San Jose dB shares DRRM best practices to LGUs in Western Visayas

 San Jose de Buenavista shared its best practices in disaster risk reduction and management in a series of orientations on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation for local government units in Western Visayas.

The activity is part of the “Strengthening LGUs Institutional Capacity in Mainstreaming DRRM and Climate Change Adaptation in Local Governance” Program of the Department of Interior and Local Government – Region VI.

The program aims to build the needed competencies among LGUs to deliver their institutional mandates and strengthen the capacity of the Local DRRM Councils and Local DRRM Offices to exercise and effectively perform their roles as overseeing and implementing bodies of LGUs DRRM and climate change adaptation program. 

The participants in the training were local chief executives, LGU department heads, Municipal/City Local Government Operations Officers, and Municipal/City DRRM Officers of 130 LGUs that were identified as high risk to disasters and located mostly in the provinces of Iloilo and Capiz.

According to Engr. Alex Crespo, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer of San Jose de Buenavista, “DRRM is wide-ranging and cross-cutting various issues thus DRRM and climate change adaptation initiatives were integrated into the various sector of development like agriculture, education and environment.“

San Jose de Buenavista is a National Gawad Kalasag awardee for two consecutive years for Best Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for 1^st-3^rd Class Municipality Category. 

Other presenter sharing best practices on DRRM were Governor Filipe Nava of Guimaras which stressed science-based planning and decision-making and partnership-building.

The orientations were scheduled on October 17-18, October 20-21 and October 24-25 in Iloilo City.

Production Center for PWDs to rise in San Jose dB

Photo by Michael Tonding

The Municipality of San Jose de Buenavista breaks ground for an “accessibility model” Production and Promotion Center for persons with disability. 

PWDs and their family are among the untapped human resources that have not been given full equal access and opportunity to economic activities. 

Among the hindering factors on the inability or the non-consideration of PWDs in gainful employment is their physical incapacity thus a working area that complies with all accessibility features and standards must be established. 

             The Center aims to promote equalization of opportunities, provide several sources of income and enable PWDs and family members to become producers, service providers and business managers.

Aside from being a productivity center, it shall also serve as a learning center for accessibility features to encourage and advocate public’s compliance to the Accessibility Law.

            The activity is part of the Developing Opportunity Equalization in Responsible and Sustainable Tourism (DOERS) Program to be implemented by Persons with Disabilities Multi-Purpose Cooperative and Association of Disabled Persons, Inc. – San Jose, Antique Chapter and the local government of San Jose de Buenavista.

Photo by Michael Tonding

            A Memorandum of Agreement between the LGU, and ADP-San Jose, Antique Chapter and project donor Liliane Foundation was signed during the ceremony. 

            Present in the event were San Jose de Buenavista Mayor Rony L. Molina, Liliane Foundation National Coordinator Sr. Agnetia Naval, Governor Exequiel B. Javier, ADP-Antique President Nancy Tejares, Municipal Council for Disability Affairs (MCDA) Chairperson Engr. Jose Magbanua, SB Members, LGU Department Heads and council members especially the medical practitioners.

Tubbataha Mg’t. Office conducts IEC in San Jose dB

Two personnel from the Tubbataha Management Office conducted information and education campaign in selected schools and brangays in the Municipality of San Jose de Buenavista.

This initiative is conducted to increase awareness on the importance of the marine environment. 

The advocacy activity of the TMO lasted for four days. They conducted lectures and forums with students of Maybato North Elementary School, Evelio B. Javier Primary School in Brgy. Maybato Sur, Antique National School and Delegate Angel Salazar Memorial School, and with fisherfolks of Brgy. Maybato North and Brgy. Maybato Sur.

TMO implements the policies and regulations created by the Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board, and is in-charge of the day-to-day operations of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is 130 kilometers southwest of the Municipality of Cagayancillo, Province of Palawan and lies within the Cagayan Ridge. The name “Tubbataha” came from the Samal, the seafaring people from Sulu, and means “a long reef exposed at low tide.”

According to the first scientific research in Tubbataha in 1982 conducted by the Natural Resources Management Center of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the University of the Philippines, destructive fishing methods were causing damage to Tubbataha. (sjdb_mio)

San Jose dB bags Nat’l Best Disaster Risk Management Council award

San Jose de Buenavista Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council bagged its second National Gawad Kalasag award for the 1^st to 3^rd Class Municipal Category.

The National Gawad Kalasag is an annual recognition bestowed by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in recognition of the local governments’ exemplary achievements in the field of disaster risk management.

One of the good points of DRRM in San Jose de Buenavista was that DRRM projects were not stand-alone. They were holistic and complimented each other. 

Safety regulations were also in place and were backed with executive orders, resolutions and ordinances thus ensuring their sustainability. 

In the presentation of DRRM accomplishments during the evaluation, Mayor Rony L. Molina said, “Our Municipality may not always experience disasters but we should invest time and money to protect people’s lives. “

  “Protection of people as a statement for governance is commendable,” one of the evaluators said.

            Gawad Kalasag awarding ceremony will be on October 11 at the Philippine International Convention Center, CCP Complex, Pasay City.

San Jose dB breaks ground for new police station

Photo by Michael Tonding

A Type “A” police station will soon rise in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique after local government unit and local Philippine National Police held a ground breaking ceremony in San Jose Tradetown. 

          The new municipal police station is a standard two-storey unit amounting to P15.138 Million. The funding source is primarily from the PNP being included as a priority project of the agency for 2011. Meanwhile, the LGU provided the 1,000 sq. meter lot and P1,513,800.00 fund as LGU counterpart. 

          According to Mayor Rony L. Molina, this is so far the biggest budget released by the PNP and the Police Regional Office VI for a municipal police station. 

          San Jose Chief of Police Gilbert Gorero, who is among the top three police leaders in the Philippines, said that he is very thankful to the local government –executive and legislative, for making their dream of having a separate and standard police station fitting for a capital town come true.

In attendance to the ceremony were PNP Regional Director PCSupt. Cipriano Querol, Jr., Deputy Regional Director PCSupt. Ernesto A. Tesoro, Jr., Antique Police Provincial Director PSSupt. Ruperto Floro and other officer from the Police Regional Office VI.

Also present in the occasion were the Governor Exequiel Javier, San Jose de Buenavista Mayor Rony Molina, Vice Mayor Elmer Untaran and the Sangguniang Bayan Members of the Municipality. 

        Among the nine participating bidders for the project was awarded to FLT Enterprises. Construction is expected to commence soon with target completion of six months. (sjdb_mio)