Mabini opens Covid 19 Molecular Lab

 By: Becky D. de Asis

Dr. Jovit Royales explains about the use and benefits of Covid 19 Molecular Lab.

Mabini, Batangas, Philippines  -  The joint efforts of the Local government of Mabini, Batangas  and the owner of  Best Care Medical Clinic and Diagnostic Center Dr. Jovit  Royales to build Covid 19 Molecular Laboratory was very successful and truly boost the morale of Batanguneos. 

Mabini Mayor Noel B. Luistro  said that he was very thankful to the private sector for their supports extended to the LGU of Mabini in order to help his constituents to fight against this Covid 19 pandemic.

Luistro also added that his next goal is to construct rooms in order to cater more covid 19 patients and among others.

The said Molecular Laboratory is the only Laboratory in Region 4 and capable of monitoring and detecting Covid 19 infected individuals according to Dr. Jovit Royales.

Dr. Royales also claims that they are now catering some adjacent regions such as Region 1, 3, 5 and NCR. He added that the LGU  Mabini need this laboratory to help their constituents by having their own testing center with a very minimal costs with the amount of P3,500 with the result available within 12 to 24 hours only, Royales lauded,

Accordingly, the opening of this Molecular Covid 19 Molecular Lab is a welcome development to Mabini government to  ensure that their community are healthy and safe from Covid 19. 

 

 

 

 

3 DSWD officers get 8 years for anomalous meds deal

 By Benjamin Pulta 

MANILA – The Sandiganbayan has found three officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) liable for corruption in connection with anomalies in the awarding of a government contract for medicines worth over PHP5 million in Cotabato City in 2001.

In a recent decision, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division convicted former DSWD regional director Kunesa Sedik Sekak, and social welfare officers Fatima Abobakas and Jesus Enjambre Flores for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and sentenced them to up to eight years in prison.

They were also found liable for the PHP5.781 million, equivalent to the value of the contract illegally awarded by them as the bids and awards committee of DSWD Field Office 12 and were found guilty of awarding the contract to Pharmazel Inc. without public bidding and giving unwarranted benefit, advantage and preference to the firm.

The case against a fourth accused, Bai Monerah Abas-Asim, was dismissed after she died before the termination of the proceedings.

“There was evident bad faith and manifest partiality on the accused when they did not conduct a public bidding despite the knowledge that it was required under the circumstances,” the court said.

It added that the procurement exceeded the prescribed cost limit of PHP1 million under shopping as a method of procurement.

“Medicines are considered supplied under procurement laws. However, the purchase of the medicines did not fall in any of the instances of shopping because the cost of the medicines was beyond the PHP1 million limit for shopping,” the tribunal said. (PNA)

 

New policy sets mining exploration period's automatic renew

 Repost by Becky D. de Asis

(PNA file photo)

MANILA – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is targeting to facilitate the continuity of mining exploration projects in the country.

A still-unnumbered and soon-to-be-published DENR Administrative Order (DAO) will provide guidelines for automatic renewal of the exploration period covering such projects and timely declaration of mining project feasibility under various mining tenements, noted Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Mining Tenements Management Division OIC chief Danilo Deleña.

He said the DAO will cover all exploration permits and mineral production sharing agreements, financial or technical assistance agreements, and other similar mining tenements under the exploration stage.

"That DAO's issuance aims to ensure continuous conduct of exploration activities by all permittees, contractors and other holders of mining tenements,' he said Tuesday during the virtual MGB stakeholders' forum on government mining policies.

The existing renewal process is for parties concerned to submit all required documents and pay the renewal fee so MGB can evaluate their applications and approve these if justified, he noted.

He said MGB has been studying how to facilitate the process as several mining stakeholders already clamored for this, citing difficulty in complying with renewal requirements.

"The DAO answers their clamor," he said.

Such DAO will still require mining stakeholders concerned to pay the renewal fee and MGB to review their applications, he added.

Unlike the existing renewal process, he said documentary requirements in the DAO are minimal but stakeholders concerned must submit these 60 days before their respective exploration periods expire.

"If all's well with their applications, they'll be automatically renewed," he said.

According to Deleña, preparations are already underway for the DAO's publication in a newspaper of general circulation and submission to the University of the Philippines Office of the National Administrative Register.

"We're hoping to have the DAO published in a few days," he said.

MGB said of the Philippines' total land area of 30 million hectares, some nine million hectares have high mineral potential.

However, only 2.42 percent of the country's total land area was covered by mining tenements as of May 31, 2020, noted MGB.

The country's primary mineral commodities are gold, nickel and nickel products as well as copper, MGB said.

Available MGB data showed mining contributed some PHP102.3 billion to the country's gross domestic product last year.

National and local taxes, fees, and royalties from mining totaled PHP25.52 billion during the said period, MGB added. (By Catherine Teves / PNA)

 

PNP to work with other gov't bodies vs. cashless vote-buying

 

(File photo)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it will work with other government agencies against possible cashless vote-buying schemes ahead of next year's elections.

“Hindi po malabong mangyari ito dahil nakagawian na rin po ang cashless transactions lalo ngayong may pandemya. Talagang maiisip ito ng mga taong nagplaplanong manghikayat sa publiko na ibenta ang kanilang boto (It's not impossible for this to happen because cashless transactions have become common especially now amid the pandemic. People who plan to persuade the public to sell their vote can really think of this scheme),” PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in a statement.

He said the PNP would start reaching out to concerned agencies, including the Commission on Elections (Comelec) so that mechanisms will be put up to counter vote-buying via electronic money transfer services or online banking.

“Bubuo po tayo ng mekanismo hinggil dito. Pero magiging malaking tulong po kung tayo mismo ang magsumbong sa mga otoridad ng mga ganitong gawain (We will develop a mechanism in this regard. But it would be a great help if we ourselves report such activities to the authorities),” said Eleazar.

Eleazar also urged voters not to engage in this kind of activity and report any information on this form of electoral fraud.

Vote-buying and vote-selling are violations under Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code.

“I urge the public to be vigilant and report to authorities if they have information on vote-buying done through online platforms. Tulungan ninyo kaming mapanatiling malinis at maayos ang gagawing halalan (Help us keep the elections clean and orderly),” he said.

He said politicians who engage in vote buying clearly have ill motives in seeking public office.

"Oras na makaupo ang mga ito ay tiyak na babawiin lang ang nagastos niya na ipinangbili ng inyong boto (Once they are elected, they will surely only recover what they spent in vote buying),” he added.

Earlier, Eleazar directed the police to work closely with the military in preventing communist terrorists from collecting “permit-to-campaign” fees from politicians with less than a year left before the elections.

This, after the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it will coordinate with the PNP and local government units to stop the illegal activities of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA).

Eleazar also warned politicians planning to run in the 2022 elections against giving “permit-to-campaign” fees to the CPP-NPA as this will only contribute to the communist rebels’ illegal activities.

He said the money collected by the communist rebels will definitely be used in the purchase of more firearms and other logistics to sustain the CPP-NPA’s senseless and pointless “armed struggle".

Eleazar added that giving in to the communist rebels’ demand for money would only embolden them to continue their extortion activities. (PNA/ By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan )