Its open sidewalk season to more than 1,000 sidewalk vendors here starting Monday, December 7, 2009 as a yearly accommodation to vendors to sell their wares during the Christmas season.

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said the sidewalks along Calle Real notably the JM Basa and Iznart streets and areas surrounding all city plazas will be open to the vendors with no payment to the city government.

“We are doing this for the past eight and a half years during my administration as our Christmas gift to the vendors to make additional income during the season,” Treñas said.

Community assistance officer Zellah Gil will be incharge of giving the space allotment to sidewalk vendors so as to ensure order and avoid chaos. However, vendors must be residents of this city and not from other provinces, the city mayor said. Read more »

The city government has contracted many ongoing development programs with international funding agencies and there is an urgent need for the next elected city mayor to honor these commitments in a bid to make this southern city a premier city in the country by 2015.

This was bared by outgoing city mayor Jerry P. Treñas as he is preparing to embark in another political position in the government by running for congressman of this southern city in next year’s election.

“Nagapangamuyo gid ako nga kabay pa padayunon sang madason nga city mayor ang mga programa nga may suporta sang mga organisasyon pangluwas (I pray that the next city mayor will continue the programs supported by international organizations) Treñas said.

The graduating city mayor bolted recently the ruling administrations political party Lakas Kampi CMD to pursue his bid to run for a Congress seat. He will challenge the position of incumbent Cong. Raul T. Gonzalez Jr. of Lakas for the lone city congressional district. Read more »

Please be advised that the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) Program Manager is seeking applications for LED Partnership Advisers for Regions I and VI . The Terms of Reference (TOR) detailing the background, scope of work, roles and responsibilities and qualifications is attached.

• LGSPLED_PA_R1- LED Partnership Advisor for Region 1 / One Pangasinan Alliance of LGUs (pdf)
• LGSPLED_PA_RVI – LED Partnership Advisor for Region VI / Province of Guimaras (pdf) Read more »

ILOILO CITY – The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) Foundation Inc. is enjoining all Ilonggo writers to participate in the 5th PopDev Media Awards and be heard on what they think of the population issue in the country and in their respective community.

If chosen as winners, the Ilonggo writers will join the crop of best writers in the country who joined the annual popdev media contest since 2005.

Maida Ojeda of PLCPD said the contest is open to all print, broadcast, online, photo and citizen journalists nationwide. PLCPD is campaigning for entries from the Visayas and especially from the Ilonggo journalism community to participate and be heard.

Entries must deal with population and human development issues such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), public health especially reproductive health, reproductive health policy and governance, economic growth and poverty, climate change, housing and urban development, sustainable development, environment, education, gender, maternal health, adolescent reproductive health, family planning, food security, reproductive rights, migration and population ageing.

For the print and online category, awards will be given for Best News Reportage, Best Opinion or Editorial Piece, Best Investigative Report and Best Feature or Magazine Article. Read more »

Warning out vs dengue outbreak, entry of H1N1

ILOILO CITY – The city government here is eyeing the immediate implementation of a comprehensive community-based rehabilitation (CBR) program for persons with disabilities (PWDs) by opening the floodgates of services and opportunities for disabled persons.

City social welfare officer Clarita Dignadice told stakeholders about the government’s program in adopting a comprehensive plan through Executive Order No. 437 issued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the need at the community level for an effective approach in providing comprehensive rehab services and in promoting the rights and empowerment of persons with disabilities.

Speaking at the orientation seminar of CRB held at the provincial capitol here, Dignadice said the city government recently created the Office of Persons with Disability Affairs (OPDA) headed by Dolores Laudenorio to supervise the needs and rights of some 5,000 persons with disabilities.

Republic Act 7277 spells out a magna carta for disabled persons and their rights and privileges for employment, health, education, auxiliary and social services, telecommunications, accessibility, political and civil rights. Read more »

FLOOD prone areas in Iloilo province are better prepared for flashfloods and other ecological disaster using the early warning and monitoring system (EWMS) granted by the Korean government to the Iloilo provincial government.

The EWS was inaugurated Friday morning at the Iloilo provincial capitol. Leading the dignitaries are Korean Ambassador Choi Joong-Kyung, Korean International Agency (KOICA) Resident Representative Kim In, Department of Science and Technology Sec. Estrella F. Alabastro and Governor Niel Tupas Sr.
Iloilo Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) deputized coordinator Jerry Bionat said the EWMS is one of the only three projects established in the country. The other systems are in Baler, Quezon which was inaugurated February 27, 2009 and in Agus Lake Lanao Watershed. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – This southern city’s calamity fund of more than P46 million or 5 percent of the annual budget of P930 million this year is expected to increase by 10 percent in five years starting this year.

This was arrived at after the Senate Committee on Finance approved this week the P8 billion Paglaum Fund for rehabilitation of Typhoon Frank-affected areas in Western Visayas.

The Senate approval showed that “notwithstanding the provision of section 324 (d) of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, the budget of local government units covered under this act, for unforeseen expenditure arising from the occurrence of calamities shall be increased to 10 percent of the estimated revenue from regular sources. The said rate shall automatically revert to 5 percent as provided under RA 7160 after the expiration of the term of the Region 6 Rehabilitation and Development Commission.” Read more »

ILOILO CITY – “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” must be in the mind of city mayor Jerry P. Treñas by asking constituents here to be vigilant on the swine flu outbreak currently rocking the United States and Mexico.
Treñas said that people must report at once any suspicion of an outbreak case in the barangays but reiterated that no swine flu outbreak is reported in the Philippines.
“Health and agriculture authorities reported that the country is safe from swine flu as of today, but the virus continues to spread,” Treñas said.
However, the health department in Western Visayas said that it is still safe to eat pork and other pork processed products in the region since there is no reported case of swine flu.
Dr. Jessie Glenn Alonsabe, head, Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU), said the public should be wary of eating too much pork due to its fat content. But he said the people should be vigilant because spread of virus is unstoppable. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – The approval of the P8 billion Paglaum Fund for the rehabilitation of typhoon ravaged areas in Western Visayas brings hope to the city government here which long wanted to dredge up the 3.5 kilometer stretch of Dungon Creek from Manduriao to La Paz district out to the Iloilo River.

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas disclosed that he went to Manila on Monday, April 27 to observe the Senate deliberation and eventual approval of the Fund sponsored by Senator Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.

House Bill 5604 earlier introduced by Iloilo Cong. Arthur Defensor, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Antique Cong. Exequiel Javier was ably supported by Senate Bill 2457 introduced by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate Bill 2622 introduced by Senator Mar Roxas in realizing the rehabilitation fund for damaged agricultural areas, infrastructures and education facilities in the region amounting to P14 billion. Read more »