LEGAZPI CITY: The Civil Service Commission (CSC) started the automated and integrated administration of computerized examination (Comex) for public servant aspirants in the Bicol Region on Friday.

Chairperson Karlo Nograles said the initiative is part of the CSC’s vision to digitalize and streamline the services they offer to the public.

“Comex is just one of the projects of the commission for digitalization. We’ve been doing this nationwide and so far, there was no problem with the integrity of the system. The questions were centralized and secure,” Nograles said in a press conference.

To ensure stability in server and internet connection, Nograles said CSC-Bicol used at three internet service providers.

“We are on benchmarking with the provider of Supreme Court for the bar exams. If we can procure that sort type of system, we can expand even more,” he added.

Nograles said their top priority is to safeguard the integrity of the exams.

He reminded that keeping a copy of the questionnaire after the exam,
taking photos and even memorizing a question and posting it are punishable by law.

He also clarified that the Pen and Paper Test (PPT) exam will continue since they are considering the demand and comfort of the examinees.

CSC Bicol Director Daisy Bragais said at least 20 slots will be open for every examination twice a week.

The Comex fee is PHP650 while it’s PHP500 for the PPT.

There is no limit as to the frequency of taking the examination, but it should not be within three months from the last.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: A regular rotational deployment of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ships in Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal) will take place starting this month, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año said on Friday.

In a statement, Año said the move is part of efforts to secure Filipino fisherfolk in these waters and to help achieve the government’s vision of food security, which is a pivotal element in national development under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s “Bagong Pilipinas” governance brand.

“The Philippine government has taken decisive action to protect the rights and safety of Filipino fishermen in the waters of Bajo De Masinloc (BDM),” Año said.

Earlier, the PCG multi-role response vessel, BRP Magbanua (MRRV-9701) completed a successful nine-day patrol in Bajo de Masinloc from Feb. 1 to 9, while the BFAR multi-role offshore patrol ship, BRP Tamblot (MRROV-3005) has also been patrolling since Feb. 14.

Año said these efforts were
to ensure the safety and security of our Filipino fishermen in their traditional fishing grounds.

“Further, both PCG and BFAR were also directed to distribute food packs, groceries, and even fuel to support the fishermen in sustaining their activities in the vicinity of BDM,” he added.

Año, meanwhile, dismissed reports of the China Coast Guard’s claims that it “expelled a BFAR vessel and PCG vessel that allegedly intruded into their waters.”

“The National Security Council (NSC) reaffirms the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc and its surrounding waters within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ). These rights are recognized under international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” said Año, also the head of the NSC.

He added that the activities of the Filipino fishermen and the PCG and BFAR vessels in the Bajo de Masinloc were fully compliant with national laws and consistent with the Philippines’
position on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Any attempts by state actors to intimidate or drive away our fishermen are clear violations of international law and disregard the decision of the arbitral award, Año said.

“Despite these challenges, the PCG and BFAR vessels will maintain professionalism in dealing with any unlawful and provocative behavior exhibited by China Coast Guard and the Chinese Maritime Militia vessels. This includes responding to dangerous and blocking maneuvers that blatantly disregard the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972,” he noted.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Indian government has brought to Manila a business delegation to showcase its homegrown military technologies and equipment and scope out possible defense industry tie-ups with the Philippines.

At the Indian Embassy-led defense industry seminar in Makati City on Friday, at least 18 Indian companies presented to Filipino stakeholders and officials of the Department of National Defense a number of possible defense exports, ranging from aircrafts, drones, helicopters down to artificial intelligence-based technologies.

‘Like India, Philippines has to devote the bulk of its resources to development programs. So our share for national security, which is also a pressing requirement, is always constrained,’ Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran said.

‘So within that constraint framework, if you’re looking at a realistic option, then I would suggest that India is a very good option,’ he added, citing the cutting-edge technology and competitive prices Indian defense equipment can offer.

A
mong the companies present were DCM Shriram Industries Ltd, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Mahindra Emirates Vehicle Armouring FZ LLC, MKU Limited, and Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited.

In the same event, Kumaran expressed hope that New Delhi could be part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ third phase of modernization, citing its successful deal on the BrahMos cruise missile system that he said would be delivered “soon”.

‘We obviously had a successful conclusion of contract on missile systems. We hope that this could be considered,’ he said.

‘We have naval systems, we have fighter aircraft, we have a broad range of capabilities on the Indian side – helicopters, attack helicopters, land systems, artillery systems – and some of those would match with the capabilities you are looking to acquire in the Horizon 3,’ he added.

Horizon 3 was initially scheduled from 2023 to 2028 while Horizon 2 was from 2018 to 2022.

The business-to-business component of the event als
o opened up possible opportunities for partnerships on capacity building, especially as the Philippines seeks to create a self-reliant defense posture.

On this aspect, Kumaran said India is committed to ‘walk the talk’ and help the Philippines enhance its capabilities.

‘As two democracies, India and the Philippines have to work together to ensure that we create a regional and global environment that will allow us to address the fundamental requirements of our two nations – that is to create the enabling environment for our countries to grow,’ he said.

‘We are both peaceful nations. We do not crave other people’s territory, other people’s waters, but we will not see efforts that try to limit our access to our territory and our resources either. So we have to go beyond the talk,’ he added.

‘On the table’

Kumaran also reaffirmed that India’s loan offer to help the country fund its defense modernization is still on the table.

‘Our offer is very much on the table. We have announced our intent to offer a soft
loan for defense procurements and this could also cover activities that would eventually extend to some sort of joint industrial activity,’ he said.

The line of credit being offered by India is a soft loan provided on concessional interest rates to developing countries based on the national priorities of the borrowing countries.

The broad terms of the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) line credits are 1.75 percent, with a 20-year tenor and five-year moratorium.

Over the past years, interactions on defense and security between India and the Philippines have been on the upswing.

In a bilateral meeting in 2023, the two nations sought to further upgrade official level interaction among defense agencies and expand training and joint exercises on maritime security and disaster response.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Archdiocese of Manila appealed anew to the faithful to help the less fortunate in remembering the life and passion of Jesus Christ this Lenten season.

In a pastoral letter released on Friday, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula asked the faithful to support the Catholic Church’s donation drive dubbed “Alay Kapwa 2024”.

‘The Church, through Alay Kapwa 2024, seeks to help us live out compassion by sharing our blessings with the needy. Alay Kapwa has long served as a channel for generosity to support our social services to the poor and marginalized, victims of calamities and disasters,’ he said.

Advincula noted that churches in his archdiocese will be holding second collections in all Sunday Masses starting Feb. 18.

‘The charitable donations raised during the second collection for the six Sundays of Lent (18 February 2024 to 24 March 2024) will be sent to Caritas Manila’s Damayan Program, our social service arm for relief assistance and humanitarian aid for our brothers and sisters in need,
‘ he added.

Last year, the archdiocese reported that the donations collected helped provide food to some 10,000 persons.

‘Through the Damayan Program, we helped feed more than 10,000 malnourished children/pregnant or lactating mothers and extended relief and rehabilitation assistance to urban poor families severely affected by the victims of natural and man-made disasters in 2023,’ Advincula said.

Catholics around the world are observing the 40-day Lenten season which started on Feb. 14 (Ash Wednesday).

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday assured Filipino farmers of his commitment to providing ‘permanent’ solutions to ease their plight, saying he is determined to finish the distribution of agricultural land before his term ends in 2028.

During the distribution of land titles in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, Marcos said there will be no progress in the country, so long as the local farmers are in debt.

‘Ayoko ng band aid na solusyon. Ang hanap ko ay permanenteng lunas (I don’t want a band aid solution. I want a permanent cure),’ Marcos said.

‘Agrarian reform remains an unrealized dream because the emancipation of farmers does not end with the receipt of titles, declaring ownership of the land they are already tilling. They must be unshackled from debt, freed from high cost of inputs, relieved of constraints that impoverish them,’ he added.

Marcos said the signing of Republic Act 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act on July 7, 2023 is instrumental in freeing over 600,000 farmers who ha
ve been ‘held captive by land debt.’

He said the issuance of Executive Order 4 on Sept. 13, 2022, which imposed a one-year moratorium on the payment of amortizations and interest on agrarian debt, ‘provides farmers that are choked with debt with some financial breathing space at a time when agriculture was battling a fuel and fertilizer crisis.’

‘And so, we are always looking to make sure that our farmers will have and will make a good living,’ Marcos said.

‘Ilan lang iyan sa mga maraming programang para sa ating mga magsasaka dito sa inyong probinsya upang mapataas ang kanilang ani at mapalaki ang kanilang kita. Tama lang na suklian ang kanilang pagod at sabayan ang kanilang pagsisikap ng tulong ng pamahalaan (Those are just some of the many programs for our farmers here in your province to increase their yield and increase their income. It is only right to repay them and support their efforts with government assistance).’

During the event, Marcos led the distribution of a total of 3,184 land titles, cov
ering 4,659.28 hectares of land to some 2,769 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project.

He also distributed a total of 70 farm machinery and equipment worth PHP8.91 million to around 1,681 ARBs.

Eight farm-to-market roads, with a total project cost of PHP194.41 million, spanning 10.367 kilometers in the towns of Cagwait, Madrid, Carmen, Tago, San Miguel, and Barobo in Surigao del Sur, were also turned over.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has awarded land titles covering 109,199 hectares of land nationwide, benefitting 98,203 ARBs from July 2022 to Dec 2023.

The DAR Caraga is targeting the distribution of around 10,659 hectares of land in the region to 5,743 ARBs.

Marcos also promised to pursue development programs for the betterment of Caraga, as he recognized the region as one of the areas in the country wi
th rich resources.

‘I make that vow because as a region rich in resources, you do not only deserve it. Above all, it is a shared responsibility we owe to our children, a deliverable to the next generation that we cannot fail. For me, it is a burden that I carry as the son of a leader who never wavered in the belief in the potentials of this region, and who worked hard to unlock that potential,’ he said.

Soil testing facility

Before the distribution of land titles, Marcos also led the site inspection of the PHP550-million Soil Laboratory Building currently under construction in Agusan del Sur.

Marcos said the ‘first and modern’ facility in Mindanao would help boost agricultural productivity in the country.

Agusan del Sur Gov. Santiago Cane Jr. and Executive Adviser and scientist Dr. Johnvie Goloran briefed Marcos on the soil laboratory building project in Prosperidad town.

The facility, which will be managed by the provincial government, is capable of physical, chemical, and biological characterization o
f soils using a range of advanced analytical capabilities and can analyze 50 to 100 soil samples a day, with test results released in less than two to three days.

The soil testing facility can also analyze soils, plants, water, fertilizer, and gas samples.

Providing sufficient and accurate soil information to farmers, the soils laboratory will enable them to choose the crops suitable for their farmlands and the type and rate of fertilizer that should be used for their crops for optimum plant growth and development, resulting in better productivity and income.

The Provincial Soils Laboratory is expected to be completed next year with soil chemists, soil microbiologists, and agronomists working as the facility’s lead personnel.

The project is being led through Australia-Philippines collaboration that focuses on a national soil health strategy that seeks to enhance agricultural production in the country.

Following the site inspection, Marcos handed over to five farmer-representatives about 1,200 bags of cer
tified palay seeds for the areas affected by the recent floods in the province.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LAOAG CITY: Some farmers in the rural villages of Pila in Laoag City and Sulbec in Pasuquin town no longer worry about paying expensive diesel to water their crops after receiving two solar-powered irrigation systems on Friday.

Crisner Lagazo, a farmer from Sulbec, in an interview Friday, said he and his fellow farmers from the 4-H Club Association-Pasuquin Chapter are lucky to have been chosen as recipients of the solar project donated by the China International Cultural Exchange Foundation.

‘We are so lucky to have a solar irrigation system. This helps us save from the rising cost of fuel to power up our water pumps during the dry season,’ he said, citing that the donation is ‘an answered prayer.’

The Provincial Agriculture Office and the Chinese Consulate of Laoag helped in facilitating the requests of farmers and endorsed them to become the project recipients.

Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc, in his speech during the turn-over ceremony at the Pila project site, expressed gratitude to the Chinese gover
nment for the grants.

‘This will go a long way to aid our farmers. Irrigation is always a challenge as our land is very arid,’ he said, citing also the provision of irrigation projects as well as marketing, warehousing, and processing as necessary aids to boost farmers’ productivity.

‘We need to upgrade and become at par with other farmers in other countries because efficiency is quite low despite being one of the top producers of various agricultural products,’ he added.

According to agriculture experts, each solar irrigation system unit can generate 18 to 22 cubic meters of water per hour, or five to seven liters per second, with a serviceable area of around five hectares.

This translate to savings of around PHP6,000 worth of fuel when irrigating crops due for harvest in four months.

In Laoag, the city government has already installed several solar irrigation systems to help farmers produce off-season fruits and vegetables during the dry season.

Source: Philippines News Agency