TACLOBAN CITY—Employees of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Maasin City have called for the abolition of Governance Commission for Government-owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG), a policy making body created during the administration of then President Benigno Aquino.
Ma. Crisel Inocando, union chapter president of GSIS-Maasin City, said that the regulatory agency has “imperils the lives of all GOCC employees.”
“For the past seven years, GOCCs have been complaining about the additional impositions and requirements laid down by the GCG which hamper their day-to-day operations, thereby placing the GOCCs under their mercy. Consequently, the employees especially the rank-and-file had to suffer and bear with their inconsistencies,” Inocando said.
According to her, they have had enough of GCG’s control.
“It left us broke and helpless. GCG’s high control means low trust, high cost and low speed for employees,” she added.
Inocando believed that in the process of protecting the government’s ownership rights and institutionalizing transparency in corporate performance, the GCG became “another administrative layer in the already perplexed structure of checks and balances, which takes up valuable time and resources of the GOCCs.”
“The impact of GCG to the people and this country can be considered as revenue cost of this government for seven years now. The GCG has been using their power to put control over the rank-and-file employees’ rights for good life and bright future, instead of directing its power to the presidential appointees who have been enjoying lavishly in terms of compensation and benefits and has been untouchable since the enactment of RA 10149, as majority of the employees viewed during Aquino’s administration,” Inocando said.
Whereas, ordinary employees like her have not received any salary increase for the last eight years, she said.
“We’ve got a big difference in salary level. After the RA 10149 was promulgated, we don’t have step increment anymore. The increase is now based on commendable performance, where slots are also limited. Our salary is flat now,” Inocando stressed.
Accordingly, GCG is devising scorecards for GOCCs and GFIs where a performance-based incentive is only granted if breakthrough results are achieved by a certain agency, saying this will push employees “to go beyond their day-to-day operations and achieve outcomes that have a significant impact on their customers and stakeholders while maintaining financial viability.”
(RONALD O. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Philippine National Police (PNP) has recognized the bravery of a junior police officer who was wounded during a hot pursuit operation against alleged members of private armed groups in Sta. Margarita, Samar.
PNP Eastern Visayas Regional Director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar pinned the medal to Police Officer 1 Ringy Boy Tomale assigned at the Provincial Public Safety Company based in Catbalogan City at his hospital room at the Divine Word Hospital Wednesday (July 26) night.
Tomale was wounded in his left arm while chasing alleged members of a private army on the night of July 23 in Barangay Lambao, Sta. Margarita town.
The lawless group was tagged as suspects in the killing of a farmer in Brgy. Bahay earlier on the same day.
“Although one of our police was injured, the hot pursuit operation killed a (member of a) private army and arrested two of his wounded companions,” Beltejar told reporters.
“This is a major breakthrough against private armed groups. The two arrested persons have vital information and we expect them to tell us about their handlers,” he added.
The police also recovered assorted firearms and ammunition during the operation.
Tomale, who joined the police in 2013, thanked the PNP for the wounded personnel medal.
“I am more determined to help in any effort to disband all members of private armed groups in Samar. I want my home province to be peaceful,” Tomale said.
Last year, the government launched a crackdown against private armies in Samar in its bid to end election-related violence. The group is being used by some politicians to harass their opponents, according to the police.
Recently, the PNP filed cases against large members of Deborbon private armed groups allegedly involved in the latest shooting incident.
Major follow up operations will be done by the Samar police provincial office to hunt down identified private armies.
(SARWEL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

CAIBIRAN, Biliran – Not even a bad weather nor a 6.5 magnitude earthquake could stop the more than 30 farmer-members of three agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) from attending the launching of the first farm business school (FBS) established by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in this province, a day after a strong tremor was felt in Eastern Visayas.
Chief Agrarian Reform Program Office Engr. Francisco Diloy explained that FBS is a season-long training with emphasis on marketing of farmers’ products.
For this training, a demo farm will be established at the NAMACA Farm in Barangay Maurang in this town for the application of what the participants will learn, Diloy said.
Participants, according to him, will be obliged to attend 25 sessions that may last for six months. It’s just like attending a regular school. But in this case, DAR brings the school near to the farmers, he added.
FBS is in collaboration with the provincial and municipal agriculture offices, the local government unit and the interested ARBOs.
Provincial Agriculturist Jaime Casas disclosed that among the topics he will discuss in one of the sessions is “Good Agricultural Practices”.
Though farmers here are already producers of various crops, DAR still invited the East-West Seed Philippines to provide input on vegetable production to enhance
farming methods in the area.
Thelma Verutiao and Norma Verunque, both members of the Nagkakaisang Magsasaka ng Caibiran (NAMACA) Multi-Purpose Cooperative just brought with them their pre-school daughters to the said occasion as they were interested to learn how they could increase their income.
Verutiao disclosed that they are already producing okra and onions in their yard, but stressed that for their own consumption only. She added that she is interested to learn how they could earn from their garden for additional household income.
Other participants are members of the Bunga Agrarian Reform Cooperative and the Kapatagan Agrarian Reform Cooperative, based in adjacent towns, Cabucgayan and Culaba, respectively.
Lecturers from the DAR, provincial and municipal agriculture offices, East-West Seed Philippines and the farmer-participants agreed to meet every Friday for the sessions.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer (MARPO) Noel Salloman said they are expecting more participants when they start the first session, as according to those present, some failed to attend due to the strong quake experienced throughout the region.
(JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA)

CALBAYOG CITY-The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)- Samar First District Engineering Office, Calbayog fast tracks its construction/rehabilitation of roads and drainage projects in seven barangays within the municipality of Sta. Margarita amounting to P150 million.
These projects are funded under GAA 2016.
Constructed ahead of the rainy season, the projects are located in Barangay Lambao, Palale, Cagsumje, Monbon, Balud, Cautod and Napuro are measures undertaken to remove water from the road and its surroundings and control the rise of water table whenever heavy rainfall occurs.
Scope of works includes PCC pavement and one (1) single barrel RCBC with apron and wing wall, drainage, grouted riprap and one flood control structure.
According to the project engineers, the focus is on the low-lying areas in Sta. Margarita that have been experiencing damages due to flooding.
This has been the usual scenario during continuous downpour since rainwater easily accumulates in these low-lying sections in the barangays.
The 6.08 kilometers stretch of road with drainage structures will solve flooding as more than thousands of residents affected by the sudden rise of water cannot contain their gratitude especially now that rainy season has set in.
Jun Caberte, are resident of Brgy. Palale, intimated that the widened drainage structure can hold volume of garbage to declog the water channel as expressed concern for the other barangays experiencing flooding and even recommended to the DPWH to construct the same.
As of this writing out of seven road and drainage projects, four projects are completed while three projects are ongoing with a revised expiry date of August 16, 2017.
District Engineer Alvin A. Ignacio intends to fast track these projects as soon as possible to minimize the impact of heavy rainfall sometimes in the area. (PR)