Angeles City hall workers give blood (Sun.Star, Monday, October 08, 2007)

Angeles City hall workers give blood

By Ian Ocampo Flora

ANGELES City Hall employees donated blood during a recent bloodletting program that saw the participation of more than 30 workers.

The activity was a collaborative effort between Angeles Mayor Francis Nepomuceno and the Philippine National Red Cross Angeles City Chapter.

The program dubbed "Bigay Buhay Project" is in accordance with providing adequate and safe source of blood for patients in the region needing blood transfusion. The move was the result of the closure of commercial blood banks in the country late last year.

Augusto Ocampo, chapter administrator, said the present status of blood supply in the region is still enough to support the present need.

However, he stressed that the Red Cross must maintain a working supply to address immediate need from other provinces and the possible outbreak of dengue because of the rains.

"The Red Cross supplies blood to nearby provinces because we have a distribution scheme that assures a steady supply. However, we are propagating the awareness and importance of donating blood most especially now that we are the only source of free blood in the country," Ocampo said.

The government previously closed commercial blood banks due to the unscrupulous collection of blood from "unscreened" and "unfit" donors.

Ocampo also stressed that it was a usual practice to sell blood to blood banks. "Blood is life and a gift from God, it should not be taken as a form of commodity," he added.

The activity at City Hall was participated in by the rank and file of different departments who underwent screening and check-up before undergoing the blood letting process.

"I feel more refreshed and my body seems lighter after I donated blood," said Juanita Andaya, an employee here, after donating blood.

Studies prove that blood letting provides considerable health benefits. Bone marrows are said to function much better aside from new blood that is subsequently produced.

The bloodletting program is just a part of the general services provided by the Red Cross, which includes disaster services, safety services, social services, and community nursing.

KDF distributes artificial legs (Sun.Star, Sunday, December 16, 2007)

KDF distributes artificial legs

By Ian Ocampo Flora

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- After two Saturdays of measuring amputees for artificial legs, the Kapampangan Development Foundation (KDF) has distributed free prosthesis and wheelchairs to qualified beneficiaries at the Social Action Center of Pampanga (Sacop).

The KDF, an organization of Kapampangans based outside the province, teamed up with the Physicians for Peace in a bid to provide free artificial legs to amputees all across the province.

The KDF is responsible in identifying possible beneficiaries through physical and medical screening.

KDF President Benigno Ricafort said the project aims to help indigent amputees to walk again and become productive. "This project would identify the beneficiaries based on qualification; we are prioritizing those who have been victims of accidents. The KDF is also prioritizing beneficiaries who could be productive if given artificial legs," he said.

"We are not just helping the amputee but also the family members who could devout their time and energy to other endeavors," Ricafort said.

Around 100 amputees have qualified for the project since the initial screening last October. However, the KDF said that it could not provide immediately all the needed prosthesis since they are hindered by manpower constraints. According to Dr. Penny Bundoc of the Physicians for Peace, their technician needs to balance between his daily work and that of the KDF. Each pair of prosthesis usually takes around a day or two to assemble.

Aside from this, Bundoc added that not all could have artificial legs. "Those who could not be given artificial legs because of health considerations would be given wheelchairs so they could become mobile and able to do their work well," Bundoc said.

The distribution of the 21 prosthesis and 20 wheel chairs was attended by Gov. Eddie Panlilio, KDF volunteers, and Rotary Club organizations. The KDF is still screening amputees for prosthesis every first Saturday of each month.

Town launches regional Green Philippines project (Sun.Star, Monday, August 27, 2007)

Town launches regional Green Philippines project

By Ian Ocampo Flora

ARAYAT -- In line with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Green Philippines program, the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR) launched the regional counterpart of the program focusing on national shrines and watersheds.

According to Environment Municipal Officer Ricky Hernandez, the Green Philippines program is a thematic approach on foresting Central Luzon's national shrines and critical watersheds, mangrove and coastal areas, agro-foresting of fruit bearing tress as well as urban greening.

"The program on the reforestation of national shrines and critical watersheds will start this August while coastal and mangrove areas would start in November," Hernandez said.

The program for the greening of national shrines and critical watershed areas was launched at the Arayat National Park. The program featured a ceremonial tree planting, attended by local government officials from Magalang and Arayat, media, non-government organizations and environmental groups. The real project would commence with the participation of the local community in the actual tree planting activities.

Hernandez added that they are encouraging the schools and organizations to participate in the greening program.

The Green Philippines program aims to plant 20 million trees across the country.

Hernandez said 1.25 million of these trees would be produced in each region. On Saturday, about 1,000 seedling trees would be planted on the slope of Mt. Arayat by students from Asian Institute of Computer Studies in Dau, Mabalacat.

"We are still looking for concerned groups and organizations that would help us in this activity to help the environment and to realize the importance of planting trees," he said.

The Arayat Municipal Environment Office is calling on civic and non-government organizations to participate in various thematic activities of the Green Philippines program.

Priest says Sinukwan fest is apolitical (Sun.Star, Monday, December 03, 2007)

Priest says Sinukwan fest is apolitical

By Ian Ocampo Flora

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- "Politicians of this province should stop politicking that is meaningless and time-wasting, whoever the governor is they should start serving the interest of the people"

Thus said Fr. Resty Lumanlan of the Save Pampanga Movement, who conceptualized the famed Sinukwan Festival during the opening of the festivities here on Sunday. The festival is also in line with the commemoration of the Aldo Ning Kampangan.

In an interview with Sun.Star Pampanga, Lumanlan clarified that the Sinukwan Festival is aimed at saving the "Kapampangan Soul," which is the culture, arts and tradition of the province and not a staging ground for politicians.

"In the past the celebrations used to commemorate the founding of the province were done by politicians. Beauty contests and selection for honorees of the province were done with huge expenses and vague criteria. But the Sinukwan is different, we are apolitical," Lumanlan said, adding that the intention of the Save Pampanga Movement is to safeguard and propagate the rich culture and tradition of the province.

The Save Pampanga Movement, during its initial inception had advocated for the saving of the "tangible Pampanga." It was among the first groups to raise the cause for the construction of the Mega Dike during the initial onslaught of Mt. Pinatubo. After fulfilling its first task, the organization began looking into the "soul" of the Kapampangan by preserving local traditions and culture.

According to Lumanlan, this "soul" is vital in understanding the various facets of the Kapampangan persona. "A province that does not now its culture is like a person without a soul," he explained while pointing out that the Sinukwan Festival was a timely vehicle in the promotion the cultural and tourism potential of the province.

"The past administrations have failed in looking into the people's needs in such events. What we saw in the past were just activities that did not focus on the needs of the province. This is what we are trying to address now," he said.

The Sinukwan Festival will run in line with the Aldo Ning Kapampangan, both of which would feature cultural and artistic events. The Aldo Ning Kapampangan also focuses on the commemoration of the founding anniversary of the province and will run until December 11.

"We are inviting fellow Kapampangans to take part in various events and support the activities," Lumanlan said.

Sinukwan Festival wows Mr. Palengke (11:21 a.m., Monday, December 10, 2007)

Sinukwan Festival wows Mr. Palengke (11:21 a.m.)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Senator Mar Roxas recently visited Pampanga and has expressed his amazement over the province's premiere festival.

Dubbed as "Mr. Palengke", Roxas graced the culminating activities of the cultural programs of the Sinukwan Festival Saturday. The festival is a yearly event organized by the Save Pampanga Movement. It is aimed at preserving and propagating Kapampangan culture and tradition through week long festivities.

Roxas attended the programs at Robinsons Starmills here flanked by Governor Eddie Panlilio, City San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodrigues, Father Resty Lumanlan of Save Pampanga Movement, along with a throng of officers of the various committees of the Festival.

"This is my first time to see it, and I saw the obvious enthusiasm of the participants and the beauty of all these is the cultural aspect. Pampango culture is included in all the presentations, its very beautiful and culturally full filling," Roxas told Sun. Star Pampanga in an exclusive interview. (Ian Ocampo Flora/Sun.Star Pampanga/Sunnex)

Council assails 'lapses' in Angeles bomb scare (Sun.Star, Wednesday, November 21, 2007)

Council assails 'lapses' in Angeles bomb scare

By Ian Ocampo Flora

ANGELES CITY -- Members of the City Council have assailed the Angeles Police Office (ACPO) for its alleged lapses in handling the bomb threat at City Hall last Nov. 9.

The council expressed their dissatisfaction over how the ACPO had handled the "bomb scare" situation.

During the council's regular session Tuesday, Councilor Willie Rivera criticized the police leadership for what he called as "poor management" of the incident.

He alleged that personnel of the City Treasurer's Office and City Budget Office were "not allowed" to vacate their respective offices at the height of the bomb threat.

"The people from the city treasurer's office are saying that the Office of the Mayor did not allow them to leave their offices. If the bomb scare is really taken seriously then the PNP should have ushered the people out of their offices. I believe that the PNP should investigate further on the entire incident and why these offices were not afraid to leave their offices," Rivera said.

The City Information Office, on the other hand, said the offices of the city treasurer and budget were evacuated along with other offices when the policemen responded to the bomb threat.

CIO officials told Sun.Star Pampanga that skeletal force of the two offices were told to stay only after the Special Weapons and Tactics of the ACPO had declared the area "cleared" of any bomb.

ACPO deputy director Lorenzo Detran appeared in the council session Tuesday and reported to the councilors how the ACPO had handled the Nov. 9 incident. He said the City Assessor's Office received three telephone calls on that date about the impending detonation of a bomb placed somewhere in the premises of the City Hall.

Detran said they responded to the phone calls around 9:45 a.m.

However, on the same day the City Council was hosting the oath-taking ceremonies of Barangay and SK Officials. The incident, he said resulted in the "abbreviation" of the program and disrupted major functions in City Hall.

He said policemen had treated the incident seriously by clearing the building of its personnel until it was assured that the bomb threat was just a hoax.

In an interview with Sun.Star Pampanga after the session, Rivera said he was not convinced with Detran's report and how the ACPO had handled the incident.

"The way they treated it was not really efficient and, yes, I believe this is politically motivated."

Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting also called the attention of Detran stating that the people present in the activities of the council were only asked to leave at around 10:30 a.m. or almost an hour after the bomb threats were received.

"There was a memorandum that on Nov. 8 there would be an evacuation drill in the city hall, but what is surprising is that there was a bomb scare on Nov.9 on the events of the council. Most people believed that the incident was already the drill," she said.

"There are lapses here that should be addressed, we only learned about the bomb scare at around 10:30. It scares me to think that there was already a threat to the lives of the people that we were still oblivious about it. I hope that people behind these acts should think first about the repercussions of these condemnable acts," the vice mayor added.

Detran, for his part, said he would be taking the issues aired by the council.

"We advise people here that they should not touch any suspicious equipment or material that they see in the premises and once a threat is identified the local police should be immediately notified. The PNP treats these things seriously," he added.

Despite the incident, Cabigting said the oath-taking of the officers for the barangay and SK post was already "legal" despite the "abbreviation" of the usual program.

Clark firm prexy backs Miss Earth’s environmental thrusts (Sun.Star,Tuesday, November 06, 2007)

Clark firm prexy backs Miss Earth’s environmental thrusts

By Ian Ocampo Flora

CLARK FREEPORT -- The annual Miss Earth 2007 pageant -- with its splendor and glamour -- seem to have not wavered in its objective of promoting environmental concerns, thus earning the praise of the chief executive officer here.

Clark Development Corporation (CDC) president Levy Laus has assured that the state-owned firm “is one with organizers of the Miss Earth 2007 in their earnest efforts to make our planet a better place to live in.”

Laus said working to save the environment is no easy task. “We, at the Clark Development Corporation, are also doing our part to preserve and protect Mother Nature,” he said.

He said this year CDC’s Environmental Management Department (EMD) has implemented several measures to assure the safety and protection of the immediate environs of the Clark Freeport.

“Among them is our campaign to reduce carbon emission within the Clark Freeport. We have recently called on CDC employees and locator firms here to reduce power consumption in a bid to reduce the effects of global warming,” Laus said.

Last year, EMD manager Juan Miguel Fuentes reported to Laus that CDC reduced fuel consumption on all CDC vehicles to save on fuel costs and the emission of carbon monoxide and other harmful elements into the atmosphere.

The CDC is also active in participating in various tree planting activities to propagate the growth of more trees that are vital in reducing the effects of global warming, Laus said, adding that recently, “the CDC participated in the planting of thousands of Magsaysay Centennial trees inside the Freeport.”

Laus said ecological balance in Clark is one of the top priorities of CDC for the locators, investors, tourists and other visitors who frequent the economic zone to enjoy the clean and sound environment inside the freeport.

With this, CDC has reduced the gasoline allowance to all the vehicles of the state-owned firm in order to help reduce the CO2 effects in the atmosphere.

It is expected that the example started by CDC will be followed by other investors and locators and other government agencies in the country to help maintain the ecological balance and prevent the effects of global warming.

“I would normally end my speeches by inviting people to wear their shades with the assurance that everything, most especially the future, is bright and sunny in Clark,” Laus said.

The Fontana Leisure Park, which is being operated by Jimei Group of Companies, is among the major sponsors and sites of the swimsuit competition on November 4.

Aside from Laus and the Miss Earth organizers, Jimei Group owner Mr. Jack Lam, Jimei president Tony Biggs and Jimei Human Resources Group director Vergilio Benito were also present during the swimsuit competition which was participated in by about 90 contestants.