Tambuling Batangas Publication July 18-24, 2018 Issue | Page 6

Health... a month before the national elections. The vaccine was administered to 700,000 Grade 5 pupils. “The connivance between government officials and giant multi-national companies benefited those in power while it caused harm on ordinary citizens. It is time that the people gets a chance to fight back,” said Caguiat. Garin, as well as Aquino, maintained that there was no negligence on their part. The Dengvaxia vaccine was administered to children despite the unfinished phase three clinical trials. On Nov. 29, 2017 Sanofi released a statement saying that six years of clinical trial data found that Dengvaxia can cause severe dengue fever to those who have not contracted the disease. This resulted in panic and anxiety 75... Advertisements mula sa pahina 8 among parents whose children were vaccinated. The coalition pointed out that there have been warnings on the dangers of Dengvaxia published by international and local experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) since March 2016, but the government still proceeded with the program. They asserted that the government and Sanofi officials are both responsible as they have promoted the Dengvaxia program even if clinical trials are still on- going. The coalition also stressed that the Department of Health officials such as former Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial should also be held accountable for continuing the program. Hulyo 18-24, 2018 Ubial admitted, during committee hearings in Congress, that she had prior knowledge on the adverse effects of Dengvaxia but continued the program allegedly due to pressure from some politicians. For the coalition, “the DOJ can be non-partisan and impartial on the case by investigating other Duterte administration public officials that continued the program since 2016.” Meanwhile, Caguiat called on the people to remain vigilant as the Philippine justice system has “a long record of acquitting government officials who have committed crimes toward its own people.” “If proper justice is served, then this would be a lesson to government officials to act with diligence since the Dengvaxia fiasco is a clear case of government neglect,” Caguiat said. Cimatu said. The Handog Titulo program seeks to expedite the processing and issuance of public land patents to qualified beneficiaries. It is an initiative to boost the distribution of land titles to fight poverty, and fuel progress and development. Under the program, free patent is made available to Filipinos who occupied a residential land for at least 10 years provided the land applied for is alienable and disposable. The distribution of land titles is anchored on two government policies to give land to the landless: Proclamation 172 and RA 10023. Proclamation 172 specifically refers to the distribution of residential lots to qualified residents through sale, and it covers certain barangays in Taguig City. RA 10023, on the other hand, authorizes the administrative issuance of free patents on residential lands to every qualified Filipino with no land title. Under the law, applicants do not have to go through a lengthy, tedious and financially-demanding court process to gain legal rights over residential lands they have occupied for 10 years or more. It covers all public lands zoned as residential, townsites and residential lands in delisted/abandoned military camps and reservations. (PIA-NCR with reports from DENR) DOLE urges workers to assert rights to dignity at work SSS Flexi-fund’s Annual Incentive Benefit increases to P17.38M in 2017 DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said the beneficiaries acquired their land titles through Republic Act 10023 or the Residential Free Patent Act of 2010 and Proclamation 172, which declared certain barangays in Taguig City open for disposition. Cimatu assured that the DENR would continue to promote social justice and poverty alleviation through the processing and distribution of free patents for residential lands. “The DENR aims to uplift the lives of Filipinos by giving them access to free land titling and empowering them with legal ownership over lands which they have been occupying for many years,” Susan G. De Leon MANILA --The labor department urged workers to assert their right to be treated with dignity, and ensure that they are provided with a safe working environment free from all forms of harassment. In a recent dialogue with workers in Vitas, Tondo, Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod said the Department Order 183, series of 2017 was issued primarily to ensure higher level of employers’ compliance on the provisions of the Labor Code such as those pertaining to regularization; payment of salaries and remittance of social security and other benefits, and occupational safety and health standards. Under the order, routine inspections and complaints inspections or occupational EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SALE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late PONCIANO ISLES who died on July 23, 1993 Leaving a parcel of land covered by TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE No. (T- 9512) T-12215 situated in Mun. of Calamba, Laguna, has been extrajudicially settled by their heirs, as per Doc. No. 1765; Page No. 18; Book No. 10; Series of 2013; Notary Public Atty. GREGORIO E. MAUNAHAN Tambuling Batangas July 18, 25 & August 01, 2018 mula sa pahina 8 safety and health standard investigations can be conducted in accordance with the visitorial powers of the labor secretary or his duly authorized representatives. Routine inspections shall be conducted in priority establishments or those engaged in hazardous work, employing children, and engaged in contracting and sub-contracting arrangements, employing over ten employees, or establishments as may be determined by the DOLE Secretary as priority. The dialogue was attended by workers from Harbour Center Port Terminal, Inc., Grasials Corporation, and SLORD Development Corporation. Eldefonso Bello, president of the Samahang Manggagawa sa Harbour Center, said HCPT sources over 1,000 workers from different manpower agencies that they complain of receiving below minimum wage rate and non-remittance of SSS contributions. Also, employees of SLORD had similar complaints and violations of occupational safety and health standards. Maglunsod said the DOLE will exhaust all applicable measures as provided for under DO183 to compel employers to comply with all labor standards, including regulations on contracting and sub-contracting arrangements. There may be delays he said, due to procedures such as prolonged mandatory conferences and resolutions of complaints but workers vigilance and unity is essential for their welfare. He also encouraged the workers to avail of the DOLE livelihood programs to help their families gain decent livelihood opportunities to boost their incomes.(PIA-NCR) THE Social Security System (SSS) disbursed more than P17 million worth of Annual Incentive Benefit (AIB) under the Flexi-Fund program in 2017 to its more than 47,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) members. SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel F. Dooc said the AIB disbursed to qualified OFWs rose by 12.13 percent to P17.38 million in 2017 compared with the P15.5 million in 2016. Dooc also added that the number of qualified OFWs with active accounts under the SSS Flexi-fund program in 2017 grew by 9.87 percent to 47,284 from the 43,035 on the same period in 2016. “It is worth noting that our OFWs are making use of the Flexi-Fund program wherein they can invest their savings, which will yield higher returns compared with saving it in the bank for a period of time. As Senator Richard Gordon kept on saying during our charter amendment hearing, one should “Save, Invest and Prosper”” Dooc said. Dooc said members’ equity in 2017 amounted to P732.05 million while actual investment income for the same year reached P32.07 million, of which P12.75 million was already credited to members’ accounts as guaranteed earnings. The combined AIB and guaranteed earnings increased the total amount credited to individual Flexi-Fund accounts to P30.13 million in 2017, a 13 percent-increase from the P26.78 million credited in 2016. Dooc said the AIB received by each qualified member depends on the Flexi-fund’s year-end net investment income and is distributed based on the individual equity shares of all qualified members. “The higher the savings, the higher returns,” he explained. The Flexi-Fund program is a voluntary provident fund program which allows OFWs to save a portion of their income abroad and maximize returns of their investment. It is offered exclusively to OFWs in addition to the benefits under the regular SSS program. Under the Flexi-fund, savings are sourced from payments not lower than P200, paid in excess of the required maximum SSS contributions . Amounts are invested in fixed income securities and the interest rates are based on the average rates of SSS’ short-term placements or 91-day Treasury bill, whichever is higher, re-priced quarterly The AIB was launched in 2012 to encourage OFWs to maintain and increase their retirement savings with SSS. It is granted to members with no full Flexi-fund withdrawals or benefit claims within the applicable year. The maximum AIB credited to a member’s account in 2017 reached P131,475 while the average AIB per individual is P368. OFWs can view their AIB amount, Flexi-fund account status, and other SSS membership records by registering at the My.SSS online service portal at the SSS Website (www.sss.gov.ph). They may also inquire more about the Flexi-fund with our OFW Contact Services Section through service hotlines [phone] and 364-7798 or by e-mail at ofw. [email protected].