CoFFEE Project to launch in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur
By Nida Grace B. Tranquilan
SURIGAO DEL SUR, Feb. 26 (PIA) – Nescafe
Philippines is set to launch in Tagbina town here on Wednesday, February 27, the
Coffee Technologies and Funds to Fuel Economic Empowerment (CoFFEE) project,
one of the company's latest programs thru Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
The program aims to address the challenges
facing smallholder coffee farmer in Mindanao provinces and serve as a viable
development model for other important stakeholders to replicate, adapt, and
scale up, according to a statement by Nescafe Philippines.
The Philippines has been identified as one of
the eight (8) coffee growing markets within Nestle, with an annual local demand
of 64,000 metric tons of coffee beans with an estimated value of Php 6 billion.
A Public-Private Partnership, CoFFEE project was
made possible through the efforts of Deutsche Investigation-und
Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG), a finance group and Asia Society for Social
Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), a non-stock, non-profit
international capacity building organization.
Expected guests to attend the launching are
official representatives from Nestle, Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny Pimentel,
Tagbina Mayor Donnel Polizon, DA Regional Director Edna Mabeza, 2nd District
Congressman Florencio Garay and ASSIST Program manager, Michael Saycon.
(NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Poverty reduction team reviews anti-poverty
projects in Caraga
By Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 26 (PIA) -- Together with the 12
implementing regional line agencies in Caraga, the Department of the Interior
and Local Government (DILG) is preparing to review and validate anti-poverty
projects to be implemented in 2014 and to monitor projects being implemented
this year.
Undersecretary Marie Labajo of the National
Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) attended the Regional Poverty Reduction Action
Team (RPRAT) meeting on February 22 where she emphasized the need to promote
evidence-based plans to let the community themselves realize the impact of the
projects.
The purpose of her visit was to cascade the
relevant information framed by the national government for the implementation,
as well as for the review and validation of the Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB) for
the implementation of anti-poverty projects.
“The very aim of the BuB is to make the
government agencies more responsive to the needs of the community. This is to
address the demands of the grassroots and to let the people decide what they
need to address their destitute situation,” USec Labajo said.
The BuB is an approach of formulating the budget
proposal of agencies, taking into consideration the development needs of poor
cities/municipalities as identified in their respective local poverty reduction
action plans that will be formulated with strong participation of basic sector
organizations and other civil society organizations. The programs and projects
identified by LGUs through the BuB process will be funded through the national
budget.
Regional Director Lilibeth A. Famacion and USec
Labajo, tackled issues such as the manner of reviewing the project proposals
for the 2014 implementation.
USec Labajon clarified that the implementing
agencies cannot outright reject a project once proposed by the Local Poverty
Reduction Action Team (LPRAT), composed of local government unit (LGU)
representatives and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the municipality.
She said that once the proposed project falls
within the regular program of the agency, then this can be funded. For proposed
projects that cannot be sufficiently funded because it has already exceeded the
budget cap, this can be substituted by another project that is within the
budget limit.
The RPRAT is expected to meet again on February
27 to finalize the review of the proposed projects.
The implementing agencies of the BuB for 2014
are the department of Agrarian Reform,Agriculture, Education, Environment and
Natural Resources, Health, Labor and Employment, Social Welfare and
Development,Tourism, Trade and Industry, Interior and Local Government and
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
For coordination and oversight, the Department
of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Budget and
Management (DBM), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the
National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) worked hand in hand in setting the
policy direction for the RPRAT.
As the Chair and secretariat of RPRAT, the DILG
will consolidate the revised list of priority poverty reduction projects
reviewed by the implementing agencies for submission to NAPC. (DILG-13/PIA-Caraga)
DAR, coffee co-op sign P2.9-M economic support
services
By Myra Q. Yu
SURIGAO DEL SUR, Feb. 26 (PIA) -- The Department
of Agrarian Reform (DAR) here and the Mabuhay Kahayagan Coffee Growers
Cooperative (MKCGC) signed a memorandum Of agreement (MOA) for the
implementation of the P2.9 million Agrarian Community Connectivity and Economic
Support Services (ARCCESS) held recently at Barangay Kahayagan, Tagbina.
The service facilities include 4WD tractor,
huller, grass cutter, power sprayer, and flat bed dryer.
The event was participated by DAR officials and
staff headed by PARO Hernane Apacible and the officers and members of MKCGC. On
the said occasion, the duties and responsibilities of the organization were
presented.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer Esteban
Dumagan said in his message that the secret of the grant of the project is the
sincere participation and cooperation among officers and members of the coop
and most importantly the community as a whole.
MKCGC Chair Leonardo Evangelista expressed his
strong commitment that they will take good care of the project and grateful to
DAR for extending support to their organization. (NGBT/DAR/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Cebuano news: Malakanyang mibutyag sa mga
miyembro sa Transition Commission nga gitasahan aron mohimo sa Bangsamoro Basic
Law
Ni Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Peb. 26 (PIA) -- Kinse ka mga
miyenbro sa Transition Commission ang gitudlo ni Presidente Aquino aron maoy
mohimo sa Bangsamoro Basic Law, matud ni Presidential Spokesperson Edwin
Lacierda kagahapon didto sa Malakanyang.
Sumala ni Lacierda sa habig sa gobyerno sa
Pilipinas, pito ang natudlo nga mao sila Hon. Akmad A. Sakkam, Hon. Johaira C.
Wahab, Hon. Talib A. Benito, Hon. Asani S. Tammang, Hon. Pedrito A. Eisma, Hon.
Froilyn T. Mendoza, ug Hon. Fatmawati T. Salapuddin.
Samtang ang sa gipili sa Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF) mao sila Hon. Mohagher Iqbal, diin maoy chairman sa Transition
Commission; Hon. Robert M. Alonto, Hon. Abdulla U. Camlian, Hon. Ibrahim D.
Ali, Hon. Raissa H. Jajurie, Hon. Melanio U. Ulama, Hon. Hussein P. Munoz ug
Hon. Said M. Shiek.
Ang maong pagpili nahisubay sa Executive Order
120 series of 2013, diin ang Transition Commission pagalangkoban sa 15 ka mga
miyembro, diin pito ka mamahimong miyembro ang pillion sa Presidente ug otso
lakip na ang chairman, ang pagapilion sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Matud pa ni Lacierda nga usa sa kwalipikasyon sa
pagpili mao nga kinahanglan usa siya ka Bangsamoro, adunay track record nga
siya misuporta sa mga peace process, ug walay bahid korupsyon ug pang-abuso sa
gahum.
Dugang pa niya nga ang maong transition
commission adunay pasiunang badyet alokasyon nga nagkantidad P100 milyon.
(RER/SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
