Iloilo City News March 2012

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Iloilo City - Archived News

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-aerial.jpg
Aerial View of Iloilo City

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.

WWF for Nature stresses need to adapt, mitigate climate change

By Vicente W. Villavert (JCM/VWV-PIA6 Iloilo)

ILOILO CITY, March 20 (PIA) -- Citing the extreme weather pattern and Iloilo’s experience on typhoon Frank, which brought multi-million pesos’ worth of devastations to life, property, infrastructure and agriculture, Climate Change and Energy Program of World Wildlife Fund for Nature has stressed the need to come up with strategies on how to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Denise Danielle Galvez, project officer of the Climate Change and Energy Program of World Wildlife Fund for Nature, was in Iloilo City to discuss “Climate Change: Adaptation and Mitigation” before a crowd of about 300 barangay officials, students, representatives from national and local government agencies and the media, during the seminar on Electricity Conservation in Households and Schools, organized by the Department of Energy, in cooperation with the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines and the Philippine Information Agency.

Galvez said that global warming and climate change is caused by among others, emission of Carbon dioxide and other human activities. She added that stronger greenhouse effect will warm the oceans, partially melt the ice and will contribute the projected sea level rise in coming decades.

The transport sector also contributes a large percentage of carbon dioxide emissions, she said, “Even while the Philippines is not a major emitter of carbon dioxide in the entire world, yet according to a study, the Philippines is considered as the sixth most vulnerable to the impact of climate change.”

She emphasized the need for increasing the level of understanding of the public as well as educating them about adaptation to climate change.

PIA 6 director Janet C. Mesa urged the participants also take active part in global warming as she encouraged everyone to join in the launching of the Earth Hour 2012 on March 31.

Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia where both households and businesses made a stand against climate change by switching off their lights for one hour.

Mesa said she hopes that the seminar on electricity conservation in households and schools will move the participants to share what they learned from the lectures to their friends and to the rest of the community so that they will be more aware of their energy usage and its effect on the environment.

Senior Science Research Specialist Genevieve L. Almonares of DOE discussed on the DOE Efficiency Plans and Programs, while Joan Sotelo and DOE, and Engr. Randy Pastolero of the Panay Electric Cooperative, gave household energy conservation tips; and teaching consumers how to read electric meter and understand electric bill, respectively.

LGU to hold women's forum on March 20

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

ILOILO CITY, March 19 (PIA6) -- More than 200 women from the different municipalities of the province of Iloilo are expected to meet and take part in a Provincial Women’s Forum that will be conducted at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol lobby on March 20, 2012.

Provincial Capitol Human Resource Management and Development Office Officer-in-Charge Alma Ravena said the event will center on the theme of this year’s National Women’s Month celebration “Women Weathering Climate Change: Governance and Accountability, Everyone’s Responsibility”.

Among the resource speakers are Philippine Commission on Women Chaiperson Remedios Rikken and representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 6 and Office of Civil Defense 6. They will talk on Women’s Empowerment, climate change and disaster preparedness, respectively.

Ravena said invited to attend the gathering are women representatives from the Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina and other sectors in the province.

Organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, KALIPI intends to assist women through various activities and programs to further harness their potentials and abilities.

To date, there are now 26 municipalities in the province that have organized their KALIPI based on the record of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.

The one-day forum is organized by the Iloilo provincial government spearheaded by the PSWDO.

Iloilo Readies Launch of Major Projects In Mid-Year Presidential Visit

(PNA)

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — At least four completed major city projects await the arrival of President Benigno Aquino III when he comes here for their launch and blessing by late May or early June this year.

The projects expected to be completed in time for the President’s visit include the R70-million Esplanade by the Iloilo River, the new Iloilo City Hall building, the city hospital annex at the Western Visayas Medical Center and the P125-million Iloilo City Community College for poor but deserving city high school graduates.

The Esplanade project was designed by architect Paolo Alcazaren with funding assistance from Ilonggo Senator Franklin M. Drilon to widen, rehabilitate and improve the Treñas Boulevard. It is designed to be the newest fun and recreation area of the city.

The imposing seven-storey new Iloilo City Hall houses city government offices which do not have their own building. Considered as a “green building,” it will feature solar panels and a rain catchment system in producing electric power and water.

The 40-bed city hospital was funded by the city government and amounts from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Iloilo City lone district Rep. Jerry P. Treñas.

Meanwhile, City Community College construction was funded by Ilonggo businessman Edgar Sia and built under a public-private partnership scheme to provide college education to poor students in two baccalaureate courses.

Mabilog said the President will also be invited to lead in the groundbreaking of the P344-million relocation sites housing displaced families along riverbanks and other danger zones in the city. The amount was facilitated by Drilon with P144 million from the National Housing Authority, P100 million from the Office of the President and another P100 million from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s core shelter program, with the city government providing 5.6 hectares of land in Brgy. Lanit in Jaro district.

Also in the President’s itinerary when he comes to visit Iloilo by mid-year this year will be the rehabilitated and upgraded to Double AA city slaughterhouse in Brgy. Tacas, Jaro district. The slaughterhouse project is spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture’s National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC) in an effort to upgrade the processing of meat for local consumption and for exports.

Ilonggo Farmer Finds 'Gold' In His Ready-To-Lay Hens

(PNA)

ILOILO CITY (PNA) — It might be already on his bloodline being a business-minded person when Benjamin Tan decided to raise ready-to-lay hens after resigning from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

Tan was inspired to enter into business after visiting the office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Barangay Buntatala, Jaro, Iloilo City supposedly to inquire only about their agriculture and organic farming.

Tan is maintaining a backyard plantation of banana and papaya fruit trees in Barangay Buntatala, Leganes, Iloilo. He said raising chicken is much easier than farming.

As his starting capital investment, Tan spent P51,000 to buy 45 hens (lohman) worth P36,000 and construction of his cage worth P15,000.

The ready-to-lay hens are five-month old and 70 percent of the hens started laying eggs.

He said one hen can lay 21 eggs in just one month up to 16 months or 1 year and four month-old when reaching its maturity period.

PDIC to pay depositors of Cooperative Bank of Iloilo

(PNA), lgi/PR/JS/utb

MANILA, March 16 (PNA) — The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) announced it will start paying deposit insurance claims of depositors of the closed Cooperative Bank of Iloilo on March 14, 2012.

The claims settlement operations (CSO) will be held at the bank’s premises located along Bonifacio Drive, Iloilo City and will continue until March 27, 2012.

Earlier, PDIC started mailing the Notice of Payments to depositors with valid accounts with balances of P10,000 and below. The filing of claims for accounts with balances of P10,000 and below is waived when the depositor has no outstanding obligation with the bank, has no other deposits with the bank with balance of above P10,000 and has complete mailing address found in the bank records.

Meanwhile, PDIC has started distributing Priority Numbers to depositors at the bank premises. PDIC advised all depositors of Cooperative Bank of Iloilo including those with deposit balances of P10,000 and below who have not yet received their Notice of Payment to proceed to the bank premises to get their Priority Numbers.

The Priority Number given to the depositor corresponds to an appointment date or the schedule when the PDIC representatives will service the depositor’s claim. The schedule of appointment dates will be posted in the bank’s premises and at the PDIC website, www.pdic.gov.ph.

PDIC advised depositors to transact only with authorized PDIC representatives and to bring on their appointment dates their accomplished Claim Form, Claim Status Sheet (CSS), original evidence of deposit, and original and photocopy of two valid IDs bearing the signature of the depositors. Depositors below 18 years old are required to submit a photocopy of their Birth Certificates issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) or duly certified copies from the Local Civil Registrar. Claim Forms and Claim Status Sheets may also be downloaded from the PDIC website, www.pdic.gov.ph.

In case the claimant is not the signatory in the bank records, an original copy of a notarized/authenticated Special Power Attorney (SPA) issued by the depositor or parent of minor depositor has to be submitted.

Depositors are encouraged to bring with them complete documentation to allow processing and payment of their claims on their appointment dates onsite.

Those who lack supporting documents will have to submit the necessary documents before they are paid. Documents may be completed during the CSO period or mailed to the PDIC if the CSO period has ended.

Depositors who may be issued Priority Numbers beyond the duration of the CSO may still file their claims with the PDIC representatives during the onsite CSO. However, their claims will be processed at the PDIC-Home Office in Makati City and notices of payment will be sent through mail.

Depositors who failed to file their claims within the duration of the CSO may submit their claims starting April 12, 2012 either through mail or personally during office hours at the PDIC, 4/F SSS Building., 6782 Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

Groundwork for GBPC’s carbon sink project underway

(PNA)

Global Business Power Corporation (GBPC), through its subsidiaries Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) and Panay Power Corporation (PPC), has started the groundwork for the realization of its multi-million carbon sink project.

The five-year private-public partnership (PPP) project aims to sequester, among others, the carbon emission of GBPC’s diesel and coal-fired power plant in Brgy. Ingore, La Paz district.

Early this week, GBPC President Arthur Aguilar reiterated their commitment to care for the environment while offering a reliable power supply.

The carbon sink project includes the reforestation and rehabilitation of 40-hectare Bulabog-Putian National Park within the complex of Jalaur Water River Basin in Dingle, Iloilo.

It will also develop and convert the 35-hectare land in Barangays Ingore and Hinactacan in La Paz District into an ecological park.

It will enhance the state of the existing mangroves in the two villages.

All these initiatives will be made in partnership with the city government and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6.

“This (carbon sink project) is not just a mere compliance with the provisions of DENR’s Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) but our environmental legacy,” Aguilar said.

To ensure its sustainability, GBPC has created a special committee composed of key members from the community, people organization and non-government organization who will protect and manage the project.

Iloilo City to host national observance of World TB Day

By Vicente W. Villavert (JCM/VWV/PIA 6-Iloilo)

ILOILO CITY, March 14 (PIA 6) -- Iloilo will play host to the national observance of the World TB Day on March 24 with Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona as guest speaker.

According to DOH 6 Director Susan K. Madarieta, this annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that cause tuberculosis or TB.

Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease.

The campaign against TB is doing well in the region, according to Dr. Edith Gimotea, DOH 6 Regional TB Coordinator because “ from year 2000, we have 238 TB cases per 100,000 population and it reduced to 160 per 100,000 population in year 2010”.

“The reduction of TB cases in the region is in step with the Milllennium Development Goals to reduce it by half by the year 2015,” Gimotea said during the press conference.

Gimotea said that the TB treatment in year 2010 was recorded at 93 percent, stressing the good collaboration of the private sector in the fight against TB and the DOTS or Directly-Observed Treatment Short-course. It is a comprehensive strategy endorsed by the World Health Organization to detect and cure TB patients.

“DOTS remains at the heart of the Stop TB Strategy where medicines are given for free to the identified patients,” Gimotea said.

She said there are about 156 certified/accredited DOTS facilities in Western Visayas with the Iloilo province having the bigger number of 46; followed by Negros Occidental with 34; Aklan- 22; Capiz- 18; Antique- 16; Iloilo City- 10 and four (4) for Bacolod City.

As for the observance of the World TB Day on March 24, Director Madarieta said that the event will be held at Plaza Libertad, Iloilo City. To deliver health messages are: DOH Secretary Enrique T. Ona; Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog; Representative Jerry Trenas of the Lone District of Iloilo City; Iloilo Provincial Administrator Raul N. Banias; Dr. Susan K. Madarietta; Dr. Vincent M. Balanag Jr, National Chairperson of the PhilCAT; Dr. Edith Gimotea, Regional National TB Program Medical Coordinator; Provincial Health Officer II and Provincial Health Officer I Dr. Maria Socorro C. Quinon.

City to honor 15 outstanding graduating students

By Lydia C. Pendon

A TOTAL of 15 graduating high school students in Iloilo City will be honored by the City Government and its partner non-government organization the Haligi Foundation on Friday at the Robinsons fountain area.

Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog will lead the awarding ceremony of the Batang Lider 2012 awardees, which he founded and spearheaded 10 years ago before being elected in a public office.

Now on its 10th year, the Mabilog project currently has 135 high school student alumni that carry the banner of development in Iloilo City and selected from state colleges and universities, private and public schools in the city.

Mabilog said the students, mostly high school valedictorians and salutatorians, are expected to bring the goodwill of Iloilo City with expertise to influence their fellow youth with honor, integrity and service.

This year, Batang Lider awardees include Beatriz Tobongbanua, Rhea Jane Germia, Gloria Mar Sayson, Primi Jun Hareso, Francis John Conde, Luis Miguel Tirador, Jothamme Enriquez, Kyzel Dagdag, Krizza Grace Bas, Riza Gemma Que, Christel Angela Daplas, Ruth Laurio, Jade Kristian Jamero, Airah Leen Atienza, and Aserina Yvonne Baladjay.

Retired SC Chief Justice Calls For Prioritization Of Socioeconomic Rights

By TARA YAP

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo – A former Supreme Court chief justice is pushing for the amendment of the Philippine Constitution to prioritize socio-economic rights.

“The amendment should be made in giving more teeth to the philosophy of social justice in order to alleviate the plight of the poor and the powerless in our society,” said retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno during an ecumenical conversation at the Jaro Evangelical Church (JEC) over the weekend.

Addressing members of the Western Visayas Ecumenical Council (WVEC) and the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR), Puno noted that the Constitution has given more priority to civil and political rights over and above the Filipino people’s socioeconomic rights.

Puno strongly urged Congress to pass laws to concretize socio-economic rights including rights to education, housing, health services, and a sustainable environment.

“Our present laws which would give muscle to these rights are almost nonexistent,” Puno declared.

He said Congress’ Lower House should also promulgate laws that would give additional protection of the rights of those in the so-called vulnerable sectors of society including farmers, fishermen, and informal settlers.

Puno said if this is not possible, then the Supreme Court must step in.

“The Supreme Court should come to the rescue of the socio-economic rights of our poor people,” Puno said.

“It is its duty to protect, respect and fulfill our people’s socioeconomic rights,” emphasized Puno.

Saudi Ministry of Health offers jobs for doctors and specialists

By Lilibeth A. French (JSC/LAF-PIA6 Iloilo)

ILOILO CITY, March 11 (PIA) -- The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has reported that there are employment opportunities for physicians, doctors and specialists in this city who are looking for a job abroad.

According to POEA 6 Officer in Charge Rhea Glynda Calantas, the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom Saudi Arabia is currently in need of around 500 qualified physicians, doctors and specialists.

Qualified are those not more than 60 years old, Bachelor of Science graduate, with board of license and at least one year hospital work experience.

Calantas said the salary offer ranges from SR 10,000 to SR 25,000. Other benefits include free food and accommodation, paid annual vacation with free round trip economy ticket and free tickets for the family.

Applicants are advised to register on line at www.poea.gov.ph or www.eregister.poea.gov.ph. and personally submit a detailed resume with job description, school credentials, employment certificates, PRC credentials, photocopy of their Board Certificate rating valid NBI, original and photocopy of the first page of their passport and 6 pieces 2x2 recent photo at the Manpower Registry Division, Window M, Ground Floor, Blas F. Ople Building (formerly POEA Bldg.), Ortigas Avenue, corner EDSA, Mandaluyong City.

Submission of application will remain open until further notice.


Feature: Farm youth find farming profitable

By Elsa S. Subong (RDA/OCA/ESS/JCM/PIA-Iloilo)

While the country’s farmers are greying (average age is 57) and poor (P27,000 annual income)*, the Iloilo city government has found a way to encourage the youth to go into farming.

Through its vegetable farming project, the Office of the City Agriculturist (OCA) provides training, funds and technical assistance to the youth who are members of a barangay organization called the 4-H Club.

“My income from growing vegetables is more than enough for my personal needs, so I shared part of it to my sister for her graduation expenses,” said 4-H member Joemart Sasa, 20, in the dialect.

The Barangay Lanit 4-H Club is an organization of farm youths aged 15-30 years old in or out of school. The club aims to develop “the head, the heart, the hands and health of the person.” Now with 29 members, it was organized 1994 when personnel of the DA were devolved into the local government unit.

Four members of the 4-H club qualified for the Vegetable Gardening Project, which was launched in December 2010. Each beneficiary received P10,000 as seed capital from the ATI on the condition that the loaned amount will be repaid after harvest.

“The project was intended for the youth members of the 4-H Club as part of the youth development program of the OCA,” said Iloilo City Agriculturist Renato C. Madrilejo.

Madrilejo said the youth farmers are visited regularly and provided with technical assistance by a farm youth development program coordinator (FYDPC).

“We see to it that the youth members become productive, so we thought of vegetable gardening as an approach to achieve it,” FYDP Coordinator Georgia Lapastora said.

Thus, equipped with capital, knowledge and skills in farming—land preparation, planting, watering and nurturing their vegetable garden—the beneficiaries were able to harvest and market their produce in two to three months, said Madrilejo.

Another beneficiary, Julian Dionio, 25, is a son of a farmer from Barangay Lanit, in Jaro, and a member of the 4-H Club.

Jobless only three months ago (at best, he would be in and out of job as a construction worker), he is now P10,000 richer from the sale of green onions he harvested from his vegetable garden.

Another beneficiary, third year high school student Speed Jasmin, 15, said, “I only wanted to have a source of income for myself while studying to ease the burden of my family. Now I have enough money for my needs in school.”

The first batch of beneficiaries are now into their third cropping, expanding to other vegetables like pechay, tomatoes, and lettuce using their initial incomes.

The next five beneficiaries will venture into the project for the third cropping using the seed money returned by the first batch, in a roll-over scheme, to ensure that other 4-H club members will have an opportunity to avail of the project.

Meanwhile, Julian, now the president of the 4-H Club Federation of Iloilo City, said he saw much hope for the farm youth to be more productive with sustaining efforts in vegetable gardening.

He added that more than the money they earn, they have learned to be more industrious, hard-working and dedicated; and that “what they sow, they reap.”

  • Ernesto M. Ordoñez, "A useful agri-fisheries vision for 2025," Philippine Daily Inquirer, 11 Oct 2011

DOST to install more water level sensors in WV

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

ILOILO CITY, March 9 (PIA6) -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will install three (3) more automated water level sensors (AWLS) in Western Visayas, particularly in the Tigum-Aganan River System in Iloilo.

The additional units will be installed in the towns of Alimodian, San Miguel and Sta. Barbara, said DOST Regional Director Engr. Rowen Gelonga.

This is part of the agency’s weather monitoring system project to assist in disaster risk reduction program of the government, Gelogna said. Apart from these areas, the DOST is set to install additional AWLS in the towns of Maasin and Pavia and Jaro, Iloilo City this quarter.

The AWLS are designed to help weather forecasters in tracking river water levels and potential floods.

One-half of the cost of equipment was funded by the DOST while the other half was funded by Smart Communications as a public-private partnership project with DOST and local government units, said Gelonga during the recent first quarterly meeting of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC).

The DOST has already installed Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) in Aklan (2 AWS and 1 ARG), Antique (1 ARG), Capiz (1 ARG), Guimaras (1 AWS and 1 ARG), Iloilo (4 AWS and 3 ARG), and Negros Occ. (5 AWS and 3 ARG) as part of their weather monitoring system project in the region.

Gelonga said the three different kinds of equipment are designed to empower local government units in disaster risk reduction and mitigation by providing them with real-time information on weather conditions and river water levels in their respective localities.

The AWS are monitoring stations equipped with different sensors capable of measuring wind speed and direction, air temperature, humidity and pressure, and rainfall amount, duration and intensity.

On the other hand, ARGs have been developed to gather and record the amount of rainfall over a set period of time and selected ARGs are capable of measuring air pressure.

Community college approved for June opening

By Lydia C. Pendon

THE City Council unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday approving the school opening of the government-owned Iloilo City Community College (ICCC) in June 2012 even without a confirmation from the Commission on Higher Education (Ched).

Councilor Plaridel Nava, chair of the council’s committee on education, said that under the local government code, the moratorium established by Ched on the creation of new colleges and universities can never be applied to a local government unit (LGU).

Plaridel said they are supporting and adopting the position of Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog to open the college to the first batch of 300 poor but deserving city high school graduates as City Government scholars to take up baccalaureate courses on Bachelor of Travel Management and Bachelor of Office Management as initial offered courses.

The councilor maintained that Ched has no jurisdiction over the government-run college as long as the LGU meets minimum requirement of Ched.

Nava told the council that there are existing 21 colleges and universities in the country and foremost are the University of Makati and Marikina which do not have confirmation from Ched.

The University of Makati is operated by the Makati City Government for the past 40 years without Ched accreditation but empowered by a city ordinance mandated by the local government code.

Nava said the ICCC is applying for membership with the Association of Local Colleges and Universities and University of Makati president Tom Lopez will help in the membership application. Lopez is also willing to join and help the ICCC Board of Trustees.

Mabilog has appointed the ICCC Board of Trustees composed of Prof. Mary Anne Gumban, Dr. Erlinda Gencaya, businessman Joel Adrias, former city councilor Erlinda Liberiaga and Nava, with Catalina Sanico as college dean.

Iloilo, USAID Now Development Partners

By TARA YAP

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo — The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has chosen Iloilo as a partner in its Cities Development Initiative (CDI) program.

“Iloilo City has been selected because it demonstrates economic potential,” said Gloria Steele, USAID Mission Director for the Philippines.

The CDI is a five-year program under the U.S.-Philippines Partnership for Growth signed last November 2011 during the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

It is designed to find solutions on constraints of economic growth and development in Iloilo City through partnership between USAID, the city government, business sector, civil society, and the academe.

The CDI will also tackle issues including lack of stable electric power and water supply, poor health facilities, and improving the conduciveness of doing business.

The program works on the premise that economic growth and employment opportunities are parallel with urban development.

Steele explained that once Iloilo City’s economic potentials are harnessed, it will pave the way for the eventual development of nearby areas and is expected to grow “the way Metro Manila has grown.”

Steele added that USAID Philippines applauds the commitment of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog in promoting good governance as well as attracting investors.

“It takes a strong partnership between the public and private sectors to work towards long-term and inclusive development,” Steele said.

US Sailors Enjoy Iloilo Visit

By TARA YAP

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo – United States Navy sailors visiting Iloilo for the first time expressed enthusiasm about their initial impressions of the city.

“The people of Iloilo are very friendly; it was overwhelming,” enthused USS Chafee commanding office, Cmdr. Justin Kubu.

The missile guided destroyer dropped anchor off the coast of Iloilo for a few days as part of the US Embassy-organized “America in 3D: A Road Show in Diplomacy, Development and Defense.”

At least 80 American sailors went on shore to mainland Iloilo, participating in community outreach programs including mangrove planting and painting of classrooms.

Other sailors conducted basketball and soccer clinics at the Central Philippine University (CPU) in Jaro.

A special tour on board the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Chafee which is deployed in the Asia-Pacific, saw invited guests including local government officials, government workers, Iloilo entrepreneurs, teachers, students, and civic leaders.

The USS Chafee has a crew of some 300 sailors, 30 of which are Filipino-Americans.

Kubu expressed high praises for said Filipino-Americans serving on board the US naval ship, saying “they are hardworking individuals integral to the ship’s operation.”

The naval ship is named after the late Sen. John Chafee, who served as Secretary of the US Navy during the presidency of Richard Nixon.

Iloilo government officials, meanwhile, say that aforesaid “America in 3D” show held in Iloilo City last March 2 to 4 certainly helped in the strengthening of ties between the Philippines and the United States.

Iloilo Lauds Stronger US-Phl Ties

(Manila Bulletin Article)

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo — A three-day road show organized by the United States Embassy named America in 3D which was held March 2 to 4 in this city was a manifestation of stronger Filipino-American relationship in the province and city of Iloilo, said Iloilo officials.

For his part, for instance, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., said the show “further strengthened our friendship as the US continues to be our partners in advancing Iloilo’s development and progress.”

The road show which underlined diplomacy, development and defense themes, showcased American culture as well as tips on securing a visa to the U.S., as well as business and educational opportunities in the U.S. for Filipinos.

“ America in 3D brought the US Embassy closer to the Ilonggo community, showing us the value of brotherhood and friendship,” said Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

According to Mabilog, American influence is very strong in Iloilo.

“We have an American community here. Iloilo hosts an American Cemetery and Americans were also responsible for constructing in Iloilo the only passenger and freight railway system outside of Manila,” Mabilog added.

America in 3D put up exhibits at SM City Iloilo, a basketball and soccer clinic at the Central Philippine University (CPU), and a tour of the American naval ship, USS Chafee.

US Deputy Chief of Mission Leslie Bassett and other American diplomats participated in outreach activities including mangrove planting at Sooc village in Arevalo district and painting classrooms at Esteban Juntado Sr. Memorial Elementary School in Calumpang village of Molo district.

Iloilo is the fourth Philippine city where the US Embassy brought the America in 3D show launched in 2011 by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, Harry Thomas Jr. Previously, it was brought to Quezon City, Baguio and Cebu.

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