(From left: Lt. Gen. William K. Hotchkiss, CAAP Director General with
Capt. John Andrews, Deputy General for Operations, CAAP)
Bird strike at Ninoy Aquino International Airport
(NAIA) does not only poses an imminent danger to
the safety of airlines and its passengers, but also a threat to our country’s economy as well. We may never earn an
upgrade of our aviation safety classification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to boost
our tourism industry and increase commercial activities in the metropolis and
parts of central Luzon, because of such issue, other than the modernization of our airports.
Lately, there
was tremendous increase of bird strikes at NAIA. There were 49 bird strike recorded
by CAAP from January to September, compared to 30 bird strikes in 2011 and 25
in 2010, which makes the makes the danger more imminent.Thus, NAIA was prompted to issue a warning to
the pilots of the danger to land and take off at NAIA.
It was reported that a Philippine Airlines (PAL)
Flight PR 124 to Manila
was canceled last September after birds got sucked into the plane’s engine in order to
ensure the safety of passengers and crew. Cebu Pacific's Cotabato-Manila flight was
delayed for more than four hours also in the same month. Earlier
in July, it was reported that PAL flight PR 105 that just
arrived in Manila from Guam
in also suffered from the same incident and the aircraft’s entire set of
fan
blades had to be replaced due to irreparable damage. It was reported by
TV 5 News that from January to July this year, 39 bird strikes have been
reported at
the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), 50 percent more than the
same period last year, data from the Manila International Airport
Authority (MIAA) indicated. These incidents involve aircraft of
Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, Zest Air, Cathay Pacific, Jet
Star Asia, Air Philippines Express, and Qatar Airways.
The population of migratory
birds nesting at the Las-Piñas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Eco Tourism area located
about 15 kilometer away from NAIA . . . DOUBLE CLICK HERE TO WITNESS BY YOURSELF
(From left: Greg Oculto, President, Ostomate Association of the Philippines (OAP); Luningning Siarez, President Stoma Nurses Core Group; Dr. Ramy Roxas, President of the Philippine Society of Colorectal Surgeons and the Asean Society of Colorectal Surgeons; Dra. Rachel Rosario, Executive Director and Romy Marcaida, Director, Philippine Cancer Society; Lolly Acosta, Moderator, Balitaan sa Aloha Hotel; and, Colorectal Cancer Survivor, Fernando Lazaro, Vice-President, OAP)
Colorectal Cancer is now plaguing our country! Who are these people we call Ostomates? “The truth shall set us free”, said Lolly Acosta during her opening statement at the forum. In furtherance of its mission, the Philippine Cancer Society and Balitaan Sa Aloha Hotel in a joint project, launched a quad media, i.e., television, radio, print and the internet, campaign to advocate for the eradication of Colorectal cancer in the country on October 3, 2012, in celebration of the World Ostomy Day on October 6, 2012.
“Statistics shows that Colorectal
Cancer is the third leading cancer in the Philippines today. Consequently,
pursuant to the mission of the Philippine Cancer Society, there is a need for
the society to disseminate information concerning the disease to lessen if not
totally eradicate all kinds of cancer in our country”, said Dra. Rachel Rosario
of the Philippine Cancer Society, the lead convenor of the forum at Balitaan sa
Aloha Hotel on October 3, 2012.
“Colorectal Cancer is one of the
most common cancer in the world today and the number of those suffering from
the disease is growing, said Dr. Ramy Roxas, President of the Philippine
Society of Colorectal Surgeons and the Asean Society of Colorectal Surgeons. “Data
gathered by the Philippine Cancer Society shows that the survival rate of those
suffering from the said illness in our country is only forty percent (40%),
while those in theUnited States is 60%”,
said Dr. Roxas. He further added that, “the disease can be eliminated if
earlier detected and curable”.
And what are the remedies?Hear it from them personally.Join us in our Talakayan at Balitaan sa
Aloha:
(Al Hajj Jameel RM Jaymalin with retired Col. Benny A. Letrondo during a press meeting at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Course Restaurant on February 17, 2012)
Retired Col. Jaemeel RM Jaymalin, Al Hajj, was among the graduate of the Special Officers Course (SOCC) at Fort Magsaysay in 1962. He joined the Philippine Army afterwards and after retirement, became active into the different peace advocacy undertaking among Muslims and Christians alike until he was appointed to head the Payatas Special Operations Groupby then Mayor Sonny Belmonte of Quezon City and later named as the Executive Director of the Quezon City Muslim Consultative Council. Today, Col. Jaymalin preferred to be called as peacemaker and and elderly Al Hajj among our brother Muslims, keeping the peace and advocating for development of the City to benefit both our Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters alike.
Comes September marks the 107th Anniversary of the Civil Service Commission. One of the highlights in the affair is the awarding ceremony for exemplary accomplishment of individuals and groups for the innovations or advocacies they introduced in the service, which touches the lives of many. The Commission chooses officials to go out in the field to verify and evaluate the accomplishments of these individuals or groups. We are not allowed to choose our place of assignment, but were informed only three (3) days prior to our departure. The Honor Awards Program is under the Public Assistance and Information Office of the Commission headed by Dir. IV Maria Luisa Salonga-Agamata, with Jacinto Mateo as the focal person.
DESTINATION: KALIBO, AKLAN
Director Evelyn Ejar of the CSC Field Office helped me conduct the investigaiton while Governor Carlito S. Marquez lend us his vehicle for our mobility. What a gesture by Gov. Marquez. It was also providential that I was assigned in Kalibo, Aklan as I shall have time to visit my Aunt, Tiya'y Elpha, after work. Many of us lived with them in Quezon City while we were still studying. Tiya’y Elpha and her husband, Tiyo’y Poling, a lawyer who was then the Personnel Manager of the GSIS, has long retired from the service. They now live in Libacao, Aklan. It is them and my mother that inspires me to indulge on other projects for others to benefit out of my talent. I was just a medium tapped by God to continue their deeds. For it is from them that I learned the true meaning of giving.
THE KALIBO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL II SPED CENTER -
The Special Education Center of Kalibo Elementary School II was established in 1997 by a teacher, who after graduating his first training in special education for the visually impaired leading to a degree of Masters of Arts in Special Education was tasked to establish a Special Education Class for the visually impaired pupils. The enrollment started with only about five pupils. With the meager budget allocated by the government for the program, the teacher took the initiative to solicit funds from donors through the Kapisanan ng Mga may Kapansanan sa Pilipinas Region VI Chapter. In coordination with the local government of Aklan and Mayor Raymar A. Rebaldo, the incumbent Mayor of Kalibo for three term and the President of Aklan Mayors League, the Federation of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Aklan constructed a two-room building for SPED pupils. The Resources for the Blind Inc. donated a brailler, textbooks and materials for the visually impaired pupils. Today, Kalibo Elementary School II SPED Center has a total of 156 Braille reading materials and 24 volumes of Braille textbooks from grades 1-2. 10 Students are now able to read and write in Braille.
Kalibo Elementary School SPED Center has now an enrollment of 48 students with five teachers teaching 10 visually impaired and 38 (hearing impaired) pupils from grades 1 to 6. Seven students already graduated in elementary and now enrolled in secondary level. The Center now also caters to 57 mentally retarded pupils and 18 learning disabled children not only in Aklan, but from nearby provinces as well.
The Center continues to spread its advocacies by venturing into Community Outreach Program and now explores to embark into livelihood projects for the disabled to contribute to the economy of our country. The Center depends practically from donations and sponsorships for its activities, which now spreads to its neighboring provinces. Your donations to support Kalibo Elementary School II SPED Center's programs and projects are welcome. You may contact the Regional Office of the Kapisanan ng may Mga Kapansanan sa Pilipinas in Kalibo, Aklan or the SPED Center c/o JOHANN CAWALING, Head, Kalibo Elementary School II SPED Center, Kalibo, Aklan. email address: "Johann Cawaling" at johanncawaling@yahoo.com
THE SPED CENTER IN YOU TUBE -
There are other deserving individuals and groups from among the candidates whose accomplishment equal or even surpasses the Kalibo Elementary School SPED Center. I'm sure that most if not all of them does not even expect to be recognized like what Tiya’y Elpha or my mother has done. God, however, has His own way of letting things happen. It was not planned. It was providential. Let us not wait for people to realize how we appreciate the good deeds they have done before it might be late for them to know that we appreciated the things they have done.
The Kalibo Elementary School II SPED Center in You Tube. An AVP production inspired by Elpha Rodrigazo Arrieta and Zenaida Rodrigazo Luga:
