merging the unique setting with contemporary geometry the countryside project seems to follow the site’s sloping profile balancing dominating lines with generous openings and volumes image courtesy of nebr arquitectura photography by manuel sá the tangible synergy of solid modules and voids is orchestrated by brazilian architects NEBR arquitetura natural showering light fills the blank canvases of the interior whilst the framed views to the rich landscape resemble paintings on walls the project unravels as does the play of rays and shadows an unexpected glass walkway hovering over the landscape threads building to nature NEBR arquitetura’s design balances construction with spatial division as a means of validating the many possibilities of architectural identity the conventional reinforced concrete breaks and unfolds as if tracing the uninterrupted surroundings the hard lines created by man are either comprised as continuous strokes or retracted as if erased the narrative adapts creating an elegant emptiness filled with life designer: NEBR arquitetura photography: manuel sá happening now! partnering with antonio citterio, AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function, but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style, context, and personal expression. SHADYSIDE — A familiar face rejoined Shadyside Village Council on Monday, following the sudden resignation of longtime councilman Tim Merryman during a special meeting last week. During last week’s meeting, council members responded to a challenge from Litman Excavating & Construction and reversed its previous decision to award a bid for a major water upgrade to Ohio-West Virginia Excavating. Sam Carpina, who had completed a term on council at the end of 2021, was nominated and sworn in to fill out the remainder of Merryman’s term. Carpina had been off of council for about five months. Merryman had just been re-elected, and his term ends in 2025. After the meeting, Carpina said his prior four-year term had been his first venture into politics. He said he could not run last year due to issues with turning in his paperwork to the Belmont County Board of Elections. “I care about the village,” he said, adding he wants to “give back to the community.” He will serve on the finance committee, which Merryman had served on, and look into others. “I’m getting my foot back in and wet again,” he said. Carpina said there are many important projects to be addressed in the near future, with the water upgrades now awarded to Litman leading the way. Other priorities include obtaining funds for vehicles, equipment and road maintenance. “Everything’s a challenge anymore with money,” he said. Carpina comes from a career as a construction worker. “I like to build stuff and make stuff,” he said. Mayor Robert Newhart said council has tha authority to appoint replacement members and was not required to advertise the position. “Mr. Carpina went off of council last fall and expressed an interest to come back on,” he said. Newhart said Merryman had not given him a reason for his decision to resign, and he had been on council for more than 10 years. “If there’s one lesson we can learn about Tim leaving, it’s that we’ve got to stop dragging our feet. I guess that’s part of the reason that I was quick to make a nomination to fill the seat,” Councilman Nick Ferrelli said during the meeting. The water upgrade project is an extensive one, including 76 new valves to isolate different areas of the village in order to shut off water service in a particular area in the event of a line break. In addition, a 12-inch line will be run from wells on the opposite side of the railroad tracks to replace one dating from 1965. Shadyside dealt with depressurization issues in 2018, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency mandated an upgrade. The village has received several extensions on the OEPA order, including one this year. Village Solicitor Thomas Ryncarz said council was accepting Litman’s bid of $973,434, with an increase of $40,000 over the original bid. The bids had expired after 60 days, and the increase reflects higher costs due to inflation and supply chain problems. “The ordinance was for the original bid, and they’ll be a changeover for the increase in cost,” he said. In other matters, Councilman Mike Meintel and Councilwoman Melanie Haswell said they were close to forming a grant writing committee along with Ranae Teasdale, assistant water and sewer superintendent, to look into potential projects to take advantage of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s plan to invest $500 million in 32 Appalachian counties, including Belmont County. “We’re waiting to find out where the money is going to be allocated, where it’s going to go,” Haswell said afterward. “A grant committee takes time. There’s a lot of other things that have to be invested into it. We want to make use of money that’s out there, because there is a lot out there. … We’re not letting any money go that could come to our town.” Also, fire hydrants will be flushed during the first two weeks of June. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox A Wheeling native who has earned world renown as a pioneering neurosurgeon will receive one of the nation’s most ... BRIDGEPORT – A man is lodged at the Belmont County Jail on Monday after he allegedly fired a gunshot during a ... According to preliminary investigations by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the pedestrian struck and killed early ... Copyright © 2025 Eastern Ohio Newspapers, Inc. | https://www.timesleaderonline.com | 200 S. Fourth St., Martins Ferry, OH 43935 | 740-633-1131 (ANS - Recife) - Listening, observing, evaluating, animating, indicating the best paths to follow ... This is the commitment of Fr Gabriel Romero, Regional Councilor for America South Cone, in the Brazil-Recife Province (BRE), who has already visited various communities as part of the Extraordinary Visitation which he is carrying out on behalf of the Rector Major. During these same days, Fr Romero also visited the "Don Bosco" school, where he was warmly welcomed by the educational team; he listened with interest to the institute's history and current mission, described to him by the Dean, Mirelly Silva, and by the heads of the various addresses; and he was able to attend and participate in a digital lesson, through Google Meet, with over 80 young people. Finally, in the online appointment of Monday 22 March with the Pastoral Council of the "St John Bosco" parish of Natal, Fr Romero urged the laity to take an active role and the whole community to maintain communion with the local Church, following archbishop Msgr. Jaime Vieira Rocha. ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007. This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes. By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements, you consent to the use of cookies. To learn more or to opt out, click "Further Information".  My NewsSign Out Sign InCreate your free profileSections news Alerts Flooding and lack of electricity caused by Hurricane Sandy left parts of New York City in a mess.Jonathan Sanger / NBC NewsBy Andrew Mach and Maggie Fox NEW YORK -- Fish guts flowing down a Union Square street Spoiled Haagen-Dazs dumped on a deli floor Superstorm Sandy has left a mess behind in a city never exactly known for its cleanliness In Manhattan, as power remained out for many customers below 39th street, Rod Zindani, owner of the Best of New York deli on Water St., stood by large plastic trash bags filled with melted single-serve tubs of Haagen-Dazs ice cream. “That’s $1,000 to $1,500 worth,” he told CNBC I don't even want to think about how much we had to throw out The boss is literally crying right now about how much we lost." Carlos Solorzano watched a restaurant worker in a white chef’s coat hose away fish guts left behind in the street by sanitation workers blue and red octopus parts and bits of mackerel We had to throw out about 200 pounds of meat superintendent of the building housing the restaurant A large pile of garbage sits outside Petropolis in the Financial District of New York Flooding and lack of electricity caused by Hurricane Sandy left parts of New York City in a mess.Jonathan Sanger / NBC NewsRefrigerators will keep food cold enough only for about four hours with the door closed While bottled drinks and nonperishable foods such as peanut butter won’t go bad Freezers only stay cold enough for about 48 hours At least one group of New Yorkers might be happy to see all that food tossed into the street: the rats despite fears that rats would invade the city to feast on the garbage or that thousands would be flushed from the depths by floodwaters a spokeswoman for the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said there's no evidence of an increase in rat activity As wary New Yorkers eye the soggy mess left behind by Sandy some have expressed concern about an outbreak of disease But experts say fears of cholera or dysentery from the floodwaters likely are overblown it’s fairly rare” in developed countries such as the United States a gastrointestinal specialist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore That’s because people aren’t putting infected sewage into the system in the first place Even after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf states in 2005 water-borne disease was not a widespread problem bottles and other containers ahead of the storm should be able to drink it safely even after a few days without refrigeration blue pipe snakes out of a flooded store near the 9/11 memorial The brown water flows ankle-deep into the street past a large yellow dumpster and under parked cars as it collects near another mound of black track bags broken chairs and other furniture.Andrew Mach / NBC News“The GI system is extremely resilient to contaminated water,” he said But the most important thing is to avoid cross contamination with sewage Water that simply been in the tub or out on the counter for a couple of days is likely safe.” and her husband had filled the bathtub and stocked up on bottled water as emergency experts advise But they finally fled their West Village apartment when their high-rise ran out of water "We live in a building about 18 stories high with a water tank on top," Sherman said by telephone from Montclair where her stepdaughter lives and has power "Somebody said  that the water in the tank would last a couple of days but it didn't even last 24 hours "A lot of the toilets in buildings like that don't have tanks," Sherman said "You can just take a bucket of water and pour it in and it flushes "But can you imagine that going on in hundreds of buildings?" Many of the restaurants and shops in Tribeca were still closed and boarded up But the streets were largely clear and devoid of any excessive amounts of garbage on Thursday The scene was a far cry from only two days ago when locals said many of the streets were completely flooded The waters that surround Manhattan -- The Hudson River New York Harbor -- remain filthy because wastewater treatment plants dumped untreated sewage into them windsurfing or any other water activity that would entail possible direct contact with the water should be avoided until further notice,” the Department of Environmental Protection cautions Bacteria in the water can cause an itchy rash and could cause infections if it gets into cuts Many residents in high-rises without electricity and people living in flooded areas still lack fresh water supplies. New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city’s Department of Environmental Protection say water coming out of the taps is safe And the department has set up portable drinking water stations to areas where water service is down which were especially hard hit by the storm and by fire Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook Pope John Paul II with Lucia of Fatima at beatification of her cousins Pope Francis has recognized the heroic virtue of Mother Mary Lange one more step in her cause of canonization The Dicastery for Saints' Causes announced the recognition this June 22 Learn about Mother Mary Lange's incredible story here: She was also recognized as having lived a life of heroic virtue A professed nun of the Order of Discalced Carmelites Others were also recognized as having led heroic virtue two are people who died in the 1970s and 1980s: of the Society of the Daughters of Charity of St 20 martyrs who were killed in the Spanish Civil War were recognized: Manuel González-Serna Rodríguez and 19 companions the heroic virtues were recognized of Servant of God Antonio Pagani (born: Marco) Professed Priest of the Order of Friars Minor Founder of the Society of the Sisters Resigned Daughters of Mary Immaculate; born 1526 in Venice Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you Please make a tax-deductible donation today Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting Catholic news Sign In Subscribe Now This was a common refrain of famed American landscape painter and TV host Bob Ross a message to viewers that each painting is an adventure with no wrong turns and that their artistic journey is worth pursuing These words are worth sharing with Whitehorse residents this week as Yukon Artists @ Work (YAAW) invites them to unleash their creativity and learn something new by participating in an impressive line-up of summer art classes which range from painting landscapes to fusing glass to creating cardboard animal heads are being held to help raise money for YAAW’s gallery “Art sales are the kind of thing that goes up and down […] and so we are collectively a bit concerned,” says Nicole Bauberger adding that economic uncertainty could be playing a role in the gallery’s lacklustre sales Eight classes will be offered over July and August All the proceeds will be directed to help cover YAAW’s gallery’s rent “We’re not a for-profit society at this point [The gallery] itself doesn’t make a profit do that sort of little dance where some years we have a bit of a surplus and And we’ve managed to coast along for 20 years,” says Bauberger who adds that most of the gallery’s funding comes from art sales and artist dues The hope is that the upcoming art classes — all hosted by professional artists in Whitehorse — will help to insulate the gallery against a potential revenue shortfall this year All of the instructing artists are volunteers It’s not the first time the gallery has run into hard times and the hope is that the artists behind the space will be able to pull together to overcome this latest hurdle “Can you imagine getting a bunch of artists to cooperate long enough to keep a gallery going for 20 years There have been rough and difficult moments over the 20-year history we’ve had each other’s backs and we’ve worked together,” Bauberger tells the News with Maya Rosenberg teaching watercolour cards Jeanine Baker will instruct on creating medium-sized fused glass mosaic suncatchers the following day Neil Graham and Linda Leon will each respectively teach about fusing glass painting landscapes in acrylics and creating animal heads from cardboard Bauberger herself will teach a class on handmade mini notebooks on Aug Marie-Hélène Comeau will teach on art booklets Janet Patterson will demonstrate how to make a needle-felted fox “I’m doing a little two-hour workshop where I show people some of the cool things that people can do in the world of book arts I share a couple of my Wayzgoose anthologies which have sample pages from small presses from all across Canada and sometimes further afield People will go away with two little mini handbound notebooks and hands-on experience of how to do a couple of binding methods,” says Bauberger She tells the News that the inspiration behind her upcoming lesson came from a trip to Ontario over Christmas when she made notebooks for herself and her nieces to draw in and I had these little Moleskine notebooks in mind you know how to make these — you have the stuff.’ So I made these beautiful little notebooks for us to draw our ideas into,” she says “[This course] could be something that could empower people to save like $50 on buying a notebook from somewhere else The classes cost between $30 and $85 to participate in and most sessions will run for two to three hours according to Arlene Carpina at the YAAW gallery Classes cater to participants 12 years old and up with youths expected to be accompanied by an adult The maximum number of participants for each session is eight to 10 people the art co-operative has held short introductory art lessons that allowed people to dabble in new artistic mediums Member artists have also previously held workshops for the community including a watercolour workshop in May that was fully booked “We offered a series of what we call ‘art taster’ workshops which were these short little try-out-a-form-of-art kind of workshops geared more towards visitors to the territory,” says Bauberger In addition to the full docket of art courses the folks at YAAW will also be hosting a “trashion show” at 1 p.m with senior and youth models strutting their stuff on the catwalk The event is part of the art co-op’s Changing Trash to Treasure initiative All the garments and accessories showcased during the fashion event will be made by professional Yukon-based artists and created with waste that would have been destined for the landfill Artistically inclined Whitehorse residents are encouraged to keep an eye on the YAAW website as other fundraising endeavours are in the works Contact Matthew Bossons at matthew.bossons@yukon-news.com Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines A basket of Honeycrisp apples at Algoma Orchards in Newcastle Stacks of crates are stored in front of rows of trees at Algoma Orchards in Newcastle The business owns 1,300 acres of land with over 1,000,000 trees in 15 varieties Workers bagged apples to be shipped out from Algoma Orchards in Newcastle The company ships their apples all over Canada with roughly 70% staying in the Ontario and 30% going elsewhere Tram Nguyen removed leaves and sticks from picked apples prior to the fruit being graded at Algoma Orchards in Newcastle Antonino Carpina and Juan Landin uloaded their bins of freshly picked McIntosh apples at Algoma Orchards in Newcastle Sept Groups of ten workers are sent out together to work rows of trees In peak season up to 185 workes can be out in the fields picking apples Trevor Edward picked some McIntosh apples at Algoma Orchards in Newcastle Sept Algoma Orchards is located at 201 Regional Road 42 in Newcastle The Gibson and Kemp families have been growing apples in Durham Region as Algoma Orchards since 1964 Their apple growing business has grown and expanded since it started branching out into three main segments to serve their customers: a gourmet market and the information within may be out of date Algoma Orchards is located at 201 Regional Road 42 in Newcastle this directory Trevor Edward picked some McIntosh apples at Algoma Orchards in Newcastle Groups of 10 workers are sent out together to work rows of trees In peak season up to 185 workers can be out in the fields picking apples Antonino Carpina and Juan Landin loaded their bins of freshly picked McIntosh apples at Algoma Orchards Tram Nguyen removed leaves and sticks from picked apples prior to the fruit being graded Workers bagged apples to be shipped out from Algoma Orchards Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: , Next cohort of the Environment and Climate Change Youth Council announcedMarch 11 Minister of Environment and Climate Change has announced the members of the next cohort of the Environment and Climate Change Youth Council (ECCYC) This group of young leaders from across Canada will provide their perspectives and advice on a variety of topics ranging from nature restoration to environmental protection “The Youth Council provides an important platform for young Canadians to share their perspectives as they connect with me and other federal decision makers on critical climate and environmental issues,” said Guilbeault “Empowered young Canadians are playing a huge role in helping our country to succeed as we build a more sustainable future for years to come for them and generations to come I look forward to working with this cohort of dedicated young leaders.” which creates opportunities for young people to have their perspectives be meaningfully heard It offers young people a place to collaborate and expand their networks with peers from across Canada This cohort starts their term in a strong position thanks to the work of the inaugural ECCYC members such as advising on the development of the National Framework for Environmental Learning and contributing to Canada’s negotiating priorities at the United Nations’ climate and biodiversity conferences She holds a BSc in Northern Environmental and Conservation Sciences from Yukon University and the University of Alberta “Young people have been leading the fight against climate change for years So as we strive towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 it’s crucial to engage youth,” said Marci Ien Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth of Canada “This council provides an excellent opportunity for young people to work together to develop real solutions to tackle climate change To the new cohort and to all young people who continue to be engaged thank you for demonstrating leadership and for your efforts towards creating a cleaner and more sustainable future for us all.” Youth Council members will serve a two-year term on a volunteer basis. Members were selected from applicants across Canada between the ages of 18 and 29, through a merit-based process seeking to include Indigenous perspectives, regionally varied perspectives, and educational and work experience from a variety of vantage points. The Youth Council delivers on the objectives of Canada’s Youth Policy which sets out a vision to ensure youth voices are heard and considered in government decision-making To read the complete list and the council biographies, click here Add Comment *document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "ada4d33784cb032341c4cb07c2206d38" );document.getElementById("aa6212d1ec").setAttribute( "id" I accept the Privacy Policy Copyright © 2025 - Environment Journal. Powered By: Actual Media on the occasion of the feast day of Don Bosco the Salesian community of Carpina welcomed the young people who shall follow the 2022 formative path of the aspirantate in the aforementioned community The inauguration was characterized by the presence of Fr Gabriel Romero Councilor for the America South Cone Region Superior of the Salesian Province of Brazil-Recife (BRE) The aspirants will be accompanied by the formator Fr Daniel Neri Brandão and the trainee Cleyson Felipe ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements the world film festival conceived by the Rector Major The filming of the scenes took place on September 18th and had the CJC headquarters and the community chapel as locations includes the Movement's General Orienteering Officer who will be the protagonists of the festival The short film tells a beautiful story inspired by the work that "CJC São Vicente" does with the community including the campaigns that contribute to the maintenance of the oratory which indeed makes a difference in the life of the youngsters who go Brazil - March 2019 - As part of the animation visit to Brazil General Councilor for Social Communication at the national meeting of the Communication Delegates and Coordinators of the Provinces of Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of the Brazil Salesian Network (RSB) Fr González met with the delegates of the six SDB provinces that form the National Communication Commission with whom he studied the theme of the next General Chapter and presented the reflections that emerged in the last World Council of the Dicastery of Social Communication they tried to clarify the role and importance of the National Commission in relation to the work of the RSB Communication Brazil - July 2017 - The second joint meeting of the Salesian Youth Movement of the “San Luigi Gonzaga” and “Maria Ausiliatrice” Provinces respectively of the Salesians and of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians took place on the weekend of 29 and 30 July in the North East of Brazil Among the issues addressed: the forthcoming Salesian Youth Festival (Recife the evaluation of activities of the past year and programming for 2018 (First of two parts) It’s the homestretch to the May 13 and the field personnel of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) are now feeling the pressure of the last of its pre-election preparations These include the final testing and sealing (FTS) of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and coordinating and training the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) who will mainly administer matters on election day These tasks go alongside their continuing responsibility to instruct voters on what should be done before and after the elections; monitor campaign activities; and enforce campaigning and campaign finance rules a team of PCIJ fellows did a series that revealed how in 39 Comelec field offices in Luzon and the Visayas Comelec field personnel suffer from poor working conditions and a shortage in basic resources – personnel supplies and equipment – that prevent them from fully performing their duties in an effective and efficient manner   Intending to do a follow-up to that report six PCIJ interns from April 22 to 29 visited 17 Comelec district offices in five cities in the National Capital Region or NCR: Manila (six district offices) and Marikina City (one office covering the city’s two districts) They found that unlike their counterparts in the regions the Comelec field offices in the NCR do not seem to suffer from a shortage of manpower that’s the only difference between the Commission’s field offices in Metro Manila and those in the regions despite their proximity to the head office most Comelec field offices in the NCR likewise suffer from a shortage of funding and supplies This is rather unexpected as the poll body’s offices are located in the country’s most densely populated region and educational center and from where many of the top officials of the land are propelled into office too many voters The country’s capital has a population of 1,652,171 (as of the 2010 Census) making it second only to Quezon City’s 2,761,720 occupies an area of only 24.98 square kilometers or less than a sixth of Quezon City’s 171.71 square kilometers That makes Manila the most densely populated city in the country with more than 66,140 inhabitants per square kilometer in 2010 according to the National Statistics Office   The cheek-by-jowl situation in the city is mirrored in its six Comelec district offices that will have to cater to the needs of Manila’s 1,020,144 registered voters (as of 2010) residing in the city’s 14 municipalities Each Comelec office has to make do with roughly 50 square meters of office space But the lack of any elbowroom is perhaps most acutely felt by the Manila Comelec 1st District office the 1st District is the most vote-rich district in the city which represents one-half of the municipality of Tondo (District 2 covers Tondo 2) Manila 1st District Election Assistant Gadi Rose Sinalubong says her office does not have enough space to accommodate clients The problem is compounded by District 1’s added responsibility to archive the records of Manila’s five other Comelec district offices Geriatrics facility It probably doesn’t help that the Manila Comelec field offices occupy the second and third floors of an old building that used to be a Geriatrics Center or a hospital for the elderly election officer of Comelec Manila’s 6th District the building was declared condemned sometime ago Despite the many problems of the Manila Comelec offices the Comelec district offices in Manila seem to have the opposite problem: too many personnel who cannot fit inside a minuscule office Election Officer Narciso Rabe had to cut down the number of staff that the local government provided from 10 to five in order to free up space in the office District 5 has 24 staff members: nine permanent and five supplemental personnel provided by the city government The need for additional personnel actually arises only during the registration period Manila Comelec 2nd District Election Assistant Ernesto D his office’s 25 staff members (one election officer and 10 election casuals provided by the city government) are able to perform the office’s tasks This is despite the fact that District 2 has the smallest voting population among Manila’s six districts at just 122,944 registered voters Notes Verdejo: “For every election assistant you will be assigned 30,000 registered voters.” Piles everywhere On a typical day piles of documents and forms are stacked on tables and even the floor of the Comelec field offices in Manila But during the registration period and issuance of voter’s IDs the cramped situation is made worse by hundreds of voters flocking to the Comelec offices each day the building’s dilapidated state is worse than the limited office space They think that it’s a threat not only to their health but also to the offices’ equipment and documents have to put up with leaks during the rainy season This threatens to destroy the piles and boxes of documents strewn all over the office “This building is way too old,” Election Assistant Monica Magsalin says pointing to her small office which is in a bad state of disrepair our office is not conducive and convenient as a working place.” The building has three stories and is located near the LRT Central Station and other government offices such as the Manila City Hall But it is barely noticeable because of its old façade State of disrepair But more than the building’s old age negligence has also caused the Manila Comelec offices to be in a sad state of disrepair which is responsible for the maintenance of the building has not discussed any plans of renovating the Comelec office anytime soon who has been with Comelec Manila’s 3rd district for 20 years says that she cannot even remember the last time the building was renovated the building was last repaired almost six years ago Lidasan-Marohombsar for her part observes: “In other cities “It is not the same here in Manila.” According to Rabe they have requested the local government for a transfer to a newer building since the Comelec office is already condemned the city government has yet to take up the matter with Comelec “We could have been transferred during (former Mayor Lito) Atienza’s term but the plan was postponed when his term ended.” Besides providing the building for their offices the Manila city government also pays for the Comelec field offices’ electric and water bills the city government provides little else to the Comelec field offices which often finds support from the Comelec head office lacking as well According to 4th District Election Officer Maria Liza Carpina-Torres the Comelec head office is supposed to pay for her office’s telephone bills as well as provide a mobilization fund during the election period The mobilization fund from the Comelec head office is supposed to cover the transportation costs of each district for traveling to all the barangays in its constituency during the election period Yet with only a few weeks left before the May 13 Rabe says his office is still waiting for its mobilization fund He says that the Comelec 5th District has thus been relying on the contributions of its staff members since the start of the election period just so the regular visits and distribution of information materials to barangays can be done Budget delays It certainly hasn’t helped that the head office often does not release the quarterly budget which is supposed to be used for purchasing office supplies of the district offices “This year we haven’t received any budget yet,” says Carpina-Torres adding that the main office last released the P6,000 quarterly budget to her office in June 2012 The process of liquidating the funds could have contributed to the delay in fund releases “If you don’t liquidate,” she explains “they don’t release the budget.” This often leads to a shortage in office supplies Sinalubong says that the supplies provided by the Comelec head office are not sufficient for their archiving Sinalubong says that the field staff sometimes “pays for the extra supplies because we think it is also for the good of our fellow Filipinos.” The 2nd District field office shares the problem says the national office sends them supplies “monthly sometimes quarterly depending on the budget.” But there are times Verdejo says he and his colleagues spend their own money to purchase office supplies the Comelec offices in Manila’s first and second districts can still count themselves lucky; at least they receive provisions from the Comelec head office.  Other districts have not received anything at all from the Comelec head office – whether in cash or in the form of office supplies -- for the past few months The 5th District’s Rabe says that he and his staff have taken to spending their own money to purchase their office supplies because the main office told them “there are no stocks available.” Rabe says that his office is entitled to receive supplies from the Comelec head office quarterly Election Officer Lidasan-Marohombsar says that since she assumed her post there in October 2012 she has not received a single centavo of the P3,000 quarterly budget for office supplies that her office is supposed to get “We have been spending our own money to buy supplies needed in the office,” she says “We don’t spend too much all the time since we can get some supplies from the main office.” Dipping into their personal funds Still this quasi-solution of the field office staff spending their own money to make up for the shortage in budget for supplies seems to be gaining ground in other Comelec district offices in Manila Election Assistant Monica Magsalin says that most of the supplies such as bond papers and paper clips are bought with the staff’s own money the Comelec field office has even devised an alternative to address the shortage “We use the proceeds from our small photocopying business in order to make up for the shortage of supplies,” says Carpina-Torres the District 4 staff sometimes still find themselves dipping into their personal funds to pay for office supplies The many woes of the Comelec’s six field offices in Manila have prompted Lidasan-Marohombsar to note that they are “so deprived” compared to other cities in Metro Manila “Other cities have transportation and even gas allowances,” she says “Manila does not have these services.” She says that the field officers have to use their personal vehicles just to be able to move around their districts Rabe and Carpina-Torres meanwhile recall that the Comelec field staff used to receive a P2,500 monthly allowance from the city government But that stopped when Mayor Alfredo Lim took office Even though Carpina-Torres says that they “can actually request” such an allowance they “don’t request anymore…since it was cut.” “We don’t request from the LGUs,” she says they might ask something in return.” For Rabe this is just as well so that the Comelec field personnel can avoid any bias toward the incumbent officials “Wala kaming utang na loob sa kanila wala rin silang utang na loob sa amin (We don’t owe them anything and they don’t owe us anything either),” he says With the inadequate support from both the Comelec head office and the city government the Comelec field personnel in Manila have come to rely on each other “Diskarte na lang namin ’yan (We count on our own quick thinking).” QUEZON CITY: Local government as source of succor It’s a good thing that the Quezon City government seems to be responsive to the needs of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the field a majority of the Comelec district offices in Quezon City seem to be suffering from inadequate funding and supplies from the Commission's head office in Intramuros The poll body has six district offices in Quezon City which has the largest population among the 16 cities and one municipality in the National Capital Region nearly a quarter of the NCR’s population resides in Quezon City Less than half (1,083,912 per 2013 Comelec data) of Quezon City's 2,761,720 residents (per the 2010 Census) There used to be only four Comelec district offices in Quezon City But because of District 2’s huge population Aquino III last July signed a new law that divided the district into three The two new districts carved out of District 2 are now known as Districts 5 and 6 Like the four other districts in Quezon City Districts 5 and 6 will each have to elect a district representative for Congress and six city councilors Quezon City's six districts will have 143 candidates running for congressional and city council positions in the 2013 polls Because of the sheer size of its voting population and the number of candidates vying for various elective posts Election Officer Enrique Santos of Comelec Quezon City District 3 says that the budget from the head office is usually insufficient and “always late.” At times thus he finds himself reaching into his own pocket to pay for office supplies But while Santos concedes that he can have the expenses reimbursed by the Comelec head office he says he sometimes does not even bother because the reimbursement process takes too long   Office space okay The Quezon City government seems to make up for the shortcomings of the Comelec head office office space is not an issue with the Comelec district offices all between 100 square meters and 300 square meters in size Comelec officers also say that the city government provides them with a lot of what they need each of the six Comelec district offices has a television set and air-conditioning units The city government also provides them much-needed services to make their work easier such as office renovation and transportation the offices of Quezon City Comelec’s Districts 5 and 6 were being renovated and furnished All six Comelec offices in Quezon City are located inside the City Hall compound The offices of Districts 1 and 3 stand across Districts 5 and 6 just a stone’s throw away from those of the four other districts District 2 Election Officer Shiela Rojas-Rafanan even says that the support provided by the city government to the local Comelec is "above average." She says that she asks the city government for office supplies only when these are "badly needed." District 1 Election Officer Jovencio Balanguit the Quezon City government also gives them an "allowance." The LGU has proven generous as well when it comes to providing workspace for the Comelec field offices the District 1 office is already among the smallest at 100 square meters It houses quite comfortably the office's 21 staff members – six of them permanent 10 election casuals hired for the election period and five supplementary personnel from the local government unit (LGU) – who will serve 186,535 voters from District 1's 37 barangays Staff concerns District 1’s Balanguit seems to have no complaints about the size of his workforce Being the largest district in Quezon City with 234,540 voters coming from only five barangays Rojas-Rafanan says her 38-member team is still undermanned to address all the needs of the constituents It’s cold comfort for her that District 2's four permanent staff and 12 supplementary personnel occupy a 300-square meter office one of the biggest among the six Comelec district offices in Quezon City "Everyone is multi-tasking.” Four of those barangays (Commonwealth and Holy Spirit) are on the National Statistics Office's seven most populous barangays in the NCR District 6 Acting Election Officer Enriqueta Danieles shares Rojas-Rafanan’s staff concerns.  “As a new district here in Quezon City," she says "everyone in the office must multi-task to finish our work.” Occupying an office space of some 150 square meters and staff from the LGU undergoing on-the-job training They must see to the needs of the district's 158,864 voters spread across 11 barangays The rest of the Comelec officers say that their manpower is adequate They say they usually need additional personnel only during election season District 5 election staff Jerome Tipon also seems to be satisfied with the support that his office gets from the Comelec head office – unlike the Comelec personnel in the city’s other districts never fails to provide for his office's needs such as office supplies and transportation whenever these are requested whose 17 personnel will be administering 192,921 voters across 14 barangays His observation is shared by District 4 Election Assistant Rene Simeon District 4 occupies one of the largest office spaces among the six districts Its 300-square-meter office houses 15 staff members five of them permanent personnel and 10 casual They must see to the needs of 180,979 across 38 barangays   With only 130,263 registered voters spread out across 37 barangays District 3 is the smallest district in Quezon City and four supplementary personnel from the LGU They are housed in the District's 150-square-meter office {{gallery.imageDetails.images.0.description}} and pageant titleholders both in local and national levels are some of the official candidates of the Miss World Philippines 2017 beauty pageant daughter of actor Cris Villanueva; Karren Dela; Janela Joy Cuaton Miss Tourism Metropolitan 2016; Ella Eiveren Lubag sister of politician-actress Daisy Reyes; Krystle Anne Ongjangco is one of very few forensic anthropologists in the Asia-Pacific Region A forensic anthropologist is under biological science and helps in the investigation of crime scenes and in massive grave sites Asked why she should be the next Miss World Philippines Tuazon said: “I believe I should be the next Miss World Philippines because with my background I could offer diversity and could easily get along with any type of person in all walks of life My platform is in relation to positive change.” finished her course of Bachelor of Science in Anthropology minor in Geography with a focus on biological anthropology and emphasis on Forensic Anthropology at the Texas State University in San Marcos was a former courtside reporter for Ateneo de Manila University at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines said that she is focused on making people smile Miss World Philippines national director Arnold Vegafria said that he is optimistic about the quality and diversity of this year’s bumper crop of aspirants Miss World Philippines general manager Bessie Besana said that he is ecstatic about the unprecedented turnout Aside from the Miss World Philippines title three other crowns are at stake – Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2017 The grand coronation night of the Miss World Philippines 2017 pageant will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sept This year’s Miss World Philippines will represent the country at the 67th Miss World beauty contest in Sanya © 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme © 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.