Butuan City official shares benefits of planting
trees
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, June 25 (PIA) – City councilor
Virgilio Nery Jr., chair of the Committee on Environment, on Wednesday shared
several advantages how planting trees help the environment and the people.
“Trees provide habitats to a wide array of
plants, ?owers, birds, mammals and insects. Without these vital habitats and
the means to propagate and pollinate, many more of our valuable wildlife and
plants would suffer as a direct consequence,” Nery said during the Arbor Day
celebration at Bood Promontory Eco-Park in Brgy. Pinamanculan, this city.
Nery further said that trees vastly improve the
natural beauty of the countryside and parks, and complement to the building
developments "and they adorn our gardens for our children to climb and
shelter under."
Nery added that trees absorb odors and pollutant
gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and filter
particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark. Trees
provide oxygen, in such a way that in one year an acre of mature trees can
provide enough oxygen for 18 people.
“What I’ve mentioned are just some of the
benefits that living things get from the trees. Therefore, we should not stop
planting trees for our next generation will also benefit from it,” stressed
Nery.
Government employees, representatives from the
private sector and environment advocates actively participated in the planting
of Talisay trees in the said area. Being the lead agency, the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) facilitated the provision of seedlings
to all participating agencies and partners.
Nery expressed his congratulations to all the
participants of the Tree Planting activity for making it a memorable and
successful one. "Thank you for your active participation and support for
our usual tree planting activity especially in this year's Arbor Day," he
said.
Arbor Day in the Philippines has been
institutionalized to be observed every June 25 throughout the nation by
planting trees and ornamental plants and other forms of relevant activities.
The necessity to promote a healthier ecosystem for the people through the
rehabilitation and re-greening of the environment was stressed in Proclamation
No. 643 that amended Proclamation No. 396, s. 2003. Proclamation No. 396 enjoined
the “active participation of all government agencies, including
government-owned and controlled corporations, private sector, schools, civil
society groups and the citizenry in tree planting activity.
(VLG/JPG/PIA-Caraga)
PDEA-13 seeks public's help in fight vs illegal
drugs
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, June 25 (PIA) - "We all want
to eliminate illegal drugs in our community, therefore it is a great challenge
for us to take action. Let's all be responsible. If you know or have monitored
people using or selling illegal drugs report it immediately to us so we can
then give appropriate response."
This was the statement of regional director
Erwin Ogario of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during his
interview over Power FM – the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga's
radio station here.
Ogario bared that the level of reinforcement
against drugs has increased. "We had already conducted some 240
operations, while apprehended suspects and filed cases in the court also
increased early this year," he said.
"This afternoon, we will be training and
conducting orientation with the barangay officials in the municipality of
Carmen in Agusan del Norte on how to intensify its Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse
Councils (BADACs). Community action against illegal drugs is very vital
especially when parents take responsibility in monitoring the activities of
their children," emphasized Ogario.
Ogario added that BADACs as local councils are
tasked to conduct information and education on illegal drugs and formulate
plans and programs to prevent proliferation of illegal drugs in their
barangays.
It was learned that there is a rehabilitation
health center for illegal-drug victims installed in Surigao City. "There
are also private rehabilitation health centers but it may be costly to the
affected families," Ogario disclosed.
Meanwhile, Ogario also expressed support to PIA
and Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) campaign on Climate
Change Adaptation and Mitigation. "As declared policy of the state to
pursue biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation,
our agency has been mindful also for the greening plans of our government
safety would not only mean a drug-free community but can be attributed to
resilient and adaptive society as well," he said. (VLG/JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DENR Caraga leads tree planting activity on
Arbor Day
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY, June 25 (PIA) – The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Caraga regional office on Wednesday
led the stakeholders from the various sectors of the society in the planting of
Talisay trees at the Bood Promontory Eco-Park in the city in connection with
the celebration of this year's Arbor Day.
“The activity is in support to the vision of the
local government unit of Butuan City to become a 'Premier Forest City' by 2020
and the National Greening Program of DENR,“ said DENR regional technical director
Maritess M. Ocampo during a short program held at the planting site.
Also, during the activity, advocates for a Green
Butuan headed by city councilor Dr. Virgilo Nery, Jr. joined in planting the
Talisay tree. Nery said the group are monitoring monthly the planted trees in
the area in order to achieve the vision of the city.
Right after the short program, certificates of
participation were distributed to the agencies and employees from the national
government agencies, academe, private sector and non-government organizations
who participated in the activity.
Meantime, DENR regional director Nonito Tamayo
said during the celebration of the world environment day recently that the
trees provide a very important role in carbon dioxide sequestration, the so
called major factor in the global warming of the earth.
The activity ended with the singing of “Masdan
Mo Ang Kapaligiran." (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)
Level of enforcement against drugs intensified –
PDEA
By David M. Suyao
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, June 25 (PIA) - The
level of enforcement against the proliferation and distribution of illegal
drugs in the province of Agusan del Sur and the entire Caraga Region has
increased although the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has no base
records on whether the distribution and the use of illegal drugs has decreased.
“In partnership with the Philippine National
Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army, we have raided plantations of marijuana
in the hinterlands of La Paz and Loreto and uprooted, confiscated and burned
volumes of them. But I believe we have only destroyed part of the items because
we have no basis whether there are more plantations around until we gather
reliable information of their existence,” PDEA Caraga regional director Erwin
Ogario said.
According to Ogario, they have already conducted
some 240 operations this year, 2014, and have apprehended suspects while cases
were being filed in court. Ogario also said once the suspects are already in
jail, and sentenced were served, they have no more jurisdiction over the
convicts because it is already the jurisdiction of the court.
“And sad to note, many who were jailed were
released because of bail, and some are because of technical reasons,” Ogario
added.
PDEA, according to Ogario, is not really running
after the users but are serious in running after the pushers. PDEA’s
operations, Ogario said, will sometimes take time because they cannot just
charge any person who are high with drugs or are pushers of the illegal drugs.
“We have to conduct thorough surveillance and
planning before we finally execute the operation, so that we will not miss the
target. And with the help of our PNP, we have registered 240 operations to
date,” Ogario said.
Ogario also said, there is a rehabilitation
center for illegal drugs victims in Brgy. Anomar in Surigao City. There are
also private rehabilitation centers but it may be costly for the affected
families.
In Agusan del Sur, Dir. Ogario said Bayugan City
ranked the highest on drug cases. Other municipalities on record are San
Francisco, LaPaz, Loreto, Trento and Prosperidad. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
DTI Surigao Norte transfers to new location
By Rodrigo R. Matabaran
SURIGAO CITY, June 25 (PIA) - The Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI)-Surigao del Norte Provincial Office has recently
transferred to a new location, at the 2nd Floor of Simtoco Building, Burgos
Street here.
At 320 square meters, the new office is much
larger and can accommodate more clients.
The new location is also nearer to the central commercial area.
Director Celestino L. Negapatan said the move is
in line with the government’s thrust to improve service delivery to the public,
more so to the agency’s clients – business owners and consumers.
The agency caters to clients applying for
business name registration and accreditation of service and repair
enterprises. It also provides business
development and advisory services, facilitation of consumer complaints, among
others.
Being established within the office is a
Business Resource Center (BRC) which will be operated by the Small and Medium
Enterprise Development Council (SMEDC) and the Surigao Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (SCCI). The center is designed
to host business organizations such as the SMEDC and SCCI with the provision of
computer stations, internet connection and a number of reference materials on
business development which include guides for start-up businesses, production
and processing technologies, product development and packaging. (DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)
SSS bares terms of higher EC pensions and
funeral grants
MANILA, June 25 (PIA) - Following the recent
MalacaΓ±ang approval, the Social Security System (SSS) bared the terms of its
new 10-percent across-the-board pension increase for work-related claims under
the Employees' Compensation (EC) Program and the doubled EC funeral grant, which
now stands at P20,000. Both increases will be implemented retroactively, with
September 2013 as the date of effectivity.
Agnes San Jose, SSS Vice President for Benefits
Administration, said the pension hike covers about 17,200 active EC pensioners
under SSS as of August 31, 2013 for permanent partial disability, permanent
total disability and survivorship. Meanwhile, SSS claimants of EC funeral
grants for deaths dated September 1, 2013 onwards are entitled to the higher
P20,000 benefit.
President Benigno S. Aquino III approved the EC
benefit upgrades under Executive Order No. 167 issued last May 26. The EC
Program – which provides additional benefits for employees with work-connected
sicknesses, injuries and death – is administered by SSS for the private sector
and by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the public sector.
“Claimants covered by the date of effectivity
whose EC funeral grants of P10,000 were already settled by SSS will each
receive an additional P10,000 in burial benefits, given the retroactive
implementation of the increase,” San Jose explained.
“Pensioners will get higher EC pensions, as well
as the additional benefits resulting from the retroactive date of effectivity,
in September 2014 upon completion of our system changes,” she added.
The new increases stemmed from SSS' proposal to
hike EC pensions and EC funeral grants for SSS members and beneficiaries, which
was submitted to the Employees' Compensation Commission (ECC) for approval. The
ECC expanded the SSS proposal to also include higher EC funeral grants for
those covered by the GSIS, and then endorsed the EC benefit increases to MalacaΓ±ang
for its approval for implementation.
In a related development, the SSS also recently
announced another across-the-board pension increase – this time at five
percent, effective June 2014 --- for 1.9 million SSS pensioners under the
Social Security (SS) Program as part of SSS' commitment to enhance its members'
benefits.
“SSS' sustained financial growth has paved the
way for new benefit increases for members and beneficiaries. This year marks a
significant period in our continuing campaign to provide more meaningful
benefits, while balancing it with our duty to look after the fund's long-term
viability,” San Jose noted. (SSS/PIA-Caraga)
Rise in teenage pregnancy in Caraga alarming
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, June 25 (PIA) – The incidence of
teenage pregnancies in Caraga region is highly alarming, according to Mila
Arreza, provincial population officer in Surigao del Sur.
In a report during the regular Monday flag
ceremony program held at the capitol lobby this week, she pointed out that
Surigao del Sur is partly contributory to the problem.
Arreza based her report on the 2013 Young Adult
Fertility Sexuality Survey (YAFSS), saying that “Caraga was highest in terms of
teenage pregnancy.”
“As one of the provinces in Caraga, we also
contributed to this alarming situation,” she added.
She bared that partial report from local
government units (LGUs) as of calendar year (CY) 2013 showed about 238 teenage
pregnancy cases in the province.
More so, Arreza stressed that for second quarter
of 2014 alone, the incidence has risen to 415 cases.
However, the situation is already being
addressed by spearheading important activities through establishment of Teen/Youth Center with
trained peer facilitators at Surigao del Sur State University (SDSSU); conduct
of various Symposia & Orientations on responsible sexuality with
discussions on How to Delay Sexual Encounters as well as holding of Life Skills
Training & Summer Youth Camps; training of Parents with their adolescent
children on Adolescent Health and Youth Development (AHYD) and Responsible
Parenthood (RP) during Parent Teachers Community Association (PTCA) meetings.
(NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
AgNor utilizes DSWD’s Listahanan
By Maria Cecilia N. Sosas
AGUSAN DEL NORTE, June 25 – The programs and
services of the provincial government of Agusan del Norte under the leadership
of Governor Ma. Angelica-Rosedelle Amante-Matba utilized the Department of Social
Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Listahanan database of poor families.
According to Daisybiel O. Demavivas,
OIC-Provincial Social Welfare Development Officer, “Listahanan is very useful
and helpful to us especially in targeting the right beneficiaries of our
programs. In fact, 29,061 poor
households in the year 2012-2013 were enrolled to Philhealth Insurance Programs
sponsored by the Province in which households were not covered by the funds of
PhilHealth and Municipalities. Also, there were 2,712 Pantawid Pamilya couples
were given the Responsible Parenting Movement Class.”
“Now, we are still using the data in our medical
assistance program,” she added.
These Pantawid Pamilya couples were identified
through Listahanan.
Further, the use of the Listahanan database by
other Social Welfare and Development (SWD) providers ensure a more equitable
distribution of resources and more positive impact for the poor.
DSWD Sec. Dinky Juliano-Soliman urged the Local
Govenrment Units (LGUs) and partner agencies in the planning and implementation
of programs and services to use Listahanan to avoid program/project leakage.
Listahanan is an information system that
identifies who and where the poor are with the tagline “Talaan ng Pamilyang
Nangangailangan.” (JPG/DSWD-13/PIA-Caraga)
Surigao farmers coop now an organic fertilizer
producer, distributor
By Herminio G. Garcia
SURIGAO CITY, June 25 (PIA) - The Claver Coconut
Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CLACOFARMCO) based in Barangay Daywan,
Claver, Surigao del Norte is now producing Plantmate Organic Fertilizer and
distributing it to farmers throughout the province.
The venture was a result of a business matching
facilitated by DTI-Surigao del Norte Provincial Office (DTI-SDN) between the
cooperative and Dr. Elisio L. Ruiz, a Filipino agricultural scientist and
President of the Richfund International Co. Ltd. during the Provincial Business
Conference organized by the Provincial Government of Surigao del Norte in
2012. Dr. Ruiz was one of the key
speakers then.
Dr. Ruiz invented a Bio-Plus activator which is
used in producing Plantmate Organic Fertilizer.
The said invention is now being marketed in Malaysia, Indonesia,
Vietnam, China and the Middle East.
CLACOFARMCO availed of one million pesos
technology package through a franchise agreement last year with Richfund
International Co. Ltd. effectively making them the sole producer and
distributor of the said organic fertilizer in the province. The agreement was finalized with the
assistance of the Claver LGU and DTI-SDN.
DTI provincial director Celestino Negapatan
explained that aside from the income generated by the cooperative, the
availability of the said organic fertilizer will be a boost to the local
farmers particularly rice growers who are heavily dependent in costly inorganic
fertilizers.
Organic fertilizers have been promoted as a
better alternative as it improves soil condition leading to increased crop
yields and higher income for the farmers.
Originally organized as a regular farmers’
cooperative, CLACOFARMCO ventured into coco coir production in 2008 making coco
nets and other coco coir-based products which they sell to buyers in Caraga and
other regions. Their coco nets, also
called as “geo nets” have been bought and used by mining companies in their
mined-out areas for rehabilitation and soil management programs. (DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)
Feature: A Gateway towards Empowerment
BUTUAN CITY, June 25 (PIA) - The women of
barangay Sta. Cruz in the municipality of Sibagat, Agusan del Sur used to work
at the farms if not at home doing household chores. But not anymore this time.
At 2012, 25 of them decided to participate in
the Self-Employment Assistance sa Kaunlaran (SEA-K) under the Sustainable
Livelihood Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development forming
the Sta. Cruz SEA-K Association or the Sta. Cruz SKA. After thorough sessions
and trainings, when they were deemed ready to start their business, their
Capital Seed Fund worth P125,000 was released to them. It was on February 8,
2013 when SKA’s Sta. Cruz Cooperative officially started its operations.
The establishment of the cooperative is
strategic. Brgy. Sta. Cruz is the gateway to five barangays in the municipality
namely barangays Padi-ay, Perez, Magcalipe, Tabon-tabon and Sta. Maria. Because
of its location the business is enjoying the benefit of not only serving the
residents in their barangay but also the travelers that are going to and from
the other five barangays. Also, some of the basic commodities which are not
available in the few already existing sari-sari stores are offered in
cooperative. The latter also offers
reasonable prices to their goods. They also allow creditors to their avid
patrons.
Having their merchandise at prices lower than
those of the competing stores, the number of patrons increases. Accordingly,
their sales turnover is fast prompting the purchases of stocks to be done at
least once a week to cope with the demands. While the other stores do not allow
credit lines Sta. Cruz Coop does. The credit limit is P500 and non-members can
avail of the same in the condition that a coop member acts as a guarantor.
They also have seven Board of Directors who
render alternate duty every day in manning the store together with their
regular salesperson. For this, the salesperson gets P1,500 every month as a
salary while the BOD of the day gets P100 worth of goods at the end of each
working day.
During the first two months of operation Sta. Cruz
Coop sold around P24,000 making the members so delighted. They were even amazed
when they got as much revenue during the month of May alone because of their
fiesta celebration. It was also in May that the members decided to invest
P15,000 to engage in a money lending activity. They offer 10 percent and 20
percent interest rates for coop and non-coop members, respectively (still,
non-members have to have a guarantor from among the members to be able to
avail). From P15,000 the capital has now grown to approximately P45,000.
As of now the total equity of Sta. Cruz
Cooperative amounts close to P218,000 or around 74 percent up from the P125,000
capital seed fund and the association’s rollback to DSWD is up to date. The
members are also planning to engage into falcatta trading in the coming year to
expand their business operations.
The members of Sta. Cruz SEA-K Association are
very grateful of the changes the Sustainable Livelihood Program has brought to
their lives. Because of the program, they have additional source of income; in
times of emergencies they are certain they have somewhere to run to for
financial assistance; and they enjoy credit lines which they did not get from
other stores before. And personally, they have discovered their hidden skills and
abilities as the association and as the business operates daily. They are now
doing more than farming and household chores. Now, they are managers, planners,
businesswomen – truly empowered! (Social Marketing Unit/SLP/DSWD-13/PIA-Caraga)
DAR Surigao Norte marks CARP Anniversary with
distribution of titles to 212 beneficiaries
By Darryl M. Tumbaga
SURIGAO DEL NORTE, June 25 (PIA) – A total of
212 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) receive their titles through a Certificate
of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) distribution ceremony held last June 19, 2014 at
the Kapitolyo nan Siargao, Dapa, Siargao Islands, this province.
The distribution is in time with the 26th
anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), spearheaded by
the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Surigao del Norte Provincial Office.
DAR Caraga regional director Faisar A. Mambuay
together with Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) Jamil P.
Amatonding, Jr. and Governor Sol F. Matugas led the distribution of the titles
covering 275.9046 hectares of land located in the seven municipalities of
Siargao Islands namely Burgos (20.0093 has.), Dapa (103.6002 has.), Del Carmen
(50.7988 has.), General Luna (33.8782 has.), San Benito (20.1954 has.), San
Isidro (26.9987 has.), and Santa Monica (20.423 has.).
In his message, director Mambuay emphasized that
the help of the government does not end in distributing the lands because
support services will also be provided to the ARBs to augment their farm
income.
PARPO Amatonding, on his part, said that through
this CLOA distribution DAR has proved its commitment to promote social justice.
Meanwhile, Gov. Matugas, in her message,
stressed that her dream for every Surigaonon to own their own land and not
squatters of their own land is slowly becoming into a reality because of CARP.
Also during the distribution, an indemnity check
of the partnership program of the DAR and the Philippine Crop Insurance
Corporation amounting to P1,132,280.76 was also handed over to Antonio Pobe who
represented the 179 beneficiaries who were victims of typhoon Agaton early this
year.
Prior to the distribution, the said ARBs
attended the Pre-Membership Education Seminar - this is in preparation for the
beneficiaries to become members of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries
Organizations which are also being assisted by the DAR.
During the said seminar the beneficiaries were
also oriented on their roles and obligations as ARBs.
The activity was graced by Surigao del Norte 1st
district representative Francisco T. Matugas, some board members, municipal
mayors, officials and employees. (SDR/DAR-SDN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
