Reg’l consultative meeting on Networking of
Public Health Emergency Services slated
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, June 21 (PIA) -- A regional
consultative meeting on networking of public health emergency services is
slated on June 26-27 in Surigao City.
In a press statement, Department of
Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) Caraga Regional Director Ariel
Valencia said the two-day activity is aimed at ensuring and strengthening
humanitarian response by ensuring high standards of predictability, accountability,
and partnership in all sectors during disaster.
Dir. Valencia also said the main agenda of the
meeting is to look on collaborators and come up with one agreement at the
regional level.
The DOH leads the Health Cluster namely Medial
and Trauma Management, Management of the Dead and Missing, Nutrition, Mental
Health Psycho-social Service, and Water-Sanitation-Hygiene (WASH).
Under Memorandum Circular No. 12, series of 2008
of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), it is stated that the management
of disaster in the Philippines should institutionalize the Cluster Approach.
The cluster approach operates at two levels. At
the global level, the aim is to strengthen system-wide preparedness and
technical capacity to respond to humanitarian emergencies by designating global
Cluster Leads and ensuring that there is predictable leadership and
accountability in all the main sectors or areas of activity.
At the country level, the aim is to ensure a
more coherent and effective response by mobilizing groups of agencies,
organizations and NGOs to respond in a strategic manner across all key sectors
or areas of activity, each sector having a clearly designated lead, in support
of existing government coordination structure and emergency response mechanisms.
With these developments, the health chief of the
region is inviting emergency/disaster focal point persons of national
government agencies to participate the activity in response to the disaster
preparedness of the national government. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
21st Mindanao Business Conference set in Butuan
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, June 21 (PIA) -- The Butuan City
government led by Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr. together with other government
agencies, Butuan Chamber of Commerce, and stakeholders stepped up preparations
for the 21st Mindanao Business Conference slated August 2-4, 2012 to be held at
the Almont Hotels’ Inland Resort here.
This activity is anchored on the theme, “Invest
Mindanao: Towards a More Inclusive, Progressive and Greener Future.”
The said activity is in time with the Adlaw Hong
Butuan (Butuan Charter Day) celebration on August 2, 2012 which will celebrate
Butuan’s status as a city. It honors Butuan’s municipal officials, citizens,
and past leaders who have contributed their loyalty and efforts to the city. It
will also present the city’s modern culture through street parties, beauty
pageants, and motorcades.
According to Marlon Libot, Business Support
Organization Team Leader of the Growth with Equity in Mindanao, a
non-government organization (which aims to accelerate economic growth in
Mindanao and help assure that as many people as possible participate in and
benefit from the growth) said that around 500 participants coming from the
business sector in Mindanao including farmers and fisherfolks are expected to
join the event.
Each participant will have to pay a registration
fee of P2,500 which includes kit materials for the three-day event.
“US Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Harry K.
Thomas is highly expected to give his keynote message on the first day, August
2, as well as Ambassador of Japan H.E. Toshinao Urabe, Ambassador of China H.E.
Liu Jianchao, and Ambassador of Korea H.E. Hye-Min Lee… Meanwhile, Senator
Franklin Drilon, Committee on Finance Chairperson will also give his message
together with other high rank officials, and Vice President Jejomar Binay will
be the guest of honor during the Ambassador’s night,” said Libot.
“During this three-day event, different products
in Caraga region will be featured and presented to investors from other regions
in Mindanao with its picturesque scenery,” Libot said.
Libot further said that Senator Teofisto
Guingona III is expected to grace the activity on the second day, August 3. It
will also be highlighted with various topics that will be presented by experts
in the business industry.
On the last day, August 4, Senator Aquilino
“Koko” Pimentel III will also join the participants while Mindanao Development
Authority Chairperson Luwalhati Antonino will present the 2012 Mindanao
Business Policy Agenda.
It was also learned that President Benigno S.
Aquino III is expected to give his keynote speech on the culmination day.
With this development, the city government and
partners are inviting Mindanaons of different sectors to support and participate
in this big event. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Gov says Agusan del Norte values technological
education, training
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, June 21 (PIA) -- Agusan del Norte
Governor Erlpe John Amante recently said the provincial government has always
valued technological education and trainings and its contribution to society.
This developed after he reported that the
province’s enrollment rate in public elementary and high schools have increased
significantly, citing that the province is serious in implementing not only
basic education and degree courses but also technical-vocational courses in
tech-voc schools in the province and in this city.
Gov. Amante said persons provided with technical
and vocational education and training reached 7,084 in 2011 up from 5,433 in
2010.
The official said the scholarship program
through Training or Work Scholarship Program was also able to serve 1,084
scholars in 2011 increasing their number by 201.
He added from 6,079 in 2010 to 7,353 in 2011, an
increasing number of trainees were assessed, and out of these trainees, 4,985
passed and were given national certifications. “This means that their skills
are now duly certified nationwide,” Amante said.
The provincial governor also reported that in
2011, 26 graduates got employed contributing to the overall number of 5,550
Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) graduates who got employed.
“Among these graduates were those produced by
the Las Nieves Training Center at Barangay Mat-I… from a handful 18 in 2010,
they numbered 113 trainees in 2011 specializing in Shielded Metal Arc Welding
and Food and Beverage Services,” Amante said.
The official added competency rates have also
improved from 61 percent in 2010 to 81 percent in 2011.
Meanwhile, Gov. Amante said the provincial
training center in Cabadbaran City has also produced a growing number of TVET
graduates from 312 in 2010 to 324 in 2011.
He added that certification rates for the
National Competency Assessment have likewise been increasing from 94 percent in
2010 to 98 percent in 2011. “So was the number of high school graduates and
out-of-school youths who were provided with the scholarships, and a total of
215 TVET graduates from the center have already found employment,” Amante said.
Gov. Amante also emphasized that as a complement
scheme, the provincial government has granted 50 scholarships to qualified
students under the Provincial Technical Scholarship Program. The two-year
program covers financial support of P7,500 per scholar per semester.
The official further said the provincial
government has implemented a full-course scholarship program specifically
designed for the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) of Agusan del Norte. “As of 2011, 10
IP scholars have been awarded P50,000 scholarship grant per semester,” Amante said.
(RER/PIA-Caraga)
Agusan del Norte institutionalizes welfare
program for children
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, June 21 (PIA) -- The provincial
government of Agusan del Norte has institutionalized the welfare programs for
children as local officials acknowledged that the youth are the hope of the
country.
This is what Governor Erlpe John Amante pointed
out in his State of the Province Address in the 6th special session of the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan held recently at the provincial capitol covered court
here.
The chief executive of the province emphasized
that in order to ensure that children are attended well, the province
strengthened the local council for the protection of children in the
municipalities.
“We continued to implement our yearly commitment
of providing workbooks to all children enrolled in the daycare service program.
Last year, workbooks worth P1.5 million were given to these children numbering
9,382 all across the province,” Amante said.
Amante further said the provincial government
did not just provide food for the brain but also embarked on endeavors aimed at
molding children into physically healthy citizens.
He explained that the “Operation Timbang
(Operation Weighing)” activities were conducted all over the province, serving
a total of 44,920 preschoolers.
Amante added the food assistance programs
through supplementary feeding activities were also implemented in coordination
with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the province’s 10
municipalities and one city, resulting to the decrease of the rate of
malnutrition in the province from 13.32 percent in 2009, 12.19 percent in 2010,
to 10.18 percent in 2011.
Because of these efforts and based on the
regional nutrition evaluation result, Amante said the province was deemed first
place in the implementation of the nutrition program in Caraga for 2011.
Meanwhile, Amante bared that for those who might
have had a wayward life, the province has a place where they can be
rehabilitated, with the end view of guiding them back to a productive life.
This is through the construction of a youth center or Bahay Pag-asa to house
children in conflict with the law.
“This is how we institutionalized the children’s
welfare program of the provincial government,” Amante said. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
BFAR exec leads ‘Liplipan’ Management Plan
launching in Siargao
SURIGAO DEL NORTE, June 21 (PIA) -- Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) National Director Attorney Asis G. Perez
led the launching of Sailfish "Liplipan" Management Plan in the
country’s game fishing capital in Pilar, Siargao Island, Wednesday.
Perez said the plan seeks to manage fish stocks
and guarantee the future of the fisheries sector in the island, “not just
sailfish (liplipan) but all other marine resources.”
During the event, a memorandum of agreement was
forged by Perez with Governor Sol Matugas, 1st district representative
Francisco Matugas, and local chief executives, signaling the start of the
program.
Perez then turned over six units of deep sea
fish shelters locally known as "Payao," worth P1,736,160, to the
local government units-beneficiaries thru their local chief executives.
He also pledged to provide a multi-mission
vessel and two units of pump boats with 16HP to help bring an end to the
problem of illegal fishing in the island. (RER/FEA/JParada/PIA-Surigao del
Norte)
Agusan del Sur generally peaceful, decrease in
crime volume noted
By David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, June 21 (PIA) -- “Agusan del Sur
is generally peaceful,” said P/SSupt. Rodolfo Dasmarinas, police provincial
director for Agusan del Sur, when he rendered his report during the provincial
peace and order council meeting held last June 14 at the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan session hall in Prosperidad.
According to Dasmarinas, the total crime volume
from March to May this year, totalling to 148, decreased by five incidents
compared to the same period last year, which is 153 incidents. However, the PNP
provincial office has also recorded a decrease in crime solution efficiency,
with only 32.43 percent compared with last year, with 46.41 percent.
“Within the period from March to May this year,
the average monthly crime rate is 8.09 incidents compared to last year’s 8.37,
with a reduction of 0.28 incidents. But we are high in our monthly index crime
rate this year with 6.02 per 100,000 population, compared to 4.98 the same
period last year. For the monthly non-index crime rate, we recorded a decrease
this year with only 2.8 incidents compared to 3.39 incidents per 100,000 last
year,” Dasmarinas said.
According to PNP’s report, murder registered to
be the highest with 40 (36 percent) incidents, followed by physical injury with
22 (20 percent) incidents, and the third is homicide with 13 (12 percent)
incidents. The least crime recorded is carnapping with four incidents.
“For the period covered, Bayugan City had the
highest crime incidents with 49, followed by Prosperidad 24. San Francisco
ranked third with 20, and two municipalities got the lowest with only one
incident each, and they are the municipalities of Veruela and San Luis,”
Dasmarinas said.
Dasmarinas also said that with 50 warrant of
arrests that they have served against wanted persons, the same number was
arrested, and while they conducted eight operations against illegal gambling,
nine persons were arrested, recovering assorted illegal gambling paraphernalia.
“The decrease in crime volume compared to the
same period last year is a result of the religious implementation of police
integrated patrol system (PIPS) otherwise known as Patrolya ng Bayan, which is
in line with formulated patrol plan 2030 with the coordination, support, and
cooperation of all sectors of society in their interest to achieve a lasting
peace, progress and stability,” P/SSupt. Dasmarinas said. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del
Sur)
Tagalog news: Dumami ang estudyante sa
pampublikong eskwelahan sa Agusan del Norte
Ni Danilo S. Makiling
BUTUAN CITY, Hunyo 21 (PIA) -- Bahagyang tumaas
ang bilang ng enrollment sa mga pampublikong paaralan noong 2011 at ito ay sa
pagpupursigi ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Agusan del Norte upang mapalaganap ang
"Education for All" program.
Ito ang binigyang diin ni Governor Erlpe John
Amante sa kanyang State of the Province Address (SOPA) kamakailan. Aniya, sa
mga pampublikong paaralan, tumaas ng 11.88 porsyento ang bilang ng mga
nagsipag-enroll sa pre-school at 3.83 porsyento sa elementarya.
Ayon kay Amante, nagkaroon ng magandang resulta
ang adbokasiya ng lokal na pamahalaan na pataasin ang enrollment sa mga
paaralan sa probinsya.
“Magugunita na sa school year 2006-2007 at
2008-2009, ang net enrollment ratio ay nasa 74 porsyento lang. Dahil sa
programa, ang net enrollment ratio simula sa taong 2009-2010 ay tumaas sa 75.50
porsyento. At mas lalo pa itong tumaas ng 83.39 porsyento sa taong 2010-2011 na
lumagpas sa 80 porsyentong marka sa national level,” ani Amante.
Idinagdag din ng opisyal na noong nakaraang
taon, nagpatuloy pa ito sa pagtaas, kung saan ang cohort survival rate ng
probinsya ay tumaas mula 67.14 porsyento hanggang sa 69.04 porsyento.
Sinabi rin ni Amante na tumaas din ang
completion rate ng mga estudyante mula 65.27 porsyento sa school year 2009-2010
hanggang 66.56 porsyento sa school year 2010-2011.
Binigyang diin din ni Amante na ang
implementasyon ng programa at proyekto ay may layuning paunlarin ang mga
paaralan na magreresulta sa pagtaas ng porsyento ng mga estudyante na
nakakatapos sa elementarya.
“Ang completion rate ay patuloy na tumataas
simula noong school year 2005. Dahil sa programang Student Tracking System,
4Ps, at Adopt-A-Pupil, ang insidente ng dropout ay bahagyang bumaba ng 2.16
porsyento …. Kung pananatilihin natin ang rate na ito, maaari nating makuha ang
layunin nating zero dropout sa taong 2012,” aniya.
Binanggit din ni Amante na ang nakamit ng
elementary education system ng probinsya ay mabisang naipakita sa pagkakamit ng
isang Grade VI pupil ng Cabadbaran South Central Elementary School ang award na
2nd runner up sa National Oratorical contest kasabay ng Rizal National Festival
of Excellence. “Ito ay nagpapatunay na ang ating kabataan sa Agusan del Norte
ay maaring makipagkumpetensya sa mga magagaling sa bansa,” aniya.
Ipinagyabang din ni Amante ang nakamit ng
sekundaryang antas kung saan tumaas din ang enrollment nito, na umabot sa net
enrollment ratio na 52.30 porsyento, lagpas sa 50 porsyentong national level
mark.
Idinagdag din ng opisyal na ang cohort survival
rate ay bahagya ring tumaas, mula 72.96 porsyento sa taong 2010 hanggang 75.46
porsyento, resulta ng pagtaas ng completion rate nito mula 68.46 porsyento sa
taong 2010 hanggang 71.12 porsyento sa taong 2011 naman, na nagpababa sa bilang
ng dropout rate na 6.21 porsyento.
Ang SOPA ng gobernador ay ginanap kasabay ng
selebrasyon ng ika-45 na anibersaryo ng probinsya, kasabay din nito ang 6th
Special Session ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan. (RER/NLM/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog news: Hepe ng CDA-Caraga nakiusap sa
media na ipalaganap ang spirit of cooperativism
Ni Danilo S. Makiling
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Hunyo 21 (PIA) -- Sa
isinagawang press conference kamakailan sa pangunguna ng Cooperative
Development Authority (CDA)-Caraga, nakiusap si CDA-Caraga Regional Director
Manuela Pelaez sa grupo ng local tri-media na tumulong sa pagsuporta sa
kooperatiba.
Matapos ang isang power forum, sinabi ni Pelaez
na ang lokal na media ay may kapangyarihang ipaabot at maipalaganap sa mga tao
ang impormasyon na nauukol sa kanilang adbokasiya sa benepisyo na makukuha ng
mga mamamayan.
Aniya, ang lokal na media ay may kapasidad na
ihatid sa mga tao ang tamang kaalaman kagaya ng mga plano at programa ng
gobyerno para sa publiko. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
Cebuano news: TESDA buhion ang National Skills
Competition karong tuiga
Ni Fryan E. Abkilan
SURIGAO CITY, Hunyo 21 (PIA) – Ang Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) miingon nga buhion niini ang
Philippine National Skills Competition karong tuiga aron pagdasig sa technical
and skills development sa matag trabahanteng Filipino labi na aron andam sila
alang sa Asian title karong tuiga.
“The skills competition is our way of promoting
technical education and skills development and in inculcating the value of hard
work and excellence among the Filipino skilled workers,” matud ni Tesda
Director-General Joel Villanueva sa iyang taho ngadto kang Pangulong Benigno S.
Aquino III.
“This is also in preparation for the country’s
participation anew to the 2012 ASEAN Skills Competition (ASC) to be held in
Jakarta, Indonesia in November this year,” matud pa niya.
Dugang pa ni Villanueva nga ang Tesda wala na
makapahigayon og national skills competition sulod sa halos usa ka dekada ug
kini pagabuhion karong tuiga uban ang lig-on nga suporta sa pribadong sector.
Ang maong kumpetisyon anaa na karon sa masusing
preparasyon nga naglangkob sa physical development, skills ug knowledge
enhancement, industry immersions, psychological preparation and value
formation, sa pakigtambayayong sa industriya ug pribadong sector, dugang pa
niya.
Ang Tesda natukod niadtong tuig 1994 pinaagi sa
Republic Act 7796. Tumong niini aron dasigon ang hugot nga partisipasyon sa
industriya, labor, mga local government units ug ang technical-vocational nga
mga institusyon sa skills development sa human resources sa nasod.
Kini gimandoan aron hiusahon, tabangan ug
monitoron ang programa sa skills development sa nasod.
Ang Tesda mo-aprubar usab sa skills standards ug
tests, mohimo og accreditation system alang sa mga institusyon nga nalambigit
sa middle-level manpower development ug mga fund programs alang sa technical
education ug skills development. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)
