Davao Oriental steps up debris clearing, turns
fallen coconut trees for livelihood
DAVAO CITY, Feb. 24 -- In a bid to fast-track
debris clearing in areas affected by Typhoon Pablo, nearly six million damaged
coconut trees in Davao Oriental will be utilized as coco lumber, construction
materials, handicraft and furniture.
This is a move also seen to accelerate rehabilitation
and provide livelihood opportunities for 21,000 affected families, a statement
from the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said.
“The damaged coconut trees hamper our relief and
rehabilitation efforts,” said Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon, while
explaining that the damaged trees also pose as safety hazards, which limit
mobility of people, goods and services within the province.
Malanyaon announced the plan during a recent
inter-agency meeting convened by the MinDA and attended by agencies tapped to
support efforts to handle the removal, cutting, and utilization of coconut
trunks into value-added products.
The governor stressed that such move is part of
the province’s rehabilitation framework dubbed as “Building Back Better” or BBB
as it transitions its relief and recovery efforts into reconstruction and
development. MinDA, in coordination with the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP) is providing technical support to the provincial government in the
implementation of the rehabilitation program.
"Rehabilitation and reconstruction of
Pablo-stricken areas require integration of all efforts to optimize use of
available resources," said MinDA Chair Luwalhati Antonino, adding that
“the government is doing all efforts to help typhoon victims get back to
normal.”
More than 16,000 hectares of coconut farms in
Davao Oriental were severely damaged by Typhoon Pablo, while more than 42,000
hectares were moderately damaged. A total of 84,476 hectares of coconut farms
or approximately six million coconut trees were damaged during the typhoon.
The governor said that if left unattended, the
damaged coconut trees will decompose in three months and will become home to
coconut beetles, potential pests to the province’s remaining coconut farms and other
agricultural products.
Malanyaon explained that even if the provincial
government had completed its debris clearing operations, it does not have the
authority to cut damaged coconut trees that withstood the typhoon.
The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), the sole
government agency mandated to cut the still-standing but damaged coconut trees,
was reported to have already cleared 29,710 trees or 614,824 board feet of
coconut lumber. The PCA distributed 40 units of chainsaw when clearing
operations commenced in the municipalities of Baganga, Cateel, Boston, and
Caraga.
“We badly need more units of chainsaw to
completely remove the remaining coconut trunks,” said Freddie Bendulo, Davao
Oriental Planning Coordinator.
He added that of the nearly six million coconut
trees damaged by the typhoon, about 500,000 trees would be used in the
construction of the 15,000 housing units for the typhoon victims.
“We welcome the creation of government clusters
that will provide support in accelerating our clearing operations,” said
Bendulo.
Government agency clusters were formed to
provide support to Davao Oriental’s clearing and rehabilitation efforts. The
first cluster, composed of PCA, and the Departments of Public Works and Highway,
Social Welfare Development (DSWD), and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
will handle the collection, cutting, and hauling of the coconut lumber.
The second cluster, comprised of PCA,
Departments of Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Technical Education and Skills
Development, Science and Technology (DOST), DENR, Labor and Employment, and
Tourism will initiate processing and enterprise development of damaged coconut
trees into coco lumber and other value-added products. The PCA committed to
handle the warehousing of the processed coco lumber.
DOST-Forest Products Research and Development
Institute also announced that it will establish a wood processing plant in the
province, while DTI will work in linking the affected coconut growers with coco
lumber retailers in coming up with enterprise development plans.
Other agencies present at the inter-agency
meeting include the Department of Interior and Local Government, Office of
Civil Defense, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, DA- Bureau of Fisheries
and Aquatic Resources, National Economic Development Authority, Department of
Health, National Irrigation Administration, DENR-Environment Management Bureau,
Department of Education as well official from the World Food Programme, United
Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) who
pledged various type of assistance. (MinDA/PIA-Caraga)
Cebuano news: Presidente Aquino pangulohan ang
27th Anniversary sa EDSA People Power Revolution karong Pebrero 25
Ni Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Peb. 24 (PIA) -- Pangulohan ni
Presidente Aquino ang selebrasyon sa ika-27th nga Anibersaryo sa EDSA People
Power Revolution karong Pebrero 24 didto sa People Power Monument sa EDSA,
Quezon City.
Atol sa maong selebrasyon ang Presidente
gikatakdang mosalmot sa flag-raising ceremony ug mopirma sa Human Rights
Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013. Ang maong balaodnon nag timaan
sa mga pagpamatay ug pagpanglapas sa tawhananong katungod sa katawhan sa
administrasyon ni Marcos.
Usa ka importanteng aspeto sa maong balaodnon
luyo sa pagbayad og danyos ngadto sa mga biktima mao ang pagkamugna sa Human
Rights Violations Victim’s Memorial Commission.
Ang mandato sa maong komisyon mao ang
pakigtambayayong sa Department of Education ug sa Commission on Higher
Education aron ma-edukar ang mga kabatan-onan mahitungod sa mga pang-abuso nga
nahimo sa rehimeng Marcos ug ang kabayanihan sa mga nakigbatok niini.
Samtang ang EDSA People Power Commission miandam
usab og pipila ka mga kalihukan atol sa maong 3 ka adlaw nga paghandom nga
pagasugdan ugmang adlawa Pebrero 23 uban sa temang “Pilipinas Natin, Abot-tanaw
na!.”
Sumala sa Komisyon, Ang highlight sa maong
selebrasyon mao ang pagpasundayag sa “Salubungan” nga ipasundayag og dungan sa
Manila, Virac, Dumaguete ug Zamboanga karong Pebrero 25.
Pagkahapon sa Pebrero 25, ipahigayon didto sa
Kalayaan grounds sa Makanyang ang storytelling mahitungod sa importansy sa
Filipino values sa mga kabataan nga gikan sa nagkalain-laing mga orpahanages
Sumala pa sa Komisyon nga ugmang adlawa Pebrero
23, si kanhi president Fidel V. Ramos maoy mangulo sa seremonya sa
wreath-laying sa lubnganan sa mga Sundalo didto sa Libingan ng mga Bayani sa
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Samtang ang EDSA People Power Commission uban
ang kooperasyon sa Associaiton of Philippine Medical Colleges Student
Network-NCR mopahigayon usab og usa ka fun run didto sa EDSA karong Pebrero 24.
Adunay trese ka mga medical schools ang gikatakdang mosalmot sa maong dagan nga
gitumong aron pagpasiugda og pagkaresponsibilidad, kabayanihan ug maayong
panggobyerno. (RER/SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
