published August 18, 2012 in BusinessWorld
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has proposed a fivefold increase in terminal fees in all 10 airports in Eastern Visayas, eliciting objections from the business sector.
Raul Glorioso, chief of the Aerodrome Development and Management Service of CAAP, said in a public hearing here last week that the proposed adjustment "is part of cost recovery on investments made on the various related infrastructure and navigational projects of airports nationwide."
The CAAP’s proposal will bring the terminal fee to P150 from the current P30 at the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport and P100 from the current P20 at the airports in Catarman, Northern Samar; Calbayog City, Samar; and Ormoc City, Leyte.
The fee will increase to P50 from the current P10 at the community airports in Naval in Biliran, Borongan City in Eastern Samar, Hilongos in Leyte, Catbalogan City in Samar, Maasin City in Southern Leyte, and Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
Go Tic Ching, president of the Tacloban Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, issued a statement saying the rate increase is not justifiable in the absence of major improvements particularly at DZR Airport, the region’s main facility.
"The DZR Airport is one of the seven busiest airports in the country. The government should ensure a safe, clean and a new well-maintained airport terminal," Mr. Ching said.
Robert R. Castanares, president of the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also opposed the proposal.
"CAAP should address first the concerns raised by tourists," he said
A survey conducted by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) last year showed 77% of tourist-respondents rating airport facilities in the region as poor.
Another public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 30. Suggestions will be presented to the CAAP board for consideration afterwards. The board is expected to decide on the matter by the end of next month, said CAAP Eastern Visayas Area Manager Antonio B. Alfonso.
"For Tacloban Airport, we will need funding to expand the size of the pre-departure area so it will accommodate 600 passengers. The existing departure lounge area is only 300-seater," Mr. Alfonso said.
"This was designed when the DZR airport was just serving Boeing 737, but now Airbus 320 is also using the facility."
Mr. Alfonso said the DZR airport is not earning enough to sustain its operations. In 2011, the airport earned only P51 million, half of the P105.47-million annual budget provided by CAAP.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Leyte mining firm told to stop operations after 'fish kill'
published May 16, 2012 in BusinessWorld
PALO, LEYTE -- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has suspended the operations of Nicua Mining Corp. after another fish kill occurred in Lake Bito on Saturday.
Regional Director Roger A. de Dios told Nicua officials in a meeting yesterday the suspension will last until measures are in place to ensure that runoff from the mining site in MacArthur town will not reach the mouth of the lake where fish pens are located.
"We want them to present measures in case of [another incident]. I will lift the temporary suspension order anytime this week as long as the firm will assure that they will strictly adhere to their risk management plan," he toldBusinessWorld.
Mr. de Dios said he relayed the suspension order by telephone to Nicua officials after receiving complaints from fishermen following Saturday’s incident.
He said mine tailings reached the lake after workers allegedly released the impounding water from the mine site.
"I admit that the company has failures in terms of design. Release of impounding water was done by workers without permission from the management. Murky water reached at least 20 meters from the mouth of Lake Bito. They have to guarantee that this will not happen again," he said.
Nicua officials refused to answer mobile phone calls from the media yesterday. Nicua has a 25-year permit to extract magnetite sand in the towns of MacArthur and Javier in Leyte. It has mined 100 of the 797 hectares that it is leasing.
PALO, LEYTE -- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has suspended the operations of Nicua Mining Corp. after another fish kill occurred in Lake Bito on Saturday.
Regional Director Roger A. de Dios told Nicua officials in a meeting yesterday the suspension will last until measures are in place to ensure that runoff from the mining site in MacArthur town will not reach the mouth of the lake where fish pens are located.
"We want them to present measures in case of [another incident]. I will lift the temporary suspension order anytime this week as long as the firm will assure that they will strictly adhere to their risk management plan," he toldBusinessWorld.
Mr. de Dios said he relayed the suspension order by telephone to Nicua officials after receiving complaints from fishermen following Saturday’s incident.
He said mine tailings reached the lake after workers allegedly released the impounding water from the mine site.
"I admit that the company has failures in terms of design. Release of impounding water was done by workers without permission from the management. Murky water reached at least 20 meters from the mouth of Lake Bito. They have to guarantee that this will not happen again," he said.
Nicua officials refused to answer mobile phone calls from the media yesterday. Nicua has a 25-year permit to extract magnetite sand in the towns of MacArthur and Javier in Leyte. It has mined 100 of the 797 hectares that it is leasing.
Anti-poverty fund worth over P600M to benefit E. Visayas in 2013
published May 16, 2012 in BusinessWorld
TACLOBAN CITY -- Over P600 million channelled through national government agencies will benefit 55 poor local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas next year.
Imelda C. Laceras, regional director of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), said the amount comprises 7.21% of the P8.62-billion national budget for LGUs employing the bottom-up approach.
"LGUs in consultations with civil society groups have identified priority projects under the Local Poverty Reduction Plan (LPRAP) for inclusion in the 2013 budget of selected national government agencies," Ms. Laceras said.
The funding support will be channelled through national government offices under the procedures defined by the DBM, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
Ms. Laceras said the Regional Development Council will conduct a thorough review to ensure that an agency’s budget provides for LPRAP-listed projects.
The proposed projects under LPRAP will be submitted to concerned agencies in the region and then their main offices will forward these to DBM and NAPC. Possible projects include farm-to-market roads, irrigation, rural electrification, rural health unit, and livelihood activities.
Of the 55 focused LGUs, Calbayog City and Catbalogan City in Samar province will get the highest budget at P50 million and P30.2 million, respectively.
Sixteen LGUs from Samar, six from Eastern Samar, 11 from Northern Samar and 12 in Leyte will have funding assistance of P8 million to P12 million.
Municipalities with high budget allocations in Samar alone include Basey (P21.6 million), Daram (P19.8 million), Catarman (P18.6 million), Sta. Rita (P16.9 million), and Gandara (P15.3 million).
Similar high budget allocations are slated for municipalities in Leyte such as Hilongos (14.5 million), Abuyog (P14.4 million), and Burauen (P13.1 million).
"No budget cap of any focus city will be less than P8 million and no budget cap of any focus municipality will be greater than P30 million. Budget ceiling of any focus city will not exceed P50 million," Ms. Laceras said.
The poor towns and cities were identified by the Cabinet’s Human Development and Poverty Reduction (HDPR) cluster based on the magnitude of the poor in the municipalities, number of population minus number of poor, amount needed to be mobilized every year to eradicate poverty in the area, and the density of the poor per province. -Sarwell Q. Meniano
TACLOBAN CITY -- Over P600 million channelled through national government agencies will benefit 55 poor local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas next year.
Imelda C. Laceras, regional director of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), said the amount comprises 7.21% of the P8.62-billion national budget for LGUs employing the bottom-up approach.
"LGUs in consultations with civil society groups have identified priority projects under the Local Poverty Reduction Plan (LPRAP) for inclusion in the 2013 budget of selected national government agencies," Ms. Laceras said.
The funding support will be channelled through national government offices under the procedures defined by the DBM, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
Ms. Laceras said the Regional Development Council will conduct a thorough review to ensure that an agency’s budget provides for LPRAP-listed projects.
The proposed projects under LPRAP will be submitted to concerned agencies in the region and then their main offices will forward these to DBM and NAPC. Possible projects include farm-to-market roads, irrigation, rural electrification, rural health unit, and livelihood activities.
Of the 55 focused LGUs, Calbayog City and Catbalogan City in Samar province will get the highest budget at P50 million and P30.2 million, respectively.
Sixteen LGUs from Samar, six from Eastern Samar, 11 from Northern Samar and 12 in Leyte will have funding assistance of P8 million to P12 million.
Municipalities with high budget allocations in Samar alone include Basey (P21.6 million), Daram (P19.8 million), Catarman (P18.6 million), Sta. Rita (P16.9 million), and Gandara (P15.3 million).
Similar high budget allocations are slated for municipalities in Leyte such as Hilongos (14.5 million), Abuyog (P14.4 million), and Burauen (P13.1 million).
"No budget cap of any focus city will be less than P8 million and no budget cap of any focus municipality will be greater than P30 million. Budget ceiling of any focus city will not exceed P50 million," Ms. Laceras said.
The poor towns and cities were identified by the Cabinet’s Human Development and Poverty Reduction (HDPR) cluster based on the magnitude of the poor in the municipalities, number of population minus number of poor, amount needed to be mobilized every year to eradicate poverty in the area, and the density of the poor per province. -Sarwell Q. Meniano
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Businessmen score weak gov’t support
published May 1, 2012 in BusinessWorld
MACROHON, Southern Leyte -Businessmen in Eastern Visayas, concerned over their region’s slow economic growth, have scored the national government for its weak support.
Dominador Q. Cabanganan, Samar Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, said Eastern Visayas may not have been prioritized for economic development considering that it is the fifth poorest region in the country.
“The support of the government has been very weak. We want to know in what area we can help because in the past the working relationship between public and private sector was not enhanced,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the second
Eastern Visayas Regional Business Conference last week.
Conference delegates have agreed to improve linkages with government agencies through regular monthly meetings and revive their presence in the Regional Development
Council and its sectoral committees.
Robert R. Castanares, president of the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the decline in the gross regional development product (GRDP) growth rate could be due to the lack of government efforts in spurring the economy.
“The national government is actively involved in social services and infrastructure programs, but not that much in economic development. That partly explains why in 2004 to 2009, our economy has not improved and poverty incidence has gone up,” Mr.
Castanares told conference delegates.
He said the region’s GRDP growth went down to 1.8% in 2009 from 5.2% in 2004. Per capita income in 2009 was only P7,400, about half of Western Visayas’ P14,500 and Central Visayas’ P15,300. The National Capital Region’s per capita is P38,600. Poverty incidence worsened to 41.4% in 2009 from 39% in 2006.-Sarwell Q. Meniano
MACROHON, Southern Leyte -Businessmen in Eastern Visayas, concerned over their region’s slow economic growth, have scored the national government for its weak support.
Dominador Q. Cabanganan, Samar Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, said Eastern Visayas may not have been prioritized for economic development considering that it is the fifth poorest region in the country.
“The support of the government has been very weak. We want to know in what area we can help because in the past the working relationship between public and private sector was not enhanced,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the second
Eastern Visayas Regional Business Conference last week.
Conference delegates have agreed to improve linkages with government agencies through regular monthly meetings and revive their presence in the Regional Development
Council and its sectoral committees.
Robert R. Castanares, president of the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the decline in the gross regional development product (GRDP) growth rate could be due to the lack of government efforts in spurring the economy.
“The national government is actively involved in social services and infrastructure programs, but not that much in economic development. That partly explains why in 2004 to 2009, our economy has not improved and poverty incidence has gone up,” Mr.
Castanares told conference delegates.
He said the region’s GRDP growth went down to 1.8% in 2009 from 5.2% in 2004. Per capita income in 2009 was only P7,400, about half of Western Visayas’ P14,500 and Central Visayas’ P15,300. The National Capital Region’s per capita is P38,600. Poverty incidence worsened to 41.4% in 2009 from 39% in 2006.-Sarwell Q. Meniano
MDG monitoring stepped up
published April 30, 2012 in BusinessWorld
TACLOBAN CITY-The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) has stepped up the monitoring of local achievements related to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which should be achieved by 2015, an official said.
Pedro A. Noval, Jr., DILG regional director, said local efforts will result in better scores in the Philippine pursuit to attain the MDGs.
“The national government has been raising the capability of LGUs (local government units) to achieve these targets. As frontline institutions, they have significant roles to play to realize the MDGs,” he said in an interview.
“For the most part, the achievement of the MDGs largely depends on the delivery of devolved services,” he added.
Among the national government support to Region 8 LGUs is the P170-million Local Government Support Fund for areas that passed the Seal of Good Housekeeping, a good governance benchmarking scheme.
The assistance is intended for rural electrification, local roads connecting to national roads, local economic enterprises, flood control, and drainage.
Myles Joseph E. Colasito, DILG regional information officer, said the amount has been released to the LGUs and most of the projects have started to be implemented.
“We also gathered updates if the identified LGUs in the bottom-up approach have submitted their proposed projects to concerned national government agencies for 2013 funding,” Mr. Colasito said.
A total of 55 poor cities and municipalities in Eastern Visayas were included in the 600 focus areas in bottom-up budgeting, an approach that will incorporate in the budgets of key departments the requirements of poor LGUs.
Based on the latest report of the National Statistical Coordination Board, Region 8 has been lagging in the goal to achieve universal primary education with only 71.8% completing elementary education.
The region also obtained a poor score in the promotion of gender equality and empowering women especially in terms of education and politics. Improving maternal health is another concern as maternal mortality rate remains high and mothers still prefer traditional birth attendants.
However, the region registered a better score in reducing child mortality.- Sarwell Q. Meniano
TACLOBAN CITY-The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) has stepped up the monitoring of local achievements related to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which should be achieved by 2015, an official said.
Pedro A. Noval, Jr., DILG regional director, said local efforts will result in better scores in the Philippine pursuit to attain the MDGs.
“The national government has been raising the capability of LGUs (local government units) to achieve these targets. As frontline institutions, they have significant roles to play to realize the MDGs,” he said in an interview.
“For the most part, the achievement of the MDGs largely depends on the delivery of devolved services,” he added.
Among the national government support to Region 8 LGUs is the P170-million Local Government Support Fund for areas that passed the Seal of Good Housekeeping, a good governance benchmarking scheme.
The assistance is intended for rural electrification, local roads connecting to national roads, local economic enterprises, flood control, and drainage.
Myles Joseph E. Colasito, DILG regional information officer, said the amount has been released to the LGUs and most of the projects have started to be implemented.
“We also gathered updates if the identified LGUs in the bottom-up approach have submitted their proposed projects to concerned national government agencies for 2013 funding,” Mr. Colasito said.
A total of 55 poor cities and municipalities in Eastern Visayas were included in the 600 focus areas in bottom-up budgeting, an approach that will incorporate in the budgets of key departments the requirements of poor LGUs.
Based on the latest report of the National Statistical Coordination Board, Region 8 has been lagging in the goal to achieve universal primary education with only 71.8% completing elementary education.
The region also obtained a poor score in the promotion of gender equality and empowering women especially in terms of education and politics. Improving maternal health is another concern as maternal mortality rate remains high and mothers still prefer traditional birth attendants.
However, the region registered a better score in reducing child mortality.- Sarwell Q. Meniano
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