PIA Dispatch - Thursday, June 11, 2009

PGMA, LEDAC agree to expedite approval of economic measures 

MANILA, June 11-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her Cabinet members agreed with congressional leaders to fast-track economic measures which will benefit the country’s economy during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on Thursday in Malacañang. 

This was announced in a joint press briefing at the New Executive Building (NEB) by Deputy Presidential Spokesman Dr. Anthony Golez, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio, and Finance Secretary Margarito Teves. 

”We have also mapped out priority legislation, which could include new tax measures, when the Senate and House sessions resume next month,” Golez told reporters after the two-hour meeting which began at 10:30 a.m. in Malacanang's Aguinaldo State Dining Room. 

Teves said the meeting focused on the economy and how to shore up revenues, including “what taxes can be or can’t be legislated when (congressional) session opens.” 

Tax measures, which include the taxes on tobacco and alcohol products and the five-centavo fee on text and calls that are both pending in the House of Representatives, were also discussed, according to Teves. 

He said the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Extension with Reform bill that would extend the program for five years and give it a P150-billion funding will be ratified when congressional session resumes on July 27. 

The reconciled version of the Senate and House CARPer measures was approved in a bicameral conference meeting the other day. 

Both measures call for a five year-extension, restoration of compulsory land acquisition and distribution, and establishment of a congressional oversight panel. The Senate bill, however, allocates a budget of P147 billion, while that of the House states that the program be provided at least P100 billion. 

The modes of land distribution were limited to compulsory acquisition and voluntary offer to sell. 

Voluntary land transfer (VLT), which was allowed in the original CARP law, was scrapped on the ground that it is not an effective mode of land distribution. 

To help secure food production, the consolidated CARP extension bill also bans the conversion of irrigable and irrigated agricultural land. 

Teves said the land acquisition and distribution (LAD) component of CARP, with compulsory acquisition as the dominant mode, is extended for five years from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2014.

DOLE conducts “Kalayaan 2009 Mega Job Fair”

The whole nation will celebrate its 111th anniversary of independence on Friday, June 12, with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leading the simultaneous raising of the Philippine flag in ceremonies in Koronadal City, South Cotabato at 8 am. Described by palace officials as “out of the box”, the event will be highlighted by a three- day mega job fair organized by the Department of Labor and Employment instead of the traditional parade of floats, marches and flag waving. 

The “Kalayaan 2009 Mega Job Fair”, the biggest nationwide job fair organized by DOLE so far, will be held simultaneously in 19 cities nationwide on June 12 to 14 to be participated by 1000 employers from the private and government sectors including those from overseas recruitment industry. 

The first day of the job fair will feature government agencies offering 50,000 emergency employment vacancies, including unfilled plantilla positions which will be offered to applicant with civil service eligibility.

On the second day, June 13, private companies will open some 70,000 vacant positions and on the third day, June 14, 50,000 sea-based and land based overseas employment will be offered by recruitment agencies.

All job seekers, whether employed, unemployed, underemployed or displaced workers may join the Mega Job Fair. They are encouraged to bring as many copies as possible the following documents.

  1. School diploma/ transcript of records
  2. Resume
  3. Certificate of Employment (if applicable or available)
  4. ID photo
  5. Civil Service Eligibility (if applicant wants to apply for plantilla 
  positions in government agencies)

Jobseekers may pre-register online by visiting the Phil-Jobnet website at www.philjob.net or the Department of Labor and Employment website at www.dole.gov.ph because it can save the applicant 20-30 minutes queuing time. For applicants with no Phil jobnet accounts:
  1. Secure a National Manpower Registry System (NMRS) Form from the Registration 
  booth
  2. Fill up the NMRS Form and ensure that the required information is provided. Print all
  entries legibly and refrain from writing abbreviations
  3. Submit the accomplished form in the Registration Booth and get a priority number
  4. Proceed to a workstation for encoding of applicants profile and issuance of a proof 
  of registration or a registration card.
  5. Proceed to the Vacancy Shopping Area and list the job vacancies that match with
  the applicant skills and qualifications. Applicants must also list the names of 
 establishments with the corresponding booth number
  6. Go to the employer booth for reference

For applicants with Phil job-net account:
  1. Proceed to the lane designated for pre registered jobseekers for verification of 
  identity and issuance of proof of registration
  2. Proceed to the Vacancy Shopping Area and list the job vacancies that match
  with the applicants skills and qualifications.
  3. Go to the employer booth for interview.

Duque reports discharge of 32 fully recovered A (H1N1) patients as of Thursday, 11 June 2009

Health Secretary Francisco T., Duque III disclosed on Thursday that the DOH has already discharged 32 fully recovered A (H1N1) patients even as he met with the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and World Health Organization (WHO), together with the members of the DOH Task Force on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, to discuss the government’s plan of shifting the management of A (H1N1) shift from containment to mitigation.

“With mitigation, the government will be recommending to affected areas with community level transmission to now focus on taking care of the sick, providing guidance for people to protect themselves and their families, and monitoring the outbreak. To date, we stress that we still do not have community level transmission that is why we are still in the containment stage”, Duque said.

Duque said that during mitigation, the government will work closely with the WHO to exchange information about the virus in this country, help understand how the pandemic is evolving and follow developments in scientific and clinical issues.

Duque disclosed that in the event of a pandemic alert 6, the WHO is recommending the following: 1) No border closure as it will not be possible to stop it at said points of entry; 2) No restriction of travel as people who are infected may not show symptoms so they cannot be identified from others who are not infected; 3) Greater emphasis on providing care with a decreased emphasis on stopping the spread of the virus.

Duque also reported today 15 more confirmed A (H1N1) cases, all mild in nature, bringing the total count of positive cases to 92. These 15 new cases involve 10 males and 5 females with age range of 9-50 years old. All are Filipinos. Four have history of travel. These 4 travelled to Japan, Singapore, Mexico and the USA. Contact tracing of said new cases is on-going.

Meanwhile, one confirmed mild case of A (H1N1) in Helera Elementary School in Jaen, Nueva Ecija was reported to the Department of Health (DOH). The voluntary suspension of classes in said school starts today. Contact tracing is now being carried out to determine cases and to put affected households in self quarantine.

With this development, Duque reiterated his call for school authorities across the country to continue reporting to their respective local government officials any unusual occurrence of flu-like symptoms among their students, especially those who travelled lately to countries affected with the novel virus.

Since May 1, 2009, the DOH has monitored a total of 698 Cases Under Observation (CUOs). Of these, 92 were positive A (H1N1) cases, 44 have pending laboratory results, and 562 were negative and have been discarded. There were 31 new CUOs today.

In their latest report dated June 10, the WHO has reported 27,737 cases and 141 deaths from 74 reporting countries. The latest country to report A (H1N1) is Ukraine.

DOH confirms first positive case of A (H1N1 in Western Visayas

ILOILO CITY, June 11– The Department of Health- Center for Health Development 6 (DOH-CHD 6) on Thursday confirmed Western Visayas’ first Influenza A/H1N1 positive case, a resident of Bacolod City. 

DOH regional director Ariel Valencia said the patient is a student in one of the schools in Manila with students who were diagnosed to be positive of the A/H1N1 virus. 

The patient underwent a swab test at a Manila hospital on June 5 after showing some signs of the infection; thereafter she went home to Bacolod City. 

Last June 9, Valencia received a call from the DOH central office informing him that the test was positive. 

“We immediately looked for her in Bacolod. What was good was that she has been using mask and she was also on a self-quarantine,” Valencia said. 

Valencia added that the patient is now confined at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital where she was given proper medications. 

“The patient is apparently well and we are hoping that after the full force of the treatment and repeat examination she will be discharged properly,” he added. “It was just a mild form of the A/H1N1.” 

DOH personnel also underwent contact tracing and advised those who have close contact with the patient to immediately seek appropriate intervention if they feel flu-like symptoms. 

Valencia also noted that the patient's sister and roommate was found negative of the virus when tested. 

Valencia urged the public to remain vigilant, observe good hygiene, strengthen immune system and take more fluid as the DOH continues with its strict surveillance to prevent the spread of the dreaded A/H1N1.