OCD opens P34.7-M regional evacuation center in north Negros

BACOLOD CITY — The Office of Civil Defense in Region 6 (OCD-6) has unveiled the second regional evacuation center in Western Visayas in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Thursday afternoon.

The two-story building, with a project cost of PHP34.69 million, is situated at Margarita Subdivision, Barangay 2 of the northern Negros city.

OCD-6 Regional Director Jose Roberto Nuñez, together with representatives of other concerned agencies, turned over the facility to Mayor Gerardo Valmayor Jr. and other city officials.

The PHP34.69 million regional evacuation center in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental inaugurated by the Office of Civil Defense-Western Visayas on Thursday afternoon (Feb. 14, 2019).
*Photo courtesy of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental LGU*

“As we turn over this project to you, we hope that you will ensure proper maintenance of the facilities and ensure that all equipment donated for the improvement and conditions during an emergency are properly stored in safe areas,” Nuñez said in his message during the inauguration and turn-over rites.

He acknowledged the city government for providing a location for the evacuation center and ensuring that the project is “free from all infirmities regarding ownership”.

Nuñez and Valmayor signed a memorandum of agreement, together with the representative-officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Department of Health (DOH), for the operation of the facility that can accommodate around 33 families or about 130 individuals.

Also signing on behalf of their respective agencies were Engineer Oliver Zamora, chief of DPWH-6 Maintenance Division; Candelaria Salem of DOH-6; and Luna Moscoso, chief of DSWD-6 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division.

For his part, Valmayor committed to the partner-agencies, led by the OCD-6, that the city government will do its part in the maintenance and improvement of the evacuation center.

“We assure our partners that our City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office under the city government will ensure the proper use and maintenance and allocate funds to complete all necessary equipment,” the mayor added.

Last year, the OCD-6 opened the first-ever regional evacuation center in Bago City in southern Negros Occidental.

Nine more evacuation regional centers will soon open, including the ones in Sagay City, Bacolod City, as well as in Roxas City, Capiz; San Jose de Buenavista, Antique; Kalibo, Aklan; Nueva Valencia, Guimaras; and the towns of Carles, San Miguel and Zarraga in Iloilo province.

“The use of schools as evacuation centers disrupt the classes of students and displace them that is why we, in the Office of Civil Defense in Western Visayas, continuously ensures the establishment of safe evacuation centers,” Nuñez said. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1062004

Unvaccinated students in West Visayas to get measles shots

BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Education (DepEd) 6 (Western Visayas) has announced the conduct of a school-based measles immunization for unvaccinated Grades 1 and 7 students across the region from February until the end of March.

Victor de Gracia Jr., officer-in-charge of the Office of the Assistant Regional Director, said in a memorandum dated February 12 addressed to all school division superintendent that there is an urgent need to reach unimmunized learners in all schools due to the recent measles outbreak in the region.

The DepEd Division of Negros Occidental posted a copy of Regional Memorandum No. 050, series of 2019, on its Facebook page on Wednesday night.

De Gracia said the measles vaccination and Vitamin A supplementation program will be conducted in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) 6 during the period.

“Immediate parental consent shall be secured for identified unimmunized learners,” he added.

De Gracia also directed all doctors, nurses and staff of the Health and Nutrition Units to take the lead in the prompt implementation of the program in their respective divisions.

For the current school year, DOH-6’s free school-based health services aim to reach 123,771 Grade 1 pupils and 155,314 Grade 7 students in Western Visayas for immunization against measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria.

From January to February 12, DOH-6 has recorded 359 suspected measles cases in Western Visayas, 144 of which were from Negros Occidental.

Measles is a contagious viral illness characterized by fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red eyes. This could be transmitted through the air, droplets, or direct contact with nasal and throat secretions of infected persons. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1061896

Boracay employers ordered to implement wage hike

BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-6 (Western Visayas) told employers on Boracay Island, Aklan to implement the daily minimum wage increase, which took effect on January 27.

DOLE-6 Regional Director Cyril Ticao, who also chairs the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-6, said on Monday they have already issued notices on the effectivity of the pay increase in the island-resort.

“We are reminding employers there to implement additional provisions of the existing wage order,” he said.

Wage Order No. 24, which was approved by the board in June 2018, provides that the wage increase in Boracay should take effect three months after its re-opening last October.

The decision took into consideration the temporary closure of the island-destination, which resulted in the non-operation of establishments for six months.

There was no wage increase and provision of cost of living allowance in all three barangays of Malay town, which includes Boracay Island, for three months.

In the rest of the areas in Western Visayas, the PHP13.50 to PHP41.50 increase per day took effect last July 12.

Ticao said it is the obligation of the establishments in Boracay to ensure that workers are properly paid as this will contribute to improving their productivity.

Wage Order No. 24 sets the new minimum wage rates, including the Cost of Living Allowance, at PHP295 and PHP365 per day.

Ticao said workers may report erring employers to their office, and they will conduct inspection to validate the complaint.

He said though that due process will be given to erring establishments, which should pay in retroactive the amount of increase they have not given to their workers.

“If ever they fail, we will issue an order requiring them for double indemnity,” Ticao added. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1060340

Employers urged to pay P5 COLA for sugar industry workers

BACOLOD CITY — Employers in the sugar industry enterprises in Western Visayas were urged to pay their workers the PHP5 daily cost of living allowance (COLA) starting January 17.

Labor sector representative Wennie Sancho made the call on Thursday after the effectivity of the allowance was tackled by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-6 (Western Visayas) in its earlier meeting in Iloilo City.

“They have to faithfully pay it. It’s just a small amount,” he said.

Wennie Sancho, labor sector representative to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-Western Visayas.
*File photo by Erwin P. Nicavera*

Sancho said the living allowance would help minimum wage earners in Region 6 cope with the rising cost of petroleum products, which also leads to the increase in the prices of basic goods.

“It (PHP5 COLA) is one of the new provisions of the latest wage order,” he added.

Wage Order No. 24, which was approved by the RTWPB-6 in June last year, provides that such allowance will take effect six months after the wage increase became effective in July 16, 2018.

Sancho said the Department of Labor and Employment-6 headed by Regional Director Cyril Ticao is expected to issue an advisory on the effectivity of the PHP5 living allowance.

Wage Order 24, which mandated an increase of PHP13.50 to PHP41.50 in the daily minimum wage in Region 6, provides for the said COLA among workers of sugar industry enterprises in the agricultural, industrial, and commercial sectors.

The current minimum wage in Western Visayas, including the living allowance, is pegged at PHP295 and PHP365 per day.

Another provision includes the effectivity of the wage increase on Boracay Island starting January 27.

The island-resort was closed for six months from April to October last year. As part of the moratorium, the new wage increase will take effect only three months after the re-opening of the island.

Considering that business operations in the entire Aklan were also affected, the wage increase took effect in other areas of the province only last November 2018. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1059245

More road networks needed in west Visayas: DOT exec

BACOLOD CITY — More road networks should be established in Western Visayas to boost the region’s tourism industry, a Department of Tourism (DOT) official has said.

DOT-6 Regional Director Helen Catalbas said in a statement on Tuesday there were 168 proposed tourism road projects in Western Visayas last year.

Of which, 79 projects totaling PHP2.48 billion were included in the 2018 General Appropriations Act (GAA). A total of PHP520 million worth of projects are in Negros Occidental, including one amounting to PHP90 million in Bacolod City.

“These road projects make more tourism destinations accessible to tourists and provide livelihood in the community,” Catalbas said.

As tourism facilities begin to emerge with the influx of tourists, the DOT has recognized that strong road networks often lead to better economy, she added.

Catalbas said air, land and sea connectivity is one of the competitive advantages of Western Visayas, adding that micro, small and medium enterprises are also getting a boost from investments pouring in.

“The strengthened linkage of Western Visayas to more major hubs in the Philippines made the region accessible to more domestic and foreign tourists,” she added.

In 2017, tourist arrivals in Western Visayas reached 5.8 million, with tourism receipts, or amount of spending, worth PHP128.45 billion.

This coming Jan. 29, the DOT-Department of Public Works and Highways Convergence Program on Tourism Road Infrastructure Projects (TRIP) will hold a regional consultative workshop in Iloilo City.

During the activity, the previous year’s accomplishments and updates on pending and upcoming projects will be presented.

For 2019, there are 142 proposed road projects from different legislative districts in the region.

In Negros Occidental alone, there are 11 projects funded under the last year’s GAA and will be included in the assessment.

These are comprised mostly of construction, rehabilitation and upgrading of roads in the cities of Talisay, Cadiz, Sagay, Kabankalan and Sipalay, and town of Binalbagan with an initial appropriation of PHP420 million. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1059077

Wage hike pushed for household workers in Region 6

BACOLOD CITY — The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-6 (Western Visayas) will hold a series of public consultations and hearings starting this month on the proposed wage increase for domestic workers or “kasambahay”.

Labor representative Wennie Sancho said the board will begin discussing the proposal during its meeting in Iloilo City on January 10.

Sancho noted that the RTWPB-6 decided to review the wage of “kasambahay” motu proprio or on its own.

He added that Wage Order No. 2, which prescribed the new minimum wage rate for domestic workers in the region, including Negros Occidental, at PHP3,500 per month already lapsed last December 8.

The said wage order removed the classification of “kasambahay” and they were allowed to receive the same wage rate, regardless of whether they are working in cities or different classes of municipalities.

Previously, domestic workers in cities and first class municipalities were prescribed to receive PHP2,500 per month while those in other towns were entitled to get PHP2,000.

Based on the current wage order, the salary of domestic workers in cities and first class municipalities increased by PHP1,000 per month while for those in other towns, by PHP1,500.

Sancho earlier said the classification was somehow “confusing and discriminatory.”

“Expenses of ‘kasambahay’ in any locality is almost similar. The gravity of their work is also the same thus, they all deserve to receive higher and common wage,” he added.

The existing wage order applies to all domestic workers, whether on a live-in or live-out arrangement, such as, but not limited to general househelp, “yaya”, cook, gardener, laundry person, and any person who regularly performs work in one household on an occupational basis.

However, it does not cover service providers, family drivers, children under foster family arrangement, and any other person who performs work occasionally or sporadically and not on occupational basis. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1058071