Children’s Day celebration kicks-off in Butuan
City
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 1 (PIA) – In line with this
year's National Children's Month celebration, the city government of Butuan
kicks-off the celebration with a foot parade which gathered preschoolers from
different public and private schools in three districts of this city.
The short program that followed after the parade
is highlighted with various presentations, mass dance, taekwondo, and kiddie
band exhibition.
City Social Welfare and Development Officer
Aldebran M. Mordeno, in her welcome
address, urged everyone to work together for the promotion of the children's
welfare. “A strong and healthy family helps in achieving a child’s dream. They
are our greatest asset and we should take care of their future,” she said.
In his message, Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr.
emphasized the importance of the parents and citizens’ role in molding the
children. “I call for the renewal of our commitment to prepare a better place
for our children to live in, to promote their wellbeing, and to secure their
future," he remarked.
The activity concluded with the launching on the
Search for a Green Thumb Project. “The aim is to encourage every child to plant
seedlings using recycled materials. That way, they will have the opportunity to
share their part in sustaining a green environment,” said councilor Ferdinand
E. Nalcot, Chairman, Committee on Social Services.
Several activities are lined-up for the National
Children’s month-long celebration in partnership with other government and
non-government organizations.
This year’s celebration is anchored on the
theme, “Child Friendly Philippines: A Caring and Protective Society for, by and
with the Children.” It focused on protecting the basic rights of children and
bringing awareness about the impacts of violence, discrimination and other
emerging threats. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
Tandag City joins cooperative month celeb
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Oct. 01 (PIA) –
The city government of Tandag through the Cooperative Development Council joins
the nation in this year's celebration of Cooperative month this October.
Cooperative Development Authority (CDA)
Provincial Officer Rodelo Saldana said as an opening salvo of the celebration,
the council distributed on Tuesday goodies to some 230 beneficiaries in
Barangay Pangi.
“The distribution of goodies is a collaborative
effort of the CCDC member cooperatives out of their coop development fund
initiated by the City Cooperative Development Office,” Saldana said.
She also bared that other activities lined-up
for this month include, free civil registration, free medical health services,
free haircut and ‘Kasambahay’ registration.
The whole month of October is celebrated annualy
nationwide by the cooperative sector as a Cooperative Month in accordance with
Presidential Proclamation No. 493 issued on October 29, 2003. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
CRIP awards regional peace ambassadors
By Johny S. Natad
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 1 (PIA) – The Caraga Regional
Institute of Peace (CRIP) awarded on Monday its first Regional Peace
Ambassadors for their valuable commitment and efforts in the promotion of peace
in the region.
CRIP chairperson and executive director Rex F.
YbaΓ±ez led the awarding of Dr. Adrilene Mae J. CastaΓ±os, 1Lt. Joe Patrick A.
Martinez and Pastor Recto T. Labrador for their exemplary character, knowledge,
and perseverance which made an impact in their communities during the Regional
Peace Education Contest Conference at the AVR-2 of Fr. Saturnino Urios
University, this city.
CastaΓ±os is currently the university director
for National Service Training Program (NSTP) of Caraga State University. She
has served as focal person on Gender and Development Office (GAD) from 2001 to
2006 of Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology (NORMISIST)
(presently Caraga State University). Her major effort is on the promotion on
gender education, gender equality and participation of women in developments.
CastaΓ±os has made significant contribution in
many researches and publications such as Violence Against Women and Children
and Child Trafficking; Pilot Study on VAWC and Women and Gender Child
Trafficking Incidence And Magnitude; Women in Conflict Areas of Mindanao;
Regional Program to Promote Gender Equality in Political Participation in the
Philippines; Political Participation Of Women in Caraga: A Case Study Regional
Program to Promote Gender Equality in Political Participation in the
Philippines. She is the networking coordinator on various peace education and
gender education programs on Paz Y Desarrollo–Women and Gender Institute. Her
researches and publication have been presented before various conventions and
conference, and have published by Paz Y Desarrollo – Women and Gender
Institute.
1Lt. Joe Patrick Martinez is the Commanding
Officer of the 42nd Civil Military Operations Company, Camp Bancasi, Butuan
City, Agusan del Norte of the Philippine Army. A mission-oriented Army Officer
with pro-active work ethic, Martinez is known for his peace advocacy in the
most dangerous areas around the region. The Philippine Army awarded him with
Military Merit Medal and Military Commendation Medal for his excellent
contribution in the resolution of conflict in the community.
His work made to the peaceful resolution of
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Barangay Luna, Surigao City. He and his
company successfully supported the concerned stakeholders in facilitation of
supports to be given to the affected families and later on facilitated the safe
return of the said families to their communities in Kitcharao, Agusan del
Norte. He also contributed to the peace
intervention during the attack of NPA in Mining firms in Claver, Surigao del Norte.
Martinez conducted series of dialogues,
symposiums, and house-to-house visitations to the affected families. Provided
right information to the general public and to the defense department on the
current situation of the people and facilitated the support to be given to the
affected families. He also was responsible for the peaceful resolution of
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Barangay Emadejas, Butuan City and
helped facilitate the safe return of the said families to their communities in
Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte.
Pastor Recto Labrador is a community development
worker known for his passion in nurturing street children on living peacefully
and righteously. During his tenure as a Church Pastor, he worked as a Campus
Worker/Minister to High School students in so many places. He is connected to
an Inter-faith base Campus ministry called Shalom Friendship Global Network
(SFGN). He is the Chairman of the
Christian Muslim and Lumad Interfaith Organization in Agusan Del Sur.
Recto is presently ministering Street Children
of Butuan City for eight years feeding the children with Good Moral Values,
Biblical Interfaith education and food to supplement the needs of the children
who are less fortunate. He choses to reside in a Muslim and Christian area of
Barangay Ong Yiu, Butuan City, where he teaches peace principles and feed more
than a hundred street kids. He is also a delegate of the International
Interfaith Conference for Peace held in Davao City and Sultan Kudarat sometime
last 2012, the volunteer lecturer of Caraga Region Institute of Peace, True
Love Waits and Caraga Youth Leaders Network and the volunteer in the Moral
Recovery Program of Butuan City Government. (JSN/PIA-Caraga)
BANFA booters to compete in the PFF Smart Club
Championship in CdO
By Eldie N. David
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 30 (PIA) - The Butuan-Agusan
Norte Football Association (BANFA) is set to compete in the 3rd Edition of the
Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Smart Club Championship Regional
Eliminations slated in October 2-6, 2013 at the Pelaez Sports Center in Cagayan
de Oro City.
According to BANFA President and First District
Agusan del Norte Representative Lawrence “Law” Fortun, this will be the third
time that the BANFA football team will participate in this annual tournament
which made respectable finishes in the past contests. The BANFA team will be
included in Group G in the Mindanao leg together with other football
associations from Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental, Iligan-Lanao del
Norte and Surigao del Norte.
“This is one venue where our players from Butuan
City and Agusan del Norte will be exposed and further hone their skills as we
continually strive to produce quality players that will hopefully be included
in the national team,” Fortun said.
“We have proven in the past that we were able to
produce quality players who are now playing in the different colleges and
universities in Manila as scholars owing to their skills in football as well as
some teams in the United Football League (UFL) and we will continue to develop
more players with the rise of new breeds,” Fortun added.
Just last year, two players from the BANFA team
in the Under 13 category were chosen to be included in the training pool for
the Teen Askals.
In a related story, the BANFA also announced its
new appointment of officers through an official letter to the PFF. Fortun in
his letter formally informed the PFF hierarchy of the appointment of Mr. Marlon
R. Labis as its new Vice President, Mr. Sean Bayotas as General-Secretary and
Mr. Ronald Canton as Treasurer. The appointment of officers came after Fortun
once again renewed his mandate as President of BANFA after the recent election
which showed no contender against Fortun. (NCLM/Agusan del Norte 1st
District/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
DTI-Caraga organizes Diskwento Caravan in
celebration of Consumer Welfare Month
By Atty. Maria Aurora Curaza-Maquiling/Marson
Jan S. Dolendo
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 1 (PIA) - The Department of
Trade and Industry-Caraga will be organizing two Diskwento Caravan this October
for the benefit of consumers of Butuan City in celebration of the Consumer
Welfare Month.
DTI-Caraga Regional Office is holding a one-day
Diskwento Caravan today, during the opening day of the month-long celebration
at the Capitol Grounds, Agusan del Norte Provincial Capitol, here.
Consumers will get another chance of buying
basic commodities at discounted prices as DTI-Agusan del Norte Provincial
Office will be holding its own Diskwento Caravan on October 30-31, 2013 at the
Happy Wholesaler and Supermarket Grounds, S. Calo Avenue, Brgy. Obrero, this
city.
This year’s lead agency of the Consumer Welfare
Month celebration is the Department of Health and has the theme, “Health
Product Quality, Efficacy, Safety & Transparency – Everybody’s
Concern." (NCLM/DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)
