Camarines Sur News

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Province of Camarines Sur - Archived News
Camarines sur provincial capitol.jpg
Camarines Sur Provincial Capitol

Contents

No rice importation next year—DA

PILI, Camarines Sur—Filipino farmers are ready to produce all the rice required to make the country self-sufficient and make importation a thing of the past by next year, according to the Department of Agriculture.

“We will have enough rice sans importation in 2013,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said in a statement released here by the DA’s regional office on Wednesday.

This will happen since, according to Alcala, the government would reach its rice production target by the end of this year with the earlier completion of the irrigation facilities for 191,000 hectares of land and the participation of farmers in Central Luzon, the country’s rice granary in the DA’s early cropping program.

“This August, Central Luzon farmers will already be harvesting from over 200,000 hectares used in the early cropping program,” he said.

For irrigation, the DA has provided this year the National Irrigation Administration with a budget of P24.5 million for the construction of new systems that would cover 87,405 hectares, restore non-operation structures for 57,199 hectares and rehabilitate existing ones to service 79,246 hectares for a total 224,850 hectares of service area nationwide.

With that, Alcala said what would be remaining of the 250,000 hectares of the country’s irrigable lands would only be 25,150 hectares which certainly will be irrigated next year given the assurance of substantial funds.

Achieving the irrigation target of over 224,000 hectares for 2012 would mean rice production of 18.75 million metric tons (MMT) as against the national requirement of 20.05 MMT or a deficiency reduced from 2.46 MMT in 2011 to only 1.3 MMT.

Next year, with the completion of the irrigation systems for all those irrigable lands within the target, the country’s rice production would be 20.44 MMT as against the national requirement of the same volume. With this rice self-sufficiency (RSS), importation will surely be no longer necessary, according to Alcala.

The DA is also vigorously pursuing its nationwide promotion of organic farming to entice more farmers into rice production the more economical way.

Through organic farming, farmers are saved from the high cost of fertilizers and other chemical-based farm inputs.

In Bicol Agriculture Regional Executive Director Jose Dayao said, Alcala has instructed the National Irrigation Administrator regional office to work on the immediate rehabilitation of the Daet-Talisay River Irrigation System in Camarines Norte where he appropriated P15 million.

Works for the project would start this week along with the rehabilitation of other irrigation facilities in that province which were given a budget of P8.4 million, NIA Regional Director William Ragodon based in the nearby Naga City said.

Bicol, according to Ragodon, will have functional irrigation systems covering a total of 317,941 hectares of rice lands or an additional of 69,391 hectares to the presently irrigated 248,550 hectares that in 2011 produced only 599,362 MMT of rice for a 76 percent regional RSS rate.

This year, he said, NIA is irrigating at least 6,972 hectares more to achieve a total 255,123 hectares of irrigated lands in the region.

This irrigation target is backed up this year by the P1.033 billion in approved budget provided by the DA to the NIA regional office which is about 350 percent more than the around P300 million provided last year, Ragodon said.

With it, Bicol is expecting to achieve a 102.58 percent RSS in 2013 as the region would be able to produce about 843,335 MMT of the staple grain by that year to generate a surplus of about 21,200 MMT over the 822,115 regional requirement, he added.

This rice production is based on the expected 1.3 MMT of palay production at 65 percent rate of recovery.

The rice requirement and surplus level on the other hand are based on the projected regional population of about 6.1 million at 1.22 percent annual growth rate and per capita consumption of 120 kilograms.

And while waiting for rice-importation-free 2013, the country is now looking for bids from either, Cambodia, Thailand or Vietnam for the importation of 120,000 MMT of rice to be purchased through a government-to-government deal.

Reports quoted Alcala last week as saying that the DA will sign this week a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia that would qualify that country as a new supplier for Manila’s rice requirement.

The same reports said that the terms for the trade agreement with Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce, which would help expand agriculture trade between the two Southeast Asian nations, are now being finalized.

The National Food Authority on the other hand has said is sending letters of invitations seeking offers from qualified countries for the supply of the 120,000 MMT of rice within this year.

BIR-Naga aims for P1.3-B target collection

NAGA CITY- The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue District Office (RDO) Number 65 - Naga City has already collected a total amount of P328,036,497.63, which is equal to 23.57 percent of its collection goal of P1.392 billion for 2012.

Revenue District Officer Socorro R. Lafuente said for the current year, BIR RDO 65 – Naga City is bent on achieving P1.392 biilion as it inched forward to reach its target collection before the end of 2012.

La Fuente is confident that they will be able to get hold of the said amount as they impose stricter measures to collect taxes due from the taxpayers.

The Tax Compliance Verification Drive, OPLAN Pasilip, and OPLAN Kandado are some of the programs that the bureau is implementing to ensure that they will be able to reach their goal collection every year.

In 2011, the revenue district office was able to collect a total of P1.258 billon as tax collection. It is significant to note that if the actual collection for the first quarter of 2012 versus 2011 are compared, which is 328,904,497.96 and 301, 915, 377.38, respectively, there is an increase of 26,989,120.58 or 8.98 percent.

The Bureau chief also reminded those who failed to comply with the deadline that they will be subjected to the existing civil penalties. Section 247 of the Tax code clearly states that a penalty equivalent to 25 percent of the amount due shall be imposed to those who failed to file any return and pay the tax due plus interests of 20 percent per annum and compromise penalty.

Failure to pay any deficiency tax within the time prescribed by the National Internal Revenue code as shown on any return required to be filed under the provision of said code shall be meted with the necessary penalty.

Lafuente also reiterated that penalty is much higher if there is willful neglect to file the return within the duration of the period as defined by the Tax Code. In case of fraudulent return, she said, the penalty imposed shall be 50 per cent of the tax as surcharge plus interest of 20 percent per annum and compromise penalty.

Disaster preparedness training for law enforcers

NAGA CITY- In line with this city’s campaign to equip the law enforcers with basic know-how on disaster preparedness, the Public Safety Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Disaster Management Office (DMO) here conducted a stay-in disaster training entitled, “Collapsed Structures Search and Rescue Training,” held at the Metro Naga Sports Complex at Pacol here.

The three-day training was participated by 36 personnel representing various government agencies like the Public Safety Office (PSO) , Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Naga City Rescue, and Bicol Medical Center (BMC) personnel.

DMO chief Ernesto Elcamel said that the seminar covered trainings on collapsed structures caused by earthquakes, landslides, and fire.

Naga City, as an urban area being occupied by big businesses housed in various high buildings and elevated place of work are not an exemption to any occurrence of the aforementioned calamities.

Camarines Sur in particular, also has numerous municipalities which are mostly located in landslide-prone areas. The training will be most useful to the law enforcers in case of any eventuality.

Topics discussed during the seminar include the identification and marking of different hazardous and collapsed structures. The participants were also exposed on various scene assessments including medical operation in collapsed structures.

Pool of resource persons, headed by Fire Inspector Glenn Rodrigueza of BFP Regional Office, also discussed the different kinds of search and rescue techniques in collapsed structures, engineering systems in collapsed structures, shoring devices, moving and lifting debris, cribbing and leveraging techniques and fire suppression.

The partakers were also made to identify the different hazardous materials and were familiarized with the standard marking systems.

Elcamel said that the activity will prepare the participants to efficiently mitigate disasters and lessen if not totally eliminate the possibility of having casualties during the occurrence of a particular catastrophe.

Provincial prosecutor likes bail of 13 Chinese nationals cancelled

NAGA CITY – The Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Camarines Sur based in this city has filed a motion for Cancellation of Bail and Issuance of a Hold Departure Order for 13 Chinese nationals who were earlier charged of “Unlawful Possession of Explosives” before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of San Jose, Camarines Sur.

In a motion filed before the said RTC dated May 3, 2012, 2nd Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Sergio B. Ramos Jr. stated that “Importation or Possession of an Explosive or Incendiary Device has a Penalty of “reclusion perpetua,” based on amended Section I, of Republic Act no. 9156.

Ramos’ motion further stated, “that under Section 7, Rule 114, Revised Rules on Criminal Procedures, the posting of bail of an offense which carry a penalty of “reclusion perpetua” is not a matter of right, instead

it is a matter of discretion.”

The hearing for the motion on the cancellation of bail and the request by the Provincial Prosecutor to issue a Hold Departure Order for the foreigners pending their trial on the case has been set at the RTC San

Jose on May 18 this year.

It was earlier reported, that Chinese nationals Liu Kailia, Chen Wenlie, Yang Zhenyta, Gong Shenyin, Tiang Mingzhi, Gong Shenjin, Huang Yuabao, Tiun Chaoheng, Chang Liuwen, Tiang Yonghong, Liu Kaixiany,

Xiong Guanshun, and Luo Kaiqiang, all employees of the Bicol Chromite and Manganese Corp. in Himagtocon, Lagonoy, Camarines Sur posted a bail totalling P2.6 Million or P200,000 each on April 23.

The Chinese nationals were earlier nabbed by a joint Army and Police team at the mining site in Himagtocon, Lagonoy for “Illegal Possession of Explosives” last April 20, but were later released on bail and

handed over to the custody of a People’s Republic of China (PRC) consular official.

EN Camarines Sur: DOLE Bicol celebrates Labor Day with Job’s Fair and livelihood grants

NAGA City- More than 6,000 job seekers lined up last Labor Day, May 1, at SM City Naga, all hopeful that they will be able to find an opportunity to fit themselves in the 6,575 vacancies fielded by 5,029 local companies and 1,546 overseas agencies during the 2012 Jobs and Livelihood Fair spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office here.

Two hundred twelve (212) of these applicants were hired on the spot by various local employers. Others were put on the waiting list after their resumes and curriculum vitae were sorted, matching their qualifications to the available positions as required by the participating agencies.

Minutes after DOLE Regional Director Nathaniel V. Lacambra formally declared the Job and Livelihood Fair open, 749 beneficiaries were awarded with livelihood grants amounting to P2,538,499.95.

The livelihood grantees included the Barangay Council of Dayangdang in Naga City which was granted P225,942.25 for its 60 beneficiaries ; LGU Polangui with P351,876.15 capital to assist 50 beneficiaries; INFORMATICS in Albay with P 207,901.50 for its 31 beneficiaries; LGU Bato and Baras in Catanduanes with P152,866.55 and P80,912.56 which will be shared by its 25 and 16 beneficiaries, respectively; and LGU Masbate with P220,777.00 for its 30 beneficiaries.

All were given with DOLE Kabuhayan Starter Kits to start the ball rolling.

The Women and Families of San Lorenzo Ruiz Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Camarines Norte were also granted with a start -up capital of P 397,978.00 to push for the commercialization of pineapple by-products processing. DOLE also granted an amount of P 540,861 to 41 beneficiaries of Daet Food Processors Association in line with their project on the commercialization of Food Processing.

The Swine Union of Innovative Society working for the establishment of meat shop and processing center, also in Camarines Norte was also given with P359,385 to be used by its 471 beneficiaries.

Aside from the livelihood grants, DOLE also launched the Joint DOLE-TESDA Convergence Program on the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES ) and Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP). A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was also signed to validate the said partnership.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) through OWWA Regional Director Jocelyn O. Hapal also spearheaded the awarding of a Net Café Project in Lagonoy, Camarines Sur and Legazpi City amounting to P100,000 each.

DOLE Bicol thanked the exhibitors for actively taking part in the said endeavor. Lacambra also expressed his gratitude to the fair’s partner agencies which include TESDA, Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Camarines Sur, ABS –CBN , SM City Naga, Public Employment Offices, the local government of Naga City, Naga College Foundation and other media partners and stakeholders for the success of the said activity.

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