Tricycle driver wins national award on poetry

Let me give you a report which I received courtesy of PIA-8 and Eleen Lim of DYOG Radyo ng Bayan.


Tricycle driver wins national award on poetry
By Neil D. Lopido

Nemesio “Totoy” Baldesco, a tricycle “padyak” driver from Calbayog City, won the Jimmy Y. Balacuit Special Award on Poetry in the just concluded 17^th Iligan National Writers Workshop held at the Mindanao State University, Iligan City on May 23-28, 2010.

Baldesco was given with such meritorious award by the panel of critics from big universities in the country for his craftsmanship in his poem “Sikad” which talks about the life of a tricycle driver who takes pain in earning money just to feed his family and send his children to school.

The panel of critics who granted the said award were: Antonio Enriquez (Ateneo de Zamboanga), Leoncio P. Deriada (UP Iloilo), Merlie M. Alunan (UP Tacloban), Victor N. Sugbo (UP Tacloban), German V. Gervacio (MSU-IIT), Steven P.C. Fernandez (MSU-IIT), this year’s keynote lecturer, Lawrence Ypil (Ateneo de Manila University), and workshop director, Christine Godinez-Ortega (MSU-IIT).

Baldesco was the only fellow from Eastern Visayas. Along with him were: Bernardo Miguel from Calabanga, Camarines Sur; Paul A. Castillo from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila; Roberto Klemente R. Timonera from MSU-IIT, Iligan City; Gratian Paul R. Tidor, MSU-IIT, Dipolog City; Herminigildo M. Dico, MSU-IIT, Dumingog, Zamboanga del Sur; Jona B. Bering from the University of San Carlos, Cebu City; Jayson E. Parba, Capitol University, Cagayan de Oro City; Kyra Camille C. Ballesteros, Ateneo de Manila University, Taytay, Rizal; Romulo P. Pena, UP Diliman, Quezon City; Reynaldo A. Villaruz, Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, Roxas City; and Anili F. Butcon, Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City.

The said writer has already received numerous awards from various award-giving bodies. In Eastern Visayas for example, the Ibabao Arts Council of Calbayog bestowed unto him the Poet Laureate Award of Calbayog in 2008 during the Siday sa Kahanginan Poetry and the Provincial Government of Samar proclaimed him Champion in the Oral Siday Competition held in 2004 during the Samar Day Celebration. While at the national scene, Baldesco received a Gantimpalang Ani Award for Poetry in 1994 from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and in 2007 the Gawad Komisyon Karangalang Banggit for Poetry by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF).

As a traditional writer in Waray, Baldesco updated himself in contemporary writing through his active involvement in the annual Lamiraw Regional Creative Writing Workshop held in Northwest Samar State University ( NwSSU). His attendance in the Iligan workshop this year is a big leap in broadening his knowledge in poetry and literary criticism, especially in honing his craftsmanship.

Baldesco, 55, lives in Brgy. Matobato in Calbayog City, together with his writer-wife Ana and his children who are also artists in their respective fields. (PIA-8/Lamiraw)

DepEd to launch “Brigada Eskwela Plus” in Calbayog City

Calbayog City_/ Just months after achieving full participation of all public schools in the country, Brigada Eskwela: the Annual National Schools Maintenance Week, the Deptartment of Education (DepEd) Central Office will launch the Brigada Eskwela Plus, this time in Calbayog City, this coming Saturday, October 17.

DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus leads the list of participants to the launching which include Calbayog City Officials led by Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento, and DepEd Officials for Region 8.

According to City Schools Division Superintendent Editha Paculan, since the Brigada Eskwela Program which empowers various communities nationwide in helping their schools prepare for the opening of classes in the month of June was very successful, the DepEd deemed it necessary to step up its Program efforts to harness the partnership of over 43,000 public schools with their community stakeholders, and to maximize each community’s potential for participation in the affairs of education through Brigada Eskwela Plus.

The Brigada Eskwela Plus shall focus on three main activities: school maintenance activities through out the school year, community-led efforts to improve student participation and reduce the incidence of drop-outs, and community –led efforts to improve student performance.

During the program – launching, Paculan said that other DepEd Programs implemented together with the community stakeholders will also be tackled, such as the Adopt-a School Program, Project Faces or Facilitating Access to Complete Elementary School, and the very successful Project “Sakay Na,” or Shuttle All Kids and Youngsters Needing Assistance of the city.

Also invited to this event are members of the Local School Board, Parents-Teachers’ Association presidents, Punong Barangays, Barangay Kagawads who chairs the education committee, and SK Chairpersons.

Expected to provide entertainment during the whole-day program which will be held at the City Sports Complex are the students of Calbayog City National High School, DepEd Calbayog City Cultural Group, and popular singer Yeng Constantino. (DYOG/Eleen Lim)

5 Barangay in Calbayog City Receive KBP Projects

Calbayog City_/As the rest of the country marked the 37th anniversary of Martial Law, 5 barangays in the northern part of the city received the fruits of their “liberation” from being affected by the insurgents: the Kalayaan Barangays Program or KBP Projects of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In a simple ceremony at Brgy. Peña in Tinambacan district, Col. Arnaldo Fernandez, Jr., commander of the 53rd Engineering Brigade, together with Col. Arnolfo Atendido, commander of the 803rd Infantry Brigade, turned over to city mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento and the 5 punong barangays the fully-accomplished KBP project packages consisting of a 2-room school building, a health center and street lights. The projects which cost around Php1.5 million per package were warmly received by the Barangay officials, health workers and teachers of Barangays Peña, Cagmanipis Norte, Malaga, Tinaplacan and Bugtong.

According to Lt. Col. Rizalito Tibon, the commanding officer of 543rd Engineering Construction Battalion which erected the said projects, the Kalayaan Barangays Program of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was intended for conflict-affected communities all over the country. It is specifically given to such barangays who lack the basic infrastructure projects such as school buildings, water system, and the like.

The recipient barangays in Calbayog according to Col. Tibon, were selected when the Special Operations Team from the 20th IB conducted a pulong-pulong with the people of the communities to know what their basic priority needs are. These needs were submitted to the National Development Command, which in turn, requested funds from the President.

During the ribbon cutting ceremonies in the barangay, there were observations made about the good quality of work done on the buildings by the engineering battalion. To this, Col. Tibon said, “Iyon lang po talaga ang gawain naming mga army engineers, lahat ng gawin namin, kailangan matibay, para hindi na magkaproblema ang ating mga communities, at hindi masira ang gobyerno.” Col. Tibon also added that army engineers are not “profit oriented but service oriented,” hence whatever funds allocated for the project are being spent for it. In case there are savings, like what happened to these KBP projects, they use it to buy tables and chairs for the teachers.

The savings must have been quiet big because after the blessing of the buildings, Col. Fernandez promised to provide lavatories for the health centers and, to the applause and cheers of the teachers and students, a complete set of computers for each of the school buildings. (Eleen Lim / DYOG Calbayog)

Earth Scientists, Climate Change Stakeholders To Meet in Calbayog City

The City of Calbayog will host the regional meeting on climate change for earth scientists, Local Government Units , Non-Government and Business Organizations on Friday, July 10, 2009.

The meeting is a a part of a series of symposia being conducted by the National Institute of Geological Sciences-University of the Philippines (NIGS-UP), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration-Dept. of Science and Technology (PAGASA-DOST), and the Phil. Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development –Dept. Of Science and Technology (PCIERD-DOST), entitled “ Enhancing Communities’ Capacity to Confront Extreme Geo-Meteorological Events at the Core of Climate Change.”

According to Dr. Rodolfo Tamayo, the Project Leader, the meeting would be a venue for the said stakeholders and scientists to present recent findings and discuss key issues on climate change. He added that the project has 2-fold aim: first is to bring the issue of climate change to key places across the Philippines such as the people would be updated on recent scientific information; and second, to provide the organizers the means to identify policy issues that the government can address as it confronts climate change.

Resource speakers will provide inputs on Climate Change-Related Extreme Weather Conditions, Climate Change-Related Extreme Geological Events, Climate Change Financial Issues and Technology Transfer, Science and Technology Intervention on Climate Change, and Local Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change.

An open forum and workshop will also be held in the later part of the symposium.

Among those invited to participate in this event are the local chief executives of Naval, Borongan, Salcedo, Baybay, Catarman, Tacloban, San isidro and Maasin, as well as the governor of the province of Leyte, administrators of the different State Colleges and Universities, and Regional Ecology Centers here in Region 8, and business sector and non-government organizations representatives. From Calbayog City, expected to attend are 5 Punong barangays whose jurisdiction lies the city’s water shed, 33 from coastal barangays, and several school teachers.

The event will be held at the Audio-Visual Room of TTMIST. (Eleen Lim/DYOG-Calbayog)

Calbayog City supports observance of Earth Hour 2009

Calbayog City, March 16, 2009/ Come March 28, 2009, the whole city of Calbayog will put their lights out for just one hour, if only the city could have its way.

This morning City Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino led the ceremonial signing of the Pledge of Commitment for the observance of Earth Hour 2009.

Organized by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney two years ago, Earth Hour is an international annual event which aims to give an opportunity to the people in the world to have their voices heard on the very important issue of global warming and to demand action on climate change.

For this year, the Earth hour is slated on March 28, when lights should be put out from 8:30 to 9:30 in the evening.

According to Vice Mayor Aquino, Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento will lead in the ceremonial “lights out” at the city hall and this will include the switching off of lights at the public park and plaza, government buildings and the city streets. Even though it is not compulsory for every household or establishment to observe the Earth Hour, still Aquino encouraged everybody who has household appliances or anything that runs on electricity to switch them off in order to give mother earth a rest, even for just one hour on said date.

In signing the said commitment, the city also agrees to support any activity that will aid in the successful observance of earth hour. With this, Calbayog City becomes one with almost 2,000 towns and cities in 80 countries across the globe who pledged to support earth hour 2009. Even the romantic City of Paris will turn out the lights of its famous Eiffel Tower in support of the activity.

According to the earth hour’s website, this lights out initiative began as a one-city environmental campaign in Sydney, Australia in 2007, but has evolved into a grassroots action that has captured the attention of the citizens of the world. In 2008, 371 cities across 35 countries turned their lights out in a united call for action on climate change. For this year, the organizers expected 1,000 cities and towns to join the campaign, but for just a week before earth hour, the number is almost double, and among those counted is the City of Calbayog. (ELEEN S. LIM, Radyo Ng Bayan-Calbayog)

JICA hands over pilot MRF to Calbayog City

Ribbon-cutting to open the Calbayog Pilot MRF. Mayor Mel Sarmiento as he led the ribbon-cutting during the inauguration of the Calbayog Pilot MRF. In photo (r-l) Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino, JICA Philippine Office Representative Makoto Iwashi, Matuguinao Mayor Carlos De La Cruz, Sta. Margrita Mayor Fred Serrano, Councilors Ver Porlares, Sonny Salurio and Noel Sermense and JICA Project Team Leader Takashi Goto. (Photo by Henry Puyat)

As I have mentioned in an earlier blogpost, the Calbayog Pilot Materials Recovery Facility was inaugurated last Tuesday. Let me give you the report of DYOG's Eleen Lim.

JICA HANDS OVER PILOT MRF TO CALBAYOG CITY
(A compliance to an unfunded mandate, says Mayor Sarmiento)

Calbayog City, March 10, 2009/ It was almost like a hopeless case for the City of Calbayog and for other Local Government Units in the country: Establishment of a multi-million pesos sanitary landfill and Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) in every LGU in compliance to Solid Waste Management Act or RA 9003, or face administrative and criminal sanctions.

But then there’s always the Japan International Cooperating Agency to turn to. At least for the City of Calbayog.

On March 10, 2009, JICA thru its representatives Makoto Iwase and Takashi Goto handed–over 2.9 million pesos worth of MRF located in Brgy. Payahan, this city. The facility consists of a building, a shredding machine, rotating composter, a platform scale dial and a water jet cleaner. Built for almost 4 months, the facility will serve as the Central Composting Facility for biodegradable wastes from the backyards or gardens, and the public market, and food wastes from limited households. Said wastes will then be processed into soil conditioner or organic fertilizer.

And as if the MRF is not enough, the JICA also turned over a portable water quality analysis meter, and a 1 million pesos worth of equipment to be used for Information and Education Campaign regarding waste segregation such as video recorders, digital camera, LCD, laptop and printer. And for the “campaigners” to get moving: a Mitsubishi Montero Sports Car worth almost 2 million pesos.

During the simple inauguration and hand-over ceremonies, Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento said that when Congress passed the Solid Waste Management Act, there was no provision as to the funding of its implementation, leaving the LGU’s to fund the program on its own initiative. Congress did not even consider that the agency tasked to implement the law which is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, lacks the technical capability and knowledge. Moreover, according the mayor, LGUs are mandated to implement the law within four years after its approval or face sanctions.

Mayor Sarmiento profusely thanked the JICA People for coming to their rescue.

From the 120 cities nation wide, JICA chose 3- Sagay City in Negros, Davao City in Mindanao and Calbayog City as pilot cities where they provided technical training for Ecological Solid Waste Management. As a collateral assistance to the establishment of MRF, three employees of the City, including Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino who sits as the chair of the City Solid Waste Management Board, were sent to Japan by the JICA to study the different Solid Waste Management Programs of the different cities which became successful in achieving its goal of reducing waste as a means to reduce the adverse impact of global warming and climate change.

JICA also took the initiative of providing the technical assistance, including research and geographical studies on the proposed site for the 50-million pesos sanitary landfill to be constructed sometime this year. The landfill, according to Mayor Sarmiento, can also serve the neighboring municipalities who cannot afford to put up their own sanitary dumpsites, but must put up their own MRF’s.

The MRF will serve as the “frontliner” for the landfill. From the barangay level, the household wastes are segregated into reusable, recyclable, residual or non-biodegradable, and biodegradable. The latter goes to the MRF, while only the residual wastes will go to the landfill. The city’s MRF will also serve as the model for other MRF that will be put up in other barangays in the city and the nearby municipalities.

Municipalities in the first district of Samar sent representatives, most of them the vice mayors, to the Ecological Solid Waste Management Technical Training conducted right after the said hand-over ceremonies. (Eleen Lim)

The Bangon Falls Power Plant Project

Exactly a week ago today (yup) during the City Fiesta, the City Government entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SAMELCO I and Clean & Green Energy Solutions Inc. on the Bangon Falls Power Plant Project.

MOU signing. Mayor Mel Sarmiento (seated center) as he signed the Memorandum of Understanding with (l) Mr. Jose Ocampo Ilagan of Clean & Green Energy Solutions, Inc. and Mr. Rodel Lim of SAMELCO I. Looking on are Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino and Councilor Ina Rabuya.

Let me give you Eleen Lim's report on the actvitity:

Posible nga sa siyahan nga bahin san masunod nga tuig 2009 pagtitikangan an konstruksiyon san Bangon Falls Power Generation Project, an proyekto nga mag poproduce san kuryente tikang san tubig sa nasabi nga falls.

Ini an ginpahayag ni Jose Ocampo Ilagan, Presidente san Clean n Green Energy Solutions Inc., an kumpaniya nga mao an mag tutukod ngan mamamahala san nasabi nga proyekto. Sumala kan Ilagan gagamiton nira an nahibibilin nga parte san yana nga tuig agud makakuha san kadugangan nga fundo para san nasabi nga proyekto, ngan agud ig verify pa an nahi-una nga evaluation nga iginhimo san C. Lotti Associates.

An rapid technical and financial evaluation nga iginhimo san C. Lotti Associates nagpapakita nga mahihimo makag-develop san 2.88 ka megawatt san mini hydro power plant sa nasabi nga falls.
Igindugang pagpahayag ni Ilagan nga maabot ngadto san tikang 14 ngadto sa 15 ka bulan an magigin construction sini nga proyekto, sanglit kun masusunod an schedule, posible nga pag abot san kabutngaan san tuig 2010, magigin operational na an nasabi nga planta.

Kasumpay sini, igin klaro ni Ilagan nga waray angay nga igkabaraka an mga molopyo san Calbayog kabahin san possible nga karat-an nga mahidudurot san proyekto ngada san aton kapaligiran.

Dida san nakalabay nga Lunes nga adlaw, igin-pirmahan san siyudad san Calbayog, SAMELCO I ug san kumpaniya ni Ilagan an Memorandum of Understanding kabahin san pagtukod na san nasabi nga proyekto, ug an magigin obligasyon san kada partido. Sa panahon nga mahuman ug magin operational na an nasabi nga planta, mahatag an Clean n Green san 5% san ira kita ngada san siyudad komo nananag-iya san Bangon Falls, ngan 3% naman nga kita ngadto sa SAMELCO I nga mao an maghahatag san 13.2 ka kilovolt nga distribution line ngadto sa Bangon Falls.
An Samelco I la liwat amo an igintagan san katungod nga makapalit san kuryente tikang san nasabi nga proyekto, agud ig distribuer naman ngada san mga kunsumidor.