OWWA calls on OFWs to join in 2017 MOFYA
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, Sept. 15 (PIA) – The
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is once again calling OFWs to
join in the 2017 Search for the Model OFW Family of the Year Award (MOFYA).
Ronelo Maningo, family welfare officer of
OWWA-Agusan del Sur bared that the MOFYA is aimed to honor the sacrifices and
contributions of Filipino migrants, highlighting the best practices of OFWs and
their families in overcoming the challenges of migration.
“The search focuses of OFW families who have
nurtured strong family relations, properly managed the financial benefits from
the overseas employment, excelled educationally as well as professionally, and
achieved positive impact in the community where they belong,” relayed Maningo.
Maningo added that the MOFYA will award two
outstanding OFW families per region – one for the land-based and one for the
sea-based category. The winner will represent the region in the national
contest.
Maningo further highlighted that the criteria of
the selection process are as follows: 1) Wholesome OFW Family – 50 percent; 2)
Civic/community involvement of the OFW and family – 20 percent; 3) Success in
OFW and/or family member/s education or profession; and 4) Success in managing
family finances – 10 percent.
Also, in order to qualify for the search, Maningo
clarified that nominees should comply with the following requirements: a) The
OFW is the head of the nuclear family, could be the father or mother, including
widow/widower (s/he may be presently employed overseas or former OFW; s/he
is/was an OWWA members; s/he has at least four year work experience as an OFW;
that s/he has returned to the country for good for no longer than ten years at
the time of nomination; and no derogatory record).
“Nominations from overseas may be accepted provided
the family of the nominee is in the Philippines. No individual nomination shall
be accepted,” stressed Maningo.
It was also learned that aside from the
aforementioned requirements, a nominee must not be related up to the third
degree of consanguinity and affinity to officials and employees of OWWA,
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and its attached agencies, and social
partners of MOFYA. Previous regional MOFYA nominees can be nominated for the
second time only after two years.
“It is also clear in the requirements that the
nominees must not be a holder of an elective/appointed position in the
national/local office at the time of nomination,” Maningo underlined.
The group who may nominate an OFW family that meets
the qualifications must be any of the following: Registered non-government
organizations (NGOs); Peoples organizations (POs); Religious organization or
association; Community-based socio-civic organizations/associations; and OFW
Family Circle (OFCs). (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
OWWA promotes OFW-EDL Program in AgSur
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, Sept. 15 (PIA) – The
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Caraga is continuously promoting
its Overseas Filipino Workers – Enterprise Development and Loan Program
(OFW-EDL) Program for availment of its members – individual or group in the
province.
To be eligible borrower/s, the following should be
met: 1) OFW who is certified OWWA member, active or non-active; 2)
legal/qualified dependent (if single, widow or widower; or separated in fact,
parents not more than 60 years old upon loan maturity; or children at least 18
years old at the time of loan availment; if married, by the legal spouse); 3)
only one OFW per family, within the first degree of consanguinity or affinity
(parent, spouse child) shall be eligible to apply under the program; and 4)
group of OFWs who formed themselves have been certified as OWWA members.
Eligible projects should also be on franchising
business; contract tie-up with top 1000 corporations; sgri and non-agri
production/manufacturing with identified market linkage and raw material
sources; construction/rental business; service/trading business; transport
service; or any viable project whether existing or new, that should generate a
net cash flow sufficient to pay the projected amortization of the loan.
As to loan amount, OWWA bared that maximum loanable
amount for individual loan borrowers (single proprietorship) is P2,000,000 and
minimum of P100,000. For group loan borrowers, P5,000,000 is the maximum while
minimum is P100,000. The interest rate per annum is 7.5 percent fixed for the
duration of the loan.
OWWA further emphasized that eligible loan purpose
should be for working capital and fixed asset acquisition.
The OFW-EDLP is an enterprise development
intervention and loan facility of OWWA in partnership with the Land Bank of the
Philippines (LBP) and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
(JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
DTI, GIZ spearhead green economic development
technical session to Surigao Norte MSMEs
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Sept. 15 (PIA) –
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Surigao del Norte in partnership
with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zussamenarbeit (GIZ) in behalf
of the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany conducts a
two-day in-phasing event cum technical session on green economic development
for the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) of the province from
September 14 to 15, 2016 held at Parkway Hotel, this city.
According to DTI provincial director Celestino L.
Negapatan, the activity highlights the gains of the Promotion of Green Economic
Development (ProGED) project and sustaining its promotion in the province.
“The activity will be a venue not only MSMEs to
share their stories and the positive results of adopting green initiatives in
their businesses but also inspire other MSMEs to go green through testimonials
of those who already implemented and benefited the green technologies in their
establishments,” says Negapatan.
He says the event will also highlight the
commitments of other national line agencies, local government units, and other
stakeholders in the province to jointly pursue green economic development.
(SDR/DTI-Surigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
News Feature: DAR farm equipment, access to credit
boost farmer org's income in AgNor town
By Gil E. Miranda
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 15 (PIA) - In a poor community
where businesses can hardly survive without the required economic liquidity to
provide a market for any enterprise, the achievement of Baleguian Organic
Farmers Irrigators Association (BOFIA) is a story of struggle in achieving a
modicum of economic success through financial discipline inspiring leadership
and transparent management.
BOFIA Chairman Wenifredo Maldo was recently a
recipient of a recognition from the national leadership of Agrarian Production
Credit Program (APCP), a credit program of Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)
and Department of Agriculture (DA) for production capital assistance to
farmers, for 100 percent repayment of loans borrowed by its members held in
Cagayan de Oro City last Mar. 9-10, 2016.
"Nindot lang ang tabang ninyo sir kung kami
nakasabot nga dili lang bayran and utang kung di among ipakita nga kami
nabulahan tungod sa tabang (The assistance of DAR is significant only if
recipients understands that repayment is not simply returning the money but in
demonstrating with our lives and families that we have been better off with
it)," said Maldo upon his arrival in Butuan City.
BOFIA has now a total asset value of P40 million
consisting of rice threshers, hand tractors, harvester, floating tiller and
tractor with plow trailer, which they got from DAR's Agrarian Reform Community
Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) program. The farm
implements alone are providing an income of more than P200,000 annually to the
association.
BOFIA has also a record performance in keeping a
100 percent payment of irrigation fees to National Irrigation Administration
(NIA) with irrigation facilities funded by DAR through Agrarian Reform
Infrastructure Support Project phase II (ARISP-II) that supply water to 180
hectares of CARP distributed ricelands. Crossing through the rice fields
strategically are concrete roads funded also by ARISP II.
BOFIA is the monitoring arm of DAR, NIA and LGU in
providing feedback and laborers during the construction of roads and irrigation
facilities. The members active feed-backing resulted in the quality completion of
the projects.
Micro-lending with APCP as capital, enterprise
operations with farm implements from ARCCESS, and partnership with line
agencies (LAs) and local government units (LGUs) in infrastructure
implementation make BOFIA a perfect candidate for outstanding award having
demonstrated the capability to inspire members to pay their financial
obligations, profitably operate rural enterprise, productively manage their
farms and effectively coordinate with partner agencies. (DAR-Agusan del
Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
