PMA invites applicants to join Class 2018
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 20 (PIA) – The Philippine
Military Academy (PMA) through Maj Michael P Colanta PA, officer-in-charge
Butuan Team PMA Entrance Exam invites interested applicants to take the PMA
entrance examination on August 25.
According to Maj Colanta, the PMA entrance exam
will be conducted in 37 examination centers all throughout the country.
This year, interested applicants must comply
with the following qualifications: minimum height of 5 inches for both male and
female (from 5’4 for male and 5’2 for female); natural-born Filipino citizen;
physically ft and of good moral character; single and has never been married;
at least high school graduate; no administrative/criminal case; must pass the
PMA entrance exam; and should have been born from April 1, 1992 to April 1,
1997.
Maj Colanta also said that the lowering from the
height requirement is expected to bring about increase in the number of
applicants. The changes in the minimum
height requirement came about when it was observed during the conduct of the
Limited Physical Examination (LPE) in different exam centers, that many are
denied the chance to go through the first phase of the selection process,
solely for the reason of not meeting the height requirement, he added.
Also, Maj Colanta said with the previous height
requirement many Filipino youth who have good education background and are
physically fit are disenfranchised from the opportunity of being able to take
the entrance examination.
Maj Colanta further said, that with the
adjustment made in the height requirement, PMA will be increasing the pool
where the best candidate for PMA cadetship will be selected.
Being a PMA cadet gives an individual a noble
privilege in serving the country. One is
able to avail of a free college education with a well-rounded curriculum, as
well as, receive monthly pay and allowances.
After graduating from the Academy, one is guaranteed a progressive
career as an officer in the Army, Navy or Air Force.
Successful applicants will compose the PMA Class
2018 who will be officially received in the Academy in an Oath-Taking Ceremony
and Reception Rites on April 1, 2014.
Application forms an be downloaded from
www.pma.ph. Applicants can also apply
on-line in the said website. For more
information, call (074) 447 3686, (074) 447-2634 local 6751 or 6752, (02)
913-6286, 0949 4270584, 0928 6697651, 0943 7056890, 09273810493, 0917 8964299,
or write the Office of Cadet Admission, Philippine Military Academy, Fort
General Gregorio H del Pilar, 2602, Baguio City. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)
CSC-13 chief calls on stakeholders unified
efforts on the protection, preservation of Butuan’s Mt. Mayapay
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 21 (PIA) – Civil Service
Commission (CSC) Caraga Regional Director Adams Torres called on government
workers and stakeholders to work hand in hand in addressing the need to come up
with sustainable ways for the protection, conservation and rehabilitation of
the city's Mt. Mayapay.
During a meeting with Regional Director Abner
Caga of the Philippine Information Agency; Mr. Michael Torralba, a blogger and
Regional Coordinator of Samahang Magdalo; and Philippine Daily Inquirer
correspondent Mr. Franklin Caliguid held at the CSC-Caraga regional office,
Dir. Torres expressed his concerns on how government workers and partner
stakeholders can better ensure the sustainability of Mt. Mayapay.
Despite not a resident from Butuan, he shares
with the Butuanons’ concern on the protection and conservation of the Mt.
Mayapay, known heritage of Butuan.
“I am committed to join with other partners in
this noble cause not only as a government servant but as a concerned citizen of
Butuan, thinking that with our unified efforts we can save Mt. Mayapay and give
our future generations the opportunity to experience the healthy environment,
full of resources,” said Torres.
Torres then suggested to PIA to produce video
materials that would depict the picture of Mt. Mayapay from the previous years
and in the present, and show the community how we can make a difference in
improving and sustaining the Mt. Mayapay.
“The least that I can do as of the moment, when
these materials will be made available, I commit to present these during
trainings and gatherings of government agencies and partner stakeholders to
inculcate the mindset that environmental protection is everyone’s concern, and
that we should all do our part,” stressed Torres.
Torres further said that tree planting
activities may not be enough to ensure the sustainability of the Mt. Mayapay,
the need to seek for other interventions that will make the effort sustainable and successful.
Torres also bared that during trainings and
gatherings, the commission will be soliciting ideas and suggestions from their
partners to collaboratively come up with other noble interventions to save Mt.
Mayapay.
Mt. Mayapay is a prominent natural landmark in
Butuan City. Its plateau formation is the predominant feature that serves as
backdrop of the City. It is the highest
peak of Butuan City-Buenavista mountain ranges with an elevation of 675 meters
above sea-level. It is also considered as one of the tourist attractions in the
city.
Forest cover however of Mt. Mayapay has dwindled
due to illegal logging. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DTI-13 reports updates & highlights of its
1st Semester 2013 accomplishments
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 20 (PIA) – The Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) Caraga headed by Regional Director Brielgo Pagaran
reported on Monday the highlights of its accomplishments for the first semester
of 2013, as well as updates on the region’s economic development.
During the Media Forum, Pagaran bared that
Caraga region now ranked 11th among the poorest regions in the country with a
rate of 34.1% in the First Semester Poverty Incidence Among Families, and
having P9,779 Per Capita Poverty Threshold in the first semester of 2012.
“The fact that instead of being No. 17 or being
the poorest region in 2006 and 2009, the latest National Statistics
Coordination Board (NSCB) report in 2012 has placed the region now at No. 11 to
12 tied with Region 5. Trailing us are regions 10, 9, 8, 12 and ARMM,” said
Pagaran.
Pagaran added that this would indicate that our
economy is leveling up and our income is increasing.
It was also learned that on the heels of
Caraga's two consecutive years of high growth in its Gross Regional Domestic
Product (GRDP), the region is treated once again with "good news"
from the 2012 1st Semester Official Provincial Statistics Report of the NSCB
released on April 2013.
Also, Dir. Pagaran revealed that San Francisco
in Agusan del Sur is the country’s most competitive municipality while Butuan
City is the 4th most competitive city.
“The over-all ranked of San Francisco in Agusan
del Sur based on 1st Index Rankings of the National Competitiveness Council,
also ranked No. 6 in economic dynamism and No. 14 in terms of electricity
rates. Meanwhile, Butuan City also ranked in several other high rankings: No. 5
in economic dynamism, No. 2 in number of new business registrations, No. 6 in
business registration renewals, No. 9 in capitalization of new business
registrants, No. 15 in capitalization of business renewals, No. 13 fastest
travel time to airport, No. 9 in number of cell sites, No. 7 in hotel rooms and
No. 19 in electricity rates,” Pagaran said.
Surigao City is another big winner with high
ranks on the following: No. 14 in new business registrations, No. 18 in
business renewals, No. 14 in capitalization of new business, No. 3 as fastest
travel time to airport, No. 16 in water rates, No. 14 in cell sites, and No. 17
in hotel rooms while the municipality of Claver in Surigao del Norte ranked No.
6 and Cantilan in Surigao del Sur at No. 9 in government efficiency.
Meanwhile, on the Shared Service Facility (SSF)
Projects, the DTI-Caraga has a total of 28 approved projects in the region
involving 1,400 beneficiaries (average of 50 beneficiaries per project) with a
total amount of P22.17-M.
The department also disclosed that it has
conducted eight ‘Diskwento’ Caravans for the 1st Semester of 2013. With this,
there were 75 exhibitors that participated; 7,002 consumers benefitted; and
generated sales worth P956,576.28.
Pagaran expressed that the DTI from its past
performance periods has again met and even exceeded its agency targets for the
1st half of the year.
"These accomplishments may not still be
enough to impact on our region's goal of reducing poverty significantly. We
will continue to do our best," he said. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
GSIS meets Public sector unions in Caraga; bares
dev’t in programs &
services
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 20 (PIA) -- Several employees associations, organizations
gathered recently at the Samping Avenue Hall of this city, together with
Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Butuan Branch Officials and Ms.
Karina David, GSIS member of the Board of Trustees (BOT), for the conduct of
Consultative Meeting with the Public Sector Unions in Caraga region.
In her message, GSIS Butuan Branch Manager Belen
Talita, emphasized that continuous information dissemination brings GSIS closer
to its members.
"The constant conduct of dialogue with our
partner stakeholders give us the opportunity to improve our programs and
services and strengthen our working relationship with them," Talita said.
David also bared that GSIS aims to regain the
trust and confidence of partner stakeholders, pursue the social mission of the
charter and promote an efficient organization that is fully-automated and
member-focused.
“Letting you know on the updates and getting
your feedbacks will surely help improve our programs and services. We will
ensure as well that our members will get and enjoy the benefits they deserved,”
David emphasized.
David also disclosed that the Enhanced GSIS
Scholarship Program provides 200 Scholarship Slots for children of the GSIS
members with Salary Grade 1-24. “Incoming freshmen are accepted in schools
accredited by GSIS. With this program, GSIS gives up to P20,000 tuition and
P2,000 monthly allowance,” she said.
It was also learned that among the initiatives
of GSIS to provide responsive services to its members include the following:
Deployment of more GWAPS Kiosks; New Emergency Loan Program (reduced interest rate
from 8% to 6%; waived 1% service fee); No more Annual Renewal of Active Status
for Pensioners (National Statistics Office to determine pensioners' status);
and Revised Survivorship Policy (surviving spouses of members and pensioners
can receive pension even if gainfully employed and receiving other
income/pension).
As to the posting and reconciliation of the GSIS
members' accounts, David explained that the GSIS has already formed a
Reconcilement Task Force to improve the updating of accounts and will deploy
electionic-Billing and electionic-Collection to its members.
With these developments, the GSIS hoped to
increase the number of members registered and to add more benefits.
The GSIS is created by Commonwealth Act No. 186
that was passed on November 14, 1936, and later amended under Republic Act No.
8291 dated June 24, 1997. As designed in its charter, GSIS is a social
insurance institution under a defined benefit scheme. It ensures its members
against the occurrence of certain contingencies in exchange for their monthly
premium contributions. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
291 pupils receive school kits from Red Cross in
Lingig Town
By Nida Grace B. Tranquilan
SURIGAO DEL SUR, August 20 (PIA) -- Philippine
Red Cross Surigao del Sur (PRC-SDS) Chapter distributed on Monday, August 19,
school kits to four barangays in Lingig, the southern tip municipality of this
province.
PRC-SDS Chapter officer In-charge Felomina
Rivamonte said some 291 pupils received school kits from the identified
barangays affected by Typhoon Pablo last December 2012.
The recipients are the Palo Alto Elementary
School of Barangay Palo Alto with 101 beneficiaries; Mansailao Elementary
School of Barangay Mansailao with 96 beneficiaries; Tigbawan Primary School of
Barangay San Roque with 27 beneficiaries; and Tamsian Primary School and
Bentigan Primary School of Barangay Pagtilaan with 67 beneficiaries.
Rivamonte said the school kits contain:
back-pack; pencil case with ball-pen and pencils; sharpener; eraser; notebooks;
paper; color with packs of noodles. Some pupils also received slippers during
the distribution.
Rivamonte further said that some residents from
these barangays are still on the process of recovery while others are still
living in tent houses. (FEA/NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DILG-13 holds workshop on water supply
management
By Don Manuelo O. Patrimonio
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 20 (PIA) -- Technical staff
from provincial, municipal and city engineers and planning offices in the
region underwent a skills enhancement seminar-workshop on Detailed Engineering
Design (DED) Preparation, Procurement, and Fund Management at Samping Avenue,
this city.
The four-day event was spearheaded by the
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga Regional Office
together with the Office of Project Development Services (DILG-OPDS).
The participants came from the 22 recipient
local government units (LGUs) of the 2013 implementation year of the Bottom-Up
Planning and Budgeting (BUB) with water supply systems identified as priority
projects. Caraga region LGUs received an aggregate amount of P67.242 Million
for water projects in this year alone.
During the opening ceremonies, DILG-Caraga
Regional Director Lilibeth A. Famacion announced that more funding for water
supply projects through BUB are already lined up for 2014.
The seminar-workshop is one of the series of capacity
development interventions the DILG will be providing that are intended to
enhance capacities of the technical personnel who are directly involved with
their LGU’s water supply projects.
The trainers were from Manila and include Engr. Renato L. Lorenzo
of the Water and Sanitation Services Unit of the DILGOPDS and their consultant,
Engr. Ramon L. Dela Torre.
The discussions and workshops revolved around
water system design parameters, key components, drawing plans and standard
symbols, technical specifications, Environmental Protection Agency Network
(EPANET), hydraulics, fund management and the procurement process.
Also in the training were some representatives
of the Water and Sanitation Hub (WATSAN Hub) composed of Fr. Saturnino Urios
University, Propegemus Foundation Inc., and Bayugan Water District.
The WATSAN hub is a local pool of water and
sanitation experts that is concurrently being organized in various localities
across the country. They can be tapped as mentors, consultants or resource speakers
to local government initiatives on water supply.
It was hoped that these trainings will improve
and fast-track the implementation of the water supply projects—a very dire yet
rudimentary service needed by all. With projects such as these, the government
is hoping to improve access to potable water across the country. Increasing
skills of LGU personnel improves such services that lead to the achievement of
this goal—an endeavor we share here in Caraga Region. And as Engr. Lorenzo
opines, Caraga Region is known to be among the better performing regions in
water-supply project implementation. (DILG-13/PIA-Caraga)
