Army intensifies developmental activities for IP
communities, localities
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Aug. 25 (PIA) – The 401st Brigade,
Philippine Army based in the province has intensified its developmental
activities for the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) community and localities.
In the recently held Provincial Peace and Order
Council (PPOC) meeting presided by Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) board members
Santiago Cane Jr. and Gilbert Elorde, with the presence of provincial director
Arleen Ann Sanchez of the Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG), the council thoroughly discussed the provincial local peace and order
and public safety plan for the calendar year 2017-2019 thru a formulation
workshop of its respective programs and projects.
According to Captain Michael Bahian, 401st
Brigade's Civil Military Operations (CMO) Officer, they are intensifying the
conduct of its annual activity, the Youth Leadership Summit for the young ones
in the province, which include the IPs.
“The allocation for this activity has been
incorporated in the 2017-2019 budget, which will also be included in the
presentation of DILG Agusan del Sur provincial director Sanchez as PPOC
secretariat during the next meeting,” he said.
Bahian further disclosed that they are continuously
holding lectures, orientation with the IPs in their area of responsibility to
increase their awareness on their rights and how they can prevent from being
fooled and recruited by the NPAs.
Also, it was learned that part of their three-year
plan is the establishment of a rehabilitation center for illegal drug
dependents as recommended by the provincial government of Agusan del Sur.
Bahian added that some 60 illegal drug dependents
who will be subject for rehabilitation will soon be accommodated in their camp
once finalized. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
PCHRD-DOST capacitates young researchers in doing
disaster research for health
By Nora C. Lanuza Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 25 (PIA) – As part of the ongoing
bid of the Philippines to position itself as the global hub for global health
innovations and disaster risk reduction, young researchers of Caraga region
will undergo a workshop on Framework for Disaster Research: Capacity
Enhancement on Disaster Research in Health on September 26-27 here.
The two-day workshop will be conducted by the
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of
Science and Technology (PCHRD-DOST) as a follow through action to the key
messages from the disaster risk reduction (DRR) sessions at the Global Forum on
Research and Innovation for Health 2015 (Forum 2015) last year, said CHRD
Caraga chair Dr. Cesar Cassion.
According to Cassion, the workshop aims to train
young researchers from the regions on disaster frameworks on research for
health developed by the resident of the World Association for Disaster and
Emergency Medicine Dr. Marvin Birnbaum and featured during the Forum 2015. The
workshop also emphasizes on developing the capacity of young researchers across
the Philippines in doing disaster research for health.
Nominees must be less than 35 years old and have
background in and/or show interest on basic and disaster research. Faculty or
graduate students may participate as pair of Junior-Senior researchers.
Interested nominees with only Bachelor of Science degrees or have not yet
published may join but must at least possess knowledge in research method.
The nominees will be screened by a group of experts
in disaster research for health to choose 20 - 25 qualified participants in the
workshop. Chosen participants will be mentored to develop research proposals
for funding by PCHRD-DOST.
Deadline of submission of nominees is on September
2, 2016. They may send/email the curricula vitae of your nominees to Richmond
Acosta at rqacosta@pchrd.dost.gov.ph. For inquiries they may contact him at
(02)837-7534 or at +639369575474. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)
New DOTC Caraga chief vows clean-up
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 25 (PIA) –
Newly-installed regional director of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in
Caraga pledged to clean-up the agency from corruption in a month's time.
DOTr Caraga regional director Mohammad Naser Canoy
Abbas, in a radio interview, said that one of his priorities is the transaction
related to franchising, in which according to him it involves both the Land
Transportation Office and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
(LTFRB).
Abbas added that corruption exists especially in
sales and transfer of franchises.
The official explained that franchise applicants
will only be charged in the amount of P510.00, but it turned out that the
illegal collection of franchise fees averaged from P50,000 to P70,000.
Accordingly, the deal is done through a third party or a fixer for faster
transaction, the official noted.
Abbas assumed as DOTr officer-in-charge
(OIC)-director after the retirement of former director Roman Jumawan. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
SurSur employers support stopping ‘endo’
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 25 (PIA) –
Business establishment owners in the province have vowed to support the
administration’s fight against “endo” or end of contract abuses.
During the conduct of the Employers Forum and
Orientation on Contractualization Cum Assessment recently here, the employers
vowed to comply with the law or implementing rules and regulations of the labor
code.
Accordingly, "endo" is the abuse of
contractualization. Employees, in this case, are terminated every five months
and then rehired for the same duration, depriving them of mandatory benefits.
Meanwhile, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
Caraga regional director Evelyn Ramos assured that they will be conducting
another round of consultation once the listing is completed. She admitted that
the list of establishments and companies operating in the region is still to be
finalized.
"Once it will be completed, it is expected
that the number of those who will commit to stop 'endo' will be
increased," she added.
It was learned that same activity was already
conducted earlier in other areas such as in Butuan City, and Agusan del Sur. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
25th MinBizCon trade fair exhibit opens in Surigao
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Aug. 25 (PIA) -
The Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) in partnership with the
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) formally opened on Wednesday, the Trade
Fair Exhibit (Corporate Exhibit) Expo at the Philippine Gateway Hotel, this
city.
Vice Governor Arturo Carlos Egay, Jr in behalf of
Governor Sol F. Matugas; City Legal Officer Atty. Manuel Delani in behalf of
City Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas; and SCCI President Concepcion R. Paqueo led the
formal opening and ribbon cutting.
The trade fair exhibit, which will be held from
August 24 to 26, is part of the 25th Mindanao Business Conference (MinBizCon)
that features quality competitive products, technology, investment
opportunities of mostly Mindanao-based companies, and Surigao products,
delicacies and handicrafts from different exhibitors. (SDR/PIA-Surigao del
Norte)
DSWD Caraga holds dialogue with RTC judges, clerks
of court, prosecutors on adoption process
By Eunice G. Montaos
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 25 (PIA) - With the objective to
ensure common knowledge and understanding on the guidelines along adoption of
children, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Caraga
conducted recently the consultation dialogue with the Regional Trial Court
(RTC) judges, clerks of court, and prosecutors in the region held at Gateway
Hotel, Surigao City.
RTC judges present were Hon. Eduardo S. Casals
(Br.1, Butuan City), Hon. Emmanuel E. Escatron (Cabadbaran City), Hon.Kimal M.
Salacop (Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur), Hon. Hector B. Salise (Bayugan City),
Hon. Rufo U. Naragas (Tandag City), Hon. Merlyn Pacaro-Canedo (Bislig City),
and Catalina Sineta Tare-Palacio (Cantilan, Surigao del Sur).
Thirteen (13) clerks of court and six provincial
prosecutors also attended the dialogue.
The one-day activity focused on attaining the
appreciation of participants regarding the issued Memorandum 7 series of 2015
by DSWD which clarifies the matter on the adoption process. Furthermore, it is
aimed that the mentioned professionals will understand the importance of the
administrative procedure stipulated under Republic Act (RA) 9523
"Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption" as a pre-requisite
for the adoption of non-relative or outside the 4th degree relationship.
Assistant Director Rosalie Dagulo of Protective
Services Bureau, Atty. Melissa De Villa Gorospe of Legal Bureau, and Social
Welfare Officer III Maricel Bringas were the invited resource persons from DSWD
Central Office to discuss on the provisions of the laws along adoption like the
RA 9523 and RA 8552 (Domestic Adoption Act).
The said experts emphasized on the new concepts,
processes, or provisions of the mentioned laws.
DSWD Caraga regional director Minda B. Brigoli, who
personally graced the occasion, expressed her gratitude for the presence of the
participants. According to her, it was the first time that the department has
conducted the activity with the attendees to thresh out issues and concerns
related to the adoption already filed and will still be filed in courts.
“I would like to extend my gratitude to our
Honorable Judges for heeding our call. Their presence indicates that we are one
in protecting our children and ensuring their welfare,” she said.
Brigoli also presented the various advocacy
activities on legal adoption conducted by DSWD-Caraga together with its
partners in raising awareness of the communities.
Accounting on the adoption cases in the region, as
of today, there are 97 children who are subject for adoption which are reported
to the regional office. This number comprises the cases handled by DSWD’s
community-based social workers and the local government unit (LGU) social
workers. Eighty-five (85) of the adoption cases are handled by the Social
Welfare and Development (SWAD) team leaders assigned in the five provinces of
the region and only 12 cases coming from LGUs. (Social Marketing Unit/DSWD
Field Office Caraga)
DOH Caraga to implement community-based
rehabilitation program
By Ma. Lourdes P. Apego
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 25 (PIA) - In order to give
attention to the growing number of drug dependent surrenderees in Caraga
region, the Department of Health (DOH) Caraga region is now implementing the
Community-Based Rehabilitation Program Approach.
As such, DOH will train and orient Municipal Health
Offices, selected staff of Provincial and City Health Offices, Public Health
Nurses and selected staff of DOH Caraga regarding the program.
According to DOH Caraga regional director Jose R.
Llacuna Jr., one of the reasons for adapting this approach is because the
Treatment and Rehabilitation Center located in Surigao City could no longer
accommodate the growing number of drug dependents which has grown to 23,000
regionwide and counting.
At present, the said rehab center is hosting some
80 in-patients including out-patients and its facilities are already
outnumbered by the number of drug dependent surrenderees.
When established, the Community-Based
Rehabilitation Centers will adapt the programs offered in the Regional
Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, Llacuna said. (Radyo ng Bayan
Butuan/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
DA Caraga reorients LCEs on PRDP
By Fretcher Magatao
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 25 (PIA) - The Department of
Agriculture - Regional Project Coordination Office (DA-RPCO) headed by
OIC-Regional Executive Director Renato Manantan spearheaded the conduct of
five-day PRDP Information Caravan for the provinces and municipalities all over
the region to update and reorient the local chief executives (LCE) about the
project.
Organized by the Information, Advocacy,
Communication and Education (InfoACE) Unit, the activity provided an avenue to
the local executives, especially the newly elected officials, and the
Provincial/Municipal Project Management and Implementation Units (P/MPMIU) to
raise concerns which can be directly addressed by the officials from RPCO and
the representatives from Mindanao Project Support Office (PSO).
“This activity not only allows us to be refreshed
and updated about PRDP, but also a venue to resolve issues and concerns on
project implementation,” said InfoACE Unit Head Emmylou Presilda.
OIC Deputy Project Director Jodel Tabada explained
the significant roles of LCEs and P/MPMIUs for the achievement of the goals of
the Project in establishing modern, climate-smart and market-oriented
agri-fishery sector.
“Since the project will support the local
smallholder farmers and fishers to primarily increase their marketable
surpluses and their access to markets, the LGU plays an important role in
availing a subproject from PRDP,” said Tabada.
Tabada also stressed the importance of profound
Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP) in support to the Agriculture and
Fishery Modernization Plan (AFMP) wherein planning begins from the municipal up
to the national level.
“We are glad that the municipalities have been
cooperative to the province in crafting the PCIP. I just want to reiterate that
the PCIP is not only useful for PRDP, the PCIP is also a guide and basis for
interventions from other agencies to the province,” Tabada said.
“The PCIP is a tool to guide the investors on what
investments they need to pour to the province. The province must not worry if
PRDP would come to an end. For as long as there is the PCIP, all the planned
projects could be realized through other programs of the Department and with
the help of other agencies,” Regional Executive Director Renato Manantan added.
PCIP is a strategic plan that rationalizes the
interventions within the various segments of the value chain of commodities
that are of significance to the province and that will contribute to the
national goals of the agriculture and fishery sector.
“It is part of PRDP’s primary procedures that the
proposed subprojects from the province must be based on the purpose of
increased productivity of priority commodities refrected in the province’s
PCIP,” said Manantan.
The I-BUILD or the infrastructure component of the
project reflects that as of the end of the semester, the total indicative
portfolio of approved subprojects for Mindanao Cluster reached P7 billion which
P1.5 billion belongs to Caraga, this is a total of 21 percent of the
portfolioor a total of 22 subprojects for the region.
Despite the rigorous process prior to the
implementation of the project, there are already five farm-to-market roads that
are under implementation in the municipalities of Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte
and Talacogon, Esperanza, and Veruela, Agusan del Sur.
“It is true that the process of availing a
subproject under PRDP is tough and the requirements take time to be complied,
but we still remain patient and determined to do whatever we can just for a
project to be realized in our municipality,” said Mayor Leonida Manpatilan of
Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.
On the other hand, Investments for Rural
Enterprises and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity (I-REAP) Component which
aims to strengthen and develop viable agri-fishery based enterprises through
efficient value chains of key agriculture and fishery products already has one
approved subproject amounting to P32 million on procurement process for the
Integrated Abaca Enhancement Enterprises in Santiago, Agusan del Norte.
The component also has four other subprojects
amounting to a total of P65 million in the pipeline. One production, processing
and marketing subproject for Agusan del Sur and the same type of subprojects
for the Province of Dinagat Islands. Two additional enterprise subprojects are
also hoped to be approved in Agusan del Norte within the year.
The information caravan was participated by the
provincial board members on agriculture, city/municipal mayors of the
provinces, city/municipal councilors on agriculture and the
Provincial/Municipal Project Management and Implementation Units all over the
region. (DA-RPCO Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog News: PNP-Caraga bumuo ng fact-finding team
na mag-iimbestiga sa mga pulis opisyal na dawit umano sa illegal drug trade sa
Butuan
Ni Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Agosto 25 (PIA) - Bumuo na ng fact-finding
team ang Philippine National Police (PNP) dito sa rehiyon ng Caraga na siyang
mag-iimbistiga sa tatlong police officials na umano’y sangkot sa illegal drug
trade dito sa lungsod.
Ayon kay PNP-13 regional director CSupt Rolando
Felix ay natanggap na nila ang sworn statement ni Franklin Caliguid,
correspondent ng Philippine Daily Inquirer na siyang pumapangalan sa mga
nasabing opisyal.
Matatandaan na sa isang press conference na ginanap
noong pagdalaw ni PNP chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa sa Butuan City kamakailan
lang ay nagkaroon ng pagkakataong mailahad ni Caliguid ang umano’y naibahagi sa
kanya ng namatay na pulis na si PO3 Rex Ofianga ang mga hinaing, maging ang mga
pangalan ng mga opisyal na umano'y sangkot sa ilegal drug trade na sina PCInsp
Christian Rafols, PSupt Rowena Martinez at PSSupt Francisco Dungo.
Sinabi ni CSupt Felix na kailangan nilang ivalidate
ang mga impormasyong kanilang nakalap base na rin sa kanilang imbestigasyun na
isinagawa.
Napag-alaman rin na wala pang relief order na
inilabas ang kanilang tanggapan at kasalukuyang nagrereport pa umano sa
kani-kanilang respective stations ang tatlong police officials.
Inihayag ni CSupt Felix na kapag talagang may
basehan na magpapatunay sa alegasyon ay maghahain umano ang kanilang opisina ng
kasong administratibo laban sa mga sangkot.
Samantala, sa iba’t ibang panayam ay mariin namang
itinanggi ng tatlong opisyal ang naturang alegasyon.
Tungkol naman sa umano’y banta na kinakaharap ni
Caliguid, sinabi ni CSupt Felix na maaring ipagbigay alam ito sa kanila nang sa
gayun ay magawan ng karampatang aksyon. Ayon pa sa kanya, patuloy ang kanilang
imbestigasyun at magpapalabas ito ng resulta sa lalong madaling panahon.
(VLG/PIA-Caraga)