PIA Aklan Balita, October 16 - 31, 2022

Volume 20

Issue 20

KALIBO, Aklan (PIA) -- The province of Aklan, through Executive Order No. 045, is no longer allowing entry of all swine, pork products/pork-based or any products mixed or commingled with pork based products whether raw or preserved, labeled or unlabeled coming from other provinces within Panay Island.

This is to prevent and control entry of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the province, following ASF cases in the province of Iloilo.

The Order, issued by Governor Jose Enrique Miraflores on October 14, also prohibits entry of pork products that cannot be ascertained, including semen.

EO 45 is pursuant to the provisions of General Ordinance No. 2021-011 entitled “An Ordinance Governing the Prevention and Control of African Swine Fever in the Province of Aklan, Imposing Penalties for Violation thereof and Appropriating Funds There for.”

Section 2 of the E.O. mandates that municipal local government units, Barangay Biosecurity Officers, Philippine Coast Guard, maritime and PNP mobile force must augment personnel and provide assistance to the Veterinary Quarantine personnel at the provincial borders and ports, respectively.

Any banned products intercepted at the border control and territorial jurisdiction shall be confiscated and properly disposed of pursuant to the penalty provisions of General ordinance No. 2021-011.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ma. Cyrosa Leen Mabel Siñel, Provincial Veterinarian, revealed during the recent meeting of the Provincial ASF Task Force held at the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in Banga, Aklan, that currently, the province has installed checkpoints at the provincial borders to check/inspect baggage

October 16 - 31, 2022

Dr. Cyrosa Leen Mmabael Siñel, Aklan Provincial Veterinarian, gives the status of preventive measures the province is employing to prevent entry of ASF in Aklan during the recent Provincial ASF Task Force Conference held at the Agricultural Training Institute in Banga, Aklan.

or things brought by passengers coming from Iloilo and other parts of Panay Island.

These border checkpoints, according to her, are located in Altavas, Nabas, Buruanga and Caticlan in Malay, Aklan.

“In Altavas, the municipal government has provided 12 job order employees who will serve through rotation with the PNP personnel at checkpoints,” Dr. Siñel said.

She thanked the assistance of concerned LGUs in securing the provincial borders, and at the same time called on Aklanons to refrain from selling or buying online pork products well as from bringing these as “pasalubong” items from other provinces to protect Aklan’s hog industry.

According to the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPVET) and the ATI, 85% of Aklan’s hog industry are backyard raisers. (JBG/VGV/PIA 6 Aklan)

KALIBO, Aklan (PIA) -- Guidelines and protocols have been set by the Local Government Unit of Kalibo to ensure the safe observance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day 2022 in the municipality.

In Executive Order No. 057, issued by Kalibo Mayor Juris B. Sucro on October 21, 2022; there will be no closure of cemeteries for this year as the province of Aklan remains under alert level 1 provided that minimum health protocols would be strictly implemented.

According to the EO, gates of the public cemeteries will be opened at 6:00 in the morning and will be closed at 9:00 in the evening from October 31 until November 3, 2022. The management of private cemeteries have the discretion to impleThe Kalibo Municipal Cemetary located at Jaime Cardinal Sin Ave, Kalibo, Aklan, ment different operating hours but they should ensure not to days before the 'Undas" (SQP/PIA-Aklan)

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PIA AKLAN BALITA

Vol. No. 20 Issue No. 20

KALIBO, Aklan (PIA) -- The province of Aklan has a goal for food sufficiency and full economic prosperity but this will not happen overnight, thus, the Aklanon youth must be prepared for this continuing challenges in the future, according to Aklan governor Jose Enrique Miraflores.

Miraflores issued this statement when he delivered his accomplishment report to the Aklanons in the first 100 days of his office recently.

According to him, the Aklanon youth must be well-equipped both in body and mind as they become fully productive members of the community.

As assistance to the young Aklanons to attain this, the governor said that the provincial government continues to provide student allowances to qualified students under its scholarship assistance program and educational assistance to students in crisis situation.

“Since July up to the present, a total of 1,011 students already received allowances and educational assistance in our scheduled payouts. As the new semester begins, another distribution will be scheduled anew to benefit additional 2,185 students,” Miraflores said.

He also disclosed that the provincial scholarship examination held recently yielded 50 qualifiers for full scholarship and 3,688 as grantees.

He added that on the first week of October, 110 beneficiaries of Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) who completed their summer jobs received their cash assistance from the provincial government.

Aside from providing scholarships which is a way of taking care of their minds, Miraflores said the bodies of the youth must also be cared for, thus, the provincial government also extends financial incentives to world-class Aklanon athletes.

He mentioned Pencak Silat gold medalist Mary Francine Padios and other municipal and barangay amateur athletes, who received financial incentives from the provincial government in appreciation of the honor they bestowed to the province for winning in national and regional sports events.

The Social Security System (SSS) announces that its branches located in shopping malls in the National Capital Region (NCR) are now open on Saturdays until December 31, 2022 to accommodate members who can only transact with SSS on weekends.

A total of 12 branches in shopping malls within Metro Manila are now accepting SSS transactions except the tellering services on Saturdays which include Cubao, Malabon, Novaliches, Paso de Blas, Antipolo, Mandaluyong-Shaw, Marikina, Ortigas, Las Piñas, Makati-Chino Roces, Parañaque, and Taguig.

These branches are open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. except for Novaliches and Ortigas which are open from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Michael G. Regino said that SSS extended the business hours of several branches to accommodate transacting members even during weekends.

“We understand that many SSS members cannot visit SSS offices during weekdays given their working schedule, so we decided to open our branches in shopping malls on Saturdays until the end of the year,” Regino said.

Meanwhile, 43 SSS branches in NCR will start assisting members as early as 7:00 a.m., an hour earlier than their regular servicing hours. These branches include Batasan Hills, Congressional, Cubao, Deparo, Diliman, Eastwood, Fairview, Kalookan, Malabon, Navotas, Paso de Blas, San Francisco Del Monte, Valenzuela, Antipolo, Mandaluyong-

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Young Aklanons who qualified for the Provincial Government College Scholarship Program for school year 2022-2023 submit their documents to the staff of the Provincial Governor's Office during their oriientation held recently at the ABL Sports Complex, Kalibo, Aklan. (Photo courtesy of the Aklan Information and Media Affairs Division) “We also seek to transform the ABL Sports Complex to better serve Akeanons, particularly the youth, by upgrading its sports facilities and installing it with an air conditioning system. We will also transform the Calangcang Sports Complex into a full-fledged Aklan recreation and sports center. It will have a covered gymnasium for indoor sports activities such as bowling, billiards, badminton, table tennis and later, with kiddie pools, slides and rock climbing facilities,” Miraflores said.

The Calangcang Sports Complex, located in Makato, Aklan, is the province’s main venue for sports activities each time it hosts the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) meet.

(JBG/VGV/PIA6 Aklan)

Shaw, Marikina, Marikina-Malanday, New Panaderos, PasigMabini, Pasig-Pioneer, Pasig-Rosario, San Juan, Tanay, Binondo, Legarda, Manila, Pasay-Roxas, Pasay-Taft, Sta. Mesa, Tondo, Welcome, Alabang-Muntinlupa, Alabang-Zapote, Bicutan Sun Valley, Las Piñas, Makati-Chino Roces, Makati-Gil Puyat, Makati-Guadalupe, Makati-JP Rizal, Parañaque, Parañaque-Tambo, Taguig, and Taguig Gate 3.

“These initiatives reflect our continuous commitment to serve our members and their beneficiaries better, especially during this Holiday season. We further encourage them to take advantage of this extended business hours, which is one way of showing our dedication to serve the growing number of transacting members and stakeholders,” Regino added.

Likewise, SSS members and their beneficiaries, employers, and pensioners may also opt to conduct their transactions through SSS online channels such as the My.SSS portal on the SSS website (www.sss.gov.ph) and the SSS Mobile App for a more convenient way of transacting with SSS. (Amiel Genova/SSS)

PIA AKLAN BALITA

Vol. No. 20 Issue No. 20

25 October 2022 – KALIBO, AKLAN The Philippine Statistics Authority – Aklanis currently conducting the 2022 Household Survey on Domestic Visitors (HSDV) in selected barangays of the province.A total of 96 households were chosen as samples for this survey, covering the areas of Barangay Daguitan, Daja Norte, and Tinapuay in Banga, Barangay Bagacay in Ibajay, Barangay Poblacion in Makato and New Washington, and Barangay Jawili in Tangalan.

According to Engr. Antonet B. Catubuan, Provincial head of PSA in Aklan, this survey aims to gather data on domestic and international tourism, particularly onthe volume and extent of economic contribution of domestic and outbound visitors, and on other indicatorsthat will help in measuring the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the tourism industry.

“These data are used as baseline in crafting plans and programs for the effective and efficient development and implementation of tourism in the country,” Engr. Catubuan said.

One data collectorwas hired by PSA for this survey to conduct field interview to qualified respondent of eachsample household.

Among the data that will be collected from the household include demographic information of each member, their socioeconomic characteristics, travel patterns, travel profile and characteristics of domestic and outbound visitors.

The PSA Provincial Focal Person of this survey, Supervising Statistical Specialist Rodelyn R. Panadero, encouraged

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A data collector interviews one of the sample household in domestic tourism survey at Brgy. Bagacay, Ibajay, Aklan

the public to give exact information to data collector to ensure the reliability of survey results.

The office also assures that the information provided by respondents will be treated with utmost confidentiality as provided for by law. (ENGR. ANTONET B. CATUBUAN/ PSA-Aklan)

CAMP PERALTA, Jamindan, Capiz - A member of CPPNPA terrorist was killed in an encounter with the Army’s 62nd Infantry Unifier Battalion in Sitio Mambog, Brgy Planas, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on October 29, 2022.

While the troops are on standby alert to extend humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations to ensure the residents’ safety in Guihulngan City following the onslaught of Tropical Storm Paeng, the unit received information from the locals about the presence of CPP-NPA rebels purportedly engaging in extortion activities in Brgy Planas.

As the troops were patrolling in the area, they encountered more or less 20 members of Central Negros 1, Komiteng Rehiyon – Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor (KR-NCBS).

The firefight lasted for about 30 minutes. After which, the enemies scampered towards the southern direction.

On the same day, while the troops were conducting pursuit operations, another encounter transpired against the fleeing CPP -NPA at Sitio Ilihan, Brgy Buenavista, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, which lasted for five minutes gunfight.

There is no casualty on the government side in the series of encounters.

Recovered from the encounter site is one (1) CPP-NPA body count; one (1) 12 gauge shotgun; one (1) .45 cal pistol; one (1) hand grenade; two (2) Baofeng Radios; two (2) backpacks with personal belongings; and CNT's subversive documents.

In his statement, MGen Benedict M Arevalo, 3ID Commander, acknowledged the support of the residents in the area and assured them that the troops would continue to perform its mandate to counter the terroristic activities of the CPP-NPA even amid the devastation of Tropical Storm Paeng.

“We called on the remaining members of the CPP-NPA to surrender peacefully; we will accept you with open arms, especially in these trying times that we are currently facing the dreadful effect of TS Paeng,” MGen Arevalo said.

“You could no longer stay in your lairs because hungriness will push you out, and the people are now starting to give information and cooperate with us. Your fight against our government forces is nearing its end; your movement is now being limited and constricted,” MGen Arevalo added. (LTC MAGNO M MAPALAD III (INF) GSC PA)

CAMP PERALTA, Jamindan, Capiz - The two-month-long Battalion of Excellence (BOE) Training Program of the 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division for its 15th Infantry (Molave Warriors) Battalion culminated on Friday, October 28, 2022, at 3ID covered gym in Camp Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz.

Major General Benedict M Arevalo, Commander of the 3ID, who served as keynote speaker during the graduation rites, is optimistic that the Molave Warriors are now ready to face any challenges as they return to their area of deployment.

"The Molave warriors are now ready to return to their area and perform their sworn duty better after finishing the program," said MGen Arevalo.

The BOE training program is the centerpiece of the Philippine Army's capability development and improvement of organizational performance.

It was intended to develop the performance of the Infantry Battalions in a combat capacity to perform the tasks and operations across the different mission areas where the battalions are projected to operate. (LTC MAGNO M MAPALAD III (INF) GSC PA)

PIA AKLAN BALITA

Vol. No. 20 Issue No. 20

PAGE 04

CAMP PERALTA, Jamindan, Capiz - The Army's 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division mobilized its humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) teams and their equipment to help Severe Tropical Storm Paeng- affected areas.

Different units of 3ID ramped up their HADR operations and assisted in the recovery efforts in some areas in the province of Capiz on Friday, October 28, 2022.

MGen Benedict M Arevalo, the Commander of 3ID, personally inspected the equipment used by the troops during the deployment of 112 personnel from Camp Peralta Station Hospital, 3rd Signal Battalion, 3rd Installation Management Battalion, 3rd Headquarters Service Company and 15th Infantry 'Molave' Battalion.

"One of our missions is to alleviate the condition of our countrymen in times of difficulties. It is important to understand preparedness. We may be able to deliver the expected service from the Philippine Army," said MGen Arevalo.

The 3ID Commander also directed all units under the Division to be prepared and ready to assist LGUs in providing humanitarian and disaster assistance to affected individuals in their respective Area of Operation.

In Negros Island, 3ID's 62nd Infantry Battalion also augmented the Disaster Response and Rescue Operations (DRRO) of Guihulngan City-LGU to typhoon-affected families and individuals in Barangay Poblacion on October 26, 2022.. .

(LTC MAGNO M MAPALAD III (INF) GSC PA)

Camp Peralta, Jamindan Capiz - A distressed New People's Army member involved in a series of encounters in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, voluntarily surrendered to the Army's 94th Infantry Battalion on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

Alias Jan-Jan decided to return to the law's folds after realizing the organization's atrocities and false promises.

Accordingly, alias Jan-Jan carried the firearms of his eight (8) wounded comrades after the series of encounters in the area.

He was separated from the group when they scampered in different directions to escape the troops.

Alias Jan-Jan surrendered two (2) M16A1 rifles with ammunition and magazines.

In his statement, MGen Benedict M Arevalo, the Commander of the Army's 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division,

lauded the boldness of alias Jan-Jan for returning to the folds of the law despite the promises and propaganda inculcated by the organization to him.

Likewise, MGen Arevalo urged the remaining NPA members to grab the timely opportunity to surrender to the government and avail livelihood and financial assistance through the E-CLIP or else they will suffer the fate of their comrades who died in previous encounters.

"I am glad about the initiative of alias Jan-Jan to surrender. With his surrender, I am hoping that more NPA members will return to the folds of the law after realizing that joining their organization will not solve their problems but only destroy their dreams and hopes for their families," said MGen Arevalo. (LTC MAGNO M MAPALAD III (INF) GSC PA)

Kalibo lays down...

From page 01 exceed 9:00pm.

When going to the cemeteries, wearing of face masks and bringing of sanitizers are highly encouraged. For those who are exhibiting flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, and colds are discouraged to visit the cemeteries.

The EO also provided prohibited activities and items inside the cemeteries. Visitors are not allowed to carry with them glass-bottled alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks in cemeteries.

Also not allowed to carry by visitors are bladed weapons, explosives, unlicensed firecrackers, harmful chemicals, and other items which can cause harm, injury or death.

Drones and firearms are also prohibited, except for those with security clearances.

Further, playing of loud music or karaoke and gambling, and staying overnight are strictly prohibited inside the cemeteries in Kalibo.

All types of vehicles inside the cemetery premises are not allowed.

Also part of the guidelines that will be strictly implemented in all cemeteries here is only ambulant vendors with special permits from LGU-Kalibo will be allowed to sell goods from October 30 to November 3 at the designated ambulant vending areas outside the cemeteries, public market, and stalls set by the Municipality of Kalibo.

The LGU-Kalibo also will implement the no burial, internment, or cremation in all cemeteries operating within Kalibo during the said period, except for cases of immediate burials.

Visitors shall also observe proper waste disposal and apply “Clean as You Go” policy. All cemeteries must obey garbage collection points determined by the MEEDO-Solid Waste Management Division.

The aforesaid guidelines and protocols will be implemented by the Kalibo Police Station to be assisted by the Bureau of Fire Protection, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, Transport and Traffic Management Division and the Kalibo Auxiliary Police under the Municipal Economic Enterprise Development Office, Barangay Tanods, and other concerned office. (AAL/SQP/PIA Aklan)