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As case looms vs open dumpsite, Naga council debates on budget By Juan Escandor Jr. NAGA CITY---As an Ombudsman case against the local government unit (LGU) of Naga City looms over the continuous operation of open dumpsite here in violation of law, the city council could not decide on Tuesday (Jan. 24) the budget approval of the planned sanitary landfill in consideration of the cost it would entail. Mayor John Bongat, appealing to the council in its regular session, said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has already served several written warnings to the Naga LGU about its continuous violation of Republic Act No. 9003 (Ecological Waste Management Act of 2000) for its continuing operation of open dumpsite that should have been closed in 2006. “I was even reminded by the Ombudsman about this (continuous operation of open dumpsite),” Bongat told the council. “If a case will be filed against the LGU, it will be the mayor, the vice mayor and the council who will be sued,” he added. At present, six Bicol LGUs, including Camalig, Guinobatan, Tiwi, Daraga, Polangui and Tabaco City, have pending cases before the Ombudsman for violation of R.A. No. 9003 filed by the Solid Waste Management Commission on Feb. 10, 2016. City Planning and Development Officer Wilfredo Prilles gave two options between a three-hectare sanitary landfill which will cost the LGU some P203M and a five-hectare sanitary landfill at P237M to be constructed. Prilles explained that the three-hectare sanitary landfill would last for three years while the five-hectare sanitary landfill to last for five to seven years when coupled with segregation of solid wastes and cooperation by the LGUs in the 27 barangays of Naga City. However, the city council could not be convinced without the detailed breakdown of the engineering work on the proposed sanitary landfill. Councilor Julian Lavadia Jr. questioned the costly establishment of the sanitary landfill of more than P200 million the Naga LGU would spend which he said will last for only 62 months. Councilor Mila Raquid Arroyo said she cannot just approve the budget because “she has no solid basis” whether or not the computation presented was right while she demanded a comparative study of the engineering costs. Arroyo said she wants the fund for the sanitary landfill to come from the coffers of the city instead of funding its construction through loan from the banks. She reminded Bongat of the original plan of the city to buy a 10-ha land in Barangay San Isidro for the establishment of a waste-to-energy facility cum sanitary landfill during the time of the late Mayor Jesse Robredo which failed to prosper. Bongat said the original plan of the waste-to-energy project has not been shelved because the planned sanitary landfill includes a facility for waste-to-energy by putting up methane plant after three years. He said he is not rushing the council to approve the budget even though the continued operation of the old dumpsite is in violation of the law and a suit against the LGU looms. Bongat said there is no other option of the proposed budget for sanitary landfill which will be charged from P1.1B budget of the city in 2017 while comparing the expenses of Quezon City of P2B for garbage collection from its annual budget of at least P17B. Joel Martin, head of the solid waste management office, said the implementation of the closure of the old dumpsite will be done in February after 10 years of extension. He said the closure of the old dumpsite would cost the LGU some P20M but its implementation must be done while the construction of the sanitary landfill is being constructed. Martin said Naga City produces 96 tons of garbage in a day. NBI Regional Office back to Legazpi By Paulo Papa NAGA CITY—The Regional Office of the National Bureau of Investigation V will be officially transferred from Maria Cristina St. nearby the Naga City Hall compound back to its original location in Rawis, Legazpi City in Albay on February 6, Monday this year. Atty. Tomas C. Enrile, the Regional Director of NBI V stated in an interview that “this is authorized by Dante Gierran,” the current National Director of the NBI. He also said that “this is in accordance of a proclamation that the City of Legazpi houses all regional offices of the government agencies in Bicol Region, only the regional offices of the NBI and Department of Agriculture stationed here in Naga.” Since the construction of the new regional office of the stated agency is not yet started in a vacant land provided to them, the NBI Regional Office will be swapped with the NBI Office in Quezon Ave., Legazpi Port District, Legazpi City. So starting on February 6, 2017, the NBI office in this city will became a District Office but it doesn’t affect the providing process of the NBI Clearances of the citizens and people from municipalities nearby. Judge orders Camaligan authorities to stop catching Canaman tricycle drivers By Juan Escandor Jr. NAGA CITY--- With the issuance of temporary restraining order (TRO) last January 17, a regional trial court judge has ordered the authorities of Camaligan town in Camarines Sur to stop apprehending tricycle drivers of nearby Canaman town who pass by the road in the former town while going to their true destination. Regional Trial Court Branch 61 Judge Soliman Santos Jr. issued the TRO against defendants Camaligan town represented by Mayor Marilou Hiroshi and Canaman town represented by Mayor Henry Ragodon after the president of tricycle association headed by Jose M. Portillo asked the court to grant them TRO and preliminary injunction following a series of apprehensions by traffic enforcers of Camaligan town. Hiroshi was named defendant since the enforcement of the traffic emanated from their town while Ragodon was named defendant/unwilling co-plaintiff for not joining the suit even though the Canaman local government unit (LGU) issued the franchises and “to avoid nullity of subsequent proceedings, and to prevent multiplicity of suits.” Portillo filed the complaint in behalf of San Jose West-Iquin-Mangayawan-Sua-Del Rosario Tri-mobile Operators and Driver’s Association (SIMSDTODA) with application of TRO and preliminary injunction against Hiroshi and Ragodon after the Camaligan Deputized Traffic Enforcers (Cadete) conducted series of apprehensions of tricycle drivers with franchises approved by the Canaman LGU while they pass by Dugcal Road from Barangay Sua to Barangay Del Rosario, all in Canaman town. There is no other road that connects Sua to Del Rosario but Dugcal Road which is located in Camaligan town. Portillo and 19 other complainant tricycle drivers are members of SIMSDTODA who were apprehended, fined and penalized by Cadete for passing by Dugcal Road and “plying outside the specific route or area” (or out-of-line public utility motor vehicles under Section 99[5] of the Traffic Code)[1] and “colorum vehicle/no franchise” (i.e. public utility motor vehicles operating with expired or no franchise under Section 99[3] of the Traffic Code). Criminal cases were also filed against complainants Portillo, William R. Langitan, Victor P. Verdad, Kimbryan P. Brandes, and Rogelio S. Agdoro, Jr. at the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Camaligan-Gainza-Milaor. Through their legal counsels---lawyers Perfecto Nixon C. Tabora and Jake Rupert T. Tabora---they argued that they are holders of valid franchises and by passing through Dugcal Road which is a national road did not require them to get another franchise from Camaligan because their operation is not within that town. “No local government can prohibit the passage of any vehicle, private or public, along a national road.” At the summary hearing, Judge Santos verified application for a TRO and Preliminary Injunction, only the side of the 20 complainants represented by lawyer Jake Rupert T. Tabora who appeared and consequently were heard on their said application. Forty other residents and the riding public of four concerned barangays of Canaman, Camarines Sur attended with a total of 60 court session attendees, the most so far before the presiding Judge. But no representatives of the two municipalities of Canaman and Camaligan appeared despite notice, and so their sides could not be heard on the matter. “More importantly, this Court could not explore the possibility of a compromise settlement which it had intended to do as its preferred mode of dispute resolution,” Judge Santos wrote in his decision. “In order to prevent a threatened, if not actual, wrong and to protect the livelihood rights involved from further injury, until the issues can be determined after a hearing on the merits or otherwise amicably settled, this TRO is hereby ISSUED.” The TRO restrains the Municipality of Camaligan and Cadete, and the Camaligan Municipal Police Station from enforcing “plying outside the specific route or area” and “colorum vehicle/no franchise” of Revised Transport and Traffic Code of Camaligan, Camarines Sur (Municipal Ordinance No. 012-008) against tricycle driver-members of SIMSDTODA plying Dugcal Road, Camaligan connecting barangays Sua and Del Rosario, Canaman, Camarines Sur. CAMSUR TOPS LIST High maternal death rate in Bicol noted By Mike Dela Rama LEGAZPI CITY --- The big number of maternal deaths in Bicol over the past two years continues to dampen the efforts of health authorities and local government agencies in improving the reproductive health of women in the region over the years. The latest report from the Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol Family Cluster program cited “complications arising from hypertension” as the major cause of the maternal deaths. “In 2015 alone, there were 173 maternal death cases (per thousand live births),” said Dr. Rita Mae Ang-Bon, coordinator of DOH-Bicol Family Cluster program. She said the biggest number of cases were reported in Camarines Sur at 61, followed by Masbate at 31, Albay at 29, Camarines Norte at 23, Catanduanes at 16, and Sorsogon at 13. Bon added they were able to record 124 cases in the region as of November 2016. She said from 2015 to 2016, “hypertension resulting to pre-eclampsia, eclampsia and hemorrhage have contributed to the maternal death cases in the region.” Eclampsia is a condition in which convulsions occur in a pregnant woman suffering from high blood pressure. Often followed by a coma these pose a threat to the health of the mother and the baby. Bon said the other causes of deaths are “indirect medical conditions, sepsis infection (or blood infection), ‘home transit to health facility’ and unknown.” Citing the 2015 data, the report said 85.50 percent of the 173 cases in the Bicol region cited the place of maternal deaths as the hospital. “Only 14 percent of the deaths occurred while in transit (from the home to birthing facility) or at home,” added the report. Bon said the consolidated report from the six Bicol provinces showed that “maternal deaths by stage at time of death” were mostly in the “post-partum phase” or the immediate period after the baby has been delivered. She said local government units (LGUs) in the region have been intensifying their campaign on maternal and child health. “This is to make sure that all pregnant mothers are being properly monitored and that they submit themselves to regular prenatal check-up,” said Bon. She said barangay health workers (BHWs) and midwives have been deployed to all villages to provide direct services to mothers. Bon said that rural areas also have higher Maternal Mortality Rates, also called MMR by statisticians, because many women in rural areas begin having children at a young age. “Since adolescent women are normally not developed enough for childbirth, these young mothers face many complications during and after pregnancy and contribute to the high maternal mortality rate,” she said. Bon said DOH, along with local population officers, BHWs and their rural health units have introduced many interventions to reduce maternal and child deaths. “Since a majority of maternal deaths occur during and soon after delivery, many interventions concentrate on this period,” she said. She said that currently traditional birth attendants or TBAs are only allowed to assist midwives and mothers during pregnancy or birth at the birthing facility. Bon said programs have attempted to utilize this existing system by giving short training courses to TBAs. “But there is little evidence that such programs are effective in reducing maternal mortality even if they may be effective in reducing mortality among newborns,” she said. Bon said through a “nutrition promotion program” the DOH and its counterparts in the LGUs continue to implement effective interventions just before a baby is delivered by the mother. “Immediate and exclusive breastfeeding is highly recommended to mothers,” she said. Bon said there have been a number of interventions aimed at educating and supporting women to initiate breastfeeding and adopt optimal breastfeeding behaviors. She said it has been shown that “improving breastfeeding practices can help to reduce neonatal mortality.” In its “2012 Philippine Health Statistics,” the DOH Epidemiology Bureau said the number of registered maternal deaths in Civil Registry Offices nationwide reached a total of 1,447 (per 100,000 live births) while the MMR was 0.8 per thousand live births. It said that in 2012, the Eastern Visayas Region recorded the highest MMR of 1.6 maternal deaths per thousand live births while the Cordillera Administrative Region recorded the lowest with 0.5 deaths per thousand live births. The bureau said six out of 17 regions “had MMR higher than the national rate of 0.8.” In the Bicol region, the DOH-bureau said maternal mortality in 2012 was 103 per 1,000 population with the MMR at 1.05 deaths per thousand live births. The Epidemiology Bureau reported that by province, for the same year, there were 23 maternal deaths in Camarines Sur with an MMR of 0.9; Albay-23 (1.3 MMR); Camarines Norte-19 (1.4 MMR); Masbate-14 (1.0 MMR); Sorsogon-12 (1.0 MMR); and Catanduanes-4 (0.7). In the same report, the DOH bureau described maternal mortality rate or MMR as the “mirror of a woman’s health and nutritional status during pregnancy, at childbirth, or in the period after childbirth. It also highlights her access to professional medical services before, during and even after childbirth.” Population Commission (PopCom)-Bicol Director Magdalena Abellera has said that “the target is to lower maternal mortality to 52 deaths per 100,000 live births” under the government’s new Sustainable Development Goals or SDG program. SDGs otherwise known as the “Global Goals” are universal calls to action to promote development that are being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in 170 countries. Policy planners said the goals, that combine the factors necessary for quality life in the 21st millennium, must serve as a framework in governance. Bicol mayors appeal for building materials, alternative livelihood By Juan Escandor Jr. NAGA CITY---Mayors in the towns hit hard by Typhoon Nina appeal for rehabilitation assistance in terms of building materials and alternative livelihood rather than food packs, almost a month after the typhoon pounded Bicol with 185 km per hour winds on Christmas Day. Mayor Leo Rodriguez, local chief executive of the town of Bato in Catanduanes, said they are now in the stage of rehabilitation and that in his town 1,700 houses have been destroyed and the families need help to rebuild their homes. “We need iron sheets rather than canvasses to help families rebuild their homes,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez attended the consultation meeting of the 10 towns most devastated by Typhoon Nina that Vice President Leni G. Robredo facilitated on Friday last week. Rodriguez said he is also appealing for assistance for alternative livelihood for his constituents and fast growing crops that can be harvested in short period of time for the rehabilitation. Buhi town Mayor Margie Arguinillo also expressed the same predicament of the lack of assistance to rebuild homes in which she said there are villages in her town where most houses were flattened by Typhoon Nina. Robredo said the 10 Bicol towns most devastated by Typhoon Nina are the towns of Bato, Baras and San Andres in Catanduanes; Tiwi in Albay; and Sagñay, Buhi, Bula, Ocampo, Pili and Pasacao in Camarines Sur. She said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provides P5,000 shelter assistance for families with totally damaged house which will be given by February. Robredo said the shelter assistance will not be sufficient as she shared her experience when she was still a congresswoman at the time when Typhoon Glenda hit the third district of Camarines Sur wherein through donation from private donors, the P20,000 and ‘bayanihan’ labor would suffice to allow victims of typhoon to build semi-concrete houses. “When we came back after this typhoon, their houses are still standing. I am saying this because every typhoon the same families suffer the same of losing their houses,” she said. Robredo said what is worrisome is the damage to agriculture which according to the Department of Agriculture reached more than P5 billion in losses. With the absence of additional assistance for the victims of Typhoon Nina coming from foreign embassies on top of the national government’s commitment of P500 million for agricultural rehabilitation, she encouraged local government units (LGUs) to directly asked assistance from foreign development agencies for their rehabilitation efforts. Robredo said the consultation was meant to facilitate the assistance to the victims of Typhoon Nina that she said is now in the stage of rehabilitation in which building materials and means of alternative livelihood are more needed than relief assistance like food packs. She said the meeting was attended by representatives from the DSWD, Department of Agriculture, Office of Civil Defense, Philippine Coconut Authority, Department of Education and Department of Trade and Industry that gave the mayors documentary requirements to access the government assistance. Robredo said that with the absence of request for assistance from the national government to foreign embassies like the United States of America or the European Union, the available local resources of the LGUs and from private donors to rehabilitate the hardest hit areas will not be sufficient. She said she had talked with the United Nations Development Program and European Union and was told that request from the national government is required for them to extend assistance but they are also open for LGUs to directly request from them. Post-typhoon victim died of severe dehydration, not cholera, DOH clarifies By Samuel M. Toledo LEGAZPI CITY --- Health authorities, who followed up investigations of the lone post-typhoon Nina fatality, had confirmed that the 36-year-old farmer of Barangay Sto. Nino in Virac, Catanduanes died of severe dehydration due to diarrhea, and not cholera as earlier reported. France Genorga, food and water-borne diseases program coordinator of the Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol, said they conducted a revalidation following persistent reports in the local and national media that the farmer died of cholera and that this disease was fast spreading out in the typhoon-hit villages of Catanduanes where Nina made its first landfall on Christmas Day. Catanduanes Health Officer Dr. Hazel Palmes confirmed that the deceased, whose name was withheld, had been diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis with severe dehydration. She said a fecal sample of the victim showed he was infected by “Entamoeba Hystolica,” a kind of bacteria, after reportedly drinking water from Inagasan Falls, a few meters away from Barangay Sto. Nino in Virac town. Quoting reports from a DOH-Bicol inspection team, Palmes said some 12 samples collected from the different water sources at the Virac District Jail and in two villages with diarrhea cases had tested positive for fecal contamination. Water samples collected from some faucets of the Virac Water District, a barangay waterworks system, and shallow and deep wells were found with fecal coliforms above safe levels. Meanwhile, Engineer Connie Ramirez, DOH-Bicol in-charge of refilling station inspection, said that the two refilling outlets found positive with e-coli contamination had already turned negative of the bacteria in recent tests. She said they subjected the water samples from these refilling stations to at least three tests that soon all turned negative already from ecoli contamination. “When water samples from these refilling stations turned positive from ecoli, their pipelines were found busted by Typhoon Nina. But in the succeeding three tests after the lines were repaired, the samples turned negative already of e-coli contamination,” Ramirez said. Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua had earlier asked Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial to help them set up sources of safe and potable water in the typhoon-affected communities to prevent a possible diarrhea outbreak. He asked for mobile filtration machines that could produce some 5,000 liters of potable water daily. Diarrhea cases were reported to have hit Catanduanes as early as November last year. Naga’s New Soundwaves Band in pre-Valentine reunion concert By Jose B. Perez, Editor First of Two parts WHAT did lovely partners Jesse Robredo and Leni, Tito Salvosa and Myrna (nee Parma), Dennis Caramoan and Vina (nee Chavez), Tony Blando and Lally (nee Requejo), and, ehem, Maria Bella Deocareza and this writer have in common before they ended up tying the knot to become happy married couples? Well, they all looked lovey-dovey with nothing else to care about every time they were on a date at the city’s favorite watering hole where the magical music of the New Soundwaves Showband would make them promise to love each other forever ahead of their church wedding vow. The other couples, even when they were already married, would also come as enchanted customers, such as entrepreneur Ower Andal and wife Melinda, businesswoman Lilibeth and her late farmer-husband Culacho Guysayko, and the countless others who live happily ever after. Surely, these couples will be coming out again on a date to relish those beautiful memories they shared because Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, even if their favorite dating restaurant had long closed its doors. Naga’s entertainment scene Naga’s nightspot habitués, especially the romantic ones and those who appreciate good entertainment, in the tradition of Manila’s standards by local talented performers, would come to Lindez Deckhouse of the then famous Lindez Hotel – downtown Naga’s finest restaurant and hotel in the 80s though the 90s -- for a generous recipe of jazz numbers and the classy beats of the Manhattan Transfer in such hits as “The Boy from New York City,” “Spice in the Night” and “Tuxedo Junction”; from the disco rhythm of “Man Eater”, “Flashdance”, to the soothing blend of voices in “Red Rose for a Blue Lady”, to “Moonlight Serenade.” Fast forward, or 35 years after, they will come live once more for a pre-Valentine Dinner Show and Reunion Concert at The Tent, Avenue Plaza Hotel here in Naga City on Sunday evening, February 12, 2017. With a happy load of memories and tales of their adventures overseas, the band will once again bring together the city’s old romantics, lovers, and music habitues for a bottomless repertoire of all-time favorites, classical pieces in a capella, RNB of the 70s, jazz rhythm and other hits of the 80s, including blockbuster songs by Abba, The Carpenters, and Madonna! It was a long wonderful journey since the band first evolved from the UNC Choral Cluster, a campus singing group under the baton of Mrs. Amelita P. Zaenz, who is lovingly referred to as Bicol’s musical diva. It soon became a four-member singing group called the Ask Family with guitar accompaniment. It morphed as the Family Connection with an electronic organ replacing the guitar. After a while it was renamed Soundwaves, and finally, the New Soundwaves Showband, with more members. The group’s first 9 members were composed of: five vocalists in the persons of Andy Belmonte, Cherry David, Ningning David-Belmonte, Val David, and Beth Guevarra; part-time deejay Rakki Delis who did the drums; Ranny Sugcang, bass; Babes Brocka, lead guitar; and Vic de Villa on the keyboard. Disband, re-group Ningning, in a newspaper interview, said there was a time when the group felt the need to disband to pursue their own personal goals and careers. But they would soon get bored with life offstage that they started calling each other up and getting their music together again. By December 1983 the group hit the stage anew with no less than the owner and operator of Lindez Deckhouse, Otom Hernandez, taking over as their manager. Otom proved to be an excellent handler of young men/women with talents as customers to his restaurant came not only for fine food but also for beer, wine and song. The re-grouped singing band undoubtedly captured the bubbly and yet discriminating taste of the city’s business class, as well as the white-collar types, both from inside and outside Naga City. It was said that as the New Soundwaves started singing, the customers quickly get enthralled, leaving the ice thawing in their drinks. Indeed, many, especially talent scouts and visiting managers from top companies in Manila who passed by Naga and dropped by Lindez Deckhouse, took notice of the group’s vast talent. No less than Celebrity Writer Crispina Martinez-Belen in her column at Manila Bulletin on Oct. 1, 1986 wrote, “Music lovers who happen to pass the night in Naga City could hear the fine music that soothes the tired body and soul in the Lindez Deckhouse of the Hotel Lindez and Restaurant. Alternating for the night are two bands, the Soundwaves and Final Edition.” It was not a long while that Naga habitues had to miss them as they toured various nightspots in Olangapo City, including a jampacked show inside the US Subic Naval Base and in Legazpi City’s Casablanca Hotel and La Trinidad Hotel. Immediately after a year, the New Soundwaves signed up contracts with famous entertainment houses overseas, such the Captain’s Cabin in Kuala Lumpur, and the posh Tanjung Aru Beah Hotel in Kota Kinabalo where one of their dinner shows was sponsored by Malaysian Air System. They soon found themselves performing under the kaleidoscopic lights of China City Night Club in Kowloon, Hongkong, and the Kennedy House in Kumamoto, Japan. The New Straits Times of Malaysia took note in its March 28, 1991 issue of the Soundwaves’ impressive talent via an article entitled “Filipino versatility is their middle name.” It made mention that the 8-piece band is a popular pop band from Bicol, in Southern Luzon, Philippines. “If you are the type that tunes in to Casey Kasem’s America’s Top 10, “Soundwaves” will not let you down. They play the latest releases by Bobby Brown and Taylor Dayne,” the Malaysian newspaper wrote. Interestingly, or rather, unfortunately, their stint in Malaysia under a three-month contract was to be their last overseas, as well as here at home in Bicol, as the group, feeling tired and hoping to make up for their personal responsibilities finally decided to disband, after 8 years and more of loving and soothing us with their music. For a while, darkness and silence fell over Naga’s otherwise lovely night entertainment scene. More on next issue. VACC chair tells Villar DPWH Bicol is most corrupt By Manuel T. Ugalde LEGAZPI CITY – Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption founding chairman Dante Jimenez point blank told visiting public works and highways secretary Mark Villar here that DPWH Bicol is the most corrupt agency in the region. Jimenez told the secretary during their accidental meeting at the Legazpi airport departure area last Saturday morning (Jan. 14), according to a source speaking on condition his name be withheld for lack of authority to talk. Villar was with his Bicol executives headed by asst. regional director Armando Estrella, Bicol legal officer Oliver Rodulfo, Godofredo Beltran, district engineer Simon Arias and a certain Ogbon Relativo when Jimenez told Villar. The source said regional director Reynaldo Tagudando was not around. During the meeting of Villar and Jimenez who were both bound for Manila, the Vacc chairman urged Villar to conduct a thorough probe about the Bicol scandals including the collapsed P50 million Naga City river flood control project. The source said it was Villar who called Jimenez and while the two in a standing position two meters before passing the second x-ray machine right within the departure room in the presence of the local DPWH executives. The four local DPWH executives with Villar cannot be reach for comment and would not answer calls and text messages. Pressed to confirm in a series of calls and texts, Rodulfo finally confirmed in a text message what Jimenez told the secretary at the Legazpi airport. He refused to elaborate. Villar visited Bicol for the first time since becoming President Duterte secretary where he met with provincial district engineers in Camarines Sur Friday morning and proceeded to Legazpi City in the afternoon to attend a staff meeting with his regional officials and district engineers at the regional office in Barangay Rawis. Villar was with Undersecretary Romeo Momo, and Usec Karen Jimeno for special projects and legal. Effort of the local media, however, to catch Villar for interview proved to be costly as the secretary became so evasive, lamented Prof. Salvador Flor, president of the Bicol Reporters Association who said some dozen of journalists trooped to the DPWH to interview Villar even for a minute. Flor said some journalist were posted at the DPWH office to stay closer with Villar while others stayed outside the DPWH compound waiting for a call should Villar give time for interview. The media lamented that Villar suddenly exited via the DPWH employees’ back door where he boarded a car waiting for him at the main road. The waiting media said that they could not understand why Villar tried to be evasive when it’s the only way he would get vital score about DPWH scandals adding the media Bicol had been very vocal against its corruption since the past 3 decades. Tagudando was assigned here since 2014 and has maintained his stand not to talk to the media nor answer calls and texts messages concerning DPWH issues. Does Villar know that some of his executives are not even afraid of President Duterte’s first Order during his first cabinet meeting in Malacanang on July 1st that bans all government employees and public officials from entering gambling premises saying one district engineer in Albay has never been absent during cockfight derby in Legazpi and in other neighbouring cockpit galleries in the province. Said district engineer often seen in cockpit bleachers wearing a mask and cup to hid his identity, however, escorted by three of his junior engineers one of them is also a known cockfight aficionado who maintain dozens of fighting cocks. Journalists said the district engineer often had his entry cock in derby losing and winning hundreds of thousands pesos. A small-time supplier identified as Jerson Lisay said with documents in his position, he also tried to see Villar but said it was a desperate efforts saying Villar was so evasive. He said that if given a chance, he would tell Villar how his local executives earns huge kickback no matter how small the cost of your transactions with the DPWH. According to Elmer Bandol of the Bicol Mail, radio broadcaster Joshua Martinez already sounded scandalous at the DPWH shouting for the secretary to meet the media invoking they have goods against his corrupt engineers, this after a lady staff of Villar said the secretary who was inside the closed door conference room would not entertain an interview that they would just issue a press statement. It was learned, however, that in the evening, certain few media personalities were called by a bigtime and prominent contractor to meet Villar dinner time at the Hotel De Venecia here said a DPWH insider who asked not to be named for lack of authority to talk. Bandol said not one from the media who desperately pursued Villar at the DPWH was invited or present during the meeting with Villar at the Hotel De Venecia where the secretary slept. Professor Flor said that before the Villar meeting with selected invited media, Villar together with Usec. Momo reportedly proceeded to Hotel Casa Blanca some 300 meters from the DPWH regional office where the two was made to appear to check-in and and have dinner. Informed of Villar and Momo presence at the Casa Blanca hotel, the media ran to Casa Blanca only to be informed the secretary was gone through the back door and had no clue where he would stay overnight. RPOC convenes first regular meeting By Connie B. Destura LEGAZPI CITY --- As newly appointed chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), Legazpi City Mayor Noel E. Rosal convened the RPOC’s first regular meeting Monday as it tackled plans for peace and order in the region, particularly the war against drugs, criminality and insurgency. RPOC convened its first joint meeting with the Regional Management and Coordinating Committee so that it can address the key issues on peace and order, said Eloisa Pastor, director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Bicol, who headed the secretariat. She acknowledged the presence of the participants and declared a quorum as members registered their presence during the meeting, the first for this year, that was held Monday afternoon at Venezia Convention Hall, Renaissance Gardens in this city. Pastor said the agenda included updates on security in the region and implementation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Rosal echoed what President Rodrigo Duterte said during his recent meeting with local government officials in Malacanang--from the mayors to the governors--that he is seeking their support in the fight against “the serious drug problem” in the country. “He (the President) asked all the governors and mayors to join the local police in this (illegal drug) campaign because this is what it takes now if we want to attain peace and order in our country,” said Rosal. Chief Supt. Ramon Melvin Buenafe, director of the Police Regional Office in Bicol, gave an update on the accomplishments of Project Double-Barrel, the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) anti-illegal drug campaign and how majority of the drug-affected barangays in the region have been “cleared” of the problem of proliferation of illegal drugs. He also reported on the PNP’s campaign against illegal fishing, gambling, mining and logging. Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug and Enforcement Agency updated the RPOC members on the implementation of RA 9165. Other member agencies of the RPOC such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Agriculture and DILG gave updates on projects that would benefit various villages in the region. Early this month, the President appointed Rosal as RPOC chairman in Bicol, to become the first mayor to hold the post after it was previously headed by governors in the region. FOR TYPHOON NINA VICTIMS Papica foundation holds dinner dance gala night NAGA CITY --- The Francis Padua Papica Foundation, Inc. (FPPFI) will celebrate on February 4 its 20th anniversary, according to its founder and namesake, Atty. Francis P. Papica. “In all these years, we have been guided by the three pillars of scholarship, leadership and community service,” the US-based Bicolano lawyer said, adding that through 20 years, FPPFI has continued to provide scholarship, books, school supplies, educational assistance and conduct the yearly leadership convention attended by over 12,000 students. As part of the celebration, Papica said they had planned a host of activities, including the annual Leadership Convention, a Fun Run, A Book and School Supplies Distribution and a Dinner Dance Gala Night. “Given the recent calamity brought about by Typhoon Nina, however, I, together, with the FPPFI Board of Directors, have decided to cancel all of our planned activities except our Dinner Dance Gala Night on February 4, 2017 at The Tent of the Avenue Hotel in Naga City,” he said in a message transmitted to friends and supporters. “All proceeds of the event will be earmarked for disaster relief to help schools hardest hit by the typhoon,” Papica said. “Our focus is to provide structural assistance particularly to schools where immediate roof repairs are priority. Additionally, part of the proceeds will aid school children in need of specific assistance due to the effects of typhoon in line with our recent project: “SAVING SARDOS” – Students at Risk of Dropping Out of School,” the lawyer added. The Dinner Gala Night Disaster Relief is in partnership with the Office of the Vice President; Camarines Sur Department of Education; The Rotary Club of Naga; the Rotary Club of Naga East; The Jaycees Pili-Isarog; The Jaycees Carinosa; the LGU of the City of Naga; The Avenue Plaza Hotel and DWNX. Organizers welcome all kinds of assistance and support in the noble endeavor. Tickets are available for Dinner Gala Night at P1500.00 per person. Humanitarian group schedules surgical-dental mission in Albay By Connie B. Destura LEGAZPI CITY --- The Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Albay has announced the holding of a joint surgical-dental mission by non-profit humanitarian group Health Alliance of Volunteers and Medicine (HAVMed) in Albay’s underserved communities on February 20-24. Daisy Adrales, Albay PHO nurse coordinator, said the mission is a joint undertaking of the provincial government, Department of Health (DOH) Bicol and Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH) which aims to evaluate and treat the “underserved and unserved patients” in the 15 municipalities and three cities of Albay. “The 2017 Joint Surgical and Dental mission is an undertaking of HAVMed and University of the Philippines (UP)- Manila through Ugnayan ng Pahinungod-Manila,” she said. Dr. Rogelio G. Rivera, medical center chief of BRTTH, said the mission is primarily a project of HAVMed whose member volunteers from the United States seek to provide medical services to the marginalized sector of society. “HAVMed’s primary purpose is to help with the medical needs of low-income families in impoverished communities in the Philippines through its medical missions,” he said. On the other hand, Ugnayan ng Pahinungod is UP’s system-wide volunteer service organization. Rivera, in an interview, said BRTTH will provide the venue for the mission. “HAVMed will ensure that quality care rather than the number of patients attended to during the mission” will be the major consideration in conducting the activity, he said. Rivera said BRTTH will extend the necessary hospital services and medical facilities during the patients’ confinement such as equipment, operating rooms, delivery room, dressing room and stock room for the equipment and supplies of the humanitarian group when they perform surgical procedures that will include minor and major surgery. He said wards will also be made available for the pre-operative patients while there will be recovery rooms for the post-operative patients. “Services to be given for free include thyroidectomy, cholecystectomies, hernia repair-Inguinal or abdominal, cystectomies, vasectomies, lumps and bumps excision, incision and drainage, circumcision, repair of mild to moderate congenital hand deformity and other hand deformities, vein stripping and carpal tunnel surgery,” said Rivera. He said that being a partner of the joint mission, BRTTH shall ensure the safety and security of the humanitarian group within the vicinity of the hospital for the duration of the mission. Adrales said the pre-screening of the patients will still be scheduled and patients who want to avail of the free surgical and dental services must coordinate with their respective Rural Health Units (RHUs). “After the pre-screening in RHUs, the patients-to-be will go to the three district hospitals (in the province) for further screening,” she said. Adrales said the final screening with the HAVMed team will be on February 19. She said the provincial government as one of the sponsors of the joint mission shall facilitate patient recruitment and provide free transportation for patients from remote barangays. (PNA) LAP/GVR/CBD/RSM Leni hopeful to meet Digong after resignation NAGA CITY---Vice President Leni G. Robredo is hopeful and optimistic she will personally meet and talk to President Duterte after she resigned December last year from the Cabinet over an order that prohibited her from attending the meetings. “I thought we will see each other during the Vin d’honneur but the invitation to me was taken back. I think there will be an opportunity (to meet President Duterte). I am always hopeful and optimistic because there are so many things to be done,” Robredo said when asked whether she had met with the President after her resignation as chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC). The vice president’s resignation was triggered by a directive from President Duterte not to allow her to attend his meetings with Cabinet members. Robredo said she is always respectful to the President and she believes her relation with him have reached a level wherein she can express her disagreements to him. “As I see it, he was fed with wrong information that destroyed our relation like the report that I attended rallies for his ouster which is not true,” she said. Robredo said she would not dwell on that matter anymore because it had come to pass while there are many things that needed to be done for the constituents. She said since she is now outside of the Cabinet she is viewed as adversary so that it is harder now to ask for help than when she was still the chair of the HUDCC. “It could have been different if I am still part of the official family,” Robredo quipped. However, she does not think that because she is out of the Cabinet the departments would withhold her requests for assistance to typhoon victims. Robredo said she can facilitate the engagement of local chief executives to the national government like helping them complete the documentation requirements, follow up of their requests, and introduce to donor agencies that can provide additional assistance. “Honestly, it could have been easier for me to solicit assistance if I am a Cabinet member because I can relay easily to the members of the Cabinet the requests,” she said. Juan Escandor Jr. P4.7M medical machines to be installed at Naga City Hospital By Jason B. Neola NAGA CITY --- Going through a top-to-bottom reform to be able to carry out effectively its mandate of providing the Nagueños with medical services as Level 1 hospital, the Naga City Hospital is tooling up its array of medical equipments with the planned procurement this year of P4.7-M worth of estate-of-the-art hospital machines. Aside from the medical apparatuses, the hospital’s quandary on the shortage in number of medical practitioners, which limits the consultation time for each patient, has finally been resolved with the hiring of 2 more medical doctors recently, bringing to 4 the number of medical practitioners who conduct diagnoseson patients in shifts. “Of the remaining three, one will be assigned to accommodate in-patient consultations and shall also provide services to out-patient consultations from 5 o’clock in the afternoon to 8 o’clock in the morning while the other, an on-call doctor, is tasked to attend to patients needing OB-Gyne services and another one, which is me, who holds administrative functions, shall from to time engages in the hospital’s clinical aspect,” says Dr. Reynaldo Caresosa, acting chief of hospital. The increase in number of doctors and the intended purchase of 1 unit of pulmonary function test machine, 1 unit of digital X-ray machine and 3 units of defibrillator machines form part of Mayor John G. Bongat’s platform that aims to step up the operations of the wellness center, the only one in South Luzon, if not in the entire Bicol Region,which is owned and being operated by a local government unit. Each machine has an estimated price of P1-M except for the digital X-ray which costs P1.8M. The installation of pulmonary function test machine and the defibrillators are being required by the Department of Health. The mayor even formally requested City Councilor Sonny Rañola, chairman of the local health board, “to oversee the overall operations of the Naga City Hospital.”It was Rañola who pushed for the idea that all laboratory tests be undertaken in the hospital and not in any private diagnostic company. The decision has spared the Nagueños from paying exorbitant fees just like what happened for so long a time. Caresosa hopes that before the end of the year, the hospital shall be given the opportunity to have a surgeon and an anesthesiologist. The plan to beef up the operations of the hospital also contained the construction of Level 3 and isolation room. Warning up on Mayon, Bulusan due to month-long monsoon rains By Samuel Toledo LEGAZPI CITY --- Watchers of Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon and Mayon Volcano in Albay this week reiterated their warning initially issued to the public by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to avoid entry inside the mountains' Permanent Danger Zones (PDZ) due to the monsoon rains obtaining over Bicol for nearly a month now. In Sorsogon, Crispulo Diolata, resident volcanologist at Phivolcs' Cabid-An monitoring station, said residents should refrain from entering Bulusan's four-kilometer radius PDZ and its six-km extended danger zone on the southern slopes. “Deposited thick ashfalls could be mobilized into lahar in case of heavy downpour due to the prevailing monsoon rains in the province,” he warned. Diolata said that thick ashes ejected during the November explosion of Bulusan “merely dropped along its slopes” due to the absence of strong winds at that time. "We would like to inform the public to refrain from entering the danger zones of Bulusan because heavy downpour is likely to mobilize the latest ejected ashes into lahar," he said. Phivolcs’ latest bulletin is reminding people living within valleys and along river or stream channels, especially on the southeastern, southwestern and northwestern sectors of the volcano, to be vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows and lahars in case of heavy and prolonged rainfall. It recorded four volcanic earthquakes on Bulusan in the past 24 hours. Bulusan Volcano remains at alert Level One, which means that hydrothermal processes are underway beneath the volcano that may lead to steam-driven or phreatic eruptions. Phivolcs said pilots should avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. In Albay, volcano watcher Jude Mallorca said they were having difficulty making physical observations of Mayon in the past days due to thick clouds brought by the monsoon rains. He said, however, that Phivolcs’ instruments have not yet detected any lahar movement along Mayon's slopes. Mayon volcano remains under alert Level One, which means it is in an abnormal condition. Mallorca reiterated their warning to the public that while magmatic eruption is not imminent over Mayon, “the public should not enter the six-kilometer PDZ due to the occasional heavy downpour over Mayon.” Phivolcs’ latest Mayon bulletin added that “active stream or river channels and those identified as perennially lahar-prone areas on all sectors of the volcano should also be avoided, especially during extreme weather conditions when there is heavy and prolonged rainfall." It said there is also the perennial life-threatening dangers of rockfalls, landslides and avalanches at the middle to upper slopes, sudden ash puffs and steam driven or phreatic eruptions from the summit. But despite the warning, Mallorca said some farmers and orchid pickers continue to be spotted inside the 6-km PDZ. Three volcanic earthquakes were recorded over Mayon during the past 24-hour monitoring period. Phivolcs maintains close monitoring of Mayon Volcano and will report any new development. Rehab problem hounds anti-drugs war By Mar S. Arguelles LEGAZPI CITY --- While the governments war against illegal drugs went on full throttle in Bicol, the campaign however find problems on the aspect rehabilitation, and treatment of thousands of drug personalities that have surrendered and arrested during police anti-narcotics operations, this was disclosed at a recent Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) meeting. The intense campaign against illegal drug in Bicol took off July last year however the drive are saddled with hitches such as the proper handling of drug dependents, treatment and rehabilitations as only a few drug rehabilitation centers are operational in Bicol. Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal the newly installed RPOC chairperson at the meeting on Monday put to task the Departments of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Health (DOH), Justice (DOJ), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to work out solutions to address the problems confronting the administrations centrepiece program. Rosal said Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s emphasized at a recent dialogue with local town and city mayors in Malacañang, as he quoted the chief executive as saying “the drug problem in the country is serious, I urge you to work closely with the local PNP in identifying and arresting drug pushers and users in your respective areas.” He said the President after sharing his concern about the Narco Industry in the country the President said he would provide the DILG with the names of local chief executives, judges, police officials involve in the “Narco Industry.” The narco list includes 5,000 names of elected local officials, judges, police officials that are reportedly coddler of big time drug traders, Rosal said. Rosal when asked if the narco industry list include local elected officials in Bicol, he said the agreement arrived at was the list would be handled by the PNP. As agreed the PNP would coordinate with the Governors and Mayors and show them the list of names that are in the narco list for further validation and case build up. Rosal when pressed to at least give the number of local elected and appointed officials included in the list, he refused to give a categorical answer instead said “mayroon” (there are.) Following Duterte’s campaign versus illegal drugs, the PNP in Bicol reported that 86,428 drug personalities either surrendered or have been arrested, of these figure 5,935 were pushers while 80,493 were drug users. At least 88 persons were reported killed while resisting and putting a fight with police operatives during illegal drug buy bust operations. Chief Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe PNP Bicol regional director said of those surrenderees 822 were government employees and elected barangay (village) officials. Buenafe said from July 1, 2016 to Jan. 18 this year showed that 466 of the 580 barangays have been “cleared” of the illegal drug problem. PDEA records showed that there were 580 barangays or 16.7 percent of the total 3,471 barangays in the region which it deemed to be drug-affected when the campaign started. “The remaining 20 percent or 114 barangays of the total drug-affected barangays are still under the PNP’S clearing operation,” said Buenafe. Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara questioned how many of those that surrendered are considered in severe moderate and light cases. He said that the categories drug dependents should be determined as these would be the basis of how many drug rehab centers should be put up. “Without the numbers and the categorization of drug patients we would not be able to provide the much needed intervention.” Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua expressed concern on the procedures how the drug surrenderees should be treated and rehabilitated. Cua raised the issue on the need for a court order before a drug dependent undergo rehabilitation in a center. He said “this are issues that needs to work out so that we can determine what court procedures do we have to follow.” NAGA, CAMNORTE ATTAIN 100% CLEARANCE 80% of drug-related villages in Bicol ‘cleared’ By Jorge Hallare LEGAZPI CITY --- A top official of the Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO5) said that 80 percent of the total number of barangays deemed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) as drug affected in the region have been declared “cleared of the problem of proliferation of illegal drugs” during the past six months and two weeks since the government launched its war against illegal drugs. Chief Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, PRO5 director, said data from July 1, 2016 to Jan. 18 this year showed that 466 of the 580 barangays have been “cleared” of the illegal drug problem. PDEA records showed that there were 580 barangays or 16.7 percent of the total 3,471 barangays in the region which it deemed to be drug-affected when the campaign started. “The remaining 20 percent or 114 barangays of the total drug-affected barangays are still under the PNP’S clearing operation,” said Buenafe. Sr. Insp. Ma. Luisa Calubaquib, PRO5 spokesperson, said they declared all of these barangays as "cleared" instead of "drug free" because only the PDEA has the authority to declare it as drug-free. Among the six provinces and seven cities in the Bicol region, Camarines Norte and Naga City in Camarines Sur were able to record a hundred percent number of cleared barangays. In Camarines Norte, 81 of 81 drug-affected barangays were declared "cleared" as with Naga City, where 15 of 15 drug-affected barangays were declared “cleared.” In Sorsogon, the percentage of cleared barangays is 98 percent or 98 of 99 drug-affected barangays; Masbate-93 percent or 62 of 66 barangays; Camarines Sur-85.9 percent or 141 of 164 barangays; Catanduanes-73.6 percent or 36 of 81 barangays; and Albay-31.3 percent or 33 of 106 barangays. Calubaquib said PRO5’s Double Barrel Alpha campaign from July 1, 2016 to January 16, 2017 recorded 86,141 drug surrenderees (80,222 users; 5,919 pushers) in the Bicol region. She said Project Tokhang was able to knock on the doors of 1,166,872 houses, arrested 900 drug personalities while 83 drug suspects were killed in police operations in the region. In November and December last year, anti-narcotics lawmen were able to confiscate multi-million peso worth of illegal drugs in the region. These were in Barangay Palta Small in Virac, Catanduanes, where 359.7 kilograms of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) were seized, while in Barangay Sogod, Tiwi, Albay, authorities were able to recover 18 bricks of high-grade cocaine weighing 12.17 kgs off the sea waters of Sogod. DPWH exec faces rap over promotion issue By Manuel T. Ugalde LEGAZPI CITY – Employees at the Department of Public Works and Highways regional office here simply described as a nauseating promotion of a highly favored engineer allegedly anointed by the regional director that virtually disregarded 56 others with same category many of them were already old but simply declared as “no interested applicants”. This was the nature of a case filed before the Ombudsman against regional director Reynaldo Tagudando who was surprisingly, however, singled out in a complaint according to documents filed by the DPWH legal officer Oliver Rodulfo copy of which was obtained last week. The complaint under OMB Case-L-C-04990 and OMB Case L-C-160573 for criminal and administrative was filed on Oct. 14. On Dec. 19, the Ombudsman ordered Tagudando to answer within 10 days upon receipt of the complaint. According to documents the latest graft case against Tagudando was the second incident the first was in May 2016 involving promotions scandal of three officials the Ombudsman have already submitted for resolution. In his reaction, the regional director filed a disbarment case against Rodulfo whom the former accused of allegedly using his position to harass him after being stripped of certain authorities as legal officer. Tagudando said the case filed against him had no basis adding a Catanduanes district engineer Elmer Redrio also suffered same fate from Rodulfo prompting Redrico to file an earlier disbarment complaint against the legal officer. Tagudando wondered why he’s been singled in the case despite of the Selection Committee headed by his assistant regional director. Tagudando claimed he’s not bragging that he hired the known SigfredFortun as his lawyer in the disbarment case against Rodulfo, he told Elmer Bandol of Bicol Mail The latest complaint said that Tagudando who allegedly has the habit of anointing and promoting someone he wants to promote allegedly promoted a certain Engr. Alejandro Arnedo from Engineer 2 to Engineer 3 against 56 other engineers possessing an item of Engineer 2 many of them were already old but were allegedly not included deliberately in the lists as “interested applicants” for the lone vacant Engineer 3 item. Rodulfo said the Selection Board no matter what it insist is simply disregarded by the regional director to give weight to his anointed one in grave violation of Republic Act. 1390 known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. In his three-page complaint, Rodulfo said he wrote the regional director for a copy of documents on Sept. 14 last year about Arnedo’s promotion to Engineer. On Sept. 22, Tagudando replied in a letter, however, without the requested documents by simply stating in the letter that Arnedo’s promotion was in order as provided by law. On Sept. 24, Rodulfo reiterated in a follow up letter of his request for documents on Arnedo’s promotion but again was denied by Tagudando in a reply letter dated Sept 28, saying Rodulfo is not a “public” as mandated under Section 3 of Rule 1V of the Implementing Rules and Regulations under RA 6713 and that Rodulfo is neither an “applicant” and therefore not entitled to his requested documents. The complaint added that on Sept. 27, Rodulfo wrote the administrative officer FlocerfidaAzotea for the lists of Engineers 2 in the office who responded through the Human Resource Management (HRM) officerIsabelo Alvarez a certified copy showing the DPWH regional office has incumbent 56 engineers possessing an item as Engineer 2. Contacted for comment, asst. regional director Armando Estrella, head of the Selection Committee said the HRM had submitted to him a certification showing that of the 56 incumbent Engineers 2, only Arnedo was the lone applicant for promotion for the vacant Engineer 3 item. As to who was behind why the rest of Engineers 2 many of them he said were already old but did not apply, I don’t have any idea saying the regional director as the appointing authority have all the power to have it return to the Committee for review. Insiders said members of the Selection Committee should all be charged saying there is no law that says one has to apply to be promoted adding the job of the selection committee is to look who among the 56 engineers is most qualified. With only one interested applicant listed has been a long time nauseating script at the DPWH said the source. In the first complaint in May 2016 the Ombudsman have already submitted for resolution, Rodulfo alleged that the promotion of Engineers MalouSariba and Cornelio Relativo from Engineer 3 to Engineer 4 and appointment of an outsider lawyer Felix Brazil allegedly also did not have the merit from the Selection Board saying the regional director simply wants his anointed Sariba and Relativo promoted to Engineer 4 to occupy the posts of asst. divisions chief of the Construction and Quality Control Divisions where the two respectively belongs. The complaint said Tagudando allegedly signed hastily the promotions of Sariba, Cornelio and Brazil to beat the deadline of the March 2016 election ban period. It said that Sariba was ill and absent in office for a year while Relativo was a flunker in the DPWH-CSC promotional test who defeated a long time Engineer 4 and quality control experienced Benjamin Buitre who was among the top five in the 2011 DPWH-CSC promotional test.

SA KAWARAN SANITARY LANDFILL Naga, pinatanidan na kan Ombudsman, DENR An Ciudad nin Naga saro na sa pinatanidan kan Ombudsman asin kan Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) na dapat iimplementar na an Republic Act No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) nganing dai makabale sa mga listahan kan lokal na gobierno na masasangatan nin caso an oficiales lokal kun padagos na magmamantenir kan illegal dumpsite. Kan magrecibe an City Hall nin onra sa Ombudsman bilang Blue Certification Level l kan nakaaging Diciembre 13, nagpasabot na sa sainda na dapat magcomple na sa RA 9003, sabi ni Alcalde John Bongat. An isyung ini pinaabot kan jefe ejecutivo sa Sangguniang Panlungsod kan siya magtaram sa sesyon regular kan Martes, Enero 24 kan magpresentar an Technical Working Group kan resulta kan saindang pag-aadal sa ibubugtak na Sanitary Landfill sa Barangay San Isidro. Bako lang pamayo kan ciudad an pueding sangatan nin caso envez kadamay man an miembros kan SP kun magpalyar na iimplementar an RA 9003, sabi pa. Sa entrevista man ki Engr. Joel Martin, pamayo kan Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO) kan ciudad saiyang kinumfirmar na si mismo si Regional Director Roberto Sheen kan DENR Bikol nagpatanid na sa saiya na dapat magcomple na an ciudad sa pagbugtak nin Sanitary Landfill nganing dai macasohan an City Hall sa pagsinutil sa acta republica. Alagad sinabi kan SWMO na dai paman makagibo nin aksyon an DENR asin Ombudsman sa ciudad mientras na padagos na an ginibong proceso kan City Hall nganing marealisar na an proyecto. Sinabi ni Bise Alcalde Nelson Legacion, pamayo kan SP na an orolay sa SLF pinunan sa sangguniang kan Junio 2016 mientras na an Technical Working Group nagpuon sa pag-adal kan propuestong SLF kan Septiembre 2016 asin sa sesyon kan Enero 24, nagpepresentar pa sana an TWG kan saindang ginibong feasibility study. An Balatas dumpsite, ma-cincueta anos, aprobado na kan ciudad an partial closure kan cuatro hectarya na hiwas kan bagsakan nin basura kan ciudad na pigtagamahan na nin fondo mientras na nasa proceso na sa pagmukna kan SLF sa Barangay San Isidro. Si Director Sheen, enot nang nakuanan nin entrevista kan Bicol Mail kan Octubre 2016 asin saiyang kinumfirmar na limang mga banwaan sa Albay an nag-aatubang na sa investigacion kan Ombudsman Environmental Team (OET) huli kan padagos na pagmantenir kan illegal dumpsites. An oficiales lokal kan Camalig, Guinobatan, Tiwi, Daraga, Polangui asin Ciuad nin Tabaco iyo envueltong LGUs nag-atubang sa ginibong clarificatory hearings na pigconducir sa Ciudad nin Legaspi. An fact finding investigation kinundocir parte kan campaña nacional nganing macierto na na-iimplementar an RA 9003. Sinabi pa na kan Mayo 2016, an Ombudsman Environmental Team napacandadohan an tolong mga open dumpsites sa mga municipalidades kan Hindang asin Bato sa Leyte, asin municipio kan Catarman, Northern Samar. Mandato sa OET pinamamayohan ni Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Gerald Mosquera na iyo an mag-investigar sa mga sinangat na reclamo contra sa arin man na oficiales lokal asin environmental protection official, sagcod na mag-recomendar nin iimponer na penalidad o pagsangat nin caso criminal. Gobierno nacional dai makahagad foreign aid Dai na maglaom an mga alcalde sa rehiyon Bikol na tinamaan kan super typhoon ‘Nina’ na matatabangan sinda kan gobierno nacional na mahagadan nin ayuda para sa rinibong victima nin calamidad envez an mga lokal na gobierno na sana an directang maghagad nin foreign aid. Ini an tinawan duon sa mga pahayag ni Bise Presidente Leni Robredo sa ginibong press conference sa sarong hotel sa Ciudad nin Naga matapos kan saiyang miting sa sampulong mga alcalde na enterong piglaila nin bagyo an saindang lugar. Nagpapadagos na an mga ginigibong rehabilitasyon na hale sa fondo lokal asin donasyon gikan sa pribadong sector alagad kaipuhan an dugang na fondo gikan sa foreign assistance nganing makabangon an mga victima kan nakaaging calamidad, sabi pa kan bise presidente. Matapos maglamasa si ‘Nina’ sa mga provincia kan Catantuanes, Albay asin Camarines Sur an ika-duwang pamayo kan nacion sa paagi kan pig-organisar na Tindog Bikol nagkalap nin mga ayuda gikan sa pribadong sector nganing matawan tolos nin relief goods an mga afectadong familia. Saiya pang pig-osipon na nakipag-olay na siya sa oficiales kan United Nations Development Program (UNDP) asin European Union (EU), alagad an sabi kaipuhan maghagad tabang iyo an govierno nacional sa UNDP asin EU envez hinahagad niya na an mga LGUs na sana an directang maghagad nin ayuda sa saindang agencia. Sinabi pa ni Robredo mientras na bukas an agencias kan EU asin UNDP na magtao nin asistencia pinaabot niya ini sa mga alcalde na sinda na sana an directang maghagad nin tabang. Magigirumduman matapos kan super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ sa Ciudad nin Tacloban an USA asin iba pang foreign aid agencies marikas si pagpadara nin ayuda sa mga victima kan calamidad alagad digdi sa Bikol dai pa nakakarecibe nin tabang gikan sa ibang nacion. An Estados Unidos asin an EU parating tinatabuga ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte sagcod na sinasabihan na dai kaipuhan an ano man na ayuda. Pigtutubodan kan ibang sector na iyo na ini an efecto kan liderato ni Duterte na mahelig makipag-iwal sa ibang mga nacion. Si Alcalde Margie Aguinillo kan Buhi, Camarines Sur na nagrepresentar kan sampulong mga jefe ejecutivo na iyo an pinaka-grabing na-afectaran kan bagyo an saindang banwaan, kaibanan ni VP Robredo kan mag-atubang sa press conference, nagsabi na an problema sa burokrasya saro sa nakaka-abala na maparikas an rehabilitasyon. Sinabi pa kaini, na mayo na sindang problema sa relief goods envez kaipuhan iyo an tabang nganing mapatindog an nagkagarabang harong. An sampulong mga banwaan sa Bikol na iyo an enterong nagulpi kan nakaaging calamidad iyo an Bato, Baras, asin San Andres sa Catanduanes, Tiwi sa provincia nin Albay asin Buhi, Pili, Sagnay, Bula, Ocampo asin Pasacao sa Camarines Sur. (DPA) Sinabi pa ni Robredo na an saindang ginibong consultasyon sa mga alcalde nganing matabangan sa rehabilitasyon an saindang banwaan na presente man iyo an mga representante gikan sa Department of Agriculture, DSWD, Office of Civil Defense, DepEd, Philippine Coconut Authority, asin DTI. An DSWD nakatalaan man magtaong P5 mil bilang shelter assistance sa mga familia na nawaran nin harong alagad itatao sa bulan pa nin Febrero mientras an iba pang agencia nagtaong listahan nin documentos sa mga alcalde na dapat iproceso nganing matawan nin asistencia. Sanitary landfill dai kabale sa 2017 annual budget Dawa kabale na an Ciudad nin Naga sa mga billionaire city alagad kinakaipuhan mag-utang sa bangko an lokal na gobierno nganing matostosan nin milyones pesos na fondo an pagbugtak nin sanitary landfill mientras na dai kaayon ini sa P1.1 bilyon na 2017 annual budget. Ini an piglinaw ni Alcalde John Bongat kasunod kan naging mainit na discusyon sa sesyon regular kan Martes, Enero 24 sa Sangguniang Panlungsod sa pagcuestion ni Consejal Mila Raquid-Arroyo kun tano ta kaipuhan pang mag-utang an City Hall envez na dapat kuanon na sa sadiring fondo. ‘Kaipuhan hale na sa local na fondo envez na mag-utang sa bangko mientras na igwa pa nganing binabayadan an ciudad sa inutang sa pagpaconstruhir kan JMR Coliseum’, sabi pa Alagad sinabi kan jefe ejecutivo kun ibinale kan SP sa 2017 annual budget an dakulang cantidad na gagamiton sa SLF dai na kuta kaipuhan mag-utang sa bangko. An jefe ejecutivo naging bisita kan SP sa sesyon nganing makatabang sa paglinaw sa plano kan proyecto na kaipuhan nang marealisar mantang puponan na an partial closure kan Balatas dumpsite. Sa sinambit na sesyon an Technical Working Group (TWG) na pinamamayohan ni City Planning Officer Willy Prilles, saiyang nang pigpresentar sa SP an ginibong feasibility study sa ibubugtak sa Sanitary Landfill sa Barangay San Isidro na kun haen duwang option an saiyang pigpresentar. An Option A – para sa tolong hectaryang lote na gagastosan nin P203 milyon alagad magagamit na aponan basura sa laog sana nin 2.8 taon mantang an Option B – para sa 4.85 hectaryang lote na kaipuhan an mas dakulang fondo na nagcacantidad nin P243 milyon asin magagamit na tambakan basura sa laog nin 5.14 taon. Alagad dakul na mga kahapotan sa TWG an miembros kan SP arog ninda Consejales Arroyo, Jun Lavadia, Salvador Del Castillo asin Gregoria Abonal na hinahanapan nin tamang kasimbagan na kabale na digdi kun saen ibubugtak an propuestontg waste to energy mantang maeenot an SLF. Naging mainit na an discusyon sagcod na nagkasurondo an SP na magtalaan nin special session ngonian na aldaw na an agenda nakatutok sana sa SLF. Si Bise Alcalde Nelson Legacion, pamayo kan SP nagsabi na naglalaom siya na matatapos man giraray an discusyon nganing maresolveran na an na-aabalang proyecto sa basurahan. Kun dai matapos sa sesyon ngonian na aldaw liwat matalaan sinda nin special session para sana sa sinambit na isyu. 63% kan residentes sa BJMP may mga caso sa droga An Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) sa Barangay Del Rosario, Ciudad nin Naga na igwang capacidad para sa 120 residente alagad 63 por ciento kan 501 residentes digdi nag-aatubang nin caso sa ilegal na droga. Igwang kagabsan na trecientos veinte (320) residentes mga caso sa ilegal na droga an saindang inaatubang alagad nagparadugang si numero sa caso kasunod kan piglansar na guierra sa droga kan administrasyon ni Duterte. Si JO2 Robert Nanale, parataram kan BJMP Naga nagsabi na cada dormitoryo igwang cuarentang residentes na saindang pigkakanigo sa doceng dormitory na consideradong haloag pa kun itatampad sa mga district jail sa Manila. Base sa listahan sa Provincial Prosecutors Office kan Camarines Sur nagparalangkaw si caso sa ilegal na droga puon kan Junio 2016 hasta Diciembre 31, 2016 sa tahaw kan mahiwas na mga operasyon kan PNP sa mga envuelto sa droga na nagkaka-darakop sa paagi kan buy-bust operation asin iba pang lihitimong operasyon. Kun dating mga prisonero an apod sa sainda alagad sa ngonian sinakat na sa apod na residente mientras na si selda inapod naman na dormitoryo. An Naga City Police Office (NCPO) asin manijamiento kan sinambit na district jail sa directiva ni Chief Supt. Melvin Buenafe, pamayo kan Bikol nag-orden na maglansar nin Oplan Galogad sa mga dormitoryo na ginibo kan Martes, Enero 24 alagad mayo man nin dakulang mga contrabando an nasamsam envez man plastic sachet sa ilegal na droga. Nakatalaan investigaran kan BJMP kun siisay an posibleng nasa likod sa pagpulsit nin droga sa mga residentes mientras na 63 por ciento sa sainda mga envuelto sa droga asin digdi nalalaom an drug lord sa Bikol na si Victor Rosales. SA CASURECO III Pagsa-pribado dapat buhayon Panahon nang buhayon kan miembros-consumedores kan Camarines Sur III Electric Cooperative (Casureco III) an orolay sa pagsa-pribado kan cooperativang ini na sagcod sa ngonian nakaka-disganar an servicio apesar personajes na kan National Electrification Administration (NEA) an nagpapadalagan. An isyu sa pagsapribado enot nang pig-orolayan mga duwang taon na an nakakaagi matapos putpotan nin suplay nin corriente an cooperativa huli kan dai nakakabayad kan consumo sa corriente sa saindang power supplier mala ngani pig-take over naman an manijamiento kan NEA. Afuera pa kaini, bagulbolan an ginigibong power restoration matapos kan paglamasa ni bagyong ‘Nina’ na afectado na an negociantes asin rinibong consumedores nin electricidad. Ini an mga pahayag ni Alcalde Marchie Aguinillo kan Buhi, Camarines Sur kan makuanan nin entrevista kan media sa Ciudad nin Naga kasunod kan saiyang pag-atubang sa press conference kaibanan si Bise Presidente Leni Robredo na ginibo sa Avenue Plaza Hotel. Permi pang nagkakaigwa nin brownout, dai maipaliwanag an pagparalangkaw kan electric bill kan consumedores asin mayo pang director an distrito kan Buhi, sabi pa kan Alcalde. Si Engr. Desuyo, hale sa NEA iyo an nagtutukaw na Project Supervisor asin Acting General Manager padagos na inuuran nin mga tuyaw kan consumedores asin oficiales lokal sa Rinconada area sa atubangan kan atrasadong power restoration. Alagad an paliwanag kan manijamiento na dai tolos maparikas an rehabilitasyon mientras na an Rinconada area saro sa nagrabe si daños kan paglamasa ni bagyong ‘Nina’ kan Diciembre 25, 2016. Kinakarkulong labi sa P100 milyon an daños sa mga poste, transformer, asin sa mga linya sa anom na mga banwaan na sakop kan coverage area kan cooperativa. Sinabi pa ni Alcalde Aguinillo sa saindang lugar an centro pa sana kan saindang banwaan an napapailawan alagad dai pa maaraman kun nuarain maiilawan an iba pang mga barangay. An Ciudad nin Iriga iyo an centro de negocio asin educacion sa Rinconada area alagad dai pa ngani na cincuenta por ciento an napapabulosan nin suplay nin corriente. An PS/AGM nag-atubang na sa sesyon regular kan Sangguniang Panlungsod sa Iriga asin nagpangako na aaboton pa sa bulan nin Febrero magiging sangatos por ciento mapapabulosan nin corriente an mga banwaan na sakop kan cooperativa. An mga distrito na sakop kan Casureco III, kinababalehan kan Balatan, Buhi, Bula, Bato, Nabua asin Ciudad nin Iriga na igwang maabot sa 70 mil na miembros-consumedores an cooperativa. Nagtatabang sa power restoration sa Rinconada district iyo an mga linemen gikan sa Leyte Electric Cooperative, Cabanatuan Electric Cooperative, asin Dagupan Electric Cooperative na nagpasabot na sa manijamiento na abot nalang sinda sa Enero 31.

EDITORIAL Lousy cops THERE are good cops and there are bad cops. But there are more lousy cops, and their tribe is hopelessly increasing, making us wonder from what police training schools did they come from. At Naga City rotunda where a police station is situated right across the intersection of the national highway and Panganiban, Magsaysay, and Roxas Avenues, traffic snarls are a daily occurrence, especially on rush hours and even on unexpected time of day when extra-ordinary volume of vehicles come rushing in and out of the city, exasperated motorists would rarely see a uniformed cop from that police station making an extra effort to come out and help direct traffic and put order on that messy spot. This, even as more incidents of robberies are happening in homes and subdivisions within the area of jurisdiction of that same police station, many of them unsolved up to this day. One of such subdivisions is situated adjacent to the provincial police station that stands on land donated by the developer of that same subdivision. But instead of expecting a more secured village, the homeowners complained of poachers ransacking their homes while they were out for work. Then there are the snatchers who run off with hapless women’s shoulder bags, especially on the darker corners not far from the subdivision’s entrance road adjacent to the gate of the said provincial police station. Naturally, the victims would come to report to that provincial police station for quick assistance. And, heck, what did the provincial cops tell the victim? She should have proceeded to the city police (which office is a kilometer or more away) because the supposed crime happened outside of their jurisdiction. The provincial police office, he wanted to tell the ignoramuses among us, serves only the province of Camarines Sur and its municipalities that are independent of the city, which ironically makes us city dwellers understand that they, the provincial policemen, have no business doing in the city but with their police office virtually squatting on a lot that is within the territorial jurisdiction of the city government. In another irritating incident, a policeman rides a jeepney that the driver seems to personally know. In fairness to the young cop, he paid his fare accordingly and that’s good. Now, here’s the bad news: the driver, despite, or inspite of, his uniformed passenger, would stop at corners and No Loading/Unloading Zone like he owns every square meter of the road with nary a whimper of protest or an iota of scolding from that man whom we thought should be a law enforcer. The policeman, upon reaching his destination, simply stepped out of the PUV as if nothing irregular happened. And to add more to our sorrow, many senior police officers have this cockeyed mindset about being accorded [falsely]with military ranks when such entitlements had long been scrapped or “decommissioned,” since the Philippine National Police (PNP) was created by a congressional fiat as the country’s sole armed police force that is of “civilian character.” They are flattered and they show it even if they looked like poor copycats when addressed as “General” or “Colonel” or “Major” when in fact they should be addressed as “Chief Superintendent”, “Senior Superintendent”, and “Chief Inspector”, respectively. (On the other hand, an SPO4 does not prefer to be addressed as “Master Sergeant” because the latter, despite its military ring to it still sounds as “lowly.”) These police officers must be advised, for their own honor, self-respect and loyalty to the police organization, to refrain from adopting or nurturing such military titles because such titles are not meant for the police. Although the Philippine National Police originated from the merged Philippine Constabulary (PC) and the Integrated National Police (INP), the Philippine National Police which was established under R.A. 6975 is the country’s police force which is “national in scope and civilian in character,” hence, the civilian police’s appropriate non-military titles or ranks. Selda numero 10 Disaster resiliency Jose B. Perez ONCE again, our senior news reporter Johnny Escandor is taking over as editor-in-chief of this paper for the third week now since I took leave for a brief family vacation that was extended with the untimely demise of my beloved mother whom we buried last weekend. Then I had to fly to Manila Monday to attend the A-PAD Philippines international Symposium 2017 the following day at Heritage Hotel, Pasay City. I am part of the Bicol delegation as officer of the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) which is the lead convenor of the newly-established A-PAD Metro Naga. A-PAD, or Asia-Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management, is a trans-national disaster aid alliance that works to facilitate cooperation and understanding between governments, private companies, and NGOs in the Asia Pacific Region. Its member-countries to date, aside from the Philippines, are Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan and hopes to add more within this year. A-PAD develops national platforms that facilitate cooperation among public and private groups for natural disasters in the Asia Pacific nations. When a large-scale disaster hits Asia, each national platform, the members of A-PAD, collaborates internationally to undertake disaster relief activities. The one-day symposium was attended by delegates from various advocate member-organizations from Northern Luzon, National Capital Region, Bicol, Visayas, and Mindanao, apart from representatives coming from Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh, Japan, Korea, and the USA. The symposium, with Sen. Francis ‘Kiki’ Pangilinan as keynote speakers, believes that transfer of knowledge, increasing capacity, sharing of information and best practices for governance in preparedness, emergency response and disaster risk reduction will strengthen the capacity and resilience of individual countries and the Asia Pacific Region as a whole. Among the other speakers were Rene S, Meily, president of Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation; Dr. Susana Balingit, chairperson of the Citizens’ Disaster Response Center Foundation; Faisal Djala, chairperson of A-PAD; Koji Otani, First Secretary-Economic Section of the Embassy of Japan to the Philippines; Firzan Hashim, Deputy Executive Director of Consortium of Humanitarian Studies of Sri Lanka; and Guillermo Luz of the National Competitiveness Council and of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation. It is to be noted that the co-chair of A-Pad Philippines is a Bicolana, in the person of Lourdes Louella Escandor, who gave a recap of the symposium and the future goals and way forward that A-PAD plans to achieve in 2017. One of the matters discussed during the symposium is understanding the vulnerability of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to disasters and their role in the economic recovery of affected communities. It was emphasized in the discussion that close collaboration between the public and private sectors is important for the purpose of delivering effective and efficient disaster assistance through disaster preparedness, risk reduction, relief and recovery. Relevant facts have been raised in the symposium. For instance, it was pointed out that our country is vulnerable to disasters due to its physical characteristics, geographical location, and socio-economic and political condition. It ranked 3rd in the world for having the highest risk to disasters and 4th for having the highest number of disasters from 1995 to 2015. The five most frequent and costliest hazards in terms of economic damage are (in the following cascading order) are: typhoon, fire, drought, flood, and ITCZ/continuous rains. An average of 20 typhoons hit the country every year. Five of these are destructive. The country has 300 volcanos, which makes it even more prone to natural hazards. The country loses an average of P300B from natural disasters and calamities every year. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Crisis Prevention and Recovery, MSMEs in developing countries, like the Philippines, are considered to be more vulnerable to natural hazards than larger firms, given the more limited range of risk-management system they can access. The country’s exposure to natural hazards incurs heavy economic disruption that largely contributes to the slow development growth of our country. It should be noted that there are about a million of business enterprises operating in the country and 99.58% of them are MSMEs. Only 4,011, or 0.42% are large enterprises. These MSMEs, aside from creating jobs and more equitable income distribution, supply local available materials, in processed and semi-processed forms, to large firms. There are two important legislations that support the reduction of vulnerabilities of MSMEs: (1) R.A. 10121, or the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, which aims to develop a framework and roll resources that will enable the national government, the local government units, and other stakeholders to build communities that can survive disasters. This law also empowers regional and local disaster management bodies in terms of responsibilities and funding of DRRM initiatives. (2) R.A. 9729, or Climate Change Act of 2009, that aims to integrate the concept of climate change in various phases of policy formulation, development plans, poverty reduction strategies, and other government development tools and techniques. This Act mandates the government to encourage the participation of national and local government, businesses, NGOs, and local communities and public to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. BLIND SPOT The hand that moves the wave Joseph Ochoa A helpless wave is sweeping across the world in the past months; and is threatening to continue to do so in the coming months and years. Last year, Philippine political and social institutions were rocked and shocked when the electorate granted overwhelming victory to now President Rodrigo Duterte, a head of state who goes against conventions and traditions, with his populism and anti-establishment leadership. Populism, (as I looked up in the dictionary), is a belief in the power of regular people, and in their right to have control over their government rather than a small group of political insiders, intellectuals, traditional political parties, or a wealthy elite. The new brand of populism of this present age has added to its ideals an antagonistic stand towards immigrants and foreign influences. In a symphonic tone with it is anti-establishment, a view that stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. Duterte has since the start, waved his banner of populism with this slogan of “Change is coming”; suggesting of an overhaul of existing political traditions. It seems that he has been presenting himself as the champion of the common, regular Filipino against the elite who (by implication from “coming change”) have been complacent with the problem with drugs, and corruption, that he is bringing this fight in his own hands by means of unconventional strategies (with popular support). He has been outspokenly; verbally hostile against the United States, something that is both populist and anti-establishment, and something that is totally un-Filipino. (Not that I’m endorsing colonial mentality; but have you ever imagined a Filipino cosmonaut?) He has opposed social, Philippine political and economic conventions, with his disregard for ethical speech, indifference towards religion, degrading comments against women, disrespect for history and what else? I don’t know what he’ll think of next. Even in the campaign period, Donald Trump has been shaking the pillars of American conventions with his presentation of himself as representative of the working class American about to lead the nation to become great again. (Come on, a multibillionaire, a representative of the working class?) He has caused anxieties among the ethnic groups in the United States by; lashing out against Mexicans, Muslims, Arabs, and that ridiculous idea of a US-Mexico wall, and plans to withdraw US support from international military defense, and economic treaties (a clear distaste towards international cooperation). He has made movements against the establishments of the Republican norms, the conventions of gentlemanly respect for women and opponents, and the centuries honored American tradition of openness to migrants; (as if overlooking the historical fact that the Irish, Italians, Scots, Anglo-Saxons and all other Caucasians were once immigrants in the plains of the Sioux and the Apache). The most troubling matter is he is now, the President of the United States of America. The regular British citizenry have voted for BREXIT, right in the face of the elite, the intellectuals who have long espoused unity among nations, and a single economy; breaking British conventions of international cooperation as had been put forth in the Allies, the Commonwealth. The Italian people have voted NO to a referendum for constitutional reform which supposedly would user in political stability; and has consequently led to the resignation of Prime Minister Mateo Renzi (which he promised to do so in the victory of a NO vote), a movement which shows a concurrence of populism with the Italian masses uniting against the political elite, moving against political and economic conventions of establishment. In France, the victory of Marine Le Pen, who seems cut from the same cloth as Trump is; warning against immigrants and foreign treaties, seems impending. In the Netherlands, a similar movement seems to be preparing to pounce, as similar BREXIT sentiments are gaining popularity. Even in China, there seems to be a growing surge of anti-establishment populism. We are seeing a worldwide “the triumph of those who preach strong action over rule of law, unilateralism instead of cooperation and the interests of the majority above the rights of ethnic and religious minorities.” (https://www.washingtonpost.com) You know what’s interesting, fellow Filipinos? We already had a populist anti-establishment for a President, well before BREXIT, the Trump victory, and whatever else would come. We are world trendsetters. What is this? A fallout of reason? The looming death of globalization? They couldn’t have possibly all sat in a conference and agreed, “Hey, let’s all run for office”. Did we miss a world working class congress in which they ratified a series of anti-establishment campaigns? Maybe we could call in a political analyst; but we could observe that this wave transcends cultures and continents that one has to recognize that in this world, in life itself, a Hand moves that would be unexplained by human wisdom, unpredicted by history, that no elite could hinder it. “For the kingdom is the LORD’S And He rules over the nations” Psalm 22:28 Good Morning Judge On death penalty Eufronio K. Maristela Judge (Ret.) IT HAS been reported both on TV and print media, that the bill restoring the death penalty will be the subject of plenary debate in the House this coming week. Reports are that under the proposed "Death Penalty Law", the penalty of death by hanging, firing squad or lethal injection shall be imposed on 21 major offenses, including treason, qualified piracy, murder, rape, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, plunder and dangerous drug offenses. Presently, the Constitution bans the imposition of death penalty except for heinous crimes if Congress provides for it. Hence, upon effectivity of the l986 Constitution "any death penalty already imposed shall be reduced to reclusion perpetua (life imprisonment). It is interesting to note that President Rodrigo Duterte has openly espoused for the imposition of death penalty. With majority of the members of the Lower House coming from the President's party, the passage of the death penalty law is a done deal. In fact, last December, the House justice committee has already approved a substitute bill allowing the return of capital punishment for heinous crimes and the bill is reportedly in the plenary for second and third reading. Statistics, however, support the reality that capital punishment is in fact not a deterrent to crime. Its dehumanizing effect in society causes more crimes to be committed. As one Massachusetts legislator by the name of Robert Rantoul Jr. once said, "After every instance in which the law violates the sanctity of human life, that life is held less sacred by the community among whom the outrage is perpetrated." Last December 30, I chanced upon my good friend Ernie Verdadero during the annual Ateneo Alumni Homecoming mass and he handed me a copy of "The Best of Nick Prieto," a compilation of Nick Prieto's writings (features and columns) that appeared in metropolitan magazines and Bicol weeklies. The compilation was made through the efforts of Francis T. Nacianceno, Jr., the first editor of the Bicol Mail. Through this column I wish to thank Francis for gifting me a copy of the book. One article ("Community Journalism That Was") reminds me on how I started to write for the Bicol Mail sometime in 1960 while I was waiting for the result of the Bar Examinations. My hang-out then was the canteen of the Bicol Mail where my best friend Rufo Tuy, Jr. was then a staff writer. Perhaps noting my almost daily presence at the Mail's canteen, the late owner-publisher Leon Sa. Aureus asked me to join the Mail as staff writer for P60.00 a month. Bicol Mail's editor then was the late Pons Ocampo. TRIVIA: Congratulations to AdeNU high school '54 batch mates Jose "Peping" Favinir and Belindo "Endoy" Tordilla who are the birthday celebrants for January. A fellowship luncheon will be tendered by them for their batch mates and their spouses on January 30 at Bob Marlin Resto-Bar. QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: "I BELIEVE IN THE SACREDNESS OF A PROMISE, THAT A MAN'S WORD SHOULD BE AS GOOD AS HIS BOND; THAT CHARACTER - NOT WEALTH OR POWER OR POSITION - OF SUPREME WORTH." JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER,JR. FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE: "SO GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE; IN HIS OWN IMAGE HE CREATED THEM." GEN. 1:27 Siling Labuyo Dim Mak By Al Villamora Retired Brigadier General Victor Corpus introduced us through his columns in the Manila Times the word Dim Mak. Corpus associated Dim Mak to a Chinese strategy to defeat the United States. In past columns, Corpus explored the use of ballistic missiles and American arrogance as Dim Mak points that could bring America to its knees. Dim Mak is a Chinese invention that is often related to martial arts. The fighter having knowledge of these Dim Mak or pressure points can severely damage or kill the opponent by striking on these pressure points. His recent column focused on the U.S. dollar’s vulnerability from the Chinese standpoint. Corpus has this habit of propping up China at the expense of the United States. His previous Dim Mak points have been debunked by Siling Labuyo as overly exaggerated to make China appear very strong militarily and given a superpower status when in reality, China just like Russia are regional powers. The United States is the only superpower recognized on the planet. The designation does not only consider military strengths but also other variables such as its economy. Corpus believes that one of the pillars that props up America’s superpower status and economic dominance is borne by the dollar being the world currency. As such, countries piles up on their dollar reserves to maintain their own currency’s desired value to the dollar. Being the world currency, exports and imports are transacted using the dollar, in most cases. The dollar is actually not the only currency is used in trade; the euro, yuan, and yen being the others depending on the contracting parties. Corpus’ point is that the mightiness of the dollar can be a double edged sword that could be America’s Achilles heel - a run on the U.S. dollar could result to a free fall and economic ruin for America. He then posited that China, Russia and Iran have the power to create such havoc and eventual collapse of the world accepted currency. This is really nothing new because the idea of such happening have been brought out before by the Soviets during their heyday and much like the prediction that the big earthquake from the San Adreas Fault will happen soon and bring untold misery. Fifty years and many Hollywood movies later, the big one is yet to materialize. Same is true with the dollar. The scenarios that Corpus pointed out are based on certain facts but erroneous assumptions. For example, China’s foreign exchange reserve is at $3.12 trillion dollars. China also owns $1.15 trillion dollars of the U.S. sovereign debt. He refers to these two items as China’s aces against the United States. Collectively, he also mentioned petro dollars that could be also affected with Russia, Iran, or Saudi Arabia’s decision to stop using the dollar for petro sales. Kind of convoluted but let us focus first on China. China having the aces mentioned above could determine the day of the dollar reckoning, according to Corpus. Having made all the preparations like having more gold reserves and semi-world bank that China can just one day announce that it would no longer use the dollar and use its own Yuan instead as a world currency. Henceforth, Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia will follow suit by announcing it will no longer use the dollar for their petros, and so on with the rest of the world’s central banks following suit thus the end of the mighty dollar. There is a big problem with this assumption. Number one, none of these countries will possibly do that because they will be harming themselves. If the dollar tanks, so are their dollar investments and foreign reserves. If one looks at the top ten of the world who has the most dollar reserves, the United States is not even one of them. Its foreign reserve is less than $200 billion dollars. Brazil has more with over $300 billions. Plainly, the reasons these countries hoard more dollars has more something to do with propping up the value of their own currencies. Thus as a cycle, when the peso is stronger than the dollar, means the dollar is weaker compared to the pesos. When the United States and Europe imposed economic sanctions against Russia, the ruble (Russian currency) tumbled and Russia had to infuse more of its dollar reserves to its economy to stabilize the value of the ruble. Russia could have used its influence around the world to devalue the dollar by having them switch to euro or yuan but couldn’t. Euro is more expensive and yuan is discredited given China’s manipulation of its own currency. Despite China’s vast holdings, its economy is in big trouble because for years China has relied on exports particularly to the United States to attain its economic status. Devaluing the dollar would also mean that Chinese products become too expensive to produce and export. For a country with billions of citizens, countryside factories are relying on producing cheap products to sustain their livelihoods. When Russia prevented its own citizens from going to Europe as tourists in retaliation for the economic sanctions, Europe’s tourism suffered given that they rely so much on Russian tourists. Since the tourists stopped coming in big numbers, stores were stuck with Chinese made souvenirs and had to cut back orders. With decreased demand for Chinese products, many Chinese factory workers were laid off creating tension between the workers and the Chinese government. Politburo leaders are much aware of the dangers of the poor rising again because of soaring unemployment and poverty. Mao Tse Tung harnessed the anger of the masses longtime ago to topple the government. In practical terms, the $1.15 trillion dollars that the U.S. owed to China is more of China’s problem than the U.S. because China must collect to have that money and China will not get that sum until hell freezes over. Oil producers also need the U.S. market for its product. By liberalizing the fracking industry, the United States has become less dependent on OPEC oil. Saudi Arabia cannot align with Russia or Iran because of its own ambitions in the Middle East. As the preeminent Sunni Arab leader, It needs the U.S. backing to allow it to continue to serve as a counter balance to Islamic Iran’s hegemonic ambitions in that part of the world. America’s debt to China is staggering at over one trillion and is sobering enough but that is only 20% of America’s sovereign debt and the great bulk is actually owed from its own citizens through stocks, bonds, etc. Worse come to worse, Americans will not allow Chinese hegemony over the dollar and most certainly, not over its debt. Besides, the U.S. economy is doing much better compared to the world because of the fiscal policies it implemented during the economic crash back in 2007-2008. Bottom line here is that America has the biggest economy in the world and the strength of the dollar is more dictated by economic growth which the U.S. is experiencing and interest rates. When the Feds raised the interest rate, it actually propelled the value of the dollar upwards. Thus, monetary policies such as raising interest rates are not done willy nilly. By keeping the interest rate at zero for years helped the U.S. economy recover and the value of dollar at manageable levels. China needs to worry more of its own Dim Mak with the looming U.S-Russo alliance under President Donald Trump. In particular, Trump is targeting China for its trade predatory practices and could be in for a rude awakening. A trade war could be China’s Achilles heel because while it will hurt both countries, it will hurt China more due to the destabilizing effect it would have on its own people who rely heavily on export production.

7th CEACAL teachers’ congress held NAGA CITY - Themed “New Spirit, New Fervor in the Current Educational Setting”, the annual CEACAL (Catholic Educational Association of Caceres and Libmanan) Teachers’ Congress was held last January 13 at the Regent Convention Center, Naga Regent Hotel. The said event was attended by 23 Catholic schools and 787 members. Pyramid Power Keynote speaker Mr. Earnest L. Tan, R.G.C. (Registered Guidance Counselor) spoke with regards to the “Pyramid Power for Enhancing Personal Efficacy”. He explained that the pyramid is a symbol of strength and duration and its structure shows the four dimensions of Personal Efficacy: power, passion, possibilities, and perspective, through which one gains the capacity to reach his/her goals and to make things happen. New Set of Officers Naga Parochial School Director Fr. Rex Andrew C. Alarcon was re-elected as President, while the other officers are as follows: Vice-President - Sr. Irene C. Anapi, FAS (Colegio de Sta. Rita Foundation, Inc. Directress); Secretary - Mrs. Rosario B. Olalia, Principal, Naga Parochial School; Treasurer - Sr. Francia C. Opiana, ACI Directress; Auditor - Sr. Stephanie Chang, S.S.H (St. Joseph School Directress) A celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist with Alarcon as the main celebrant capped the whole-day affair. (Joeza Boncodin) THE WORD OF THE LORD Gospel MT 5:1-12A When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” Prayer for the Parish Loving God, you gather us as a people of the new covenant sealed with the blood of your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. You formed us into a community of faith, hope and love; a priestly, prophetic and kingly people. Humbly we ask you, make our parishes truly a communion of communities; a worshipping community, a witnessing and an evangelizing community, and a servant community. Guide our pastors, the religious and lay leaders, and all those who labor in the parish, with your wisdom and love. Bless all the parishioners who compose the parish and BEC’s, as they offer their time, talents and treasures as stewards of the graces you gifted us, for the building up of your Church. May the Holy Spirit enlighten, inspire and invigorate us to actively participate in the mission you entrusted to us in the parish. May we continue to be a discerning community, reading the signs of the times and interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. May we truly become the leaven in society by penetrating all its strata with the Gospel and restoring its order according to the values of the Kingdom. And may the spirit of collaboration and co-responsibility bring us into a fuller and fruitful communion with you and with one another. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. May we truly become the leaven in society by penetrating all its strata with the Gospel and restoring its order according to the values of the Kingdom. And may the spirit of collaboration and co-responsibility bring us into a fuller and fruitful communion with you and with one another. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. - For the weekly box: Year of the Parish SURAT KI FATHER Dear Father, Tano ta kaipuhan po magin miyembro nin parokya? Puede man po baga magpalipat-liwat nin parokya. Minagalang, Stella Dear Stella, Totoo, dakul asin madali sana an magpalipat-liwat nin parokya. Alagad kaipuhan romdomon na kita, dawa sa bagong tipan (new testament) inaapod na magin sarong banwaan, sarong simbahan, sarong comunidad. Liwat uliton niato an awit: ‘Daing siisay man ang nabubuhay para sa sadiri sana.’ Siring man yaon sa naturaleza nin tawo an makipag-kapwa (social nature). An lambang saro sato miyembro nin familia asin nin comunidad -arog kan sosyedad. An obligasyon niato bako sana para sa sadiri, kundi para sa kapwa asin sa comunidad. Siring man, an Simbahan -sa paagi kan parokya igua nin katongdan na pangatamanan an salud kan mga kalag asin tawan nin magkakanigong atensyon an pagtalubo kan mga paratubod. Kaya man an sarong teritoryo itinatalaga sa pangataman nin sarong obispo; dyocesis an apod kaini. An sarong dyocesis binibilog nin mga parokya, na pinapamayohan nin padi or cura parroco. An mga familia na yaon sa sarong particular na teritoryo iyo man an minabilog kan parokya. Sa laog kan parokya inaako an mga sakramento. An sarong omboy o sarong persona nagigin miyembro kan parokya sa paagi kan bonyag -na iyo an enot na sakramento na inaako. Sa parokya asin sa cura parroco itinatao an pangataman espiritwal kan mga parokyano. An bonyag iyo kutana an pag-rehistro kan sarong bagong miyembro sa parokya asin sa simbahan. Alagad aram ta man sana na puedeng magpabonyag sa ibang lugar, pati na man an pag-ako kan ibang sakramento. An pangataman yaon sa cura parroco, kun kaya minahagad nin permiso sa pag-ako nin ibang sakramento, arog baga kan kasal, sa sadiring parokya. Siring man an tawag (marriage banns) sa pagkasal ginigibo sa sadiring parokya. Huli ta sa sadiring parokya midbid man an mga kakasalon. Alagad sa ngonian, kaipuhan man niatong midbidon na dakul na mga parokyano an dai namamate na sinda miyembro kan parokya. Nagsisimba man an iba alagad sagkod sa pagsimba sana an pagpartisipar sa buhay kan parokya. Sarong dahelan kaini iyo na kun minsan kulang man an programa sa parokya tanganing makapagpartisipar an mga miyembro. Alagad padagos na inaagyat an mga parokyano na maghiras kan saindang kakayahan, kayamanan asin panahon tanganing padagos pang magtalubo an parokya. Digdi sa Arkidyocesis kan Caceres padagos an pagmukna nin mga bagong parokya, boot sabihon mga bagong comunidad nin mga Catolico. Nagsasakit an sakop nin saro asin pinapadarhan nin padi tanganing orog na masimbagan an mga pangangaipo espiritwal kan mga tawo. An pag bilang kan mga miyembro nin bagong parokya susog man sa mga residente nin sarong teritoryo. An pagcelebrar niato kan Year of the Parish pangapodan man sato na padagos na magtrabaho para sa pagtalubo kan satong mga comunidad. Salamat sa saimong hapot. Minagalang, Father

DIYALOGO. Pinangenotan ni Alcalde John Bongat (ika-apat hale sa wala) an saiyang pig-iniciar na diyalogo entre kan Casureco II, NEA, City Hall, media asin iba pang mga sector sa paghanap nin solusyon na maparikas an power restoration sa Ciudad nin Naga. Sa walang retrato sinda ISD Manager Rolly Pante, BECA President An Sylvia Alsisto, PS/AGM Orly Andres, Alcalde Bongat, Consejales Esteban Greg Abonal asin Salvador Del Castillo. Si Consejal Lito Del Rosario (nakatindog) natutuyawan an cooperativa sa kawaran contingency plan sa calamidad asin an grupo kan sektores na nagpaabot nin mga kahapotan asin suhestion sa manijamiento kan Casureco II. (DPA)

NAGA CHAMBER PILLARS. Incumbent President Gilbert Albero (2nd from right) and former presidents (l-r) Philip Imperial, Tony Concencion and Beda Nicolas Priela of the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) preside over the orientation seminar for incoming new members of the chamber’s Board of Directors. Election of new MNCCI Board officers followed after the orientation. BONG VILLACRUZ PHOTO

CASH AID. Relief cash assistance were promptly released a few days after Typhoon Nina hit Naga on Christmas Day for residents whose houses were totally and partially damaged by the devastating typhoon. CEPPIO

Vice President Leni Robredo faces the media eight days after Typhoon Nina to dismiss allegations that she is part of the group planning to oust Pres. Duterte.

ONE of 4,042. Lifted by a boom truck and armed with power saw, these two men from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office of LGU Naga trim a tree along the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Concepcion Grande which was partially struck down by super typhoon Nina (international code name: Nock-ten) last Christmas. The City ENRO placed the number of trees uprooted/toppled won by the tropical cyclone at 4, 042. JBN

Upcoming synod needs young people’s voices -Pope Francis Pope Francis has asked young people to tell him, their bishops and pastors about their hopes and struggles and even their criticisms. As the Catholic Church prepares for a meeting of the Synod of Bishops focused on youth, the pope wrote a letter to young people saying the church wants “to listen to your voice, your sensitivities and your faith, even your doubts and your criticism. Make your voice heard, let it resonate in communities and let it be heard by your shepherds of souls.” The pope’s letter was released Jan. 13 as officials presented the preparatory document for the synod. The document includes a series of questions to be answered by national conferences of bishops and other church bodies. The responses, along with input from young people themselves, will form the basis of the working document for the synod. Pope Francis chose “Young people, faith and vocational discernment” as the theme for the 15th general assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will be held in October 2018. Young people will have an opportunity to contribute to the working document by submitting reflections “on their expectations and their lives” through a dedicated website — http://www.sinodogiovani.va — that will be launched the first week of May, according to Bishop Fabio Fabene, undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops. In his letter, Pope Francis used God’s call to Abraham as a model of God’s call to each believer. The patriarch, he said, “received a compelling invitation, a challenge, to leave everything and go to a new land. What is this ‘new land’ for us today, if not a more just and friendly society which you, young people, deeply desire and wish to build to the very ends of the earth?” “A better world can be built also as a result of your efforts, your desire to change and your generosity,” Pope Francis told young people. “Do not be afraid to listen to the Spirit who proposes bold choices; do not delay when your conscience asks you to take risks in following the Master.” The synod preparatory document offered three chapters for reflection by bishops and youths, which it defines as people roughly between the ages of 16 and 29: young people in today’s world; faith, discernment and vocation; and pastoral activity. Through the synod, the document said, “the church has decided to examine herself on how she can lead young people to recognize and accept the call to the fullness of life and love, and to ask young people to help her in identifying the most effective ways to announce the Good News today.” The church, it said, needs to evaluate its pastoral approach toward young people living in a rapidly-changing world where globalization, technological dominance, as well as economic and social hardships pose significant challenges to discovering their vocational path. “From the vantage point of faith, the situation is seen as a sign of our times, requiring greater listening, respect and dialogue,” the document said. A special focus of the synod, it said, will be “on vocational discernment, that is, the process by which a person makes fundamental choices, in dialogue with the Lord and listening to the voice of the Spirit, starting with the choice of one’s state in life.” Specifically for Christians, it said, the question is: “How does a person live the good news of the Gospel and respond to the call which the Lord addresses to all those he encounters, whether through marriage, the ordained ministry or the consecrated life?” Junno Arocho Esteves/Catholic News Service THE WORD OF THE LORD Gospel MT 4:12-23 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people. SURAT KI FATHER Dear Father, Ano po an boot sabihon kan “Year of the Parish, Community of Communities?” Minagalang, Roda Dear Roda, Iyan an tema para sa taon 2017 kan Simbahan digdi sa Filipinas. An boot sabihon kaini iyo, na an taon na ini ipinapanongod sa mga Parokya bilang sarong comunidad. An parokya katiriponan nin mga familia asin manlaen-laen na grupo nin mga paratubod. An magin sarong Simbahan iyo na magtalubo sa pagkasararo an mga parokyano, an mga familia. An modelo kaini iyo an mga enot na Cristianong comunidad sa Bagong Tipan (New Testament) kun saen an mga Cristiano naghihiras-hirasan kan saindang mga rogaring (hilingon sa Acts 2:35-42). Yaon man an pagkasararo sa puso asin isip. Saro sa realidad kan presenteng panahon iyo an pagkasuruhay o diaspora. Manlaen-laen an mga dahelan kaini; saro na digdi an pangangaipo materyal kan mga familia. Sa paghanap nin trabaho nagkakasuruhay an familia. Sa laog man kan mga banwaan asin simbahan, yaon man an pagkasuruhay kan mga tawo o familia huli kan rason pulitika, huli kan ideolohiya, huli kan man-iba-ibang kultura o ‘background’. Kun kaya sarong tunay na hamon an pagkasararo (communion). An Simbahan padagos na nag-aagyat na magkasararo an mga familia, makahimanwa tanganing magtarabangan; tanganing suportaran an pangangaipo kan lambang saro. An Simbahan mismo inaapod sa pagkasararo. Alagad an mga sugot kan presenteng panahon iyo an ‘indifference’ -ugali nin daing pakiaram; siring man an ‘selfishness’ -pagkamakasadiri. Padagos kitang pinapagiromdom na dai malingaw na kita miyembro nin comunidad. Kaya kaipuhan man na magtabang kita, maghiras man kita kan satong panahon asin kakayahan para sa comunidad orog na sa mga tugang niatong nangangaipo. An mga calamidad, halimbawa pakatapos kan bagyo, bako na boot niato na tamaan kita nin bagyo, kundi na -an pangangaipo kan satong kapwa nagtatao sato nin oportunidad tanganing magluwas sa sadiring natad, tanganing mag-anduyog sa kapwa. Ini okasyon sa pagpatalubo nin comunidad. Nagigiromdoman ko an sarong awit: ‘Daing sisay man an nabubuhay para sa sadiri lamang.’ An sarong ‘focus’ kaining Year of the Parish iyo an inaapod na BEC or Basic Ecclesial Communities. Ini mga saradit na comunidad na grupo nin mga 8 o sampulong familia na nagtitiripon sa pagpangadie, pagtarabangan, pati na sa paghimo nin mga livelihood projects. Sarong apod kaini: saradit na simbahan. Igua na nin mga modelo kaini sa ibang parokya. Sa modelo kan BEC mas hararom an pagkamidbid kan lambang saro sa kapwa; igua nin okasyon nin pag-urulay asin paghiras kan mga ekperiensya sa pagbuhay asin magin sa pag-familia; igua nin pagkakataon na magtarabangan o bayanihan. Orog na namimidbidan kan Cura Parroco an saiyang mga parokyano; siring man an mga lideres namimidbidan an saindang mga miyembro. Alagad igua pa nin ibang mga grupo sa laog kan parokya arog baga kan lay organizations, movements asin associations. Ini man kabali sa pangapodan na magin sarong comunidad. Kabali digdi an paghingowa na madagdagan pa an partisipasyon asin an inaapod na ‘empowerment’ kan mga parokyano. Haloy nang pangitorogan kan Simbahan na an mga parokyano bako sanang magin paradalan kundi mga aktibong partisipante sa buhay kan parokya asin sosyedad; na mamatean kan mga parokyano na sinda parte kan parokya. Ining Year of the Parish parte kan pag-andam para sa taon 2021, an ika-500 taon kan pag-abot kan pagtubod Cristiana digdi sa Filipinas. Kabtang man ini kan padagos na trabaho nin ebangelisasyon. Lugod, orog pang magkaboronyog an mga asosasyon, organisasyon, movimientos, manlaen-laen na grupo, asin mga familia sa laog kan parokya. Maponan man lugod an pagmukna nin mga saradit na comunidad o BECs sa satong mga parokya. Salamat. Maogmang bagong taon saimo. Minagalang, Father

EDITORIAL Resiliency vs typhoons RESILIENCY is better said than done in the face of global warming that spawns more powerful and destructive typhoons never experienced in our lifetime. Known for their resilient character brought about by their exposure to at least 10 typhoons a year, the increasing intensity of typhoon’s wrath challenges the core of the resilient character Bicolanos. Right after Typhoon Nina ravaged the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes we quickly rose to our feet to bring back our normal lives. Across the provinces where Typhoon Nina hit hard, families were busy clearing, cleaning and rebuilding their homes right after the calamity. It’s that way here since one can remember. Bicolanos are not wont to succumb to self-pity when typhoon strikes. They have to stand up again and rebuild their lives, but for how long? The times are changing as the weather morphs from bad to worse. After more than a week since Typhoon Nina ravaged the three provinces, delays in restoration efforts have been observed, especially the toppled power lines which before took only a week or less to be re-energize. When Vice President Leni Robredo visited Camarines Sur eight days after the typhoon hit Bicol, she assessed the apparent delay in power restoration as she compared the situation after Typhoon Glenda. Obviously, she based her observation on the pitiful scenes along the way going to the town of Ocampo where dozens of power lines still lay on the highway. The vice president from Bicol, of course, earned the ire of her political adversaries who turned the table on her for being in the United States when Typhoon Nina came packing winds of up to 185 km per hour. Robredo’s assessment was an honest one. It is not that the responders slept on their jobs and people’s resilient character had receded. The overwhelming magnitude of the typhoon’s wrath was the context of the vice president’s call for urgent response. For one, of the more than 80,000 hectares of farmlands destroyed in Bicol, no less than 60,000 hectares are found in Camarines Sur. It is not surprising that even with the preparations set before the typhoon made the first landfall in Catanduanes, such onslaught cannot be simply mitigated. This should make us realize that the usual preparations against the typhoon’s wrath will not suffice. The mitigation strategy must be upgraded to include development of new technologies that must be resilient, if not resistant, to the increasing strength of the typhoons. The recurring scenes of power lines being knocked to the ground by typhoons requires evaluation of the way power supply should be brought to its consumers. In a country where typhoon is a normal occurrence, would it not be wise to deliver power through underground conveyor? Such formula and procedure may be costly, but in the long run it will prove to be cheaper. In Camarines Sur alone, more than 200 school buildings were destroyed by the last typhoon, many of which are newly built and supposed to withstand strong typhoons. There must be problem in the design. We need to adopt a new design that can withstand a Category 5 typhoon with gustiness of wind reaching more than 280 km/hr. A good example are schools built in Albay under the assistance of the Spanish Agency for International Development after deadly Typhoon Reming devastated that province in 2006. A big challenge is to make accessible and affordable house designs that can withstand typhoons. But how can the government assist 21.6 percent of more than 100 million Filipinos (circa 2015) who are poor? According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, a family of five must spend at least P9,064 per month to meet their food and non-food needs. With 21.6 percent of the Filipinos unable to meet these basic necessities, how can they afford to build a stronger shelter that can protect them from harm? The biggest challenge to sustain the resilient character that Bicolanos are known for is learning how to withstand and adapt to the worsening weather condition that destroys our properties and our limbs. As the carbon emission continues to rise and warm up the oceans and man’s greed consumes our planet, it will not be long that the resilient character that we have cultivated will break down to become an untenable concept against the force of Mother Nature. BICOL BREEZE Underused Andres, Overused Pante Henry V. Briguera That Casureco 2 Project Supervisor and Acting General Manager Orlando Andres is not from Bikol may have partly contributed to what certain quarters have pictured as the lousiest power restoration efforts after a typhoon may be partly correct. But that is being too parochial. Andres is not the cause. He is just one of the effects of the faulty operational and organizational approach being applied in the electric cooperative. The supposed to be the best electric cooperative in the Bicol region has been downgraded over and over again owing primarily to the instability of the managerial hold. It has been marked by very frequent turnover of the people supposed to rein over the operational aspect of the power firm. It has been handled by several OICs for almost two decades already. From Engineer Antonio C. Borja,Jr.,the last general manager who held the position with permanent stratus, about ten have occupied the AGM post with OIC status only. They are: Engr.Rodelo A.Pasumbal, Ms. Merced Ayab, Ms. Jane T. Barrameda, Eddie Adlao, Rolando A. Pante, Ms. Bernadette Gumba, Rolando Pante (again) and Orlando Andes (incumbent). Some have retired or have been made to retire, for varied reasons. There were times also that Atty. Veronica Briones,general manager of Casureco IV,worked as project supervisor of Casureco 2,after having managed briefly the electric cooperative in Albay. The long perceived political under current had symbolically grounded Casureco 2’s operations. In plain, the padrino system caused the electrocution of the system. System loss not only leads to higher power cost. It also results in internal power play. The very frequent turn over of people managing the largest cooperative in Camarines Sur, does not promote stability nor efficiency in its operations, more particularly In times of emergencies, like what has been happening during the last three weeks after typhoon Nina, when there is even a confusion as to who the AGM of Casureco 2 is. Some media outlets did not even know what position is Rolando Pante holding. They keep addressing Pante as AGM, notwithstanding the fact that repeatedly he has been introducing himself as spokesman only of the cooperative, aside from being head of a department. It is gathered that when Andres gets invited to meetings intended to tackle the power restoration works, he usually begs off, for reason or reasons known only to him, as a consequence of which the rather parochial view that he behaves in this manner because he is not from this place would find a certain voltage of support. What is troubling is the sneaking suspicion that NEA allows or promotes the practice. There is also the angle of vested interest particularly among some directors who have enriched themselves. And NEA appears to be part of the whole charade, by providing those in the local scene enough voltage to choke the cooperative to submission. The dysfunction of the board, especially in these times when interest in becoming a director seems to be waning, given the increasingly stringent requirements imposed on aspirant directors, is disturbing. A local court’s injunctive orders that eventuality got reversed with finality on appeal have affected adversely the consumers.It only led to a higher power cost, with the appurtenant penalties and charges. Only those desirous of publicity via professional and/or judicial show off, benefitted. Given such situation, it is urgently necessary to provide Casureco 2 at least a semblance of stability, by hiring a general manager with regular or permanent status, to prevent the flickering quality of the coop’s operation. It causes disruptions of service and even irritation, as there is so much uncertainty in the entire organization. Until such grounded and faulty set up is addressed, Casureco 2 consumers are left no choice but make do with an underused Orlando Andres and an overused Rolando Pante. They are not the cause but among the adverse effects of previously committed mistakes, wittingly or unwittingly. Good morning judge No to Martial Law Eufronio K. Maristela Judge (Ret.) THE IRREPRESSIBLE DU3 has been in his fightingest mood again when he declared the other day that not even the Supreme Court could stop him from declaring martial law if the illegal drug problem continued to worsen. The reported statement of the President amounts to an admission of the worsening situation of the drug problem in the country. No wonder President DU3 had earlier extended his self-imposed deadline from the original three months to six months to totally eradicate the drug menace. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, reportedly shrugged off the President’s statement by claiming through its spokesperson Theodore Ty that the Court does not respond to political statement. The controversial statement of the President “to ignore the Constitution and declare martial law if the drug problem became really virulent” was reportedly made before the gathering of businessmen in Davao City. From the legal standpoint, the President can impose martial law in the country for 60 days only on the ground of invasion or insurrection. It does not cite illegal drugs as justification for the imposition of martial law. And both the Supreme Court and Congress have the power to review and veto the martial proclamation. This stringent provision of the Constitution has been imposed because of our sad experience of martial rule during the time of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Be that as it may, it is heartening to note that the President’s allies both in Congress and in the Senate played down the President’s statement. As our fellow Bicolano and Nagaeno Presidential Legal Counsel has put it, the President’s statement is “but a dramatic and graphic presentation of an exercise of presidential power and duty imposed on him by the Constitution,” TRIVIA: Belated birthday greetings to Grace Inocentes of DWNX who celebrated her Nth birth anniversary yesterday, January 18. Congratulations also to Rev. Fr. Edgar Adversario, Parish Priest of the Immaculate Concepcion Parish in this city and his assistant Parish Priest Fr. Philippe for the successful celebration of the Feast of Sto. Nino. The Sto. Nino is the 2nd Patron of the ICP. Condolence to the bereaved family of the late Sir Knight Cerilo “Ciloy” Vera Cruz who crossed the Great Beyond after a lingering illness. Also to the family of the late Atty. Rene Raneses whose passing away we learned from the radio news program of Jo Osabal. QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: “WE BLAME THE LEADERS WE ELECT WITHOUT EXAMINING OUR ROLE IN ELECTING THEM.” U.S. PRES. BARACK OBAMA FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE: “NOTHING SO EXALTS A NATION AS THE HONOR IT PAYS TO THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED AND SAVED IT.” JOSE ABAD SANTOS siling labuyo Vin d’Honneur Al Villamora (Ret) Lt. COMMDR. USA Vin d’honneur is a French word that is hard to pronounce. It literally means “Wine of Honor” or in other words, a glass of wine is offered in honor of a special guest. In the Philippines, there is this annual ritual after New Year’s Day that the president opens the Malacañang Palace to the diplomatic corps for socials with the administration’s chosen few. It is called vin d’honneur and the highlight of the event is the toast between the President and the Vatican ambassador to the Philippines – the Papal Nuncio. The wine hosting tradition dates back to American colonial days in the Philippines when the American Governor-General would host such social event on New Year’s Day. Manuel L. Quezon continued this tradition when he became the president of the Commonwealth. Back then, it was a simple open house event on New Year’s Day hosted by the president. He basically stayed “home” in the afternoon at the Palace and received visitors from different sectors of society. President Corazon Aquino “modernized” the occasion by giving emphasis to the Pope’s ambassador and moved the event in the morning. This year, the Vin d’honneur has become controversial not because President Rodrigo Duterte held it four days after the New Year but the attendant brouhaha regarding the guest list. The Office of the Vice President put out a statement that Vice President Leni Robredo was on the guest list but was disinvited at the last minute. Quickly, Malacañang factotums kicked in high gear the public relations machinery. First was Ernesto Abella, the president mouthpiece who justified the email disinvite to Robredo as “conforming” to the president’s wish of keeping the event simple. Abella explained that keeping it simple meant that the guest list was trimmed and the co-hosting was limited to the Cabinet secretaries, the Senate president, and the Speaker of the House. Sans the PR somersaulting, what Abella could not say was that Robredo’s presence will no longer make it simple. Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar was a little more upfront in defending his boss’s decision that having Robredo there would be a little awkward. He likened the event simply as the president’s prerogative to not invite somebody whom he does not get along with. Andanar’s retort came after Robredo’s comment that she did not want to make a big deal of the VP disinvite. Apparently her beef was in the way it was relayed via email. Either way, what Abella or Andanar could not say was that with the diplomatic corps being in the audience, they only wanted the PDP-Laban leadership and allies there to ensure everything follows the script. Apparently, they were worried that Robredo might dress up ostentatiously or might make a scene and steal the show. In reality, Duterte probably just said, “I don’t want her there, period.” He did not want to have to have a conversation with the VP who might try to put a bug on his ear regarding her firing. Lost in this so-called simplicity of simple minded Malacañang people is the fact that Robredo is the second highest elected official in the land and deserved to be there regardless of how they feel about her. It is really more of the office she represents. There is a saying that if you cannot respect the individual to at least respect the office he or she represents. Else, disrespecting the OVP could set a precedent for future presidents to do the same. A more biting and plausible justification and earn them pogi points would have been that the president did not want both of them in the same room because of rumors that somebody might try to kill the president and both could end up being killed. He wanted her to be sworn in as his successor if he dies. Or that Lenileaks and Duterte did not want the room getting wet. Malacañang probably did not realize that by disinviting Robredo that they actually made the occasion more awkward in the eyes of the diplomatic corps especially after knowing the real reason for her absence. The Papal Nuncio for one must have noticed her absence. Being the Pope’s ambassador, he was briefed on where Duterte’s loyalties lie when it comes to the Catholic faith. Duterte’s tirade against the Catholic Church and the Extra Judicial Killing (EJK) are well publicized that it would be derelict for the Filipino bishops not to say anything to the Papal Nuncio. Robredo, on the other hand, is part of the Yellow brigade that former President Cory Aquino allied with the Church during and post-EDSA. Thus being in the same room with the uniformed military and police brass not to mention Duterte himself must have been an uncomfortable situation and raising that glass of wine with Duterte must have been truly an awkward moment for Papal Nuncio Giuseppe Pinto. So when Archbishop Pinto wished for Duterte’s well-being, he was being polite and following protocol of not embarrassing the host. Duterte and his elk could learn something from the Papal Nuncio about social etiquette. Tradition calls for the VP to be there and out of respect for the Filipino people who voted for her that Robredo should have been extended that courtesy. Robredo, on the other hand, played it nicely by putting the information out there while playing the “I don’t want to make big a big deal out of this” card. By putting it out there she basically put Duterte on report to the Filipino people for disrespecting her office. Furthermore, it put Malacañang on the defensive and made them appear small for picking on the VP and especially she’s a woman. It also made Duterte appear afraid of facing up to her vice president. More than that, the president should be reminded that their petty quarrels should be kept out of the public domain because doing so makes them appear like petulant kids wanting more toys for themselves. Being from the different parties, people can understand why there is distrust among them but they are there to serve the Filipino people so they need to project a semblance of “unity” in purpose. Robredo needs to realize that the Malacañang men are allergic to her because of their simple-minded boss. They want to keep her away as far as they could so the bossing will not have a bad day (and take it up on them) thus the impersonal way of texting or emailing her or by planting a presser for her consumption. They want the bossing to feel that his people are not giving Robredo “special” treatment by calling or having a meeting with her. If Duterte would like to dwell on trivial matters, Robredo needs to do the opposite by embarking on substantive issues and let Duterte self-destructs. She does not have to criticize the administration every time because whether she likes it or not, she is part of it. But she could articulate why certain policies are good for the Filipino people or good for the country. Being antagonistic will not help her cause. Six years is a long time but just the right time she needs to learn the ropes of politics and to burnish her resume before the next presidential election. It is also a much needed time to rebuild and repackage the Liberal Party keeping in mind that the young generation now dominates the voting population. With that let’s raise a glass of wine on the occasion of the Vin d’honneur with Pope John XXIII famous toast, “Men are like wine – some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.” SP Highlights SP’s first six months Atty. Nelson S. Legacion Vice Mayor, Naga City The overwhelming support we received last May 2016 is a referendum for continuous advancement of transparent and participatory governance in Naga. Hence, at the very onset of our renewed term, we have immediately worked hard to fulfil our end of our social contract with the people – that is, to make the best better. For the first six months of our current term June 30, 2016- June 30, 2019, landmark legislative measures have been passed by the 12th Sangguniang Panlungsod, laying down policies and institutionalizing programs that enhance the city’s efficiency in delivering social services to the people, improving access to education, conserving the environment, addressing the city’s problem in solid waste management and responding to calamities and emergency situations. Allow me to begin with the ordinances this representation introduced and subsequently adopted by the city council: • 30-Year Sustainable Urban Development Plan Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2016-038 enacted on August 16, 2016) – penned by this writer and co-sponsored by all the city councillors, this ordinance seeks to draft a roadmap that will guide the city’s equitable and long-term growth. It has tasked the City Planning and Development Office to conduct a city-wide consultation to obtain the people’s vision and aspiration for themselves, for their children and for their city. The 30-Year Sustainable Urban Development Plan will also provide the groundwork for building a world-class, self-reliant and caring city. • Sanggawadan Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2016-043 adopted on September 6, 2016) – this legislative measure, with the able co-sponsorship of Councilors Gregorio Re Abonal, Jose C. Ranola, Elmer S. Baldemoro, Mila SD, Raquid-Arroyo and Ray-An Cydrick G. Rentoy, has institutionalized and has strengthened the Sanggawadan Program. Initiated by the beloved late Naga City Mayor and Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, the Sanggawadan has become a tool for thousands of marginalized Nagueños to gain access to quality basic education and, thus, uplift their quality of life. The ordinance set policies and created an office for the continuous implementation of said effective program and even added additional privileges to beneficiaries thereof, such as free hospitalization and medical assistance, death or burial assistance, housing assistance, livelihood loans, and values formation training to parents of children-beneficiaries. • Salary Rationalization of Compensation for Non-Plantilla Personnel of the City Government of Naga (Ordinance No. 2016-071 approved on December 16, 2016) – this local law, sponsored by yours truly and Councilors Mila Raquid-Arroyo, Ray-An Rentoy and Salvador Del Castillo, recognizes the importance and contribution of job order, contractual and casual employees of the city government in making the city a truly Maogmang Lugar. This legislation, therefore, prescribes the fitting incentives and benefits for the ordinary workers who also contribute to making the city’s brand of governance extraordinary. The other legislators of Naga have also showed vigor and dedication in promoting their respective advocacies. With Councilor Cecilia De Asis as chairwoman of the Committee on Appropriations, the council was able to pass on time the more than a billion pesos annual appropriation ordinance (Ordinance No. 2016-081) for 2017. Councilor Greg Abonal has advanced the cause of education by writing the Revised Raul Roco-Naga City Public Library Development Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2016-036) that creates a committee tasked to annually evaluate the status of the library and recommend improvements thereon. He also provided additional benefits to the elderly thru the Revised Consolidated Senior Citizens Ordinances (Ordinance No. 2016-054) he penned. Thru Councilor Jose Rañola’s sponsorship of Resolution Nos. 2016-495 and 2016-503, the city has been able to link and forge sisterhood agreements with the Municipality of Siruma and Quezon City, respectively. With his care for the persons with disability and the children, Councilor Elmer Baldemoro has initiated the drafting of the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability and the revision of Comprehensive Code for the Welfare of Children to include recent local laws, such as Ordinance No. 2014-068 (Children’s Affairs Ordinance) and Ordinance No. 2014-072 (Most Child-Friendly Barangay Award Ordinance), which he himself authored. Councilor Mila Raquid-Arroyo has championed people participation in operation of public utilities by writing Resolution No. 2016-442 that calls on the public to inform the City Treasurer of any public utility or telecommunication companies which the latter knows are operating without valid Mayor’s Permit. In the area of agriculture, Councilor Julian Lavadia, via Resolution No. 2016-234, spearheaded the effort of crafting a strategic plan or road map for agriculture. On peace and order, Councilor Joselito Del Rosario advocated for the creation of the Drug Dependence Reintegration Fund (Ordinance No. 2016-037), the Naga City Integrated Emergency Response and Resilience Resource Action Center (Ordinance No. 2016-046), the Intra-City Trimobile Rationalization Technical Working Group and the Safe Sidewalks, Safe Streets Technical Working Group (4S TWG). Councilor Vidal Castillo, as head of the Committee on Infrastructure, called for the construction of the Balatas-Naga City Science High School Circumferential Road (Resolution No. 2016-218), the conversion into national roads of the Almeda Highway, the Balatas-Cararayan-San lsidro-Carolina Road, the Del Rosario-Cararayan-San lsidro-Carolina Road and the Queborac Drive (Resolution No. 2016-219), and the retrofitting of the Colgante Brdige and Balatas-Cararayan Bridge (Resolution No. 2016-377). To complement further our efforts to decongest traffic, Councilor Ray-An Rentoy, thru Resolution No. 2016-500, has strengthened the partnership between the Department of Public Works and Highways and the City Government of Naga relative to the installation of traffic lights in major junctions of the city. As chairman of the Committee on Environment, Councilor Salvador Del Castillo has made considerable strides to resolve the city’s waste management issues. He is the author of Resolution Nos. 2016-203 and 2016-431 which green lighted the closure program of the Balatas Dumpsite, as well as of Resolution No. 2016-239 which created the Technical Working Group that will study the establishment of the city’s Sanitary Landfill, Waste to Energy Facility and Healthcare and Hazardous Waste Processing Plant in Barangay San Isidro. For the improvement of the barangays, meanwhile, Liga ng mga Barangay president and ex-officio councilor Tomas Ramon Sanchez pushed for the welfare of the barangays thru Ordinance No. 2016-078 granting barangay officials performance incentives. In unity, there is strength. The legislative, in close coordination with the executive headed by our hardworking Mayor John G. Bongat, has pursued worthwhile reforms in various fields of governance. Collectively, Team Naga, in a short span of six months, has already set up measures to boost faster and further Naga’s equitable and sustainable socio-economic development. In the remaining period of our term, the Nagueños are assured that there will be no let up in our aggressive move to have a Maogmang Lugar that is world class, self-reliant and caring --- the best will be made better. BLIND SPOT Vision despite the impairment Joseph Ochoa “Everything happens kind of the way it’s supposed to happen, and we just watch it unfold. And you can’t control it. Looking back, you can’t say, ‘I should’ve…’ You didn’t, and had you; the outcome would have been different.” - Rick Rubin Last December 13, 2016, the Naga City Visually Impaired Association held its Yearend Evaluation and Gift-Giving at Naga City Hall People’s Hall, in which persons with visual impairment in Naga City converged in an annual general assembly, with song and dance performances, recreational activities (special thanks to Ms. Jeanette O. Naval and the Ateneo de Naga University SPED majors for the coordination of the games), lunch and snacks, and distribution of gifts. The main agendum of the convention was the yearend report of the association for the past year. Among NACIVIA’s accomplishments were the distribution of gifts to indigent persons with visual impairment through reverse caroling on December 2015, conduct of Massage Therapy NC2 Training and TESDA Assessment for its member massage therapists on October 2016, participation in the Philippine Blind Union National Assembly and Evaluation and Planning Conference Workshop for the 13th World Blind Union Asia Pacific Massage Conference, in which selected officers attended, and NACIVIA President Jose “Butch” Robredo Jr., was elected among the Board of Trustees, and subsequently as Philippine Blind Union national president on November 2016, and participation in the International Day of Persons with Disability. Throughout the past year, NACIVIA massage therapists have sustained their services at the NACIVIA Massage Center at Plaza Rizal. In these achievements, the Naga City sector of persons with visual impairment has confirmed itself as a self-sustaining body, with the intention and capability to support less empowered members. It has strongly validated the proficiency and expertise of its primary arm of source of revenue and means of support with TESDA NC2 certificates for its massage therapists. This firmly attests that NACIVIA massage therapists are highly skilled in accordance to national technical standards; and their practice is not simply a grant from charity or social welfare. The association’s massage services are at par if not more competent than their sighted counterparts. The local blind sector has escalated its potential for service in its participation in the last Philippine Blind Union assembly, especially with the election of its own head as national president. It continues to be a dynamic and active presence in the community of persons with disability in Naga City. The association of persons with visual impairment sets its vision forward to more sustainable livelihood programs. It sets its sights on seeking opportunities of feasible markets of handcrafted specialties, as employment options for persons with blindness or low vision. Explorations are under way on collaborating with Eye Will Inc.; a Vietnam based American non-government organization which provides training and resources towards the education and rehabilitation of persons with visual impairment. All these dispositions are borne from the vision of total empowerment of the person with visual impairment in their inclusion in the sighted society. As with any other endeavor, these undertakings are accompanied at the sides with threats. Curiously, as persons with difficulty in their visual faculties venture in a given occupation, persons without any given sensory challenge would engage in the very same trade, much to the vexation of the striving blind artisan. Naturally, even the most talented and most skilled craftsman with visual impairment would be outdone in the course of the hustle. For illustration, a blind person tests his skills in pottery. His normally clearly seeing neighbor clearly sees with his normally sighted eyes which are further unhindered with the absence of any sort of spectacles, and also fancies to, of all crafts, also pottery. As the blind novice potter is about to finish with his clay masterpiece, his sighted neighbor has already found clientele for his finished products. And all these are hidden in the most beautifully innocent guise of free trade as embedded in the tenets of democracy, justice and capitalism. Label it insensitivity or self-centeredness; this ill seems to cut the lane of the blind man’s drive up the highway. Now, this is an indirect response to the question of what the sighted community by the sidelines can do to further the cause of the advancing person with visual impairment. In South Korea, “only the visually impaired can be licensed masseurs”, according to its Constitutional Court; upholding a law set up in 1912, “to help guarantee the blind a livelihood”, “, “to provide visually impaired people with an opportunity to have a personally rewarding occupation, and assure that they have means to earn a living; n.” (www.dailymail.co) All in all, the NACIVIA general assembly was a fitting venue and occasion for celebration and sharing; in tune with the past season. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming own from the Father…” James 1:17 Selda numero 10 Beloved mother Jose B. Perez I AM on leave, but I wish to take this chance to convey our sincerest thanks to relatives, in-laws, friends, and neighbors who have offered prayers, mass cards, sent flowers and expressions of love and sympathy in memory of our beloved mother, Rosa Arroyo Beldua Perez, 87, who peacefully passed away last January 13, 2017 at our sister’s home in RJ Village, Canaman, Camarines Sur. I am extending by heartfelt appreciation to all the doctors and gracious nurses and hospital staff at the NICC Doctors Hospital in Naga City for attending to my mother during her confinement due to mild stroke: Drs. Ted Semana, Joey Ranola, Zsa Divinagracia, Maribel Gutierrez, Bel Cabauatan, Abegail Abonal, and Dr. Magnaye. They are friends and co-workers of my sister (Dr. Maria Meden Perez-Cortero) in the medical profession. To family friend and Parish Priest Fidel Mamerto Bagayaua for shedding tears with us as he administered the final rites and God’s blessings to my passing mother. To Vice President Leni Robredo for sending us flowers and prayers. To Naga City Mayor John Bongat and his first lady for the beautiful flowers and for spending time with us at the wake. To Congressman Gabby Bordado also, for staying with us on the first night of the wake and sharing some stories about how she met my mother. To my mother’s co-teachers, although some of them may have not been physically present because they may have been far away. To Tourism Director Nini Ravanilla, House Secretariat Dir. Lina Jones, ever young friend Bong Sison, and Gilbert Albero and my fellow directors at the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry and co-TWG members at A-PAD Philippines and Tabang Bicol. To Vice Mayor Nelson Legacion, his wife Marion, City Councilors Sonny Ranola, Nene de Asis and Lito del Rosario and their colleagues at the Sangguniang Panglunsod. To DWNX and other radio stations who promptly announced the passing of my mother. To Provincial Board Member Badong Simando and wife Grace. To former Provincial Board Member Bonifacia Tobias-Orino and her whole family. To Noel de Luna for his friendship and generosity and huge bouquet of flowers. Thanks, too, to my publisher Nilo Aureus and the whole Bicol Mail staff for sending flowers and attending the wake. To my siblings’ schoolmates and fellow office workers. To real estate developer Engr. and Mrs. Boy Aman. To former Solicitor-General Joel Anselmo Cadiz. To my batchmates at both the Ateneo de Naga and Universidad de Sta. Isabel. To my peers in the literary and journalism profession. To GM Cesar Federizon of Metro Naga Water District. To my mom’s friend and fellow school principal Luisa Pura Magtuto and her husband Ernesto. To the countless Facebook friends who sent their prayers and expressions of condolences. Our mom was a perfect mother. Born in Baao, Camarines Sur, she had the heart of a teacher both at home and in school where she eventually served as principal of the Camarines Sur National High School, her alma mater. Her classmate, US-based Hermito San Jose, sent a brief note to me through Facebook shortly after learning about her death that I would like to share with you, my dear readers: “Just a few more words, Joe. As you know your mom, Rosa Beldua, was my classmate and co-graduate (class ‘48) at the Cam. Sur National High School. So her death diminishes me personally. Your late dad, Dick Perez, was also my classmate, and he and Rose were high school sweethearts, a romance that blossomed into a successful family that includes you. I don’t know how many of us class ‘48 are still alive, and I don’t know how long I will last, for like your mom I’m now 87. Your mom’s face when we were classmates in 4-A is still very clear to me after these many years. The same with your dad. Now they’re together in God’s bosom where they rest in perpetual happiness and peace!” Her neighbor, who’s also my friend, Doods Santos also wrote as she expressed her sentiments: “Our condolences, Joe and family. She was such a gracious and hard working woman. I still remember her gardening outside her home.” Another neighbor, Tony Blando, who is now US-based but periodically comes home, posted on his Facebook: “Our sincerest sympathy and deepest condolences to your family for the passing of Tya Rose. She is now reunited with Tyo Dick.” My young uncle (who’s usually mistaken as my cousin), Carlos A. Perez and his wife Yev (nee Prado)?, conveyed their feeling of sadness: “We are deeply sorry and express our condolences for the demise of your Mama Rose, my lovable and lovely cousin.” To all of you, including those that I may have for the moment missed, we appreciate all the kindness and compassion you have shown to us. You are all important persons in our lives who stand with us and beside us during these times of sorrow.

PS Andres hahagadon sa NEA halion sa Casureco II Nakaandam na an propuestong resolucion sa Sangguniang Panlungsod kan Ciudad nin Naga nganing isunad sa masunod na sesyon regular sa Martes, Enero 24 na huhuroton sa National Electrification Administration na ribayan sa puesto si Project Supervisor/Acting General Manager Orlando Andres kan Camarines Sur II Electric Cooperative (Casureco II), kun magpalpak pa an saiyang pangako na enterong veinte siete mga barangay kan ciudad masusuplayan na nin corriente sa Sabado, Enero 21 envez kan Enero 31. Si Consejal Joselito Del Rosario, igwa nang draft resolution na enot nang pinaheling sa Bicol Mail asin nagkaperang miembros kan media antes magpuon an sesyon regular kan Martes, Enero 17 na saindang visita sa sesyon si PS/AGM Andres nganing hagadan nin paliwanag sa kamugtakan kan power restoration kan corriente. Nareparo ni Bise Alcalde Nelson Legacion asin miembros kan SP an kawaran nin calamity preparedness plan kan manijamiento kan cooperativa mala ngani kapa-kapa sa power restoration matapos kan paglamasa ni bagyong ‘Nina’ sa Bikol. Kan maglamasa sa Bikol si bagyong ‘Reming’, sampulong taon na an nakakaagi sa laog sana nin duwang semana na ibuelta an ‘’full restoration’’ sa ciudad, sabi pa kan bise alcalde. An PS/AGM kan mag-atubang sa pig-iniciar na dialogue ni Alcalde John Bongat kan Lunes, Enero 16 na ginibo sa Villa Caceres Hotel nagcierto ini sa oficiales lokal, kapitanes de barangay asin iba pang mga sektor na sangatos por ciento nang ma-iilawan an enterong mga barangay kan ciudad sa Enero 21 bako nang Enero 31. Sinabi ni Andres na saro na sana sa viente sieteng barangay kan ciudad an mayo pa nin suplay nin corriente na nag-asegurar kan sangatos por cientong power restoration sa ciudad. Presente sa sinambit na dialogue iyo an General Manager kan Casureco I asin pamayo kan Bicol Electric Cooperative Association (BECA), Ana Sylvia Alsisto na pinadarang representante ni NEA Administrator Eduardo Masonson, mga miembros kan Sangguniang Panlungsod, asin iba pang sektores na nagtutuyaw sa bugolbolan na power restoration asin nagtaong mga suhestion asin plano nganing maparikas an rehabilitasyon matapos maglamasa sa Bikol si super typhoon Nina kan Diciembre 25, 2016. Kan mag-atubang sa sesyon regular kan SP an PS/AGM nagkikibrada naman ini kan saiyang asegurasyon na sangatos por ciento pagbuelta kan corriente envez piglilinaw niya na kun si mga lugar na igwa pang raot an mga linya asin transformer dai pa mapapabulosan nin corriente hasta sa Enero 21 envez pueding aboton pa sa Enero 31. Nagtindog si Consejal Del Rosario sa ginigibong sesyon nganing sabihan an PS/AGM na duda siya na dai marerealisar an pinapangakong sangatos por cientong energization mientras na igwa sanang 55 mga linemen kabale sa bilang an saindang supervisor asin mahale na an task force kapatid gikan sa ibang cooperativa nin electricidad na nagtatabang sa cooperativa sa power restoration. Sinabi pa kan Casureco II na igwa pang sampulong mga transformer an raraot na asin pueding afectado an ibang lugar na dai aboton nin suplay nin corriente sa pigpangako kaini na Enero 21. Pinatanidan kan consejal si Andres na igwa na siyang preparadong resolucion na isusunad sa masunod na sesyon regular alagad dai kaini pigdetalye envez si propuestong resolucion na hahagadon sa NEA na ribayan na an pamayo kan Casureco II. Si Bise Alcalde Legacion, pamayo kan SP nagpasalamat sa naging presencia kan PS/AGM alagad hinahagad kaini na dapat maghaman nin plano sa pag-andam sa calamidad na enot na kaining pig-suhestion sa ginibong dialogue sa Villa Caceres Hotel. An isyu sa power restoration sa Ciudad nin Naga iyo an pigtawan paliwanag kan cooperativa sa SP mientras na nagpapadagos pa an abalang rehabilitasyon sa iba pang coverage area. DTI: Negociantes dai maging oportunista An Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), nag-apelo sa mga establisimiento na dai maging oportunista an ibang mga pasaway na negociante sa paagi nin pagpalangkaw sa precio kan basic commodities mientras na yaon pa sa irarum kan estado nin calamidad an Camarines Sur matapos magrapado sa Bikol an bagyong ‘Nina’ kan Diciembre 25, 2016. Si Jay Ablan, parataram kan DTI Camarines Sur nagsabi na malinaw na pagsinutil sa Price Act an arin man na negociante na magpalangkaw kan precio nin producto asin siisay man na madadakop pueding magmulta nin P5 mil sa premirong pagkakadakop sagcod na pasarahan an establisimiento kun padagos na masinutil. Dapat ipasunod si dating precio antes kan paglamasa kan super typhoon alagad igwa nang nagsosombong contra sa ibang establismiento na nagpalangkaw na kan saindang precio matapos kan bagyo. Kabale sa basic commodities iyo an mga delata siring kan gatas, sardinas, sabon, asukar, bagas asin pa pang producto na ginagamit aroaldaw. An Capitolyo Provincial kan Camarines Sur tolos nagdeclara kan estado nin calamidad matapos kan paglamasa ni bagyong ‘Nina’ kan Diciembre 26 asin sakop digdi iyo an enterong municipalidades kan provincia asin Ciudad nin Iriga mientras suhay man na nagdeclara an Ciudad nin Naga na independiente sa Capitolyo Provincial. Sinabi pa na masurprisang inspeksyon an DTI asin Naga City Price Coordinating Council na kabale digdi bilang miembros iyo an Department of Agriculture, National Food Authority, oficina kan tesorero kan Naga, Bureau of Fire Protection, asin Bureau of Foods. Sinabi man ni kgd. Cydrid Ray-An Rentoy, pamayo kan NCPCC na nakarecibe na siyang sombong sa consumedores contra sa ibang oportunistang establisimiento asin ini saindang aaksyonan. An reclamo kan ibang consumedores na dakul nang mga pasaway na establismiento alagad mayo pang nadadakop an DTI asin NCPCC. An NFA Camarines Sur, sa paagi ni Assistant Provincial Manager Nora Follosco nagpatanid man sa mga NFA rice retailers na dapat dai magpalangkaw kan precio kan bagas kan agencia huli ta saindang babawion an saindang pig-isyung accreditation permit. Pinako kan NFA an precio kan saindang bagas sa cantidad na P27 hasta P28 cada kilo. Saindang pigcierto na suficiente an saindang stock nin bagas sa bodega asin mayong peligro na magkulang an saindang pigsusuplay na bagas cada semana sa mga rice retailers. Corriente sa Naga, 100% na sa Enero 21, sabi Sa Sabado, Enero 21 iyo an pigtaong asegurasyon kan Camarines Sur II Electric Cooperative (Casureco II) na magiging sangatos por ciento na an suplay nin corriente sa veinte siete mga barangay kan Ciudad nin Naga mientras na sa iba pang coverage area kan cooperativa sa Enero 31, 2017. Ini an resulta sa pinaapod na dialogue ni Alcalde John Bongat kan Ciudad nin Naga entre kan manijamiento kan Casureco II, National Electrification Administration, Liga ng mga Barangay, Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, media asin iba pang sectores na nagrereclamo sa bagulbolan na power restoration kan cooperativa matapos kan bagyong ‘Nina’ kan Diciembre 25, 2016. An LGU Naga matapos kan dakulang destroso kan calamidad nagmukna kan Operation Bangon Naga, alagad an problema iyo an abalang rehabilitasyon sa suplay nin corriente na saro sa aksyon kan jefe ejecutivo iyo an pagpa-apod nin dialogue na naging presente si BECA President asin GM Ana Sylvia Alsisto kan Casureco I na nagrepresentar sa NEA Administrator, Casureco II Project Supervisor/Acting General Manager Orlando Andres, ISD Manager Rolando Pante, asin iba pang mga sektor. Sa pag-atubang ni PS/AGM Andres sa sinambit na dialogue kan Lunes, Enero 16 na ginibo sa Villa Caceres Hotel, nagcierto kan sangatos por cientong pagbuelta kan suplay nin corriente sa Enero 21 alagad nag-atubang siya nin mga tuyaw sa bagulbolan na power restoration asin suhestion nganing maparikas an rehabilitasyon asin dapat gibohon sa mga masunod na pag-andam sa paglamasa kan calamidad. Nasa 88 por ciento na napabulosan nin suplay corriente sa ciudad mientras na sa ibang mga distrito na sakop kan cooperativa pigtalaan sa Enero 31, 2017 base sa orden kan Department of Energy. Pigbabasol kan Casureco II si task force kapatid na gikan sa Manila Electric Cooperative (Meralco), Inc. na nagsasayumang magpasiring sa itaas na mga barangay kan ciudad siring kan Pacol, Panicuason asin Carolina nganing matapos tolos digdi an rehabilitasyon, alagad pigcontra ini ni Consejal Joselito Del Rosario huli ta nagsayumang mag-isyu nin job order an cooperativa nganing magpasiring sa upper barangay an grupo kan Meralco. Hinahanap ni Del Rosario si Engr. Nelson Lalas kan NEA na destino sa Casureco II nganing hagadan nin paliwanag kun tano ta nagsasayumang mag-isyu nin job order, alagad an reclamo kan consejal pigninigaran ni Andres. Nagkukulang nin command responsibility an Casureco II, frangkang sinabi kan consejal sa atubangan kan PS/AGM. Nakatalaan mag-aprovetsar nin P36 milyon na calamity loan sa NEA mientras nagkaigwa sinda nin P80 milyon na daños, sabi pa ni Andres. Sa resulta kan orolay, sinabi ni Alcalde Bongat mas marhay man giraray igwang representante sa junta directiva an ciudad nganing makatabang sa pagreparo sa saindang sakop na distrito arog kan problema sa power restoration, pagbugtak nin pusog o hararum na poste, paghale kan mga kahoy na nagiging dakulang perwisio kun may calamidad, dapat magkaigwa nin participasyon an Naga City Power Commission asin dapat maging parte an ciudad sa paghaman nin plano orog na sa lado nin calamity preparedness. Sinabi man kan representante kan NEA dapat igwa mga pag-andam an cooperativa sa calamidad siring kan fondo sa rehabilitasyon, materyales asin dai na maglaom sa task force gikan sa ibang cooperativa huli ta inaabot nin labing sarong semana antes makaabot envez dapat maghanap na nin contractor nganing mapunan tolos asin maparikas an power restoration. Comelec, zero pa sa nagpalistang SK Nagluluwas na kadakle kan mga jovenes na nag-eedad 15 hasta 17 años dai interesado na mag-ayon sa organisasyon sa Sangguniang Kabataan nganing makaparticipar sa sarabay na Barangay asin SK elections sa Octubre 2017 mala ngani haros zero pa aroaldaw sa sainda an nagpapasiring sa Comelec nganing magpalista bilang votantes. Si Abogado Maico Julia Jr. Election Officer kan Commission on Election sa Ciudad nin Naga nagpahayag na ini an pulso sa kadakle sa mga magurang na nagpapa-rehistro sa saindang oficina. Puon kan Noviembre 7 hasta Diciembre 31, 2016 igwa nang nagpalistang 1,600 alagad haros 90 por ciento sa sainda may edad na asin senior citizens. Nagdakul man an numero kan nagpapalistang senior citizens mientras na saro sa rekisitos sa Office of Senior Citizens sa City Hall nganing ma-isyuhan nin Sr. Citizens ID dapat rehistradong votante kan ciudad. Base sa SK Reform Act, an 15 hasta 17 años pueding maka-voto sa SK election alagad dai pueding votohon o dai pueding macacandidato sa arin man na posisyon kan saindang organisasyon. An ley nagsasabi na an rehistradong SK na nag-eedad nin 18 hasta 24 años iyo sana an calificado na macacandidato mientras na iginilid na si menor de edad na magpugol nin ano man na posisyon. Sa lomang ley kan SK an mga nag-eedad nin 15 hasta 17 años calificado na magcandidato sa arin man na posisyon alagad sa enmiendadong SK Reform Act dai na sinda tinutugotan. Nagsikad an pagpalista kan mga calificadong votantes sa Comelec kan Noviembre 7, 2016 asin matatapos sa Abril 27, 2017. Halawig si vacacion kan jovenes kan nakaaging Diciembre 2016 hasta Enero 2017 sagcod na nagkakaigwa nin mga satellite registration sa barangay alagad mayong nagpapalistang jovenes envez si mga transferee asin si bagohan na votantes para sa pigtalaan na sarabay na Barangay asin SK elections. An sinambit na pirilian dapat gibohon kan Octubre 2016 alagad inuktaba kan congreso mientras na natatapos pa sana si national asin local elections kan Mayo 9, 2016. 132 na brgy sa CSur salbado na sa droga Matapos kan anom na bulan na guierra laban sa droga kan PNP Camarines Sur, 132 sa 163 na afectadong mga barangay kan ilegal na actividad an declarado na bilang drug cleared barangay. Ini base sa sinumiter na report kan Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) sa PNP Provincial Office sa magkatuwang nindang operasyon laban sa droga puon kan Julio1 hasta Diciembre 31, 2016. Alagad sinabi ni Chief Inspector Errol Garchitorena, Jr. jefe kan Police Community Relation (PCR) kan PNP CamSur sa saindang listahan maabot sa 400 sa 1,006 na barangay kan provincia an afectado kan ilegal na droga. Nagsakat man sa viente saes mil an nagsuroko sa awtoridad na mga envuelto sa droga mientras ngonian na 2017 nagpapadagos pa an saindang campaña asin igwa pang nagkakadarakop sa mga ginigibong buy bust operation kan manlaen-laen na Municipal Police Station. Dawa declarado na an 132 mga barangay bilang drug cleared alagad nagpapadagos pa an pagsubaybay kan mga awtoridad asin miembros kan Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) nganing macierto na malinig na an lugar sa ilegal na droga. Afuera pa kaini, saindang pigserne si listahan kan PDEA na hinale si dai man existidong barangay. Piglinaw pa kan PNP CamSur na igwa sindang ginagamit na parametro antes ideclara an sarong barangay na libredo na sa ilegal na droga asin enterong pigseserne kan BADAC, PNP, PDEA antes pinalmenteng pirmahan kan alcalde . Puon ngonian na Enero 2017 nagpapadagos pa an saindang operasyon sa double barrel parte kan saindang clearing operation sa mga barangay orog na si nasa irarum kan drug cleared barangay. Sinabi pa na igwa pa sindang gigibohon na operasyon nganing mapahiwas pa an guierra laban sa droga asin maglangkaw an saindang acomplisimiento kasunod kan higot na directiva kan saindang higher command.