Association of Women in Action for Romblon Enhancement (AWARE) led by Susan Beltran significantly marked the last quarter of 2007 with the LIBRENG BINYAGAN ‘07 in the municipalities of Odiongan and Romblon
LIBRENG BINYAGAN '07 was the first succesful project implemented. The project brought so much spiritual joy and completeness not only to the one thousand three hundred (1,300) children that were baptized but also to the parents and their families as a whole.
This Year’s Second Quarter is another high point for the association as they have recently delivered the LIBRENG TULI ‘08 with flying colors. The said commendable medical service to the indigent youth was held from May 14 to 22, 2008 at the three (3) Major Islands of the Province – Romblon, Odiongan and Sibuyan respectively. It gained so much popularity that it had gone beyond the target number of patients.
On the quarter of this year, AWARE is gearing to come up with a series of programs in coordination with the Provincial Goevernment of Romblon.
Romblon execs mull class suit vs Sulpicio
The Philippine Star
July 03, 2008 Thursday
Local officials in Romblon, where many of the victims of the sinking of the ferry Princess of the Stars have washed ashore, are planning to file a class suit against Sulpicio Lines Inc., the ill-fated vessel’s owner.
As identification of decomposing bodiescontinues at snail’s pace, autho-rities said the 24,000-ton ship will be retloated, ditching a bid to use divers to retrieve hundreds of bodies and toxic pesticides still trapped in the ship almost two weeks after the disaster.
We are mulling the filing of a class suit against Sulpicio Lines because of the tremendous and disastrous aftermath of the tragedy,” Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona said..
The local government, he said, intends to seek damages from the shipping operator, which was involved in at least four previous sea tragedies, including the December 1987 sinking of theM/V Doña Paz that left more than 4,000 people dead.
The lawmaker expressed dismay over the delays in the recovery operation because of Sulpicio Lines’ failure to fully disclose the dangerous cargo the ship was carrying
Earlier, the shipping company admitted belatedly that Princess of the Stars was carrying endosulfan, a highly toxic pesticide owned by Del Monte Philippines Inc.
Madrona also lashed out at Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for raising an advisory against eating fish caught in the waters around the capsized vessel.
He said the advisory has severely affected the livelihood of the province’s fishing communities.
Romblon officials estimated that typhoon “Frank” destroyed around P300-million worth of property and agriculture and left at least seven people dead in the province. Madrona and other local officials led by Gov. Natalio Beltran Jr. are appealing for aid.
“Congress must undertake an immediate comprehensive review of the country’s maritime policies and laws to stop the never-ending cycle of sea tragedies that had claimed more than 5,000 innocent lives during the last 21 years,” Speaker Prospero Nograles said.
“Justice requires that those responsible must answer before the law,” Nograles said.
He endorsed a congressional inquiry into the sea tragedy to determine, once and for all, the extent of public and private accountability. The transportation committee of the House will start its probe on July 7.