2015 Naliyagan Festival: A week-long festivity
featuring the Agusan culture
By David M. Suyao
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, June 10 (PIA) - The
23rd annual Naliyagan Festival will again bring a week-long sparkles day and
night in the Naliyagan Cultural Center here featuring the Agusanon culture and
the display of colorful tradition and hospitality.
The grand opening on June 12, 2015 will start at
5:00 a.m. with an Ecumenical Dawn Prayer right at the Naliyagan Cultural Center
(NCC) ground. Featuring the Agusanon culture, the “Panawagtawag,” an Agusanon
ritual will follow where native priests will call on good spirits to join and
bless the week-long celebration, to be followed by the simultaneous holy mass
at 6:00 a.m. in all parish churches provincewide.
The opening day of the festival is also the grand
celebration of the 117th Philippine Independence Day.
After the concelebrated mass at the Saint Vincent
Parish just across the Naliyagan Cultural Center, wreath-laying by Gov. Adolph
Edward Plaza with the entire officialdom of the provincial government and the
two congressional representatives of Agusan del Sur, Cong. Maria Valentina
Plaza (District I), and Cong. Evelyn Plaza Mellana, (District II) will take
place at the Jose Rizal monument with 21 gun salute by the Philippine Army led
by 401st Brigade Commander Col. Alexander Macario as initial gesture of the
Philippine Independence Day celebration.
Right after the wreath laying ceremony, the
Philippine National Flag will be raised by the two congressional
representatives, Cong. Plaza (District I), and Cong. Mellana, (District II),
Gov. Plaza with DILG Provincial Director Arleen Sanchez and Col. Macario. Vice
Governor Santiago Cane Jr. with the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
will raise the provincial flag, then the hoisting of the city/municipal flags
by the city/municipal mayors will follow. The Naliyagan flag will be hoisted
last by former governor and Moral Recovery Program chairperson Valentina Plaza.
The grand opening of the 23rd Naliyagan Festival
will be opened by an ecumenical prayer by the different religious leaders to be
followed by the welcome address of Vice Gov. Cane, then the messages of the two
congressional representatives.
Gov. Plaza will then deliver his message and
declare the formal opening of the Naliyagan Festival 2015. After the
declaration, balloons will be released together with the fleeing of doves as
symbol of independence.
After Gov. Plaza declares the opening of the
Naliyagan Festival, the opening of the
Naliyagan Trade, Services and Entertainment Center will follow showcasing
Agusanon’s bests.
The opening day of the Naliyagan Festival is
expected to be fun. Today, the Gov. Eddiebong Plaza men’s tennis cup will take
place at the Gov. D.O. Plaza Government Center grounds and the Day of the
Tribong Agusanon. In the evening, everybody can witness the Naliyagan Cultural
Show, the Naliyagan Party Jam sponsored by Cong. Bebs Mellana and the Naliyagan
Foreworks Display to color the evening skies. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
WHO, DOH to celebrate World Blood Donor Day
By Daisy Jane M. Apit
BUTUAN CITY, June 10 (PIA) - With the global theme
of this year’s campaign “Thank you for saving life” and with the slogan “Give
Freely, Give Often. Blood Donation Matters,” the World Blood Donor Day will be
celebrated this coming June 14, 2015 throughout the world.
It focuses on thanking all the voluntary unpaid
blood donors who save lives every day through their blood donations and to
raise awareness of the need for regular, voluntary blood donations and adequate
and safe blood transfusion.
The campaign aims to highlight stories from people
whose lives have been saved through blood donation, as a way of motivating
regular blood donors to continue giving blood and people in good health who
have never given blood.
The objective of the campaign also consists of
promotion of regular voluntary unpaid blood donation, creating wider public
awareness of the need for regular donation at regular intervals, focusing on
donor health and the quality of donor care as critical factors in building
donor commitment and willingness to donate regularly, and persuasion of the
ministries of health to show appreciation of regular voluntary unpaid donors
and provide adequate resources for quality donor care.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO's) goal is
for all counties to obtain all their blood supplies from voluntary unpaid
donors by 2020.
“In line with WHO’s intent for the next five
years, the Department of Health (DOH) and the DOH Caraga regional office are
extending all extraneous efforts to support the same mission. Let’s help save
lives by giving a part of ourselves,” said DOH Caraga regional director Dr.
Jose Llacuna, Jr. (DJA/PIACaraga)
DILG Sec. Roxas turns-over 10 police jeeps to
AgNor LGUs
By Daisy Jane M. Apit
BUTUAN CITY, June 10 (PIA) – Department of the
Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas on Wednesday
turned-over 10 multi-purpose police patrol jeeps to the 10 municipalities of
Agusan del Norte at the Agusan del Norte provincial capitol covered court this
city.
Sec. Roxas said the patrol jeeps are not only for
responding to crime situations but for emergencies, as well. Such functions
include transporting evacuees or relief goods during disasters.
"These jeeps are of great help. They will be
used in patrolling, responding in emergencies and because Agusan Norte is one
of the provinces that are usually calamity-stricken, the jeeps shall be used in
disaster preparedness and response," said Roxas.
The local chief executives representing the
municipalities of Buenavista, Carmen, Jabonga, Kitcharao, Las Nieves,
Magallanes, Nasipit, RTR, Santiago and Tubay were all present in the turn-over
ceremony.
"Our DILG Sec. Mar Roxas has been supporting
us in our endeavors here in the province, And now, he is here to give us
another blessing and we are looking forward for more. Wih this, I am asking all
Agusanons to also give our full support to our secretary in whatever he may do
for the good of our country," expressed Agusan del Norte Gov. Ma. Angelica
Rosedell Amante-Matba.
“There are 1,490 total number of cities in the
Philippines and each one of them shall receive one patrol jeep. So far, there
were already 153 jeeps distributed. And in identifying which cities/municipalities
should be given, we ask first the help of the Peace and Order Council and the
PNP,” Roxas said.
The next distribution of the patrol police jeeps
shall be done October of this year, added Roxas.
Right after the turn-over event, Sec. Roxas
proceeded to Bukidnon to also turn-over 20 patrol jeeps.
It was learned that he already distributed patrol
jeeps in the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Western
Samar, Sarangani and South Cotabato. The procurement and distribution of patrol
jeeps is part of the overall strategy to reduce crime not only in the nation's
capital, but in the whole country as well. (DJA with reports from Jennifer P.
Gaitano/PIA-Caraga)
ARB orgs undergo cooperative training
By Gil E. Miranda
BUTUAN CITY, June 10 (PIA) – The Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Agusan del Norte recently conducted a three-day
training on Cooperative Management and Governance in line with the required 14
mandatory training of the Cooperative and Development Authority (CDA) held at
the municipal gym in Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte on June 2 to 4.
The training was attended by some 40 Agrarian
Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) consisting of cooperative leaders and officers that
include managers, secretary, treasurers, bookkeepers from different ARB
organizations in Las Nieves Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs).
The three-day activity enhanced the organizational
capability of the coop leaders and officers to become self-reliant in assuming
full responsibility toward economic advancement.
PARPO II Andre B. Atega, CESO VI said the training
will transform the ARB organizations into efficient agricultural producers and
entrepreneurs.
The participants actively shared their common
experiences and presented the output as they play an integral role in meeting
their proposed goals.
The activity worked with an experienced speakers
from Resource Development Experience Consultancy headed by executive director
Roger O. Fabe.
DAR and CDA are in the forefront to give the ARBOs
the much needed thrust that will ensure their viability to fully link delivery
of support services to agrarian reform beneficiaries in the form of access to
microfinancing and raising agricultural productivity. (DAR-Agusan del
Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
