Sen. Guingona lauds Butuan mayor
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Aug 4 (PIA) -- Senator Teofisto
Guingona III on Thursday lauded city Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr. for having been
mentioned by President Aquino during his State of the Address (SONA) last July
23.
Speaking before the participants of the 21st
Mindanao Business Conference during the opening ceremony held here, Guingona
said the President has recognized the efforts of Amante in curbing illegal
logging activities by intensifying the campaign against it.
Guingona added that Amante was the only mayor in
the country who was acknowledged by the President in his SONA, and for this, he
said the residents of Minadanao are truly proud of the mayor.
It can be recalled that series of apprehensions
of illegally cut logs were conducted by the city government in different areas
of the city. The operation was also conducted in cooperation with the Philippine
National Police of the region.
Meanwhile, Guingona also congratulated Amante
for intensifying its partnership with the private sectors and establishments
through the public-private partnership program of the city government.
Guingona said because of this program, the city
will eventually prosper, which is also the mandate of the Aquino
administration. He added the government needs the cooperation of the private
establishments to move the country forward.
Guingona together with his father, former vice
president Teofisto Guingona Jr., his mother, Gingoog city mayor Ruth Guingona,
were here in the city recently to grace the turnover of the family-owned
five-hectare lot in Barangay Ampayon here to the city government.
The lot will be used for the establishment of
the Philippine Science High School-Butuan Campus. The ceremony was conducted at
the regional office of the Department of Science and Technology on Wednesday.
It was attended by the city officials, led by Mayor Amante.
The Guingonas were also the guests of honor
during the 62nd Charter Day Celebration of the city dubbed “Adlaw Hong Butuan”
last August 2. During the celebration, the Guingonas joined the city officials
in the inauguration of Guingona Park, formerly the city’s Rizal Park, located
in front of Saint Joseph Cathedral here. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
Japan to invest more in agri, PPP in Mindanao
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug 4 (PIA) -- Japanese investors
will pour in more investments in the country, especially in Mindanao, in
support of the Philippine government’s public-private-partnership (PPP)
program.
This was learned during the second day of the
21st Mindanao Business Conference held at the Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort
here.
The said business conference runs from August 2
to 4, 2012, with invited business leaders from the Philippines and other
countries.
“We found Mindanao rich in agriculture, in terms
of banana and asparagus production and many others, and we want these exported
to Japan,” according to Ochiai Naoyuki, member of the Embassy of Japan
International Monitoring Team and first secretary/senior advisor for
reconstruction and development of Mindanao.
Naoyuki said they are conducting a study in
Mindanao considering the issue on power shortage. He also welcomed the
opportunity to help the government by putting up investments for existing hydropower
plants in the Philippines.
Naoyuki also explained that Japan, as a policy
direction, aims to provide assistance to other countries in order to help them
uplift their economic stability.
“We usually provide assistance in terms of
infrastructure under our community development projects like irrigation,
farm-to-market roads, and many more,” Naoyuki said.
The Japanese government is also giving out
information to other partner countries about the Philippines and its rich
resources, and also encouraged business sectors to open investments in the
Philippines. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Sen. Pimentel backs EO 81
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Aug 4 (PIA) -- Sen. Aquilino “Koko”
Pimentel today said he is backing up President Aquino when the latter signed
Executive Order (EO) No. 81, creating the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee
(MPMC).
In an interview with the local press prior to
his speaking engagement during the 21st Mindanao Business Conference here,
Pimentel said he is happy that Malacanang has focused on solving issues and
concerns of the power situation not only here in Mindanao but as well as in the
entire country.
He said power situation now does not only affect
Mindanao, since Luzon has already started to feel what the residents in the
region have experienced during the past years.
Pimentel added these concerns may lead to a
national problem if this will not be properly taken care of.
“What the government has been doing is just a
right time for this can help solve issues and concerns regarding to the power
situation not only in Mindanao but also in Luzon,” he said.
However, he is against privatization of the
Agus-Pulangi hydropower plants, saying that these are the only few state-owned
properties that are still existing here in Mindanao, and that Mindanaoans
should benefit the services of these plants in the economic development of the
island.
Pimentel further said he believes that whether
the plants will be privatized or not, the price of electricity will remain
high. “So, what’s the use of privatizing the plants if it will generate same
result,” he said.
EO 81 underscored the need for a coordinating
body that will monitor, harmonize and integrate recommendations on addressing
the issues and carrying out specific initiatives for the Mindanao power
industry sector.
The MPMC is tasked to spearhead and coordinate
the efforts of the national, regional and local governments, and power industry
stakeholders to improve the power situation in Mindanao.
The committee is headed by the Mindanao
Development Authority (MinDA), with the members such as the Department of
Energy, Energy Regulatory Commission, National Electrification Administration,
National Power Corporation; and Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management
Corporation.
The order also enjoined representatives of the
Mindanao Electric Power Alliance and Association of Mindanao Rural Electric
Cooperatives to become members of the committee.
MPMC shall develop a database containing vital
information regarding the power sector in Mindanao and other matters that may
affect it. It shall also assess the current situation of the power sector in
Mindanao and evaluate the viability of the Mindanao Power Summit
recommendations, and regularly submit reports and recommendations to the
President.
Likewise, the committee shall perform such other
duties and functions as may be necessary to implement the EO.
The order also enjoined representatives of the
Mindanao Electric Power Alliance (MEPA) and Association of Mindanao Rural
Electric Cooperatives (AMRECO) to become members of the committee.
MPMC shall develop a database containing vital
information regarding the power sector in Mindanao and other matters that may
affect it. It shall also assess the current situation of the power sector in
Mindanao and evaluate the viability of the Mindanao Power Summit
recommendations, and regularly submit reports and recommendations to the
President. Likewise, the committee shall perform such other duties and
functions as may be necessary to implement the Executive Order.
The initial funding requirement for the first
year of operations of the MPMC shall be determined jointly by the Department of
Budget and Management (DBM) and MinDA, and sourced from the Contingent Fund and
such other sources as may be identified by DBM. Thereafter, the amount needed
for the operation of the MPMC shall be incorporated in the regular budget of
MinDA. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
San Francisco mayor vows to eradicate
malnutrition
By Alexis Cabardo
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur, Aug 4 -- The San
Francisco mayor said her administration will never stop seeking strategies and
programs that will possibly eradicate the malnutrition problem in the area as
it is her administration’s mission.
During the culmination program of the Nutrition
Month Celebration, mayor Jenny de Asis expressed her gratitude to all parents,
stakeholders including the barangay officials who have extended their efforts
in reducing the number of malnourished children in San Francisco by an average
rate of nine percent for the last three years until 2012.
According to de Asis, one of her
administration’s strategies, which she herself is conducting together with
Malyn Bugawan, the municipal nutrition action officer, and personnel from
different departments of the municipal government, is to visit the 27 barangays
in San Francisco. This is in order to conduct medical outreach programs,
including the feeding program in line with her administration’s program on
juvenile education and nutrition.
They conduct education and nutrition activities
not only during nutrition month but through the whole year.
“Another program that we are giving importance
to is the establishment of "gulayan sa barangay," schools and
backyard, because we believe this will have a very remarkable impact in
eradicating malnutrition cases in the municipality,” Mayor de Asis said.
de Asis also called on parents, especially the
mothers, to encourage their children to eat nutritious foods, vegetables and
fruits because these are nutritious and good for their health.
In time with the culmination program of the
Nutrition Month Celebration, the seventh Nutrition Summit was also held in the
covered court of the D.O. Plaza Sports Complex, attended by the barangay
nutrition scholars (BNS) from the 13 municipalities all over the province and
the lone city of Bayugan. The aim of the summit is to enhance the knowledge of
BNS on the new approaches in the implementation of the nutrition program.
Also, in line with the continuous campaign of
the National Nutrition Council to eradicate malnutrition in the country, Agusan
del Sur governor Adolph Edward Plaza called on all stakeholders to strengthen
the delivery of medical and nutrition services especially in remote areas.
(DMS/PIA-Caraga)
PNP, rescue teams save 63 fishers
By PO1 Ryan Cumahig Cagula
BUTUAN CITY, Aug 4 (PIA) -- Sixty-three fishers
have been rescued by police and rescue teams after big waves sunk their fishing
boats in Butuan Bay at around 4:00 a.m. last August 1.
This was through the joint rescue operation of
Police Regional Office (PRO) 13, Agusan del Norte and Butuan City Search and
Rescue teams, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC)
and provincial DRRMC.
Despite the rogue waves, personnel from
Buenavista Police Station, Tubay Police Station, Agusan del Norte Police
Provincial Office and 13th Regional Public Safety Battalion immediately
proceeded with rubber boats after such report reached their respective office
at around 8:00 a.m.
Seven fishing boats from Barangay Manapa, town
of Buenavista, while six others from Barangay Poblacion, Tubay, Agusan del
Norte were reportedly capsized due to catastrophic waves.
Some fishers were slightly wounded while one was
rushed to Nasipit Municipal Hospital after his blood pressure climbed to
200/100. Their boats incurred heavy damages.
“There were more than 30 fishers in the water
when the waves hit us,” said Angelito Canatoy, one of the survivors.
PRO 13 has rubber boats and pumpboat with
trained personnel to assist the public during disasters and calamities.
The PNP urges the community to be more vigilant
and to report immediately to the nearest police station any incident that needs
quick response. (NCLM/PNP-13/PIA-Caraga)
