BIRD SRIKES NAIA!

BIRDS STRIKES AT NAIA!

(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

REPUBLIC SERVICE

"REPUBLIC SERVICE", a public affairs program aired at NBN Channel-4 Fridays from 9:00 to 10:00 in the evening with Honorable Ricardo L. Saludo, Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, was recently launched at the Civil Service Commission Lobby. Among others, Chairman Saludo's guests in tonight's show are: Commission on Audit Chairman Reynaldo A. Villar, Presidential Management Staff Secretary Cerge M. Remonde and Metro Manila Development Authority Bayani Fernando. Also present in tonight's show are public school teachers, who shall be given recognition by the Metro Bank for their exemplary services. (Inset picture: Chairman Saludo with Metro Bank Awardees)

Know the recent news concerning the proposed salary increase of goverment officials and employees, COA's jurisdiction to conduct an audit and the programs and policies being implemented by the Civil Service Commission to boost the morale of civil servants, provide efficient, responsive and courteous public service. Watch "REPUBLIC SERVICE", Fridays 9:00 to 10:00 in the evening NBN PTV-4.

(Inset picture below: Commissioner Mary Ann Z. Fernandez-Mendoza, second from left with guests and Dir. IV Ma. Luisa Salonga-Agamata, fourth from left)

HON. RICARDO L. SALUDO

The Civil Service Commission has a new Chairman. Honorable Ricardo L. Saludo took his oath of office before Vice-President Noli De Castro at the CSC Function Hall on July 25, 2008. Among others, former Chairpersons of the Commission namely: Chairperson Patricia A. Sto. Tomas and Justice Jose A. R. Melo together with incumbent Commissioners Mary Ann Fernandez Z. Mendoza and Cesar D. Buenaflor, who turned-over CSC's leadership to the former, witnessed the ceremony at the stage. Director IV Ariel G. Ronquillo of the Office for Legal Affairs was the master of ceremonies.

Secretary Saludo graduated cum laude and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature from the Ateneo De Manila University. In the year 2001, he was honored as outstanding alumnus from the Asian Institute of Journalism. He completed courses for the Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of London. Before working with the government, Secretary Saludo was the Senior Business Editor for Asiaweek Magazine from 1989 to 1995. In 1995, he became an Asia affairs commentator for CNN and CNBC, working in both networks until 2001. In addition to this, he also was the Assistant Managing Editor of Asiaweek from 1996 up to 2001.

In the year 2003, he became the Deputy Presidential Spokesperson. The next year, he was Acting Head of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) until November 2004. Presently, he is the Cabinet Secretary and has been serving this position since January 2002.

A Techie, Chairman Saludo believes that information technology can play a vital role to influence government workers to emulate exemplary services displayed by others. He vowed to promote transparency in government service and to continue the programs of his predecssors to uplift public service and to speedily address the demands of the public through modern technology, such a "Text CSC", where the public may text their complaints directly to the Commission. The Office for the Legal Affairs of the Commission under the tutelage of Commissioners Cesar D. Buenaflor and Mary Fernandez Z. Mendoza, was cited by the Chairman for its speedy resolution of administrative cases pending before the Commission. During the ceremony, Chairman Saludo and Vice-President Noli De Castro contributed P 100,000.00 each as an initial amount to establish a welfare fund for the benefit of civilian officials and employees in case of death in line of duty. Chairman Saludo's vision for the Philippine Civil Service were much welcomed by media practitioners and freedom loving Filipinos as Chairman Saludo himself was once a mediaman as CNN and CNBC commentator and as Editor of Asiaweek.

(Inset pictures: Commissioner Cesar D. Buenaflor, Acting Chairman, turning over the CSC Flag to Chairman Ricardo L. Saludo; Dir. Ariel G. Ronquillo with Chairman Saludo)

THE CSC RETIREES' ASSOCIATION INC.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Men do not light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket. They set it on a stand where it gives light to all. In the same way your light must shine before men so that they may see the goodness in your acts and give praise to your heavenly Father." This is one of the favorite verses in St. Matthew of Bro. Fil Fernandez. After almost fifteen years since we have been together in a project, a short stint of organizing the youth in Paltok, San Francisco Del Monte, (where Bro. Fil Fernandez was the past President of the Parish Pastoral Council) to stay away from drugs and other vices, we have crossed path once again.

Bro. Fil Fernandez, former Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission, together with Sister Ligaya Jorge, former Assistant Secretary of the DPWH and the Aunt of Eng. Aber Canlas, who was then a consultant of Secretary Salvador H. Escudero III at the Department of Agriculture (may the soul of Eng. Canlas rest in peace), during the Ramos Administration, would like to invite CSC retirees to join them: to write or contribute something about their personal recollections of the events which transpired while working at the CSC. There were some events in the past unknown to the public, which they have personal knowledge, such as, why was it that the Office for Legal Affairs was specifically mentioned in the law creating the Commission? How about the other Offices in the Commission?

Dir. Hilda G. Diokno, of the Integrated Records Management Office of the Commission invited among others, Bro. Fil Fernandez and Sister Ligaya Jorge, to a project for the retirees to write and give their personal account of CSC's history. Bro. Fil and Sister Ligaya, now 76 and 90 years old, respectively, with other retirees - voluntarily offered their services without hesitation. This is very interesting as we shall learn from those who have first hand information of past events as to what actually transpired during the crafting of laws and the formulation of policies affecting our Civil Service .

We would like to thank DIR. ARIEL G. RONQUILLO of the Office for Legal Affairs for his unwavering support in promoting the advocacy of Bro. Fil Fernandez and Sister Ligaya Jorge in this simple presentation for the CSC retirees worldwide to be informed, among others, of Bro. Fil and Sister Ligaya's advocacy. Actually, Bro. Fil Fernandez shall be leaving for the United States and might be staying there for about two months, but he will be back.

In honor of their advocacy we would like to present in person: Commissioner Fil Fernandez and Asec. Ligaya Jorge together with the CSC retirees in this Audio-Visual Presentation. The background music "Kay Gandang Isipin", was a contribution from Emil Gapit, a local talent, in honor of the CSC retirees:


(The softwares used to edit above materials are duly licensed Ulead, Adobe Photoshop and MS softwares. Above presentation was produced solely for the benefit of the CSC retirees by - "ALIMUKON": In Quest of Advocacies).

TESTIMONIAL DINNER FOR KCD

Tributes, testimonial here and there are being done in honor of Chair Karina Constantino-David. Last January 18, 2008, a surprise testimonial dinner was held at the Assembly Hall of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. A simple person that Chair KCD is, she does not like tributes like this but people cannot help but thank her for for serving the government for so long and SOOOO WELL. For more story and pictures go to Seymour's site at Multiply.

GAWAD PARANGAL

One of the highlights whenever the Civil Service Commission celebrates its founding anniversary is the “Parangal… Pasasalamat”, an annual awards rite for Outstanding Public Officials and Employees. “This is where CSC awards exemplary individuals and groups in government the prestigious Presidential Lingkod Bayan, Dangal ng Bayan and Pagasa Awards”. The ceremony was held on September 19 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Aside from the officials and employees of the Constitutional Offices headed by CSC Chairman Karina Constantino-David, Commissioners Cesar D. Buenaflor and Mary Ann Z. Fernandez-Mendoza, Executive Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita, represented the Office of the President. With him was Nonoy Catura (inset picture), a very humble, non-political, uncompromising and down to earth Undersecretary of the Office of the Executive Secretary, Office of the President. Nonoy, was formerly with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, after the Ramos Administration. He was the former superior of Edsel Arrieta (now deceased), who negotiated peace with the CPLA and other rebel groups all over the Philippines. Secretary Arthur Yap of the Department of Agriculture did not make it. He was, however, represented by Director Ofelia Agawin, who is also a career official in the Department of Agriculture. Many of the awardees were from the DA either from its line bureaus, attached agencies or from the private organization supervised by the Department.


The affair was splendid! However, taking pictures of subjects in a dimly lighted environment without a flash, using only available lights is not an easy task. Even experienced photographers finds it difficult to handle. Nevertheless, it was challenging. Herewith are some of the pictures: