DSWD-Caraga capacitates middle managers on
Strategic Communication
By Russ Cleppin M. Paster
BUTUAN CITY, May 2 (PIA) - Communication plays an
important role in the effective realization of the goals and objectives of any
organization, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD).
With this, a Roll-out Training on Strategic
Communication cum Writeshop on Packaging Development Stories for Regional
Management Development Conference (RMDC) members was conducted by DSWD Caraga
last April 4-6, 2018 at Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort.
During the activity, the participants took part in
the different activities that enhanced their skills along with strategic
communication, in order to achieve desired behavior change for target audience
(partners, stakeholders, and public) and ensure successful implementation of
the different social welfare and development programs.
Different competencies were also discussed so that
the participants were equipped in plotting-out goal-driven plans that will help
them achieve their goals individually and as an organization.
Regional Training Specialist Glezza T. Ty, Capacity
Building Unit Head; Social Welfare Officer Golda V. Pocon, Standards Unit Head;
Regional Information Officer Eunice M. Plaza, Social Marketing Unit Head; and
Theresa D. Barsobia, Training Specialist II, served as the resource persons
during the activity.
The resource persons employed various training
methodologies such as interactive discussion, simulations, and audio-visual
presentation, among others.
The topics of the three-day capacity building
activity included the following: Overview on Strategic Communication, the “P”
Process, Message Designing, Audience Analysis, Communication Strategies,
Stakeholders Mapping, the Science of Persuasion, Basics on News Writing, and
Mobile Photography.
“Our work
needs perfect and effective communication for the fact that our poverty
situation is so complex and alleviation from this situation requires not only
the poor families themselves but including us, the stakeholders, who are part
and parcel of the whole region,” Chief Administrative Officer Ramel F. Jamen, one
of the participants stated.
As tackled during the training, Behavior Change
Communication (BCC) is an interactive process of any intervention with
individuals, communities and/or societies to develop communication strategies
to promote positive behaviors which are appropriate to their settings.
Strategic communication means communicating a
concept, a process, or data that satisfies a long term strategic goal of an
organization by allowing the facilitation of advanced planning.
DSWD said that having this capability building for
RMDC members shall, in one way or another, contribute to the attainment of the
agency’s vision which states, ”all Filipinos are free from hunger and poverty,
have equal access to opportunities, enabled by a fair, just, and peaceful
society.” (Social Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga)
MOAs for health care services gets green light
By Jessica O. Mellejor

BUTUAN CITY, May 2 (PIA) - Two Memoranda of
Agreement (MOAs) for additional health care services in Agusan del Norte
Provincial Hospital are set to be signed by Provincial Governor Ma. Angelica
Rosedell M. Amante Matba with Butuan Doctors' Hospital and Butuan Speedee
Corporation.
The province, through the Agusan del Norte
Provincial Hospital, with the objective of improving its health care services
to the public, seeks to establish a referral system with Butuan Doctors’
Hospital, a licensed Laboratory and CT Scan/Radiology Services health
institution in Butuan City located near the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
Based on the proposed MOA to be signed by the
province and Butuan Doctors’ Hospital, in the event of unavailability of its
diagnostic services, the provincial hospital shall refer all laboratory exams
and computerized tomography scan to Butuan Doctors’ Hospital which shall
include granting of discounts to indigent patients of the PHO.
On the other hand, to provide easy access to
laboratory and diagnostic services for the patients confined at the Agusan del
Norte Provincial Hospital, the province through a MOA shall engage the services
of the Butuan Speedee Corporation, this city.
The Department of Health (DOH), through
Administrative Order No. 183, provides that each ambulatory clinic shall have a
MOA with one or two hospitals with service capability of at least a secondary
care hospital for the provision of in-patient care especially during
emergencies and other hospital services; hence, the provincial hospital opted
to engage the services of the Butuan Speedee Corporation for its patients.
Provincial Governor Ma. Angelica Amante-Matba was
authorized by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to sign the two MOAs through the
Sanggunian Resolution No. 073 and 078-2018, authored by Provincial Board Member
Elizabeth Marie R. Calo. (LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
POPCOM to showcase RH services in towns

BUTUAN CITY, May 2 (PIA) - The Commission on
Population (POPCOM) Caraga will be leading the simultaneous activities and
various reproductive health services in selected pilot areas, alongside with
its local program partners.
The towns of Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur and
Lianga, Surigao del Sur are the first two legs for the two-day POPCOM Caravan
on May 21-22 and May 24-25, respectively.
POPCOM Caraga-led activity seeks to showcase health
information and services for adolescents, mothers, husbands and even the
elderly of these areas.
The event will start with a motorcade, to be
followed by a yell competition, which is open to all constituents of the said
LGUs. For the yell competition, the words, lines, and sentences of their piece
should highlight the three program components of the Philippine Population
Management Program of the government.
In the afternoon of the opening day, sessions per
program component will take place including Kalalakihang Tumutugon sa
Responsibilidad at Obligasyon sa Pamilya or KATROPA sessions for
husbands/fathers; responsible parenthood and family planning orientation with
senior citizens; simplified Parent-Teen Communication Trail for the parents and
their adolescent children – highlighting the importance of communication about
adolescent sexuality in achieving happy and healthy relationships at home.
In the evening of the first day, KATROPA on
Hardcourt will take place, featuring the famous basketball players of the
region as advocates for male involvement on reproductive health.
On the second day, various family planning and
medical services will also be provided to individuals and women who want to
properly space or limit pregnancy through modern FP methods.
Meanwhile, the Sangguniang Bayan members, local
program partners, and Punong Barangays will have an executive session to secure
support, draft and sponsor policy for Population, Health and Environment (PHE)
Program and Local Migration Information System.
This event is part of the continuing strategies and
advocacies of POPCOM-Caraga and its partners to address the key population
issues in the country towards achieving its overall goal of “Matatag,
Maginhawa, at Pamilyang Pilipino.” (POPCOM Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
NC Jabonga, DTI-CARP Agusan Norte conduct training
on cultural practices

JABONGA, Agusan del Norte, May 2 - Some 15 agrarian
reform beneficiaries and members, comprised of 10 females and five males, of
Libas Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LFMPC) recently underwent training on
“Cultural Practices on Coconut Sap Collection and Coconut Syrup Making.”
The activity was aimed at addressing the raw
material supply gap of the Working Youth Club of Tubay, Inc. (WYC), maker of
coco sugar, which needed a steady supply of coco syrup facilitated by the
Negosyo Center (NC) Jabonga and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
CARP Trade and Industry Specialist Valentina Orbeta
said that since most of the members of LFMPC are coconut farmers, they could
very well cash in on this opportunity, thus the training.
Jeruer Batchinetcha of the Philippine Coconut
Authority (PCA)-Caraga presented the current processing technologies,
utilization, and recommended practices for the production of coco sugar.
He explained how coco syrup is an integral part of
the process and its quality is assured by the proper collecting schedule of the
sap, before the same reaches the fermentation stage.
Orbeta and NC–Jabonga Project Staff Evelyn Mordeno
said the collaboration between WYC and LFMPC could benefit both the
organizations guaranteeing continued production of their products, which are
coco sugar and coco syrup, respectively.
The training, that included lectures and hands-on
making of coco syrup, was conducted at the LFMPC Processing Center, in Barangay
Libas, this municipality. (DTI-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
