Batanes, Philippines

Tuguegarao City (27 May) — Based on National Statistics Office (NSO) report, region 02 is one of the regions with the most rapid ageing population in the country.

179,655 or 6.39% of the region’s population are 60 years old and above. This proportion is projected to reach 20% by the year 2030 with a life expectancy of 67 years old for men and 69 years old for women.

Region 02 is also among the regions in the country that surpassed the median age of 67-85 years.

The older persons according to studies live more financially dependent, have poor health care, low education, inaccessible housing and majority of them continue to live with their children. In such situation, the older persons are vulnerable to abuse and neglect.

A profiling conducted in the towns of Iguig and Solana, Cagayan lately indicated an average of one (1) case of neglected, abandoned and unattached older persons in every barangay.

Batanes province on the other hand showed that there are 596 cases of older persons, 66 are under the frail category, 190 are under the sick category, 44 are bedridden, 62 are living alone with support and 18 are living alone without support.

To address this issue, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) conceptualized the Home Care Program for older persons a community based program that will provide comprehensive home care services to older persons to improve their quality of life.

Ms. Lucia Alan, Chief of the Technical Division Section-DSWD R2 said the Home Care Program will be pilot-tested in the municipalities of Iquig and Solana in Cagayan province and in Ivana and Sabtang in Batanes.

The program will be implemented by DSWD in partnership with the local government units, academe, government and non-government institutions and the faith sector.

She said the health care program has several components namely social preparation, capability building, services/intervention, resource generations, organization of Advisory Committee, Monitoring, Evaluation and Documentation of Best practices among others.

Alan explained that the pilot areas were selected due to the presence of prevalent cases of older persons and have special needs for housing, temporary custody, health care and other social needs. Said needs must be given appropriate interventions not only by their families but the community as a well, Alan added. (PIA Cagayan)

A low-pressure area (LPA) east of Batanes threatens to bring rains to Southern Luzon and Visayas, state weather forecasters said Sunday.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the LPA was estimated at 630 kms east of Basco, Batanes as of 2 a.m.

“Southern Luzon and Visayas will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening,” it said in its 5 a.m. advisory.

GMANews.TV

Northern Luzon can expect “improved” weather conditions on Monday as Tropical Storm “Cosme” (international code name Halong) heads for the Philippine Sea, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

PAGASA weather branch chief Nathaniel Cruz expected the storm to be 330 kilometers southeast of Basco, Batanes, Monday morning and outside of the Philippine area of responsibility by Tuesday.

“There will be improved weather conditions in Luzon in the absence of any storm that could enhance the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat,’” Cruz told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) in a phone interview on Sunday.

By “improved weather conditions,” he meant the termination of the stormy weather, strong winds and heavy rains experienced in Northern Luzon over the past few days with the exit of “Cosme.” But the region will still experience light rains.

The storm continued to weaken on Sunday as it battered the mountains of northern Luzon, including the Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan Valley. By Jocelyn Uy

INQUIRER.net

Basco, Batanes (April 16) — Governor Telesforo Castillejos called for a multi-sectoral group meeting recently to discuss the rice situation in the province amid alleged rice shortage reports in the country.

Batanes National Food Authority Officer-In-Charge Francisco Escalona said that NFA rice in the province is still adequate for the next three months.

He also said that rice consumption in the province, on a monthly basis is 60% NFA, 35% commercial rice and 5% root crops.

However, with the increase in the price of commercial rice, NFA rice consumption would reach 80%.

Escalona likewise reported that he has already ordered about 14,000 bags of NFA rice for the province which may arrive anytime next week.

He also claimed that there is no rice shortage in the province and no illegal repacking of NFA rice to commercial rice.

Generally, the rice situation in Batanes is still manageable, Escalona added. (PIA Cagayan)

BASCO, Batanes – Fledgling airline South East Asia Airline (Seair) starts flying a direct service here Tuesday from Manila at a very minimal one – way fare of P6,450.

The Manila – Basco service will use the 32-seater Dornier 328 aircraft. It is scheduled to operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays only. The flight departs Manila at 7 a.m. and arrives here at 8:15 a.m. The return flight leaves here at 10 a.m. and arrives Manila at 11:15 a.m.

Seair is the second airline to operate here. Asian Spirit operates here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The new airline provides an alternative opportunity to reach and depart from this newest tourists’ destination, although it charges a little higher than Asian Spirit, the chances of getting an accommodation especially for wait-listed passengers would not be subject to hassles at the check-in counter.Jack Castaño

Abs-Cbn Interactive