Agriculture AttachΓ© to UAE visits Butuan,
discusses business with city dad
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 24 (PIA) - Mr. Gil B. Herico,
Agriculture AttachΓ© to United Arab Emirates (UAE) discussed business with City
Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr. and some heads of government agencies.
In his presentation, Herico bared that the
Middle East is one of the world's fastest growing food and beverage markets,
and the Golf Cooperation Council Countries import over US$ 12-billion worth of
Agri-food annually.
Herico further revealed that the production of
Lemon Grass or Tanglad (in local dialect) in UAE is tremendous because almost
all of the restaurants there use Lemon Grass in the food they cook.
It was also learned that the Philippine Seafood
Industry has been growing substantially and Aquaculture remains to be the main
engine for export growth in the fisheries sector.
"I am inviting Mayor Jun Amante and his
wife, together with Department of Agriculture Caraga regional director Edna
Mabeza and other local officials here to attend the SEAFEX this year in Dubai,
UAE. I am convinced that Butuan can really boost its seafood industry,"
Herico stressed.
SEAFEX is professionally managed and hosted by
the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) which provides more than three decades of
experience in delivering world-class events in the Middle East, featuring
local, regional and international exhibitors with unmatched expertise and
in-depth market knowledge. The extensive portfolio of leading trade and
consumer brand events include Gulfood, Sweets and Snacks Middle East, The
Speciality Food Festival, GITEX Technology Week, Dubai International Boat Show
and Dubai International Motor Show.
Also, Herico encouraged the city government to
indulge into organic business. "If you have business on organic (native chicken,
hog/pork), it will surely prosper. It is such a good investment,"
emphasized Henrico.
The Agriculture AttachΓ© to UAE also promised to
visit the city on a quarterly basis this year to further discuss businesses
that will suggest more investments for the benefit of Butuanons.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Butuan still on Alert level 3, evacuees not yet
allowed to go back to their homes
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 24 (PIA) - Evacuees are not
yet allowed to go back to their homes as Alert Level 3 remains in the city.
As of 7:00 a.m. today, the Butuan City Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) has recorded the water level in
Agusan River at 3.35 meters. Latest records from CDRRMO reveal six casualties,
three missing persons, and one injured.
“We want to make sure that the evacuees are safe
when they go back to their homes. Since the water level in Agusan River is
still beyond 3 meters which is still on Alert Level 3, we could not let them go
back to their homes yet for their own safety,” said CDRRMO chief Grace Espere.
Also, classes for the preschool, elementary and
high school levels of both private and public educational institutions are
still suspended today while the mandatory suspension of classes in the college
level has been lifted on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014.
It was learned that the Disaster Monitoring
Report as of 12:00 noon on Thursday are as follows: Agricultural damage: Rice -
?27,475,000.00; Vegetable - ? 592,500.00; Banana - ? 782,500.00.
83 barangays were affected by Tropical
Depression Agaton. There were 71 barangays with evacuees in the 101 evacuation
centers having 22,347 families affected.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) with CSWD and other partner stakeholders here are
continuously packing family relief packs for distribution to the affected
evacuees. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Butuan Mayor presents Vision 2010 to Agriculture
AttachΓ© to UAE
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 24 (PIA) – “Butuan City will
soon fulfill the Vision 2020. It will soon become the Premier Forest City. We
will put in place a university in the forest; hotel in the forest; and
restaurants/cafes in the forest, among others."
This was the statement of Mayor Ferdinand Amante
Jr during the Welcome Dinner and Meeting on Thursday with Mr. Gil B. Herico,
Agriculture AttachΓ© to UAE.
“Forty years ago, the city was branded as the
Ancient Kingdom where the first mass in the Philippines was held, which later
on becomes the Home of the Balangay, where excavation and its voyage were recorded.
And now, the city will soon become the Premier Forest City, as we were also
branded before as the Timber City of the South,” added Amante.
Amante further bared that the city government’s
target on its 2020 Vision include the following: Butuan City as an island of
good governance by 2015 and to be featured in the 2015 and to be featured in
the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as a transformed city.
“To make all of these possible, we are doing
strategies which include the following: to incorporate agriculture in the 2020
Vision; to enroll/graduate the 18,000 identified poor families in the city to
the 4Ps, PhilHealth, among others; and to make the city a Forest Festival that
will start by August this year,” Amante said.
It was also highlighted in Mayor Amante’s
message that the city government will ensure that its budget is aligned with
the Vision 2010 and to enhance its Performance Governance System, Strategies
Performance Monitoring System, and Scorecard Monitoring System.
Some local/barangay officials and heads of
government agencies also attended the said activity. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
FREEDOM Inc. to donate energy-efficient lights
to PIA Caraga
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 24 (PIA) – The Foundation for
Rural Enterprise and Ecological Development of Mindanao, Inc. (FREEDOM, Inc),
through the authority of executive director Antonio Peralta, has pledged to
provide the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga with energy-efficient
lights.
The cutting edge energy saving and eco-friendly
or so called “green” lights is expected to be installed the soonest.
“These lights will definitely help our office to
achieve a decrease in electricity consumption as part of our austerity
measures. We have always been planning to convert our existing costly
fluorescent lights and now FREEDOM, Inc. gave us the solution through its
grant,” said PIA Caraga regonal director Abner Caga.
Caga said tha the agency is targetting to chieve
a maximum productivity with minimum expense in terms of electricity use.
“We want our beneficiaries to benefit much from
the support that we imparted them. We stand by our Foundation’s fundamental
concept of being a catalyst of change, a stimulant of progress, and attaining
prosperity for all,” Peralta said.
FREEDOM, Inc. as a non-government organization
provides viable economic and social programs. It envisions prosperity and
fulfillment while reducing poverty for the rural communities and works toward
the kind of communities that are empowered by a strong sense of respect and
dignity.
Its deputy executive director Epimaco Galero,
Jr. also reiterates “the Foundation’s mission to address the common concerns
among the communities including but not limited to health and wellness, food
security, secured homes and shelters, and socio-economic growth while
simultaneously ensuring that such progress will not sacrifice the environment
but rather have the environment reflect sustainable community advancement.”
The commitment between these government and
non-government entities indicates a stable partnership.
The agency and FREEDOM, Inc. are currently
formulating future plans and projects and one driving tool is coming up with a
slogan declaring “Friday is a FREEDOM
Day!” where PIA personnel keep the liberty and responsibility to uphold working
with excellence.
With this, FREEDOM, Inc. will also donate to the
agency sets of polo shirt to be worn by each personnel especially during its
related activities.
It can be recalled as well that FREEDOM, Inc.
has joined the “Save Mount Mayapay” advocacy of PIA Caraga and Samahang Magdalo
Balangay Chapter which is positively reaping good results. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
GK provides assistance to flood victims in
Butuan City
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Jan 24 (PIA) – The Gawad Kalinga
(GK) Community Development Foundaton has engaged in relief operations by
providing family packs to the evacuees who were affected by flooding due to
tropical depression Agaton.
The GK Caraga, in partnership with Father
Saturnino Urios University (FSUU), has endeavored in humanitarian aid to the
victims/evacuees through distribution of family packs containing 3 kilos rice,
noodles and canned goods. These evacuess were from barangay Mahay who are now
temporarily housed at the identified evacuation centers.
A hundred families that were assisted by the GK
during the time of evacuation are now safe but the necessity for food supply
needs to be addressed.
Victor Emmanuel “Butch” Ozarraga, area
coordinator for GK Northern Mindanao said repacking of relief goods is ongoing
and will soon be delivered for another round of distribution.
Volunteers also willingly rendered their
services to speed up the preparation of these goods.
Jerese Madriaga, member of the GK workforce,
bared that GK communities in barangays Abilan and Pagatpatan have also received
the goods through their relief distribution efforts since the area was
submerged in floodwaters.
“This is just one among the many missions of GK
to secure, protect, and promote the human welfare. We are conveying our support
to our displaced brothers and sisters,” added Ozarraga.
GK which means to “give care” in Filipino has
truly exemplified in action its devotion to the service of others especially in
times of catastrophic events such as what happened in the region where flooding
and landslides inevitably occurred. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
National govt offices provide relief goods to
Agaton victims in AgNor
By Brian Jay Ceballos
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 24 (PIA) - The province of
Agusan del Norte declared under a State of Calamity due to the effects of
Tropical Depression (TD) Agaton that caused flooding in most areas of the
province, received aid from national government offices of Caraga Region.
Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) Caraga, spearheaded by assistant regional director for Operations Mita
Lim, provided and distributed family packs which contain three kilos of rice,
three cans sardines, three cans corned beef, six packs of noodles, and six
pieces coffee to the nine LGUs in Caraga Region affected by TD Agaton.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) Caraga
is also monitoring the sanitation in the evacuation centers. According to
Sunshine Alipayo, public information officer of DOH Caraga, the DOH Team
distributed jerry cans & hyposol or waterine to disinfect drinking water to
prevent Diarrhea to the evacuees.
The said office is also set to conduct Mop-up
immunization on Measle Vaccine for children ages six months to less than one
year old; & MMR for children one year old to less than five years old in
the evacuation centers to prevent measles and possible outbreaks.
The NFA-Caraga has also activated their
Provincial Operations Center to ensure ready assistance of rice. (LGU-AdN
PIO/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
DOST-DOLE partnership to open more
technology-driven jobs for disaster-devastated communities
By Framelia V. Anonas
MANILA, Jan. 24 (PIA) - More technology-driven
jobs are in the offing as the science and labor departments join forces in a
nationwide livelihood program that will be technology-driven, resource-based
and sustainable. Priority of said
livelihood program are Filipinos who are economically displaced and
marginalized due to natural and man-made calamities, including returning or
displaced OFWs and their families.
“We do not only aim to rebuild communities,”
said Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario G. Montejo,
“but also to enhance the resilience of our communities with the aid of
technology.”
The program, also in collaboration with the
trade and agriculture departments, will have several components, including the
establishment of community-based enterprises, business incubators, business and
technology centers, innovation and knowledge centers, and promotion of climate
change mitigation to increase community disaster resiliency.
Said component programs, according to Sec.
Montejo, are built upon the “Filipino’s spirit of self-reliance, resilience,
and ingenuity.”
Business and technology incubators will provide
a package of support services to start-up enterprises while business and
technology centers will serve as alternative sites and technology terminals to
create new or revive enterprises. Innovation and knowledge centers, meanwhile,
will provide relevant information on science, technology, and innovation.
As well, the Department of Labor and Employment
will provide working capital in the form of raw materials, equipment, tools and
jigs; trainings on skills and entrepreneurship, and organizational development,
as well as on productivity, safety and health; and facilitate entrepreneurs’
enrollment to micro-insurance.
Agreed responsibilities of said agencies are
sealed in the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on Jan. 23 this year at the
Occupational Safety and Health Center in Quezon City attended by the heads, regional directors, and key
officials of the involved agencies.
Within the next 30 days, DOST and DOLE regional
offices will conduct consultations with possible beneficiaries and come up with
a detailed action plan.
Priority technologies for livelihood
DOST’s priority technologies to be included in
the livelihood program include indigenous handicraft making, fiber glass
bancas, foldaway shelter, ceramic water pot filter, bakery products, charcoal
briquetting, vegetable noodles, waste recycling, and complementary foods for
babies.
For the fishery sector, livelihood packages
include smokehouse kits, fish canning and bottling, fish and squid drying,
vacuum packing, fish fillet, and minced fish.
While DOST will provide appropriate technologies
and livelihood training, DOLE will handle the employment aspect. The Department
of Trade and Industry will take care of the market side, and the Department of
Agriculture will manage the agriculture and fishery aspect.
Joint forces to help Yolanda victims
This program is a convergence of government
agencies, said Sec. Montejo, to maximize resources and ensure sustainability.
This is echoed by DOLE Sec. Rosalinda J. Baldoz
who said that the four agencies, all in the livelihood, employment and commerce
cluster, have forged this program in the cabinet level.
She shared that in her visits to Yolanda-hit
areas, she found out that employment is now the top need of communities. “People in the devastated regions are already
looking for jobs,” she bared.
This is why the agencies came up with this
convergence program, she said, which is a part of the RAY or Reconstruction
Assistance on Yolanda.
Technology-driven, resource-based, sustainable
“The use of technology (in the livelihoods) will
create value,” Montejo stressed. “The convergence of agencies ensure that there
will be markets, and value-adding through technology ensure the program’s
sustainability.”
On resource-based livelihoods, he explained,
“Whatever we find in a certain area, we will create a product out of it using
technology, add value to it, and find market for it.”
As an example, he shared that in his meetings
with the local officials in Jaro, Leyte, they planned to package their local
lechon (roasted pig) as “Yolanda-brand” and find market for it in Manila. In
Basey, Samar, meanwhile, their abundant root crop camote (sweet potato), can be
processed into chips, and appropriately package it to make it competitive in
the market, he told.
“President Benigno S. Aquno III’s instruction is
clear: All initiatives must be sustainable so that we will see better
communities in the future,” Sec. Baldoz told. “The reforms pushed by the
President are not great changes but reform on how we do things—that these
initiatives will go on even after this administration.”
The programs, being technology-based, make us
confident that these will be sustainable, according to her. “Sustainability ensures the transformation of
beneficiaries to better families, communities and country, leading to inclusive
growth.” (S&T Media Service, DOST-STII/PIA-Caraga)
