Butuan Kidney Alliance shows support on climate
change mitigation
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, June 17 (PIA) – As strong and able
partner of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga in advancing
advocacies, the Butuan Kidney Alliance, Inc. (BKA,Inc.), a non-profit
organization of volunteers chaired by Dr. Rene Vargas, has once again expressed
support in the climate change adaptation and mitigation campaign.
“Every citizen and leader should seriously worry
about global warming and the consequent disaster and devastation that resulted
from it. We live in an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands threatened by
rising sea levels and inhabit in areas that are threatened by an increasing
number of more damaging factors,” bared Vargas.
He further construed that the typhoons of the
past years are enough warnings of what's coming - more frequent and more
intense results of the detrimental climate change.
He said, the causes of this threat are
transcending activities of individuals, that is, excessive use of
carbon-emitting industries and vehicles, etc., and therefore needs worldwide
attention.
“We need to do our part by dumping less
pollutants and contaminants unto our environment. Involvement in environmental
programs must be included in priorities. Such that small earnest acts of
showing care and concern can help save our natural world,” he added.
BKA, Inc. bid its participation in the climate
change adaptation and mitigation undertakings of the government through
collaboration with national agencies like the PIA Caraga.
“In the end, it all starts with us. A journey of
a thousand miles starts with the first step. Butuanons and Caraganons should
begin taking that ‘first step’ to preserve and protect our ecosystem,”
encouraged Vargas. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
Samahang Magdalo Caraga engages climate change
advocacy to pursue social change
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, June 16 (PIA) – “A call for social
change requires first and foremost, a healthful and balanced ecology for a
society is easily drawn in disarray if the environment of the people living in
that community is not conducive for life. Thus, there is an enormous task to
fight for life, if the air we breathe is not fresh, or if the water
contaminated, or if the land is barren, or if the sea cannot host marine life.”
This is the statement of Segundino Orfiano, Jr., national president of Samahang
Magdalo, Inc., expounding the group’s viewpoint on climate change issues in
relation to pursuing social change.
Orfiano pointed out that it is scientifically
established that climate change is a menace that all nations must confront.
However, the fact remains that Climate Change is a phenomena that is man-made
in which the cure should be done by man himself. “No nation, great or small has
an antidote to this ailment of the mother earth except for humanity to bond
together in the common cause of disabusing our natural resources,” he
explained.
For its part, Samahang Magdalo has responded to
this concern since its start. That is the reason why the love for environment
is one of the stipulations in its code of conduct and it’s being carried out
down to the local.
Meanwhile, Samahang Magdalo Caraga regional
coordinator Michael Leo Torralba explained that as generally recognized,
climate change has already become inevitable. “There is no way to help, as a
community, but to be informed, instill a paradigm revolution and exercise the
proper management of our wastes at our level as well as participate in our
government’s so called greening programs and be a partner towards a sustainable
development relevant to combating the fast devastation brought about by global
warming,” he said.
To make it sustainable, Torralba asserted that
everything has to start at our families end. Samahang Magdalo is conscious of
the fact that as individuals one must adopt to the changes in climate and have
to mitigate the ill effect of global warming.
It can be recounted that Samahang Magdalo has
embarked on activities like tree planting in selected areas all over the
country. In Caraga region, the group has participated in the preservation and
protection of the majestic Mount Mayapay - the symbol of the aspirations and
dreams for progress and unity of Butuanons and Agusanons who belong to one of
the oldest pre-historic communities in the Philippines.
Another pipelined intervention is the delivery
of trash bins in barangays and the continuing advocacy on waste management.
Orfiano also added that this year Samahang
Magdalo has taken measures to seriously indulged into advancing the call for
the National Greening Program of the government such that the organization
linked itself with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“As a gesture of our serious bid to contribute
to the call of climate change mitigation, we have embarked on a team work with
the local government units and Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga.
Samahang Magdalo is a staunch advocate of environmental protection and will
remain as such as it pursues social change for the country," he said.
(VLG/PIA-Caraga)
DOLE Caraga awards Certificate of Compliance to
14 companies of Butuan City
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY, June 16 (PIA) – The Department of
Labor and Employment Caraga (DOLE) regional office awarded 14 companies of the
city as recommended by the DOLE Agusan del Norte provincial office during its
Regional Coordinating Committee monthly press conference on Wednesday, June 11.
Atty. Johnson G. Canete, DOLE regional director
led the awarding of Certificates of Compliance to companies that complied with
the General Labor Standards (GLS) and Occupational Safety and Health Standards
(OSHS).
To determine if the company conformed to what is
mandated and stipulated in GLS and OSHS, an LLCO will visit and monitor the
company/s if they complied with the standards. Documents and/or standards to be
monitored include the giving of basic pay, overtime work pay, other employees’
benefits such as Philhealth, Pag-ibig, SSS contributions and remittances, said
Atty. CaΓ±ete.
The awarded companies are: Mercury Drugstore –
A. D. Curato Branch; Mercury Drugstore – South Montilla Boulevard Branch;
Mercury Drugstore – Montilla Boulevard Branch; Butuan Glass Supply – North
Montilla Boulevard; ED Ting Builders and Construction – Barangay Buhangin;
Manila Auto Care – Libertad; Five Star Agro Machineries – Langihan; Radio
Corporation of the Philippines – Villa Kananga; RP Maquiling and Company, CPAs
– J. C. Aquino Avenue; YHL Sales Corporation – San Jose Street; R. Express
Lending House Corporation – R. Calo Street; Cititect Microsystems Corporation –
Lopez Jaena Extension; Cabadbaran Shell Service Station – Cabadbaran City; and
Weegol’s Grill House – Cabadbaran City.
Meanwhile, on the issue of Child Labor in the
region, Atty. CaΓ±ete said child laborers are still present and one of the
problems in the region but DOLE is continuously addressing the problem by
giving livelihood assistance to the parents/family. Most of the child laborers
recorded in the region are from the province of Agusan del Sur, he added.
Also, Nancy Jacinto of the National
Reintegration Center of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) bared that since 2011,
a total of 247 OFWs were already given a livelihood assistance in the amount of
P10,000 each.
RTWPB board secretary Earl dela Victoria said
LLCO of Caraga region are continuously monitoring companies for the
implementation of Wage Order No. 12, to give a minimum wage intended to
employees in the region. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)
DTI Surigao Norte reaches out to LGUs for
business registration facilitation
SURIGAO CITY, June 16 (PIA) - The Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) Surigao del Norte provincial office provided the city
and municipal government units the basic data on business names registered in
their respective jurisdiction since May this year.
DTI provincial director Celestino L. Negapatan,
in his letter addressed to the respective local chief executives, requested
them to require all single proprietor business permit applicant to register
their business name to DTI as required in their Business Permit Licensing
System (BPLS) mechanism and pursuant to Republic Act No. 3883 otherwise known
as "The Business Name Law," business establishments have to register
their business names with the DTI.
For the past three years, DTI in partnership
with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has been
coordinating with the local government units (LGUs) on the streamlining of
their respective business permit and licensing system to improve and accelerate
delivery of business registration related services. Some LGUs have already
implemented improvement in their licensing system, but some still have to
undertake streamlining activities.
DTI on its part tried to improve its frontline
business name registration services at a faster processing time of 15 minutes.
For any business name registration assistance
just visit the DTI-Provincial Office located at the 2nd Floor, Simtoco
Building, Burgos Street, this city. (SDR/DTI-Surigao de Norte/PIA-Surigao del
Norte)
DILG chief might cancel trip to SurSur
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, June 16 (PIA) – Due to reasons yet
to be made public, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, who is invited to be the guest of
honor and speaker for the opening of the 54th Araw ng Surigao del Sur
celebration on June 17-19, might not make it.
The DILG chief is also supposed to distribute
checks right after he delivers his message during the opening program on June
17.
The checks for turn-over are intended for
Bottoms Up Budgeting (BUB) under the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA)
projects with the DILG; and for the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB)
projects under the DTI.
The announcement for the possible cancellation
of Roxas’ visit was made by no less than Governor Johnny Pimentel during the
holding of the flag ceremony program Monday morning at the capitol lobby,
adding that Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Luwalhati Antonio
is sure to come, anyway, and fill the void.
Meanwhile, it was not immediately known how much
would be the total amount of checks for the BUB-PAMANA; but, the ones for the
GPB projects under the DTI headed by OIC Provincial Director Romel Oribe—would
total up to P2,049,146 as shown by Bema Theresa Vasquez, GPB Focal Person.
Both BUB PAMANA and GPB projects usually come in
the form of infrastructure and livelihood support. (NGB/Radyong Bayan/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
Agusanons flock to farmers’ congress
By Gil E. Miranda
BUTUAN CITY, June 16 (PIA) - More than a
thousand Agusan del Norte Agrarian-farmers and their cooperative leaders
gathered to participate the kick-off of the month-long 26th Anniversary
Celebration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) which
highlighted with a thanksgiving mass, motorcade and Farmers’ Congress last June
10, 2014 at Brgy. Luz Village covered court, in this city.
The said event was organized by Federation of
Agrarian Reform Community Cooperatives (FEDARCCO) who brought together farmers
from different Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) in two cities and 11
municipalities in the province.
During the congress, farmers elicited support
from local government officials to address their clamor to further extend the
CARP Extension with Reforms, which expires this year. They manifested in
particular the bid to ensure that their standpoint to extend CARP for another
years will be carried out to the House of Representatives, which is about to
start the debate for further extension of CARP.
A manifesto was signed by the guests and
farmer-leaders including Municipal Mayors in this province, DAR Caraga Regional
Director Faisar A. Mambuay, PARPO Andre
B. Atega and some Agrarian Reform Executives and Agrarian Reform stakeholders
also signed the manifesto.
Local officials and their representatives showed
all-out support to extend CARP, namely,
Agusan del Norte governor Angelica Rosedell M. Amante; 1st district
representative Lawrence Lemuel H. Fortun; 2nd district representative Erlpe
John M. Amante and Butuan City mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr.
Chairman of Presidential Agrarian Reform
Committee Greg Honteveros also gave his views on the future of CARP and
reiterated before the farmers that Agrarian Reform is needed to ensure social
justice as it is mandated in the constitution.
FEDARCCO Board of Director Constancio Dalanon
expounded to the farmers the three reason to extend CARP as stipulated in the
manifesto: (1) Sustaining Agrarian Reform Program which have genuineness and
meaning only with continuing Land Acquisition and Distribution Component; (2.)
Protection of Food Production Area which can be ensured only in the hands of
empowered farmer-tillers; (3.) Direct
control and supervision of Agricultural Lands under one Agency to handle
agrarian reform, titling, survey, support services, regulation and management.
(DAR-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
Festivity reigns as DENR Caraga celebrates 27th
anniv
By Maria Catherine M. Gonzaga
BUTUAN CITY, June 16 (PIA) – The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources Caraga region celebrates its 27th anniversary
with the theme “Fiesta sa DENR” at the Regional Office Covered Court, June 10.
June 10 was the DENR's 27th Anniversary pursuant
to Executive Order No. 192 issued by President Corazon C. Aquino in 1987.
To mark this milestone, the regional office launched
a one-day series of activities which include Hataw (massive dance exercise),
Recycled Art Contest, "Palaro ng Lahi," Bingo and The Voice Singing
Contest. The venue was designed with the conjuring images of banderitas
(flaglets) and the art exhibit of all the entries for the Recycled Art Contest.
Celebration of the “Fiesta sa DENR” aims to
promote camaraderie among the DENR employees in the region. This festival also
aims to showcase the talents of the employees in both sports and singing.
Different games were lined-up for the
"Palaro ng Lahi" such as tumbang lata, patintero, kaliring, sack
race, message relay and basag-palayok wherein the employees undeniably have fun
while showing their competencies as individuals.
A singing contest entitled “DENR The Voice” was
also held as the last activity of the day wherein the representative from CENRO
Nasipit, Hyacinth Mantiza won the 1st place, as Neil Patrick Malig-on of EMB
bagged the 2nd place and Romalen Capiton of the Admin-Personnel section took
the 3rd place.
DENR traces its origin to the old Department of
Agriculture and National Resources (DANR) which was created during the First
Philippine Republic. Eventually, Presidential Decree 461 of May 17, 1974 split
DANR into two: the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Natural
Resources (DNR).
The DNR, which was solely regulatory in
function, became Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) as a result of the
government’s shift to parliamentarianism in 1978. EO 192 fused DNR’s functions
with those of the National Pollution Control Commission (P.D. 98 4 of 1976) and
the National Environmental Protection Council (P.D. 1121 of 1977), now being
pursued by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), a line bureau under the
DENR. (DENR-13/PIA-Caraga)
AgSur guv reiterates request for more PNP
personnel
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, June 16 (PIA) -
Governor Adolph Edward urges the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) to
reiterate the request for more police personnel for Agusan del Sur noting the
unusual increase in crime volume this year compared to last year on the same
period from January to May.
According to Philippine National Police (PNP)
report, the total crime volume from January to May this year reached to 1,161
cases, an increase of 839 cases compared to last year which is only 322 cases.
On the same PNP report (January to May),
physical injury rank the highest, reaching 234 cases with an increase of 191
cases against last year with only 43 cases. Theft registers to be the second
highest with 120 cases against only 13 cases, an increase of 107 cases.
“This is very unusual. Maybe we can say it is
normal if it only increases by 20 percent so we can say that the increase is
just brought by progress, but with more than 360 percent increase in crime
volume is a different story,” said Vice Gov. Santiago Cane Jr, who presides the
PPOC meeting first before the arrival of Gov. Plaza.
Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza also noted that only
rape case did not increase but reduced by five incidents. The rest of the seven
non-index crimes ranging from murder to cattle rustling increased by an average
of 100 percent.
“I am very grateful the PPOC also passed a
resolution that we produce tarpaulin billboard with message directing our
people as to what government agency, like the PNP, the army, DPWH, DepEd,
agriculture, health, etc. to call in case they have issues and concerns to
discuss because the billboard will bear the telephone numbers or cellular
numbers of the agency. This is an immediate project and after we produce them,
we will post them in strategic places in all the municipalities in the
province. We will require the mayors to construct protective frames and screen
so that it will be protected not only from heat of the sun and the rain but
also from vandals,” Gov. Plaza said.
“Because of the alarming peace and order
situation, let us reiterate our request to the PNP that our police personnel be
increased. I cannot imagine how can the police maintain peaceful community if
the ratio is 1,300 people against only one policeman. I know that the correct
ratio is one policeman to 500 people but ours is tripled. Other provinces has
700 people to one policeman,” Gov. Plaza added.
Of the 13 municipalities and one city, Bayugan
City ranked number one in crime volume with 371 incidents, followed San
Francisco with 179, Prosperidad 110, and the fourth is Esperanza with 90. San
Luis has the lowest crime volume with 15 incidents. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
