Various activities set in Butuan for this year’s
18-Day Campaign to End VAW
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 12 (PIA) – In line with this
year’s 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) on November 25 to
December 12, the Regional Development Council - Gender and Development
Coordinating Committee (RDC-GADCC) chaired by Commission on Human Rights (CHR)
Caraga Regional Director Atty. Maylin Pintor has lined-up several activities
for Butuanons and Caraganons to celebrate.
As kick-off activity, GADCC will be holding the
joint/simultaneous flag raising ceremony at the Agusan del Norte Provincial
Capitol Covered Court, this city on November 25.
Participating agencies will be wearing their
18-Day Campaign t-shirts using different colors that will also represent their
respective sub-committees, namely: Institutionalization of GAD and Gendered
Governance (Fuchsia); Violence Against Women and Children (Purple); Gender and
Poverty (Red); and Gender and Health and Environment (Green).
On December 9, GADCC members will be conducting
the Regional Judging on VAWC Advocacy Contests with students of Agusan National
High School (ANHS) who joined the On-the-Spot Slogan and Poster Making on VAWC
Contest, and inmates from Butuan City Jail who participated in the Feature
Story Writing on VAWC Contest whose pieces were chosen among other participants
in their respective school and jail center. Both will be held at the ANHS
building.
On December 12, students in the tertiary level
will be participating in the Oratorical Contest on VAWC to be held at the
Luciana Convention Center here.
On the same date, GADCC members will also hold
the culminating activity of the 18-Day Campaign cum 4th Quarter Meeting to be
held at the same venue.
It was also learned that GADCC Speakers’ Bureau
will be spearheading VAWC-related seminars and fora with topics on the Expanded
Trafficking Law, Anti-VAWC Law, Magna Carta of Women, as well as training on
Gender Sensitivity within the 18-Day Campaign period.
With the theme “End VAW Now! It’s our Duty!” the
call will emphasize the importance of having a functional mechanism, operated
by competent and capable dury-bearers with a sense of responsibility and
accountability originating from a deep understanding of the fundamental
principles of gender-based violence and the provisions of VAW laws.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)
New 30IB commander assumes post
By Susil D. Ragas
PLACER, Surigao del Norte, Nov. 11 (PIA) – The
Philippine Army's 30th Infantry Battalion (IB), 4th Infantry Division based
here has a new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Arsenio Sadural.
Sadural assumed his new post in a turn over
ceremony held recently at the 30th IB Headquarters in Barangay Sta. Cruz, here.
He took over the post from Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Iringan.
4th Infantry “Diamond” Division, Philippine Army
Commander Brig. Gen. Ricardo R. Visaya, facilitated the ceremony.
In his message, outgoing commanding officer LTC
Vincent B. Iringan said he is proud of having had the opportunity to be in
command of 30IB, 4ID and working with the gallant troops of army.
On his part, incoming commanding officer LTC
Arsenio Sadural said that it is an honor and privilege to serve and be the
commanding officer of the 30IB, 4ID.
“I hope that our journey together will be full
of meaningful developments for our people and I enjoined our brothers and
sisters up there to return to the mainstream of the straight path so that
together we can achieved sustainable peace and development in our province,”
Sadural said.
The change of command ceremony was graced by Surigao
del Norte second district representative Guillermo Romarate, Jr., officials and
employees from local government units, national line agencies, civil-society,
non-government organizations and members of the media. (FEA/SDR/PIA-Surigao del
Norte)
NGCP prepares for Tropical Depression Zoraida
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 12 (PIA) - As it continues
restoration work on facilities damaged by Typhoon Yolanda, the National Grid
Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has also implemented the necessary
preparations and precautions to minimize the impact of Tropical Depression
Zoraida on transmission operations and facilities.
Preparations included ensuring the reliability
of communications equipment, availability of hardware materials and supplies
necessary for the repair of damages to facilities, as well as the positioning
of line crews in strategic areas, to facilitate immediate restoration work.
NGCP’s Integrated Disaster Action Plan (IDAP)
prescribes these and other procedures to ensure the readiness of all power
transmission facilities expected to b be affected by the passage of the weather
disturbance.
Tropical Depression Zoraida, carrying maximum
sustained winds of 55kph and moving northwest at 30kph speed, has made landfall
over CARAGA, Davao Oriental around 9AM today.
NGCP’s Overall Disaster Command Center monitors
all power restoration activities, reports, and updates from the Regional Command
Centers in North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, whichever is
directly affected by the weather disturbance. (NGCP/PIA-Caraga)
DSWD Caraga augments staff to Southern Leyte
By Stella Maris V. Barcelon
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 12 (PIA) - The Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga Field Office augments 15 staff to
18 municipalities in Southern Leyte affected by super typhoon Yolanda to
conduct rapid damage and needs assessment in order to provide all possible support.
The staff will be divided into three teams; each
team is composed of one team leader, three members and one driver. From
November 11-13, 2013, the teams will assess what are the immediate relief needs
of the victims and the road conditions. After the teams’ assessment of the
extent of the damage brought by super typhoon Yolanda, the teams will
communicate with the Relief Operation Center located in Surigao City in order
to immediately send out relief goods to the concerned areas.
The 18 municipalities in Southern Leyte that
will be assessed are the following; Maasin City, Macrahon, Padre Burgos,
Malitbog, Tomas Oppus, Bontoc, Sogod, Libagon, Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan,
San Ricardo, Silago, Hinunangan, Hinundayan, Anahawan, San Juan and St. Bernard.
DSWD Caraga has 5,000 family packs ready for
distribution to Southern Leyte, while DSWD volunteers are now preparing
additional 50,000 family packs. Each family pack contains six kilos of rice,
six pieces noodles, six assorted canned goods and six pieces of coffee. DSWD
will directly distribute the relief goods to the affected municipalities.
The Field Office is also accepting food and
non-food donations. Groups or individuals can drop their donations at DSWD
Field Office Caraga, Pili Drive Butuan City. (DSWD-13/PIA-Caraga)
Filipino students see benefits of studying in
the U.S.
MANILA, Nov. 8 (PIA) - In a globalized economy,
international experience is coveted. A
degree from a high-quality college or university sets the stage for a
successful career. This is why hundreds
of young Filipinos flocked to the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati on October 25 to
visit the first-ever EducationUSA Student Fair hosted by the U.S. Department of
State and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
U.S. Embassy ChargΓ© d’ Affaires Brian L. Goldbeck, along with two eager
students drawn from the crowd, cut the ribbon and welcomed students to the
event where representatives of 29 different U.S. colleges and universities
discussed the exceptional educational possibilities of the United States.
Hoping to distinguish themselves with an
American degree, the visitors toured exhibits, collected information, and asked
questions of the representatives from the U.S. who were visiting the
Philippines as part of an Education trade mission. They discussed two- and four-year
undergraduate programs, as well as graduate programs in a variety of
disciplines. The schools offered information
on scholarships, internship, and financial aid opportunities. Representatives from the Consular Section of
the U.S. Embassy answered questions on the student visa process, and advisors
from EducationUSA, and the U.S. Embassy and the Philippine American Educational
Foundation, offered free guidance services to interested students.
“Studying in the U.S. provides not only a high
quality education, but valuable international and cultural experience,” said
Jim McCarthy, Commercial Counselor of the U.S. Commercial Service Philippines,
which organized the School Fair and the other Education Trade Mission
Activities. “Our universities offer a
wide variety of disciplines and unparalleled diversity, which makes education
one of our top U.S. service exports.”
Judging from the turn-out at the event, many
Filipinos understand the value of in a U.S. university education. Several universities present expressed their
delight at the crowds, And students
rushed in to begin their first-hand discovery of U.S. higher education. The interest kept up all day, as did the
quality of the potential students.
According to Andre Cordon, the delegation member from Pace University in
New York City, the numbers and the seriousness of the potential students
exceeded his expectations and warranted exploring the possibility of a more
frequent presence for Pace in the Philippines.
In addition to meeting prospective students, universities met with
representatives of key local universities, colleges, and high schools to
explore possible partnerships. The
schools were impressed at the quality of the students’ knowledge of U.S.
programs and indicated they would return to promote their schools in the coming
months and future School Fairs.
Two additional receptions with representatives from
local schools, Philippine government, Filipino alumni of U.S. universities,
local U.S. education services and equipment firms, alumni of U.S.
Embassy-sponsored exchange programs, and U.S. Embassy officials highlighted the
importance of using education as a bridge between the two countries. ChargΓ© d’Affaires Goldbeck stated, “Starting
with the Thomasites, and continuing with U.S. Peace Corps Education Volunteers,
Americans have worked here in the Philippines to strengthen educational
capacity by first teaching, and then later training and mentoring teachers; and
by helping to establish several of the great universities in the
Philippines. Today, our binational
Fulbright Commission, the oldest in the world, continues to provide exceptional
educational and teaching opportunities to Americans and Filipinos to further
strengthen educational linkages between our two peoples.”
EducationUSA is a network of hundreds of
advising centers in 170 countries, where millions of international students
each year find accurate comprehensive and current information about how to
apply to accredited U.S. colleges and universities. It is supported by the U.S. Department of
State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). In the Philippines, EducationUSA is administered
by the Philippine American Educational Foundation in partnership with the U.S.
Embassy.
Interested students can follow EducationUSA’s
“five steps to study in a U.S. college or university” online at
https://www.educationusa.info/about.php.
And on November 13, during International Education Week, the
EducationUSA is hosting an online virtual Education Fair entitled “College Week
Live – International Students Day,” that provides a venue for Filipino students
to explore study options in the United States.
(For more information visit:
http://international.collegeweeklive.com/International-Students-Day.html).
(U.S. Embassy Manila - Information Office/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog news: Palasyo sinegurong muli na ang
pamahalaan ay handing tumulong sa mga OFW na nasa Saudi Arabia
Ni David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Nob. 12 (PIA) - Sinegurong muli
ng pamahalaan, noong linggo, sa mga Pilipinong nagtatrabaho sa Saudi Arabia na
handa ang pamahalaan na tumulong sa kanila sa gitna ng nangyayaring crackdown
doon tungkol sa mga ilegal na mga manggagawa.
Ibinigay ang naturang paniniguro ni Deputy
Presidential Spokeperson Abigail Valte sa gitna ng ulat na 15 OFWs ang inaresto
ng mga otoridad sa ika-anim na araw ng crackdown.
“Kung totoo man ito, ang ating mga katrabaho sa
(Philippine) Embassy ay higit pa sa handa para magbigay ng tulong kung
kinakailangan,” sabi ni Valte sa DzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
Isang grupo ng mga migrante trabahador ay
nagsabi na may 15 OFWs na hindi dokumentado ang naaresto.
Ang mga otoridad ng Saudi noong lunes ay
sinimulan ang paghahanap ng mga ilegal na trabahador na hindi naiayos ang
kanilang kalagayan o kaya umalis sa Saudi bago dumating ang Nobyembre 3 na
palugit. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Tagalog News: 2.1 milyong pamilya, apektado ng
bagyong “YOLANDA” – DSWD
Ni David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Nob. 12 (PIA) - Iniulat ng
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) kahapon na umabot na sa 2
milyon ang mga pamilyang apektado ng bagyong “YOLANDA” na binubuo ng 9.53
milyon ka tao habang ang mga lokal na pamahalaan mula sa Rehiyon IV-A at B, V,
VI, VII, VIII at Caraga ay patuloy na nag aassess ng lawak ng sakuna.
Humigit kumulang 96,039 na pamilya na may bilang
na 449,416 ka tao ang ang naninirahan sa 1,790 evacuation centers habang 36,627
iba pang pamilya na may na 182,379 ka tao ang temporaryong nakitira sa tahanan
ng kanilang mga kaibigan at kamag-anak.
Nakapagbigay na ang DSWD ng paunang tulong na
nagkahalaga ng P10.6 milyon sa Rehiyon ng Bicol, Western Visayas, Central
Visayas, Northern Mindanao at Caraga.
Sa Lunsod ng Tacloban, ang DSWD, sa pakipag
koordinasyon sa local na pamahalaan, ay nagkabit ng satellite na serbisyong
internet sa mismong bahay pamahalaan ng lunsod para maka-ugnayan ang publiko sa
kani-kanilang mga kamag-anak.
Si kalihim ng DSWD Corazon Soliman mismo ang
nangunang nag aabot ng pakepaketeng tulong sa lunsod kahapon.
"Ang mga tulong ay naantala dahil sa kulang
ang komunikasyon at di maabot ng mga lubhang nasalantang bayan, lunsod at
barangays pero kami sa DSWD at iba pang mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan ay ginagawa
ang lahat ng aming makakaya para maabot ang mga apektadong populasyon,” sabi ni
Soliman.
Pinasalamatan din ni Sec. Soliman ang 1,906 na
boluntaryo mula sa iba’t ibang sector na pumunta sa DSWD- National Resource
Operation Center NROC) para tumulong sa pag impake ng mga relief na kagamitan
at pagkain mula Nobyembre 7.
"Inaasahan namin na mas marami pang mga
boluntaryo ang darating tuwing katapusan ng linggo kapag walang pasok sa
eskwela o trabaho. Ang iba ay regular na na mga boluntaryo na tumutulong sa
NROC sa tuwing mayroong sakuna,” sabi ni Sec. Soliman.
Ang pag-impakeng muli ng mga relief goods ay 24
oras na shifting schedule. Pa isa-isa o kaya grupo na interesadong mag
boluntaryo ay pwedeng tumawag sa numero ng telepono na 851-2681 at 511-1259
para sa shifting schedule.
Ang mga boluntaryo mula sa Visayas ay maaring
pumunta sa DSWD Field Offices sa Iloilo at Cebu at kung maari ay sa araw. (PIA-Agusan
del Sur)
Cebuano News: State of National Calamity
gideklara ni President Aquino
Ni Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Nob. 12 (PIA) – Gideklara ni
Presidente Aquino ang state of national calamity kagahapong adlawa, Nobyembre
11 tungod sa dakong kadaot nga resulta sa Bagyong “Yolanda” aron mapadali ang
pagluwas ug rehabilitasyon, pagkontrolar sa mga presyo sa nag-unang mga
panaliton ug aron maseguro ang kalinaw ug kahapsay.
Sa iyang pag-anunsyo sa maong deklarasyon
pinaagi sa telebisyon, iyang gipasabot nga dako gyud ang nahimong danyos ug
kadaut sa bagyong Yolanda partikular na ang rehiyon sa Visayas ug probinsya sa
Palawan.
Dugang pa niya, nga ang maong deklarasyon
epektibong mo kontrolar sa presyo sa mga nag-unang panaliton ug epekto sa mga
apektadong lugar, ug tugotan niini ang gobyerno nga mogamit sa mga pondo alang
sa relief ug rehabilitasyon.
Ubos sa maong proklamasyon, ang tanang mga
departamento ug uban pa nga mga hintungdang ahensya sa gobyerno gimandoan sa pagpartisipar sa
kinatibuk-ang pag rescue, recovery, relief ug rehabilitasyon.
Samtang sa ilang bahin, ang law enforcement
agencies uban ang suporta sa Armed Forces of the Philippines sila mohimo sa
tanang gikinahanglang sumbanan aron seguroon ang kalinaw ug kahapsay sa
apektadong mga lugar.
Matud pa sa Presidente nga ang maong state of
national calamity magpabiling epektibo hangtod dili kini niya walaon. (PIA-Surigao
del Norte)
