BFAR to launch Municipal Fisherfolk Registration
in Butuan
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 13 (PIA) -- The Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Caraga is set to launch the Municipal
Fisherfolk Registration (FishR) on August 19-20 at the Almont Hotel’s Inland
Resort, this city.
The bureau is currently implementing the
Municipal Fisherfolk Registration throughout the country to meet the
requirement under the Fisheries Code of the Philippines.
BFAR-Caraga Regional Director Nerio Casil bared
that the bureau will develop and implement said program nationwide in close
partnership with the local government units, particularly all the coastal
cities and municipalities.
“FishR will make use of the database of fishers
collected by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) through the National
Statistics Office (NSO) as part of the Registry System for Basic Sector in
Agriculture (RSBSA),” said Casil.
Also, the data will be used by the local
government units and BFAR to design programs for sustainable fisheries
production, conservation of biodiversity, and improvement of the lives of
municipal fisherfolks.
It was also learned that Butuan City Mayor
Ferdinand Amante Jr, Agusan del Norte Provincial Governor Ma. Angelica
Amante-Matba, and Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Executive Director
Edna Mabeza will deliver their messages during the event.
Along with the regional launching of said
program is the conduct of press conference with local media partners in the
region, to be held at the same venue.
For more information, BFAR can be reached at
telephone number: (086) 826-1814. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
ATI Caraga, NGOs, media crafts communication,
advocacy plan for farmers
By Johny S. Natad
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 13 (PIA) -- The Agricultural
Training Institute (ATI) Caraga, non-government organizations (NGOs) with
farmers’ rural-based organizations (RBOs), and local media are formulating
communication and advocacy plan for the Farmers Contact Center (FCC).
During the Consultation Workshop on Maximizing
the Services of the FCC through the Development of a Communication and Advocacy
Plan on August 12, Antonieta Arceo, the OIC Chief on Knowledge Products
Management Division of ATI Central Office revealed that there is a need to
develop a communication and advocacy plan for the FCC to amplify its services
to client farmers and fisherfolk.
The FCC is the alternative delivery channel of
Department of Agriculture (DA) in providing timely information and extension
services to farmers and fisherfolk that include technical advisory on
agriculture and fisheries technologies and agricultural marketing assistance.
Arceo bared that the FCC has generated an
average of 764 queries per month or a total of 27,525 inquiries since its
operational inception in 2010. However, only seven percent of these queries are
related for agricultural technology, which the FCC is focusing about.
Seventy percent of the queries are related to
e-learning concerns; 22% for program and services of the DA; and one percent
for the marketing related concerns.
“With the status of FCC operations, we found out
in our evaluation that there was a failure of maximizing the FCC services
primarily because the client/stakeholders do not know the FCC roles and
services and they do not avail of the services,” Arceo emphasized.
She added the lack of promotion and absence of
communication plan for the FCC are some significant factors that were
identified during the evaluation that need to be addressed.
“The support and participation of the different
stakeholders coming from DA attached agencies, RBOs, NGOs, state universities
and colleges, local media, TelCo, extension workers, and farmers in developing
a communication and advocacy plan for the FCC are very essential to realize our
aim to maximize the services of the FCC so that more farmers and extension
workers will access information needs on farm and business advisory services to
make farming profitable enterprise,” she said. (FEA/JSN/PIA-Caraga)
Workshop scheduled on strengthening ‘Protection
of Children’ in Tandag City
By Nida Grace B. Tranquilan
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 13 (PIA) --
An orientation workshop is scheduled in this city to the members of the City
Council for the Protection of Children (CCPC) on further strengthening
children’s protection.
City Social Welfare and Development officer
Tessie Buniel said the activity is spearheaded by the City Government of Tandag
City thru the office of the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) Office
on August 22 at the Season’s Park Apartelle.
The activity aims to strengthen the council as
the new administration under city mayor Roxanne Pimentel has just assumed into
office more than a month ago. The event also seeks to come-up a comprehensive
plan for the protection of children in collaboration with the council members.
Roles and functions of the CCPC are also
expected to be discussed by the speakers from the Department of Social Welfare
and Development – Caraga Region and other protected laws for children by the
Department of Justice.
In a related development, the construction of
“Bahay Pag-asa”, a transition and rehabilitation home for disadvantage children
in Tandag City is about to be completed, according to Buniel. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
Agusan Norte legislator files environmental bill
anew
Renews call for prevention of pollution from
ships
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 13 (PIA) -- Agusan del Norte
first district representative Lawrence ”Law” Fortun sought to protect marine
and coastal resources from pollution of ships as he files another key
environmental legislation.
House bill 861 entitled, “An Act to Prevent and
Control Pollution from Ships, Provide Penalties Therefor and Other Purposes”
aims to remedy the shortcomings of the 1976 Presidential Decree 979 and more
significantly, seeks to implement the provision of the MARPOL 73/78, otherwise
known as the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from
Ships 1973, as amended by the Protocol of 1978.
While the Presidential Decree 979, or the Marine
Pollution Decree of 1976, was promulgated in 1976 to address the calls for
protecting marine and coastal resources from ship’s pollution, the decree has
become too general in its implementing regulation or standard and no longer
responsive to the prevalent threat of pollution from ships.
Renewed calls for strengthening the marine and
coastal protection from pollution of ships was made anew after the confirmed
dumping of toxic wastes in Subic by a US Navy contractor and the many incidents
of oil spills just this year.
Fortun, through this bill, wants to implement
provisions of MARPOL 73/78, a convention entered into by the Philippines in
1973 and was subsequently ratified by the Senate in 2001.
“One of the highlights of the said measure is to
establish guidelines for the identification of harmful substances,” Fortun
said. It also seeks to set emission standards for ship plying Philippine seas.
The Senate ratified five of the six annexes of
the said treaty, these are: Annex I prohibits discharge of oil tankers or any
ship carrying oil as cargo and by all ships with respect to oily waste coming
from machinery spaces; Annex II prohibits the discharge of noxious liquid
substances by chemical tankers or any ships that carries noxious liquid
substances in bulk; Annex III prohibits the carriage of harmful substances by
ships carrying harmful substances in package form except in accordance with the
requirement on packaging, marking, labeling, documentation, stowage, quantity
limitations, exceptions and notification for preventing or minimizing pollution
of the marine environment by harmful substances in accordance with the
International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code); Annex IV prohibits the
discharge of sewage by all ships except those under 200 grt carrying 10 persons
or fewer; and Annex V prohibits the discharge of garbage (or rubbish or trash)
by all ships.
HB 861 will also make a clear and definite
delineation of roles, duties and responsibilities of various government
instrumentalities related to marine and coastal management such as the
Department of Transportation and Communication, Maritime Industry Authority ,
Philippine Coast Guard , Philippine Ports Authority , Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, and Local Government Units. Another salient provision of
the measure that the lawmaker emphasized is that, the bill likewise seeks to
establish a Marine Pollution Adjudication Board under the DOTC, which has
quasi-judicial powers and executive jurisdiction over all marine pollution
cases. (FEA/JBSabado/PIA-Caraga)
DENR 13 adjudged Best Performing Agency in 2012
By Eric F. Gallego
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 13 (PIA) -- The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Caraga Region headed by OIC,
Regional Executive Director Nonito M. Tamayo has been adjudged best region
performer in 2012 following a performance evaluation conducted early this year
by the DENR Project Management Group led by Undersecretary Manuel D. Gorochi.
The other members of the group are DENR
Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Analiza Rebuelta. The Assistant Secretary
Corazon C. Davis, Assistant Secretary Marcial C Amaro, Jr., Assistant Secretary
Roberto V. Oliva, Assistant Secretary Anselmo C Abungan and Director Ma.
Sabrina R. Cruz.
With this achievement, the personnel of the DENR
2013 is guaranteed to receive their Performance Based Bonus (PBB) ranging from
P5,000 to P35,000 depending on the ratings on their Performance Evaluation
System (PES) conducted by their respective supervisors and reviewed by the
Regional Project Management Group headed by Director Tamayo.
Director Tamayo said he was happy about the
outcome of the selection of the DENR 13 Regional Office as the best performer
among several other agencies vying for the top plum.
"The entire personnel of the DENR including
those at the PENRO and CENRO have done their best efforts to reach their
performance goals in 2012," he said.
With the ratings as “Best Performer”, the DENR
Region 13 office was able to achieve 90 percent in each of the major final
output given which included the completion of the number of provinces with maps
(under the forestland boundary delineation program), the number of approved
plans completion based on requirements (works and financial plan and budget
proposal), number of personnel who submitted Statement of Assets and
Liabilities.
It has also achieved 100 percent compliance to
Good Governance Condition Transparency Seal posted at the website which
included the DENR’s mandate and functions, annual reports for the last three
years, annual procurement plan, posting of the citizen's charter, and cash
advance liquidation.
The Performance Based Incentive System (PBIS) is
a mechanism installed by the government to motivate higher performance and
accountability in the public sector. The system also ensured that the
accomplishment of commitments and target under the five key results areas of
the Aquino Administration laid out in Executive Order 43 and the Philippine
Development Plant 2011-2016 shall be met.
Employees with a rating of “Below Satisfactory”
and those found guilty of administrative and/or criminal cases filed against
them and meted penalty in the incentive bonus. (FEA/DENR-13/PIA-Caraga)
Cebuano News: Presidente Aquino mihatag pagtugot
alang sa negosasyon sa increased rotational presence pinaagi sa framework
agreement
Ni Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Agosto 13 (PIA) – Mihatag na sa
iyang pagtugot si Presidente Aquino aron sugdan na sa Pilipinas karong semanaha
ang negosasyon tali ngadto sa Estados Unidos aron mugnaon ang polisiya sa
dugang rotational presence pinaagi sa framework agreement, matud sa Palasyo
kagahapon.
Si Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda
mibutyag sa pagkamugna sa usa ka panel nga gilangkoban sa mga representante
gikan sa Department of Justice, Department of National Defense ug Department of
Foreign Affairs aron maoy mohawid sa komunikasyon alang sa dugang presensya sa
pwersa sa Amerika dinhi sa nasod.
Sumala ni Lacierda dili manghilabot ang
Presidente kalabot na sa maong negosasyon ug gitahasan niini si Foreign Affairs
Assistant Secretary Carlos Sorreta isip maoy tigpamaba sa panel sa Pilipinas.
Sumala pa ni Lacierda nga ang pagmugna og maong
framework agreement tali sa Estados Unidos aron maseguro ang dugang pwersa sa
tropa sa Amerikano nahisubay ug sulod kini sa Konstitusyon ug mga balaod sa
Pilipinas.
Dugang pa ni Lacierda nga ang maong rotational
presence dili lamang makapauswag sa atong depensa apan makatabang usab kini
ngadto sa atong humanitarian ug disaster response. (SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
