GSIS extends housing loan restructuring until Dec. 29

News

By

-

August 5, 2014

State pension fund Government Service Insurance System has extended anew the deadline for the housing loan remedial and restructuring program until 29 December 2014 to accommodate more applicants. This is the third time GSIS extended the deadline since the program was launched in August 2013. More than Php1.5 billion accounts have so far been restructured covering a total of 3,000 borrowers. Of these, 1,049 or 34% have already fully paid their housing loans amounting to Php223 million while 1,996 or 66% opted to pay on instalment totalling Php1.2 billion.

Borrowers with current or up-to-date accounts; whose deeds of conditional sale were cancelled but not yet sold; and whose accounts are under foreclosure proceedings may apply for the program. The program is also open to buyers of rights and heirs of deceased borrowers subject to eligibility criteria. Under the program, GSIS will condone unpaid penalties and surcharges and grant extended payment terms for qualified borrowers who opt to restructure their housing loans.

Discounts will be given to applicants who intend to pay their outstanding obligations in full. Those with arrears of up to six months will get 100% discount on unpaid interest, penalties and surcharges while those with arrears beyond six months will receive discounts based on their payment history. GSIS has also made it convenient for them to pay their obligations by spreading the payments over a longer period at lower monthly amortizations for those who are qualified.

By restructuring, qualified applicants may save their houses from being sold to other buyers. GSIS is enforcing a by-appointment-only policy to ensure applicants are properly attended to when they visit and avoid unnecessary waste of their time. Metro Manila applicants may call telephone numbers 479-3548, 479-3583 and 479-3587 to set an appointment. Applicants based in provincial offices, may call the GSIS’s contact center at 847-4747. (PR)

BFAR briefs CASTSDM mayors on by-catch management

News

By

Web Master

-

August 4, 2014

0

pix18 — CASTSDM chairman-Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo P. Aquino welcomed BFAR-8 idea of expanding the alliance to other LGUs as all has that common goal to manage Samar Sea coastal fisheries and its marine resources. (photo by IAN VILLANUEVA BALDOMARO)

CASTSDM chairman-Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo P. Aquino welcomed BFAR-8 idea of expanding the alliance to other LGUs as all has that common goal to manage Samar Sea coastal fisheries and its marine resources. (photo by IAN VILLANUEVA BALDOMARO)

CALBAYOG CITY-The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-8 conducted a project brief on “REBYC-II CTI” (Reducing By-catch Coral Triangle Initiative) involving mayors of the CASTSDM (Calbayog, Almagro, Sto.Nino, Tagapul-an, Sta. Margarita, Daram and Maripipi) Alliance.

BFAR-8 research team head Raffy Ramiscal said that the project is a strategy for trawl fisheries by-catch management that is expected to contribute to more sustainable use of fisheries resources and healthier marine ecosystems in the coral triangle and Southeast Asia waters by reducing by-catch, discards and other impact of trawl fisheries.

Ramiscal mentioned the participating countries and executing partners of this project are Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines with Samar Sea as the pilot site. The project, he added, includes “ichthyoplankton” (fish eggs and larvae) survey, by-catch and trawl catch survey, critical habitat and fishing ground survey, formulation of Samar Sea Fisheries Management Plan, TWG (technical working group) activities, EAFM (Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management) and other capacity building activities.

The actual implementation of this 4-year project, he further said, started last year. Ramiscal said that once the project is finished, Samar Sea is sure to enjoy a more sustainable use of fisheries resources, a healthier marine habitat and ecosystems, and a secured fisherfolks’ livelihood.

The executing agency of this REBYC-II CTI Project is the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), while the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) is their Regional Project Facilitator Unit. Their project partners are the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO), Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and the Regional Fisheries Livelihood Project (RFLP).
This REBYC-II CTI project brief for CASTSDM Alliance mayors was held last July 18 at the Mayor’s Conference Room, this city. The alliance is composed of Calbayog City through Mayor Ronaldo P. Aquino (chairman), Almagro (Mayor Kathleen S. Prudenciado (vice chairman), Sto. Nino (Mayor Lilia A. Conejos; Tagapul-an (Mayor Vicente F. Limpiado; Sta. Margarita (Mayor Gemma P. Zosa); Daram (Mayor Lucia L. Astorga) and Maripipi (Mayor Uldarico P. Macorol), as members. (AIMEE CATALAN/PR)

OWWA’s cash-for-work program benefits more than 7,000 OFW dependents in the region

News

By

Web Master

-

August 4, 2014

0

TACLOBAN CITY- More than 7,000 individuals who are dependents of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in the region availed of their agency’s cash-for-work program.

This was revealed by Ma. Evangelina Filamor, officer-in-charge chief of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)’s programs and services division. According to Filamor, their cash-for-work program, introduced to help victims of supertyphoon Yolanda in the region, benefited 7,394 dependents of overseas workers. The beneficiaries of their cash-for-work program were from the provinces of Eastern Samar covering the towns of Guiuan, Mercedes,Salcedo,Gen. McArthur, Quinapondan, Giporlos, Balangiga and Lawaan; Samar(Marabut and Basey); Leyte( Tanauan, Tolosa, Dulag, Burauen, MacArthur, Mayorga, Palo, Leyte-Leyte, Sta. Fe,Alangalang, Jaro and the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban) and Biliran.

The OWWA released an amount of P27.13 million for the salaries of the beneficiaries who were paid at P260 a day for their work ranging from seven days up to 30 days, depending what kind of their work.

The beneficiaries mostly work in the cleaning and clearing of canals, streets and damaged barangay buildings. According to Filamor, Region 8 obtained the biggest released of funds among the other two regions in the Visayas (Regions 6 and 7) hit by Yolanda which also implemented their cash-for-work program.

“I believe that the cash-for- work program was a big help to the beneficiaries during the chaos that they experienced after the supertyphoon Yolanda. The program was an emergency employment to aid the beneficiaries to afford them to buy their basic needs”, said Filamor.“I can say that the program was an achievement of the OWWA. We helped not only the beneficiaries but also in the beautification and sanitation of a community”, Filamor said. (JUL GRABILLO- LNU-Intern)

Samar provincial board urges DOJ, Ombudsman to conduct probe on BM Lampasa

News

By

Web Master

-

August 4, 2014

0

TACLOBAN CITY-The provincial board of Samar passed two resolutions involving one of its members, Alma Uy Lampasa. The first resolution concerning Lampasa regarding the absences she committed for the past five regular sessions of the provincial board for this year. On this regards, those who signed Resolution Number 14-111-14 passed on July 10, asked the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas to conduct an investigation and file necessary action against Lampasa on this ground.

Based on the said resolution, Lampasa was said to have committed absences on May 15, May 22, May 29 and on June 5, all this year. The said resolution said that her act is punishable which could be a ground for her suspension or removal.

”It would be a heavy burden on the part of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan as would interfere in its law-making functions if it assumes jurisdiction over the matter of Hon. Lampasas’s five consecutive absences. Moreover, it does not have the expertise, staff, resources to hear and conduct quasi-judicial proceedings,” part of the resolution said, stating reason why they want the Ombudsman to conduct the investigation.

Lampasa, however, said that she have valid reasons why she was not able to attend their regular sessions on those days mentioned. For instance, she was not able to able to attend their June 5 session because she was with her son who was at that time was entering college. Meantime, the same provincial board proposed a resolution approved on July 1 during their regular session, for Secretary Leila de Lima to conduct an investigation over report of ambush incident involving Lampasa.

Lampasa had earlier claimed that she was a victim of an ambush attempt on July 8 in Jiabong town, also in Samar. The said resolution urged de Lima to order the National Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to head an investigation on this matter. Lampasa, a former trial court judge, claimed that she was the target of an ambush incident while she was in Barangay Jian, Jiabong on July 8 at around 7.28 p.m. She said that the attempt on her life could be politically motivated as she had made several exposes on what she claimed illegal activities involving some provincial officials. (JOEY A. GABIETA/LIZBETH ANN ABELLA)

Roxas commends disaster-ready LGUS, calls on mayors to build better, safer communities

News

By

Web Master

-

August 4, 2014

0

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas lauded local officials who worked round the clock in leading their constituents to safer grounds before the onslaught of typhoon Glenda, saying their efforts were responsible for low casualty rate during the calamity. “Binabati ko ang mga lokal na opisyal sa kanilang maagap na pagtugon sa panawagan ng ating pamahalaan na maging handa laban sa ano mang uri ng kalamidad. Ang mababang bilang ng casualty ay isang indikasyon na tayo ay unti unti nang nagiging handa,” said Roxas, who is vice chairman for preparedness of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

At the same time, Roxas expressed sympathy to families and friends of the fatalities who according to latest NDRRMC count has reached 51. “Ako po ay nakikiramay sa mga kababayan natin na nawalan ng mahal sa buhay at patuloy po tayo na nanawagan sa ating local government units na kumilos para hindi lang paigtingin ang kanilang mga disaster risk reduction plans kundi para gawing mas maayos at mas ligtas ang mga komunidad na kanilang nasasakupan,” the DILG chief said.

Roxas said that “one death is one too many” and local government units (LGUs) should work harder to achieve the “zero casualty” target of the NDRRMC, of which local DRRMCs are part of.

He cited as an example the provincial government of Albay which again achieved “zero casualty” owing to its effective disaster risk reduction and management plan that was put into place by the local officials and the people in so-called disaster-prone areas. The disaster-readiness of Albay and other LGUs in the Bicol area, he said, is something worth emulating. Recently, Roxas distributed to members of the League of Municipality of the Philippines – Luzon Cluster the LGU Disaster Preparedness Journal – A Checklist of Minimum Actions for Mayors prepared by the DILG to serve as guide to local chief executives to help them prepare against the impact of climate change-triggered natural calamities.

According to Roxas, LGUs are mandated by Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 as “first responder” to ensure the safety and resiliency of communities in facing the challenges of disasters. The “Checklist of Minimum Actions for Mayors” calls for the creation of the local disaster risk reduction management structures and systems to be mobilized before, during and after natural calamities; institutionalize policies and plans; enhance competency of the structures through various trainings; and compliment the competency by purchasing and preparing the needed hardware and supplies. (PR)