Ronnie Puno, DILG focused on cleanup after twin storms too

We all have heard about the relief efforts that were done by various government agencies right after the destruction caused by the two typhoons. And the Department of Interior and Local Government is one of those government agencies that took part in this drive. The relief efforts were successful, and rehabilitation efforts were made as well. But other than this, the Department of Interior and Local Government also took part in an important activity right after the destruction has subsided.

The department under the guidance of Secretary Ronnie Puno and Undersecretary also took care of the cleanup operations and its many attached agencies also took part in the said efforts. Just the other week, the department has called for the meeting of governors and mayors in the metro to discuss measures on how to remove the more than 20,000 tons of garbage and debris in the metro. The president has issued a deadline for the local government units to address the stinking problem, and as of the latest count the local government units failed to the meet the deadline but what is important is that the efforts of the local government units continues up to this day. The department made sure that it did everything that it can including the utilization of heavy equipments, but still the number is to enough to cover all grounds. For this reason, the department called on construction companies lent some of their heavy equipments during the clean up drive. Another measure that was implemented and agreed upon weeks ago was the opening of the San Mateo, Montalban and the Rodriguez landfills. It was reported that Rizal Governor Ynares agreed for the opening of these landfills.

Solid Waste Management Forum planned

Another important measure that helped the department and the local government units was the declaration of the state of calamity in the areas affected by the twin storms. If these areas are under the state of calamity, the local government units in these areas can get into emergency contracts with companies in order to rush the cleanup. As a complement to these efforts, the department is also planning to schedule a seminar on solid waste management.

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Military alert on in time for Typhoon Ramil

It is not only the local government units and local and regional disaster and coordinating councils that are preparing for the arrival of Typhoon Ramil. The military is also under alert as of Monday in preparation for the arrival and the destruction that can be brought by the typhoon. The blue alert for the military was approved by General Victor Ibrado, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff.

The escalation to blue alert will ensure that the military will be ready in case their help on the ground will be needed. When the military is in alert, this means that all of the personnel of the military are required to be on duty 12 hours a day. The Chief of Staff has also ordered that all the unified command units should also form their own version of the Multi-Role Force Battalion. This battalion was activated this past weekend in order to respond to the calamities.

In a statement that was made by the spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, he said that the assets and the resources of the Armed Forces which include the rubber boats of the Navy have been activated and positioned in Northern Luzon and these crafts are on alert and ready to be used for rescue efforts. The Navy spokesperson on the other hand said that their fleet is on red alert in preparation for the land fall of the newest typhoon. A red alert status means that the personnel are required to be on duty round the clock, and vacations of the personnel are cancelled during this time.

To be specific, the Naval Forces Luzon, the Naval Education and the Training Command and the Naval Forces Southern Luzon have been harnessed and positioned in strategic areas on northern Luzon where the typhoon is expected to hit. The personnel of the Navy is expected to be beef up by naval reservists and backed by the Navy’s Britten Norman BN-2 Islander plane. Eighteen rubber boats will be there as well to back up the fleet plus there will be 13 M-35 trucks, two amphibious trucks and two amphibian trucks.

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BFP adds 33 new fire trucks

With the growing need for fire trucks in many areas and local government units, the Bureau of Fire Protection has added thirty three (33) new fire trucks to its stable. The addition of this new batch of fire trucks will serve its purpose to address the need for flushing the affected areas and these can be used as well for providing and delivering water to evacuees. These new fire trucks of the bureau are expected to be deployed in the National Capital Region, and some will be delivered to CALABARZON.

The procurement of the new set of fire trucks were made after Secretary Ronnie Puno received a report from Undersecretary for Public Safety Marius Corpus. The said report coming from the Bureau of Fire Protection underlines the need for new fire trucks, and the said report also underscored the big help of the fire trucks in delivering water to evacuation areas. And of course, the presence of these trucks will also ensure that the department can be more effective in its fire fighting role. According to Mr. Corpus, though the Bureau of Fire Protection helped the victims of the twin typhoons the bureau should also ensure that it will still have its personnel and equipments that can help in putting out fire. Undersecretary Corpus also shared in the report that during the typhoon, the BFP in the National Capital Region has responded to 10 fire calls, and they also acted upon many requests for rescue in many flooded areas.

The Bureau of Fire Protection currently has a list of targeted number of fire trucks for every affected region in the country. For example for Region1, the needed number of fire trucks is 88. In BFP Region 3, the region is in need of 217 fire trucks. For the Bureau of Fire Protection in Region IV A, around 257 fire trucks are needed. And for the Bureau of Fire Protection in the National Capital Region, the area is still in need of 428 fire trucks. As of the last count, the Bureau of Fire Protection has deployed around 596 fire trucks and 6,050 personnel in affected areas. They are expected to help in the cleanup operations and they will be there as well to ration clean water.

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Ronnie Puno calls on LGUs to prepare for Typhoon Ramil

With another supertyphoon set to hit the country, specifically the northern part of the country, the Department of Interior and Local Government has called on its local government units and the local executives to prepare and be ready for the worst. Secretary Ronnie Puno surely knows that taking a typhoon lightly is not an option now and it is for this reason why he called on governors, city and municipal mayors of central and northern Luzon to leave no stones unturned when it comes to preparing the communities and areas for the coming storm.

His call centers on the provinces of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Kalinga, Apayao and the Batanes Group of Islands. The DILG chief called for the activation of the Local Disaster Coordinating Councils. Based on the latest report and update coming from the Philippine Atmospheric , Geophysical and Astronomical Services the newest typhoon that will hit the country was seen 1,070 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan and this new typhoon is said to be packing 195 kilometers per hour near the center and its gustiness can reach up to 230 kilometers per hour. The strength of this typhoon approximates the strength of typhoon ‘Pepeng’ which caused massive destruction and landslides in northern Philippines.

The latest forecast has it that the typhoon is expected to move west northwestward at 17 kilometers per hour and by Tuesday afternoon the said typhoon is expected to be 790 kilometers northeast of Aparri. And by Thursday, the typhoon is expected to make its landfall. The call of Secretary Ronnie Puno is an important one, and a good move considering the past destruction made by typhoons ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Pepeng’.

In a statement, the secretary said that it is the duty of the disaster coordinating councils to take the lead in making sure that the disaster control and rescue plans can be activated and can be implemented at the right time. He also echoed the call of the National Disaster Coordinating Council to local officials of critical areas to start the evacuation plans while the typhoon is still days away from making its landfall. Ronnie Puno also cited the need to put up important measures that can help in community preparation like early warning systems and relief and rehabilitation efforts.

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DILG leads in the celebration of National Rural Women’s Day

Last October 15th, the country marked the National Rural Women’s Day and the Department of Interior and Local Government is one of the government agencies that took the lead in the celebration of this event in the country. Secretary Ronnie Puno of the department has called on all local government units and the local chief executives and officials to mark this said event, and he has underscored the need to remember this day by initiating simple yet well intended and important events and activities.

The celebration is done on a yearly basis and this is often celebrated every 15th of October. It is the intent of the celebration to effectively uplift and lift the profile of the rural women and also to make the government and the government more responsive to the needs of the rural women in agriculture and food production. It is also the intent of the celebration to promote different kinds of actions and initiatives that will help raise their profile. For this year’s celebration of the National Rural Women’s Day the theme that was adopted was the ‘Rural Women at the Heart of Innovation. The choice of this theme is significant in the current times. The choice of this theme clearly indicates that there is a compelling need to have a progress against hunger and poverty and it is a requirement as well that the development planners, leaders and policy makers to make that change and shift in their thinking when it comes to women, food security and of course development. The increasing cost of food items is now a crucial issue that needs to be addressed and this is one compelling reason why there is a growing number of hungry and impoverished people.

This issue thus takes center stage in this year’s celebration of the National Rural Women’s Day. To mark the celebration for this year, the office of Secretary Ronnie Puno issued DILG Memo Circular Number 2009-142. The memorandum that was issued by his office underscores the need to celebrate this important day of the year, and the memorandum also explains in detail why there is a need for more initiatives that will uplift the needs and profile of the rural women.

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Citizen charter for every LGUs targeted by DILG, RonniePuno

The Department of Interior and Local Government is targeting to cover all local government units when it comes to having their own Citizen’s Charter. This is one of the major programs of the department under the leadership of Secretary Ronnie Puno. The design and the introduction of a public document like this one is seen as an important move to serve the public and to make sure that red tape can be cut or at least lessened. And now the good news has been shared by the secretary just this week. In a press release from his office, he stated that their office is right on target. To be exact, he shared that nearly 100 percent of all local government units have their own charters, thus ensuring that there will be a better way to deliver social and basic services.

Ronnie Puno has reported that nearly 97 percent of all local government units have their own charters or roughly 1,538 local government units out of the possible 1,591 local government units in the country. The delivery of the charter is a directive under the Anti Red Tape Law of 2007 and the main intent of this law is to cut red tape in government transactions.

What to expect in a citizen charter

So what can you expect from a citizen charter of one local government unit? The citizen charter will include a number of important details related to the operations and the services of the specific local government unit. For example, a charter of one LGU will state the mission and vision of the organization. The charter will also itemize the many front line services of the organization plus this charter will also include the step by step procedure how the services can be availed. The charter will also include information on who is charge for the delivery and the dispensation of these services plus the fees associated with these services if there are any. Secretary Ronnie Puno is happy with this kind of development in his department and he added that this goes to show that their dedication for service and transparency is always there.

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DILG calls for a permanent disaster control plan

It takes two typhoons and the inconveniences associated with it to convince our government to take disaster management plan seriously. One department that takes this kind of plan seriously is the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government has called on local government units and local officials in areas affected by the last two typhoons to plan out and to map out a permanent disaster control and rescue plan that they can use in case another disaster of this kind happens to these areas. In an interview conducted with the secretary, he said that the local officials were given a week to prepare and to submit their rescue plans and these rescue plans that they can prepare and submit to the office are the same plans and templates that can be used if there is a threat coming from a typhoon or other kinds of disasters. Secretary Ronnie Puno has met with local officials and has talked to them on how they can be better prepared to handle future calamities. He said that this will serve as a permanent solution to the calamities that will hit the country in the future. He said that it is the purpose of the department to come up with a disaster control plan, and added that there is a need to go beyond the usual relief and rehabilitation efforts.

In the same interview in Camp Crame, the DILG chief said that the prepared plans of these local government units will then be submitted to the Office of the President and copies will be forwarded as well to the National Disaster and Coordinating Council or the NDCC. There are certain things that are included in the plans, as recommended by the office. For example, it suggested that the plans should include the identification of the strategic areas where the government assets and personnel can be positioned well before the calamity strikes. The secretary also shared that as a complement to these plans, the department through the Philippine National Police will deploy 75 new rubber boats in critical areas.

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Ronnie Puno’s authorized leave defended

At the height of the government’s program to lead the rehabilitation efforts in response to the destruction caused by the last two typhoons, some personalities including Senator Miriam Santiago has questioned the absence of Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government. According to the senator, the secretary should be around because this was the time when his LGUs need him the most. And upon knowing that the secretary was not around and that a person in charge was appointed, the senator further stated that Ronnie Puno should be held liable and responsible for the loss and the deaths that happened in connection with the last two typhoons. Simply put, the secretary was once again at the receiving end of harsh words and baseless accusations of the senator.

The office of the secretary did not take this lightly and in a statement the acting secretary of the department; Acting Secretary Melchor Rosales defended the leave of Ronnie Puno. According to Mr. Rosales, Ronnie Puno was on authorized leave and this was contrary to the claim of the lady senator that Ronnie Puno did not get the permission of President Arroyo. The acting secretary added that the request for leave by Secretary Ronnie Puno was already approved last September 8, which means that this was approved days before the typhoon struck. Ronnie Puno is out of the country because his wife is scheduled to undergo a major surgery. According to his office, the secretary will be back in the country on October 12.

According to Melchor Rosales, the approval was released September 8 and that he has already the papers that will make him as the acting secretary of the office. The acting secretary added that even though Ronnie Puno is not around, he said that the department is still leading the efforts in helping the affected local government units. The department has conducted meetings and consultations, and has also led in indentifying possible evacuation centers and sites. According to the acting secretary, their department has identified 26 schools and these schools are currently used as evacuation centers.

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How Ronnie Puno plans to introduce 'new politics'

This should serve as a welcome respite and definitely a breather; Secretary Ronnie Puno calling for a new way to play politics in this country.

We all know what the secretary of Department of Interior and Local Government means; what he means is that every player in the field should stop the trend of pushing for politics of negativity and mudslinging and the 2010 elections could serve as the perfect time to exercise a new form of politics and the perfect time to exercise in civility as well. Ronnie Puno’s take on the new form of politics was shared by the secretary during his speaking engagement at the Manila Overseas Press Club or the MOPC. In his speech that was delivered on that same gathering, he offered his insights on how to improve the way politicians and political personalities can help in transforming the way we do politics. He said that now is the time to end the meaningless partisan divisions that divide them, and that he believes that now is the time to have a fresh start for the country’s politics. He said that this new form of politics is a politics that is characterized by civility and decorum and this is the same politics that he is willing to promote in time for next year’s elections. In his own words;

And rhetoric has to be matched by action. Even when chosen by my party to be its vice-presidential candidate, I pledge to help elevate the campaign to a higher more decent plane. By focusing on issues and refraining from engaging my rivals in name-calling or character assassination. I will not personally attack my opponents and will recognize whatever positive actions they have done in the past or during the campaign.

These are the words and the promise coming from Secretary Ronnie Puno. And the challenge is for other politicians and interested personalities to follow suit, considered by the DILG chief as his friends. By making this promise, the secretary has made a compelling contribution to the political exercise; and we all wait how others responds to this call of new politics.

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Ronnie Puno is committed to civility in polls

There is this common thinking that every political exercise is marked by negativity; everyone is pulling someone to their level all in the name of winning the game. After all, they are in the electoral game to win the ultimate prize; so their eyes are on the prize. So for many, it is no longer a surprise to learn that a significant chunk of the voting talks negatively about the elections next year. And they are expecting that the elections next year will be marked once again by irregularities and poll rigging. But let it be known that this is not completely true; there are still a group of interested candidates and political personalities that promotes civility and responsible actions even during elections. Secretary Ronnie Puno is one, and the current chief of the Department of Interior and Local Government has already shown his commitment to the conduct of a civil and intelligent campaign.

Ronnie Puno is the preferred candidate for vice president of the administration party, but he is still waiting for the confirmation by his party. But this early, he has already shown his dedication and support for the conduct of an intelligent campaign grounded on issues. The general public caught a glimpse of this thinking and plans of the good secretary during his speaking engagement at the Manila Overseas Press Club or the MOPC. His talk during that night touched on his plans for the elections. Participants to the said event was introduced to his theme of civility in politics using the post-election period as that time that can be used for healing and reconciliation between parties. These kinds of thinking and statements coming from Secretary Ronnie Puno can be considered as a welcome news and development.

After being bombarded with lots of negative news and lots of pulling down, statements like these surely provide a breather and hope for all of us. For sure, we can still say that there is hope in Philippine electoral exercises after all. What is more refreshing is that Ronnie Puno made use of simple and clear words that delivers the point straight up- and that he is for a civil and an intelligent campaign for the 2010 elections.

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Post Ondoy dialogue planned by DILG

As part of the government’s plans of helping communities and local government units get back on its feet after the devastation brought about by the last two typhoons, the Department of Interior and Local Government is planning to meet with the LGUs and communities to assess the current situation. The planned meet-up scheduled by the department on October 9, 2009 will also target some concrete steps that can be recommended to these local government units on how they can move forward after these calamities.

The meeting with communities and LGUs affected by the last two typhoons will be facilitated by acting Secretary Melchor Rosales. Rosales is currently the acting secretary since Secretary Ronnie Puno is out of the country to accompany his wife for an operation. The proposed meet-up is called ‘Post Ondoy Reconstruction: A Dialogue with LGUs’. It is expected that this meeting of minds will then help guide the LGUs and communities on how they can reconstruct their respective areas of responsibilities. In a statement, acting secretary Rosales said that now is the time for us to work together to reconstruct and rebuild the battered communities.

If the meeting goes according to plans, the local chief executives of the affected areas are expected to report the damages and the effects of the Typhoon ‘Ondoy’ to their communities. They are also expected to update the department regarding the status of the rehabilitation and the relief efforts currently underway in their areas. Plus, they are also expected to cite the other issues and problems in their respective areas that need to be addressed immediately. The dialogue between the department and the representatives of the LGUs will be held at the Multi-Purpose Hall in Camp Crame in Quezon City. Participants to the said dialogue includes governors, city and municipal mayors, local police officers and also fire chiefs coming from Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

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Secretary Ronnie Puno calls for more cops to achieve ideal ratio

The number of cops on the road and patrolling the communities will have a say on how peaceful and secure our roads and communities will be. When there is a lack in the number of police officers, then it cannot be expected that security and peace and order will be easy to get. For this reason, the Department of Interior and Local Government is investing much time and effort in making sure that a proper number of police officers will be made available on the streets to keep us safe.

One move of the department through the initiative of Secretary Ronnie Puno is the hiring of additional 10,000 police officers. This move of the department is part of its long term planning. And this program will be started next year. The target of this plan is simple- to make sure that the streets remain safe and to make sure that we can get nearer to the ideal ratio of police officers to the population. If the move will be approved next year and the proposed hiring will be implemented, then the ratio of police officer to the population will stand at one police officer to 649 persons. This will demonstrate a marked increase of 8 percent compared to the current ratio that we have today.

In the past years, the move of the department and Secretary Ronnie Puno was to hire 3,000 police officers every year. But they saw that this was no longer enough and this is the reason why they proposed that starting next year, they will hire 10,000 or triple the usual hiring template. And by the estimates of the department, this kind of hiring move will need at least 1.4 billion for its budget. If the proposed hiring will push through next year, then this will increase the total number of uniformed personnel in the Philippine National Police to more than 142,000. But even though the plan of the department pushed through, still we are off from the ideal ratio of one police officer for every 500 individuals. These pieces of information were shared by Secretary Ronnie Puno during the presentation of the department budget in the Congress.

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Ronnie Puno urged unaffected areas, LGUs to help typhoon-hit areas

Areas and local government units that were spared from the wrath of Typhoons ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Pepeng’ were urged last week to help and assist typhoon-damaged areas in the country. And even before Typhoon ‘Pepeng’ struck the northern part of the country, the Department of Interior and Local Government has urged unaffected areas to aid affected areas prepare better for the coming calamity.

This move of by the department to remind LGUs was a good reminder to those which remained in complacency for most part of last week. Just last week, Typhoon ‘Ondoy’ dumped heavy rains in Metro Manila and other areas and submerged these areas for a number of days. The destruction brought by the typhoon has cost more 100 million in infrastructure damages and cost the lives of around 293 people. As a measure to avoid the same issues days before the second typhoon struck the country, the department under the leadership of Secretary Ronnie Puno called on the LGUs to assist and extend financial help to the affected areas if necessary. When Typhoon ‘Pepeng’ hit the country a few days ago, the government declared most areas in the north under the state of calamity. The coverage of the state of calamity was then widened to include the rest of the country.

The department through its acting secretary suggested ways on how the unaffected LGUs can help the typhoon-stricken areas of the country. The acting department secretary cited the Sections 5 (a) of the Rules and Regulations Implementing the RA 8185. Under this section, the local government units may allocate and use the portion of the five percent calamity fund provided that the areas that will receive the funding are also declared as state of calamity. The same section also states that the calamity fund can be used for the relief efforts, the reconstruction and the rehabilitation in connection with the calamities that may happen within the budget year. These unaffected LGUs according to the department can undertake relief operating that may include the provision of emergency assistance like provision of temporary shelter and relief goods. These LGUs can also undertake reconstruction efforts as a way to assist the affected LGUs.

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Ronnie Puno presents 2010 DILG budget to Congress

For next year, the Department of Interior and Local Government has proposed a budget of 64.547 billion. This budget which was proposed and presented by Secretary Ronnie Puno to the Congress includes funding for the hiring of around 10,000 new policemen, plus that funding as well for 1,000 new officers for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Bureau of Fire Protection. The proposed budget plan for next year is slightly higher than the 2009 budget by around 3 percent.

For this year, the department is being sustained by a budget of 62.937 billion. This latest proposed budget by the department was shared by Secretary Ronnie Puno before the members of the House Committee on Appropriations which is currently chaired Representative Junie Cua of the province of Quirino. Secretary Puno explained before the body the plans of the department and the reason for the budget request. He said that the proposed budgetary allocations of his office will fund the four priority thrusts of the department and all these are designed to promote governance. He specifically cited the Republic Act n9485 or the Anti Red Tape Act.

He also cited the other major programs of the department under his leadership which includes the initiatives on the local economic assistance, the human rights initiatives and also the peace and order programs of the department. Secretary Ronnie Puno also specified the budget of the department by specific office or organization. For example, for the Office of the Secretary the department is proposing 1.882 billion. From the looks of it, this may seem too large but as stated by Secretary Ronnie Puno the allocation for this year has been decreased by 23 percent. The Philippine National Police sees its budget increased for next year. According to Secretary Ronnie Puno, the budget for the PNP is up by 5 percent to 49.664 billion. Last year, the budget for the department was pegged at 47.268 billion. The budget for the Bureau of Fire Protection on the other hand is down by 9 percent. But at least the budget for the BJMP is given a boost as its budget increased by 7 percent.

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Ronnie Puno pushes for projects that will empower LGUs

Empowerment of the local government is one of the major plans of the Department of Interior and Local Government. And ever since Secretary Ronnie Puno assumed the top post in the department, he spearheaded a number of programs and projects that are aimed to empower our local government units and out local government heads. One such major initiative of the department that is aimed at helping the LGUs realize its full potential is focused on the peace and order front.

Well this can be expected since peace and order are considered as two of the main concerns of the Department of Interior and Local Government. Under the leadership of Secretary Ronnie Puno, the police organization has managed to increase its police visibility. And by increasing the police visibility, surely peace and order follows and investments will surely start to pour in. Under the guidance of Secretary Ronnie Puno, the police organization has accepted 15,000 new officers and the department is expecting another 10,000 and if the plan will push thru this new number is targeted by 2010. The addition of new personnel to the organization is complemented by equipping the police force with the right trainings and resources that will make them competent in addressing threats to security and peace and order. Secretary Ronnie Puno has also outlined the work done by the department in making sure that women and children are properly cared for and their rights are properly protected. A good example of this initiative is the establishment of the Women and Children Protection Desks, and these desks are present in every police station in the country. The establishment of these desks is considered as one of the landmark initiatives of the Philippine National Police under the direction of Secretary Ronnie Puno.

The department is also making sure that the PNP is ready to meet its challenges by building new police stations and engineering offices. Also part of the plan is the acquisition of anti-terrorism gears and equipments including communication equipment. All these resources are seen by the department as a big help in addressing terrorism and helpful in ensuring peace and order in the country.

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Significant initiatives for LGUs introduced by Sec Ronnie Puno

The Department of Interior and Local Government is targeting new measures that can help local government units’ better address the needs of its constituents, and more importantly these new measures are also targeted to help maintain peace and order in communities. According to Secretary Ronnie Puno, all these measures and initiatives have one thing in common- to ensure that the streets are safe thus attracting the attention of foreign investors.

In order to concretize these proposed initiatives, Secretary Ronnie Puno has called for additional budget for the department which includes the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. These moves to enhance the services of the department were made during the stint of Secretary Ronnie Puno. The secretary believes that by enhancing the budget of the department then it would be better equipped to handle and to protect the people it is mandated to serve.

There were a number of initiatives planned and implemented by the department under the leadership of Secretary Ronnie Puno. One initiative of the department is to identify the many ways and measures that can empower the local chief executives. Empower in a sense that the local chief executives will be given a better say in the decision-making process in the government. Secretary Puno targets a more active role for local chief executives and he envisions local chief executives that have a say on country side development and peace and order. He believes that by empowering these local chief executives then the department accomplishes that true grassroots empowerment. By making sure that these local chief executives are given a participatory role in decision-making processes, potential mismatches in development projects and actual needs can be avoided. This is true because the needs and the wants of the LGUs can be better understood since these LGUs will now have representatives on the negotiating table. Secretary Ronnie Puno also noted the need to overhaul public governance in the local level. And this is done by empowering the local chief executives and by making sure that they have a voice in developmental planning.

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