PIA Dispatch - Monday, October 19, 2009

PGMA leads distribution of Philhealth cards in Guagua

GUAGUA, Pampanga, Oct. 19 -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday led the distribution of Philhealth cards here where some 984 residents in this municipality were given access to quality health care coverage.

In a simple ceremony held in Barangay Sta. Ines Betis, the President handed the Philhealth cards to an initial 50 individuals who came from the different barangays of this town.

Philhealth President Rey Aquino explained to the local residents that through the health card, they can avail medical services in any Philhealth-accredited hospital for free within a period of one year.

After a year, Aquino told to new Philhealth card recipients that they need to pay a premium of only P1,200 to avail the health insurance coverage.

Rosario Mendoza, 35 of Barangay San Agustin said, “Napakalaking tulong ito sa akin (This is indeed a big help for me),” as she received her Philhealth card.

Philhealth is the government's priority health program that aims to benefit the country's poor communities.

Citing the need for universal health care to help the poor cope with the prohibitive costs of getting sick, the President directed the Philhealth to expand its network coverage to the poor, particularly those living in the rural areas.

A health insurance card holder and any member of his family who gets sick can go to a government hospital and present the said card to avail of free medical services.


WWF lauds PGMA initiatives on climate change

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), an international non-government organization with a mission to halt and reverse the destruction of environment, lauded President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for calling attention to climate charge and its effects on the environment.

In a courtesy call on the President Sunday night, WWF International Director General James P. Leape described typhoons Ondoy and .Pepeng as a horrifying reminder on what destructive forces climate change can unleash on the Philippines and the rest of the world.

He said that President Arroyo is adopting policies and initiatives designed to raise public awareness on the issue.

During the meeting, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Environment Secretary Lito Atienza joined the discussion on climate change and deliberated on what needs to be done in the forthcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference slated to be held in Copenhagen in December.

Leape likewise praised the President for encouraging private sector participation in support of the Coral Triangle Initiatives.

The Philippine government is working closely with the Conservation International and WWF to identify priority projects to protect the Ocean.

The Coral Triangle is a geographical term that refers to the waters of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste that encompass 75 percent of all species known in the world.

President Arroyo, in May this year, signed the Coral Triangle Initiatives with the other five heads of state of Asia-Pacific Nations to address threats to the marine, coastal, and small island ecosystems within the Coral Triangle region.


PGMA leads distribution of relief goods to typhoon victims in Pampanga and Bulacan

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday distributed relief goods to residents of this Pampanga and Bulacan who were severely affected by the typhoons.

The Chief Executive first went to Sta. Maria, Bulacan, where she started the government’s relief caravan and then proceeded to Barangay San Juan of San Simon, Pampanga to provide relief assistance to her Cabalens, who have been the victims of perennial flooding.

Together with San Simon Mayor Rodrigo Canlas and other local officials, the Chief Executive also went to nearby Barangay San Pedro to continue the distribution of relief packs to her provincemates whose houses were submerged in floodwaters as high as six feet.

A total of six barangays in this municipality experienced severe flooding at the height of typhoon "Pepeng," affecting some 6,830 families or 33,857 persons.

Roman Punzalan, a 60-year-old farmer, narrated how the two recent typhoons damaged their rice crops which were ready for harvest.

”Nasira ang aming mga pananim at maging ang aming bahay ay nabaha rin (Our crops were destroyed and our house was also affected by floodwater)," Punzalan said.

He said the floodwater reached more than five feet in depth, making banca as their only mode of transportation.

“I would like to thank the President for the relief goods. This would help us a lot,” he said in Kapampangan dialect.

In her visit to Bulacan earlier today, residents of six barangays in Sta. Maria town benefitted from the government’ relief caravan launched by the President.


'Ramil' seen to accelerate in the next two days

MANILA, Oct 19 -- Typhoon "Ramil" is poised to hit Northern Luzon Thursday despite slithering from different directions over the weekend, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

"Ramil is expected to move westward after being pulled by a trough, which caused it to remain stationary for 2 the past days," Pagasa chief Prisco Nilo said.

Ramil's stationary status over the ocean allowed the weather disturbance to gather strength, it now carries maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph.

Ramil was spotted 1,110 kms East of Aparri, Cagayan as of 10 a.m.

Ramil had "detached" from a passing low pressure trough near Taiwan, which had been pulling it since the cyclone entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility last Friday.

"This trough is an area where atmospheric pressure is lower. Ramil had been non-moving over the past days because of the absence of high pressure area that would affect it to move northward," he explained.

But recent developments indicate the strengthening of HPA near Hong Kong that would affect Ramil's movement toward west.

He said Ramil is expected to accelerate by middle of the week, and slam northern Luzon by Thursday morning or afternoon.

Ramil will move more on the west tonight or tomorrow morning, he added.

If it maintains its track, Ramil will spare flood-struck Central Luzon and Metro Manila, he said except for intermittent rains and occasional gusty winds.

Initial effects of Ramil will be felt on Wednesday afternoon over eastern part of Northern Luzon, including Cagayan and Isabela.

Ramil will not affect the country in the next 36 hours, the Pagasa said.

Ramil is seen to track 900 kms East Northeast of Aparri, Cagayan by Tuesday morning; 510 kms East Northeast of Aparri, Cagayan by Wednesday morning and 180 kms Northeast of Aparri, Cagayan by Thursday morning.

Luzon and Visayas will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms, the Pagasa said.


SPC acquires Naga LBGT power plant in negotiated sale

SPC Power Corporation today (16 October 2009) acquired the 55-megawatt (MW) Naga Land-Based Gas Turbine (LBGT) Power Plant after concluding negotiations with the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corporation.

The Naga facility is the seventh operating power plant successfully sold by PSALM this year.

In bagging its third power asset, SPC agreed to match the reserve price of USD1.008 million (USD1,008,000.00) set by the PSALM Board for the Cebu-based power plant. The company’s initial offer was USD429,488.00.

SPC is also the new owner of the 146.5-MW Panay and 22-MW Bohol diesel power plants, which PSALM bid out in November last year.

PSALM will issue a Notice of Award to SPC to formally declare the company as the new owner of the Naga LBGT as soon as the accuracy, authenticity, and completeness of the bid documents it had submitted are verified by PSALM’s Privatization Bids and Awards Committee.

Prior to its negotiated sale, the Naga LBGT underwent two unsuccessful biddings in April and June 2009. Under its bidding rules, PSALM may opt to enter into negotiations with any interested party after two failed biddings.

Formerly known as Salcon Power Corporation, SPC won the Rehabilitation, Operation, Maintenance, and Management contract for the 203.8-MW Naga Power Plant Complex in 1994. With the steady support of its partners, Salcon Philippines, Inc. and Salcon Limited of Singapore, SPC continues to contribute significantly to the country’s power sector. Last 25 March 2009, in simple ceremonies, PSALM turned over the Panay and Bohol diesel power plants to SPC after the group paid in full its USD5.86-million (USD5,857,553.34) offer for the packaged power plants.

With the success of the Naga LBGT negotiations, PSALM has bid out a total rated capacity of 1,780 MW this year, spread among seven generating plants. These include the 600-MW Batangas (or Calaca) Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant; the Power Barge (PB) 117 and the PB 118 rated at 100 MW each; the 620-MW Limay Combined-Cycle Power Plant; and the packaged 305-MW Palinpinon-Tongonan geothermal power plants.


Philippines hosts Asia-wide corrosion conference

The latest developments and innovation on corrosion control and conservation of material resources will be the focus of the 15th Asian-Pacific Corrosion Control Conference (APCCC15) on October 19 – 21, 2009 that the Philippines will host.

The three-day conference that the country hosts for the first time will be held at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City. It is being organized by the Philippine Corrosion Society Inc. (PhiCS) with plenary sessions featuring top international corrosion experts.

The conference speakers include Dr. Graeme Jones, managing director of Structural Healthcare Ltd., National Association of Corrosion Engineers Executive director Tony Keane, Pohang University of Science and Technology professor Kyoo Young Kim, Indian Institute of Technology professor V. S. Raja, and Japan Society of Corrosion Engineering president Jun'ichi Sakai.

Over 100 delegates from 15 countries already confirmed to attend the conference that will also showcase 40 scientific papers on corrosion in chemical processing, semiconductor, oil and gas, nuclear power, utilities, construction, and medical industries.

Other topics to be covered are atmospheric corrosion, environment-assisted cracking, localized corrosion, corrosion monitoring, organic and inorganic coatings, inhibitors, and cathodic protection.

PhiCS president Raul C. Sabularse said that corrosion control must be given attention by domestic industries considering that as much as 10% of economic losses is attributed to the effects of corrosion. In the aftermath of natural calamities, for example, corrosion of appliances, equipment, cars, and building structures, among others may occur.

Holding the APCCC15 in the Philippines brings the spotlight on the importance of corrosion control, he said.

Established in 1979, the APCCC is a non-profit, non-stock academic organization that advocates the development of corrosion science and anti-corrosion engineering. It also promotes academic exchange and cooperation among international corrosion scientists and engineers.

Aside from PhiCS, other agencies involved in the conference are the Department of Science and Technology through its three attached agencies such as the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research Development, Metals Industry Research and Development Center, and the Industrial Technology Development Institute.

Individuals and groups interested to participate in the conference can contact Fairs & More Inc. [8451324 or 7596680] and look for Zai Tan-Perez; Annalyn Wong of the APCCC Secretariat [3925545 or 0917 897 6357], or Lynn Talingdan-Tabangcura [837-6154].


DOST on lookout for science education champions

The search is on for the country’s top science educators as the Science Education Institute announces the 2nd Gawad Leadership and Innovations for Development Relevant to Science Education or Gawad LIDER.

On its second search, SEI Director Dr. Ester B. Ogena said the Gawad LIDER becomes more prestigious with higher prices at stake.

“We want to entice more people to come out and nominate individuals and institutions who have contributed to the betterment of science education in the country,” she said.

For the 2nd Gawad LIDER, prizes are pegged at P200,000 and a medal for winners in the Exemplary Leadership and Innovation Award Categories.

Ogena said the Exemplary Leadership Award is conferred to individuals and institutions/organizations that have consistently demonstrated leadership qualities leading to improvements in the field of education in the sciences which have generated nationwide impact.

On the other hand, the Innovation Award is given to an individual or institution for the introduction of a technology-based innovation that benefits education in the sciences.

Awardees of the 1st Gawad LIDER include former Marikina Division School Superintendent Dr. Flordeliza Mayari, now the Valenzuela Division School Superintendent, University of the Philippines-National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development, and Philippine Foundation for Science and Technology for Exemplary Leadership and Mr. Virgil Samonte for the Innovation Award. Last year’s winners received P150,000 and a medal.

Any head of an institution, community leaders, organization or individuals may nominate an individual or institution/organization for the Gawad LIDER awards.

Ogena said any person or institution/organization who has demonstrated sustained leadership capability through the conduct of a project with significant impact on education in the sciences may be nominated for the Exemplary Leadership- Individual and Institution Category.

She said the nominee in the Individual Category of the Exemplary Leadership Award should have led the implementation of a program or project for at least five years.

Ogena noted that any individual or organization who has introduced a technology-based innovation and has successfully used or adopted these innovations that contributed to the advancement of education in the sciences may be nominated for the Innovation Award.

She said an innovation is operationally defined as the development or enhancement of devices, equipment, gadgets, tools, or products or procedures that resulted in greater effectiveness and higher efficiency in teaching and learning in the sciences.

Nomination and application forms may be obtained from the SEI office and at the DOST Regional Offices.

Deadline of submission of nomination is on January 15, 2010 at the DOST Regional Offices and January 31, 2010 at the SEI office. Awarding of the winners will be conducted during the celebration of the National Science and Technology Week in July 2010. (30)