By David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, PIA (March 20) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development - Caraga Regional Office has declared a100 percent coverage of the target Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Agusan del Sur.
The department was able to cover 317 barangays province-wide, with a total of 46,191 active beneficiaries as of December 31, 2011.
According to report by Ruth Tambura, DSWD – 13 4Ps program coordinator, the number of beneficiaries in Agusan del Sur is actually 32.24 percent of the total population of the entire Caraga Region which is 143,266 as of 2011.
“Prosperidad town got the highest number of beneficiaries with 6,327, followed by Esperanza with 5,003, then San Francisco with 3,460 beneficiaries. Fourth highest is Talacogon with 3,085. The lowest number of beneficiaries among the 13 municipalities is La Paz with 1,484. The lone city of Bayugan has 5,847 beneficiaries,” Ruth Tambura said.
According to Tambura, the compliance rate of the beneficiaries in education for the year 2011 shows that the highest percentage of school attendance is in the month of December, this is because the number of monitored children aged 3-14 years old has also increased.
From the month of July, there has been a constant increase in the compliance per month towards December. The lowest rate of compliance was noted on the months of January and February, 2011 because of the Set 4 areas with updatable issues on the system.
“Because of failure to compliance on education, many beneficiaries also complained that their cash benefits reduced. This is because, if parents failed to send their children to school as one of the requirements of the 4Ps, their cash benefits will also reduce. The same thru with compliance on health and in the family development,” Tambura said.
Accordingly, there are continuous efforts made by the provincial and municipal staff to motivate and further encourage beneficiaries to improve their compliance and involvement with the program.
For Agusan del Sur’s Congressional District I, a total of P176,791,100 was released to beneficiaries.
Bayugan City got the highest share at 25.48 percent, followed by Prosperidad and Esperanza. For the second Congressional District, the total amount released for the year 2011 was P149,205,000, where San Francisco got the highest grant of 16.25 percent. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)
DOTC to provide equipment to Phil coast guard and local airports
By Maria Luisa Dianah Z. Generalao
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 20 (PIA) -- Transportation and Communications Sec. Manuel “Mar” A. Roxas II announced that the DOTC will provide equipment for the Philippine Coast Guard and the local airports.
Roxas said the DOTC will buy 300 units of rubber boats with engine plus other equipment, to be distributed to the different regions around the country, including Caraga.
According to him, the department will also be providing 21 international standard x-ray machines to 45 local airports that serve commercial flights, including Butuan City’s Bancasi Airport.
These x-ray machines with 1-2 layers of cargo x-rays will be able to detect baggage with drugs, inorganic materials and explosives.
Roxas added that these x-ray units will be distributed to airports before December this year to further beef up security during the Christmas season.
Meanwhile, during the open forum, Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante told Sec. Roxas the need to expand the Bancasi Airport to cope with the growing number of passengers that fly in and out of Butuan City daily.
Currently, the airport serves seven daily roundtrip flights from Manila and Cebu with three local airlines.
Amante also mentioned the need to improve and operate the Masao Port to respond to the needs of the cargo shipping industry of Caraga and the entire Mindanao.
These proposed projects were included in the RDC resolution handed to Sec. Roxas, endorsing several projects for funding by the national government. Both the Bancasi Airport and Masao Port improvement project proposals amount to P745 Million.
The 70th Caraga RDC Full Council Meeting was attended by Governors, Vice-Governors, Mayors, Vice-Mayors, Regional Directors, and representatives of the National Agencies in the region. Surigao del Norte Gov. Sol F. Matugas currently sits as Chairperson of the RDC while Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr. is the Chairman of the Development Administration Committee.
Roxas was the keynote speaker for the 70th Full Council Meeting of the Caraga Regional Development Council, which was held today at the Surigao del Norte Provincial Convention Center, Surigao City. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga/CMO-PIO)
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DAR Surigao del Sur distributes land titles to farmer-beneficiaries
By Myra Quizada Yu
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, March 20 (PIA) -- Department of Agrarian Reform - Surigao del Sur recently distributed Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to 94 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) of Barangay San Roque, San Miguel, comprising 135 hectares of Government Owned Lands (GOLs).
Provincial Governor Johnny T. Pimentel, Mayor Alfeo R. Perez and Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Benjamin M. Mataksil led the distribution of the land titles.
Perez expressed his gratitude to DAR for initiating the activity that allowed farmers of the aforesaid barangay to avail the titling program for free. Likewise, he assured his commitment to support the implementation of CARP in the municipality.
Pimentel, on the other hand, said that receiving the land title is a great privilege, it gives them the assurance to ownership. He as well advised all the ARBs to refrain from mortgaging or selling the land, instead encouraged them to make their lands more productive now and even in the forthcoming generation.
The successful undertaking of DAR showed its continuing effort to achieve its vision of having a nation equitable land ownership and empowered agrarian reform beneficiaries. (DAR-SDS/PIA Surigao del Sur)
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Brigade turns over renovated day care center
By 2Lt Hazel A Tabago
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, Mar. 20 (PIA) -- After six months of dedicated work and service, 401st Infantry “Unity” Brigade under Col. Romeo G.Gan INF (GSC) PA turned over the newly renovated Day Care Center to the barangay officials and residents of Brgy. St Christine, Lianga, Surigao del Sur afternoon of March 16.
The newly renovated St. Christine Day Care Center was formally received by Melita M. Encenzo of the Municipal Social Welfare Office of Lianga and Merenciano M Martizano, St Christine Barangay Chairman through a simple ceremony that was witnessed by the whole community.
The renovation of the day care center is in connection with the 401st Brigade’s Gawad Aral sa Nayon that aims to contribute to the betterment of communities by providing instructional materials and helping in the construction and renovation of adopted schools to provide children a conducive environment for learning.
“May we all bear in mind that we are all our brothers and sisters’ keeper, therefore, we must all make it our personal commitment to help one another in any way we can, no matter how small or big our contribution is, to uplift the lives of our fellow Filipinos so that we could all enjoy a nation-wide development and progress,” said Gan. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga/41st CMO Company PA)
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Cebuano News: Aquino kampante nga maipasar ang mga sumbanan aron pagpalig-on sa Anti-Money Laundering Act
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Mar. 20 (PIA) -- Mipadayag og kumpiyansa si Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III niadtong Dominggo sa gabii nga ang mga balay balaoranan sa Kongreso makahimo sa pagpasar sa pipila ka mga sumbanan aron palig-onon ang Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) sa dili pa ang deadline nga gitakda sa Financial Action Task Force (FATF), ang inter-governmental body nga gitahasan nga mohimo ug mopasiugda og mga polisiya aron pagsumpo sa money laundering ug terrorist financing.
Ang Pangulo misulti sa media didto sa The Mansion sa Baguio City nga ang mga lideres ug mga miyembro sa Kongreso ug Senado nahibalo gyud sa importansya sa pagpasa niining sumbanan aron malikay ang nasod nga mamahimong “blacklisted.”
Siya miingon ang mga magbabalaod nahibalo usab sa “weaknesses in the current law that…inhibits the Anti- Money Laundering Council from fulfilling its job.”
“(So) we have already asked them to expedite the whole process (and)…we have communicated both to the Senate President and to the Speaker of the House and other members of both chambers’ leadership of the importance of strengthening the AMLA” ang Pangulo miingon.
“And we look up on them as partners who know the gravity of the situation and the importance of this particular measure,” siya midugang.
Usa sa mga sumbanan nga mopailawom sa pagripaso mao ang Senate Bill 3009, nga mohatag pagtugot sa Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) nga inspeksyonon ang mga bank accounts nga suspisyoso bisan pa kon walay pagtugot sa depositor ug ang Senate Bill 2676 o ang Terrorist Financing Suppression Act, nga mopalapad sa anti-money laundering act nga maglakip sa terrorist financing. (PIA- Surigao del Norte)
