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GUIMARAS OTOP HUB
GUIMARAS OTOP HUB 150 150 NewsExpress

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has launched the extension site of its One Town, One Product (OTOP) hub in the Province of Guimaras on June 26, 2023. The OTOP Hub Guimaras Extension is located at Jordan Wharf in Rizal, Jordan where the products displayed are proudly made in Guimaras. Photo shows DTI-Guimaras OIC Provincial Director Mutya Eusores, Governor JC Rahman A. Nava’s executive assistant Mr. Lino Galea and other officials during the launching ceremony. (Guimaras province)

July 3-9 Issue
July 3-9 Issue 150 150 NewsExpress

MORE Power rates reduced anew
MORE Power rates reduced anew 150 150 NewsExpress

In a positive turn of events for residential consumers in Iloilo City, electric distribution utility MORE Power announced a significant reduction in the average residential rate for the billing months of May to June 2023.

The new rate stands at P12.2990 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), reflecting a noteworthy decrease of P0.9522 per kWh from the previous month’s rate of P13.2511 per kWh. One of the primary factors contributing to this decrease is the lower generation cost.

For this month, the generation cost has decreased to P7.1182 per kWh, marking a reduction of P0.5362 per kWh. Several factors have contributed to this decline.

First and foremost, the addition of Energy Development Corp’s geothermal power in the power supply mix has had a positive impact. Geothermal power, a renewable energy source, is known for its cost-effectiveness and environmental benefits.

Moreover, the lower exposure to high spot market prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market has played a significant role in reducing generation costs.

Lastly, a decrease in coal prices has also contributed to this decline. Furthermore, the entry of a renewable energy supplier into the supply mix has yielded an additional advantage by reducing the value-added tax (VAT) on generation.

As a result, there has been a reduction of P0.1613 per kWh in VAT charges. Notably, the transmission charge has also decreased, further benefiting consumers.

The charge has dropped by P0.1831 per kWh, from P0.9057 per kWh in the previous month to P0.7226 per kWh this month.

This decrease is primarily attributed to the lower ancillary service charge and increased kWh billing determinant. The peak demand for this period has been recorded at 127.24 MW.

The positive trend of decreasing charges extends to the system loss charge as well. The system loss for the previous month was 7.00%, while the 12-month average system loss stands at 6.49%.

This reduction in system loss aligns with the decrease in generation and transmission charges, offering additional relief to consumers.

Groundbreaking of two big projects in Badiangan held
Groundbreaking of two big projects in Badiangan held NewsExpress

Two big projects broke ground in Badiangan, Iloilo on June 8, 2023 courtesy of Uswag Ilonggo partylist Congressman James “Jojo” Ang.

These projects are the PhP 25 million multi-purpose building intended for the Badiangan public market and PhP 10.5 million multi-purpose building intended for the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO).

The projects were initiated by the Uswag Ilonggo partylistrepresentative with the help of Third District Congressman Lorenz Defensor.

Gov. Arthur Defensor, Jr. graced the groundbreaking of the two projects.

Gov. Defensor expressed gratitude for the help of congressmen Ang and Defensor in bringing big projects to the province which will benefit the people.

Cong. Ang noted that the new public market will help not only the vendors but also the people of Badiangan as they need not go to Janiuay and other neighboring towns to buy their daily needs.

Badiangan Mayor Suzette Mamon and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan thanked Cong. Ang, Gov. Defensor and Cong. Defensor for the various projects they have brought to the municipality.

Meanwhile, Gov. Defensor also graced the turnover of 120 wheelchairs and assistive devices for the recipients in the Third District.

The wheelchairs and assistive devices were donated by the Latter Day Saints. The devices include crutches (12), canes (16), walker (3), quad cane (4), and blind cane (5).

Also present in the turnover were Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) chief Sarah M. Barayuga, Department of Social Welfare and Development Office VI Regional Director Atty. Carmelo N. Nochete, Badiangan Mayor Suzette Mamon, Latter Day Saint Charities Country Director Elder Jairus C. Perez, PSWDO PWD Focal Person RaraGanzon, Department of Health VI’s Dr. Aimee Marie L. Gayomali, and USWAG Ilonggo Partylist Rep. JojoAng, among others.

The beneficiaries came from Mina, Pototan, Badiangan, Janiuay, Maasin, and Cabatuan.

PWD Focal Person RaraGanzon said there will be another batch of distribution for the remaining towns in the third district.

In his message, Governor Defensor thanked the Latter Day Saint Charities for its continued assistance to the province of Iloilo.

“There are things that we cannot spend our budget for because we just don’t have the capacity. And we need the private sector for that,” Defensor said.

The Latter Day Saints has donated a total of 438 wheelchairs and assistive devices which are being distributed in all districts in the province.

Escobar leads APPO’s internal disciplining body
Escobar leads APPO’s internal disciplining body NewsExpress

Police Lieutenant Coronel Norby Rios Escobar is the new chief of the Provincial Internal Affairs Service (PIAS) of the Antique Police Provincial Office (IPPO).

In an interview with Escobar he says that the public are not so familiar with what the IAS is particularly with regard to its function and services to the community.

He explained that IAS is a special unit under the Office of the Chief PNP and one of the disciplinary branch in charge to guide and discipline relative to the behavior of PNP personnel and officers, and IAS is the lead agency to conduct proper inspection and audit, re teaming inspection, administrative investigation (motu-proprio or non motu-proprio).

Escobar also added that IAS also has its own court where the people can file complaint against the abusive PNP personnel and to recognize those who deserve recognition of good doings.

He says that IAS placed drop boxes at the lobby of the 18 municipal police stations in the Province of Antique where the people can drop their complaints against the misconduct or conduct unbecoming of PNP personnel. (Eva Abajencia)

RENEWABLE ENERGY
RENEWABLE ENERGY 150 150 NewsExpress

WV eyed as country’s renewable energy capital

Western Visayas is projected to be the renewable energy capital of the country, according to the Department of Energy.

Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo M. Lotilla, who spoke during the 125th Independence Day celebration at Sta. Barbara town, emphasized the region’s capacity on renewable energy supply. 

According to him, Western Visayas has a hydropower potential of 930 MW, almost 500 MW for solar energy, and around 13,000 MW for wind energy. 

Of this 13,000 MW wind energy potential, the 10,473 MW is going to be offshore and the major part of it is under Iloilo province and neighboring islands of Negros and Guimaras. 

The biggest potential lies in a triangle between southern Mindoro, northern Antique, and northern Palawan. 

Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy refers to the generation of electricity through wind produced from bodies of water, usually at sea.

“We hoped that with the total of 14,000 MW of potential renewable energy supply, we would have sufficient power to energize our development activities,” Lotilla said. 

With this also comes the establishment of the green and transmission system that matches the capacity of renewable energy projects which will be built from 2024 to 2040.

Moreover, the utilization of ports will support the offshore wind industry in the country. 

The DOE chief further said that offshore wind will not be built immediately, however, preparations must be done such as training engineers, skilled people, and those who are going to construct the offshore wind energy.  

“By 2034, the Philippines is projected to join the ranks of $300 trillion economies in Asia, and without power, we will not be able to do that,” Lotilla shared.  

DOE also noted that energy independence is one of the current thrusts of the government, and that the country aims to achieve 100% electrification of all barangays and sitios at the end of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. (PIA-Iloilo)

June 19 Issue
June 19 Issue 150 150 NewsExpress

PUBLIC CLAMOR DPWH, contractor face raps over Ungka flyover fiasco
PUBLIC CLAMOR DPWH, contractor face raps over Ungka flyover fiasco NewsExpress

By Vincent P. Grecia

Pressure is mounting to find who is accountable for the construction of the PhP 680 million Ungka Flyover which has been rendered “useless” due to the “sinking” of its piers.

Aside from earlier calls for legislative investigations both in the lower and upper houses of Congress, several complaints have been lodged at the Office of the Ombudsman by certain groups.

Iloilo City Councilor Plaridel Nava and his group trooped to the Ombudsman Visayas office in Iloilo City to file charges against former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 6 regional director Tiburcio Canlas; incumbent DPWH 6 regional director Engr. Nerie Bueno; Assistant Regional Director Engr. Jose Al Fruto; Project Engr. Ormel Santos; and contractor International Builders Corporation (IBC) officials Helen Edith Lee Tan, Allen Son Tan and several John Does.

Charges of Gross Neglect of Duty, Grave Misconduct, kag Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of Public Service were filed by Nava and company which was supported by cause-oriented groups.

Lawyer and former Iloilo City councilor Eldrid Antiquera also wrote a letter to Office of the Ombudsman asking for an investigation on the anomalies surrounding the Ungka Flyover.

Antiquiera told the media that he wanted the Ombudsman to push the DPWH 6 to release its documents in relation to the Ungka flyover project, which sits on the border between Iloilo City and Pavia, Iloilo.

Meanwhile, the United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC) led by Consumer Rights advocate Rodolfo Javellana Jr. released a manifesto joining public clamor for accountability relative to the defective project.

UFCC pointed that the problem could be traced to the Bureau of Designs of the Department of Public Works & Highways (DPWH) Central Office and the United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP), the firm commissioned to do the design and conduct of soil testing.

DPWH Regional Office 6 were “merely” handed the Final Design then tasked to do the bidding, construction oversight and quality control, it said.

“Congress should heed the call of the People of Iloilo to look into the accountability of DPWH Central Office for approving the faulty design of the Ungka Flyover which is sinking based on the findings of third-party consultant…”

“…the geotechnical consultancy firm commissioned by the DPWH central office to design the flyover that was based on their soil-testing should be questioned by lawmakers for the faulty design which the Central Office cascaded to DPWH in Region 6 for implementation,” excerpts of the manifesto reads.

UFCC added: “…it was clearly not part of the scope of work of the local contractor (International Builders Corporation) to conduct soil testing as it was already accomplished by the UTCP.”

Guv inducts new capitol press corps officers
Guv inducts new capitol press corps officers NewsExpress

Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. administered the oath of office of the new set of officers of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol Press Corps (IPCPC) last June 7 at the Casa Real de Iloilo.

IPCPC’s new set of officers are: Fraye Cedrick Anona of Aksyon Radyo – President; Regan Arlos of RMN-DYRI – Vice President; Lynd C Bade of Bombo Radyo – Secretary; Elyrose Naorbe of Iloilo Metropolitan Times – Treasurer; and Bingbing Josue of IBC TV12 – Auditor.

IPCPC is composed of Capitol beat reporters from different media outlets.

Gov. Defensor underscored the important role of media in helping his administration disseminate information about his programs and projects to the public.

“Our programs and projects reach our people because of your help… that is why our regular press conferences are very important because it is a venue where I can communicate to our people about what we do here in the provincial government,” Gov. Defensor said.

He also acknowledged the role of media in the achievement of his administration’s development goals under his program MoRProGRes Iloilo or Movement for a Robust, Progressive, Globally-competitive, and Resilient Province of Iloilo.

Anona replaced Elena “Bing” Pabiona of Radyo Pilipinas who served as IPCPC president for 13 years.

Anona thanked the IPCPC members for entrusting to him the “big responsibility” of leading the organization. He vowed to continue what his predecessor has started and continue to make the IPCPC a valuable partner of the Iloilo provincial government.

Also present in the oathtaking ceremony were Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Dennis Ventilacion, former broadcaster now Sangguniang Bayan Member of Miagao Richard Esposo and some provincial government department heads.

DPWH completes Calinog flood control project
DPWH completes Calinog flood control project 150 150 NewsExpress

Securing the safety of local communities against water overflow, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Iloilo 2nd District Engineering Office (DEO) has completed a flood control project along the Jalaur River in Barangay Delgado (Gamma Grande).

The PhP 34.3-million project, funded under the FY 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA), spans 290 linear meters to address the persistent issue of sudden water rise during heavy rains, which often results to severe flooding affecting flood-prone communities.

Citing from the report District Engineer Allan Rey R. Pajimna, Regional Director Nerie D. Bueno emphasized the project’s crucial role in protecting communities from natural disasters and mitigating damages caused by rapid water overflows.

“The flood control project along Jalaur River in Calinog plays an important role in protecting communities from natural disasters while mitigating damages that may be caused by rapid water overflows,” Director Bueno stated.

“Its design serves as a catch basin for waters coming from the mountains and can withstand the unexpected flow of floodwater,” added RD Bueno.

The completion of the flood control project brings relief to residents of Barangay Delgado, who experienced from the devastating effects of frequent flooding for many years.

Furthermore, the project aims to enhance the community’s resilience against heavy rainfall and ensure residents’ safety during extreme weather conditions.

District Engineer Pajimna expressed gratitude to the local community for their cooperation and patience throughout the project. He emphasized that the successful completion of the flood control project was a collective effort and a testament to the strong partnership between DPWH Iloilo 2nd DEO and the community it serves.

With the project’s completion, the residents will be protected and secured, knowing their community is better equipped to withstand heavy rains and rising water levels.

The successful implementation of the flood control project underscores the Department’s dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of its people in the face of environmental challenges. (DPWH-VI)

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