FSUU supports West PH Sea claim
By Daisy Jane M. Apit
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 28 (PIA) – The Father Saturnino
Urios University (FSUU) strongly supports the West Philippine Sea (WPS)
Advocacy Campaign spearheaded by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and
the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), which aims to present the core issues
of the WPS dispute, the principles guiding the government official policy, and
the government's efforts to protect the country's interests.
“The West Philippine Sea is ours, that is the
stand of the university," said FSUU Human Resource Management and
Development director Lyndon Buque representing FSUU president Rev. Fr. John
Christian Young during his welcome message at the Campus Forum on the West
Philippine Sea Issue held on Wednesday at the FSUU-CBE building, this city.
“The university’s theme for the year is 'building
peace, restoring lives.' It is very much connected to the approach of the
government in pursuing our claim to the WPS through legal means,” Buque added.
The said activity was participated by some 200
students from different colleges and universities in the city with Ma. Teresa
Torres-Almojuela, Senior Special Assistant, Office of the DFA Undersecretary
for Policy as the guest of honor and speaker. (JPG/DJA/PIA-Caraga)
Caraga poll chief confirms “reshuffle” among ranks
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 28 (PIA) –
Atty. Francisco Pobe, Caraga regional election director (RED), has confirmed
reshuffling among their ranks and others down the line.
In an interview, he said “Actually we treat this
as normal activity of the Commission on Elections in every election. Kasi ang message na iparating naming na ‘yung
mga election officers natin do not have any vested interest in the area.”
“We do not have vested interest on politicians; we
do not have vested interest on financial or whatever perceptions by the
public. Ang amin lang interest dito. . . ‘yung aming
excellent performance, irrespective of our area of responsibility. Ibig sabihin namin, kahit saan kami itapon
mo, ganun pa rin ‘yung stamina, ganun pa rin ‘yung aggressiveness na ibibigay
namin,” Pobe went on to explain.
On said date, COMELEC Surigao del Sur headed by
Atty. Ernie Palanan, provincial election supervisor (PES), played host to the
holding of Provincial Joint Security Control Center (PJSCC) command conference
here where RED Pobe attended the event together with P/SSupt. Julito Diray, who
also came over on behalf of P/CSupt. Rolando Felix, director, Police Regional
Office 13 (PRO 13).
Felix’s guidance was read by P/SSupt. Diray,
chief, PRO 13 Operations and Plans Division, during the “Guidance/Updates”
portion of the proceeding.
In a related development, COMELEC has already
carried out the “movement of its field personnel” relative to the upcoming May
9, 2016 polls, it was learned. A certain
Renato Magbutay from Northern Mindanao will have to take the place of Pobe as
the latter will have to be sent to Socsksargen.
Meanwhile, the holding of the PJSCC command
conference here was said to be a success.
As planned, matters relative to “Preparations and Anticipation of
Concerns for the May 9, 2016 National and Local Elections; Inputs and Concerns;
Guidance/Updates; Open Forum; Pledge in the Wall of Commitmen,” and more were
discussed and taken up.
RED Pobe said the same activity will have to
continue to take place across the region with the PJSCC in the respective
provinces at the helm. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
ARMM welcomes entry of P1.3B new investment
DAVAO CITY, Jan. 28 (PIA) – Investments in the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are in the upswing with the approval by
the Regional Board of Investments (RBOI) of a P1.3 billion worth of palm oil
plantation project in Maguindanao.
Gintong Agri-corporation a subsidiary of Agricola
Holdings, a company that operates oil palm and rubber estates across Central
America, West Africa and Southeast Asia has committed to initially develop
5,000 hectares of oil palm in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. The company aims to expand up to 20,000
hectares covering the municipalities of Talayan and Guindulungan in the next
decade.
“ARMM’s investment policy, along with the region’s
improving peace situation has hugely contributed to the entry of big ticket
investments like the Gintong Agri Corporation. In fact, the company already has
long-term plans for their plantation here, which will ensure sustainability of
the investment,” said Ishak Mastura, ARMM RBOI Chair.
Cooperative members from the ARMM are eyed to own
and manage the lands, while the company will fund the development of the
plantation as well as the technical training for the cooperative farmers. The entire project is estimated to generate
1,000 jobs for ARMM once the plantation operates into full swing.
Mastura said the Gintong Agri Corporation will
also build and operate oil mill facilities in Maguindanao that will produce
crude palm oil and palm kernel oil.
Last year, ARMM recorded another multi-billion
worth of investment from Chiquita-Unifrutti, which poured in P3.7 billion for
Cavendish banana plantations in Maguindanao. The investment project, along with
a napier grass biofuel plantation, petroleum business, and a minerals
development project significantly contributed to the remarkable growth of ARMM
investment, amounting to a total of P6.5 billion by the end of 2015.
“This year is going to be another good year to
generate more investments since projects related to an oil depot, bulk water
treatment and supply on industrial waste management and treatment are now in
the works,” said Mastura.
ARMM hit its first billion-worth of investment in
2013, amounting to P1.4 billion. It more
than doubled the following year when RBOI recorded P3.86 billion investments in
2014. Last year’s record is up by almost 60 percent from 2014.
“This influx of investments indicates improved
governance in the ARMM thereby increasing investor confidence, as demonstrated
by the region’s sustained investment growth under the Aquino administration,”
said MinDA Chairperson Luwalhati Antonino.
Antonino further noted that all the necessary
infrastructure support are also in place for ARMM, primarily focusing on the
gateways for the ARMM areas. Under the Mindanao Development Corridors Program
being coordinated by MinDA, the revitalization and development of the Polloc
port and Awang Airport are among the priority projects in the ARMM.
“Our long-term plan is to fully connect all
regions in Mindanao through various public-private partnerships projects to
spur massive development and inclusive growth across ARMM and entire Mindanao,”
Antonino said. (MinDA/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur treasury chief cites “amnesty” as cause of
poor tax collection on real property
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 28 (PIA) – The
Provincial Treasurer’s Office (PTO) in Surigao del Sur has directly linked “tax
amnesty” as the primary cause of failure for its concerned staff to hit the
“Revenue Generation Program on Real Property Taxes” in 2015.
Crispa Geli, PTO in-charge, bared in her report on
Monday’s flag ceremony program that “the amount of P50,399,794.18 was collected
or 68.28% only as against our target which is P79,085,293.39.”
However, she said that “As of December 31, 2015,
the total amount of P1,001,485,448.48 was collected or 98.56% as against its
target,” citing earlier “an estimated amount of P987,029,328.00 for General
Fund and Special Education Fund as available for appropriation” based on the
plans and programs for calendar year 2015.
As part of their 2015 Annual Accomplishment
Report, Geli presented that apart from real property tax collection, their main
task included the collections on business tax, fees and charges, as well as
economic enterprise.
The province has 17 municipalities to rely on its
real property tax collection campaign, but only two had surpassed their
assigned targets—Carmen and Tagbina posting 202.74 percent and 101.39 percent
of cumulative collection as of December 2015, respectively, based on the data
provided.
In this regard, Lingig town was at the rock bottom
of the list by only achieving 27.92 percent.
Geli hinted concerned officials explained they were affected by the
outcome of boundary conflict with the adjacent province—Davao Oriental.
Tax amnesty generally bred poor collection, the
treasury chief pointed out in a follow-up interview.
Geli also clarified that although tax amnesty was
implemented last year, extension of Provincial Resolution No. 232 series of
2014 only took effect until June 30, 2015. (NGBT/Radyo ng
Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DA, OPAG turn-over farm equipment, facilities to
Dinagat Islands farmers’ associations, coops
By Millard P. Tawakal
SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands, Jan. 28 (PIA) - The
Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga Region in coordination with the Office of
the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) recently distributed a mini 4-wheel drive
tractor with complete accessories worth P833,000.00 through an equity sharing
to the Cabalawan Farmers Association (CFA) in barangay Garcia, municipality of
Libjo, Dinagat Islands.
The project benefited 27 farmer-association
members of the said municipality.
CFA president Ronnie Beronguis was very grateful
for the farm equipment given to the association for it will be of great help to
improve their production.
He also thanked OPAG chief Oswaldo T. Borja and
Crops Division head Alan S. Azares for considering their association as their
prime beneficiary.
In the province, the small and semi-commercial
livestock growers are making an important contribution to rural household. An
increasing number of livestock farms are being established around the province
because of the demand for high quality animal protein.
Farm viability is vulnerable due to the rising
cost of raw materials which is mostly imported. Local feeds resources are
available that could be utilized more effectively for feeding livestock and
poultry.
Hence, another mini-feed mill with complete
accessories was turned-over to A & M Multi-Purpose Cooperative installed at
Sitio Glen, Brgy. DoΓ±a Helen, Basilisa worth P148, 000.00. It aims to
facilitate the adoption of mini-feed mills to improve small growers and
semi-commercial enterprise profitability.
Also, one unit of corn mill was given to Upper
Laguna Farmers Association (LFA) in Barangay Laguna, Cagdianao worth P331,
500.00. Seven units knapsack sprayer and 1,500 meters HDPE Hose given to 20
farmers provincewide in support to High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP)
worth P 87,500.00.
The said farm equipment will aid small vegetable
farmers to increase their production.
Borja said all these interventions were also made
possible through the help of the DA Caraga through its regional director Edna
M. Mabesa, who is very supportive to the projects of the office of the
provincial agriculture of this province. (PIO-Dinagat Islands/PIA-Dinagat
Islands)
SurSur town vies for presidential award for
child-friendly municipality
By Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 28 (PIA) - The municipality of
Bayabas in the Province of Surigao del Sur vies for the Search for 2015
Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities (PACFMC) in the
country. It is the first local government unit (LGU) in Region 13 (Caraga) to
be a national finalist to the nationwide search for the PACFMC.
Out of the 1,093 LGU passers nationwide, only 20
LGUs were chosen as national finalist with the potential to receive the
Presidential Award with the Municipality of Bayabas as one among the twenty
contenders. Four LGUs were ranked per category. The five categories are the a)
1st to 3rd class municipalities, b) 4th to 6th class municipalities, c)
component cities, d) independent component cities and e) highly-urbanized cities.
The LGU of Bayabas, a 5th class municipality will compete with other three LGU
contenders for the 4th to 6th class municipalities category.
Members of the National Award Committee (NAC)
composed of Yolanda B. Go and Nicholas G. Perlas both from the Department of
the Interior and Local Government (DILG) – National Barangay Operations Office
(NBOO), John Anthony U. Geronimo of the National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) and April T. Obtinario of the Council for the Welfare of
Children (CWC) conducted the national validation cum evaluation to the
Municipality of Bayabas from January 25-29, 2016. The NAC was accompanied by
select members of the Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children
(RSCWC).
The Presidential Award was based from the result
of the previous year’s conduct of the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit
(CFLGA) headed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in
cooperation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and
Department of Education (DepEd) with the members of the RSCWC.
The CFLGA is one of the commitments undertaken by
DILG to ensure that LGUs undertake a mandatory assessment that gauge the LGU’s
performance in implementing child-friendly services which gives emphasis on child
participation, protection, development and survival. (DILG-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Cebuano News: Prov’l Hospital gipiling training
ground sa Butuan Doc medtech students
By Aimee B. Sienes
BUTUAN CITY, Enero 28 (PIA) - Ang Butuan Doctors’
College (BDC) sa ning syudad maoy napiling tunghaan sa Agusan del Norte
Provincial Hospital alang sa ilang dapit pagbansay sa mga estudyante niini
mikuha sa kurso nga BS Medical Technology.
Ang Provincial Hospital maoy training facility sa
mga MedTech students aron mahasa ang ilang kahibaloan sa mga proseso ug
trabahoon sa laboratoryo.
Adunay Joint Memorandum Order ang Department of
Health ug Commission on Higher Education (CHED) nga nag-require sa mga Higher
Education Institutions kun HEI mo-affiliate sa mga ospital ug uban mga health
facilities alang sa dugang kahibalo, clinical exposure ug training sa mga
estudyante kabahin sa nagkalain-laing health professions.
Ang Contract of Affiliation sa PHO ug BDC
gikinahanglan aron maplastar ang mga kaakohan ug mga katungdanan sa kada
partido aron sa epektibo nga implementasyon sa on-the-job training sa mga
MedTech students sa BDC.
Gihatagan og otoridad bag-ohay pa lamang si Gob.
Ma. Angelica Rosedell M. Amante-Matba sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan aron sa
pagpirma sa maong Contract of Affiliation ubos sa pagpangamahan ni Provincial
Board Member Rey G. Jamboy. (Algu-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
