DOLE provides livelihood assistance to
child-laborers’ parents
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte, July 26 (PIA) --
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) gave 13 carabaos to the parents
of children known as “Batang Kalabaw” in Barangay Baleguian, Jabonga, Agusan
del Norte.
Five carabaos came from DOLE-Caraga, three from
Congresswoman Angelica Amante-Matba, and five from Governor Erlpe John Amante.
“Batang Kalabaw” is a description of a child who
pulls a cut log to a designated place where it is hauled or loaded to a truck.
Batang Kalabaw is found to have thrived in
Bagang, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte.
DOLE-Caraga Regional Director Ofelia Domingo said
the DOLE's Child Labor-Free Barangay Campaign is central to the direction of
the Philippine Program Against Child Labor, which aims to prevent and
progressively eliminate child labor incidence in the country.
It is also part of the government’s initiative
to contribute to the “Batang Malaya Campaign: A child labor-free Philippines by
2016.”
“DOLE intends to liberate the Batang Kalabaw
from hauling logs for a fee of P50 or less, considered as a worst form of child
labor; provide livelihood to parents of child laborers through provision of 13
carabaos; to bring back the child-laborers in school; to ensure that child
laborers will remain in school through provision of school supplies and source
of income in the long term to the parents; and to achieve a child labor-free
brgy in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte,” said Domingo.
Mayor Glicerio Monton of Jabonga, Agusan del
Norte also said the distribution of carabaos, bags with school supplies and
educational assistance from DOLE will also serve as an eye-opener for other
government agencies and stakeholders for them to attend to and do something for
the child-laborers in the province.
He also urged parents to send their children to
school and make use of the carabaos for their livelihood, transportation, and
farming activities.
Domingo, together with Bureau of Workers with
Special Concerns Director Chita Cilindro, Undersecretary Lourdes Transmonte of
DOLE, International Labor Organization Country Director Lawrence Jeff Johnson,
Mayor Glicerio Monton of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte, and some regional directors
of government line agencies handed over the carabaos, bags with school
supplies, and educational assistance to the 30 children and parents in the said
barangay.
“Datu Biong,” one of the parent-beneficiaries
expressed his happiness, saying, “Dako ang among kalipay nga mga ginikanan nga
kami nahatagan sa DOLE niini nga kahigayonan nga makabaton ug trese ka kabaw
para magamit namo sa among panginabuhian ug aron mapa-eskwela namo ang among
mga anak na dili na usab sila kinahanglan pa nga maghago pa (We are very happy
that DOLE has provided us 13 carabaos for us to use in our livelihood and with
this, we can send our children to schools and they need not work for us),” he said.
Pastor Emmanuel Ansihagan, a community worker of
said barangay, will guide and oversee the beneficiaries in their livelihood
activities.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) Caraga will enroll the parent-beneficiaries to the department’s Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) so they will also take responsibility in
ensuring basic educational attainment of their children while they will also
receive the conditional cash transfer.
Transmonte asked the help of the local tri-media
to promote its programs and services for the marginalized sector in the
community and to raise awareness to the people in eliminating child labor in
Caraga region. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Region 13 police undergo gun proficiency test
By SPO1 Philip Amer P Mazo
BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte, July 26 (PIA) --
Police officers of Region 13 have undergone a hand gun proficiency test to
maintain their ability to shoot and hit specific targets with speed and
accuracy.
PCSupt. Reynaldo Serrano of Police Regional
Office in Region 13 (PRO-13) led the opening of Philippine National Police
(PNP) Standard Hand Gun Qualification Marksmanship Test on July 21 at the
Philippine Practical Shooting Association (PPSA) Firing Range in Bancasi,
Libertad in Butuan City.
Shooters went through three stages of
marksmanship tests as part of the skills enhancement program. The first stage
comprises free style shooting, strong hand shooting and weak hand Shooting.
Stage two includes shooting on the move where the shooters shoots targets while
walking and the kneeling position shooting. Stage three is precision with
reload shooting where the shooter uses two magazines shooting, three targets
with mandatory reload and repeat shooting the targets in reverse.
PNP personnel of Agusan del Sur, Surigao del
Sur, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands are currently under the same
training in their respective places.
Personnel of the Regional Headquarters, Butuan
City Police Office, 13 Regional Public Safety Battalion and Agusan del Norte
just finished the said test last week.
The test of marksmanship among the personnel is
not only limited to males even female police officers were also tested on their
ability to fire a gun.
PCSupt. Reynaldo S. Rafal, regional director of
PRO-13 said he wanted every police officer in Caraga be more aware and
responsible in gun handling and be more proficient with their firearms and
perform responsibilities assigned to them. (NCLM/PNP-13/PIA-Caraga)
Filipina surfing sensation to compete in int’l
tilts
By Roel N. Catoto
GENERAL LUNA, Siargao Island, July 26 (PIA) --
In tip-top shape, Filipina surfing sensation Nilbie Blancada is preparing
herself to compete for upcoming international competitions this year and the
following year in other parts of the world.
After she successfully captured the two
international crowns in separate surfing tilts, Blancada has carved a name in
the surfing circle as one of the more competitive surfers from the Philippines.
She won the international surfing competition
last May in this town while she garnered her first outside-the-country surfing
tournament in West Java, Indonesia in June.
Born and raised in this surfing mecca of the
country, Blancada was spotted by this writer doing her usual routine in her
home break in Cloud Nine. She was practicing difficult tricks which she was
perfecting for her next competitions.
Before she bagged awards in past international
tilts, the local lass also swept national competitions held last year like in
Cantilan in Surigao del Sur; Baler in Aurora; Samar in Leyte; and in La Union
province.
“I’m doing my constant practice as usual and do
other tricks which I have not yet shown,” she said.
She will join the next international surfing
competition in September this year in Thailand and in Bali, Indonesia.
Turning 20 this fourth of August, Blacanda said
she is also preparing for the competition in Australia on February 2013.
“I will do everything for these upcoming
competitions and hope for the best like I had shown in the past and recent
competitions,” the petite lass said. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Caraga police participate in outreach program
By PO1 Ryan Cumahig Cagula
BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte, July 26 (PIA) --
Police Regional Office (PRO-13) participated in the community outreach program
of government agencies held at Barangay Masao, Butuan City on July 25.
Among the activities were the joint clean up
along the shoreline, bloodletting and medical and dental missions initiated by
the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), local government of Butuan and
PhilHealth-Caraga.
Presidential Proclamation No. 764 mandates the
observance of July as Police Community Relations Month with the PNP as the lead
agency. The celebration serves as a vehicle in soliciting community support and
participation to various programs of the PNP.
PSSupt. Mario Soriano, deputy regional director
for administration, said the PNP is grateful on the active involvement and
cooperation of the community in deterring criminality across the region to
continuously open brighter windows for peace and development.
“The community is of vital importance in the
scheme of crime prevention. The PNP commends the public of its crucial role and
significant contribution in the accomplishment of our operations,” he said.
(NCLM/PNP-13/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog news: Comelec may sapat na ipon para
ipatuloy ang automated elections ayon sa palasyo
Ni Danilo S. Makiling
MANILA, Hulyo 26 (PIA) -- Kamakailan ay
nagpalabas ng impormasyon ang Malacanan hinggil sa sapat na pondo ng Commission
on Election (COMELEC) upang ipagpatuloy ang automated na eleksyon sa taong 2013.
Ito ay ayon sa tagapagsalita ng Pangulo na si
Edwin Lacierda na ang ahensyang nangunguna sa eleksyon ay maaaring sumandal sa
malaking ipon ng ahensya upang palakihin ang regular na budget at mapagpatuloy
ang automated election return sa susunod na halalan.
“Sa palagay ko ang Comelec ay kailangan na
tingnan ang kanilang ipon. Sa palagay ko sila ay may sapat na ipon sa kanilang
budget,” ani Lacierda.
Idinagdag din nito na habang siya ay
nakikipagdiskurso kay Budget Secretary Florencio Abad tungkol sa isyu, ayon
naman daw kay Budget chief na ang COMELEC ay may sapat na ipon.
“Sila po ay may sapat na ipon. At ito po ay
hindi problema. Ang automated na eleksyon sa sususnod na taon ay magpapatuloy,”
ani Lacierda.
Hindi naman ikinatuwa ni COMELEC Chairman Sixto
Brillantes ang pagputol sa budget allocation ng commission at ito ay
makakatanggap lang sa susunod na taon ng General Appropriations Act na bumaba
mula P24 bilyon hanggang P8 bilyon.
Nagbabala naman si Brillantes na dahil sa
pagputol sa budget allocation ng commission, ang COMELEC ay babalik sa dating
mano-manong pagbilang ng balota sa susunod na taon. (RER/DSM/PIA-Caraga)
