Agusan Sur kicks-off Nutrition Month
by David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, July 7 (PIA) -– The Provincial Nutrition Council will focus on breastfeeding as it observes the 37th nutrition month celebration.
Laniebelle Anchangco, chief of the Provincial Nutrition Office of Agusan del Sur, said “We have promoted breastfeeding for so long time ago, but many mothers, especially those who are working, do not practice breastfeeding. But we would like mothers to know that even if they are working, they can still exercise breastfeeding, because their milk is the most precious food that a new born baby need. Mothers’ milk is the most nutritious milk that a baby need, while giving resistance to babies against diseases. Breastfeeding also helps in reducing the risk of pregnancy among mothers,” Anchangco said.
With the theme “Isulong, breastfeeding, tama, sapat, eksklusibo,” municipalities in the province have lined up activities like conducting fora and symposia to schools, demo on kitchen gardening, monitoring of the gulayan ng bayan and the barangay nutrition scholars summit, among others.
On July 26-27, the culmination program will be include poster-making contest, nutri-quiz and cooking contest to be participated by students, parents and all municipal nutrition stakeholders. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)
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PNP provides free legal assistance to police personnel facing service-related charges
by Noel B. Najarro
BUTUAN CITY, July 7 (PIA) -– Police personnel facing service-related civil, criminal or administrative charges can now avail of the free legal assistance which will be provided by the Philippine National Police.
This was announced by PSupt. (Atty.) Raleston F. Falcutila, chief of the Regional Legal Service of the Police Regional Office 13 in an interview yesterday afternoon.
Atty. Falcutila yesterday afternoon supervised the providing of legal services at the Agusan del Norte Provincial Police Office conference room, to some 100 police personnel coming from the various police offices from all over the region who were facing service-connected civil, criminal and administrative charges. There were eight lawyers coming from the PRO 13 Legal Service Office, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Butuan City-Agusan Chapter and the Public Attorneys’ Office who rendered their free legal services to the client policemen.
Supt. Falcutila said that the activity was in line with their “Project Gabay” program one of the reactive component projects of the PNP Legal Service under its legal assistance program. The main thrust of the project according to him will be to provide legal assistance such as legal representation and legal advices to the policemen in the region facing the aforementioned charges. He said that the PNP will provide them lawyers and if they already have lawyers retained for their services they will be entitled for the reimbursement of their expenses.
Supt. Falcutila mentioned also in the same interview, that even those police personnel who are facing other charges which are not service-connected can still avail of the free legal advices under their “Gabay” project. They will be advised what to do, be informed of their rights and the rules and regulations governing their cases.
According to Falcutila that this is based on the assumption that charged police personnel are presumed innocents until proven otherwise beyond reasonable doubts by the courts.
Every case, he said which seek to avail of their assistance will be evaluated by the Regional Legal Assistance Board. If the regional board finds it to be service-connected, then it will be forwarded to the National Legal Assistance Board for final evaluation and approval. The national board will study it and may make further recommendations, then submit it to the Chief PNP for the final approval and funding.
He added that the PNP may utilized the lawyers under its legal services to provide legal representations. However, the PNP may also recommend the hiring of a private lawyer when circumstances warrant.
Those who already have their retained counsels will be entitled for the reimbursement of their expenses, Falcutila said. (PIA-Caraga)
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DPWH starts P64.9 M road projects in Siargao Island
SIARGAO ISLAND, Surigao del Norte, July 7 (PIA) –- The Department of Public Works and Highways has recently started the implementation of three road concreting projects in Siargao Island worth P64.9 million.
Among these projects are the P18.720 Million Junction Cancohoy-Pilar Road (Cancohoy-Pilar RoadSection), P27.495 Million Junction Del Carmen-Sta. Monica-San Isidro Road (Del Carmen-Sta. Monica-San Isidro Road Section) and the P18.720 Million Junction OsmeΓ±a-Pilar Road (OsmeΓ±a-Pilar Road Section).
All of these road concreting projects are part of the Siargao circumferential road concreting plan of the DPWH-Surigao del Norte 2nd District Engineering Office.
District Engineer Salvador E. Montil, Jr. said the completion of these road concreting projects will surely provide more reliable access roads for tourists to various tourist spots in the island as well as for farmers in delivering their farm produce to the market areas.
Besides from the concreting works, DPWH is also repairing various roads destroyed by the continuous heavy rains in the past days.
“The Department is doing everything to maintain roads passable especially during heavy rains and influx of motorists in Siargao,” DE Montil added. (DPWH-Siargao Island/PIA-Caraga)
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Surigao Norte gov reports sound fiscal management in SOPA
by FEAbkilan
SURIGAO DEL NORTE, July 7 (PIA) -- Gov. Sol Matugas presented a fiscal management report on her first State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Wednesday, July 6, 2011.
According to Gov. Matugas, strengthening financial management was on top of her priorities and this includes the implementation of the Enhanced Tax Revenues Assessment and Collections System (ETRACS), Revised Tax Ordinances, and other tax collection strategies such as keeping track of royalty and excise tax payment of mining companies to determine their share from the national wealth and giving awards and recognitions to municipalities with highest tax collection or remittance.
The governor also reduced and controlled the fuel consumption from P5 million in July to December, 2010 to P854,000.00 in January to June, 2011.
“The province, as part of its austerity measures, has implemented a conservative approach in the filling in of vacant positions,” she said.
The final result of the organizational diagnosis has yet to be completed, she said.
While Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) is still the primary source of income for the province, Matugas said they have tried their best to lessen their IRA dependency “through improved tax collection and improved management of the economic enterprise.”
Gov. Matugas said for calendar year 2010, the province’s income totaled to P561 million of which P281 million were earned during the start of her term from July-December, 2010.
“On the other hand, collection/income for the period January-June, 2011 amounted to P356 million as compared to P279 million for the period January to June, 2010,” she said.
This income, according to Matugas, was spent for the 1st tranche of salary increase of the employees in the total amount of P6 million, the face-lifting of the Provincial Capitol which amounted to P27 million, financial assistance to municipalities and barangays in the total amount of P19 million, and gasoline in the amount of P5M, among other expenses. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)
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Agusan del Norte gov commends SP for crafting Children’s Welfare Code
by Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, July 7 (PIA) –- Agusan del Norte Governor Erlpe John M. Amante recently commended the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for successfully crafting the Children’s Welfare Code in 2010.
During the province’s founding anniversary celebration, Gov. Amante said the children’s welfare code is a landmark legislation in Agusan del Norte. “I commend our Sangguniang Panlalawigan for this noteworthy legislation,” he said.
With the formulation of the other components of the four gifts for the Children, the province was again recognized as one of the most successful implementers of programs for the welfare of the children.
Through the children’s welfare program, the province’s chief executive said they have been providing workbooks to day care pre-school pupils.
Meanwhile, Gov. Amante said that last year, the provincial government distributed 13,174 workbooks to 235 day care centers in the province. “A total of 7,596 pre-school children were enrolled in day care centers in 2010,” he said.
With these developments, the governor said his administration is doubling the efforts to surpass the accomplishments they have in 2010. (PIA-Caraga)
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Feature: “KALAPA-IT” no more after implementation of ACF Program
by Laury P Lauron
“KALAPA-IT,” a term in the local dialect in Surigao del Sur which means “bitter,” is used by Panfilo Otacan to describe what how life used to be for his family prior to the Action Contra la Faim or Action Against Hunger (ACF) project in the area.
Panfilo Otacan, 59 years old has been a resident of Barangay Calatngan, San Miguel, Surigao del Sur for 40 years now, with a rich story of his journey as a farmer.
Way back when the community was not a thickly populated as it is now, Calatngan was a place of bounty – lush greeneries of root crops and vegetables that were sufficient to feed the community; the rivers were teeming with fish, enough to provide the people with their protein needs.
Years after and with more people coming over, however, Calatngan’s resources have become scarce. The once-bountiful harvests proved insufficient now, thus the “Kalapa-it” times of Panfilo and his family and neighbors. Days with barely a meal for them have become common.
Without knowledge of any farming techniques, or any know-how about efficient farming and farm development, the people of Calatngan suffered a long time, only depending on their usual crops of cassava and sweet potato for food.
Various technical trainings given by ACF in 2010 helped Panfilo and rest of his neighbors learn about improved farming practices and about many other helpful techniques in farming.
For instance, Panfilo learned about the importance of diversifying crops in his farm and consequently adopted multi-storey cropping system, with abaca, banana, falcata, coconut, rice and vegetables.
To further maximize the earning potentials of the community people, ACF also included livestock and poultry production into the farm development trainings given to the beneficiaries, so that Panfilo, like the other beneficiaries, also tend livestock like carabao, cattle, and swine, as well as poultry.
As a farmer, Panfilo’s biggest challenge has been the upland rice production, which proved a bit tricky that he always fell short of harvests. Fortunately, the project trainings included production, from which Panfilo and his neighbors learned scientifically proven techniques and methods, thus the significant increase in their production.
Panfilo’s household now boasts of sufficient food stock, a far cry from their bitter situation before the project. Indeed, Panfilo and his lot can now say that their lives are “Kalapa-it” no more.
“If one of my crops is damaged, there is still other crops I can harvest from”, - Panfilo says of his farm as he adopts the multi-storey cropping system, or the diversified cropping system. This is just one of the different farm technologies taught to the farmer beneficiaries of the project.
Relevant, timely and localized trainings and other capability building interventions have been key to the project’s success in Barangay Calatngan. These, coupled with farm inputs like seeds and livestock as well as workable and sustainable linkages with service and resource providers, have enabled the farmers to significantly improve their farm production. (PIA Surigao del Sur)
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Cebuano News: Listahan sa mipasar sa National Competency Exam sa Bookkeeping-TESDA gipagawas na
ni Gerry G. Gabiana
BUTUAN CITY, Hulyo 7 -– Nadawat sa City Cooperative and Enterprise Development Office(CCEDO) pinaagi sa ilang hepe nga si G. Reynaldo A. Piencenaves, ang listahan sa mga 27 nga mipasar sa gipahigayon nga Bookkeeping Examination dili pa lang dugay.
Mahinumduman nga niadtong Hunyo 28, 2011 didto sa Global Competency Based Training Center, Incorporated, Ochoa Avenue, niining syudad sa Butuan, gipahigayon ang nasangpit nga eksaminasyon human nga nipailawum sa makuting pagtuon ang mga partisepante alang sa kursong Bookkeeping sukad niadtong Mayo 14 hangtod Hunyo 19, 2011. Pinaagi sa TESDA personnel sa atong probinsya nga maoy nangunay sa pagtudlo sa mga partisipante sa matag adlaw’ng Sabado ug Domingo.
Ang mga partisipante niini nga pagkat-on gikan usab sa mga nagkalain-laing kabarangayan sagad niini mga appointed nga Secretary ug Treasurer sa matag barangay. Ang mga pangalan sa hingtungdang mipasar na-post na sa Official Website sa Butuan City Government ang www.butuan.gov.ph
Gika-ingun nga ang mopasar niini nga exam o NC III bugti usab sa Civil Service Eligibility sa ahensya sa lokal nga trabaho-an. Prebilihiyo kini gihatag ngadto sa mga gitudlo-an nga mga empleyado sa kabarangayan ug niining City Hall sa dakbayan.
Dako ang pagpasalamat ni Mr. Reynaldo A. Piencenaves hepe sa City Coop ug kasamtangang natodlo usab isip mao ang Community Training and Employment Coodinator-TESDA, nga mokabat sa 70 porsiento ang mipasar sa naasoy nga libreng eksaminasyon sa mga empleyado.
Samtang sa kabahinan usab sa City Government pinaagi ni Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr., kini nga programa namugna alang ngadto sa mga partisepante kay nakahatag kini ug dakong tabang ngadto kanila diin nagpaabot usab ang maong opisyal sa mga nisalmot sa iyang mainitong pagtimbaya alang sa ilang kalampusan. (Butuan City PIO/PIA-Caraga)
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Cebuano News: Farm home visit sa kabarangayan
ni Ritchelle F. Encabo
BUTUAN CITY, Hulyo 7 – Ang mga kawani sa buhatan sa City Agriculturist, nagpahigayon sa usa ka Farm Home Visit sa kabarangayan sa Los Angeles, Mahay, ug Ampayon ning dakbayan dili pa lang dugay.
Katuyuan niini nga makonsulta ang kasamtangang kahimtang sa mga mag-uuma sa matang sa pagpanguma, ngadto sa ilang mga produksyon kung aduna ba’y nasinatian nga mga kakulian niini.
Gipa-abot usab kanila ang mga teknikal ug mga bag-ong pamaagi sa pagpanguma sa ingon niana, mas mutaas pa ang produksyon ug malikayan ang pagkalugi sa ilang mga pananom.
Ang nahisgutang programa kabahin lamang sa mga proyekto sa Lokal nga Panggamhanan alang sa ka-ugmaran sa mga kaigsoonang mag–uuma nga mabenipisyohan sila sama niini ug aron makab-ot usab ang kalambuan ug dagkong abot sa pang-agrikultura sa dakbayan. (Butuan City PIO/PIA-Caraga)
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Cebuano News: Launching sa “Dangpanan” pirmado na sa mga stakeholders
ni Gerry G. Gabiana
BUTUAN CITY, Hulyo 7 – Gitambungan ni City Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr., ang Launching of Dangpanan and Signing of Protocol and Memorandum of Understanding didto sa AVR-2 CBS Bldg. sa Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) ni’ng dakbayan bag-ohay pa lamang.
Nahimong mga importanteng stakeholders ang mga nagkadaiyang lider sa lokal nga panggamhanan sa probinsya sa Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte ug syudad sa Butuan, dinapit sa maong panagtigum ang mga rehiyonal director sa PNP ug Philippine Army sa Rehiyon 13 kung diin diha sa pag-abi-abi nga gipaabot ni Atty. Josefe Sorrera-Ty-Dean, College of Law sa FSUU. Gipasalamatan ug gipasindunggan usab ang ilang di-pagmakoli sa pagsanong sa panawagan alang sa kalampusan niini nga kasabotan.
Tumong niini nga mahatagan ug igong kapasilongan ang mga indibidwal o walhong grupo nga gusto mobalik sa sabakan sa gobyerno ug manimuyo nga malinawun. Pinaagi niini nga kasabotan mahatagan ug igong pagtagad ang mga gika-ingun nga displaced o nangawala (disappear) sa kalit lang ug may luna ang kadtong gusto modangop alang atong nakabsan ug gikuhaan sa hustisya ug katarungan.
Sa kasamtangang kahimtang mahimutang ang maong Dangpanan Office sa Commission on Human Rights (CHR) niining dakbayan sa Butuan kung diin suportado kini sa Ateneo Human Rights Center sa kaulohan ug kaabag ang FSUU niining dakbayan. (Butuan City PIO/PIA-Caraga)
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Cebuano News: Gobyernong Aquino mimugna sa CCT program ug jobs creation isip susi aron pagkunhod sa kapobrehon
by Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, July 7 (PIA) -– Ang pagsumpo sa kapobrehon maoy nagpabiling pinakadakong hagit sa administrasyong Aquino sa mosunod nga lima ka tuig.
Ang taho gikan sa National Statistics Coordination Board nagbutyag nga ang kabos maoy naglangkob sa more than one-fourth sa populasyon sukad pa niadtong 2009.
Ubos sa Millennium Development Goals, ang nasod mi-komiter sa pagpakunhod sa panghitabo sa hinobrang kapobrehon gikan sa 33.1 porseyento niadtong 1991 ngadto sa 16.6 porseyento sa 2015, apan si Department of Social Welfare Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman miingon nga kini imposibleng makab-ot sulod sa lima ka tuig.
Ang maong target imposibleng makab-ot, tungod sa 2009 poverty incidence sa nasod nga 26.4 porseyento, siya miingon.
Apan adunay maayong balita
Ang datos sa NSCB nagpakita og pagkunhod sa subsistence incidence or proportion of food for poor families gikan sa 8.7 porseyento niadtong 2006 ngadto sa 7.9 porseyento sa 2009. Kini nagpasabot nga usa ka pamilya sa matag 100 ang nahaw-as sa food poverty gikan sa 2006 ug 2009.
Sama sa gihapon, og bag-ohay pa lamang nga Social Weather survey sa self-rated hunger miaging bulan miingon nga minos-minos na nga mga Pilipino ang nakasinati og kagutom sulod sa miaging tulo ka bulan.
Ang survey nagpakita nga 15.1 porseyento, o tulo ka million nga pamilya, nakasinati og kagutom sulod sa milabay nga tulo ka bulan, og 5.4 porseyento nga kunhod gikan 20.5 porseyento sa Marso, o ang gibana-banang 4.1 million nga mga pamilya.
Ang pinakabag-ong hunger rate maoy pinaka-ubos sukad Hunyo 2001 nga ang matag panimalay anaa sa 14.7 porseyento.
Ang mga opisyales sa gobyerno maoy instrument sa pagkunhod sa hunger incidence tungod sa pag implementar sa programang conditional cash transfer sa Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), ang ganghaan aron ang matag panimaly mahaw-as sa kapobrehon.
Tungod sa positibong impak sa CCT, ang DSWD maoy makadawat sa pinakadakong dugang badyet sa 2012 nga P53.6 billion.
Kini maoy motugot sa departamento pag suporta og dugang mga pamilya sunod tuig.
Si Pam Susara, ang hepe sa social marketing unit sa Pantawid Pamilya program, miingon nga si Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III mimando sa departamento sayo karong tuiga nga dugangan og 1.3 million dugang benipisyaryo sa maong programa.
”At the end of 2010, we have covered one million (household) beneficiaries. We target to cover a total of 2.3 million (household) beneficiaries at the end of this year,” si Susara miingon.
Si Susara miingon ang maong programa is actually an investment in the human capital.
”We’re investing in children’s health, nutrition, education... in terms of poverty reduction, kung dati hindi sila kumakain, now they make ends meet with CCT,” siya miingon.
Ang naglangkob sa kinadak-ang miyembro benipisyaryo mao ang Mindanao nga ang poverty incidence mas taas, labi na ang Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, regions 9, 8, 5, 10.
Ang mga benipisyaryo modawat sa cash grants nga P6,000 matag tuig ug P3,000 alang sa usa ka school year.
Ang CCT sikit ang uban pang mga poverty-reduction programs aron maseguro ang pagpadayon niini.
Ang administrasyong Aquino nagpadayon usab pag pondo sa duha ka anti-poverty programs: ang Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (Linking Arms Against Poverty) – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) ug ang Self-Employment Assistance Kaunlaran (Progress) (SEA-K).
Ang KALAHI-CIDSS mipagahom sa mga kabos sa pagpamuhunan sa social services ug pagsuporta sa mga local government units.
Ang programang SEA-K, sa laing bahin, mohatag sa mga kabos og sayon nga pagsulod sa utang ug mga kahigayonan sa kalamboan.
Pagmugna og mga trabaho
Si Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz miingon nga pagmugna og trabaho maoy nagpabiling labing pinakaduot nga libor isyu karon.
“Ito pa rin, ang creation ng jobs. Kahit si Presidente Aquino, yun talaga ang kanyang focus kasi kahit sa (Medium-Term) Philippine Development Plan ay sa job creation and also poverty alleviation,” siya miingon.
Ang unemployment rate sa nasod nagpabilin sa taas nga 7.5 porseyento gikan sa 2006-2010.
Aron matubag kini, ang gobyerno mimugna og employment plan nga naglakip sa strategies aron makab-ot ang inclusive growth pinaagi sa pag-usbaw sa kalidad sa trabaho ug paghimo og mga trabaho.
Sumala pa sa Philippine Labor Employment Plan 2011-2016 (PLEP), inclusive growth is “sustained growth that massively creates jobs, draws the vast majority into the economic and social mainstream and continuously reduces mass poverty.”
"It essentially aims to achieve an employment-rich growth since inclusive growth can only be attained if all the people are economically engaged in productive and decent work or livelihood," si Baldoz miingon.
Usa sa mga plataporma ubos sa PLEP mao ang training sa overseas Filipino workers kong unsaon pag pamuhunan, pagtipig, ug mamahimong negosyante.
Lakip usab sa maong plataporma ang formal ug regular skills training ug upgrading sa services workers uban ang Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Si TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva miingon ang publiko nahimo ng mas interesado nga mokuha og mga kursong vocational ug training programs nga mohatag sa mga estudyante ug mga trabaho human paggradwar.
”The training program is to empower people and we have two scholarship programs for the poor but deserving students,” siya miingon.
Ang mga training programs sa TESDA gibaid kini sa technical skills isip parte sa kinatibuk-ang poverty alleviation nga kampanya sa gobyerno.
“Ang pagbibigay natin ng scholarship program, pina-prioritize natin ang mga schools na nag-aaral pa lang ang mga students ay may naghihintay ng work sa kanila,” siya miingon.
Si Villanueva miingon ang employment rate sa mga minggradwar sa TESDA anaa sa 25 porseyento gikan sa Enero-Mayo karong tuiga.
Ang kadaghanon sa mga estudyante mikuha sa mga kurso nga computer hardware servicing, business process outsourcing, infrastructure ug manufacturing, tourism technology, ug agribusiness.
“We’re very sensitive to the needs of the industry na eto, in (terms of) demand. Ito ba ang tamang training at pag-assess? At the end of the day when they get certified by TESDA, they will no longer have reasons not to be hired,” siya miingon. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)
by David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, July 7 (PIA) -– The Provincial Nutrition Council will focus on breastfeeding as it observes the 37th nutrition month celebration.
Laniebelle Anchangco, chief of the Provincial Nutrition Office of Agusan del Sur, said “We have promoted breastfeeding for so long time ago, but many mothers, especially those who are working, do not practice breastfeeding. But we would like mothers to know that even if they are working, they can still exercise breastfeeding, because their milk is the most precious food that a new born baby need. Mothers’ milk is the most nutritious milk that a baby need, while giving resistance to babies against diseases. Breastfeeding also helps in reducing the risk of pregnancy among mothers,” Anchangco said.
With the theme “Isulong, breastfeeding, tama, sapat, eksklusibo,” municipalities in the province have lined up activities like conducting fora and symposia to schools, demo on kitchen gardening, monitoring of the gulayan ng bayan and the barangay nutrition scholars summit, among others.
On July 26-27, the culmination program will be include poster-making contest, nutri-quiz and cooking contest to be participated by students, parents and all municipal nutrition stakeholders. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)
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PNP provides free legal assistance to police personnel facing service-related charges
by Noel B. Najarro
BUTUAN CITY, July 7 (PIA) -– Police personnel facing service-related civil, criminal or administrative charges can now avail of the free legal assistance which will be provided by the Philippine National Police.
This was announced by PSupt. (Atty.) Raleston F. Falcutila, chief of the Regional Legal Service of the Police Regional Office 13 in an interview yesterday afternoon.
Atty. Falcutila yesterday afternoon supervised the providing of legal services at the Agusan del Norte Provincial Police Office conference room, to some 100 police personnel coming from the various police offices from all over the region who were facing service-connected civil, criminal and administrative charges. There were eight lawyers coming from the PRO 13 Legal Service Office, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Butuan City-Agusan Chapter and the Public Attorneys’ Office who rendered their free legal services to the client policemen.
Supt. Falcutila said that the activity was in line with their “Project Gabay” program one of the reactive component projects of the PNP Legal Service under its legal assistance program. The main thrust of the project according to him will be to provide legal assistance such as legal representation and legal advices to the policemen in the region facing the aforementioned charges. He said that the PNP will provide them lawyers and if they already have lawyers retained for their services they will be entitled for the reimbursement of their expenses.
Supt. Falcutila mentioned also in the same interview, that even those police personnel who are facing other charges which are not service-connected can still avail of the free legal advices under their “Gabay” project. They will be advised what to do, be informed of their rights and the rules and regulations governing their cases.
According to Falcutila that this is based on the assumption that charged police personnel are presumed innocents until proven otherwise beyond reasonable doubts by the courts.
Every case, he said which seek to avail of their assistance will be evaluated by the Regional Legal Assistance Board. If the regional board finds it to be service-connected, then it will be forwarded to the National Legal Assistance Board for final evaluation and approval. The national board will study it and may make further recommendations, then submit it to the Chief PNP for the final approval and funding.
He added that the PNP may utilized the lawyers under its legal services to provide legal representations. However, the PNP may also recommend the hiring of a private lawyer when circumstances warrant.
Those who already have their retained counsels will be entitled for the reimbursement of their expenses, Falcutila said. (PIA-Caraga)
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DPWH starts P64.9 M road projects in Siargao Island
SIARGAO ISLAND, Surigao del Norte, July 7 (PIA) –- The Department of Public Works and Highways has recently started the implementation of three road concreting projects in Siargao Island worth P64.9 million.
Among these projects are the P18.720 Million Junction Cancohoy-Pilar Road (Cancohoy-Pilar RoadSection), P27.495 Million Junction Del Carmen-Sta. Monica-San Isidro Road (Del Carmen-Sta. Monica-San Isidro Road Section) and the P18.720 Million Junction OsmeΓ±a-Pilar Road (OsmeΓ±a-Pilar Road Section).
All of these road concreting projects are part of the Siargao circumferential road concreting plan of the DPWH-Surigao del Norte 2nd District Engineering Office.
District Engineer Salvador E. Montil, Jr. said the completion of these road concreting projects will surely provide more reliable access roads for tourists to various tourist spots in the island as well as for farmers in delivering their farm produce to the market areas.
Besides from the concreting works, DPWH is also repairing various roads destroyed by the continuous heavy rains in the past days.
“The Department is doing everything to maintain roads passable especially during heavy rains and influx of motorists in Siargao,” DE Montil added. (DPWH-Siargao Island/PIA-Caraga)
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Surigao Norte gov reports sound fiscal management in SOPA
by FEAbkilan
SURIGAO DEL NORTE, July 7 (PIA) -- Gov. Sol Matugas presented a fiscal management report on her first State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Wednesday, July 6, 2011.
According to Gov. Matugas, strengthening financial management was on top of her priorities and this includes the implementation of the Enhanced Tax Revenues Assessment and Collections System (ETRACS), Revised Tax Ordinances, and other tax collection strategies such as keeping track of royalty and excise tax payment of mining companies to determine their share from the national wealth and giving awards and recognitions to municipalities with highest tax collection or remittance.
The governor also reduced and controlled the fuel consumption from P5 million in July to December, 2010 to P854,000.00 in January to June, 2011.
“The province, as part of its austerity measures, has implemented a conservative approach in the filling in of vacant positions,” she said.
The final result of the organizational diagnosis has yet to be completed, she said.
While Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) is still the primary source of income for the province, Matugas said they have tried their best to lessen their IRA dependency “through improved tax collection and improved management of the economic enterprise.”
Gov. Matugas said for calendar year 2010, the province’s income totaled to P561 million of which P281 million were earned during the start of her term from July-December, 2010.
“On the other hand, collection/income for the period January-June, 2011 amounted to P356 million as compared to P279 million for the period January to June, 2010,” she said.
This income, according to Matugas, was spent for the 1st tranche of salary increase of the employees in the total amount of P6 million, the face-lifting of the Provincial Capitol which amounted to P27 million, financial assistance to municipalities and barangays in the total amount of P19 million, and gasoline in the amount of P5M, among other expenses. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)
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Agusan del Norte gov commends SP for crafting Children’s Welfare Code
by Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, July 7 (PIA) –- Agusan del Norte Governor Erlpe John M. Amante recently commended the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for successfully crafting the Children’s Welfare Code in 2010.
During the province’s founding anniversary celebration, Gov. Amante said the children’s welfare code is a landmark legislation in Agusan del Norte. “I commend our Sangguniang Panlalawigan for this noteworthy legislation,” he said.
With the formulation of the other components of the four gifts for the Children, the province was again recognized as one of the most successful implementers of programs for the welfare of the children.
Through the children’s welfare program, the province’s chief executive said they have been providing workbooks to day care pre-school pupils.
Meanwhile, Gov. Amante said that last year, the provincial government distributed 13,174 workbooks to 235 day care centers in the province. “A total of 7,596 pre-school children were enrolled in day care centers in 2010,” he said.
With these developments, the governor said his administration is doubling the efforts to surpass the accomplishments they have in 2010. (PIA-Caraga)
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Feature: “KALAPA-IT” no more after implementation of ACF Program
by Laury P Lauron
“KALAPA-IT,” a term in the local dialect in Surigao del Sur which means “bitter,” is used by Panfilo Otacan to describe what how life used to be for his family prior to the Action Contra la Faim or Action Against Hunger (ACF) project in the area.
Panfilo Otacan, 59 years old has been a resident of Barangay Calatngan, San Miguel, Surigao del Sur for 40 years now, with a rich story of his journey as a farmer.
Way back when the community was not a thickly populated as it is now, Calatngan was a place of bounty – lush greeneries of root crops and vegetables that were sufficient to feed the community; the rivers were teeming with fish, enough to provide the people with their protein needs.
Years after and with more people coming over, however, Calatngan’s resources have become scarce. The once-bountiful harvests proved insufficient now, thus the “Kalapa-it” times of Panfilo and his family and neighbors. Days with barely a meal for them have become common.
Without knowledge of any farming techniques, or any know-how about efficient farming and farm development, the people of Calatngan suffered a long time, only depending on their usual crops of cassava and sweet potato for food.
Various technical trainings given by ACF in 2010 helped Panfilo and rest of his neighbors learn about improved farming practices and about many other helpful techniques in farming.
For instance, Panfilo learned about the importance of diversifying crops in his farm and consequently adopted multi-storey cropping system, with abaca, banana, falcata, coconut, rice and vegetables.
To further maximize the earning potentials of the community people, ACF also included livestock and poultry production into the farm development trainings given to the beneficiaries, so that Panfilo, like the other beneficiaries, also tend livestock like carabao, cattle, and swine, as well as poultry.
As a farmer, Panfilo’s biggest challenge has been the upland rice production, which proved a bit tricky that he always fell short of harvests. Fortunately, the project trainings included production, from which Panfilo and his neighbors learned scientifically proven techniques and methods, thus the significant increase in their production.
Panfilo’s household now boasts of sufficient food stock, a far cry from their bitter situation before the project. Indeed, Panfilo and his lot can now say that their lives are “Kalapa-it” no more.
“If one of my crops is damaged, there is still other crops I can harvest from”, - Panfilo says of his farm as he adopts the multi-storey cropping system, or the diversified cropping system. This is just one of the different farm technologies taught to the farmer beneficiaries of the project.
Relevant, timely and localized trainings and other capability building interventions have been key to the project’s success in Barangay Calatngan. These, coupled with farm inputs like seeds and livestock as well as workable and sustainable linkages with service and resource providers, have enabled the farmers to significantly improve their farm production. (PIA Surigao del Sur)
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Cebuano News: Listahan sa mipasar sa National Competency Exam sa Bookkeeping-TESDA gipagawas na
ni Gerry G. Gabiana
BUTUAN CITY, Hulyo 7 -– Nadawat sa City Cooperative and Enterprise Development Office(CCEDO) pinaagi sa ilang hepe nga si G. Reynaldo A. Piencenaves, ang listahan sa mga 27 nga mipasar sa gipahigayon nga Bookkeeping Examination dili pa lang dugay.
Mahinumduman nga niadtong Hunyo 28, 2011 didto sa Global Competency Based Training Center, Incorporated, Ochoa Avenue, niining syudad sa Butuan, gipahigayon ang nasangpit nga eksaminasyon human nga nipailawum sa makuting pagtuon ang mga partisepante alang sa kursong Bookkeeping sukad niadtong Mayo 14 hangtod Hunyo 19, 2011. Pinaagi sa TESDA personnel sa atong probinsya nga maoy nangunay sa pagtudlo sa mga partisipante sa matag adlaw’ng Sabado ug Domingo.
Ang mga partisipante niini nga pagkat-on gikan usab sa mga nagkalain-laing kabarangayan sagad niini mga appointed nga Secretary ug Treasurer sa matag barangay. Ang mga pangalan sa hingtungdang mipasar na-post na sa Official Website sa Butuan City Government ang www.butuan.gov.ph
Gika-ingun nga ang mopasar niini nga exam o NC III bugti usab sa Civil Service Eligibility sa ahensya sa lokal nga trabaho-an. Prebilihiyo kini gihatag ngadto sa mga gitudlo-an nga mga empleyado sa kabarangayan ug niining City Hall sa dakbayan.
Dako ang pagpasalamat ni Mr. Reynaldo A. Piencenaves hepe sa City Coop ug kasamtangang natodlo usab isip mao ang Community Training and Employment Coodinator-TESDA, nga mokabat sa 70 porsiento ang mipasar sa naasoy nga libreng eksaminasyon sa mga empleyado.
Samtang sa kabahinan usab sa City Government pinaagi ni Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr., kini nga programa namugna alang ngadto sa mga partisepante kay nakahatag kini ug dakong tabang ngadto kanila diin nagpaabot usab ang maong opisyal sa mga nisalmot sa iyang mainitong pagtimbaya alang sa ilang kalampusan. (Butuan City PIO/PIA-Caraga)
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Cebuano News: Farm home visit sa kabarangayan
ni Ritchelle F. Encabo
BUTUAN CITY, Hulyo 7 – Ang mga kawani sa buhatan sa City Agriculturist, nagpahigayon sa usa ka Farm Home Visit sa kabarangayan sa Los Angeles, Mahay, ug Ampayon ning dakbayan dili pa lang dugay.
Katuyuan niini nga makonsulta ang kasamtangang kahimtang sa mga mag-uuma sa matang sa pagpanguma, ngadto sa ilang mga produksyon kung aduna ba’y nasinatian nga mga kakulian niini.
Gipa-abot usab kanila ang mga teknikal ug mga bag-ong pamaagi sa pagpanguma sa ingon niana, mas mutaas pa ang produksyon ug malikayan ang pagkalugi sa ilang mga pananom.
Ang nahisgutang programa kabahin lamang sa mga proyekto sa Lokal nga Panggamhanan alang sa ka-ugmaran sa mga kaigsoonang mag–uuma nga mabenipisyohan sila sama niini ug aron makab-ot usab ang kalambuan ug dagkong abot sa pang-agrikultura sa dakbayan. (Butuan City PIO/PIA-Caraga)
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Cebuano News: Launching sa “Dangpanan” pirmado na sa mga stakeholders
ni Gerry G. Gabiana
BUTUAN CITY, Hulyo 7 – Gitambungan ni City Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr., ang Launching of Dangpanan and Signing of Protocol and Memorandum of Understanding didto sa AVR-2 CBS Bldg. sa Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) ni’ng dakbayan bag-ohay pa lamang.
Nahimong mga importanteng stakeholders ang mga nagkadaiyang lider sa lokal nga panggamhanan sa probinsya sa Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte ug syudad sa Butuan, dinapit sa maong panagtigum ang mga rehiyonal director sa PNP ug Philippine Army sa Rehiyon 13 kung diin diha sa pag-abi-abi nga gipaabot ni Atty. Josefe Sorrera-Ty-Dean, College of Law sa FSUU. Gipasalamatan ug gipasindunggan usab ang ilang di-pagmakoli sa pagsanong sa panawagan alang sa kalampusan niini nga kasabotan.
Tumong niini nga mahatagan ug igong kapasilongan ang mga indibidwal o walhong grupo nga gusto mobalik sa sabakan sa gobyerno ug manimuyo nga malinawun. Pinaagi niini nga kasabotan mahatagan ug igong pagtagad ang mga gika-ingun nga displaced o nangawala (disappear) sa kalit lang ug may luna ang kadtong gusto modangop alang atong nakabsan ug gikuhaan sa hustisya ug katarungan.
Sa kasamtangang kahimtang mahimutang ang maong Dangpanan Office sa Commission on Human Rights (CHR) niining dakbayan sa Butuan kung diin suportado kini sa Ateneo Human Rights Center sa kaulohan ug kaabag ang FSUU niining dakbayan. (Butuan City PIO/PIA-Caraga)
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Cebuano News: Gobyernong Aquino mimugna sa CCT program ug jobs creation isip susi aron pagkunhod sa kapobrehon
by Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, July 7 (PIA) -– Ang pagsumpo sa kapobrehon maoy nagpabiling pinakadakong hagit sa administrasyong Aquino sa mosunod nga lima ka tuig.
Ang taho gikan sa National Statistics Coordination Board nagbutyag nga ang kabos maoy naglangkob sa more than one-fourth sa populasyon sukad pa niadtong 2009.
Ubos sa Millennium Development Goals, ang nasod mi-komiter sa pagpakunhod sa panghitabo sa hinobrang kapobrehon gikan sa 33.1 porseyento niadtong 1991 ngadto sa 16.6 porseyento sa 2015, apan si Department of Social Welfare Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman miingon nga kini imposibleng makab-ot sulod sa lima ka tuig.
Ang maong target imposibleng makab-ot, tungod sa 2009 poverty incidence sa nasod nga 26.4 porseyento, siya miingon.
Apan adunay maayong balita
Ang datos sa NSCB nagpakita og pagkunhod sa subsistence incidence or proportion of food for poor families gikan sa 8.7 porseyento niadtong 2006 ngadto sa 7.9 porseyento sa 2009. Kini nagpasabot nga usa ka pamilya sa matag 100 ang nahaw-as sa food poverty gikan sa 2006 ug 2009.
Sama sa gihapon, og bag-ohay pa lamang nga Social Weather survey sa self-rated hunger miaging bulan miingon nga minos-minos na nga mga Pilipino ang nakasinati og kagutom sulod sa miaging tulo ka bulan.
Ang survey nagpakita nga 15.1 porseyento, o tulo ka million nga pamilya, nakasinati og kagutom sulod sa milabay nga tulo ka bulan, og 5.4 porseyento nga kunhod gikan 20.5 porseyento sa Marso, o ang gibana-banang 4.1 million nga mga pamilya.
Ang pinakabag-ong hunger rate maoy pinaka-ubos sukad Hunyo 2001 nga ang matag panimalay anaa sa 14.7 porseyento.
Ang mga opisyales sa gobyerno maoy instrument sa pagkunhod sa hunger incidence tungod sa pag implementar sa programang conditional cash transfer sa Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), ang ganghaan aron ang matag panimaly mahaw-as sa kapobrehon.
Tungod sa positibong impak sa CCT, ang DSWD maoy makadawat sa pinakadakong dugang badyet sa 2012 nga P53.6 billion.
Kini maoy motugot sa departamento pag suporta og dugang mga pamilya sunod tuig.
Si Pam Susara, ang hepe sa social marketing unit sa Pantawid Pamilya program, miingon nga si Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III mimando sa departamento sayo karong tuiga nga dugangan og 1.3 million dugang benipisyaryo sa maong programa.
”At the end of 2010, we have covered one million (household) beneficiaries. We target to cover a total of 2.3 million (household) beneficiaries at the end of this year,” si Susara miingon.
Si Susara miingon ang maong programa is actually an investment in the human capital.
”We’re investing in children’s health, nutrition, education... in terms of poverty reduction, kung dati hindi sila kumakain, now they make ends meet with CCT,” siya miingon.
Ang naglangkob sa kinadak-ang miyembro benipisyaryo mao ang Mindanao nga ang poverty incidence mas taas, labi na ang Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, regions 9, 8, 5, 10.
Ang mga benipisyaryo modawat sa cash grants nga P6,000 matag tuig ug P3,000 alang sa usa ka school year.
Ang CCT sikit ang uban pang mga poverty-reduction programs aron maseguro ang pagpadayon niini.
Ang administrasyong Aquino nagpadayon usab pag pondo sa duha ka anti-poverty programs: ang Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (Linking Arms Against Poverty) – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) ug ang Self-Employment Assistance Kaunlaran (Progress) (SEA-K).
Ang KALAHI-CIDSS mipagahom sa mga kabos sa pagpamuhunan sa social services ug pagsuporta sa mga local government units.
Ang programang SEA-K, sa laing bahin, mohatag sa mga kabos og sayon nga pagsulod sa utang ug mga kahigayonan sa kalamboan.
Pagmugna og mga trabaho
Si Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz miingon nga pagmugna og trabaho maoy nagpabiling labing pinakaduot nga libor isyu karon.
“Ito pa rin, ang creation ng jobs. Kahit si Presidente Aquino, yun talaga ang kanyang focus kasi kahit sa (Medium-Term) Philippine Development Plan ay sa job creation and also poverty alleviation,” siya miingon.
Ang unemployment rate sa nasod nagpabilin sa taas nga 7.5 porseyento gikan sa 2006-2010.
Aron matubag kini, ang gobyerno mimugna og employment plan nga naglakip sa strategies aron makab-ot ang inclusive growth pinaagi sa pag-usbaw sa kalidad sa trabaho ug paghimo og mga trabaho.
Sumala pa sa Philippine Labor Employment Plan 2011-2016 (PLEP), inclusive growth is “sustained growth that massively creates jobs, draws the vast majority into the economic and social mainstream and continuously reduces mass poverty.”
"It essentially aims to achieve an employment-rich growth since inclusive growth can only be attained if all the people are economically engaged in productive and decent work or livelihood," si Baldoz miingon.
Usa sa mga plataporma ubos sa PLEP mao ang training sa overseas Filipino workers kong unsaon pag pamuhunan, pagtipig, ug mamahimong negosyante.
Lakip usab sa maong plataporma ang formal ug regular skills training ug upgrading sa services workers uban ang Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Si TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva miingon ang publiko nahimo ng mas interesado nga mokuha og mga kursong vocational ug training programs nga mohatag sa mga estudyante ug mga trabaho human paggradwar.
”The training program is to empower people and we have two scholarship programs for the poor but deserving students,” siya miingon.
Ang mga training programs sa TESDA gibaid kini sa technical skills isip parte sa kinatibuk-ang poverty alleviation nga kampanya sa gobyerno.
“Ang pagbibigay natin ng scholarship program, pina-prioritize natin ang mga schools na nag-aaral pa lang ang mga students ay may naghihintay ng work sa kanila,” siya miingon.
Si Villanueva miingon ang employment rate sa mga minggradwar sa TESDA anaa sa 25 porseyento gikan sa Enero-Mayo karong tuiga.
Ang kadaghanon sa mga estudyante mikuha sa mga kurso nga computer hardware servicing, business process outsourcing, infrastructure ug manufacturing, tourism technology, ug agribusiness.
“We’re very sensitive to the needs of the industry na eto, in (terms of) demand. Ito ba ang tamang training at pag-assess? At the end of the day when they get certified by TESDA, they will no longer have reasons not to be hired,” siya miingon. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)
