COMELEC, PIA provide election info via One
Mindanao mobile app
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, April 18 (PIA) - The Philippine
Information Agency (PIA) Caraga and Commission on Election (COMELEC) Caraga on
Thursday launched the COMELEC icon via PIA Caraga's One Mindanao mobile app
aimed at providing timely, accurate and revelant information in the 2016
national and local elections.
PIA Caraga regional director Abner Caga
highlighted during the launching that with this app, people can easily access
the information they need from COMELEC. "With just a click of their
finger, people can immediately get the data they need from the commission
especially this coming May 2016 elections. Also, with this app, they need not
to personally go to COMELEC office and this is just one of the advantages that
will benefit the people from this mobile app," he said.
The said app can be downloaded in both the Android
and IOS phones for free.
“The agency’s One Mindanao mobile app is also
designed to be utilized by the media in their information gathering. It’s like
a one-stop-shop where they can find different relevant features and data,”
disclosed Caga.
Atty. Renato Magbutay, COMELEC Caraga regional
director also thanked PIA Caraga for making them part of the PIA's platform.
"I am very glad that we came up with this strategy of reaching a broader
scope of recipients that can access the information from our office. With this
coming election, we are optimistic that the public will be informed and updated
on the information they need to know with the help of PIA Caraga," he
stressed.
"We've known very well the significance of
information. Before we rely on the traditional way of delivering the
information to the public but our partnership with the Phil. Information Agency
Caraga, the brainchild of these mobile app project, has helped us in leveling
up the services of the COMELEC here in this region," Magbutay added.
Atty. Magbutay further reiterated that it is
becoming vital nowadays to be at par with the fast growth of communication and
information technology. “It's a good thing that through our COMELEC icon/tile
embedded in the 'One Mindanao' mobile app, created and managed by PIA Caraga,
people can easily track updates on the upcoming 2016 elections. Truly, we have
revolutionized the way we deliver our services for a more advanced and highly
interactive elections monitoring," he enunciated. (VLG/JPG/PIA-Caraga)
69 DENR 13 FRs undergo training on forest,
bio-diversity protection system
By Herzon Gallego
BUTUAN CITY, Apr. 18 (PIA) – The first batch of 69
newly recruit Forest Rangers (FRs) of the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) in Region 13 (Caraga) have undergo five-days intensive course
in forest protection through a web-based mobile application called Lawin Forest
and Biodiversity Protection System held in one of the convention centers here
on April 11-15.
LAWIN is a forest and biodiversity protection
system that integrates forest, biodiversity and threats monitoring,
implementation of interventions to address threats and monitoring of response
of the forest ecosystems. It uses open-source technology for biodiversity and
monitoring of critical situation through a phone application called Spatial
Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART).
The data and the necessary information that are
gathered by a patrolling eco-ranger at the field is encoded in the software for
analysis. The output determines the actual state of the forest ecosystem.
“The DENR can quickly response to a situation
which may affect the wildlife inside the forest due to human activity,” said
DENR Caraga regional director Nonito Tamayo.
“This application would enable the forest rangers
and planners to access critical information and share this information about
what they find in the field,“ Tamayo said. It would allow wildlife authorities
speedy access to information on hundreds of protected species and resources
which they can use in identifying and prosecuting wildlife crimes, he added.
The DENR Caraga has recruited about 270 regular
forest rangers under the government’s rationalization plan and required to
train on the mobile application about LAWIN to make their patrols more
efficient.
In Mindanao, the DENR Caraga region has been
selected as pilot testing of the project. Project Lawin is developed by the
DENR and the Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for Stronger Economy and
Ecosystem Resilience (B+WISER) program of the United States Agency for
International Development.
The Assistant Director for Technical Roberto
Oliveros said the newly-trained forest rangers which will be later called “Eco
Ranger” will be sent to the different mountain forest to apply what they have
learned about LFBPS.
Caraga Region has a total forest land area of
1,331,491 hectares. Of this total 331,786 hectares are classified as protection
forest and 999,705 hectares are production forest.
About 64,729 hectares are considered as closed
forest where the trees are dense. There
are 26,731 hectares of mangrove stand most of which are located at the coast of
Surigao del Sur. This figure on mangrove and forest in production has changed
due to the successful implementation of the National Greening Program. (DENR-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
OWWA to open provincial office in SurSur
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, April 18 (PIA) – The
opening of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) provincial office in
Surigao del Sur is in the bag, according to Samuel Madrid, regional director of
said agency in Caraga.
The OWWA Caraga chief said that the “green light”
was already given to put up the project, citing Governor Johnny Pimentel’s
permission to do so.
An attached agency of the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE), OWWA was described by Madrid as the lead agency protecting
and promoting the welfare and well-being of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)
and their dependents.
He pointed out that it had always been the
advocacy of his office to bring their services closer, especially in faraway
places like Surigao del Sur.
“Membership with the OWWA is a boon to OFWs and
their families,” Madrid stressed, explaining in details about social and
welfare services ranging from insurance coverage to legal and placement
assistance, among others.
He likewise mentioned that membership fee had
remained at $25.00 since long time ago.
“There are about 37,000 plus OFWs in the entire
region,” he added. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-SUrigao del Sur)
Dinagat province steps up campaign against infant
mortality, malnutrition
SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands, Apr. 18 (PIA) - To help
reduce the prevalence rate of infant mortality due to malnutrition, the
Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Dinagat Islands through the provincial
nutritionist/dietician and Provincial Nutrition Action Officer (PNAO) conducted
recently a convergence meeting held at the Meja Function Hall, here.
During the meeting, a briefing on the forthcoming
evaluation of the Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholars (OBNS) as well as the
Monitoring and Evaluation to Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) was
conducted.
The members were given the checklist and
guidelines to serve as an instrument in compliance with the necessary
requirements for the abovementioned evaluation.
Meanwhile, the municipalities of Cagdianao and San
Jose were chosen to be evaluated for OBNS, and the winner shall compete for the
regional level.
With the convergence of the local stakeholders in
implementing various nutrition related programs, Provincial Nutrition Action
Officer Lerma Erno believes that the prevalence rate of malnutrition in the
province will be reduced.
The said meeting was attended by the Municipal
Nutrition Action Officers (MNAOs), Rural Health Units (RHU), Nutrition Program
Coordinators, Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), and federated president from
the seven municipalities of the province. (Provincial Information
Office-Dinagat Islands/PIA-Dinagat Islands)
