LARENA, Siquijor (PIA) — The Civil Service Commission (CSC) here is encouraging government personnel with limited training budget and even youths who are at least 18 years old who plan to join the government service, to avail themselves of its distance learning program (DLP).

The CSC said the DLP will confer on its taker a certificate of training equivalent to 40 training hours (equivalent to a five-day seminar) without having to leave their respective work stations, schools, or homes, at a minimal fee of P250.

The DLP is designed for government officials and employees as an alternative strategy to the formal training programs for those who want to attend trainings but for one reason or another could not because of their work or due to limited funds, said the CSC.

Calbayog Flight

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar (PIA) — Calbayog folks may now choose between sea and air transport to bring them to Cebu City. With the first Cebu-Calbayog flight from Cebu to Calbayog and vice versa, Calbayognons and other Samarnons may now enjoy air travel with the first Eagle Trans Asia Airways (ETA) flight via a 29-seater aircraft on March 5, 2012.

In a press conference held on Thursday in Calbayog City, Philippine Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Bienvenido V. Tejano said the island of Samar should be given a chance to be at par with other provinces in the country. He said the province is one of the most underprivileged areas in the country.

Access Cards

CEBU CITY (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will implement the use of the family access cards (FAC) in earthquake-stricken areas to ensure that no one is left unattended. This is also to avoid duplication of goods and services received by the quake victims.

With this development, the DSWD will be able to identify and track who among the disaster victims have received and benefited from the relief supplies (food and non-food items) coming from both government and private sectors as well as the different services they have availed of, such as psychosocial intervention, medical, and shelter.

Collection Goal

ILOILO CITY (PNA) — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Regional Office 11-A is confident in realizing the P6.2-billion collection goal set for this year. BIR 11-A Regional Director Romulo Aguila Jr. said they are confident in realizing the P6.2 billion goal, which is higher by 18.10 percent than their collection goal of P5.3 billion only last year.

Aguila further explained they were not able to realize their goal last year because of several businesses that had directly paid to the BIR central office. He cited the Toyota and Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation, which could have contributed largely in their tax collection last year.

COMELEC Action

CEBU CITY (PNA) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday started the verification of 9,800 signatures for the recall petition against Samboan, Cebu Vice Mayor Rogelio Capa and first councilor Jeffrey Catipay.

Comelec Deputy Executive director for Operations Bartolome Sino-Cruz Jr. recommended last year checking the signatures of the petitions to recall. They found the persons in the petition as registered voters in that place, thus finding sufficient evidence to proceed.