One Visayas heeds PGMA's call, embarks on a Climate Change Summit

(Mayor Mel Sarmiento will be in Cebu City today and tomorrow for the One Visayas Summit on Climate change. Here's a report from PIA-8)

Tacloban City (May 11) -- The three Visayas Regions, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas, unite as One Visayas as they address the global environment threat through a Climate Change Summit on May 11 and 12 at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City, in answer to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's call for the adoption of necessary measures to mitigate the impact of climate change and global warming.

No less than Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been invited to attend the Summit to receive the Summit Outputs and to deliver a inspiring speech at the Closing of the Summit on May 12, Calbayog City Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento, who is the Regional Development Council of Eastern Visayas, informed.

Mayor Sarmiento expressed hope that the members of the Regional Development Councils who have been invited to attend the Summit will participate actively, volunteer suggestions and help solve the problems of climate change and do their share in saving Mother Earth for this and the future generations.

DENR Secretary Jose L. Atienza, Jr., is scheduled to talk about the Climate Change Initiatives in the Philippines.

Fr. Jet Villarin and Ms. Tony Loyzaga will present the overview of climate change, its consequences and impacts with focus on the Visayas Region while Dr. Julian Amador of the Environmental Management Bureau will present the GHG inventory of the Philippines.

In the afternoon, the participants will be divided into seven island groupings: Negros, Panay, Samar, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol and Small Islands.

The focus questions will include the major concerns of the respective islands; the current practices that have great impact on climate change (health, business, environment, social); and the specific mitigation and adaptation measures, either policies, programs and projects, that could be undertaken.

Other topics during the Summit are the Climate Change resiliency tools for LGUs; the opportunities for Carbon finance; and the legal aspects of climate change.

The highlights of the Summit are the covenant signing, presentation of the commitment and the action plans to the President and the keynote address of Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

One Visayas is the brainchild of and is led by the chairpersons of the Regional Development Councils of each of the three regions, Antique Governor Sally Perez for Region 6; Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for Region 7 and Calbayog City Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento for Region 8.

The One Visayas Climate Change Summit is the second major collaborative undertaking of the One Visayas Region. The first was the One Visayas, One Culture, One People fair held in the month of March. (PIA 8)

DPWH speeds up completion of Calbayog-Gatanguit Road Project

Tacloban City (April 8) -- The Department of Public Works and Highways in Region 8 is fast tracking the completion of the Calbayog-Gatanguit Road, a report at the DPWH website stated.

The project which is part of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's SONA commitment, is aimed at rehabilitating and improving the economy of Calbayog City and the other municipalities in Samar province.

It would be recalled that President Arroyo is determined to fulfill her SONA commitments before her term ends in 2010.

The project consists of improvement and widening of road; upgrading and widening road tracks and shoulders; building better drainage facilities and slope protection; and building road safety devices alongside the existing 52.7 kms road, along Maharlika Highway.

The road project also includes replacement of two (2) bridges and rehabilitation of thirteen (13) more bridges located along the Calbayog- Gatanguit.

The Calbayog-Gatanguit Road Section is under Package III of the Arterial Road Link Development Project and entails the improvement and upgrading of about 52.7 kilometers of existing road. The project, Director Angelito Twano informed started in November of 2006 and is scheduled to be completed by August of 2009.

Considering that Samar is located in the country's typhoon belt and runs along the route being passed by commuters from Luzon to Mindanao and vice versa, the road network is constantly subjected to destruction, and deterioration of roadways and shoulders, thus, the DPWH took immediate actions in rehabilitating and improving the road section.

DPWH Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. said that taking immediate actions are necessary in improving the national road net. He also added that the DPWH does not only rehabilitate or reconstruct roads immediately but also continue producing new, lasting, safe and efficient roads and bridges to be more convenient. (PIA 8)

Images from One Visayas

As reported, One Visayas opened yesterday at the Cebu International Convention Center. Let me share some pictures which I got from the blog of Rey Abao - Dacalos

Calbayog City Mayor and RDC-8 Chair Mel Senen Sarmiento (2nd from the right) with Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, Senator Mar Roxas, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano and other officials during the One Visayas opening ceremonies at the Cebu International Convention Center. (photo from Safelight Photography's Photostream / Rey abao-Dacalos)

Opening Night at the Cebu International Convention Center (Photo from SafeLightPhotography's photostream / Rey Abao-Dacalos)

For related articles, you may check these links:

One Visayas is here (Cebu Daily News)

Film, dance highlight 3rd day of One Visayas expo

‘One Visayas’ opens in Cebu today

Let me share something which I got from the Manila Bulletin website. It's Mars W. Mosqueda, Jr's report for today's edition of the Manila Bulletin.

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Representatives from 16 provinces in the Visayas will gather at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) starting today for the week-long, first-ever comprehensive exposition of tourism products, arts and crafts products, delicacies and specialties and cultural presentation in the event dubbed "One Visayas."

The event is aimed at further promoting the close partnership among the three Central Philippines regions, namely Region 6 (Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Negros Occidental, Iloilo and Guimaras), Region 7 (Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Negros Oriental), and Region 8 (Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte).

"One Visayas," a brainchild of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, was launched in October last year when the heads of the three Regional Development Councils met in Cebu and began threshing out details to bring together the offerings of the 16 provinces under one roof.

The leaders of the three regions decided to establish "One Visayas" to acknowledge the cultural bond that connects the islands, despite being separated by sea waters.

The event, which carries the theme "One People, One Destiny," will feature the Visayas seven arts namely, architecture, dance, theater, music, visual arts, literature and film; arts and craft; tourism products, festivals and culinary arts.

The ambitious gathering was envisioned when Antique Gov. Salvador Perez, chairman of the RDC in Region 6, and Calbayog City Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento, chairman of the RDC in Region 8, and their tourism council officers met with Garcia at the Cebu Provincial Capitol to discuss "One Visayas."

"Let us make the Visayas a shining star in the entire archipelago," said Garcia, who also heads the RDC in Central Visayas.

Garcia said unity among residents in the Visayas can be achieved if the people themselves are aware of their heritage and appreciate their culture.

"When we are united and instill a sense of pride among our people that could turn to passion, it will make us aim for greater heights and development," Garcia said.

Sarmiento, for his part, said cultural tourism is an asset of the Visayas that should be enhanced. He used to head the arts and culture office of his town.

"I think Visayas should strengthen this, because we are fed up with always having to go to Manila. It’s very expensive, and people from Luzon have the tendency to be bias for Manila," he said.

3 Catholic Bishops in Samar Island spearhead SIPPaD forum

(Before he left for New York, Mayor Mel Sarmiento went to Catarman, Northern Samar where he joined the three Catholic Bishops of Samar and Gov. Raul Daza for the 8th SIPPaD Assembly. Let me give you the report of LSDE's Garry Vacunawa on that Assembly. This report appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Calbayog Mayor and RDC Chair Mel Sarmiento (2nd from the right) with (r-l) Calbayog Bishop Isabelo Abarquez, Governor Raul Daza, Catarman Bishop Emmanuel Trance and Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez (extreme left) (Photo by Vaugh Calvara)

CATARMAN, Northern Samar - The three Catholic Bishops in Samar island spearheaded the 8th Samar Island Partnership for Peace and Development (SIPPaD) forum at the Ibabao Hall, Capitol Building here last Sept. 19.

The three who actively initiated the SIPPaD Forum were Bishop Emmanuel Trance of the Diocese of Catarman, Bishop Isabelo Abarquez of the Diocese of Calbayog and Bishop Crispin Varquez of the Diocese of Borongan.

The SIPPAD forum gave way to the discussion of three major areas - good governance, peace and order and environment protection. Representatives from various government and non-government agencies attended the forum.

Two of the prominent persons who composed the panel of speakers were Governor Raul Daza and Calbayog City Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento who is the current chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC).

Gov. Daza talked about good governance. He admitted that there was a gap between good governance and incidence of poverty in his province. He particularly mentioned the latest report of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). Based on its report, Northern Samar is the number one poorest province in Eastern Visayas Region and number seven in the entire Philippines. In 2003, during his first term, the same agency rated Northern Samar as number two in the entire country in terms of good governance.

He explained that good governance could not guarantee better economic condition of the people. On the other side, we could not conclude that the improved economic situation of a certain province was due to good governance of its leaders.

Daza told the participants that he is continuously looking for some means to reconcile the gap between his good governance and the poor economic condition of his constituents.

Earlier, in a press conference, Daza’s son, Congressman Paul Daza, blamed the geographical location of Northern Samar for its being poor. Cong Daza told local reporters that N. Samar has “geographical disadvantage” compared to other provinces which have improved economic climate.

Cong. Daza explained that the province belonged to the country’s typhoon belt and it was far from business capitals in the Philippines like Leyte which was also the source of electricity supply. The far distance from Tongonan Geothermal Power Plant to Northern Samar caused the frequent brownout in the province. (GARRY A. VACUNAWA)

SIPPaD sidelight. Governor Daza giving Bishop Trance and Mayor Sarmiento a tour of the Governor's Office. (Photo by Vaughn Calvara)