MARCH 8 - 10, 2010 * MONDAY-WEDNESDAY * Iloilo City, Philippines

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Treñas may ask NDCC to declare city

under state of imminent danger

n Jun TILLAFLOR

Although Iloilo City mayor Jerry P. Treñas is optimistic the city council will act with wisdom to declare the whole city under state of imminent danger of calamity he is considering another option.While waiting for the decision of the city council on his request to declare the city under the said state in last Wednesday’s session, Treñas last Tuesday said in case the council will not act on his request he would ask the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to approve a similar request.

Earlier the Iloilo City Disaster Coordinating Council (ICDCC) has recommended the declaration of the city under a state of imminent danger of calamity for experiencing severe lack of rainfall and water reserves at the major water source of Iloilo City and its neighboring provinces has been steadily falling due to the presence of the El Niño phenomenon.

ICDCC said major line agencies tasked in water monitoring and production, the National Irrigation Administration, Metro Iloilo Water District and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, has confirmed that for the past several months there is a steady decline in the water level of several water impounding facilities.

The recommendation was based in the Joint Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Memorandum Circular Number 2003-2 dated July 24, 2003 stating the calamity fund may also be utilized for undertaking disaster preparedness activities and measures provided that the Sanggunian concerned shall declare an imminent danger of calamity in extreme cases and under extraordinary circumstances.

It may also be utilized for disaster preparedness without need of a Sanggunian declaration of calamity provided there is a Presidential proclamation of the existence of an adverse event that would warrant the declaration of the entire country to be under the state of national calamity.

Treñas said the city has a calamity fund of a little less than P60 million but emphasized the entire amount will not be utilized for this purpose.

He said the calamity fund of the city has never been exhausted even in 2008 despite the damage caused by Typhoon Frank.

Once the city is declared under a state of imminent danger of calamity, the fund will be used to purchase gasoline for the water tankers to be delivered to areas where water is needed most, construction of shallow wells, payment of wages of additional manpower and for the operation of the water treatment plant for potable water needs that was donated by the Spanish government during Typhoon Frank.

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WEEK-LONG CELEBRATION. In their colorful Chinese costumes, students of Iloilo Central Commercial High School celebrate the schools 98th founding anniversary together with the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Iloilo which is celebrating its 99th year. The activity features a week-long cultural presentation and parade of dragons.

Photo and Text by Cindy Kristine Tanate, Karen Bermejo, and Louine Hope Conserva

Hepa A up in

Iloilo province

n Francis Diocson

Provincial health officer Ma. Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon reported an increase of Hepatitis A relative to the current El Niño phenomenon in certain areas around the province.

In the provincial development coordinating council emergency meeting on El Niño held at Iloilo Provincial Capitol, Quiñon cited reports sent by Sara and San Joaquin municipalities indicating occurrence of Hepatitis A within the said areas.

She described Sara as having an "outbreak" compared to mild but "increasing" cases in San Joaquin.

Quiñon said a barangay captain in Sara reported 32 cases "but when I personally went there last Saturday, I checked 22 patients exhibiting Hepatitis-A symptoms such as low to moderate fever, loss of appetite leading to anorexia, abdominal pain, and jaundice."

She pointed to the quality of water as a major cause, adding that in the same barangay "their tubig-poso had no filter" and that "fifteen meters away from the water source, a pigpen and garbage surrounded the poso catering to eight families located in the area, of which six had members affected with Hepatitis-A."

Quiñon noted complaints regarding thirst quenchers "ice water" and ice as Hepatitis-A agents. She said "due to the heat and their thirst, people would buy ice or ice water, not knowing the individual preparing the ice or ice water did not wash his or her hands before doing so."

She said reports are coming in on a weekly basis from the Iloilo Provincial Epidemiologic Surveillance Unit which has sentinel sites in Pototan and in Pedro Trono in Guimbal.

Asked whether an outbreak of water-borne diseases would occur, Quiñon said "there is no exact data yet, but we are expecting it to happen. Due to the current hot weather, people would want to avail of ice or ice water prompting for an easy spread (of water-borne diseases)."

Government set to issue P3-billion

infrastructure bonds

The government is set to issue P3 billion worth of infrastructure bonds within the month, Trade Secretary Peter B. Favila said.In an interview with reporters, Favila said that they will release P3 billion of the P50-billion infrastructure bond within the first quarter.

According to Favila, the P3 billion will be given to San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and DMCI Inc. in order to bankroll the first phase of the construction of the Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway Project.

Favila said that the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and the Social Security System (SSS) has already agreed to subscribe to the issue.

With the P3-billion government contribution and the P1.5-billion equity from the private sector developer, the consortium now has P4.5 billion which is enough to start the 88.5 kilometer Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. The road is a four-lane highway that will cut travel time from Manila to Baguio by half.

Earlier, Favila said that he has spoken with SMC Corp. President Ramon Ang who asked him to first bridge the government subsidy so that they can start the construction of the expressway as soon as possible.

The government has committed to provide a P3-billion subsidy for the expressway.

In order to immediately start the construction, Favila, who is also the head of the National Development Corp. (NDC), said that NDC agreed to first bridge the government subsidy.

Favila noted that the consortium is ready to start construction for the first nine to 10 kilometers of the expressway. The construction will start where the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) ended.

Favila said that the first part of the construction will be until Tirona. He said that the group has already cleared all the right of way issues until Tirona. The rest of the area is still plagued with right of way concerns, Favila said.

The construction of the Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway is being undertaken by the Private Infrastructure Development Corp. (PIDC). SMC, through Rapid Thoroughfares Inc., owns 35 percent of PIDC, making it the biggest shareholder in the company. DMCI, on the other hand, has a 32-percent stake. The two own majority or 67 percent of PIDC.

Aside from the P3-billion government subsidy, the money will come from owner’s equity and bank loans. The owner’s equity is estimated to be at P6.5 billion. The road is expected to be completed by 2013.