PopCom Caraga conducts info caravan on wheels for
teens
By May Ann O. Escobal
BUTUAN CITY, Apr. 13 (PIA) - The Commission on
Population (PopCom) Caraga spearheaded a series of Adolescent Health and Youth
Development (AHYD) caravans in the cities of Surigao and Butuan for the
religious organizations on March 22 and 28, respectively.
Some 300 youth coming from the 25 different
faith-based organizations of said cities were actively interacting with
enthusiasm in the caravan facilitated by the trained youth and population
officers.
Viewing of the short film produced by PopCom
entitled #Desisyon, starring the writers-actors and students of Caraga Regional
High School; U4U Teen Trail Facilitators’ Workshop and U4U Teen Trail were
among the activities conducted during the caravan.
In U4U session, young participants journeyed
through the exhibit to learn about puberty, self-image, relationships,
preventing pregnancy and gender-based violence, and youth advocacy. Through
structured learning exercises and workshops, participants also learned about
myths and misconceptions on sex and sexuality.
PopCom Caraga regional director Alexander A.
Makinano stressed the importance of the activity for it aimed to educate the
young people with appropriate information and assistance needed by them for
developing positive, healthy and responsible lifestyle choices and behaviors,
including their capability to realize their potentials. (PopCom-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
OWWA, DTI conduct entrep development training to
SurSur OFC
By Jean Pearl I. Millones
BUTUAN CITY, Apr. 13 (PIA) - The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
(OWWA) Caraga in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
facilitated a two-day Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT) to the 30
members of Carmen OFW Family Circle, Carmen, Surigao del Sur on April 6-7,
2015.
The training is intended to provide technical
assistance to members, as well as the OFW organization, in developing a
livelihood project or business enterprise from identifying entrepreneurial
knowledge and competencies to the making of business plans and training on
basic bookkeeping.
The session started with leveling of expectations
and discussion on business awareness. DTI Trade and Industry Specialist
Rhosallee V. Espinoza handled workshops on financial management skills to
evaluate and determine the capacity of the participants in a business
undertaking.
Moreover, concepts and importance of making
project proposals as well as basic operations involved in business were tackled
on the second day by Senior Trade and Industry Specialist Jonathan V. Lagang.
To further facilitate an in-depth understanding of
the activity, the participants were grouped to create their own business plan
related to the organization’s proposed bakery business. The workshop’s output
were likewise critiqued and consolidated to come up with a draft of their
bakery’s business plan.
In response, OFW president,Analyn O. Josol,
tearfully expressed her gratitude to the agency for the training privilege they
were provided with and, likewise, to the DTI for the knowledge they imparted.
The lined-up trainings for United OFW and
Dependents of Carmen, Surigao del Sur include a seminar on Bookkeeping and
training on Baking to prepare them for the eventual consummation of the
organization’s business venture. (OWWA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
DTI Surigao Norte conducts packaging, labelling
training for seaweed-based food products in Taganaan
TAGANA-AN, Surigao del Norte, Apr. 13 (PIA) – The
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Surigao del Norte provincial office
conducted a one-day training on Packaging and Labelling for seaweed-based food
products to Taganaan Women Federated Association (TAWFA) on April 5, 2016 held
at the Municipal Function Room, here.
TAWFA has availed an approved project fund
amounting to P500,000 under the 2014 Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB) Program through
DTI as participating agency and the local government unit of Taganaan, as
implementing office.
The business project of the said association would
give income and job opportunities especially to women in the said municipality.
The training activity provides the association a
ready design of different product labels and packaging suitable to the types of
food product they are producing.
It also aims to make the product ready for
competitive market and eventually boost sales and income generation.
(DTI-Surigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Feature: DA-Rice Processing Center: A profitable
agriculture enterprise
By Rhea C. Abao
Sto. NiΓ±o Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SNMPC) in
Butuan City is now reaping the profit of Department of Agriculture’s (DA's)
agricultural modernization projects.
The cooperative was organized in 1991 with only 25
members composed of rice farmers. They started their operation on rice milling
business from a bank loan. But over the years, the equipment and facility
procured were already inefficient. This causes for their operation to be less
productive.
“For almost 20 years of our rice milling operation
the equipment and facility that we have, were already depreciated and less
efficient. This became a hindrance for our customers tried to find another
miller which can provide them a better quality output. But thanks to DA’s
intervention through Agri-Pinoy Rice Program, the department provided us the Rice
Processing Center (RPC) a facility that we need to upgrade our operation,” said
Marilyn Aranas, Chairperson of SNMPC.
In 2013 the cooperative was a recipient of RPC
worth ₱4.5 million in which 15%
of the total amount was the cooperative’s counterpart. The center
has a two-ton-per-hour multi-pass rice mill that gives the farmers 65% rate of
recovery of their produce compared to small rice millers that only gives 50%.
RPC is a facility that showcases efficient rice
postharvest operation through mechanization and automation. It ensures savings
in labor cost, lesser losses, enhanced quality, improved distribution system
and maximized use of buy-products.
“The facility is cost and energy efficient and
makes our operation more productive. Before, the milling capacity was only 10
sacks per hour but today through the RPC it doubled to 20 sacks per hour. This
time, we can accept customers thru market linkages who need order by volume
every month,” said Aranas.
Aside from their walk-in clienteles, SNMPC has established
a marketing agreement with Mangagoy Fishermen Cooperative (MAFISCO) and San
Roque Farmers and Displaced Workers Cooperative from Bislig City. They also
have market linkages to Sto. NiΓ±o Consumers Cooperative from Magallanes, Agusan
del Norte and Gingoog Rice Retailer from Gingoog, Misamis Oriental.
According to Aranas, an average of 2,430 sacks of
rice (50 kilos per sack) valued at ₱ 4,700,900 were sold every month to their
identified buyers. DA-Marketing Assistance Division assisted the cooperative to
make market linkages for potential buyers, she added.
The cooperative is now capable to produce premium
milled rice. The enhanced rice quality through the use of the multi-pass rice
mill serves an avenue for the National Food Authority (NFA) to link partnership
with the cooperative through a milling contract.
Furthermore, DA also provided pre and post-harvest
facilities with a total worth of ₱ 2.2 million. Over the years, the following
equipment were granted to SNMPC: three units of flat- bed dryer, four units of
multi-purpose drying pavement, one unit hand tractor and one unit rice
transplanter.
Based on the cooperative’s financial statement,
the total sale for the year 2011 was ₱17.7 million. While in 2012 it has a total sale of
₱ 21.4 million, or an
equivalent of 17% increase. In 2013 a drastic increase of sales was recorded
amounting to ₱ 33.2 million, or an
equivalent of 35% increase was achieved.
This shows that the establishment of RPC is not
only a service facility but an enterprising venture for farmers to do and learn
how to run an agri-business operation to the best of their ability.
“Today we have 360 active members of the
cooperative. SNMPC members are now receiving their dividend, before the coop is
incapable to give the dividend because the operation is not profitable. We are
very thankful for the Department of Agriculture in restoring back our
profitable operation. Now, we saw the great advantage on our part if we have
our rice produced milled at the RPC,” said Aranas.
For the past five years (2011-2015), SNMPC has a
yearly total asset worth of ₱10.2M, ₱11.6M, ₱16.4M, ₱20.4M, and ₱21.6M respectively.
For years, DA continues to provide the needed
support to empower the farmers in Caraga and increase productivity. Through its
Rice Program, mechanization is placed as one of its top priority. (DA-13
Information Section/PIA-Caraga)
