DENR-EMB7 serves closure orders to 2 LGUs in C.Visayas, padlocks open dumpsites

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB7) here issued Cease-and-Desist (CDO) or Closure Orders against two municipalities in Central Visayas, Monday January 25 for the continued operation of open dumpsites.

The CDOs and the closure/padlocking of the open dumpsites were simultaneously served to the local government units (LGUs) of Carmen in Cebu and Guindulman in Bohol for the continued operations of their respective open dumpsites at Barangay Luyang in Carmen and in Barangay Kamonggayan, Catungawan Sur in Guindulman.

“Open dumpsites have been prohibited by law after the passage of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and only Sanitary Landfills that remain the primary long-term method of solid waste disposal allowed under the said Republic Act,” according to Engr. Cindylyn Pepito, chief of the Environmental Education and Information Unit of EMB7.

Pepito said that eventually cases will be filed against them because the CDOs were also forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Pepito went on that the issuance of the CDOs meant that the disposal of any type of garbage or waste is no longer allowed at the dumpsite and any person or entity who shall act in contravention of the closure order shall be liable to the law.

According to the DENR-EMB7 officials that the concerned LGUs have long been advised to conduct immediate rehabilitation of the area following the general guideline stipulated in the Safe Closure and Rehabilitation Plan (SCRP) of open dumpsites and controlled dump facilities stipulated in Department Administrative Order No.9 series of 2006.

The closure done at Carmen, Cebu was participated by EMB7 Regional Director Lormelyn Claudio and her team--DENR7 Regional Executive Director Paquito Melicor Jr. and representatives of the PENRO and CENRO Offices.

Before the actual closure of the dumpsites in Carmen and Guindulam, DENR-7 Officials had a meeting with mayor Carlo Villamor and mayor Maria Fe Piezas respectively with some of their department heads to discuss thoroughly the CDO; current state of the their solid waste management; possible options for proper disposal and the next steps to take to be able to comply with the DENR mandates.

EMB7 said that since 2018, the bureau had continually communicated with the LGU of Carmen.  Its first CDO issued was in March 2018 and another letter was sent to the respondent last March 2020 reiterating the closure of its dumpsite and resubmission of its SCRP but still to no avail. EMB7 noted that the Carmen open dumpsite is located beside the Luyang River.

In the case of Guindulman, DENR-EMB7 said that on March 3, 2020 it sent a Semi-Annual Compliance Report to Guindulman Municipality directing them to immediately cease and desist from operating its dumpsite and further directing it to implement its SCRP.

On April 1, 2020 EMB7 conducted a follow-up inspection and found that respondent continued to operate its dumpsite and no closure and rehabilitation undertakings were done despite the CDO issued by the office.

According to EMB7 there were enough time given to both LGUs but they failed and continued to ignore the CDOs, hence the final closure and lockdown of those open dumpsites. 

After the closure, EMB7 said that both LGUs were now very cooperative and expressed their eagerness to work together with DENR7 for the establishment of a comprehensive Solid Waste Management in their community as mandated in RA 9003.

EMB7 on the other hand pledged to provide technical assistance to these LGUs as they try to manage their municipal wastes comprehensively and properly adhering to the DENR Standards; and series of information and education campaigns will also be conducted in the coming days to enhance cooperation from the public on proper waste segregation from the household source, Pepito told the Manila Bulletin. (Photos: EMB7/Cindylyn Pepito)

 

 

Silliman U to construct new SHS building 1st quarter this year

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

DUMAGUETE CITY -- Silliman University (SU) starts construction of a new academic building for Senior High School (SHS) to be located beside the Dr. Romeo P. Ariniego Art Gallery as SU president Dr. Betty McCann with some university officials led the groundbreaking ceremony on January 14 at the site of the construction which will start anytime in the first quarter of this year.  The building will have 24 classrooms that can accommodate 40 students per room.

McCann said the purpose the purpose of the building is to give SHS students and faculty a sense of place and a sense of home.  Silliman SHS accepted its first batch of Grade 11 students in June 2016, since then no new classrooms have been constructed for SHS as the University utilized available classrooms in various colleges and departments.

The building was designed by the SU Architecture Department faculty and is expected to be completed by August 2022 in time for School Year 2022-2023.  SU Vice President for Development Jane Annette Belarmino said the University hopes to conduct face-to-face classes by this time.

Belarmino said that because there was no building for SHS its faculty and students are “scattered” all over the campus as the University utilized extra classrooms in different academic buildings to hold SHS classes.

“As more and more SHS students enrolled and the transition to K-12 progressed and we already have first year, second year, and third year college students, our (SHS) students were slowly crowded out of the academic buildings on campus,” Belarmino added.

Before the implementation of online distance learning for all SU programs in SY 2020-2021, SHS had almost 2,000 students every year.  Belarmino said the University expects this number to grow when face-to-face classes are back as SU continues to strengthen its SHS programs.

Meanwhile, Dr. Gina Bonior, associate dean of the College of Education said that the lack of a designated building for SHS also made it difficult for teachers to go to their classes as they had to travel between buildings that were far from each other.

“The SHS building is not just...a structure, it is a social space where our students will converge; where ideas could be co-constructed; where, several years from now, our graduates from the SHS would come for their reunion. This is going to be home. For faculty, this is about health; this is about their well-being,” Bonior said. (Photos: SU-OIP)

NNC-7 calls public anew to use iodized salt to promote good thyroid health

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The National Nutrition Council (NNC-7)-Central Visayas called on the public anew to use iodized salt to promote the importance and benefits of iodine, an essential micronutrient that enhances good thyroid health.

 This reminder from NNC-7 is timely as the country prepares for the observance of the annual Goiter Awareness Week every fourth week of January.  Mission added that Iodine is a trace mineral commonly found in many saltwater and plant-based food, but it is widely available in iodized salt.

“Our thyroid gland uses iodine to produce thyroid hormones. These hormones significantly assist in repairing tissues, regulating metabolism, promoting proper bone and brain development, and many other important functions,” NNC-7 Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Dr. Parolita Mission said.

The World Health Organization recommends the consumption of less than five grams or one teaspoon of iodized salt per day however, excessive intake of iodized salt can also be dangerous to one’s health.

Mission encourages and recommends the eating of iodine-rich food, such as seafood shellfish and seaweed, bread, eggs, meat, and dairy products.

She explained that Iodine essentially combats iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), a broad spectrum of deficiencies resulting from lack of iodine in the diet. They may manifest as goiter, thyroid malignancy, mental deficiency, physical deformities, congenital hypothyroidism, cretinism, and reproductive failure.

Mission went on that during pregnancy, women need more iodine, which is linked to brain development in fetuses. This neurological benefit may also extend to healthy brain function during childhood.

The National Nutrition Survey 2003 and 2008 by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) show that the iodine situation in the country has improved, with levels that no longer suggest a public health problem or nutrition challenge, Mission bared.

The prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in the Philippines is 8.53 percent among the adult population. Goiter is the most common among thyroid disorders with a prevalence rate of 10.12 percent, according to the 2012 Philippine Thyroid Diseases Study.

“However, there continues to be a prevalence of iodine deficiencies among children, 6-12 years old. Iodine deficiency among pregnant women also remains a serious concern. Surveys also reveal an increase of households with low iodine content in their household salt,” Mission noted.

She revealed that the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2011-2016 aims for the elimination of IDD. This is reflected in the series of institutional and collaborative activities geared toward widespread public information and education and the government’s salt iodization program. (Photos: NNC7)

 

Bohol imposes absolute ban of hogs, pork from Leyte provinces

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

BOHOL— The Province of Bohol through an executive order (EO) # 2 signed on January 15 has imposed an absolute ban on the entry of live pigs, pork and processed-products from nearby Leyte and Southern Leyte with or without proper documents due to the reported outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the area.

Executive Order No. 2 expanded the prohibitions covered under earlier executive order numbers 7, 22 and 55 series of 2019 and executive order no. 5 series of 2020, to include now the two provinces of Leyte. 

Previous executive orders prohibit the entry to Bohol of live hogs, frozen pork meat and pork related products and by-products, processed pork meat and frozen boar semen from Luzon and Mindanao.

 According to Rey Anthony Chiu, provincial head of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Bohol that earlier EOs exclude those live hogs and pork or pork by-products that have National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS) certification or veterinary health certificate from the Bureau of Animal Industry Quarantine Services (BAI-QS) but EO-2 is absolute on the ban from the two Eastern Visayas provinces.

The move, according to the governor is in response to the ASF cases in Luzon and Mindanao, and reports from the local government units (LGUs) and Department of Agriculture (DA) officials in Leyte that the swine disease which is most fatal to hogs, has affected some areas in the two provinces, Chiu said.

According to the head of the Office of Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz that there are over 50,000 hog growers and producers in Bohol, most of them backyard growers producing 86 percent of the total meat supply in the province.

“One single case of ASF in Bohol and it would have the potency to wipe out the entire hog industry, that would be devastating to the thousands of industry workers and the backyard growers whose incomes come from hog raising,” Dr. Lapiz said.

EO-2 also bans the entry of pork and pork related products and by-products whether frozen, processed, cooked, canned, live hogs and frozen boar semen, with or without documents.

Chui bared that late last year and in response to the recession in live hog and pork prices due to oversupply in Bohol, hog growers have shown interest in exporting their stocks to Luzon, whose market prices for live hogs and pork overshoot normal expectations because of the hog disease in Luzon.

Thus, Bohol authorities asked the governor to issue policies on transporting live hogs and pork products from Bohol.  Executive Order No. 56 series of 2020 which Gov. Arthur Yap signed on Nov. 26, 2020 laid down the guidelines in the transport of live hogs via sea vessels directly plying the Bohol to Luzon and vice versa routes and the transport of live hogs from Bohol to Luzon by land trip.

In 2019, the governor has issued a memorandum addressed to Bohol mayors to assign personnel to assist in the port quarantine efforts considering that Bohol has unmanned beaches that could be landing areas for smuggled hogs and pork.

The Province also put in order guidelines in the conduct of animal inspection, disinfection, issuance of veterinary health certificate and shipping permits, guidelines in the entry of feeds and raw materials to be used in the production of feeds, as well as the guidelines in the entry of empty livestock cargo vehicles to Bohol. 

“All these is the protect completely the livestock industry of Bohol from the ASF infestation,” authorities said.

 

 

More than 300 private companies pledge for add’l vaccines for 3M more Filipinos

 MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The Aboitiz Group joined more than 300 private companies and nearly 40 local government units (LGUs) in a virtual signing ceremony on January 14 led by Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez, Jr., Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey  Concepcion, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Philippines, Inc. president Lotis Ramin, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, and British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce in support of the government’s National Immunization Program (NIP) dubbed as ‘A Dose of Hope, A Pound of Inspiration.’

According to Aboitiz Group president and CEO Sabin Aboitiz that the group stands behind this national collaborative effort to protect Filipinos from Covid-19.  Aboitiz Group was among the first 30 private companies to sign the deal with the national government and AztraZeneca during Wave 1.

“We will continue to respond where our help is needed as our country moves forward to a better normal,” Aboitiz said.

Vaccine Czar secretary Carlito Galves, Jr. who led the signing ceremony thank the Aboitiz Group for continuously supporting the government’s immunization initiatives.

“You have been there from day one, ensuring that our fellow Filipinos get the much-needed help in this time of crisis. This is a strong manifestation of leadership that goes beyond profits. Thank you for putting our kababayans first,” Galvez said.

The program’s Wave 2 would bring more than three million additional doses on top of the 2.6 million doses signed for ‘Wave 1’ last November 2020.  The tripartite initiative aims to help realize the collective goal of inoculating nearly 50 to 70 million Filipinos this year.

Galvez said that the private sector and LGUs’ role is very crucial in the National Immunization Program as they can help identify, validate, and respond to the needs of priority beneficiaries based on geographical and sectoral strategy.

“We believe that the implementation of our National Vaccine Program will not only be less daunting, but also more efficient and strategic because of the invaluable contribution of the LGUs,” Galvez noted.

Meanwhile, Concepcion said that the tripartite agreement allows for a fair and equitable distribution of the soon-to-be available vaccines as the private sector donates to the government half of the total number of vaccines to be procured and the remaining half goes to its own employees, which is important in aiding the gradual opening of the economy.

“The Philippines definitely will not be left behind in this fight.  We will be vaccinating our Filipino people, hopefully starting June, July.  Seventeen million vaccines will be signed today, procured, and this is a commitment that they will all be delivered in the year 2021,” Conception bared.

According to AstraZeneca that it has a zero-profit program in 2021, which means the vaccines are priced as low as possible which is expected to cost around P500 ($10) for two doses.

Ramin said that AstraZeneca is working closely with regulatory authorities to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine lives up to the highest safety standards and its introduction complies with healthcare regulations in the Philippines.

“We’re working with Philippine FDA on the preparations for a swift yet thorough science-led Emergency Use Authorization review,” Ramin added.

British Ambassador Pruce on the other hand said that the tripartite initiative aligns with the United Kingdom’s aim of ensuring equitable access to safe, effective, and affordable vaccines. “Today marks an important milestone towards achieving that here in the Philippines.”

To date, the Aboitiz Group’s total contribution to the national COVID-19 response effort has reached over P2.2 billion, excluding various payments waived, reduced, extended, or restructured to help customers cope with the impact of COVID-19, underscoring the group’s sustained campaign to help address the urgent needs of front liners and affected communities nationwide. (Photos: PIA/PCOO)

 

 

CentCom assists in humanitarian aid to flood victims in Negros, other parts of PH

 MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY -- Central Command, AFP at Camp Lapulapu in Lahug, Cebu City mobilized the Task Group-CBS and Naval Forces Central (NAVFORCEN) to haul and transport boxes of relief goods donated by the generous stakeholders of Central Visayas for the 1,000 families affected by floods in Victorias, Sagay and Escalante City in Negros Occidental.

The Central Command in partnership with GMA Kapuso Foundation-Cebu and Landers Superstore, Central Command, AFP thru the 79th Infantry "Masaligan" Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Philippine Army distributed the relief packs containing assorted canned goods, rice and noodles, as well as used clothing on January 20.

“As Peacemakers in the Visayas, we do not only pursue our primary role on securing communities, but we also extend help to our people in times of natural calamities," Central Command, AFP commander Lieutenant General Roberto Ancan said in his message.

Ancan added that the troops will always look after the welfare of fellow Filipinos and are always ready to respond to the call of the people, not just in the Visayas but also in other regions who need help.

With the help of the Cebu Provincial Government, partner stakeholders and volunteers, CENTCOM also extended humanitarian assistance outside its area of responsibility such as in Southern Luzon that had been badly hit by the typhoon.

It can be recalled that CENTCOM also extended assistance to the victims of calamity in Bicol region, particularly in Catanduanes and Camarines Sur. (Photos: CentCom)

Product exhibits help DSWD’s livelihood beneficiaries in Central Visayas

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY --Likhang Hiraya Product Display and Exhibit, a product display and photo exhibit of the beneficiaries of the livelihood assistance grants (LAG) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7)-Regional Field Office VII under its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) has helped augment the income and product marketing of some 22 beneficiaries in Central Visayas.

According to DSWD-7 regional information officer Leah Quintana that the Likhang Hiraya: Pangarap Patungong PagSibol, an SLP product display and photo exhibit aims to draw engagement to the public to the program via the visual medium of photography and the actual product display leading to an increase awareness of the audience about SLP and the learning entrepreneurship experiences acquired by the grantees from the various livelihood programs.

Quintana said that Likhan Hiraya started in 2019 and it has already gained the support of its SLP/LAG beneficiaries acquiring some total sales of P327,552.00 with P108,851 total sales in 2019 and P218,701 in 2020 with 14 participants from SLP and eight from LAG and those from the AVRC training center.

Products on display/sale include Nito baskets and planter from Bohol and Cebu; Ornamental plants, succulents; Fresh fish, crabs, seashells, live chickens and Eggs (chicken and quail); Vegetables, Spices; delicacies including torta,bingka dawa, palagsing, chicharon, banana chips, puto balanghoy and biko; Carcar Carcar slippers/sandals and other accessories; lechon, native vinegar and many more including detergent, fruit juices and baked products.

“We are privileged to be invited to display our products in the Likhang Hiraya of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).  The pandemic has been rough to us, small entrepreneurs, but joining this activity gives us hope and links us to possible markets,” said Junjun Densing, one of the participants of the Likhang Hiraya Product Display and Exhibit.

Densing is a resident of Barangay Canlusong, Sogod, Cebu, produces beautifully crafted planters made of indigenous materials. A Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG) beneficiary.  He could not stop thanking the SLP for inviting him to the Likhang Hiraya Exhibit and he hopes this kind of activity will continue for as long as there are small entrepreneurs like him.

Zenaida Labarejos, a beneficiary of the Livelihood Assistance Grant of SLP expressed her gratitude that she has this opportunity because according to her they are looking for buyers of their products and the Likhang Hiraya has given them hope.  She is a plant grower and seller from Barangay Pamutan, Cebu City.

“Ang ayuda nakatabang gyud namo kay nakapalit mi og daghang klase sa ornamental plants nga gitanom namo. Mao man kini ang trend karong quarantine.” (The assistance helps us because we were able to buy different kinds of ornamental plants to grow. It is the trend during this quarantine),” Labarejos said.

Labarejos and Densing are LAG beneficiaries of the response and recovery programs of the Bayanihan ACT 2 implemented by the Sustainable Livelihood Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).  

The small entrepreneurs affected by the community quarantine during the pandemic like has greatly benefitted the LAG MSMEs like Labarejos and Densing.  Both shared that the SLP has helped them improve their livelihoods, Quintana bared.

Quintana said that the DSWD-7 livelihood program beneficiaries and the trainees at the Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center (AVRC) expressed their gratitude to the government for the programs that truly help them in trying times. (Photos: DSWD7/Kerwin Macopia)