UPPI, PopCom to hold Regl Dissemination Forum in
Butuan
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, July 25 (PIA) – The University of
the Philippines Institute (UPPI) and the Commission on Population (PopCom)
Caraga is set to hold the Regional Dissemination Forum on August 1, 2014 at
Goat2geder Hotel and Restaurant, this city.
“The UPPI and the Demographic Research and
Development Foundation conducted since 1982 a series of national surveys on the
Filipino youth aged 15 to 24 years old dubbed as the Young Adult Fertility and
Sexuality (YAFS) study,” bared PopCom-Caraga regional director Alexander
Makinano.
Makinano further disclosed that the 2013 YAFS 4
Survey contains the same basic data gathered in previous rounds. The YAFS 4 has
also expanded in range of topics as well as added new questions to previously
existing topics.
“It has a new topic on Health and Lifestyle
(including a short depression scale). The topic on media has been expanded to
include the new forms of communication technologies that were not yet
well-developed in 2002 such as social media, cellphone use and cyber-bullying,”
added Makinano.
YAFS is one of the primary sources of
information on sexual and non-sexual risk behaviors at the national and
regional levels which covers a wide range of topics that are relevant to young
people.
The findings have been widely used in education
and health and had provided the evidence base for health programs for young
people by government and non-government organizations nationwide.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DOLE Caraga aids 299 workers with P2.3M in
monetary claims
BUTUAN CITY, July 25 - Two hundred Ninety Nine
(299) Caraganons benefited through the Department of Labor and Employment’s
(DOLE) Single Entry Approach Program amounting to P2,363,634.62 from January to
June 2014.
This conciliation arsenal of the department provides
a speedy, impartial, inexpensive and accessible settlement procedure for all
issues/complaints arising from employer-employee relations to prevent them from
accelerating to full blown disputes.
There were 132 requests for assistance (RFAs)
handled by DOLE’s 10 dynamic Single Entry Approach (SENA) Desk Officers in the
region resulting to an 83 percent settlement rate which surpasses the national
target of 75 percent.
“Our SENA achievers as of June 2014, Technical
Services and Support Division and Agusan del Norte Field Office, has the
shortest duration to settle RFAs within three days. The Technical Services and
Support Division has attained the highest settlement rate of 93 percent,” bared
DOLE-Caraga regional director Atty. Johnson CaΓ±ete.
Agusan del Norte Field Office and Surigao del
Norte Field Office has the highest number of RFAs handled which comprises a
total of 37 cases. Surigao del Sur Field Office, on the other hand, has the
largest number of workers benefited from a single conference comprising of 116
workers. (JPG/DOLE-13/PIA-Caraga)
NRCO awards 21 livelihood assistance to
displaced OFWs
BUTUAN CITY, July 25 (PIA) – The National
Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), an attached agency of the Department of
Labor and Employment (DOLE) awarded 21 livelihood assistance to the displaced
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who were sent back home in the Philippines.
The livelihood grants were given to financially
aid the returning OFWs who have been maltreated and laid-off from work.
Relative to this, DOLE-Caraga, in cooperation
with NRCO and Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) recently
conducted a one-day orientation to the livelihood beneficiaries held at the
VJ’s Sportsbar and Ihaw-Ihaw, Butuan City.
The seminar is designed to give them enough and
adequate knowledge on how to manage and sustain their businesses acquired from
the P10,000.00 given.
DOLE-Agusan del Norte Labor Employment Officer
III Raymond de Juan discussed the principles of simple bookkeeping and
techniques on designing cash inflows and outflows of the business. He
emphasized on the difference between personal and business expenses.
RTWPB Board Secretary Earl V. Dela Victoria,
together with Atty. Cornelius Mahinay, presented the Industrious, Systematic,
Time-Conscious, Innovative and strong Value for Work (ISTIV) Bayanihan. ISTIV
is a regular program of the RTWPB to help BMBEs and Micro Enterprises achieve
their business goals.
Dela Victoria highlighted the importance on how
to earn the attributes of a productive person and also enumerated the
programs/activities and services that are being offered by their office.
(JPG/RDJ/ICA/DOLE-13/PIA-Caraga)
LGU-Placer gets BUB fund from DTI
By Rodrigo R. Matabaran
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, July 25 (PIA) -
The local government unit of Placer received the check amounting to P500,000.00
from the Department of Trade and Industry under the Bottom Up Budgeting (BUB)
Program during the ceremonial turn-over held recently at the Municipal Hall,
Placer, this province.
The fund was intended for the establishment of a
Display Center for local products in Bad-as, Placer that will be operated by
United Women Association (UWA) of Placer, a federation of women’s group in the
municipality as the proponent.
Its location being adjacent to the public market
operated by the municipal government, the center will serve as an outlet of
local products and souvenir items that consumers, visitors and tourists can
buy.
Barangay Bad-as is situated at a junction of the
national highway from Surigao City going to Butuan City and Tandag City and
vice versa of which passenger vehicles usually stops over.
Moreover, it serves as a trading center of the
rural communities of Tubod, Placer and Tagana-an being at the heart of the gold
mining areas of the province. Hence, it is considered ideal and strategic
location for the project. (SDR/Information Officer, DTI-Surigao del
Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Cagwaitnons train on bamboo handicraft
CAGWAIT, Surigao del Sur, July 25 (PIA) - A
total of 30 active members from various community-organized groups here were
trained recently on bamboo handicraft production with on-site demonstration and
hands-on sessions.
The training was spearheaded by the Provincial
Science and Technology Center of Surigao del Sur (PSTC-Surigao del Sur) in
partnership with the Bamboo Technology Resource Center – Technology Application
and Promotion (BRTC-TAPU) of Mindanao State University- Iligan Institute of
Technology (MSU-IIT).
Cagwait mayor Lilian Lozada, who requested
personally the training, had expressed the strategic plans to sustain and make
use of the newly acquired skills and knowledge to be an important industry of
the municipality.
“The abundance of bamboo in the area can be a
worthwhile opportunity to build up the potential of the locals,” said Lozada.
Lozada inspires the group to continue and come
up with products displayed recently during the celebration of Araw ng Surigao
del Sur held last June 17-19, 2014 and Kaliguan Festival last June 23-27, 2014.
Meanwhile, Lilian Valencia of BTRC-TAPU had
stressed during the training the importance of bamboo, which she calls it as
“the grass of life.”
“It is fast growing and can be harvested 3-5
years after planting and despite of being an indigenous material, one can
produce world class product out of it because bamboo has its own aesthetic
appeal,” she said.
Accordingly, the market opportunity and demand
for bamboo products are high. In fact, the demand for eco-friendly products
like bamboo has surprisingly exceeded the demand of wood products. Aside from
being used as handicraft, bamboo can also be used to mitigate disaster risks
and climate change.
Meanwhile, BTRC-TAPU is an attached office of
the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) that is
mandated to provide extension activities for community development whose
training staff are strongly committed to excellence in the application and
promotion of science and technology in the countryside. (NGBT/DOST/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
Surigao Norte holds youth innovation,
entrepreneurship workshop
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, July 25 (PIA) –
The provincial government here thru the provincial economic enterprise and
development management office (PEEDMO) held a one-day orientation-workshop on
innovation and entrepreneurship for the youth on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at
Sagisi Hall of Gateway Hotel, this city.
PEEDMO officer-in-charge Graciela E. Mante said
the workshop was participated by selected student leaders of the province.
Mante said the one-day entrepreneurship
activitiy was aimed to incorporate an entrepreneurial perspective to the
mindset of the youth and stimulate their drive to organize strategies for
employment creation, product and service innovation, community revitalization
and livelihood promotion.
"This is the first of a series of workshops
intended to aid the younger generation to develop their capacity in maximizing
their potential to be the prime movers in the economic development of the
province, " she said.
Mante said the output of the workshop will be
presented in the up-coming Youth Entrepreneurship Forum on July 25, 2014 to be
held at the Surigao State College and Technology (SCCT) Main Campus.
(SDR/PEEDMO-SDN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
News Feature: A thirst for water quenched by SALINTUBIG
GPB
By Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa
BUTUAN CITY, July 25 (PIA) - The one thousand and one hundred three
(1,103) residents of Barangay Sangay in the municipality of Kitcharao, Agusan
del Norte have now access to sufficient water supply after being granted a
potable water system project of the Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig Para sa Lahat,
known as the SALINTUBIG program of the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG) Region 13 (CARAGA) through the government’s initiated program
– Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB) process with a budgetary cost of Php
900,000.00.
The “Improvement of Sangay Potable Water System
in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte” has been the ultimate answer to the endemic
problem of water inadequacy in the barangay. Through the GPB process, formerly
known as Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB), the water project was identified and
prioritized through the active participation of peoples’ representatives and
the endorsement of the Civil Society Organization (CSOs) since the residents of
Brgy. Sangay has long been deprived of sufficient access to safe and potable water.
The local government provided a counterpart worth Php100,000.00, making the
total project cost into Php 1 M that caters 220 households in the barangay.
Punong Barangay Bartolome Abejero, Sr. of Brgy.
Sangay showed the operational water stations, which is a kilometer away from
the water source.
“Overflowing with joy and gratitude, we would
like to express our deepest thanks to the government for answering the need
that we have long been asking for. We thought the government has closed its
doors on us, but we are wrong. Through the GPB, we went through the process and
now we are heard. It is very satisfying (Dako kayo ang among kalipay ug
pagpasalamat sa gobyerno sa pagtubag sa among dugay na nga gipanagayu. Abi namo
nga gitalikdan na kami sa gobyerno pero nasayup kami. Mahitungod sa GPB, kami
ning sunod sa proseso para mahatagan ug proyekto ug nadunggan gajud kami. Kami
nahimutang na)," said Punong Barangay Bartolome Abejero, Sr.
Hygiene and sanitation in the barangay has
improved since the operation of the water system. In fact, diarrhea and other
related water borne diseases which are very rampant in the area mostly
affecting school-age children have considerably dropped. The most noted
positive change was the immediate relief of the residents in fetching gallons
of water from the very distant water source.
Consistent with the Millennium Development Goal
(MDG) No. 7, which is to reduce by 50% of the world’s population without access
to safe and potable water, the government has committed to provide water to all
Filipinos, particularly for the poor and waterless communities. Through the GPB
and pipelined through the SALINTUBIG program of the DILG, many waterless
communities have now access to safe and potable water. This is also in response
to the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) for 2011-2016 which gives priority to
water and sanitation.
The 2013 SALINTUBIG is designed to grant
financing and capacity development programs for the implementation of water
supply projects in waterless municipalities, in poorest barangays with high
level of waterborne diseases, in resettlement areas and public health centers
without access to safe water and in the BUPB priority areas as contained in
DBM-NPAC-DILG-DSWD Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 Series of 2012 signed on
November 12, 2012.
The DILG as the lead executing agency
responsible for the provision of grant financing for the implementation of
water projects, also enhances the capacity of the LGUs and water service
providers to plan, implement, manage and operate the water projects. (DILG-13/PIA-Caraga)
650 households in Veruela benefit from PCF
project
By Florian
Faith Jr. P. Bayawa
VERUELA, Agusan del Sur, July 25 (PIA) - Having
suffered from a high prevalence of water-borne diseases resulting to the
increasing morbidity rate of the municipality of Veruela and having been
deprived of access to potable water for so long, the 650 households of
Barangays Anitap. Katipunan, Del Monte, Sisimon and Sta. Cruz are now enjoying
access to safe drinking water.
Access to safe water supply is made possible
through the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) of the Department of the Interior
and Local Government (DILG) Region 13, a flagship program of the department
aimed at supporting development initiatives of the local government units which
is provided as an incentive fund to LGUs that are recipients of the Seal of
Good Housekeeping.
The establishment of 130 units rainwater
collectors amounting to Php 3,760,000.00 from the PCF fund has answered the
lack of potable water supply in the municipality being its second major problem
as identified during the Barangay Workshop Consultation. In fact, a significant
decrease of incidents of waterborne diseases in these barangays has been
recorded since the project’s completion in 2013.
Each rainwater collector with a water tank
capacity of 1,000 liters is shared by five neighboring households with the
primary purpose of providing drinking water. To sustain the operation of the
project, the beneficiaries, being the end-users with the assistance of the
barangay officials are responsible in its maintenance. (DILG-13/PIA-Caraga)
U.S. Ambassador Goldberg visits Benguet to
promote disaster risk reduction activities
BENGUET, July 25 - U.S. Ambassador to the
Philippines Philip S. Goldberg visited Benguet Province from July 24 to July 25
to lead a series of activities that will further advance disaster risk
reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation measures in the region.
Benguet is one of the most vulnerable provinces
to climate change in the Philippines. The province is highly exposed to
typhoons, landslides, soil erosion, and drought.
U.S. Embassy Manila’s United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP)
to implement a Disaster Risk Reduction and Response/Climate Change Adaptation
program. The partnership aims to increase risk reduction initiatives in nine
provincial governments, 23 municipal governments and eight cities outside Metro
Manila by strengthening their capacity for climate change adaptation. The DRR
Program is also working with seven academic institutions to introduce locally available
and innovative solutions to address disaster risks and nine non-government
organizations to do community-based disaster risk reduction interventions.
U.S. Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg said, “the
U.S. government (USG) is committed to working with the Philippine Government to
strengthen the capacity of communities to mitigate, prepare for, and respond to
natural disasters and to increase resilience to global climate change.”
On July 24, Ambassador Goldberg travelled to
Tublay to lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony of an Emergency Operations Center.
With USG support, the municipality of Tublay, along with several local
government units, constructed Emergency Operations Centers that will serve as
hubs for disaster management activities.
In addition, through the DRR program, the
population of upland communities, particularly the women, received training and
materials to pursue coffee farming as a means of livelihood. The coffee farming
activity, which was designed to prevent landslides in Tublay, also helped boost
the average income of women farmers.
The day’s event culminated with one-on-one
interaction between Ambassador Goldberg and the women coffee farmers to discuss
the impact of local DRR initiatives on their day-to-day lives.
On July 25, U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission
Brian L. Goldbeck, along with the Governor of Benguet, Hon. Nestor B. Fongwan
and municipal mayors, announced new USAID-funded grants in the amount of
Php14.8 million (USD $340,000) to support DRR activities in five partner local
government units in Benguet, as well as the University of the Philippines
Baguio, and the local People’s Initiative for Learning and Community
Development.
“These grants are intended to build the capacity
of the awardees to implement high-impact solutions to minimize their
communities’ exposure to the dangers of natural disasters. With this additional
support, we hope to contribute to our collective commitment to help vulnerable
communities save lives, properties, and livelihoods,” stated Goldbeck at the
Provincial Capitol of Benguet in La Trinidad.
“In close coordination with the Philippine
Government and under the Partnership for Growth, the United States and the
Philippines are working to support communities to adapt to the impacts of
climate change to help achieve more inclusive and resilient growth for
Filipinos,” stated Mr. Reed Aeschliman,
Deputy Mission Director, USAID/Philippines, who was present throughout the
two-day series of events, alongside Praveen Agrawal, WFP Representative and
Country Director and Onoura Daniels, WFP DRR Program Coordinator. (U.S. Embassy/PIA-Caraga)
IPHO confirms alarming incidence of dengue in
Tandag City; joins call on public to take action
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, July 25 (PIA) – The Integrated
Provincial Health Office (IPHO) in Surigao del Sur led by Dr. Algerico Irizari
has confirmed the alarming rise in dengue cases in the city.
Through Rodrigo Gordo, Sanitation Inspector IV
and Disease Surveillance Coordinator, it was learned that as of July 22, the
number of cases has already swelled to 171, admitting that the data was sourced
from Ephraim Toral, City Disease Surveillance Officer.
Gordo stressed that a meeting has already been
held late last week purposely to address the problem.
He also agreed with the city government taking
drastic action to get rid of dengue-carrying mosquitoes due to the upswing of
cases.
Earlier, Mayor Roxanne Pimentel, through former
mayor Alexander Pimentel, now city administrator, already sought the support of
both media and public to combat the situation.
Of the 21 barangays comprising the city, 13 have
already made it to the list of dengue-hit areas; Barangay Telaje got the most
number of “suspected” victims, Pimentel told. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
TESDA-Caraga provides skills training to gov’t
soldiers
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, July 25 (PIA) - Believing that
winning the hearts of the people is not a matter of always using the long arm
of the law, the 401st and 402nd Infantry Brigades of the Philippine Army’s 4th
Infantry Division has partnered with the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) in providing skills training to soldiers through
Aquaculture and Vegetable Crop Production.
The project, dubbed as “Pagbansay-bansay alang
sa Kalinaw ug Kalambuan” (Training for Peace and Development), aims to develop
mutual cooperation on skills development and training to help uplift the living
condition of communities through sustainable livelihood programs.
According to Von Gerald Nuer, a rifleman of the
401st IB, the training is beneficial to soldiers like him because this will
serve as another source of income. He admitted that like any other government
employees, they also experience in engaging loans.
“This is a good opportunity for us soldiers so
that we can have extra income out of this training in Tilapia production,” Nuer
said.
Aside from this, Nuer said after the training,
they will also serve as the trainers of the people in their respective
communities. “After we passed the assessment, we will go back to our respective
communities and train them in tilapia processing… In this way, we can help them
find livelihood opportunities,” Nuer said.
When asked why they engaged in tilapia production
and not other species, he said tilapias can dwell in fresh waters and since
majority of their assigned communities are located in mountainous areas,
tilapia production is very practical.
Nuer has finished training on operate fish
nursery and perform fish grow-out operations leading to Aquaculture NC II
together with other 29 combat soldiers at the Northern Mindanao School of
Fisheries (NMSF) in Matabao, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.
For the vegetable production training that was
conducted in Surigao del Norte College of Agriculture and Technology (SNCAT) in
Magpayang, Mainit, Surigao del Norte, a total of 37 soldiers received their
Certificate of Competency (COC).
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Lenon Babilonia, 402nd IB
Executive Officer, in his words of welcome emphasized that the partnership with
TESDA has given significant contribution in developing the manpower skills of
the government soldiers.
The official likewise pointed out that the
trainings that the soldiers have acquired will also be passed to the
communities through technology transfer. “This is to help the community to have
sustainable livelihood opportunities,” Babilonia said.
Col. Babilonia likewise congratulated the
soldiers for receiving their badge of courage. He explained that the badge of
courage simply means that the soldiers have put down their weapons and
replacing them with planting tools, weighing scales, and fish nets to help the
community organize and to have livelihood projects and help the government in
solving the insurgency of Caraga Region.
In his message, Lt. Col. Gregory Cayetano, 401st
Infantry Brigade Commander stressed that aside from providing the community
with the facilities needed for fish and vegetable production, the people must
also be given skills training to properly manage the facilities, time, and
effort in implementing tilapia and vegetable production.
“With this initiative, there is a need for our
government soldiers to be trained by highly-technical manpower certified by
TESDA so that as they will pass on what they have learned to the people in
their respective areas of responsibilities, we can assure that the livelihood
opportunities that we are providing them will be put in place, thus, it will be
sustained,” Cayetano said.
The official further said that with majority of
the people who belong to the middle and lower-level class, there is a need to
increase their level of living condition. “This is a better way to solve insurgency
in our country,” Cayetano added.
Cayetano likewise challenged the graduates to
establish a trend and influence the bandwagon so that other stakeholders will
come in and help us out. “We don’t only need to equip them with facilities, but
more importantly with right attitude and family values, as well as home economy
to improve their living condition, for the benefit of the children,” Cayetano
said.
The project involves the concepts on Technology
Training, Methodology Training, Execution/Demo Farm, Community Training, and
Community Enterprise.
Technology training will be initiated by TESDA
on various Technical and Vocational Skills through alternative education to
selected soldiers. After the technology training, TESDA further trains
personnel participants on methods of teaching their acquired skills and
knowledge to include Cooperative Development and Social Preparation.
The AFP units shall establish a demo farm or
laboratory in their respective areas assisted by TESDA Field Offices for the participants
to apply their acquired skills and knowledge.
AFP, through the Community Organized for Peace
and Development (COPD) and TESDA will train communities according to their
preferred course with the help of Provincial Local Government Units and business
sectors.
The Community Enterprise will be established by
trained communities as their Demonstration Farms, supervised and evaluated by
AFP Units and TESDA Field Offices. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)
PNP, AFP get security set for SONA sked in Caraga
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, July 25 (PIA) – Both the Philippine
National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Caraga
region have already their respective security measures set for the July 28
schedule of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Aquino
III.
Surigao del Sur Officer-In-Charge (OIC)
Provincial Director P/SSupt. Narciso Verdadero, for his part, said that it has
always been a routine for them to stay in full alert status, conduct choke-and
checkpoints, and employ other stricter security measures and procedures in
times like these just to ensure good peace and order.
The provincial chief PNP also indicated that law
enforcers are more suspicious against criminals and others of that ilk out to
possibly take advantage of the situation, especially so that some groups are
expected to hold simultaneous protest actions.
In a separate interview, Army 401st Brigade
Commander Col. Gregory Cayetano said that “with or without SONA,” the rebels
are going to “intensify moves” in the aftermath of the “Prosperidad botched
attack” on July 15, not discounting the possibility of resorting to “terror
activities.”
It will be recalled that during that incident,
18 were killed, 13 of which were New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, four were
“baganis” or Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) warriors, and one was an army
soldier.
Also, Cayetano admitted to seeing the usual
horde of people going to the streets to stage rallies on that SONA schedule
which the rebel groups might infiltrate.
However, the brigade commander assured that
“preemptive moves” are always in place.
In this regard, Cayetano called on the public
for support, adding that it will be better if they can pinpoint the rebels’
exact locations.
Cayetano believed that rebels will always try to
“embarrass” the administration in any given scenario. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
Cebuano News: 52 ka mga aplikante sa Jobs Fair
2014 nakakuha og trabaho
SURIGAO CITY, Hulyo 25 (PIA) - Mokabat sa 52 ka
mga aplikante ang nahimong 'hired on the spot' o nakukuha og trabaho atol sa
gipahigayon nga Jobs Fair 2014 nga gipasiugdahan sa lokal nga pangamhanan sa
syudad pinaagi na sa Public and Employment Service Office (PESO) ug sa
pakigtamabayayong sa buhatan sa Department of Labor and Employment Office
(DOLE) ning syudad.
Sumala ni PESO Manager Gloria Gemina ug City
Human Resource Personnel nga mikabat sa 279 ka mga indibidwal ang nag- apply sa
nagkadaiyang mga kumpanya ug ahensya sa maong kalihukan diin.
Sumala pa ni Gemina nga aduna usab mokabat sa
139 ka mga indibidwal ang mipasar sa interbyu ug mupailawom kini sa usa ka
eksaminasyon o exam ngadto sa buhatan nga ilang gi-aplayan.
(SDR/MICO-Surigao/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
