DepEd holds K to 12 forum cum caravan in Surigao
Norte
By Gemma C. Pullos
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Oct. 12 (PIA) –
With the aim to heighten the awareness of the public particularly the parents
on the enhanced curriculum of basic education in the country, the Department of
Education (DepEd) Caraga Region recently conducted a forum cum caravan on K to
12 program here.
DepEd Caraga Region Curriculum and Learning
Management Division (CLMD) chief dr. Isidro M. Biol, in his keynote speech,
said the department is ready for the implementation of the program and he
conveyed the significance of adding two years in the basic education - the
Senior High School (Grades 11 and 12).
“In the Senior High School Program, we will become
champions in our long desired dream to become a country worthy of emulation
considering that senior high school graduated are skilled, globally
competitive, and entrepreneurially prepared which can rebuild our country into
a productive one in the near future," he said.
“With the support and commitment of the various
stakeholders in our community, we can take our stand against odds, and together
we can carry on the banner with faith, Tayo Para sa Edukasyon, Sa K to 12
Kayang-kayang, Sama-sama,” Biol added.
The one-day caravan cum forum was participated by
more than 1,500 students and teachers form different schools of the province,
parents, officials and employees from different government offices national
line agencies, socio civic organizations, private sectors and other
stakeholders. (SDR/DePEd-SdN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
DA extends support to local fabricators of farm
equipment
By Aurelius P. Arais
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 12 (PIA) - To help local
fabricators of farm machineries competitive and at par with other fabricators
anywhere in the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga conducted a
coordination meeting recently and organized them into an association.
Spearheaded by the Regional Agriculture
Engineering Division (RAED), around 18
local manufacturers and dealers in the region attended the said meeting.
RAED Chief Engineer Rene Morales said that such
meeting with the local fabricators was the first time as DA Caraga recognized
local fabricators as potential suppliers of high quality farm machineries.
“Performance of products is the parameter for a
company to join public bidding of farm equipment to be supplied to the farmer
recipients,” Morales emphasized.
Foremost requirement to join a public bidding, the
machine should conform to the standards set by the Philippine Agricultural
Engineering Standards (PAES) thus a testing of the machine to know its
efficiency is a must.
Such kind of testing is done solely by
Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (AMTEC) based at the
University of the Philippines Los BaΓ±os (UPLB).
The PAES is part of the Philippine Standards for
Agriculture and Fisheries Machinery developed by the PAES, AMTEC and other DA
agencies, which was developed by virtue of DA A.O. No. 11 Series of 2001.
As an initial assistance, DA Caraga consolidated
local fabricators who are ready for AMTEC testing to facilitate the presence of
AMTEC engineers in Caraga to conduct the test.
“We are grateful that DA is extending assistance
for us because it is so expensive if we will have the AMTEC testing
individually,” Noel Honorio, one of the local fabricators said.
DA Caraga supported the move to lobby to AMTEC to
put up a testing center for Mindanao to be located in one of the universities
in Caraga.
To strengthen local manufacturers and dealers,
they were organized and voted Pedro Lim of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur as the
president.
Assistant Regional Director (ARD) for Operations
and LGU Support Edgardo D. Dahino is optimistic that more Caraga-based farm
machinery fabricators could supply the needed equipment for the farmers instead
of sourcing it outside the region.
DA Caraga annually conducted a public bidding to
supply farm equipments mostly pre and post harvest facilities such as tractors,
floating tiller, thresher, among others in support to its banner program
interventions for corn, rice, high value crops development program, organic,
livestock and special projects. (DA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
DENR 13 plants 5-7 million mangrove propagules
By Eric Gallego
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 12 (PIA) - The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 13 has planted half of the total
11,130,000 mangrove propagules prepared by the DENR 13 under the Mangrove and
Beach Forest Development Project (MBFDP) in Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Nore,
Surigao del Sur and the Dinagat Province.
DENR 13 regional director Nonito M. Tamayo said
about 5,706,452 seedlings have been planted in the different planting sites as
of September 9, 2015. The other remaining balance of seedlings raised shall be
planted until November 2015.
Tamayo made this announcement during an emergency
meeting with the field officers to draw up contingency measures to cushion the
impact of the “El Nino” Phenomenon which is expected to be felt by October this
year in most parts of the country. The meeting was held at the DENR Regional
Learning Center in Barangay Ambago, this city.
“We anticipate the impact of El Nino on the
seedlings that were planted in the different National Greening Program (NGP)
sites which may be affected by intense heat and absence of precipitation,”
Tamayo said. The PAGASA Weather Forecast has reported less rains will occur in
Caraga Region in the months ahead due to the weather phenomenon.
Some CENR Officers reported various measures have
been taken to cushion the impact of the El Nino in most reforestation sites
under NGP.
OIC, PENRO Paterno Oliveros said he has alerted
the newly-hired DENR Forest rangers and the Bantay Gubat task force to
intensify foot patrol focused on possible forest fire that may occur in the NGP
plantation due to intense solar heat. “Dry leaves and cogon grasses are common
sights during this time but a community which is conscious about forest fire
can always avert a forest disaster,” he said.
In some NGP site, the members of the different
Community-Based Forest Management Organizations have fixed their respective
impounding water structure where they can draw water for the seedlings.
Director Tamayo said the DENR has also focused it
activities on mangrove and beach forest development which are located in the
towns of Nasipit and Tubay in Agusan del Norte, Siargao Islands Protected
Landscape and Seascape (SIPLAS) Dapa and Surigao City in Surigao del Norte,
Tandag, Cantilan, Lianga and Bislig in Surigao del Sur and the Province of
Dinagat Islands.
As of date, he said, about 4,452 hectares have
been planted which is 41.18 percent partially accomplished with 5,706,453.00
seedlings and propagules. Agusan del Norte under PENRO Pat Oliveros, and the
Dinagat Province under OIC, PENRO Agapito Patubo have posted high performance
ratings in accomplishment on their taret.
About 2,120 folk have been contracted by the DENR
to work on the establishment of nursery and monitoring and care of the
seedlings under the Cash for Work program of the NGP. (DENR-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
