MGB-Caraga streamlines MRFC, MMT, CTWG anew
By Marx Rev A. Buenavidez
SURIGAO CITY, Feb. 28 (PIA) – Seeing the need to
further improve the roles and responsibilities of the Mine Rehabilitation Fund
Committee (MRFC), the Multi-partite Monitoring Team (MMT), and the
multi-sectoral Community Technical Working Group (CTWG), the Mines and
Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Caraga recently conducted a two-day reorientation and
capacity enhancement workshop attended by some 300 participants.
The activity, in coordination with the Chamber
of Mines of Caraga Region Inc., was held at Gateway Grand Convention, this city
on February 21-22, 2013 and graced by Surigao del Norte Vice-Governor Arturo
Carlos A. Egay, Jr.
Anchored on the theme, “Responsibility and
Accountability: Keys toward a progressive mining industry and a prosperous
community,” the event drew the participation of various stakeholders from local
government units (LGUs), national line agencies, active mining tenement
holders, non-government organizations (NGOs), civic groups, academe and the
religious sector.
In his welcome remarks, Vice Governor Arturo
Carlos Egay, Jr. said that responsible actions should contribute in the
attainment of sustainable growth that should meet the needs both of the present
and future generations.
On the other hand, MGB-13 Regional Director
Roger A. De Dios gave the rationale of the activity and stressed that the
Office will institutionalize and establish protocols pertaining to the
membership and functions of MRFC, MMT and CTWG.
He added that the two-day activity will delve on
the intent of Mine Rehabilitation Fund Committee to materialize the programs
and projects of SDMP and EPEP, the purpose of MMT and how CTWG works.
Based on RA 7942, otherwise known as the
Philippine Mining Act of 1995, the primary task of MRFC is to engage in
preliminary assessment on the mining company’s Environmental Protection and
Enhancement Program (EPEP) and “to clarify proposals and to discuss the
adequacy of environmental control rehabilitation measures” through the conduct
of quarterly meetings or special meeting if deemed necessary. The committee is
composed of the MGB Regional Director who sits as the Chair, the Regional
Executive Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) as Co-Chair, the Regional Director of Environmental Management Bureau
(EMB) as member, representative from LGU as member, representative from local
NGOs/community organizations which include People’s Organizations, church or
civic organizations as member, and representative of the mining
contractor/permit holder as member.
Meanwhile, the MMT, as deputized monitoring arm
of MRFC, consists of a head representative from MGB Regional Office and one
member representative each from DENR, EMB, mining contractor/permit holder,
affected community(ies), affected Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs), if
any, and environmental NGO.
CTWG is MGB’s initiative in consonance with DENR
Administrative Order No. 2001-16 dated May 7, 2001, that institutionalizes the
counter-partnership of the civil society action network in DENR programs and
projects. As a community relations arm, CTWG is a multi-sectoral social impact
team to actively participate and monitor the company’s social development
activities and projects under the Social Development and Management Program
(SDMP). Aside from MGB, DENR and the company, the group is unanimously composed
of LGUs and local civil society groups.
“Although some functions of the MRFC, MMT and
even the CTWG have negated, we will endeavor to implement the specific
guidelines of SDMP and EPEP and professionalize the composition and roles of
each panel,” RD De Dios said.
RD De Dios further mentioned that MGB will
strive that the programs and activities of SDMP will certainly give impact to
the host and neighboring barangays by molding them to be self-reliant and
resource-based communities.
“Upon the issuance of MGB Regional Memorandum
Order 2012-001, we are aiming to prevent the emergence of ghost towns in this
region by prioritizing livelihood and income generating projects. So that if a
mine closes, there will still be economic bustle and societal growth in the
locality,” RD De Dios emphasized. (MGB-13/PIA-Surigao
del Norte)
NYC to Schools: Follow CHED’s Directive Against
‘No Permit, No Exam’ Policy
MANILA, Feb. 28 - The National Youth Commission
(NYC) reiterates its call to schools to comply with the Commission on Higher
Education’s (CHED) directive with regard to the ‘No Permit, No Exam’ Policy.
In a recent interview, NYC Chairman Leon Flores
III cited ‘No Permit, No Exam’ as one of the many Students’ Rights and Welfare
(STRAW) violations that Filipino students still face.
“Especially since mid-terms exams week is fast
approaching, it is important to remind universities that CHED has a standing
Memo against the No-Permit, No-Exam policy. We reiterate the stand of the National
Youth Commission that there are other ways to collect from the students but the
students should not, at any point, be barred from taking their exams owing to
their inability to pay at the time of exams.” Flores said.
On October 12, 2011, the Youth Commission
approved Resolution No. 146, Series of 2011, A Resolution Supporting the
Anti-‘No Permit, No Exam’ Policy. On the same date, CHED also issued a separate
Memorandum on the Implementation of Section 99 of CMO No. 40, Series of 2008,
directing all Higher Education Institutions to refrain from imposing the said
policy.
NYC Chair Flores considered some schools’
“disregard for CHED’s Circular against No Permit, No Exam policy a clear
violation of Students’ Rights and Welfare.”
“The NYC STRAW Desk (www.strawdesk.com) has been
receiving numerous complaints and cases of STRAW violations since the program
was established in 2011. Unfortunately, despite CHED’s directive, we still
receive grievances from students denied to take their exams due to unpaid tuition
and other school fees,” said Commissioner-at-Large Gio Tingson, who also chairs
NYC’s Committee on Education.
“We call on young people to continue to be
vigilant and to report STRAW transgressions. All over the country, there are
varying levels of such violations,” Flores added in closing.
The National Youth Commission as the voice and
advocate of the youth is the lead government agency created under Republic Act
8044 or the Youth in Nation-building Act in charge of policy formulation on
youth development and youth participation. (NYC/PIA-Caraga)
CSU, city govt to update comprehensive land use
plan
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 28 (PIA) -- The city
government and Caraga State University (CSU) signed a memorandum of agreement
(MOA) for the conduct of the Comprehensive Land Administration and Information
Management of the city of Butuan using a Geographical Information System.
The output will be needed in updating the
Comprehansive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of the city.
The partnership is necessary in updating the
city’s CLUP as it would lead to a more accurate projection and preparation of
the city’s disaster risk reduction plan and climate change adaptation program.
One of the requirements in updating the CLUP is the inclusion of Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR) projections and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) programs.
As indicated in the MOA, it is necessary to
quantify the risk coverage in the localities of the city to achieve an
effective priority-setting of resources in mitigating risks during calamities.
The combination of the Real Property Units and its basic information laid over
the base map of the city is an effective strategy in containing the DRR and CCA
requirements of the CLUP.
According to Vice Mayor Lawrence “Law” Fortun,
this MOA is vital as the city government is embarking on updating its CLUP over
a three-year period. Fortun added that the CLUP will attract investors as this
is one of the aspects being looked into before an investor comes in.
(LGU-BC/VMO/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
Cebuano news: Malakanyang misaad nga
panghingusgan ang koleksyon sa buhis
Ni Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Peb. 28 (PIA) -- Ang gobyernong
Aquino subling misaad nga panghingusgan niini ang mga paningkamot sa pagkolekta
sa buhis pinaagi sa pag dakop niadtong mga eskapador human ang Bureau of Internal
Revenue (BIR) nakakolekta og mokantidad P1.058 trilyon sa tuig 2012.
Matud ni Presidential Spokesperson Edwin
Lacierda kagahapon nga ang gipanghingusgan na sa BIR ang pagpasaka og mga kaso
batok sa mga eskapador agig subay sa mandato sa administrasyong Aquino nga
daang matuwid o deretso nga dalan.
Sa kasamtangang adunay 28 ka mga bag-ong kaso
ang gipasaka batok ngadto sa mga eskapador sugod niadtong bulan sa Nobyermbre
tuig 2012.
Sumala sa Department of Finance (DOF), adunay
mokabat 11 ka bag-ong mga kaso ang gipasaka ubos sa Run After Tax Evaders
(RATE) program, samtang 17 ka bag-ong mga kaso ang gipasaka ubos sa Run After
the Smugglers (RATS) initiative.
Ang DOF ug sangang buhatan niini
nakigtambayayong sa Department of Justice ug mga husgado aron mapadali ang
resolusyon sa maong mga kaso.
Uban ang nagkadaiyang mga reporma nga gihimo sa
nagkalain-laing ahensya, ang gobyerno nagmalamposon sa pagpa-uswag sa tax
koleksyon niini niadtong niaging tuig.
Sumala pa sa taho sa DOF nga ang BIR mipausbaw
sa koleksyon niini sa buhis nga hapit 15 porsyento o mokantidad P1.058 trilyon
niaging tuig gikan sa P924 bilyon niadtong tuig 2011.
Dugang niini, ang DOF miingon ang mga koleksyon
gikan sa mga operayon sa BIR mikantidad og P1.017 trilyon niaging tuig gikan sa
P890 bilyon niadtong tuig 2011, samtang ang mga koleskyon gikan sa mga operayon
nga mikantidad og P40.95 bilyon gikan sa P33.65 bilyon niadtong tuig 2011.
(RER/SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
