Fernandez: Garbage problem can’t be solved overnight

By Virgilio Sar. Maganes

 

DAGUPAN CITY- ” We could not solve the more than 50 years problem on garbage in the city overnight.”GARBAGE ISSUES. Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez explains the garbage situation in the city during a news conference last February 23 held at the K17 Studio at the CSI The City Mall Complex.CESAR RAMIREZ

 

This was said by Mayor Belen Fernandez before a group of media practitioners last February 23 at the K17 Studio at the CSI Stadia.

 

“The close order for our dumpsite was done in 2006. We negotiated with the municipal government of San Jacinto for a possible site of sanitary land fill but was rejected by the townspeople there,” Mayor Fernandez said.

 

She said when she was the vice mayor in the city, she stopped the operation of dumpsites in Tambac and Bonuan Boquig Districts because of environmental concerns.

 ” It’s hard to solve the waste problems in the city. First, we do not have the technical capability. Second, we do not have available land to use and third, we don”t have the financial capability,’ she said.

 Fernandez also disclosed that the city government bought nine dump trucks to be used in their waste management activities on top of the three dump trucks that were maintained.

 ” We are negotiating with agencies to help us in the waste management problems in the city. There now proposals on how to help solve the problems and hopefully we could negotiate in the near future,” she said.

 

She said her administration is doing all its best to manage the waste in the city by educating the residents on waste segregation.

No such thing as ‘faulty electrical wiring’ – fire official

By Virgilio Sar. Maganes

DAGUPAN CITY- Fire Marshall Romeo Tungpalan of this city said there was no such thing as “faulty electrical wiring” as cause of fire in residential, business and industrial establishments.

 He clarified this during a press conference held at the K17 Studio, CSI Stadia here where he also informed media practitioners the lined up activities of his office during the observance of ” Fire Prevention Month” this March.

 

” The faulty electrical wiring should instead be called ‘overloading’ of electrical usage since during electrical installations these are properly checked by electrical engineers. Overloading as a source of fire is when many appliances are used and the electrical wires could no longer handle the load,”he said.

 

Tungpalan also said the city’s fire department lacks fire trucks as they only have two serviceable trucks to be used in their fire fighting activities.

 

” We are working for the purchase of additional fire trucks. We have enough personnel. However, in case of fire, we tapped the services of private organizations that have fire trucks like the CSI, Panda Fire Fighting Group and others. They have their own fire trucks to help in firefighting activities,” he said.

MAGANES: Is Edsa People Power still relevant today?

I am writing this article coinciding with the 31st celebration of Edsa People Power. For the last few days, President Rodrigo Duterte was criticized for not having made the efforts to celebrate it pompously as what happened in the previous administrations. He declared it as a simple celebration focusing on what has to be done in the future making the Edsa People Power gains as jump off points.

 

Because of such declaration, Duterte caught the ire of netizens, who said he was not looking back on the gains of the popular people revolution. They said, it should be celebrated with pomposity since it’s the vehicle, which give us the democracy we are now experiencing in this country. While President Duterte is receiving all sorts of criticisms on this, the main players of the Edsa People Power- former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, former Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan and former President Fidel Valdez Ramos think otherwise. Enrile said, there was no President present during that event in 1986. Honasan said that it’s time for the Filipinos to move on and concentrate on solving the present problems the country is facing. Ramos, although not happy of the simple celebration said we have to back on the gains of the Edsa People Power and make them as inspirations.

 

We are now in the new age of reforms. The 31 years of Edsa People Power have not put much reforms in our government- corruption is still there, drugs proliferated, killings increased, political system has not changed, etc. However, with Duterte’s administration all the problems experienced by the previous administrations from Cory Aquino up to his son PNoy are now being addressed. The People Power will be there always and it will again be used by Filipinos in proper time.

 

Let me just refreshed you on what happened in 1986 and the succeeding years.

EDITORIAL: Ang kahalagahan ng ‘social media’ sa bagong panahon

 Ang pagpasok ng computer, internet, cyberworld sa ating henerasyon ay nagdulot ng mabilisang pakikipag-ugnayan ng bawat mamamayan sa buong mundo. Dati-rati, ang mga pinagkukunan ng mga impormasyon ay iyong mga tinatawag na “mainstream media” na kinabibilangan ng mga pahayagan, telebisyon at radyo. Subalit, sa pagpasok ng mga naunang nabanggit nagbago ang kalakaran sa impormasyon- naging mabilis at personal. Ang ugnayan ng bawat isa sa mga gumagamit nito ay napapadali.

 

Dahil sa mabilis ang pagbabago sa teknolohiyang impormasyon na nasa ating lipunan ngayon, hindi ito natingnan ng mga gumawa ng ating 30 taong Saligang Batas na sa ngayon ay nagdudulot ng kalituhan sa mga mamamayan. Ang Article 3, Section 4 ng 1987  Saligang Batas ay nagsasaad ng kalayaan sa “speech, expression, press, peaceful assembly at right to seek redress of grievances” na ang mga ito ay aplikable sa bawat mamamayang Filipino, propesyon, industriya, paniniwala at kultura.

 

Sa kalakaran ng teknolohiyang impormasyon, naglabasan ng mga website, emails, social media gaya ng Facebook, Instagram, Twitter at iba pa. Paano ngayon ito mahihiwalay sa mga impormasyong galing sa “mainstream media” na kung ating susuriin at titingnan ay mas malawak ang sakop nito? Ang mga impormasyon ba na galing sa mga “social media sites” gaya ng  mga naturan ay masasabing mga lehitimong impormasyon?

BIR eyes large taxpayers for collection increase

DAGUPAN CITY) – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is bent on increasing its revenue collection by concentrating on the large taxpayers group.

Rowel Custodio, revenue officer of BIR Revenue District Office No. 4 based in Calasiao town, said large taxpayers in the country only number 2,320 but contributes to at least 62 percent of BIR’s total collection. 

He said the government will shift focus expanding this particular group.

Custodio said this is based on the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto ’s Principle to “exert effort to the 20 percent of the population that could generate 80 percent of the collection.”

“Mangilan-ngilan lang ang mga large taxpayers pero mahigit kalahati ng koleksyon sa buwis ay nanggagaling sa kanila,” Castillo said during the ‘Pantongtongan Tayo’ radio program of the Philippine Information Agency.  

CORTEZ: Bakit pahirap sa bayan ang gold smuggling?

The country’s precious metal, gold, is being stolen, and this is possible because we are a weak state, we are unable to stop it. That’s the core problem we face in the mining industry, sabi ni Bobbi Tiglao sa kanyang column sa Manila Times.

GOLD MINING HINDI SAGOT SA KAUNLARAN. Sa tinagal-tagal ng gold mining sa Philippines ay hindi pa rin ito maunlad.Ang proseso ng paglantad ng gold smuggling ay katulad ng pagkuha ng SINAG nila Boss Rosendo ng data para sa smuggling ng agricultural products.Pinagbabangga lang ang mga data para sa declared exports ng isang bansa at declared imports ng trading partner na mula sa UN Comtrade, o ang United Nations International Trade Statistics Database, na ginagawa ng SINAG.

Ayon sa nakuhang data ni Tiglao, ang Hong Kong ay nag-declare ng $5.3 billion na halaga ng gold na imported mula sa Philippines mula 2005 hanggang 2015.

Pero ang declared ng Philippines na gold export sa Hong Kong ay nasa $1.1 billion lang mula 2005 hanggang 2015.

Tingnan uli natin ang figures na $5.3 billion na halaga ng gold na pumasok sa Hong Kong at $1.1 billion na halaga ng gold na pinadala ng Philippines sa Hong Kong.

Hindi ba dapat na kapag nagsalin ka ng isang basong tubig sa isang baso ay isang basong tubig din ang katumbas?

Bakit magkaiba ng deklarasyon ang Hong Kong at Philippines sa parehong panahon mula 2005 hanggang 2015?

Bakit may discrepancy na $4.2 billion?

Ang sinasabi ni Tiglao ay ang $4.2 billion na halaga ng gold ay smuggled  mula sa Philippines  papuntang Hong Kong.

Ang $4.2 billion ay katumbas ng PhP200 billion na lumabas sa Philippines na walang taripa… as in smuggled palabas ng Philippines.

Sinasabi din ni Tiglao na 86 percent, ng PhP200 billion na halaga ng smuggled na gold ay nangyari sa panahon ng Daang Matuwid.

Mula 2011 hanggang 2015 na panahon ng Daan Matuwid ay gold na umabot sa 11 percent ang naging pinakamalaking import ng Hong Kong mula sa Philippines.

Madaling nailalabas ang gold, nickel at iba pang mahahalagang ores mula sa iba’t ibang sulok ng Philippines.

Dahil archipelago ang Philippines ay madaling maglabas ng gold kasi nga walang customs officials sa maraming lugar sa Philippines.

Madali daw lagyan ang mga officials sa Philippines.

 “A vast and growing river of gold, much of it illegal, is being mined in the Philippines by Chinese companies and is pouring into Hong Kong before most of it is transshipped into China. Chinese mining companies, many of them operating illegally, have been exporting gold, nickel and other precious minerals out through the island country’s porous coastal ports, where there are no customs officials and plenty of bribable officials to turn their eyes the other way,” ayon sa 2012 article na China’s Gold Rush mula sa publication na Asian Sentinel.

O hayan! Inisa-isa ang mag actor na involved sa mining at smuggling ng gold mula sa Philippines.

May makukulong ba sa kanila?

Magtutuloy-tuloy pa kaya ang gold smuggling panahon ng gobyernong may Tapang at malasakit?

May plano na kaya ang Customs na supilin ang gold smuggling?

HINDI SAGOT SA KAHIRAPAN. Ang mataas na level ng kahirapan sa kanayunan na nasa 33 percent ay dahil daw mas mabagal ang pag-nlad ng agrikultura sa panahon ng Daang Matuwid (1.2%) kumpara sa panahon ni PGMA (2.8%) ayon kay prof. Rolando Dy ng Management Association of the Philippines.

Development analysts agree about the need for agriculture to grow at 3.5% to 5% over long periods to reduce poverty, especially rural poverty, sabi ni Dy.

Ang sagot sa kahirapan sa kanayunan ay ang pagpapalawak ng agrikultura ayon kay Dy.

Masyadong makitid daw ang agrikultura sa Philippines kaya mababa ang productivity.

714 fined for violating Artikulo 21

DAGUPAN CITY – Task Force Disiplina held and fined 714 individuals for violating various city ordinances pertaining to discipline on the streets lumped together under the city’s Artikulo 21, whose implementation was re-intensified by the city government.

The implementation of Article 21 is in furtherance of the commitment of the city in enforcing discipline within its territorial jurisdiction to promote the general welfare of the people and maintain peace and order.

Mayor Belen T. Fernandez reconstituted Task Force Disiplina on January 19 and redefined its functions, with her as the honorary chairperson and Construction and Maintenance General Foreman Lorna Collado as chairman.

In her report to Fernandez, Collado disclosed that of the 714 individuals apprehended, 294 were caught wearing sando, sleeveless shirts, short pants and or wearing of slippers or sandals while driving or operating a public utility vehicles including tricycles for hire in violation of the Dress Code Ordinance of the city.

They were fined P100 each for their first offense and if they would be apprehended again for the same offense for the second time, violators will be ordered to pay a fine of P300; and P500 for the third and succeeding offenses.

At least 200 were caught spitting and discharging mucus in public in violation of City Ordinance No. 1456-93 which prescribes and penalizes acts and omissions inimical to cleanliness and sanitation.

The ordinance imposes penalties from P300, P500 and P1,000 for the first, second and third offenses, respectively.

For smoking in public in violation of City Ordinance No. 1971-2011 that prohibits smoking in public places and business establishments not designated as smoking areas, 117 individuals were apprehended and penalized accordingly – P500, for the first offense; P1,000 for the second offense; and P2,000 for the third offense.

About 60 individuals were held for operating unregistered videoke machines in violation of Section 6 of City Ordinance 1870-2006 or “An Ordinance Regulating the Conduct of Caroling, Serenading, Combo Playing, Passion Singing activities and prohibiting noise.

The ordinance mandates that every videoke machines must be registered with the City Treasurer’s Office and violation of this would make the offender liable and should pay the corresponding penalties of P1,000 for the first offense; P3,000 for the second offense; and P5,000 for the third offense including cancellation of business permit.

At least 22 computer game houses were held liable for violating City Ordinance No. 1708-2000 for permitting, inducing, and abetting minors to play video games, computer games and other games during school days from Mondays to Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to P5:00 p.m. and were ordered to pay P3,000 for the first offense.

Under the ordinance, a second offense would mean closure of business and cancellation of business permit and payment of P5,000 as penalty.

For littering upon any public highway, street, alley or road, upon public parks, or recreation areas or upon any other public property owned, or into a bay, channel, harbor, river, creek, stream, reservoir, coastal waters or other waters of the city, in violation of Article IV Section V of Ordinance No. 1929-2009, at least 14 individuals were made to pay P1,000 for the first offense.

If they are caught violating the same offense again, they will be ordered to pay a   penalty of P2,000 for the second offense and P3,000 for the third offense.

Four individuals were caught urinating and defecating in places other than designated comfort rooms in violation of City Ordinance No. 1456-93 which prescribes corresponding penalties of P300 for the first offense, P500 for the second offense and P1,000 for the third offense.

Three persons were held liable for admitting minors in their premises for video games and computer games with corresponding penalty of P3,000 for the first offense.

Second offense would mean closure of business and cancellation of business permit and a fine of P5,000.

Mayor Fernandez appealed to everyone to always observe discipline and cleanliness to avoid being  apprehended by members of the Task Force Disiplina who are always on alert for violators. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO)

Dagupan turns over 2-storey building to Boquig school

 DAGUPAN CITY – After several months of enduring the inconvenience of conducting classes in the Bonuan Boquig Elementary School’s multi-purpose covered court, the displaced pupils and teachers of the school are now finally given their new school building.

 NEW SCHOOL BUILDING. Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (left) and Schools Division Superintendent Froserfina J. Bravo (inner right) unveil the marker of the city-funded two-storey, eight-classroom school building of the Bonuan  Boquig Elementary School during a turn-over and ribbon cutting ceremony on February 23. Looking on are City Engineer Virginia V. Rosario (upper left), Bonuan Boquig Punong Barangay Joseph Maramba (right), Education Program Supervisor Cherry Cayabyab (1^st upper right) and Bonuan Boquig Elementary School Supervising Principal and Education Program Supervisor Diosdado Cayabyab (3^rd upper right). (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

This after the newly-built two-storey, eight-classroom school building funded by the city government was formally turned-over by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez to Schools Division Superintendent Froserfina J. Bravo during a turn-over and ribbon cutting ceremony on February 23.

“The almost P11 million school building was the result of our good fiscal management. We do hope that this school building will inspire our students to study well and our teachers to do their part in teaching their pupils well,” said Fernandez.

In her first term of office, Mayor  Fernandez built a similar two-storey, eight classroom  school building of the Carael  Elementary School, which is now being used since it was turned-over by the city to the school last year.

“This is the result of our consultation with the Department of Education (DepEd) through the cooperation of Superintendent Bravo and the Parents Teachers Association headed by FPTA President Kagawad Imelda Gonzales during the first PTA Summit we had, which was a fruitful consultation as we were able to address the immediate concerns of our schools in the city and make our schools conducive to learning,” said Fernandez.

Fernandez added that with the more than Php 100 million surplus from the city’s coffer, “we will continue to address the needs of our pupils and students so we could give them a bright future,” she said. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO)

PhilHealth to cover drug detox package

DAGUPAN CITY – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will start to offer the detoxifacation package drug dependents soonest, lawyer Rodolfo del Rosario, the agency’s regional vice president said.

During the PhilHealth’s 22nd anniversary celebration here, he said the guidelines are expected to be released before the month ends or in March.

There are around 90,000 drug personalities in Pangasinan, according to police records, and if all of them avail of the program, they can all be accommodated, del Rosario added.

But they can only avail of one time detoxification program which costs P10,000. If they return to their addiction, they can no longer avail of the program, he added.

“But if there will be enough funds, the program could still accommodate them,” he said.

Indigents patients who are not members of PhilHealth can avail of the PlhilHealth’s point of care program, or enroll right before confinement for the detoxification package.

The PhilHealth is still studying the number of drug dependents and the facilities that would be accredited for the program, although most hospitals in Pangasinan are capable to handle the detoxification program.

The medical doctors would study each patient and would create protocol fitted for each, and the presumption is that the patients would be confined in the facilities.

The detoxification program is on voluntary basis and covered by doctor-patient confidentiality agreement.

“This is how serious the national government is to combat drug problem in the country, and the detoxification program is the contribution of PhilHealth to the anti-drug campaign,” he said.

The PhilHealth was endowed with P37 billion funds from “sin taxes” or taxes generated from sale of cigarettes and alcoholic drinks.

Court of Appeal modifies Ombudsman’s order

                                                         BLACK SAND MINING OPERATIONS

 By Yolanda Sotelo

DAGUPAN CITY – The Court of Appeals modified the joint order of the Ombudsman dismissing two Pangasinan provincial officials from government service because of illegal black sand mining operations along coastal areas of Lingayen.

The CA said the Ombudsman found as “meritorious” the arguments of  Pangasinan Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan  that he was not properly apprised of the charge against it, whileProvincial Housing Development office head Alvin Bigay “was uninformed of the specific charges against him.”

But the CA said Baraan was guilty of simple misconduct for which he is suspended for three months, while it dismissed the administrative case against  Bigay, “for lack of due process.”

The decision, dated February 14, was penned by Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan and concurred by Associate Justices(chair) Normandie Pizarro  and Ma. Luisa Quijano-Padilla.

Baraan and Bigay however, still face the criminal aspects of the cases at the Office of the Ombudsman which is conducting pre-trial on the cases.

Recall that  on December 15, 2015, the Ombudsman issued a Joint Order maintaining the decision date February 28, 2014  saying Baraan and Bigay  were guilty of the grave misconduct, meting to them the penalty of dismissal and perpetual disqualification from government service.

In the decision, the CA said the Ombudsman gravely erred in finding petitioners guilty of grave misconduct despite the lack of substantial proof of its elements and factual/legal bases. It said Baraan actually did not commit grave abuse of authority, only simple misconduct, when he issued permits to unqualified entities.

However, the court said Baraan transgressed the law when he allowed preparatory ground works on the proposed golf course site to begin prior to issuance of an ECC. “But this deficiency alone does not suffice to render Baraan guilty of grave misconduct,” it said.

As for Bigay, the CA said it was convinced that he was uninformed of the nature and cause of the offense with which he was charged, and that the complaint-affidavit failed to state any factual allegation pertaining to even a single act he committed,which constituted an unlawful conduct.

“Such failure to be notified of the basis of the charge against him clearly violated his right to due process, Hence, the administrative case against him warrants dismissal,” the court said.

The CA added that the two accused did not exhibit manifest partiality towards  Alexandra Mining nor gave unwarranted benefits to Xypher Builders.

Alexandra and Xypher, the companies with almost same board members, were “contracted” by the provincial government to do “soil remediation” in the area where the provincial government claimed to be putting up a golf course.

Residents however, claimed that the provincial government undertook black sand mining as shown by earth moving and heavy equipment and trucks in the area. A mountain of black sand mined from the area was also left there after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ordered the officials to cease and desist from the activities.

The CA said the petitioners did not transgress the law by contracting the two companies despite their supposed lack of PCAB accreditation and municipal business permits, and did not transgress the law by supposedly failing to secure an environmental compliance certificate prior to approval, implementation or execution of the golf course project.