JPIC-IDC, Caraga media to discuss protection of
women, children vs various forms of abuses
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 18 (PIA) – To intensify awareness
among media partners in Caraga region on the protection of women and their
children against abuses, exploitation and human trafficking, the Justice, Peace
and Integrity of Creation – Integrated Development Center, Incorporated
(JPIC-IDC, Inc.) is set to hold the roundtable discussion with media partners
in Caraga on Setember 15, 2017 at Grand Palace Hotel, this city.
Reann Mantilla, project coordinator of Cinemobile
Project – JPIC-IDC, Inc., underlined that for almost nine years, JPIC-IDC has
been conducting awareness-raising activities, mobilization and strengthening of
advocates, providing trainings in handling trafficking in persons cases to
frontline service providers such as judges, prosecutors, law enforcers,
academe, religious sectors and social workers manily on the areas of Agusan del
Sur and Agusan del Norte.
“However, there is still a need to extend the modus
of human trafficking to other civil society groups especially the media
partners to be well-aware and become an advocates,” added Mantilla.
Mantilla, further said that with the scheduled
one-day discussion with Caraga media, she is optimistic that the group will be
able to come up with strategies on how to better enhance information
dissemination on the said campaign especially in the remote areas of the
region.
The JPIC-IDC is a non-stock, non-profit,
non-government organization duly registered with the Security Exchange Commission
(SEC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and accredited under
Philippine Council for NGO certification.
It has been implementing projects in Caraga region
specifically focused on protecting women and children against abuse, exploitation
and trafficking in persons thru their Cinemobile Project dubbed “Capacity
development of structures and competencies of state and non-state actors to
fight against human trafficking in the Caraga region, Mindanao, Philippines,”
funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
through Karl KΓΌbel Stiftung fΓΌr Kind and Familie (KKS) of Germany.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Butuan PNP destroys illegal gambling machines
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 18 (PIA) – The Butuan City Police
Office (BCPO) has recently conducted destruction of some 56 illegal gambling
machines from their six-month operations in the different barangays of the
city.
BCPO chief Police Senior Superintendent Percival
Agustus Placer said, of the 56 confiscated 22 are video karera while the 34 are
fruit game machines.
“These 56 illegal gambling machines were
confiscated by our personnel from the different police stations here within the
six-month operations of our office. We are continuously monitoring the
different barangays as we intensify our campaign against illegal activities,"
underscored Placer.
"We will also destroy all these confiscated
machines especially the motherboard, where illegally-made games were stored,”
he added.
Placer also said that the activity is in line with
the implementation of the marching order of President Rodrigo Duterte against
illegal gambling activities. He further called on the locals not to engage into
illegal gambling activities since it can ruin lives.
Several city councilors also joined in the
destruction activity and witnessed by media partners. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DepEd SurSur division completes advocacy campaign
on random drug testing
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 18 (PIA) - The
Department of Education (DepEd) Surigao del Sur Schools Division has recently
completed the advocacy/orientation campaign relative to the implementation of
'random drug testing' in the entire division, said a senior official of the
division on Thursday.
Schools Division Superintendent Marilou Dedumo said
the random drug testing will be conducted to select secondary students and
teachers identified by the system, developed by the DepEd Central Office.
Dedumo added that all non-teaching personnel will
also undergo the drug testing in the Surigao del Sur Division.
Dedumo explained that as of press time, they are
still waiting for the memorandum to be issued by the central office for the
start of the implementation.
The conduct of the random drug testing in public
and private secondary schools, particularly in the Junior and Senior High
School students for the school year 2017-2018, was based on the guidelines
stipulated by the DepEd order number 40, series of 2017. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
2-day power shutdown to hit parts of SurSur
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 18 (PIA) –
Thousands of households and businesses will suffer a two-day power outage on
Aug. 20-21, 2017 here due to the conduct of Preventive Maintenance and
Servicing for the Surigao del Sur Electric Cooperative, Incorporation II
(SURSECO II) Substations.
The said maintenance is regularly conducted
annually to ensure and maintain the quality and reliability of their
distribution services, according to a notice issued by SURSECO II.
During the conduct of the preventive maintenance,
there will be a power interruption from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to the following
areas: (Aug. 20) Tandag City; Municipality of Cortes; and some parts of Tago
town, particularly in barangays of Poblacion, Victoria, Dayo-an, Camagong,
Mercedes, and parts of Gamut.
While on August 21, Monday, affected areas are:
Municipalities of Marihatag, Cagwait, Bayabas, San Miguel and some parts of
Tago.
According to SURSECO II General Manager Engr.
Iglorio Hinayon, power will be restored anytime after all works are completed.
SURSECO II operates in the first district of the
province covering Tandag City and 13 towns: Lianga, San Agustin, Marihatag,
Cagwait, Bayabas, Tago, San Miguel, Cortes, Lanuza, Carmen, Madrid, Cantilan,
and Carrascal. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
ATI Caraga chief to extension managers: Build
bridges, not walls
By Jason Paul Dads E. Jampac
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 18 - “We should build bridges,
not walls,” Robert T. Poculan, Center Director of the Agricultural Training
Institute – Regional Training Center XIII (ATI-Caraga), told extension managers
during the Leadership and Management Skills Training held recently here.
“As leaders in your organization you should be
mediators and not agents of divisiveness,” he added.
The five-day training was participated in by 31
managers from the municipal local government units in Surigao del Norte,
Surigao del Sur, and Agusan del Sur.
Resource speakers were from Manila namely, Steve
Sandoval and wife Teresita Sandoval. Topics discussed were on the importance of
personal and team mission and vision, levels of influence and leadership, and
functions of a manager, among others. Aside from the lecture-discussions,
resource speakers also incorporated case studies, role-plays and other group
dynamics, and video presentations to facilitate learning.
“In my 25 years of government service, ngayon lang
ako naka-attend ng ganitong klaseng training kaya nagpapasalamat ako sa ATI sa
pagbibigay sa akin ng pagkakataon na makasali dito sa Leadership and Management
Skills Training. Nag-aadjust pa lang ako sa position ko ngayon, pero pagbalik
ko sa amin alam ko na kung ano ang una kong gagawin sa aming organisasyon,”
expressed Emmanuel Cabachete, Municipal Agriculturist of Tubod, Surigao del
Norte.
The said training revolved around the theme,
“Inspiring, Influencing and Achieving Results.” It is conducted nationwide by
ATI Central Office, and the one recently held in Butuan City was the ninth
batch so far. (ATI-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
327 new police recruits in Caraga take oath of
office
By PSupt. Martin M. Gamba
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 18 - The 327 youngest members of
Police Regional Office 13 (PRO13) took an oath before their loved ones and
family held at the PRO13 parade ground on August 16, 2017.
Chief Superintendent Rolando Felix, director of
PRO13 administered the oath of office of 232 males and 94 females comprising
the 327 new police personnel of this PRO.
The regular recruitment quota for PRO13 for 2017
was 700, but only 327 among the 529 applicants hurdled the stringent screening
and tests for an applicant to join the Philippine National Police
organization.
The new recruits will undergo six months of
rigorous training at the Regional Training Center 13 and they will start to
receive a monthly salary of P20,494.
“You now officially belong to the special breed of
men and women in the noble profession of law enforcement. Do not let anyone and
anything stain or destroy your name, as you work in the organization,” was
Felix advice to the new policemen during the ceremony. (PNP-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
DTI-AgSur mounts 2nd KMMe launch in Bayugan City
BAYUGAN CITY, Agusan del Sur, Aug. 18 - With full
backing from both the city government here and the provincial government of
Agusan del Sur, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Operations
Group and Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) - Go Negosyo, DTI-Agusan del Sur have recently conducted
the second launch of the ‘Kapatid Mentor Me’ (KMME) program.
Held at the Lope A. Asis Memorial Gymnasium,
Bayugan City, the event was attended by close to 500 participants.
PCE Go Negosyo sent its team composed of
Angelpreneurs Armand Bengco, Vix Madlangbayan, and coordinator P.A. De Guzman.
Bayugan City Mayor Kim Lope A. Asis expressed his
optimism that more entrepreneurs and enthusiasts will benefit from the second
KMMe in the city and will enhance their capabilities in their field of
interest.
Agusan del Sur Provincial Governor Adolph Edward
Plaza represented by SP Member Dr. Susan Gerona; DTI Caraga regional director
Brielgo Pagaran; DTI Agusan del Sur OIC Provincial Director Brenda Baybay
Corvera; ADS Chamber of Commerce
President Engr. Freddie Mero; Bayugan City Chamber of Commerce President Atty.
Rafael Ybanez; Inspirational Forum Resource Persons - Sherwin "Wangyu" Mylil Begyan and
Arturo "Atoy" Franco, and the province's PCE accredited local mentors
were present during said activity. (DTI-Agusand el Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Organically grown products to boost in Caraga
By Fretcher Magatao
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 18 - Farmers, agricultural
extension workers, local government units, researchers, exhibitors and members
of the academe convened for the 3rd Regional Organic Agriculture Congress
(ROAC) conducted recently in Butuan City carrying the theme “Go Organic: Sa
Organikong Pamamaraan, Ligtas ang Mamayan!”
The confab aims to mainstream the organic
agriculture practices regionwide and encourage practitioners to obtain the
Third-Party Certification in order to have better access to domestic and global
markets.
According to National Organic Agriculture Board
(NOAB) Member Jimmy Geronimo, DA together with organic agriculture stakeholders
should envision not just the five percent conversion to organic farming, but
also that every household should practice and be an advocate of organic agriculture.
Department of Agriculture – Caraga (DA) reported
that as of December 2016, the region already achieved 6 percent of agricultural
land devoted to organic farming way beyond its 5 percent target. This accounts
to 42,000 hectares regionwide contributing to almost 9 percent of the country’s
goal of 477,000 hectares to be converted to organic agriculture.
“I believe that the National Organic Agriculture
Program (NOAP) through the regional counterparts has been effective in
implementing its objectives to the farmers. Up to now I still hear appreciation
from farmers who experienced the difference of the organically grown produce,”
Geronimo said.
Geronimo said that despite the strict process for
organic certification, some farmers’ associations and cooperatives gradually
work out to comply the necessary requirements. He also shared the alternative
of adapting the standards set by Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS).
PGS are locally focused quality assurance systems
which certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are
built on the foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange.
“PGS is designed to encourage more farmers to
engage with organic agriculture,” Geronimo also cited that PGS is much cheaper
compared to the Third-Party Certification which is assisted by DA and the
Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standard (BAFS) and eventually be certified
by a third-party governing body.
DA-Caraga’s Alternate BAFS Focal Person Helen
Fortun said that the region has one farmer and one LGU-controlled association
that complies with PGS, one is the identified integrated organic farmer Edgar
Opalia and the City Organic Agriculture Fisheries Complex (COAFC) of Bislig
City.
DA urged other LGUs present to provide optimum
support to the Organic Agriculture Program as it will further the production of
safe food and making the agriculture sector more sustainable. (DA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
