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2006-09-26T00:45:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 25, 2006City Council seeks exemption of lying-in-clinic from paying permitsBy Barbara Carla R. Quiero

THE City Council's committee on finance has recommended the approval of the request the Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines (Imap) Inc.-Davao City chapter seeking exemption from payment of annual business permit fee. Imap operates a lying-in clinic in Sandawa, Matina, where at least 10 deliveries are attended to every month.

The association collects a minimal fee for normal delivery for only P1,000 to P2,000 as compared to other clinics that charge as much as P3,500. Based on the committee report of the finance committee, chaired by City Councilor Bonifacio E. Militar, Imap president Aurora T. Baldonado has applied for such exemption. "According to Ms. Baldonando, a favorable action on their application will translate to an increase of fortunate pregnant mothers and children who will be served, as well as an improvement of the quality of their services," the committee report said. Imap is a non-stock, non-profit organization, duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It caters to health needs of pregnant mothers in the city, particularly in Bucana-Matina Area and its adjoining communities.

2006-09-26T00:40:00.000-07:00

Thursday, September 21, 2006Davao is first to have coastal plan

DAVAO City will be the first city in the Philippines to have an integrated Coastal Resource Management (CRM) plan, said Councilor Leonardo R. Avila III. Avila, who chairs the City Council committee on environment and natural resources, said all local government units are required to have their own CRM as a basis for their development plans.

He said this is pursuant to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Executive Order 533 entitled "Adopting Integrated Coastal Management as a National Strategy to Ensure the Sustainable Development of the Country's Coastal and Marine Environment and Resources and Establishing Supporting Mechanisms for its Implementation," issued on June 6 this year. "In the country, we are the first city to comply with this order," Avila said at the Ugnayan sa Royal Mandaya press conference Wednesday. Avila said the city and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office have just completed Wednesday all the technical inspections, mapping, data gathering, and all that is needed to complete the CRM. He said a final draft will be given to his committee on the first week of October. Avila then will conduct one more committee hearing that would put into the record all the data that have been presented. "The result of the committee hearing will now be the basis for our presentation in the City Council to be adopted as part of our plans for Davao City," Avila said. In the CRM, Avila said zonal qualifications of bodies of water have been identified. This includes the marine protected zones, eco-tourism zones, navigational zones, foreshore and coastal settlement zones, and fisheries zones. "The same way that we have our zonification plan in land and we harmonize both to be consistent with one another and will not be in conflict," Avila said. According to Avila, they will make sure the CRM plan will be implemented before their term ends next year. "Because the mayor has already said that all laws related to the environment, now is the time to implement it, it will be a priority now," he disclosed. (BRQ)

2006-09-26T00:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday, September 14, 2006City's coastal cleanup to focus on waterwaysBy Barbara Carla R. Queiro

THE city will celebrate the 21st International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday with focus on creeks, rivers and canals of Davao City, said Councilor Leo Avila III. Avila, who chairs the City Council committee on environment, said since water from creeks, rivers and canals that flows towards the sea have contributed to the pollution of the sea water and its shores, this year's coastal cleanup will focus on these waterways.

Avila, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and City Environment and Natural Resources Office have identified 18 rivers, creeks, and canals in the city to be the sites of the whole day coastal cleanup. "Since water from the creeks, rivers and canals go to the sea, we make them as our focus this year to prevent debris from reaching into the gulf," Avila said in a press conference Tuesday. Among them is the Leon Garcia Creek, Lasang River, Bunawan River, Sasa Creek, Isla Verde Creek, San Pedro Creek, Davao River, Lubugan River and canal near the Tesda. Coastal Marine Management Division chief Crisanto E. Estabillo of the DENR said the flow of the coastal cleanup reporting starts with the cleanup volunteers to the DENR area coordinators, DENR regional office, DENR central office, and finally to the Ocean Conservancy. Based on the report of the Ocean Conservancy, 59 percent of debris comes from beach resorts, 29 percent are smoking related, 8 percent are water waste from canals, creeks, and rivers, 3 percent from dumping, and 1 percent from medical personal hygiene. Avila, meanwhile, said that in Davao City among the debris that are commonly found in the seawaters and its shores are plastics bags and cups, fishing nets and cigarette butts.