The Domestic Violence Awareness Month activities aim to promote and support ongoing public education efforts to change belief systems and practices that support violence against women.
It will also encourage the participation of the community in building social intolerance toward domestic violence.
This year’s theme is “Empowering the Community for Change,” which reminds us all that we must do our part to stop the violence in our homes, Ayuda stated.
Philippine consular mission to Rota
THE Philippine Consulate General will conduct its annual mission to Rota from Oct. 11-12.
The consular service will be held at the Eskwelan San Francisco de Borja in Songsong from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break.
The consular team will accept application for the new machine readable passports and dual citizenship, perform notarial services, accept registrations of birth and marriages and fingerprinting services for NBI clearance applications. It will also release the MRPs of those who applied earlier.
The consulate urges all Filipinos residing and working in Rota to take advantage of this opportunity to avail themselves of the forthcoming field consular service.
Friends of the Monument now on the Internet
THE Friends of the Monument are using the Internet to share their group’s activities with the world, a media release stated.
They have started a gmail e-mail account, a blog, and a Youtube account, where they host their public service announcements and other videos.
Vice Chairwoman Agnes McPhetres said, “We want to reach as many people as possible. We have been talking to people in their homes and in their villages, but it is also important for us to use all of the tools available to us. That is why some of our younger volunteers are helping us use the world wide web. So far we have an e-mail, a Youtube, and a blog. I didn’t even know what a Youtube and a blog were until we already had one. Belynda had to explain it to me.”
The Friends are inviting the public to visit their public blog hosted at http://marianamonument.blogspot.com. The group created the blog on Sept. 15 and received over 300 “hits” in the first two weeks.
Most of the traffic has come from local blogs, but Deep Sea News, a blog sponsored by the Discovery Channel, has added a Support the Mariana Trench Monument banner and is playing the Friends of the Monument public service announcement.
Several of the friends were excited when they saw their public service announcement on the Discovery Channel blog.
Chailang Palacios, one of the Friends featured in the public service announcement, said: “When we filmed the commercial, I had no idea so many people would see it. I thought it would just play locally. I never expected to be on something like the Discovery Channel blog.”
Friends Chairman Ignacio V. Cabrera stated that, “I like the blog because it allows people to interact with us and to leave comments. So far most of the feedback has been very positive.”
The Friends of the Monument are a group of indigenous and long-term residents dedicated to ocean conservation and building support for the proposed Mariana Trench Marine National Monument.
Upcoming Rota checkpoints
(DPS) — The Department of Public Safety on Rota will conduct insurance and DUI/sobriety checkpoints on Oct. 3.
The first checkpoint will be along San Francisco Highway, Pinatang by the Commerce office. It starts at 4 p.m. and will end at 5:15 p.m.
The second checkpoint will be conducted along San Francisco Highway by the Rota Hotel. It starts at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 8:45 p.m.
Both checkpoints will be terminated if it begins to rain.
The traffic section will conduct an occupant protection child restraint checkpoint on Oct. 4 along San Francisco Highway by the Sinapalo 3 Park. It starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 11:15 a.m.
A DUI/sobriety checkpoint will be held on Oct. 4 as well along San Francisco Highway by the Teteto Beach. It starts at 8 p.m. and ends at 9:15 p.m.
Both checkpoints will be terminated if it begins to rain.
In addition to these checkpoints, officers will be conducting highway criminal interdictions and laser activities.
Correction
FATHER Glen Ragsag of the Kristo Rai Parish Church yesterday said they will continue to celebrate daily Masses, but will turn the air-conditioning units off, except on Sundays, to cut the costs of utilities.
Variety quoted him on Monday as saying that Kristo Rai would no longer celebrate daily Masses except on Sundays.
