e-mail: rubenbabar_br@yahoo.

com

outstanDing local newspaper

For Five Consecutive Years
St. peter Baptist Catholic Mass Media awards

vol. xxii, no. 47

www.bikolreport.blogspot.com

regional exponent for progress

bicol, the philippines

august 16-22, 2015 p5.00

473-8888

Bicol express to roll anew in 2021

By ANA-LIzA S. MACATANGAY

NAGA CITY --- The 653-kilometer railways from Manila to Legazpi City in Albay, now also including route
extensions to Batangas City and Matnog in Sorsogon, will
soon serve commuters once the bid for the P171-billion
worth North-South Railway Project (NSRP) is in place.
(Turn to page 6)

NGCP bares Transmission

Development Plan for Bicol

NFA Camarines Sur Provincial Manager Gloria M. Tabayag,

Acting Assistant Provincial Manager Alexander Parrera,
PSQAO Marlon Mateum, and Acting SEIO Joan Brijuega
conduct inspection at Naga City Peoples Mall and Peoples
Satellite Market, two of the major markets within the city.

NAGA CITY --- From

the Naga 100 MVA 230/69
kV transformer which was
completed in December
2012, the National Grid
Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is now
gearing up for the application to Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)
for the completion of the
Naga 200MVA 230/69 kV
(kilovolts)
transformer
under their 2016-2020 Luzon System Development
Plan in Bicol
Included in the application for the 4th regulatory
period (2016-2010) are the
capacitors and transformers of Iriga City (69kVS/s:
2-5 MVAR 69 kV Capacitor), Ligao Switching
Station(3-5 MVAR 69 kV
Capacitor), Tiwi (230 kV /
50 MVA (Mega Volt Ampere 230/69 KV transformer) and the Daraga substation (100 MVA 230/69kV
transformer).
NGCP, still under the
2016-2020 Luzon System
Development is gearing up
for the Eastern Albay 69kV

(Photo courtesy of NGCP during its orientation of the Camarines Sur Energy Press Corps on NGCP's on-going
proposed projects in Bicol Region during their familiarization tour of NGCP facilities, August 12-13, 2015.)

(Turn to page 6)

3rd floor, GerONiMO blDG., bArliN sT., NAGA CiTY TelefAX: (054) 475-62-62 CP 0921-3183720 / 0919-2822901 / 0920-5337766

opinion

bikol reporter

editorial
Presidential Touch
The recent visit of President Noynoy
Aquino in Naga City was a breeze. Just
a whiff, actually. Not a fresh wind in
the summer of our tropical landscape.
Of course, his purpose in coming was
in some ways, private remembering
Nagas dear son, the late DILG Secretary
Jesse M. Robredo. So, we can forgive
how his visit was so passing that we
only felt his presence through the
airlanes and the television screens.
It appears that Presidents with a
common touch, i.e. the likes of a Pope
Francis who would defy his security
escorts to bless a baby cradled by a
mother awaiting his passing; are now
rare. This clearly is an indication of a
greater concern on the life and security
of the President. Rightly so, because
he is the President, the head of the
Republic. Yet, we can only rue the
fact that this also underscores another
reality no one is safe anymore, not
even a President.
The generation of the 50s love
to remember that President Ramon
Magsaysay opened the gates of
Malacanang to the people. That is why,
he is referred to as the Man of the
Masses. Indeed, one way by which
we can evaluate how well our leaders
lead is through the peoples response.
President Cory Aquino, whom the late
dictator President Ferdinand Marcos
belittled early on as a mere housewife,
had the same common touch that
Magsaysay had. One should only recall
her funeral procession years back.
Next year, we will be choosing a
new president. Will we look for a
popular one or somebody whom we
will only recognize through the media?
Bicolanos, as UP Professor Roland
Tolentino observes, are a touchy lot,
as shown by the frenzied rush to touch
the image of Ina during the Penafrancia
fiesta. Will this culture make us choose
a President who touches us and whom
we can also touch?

02082606

Tel. No. (054) 475-6262

ed g. yu
Editor

0939-604-3144

Lee G. Dullesco II

Head, Advertising Associates

0920-533-7766

august 16-22, 2015

Interest Rates Unchanged

(Atty. APA chairs Acyatan & Co.,
CPAs-DFK International is past chair of
ASEAN Federation of CPAs, PICPA past
president and Hall-of-Famer, and ACPAPP
Lifetime Achievement Awardee).
RETAINED: The Monetary Board has
decided to keep its policy rates unchanged
as it expects average inflation for 2015 to
fall below the target. The Monetary Board
kept its overnight borrowing rate at 4% and
overnight lending rate at 6%. The BSP
also maintained the interest rates on term
reverse repurchase facility, repurchase
facility as well as special deposit accounts
for reserve requirements of banks. The
MB based its decision on recent benign
inflation outturns.
Inflation is projected to rise gradually
and stabilize within the lower half of the
inflation target. The rate eased to a new
record low of 0.8% in July from 1.2% in
June bringing average inflation to 1.9
percent in the first seven months of 2015
on the back of easing food prices. Also
being considered by the policy makers are
the lower costs of fuel countered with the
gradual reduction in the peso exchange
value vis--vis the US dollar and the
formal depreciation of the Chinese yuan.
PALAY PRODUCTION:
Lower
production of unmilled rice (palay) is
expected to fall by 0.6% year-on-year.
The Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA)
reported yesterday that this is due to the
contraction of harvest areas and planting
delays. In its latest palay-corn production
outlook, PSA said palay production for
2015 could reach 18.86MT, lower than the
18.97MT produced in 2014. This falls short
of the production target this year of 20.08
million MT.

opinions
unlimited
Atty. TONY (APA) ACYATAN
PSA sees total harvest of palay
contracting to 4.68M hectares from 4.74M
hectares in 2014. Yield per hectare,
however could improve to 4.03MT per
hectare from 4.0MT last year. The Bicol
Region is rated to have higher production,
having been saved from recent natural
disasters. In MIMAROPA, there were
crop damages due to intense heat and
short water supply. Same thing occurred
in Caraga, Western Visayas and Northern
Mindanao. In everything, our God is
supreme!
AIRBORNE THEFT: Budget carrier
Cebu Pacific is looking into an alleged
theft by one of its male flight attendants on
a trip from Boracay to China. The airline
said it was made aware of the alleged
incident and that appropriate action
would be taken depending on the result of
the investigation. Chinese news website
reported earlier that the incident involved a
flight attendant who was caught stealing
cash from Chinese passengers on flight
5J52.
On a personal basis I also experienced

dishonesty on one Cebu Pacific flight.

During my return flight from HK, I bought
on board some souvenir items from the
crew. Unfortunately, I did not check the
purchased items as they were handed
to me. After arriving at our residence,
I verified my purchased souvenirs and
discovered that the necklace I bought
did not include the offered trimmings.
Since then I kept that lesson in my
mind. Dont be overtrusting!
WITHHOLDING:
Purchase
payments are subject to withholding,
with the purchaser automatically being
designated as BIR withholding agent.
It used to be that the withholding
responsibility is limited only to the
purchases of Top Ten Thousand
taxpayers. However, while the Revenue
Regulations were issued only in mid2013, they are being applied retroactive
to January 2013 and also covering
small and medium taxpayers. As a
result, their net income and business
(VAT/percentage) taxes are increased.
Recently the rules were overstressed by BIR examiners and audit
reviewers to cover even payments for
water and power expenses, and more
importantly, interests on bank loans!
We are emphasizing this because
many banks are not cooperating in
implementing the withholding rules. We
must understand that most withholding
taxes remitted to BIR are creditable to
our net income tax liability provided
supported by BIR W/T certificates!
PROVERBS: A man of knowledge
uses words with restraint; a man
of understanding is always eventempered.

Change, Not Continuity

We are now seeing many propaganda
in the trimedia because of the coming
presidential election on May 2016. Some
are promotional while others, destructive
trial by publicity. It is important for the
people to be properly informed and to use
our knowledge, common sense, fairness
and discernment. The following column of
Ret. Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz in the Daily
Tribune dated August 18, 2015 is worth
considering among othersL
To change what is foolish, wrong, unjust
in the country this is the rightful demand
of the Filipinos for the years ahead.
Simply to continue aristocratic leadership,
incompetent governance, imaginary
national achievements and the like are the
last things that the people of the Philippines
need in the years to come. They have
more than enough of public officials who
are pro-selves instead of pro-others. They
have heard enough words plus words and
more words.
In the times ahead, they crave for more
actions than talks, more realities than but

from
my
window
nenita fuentebella-peones
imaginations. And enough is enough.
The tiring matuwid na daan leads
nowhere really. The infamous Kayo
ang boss ko, is hallucination to say the
least. The Kung walang corrupt, walang
mahirap is one big joke.
And there are tiring by-words of
Inclusive growth which in effect is welldevoid of ground reality.
Furthermore, there are the alleged

blessings brought about by the PPP

whereby the government in fact
becomes a business corporation. And
the so-called Peace Process through
the BBL only simpletons believe it.
The still present administration is rich in
imagination, poor in actualization.
Continue a government where graft
and corrupt practices are the rule?
Keep a governance whose expertise
is demanding lifetime taxes of many
kinds and in many ways from the rich
and the poor alike?
Go on having an Executive Department
that dominates the Legislature through
its Pork Barrel system under different
names? Keep a Presidential Office that
has and spends huge amounts of public
funds exempted from accounting and
beyond standard auditing?
To go on with a governing leadership
that abhors Land Reform, that looks at
the Filipinos as anything but a sovereign
people?
(Turn to page 4)

An unusual season
PARTISAN politics has an uncanny
way of invigorating people. When the
breath of the season comes, even the
terminally ill bursts with life.That is how
unusual is the season .People do not tire
talking about it even in their sleep.
There was this politician who had been
weakened by old age and a debilitating
diseaseWonder drugs with their vaunted
healing power could not rouse him back
to health. They all proved useless. The
best of quack doctors incantations had
failed to work miracles for him.
But when the faint whiff of the season
came, wafted to his nostril,he was said to
have gained much vigor as if old age and
illness had not spoiled his health.
This politico had trounced all
challengers to his throne as if they
were of no political value to people. He
was described in his turf as a political
kingpin..
A very unique animal is how the Filipino
politico is pictured Not only because
partisan politics enhances his lust for
life but also his lust for violence In some
provinces, bloodshed traced to political

A
Question
of
privilege

salvador d. flor

rivalry is as normal as the ebb and flow

of the sea.
In the so-called hot spots,there is
abnormalcy when the polls are violencefree and honest.That may qualify for the
world famousRipley Believe It Or Not
feature.
The politician particularly the trapo,
abhors any threat to his post. He believes
that once his opponent wins, the latter
will acquire torrens title to the position
and he will be out for good.
To him, this is unacceptable.

He would, however, give up the

post if it would go to his wife or son or
daughter.Not to anybody outside his
clan.The Magindanao massacre is an
example. The Ampatuans hated the
idea of an outsider dislodging them
from their position of power.
Our politicians are no different
from the Chinese rulers of old . They
had their dynasty, passing the reins of
power from generation to generation.If
this is disturbed, war would come.
What attraction does partisan
politics have on our political clan.Some
said it is power that attracts, because
power leads to millions and millions
lead to power .That is our curse.
Money has become the most important
commodity. Unless this insane love for
money is taken out of our system,our
sorry lot wont change
Power plus money and fame is what
politicians are after..
Who among our honorable public
atsoys have only the shirts on their backs
for their worldly possessions.Nobody.
(Turn to page 7)

august 16-22, 2015

bikol reporter

Land Bank names CARD Bank

as 2015 Outstanding CFI
CARD Bank, a member of CARD Mutually
Reinforcing Institutions
(CARD MRI), was awarded by one of the most
trusted commercial banks
in the country, Land Bank
of the Philippines, as one
of their 2015 Outstanding
Accredited Client-CFIs.
The Gawad CFI Awarding Ceremonies was held
on August 14, 2015 at the
Centennial Hall, Manila
Hotel.
A microfinance-oriented
rural bank, CARD Bank
won first place in the category of Rural Bank in the
national level and a special
award, Best CFI AvailerAgri-Agra Loans. CARD
Bank has the highest loan
portfolio on agri-agra based
on its submitted report to the
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
(BSP).
CARD Bank will never
tire helping people living
in the countryside to help
them uplift their quality of

life, said Dolores M. Torres, the President and CEO

of CARD Bank.
CARD Bank is one of
the financial institutions of
CARD MRI that helps empower millions of Filipinos
especially people who are
excluded in the mainstream
financial system.
The President and CEO
of LandBank Gilda E. Pico
commended CARD Bank
for its noble mission to help
the poor communities.
CARD Bank will continue to partner with appropriate institutions, like Land
Bank, that share the same
mission as ours to achieve
our mutual goal of eradicating poverty in the country,
said Torres.
Land Banks Outstanding CFI-clients awarding is
being done annually to recognize CFIs that modelled
excellence in rural financial
services. This recognition
aims to maintain a good
partnership between Land

Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip, the Founder and Managing Director

of CARD MRI and Dolores M. Torres, the President and CEO
of CARD Bank hold the two trophies awarded by LandBank
to CARD Bank as 2015 Outstanding CFI. Also with them are

Gilda E. Pico, the President and CEO of Land Bank of the

Philippines (middle of Dr. Alip and Mrs. Torres), and other
executive committee members of CARD MRI and officers of
Los Baos LBP Lending.

Bank and CFIs in providing

financial access to marginalized sectors and development players in the countryside.

from the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines,

Chamber of Thrift Banks,
key officers and leaders of
SMEs and Corporations,

The cash prizes received

by the institution will be
added to the calamity loan
fund of CARD MRI.
Guests and participants

representatives from other

government agencies and
senior officers of Land
Bank attended the awarding
ceremony.

bikol reporter

tip of an
iceberg
homar murillo

Email: homar.murillo@gmail.com

The Robredo Magic

Once there was a political phenomenon known as the
Cory Magic. It was the charisma of the late former President
Corazon Aquino that served as the focal point of the courage,
optimism and hope of the Filipino people who converged at
EDSA in 1986 to serve as human shields against tanks and
machine guns. The people power prevailed and the dictator
who occupied Malacaang for 21 years was ousted.
Cory took over the helm of power, having the burden of
responsibility to clean up the bureaucratic mess and government bankruptcy that Marcos left behind as his shameful
legacy. It was the same Cory Magic that was tested several
times but proved to be triumphant in all adversities, including several coup attempts during her term of office. It was
also the Cory Magic that was a deciding factor in catapulting
Gen. Fidel Ramos into the highest office of the land as the
anointed successor. This national political phenomenon
also has a local version here in Naga City. It is called the
Robredo Magic.
Just like the Cory Magic, the Robredo Magic is pure
wizardry in terms of people empowerment and good governance. It is the embodiment of the will of the people that is
expressed in the political exercise of electing leaders, overcoming adversities and achieving lofty goals. Former Mayor
Jesse Robredo translated the idealism and hope inspired
by Cory into concrete programs and initiatives that can be
objectively assessed. As a result, Naga and Mayor Jess
himself gained national and international acclaimed. One
of the most significant of which was the Magsaysay Award.
Beyond the accolades and official recognitions, however,
the Robredo Magic is best seen in the way Nagueos vote.
The ubos kun ubos (now known as the Team Naga) is the
epitome of political clout that Mayor Jess wielded. It was the
expression of full trust and love of the Nagueos in him.
The Robredo Magic remained intact even after Mayor
Jess was appointed as Sec. Jess. It even became stronger
after his tragic death in a plane crash. Just like Cory, Mayor
Jess became a revered, almost saint-like icon after death.
Enumerable honors were bestowed upon Robredo, from
naming the coliseum to awarding a posthumous Quezon
Service Cross award, which is highest national recognition
of the Republic of the Philippines. It has been awarded to
only five Filipinos since its creation in 1946. The five recipients of this highest civilian honor of the republic are the following:
1. Carlos P. Romulo, April 12, 1951
2. Emilio Aguinaldo, June 12, 1956
3. Ramon Magsaysay, July 4, 1957 (posthumous)
4. Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., August 21, 2004 (posthumous)
5. Jesse M. Robredo, November 26, 2012 (posthumous)
The official awards that Mayor Jess received in his lifetime and after death are only the icings in the cake. His legacy lives on in the institutions that he established and the
culture of good governance that he left behind. The Robredo
Magic transcends the infrastructures and institutions. His
legacy is a living legacy. The election of his widow, Atty. Leni
Robredo, as congresswoman and the current clamor for her
to become vice-president of the land in 2016 are proofs that
the Robredo Magic is still casting a very potent spell.

from my window . . .
So it is well understandable that the prevailing spirit of the
common tao is not the continuity of the faulty thinking and
errant agenda of the still reigning administration but precisely
its change into a government that is truly by the people, of the
people and for the people.
Enough of reigning incompetence in governance, marked
insensitivity to the plight of the poor, the miserable, the pitiful.
No more of a Malacaang occupant who is but by and large
self-preoccupied, simply self-attentive as well as mostly selfconscious. Others? So what?
Most of all: Enough of selective justice which is downright
injustice for political consideration.
Slowly but surely, political party-mates have become
exempted from the reach of the arm of the law. Others?
Let them be behind bars for people to see, for media to
publish. Make them the exemplary figures of public graft
and corrupt practices. But KKK Members plus proven
political supporters, these are beyond reach of the arm
of the law.
Just for the record, selective justice is the objective expression
of falsity, the strong stimulus of dissent and resentment.
No continuity but change in the present system of governance.
No continuity but change in the prevailing undependable
incumbent Supreme figure in government. Please!
(Reprinted with permission of Archbishop Emeritus Oscar V.
Cruz, from www.ovc.blogspot.com)

halo-halo

august 16-22, 2015

Tar-Politiko
May multong naglilibot sa satong
mga banwaan ngonyan: an multo
kan mga tar-politiko. Kaipuhan nang
magreklamo an mga kahoy asin mga
parke sainda. An saidang mga sanga,
kun bako man papakuan, gagakodan
kan mga tarpaulin kan mga politikong
ini. Kaya mantang an mga parke para
sa kapahingaloan asin hayahay nin
mga nagpapasyar duman, hinahali
ini kan lalawgon kan mga daingpagmangnong mga tar-politikong ini.
Isay sainda nagtao nin derecho na
ipahiling satuya, aldaw asin banggi,
an saindang mga lalawgon? Bako
daw may derecho man kita na dai
makahiling sainda? Dapat may ley
para digdi. Orog na sa mga nakatukaw
sa pwesto na pigaaprobitsaran ini
nganing magpagamiaw kan saindang
soboot ginigibo. Aber, bakong iyan

Dis*Karte
*Kusyon
*Kurso
frank peones jr.
man talaga an saindang mandato
kaya pigswesweldohan ta sindan
kan saindang buwis? Siisay pigluluko
ninda? Ngata bako tang aram na
harani na an 2016 kaya nagpupuluspugos na naman sinda?
Saro ini kan kapatalan kan mga

tar-politikong ini. Garo huna ninda

madadara kita na botohan sinda
huli lang kan saidang pa-pogi sa
tarpaulin. Alagad, mas patal idtong
matubod man nanggad sainda.
Kaya nagkakaigwa nin tar-politiko
huli man kan mga daing isip na mga
botante na mataan sana nin tres
syentos, pinabakal na si enterong
tolong taon kan futuro kan saindang
banwaan o distrito.
Ay, nuarin daw mababago an
sistemang ini sa satong banwaan.
May kinaagahan pa daw kita. An
kasimbagan yaon sa lambang saro
sa sato. Alagad, pagmakahiling
kamo nin mga lalawgon sa mga
tarpaulin,
sigurado,
dai
yan
nagsasabi kan gabos na totoo. Sabi
kan mga hippies kan dekada 70,
stir lang yan.

The Origin of a Philippine Myth

He is usually depicted as
tall and dark. At 7 to 9 feet,
he can surely help the Philippine basketball team regain its
faded glory in the game. Dark,
not because it is only at night
that he is seen or make himself visible, but because he is
simply that, dark. He often sits
on a branch of a banyan tree,
smoking a large and long wad
of tobacco, while his hairy and
log-like legs dangle idly in the
air.
How did this creature come
into being?
His story will take us back
to 1780 during the reign of
Spanish Governor General
Jose Basco. Even at this time,
the Philippines as a Spanish
colony was still dependent on a
royal subsidy, called real situa-

By H. Francisco V. Penones Jr.

do, sent from Mexico, then another Spanish colony. To help
make the local economy selfsufficient, Basco adopted the
proposal of the insular fiscal,
Francisco Leandro de Vianna
to create a tobacco monopoly
in the country. He then sought
and secured the approval of his
plan by the King who issued a
royal decree on February 9,
1780 for the same.
By virtue of this decree,
a mono-cropping policy and
monopoly was established in
the growing, grading, and buying of tobacco in certain provinces and areas of the country,
like the Ilocos and Cagayan
Valley. At its height, tobacco
production earned the country

inner chess
by j. henry danican

as much as P163.4 million, for

example in 1866.
The financial success of
the venture, however, bred
concomitant abuses by the
colonial officials, and according to Edilberto de Jesus
in his Tobacco Monopoly in
the Philippines, 1782-1882,
it became an instrument of
exploitation. For instance,
heavy fines, penalties and
even physical punishment like
whipping, were imposed on
farmers not complying with
the decree. Even smoking the
tobacco one grew was prohibited. In places not designated
as tobacco-growing provinces,
like the Isarog mountain area
in the then Ambos Camarines,

the colonial government conducted entradas or military

incursions into the settlement
of Agtas who grew tobacco
on the highlands. They were
then relocated in specific areas called reduccion. Manuel
Crespo in his Memorias Sobre
la reduccion de monteses de
Isarog, recorded three such
reduccion, namely Feced and
Novelda in what is now the
City of Iriga, and in Sta. Isabel,
in neighboring Buhi town.
These abuses, however, was
also met by subtle retaliations
by the natives. In Nueva Ecija,
the growers smuggled some of
the best graded tobacco leaves
to get the best price. Or, they
purposely produce less than the
mandated volume. In Weap-

(Turn to page 7)

august 16-22, 2015

Unc soro-frat
sets lecture series
The combined Nu
Kappa Beta Sorority and
Nu Kappa Phi Fraternity
of the University of Nueva Caceres will launch its
Lecture Series for college
students, associates and
professionals. The opening salvo will be held on
September 2 and 3 at
the UNC Auditorium in
Naga City.
The schedule for Thursday September 3 covers
such subjects as Accounting and Financial Reporting, Updates in Taxation,
and Financial Statement
Analysis. Invited as principal speaker is CPA-Lawyer Antonio P. Acyatan, a
multi-awarded alumnus of
the UNC College of Commerce. He is one of the senior members of Nu Kappa Phi (Nueva Caceres
Finest) and a recognized
university student leader
in the 1960s.
Acyatan said he will
discuss with his audience
the developments in the
accounting and auditing
professions. He will trace
the rationale for the shift
of accounting principles
and standards to financial
reporting standards. Necessarily he will relate
the stories of the various
anomalies that hounded
the accounting profession
which led to the passage of
the (US) Sarbanes Oxley
Law and the New Accountancy Act.
Philippine taxation is
a changeable and volatile
subject not only in academic studies but more so

in practice. Time and again

the Bureau of Internal
Revenue issues so many
regulations and interpretations aimed at upgrading
tax collections No doubt
Taxation is the most feared
subject both in CPA Board
Exams and Philippine Bar.
Hence, the need for regular update lectures.
Accounting
Management Services involve financial statement analyses.
Acyatan will explain the
use of financial ratios in determining the Cause and
Effect based on figures
gathered from the financial
statements. The analyses
can be used to guide the
management in tracking the
sources of their successes
or failures and what best
to do to further improve results of operations.
The Lecture Series is
intended by the joint UNC
Nu Kappa Sorority and Nu
Kappa Fraternity to be a
continuing program. Successful alumni in their respective fields of endeavor
will be invited in the next
offering in the series.
Credit should go to the
current active leaders of the
fraternity and sorority who
handled the organizing
chores and preparations.
Their primordial aim is to
draw expertise from their
senior sorority and fraternity members for the benefit of the current student
populace as well as other
young and old university
alumni. Thats brotherhood
and sisterhood in real action!

Federalism Forum

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno (on the

podium) addressed the participants of the 4th Foundation
Anniversary of the Bicol Autonomy Movement as Regional
Convenor Dante Jimenez (5th from right), the Provincial
Convenors from the different Bicol provinces and some LGU
officials listen.

BAM Chair Dante Jimenez led the burning of the effigies of

political clans, one of the activities in support of the AntiDynasty Bill in Congress.

bikol reporter

Fight against hunger and poverty

Rep. Leni Robredo (3rd
District, Camarines Sur) presented before DSWD, DAR
and DA officials the lessons
learned and challenges facing the pilot implementation
of the Partnership Against
Hunger and Poverty in the
Third District of Camarines
Sur during the Echo Session
of the Study Tour in Brazil
and Meeting on PAHP Updates held at the Department of Social Welfare and
Development central office
in Quezon City, August 10,
2015.
Present were DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman, DAR
Secretary Gil de los Reyes,
and other regional and national officials of the 3 departments.
Pilot areas for the PAHP
program in Camarines Sur are
San Antonio, Ocampo; Del
Rosario, Pili; Bonot-Sta-Rosa,
Calabanga; and Cararayan-Pacol-San Isidro in Naga City.
PHAP is a collaborative effort between the Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Agrarian Reform
(DAR) and the Department of
Agriculture (DA) to engage

poor households and work

closely with the rural communities to provide essential
social and economic services
toward eliminating hunger
and alleviating poverty in the
countryside
This collaborative multistakeholder program will
target the creation of a community food hub (a localized

version of Brazils community food banks) to serve as

a facility that can store food
items for the various feeding
programs of the DSWD and
other similar on the ground
programs of other agencies
like the education, health,
and local government departments.
Local smallholder farm-

ers will be tasked to ensure a

steady food supply for various
feeding programs. Because
community food hubs will
be used, partner beneficiaries
will be empowered to become
economically
sustainable.
This will ultimately benefit
their families and communities. -GCBuensalida

CamSur Energy Press Corps visit first ever

solar powered radio station in Bicol
By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay
GOA, Camarines Sur
--- Starting off with a few
solar panels in response to
the governments call to
shift from the traditional to
renewable source of energy,
DZRP, a government- run
radio station in Goa, Camarines Sur has started using
an alternative power source
to augment its operation
and energy needs.
Facing the officers and
members of the Camarines
Sur Energy Press Corps over
the weekend, Partido Development Administration
(PDA) Acting Division Chief
for Operation Charlie Balagtas shared the good news that
the said initiative is working
favorably for their institution.
This initiative is the project of PDA and by 4th District Congressman Wimpy
Fuentebella currently sitting
as the Vice Chair of the Energy Committee.
During daytime, the solar panels cover 52 per cent
of the electricity requirement
of DZRP but on the average, the panels cover 30 per
cent of the total requirement.
This computation was based
on the 18-hours operation,
10 hours of which is during daytime. The panels are
expected to generate 10,000
watts, Balagtas added.
In a span of barely three
(3) weeks after the solar
panel was installed, remarkable
savings
from
the electricity cost ranging from Php14,000.00 to
Php15,000.00 per month was

initially recorded. Balagtas

said that this is even a modest estimate given the recent
episodes of rain almost every
day in the Partido area.
DZRPs solar panel is not
the usual battery-equipped
apparatus which can save
energy during the nighttime.
Balagtas said that they decided to remove the battery
from the package as its upkeep is more cost-intensive
and will incur more maintenance expenses in the future.
In 5-year time, the battery
will undergo tear and wear
and will need a new replacement. This would pose more
cost to its keepers.
Currently, DZRP or Radyo Partido which serves the
Partido District and parts of
Albay area is sourcing out
their alternative power from
the initial 34 panels installed
in the stations rooftop. It
would need a total of more or
less 80 panels more to absorb
all the power needs of the
stations daily operations.
CASURECO IV Corporate Planning Section Chief
Engineer Rick Gonzales commended the said initiative stating that the energy that will be
saved by DZRP can be channeled to other areas in the
Partido area which are also in
need of additional supply.
Balagtas said that they
are also contemplating on
using solar panels to lessen
the operational costs of their
existing water treatment facilities in Partido area which
are usually consuming a big
chunk of electricity.

In the future, PDA is not

only thinking of expanding
the use of solar panels, but
will also begin looking for
alternative sources of energy,

like tapping hydro power

sources to augment the districts needs for additional
and alternative sources of
energy.

august 16-22, 2015

bikol reporter
Bicol Express to roll . . .

NEW PRESIDENT

GovMigzVillafuertefb

Gov. Miguel Luis R. Villafuerte welcomes Ayala Education CEO and newly-appointed President
of University of Nueva Caceres, Mr. Alfred I. Ayala.

NGCP bares Transmission . . .

Transmission project specifically in Sto. Domingo Sub
stationss 10 MVA 69/13.8
kV Transformer, including the 18-km Tabaco-Sto.
Domingo 69 kV line and
the Daraga-Sto. Domingo
69 kV line with a 20-km
stretch.
Nelson Bautista, NGCP
Regional Communications
Division Head explained
that the project is part of
NGCPs commitment to
improve the transmission of
electricity from the countrys power generators to
the distributors and provide
its partners with the utmost
competence to push for development in various parts
of the country.
This is also part of
NGCPs 10-year program

for expansion, reinforcement and rehabilitation of

our transmission system.
This is being updated annually and being submitted
to ERC for approval, Bautista added.
NGCP also hopes to
finish some development
projects under their 20112015 system Development
Plan which includes the upgrading of Labo Substation
50MVA 230/69 kV transformer which is expected to
be completed in February
2016 and the Daraga Substations 100 MVA 230/69
kV transformer expected to
be fully operational comes
June 2016.
Bautista further elaborated that aside from ensuring
the efficient transmission of

energy, they also see to it

that these practices follow
the stricter environmental
rules.
NGCP joins all environment advocates in making
the air we breathe safe for
our countrymen, so we see
to it that any development
that we undertake does not
mean a dent in our fight
for a sustainable environment.
NGCP was awarded with
a 50-year franchise to operate and maintain the countrys transmission network.
As such, it was also given
the right to operate, maintain, expand and implement
development plans to ensure
the effective transmission of
electricity to its clienteles. -(Ana-Liza S. Macatangay)

This was the good news

delivered by Department of
Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary
Joseph Emilio Jun Abaya
during the JMR Day multi
sectoral forum held here this
morning, with no less than
President Benigno Aquino III
as guest of honor.
The issue on the prospect
to revive Bicol Express was
brought to the attention of
DOTC official by Gilbert Albero, President of the Metro
Naga Chamber of Commerce
and Industry in Camarines
Sur citing hat the railways
played a significant role in
the economy of the Bicol region, not just as a source of
cheap and alternative mode
of transportation, but also as
a way of hauling goods from
Albay and nearby provinces.
Aside from the grand plan
of reviving this old transport
mode, the project also endeavors to modernize train
stations and its depot facilities; repair rail bridges; provide electric multiple unit-

based rolling stock as well

as the electromechanical,
signaling, communication,
and automatic fare collection
systems.
Abaya was hopeful that
once the winning bidder has
been granted with the project,
the 4-year construction period might start comes 2017.
By 2021, he said, the railway
project might have reached
its fruition.
The DOTC also decided,
Abaya stated, that the airport
will remain to be in the outstretch of Pili, Camarines Sur
and has been allotted with a
3.5M fund for its re-construction.
Our problem is that the
Pili runway faces Mount Isarog. We are still envisaging if
we need to extend another 2.1
km to lengthen it or look for
another area where we can
build a new runway. So we
are not only building daang
matuwid, but also riles na
matuwid at runway na matuwid, Abaya enthused.
Before the forum con-

cluded, President Aquino answered the rest of the queries

coming from Ansel Mao on
pay standardization and benefits, Geraldine Tapalla a
4Ps beneficiary and Mafel
Barrios representing the academe.
Aquino particularly pointed out the Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI)
stipulated under Executive
Order No. 181 or the Implementation of the provisions of
FY 2015 General Appropriations Act (GAA) for government employees in response
to the query of Mao.
This, the President said
is a form of incentive as rewards for agencies exceeding
their financial and operational performance targets and
motivate employee efforts toward higher productivity.
Aquino also shared the
government contribution in
giving thousands of indigent
children an opportunity to
study and become productive citizens of the country.
- PIA5

Calling all UNC Cross Swords

members and alumni, Annual
Gathering of members

September 12, 2015

K of C Bldg., City Hall Compound,

Magsaysay Avenue, Naga City.
Registration starts at 5:00PM
Contact: Johnny Jana
Cellphone No. 0915.237.4445

for july
Name of Deceased

Date of Interment

CATALINO P. BAYOBO
WILFREDO M. BISANA
PURIFICACION B. VIDAL
HENRY V. CATANEO
MARIA TERESA C. DY
JOSE C. SARCILLA
VICTOR C. AZADA
PURITA R. BONGAPAT
SOTERO B. ESCANDOR JR.
ELVIRO R. BALLARAN
CESAR N. SEMINIANO
PETRA P. FELICES
PURITA N. PACHECO SRA
RAMON Q. MARQUEZ
OSMUNDO C. DESPACIO
JAIME A. PEDERIO
DAVID T. DE FIESTA
JUDITHA O. SAN FELIPE
ESPERANZA V. RECTIN
PILAR P. SABINO
MARTHA B. FABIA

July 5, 2015
July 5, 2015
July 4, 2015
July 6, 2015
July 6, 2015
July 9, 2015
July 10, 2015
July 11, 2015
July 10, 2015
July 15, 2015
July 18, 2015
July 22, 2015
July 25, 2015
July 25, 2015
July 17, 2015
July 26, 2015
July 22, 2015
July 29, 2015
July 14, 2015
July 30, 2015
July 31, 2015

august 16-22, 2015

bikol reporter

DSWD initiates Talakayan in 15 municipalities in Bicol

The DSWD through
Kalahi-CIDSS initiated the
conduct of Municipal Talakayan in 15 municipalities which started last August 14, 2015 in Ocampo,
Camarines Sur.
It is a municipal-level
democratic dialogue which
aims to measure the condition and level of local development of Kalahi-CIDSS
municipalities by bringing
all stakeholders together using a participatory approach
through knowledge generation, sharing and collaborative self-assessment among
stakeholders.
The Municipal Talakayan is like a State of the
Nation Address (SONA) that
presents reports on a local
governments accomplishments and an open forum that
entitles the public to raise
questions about development
to the government officials,

Dir. Garcia said.

In Ocampo, the barangay
captains, selected residents,
civil society organizations
(CSOs), indigenous people
and municipal local government unit officials were present.
Joysharon Ponciano of
Brgy. Hibago in Ocampo said
that she is grateful to attend
the said activity because the
people are updated of the local governments programs
and activities.
Gusto ko magkaugwa pa
sa susunod para aram mi ang
nangyayari (I want this to
be conducted again to know
what is happening) she added.
The same group of people
will be invited in the following municipalities: Viga,
Catanduanes, Gigmoto, Catanduanes, San Vicente, Camarines Norte, Basud, Camarines Norte, Labo, Camarines

a question of privilege . . .
And nobody has grown as poor as a churchmouse serving
the people.All of them with a minute exception have hundreds
of millions in their pockets..
Their hearts bleed for the poor? That is a big, big lie..
If somebody comes to you offering the moon, the sun and the
stars, and virtually the whole universe,he is lying.He will take
the moon, the sun and the stars, take them all for himself.
Remember, this season is unusual. Both the good and the
bad surface, mostly the bad.

Norte, Caramoan, Camarines

Sur, Bato, Camarines Sur,
Baao, Camarines Sur, Libmanan, Camarines Sur, Bula,
Camarines Sur, Bombon, Camarines Sur, Gainza, Camarines Sur and Ragay, Camarines Sur.
The town of Cabusao in
Camarines Sur has also conducted their Municipal Talakayan last August 17, 2015.
The series of municipal dialogue is expected to end in
November this year.
Kalahi-CIDSSKapitBisig Laban sa KahirapanComprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social
Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) is
a DSWD program that seeks
to help alleviate poverty
through community-driven
development (CDD).
Community-driven development (CDD) puts power

Joysharon Ponciano (middle) of Brgy. Hibago, Ocampo, Camarines Sur checks the programs
and projects that the government provided for their village during the gallery viewing in
Municipal Talakayan last August 14, 2015.

back in the hands of the people by giving them the opportunity to make informed

decisions on locally identified options for development

and manage resources to

implement sub-projects that

address needs identified by
communities themselves.

Experience the great taste of winning Great Taste

Whites Choose Great, Win Great Promo

Great Taste White is making

everyday wins even greater with
the Choose Great Win Great
raffle, its biggest promo to date.
More than P27 million worth of
prizes is a stake.
The promo will have four
regional draws in five areas:
Greater Manila Area, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao. For every regional
draw, there will be one winner
of P200,000 and one winner
of P100,000 in each area. Two
winners will also get their very
own white MacBook Air, four
winners will take home a white
iPhone 6 and six winners will receive a white iPad Mini.
The Great Taste White:
Choose Great, Win Great Promo will culminate in the Grand
Draw where one lucky winner
will take home PP3 million pesos in cash and eight others will
get to own a white Toyota Vios
1.3 E M/T.
To make his winning moment an even greater experience, the grand prize winner will
get an exclusive sneak peek into

The origin ...

ons of the Weak, James Scott
calls these acts as examples of
everyday form of resistance
of peasants.
Historian Danilo M. Gerona, who recently came out
with a book on Magellan
where he dislodged the latters
place in history as the first human to have circumnavigated
the globe, argues that the myth
of the kapre arose during the
one-hundred year tobacco
monopoly in the country. The
kapre, he says, is an invention, an imaginary creation of
the natives. The word comes
from kafir which refers to African slaves, he explains. The
natives, according to Gerona,
appropriated the word to portray an oral caricature of the
abusive colonial officials to
get back at them.
So, the next time you
pass by a large balete, do
not be afraid a kapre lives
there. He is only an oral
cartoon which is an indication of the power of the native imagination nurtured
during the colonial tobacco
monopoly years.

Great Taste White makes everyday wins taste even better with the Choose Great Win Great promo.
Exciting gadgets, a brand new Toyota Vios, and great cash prizes as much as P3 million for the
grand draw winner are at stake.

the Pinoy Big Brother experience. Apart from the P3 million

cash prize, he will also receive
VIP tickets to the PBB: 737 Big
Night, tour the PBB house and
get to meet and greet PBB; All in
Big Winner Daniel Matsunaga.
Through Great Taste White:
Choose Great Win Great Promo,
we aim to let more consumers
savor greater wins, said Lance
Gokongwei, Universal Robina
Corporation President and Chief
Executive Officer. This is also
one way to thank our consumers
for making Great Taste white the
leading brand in the white coffee
segment.

THE GRADUATES

The Great Taste White:

Choose Great, Win Great Promo
is open to all Filipino residents
18 years old and above. To join,
partiicipants must simply collect
five empty sachets of any Great
Taste White variant (Smooth
& Creamy, Smooth & Creamy
Sugarfree, Smooth & Caramelly, and Smooth & Chocolatey)
or one empty BigSAVE Pack.
They must then put the empty
packs in a plain white envelope
with a piece of paper containing
their complete name, birth date,
current mailing address, mobile
or landline number, store outlet
where the product is purchased

and email address. One envelope

qualifies for one entry, which can
be dropped to drop boxes located
in participating stores, supermarkets, and outlets nationwide.
Promo period is from August 2
to September 18, 2015.
Nothing is better than the great
taste of winning, from small dayto-day triumphs to grand milestones. Savor great wins and take
home the most awesome rewards
in the Great Taste White: Choose
Great, Win Great Promo. Know
more about the promo by liking
the official Great Taste White Facebook page (facebook.com/GreatTaste3in1).

jmts/jorechiii/danrey/rbmjr/mmec

Latest batch of animators and assistant animators from the CamSur Animation Training
Program (CATP) under Gov. Migz Villafuertes administration with (inset) Head Trainer, Mr.
Benedicto Bernardino, assuring the newly-minted animators that jobs await them right away.

First farm business school in Bicol launched

regional exponent for progress

The
Department
of
Agrarian Reform here
launched its first Farm Business School, August 17, 2015
at San Antonio, Ocampo,
Camarines Sur.
The Farm Business School
(FBS) is implemented under
the project Capacity Building of Small Farmers in Entrepreneurship Development and
Market Access, through col-

laboration of the Department

of Agriculture-Agricultural
Training Institute (DA-ATI),
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO-UN),
and the local government
units concerned.
Initially, a total of 35 farmers-members of Ayugan San
Antonio Agrarian Reform

Cooperative (ASAARCO) in
San Antonio, Ocampo will undergo a series of group-based
experiential learning activities
or a 25-day training sessions
(from August 17 to November
13) to help them learn and develop their capacity in running
a profitable farm business for
long-term sustainability. As a
result, Farm Business Schools
help family farms to access

new markets and respond to

ever-changing market demands.
Camarines Sur II agrarian
reform chief Maria Gracia
Sales, DA-ATI training superintendent Vivien Carable,
DAR regional and provincial personnel, and local officials of the municipality of
Ocampo graced the occasion.
-GCBuensalida/DAR

outstanding local newspaper

For Five Consecutive Years by the St. Peter
Baptist Catholic Mass Media Awards

BIKOL
REPORTER

August 16-22, 2015

FARM SCHOOL LAUNCH

DAR and DAR-ATI personnel pose with the 35 farmer participants in the Farm Business School recently launched in Ocampo,
Camarines Sur.

DSWD Bicol ties up with Japanese investors

Legazpi City - Aderans
Philippines Inc, a Japanese company and Anando
Marketing & Services Inc.
, a sub-contractor, signed
a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Social Welfare and

MOU SIGNING

Development Bicol yesterday at the DSWD Field Office.

Aderans Philippines Inc. a
manufacturer and world wide
exporter of hairpieces and related accessories will provide
employment to the DSWD

beneficiaries after they undergone training. The company

operates in Clarkfield Pampanga and the head office is
based in Tokyo, Japan.
On the other hand, Anando Marketing & Services
which is engaged in trading,

DSWD Regional Director Arnel Garcia together with Asst.Regional Director for Operations
Corazon Mia led the MOU signing with Aderans Philippines Inc. Director & Gen.Manager
Masao Kaneko, Asst.Gen.Manager Norio Asakawa and Anando Marketing & Services Treasurer
Evangeline Anastacio

marketing, repairs and subcontracting of personal goods

such as wigs and make-up
will conduct the technical/
skills training of the DSWD
referred participants.
The participants include a

total of 500 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries ages 17-25

years old from Libmanan,
Minalabac and other nearby
municipalities in Camarines
Sur will benefit from the said
partnership.

For its part, , DSWD will

fund 4.5 million for the food
and transportation of the
participants in their 30 days
training on wig making. ( crbarrameda