PopCom Caraga awards LGUs, local execs
By Daisy Jane M. Apit
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 10 (PIA) – The Commission on
Population (PopCom) Caraga recently awarded exemplary local government units,
local chief executives and institutions that have contributed in the field of
population and development in the region.
Dubbed as Rafael M. Salas Population and
Development Award (RMSPDA), which was designed to perpetuate the legacy of
Salas, the recognition also aims to heighten support and participation among
government, non-government officials, individuals, or institutions in the
implementation of the population management program.
The ceremonial recognition honored Butuan City for
RMSPDA: city category and the municipality of Cantilan, Surigao del Sur for
RMSPDA: municipality category for their active implementations of the mentioned
programs.
Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr. with other
City PopCom officers and Cantilan municipal health officer Dr. Tomas Cruiz with
health officers received a plaque of recognition and a P50,000 check awarded by
PopCom regional director Alexander Makinano and DOH regional director Dr. Jose
Llacuna, Jr.
Both LGU executives thanked the PopCom for
acknowledging their efforts in population and development. They also promised
that they will do better to make their constituents happy and to be inspiration
to other LGUs to strive more in program implementations.
Furthermore, the winning LGU representatives
signed a memorandum of agreement with Dir. Makinano witnessed by Dir. Llacuna
for further implementation of population, health management and development
programs in their respective areas. (DJA/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur DAR to hold Farmers’ Forum, presscon
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 10 (PIA) –
The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office (DARPO) here is set to hold
a Farmers’ Forum and Press Conference on August 12, 2015 at 8:00 a.m. at
Schacene Pension House and Restaurant, this city.
According to Benjamin Mataksil, provincial
agrarian reform program officer II (PARPO II), accomplishments and milestones
for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in the province are going
to be the main agenda.
Meanwhile, Myra Yu, DAR public information officer
(PIO) bared the launching of a new Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) in Bislig
City recently.
Called SASAMASA ARC, named after four barangays it
covers—San Vicente, Sta. Cruz, Maharlika, and San Roque—the said ARC has 248
agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), who will stand to gain from the
development undertaking worth P414 million in various proposed project, she
said. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Caraga RDC to formulate unified regional research
agenda
By Sherwin E. Verdun
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 10 (PIA) - The Caraga Regional
Development Council (RDC) is set to formulate a regional research agenda aimed
at generating knowledge support needed to attain the region's goal of becoming
the FAME (fishery, agro-forestry, mineral, eco-tourism) Center of the country.
The objectives of the endeavor are to provide a
framework for developing research agenda; identify knowledge gaps; determine
specific research topics; identify research institutions, collaborators, and
funding institutions. Further, the Caraga RDC recognizes the challenges that
will result from ASEAN integration that may require research for informed
decision-making.
The research agenda will be organized as a
framework of two broad streams as follows: FAME research agenda (broad research
topics in fishery, agro-forestry, mineral, eco-tourism); and support research
agenda (broad research topics that covers the macro-economy, good governance,
human development, and peace and order).
To prepare the unified regional research agenda,
all regional line agencies (including attached agencies and government owned
and controlled corporations), academe (government and private higher education
institutions), local government units (provincial and city), and research
consortia in the region will formulate their own research agenda. NEDA-Caraga,
as secretariat, will then integrate all research agenda into a publication
available for consumption of all stakeholders.
The research agenda will cover broad scale
research activities in the following areas: Assessment of problems; Assessment
of causes; Evaluation of solutions (programs); Program or project review; and
Policy Review.
The research problems that will be identified must
correspond to the goals of the Regional Development Plan and can be addressed
through government intervention. It should also be suitable for empirical
analysis and should lead to potential policy initiatives. (NEDA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
NIA administrator visits two major projects in
Caraga
By Jane B. Huqueriza
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 10 (PIA) – National Irrigation
Administration (NIA) Administrator Engr. Florencio F. Padernal recently visited
two major projects in the region.
Padernal along with Administrative Department
Manager Atty. Ailyne C. Agtuca-Selda and Acting NIA-Caraga Regional Manager
C’zar M. Sulaik visited Kitcharao Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (KSRIP) -
a P495 million project, which was programmed to restore 261.90 hectares to five
Communal Irrigation Systems and irrigate 218.52 hectares new area to benefit
280 farmers of the five barangays of the municipality, the first of its kind in
NIA-Caraga. Mamkas River is the main source of water, it was learned.
Aside from providing irrigation water, the project
is projected to boost tourism in the locality. Administrator Padernal, in
speaking to the Irrigators Association (IA) leaders, emphasized that “We should
avoid cutting of trees to protect the environment and maintain watershed in the
area.”
The leaders expressed their gratitude to him for
making their dream come true. KSRIP is scheduled to be inaugurated in September
of this year, according to the resident engineer, Engr. LuisitoL. CadeliΕa.
The group also proceeded to Umayam River
Irrigation Project (URIP) in the municipality of Loreto in Agusan del Sur,
where they were welcomed by Project Manager Gregorio Y. Fang, Jr.
The administrator wanted to see that the agreed
commitments of the contractor during the Administrator’s visit last March 4,
2015 have been implemented. The 1.4B project targets to irrigate 6,729 hectares
to provide sustainable development and increase agricultural production to 2,125
farming household. URIP draws water from
Umayam River where the dam is located at Brgy. Waloe in Loreto.
The administrator’s series of visit in URIP
indicates that the project was closely monitored to make sure that only quality
services will be given to its beneficiaries.
The group also visited Mayor Dario Otaza of Loreto
and informed him of the status of the on-going project. The group was overwhelmed
by the support given by the LGU as they provide security in the project site to
ensure the safety in the area. Mayor Otaza said that “He will give 100 percent
support to the project as it will benefit his constituents and improve their
living condition.”
The on-site visit is a gesture that shows the
seriousness of the management to fulfill its objective to deliver the kind of
services the agency envisions for the country’s development especially to the
agriculture sector. (NIA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Private sector partners commit mentoring time at
Negosyo Center in Surigao City
SURIGAO CITY, Aug. 10 (PIA) - The chair of the
Surigao del Norte Provincial Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Development
Council (MSMEDC) said she and the other members are volunteering to be mentors
and consellors at the Negosyo Center (NC) here.
The commitment was the highlight of MSMEDC chair
and Surigao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Concepcion
Paqueo’s message on the occasion of the
blessing and launching last July 23 of the second Negosyo Center in the
province of Surigao del Norte.
Paqueo also asked other private sector partners to
help and lend their support.
The center is located beside the Department of
Trade and Industry Surigao del Norte Provincial (DTI-SdN) Office at the Simtoco
Business Center.
DTI-SdN provincial director Celestino Negapatan
clarified that the NC is not DTI. “We
are just the secretariat of the MSMED Council which is steering the operations
of the Negsoyo Center.”
The approach according to Negapatan is to support
aggressively the start-ups because they can provide more job
opportunities. Existing enterprises, he
added will be assisted to address the need for sustainability.
The local government unit representatives extended
their congratulations and well wishes to all stakeholders.
Surigao City Vice Mayor Danilo C. Menor who represented City Mayor Ernesto T.
Matugas said the city government is supporting fully the Negosyo Center. In fact, the 2016 proposed Negosyo Center
bottom-up budgeting (BuB) proposed funding may be used to actualized this
support.
Edwin Ausa, Assistant Department Head of the
Provincial Economic Enterprise Development & Management Office (PEEDMO) who
represented Provincial Governor Sol F. Matugas echoed the city’s backing of the
center. PEEDMO is also running the
Negosyo Center-Surigao del Norte located at the provincial capitol
complex. It was inaugurated on May 15
with the presence of the Go Negosyo Act or Republic Act 10644 author Senator
Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV. Ausa said
that he is sure the new center is also going to “serve (the public) beyond the usual.”
DTI-Caraga regional director Brielgo Pagaran, in
his message read by the Regional NC Coordinator Brenda Corvera thanked the
local DTI and the MSMED Council for their efforts to give the region its 5th
Negosyo Center.
The region is committing to establish eight NCs
for 2015. With the recent launching,
accomplishment is already 63 percent with still five months away from the end
of the year. He, however emphasized that
“we can only say mission accomplished when the aims of the Negosyo Center are
pursued and achieved, i.e., when our clients are provided facilitation and
assistance in business registration, financing, business mentorship, market
placements and other demanded services."
Pagaran is also banking on the synergies that will
come from the coordination and collaboration arrangements that will be firmed
up with the two centers located in the city for the benefit of Surigao del
Norte and Surigao City’s micro small and medium enterprises.
The launching was also attended by members of the
Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, MSMEs, representatives from
the academe and national government agencies. (DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)
DAR Surigao Norte personnel undergo 2-day risk
management seminar
By Daryll M. Tumbaga
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Aug. 10 (PIA) -
The provincial office of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Surigao del Norte
(DAR-SdN) conducted recently a two-day seminar with drill exercise on Risk
Reduction Management to its 50 office-based personnel held on July 29-30, 2015
at the provincial office here.
The said activity was aimed to prepare its
personnel in times of disasters as it joins the entire country in the
observance of Disaster Consciousness Month.
The expertise on disaster risk management of SFO1
Jimson E. Esnardo of the Bureau of Fire Protection Surigao City and Leonardo C.
Go of Surigao City Environment and Natural Resources Office was tapped to
discuss and present to the participants the risk of the disasters and how to
manage those disasters.
The discussions on the two-day seminar were
focused on natural and man-made calamities like earthquake, fire, typhoon,
flood and bio-chemical outbreaks.
Upon conclusion of the two-day seminar, the
participants underwent the earthquake and fire drills.
Some participants also performed fire control of
an LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) tank on fire by manually turning off the tank
regulator and with the use of a fire extinguisher.
The participants were grateful that they gained
additional knowledge in disaster management like the “duck-cover-hold” response
technique during earthquake. (SDR/DAR-SDN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
