Mayor Rivera solemnizes vows in mass wedding

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (15 April 2015) – City Mayor Ronnel Rivera solemnized the wedding vows of five couples in a mass wedding held at the City Mayor’s Office conference room on April 10.

The mayor was delighted at what can be described as the most racially diverse mass wedding that he has ever officiated yet.

“This just goes to show that love knows no racial boundaries; lahat tayo basta nagkaka-intindihan pwedeng magmahalan,” Mayor Rivera said.

Woosik Shin, 40 years old from Korea was among the couples, giddy with excitement as he held his newly wedded wife Efrelita Espadilla’s hand.

Twenty-two year old Sebastian Geyer, originally from Germany, was also wed to his Filipina bride Regine Canton. The two said they met through social media and decided to tie the knot two years into their relationship.

The other Filipino couples were Alver Baldiviso and Rachel Ana Aguillas; Rameses Borres and Junabeth Sangil; and Kent Anating who wed Sheena Marie Ablay.

Most of the couples are already in long standing relationships but lacked the opportunity to get married.

Before the civil wedding, the couples were asked to undergo marriage counseling at the City Population Management Office. The foreigner and Filipino couples were also asked to attend a special counseling.

Hot Jersey, a relationship counselor and TV host for Brigada News, a local television channel in the city, also advised the grooms that “they must not lie, they must not cheat and must not heat; if they will heat, it should be to warm the wife’s heart and if they cheat it should be to cheat her away from life’s bitter moments and if a husband must lie it must be in bed with their wife.” (Gensan CPIO/Gilli Himbing)

Gensan presents Modelong Driver group

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (15 April 2015) – Newly-installed officers of the Modelong Driver Association of General Santos City pose for a photo with City Mayor Ronnel Rivera Tuesday, April 14, at the City Mayor's Office conference room. The association, said its chairman Rene Pleños, was formed to instill courtesy and honesty to the tricycle drivers plying around the city. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

Mayor Rivera leads Tagboan sa City Hall

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (15 April 2015) - City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, some City Hall department heads and personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways answer the queries of the media during the monthly press conference of the city government, the Tagboan sa City Hall, Wednesday, April 15, at the City Mayor's Office conference room. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

Private groups join Barangayan

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (14 April 2015) – The city government was joined by Living Power International Corporation (LPIC) and other private groups Friday (April 10) in a Barangayan to bring free blood pressure-taking and iris checkup in Barangay North.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said the city government is inviting more private companies to join them in the weekly Barangayan to further strengthen the service provided to the people.

“Aside from increasing the quality of services we provide through the LGU, having the private sector here to help us also adds quantity and is a positive (note) towards fostering partnership,” the mayor added.

The Barangayan was able to cater to more than 60 patients who had their eyes checked.

“By checking the iris, we will know the condition or illness of a person without need of a laboratory check-up,” explained iridologist Jane Paldo of LPIC.

“We look into the eyes of the person because all parts of the body are connected to it,” she added.

Through their method of checking the iris, they can identify the patient’s present condition.

Aside from the free checkup, they also offered the company products at a discounted price.

The team of four iridologists, headed by Dr. King Nozario, was the first batch of LPIC iridologists in General Santos City.

It is already their second year to join the Barangayan since its operation last year. Through coordination with the Integrated Barangayan Affairs, they were able to continue participation in the Barangayan.  (Gensan CPIO/ Sharmagne Villacastin)

PNPA valedictorian from Gensan gets LGU recognition

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (14 April 2015) - The local government unit of General Santos City led by City Mayor Ronnel Rivera gave a warm recognition on Saturday (April 11) to Police Inspector Dennis Yuson Jr., valedictorian of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Lakandula Class of 2015.

Inspector Yuson was welcomed by city officials headed by Mayor Rivera with a motorcade from the airport going to the Sangguniang Panlungsod building for a short program.

During the ceremony, Yuson expressed his gratitude to the local officials and generals (Gensan residents) who welcomed him at the Gensan airport.

Yuson also graced the City Hall flag raising ceremony Monday (April 13) at the Oval Covered Court.

"Today, there is another reason to be thankful because of the recognition given to me by the Gensan community," said Yuson.

"This is the first time that I will be sharing my thoughts as a police officer to the people of my hometown, and eventually leave a trail of inspiration to our beloved city of General Santos," he added.

He also talked about his awareness on the challenges he is going to face now that he is already out of the academy.

"Sa pagbukas ng pinto ng realidad at pagsasabuhay ng aking serbisyo ay sisilawin ako ng tukso," he said.

"Gayunpaman, naniniwala po ako na kung gaano kami sinanay ng buong husay ay siya ring tatag ng aking paninindigan na itakwil ang kamalian at pumanig sa katwiran," Yuson elaborated.

Mayor Rivera, for his part, said he is proud of Yuson’s achievement and lauded the Gensan native for being a great example of what the city’s youth can achieve with the proper guidance and training.

“Let us thank Inspector Yuson for proving once again that General Santos is really the home of the champions hindi lang sa sports pati na din sa ibang bagay,” according to the mayor.

Aside from being the PNPA valedictorian this year, Yuson also graduated magna cum laude from Notre Dame of Dadiangas University with the course of BSEd-Mathematics last March 2011.

The PNPA valedictorian is also a licensed math teacher before he entered the academy in May 2011. (Gensan CPIO/ Sharmagne Villacastin).

Gensan receives Child Friendly Seal

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (14 April 2015) – The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) has given its stamp of approval to the Local Government Unit of General Santos (LGU-GSC) by giving the city the 2014 Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (CFLG).

The award comes after LGU-GSC passed the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA).

The CFLGA is a mandatory audit system crafted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) last 2013 -- in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Social Welfare and Development -- to ensure that LGUs all over the country are active in pursuing the delivery of effective social services to the children and the youth.

Some of the gauges set by the DILG for the CFLGA are completion rate for elementary schooling; safety measures for children in the community and schools; extent of mainstreaming of children’s rights to core development agenda of LGUs; an ordinance establishing Barangay Violence Against Women and their Children (VAW/C) desks; PHILHEALTH accreditation in its main health facility or rural health unit for Maternal Care Services and Primary Care; a Local School Board (LSB) plan for CY 2013 that is aligned with the School Improvement Plan (SIP);  and 70% completion of the LGUs LSB Plan for 2013.

“I am glad that they have noticed our efforts in making the local government child-friendly. We will make sure that we will continue to deliver services that will benefit our children and youth,” City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said.

Under his flagship program CLEAN Gensan (Creating a Livable Environment for All Generals towards Nation-building), Mayor Rivera specified that LGU Gensan will be focused on improving it services in the areas of education, health, and social services.

“I chose these areas because they are needed by our constituents, especially by the children, women, and elderlies. They are our vulnerable sector that is why we should take care of them,” Mayor Rivera said.  

Mayor Rivera has launched various initiatives that are anchored on the CFLGA criteria.

The mayor has also strengthened partnership with DepEd and private agencies to raise the educational standards and academic learning here in Gensan.

Programs like enhanced Early Childhood Care Development Initiative (ECCDI), Community Teach, and Project Modelo were implemented to further promote the rights of the children towards quality education.

LGU Gensan employees have also taken part in building additional classrooms through the “Piso Ko, Klasrum Mo” program.

Every month, each employee has to donate P1 from their salary. This amount will be accumulated by the General Santos City Government Employees Association (GSCGEA) for the construction of makeshift classrooms

.

Youth-oriented activities such as the Gensan Summerfest were introduced last 2014 to empower the youth in the city through various sports competitions and development trainings.

Also, with the support of the local government to the young athletes of the city, Gensan took the championship title of SOCSKSARGEN Regional Athletic Association Meet last February 2015 by grand slam. 

LGU Gensan had allotted P3.4 Million for the training of these athletes. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John Lagare)

City Hall execs trained

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (14 April 2015) – Department heads and officers of the city government have undergone additional training designed to bolster performance and strengthen office capabilities.

The training on April 6 at Tierra Montana Hotel was organized by the Human Resource Management and Development Office (HRMDO) through its in-house capability building division.

The module was entitled Training Needs Analysis (TNA).

The 38 participants of the training-workshop were division chiefs, department heads and assistant department heads.

The TNA is the method used to determine if a training need exists. And if it does, to determine the training of employees required to fill the gap.

“The ultimate output for this activity is that, at the end of the day, each department will make and implement a training plan based on TNA results,” said Yoyo Barcelona, HRMDO Officer III. “This is required in order to identify the intervention for the employees for 2016.”

“This came out as a result of deficiency in making department training plan. That is why we designed the in-house training on how to prepare the training plan,” Barcelona added.

The training went on from first to third batch, scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday during that week. (Gensan CPIO/ Sharmagne Villacastin)

1,665 hired for summer SPES

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (1 April 2015) - City Mayor Ronnel Rivera congratulates the 1,665 students who are officially hired this summer by the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) of the Public Employment and Services Office. Out of the 1,665 students, 1,300 were hired by the local government unit and 665 by different private companies. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

World TB Day

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (30 March 28 2015) – The Department of Health (DOH), St. Elizabeth Hospital, Mindanao Medical Hospital, General Santos Doctors Hospital, Mother Children Hospital, Midwives Association, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Mahintana Foundation, PAMET South Cotabato Chapter, Public Health Center, doctors, nurses, midwives, and medical technologists support "World TB Day" as they teach the community how to treat tuberculosis (TB) at Barangay San. Jose on Tuesday, March 24. This activity aims to provide awareness of the illness called TB initiated by DOH and the City Health Office. (Gensan CPIO/ Jan Rey Libunao)

People first in Barangayan

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (30 March 2015) – Residents of Barangay Bawing are prioritized in the free medical services given by the city government through its Barangayan program Friday, March 27. The city government also brought government services to Barangay San Jose on March 20 through the Barangayan program where residents availed of services like free medical check-up, medicines , massage  and civil registration. (Gensan CPIO/ Jan Rey Libunao)

Feeding program for children

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (30 March 2015) - A feeding program through the partnership of the Youth Affairs and Development Office and RD Foundation Inc. serve children in Barangay Sinawal during the Barangayan Friday, March 27. This feeding program, as well as other government services, are offered free every weekly Barangayan initiated by City Mayor Ronnel Rivera. (Gensan CPIO/ Jan Rey Libunao)

BSP council installed

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (28 March 2015) – City Councilor Dominador Lagare (left), in behalf of City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, inducts the new set of officers of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines - Gensan Chapter Thursday, March 26, at the City Mayor's Office. DepEd Gensan Superintendent Gildo Mosqueda (2nd from left) is among the BSP officers inducted. (Gensan CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

BSP council takes oath of office

GENERAL SANTOS CITY  (March 28, 2015) - The scout council of General Santos City held recently its annual installation and oath taking ceremony for officers and members of the local executive board.

The 15-member executive board was led by Wilfredo Grandeza. The members of the board are Proforio Tripoli; Joel Sentillanosa, deputy council commissioner; Juan Abraham Abando, council auditor; Danilo Degracia, council treasurer; and Mario Lino Ferrer, assistant treasurer.

Mario Mariano and Rooseque Zapanta were installed as the first and second vice chairman, respectively.

Other members of the board will be coming from the private sector, officials from Department of Education (DepEd), president of the Girl Scout of the Philippines General Santos City Chapter and non-government organizations.

DepEd Supt. Gildo Mosqueda was confirmed as the council scout commissioner for 2015 and will act as counselor and adviser to the officer-in-charge/council scout executive.

Councilor Dominador Lagare III, the installing officer, and officials from the DepEd  pledged their support to the council and the “Kapatirang Iskawt ng Pilipinas.”

Lagare also encouraged members of the council to dedicate their time, mind and effort towards the goals of the scouting year 2015.

“Take to your work an attitude of open mindedness, to give your full interest and attention to what you are expected to do,” Lagare added.

Grandeza, for his part, enjoined everyone to espouse the positive values of the boy scouts like going beyond and above the call of duty for the sake of service to the community, passion and the spirit of volunteerism. (Gensan CPIO/Gilli Himbing)