DILG AgNor to hold constitutional reform
roadshow
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 12 (PIA) – With
the creation of the Constitutional Reform Inter-Agency Task Force through
Memorandum Circular No. 52, the Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG) has been tasked to be the lead agency to handle the advocacy campaign.
In the province of Agusan del
Norte, the DILG in coordination with the Center for Federalism and
Constitutional Reforms – Project Management Office (CFCR-PMO) and Regional
Project Management Team (RPMT) will conduct a Constitutional Reform Provincial
Roadshow called as “BALANGAYAN: Sabay-Sabay na Pagsagwan Tungo sa Maunlad Na
Bayan” on November 19-20 in one of the convention centers, here.
According to DILG Agusan del Norte
Provincial Director Ellen Vee P. Chua, the event aims to inform and educate the
people on the profits of constitutional reform, as opposed to the present
constitution.
“The event will create an
interface dialogue between the government and the constituents on how to
address pressing issues peculiar in our area,” said Director Chua.
Chua added that the roadshow will
also become the platform for citizen’s participation and deliberation in
constitutional reform.
On the first day of the roadshow
(Nov. 19), a media briefing and townhall meeting to be participated by media
partners will be held in the morning with DILG Usec. Jonathan Malaya to provide
up-to-date information on the reform tract of this administration. (NCLM/PIA
Agusan del Norte)
Social workers review performance, enhance
capacity in handling adoption, foster care cases
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 12 - The
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Adoption
Resource and Referral Unit (ARRU), has recently conducted its Program
Implementation Review for its Adoption and Foster Care Program, which was
attended by social workers from the different provinces, cities/municipalities,
family courts, and the regional residential care facilities held at Amontay
Beach Resort, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte.
The activity was conducted to
equip social workers who handle adoption and foster care cases on the laws and
guidelines of the program and improve their skills and competencies in handling
Alternative Parental Care (APC) cases, by identifying the gaps and gains in the
implementation of APC, in its 2019 implementation.
The program handlers and the
participants discussed the performance of DSWD-Caraga field office to further
assess factors affecting the program’s implementation. This way, stakeholders
will have a venue to express their thoughts, share their experiences, revisit the
accomplishments, and come up with plans to improve implementation in the
following years.
Social workers from the Local
Social Welfare and Development Offices (provincial, cities, and municipalities)
of the region, different family courts, and from the centers, were able to
share their experiences during the PIR.
Through the different discussions
and sessions, the participants were able to assess, both the internal and
external factors that contribute to the present situation/practices in the
program’s implementation.
Thesa Joy Musa, head of ARRU
responded to the concerns and queries of the social workers by presenting the
Regional Situation on Adoption and Foster Care to give the participants a
better understanding and appreciation of the program’s implementation.
Representatives from the
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA) were also on hand to provide additional information
in the program’s implementation.
Jeffrey Ramo, LGOO V from DILG,
discussed the Republic Act 10165 or Foster Care Act and the roles of LGU in
foster care and adoption cases. Ms. Miriam Mapatac of PSA also shared the
latest guidelines on birth certificate issuance, correction, and other related
issues associated to the implementation of adoption and foster care.
The social workers were also
subjected to a capacity building activity as part of the initiatives in
enhancing the skills and knowledge of the participants. Facilitators
treated the participants to Personality Tests and Personality Typing, which
came in handy, especially in making the participants identify their characters
and highlight their strengths and weaknesses.
Lectures and activities were also
conducted emphasizing the importance of maintaining the well-being of the
workers through stress reduction and mental health promotion.
The social workers, being in the
front lines in providing social welfare and protection, need to be emotionally
and mentally stable since they are personally handling distressed persons, and
people in need.
The PIR and the capability
building activities are just ways for the DSWD to ensure that the programs and
services of the agency are being handled by capable workers to ensure that the
welfare of its clients and stakeholders are taken care of. (DSWD-13/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur town forms task force to end insurgency
By Lt. Jonald Romorosa
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Nov.
12 - The local government unit (LGU) of Carmen created recently the Municipal
Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) held at the
municipal hall, Carmen, this province.
Mayor Jane Plaza, the chairperson
of the Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC) and Municipal Development
Council (MDC), said the activity aims to formally organize its members for the
full implementation of the said task force to combat insurgency in the
municipality.
The meeting discussed the
clustering of the duties and responsibilities of the MTF-ELCAC following the
implementation of the Executive Order No. 70 that the government shall
prioritize and harmonize the delivery of basic services and social development
packages in conflict-affected areas and vulnerable communities.
Mayor Plaza said the creation of
the task force will help the town in solving insurgency because peace and
development can only be attained if the insurgency problem in the area is
solved.
“There can be no development
without peace, and there can be no peace without development. The convergence
of all efforts and resources is needed to solve insurgency,” Mayor Plaza said.
MTF-ELCAC Carmen plans to
implement the said EO down to the barangay level.
According to reports, Carmen town
has been considered as an insurgency-affected municipality, four of its
barangays were categorized as rebel-influenced including the sitios.
It can be recalled that a major encounter happened in the municipality, which resulted in four rebels killed and captured six high powered firearms and various war materials just recently this year.
It can be recalled that a major encounter happened in the municipality, which resulted in four rebels killed and captured six high powered firearms and various war materials just recently this year.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Jezreel Diagmel,
Commander of 36IB, lauded the members of the MPOC and MDC of Carmen for their
bold move to end the local communist armed conflict in their municipality.
"The action of the
Municipality of Carmen to end insurgency will pave the way for lasting peace in
their communities. The delivery of basic services and social development
packages of the government will be a priority to achieve a conflict resilient
and an insurgency free community," he said.
"I'm calling the local chief
executives in the province of Surigao del Sur to emulate the same act of
courage to eradicate the menace that destroys our economy and abuse our
democracy. Let us converge our efforts towards a long and lasting peace that
every peace-loving Surigaonon is longing for, " Lt. Col. Diagmel added. (CMO,
36IB/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
