here - MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT – PHILIPPINES
Transcription
here - MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT – PHILIPPINES
VOLUME NO. VOLUME VOLUME1 11NO. NO.1 12 Floor 2a Development Academy the Philippines Bldg., San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600 Philippines Website: http://www.mcap.ph Floor Development Academy the Philippines Bldg., San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600 Philippines Website: http://www.mcap.ph Floor 2a2a Development Academy ofofof the Philippines Bldg., San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600 Philippines Website: http://www.mcap.ph OCTOBER 2012 OCTOBER 2012 JUNE 2013 Thomasgear graces CP2 signed, SNRDP in full swing Compact shiftsAmbassador to higher higher gear MCCCEO CEOto tovisit visit PH Compact shifts to MCC PH MCA-P Anniversary DanielYohannes, Chief Sixteen months from entryinto into force,the the million), million),was wassigned signedlast lastSeptember September11. 11. While CP2 is just starting, the ongoing The Samar road Daniel project isYohannes, now in Chief full Sixteen months from entry force, Executive Officer Executive Officer repair fromCompact Barangay to Barangay swing, with the last of the four contractofofroadPhilippine Philippine CompactisBuray isshifting shifting higher CP3 CP3covers coversthe therehabilitation rehabilitationofofa a64.58 64.58 totoa ahigher Millennium Challenge Millennium Challenge in as Paranas, Eastern was already packages already awarded and with one Tinani gear asprojects projects takea Samar amore morevisible visible formasas kilometer kilometerroad roadand andthe thereplacement replacementofofsix six gear take form Corporation (MCC), will44.42they percent completed inmore June, way ahead road section expectedCorporation to be completed four (MCC), will they move towarda amore advanced stage bridges bridgesfrom fromthe theSan SanJulian Julianand andSulat Sulat move toward advanced stage visitthe thePhilippines Philippineson onof its scheduled accomplishment of 28.99 months ahead of schedule. visit implementation. MunicipalBoundary Boundaryup uptotothe theBalangkaBalangkaofofimplementation. Municipal for the CalledNational CP1, this Roads civil On June 18, Millennium Challenge October15-21, 15-21, 2012totopercent In October 2012 In the theperiod. Secondary National Roads yan/Llorente yan/Llorente Municipal Municipal Boundary Boundary inin Secondary contract, amounting to P808two million Account-Philippines see (MCA-P) signed see for himself himself theworks for the Development Project(SNRDP), (SNRDP), twomajor major Eastern EasternSamar. Samar. Development Project awarded to the have joint venture of DM Contract Package 2 ongoing with Qingjian Group was contract ongoing developments developments contractpackages packages havebeen beenawarded awarded and Anothercontract, contract,amounting amountingtotoabout about and Another Inc. andclearing CM Pancho Construction Co. Ltd., a Chinese construction contractingofofConsunji theimplementation implementation ininthe signed, thus clearing theway way forthe thestart start P807.96 P807.96million million(or (orabout about$19.24 $19.24million), million), signed, thus the for the only partnership among company, for the prehabilitation p r or o j ej ce tcst s uu nn dd eofre r taht h e eInc., of ofactual actualall-Filipino civilworks. works. (Seerelated related story was wassigned signedwith withthe theFilipino Filipinoconsortium consortium civil (See story all the contract packages. 63.78-kilometer roadMillennium from Hinabangan, Millennium Challenge Challenge below)AAgroundbreaking groundbreakingceremony ceremonywas, was, DMCI-CM DMCI-CMPancho PanchoJVJVtotoundertake undertakethe the below) Thefact, CP1scheduled JV contractor hopes18 to finish Samar toDaniel Sulat in Eastern MCC CEO Daniel Yohannes MCC CEO Yohannes ommppa acThe wi tiht h t ht he e CCoSamar. tc t wcontract, onOctober October timefor for 16.36-kilometer 16.36-kilometerroad roadrehabilitation rehabilitationfrom from ininfact, scheduled on 18 inintime by theofend of 2013, about four amounting Philippines.to P2.5 billion, is the biggest, in the project the visit visit Millennium Challenge theBuray BurayJunction JunctionininParanas, Paranas,(Western) (Western) Philippines. the of Millennium Challenge the months ahead of its scheduled completion terms of value, among all the four contract States to Ambassador toof the Philippines Harry K. Thomas During the the visit, visit, Yohannes Yohannes will will pay pay a a Corporation (MCC) (MCC) Chief Chief Executive Executive United Samar tothe theend end ofBarangay Barangay Tinani the During Corporation Samar Tinani ininthe packages under the Secondary National date of April 2014. Jr. shows the memorabilia presented to him by MCA-P Managing courtesycall calltotoPresident PresidentBenigno BenignoS.S.Aquino AquinoIIIIII OfficerDaniel DanielYohannes. Yohannes. same municipality and the replacement courtesy Officer same municipality and the replacement of Director and CEO Marivic Añonuevo when he graced the second of CP3, the first contract to be signed, is Roads Development Project (SNRDP). who,together togetherwith withUS USSecretary SecretaryofofState Stateand and of thebridge. Philippine Compact’s entry-into-force held at the SNRDP's Contract Contract Package Package 3 3 was was anniversary Tabucan bridge. who, SNRDP's Tabucan Aside from road rehabilitation, the slightly ahead of schedule (11.415 percent) on June 6. MCCChair ChairHillary HillaryS.S.Clinton, Clinton,witnessed witnessedthe the awardedtotoa ajoint jointventure venturebetween betweena a MCA-P Office Small infrastructuresub-projects sub-projectsare are MCC awarded Small infrastructure package also covers the rehabilitation or with actual accomplishment at 11.658 percent. Compactsigning signingon on September23, 23,2010 2010ininNew New Filipino company, Mac Builder anda a also alsounderway underwayininpoor poormunicipalities municipalities Compact Filipino Mac Builder s,s,and tocompany, P2.455 billion, the contract was reconstruction of 25September bridges, construction of Amounting CP4, from Llorente to Guiuan, is also York. Hewill will alsomeet meet withthe theMCA-P MCA-PBoard Board Chinese company, Qingjan. Thecontract, contract, randomly selected for for the Kapit-Bisig Kapit-Bisig York. Chinese company, Qingjan. The to the joint venture of Qingjian and on randomly slope He stabilityalso measureswith on landslide areas, awarded schedule asselected contractors the Hanjin Heavy of Trustees led by Budget and Management amounting to P2.45 billion (or about $58 of Trustees led by Budget and Management amounting to P2.45 billion (or about $58 COMPACT /Ltd. PAGE COMPACT 22 construction of new drainage structures, and Mac Builders. It covers the rehabilitation of Industries and Construction Co. / PAGE Secretary and MCA-P Chair Florencio B. Abad Secretary and MCA-P Chair Florencio B. Abad 64.58 kilometers of road from San Julian and Yakal Construction mobilized their installation of road safety measures. andFinance Finance Secretary andMCA-P MCA-P Vice Chairto Balangkayan in Eastern Samar and the and Secretary and Vice Chair The project is scheduled to start in July heavy equipment in the area to perform Cesar who the Compact onrehabilitation or reconstruction of 17 bridges. clearing and grubbing operations. In Cesar V.V.Purisima, who Compact and end inPurisima, April 2016, orsigned asigned totalthe of 33 months.on behalfofofthe thePhilippines. Philippines. behalf terms of length, this is the longest road Samar, hehe will will visit visit and and lead lead the the InIn Samar, project with 77.51 kilometers of road inaugurationofofsmall smallinfrastructure infrastructureprojects projects inauguration repair. It also includes the rehabilitation implementedunder underthe theKapit-Bisig Kapit-BisigLaban Labansasa implemented or reconstruction of 16 bridges. Kahirapan- -Comprehensive Comprehensiveand andIntegrated Integrated Kahirapan Clearing of roads to expand the existing DeliveryofofSocial SocialServices Services(KALAHI-CIDSS) (KALAHI-CIDSS) Delivery road structure is also proceeding smoothly projectofofthe theDepartment DepartmentofofSocial SocialWelfare Welfareand and project without any serious problems with the Development(DSWD). (DSWD).AtAtthe thesite, site,hehewill willmeet meet Development project-affected entities. and interact interact with with community community leaders leaders and and and KALAHI-CIDSSfacilitators. facilitators.KALAHI-CIDSS, KALAHI-CIDSS, KALAHI-CIDSS CONTRACT PACKAGE 1 SIGNED. MCA-P Managing Director CEO Marivic Añonuevo (fourth from left) signs the CONTRACT PACKAGE 1 SIGNED. MCA-P Managing Director && CEO Marivic Añonuevo (fourth from left) signs the community-drivendevelopment developmentproject, project,isis a acommunity-driven contract Contract Package 1 of the Secondary National Roads Development Project (SNRDP). Representing DMCI-CM contract forfor Contract Package 1 of the Secondary National Roads Development Project (SNRDP). Representing DMCI-CM oneofofthe thethree threeprojects projectsininthe thePhilippines Philippinesbeing being one Pancho were (from left) Gerardo Pancho, President and General Manager C.M Pancho Construction Inc.;Edilberto Edilberto Pancho JVJV were (from left) Gerardo V.V. Pancho, President and General Manager ofof C.M Pancho Construction Inc.; Palisoc, Executive Vice President DMCI;and and Jorge Consunji, President and COO D.M. Consunji Inc.. Also C.C. Palisoc, Executive Vice President ofof DMCI; Jorge A.A. Consunji, President and COO ofof D.M. Consunji Inc.. Also fundedbybyMCC. MCC. funded MCC CEO / PAGE MCC CEO / PAGE 22 present was MCA-P SNRDP Director Rudy Arias (right). present was MCA-P SNRDP Director Rudy L.L. Arias (right). MCA-Psigns signsmulti-billion multi-billionpeso pesoroad roadcontracts contracts MCA-P MCA-P Managing Director & CEO Marivic Añonuevo (seated, fourth from left) signs the CP2 contract with Qingjian officials (seated, from left): Millennium Challenge Account Philippines recycling technology. Millennium Challenge – –Witnessing Philippines recycling technology. Jennifer Carandang, Shan Zhenxiang Account and Xu Shuzheng. the signing ceremony are MCC Resident Country Director Matt Bohn (seated, right), SNRDP Project Director Rudy Arias (fifth from left)civil and (standing) senior officials fromsecond MCC, MCA-P, DPWH, and Qingjian. (MCA-P) signed lastmonth month twomajor major civil works The second contract, amounting aboutP806 P806 (MCA-P) signed last two works The contract, amounting totoabout Why“Layag”? “Layag”? Why Wikipediaprovides provides“journey “journeyatat Wikipedia oneofofthree threedefinitions definitionsfor for sea ” ”asasone sea theword word“layag”. “layag”. the thusa afitting fittingdescription description ItItisisthus thejourney journeythat thatwe, we,atatMCA-P, MCA-P, totothe aretaking takingtowards towardswhat whatwe wehope hope are brightfuture futurefor forthe the totobebea abright Filipino people. people. This This isis the the Filipino reasonthat thatwe wechose chose“LAYAG “LAYAG reason ”” ourname namefor forthe thenewsletter. newsletter. asasour This “journey “journey atat sea sea This ” ” isis a a journeyofofmany manypeople. people.Leaders Leaders journey fromthe theNational NationalGovernment, Government, from governmentagencies agenciesand andlocal local government government units help us steer government units help us steer thecourse. course.They Theyare aresupported supported the c ommmmuun ni ti yt y l el ea adde er sr ,s , b by y c o contracts for for the the rehabilitation rehabilitation ofof roads roads and and million million(or (or$19 $19million), million),was wassigned signedwith witha aFilipino Filipino contracts replacementofofbridges bridgesinin(Western) (Western)Samar Samarand and consortium, consortium, DMCI-CM DMCI-CM Pancho Pancho JV, JV, for for the the replacement EasternSamar. Samar.The Theroad roadrehabilitation rehabilitationisispart partofof rehabilitation rehabilitationofofa a16.3-kilometer 16.3-kilometerroad roadininParanas, Paranas, Eastern the Secondary Secondary National Roads Development Samar. the Roads 3,864Samar. PAEs, or about 97 percent of the total Clearing ofNational the existing roadDevelopment structure Project (SNRDP) funded byMillennium Millennium Challenge MCA-P Managing Director and and Chief Chief Project (SNRDP) Challenge MCA-P Managing Director registered claims of 3,991. in two sectionsfunded of theby Secondary National Corporation (MCC). Project (SNRDP) has Officer Marivic signedon on InExecutive CP4, which started only Añonuevo inAñonuevo Februarysigned Roads Development Corporation (MCC). Executive Officer Marivic 2013,behalf a total ofMCA-P 1,826 PAEs have been paid &&CEO proceeded smoothly, without any major Thefirst firstcontract, contract, amounting P2.45billion billion(or (or behalf MCA-P while DMCI President CEO The amounting totoP2.45 ofof while DMCI President out of theA. total registered 3,589 PAEs inVice the issues from project-affected entities. about $58 million), wassigned signed lastSeptember September1111 Jorge A.Consunji, Consunji, DMCI Executive VicePresident President about $58 million), was last Jorge DMCI Executive municipalities from Llorente toPancho Guiuan. In of venture June 2013, Millennium Challenge withaAs ajoint joint venture between Filipino company, EdilbertoPalisoc Palisoc andCM CM Pancho President and with between a aFilipino company, Edilberto and President and Account - Philippines has, in fact, paid more June alone, 631 PAEs were paid. MacBuilders, Builders,and anda aChinese Chinesecompany, company,Qingjan. Qingjan. General GeneralManager ManagerGerardo GerardoV.V.Pancho Panchosigned signedfor forthe the Mac Although awarding of the civil works than the original number of claims in the The contract was for the rehabilitation of a 64.58 DMCI-CM Pancho Joint Venture. MCC Deputy The contract was for the rehabilitation of a 64.58 DMCI-CM Pancho Joint Venture. MCC Deputy areas coverd by Contract Package 1, from contract for CP2 was done only in June and kilometer roadand and the replacement six bridges Resident Country Mission DirectorJohn JohnPolk Polk kilometer replacement ofofsix bridges Resident Country Mission payment processing began only inDirector February, Buray toroad Tinani inthe Samar. Total PAEs paid from the San Julian and Sulat Municipal Boundary witnessed theceremony. ceremony. from themore, San Julian and Sulatwith Municipal Boundarymorewitnessed than halfthe of the total 1,374 PAEs have were 725 compared 691, because up the alignment Balangkayan/Llorente Municipal Thecontract contract covers the rehabilitation been already paid. This was due to the of the of the road. up toto final the Balangkayan/Llorente Municipal The covers the rehabilitation ofofanan higher number of claims processed and paidthe to Balangkayan ou nInd a r y i from Sam ad existing 16.36-kilometer road from the Buray Buray BB ou nd a CP3, ry ni n EE aSan satset Julian renr n Sam arar . . TT hh e e r or o ad existing 16.36-kilometer road from Partly completed road sections: asphalt in CP3 (above) and concrete in May (256 PAEs) and June (493 PAEs). in Eastern Samar, payments reached rehabilitation willactual use cold cold in-situ in-situ asphalt rehabilitation will use asphalt MCA-P SIGNS / PAGE WHY “LAYAG”? / PAGE MCA-P SIGNSin/ PAGE 33 WHY “LAYAG”? / PAGE 33 CP1 (below) Payment to PAEs proceeding smoothly Layag 2013_2.indd 1 7/18/2013 11:18:30 AM 2 VOLUME 1 NO. 2 LAYAG - The Official Publication of Millennium Challenge Account - Philippines Website: www.mcap.ph P2-B worth of community projects completed About P2-billion worth of sub-projects funded by Millennium Challenge Corporation in the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) project have been completed as of May 2013. Of the total amount, the MCC grant accounts for P1.5 billion while the rest are counterpart funds from the local government units and the communities. The amount represents 943 sub-projects completed, which are more than half or 54 percent of the total 1,743 sub-projects prioritized during the period. In terms of project type, basic social services topped the list, accounting for 39 percent of the sub-projects with a total project cost of P766 million. School buildings remained the priority of the beneficiary communities (135), followed by water system (87), day care centers (73), health stations (59), and electrification (17). Basic access infrastructure sub-projects were the second highest priority, with 340 completed as of May 2013, amounting to P889 million. Farm-to-market roads were up in the list, with 218 completed sub-projects, followed by access trail and footpaths (97), and foot/ small bridges (25). Environmental protection and conservation subprojects came in third, accounting for 19 percent of the total sub-projects, equivalent to a total project cost of P286 million. In addition, a portion of the Gender Incentive Grant has been committed for gender-related subprojects in the two pilot municipalities of Madalag, Aklan and Torrijos, Marinduque. The sub-projects are Skills Training for Women Towards Economic Empowerment in Madalag, and Improvement of Maternal and Child Care Services in Torrijos. Day care centers remain as one of the priority MCC-funded KALAHI-CIDSS sub-projects. Photo shows United States Ambassador to the Philippine Harry K. Thomas Jr., MCC Resident Country Director Matt Bohn and MCA-P Managing Director and CEO Marivic Añonuevo mingle with teachers and children of an MCC-funded day care center in Barangay Aslum, Alang-Alang, Leyte. Before and After photos of a farm-to-market road sub-project, worth P684,811, in Barangay Cabidian, Mabini, Bohol Lego Training for Day Care Center Teachers held CamSur day care center teachers try their hands on the Lego educational tools Recognizing the importance of learning through fun and creative play, Millennium Challenge AccountPhilippines (MCA-P) and Felta MultiMedia Inc. launched a partnership that will give day care center children in poor communities the opportunity to learn while enjoying Lego bricks. Under the Learn N’ Play for ProgressPhilippines Project, Felta committed to donate 40 Lego Charity Boxes which MCA-P can pass on to communities where Layag 2013_2.indd 2 there are day care centers constructed as sub-projects of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services project using Millennium Challenge Corporation funds. Part of this donation is the training of day care center teachers on the proper use of the Lego bricks as mental feeding tools. Felta is the exclusive distributor in the Philippines of Lego educational tools. Thus, on May 6, MCA-P and Felta went to Naga to conduct training for 20 day care center teachers from six municipalities in Camarines Sur, an MCC-covered province. The mission: to train the teachers the use of the Lego bricks as educational tools to promote values formation, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and development of motor and social skills among children. The 20 barangays were: Del Rosario and Caricot in Bato; San Francisco, Sto. Domingo and San Roque in Bombon; Castillo, Pandan and San Pedro in Cabusao; Villaflorida, Hanawan, and San Antonio in Ocampo; Kilamaon, Tinorongan, Patitinan and Nato in Sagnay; and Cabugao, Matandang Siruma, Homestead, La Purisima, and Ramon in Siruma. Ma. Asuncion A. Cruz, an accredited Lego trainor in the Philippines, conducted the training. MCA-P Managing Director & CEO Marivic Anonuevo and Felta President Mylene Abiva challenged the day care center teachers to become better instruments of learning while helping in early childhood development of children from impoverished communities. DSWD Region V Regional Director Arnel Garcia expressed the DSWD’s commitment to assist in the monitoring of the use the Lego products in the selected day care centers as well as the evaluation of the impact of the Lego tools among the day care center children. 7/18/2013 11:18:42 AM LAYAG - The Official Publication of Millennium Challenge Account - Philippines Website: www.mcap.ph VOLUME 1 NO. 2 3 Repair in BIR’s tax information system ongoing MCA-P Managing Director and CEO Marivic Añonuevo (right) signs the contract for the repair and enhancement of the Electronic Tax Information System of the Bureau of Internal Revenue with Indra Philippines as service provider, represented by its President Jose T. Guingona (second from left) and Managing Director Maria Do Carmo Vidoeira (left). BIR Commissioner Kim J. Henares (third from left) witnessed the signing ceremony The existing Electronic Tax Information System (e-TIS) in the Bureau of Internal Revenue is undergoing repair and enhancement as part of the Revenue Administration Reform Project funded by Millennium Challenge Corporation. The first module in the RARP sub-activity, called the Taxpayer Registration System, is nearing completion and User Acceptance Testing and Training are planned for August. It will be implemented in the Large Taxpayer Service in BIR by September. The rest of the audit centric modules (TRS, Collection and Remittance Reconciliation, Audit) are scheduled to be tested in October for pilot in December. The e-TIS contract was awarded to Indra Philippines on April 2. MCA-P is now in the process of procuring the services of an Independent Assurer to provide Independent Validation and Verification for ETIS-1 and 2 deliverables. In the meantime, MCA-P has completed the first stage of shortlisting the firms that expressed interest for the Public Awareness Campaign for BIR. The four shortlisted companies will be provided with a Request for Proposal so they can proceed with submitting their technical and financial proposals and present their pitches. The pitch presentations are tentatively scheduled in August. The target date for the firm to come on board is first week of September. MCC has also funded the services of the US Treasury Office of Technical Assistance to provide technical assistance to BIR to meet its objectives to set up a Document Processing Division for each of the 19 Revenue Regions. A two-day workshop was conducted, attended by the Commissioner on Internal Revenue, Deputy Commissioners, the 19 Revenue Regional Directors, and the Project Management and Implementation Service to lay the foundation on how to proceed with meeting the target of having a DPD per Revenue Region by the end of 2014. The US Treasury is also helping the BIR in redesigning the taxpayer forms (specifically the 1700 series) to make the forms easier for taxpayers to fill as well as to make them Optical Character Reader (OCR) and Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) ready. In Revenue Integrity Protection Service, MCC has funded the acquisition of three vehicles for the use of RIPS for surveillance purposes. Surveillance equipment like binoculars and cameras have also been procured for RIPS. New MCA-P Stakeholders Committee members elected Community leaders, members of nongovernment and civil society organizations, and private sector officers elected their new representatives to the MCA-P Stakeholders Committee and the MCA-P Board of Trustees in a move to further strengthen the feedback mechanism in the implementation of the Compact projects. Three separate Stakeholders Consultative Assemblies were held, one for each Compact project, to get feedback on stakeholders engagement in the three projects over the past two years since 2011. In each Assembly, four Stakeholders Committee members were elected: one to be nominated as a Voting NGO Member of the MCA-P Board of Trustees and the other three as NonVoting NGO Members of the Board. At the Stakeholders Consultative Assembly for the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services, held in La Breza Hotel on April 23, the following were elected: Celia Flor, from DAWN Foundation; Jean Naval, from Caramoan, Camarines Sur; Alfredo Lera Jr., from Negros Oriental; and Leovic Ramos, from Tanauan, Leyte. At the SCA for the Secondary National Roads Development Project, held in Borongan, Eastern Samar on April 25, one community leader from each Contract Package area was elected: Nestor Nachura, Layag 2013_2.indd 3 from Calbayog, Samar, for CP1; Urbano Campo from Taft, Eastern Samar, for CP2; Dadit Gesite, from Balangkayan, Eastern Samar, for CP3; and Paz Dimaangay, from Guiuan, Eastern Samar, for CP4. The SCA for the Revenue Administration Reform Project was held at the Astoria Plaza on May 23, with the following elected as SC members: Atty. Lea Roque, of Punongbayan and Araullo; Atty. Zenaida Alcantara, of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants; Atty. Jose Cabrera of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines; and Rizza Latorre, of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation. The 12 newly-elected SC members later met on June 6 to formalize the nomination of their Voting and Non-Voting NGO Trustees. Elected as Voting NGO Trustees were Campo, Lera, and Roque while elected as Non-Voting NGO Trustees were Nachura and Flor. The newly-elected members of the MCA-P Stakeholders Committee pose with US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. (middle), MCC Resident Country Director Matt Bohn (seventh from left) and MCC Deputy Resident Country Director John Polk (third from left): l-r, Lera, Campo, Dimaangay, Ramos, Naval, Alcantara, Flor, Roque, and Latorre. 7/18/2013 11:18:47 AM 4 VOLUME 1 NO. 2 LAYAG - The Official Publication of Millennium Challenge Account - Philippines Website: www.mcap.ph MCA-P intensifies anti-TIP campaign MCC Resident Country Director Matt Bohn, MCC Senior Director for Infrastructure Kumar Ranganathan, SNRDP Project Director Rudy Arias, and MCC Deputy Resident Country Director John Polk stand outside a project site office with one of the tarpaulins produced and installed by the joint venture of Qingjian and MacBuilders for the Contract Package 3 area from San Julian to Balangkayan in Eastern Samar. MCA-P is intensifying its campaign against human trafficking, in partnership with national government agencies, local government units, non-government organizations, and private contractors and sub-contractors. In July, MCA-P and the Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT), will start a series of community education sessions with teachers, police officers and community leaders in the 15 municipalities of Samar and Eastern Samar covered by the Secondary National Roads Development Project (SNRDP). The community education activities follow the orientation sessions on trafficking in persons (TIP with the local government units in March and an assessment of the local councils against trafficking in the 15 municipalities. These are part of the undertakings between MCA-P and PACT, a nongovernment organization, to increase awareness and strengthen the capacity of existing institutional mechanisms for the prevention of human trafficking in the SNRDP-covered areas. MCA-P and PACT signed on March 2, 2013 in Tacloban, Leyte a Memorandum of Agreement to formalize the collaboration to fight human trafficking in the Eastern Visayas, specifically in the road project areas. Also part of the activities is the production of information and education materials such as brochures (including those written in the local dialect of Waray), flyers and tarpaulins. In August, MCA-P and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will train social workers and focal persons from the SNRDP contractors to enhance their skills in case management, referral and reporting human trafficking incidents in their respective areas. The training will be conducted with the support and assistance of the Regional Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking led by the DSWD-Field Office 8. The SNRDP contractors have been conducting anti-TIP orientation sessions, on a regular and continuing basis, among their personnel and staff. The road construction companies have also produced posters and billboards for use around campsites. The cover of an anti-TIP information material, written in the local dialect Waray, for distribution in the 15 municipalities covered by the MCC-funded road project from Samar to Eastern Samar Anti-TIP tarpaulin Layag 2013_2.indd 4 7/18/2013 11:18:51 AM