Naga City Journal

Naga hosts Luzon-wide workshop on history writing

2008-10-03T08:54:52Z

Prof. Ambeth R. Ocampo, chairman of the National Historical Institute, will deliver the message shortly after City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo welcomed the guests and participants when the Luzon series of the seminar-workshop on local history writing formally opens in this city on October 16-17, this month.

The line-up of speakers and resource persons include NHI Board Member Dr. Heidi K. Gloria of Ateneo de Davao University, Prof. Digna P. Apilado of UP and the Philippine National Historical Institute, Prof. Lars Raymund Ubaldo of St. Scholasticas College, Dr. Celestina P. Boncan of UP and the Philippine Historical Association, and Dr. Danilo Gerona of Ateneo de Naga University.

The speakers will discuss related topics, such as methodology of local history, the importance of oral history, archival sources in the study of local history, and sources for Bikol history in the Spanish archives. An open forum and presentation/critiquing of workshop outputs will follow on the second day.

A project of the NHI, in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the City Government of Naga, the workshop-seminar is expected to be attended by local historians, academicians, and stakeholders from the arts and culture sector from the various parts of Luzon, according to NHI Executive Director Ludovico D. Badoy.

Local convenor Jose B. Perez said the venue is tentatively set at the AVR of the Bicol Science Centrum at the city hall compound here but a larger venue may be necessary when actual registration exceeds one hundred participants.

At the workshop, participants will be taught to gather and organize data and will then be required to submit their respective local history as their workshop output.

Mar Roxas graces Taste of Metro Naga at Orgulyo kan Bikol

2008-10-03T08:54:15Z

THE weeklong Bikol Regional Trade Fair 2008 will be held at Megatrade Hall 2 of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City from October 2 to 5 with Sen. Mar Roxas as guest of honor.

Through the joint effort of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Tourism, and the Orgullo kan Bikol Association, Inc., the trade fair will showcase homegrown products from Bicol, including products identified in the One Town One Product (OTOP) convergence program of the government.

Coinciding with it will be the Gayon Bikol of the Department of Tourism, which will be an exposition of the best tourist destinations in the six Bicol provinces.

On October 3, dubbed as Metro Naga Day, Sen. Roxas will be addressing small-scale entrepreneurs who are beneficiaries of programs carried out by concerned government agencies, primarily the DTI.

Participants include micro-entrepreneurs sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Commission on the Role of Filipino Women with its GREAT (Gender Responsive Economic Action for the Transformation of Women) Program.

Local government officials, as well as prominent entrepreneurs, from the different towns and cities of Bicol will be attending the trade fair to promote their products.

Bicol regional trade fair

2008-10-01T10:22:05Z

Jonas Cabiles Soltes

The weeklong Bikol Regional Trade Fair 2008 will be held at Megatrade Hall 2 of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City from October 2 to 5 with Sen. Mar Roxas as guest of honor.

Through the joint effort of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Tourism, and the Orgullo kan Bikol Association, Inc., the trade fair will showcase homegrown products from Bicol, including products identified in the One Town One Product (OTOP) convergence program of the government.

Coinciding with it will be the Gayon Bikol of the Department of Tourism, which will be an exposition of the best tourist destinations in the six Bicol provinces.

On October 3, Sen. Roxas will be addressing small-scale entrepreneurs who are beneficiaries of programs carried out by concerned government agencies primarily the DTI.

Participants include micro-entrepreneurs sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Commission on the Role of Filipino Women with its GREAT (Gender Responsive Economic Action for the Transformation of Women) Program.

Local government officials including Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, as well as prominent entrepreneurs, from the different towns and cities of Bicol will be attending the trade fair to promote their products.

Coops to hold national summit in Naga

2008-09-02T07:19:22Z

When the dusts of the highly-celebrated Penafrancia fiesta in September have finally settled, hotels and restaurants in this vibrant city in Bicol will once again be brimming over with guests and hordes of delegates as the city hosts the 9th National Cooperative Summit in October this year.

Slated on October 22-25, the biggest summit of the nations cooperatives will take place here to unite the broadest number of coops in the common policy, and technical and business agenda, to advance the cooperative movement in various endeavors and lines of economic and non-economic activities.

The summit, which is expected to be attended by some 3,000 delegates from all over the country, will be led by Chairperson Senen C. Bacani of the Philippine Cooperative Center and former Sen. Nikki Coseteng, an advocate of cooperativism. The latter, accompanied by Felix Borja, secretary-general of the Cooperative Union of the Philippines, came to the city Wednesday, Aug. 27, to finalize plans and programs with City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo.

The theme of the summit is Cooperatives: Breaking through Barriers and Beyond.

Organizers said the summit is a response to address cooperative issues in this fast-changing world by utilizing the movements resources; while simultaneously promoting various products and services for cooperative security and development. The delegates expected will represent more than a million cooperative members from across the country.

The city mayor has designated Metro Peso Manager Florencio Mongoso and Jose Perez of the Naga City Visitors Center to be the host project coordinators for the event.

Past summits were held in Bulacan, Davao City, Cebu, Manila, Tagaytay City, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, and Puerto Princesa.

This years summit was originally slated to be held in General Santos City, but the worsening armed conflict in Mindanao led the organizers to hold it instead in Naga City. This city has been known to be hosting big conferences and conventions with significant success, the latest of which was the national executive convention of the Philippine Councilors League in the later part of July 2008 and the national convention of the City and Municipal Engineers Association of the Philippines earlier this month of August 2008.

Naga presses for crime summit on September 1

2008-09-02T07:18:39Z

By Jason B. Neola

A community-based anti-crime campaign looms as the city government here rebuilds its forces to restore the peace and order situation marred by the spate of recent killings and street crimes.

Mayor Jesse M. Robredo said communitys involvement in the peace and order campaign is very essential because the challenge of restoring peace and order involves every member of the society.

The summit, which will be held on Monday, September 1, at 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Naga City Youth Center is expected to provide the city government with effective mechanisms to resolve the increasing crime volume.

The multi-sector planning-workshop will be attended by representatives of the barangays, business sector, civil society, the academe, homeowners associations, government agencies and other stakeholders.

Over the last few months, the citys peace and order situation has been tainted with violent killings which include the gun-slaying of Market Superintendent Francisco Ojeda last August 12 and the brutal murders of 22-year-old nursing student Edelyn B. Opiana last August 20 and 26-year-old mall employee Fatima Beriña of Barangay Triangulo only a day after.

The recent bloody events, Robredo admitted, is a cause for alarm that should be stopped.

Robredo underscored that the challenge of restoring peace has become a community problem that involves everyone in the community.

He said the city government and the local PNP have exerted efforts to address the problem, but we feel these would not be enough and we believe the situation is no longer a question of logistics or the usual inadequacy of resources.

Workshop discussion will focus on strategies to minimize/eliminate criminality in the city which will be followed by presentation of workshop outputs, consensus building and forging of agreements and commitment signing.

* Review the deployment of the citys public safety assets consists of police, PSO, Tanod Brigade Volunteers, PRIMO and Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB).
* Bankat volunteers (Bantay-Kataid) will also be tapped as motorcycle-riding anti-crime volunteers while some of them are stationary (manning crime-prone areas)
* The anti-criminality action will be systematic and scientific as it will be based on a crime map (crime mapping)that will be used as basis for deployment of these public safety assets
* What time/day usually crime occurs
* Establishment of first responders in the area
* Additional number of VHF radios and motorcycles
* Advisory of dos and donts at places frequented by the public as guide where to go and not to go at a given time
* Categorization of crime, drug-related, street crime, organized crime, neighbourhood crime, day crime,

Top taxpayers in Bicol named

2008-09-02T07:16:25Z

RMPalmiano, BIR/PIA

LEGAZPI CITY --- Celebrating the 104th anniversary of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the regional revenue office in Bicol (Revenue Region No. 10) last August 8 honored the top taxpayers in the region.

BIR Bicol OIC Regional Director Diosdado R. Mendoza said the top taxpayers significantly contributed to the regions feat of exceeding its collection goal by 17.05% for the year 2007, thus making Revenue Region No. 10 as the top collection performer (1st place) under the Class B Region Category.

A total of 38 top taxpayers were awarded with plaques by BIR top officials led by OIC Deputy Commissioner for Operations Nelson M. Aspe, Assistant Commissioners Jaime B. Santiago of the Taxpayers Assistance Service and Alberto A. Pio de Roda of the Information Systems Development Service.

The top taxpayers in each Revenue District Office (RDO) in Bicol were classified into two categories, the corporation and individual.

The awardees as top taxpayers were:

Motortrade Nationwide Corp. (corporation) and Alberto Yao (individual), for RDO 64, Daet, Camarines Norte;

Broadvue Traders Corp., South Star Drug, and Easystride, (corporation), Grace de Leon, Ernesto Sancho, and Nathaniel Uy (individual) for RDO 65, Naga City;

G7 Bank (Rural Bank of Nabua, Inc.), Saint Anthony Academy of Iriga, Inc., and Camarines Sur III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (corporation); Abner P. Ferrer, Elizabeth O. Bearis, and Eric Fabian O. Mendez (individual) for RDO 66, Iriga City;

Bluestone Trading Corp., Sunwest Construction & Devt. Corp., and DSB Construction & Supply (corporation); Christopher Co, Tomas Rañola, and Maria Uy Lo (Individual) for RDO 67, Legazpi City;

CTC Builders and Supplies, Inc., Sorsogon II Electric Coop., Inc., and Sorsogon I Electric Coop., Inc. (corporation) and Albert B. Tison, Alex B. We, and Josephine J. Ravanilla (individual) for RDO 68, Sorsogon City;

Ocean Coast Trading Corp., Powerzone Petroleum Products Corp., RSL Bus Transport Corp. (corporation) and Samuel Y. Laynes, Joseph C. Cua, and Rogelio S. Pavia (individual) for RDO 69, Catanduanes;

Osmeña Colleges, Masbate New Union Bakery Marketing Corp., Masbate New Life Marketing & Merchandising Corp. (corporation) and Luis L. Uy, Jacinto T. Po, and Gina V. Revil (individual), for RDO 70, Masbate City.

Three RDOs in Bicol were also cited as top collection performers in 2007. They were given citations for their exemplary performance: RDO 69 Catanduanes headed by Ramon T. King, Jr. as top collection performer, followed by RDO 68, Sorsogon City under the helm of Arturo D. Abenoja, Jr, and third was RDO 67, Legazpi City led by Ma. Luisa I. Belen.

Fun run for Mt. Isarog slated

2008-09-02T07:13:52Z

The Center for Ecosystems & Protected Area Management (CEPAM), in cooperation with the city government is now accepting entries to Dalagan Para sa Kadlagan, a fun run aimed at raising funds and environmental awareness for the protection and conservation of Mt. Isarog.

Jocelyn A. Nique, CEPAM president and project coordinator, is inviting runners and peo-environment advocates on September 14, 2008, so that kids can plant more trees. She explained that funds to be raised would be used for the organizations Junior Rangers Program (JRP), where 30 grade school children from each of the citys 27 barangays are given hand-on experience on seedling production of forest/fruit-bearing tree species, and for the continuing reforestation project at Mt. Isarog Natural Parks protected area.

The fun run will be held around the citys major thoroughfares where Mayor Jesse Robredo will fire the gun for the start of the race which will be participated in by various age groups from all over the city and province and beyond.

CEPAM is a non-government organization which is deeply involved in educating the public on the importance of biodiversity conservation, ecosystems and protected area management and climate change.

The fun-run is also being supported by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Isarog Runners, and ABS-CBN.

Inquiries on how to join the fun-run may be directed to CEPAM President Jocelyn Nique (09278424558), Dindin Daliva (09063658014), Atty. Aik Albao (09174087696), City Environment Officer Oscar Orozco (09178590273), or Joe Perez (054-473-4432) of the Naga City Visitors Center. They may also email at: Jocelyn.nique@yahoo.com.

Mayor Climaco Award conferred on Robredo

2008-08-21T12:57:19Z

ZAMBOANGA CITY --- The 2008 Mayor Cesar C. Climaco Award for Good Governance has been conferred on Naga City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo during ceremonies held Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 20, at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, this city.

Fr. Antonio F. Moreno, S.J. of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University said the unanimous decision to grant the award to Mayor Robredo made a strong statement for the academic community and the wider community of Western Mindanao and beyond to a new brand of leadership that privileges accountability, transparency, effective city management and governance.

The Jesuit priest said that as a multi-awarded mayor, Robredo may not need the Mayor Climaco award, but that they take pride in giving it because of what its stands for.

Mayor Robredo said the latest award that he has received was an honor that the people of Naga City most deserve. He said that the most important lesson that he learned as the citys chief executive is that public servants should feel obliged to listen to and heed the peoples will always.

The mayor explained that public servants are servant leaders, their mission is to serve and not be served.

Mayor Climaco

Robredo recalled that as a high school student in the turbulent 70s, he already heard much about Climaco as the fearless mayor of Zamboanga City who carried no gun and shunned bodyguards despite the violence that hounded Western Mindanao during that period.

An anti-Marcos activist, Climaco vowed never to cut his hair until democratic rule was restored in the country.

He was critical of the highly-centralized structure of government under which it was necessary to obtain the blessing of the Office of the President before funds could be disbursed. When President Marcos lifted martial law in 1981, Climaco retorted, "Marcos did not lift martial rule. He only tilted it." Climaco was able to stoke anti-Marcos sentiment within Zamboanga City.

In the morning of November 14, 1984, Climaco rushed to the scene of a fire that had broken out in downtown Zamboanga City. He supervised operations to put out the fire, and then prepared to leave. He sighted a display of caskets at a nearby funeral home and jokingly said, "Reserve one of those for me". Climaco then mounted his motorcycle to return to his office. A man approached from behind and shot him in the nape at point-blank range. The assassin escaped, while Climaco was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

His life and times showed us that he was a man of peace in the middle of crime and tyranny, Robredo said of Climaco as he addressed the audience during the well-attended awarding ceremonies.

Robredo stressed that Mayor Climaco was a man of conviction and good governance who fought graft and corruption that tried to muddle our democratic ideals.

He died a hero and left us a legacy of meaningful politics and good governance which is a challenge for each new political generation to emulate and improve on, Robredo said as he paid tribute to a man who died while performing his duty.

Roxas junks Cha-cha, federalism

2008-08-21T12:56:30Z

By Juan Escandor Jr.

Reacting to President Macapagal-Arroyos call for a shift to federalism as a way to ensure long-lasting peace in Mindanao, Sen. Mar Roxas disclosed Friday that he did not sign a resolution passed around the Senate calling for constituent assembly for that matter.

Unang-una, lumalabas na gustong gamitin ito ng Malacañang para sa Cha-cha. (Firstly, it shows that Malacañang wanted to use it for Cha-cha.), Roxas, who graced the 22nd anniversary of the urban poor federation here, told local newsmen.

He went on to say that the subject on federalism which requires constitutional amendments must be studied and discussed thoroughly before any call for the constituent assembly in the Congress.

Laying down his arguments against federalism, Roxas wondered what concept of states to federate the Philippine is to apply, saying it is very vague that it could be the whole Mindanao, the whole of Luzon and the whole of Visayas to comprise the states in Philippine federal form of government.

He added that the concept of state could also be represented by the existing region that would make Bicol one state, the Visayan regions another set of states that he said brought to the fore the vagueness of the Presidents concept of federalism.

But Roxas said there are also good things about federalism if the details of the concept were laid down which he said would include the judicial structure and the relations of the federal government to the states, the control over resources, the fiscal issues and many more.

He said that the call for federalism came at the hilt of the Arroyo administrations dubious effort at keeping secret the Memorandum of Agreement between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Arroyo government that he said was a total sell out of the Philippine territory to a renegade group.

Roxas said that the true intentions of the MOA that virtually cedes a Philippine territory to the MILF have brought more problems that threaten the stability and peace of the nation rather than providing solution to the secessionist movement in Mindanao.

Roxas wows Nagas urban poor audience

2008-08-21T12:55:39Z

By Juan Escandor Jr.

Almost mobbed by some 400 urban poor residents during an anniversary celebration of the urban poor federation in this city Friday last week, Sen. Mar Roxas walked through the crowd like a celebrity as he clasped hands with his adoring fans.

Followed by television crews and reporters, Roxas was led by Mayor Jesse Robredo to his constituency with a body language virtually endorsing the Liberal Party president to the 2010 presidential race, while blue-colored glossy paper fans with the picture of the doe-eyed opposition senator were being distributed to the crowd.

Later, after the speeches and the open forum on the issues confronting the urban poor in Bicol, women of all ages flocked around the celebrity senator requesting his autograph on the fans doled out. The fan bore a catchy phrase on the flipside that reads Tuloy ang laban para sa abot-kayang gamot with the attention-grabbing phrase Oras na printed in white at the bottom where the Liberal Party logo could also be found.

Keeping his cool as the women hassled for his signature, Roxas requested them to put down their fans so that he could just pick one at a time until he finished signing all, missing none.

Earlier, inside the chapel of the religious congregation of the Missionary of the Poor, Roxas guardedly parried leading questions about his presidential ambition during ambushed interviews by reporters.

When a reporter insisted on the same question, Roxas responded off-tangent that he will continue helping his countrymen over the crisis they are going through.

Rephrasing the question, another reporter asked Roxas if the warm reception shown by the citys urban poor residents inspired him to pursue his presidential bid. He responded by saying that he was inspired to work harder to help the beautiful women, men and children who jostled just to see him.

Indeed there were Roxas believers among the crowd that included Angela Llagas, 36, who said that the senator embodies a new look in governance but added that she was not sure if the young senator could win the presidential race.

Virginia Tupaz, 50, said she would campaign for Roxas because she said she knew personally their family in Capiz where she stayed for eight years and joined the Capiz Womens Inc. that she said was organized by the senators brother Congressman Dinggoy Roxas, whom she also found to be very warm and friendly.

But Dodo Davila, 45, said that it was too early yet to pick a candidate and that he still has to see the winnability of Roxas in the presidential race.

In the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations, Roxas ranked sixth (13 percent) among those whom respondents would choose to succeed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after the 2010 election. The top three choices, according to the survey, were Noli de Castro (31 percent), Sen. Loren Legarda (26 percent), and Senate President Manny Villar (25 percent).