Manila, February 12 2011 — Korean students belonging to the NGO BRIDGES visited the UN-HABITAT offices in two separate batches on Feb 2 and 11, 2011 to orient themselves on the urban poor advocacy of the agency. Some of the students have stayed in the BASECO community, a large informal settlement with slum conditions in the Manila port area, for a few days to immerse themselves in the realities of urban poverty. The visit enlightened the students on the various initiatives of the agency and the UN family to address the issues of poverty, health, education and shelter. They also brought home with them the desire to contribute to the efforts to address poverty issues who assumed a human face during their exposure in BASECO.
Sorsogon City decision-makers led by Sorosogn City Mayor Leovic R. Dioneda along with the members of the Sorsogon City Executive-Legislative bodies strategized through a workshop on “Local Planning System and Urban Management in view of Climate Change and Risk Reduction Mainstreaming” last February 11, 2011 at the Masskara Conference Hall of the Bacolod City Hall. Officers and staff of the executive departments and the city council together with representatives from the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) and Sangguniang Panlalawigan discussed issues and agreed on action steps to mainstream climate change into the local development planning process. Bacolod City Tourism Officer Gloria Achilles welcomed the participants and City Administrator Dr. Roger Balo delivered the welcome remarks on behalf of Hon. Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia.
The workshop was a very productive exercise with the active participation of everyone. The ideas and suggestions of the participants will contribute to the crafting of effective and responsive recommendations to decision makers. An upcoming Comprehensive Land Use Planning (CLUP) workshop was tentatively set on March 2, 3 and 4 to finalize Sorsogon City’s strategic directions. Mayor Leovic R. Dioneda closed the session and thanked everyone for their presence and encouraged all to participate in the upcoming CLUP workshop in March. He also thanked the Vice Mayor of Bacolod City, Hon. Jude Thaddeus A. Sayson, for welcoming the Sorsogon City’s delegation and also extended his thanks to the Hon. Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia who was presently indisposed. Bacolod City Vice Mayor Sayson thanked Sorsogon City for choosing Bacolod City as the site of the seminar.
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