Day: March 21, 2024

Dak Lak: The Ministry of Public Security of March 21 held a ceremony to present financial support for the construction of 1,200 houses for ethnic people, social welfare beneficiaries, and poor households in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.

At the event, two completed houses, serving as the model for the building of the remainder, were handed over to two families in Cu M’gar district.

According to Deputy Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang, the project aims to raise the groups’ living standards and consolidate their trust in the Party, State and local authorities.

The building of the remaining 1,198 houses is expected to be completed on September 2, ahead of the province’s 120th founding anniversary (November 22).

In his remarks at the ceremony, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Dinh Trung affirmed that with funding from the ministry, the provincial authorities, and other sources, the police in Dak Lak will collaborate with relevant departments, agencies, and units to car
ry out the work assigned./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed before midnight Thursday the arrest of ousted Negros Oriental 3rd District congressman and designated terrorist Arnolfo ‘Arnie’ Teves Jr. in Dili, East Timor.

The DOJ news release posted on Facebook said Teves was nabbed at the Top Golf Driving Range and Bar around 4 p.m. Thursday.

Teves is facing multiple murder charges in connection with the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others in March 2023, and three others in 2019.

“We already confirmed that the mastermind of my husband’s murder has finally been captured by Timor Leste police. Words cannot express how it feels to finally see the man who terrorized our province and brutally murdered my husband surrounded by police. Dalaygon ang buhi nga Dios!” Pamplona, Negros Oriental Mayor Janice Degamo, the slain governor’s widow, posted on Facebook.

The arrest of Teves was made possible through the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies, including the International Police (Inte
rpol) – National Central Bureau (NCB) in Dili, in coordination with the East Timorese Police.

‘Today’s (Thursday) apprehension of Teves is a testament to the power of international cooperation,’ Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a statement. “It sends a clear message that no terrorist can evade justice and that nations stand united in safeguarding the safety and security of their citizens.”

Teves is now under the custody of the Timorese police while his extradition to the Philippines is being worked out by NCB-Dili in coordination with the team from NCB-Manila and Dili Philippine Embassy.

On Feb. 28, the DOJ announced that the Interpol has issued a Red Notice against Teves while a team from the National Bureau of Investigation will be sent to the last known whereabouts of Teves.

“(East) Timor may apprehend Teves. However, they might prefer us to send a team there. Most likely, we will dispatch a team to (East) Timor to execute the warrant,” Remulla said then.

A Red Notice is a request to la
w enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action.

Prior to the Red Notice, his regular passport was canceled by a Manila court and his diplomatic passport revoked by Congress as it was valid only within his official leave.

Remulla said Teves must face his long-delayed trial “squarely” without setting any conditions.

He likewise thanked Philippine law enforcement teams and international partners for their relentless efforts in fighting lawlessness to achieving peace.

‘The capture of Teves only proves that through concerted efforts and determination, terrorism can be thwarted and peace preserved,’ Remulla added.

During Governor Degamo’s first death anniversary on March 4, the mayor recalled her husband’s devotion to his duty.

“Roel was governor not for the power or the title but because he loved his fellow NegOrenses more than life itself. He made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure peace and prosperity in our province and I will do wh
atever it takes to honor his legacy by bringing lasting peace to our great province. Building a better Negros Oriental will always be my number one priority,” she said.

Mayor Degamo will seek the Third District congressional seat in the 2025 polls. It remains vacant after Teves was kicked out in August last year, with House Speaker Martin Romualdez serving as caretaker.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Government officials on Thursday signed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code.

The IRR was signed by National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, PPP Center Executive Director Cynthia Hernandez, Department of Finance Undersecretary Catherine Fong, Department of Budget and Management Undersecretary Joselito Basilio, Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin Chan of the Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Odilon Pasaraba, and Private Sector Representative to the PPP Governing Board Ferdinand Tolentino.

“This pivotal moment underscores the Marcos administration’s commitment to its Build-Better-More program of building and realizing high-quality, game-changing infrastructure projects that enable socioeconomic transformation,” Balisacan said during the signing of the IRR at The Mega Tower in Ortigas City.

The PPP Code and its IRR aim to strengthen and institutionalize PPPs in t
he country by providing a unified legal framework for all PPPs at both national and local levels.

This landmark legislation clarifies the ambiguities in the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, which was last amended in 1994, and other existing PPP legal frameworks.

The law will enable much-needed development across various sectors of the economy and accelerate the delivery of affordable, accessible, and efficient public services.

‘The PPP Program is a major government initiative – in light of the tight fiscal space, it is an essential component of the President’s transformation agenda under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028,” Balisacan said.

“We are in a hurry to get strategic investments to increase our economy’s growth potential. The momentum for reform and action is strong, and we are pulling out all the stops for investors who wish to do business in one of the most promising economies in the region.’

PPP Center Executive Director, Undersecretary Ma. Cynthia Hernandez, meanwhile, expressed confidence
that the PPP Code IRR reflects the needs and perspectives of all stakeholders.

‘With the PPP Code IRR now signed, we are confident that its updated policy framework will strengthen the country’s investment ecosystem. This framework is designed to be efficient, fair, and promote stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors,’ Hernandez said.

Republic Act 11966 or the PPP Code of the Philippines was signed into law on Dec. 5, 2023, and came into effect on Dec. 23.

The PPP Governing Board, acting as the PPP Code IRR Committee, was mandated to promulgate the IRR within 90 days from the effectivity of the law, or by March 23, 2024.

Since January, the committee has been conducting online and in-person consultations to solicit questions, suggestions, and recommendations from key stakeholders in the public and private sectors, development partners, and other organizations to craft and finalize the IRR.

After its signing, a copy of the IRR will be made available to the public on March 22.

The IRR
will take effect 15 calendar days after publication or on April 6.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday underscored the importance of social work in promoting social justice, human rights and sustainable development.

This as the DSWD joined the World Social Work Day celebration, done annually every 3rd Tuesday of March.

This year’s event, held March 19, has the theme: ‘Buen Vivir: Shared Future for Transformative Change.’

World Social Work Day honors the hard work and dedication of social workers to bring transformative change to communities through the principle of ‘Buen Vivir,’ which means ‘living well’ or ‘life in harmony.’

‘Social work is a practice-based profession, whose core mandate or core intention is to effect social change, social development, social transformation, and changes favorable to the society, the individuals, the families, and the nation,’ DSWD Undersecretary for National Household Targeting System and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Vilma Cabrera said in a news release.

The DSWD and the ASEAN Social
Work Consortium-Philippines held a forum to promote the development of the social work profession at the DSWD Central Office Auditorium in Quezon City.

Cabrera said promoting the celebration contributes to the initiatives of the roadmap in the implementation of the Hanoi Declaration on Social Work that aims to strengthen the social work and social service workforce towards ‘the effective, responsive and sustainable delivery of inclusive and quality social service’ in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region.

‘By commemorating the World Social Work Day, stakeholders can leverage the momentum generated by this global event to highlight the role of social work in addressing regional challenges and provide a platform to showcase successful social work interventions and initiatives that have made a positive impact,’ Cabrera said.

Undersecretary for Standards and Capacity Building Group (SCBG) Denise Bragas enjoined the participants to continue to ‘cooperate, coordinate, and collaborate’ in addressing t
he contemporary challenges and bring into fruition the aspirations of social work in the global setting.

The resource persons included DSWD Assistant Secretary for SCBG Janet Armas; Ateneo de Davao University Social Work Department chairperson Dr. Epifania Melba Manapol; Association of Local Social Welfare and Development officer Jocelyn Arzaga; and Ateneo de Davao University social work student Jhunhalyne Villarta.

Also gracing the event were ASEAN Social Work Consortium-Philippines chairperson Glady Bunao; Department of Health League of Medical Social Workers president Evelyn Muniz; National Association of Social Work Education, Inc. president Khalachuchi Flores-Caballes; Philippine Association of Social Workers, Inc. official representative Rosauro Luntayao; and, Philippine Association of Court Social Workers, Inc. representative Precious Loida Ladaga.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Department of Health (DOH) is encouraging the public to take part in its immunization campaign against vaccine-preventable diseases as cases of measles and pertussis are on the rise.

In a statement on Thursday, the DOH said it has established a national Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC), with support and assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the United States Center for Disease Control (USCDC).

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa supervises the on-the-ground response activities to contain the measles cases.

‘Code Blue has been practiced in the DOH Central Office (DOH-CO) since March 20, which signals intensified activities to mitigate the spread of the virus through vaccination, micronutrient supplementation, community engagement, and risk communication,’ Herbosa said in his report to Task Force El Niño.

‘A non-selective Outbreak Response Immunization (ORI) strategy for measles-rubella is being
implemented in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), together with Vitamin A supplementation and a synchronized supplemental immunization activity on bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV),’ he stated.

The DOH targets to vaccinate at least 90 percent of the high-risk population, especially children from 6 months to 10 years of age in a bid to control measles.

It reminds everyone to get free pentavalent Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus, Hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type B (DPT-HepB-HiB) and Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccines at local health centers.

As of Feb. 24, the DOH recorded a total of 569 measles and rubella cases. All regions, except for Bicol and Central Visayas, reported increasing cases in the recent month.

‘Around 163 new cases were reported between Feb. 11 to 24, which is 3 percent higher compared to two weeks prior (159 cases). Epidemiologic profile shows that those under five years of age and who are unvaccinated are the most affected,’ the DOH said.

Mea
sles is highly contagious and it spreads from infected individuals through the air, especially through coughing or sneezing. It affects all age groups, but is more common in children and its symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and a body rash.

‘There is no specific treatment for the virus that causes measles. However, vaccination protects against it,’ the DOH said.

Moreover, the DOH has logged 453 cases of pertussis for the first 10 weeks of 2024. In 2023, there were only 23 pertussis cases reported during the same time period.

About 52 cases were reported in 2019; 27 in 2020; seven in 2021; and two in 2022.

Pertussis or whooping cough is called ‘ubong-dalahit’ or ‘tuspirina’ in Filipino. It is a highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection that causes influenza-like symptoms of mild fever, colds, and coughs 7 to 10 days after exposure.

‘This cough, in typical cases, will develop into a characteristic hacking cough. Pertussis can be treated by antibiotics, but it is best prevented throug
h vaccination,’ the DOH said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The establishment of a new procurement building in Quezon City will pave the way for the advancement of procurement policies in government, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Thursday.

Pangandaman led the inauguration of the Government Procurement Policy Board-Technical Support Office (GPPB-TSO) building at the University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon City, coinciding with the celebration of World Sustainable Procurement Day.

‘Championing sustainability and functionality, this establishment has likewise been designed to meet the evolving needs of our organization and to serve as a hub for the advancement of government procurement policies that are not only effective but also responsive to the challenges of the times,’ Pangandaman, who also serves as the GPPB Chairperson, said.

The new facility flaunts sustainability features, such as the recycling of sewage water into garden water, utilization of gravity distribution on the overhead water storage, and
the use of QR (quick response) codes linked to the elevators for security and efficiency.

GPPB-TSO executive director Rowena Candice Ruiz said ‘boundless possibilities’ in government procurement, following the establishment of the new building.

‘The GPPB-TSO has come a long way as will be seen in the many innovations and reforms in public procurement,” Ruiz said.

During the event, Pangandaman also led the ceremonial signing of the commitment wall with state universities and colleges for the continued implementation of the Public Procurement Specialist Certification Course.

New partners from private higher education institutions and private sector organizations were welcomed, as the government expanded the implementation of the certificate course.

The Public Procurement Specialist Certification Course aims to develop government workers into professional practitioners who can navigate the complexities of public procurement and address the causes of procurement failures.

‘This need underpins our collaborat
ion with public and private institutions, symbolizing a strategic alliance that leverages academic expertise and practical insights,’ Pangandaman said.

As of December 2023, collaborative efforts of the government and public institutions have already led to the graduation of 3,775 procurement professionals, based on DBM data.

The DBM, under Pangandaman’s leadership, advocates for several key transformational initiatives, such as the amendment to the decades-old Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA).

The proposed amendments to GPRA are expected to result in greater efficiency in the implementation of projects and purchase of goods and supplies.

The new GPRA that is being pushed is also seen to promote green public procurement practices, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of a ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ (New Philippines) where climate resiliency and a green economy are prioritized.

Source: Philippines News Agency