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==Megaworld building tower in Iloilo==
*Source: http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/09/30/megaworld-building-tower-in-iloilo/
*Tuesday, September 30, 2014 10:01 pm
:(MST Business)
ILOILO CITY—Megaworld Corp., the country’s leading real estate developer and pioneer of townships, introduces another modern luxury residential condominium that is poised to be the tallest building in the region.
Standing 80 meters high at 22 stories, The Palladium will also be Western Visayas’ first residential tower with its own skygardens in various floors overlooking the spectacular views of the booming city.
“Since last year, we have been experiencing consistent growth in the demand for residential towers in Iloilo Business Park. Everyday, we get inquiries about new projects and everyone wants the best views and amenities from the condominiums that they look for,”  said Jennifer Palmares-Fong, head of marketing, Iloilo Business Park.
“That is why selling the four towers of our first two residential projects, One Madison Place and Lafayette Park Square, was very easy. And now, we are on our fifth tower which will be offering another set of unique, first-of-its-kind amenities and features that Ilonggos can boast of,” she said.
Named after one of the earth’s rarest precious elements, The Palladium will be built as a stylish urban oasis with four skygardens where residents can relax and enjoy serene moments with nature.
A total of 482 units ranging from studio (from 29.50 square meters), executive studio (from 39.50 square meters), one-bedroom (from 49.50 square meters) to two-bedrooms (from 83.50 square meters) will be available at The Palladium which will be divided into North Wing and South Wing. At the topmost floor of the tower, there will be exclusive loft units ranging from 76 square meters to 115 square meters.
Residents of The Palladium will also get to enjoy the state-of-the-art amenities that the tower offers. These include an infinity pool, a children’s pool, outdoor and indoor fitness center, day care center, lawn area for events, and a function hall.
From the outside, the first two levels of The Palladium will be allocated for commercial and retail shops.
“We are offering a unique living experience at The Palladium. Our loft units will be first-of-its-kind in Iloilo City and the entire Western Visayas, and our amenities will raise the bar of this city’s lifestyle for our future residents,” adds Palmares-Fong.
Iloilo Business Park is a 72-hectare township development, which is poised to be the Western Visayas’ biggest business and tourism hub located at the site of the old airport in Mandurriao district.
Megaworld has allotted P35 billion for the development of the township in the next 10 years, making it the company’s biggest single investment outside Metro Manila. Iloilo Business Park will be home to luxury residential condominiums, state-of-the-art Business Process Outsourcing office towers, a Megaworld Center Mall, a 1.1-kilometer Festive Walk commercial and retail strip, open parks, transport hub, first-class hotels such as Richmonde Hotel Iloilo and Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo, and the much-anticipated 3,700-seating Iloilo Convention Center.
==RDC6, CFO sign agreement for migration and dev’t initiative==
*Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=931411966601
*Monday, September 29, 2014
:By Lilibeth A. French (JCM/LAF/PIA)
ILOILO CITY, Sept. 29 (PIA6) - - The Regional Development Council VI and Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) on Friday  signed an agreement with the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the “Migration and Development Initiative for Western Visayas” (MDI-WV) project.
His Excellency Ivo Sieber, Ambassador of Switzerland, Mr. Maurice Dewulf, Country Director of the UNDP, Secretary Imelda Nicolas of the CFO and Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Maranon, Chairperson of the RDC VI signed the agreement during the project launching that highlighted the 3rd quarter regular meeting of the RDC VI held at NEDA VI office, Iloilo City, September 26, 2014.     
Funded solely by the SDC, the approximately P10 million (USD 230,000) MDI-WV project is an additional project related to the Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI) Phase II exclusive to areas affected by disasters, either by typhoon “Yolanda”  or the earthquake in the Visayas.
Among the components of the MDI-WV project are the establishment of migration resource centers and the creation of a collective remittance mechanism that will support a particular activity geared towards disaster risk reduction. The project will be implemented for 22 months until April 2016.
NEDA 6’s Maria Lourdes Miado said the migration resource centers will be initially established in the provinces of Iloilo and Capiz, the provinces which were heavily affected by typhoon ‘Yolanda’ that occurred in November 2013.
The resource centers will serve as one-stop hubs for services and projects for overseas Filipinos and their families.
NEDA 6 data revealed that there are around 240,000 Filipinos from Western Visayas who are either residing or working abroad. Of the total figure, 23 percent are residents in countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia and 77 percent are OFWs in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
An estimate of about P22 billion remittances are sent by these overseas Filipinos to their families in the region.
Iloilo City, Pototan, Sta. Barbara and Miag-ao in Iloilo; the cities of Bacolod, Talisay, Victorias, Silay and San Carlos in Negros Occidental; Kalibo in Aklan; San Jose in Antique; and Roxas City in Capiz are among the major source local government units.
During the project presentation, Nicolas thanked the invaluable support of the European Union and the SDC for the JMDI II which is currently being implemented in Naga City in Bicol region and in Calabarzon area in the Philippines.
“JMDI 2 now highlights the central role that local authorities play in sustaining the programs of migration and development in their respective areas, in maximizing the migration’s positive impact and minimizing its social cost,” said Nicolas.
CFO is the national government partner in the implementation of the JMDI projects in the country.
==DTI reminds shoppers on substandard lights, decors==
*Source: http://panaynewsphilippines.com/2014/09/28/dti-reminds-shoppers-on-substandard-lights-decors/
*Monday, September 28, 2014
: (PIA-6 Antique/PN)
Early shoppers of Christmas lights and other lighted decors are reminded to look for Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) and Philippine Standard marks of products to ensure good performance and safety.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued this reminder as holiday season nears and the public is expected to shop for Christmas decorations and other household stuffs using electricity.
Glen Fernando, Trade and Industry Development specialist of DTI-Antique said the agency regulates the sale of Christmas lights in the local market to protect consumers from the hazards posed by this product.
Under the DTI-Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) Product Certification Scheme, all importers of Christmas lights are required to have their import shipments subjected to sampling and testing based on the requirement of Philippine National Standards (PNS) on Christmas lights (PNS 189:2000) at the BPS Testing Center and other DTI accredited or recognized Testing Centers prior to its sale.
Only those importers whose products comply with PNS requirements are issued with Import Commodity Clearance and are authorized to affix the ICC sticker in their products.
Uncertified sets of Christmas lights pose danger and great hazards to its users such as electric shock and overheating that often leads to fire and loss of properties and lives.
Prior to purchase of Christmas lights, the following guide/tips must be considered by consumers:
On markings, it should bear the name of manufacturer/supplier/distributor, address and trademark,  rated voltage and rated wattage of the set, rated voltage and rated wattage of the lamp, the words, “For indoor use only,” the number of standard used – PNS 189:2000, country of origin, import Commodity Clearance mark in hologram format.
Suitable warnings should also be specified such as, disconnect from supply before removing or inserting any lamp, avoid damage to insulation, to avoid risk of overheating, failed lamps shall be replaced immediately by lamps of the same rated voltage and wattage, do not cascade/attach more than the recommended sets of Christmas lights (normally, only three sets are allowed to avoid overloading).
It should also contain do not overload electrical outlets (too many plugs in one outlet may create enough heat to start a fire), carefully check each set of lights for signs of socket damage, frayed or scorched wire, loose connections or damaged plugs, unplug Christmas lights or any electrical products when not in use.
Fernando urged the public to be careful and buy only certified Christmas lights to have a joyful holiday celebration.
==WV migration centers receive P10M fund from Swiss gov’t==
*Source: http://www.visayandailystar.com/2014/September/27/businessnews1.htm
*Saturday, September 27, 2014
: By Leonard T. Pineda I  (GPB)
ILOILO CITY – The Swiss government has allocated P10 million for Region 6, that has been selected as the site for a project that aims to strengthen the contribution of migration to development.
Secretary Imelda Nicolas, chairperson of the Commission on Filipino Overseas, said yesterday that the P10 million project will establish or support migration centers in Western Visayas, including Iloilo, Capiz and other selected areas in the region, badly hit by Typhoon Yolanda last year. The emphasis will be on generating investments to provide migrants with more economic options, other than working overseas.
Western Visayas is home to about 240,000 overseas Filipinos, with about P22 billion worth of remittances were received last year by families of migrants in the region, Nicolas said.
Ambassador Ivo Sieber of Switzerland to the Philippines, yesterday led the signing of memorandum of agreement in the launching of the Migration and Development Initiatives Project for Western Visayas, with Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., chairman of Regional Development Council, Maurice Dewulf, UN Development Program country director, Stefan Bigler, Swiss Development Cooperation Global Program for Migration and Development Desk Officer,and Nicolas, as the signatories.
Sieber said that about 20,000 Filipino migrant workers are working in the Switzerland, which is the fourth largest source of remittance in the world, next only to United States, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Canada.
Nicolas said the project will also implement a collective remittance mechanism to support a specific disaster risk reduction activity, with P10 million budget to last until April 2016.
She thanked the Swiss Development Cooperation and the UNDP for their continuing trust in the Commission on Filipino Overseas as the national government partner of the project.
“We assure you that we will do justice to your trust, as we share a collective vision and objectives,” Nicolas told Sieber and Dewulf.
==Construction of Iloilo convention center moves on==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2014/09/26/construction-iloilo-convention-center-moves-367763
*Friday, September 26, 2014
: By Leonard T. Pineda I  (LCP)
THE construction of the P700-million Iloilo Convention Center moves on after Congress approved last week the 2015 national budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that includes the P200-million budget for the second phase construction.
DPWH Regional Director Edilberto Tayao announced that all issues regarding the construction of the convention center had been ironed out during the budget hearing and even Kabataan party-list Representative Terry Tidon approached to congratulate him on the project with funds to be taken out from the General Appropriations Act of DPWH.
The congressman was only asking for a copy of the contract between the agency and Hilmarcs Construction, builder of the convention center first phase worth some P500 million.
Tayao said the DPWH panel was able to convince the congressional committee on the importance of the project as a world-class edifice not to be compared with the controversial Makati parking building.
Tayao said the second phase of the project will entail additional works such as electrical works, elevators, escalator and other finishing works as the first phase is already some 87 percent completed.
He said they are preparing the bidding for the phase two projects and hopefully, a winning bidder will start the works before the end of 2014.
Construction of the convention center is expected to be finished by March 2015 ahead of time for the Iloilo City hosting of two Ministerial Meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in September and October 2015.
==Greeneration to gather 700 students in Iloilo==
*Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=2421411615611
*Thursday, September 25, 2014
: By Leonard T. Pineda I  (JCM/LTP/PIA-Iloilo)
ILOILO CITY, September 25 (PIA) --- Some 700 students from different universities and colleges in Iloilo will gather for “Greeneration” slated on October 16, 2014 at Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center here.
The Greeneration Philippines is a campaign spearheaded by the Climate Change Commission (CCC) that envisions a unified movement of empowered Filipino youth for a climate change resilient Philippines.
Assistant Secretary Joyceline Goco, Deputy Executive Director of CCC, said that the capacity of the young generation to become key agents of change will be recognized through the summit.
“It is best for the youth to be empowered because they can translate their understanding of climate change and its impacts to their respective communities,” she said.
The summit aims to raise awareness among the youth on the fundamentals of climate change and promote government’s climate change-related initiatives particularly the National Climate Change Action Plan and the People’s Survival Fund or Climate Resiliency Fund.
Among the CCC’s Greeneration Ambassadors who will take part in the event are Save Philippine Seas co-founder and chief mermaid Anna Oposa, San Vicente Palawan Mayor Carmela “Pie” Alvarez, and Camarines Sur Governor Miguel “Migz” Villafuerte.
The CCC official said that the Greeneration Summit is endorsed by the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Education.
==Climate change project targets community of practice==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2014/09/24/climate-change-project-targets-community-practice-367378
*Wednesday, September 24, 2014
: By Lydia C. Pendon
ILOILO City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog welcomed participants to the presentation of the proposed Knowledge Management (KM) Communication Strategy and Community of Practice held September 24, 2014 at the Sarabia Manor in the city.
The Philippines Climate Change Adaptation Project (PhilCCAP) takes off in this southern city with one-day seminar workshop for stakeholders organized by the Climate Change Commission (CCC) among beneficiaries of the World Bank-funded Philippines Climate Change Adaptation Project (PhilCCAP).
Mabilog said the seminar workshop is timely considering that the country is visited by about 20 typhoons every year that affect the food supply and set back the country’s economic gains.
The PhilCCAPP is expected to focus on climate resiliency of agriculture and natural resources management and strengthen the capabilities of government agencies involved in adaptation activities.
The project sites in Western Visayas are the Iloilo municipalities of Janiuay, Pototan, Dumangas and Mina, all considered as rice producing areas of the region but vulnerable to climate change. The other project sites are Penablannce and Tuguegarao in the Cagayan Province of Region 2; and Gen. Luna,Del Carmen and Dapa in Siargao Islands and Surigao del Norte in Region 13.
Donna Sanidad of CCC said the PhilCCAP will develop and pilot test adaptive strategies to promote the climate resiliency of agriculture and natural resources management. Supported by a WB-grant, the project aims to improve food security by enhancing the adaptive capacity of the agriculture and environment sectors.
The workshop aims to equip beneficiaries and stakeholders in using an online web-based community to provide and disseminate relevant information to help avert the ill-impacts of climate change.
==Tougher internal affairs service for cops sought==
*Source: http://panaynewsphilippines.com/2014/09/23/tougher-internal-affairs-service-cops-sought/
*Tuesday, September 23, 2014
: (PN)
ILOILO City – The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) have been urged to strengthen the police’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS).
A strengthened IAS can proactively run after corrupt and inept policemen without the need for complaints from their victims, said Rep. Jerry Treñas.
“Most of the criminal and administrative cases filed against policemen are sourced from third party complainants which end up being dismissed as the complainants themselves would not want to pursue their cases because of fear or because they have been paid to shut up or both,” he explained.
IAS should be re-organized in such a way that this particular service unit is beyond any outside influence and it should be run directly by the Office of the President or by the office of the Interior and Local Government Secretary, just like the defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC), said Treñas.
“Many officials of each PNP service units including the IAS are former classmates or have some kind of work history. They all belong in the same circle and the same brotherhood. We have to create an impenetrable wall that separates the ordinary policeman from the policeman’s policeman,” said Treñas.
He proposed that the IAS be placed under the direct supervision and control of the Office of the President or the DILG and its members should be properly screened to allow only personnel who are committed in upholding the integrity and the credibility of the PNP.
Even the entire organization of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) might actually need a complete overhaul to facilitate the speedy disposition of administrative cases involving police personnel, said Treñas.
“We have a weak system that is in place to stop undesirables from dominating the police service. We can only clean the PNP if we have a clean and committed internal affairs service,” he stressed.
==PCSO turns over more than P7M worth of checks in Iloilo==
*Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=931411368563
*Monday, September 22, 2014
: By Lilibeth A. French (JSC/LAF-PIA6 Iloilo)
ILOILO CITY, Sept. 22 (PIA6) - - The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) turned over three checks amounting to P7,174,779.03 to the provincial and city governments of Iloilo as part of their lotto sales shares and assistance to typhoon ‘Yolanda’ stricken areas.
PCSO Concurrent General Manager and Acting Chairman Jose Ferdinand Rojas II led the distribution of the checks after the blessing of the agency’s new office located at the Iloilo Sports Complex, Magsaysay Village, Lapaz, Iloilo City, September 19.
The checks worth P5,876,527,24 and P227,891.87 were received by Governor Arthur Defensor from Rojas and PCSO Member of the Board Francisco Joaquin. The first check is from the agency’s Pamaskong Alay ng PCSO program and the other check is the two percent share of the province derived from the 30 percent Lotto Charity Fund intended for local government units.
Rojas said Governor Defensor can use the Pamaskong Alay fund for the medical and health related assistance of those affected by typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in the province.
Around P1,070,359.92 check was handed to Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog for the five percent share of the city of lotto sales which will be utilized for medical assistance and conduct of other health- related programs of the city.
The Western Visayas State University Medical Center was also a recipient of a P1,500,000.00 check under the endowment fund program of the PCSO intended for the indigent in and out patients of the hospital.
With the transfer of their office to the Iloilo Sports Complex, Rojas believed that they can serve better the people of Iloilo as it is more spacious, convenient and accessible.
Aside from the blessing and distribution of checks, Rojas said they will expand and roll out the Small Town Lottery program in the province during their visit. He was also accompanied by other members of the PCSO Board Mabel Mamba and Betty Nantes.
==Iloilo Central Market revitalization ‘marches’ on==
*Source: http://panaynewsphilippines.com/2014/09/21/iloilo-central-market-revitalization-marches/
*Sunday, September 21, 2014
: BY FREDA MAE SORSANO (PN)
ILOILO City – There is no giving up in the Central Business District (CBD) revitalization project of the city government.
City Administrator Norlito Bautista, committee on market head and Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) officer-in-charge, said Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog had forwarded the new and revised terms of reference (TOR) to the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) for approval.
The city government has amended the previous TOR to accommodate the suggestions from both formerly and continually opposing central market vendors.
All of the previous biddings had been scrapped due to the revisions in the TOR.
“Once the SP approves the amended terms of reference, the city can publish it and start accepting bidders,” said Bautista.
According to the city administrator, the amended TOR was “acceptable to vendors” based on previously-held meetings.
He added that the city government is now conducting monthly meetings with “legitimate vendors to assure a good relationship between them and the city government.”
Meanwhile, the Temporary Restraining Order case filed against city government officials by the Association of Stall Owners and Transient Vendors (Astraven) of the central market is still ongoing.
Despite revisions in the TOR, Astraven president Rex Jiz Donasco and several association members still believe that their rights were prejudiced by several city ordinances related to the planned central market revitalization.
Vendors refuse to believe that revitalization is not synonymous to privatization, Donasco said in earlier interviews.
They also fear that the project will cause their eventual displacement from their present stalls.
Meanwhile, among the conditions stated in the revised TOR are as follows:
:• The city government shall continue to operate, manage, and maintain the public market at the ground floor after the construction period.
:• The city shall maintain a list of qualified stallholders of the peripheral and wet market sections.
:• The city shall identify rightful occupants and leaseholders of temporary market stalls that shall be put up during the construction period.
:• The minimum number of stalls to accommodate the wet market sections for meat, fish and poultry, as well as the dry goods and vegetables section shall be drawn up with the city market administration based on the report of active market stalls and transient vendors.
:• A space for registered transient vendors shall likewise be provided at the ground floor.
:• Individual space allocation shall not be less than their existing spatial provision.
:• Sufficient utilities will be provided including power, lighting, water (potable, recycled or treated), drainage, and ecological solid waste management.
:• All stallholders in the second floor of the heritage building shall be transferred to the first floor.
:• All existing legitimate lease contract holders/awardees of market stalls identified by and registered with the city government shall be guaranteed space in the new public market and the continuity of their existing lease contracts/awards, subject to their right of first refusal.
==Iloilo City plays host to Unigames 2014 (Sports)==
==Iloilo City plays host to Unigames 2014 (Sports)==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=5&rid=686496
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=5&rid=686496
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