TACLOBAN CITY- The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), the premier government owned maritime training center of the Philippines, now offers Ship Security Awareness Training and Seafarers with Designated Security Duties (SSAT and SDSD) Course starting April 24, 2014, for a training fee of P1,200 at the NMP Training Complex, Cabalawan, Tacloban City. This SSAT and SDSD course will provide seafarers with the standard of competence to contribute to the enhancement of maritime security through heightened awareness, recognition of security threats and knowledge of how to respond appropriately and enabling them to undertake their assigned duties under the Ship Security Plan (SSP). This one (1) day course covers theory and practical exercises in compliance with the requirements of the 2010 Manila Amendments to the STCW Convention, particularly of Regulation VI/6 (Mandatory minimum requirements for security related training and instruction for all seafarers), of Section A-VI/6, paragraphs 4-8, Tables A-VI/6-1 and A-VI/6-2 of the STCW Code and as prescribed in MARINA Circular No. 2013-11 Series of 2013, which mandated Maritime Education and Training Institutions (METIS), among others to adopt the Course for Ship Security Awareness and Seafarers with Designated Security Duties. The course was pilot-tested last April 14 & 15, 2014 with Twenty-Two (22) seafarer-trainee participants in accordance with the Agency’s Quality Management System. The course would further enhance the global competitiveness and employability of Filipino seafarers in the international shipping. For inquiries and reservation you may contact NMP with these mobile numbers 09194361409/09296881740/09165429675.

BOBON, Northern Samar- Power consumers of this province who will provide information involving illegal acts are assured to receive a free mobile phone load. This reward system introduced by the Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (Norsamelco) was meant to help reduce the systems loss being experienced by the power cooperative which runs into millions of pesos, said its general manager Hector Tabilisima. The scheme, which is under its newly-launched program “Kilusan ng Sambayanan sa Pagnanakaw ng Kuryente (Kislap Kuryente), is dubbed as “I text ang magnanakaw, load mo libre” at their numbers 09991877876 or 09152924990. The Norsamelco has been suffering a systems loss for months now that reaches up to P2.5 million. Tabilisima, who assumed his post last August, 2013, disclosed in an interview that all information will be treated as confidential. He added, any information which pertains to their erring employees or those with connivance; series(flying)connections; those with direct connections/by pass; and also if you have found a consumer with tampered meters as well as those tilted or inverted meters are the most common causes of our coops systems loss. Further, Tabilisima also said that in order to avail of a “free pasaload worth P100”, after a consumer have texted, the cooperative will acknowledge the text message and an inspection will be conducted right away to verify the information. And once verified to be true, they will at once send the load to the texter or informant.

(PETER D.PAREDES)

TACLOBAN CITY-As rehabilitation remains apparently slow six months after supertyphoon Yolanda hit Eastern Visayas, storm victims asked rehabilitation and reconstruction czar Panfilo Lacson to resign from his post. “We don’t see Lacson at all to be worthy of his post. First, he is incompetent. His and the national government’s nonexistent rehabilitation is the complete reflection of such. Second, he’s got no proper qualification for the post,” Mark Simbajon, one of the convenors of the People Surge, a broad coalition of Yolanda typhoon victims. “Consequently that proves us that rehabilitation is not something the national government really wanted,” Simbajon added. Earlier, Senator Francis Escudero also expressed his frustration over the slow pace in government rehabilitation program claiming that only P4 billion of the P100 billion allotted in the 2014 budget has been released for it. Commenting on this, Simbajon said that “it is a reflection of Lacson’s incompetence and the pseudo rehabilitation Pres. Benigno Aquino III is pushing for.” “(The national gover4nment) is only using the names of Yolanda victims as capital, just like a commodity being sold in the national market,” Simbajon added. The People Surge, which counts of more than 10,000 typhoon victims as members, demanded the government of P40,000 cash assistance to help them rebuild their homes; continued food assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the stop the implementation of the no build zone which prohibits dwellers within 40 meters from the coastline. Meanwhile, Simbajon reported that some of People Surge’s members have experienced harassment by alleged military men under a supposed “new mandate.” “Yes there are happenings of such harassment. At this point, as advised by our legal counsel, we cannot speak much detail yet. Sorry. But we are tightening security measures because of such,” Simbajon said. (RONALD O.REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY-Inflation rate in the province of Leyte slightly went up to 5.1 percent in March 2014, indicating a minimal increase of 0.1 percentage point compared to the 5.0 percent inflation rate in the previous month. The 5.1 percent inflation rate indicates that the general price levels of goods and services in Leyte were higher by 5.1 percent in March 2014 compared to the price levels during the same period the previous year. All of the eleven major commodity groups contributed to the 5.1 percent overall inflation rate. However, the major commodity groups that contributed considerably to the provincial inflation rate were the following: alcoholic beverages and tobacco (14.8 percent); education (12.4 percent) and food and non-alcoholic beverages (7.5 percent). Moreover, five major commodity groups recorded increment on its inflation rate. The highest increase was the 2.9 percentage points increment on the inflation rate of alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Other major commodity groups that likewise recorded increment on its year-on-year rate of price change from February to March 2014 were the following: furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house (0.3 percentage point); food and non-alcoholic beverages (0.2 percentage point); recreation and culture (0.1 percentage point); and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services (0.1 percentage point). From December 2013 to March 2014, Leyte’s purchasing power of the peso remained at 68 centavos. For more inquiries, please visit our office at Leyte SR Bldg., Artemio Mate Extension, Brgy. Abucay, Tacloban City. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) and the Tacloban Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc.(TFCCCI) turned over to the Department of Education (Deped)six new classrooms last May 19. The recipient schools were the Northern Tacloban City National High School (NTCNHS) in Barangay New Kawayan and Sto. Niño Elementary School (SNES) in Brgy.Sto. Niño. The NTCNHS received one-unit school building with two classrooms and two toilets while SNES got one-unit school building with four classrooms and also two toilets. The two schools were chosen by its donors Rotary Club of Chinatown Manila District 3810 because of the extent of the damages they sustained during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda more than six months ago. Welcoming the team from the Rotary Club were Go Tic Ching and Reynaldo Go, president and treasurer of TFCCCI respectively and Tacloban City Vice Mayor Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin. Donation of school buildings is a major undertaking of the FFCCCII under the “Operation Barrio Schools” Projects since the mid-part of 1960’s. All the elected officers of the federation and its umbrella organizations in the different parts of the country are encouraged to donate school classrooms as their corporate social responsibilities. This year’s president of FFCCCII is Dr. Alfonso Siy. The federation has already donation more than 10,000 classrooms all over the Philippines in order to fill in the gap of the government’s education program. Among the federation officials who joined the activities were Ang Cho Lim, vice president of welfare committee; Joseph Redulla, director of welfare committee; Andrew Co, vice chairman of youth committee and project coordinators Carlos Legaspi and Jemar Pascual. The regular size of the one-unit two-classrooms school building is 49-square meters with provision for two toilets and with a time-frame to construct within 20 working-days at a cost of P370,000 to P400,000 depending on the location in the remote areas. The Rotary Club of Chinatown Manila District will be led by its first class president Zeni Yao and District governor Karen L. Tama. (VICKY C. ARNAIZ)