Police beefs up security for joint oath-taking
ceremony in SurSur
By Nida Grace Barcena-Tranquilan
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, June 30 (PIA) – The
Philippine National Police (PNP) beefed up the security in the city in
preparation for the joint oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected city,
congressional, and provincial officials, which will be held at 2:30 p.m.,
Thursday at the city gymnasium here.
According to chief of police Arvin Montenegro, the
security plan is already in place and has already been implemented, as he cited
the deployment of their troops in the different areas of the city.
Montenegro said that they have not received any
information for any protest schedule since nobody applied for a permit, as of
press time.
Based on the program, the newly-elected officials
of the city will swear their oath before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 40
Executive Judge Rufo U. Naragas, while the newly-elected provincial officials
and congressional representatives from districts 1 and 2 will swear their oath
before RTC Branch 27 Executive Judge Edwin Malazarte. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao del
Sur)
MGB-13 joins environment month celeb
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, June 30 (PIA) -
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Regional Office 13 has joined the
celebration of the Environment Month this whole month of June.
This year’s celebration in anchored on the theme,
Combat Biodiversity Loss, Beat Climate Change!”
The said celebration is aimed at increasing
awareness and urging all stakeholders to undertake activities to reaffirm their
concern for the protection and preservation of the environment.
MGB-13 Mine Management Division chief Engr. Daniel
S. Belderol bared their month-long activities which include mangrove planting,
coastal clean-up, zumba exercise, technical forum, photography and
environmental video competition, hand painting and quiz bowl, recycling
competition, and interpretative dance competition.
He said that the theme of this year’s celebration
underscored the urgency to intensify our collaborative efforts in the
conservation of our country’s rich biological diversity and the fight against
the increasing threats to our ecosystems particularly illegal wildlife trade.
“We collaborate with other stakeholders to
intensify public awareness of environmental preservation and instill in the
participants from mining companies and host communities a sense of
accountability as stewards of the environment,” said Engr. Balderol.
The Environment Month is celebrated by virtue of
Proclamation No. 237 on April 4, 1988, declaring the month of June every year
as Philippine Environment Month and to give time and effort towards the
protection, enhancement and development of the country's environment.
(SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Mindanao leader receives senior honors from PNoy
DAVAO CITY, June 30 (PIA) – President Benigno
Aquino III conferred Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chair Luwalhati
Antonino with the Order of Lakandula, one of the highest honors granted by the
Republic of the Philippines to individuals who have “demonstrated dedication to
the welfare of society.”
Secretary Antonino was given the rank of Gold Cross
Bayani together with 23 other cabinet secretaries of the president during a
ceremony on June 23 at the MalacaΓ±an Palace.
The Order of Lakandula is awarded for political and
civic merit in memory of Lakandula’s dedication to the responsibilities of
leadership, prudence, fortitude, courage and resolve in the service of one’s
people. President Aquino also bestowed the Presidential Medal of Merit on other
senior officials who have rendered outstanding service to the country.
“I think it is incumbent upon me to give official
recognition to those who have gone above and beyond our expectations,” said
President Aquino in a statement delivered at the awarding ceremony.
During President Aquino’s term, Secretary Antonino
through MinDA launched numerous banner programs aimed to strengthen drivers of
inclusive and sustainable growth, following the strategies and directions set
in place by the Mindanao 2020 Peace and Development Framework Plan. The plan is considered as the region’s
socioeconomic roadmap for 2011 to 2030.
Among these projects include the Mindanao
Development Corridors, aimed to bolster infrastructure and connectivity within
the island-region to facilitate its transformation as a cohesive and integrated
economy participating in the international community. The corridors program was endorsed by key
national government offices, ensuring budget for key infrastructure projects in
Mindanao.
The MindaNOW! Nurturing Our Waters Program, a
project designed to ensure that Mindanao’s natural resources are properly
managed is also being currently implemented by MinDA. The project utilizes the
“ridge-to-reef” approach, a strategy that requires the protection, utilization,
and rehabilitation of the environment from the mountains to the seas.
Through the MindaNOW Program and in partnership
with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, a Guinness World
Record for Most Trees Planted Simultaneously in an hour was achieved by the
Philippines on September 26, 2014. The
record, dubbed as TreeVolution: Greening Mindanao, facilitated the planting of
4 million trees across Mindanao’s six regions.
Under Antonino’s leadership, MinDA launched the
Mindanao Collective Trademark (MCT), a system designed to enhance the
competitiveness of products originating from the region. Once fully utilized,
the MCT will give Mindanao agri-products a certain distinction in the global
markets. The MCT was launched in partnership with the European
Union-Philippines through its Trade Related Technical Assistance Project 3.
Over the past six years, MinDA also forged
partnerships with the Philippine Business for Social Progress for the conduct
of the Mindanao Inclusive Agribusiness Program; the Philippine Chamber of
Commerce and Industry for an investment promotion and policy formulation
agreement; the Asian Development Bank and the US Agency for International
Development for the implementation of infrastructure projects and feasibility
studies in the South Central Mindanao Corridors; and the Philippine Institute
for Development Studies for the promotion of policy research in Mindanao and
the establishment of the Mindanao Knowledge Center, among others.
In 2012, the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee
(MPMC) was organized by MinDA and the Department of Energy to address
Mindanao’s power situation. Since its inception, the committee has facilitated
the improvement of the region’s power capacities and secured more than 347
megawatts of power supply to the Mindanao grid. Additional power supply of 639
megawatts are expected to come online within the year.
The MPMC also opened the One-Stop Facilitation and
Monitoring Center to accelerate the approval of permits for renewable energy
projects to cut one to two years from the three to five year requirement. A
focused target to keep the region’s energy mix diversified with emphasis on
renewable energy is being pushed by MinDA through the MPMC.
Antonino is the first woman to take leadership of
the agency that serves as the Philippine government’s principal planning and
coordinating agency in Mindanao. As MinDA secretary, she performs a broad range
of responsibilities that includes addressing critical issues involving
Mindanao, and those that require national representation or presidential
intervention. Antonino was appointed as MinDA Chair by President Aquino in
2010.
She also sits as a board member of the Tourism
Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, and serves as the chairperson the
agency’s infrastructure committee. As the infrastructure committee chairperson,
Antonino pushed for higher tourism infrastructure budget for Mindanao, and
facilitated the completion of several tourism projects across the
island-region. (MinDA/PIA-Caraga)
Surigao Norte launches 'Oplan Tag-ulan'
By Glenn A. Platil
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, June 30 (PIA) -
After a record-breaking drought during the months of April to June this year
brought about by the El NiΓ±o phenomenon, the provincial government is now
bracing for the coming of heavy rains.
To prepare for the coming of the rainy season, an
activity dubbed “Oplan Tag-ulan” activities and contingency plan for La NiΓ±a
were beefed up recently by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council (PDRRMC).
According to PAGASA Surigao chief Francis
Semorlan, La NiΓ±a is expected to affect
the eastern part of the country in the next six months. It is expected that
more rainfall is expected in the Caraga provinces.
Engr. Lilibeth Filoteo of the Surigao Metropolitan
Water District (SMWD) said that the report of PAGASA is good news to all
Surigaonons. She explained that the drought triggered low water levels and
prolonged water interruption.
The La NiΓ±a phenomenon is characterized by
prolonged and intense rainfall and thunderstorms brought about by low pressure
areas (LPAs), Inter Tropical Convergence Zones (ITCZs), easterlies and other
weather disturbances.
Flooding, rain-induced landslides and storm surges
are among the hazards of La NiΓ±a.
With the exception of Alegria, Mainit, Tubod and
Sison, all municipalities in the mainland and Siargao Island are susceptible to
surges, including Surigao City.
“Flooding
affects 48.1 percent or 197,189 people out of the total population of 409,468
Surigaonons. In terms of exposure, half of those affected are very highly
exposed while the rest are highly exposed,” the official report from PDRRMO
noted.
To drum up its emergency plans and mitigate for the
impact of La NiΓ±a, strategic measures to be initiated by PDRRMO comprise of
advocacy, awareness raising through radio broadcasts and education, enhanced
policy framework, search and rescue, evacuation and relief, water and
sanitation, health and medication and rehabilitation.
Other stakeholders and concerned offices were also
clustered to identify relevant tasks on top of cluster planning, needs and
activities, training of rescue volunteers, early warning, logistics, early
recovery and a lot more. (PGO-SDN, PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Cebuano News: SurSur nangandam sa pagsaulog sa
World Population Day sa Hulyo
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Hunyo 30 (PIA) - Ang
lokal nga panggamhanan sa probinsiya sa Suriga del Sur pinaagi sa buhatan sa
Population Management Division gikatakda nga makighiusa sa pagsaulog sa “World
Population Day” karong umaabot nga Hulyo 11, 2016.
Ang naasoy nga tinuig nga kasaulogan adunay
katuyoan nga mas mapapalapdan pa ang kahibalo sa mga hisgutanan nga adunay
kalabutan sa papulasyon.
Samtang gipamahayag ni Provincial Population
Officer Milagros Arreza nga padayon ang gipahigayon ang kampanya sa Population
Health and Development.
Gani, sa bahin sa mga estudyante sa elementarya,
diin matud pa niya nga aduna nay mga pauna nga mga gihan-ay nga dunay kalabutan
sa populasyon nga pagahisgustan alang sa kahibaloan sa mga estudyante.
Kalabot niini sa naasoy nga taho apil usab sa mga
aktibidad niining bulan sa Hunyo mao ang kabahin sa script-writing contest sa
nga estudyante nga anaa sa grade 7 ngadto na sa grade 10. (NGBT/RNB/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
