Category: General

MANILA: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) are teaming up with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to solve the growing issue of unauthorized or ‘colorum’ ambulances in the country’s roads.

In a statement on Thursday, the DOTr said an orientation with the DOH and TESDA will be held to shed light on the misuse of ambulances and the ‘deceptive practice’ of marking vehicles as ambulances to exploit the right of way.

‘This not only harms and endangers the public but also undermines the true purpose of ambulances,’ it said.

Aside from the orientation, the DOTr said a press conference with the two agencies will be held on March 1 to raise awareness and teach the public and all stakeholders how to effectively identify and apprehend colorum ambulances.

‘Together, we can put a stop to this detrimental practice and ensure the safety and integrity of ambulance services for
everyone,’ it added.

The SAICT, formerly the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT), is a law enforcement arm of the DOTr tasked with ensuring compliance with transportation regulations and maintaining order on the roads.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) aims to boost the country’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector through possible partnerships with investors and ICT companies from Finland and Sweden.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, the DICT said a meeting between Philippine Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden Maria Lumen Banzon Isleta, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy, and DICT Undersecretary Jocelle Batapa-Sigue explored opportunities in various sectors such as e-governance, financial technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity from the two European countries.

Isleta highlighted Sweden’s progress towards digitalization, upskilling for information and communications technology (ICT) workers, and the implementation of a digital ID and e-visa system.

She added that Sweden has also made significant strides in renewable energy, smart city development, and education.

On the other hand, Uy gave updates on the Philippines’ digitalization efforts such as ex
panding the ICT Academy to be available to the public, increased focus on cybersecurity and digital connectivity, and the ongoing rollout of the National ID and e-visa system.

He asked Isleta for help promoting the DICT’s initiatives to potential partners in Finland and Sweden in line with her suggestion to visit Sweden to engage with ICT companies.

They also discussed a potential collaboration with the European Union on secure data transmission via submarine cables, underscoring mutual interest in fostering closer ties, and using technological advancements for the benefit of both nations.

The meeting was held on Tuesday at the DICT Central Office in Quezon City.

Source: Philippines News Agency

URDANETA: A total of 26 super health centers will be constructed in Pangasinan this year, with the groundbreaking of the first facility located at the mountainous part of Sison town held on Thursday.

Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, during the groundbreaking ceremony, said the Department of Health (DOH) is the lead implementing agency for the construction of the health facilities, which cost around PHP10 million to PHP15 million each.

“Super health center is a medium-type of polyclinic that has services like dental, laboratory, X-ray, birthing facility, and other medical services. It will help decongest hospitals since residents can already avail of primary care in this center,” he said in his speech.

In a press conference, Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, said there are already more than 600 super health centers around the country, 307 of which were constructed in 2022 and 322 in the following year.

He said the centers will benefit mostly the residents in rural areas who have less access
to primary health care, especially now with the implementation of the Universal Health Care Law.

The super health centers will have services from an outpatient clinic and consultation, pharmacy and dispensary, primary clinical laboratory, clinical microscopy, microbiology/parasitology, radiology, birthing and lying-in, TB consultation with direct sputum smear processing, and microscopy capability.

Sison town Mayor Danilo Uy thanked the national government for the construction of the health facility, citing that it will greatly benefit those living in hard-to-reach areas, where indigenous peoples (IPs) live.

Meanwhile, Go said the Region 1 Medical Center, located in Dagupan City, and other regional hospitals in the Ilocos Region will have specialty centers catering to heart, cancer, geriatric, and mental health patients, among others, through Republic Act 11959 (An Act Establishing Specialty Centers in DOH Hospitals in Every Region and in Government-owned or -Controlled Corporation Specialty Hospitals).

”
The residents of Pangasinan need not go to Manila or other regions to avail of these medical services and (this) would save them money, time, and effort,” he added.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LEGAZPI CITY: A member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) surrendered to the Philippine National Police and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) personnel in Basud, Camarines Sur province on Thursday.

In a report, Lt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO5) spokesperson, identified the surrenderer as “Bro,” of legal age, and a resident of Lupi town, Camarines Sur.

“He is a member of Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) 1 Komiteng Larangang Guerilla (KLG) 2, under Norbem Gruta Command in Camarines Sur. He also surrendered a gun and three bullets,” she said.

Calubaquib said the surrenderer would undergo a debriefing program and receive government assistance under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP).

The police official said the purpose of ECLIP is to provide a variety of assistance, knowledge, and skills to those who have surrendered from the rebel group to help them recover and have a new hope in life.

‘This help is n
ot only for them but also for their family and community),” she said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has earned the top spot among government agencies in public satisfaction rating, according to OCTA Research’s Tugon ng Masa survey released on Thursday.

The survey, conducted on Dec. 10-14, 2023, showed the DSWD is No. 1 in public satisfaction rating with 86 percent and No. 3 in public trust rating with 82 percent.

DSWD Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Romel Lopez said the survey results served as a tribute to the department’s hardworking ‘angels in red vests.’

‘We in the DSWD believe that the agency’s new innovations, such as the Food Stamp Program, the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program and Project Pag-Abot contributed much to the department’s being No. 1 in satisfaction rating among government agencies,’ Lopez said during the DSWD’s Thursday Media Forum.

He said the DSWD would continue their innovations to protect the vulnerable poor and marginalized individuals, ‘so that the expectations of these people indicated in the series o
f positive surveys for the DSWD won’t fail.’

He added that the survey is a validation that the DSWD’s social protection programs have satisfied the needs of Filipinos, specifically the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable sectors.

Aside from the DSWD, included in the Top 5 performing agencies are the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The five most trusted agencies are DepEd, CHED, DSWD, DOH, and DPWH.

‘On behalf of the entire DSWD, we thank the Filipino people for appreciating and recognizing the significant role of every angel in red vest in addressing the needs of the marginalized and ensuring the welfare of every Filipino, especially during challenging times,’ Lopez said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LEGAZPI: The Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Port of Legazpi announced on Wednesday that the first international container line in Bicol will start its operations in March and eyed to bring PHP1 billion monthly collection.

Segundo Sigmund Freud Barte Jr., Bureau of Customs (BOC) acting district collector, made the announcement during the BOC “Regional Stakeholders Meeting” at The Oriental Hotel here.

Accredited exporters, business sector leaders, local government unit officials and local enterprise owners attended the confab.

“We are expecting the Eagle Express, represented by the Regional Container Lines (RCL) by March. If we have the market, bukas darating yung mga containers (The containers will come tomorrow), they will come,” Barte said.

RCL is a Thai-based container shipping line company with some 40 years of experience.

In an interview on the sidelines of the meeting, Barte expressed his optimism about collecting PHP3 billion in revenues for 2024, not considering the expected operation of RCL beginning M
arch.

“We are very hopeful that we can achieve the target, we can double the PHP1.8 billion from 2023. As compared to the actual collection in January to February 2023 which is PHP136 million, the port was able to collect PHP589 million for the same period in 2024. We are hopeful that we will achieve the target,” Barte said.

Among the products that are being handled in the ports in Bicol region are fuel, rice, cement, and coal.

Barte noted that the BOC-Port of Legazpi now conducts paperless transactions in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to digitalize.

Source: Philippines News Agency

CITY OF MALOLOS: Four persons were arrested for illegal quarrying of expensive volcanic rock in San Ildefonso town, this province on Wednesday.

In an interview on Thursday, Bulacan Environment and Natural Resources Offices (BENRO) head Atty. Julius Victor Degala said personnel from BENRO and the Bulacan police conducted an anti-illegal quarrying operation in Brgy. Sapang Putik that led to the arrest of four suspects.

Arrested were Fernando Patac, 49, from Santa Maria; June Padilla, 45, from Marilao; and Rogie Remetio, 39, and Ginglebert Verde, 46, of San Ildefonso.

Seized from the illegal miners were 150 chisels, five bends, four shovels, three sledgehammers, two digging bars, and one water pump used to excavate volcanic tuff known as “escombro” or “bulik,” a high-grade kind of rock mineral commonly used for landscape gardening.

Degala said the suspects will be charged for violation of Section 103 of Republic Act 7942 (Philippine Mining Act); Section 71-A of the Provincial Ordinance C-005 or the Environme
ntal Code of the Province of Bulacan, and Executive Order No. 21 Series of 2022 issued by the governor which mandated the temporary suspension of quarrying activities in Bulacan.

Meanwhile, Governor Daniel R. Fernando assured that illegal miners caught in the campaign against illegal quarrying would face the full force of the law.

He also urged Bulakenyos to cooperate with authorities to end illegal quarrying in the province.

‘Kaya naman hinihikayat ko ang bawat isa na maging mapanuri at magsumbong sa mga awtoridad kung may anumang kahina-hinalang gawain sa pag-quarry upang mawakasan ang ilegal na gawaing ito sa ating mahal na lalawigan (That is why I am urging everyone to be vigilant and report to authorities any suspicious quarrying activities to end illegal quarrying in our beloved province,’ Fernando said.

Source: Philippines News Agency