PIA receives PQA

Us folks have grown sick and tired of reading about the Janet Lim-Napolis lists and the PDAF and DAP. Our friends in the government’s information agency are saying don’t get hung up on the still sizzling scandals that are putting down trust in the government, for there are two things going well in government institutional reforms, and these are called PIA and PQA.

The good news is that recently during the 16th Philippine Quality Award forum held two weeks ago, Secretary Sonny Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office presented a paper on Philippine Information Agency experience in exemplifying excellence amidst the challenge of the ASEAN economic community of 2015.

The Philippine Information Agency, an attached agency in the PCOP, is one of this year’s five recipients of the 16th Philippine Quality Award (PQA) “for exhibiting serious commitment to improvement to achieve quality excellence and implement sound processes which raise efficiency productivity levels and contribute to the country’s competitiveness.’’

Secretary Coloma said the Philippine Quality Award is the highest level of national recognition for exemplary organizational performance in the country, and is the counterpart of the prestigious Malcolm Bridge National Quality Award in the US and other quality award systems in 88 countries around the world.

PIA was created by Executive Order 100 under the first Aquino leadership to serve as the government’s information and communication arm in engaging the citizenry in nation-building through its 16 regional offices and 72 provincial centers around the country. Among the core functions and services of PIA are its mission “to inform, involve and inspire” Filipinos to build a stronger nation that will benefit future generations. And inherent in this mission is PIA’s quality policy zeroing on its core messages: inform, invest and improve.

PIA has a built-in-quality operating system in its daily news tracking and pulsing of views through its surveys done by its planning group along with inputs from the regional and 88 provincial centers. It formed a development communication network (DEVCOMNET) of communication managers and media specialists from the NGAs and GOCCs who serve as multipliers of government programs and policies as well as an alert response group for public preparedness on energy conservation, consumerism/price watchers, environment and sustainable development, health prevention and peace promotion.

 PIA, has been at the forefront of mixing the use of traditional media/indigenous media like the periodikits in the grassroots, and blending the old with the new and social media, engaging the people for a more interactive communication with its online accounts on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram and the PIA website.

Secretary Coloma described the PIA award as a milestone in the 28 years of the Philippine Information Agency and it is the first government information and communication sector to assist the Aquino administration in pushing for excellence in public service.

The forum was held under the auspices of the DTI Competitiveness Bureau, in cooperation with the Philippine Quality Foundation and the Development Academy of the Philippines.

The awarding ceremonies were held earlier in March at Malacanang with President Aquino handing out the plaques. Five organizations were awarded because of exemplary performances. The other four awardees are Lyceum of the Philippines, Zamboanga Polymedic Hospital, Philippine Association of Colleges, and the Universities Commission on Accreditation, DOST Reg. XI and PIA.

*      *      *

Here’s another piece of good news. Senate President Franklin M. Drilon cautioned motorists against breaking the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act which Congress passed this month, to avoid being hit with a P20,000 to P500,000 fine and worse, imprisonment from three months to 20 years.

Drilon stressed that the law is important in the light of a growing number of accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol and illegal substances.
The Senate chief stressed that the full implementation of the law is important in the light of a growing number of accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol and illegal substances.

But Drilon also warned against unscrupulous individuals who might use the law to harass and extort money from motorists. Under the Implementing Rules and Regulations released by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) last week, Drilon explained that the implementation of the law lies with a deputized law enforcement officer (LEO), such as members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), who will be issued breath analyzers for the task.
An apprehended driver will be subjected to three field sobriety tests to be conducted by the LEO: an eye test, a walk-and-turn test, and the one leg stand. If the driver passes these tests, he/she will only be apprehended for his traffic violation only. However, if the driver fails any of the three tests, he/she will then be subjected to an alcohol breath analyzer test, where the LEO would determine the blood alcohol level of a person by testing his/her breath.
 Non-professional driver’s license holders will also have their license suspended for 12 months on their first offense, and their second offense will get their licenses perpetually revoked. In the case of professional driver’s license holders, the first offense alone will result in their license’s perpetual revocation,” Drilon said.

*      *      *

Two publications to be launched on Thursday are a training manual for women working for normalization and the documentation of focus group discussions conducted from September last year to February this year among Moro, IP and Christian women from Maguindanao, Lanao, Zamboanga,Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Sulu.

The publications are the finished product of the Women Working for Normalization Project. The project had for its theme “Ensuring Women’s Meaningful Participation in the Formulation of the Basic Law and in the Process of Normalization.” It had two objectives.

One was to consult women in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao on their perspectives on normalization and submit such perspectives to the members of the negotiating panels drafting the final peace agreement and to the Bangsamoro Transition Commission which was tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law. The consultations were meant to give women the space to share their views on normalization-related issues according to their experience of armed conflict.

The project’s second objective was to capacitate women on concepts and skills related to normalization so they can actively participate in the process of returning to normal and stable conditions after more than four decades of armed conflict. According to Jasmin Nario -Galace, co-convenor of the WE Act 1325, “By negotiating, the peace panels and the BTC have helped create ‘vertical security.’ There is a need for people in communities to help build ‘horizontal security’ or security in the communities.

This project was made possible with generous support from the Australian Embassy in Manila.

*      *      *

From PRID Paeng Hechanova came this historical account on Rotary clubs, as transmitted by Rotarian Ed Rojas.

“RC of Cebu is correct. After Manila, the following were established: RC of Cebu - 1932; RC of Iloilo - 1933; RC of Bacolod - 1936; RC of Baguio - 1937; RC of Davao, Dagupan and Dumaguete - 1938.”

“The RC of University District Manila may claim that it is the 2nd oldest club in Manila. RC of Pasay is the 2nd oldest club in Metro-Manila, established in 1958 followed by RC of Quezon City in 1960. But before that, RC of Dagupan was readmitted right after WWII in 1945, followed by Manila and the rest of the other clubs.’’

*      *      *

 Email: [email protected]