RCDA sets activities for 2018 NDPR Week celebration
By Jennifer
P. Gaitano
BUTUAN
CITY, July 10 - The Regional Committee on Disability Affairs (RCDA) led by the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga has lined-up several
activities for this year's National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation
(NDPR) Week celebration from July 17 to 23, 2018.
It
will kick-off on July 17 with a Thanksgiving Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral, and
a program proper at Robinsons Place, Butuan City.
According
to Ana Semacio, RCDA focal person of DSWD-Caraga, the Persons with Disabilities
(PWDs) in Caraga region will participate in the Cookery and Cake Decoration
competition on July 18, 2018 at TESDA Training Center in Cabadbaran City.
“The
participating PWDs in Caraga region will also be convened on the 19th of
July for the back-to-back activities. They will be joining in the following
competitions to be held in different venues: Waste Reuse, Flower arrangement,
Pastel Painting, and Outdoor Photography, all at the Agusan del Norte
Provincial Training Center in Butuan City; and English text processing,
Creating webpages, Desktop publishing, and E-games, at AMA Computer Learning
Center/ PECIT Imadejas, Butuan City,” said Semacio.
Also,
the focal persons for RCDA Caraga from various government agencies will be
participating in the Skills Demonstration on Bread and Pastries at the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Training Center in
Cabadbaran City.
As
stipulated in Republic Act No. 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons,
the RCDA is a “strategy adopted by the National Council on Disability Affairs
at the regional level which serves as a mechanism for convergence and resource
sharing in the implementation of programs, projects and services for PWDs.”
This
year's NDPR week celebration is anchored on the theme "Kakayahan at
Kasanayan Para sa Kabuhayan Tungo sa Kaunlaran." (PIA-Caraga)
DA Caraga boosts white corn production
By Aurelius
P. Arais
BUTUAN
CITY, July 10 - In a bid to further promote white corn consumption, the
Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga is set to establish a white corn model
farm in the town of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.
An
orientation was recently conducted on the said undertaking at the Municipal
Agriculture Office (MAO) in Esperanza.
Personnel
of the MAO headed by municipal agriculturist Jose Zaldy Manug, municipal corn
coordinator Jovie Ego-ugan with members and officers of Guadalupe Farmers
Entrepreneurs Association (GuaFEA), and selected farmer cooperators of the said
corn model farm attended the orientation.
DA
Caraga corn program coordinator Melody Guimary disclosed that around 50
hectares of farm will be showcased as model farm of white corn as per target of
the current year.
“We
are fast tracking the process to materialize the project this upcoming corn
planting season between July to October this year,” Guimary said.
For
2019, another three areas are targeted for corn model farms to be established
but locations are yet to be determined.
As
per guidelines, DA will provide the required seeds, fertilizer, pest and
disease control inputs as well as marketing support.
White
corn will be mixed with rice or as the so-called Rice Corn Blend (RCB) on a
consumer preferred ratio.
The
RCB initiative has been led by the PhilMaize Federation in collaboration with
the National Food Authority (NFA).
It
aims to encourage the Filipinos to eat white corn to help the country attain
food sufficiency and enjoy the health benefits corn has to offer.
Corn
is known for its low glycemic index and it is considered good for people with
diabetes and for those body conscious individuals. One will feel full much
longer than consuming pure rice.
In
the Philippines, Cebu is considered as leading in terms of corn consumption. (DA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
