‘Endo’ mall workers seek cash-bond refund in spirit of Christmas

By Manly Ugalde – December 14, 2017
LEGAZPI CITY—Endo workers of one of the biggest malls in Legazpi City are pleading for the refund of their much- awaited cash bond their employers have been ignoring for so long at least in the spirit of the Christmas season.

Endo is a popular abbreviation of the term “end of contract,” which means temporarily hired workers need to leave their employer when their contracts end.

“We’re appealing that the cash bond regularly deducted in our payroll be refunded to us before December 24,” some contractual workers detailed at the Gaisano Metro Mall here said.

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) officials in Bicol said cash bonds have long been banned. At least four employees and a former employee who was a sales clerk assigned at the Gaisano Metro Legazpi wrote to the DOLE regional director here to air their concern about the cash bond.

The employees said their employer, Avail A Work Manpower Services, has been collecting a cash bond of P500 every payroll period or P1,000 monthly. But, even if their employment contract has already expired after six months of work, they remain at the mercy of their employer desperately waiting for months or a year for the refund. The employees claimed many of their fellow workers had already left their job without receiving their cash bond.

The letter sender also furnished copy of their letter to President Duterte and Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III.

In a letter dated December 11, the workers expressed fear they may eventually lose their job if their identities are revealed. They asked that the letter be treated confidentially.

Two employees interviewed claimed they had been out of employment since December 2016, and were already issued clearances, but their cash bond remains unrefunded.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/endo-mall-workers-seek-cash-bond-refund-in-spirit-of-christmas/

Albay SP unanimous in protecting Mayon

By Manly Ugalde – December 11, 2017
LEGAZPI CITY—The probe conducted by the Albay Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Committee on Urban Housing and Land Use (Cuhla) concerning the construction of a circumferential road near Mayon volcano got a unanimous vote of approval to adopt the laws governing the preservation and protection of the protected areas near the volcano.

In addition, the SP also recommended that any proposed projects around Mayon by the Department of Public Works and Highways or any government agency shall first obtain clearances from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Tourism (DOT), Albay Tourism Office and the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, said board member Howard Imperial, chairman of the Cuhla, which investigated the Mayon scandal

But the Save Mayon Movement (SMM) described the probe recommendation as weak or wishy-washy, designed not to damage political figures behind the funding and hasty implementation of the initial P125-million Mayon road project.

The Mayon circumferential-road project was started by the DPWH’s Albay First District Engineering section in June sans any clearance or knowledge from Phivolcs and permits from the DENR, such as the mandatory cutting permit and Environmental Clearance Certificate. The project came to public knowledge only after it was exposed in social media early in October.

A cease and desist order has been issued by the DENR claiming it had also recovered close to 9,000 board feet of cut trees and logs in the project sites found to have encroached upon the Mayon Protected Area.

The SMM claimed the project is the jump-start of the estimated P7-billion alternate circumferential road around Mayon measuring 264 kilometers in diameter.

Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe of AKO Bicol in many radio interviews backed the project as ecotourism and infra-development that would strongly promote tourism, with Mount Mayon appearing at night like a Christmas tree.

But DPWH officials refused to call the project as Mayon circumferential road. District Engineer Simon Arias of Albay’s First District Engineering told the media what his office is constructing are simply farm-to-market roads, adding he’s not aware of any proposed Mayon circumferential road. The four road-opening projects horizontal in nature started at the village of Barangay Bonga in Bacacay town (P50 million), Bacacay town; Barangay San Roque in Malilipot town (P10 million); Barangay Magapo, Tabaco City (P25 million); and Barangay Buang (P40.5 million), also in Tabaco City.

Imperial said documents furnished his committee by DPWH regional legal officer Oliver Rodulfo, however, did not mention any “road opening” projects at Mayon. He said the name of projects in the documents his committee received listed the four projects as the “construction of Mayon Eco-Park (P50 million), San Roque Road Improvement (P10 million), Construction of Mayon Eco Road Magapo section (P25 million) in Tabaco City and Construction of Missing Gaps (P40.5 million) in Tabaco.

Phivolcs and the DENR worry the project may only worsen flooding in the lowland.

The DOT also issued a statement the Mayon road construction was not part of the province’s Tourism Infrastructure Priority projects.

Earlier, the SP Committee on Environment chaired by Job Belen also conducted its own probe about the Mayon project. SMM founding member Cesar Banares strongly criticized the committee findings as too weak for consideration. Banares said SMM has been receiving feedback from Filipinos in foreign countries expressing surprise about the Mayon construction that would only destroy the natural beauty and perfect cone of Mayon.

Imperial said his unanimously approved resolution would not recognize any proposed construction activities at Mayon, saying preservation of the protected areas and Mayon as a whole should stay. He said the Mayon 6-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone declared as a “no-man’s-land” should be completely free from any human activity. While the government is spending money to relocate residents around Mayon in resettlement areas, road constructions in the volcano would only invite inhabitants and destroy the resettlement efforts.

Imperial said the United Nation’s Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization already included Mayon in the Book of World Heritage for 2018 and that any infrastructure activity in the volcano may only affect that application.

Phivolcs Mayon resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta said that, in many cases, Mayon residents outside the no-man’s-land and within the within the 8-kilometer danger zone are forcibly included in the evacuation depending on the gravity of Mayon eruption. Laguerta reminded Albayanos about the 1993 major Mayon eruption that occurred at lunch under a perfect weather condition; it killed more than 80 farmers at the Legazpi barangay Mabinit. Some of the casualties were children who skipped classes to join their parents in harvesting crops. He said the 1993 eruption did not show any signs of Mayon abnormality.

Imperial said his committee will also ask the DPWH to furnish his committee the program of works and plans concerning the four road-opening projects to find out whether the DPWH ever conducted validation of the projects and how it was hastily implemented without the mandatory permits. He said his office received reports the projects were already paid 30 percent.

The Imperial-initiated probe of the Mayon road project was initially treated with a cold reception by the SP until four SP members surfaced, indicating their support for the
separate probe.

The unanimous SP decision to protect Mayon was a surprise, said Marcial Tuanqui, retired banker and former president of the Albay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/albay-sp-unanimous-in-protecting-mayon/

Albay SP to conduct Mayon probe, aerial tour around volcano

Albay SP to conduct Mayon probe, aerial tour around volcano
By Manly Ugalde – December 4, 2017
LEGAZPI CITY—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Albay will conduct a tour around Mayon Volcano to find out whether the Mayon alternate circumferential road project being built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has intruded on the 6-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) set up by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The SP also denounced the DPWH project’s possible incursion into the National Protected Area System without the necessary permits.

As this developed, the Save Mayon Movement (SMM) lashed out at the SP Committee on Environment and urged the committee members to resign for allegedly failing miserably on its responsibility to protect the environment by allowing the DPWH Mayon project to push through in the name of ecotourism and infra development.

The SMM accused SP Environment Committee Chairman Job Belen during his second committee hearing of simply adopting the DENR findings that sanctioned the DPWH over the project’s encroachment in the Protected Area, without the permit to cut trees, and the Environmental Clearance Certificate that resulted in the issuance of the a Cease and Desist Order.

Board member Howard Imperial, chairman of the Housing and Land Use Committee, filed a resolution early last week that called for an investigation into the Mayon controversy but failed to seek approval after the environment chairman asked SP members to study the matter further.

Imperial denied he had withdrawn his much-awaited resolution, saying, from two SP members supporting the investigation of the Mayon project, the number of SP supporters jumped to six as of last Saturday with the entry of a lady board member.

On the prodding of the SMM, Imperial said the investigation would include the conduct of an aerial survey on the road-project sites located in the towns of Bacacay, Malilipot and Tabaco city.

He added many believe the Mayon circumferential project may only worsen flooding in the lowland villages. He said the government is spending a lot of money to build resettlement areas to relocate Mayon residents in an effort to free the danger zone from inhabitants and human activity. “So why build infrastructure projects that may only invite inhabitants in the danger zones?”

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has long declared the PDZ as a “no man’s land,” extending to 8 kilometers the danger-zone perimeter in times of major eruption. If pushed through, the Mayon road project may cover the 264-km diameter of the volcano.

In February 1993, without showing signs of abnormality, Mayon erupted at high noon, killing more than 80 farmers and residents of Barangay Mabinit in Legazpi. The casualties included students who skipped classes to join the family harvest of vegetables
and crops.

Imperial said the board members joining his investigation are wondering whether the Mayon project ever passed through a feasibility study from the DPWH, which resorted to the implementation even without the necessary permit.

Gov. Al Francis Bichara said that, as chairman of the Regional Development Council, he was not aware of the Mayon circumferential road project, adding Mayon has been considered for the World Heritage classification, with dossiers submitted as early as 2016 to the United Nations Educational Scientific Cooperation in France for consideration in 2018.

The governor, however, remains silent on whether or not he was for the stoppage or continuation of the Mayon project.

SMM supporters said the project is doomed to be another white elephant, since the road being constructed would be impassable every time flooding occurs.

Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe of Ako Bicol strongly endorsed the Mayon project in radio interviews, saying it’s ecotourism and infra development that would give greater impact to the province’s tourism. But former Vice Gov. James Calisin disputed the word ecotourism, saying ecotourism is for the preservation of the beauty of the environment, and not destruction.

Calisin said the SP move to investigate the Mayon project should be supported by Albayanos. He added the SP needs to find out the source of funds and the people behind the hasty implementation.

Supporting Imperial are board members Rolly Rosal, Jesaf salceda, Victor ziga Jr., Benjamin Imperial and Eva Josephine Ribaya.

The members said they would summon officials of agencies concerned to determine the source of funds after the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office issued a statement that the Mayon project was not in the list of the DOT’s infrastructure projects.

SMM founding member Cesar Banares said he discovered the DPWH Mayon road project in the upper villages early in October while riding his bike to visit the Apparition site. It was Bañares who exposed the Mayon project and the cutting of trees on socia media, prompting the DENR and Phivolcs to investigate.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/albay-sp-to-conduct-mayon-probe-aerial-tour-around-volcano/

Albay STL owes PCSO P250 million

By Manly Ugalde – November 29, 2017
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay—The controversial six-month-old Small Town Lottery (STL) operation in Albay may lose its franchise after the murder of its top official and close to P250 million of unsettled account owed the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

The Albay operations of the STL is allegedly run by a firm of known gambling lords in the Southern Tagalog region.

This developed after Alex German Alemania, the chairman of the PCSO operator Lucky V Prime Enterprise Inc. was ambushed in Legazpi City on November 15 and died five days later. Police killed the fleeing gunman and arrested the wounded accomplice.

Two days following the ambush, Gov. Al Francis Bichara called for a news conference at the Capitol where he announced he would write President Duterte to stop the STL operation of Lucky V in his province. Bichara spokesman Danny Garcia promised to give a copy of Bichara’s letter to requesting journalists, but failed to comply for unexplained reasons.

Police identified the slain gunman as Marlon Magsino and his companion Michael Malveda. The suspects allegedly hailed from Lipa City and Malvar town of Batangas province.

Lucky V Prime Enterprise Inc. began its Albay STL operation on May 1. Failing to comply with the mandatory monthly remittance to the PCSO, Alemania reported during the provincial board regular session in July failure to remit monthly to the PCSO was a result of the proliferation of bookies and jueteng. This forced the provincial board to pass a resolution asking the PCSO and the Philippine National Police to stop the Lucky
V operation.

The PCSO office in Albay reported that for July, Lucky V remitted only P18,000.

Earlier in July PCSO Assistant General Manager Florante Solmerin warned Lucky V major incorporators to settle their internal dispute and obligations or face the loss of their franchise contract.

Sources said many interested gambling lords, including some from Albay had been courting the Albay Capitol to replace Lucky V.

The PCSO is still investigating the slaying of Alemania and the decision to replace Lucky V as Albay’s STL operator.

Last week PCSO General Manager Alex Balutan said Lucky V owes PCSO P250 million in unremitted sales since it began operation in May.

The Presumptive Monthly Retail Receipts (PMRR), presumed to be monthly sales set by the government for Lucky V, was pegged at P77.64 million.

The PCSO assessment showed Lucky V was earning P4 million daily or P120 million monthly.

The launch of the Albay STL has been largely considered by the PCSO as the only alternative to kill the well-entrenched decade-old illegal online-gaming operation of Meridien Vista Gaming, believed to be merely serving as a front for the rampant jueteng operation in the province.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II said the revitalized STL will neutralize all forms of illegal gambling.

Bichara was quoted in media reports early this year that Meridian has not remitted a single centavo to the Capitol’s coffer since 2013, but he could not order it stopped because he said it is purely a police matter. The report said Bichara could not intervene against Meridian’s operation without hurting other politicians who may be benefitting from the illegal operation.

Following the launch of STL operation in May, Albay declared Meridian Vista Gaming had also stopped operation.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/albay-stl-owes-pcso-p250-million/

Catanduanes ‘shabu queen’ convicted

By Manly Ugalde – November 22, 2017
VIRAC, Catanduanes—A woman, who tried to commit suicide to prevent policemen from search for drugs in her house two years ago, was convicted for life and ordered to pay a fine of P1 million.

Court records showed two other personalities involving drugs on separate incidents were also convicted separately to life imprisonment with fines.

Regional Trial Court Branch 43 Judge Lelu Contreras convicted Cynthia Samonte Geromo, 58, called the “shabu queen of Catanduanes” after she was found with 100 grams of shabu sachets inserted in DVD cases and other belongings inside her home during a search conducted by the Virac police on February 23, 2015.

Also found in her house were more than P100,000 in cash, bank deposit slips, withdrawal slips and automated teller machine cards from the Land Bank of the Philippines, BDO, Philippine National Bank and Development Bank of the Philippines.

A small island province of 11 towns, Catanduanes hogged newspaper headlines after the Duterte administration launched its war on drugs and uncovered the biggest shabu laboratory on November 26, 2016, in Barangay Palta, 3 kilometers from here.

Court records showed that Geromo’s son, Christian Modrigo from her first husband, was also found guilty of illegal possession of shabu. He was sentenced from 10 years to 14 years in prison in 2008, but went missing before the court scheduled promulgation.

Police records showed Geromo was maintaining a small kiosk at the second floor of the Virac Center Mall, selling beads and pouches and pirated DVDs. In addition, she was also tending a barbecue stand in front her home attended by her daughter.

As Geromo arrived home, waiting policemen presented her with a search warrant for shabu, but she reportedly told one of the police officers she would give them everything, as long as they did not push through with the search.

As the police began the search, Geromo allegedly became hysterical, banged her head near the window, pulled a tie wire and tried to slash her wrist, screaming “better dead than for the police to confiscate the items [shabu].”

The two other personalities convicted separately for illegal possession of drugs were Armando Chua Jr. of Timban, San Andres town and Larry Sorera of Danicop, Virac.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/catanduanes-shabu-queen-convicted/

Albay SP members seek probe on alleged DPWH intrusion into Mayon Volcano territory

By Manly Ugalde – November 21, 2017
LEGAZPI CITY­—At least five members of the Albay Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) have joined efforts to conduct an investigation surrounding the alleged intrusion of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) through the temporarily halted construction of the Mayon circumferential road project.

Board Member Howard Imperial, chairman of the Committee on Urban Planning and Land Use, filed a resolution during the provincial board’s regular session on Tuesday, calling for an investigation on how the Mayon circumferential road project was realized without public clearance and consultation from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Environmental Clearance Certificate from the Department Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and permit to cut trees.

Joining the call for a probe were SP board members Victor Ziga Jr., Rolly Rosal, Benjamin Imperial and Jesaf Salceda. Ziga, son and namesake of former Sen. Victor Ziga, said the Mayon road project needs to be investigated.

The Save Mayon Movement (SMM), led by Cesar Banares, Rommel Aspe and Karina Discaya, said the probe to be conducted by the committee of Howard Imperial is separate from the probe conducted by the Committee on Environment chaired by Job Belen.

The SMM said Belen had indicated his stand during the first and second hearing of the Committee on Environment in favor of the Mayon road project as an ecotourism project and infrastructure development.

It was not clear if the Committee on Housing and Land Use will ask for a public hearing on the controversy surrounding the Mayon road project being implemented by the DPWH.

Former Vice Gov. James Calisin said the Mayon road project is “a clear abuse of discretion of the DPWH.” He added creating a road network at Mount Mayon site may only worsen flooding problem in the lowland area.

Rommel Natanauan, chief of the Bicol Tourism Development and Regulation division, said the Mayon road project is not included in the Tourism Infrastructure Project that the DENR considered in violation of the National Protected Area System of 1992.

The construction of the Mayon road began as early as June, involving three separate road-opening contracts in Barangay Bonga, Bacacay (P50 million); Barangay San Roque, Malilipot town (P10 million); and Barangay Buang (P49 million), all in Tabaco City.

Gov. Al Francis Bichara had expressed surprise when told about the project following complaints the project has encroached on the 6-kilometer Mayon Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), and may only open more entrances to the PDZ, which had long been declared a “no man’s land.”

Bichara also lamented how the project was started without the cutting permit and the Environmental Clearance Certificate from the DENR, his spokesman, Danny Garcia, said.

Bichara, chairman of the Regional Development Council (RDC), said the Mayon project did not pass through the RDC.

With a diameter of 261.4 kilometers, Mayon Volcano has a pending application for inclusion in the list of World Heritage, the dossiers of which have been submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in France since 2016 for consideration next year.

The board members fear that defacing the volcano may affect its consideration for the World Heritage record.

DPWH regional legal officer Oliver Rodulfo said the Mayon project is being implemented by the Albay First District Engineering Office, stating the regional office has nothing to do with it. He said every district engineering office has the authority to conduct bidding and implement projects costing P50 million and below with the plan and program of works they also prepared.

The regional office conducts bidding and implement projects costing above P50 million, Rodulfo said.

The SMM said the Mayon project was discovered early-October. It included the rampant cutting of trees within the project site. Exposed on social media, support for the SMM continues to pour, including from Filipinos abroad.

Former Albay Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Marcial Tuanqui, 71, said his relatives in the United States are also surprised to learn of the Mayon circumferential road project, saying it would ruin the perfect image of Mayon, the world’s most perfect cone-shaped volcano.

Albay First District engineer Simon Arias denied any knowledge about a proposed Mayon circumferential road, saying what they are constructing are farm-to-market roads. This despite pronouncements of Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe of Ako Bicol in radio interviews that the DPWH’s Mayon project would create a big adverse impact on Albay’s tourism and infra development image.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/albay-sp-members-seek-probe-on-alleged-dpwh-intrusion-into-mayon-volcano-territory/

Strong support continues for Save Mayon Movement

By Manly Ugalde – November 20, 2017

LEGAZPI CITY—Strong support continues to pour for the Save Mayon Movement following the claim of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials that they would push through with the construction of a circumferential road project believed to have encroached on the Mayon Volcano Protected Area.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have complained the road project is putting the protected site in danger, citing the rampant cutting of trees and the encroachment of Mayon’s protected area.

Early-October, the DENR regional office issued the Cease and Desist Order (CDO) against the DPWH over the construction of the Mayon road project along barangay Bonga Bacacay that had no cutting permit and Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC).

Phivolcs also lashed at the project believed to have encroached the 6-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), which has long been declared “a no man’s land.”

The circumferential road project and the reported rampant cutting of trees were exposed in the social media early-October, prompting Phivolcs and the DENR to take action. The DENR found that one of the three road- opening projects located at Barangay Buang, Tabaco City, has encroached on Mayon’s so-called protected area.

The unnoticed Mayon project was started in June, said Simon Arias, District Engineer of the Albay First District. Mayon, Phivolcs said, is 261.4 kilometers in diameter. It remains under Alert Level 1 since its last eruption in 2015.

In the past three weeks, Mayon jolted Albay after it registered dozens of volcanic tremors daily, which Albayanos described as an answer to the man-made destruction of Mayon in the guise of ecotourism and infra-development.

The Save Mayon Movement was boosted after the Department of Tourism regional office issued a strong statement against the Mayon circumferential road project, which the DPWH began in the First District, in the villages of the towns of Bacacay, Malilipot and Tabaco City.

Rommel Natanauan, chief of the Bicol Tourism Development and Regulations division, said the Mayon project is not included in the Tourism Infrastructure Project and is considered in violation of the National Protected Area System (NPAS) Act of 1992.

Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara was not aware of any ongoing infrastructure projects around Mayon. Also, as chairman of the Regional Development Council (RDC), it also did not pass through the RDC, his spokesman, Danny Garcia said.

Garcia added Mayon has been listed since 2016 for inclusion in the World Heritage. The draft dossier had been submitted to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) France early this year and was recommended for consideration by 2018. Asked about the stand of the governor on whether to stop the project, Garcia refused to answer.

Save Mayon fears the proposed Mayon circumferential road, estimated to cost P7 billion, may affect Mayon’s application for Unesco World Heritage consideration for 2018. He said the project may only fall as another white elephant and may lead to often flooding in the lowland.

DENR assistant regional director Robert Sheen said the DPWH Albay First District Engineering was sanctioned by the DENR in October over the uncovered logs in the project sites and the absence of an ECC that covers a P50,000 penalty, according to the CDO issued by Environment Management Bureau regional director Eva Ocfemia.

The DPWH identified the projects as the P50-million road opening in Barangay Bonga, Bacacay; the P10-million road opening in San Roque, Malilipot town; and the P49- million road opening in Barangay Buang, Tabaco City.

Arias said the road constructions are farm-to-market roads and outside the 6-km PDZ. He said the road construction is merely an extension of the old existing road in Barangay Bonga, which also serves as a route to the pilgrimage “apparition site” of the Virgin Mary. He said his office was not aware of a proposed circumferential road.

Party-list Rep. Rodel M. Batocabe of AKO Bicol strongly defended the proposed Mayon circumferential road project in radio interviews, saying it would create a big impact on tourism in addition to infra-development.

Save Mayon founding members Cesar Bañares, Karina Discaya and Rommel Aspe disputed the DPWH officials’ allegation of an existing old road at barangay Bonga, saying the road being constructed is 15 meters in width. They said the old road leading to the apparition site in the village of Barangay Bonga is vertical, starting from the national highway toward the crater, while the proposed Mayon circumferential road is horizontal that links to the Mayon Skyline Hotel at Barangay Buang.

The Mayon Skyline Hotel is 3.5 km from the crater and inside the 6-km PDZ. The road to the hotel is a vertical road 8 km from Sabloyon route (Buang section) stretching the cities of Tabaco (First District) and Ligao (Third District).

Cesar Banares of Bacacay town exposed early-October the indiscriminate cutting of trees at Mayon as a result of the road- opening constructions in three villages of Bacacay, Malilipot and Tabaco City. Banares’s expose’ led to the founding of the Save Mayon movement.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/strong-support-continues-for-save-mayon-movement/