CCPD, BUPPFALUC to hold Coconut Farmers
Consultative Assembly
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, April 10 (PIA) – The Caraga Conference for
Peace and Development (CCPD) in partnership with
Bishops–Ulama-Priests-Pastors-Farmers And Lumad Conference (BUPPFALUC) will be
holding the Coconut Farmers Consultative Assembly on the Utilization of the
Coco Levy Funds on April 20-21, 2014 at the San Lorenzo Ruiz Pastoral Center in
Ampayon, this city.
The arrival of the participants will be on April 20 at 3:00-6:00
p.m. The program will start at 7:00 p.m.
CCPD Convenor Most Rev. Juan De Dios M. Pueblos said the
activity is aimed to achieve the following objectives: 1) Consult the CCPD and
other stakeholders on the utilization of coco levy funds; 2) Identify and
assess the sentiments of the farmers and other stakeholders on the utilization
of coco levy funds; and 3) Establish an argument on the creation of coconut
farmer’s bank, an option to invest the farmers’ shares with the United Coconut
Planters Bank (UCPB).
It can be recalled that the Coco Levy Fund Scam was a
controversy in the 1970s and 80's in the Philippines involving the former
President Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies.
The issue has not died today, with coconut farmers fighting for
justice against the forced taxation, and a share of the Coco Levy Funds'
investments. The Coco Levy Fund is estimated to have ballooned anywhere in the
range of P100-150 billion in assets. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Orientation on ISO Certification set for Caraga
Contractors
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUUAN CITY, April 10 (PIA) – The ACE Training
Services based in Cagayan de Oro City, a provider of affordable with quality
training and consultancy services is set to hold a Two-Day
Orientation/Awareness Seminar on International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) Certification on April 11-12, 2014 at the Karaga Hotel, this city.
ACE Training Services has partnered with the
contractors in Caraga region for this seminar to ensure them (contractors) to
become ISO certified as a response to the need for quality in the construction
sector especially projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways
(DPWH).
Ronwood Construction and Supply; Madyaw
Construction and Development Corporation (MCDC); C’Zarles Construction and
Supply; Reyrose Construction and Supply; ROIM Builders and Construction Supply;
Giovanni Construction; Baicamar Construction and Supplies Incorporated;
Datrebil Construction and Supply; and Two Aces Construction and Supply are the
group contractors who will be participating in the Two-Day Seminar.
The ACE Training Services managed by DR. Alvaro
Salingay, Lead Trainor/Lead Consultant, has been accepting consultancy and
training services to clients wanted to become ISO certified such as government
agencies, local government units, state universities and colleges, construction
sector, power industries, cooperatives, manufacturing sector, international and
local research centers, hospitals, banks, call centers, and import/export
companies, among others. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
TESDA-backed schools, benefactors yield
over 1,500 graduates in SurSur
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, April 10 (PIA) – Some 1,530
students have graduated from Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority- (TESDA) backed schools and other so-called providers-benefactors in
Surigao del Sur this school year (S/Y) 2014.
According to Allan Millan, Supervising Technical Education and
Skills Development Specialist, their agency has tied-up with 11
technical-vocational schools together with two local government units
(LGUs)—Surigao del Sur province and Tandag City, citing that both the latter
have their own respective scholarship programs—Jobs through Tech-Voc Program
(JTP) for the province and Access for Youth Employment Center (AYEC) for the
city.
Various courses ranging from simple to complex skills like
Housekeeping, Health Care, Computer Programming, Auto Servicing, Front Office
Services, and many more have been offered to these graduates in order to equip
them with the necessary qualifications for employment purposes with matching
National Certificate Level II (NC II) already
issued.
Meanwhile, TESDA, under the supervision of Provincial Director
Rey Cueva, continues to be of help by providing technical skills to those who
want to avail of its services, Millan added.(NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
DTI starts release of grassroots
participatory budgeting project funds
By Fritzie Rose L. Gulle
BUTUAN CITY, April 10 (PIA) - For several Mondays now, the
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office in Agusan del Sur has
been joining local government units in their flag raising ceremonies. This is
because they are using the occasion to do the formal release of grassroots
participatory budgeting (GPB) formerly known as bottom-up budgeting (BuB)
project funds.
DTI-Agusan del Sur leads in the number of releases in terms of
number of projects funded, number of LGUs covered as well as the amount of
funds released for the period January to March 2014.
Fourteen projects of four LGUs worth P6.13 M were released for
the said province.
All in all, DTI has released a total of P16.82 million to 34
projects for 10 LGUs in the region by end of the first quarter of 2014.
Funding for the Province of Dinagat Islands' (PDI) 11 projects
for two LGUs – San Jose and Dinagat amounting to P5.61 M has been turned over
in full.
The rest of the provinces are working to release the rest of the
funds to start project implementation in the next quarter.
DTI-Caraga got P87.96 million or 17 percent of the department’s
over P532.56 million GBP budget in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for
2014. This amount, however, represents a mere 5% of the P1.07 billion
total GBP budget for the whole region.(DTI/PIA-Caraga)
NFA re-activates Warehouse Task Force in
Surigao del Sur
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, April 10 (PIA) – The National Food Authority
(NFA) provincial office in Surigao del Sur has again re-activated its Warehouse
Task Force (WTF) since the recent weather disturbance morphed into a typhoon.
NFA Officer-In-Charge (OIC) Provincial Manager Gleen Echin said
that the move is a standard operating procedure (SOP) which is part of disaster
preparations due to a possible threat that Tropical Depression (TD) Domeng
could bring in the locality.
She noted that under such emergency situation, the local
government unit (LGU), especially those which have standby credit facilities
with their agency can, at any time, withdraw up to 1,000 bags of rice from any
of their three warehouses as agreed upon in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
Echin bared that, by now, 15 out of 19 LGUs—Tandag City
together with 14 more municipalities—have already signed-up for this kind of
MOA with their office including the provincial government.
Meanwhile, the official clarified that each LGU concerned is
entitled to a maximum of 1,000 bags standby credit, 10 percent of which can be
withdrawn in advance. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DOT to launch Tourism Star Phils in
Caraga
By Kylee Doreene T. Que
SURIGAO CITY, Apr. 10 (PIA) - The Department of Tourism
(DOT) 13 is set to launch the Tourism Star Philippines with media core on April
11, 2014 at Tavern Hotel, this city.
The Tourism Star Philippines is the newest effort of the
department to boost visitor arrivals in the country by recognizing people who
have exhibited their commitment to tourism development with their investments,
or excellent customer service.
Anybody may be nominated to become the Tourism Star, be it hotel
owners, accommodation managers, chefs, public utility drivers, housekeepers,
tour guides, local chief executives, government personnel or civil society
organizations that could exemplify true Filipino hospitality and who would go
the extra mile in providing an unforgettable and delightful experience to tourists.
The awards will be given by no less than the President himself.
Prizes in cash and in kind are up for grabs. For
nominations and more details, they may visit their website at
www.tourismstar.ph. Deadline of nominations is on the June 30, 2014. (SDR/DOT/PIA-Surigao
del Norte)
Rotational brown-outs in SurSur numbered
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, April 10 (PIA) – Power distributor
Surigao del Sur Electric Cooperative II (SURSECO II) bared that the lingering
problem on rotational brown-outs being suffered in their service area, day in
and day out, will soon be a thing of the past.
SURSECO II General Manager Engr. Iglorio Hinayon, whose service
area spans from Lianga to Carrascal towns, including Tandag City, said
that King Energy Generation, Inc. (KEGI) is expected to start operation before
the end of May.
Lately, the cooperative was able to sign a 10-year-5-megawatt
contract with KEGI, a 7.8 megawatt power plant located in Tandag City, which
services can be tapped at any time power from the National Grid Corporation of
the Philippines (NGCP) snaps to ensure a steady supply of electricity, Hinayon
pointed out.
With the emergence of the new power plant nearby, SURSECO II is
now tied up with three power providers—NGCP, Therma Marine, Inc. (TMI), and
KEGI. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Multi-million agri projects set for
blessing, inauguration in SurSur
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, April 10 (PIA) – Two rice
processing centers (RPCs) amounting to P15.5 million each are set for blessing
and inauguration in Surigao del Sur next week.
Provincial Agriculturist Marcos Quico bared that the provincial
government, through his office, is now gearing up for the said occasion on
April 14 at Barangay Patong-Patong in Madrid and Barangay Calagadaan in
Cantilan, both neighboring towns in the northern part of the province.
He said that Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala will grace
similar events on the same day, adding that the agriculture czar is sure to
have a pretty hectic schedule during his two-day stint until the next day due
to other commitments in the locality.
Quico also said that before going to Surigao del Sur, Secretary
Alcala and party will have to proceed first to the province of Agusan del Sur
in Caraga region for an earlier commitment in Talacogon town. (NGBT/Radyo
ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DTI honors 1st batch of Caraga
successful women entrepreneurs
By Geraldine B. Dangate
BUTUAN CITY, April 10 (PIA) - A chain of bakeshops,
restaurants, souvenir and pasalubong shops, locally-made ice cream, noodles,
abaca and water lily handicrafts, micro lending, aquamarine products, catering,
mini grocery and buco pie.
These are the different goods and services founded, owned and
managed by the first batch of successful women entrepreneurs who were recently
recognized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Caraga during a
regional gathering to celebrate Women’s Month in the region.
Eight women entrepreneurs composed the 2014 first batch of
honorees. They are Esther Sy Uy of Marjeck Food Products and Ma. Elena Mercado of
Mercado’s Sudlanan Atbp. – from Butuan City and Agusan del Norte; Rose Go,
owner of Rose Bakeshop and Rosario’s Restaurant with Noemila Balaba of Triple
Diamond Micro Lending Corporation – from Agusan del Sur; Concepcion R. Paqueo
of Kaisdaan Center and Lydia Ga of Roslyd Foodhaus and Catering Services – from
Surigao del Norte; and Emma L. Guerra of E.L. Guerra Mini Grocery Store with
Natividad V. Mojica of Nat’s Buco Pie – from Surigao del Sur.
The honorees were identified by the DTI provincial offices which
had the privilege of working with them as they grow their businesses.
DTI-Caraga regional director Brielgo O. Pagaran and DTI-Agusan
del Norte OIC Gay A. Tidalgo handed over the plaques of recognition and tokens
of appreciation to the honorees during the 10th Kalandrakas sa Kababaihan at
the Balanghai Hotel and Convention Center, Butuan City. They were joined
on stage by the Regional Development Council – Gender and Development
Coordinating Committee (RDC-GADCC) Chairperson Director Marilyn Pintor of the
Commission of Human Rights (CHR) and Vice-Chair Edna Hontiveros of Forward
Filipina.
All the honorees except Ms. Go have been profiled and written
about in the DTI’s 2010 and 2012 edition of “Caraga Women Entrepreneurs and
their Stories.” The latter is an agency publication produced every two years by
the DTI-Gender and Development (GAD) Regional Focal Team and aims to showcase
and chronicle the inspiring stories of women in business. (DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)
Be a responsible pet owner - DA
BUTUAN CITY, April 10 (PIA) - The problem on rapid
population growth does not only pertain to human nowadays. Canine (dog)
population might also need their own Reproductive Health (RH) bill as its
populace is rapidly increasing with the Philippines now considered as the Dog
Capital of East-Asia.
Rabies is a disease of public health importance in most part of
the world especially in the Philippines which ranked top 10 with the most
rabies incidence according to the World Health Organization. Dog, as the
principal reservoir and transmitter of rabies in the country shares 98 percent
while two percent from cats and other domestic animals.
Although dogs have become more welcome in the homes many
Filipinos, irresponsible pet ownership remains one of the factors that need to
be given attention if the country is to eradicate rabies by 2020.
According to Dr. Esther B. CardeΓ±o, Chief of the Regional Animal
Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) of the Department of Agriculture-Caraga,
the problem on rabies is very much associated with irresponsible pet ownership
since most of the stray dogs are products of the inability of the owner to care
for the animal properly resulting to animal bites on humans.
Likewise, report from the Department of Health-Caraga showed an
increasing case of animal bites from 2009-2013 where last year posted the most
number of cases reaching 11,722 region-wide, a 38 percent increase from
2012. Six are recorded human rabies casualties.
The continuing battle against this fatal disease has long been
given utmost attention by the concerned agencies tasked to prevent, if not
eradicate fully, the spread of the bug.
The Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Animal
Industry (DA-BAI) was tasked to lead the implementation of the National Rabies
Prevention and Control (NRPC) Program pursuant to Republic Act 9482 or Anti
Rabies Act of 2007. Through a multi-sectoral effort, various activities
were conducted nation-wide towards rabies eradication.
In Caraga Region, mass rabies vaccination of dogs is not just
done during Rabies Awareness Month of March but all-year round. Every
year dogs are vaccinated in coordination with the Local Government Units,
Provincial and City Veterinary Office, and private organizations. Dog
population control is also done through mass castration to those that are not
used for breeding.
LGUs also established their own impound facilities to control
stray dogs while on regular surveillance and monitoring. Information and
Education campaign was done not only with the LGUs but to the schools where the
most vulnerable bite victims are present, children 15 years and below. To
date, a total of 72 intermediate schools were already covered and another 20
for this year is targeted to increase awareness and seek support for the
control, prevention and eradication of rabies to teachers, parents, and
children.
DA also intensified its campaign and provided vaccines and drugs
to augment the needs of vaccination and dog population control to the
LGUs. As of the 1st quarter of 2014, there are about 166,784 total dog
population on DA’s record and with the 31 samples submitted for laboratory
confirmation in RADDL, result showed 3 of these were confirmed positive.
While the goal to a rabies-free Philippines remains a challenge,
Caraga Region is looking forward to declare one of its island Province
rabies-free this year. The municipality of Socorro, Surigao del Norte and
the whole province of Dinagat Islands is on its final evaluation by the NRCP
Eradication Committee come May 26-29, 2014.
“This is a sort of a kick-off to our goal in keeping our region
rabies-free by 2016,” CardeΓ±o said. The Province of Dinagat Islands has
been recorded of having no rabies incidence for the last 5 years.
“We will continue to intensify our campaign especially on
responsible pet ownership throughout the region to continually educate our
people. Well informed people make responsible pet owners.
Responsible pet owners make rabies-free dogs and therefore rabies-free
Philippines,” said CardeΓ±o. (ETP/DA-13/PIA-Caraga)
Feature: Supplementary Feeding with
Education: Effective against Malnutrition
By Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa
MANILA, April 10 (PIA) - Growth and development is a
long and continuous process throughout life. Previous life stages like infancy
affect succeeding phases like adulthood.
In the Philippines, undernutrition is one of the pressing
concerns of society due to its counter-productive implications to health and
the development of the country.
The results of the 2011 Survey on the Updating of Nutritional
Status of Filipino Children and Other Population Groups by the Food and
Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology
(FNRI-DOST) revealed that 33.6 percent of children aged 5 to 10 years old are
stunted. The survey also reported that 7.3 percent of children of the same age
group are wasted.
A research published by Victoria, et al. in 2008 in The Lancet
Journal revealed that undernutrition was strongly associated with shorter adult
height, less schooling, reduced economic productivity and lower offspring birth
weight for women in Brazil, Guatemala, India, Philippines, and South Africa.
Human capital is perceived to be the most important asset of the
country. Thus, undernutrition is a great hindrance in achieving economic
stability and development.
Due to this, several approaches have been developed in the
Philippines to address this concern. These include food fortification,
supplementary feeding, and nutrition education and many others, all of which
has its own advantages and disadvantages in formulation and
implementation.
Infants and pre-school children are the main focus of nutrition
interventions since they experience rapid growth and thus, need higher energy
intakes.
Pregnant mothers are also targeted for nutrition education and
other programs. This is because researches reveal that an underweight mother
would most likely have a low birth weight child, which increases the risk for
undernutrition and other illnesses in later stages of life.
Nutrition programs carry out results of significant improvement
to schoolchildren’s physical development. However, behavioral development
should also be considered to sustain a healthy population.
Intervention programs for schoolchildren aged 6-12years should
therefore aim to alleviate undernutrition and address the behavioural
development with regards to proper nutrition and healthy eating.
One of the most common forms of intervention programs for
school-age children is supplementary feeding. It is a program in which food is
provided to selected individuals, belonging to a specific target group, to
prevent or treat malnutrition. Supplementary feeding is considered as a
short-term and palliative form of intervention.
To address this concern, supplementary feeding is usually paired
with nutrition education programs to target both physical and behavioral
development of the beneficiary.
In 2011, the National Nutrition Council (NNC) provided a set of
guidelines for the implementation of supplementary feeding programs in the
Philippines.
The primary objective of supplementary feeding programs is to
improve the nutritional status of the targeted undernourished individuals. This
is through the provision of one-third of the recommended energy intakes. It
also aims at improving the knowledge, attitudes and practices of mothers and
child caregivers as well as that of other family members along with key
nutritional practices and growth monitoring.
Supplementary feeding programs nowadays not only aim to increase
energy intake but also increase consumption of micronutrients like iron, iodine
and vitamin A.
Supplementary feeding programs require a minimum of 90 days,
given that after that period, the beneficiaries should have significantly
improved in nutritional status. Otherwise, the program should be continued
until 120 days.
If the nutritional status of the target participants fails to
improve after 120 days, medical intervention should be done to address the
potential presence of chronic illness.
There is a wide variety of foods given in supplementary feeding
activities, from single food items like milk, oat meal and juices, to full
lunch meals. Determination of foods to be provided highly depends on the
objectives of the program as well as the resources for the feeding activity.
Simultaneous to the feeding activities, there should be
nutrition education classes for mothers and caregivers on basic nutrition and
food preparation. Nutrition education is for the continuous promotion of
healthy eating within the family and to target larger populations aside from
the beneficiaries.
Although supplementary feeding requires high costs and
attention, it is still an effective way in alleviating undernutrition and
correcting or forming behavioral and cognitive development.
In a study conducted by Angeles-Agdeppa in 2010, a total of
1,009 school-aged children in Tacloban City were provided ready-to-drink juice
fortified with iron, zinc, lysine, Vitamin A and Vitamin C for 120 days.
Results revealed the decrease in anemia prevalence from 100 percent at baseline
to 42.3 percent at endline. There was also a significant increase in cognitive
abilities after the feeding activity.
Integrated and continuous efforts towards improving nutrition in
all age groups should be done to help address malnutrition in the country.
Healthy and competitive citizens help in developing an
economically-stable country, rooted from a well-nourished family.
For more information on food and nutrition, please contact: Dr.
Mario V. Capanzana, Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department
of Science and Technology, Bicutan, Taguig City; trunkline: 837 2071 local 2296
or 2287; telephone/fax no.: 837 3164, email: mvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph or
mar_v_c@yahoo.com; website: http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph(FNRI-DOST S&T
Media Service/PIA-Caraga)
News Feature: Dried beans and nuts,
cheap but good protein sources
By Regina M. Pagaspas
MANILA, April 10 (PIA) - Did you know that Filipino
household members are not getting enough protein? This is based on the
Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) which is 80 percent of the Recommended
Energy and Nutrient lntake (RENI). This was reported by the 7th National
Nutrition Survey (NNS) conducted in 2008 by the Food and Nutrition Research
lnstitute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST).
Protein is a nutrient needed by the human body for growth,
repair and maintenance of body tissues.
While meat, fish, poultry and eggs are excellent sources of high
quality protein, these foods may not be affordable to many Filipino households.
Consumption of beans and nuts in any form may therefore be a
cheaper but good substitute for the expensive protein sources.
lf you are among the many Filipinos that lack protein in the
diet, take advantage of the many types of beans and nuts and the many ways and
forms to prepare and eat them: use tokwa and tofu, which come from soybeans or
utaw in preparing various ands and in combination with vegetables; try the
llonggo dish called KBL, which is made of kadyos, baboy, and langka, uses
kadyos in combination with a litfle pork and unripe jackfruit; take the very
popular laho which is also made from soybeans along with other products such as
soymilk, soy sauce, and others; make snacks from the more popular mungbe an or
munggo like buchi, hopia munggo, turon munggo and ginataan munggo; saute
mungbean sprouts or togue as viand or as lumpia for snack make delectable
sweets from other beans like kidney beans and chick pea or garbanzos; snack on
the ever popular fried peanuts.
While these foods are plant-based protein, adults with kidney
problems, arthritis or elevated uric acid levels, individuals with allergies to
beans, nuts or legumes should limit consumption of these food items and consult
their doctor or nutritionist.
Eating any of these dried beans and nuts everyday can add to the
daily protein intake of Filipino households that are lacking in this nutrient.
For more information on food and nutrition, contact: Dr. Mario
V. Capanzana, Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of
Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), Gen. Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City;
Telephone/Fax no.: 837-2934, 837-2071 local 2295; e-mail: mvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph;
mar_v_capanzana@yahoo.com; FNRI-DOST website: http//www.fnri.gov.ph. (FNRI-DOST
S&T Media Service/PIA-Caraga)
