Negros Oriental, Philippines

by Rachelle M. Nessia

Dumaguete City (30 May) — The Land Transportation Office is now just a text away for drivers and vehicle owners who have transportation-related queries.

LTO has come up with a Text Bilis Card, a new text service that promises a fast and hassle-free method for drivers to text their queries and complaints to 2600.

Keywords have been assigned for specific queries, namely: requirements for new non-professional driver’s license- LTO New NonPro; requirements for renewal of Non-Professional Driver’s License- LTO Renew NonPro; requirements for new Student Permit- LTO New Student; procedures on new registration of private vehicles- LTO New Reg Private; procedures on renewal of registration of private vehicles- LTO Renew Reg Private; and to inquire on motor vehicle details (e.g. pending alarms, apprehensions, last registration date, make color, etc.)- LTO Vehicle .

Commuters can also text their complaints on public utility vehicles using the following keywords: LTO Complain PUV .

Meanwhile, the government is eyeing to implement a fuel reduction program among government vehicles that will generate P142.1 billion savings in a year.

In his regular weekly press briefing this afternoon in Malacañang, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that for the government’s 80,000 vehicles, a one-liter reduction in fuel consumption would translate to a daily savings of P4 million, P120 million a month, or P1.44 billion a year.

On a monthly basis, this means a savings of more than P2 billion, or P63.3 billion a year.

Ermit is urging private vehicle owners as well to implement the “save one liter of gasoline or diesel fuel” a day program.

According to Malacañang, there are 4,211,932 units of gasoline-fed vehicles throughout the country. If they were to consume one liter less fuel a day at the current price of gasoline of P52 a liter, the savings would amount to more than P219 million a day, or P6.6 billion a month.

In one year, the total savings would hit an eye-popping P78.9 billion.

Ermita said that at P45 per liter, the same save-a-liter-day formula will translate to a daily savings of P70.2 billion for the country’s 1,561,935 diesel-fed vehicles.

He said the figures were taken from a study undertaken by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

The LTO computed the planned fuel savings based on the total of 4,211,932 registered gasoline-fed vehicles multiplied by P52 per liter; and based on the total of 1,561,935 diesel-fed vehicles multiplied by P45 per liter. (PIA)

by Rachelle M. Nessia

Dumaguete City (30 May) — The line-up is complete for the karate team that will represent Negros Oriental during the upcoming Philippine Olympic Festival all-Visayas Qualifying Games.

According to Almar Bermudo, president and founder of the Philippine Karate Federation Negros Oriental Chapter, the local karate team will see action on the mat in two events during the Olympic games, namely sparring and kata.

Competing in the sparring event men’s single category aged seven to nine years old are Ivan Rey Baldado and Danilo Pahayhay while for the ten to eleven year-old category are Jandel Morados and Randolf Ramirez and for 12 to 13 year-old category are Reynaldo Borromeo and Jerome Real.

On the 14 to 15 year-old category for men with a weight of 40 kilos and below, Negros Oriental will be represented by Vince Antony Sumaque and Adam Rell Radoc while fighting in the 40 kilos above category are Adrian Rey Rabutazo and Raemer Borromeo.

Fighting in the 16 to 17 year-old category for men are Mark Lester Noblefranca, Romulo Pajardo Jr., Jan Paul Morales and Mark Anthony Jones. In the 18 to 25 year-old category are Gil Mecleo Aragones, Godfrey Boltiador, Brian Asis, Rosewell Vincent Macion, Junry Villapna, Engene Stoner Dagohoy and Demie Ramirez.

Meanwhile, for the women’s division, fighting for Negros Oriental in the seven to nine year-old category are Lovely Nhaidel Bancairen; for 10 to 11 years old, Sharie Duellosa and Mavy Fave Suarez; for 12 to 13, Mae Noblefranca and Ferry-An Joy Asis; for 14 to 15, Sharifa Grefalde and Rowie Jane Gabo; for 16 to 17, Queenie Diaz; and for 18 to 25, Manilyn Noblefranca, Judelyn Abestano and Maricel Estrellado.

For the Kata event, fighting for Negros Oriental for both men’s and women’s divisions are Katherine Mae Pelletero, Jevelyn Kiroquero and King Bryant Carl Ting for the seven-year old category; Marlou Pajardo, Lovely Nhaidel Bancairen and Thom Wilson Pelletero for the eight to nine; Sharie Duellosa, Marvy Faye Suarez, Janroe Morados and Troy Generoso for the 10 to 11; Janroe Morados, Jerome Real, Mae Noblefranca and Kenneth Zamora for the 12 to 13; John Christian Ablong, Juvin Ramirez, Rowie Jane Gabo and Sharifa Grefaldo for the 14 to 15; and Manilyn NOblefranca and Judelyn Abestano for the 16 to 25. (PIA)

by Rachelle M. Nessia

Dumaguete City (30 May) — The St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Dumaguete City led by Bishop John F. Du will hold the city’s Santacruzan procession on May 31.

At 5:00 in the afternoon, there will be a concelebrated mass at Cathedral Church with Bishop John F. Du followed by a procession then the Crowning of Mary by the Reyna Elena.

The procession will be joined in by different parish pastoral councils, city and provincial government and non-government officials and representatives of the different religious organizations and the lay faithful. Taking part in the procession are the Angels and Chapel Officers from the different chapels and zones under the Parish of Cathedral, 26 sagalas from the various Zones, 20 single ladies representing the 20 Mysteries of the Holy Rosary from different offices in Dumaguete City, Men in Barong who will take charge of the Marshalls, presidents of the Diocesan Organization of Renewal Movements and Committees who will carry the Ave Maria, a lay minister who will carry the Big Cross, and officers of the Parish Pastoral Council.

The event will be hooked up live over radio station DYWC-AM.

This is the second year that the observation of Santacruzan is handled by the St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish as it was for several years carried out by the Dumaguete city government.

The parish hopes that through the religious celebration of Santacruzan, it will demonstrate and evangelize to the faithful the rich Catholic tradition behind the procession and at the same time, deepen the devotion through witnessing the virtue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The religious event springs from the Flores de Mayo (flowers of May) or the Flores de Maria (flowers of Mary) which refers to the Flower Festival celebration in the month of May in honor of the Virgin Mary. During this month, the rains start pouring and the flowers begin to bloom after a long, dry spell.

With the Philippines being a predominantly Catholic country, the townsfolk celebrate the onset of the beneficial rains by praising the Virgin Mary. The celebration culminates in an elaborate procession to the Church called Santacruzan or Festival of the Holy Cross, a commemoration of the finding of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem by St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great.

The Santacruzan stands out from other religious procession in the sense that it does not parade images of patron saints, rather the biblical and historical characters that are represented by the local people dressed up in appropriate costumes. (PIA)

by Rachelle M. Nessia

Dumaguete City (30 May) — Valencia Mayor Rodolfo Gonzalez has been nominated for this year’s Ramon Aboitiz Award for Exemplary Individual.

Gonzales’ office received a letter from Evelyn Nacario-Castro, executive director of the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center, confirming his nomination.

The mayor was nominated by the Rotary Club of Dumaguete where he sits as Past President Club Administrator, said Des Tilos, Valencia information officer.

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) runs the Triennial Awards that gives recognition to persons and institutions who have notably committed themselves to building a more humane, equitable and caring society.

The triennial awards is given every three years in two categories, namely, the Ramon Aboitiz Award for Exemplary Individual and the Eduardo Aboitiz Award for Outstanding Institution.

Nacario-Castro in her letter said this year marks the fourth run of the said awards program with conferment scheduled in March 2009. (PIA)

by Jennifer C. Tilos

Dumaguete City (30 May) — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) here has urged the town and city mayors and barangay captains to observe the 110th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence on June 12 through simple and fitting programs.

In a memorandum circular, DILG requested the local government units to hold simultaneous flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies in places of national significance in their respective areas of jurisdiction in the morning of June 12.

In line with this, the Department of Education together with the National Institute has lined-up the following activities appropriate for the said historical event: From May 15 to June 30, 2008 - Watawat at Pambansang Awit, kick-off launching of the Flag Advocacy Days (putting up streamers, display of flags in all government buildings, schools, universities, hospitals, public parks, restaurants/hotels, department stores or mall and banks); Mondays Flag-Raising or National Anthem ceremony program in government NGAs, GOCCs, GFIs, LGUs, private and civic organizations; on June 10 to 12, 2008 - Kalayaan 2008 (Independence Day Events or activities).

According to DILG one of the activities slated for the celebration, the “Paggalang sa Watawat”, will highlight the observance of the National Flag Day or Flag Reverence on May 28 to June 30, 2008 with the theme: “Igalang ang Ating Watawat, Sa Isip, Sa Salita at Sa Gawa”, which will also serve as the kick-off ceremony for the 2008 Independence Day celebration.

This year’s celebration banners the theme, “Republic Service, Tungo sa Ganap na Kalayaan at Kaunlaran.”

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed her Cabinet to celebrate the country’s 110th Independence Day by augmenting the traditional flag-raising activities with programs that will “honor the sacrifices of our heroes, not by words alone but through deeds that give flesh to their vision.”

The President’s directive was revealed by Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye in his weekly column, View from the Palace. (PIA/JCT)