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California imposes first ever statewide emergency water

regulations

LOS ANGELES, Aug 3 (PNA/Xinhua) -- It is now illegal for Californians to use a hose
to wash a car without a shut-off nozzle or hose down a driveway or sidewalk. Obey the
rules for 270 days, unless renewed, otherwise face fines of up to 500 U.S. dollars per
violation.
These and other unprecedented new restrictions on outdoor water use were
approved by the State Water Resources Control Board on a 4-0 vote on July 15 and
formally took effect on Tuesday. They apply to both residents and business owners.
The new regulations also forbid adding water to decorative water features unless the
water recirculates and watering outdoor landscapes if it causes excess runoff. They
came just months after California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in
January, marking what may become the most populous U.S. state's worst drought in
centuries.
Although the state government emphasizes the importance of conserving water, and
Gov. Brown had set a goal of having the consumption of water decreased by 20 percent
in January, a new state survey showed that Californians actually increased their water
use by 1 percent amid the drought.
"People just did not realize how bad the drought is. Although the government has
advocated that we should conserve water all the time, people just seems to ignore it.
They over-use the water and leave the sprinklers on for whole day," said Frank Garcetti,
a citizen of Alhambra.

Mayor Amante wants CDRRMC ready

for emergencies during weekends and holidays
SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna, Dec. 26 (PNA) - San Pablo City Mayor Loreto S.
Amante on Thursday ordered the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (CDRRMC) to always be manned by an action officer to respond to
emergencies and disasters during weekends and holidays.
Mayor Amante directed assurance of safety and security of the San Pableos during
weekends and holidays in case of any eventuality of a typhoon, flood, landslide or any
calamity.
Amante ordered the action officer or focal person on duty to relay the information
immediately to him, and attend to monitoring work at the command post at the San
Pablo CDRRMC headquartered at the One Stop Processing Center here.
He directed the action officer to contact the CDRRMC emergency responders and
advised city folks for the CDRRMC to maintain the hotline at (049) 503 - 2200 and 503 3481. Mobile phone is 0917 827 3410. Barangay Communication Central Radio Room
is (049) 562 - 3086
Amante also instructed the CDRRMC to sustain the earthquake and fire drill among
school populations for the information awareness and education drive for city folks as
mandated by City Ordinance No. 2013 07.
Victor J. Rivera, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer, assured that the
local disaster management councils have already set their plans and programs.
He also informed that the CDRRMC members have already identified quick
response mechanisms vis--vis areas susceptible to landslide, flood-prone and the risks
and hazards in the event of a disaster.
Rivera and environmentalist Arvin Carandang of San Pablo City Red Cross Chapter
teamed up for the geo-hazard mapping especially in Barangay Santa Catalina which is
vulnerable to landslide from the slopes of the Nagcarlan highlands.
Mayor Loreto S. Amante speak well of the City Social Welfare and Development
Office and the City Health Office for as always taking the lead in the response and relief
operations. (PNA)

Mayor Loreto S. Amante

DILG, NAGMO-MONITOR SA EPEKTO NG KALAMIDAD

SAN PABLO CITY Kapansinpansin na kahit na mga araw na ipinahahayag ng
Tanggapan ng Pangulo na walang pasok sa mga tanggapan ng pamahalaan dahil sa
umiiral na kalalagayan ng panahon, halimbawa ay may nagdaraang bagyo, ang
tanggapan ng Department of the Interior and Local Government sa lunsod na ito ay
nananatiling bukas at ang kanilang mga tauhan ay laging nakikipag-ugnayan sa City
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Sang-ayon kay Gng. Lorilyn V. Manrique, Local Governent Operations Officer ng
DILG na nakatalaga sa lunsod na ito, pananagutan nilang i-monitor ang mga
kaganapan sa sakop ng lawak ng kanilang pananagutan kung may nagdaraang
kalamidad, tulad ng bagyo, o mga malalakas na pag-ulan.
Kung may nagaganap na kalamidad, nabanggit ni Gng. Manrique na hindi lamang
ang sinusubaybayan nila ay ang mga nagiging biktima ng kasakunaan, kundi maging
ang kalalagayang pangkapayapaan at kaayusan ng pamayanan, kaya sila ay hindi
lamang sa San Pablo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council nakikipagugnayan, kundi maging sa San Pablo City Peace and Order Council, upang higit na
maging makatotohanan at makabuluhan ang kanilang mga pag-uulat sa kalihim ng
kagawaran. (Ruben E. Taningco)

SENIOR CITIZENS CARD,

PARA SA PINOY LAMANG
SAN PABLO CITY - Sa nakaraang pakikipanayam ng tagapag-ulat na ito kay
Pangulong Isagani Gutierrez ng Pederasyon ng mga Senor Citizens Association sa
lunsod na ito, kanyang nilinaw ang mga karapatan at kaluwagan ng mga senior citizen
o nakatatandang mamamayan, lalo na ang mga may kaugnayan sa itinatadhana sa
Batas Republika Bilang 9994.
Unang una, nabanggit ni Pangulong Gutierrez na ang may karapatan lamang na
mapagkalooban ng Senior Citizens Identification Card ay ang mga mamamayang
Pilipino, at ang mga balikbayang naging mamamayan na ng ibang bansa ay dapat
munang humiling na sila ay magkaroon ng dual citizenship o bumalik sa pagiging
mamamayang Pilipino.
Nilinaw pa na kung ang isang senior citizen ay kumain sa isang restoran kasama ng
kanyang kasambahay, ay iyon lamang kanyang order o kinain ang babawasan ng 20
porsyento, at kinakailangang taglay niya ang kanyang identification card. Halimbawa ay
apat silang magkakasama at ang halaga ng kanilang kinain o inorder ay Ph1,000, ay
Ph250 lamang ang lalapatan ng 20 porsyentong diskwento.
Ipinaaalaala ni Gutierrez na ang 20 por syentong diskuwento ay ilalapat lamang sa
isang binibiling bagay matapos mabawas ang VAT kung ang binibili ay nalalapatan ng
VAT at ang sales price na itatala sa resibo ay iyong net cost o iyong halaga matapos
mabawas ang VAT.
Ipinaaalaala pa rin ni Gutierrez na iyong 5 por syento na diskuwento sa mga basic
commodities, tulad ng bigas, gatas, karne, at pampers, na isang alituntuning pinanukala
ng Department of Trade and Industry, ay kinakailangan ang binibili ay hindi bababa sa
apat (4) na uri ng artikulo ng kalakalan. Halimbawa sa kalakarang ang kabuuang
halagang lalapatan ng 5 por syentong diskuwento ay P1,200, kinakailangang ito ay
kabuuang halaga ng ilang bagay na binibili, at hindi maaaring isa o dalawa lamang
commonidity, halimbawa lahat ay bigas at sariwang karne lamang. (Ruben E. Taningco)