AgSur IPs learn financial literacy
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 5 (PIA) – Some 26 Indigenous
Peoples (IPs) of the Manpahanao Clan of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur were recently
trained on how to manage their financial resources. This was thru the
initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the province.
DTI-Agusan del Sur provincial director Brenda
Corvera stressed that the seminar on Financial Literacy was introduced to IPs
so they will know better how to handle and manage their resources, as well as
in their initiated project so they will be able to make sure that it will have
enough funds to provide for their family’s daily needs.
“The seminar, which is one of the components of the
2016 Bottom-Up Budgeting (BuB) project dubbed 'Yamang Pinoy on Handicraft
Making' was facilitated by the local government unit of Esperanza and our
office. We will provide more trainings to the IP sector in the province that
will give them better opportunities,” Corvera highlighted.
Meanwhile, Julieto Engag, chairman of the
Manpahanao Clan in Esperanza also expressed his gratitude to the organizers of
said seminar. “We are thankful as the knowledge shared by DTI helps us a lot in
developing our capacity to handle our financial resources and do family
budgeting. It has also awakened us on how important it is to build savings and
emergency fund,” he shared. (JPG with a report from DTI-AgSur/PIA-Agusan del
Sur)
BCWD celebrates water district week
By Nora C. Lanuza Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 5 (PIA) – In recognition to the
contribution of the water districts to the growth and development of the
nation, a water district week celebration is scheduled on the last week of
January to be spearheaded by the Butuan City Water District (BCWD) here.
This year’s celebration is anchored on the theme,
“Water Districts: Adapting to Change."
“The goal of the event is to teach about water
conservation, water quality and watershed protection,” BCWD general manager
Engr. Anselmo L. Sang Tian said.
The BCWD hopes to provide an educational experience
for residents and students on the importance of conserving water consumption
and protecting our water source – the Taguibo Watershed, Sang Tian added.
During the celebration, a Community Water
Conservation Festival will be held on January 27 to include booth exhibit, film
showing and variety show.
The celebration is pursuant to Presidential
Proclamation No. 309 issued on December 20, 2002 by then President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo declaring the last full week of January of every year as Water
District Week. (NCLM/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
DTI promotes 5 Negosyo Centers in AgSur
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 5 (PIA) – The Department of Trade
and Industry (DTI) in Agusan del Sur urged the public to avail the services of
the five Negosyo Centers (NCs) currently operating in the province.
According to DTI-Agusan del Sur provincial director
Brenda Corvera, the Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can register
their business name, get help for other business requirements, receive business
counseling and information on their marketing, financing,
production/technology, product development and business management needs,
include their product in the center pasalubong/trade display corner, and enroll
and join in the center’s trainings for free.
“Joining the two pioneer centers – Negosyo Center
in San Frncisco and Talacogon, established in 2015 are the three more NCs in
the city of Bayugan and the municipalities of Prosperidad and Sibagat,”
underlined Corvera.
Corvera also revealed that the NC in Prosperidad
also serves as the NC provincial hub and is currently catering to the needs of
MSMEs from municipalities with no NC yet mostly from the province’s second
district. Another current sub-province is NC Talacogon, which is also serving the
interior towns of San Luis, La Paz, and Trento.
“Targeted for set-up and launch this year is the
Negosyo Centers in Trento, Bunawan and Sta. Josefa,” Corvera added.
The good provincial director further emphasized
that all NCs in the province are working closely with the host local government
units, local chambers (Agusan del Sur and Bayugan City), the local offices of
the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Provincial
MSME Development Council. (JPG with a report from DTI-AgSur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
AgSur ARBs participate in training for
competitiveness
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 5 (PIA) – The Department of Trade
and Industry (DTI) Agusan del Sur together with the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR) has recently trained some 21 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs)
to improve their ways in producing quality goods.
DTI-Agusan del Sur provincial director Brenda
Corvera bared that these ARBs are members of the Kaagap Development
Multi-Purpose Cooperative (KAAGAPMUCO) of Hubang in the municipality of San
Francisco and RAM Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative
(RARBEMPCO) in Rosario.
“The trainings include Good Manufacturing Practice
(GMP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), as well as
entrepreneurial seminars,” disclosed Corvera.
Corvera added that the HACCP is a tool to
strengthen food handlers, introduced the beneficiaries to a more systematic
approach that will ensure food safety through preventive measures which will
reduce hazards. (JPG with a report from DTI-AgSur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
PNP reports fewer firecracker injuries in Caraga
region
By Nora C. Lanuza Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 5 (PIA) - The Philippine National
Police (PNP) Police Regional Office 13 reported fewer firecracker related
injuries during the holiday season.
PNP-PRO 13 regional director PCSupt. Rolando Felix
said there was a significant decrease on firecracker related injuries from the
different provinces during the holiday season.
Felix said that as of January 1, a total of 15
firecracker related injuries were recorded in the entire region, all are
out-patient cases. “This is a 57 percent decrease compared with the last year’s
35 incidents,” Felix added.
Also, the PNP noted the decrease on confiscated
illegal firecrackers.
During its presentation and inspection on the
confiscated illegal firecrackers, Felix said that a total of 563,188 pieces of
firecrackers to include the piccolo, giant kwitis, 5-Star OG, imported baby
rocket, pop pop, super lolo, pla-pla, whistle bomb, watusi and big mega were
confiscated/recorded.
Felix said the decrease is the result of the
community’s response and cooperation to the call of the authorities for safe
celebrations and also due to the relentless pro-active measures conducted by
the Department of Health and the Local Government Units including the help of
the media in information dissemination on the campaign against the use of
illegal firecrackers in greeting the New Year. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)
Hinatuan announces temporary closure of enchanted
river due to maintenance
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 5 (PIA) – The
enchanted river in Hinatuan town, one of the most popular tourist attractions
in Surigao del Sur, will be temporarily closed to public for a maintenance.
Hinatuan Tourism Officer and Community Development
Information Officer (CDIO) Gemma Millan revealed that the temporary closure is
scheduled from Jan. 9 until Feb. 3, 2017.
Millan added that the normal service operation of
the river would resume on Feb. 4.
This is one of the strategies thought out by the
local government unit of Hinatuan to allow and let the river refresh and
revitalize, letting it having a breather from tourism, it was learned.
For further queries, they may text or call the
Enchanted River Management Office at 0909-955-3077. The enchanted river is
about 144 kilometers away from the city.
The river is famous of its clear waters in
different shades of blue. At noontime, the caretaker of the river will ring a
bell requesting everyone to get out of water as it is “feeding time.” The
caretaker will then play the “hymn of Hinatuan,” then a massive school of fish
will come out of nowhere and will gather at the mouth of the river. The
caretaker will then feed the fishes. No one is allowed to swim and disturb the
“feeding time.” When feeding time is over, the school of fish disappear and
goes back to the underwater cave. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DOE pushes simulations to safeguard consumers
during Malampaya scheduled maintenance
BUTUAN CITY, Jan 5 (PIA) - Department of Energy
(DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi pushes to firm up measures by each concerned
agencies and power stakeholders during the course of the Malampaya maintenance
repair from January 28 to February 16, 2017 to ensure readiness of all
stakeholders and by way of ensuring consumers protection from any market
abuses.
The DOE will closely coordinate with all Malampaya
stakeholders including the Malampaya Consortium, the National Grid Corp. of the
Philippines (NGCP), Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), Power Sector Assets and
Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp., Philippine Electricity Market Corp.
(PEMC) and power generation companies and other distribution utilities to
ensure sufficiency of power supply during the shutdown period.
Initially, Sec. Cusi instructed that “materials,
equipment and other assets necessary for the maintenance of Malampaya should
all be delivered by January 15 and these should be ready for deployment to make
sure that the repair activities should remain on schedule.”
The DOE noted that during the maintenance
activities, some power plants are on scheduled maintenance as well. Based on initial study, the lowest projected
power supply capacity during the period stood at 8,747 MW on February 18, while
highest demand is projected to reach 8,610 MW on February 9.
To ensure sufficient power supply, the DOE requires
the affected natgas power plants to run on alternative or replacement fuel but
it is more expensive than natural gas. Natural gas as fuel only costs around
P4/kilowatt-hour and replacement fuel, such as diesel which costs around
P6-P8/kWh.
Sec. Cusi then emphasized that “the Department is
exploring all possible options and remedies to maximize protection for
consumers.”
Moreover, to augment power supply, the DOE readies
the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) in which around 900MW are enrolled.
Further, the DOE also encourages consumers to
practice effective “demand-side management.”
The Secretary of Energy also enjoined that “the
public should also be proactive in computing the effect of price adjustments to
be provided in the simulations given by the agencies concerned to for consumers
to practice efficiency measures to avoid price shocks.” (DOE/PIA-Caraga)
Power restored to more than 1M households in
typhoon Nina-affected areas
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 5 (PIA) - With its 24/7 power
restoration efforts, the Department of Energy (DOE), together with its private
institution partners, has resumed electricity supply to 1,003,519 households or
about 57 percent re-energization of typhoon Nina-affected areas as of January
4, this year.
Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said, “After
restoring power in town centers and nearby communities, our ground personnel
are working round the clock, even double time to bring back the power supply to
all affected households in Southern Luzon and Bicol regions.”
Specifically, Cusi relayed, “We, through the
National Electrification Administration (NEA), already deployed 982 personnel
from 52 participating energy companies and distribution utilities through Task Force
Kapatid to help restore power supply in the affected 99 municipalities and
seven cities.”
On transmission facilities, the National Grid
Corporation of the Philippines reported that it deployed close to 600 personnel
working 24/7 to attain 100 percent restoration of transmission lines by today.
NGCP is focusing on the last three transmission service connected to NGCP
customers that are still undergoing rehabilitation as of yesterday (3 January),
which include Tabaco 20 Megavolt Ampere (MVA) Load-End Substation (LES) serving
Albay Power and Energy Corp. (APEC); Malinao 5 MVA LES serving APEC; and Albay
Agro-Industrial Development Corp. (ALINDECO) LES serving AboitizPower Renewable
Incorporated’s Tiwi Geothermal Plant.
The following is the status of restoration in the
affected provinces as of January 4, 2017:
A) On-Grid Areas:
For Sorsogon, the NEA reported that 46,366
households have been restored under the franchise area of Sorsogon II Electric
Cooperative (SORECO II), while SORECO I is currently undergoing clearing and
restoration of their distribution facilities.
Albay province, through the report of Albay Power
and Energy Corporation (APEC), has restored 31 percent of all affected areas or
a total of 68,668 households.
In Camarines Norte, all power facilities are up and
running supplying electricity to its locals, while in Camarines Sur, there are
still 296,219 households to be energized spread over the franchise areas of
four electric cooperatives in the province.
As reported by NEA, Quezon Province has reached 50
percent restoration status for all typhoon-affected areas, especially under the
Quezon I Electric Cooperative.
For Batangas, NEA reported that Batangas II
Electric Cooperative (BATELEC II) has attained 100 percent restoration, while
BATELEC I stood at 90 percent or around 16,000 remaining households to be
energized.
B) Off-Grid Areas:
In the hard-hit province of Catanduanes, the
National Electrification Administration (NEA) reported that the First
Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FICELCO) has counted 48,000 affected
households undergoing restoration. Moreover, the National Power Corporation
(NPC) reported that all affected government-owned power plants in the province
are already in operation with a dependable capacity of 7.8 megawatts (MW),
while among the privately-owned generation facilities totaling to 8.5 MW, only
the 2.8 MW Sun West Corporation Hydroelectric Power is still non-operational
due to flood water.
For Mindoro Island, NEA reported that 99 percent of
households in Occidental Mindoro have been restored, while Oriental Mindoro
stood at 68 percent re-energization or 120,682 households have experienced
resumption of power supply.
While Marinduque’s generation and transmission
facilities have been restored by NPC, there are still 43,200 affected
households that are yet to be restored by Marinduque Electric Cooperative
(MARELCO) as NEA reported.
All other off-grid areas (Masbate, Batangas,
Camarines Sur and Marinduque Mini-Grids) under the supervision of NPC are back
in operation awaiting restoration of distribution facilities.
“We’ve already added personnel and augmented assets
through private institutions and we are continuously monitoring the progress of
power restoration,” said Cusi.
Cusi concluded "We are exhausting all possible
remedies to bring back the power in the affected areas the soonest possible. We
cannot leave our kababayans until we have lighted each and every household
affected by Typhoon Nina.” (DOE/PIA-Caraga)
