SK anti-drug advocacy program pushed by PDEA

As part of the continuing campaign aimed at reducing demand for illegal drugs, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is pushing for the creation of a uniform anti-drug advocacy program for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) nationwide.


According to PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino, the uniformed anti-drug advocacy programs for SK will be implemented in coordination with the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).


During the SK Summit in Bren Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga last Aug. 2, Aquino urged the 8,000 SK officials who attended the event to organize less basketball tournaments and beauty pageants and focus more on organizing anti-drug advocacy programs.


“SKs has a 5 percent annual budget from the barangay funds that can be used for the implementation of anti-drug advocacy programs in their community,” Aquino said.

Aquino also cited the capability of the youth in utilizing technology as a way to effectively disseminate information against the drug menace.


“SK officials can use the different social media platforms in disseminating correct information to the youth. They can discourage young people from using illegal drugs and educate them on the harmful impact of this industry to an individual and to the society as a whole,” he said, adding that youth leaders are also role models in their respective barangays, municipalities and cities.


“We dream to have a country that is free of drug menace. We want to put an end to the killings and the criminality brought about by the illegal drug industry. We dream of a nation with proud and rich culture untainted by anomalies, corruption, greed and crime. We encourage you to share this dream and start putting it into reality,” Aquino said.


“The youth is the voice of this nation. So, we appeal to them to maximize such power and help the government change the future of this country. They have the capacity to communicate among their peers, reach out to them and understand them in many ways we cannot as adults, as parents,” the PDEA chief added. (CD)

Source: PTV News. Photo credit: PDEA 

Bacolod City youth leaders orient on new SK Law

Newly-elected barangay youth leaders in this city gathered during the 1st Bacolod City Youth Leaders Convention on Sunday for an orientation on the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Act or Republic Act 10742.

SK Federation Bacolod president Ayesha Joy Villaflor said the convention aims to provide knowledge and understanding among the new youth leaders about the law.

“Since this is a new law, it is hard for us since we cannot fully understand what it is all about,” she said.

Fifty-six out of the 61 SK chairpersons attended.

Villaflor said the SK leaders also learned how to draft resolutions.

She added that since the barangay youth sector has been granted fiscal economy under the SK Reform Act, they are waiting for the guidelines from the Commission on Audit on how they could utilize the SK budget.

The SK fund has been separated from that of the Barangay Council and they are now free to use and appropriate their funds allied with youth advocacy, Villaflor said.

The SK Reform Act mandates both the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Youth Commission (NYC) to jointly design and implement the mandatory and continuing training programs for SK officials.

These include capability building on leadership, program and project development and sustainability, financial management, and accountability and transparency.

Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya had earlier said the DILG had developed modules for the new set of SK officials aimed at equipping the youth leaders with the necessary skills to perform their functions well.

Malaya also said that during their incumbency, SK officials must attend the continuing training programs to be undertaken by the NYC in coordination with the DILG.

The DILG official pointed out that another innovation of the SK Reform Act is that SK officials will have a chance in truly participating in local governance with the creation of a Local Youth  Development Council composed of representatives of youth and youth-serving organizations at the provincial, city, and municipal levels. (Nanette Guadalquiver)

Source: Philippine News Agency. Photo Credit: Bacolod City PIO)

Bacolod City barangay hall gets notice of violation

THE Office of the Building Official (OBO) in Bacolod City served a notice of violation to village chieftain Bob Asan of Barangay 3 for the construction of the barangay hall without a building permit and certificate of occupancy.

Engineer Isidro Sun Jr., head of OBO, said yesterday they served the notice of violation on July 27 and the barangay officials were given three days to report at OBO at the Bacolod Government Center.

Barangay 3 officials violated Sections 301 and 309 of the National Building Code (PD 1096).

Section 301 stated that no person, firm or corporation, including any agency or instrumentality of the government, shall construct alter, repair, convert, use, occupy, move, demolish and add any building/structure or any portion thereof or cause the same to be done without obtaining a building permit thereof from the OBO assigned in the place where the subject building is located or to be done.

Section 309 also stated that no building or structure shall be used or occupied and no change in the existing use or occupancy classification of a building or structure or portion thereof shall be made until the Building Official has issued a certificate of occupancy therefore as provided in this Code.

A certificate of occupancy shall be issued by the Building Official within 30 days if final inspection and submittal of a certificate of completion referred to in the proceeding section, it is found that the building or structure complies with the provision of this Code.

Asan said they are willing to comply with their violations and he will communicate with OBO.

He said the barangay hall was constructed in 1998 and he did not know that the building has no building permit and occupancy permit.

On July 30, Jose Max Ortiz, legal counsel of Ma. Gizela Palomares-Ablaña, also sent a letter to Mayor Evelio Leonardia requesting for the removal of the two-storey barangay hall and the day-care center which are all constructed or standing on road lots owned by Capitol Subdivision Inc. situated in Barangay 3.

Ortiz said the said structure which was illegally constructed have caused great disturbance to their client for years despite her regular complaint to the barangay of the noise pollution as well as the inconvenience of having full access to her lot.

He said this matter has also been brought to the attention of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

He added they are hopeful that the City Government will heed to their request that the said structures be removed or demolished within 30 days from receipt of the letter. (Merlinda Pedrosa)

Source: SunStar Bacolod. Photo credit: Panay News.

Isabela barangay leaders attend orientation on environment laws

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Sub-Office in this province has recently conducted an orientation to the newly-elected barangay officials of the municipality of Quezon. 

The orientation, which is a part of the agency's information, education and communication program,  was conducted by PENRO- Isabela sub-office Head Enrique Pasion, (at the rostrum in photo) where he discussed various environment laws being implemented by the environment department.

Among them were Presidential Decree 705 or the Revised Forest Reform Code of the Philippines of 1975, Chain Saw Act and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Pasion reminded  barangay officials to be careful in signing Certifications or documents on Land Titling to avoid problems.

He said barangay officials are partners of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and barangay leaders have important responsibilities in ensuring that environmental laws are implemented being in the frontline and knew the real situation in their respective areas.

The DENR official urged barangay leaders to report to the DENR or other law enforcement agencies if there are violators of environmental laws like illegal logging, illegal transporting of forest products, kaingin and several other violations.

“Our agency is sincere in protecting the remaining natural resources in our area of jurisdiction and violators must stop their illegal activities,” Pasion said during the orientation. (Merlito G. Edale)

Source: Philippine Information Agency

Rizal town adds one new barangay

From 19 barangays, the Municipality of Tanay now has 20 barangays following last week’s plebiscite creating Barangay Madilaydilay.


With ‘yes’ votes of 1,841 in favor of creation of Barangay Madilaydilay as against 43 ‘no’ votes, the new village is now officially separated from Barangay Sampaloc, one of the upland barangays of the municipality.

Although there was very low turn-out of votes in the recently-held plebiscite, apparently due to heavy rains that affected Barangay Sampaloc on July 28, the votes cast by the villagers officially sealed and confirmed the desire of the residents of the then Sitio Madilaydilay, to become a separate barangay.

Madilaydilay has a population of 2,595 whose main source of income is agriculture since most of the residents are pineapple growers and coconut farmers.

Out of the total population of Madilaydilay, only 491 voters were able to vote with 489 in favor of the separation, and 1 ‘no’ vote and a voter who abstained.

Barangay Sampaloc, one of the upland villages in Tanay, has more than 14,000 voters. (Nel Andrade)

Source: Manila Bulletin. 

Davao City beefs up barangay patrol system

OVER 3,000 barangay watchers from the 182 barangays here in Davao City attended the launching of the “Enhanced Oplan Fortress” on Friday, July 27, at the Davao City Recreation Center, otherwise known as Almendras Gym.

Davao City Police Office (DCPO) spokesperson Senior Inspector Ma Theresita Gaspan said the Oplan Fortress gathers the Barangay Ronda Patrol System as one coordinating system, the launching of which was graced by the mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and the other law enforcer units.

Barangay Ronda Patrol is mainly an integration of all watchers to the enhanced police, military/police auxiliary patrol system with the main objective of revitalizing and reorganizing them as extensions of law enforcement.

Gaspan said the barangay watchers are tasked to assist the police in the intensified operation against robbery, theft and other petty crimes prevalent in the barangays through contact, intelligence monitoring, and as visible security.
At present, each barangay has an existing 20 barangay watchers receiving an allowance from the City Government of Davao but under the supervision and control of their respective chairman.

“With this, the renewal of membership will be undertaken following basic law enforcement training and deployment. With a total 3,640 additional force, we will generate 8,989 upgraded/enhanced patrol systems,” Gaspan said.

Gaspan said the DCPO is of keen judgment that their presence would be geared to a more effective deterrence against social deviants in every community. (Ivy C. Tejano)

Source: SunStar Davao.  Photo Credit: Facebook/Brigada News Davao.

Zamboanga Del Norte town adds 10 new barangay patrol vehicles

In its effort to enhance the law enforcement and disaster response capability of its barangays, the local government of Polanco (a 3rd class municipality adjacent to Dipolog City) recently distributed the second batch of brand new multicabs to 10 barangays of this town.

In a simple ceremony held at the Polanco Municipal gymnasium on July 21, Mayor Evan Hope D. Olvis turned over the brand new multicabs to the barangay chairmen of Bandera, Bethlehem, Sto. Niño, Isis, Deventa Perla, New Sicayab, Pian, Poblacion South, Guinless and Dansullan.
Dansullan Barangay Chairman and Association of Barangay Chairmen  president Charito Ombalino expressed his gratitude to Mayor Olvis for providing service vehicles to their barangays which they will  use in the performance of law enforcement functions, disaster response operation and in times of emergency.
Olvis, who is also chairman of the Polanco Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC),  said the vehicles were purchased through the funds provided by the Council as agreed by its members.
Last year, LGU-Polanc also gave  multicabs to Barangays Poblacion North, Villahermosa, Linabo, Dangi, San Miguel, Obay, Milad, Silawe, Macleodes, and New Lebangon.
Next year, the remaining 10 barangays of Polanco can also expect their service vehicles from the municipal government.
The Mayor appealed to the barangay chairmen to take good care of the vehicles and only use them accordingly.  

Source: Philippine Information Agency. Photo credit: pia.gov.ph