ILOILO CITY, Philippines (PNA) – The Regional Welfare Office (RWO) of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) here is in the process of strengthening its OFW help desks in various local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas.

RWO 6 Director Samuel S. Madrid said the OFW desks will be manned by LGU personnel undergoing orientation with OWWA for them to be well-versed on programs, services and benefits offered by the office and how to handle cases brought to them.

Madrid explained that said OFW desks are a result of the constraints in manpower and proximity of the OWWA regional office.” 

He said, “We do not have provincial offices and we are fortunate to have one satellite office in Bacolod City.

Madrid said concerns that can be addressed at their level are given proper action right at the local help desk but if not, these are referred to the regional office.

To date, the RWO 6 has already signed a Memorandum of Agreement with 27 LGUs in Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz and Aklan.

There is no help desk in Iloilo because the regional office is already situated here.

Illegal logs donated
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Philippines (PNA) – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 has donated some P700,000 worth of seized illegal logs and lumber to the Department of Education (DepEd) in Bohol recently.

DENR 7 Director Leonardo Sibbaluca said the donation will prevent illegal loggers and shippers from getting back confiscated lumber and logs and at the same time help solve the problem of classroom shortage. He said donations to DepEd started last July, when President Benigno C. Aquino III assumed office.

In the past, the DENR disposed of seized logs and lumber through public bidding. In most cases, their alleged owners and consignees would join and win the bidding, said DENR 7 Public Information Officer Ed Llamedo.

He explained that there is no law that prohibits them from submitting bids, especially if they have yet to be convicted. Most of the seized logs and lumber come from Mindanao and some parts of the Visayas and are shipped to Cebu in container vans or in crates.

Shipping logs and lumber without a DENR permit violates Presidential Decree 705, or the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines, pointed out Llamedo.

More teachers needed in Cebu
CEBU CITY, Philippines (PNA) – Cebu City still lacks teachers, principals, assistant principals and district supervisors as public elementary and high school students return for another semester of classes, a City Hall official said.

According to Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, the city is in need of 36 principals, eight assistant principals and six district supervisors, aside from 20 elementary and 450 high school teachers.

Young said this is because the Department of Education (DepEd) has failed to create new teaching items.

”We lack teachers because in the first place, we’re not the only ones needing teachers. Our situation here is the same with other regions,” said Young, who chairs the Council’s Committee on Education.

Young is not optimistic that problem will be immediately addressed.

”It will take a long time, a lot of years, but it’s understandable that DepEd is unable to have new teaching items immediately,” he said.