BACLOD CITY, Negros Occ., Philippines (PIA) – Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Toshinao Urabe and Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. who is also president of the Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement (OISCA)-Philippines, led the closing ceremony of the two-day celebration of the 50th anniversary of OISCA last Aug. 25. OISCA is a multi-cultural, spiritually-based association formed in 1961 by a group of people from 18 countries.

Headed by Dr. Yonosuke Nakano, it included the Philippines among its members in 1965. It aims to promote human development and sustainable development through a holistic approach, putting emphasis in the inter-connectedness of agriculture, ecological integrity, and the human spirit.

Pagatpat festival

SILAY CITY, Neg. Occ. (PIA) – The 7th Pagatpat (Mangrove) Festival was held recently in Barangay Balaring, Silay, Negros Occidental. The event was sponsored by the Silay City government and the IKAW-AKO Japan-Negros partnership for Environment Protection. The celebration was part of efforts to promote ecological awareness among the youth through seminars, info dissemination campaigns and related competitions, as well as environmental preservation through the planting of mangrove species in Brgy. Balaring’s shoreline.

The festival was also the culmination of the 64th Mangrove Study Tour which took place in the province recently. Silay City is on the northwestern part of Negros Occidental and 14 kms. away from the provincial capital, Bacolod City.

Bookkeepers workshop

CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) – The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. micro-finance unit recently conducted a bookkeepers’ workshop at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center, in Lopez Jaena St. Cebu City. RAFI Micro-finance training officer May Donnavel Libron said the workshop provided tips and featured activities on how to face work and life situations.

A RAFI Micro-finance capacity-building program, the workshop taught participants collaboration concepts and principles while giving them insights and learning experiences on work values, values clarification and team interdependence.

October summit

CENTRAL VISAYAS (PIA) – Senator Loren Legarda, along with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Department of Environment and Natural Resource, Department of Tourism, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the International Labor Organization will put up the 1st Indigenous Cultural Summit, Oct. 13-14, 2011 at the Old Senate Building in Manila.

It will be a gathering of indigenous peoples (IPs) to, among other aims, identify concerns of indigenous peoples, address their needs through legislation and government initiatives, preserve their cultural integrity and sustain development of their ancestral lands.

PTAP beneficiaries

ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) – Talking to local media here, Department of Energy (DoE)-Visayas supervising engineer Rey Maleza asked jeepney drivers-beneficiaries of government’s Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP) or the Pantawid Pasada Program to take care of and keep their Pasada cards not only to avail of incentive discounts on fuel but for future programs for their benefit.