How to avail PHP100,000 Centenarian CASH Gift for your Lolos and Lolas who reached 100 years old

Cordillera - If you have grandparents who are nearly reaching 100 years of age then it is time for you to help them prepare needed documents for them to avail of the cash incentives provided by the government of the Philippines to any Filipino who have reach the age of 100. 

Under Republic Act 10868, all Filipinos who reach the age of 100 will receive cash gift worth PHP100,000 and a letter of felicitation from the President of the Philippines, whether they are residing in the country or abroad. 

READ: Centenarian Lolo in Bontoc received P100,000 pesos from Government:

Aside from that, they will also be awarded with a plaque of recognition and additional cash gift from their respective city or municipality, to be determined by the local government.

How can a centenarian avail of the cash gift?

According the guidelines set forth by the Department of Social Welfare and Development or DSWD, a centenarian who wish to avail of the incentives must present his or her birth certificate or Philippine passport for verification of the C/MSWDO and OSCA. If said documents are not available, the centenarian may present his or her senior citizen's identification card (ID) or any other Philippine-issued ID which shows his or her citizenship and date of birth.

If all of the above mentioned documents and IDs are not available, they can present a marriage certificate, old school documents, baptismal or confirmation records and birth certificate of children. 

In the event that your lolo or lola has no written documents or papers to show, they can make an affidavit executed by at least two (2) disinterested persons at least 80 years old with personal knowledge of the centenarian's actual age or date of birth.

When all the required documents or affidavit are complete, the immediate families or relatives of the centenarian can submit them at the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO). The MSWDO will verify to ensure that all the necessary documents are complete and will provide technical support and guidance in what to do next. 

READ ALSO: 100 year-old Igorot man credits long life and health with eating camote, banana and squash

The process usually takes time for the MSWDO to finish after which they will forward the verified documents to the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer for review and referral at the DSWD-Regional Office. The DSWD will also undertake continuous monitoring of the identification of beneficiaries and disbursement of funds. 

Once verified, the incentives will be released to the centenarian on the first Sunday of October or during the actual 100th birthday of the beneficiary, according to DSWD. 

source || DSWD.

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Igorot boxer Alvin Tam knocks out Mexican foe in 4th round in Canada

Photo Courtesy || Alvin Tam

Cordillera - A proud Igorot professional boxer based in Canada, Alvin Tam was celebrating his huge victory over his Mexican opponent.

Tam scored a fourth round knockout victory against Mexican Rutlio Romero in the undercard of the Dekada Contender Card at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary, Canada.

Alvin Tam is a former WBC Asian champion and  the son of legendary Igorot boxer Rey Tam from Kapangan, Benguet. Alvin is an all action fighter who comes for the knockout in every fight. He fought on the road and was given losses that motivated him to train more. 

Read Also: 

Filipino from Cordillera successfully joins Canada's Royal Police Force

Mark Preston Lopez - Fulbrigther from Bontoc receives prestigious award from the University of Florida

His recent fight had proved him that he is going to excel in his boxing career as he came out victorious via knockout in the 4th round. That win gave him his 2nd straight victory since moving to Canada in 2015.

He arrived in Canada in 2015, found a gym and waste no time to trained hard. With the strong support of the Filipino community in Canada and his team Bowmont Boxing Club, Tam has became one of the most exciting fighter in the world.

According to Dekada, Alvin's style is exciting and reminiscent of the great Mexican fighters like Barrera and Marquez.

Watch his latest fight below

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Baguio City hits lowest temperature at 9.4 degrees Celsius as of 6 AM today

Cordillera - Baguio City's mercury dropped to 9.4 degrees Celsius at 6 A.M. Friday morning, setting a new record for the lowest temperature for 2020. 

This is the lowest temperature recorded this year since the peak of "amihan" (northwest monsoon).

The lowest recorded temperature in Baguio was 6.3 Celsius on January 18, 1961.

Some parts of Benguet has lower temperature than Baguio City like Atok, Benguet which can hit a record of 2 degrees Celsius. 

The cold front from China has intensified and made the "amihan" (northwest monsoon wind) stronger, causing the dip in temperature from Luzon to Visayas, according to Pagasa.

To protect someone from the bad effect of the cold weather, residents and tourists in Baguio are advised to dress warmly and wear warm and waterproof footwear.

They should dress in layers, wear clothes with wind resistant outer layer, wear a hat and mittens. If necessary they should also wear facemask and scarf or neck tube.

When is is very cold or when the wind chill is significant, cover as much exposed skin as possible. Protect the body's extremities, such as the ears, nose, fingers, and toes because these are the parts that easily lose heat fast.

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Joshua Pacio VS Yosuke Saruta rematch set on April 12 in Manila

Updated: 

Photo Courtesy || One Championship

Cordillera - Team Lakay's Joshua Pacio is set for a rematch against ONE Strawweight World Champion Yosuke Saruta in the Co-Main event of ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR at the Mall of Asia in Manila on April 12. 
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It wasn't an easy bout for the Igorot fighter from the famed Team Lakay gym of Baguio city to defend his ONE strawweight titlte against challenger Yosuke Saruta. 

The 23-year old lost the five-round match via razor-thin split decision in the main event of ONE: ETERNAL GLORY in Jakarta, Indonesia last Saturday. 

It was a close decision verdict by the judges that favored the Japanese fighter due to his aggressiveness and effective take downs in the final rounds. But Pacio was able to deliver impressive counter-punches thus making the match very close. 

A rematch between the two is inevitable to happen very soon considering the very close decision from the judges that both fighters agreed if ONE championship would push through.

"If ONE tells me to do the rematch then, bring it on. I never say no to a match. I'll fight anyone at anytime," Saruta said about the possible rematch.

Meanwhile, Pacio accepted his loss and said the fight was a huge learning experience for him. 

"Agree or not, I have to agree because that's the decision of ONE Championship so next time I fight, I need to win convincingly," Pacio said.

"This fight is a huge learning experience. The loss motivates me to keep training and improve my weakness in both my attacks and defense," he added.

Asked about the potential second fight with Saruta, Pacio is much willing to do it again as much as possible.

"I want a rematch right away but it would still depend on ONE. I'm motivated to come back and I can't wait to train again and return to the cage," Pacio responded.

Besides, no less than the CEO and Chairman of ONE Championship Chatri Sidyodthong suggested there will be a rematch because he was very disappointed about the result. In his perspective, Pacio clearly won the fight. 

"My personal opinion, as a life-long martial artist, I think Joshua Pacio won the fight. I was very disappointed," Sityodthong said.

"Just for me, from my perspective, I thought Joshua won. so yes there will be a rematch," he added.

On January 25th, Pacio's team mates, ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje Eustaquio will defend his title against former opponent Adriano Moraes in the main event of ONE: Hero's Ascent at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

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Baguio suspends tertiary level classes, both public and private on Panagbenga Grand Opening (Feb. 1, 2020)

Cordillera - Baguio Mayor Benjie Magalong has issued an executive  order suspending classes for tertiary level in both public and private schools on  February 1, 2020 for the celebration of the 25th Panagbenga Festival this year. 

Magalong issued an executive order No. 19 Series of 2020 announcing the said suspension for the grand opening of the city's annual celebration of Panagbenga, also known as the Baguio Flower Festival. 

The mayor issued the EO upon consultation with the Commission on Higher Education to give equal opportunities to tertiary level students to watch the highlight of the Panagbenga grand opening. 

The month long celebration of Panagbenga 2020 will carry the theme "Blooming Through The Years" is packed with so many activities that all residents, both local and tourists can participate.

Panagbenga is an annual flower festival celebrated every February in the city of Baguio that reflects the history, traditions and values of Baguio and the Cordilleras. It lasts over a month long and flourishes through community spirit involvement.

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Igorot lady fighter Jenelyn Olsim among PH athletes eyeing gold medal in 2019 SEA Games

Cordillera - Igorot Muay Thai fighter Jenelyn Olsim together with several Filipino athletes will be part of the Philippine Muay Thai team that are set to showcase their skills and expect to win gold medals on the upcoming 2019 Southeast Asian Games slated from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11. 

Muay Association of the Philippines (MAP) national coach Preciosa Delarmino said they have high chance of winning the gold and they are already preparing the team for the upcoming event. 

"The MAP is already preparing for the upcoming SEA Games where there are 11 Muay events, Delarmino said during a sport segment hosted by the Tabloid Organization in the Philippines (TOP) at the National Press Club in Intramuros, Manila.

"We have a chance of winning the gold in more than half of the events, especially the women events," she added.

Delarmino was referring to women athletes Rudza Abubakar of Zamboanga in the 45-kg and Jenelyn Olsim of Baguio in the 54-kg division in the combat event. 

She also noted that the tandem of Mariah Trenyce Co and Rusha Mae Tarrate of Baguio is also favored to bag the gold in the wai kru (Thai boxing) event according to Philippine News Agency.

Jenelyn Olsim is a Baguio-based Muay thai fighter. She represented the Philippines in ONE Warrior Series where she, her sibling Jerry and Lito Adiwang came out victorious in Singapore last year. 

Philippines will host this year's Southeast Asian Games to be held at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

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Kennon Road is now open to motorist every weekends until further notice - DPWH-CAR

Photo Courtesy || Tuba Mps FB

Cordillera - Tourists who are planning to visit Baguio on the weekends can now pass the historic Kennon Road after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) - CAR  announced its opening to motorist.

"Kennon Road will be opened to Baguio bound vehicles on Friday January 10, 2020 at 6: 00 AM to Monday, January 13 at 6:00 PM and every weekends thereafter until further notice," DPWH-CAR said on a travel advisory.

The advisory further said that vehicles weighing more than 5 tons are advised to take Marcos Highway or Asin-Nangalisan-San Pascual-Rizal-Anduyan Road.

Motorists are also advised to strictly observe the 20 kilometers per hour speed limit as well as other traffic and parking rules.

Read Also: How to get to Baguio City and Benguet from Manila faster and less traffic

It can be recalled that Kennon road was closed to traffic after geologists and experts from DPWH had found out the risks of accident it can caused to motorists during bad weather.

Baguio hotels may be full this coming Panagbenga Festival. Book your accommodations early.

Booking.com

Officials and representatives of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and concerned local government units vowed to ensure the safety of motorist who would be using the road going to Baguio. 

Read Also: New route from La Union to Benguet now opens to public with travel time of 1 hour

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Cordilleran Police Chief Supt. Empiso is the new head of PNP Special Action Force (SAF)

Photo Courtesy || PNP Special Action Force Recruitment

Cordillera - The Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) welcomes its new chief, Police Chief Superintendent Amando Empiso on Monday, January 14.

He took over his new role as the head of the PNP's elite force and will oversee the daily functions and and operation of SAF such as Hostage Rescue Team, Critical Incident Response Group, RAID and Police Counter Terrorism nationwide. 

Police Chief Superindent Amando Empiso is a Cordilleran from La-Trinidad, Benguet. He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy's Hinirang Class of 1987. He is a classmate of National Capitol Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Guillermo Eleazar. 

Before his new rule as SAF chief, Empiso once headed Northern Police District in August 2017 and became the chief of operations of NCRPO. 

Empiso had done a tremendous job in the police force, providing overview of the peace and order situation in Metro Manila as well as contributed his expertise in the crime-fighting campaign of the PNP. 

As a SAF chief, Empiso will be promoted to the two-star general rank of Director. He will serve as SAF chief until he reach the mandatory age of 56 on February 6, 2021.

READ ALSO:

Ibaloi PNP-SAF presented exemplary award by President Duterte

Igorot jail Inspector in Manila commended for rejecting huge bribe from high profile inmate

Ex-PNP chief Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa admitted he loves Cordillera culture and the people

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Mobile App to help Cordillera farmers monitor oversupply of vegetables in advance

Cordillera - The use of technology for the farmers to monitor the production of vegetables will greatly help in the averting of vegetables being over supplied in the market.

The first week of January 2020 had been catastrophic to majority of vegetable farmers in Cordillera as they suffered the most brutal effect of vegetable oversupply - the inability for them to sell their produce at a reasonable price.

Farmers are aware that if they plant the same crops at the same time, this would cause oversupply of vegetables. 

Unfortunately, these farmers don't have the necessary  tools to help them foresee and make plans about the crops they should plant or produce at a given time  to avoid vegetable oversupply.

If farmers could just have a data presented to them in real-time and  accessible anytime, it could help them decide  and plan  about the best crops to plant. This can tremendously help them know which type of crops has already been planted by the rest of the farmers in a particular area. This way, they can avoid planting the same crops. If for example, majority of farmers had planted potato in Buguias, farmers from Sayangan would know this and they will plant another vegetables other than potato.

According to the Department of Agriculture - CAR, they have a 'crop survey' report gathered from all local government units involved in vegetable production that will allow farmers to manage the supply of vegetables.

The crop survey is a report that shows how many farmers have planted a particular crop, how large is the area being planted, how long will it take before each vegetables will be harvested and also the target date that the vegetables will be harvested.

This report from the D.A. is almost complete and this is what all farmers need to know and have access to before choosing and deciding what crops to plant.

Creating a Mobile App that provides this survey report to the farmers is a great suggestion for the D.A. to consider.  This is an App that a farmer can download and access data in real-time. Each farmer will then be able to see and study the data presented in detailed form either in charts or tables.

Added to the app is a useful feature that would also project the demand of  particular vegetables in the market. The D.A. in collaboration with the officials of the  La-Trinidad Trading Post and BAPTC may collect data on crops with high demands in a particular period of the year. Such data will  be used by the farmers to decide on what vegetables to plant.

To provide for a wider scope of survey and to make the app more farmer-friendly is to include a survey form for the farmers to input necessary data regarding the crops they planted such as kinds of crops, location of farms or municipality and province, estimated volume to be harvested, projected time of harvest and the price of the vegetables.

Farmers may also create an account in the app so that they can show their personal information, vegetable information (as provided earlier), photo of his/her farm and contact numbers for marketing purposes.

The app may also have  features that vegetable dealers and buyers alike can access. It can have a search bar that allows buyers to search for vegetables they want to buy.  Say for example, if a buyer is looking for potatoes to sell, he can open the app, search for potato, then the data of all farmers who planted potato will be projected. He can view the farm, contact the farmer and negotiate that upon harvest, the farmer will deliver the vegetables straight to the buyer. No middle-man is involved and bigger income for the farmer.

With the collaboration of PAGASA, the app can also display weather-forecast two or three months in advance so that farmers will have an advance planning on how they can prepare for a storm or typhoon.

The app can also provide crop management to farmers. Say for example, when farmers need more information about dealing with  pests or other problems, they can just open the app, type in the name or kinds of the pests, then an information will be presented to them in an easy to understand step by step way to deal with the pests.

Sounds cool right? Yeah, we believe we have some I.T professionals and developers that can do this and the D.A. can possibly work this out.

Let's hope that this simple recommendation to the D.A will reach Secretary Manny Pinol for him to consider and learn about the importance of this app.

Likewise, we know Cordillera has the best universities and colleges teaching web and app development. For the teachers,  please do encourage your students to consider making worthwhile projects such as apps like this as it could greatly help our farmers in the Cordillera.

Contributed article by || @concernedCitizen

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Stephen 'The Sniper' Loman voted Fighter of the Year for Brave

Photo Courtesy || Brave CF FB

Cordillera - Brave's Bantamweight King Stephen Loman has been chosen by fans to be the Fighter of the Year for 2018, Brave CF announced yesterday. 

The Ifugao MMA champ has won the majority vote from fans dominating fellow Brave Champs Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady, Jarrah Al-Selawe, Ikram Aliskerov and Jeremy Kennedy. 

Lomans performance over the past years has been very exciting for MMA fans all over the world. He was the first champ to defend his crown twice against Frans Mlambo and Felipe Efrain; earning him another record being the longest reigning bantamweight champion in Brave's fight history. 

The 27-year old Loman is ranked the 4th of 217 active pro bantamweights in Southeast Asia and ranked 2nd of 86 in the Middle East. 

He is currently holding a record of 12 Wins and 2 Loses.

This year 2019, Loman is set to defend again his belt in the main event of Brave 22, which is scheduled to happen on March 15th at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

This will be the first time Brave Combat Federation boxing event will take place in the Philippines - the  home country of Stephen Loman. 

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