Now It's Our Turn To Share

It wasn’t long ago when Western Visayas experienced nature’s wrath in Typhoon Frank. There was massive flooding in the provinces of Iloilo and Aklan, and many postal employees lost their homes and their belongings. Appeals for help reached the high heavens, moving hearts to donate in cash or kind. The response from postal employees coming from the different regions was overwhelming. They donated food, clothing, and cash, and before long, we who were affected by the typhoon were able to begin to rebuild our lives.

Now another typhoon, Ondoy, has swept over the country causing flooding again, this time, in Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces. There are many postal employees who have not been spared by nature’s fury. Ondoy damaged their homes and destroyed their possessions, and we who have experienced the wrath of nature just over a year ago, could very well relate to their situation.

And so, moved by the same spirit of generosity that has helped us moved on in one way or the other, we share whatever we can with our fellow postal employees. Personnel Section Chief Cynthia I. Amaguin spearheaded the collection campaign for clothes and goods, and these were sent to the Employees Welfare Division for distribution last October 5, 2009.

Philpost 6 Personnel - Bida sa Iloilo Grand BIDA March

PPC-6, led by Acting Operations Director Atty. Benjie S. Yotoko and Acting AdFin Director Iris G. Sargado, took part in history when it joined the first national BIDA march ever conducted in the Philippines on September 3, 2009.

The Iloilo Grand BIDA March, which coincided with the celebration of the 15th National Crime Prevention Week (NCPW), is a show of support to the Batang Iwas DrogA (BIDA) project of the BIDA Foundation and PAGCOR, a project that principally aims to educate the children regarding the ill effects of drug abuse.

RD BARCELON At the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Secondary Access Road Project

Philpost 6 Regional Director Lilia Barcelon showed her support to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), of which Philippine Postal Corporation is a member agency, by attending the Groundbreaking/Capsule Laying Ceremony of the Second Access Road Project in Brgy. Tabucan, Cabatuan, Iloilo in the morning of September 18, 2009.

An idea that was conceptualized by former Iloilo Governor and now Congressman of the 3rd District of Iloilo, Arthur D. Defensor 13 years ago, the Second Access Road would stretch 3.2 kilometers from the national highway in Brgy. Tabucan, Cabatuan, all the way to the new airport complex, providing an alternative road to New Iloilo Airport passengers coming from the northern and central parts of Iloilo as well as from the provinces of Antique, Capiz, and Aklan.

Congressman Defensor said that he is grateful to DOTC Secretary Leandro R. Mendoza for having made the necessary representations to ensure that funds are allocated and released for this project, declared as SONA project.

DOTC, through the Project Management Office of New Iloilo Airport Development Project (NIADP) in coordination with the Local Government Unit of Cabatuan, Iloilo, is the implementing agency of the project.

Noted personalities during the ceremony were Secretary Leandro R. Mendoza, DOTC USec Doroteo A. Reyes II, 3rd District Congressman Arthur D. Defensor, Iloilo Governor Niel D. Tupas, Sr., and Cabatuan Mayor Ramon C. Yee.

Iloilo City Post Office Launches Special Lane for Pregnant Women, Persons with Disabilities and The Elderly

In pursuit of its commitment to promote a gender fair society, Iloilo City Post Office has opened a special lane for pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly, on July 24, 2009. A teller has been designated to attend to ALL the postal needs of these clients with special needs.

Other capital post offices in Region 6, notably, Bacolod City Post Office in Negros Occidental, Roxas City Post Office in Capiz, Kalibo Post Office in Aklan, and San Jose Post Office in Antique are also set to open a special lane for pregnant women, persons with disabilities and the elderly very soon.

PHILPOST 6 KEY OFFICIALS TAKE A JOURNEY TOWARDS A GENDER FAIR SOCIETY

GAD Training With A Healthy Twist
Philpost 6 Division Directors, Postal District Managers and other key officials attended a two-day training on Gender Sensitivity on July 22-23, 2009 at Villa Sagrado, Iloilo City, in line with Philpost’s continuous advocacy on Gender and Development (GAD). The training was conducted by Ms. Rose Tubal, Chief, Employees Welfare Division and DOTC-Gender and Development (GAD) accredited trainer, Ms. Emily Baylon, also of the Employees Welfare Division and herself a DOTC-GAD accredited trainer, and Ms. Venus Frias, Training Officer of Postal Region 7.

The participants were made to take a journey towards a gender fair society, a journey which proved to be both fun and enlightening. Indeed, for many of the participants, it was an eye-opener to the role of women in the home, in the workplace, and in the community.

Some had the wrong notion that the seminar was designed to establish the supremacy of one sex over the other, or as a form of women empowerment. Actually, the seminar only aimed to emphasize the fact that each individual is part and parcel of a bigger picture. Each individual, man or woman, young or old, rich or poor, deserves a place in the universe, and each individual has the power to touch lives and to make a difference.

Interestingly, this particular GAD Training program had a healthy twist to it, with Ma’am Rose Tubal interjecting wellness tips much to the delight of the participants.

The two-day seminar ended with a poignant ceremony with candles and long-stemmed red roses, and with each participant’s statement of commitment to continue on with the journey towards a gender fair society.

Two Gentlemen of the PPC-Board in Region 6

Two gentlemen of the PPC Board, Director Alfredo G. Gabot and Director Edgardo V. Espinosa, and their staff paid PPC-Region 6 a visit on March 11, 2009 basically to see how things are in the Region.

Well, they weren’t disappointed for sure. Despite the many challenges, the economic crisis among them, the gentlemen are pleased to see for themselves that PPC-6 is actually doing fairly well under the supervision of RD Lilia O. Barcelon. Amidst the shortage in manpower and the fact that a lot of the Region’s officials are holding positions in acting capacity, PPC-6 is able to reduce the impact of the crisis and to cope with the day to day challenges.

The visit gave the Directors a chance to meet the staff and employees of the PPC-6 to inform them of some updates. In particular, Dir. Gabot, being also the Administrator of the Provident Fund Office, said that PFO will begin accepting new members this month. Even casual employees can be qualified to apply for membership with PFO. Accordingly, the Office is also working some things out to provide more benefits to its members.

The visit also gave PPC-6 employees the opportunity to air their concerns to the two members of the Board of Directors who promised to take the matters up in their forthcoming Board Meeting.

The group took time to go to several post offices in the beautiful island of Guimaras as well as some post offices in the City of Iloilo. The following day, March 12, 2009, they went to the district of Negros Occidental to attend the blessing of Brgy. 20 Post Office, the construction of which was sponsored by the City Government of Bacolod City thru the efforts of its dynamic Mayor, Hon. Evelio “Bing” R. Leonardia.

Brgy. 20 Post Office Now @ The Bacolod City Government Compound

The City Government of Bacolod City, through the efforts of its Mayor, Hon. Evelio “Bing” R. Leonardia, sponsored the construction of the Brgy. 20 Post Office at the City Government Office Compound, giving Brgy. 20 Post Office a new and beautiful home. The Brgy. 20 Post Office has been housed at the Brgy. Hall of Brgy. 20 for 5 years.

Last Thursday, March 12, 2009, the newly constructed Post Office was blessed and inaugurated, and in attendance were no less than Dir. Alfredo G. Gabot and Dir. Edgardo V. Espinosa, two gentlemen of the PPC Board, PPC-6 RD Lilia O. Barcelon, Bacolod City Administrator Dr. Rogelio G. Balo representing Mayor Leonardia, the Brgy. Captain of Brgy. 20 Carlo Remo G. Barredo, and some key officials and employees of PPC-6.

In the short program that followed the blessing, Dir. Gabot thanked Mayor Leonardia for the strong support to the Philippine Postal Corporation, and talked about the importance of the Postal Service amidst the many breakthroughs in technology.

Talking in behalf of Mayor Leonardia, Dr. Balo said that, indeed, the City Government recognizes the necessity of the Postal Service, and that it is, in fact, willing to construct more post offices in other parts of Bacolod City.

In return, the Philippine Postal Corporation commits to do its best to cater to the postal needs of the residents of Brgy. 20.