ANHS, DENR-13 sign MOP on mangrove planting
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 26 (PIA) - The Agusan
National High School (ANHS), in partnership with the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR)-Caraga signed the Memorandum of Partnership (MOP)
on the conduct of Mangrove Planting/reforestation for a cause set on November
16, in Barangay Lumbocan, this city.
"We are gathered here today to witness an
important occasion which is the signing of a Memorandum of Partnership between
the DENR and ANHS Class 1990 on the planting of mangrove for a cause in support
to the National Greening Program of President Aquino," said Mr. Eric Herzon
Gallego, Regional Information Officer of DENR-Caraga in his welcome message.
Gallego bared that the National Greening Program
(NGP) aims to plant trees on some 1.5 million hectares starting in 2011 up to
the year 2016.
"The DENR is off to a good start, having
already planted million of seedlings in over 232,000 hectares nationwide. The
President has promised that his six-year administration would meet a
reforestation target that took the DENR 25 years to meet," he said.
Mr. Richard Recososa, Program Director of ANHS
Class 1990, emphasized that taking care of our environment also means giving
ourselves the chance to live longer. "We are contributors to what is
happening in our environment today. We must also take responsibility by doing
activities that will protect, rehabilitate our environment," he said.
Also, Ms. Cherry May Busa, ANHS Class 1990
Executive Director and Acting President, assured that after its conduct of the
Mangrove Reforestation in Brgy. Lumbocan, Butuan City on November 16, 2013, the
ANHS Class 1990 will be monitoring and protecting the area to ensure that the
planted propagules will live and grow as desired by doing active coordination
with DENR's Barangay Off Site Office. "We will visit the actual site twice
a month," she added.
Brgy. Captain of Lumbocan Ms. Shirley Reyes
recognized the efforts of the ANHS and the DENR for choosing their area as
beneficiaries of said activity. She also promised to regularly monitor the
planted propagules and its maintenance.
"In the implementation of the National
Greening Program in Caraga region, the DENR-Caraga has targeted 100,000
hectares to be planted until 2016. We are confident to achieve this number
through our concerted efforts with partner stakeholders," said Regional
Executive Dir. Nonito Tamayo of DENR-Caraga.
Other officials who signed the MOP are the
following: Agusan del Norte PENRO Paterno Olivera and LLUMPA chairman Eleazar
Accompanado. Said activity was witnessed by local tri-media and representatives
from government agencies. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
NCMB intensifies information drive on Batas
Kasambahay
By Faith V. Piamonte
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 26 (PIA) - The National
Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) Regional Branch XIII officer-in-charge
regional director Ligaya R. Lumbay, discussed Republic Act No. 10361, otherwise
known as the “Domestic Workers Act or Batas Kasambahay” to the 86 Barangay
Captains of the city.
Atty. Lumbay explained that the Batas Kasambahay
was created in order to strengthen the respect and protection of the rights and
welfare of our 'kasambahay''against abuse, harassment, violence, economic
exploitation and performance of work that is hazardous to their physical and
mental health.
The Batas Kasambahay covers household workers
such as general househelp, nursemaid or yaya, cook, gardener, laundry person,
or any person who regularly performs domestic work in a household on
occupational basis whether or not on a live – in or live – out arrangement.
The law also provides a minimum wage of P2,500
for those employed in the National Capital Region; P2,000 for those employed in
cities and first class municipalities; and P1,500 for those employed in other
municipalities.
The 'kasambahay' is also entitled to the
following rights and privileges: daily and weekly rest periods, Service
Incentive Leave, 13th month pay, coverage under SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-ibig
laws, board, lodging and medical assistance, privacy, access to outside communication,
access to education and training, employment contract, freedom from employers’
interference in the disposal of wages, join, form or assist labor organization,
and exercise their religious beliefs and cultural practices.
Atty. Lumbay also emphasized that Barangay
Captains should maintain a Registry of Domestic Workers and a
Registration/Kasambahay Desk in the Barangay Hall to accommodate registration
by an employer of his/her 'kasambahay.'
The discussion was held during the 33rd Liga ng
mga Barangay Meeting on September 18 at Colegio de Liga ng mga Barangay
Conference Room, here. (NCLM/NCMB/PIA-Caraga)
DTI-Caraga to hold Diskwento Caravan this
October
By Billy A. General
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 26 (PIA) - The Department of
Trade and Industry-Caraga Regional Office will hold a Diskwento Caravan this
coming October 1-3 at the Provincial Capitol grounds, Agusan del Norte
Provincial Capitol, this city.
The activity aims to provide an opportunity for
consumers to buy select commodities at very low prices with discounts varying
from as low as three percent to as high as 30 percent. This is made possible through the
coordinative efforts of the agency and the major retailers and distributors in
the region particularly those located in Butuan City. These commodities include canned
fish/sardines, canned meat such as corned beef, beef loaf and luncheon meat,
toiletries, bath and toilet soaps, among others.
Food products from the CreateFood members, an
association of food producers across the region, will also be displayed and
sold during the said activity. Consumers
will be able to have a taste of local food delicacies that have been sold and
are gaining attention in the various regional and national food fairs.
This activity is also part of the opening
ceremony on October 1, 2013 for the month-long celebration of the 2013 Consumer
Welfare Month this October. This year’s lead agency is the Department of Health
and has the theme "Health Product Quality, Efficacy, Safety & Transparency
– Everybody’s Concern".
This will be the 14th Diskwento Caravan
activities conducted by the regional office and the provincial offices for this
year across the region. As of July 30,
2013, the said project has generated more than one million pesos in sales and
has benefited more than 4,000 buyers/consumers. (NCLM/DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)
Caraga tourism stakeholders meet to plan for the
sector
By Arcily C. Gonzaga
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 26 - "Let's talk
tourism, Caraga tourism."
This is what brought together some 55
participants from the five provinces of Caraga last September 18 and 19.
At the end of the two-day session, participants
were able to provide further inputs to the draft provincial tourism
roadmaps. The outputs outlined the state
of the sector, the identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats,
the industry's vision, mission, goals and targets as well as the proposed
strategies and timelines to pursue these.
Collectively, the group was also able to
validate and finalize the proposed Caraga Tourism Roadmap in support of the
on-going review and localization initiatives for the National Tourism
Development Plan 2013-2016. As explained
by the local office of Department of Tourism (DOT), the plan needs to be
cascaded in the regions and requires the active and collaborative actions from
the private sector.
The two-day activity was funded by the
GIZ-Conflict Sensitive Resource Management (COSERAM) Program via its
partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Caraga under the
Industry Cluster Assistance for Regional Economic Development or ICARE.
GIZ-COSERAM sponsored a tourism value chain
planning workshop earlier this year in Siargao Island where the first drafts
were formulated.
The activity also allowed the stakeholders to
enhance their plans with the inputs from the "Green Economic Development"
and "Greening the Tourism Value Chain" – shared by another GIZ
program currently being implemented in the Visayas – the GIZ-DTI Promotion of
Green Economic Development (ProGED).
Participants to the activity, which was held at
the Goat2geder Hotel and Restaurant, include private sector representatives
from the accommodation, restaurants, health and wellness, tour operators and
other tourism-related businesses or subsectors, business chambers, tourism
officers from the local government units, and government functionaries from the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Economic Development
Authority, DOT and DTI. (NCLM/DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)
