DOLE celebrates 81st anniv
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 1 (PIA) – The Department of
Labor and Employment (DOLE) Caraga is celebrating its 81st anniversary with
this year’s theme “Higit pa sa Tagumpay at Reporma, ang DOLE mas Makabuluhan,
mas Nadarama." The department, together with the member-agencies of the
Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC) has prepared week-long activities for the
workers’ welfare.
DOLE-Caraga regional director and RCC chair Atty.
Johnson CaΓ±ete announced during a press conference that the department and the
RCC conducted a fun walk and Zumba exercise early morning on Monday dubbed as
"Productivity is the Way, Let's Zumba All the Way" held at DOLE-RCC
hall. Said activity was also sponsored by the Regional Tripartite Wage and
Productivity Board (RTWPB)-Caraga.
CaΓ±ete expressed his thanks to the Philippine
Information Agency (PIA) and all media partners for its untiring support and
religiously disseminating the agencies’ programs and services to the public.
"Together with the Regional Coordinating Committee, we would like to thank
you our media partners for your support and information dissemination of our
programs and services. We are the only DOLE regional office nationwide
conducting a monthly press conference to update you from time to time of our
activities and programs for the welfare of the workers in the region," he
said.
"Join with us this afternoon as we will
conduct the 'Diskwento Caravan' at Butuan City Hall Lobby. Tomorrow, we'll be
holding the One-Day Construction Safety Orientation to be held at the Budget
Foods Convention Center, this city. These are just among the lined-up
activities we prepared for our partners," added CaΓ±ete.
CaΓ±ete further bared that during the Construction
Safety Orientation, the participants from various construction companies will
be briefed on salient topics which include the following: Construction Site
Safety for Workers; Measures for Good Housekeeping; Safety Signage; Excavation
Safety; Scaffolding Safety; Electrical Safety; Prevention of fall when working
at heights; Equipment Safety; and Medical Handling and Storage Safety, among
others. "The workers' rights and responsibilities; employees' compensation
program, and occupational health for construction workers will also be tackled
during said activity," he said.
It was also learned that other activities are set
in line with their 81st anniversary celebration which include the following:
Dec. 3 - Orientation and Forum with Private Recruitment Agencies; Dec. 4 -
Caraga OFW Entrepreneurs Capacity Building; Dec. 5 - Tree Planting activity;
Dec. 8 (Anniversary Day) - Awarding and Recognition of DOLE-RCC Caraga
stakeholders, employees, social partners, and beneficiaries; and Dec. 9 -
Award-giving on Labor Laws Compliance, and the conduct of Angel Tree Program:
Gift-giving to Children. All said activities will be held in Butuan City. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
News Feature: Agnor agrarian coop, farmer
beneficiary receive national awards
By Gil E. Miranda
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 1 (PIA) - The Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR) Central Office conferred the prestigious awards to Baug
CARP Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BCBMPC) and Ruben Ragas as the Most
Progressive Organization and Most Outstanding Agrarian Reform Beneficiary
(ARB), respectively, during the commemoration of the DAR Annual Awards and
Recognition, in line with the celebration of International Year of Family
Farming (IYFF), held at the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM)
Convention Center, Quezon City, last November 24, 2014.
Agusan del Norte Provincial Agrarian Reform
Program Officer (PARPO II) Andre B. Atega commended BCBMPC and Ragas for
modeling the success in Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP)
implementation.
“The two awardees are literal showcases of success
in agrarian reform program implementation in this province,” PARPO Atega said.
BCBMPC is a story of true grit and determination
of 110 ARB members, who struggled from crab hunters to become bankers.
From a capital of P30,000.00, BCBMPC now stands in
hundreds of millions and expected to be one of the billionaire coops in the
country in the next five years.
After more than a decade of spectacular growth,
BCBMPC operates a bank-like system, which provide financial knowledge and
assistance to many small borrowers including Ragas, who now become an
outstanding ARB.
Ruben Ragas is a vegetable grower and farmer
entrepreneur who now earns about half a million pesos yearly from the 2-hectare
land acquired through land distribution program of the government.
BCBMPC has been a recipient of an array of
prestigious awards in the last four years which included the Gawad sa
Pinakatanging Kooperatiba (Gawad Pitak), that in 2013, it was conferred with
Hall of Fame Award under the Agri-Based category with P100,000 worth of fixed
assets.
In 2013, Ragas was the regional awardee on Gawad
Saka 2013 Most Outstanding high valued crop category during the 11th Annual
Vegetable Congress and this year was conferred last August 8, 2014 as the 1st
runner-up as Ulirang Magsasaka.
Both BCBMPC and Ragas are inspiration to all coops
and individual ARBs in Agusan del Norte. (DAR-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del
Norte)
SMWD, partners to host Watershed Forum
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Dec. 1 (PIA) –
The Surigao Metropolitan Water District (SMWD) in partnership with the
provincial government of Surigao del Norte and the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR) will be hosting the Watershed Forum on December 2,
2014 to be held at the Philippine Gateway Hotel, this city.
According to SMWD General Manager Engr. Benjamin
E. Ensomo, Jr., they have invited top-level managers of successful
organizations and experts with a deep knowledge and experience in watershed
management to speak on the important topics.
Important topics to be discussed include
delineation and protection of watershed, reforestation and rehabilitation of
watershed, sustainable watershed management, and ecotourism and public
awareness.
A registration fee of P800.00 will be incurred to
cover lunch snacks and forum kit.
For more information regarding the said forum just
contact the Public Relation Officer Lady Dian Allen C. Basco through telephone
number (086) 826-0269 or visit the SMWD office located at Km. 2 National
Highway, Surigao City. (SDR/SMWD-Surigao City/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Tagalog News: Palasyo, sinabing matagumpay ang
pamahalaan sa pakikipaglaban sa terorismo sa bansa
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Disyembre 1 (PIA) - Gumawa ng
katiyakan ang Malakanyang noong Sabado na patuloy ang kanilang
pakikipagtulungan sa iba pang grupo para labanan ang terorismo at ipagpatuloy
ang kapayapaan sa Mindanao.
Isang grupo ng mga eksperto laban sa terorismo ang
gumawa ng rekomendasyon sa gobyerno na palakasin ang kanyang pakipag-ugnayan sa
Moro Islamic Liberation Front para mapanatili ang kapayapaan sa rehiyon.
"Parang medyo malayo ‘yung coordination doon
sa aksyon. Pero masiseguro namin sa inyo na ipagpatuloy namin ang
pakipag-ugnayan sa mga nasasangkot,” sabi ni deputy presidential spokesperson
Abigail Valte sa isang panayam sa radyo dzRB- Radyo Ng Bayan noong sabado.
Halimbawa, sa pangangalap ng ISIS (Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria) sa Mindanao, sinabi ni Valte na ang sandatahang lakas ng
Pilipinas ay patuloy na nakipagpulong sa mga lokal na pamunuan at iba pang
kasangkot para sanggahin ano man ang kilos para mangalap ng tauhan ang ISIS sa
timog.
Inihalintulad din ng mga eksperto sa terorismo ang
Pilipinas sa mga ginagawa ng ibang bansa sa Timog-silanga Asia tulad ng
Malaysia at Indonesia kung saan sinabi nila na may mga proactive na pagkilos sa
kanilang pakipaglaban sa mga pandaigdigang terorista.
Samantala sinabi ni Valte na habang ang Pilipinas
ay may naiibang paraan, ang katutuhanang ang bansa ay hindi kanlungan para sa
mga terorista ay isa ng katangi-tangi.
Mapahanggang ngayon, tayo ay malawakang matagumpay
sa ating pagsisikap na huwag gawin ang Pilipinas na kanlungan ng terorismo ay
nagpapakita rin ng ating pagsisikap,” sabi ni Valte.
Pero sinaang-ayonan ng opisyal ng Palasyo na ang
pakipaglaban sa terorismo ay isang tuloy-tuloy na pagsisikap at hindi
nangangahulugan na habang kalmado ang paligid, ang pamahalaan ay magbaba ng
alerto sa pagbabantay.
Kaugnay ng plano ng Senado na imbestigahan ang
paratang na nagbayad ng ransom para mapakawalan ang dalawang bihag na Aleman,
sinabi ni Valte na handang makipagtulungan ang ehekutibong sangay sa mga
mababatas.
Pero ipinaliwanag din ni Valte na kung ang
polisiya ng pamahalaan ang pag-uusapan, hindi nagbayad ng kahit anong ransom
ang pamahalaan sa Abu Sayyaf para mapakawalan ang mga nasabing bihag.
(DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
