Ejica copies Pampanga in health care services - Headline Gitnang ...

HeadlineGitnang LuzonOCTOBER 15, 20139budget from Page 1Although the amount is yet to be includedin the so-called “un-programmedbudget” of the transportation department--whichmeans that it may even beallocated to other projects--Guiao said hewants the amount “to be included in the2014-2015 budget of DOTC and not forany other projects.”According to Guiao, the constructionof a new terminal building would eventuallyincrease the capacity of Clark airportto 10-15 million passengers annually,thus increasing its volume by 10 times itspresent capacity which at present standsat a little more than one million movements.Clark, he said, is more viable to becomethe international gateway due to its strategiclocation in the Luzon island–withmore than 23 million population, not tomention the more than 27 million populationin north of Manila–all potentialcatch basin for Clark’s flight operations.In line with this, Guiao has partneredwith lone-nominee to the chairmanshipof the Regional Development Council-Region III, Governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvaradoof Bulacan, in mounting a widespreadcampaign to redirect the plannedAirport Express Railway (AER) fromMalolos City-Caloocan-FTI Taguig downsouth to Manila/NAIA-Clark up northinstead.Department of Tourism Regional DirectorRonaldo Tiotuico, in a press statementissued recently, said that in a focused-groupdiscussion held last Fridayat Hiyas Convention Center in Malolosclark airport from Page 1Singapore.“All of the passengers of the four commercial airlineslanded safely in Mactan Airport and Manila Airport,” Lucianosaid.Typhoon Santi battered parts of Northern and CentralLuzon which flooded many areas since Friday.Asiana, Jin Air and Cebu Pacific Air were diverted toMactan Airport, while Tiger Air Philippines was divertedto Manila Airport during the height of Typhoon Santi.All four commercial airlines have regular flights atClark Airport.Luciano said that the four diverted airlines arrived onSaturday morning at Clark Airport and resumed normaloperations despite power outages that affected many areasin Clark.health care from Page 1partment of Health (DOH).Umali said he wants to improve thehealth care services in Nueva Ejica and“we should adopt what we learned inthis forum.”Provincial Health Officer Dr. MarJaochico said the consignment systemis being implemented to ensure that“what the patient needs is there andis provided fast and at the time whenmost medicine outlets are closed.”“The governor can sleep well atCity to tackle the challenges and issuesvis-à-vis the planned Airport ExpressRailway, a resolution to this effect willsoon be issued by the regional developmentcouncil invoking the feasibility ofredirecting the DOTC-proposed commutertrain system from south to northof Manila.In his report to RDC, Director DeoLeo Manalo of DOTC said that the mainfeatures of the Airport Express Railwayproject include the development ofa commuter train from Malolos City toCaloocan for Phase 1-A; Caloocan to FTITaguig for Phase 1-B; and Malolos City toClark for Phase 2 which is yet describedonly as “planned”.The airport express railway systemfrom NAIA to Clark and onto North Luzon(San Fernando, La Union) route isplanned for full completion in 2020-2030.The commuter train project will makeuse of the old PNR railway alignmentpowered by electricity or traction power.Travel time between Malolos to FTITaguig will take about 51 minutes if travellingat 120 kilometers per hour withsome 15 stations. Structures to be builtinclude embankment, viaduct or underground.Guiao, in defending his commitmentto spearhead the transformation ofClark and its international terminal astwin airport of NAIA, said that the timeto fast-track the connectivity betweenNAIA and Clark airport “is now or in theimmediate future and not 20 years afterthe Malolos-Caloocan- FTI Taguig routeis completed” as proposed by DOTC.The solon said that he has been conductinga series of roundtable discussionswithin the district to seek the supportand recommendations of various sectorsin advocating for the full execution of thislong- overdue connectivity between Manilaand Clark.For his part, Governor Alvarado expressedthe position of Manuel “Manny”Pangilinan, a staunch advocate andleader of the Public-Private Partnershipprogram of the government to build theManila-via NLEX Railway System-Clarkalignment at any time when political conditionsare ripe.All he needs is a consistency in policystatement and a priority pronouncementof the Aquino administration insofar asClark airport is concerned.“We do not need to wait for another sixyears to start the project. It can start nowfor as long as the policy statement is made.This twin-airport system can becomea reality here and now,” Alvarado said.Guiao and Alvarado are one in sayingthat they are invoking the concerted voiceof all congressmen in Central Luzon andeven in the north Luzon area, includingthe full membership of the four regionaldevelopment councils in the north, in advocatingfor the full implementation of theManila-Clark express railway system.The plan is for RDC to create massiveawareness about the feasibility of Clarkas the key to national development andfor this campaign to snowball into thenational consciousness. ●Since Saturday, the Clark Airport has been operatingunder power generators.“Clark Airport operations have been normalized sinceSaturday morning, and we continue to provide service tothe passengers,” he added.Several trees leading to the Clark Airport were alsofelled by the typhoon, however the full personnel ofCIAC, Clark Development Corporation, Philippine AirForce and the PNP Aviation Group were able to clear thetrees leading to the airport.Power outages also hit the entire Clark Freeport Zone.Luciano also said that Clark Airport is ready 24 hoursa day to accommodate diversion of flights as well as to assistin disaster-mitigating operations.●--Marna Dagumboy-del Rosarionight because she knows that the peoplewill be given the medicine they needat any given time, date and situation,”said Jaochico.In 2012, the provincial board approvedOrdinance 463, also known as “Anordinance institutionalizing the medicinesand medical supplies consignment systemin the province of Pampanga.”Under this system, there will besufficient supply of low-cost, high qualitydrugs and medical supplies in governmenthospitals in Pampanga withoutentailing additional cost on the partof the province.A consignment system is a methodof assuring availability of stocks whereina consignor places its goods at thepharmacies of the consignee for saleand the consignor being paid for onlythe quantity consumed using the moneygenerated from the sale of the consignedgoods within an agreed periodof time, said the ordinance. ●gut feel from Page 4without proper allocation for strategic purposeslike food security all lead to governancegone bad.The country is still not producing rightly.Local producers are still engaged in outdatedplanting technology and are still striving tofree themselves from the clutches of middlemen.It is not importing rightly either. Riceimportation remains vulnerable to manipulationby illicit traders. Because of its obsessionto show itself doing great and better than itspredecessors, President Aquino’s administrationhas been falling from a lot of slips. Nature’swrath is a factor in the country’s ricesupply but to the people it is the governmentthat is bungling the rice sufficiency effort inthe country. ●FISHPOND from Page10forced to sell their harvest at very low pricesthan to keep their fish which would die beforethe prices go up. This is what we call kapit sapatalim,” Aldana said.With the creation of the federation of fishpondoperators, Board Member FerdinandLabung, chairman of the committee on agriculture,said that he is optimistic that eachmember work for the good of each member.“We can avoid this unhealthy competitionif every fish farmer and operator will work inclose coordination and concern for the sakeof one another,” Labung said.Board Member Anthony Torres, chairmanof the committee on trade and industry, saidthat they will formulate guidelines in regulatingthe prices of all pond products and thiswill be strictly imposed to all fish dealers andagents.For her part, Gov. Lilia Pineda vowed totalk to all feed dealers for affordable pond inputsfor the fishpond operators.The provincial government will also providewater aerators to fish growers’ groupto help them improve oxygen levels in theirponds. ●cop dead from Page 1tioned here. He drowned while securing thePatrol’s base equipment during the height of thetyphoon.Based on reports to Central Luzon police directorChief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, members ofthe 1st Maneuver Company, along with Bueno,were securing the Patrol base’s equipment to asafer place around 1 a.m. Saturday when a mudslidesuddenly occurred. The mud came fromMt. Arayat, hitting the patrol base and drowningBueno.Two hours after search and rescue operations,Bueno’s body was retrieved and was immediatelyrushed to the Balitucan Hospital inMagalang town but was pronounced dead onarrival by the attending physician.Bueno’s remains now lie at the Angelina FuneralHomes also in said town.Petrasanta expressed his grief over the incidentbut assured the public that Police RegionalOffice 3 is all set and prepared to respond to anyeventualities that may arise during calamities.●councilor opposes from Page 3the program of works submittedby the CTO, he discoveredthat the proposed overtimepay of the employees for27 days is higher than theirbasic monthly salary.Based on the programof works submitted by theCTO, an employee with thedesignation of Local RevenueCollection Officer III (LRCOIII) will receive an overtimepay of P37,120 for 27 days,whereas in the CTO’s PersonnelSchedule in the LocalAnnual Budget for year 2013,an employee with the samedesignation only receives anannual salary of P380,352 ora monthly salary of P31,696.The same document alsoshows another employeewith the designation of LocalRevenue Officer II (LRCO II)slated to receive an overtimepay of P29,128. The personnelschedule of the CTO, however,shows that an LRCO IIonly receives an annual salaryof 298,644 or a monthlysalary of P24,887.Lazatin expressed hisconcern over the seeminglyexorbitant overtime pay andexpressed his intent to requestthe City Budget Officerto review the guidelinesof the Department of Budgetand Management (DBM) onthe rendition of overtime serviceswith pay by governmentemployees.“We have to make surethat we are following theguidelines of the nationalagencies,” Lazatin said. “Bakanaman po kasi mademandakaming lahat niyan if it turnsout that we are violating theDBM’s rules sa pagbibigayng overtime pay sa mga empleyado.”Lazatin said that eventhough the supplementalbudget has already beenpassed, he will still seek anopinion from the DBM andfrom the Commission on Auditconcerning the legalitiesof the budget.“We may have beenoutvoted, what with us beingin the minority, but thatshouldn’t deter us from fulfillingour duties to safeguardthe people’s money,” Lazatinsaid.The same supplementalbudget also allots funds forthe salary of job order personnelfrom the Office of theMayor, worth P3 million; SolidWaste Management, worthP5 million; and other miscellaneousexpenses such as asupposed “Year End GeneralAssembly” amounting to P1million. ●clark fest from Page 2tition.Other events lined up are thePalarong Pilipino, an animal showsponsored by Zoocobia, a dogshow, and the battle of the bands.Simultaneous activities will alsobe held by the North PhilippinesTravel Expo at the SM City Clark,Clark International Speedway Motorcycleand Vintage Car Grand Prix,a static display from the PAF, andgolf tournaments at the Mimosa andKorea CC Golf and Country Clubs.A fireworks display at 10 p.m.will highlight the first night of thefestival. ●powerlines from Page 2cading downward the perennial catch basin coastal towns of Calumpitand Hagonoy.The governor is also constantly coordinating with operators of the threebig dams in Bulacan namely Angat, Ipo and Bustos on the preemptive andcoordinated release of waters from their reservoirs.Bustos dam opened two washout gates at 8 a.m. Sunday and dischargeda total of 156.0 cubic meters per second of water.The water elevation at the said three dams are still in normal level.The water level at Angat dam as of 8 a.m. Sunday was 207.16 meters,still way below its spilling level of 210 meters.In Ipo dam, the water elevation was 100.65 meters (spilling level 101meters) while the water level at Bustos dam was 16.92 meters (spillinglevel 17.70 meters).Alvarado also said that the PDRRMO has advised municipal and cityhealth offices to start the distribution of prophylaxes against leptospirosisin flooded areas as well as conduct initial assessment on health situationin the province.● (PNA)