Government workers retiring from the service may soon enjoy their retirement benefits and gratuities earlier than usual after President Benigno Aquino III signed into law a legislation that would hasten the release of such claims, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. announced yesterday, a press release from Aquino’s office said.

Ochoa said Republic Act No. 10154, signed into law by Aquino on July 15, requires all state agencies to release the retirement benefits within 30 days after the actual date of retirement of a government employee.

It also provides for penalties for unjustified delays in the release of these benefits, the press release said.

Downsizing a waste
of money, EDC told

The Energy Development Corp. is just deflecting the public from the real issues on its plan to downsize its geothermal power operations in Bago City to 5-10 MW only to make it “cost effective,” a press release from Green Alert Negros said.

The EDC plan will violate the existing memorandum of agreement approved by the provincial government, the group said.

After damaging the buffer zone of the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park whose value is beyond our imagination, and threatening the ecosystem that supports the lives of hundreds of thousands of Negrenses in both provinces, it is unbelievable that the EDC still has the gall to continue its operations in a more “cost-effective” way, GAN said.

Local farmers, fisher folk
ask for more subsidies

The “Alyansa sang Mangunguma batok sa Kawad-on sang Pagkaon” was organized by farm workers, fisherfolks, and farmers yesterday at the Gatuslao Gymnasium in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, asking for food and agricultural production subsidies from local government units during the “tiempos muertos (dead season)” in the sugar industry.

Greg Ratin, spokesperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Negros, said they rare raising their concerns to barangay captains, mayors, and   members of city and municipal councils to provide immediate relief of rice subsidy to farmers.

Ratin said they have already signed a petition asking government leaders to augment rice subsidy to farmers and are now waiting for their response.