Capiz barangay push unique waste management program

Under the “Sardinas sa Basura” program of Barangay Baybay, Roxas City, a sack of trash collected along the coastline of Baybay beach will be exchanged with four cans of sardines. The program aims to keep the Baybay beach trash-free, says village chief Reynaldo Magallanes. GLENN BEUP/PN

By Glenn Beup

The “Sardinas sa Basura” program of Barangay Baybay has gained support from residents.

As of Monday, a total of 40 sacks of trash collected along the coastline of Baybay beach were brought to the barangay hall in exchange of four cans of sardines each, according to village chief Reynaldo Magallanes.

The program – which aims to keep the Baybay beach trash-free – began on Saturday, Magallanes added.

"We saw the big support of our residents in the program. In the past three days, 40 sacks of non-biodegradable trash were collected from them,” Magallanes told Panay News in Ilonggo.

He added that he will meet with other stakeholders, including hotel and restaurant owners, this Friday in preparation for the “formal launch” of the program.

There are around 35 registered restaurants and several hotels and lodging houses in the village.

Currently, the program is exclusive to residents of Barangay Baybay.

Under the program, residents must bring their collected trash to the barangay hall. A truck will then transport the trash to the city’s sanitary landfill in Barangay San Jose.

Magallanes earlier said that other coastal barangays in the city – like Dumolog and Culasi – can also adopt the program.

Yesterday, Baybay village officials had a dialogue with Bo Bediones, special assistant of former Interior and Local Government secretary Mar Roxas.

“We will set the formal launching of this initiative because Gerry Roxas Foundation will be assisting us in this endeavor,” said Bediones.

It was Roxas who presented the idea of creating the program on July 9.

Village officials will also strictly impose penalties to violators of the Barangay Solid Waste Management Ordinance.

“We will post billboards in the establishments for the beachgoers to be informed of the penalties for littering,” said Magallanes.

Under the ordinance, violators will be fined P200 and eight hours of community service for first offense, P350 and 16 hours of community service for second offense, and P650 and 32 hours of community service for third offense.

(Reposted from and photo credit: Panay News. Original title: 'Sardinas sa Basura' gain Baybay residents' support)

Bill seeks to make barangay officials regular gov't employees

 
By Jelly Musico

With the proposal to shift the form of government to federalism now underway, Malacañang is optimistic that a bill seeking to make barangay officials regular government employees will be passed into law.

“We expect that it will be passed into law because it is important that we should push federalism and we recognize the importance of the local governments,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview over dzRH radio.

He said the proposed House Bill 7393 or Magna Carta for Barangay recognizes the important role of the barangay officials.

“So this is in recognition of the role of the barangay officials as very important. Let us recognize them as full time employees of the government,” Roque said.

Roque believes that if the proposed shift of government to federalism will be approved, barangay officials will eventually become regular government employees.

“In fact, if the federalism will be passed, for sure, the barangay officials will become government employees,”

The Consultative Committee (ConCom) tasked to review the 1987 Constitution recently submitted the draft of federal constitution to President Rodrigo Duterte.

Under the House bill, Roque said barangay officials will be entitled to salaries, allowances, insurance, health and retirement benefits.

At present, they only receive honoraria based on their barangay’s income.

The country has over 42,000 barangays.

Reposted from PTV News. Original title: Palace backs bill making barangay officials regular gov't employees. Photo credit: YouTube.com)

Negros Occidental holds Liga ng mga Barangay elections

The Liga ng mga Barangay at the municipal and city levels in Negros Occidental are set to elect a new set of officers Monday, July 16.

In the province, a total of 540 barangay chairmen in the 31 local government units will converge in their respective localities to vote for their officers.

Those who will be elected as president will sit as ex-officio member of their respective City and Municipal Councils.

The winners will also be voting for the president of the Provincial League which will be on July 30 and will sit as ex-officio member of the Provincial Board.

At the Provincial Level, incumbent League president Annabelle Bermudo of La Carlota City is expected to be challenged by Jovie Pepillo of Barangay 9 in Victorias City.

In a related development, Murcia incumbent Association of Barangay Captains president Antonio Luis Gonzaga filed a written complaint to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Negros Occidental director Carmelo Orbista on the alleged intervention of some political forces in the town to allegedly spoil, discredit and violate their ABC electoral process to pursue their self-interests.

Gonzaga said that the alleged political forces are planning to coerce the punong barangay voters to show their votes, assign people around the voting area to guard the votes, intimidate and threat punong barangays during the Election Day Monday, July 16.

Gonzaga did not mention the name of politicians.

(Reposted from SunStar Bacolod. Original title: League to hold elections today. Photo credit: Panay News.)

Baguio City honors barangay kagawads

By: Aileen P. Refuerzo

The Rotary Club of Downtown Session and the City Government recognized the ten outstanding barangay kagawads in simple rites during the City Hall flag-raising ceremonies last Monday.

Cited were kagawads Patricio Evangelista of barangay Trancoville, Faustino Wayas of Pacdal, Anselma Mayao of Lower Quirino, Jonathan Villena of Brookside, Gemmalyn Piza of Slaughterhouse Sto. Nino, Cesar Policarpio of San Roque, Ralph Zosimo Leung of Brookspoint, Vicenta Ona of Gibraltar, Imelda Tibalao of SLU-SVP and Thelma Murla of Lualhati.

Also honored in ceremonies witnessed by city officials led by Rep. Marquez Go, Mayor Mauricio Domogan and Vice Mayor Edison Bilog were Hall of Fame kagawad awardees Jackie Dizon of Pucsusan and Larry Datayan of Middle Quirino Hill and the 30 outgoing or three-termer barangay captains namely: Rodolfo Benitez of ABCR, Martin Anglog of Apugan-Loakan, Guillerma Francisco of North Central Aurora Hill, Michael Perez of South Central Aurora Hill, Jessi Jacob Palos of Bakakeng Norte/Sur, Clarence Domilies of Camdas Subd., Aurora Abellera of City Camp Proper, Julita Sagun of Upper Gen. Luna, Orlando Soriano of Guisad Surong, Soriano Palunan of Happy Hallow;

Helen Medina of Harrison Claudio, Arturo Rapelo of Imelda Village, Thomas Dumalti of Irisan, Michael Karl Flores of Kabayanihan, Corazon Mendoza of Kayang Ext., Benjamin Macadangdang of Lourdes Subd., Bonifacio Quicho III of Lourdes Subd. Proper, Norma Bustarde of Lualhati, Jose Amagen of Lower Magsaysay, Nenita Trinidad of East Modernsite.

Catherine Quinones of MRR-Queen of Peace, Alberto Reyes of Palma-Urbano, Gloria Corazon Dalisay of Quezon Hill Proper, Carlos Ananayo of Lower Rock Quarry, Murphy Bugtong of Middle Rock Quarry, Gerry Uy of San Roque Village, Alfredo Cong-o of San Vicente, John Abat of Sto. Rosario, Miguel Kiswa of Sto. Tomas Proper and Emmanuel Luis Bacungan of Scout Barrio.

Rotarian Karl Gabaen, committee chair, said the search is now in its fourth year and it aims to recognize the outstanding contribution and achievements of the kagawads who exemplify the Rotary motto of “Service above Self.”

Coun. Edgar Avila serves as charter president of the RCDS now headed by Jennifer Herbolario-Aritao as the president for the current year.

(Reposted from Herald Express. Original Title: Outstanding Barangay Kagawads feted. Photo Credit: Baguio City Government file)

Training seminar set for newly-elected Antique barangay offcials

By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Antique is now preparing for the Barangay Newly-Elected Officials (BNEO) seminar.

Natalie Grace Azarraga of the DILG Antique, in an interview Thursday, said the seminar will be held right after the municipal level election of the League of Barangays on July 16 and the provincial election on July 30.

“We will start conducting the BNEO seminar by August then,” Azarraga said.

She said that they have received the primer for the seminar from the DILG main office.

The seminar would teach newly-elected barangay officials about barangay governance and administration.

The province of Antique has a total of 590 barangays in 18 municipalities.

Azarraga said that last June 22 the DILG Antique conducted a special training for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials, who were unable to undergo their mandatory training held last May 21-25, in the University of Antique Main Campus in Sibalom and in its three other extension campuses in Tibiao, Libertad and Caluya towns.

She said the special training was intended for other SK officials so that they would be able to take oath and occupy their elective positions.

(Reposted from Philippine News Agency website. Original title: DILG prepares seminar for new barangay officials. Photo credit: nap.psa.gov.ph) 

Over 6,000 barangays now free from drugs -- PDEA

As the government's anti-drug campaign marked its second year, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday bared that 6,562 out of 42,036 barangays in the country were already cleared of illegal drugs from July 2016 to June 2018.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said that for 2018, PDEA aims to clear 7,328 barangays from illegal drugs, or a projected average of 617 barangays per month.

He noted the lead agency against illegal drugs aims to clear 24,424 barangays from illegal drugs by 2022.

Before declaring that a barangay is free from illegal drug activities, the committee must convene and validate the non-availability of drug supply in the area and the absence of drug transit activity, clandestine drug laboratory and chemical warehouse, marijuana cultivation site, drug den, drug pushers and users.

“Once cleared, we must ensure that drug-free barangays will maintain their status. All our efforts will go to waste if we allow the resurgence of illegal drug activities in these areas,” Aquino said.

“To accelerate efforts against the proliferation of illegal drugs in drug-affected barangays, the government has adopted an integrated approach in securing the assistance of the local government units in drug-clearing operations,” the PDEA chief added, citing Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation No. 3 Series of 2017, otherwise known as “Strengthening the Implementation of the Barangay Drug-Clearing Program”.

In its update on "#RealNumbersPH", PDEA said from July 2016 up to June 2018, that total value of illegal drugs seized is PHP21.29 billion while 2,738.73 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as "shabu", with an estimated value of PHP14.66 billion were also seized were in 714. 92 kilograms of shabu were confiscated from smuggling and 318. 39 kilograms were confiscated from manufacturing particularly from the dismantling of clandestine laboratories.

Authorities have arrested a total of 147,802 individuals involved in illegal drugs from July 2016 to June 2018.

Of this number, some 229 were elected officials, 52 were uniformed personnel, and 245 were government employees.

Around 102,630 anti-illegal drugs operations by joint law enforcement agencies were also conducted during the period.

Duterte has repeatedly declared that he will not stop his crackdown against illegal drugs that resulted in the killing of 4,354 drug personalities in legitimate police operations.

Aside from PDEA, agencies involved in the anti-illegal drugs operations are the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Bureau of Customs (BoC) among others.

Meanwhile, the joint law enforcement agencies rescued 1,161 minors during the anti-illegal drugs operations from July 2016 to June 2018.

According to Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD), those rescued minors, after court proceedings, will be turned over to the Bahay Pagasa centers of local government units (LGUs) within eight hours of police custody, before turning them over to the DSWD centers to undergo counselling to help reform them back to society.

Since they are minors, DSWD said, they will not be put in prison together with hardened criminals.

(Reposted from Philippine News Agency. Original title: Over 6K barangays now drug-free. Photo Credit:  GMA News)

Cavite barangay health workers receive incentives

In recognition of their contribution to the community, barangay health workers and barangay nutrition scholars received their productivity incentives for the first and second quarter of 2018. 

The ceremonial checks amounting to P14,364,000.00 which was awarded to 2,394 BHW and P2,110,200.00 to 479 BNS were handed over by Gov. Boying Remulla in a simple program held at Indang Municipal Covered Court on July 10, 2018. 

Mayor Perfecto Fidel and Vice Mayor Sammy Rodil together with other local officials warmly welcomed guests and participants and expressed their gratitude to the provincial government for providing assistance to the Caviteños. 

The event was also graced by Atty. Harry Roque, Presidential Spokesperson, Gov. Jonvic Remulla and 7^th District Board Member Rainier Ambion. Likewise, a total of 829 units of digital blood pressure monitor were distributed for various barangays of the province.

(Reposted from the Official Website of the Province of Cavite.  Original title: Incentives for barangay health workers and barangay nutrition scholars.  Photo credit: The Provincial Information and Community Affairs Department)