SP Approves 20% Counterpart Of P1M Plan International's Donation For School Building Construction

SP Approves 20% Counterpart Of P1M Plan International’s Donation For School Bldg.Construction

By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The Sangguniang Panlalawigan has approved recently during their session at the provincial capitol a 20% funds as counterpart to Plan International’s P1M donation for the construction of one unit school building with two classrooms and complete facilities at Son-ok Elementary School in Pintuyan,Panaon Island of this province.

Nevertheless, although being approved already, it was still necessary for the Provincial Board to pass a resolution no.435-s.2010 endorsing Son-ok’s resolution no.1-s.2010 to the Provincial School Board. This is with the provision that their request would be expedited due to the urgency of the need.

The favorable endorsement of SP Daisy Gumale of the second District was seconded by Cesar Rey.

On the other hand, Plan International, which is based in the Panaon Island composed of four municipalities, has requested the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for an accreditation.

However,SP Abelardo Almario,Chairman Committee on Laws, Rules and Ways, told the august body that Plan International, being a non-profit, non-stock organization cannot be accredited under the Government Procurement Act of which the BAC handles all procurement of goods, services and infrastructures.

Almario also commented that considering the broad and encompassing power of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan,it would serve the best interest if the accreditation be made by the SP itself as a body for Plan International’s.

But the Provincial Legal Officer, Atty.Tobias Aguilar, recommended that instead of an accreditation, it would just be recognition by the SP “for the noble and humanitarian efforts of Plan International in the province”.

Vice-Governor Miguel Maamo, 111, for his part had asked Almario if the Plan International has a previous accreditation from the provincial government.Nonetheless.the latter could not give a definite answer to the former.

But when Plan International Manager Fe Montaño made a follow-up of her office’s application, Almario asked her in turn the same question thrown to him by Maamo. The Manager replied in the positive.

Moreover, the recommendation of the Legal Officer prevailed that thru resolution no.434-s.2010, the word accreditation was not used but by “extending recognition to Plan International for its noble and humanitarian efforts” by providing financial assistance and helping some poor families, most particularly in the areas where Plan International is based.

Furthermore, Gumale, the endorser of the Son-ok’s request for 20% provincial government’s counterpart for the school building construction, could not be contacted as of presstime concerning the progress of the project. She was still out of the country on official US visit, according to our source at the provincial capitol.(Quirico M. Gorpido.Jr.)

RARE Conservation,Inc. Offers Scholarship To Provincial Employee On Biodiversity Conservation

RARE Conservation, Inc. Offers Scholarship To Provincial Employee On Biodiversity Conservation

By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-RARE Conservation, Inc., a US-based non-government organization has offered scholarship to a provincial employee, Armando O. Gaviola to study biodiversity conservation at Georgetown University in Arlington, Washington, DC.

This was learned during the recent session held at the newly-finished Legislative Building’s session hall at the provincial capitol here.

The NGO has put up a budget allocation of $176,566.00 for the two-year program which is piloted in the municipality of Hinunangan.This is under the consent of the local leadership for the future benefit of its fisherfolks.

However, 2% of the aforesaid amount which is $4,347.82 or approximately P200, 000.00 Philippine currencies will be the counterpart of the provincial government. This is particularly taken from the EIC program of the Provincial Environment and Natural resources Management Office (PENRMO) budget during the implementation of the program.

Gaviola during his presence at the weekly session informed the august body that the program will cover for two years. For the first two months, he will be having a comprehensive training in Georgetown University. He will be back to the province in ten months working closely with the municipality of Hinunangan.

For another two months in Georgetown, he will be going back again for 10 months for similar purpose. This is actually his “practicum” to implement what he has learned at the US University.

The last two months in Washington, the US scholar further said, shall be the finalization of the master plan for reasonable fishing in Southern Leyte and his graduation ceremony.

Gaviola also clarified to the Provincial Board Members that his US studies would be shouldered by RARE Conservation and that he will not be claiming any travel or per diem as an employee of the provincial government, in answer to SP Florentino Fernandez’s inquiry.

He likewise informed that the project that is piloted in Hinunangan, which will be focused in the islands of San Pedro and San Pablo, shall be replicated in the 18 municipalities and one city during its actual implementations.

Asked again by Fernandez on Hinunangan’s responsibility as a host of the project, he said that Hinunangan’s counterpart as of the moment is “to lay down a master plan” and that by 2012 the municipality might take part in the financial aspect.”To date, it’s more on the technical side that is on information education drive in agriculture and fishery”, he said.

Again asked further by another SP Roberto Lagumbay why the project is to be focused in Hinunangan,he revealed that there’s an ongoing minor illegal fishing and the current threat of the exploration of mining in the municipalities of Silago,Hinunangan and Hinundayan.He did not however divulged the name of the firm conducting the mining exploration.

Furthermore, he claimed there’s now a strong opposition from the local leadership of the place. He said that an association of fisherfolks, the MFARMCs is in the process of the petition addressed to the LGU to take action against the mining exploration.

Prohibition of Small Holes Fishing Nets

At the time the entire fisherfolks from 18 municipalities and one city of the province would learned from Gaviola’s knowledge on biodiversity conservation in fishery and agriculture, concerned fish consumers provincewide are expecting that they would stopped seeing small fishes being sold at the public markets by fish vendors in some areas of Southern Leyte.

The principal reason for its premature presence inside the “banyeras”(huge tin deep basins where various small fishes aside from big fishes for sale were stored) is because some fishermen, if not the majority, were using very small holes fishing nets instead of big holes, which would allow entrapped small fishes to escape inside the fishing nets.

The whole fishery sector in the province should be strictly instructed by fishery officials in every LGU to avoid using fishing nets with small holes but fishing nets with big holes only. This is in order that small fishes like mangko, bangsi, salinyasi and other small fishes being caught on nets can escape out and can allow themselves to grow into matured fishes for man’s consumption later on.

On the part of all the fishermen everywhere in the country, it is their obligation to follow and cooperate with fishery laws since the laws are promulgated for the good benefit of both the fishermen and the consumers.

Concerned people have observed that there’s a huge depletion of our marine resources due to dynamite and overfishing of immature fishes in our seas. Plus the unabated breached of our fishery laws on biodiversity conservation on sea products by some of our uncooperative fishermen. We hope that when Gaviola will be imparting his knowledge he learned from his US studies, our fishermen and farmers in the whole province will start learning to follow and cooperate with the laws on fishery and agricultural conservation.

As of presstime, Gaviola is currently in the US University acquiring some technical knowledge from experts in the field of fishing and agriculture.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

The Revival Of The Spanish Language As Subject In School Is Beneficial And Favorable To Filipinos

The Revival Of The Spanish Language As Subject In All School Levels Is Beneficial And Favorable To Filipinos

B y Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

The plan and the decision of the Department Of Education to revive the Spanish language as subject in all school levels-elementary, high school and college-is beneficial and favorable to Filipinos. Imparting to our forefathers the language of Spain during Her era of power is part of the good things that our colonizer was doing in the past. Aside from the constructions of big cathedrals in various part of the country including those in Ilocos Norte. Our forefathers have also acquired some traits that became useful which were integrated into our inherent culture.

Although it cannot be denied that some friars have committed atrocities against the Filipinos in general. However, we, the latter generations that did not experience any kind of good and evil done by the Spaniards during their almost 400 years of dominance and supremacy, should not concentrate only on the negative side of the Spanish colonization. We should give more weight on the good things that they have done to our country than their wrongdoings.

Though our forefathers could not forget some of their atrocities, we, who have only learned our past through reading history books, should be more forgiving in our present dealings with the latter breed and generations of the Spanish people.

Recalling an article entitled “Quezon’s Mexican Tour” by historian-writer and Ateneo professor Ambeth Ocampo, PDI, Oct. 13, 2010 issue, I’ve noticed that the very article that I was reading was a quote from the narration of the First Filipino Commonwealth President Manuel L.Quezon on his trip to Mexico in April 1947.

In his article, Quezon narrated how he was welcomed by the Mexican people, also a colony of Spain, and whose people speak the Spanish Language. Everywhere he went he was cheered. He was well-known to the people of México, not only as a representative of the Filipinos, but as the President as well.

He sincerely believed that because at that time majority of educated Filipinos can speak the Spanish language, he considered that, with a sense of history, the medium of our former colonizer has provided us and our country a linkage to all of the Latin-American countries. Nevertheless, what happened after several decades was the opposite: the educated Filipinos during the previous decades have decided to junk the Spanish language by abolishing it as a subject in all school levels.

This must be the reason why when I started studying in high school at the Immaculate Conception College(run by the Columban Orders) in Ozamis City as a working student, we have no longer Spanish subject. But I was able to choose one of an “old’ soft-bond books on Spanish language mingled with other books in school during vacation period.(Nevertheless,during our Alumni Homecoming in Dec. 1993,it was announced that ICC will have an institutional academic partnership with De La Salle University the following year until 1998.Latest development has it as revealed to me by my schoolmate Rona Marilao of Gango,Ozamis City that between 1998 and 1999 the ICC-DLSU partnership has stopped existing and the school is now called De La Salle University.This was after an agreement was reached among the members of the Board and the rein of stewarship and management was entirely turned over to the De La Salle Brothers.Our Alma Mater,she said, has now new additional school buildings constructed by the De La Salle Brothers.)

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As one of the working students in high school (we were 25 working students at that time).Some of us would have to do some “repair” of many books whose covers were either loosen or destroyed by several years of usage by high school students who rented those books. Thus some old books that have duplication were given to us by our nun-supervisor Sister Mary Remedios.One of the “old” ones

was a book on Spanish grammar with some Spanish sentences translated into English. This was aside from other books like poems, short stories and a book of miscellaneous articles (written by various authors including that of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s) which I have taken from its file.

I have read those Spanish sentences and I did not know if I read it right. I read it verbally and just tried to insticntveily pronounced any Spanish words according to my perception. I have read that book from time to time during my spare time. And I preferred to hear the sounds and its intonation the way Spanish speakers spoke this language, even though I do not understand most of what it means.

As a kid in the 1950s my maternal grandmother, obviously a Spanish mestiza by her looks spoke in Spanish in some occasions with her younger brother Jose, whose compound in Ozamis City was where we were living together with some cousins, uncles and aunts. I just have this deep penchant of the Spanish language despite of the fact that I could not comprehend most of its words and sentence constructions. I like to listen also to Spanish songs. What drives me to like the Spanish songs is that aside from its word pronounciation, the tunes and the melodies are fascinating and pleasing to my ears.

Occasionally, my mestiza grandmother, whose root is from Ilocos Norte, would have outburst her anger in the Spanish language. Since I could not understand the whole thing she was uttering, I just keep my silence. When she calmed down I would asked her what was the meaning of what she was saying in the Cebuano language. And that’s the only time that I would understand what she was bursting about.

Her younger brother Lolo Jose, however, talked less in the Spanish language. He would also translate some of what he said to me even without my asking.

Recently, a monthly religious magazine, an official organ of a well-known religious organization originating from the Philippines has included Spanish section in it. The articles contain are the fundamental doctrines of the Church that are solely based in the Holy Scriptures. This famous magazine that published both English and Tagalog articles are available in almost all libraries in major cities of the country like in Davao City, Cebu, Metro Manila, etc.Nonetheless, this magazine can also be borrowed from the members of the Church in various localities/districts in the country. Its religious articles are worth reading, especially for the true seekers of Truth.

The writer of the Spanish article is a Church’s Minister of the Gospel. He was a Filipino who writes in the English language as well. He was one of those Ministers of the Gospel chosen by the Church Administration to be assigned outside the Philippines. They took up lessons in the Spanish language to prepare themselves for a foreign mission in the Latin-American countries, like Brazil, Mexico, Spain, etc. With their newly-acquired knowledge, they become proficient in speaking the Spanish language which makes them easy to communicate with the people in the Latin-American continent. Mastering the Spanish grammar, its syntax and sentences constructions, this Minister of the Gospel can now write and speak in the Spanish language with ease. Students of the Spanish Language can add this religious magazine as another material for reading in the Spanish language.

Again, reviving the Spanish language as subject in all school levels is good, beneficial and favorable to the Filipinos who want to become multi-lingual speakers. Being multi-lingual speakers have a great edge over/against the other nationalities who only want to speak in their own languages.

It is also an added boost to the competitiveness among Filipino Professionals who want to seek jobs and work/serve in other countries of the world. Speakers in the Spanish language always fascinate my senses, particularly those Spanish songs(solos and duets) that are now rarely played on the airwaves.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Viper FM 106.1Music Station Shall Be Backed On Air Soon

Viper FM 106.1 Music Station Will Be Backed On Air Soon

Viper FM 106.1, a new music station based in brgy. Ichon, Macrohon will be backed on the air very soon. This was the assurance from one of the workers of the Kalayaan Printing Press owned by the Saludo family in the aforesaid place.

The Kalayaan workers were having a picnic and some kind of relaxation at the Gloria Beach Resort in brgy.Ibarra,Maasin City, one Sunday after noon while I was there selling the Manila and Cebu-based newspapers.(Many curious individuals are asking me why I continue to sell newspapers in spite of the fact that I’m a news writer. My frank answer is that: I receive only a small amount of honorarium per article as a news correspondent to a Tacloban-based regional daily newspaper. And I did not become rich yet until this very moment.

Although I have experienced working in various jobs but with minimal salaries in several occasions while I was living in Metro Manila for many years, still it did not make me rich even. My earnings were not quite enough for my needs… Unless an unexpected windfall will fall infront of me(may God grant it!), or a well-to-do relative will help me in my financial situation, that’s the time that I will stop selling newspapers, which I did started while I was a working student in first year high school in Ozamis City,Misamis Occidental,Mindanao,my second home. In fact after my schooling, every time I lost a job or was led off, I always go back to selling newspapers in the streets. Why? We lost our father at a very young age and I have not a wealthy sibling. In fact, I was able to study journalism on my own effort while I was living in Metro Manila for several years. However, I stopped before I could finish my course because I have lost my job.)

I approached one of them who were having a drink, while one of their companions was belting a song played by the Karaoke video inside a hall. I asked him in Cebuano: Aduna bay purohan nga madungog o mobalik pagsibya ang Viper FM sa kahanginan? “Oo, hundred percent nga mobalik ang Viper FM sa kahanginan”, he replied in the Cebuano language.(Is there a chance that Viper FM can be heard or will be backed on the air? Oh yes, one hundred percent the Viper FM will be backed on the air.)

He said that for the moment, there are still some small problems to be settled by its management. This include permit, installation of a new transformer that was hit by a lightning strike sometime during the first week of June 2010.The damage did not stop there. The current of the destructive electrical discharge from the lightning runs through the two wire connections towards the transmitter built atop a hill, a walking distance from the radio station. The damaged transmitter was already finished repairing and is now functional, he said. But I’m hoping that Chito Saludo, the Viper FM’s Manager has received my article regarding pyrite chock (mistakenly encoded as pyrite soap in my first article about it) that I shared with him. (Read my article about pyrite chock by clicking August 2010 and look for it)

Most probably, the music station shall be backed in the airwaves either in December or January 2011 or earlier. Happy listening. Read related articles on Viper FM.Click the months of May and July 2010 and look for it.(QMG,Jr.)

CSCO Sponsors Mangrove Tree Planting

CSCO Sponsors Mangrove Tree Planting

By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The Civil Service Commission Office, Southern Leyte Field Office, the Philippine Government’s Control Personnel Agency, which celebrated its 110^th year anniversary last month, has sponsored Mangrove Tree Planting recently at sitio hapitan,brgy,Manhilo,this city, about 12 kilometers away from the city proper.

This was the information disclosed by Sharon Juanico Cerro, CSCO Senior Personnel Specialist, in an interview at the CSCO’s office with LSDE.

She said that the greening activity which was the culmination of a month-long celebration was participated in by an estimated 429 heads and personnel from various government agencies and offices. Like ,among others, the office of the provincial agriculturist,DENR-CENRO,CSCO personnel,DILG,SLSU,DepEd,GSIS,SSS,DPWH,OPGS,OCGS,some city hall and provincial employees,PACCO,DOLE,PNP.

She said that an estimated 1,000 mangrove seedlings were planted on the aforesaid place, which was an abandoned fishpond, occupying several hectares of lot.

Prior to the distribution of planting materials, City Agriculturist Amado Acasio briefed the participants the important role of mangrove trees in the ecosystem.

Mangrove trees are the habitat or breeding place for crabs, fishes and other marine creatures that lay their eggs, he said. The abundant presence of big mangrove trees in an area would likewise provide shelters for marine life. If there are plenty of mangrove trees, he said, the chances are many fishes and crabs and other marine species will lay their eggs there,thus providing more supply of sea foods for bigger fishes and man’s consumption.

Acasio further showed to the attendees/volunteer planters how to plant the 2 types of mangrove seedlings.

During the actual planting activities, which lasted for about two hours, participants wore rubber boots and rubber shoes to protect their feet from hard sharp shells and other sharp objects that they might step onto while wading on the murky waters.

Nevertheless, there were those who chose to wade on the muddy soil barefooted as they planted the seedlings.

Earlier, during the duration of the celebration, our source said, there were other activities like Thanksgiving Mass and morning exercise which was participated in by some officials and employees of government agencies based in the city; simultaneous Flag Rising ceremonies in all government agencies to promote this year’s theme in “R.A.C.E.(Responsive,Accessible,Courteous,Effective)to serve”; Campaign For Drug-Free Workplace in the Bureaucracy-Let’s Keep It This Way with resource persons from the PDEA,PIA,DOH and CSC; Blood-Letting(Dugo Ko Kinabuhi Mo) sponsored by the PNRC,Provl Govt.,City Govt., and the Civil Service Commission Office(CSCO) held at Maasin City Hall with 48 donors coming from 26 government agencies.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Masked Robber Robs Copra Buyer

Masked Robber Robs Copra Buyer

By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr,

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-An unidentified man wearing a black mask entered AnistarTrading in brgy.Ibarra,this city, at past one in the afternoon during the recent Friday and robbed a female cashier with an estimated cash money of P295,000.00 more or less of different denominations.

This was the disclosure of SP02 Danny A. Araba, one of the police investigators who responded to an emergency call from one of Anistar’s employees.

The female cashier was identified as Helen Cadavos Faelnar, 27 years old, single, and a resident of brgy.Ibarra.

Faelnar told police officer that the masked robber who is about 5’5” or 5’6” in height and sporting a moustache was armed with a caliber 38 revolver. He entered the office and declared a hold-up.

The victim-cashier implied that the aforesaid amount of money was withdrawn from the bank to buy sacks of copra(dried coconut meat) from dealers who were mostly farmers coming from different barangays of the city. Hundred tons of copra shall then be shipped to Iligan City,Lanao del Norte,Mindanao,where an oil manufacturer will processed the raw coconut meat into canned oil for commercial purposes.

“Right after the robbery”, Faelnar said,” the robber placed the loot inside his black-colored backpack and fled towards the mountainous area of the said barangay”.

However, one of the police officers who was a member of the police operatives, divulged that while they were investigating the case,a married woman living just a walking distance from Anistar told them that the robber-suspect emerged from his hiding place at the nearby tall grasses and ran away.

Another police investigator SP03 Antonio Gaviola further informed that they already have a suspect and some witnesses. But he said, he cannot divulge their names yet as it might jeopardize the furtherance of their investigation.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

PCA To Use Natural Pests For Fighting Brontispa Infestation In Coconuts

PCA To Use Natural Pests For Fighting Brontispa Infestation In Coconuts

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-If only this will work out, then surely this will be a classic case using the natural way of eradicating coconut pests the harmless way, or chemical-less way.

Starting June 10(three days shy before reaching exactly four months as of today, Oct. 7, 2010), the Philippine Coconut Authority will apply a new discovery: spread a bunch of anti-like parasitoids to wage war against Brontispa, a tiny leaf-eating beetle whose alarming presence has been noticed in twenty upland barangays in this city to date, turning two to three years old and newly-planted young coconuts into virtual dead plants.

But to prove its case, the army of parasitoids must win this war, and to see that it is winning both. The PCA and the farmers concerned must be patiently monitoring the progress by the day, said Manuel Sembrano, provincial PCA head.

The test case for a battle ground will be in Barangay Pinaskohan, this City,the very first barangay where Brontispa’s growing population was first noted early this year, Sembrano said.

In one hectare coconut plantation at Barangay Pinaskohan, at least five infested trees will be tied with the microscopic parasitoids placed in a plastic bottle peppered with holes as passageways.

Crawling out, the parasitoids would lay eggs-one insect or wasp lays 25 eggs-and this will be spit on a budding Brontispa worm, and the colony of eggs, once out of their shells, would have been eating frenzy on the worm,Sembrano said, describing how the fight would look like.

Adult Brontispas will not be attacked directly by the parasitoids, who are wise enough to locate the larvae only, and open fire with their eggs there.

Sembrano brushed aside insinuations that the parasitoids will then lead the destruction once Brontispa worms are no longer available to eat.

“This is the basic difference of a parasitoid and a parasite. The parasitoids will live in the host plant, and this host plant will live as well. The parasite will live in a host plant, the host plant will die”, he explained.

But until such time victory will be secured, it is still a plan B to resort using chemicals in a wide swatch of an area infested by Brontispa.

For now the parasitoid wasps have been cultured in the provincial office of the PCA after it was delivered here last week from Albay Research Center, ready and waiting to be deployed to war zones.

And coco farmers, with the usual wait and see attitude, will be watching who will be winning the insect war.(Source: Leyte Samar Daily Express, June 11,2010 issue, by Marcelo “Bong” Magallano Pedalino,guest writer.Read also related article onBrontispa Infestation.Click the month of April 2010 and look for it.)

City Govt. Now Prohibits Minor Children To Ride On Motorcycle's Backseat Unguarded

City Govt. Now Prohibits Minor Children To Ride On Motorcycle’s Backseat Unguarded

By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The City Government of Maasin,through its Sangguniang Panglunsod (City Council)presided over by Vice-Mayor Marie Effie Abiera-Sabandal, has unanimously approved recently a new City ordinance no.2010-046 prohibiting minor children age ten years old and below to ride on motorcycle’s backseat or bicycle unguarded by a parent or relative.

For many years now, this careless attitude of allowing children to ride at the backseat of a single motorcycle, bicycle or motorcab (tricycle) by some parents has already remained a style until the municipality of Maasin has become a component city ten years ago.

However, this kind of parents’ insensitivity from potential danger that poses in unguarded riding at the backseat by some minors was somewhat ignored and overlooked by the majority of the parents and relatives themselves and those in authorities.

Not one of the past city officials was concern enough to pass a new ordinance stopping this precariously dangerous style of riding among minor children in the public roads and streets.

This reporter was likewise apprehensive with this kind of parental neglect of unguarded backseat- riding among the very young. Yet ironically, those parents who were unwittingly doing this dangerous act while travelling with their children in many occasions were too confident.

They don’t think nor consider that potential accident was lurking somewhere along the way which they might encounter anytime. They seem to lack discernment, prudence and cautiousness. Many concern commuters and pedestrians have similar kind of apprehensions too.

As Maasin reached ten years old, it was only recently that one of the newcomers City Councilor has finally expressed his altruistic concern to save the unguarded backseat-riding minors from potential serious injuries and untimely deaths.

He then proposed and passed the abovementioned ordinance which was unanimously approved by his colleagues after some deliberations during their sessions.

Earlier, a public hearing of the aforesaid ordinance was also held at the City Gymnasium. Three other ordinances, like anti-Jaywalking by SP Alejandro Rojas, granting of monetary incentives to medalists representing the City of Maasin in Regional and National competitions by Essie Espina Garvez, and another ordinance authorizing the City Mayor to initiate the institution of Expropriations Proceedings Pursuant to the Rules of Court by the City of Maasin against a portion of lot no.5799 claimed by Herbert Hermosilla by Margarita Bantug, were likewise discussed.

Open Forum

During the open forum Basak Barangay Captain Felix Padilla suggested to the presiding offer-designate City Councilor Reynaldo Hatayna that the driver and the rider should wear the prescribed helmet while travelling in motorcycle. A kind of helmet that’s real which saves the head of its user. Not the kind of helmet brought by majority of the motorcycle drivers during the previous years that will not actually save their heads because it’s not strong nor durable enough to resist the impact of a bump or collision when meet with accidents. In other words, not the kind of helmet that is being bought only for the seek of compliance with the ordinance but those that are genuine.

City Councilor Ricky Montalbo also suggested that it’s not only motorcycle but bicycle as well to prohibit minor children age 10 years old and below from riding on the backseat or front seat of the driver.

Odong Orais, President of a motorcycle association Zone 11 MODA, urged that responsible person should accompany a child who is ten years old or below when riding either a motorcab or single motorcycle.

For his part, Mambajao Barangay Captain Cirilo Maninggo expressed his appreciation of the new ordinance because “this can create a culture of discipline and at the same time it can prevent any accidental or serious injuries to riding children”.

The said public hearing was also attended by Maasin’s 70 Barangay Captains, motorcab and habalhabal drivers, some city hall employees and representatives from Saint Joseph College and the Maasin City College.

Penalties/Fines

The violators of the new ordinance no.2010-046 shall be fined. First offender-either parents or relatives will be warned and sign a promissory note not to repeat the same offense.

For the second offense the fine is P50.00.For the third and succeeding offenses is a fine of P75.00 and to undergo one hour seminar about the said ordinance and responsible parenthood.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Panny's Bakeshop To Expand To Butuan City Next Year

Feature

Panny’s Bakeshop To Expand To Butuan City Next Year

Ormoc City, Leyte- Southern Leyte-based Panny’s Bakeshop or Panny’s Homebake Products will expand to Butuan City next year, the first branch outside Eastern Visayas and the firm’s fifth outlet.

Nestor M. Sy, bakery owner, said that they’ve seen a good prospect in Butuan considering the parallel economic conditions of the place to Tacloban City, a newly-urbanized city in this part of region 8.

“We have already conducted a survey in the area and we have identified the location there”, said Sy adding that establishing a new outlet will require them about P10M to P15 Million capital.

Butuan has a population of about 300,000.It is the regional center of the CARAGA Region. “Panny’s is upbeat of expanding to Mindanao after seeing the success of our business in Leyte”, he said.

The first bakery in Tacloban is located at corner Paterno and Gomez streets. Last y ear, they opened their first dine-in outlet at Juan Luna St.

“I intend to close the old branch when we opened the new bakery but our old customers don’t go to the new branch. We just maintain the old outlet and we’re able to draw new group of customers in our second bakeshop in Tacloban”, said Sy in a media interview in the sidelines of tourism officer’s conference here in this city.

Sy, who is also a City Councilor in Maasin, added that they were able to grow the business despite economic challenges considering the innovations they have done in the past years and the continuing demand for baked products.

“There’s no problem in food business because people have to eat.However, we have to sell quality products to stay competitive. Our products are oven-fresh and our outlets are clean. We adopted good manufacturing procedures of big companies, which we are serving also”, he explained.

The owner pointed out that those assets coupled with lower prices paved the way for their growth despite entry of national brands in Eastern Visayas.

“WE really want people to experience the taste of baked products that they can’t afford to buy from national brands”, Sy said.

Panny’s maintains a big volume of raw materials stock to avoid adjustment during price surge of main ingredients.

Panny’s has now 30 baked products and it’s all available in Tacloban’s dine-in bakeshop.

The bakery opened its first outlet in Maasin City in 1991.It expanded to Tacloban after five years and branched out in Baybay City just this year. The bakery’s name was derived from Epifania, the name of Sy’s wife.

“It started as a hobby. My wife baked at home and our visitors liked it. That convince us to open a bakeshop”, he told reporters.(SARWELL Q. MENIANO,guest writer, Leyte Samar Daily Express, August 31,2010 issue).

Panny's Bakeshop,City Proper,

Maasin City,Infront Of Mercury Drug;

Panny's Homebakeshop Products(Tacloban City Branch)

125 Gomez St.,Telephone number(053)321-5353.Accept Orders.