Expect for “no perfect” attendance on opening of
classes, DepEd official says
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, June 2 (PIA) -- An official of the
Department of Education (DepEd), Butuan City Division said it is expected that
there will be no perfect attendance on opening of classes especially in
far-flung areas.
Dr. Israel Reveche, DepEd Butuan City Division
information officer said that based on the previous years, no perfect
attendance of pupils and students were noted in far-flung barangays.
However, the official said because of the
successful conduct of Brigada Eskwela, DepEd officials here hoped that there
will be good turnout of attendance during Monday’s opening of classes, since
they (pupils and students) will no longer use the first day of the class for
cleaning and beautifying their classrooms as this was already made during the
Brigada Eskwela.
Dr. Reveche further said that in as far as the
availability of teachers is concerned, he said to date there is enough number
of teachers to accommodate the number of enrollees in the elementary department
of the region.
Furthermore, Reveche admitted that there is lack
of high school teachers in the city as the number of enrollees has increased
this school year.
He also said this happened because DepEd-Butuan
City Division has opened Integrated Schools (IS) this year, adding to the 18
regular high schools in the city.
Dr. Reveche said the division office, as well as
the local school board and the local government unit here have worked out to
address this problem by urging the parents during the conduct of "Brigada
Eskwela" to send their children even during the first week of class so
that they can familiarize their classrooms, teachers, and new classmates.
He also said it is on this period that textbooks
will be distributed to pupils and students. "Thus, there is a need for
them (pupils and students) to be present during the first week of classes so
that they can have the needed textbooks," Reveche said.
According to DepEd, Integrated Schools offer a
complete basic education in one school site and has unified instructional
programs. This is embodied in DepEd Order No. 91, series of 1999 entitled,
Guidelines on the Establishment and Operation of Integrated Schools.
On August 6, 2011, DepEd issued Memorandum No.
196, series of 2011 creating the Task Force on the Operation of Integrated
Schools. The order mandated the task force to review DepEd Order No. 91, series
of 1999.
The task force is also mandated to conduct
researches and gather feedbacks from existing integrated schools, as well as to
craft, formulate and enhance guidelines to include the standards criteria and
staffing patterns among others on the establishment of new IS or conversion of
schools into IS considering or integrating the concepts and principles of the
IS in the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program.
Under the memorandum, task force is also tasked
to coordinate with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for technical
assistance and other pertinent concerns to facilitate the finalization of the
enhanced guidelines.
Likewise, they will consult with the
stakeholders on the effectiveness of the enhanced or reformulated guidelines.
It will also finalize and disseminate the revised Guidelines on the
Establishment and Operation of Integrate Schools milestone through a DepEd
Order, and report regularly to DepEd Secretary regarding developmental
activities and output of the task force.
In other developments, DepEd-Caraga said a total
of 2,507 Grade 1 teachers for K to 12 from the different divisions in the
region attended the series of trainings in preparation for the opening of classes
on June 4, 2012. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
NFA, City Agriculturists Office brief farmers on
organic farming
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, June 2 (PIA) -- The National Food
Authority (NFA) with the City Agriculturists Office here briefed the farmers in
the different barangays on the benefits of organic farming.
This was held during the distribution of
“Nitro-fix” organic bio-fertilizers to rice farmer-beneficiaries spearheaded by
the NFA through Administrator Lito Banayo.
According to Mr. Ernesto Abao of the City
Agriculturists Office, organic farming will help improve the quality of rice
that farmers produce and they will no longer have to spend much for the
synthetic fertilizers.
“There is really a need for us to go for organic
farming considering the fact that there is a continuous increased in the prices
of synthetic fertilizers. With that, decreasing farm income and declining of
soil fertility is also observed. Synthetic fertilizers also causes ground water
contamination and affects the health of our consuming public,” stressed Abao.
Abao also bared that their office is
continuously conducting bottom to top system of consultation, planning and implementation
of Purok, Barangay Level Irrigation Projects.
“To create harmonious relationship with the
farmers, we regularly take their issues and concerns so that whatever problem
will immediately be addressed by the concerned agency. We also upgrade their
skills with the new technologies they can apply in farming,” said Abao.
Abao further said that the city government led
by Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr. is also supporting the organic farming program of
the agency.
With this development, NFA and the City
Agriculturists Office are calling on the farmers in Caraga region to do organic
farming. (RER/JPG/PIA-Caraga)
CCT beneficiaries help community avail gov't
health services
By Leah T. Quintana
BUTUAN CITY, June 2 (PIA) -- Beneficiaries of
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program help their community avail of government
health services right where they live. The group is led by a 36-year old woman
named Evelyn M. Inocente in Sitio Bantolinao, Padiay, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.
Right at the heart of Bantolinao, a structure
stands where health services of the local government of Sibagat, Agusan del Sur
are given to the community including the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya.
They called the said structure Bantolinao Health Center.
As what they have known from the orientation and
meetings, Pantawid Pamilya recipients are aware that to avail of the cash
grants, beneficiaries should comply with the following conditions: 1. Pregnant
women must avail of pre- and post-natal care and be attended during childbirth
by a trained health professional; 2. Parents must attend family development
sessions; 3. O-5 year old children must receive regular preventive health
check-ups and vaccines; 4. 3-5 year old children must attend day care or
pre-school classes at least 85 percent of the time.5. 6-14 year old children
must enroll in elementary or high school and must attend at least 85 percent of
the time. 6. 6-14 years old children must receive deworming pills twice a year.
So, in one of their meetings presided by Evelyn
during the early stage of Pantawid Pamilya implementation in their community in
September 2008, the beneficiaries had a serious discussion on the conditions of
the program that they have to comply with in order to avail of the cash grants.
The beneficiaries singled out the health
conditionalities as hard to comply with because Bantolinao is 10 kilometers
away from Barangay Padiay where the health center is located and 45 kilometers
away from the municipal center. They have to walk 3-4 hours in going to Padiay
and another 3-4 hours going back to Bantolinao.
The Sitio is part of the ancestral domain land
of Barangay Padiay with major production on agro-forestry such as abaca and
rattan. The 98% of community members belong of Manobo tribe.
After thorough deliberation on the matter, the
group decided to build a structure that they would later call Bantolinao Health
Center so they would no longer go to Padiay to avail of the government’s health
services. Instead, it’s the midwife now who comes to Bantolinao to provide the
residents health services they needed. Every time she goes to the community,
she would also bring all the necessary stuff like medicines, vaccines for
immunization and vitamins for pregnant women.
Since they didn’t have money to buy the
materials for the health station they planned to construct, the group members
decided to contribute a minimal amount of P5.00 for their monthly dues. As soon
as they got their first cash grant, each beneficiary shelled out P5.00 but the
amount collected was not enough to start building the facility they needed to
have.
Focus on their goal, the diligent and
industrious Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries put up a vegetable garden. They
planted string beans, okra and pechay. The first harvest from the vegetable
garden yielded only P100. After the first harvest, the group did not pursue the
vegetable garden but never stopped looking for ways to increase their capital.
With the P100 from the vegetable garden, they
contributed P150 each when the next cash grant was released. The money was lent
to a member who used it to buy abaca with 10% interest. The P 2,950 capital
then became P4,600. During the 6th cash grant release that happened in 2009
they contributed anew with the amount of P500 each member – at that time only
18 were able to contribute because one member just died. The pooled resources
amounted to P9,000 plus the P 4,600 from the amount they lent to one of their
members, they had a total of P13,600 capital for a sari-sari store.
“Sa tulo ka bulan ni-boom na ang among tindahan
(In three months’ time, our sari-sari store started earning),” said Evelyn
Inocente. The group then started purchasing the materials for the health
station using the store's profit.
The community members rendered “pahina” for the
labor and donated locally-available materials such as lumber. Started in 2009,
the health station, which costs P 70,000.00 was completed and inaugurated in
November 2011. The local government assigned a midwife to regularly visit the
station.
“As Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, this is our
way of helping the community members of Sitio Bantolinao and their children
avail of health services from the government. We need not travel far just to
attend regular health consultations,” said Evelyn. (NCLM/DSWD-13/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog news: PhilHealth-Caraga susuporta sa
animal bite treatment package
Ni Danilo S. Makiling
BUTUAN CITY, Hunyo 2 (PIA) -– Buong lakas na
sumusuporta ang Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) ng Caraga
sa animal treatment package na inilunsad kamakailan ng ahensya sa sentral na
tanggapan.
Sinabi ni Parly Buyan, PhilHealth-Caraga
regional information officer, sa ilalim ng rabies prevention and control
program, sila ay handang magbigay tulong medikal sa mga miyembro ng PhilHealth
na nakagat ng hayop kagaya ng aso, pusa, unggoy, alupihan, at iba pang
makamandag na hayop.
Maliban pa rito, sinabi ni Buyan na ang
PhilHealth ay handang magbigay ng anti-rabies vaccine sa mga miyembro sa
pakikipag-koordinasyon sa Department of Health (DOH).
Ito ay matapos na napag-alaman ng PhilHealth na
marami silang miyembro na namatay dahil nakagat ng makamandag na hayop. Dahil
dito, sinabi niya na mahalaga na ang PhilHealth ay magkabigay ng tulong sa
kanilang mga miyembro.
Ang PhilHealth sa pamamagitan ng Board
Resolution No. 1585, series of 2012, na magbibigay ng animal bite treatment
package para sa lahat ng kwalipikadong benepisaryo. Ang benepisyong ito ay
layuning sumuporta sa National Rabies Prevention and Control Program sa
pamamagitan ng pagbabayad sa gastos ng post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) na gamot
sa pasyente na nakagat ng hayop na benepisaryo naman ng PhilHealth.
Sa pagpapatuloy sa Section 38 ng Republic Act
7875 at binago ng Republic Act 9241, na naglalahad na ang korporasyon ay
kailangang magpatuloy sa kanilang pagsisikap na mapaunlad ang benefit package
upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga miyembro nito.
Sa pamamagitan ng Republic Act 9482, o kilala
bilang Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, ang DOH, sa pamamagitan ng Administrative Order
Nos. 2007-0029 AT 2009-0027, ay magbibigay ng binago na patnubay sa management
of animal bite patients and amendment. Para mabalansi ang inisyatibo ang
PhilHealth ay magbibigay sa package.
Para sa layuning makakuha ng sa nasabing package,
ang nananatiling management of animal bite patients ay rekomendado ng DOH at
kailangan gamitin bilang batayan para sa klasipikasyon at probisyon ng
serbesyo.
Ang package ay P3,000 kada kaso at bumubuo sa
gastos na nagbibigay ng Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) na serbesyo. Ang
sumusunod ay ang reimbursable PEP service items: 1) Rabies vaccine; 2) Rabies
Immune Globulin (RIG); 3) Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG) at; 4) Purified
Equine Rabies Immune Globulin (pERIG).
Ang ibang PEP service items ay bumubuo sa local
wound care, Tetanus toxoid at anti-tetanus serum (ATS), antibiotics, at
supplies kagaya ng, but not limited to, syringes, cotton, alcohol at iba pang
antiseptics.
Mabilan sa kagat ng aso, ang taong nakagat ng
ibang domestikong hayop (Cats) at livestock (cow, pigs, horses, goats) pati na
ang mga wild na hayop (bats, monkey) ay maaring kasali rin.
Nilinaw din ng PhilHealth na hindi kasama sa
package ang 1) Pre-exposure Prophylaxis, 2) Inpatient cases of animal bites and
rabies, which shall be reimbursed through inpatient benefit, 3) Category I
rabies exposure and category II exposure not involving the head and neck, 4)
Bites by rodents, guinea pigs and rabbits, 5) Management of adverse
reactions,at iba pa na hindi na nabanggit sa taas.
Dahil dito, ang PhilHealth ay ipinapaalam na ang
qualipikadong miyembro ay kailangan sumangguni sa pinaka malapit na regional,
syudad o provincial na tanggapan para sa karagdagang detalye. Sa rehiyong
Caraga, ang regional na tanggapan ay matatagpuan sa Lynzee’s Bldg., J. Rosales
Avenue, Butuan City na may telephone numbers na (085) 342-6992, 341-6404. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
