information on the performances of the introduced varieties. Rice farmers Victor Pajardo and Marilou Estrada expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the rice field day and forum.

Fajardo said that joining the activity exposed him to learn the new recommended rice varieties and provided additional knowledge on rice farming while Estrada said that she will try to use one of the recommended varieties and compare the difference of the rice seeds she usually used with the new recommended varieties.

The activity was attended by PhilRice Director Gerardo Estoy, City Mayor Jose Chubasco, City Agriculturist Andrea Canoy, SP Chairman on Agriculture Ronilo Llanes, Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer of DA-7 Sarah Perocho, Provincial Agriculturist Nestor Villaflores and RCEF Focal Person Jose Arnel Cordova. (Photos: DA-7)

Sardines/herrings management plan needed during closed fishing season

CEBU CITY – There is a need to strictly implement and put into motion the National Sardines Management Plan especially during the closed fishing season in the Visayan Sea to ensure food and livelihood security for municipal fisherfolk and commercial fish workers during the period.

Based on the Fisheries Administrative Order no. 167-3 issued in 2013, portions of the Visayan Sea are closed for catching, selling, and buying of sardines and herrings (tamban/ tabagak/ tamban-tuloy/ balantiong) and mackerels (hasa-hasa/ gumaa/ bulao/ alumahan) while the Zamboanga Peninsula’s closed fishing season is for sardines only.

The closed season in the Visayan Sea started on November 15 until February 15, 2021 while the Zamboanga Peninsula closed season for sardines started on December 1, 2020 to March 1, 2021.

The sustainable management of sardine fisheries is one of the goals of the National Sardine Management Plan and part of the plan is to determine the impact of the closed fishing season and support the provision of job opportunities during the closed season.

According to Oceana, an international ocean conservation group that the declaration of closed fishing season by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) this year takes a more significant turn because the National Sardines Management Plan was signed and up for implementation.

Oceana vice president Gloria Ramos said that supported the closed fishing season in the Visayan Sea for sardines and other selected fish and for sardines in the Zamboanga Peninsula as it also called for complementary measures to ensure food and livelihood of the small local fisherfolks.

Ramos said that banning commercial fishing in municipal waters is considered one of the harvest control measures that the FMA should enforce. The use of technology like Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite can be used to detect violations during the close season.

The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) recently issued the rules for vessel monitoring mechanisms.  The installation of tracking device in the commercial fishing vessels will highly improve the enforcement efforts, Ramos added.

The conservation group said that this is an opportunity to engage fisherfolk, civil society groups, local governments, and other stakeholders in crafting the Fisheries Management Plan (FMA) of sardines as an important element of managing the impact of the closed fishing season.

“The strong enforcement of the closed fishing season can be complemented by the participatory process that the Sardines Management Plan provides,” Ramos said.

Ramos added that with the spatial and temporary closure in the portion of the Visayan Sea, it is imperative for the 11 FMAs through the Management Body to put in place a monitoring and evaluation mechanism that will investigate the biological condition of the fisheries resources, and socio-economic impact of this harvest control.

In the third quarter report of the Philippine Statistics Authority, fisheries registered a 1.9 percent increase in output.  It contributed 15.8 percent to the total agricultural production.  Bali sardinella locally known as tamban posted a 31.5 percent growth and among the two other fisheries species that posted higher production growths.  The others being bigeye tuna with 39.9 percent increment, and blue crab at 25.5 percent. (Minerva BC Newman)

 

 

 

Xmas Tabo, indemnity checks, organic fertilizers for farmers in Central Visayas

CEBU CITY--The agriculture and fishery stakeholders in Bohol mounted its 6^th year “Pamaskong Tabo” at the Department of Agriculture (DA-7) Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center (B-APC) in Tagbilaran City on December 16-17, showcasing agri-fishery products and by-products such as rice, fruits, vegetables, fish, process food products and homestyle hand-made products.

DA-7 regional executive director Atty. Salvador Diputado thanked the exhibitors who joined the Tabo despite the health issues facing the country today and said that this Tabo which is on its 6th year is part of Secretary William Dar's priority program which is food accessibility and availability for the consumers.

"I'm encouraging all our Municipal Agriculturists and Officers (MA/MAO) to list all farmers in your localities in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) for them to avail of any interventions or assistance from the government. But we need to be fair, factual and honest when enlisting," Diputado said.

He also announced that DA is giving away P5,000 cash and food subsidy for marginalized farmers and fisherfolk.  The amount covers P3,000 cash, while the P2,000 are food subsidy with P1,000 for rice and the other P1,000 for dressed chicken and eggs.

According to Celerina Galorio, Research and Development Unit Head and member of the Gender and Development (GAD) Focal System (GFPS) of DA-7 said that the farmer-
associations must be exposed to such activity to mold them to become agricultural-entrepreneurs.

Galoria added that the yearly Tabo has registered consistently about an average of 10 percent increase in sales every year for the last six years.  "We look forward that sales of the goods displayed will be maintained despite this pandemic," she said.

Helen Daguplo and Raquel Lacar of the La Suerte Organic Vegetable Growers Association (LASOVEGA) of Pilar, Bohol extended their gratitude to DA for the opportunity to be part of the Pamaskong Tabo.

They said that this is the first time that the association joined and experienced such an activity and they wer very satisfied and felt that they (farmers) are being supported. “Hopefully we will become “agri-preneurs” in the future with these kinds of events,” Daguplo said.

P2.4M indemnity to 337 farmers, 526 bags of vermicast for Siquijor veggie farmers

In another developments, DA-7 release P2.4-M indemnity check to some 337 farmer-beneficiaries in Mabinay, Negros Oriental and distributed 526 bags of organic vermicast fertilizers to Siquijor Province in time for the holiday season.

The Department of Agriculture's Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (DA-PCIC) and DA-7's Agricultural Program Coordinating Office (APCO) of the province awarded the checks to the 337 farmers as compensation of their damaged crops brought by natural calamities.

According to APCO Sarah Perocho that the amount of the indemnity check issued depended on the extent of damaged crops and livestock that were insured with PCIC.  The insured farmers said that this indemnity compensation is really a big help to them especially in starting again their farming activities.

Meanwhile in Siquijor Province, the Department of Agriculture (DA-7) distributed those organic fertilizers to support the Gulayan sa Barangay (GSB) project in the Island Province.

Siquijor Governor Zaldy Villa received the vermicast fertilizers from Gregolita Bunado, DA-7 Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer (APCO) of Siquijor.  Villa expressed his gratitude for the interventions provided to the vegetable farmers there.

He reminded his staff at the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) to be fair in their distribution to the beneficiaries in the barangays.

Provincial Agriculturist Lilibeth Caroro informed the governor that they immediately delivered the vermicast to the municipalities and distributed immediately to the barangays with established Gulayan sa Barangay farms.

According to Bunado that the Gulayan sa Barangay (GSB) is a project of DA to establish a community and backyard gardens to ensure that households have access to nutritious vegetables as source of food for the family.

Bunado added that the GSB has a positive impact since it started in Siquijor and said that there are already 42 GSBs in the province. "We will consistently implement this program for us to attain food self-reliance and self-sufficiency," Bunado said.

Barangay Captain Robert Ympal of Candura, San Juan, Siquijor expressed his gratitude to DA7 and PAO as he claimed the fertilizers allocated for their barangays.  "Daku kaayo ni nga tabang sa mga kabalayan sa among barangays alang sa gulayan," Ympal said.  (These will help our households put up their own gulayan sa barangays.)

COVID-19 tests strengths, weaknesses on PH’s crisis management

CEBU CITY—The COVID-19 pandemic tested the strengths and weakness of the country’s crisis management and the structure of the system and the governance; the country’s ability or inability for the structure, the government, as well as the people to innovate and be creative.

According to Atty. Lesley Jeanne Cordero, Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist of World Bank in a PSA webinar Pilot Session in November with the theme: “An In-depth Analysis of Crisis Management of the Philippines” that the COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the country’s level of flexibility to adapt, adjust, and implement of the government policies, systems, and mechanisms.

Cordero added that it also showed the resilience and heroism of the Filipinos and the character, integrity, and credibility of government leaders and officials at the national, local, regional level.

“The assessment of the Government’s response in the current situation will only be evident after the nation curbs the COVID-19 cases,” Cordero noted.

Cordero emphasized that the current challenge is how the Government can efficiently adjust and adapt to the evolving complex situation and how the institutions and agencies can self-correct from its lessons learned and apply best practices from successful models.

 

On the implications of the self-organizing efforts of Filipino citizens, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and the Private sector, Cordero suggested that self-organizing creates more difficulty for the government in times of crisis.

She pointed out though that these self-organizing efforts by individual citizens, NGOs, and the private sector are addressing a need that the government was not able to address quickly.

The challenge now is more on how the Philippine Government can manage organizations involved in self-organizing and how to put them under the existing crisis management structure or framework, Cordero emphasized that it is also the role of the government to lead these people’s efforts to supplement the government’s efforts.

She emphasized that to become a good crisis manager, one must be fast in adopting, adjusting, and executing the policies and guidelines of the commander-in-chief.

“We cannot force him to fit in the box that we are used to, but we can encourage him to recalibrate and reframe the exiting frameworks to fit whatever his commands or his needs is,” Cordero said. 

Cordero pointed out the importance of keeping the network open and continuing building on the network because no matter how effective one’s leadership qualities are, at the end of the day, in a crisis one needs a village to be able to move things.

With Atty. Cordero at the PSA webinar was Col. Ranulfo Sevilla INF (GSC) PA, member of the MNSA Regular Course 55 and was part of the writers and planners in the crafting of the National Crisis Management Core Manual.

The webinar was attended by MNSA students, prospective E-MNSA students, and government officials from different civilian agencies while the presentations focused on the spread of the disease, actions taken by the government, and relevant policies and initiatives of the government on crisis management.

Col. Sevilla provided a leveling briefer that covered the definition of terms and important provisions in the National Crisis Management Core Manual and the lack thereof. 

According to Sevilla the National Crisis Management Core Manual was crafted for the very purpose of harmonizing the government agencies, other sectors, and self-organizing efforts of the people.

Sevilla added that the people behind the manual was conscious of this as they wanted to prevent conflicts and misalignments on the existing policies and laws of the national government.  The Manual also provides a guide to address the gaps between the Local Governments and overlapping crisis management organizations.

 

 

 

BCCI to raise P10M seed fund to buy vaccine for workers

TAGBILARAN CITY—The Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) plans to raise P10-M seed fund to buy the COVID-19 vaccine for the private sector frontline workers to ensure that its people are protected against the virus.

BCCI member Atty. Lucas Nunag said in an online Kapihan sa PIA radio forum Thursday, that for a person to have enough protection against the COVID-19 virus, one must spend between P150 to P1,850 for the two doses of vaccine and between P2,500 to P4,500 for the standard test called Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).

According to Nunag that should the BCCI succeed in this fund-raising campaign, all store keepers, sales clerks, promo merchandisers, drivers, conductors, laborers, construction workers, and those working for their companies under the BCCI can be inoculated to stop the virus from spreading through them.

Nunag said that if the tourism industry stakeholders and establishment owners here could raise enough funds from local sources, it would be easier to leverage the same for national funds as counterpart.

Nunag, who owns a tropical resort in Panglao added that this would be a pro-active move towards economic recovery and would send a reassuring message to tourists that Bohol is a safe destination.

“We would rather go for a P1,800 double dose of the vaccine than spend P4,500 for a simple test which does not yet cover treatment costs.  The sooner we can raise the funds, the better it would be for Bohol,” Nunag added.

Nunag leads the Provincial Tourism Council (PTC) in Bohol and has been at the forefront of looking for ways to re-open Bohol's tourism. If the plan pushes through, Boholano workers can be well protected from the virus and enhance the confidence of the tourists to come to Bohol, he noted.

This can also help the people and the local economy to recover from the crippling impact of the pandemic.  Nunag admitted that it might take long before Bohol can return to pre-COVID normal, but everything must be ready before the tourists can come.

 

 

Legarda Commends Cebu, Zonta Club of Cebu 2 As Leading In Child Online Protection Efforts In The Country

CEBU CITY – A prominent lawyer who specializes in family law and an advocate for the rights of women and children has cited and praised Cebu and the Zonta Club of Cebu II for leading in the efforts of protecting Filipino children from online sexual abuse and trafficking.

“Cebu has the political will and NGOs such as the Zonta Club of Cebu II are involved in the fight against online sexual exploitation.  Most of the conviction cases on online child trafficking and sexual exploitation come from here,” Atty. Katrina Legarda said in a webinar culminating Zonta’s 18 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women (VAW) on December 12 this year.

Legarda added that the capture of an American ‘sex offender’ in Ginatilan, Cebu last December 11 showed how serious and resolute Cebu is in this fight against child online sexual exploitation and trafficking.

Legarda went on to cite the Cebu’s Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC) as a “champion of child protection” as it coordinates overall programs among law enforcement, justice, the courts and other agencies, especially during surveillance and rescue operations.

 Gaps in efforts on COP

Despite these leading protection efforts, there are still gaps in Child Online Protection (COP). In her webinar presentation entitled “The Perils of Technology: Easy Access and Target of Human Trafficking”, Legarda stressed that community-level involvement is deficient.

This lack of involvement and vigilance at the community level is due to various factors like a lack of awareness, hesitance to get involved as these activities are treated as family issues, inadequate number of experts trained and dedicated to pursue Online Sexual Abuse/Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) cases, and a shortfall in personnel, funds and specialized skills.

Red flags when OSEC is committed

According to Legarda, it is vital that the people in the communities must know how OSEC is committed and note the “red flags”.  She went on that children are usually recruited by people they know such as their relatives, family members and neighbors. She advises local leaders to watch and check for these red flags that include the presence of “Padala” shops even in remote communities and the regular presence of the same people in the shops or at the area almost every day and normally they are senior citizens.

“You may find that money is sent to the same person, same address and the same barangay all the time but the sender is almost always different.  Check out the barangays with the presence of huge satellite dishes and why such a large bill for the internet,” Legarda bared.

She also said that to check on the address or homes of possible OSEC perpetrators such as no visible means of livelihood, lots of children inside the house playing and lots of devices such as laptops, cellphones and other gadgets.

Legarda quoted the 2013 study by the End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism that OSEC is committed more often in children’s own houses while payments are usually facilitated via bank and money transfer services and traffickers provide children sex services for an international audience via online transmissions.

Legarda added that usually victims of OSEC and child sexual abuse and trafficking don’t even report these cases because it’s their only source of income; easy to commit, difficult to detect. Low-cost overhead and perpetrators almost always say that there is no damage done to the children, “no penile penetration.”

 Cyber Child trafficking and violence situation

Based on the victims assisted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that since 2015 there have been 16,250 victims of child trafficking in the country and 65 percent of them are females and 21 percent were children sold for as low as P500.

“With the number of victims, the conviction rate is very low with only 560 cases for trafficking and 99 cases of OSEC convicted from 2005 to the present,” Legarda lamented.

Legarda cited the 2015 Baseline Study on Violence Against Children (VAC), both boys and girls are almost 50-50 as victims of cyber violence, 50.4 percent for boys and 46.7 percent for girls or one in two children experienced cyber violence.

The survey also showed that children with boyfriends/girlfriends are more likely to experience cyberviolence than those who have none.  Alcohol drinking and internet addiction among children increases the odds of cyber violence and if parents have less income or gamblers, there is a higher likelihood of children engaging in cyber violence.

Legarda concluded her presentation with some practical advice; that girls/women must go to school and finish college; limit internet usage among children or better still children must not be given cellphones, other gadgets or places that allow them to use the internet.

“Your children and grandchildren are very vulnerable to ICT-enabled sexual abuse, exploitation and cyber violence that may affect privacy infringement, alienation and or isolation and child online abuse and violence. Don’t give them smartphones and always supervise and monitor what they watch online,” Legarda added.

BFAR-7 arrests 3 dynamite fishers, intensifies sea patrol OPNs in the Visayan Seas

CEBU CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Fisheries Resource Protection Group (FRPG) and the PNP Maritime Group (PMG) intensified sea patrol operations in the Visayan Seas that led to the arrest of three dynamite fishers from Iloilo.

According to the BFAR’s Adjudication Committee that tit he violators were slapped with administrative fines and charged with a criminal case.

In the BFAR7– FRPG report, the team narrated that while traversing the seawaters off Bantayan town in Cebu, the team heard an explosion and immediately went on to pursue the suspected fishing boat.

The team flagged down the fishing boat operators reportedly from Gigantes Sur in Carles town, Iloilo and later experts examined the fishes, which they believed were caught using explosives due to its external manifestations, the report said.

The Team confiscated their fish catch and fishing gears and impounded their fishing boat following the apprehension on December 5 in the Visayan Sea.  The fish catch was turned over to the Bantayan Municipal Government for proper disposal.

On its administrative complaint, BFAR-7 cited violation in Section 92 of Republic Act (RA) 10654 or “An Act to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing that was amended to RA 8550 or “The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

 “The discovery in any fishing vessel of fish caught or killed with the use of explosives, noxious or poisonous substances, or by electricity shall constitute a prima facie presumption that the fisherfolk, operator, boat official or fish worker is fishing with the use thereof.” BFAR7 quoted Section 92 of the law.

BFAR7-FRPG noted that local authorities have also strengthened the seaborne patrol operations in a portion of the Visayan Seas since the three-month closed season began on November 15 this year.

Fishers are prohibited from catching or selling certain pelagic species, namely: sardines, herrings, and mackerels since the no fishing policy intends to allow these fishes to flourish in number and for their young to grow and increase their population to boost the fish production in the Visayas region. (Photos: BFAR-7)

 

 

Over P60.7M cash subsidy disbursed to 10,132 low-income families in C.Visayas

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY-- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Central Visayas has disbursed P60,792,000 of emergency cash subsidy worth P6,000 each to a total of 10,132 low-income families in Central Visayas as of December 9 this year.

DSWD-7 Regional Director Rebecca Geamala stressed that the Bayanihan 2 is not to be interpreted as SAP 3 or successor of SAP 1 and SAP 2 under the already-lapsed Bayanihan to Heal As One Act or the Republic Act No. 11469.

Geamala said that DSWD started implementing the Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or the Republic Act No. 11494 as the agency’s response and recovery intervention to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The target beneficiaries under ESP are the affected low-income families in areas under granular lockdown; those qualified families but were not granted SAP 1 and SAP 2 subsidies under RA No. 11469; and recently returned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who belong to low-income families and are physically residing in areas under granular lockdown, Geamala explained.

“The final certified list of beneficiaries shared by the Local Chief Executive (LCE) used in the implementation of the ESP of the DSWD shall be the primary reference of the eligible beneficiaries,” Geamala added.

Out of the 10,132 families, 525 beneficiaries living in areas under “granular lockdown” since September 14 who were granted Php 6,000.00 each and were from Trinidad, Tubigon, and San Miguel in Bohol and Zamboanguita in Negros Oriental, Geamala bared.

According to DSWD-7 regional information officer Leah Quintana that the DSWD-Field Office VII has also provided ESP to 9,607 beneficiaries to those families who were not included in the earlier implementation of SAP.

Using the final certified list, Quintana added that the concerned local government units (LGUs) identify the beneficiaries based on the eligibility criteria and who are physically residing within all levels of granular lockdown like barangay, block, street, subdivision/village, residential building, or house.

The Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG), Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SocPen), and distribution of food and non-food items are also implemented under Bayanihan 2, aside from the ESP, Quintana added.

MSME bakeshop from Leyte improves business sales via digital shift

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The COVID19 pandemic took all types of businesses down to their knees and many believed that only the giant corporations could survive but less than one year later the prognosis seems to be changing as the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) appear to have defied the odds, emerging resilient in the new normal. The strategy? Digital shift and transformation.

Take Lola Luz Countryside Bakeshop, owned by the Grafe-Enriquez family of Hilongos, Leyte. The family used to rely largely on word-of-mouth and door-to-door peddlers to promote their products.  

They Took the digital route in March due to strict lockdown and to find ways to keep the business alive.  Their digital shift marked a milestone in their business.  With connectivity, the owners were able to scale up the business and widen their reach.

The bakeshop was Established in 2006 and was named after the owners’ mother Luz, an expert pastry-maker who passed on her love for baking to her children.  Daughter Zonie Enriquez and her husband Ramon first entered the bakery business in 1990 and their son Mike and his wife Ann later helped run the business.

Lola Luz now has seven outlets --six in Cebu and one in Leyte and is on Facebook, Instagram, and is listed on food/restaurant review and tourism sites. Joining the online trend opened doors to new ideas and marketing strategies.

“Ube cheese pandesal was a huge craze on social media.  We wanted to make our own version. Our head bakers experimented with recipes until we felt ready to sell our product,” says Ann.

Following an initial 100 pieces of ube cheese pandesal, they introduced several house specialties including classics such as 'Elorde' (also known as Monay) and cornbread.

“Reading satisfied customers’ reviews posted on our social media accounts validates our efforts. We may not be as prominent as the other big bakeries but knowing that people like our food and come back for it is a bonus,” Ann said.

Some of their online buyers are even surprised to learn that Lola Luz has been around for some time, and that there’s a branch near them. “For that, we have connectivity and social media platforms to thank,” Ann added.

She said that social media platforms not only boosted their brand and profits; they have also paved the way for more personalized and efficient customer interaction. Their avid customers eventually became their friends, Ann bared.

As a way of giving back, the family has joined several donations drives for the benefit of Covid-19 front liners.  According to Mike that Cebu bakery owners formed a group via Viber, initially to discuss how to move deliveries.

The group then organized a way to help front liners by providing them nourishment.  They donated baked goodies. For loyal customers, Lola Luz products now come in beautiful packaging, perfect for the gift-giving season.

It’s the owners’ token of appreciation for the new level of relationship with their customers, brought about by connectivity, Mike said.

According to PLDT-Smart Communications Inc. that today, connectivity is not merely a necessity but a key game-changer. It can enhance competitive advantage and propel businesses to greater heights.

Entrepreneurs who upgraded to marketing and communication techniques that depend on reliable connectivity became better equipped to deal with the economic disruptions.

To support of their digital shift and address the increasing demand for connectivity, in general, the country’s largest integrated telco PLDT and its wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), accelerated the rollout of their fiber and LTE networks nationwide.

The most extensive in the country, PLDT’s fiber footprint is already at more than 422,000 kilometers. This same infrastructure supports Smart’s wireless network by providing high-capacity fiber connections for its LTE base stations.

PLDT-Smart has truly paved the way for more business opportunities to MSMEs that comprise about 80 percent of the country’s local entrepreneurship. (Photos: PLDT/Smart)

 

  

OPAV congratulates 6 Cebuanos who made it to the 15th ARC Salon finals

 Minerva BC Newman

CEBU CITY – Six of the 11 artists from the Philippines chosen as among the finalists to the 15th Art Renewal Center (ARC) Salon are Cebuanos as the ARC posted the list of finalists who will be competing in the 15th International ARC Salon Competition on its website last December 9.

The Cebuano artists are Romulo Galicano, Florentino Impas Jr., Orley Ypon, Antonio Alcoseba, Darby Vincent Alcoseba, and Mark Lloyd Belicario made it to the finals of the 15th ARC Salon Competition.

Other Filipinos such as Cebu-based Adeste Deguilmo, Ronilo Abayan, Randalf Dilla, Chelsea Theodossis, and Christian Luke Alarcon also made it to the final list.

Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino already congratulated all the Cebuano artists who made it to the semis and now to the finals of the 15^th Art Renewal Center (ARC) Salon Finalists

"The entire Visayas and the Philippines will be rooting for you. Never doubt the world-class talent of the Visayans and the Filipinos as well. We pray that you'll win this prestigious award," Dino said.

Posted on the ARC website read that "Although it has been very difficult to make additional cuts for the 15th ARC Salon hardbound book, International Realism 1,155 works have now been selected as our finalists, 23 percent of entries.”

ARC will announce the winners of the 15th International ARC Salon Competition on January 13. The images of all the semi-finalists along with finalists and honorable mentions will be posted on ARC’s website on the same day.

The winners of the 15th ARC Salon Competition will be showcased in a live exhibition in New York in June or July of 2021 and Barcelona, Spain from October 8 till December 12, 2021 and the entries of the finalists will also be included in the 15th International ARC Salon Competition hard-bound book, the media release said.

The Art Renewal Center is a non-profit, educational foundation, that hosts the largest online museum dedicated to representational art and includes works by the old masters, 19th century, and 21st Century Artists as well as articles, letters, and other online resources.

ARC is famous for artists when talking about competitions and exhibitions dedicated to 21st Century Realism. 

Considered as the most influential and far-reaching competition, the International ARC Salon competition is offering $130,000 in cash awards, which includes $25,000 as the top prize. (Photos: OPAV)

Anti-VAW advocates call on men to join VAW-free campaigns

 DUMAGUETE CITY— The Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation (GWAVE), a non-government organization that assists women who are victims of abuse, renewed its call on educating men on laws on violence against women and children (VAWC) as it continues with its program “Men for Violence-Free Communities” where males are being educated on the Reproductive Health (RH) Law, positive masculinity, and VAW laws.

GWAVE Executive Director Sheema Bajana said that the group does not only need women advocates but male advocates too.  This call came as the city joined the nationwide observance this month of the 18 Days Campaign to end VAW.

Bajama noted that since the perpetrators of VAW are mostly men, it is important to educate them early on.  “We start as young as teens kay syempre these teens will grow up to be men and to avoid repeated violence, dapat as young 15, 16 (years old).”

According to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) here that the Dumaguete City Legal Office officer Atty. Francis Rey Filipinas also suggested that there should be more advocacy campaigns focused on informing the public, especially men on the sanctions and penalties for violating Republic Act 9262.

Filipinas believed that perpetrators are discouraged from committing these crimes if they are aware of the penalties which will be imposed on violators.

“Taas kaayo ang penalty sa (R.A.) 9262. If makabalo sila ana then mao nang mag-stop nila from doing these acts against women,” Filipinas said. (If they know that the penalties under R.A. 9262 are heavy, perhaps they will be discouraged from doing these acts against women.)

During a Kapihan sa PIA forum here recently, PMaj. Margienett Yosores of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Negros Oriental reported that VAW cases in the province went down from 688 between March to October 2019 to 389 cases for the same period this year.

Yosores said that the figures were generated from the month of March to October to reflect the rate of VAW before and during the imposition of community quarantine rules due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other forms of VAW showed a decline during the said period.

Rape cases decreased from 16 in 2019 to 11 in 2020 and the same downward trend was also seen in sexual abuse cases with six cases in 2019 to only one in 2020; Psychological abuse from 220 in 2019 to 121 in 2020, and acts of lasciviousness from 23 in 2019 to 12 in 2020. Physical abuse cases, which logged the highest number among VAW cases, also showed a drop from 443 in 2019 to 262 in 2020, Yosores added.

Provincial Commission on Women (PCW) Vice-Chairperson Phoebe Tan expressed concern on the figures reported by the police.

“Mas alarming na nimaba ang reported cases. Ngano man nimaba ni? We are saying, and there seems to be an agreement, na ang perpetrator naa ra diha,” Tan said.  (It is alarming that the number of reported cases decreased. What could be the reason behind this when there seems to be an agreement that the perpetrator could be close to them?)

Tan referred to an article posted at the website of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) which cited that “women may experience different forms of VAW while locked down in their homes with the perpetrators, with tension rising from uncertainties in health, security, and economy.”

Yosores said that records showed that VAW cases went down during the pandemic. But from initial assessment, it could be because women can’t go out and report and they have no person to talk to.

“It’s possible that abuse happens, only women just endure it because they can’t go out. If ever they do and they forget to wear a face mask, they must pay the P200 fine. We have health protocols to follow,” she added.

According to GWAVE Legal Assistance Program Head Cheryl Sumanoy that they notice that cases really went down.  On an average basis, she said they receive 35 calls and texts but now, because of the pandemic, the number of calls and text they received were from 20 to 25. It went down but they noticed most of the abuses are in the forms of economic abuse,” Sumanoy added.

Tan called for the utilization of barangay tanods and establishing functional VAW desk officers in all barangays across the province so that victims will have someone to turn to when they experience forms of abuse.  “Let us mobilize our tanods, mga VAW desk officers even if we are on lockdown,” Tan stated.