IPs celebrate 16th IPRA anniversary
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 21 (PIA) – The office of the
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the agency responsible for
addressing issues regarding and concerns of the country's indigenous peoples
(IP) will lead in the celebration of the 16th Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of
1997 (IPRA) anniversary.
Atty. Elsie A. Alejandro, officer-in-charge of
NCIP Caraga said, that the month of October is considered as month of the IPs.
IPs from the different areas of Caraga region will gather for the celebration.
To raise IPRA and IP awareness of the community,
there will be a series of activities lined up on October 24 to 25 to be held at
the Agusan del Norte provincial capitol covered court in Butuan City, these
include: different cultural presentations, quiz bowl to be participated by the
NCIP’s Educational Assistance Program (EAP) Grantees and a poster making
contest which is open to all students in the region with ages 12 to 15.
“This years’ celebration commemorates the 16th
year of the enactment of the IPRA with the theme Nurturing Ancestral Domain
Culture,” Alejandro said.
The celebration will be opened with a parade and
the IPs ritual on Thursday and a solidarity and awarding ceremony will be held
on Friday. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)
Youth leaders in Agsur took over provincial governance
By David M. Suyao
PATIN-AY, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, Oct. 21
(PIA) - Some 50 youth leaders from all over the province on Monday took over
the reign of the provincial government.
The event is the result of the two-day
Children’s Congress that started October 19-20, 2013 where these young
provincial officials and young chiefs of offices were elected and appointed
respectively. Under Article 4, section 46 of Ordinance No. 16, series of
2002 of the Agusan del Sur Children’s
Code, children’s day of governance/ administration is celebrated every third
Monday of October of every year.
Raymond Loreto from San Francisco took over the
seat of Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza as governor while Joey Pagar from Bayugan City
became the presiding officer and the vice governor, replacing Vice Gov.
Santiago Cane Jr. The 15 members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan who were
having their session today were also replaced, including the chiefs of offices
of all the departments in the provincial government who act as guide for the
young officials for one day.
During the flag raising ceremony at the
Provincial Capitol, these elected and appointed young provincial officials and
chiefs of offices were introduced with all the participants of the two-day
children’s congress as they sponsor the flag raising ceremony.
In his message, young Gov. Loreto said, children
in Agusan del Sur are very lucky to be given the chance to explore the world of
government leaders. Loreto added that aside from the scholarship that the provincial
government is granting to deserving students, they are also lucky that only in
Agusan del Sur that the youth are given resources and financial support by the
provincial government when they travel to other places during competitions.
“That is why, we, the youths of Agusan del Sur,
always do our bests to bring the honor back to our province when we compete in
other places,” little Gov. Loreto said.
In his message, Vice Gov. Santiago Cane Jr.
said, this program of the provincial government will help develop the
potentials of the youths to the fullest. VG Cane said this is one way they can
gain self-confidence and with dignity in facing problems that they may
encounter in the future. It will also help the youths in discovering where
their strengths lie, and to encourage them to pursue those avenues. Knowing
that everyone has his strengths and weaknesses, this program would show that
leadership is working to maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses.
“Children’s Governance will let the youths
experience something new in dealing with different people with different
personalities, while working together in order to achieve one common goal, and
that is development. It helps the
children realize how important they are in the society even as young as they
are, and they can do positive changes that will help the community they live
in. Above all, we believe that children are the key to change the world,” Vice
Gov. Satiago Cane Jr. said.
After the flag raising ceremony and program, the
youths leaders were guided to their respective assignments to execute and
perform their duties and responsibilities according to the mandate of the
office. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
NGO completes implementation of projects in
Caraga
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 21 (PIA) - Fundacion Intered,
a Spanish international non-government organization working in Caraga region,
in support of the Spanish government’s Agencia EspaΓ±ola Cooperacion
Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), has finally formalized the completion
of Convenio 07-C01-031 implementation during the Formal Closure and Turn Over
Ceremony held on Thursday, Oct. 17 in one of the convention centers, this city.
Convenio 07-C01-031, a project entitled
“Integral and sustainable development of rural communities in Bicol and Caraga
region with special focus on women, through the articulation and strengthening
of the productive and social structures,
through community participation, Philippines,” is being implemented in 18 rural
communities in nine municialities in Caraga region.
It adopts a Sustainable Integrated Area
Development (SIAD) Approach as its overall framework in conducting programs in
rural communities.
“There are five major components that are being
implemented with concrete interventions. These are community organizing and
local governance, productivity systems development, environmental nurturance,
education service, and health care,” said Arlene V. Garcia, Caraga regional
coordinator of Fundacion Intered.
Among the many successful undertakings of the
Convenio are the creation and strengthening of 19 functional People’s
Organization in Caraga region with various development projects and community
involvement and affiliations, especially women’s participation; making and enhancement
of barangay annual investment plans; creation of technical working groups in
each barangay; construction and repair of schools; and construction of barangay
health centers.
“Since its official start on April 24, 2008, it
organized a series of sustainable agriculture trainings leading to the creation
of farmer technicians and farmer co-operators who are practicing sustainable
agriculture technology in each barangay,” declared Garcia.
The occasion was graced by His Excellency Jorge
Manuel Domecq Fernandez, Spanish ambassador to the Philippines; Vicente Selles
Zaragozi, general coordinator of the Spanish Cooperation in the Philippines;
and Maria del Mar Palacios Cordoba, Intered executive director.
Messages of welcome and gratitude were also
conveyed by Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr. and Agusan del Norte
Provincial Gov. Ma. Angelica Rosedell Matba.
The testimonies imparted by the People’s
Organizations and barangay local government units representatives were very
significant as they underscored the social, economic, and ecological
development that they achieved through the implementation of Convenio
07-C01-031. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
Spanish Ambassador visits Carmen AECID Project
By Mary Christine Anthonette M. Salise-Punzalan
NASIPIT, Agusan del Norte, Oct. 21 (PIA) - His
Excellency Jorge Domecq Fernandez, Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines,
together with Mr. Vicente Selles Zaragozi, AECID General Coordinator, and Ms.
Cristina Garcia, AECID Program Manager for Good Governance paid a visit to the
Mango Processing Plant at the Municipality of Carmen, Agusan del Norte on
October 17, 2013.
The purpose of the said visit was to check the
operations of the processing plant sponsored by Agencia Espanola Cooperacion
Para el Desarollo (AECID).
Carmen Municipal Mayor Ramon M. Calo thanked the
Spanish Government for providing the municipality with a grant which paves the
way for the LGU’s major product- Carmen mango, more known as the processing
plant produce variety of mango products like mango puree, mango juice and dried
mangoes.
Mayor Calo said that the processing plant will
help the municipality generate income and will create employment opportunities
should the said plant’s operations be more stabilized.
Amb. Fernandez said that the AECID Mango
Processing Plant is a very good project and he is hopeful that it will soon
have its expansion as it is indeed income-generating.
DILG assistant regional director Donald A.
Seronay along with the Sangguniang Bayan Members of the municipality also
graced the said occasion. (NCLM/DILG-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
Surigao Norte spearheads dialogue with mining
companies
By Mary Jul Escalante
SURIGAO CITY, Oct. 21 (PIA) – The provincial
government of Surigao del Norte spearheaded a dialogue with mining companies
held recently in Gateway Hotel, this city.
Governor Sol F. Matugas led the consultation
together with Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Caraga regional director Roger
de Dios and TESDA Surigao del Norte provincial director Liza Budtan.
During the said dialogue, Provincial Planning
and Development Officer in Charge Ivonnie B. Dumadag presented the priority
projects for 2014 while Provincial Manpower Training Center Officer Emilio
Pantejo discussed the updates of the Provincial Training Center. Also,
Provincial Treasurer Fe Martinez explained the collectibles Occupational Fees
from mining companies and other tax obligations.
Supports and contributions of the mining
industries to the province's economic development and HEALS (Health, Education,
Agri-Aquaculture, Livelihood and Social Services/Security) agenda were also
discussed during the dialogue.
Officials and representatives from Taganito HPAL
Nickel Corporation; Taganito Mining Corporation; Greenstone Mining Corp.;
Pacific Cement Phil. Inc.; Adnama Mining Resource Inc.; Platinum Group Metals
Corp.; Philex Mining Corp.; Silangan Mindanao Mining Corp. Inc.; Hinatuan
Mining Corp.; Manila Mining Corp.; Shenzhou Mining Group Corp.; Shuley Mine
Inc.; and Wellaby Corporation participated the event. (SDR/PIC/PIA-Surigao del
Norte)
