NMP starts 100 days countdown to 38 years founding anniversary

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 3 (PNA) – The state-run National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) unveils 100-days countdown marker on Tuesday at the NMP Training Complex grounds in line with the upcoming 38th Founding Anniversary on May 1, 2016.

The celebration has the theme, “Leaving an Imprint of Professional Excellence by Enhancing the Global Competitiveness of Filipino Seafarers”.

The ceremony started with a thanksgiving mass followed by the turnover of NMP anniversary hosting from the Maritime Training and Assessment Division (MTAD), which was the host in the previous year’s celebration, to the Maritime Research and Assessment Division (MRDD).

The presentation of the year-round activities and awarding of Jay Arr Bryan U. Margallo, the winner of the anniversary theme-generation contest as well as Ma. Nissa C. Espiritu for wearing the oldest edition of NMP shirt during the activity followed.

NMP OIC Executive Director Manuel C. Roldan, in his message, stressed the significance of the celebration and the contributions of NMP employees in fulfilling the agency’s mandate of providing quality trainings to Filipino seafarers.

“The countdown is on for a very significant occasion of the agency. They say that life begins at 40, but this is not true for NMP who has been serving the Filipino seafarers in the past 38 years. This occasion must be marked by the dedication of all NMP employees to the service of the Filipino people.” said Roldan.

NMP was established on May 1, 1978 by virtue of Presidential Decree 1369 as the government’s response to the immediate and dire need of updating and upgrading the capability and qualifications of marine licensed officers and other marine graduates for their increased acceptability for employment in international and domestic maritime fleets.

NMP began its operations by offering the Basic Messman Course. It pioneered in the conduct of upgrading, specialized and safety courses to merchant marine officers and ratings and initiated the development of training programs for trainers aimed at enhancing their instructional and assessment skills.

Likewise, together with international organizations, NMP developed other courses that address psychosocial issues in the maritime industry which are now implemented in maritime schools and private training centers. As of today, NMP offers a total of 24 training courses.

Apart from its training operations, the NMP also conducts industry researches towards improving the Philippine maritime manpower sector with its findings adopted as inputs in the formulation of maritime education and labor and employment policies.

The NMP encourages those interested to avail of its maritime training programs to visit the NMP facebook page (facebook.com\nmptrainingcenter) and website www.nmp.gov.ph where all related information on NMP trainings are available. (PNA)
RMA/SQM/PR/EGR

Leyte gov’t hospitals earns higher in 2015

JARO, Leyte, Feb. 3 (PNA) -– The Leyte provincial government has earned PHP555 million revenue in 2015, from PHP393 million generated a year from ago from operating 11 hospitals.

Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla said the province is top nationwide in terms hospital revenues. 

“It is also good to note that the Leyte Provincial Hospital (LPH), the one with the highest revenue in Leyte, is earning as much as the second highest earner in the Philippines,” Petilla said. 

Petilla said the directive of President Benigno Aquino III for universal health insurance coverage after super typhoon Yolanda largely contributed to higher earnings.

“We are hoping that the next administration will continue the program for the benefit of the people. Its’ good to note that even with the entire coverage of Region 8 in 2014, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation was not losing,” he added.

Another factor, according to Petilla, was the responsiveness or the absorptive capacity of hospitals, where clients are provided with the best service the hospital could offer.

The combination of both, according to Petilla, “provided for the fluidness of the operations” that gave the people of Leyte the best service.

The increase of revenue, according to him also means better service, more number of patients being served and improved facilities.

The governor estimated that about 600,000 patients have been served last year by 11 local government-managed hospitals. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA/EGR

Soldiers in Northern Samar get 400 new assault rifles

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, Feb. 3 (PNA) – The Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) has turned over 400 new assault rifles to a battalion in Northern Samar on Wednesday, representing the first batch of firearms delivery for the region.

Maj. Gen. Jet Velarmino, 8ID commanding general said that soldiers in all of the eight battalions in the region will get new R4A3 assault rifles, replacing the old models, “which are already in poor condition and need major repair.” 

The upgrading of the military’s firepower capability is part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.

The first set of assault rifle delivery was intended for soldiers of 20th Infantry Battalion based in Palapag, Northern Samar. The troops just completed the Battalion of Excellence Training, a requirement before the distribution of new rifles.

The military will complete the replacement of old firearms within the year.

“They have to undergo training first on proper handling, familiarize different parts and learn how to maintain the firearms,” Velarmino said.

Each rifle and its accessories costs PHP38,000 procured by the AFP from US-based Remington Outdoor Company, Inc. under the joint Philippine Army-Philippine Marine Corps Assault Acquisition Project, according to the army official.

“This will increase the equipment readiness rating of the Philippine Army. This will also increase the level of confidence and morale of our soldiers especially those who are engaged in tactical operations,” Velarmino added.

Old rifles will be given to members of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit and army reservists. (PNA)
BNB/SQM

Northern Samar needs 800,000 seedlings to replace typhoon-hit coco trees

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 2 (PNA) -- The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) initially needs more than 800,000 coconut seedlings to replace trees uprooted and sheared by typhoon Nona’s fierce winds on December 2015.

PCA Northern Samar provincial manager Renato Dubongco said about 226,000 seedlings has been delivered from a nursery in Burauen, Leyte to Northern Samar province.

“The 805,000 trees without chance of recovery are just estimates. We are still waiting for validated damage reports from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC). Their report is the basis for seedlings allocation,” Dubongco said in a mobile phone interview.

Typhoon Nona has damaged about 16 million coconut trees in Northern Samar when it ravaged the province on Dec. 14, 2014. About 2.8 million trees were categorized as heavily damaged, 9.8 million moderately damaged, 2.6 million slightly damaged, and 805,000 totally destroyed.

The typhoon has affected about 31,335 farmers cultivating in 60,000 hectares, according to Dubongco.

Badly hit farms are the towns of Catarman, Mapanas, Palapag, Laoang, Catubig, Biri, Allen, Capul, Pambujan, San Roque, and Mondragon.

Despite massive loss, the official assured that the two coconut oil mills will continue its operation since they have raw materials sources in Southern Leyte, Masbate, Bicol areas, and Cagayan de Oro.

The Catarman Oil Mills in San Jose town and Sanvic Oil Mill in San Isidro town have a combined daily capacity of processing 16,000 metric tons of coconut oil. (PNA)
FFC/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

Leyte schools get anti-dengue screens

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 2 (PNA) -- The Leyte Normal University (LNU) is the latest recipient of the installation of anti-dengue screen, being a densely populated school and its location near the city’s major water ways.

According to Leyte Vice Governor Carlo P. Loreto, brother of Health Secretary Janette L. Garin, the move has been going on for anti-dengue efforts although modern technique has been introduced.

On Monday, the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Interior and Local Government DILG, the Department of Education as well as the local government unit signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the installation of anti-dengue screens at LNU.

The screens, according to Loreto, are insecticide treated. It emits permethrin an insecticide embedded in each strand, which drive mosquitoes away. 

Mosquitoes that accidentally touches the screen dies, the insecticide is deadly to mosquitoes but is not harmful to humans, he explained.

The insecticide treated screens (ITS) imported from Vietnam, is effective for five years.

These are installed in schools because the time children are in schools is the peak bitting time of mosquitoes carrying dengue virus, according to Loreto.

“It is important that these screens will be installed in schools all over Leyte” said Loreto.

Earlier, the DOH has installed screens in schools based on Dulag, Tanuan and Palo where the danger of dengue epidemic is high.

The installation, according to Loreto will continue while the screens are available.

The total project cost nationwide is PHP 71- million all over the country.  This is on top of 
the PHP 240-million total budget of the DOH for dengue prevention and control program. (PNA)

FFC/SQM/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA