Iloilo Airport, 12th best in Asia for 2017

Once again, our very own Iloilo International Airport at Cabatuan was voted as one of the best airports in Asia in the 2017 survey.

Travel website The Guide to Sleeping in Airports (www.sleepinginairports.net) recently released their annual best and worst airports lists, and Iloilo International Airport maintained its position at no. 12 in the Top 25 in Asia.

Three other airports in the country is in the list, with Mactan airport at no. 13, Davao airport at no. 17, and Clark airport at no. 22.

Iloilo airport was also at no. 12 last year, and no. 21 in 2015. Changi Airport in Singapore is still the best in Asia and the whole world for overall experience.

The website asked travelers worldwide to rank their airport experience based on the following: Comfort (Gate seating & availability of rest zones), Services, facilities & things to do, Food options, Immigration/Security, Customer service, Cleanliness, Navigation and ease of transit, and Sleepability.

Here's the complete list for Asia's best airports:

Top 25 Airports in Asia

1. Singapore Changi International Airport, Singapore (SIN)
2. Seoul Incheon International Airport, South Korea (ICN)
3. Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Japan (HND)
4. Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong (HKG)
5. Tokyo Narita International Airport, Japan (NRT)
6. Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan (TPE)
7. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand (BKK)
8. Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, India (BOM)
9. New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport, India (DEL)
10. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia (KUL)
11. Osaka Kansai International Airport, Japan (KIX)
12. Iloilo International Airport, Philippines (ILO)
13. Mactan–Cebu International Airport, Philippines (CEB)
14. Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, India (HYD)
15. Bangalore Bengaluru International Airport, India (BLR)
16. Cochin International Airport, India (COK)
17. Davao Francisco Bangoy International Airport, Philippines (DVO)
18. Karachi Jinnah International Airport, Pakistan (KHI)
19. Lahore Allama Iqbal International Airport, Pakistan (LHE)
20. Brunei International Airport, Brunei (BWN)
21. Trivandrum International Airport, India, (TRV)
22. Clark International Airport, Philippines (CRK)
23. Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport, Indonesia (DPS)
24. Jakarta Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Indonesia (CGK)
25. Kolkata Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, India (CCU)

"The best airports in the world are the ones that inspire you to book a trip based on the receiving airport alone. From ultra-efficient processes to friendly staff and a wide array of activities you never thought you’d find in an airport, these airports become a memorable part of any trip," the website stated.

The website also has the worst airports list, and interestingly Ninoy Aquino International Airport is not there anymore after a shoo-in the last few years.

Congratulations to Iloilo airport management and to all proud Ilonggos. It has to be Iloilo! [via Sleepinginairports.net]

DOH-6 opens Online Application for 2018 HRH Deployment Programs

Finally, Department of Health Regional Office 6 here in Western Visayas announces that they are now ready to accept nurses, doctors, midwives, pharmacists, medical technologists and other health workers under the Human Resource for Health Deployment Programs for calendar year 2018.

Just like in the previous years, submission of applications of interested and qualified health workers shall be done via their Online Recruitment System.

DOH has designed the HRH Deployment Programs to improve health systems in grassroots levels that will support the country’s attainment of All for Health towards Health for All.

The program will hire health professionals for deployment in the region prioritizing identified municipalities of the National Anti - Poverty Commission (NAPC), the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) areas, areas with Indigenous People Groups (IPs) and the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) of Western Visayas.

Here's the vacant positions and their minimum qualifications:

• Dentist under the Dentist Deployment Program (DDP) - Doctor of Dental Medicine
• Nurse under Nurse Deployment Project (NDP) - Registered Nurse
• Universal Health Care Implementers under UHCI Deployment Project (UHCIDP) - Registered Health Professional (Preferably a Physician / Nurse)
• Medical Technologist Medical Technologists under Medical Technologist Deployment Project (MTDP) - Registered Medical Technologist
• Public Health Associate under Public Health Associate Deployment Project (PHADP) - Graduate of any Health Allied Bachelor Degree Family Health Associate under Family Health Associate Deployment Project (PHADP) - Registered Nurse
• Midwife under Rural Health Midwives Placement Program (RHMPP) - Registered Midwife

These health workers will be deployed to rural health units, birthing facilities, and barangay health stations in Region VI. Contract period will be from January to June 2018, and renewable based on Very Satisfactory Performance Rating.

Minimum Requirements

• Duly filled up Online Application via Online Recruitment System (Direct LINK)
• Official and validated PRC License
• Certified True Copy of Diploma (for Public Health Associate)
• Physically and Mentally Fit

Online Recruitment System will be ready to accept applications from October 16-30, 2017, Mondays to Saturdays, 8:00AM to 5:00PM.

If you have further concerns about the program in DOH RO6, you may contact the following:

MARIEBE EGUIA-ADRIAS, RN - Senior Health Program Officer III, OIC - HRDU
Email - dohrovi.hrdu@gmail.com
Telephone No.: (033)321-02-35

Hopefully more health workers will join and serve the public health system so that delivery of health services will be readily available and efficient in the grassroots level.

No official information yet on the salary of health professionals under this program, but former health secretary Paulyn Ubial previously announced that nurses will get around P29,000 and doctors at P70,000. In the proposed DOH budget, P9.7 billion is intended for the deployment of these health professionals around the country.

Please share this post to all health workers in Region 6. Also, follow this Nonoynet blog for more updates. [via http://ro6.doh.gov.ph/]

SEC: Pluggle not authorized, agents may be held criminally liable

Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday has issued an advisory warning the public that Pluggle, Inc. is not authorized to solicit investments and those who are involved in it may be imprisoned.

Pluggle, with logo that is clearly a rip at Google's, is going viral in Facebook nowadays. I have seen lots of my friends in social media posting about their earnings from Pluggle and inviting everyone to join this online investment scheme.

One thing I noticed about it is that, it does not have any products to sell. It is purely pyramiding scheme which entices people to join, and encourage them to recruit others in order to earn more.

I'll leave it to government agency SEC to give the final verdict on it. Here's the full advisory:

SEC ADVISORY on Pluggle

The Commission has received information that individuals or group of persons representing PLUGGLE, INC. are enticing the public to invest in the said entity. Based on the reports received from the public, PLUGGLE claims that it has an advertising website wherein its members can receive significant gains from their One Thousand pesos (P1,000) initial investment by simply logging in everyday or by obtaining referrals.

According to the information communicated to the Commission, PLUGGLE requires its members to sign up to its website through a sponsored link and to purchase an activation code worth One Thousand pesos (P1,000) through their accounts using bitcoin or through other legitimate members or leaders. PLUGGLE claims its members may earn in 6 ways:

1. Sign up bonus – The member will earn One Hundred pesos (P100) upon registration;
2. Personal login bonus – The member will earn One Hundred pesos (P100) every time he/she logs in his/her account;
3. Group login bonus – The member will earn Sixty pesos (P60) per login of his/her 1st level downlines and Forty pesos (P40) per login of his/her 2nd level downlines;
4. Follow bonus – The member will earn One Hundred pesos (P100) for every person he/she sponsors into the system. There are no limitations as to the number of persons the member intends to sponsor;
5. Leveling bonus – The member will earn Four Hundred pesos (P400) for one (1) pair in each level down to the 10th level of the binary structure;
6. Pairing bonus – The member will earn One Hundred pesos (P100) for every pair in the binary structure. There are no limitations as to the number pairs.

To avoid overpayment, the Personal and Group login bonuses combined are limited to One Thousand Three Hundred pesos (P1,300) for 12 days and the Pairing bonuses are limited to 30 pairs per day or Three Thousand pesos (P3,000) per day per account. However, a member may register two (2) or more accounts but only the main account will have a login bonus of One Thousand Three Hundred pesos (P1,300).

In its Facebook Account PLUGGLE promises a return of 30% - 100% in 12 days with the above-mentioned system.




The public is hereby informed that PLUGGLE, INC., despite having been registered with the Commission as a corporation, is not authorized to solicit investments from the public as it has not secured the necessary license or permit from the Commission as required under Sections 8 and 12 of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC).

Consequently, those who act as salesman, brokers, dealers or agents of PLUGGLE, INC., in selling or convincing people to invest in the investment scheme being offered by PLUGGLE, INC. including solicitations or recruitment through the internet may likewise be prosecuted and held criminally liable under Section 28 of the Securities Regulation Code and penalized with a maximum fine of Five Million pesos (P5,000,000.00) or penalty of Twenty One (21) years imprisonment or both pursuant to Section 73 of the SRC.

Accordingly, those who invite or recruit other people to join or invest in this venture or offer contracts or securities to the public may be held liable or accordingly sanctioned or penalized in accordance with the Supreme Court decision in the case of SEC vs. Oudine Santos (G.R. No. 195542, March 19, 2014).

Regarding the use of Bitcoin in the investment scheme, the public is further informed that pursuant to Memorandum Circular No. 944, s, 2017, “The Bangko Sentral does not intend to endorse any VC (virtual currency), such as bitcoin, as a currency since it is neither issued or guaranteed by a central bank nor backed by any commodity. Rather, the BSP aims to regulate VCs when used for delivery of financial services, particularly, for payments and remittances, which have material impact on anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT), consumer protection and financial stability.”

In view thereof, the public is hereby advised to exercise caution before investing in these kinds of activities and to take the necessary precaution in dealing with PLUGGLE, INC. or its representatives.

Should you have any information regarding the operation of the subject entity, please call the Enforcement and Investor Protection Department at telephone numbers 818-6047.

For guidance of the public.

I took this official advisory from SEC website, which you may also verify or download. Emphasis through bold typefaces mine. Please share this to all your friends who are in one way or the other involved in this scheme.

DepEd opens 2016-2017 ALS A&E Test Registration

Finally, Department of Education (DepEd) Philippines has opened the registration for Alternative Learning System Accreditation and Equivalency (ALS A&E) Test 2016-2017, which was previously postponed by the agency.

The ALS A&E Test, formerly known as the Non-formal Education A&E Test, is a paper and pencil test designed to measure the competencies of those who have neither attended nor finished elementary or secondary education in the formal school system.

Deped announces that the registration period for test which is given to Elementary and Junior High School Level will be on October 2 - 25, 2017. Qualified applicants may register at DepEd designated registration centers.

Guidelines

1. Applicants may register on the following levels:
Elementary level - not less than 12 years old
Junior High School level - not less than 16 years old

2. Registration Centers are the Schools Division Offices or District Offices designated by Deped. There will be a Registration Committee that will assist applicants in filling up their registration forms and assess their documents.

3. Make sure to complete the form and submitted documents to avoid delay. Applicants should personally fill up the form and submit it to Registration Committee.

4. No fee shall be collected from applicants during the registration or in taking the test and requesting certificate of rating.

Registration

To register, get a registration form from registration centers and bring the following:
Original AND copy of Certification of ALS Program Completion given by Learning Facilitator (for ALS learners)
Original AND copy of birth certificate (from Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA] formerly known as National Statistics Office)
Two (2) copies of the same 1x1 ID picture (with white background and name tag)

If you don't have PSA birth certificate, you may submit any of the following:
Baptismal certificate
Voter’s ID (with picture and signature)
Valid passport
Valid driver’s license
Any legal document with your name, picture and signature (example: NBI clearance, barangay certificate, certification from barangay chairman or learning facilitator)

Passers of the A&E Test are given a certificate/diploma, bearing the Department of Education (DepEd) seal and the signature of the Secretary, certifying their competencies as comparable graduates of the formal school system. Passers are qualified to enroll in secondary and post-secondary schools.

Administration of ALS A&E Test for 2016-2017 was previously scheduled on January 22, 2017 for Luzon and January 29, 2017 for Visayas and Mindanao but was cancelled. Deped has yet to issue announcement on the new schedule of the test.

For more information or concerns, you may contact your Schools Division Office or District Office, or call DepEd-Bureau of Education Assessment (BEA) at telephone nos. (02) 631-2588, (02) 631-2589 at (02) 631-2571.

DOH opens HRH Deployment Programs 2018 application

Good news to all health workers in the Philippines! Department of Health (DOH) has finally opened the hiring of nurses, doctors, midwives, medtechs, pharmacist and other allied health professionals for deployment in 2018.

The health department announced that they are ready to accept applications under DOH Deployment Program 2018 (formerly known as Human Resource for Health Programs), which according to recent proclamation by Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial will hire around 25,000 health workers to be deployed in grassroots level.

Vacant positions are open for nurses, doctors, midwives, dentists, medical technologists, pharmacists, and allied health workers. The deployment program includes:

• Physician Augmentation Deployment Project (PADP)
• Universal Healthcare Implementers Deployment Project (UHCIDP)
• Nurse Deployment Project (NDP)
• Rural Health Midwives Placement Program (RHMPP)
• Dentist Deployment Project (DDP)
• Medical Technologist Deployment Project (MTDP)
• Pharmacist Deployment Project (PDP)
• Public Health Associates Deployment Project (PHADP)
• Family Health Associate Deployment Project (FHADP)

Nurses get the most vacant slots as around 22,000 of them will be hired out of 25,000 health workers.

Recruitment and selection of qualified applicants will be from October to December 2017, and the process includes qualifying exam given by respective DOH regional offices. Those who will be accepted will be deployed from January 2 to December 31, 2018.

Application Requirements

1. Application Letter addressed to the Regional Director, DOH Regional Office___.
2. Authenticated copy of Diploma/Transcript of Records (for new entrants/applicants).
3. Copy of Certificate of Training/Seminars attended.
4. Copy of Eligibility (Sub-professional/Professional/Board Rating)

DOH also has uploaded a new Application Form which needs to be filled up, with 1x1 photo attached. See the downloadable DOH Deployment Program 2018 form below, with list of details of Regional Offices and their contact details:



You may download the form here: DOH Deployment Program Application Form

Salary

Nurses and other health workers have been anticipating this recruitment after Secretary Ubial said that the third tranche of Salary Standardization Law will be implemented in 2018, which means that nurses will get around P29,000 basic monthly salary and doctors will earn over P70,000 monthly. That's just the basic salary, exclusive of incentives and allowances.




I've checked the salary grades for each professional in this year's HRH 2017, here's what they will probably get next year based on 3rd Tranche SSL:

• Doctor to the Barrio/PADP - Salary Grade 24 : P73,299
• Dentist under DDP - Salary Grade 17: P34,781
• Nurse under NDP - Salary Grade 15: P29,010
• Medical Technologist under MTADP - Salary Grade 15: P29,010
• Midwife under RHMPP - Salary Grade 8: P16,282

UHCI also gets Salary Grade 15 as nurses are mostly hired for this position; Public Health Associate is Salary Grade 12. I don't know about Pharmacist (no pharmacist in the program this year) and Family Health Associate (if nurse, salary grade 15 will be applied). Again this is not official yet as DOH havent issued announcement about the salaries for 2018 deployment, so we have to wait for that.

I've been following this DOH Deployment Program ever since, and based on previous years recruitment, the respective Regional Offices handle the hiring process, conduct of qualifying examinations, interviews, selection, etc. For instance, Region 6 uses an Online Recruitment System for this.



So if you have other concerns, please contact DOH regional offices or provincial health offices in your locality, listed on the document above.

Please share to other health care workers who might be interested in this program. For updates you may follow this blog Nonoynet.com or my social media pages.