Friday, 17 May 2013 00:00
■ By Nanette L. Guadalquiver
BACOLOD CITY – An ally of Don Salvador Benedicto mayor-elect Jose Max Ortiz and a municipal employee were killed in a shooting incident Wednesday afternoon in the aftermath of a hotly-contested election in Negros Occidental’s mountain town.
Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, provincial police director, identified the fatalities as Roland Apellido, a defeated candidate for councilor, and Gotelio “Jack” Sabay.
Three others were wounded, including Alfredo Edem, Julie Toledano and Isagani Sagno.
Ortiz said Apellido, who was hit in the head, and his companion, Sagno, were allegedly shot by supporters of his opponent during a confrontation at Spur 16, Barangay Bunga.
The defeated candidate is the cousin of Roger Apellido, who was elected number one councilor.
Ortiz said he believes that politics is behind the incident although De la Paz said the police is still investigating the cause of the shooting.
Witnesses said that Sabay and his companions were having coffee when the group of Apellido arrived and occupied a table nearby. The two groups were heard having a heated argument then gunshots followed.
Mayor Marxlen de la Cruz, who lost to Ortiz in his reelection bid, appealed to the supporters of opposing political parties to remain sober amid the political developments in their town.
“Our family has accepted our defeat. We have accepted that they won,” he said.
De la Cruz’s mother, Cynthia, also lost in the vice mayor race while his father, First District Board Member Nehemias de la Cruz Sr., failed to unseat Rep. Julio Ledesma IV.*
Friday, 17 May 2013 00:00
■ By Nanette L. Guadalquiver
BACOLOD CITY – The influence of business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. in Negros Occidental politics may have dimmed with the defeat of his protégé Vice Gov. Genaro Alvarez Jr. in the gubernatorial race, but old political families in the province still dominated the May 13 elections.
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., 77, standard bearer of the United Negros Alliance, was reelected with an overwhelming 528,895 votes over Alvarez’s 357,809 to win a second term at the Capitol in his five-decade political career.
The Marañon family also emerged victorious in their hometown, Sagay City, where the governor’s son, Rep. Alfredo Marañon III, was elected mayor and nephew Mayor Leo Rafael Cueva is succeeding the younger Marañon in Congress.
Despite the loss of the vice governor, his children posted a winning streak in the Sixth District where his daughter Rep. Mercedes Alvarez won a second term and his sons Genaro Rafael and John Paul were elected mayor and vice mayor of Ilog town, respectively.
Former San Carlos City Mayor Eugenio Jose Lacson, runningmate of Alvarez under the Nationalist People’s Coalition, was elected vice governor after defeating Fifth District Board Member Melvin Ibañez. Others winners in the Lacson clan are reelectionist Third District Board Member Patrick Lacson, son of former governor and now Government Service Insurance System chairman Daniel Lacson, and his first cousins reelectionists E.B. Magalona Mayor David Albert Lacson and Murcia Mayor Andrew Montelibano.
In the Fourth District, Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer booked a third and last term while his wife La Carlota City Mayor Juliet Ferrer, granddaughter of the late Ambassador Roberto Salas Benedicto, was reelected for a second term.
Old political names also dominate the Provincial Board, including Sixth District’s Pedro Zayco, brother of former governor and now Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco; Fourth District’s Jose Benito Alonso, twin brother of Pontevedra Mayor Jose Maria Alonso; and Second District’s Salvador Escalante, brother of Cadiz City Mayor Patrick Escalante and cousin-in-law of Manapla Mayor Lourdes Escalante.
Also reelected for Congress were First District Rep. Julio Ledesma IV, Third District Rep. Alfredo Benitez and Fifth District Rep. Alejandro Mirasol.*
Fifty beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Murcia, Negros Occidental availed of the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) farmers training program of
the SM Foundation Inc.
Municipal Link Grace Barsabal said the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries are part of the 124 total farmers and agriculture students who underwent some three
months of training on farming at the Lux Mundi Farm School in Hacienda Binitin in Murcia since January of this year.
“The Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) program of SM Foundation Inc. has been going on since 2006 but this is the first time that they partnered with the Department
of Social Welfare and Development to involve and allocate 50 slots for Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in the training program,” Barsabal said.
Jenny Espares, 46, of Brgy. Blumentritt, Murcia is one of the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries who completed the training program. A mother of four, Espares
received top honors during the graduation ceremony held recently at the Activity Center of SM City-Bacolod for her bountiful produce from her vegetable garden
and for maintaining a perfect attendance during the training.
“I’m proud to say that I was able to graduate, that I posted perfect attendance during the entire training even though we are hard up financially… This is my first
time to join a training on farming. Yes, I know how to plant but during the training, I was able to learn a lot more and I hope to be able to share what I have learned
to my neighbors also,” Espares said in the dialect.
‘KABALIKAT SA KABUHAYAN’
SM Foundation Inc.’s Assistant Vice President Cristie Angeles said the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan farmers training program was conceived by SM Group founder Henry
Sy Sr. who thought of a sustainable project that will uplift the living standards of small Filipino farmers.
The program’s main objective is to develop small farmers into self-sustaining families, earning a living from the vegetables and fruits they produce. A number of
trained farmers in the past have indirectly become regular suppliers of SM, although majority are earning from the local markets they serve.
The program is supported by Harbest Agri Corp. which provided the students with the seedlings; the Department of Agriculture (DA) which trained them on the
propagation of high value vegetables and commercial crops; and the DSWD whose Project Development Officers under the Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran
(SEA-K) provided entrepreneurial workshops.
During the graduation program, the graduates sold their vegetable produce such as lettuce, squash, eggplant and bottle gourds.
BECOMING SELF-SUFFICIENT
The DSWD has been collaborating with other government and non-governmental organizations for the provision of complementary social services for Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries. Under DSWD’s convergence strategy, beneficiaries are prioritized for gainful employment and sustainable livelihood opportunities.* DSWD/Alma Jornadal-Estember
Barbaza, Antique -- It was like every day is a fight for survival.
He lived each 24-hour span of his and his loved one’s lives thinking of how it is to go on existing.
This was how Stephen Tiad, 32 years old, a resident of Brgy. Jinalinan, Barbaza, Antique, has described the years of being unemployed.
He would venture into jobs that met their one day need so as to put food on their table and the next day, he will face the same dilemma.
But for the past six months, Stephen, married to Jennifer and with whom she has four children, life has changed. He no longer had to scrounge around for any work so he could put food on the table.
According to Ginger Villar, Project Development Officer II (PDOII) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Stephen was accessed by the agency to avail of the Trabahong Lansangan jointly implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and DSWD.
Stephen’s children are also receiving cash grants for their education and health under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
“Bahul nga salamat kay gintugruan ako sang sini nga benepisyo (I am so thankful that I was given this benefit),” said Stephen.
Under the Trabahong Lansangan, beneficiaries were employed to do declogging of drainage canals, road maintenance and street sweeping.
Stephen earned P250 per day and in the course of six months, he was able to support his family’s daily needs, never had to struggle every morning whether where could he get a living to feed his wife and children.
Beyond this, Stephen was able to save P2,500 and constructed their own rest room with concrete floor and toilet basin, a basic necessity which seemed elusive for them for many years. They used to share with the toilet of their parents whose house is situated adjacent to theirs.
The Trabahong Lansangan, is one of DSWDs means of accessing beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya to gainful employment, in partnership with DPWH.
Other beneficiaries are trained on livelihood and managing small-scale enterprises through the Self-Employment Assistance- Kaunlaran (SEA-K).
Although the work did not mean job for years, Stephen felt so grateful because the experience taught him a lesson. “When one is given the chance to work, one must discipline himself and value time because opportunity knocks only once…make the most of it,” said Stephen in vernacular.
Stephen further said that he learned the importance of self-discipline, gained knowledge, enhanced his skills and realized the value of time, learnings which he would always bring with him whatever opportunity would come to his doors.
CONVERGENCE STRATEGY
DSWD is implementing a convergence strategy, which has three core programs—the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Kalahi-CIDSS or Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services and Sustainable Livelihood.
The Convergence strategy aims to maximize results of programs and projects more than what each project can achieve alone.
With the strategy, beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya are prioritized for Kalahi-CIDSS coverage and avail of Sustainable Livelihood and gainful employment./DSWD6/May Rago-Castillo
Monday, 01 April 2013 00:00
■ By Nanette L. Guadalquiver
BACOLOD CITY – Two teenagers were killed in separate incidents in the cities of Bacolod and Bago in Negros Occidental during the Good Friday, police reports show.
Initially identified only as “Jerome,” the 15-year-old boy, who came with his employer to the house of Lapating family in Barangay Estefania here, died after he was accidentally shot by a drunk.
Chief Insp. Adonis Rosales, head of Police Station 4, said in a radio interview the incident happened past midnight while the host family was having celebration for the arrival of their relative from abroad.
Investigation showed that suspect Ryan Panuela jokingly pointed his 9mm pistol around, but it suddenly went off and the victim was hit on the head. The victim came with his employer Perry Baldea to join the celebration at the Lapating residence.
Although the suspect initially hid from authorities, he surrendered several hours later with the assistance of his parents, police said.
Meanwhile, in Bago City, a 16-year-old girl died while her younger brother was injured after they were stabbed by their neighbor.
Police identified the fatality as Josie Bayo, a resident of Barangay Mailum. Her brother “Jun-Jun,” 13, has wounds on his side and back.
The suspect, Aaron Francisco, 25, entered the house of the victims and when he saw Josie’s younger brother, he stabbed him, but the boy was able to get away.
Josie, who was asleep, woke up and tried to avoid the suspect, but he came after her and also stabbed the girl causing her death.
Police said Franciso told them he committed the crime because of his anger towards the victims’ parents who accused him of being a theft and doing other bad things.*
