DIPOLOG —— For one week starting September 7, all provincial officials led by the provincial governor down to the chiefs of offices will be relieved of their official functions (literally) as 43 select students will take over from the reigns of government.

This developed as Zamboanga del Norte Governor Rolando E. Yebes officially proclaimed Executive Order No.09-25 declaring September 7-11 2009 as Rotary Youth Activities Week, paving the way for the take over of the 43 selected students to the various positions in the provincial government.

Rotary of Dipolog President Edna Capili-Chan told reporters “these select youths will function in their designated posts for one week which will give them hands on training in governance.”
The students will be lead by Renee Frances Dublin of Zamboanga del Norte National High School who will function as governor and Jani G. Omamalin as vice governor respectively.

Thirteen other students from various schools in the city will also take over as legislative board members of the province led by Jervina E. Gainsan, Speaker Pro Tempore; Ma. Anna Alexandra Liong, Majority Floor Leader; Czeska Johann G. Co, Minority Leader and SP Members Marcy Dale Regencia, Grant Marqui Roil Yu Cainta, Charry Badiango, Jie Mawile, Rascim Doysabas, Marriethen Grace Abasolo, Mercy Joy Galera, Anjelo Silva, Rey ventozillada, Marie France Montaño and Romeo F. Jalosjos III.

Aside from the 15 students who will take over in the executive and legislative branches of government, 27 others students will also takeover as chiefs of offices in the various provincial government offices from September 7-11, 2009.

The Rotary Youth provincial officials can counter sign official public documents, Chan said, adding “it will give meaning in their participation in the program.”

The Rotary Youth Week Activities has been instituted in the province for 29 years now, Ms. Chan said.

This year’s chair of the Rotary Youth Week Activities, lawyer Uldarico Mejorada II had facilitated the selection of the student participants together with the members of the panel, Ms. Chan, Bong Tamala, Ricky Mejorada, Bo Manican, Lindon Seediet and Stephen Calunod.

The Rotary’s Youth Week Activities was started 29 years ago under the leadership of Alberto P. Concha Sr.

In signing executive order 09-25 Gov. Yebes, also enjoins the people of ZaNorte to welcome the assumption of the 43 select Rotary Youth officials in the various offices in the provincial government.

Chan also lauded the provincial government’s declaration of Rotary Youth Week Activities. (jgy)

As part of his mission to introduce The Brothers of the De La Salle Philippines to students all over the Philippines, DLSP National Vocations director, Bro. Rey Mejias FSC, recently visited the DMC College Foundation for an inspirational talk.

Brother Rey was in DMC last August 4 to hold his campus information drive and talk in front of male high school and college students.

“I’m doing this to promote the Brothers in the whole Philippines because my job includes primarily, I will go to schools all over the Philippines including those that are supervised by the La Salle Brothers, such as DMC, because I want them to know the purpose of living and the whole dynamics of La Salle spirituality which subscribes to the La Sallian mission. This mission has something to do with educating the young, especially the poor, with Christian and human education,” Brother Rey said.
According to Bro. Rey, his other purpose is to invite young men to become Brothers. “One important value we need young men to have to become a Brother is he must be competent, and when we say competent, he must be a graduate of any degree in college. And precisely, he has to be spiritually-motivated because the Brothers are consecrated people so spirituality is very important. Faith in God is very important,” he added.

This visit to DMC is already the third stop of Brother Rey in his ongoing Mindanao-wide trip after previous visits to schools in Iligan and Ozamis. After here, he is also scheduled for talks in Cagayan de Oro, Malaybalay, Davao, Surigao and in Butuan. From there, he is going back to Manila.

“In terms of reception, it has been wonderful thus far and in fact I have received a number of interested applicants from my previous stops. I hope that my talk was also effective in this group and that one of these days they will contact me through the numbers and email address I gave them. I promise them one thing, they will gain more because they will be thought how to discern and they will spend more time with God. There is nothing bad that will come up out of good intentions. It’s always good results,” Brother Rey said.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="Hudyaka Festival"][/caption]

Sunday, May 3, 2009 – Governor Rolando Yebes of Zamboanga del Norte together with Vice-Governor Francis Olvis arrived in Chicago from Las Vegas for a short visit to all ZaNorte constituents here in Illinois upon the invitation of ZAMNAI officers and members. The two officials were in Las Vegas for the Pacquiao vs. Hatton big boxing event and side-tripped to Chicago to purposely meet and reach-out to the ZaNorteans here in Illinois who have long been away from the province and are pretty much excited to hear first hand updates from our province. Directly from the Chicago Midway airport, Governor Yebes attended the 7th Sunday Novena and Mass in honor of Dipolog’s Patron Saint Senior San Vicente Ferrer hosted by the family of Salvic Saavedra in Skokie, Illinois, where he had the chance to personally meet and greet to everyone who came over. Other than being overwhelmed with photo shots, the governor talked of his concerns for our beloved ZaNorte, in anticipation of a strong involvement for support and assistance coming from our fellow ZaNorteans around, he made mention of his administration’s visions, implemented programs and accomplishments that truly benefited the ZaNorteans especially the poor and the under privilege.

In the evening, our very own ZAMNAI under the leadership of Pres. Kesa Bajamunde with the support of its officers warmly hosted an informal dinner and assembly at the Intercontinental Hotel in Rosemont, IL. The Presidents from various ZaNorte associations based in Illinois attended the event

The Provincial Tourism Council had definitely set the annual Hudyaka Festival at Sunset Boulevard, Dapitan City.

Provincial Tourism Officer Atty. Ivan Patrick Ang disclosed that the provincial festival shall be hosted by Dapitan City as it had offered an ideal site for the holding of the festival.

At present, the tourism office has conducted a dialogue with the lot owners at the boulevard which will be affected by the celebration.

He explained that they had to do this since Hudyaka will surely create noise especially during night time.

It was expected that the new venue will give more color to the celebration especially that Glora de Dapitan’s Fantasy Land shall be opened during the celebration.

Although the initial reaction of some people was unfavorable of Dapitan, the tourism officer explained that this has been so if the people do not see the advantages why it should be placed at the Shrine City.

He cited its proximity from Dipolog, the abundance of food, the ideal location, the financial help to be extended by the host city and the one-month exposure of the festival at Eat Bulaga as assured by former congressman Romeo “Nonong” Jalosjos.

It could be remembered that Hudyaka was organized when Gov. Lando Yebes sat as provincial governor of Zamboanga del Norte. Ever since, it has been placed at the old site of the provincial sports complex in Dipolog City.

For the first time, the festival will be held in Dapitan City. It was learned earlier that Gov. Yebes wanted the celebration to be rotated among the municipalities of the province, not just in Dipolog City. (Press Freedom, Vol. XXI No.17)

The Organization of International Spiritual and Civic A recently turned over three ambulances to ZaNorte medical Center and two firetrucks to Dapitan City.
Hiroshi Ikeda, OISCA representative based in Dipolog City formally turned over the vehicles to Gov. Rolando Yebes and Vice Governor Francis Olvis at the ZaNorte Medical Center. The ceremony was witnessed by some officials of the provincial government.
It was learned that the ambulances shall be given to Liloy, Sergio Osmeña and Sindangan which are identified as catchment area.
The said vehicles have been donated by Toyota City in Japan through OISCA.
“They’re God’s gifts,” Gov. Yebes did not hide his happiness referring to the modern ambulance vehicles which could cost more than P1M each.
He disclosed his plan of giving one ambulance to each municipality in the province. Furthermore, he disclosed that PCSO offered him 27 ambulances at P1.2M each but each municipality shall be putting up P400,000 only as counterpart.
The vehicles were donated but the provincial government spent P1M in transporting them from Japan to Zamboanga del Norte.
Meanwhile, Ikeda who was speaking on behalf of OISCA urged the provincial governor to go on with his “greening” the province program.
He recalled that earlier OISCA just taught Young Japanese how to plant rice but later focused on the planting trees. (Press Freedom, Vol. XXI No.16)

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan had recently looked into the request of Gov. Rolando Yebes for P135M for the private port complex at Pulauan Port Dapitan City.

The said investment shall be managed by the Zamboanga Development and Management Corporation (ZDMC)

ZDMC president George Aseniero presented the proposed project before the SP.

It was learned that the port complex has long been conceived but it had not started off due to capital and permit problems.

The two planned ports will cost P1.3B but the ZMDC had cash equity of P250M only but it is open to interested investors.

Aseniero further explained before the lawmaking body that ZMDC has targetted corn products from ZaNorte, Zamboanga del Sur and Lanao del Norte which will be brought to the markets in Luzon.

Other than corn, Aseniero pointed out that marine products, especially Tilapia have big markets in the U.S.

“The country is the biggest source of tilapia but sad to note that they are just eaten by Filipinos,” he noted.

He pointed out the strategic location of Mindanao for these products as PAG-ASA records show that the island has not been moved by any storm.

However, he said, the province just lacks the needed facilities to prepare the products before they will be transported to other countries.

Convinced by the vast benefits the port complex will give the province, Gov. Yebes appealed to the members of the SP to give the project a thorough study so that other investors and even lending insitutions will also support the project. (Press Freedom, Vol. XXI No.14)

As the operator of the barge cruising the Ozamiz-Mucas route had expressed his desire to open Dapitan-Dumaguete shipping line, Gov. Rolando Yebes warmly welcomed the plan saying more ships at Pulauan Port could mean a healthy economy.

The governor disclosed that a negotiation has already been undertaken by the shipping company and Provincial Atty. Jes Gal Sarmiento, Jr.

“More ships means brisk economy,” the governor said wishing that there could be a ship leaving the port especially bound for Visayas every three hours.
The governor had narrated what he had personally experienced when he traveled the Strong Republic Nautical Highway where big trucks from General Santos City lined up for the ro-ro at Pulauan Port bound for Visayas.

He felt there were several rolling cargoes which could not be readily accommodated due to lack of ships bound for the Visayas.

At present ther are only four shipping companies passing the nautical highway but they were seen as lacking to serve the growing number of ro-ro cargoes.

In answer to the letter sent by Gov. Yebes dated November 20, 2008 urging for the inclusion of Zamboanga del Norte and the cities of Dipolog and Dapitan in the Mindanao Railway System, Under Secretary for Railway Guiling Mamondiong of the Department of Transportation and Communications responded favorably for the inclusion.

The undersecretary informed the governor that the province and the two cities have already been included in the feasibility study for the first quarter of 2009.
Earlier Yebes was frustrated to know that the Zamboanga Peninsula was excluded as the railway system was planned to end at Iligan City only.

He then wrote PGMA citing reasons for the plea for inclusion. He cited the proximity of the province to the Visayas and Luzon Market and the establishment of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway in Dapitan.

During the recent meeting of the National Anti-Poverty Commission which took up the Livelihood and Job Generation Program, the governor disclosed Under-secretary Mamondiong’s response happily.

He was beaming with pride over the P4B worth of projects that Malacañang gave the province and considered the recent inclusion in the railway system as another gift from PGMA.

“All that I have asked from her were given to us… this is the fist time in the province’s history that Malacañang has showered it with so many blessings,” Gov. Yebes said happily. (Press Freedom, Vol. XXI No.8)

To efficiently process tax collection, 16 more municipalities of Zamboanga del Norte have been subjected under an electronic real property tax system.

Gereo Patrimonio of the Management Information Systems Office (MISO) disclosed it will conduct the first Provincial ICT Summit in the province on December 10, 2008 for the cited purpose.

He disclosed that the same tax collection system has already been adopted by municipalities of other provinces and were found to be effective tax collection system.

These municipalities included Sibutad, La Libertad, Piñan and Sergio Osmeña for Congressional District I; Katipunan, Siayan, Roxas and Manukan for CD II and Salug, Liloy, Kalawit, Tampilisan, Labason, Siocon, Baliguian and Sirawai for CD III.

Under the system, a taxpayer visits the treasurer’s office where records of his real property and his payments have already been fed to the computer.

Patrimonio disclosed there are still municipalities which are hesitant to adopt the system because they have not yet fully understood the program.  But he hoped that in the future 25 municipalities in the province shall have taken up the program for good.

Gov. Rolando Yebes noted that real property owners do not have the attitude of paying taxes regularly.

He pointed out that the province collected only P7M in real property taxes because tax-payers will only pay their taxes if ever they wish to seek a loan, they use it for bail or they wish to sell their land.

“Under the computerized program, we hope to have efficient collection and better services to the taxpayers”, Gov. Yebes said. (Press Freedom, Vol. XXI No.6)