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January 3, 2014
“in pursuit of PIA’s commitment to provide a national mechanism for the free flow of timely, accurate and relevant information… “
Daily E-Newsletter of Philippine Information Agency - 8
VOL 2 ISSUE 2
January 3, 2014
UN OCHA says shelter Two Eastern Visayas companies among 58 needs persist in models of voluntary labor law compliance Yolanda-affected wo private companies in Eastern lies in the fact that it was tripartite in TtheVisayas, the Bethany Hospital and nature, meaning, it’s the workers and areas Philippine Associated Smelting & their peers in the industry which decided
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helter solutions for displaced people in tents and evacuation centers remain the key priority for humanitarian partners. This was disclosed by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in its December 31 report. UN OCHA said the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), Shelter, Protection and WASH clusters have been working together with both the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department for Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to assess the progress of the bunkhouses and also recommend actions to be taken to ensure that minimum standards are met. The clusters are also sharing the previous experience of utilizing bunkhouses as temporary shelter solutions, based on previous responses in the Philippines as well as in the region. UN OCHA noted that funding for the Shelter and Camp Coordination and Camp Management Clusters is lagging well behind overall funding levels, restricting programs due to with a weak funding of 10 and 19 percent respectively for the CCCM and Shelter Clusters. This is substantially less than the overall 33.6 percent funding for the Haiyan Strategic Response Plan. The clusters are advocating that more partners participate in providing shelter solutions. In particular, the continued on page 7
Refining Corporation (PASAR), are among the 58 models of voluntary labor law compliance. The 58 private companies have been awarded the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tripartite Certificate of Compliance with Labor Standards (TCCLS) in the latter part of the year after “very careful” tripartite assessment and verification. DOLE Region 8 Director Exequiel Sarcauga said that the 58 companies set the example as models of the DOLE’s new and vigorous pursuit of the best in voluntary compliance with the country’s labor standards. The value of the award
on the award. The TCCLS awardees cut across the major industries of the country, such as healthcare/hospitals, educational institutions, manufacturing (food, beverage, packaging, infrastructure, semiconductors and electronics, wiring harness) services, hotel and restaurant, agri-business, agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, power generation, transportation, electronic information processing services, mining, and construction. The TCCLS constitutes the first level seal of good housekeeping issued continued on page 5
Eastern Visayas Philippine National Police during the muzzle taping done at Camp Kangleon, Campetic, Palo, Leyte on December 30, Monday.
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January 3, 2014
UNICEF supports Government’s move to get children back to school
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he UNICEF and other partners fully support the Philippine Government’s move to get children back to school. Unicef’s Ms.Kathleen Solis said that a soft opening of schools was conducted on December 2. On January 6, the full reopening will be conducted, thus the UNICEF calls on all parents of school children to send them back to school. The UNICEF noted that in the province of Leyte alone, 760 schools were damaged. In the areas of the Philippines affected by typhoon, about 90 percent of school buildings were damaged, more than 3,200 schools in all, leaving over a million pupils and 34,000 teachers with no place for learning. In addition to supplying tents for classrooms, UNICEF has provided learning and recreational materials and has brought in teachers – some of them from other disaster-struck areas to share their knowledge and experience. Latrines and hand-washing facilities for boys and girls have been installed, as well.
As of 2 December, eight UNICEFsupported schools in Leyte province had reopened their doors, and three more were due to be open as soon as the debris could be removed to make space for a tent. An additional 25 schools are scheduled to be set up in the coming days. Getting back to learning helps children establish a routine, an important step toward recovery, and it helps teachers identify which pupils are in need of special attention. “The message that UNICEF wants to be sent is that it’s possible, that even in the destruction, education can continue,” Ms. Solis said. The typhoon does not have the last word, even if the surroundings are a picture of destruction. It’s the energy of children at school, united and raising their hands together, that will shape the future of the country. (PIA 8)
PIA-8 director Erlinda Olivia Tiu led the distribution of gift items,toys and Christmas cards to the childrenevacuees at Tanauan National High School and residents of Canramos, Tanauan. Leyte, one of the evacuation centers visited by PIA, Monday. The gift items were brought to Tacloban through PIA-NCR. (ldlopido/pia8)
Partnership presents SANDUGO: Salo-salo ng mga Kwento at Awitin ng Pagbabao in Tacloban City
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he Philippine-Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI), PECOJON-The Peace and Conflict Journalism Network and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action (CBCP-NASSA) have organized SANDUGO: Salo-Salo ng mga Kwento at Awitin ng Pagbabago on January 4, 2014 1:00PM to 4:00PM at Sto. Nino Parish Church, Tacloban City. Ms. Len Manriquez of PECOJON said that PMPI, PECOJON and CBCP-NASSA has forged partnership with Forty Eight Voices (FEV) composed of Gary Granada, Lolita Carbon (ASIN), Cooky Chua (Color it Red), Bayang Barrios (Bagong Lumad) and Chickoy Pura (The Jerks). Mr. Granada composed the song Sandugo dedicated to the survivors of Yolanda and its emergency and rehabilitation responders. Local artists Rondayan Band, Butards Band and other local singers will also join the music afternoon. The concert is offered for free for the people affected by typhoon Yolanda and for humanitarian workers and volunteers who went out of their way to help the people rise up from the catastrophe. The concert gathers the people for a moment of Filipino music, a coming together, of calmness and stillness of the heart, as they share, as one nation the strength of their voices in working together beyond themselves and for each other. The performance seeks to further the momentum towards social recovery in the Yolanda-affected communities and their people. It is nothing grand. Just a simple gathering of people and concerned artists, Ms. Manriquez said. Ms. Manriquez added that continued on page 7
January 3, 2014
Intensifying awareness on dengue fever of response teams in relocation areas in East Samar T
here is a need to enhance awareness of the affected population and the response teams on the significantly increased risk of dengue fever in the Yolanda affected areas in Eastern Samar. Dengue fever, Dr. Ina Bluemel who is working in the areas of Guiuan and Borongan in Eastern Samar said, is endemic to the Yolanda-affected areas. Conditions brought about by the typhoon, including near-perfect breeding conditions for the mosquito-vector for this disease, have significantly increased the risk to the affected population and response teams. She said that there have already been cases of humanitarian personnel medical relocations from within other locations in the affected areas after contracting Dengue, and we cannot neglect that there is a likelihood that the same will occur here in Eastern Samar. She therefore, cautioned all heads of humanitarian teams that as managers, they are responsible for the health and well-being of their teams, thus, she thought it timely to provide them with the sources and reminders of recommended actions and awareness in order to best-protect your team, with regards to prevention, diagnosis and stabilization and evacuation and referral. On prevention, Dr. Blumel said to be wary about stagnant water and debris. Yolanda’s impact on living conditions has disabled large parts of the community to uphold their generally very proactive “search and destroy� habits. Heads of agencies may, however, consider upgrading their own premises to eliminate stagnant water and debris, which has exponentially increased the breeding grounds for Dengue-carrying mosquitos. She also advised the conduct of Fogging and Spraying. Targeted fogging/
spraying of office and compound space is also recommended in order to control mosquito populations. She said she will be able to provide further guidance on this if the agencies plan to implement such control measures at their locations. For personal protection, she advised everyone to secure a copy of the information leaflet circulated a few weeks ago for convenience, and she recommended that all staff be made aware of the risk of Dengue and steps they can take to mitigate the likelihood of being bitten by Dengue-carrying mosquitos. For Diagnosis and Stabilization, Dr. Blumel recommended that managers ensure that all agency personnel are familiar with the symptoms and warning signs of Dengue, and that managers are briefed and ready to take appropriate rapid actions to respond to suspected cases. Sensitization sessions with the teams can be useful in this regard, and need not take much time. The ESSU camp currently has medical capacity (IHP) available to clinically diagnose and initially stabilize a patient including referral to MSF if required for further stabilization until a medevac is being arranged for, Dr. Blumel said. She recommended that headsof agencies ensure that they are aware of these local resources and how to access them quickly if necessary. For Evacuation and Referral, Dr. Blumel said each humanitarian organization is responsible for planning and implementation of emergency medical evacuations for its own staff. No common medevac service exists, and IHP nor MSF are in any way responsible for the arrangements required for a medical relocation of the
3 personnel. Thus, it is important for heads of agencies and managers to be aware of the internal medevac planning and procedures within each agency, and to be ready to implement them on short notice if/when necessary. Dr. Blumel strongly recommends for the details of the medical relocation/ evacuation plans (contacts/procedures) to be shared with OCHA, the IHP medical team and WHO to ensure that local service providers are aware of the plans and contacts in advance. Sharing of agency-specific plans and contacts between heads-ofagencies is also advisable to facilitate mutual-support in a worst-case scenario (e.g. mass-casualty event), and is good practice in deep-field operations. (PIA 8)
www.pia.gov.ph
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January 3, 2014
Heed pay rules for holidays, DOLE tells employers T
he Department of Labor and Employment called on the Eastern Visayas employers to heed the pay rules for December and New Year’s Day holidays. Although there has been no complaint in the region, DOLE regional director Exequiel Sarcauga reminded the employers about Pursuant to President Benigno S. Aquino III’s Proclamation No. 459, series of 2012, Declaring the Regular Holidays, Special (Non-Working) Days, and Special Holiday (For All Schools) for the Year 2013,Christmas Day, which falls on a Wednesday, December 25, and Rizal Day, which falls on a Monday, December 30 are regular holidays. Moreover, the last day of the year, Tuesday, December 31 is a special (non-working) day, while the day before Christmas, Tuesday, December 24, is an additional special (non-working) day. The DOLE Regional Director added that by virtue of President Aquino III’s Proclamation No. 655, series of 2013, Declaring the Regular Holidays, Special (Non-Working) Days, and Special Holiday (For All Schools) For the Year 2014, New Year’s Day, a Wednesday, January 1, 2014, is also a regular holiday. For the Regular Holidays on December 25 (Christmas Day) and December 30 (Rizal Day), 2013; and January 1, 2014 (New Year’s Day): If the employee did not work, he shall be paid 100 percent of his salary for that day. Computation: (Daily rate + Cost of Living Allowance) x 100 percent. The COLA is included in the computation of holiday pay. If the employee worked, he shall be paid 200 percent of his regular salary for that day for the first eight hours. Computation: (Daily rate + COLA) x 200 percent. The COLA is also included in computation of holiday pay. If the employee worked in excess of eight hours (overtime work), he shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his hourly rate on said day. Computation:
Hourly rate of the basic daily wage x 200 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked. If the employee worked during a regular holiday that also falls on his rest day, he shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his daily rate of 200 percent. The Computation is (Daily rate + COLA) x 200 percent] + (30 percent [Daily rate x 200 percent)]. If the employee worked in excess of eight hours (overtime work) during a regular holiday that also falls on his rest day, he shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his hourly rate on said day. Computation: (Hourly rate of the basic daily wage x 200 percent x 130 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked); Meanwhile, for the special (nonworking) day on 31 December and the additional special (non-working) day on 24 December 2013, the pay following applies. If the employee did not work, the “no work, no pay” principle shall apply, unless there is a favorable company policy, practice, or collective bargaining
agreement (CBA) granting payment on a special day. If the employee worked, he shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his daily rate on the first eight hours of work. Computation: [(Daily rate x 130 percent) + COLA). If the employee worked in excess of eight hours (overtime work), he shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his hourly rate on said day. Computation: (Hourly rate of the basic daily wage x 130 percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked). If the employee worked during a special day that also falls on his rest day, he shall be paid an additional 50 percent of his daily rate on the first eight hours of work. Computation: [(Daily rate x 150 percent) + COLA]. If the employee worked in excess of eight hours (overtime work) during a special day that also falls on his rest day, he shall be paid an additional 30 percent of his hourly rate on said day. Computation: (Hourly rate of the basic daily wage x 150 continued on page 7
United Nations OCHA staff celebrate Christmas with the Tacloban community and giving inspiration to the children by singing Christmas carols and giving presents. (Photo courtesy of UN OCHA/Gemma Cortes)
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January 3, 2014
Regular and special holidays for 2014
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he year 2013 has come to an end. The Filipinos join the entire world in welcoming 2014. Even before the year ended, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III has issued Proclamation No. 655 declaring the regular holidays, special non-working days, and special holidays for the year 2014. This will allow the businessmen, various offices, both public and private, and schools to plan their activities. Notable is that Malacañang has declared January 31, 2014, Friday, a special non-working day in observance of Chinese New Year. In issuing the Proclamation, President Aquino noted the “the Chinese nationals all over the world will celebrate Spring Festival, popularly known as the Chinese New Year, which is one of the most revered and festive events celebrated not only in China but also in the Philippines by both Chinese Filipinos and ordinary Filipinos as well. The President added that the joint celebration is a manifestation of “our solidarity with our Chinese Filipino brethren who have been part of our lives in many respects as a country and as a people. “ “January 31, 2014 may be declared as a special (non-working) day without detriment to public interest,” the proclamation stated. The Proclamation 655 listed a total of 10 regular holidays, 7 special nonworking days and one special holidays for all schools nationwide.The following are the 2014 regular, special non-working
days, and special holiday for schools only. Regular Holidays include: New Year’s Day – January 1 (Wednesday) Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9 (Wednesday) Maundy Thursday – April 17 Good Friday – April 18 Labor Day – May 1 (Thursday) Independence Day – June 12 (Thursday) National Heroes Day – August 25 (Last Monday of August) Bonifacio Day – November 30 (Sunday) Christmas Day – December 25 (Thursday) Rizal Day – December 30 (Tuesday) Special non-working days include: Chinese New Year – January 31 (Friday) Black Saturday – April 19 Ninoy Aquino Day – August 21 (Thursday) All Saints Day – November 1 (Saturday) Additional special non working days December 24 (Wednesday) and December 26 (Friday) Last Day of the Year – December 31 (Wednesday) Special Holiday for all schools: EDSA Revolution Anniversary – February 25 (Tuesday) According to Malacañang the proclamation declaring national holidays for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eidul Adha “shall hereafter be issued after the approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with
the Islamic calendar (Hijra) or the lunar calendar, or upon Islamic astronomical calculations, whichever is possible or convenient.” To this end, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) shall inform the Office of the President on which days the holidays shall respectively fall.” (PIA 8)
Two Eastern Visayas...from page 1 by the DOLE through its regional offices to enrolled establishments that consistently comply voluntarily with labor standards. “The Award is bestowed upon deserving establishments that mirror excellence in voluntary labor standards compliance,” Director Sarcauga said. The TCCLS is instituted under Department Order No. 115-11, Series of 2011, otherwise known as the Guidelines in the Implementation of the Incentivizing Compliance Program (ICP). The Guidelines promote voluntary labor standards compliance with general labor standards, occupational safety and health standards, and the country’s Child Labor Law, Republic Act 9231, by giving due recognition and incentives to compliant establishments. It is a basic pre-qualification requirement to the DOLE Secretary’s Labor Law Compliance Award and to the golden standard to voluntary labor standards compliance in the Philippines, the Tripartite Seal of Excellence, Director Sarcauga added. (PIA 8)
Happy New Year! GREETINGS FROM PIA - 8
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January 3, 2014
SoLeyte Dad urges constituents to also produce food for Yolanda stricken areas BY: ERNA GORNE
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iming to produce its own supply of food particularly on meat products for the province, Southern Leyte Provincial Governor Roger Mercado urged beneficiaries to a natural hog fattening program, however, this time to include Yolanda -stricken areas, as well. As the Southern Leyte SocioEconomic Development (SOLSED), a newly organized cooperative based in the province launched its natural hog fattening program, Governor Roger
Mercado, one of the guest speakers, urged SOLSED hog partners to make good in hog fattening as “it is an opportunity to produce for our own food in the province and even supply food for Tacloban City since we are neighbors.� The said program released an initial 100 piglets to the 22-hog partners in Hinundayan, Southern Leyte. He said Tacloban City and its neighboring towns are in need for food and hog meat products could be easily brought there
especially with the good roads going to Leyte province. He also said presently the province is dependent on the hog meats supply coming from Mindanao at a rate of 2,000 heads every month consumption both for Sogod and Maasin City meat products demand while it the rest of the 9,000 heads of hogs reported at the port of entry every month at Benit Ferry Terminal in Pintuyan, Southern Leyte were anticipated to be delivered at Leyte and Samar provinces. SOLSED which is spearheaded by Representative Damian Mercado is an supposed to be his major programs to be funded by his defunct Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), therefore, the cooperative now is being mobilized at private capacity with no government funds being involved. One SOLSED Board of Directors member noted that hogs grown under the program could easily be sold since it is SOLSED who will buy exclusive buy their raw meat. (PIA8 SoLeyte)
Zero firecracker injury in So. Leyte BY: MARCELO M. PEDALINO For three consecutive years, this city and province has maintained its record of no injury caused by pyrotechnics, as revelers welQcomed the new year with the usual noisy celebration. According to dydm radio reporter Monching Buyser in a live report yesterday morning, 2014 was greeted by Maasinhons and Southern Leytenos in a truly festive and joyful manner without resulting to any emergency call at the provincial hospital. There was also no report of any injury caused by stray bullet, Buyser continued on page 7
January 3, 2014
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UN OCHA says shelter ...from page 1 private sector is encouraged to urgently assist in the efforts to use coco lumber from felled coconut trees as soon as possible, to use in rebuilding houses. Given continuing shortages in local markets, partners would also welcome in-kind assistance of shelter materials from private and public sources, the UN OCHA said. The Camp Coordination and Camp Management partners are advocating that two units be provided per family to increase living space and reduce crowding in bunkhouses, in line with SPHERE standards. Of those displaced, 61 per cent in Region VIII are hosted in evacuation centers that are also schools. The resumption of classes in January will have a significant impact on people living in these structures. CCCM requirements in the Strategic Response Plan are only about 10 per cent funded, UN OCHA added. (PIA 8)
Partnership presents: SANDUGO..from page 2 the organizers has sought the support of the Philippine Information Agency to broadcast announcements of the SANDUGO event and to conduct recorida announcements throughout all the barangays in Tacloban City. Moreover, PIA has been conducting hourly broadcast of the song in Tacloban City through its PIA Power FM 99.5. The SANDUGO event is for free and welcomes everyone, Ms. Manriquez said. “We also welcome individuals to share their stories during the concert,” she added. The event will be held at the church from 1:00 o’clock to 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon. At 4:30 in the afternoon, a community mass will be celebrated. For information, call Len Manriquez of PECOJON via 0928-5047379 or 0906-588-0751. (PIA 8)
staff from the United Nations OCHA dressed as Santa Claus gives Christmas presents to typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) survivors in Tacloban on Christmas Day (Photo courtesy of UN OCHA/Gemma Cortes)
Heed pay rules...from page 4
Zero firecracker injury...from page 6
percent x 130 percent x number of hours worked). DOLE will inspect establishments that will be reported violating pay rules, Director Sarcauga said. (PIA 8)
added. PIA called the provincial hospital and police stations today to gather updates and more details, but telephone ines just kept ringing, an indication of faulty connections. Unlike in previous years, the noise generated until midnight as 2013 gave way to 2014 was observed as not so deafening this time. This was attributed to the accidental burning of two firecrackers stalls at the Espina Boulevard two days before Christmas, when the stalls were tended only by the owner’s children and the customers, also children, lit a sample firecracker and threw it right there and then, causing the blast. The kids, however, escaped to safety. Firemen investigators estimated the damage at around P 200,000.00 for the two stalls. Meanwhile, Buyser also reported two infants, both girls, were born at the stroke of new year, the first was born 12:30 in the morning, and the second was delivered about 4;30 AM. (PIA8-Southern Leyte)
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January 3, 2014
North Samar DepEd OIC Supt. Eco delivers State of Division Address BY: AILENE N. DIAZ
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ear ending 2013, the DepEd Division of Northern Samar Superintendent Cristito Eco delivered the State of Division Address during the Stakeholders Summit held recently at Bulwagan Ng Mga Guro, Division Office, Catarman, Northern Samar. Supt. Eco presented to the body the direction of DepEd anchored on its mission which is to protect and promote the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based, and complete basic education where students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe and motivating environment and for the teachers to facilitate learning and constantly nurture every learner. Incorporated in its mission are administrators and staff, as steward of the institution, to ensure an enabling and supportive environment for effective learning to happen. Active engagement and share responsibility is anchored on the family, community and other stakeholders as well, for developing life-long learners. Eco informed that the DepEd Division of Northern Samar has 522 public elementary schools with 77 public secondary schools. 14, 946 enrolment in kindergarten, 4,053 enrolment in ALS/SPED and 46,392 enrolment in secondary for school year 2013-2014. Personnel strength includes 3,424 elementary teachers, 1,291
secondary teachers and 628 nonteaching staff. Guided by its mission and enthused by acclaimed values which is transparency, integrity, trust and outstanding performance, the Division was able to hire additional 631 teachers, construct 76 classrooms, construct WATSAN facilities to 35 schools, repair 66 classrooms, procure 7,219 armchairs, deliver 63,621 textbooks, deliver 2,022 teachers, deliver ICT package to 26 schools and install Internet to 67 schools. Rising above the gaps and challenges pose in the sector of education, Eco stressed the importance of the support of the stakeholders, thus, the holding of Stakeholder’s Summit to strengthen its engagement to various sector. (PIA8-Northern Samar)
PHL hosts 7th Asia Pacific Confab on reproductive, sexual health and rights
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he Philippine NGO Council on Population Health and Welfare (PNGOC ), a national net wor k of 97 NGOs ac tively involved in
promoting reproduc tive health care, is the lead convenor and host of the 7th Asia Pacific Conference on R eproduc tive and S exual Health and R ights (APCRSHR) to be held at Philippine I nter national Convention Center on Januar y 2124, 2014. The recent passage of the R esponsible Parenthood and R eproduc tive Health Law through the staunch suppor t of President B enigno Aquino III has inspired the organizers to showcase this landmar k legislation af ter the struggle of more than 14 years, the APCRSHR secretar iat said in a communication sent to PIA. The objec tive of the APCRSHR is to provide a pro ac tive venue for exchange of exper iences among Asia Pacific countr ies on good prac tices to achieve the objec tives of the I nter national Conference on Population and D evelopment (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994 where the ter m a nd concept of “R eproduc tive Health” was introduced and operationalized. The conference moreover, aims to infor m delegates on the progress of the Health MDG in Asia Pacific. S ome 3,000 delegates from var ious countr ies in the region representing the CSOs, academe, inter faith groups, youth, donors and p rogram staff are expec ted to attend. The registration rate of Php12,000.00 per par ticipant will cover admission to the conference, conference publications, field visit (on a first come, first ser ve basis), welcome reception, and conference tea breaks and lunches. For registration infor mation and details, visit the official conference website at w w w.7apcrshr manila.org. (PIA 8)