Palompon Adopts Dost’s Bioreactor

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte –- The newly constructed materi­als recovery facility (MRF) of the municipality of Palompon, Leyte which adopted the mechanism of the bioreactor of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), is one which must be seen by other municipalities in the region.

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Palompon Adopts Dost’s Bioreactor

aw Abiding Citizens: Musings on Corona Trial

As provided for under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Chief Jus­tice Renato Corona may only be con­victed of the charges against him by concurrence of two-thirds of all the members of the Senate. The fact that the present Constitution entrusted the impeachment trial to the Senate of the Philippines may mean that it was not intended as a purely legal pro­cess but largely a political exercise, a polity exercise so to speak wherein the constituents are represented sup­posedly by statesmen who looks only after the general welfare of the country and ideally not motivated by personal biases nor by party af­filiation. This means that the Sena­tors may or may not decide based on evidence or on hard facts

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LeyteNews Corona Watch

Four Companies in Ev Get Dole Safety Milestone Awards

Tacloban City – Four business establishments in Eastern Visayas were among the companies nation­wide which received DOLE’s Safe­ty Milestone (Smile) Recognition Awards. These are the Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc.-Tacloban Plant, Petron Corporation Tacloban Depot, Petron Corporation Ormoc Depot, and Petron Corporation Isa­bel Depot.

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Four Companies in Ev Get Dole Safety Milestone Awards

Leytenews Observer: Plant Trees and Impose Strict Enforcement of Laws to Stop Flooding

We bid goodbye to 2011with heavy rains that caused flood­ing in many towns of Leyte and elsewhere in the region. The Local Disaster and Risks Re­duction Management Council reported that at least 3,000 fami­lies in Leyte were evacuated to safer areas during the flooding of Tuesday, December 27. A boy was reported drowned and an­other one missing. This scenario has become common sight not only here but other parts of the globe.

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Leytenews Observer: Plant Trees

New Year’s Eve Fire Razes Firecrackers Stalls in Kananga

Twenty-six stalls selling fire­crackers at the the public market of Kananga, Leyte were gut­ted by fire in the afternoon of December 31.

Kananga Mayor Elmer Codilla informed the Philippine Information Agency that the stalls gutted by fire were make­shift stalls located away from the public market in order to ensure safety of the consumers and the businessmen in the pub­lic market.

There was no damage to per­manent infrastructure because the makeshift stalls were actu­ally occupying the sidewalks of the street, Codilla added.

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Firecrackers Stalls in Kananga

Ev Has Large Potential for Mining – MGB 8

Tacloban City, Leyte – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Eastern Visayas said that the region is a potential area for mining investment with large scale mining operators expected to have full swing operation this year which will employ a projected total of 300-500 mine workers.

With its large mineral deposits like chromite, limestone, magnetite sand and coal, among others, Leyte Provincial Board Member and Provincial Council Chairman on the Committee of Environment and Natural Resources Roque Tiu said it is not a surprise why mining investors would come in the province.

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Ev Has Large Potential for Mining – MGB Eight

Isabel, Leyte – Over Php 60M worth of property was estimat­ed to be damaged in a three-hour fire that razed a portion of the Acid Plant of the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining (PASAR) Corporation, the country’s lone exporter  of copper cathode, according to records gathered from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)- Isabel .

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60m Property Lost to Pasar Fire

Pasar Bares Re-start Plans

Isabel, Leyte – Over Php 60M worth of property was estimat­ed to be damaged in a three-hour fire that razed a portion of the Acid Plant of the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining (PASAR) Corporation, the country’s lone exporter

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Pasar Bares Re-start Plans

In order for the Isabelanons to have a remarkable Fiesta Celebration this year, the Isabel Town Fiesta Association does its best to provide its constituents a blast this January 15, 2012.


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Isabel Gears Up for 2012 Fiesta Celeb

LeyteNews Observer: To Justice Renato Corona: Stop Talking, Just Face The Senate!!

LeyteNews Observer
by Alvin Godinez Arpon.

Renato Corona has been impeached through the vote of the 188 Representatives of the Filipino people on a lot of charges; alleged violations of law embodied in our Constitution. The second step now is for him to be tried in an impeachment court – the Senate Presiding over  the historical hearings with probably an Associate Justice as presiding officer because the Chief is the one on trial. I am not sure of this. Or the Senate may not need an associate SC Justice in this trial of the years.

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LeyteNews Corona Watch

Codilla succeeds Delos Reyes as PHILAMCOP President

Region 8 made history in the national Labor-Management Cooperation (LMC) scene when Engr. Sherlock Vicente A. Codilla, Senior Manager for Industrial Relations at PASAR Corporation in Isabel, Leyte, was elected on November 8, 2011 in Naga City as President of Philippine League of Labor-Management Cooperation Practitioners, Inc. (PHILAMCOP), succeeding Mr. Rene V. Delos Reyes of Energy Development Corporation’s (EDC) Leyte Geothermal Production Field that straddles Ormoc City and Kananga.

Codilla, who shall have a term of two years until 2013, was sworn in at the culmination of the 8^th National Convention of PHILAMCOP on November 9 by Sec. Rosalinda D. Baldoz of the Department of Labor and Employment and Undersecretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, Officer in Charge of DOLE’s National Conciliation and Mediation Board, with DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo as special guest.

PHILAMCOP, an advocate of plant-level mechanisms for communication and joint problem-solving as the primary platform for achieving and maintaining industrial peace, is composed of  leaders from both Labor and Management sectors that boasts of a wide network of 25 regional LMC affiliates across the country, with a current national membership at 1,795 unionized and non-unionized companies.  It is considered the social arm of NCMB-DOLE for social dialogue and is cited by the government’s Labor agencies as the only private partner in workplace relations enhancement.

PHILAMCOP traces its roots from our very own Region Eight Labor-Management Cooperation Practitioners, Inc. (RELAMACOP) of the Samar-Leyte region, spearheaded both by Delos Reyes and Codilla, which has been acknowledged by DOLE and NCMB as the instrumental advocacy group that has sustained an 8-year strike-free region. RELAMACOP has to date a membership of 121 companies, with 38 from unionized companies led by PASAR Corp. and EDC-LGPF, and 83 from unorganized or non-unionized firms.

“The challenge ahead is to sustain the rapid growth of PHILAMCOP membership that characterized Rene’s leadership, who himself made history when he served for two terms,” said Codilla, who is a native of Palompon, in an interview after he was sworn in. “I have big shoes to fill, but I am also honored to continue Rene’s legacy, that is to share our best practices in LMC especially to workers in smaller firms whom we assist as their big brothers,” added Codilla, who has served PHILAMCOP over the last 6 years as PRO (2005-2007) and Secretary (2007-2011).

DENR awards PASAR PEPP Seal of Approval

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on December 16 awarded Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation (PASAR Corp.) the prestigious Seal of Approval under the agency’s Philippine Environment Partnership Program (PEPP) , one among only 15 companies in the country that have shown exemplary environmental performance.

Since the start of PEPP in 2009, a total of 39 companies have been recognized for their environmental performance.

DENR Secretary Ramon Paje, who led the awarding ceremonies at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City, said that PEPP is a program that supports the aspiration of industries toward self-regulation.

He also said that the program aims to promote corporate social responsibility among local industries, particularly those that consider environmental protection an important part of sound governance.

“With the PEPP, we wish to recognize and show our appreciation for companies that give premium to environmental protection as an integral business concern. Somehow, they realize that to thrive in the global economy, they need to respond as well to environmental challenges,” he said.

The companies bestowed with the award, under “Track 1” category, for “going beyond simple compliance, and being driven by competitiveness, image, and supply chain requirements to improve their performance” are the following:

Aboitiz Power—Hedcor, Inc. (Beckel, Benguet); PSI Technologies, Inc. (Taguig); Holcim Philippines—Bacnotan Plan (La Union); STMicroelectronic, Inc. (Calamba City, Laguna); KEPCO Ilijan Corporation Philippines (Ilijan, Batangas); Aboitiz Power Renewables, Inc.—Mak-Ban Geothermal Plant (Bay, Laguna); Aboitiz Power Renewables, Inc.—Tiwi Geothermal Plant (Tiwi, Albay); Energy Development Corporation (Kanangga, Leyte); Green Core Geothermal, Inc. (Ormoc, Leyte); Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation (Isabel, Leyte); Nestle Philippines, Inc.—CDO Factory (Tablon, Cagayan de Oro City); Holcim Philippines—Davao Plant (Ilang, Davao City); Alliance Select Foods International (Tambler, General Santos City); Southern Philippines Power (Alabel, Saranggani Province); and Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc.—General Santos Plant (Bula, General Santos City).

Likewise, Absolut Distillers, Inc. was awarded a Special Citation for Environmental Excellence, for winning the Green Apple Award in London, England, last November 14. The citation award was received by business tycoon Dr. Lucio Tan. Absolut Distillers was also one of the PEPP Track 1 awardees in 2009.

The DENR Official Seal of Approval for Track 1 awardees is valid for one year. Industries that fall under this category should have had no cases filed against them by the Pollution Adjudication Board of the DENR for three years prior to their date of application; have fully complied with all applicable environmental laws, rules, and regulations; and have a proven record of superior environmental performance.

As a reward, PEPP Track 1 recipients will benefit from relaxed requirements in the frequency of submission of reports, longer validity of permits, and simplified requirements for securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate for expansion projects.

The PEPP covers all industrial and commercial establishments, both public and private, including agri-industrial facilities, manufacturing and commercial enterprises, and other facility services.