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SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2017
Jimbo Gulle, Editor
Roger Garcia, Issue Editor
LGUs
mslocalgov@gmail.com
EAGLE FOUNDATION GETS PRIVATE BOOST
T
HE Philippine Eagle Foundation believes that saving the population of the Philippine Eagle is not a lost cause, after all. The private sector is being tapped to assist and provide the necessary logistical and technical support to PEF through its Philippine eagle adoption program. Currently—through the foundation’s partnership with Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, an oil company based in Davao—they hope to accomplish more in their captive breeding efforts to augment the population of the species. PEF’s conservation breeding program, cooperative artificial insemination techniques and breeding of natural pairs in order to contribute to the species’ population are among the methods currently being employed. Phoenix Philippines Foundation, Inc. of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, one of the leading private companies that support the foundation’s captive breeding efforts, takes pride in the Philippine Eagle and its significance in keeping a healthy and balanced ecosystem. “We fully support the Philippine Eagle Foundation in its efforts to protect and save our majestic national bird,” said Phoenix Petroleum president and CEO Dennis Uy. PEF executive director Dennis Salvador, meanwhile, airs his group’s call for more private companies like Phoenix to join in this noble mission of protecting our national bird from extinction. Phoenix’s adopted Philippine eagle, named after the company, is a natural pair to the female eagle “Marikit.” They have been paired for about seven years now. They are one of the four natural pairs at the Philippine Eagle Center. The pair has laid eggs in the past breeding seasons, but they were infertile. Philippine eagle Phoenix as part of a natural pair has a crucial role in the efforts to augment the dwindling population of the species. The PEF team is hopeful that in the next breeding season Phoenix and his pair can finally produce their first fertile egg. Philippine Eagles are monogamous birds—they keep only one partner for life. Finding their pair takes time both in the wild and in captivity. At the PEC, pairing attempts are done in an introduction cage about 40 feet high. It has a partition in the middle to avoid the eagles from harming each other in the process. Philippine eagles are highly territorial and show aggression to each other if they are not compatible. “Once an eagle finds a suitable female eagle for him, he will court her by giving her twigs. It’s like giving roses to us humans,” said Rai Gomez, PEF Education administrator. “Once the pair successfully copulates, they are able to lay an egg. It takes 56 to 60 days to hatch an eagle.” The PEF is hopeful for the success of every natural pair in the Philippine Eagle Center. Through the participation of corporations like Phoenix Petroleum, the PEF is able to look after the needs of the eagles in captivity by providing for their food, medicine, shelter and veterinary care.
VIZCAYA STRUCTURES ‘NATIONAL TREASURES’ By Ben Moses Ebreo BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The National Museum has declared two timeworn structures in the province as National Cultural properties of the country. These structures are the Dampol Bridge in Dupax del Sur town and the old Provincial Capitol building situated in this town. The Dampol Arch Bridge, built by Spanish Dominican friar Fr. Francisco Rocamora in 1818, was considered as one of the very few remaining historic landmarks in the southern part of Nueva Vizcaya The two centuries old structure is a single-arched brick bridge that spans the Abanatan creek which divides Dupax Sur and Dupax Norte towns. The early Isinay tribe, with other indigenous groups living in the old ‘Ituy’ area, built the bridge. Native hands crafted the red-colored brick from an old adobe workshop near the Dominican church of San Vicente Ferrer in Dupax when Fr. Rocamora was its vicar. The bridge connected the two Dupaxes to nearby towns and facilitated the transport of people and products for trade in horse-driven carts during the earlier period. Earlier, attempts to widen the narrow bridge through the Department of Public Works and Highways was met by protests from the Isinai tribe because of its historical and cultural value.
ACADEME LAUDS TRO ON RCOA Scan this icon to view the PDF
'PHOENIX,' the Philippine eagle adopted by Phoenix Philippines Foundation Inc., has become the partner of 'Marikit' for over seven years now, but they have not produced eaglets yet.
QC, DSWD SIGN PACT TO BUILD HOUSES FOR PWDS QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista and Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo recently signed a joint memorandum of understanding for the development of a housing project to benefit primarily, residents living with disabilities or people with disabilities (PWDs) in Barangay Escopa III. According to Secretary to the Mayor Tadeo Palma, the city government has already poured in P30 million for land development as he announced during the formal signing rites that the 36 housing units are scheduled for turnover by the end of May this year. Taguiwalo, meanwhile, de-
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scribed the joint undertaking as “a good example of public-private partnership.” “What we have here at Escopa is a small paradise for persons with disabilities,” Taguiwalo said. Gawad Kalinga represented during the occasion by GK-QC head Justine Cruz, was tapped to undertake the development and construction of the housing project, which will be known as Bistekville 18. Bautista urged the housing program beneficiaries to take good care of the houses that will be awarded to them. “Sana huwag naman ninyong ibenta ang mga
titulo,” the city mayor said. Bistekville 18, will be established on a portion of the National Vocational Rehabilitation Center in Barangay Escopa III. The property will be designed to yield about 130 two-story housing units with floor area measuring 21 square meters each. An initial 36 units are now under construction. As provided for under the partnership agreement, Quezon City has been tasked to oversee the land development, to include site clearing and construction of roads, drainages and retaining walls and rip-rap and in the development of open spaces.
The city has also been tasked to assist in the social preparation and in the selection of beneficiaries. The DSWD, on the other hand, shall act as the lead agency in the selection of qualified beneficiaries and in the resolution and arbitration of disputes relative to beneficiary selection. Gawad Kalinga shall oversee the provision of the housing component. The city government also facilitated the relocation of non-PWD or able families from Barangay Escopa to the National Housing Authority-designated resettlement site in Pandi, Bulacan.
TOWARDS the end of 2016, hundreds of power customers aired their grievances over what they saw as unreasonable and unrealistic rules emanating from a government ruling that requires industrial and commercial customers to forcibly sign up with a Retail Electricity Supplier, or RES, by Feb. 26, 2017. Hundreds in attendance reiterated apprehensions that there was very little time for them to secure a Retail Supply Contract, or RSC, with an RES before the deadline, in accordance with the new ruling imposed under Retail Competition and Open Access or RCOA. Per the Energy Regulatory Commission and Department of Energy resolutions, these previously captive customers should by then have switched to the contestable power market by the cut-off date. Ateneo de Manila University and San Beda College Alabang, in a joint statement, recently expressed satisfaction and relief following the Supreme Court's recent ruling imposing a temporary restraining order on the recent rulings and policies by the ERC and DoE affecting RCOA. Both schools said they are encouraged the SC declared their joint petition as “successfully establishing a clear, legal right to the TRO,” as they seek to uphold the spirit of Epira, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, which protects the freedom and the rights of all power consumers. Ateneo de Manila University president Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin SJ said: “ADMU believes that our government and ruling bodies should ultimately seek to protect our basic, constitutional right to freedom of choice. And this right should extend to all electricity consumers.
19TH PAWIKAN NEST FOUND IN DAVAO’S CLEANERGY PARK
A worker of Aboitiz Cleanergy Park in Davao cleans the nest of a hawksbill turtle or pawikan, the 19th nest found in the park in three years.
THE Aboitiz Cleanergy Park welcomed the 19th critically endangered hawksbill turtle or pawikan nest on its property since 2014, and its third for the year. This comes barely two weeks after the discovery of the park’s first and second pawikan nests for 2017. Located in Punta Dumalag, Davao City, the park is an eight-hectare outdoor biodiversity park managed by the Aboitiz Foundation and Davao Light. It showcases urban-based habitat conservation and biodiversity management.
It is one of the few identified nesting sites of the pawikan, and is home to 66 other species. The latest pawikan nest was discovered last Feb. 8 during an inspection of the park’s foreshore lease area. It contained pawikan eggs, which were transferred by Davao Light team members to the park’s hatchery. A female pawikan is known to lay eggs three to five times in two-week intervals during mating seasons (barring no unnecessary disturbances), and the eggs’ incubation
period is expected to last between 50 to 60 days. Prior to the discovery of the third pawikan nest, the park’s first and second pawikan nests for 2017 were discovered last Jan. 10 and 25, respectively. “We are happy to welcome the latest batch of pawikans to the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park,” said Maribeth L. Marasigan, Aboitiz Foundation first vice president and chief operating officer. “We will ensure that they continue making the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park their breeding ground and sanctuary
by creating surrounding communities that are safe, sustainable, and empowered.” The Aboitiz Cleanergy Park is also a haven for various species of trees, birds and fishes. In 2016, the Aboitiz Foundation stepped up its conservation campaign with “#BetterWorld for the Pawikans,” a drive to raise funds for the protection and preservation of the hawksbill turtle in Punta Dumalag, one of the last few remaining natural habitats for this turtle specie.