Warm Naga SMILES! This year, we celebrate the 303rd year of enduring devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia, our Ina. For more than 300 years, and through periods of prosperity, conflicts and calamities, we have never failed to celebrate our faith as a people. The month of September has become a month for Bicolanos all over the globe to gather and pay homage to the Patroness of Bicolandia. This revered tradition reflects our devotion not only to our faith but also to our sense of unity and solidarity, as evidenced by the Nagueños’ continuous support of our leadership and initiatives. The start of July marked the fresh mandate of our new Sangguniang Panlungsod and the City Government’s renewed vow to uphold the principles of good governance that have become an integral part of our administration’s core values. More than three years ago, we started our journey with the idea of good and effective governance as cornerstones of our administration. Three years on, that belief was validated with Team Naga’s success at the ballots. Anchored on our priorities H2ELP your CiTy: health and nutrition, housing and urban poor, education, arts, culture and sports development, livelihood, employment and human development, peace and order and public safety, cleanliness and environment protection, transparency, accountability and good governance, we sought to initiate and implement programs and projects aimed at improving the quality of life in our city. To that end, we shall continue and intensify our efforts, upholding the oaths we took as public officials. My fellow Nagueños, you have once again expressed your sentiments and given us your trust and confidence. Rest assured that as public servants, we shall continue the tradition of effective, transparent, and accountable governance. We urge you now to be a part of our city’s growth and development and take on pro-active roles as engaged citizens. Together, we can help create a better future for our children and the next generation, and proudly proclaim that indeed, “Naga SMILES to the world!” JOHN G. BONGAT City Mayor Vol. 5, No. 3 | July – September 2013 A Quarterly Magazine of the City Government of Naga Bicol, Philippines ISSN 2094-9383 JOHN G. BONGAT City Mayor NELSON S. LEGACION City Vice Mayor ALEC FRANCIS A. SANTOS Editor JASON B. NEOLA Managing Editor GERALD O. ENGUERO Writer MARY RUTH V. PARRO Contributor ANSELMO B. MAÑO RAFAEL RACSO V. VITAN Layout and Design RANDYVIC C. VILLAFLOR JOSE V. COLLERA XERES RAMON A. GAGERO Photographers BONG BAJO RAY JOHN B. UBALDO JOZELLE GRACE B. CORONO RUSTOM R. PUJADO Contributing Photographers FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. CSEE FRANCISCO M. MENDOZA REUEL M. OLIVER PAUL JOHN F. BARROSA Editorial Consultants SIEGLINDE B. BULAONG ALLEN L. REONDANGA Technical Advisers LUDIVINA V. ASENCE ALBERT F. CECILIO Editorial Assistants HIGHLIGHTS This magazine is published by the City Government of Naga, thru the City Publications and External Relations Office, with editorial office at G/F, DOLE Building, City Hall Compound, 6 Millions troop to Naga for Peñafrancia J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City 4400 Fiesta Philippines Tel: +63 54 473-4432 10 JMR’s legacy celebrated a year after loss Fax: +63 54 472-3235 Email: [email protected] 21 Naga debuts in national tourism expo Web: www.naga.gov.ph 33 SP Highlights: Transparent and participatory governance JMR’s legacy celebrated a year after loss (page 10) 1 Naga seeks DOH help for women’s rehab center The “Naga SMILES to the World” logo is composed of the two baybayin 3 Naga wins 4th consecutive Pabasa sa characters, na and ga. Nutrisyon Award Na, shaped like a mountain, provides 4 Infirmary to rise in upland Naga a strong foundation for the Narra tree which grew abundantly along the Naga 13 Simply Jesse: The power of simplicity River while a zigzag line denotes the majestic Malabsay Falls. 15 Naga X conducts trainings for food workers, tour guides Ga, shaped like a farmer’s plow, is symbolic of the Nagueño’s agricultural 18 Naga X beefs up promotions, roots and hardworking personality. partnerships The baybayin Naga characters rest on 20 City and chamber officials forge a wave-like element which represents stronger ties with Chinese sister city the Naga River and the serpent, which is read in Sanskrit as naga. 23 Metro Naga reaps awards in GREAT Women project This new branding for Naga, launched in 2010 by the dynamic Bongat 24 Citizen reward system aimed to administration, envisions a more livable strengthen anti-crime drive city that is world-class. Naga X debuts in national tourism expo (page 21) SP Highlights: Transparent and participatory governance (page 33) 25 Joint Operations Center: Ensuring safe, peaceful and orderly festivities The “An Maogmang Lugar“ logo is an 29 Nagueños join hands in clean-up attempt to capture Naga as we want it drive for Ina to be – a city that is progressive and yet environment-friendly, where the people 31 90 trees saved from road-widening freely participate in the day-to-day affairs of project in upland Naga the government, and where culture and arts are flourishing. 32 Naga backs Cong. Leni’s Full The stylized design of “NAGA” represents Disclosure Bill the city’s aggressive march towards modernization and progress. The sky-blue 35 Sangguniang Panlungsod launches background, the Narra tree, and the Naga Facebook page River represent our people’s desire for an ecologically-balanced community. 37 Naga’s new Sangguniang Panlungsod vows faster, The ring of people surrounding the entire more pro-poor ordinances design shows the Nagueños’ participatory mechanism which is part and parcel of the city’s way of doing things. It also shows the 38 Bongat receives tourism award people’s concern and unity in everything that for Naga is good for the city. Today, the city, as Maogmang Lugar, aims to portray more than a happy place but a happy people who are the true beneficiaries of everything good that is happening in the city. naga seeks D.O.H. help for women’s rehab center By Gerald O. Enguero A social worker advises a patient on her situation. The City Government has asked the DOH to set up a rehabilitation center exclusively for women drug-dependents. EALIZING the fact that drug dependent but the board can only extend counselling assistance to women in Bicol are not being given the victims as no facilities are available in the region. enough care and the lack of intervention “We cannot ensure the full recovery of victims of Rprograms being implemented by the drug abuse. For serious cases, we refer them to the government, the City Government of Naga rehabilitation center in Taguig City in Metro Manila, has sought the help of the Department of but, most of the time, due to the huge transportation Health (DOH) to establish a drug treatment and and living expenses, parents or the victims opt not to rehabilitation center for women. pursue our advice. We cannot blame them especially During the 8th Regular Session of the since we cannot even provide them financial assistance Sangguniang Panlungsod last August 27, the city to push through with their rehabilitation,” says Councilor council passed Resolution No. 2013-212, earnestly Importante. requesting the DOH, thru Secretary Enrique T. Ona, One of the NCDDB’s staff, shared that there are only to make available a treatment and rehabilitation two drug treatment and rehabilitation centers in the Bicol center for women drug dependents in the Bicol Region situated in Malinao, Albay and in San Fernando, Region. Camarines Sur. She said that these facilities, however, According to the proponent of the resolution, can only accommodate men and have no capacity to Councilor Jose B. Importante, the Naga City treat women drug dependents. Dasco revealed that Dangerous Drugs Board (NCDDB) of which he is the centers lack the necessary space and equipment to the vice chairman, has encountered a lot of cases provide comprehensive care to females, especially the where parents of women drug dependents or even necessary security and protection that should be given to the victims themselves seek help from the NCDDB, women. 1 Gayle Abonal-Gomez, a volunteer therapist of the City Government, speaks before a group of inmates at the district jail. “Men and women have different needs. They also require different intervention, rehabilitation, and aftercare measures, thus, the need for the Sangguniang Panlungsod to call In its request for assistance from the DOH, the City Government has cited the different needs of male for the assistance of the DOH. and female patients. By providing a facility designed especially for treating women drug dependents, it will not just provide equal access to medical attention but also give equal opportunity to “This is not just an issue of result to prostitution to finance improve one’s quality of life,” Vice public access to health care, but their vices. Thus, by not providing Mayor Nelson S. Legacion said. also a matter of gender equality a comprehensive mechanism to Based on the data gathered by and protection of women against help them, we, the government and the NCDDB, the number of drug violence and illegal human society at large, are allowing them women dependents in the city and trafficking. Though less likely to to be continuously exploited and in the Bicol Region is substantial cause public havoc and commit exposed to social injustice,” stated enough to justify the need for a crimes compared to men, most Vice Mayor Legacion. specialized facility. of the female drug dependents 2 naga wins 4th consecutive Pabasa sa Nutrisyon City Councilor Nene De Asis (3rd from right) and Raquel Buere, City Population and Nutrition Award Office (CPNO) Nutrition Officer 1 (4th from right) received the Pabasa sa Nutrisyon Hall of Fame Award given by Philippine Association Nutrition, Inc.