Eye Care Medical Mission served 914 patients in
Surigao del Sur
By Nida Grace B. Tranquilan
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, July 29 (PIA) --
The Surgical and Eye Care Medical Mission recently held in Surigao del Sur
successfully served 914 patients in Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center
(ASTMMC) and Social Hall at the Capitol Hills a venue for final screening,
according to Dr. Chris Buniel, PEB Executive Director.
Dr. Buniel said during the culmination dubbed
“Governor’s Night” that a total of 76 cataract patients and eight Ptyredium
operations were successfully performed during the medical mission, while 400
patients benefited the free eye examinations and received reading eyeglasses
donated by the Montero Medical Missions Team from Virginia, USA.
Buniel also said that aside from the eye care
services, around 400 patients were screened for Diabetes and 30 People With
Disability (PWDs) benefited for prosthetic cast. The said beneficiaries are
identified less fortunate Surigaonons from the cities and municipalities of
this province.
The activity was first conducted and was
launched in 2011 by the Provincial Government in partnership with the Montero
Medical Missions (MMM) Team headed by Dr. Juan Montero II together with other
partner-stakeholders advocating the Vission2020-Surigao del Sur the Right to
Sight, aimed to reduce if not eliminate preventable blindness.
The program implementation was in line with the
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) promoted by the national government that
involved Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and stakeholders to become part
for the success of the activities in delivering services to the people.
(FEA/NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Over 600 applicants avail of two-day Jobs Fair
in Surigao City
By Annette Villaces
SURIGAO DEL NORTE, July 29 (PIA) -- A total of
668 applicants flocked to Surigao City to search for jobs during the two-day
jobs fair held recently at the city gymnasium.
The activity was initiated by the city
government of Surigao thru the City Public Employment Service Office (PESO).
According to PESO Manager Gloria O. Gemina, out
of 668 applicants 70 were hired on the spot for overseas and local jobs
placement.
The jobs fair activity is a quarterly
undertaking of the City Government under the leadership of city mayor Ernesto
T. Matugas in cooperation with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
Surigao del Norte Field Office-13 and Philippine Overseas Employment Agency
(POEA) Regional Office 13. (SDR/City PIO/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Caraga accounts for 16% of DTI 2014 BuB projects
BUTUAN CITY, July 29 -- On its first year of participation
in the bottom-up budgeting (BuB) process, the Department of Trade and Industry
– Caraga Region has generated some P87 M worth of proposed projects in
partnership with some 48 local government units (LGUs) and their partner civil
society organizations (CSOs).
The projects are for 2014 implementation.
The amount represents 16% of the P549 M total
value of DTI BuB projects from 17 regions in the country and therefore is the
biggest among all the DTI regions.
This amount,which was recommended by the Caraga
Regional Poverty Reduction Action team (R-PRAT) March of this year, has since
been endorsed by the National Anti-Poverty Commission to the Department of
Budget and Management (DBM). The latter has also submitted this together with
the rest of the 2014 BuB projects for approval by congress.
The BuB is a process pursued by the national
government “to ensure the inclusion of the funding requirements for the
development needs of focus cities and municipalities in the budget proposals of
participating agencies.”
The process ensures this through the active
participation of CSOs in the preparatory assemblies, updating and assessment of
relevant economic and social data and in the conduct of local poverty reduction
action plan (LPRAP) workshops.
The proposals submitted for DTI funding include
projects on shared service facilities, industry clusters development, skills
and management trainings, and livelihood & enterprise development as well
as business-enabling mechanisms/interventions such as the business permit &
licensing system streamlining. (DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)
DTI-Caraga enjoins consumers and OFWs to deal
only with accredited freight forwarders
BUTUAN CITY, July 29 -- The Department of Trade
and Industry (DTI) - Caraga Region enjoins consumers, businesses and
particularly Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to transact only with freight
forwarders accredited with the DTI-Philippine Shippers’ Bureau (DTI-PSB) to
avoid troubles in transporting their cargoes/packages especially balikbayan
boxes.
The problem on the non-delivery of
balikbayanboxes usually occurs when foreign consolidators/principal sea freight
forwarders do not remit a portion of their collected charges to their
accredited Philippine agents/local sea freight forwarders. This paymentis
supposed to prompt the release of balikbayan boxes with the Bureau of Customs
to the local freight forwarders who in turn, delivers the balikbayan boxes to
the consignees/recipients. Same records also show that most incidents of
undelivered balikbayan boxes involved freight forwarding companies that are not
accredited with the agency.
DTI-PSB holds both the foreign
consolidator/principal forwarders and its Philippine agent jointly and
severally liable for the delivery of cargoes to the consignees.For the months
of April to May 2013, twenty-two (22) freight forwarding companies have been
penalized for engaging activities without the required accreditation with fines
ranging from P50,000 to P70,000 each.As of July 12, 2013, another twenty-two
(22) freight forwarding companies were issued Formal Charges by the agency for
engaging in freight forwarding without DTI-PSB accreditation and/or were
subject of complaints pertaining to balikbayan boxes.
As of July 19, 2013, fifty-five (55) Foreign
Principals/Cargo Consolidators are under investigation for undelivered
balikbayan boxes and other violations of PSB Administrative Order No. 6, Series
of 2005. One (1) freight forwarder has been issued a Show Cause Order for being
a subject of a complaint pertaining to balikbayan boxes.
Consumers/consignees with complaints on
undelivered, pilfered, damaged or lost balikbayanboxes may report or submit an
affidavit of complaint to DTI-PSB through either fax at (02) 751-3305 or email
at dti_psb@yahoo.com.ph. For the list of DTI-PSB accredited sea freight
forwarders, visit www.dti.gov.ph or call DTI-PSB at 02-751-3304.
(DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)
Feature: Aldimar’s Story of Triumph
By Stella Maris V. Barcelon
Reminiscing childhood to some bring sweet
memories but for Aldimar, an 11 - year old Pantawid Pamilya grantee, these
memories are bittersweet. Reminding him of the tears he shed and the selfless
sacrifice he had to do for his siblings’ sake.
Aldimar was in grade one when he stopped schooling
because his parents could no longer support him. It was also the time that he
started to witness his mother’s suffering in the hands of his father. The image
of a happy family was never realized. At a young age, Aldimar’s dream of
becoming a civil engineer started to fade. To Aldimar, the world then was dark,
no rainbows and butterflies.
At nine years old, he knew he was living a life
that will never be understood by someone as his age. Having no parents to take
care of them, he had to be a dependable leader for his younger brothers -
Jamar, 6 years old and Junimar, 5 years old at present.
Head slightly bowed while playing with his
yellow rubber band on his wrist, Aldimar said, “Usahay mingawon ko sa ilaha (I
still miss them),” referring to his parents. Marissa, Aldimar’s mother, died in
2010. She was the second wife of his father. According to Lola Beatrice,
Marissa got ill due to violence and abuses inflicted by his father. Lola
Beatrice also said that Aldimar’s father abandoned them and lived with other
woman. Aldimar’s father is in jail for the heinous crime he committed.
While most of his friends enjoyed their
childhood, Aldimar had to bear the torture of missing his parents, the horror
of uncertainty of daily survival, and the quest for love and security. Young as
he was, he knew he needed help.
Aldimar saw a ray of hope when in 2011 the
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program was introduced in Bayugan City. However,
one of the rules of the program prohibits him from being beneficiary. Besides
being a minor, the condition which requires one of his parents to attend the
Family Development Sessions (FDS) could not be met because he did not have his
parents. Attendance of parents to the FDS is a vital component to ensure
compliance and continued involvement in the program.
These circumstances seemed to dim his only
chance to have a normal life. Fortunately, his case was assessed and
appropriate actions were taken so as not to compromise his right to education
and health. Aldimar was then included in the program. His Lola Beatrice from
her father’s side became their guardian.
Now, the 11 year-old Aldimar has begun a new
chapter of his life through Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
Being too young to grasp the reality, their
playmates and classmates in school helped them forget the dark experience they
had. “Pero gusto man gihapon nako kompleto among pamilya pareha sa uban (But I
still want my family to be complete just like the others),” Aldimar added.
“Nagpasalamat ko kay nakaapil gihapon mi sa
Pantawid, makaeskuyla gihapon kami (I am thankful that we were still included
in the Pantawid, we can still go to school)", he said.
Aldimar together with his siblings are now in
the care of their grandmother who is also too old to work. Aside from Aldimar
and his siblings, two of their cousins are also in their grandmother’s care.
The only person who earns money in the household is their uncle Orland who
works in a rubber farm and earns P150.00 a day.
With seven mouths to feed, their uncle’s income
is not sufficient to meet their daily needs, especially their school needs.
That is why Lola Beatrice is so thankful that Pantawid Pamilya is there to help
her send the children to school. “Mag lisud gyud mi kung wala ang tabang sa
Pantawid Pamilya, basin dili pa namo sila ma pa eskuyla, mao maayo na lang nga
adunay tabang pinansyal ang gobyerno pinaagi ani nga programa (Without the help
of Pantawid Pamilya, life would be very different for us. Without it, maybe we
could not send them to school),” lola Beatrice said with a smile.
As it is true that the program may guarantee a
lifetime success to its beneficiaries by investing in education and health, it
rekindles that remaining hope of Aldimar. That even without his parents, he
stood and carried himself through the rigors of life at an early age.
Aldimar is now in grade three at Claro Cortes Elementary
with his younger brother Jamar, grade 2 and Junimar kinder-2. He finished 4th
honor in his grade two class last school year 2012-2013. (FEA/DSWD Social
Marketing Unit/PIA-Caraga)
