Butuan Habitat for Humanity, LGU-Butuan build
network of donors for housing project
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 13 (PIA) – The Butuan Habitat
for Humanity (BHFH) represented by president Eufroceles Udarbe and the city
government of Butuan led by mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr. hosted here on Friday a
Donor Appreciation Event, a dinner for a cause and a celebration of generosity
among benefactors who shelled out monetary contributions for a housing project
intended to provide shelter to the less fortunate members of the community.
Habitat for Humanity head of regional operations
in Davao and Caraga, Atty. Abdussador Sawadjaan, Jr. sincerely welcomed and
thanked the guests for their presence. He expressed that working in Habitat is
fulfilling despite facing many land issues just to pursue the planned projects.
“Every individual is entitled to his economic, social and cultural right to
adequate housing and shelter,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile,
Mayor Amante, Jr. said that “It’s not only a construction of four walls
and a roof but a concept of keeping a dignity of every Butuanon family. By
building homes, the goal to lift poor communities from poverty can be attained.
It’s a big challenge but I am eager to collaborate with Butuan Habitat for
Humanity and other stakeholders.”
Butuan Habitat for Humanity president Udarbe
also expressed that they work in multiple ways to give access to safe and
secured homes. “We do facilitate and transform lives through promotion of smart
policies that advance access to adequate, affordable housing,” he added.
The total amount accumulated from munificent
donors raised a whopping P2 million in less than three hours during that
evening. The seed money is intended for the housing project of the local
government of Butuan through Habitat for Humanity. Amante is still counting on
for more pledges for this noble project of building decent homes for the
homeless constituents.
Access to sustainable, and adequate housing
In a special meeting among Butuan Habitat for
Humanity (BHFH) board of directors, Habitat resource development manager Dolly
Santos-Serranillo, and other stakeholders together with Butuan City Mayor
Ferdinand Amante, Jr., they were able to discuss priority steps for the
organization's upcoming activities including the turn-over of 51 newly
constructed Habitat homes in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.
Chief marketing officer Yvonne Lih bared that
the organization has already built more than 100,000 Habitat houses in
provinces across the country. "We are advocating on providing decent and
affordable homes for Filipinos. We partner with the local government units and
generous donors to transform the lives especially of those belonging to marginalized sector,"
she said.
“The model houses built in Bohol costs P120,000
per unit and we even offered it in lower price or for free in disaster-stricken
areas where people experienced extreme devastation. Our objective is achieved
through ’Bayanihan’ approach where donors, participating local government
officials, and the beneficiaries themselves work together in building
affordable and sustainable homes,” elaborated Lih.
Lih also discussed the Balanced Housing
Compliance and presented to mayor Amante the core purpose and concept of HFH.
She reiterated that its ultimate mission is “seeking to put God’s love into
action, whereby, HFH brings people together to build homes, communities and
hope.”
Moreover, Lih relayed that the organization has
already built more than 100,000 Habitat houses in provinces across the country.
“Adequate shelter means more than a roof over one’s head. It also means
adequate privacy; adequate space; physical accessibility; adequate security;
security of tenure; structural stability and reliability; adequate lighting,
heating and ventilation; adequate basic infrastructure, such as water supply,
sanitation and waste-management facilities; suitable environmental quality and
health-related factors; and adequate and accessible location with regard to
work and basic facilities: all of which should be available at an affordable
cost,” relayed Lih.
Likewise, HFH resource development manager
Serranillo cited that they targeted to help uplift the lives of the lowly
citizens by giving them the opportunity to avail a house that they can call
their own. “We are also promoting sustainability by integrating programs for
empowerment and development of Habitat communities such as environmental
protection campaign, social preparation, among others,” articulated Serranillo.
As cited, Pathways to Permanence is Habitat’s
framework for reducing vulnerability and supporting disaster-affected families
and communities using holistic program interventions that enable incremental
progress toward the achievement of permanent, durable shelter and settlements.
Flexible, community-based interventions are tailored to address the disaster
according to its geographic location, nature and scale. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
Trento town receives P8.6 million agri support
By Emmylou T. Presilda
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 13 (PIA) - The municipality of
Trento, Agusan del Sur has received from the Department of Agriculture through
the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) an additional funding for
livelihood projects under the Community Fund for Agricultural Development
Component (CFAD) amounting to P5 Million and another P3.655 Million from the
Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB).
The P5M MRDP-CFAD fund will be used to support
seven peoples organizations who are into Rubber Based Farming and procurement
of hauling equipment for the three people’s organization.
GPB funds shall be used to support six peoples
organizations with projects on Swine Breeding, Pre and post-harvest Facilities,
repair and rehab of consolidation center, draft animal with forage and pasture
project, High Value Crops Demo Farm, and Upland Rice Production.
According to GPB Focal Person Isabelita L.
Ocampo, the municipality of Trento is one of the first to have been downloaded
with the funding after completing the requirements needed to proceed with the
implementation. Likewise, MRDP also
approved for funding the said subprojects after previous MRDP-CFAD allocations
were properly completed and disbursed.
The municipality also received from the DA
21,000 assorted planting materials for the development of high value crops in
the municipality.
Present to support these agricultural
development projects were Congresswoman Evelyn "Bebs" Mellana of
Agusan del Sur 2nd district, Trento Municipal Mayor Johnmark C. Billanes, DA-13
CFAD Coordinator John Gamboa, and DA-GPB Focal Person Isabelita L. Ocampo. (DA-13/PIA-Caraga)
BJMP-Caraga to mark 23rd anniversary celebration
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Oct. 13 (PIA) – The Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology (BJMP) is set to mark its 23rd Anniversary Celebration
in Caraga region on October 14, 2014 at Balanghai Hotel and Convention Center
in Butuan City.
With the theme “Bawat Isa’y Mahalaga sa Maayos
na Pamamahala ng Piitan at Pagtahak sa Matuwid na Daan,” the event is going to
highlight key achievements and other major activities in the performance of
their duties and responsibilities.
“During this momentous event, we will showcase
our significant accomplishments and recognize our best performers and the
personalities and agencies that helped us realize our success,” according to
BJMP Caraga Regional Director Jail Senior Superintendent Dennis Rocamora.
In his invitation, the BJMP chief also
requested, among others, Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny Pimentel to grace the
occasion.
“We are proud to inform you that you are one of
the awardees who will be bestowed with a simple yet wholehearted token of our
appreciation for all the support you have extended to our agency,” Rocamora
stressed. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
POPCOM to harness youth skills
By May Ann O. Escobal
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 13 (PIA) - The Commission on Population (POPCOM)-Caraga
together with the Local Population Offices intensified its efforts to harness
the life skills of the youth to confront the alarming issue on suicidal
tendencies in the region.
Through various Information, Education and
Communication (IEC) campaigns, POPCOM is promoting life skills such as
negotiating, refusal, critical thinking, and sound decision-making, among
others, which are considered as life savers when appropriately practiced by the
youth.
Regional Director Alexander A. Makinano of
POPCOM Caraga mentioned the Learning Package on Parent Education on Adolescent
Health and Development (LPPEAHD) and Sexually Healthy and Personally Effective
(SHAPE) modules of POPCOM; for these will help the young people become more
responsible on their decisions and actions.
RD Makinano stated that POPCOM initiated the
Parent Education Program which aimed to highlight the role and strengthen the
skills of parents as the primary source of accurate and sound information on
adolescent health and development as they prepare their children to become
responsible adults and well-rounded citizens.
In its various advocacies and IEC activities,
POPCOM encouraged parents to be more sensitive to their children’s behavior and
needs, through open communication within the family so that crucial issues
confronted by their children can easily be patched up and resolved.
“Proper guidance and quality time with our
children must be of paramount importance so that the youth will have a happy
and healthy journey from adolescence to adulthood”, Makinano emphasized.
The effort of POPCOM is in response to 2013
Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality (YAFS 4) study which cited that Caraga
Region ranked 4th highest in the country in terms of the number of youth who
ever thought of committing suicide. (POPCOM-13/PIA-Caraga)
Rice prices in SurSur remain stable
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Oct. 13 (PIA) – The price of rice
in Surigao del Sur has remained stable according to National Food Authority
(NFA) Officer-In-Charge (OIC) Provincial Manager Gleen Echin.
With the conduct of regular price monitoring,
she said that the modal prices of commercial rice here were noted at P39, P41,
and P46 per kilo, respectively, for regular-milled rice (RMR), well-milled rice
(WMR), and premium variety.
Echin defined modal price as that which appears
most often.
Meanwhile, she stressed that the NFA rice stays
at P27 per kilo for the RMR and P32 per kilo for the WMR ones.
As of October 9, Echin bared that NFA has a
total rice stocks of 48,548 bags. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
