Evacuation in Escalante

There is a lesson learned from the evacuation ordered by Escalante Mayor Melecio Yap of residents of Sitio Baluk in barangays Malasibog and Paitan of Escalante City from harms way after the recent landslides.

The residents of the area had earlier been told to evacuate but refused to do so, Yap said.

Rains have filled fissures in the ground, prompting the city government to move out 29 of the 35 families living in the danger zone, reports said.

The 129 family members are now at the Malasibog Elementary School and the “Doyos Amahan” chapel, according to social welfare officer Lea Juantarsiego.

In short, despite the tendency by settlers to remain in the place hoping that somehow the permanent danger zone declared by the Mines Geosciences and Bureau need not be heeded, the realities of the situation provide otherwise. That’s the problem, sooner or later, what has been warned about endangers them and their families. Worse, they also had another threat to the city folks to handle the relief and reactions had the situation deteriorated as earlier predicted.

To short, local officials, as those of Cagayan de Oro, should not dismiss warnings government agencies of geohazards. The problem is that the “poor” always have their state of poverty and lack of livelihood as their excuse for facing with aplomb the threat of at disaster. Until it happens.

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The Negros police have started to work closely with the tourism department and other agencies to ensure the safety of foreign national, especially after the arrival here of 250 Koreans nationals on board two-zest Asia chartered flights directly from South Korea.

But I would like to remind Negros Occidental Provincial director Allan Guisihan that it is not simply because the 250 Koreans had arrived that the police should ensure safety.

Whether we like or not, Negros has become a prime destinations of foreign visitors. There safety should be the primarily confirm of the police.

Although nothing bad has happened to any foreign visitors in the province during the last several years, still it is the obligation of the police to make sure that tourists are protected from harm if we wish to make our province a prime tourist destinations. Whether they arrive here on masse or singly or in small groups, it is our duty assure them protection.

Especially if the tourists see other scenic spots of the province outside of Bacolod. They are still supposed to enjoy protection.

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Okay, the Coca Cola Bottlers, Philippines, Inc. said it has no schedule to port premix square for 2012.

Well, and good. The Sugar Regulatory Administration has recorded that CCBPI had brought to the country some 49,945 MTs in August to September in 2011 and another 10,160 Mt in September to November 1 last year.

But that does not clear the CCBPI of its massive importation of premix sugar the previous years.

It is time that the Bureau of Customs bare its findings on the suit filed by the Confederation of Sugar Producer Associations Inc. against Coke pending before the Valuation and classification review committee of the Manila International Container port.

That was the reason for the declaration of a boycott against Coca Cola products by the Confed and labor groups. That’s something that must be immediately clarified by the BOC.

Calling the attention of Customs Commissioner Raffy Biazon.

***

Yesterday I attended the 2nd culmination ceremony of the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center at the Paglaum Sports Complex where it is located.

A total of 17 completed their training as call center agents. One of them was the Fabrican scholar from Fabrica.

All have been accepted as agents of a local call center. A tribute to former Governor Joseph Marañon, who had dubbed it as his legacy to the poor of Negros Occidental.

It was Jose Valencia, chief of staff of Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. who said that the NOLITC Center was the death bed wish of former Gov. Joseph Marañon.

And Valencia, who delivered the inspirational message from Gov. Marañon, stressed the program, which had also been adopted as a cornerstone of the present administration has already achieved its purpose of reading “provincianos” for placement in the call center in the province.

Lawyer Japhet Masculino, head of the economic Enterprise Development Department of the province, told the graduates that they were not to stop their education when they had seen employed. But continue with their upgrading of their skills and capabilities.

That was the same message from Ma. Cristina Orbecido, NOLITCH officer-in-charge.

The most touching response was that of Johanna Othia, an OFW balikbayan. She said that although she had worked before in Hongkong, when she decided to return home and to help care for their two children, she found herself jobless.

Her husband, Edwin, is just working as a maintenance man of the St. Joseph High School Zone II of Handumanan.

Now, with her certificate, she said, she has a chance to be employed and be able to help her husband take care of their two kids.

That’s just one story that shows the NOLITC is worth all the money invested by the province in the training and education of the province’s call agents.*

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