DOH says it does not endorse any product
BY Gerard Naval
THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday denied claims on social media that is it endorsing specific branded or commercial products.
“The DOH cautions the public against online fake endorsements,” it said in a statement.
“The Department does not engage in the promotion or endorsement of specific brands or commercial products,” it added.
The Department said it is issuing the statement as there are commercial products, including milk or other supplements, claiming to be endorsed by the DOH.
“The DOH reiterates that any such endorsements are fake, misleading, and unauthorized by the Department or any of its affiliate organizations,” it said.
It, then, warned those behind such fake endorsements of criminal charges.
Iligan City Waterworks System losing 64% of supply to leaks
BY PETER TABINGO
THE Iligan City Waterworks System (ICWS) is facing a chicken-or-egg problem: it is losing 97 million liters of water per day to leaks in an ancient pipe network — more than half of the water supply – but it cannot undertake repairs because it cannot generate the funds due to losses from the leaks.
Based on the 94-page report released by the Commission on Audit on February 14, 2024, the ICWS is generating 150.75 million liters per day, but only 53.66 million liters reach the consumers and are billed. The rest, amounting to 97.091 million liters or a whopping 64 percent, end up as non-revenue water (NRW) or losses.
The report was conducted from April to December 2023 by a joint team of state auditors and volunteers from nine civil society organizations identified as the Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits Inc. (ECOWEB), Federation of Women’s Survivor, Pailig Development Foundation Inc., Medical Action Group/Health Alliance Volunteer Association, Barangay Upper Hinaplanon Muslim Livelihood Association (BUHIMLA), Rotary Club of Metro Iligan, Iligan Federation of Urban Poor Accredited Association, Tomicon Association of Iligan City, and Pakigdait Alang sa Pag-Amoma sa Kalinaw Incorporated.
Enlisting the assistance of private citizens in the audit of government projects and programs is an initiative of the COA which started in 2018 for increased transparency and people’s involvement in governance.
An advance copy of the Citizen Participatory Audit (CPA) was submitted to the office of City Mayor Frederick Siao on December 12, 2023.
Of the 941 respondents from 26 barangays surveyed by the audit team, 770 or 81.8 percent said they experienced water supply interruptions, with 72 households reporting daily loss of supply.
Due to insufficiency of water for their daily needs, respondents said they get their water from other sources, with many families saying they had to resort to drawing water from deep wells, manual water pumps, open well, and water deliveries.
The audit team noted that based on the standards of the Local Water Utilities Administration, any NRW above 25 percent of production is already considered “excessive” and should be corrected through immediate survey and repair programs.
ICWS officials admit the water losses were due to leaking from old pipes placed underground that could not be located due to lack of manpower and equipment.
The agency said it had tried to appeal to the city government to allocate the necessary budget to undertake the required network rehabilitation work but received no support.
“An interview with the personnel of ICWS revealed that there was a proposed project for the development of a water source and the rehabilitation of water distribution system amounting to P1 billion. However, the budget was reduced to P495 million at the time of Mayor Cruz,” the CPA team said.
Let it not be said that Iligan residents did not try to make good use of spilling water.
In Barangay Ubaldo Laya, residents built a tilapia pond measuring one meter long and two meters wide to catch water from a leaky pipe.
Dinalupihan praised for proper
handling of unspent disaster funds
BY PETER TABINGO
GOVERNMENT auditors have commended the municipal government of Dinalupihan, Bataan for full compliance with RA 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 and other existing rules regarding the unutilized portion of its Local Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF).
In a report released last February 14, the Commission on Audit (COA) said its review of the local government unit’s LDRRMF transactions showed that the 2023 unexpended balance of P3.83 million has been properly transferred to a Special Trust Fund (STF) as of January 25, 2024.
Likewise, the audit team found no unused balance aged more than five years in the STF that should be reverted to the General Fund.
“We commended the Management for ensuring that for CY 2023, the unexpended balance of the five percent LDRRMF are in compliance with the last paragraph of Section 21 of RA 10121,” auditors said.
The particular provision requires LGUs to deposit their unused disaster funds in the STF for the next five years to make the sum available for programs and activities to address calamities and similar emergencies. After five years, if still unused, the sum becomes available again to the LGU to be spent on social services.
The Compliance Audit is mandated by COA Memoranda dated October 2 and 9, 2023 to determine if all LGUs observe the rules on proper safekeeping of unutilized portions of their LDRRMF.
Based on finance records, Dinalupihan earmarked P22.63 million for LDRRMF equivalent to five percent of its estimated total revenues for 2023. A supplemental budget added P418,936 to the sum, increasing the total to P23.05 million.
That amount was on top of the available P6.65 million already in the special trust fund.
During the year, the LGU spent P2.5 million on the procurement and installation of closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras, P1.55 million on incident management operation and monitoring teams, P5.79 million for its quick-response, and P3.4 million procurement of generator sets.
A copy of the report was submitted to the office of Mayor German T. Santos Jr. last February 5, 2024.
PCG seizes P8M worth of fossilized clam shells
BY VICTOR REYES
AUTHORITIES have seized hundreds of fossilized giant clam shells, locally known as “taklobo,” in Balabac town in Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard said yesterday.
The PCG said the 336 shells were seized by the PCG and local government authorities at the shoreline of Barangay Sebaring on Thursday last week.
No arrest was reported during the operation.
“According to the Coast Guard District Palawan, the recovered shells, with an estimated market value of P8.1 million, were turned over to the local government unit for temporary custody and further measures,” the PCG said.
The Coast Guard District Palawan said the PCG and local government officials “achieved a significant milestone in marine life conservation with the successful recovery of 336 pieces of fossilized giant clam shells.”
Fishing or taking of rare, threatened or endangered species, including giant claims, is prohibited under Republic Act or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.
Offenders faces imprisonment of up to eight years and a fine of up to P3 million.
PCG personnel have seized fossilized giant clam shells in Palawan numerous times. The biggest seizure was 200 tons worth P1.2 billion, in Roxas town in April 2021. Three suspects were arrested during the operation.
Two months later, PCG personnel also seized 15 tons of clam shells, worth P250 million, and arrested one suspect in Sofronio Española town.
DOJ case disposal at 89%
BY ASHZEL HACHERO
THE National Prosecution Service (NPS) has made great strides over the years in resolving cases and decreasing the number of cases that state prosecutors are handling, Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento yesterday said.
Malcontento presented the NPS’ accomplishments during the Planning Assessment and General Assembly of the Office of the Secretary of Justice Prosecution Staff (OSJPS) held last week.
The NPS is an attached office of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
He said the disposition of cases went up from 54.20 percent in 2019 to 89.30 percent in 2023, while the number of pending cases decreased from 1,330 to only 465 during the same period.
Likewise, he said his office had a “100 percent” resolution rate of petitions for review in 2023.
Malconteno said the numbers show that the hard work of state prosecutors is paying off, “making it possible for the OSJPS to surpass its target.”
“The OSJPS was able to obtain a very satisfactory adjectival rating for 2022 and has maintained such rating for 2023,” he said.
The OSJPS’ performance was a collective effort of all the prosecutors and support staff, Malcontento said, as he encouraged them to push it further so they can achieve an outstanding rating this year.
For his part, Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres said he is confident the state prosecutors and their staff will be able to surpass the rating this year.
“I applaud the OSJPS for its hard work for the past 18 months that they have been at the helm of Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla,” Andres, who is the undersecretary-in-charge of the NPS said.
Andres said the support of the prosecutors to the “significant and meaningful” reforms in the DOJ is a major boost to Remulla’s effort to enhance the delivery of justice in the country.
He said this is more so in the building up of cases as prescribed under Department Circular (DC) No. 20 s. 2023 issued by Remulla, which states that once the case build-up is completed, the preliminary investigation will commence immediately to determine whether a probable cause exists to warrant the filing of charges against those involved in alleged anomalies or criminal acts.
DC 20 also prescribes closer coordination between prosecutors and law enforcers investigating the case.
Andres said the DOJ’s Planning and Management Service is still finalizing the performance results of all offices of the department, including the OSJPS.