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By Vincent P. Grecia

NewsExpress

Rice retailers, traders and importers in Iloilo province have formed the Iloilo Grains Businessmen Association (IGBA) to strengthen their sector amidst the crisis on the price of rice.

IGBA led by their President Ildefonso Dolorfino and Vice President Charmine Devicente-Guiang took their oath from Provincial Administrator Raul Banias representing Gov. Arthur Defensor, Jr. last September 26, 2023.

Dolorfino said the group was formed following the implementation of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s Executive Order 39 imposing price ceiling on rice.

IGBA has more or less 100 members from the different parts of the province.

He said EO 39 affected their sector but they have to respect the president’s directive.

Dolorfino said based on their monitoring most of their members have complied with EO 39 setting a price cap of PhP 41.00 for regular milled rice and PhP 45.00 well milled rice.

Representatives from the Department of Agriculture, National Food Authority, Bureau of Customs and Department of Trade and Industry also graced the induction of officers of the new group.

Board Members Rolly Distura and Matt Palabrica were also present.

During the open forum after their oathtaking ceremony, Dolorfino stressed that hoarding of rice does not happen here in Western Visayas. Hoarding is one of the factors that contributed to the uncontrolled high price of rice.

“If there were reports of hoarding, it is certain, that it is in some other parts of Luzon,” said former Rey Mayor Grabato, who is also a member of the group.

Banias thanked IGBA for fully supporting the government in the implementation of EO 39.

Palabrica also lauded the organization as he expressed hopes that it will serve as the voice of rice retailers, traders, importers and other stakeholders.

The Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH 6) reported a total of 27 deaths due to rabies in the region last year.

Noting the third consecutive year of increase in the number of mortalities due to rabies, the health department stressed that the disease continues to be a public health problem in the region.

Based on the report of Senior Health Program Officer Ame Liz G. Mardoquio of the DOH 6’s Rabies Prevention and Control Program, animal bite cases in the region in 2022 accounted for a total of 118,845 with 27 deaths due to rabies.

The number of deaths during the said period noted a 3.38 mortality rate per one million population of the region and increased by two deaths compared to 25 during the previous year.

Most of the deaths were recorded in the province of Negros Occidental with 11. Followed by Capiz with six deaths, Aklan and Iloilo province with four each, and Bacolod City and Iloilo City with one case each.

The report further showed that the majority of the deaths were between the ages of 22 to 50 years old with 11, between three to 15 years with nine deaths, and 56 to 81 years old group with five deaths.

Of the 27 mortality cases, only one of the vectors or rabies virus carriers is vaccinated, while the rest are either unvaccinated or with unknown vaccination status. Only one vector also was identified as a cat and the rest were dogs.

Meanwhile, 12 out of the 27 deaths were attributed to stray vector animals.

With this, the health department in the region is encouraging LGUs to establish or make their respective Rabies Control Committee functional, noting that only 19 out of 133 LGUs in Western Visayas are determined as functional.

Further, DOH 6’s efforts also focus on the legislation and implementation of local ordinances on rabies. To note, only 21 out of 133 LGUs in the region passed and are implementing their own anti-rabies ordinances.

As part of the response measures, DOH 6 noted that there are a total of 86 animal bite treatment centers (ABTCs) across Western Visayas, 66 of which have DOH certification or accreditation.

Apart from these, Mardoquio also stressed that DOH 6 is also working closely with LGUs to eliminate the use of “tandok” for the management of an animal bite.

“Tandok” is a traditional practice, common among rural areas, which uses the method of applying a horn, stone, or wood to the bite wound and is believed to absorb the rabies virus.

Per the DOH report, some bite victims seek the “tandok” application which is an unsafe and risky practice, noting that many of the human deaths due to rabies sought the alternative method but did not seek medical interventions like Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).

Commuting in Iloilo City is made easier, safer, and more comfortable with the SM Iloilo Electric Bus.

These buses are zero-emission fully electric vehicle that does not cause pollution. It has a ramp and designated seats for PWD passengers. It is quieter and does not produce fumes that may harm the environment.

Starting September 15 until September 23, riding these e-buses is Free. The routes start from Iloilo City Hall and it will pass through all the SM branches from SM Delgado, to SM Strata, SM Savemore in Jaro up until the Ceres Northbound Terminal then back.

On September 25, commuters can download the GET Pass app to continue availing of the free ride. After that, members can now acquire membership tokens once the free ride ends on October 1.

According to Engr. Gilbert Domingo, Mall Manager of SM City Iloilo, the company started the electronic bus rides in its main branches in Manila. For the provinces, Cagayan de Oro started a couple of months ago.

This September, SM City in Partnership with MORE Power brought this latest addition to revolutionizing transportation in Iloilo City, targeting a more sustainable, greener, and eco-friendly way of commuting.

“The SM electric bus is also an affirmation of our sustainability initiative to contribute to a more livable and clean city. And our affirmation to be a strong partner of Iloilo City, in its goal of giving a better way of life to the Ilonggos,” says Engr. Domingo.

Commuters can check the Social media postings of SM City for a detailed schedule and routes.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas thanked SM Management, MORE Power, and GET Philippines for partnering in reducing the carbon footprint of the city.

“I also would like to congratulate SM for this wonderful partnership that they have with MORE Power. Tuod-tuod na gid ni nga ‘You Have MORE in SM.’ I am glad that we share the vision of making Iloilo City Sustainable and More Livable. This is just the beginning. I am looking forward to seeing more electric buses, in the years to come,” says Mayor Treñas.

According to Niel V. Parcon, Vice President, Corporate Planning and Regulatory of MORE Power, the company is committed to helping the city reduce its carbon emissions and envision a more sustainable future.

“MORE Power is excited about this partnership with SM in introducing to you the SM Iloilo electronic Bus. A game-changing innovation in our city’s transportation landscape. The SM City Iloilo Electronic Bus is not just a mode of transportation, it represents a new era of mobility it is safer and comfortable and environmentally responsible,” says Parcon.

By Vincent P. Grecia

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 6 Regional Director Sanny Boy Oropel assured the commuters and the public that the Ungka Flyover is safe to use temporarily despite the vertical displacement on three of its piers.

Oropel made the assurance following their decision to partially open the Ungka Flyover (UFO) until the budget for its rectification is released.

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan gave the go signal for the partial opening of the UFO following a series of tests, he said.

Only the two inner lanes of the UFO will be used and only light vehicles will be allowed to pass between the hours of 5-9 am and 4-8 pm.

Light vehicles include traditional passenger jeepneys and modernized units or mini buses. While, tricycles, pedicabs, motorbikes, and bicycles are prohibited.

“For the sake of convenience sang aton man mga pumoluyo, we will be having our partial opening for traffic but gusto ko lang emphasize ini nga anytime that at amount will be release by the DPWH-central office for the rectification it will again be closed. That’s why I am seeking your consideration and understanding kon i-open ta ini masira man gihapon, but considering we don’t have a timeline as to rectification, it might be tomorrow, it might be next year so ma-partial open lang ta anay but during rectification activities it will be again closed to traffic kay amo ni ang procedure sang aton rectification,” Oropel said at their press conference.

Earlier, the DPWH 6 conducted a series of static and dynamic load tests on the flyover in which they have not observed any displacement or movement.

“After continuous monitoring, there was no additional vertical displacement observed since January 2023 after the jet grouting was introduced by the contractor,” Oropel said.

DPWH 6 asked the help of traffic enforcers from the Municipality of Pavia and Iloilo City to ensure that only light vehicles could enter both approaches.

Oropel said that based on the recommendation of third party consultant Abinales Associates Engineers+ Consultants the three spans of Ungka flyover particularly at piers 4, 5 and 6 will be demolished so that heavy equipment could install additional support to the three piers.

A budget of PhP 200 million was allotted in the next year’s national budget for the UFO rectification.

He blamed the flyover’s defective construction to the United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP) which their agency commissioned to do the geotechnical services for the UFO, including soil testing.

“Our legal office will take care of that (referring to the liability of UTCP), what we are focusing now is to put a solution to the problem that we are currently facing which is heavy traffic due to the unusable flyover,” Oropel said.

Iloilo City’s Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu, who was present in the press conference, expressed approval to the partial opening of the UFO.

He assured that PSTMO personnel deployed in the area will help direct traffic flow going to the approach of the flyover.

He added that Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas is happy with the development as it will help ease the traffic congestion in the boundary of Pavia and Iloilo City especially during rush hours.

Second District Representative Michael Gorriceta also favored the partial opening of UFO saying that it will ease the traffic congestion in the Ungka area especially during rush hours.

Earlier, Gorriceta asked DPWH officials to partially open the UFO to address the worsening traffic condition in the area.

Will the lives of more than 610,000 farmer-beneficiaries of the government’s agrarian reform program improve significantly in the years ahead with the New Agrarian Reform Emancipation Act?

That would be the expected end-result of President Marcos Jr.’s recent order to the Department of Agrarian Reform to ensure the “smooth and immediate” enforcement of the New Agrarian Reform Emancipation Act.

What the new law does is to condone all loans, including interest, penalties, and surcharges incurred by over 610,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).

The condonation would cover at least 1.173 million hectares of land and an estimated P57.55 billion in unpaid amortization.

It would also terminate P206.25 million in unpaid just compensation by 10,201 ARBs tilling 11,531 hectares of land acquired through voluntary land transfer or the direct payment scheme.

The President’s recent Executive Order extended for two years EO 4 which provides for a moratorium on the payment of the principal obligation and interest on amortization payable by ARBs.

The two-year extension of the agrarian debt moratorium will benefit some 129,059 ARBs whose land awards did not reach the cut-off on July 24, 2023 to qualify for the condonation of agrarian debt.

The extension of the moratorium on the payment of the amortization and principal on the debt of ARBs will no doubt contribute to a marked improvement in their daily lives as they will have more income to meet their daily needs.

ARB beneficiaries will be freed from the burden of onerous debts and instead reap the benefits from the land they cultivate.

Apart from contributing to their well-being and uplifting their quality of life, the New Agrarian Reform Emancipation Act will also re-energize the agricultural sector as a whole.

This will lead to greater farm productivity particularly at this time when weak harvests of palay and other agricultural crops have jacked up the retail prices of essential foodstuffs and contributed to galloping inflation.

At the same time, the administration should continue to facilitate the delivery of support services to all ARBs.

The farmers should be provided with adequate credit so they can gain access to modern farm equipment and afford basic farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.

Other vital support services, including post-harvest facilities and farm-to-market roads, will make the lives of agrarian reform beneficiaries a lot better after a long wait for deliverance from poverty. (manilastandard.net)

By Vincent P. Grecia

The much-awaited redevelopment of Iloilo City’s two biggest markets – the Iloilo Central Market and Iloilo Terminal Market – under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme with SM Prime Holdings has officially started.

The Iloilo City Government and SM Prime Holdings held separate groundbreaking ceremonies for the two projects on Monday, Sept. 18.

The event was led by Mayor Jerry Treñas and SM Supermalls VP for Operations Engr. Bien C. Mateo, together with Michelle Leslie K. Llanos, SM Supermalls Vice President for Mall Operations, Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, Iloilo City Councilors, Department Heads, business sector leaders, and other SM executives.

Treñas considered the event a “historic milestone” for the city “that signifies a powerful leap forward towards a world-class market experience right here in Iloilo.”

“Imagine a market that’s not just a place to shop, but a destination to experience, a place where residents and visitors alike can revel in a vibrant, diverse, and captivating environment. This market will be more than just a collection of stalls, it will be a hub of culture, community, and commerce,” Treñas said.

A press release from the city government said the new Central and Terminal markets will have retail spaces and ample parking for the convenience of the customers as well as generate additional customer traffic for the market vendors.

Other modern features and specifications of the new market facility will include a Building Management System, a computer-based control system that controls and monitors the building’s mechanical and electrical equipment; a fire detection and alarm system; and a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), which tracks maintenance operations.

It will still be managed by the City Government through the Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO).

The total project cost for the two markets is around Php 3 billion at no cost to the city government. It is expected to be completed in December 2024.

Mateo said that SM considers Iloilo as their “partner for good”.

“We will not be your partner for long, we will be your partner for good,” he quipped.

LEEO head Maricel Mabaquiao assured the bonafide stall holders that they will be given their respective spaces back when the two markets are completed.

It was learned that around 3,000 market vendors were affected by the redevelopment of the two markets. They were transferred to temporary stalls built around the two markets.

By Vincent P. Grecia

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has started releasing the PhP 15,000 Sustainable Livelihood Program – Economic Relief Subsidy (SLP – ERS) to some 250 micro rice retailers in the region starting September 13.

DSWD 6 regional director Atty. Carmelo N. Nochete said the government allotted an initial amount of P3.75 million for the Western Visayas recipients.

The Department of Trade and Industry identified the rice retailers who will be provided with a maximum of P15,000 subsidy, a one-time assistance due to the rice price cap that affects small rice retailers.

Identified small rice retailers in Iloilo City, Bacolod City, and Negros Occidental received their subsidy on September 13 while Aklan, Antique, Guimaras and Capiz received theirs on September 14.

In Roxas City, at least 31 qualified rice retailers received their respective government subsidy for complying with the rice price cap as stipulated in Executive Order No. 39 of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. These include the 29 rice retailers from Teodoro Arcenas Trade Center (TACT) and two others from a public market along Burgos Street, all in this city.

“The subsidy will depend if the recipient is a plain retailer and or selling rice in a sari-sari store,” said Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Capiz – Consumer Protection Unit head Merian Asas, adding that a venue and time are being finalized by the DTI and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the release of the assistance.

It may be recalled that the Roxas City Cereals Retailers Association (RCCRA) based at the TATC was among the first to announce and comply with the EO No. 39 in the region after a series of consultations and dialogue with the rice retailers of the DTI, Department Agriculture, and local governments.

Asas noted Capiz vice-governor and Grains Retailers’ Confederation of the Philippines Inc. (GRECON) president Jaime Magbanua has helped a lot in the decision of the rice retailers.

Meanwhile, 14 retailers from Iloilo City received their subsidy on Sept. 13 at the office of Iloilo City Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon.

In her message, DTI officer-in-charge Regional Director for Western Visayas Ermelinda Pollentes said prioritized in the list were registered retailers that were compliant with EO 39.

The focus of the DTI is to monitor manufactured basic needs and prime commodities, but they were requested to help the Department of Agriculture (DA), she added.

The EO puts the price of regular milled rice at P41.00 per kilo and well-milled rice at P45.00 each kilogram.

The implementation of the subsidy, under the SLP – ERS, to help small rice retailers cope with the impact of losses due to the imposition of price ceiling and freezing of rice prices in the country as mandated by the President under Executive Order 39. (PIA-6)

The Iloilo City Anti-Smoking Task Force (ICAST) has apprehended and fined a total of 7,278 smokers and e-cigarette users who were caught smoking and “vaping” in public areas in the metro.

ICAST director Iñigo Garingalao, in a media interview on Sept. 11, 2023, said that the task force together with the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) apprehended 868 e-cigarette or “vape” users and 6,410 cigarette smokers from Jan. 1 to Aug. 15, 2023, noting that the violators this year are higher compared last year.

He noted that they were already expecting the increase in number of violators, including students, as the agency also ramped up their operations.

“Expected na abi nga may mga estudyante nga makaladakpan subong kay daw hindi gid ta kaintindi sa mga estudyante ta nga gastusan sila sang ila ginikanan, part sang ila budget, ti sigarilyo nila. So, expected gid na siya nga magtaas,” Garingalao said.

He cited the easing of health and safety protocols in the city, as well as the agency’s intensified monitoring and operations as some of the reasons for the increase in the apprehension of illegal smokers.

“[Ongoing] man dayon ang aton operations sa mga palibot sang smokers. Nakakasa man sa ICAST ang aton nga Kids Smoke-Free Storytelling Program, Forums for Schools, mga amu na nga hilimu-on and other things for awareness 

like pagpanagtag sang posters,” he furthered.

Garingalao also debunked the idea that using e-cigarettes is safer than conventional cigarettes, as it is misleading and even propagates the habit of smoking among students.

He added that the anti-smoking campaign does not stop at apprehending smokers as it should need collaborative efforts among stakeholders, including the education and health sectors, as well as the parents of the students.

“Ang aton nga mga ginikanan should also be aware of this. Ang anti-smoking and anti-vaping needs holistic approach and collaboration as it is behavioral, cultural, addiction [health issues], so, this should be a community work,” Garingalao explained.

The Iloilo City Anti-Smoking Ordinance penalizes individuals caught smoking in prohibited places with P1,500 and/or three days imprisonment at the discretion of the court for the first offense; P2,000 and/or five days imprisonment at the discretion of the court for the second offense, and P5,000 and/or 10 days imprisonment at the discretion of the court for the third offense.

Establishments without designated smoking areas or allow smoking in non-designated areas, on the other hand, are fined P2,000 on the first offense, P3,000 for second offense, and P5,000 or cancellation of their business permit on the third offense. (PIA-6)

The Iloilo Provincial Government has acquired two new speedboats to be used by the Iloilo Provincial Bantay Dagat Task Force (IPBDTF) for anti-illegal fishing operations in northern Iloilo.

The speedboats, which costs PhP 3,499,500 each, has a hull length of 25-26 ft, breadth of 7-3 ft, and is being run by a 150 HP outboard (gasoline) motor, 4 stroke engine with hydraulic system and fuel water separator. It has a maximum speed of up to 30 knots.

Its hull is molded fiber glass with get coat and foam filled hull between stringers and a stainless plate bow guard.

The patrol boat is equipped with GPS, chart plotter combo with blue chart G2, VHF marine base radio with antenna, navigation lights and comes with galvanized trailers.

Stoneworks Specialists International Corp., supplier of the two speedboats, conducted a sea trial last Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the Philippine Coast Guard station in Brgy. Bo. Obrero, La Paz, Iloilo City and the Iloilo Strait.

The Bantay Dagat operatives were also given an orientation on the how to operate the patrol boat as well as the use of its accessories.

Provincial Administrator Raul Banias with General Services Office (GSO) chief Vicente Flores, Jr. and the staff from the Provincial Agriculture Office witnessed the conduct of the sea trial.

Banias thanked Philippine Coast Guard Iloilo Station Commander Paterno Belarmino, Jr. for allowing the conduct of the sea trial in their area.

Banias said the new patrol boats will help boost the provincial government’s campaign against illegal fishing activities particularly in northern Iloilo.

He added that Gov. Arthur Defensor, Jr. has also approved the budget for the acquisition of additional Bantay Dagat patrol boats with outriggers to augment the existing floating assets.