RDC-GADCC Caraga encourages women to be politically
active
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 26 (PIA) – In a press conference
on the 2016 Women’s Month celebration held recently here, the Regional
Development Council – Gender and Development Coordinating Committee (RDC-GADCC)
Caraga encouraged women to be more active in the political arena.
RDC-GADCC co-chair Edna Hontiveros said that women
who are qualified and has the capacity and willingness to join the politics
should be given full support especially that only few among women have been
elected during elections.
“As per data from the Philippine Commission on Women
(PCW) in their preliminary report as of September 2013, the May 2013 automated
national and local elections showed that around 19,97 percent (3,503) of
elected posts, including ARMM elections, are won by women candidates higher
than the 18.4 percent turnout in 2010,” remaked Hontiveros.
Hontiveros also bared that the number of women who
filed candidacy for the election period in 2013 was only 7,925 or 17.83 percent
of the total number of candidates. There were eight women who ran out of 33
senatorial candidates (24.2%), of which four entered the top 12 winning
senators (33.3%).
“Women participation in 2010 senatorial election was
slightly lower at 23.0 percent (14 out of 61 senatorial candidates) with two
women elected (16.7%). There are also 60 women Representatives (party-list not
included) elected in the 16th Congress (2013 national and local elections).
They accounted for 25.6 percent of the total 234 Representatives as members of
the Lower House. During the 15th Congress, 65 women (22.5%) has secured
memberships in the House of Representatives,” Hontiveros reiterated.
It was also learned that there are 18 (22.5%) women
Provincial Governors and 11 (13.8%) women Vice Governors as well as 332 (20.9%)
women City/Municipal Mayors and 265 (16.7%) women Vice Mayors.
“Three out of five provinces in Caraga region are
governed by women as governors and are recognized by the Commission on
Elections (COMELEC). We really hope the number of our women officials will
increase in number especially this May 2016 elections. We will support those
women we know who are qualified and can best serve the majority through its
programs that will cater to the welfare of the women sector,” expressed Hontiveros.
Meanwhile, COMELEC Agusan del Norte Provincial
Election supervisor Atty. Ernie Palanan stressed that their provincial offices
are continuously conducting orientation-seminar to the different sectors in
order for them to be well-aware of the election and its significance, and their
political rights.
“In Butuan City as of reporting time, 19 to 20
percent of women are involved or have joined in politics to be elected this May
2016 elections, which is higher compared to last elections,” added Palanan.
Palanan further revealed that the COMELEC along with
other law enforcement agencies will conduct the Operation ‘Langkat/ Baklas’ at
5:00 a.m. on February 29, 2016 in the different barangays where election
materials of running candidates were posted outside the authorized/designated
places. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
P11M hanging foot-bridge links farm to
market
By Rhea C. Abao
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 26 (PIA) – The Department of
Agriculture (DA) Bottom-up Budgeting (BUB) Program officially turned-over the
Farm to Market Road (FMR) with 200m Hanging Foot-Bridge worth P11 million at
Brgy. Poblacion and Brgy. Tagoyango, Sibagat Agusan del Sur last February 17.
“The farmers including the residents in our barangay are very
grateful for the newly constructed hanging foot-bridge. This project will help
us farmers to reduce the transportation cost of our agricultural products at
least at one peso per kilo. The residents in Brgy. Poblacion and Brgy. Kioya
were also relieved as the bridge will give us easier access in times of
calamities and emergencies,” said Fe M. Sarabia, chairperson of Taguyango
Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
The said project implemented by DA 13 was made possible through
the partnership between the local government unit (LGU) and the civil society
organization (CSO). LGU-Sibagat gave P2 Million as counterpart in establishing
the project.
“BUB is a concept from bottom-to-top planning and budgeting. It
aims to achieve community empowerment by encouraging citizens from grassroots
to take active roles in the community by articulating their needs to the
government and determining what projects are responsive to their needs,”
explained Edelmira Luminarias, DA 13-BUB focal person.
The newly constructed hanging foot-bridge from Brgy. Poblacion
and Brgy. Tagoyango is now an artery that links farmlands in the poblacion to
the national highway. It is the result of the convergence of plans and
priorities as projects are harmonized through DA’s program and allocated
budget.
“In our personal counterpart as one of the beneficiary of this
project, we are now planning to make a local ordinance in our barangay to
regulate the usage and protect the hanging foot-bridge from the abusive
locals in the area. This will be our actions to ensure sustainability of
government projects and show value to the intervention we have received,” said
Tagoyango barangay captain Julieta A. Sotto, Brgy. Captain.
Today, DA-BUB FMR with hanging foot-bridge project serves a
total of 1,560 farmers from barangays Poblacion, Tagoyango, and Kioya. The said
project helps the farmers and also the constituents of the three barangays gain
easier access of transporting farm produce and also provides access to more
opportunities as well as the basic social services in the community. (DA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
DAR turns-over P33M irrigation project
to Jabonga farmers
By Joie L. Ceballos
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 26 (PIA) - The Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently handed the P33-million communal irrigation
systems (CIS) to Baleguian Organic Farmers Irrigator’s Association (BOFIA) in
Brgy. Baleguian, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte.
DAR Caraga regional director Julita Ragandang said the
irrigation project was funded under the Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support
Project (ARISP-III). It included three dams to serve 180 hectares of rice
land in the area.
She said the irrigation facility is the second project of the
DAR-ARISP III in the barangay.
In her message, Ragandang emphasized DARs commitment to partner
with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the local government unit
to bring more development in agrarian reform communities. “But it is the unity
and the strong will of the farmer beneficiaries that prompt this project to be
realized," Ragandang added.
BOFIA chairman Winefredo Maldo expressed thanks to DAR for the
project that would benefit 118 farmers in their barangay.
Board Member Danny Moran said the DAR and NIA are vital partners
in rural development especially in Agusan del Norte.
In the same occasion, DAR also handed 11 common service farm
facilities to BOFIA worth P4.3 million under the DAR’s Agrarian Reform
Community Connectivity Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) Program. (DAR-13/PIA-Caraga)
Sabah traders meet Mindanao counterparts
to explore business deals
DAVAO CITY, Feb. 26 (PIA) - Key business players from
Lahad Datu of Tawau in Sabah recently met with business counterparts from
Mindanao to explore joint-venture collaborations in agribusiness, tourism,
logistics and the manufacturing sector.
The 27-business delegation from Sabah participated in the
business-to-business meetings held in connection with the Strategic Planning
Meeting (SPM) of the Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the Philippine East
ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) held at the Marco Polo Hotel in this city.
“We welcome this initiative from the business sector of Sabah,
since this will greatly contribute to our efforts of enhancing trade and
investments within BIMP-EAGA,” said Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA)
Undersecretary Janet Lopoz, while adding “the visit is also a great opportunity
for Mindanao to showcase our local products to our EAGA counterparts.”
More than 20 business representatives from Mindanao met with the
Sabah delegation and discussed potential areas for collaboration particularly
in banana production, halal restaurant, coffee shop franchising, logistics,
tourism, construction, and other agri-based commodities.
A businessperson from Palawan also participated in the meetings
to explore partnerships in tourism development between Palawan and Sabah.
“We expect succeeding business sessions to occur within the year
to allow for the finalization of partnerships and joint ventures that were
developed from these business-matching sessions,” explained Lopoz.
Mindanao and Palawan are the two focus areas of the Philippines
in the BIMP-EAGA sub-regional grouping.
Datuk Roselan Johor Mohamad, BIMP-EAGA Business Council
Chairman, who steered the Sabah delegation’s visit to Mindanao, encouraged more
business groups from the sub-region to actively participate in inter-EAGA
business ventures.
“EAGA’s private sector play the crucial role of stirring the
sub-region’s business climate and we urge them to pursue joint-venture
collaborations that will expand their market reach,” he said.
Under its Trade and Investment Facilitation Cluster, BIMP-EAGA
pursues small and medium enterprises (SME) development by streamlining of trade
facilitation processes within the sub-region and beyond. Business and trade
missions are regularly organized to engage the private sector, specifically
those representing the SMEs in enhancing the sub-region’s business climate.
Regular investment fairs and business conferences are also being
conducted such as the BIMP-EAGA and IMT-GT Trade Fair and Business Leaders’
Conference to facilitate trade and investments among member countries.
“The growth and success of BIMP-EAGA is truly dependent on the
commitment and active participation of our private sector, and enabling
policies from the governments of the member countries,” said Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Prudencio Reyes, Philippine Senior
Official to the BIMP-EAGA.
Reyes added that after the huge turnout of participants from
both the government and private sectors in the SPM, the sub-region is
anticipating another productive year with more viable projects and business
partnerships in the pipeline.(MinDA/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog News: P33- Milyong pisong
proyektong pang-imprastraktura, pinakikinabangan na ng mga magsasaka sa Agusan
del Norte
By Joie L. Ceballos
BUTUAN CITY, Peb. 26 (PIA) - May kabuuang
tatlumput-tatlong milyong pisong (P33-M) natapos ng proyektong pang-imprastraktura
mula sa Department of Agrarian Reform o DAR ang pinakikinabangan na ngayon ng
mga magsasaka at miyembro ng Baleguian Organic Farmers Irrigator’s Association
o BOFIA sa Barangay Baleguian sa bayan ng Jabonga sa Agusan del Norte.
Sa isinagawang turned-over ceremony, sinabi ni DAR Regional
Director Julita Ragandang na ang natapos ng communal irrigation system o CIS
ang nagpapatubig na ngayon sa may isandaan at walumpung (180) ektaryang sakahan
doon.
Sa kanyang mensahe, binigyang diin ni Director Ragandang ang
pangako na patuloy na makikipagtulungan ang DAR sa National Irrigation
Administration o NIA at sa mga lokal na pamahalaan sa pagdadala ng higit pang
pag-unlad sa mga agrarian reform communities.
Nagpahayag naman ng lubos na pasasalamat si BOFIA Chairman
Winefredo Maldo sa naturang proyekto ng DAR na pinakikinabangan na ng may
isandaan at labingwalong (118) magsasaka sa naturang barangay.
Ang naturang mga proyekto ay mula sa Agrarian Reform
Infrastructure Support Project 3 ng DAR. (DAR-13/PIA-Caraga)
