Quezon City News November 2014

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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.

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.

PH clerics to undergo HIV testing, counseling on World AIDS Day

(InterAksyon.com)

MANILA, Philippines – Clerics from a fellowship of Protestant and non-Catholic religious groups will undergo voluntary HIV testing at the Quezon City Memorial Circle on Monday, December 1, during the observance of World AIDS Day.

Rev. Rex Reyes Jr., secretary-general of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, said in a statement issued Sunday that the activity would be part of the NCCP’s campaign to “intensify” voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for HIV in the country.

Reyes noted the “dismal percentage of people tested for HIV in the last 12 months. “This is too alarming to ignore much more so that many of the cases are young people.”

The NCCP cited the report of the Department of Health showing that a mere 0.73 percent of women and men aged 15-49 underwent VCT and were informed of the results in the past 12 months, while only 8 percent of males having sex with males underwent HIV testing and knew the results.

“We recognize that this limited demand for VCT is because of the prevailing stigma on HIV and AIDS and the perception that only sinners and promiscuous people should get tested,” said Reyes.

“On World AIDS Day, our hope is that people will realize that HIV test is as much a precautionary measure as blood tests,” he said.

Accordng to NCCP, studies show that everyone could vulnerable to the virus as infection can happen through blood transfusion, injection, or even while having an operation.

The council said that since 2011, the NCCP has employed the SAVE approach, which provides a more holistic way of preventing HIV by incorporating the ABC principle (Abstinence, Be faithful and Condom use), providing information about HIV transmission and prevention, providing support and care for those already infected, and actively challenging the denial, stigma, and discrimination associated with HIV.

SAVE stands for:

• Safer practices such as prevention of mother to child transmission, safe blood, safe injections, safe circumcision, safe microbicides, correct and consistent condom use, and vaccines research;
• Access to care, treatment and nutrition;
• Voluntary, routine and stigma-free counseling and testing; and
• Empowerment of children, youth, women, men, families, communities and nations vulnerable to preventable and controllable infections, illnesses and deaths

On the mandatory HIV tests, Reyes, said his organization "remains opposed to it as it heightens stigma and discrimination."

“It does not encourage people to come forward. It is also a violation of people’s rights. We are much more in favor of VCT as it allows an individual to undergo counseling, enabling him or her to make an informed choice about being tested for HIV,” he said.

“Through our #PreventionNOTCondemnation campaign we will step up our efforts to educate our member churches on the correct information on HIV and AIDS through trainings, prayers, liturgy, and preaching,” said Reyes.

“Our hope is that religious leaders will maximize their positions of respect within their faith communities to break the silence, challenge the stigma and provide the delivery of evidenced-based prevention, care and treatment services in response to HIV. I believe that is both scientific and pastoral,” he added.

Tagalog News: PhilHealth Run in NCR to benefit the elderly

(PhilHealth/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, 29 Nov. (PIA) -- For those who want to help and make a difference, have your running shoes ready and join the PhilHealth Run for the benefit of the country’s senior citizens.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), in celebration of its 20th year anniversary, will once again hold a running event dubbed “PhilHealth: Ready, TSeKaP, Go!” on February 15, 2015 in Quezon City.

It was in 2013 when PhilHealth organized its first simultaneous run in 18+ sites nationwide in support to mother and child health protection. This time, PhilHealth particularly in the National Capital Region, is running for the vulnerable sector of the society - the elderly.

Aside from promoting public awareness on PhilHealth benefits particularly its primary care, preventive and diagnostic services through “Tamang Serbisyo para sa Kalusugan ng Pamilya” or TSeKaP, the 2015 PhilHealth Run highlights the value of generosity by providing a helping hand to those who need them the most.

The Golden Reception and Action Center for the Elderly and other Special Cases or simply called GRACES was chosen as the beneficiary of the PhilHealth Run in NCR. The facility is located at the back of one of the biggest malls in Quezon City and serves as temporary shelter to the elderly. GRACES is being managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development – NCR. It was then called the Golden Acres.

GRACES also offers various services to the elderly to relieve their loneliness of being away from their families. Occupational and recreational activities are being conducted to enhance the resident’s vocational skills and their capacity to earn. Health and medical services are also provided including treatment and referral for psychiatric examination to promote their psychological and mental well-being.

Currently, the Center houses 148 residents, mostly females who were endorsed by the Local Government Units, some abandoned in the hospitals, others rescued from the streets and some left by their own families.

“We want our elderly to experience genuine care from real people. As we run together, we can somehow ease their pain, emotionally and physically until the remaining days of their twilight years,” says PhilHealth President and CEO Alexander A. Padilla.

For more details on the PhilHealth Run, log on to run2015.philhealth.gov.ph.

New job opportunities in Quezon City

(Rappler.com)

Looking for a career in customer engagement? Check out these openings

MANILA, Philippines – For fresh graduates and aspiring managers who are looking to be in customer engagement, TeleTech Holding is hiring.

TeleTech is one of the leading providers of analytics-driven, technology-enabled customer engagement solutions. Founded in 1982, TeleTech's goal is to forge deep and meaningful relationships between people and brands. Through an integrated platform that combines consulting, technology, care and growth services as well as a holistic, multichannel approach, TeleTech has been successful at driving customer engagement and encouraging long-term profitability and growth.

Around the world, TeleTech has over 42,000 employees who speak 50 languages. Together, they serve Global 1000 clients in various fields.

Last November 21, 2014, TeleTech launched their 17th site in Gateway Tower, Araneta Center, Quezon City. This opens up 100 new positions in various customer service and business support roles. Once employed, new hires can avail of a well-rounded set of professional opportunities. Employees can join pioneer programs, avail of TeleTech’s comprehensive pay and benefits package, and immerse in a corporate culture invested in personal development. And what’s more, those who are hired by November 30, 2014 also have the chance to win P100,000 worth of prizes from Abenson appliances.

The new branch is conveniently located in the middle of a 35-hectare commercial hub that is highly accessible via various forms of transport.

PCGE launches search for ‘new Jose Rizals’

(PIA-NCR/RJB/SDL)

QUEZON CITY, 27 Nov. (PIA)--The Philippine Center for the Gifted Education (PCGE) has opened the nominations for bright, gifted youth who could be ‘new Jose Rizals’.

"Dr. Jose Rizal is the epitome of the Filipino gifted," said Dr. Leticia Peñano-Ho, clinical psychologist and head of the Philippine Center for Gifted Education (PCGE), during the press conference of the National Week for the Gifted and Talented 2014 in Quezon City.

In 2011, which was the sesquicentennial birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, the PCGE launched the Mga Bagong Rizal: Pag-asa ng Bayan Awards, a biennial nationwide search for bright and gifted young Filipinos who embody the essential characteristics of the country's national hero.

Ho said that there will be 17 "bagong Rizals" for 2014, one awardee for each region.

Ho said that nominees should be anywhere from Grade 3 to college level, from public or private schools or those taking up vocational course. Out-of-school-youth (OSY) showing exemplary traits are also qualified.

Nominees should also be part of the top five percent of their class. In the case of OSYs, they should be part of the top 5 percent of the last class they attended.

Nominees must have been recognized for outstanding ability or excellence in any of the fields as confirmed by awards from reputable organizations: logical-mathematical intelligence; linguistic intelligence; visual-spatial intelligence; musical intelligence; bodily-kinesthetic intelligence; interpersonal intelligence; intrapersonal intelligence; and naturalistic intelligence.

Ho said that the nominees should also exhibit passion and love of country, just like Jose Rizal.

Filipinos residing in the Philippines, schools, communities, religious groups, government agencies, and other organizations are all welcome to nominate their candidates.

Nominations for Mga Bagong Rizal: Pag-asa ng Bayan Awards will be accepted from December 1, 2014 until March 14, 2015.

Aside from opening Mga Bagong Rizal nominations, PCGE is also set to hold a seminar workshop on counseling the gifted at the UP College of Education on November 29.

The group will conclude the week-long celebration with a kite-flying event at the Quezon Memorial Circle on November 30.

The last week of November was declared as National Week for the Gifted and Talented by former President Joseph Estrada through Presidential Proclamation No. 199 signed on Oct 19, 1999, in order to raise awareness on gifted Filipinos.

The PCGE is a non-stock, non-profit organization, envisioned to actively search for high ability and gifted Filipinos across the life span and provide ways of nurturing them.

More specifically, says the PCGE brochure, it intends to reach the disadvantaged sector which oftentimes misses the opportunity to be identified, more so nurtured for their abilities. The center hopes to harness the private sector in providing for this population.

TESDA grants QC school with 300 armchairs

(TESDA/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, 26 Nov. (PIA)--The Technical Education and Skills Development Agency (TESDA) on Tuesday, November 25, had turnover 300 armchairs to the Pasong Tamo Elementary School in Quezon City.

TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva led other officials in giving the chairs as part of a joint project to help ease the shortage of the school furniture.

The chairs were manufactured by TESDA trainees out of confiscated logs, and turned them into furniture for the use of the students.

Villanueva said he hopes the students would be inspired to learn and will no longer have to share a seat during classes.

"The opportunity to make available to students the environment that is engaging, comfortable, and one that will allow them to remain focused on learning is what we hope to achieve from this project," Villanueva said.

"We know that in due time, the government can provide funds for school chairs, but with these armchairs manufactured from confiscated logs being given to public schools for free, funds could be used for other needs to better enhance the learning of students," Villaneva added.

The turnover was attended by Villanueva, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and Jollibee Foods Corporation president Grace Tan Caktiong.

In 2012, TESDA signed a memorandum of agreement with Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Education, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to implement a project called Pinoy Bayanihan, which puts to good use confiscated logs in the provinces by turning them into school armchairs.

The project aims to augment the available armchairs in public schools and help solve the shortage.

The DENR processed the logs into materials ready for manufacture, while TESDA established production sites in Metro Manila and CARAGA. Through its training-cum-production strategy, the agency trains the youth in carpentry and cabinet making to produce the chairs.

PAGCOR provided the funds to purchase equipment to be used in the project, and DepEd takes charge of distributing the armchairs to school beneficiaries.

In 2013, TESDA also entered into an agreement with Jollibee Group Foundation, Inc. to help produce more chairs.

As of October 2014, a total of 53,876 armchairs have been produced of which 5 3,776 have been distributed to various schools in Metro Manila and the CARAGA region in Mindanao. On the other hand, the training-cum-production approach adopted in the project has turned out 229 graduates in furniture and cabinet making, wood working machine operation, carpentry, and furniture making (finishing).

PCW, QC forge partnership for 2014 Walk to End Violence against Women

(PCW/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, 25 Nov. (PIA)--The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and the Quezon City government forged a partnership for the “2014 Walk to End Violence against Women (VAW)” held Tuesday, November 25 at Quezon City Memorial Circle (QMMC).

The activity marked the beginning of the annual observance of the 18-Day Campaign To End VAW, which will end on December 12.

The “Walk To End VAW” was participated in by at least 5,000 individuals from national government agencies, local government units, civil society organizations, academe, and students, among others. The gathering aims to echo a united voice in ending Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC).

The walk, began at exactly 6:00 AM, immediately followed by a short program at Liwasang Aurora inside the QCMC.

Shortly after the program, “Public Service and Crisis Center Booths” were opened to public and provide services to victims and survivors of VAWC.

Free services such as legal consultation, VAW help desk, and membership records updating, among others were provided by the following agencies/organizations: Commission on Human Rights (CHR); Public Attorneys Office (PAO); Social Security System (SSS); PhilHealth; Government Service Insurance System (GSIS); Philippine National Police- Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC); Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA); Department of Health (DOH); Women Lawyers Association of the Philippines (WLAP); and Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

The 2014 Walk To End VAW was made possible by the support from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Commuter TV, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Inter-Agency Council Against Violence Against Women (IACVVAWC), Presidential Museum and Library, SM Supermalls, and Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

Aquino lauds SM for using solar energy

(PIA-NCR/RJB/SDL)

QUEZON CITY, 24 Nov. (PIA)—President Benigno S. Aquino III lauded the SM Malls for its initiative on using alternative source of power.

On Monday, Aquino led the ceremonial switch on of the solar powered rooftop at the Multi-level Carpark Building of the SM North Edsa in Quezon City.

The President was assisted by SM Prime Head, Henry Sy, Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, and Solar Philippines President Leandro Leviste activated the the solar powered rooftop at the SM City North Edsa that could generate uo to 1.5 MW power which is enough to power 1,000 households.

He said that the Philippine government supports renewable energy sources like solar energy through Renewable Energy Act (Republic Act 9513).

SM Prime worked closely with Solar Philippines to put up 5,760 solar panels. Solar Philippines is the company behind the largest commercial rooftop solar power projects in the country.

The power generated from the solar panels could offset 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide or the equivalent of planting 6,000 trees per year.

The solar panels can be used to light up all the 16,000 lighting fixtures, 59 escalators and 20 elevators of the SM North EDSA.

SM Prime is hoping that the solar rooftop project will serve as a model for similar developments in other commercial and industrial establishments as it will not only male business sustainable but make future generations live in an environment that is safer and healthier.

Biotechnology for a better life for Filipinos explained

By Jeannette I. Andrade (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines—To enable Filipinos to better understand and appreciate the use of biotechnology, different government agencies have set a series of activities for this year’s celebration of Biotechnology Week.

With the theme, “Edukasyon sa Bioteknolohiya: Pagyamanin para sa Kinabukasan Natin” (Fostering Education in Biotechnology for our Future), the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) will host this year’s celebration which will run from Nov. 24 to 28.

Participating agencies include the departments of Science and Technology, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Education, Health, Trade and Industry, and Interior and Local Government.

Biotechnology is the use of living organisms or biological systems to develop, make or modify products with specific uses and is particularly applied in the areas of medicine, agriculture, industry and the environment.

The activities for Biotechnology Week will kick off Monday at the CHEd office in Diliman, Quezon City, where the latest applications of biotechnology in health, food security and the environment will be featured.

Under Presidential Proclamation No. 1414, the last week of November has been declared Biotechnology Week in keeping with the government’s policy “to promote safe and responsible use of modern biotechnology and its products as one of several means to achieve and sustain food security, equitable access to health services, sustainable and safe environment and industry development.”

The law, signed in November 2007, recognizes biotechnology’s use in sustaining farm productivity and enhancing crop quality and yield; developing vaccines, antibiotics and other medicine; protecting water quality; improving waste management techniques; reducing chemical pesticide; producing renewable energy, and cleaning up manufacturing processes.

“Biotechnology increases the pace of technology development for medical, agricultural, industrial and environmental application. Public awareness, education and understanding of biotechnology is essential for the responsible application and regulation of this new technology,” it further states.

PNoy graces 60th anniversary of Araneta Center

(PIA-NCR/RJB/SDL)

QUEZON CITY, 22 Nov. (PIA)--President Benigno S. Aquino III reminisced special moments during his youth spent with his family when he attended the 60th Anniversary of Araneta Center and inauguration of Gateway Tower in Cubao, Quezon City Friday.

The President particularly recalled buying shoes at the Shoe Expo, watching boxing matches with his father at the Araneta Coliseum and going to the Fiesta Carnival and watching movies at the New Frontier Theater, all of them at the Araneta Center.

The President was the guest of honor during the event also attended by other cabinet officials and top business tycoons in the country.

Once just a vast, 35-hectare land south of Manila and dominated only by radio towers, in the 1950s, Araneta Center developed into a central business district, a one-of-a-kind community that merged business, leisure, entertainment and residential enclaves that excited, surprised and inspired generations.

The inauguration of the Gateway Tower was the focal point for the 60th anniversary of Araneta Center.

Poised as the newest business destination in Quezon City, the tower hosted not only the country’s top business tycoons, but also a host of Filipino artists celebrating the new home of the country’s first and only Philippine History mural series.

Exhibited in the newly opened Gateway Gallery was the Siningsaysay: Philippine History in Art, which was created in partnership with the University of the Philippines and the University of the Philippines Alumni Association.

Another homage to Filipino artistry is the Monumental Triptych, one of the largest sculptures created by Philippine National Artist for the Visual Arts, BenCab.

268 QC youths graduated from DOLE’s life skills training

(DOLE/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, 21 Nov. (PIA)--Some 268 Quezon City youths recently graduated from the JobStart Life Skills Training under the DOLE’s JobStart Philippines Program.

Labor & Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz underscored said the importance of acquiring the necessary skills to meet employers’ requirements adding today’s employers see the value of life skills training as part of the pre-employment preparation of young adults.

“In fact, one employer at a previous employers’ forum pointed out that ‘the importance of life skills is underscored by the fact that 85 percent of employment promotions have been due to the employees’ high level of emotional intelligence, and only 15 percent are attributed to performance in technical skills,’” Baldoz said.

Experts define life skills as the ability for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life, including work. They include psycho-social skills that determine valued behavior and include reflective skills, such as problem-solving and critical thinking, to personal skills such as self-awareness, and interpersonal communication.

The JobStart Life Skills Training was a major stage in the JobStart Philippines Program given to youth beneficiaries who completed the career guidance and employment coaching (CGEC) session and were randomly selected as beneficiaries.

It sought to prepare the participants for job matching with internship positions offered by JobStart partner-employers who will provide them with internship slots in their companies where they will undergo up to three months of technical training and up to six months of internship, both with stipends.

The training’s life skills modules include knowing one’s self, the world of work, personal branding, job hunting, financial literacy, health and well-being, and networking.

One of the training’s beneficiaries, 21 year-old Ma. Cristy Rose Gayoso of Barangay Benitez, Quezon City, said her confidence remarkably improved after the training.

“I thought I had known myself enough already, but the exercises during our training made me aware of more things I am capable of doing,” Gayoso said, citing her creative potential as something she did not realize she had.

Gayoso, who holds a college degree in elementary education, is from Eastern Samar. She relocated to Quezon City this year to review for the teachers’ licensure examination, but was not able to finish the review due to limited finances. She applied for a slot in JobStart Philippines and was accepted.

Together with her training mates, Gayoso received her certificate after the training. “Not only did it give me more confidence, it also taught me when and where to appropriately use that confidence, such as when to raise my hand to say my opinion. I have discovered my “personal brand.” Now, I have that confidence to communicate about myself because I know better what I can do as a potential employee,” she said.

UP Diliman fine arts graduate Joseph Emmanuel Linao, 22, shared the same experience. Linao, who aims to get an internship as a concept artist or illustrator under JobStart Program, said:

“Through our group activities, I realized my leadership potential which I did not know I had. Now I am aware that part of my personal brand is my ability to lead others. Our knowledge on branding is also reflected on the way we write our resumes including developing ‘elevator pitches’. Truly a big help for us jobseekers,” he said.

The training was even more empowering for Mary Ann Reyes, 23, and a single mother and high school graduate from Barangay Damayang Lagi. Reyes demonstrated the most improvement in personality during the entire training, easily getting the ‘most improved jobseeker’ award at their graduation program.

“I came in a very shy and insecure person, but through the activities in the training, I learned how to prepare and communicate my ‘personal brand’ during job interviews. Even with my current situation as a jobless, single mom, I am surprised to learn that I can still dream high,” she said. She also shared being amazed at learning how she can save and even invest her little money through the ‘managing finances’ module.

“We at the DOLE congratulate you for having actively participated and completed the life skills training and for continuously being receptive to this kind of opportunities that is designed for you to acquire the right skills to be job-ready. It is with high hopes that with the career guidance and life skills you have now, you are more prepared to face the challenge in taking another step further towards achieving your career goal,” Baldoz said to the graduates.

Close to a thousand “JobStarters” have now completed the program’s Life Skills Training in the four pilot sites: San Fernando, Pampanga; General Trias, Cavite; Taguig City; and Quezon City.

They are already in the process of job matching and referral and more than a hundred of them have already started their technical training.

The JobStart Philippines Program introduces a full-cycle employment facilitation service which is a comprehensive and systematic approach in assisting the young jobseekers from planning their career paths all the way through acquiring the best-fit jobs through career guidance, life skills and technical training, and internship.

The DOLE implements the JobStart Philippines Program with the support and in cooperation with the Government of Canada and the Asian Development Bank.

DSWD to hold nationwide bazaar

(DSWD/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, 20 Nov. (PIA)--The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) invites the public to do their Christmas shopping in the bazaar which they are going to hold nationwide.

Called ‘PaskuJuan: Salu-Salo sa Pagbabago’ festival and bazaar, it will be a whole day affair highlighted by a bazaar showcasing the products crafted by beneficiaries of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and other centers and institutions of the Department.

In the National Capital Region, the bazaar will be conducted at the Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City on November 30 simultaneous in all regions nationwide.

The agency will also conduct livelihood demonstration presentations, which are open to the public.

“This is still part of the livelihood initiatives under the SLP which empowers poor families by equipping them with livelihood skills to achieve self-sufficiency,” said DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman.

There will also be a Christmas Show featuring the DSWD choir, the DSWD beneficiaries, and the center-based children’s choirs.

The DSWD, through the SLP, provides livelihood skills training and capital to empower and help improve the quality of life of the beneficiaries.

This is also the Department’s response to the public’s call to “teach them to fish rather than just providing the fish.” “We encourage the public to do your Christmas shopping in the Bazaar.

By patronizing their products, you will be helping our beneficiaries move closer to their dreams of achieving self-sufficiency,” Soliman added.

The SLP is a community-based capacity building program that seeks to improve the socio-economic status of program participants.

It is implemented through the Community-Driven Enterprise Development (CDED) approach, which engages program participants to actively contribute to production and labor markets by making use of available resources and accessible markets.

The program aims to enable the beneficiaries to manage sustainable micro-enterprises or link them to locally available jobs that will enhance their access to basic social services and improve their standard of living.

PDEA adds 11 new vehicles for capability enhancement

(PDEA/RJB/JEG/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, 18 November (PIA) - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) recently added 11 new motor vehicles for its operational capability enhancement.

“These vehicles are intended to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency in mobilizing our operating units and will greatly boost PDEA’s capability in conducting anti-drug operations,” PDEA chief Arturo G. Cacdac, Jr. said.

According to Cacdac, the brand new Crossover Utility Vehicles were funded through the Agency’s 2014 General Appropriations Act (GAA) which was administered by the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The fund amounted to Php 9.8 million.

The PDEA chief led the blessing of the vehicles, which will be turned-over to PDEA’s Logistics Service, Special Enforcement Service, NAIA-Inter Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group in the National Capital Region, and Regional Offices 2, 4A, 4B, 6, and 8.

San Miguel offers to finance second common station for LRT, MRT near SM North

By Darwin G. Amojelar (InterAksyon.com)

MANILA - The proponent of MRT7 has formalized its proposal to build a second common station near the SM North Edsa mall in Quezon City.

"The proponent of MRT7 came to us to offer a certain proposal and we showed it to LMRC, so we are awaiting their decision," Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said on the sidelines of a conference.

LMRC refers to Light Rail Manila Consortium, which bagged the P64.9 billion contract to extend the LRT1 all the way to Cavite. Its public-private partnership (PPP) contract however includes the design of the common station, which the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) wants located near the Trinoma mall.

Ayala Land Inc operates the Trinoma and is part of the LMRC.

Universal LRT Corp (ULC) last September bagged government approval to start construction of the MRT7. Controlled by San Miguel Corp through San Miguel Holdings Corp, ULC is building the MRT7, which will run from Edsa corner North Avenue in Quezon City all the way to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

The project will cover 14 stations and will serve an estimated two million commuters in the northern parts of Quezon and Caloocan cities.

Abaya said the proposed second station, which will be financed by San Miguel, will link MRT3 and MRT7 and is separate from a government project that involves building a common station for LRT1, MRT3 and eventually MRT7 near the Trinoma mall.

"We are studying it now," Abaya said.

The construction of the common station near Trinoma has been delayed after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO), preventing DOTC from pursuing the project.

SM Prime Holdings Inc sought the TRO to stop the government from pursuing the common station project in contravention of an earlier contract between the mall developer and state-run Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA). That contract provides that the common station be built beside SM North Edsa.

But the DOTC had insisted that transferring the location would save the government at least P1 billion in terms of the cost of building the common station.

The agency said the project will also benefit more riders since the Quezon City government is developing the North Triangle area as a new central business district.

The project involves the provision of a common station for LRT1, MRT3 and eventually MRT7. Head to head platforms for LRT1 and MRT3 with a 147.4-meter elevated walk-a-lator to the proposed MRT7 at North Avenue will be constructed.

LRT1 runs from Baclaran to Roosevelt in Quezon City, while the MRT3 runs from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City.

PNP chief to ensure safety of Pope Francis’ visit to Phl

(PNP/RJB/JEG/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, 16 November (PIA) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is making early preparations to ensure the safety of Pope Francis during his much-awaited apostolic visit to the Philippines on January 15-19, 2015.

PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima said they will apply the principle of “Whole of Government Approach” and Major Event Security Management Framework in security operations for Papal Visit that will be highlighted by several engagements.

"Extensive security coverage and other public safety services will be undertaken in all areas of engagements and its adjacent areas during the Papal Visit. It is imperative that the security and safety of the Pope be given utmost priority,” said Purisima.

The PNP chief has designated Deputy Chief for Operations (TDCO), Police Deputy Director General Leonardo A Espina, as Task Force Commander for the PNP Special Task Force “Papal Visit 2015.”

According to the PNP, Espina will provide strategic direction, monitor and supervise the operations of police units and personnel that will compose the different task groups in the different venues.

Likewise, several PNP Task Groups have been organized to provide a wide range of security functions in all areas of engagement.

The PNP will also provide operational support to the Presidential Security Group (PSG) which is tasked to provide close-in security and safety services to the Pope and His entourage.

"Sustained anti-criminality and internal security operations in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and concerned local government units are also being conducted,” Purisima added.

Former medical technologist invents device to treat viruses

(MST Business)

“Electricity kills viruses,” says Daniel Orijuela, a former medical technologist who invented a device which discharges negative ions, which he believes can cure human diseases.

For more than 20 years, Orijuela has experimented with his electro therapy device, which offers a substantial departure from the way physicians treat diseases. He also spent 10 years as a natural doctor, treating patients afflicted with cancer, kidney diseases, cardio-vascular ailments and other incurable diseases.

“I am the inventor and designer of this device. It is 20 years in the making and I am willing to submit it for trial again,” the father of four children says. “In the medical field, there is nothing like it, because all other devices use negative and positive current. Even the emergency resuscitators do not use negative ions.”

Orijuela keeps a documented list of patients who he says were cured by his electro-therapy device, a machine which discharges negative ions or atoms with negative charge. He says negative ions neutralize toxins in the cells and help revitalize the body.

The machine generates negative ions that are applied directly on the skin. The ions help purify the blood and take out toxins through urination, defecation, vomiting or perspiration, he says.

“The electro therapy device is also called negative ion device because it releases negative current through the skin by using conductors, which are stainless aluminum plates. It has an amplifier or booster. Simply, it is a combination of electricity from Meralco, which is purified, with only the negative charge retained. It has an amplifier to boost the charge, and it also uses earth so that the patient would not be electrocuted or burned,” he says.

Orijuela put on display his device during the National Inventors’ Week held on Nov. 13 to 16 at the Fishermall along Quezon Ave. and the Filipino Inventors’ Society Producer Cooperative Showroom at the ground floor of Delta Building at the corner of Quezon Ave. and West Ave. also in Quezon City.

The device, however, has yet to be recognized by the Department of Science and Technology while an application for license and accreditation with the Food and Drug Administration remains pending. He says the device may be exempted from the accreditation, as this belongs to alternative medicine.

Orijuela, a 52-year-old resident of Quezon City, says his invention offers an alternative to medicine. “What I want as an inventor is to help the poor and help them reduce medical expenses. I don’t compete with medicine, but for those who cannot afford to buy medicine, this device can be installed at barangay health centers to help those who are sick with debilitating diseases,” he says. He plans to sell the device at P30,000 per unit.

The invention involves applying negative ions on the human body through electrotherapy without harming the body, to neutralize biochemical toxins, viruses, bacteria, parasites and even cancer cells, he says.

Orijuela says the machine also stimulates the cells, tissues, organs and at the same time strengthens the immune system, giving it the capacity to treat never before cured diseases.

He explains that negative ions surround the environment. He says an area with high concentration of these particles also has a high concentration of oxygen, an element essential for respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Other inventions such as air conditioning units filters, television monitor screens, laundry aide, and hygienic products also use negative ions to protect people from radiation and toxins, he says.

Orijuela says the device also restores balance in human health. “It provides added negative ions to the cells. Once the ions fall below the normal level, people get sick. So this electro therapy device serves as self charger,” he says.

He says the device can also break up embolism and formations of blood, fats and sugar in the body.

The use of electro therapy device works well with support treatment program, including cleansing or alkaline diet, he says. “This is a combination of food and electro therapy,” he says.

“I am not saying we can eliminate medicine 100 percent, but it would be much less,” he says.

Orijuela completed the machine in 1994, but he says he developed the idea while working as a medical technologist at the Tondo Medical Center in the 1980s.

“I started working as a medical technologist in 1985 and resigned in 1994. I already conceptualized about electro therapy device in the 1980s,” he says.

“As a medical technologist, I observed that diseases recur and are not treated by medicine. This is why I invented this device, as an answer to recurring diseases. It is especially designed and constructed for incurable diseases,” he says.

“I resigned from Tondo Medical Center’s Department of Pathology in 1994. I was a one-man team at the Department of Pathology. I was in charge of biopsy and autopsy. After I resigned, I pursued a career as a natural doctor,” he says.

“I had more than 10 years of experimentation for this, where I used real human body. In my early experiments, there were slight burns, but nobody died in the process,” he says. “I treated numerous conditions such as stroke, cancer, paralysis, arthritis, muscle pain, gout, diabetic pain and others that could not be cured by drugs.”

“Because of the positive results of my experiments, I found the right variation of plates that are compatible to the skin of both male and female patients. I discovered that stainless aluminum plates do not leave marks or burns,” he says.

Orijuela filed for patent for the device in 1994, but has yet to hear from the Intellectual Property Office to this day. He hopes to finally receive a patent and accreditation from the government soon. “There is nothing like it today,” he insists.

He says he participated in the National Inventors Week to bring to the attention of the public the outstanding Filipino inventions. “We want to be given a chance to showcase our inventions and help our fellow Filipinos, in terms of improving their health, on my part. We have a lot of Filipino inventions that can really help, and this is one of them,” he says. RTD

Quezon City plastic bag fee to go to 'green' projects

By Pia Ranada (Rappler.com)

But environmentalists say it's a greenwashing scheme that will only perpetuate the use of plastic bags which pollute water bodies and contribute to flooding in the metro

MANILA, Philippines – The biggest city in Metro Manila has updated its plastic reduction policy by requiring commercial establishments to use its plastic bag fees for city and barangay environmental projects.

In a forum held on Friday, November 14, the city presented 7 city projects and 20 barangay projects that establishments operating in Quezon City can fund.

Projects for the city include city-wide tree-planting, solar panel installation in Quezon City public schools and a rainwater harvesting facility.

Some village-level proposals include a materials recovery facility, solar streetlight installation and a river-cleaning project.

The initiative is an offshoot of an ordinance enacted in 2012 requiring consumers to pay a P2 (US$0.04) fee for every plastic bag used at the point of sale in Quezon City "Type 1" retail establishments.

These establishments include supermarkets, department stores and appliance stores.

But an amendment to the ordinance's Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) now requires establishments to submit a project proposal before using the fees, called the Green Fund.

The projects must be implemented within Quezon City and benefit the city's residents.

The proposals are submitted to the city government's Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD), the arm that will also monitor the projects.

The projects are to be implemented by the business establishment, the city and barangay government, and other partners involved such as schools.

From 2012 to September 2014, the total Green Fund generated has amounted to more than P60 million ($1.3 million), according to Dorothy Delarmente, the councilor who authored the ordinance.

This is based on quarterly monitoring reports submitted by the establishments.

The funds have gone to solar panel projects of malls and tree-planting activities, Delarmente told Rappler on the sidelines of the forum.

'Not effective'

But devoting plastic fees to environmental policy sounds too much like greenwashing for some.

Froilan Grate, president of environmental group Mother Earth Foundation, said the fee is "unnecessary because Quezon City has enough money" for environmental programs.

Imposing a fee would put the burden of paying for environmental projects on consumers instead of the city government who should be using their budget to implement such projects anyway.

The P2 fee is also "too small" to discourage shoppers from buying plastic bags, said MEF chairperson and Quezon City resident Sonia Mendoza.

"If it's P2, I noticed it's so easy for people to just say yes at the counter," she told Rappler.

Grate said such plastic bag fees would only be effective if they were used as a "transitional" provision.

"For example, in San Fernando (in Pampanga), for the first 6 months, you can buy a plastic bag for P5 but they will be phased out after. It's so that people are not shocked. It reminds people that soon, the plastics will be gone. But they have to decide if it's worth P5 ($0.11), which is heavier on the pocket," he said.

Quezon City's policy also appears to be encouraging people to use plastic bags since their payment for the bags will go to green projects anyway.

"It's like a 'pampalubag loob,' to assuage your guilt that you are using plastic," said Mendoza.

Has the two-year-old plastic regulation policy actually reduced the number of plastic bags that end up in Quezon City's land fill?

The city government apparently isn't sure.

EPWMD Acting Chief of Plans and Programs Vincent Vinarao told Rappler that they are just about to conduct a trash characterization study to see whether or not the number of disposed plastic bags have lessened through the years.

The study should be completed sometime in 2015, he said.

Why not a total plastic ban?

Despite criticisms, Delarmente defended the plastic bag regulation versus the total plastic ban now being imposed by other Metro Manila cities.

"If you totally ban it, then the establishments will opt to use paper bags instead which is also not good for the environment because at the end of the day, it will also go to the trash. Paper also will take years to biodegrade. Our point is to reduce the number of solid waste," she told Rappler.

But Grate said that nothing is stopping local governments from regulating paper waste as well.

The QC council adopted a regulatory scheme instead of a total ban after hearing out the establishment owners who are the most affected by the policy, said Delarmente.

And yet many other Metro Manila cities are able to implement the total plastic ban called for by the Total Plastic Ban Act of 2011 authored by Senator Loren Legarda.

Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa, Makati, Pasig, Marikina, Las Piñas and Pasay are some of the cities that now impose a fine between P1,000 to P5,000 on establishments that continue to use plastic bags.

In some cases, it may lead to a cancellation of business permit, temporary or permanent closure, and even imprisonment for one to 3 months.

The law was envisioned to curb the rise of plastic pollution in the country that has led to dirty oceans and rivers, and increased incidents of flooding in cities.

The plastic bag regulation fee is not the only environmental fee QC wants to impose.

An ordinance by Councilor Victor Ferrer Jr seeks to levy a P100 to P500 ($2-$11) yearly garbage collection fee from QC residents.

But in February, the Supreme Court suspended the implementation of the ordinance due to a complaint filed by a resident.

Similar to the plastic bag regulation fee, the garbage fee will fund "rewards" for barangays, homeowner associations, and condominium associations that undertake solid waste management projects.

From 2012 to 2013, Quezon City was the Metro Manila city that spent the most to throw its garbage, according to the Commission on Audit.

A Rappler investigative piece found that its expenses could have been significantly reduced if it followed the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

The Quezon City responded by saying that the law is too difficult to implement.

Camp Crame Sunday masses go ‘e’

By Julliane Love De Jesus (INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Policemen at the Camp Crame national headquarters in Quezon City can hear Sunday masses – electronically.

The “e-Blue Mass” is uploaded on the official website of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Chaplain Service via the streaming website Ustream from the St. Joseph Church in Camp Crame.

“Policemen are working even on Sundays. Of course, exigency of the service. They are detailed in their offices. And in their offices, they have Internet connections,” said Superintendent Lucio Rosaroso Jr. of the Chaplain Service’s chief directorial staff and the brains behind the concept.

In an interview, Rosaroso said the e-Blue Mass would allow policemen to hear the word of God while on duty, sick or wounded and in the hospital.

Rosaroso, one of the celebrants in the Camp Crame masses, said that since the Chaplain Service offered the e-Blue Mass, they have been getting “positive feedbacks”.

“While some attend the mass here to be seen in the video, most people were thankful because they could catch up on the masses they missed,” he said.

He said policemen and their families usually looked forward to the homily of the priests‎ as this helped them in their reflection.

“Kahit ‘yung mga police na naka-attend na dito, papakinggan pa nila ‘yung homily ulit sa video,” Rosaroso added.

The livestreaming of the mass in Camp Crame‎ began in March. Rosaroso said they were proposing to the PNP leadership that the e-Blue Mass be made into one of the organization’s best practices.

“This is also a plus point on our performance score card‎. The PNP leaders are happy with this innovation,” he said.

‎Every March 19 of the year, a General Blue Mass is held in celebration of St. Joseph’s Day. Rosaroso said the mass was attended by all PNP personnel, from the non-uniformed personnel up to the highest police official.

Jollibee kicks-off the earliest, longest Christmas season with 20th Maaga ang Pasko launch

By Marinel R. Cruz (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines – A merrier and longer Christmas awaits kids across the country as Jollibee celebrates the 20th year of “Maaga ang Pasko.” To set the early Christmas mood, Maaga ang Pasko caroling events were held in different Jollibee branches featuring celebrities and chorale groups to officially launch the campaign. The Christmas spirit was definitely in the air as Jolly Toy Scouts and customers trooped to the stores to listen to all-time favorite carols and drop their toy and book donations.

At Jollibee Greenmeadows in Quezon City, “The Voice Kids” Top 4 finalists Lyca Gairanod, Juan Karlos Labajo, and Darlene Vibares performed their trademark songs and joined the Singles for Christ choir in singing the Maaga ang Pasko jingle. The young talents were also introduced as the newest endorsers of the Jollibee Kids Club, together with their fellow finalist Darren Espanto.

At Jollibee Mabalacat in Pampanga, young sensation Nadine Lustre brought her own family to take part in the gift-giving campaign. “Our family has been supporting Maaga ang Pasko even before I became a Jollibee endorser. I feel blessed because as an official member of the Jollibee family, I can now do more and influence more people to share what they have and make kids happy this Christmas.” The actress also serenaded her fans with songs from her debut album, as well as joyful Christmas jingles with the Lumen Anima Chorale.

Jollibee then paid tribute to long-time ambassador and original Jolly Toy Scout Aga Muhlach at Jollibee Canlubang in a similar caroling activity. Together with members of the Jollibee marketing team, the seasoned actor gamely joined the Lumen Anima Chorale in a more upbeat rendition of the Maaga ang Pasko jingle.

“Maaga ang Pasko came from a very simple idea but a genuine desire to make kids happy on Christmas time. No matter what they may be going through in life, a kid’s face lights up whenever you give them a toy. I approached Jollibee because I know they can help me expand that into something even bigger and more impactful,” shared Aga. “I could not be any more grateful to Jollibee for bringing Maaga ang Pasko to where it is now, as the longest-running and biggest campaign of its kind in the country that has reached hundreds of thousands of children across the country.”

The celebrity guests each led the gift-giving ceremony by making their own toy and book donations together with members of the Jollibee Kids Club. Jollibee customers showed their support by lining up to drop their donations in the Maaga ang Pasko boxes.

“For the 20th year of Maaga ang Pasko, we’re targeting to bring the magic of toys and books to the most number of children in the history of the campaign. We are once again counting on the support of kind-hearted Filipino families from all over the globe to make this year the ‘pinaka-maaga, pinakamahaba at pinakamalaking Pasko (earliest, longest and biggest Christmas)’ for our Filipino kids,” said Jollibee Vice President for Marketing Harvey Ong.

A Christmas carol

The store launches were also part of the special music video for the 20th year of Maaga ang Pasko. Jollibee tapped a total of 20 celebrities, including brand ambassadors Carmina Villaroel and Zoren Legaspi, and their children Mavy and Cassy, Julia Barretto, as well as Gary Valenciano among others, to join 100 Jolly Toy Scouts in fulfilling one mission: to share the joy of giving this Christmas season through a series of pop-up caroling events across the country. The heartwarming yet happy music video is available online on the official Jollibee Youtube page:

The video was complemented by the latest version of the Maaga ang Pasko theme, which carries a more upbeat arrangement. The song was performed by Jollibee brand ambassadors Sarah Geronimo and Nadine, and Lyca, Darren, Juan Karlos and Darlene.

Aside from dropping donations in Maaga ang Pasko boxes in Jollibee stores nationwide, anyone can also take part in the campaign by making online donations at www.jollibee.com.ph/MaagaAngPasko. Early Christmas shoppers can also buy and directly drop their donations in all Goodwill Bookstore and Toy Kingdom stores.


QC keen to finance, host Cinemalaya in 2015

By Edwin P. Sallan (InterAksyon.com)

“We want Quezon City to be the entertainment capital and the hub for artists.”

That was the bold declaration of Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista during the awards ceremony of the QCinema International Film Festival Sunday night as he revealed that his city may finance and host the 11th edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival next year.

Bautista had been quoted in earlier reports that he was discussing the future of Cinemalaya with its founding chairman Tony Boy Cojuangco as Quezon City may be able to help fund the prestigious but financially embattled festival. But it wasn’t until last Sunday that the mayor made the first public announcement on the matter when he said he had received a letter from Cinemalaya competition chairman Laurice Guillen formally asking for Quezon City’s involvement in next year’s festival.

“I have referred the letter to Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte and to the Quezon City Film Development Commission headed by QCinema International Film Festival director Ed Lejano and I will leave it up to them to sort out the details,” Bautista further stated in his speech.

Following the awards night, both Lejano and Belmonte told InterAksyon that the prospect of Quezon City hosting next year’s Cinemalaya festival is still on the exploratory stages and is not yet a done deal.

“Although it’s already approved by the mayor in principle, there’s a lot of details that we still need to discuss and clarify with [the Cinemalaya officials] so we’re going to have to meet on this soon,” Lejano said.

“We still need to explore the elements of the partnership, if ever. But of course, we’re happy to have them, Cinemalaya is an established institution and they’re the example that other independent film festivals are following,” Belmonte added.

Asked if Cinemalaya going to Quezon City means that entries will no longer be screened at the Cultural Center of the Philippines where the bulk of screenings and activities were held for the last 10 years since it was founded in 2004, Lejano expressed optimism that “something may still be worked out.”

“Maybe out of continuity it might still be possible for some events or screenings to be held at the CCP. It was the home of Cinemalaya for 10 years after all,” he noted.

Belmonte, however, is confident that Cinemalaya will do very well in Quezon City, the place she and Bautista call the “City of Stars”. in her own speech, she underscored the box office potential of Cinemalaya in Quezon City, where there are over 100 cinemas, the most of any city in the country.

“The market is here, the artists are here, the moviegoers are here. I’m sure Cinemalaya will flourish here and will be very much at home in our city,” Belmonte noted.

Film producer Marichu “Manay Ichu” Vera-Perez Maceda, one of the presenters, also took note of the fact that over 30 percent of the box office revenues of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival comes from Quezon City.

As for the paltry P500,000 seed money that Cinemalaya New Breed filmmakers are getting which pales in comparison to the higher grants that other film festivals are giving, Belmonte is also optimistic that is one area that her city can well improve if they do take Cinemalaya under their wing.

“We gave our feature film P2 million so kailangan pag-usapan para hindi naman malugi ang Cinemalaya if their entries are only getting P500,000 and our QCinema festival is giving P2 million,” she added.

One particular concern for both Belmonte and Lejano is the possibility of Cinemalaya conflicting with their own QCinema film festival. However, both are also confident that the city can accommodate more than one film festival.

“There’s so much room for indie filmmakers in our city, in our country and we welcome the opportunity to work with them. We think it’s good that there are several film festivals happening in Quezon City so we can also establish our city as the hub of filmmaking,” Belmonte said.

QC housing program, sexual health center win Galing Pook awards

(Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Two programs of the Quezon City government won the prestigious Galing Pook awards—its socialized housing program and a pioneering male-focused sexual health-care facility.

The Galing Pook Foundation confers the awards on outstanding local government units (LGUs) that promote innovation and excellence in governance. Quezon City and the Quezon provincial government are the two LGUs that won the most awards—two each—for this year.

Quezon City’s socialized housing program, as envisioned by Mayor Herbert Bautista, is made up of “Bistekville” housing projects with multipurpose facilities such as health- and day-care centers. It is aimed at upgrading the living conditions of the poor and developing slum-free communities.

The city’s Klinika Bernardo was established to reach out to more individuals at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, especially those with exposure to male-to-male sexual behaviors. Bautista said his administration was seriously considering developing the clinic as the country’s premier place of treatment and referral for confirmed cases of STD/HIV/AIDS, in keeping with the city government’s commitment to provide persons living with HIV greater access to quality health services.

The Galing Pook awards were conferred in a ceremony led by Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. last Oct. 21 at Edsa Shangri-La Manila. Bautista and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte led the Quezon City officials in attendance.

Quezon City was also recognized by the Galing Pook Foundation for effective fiscal management in 2003, for the Molave Youth Home in 2005, for the rehabilitation of the Payatas disposal facility in 2008 and for parks development in 2009.

Inventor offers solution to Luzon blackout

(RTD, MST Business)

Francisco Garcia is not worried over the impending power shortage that may hit Luzon during the dry season in 2015. In the past, his home in Laguna province was the only one with electricity during blackout, and it had plenty more power to spare, despite running two air-conditioning units and all household appliances.

“During blackout, we are the only house in our village with lights,” Garcia says in an interview at the Filipino Inventors Society Producer Cooperative Showroom at Delta Building along Quezon Ave. in Quezon City. His home at San Lorenzo South in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, near Enchanted Kingdom theme park, is fully powered by solar energy, with a maximum capacity of 6,000 watts.

“As the president requests for emergency powers to resolve the possible brownout next year, the solar technology can be used to cover the power shortage. Solar can do it,” he says, adding that solar systems can be easily installed on households and commercial establishments.

Garcia, one of the foremost solar experts in the country and an inventor of many solar gadgets, including a solar-powered kart, says solar energy holds the key to averting a power shortage next year.

Solar technology involves harnessing and collecting sunlight and converting it into electricity, using photovoltaics, or semiconducting materials usually in the form of solar panel.

Energy officials warn that the rising power demand, coupled with low contribution of hydroelectric power projects during the dry season and the maintenance shutdown of several power plants will result in a power deficit of between 300 megawatts and 1,200 MW, translating to daily blackouts of at least one hour during the peak season, from March to May.

Garcia says he installed a 36-square meter solar panel on his roof and that is enough to fully power his household.

“Our electricity at home is 100-percent solar. We cannot even consume our extra power. We have up to 6,000 watts of solar energy, but our household requirement is only 2,000 watts per day. I installed 6,000 watts to prepare for cloudy days when production is lower. Still, I have plenty of power and reserve power stored in the battery which is designed to cover three days. It is designed for extreme weather condition,” he says.

“We have two air-conditioning units, including one with three-fourth horsepower and 1.5 horsepower, two refrigerators, one freezer, one heater, 1,000-watt electric stove, three electric fans, three television sets and 50 LED lights,” he says.

Instead of buying electricity from Meralco, Garcia says he can even sell his excess energy to the distribution utility through the so- called net metering program. “We also have customers who have zero bill at Meralco,” he says.

Garcia, 42, is the founder and project manager of FFG Solar Power Trading, a company bearing his name that distributes and installs high-quality solar technologies for residential and commercial establishments.

He says FFG Solar Power distributes and installs mono crystalline and poly crystalline silicon solar panel with high-efficiency Class A solar cells from Germany. Customers include residential houses, agricultural facilities, island without electricity and student projects.

Among Garcia’s many inventions are the multi-purpose solar-powered street lights, with USB sockets where users can recharge their mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets in case of a blackout.

“It is a multi-purpose street light, with charger. During emergency, you can charge your cellphone or any device like GPS as long as it is UBS-powered,” says Garcia.

Garcia has been inventing solar-powered gadgets since he was in grade school. “I had a solar watch when I was in Grade 4. My first invention, when I was in Grade 6, was a solar piano the size of a key chain. That fascinated my teacher. Since then, I have pursued my advocacy for solar technology,” he says.

In college, Garcia also joined technology competitions and exhibits where he displayed his solar sound systems. “I have the first-generation solar technologies up to now, although much has changed since they became popular in the 1970s,” he says.

He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communication from Feati University in 1995 and a Master’s Degree in Information Technology and Management from Colegio de San Juan de Letran. He also studied in the US, where he later became a solar engineer.

In the US, he became an engineer and IT manager for several companies, before he returned to the Philippines to establish FFG Solar Power in June 2007.

FFG Solar Power installs and designs photovoltaic or solar systems, which include various components such as solar panels, inverters, deep cycle batteries, controllers, light emitting diode, breakers and cables.

“In the market, there are now various solar products, but the problem is their reliability. After six months, the products fail, because they were not property designed. It takes experience, expertise, education and dedication to install solar technology. The training is a continuous process. Solar technology has many components. It should be a balanced system of LED, solar panel, batteries, controller and breaker,” he says.

“If there is no balance in the system, between solar energy gathering and usage, it will be a failure. You won’t recoup the investments,” he says.

Garcia says FFG Solar ensures the high quality of their products. “We have reliable street lights. We have 10 watts, 20 watts, 30 watts and we can go up to 60 watts, which are for highways. The 10 watts are good enough for inner roads or barangay,” he says.

He says the FFG street lights can illuminate the surrounding from dusk to dawn, or from 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. “During the day, it collects solar energy and automatically turns off, using controller or regulator at night. During daytime, it charges. Once the sunlight is out, it activates the LED. It follows this cycle,” he says.

“Our solar panel can last up to 35 years and the battery for at least three years. At home, the battery can last at least five years,” Garcia says.

Garcia says solar technologies have also evolved and become more efficient. “What used to produce 150 watts can now produce more energy. It means the solar panel has become more efficient in terms of size. A small area on the roof can now produce more,” he says.

Solar systems come in three different types, he says. “It is either pole-mounted like what is used on street lights. It can be ground mounted, where you have plenty of space or roof-mounted, which is most secured and most exposed to sunlight,” he says.

He says solar panels should be designed to face the direction of the sun, from east to west. “We know the ultimate angling to capture the so-called solar window from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The solar panel is tilted 30 degrees to follow the angle of the sun,” he says.

Garcia’s company, FFG Solar, built a solar system to power 12 classrooms at Sitero Francisco Memorial National High School in Valenzuela City and a solar-powered light house in Batangas.

“We built the first solar-powered school in Valenzuela and the first solar-powered light house at Pico de Loro in Nasugbu, Batangas, which is visible for up to 25 nautical miles,” he says. “We also built a solar-powered foot bridge in Batangas and installed a solar system at UP Diliman. We also built a solar system for Estero de Paco, to pump and purify liquid waste before going into the river.”

Garcia also invented a solar powered go-kart, which runs purely on solar power. “We can go on a joy ride from our house to Enchanted Kingdom on board the off-grid solar-powered go-kart, which can run up to 35 kilometers per hour,” he says.

FFG Solar aims to provide solar systems in remote barangays in the country to electrify off-grid households to power lights, a television set, an electric fan and a radio, he says.

Garcia is among the speakers during the National Inventors Week to be held on Nov. 13 to 16 at the event center of Fisher Mall and at Delta Building in Quezon City.

“We are going to put on display some of our products such as disaster kits and multi-purpose solar systems,” he says.

Garcia hopes that the government and the Filipino public will have a greater appreciation for solar power, which he says offers the solution to the country’s energy problem.

He says as a tropical country, solar technology is ideal for the Philippines, but its acceptance in the country is still low. “In California where I worked, the usage of solar energy is about 60 percent. They are trying to follow the lead of Germany, where usage is about 80 percent. Here in the Philippines, the usage of solar energy is less than 5 percent, probably because of the high cost and lack of government support,” he says.

“We are a tropical nation. This is the best place to harness solar energy,” he says.

Beneficiary shares positive change brought by Pantawid Pamilya Program

(DSWD FO-NCR,RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, 7 Nov. (PIA)--“Hindi kami makapagpapatapos ng anak sa kolehiyo kung wala ang tulong ng Patawid Pamilya at SLP, kung kaya’t sasamantalahin ko ang oportunidad na ito upang pasalamatan ang lahat ng bumubuo ng DSWD.”

Beaming with gratitude, Virgilia Hernaez, 45 years old from Commonwealth, Quezon City, shared the positive changes in her family’s life after being a beneficiary of the programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in front of DSWD-NCR employees during yesterday’s flag raising ceremony.

Virgilia proudly stated how she and her husband Marcelo, 54 years old, a construction worker, successfully enabled their two (2) older children to finish their studies in Computer Programming and Information Technology, respectively.

Using the capital assistance that the Hernaez family loaned in 2013 from the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), she put up a mini-store of frozen items including tocino, hotdog and longganisa.

Within six (6) months, Virgilia’s association has returned their loaned capital assistance to DSWD which made them eligible to avail of the Ahon kabuhayan program of the Philippine Goodworks Mission Foundation, Inc. (PGMFI) in May 2014.

Also, since she already has children who are computer specialists, her family is now engaged in a business of computer rental which is prominently called as “pisonet.”

As far as they can, Virgilia shared that they are trying their best to be a model family in their community in order to inspire others that by properly utilizing the government’s assistance and enhancing self-motivation to improve living condition, poverty can actually be defeated.

Hernaez’ family is among the 234,970 Pantawid Pamilya household-beneficiaries in Metro Manila who are receiving cash grants for health and education of their children based on their compliance to the conditionalities of the program.

Mapping software for disasters launched by NAPC, NYC

(NYC)

QUEZON CITY, Nov 6 -- One year after super-typhoon Yolanda, are our local governments more prepared?

The National Youth Commission (NYC) and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) have launched today MAPA-HANDA, a software that maps disasters and hazards and formulates a response for local government units (LGU) in times of disaster.

The said software and its modules were developed with the help of the University of the Philippines – Open University (UPOU). The technology promises a better disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) tool specifically for LGUs with the help of government interns, according to NYC.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed and a demonstration of the software was held today at the University Hotel at UP Diliman.

Government Internship Program (GIP) beneficiaries and some Miss Earth-Philippines finalists were also trained in the use of the software.

“New Normal”

Yolanda caused more than 6,000 deaths in Samar, Leyte and other parts of Visayas last year. The super-typhoon is also one of the strongest tropical cyclones recorded.

“There could be another Yolanda. Super-typhoons and strong earthquakes are becoming common occurrences,” said NAPC Undersecretary Jude Esguerra. “We are thinking of innovative ways to better prepare for possible disasters.”

NAPC argued that calamities cause geographical poverty traps and subject vulnerable communities and groups to aggravated poverty.

Localization

The Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards or Project NOAH, on the other hand, has been designed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to help the national government in its disaster response mechanism.

NAPC and NYC, however, seek to assist DOST and other agencies in localizing the program.

“While our lack of information on disaster-related issues have been answered, the need for localization for the bulk of these data is yet to be solved”, remarked Esguerra.

MAPA-HANDA is capable of designating viable relocation sites and computes the materials needed in relief and disaster operations by LGUs. It also boasts of its participatory scheme, as it requires input from local DRR units.

“It is vital that local communities be at the forefront of every decision-making and action-planning schemes that directly influence them”, Esguerra added.

Youth in DRRM

The Government Internship Program is being sought by NYC to ensure its localization. It is a component of the President’s Youth Work Program (PYWP) that introduces the youth to government service, currently facilitated by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and other implementing agencies.

Government interns will serve as trainers and facilitators in data-gathering from the local DRR units.

NYC said that this innovation requires that young people be involved in their local government. The online courses of the UPOU will be provided to the government interns and LGUs, thru their DRRM planners and officers.

“While the Government Internship Program provides the youth both work opportunity and financial assistance, it shall move from being just an employment-generation program to a capacity-building platform”, said NYC Chairperson Gio Tingson.

“MAPA-HANDA provides a niche for government interns by providing them an expertise in one of the LGUs’ important operations”, concluded Tingson.

AFP to support education of fallen soldiers’ dependents

(AFP/RJB/JEG/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, 5 November (PIA) – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that it will support the education of legal dependents, beneficiaries of fallen soldiers.

AFP Public Affairs Office chief Lt. Col. Harold M. Cabunoc said that the dependents of soldiers killed in action will receive educational support through the AFP Educational Benefit System Office (AFPEBSO).

Cabunoc met with the family of 2Lt Jun Corpuz. Corpuz is one of the soldiers who recently clashed with the Abu Sayyaf group in Basilan.

“The dependents of our fallen soldiers are entitled to several educational assistance programs facilitated by the AFPEBSO to support their education and give them a chance for a better future,” said AFPEBSO Assistant Manager Lt. Col. Lawrence Aninag.

Aninag facilitated the application for scholarship grants for the siblings of Corpuz.

"The children of fallen married soldiers and siblings of unmarried soldiers are qualified under various programs, including the Presidential Decree 577 that provides free tuition from elementary to college. Another program is the DND-CHED-PASUC that will give the grantee free tuition in state universities and colleges,” Aninag added.

According to the AFP, three siblings of Corpuz are qualified to avail these programs. AFPEBSO will facilitate the grant of educational benefit to his siblings who are qualified under various programs provided by the system.

Numerous schools, social development foundations and other agencies are assisting the AFPEBSO in securing the future of qualified beneficiaries in support to the AFP’s commitment to leave no soldier’s orphan behind.

“The AFPEBSO has established partnership with a total of 259 partner institutions to date. Through its various educational assistance programs, the AFP had sent thousands of soldiers’ children to school,” Aninag said adding that at present, there are around 4,500 grantees/scholars nationwide that are being assisted through their elementary, high school and tertiary education.

Two QC innovations cited in 3rd eGov recognition awards

(AKG/RJB-PIA-NCR/QC-PAISO)

QUEZON CITY, 4 Nov. (PIA) – The Quezon City (QC) Government received two awards for innovation in the 3rd eGov Awards held on October 24 at the SMX Premier in Lanang, Davao City.

QC was cited for its Computerized Health Information Tracking System (CHITS), which received runner-up award in eGov Customer Empowerment Award (G2C category) and its mobile money real property tax payment scheme, as runner-up for eGov Business Empowerment (G2B category).

QC’s CHITS is a system, launched in 2011, which was designed to improve the management of health information in QC barangays, especially the three aspects of record management: the quality of field health services and information system reports, timeliness of submission and ease of access of data for health center personnel.

The system was developed by the UP Manila-National Telehealth Center.

The mobile money tax payment scheme, on the other hand, is initiated by the QC government to provide real property taxpayers with access to mobile money payment system.

It plans to expand the system to include payment of business taxes and other fees. The Scaling Innovations in Mobile Money project (SIMM) was undertaken with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The eGov Awards recognizes local government units (LGUs) that have shown excellent performance in utilizing ICT in delivering basic services to their constituents.

The awarding is divided into two categories, the Best in eGov Customer Empowerment (G2C) Award and Best in eGov Business Empowerment (G2B) Award.

The event aims to develop the Information and Computer Technology (ICT) ecosystem of LGUs through the sharing of best practices on eGovernance.

The event is organized by the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines as part of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Trade Fair Week with the theme “Realizing the Opportunities of ASEAN Integration”.

The ASEAN integration is a grand plan by the ten member states, including the Philippines, to pursue the acceleration of regional integration by strengthening of economic growth, social progress, cultural collaboration, regional peace and collaboration, and partnership with the international community.

President Benigno Aquino Jr. had earlier expressed his support to underscore physical and social connectivity, in lieu of the ASEAN Integration, which includes the establishment of efficient transport routes as well as the improvement of the country’s information and technology connectivity.

MTRCB Children’s Fest at QCinema

(MST Entertainment)

THE Quezon City Government, through the Quezon City Film Development Commission and The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), finds a perfect ground in advancing the rights of children.

The agencies signed a memorandum of agreement recently for the showing of MTRCB’s Children’s Classics at the upcoming Qcinema International Film Festival, slated from Nov. 5-11 at Trinoma, which is one of the highlights of the city’s celebration of its jubilee year.

“These are stories about children, for children, which aims to be inspiration for children” according to Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte.

Screenings for the children’s classics are free.

There will be seven participating films for exhibition at the festival. These include two Iranian movies, which are Children of Heaven and Color of Paradise; two Chinese movies, which are Not One Less and Dance Without Music, and three Filipino Films, which are Boses, Bunso, and RPG Metanoia.

Children of Heaven is an Iranian family drama film written and directed by Majid Majidi is about a brother and sister growing up in a poor neighborhood and their adventures over a lost pair of shoes. Another Majid Majidi film, The Color Of Paradise tells the story of an eight-year-old blind child.

Not One Less, set in the 1990s in rural China, is about a 13-year-old substitute teacher who searched the big city for one of the students because there should be not one less student when the teacher returns. Dance Without Music of LI Jixian is another period film about students from poor families allowed to enroll for free. They were given a grand name—Students with Aspirations.

Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil’s Boses is a film that tackles child abuse and the healing power of music. It tells the tale of the friendship between a violin teacher and a mute seven-year old abused child in a shelter. Bunso:The Youngest is a documentary by Filipino filmmakers Ditsi Carolino and Nana Buxani. It is about three boys struggling to survive in a crowded jail, sharing their space alongside adult rapists and murderers and other assorted dregs of society. RPG Metanoia is about Nico, who drifts between his simple day-to-day reality as an average child and his adventure-fueled life in the virtual world through the online game Metanoia. Luis C. Suarez directed the film.

Aside from the children’s classics, the Memorandum of Agreement also covers self-regulation of the Quezon City Film Development Commission covering the QCinema International Film Festival.

Capitol Steel to allot P1.8 billion to upgrade manufacturing facility

By Catherine Pillas

STEEL manufacturer Capitol Steel Corp. is planning to invest P1.8 billion, spread over three years, into modernizing its manufacture of reinforcing steel bars (rebars) in its Quezon City plant, and is seeking incentives from the Board of Investments (BOI) for the planned two-phased modernization.

A source, who requested anonymity, said the modernization of Capitol Steel will be carried out in two phases over four years, from 2015 to 2018. The first phase, for which P800 million has been allocated, will be completed in January of 2015, while the second phase may see completion by 2018. The remaining P1 billion was allotted for the second phase.

The modernization is expected to remove inefficiencies in the manufacturing process of the rebars, said the source. The source added the company has a capacity of at least 800,000 metric tons.

If the modernization project is approved, Capitol Steel can enjoy income-tax holidays for three years, according to the source. The firm manufactures reinforcing steel bars for infrastructure projects, high-rise buildings and residential houses.

Capitol Steel’s notable projects include the LKG Tower in Makati City, Market! Market! in Fort Bonifacio and the Ayala FGU Tower.

The country’s largest producer of rebars, Steel Asia Corp. estimates total rebar demand in 2013 was at 2.7 million metric tons (MMT) with an annual 6-percent to 7-percent growth because of the increasing construction activity in the country. The country’s total steel market is placed at 6.7 MMT, of which 3.67 MMT are imported. Demand for steel is expected to grow between 5 percent and 7 percent this year from 8 percent last year. Local production of billets, the raw material for rebars, grew at 4 percent in 2013, with local-rebar production also at 4 percent.

Of the 6.7 MMT steel market, a 40-percent share is taken up by flat products, while the 60 percent is for long products. Flat products include slabs, coated steel products, tinplate and heavy plate, mostly used in automotive, heavy machinery, pipes and tubes, and construction.

Long products include billets, rebars, wire rods, sections, rails, sheet piles and drawn wire with demand from the energy, automotive and construction sectors.

For improved response? PAGASA to adopt ‘super typhoon’ category in 2015

By Joel Locsin / LBG (GMA News)

Starting 2015, the term "Super Typhoon" may be officially adopted by Philippine weather service PAGASA – partly to spur better preparation and response by communities.

This is part of the revised classification of tropical cyclones PAGASA is drawing up a year after super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) devastated Visayas, Panahon, TV said.

"PAGASA explained that the revision aims to emphasize the intensity of a tropical cyclone and the threat of its impacts. Using the term 'Super Typhoon' will also escalate the sense of urgency and community response in times of an approaching storm," Panahon.TV said in a blog post.

Under the revised system, "Super Typhoon" is defined as having maximum sustained winds of more than 220 kph or 120 nautical miles per hour.

But it also quoted PAGASA forecaster Samuel Duran as saying the term "Super Typhoon" will be effective in 2015.

Panahon.TV is a venture between the Lina Group of Companies and the Presidential Communications Operations Office, People's Television and PAGASA. Its studios are based at PAGASA headquarters in Quezon City.

Before the adoption of "Super Typhoon," PAGASA used a three-tier category system for cyclones: Tropical Depression, Tropical Storm and Typhoon.

The revised system now includes:

- Tropical Depression (TD): maximum sustained winds of up to 61 kph or 17.1 meters per second, or up to 33 nautical miles per hour.
- Tropical Storm (TS): 62 to 118 kph or 17.2 to 32.6 meters per second.
- Severe Tropical Storm: applicable only for the International Warning for Shipping, and will not be used for general public dissemination unlike the other categories.
- Typhoon (TY): wind speeds 118 to 220 kph or 64 to 120 knots.
- Super Typhoon (STY): maximum sustained winds of more than 220 kph, or 61.1 meters per second; or 120 nautical miles per hour.
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