The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has recently kicked off its April round of the quarterly Labor Force Survey (LFS).
A total of 2,721 systematically and randomly selected sample households in Region VIII were identified as respondents. PSA personnel and hired statistical researchers will undertake the survey from 8 – 30 April 2018 using tablets guided by Computer Aided Data Collection System (CADaCS).
The LFS is a quarterly nationwide survey of households which aims to gather data on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population. It also aims to provide a quantitative framework for the preparation of plans and formulation of policies affecting the labor market.
Specifically, the LFS serves as a tool in measuring the distribution of household population 15 years old and over by employment status – employed, unemployed or underemployed. It is used to determine various employment characteristics such as industry, class of worker, nature of employment and basis of payment. In addition, questions on hunger experienced by any member of the household and the frequency of occurrence, benefits received by the members of the household who are salaried and wage workers, legal status/organization of enterprise where the household members work, and functional difficulties of any member of the household
15 years old and over are also asked.
Moreover, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), a newly-constituted independent quasi-judicial body mandated to implement the national competition policy, and enforce the Philippine Competition Act (PCA) or RA 10667, has included rider questions on awareness and perception of households on the PCA and the PCC.
The PSA is appealing to the public to cooperate and respond to the said undertaking. The Office assures the public that all information shall be accorded with utmost confidentiality as provided under RA 10625. Data generated from this survey will be disseminated in statistical summaries without reference to any individual person or household.
For inquiries and further information, please contact our office with telephone numbers (053) 321-8392 or (053) 321-5153, and email address psa_reg8@yahoo.com.(PR)
PSA conducts April 2018 labor force survey
7 Leyte towns to receive housing projects from NHA
CARIGARA, Leyte – Seven towns in Leyte will be receiving housing projects from the national government through the National Housing Authority (NHA), Undersecretary Wendell Avisado.
Avisado announced the good news to the local leaders of Leyte headed by Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and some municipal mayors during a consultation meeting on ‘Yolanda’ rehabilitation.
The additional towns are Leyte, Dulag, Tabontabon, Barugo, Dagami, Villaba and Capoocan.
The housing units are additional to the 56,000 target permanent houses that the NHA will construct in Yolanda affected areas in Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran and Leyte provinces.
Out of this number, 12,000 units had been completed by the NHA contractors, majority of which is in Tacloban City with 9,000 awarded units to beneficiaries of the 14,433 target housing units.
During the consultation, Avisado had asked the cooperation of participants in the implementation government projects especially for projects intended for victims of natural calamities.
He added that the NHA should have a close coordination with the local chief executives in implementing government housing projects.
“Cooperation, coordination is very important for the success of government projects,” USec. Avisado said.
But the consultation held in Carigara was criticized by right groups and members of the Coalition of Yolanda Survivors from this town who are the target beneficiaries of the housing units.
The consultation in Carigara was the fourth leg of consultation in Yolanda-affected areas.
Avisado will also conduct similar consultation in the towns of Isabel, Leyte; Silago, Southern Leyte; Naval, Biliran; and in Guiuan and Balangiga, both in Eastern Samar.
The consultation aim to provide learnings to the government in improving the policies in responding to natural calamities.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Tacloban is the ‘happiest people in the world’
TACLOBAN CITY- The happiest people in the world.
So goes the new tagline for this city which experienced the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland in 2013.
City Mayor Cristina Romualdez led a song and dance-laden program formally launching the said branding Thursday (April 5) at the City Hall grounds.
Among those who attended the launching were the different heads of regional offices based in the city; city and barangay officials and employees; teachers and ordinary residents of the city.
The controversial Nicador Faeldon, who was recently appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, also graced the launching which Mayor Romualdez hopes could help attract more tourists to Tacloban, the regional center.
Based on the record of the City Tourism Office, 537,215 tourists visited the city last year. Of this number, 28,700 of them were foreigners.
According to Romualdez, the tagline has something to do with the recovery not only of the city but its people after Yolanda pummeled Tacloban on November 8,2013, considered the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
“Well, its story line involves our Yolanda experience. That despite of that worst disaster, our spirits were not broken but we remain joyful, happy and very resilient,” the city mayor said.
“Everywhere you go, the people are still smiling, so nice and hospitable. That’s the image we have even abroad,” Romualdez added.
During the launching, a five-minute video showing scenes after Tacloban was pummeled by Yolanda were shown but with its people, to include children, still manage to smile despite of the massive tragedy.
Several of the city’s landmarks like the San Juanico Bridge, Balugo Falls, and the Santo Niño Shrine and Museum, as well as local delicacies and the various shopping malls and trading centers were also shown on the same video presentation.
But Romualdez said that while the focus of the branding is Tacloban City, she also supports the tourism campaign of other places in the region.
She said that visiting tourists after spending a day or two in Tacloban City could also visit other tourist spots of the region.
“We want to promote not only Tacloban but the region. You stay here and go around and meet our happy people. And from here, visit the entire region and its wonderful places,” Romualdez said.
She said that the plan to have Tacloban City its own tagline has been in the pipeline since last year.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Pamana head welcomes resumption of peace talks
TACLOBAN CITY- The resumption of peace talks between the national government and the communist group in the country will be good for the region which is still facing the problem on insurgency.
And with a peaceful environment, projects located in the remote areas can proceed unhampered, Imelda Bonifacio, regional program manager of Pamana (Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan), said.
Pamana, which is under the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP), has funded several road projects in the region, mostly in conflict areas in Samar provinces.
President Rodrigo Duterte has again declared his desire for his government and the leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) to resume peace talks, describing it as the ‘last chance’ on this matter setting several conditions which include, among others, no extortion activity or destruction of properties; no expansion or recruitment on the side of the communist group.
According to Bonifacio, this call of the President to return to the negotiation table is being welcome by all and not just by the Pamana and OPAPP.
She said that with a peaceful environment, projects funded by them in Samar provinces can proceed without delay and harassment from the rebel members.
“Everybody is waiting for the (resumption of the) peace talks except of course those who have lost their trust that this effort will not lead to nowhere. But we are progressing (towards this direction),” Bonifacio said.
She added that the conditions set by the President should be followed by the communist group like on no extortion activities “so that the government can pursue the Build, Build, Build program.”
“It’s a big factor to the realization of the construction of tri-boundary roads. This will show the government’s sincerity to address the development gaps in geographically isolated and disadvantage areas-which the CNN (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) have been fighting for (ideologically),” the regional PAMANA head said.
“As of the moment, contractors are apprehensive (on the reported) massive harassment (by the communist rebels) if they do not give in,” the PAMANA regional chief said.
Earlier, there were reports that PAMANA-funded projects in different towns in Samar provinces were being harassed by the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, unless they give them money.
Road constructions funded by PAMANA is ongoing in the towns of Las Navas, Mapanas, Lope de Vega and Silvino Lubos, all in Northern Samar; Dolores Maslog, Can-avid and Gen.Macarthur, all in Eastern Samar.
For next year, PAMANA- road projects will also be constructed in Silvino Lubos (Northern Samar)-Matuguinao (Samar); Maslog (Eastern Samar)-San Jose de Buan (Samar); and Las Navas (Northern Samar) – Jipapad (Eastern Samar).
By Joey Gabieta
SK voters in EV reach to 1.17 million
TACLOBAN CITY-More than a million youths from the region are to vote in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections this May 14.
Based on the records of the regional office of the Commission on Elections(Comelec), about 1,173,514 young voters are to cast their votes for the SK elections which are to be held together with the regular barangay balloting.
The number of SK voters in the region has ballooned compare to the 2010 record, the last time the country held a youth election.
For that particular youth election, there were only 188,018 SK registered voters of which 174,547 casted their votes.
Lawyer Felicisimo Embalsado, Comelec-8 assistant regional director, said that the increase of the SK registrants were due to the implementation of RA 10742 which raised the voting age of SK.
From the previous 15 to 17 years of age, considered as SK voters are those from 15 to 30 years of age, Embalsado said.
However, the same law mandates that only those who are 18 to 24 years could run and be elected as SK officials.
“But during the elections, SK voters ages 18 to 30 are to be given two ballots, one for the SK and the other for the regular barangay elections,” Embalsado said.
Under our laws, those who reaches 18 and above are qualified to vote during a local or national election.
Those who will run for the SK and barangay polls are to submit their certificates of candidacy (CoCs) starting on April 14 until April 20.
However, the Comelec local offices will not accept CoCs on April 15 which falls on Sunday, Embalsado said.
Of the six provinces of Eastern Visayas, Leyte has the most number of SK voters at 477,845 followed by Samar,229,505 voters.
Eastern Samar has 135,821 SK voters; Northern Samar (181,335); Southern Leyte (103,081); and Biliran, 45,927.
Meantime, registered for the regular barangay elections in the region is at 2.84 million.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Soon-to- be- elected SK officials to undergo mandatory orientation by the DILG
TACLOBAN CITY – All elected Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials will undergo a mandatory orientation for them to learn how to do their job, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional office here said.
The orientation will be held within 15 days before the official assumption of SK or the youth council of their respective positions, said DILG Regional Director Marivel Sacendoncillo.
“The idea is to bring all the SK officials elected to academic institutions to attend the orientation all over the region. Each area has an assigned campus where they will join the orientation,” Sacendoncillo said.
The orientation will gather more than 300,000 youth council officials from the region’s 4,390 villages.
“Each province will partner with state universities and colleges. In the case of big provinces, there would be instances that they will need the help of private institutions,” Sacendoncillo said.
The orientation will run from the third week of May to early June, but preparations have started as early as March.
“We need to help each other for the success of this mandatory orientation since modules are now ready and the educational institutions will find their resource speakers to help the SK learn their job,” Sacendoncillo added.
The village and SK polls will finally push through on May 14 after a series of delays. The last village elections were held in October 2013, while the last SK elections were held in October 2010.
Under the SK Reform Act of 2015, the youth council is composed of one chairman and seven members, who must be aged 18 to 24 at the day of the election, picked by majority of youth resident in the community.
Each elected youth official has a three-year term.
Section 10 of SK Reform Law includes an anti-dynasty provision prescribing that candidates should not be related within the second degree of affinity or consanguinity to any incumbent national, regional, or local elected official at the city, town, or village level.
(MELVA MAE C. MENIANO)