Feature: Agusan del Norte’s youth code contributes
to community’s development
By Nora C. Lanuza Molde
AGUSAN DEL NORTE, Mar. 28 (PIA) - With the
enactment of the Provincial Ordinance No. 459-2017 of the province of Agusan
del Norte, programs and institutionalization of its youth programs are now
expanded and will surely contribute to the development of the community.
The ordinance known as “The Agusan del Norte Youth
Welfare, Development and Protection Code” which aims to enable the youth to
attain the highest standard of health and well-being and to realize their full
potential was enacted by the 17th Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Agusan del Norte
during their 48th regular session.
The Code gives way to the involvement of the youth
to nation-building that will benefit the community they belong.
Some of the Code’s mandates include the
implementation of services and programs on youth development, and to ensure the
full development of the youth under the law, Provincial Board Member Elizabeth
Marie Calo, author of the said ordinance said.
Calo is with high hopes that through the Code, the
youth in the province will not only be given the opportunity to be involved in
the provincial activities but will also be encouraged to participate in the
development of projects that will also benefit them in the future.
Calo also believed that the youth contribute the
biggest chunk of the country’s population and that they play a very significant
role in the nation’s development.
“The Code serves as the guiding principles in
developing, enhancing, and promoting the welfare and protection of the youth,”
said Calo.
The Purpose
It will create a concrete and viable avenue for the
youth in the province to fully enjoy their rights, and attain their full
development and protection in line with the national and international laws.
Also, the Code will benchmark any other youth
development services and programs by institutions and parties within the
jurisdiction of the province; and to avert many future problems such as school
drop-outs, juvenile delinquency, high rate of teen-age pregnancy, drug abuse
and crime, and social ills.
Priority Programs
The Code focuses on the province’s youth
development, to include the following:
Education – It ensures a complete, proper,
affordable, non-discriminating and accessible education programs for the youth
from primary, elementary, secondary, tertiary, post-tertiary education and
skills development;
Employment –
Decent and appropriate employment opportunities are ensured creating
wide employment prospects to fit the individuals’ capacity and qualification;
Health – A complete, proper, affordable and
accessible health care program will be available;
Environment – This ensures a sustainable, safe,
secured, peaceful, enduring and habitable environment;
Drugs and Substance Abuse Prevention – A drug-free
zone and drug-free youth are ensured. The Code also mandates comprehensive
programs on anti-drug and anti-crime prevention in the province;
Juvenile Justice – A fair treatment of all youth in
conflict with the law is ensured. Full legal assistance will be provided to
those in need;
Leisure and Recreation – It ensures available,
safe, accessible and worthwhile channels of leisure and recreation;
Women – A full and balance participation and
protection of women in any development program including planning, reviewing
and decision-making;
Teenage Pregnancy - This will adopt measures to
reduce half the adolescent birth rate specifically from births among aged 15-19
years and achieve zero repeated pregnancies among minors;
Marriage and Family – This ensures the sanctity of
marriage and promotes the foundation of a family as the source of values among
the youth;
Participation – The provincial government ensures
an active, open and harm-free participation in the public and civic activities
including policy-making and freedom of expression;
Globalization – It ensures services and programs to
prepare the youth for competitiveness and globalization brought by the demands
of time and technology;
Peace and Human Rights – The rights of the youth
are respected, preserved, honored and heard. The Code mandates for a genuine
and enduring peace in the community; and
Moral and Intergenerational Issues – All youth in
the province are morally upright and concerned with intergenerational issues to
attain development.
The code provides every youth of the province the
entitlement on their rights without distinction as to legitimacy, sex, gender
preference, social status, religion, political antecedents, beliefs,
ideologies, and other factors.
Other Programs and Services
Because of the Code, appropriations and full
support to the youth activities and even making them involved in the different
activities that make them develop personally are now being supported by the
province through the creation of the Agusan del Norte Youth Welfare,
Development, and Protection Council or the ADNYWDPC. The Council focuses on the
formulation of plan, programs and activities for the youth.
Another program for the youth that is being
included in the Code is the formulation and establishment of the Agusan del
Norte Comprehensive and Coordinated Action Plan on Youth Development
(ADNCCAPYD) or the “The Youth Plan” – the blueprint of all development
programs, activities and services within the provincial government.
The institutionalization of the Moral Recovery
Program and the provision of legal assistance and protection program for
youth-related activities and transactions are also part of the Code.
Part of the Code is the annual conduct of
convention dubbed as the Agusan del Norte Youth Policy and Program Development
and Advocacy Congress or ADNPPDADCO to focus and involve research policy
advisory formulation, provincial and local consultations, policy dialogue,
constituency building and policy monitoring.
The Code also mandates the establishment and
operation of the Agusan del Norte Youth Development Center or ADNYDC. The
center is temporarily located at the Community Affairs Division of the
provincial governor’s office.
Another program is the Foreign Internship and
Exchange Development Program where access to institutionalized partners and
linkages in the promotion and advocacy of the intercultural learning
opportunities to help the youth develop the knowledge, skills, and
understanding needed to create a just and peaceful world.
The Recreational and Cultural Facilities Program
paves way for full and complete recreational and cultural facilities and
programs at the barangay to the provincial level that help keep the youth away
from illegal vices is also mandated in the Code.
Also, Program for Youth with Special Needs and
Person with Disability; Responsible Parenting, Drug and Crime Education Program;
Skills and Education Assistance and Enrichment Program; Youth Environmental
Program; Good Citizenship Program; Entrepreneurship, Employment, Social and
Sports; Qualified Youth Engagement Cash Assistance; Student Services,
Facilities and Programs; Youth Organization Registration and Accreditation
Program or YORAP; Trafficking in Person; Provision of Protection Services
Program; Unwanted Participation to Any Organization; Anti-discrimination;
Bilateral Relation are among the other programs and services included in the
Code.
The Code also specifies the integral participation
of the youth to disaster and risk reduction and management of the province,
creation of the Agusan del Norte Youth Disaster and Risk Reduction Response
Team that enables the youth to respond appropriately to any risk or disaster.
(NCLM/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
AFP, PNP remain on alert for 49th NPA anniversary
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, March 28 (PIA) -
Both the army (PA) and police in Surigao del Sur have voiced readiness for any
eventuality with regard to possible atrocities that the New People’s Army (NPA)
may have planned to highlight their 49th anniversary celebration on March 29.
Cpt. Francisco Garello, Jr., civil military
operations (CMO) officer of the 36th Infantry (Valor) Battalion (36IB) under
LTC Xerxes Trinidad, made the assurance that security measures had already been
put in place. The battalion CMO had even
stressed about carrying out a tactical offensive
Earlier, the battalion headquarters issued a
statement on getting reports of continued threat, hence “Martial law efforts”
had been intensified, citing the conduct of a joint AFP-PNP checkpoints.
However, when asked whether an intelligence report
had been received on rebels planning to hold an anniversary celebration, the
CMO refused to comment. He replied
instead that doing so might undermine their action.
Prior to this, PNP Provincial Director (PD) PSSupt.
Francisco Dungo, Jr. said that his command had already issued order to all
lower units to implement security measures.
He pointed out that the same was already covered under the Operation
Plan Summer Vacation (Oplan SumVac). (Radyo Pilipinas-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del
Sur)
Surigao del Norte solon to initialize giant
facility on waste management
By John Glenn A. Platil
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, March 28 (PIA) -
Siargao District Congressman Francisco Jose ‘Bingo’ Matugas II revealed that he
is going to open a centralized solid waste management facility worth P300
million.
During the February 24 episode of the radio program
“Governor’s Weekend Report” that aired over three radio stations, the lawmaker
said that ‘he is also planning to provide one dump truck per municipality for
the effective collection of garbage and scrap.’
Cong. Matugas said the provincial government of
Gyeongsangbuk-do in the Republic of Korea intends to install high-powered
technology for the waste to energy conversion.
He said that the state-of-the-art equipment will
accelerate proper segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste
items.
“In this respect, the Integrated Sanitary Landfill
and Materials Recovery Facility will make sure that there is zero paper, zero
plastic left-over, and clean environment,”Matugas said.
In terms of the full implementation of programs
aligned with communication awareness mapped toward taking action, the
congressman also disclosed the ecobreak development initiative wherein
synthetic and plastic are used to make hollow blocks.
This means that plastic junks can be transformed
into concrete blocks which are used in building school-buildings, public
toilets, huge buildings and other structures to boost tourism arrivals.
“We endeavor to regulate the use of cellophanes as
per local ordinance and resolution crafted in every LGU concerned. We will
initialize it in tranches, once a week, twice until such time that the people
are amenable to make it daily,” said Cong. Matugas.
Matugas added that there is a need to be extra
careful and sensitive to the feelings of the people, in order to avoid
disruption and trouble respecting the daily operations of official business, as
well as to avoid any unnecessary blow. (PGO-SDN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
DTI Dinagat Islands conducts CMCI roll-out

SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands, March 28 (PIA) - The
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) commenced its 2018 Cities and
Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) Roll-out in Dinagat Islands
spearheaded by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) on March 22, 2018
held at San Jose Negosyo Center, Sta. Cruz, San Jose town.
The annual ranking of provinces, cities and
municipalities through CMCI focuses on the LGU’s status and level of
competitiveness in four major pillars: economic dynamism, government
efficiency, infrastructure and resiliency.
During the activity, DTI-Caraga CMCI focal person
Marson Jan S. Dolendo presented the LGU’s ranking and level of competitiveness.
Dolendo also proudly announced that out of five
provinces in Caraga region, the province of Dinagat Islands is ranked fourth on
the annual ranking level of competitiveness though it composed only of seven
municipalities.
The said activity was attended by the Business
Permit Processing Licensing Office (BPLO) officer, CMCI focal person,
representatives of Municipal Planning and Development Officer, Department of
the Interior and Local Government, Provincial Planning and Development Office,
Provincial Cooperative and Development Office, Banks and business sector from
seven municipalities of the province. (DTI-Dinagat Islands/PIA-Dinagat Islands)
MGB-13, CREDO, CMCRI and CMSHC hold 1st quarterly
Press Conference
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Mar. 28 (PIA) -
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Regional Office No. 13, in cooperation
with the Community Relations, Education and Development Officers Organization
(CREDO Caraga), Inc., Chamber of Mines of Caraga Region Incorporated (CMCRI)
and Caraga Mine Safety and Health Council (CMSHC), held a press conference on
March 16, 2018 at the Philippine Gateway Hotel, this city.
The activity aimed to heighten public awareness of
the assistance and rescue efforts of the Caraga minerals industry after the
onslaught of Tropical Storm Basyang that inflicted loss of life and property
damage.
It also aimed to inform the public of the state of
small-scale mining activities in Caraga Region. In addition, the activity
sought to strengthen the participation of and dialogue between the media and
the mining stakeholders in achieving their common goals of ethical mining, ecological
sustainability and authentic development.
The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Surigao del
Norte Information Center, media reporters from different media outfits and
Northern Mindanao Broadcasting System (NMBS) participated in the press conference.
Resident Mine Managers, Community Relations
Officers and a good number of personnel from Caraga mining companies attended
the activity.
Before the press conference proper, MGB Division
chief Romeo M. Dalodado gave a comprehensive presentation on the assessment on
the effects of Tropical Storm Basyang in the region; Mine Safety, Environment
and Social Development Division chief Engr. Francis Glenn N. Suante presented
the effects of Tropical Storm Basyang on Caraga Mining Companies while Engr.
Lilibeth P. Gimoto, MGB Mine Management Division, gave a presentation on
Small-Scale Mining Updates in Caraga Region.
Likewise, the Chamber of Mines of Caraga Region
Incorporated (CMCRI) presented the Rescue and Relief Operations including the
photo-documentation of the rescue and relief operations of Caraga Mining
Companies after the onslaught of Tropical Storm Basyang. (MGB-13/PIA-Surigao
del Norte)
Caraga army general cites gains in CSP
implementation
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 28 (PIA) – The
fall of two top New Peoples’ Army (NPA) leaders in a matter of month coupled
with the rising number of rebels coming down to heed the state call to return
to the fold of the law has led the top AFP official in Caraga region to say
that the Community Support Program (CSP) here has continued to yield good
results.
Brigadier General Franco Nemesio Gacal, commander
of the 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade of the Philippine Army (PA), whose
area of responsibility (AOR) covers the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Surigao
del Norte, Dinagat Islands and the northern part of Surigao del Sur, said that
a quantum leap in achievement had been noted since CSP was launched early this
year.
CSP, an army-initiated endeavor, was simply defined
by Gacal as a “convergence program” which had been “hitting rebels hard” thus
the favorable chain of events. He added
that the presence of government had already started to be felt in
insurgency-affected communities now keeping these areas become useful ones.
Among the telltale signs noticed that the
half-century old insurgency problem had begun to dwindle in strength was the
fall of both Leonida Padilla Guao and Pablo Campos aka “Batik” or “Ponsoy” in
February, the Caraga army general bared.
Army reports tagged Guao, 64, as head of the
Finance and Education Bureau of the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee
(NMRC) of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) while Campos, 43, as
front secretary and political officer of Guerilla Front Committee (GFC) 21A.
BGen. Gacal indicated that the capture of both
rebel leaders would lead to more triumphs.
On March 3, an NPA couple identified as Aladin and
Luzviminda Apolinaria were reportedly nabbed by joint police and army operatives
in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte for violation of R.A. 10364 or the Expanded
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 as well as R.A. 7610 or Anti-Child
Abuse Law.
Allegedly, the couple were involved in recruiting
child warriors to join the NPA ranks. (Radyo Pilipinas-Tandag City/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
401st Army brigade chief: CSP to last for months
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 28 (PIA) - Col.
Andres Centino, brigade commander of the 401st Infantry (Unity) Brigade of the
Philippine Army (PA), bared that the Community Support Program (CSP) they
launched during the late part of February this year would last for a couple of
months.
Purposely done for “immersion and interaction,” the
brigade chief based in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur disclosed that their
presence would “only be in areas with security issues.”
So far, Col. Centino reported that CSP had started
to gain ground, confident that this would not get in the way of the normal
lives in the communities of Indigenous Peoples (IPs). The area of responsibility (AOR) of the said
brigade covers the province of Agusan del Sur and the southern part of Surigao
del Sur.
However, he stressed that the brigade would always
need the backings of stakeholders.
When asked to comment on whether CSP could be taken
as reason by NPA rebels to egg on the IPs to again move out for the “taktikang
bakwit,” Col. Centino thought otherwise.
The army-initiated endeavor aims “to transform
insurgency-affected areas into thriving and sustainable ones by integrating
programs that promote economic growth and address the fundamental issues
affecting lasting peace and security,” it was learned.
During the CSP send-off ceremony, the good army
colonel was glad to note that local government officials and stakeholders were
present to cheer on. (Radyo Pilipinas-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Dinagat Islands joins Int’l Day of Forest
celebration
SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands, Mar. 28 (PIA) - The
province of Dinagat Islands joined the world in the celebration of the
International Day of Forest through a tree planting activity conducted on March
20, 2018 along Kabisig Highway connecting Mahayahay Junction to Capitol Site in
San Jose town.
This year’s celebration of the International Day of
Forest is anchored on the theme, “Forests for Sustainable Cities, Lets promote
a greener, healthier and happier place to live in.”
The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources
Office (PENRO) initiated the planting of 1,010 seedlings of Agoho tree most
commonly known as “Pine Tree” and the simultaneous tree planting activity in
the municipalities of Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo and Basilisa.
The activity was also part of the flagship program
of Governor Glenda B. Ecleo’s Verde Dinagat Highway that aims to promote a
green community from the municipality of Cagdianao to Loreto.
Around 500 employees from the national line
agencies, civil society organizations, cooperatives, people’s organizations,
and Provincial Capitol employees took part in the said activity. (PIO-Dinagat
Islands/PIA-Dinagat Islands)
AgNor PHO, BRH partnership established
By Jessica O. Mellejor
BUTUAN CITY, March 28 (PIA) - The Sangguniang
Panlalawigan of Agusan del Norte recently approved the "Partnership and
Referral System" between the Agusan del Norte Provincial Hospital and the
Buenavista Rural Health Unit in the Municipality of Buenavista, Agusan del
Norte.
This system will be developed to improve health
care services for municipal patients, the rural health unit of the Buenavista
and the Provincial Hospital where the hospital will become a referral hospital
for diagnostic services of these patients such as chest x-ray, CBC with
platelet, lipid profile and FBS.
The partnership is aimed to ensure the welfare of
the people, by providing good health services for their well-being.
The costs of the services shall be charged under
the Per Family Payment Rate (PFPR) of Philhealth.
For effective implementation, the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan of Agusan del Norte authorized Provincial Governor Maria Angelica
Rosedell Amante-Matba to sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the PHO
and BRHU through Sanggunian Resolution No. 046-2018 through the efforts of
Provincial Board Member Elizabeth Marie R. Calo. (LGU-Agusan del
Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
