Gov calls for a safer communities through
Science
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
SURIGAO CITY, April 30 (PIA) – Surigao del Norte
Governor Sol Matugas has called for solidarity among constituents in its
venture to keep communities safer through Science, during the launching of “Iba
na ang Panahon: Science for Safer Communities” campaign by the Department of
Science and Technology (DOST) held on Tuesday at the Gateway Hotel, this city.
“We also call for all individuals here to be
open to the things we will all be hearing and perceiving in this activity, and
to be fruitful in translating everything into actions down to every community.
The best thing to do is to be ready as an individual, then together, we can all
be ready as a bigger community,” directed Matugas.
Matugas, further said the effort of saving lives
as the most important thing that we pursue in any of the related disaster
management activities will never go to waste. “We will save lives, and at the
same time, what we will have to invest in risk management will reduce the
adverse impacts on life, property, and our economy,” she added.
She also emphasized that Climate Change is a
universal condition but we can all be prepared with science as our weapon.
“It is our delight to be part of this highly
relevant activity, as we gain knowledge on the available scientific tools and
methods to equip our communities attain safer communities by minimizing if not
preventing altogether the occurrence of disasters,” expressed Matugas.
The good governor also considered the said
activity as beneficial for Caraganons in coming up with effective and efficient
plans to prepare people from any latent hazards. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Mobile IT classroom program implemented in
Surigao Norte
By Venus L. Garcia
SURIGAO CITY, Apr. 30 (PIA) – The province of
Surigao del Norte (SDN) through Gov. Sol F. Matugas and Department of Education
(DepEd) SDN Division, in an agreement with the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST), was awarded with a refurbished 32-seater air-conditioned bus
specifically designed to operate as a mobile classroom with 17 brand new
computer notebooks and a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector aptly called
Mobile Information Technology Classroom (MITC).
This was revealed during Tuesday’s first day of
launching of the Iba na ang Panahon: Science for Safer Communities held in this
city.
Apparently, the MITC innovative project is
highly relevant in strengthening the drive for the integration of science and
new technological discoveries in the awareness campaign of climate change.
Gov. Matugas said that it is imperative that
everyone should learn how to explore the immense capabilities of information
and communication tools.
State-of-the-art features
The MITC facility can be moved from one station
to another with relative ease and can be deployed at the shortest possible
time. It also features an on-board generator set.
It is equipped with the latest catalog on
educational videos and presentations on digital format which can be viewed in a
wide screen complete with surround sound and public address (PA) system.
The bus is also assembled with cushioned seats
with individual foldable work tables and soon activates a wifi network.
Easy access learning
MITC is a mobile learning center for educational
purposes where useful information can be availed. All public schools covered
under the DepEd Division of SDN may benefit from the MITC services.
Accordingly, the use of this mobile is free,
provided that related expenditures should be shouldered by the local government
units where the district is located.
Pupils, teachers and administrators can join
especially those who need ICT training. Members of the community can also be
invited to join.
With MITC, one has a better learning experience,
latest trends on ICT integration on classroom instruction, latest digital
instructional materials, and next level ICT topics and skills. SDN has the
longest running MITC program. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
Surigao Norte solon keynotes 'Iba na ang
Panahon'
By Nora L. Molde
SURIGAO CITY, April 30 (PIA) – First
Congressional District of Surigao del Norte representative Francisco T. Matugas
acknowledged the importance of science and technology in every human life
during the Iba na ang Panahon Information, Education and Communication (IEC)
campaign here.
“Iba na ang Panahon: Science for Safer
Communities” early warning, early action campaign is very important for today
as the world has drastically changed over the years, said Cong. Matugas.
“Science makes us accomplish things a lot easier
that we can hardly live without it," Matugas added.
Matugas said, Science just like a coin has two
sides – it can be a weapon of construction, or destruction. “We utilize Science
as defense for the on-going battle with the various natural disasters.
The Iba na ang Panahon IEC campaign, according
to Matugas is a very timely event as we all see the dire need we have for ways
and means on how we can address global issues such as disaster reduction in the
context of climate change adaptation.
“We have heard so much of climate change,
learned of its causes, effects, and been very familiar with how it has already
disrupted the usual patterns of our global meteorological conditions,” Matugas
said. It is not only us who suffers, but is a worldwide picture of how the
entire globe as one community has become threatened with intensified disasters,
he added.
Matugas also said that the past catastrophic
events we have witnessed in the different parts of he country and even in all
the other areas in the world, as brought about by forces of nature have taught
us to pay attention to preparedness and other significant details relating to
disaster reduction and adaptation.
“The best thing there is for us to do is not
only to think of ways on how we can prepare the people, empower them to face
the threats of any natural calamities; there is stronger call for
participation, coordination, and common understanding from the national level
down to the simplest unit in our communities to adhere on the plans and
programs of the government to aid us in meeting the challenges,” Matugas said.
Matugas also told the participants that they are
privileged in attending the IEC campaign for they will acquire wisdom and
insights. “Let us all be equipped with the things we ought to know, apply, and
share to the rest of our people in ensuring them that Surigao del Norte, and
the whole of Caraga region has become safer with science,” Matugas added.
“We always be thankful to DOST for this
wonderful chance of providing us the necessary opportunity to be empowered with
how Science becomes an integral part of our daily battle and adaptation with
the changing world,” Matugas said.
“I hope to find everyone even more conscious of
his capacity to act and to commit to all the plans and actions we will all have
to take in relation to the building up of safer communities through Science,”
Matugas remarked. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)
TESDA-Caraga to offer beauty care, wellness
services on Labor Day
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, April 30 (PIA) - In support to the
Labor Day Celebration on May 1, 2014, Caraga Region’s Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is offering health and wellness services.
This development came after TESDA Caraga
regional director Dr. Florencio F. Sunico, Jr. committed to offer free services
on Labor Day as a gift to all workers, especially the mothers.
“This is an opportune time for the mothers to
take a break and pamper themselves by enjoying massage therapy and beauty care
for free,” Dir. Sunico said.
The official also said this is TESDA’s way of
thanking the stakeholders and the general public for the trust and confidence
they have with the agency.
“We are thankful to our stakeholders and the
general public for their trust and confidence to us… and this is one way of
thanking them,” Sunico said.
In a related development, Fe Gomez, TESDA-Caraga
regional focal of the Gender and Development (GAD) said this activity is also
promoted by the Regional GAD Coordinating Committee (GADCC) as this will
benefit the women who want to experience pampering themselves.
“This is a good treat for the women especially
to the mothers by showing our appreciation and care to them,” Gomez said.
Gomez further said for beauty care, TESDA is
offering manicure, pedicure, facial massage, foot spa, and hot oil, while in
the wellness, a body massage will be offered.
Massage therapists from the Butuan Manpower
Training Center (BMTC) while beauty care attendants from the Agusan del Sur
School of Arts and Trades (ASSAT) were tapped by TESDA to perform the said
services.
The services will be conducted at the activity
center of Robinsons Place-Butuan, together with DOLE-Caraga’s Jobs Fair.
Meanwhile, winners of the recently-concluded
Philippine National Skills Competition will be given recognition during the
event. After the event at the activity center, TESDA-Caraga will launch and
open its Specialista Desk at the third level of the mall. (TESDA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Mindanao-North Sulawesi, Indonesia sea route to
open this month
DAVAO CITY, April 30 (PIA) - Trade and economic
ties between Mindanao and Indonesia expect to get further boost with the
opening of the Davao-General Santos-Tahuna-Bitung sea route this month that
will operationalize shipping services between Mindanao and North Sulawesi.
An agreement to operationalize the shipping
service was sealed in Jakarta on April 11 by the representatives of the Indonesian
shipping line PT Kanaka, the North Minahasa Chamber of Commerce of Indonesia,
Philippine-based cargo company ARREE Freight Express and the Davao City Chamber
of Commerce.
The sea route has expanded to include Tahuna, a
fishing and trading center in Sangir Talaud group of islands in the province of
North Sulawesi, situated in between Bitung and General Santos City.
In the agreement, PT Kanaka will provide
shipping services to the route with its conventional cargo-type vessel with a
120 TEU capacity. ARREE Freight Express on the other hand will handle the cargo
consolidation requirements for the shipping route.
“We have always looked into this route as one of
the cheapest and fastest ways to transport goods from Mindanao to Indonesia,
and vice versa,” said Dr. Malou Monteverde, former president of Davao City
Chamber of Commerce and Industry and one of the primary proponents of the sea
route.
The shipping service is also seen to
significantly increase trade and economic relations not just between the two
countries, but in the entire Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the
Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
Monteverde added that the vessel is initially
expected to ply the route twice a month.
Among the products eyed by Mindanao traders to
export to Indonesia through the new shipping service are canned beverage, fresh
and dried tropical fruits, processed coconut, corn feeds, construction
supplies, meat, poultry, and fish products.
Currently, sea links that connect Mindanao to
Indonesia have to pass through Manila and Jakarta before reaching the provinces
of North Sulawesi.
Monteverde said that the new link will allow the
direct exchange of goods between Mindanao and Indonesia through a less costly
and more proximate route.
Prior to the commencement of this route,
consumer items for East Indonesia are usually sourced from Jakarta, almost a
thousand nautical miles from North Sulawesi. The direct sea route is estimated
to span only 350-nautical miles. Tahuna was added to the route due to the
area’s strategic location and its significant contribution to trading
activities.
“We commend the continuous efforts of the
private sector in making this route possible, which will significantly cut
shipping costs and thereby allow our small and medium entrepreneurs to engage
in international trading between these two points in the BIMP-EAGA,” said
Luwalhati Antonino, chair of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and
Philippine signing minister for BIMP-EAGA.
Antonino added that the private sector-led sea
route is identified as a priority route under the masterplan on ASEAN
connectivity, and is seen to strongly contribute to efforts towards ASEAN
integration.
Currently, shipping companies that provide
services to areas covered by BIMP-EAGA are given 50 percent discount on port
and dockages fees as part of the incentives for serving within the sub-region.
As part of the Philippine initiatives for ASEAN
integration, the development of the route is also supported by various national
line agencies including the Departments of Agriculture, Trade and
Industry, Foreign Affairs,
Transportation and Communication, the Philippine Ports Authority, Maritime
Industry Authority, Bureau of Customs, including transport security offices.
In a feasibility study conducted by the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2012, the Gensan-Bitung route was
selected as one of the pilot areas for a roll-on roll-off operation within
BIMP-EAGA. The study also highlighted that the route can be dedicated to a
freight service once shipping service requirements are in place.
Another study made by the Research Education and
Institutional Development (REID) Foundation in 2010 cited that the North
Sulawesi-Mindanao sea link offers strong potentials for international trade and
commerce between Indonesia and the Philippines since it offers a proximate
channel for the shipment of goods.
“The opening of this sea route concretizes our
long-running efforts to establish a shipping link between Mindanao and North
Sulawesi,” said Eko Hartono, Indonesian Consul General to Davao.
North Sulawesi is among the 10 provinces in the
Indonesian islands of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku and Irian Jaya that are part
of the BIMP-EAGA.
Hartono added that once fully utilized, the sea
route is seen as an impetus for the reopening of the Davao-Manado air links
that revive the trade and tourism links between the two key cities in the
sub-region.
The BIMP-EAGA is primarily intended to spur
development in the lagging sub-economies of the member countries by boosting
intra-EAGA trade, tourism, and investments.
(MinDA/PIA-Caraga)
BJMP Tandag City Jail undergoes validation for
National Red Orchid Awards today
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, April 30 (PIA) - As one of the
nominees for the “Search for 100% Tobacco-Free Provinces, Municipalities,
Cities, Government Officer, DOH Centers for Health Development, and DOH
Hospitals,” the National Red Orchid Awards Validation Team is in Surigao del
Sur today to conduct rating and scoring on the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology
(BJMP) Tandag City Main Jail.
According to District Jail Warden Insp. Diosdado
Sombrio, the main BJMP jail in the province under his supervision is
implementing the “anti-smoking program,” which placed them as one among the
contenders for the prestigious DOH Red Orchid Awards.
Aware of what has been done to attain the good
reputation together with his personnel and inmates, the officer said that today
will be the“final stage” for their attempt to get the biggest haul.
He said that the evaluators are composed of
representatives form World Health Organiation (WHO), Civil Service Commission
(CSC), and Framework and Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines
(FCAP) and Philippine Ambulatory Pedriatric Association (PAPA).
It was learned that said district jail has
already been a recipient of Pink Orchid Award
in June 2013 due to its anti-smoking advocacy program. (NGBT/Radyo ng
Bayan/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Caraga wins silver, bronze medals in PNSC 2014
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, April 30 (PIA) – Competitors from
Caraga Region bagged silver and bronze medals and a Certificate of Excellence
during the 2014 Philippine National Skills Competition (PNSC) held recently in
Metro Manila.
Romel Natad, PNSC focal person from the regional
office of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in
Caraga said out of the five competitors from the different provinces of the
region, two were able to bag medals and one got a Certificate of Excellence.
Natad said Walter Lad of Surigao del Sur State
University (SDSSU) in Tandag City was proclaimed runner-up and won silver medal
in the IT Software Solutions for Business, while Christian Gerongco of Agusan
del Sur School of Arts and Trades (ASSAT) won bronze in the Welding.
Meanwhile, Jorlex Soldevilla of AMA Computer
Learning Center in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur received Certificate of
Excellence. Natad explained that Certificate of Excellence is awarded to
competitors who have reached the rating based on the International Calculation
Standards (ICS) used in ASEAN World Skills Competition and the World Skills
Competition.
In a related development, Monalisa Fundar of
Agusan del Norte Provincial Training Center finished 6th place while Junrel
Adante of Surigao del Sur Electric Cooperative II won 10th in the Electrical
Installation and Maintenance (EIM).
The five competitors will be awarded with
Certificate of Recognition on May 1, 2014 during the Labor Day Celebration in
Caraga Region at the Activity Center of Robinsons Place-Butuan. The celebration
will be spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Caraga.
TESDA Caraga regional director Dr. Florencio F.
Sunico, Jr. said the competitors gave honor and pride to the region during the
PNSC… “Thus, the activity on May 1 will serve as a venue to recognize their
world-class exceptional skills,” he said.
In other development, TESDA will be offering
health and wellness services such as massage therapy and beauty care during the
activity which is dedicated to all mothers and workers. “The services that we
are offering to workers and mothers are part of the pre-Mothers’ Day
Celebration,” Dir. Sunico said.
The National Capital Region, Region III and
Region IV-A were this year’s host for the PNSC. Gold medalists will represent
the country in the ASEAN Skills Competition slated on October this year. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog News: Gobyerno nagtatrabaho para ipagtanggol
ang mga journalists, sabi ni Pangulong Aquino
Ni David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Abril 30 (PIA) - Sinabi ni
Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III sa mga banyagang manunulat na inaasikaso ng
kanyang administrasyon ang mga ginawang pagpatay sa media dito sa bansa
sapamamagitan ng inter-agency na komitiba.
Ang lupong ito ay siyang tumitingin sa mga hindi
makatarungang pagpatay at pwersahang pagkawala, pagpahirap at iba pang
sobra-sobrang paglabag ng karapatan sa buhay, kalayaan at seguridad ng tao,
sabi niya sa magkasabay na press conference kasama si US Presidente na
sina Barack Obama sa Malakanyang noong
Lunes.
Iniulat din ni Presidente na sa loob ng 62 na
may kaugnayan sa kasong paggawa na iniimbistigahan ng grupo, 10 ay kinukonsiderang
extrajudicial na pagpatay.
Sa sampung kaso ng extrajudicial killings iisa
lamang ang nangyari sa panahon ng kasalukuyang administrasyon, kanyang
paalaala.
Sa parte naman ng Maguindanao na masaker ng hit
sa 50 manunulat, sinabi ni Pangulong Aquino mahigit isang daang tao na ang
nakasohan sa sinasabing kaso at kasalukuyang nililitis.
“Lahat ng ito any hindi nangangahulugan na
huminto tayo sa paghahanap ng iba pang sangkot sa particular na pagpatay, at
sabihin namin para ito ay maitala na kahit na nangyari ito sa mga journalists,
hindi polisiya ng mga sinabing ito na patahimikin ang mga kritiko.iya
Napuna rin niya na isa pang layunin ng kanyang
pamahalaan ay ang reporma sa hudikatura kung saan siya ay nangako noong tumakbo
siya noong 2010.
Tinatrabaho rin ng pamahalaan na mapabilis ang
kasalukuyang mga nililitis sa korte para maseguro ang mabilis na disposisyon ng
hustisya. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Cebuano News: Mokabat sa 180 ka mga estudyante
maka benipisyo sa SPES
SURIGAO CITY, Abr. 30 (PIA) – Mokabat sa 180 ka
mga estudyante sa sekondarya ug kolehiyo sa nagkalain-aling mga tulunghaan sa
syudad ang nahimong benipisyaryo sa Special Program of Employment for Students
kun SPES.
Sumala sa Surigao City Public Employment Service
Office Manager Gloria Gemina gisugdan na sa maong mga estudyante ang ilang mga trabaho nga gitawag og “summer job”
niadtong Abril 21 sa nagkalain-laing mga departamento o buhatan sa syudad og
kini molungtad lamang hangtod Mayo 9 ning tuiga.
Sumala pa ni Gemina, nga bag-ohay pa lamang
gipahigayon ang signing sa Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) tali sa mga
benipisyaryo ug Departamento sa Labor and Employment (DOLE) lakip usab ang
lokal nga pangagamhanan sa syudad pinaagi sa buhatan sa Public Employment
Services Office (PESO). (SDR/MICO-Surigao/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
