ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is supporting the full computerization of the City Civil Registrar’s Office to give Ilonggos more efficient and quality service. “In 2013, the Local Civil Registry will be fully computerized and this will reduce processing time to 30 minutes, thus eliminating fixers, corruption, in the office,” he said. City budget officer Ninda Atinado has been instructed to include 25 more computer units and provide an additional R1.5 million in the 2013 budget for the encoding of birth and death certificates in the registry system.
C.C.D.R.R.M.C. HOBBLED
CEBU CITY, Cebu(PNA) — The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC) is hobbled in preparing for disaster even as the rainy season starts because its R157 million program has yet to be approved. Mayor Michael Rama blames on the City Council for its failure to approve two resolutions, one of which is for the CCDRRMC’s disaster preparedness program. Relations between Rama and majority of the city council have been icy since last year, when Rama left the Bando Osmena Pundok Kauswagan party. CCDRRMC projects not passed by the council include construction of a waste water treatment plant; purchase of mats, blankets and tents; purchase of compact boards for housing and galvanized iron sheets; and meals.
BOARD SEAT
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA)— A group of indigenous people (IP) in Negros Oriental seeks provincial council representation.The Ata-Negritos tribe in the province is asking Governor Roel Degamo to implement the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 or Republic Act 8371 here. Said law states that indigenous people are entitled to mandatory representation in the local sanggunians, pointed out the IP group’s spokesperson Reynante Cabanag who puts the IP population in the province at 260,000. Degamo has put the IP group’s appeal under study.
RAIN GAUGE
SAN JOSE, Antique (PIA) — This town’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has put up a rain gauge station in the neighboring town of San Remegio. Said rain gauge will be part of a network of rain gauges monitored by the MDRRMO as an early warning device for floods. Last year, an automatic rain gauge was installed at the Municipal DRRM Office, on the 2nd floor of the town hall. The rain gauge in San Remegio is located in Brgy. Aningalan near the headwaters of Mau-it and Tipoluan rivers, two major tributaries of Sibalom River. With the rain gauges in place, the MDRRMO hopes to gather more rainfall data in the municipality.
POLICE COMMENDED
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte (PIA) — The Philippine National Police-Southern Leyte Police Provincial Office (PNP-SLPPO) commended Maasin City and Malitbog town’s police officers. Police Supt. Jonathan Pineda said at least 13 policemen were given commendation from the Malitbog Municipal Police Station headed by PSInsp. Delfin D. Tan and eight police officers from Maasin City Police Station led by Chief of Police PSupt. Rico L. Tome.