DENR 13 updates land records
By Herzon F. Gallego
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 1 (PIA) - The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Caraga region is updating its records
on land patents as it took on the expertise of a private firm to facilitate the
processing of the backlogs with the local government units (LGUs).
“The local officials should encourage the people
in their respective jurisdiction to participate in the residential land titling
services to improve their income on real property tax,” DENR Caraga assistant
regional director for Technical Services Roberto Oliveros said in a meeting
with the representatives of the Foundation for Economic Freedom, a private
entity working on the project “Rapid Land Tenure Assessment.”
The LGU needs to boost its income from real
properties to finance its basic services programs such as infrastructure,
public schools, and health among others, he said.
The Rapid Land Tenure Assessment project shall
entail encoding of data from the lands records through the system administrator
of the CENR offices particularly in Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Sur,
Dinagat Province and Surigao del Norte.
“We have to clean these records to improve the
land titling system of the DENR,” Oliveros said.
He said the DENR is expected to enter into a
Memorandum of Agreement with the provincial government in the implementation of
the project.
He said the project will hopefully solve fake
titles and double land titling in the future.
The DENR, over the years, has awarded thousands of
patents but records also show that there are awardees who failed to register
their patents to the Municipal Assessor office.
Based on feedback received by the DENR, most of
the beneficiaries have hesitated to initiate move to register their awarded
titles due to the amount involve. “We have to work this out with the LGU,”
Oliveros said.
The data containing the list of patented and
unpatented lots shall be prepared and presented to the Provincial Governor’s
Office which will nominate a municipality under its political jurisdiction in
implementing the rapid land tenure assessment project. (DENR-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
SURSECO II GM clarifies assurance on power supply
come May 9 polls
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 1 (PIA) –
Despite previous assurance made by Surigao del Sur Electric Cooperative II
(SURSECO II) regarding a reliable power supply service for the duration of the
May 9, 2016 polls during the conduct of Provincial Joint Security Control
Center (PJSCC) command conference last January 22, the same power supply
utility showed hesitance to stand by it.
SURSECO II general manager (GM) Engr. Iglorio
Hinayon explained about some circumstances beyond their control that might affect
their power supply service, citing possible trouble in the 69KV transmission
line of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
Engr. Regan Elumba, chief, Technical Services
Department (TSD) of said electric coop, represented Hinayon during that
conference.
Besides, the GM expressed concern over the
unresolved problem on the unabated NGCP steel tower bombings that had taken
place for a number of times in the Lanao area late last year.
GM Hinayon said tower collapse could be a cause
for real trouble and low power supply for cooperatives which remain solely
dependent on NGCP.
Hinayon said that while SURSECO II had a contract
to rely on with King Energy Generation Inc. (KEGI) but the latter could not
distribute power needs particularly in Carcanmadcarlan area, a cluster of five
municipalities in the north comprised of Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen,
and Lanuza.
A separate interview with Agui Jaluag, SURSECO II
information officer, corroborated Hinayon’s statement.
The service area of SURSECO II covers the entire
first district of Surigao del Sur from the municipality of Lianga down south to
the municipality of Carrascal at the northernmost tip, including Tandag City.
Jaluag clarified that in case of power curtailment
or similar occurrence inside the whole service area of SURSECO II come election
time, only the central section and the southern portion of the first district
could be serviced by KEGI, citing
Cortes, Tago, Bayabas, Cagwait, San Miguel, Marihatag, San Agustin and
Lianga towns, this city included. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del
Sur)
10 NPA rebels surrender anew to AFP in SurSur
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 1 (PIA) – In
just a matter of days, 10 regular New People’s Army (NPA) rebels of the
Guerilla Front Committee 30 (GFC-30) and Guerilla Front Committee 27 (GFC-27),
who likewise turned in their firearms (FAs), have surrendered to the 2nd
Special Forces Battalion under Lt. Col. Gaspar Panopio in a joint effort with
San Miguel Mayor Alvaro Elizalde, this province, recently.
Col. Isidro Purisima, 402nd Infantry Brigade
commander of the Philippine Army (PA) here, said that seven of whom (all
belonging to the GFC-30) had returned to the folds of the law on February 18
and 19.
A couple of days earlier, three NPA regulars, also
with firearms, had done the same, the army official disclosed.
Purisima bared that among the high-powered
firearms that were brought along by the seven surrenderees included four AK47,
an M2 Carbine rifle, an M16 rifle, and a caliber .357.
However, when check was done with the initial
details, it was found out that an M14 rifle was on the list instead of M16.
Also, all of the guns cited were loaded with
magazines and ammunitions apart from the spares—a total of two magazines and ammunitions for
the Carbine rifle, one magazine and ammunitions for the M14, plus 16 magazines
and 480 rounds of live ammunitions for the AK47s, including four bandoleers.
Col. Purisima assured that every former rebels
(FRs) would be entitled to cash aid—a total of P70,000 each—P50,000 for
livelihood assistance, P15,000 for immediate assistance, apart from the
additional P5,000 financial assistance to be given by Governor Johnny Pimentel
from the provincial government.
Meanwhile, the brigade chief said his command
remained optimistic that more surrenderees would be availing of the
Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP).
“Since the start of this year alone, the brigade
has already accounted for close to 30 FRs,” Purisima pointed out.
On other developments, the 36th Infantry Battalion
(36IB) here under Lt. Col. Randolph Rojas has continued to carry out security
operations following the clash with NPA rebels at Sitio Boringon, Barangay
Mahaba, Marihatag town on Sunday, February 21.
The army troopers had recovered subversive
documents, medical kits, three rifle grenades, cords believed to be used in
detonating improvised explosive device (IED), and personal effects at the
encounter site, according to Capt. Al Anthony Pueblas, battalion civil military
operations (CMO) officer.
Bloodstains
in all directions were also seen, he added.
Pueblas, quoting a certain Ka Corazon De Jesus,
spokesperson of Guerilla Front Committee 19 (GFC-19), who, he said was
monitored in an interview over a local radio station a day after the incident
owned up to have suffered casualties during the 10-minute firefight.
The CMO officer also said that Lt. Col. Rojas was
thankful to a civilian who tipped off the battalion via “text” about the
presence of armed group in their area.
Rojas has again reiterated his call on rebels to
give up their cause and return to the mainstream of society by availing of the
CLIP. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
By Angie Balen-Antonio
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 1 (PIA) - The Commission on
Population (PopCom) Caraga is one in the campaign in bringing the concerns
among women to the platform of actions by both government and private sectors.
The Women’s Month celebration this March is
anchored on “Kapakanan ni Juana, Isama sa Adyenda” resonates the call for
gender-balance in leadership and decision making positions both in public and
private sector; inclusion of women’s concerns in leadership platforms and the
government’s development agenda; and capacitating and preparing women and girls
to reach their ambitions.
The theme is timely as the incoming leaders are
presenting their platforms of government in preparation of the upcoming
election. While women advocates are drumbeating for support on the next administration
to close gender gap and to continue supporting the advocacy and consider
women’s issues in various agenda.
PopCom Caraga regional director Alexander A.
Makinano earnestly appeal to the government officials to consider in their
respective platforms the various program that will strengthen the welfare of
women.
Makinano mentioned that through its Responsible
Parenting-Family Planning classes, PopCom is capacitating women on home
management and budgeting and also in planning the timing and spacing of their
children, which will empower women to exercise their reproductive rights.
In its continuing advocacy known as “Kalalakihang
Tumutugon sa Responsibilidad at Obligasyon Para sa Kalusugan ng Ina at Pamilya
(KATROPA),” PopCom is urging men to perform their roles as father and husband
by actively assisting their wives in the rearing and raising the children.
It can be recalled that the observance of Women’s
Role in History Month every March is mandated through Proclamation No.
277. Meanwhile, Republic Act 6949
officially declares March 8 of every year as a working special holiday in the
country to be known as National Women’s Day. (PopCom-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur vet office set for Rabies Awareness Month
celebration
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 1 (PIA) – The
Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) here headed by Dr. Gervacio Yparraguirre is
all set to spearhead the month-long Rabies Awareness Month celebration in
March.
Dr. Margarito Latore, PVO senior veterinarian,
said that the initial schedule for anti-rabies vaccination had already been
disseminated for the information of all concerned.
Medicines dedicated to this undertaking were
already taken care of, it was learned.
With the theme “End Rabies, Now Na!” the PVO had
long wished that Surigao del Sur would be finally declared rabies-free.
However, records from the Provincial Health Office
(PHO) under Dr. Eric Montesclaros here had continued to show otherwise.
Incidence of animal bites had remained high due to
problems on stray dogs, in particular, sources said.
Dr. Helen CaΓ±o, chief, Provincial Health Team
(PHT) of the Department of Health (DOH) here agreed with the data, recalling a
patient diagnosed with rabies at Adela Serra-Ty Memorial Medical Center (ASTMMC)
some years back.
In 2015, cases of dog bites alone were posted at
2,339 province-wide.
Meanwhile, Dr. Zeny Gambe, Tandag City
veterinarian, confirmed that this city had the most number of cases—at 543—as
far as dog bites was concerned during the said year. But, on top of that, Tandag City had led the list
among the local government units (LGUs) even on “cat and other animal bites,”
tallied at 135 and 12, respectively, in the same period.
The city chief vet upheld that the LGU had not
been remiss in addressing the mounting problem, admitting, on the other hand,
that it needed utmost and continued cooperation from the general public.
“This year, Mayor Roxanne Pimentel is bent on
building an impounding facility for stray dogs,” she stressed.
Mass vaccination, being part of the on-going
Barangay Visitation, would be their major activity for this year’s Rabies
Awareness Month celebration, Dr. Gambe added. (NGBT/Radyo ng
Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
