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==Iloilo to export black rice==
*Source: http://panaynewsphilippines.com/2014/08/10/iloilo-export-black-rice/
*Sunday, August 10, 2014
:(PNA)
ILOILO – The province will start exporting nutritious black rice this year.
Around 500 hectares were planted with organic rice from June to July and will be harvested September to October this year, said Elias Sandig, Provincial Agriculture Office’s focal person for organic rice.
Some of the rice output will be initially exported to Hong Kong, Singapore and the Middle East, said Sandig.
Black rice to be exported are the Bingawan long grain black and the balatinao whose seedlings came from Ilocos Norte.
Organic rice is currently being sold in the local market.
Black rice has a shelf-life of one to two months but can be prolonged if properly packed.
It is being sold in the world market for $11 per kilo.
Black rice is high in nutritional value and is a source of iron, vitamin E and antioxidants.
The bran hull (outermost layer) of black rice contains one of the highest levels of anthocyanin antioxidants found in food.
The grain has a similar amount of fiber to brown rice and like brown rice, has a mild, nutty taste.
In China, black rice is claimed to be good for the kidney, stomach and liver.
Black rice is deep black and usually turns deep purple when cooked. Its dark purple color is primarily due to its anthocyanin content, which is higher by weight than that of other colored grains.
It is suitable for making porridge, dessert, traditional Chinese black rice cake or bread. Noodles made from black rice have also been produced.
==NCCA opens cultural grants for 2015==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=671110
*Saturday, August 9, 2014
:By Lydia C. Pendon [(PNA), CTB/AJP/LCP/VLO]
ILOILO CITY, Aug. 9 (PNA) – The National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has sounded the call for submission of project proposals for competitive grants in 2015.
The grants encourage cultural and art groups, academic institutions, local arts organizations and non-government organizations involved in culture and arts to submit and beat the deadline by August 31, 2014.
An NCCA team composed of Charles Salazar of the Sub-commission on Cultural Heritage, Reinerio Alba of the Sub-commission on Cultural Dissemination and Nino Selibio on Sub-commission on the Arts visited Iloilo City on August 8, 2014.
The team revealed the agency’s main function in the preservation, development and promotion of Philippine arts and culture and to administer the National Endowment Fund for culture and the arts. Financial assistance ranges from P50,000 to P1 million per approved project.
Individuals and groups interested with the NCCA assistance grants may submit their proposal to avail of the P5 million fund of approved projects in each 19 committees.Western Visayas was given ready access to the grants through culture and arts as the region has very high incidence of poverty and calamities.
Salazar admitted that the focus now is at the Guimaras aeta community in sitio Cati-cati, Jordan, Guimaras and other calamity-stricken areas.
The region has no regional office yet but there are volunteer individuals acting as coordinator of NCCA. They are Pilar Mejica, Annie Sartorio, PG Zoluaga and Fe Batiloy, among others.
Iloilo province has many national cultural heritage treasures. Among these are the churches of Miagao, San Joaquin and Sta Barbara and the Pan-ay church in Panay, Capiz.
The Iloilo City Calle Real or central business district of the city was declared a heritage site and national treasure on August 8 by the National Historical Commission with the unveiling of a marker in front of the recently rehabilitated old Villanueva building.
==Caligdong in 2-day Iloilo futsal tournament==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=5&rid=670919
*Friday, August 8, 2014
:(PNA), LAM/AJP/ELTORRECAMPO/VLO
ILOILO CITY, Aug 8 (PNA) -- A two-day inter-football tournament which starts Saturday at the Iloilo Sports Complex Gym here has attracted five teams, and organizers have high hopes that the event will fill up the rafters with football enthusiasts coming from across the region.
Futsal, a modified version of open-air football, is garnering adherents the last few years in the country,and one of the more heralded teams in the competition is La Salle Green Archers spearheaded by Azkal star Chiefy Caligdong of Barotac Nuevo.
Other teams seeing action are San Carlos Football Club from Negros Occidental, Stallion Football Club of Barotac Nuevo, Jaro Football Club Iloilo powered by Korean students, and Lapaz Football Club.
Game opener is at 9 am pitting the Green Archers against dangerous Jaro Football Club. Admission is free, said Duffie Botavara of the Iloilo Football Club.
==Esplanade to be part of study tours==
*Source: http://panaynewsphilippines.com/2014/08/07/esplanade-part-study-tours/
*Thursday, August 7, 2014
:(RP Sombero, Iloilo City PIO/PN)
ILOILO City – The Iloilo Esplanade in Mandurriao district is becoming a popular tourist attraction, drawing a lot of visitors everyday.
The Department of Education – Division of Iloilo City is inviting public school teachers and pupils to visit the Esplanade during their study tours.
“This is a laudable project since at an early age, our children can learn how to appreciate our very own pride. People from other places take time to visit our famous Esplanade but some of us fail to do so,” said Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.
He also encouraged parents or guardians to bring their children during their spare time or family bonding.
The activity aims to expose children to the beauty of the Iloilo River and let them appreciate and commune with the environment of well-manicured plants or gardens overlooking the river, said Dr. Nelly Valerio, city schools division superintendent.
The endeavor will also allow one and all to establish a sense of ownership of a well maintained Esplanade and show awareness and instill commitment to the clean and green program and beautification project of the city covernment, she added.
The assistant schools division superintendent, division supervisors and coordinators, and 54 public elementary school principals were advised of the undertaking.
==UN-OCHA to mark World Humanitarian Day Aug. 19==
*Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=901407312181
*Wednesday, August 6, 2014
:By Jaime S. Cabag, Jr. (JCM/JSC-PIA6)
ILOILO CITY, Aug. 6 (PIA6) – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) will celebrate for the first time in Iloilo the World Humanitarian Day (WHD) on August 19 with the Iloilo Provincial Capitol as center of activities.
Kenga Shandralingam, UN-OCHA head in Western Visayas, said they will be organizing an art exhibition to kick off the one-day event with Governor Arthur Defensor as guest of honor.
The UN-OCHA official said they will also have an art competition for children living in bunkhouses, blood-letting activity with the Philippine Red Cross, and musical event in the evening with SM City Iloilo at the said mall.
He said they will undertake these activities with the support of all stakeholders including the government, humanitarian community, and private sector.
Shandralingam said World Humanitarian Day is a global event that marks the 2003 bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad wherein 22 aid agency workers lost their lives.
A UN-OCHA infographic on the event said that in an effort to raise public awareness of humanitarian assistance worldwide - and the people who risk their lives in order to provide it - the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 designated August 19 as World Humanitarian Day.
WHD recognizes the humanitarian personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice in relieving the suffering of those in humanitarian crises.
UN-OCHA said that six years later, World Humanitarian Day has become a global celebration of humanitarian action. This year, they want to bring the focus back on the humanitarian workers as Humanitarian Heroes and organizations that risk their lives every day to bring relief to communities in need of assistance.
Shandralingam said all countries of the world celebrate World Humanitarian Day.
He and other representatives of UN-OCHA and international humanitarian organizations helping in recovery and rehabilitation efforts for typhoon Yolanda affected areas in the region participated in the meeting of the DILG-chaired Disaster Preparedness Committee of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council held at Iloilo Grand Hotel here Aug. 5.
==NHCP to declare Iloilo’s Calle Real a heritage zone==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=669569
*Tuesday, August 5, 2014
:(PNA), FPV/AJP/VLO
ILOILO CITY, Aug 5 (PNA) -- The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) will declar Calle Real considered to be Iloilo city’s business district as a heritage zone on Aug. 8.
Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, in an interview Tuesday, said that the declaration will further boost the local government's effort in promoting the city as a heritage and cultural area with the support from the NHCP.
He further said that the city government could ask for funding for the maintenance of the place once it has been officially declared as a heritage zone.
”Calle Real will become a part of the local destination to be visited during the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Conference),” the mayor contended. The declaration is also in time for the hosting of Iloilo city of the APEC by next year.
Meanwhile, Iloilo City Councillor Jason Gonzales said that Calle Real is historic for national hero Jose Rizal himself on his way to Manila from his exile in Dapitan trod in there and even bought a cap from the merchants. Rizal had also described the place as the “liveliest” because of the teeming businesses.
Chinese merchants constructed beautiful buildings with truly unique architectural designs along Calle Real that also used to be known as the Royal Road where the rich people from all over come to buy their merchandise.
Councilor Gonzales said that it is because of the historic significance of the area that he passed the so-called pedestrianization ordinance of Iloilo city for the purpose of enticing more people after the place experienced set back with the construction of the malls in other parts of the city.
The pedestrianization ordinance implements road closure of Calle Real from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Sunday starting June 2014 to let the people experience shopping among stores as in the olden days and see also the cultural presentations of performing troupes.
==Bamboo basketmaking gets much needed boost==
*Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=931407124553
*Monday, August 4, 2014
:By Lilibeth A. French (JCM/LAF/PIA6)
ILOILO CITY, Aug. 4 (PIA6) - - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Iloilo has partnered with local government units to help restore the vitality of bamboo basketry in the province.
Since February this year, DTI-Iloilo has embarked on skills trainings that will help the bamboo sector of LGUs improve their traditional baskets to make them acceptable in the market.
Almost 100 people from the municipalities of Badiangan, Balasan and San Dionisio have undertaken the training which is also in support of the environment protection initiatives of the LGUs.
The introduction of plastic as packaging material has replaced bamboo baskets that have been used by many people decades ago to contain fruits, vegetables and other items during market days and even as storage of food.
DTI Iloilo Industry Development Division OIC Rachel Nufable said the use of bamboo baskets will be an alternative to plastic bags where excessive use and improper disposal of them pose a problem to the environment such as clogged waterways and drainage system.
With the devastation of typhoon Yolanda in Balasan and San Dionisio towns, the skills trainings are also expected to provide additional source of income to the people who were trained from the said places.
The skills training consists of bamboo preservation and finishing techniques to make the products acceptable in the market. It also involves the use or mix of bamboo with the available indigenous raw materials in the locality such as nito and other vines available in order to create good quality products to make them attractive for people to buy.
Bamboo bags or bayong that can be used as school bag, conference kit, shopping or grocery bag, fashion bag are just some of the target outputs of the skills training.
==P38M FOR RIVER REHAB==
*Source: http://panaynewsphilippines.com/2014/08/03/p38m-river-rehab/
*Sunday, August 3, 2014
:BY FREDA MAE SORSANO (PN)
ILOILO City – A total of P38 million will be infused to the program designed to rehabilitate the Iloilo River and Batiano River whose neglect for decades has resulted to their deterioration.
The fund will be included in the 2015 national budget to be deliberated in Congress beginning August 28, said Secretary Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The Iloilo-Batiano River Rehabilitation Project aims to improve water quality and promote tourism activities in the two rivers, said Paje at the recent Iloilo River Development Council meeting here.
A clean Iloilo River would be conducive not only for boat competitions but for swimming, too, said Sen. Franklin Drilon.
The budget will help realize the Ilonggo Senate president’s wish, said Paje.
The Iloilo River is actually an “arm of the sea” or an estuary. It is connected to the Batiano River in Oton, Iloilo. The Batiano River is also an estuary.
From Oton, the Iloilo River traverses the Iloilo City districts of Lapuz, La Paz, Mandurriao, Molo, Arevalo and the City Proper, before emptying into the Iloilo Strait.
But the entire Iloilo-Batiano River Basin spans along the Iloilo municipalities of San Miguel, Sta. Barbara, Oton, Pavia and Iloilo City, according to the DENR.
For decades, both the Iloilo and Batiano rivers have similar problems – pollution, siltation and illegal structures.
With the help of Drilon, the city government started rehabilitating the Iloilo River in 2010. Illegal structures were removed. The river was dredged and a long stretch of its banks from Molo to Mandurriao have been transformed into what is now a tourist attraction – the Iloilo Esplanade.
Years of disregard resulted to the Iloilo River’s decline. At one point, was declared a “dying river” by the DENR itself.
Now, the rehabilitation efforts are starting to pay off. Fishes have started to come back at the Iloilo River. Tourists and businessmen have started noticing its beauty and economic potentials, too.
Plans are afoot to replicate the Iloilo River’s success in the Batiano River.
DENR has also made a commitment to donate a boat for Iloilo City’s “dream river cruise” tourism program at the Iloilo River, in addition to the solar boat donated by the 1Meal Program.
The 1Meal boat, 13 meters long and 4.5 meters wide, weighs 10 tons and can accommodate up to 40 passengers.
The city aims to put in place the program before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meeting that Iloilo City will host next year.
Paje said DENR has been chosen as lead agency of the APEC ministerial meeting on Food Security and the Blue Economy from October 4 to 6, 2015.
DENR has batted for the formulation of an Integrated River Basin Management and Master Plan for the Iloilo-Batiano River Basin. One of its aims is to address flooding and sustainable water supply in the city.
A river basin is also called drainage area, drainage basin or catchment area. According to the DENR, it is the horizontal projection of an area from which a stream or lake receives surface water originating as rainfall.
The effective management of river basin can bring many benefits as it would help improve the quality of living of the people through sustainable water supply, access to clean drinking water and income-generating livelihood program, said DENR.
Eventually, an effectively managed river basin will improve environmental stability and integrity, it stressed.
The Iloilo-Batiano Integrated River Basin Management and Master Plan, once implemented, can also help improve many lives economically as it is also seen to boost environmental conservation and protection.
DENR is the lead agency tasked to do an integrated planning, management, rehabilitation and development of the country’s river basins.
==Campus journalists urged to write for social mobilization==
*Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=2421406883898
*Saturday, August 2, 2014
:By Leonard T. Pineda I (JCM/LTP/PIA-Iloilo)
ILOILO CITY, August 2 (PIA) --- Campus journalists are encouraged to write stories that can mobilize people and boost development in their respective communities.
In the campus journalism seminar-workshop conducted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-6 held July 30-August 1, 2014 at Sarabia Manor Hotel here, Atty. Ma. Janet Mesa, PIA-6 Regional Director, said that student writers can utilize their campus publications to communicate development in their area.
“Development communication seeks to inform, educate and more importantly to motivate,” she said to some 350 participants.
She said that campus journalists can become development communicators who take an active role of mobilizing the audience.
“Student writers can help the government by disseminating information and writing stories of interesting developments in their area,” she said.
She also said that student publications can utilize the thrusts of the Aquino Administration under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016.
Under the PDP, Director Mesa said, the following development clusters namely economic development, good governance, climate change, human development, and security, justice and peace can be used by campus journalists as areas for the subjects of articles they will write in their respective publications.
This series of campus of journalism seminar-workshop included the following general modules for both college and high school levels: news and feature writing, journalistic writing in Filipino, sports writing, editorial and opinion articles, online journalism, cyberlaws/cyber ethics, photojournalism, copy editing/headlining, page design, and collaborative publishing.
The seminar-workshop also presented a lecture on climate change anchored on the advocacy campaign of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and PIA dubbed “Nagbabago na ang Panahon, Panahon na para Magbago”.
==Iloilo City to host int'l UEA Summit in 2015==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=668603
*Friday, August 1, 2014
:By Lydia C. Pendon [(PNA), LAM/AJP/LCPENDON/VLO]
ILOILO CITY, Aug. 1 (PNA)-- City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog announced on Friday the hosting of the Urban Environmental Accord (UEA) Summit slated two weeks before the Ministerial Meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on September 2015.
Mabilog said the UEA Summit will be participated in by more than 200 cities all over the world in encouraging environmental protection and preservation of urban centers. The last summit was held in Texas, United States of America in 2013.
The city environment and natural resources office is in-charge of preparations for the UEA Summit in 2015 as a dry run for the APEC hosting.
The APEC 2015 national organizing council has chosen Iloilo City to host the SME Ministerial Meeting slated on September 21-25, 2015 to be participated by more than 700 delegates from 21 countries in Asia.
Iloilo City will also host the APEC Food Security and the Blue Economy Meeting on October 4-6, 2015 with more than 900 international delegates expected.

Revision as of 19:26, 20 August 2014

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Iloilo City - Archived News
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Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

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Molo Church, Iloilo City
Iloilo dinagyang festival.jpg
The Dinagyang is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines held on the fourth Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog In Cebu and the Ati-Atihan in Aklan.

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

Iloilo to export black rice

(PNA)

ILOILO – The province will start exporting nutritious black rice this year.

Around 500 hectares were planted with organic rice from June to July and will be harvested September to October this year, said Elias Sandig, Provincial Agriculture Office’s focal person for organic rice.

Some of the rice output will be initially exported to Hong Kong, Singapore and the Middle East, said Sandig.

Black rice to be exported are the Bingawan long grain black and the balatinao whose seedlings came from Ilocos Norte.

Organic rice is currently being sold in the local market.

Black rice has a shelf-life of one to two months but can be prolonged if properly packed.

It is being sold in the world market for $11 per kilo.

Black rice is high in nutritional value and is a source of iron, vitamin E and antioxidants.

The bran hull (outermost layer) of black rice contains one of the highest levels of anthocyanin antioxidants found in food.

The grain has a similar amount of fiber to brown rice and like brown rice, has a mild, nutty taste.

In China, black rice is claimed to be good for the kidney, stomach and liver.

Black rice is deep black and usually turns deep purple when cooked. Its dark purple color is primarily due to its anthocyanin content, which is higher by weight than that of other colored grains.

It is suitable for making porridge, dessert, traditional Chinese black rice cake or bread. Noodles made from black rice have also been produced.

NCCA opens cultural grants for 2015

By Lydia C. Pendon [(PNA), CTB/AJP/LCP/VLO]

ILOILO CITY, Aug. 9 (PNA) – The National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has sounded the call for submission of project proposals for competitive grants in 2015.

The grants encourage cultural and art groups, academic institutions, local arts organizations and non-government organizations involved in culture and arts to submit and beat the deadline by August 31, 2014.

An NCCA team composed of Charles Salazar of the Sub-commission on Cultural Heritage, Reinerio Alba of the Sub-commission on Cultural Dissemination and Nino Selibio on Sub-commission on the Arts visited Iloilo City on August 8, 2014.

The team revealed the agency’s main function in the preservation, development and promotion of Philippine arts and culture and to administer the National Endowment Fund for culture and the arts. Financial assistance ranges from P50,000 to P1 million per approved project.

Individuals and groups interested with the NCCA assistance grants may submit their proposal to avail of the P5 million fund of approved projects in each 19 committees.Western Visayas was given ready access to the grants through culture and arts as the region has very high incidence of poverty and calamities.

Salazar admitted that the focus now is at the Guimaras aeta community in sitio Cati-cati, Jordan, Guimaras and other calamity-stricken areas.

The region has no regional office yet but there are volunteer individuals acting as coordinator of NCCA. They are Pilar Mejica, Annie Sartorio, PG Zoluaga and Fe Batiloy, among others.

Iloilo province has many national cultural heritage treasures. Among these are the churches of Miagao, San Joaquin and Sta Barbara and the Pan-ay church in Panay, Capiz.

The Iloilo City Calle Real or central business district of the city was declared a heritage site and national treasure on August 8 by the National Historical Commission with the unveiling of a marker in front of the recently rehabilitated old Villanueva building.

Caligdong in 2-day Iloilo futsal tournament

(PNA), LAM/AJP/ELTORRECAMPO/VLO

ILOILO CITY, Aug 8 (PNA) -- A two-day inter-football tournament which starts Saturday at the Iloilo Sports Complex Gym here has attracted five teams, and organizers have high hopes that the event will fill up the rafters with football enthusiasts coming from across the region.

Futsal, a modified version of open-air football, is garnering adherents the last few years in the country,and one of the more heralded teams in the competition is La Salle Green Archers spearheaded by Azkal star Chiefy Caligdong of Barotac Nuevo.

Other teams seeing action are San Carlos Football Club from Negros Occidental, Stallion Football Club of Barotac Nuevo, Jaro Football Club Iloilo powered by Korean students, and Lapaz Football Club.

Game opener is at 9 am pitting the Green Archers against dangerous Jaro Football Club. Admission is free, said Duffie Botavara of the Iloilo Football Club.

Esplanade to be part of study tours

(RP Sombero, Iloilo City PIO/PN)

ILOILO City – The Iloilo Esplanade in Mandurriao district is becoming a popular tourist attraction, drawing a lot of visitors everyday.

The Department of Education – Division of Iloilo City is inviting public school teachers and pupils to visit the Esplanade during their study tours.

“This is a laudable project since at an early age, our children can learn how to appreciate our very own pride. People from other places take time to visit our famous Esplanade but some of us fail to do so,” said Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

He also encouraged parents or guardians to bring their children during their spare time or family bonding.

The activity aims to expose children to the beauty of the Iloilo River and let them appreciate and commune with the environment of well-manicured plants or gardens overlooking the river, said Dr. Nelly Valerio, city schools division superintendent.

The endeavor will also allow one and all to establish a sense of ownership of a well maintained Esplanade and show awareness and instill commitment to the clean and green program and beautification project of the city covernment, she added.

The assistant schools division superintendent, division supervisors and coordinators, and 54 public elementary school principals were advised of the undertaking.

UN-OCHA to mark World Humanitarian Day Aug. 19

By Jaime S. Cabag, Jr. (JCM/JSC-PIA6)

ILOILO CITY, Aug. 6 (PIA6) – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) will celebrate for the first time in Iloilo the World Humanitarian Day (WHD) on August 19 with the Iloilo Provincial Capitol as center of activities.

Kenga Shandralingam, UN-OCHA head in Western Visayas, said they will be organizing an art exhibition to kick off the one-day event with Governor Arthur Defensor as guest of honor.

The UN-OCHA official said they will also have an art competition for children living in bunkhouses, blood-letting activity with the Philippine Red Cross, and musical event in the evening with SM City Iloilo at the said mall.

He said they will undertake these activities with the support of all stakeholders including the government, humanitarian community, and private sector.

Shandralingam said World Humanitarian Day is a global event that marks the 2003 bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad wherein 22 aid agency workers lost their lives.

A UN-OCHA infographic on the event said that in an effort to raise public awareness of humanitarian assistance worldwide - and the people who risk their lives in order to provide it - the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 designated August 19 as World Humanitarian Day.

WHD recognizes the humanitarian personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice in relieving the suffering of those in humanitarian crises.

UN-OCHA said that six years later, World Humanitarian Day has become a global celebration of humanitarian action. This year, they want to bring the focus back on the humanitarian workers as Humanitarian Heroes and organizations that risk their lives every day to bring relief to communities in need of assistance.

Shandralingam said all countries of the world celebrate World Humanitarian Day.

He and other representatives of UN-OCHA and international humanitarian organizations helping in recovery and rehabilitation efforts for typhoon Yolanda affected areas in the region participated in the meeting of the DILG-chaired Disaster Preparedness Committee of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council held at Iloilo Grand Hotel here Aug. 5.

NHCP to declare Iloilo’s Calle Real a heritage zone

(PNA), FPV/AJP/VLO

ILOILO CITY, Aug 5 (PNA) -- The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) will declar Calle Real considered to be Iloilo city’s business district as a heritage zone on Aug. 8.

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, in an interview Tuesday, said that the declaration will further boost the local government's effort in promoting the city as a heritage and cultural area with the support from the NHCP.

He further said that the city government could ask for funding for the maintenance of the place once it has been officially declared as a heritage zone.

”Calle Real will become a part of the local destination to be visited during the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Conference),” the mayor contended. The declaration is also in time for the hosting of Iloilo city of the APEC by next year.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City Councillor Jason Gonzales said that Calle Real is historic for national hero Jose Rizal himself on his way to Manila from his exile in Dapitan trod in there and even bought a cap from the merchants. Rizal had also described the place as the “liveliest” because of the teeming businesses.

Chinese merchants constructed beautiful buildings with truly unique architectural designs along Calle Real that also used to be known as the Royal Road where the rich people from all over come to buy their merchandise.

Councilor Gonzales said that it is because of the historic significance of the area that he passed the so-called pedestrianization ordinance of Iloilo city for the purpose of enticing more people after the place experienced set back with the construction of the malls in other parts of the city.

The pedestrianization ordinance implements road closure of Calle Real from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Sunday starting June 2014 to let the people experience shopping among stores as in the olden days and see also the cultural presentations of performing troupes.

Bamboo basketmaking gets much needed boost

By Lilibeth A. French (JCM/LAF/PIA6)

ILOILO CITY, Aug. 4 (PIA6) - - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Iloilo has partnered with local government units to help restore the vitality of bamboo basketry in the province.

Since February this year, DTI-Iloilo has embarked on skills trainings that will help the bamboo sector of LGUs improve their traditional baskets to make them acceptable in the market.

Almost 100 people from the municipalities of Badiangan, Balasan and San Dionisio have undertaken the training which is also in support of the environment protection initiatives of the LGUs.

The introduction of plastic as packaging material has replaced bamboo baskets that have been used by many people decades ago to contain fruits, vegetables and other items during market days and even as storage of food.

DTI Iloilo Industry Development Division OIC Rachel Nufable said the use of bamboo baskets will be an alternative to plastic bags where excessive use and improper disposal of them pose a problem to the environment such as clogged waterways and drainage system.

With the devastation of typhoon Yolanda in Balasan and San Dionisio towns, the skills trainings are also expected to provide additional source of income to the people who were trained from the said places.

The skills training consists of bamboo preservation and finishing techniques to make the products acceptable in the market. It also involves the use or mix of bamboo with the available indigenous raw materials in the locality such as nito and other vines available in order to create good quality products to make them attractive for people to buy.

Bamboo bags or bayong that can be used as school bag, conference kit, shopping or grocery bag, fashion bag are just some of the target outputs of the skills training.

P38M FOR RIVER REHAB

BY FREDA MAE SORSANO (PN)

ILOILO City – A total of P38 million will be infused to the program designed to rehabilitate the Iloilo River and Batiano River whose neglect for decades has resulted to their deterioration.

The fund will be included in the 2015 national budget to be deliberated in Congress beginning August 28, said Secretary Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The Iloilo-Batiano River Rehabilitation Project aims to improve water quality and promote tourism activities in the two rivers, said Paje at the recent Iloilo River Development Council meeting here.

A clean Iloilo River would be conducive not only for boat competitions but for swimming, too, said Sen. Franklin Drilon.

The budget will help realize the Ilonggo Senate president’s wish, said Paje.

The Iloilo River is actually an “arm of the sea” or an estuary. It is connected to the Batiano River in Oton, Iloilo. The Batiano River is also an estuary.

From Oton, the Iloilo River traverses the Iloilo City districts of Lapuz, La Paz, Mandurriao, Molo, Arevalo and the City Proper, before emptying into the Iloilo Strait.

But the entire Iloilo-Batiano River Basin spans along the Iloilo municipalities of San Miguel, Sta. Barbara, Oton, Pavia and Iloilo City, according to the DENR.

For decades, both the Iloilo and Batiano rivers have similar problems – pollution, siltation and illegal structures.

With the help of Drilon, the city government started rehabilitating the Iloilo River in 2010. Illegal structures were removed. The river was dredged and a long stretch of its banks from Molo to Mandurriao have been transformed into what is now a tourist attraction – the Iloilo Esplanade.

Years of disregard resulted to the Iloilo River’s decline. At one point, was declared a “dying river” by the DENR itself.

Now, the rehabilitation efforts are starting to pay off. Fishes have started to come back at the Iloilo River. Tourists and businessmen have started noticing its beauty and economic potentials, too.

Plans are afoot to replicate the Iloilo River’s success in the Batiano River.

DENR has also made a commitment to donate a boat for Iloilo City’s “dream river cruise” tourism program at the Iloilo River, in addition to the solar boat donated by the 1Meal Program.

The 1Meal boat, 13 meters long and 4.5 meters wide, weighs 10 tons and can accommodate up to 40 passengers.

The city aims to put in place the program before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meeting that Iloilo City will host next year.

Paje said DENR has been chosen as lead agency of the APEC ministerial meeting on Food Security and the Blue Economy from October 4 to 6, 2015.

DENR has batted for the formulation of an Integrated River Basin Management and Master Plan for the Iloilo-Batiano River Basin. One of its aims is to address flooding and sustainable water supply in the city.

A river basin is also called drainage area, drainage basin or catchment area. According to the DENR, it is the horizontal projection of an area from which a stream or lake receives surface water originating as rainfall.

The effective management of river basin can bring many benefits as it would help improve the quality of living of the people through sustainable water supply, access to clean drinking water and income-generating livelihood program, said DENR.

Eventually, an effectively managed river basin will improve environmental stability and integrity, it stressed.

The Iloilo-Batiano Integrated River Basin Management and Master Plan, once implemented, can also help improve many lives economically as it is also seen to boost environmental conservation and protection.

DENR is the lead agency tasked to do an integrated planning, management, rehabilitation and development of the country’s river basins.

Campus journalists urged to write for social mobilization

By Leonard T. Pineda I (JCM/LTP/PIA-Iloilo)

ILOILO CITY, August 2 (PIA) --- Campus journalists are encouraged to write stories that can mobilize people and boost development in their respective communities.

In the campus journalism seminar-workshop conducted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-6 held July 30-August 1, 2014 at Sarabia Manor Hotel here, Atty. Ma. Janet Mesa, PIA-6 Regional Director, said that student writers can utilize their campus publications to communicate development in their area.

“Development communication seeks to inform, educate and more importantly to motivate,” she said to some 350 participants.

She said that campus journalists can become development communicators who take an active role of mobilizing the audience.

“Student writers can help the government by disseminating information and writing stories of interesting developments in their area,” she said.

She also said that student publications can utilize the thrusts of the Aquino Administration under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016.

Under the PDP, Director Mesa said, the following development clusters namely economic development, good governance, climate change, human development, and security, justice and peace can be used by campus journalists as areas for the subjects of articles they will write in their respective publications.

This series of campus of journalism seminar-workshop included the following general modules for both college and high school levels: news and feature writing, journalistic writing in Filipino, sports writing, editorial and opinion articles, online journalism, cyberlaws/cyber ethics, photojournalism, copy editing/headlining, page design, and collaborative publishing.

The seminar-workshop also presented a lecture on climate change anchored on the advocacy campaign of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and PIA dubbed “Nagbabago na ang Panahon, Panahon na para Magbago”.

Iloilo City to host int'l UEA Summit in 2015

By Lydia C. Pendon [(PNA), LAM/AJP/LCPENDON/VLO]

ILOILO CITY, Aug. 1 (PNA)-- City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog announced on Friday the hosting of the Urban Environmental Accord (UEA) Summit slated two weeks before the Ministerial Meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on September 2015.

Mabilog said the UEA Summit will be participated in by more than 200 cities all over the world in encouraging environmental protection and preservation of urban centers. The last summit was held in Texas, United States of America in 2013.

The city environment and natural resources office is in-charge of preparations for the UEA Summit in 2015 as a dry run for the APEC hosting.

The APEC 2015 national organizing council has chosen Iloilo City to host the SME Ministerial Meeting slated on September 21-25, 2015 to be participated by more than 700 delegates from 21 countries in Asia.

Iloilo City will also host the APEC Food Security and the Blue Economy Meeting on October 4-6, 2015 with more than 900 international delegates expected.

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