Day: April 4, 2024

BACOLOD CITY: The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has formed a task force to address the recent proliferation of vandalism, which is prohibited by City Ordinance 534.

Col. Noel Aliño, police city director, said on Thursday they have been directed by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to strictly implement the ordinance as more vandalism on walls of commercial establishments have been monitored around the city.

‘I issued an order to all BCPO operatives on this. Those who are able to arrest the vandals will receive monetary reward,’ he added.

Aliño assigned Lt. Col. Lester Leada as the anti-vandalism task force’s overall supervisor and Lt. Greeky Cayao as the team leader.

The members include the chiefs and personnel of the 10 police stations, Bacolod City Mobile Force Company, Mobile Patrol Unit and Traffic Enforcement Unit.

Aliño said during the task force’s first online meeting, they discussed the salient provisions of City Ordinance 534, measures to be implemented, identification and filing of cases again
st vandals, and monitoring of interventions and accomplishments.

‘This is the BCPO’s anti-vandalism program or intervention,’ he added.

The BCPO chief said they will also tap the assistance of the community of LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and more) under the ‘Bacolod (B)-PLUS’ initiative.

‘We will identify the vandalized places and start a clean-up. These will be painted by the group from the LGBTQ+,’ he added.

Benitez’s spokesperson, Singcang-Airport village chief Caesar Distrito, said personnel of the city’s Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), Public Order and Safety Office and Bacolod Traffic Authority Office as well as the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Public Works and Highways will also coordinate with the task force.

Based on DSSD data, most of the vandals in the city are minors.

Source: Philippines News Agency

BATANGAS CITY: The Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST)-Batangas office on Thursday advised food industry stakeholders to double down on their quality control protocols amid the intense summer heat which hastens spoilage.

In an interview, Maico Hernandez, Science Research Specialist at DOST-Batangas, said food manufacturers must strictly adopt basic hygiene principles amid the continued rise of temperature this summer.

He said his office is most concerned about small diners (carinderias), kiosks, ambulant vendors, and food manufacturers and re-packers that fall under the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) category.

‘We are encouraging food manufacturers to support clean and safe production… Time and temperature are one of the most crucial aspects of this. We thank the Provincial Cooperative, Livelihood, and Enterprise Development Office (PCLEDO) for forging collaboration with us as we share the same advocacy in ensuring food safety,’ Hernandez told the Philippine News Agency.

He n
oted that physical, biological, and chemical food hazards have implications on food processing and the control mechanisms for food safety risks are crucial aspects this summer.

Meanwhile, he said hand-washing, physical hazards, and cross-contamination must also be emphasized among the employees of MSMEs and cooperatives.

DOST-Batangas and PCLEDO will organize on-site assessments of food safety among the cooperatives and MSMEs to ensure that they obtain licenses to operate from the Food and Drug Administration.

Hernandez said they held a seminar-workshop on food safety before the Holy Week to ensure food safety compliance among food manufacturing and food service businesses.

Among the relevant topics that were discussed include basic food hygiene, food safety hazards, and current good manufacturing practices.

He said they are looking to capacitate smaller businesses to comply with food safety regulations and standards and equip them with knowledge and skills to ensure the safety and quality of their food
products.

It would empower cooperatives and MSMEs to meet food safety requirements and enhance their competitiveness in the market, Hernandez said.

‘Food should not be left out for more than four hours, otherwise it should not be consumed. If in doubt, throw it out,’ he said.

The DOST-Batangas and PCLEDO are members of the Provincial MSME Development Council while the latter also chairs the Provincial Cooperative Development Council.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday reminded school heads of their authority to decide on class suspension due to the intense heat that many parts of the country have been experiencing.

In a statement, the DepEd said school administrators have the discretion to suspend in-person classes and shift to alternative delivery modes (ADM) amid extreme heat or other calamities.

“It is in the best interest of the learning community to have localized assessments for timely response and interventions to ensure the welfare of learners and personnel,” it said.

As of Thursday 4 p.m., around 4,769 schools in 11 regions in the country have shifted to ADM, affecting 2,482,507 learners nationwide.

The highest number of schools implementing ADM was reported in Western Visayas, involving 1015 schools; followed by Central Luzon with 811 schools; Soccsksargen with 801 schools; Ilocos Region with 773 affected schools; and 408 schools in Zamboanga Peninsula.

For Eastern Visayas, 222 schools have suspended fa
ce-to-face classes; as well as 187 schools in Western Visayas; 148 schools in Bicol Region; 144 schools in MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), and Zamboanga Peninsula; and 92 schools in CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Romblon, and Quezon).

In Metro Manila, 168 schools have shifted to ADM in Caloocan, Malabon, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, San Juan City, and Taguig-Pateros.

No suspension of in-person classes, meanwhile, was reported in Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Caraga, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Source: Philippines News Agency

LEGAZPI CITY: At least 184 students from Albay province will receive financial assistance under the Tulong-Dunong Program (TDP) of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) with the help of the Ako Bicol Party-List (AKB).

In an interview on Thursday, Sally Luces, AKB media relations officer, said each student will receive PHP7,500 per semester to assist them with their educational expenses.

“The AKB with Rep. Elizaldy Co and CHED started the orientation for the 184 students from Tabaco City and other towns of the 1st District in Albay province. They can expect the cash grant before the end of the school year,” Luces said.

She said the assistance is a big help for students struggling financially but have big dreams to continue their studies.

“Dagdag tulong ang financial aid, lalo na sa mga projects, requirements nila sa school. Hindi na nila ito hihingin sa kanilang mga magulang, makakabawas na ito sa gastos para sa isang pamilya lalo na madaming nag aaral na mga kapatid (Financial aid is an extra help, es
pecially in their projects, their school requirments. They will no longer ask their parents for it, it will reduce the cost for a family especially those who have many siblings who are also studying),” Luces said.

In a statement, Co said education is the key to development, and he will make sure that no Bicolano student is left behind when it comes to the opportunity to study.

As part of the continuous education support, AKB is committed to reaching more needy students and helping their studies to realize their dreams, he said.

Co said every student that Ako Bicol helps is one step closer to a more prosperous future for Bicol.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: A lawmaker on Thursday reiterated that the House of Representatives is bent on amending solely the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

House Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin made this comment after Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon urged Congress to include political amendments in the proposed Charter change (Cha-cha).

During the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview over PTV4, Garin said it is not the appropriate time to broach the idea of amending political provisions in the Constitution.

“I cannot speak on behalf of the leadership of the House but as far as I am concerned, walang naging ganoon usapan (there have been no talks [of introducing political amendments]). We are very bent and sincere in pushing for economic reforms of the Constitution,” she said.

Garin argued that pursuing political constitutional amendments would only create public distrust, citing a recent Pulse Asia survey that found a huge percentage of Filipinos were unsupportive of amending the C
onstitution.

“I believe it’s not the appropriate time to deal with that… That is where the distrust of the public is coming from eh, kaya mahirap na isama iyon sa usaping Cha-cha lalo na at this critical point of time na marami ang hindi aware na iyong ating Konstitusyon ay de-kahon, na hindi mo magalaw. It’s very inflexible so much so na kapag may problema ay walang magawa at hindi matugunan ng gobyerno (that’s why it is difficult to mix political reforms in Cha-cha proposals, especially at this critical point in time wherein a lot of people are unaware that our Constitution is so restrictive that you can’t do anything. It is very inflexible so much so that the government is unable to address any issues that arise),” she said.

Garin noted that the Cha-cha proposals would have better chances of public approval if they focused solely on amending economic provisions and steered clear of political provisions.

“Mahirap ihalo, kasi previously, kaya kung tingnan mo sa Pulse Asia Survey, niri-reject ng karamihan
dahil naging chop suey eh. Sinama doon sa mga katanungan iyong proposal on no election, term extension, abolition of Senate. So nagiging political ang usapin, instead of bringing it to the platform of a discussion na aamyendahan natin ang Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas para guminhawa ang buhay ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino (It’s difficult to mix them because previously, in the Pulse Asia survey, many respondents rejected [Cha-cha] because it’s akin to ‘chop suey.’ The survey questions included proposals on no election, term extension, and abolition of Senate. So the proposals became political instead of bringing it to the platform of a discussion about amending the Constitution to uplift the lives of every Filipino family),” she said.

Gadon, in a letter he delivered to the House on Wednesday, suggested extending the term of local officials, including members of the House of Representatives, governors, vice governors, board members, mayors, vice mayors, and councilors, to six years.

He pointed out that triennial
elections incur substantial costs, draining billions in public funds and imposing financial burdens on candidates.

‘As discussions on amending the economic provisions of the Constitution unfold, it presents a significant opportunity to consider, including changes to the political provisions as well. Certain political provisions have proven to be costly and redundant, and amending them could lead to improved governance and greater benefits for the people,’ Gadon said.

Gadon, however, emphasized the need to maintain the term limit for the President, Vice President, and senators, with no possibility of reelection, as well as retain existing provisions on succession.

The Pulse Asia survey conducted March 6 to 10 showed 88 percent of the 1,200 adult respondents are against amending the 1987 Constitution while only 8 percent favor amendments.

Of the 88 percent, 74 percent opposed changes this year or any other time; 14 percent said the Constitution may be amended some other time; and 4 percent responded “they d
on’t know” if the Constitution should be “amended or not amended at this time.”

In March, the House approved in the final reading Resolution of Both Houses 7 (RBH 7), which aims to amend specific economic constitutional provisions related to public utilities, education, and advertising.

Source: Philippines News Agency