BIR Caraga to kick-off 2014 campaign on paying
taxes right
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 7 (PIA) – In accordance with
the 2014 nationwide tax campaign to raise at least P1.46 trillion before the
end of the year, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue Region No. 17
(RR17) - Caraga will kick-off on the 14th of this month its crusade on right
payment of taxes.
Government employees, local stakeholders and
professionals are enjoined to attend the 3K Fun Run activity dubbed as Run
After Tax Evaders at 7:00 a.m. and assemble at BIR regional office grounds, J.
Rosales Avenue, this city.
This year’s campaign theme is “I love the
Philippines, I pay my taxes right. It’s as easy as register, file and pay.” A
reminder to pay taxes accurately imposed upon a taxpayer by a state and an
appeal for taxpayers to file their tax returns early and avoid penalties, not
to mention the inconvenience, for late filing, said BIR RR17 regional director
Norberto Vitug.
In the afternoon of the same day will be the Tax
Campaign Kick-Off Program and a briefing on the new BIR forms for the filing
and payment of 2013 Income Tax Returns (ITR) at Almont Hotel and Inland Resort
convention room.
For confirmation and queries, BIR Taxpayers
Assistance Unit can be reached at 341-7192. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
CSC to hold 2-Day HR Symposium in Cebu
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 7 (PIA) – The Civil Service
Commission (CSC) in partnership with the Government of Australia through the
Philippines-Australia Human Resource and Organizational Development Facility
(PAHRODF) will hold this year’s Human Resource (HR) Symposium on April 24-25,
2014 with the theme, “Gearing Towards ASEAN Integration through Strategic HR”
to be held at the Cebu Waterfront Hotel, Cebu City.
“This year’s symposium highlights the value of
HR in good governance and effective public service delivery,” said CSC chairman
Francisco T. Duque, in his invitation letter to all government agencies.
Duque recalled that the first symposium was held
on July 17-18, 2013 in Cebu City which was anchored on the theme “Performance
Management in the Philippines: Strategies and Breakthroughs.
“With its vision of becoming Asia’s leading
center of excellence in strategic HR by 2015, the CSC shares the Philippines’
commitment as an active member of the ASEAN community in achieving ASEAN
Integration by 2015,” bared Duque.
It was also learned that participants of said
symposium will have to pay the registration of P7,000.00 each, which include
handbooks on the four HR Systems, training kits, meals and certificate of
participation for 16 hours managerial training. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Tribal chieftains gather for peace, development
in AgSur town
By David M. Suyao
LORETO, Agusan del Sur, Mar. 7 (PIA) – Hundreds
of tribal chieftains from different villages of Loreto and other towns in the
province including some parts of Compostela Valley gathered at the Loreto
municipal covered court on invitation of Datu Malampuson Mayor Dario Otaza for
an Indigenous People (IP) Peace and Development conference Thursday, March 6,
2014.
The two-day conference is well attended by the
Agusan del Sur provincial officials and Loreto municipal tribal chieftains,
according to Datu Marcus Gonzales Jr.
Lt. Col. Rolando Dumawa, commander of the 26th
Infantry Battalion which is currently conducting community organizing for peace
and development in the entire town of Loreto together with Col. Dar, Deputy
Brigade Commander of the 401st Brigade were also present during the conference
to show support in the conduct of the activity.
“The 26th Infantry Battalion supports all
efforts of the local government to empower our Indigenous People Republic Act
of the IPRA Law,” Lt. Col. Dumawa said.
The conference discussed the peace and order
situation, awarding of livelihood programs to former rebels, ancestral domain
livelihood and economic sustainability of the IPs, utilization of forest
products and forest industry economic cluster of Loreto.
“The 401st Brigade of the Philippine Army will
strengthen the collaboration with the National Commission on Indigenous People
(NCIP) and the IPMR of the whole province of Agusan del Sur to be the leading
partner in attaining sustainable peace and order of the indigenous cultural
communities,” Col. Dar said. (DMS/26th IB CMO/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Mandatory appointment of Tourism Officers in
LGUs sought
By Aimee B. Sienes-Sajor
AGUSAN DEL NORTE, Mar. 7 (PIA) - A new House Bill
No. 3734 is being filed in congress providing for mandatory appointment of
tourism officers in provinces and cities and optional appointment in
municipalities.
Congressman Erlpe John M. Amante of the second
district of Agusan del Norte, author of the said bill, pushed for its approval
in the House of Representatives.
With this proposal, Sections 443 (b) and 454 (a)
of the Local Government Code of 1991 will be amended to include the mandatory
appointment of tourism officers in provinces and cities and optional
appointment in municipalities.
In support of the State’s policy of developing
responsible and sustainable tourism that ensures full enjoyment of benefits by
host communities, Cong. Amante said that professional and qualified tourism
officers must be appointed in every local government units (LGU) to enhance
their competence and capacity to plan, manage and oversee local tourism
development.
Republic Act 9593, otherwise known as The
Tourism Act of 2009, lays the creation of a permanent item for a tourism
officer in every province, city and municipality. However, this is only
mandated to areas described loosely as having a significant tourism industry,
as provided in Section 125 of the said act.
Cong. Amante emphasized that his bill shall set a
clear directive on the appointment of tourism officers in LGUs, at least at the
provincial and city levels, with the confidence that tourism must certainly
exist in these jurisdictions, may it be hosting attractions,
sports/medical/wellness facilities, and venues for meetings, incentives,
conventions and events/exhibits or by being key tourist centers.
This is in adherence to the State’s policy of
providing for a local government position that will be responsible for and
accountable to the development of the tourism industry whereby it is harnessed
as an engine of sustainable socio-economic growth and cultural affirmation to
generate investment and appointment. (LGU-Agusan del Note/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
Mindanao power body responds to supply shortfall
DAVAO CITY, Mar. 7 (PIA) - A power monitoring
body created to initiate immediate and long term steps to address the power
situation in Mindanao has recommended quick measures to bridge power supply
deficit resulting from the unscheduled shutdown of 210MW Steag coal-fired power
plant.
In a meeting called last Friday to assess the
situation and determine the cause of the February 27 island-wide blackout, the
Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee (MPMC) sought the immediate dispatch of
capacities from embedded generators of distribution utilities, including
newly-installed modular gensets of several electric cooperatives.
“We find
it viable to quickly resolve the supply deficit by tapping what is already
available in the system, as measures are being exerted to restore affected
power plants back online,” says Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, chair of the
Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), which also heads the MPMC.
The MPMC had asked private distribution
utilities (DUs) to run its embedded capacities such as diesel generators, even
as it requested the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to judiciously
accelerate provisional approval of pending rate applications for modular
gensets that have already been installed.
It also asked DUs and electric cooperatives
distribution to urge large commercial establishments and industries to
implement demand-side management measures such as adjustment of operating
schedules for processing and manufacturing plants and to opt-in for
Interruptible Load Program (ILP), a mechanism where large establishments such
as malls and factories run their generator sets instead of tapping from the grid
and are allowed to recover cost.
Antonino stressed that the recent system
downtime affecting large capacities should be immediately resolved, in light of
the approaching onset of summer months when Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power
complex would be expected to have reduced output.
“I
understand that the cause of the problem that triggered series of plant
trip-offs is still being determined, but such assessment should be done quickly
so that corrective actions are put in place to prevent recurrence,” Antonino
said.
The Mindanao system-wide blackout happened at
dawn of February 27 when a series power plant trip-offs or automatic shutdown
triggered a system-wide blackout across the entire Mindanao grid. According to
initial findings of the Department of Energy (DOE), a malfunction of Agus 1
hydropower plant unit set-off automatic shutdown that cascaded to several other
power plants that put offline around 1200MW supply to the Mindanao grid.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines
(NGCP) has restored stability by noontime of same day, with the system blackout
regarded as technical in nature. However, despite system restoration, the 210MW
Steag coal-fired power plant remained offline after its plant units 1 and 2
sustained damage to its turbine generating sets.
Steag is still assessing the extent of damage
and expects to provide timeline for resumption of plant operations once
assessment is completed. Initial technical evaluation indicates Steag may need
a substantial amount of time to restore 2 plant units back online.
According to the DOE, the Steag downtime has
brought restoration of Mindanao power supply to only about 80 to 85 percent.
(MinDA/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog News: Administrasyon manatiling
napakahigpit sa anti-corruption na labanan
Ni David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Marso 7, 2014 (PIA) - Nangako
ang pamahalaan na hindi tatantanan ang pagpatupad ng reporma sa lokal na
pamahalaan pati na sa pulis at militar lalo na pagkatapos na ilabas ng
Tanggapan ng Ombudsman ang ulat hinggil sa malaking bilang ng kasong korapsyon
mula sa mga tanggapang ito.
Sinabi ng Ombudsman na ang nangungunang mga
ahensiya na may malaking bilang ng kaso ng korapsyon ay kasama ang mga lokal na
pamahalaan na may mahigit 2,000 na kaso, Philippine National Police na may
humigit kumulang 1,000 na kaso at ang Armed Forces of the Philippines na ay 200
na kaso.
Sa isang panayam sa media noong Huwebes, sinabi
ni Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio
Coloma Jr. na angbilang na ito ay hindi kataka-taka dahil sa bilang ng mga
lokalidad na nasangkotat ang malaking bilang ng mga indibidual mula sa pulis at
militar.
Halimbawa, ang bansa ay may 81 lalawigan na may
humigit kumulang 100 na chartered na lunsod dagdag pa rito ang humigit 1,600 na
bayan. Ang pulis at militar ay may humigit-kumulang 125,000 na miyembro bawat
isa sa kanila.
“Sa pagtingin sa bilang na ito, hindi rin naman
kagulat-gulat na doon mag-o-occur ‘yung mas maraming insidente kasi mas
maraming tao ang maaaring masangkot sa mga usapin,” sabi ni Coloma.
“Pero ang pinakamahalaga diyan ay ‘yung aksyon
ng mga ahensya. Kaya nga isa sa mga haligi ng ating Philippine Development Plan
ay ang mabuting pamahalaan.”
Sa level na lokal na pamahalaan, ang pagtulak sa
anti-corruption ay patuloy. Sabi ni Coloma, dagdag pa noong panahon ng pamumuno
ng nasirang si Secretary Jesse Robredo ng interior and local government,
sinubukan niyang pabutihin ang kalidad ng serbisyo ng lokal na pamahalaan.
Kasama sa mga hamon na gustong abutin ni Robredo
ay ang pagbigay ng pampasigla sa mga mabubuting pagganap ng mga LGU para
mahikayat silang isulong ang reporma, sabi ni Coloma. Sinimulan din ni Robredo
ang citizens’ charter na siyang nagpataas ng aninag ng mga transaksyon pababa
sa level ng lokal na pamahalaan.
“Lahat naman ng mga institusyon sa pamahalaan ay
ginagabayan ‘nung programa ng ating Pangulo na daang matuwid,” sabi ng opisyal
ng Palasyo.
“Kaya habang iniuulat na marami ang mga kasong
ganyan, kasabay naman diyan ‘yung patuloy ang pagbigay diin ng mabuting
pamamahala at ang pagpababa ng korapsyon bilang isa sa limang haligi ng
Philippine Development Plan,” dagdag ni Coloma. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Cebuano News: Nasodnong kasaulogan sa
kababayen-an gisuportahan
Ni Ronie P. Gerona
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 8 (PIA) - “Juana, ang Tatag Mo
ay Tatag Natin sa Pagbangon at Pagsulong,” kini ang tema sa National Women’s
Month Celebration nga gisugdan niadtong Marso 1 hangtod 31 ning bulana.
Ang panggamhanang probinsyal sa Agusan del Norte
sa pagpanguna ni Gobernador Ma. Angelica Rosedell Amante-Matba hugot nga
misuporta sa maong kasaulogan. Subay niini, matag adlawng lunes human sa
pag-isa sa nasodnong bandila sa Kapitolyo, magpahigayon og hamubo nga programa
alayon sa kasaulogan niini.
Si Provincial Board Member Ma. Elizabeth Marie
R. Calo isip tsirman sa Committee on Social Welfare and Population Development
manguna pag-atender sa mga gitakdang selebrasyon sa kababayen-an sa
nagkadaiyang kalungsoran sa Agusan del Norte. (LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan
del Norte)
Cebuano News: Palasyo: Gobyerno milihok aron sa
pagsiguro sa malungtaron nga suplay sa kuryente, gihangyo ang kooperasyon sa
publiko
SURIGAO DEL SUR, Marso 7 (PIA) - Ang gobyerno
miingon nga kini mikomiter sa paghatag og malungtaron nga suplay sa kuryente
alang sa nasud ug mihangyo sa publiko, power producers ug mga distributors sa
paglihok aron sa pagsulbad sa mga kakulangon sa kuryente ilabina sa Mindanao.
"Sa akong hunahuna unsa ang tataw dinhi mao
ang gikinahanglan ang pagtinabangay. Mas daghan ang makab-ot kung magtinabangay
parehas ang mga mogamit ug ang mga tigpang-apod-apod, ang generators,” (“I
think what is apparent here is that kailangan talaga iyong tulung-tulong. Mas
maraming maa-accomplish kung magtutulungan sila both the users and the
distributers, the generators,”) sumala pa ni Presidential Communication
Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. sa usa ka press briefing didto
sa Malakanyang kagahapon.
"Kini mao ang usa ka dunay sistema nga
problema nga nagkinahanglan og usa ka hinan-ay nga solusyon nga gikan sa tanan
nga mga stakeholders," siya miingon.
Sa usa ka pamahayag, si Coloma mitaho sumala pa
sa Department of Energy nga ang kasamtangan nga suplay sa Mindanao dunay 1.064
megawatts itandi sa peak demand gibana-bana mokabat sa 1,222 megawatts, nga
nagpasabot lamang kini nga adunay kakulangon nga 158 megawatts.
Kini miresulta sa rotating brown-out kasagaran
mahitabo sa duha ngadto sa tulo ka oras, gawas sa probinsiya sa Maguindanao nga
karon nakasinati og kapin sa 10 ka oras kada adlaw nga pagkawala sa kuryente,
siya miingon.
Aron sa pagtubag niini nga makahulip sa
kakulangon, ang DOE ug ang power industry mopatuman sa pipila ka mga lakang
sama sa paggamit sa mga generator sa mga distribution utilities, pagsagop sa
mga interruptible load nga programa nga naglambigit sa mga boluntaryong
paggamit sa generator sets sa mga konsumedor; padayon nga pag-ayo ug
rehabilitasyon sa mga 210 - megawatt coal STEAG-fired power plant sa Misamis
Oriental, ug ang mga pag-ayo ug rehabilitasyon sa kasamtangan nga hydroelectric
power plants.
Sulti pa ni Communications Secretary nga ang
rehabilitasyon sa mga 210-megawatt TEAG coal-fired power plant sa Misamis
Oriental matapos sulod sa duha ngadto sa tulo ka bulan.
Sa susamang panahon, si Coloma miingon nga ang
gobyerno hugtanon nga nag-monitor sa nagpadayon nga proyekto nga mopalambo sa
suplay sa kuryente sa Mindanao ngadto sa 900 megawatts.
Kini nga mga bag-o nga mga proyekto naglakip sa
200-megawatt coal-fired nga planta sa mga Alsons gruop ug sa mga 300-megawatt
Aboitiz owned coal-fired plant, nga parehas
gibanabana nga ma-onlayn sa tuig 2015.
Laing 400 megawatts coal-fired nga planta nga
gipanag-iyahan sa Filinvest mahimong operasyonal na sa tuig 2016, siya miingon.
Uban sa gipaabot 500 (MW) sa 2015, ug 400 (MW)
sa 2016, ang mga dugang nga enerhiya nga 900 (MW) maoy gituohang makasulbad sa
kasamtangan nga gikinahanglan nga gibanabana sa 1,200 (MW).
"Ang DOE nagpadayon sa pagpahigayon sa mga
reporma nga ang mga power sector lakip na ang aktibo nga miduso sa 50/50 nga
enerhiya taliwala sa tradisyonal ug sa renewable energy uban sa nag-umentong
mga nga pribado nga sector nga mga inbestor sa hydroelectric, biomass, solar
power," (“The DOE continues to undertake reforms that power sector
including actively pursuing a 50/50 energy makes between traditional and
renewable energy with increased private sector investments in hydroelectric,
biomass, and solar power,” ) dugang pa ni Coloma. (NGBT/PND/PIA-Surigao del
Sur)
