November 2012

The Liga nga mga Barangay headed by LnB President JP Singson and the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee members attended a three-day workshop at the Vigan City Convention Center on Nov 5-7, 2012. The workshop was sponsored jointly by the DILG Provincial Office and the City Government led by city mayor Eva Marie S. Medina. The seminar sought to increase awareness of the BDRRMC members on disaster risk reduction and management. In view of the topographic location of the city, which is along the downstream of Abra river basin, the city sits in a very vulnerable location for flooding thus, the 39 barangays, in complementing the city’s 5-year disaster risk reduction and management plan, formulated their localized response options by preparing their 5-year Barangay DRRM plans. Following the dictum that “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”, the plans gave more emphasis on the mitigation and preparedness framework. This is a requirement of MC 2012-73 which spells the utilization of the local disaster risk reduction and management fund. A contingency plan on specific hazard which is flooding was also crafted to prepare the community for such eventuality.

The seminar brought out the required capacities and competencies of the BDRRMC members in the preparation and utilization of the barangay hazard map, the identification of evacuation centers and pick-up points and more importantly, the installation of early warning systems. Appropriate methods of communication before the disaster comes is drawn under the advocacy and communication plan. The workshop was funded jointly by the DILG and the city government and facilitated by the DILG provincial coaches specialized on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Planning. frbitonio/gxrabe

July 2012

Spearheading the Liga's environmental commitment, ABC President JP Singson participated in the tree planting activity at the coastal barangay of Mindoro as a small contribution to minimize the effects of climate change.

May 2012

The barangays of Vigan City led by ABC President JP Singson, underwent an orientation workshop Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program by the Department of Social Welfare and Development last May 8, 2012. It is a flagship program of the national government on poverty reduction and social development. The program was led by the DSWD regional officers Perry Costales, Delia Aquino and Ira Balbuena.

Pantawid Pamilya is a conditional cash transfer program that provides incentives for poor families to invest in their future by ensuring that mothers and children avail of healthcare and that children go to school. As such, it is a human development program that invests in the health and education of children.

At the same time, the cash grants alleviate current poverty by providing immediate relief from cash flow problems. Such extra cash received on a bimonthly basis is especially important for poor households that have irregular or seasonal income.

Pantawid Pamilya is one of the responses of the Philippine Government to the challenge of meeting the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). Designed to promote investment in human capital among poor families with 0-14 years old children, PPPPs work to attain the following MDGs:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education.
3. Promote gender quality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality.
5. Improve maternal health.
   

April 2012

The full disclosure policy of the current administration as provided by MC 2010-149 requiring the posting in public places of barangay annual budget, statement of income and expenditures and other financial transactions, component of IRA utilization and annual procurement plan is a significant move to ensure transparency in public service. The Liga ng mga barangay headed by John Patrick Singson in coordination with the DILG city operations office headed by CLGOO Federico R. Bitonio engaged the full compliance of all barangays in the city to exercise transparency in governance by disclosing to the public financial documents and transactions. The 39 barangays of the city posted these documents in their barangay halls/offices for public view. To further enhance transparency on barangay governance, summaries of the barangay documents are now posted at the Liga website, lnbvigan.com. The website currently serves as the barangay informatics portal of the city. Frbitonio/gxrabe

April 2012

The ABC President JP Singson and the barangay captains together with the City Health Office led by Dr. Loida Ranches. The implementation of the OL-Trap, which is created by the DOH, is being discussed.

The Punong Barangays take action to intensify the fight against dengue outbreak, reduce dengue cases and control dengue transmission. As stated in the DILG memorandum Circular 2012-16 regarding Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue (ABKD), one of the key initiatives is the setting up of the Ovicidal/Larvicidal Trap System (OL-Trap) for Aedes mosquito. It is a device consisting of a tumbler, strips of plywood, and pellets. This OL-Trap disrupts the mosquito population and pre-empts any impending dengue outbreaks.

The Punong Barangays were taught how to implement the use of OL-Traps in the community. The Memorandum Circular also instructs the PBs to intensify the conduct of clean-up drive through mobilization of volunteers, the residents, Barangay Health Workers (BHW), Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) and Barangay Tanods. The PBs should conduct information campaign and to allocate funds to sustain continuous supply of OL Trap materials for free to their barangay constituents.-gxrabe

March 10, 2012

The City of Vigan is one of the two cities of the Province of Ilocos Sur, being the capital city of the province; it is the center of trade and commerce and having the greatest number of commercial and public buildings in the whole province and numerous wooden houses of elegant Spanish designs often visited by foreign and local tourists alike.

These two above mentioned areas located within the City of Vigan are considered most vulnerable to fire incidents as these areas being the center of commerce in the province are thickly populated. Most of the existing buildings erected are still of wooden ancestral houses of Spanish designs especially along the tourism area (Heritage Village) and since It was built long before the Fire Code was written, most of it do not conform with the provisions of the Fire Code of the Philippines and its Implementing Rules and Regulations thereby causing high degree of hazard in the area.

For the month of March 2012, the BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION – City Fire Station headed by City Fire Marshal CINSP FLORO L. OBRERO together with the personnel from this office conducted Seminars, Lecture and Drills to the 39 barangays of the Heritage City of Vigan. One of the objectives of the BFP is to ensure the direct involvement and active participation of the community in the prevention and suppression of destructive fire.

Rule IX of PD 1185 or Section 9.103 of the Fire Code of the Philippines states that “In its most simple form, this organization would consist of the barangay captain / chairman or head of the establishment assisted by selected personnel. In communities or establishments where more persons are available, they should be organized as a team or teams to function as fire brigade.”

The organized and trained community volunteer fire brigade would serve as fire prevention and suppression personnel within their immediate locality. Fire protection and suppression requires knowledge, skills and proper training in its performance, this is because during a fire incident the safety of everyone is involved. It is therefore important for a fire prevention and suppression personnel to understand the nature and characteristics of fire. This seminar on basic fire safety prevention and suppression will serve to provide the participants the adequate knowledge and skills on fire protection and safety that will eventually lead public safety to their respective communities. -gxrabe