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| ==[[Mindoro Oriental News]]== | | ==[[Mindoro Oriental News]]== |
| '''Philippine Consular Corps plants 30k mangroves in Baco, OrMin''' | | '''4 charged with tax evasion''' |
| *Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R04B&article=741336352411 | | *Source: http://www.tempo.com.ph/2012/4-charged-with-tax-evasion/#.T6zkWOgzCsE |
| *Tuesday, May 8, 2012 | | *Friday, May 11, 2012 |
| :by Luis T. Cueto | | :by Jun Ramirez |
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| CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro, May 8 (PIA) -- The Philippine Consular Corps recently planted 30,000 mangrove propagules in barangay Pulantubig (formerly known as Mayagao) in Baco, Oriental Mindoro.
| | Manila, Philippines – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed yesterday two separate tax evasion cases against four individuals for “doctoring“ transaction papers to save on tax payments totaling more P53 million. |
| | BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares submitted the complaints to the Department of Justice (DoJ) for preliminary investigation and the filing of the cases in courts if probable cause is established. |
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| This is part of the rehabilitation project of the national government against climate change in partnership with Conservation International (CI).
| | The first case concerned a Manila City Hall contractor identified as Oscar Badillo of Wack-Wack Twin Towers who was commissioned by the city government to construct the three-storey Balagtas Elementary School in Tondo in 2009. |
| | | Badillo was paid P49.2 million for the schoolbuilding project but the amount was not reported in his Income Tax Return (ITR) for the year. |
| Like many coastal areas in the Philippines, Baco’s mangrove areas have suffered over the years, making the area more vulnerable to climate change impacts such as sea level rise and stronger, more frequent storms.
| | The second case involved a land seller in Oriental Mindoro and buyers who allegedly conspired to undervalue the transaction to save on tax payments. |
| | | They were identified as Lerma Lasala and Flemming Remmer and Annbrit Remmer, president and corporate secretary, respectively, of First Flemming Properties. |
| “We are happy to support this endeavor as a continuing partnership with Conservation International,” said Armenia Honorary Consul Jose Periquet, Jr., Dean of the Consular Corps.
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| Country executive director of Conservation International Romeo Trono said, “Rehabilitating and expanding mangrove greenbelts are among the most cost-effective ways of enhancing a community’s capacity to adapt to climate change impacts. Mangrove belts protect communities from storm damages and help stabilize coastlines.”
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| “In fact,” he added, “the mangrove rehabilitation project was launched simultaneously with SICAD (Strategic Intervention and Community-focused Action towards Development) in Pulantubig, Baco to pursue a holistic and integrated approach to alleviating poverty in the coastal communities with the end in view of capacitating them to become development partners in sustaining local environmental management efforts.
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| “We are bent on implementing an honest-to-goodness coastal resource management development program, dispensing with the idea that this is only for publicity,” said Gov. Alfonso V. Umali, Jr. who led the launching of a mangrove rehabilitation project, part of the provincial government’s climate change adaptation efforts.
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| The participants planted Rhizophora propagules, one of the mangrove varieties chosen as most appropriate to the area and most likely to thrive given the site’s conditions. The rehabilitation site is a sand bar and river delta formation, which serves as the community's barrier against strong waves. | |
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| It can be recalled that when a tsunami hit in 1994 which killed at least 41 people in the affected communities, the area helped shield the residents from devastation that caused flooding and beach erosion.
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| According to Conservation International, the combination of true mangrove and associated species that will be planted under this initiative will enhance the stability of coastal ecosystems in the area. It will provide the community with a more efficient means of protection from climatic factors and other natural events and likewise improve habitats that will serve as homes for fishes, crabs, clams and other provisioning functions of a healthy mangrove forest.
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| “Aside from enhanced coastal protection, this project is expected to provide additional benefits to fisherfolks engaged in aquasilvi projects or crab culture,” said Marilyn Alcañices, head of the Fishery and Coastal Resources Management Division of Oriental Mindoro’s Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO).
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| “Rehabilitating mangrove areas will increase aquasilvi project sites and increase the population of crablets and other marine finfish like milkfish, grouper that need mangrove areas as their nursery and feeding grounds,” she explained.
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| Meanwhile, the Consular Corps of the Philippines Environmental Concerns Committee, chaired by Sweden Honorary Consul General Carla Limcaoco, held a charity bike run in Makati City to raise funds to support mangrove reforestation efforts. She was assisted by her Co-Chair, El Salvador Honorary Consul Ma. Josefina Ortigas-Duarte, and project coordinators: Jordan Honorary Consul Michael Alexander Ang, Italy Consul Dr. Adriano Stefanutti, Guatemala Vice Consul/Corps Secretary Marc Thomas Ablaza, and other committee members. They plan to hold a second charity bike run for environmental protection sometime this year.
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| The Bantay Dagat group of Baco will take on the task of monitoring and taking care of the planting site to ensure a high survival rate. As part of its climate change adaptation and coastal resources management efforts, the municipality is also in the process of establishing new marine protected areas. (LBR/PIO/LTC/PIACALAPAN)
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| ==Misamis Oriental Zip Codes== | | ==Misamis Oriental Zip Codes== |