Caraga GADCC chair calls on public to rise,
dance to demand an end to violence against women
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 17 (PIA) – Gender and
Development Coordinating Committee (GADCC) chair and Commission on Human Rights
(CHR) Caraga regional director Atty. Marylin Pintor appealed to the public that
as the world celebrates the second year of the "One Billion Rising For
Justice" Campaign on Friday at the Robinson’s Place lobby in Butuan City,
they should rise and dance to demand an end to violence against women and
girls.
"Let's do our part in preventing any forms
of violence against women & girls in our community," she said.
Also, during the flash mob activity of the
committee members with partner stakeholders at the same venue, Atty. Pintor
disclosed that in relation to the campaign on "One Billion Rising For
Justice" campaign, Proclamation No.731 s.1996 also declares the second
week of February of every year as "National Awareness Week for the
Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Commercial Sexual Exploitation."
Pintor further said that the One Billion Rising
For Justice Campaign is a call to survivors to break the silence and release
their stories - politically, spiritually, outrageously - through art, dance,
marches, ritual, song, spoken word, testimonies and whatever way feels right.
“It is a global call to women survivors of
violence and those who love them to gather safely in community outside places
where they are entitled to justice - court houses, police stations, government
offices, school administration buildings, work places, sites of environmental
injustice, military courts, embassies, places of worship, homes, or simply
public gathering places where women deserve to feel safe but too often do not,”
Pintor added. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Surigao City hosts 1st Info Summit in Caraga
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 17 (PIA) – The very first
local government unit’s (LGU) information officers (IO) summit with the theme,
“Empowering Surigaonons through Information and Communications” was held in
Surigao City on Tuesday, February 11.
A total of 157 IOs from the barangays,
municipalities, non-government organizations, national government agencies in
Surigao City and the province of Surigao del Norte and even from the province
of Dinagat Islands attended the first IO summit in the region.
The one-day activity was initiated by the city
government of Surigao headed by Mayor Ernesto Matugas through his information
officer Annette Villaces, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga region
headed by regional director Abner Caga, in collaboration with the provincial
government of Surigao del Norte with governor Sol Matugas.
Mayor Matugas duly represented by his city
councilor Ernest Matugas, Jr is very thankful and pleased in the conduct of the
1st Information Officers’ Summit in the city. He said the summit would bring
together people who have been designated as the “faces” of their respective
offices and soon become the so-called “messengers” of the local government
units.
Matugas also said, “today’s present age where
people have instantaneous access to information through inventions like the
internet and the cellphone which is, undoubtedly, a major information supplier,
the role of information officers in the public sector cannot be undermined,
thus the conduct of the summit is very timely."
The summit is important and the role of every
information officers is very crucial because, “If the public is not given
answers to the questions that they ask, chances are they may find their answers
elsewhere and found elsewhere may not shed the most positive light and may not
accurately portray what is really happening on the ground,” Matugas added.
Matugas then encouraged the participants to
perform what is expected from them as IOs. “We can earn the public’s trust and
confidence of our people if they know what the government is working for them.
Empowering our people, the Surigaonons through information and communication
will make them more resilient to environmental and climate change,” he said.
"The information officers have the
responsibility of providing the right information to the right people at the
right time so that right decisions can be made," Matugas added.
Meanwhile, PIA regional director Abner Caga also
told the IOs of the importance of information. 'Information is power, right
information will help us in making decisions, it is a way of life and
information officer holds the big responsibility in dealing with the
information," Caga said.
He also shared his experiences in Tacloban when
a team of PIA personnel went there to provide communication support to the
region where devastation brought by Super Typhoon Yolanda could be seen.
“Information can save lives and properties,
that’s why we must treat every information as it is. Right information helps
concerned officials in their decision making,” Caga added. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)
PRC AgSur awarded best performing chapter for
2013
By David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Feb. 17 (PIA) - The Philippine
Red Cross (PRC), Agusan del Sur Chapter was awarded for its meritorious
performance for two consecutive years (2012 – 2013), among 45 chapters by its
class (class IV) nationwide in four major areas of consideration called
services delivery, resource generation, volunteer development and chapter
management during the annual PRC convention and awarding ceremonies held at the
Red Cross Headquarters, Manila on January 28, 2014.
Received by the chapter’s chairman of the Board
of Directors Rev. Solomon Bilaoen and Chapter’s administrator Darwina Ligan,
PRC Agusan del Sur was recognized for its best performance by “turning in
impressive overall results in Blood Collection that exceeded its annual goal,
consistent and accurate in meeting the PRC National Headquarters reporting
requirements,” the award reads.
The chapter was also recognized to have been
providing timely trainings and services to help its staff, volunteers and
community members further improving their skills in responding to emergencies
and disasters as part of its continuing skills development program.
“I never have the idea that we will receive this
prestigious award when I went to PRC National Headquarters last month. But
although surprised, I proudly took the award knowing and feeling we are
recognized to be one of the awardees because of the unwavering support of the
provincial government thru Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza in our blood program and
all other programs of the PRC,” Administrator Ligan said.
The award also states that PRC Agusan del Sur
Chapter was also recognized by the continuing responsibility of maintaining its
level of operations in disaster-plagued years, by creatively generated funds
from various fund raising activities and services to ensure the continuous flow
of financial support to its various programs. In close coordination and
cooperation with the National Headquarter (NHQ) in running its programs, the
chapter consistently supported the NHQ national agenda in partnership with
local government units in communities it served. In doing so, PRC Agusan del
Sur effectively provides care, comfort, relief and emergency assistance to its
constituents especially in times of disaster.
It can be recalled that Agusan del Sur
provincial government has a unique way of extending help to the PRC Blood
Program. For more than 15 years now since Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza serve as
governor of Agusan del Sur for three terms (1998 – 2007) then (2010-present),
the provincial government has legislated and has been setting aside the amount
of P1.5 million to P2 million to address the cost of re-agents in blood
processing. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
3-day Regional Caving Summit set in Surigao City
By Zenny Villejo
SURIGAO CITY, Feb. 17 (PIA) - The City
Government here thru the City Tourism Office and the Department of Tourism
Caraga Region will conduct a three-day Regional Caving Summit on March 28 to
30, 2014 at Brgy. Silop, this city.
The 3-day summit aims to give the participants
an opportunity to gain knowledge on the importance of conservation and
preservation of caves and the promotion of ecotourism.
A registration fee of P700.00 will be collected
from each participant to cover for the meals and snacks for the whole duration
of the event.
All participants are required to bring caving
equipments like helmet with lamp, hand gloves and sleeping bag.
For further inquiries and confirmation, they may
call the City Tourism Office at telephone number (086) 826-8064. (SDR/City
Tourism Office/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Surigao City police, port cops strengthen
cooperation
By Eugenio Lira, Jr.
SURIGAO CITY, Feb. 17 (PIA) - P/Chief Insp Rudy
Elandag, newly-installed chief of Surigao City Police Office, has paid a
courtesy call on port authorities on Friday, February 14, to reinvigorate
mutual cooperation on police and security matters with the port police force of
the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
Elandag said his dialogue with port authorities
was in line with the Philippine National Police’s mandate to establish
coordination and cooperation with authorities of vital government installations
to secure them from any possible terroristic activities.
“We have discussed with port officials a more
comprehensive security plan and police coordination between the city police and
the port police in the light of the recent incident wherein a ‘home-made bomb’
was found on board a passenger bus less than 100 meters away from the Port of
Lipata. The said vehicle was scheduled to be loaded on board a ferry boat in
the said port later in the afternoon but the timely advent of our city police
saved the day for the unsuspecting passengers and the public,” Elandag said.
Port Manager Isidro Butaslac, Jr. thanked
P/Chief Insp Rudy Elandag for his focus and assistance in helping them secure
their two major port facilities in Surigao City.
“We’re glad that Chief Inpector Rudy Elandag is
very much concerned of the security and safety of our riding public that uses
ports as their entry and exit points. With him and our port police headed by
P/Superintendent Froilan Caturla, we can look forward to a more safe and secure
facilities in the Port of Lipata and Port of Surigao,” Butaslac concluded. (PPA/PIA-Caraga)
NPA rebel in Agnor surrenders, brings 2 rifles
to 29IB
By 1Lt Joe Patrick A Martinez
BANCASI, Butuan City, Feb. 17 (PIA) - One New People’s
Army (NPA) member returned to the folds of law through the effort of 29th
Infantry Battalion in Agusan del Norte bringing along his two firearms
Saturday, February 15.
A 29-year-old Manobo (Indigenous People in
Agusan del Norte), Marlon Iligan, member of Sentro de Grabidad 21 of Guerilla
Front 21, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee, has finally decided to lay
down his arms after a series of armed engagements in Agusan del Norte early
this year.
The tired NPA brought one AR-18 (Armalite) and
one M4 Bushmaster assault rifles.
“Gikapoy man gud ko sa walay hunong nga
operasyon sa bukid. Sa dugay nakog pakigbisog murag wala gayud sila nakatabang
sa problema sa akong tribu. Grabe gayud ang pagpangilad nila sa katawhan labi
na sa mga Lumad nga gihimu nilang Armado (I get tired of this worthless
operations. The years of fighting with them made us hopeful that they will help
our tribe in our situation. Instead of helping us, they deceived us and made us
member of their armed group,” he said.
Ltc Adonis Ariel G Orio, 29th Infantry Battalion
Commander said, “this is a manifestation that the NPAs in my area are
experiencing both combat fatigue and social pressures. People who are fed up
with the atrocities of these NPAs are giving information on NPA’s activities
and locations. Because of this, we have prevented their plans to terrorize
civilians in communities purposely to collect so-called 'revolutionary taxes.'
As a result, many of them have returned to the folds of the law while others
went back to their communities and went on lie low.”
Iligan will receive monetary support from the
firearms remuneration program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or the
“AFP Guns for Peace Program.”
“This money that shall be given to him is not a
reward money but is a financial support intended for his new life when he gets
back to his family and reintegrated in their community.” Ltc Orio added. ((QMS)
PA Commanding Officer, 42nd CMO Company, 4CMOBn, 4ID, PA/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog News: DSWD, IBP lumagda ng samahan
tungkol sa libreng legal na tulong sa mga biktima ng pang-abuso
Ni David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Pebrero 17, 2014 (PIA) - Ang mga
babaeng biktima ng karahasan at exploitation ay maari ng makinabang ng libreng
tulong dahil ang Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at ang
Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ay lumagda ng isang kasunduan o
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) na magbibigay ng kanilang tulong.
Sa ilalim ng naturang kasunduan na pinirmahan ni
DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman at ang Pangulo ng IBP na si Vicente
Joyas noong Disyembre 2013, ang DSWD ay siyang susuri ng mga kaso tungkol sa
mga babae at kabataan na kwalipikadong makinabang ng libreng tulong legal.
Sa isang banda, ang IBP, sa pamamagitan ng
National Center for Legal Aid (NCLA) ay magbibigay ng libreng legal na payo sa
kliyente ng DSWD, magkakalap ng katunayan at maghanda ng mga dahilan at iba
pang dokumento ng kinakailangan ng korte.
Ang mga abugado naman ng IBP ay siyang magharap
sa korte sa panahon ng paglilitis at magsagawa ng legal na pagsasanay para
maipahayag sa mga benepisaryo ang kanilang karapatan at masagot ang kanilang
iba’t ibang legal na kapakanan.
Ang naturang kasunduan ay nagkaloob din ng
probisyon para sa legal na pagpapayo sa mga kabataan ng nagkasala sa batas at
mga maaring mag-ampon o kaya mga tagapagtaguyod.
Ang samahang ito ay tatagal hanggang Disyembre
2014.
Pinasalamatan ni Sec. Soliman ang IBP at
sinabing ang legal na tulong ay kailangan para mapadali ang paglutas ng mga
kasong hawak ng DSWD. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)
