Mary Kay-Butuan supports PIA’s advocacy on CCA
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, July 15 (PIA) – In line with this
year’s Regional Information Officers’ Summit on Climate Change Adaptation and
Mitigation advocacy on July 16-17, 2014 at Dottie’s Place Hotel here, the
beauty consultants of Mary Kay here expressed their support to the summit
initiated by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga, in partnership
with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“We the independent sales force of Mary Kay
Philippines is geared with the company’s mission in enriching lives through our
quality products and services. As such, I believe PIA is also geared towards
the professional growth of every men and women at work, and through this, we
can be of service to you through our partnership in making them confident and
feel good about themselves and which in turn, they will do wonderful deeds for
the community,” expressed Maria Irene Matig-a, Mary Kay Independent Beauty
Consultant.
Matig-a further said she and her team will be
conducting free facial and make over to the women and men who will be
participating in the said summit.
“We will provide all our skin care and make up
materials for everyone who is interested to have facial make over. We guarantee
you this will be full of fun and learning for everyone,” emphasized Matig-a.
Mary Kay Philippines is the 30th subsidiary of
Mary Kay, Inc., one of the largest direct selling skin care and color cosmetic
companies in the world. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DOST to hold this year’s NST Week celeb
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, July 15 (PIA) – The Department of
Science and Technology (DOST) Caraga is once again spearheading this year’s
National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) on July 24-28, 2014 at the SMX
Convention Center, Pasay City, Manila.
DOST-Caraga regional director Dominga Mallonga
bared this year is the “Outcome 2: Enterprise Development Exhibits,” which
shows appreciation of the programs and services provided by DOST regional
offices particularly in the Community Empowerment through Science and
Technology (CEST) program initiatives.
“Experience how Science and Technology entered
local communities, bearing an undertaking of alleviating poverty on the
following areas: 1) Health and Nutrition; 2) Water and Sanitation; 3) Basic
Education and Literacy; 4) Livelihood and Economic Enterprise Development; and
5) Disaster Risk Reduction/Climate Change Adaptation,” Mallonga added.
NSTW highlights significant contributions of
science and technology to national development. It also serves as a venue for
scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and businessmen. NSTW takes its roots in
the 1950s when it was still called the Philippine National Science Week, and
was instituted in 1982 as NSTW. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Seek higher ground if your area is prone to
storm surge, says DOST
MANILA, July 15 (PIA) - Residents in communities
with a forecast two- to three-meter (six to 11 feet) height of the storm surge
are urged to seek higher ground and take extra precautions as typhoon Glenda
lashes out strong rains in the country.
Deparment of Science and Technology (DOST)
Secretary Mario Montejo urged the public to stay informed and be prepared in
the face of the approaching typhoon by using weather bulletin from PAGASA and
complementary information from models generated by Nationwide Operational
Assessment of Hazards (Project NOAH) and the 3D mapping models from the
Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation (Project DREAM).
“Information is a vital tool that we can use to
plan wisely for natural hazards such as typhoons and thus reduce our losses.
Based on our experience from past typhoons, we call on the public to heed the
warnings issued by our monitoring and warning agencies and to not second-guess
them because we are using the best tools available,” noted Montejo.
“We enjoin every Filipino and our communities to
remain alert and follow the necessary precautions and guidelines to keep safe.
Our best tool to prevent a disaster is ensuring everyone’s safety by using all
the information available to us and the lessons from our experience in the past
typhoons so that we can prevent too much disaster loss,” said Montejo.
“Those living in areas with storm surge alert
warnings should seek and move to higher ground, especially if the area is
low-lying or flat that will make it prone to inland inundation,” said Dr. Mahar
Lagmay, executive director of DOST’s Project NOAH.
Dr. Lagmay recently attended the World Risk
Summit in which he noted that the tools used by the Philippines are the latest
and most advanced used by global meteorological stations.
The storm surge simulation and list of affected
municipalities were posted on Project NOAH’s website and blog Monday night and
were communicated by PAGASA, the state weather bureau and the National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Montejo urged local disaster responders and the
public to inquire with the warning agencies if they have further queries. You
may call PAGASA at (63 2) 927 1541, 926 1993, and 926 6970. You may also follow
it on Facebook.com/pagasa.dost.gov.ph and via Twitter @dost_pagasa for live
updates. (DOST/PIA-Caraga)
Malimono Micro-enterprise projects get P1.1
million pesos GPB funding from DTI
By Ma. Theresa Z. Calang
SURIGAO CITY, July 15 (PIA) - The municipal
government of Malimono, Surigao del Norte received funds for its three
micro-enterprise projects worth P1,100,000 under the Grassroots Participatory
Budgeting (GPB) funding from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Malimono Mayor Teodoro F. Sinaca who personally
received the check expressed his gratitude to DTI-Surigao del Norte Provincial
Director Celestino L. Negapatan for the agency’s support to the constituents of
the municipality. The three partner organizations,
the Mayor reported are excited and ready to implement the enterprise projects.
He added that with the guidance and supervision of the municipal government,
project beneficiaries will be able to implement and operate their projects
successfully to generate income not just for the people’s organizations but to
their members-beneficiaries as well.
Negapatan assured the project proponents that
DTI will be assisting them on their various technical and marketing needs. He added further that the agency will always
be ready to help them in expanding their operations and production by offering
other DTI flagship programs.
Based on the work and financial plans prepared
by the recipient-organizations, various activities like production
benchmarking, skills and technical trainings, acquisition of materials and
equipment are scheduled in the coming months to fast track the implementation
of the projects. (DTI/PIA-Caraga)
NIA continues to maintain and develop irrigation
system in SurSur
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, July 15 (PIA) – The Provincial
Irrigation Management Office (PIMO) under the National Irrigation
Administration (NIA) in Surigao del Sur led by acting division manager Engr.
Salome Layasan has continued to maintain and develop the irrigation system in
the province.
In a report dubbed as Project Status of calendar
year (CY)-2012, CY-2013, Quick Response Fund, and CY-2014 Projects, Layasan
bared the sum total of P1,241,509,765.52 as direct cost/awarded amount of
irrigation projects to Surigao del Sur for the said periods apart from the
P23,038,000 project tagged as “needing clearance” and the quick response fund
(QRF) amounting to P53,621,000 due to Typhoon Pablo.
It was learned that for calendar years 2012,
2013, and 2014, the allotted amounts were P704,443,362.52; P337,312,400; and P199,754,000, respectively.
Moreover, the particular amounts were also
supplied with corresponding physical and financial accomplishments of projects.
For CY 2012, the project posted 76.10 percent
physical and 61.06 percent financial accomplishments; for CY-2013— 81.17
percent physical and 48.37 percent financial accomplishments; but for
CY-2014—the report did not yet indicate the project status except for the
notation “For Awards” under the remarks column for particular items.
Overall, the NIA here has already posted 88.574
percent physical accomplishment as of June 2014 including that of the CY-2012
project needing clearance—100 percent; and the status of QRF due to Typhoon
Pablo—85.60 percent, as well as the QRF
funded by calamity fund for Repair and Rehabilitation of Existing Irrigation
System (RREIS)—100 percent.
However, records will show that PIMO has only
put up 63.906 percent financial accomplishment.
Irrigation projects in Surigao del Sur are
classified into two categories—National Irrigation System (NIS) and Communal
Irrigation System (CIS).
Meanwhile, it was learned from Engr. Dexter
Sablaon, Senior Engineer A of PIMO that the potential irrigable area in the
whole province is estimated at 26,778 hectares; 13,346 hectares of which have
already been irrigated or equivalent to 49.84 percent.
The idle area waiting for an irrigation system
to be put in place is still at 13,532 hectares or equivalent to 50.16 percent,
he stressed. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Knowledge, research, and policy center for
Mindanao pushed
DAVAO CITY, July 15 (PIA) - In efforts to strengthen the link between
research and policy formulation in Mindanao, the creation of a knowledge,
research, and policy center is being pushed to bolster policy-directed
researches, as well as institutionalize development planning, and policy advocacy
within the island-region.
The Mindanao Studies Consortium Foundation Inc.
(MSCFI), the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED), and the other higher education institutions (HEIs) are
advocating for the establishment of the Mindanao Knowledge, Research and Policy
Center (MKRPC), an institution that will engage the academe and research
institutions in conducting policy-directed researches.
Part of the goal of MKRPC is to provide a common
database of policy researches and experts on Mindanao and facilitate identified
priority research studies among academic institutions, government agencies, and
international organizations.
The center also aims to contribute to policy
formulation and advocacy for Mindanao at the legislative and executive branches
of the government, and will facilitate collaborative efforts in the conduct of
research, studies, and other similar undertakings.
MSCFI President Lourdesita Sobrevega-Chan said
there is a need to harmonize and align researches and policy studies with the
thrusts and priorities of the Mindanao Peace and Development Framework Plan or
the Mindanao 2020.
MSCFI is a research consortium established in
2003 that serves a clearing house of ideas and resources designed to provide
solutions to Mindanao’s socioeconomic needs through research and policy
studies. Currently chaired by the Ateneo de Davao University, it is composed of
14 academic institutions and research organizations across the island-region.
“By aligning our researches with the goals and
visions of Mindanao 2020, this will promote a culture of scientific research
and development among key implementing agencies and will help us employ
effective methods that will address the region’s challenges and realities,”
Chan added.
The Mindanao 2020 is the 20-year roadmap for the
socioeconomic development of Mindanao which sets the directions, strategies,
and key initiatives necessary to achieve peace and sustainable development in
the region.
“We recognize the fact that to effect inclusive
growth in Mindanao, we must utilize holistic approach in development, which
requires research tools and methodologies that will provide precise methods in
carrying out development programs that will respond to the region’s peculiar
needs,” said Janet Lopoz, MinDA executive director.
She added that Mindanao’s academic institutions
are a rich source of researches and studies that if harnessed, can evolve as
key directives for the region’s planners and policy makers.
“As the command center of a Mindanao-focused
scientific research and development, MKPRC aims to provide a platform for
effective knowledge management that will not only improve access to data and
resource sharing, but eventually lead to the implementation of Mindanao 2020’s
key development programs,” added Lopoz.
A joint undertaking of MinDA and the MSCFI, the
establishment of the MKRPC will also improve Mindanao’s knowledge networks with
academic and research institutions abroad, as well as both local and
international communities of academic scholars.
In 2013, the MSCFI in collaboration with MinDA
completed the Ridge-to Reef capacity assessment of key partners of the
MindaNOW! Nurturing Our Waters Program, MinDA’s flagship environment
program. Results of the study now serve
as bases in strengthening the capacities of cooperating agencies in applying
the river basin approach in planning and policy-formulation.
Other studies conducted by the consortium
include the Annotated Bibliography of Mindanao Studies, Check-Points and Choke
Points, and the Cultural Mapping Research and School of Peace Assessment.
Co-chaired by Father Saturnino Urius University
in Butuan City, other MSCFI members include the University of South Eastern
Philippines, the University of the Philippines-Mindanao, the Mindanao State
University system, the Notre Dame University, the Western Mindanao State
University, the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, the Dansalan College
Foundation, and the Alternate Forum For Research In Mindanao.
(MinDA/PIA-Caraga)
Funding release jumpstarts development of
micro-enterprise projects in San Francisco town
By Ma. Theresa Z. Calang
SURIGAO CITY, July 15 (PIA) - Six
micro-enterprise development projects in San Francisco, Surigao de Norte
received funding assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry amounting
to P1,139,500 through the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB) process.
In a turnover ceremony held June 4 at the San
Francisco Municipal Hall, DTI-Surigao del Norte provincial director Celestino
L. Negapatan handed the checks to mayor Simplicia
P. Bacol in the presence of the project beneficiaries and other municipal officials
and employees.
The projects consist of Bamboo Sticks Production
in Barangay Macopa - P95,000, Establishment of Bigasan Ng Bayan in Brgy.
Magtangale - P47,000, Establishment of Bakery in Barangay Magtangale - P95,000
and Nito Production in Barangay Jubgan – P380,000, all of which will be
implemented by the women’s organizations in the areas.
A Tableya Processing Project will be implemented
in Barangay Honrado by members of the Honrado Farmers Credit Cooperative
amounting to P142,500.
Rural Improvement Club (RIC) Calamay Makers of
Barangay Banbanon will be implementing a Calamay and Ginger Production in the
amount of P380,000.
Mayor Bacol is thankful for the support from the
national government and she encouraged the beneficiaries to properly implement
and manage their respective ventures.
Negapatan assured the beneficiary-organizations
particularly the new ones that still need to improve their capability in
managing the projects, that DTI is ready to extend various technical and
enterprise development-related services to them. He is also hopeful that they will enjoy the
benefits of the projects in terms of additional income for their families if
they could successfully sustain the operation of their respective projects. (DTI/PIA-Caraga)
