The government’s decades-long effort to achieve lasting peace and security has come to fruition.
By adopting the whole-of-nation approach under Executive Order 70 that created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF- ELCAC), the Philippines has relished an almost insurgency-free country, and it can continue pursuing programs to attain an inclusive and sustainable peace and development all over the country.
This is what a democratically-elected government has yearned for, which the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army-– National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) has been trying to violently overthrow and replace it with an autocratic and tyrannical communist regime.
On its part, the security and defense sector has remained comprehensive in its extensive campaign to defeat the communist insurgency.
Along with this campaign are the efforts, in cooperation with other government agencies, intended to inform and educate vulnerable sectors of the communities about the government’s development interventions and, at the same time, provide them with sustainable livelihood programs by bringing together their entrepreneurial and technical skills. Through this approach, the public’s cynical mindset has changed. Filipinos have learned to trust and support the government’s intervention efforts and the holistic and inclusive process involved.
On the other hand, military efforts do not just focus on coordinated actions for combat operations on the ground. (PR)
TACLOBAN CITY— The City Civil Registrar’s Office (CCRO) here conducted a free birth registration on Friday (Feb.17) for those who were delayed beyond the previous reglementary period.
Documents such as birth certificates from the hospital, baptismal certificates, school records, marriage certificates of parents, barangay certification, and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) negative certificate will be offered during this one-day activity to be held at the City Engineering’s gymnasium.
Imelda Roa, the city registrar, said that there will be no limited number of registrants for the service which will start at 8 am until 3 pm.
She also said that any person of all ages is qualified to register.
With regards to needed requirements, they have to present their updated PSA negative certificate to prove that they were indeed delayed, or do not have previous records of birth registrations.
“This is because there are people who have registered already but just have errors on their documents or those who intend to change their family names, we do not accept them here. This activity shall only be for those who are delayed, and we will need proof for that,” Roa said.
Those who are orphans, they need to present with them an affidavit of guardianship while those whose parents are not married, they need to bring with them an affidavit of parentage.
And those who have no baptismal certificate, they can bring with them any legal documents such as school records, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) documents, among others. (JASMINE KATE AGOSTO, LNU Student Intern)
TACLOBAN CITY – The regional office of the Department of Tourism was glad that some of the local dishes particularly “merienda” or refreshment food were served during the recent visit of an international cruise ship in Leyte.
Two chefs from Ormoc and Tacloban helped prepared the foods that were served to 228 American and European guests onboard the Silver Shadow cruise ship that arrived at Kalanggaman Island in Palompon from Palau and Papua New Guinea.
While Chef Jin Ho Yoo of Ormoc Herbs prepared the meal courses for the guests which included the popular lechon, Chef Myla Mabute of Miyara Patisserie served Filipino meriendas consisting of squash turon, special chocolate moron, buko carioca, minatamis na saging, halo-halo, leche flan, buko pandan, coconut macaroons, and maja blanca.
“It’s indeed an honor to be catering to international palates and showcasing our world-class service and food,” Mabute said.
This is not the first time the local meriendas were served to cruise ship guests when they made a stop in the region.
In 2018, when the Silver Discovery docked in Capul town, Northern Samar, local delicacies were also served to the foreign guests.
Serving Filipino and Eastern Visayas dishes to foreign guests is one of the dream of the tourism department here for them to be appreciated and promoted in wider audience.
Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes disclosed that it is not a requirement for them to serve local foods to foreign guests as they have a listed menu served to them.
“That is really our main goal. If we have foreign guests, w can show to them not just our culture but even our cuisine,” Tiopes said.
“The only thing we have to consider is that they have also required certain types of menu but we are happy that the snacks served to them were something new to them which they savored,” she added.
Of the snacks food that was prepared by Miyara Patisserie, among the guest requests are fruit popsicles, and fresh fruits skewers.
They also served classic cheese burger and tres quesos negritos (Black Burger) including pizza.
Promoting food tourism and highlighting the importance of local cuisine is one of the programs that Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco wanted to focus on.
Pursuant to Revenue Memorandum Order No. 43 – 2022. Ask for Receipt Notice previously issued by the RDO or LT Division to registered business taxpayers based on RR No. 7-2005 shall be valid until June 30, 2023, and it shall be replaced through staggered issuance of NOTICE TO ISSUE RECEIPT or INVOICE (NIRI) to the existing business registrants.
In this connection, all registered business taxpayers requesting for the replacement of their old “ASK for Receipt” Notice are required to update their registration information such as designated official company email address before the release of NIRI.
For more information, you may refer to Revenue Memorandum Order No. 43 -2022 which can be viewed at the BIR website at www.bir.gov.ph.(PR)
TACLOBAN CITY– Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan has asked the provincial board to conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the delay in the release of the hazard pay of provincial workers who are entitled to receive such benefits.
Ongchuan, in a post on Feb.12, said that he has learned that workers, particularly those assigned to the medical facilities of the provincial government, have not received their hazard pay for the past five months, starting from October of last year.
The amount of hazard pay depends on the monthly salary or salary grade of the employee.
There are over 200 medical personnel of the provincial government who are supposed to receive their hazard pay.
Aside from the delay of the release of the hazard pay of medical workers or front liners of the provincial government, also asked by Ongchuan among members of the provincial board is to know the reason for the delay on the release of the financial assistance to the ‘Iskolar ng Probinsiya’ program.
The provincial government-initiated program has more than 10,000 beneficiaries who have not received the assistance for the past six months now. Each scholar recieves P5,000 per school term.
On Tuesday (Feb.14), the provincial board headed by Vice Gov. Clarence Dato, invited provincial accountant Amalia Espinar to explain what could be the reasons for the delay in the release of the hazard pay and the benefits for the beneficiaries of the Iskolar ng Probinsiya program.
Espinar said that the delay on the release of the hazard pay was due to the question if all the medical personnel are entitled to receive the hazard pay, especially those who are not ‘exposed to hazard.’
She claimed that under a circular issued by both the Department of Health and the Department of Budget and Management, the amount to be given depends on the degree of exposure to hazard which she said is the basis in granting it.
Espinar added she was delaying the release as non-medical personnel who also qualified to receive the pay might question it.
But she disclosed that ‘some’ medical personnel were able to receive their hazard pay on Tuesday but was silent as to when her office could fully provide the benefit to all entitled to it.
Dr. Ninfa Kam, the provincial health officer, maintained that all health workers, whether medical or administrative, should receive hazard pay.
According to her, all of them are all exposed to some degree of risk.
The claim of hazard pay by medical and even non-medical personnel came into light when the country was battling the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Meantime, the delay in the release of the benefits of the Iskolar ng Probinsiya program was mainly to the huge number that their office is dealing, Espinar said.
Both Vice Gov. Dato and board member Don Abalon said that the release of these benefits should be given immediately considering it is in a form of a financial assistance though without disregarding the rules on accounting and other law governing such act. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
VALENTINE’S NUPTIALS. Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez presided over a marriage ceremony involving three inmates at the Tacloban City Jail on Valentine’s Day, Feb.14. Among those present were jail officials and Raymund Romualdez, son of the city mayor and president of the Hiraya Foundation.
(ALFRED ROMUALDEZ FACEBOOK)
VALENTINE’S NUPTIALS. Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez presided over a marriage ceremony involving three inmates at the Tacloban City Jail on Valentine’s Day, Feb.14. Among those present were jail officials and Raymund Romualdez, son of the city mayor and president of the Hiraya Foundation. (ALFRED ROMUALDEZ FACEBOOK)
Raises concern on teenage pregnancy cases
TACLOBAN CITY– The Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) in Eastern Visayas is strengthening its partnership with the local government units (LGUs) to further cascade its various programs and activities.
Elnora Pulma, the Popcom regional director, admitted that they are facing some difficulties in engaging the LGUs due to some of their concerns.
The Popcom official added that they are pushing for a close partnership with the local government units as teenage or adolescent pregnancy cases in the region continue to be at an alarming rate.
“They equate Popcom to family planning or fertility program which is not the case. Popcom provides all the data to the LGUs, especially on the adolescent birth rate which is a silent factor for population growth,” Pulma said.
“This means to say that if they gave birth as young as 10 years old, they will be a burden to the LGUs,” she added.
Based on the data of Popcom-8, 3,494 girls or from 15 years to 19 delivered births last year.
Pulma insisted that their office is not all about family or fertility planning but has several programs focusing the adolescents to make them productive and attain a better future rather than becoming young parents.
She described adolescent pregnancies as a ‘dependent population’ which means they are dependent on the attention and care of the LGUs.
“So this means, no matter how big is their allocation, if your population is dependent population, then you have to provide with all their social needs and services,” Pulma said.
It was learned that some LGUs are not open to Popcom’s programs as they see it as a cause for a decline in their population which is a factor in computing their national tax allotment, formerly known as internal revenue allotment.
Reyan Arinto, Popcom regional information officer, said that of the six provinces of the region, only Leyte, Northern Samar, and Samar have permanent population offices while out of its seven cities, only Baybay in Leyte and Catbalogan have no office of their own.
And of the 136 municipalities of the region, there are only 12 of them which have their own population office.
He said that they are visiting LGUs in the region to convince them to have their own population offices.
“We’ve been speaking with local chief executives and we are getting positive response (from them) as they are bent to appoint population officers,” Arinto said.
Popcom, he said, will provide LGUs with technical and even financial support to them in the course of implementing the population management programs to include the youth development program.
