City included in AIM, WB business study
This southern highly urbanized city in the Visayas is included in the global business study of Doing Business in the Philippines Round 2 conducted by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Policy Center, World Bank Group, International Finance Corp. in cooperation with the Australian and Canadian governments and the Local Implementation of National Competitiveness for Economic Growth (LINC-EG) project.
This was disclosed by Atty. Ma. Lourdes Sereno, executive director of the AIM Policy Center after conferring with city mayor Jerry P. Treñas on the second study covering 25 cities in the country.
In the Philippine cities, the time motion business survey will cover three areas of indicators and business regulations such as starting a business, dealing with construction permits and registering property. Read more…
City councilor bags award from consumers group
The Consumers League of the Philippines Foundation (ConPhil) Inc. is awarding city councilor Nielex C. Tupas the Dangal ng Pilipinas Award for Local Legislative and Service Excellence in glittering ceremonies on November 25, 2009 at the Irwin Theater of Ateneo de Manila University in Katipunan Rd., Quezon City.
Beth Daluraya, the foundation’s managing director, said the awards are divided into 10 major categories with sub-areas on different fields such as Education, Engineering, Medicine, Business, among others that covers the Special Citation for Kids 10-14 years old; Youth Model of the Year for 15-21 years old; Young Professional Excellence Awards for 22-40 years old; Filipino Role Model of the Year for over 41 years old who are still in practice of their chosen professions and belong to key positions in corporations and in government offices; Special Citation for Senior Citizens for 60 years and above who have devoted their time in Humanitarian and Community Service; Sports, Arts and Cultural Excellence Awards; Celebrity Excellence Awards; Ecclesiastical (religious) Awards and the Dangal ng Pilipinas Award for government and public service and special affairs conferred to top government elected officials, government agencies directors, secretaries, chairmen and dignitaries. Read more…
Treñas assures financial assistance to proposed city public college
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has assured his support to the proposed city public college by looking into the budget and determine where to get the initial P6 million to start the tertiary school.
The city chief executive said the annual budget of some P1.2 billion for 2010 is undergoing a series of committee budget hearings and he will try to see where the amount asked by city public college proponent, city councilor Jeffrey Ganzon may come in.
Ganzon has been campaigning for a city public college since last year and had drafted a proposed ordinance “creating, establishing, organizing and operating the Dalubhasaan ng Lungsod ng Iloilo or the Iloilo City Public College” subject to availability of funds certified by the city treasurer. Read more…
Iloilo towns go for hybrid rice
The campaign for hybrid rice in the province of Iloilo is gaining higher grounds as more rice producing municipalities are into hybrid rice production particularly the Pioneer HB varieties augmented by Durabloom organic fertilizer.
This developed as some 170 hectares of rice lands selected as hybrid demo farms in the municipality of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo are being planted to hybrid rice, thereby crushing the notion that hybrid rice is not good for Iloilo farmlands.
The launching of hybrid rice production at Brgy. Bungacl, Barotac Nuevo is supported by Mayor Hernan Biron and Cong. Ferjenel Biron of the fourth district of Iloilo and the Department of Agriculture regional office here.
Recognizing the economic potentials of hybrid rice, the Birons had subsidized the hybrid seeds and 450 sacks of organic fertilizer to start the planting in the hybrid demo farms. Read more…
GSIS inefficiency under scrutiny of city solon
The many complaints against the inefficient and substandard services currently employed by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has caught the attention of this city’s lone district congressman who vowed to push a congressional investigation on the delays of pension remittance.
Congressman Raul Gonzalez Jr. admitted that he is also open to the idea of opening up a market for other government insurance players, particularly for the more than half a million public school teachers “to break away” from GSIS and form their own insurance group.
Gonzalez Jr. recently sent a letter to city councilor Erwin Plagata to acknowledge receipt of SP Resolution No. 2009-1385 requesting for a congressional investigation on the delays in the remittance of regular monthly pensions of all government retires and employees under the GSIS. Read more…
Phaseout of 2-stroke motorcycle alarms tricycle sector
The government’s policy of phasing out 2-stroke motorcycles by 2010 has alarmed the tricycle industry in Metro Iloilo that accounts for more than 10,000 registered motorcycles used in the livelihood of more than 15,000 drivers and owners of tricycles here.
The phase out of two-stroke motorcycles is in compliance with the provisions of Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999, the “Act of providing for a comprehensive air pollution control policy and other purposes” in the country.
Reynaldo Beso, president of the Metro Iloilo City Federation of Tricycle Drivers and Owners Association, said the phase out will definitely affect the livelihood of the sector and will put them at risk and added burden to the government if they could not find a solution to the problem now. Read more…
Western Visayas police under new duty shift
All police units under the supervision of the police regional office based at Camp Delgado here, have starting implementing an innovative duty shift scheme aimed at bringing down the crime rates in the region.
The new duty shift was introduced by Police Reg. Dir. CSupt. Isagani Cuevas who advocates the 7-9-7 duty shift scheme of police personnel to ensure enough number of cops to man the police station and render police assistance.
The new scheme will practically erase the long time police practice of a “one-day duty, two-day off” duty shift and other duty shift scheme similar to it. Read more…
Cashew is next important high value crop
The next important high value crop to rise in the Visayas will be cashew as demands for the products starting from its apple and nuts are increasing everyday.
This was bared by Erwin Saw of Isla Casoy de Palawan Co., an investor who poured in some P5 million in the production and manufacturing of cashew products in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
Saw said that Palawan is producing some 90 percent of the 2.6 million fruit bearing trees in the country producing some 350,000 metric tons of the fruit and nuts every year.
Puerto Princesa city agriculturist Melissa Macasaet said that out of 103,145 metric tons of dried cashew nuts produced every year, 92,830 metric tons are from Palawan.
The company is buying cashew fruit and nut at P15 per kilo during the peak season or summer months and P50 per kilo during the lean months Read more…
PGMA inspires jatropha farmers in Passi City
PASSI CITY, Oct 17 (PNA) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo met Saturday, October 17, 2009 some 600 farmers engaged in jatropha plantation in central Panay Island.
The Philippine National Oil Co. Alternative Fuels Corp. (PNOC-AFC) project covering some 800 hectares in 19 barangays here was started in July this year after a memorandum of agreement was forged between PNOC-AFC and city officials here lead by Mayor Elyzer Chavez for a P14.6 million project for 18 months.
Known as a biodiesel fuel plant, Jatropha is a valuable multi-purpose crop eyed to alleviate soil degradation, desertification and deforestation and can be used for bio-energy to replace petro-diesel, for soap production and climatic protection.
Jatropha can also help increase rural incomes, self-sustainability and alleviate poverty for women, elderly, children and men, tribal communities, small farmers. It can as well help to increase income from plantations and agro-industries.
Former Passi City mayor Jesry Palmares, currently director of the board of PNOC-AFC spearheaded the project as site of another alternative source of fuel and livelihood in Passi’s once idle and unproductive cogonal lands in 19 initial barangays out of total 51 barangays here. Read more…
2010 Dinagyang season starts
ILOILO CITY – Let the drums begin its roar and let the dancers sway to the beat of Dinagyang as the 2010 festival season started, October 16, 2009 at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.
The city government and the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation launched the 41th year of Dinagyang Festival as this city’s premier tourist attraction and best practice of concreting partnership between the government and private sector.
City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas led the afternoon launching rites after a motorcade and mass and declared the start of the 2010 Dinagyang season amidst blaring Dinagyang drums and dance exhibitions by Tribu Pan-ay of Fort San Pedro National High School and Tribu Silak of the Iloilo City National High School. Read more…