Gawahon Eco-Park Opens October 28

It’s “All Systems Go” for the official opening and inauguration of Gawahon Eco Tourism Park set on October 28 2007.

It can be recalled that the development of the area started almost a decade ago and during those years, even with just limited funds set aside for its development, Victorias City has made it possible to make Gawahon Eco-Park an emerging tourist destination in the province of Negros Occidental.

The much awaited opening, for several occasions was postponed due to insufficient time for preparations and readiness of amenities/facilities for occupancy was impossible.

The grand opening promises a remarkable event for the city as it welcomes national government officials including Tourism and Environment Secretary Joseph Ace Durano and Jose Lito Atienza respectively. Regional and Provincial Officials together with the Association of Tourism Officers of Negros Occidental (ATONO) and former government officials who were instrumental in institutionalizing this project are also invited to come.

It will be a fun filled day for the constituency of Victorias. Cultural presentation will be held at the park and a free concert from local band will be provided to the people.

In the meantime, the project development office of Gawahon Eco-Park is making the necessary preparations for the opening. Structural facilities such as the Convention Hall, Multi purpose building, overnight cottages and the kidney shaped adult and kiddie pools are nearing its completion. By: Joy P. Famini

COMELEC All Set for Barangay/SK Election

With all the clamors, doubts and debate, the Commission on Election (COMELEC) is all set for Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election this coming October 29 2007, according to Mary Ann Davila, Acting COMELEC Officer of Victorias City.

Davila further states that COMELEC has ordered all candidates for barangay and sangguniang kabataan (SK) elections to undergo mandatory drug testing which will be attached to their certificate of candidacy (COC). Candidates are required to secure their drug test certificates at the drug testing centers authorized or accredited by the Department of Health (DOH). Those who fail to comply with requirements will be disqualified to participate in the elections.

Filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) starts September 29 until October 18 and it should be filed during regular office hours, except on the last day, when filing hours will be extended up to midnight.

Campaign period will begin on October 19 to October 27 while Gun ban starts September 29 and will end November 13.

After election, winning candidates are required to file a sworn Statement of Election Contributions and Expenditures which will be submitted at COMELEC office on October 29 to November 28.

Palanca Now VMLP-Negros Chapter Vice President

Victorias City Vice Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca is now vice president of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines(VMLP)-Negros Chapter. The election was made last August 14 at Business Inn Hotel, Bacolod City. It was supervised by DILG Prov’l. Dir. Ma. Joy Maredith Madayag and Jay Dignadice.
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The new set of VMLP-Negros Chapter are: president - Thaddy Sayson of Bacolod City; vice-president – Francis Frederick Palanca of Victorias City; Secretary General-Filomeno Tan, Jr. of Toboso; Treasurer – Cynthia dela Cruz of Don Salvador Benedicto; Auditor-Jimmy Tiaga of Candoni; PRO-Nicholas Yulo of Bago City; and representatives from the 6 districts of the province: Nicolas Camara (Calatrava), Rafael Cueva (Sagay City), Reynaldo Depasucat Jr. (EB Magalona); David Baga Jr. (La Carlota City); Jose Nadie Arceo (Hinigaran) and Delia Anacan (Kabankalan City).

Meanwhile, SP Audie Malaga was also elected as Board Member in the recently concluded election of Councilors League of the Philippines-Negros Chapter.

By: Remia M. Matti

Victoriahanon Joins 42nd Milo Marathon

Miranda with VM Palanca and City Councilors
during her courtesy call after her victory in the
Regional Marathon Championship in Iloilo.

Victoriahon, Miriam Miranda of Barangay VI-A, will finally hit the road on the Milo Marathon 42km National Championship in Manila this November 18 2007, after her victory in the 31st Regional Marathon Championship Women’s Division last September 2 2007 in Iloilo City.

Miranda states that her routine practice prepares her for the challenging race. She runs from Victorias to Cadiz City every Sundays and on weekdays runs for more or less 10 kilometers. The national championship is a tough competition. It is where all of the competitors from different parts of the country train hard to bring home the victory. A strict routine is needed to be able to defeat other challengers, she added.

Aside from Miranda, her brother, Erose, will also be competing and both are coached by their father, Eduardo Miranda, a marathon runner himself.

Winner in the Milo Marathon will receive P75,000 cash.

Vice Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca and the City Council promised to extend financial assistance to the Mirandas after their courtesy call to the council. By: Remia M. Matti

Pawikan Caught in Villa Miranda

A Green Sea Turtle commonly known as “Pawikan” was caught floating on the waters of Villa Miranda by Neptalie Bermudes, a local fisherman in the area, last September 5.

The said sea turtle is male and measures 23.5” in width and with a curve carapace length of 25”. Its scientific name is Chelonia mydas which is a large sea turtle belonging to the family of Cheloniidae (turtles found in all the world’s ocean except the Arctic Ocean) and a common species of sea turtle in the Philippine waters.

Bermudes said that the sea turtle is weak and discovered later that its flippers at the rear have injuries. He brought it ashore and reported the incident to the Local Government.

Eduard Fuentebella of City Agriculture’s Office and Zosemo Cadena, DENR Chief of Wildlife, tagged the chelonia mydas as turtle P-21376 and advise Bermudes to take care of it until its flippers heal and strong enough to be release back to the sea.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and City Agriculture’s Office informed the people that it is important to save the endangered marine wildlife from extinction. They advise to report any sightings to Pawikan Conservation Project-Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PCP-PAWB) or to any nearest local DENR Office.

DENR reiterates some important reminders:

· That hunting, killing, wounding, collecting, gathering utilizing, possessing, transporting, exporting and/or disposing of marine turtles, turtle eggs, dugong, their meat or any of their by-products is punishable by law pursuant to R.A. 9147.

· Use of dynamite or cyanide for fishing is strictly prohibited pursuant to R.A. 8550

· Do not throw garbage in rivers and sea

· Do not remove tags (local or foreign) attached to turtles. Copy serial no., species, when and where turtle was encountered and end these informations to PCP-PAWB or nearest DENR Office. By: Remia M. Matti

ICHC Celebrates 16th Foundation Day

The Immaculate Conception Health Center (ICHC) opens its 16th foundation day on August 15 with a thanksgiving mass and followed by feeding program to 500 children in neighboring barangays and schools (VES, AAYMES and Holy trinity). Children are given milk and nutritious meal. ICHC often conducts feeding program to reduce the malnourish children in the community.

Sixteen years ago on August 15, ICHC was opened to the public by its founder, Victorias Kaayong Lawas Foundation, Inc. in response to the call of the poor for proper and professional health care.

It was at first a 17-bed primary hospital that was built on a 2,500 square meter lot donated by the Abelardo Bantug Foundation, Inc. at Bandung Village Victorias City. It was designed by Marilen S. Bantug and the late Architect Leon Lasalita.

Even in its pioneering days of operation, ICHC served and average of 800 to 900 patients per month, an indicator of how dire the need for the community hospital was in Victorias. The ICHC provided Integrated Medical Services Program comprising the following service components: IN-PATIENT SERVICES, an in house service catering to the needs of patients admitted for treatment, and EMERGENCY SERVICES that provide first aid treatment and medical attention to emergency cases calling for immediate medical and surgical assistance. In cooperation with the City of Victorias, ambulance service is made available when called for. At the community level, MOBILE HEALTH CLINIC which delivers basic health services to residents in remote sugarcane plantations and barangays is also undertaken, specially on the World Day of the Sick, every February 11, the Foundation Day of the Hospital on August 15, and on December 8 which celebrates the Hospital Day. Another important component of ICHC medical service is REFERRALS of high risk and special cases that the medical staffs identify to be beyond their capacity to care for, and hence, referred for admission to private or government hospital in Silay and Bacolod City.

Funds for ICHC is drawn from a diversity of sources: donations, personal contributions of concerned citizens and proceeds from fund-raising campaigns. Strong linkage with the provincial government and the City of Victorias yields a regular contribution of P10,000 a month, or an equivalent of P120,000 a year to augment the hospital fund to cover the cost of services extended to welfare clients who are admitted, and given treatment but cannot afford to pay. Other funding sources come from VIMACA Kabulig Foundation, Inc., Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, Abelardo Bantug Foundation, Inc., Alrac Incorporated, A.B. Leisure Corporation, BAPA Holdings & Development corporation, United Nations Women’s Guild of Vienna and Philippine Association of the Sovereign Military Order of MALTA who provides assistance for medicines, hospital supplies and equipments.

While day to day operations of Immaculate Conception Health Center is managed by trained medical personnel, the officers of Victorias Kaayong Lawas Foundation, Inc.(VKLFI), founder of ICHC, assumes full responsibility on the overall program implementation. The officers of VKLFI see to it that the hospital program runs according to their defined mission, and goals are realized within their set time frame. The employees of ICHC on the other hand, directly supervise the hospital program, and are responsible in ensuring the quality of health care and other medical services.

To this day, Immaculate Conception Health Center (ICHC) continues to live the principle: “Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me.” (Matthew 25:40) and continues to extend professional health services to the poorest of the poor not only in Victorias but also in the neighboring cities and municipalities.(some texts are taken from Health Care For The Poor: History of Victorias Kaayong Lawas Foundation, Inc.)

Victorias celebrates 107th Philippine Civil Service

The City Government of Victorias spear-headed by the City Human Resource Management Office celebrates 107th Philippine Civil Service anniversary for the whole month of September 2007 with this year’s theme: “Itaguyod ang Kasarinlan ng Career Service”.

This year’s celebration aims to uplift the identity and stature of the career service as distinct institution. It kicked off with a simultaneous flag-raising ceremony on September 3, 2007 with SPMs Audie R. Malaga and Sulpicio B. Montinola, Jr. leading the prayer and the Panunumpa sa Katungkulan respectively. Vice Mayor Francis Frederick P. Palanca delivered an inspirational message and Ms. Faith B. Bacucang, head of city HRMO, read the chairman’s message .

Chairman Karina Constantino David had stressed that the career service is the bureaucracy’s gold mine, the source of institutional memory and professional expertise that pushes development efforts amidst changes in political leadership. As such, it deserves to be accorded esteem and attention as an institutional partner in governance. She encourages every civil servant to be better than what they are now and give more than what they have given in the past as well as to dedicate the next hundred years to the building of a legacy of leadership and public trust, and the career service, a testament of a professional bureaucracy.

Various activities were lined-up for the month-long celebration with a series of ball games- Basketball, Volleyball and badminton. There was a “Seminar on Public Service Ethnics and Accountability” on September 10-13 2007 (4 batches) which was participated by 200 city employees to strengthen their ethical values as civil servants.

Ms. Faith B. Bacucang and Ms. Mary Ann F. Valdevieso of the City Human Resource Management Office also attended the “Forum on the Challenges in Public Governance” and “Awarding Ceremonies for the Semi-Finalists of the Honor Awards Program” in Iloilo City on September 14 2007 with CSC Chair David as keynote speaker.

There was also a “Day with a barangay” which is a feeding program for the kids in four (4) depressed barangays (Barangay III, VI, VI-A & XIX) as identified by the City Social Welfare and Development Office on September 21,25,and 28 2007.

On September 25, 2007, the city had its first ever “Quiz Bee” competition among its city employees which was participated by the four teams (Blue, Yellow, Green, Red). Each team is composed of more or less than 100 city employees to compete for various sports activities/contests.

The “quiz Bee” competition is a friendly competition designed for city employees with the Red Team emerging as the Champion after five (5) tie-breaking questions with the Blue Team.

The culmination activity was the Musicale Contest on September 28 2007 wherein the teams competed for four categories – the Modern Dance, Vocal Duet and doble kara.

“Though this year’s activities are simple compared to past year’s celebration, it has more impact to the mental and physical well-being of our city employees and focused more on professionalizing them by providing inputs and promoting motivation to become effective partners in governance of the City of Victorias” Ms. Bacucang stressed. By: Ana Liza B. Gonzales

FSCAP’s New Set of Officers Inducted

Mayor Severo A. Palanca inducts the new set of officers of the Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines Victorias Chapter on July 18 2007 at the City Mayor’s Office.

The new set of officers are: Ret. Col. Jose Agpangan (President), Alfonso Ortillo (Vice President), Leonardo Quijano (2nd Vice President), Federico Nonato (Treasurer), Leandro Jamino (Secretary), Teofilo Lamason (Chariman-Traffic Aide), Pedro Padilla (Auditor), Agapito Dollentes (PIO). The Board Members are: Selvino Sta. Ana, Felixberto Biantan, Domingo de Asis, Andres Buenacosa, Nenita Santillan, Ramon Magalonga, Jose Henovia and Ronilo Japitana.

FSCAP-Victorias Chapter is one of the most active organization in the city and its taking good care of its members. According to Ret. Col. Agpangan, the association prioritize the upliftment of the morale and welfare of the elders in Victorias.

Health of members tops in the priority programs of FSCAP. A monthly check-up is prearranged at the pavilion to monitor their physical conditions. They are also enjoined to participate in the “HATAW”, an exercise activity, to keep them fit and healthy. Medical support is extended to sick members. Aside from these, the association gives death aid and spiritual support to its members in time of loss.

FSCAP members who are working as traffic and market aids are also given financial assistance through the help of the City Government of Victorias.

FSCAP encourages social gathering of its members to strengthen the association ties, in fact they have several activities scheduled such as the “Linggo ng Katandaan” this October and the yearly December activity where they have Christmas luncheon and distributes gifts to all its members.

Agpangan said that FSCAP will always be an active organization in the city and will continue to support its members.
By: Remia M. Matti

CPOC Conducts Tanod Skills Training

The City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) of Victorias City, in its aim to augment the regular police force in solving petty crimes and gangsterism among the studentry; has conducted a Barangay Tanod Skills Enhancement Training last September 17,19,21,24 and 26 2007 at the Victorias Livelihood and Training Center.

Topics ranging from Tanods’ Duties and Functions, Atttributes, Relationship with the Barangay Council, etc. were handled by DILG Officer Edgar R. Magbanua while practical exercises on arrest, handcuffing, intelligence work, etc. were handled by the Philippine National Police headed by P/SUPT Boston.

This training activity was made possible through the leadership of City Mayor Severo A. Palanca, the chairman of the CPOC , Vice Mayor Francis Frederick P. Palanca, its Vice-Chairman and SPM Sulpicio B. Montinola, Jr., Chairman of the Sangguniang’s Peace and Order Committee.

140 barangay tanods graduated from the course, participated in by their respective Punong Barangays.

By: Edgar Regalado Mgbanua (DILG)

NOSHS Tops USLS Dean's List For The 3rd Time

For three consecutive years, the Negros Occidental Science High School (NOSHS) topped the University of St. La Salle Dean’s List among the feeder schools in the Province of Negros Occidental both public and private. NOSHS was awarded as the Best Performing School by USLS last Augut 16, 2007.

NOSHS got 26% of its graduates in the Dean’s list for school year 2006-2007;followed by St. Scholastica’s Academy with 22.2%; UNO-R with 20.9%; St. Theresita’s Academy with 18.% and St. John Institute with 18.2%.

Other awardees (6th to the 10th spots) are Taytung High School, St. Joseph-La Salle, USLS-IS, LCC Main, NOHS and Ramon Torres National High School of Bago City .

“Being number one for 3 consecutive years is a proof that NOSHS maintained its high standards set the school for its students” Mr. Blanco stressed. Blanco, NOSHS OIC Principal, accepted the award for the 3rd time.(NOSHS)