The SFFAII secretariat staff told the Philippines News Agency that they have invited President Benigno Simeon Aguino III as keynote speaker but they have not yet received a confirmation as of Wednesday morning.
Among those who confirmed to attend Friday's congress were Ambassador Alistair MacDonald, head of the delegation of the European Commission (EC) to the Philippines, and Cebu (4th District) Rep. Benhur Salimbangon, chair of the House Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources.
The confirmed foreign delegates are from France, Iceland, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea and Japan.
During the congress, Tan said they will present to the Aquino administration at least eight resolutions covering various pressing concerns affecting the industry.
He said these include the proposed creation of a separate Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, immediate approval and issuance of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9379 or the Handline Fishing Law, establishment of exclusive fishing grounds for handline fishing, funding support for fisheries studies and research, relationship-building with other tuna-producing countries, re-orientation of security forces in Mindanao as well as issued on the country's baselines and the registration and licensing regulations of the Maritime Industry Authority and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
“We're expecting the national government to immediately respond or attend to these concerns,” Tan said.
This city, which is dubbed the Philippines' tuna capital, posts an average tuna landings of 400,000 metric tons a year and generates at least US$ 280 million in export revenues.
But the tuna industry here suffered a major slump this year due to the implementation of a two-year fishing ban starting last January 1 in the international waters of the western and central Pacific Ocean by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
The WCPFC was established by the Convention for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, of which the Philippines was a signatory, that came into force in 2004.
The commission imposed the fishing ban on all of its 25-member countries and 10 other observer-states as a result of scientific studies and the emergence of statistics that showed the drastic decline of tuna fish stocks, especially big eye and yellow fin tuna.
Local tuna fishing companies estimated a drop of 10 to 30 percent in tuna catches this year as a result of fishing ban.
The Department of Labor and Employment in Region 12 noted that at least 16 tuna fishing and processing companies have already been affected by the ban.
It said some 805 workers were displaced during the first half of the year and an additional 691 as of last July or a total of 1,496 workers as a result of the fishing ban.(PNA) LDV/AVE
The release of the livelihood packages was part of the agency’s approved action program for displaced tuna industry workers from this city as a result of the Pacific fishing ban imposed by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
The WCPFC was established by the Convention for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean that came into force in 2004 and to which the Philippines is a party.
The commission imposed the fishing ban on all of its 25-member countries and 10 other observer-states as a result of scientific studies and the emergence of statistics that showed the drastic decline of tuna fish stocks, especially bigeye and yellowfin tuna.
Local tuna fishing companies estimated a drop of 10 to 30 percent in tuna catches this year as a result of the fishing ban.
Tango said that based on their consultations with members of the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries Inc. (SFFAAII), at least 16 tuna fishing and processing firms operating in the city were already affected by the ban.
She said their records showed that some 805 workers were displaced during the first half of the year and an additional 691 as of last July or a total of 1,496 workers.
Tango said at least seven companies have already availed of the livelihood kits and three for the emergency employment program.
Under the emergency employment scheme, DOLE-12 provided a stipend worth 60 percent of the prevailing daily minimum wage to workers of affected companies for a 30-day subsidized work program. The company shouldered the 40 percent of the workers’ daily pay, which is currently set at P245.
She said they also offered free training on Survival of Life at Sea or SOLAS through the National Maritime Polytechnic in Tacloban City.
“SOLAS training is a requirement set by the Maritime Industry Authority for workers of tuna fishing vessels. Some of them requested for it in preparation for the resumption of the fishing operations when the ban later ends,” she added. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)
“As part of the standard procedure regarding the proposed wage increases, we published a notice of hearing for 15 days and sent official notices to our participating groups and sectors,” he said.
After the hearings, Gardose said the wage board is required to render a decision regarding the proposed wage increase within 45 days.
But in the previous years, he cited that the RTWPB-12 had issued its decisions in less than a month.
“We consider this matter as urgent so we’ll probably come up with an issuance within that (one month) period,” he said.
Lawyer Ma. Gloria Tango, Department of Labor and Employment-Region 12 director, earlier said the scheduled hearings will focus on the review of the region’s economic situation and the area’s wage situation.
“The RTPB deemed it necessary to hold the hearings to determine whether Wage Order No. 15 is still relevant with the present economic situation in the region,” said Tango, who chairs the RTWPB-12.
The labor official was referring to the wage decision they passed in June 2008 that set the minimum daily wage in the area at P245 for workers in the non-agriculture sector.
In the agriculture sector, the wage order set the daily pay for plantation workers at P225 while non-plantation workers receive P220.
Last April, the wage board launched region-wide consultations with local workers’ groups, employers and other concerned sectors to assess the possibility of implementing a wage hike.
Joel Gonzales, RTWPB-12 secretary, said they established then that there is a need to increase the minimum wages of private workers in the wake of the impact of the economic and power crisis as well as the drought that had hit the region.
However, the board decided that it is not yet the appropriate time to implement a new wage increase, he said. (PNA) LDV/AVE
But Layugan reiterated that there were pieces of evidence that could establish the involvement of a supposed death squad in the spate of killings in the city.
“The motives of these killings were different from each other so it's not likely that a death squad is behind all these,” he said.
Based on their investigation, he said a significant number of the killings were related to land conflicts, revenge and personal grudges.
Police officials earlier acknowledged that there were speculations that a so-called death squad alternately called Dadiangas Death Squad and Tuna City Death Squad was behind the killings but that this has not been confirmed.
The alleged existence of the supposed Dadiangas Death Squad or DDS came up several years ago when a series of unsolved summary killings hit the city.
The victims of the supposed death squad were mostly persons implicated in various crimes, especially drug-related cases, and the attackers were mostly motorcycle-riding men.
The DDS tag was clearly a reference to a supposed similar vigilante group in Davao City called the Davao Death Squad, which was tagged in over a thousand cases of unsolved murders for several years now.
Layugan assured that the city police has been working double time with their investigation regarding the killings and has prioritized the immediate identification and arrest all those behind them.
He cited that they already arrested at least three suspects and filed nine cases since Senior Supt. Cedric Train assumed as the new city police director last July 15.
On orders from Train, various police units in the city have increased their visibility in strategic areas and intensified their operations against the unauthorized carrying of firearms by civilians and some law enforcers.
Such move was based on issuance of Executive Order 23 by City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio that declared the entire city as a “no-firearm zone”.
In issuing the order, Custodio cited as main reason the prevalence of armed violence and crimes involving firearms in the city since January 2010 that have reached the “alarming level.” (PNA) LAP/AVE
Iqbal said, “If they are not going to initiate changes on the existing mechanisms in place, that may push through. But if they do that, change the facilitating country and the facilitator, that will probably be a problem."
The Aquino administration has hinted at plans to tap Indonesia as the new facilitator of the talks. The Malaysian government has been brokering the peace talks between the MILF and government since the late 1990s.
“Malaysia has the institutional memory and then we are seeing no reason why Malaysia should be replaced," said Iqbal.
He added that if there were problems in the talks in the past, these were not due to Malaysia.
When asked if the MILF was opposed to Indonesia as the facilitator of the talks, Iqbal said, “Its not a question of opposition. If Malaysia is there, it has institutional memory and its facilitation has been excellent, why replace it?."
Iqbal assured that there are no problems in reconstituting the MILF peace panel and resuming peace talks with the government.
He said the talks can begin after both the government and the MILF have informed the broker country that their respective peace panels are complete.
“Then the facilitating country can schedule a talk, whether it is formal, or exploratory or special meeting, that the way it how it goes," said Iqbal. – VVP, GMANews.TV
Laidan said examination for scholarships will be administered in designated test centers nationwide on November 21, 2010 (Sunday).
But in Region 12, the examination will be held at the University Laboratory School-University of Southern Mindanao (ULS-USM) in Kabacan, Cotabato; Notre Dame University (NDU) in Cotabato City; Mindanao State University (MSU) in General Santos City; Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) in Koronadal City and Sultan Kudarat State University in Tacurong City.
Short-listed scholars will also receive financial assistance in the form of monthly living allowance for 10 to 11-month duration.
Laidan explained that the financial assistance ranges from Php5,000.00 for those who will proceed Physics, Physics teaching courses to P4,000.00 for those who will proceed other DOST-SEI priority courses.
Scholars will also receive book allowance and essential school supplies at P5,000.00 for every academic year. DOST will also provide an ?outright grant? of P5,000.00 for prescribed Military Science/Physical Education uniform given in the first semester of the year only.
Laidan added that tuition fees subsidy will not exceed 6,000 every semester/term. There will also be additional privileges in the form of monthly living allowance including tuition and other school fees not to exceed Php1,500.00 and actual purchase of textbooks not to exceed Php500.00 during summer.
Other privileges include transportation allowance and group health and accident insurance and post graduation clothing allowance of Php1,000.00.
Interested applicants may visit the DOST regional office in Cotabato City and its provincial offices in General Santos City, Koronadal City, Tacurong City and at USM Compound, Kabacan, Cotabato. (PIA SarGen) [top]
Rafael cited that during the first quarter of the year, all 10 municipalities in the province exceeded their collection targets but their performance dropped significantly last April and May.
She said realty owners, especially the farmers, paid their tax dues early during the first quarter because of the incentives offered by the local governments.
“The succeeding months turned out as a lean period and it was understandable since the farming sector was already reeling from the drought by then and then they have to prepare also for the enrollment of their children,” Rafael said.
To address the problem, Rafael said they have intensified their information and education activities in all 10 municipalities of the province to ensure that they recover and meet their collection targets by the third quarter of the year. For this year, the PTO had set its total collection target at P165.41 million.
“I think we can still recover by the third quarter because of the entry of the palay harvest season,” Rafael said.
Aside from their intensified information drive, she added that are currently strengthening their collection strategies by conducting barangay or community meetings and the designation of deputized collection personnel at the barangay level. (PNA) FFC/AVE
Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Kidapawan, Tacurong and Cotabato.
By promoting the area as a single tourism package, Pingoy said tourists coming over would have a chance to explore and experience all top tourist spots in the region.
“This will be very good for our local businesses because all four provinces will now be part of the packaged tours for the tourists,” he said.
Pingoy, who is on his first term as South Cotabato governor, said he made such pitch as part of his plans to revitalize the province’s tourism industry.
The province’s tourism sector is highlighted by the natural eco-tourism attractions of Lake Sebu town, which is home to three major lakes and seven waterfalls.
The lakeside town had been chosen as pilot area for a community-based tourism development project assisted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the resurging Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
As part of the province tourism development strategy, the provincial government plans to purchase a tourist-standard bus that will be used by its Arts, Culture, Tourism and Sports Office to ferry tourists and guests that will visit the province.(PNA) RMA/AVE
Earlier, US President Barack H. Obama laid down an ambitious goal of landing a spaceship to Mars, also called the Red Planet, by 2035 and that preparations will start under his administration.
"By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth," he was quoted as saying in a report.
Astronaut dream
Zhar Lyn Sarabia, a senior student from Alabel National Science High School, said the NASA officials’ lecture has perked up her interest in becoming an astronaut.
"We have learned the many benefits of the outer space and the importance of our Science subject. I think we all want to become astronauts," Ms. Sarabia said.
NASA’s science caravan tour is conducted in partnership with Asia Society and the United States Agency for International Development-Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQUALLS2) project.
Asia Society is an international group that promotes understanding between Americans and Asians.
"We have our educational program which aims to help our children as much as we can," said Arnel P. Casanova, country executive director, at the same event.
Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative develops individuals in specific fields. Messrs. Casanova and Gilmore and Ms. Singh, with Cecil A. Dominguez, younger sister of Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene A. Dominguez, were among its fellows. Sarangani was the first province visited by the NASA team in Mindanao. -- Romer S. Sarmiento
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