Caraga gov’t agencies, NGOs intensify advocacy
campaign on National Adoption Consciousness Day
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 5 (PIA) – Pursuant to Proclamation
No. 72 which declares the first Saturday of February of every year as Adoption
Consciousness Day, the government agencies and non-government organizations
(NGOs) in Caraga region had intensified advocacy campaign on the said
celebration through conduct of various activities.
The acitvity aims to raise the awareness of the
public on adoption through various activities highlighting this year’s theme
“Legal na Ampon Ako: Anak na Totoo” with English caption – “A Child Finds Worth
in Legal Adoption.”
It was learned that the theme emphasizes the
following: 1) There is no distinction between an adopted and a biological child
because their rights are the same; 2) Proactive approach to the prevention of
direct entrustment of children for adoption; and 3) Discouraging prospective
adoptive parents to through independent entrustment/placement only to come
later on for the legalization of adoption.
The provisions of illegal/inappropriate adoption
is stipulated under the provisions of Republic Act 10364 (Expanded
Anti-Trafficking Act) and Republic Act 8552 (Domestic Adoption Act of 1998).
Meanwhile, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)
Caraga is also tapped by other government agencies and partner NGOs for
information dissemination through its known platforms which include the
agency’s 107.8MHz Power FM/ Advance Forward Emergency Broadcasting System
(AFEBS). (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DAR hands P33-M irrigation to AgNor farmers
By Joie L. Ceballos
JABONGA, Agusan del Norte, Feb. 5 (PIA) – The
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) handed to Baleguian Organic Farmers
Irrigator’s Association (BOFIA) the P33 million communal irrigation system
(CIS) on Thursday, February 4, 2015.
In a ceremonial turn-over held in Brgy. Baleguian,
Jabonga, BOFIA chairman Winefredo Maldo expressed thanks to DAR for sourcing
out funds and to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) as the
implementing agency. “118 farmers in our barangay will enjoy this big help,”
Maldo added in his dialect.
The irrigation project, funded under the Agrarian
Reform Infrastructure Support Project (ARISP-III) of the DAR includes three
dams and will serve 180 hectares of rice land in the area.
The ceremony was attended by DAR Caraga regional
director Julita Ragandang, provincial board member Danny Moran, provincial
agrarian reform program officer Andre Atega and Engr. Solidad Puyales of the
NIA-Regional Office.
Board Member Danny Moran, representing the
Governor Maria Angelica Rosedell Amante-Matba said that DAR and NIA are vital
partners in rural development especially in Agusan del Norte.
In her message, Ragandang emphasized DAR's
commitment to partner with NIA and the local government 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.
In the same occasion, DAR also handed 11 units of
common service farm facilities to BOFIA amounting to P4.3 million under the
DAR’s Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity Economic Support Services
(ARCCESS) Program.
The irrigation facility is the second project of
the DAR-ARISP III in the barangay. In December 2011, DAR also handed the 1.8 km
NRJ-Baleguian to Sitio Bagang farm-to-market road (FMR) amounting to P11.6
million.
Also present during the activity were: Engr.
Cristy Dagdag of the DAR-ARISP III Central Project Management Office, Engr.
Louie Mendoza of the NIA-CARP-IC and asst. irrigation manager Diosdado Ranio. (DAR-Caraga/PIA-Agusan
del Norte)
