Siargao LGUs
formulate disaster contingency plan
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN
CITY, Feb. 27 (PIA) - Considered as a hazard-prone island in the province of
Surigao del Norte, employees from the local government units of Siargao Island
have actively participated in the four-day training on Contingency Planning
held recently in this city.
The
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) officers, medical doctors,
municipal health officers, social workers and school principals of the said
island took part in the creation of their contingency plan.
With
the said training, participants gained a better understanding and in-depth
knowledge on DRRM, as well as the importance of having a contingency plan
particularly in times of disaster or any eventualities, as this would serve as
a guide in responding to affected areas for the provision of appropriate
intervention.
Dr.
Marrietta Tagalo, principal of San Benito Central Elementary School in Siargao,
was one of those who shared inputs for the contingency plan.
She
expressed that she is determined to also relay the knowledge she gained from
the training to other teachers, parents, and students, especially that schools
usually serve as the immediate evacuation center during disasters.
“DepEd is
also asking us a plan, and we are not able to provide because we are not that
equipped on how to draft a concrete contingency plan, yet with the aid of this
training, we have gained enough information and were trained so we could manage
it well in times of disaster,” said Tagalo.
As the
municipal health officer in the municipality of Burgos in Siargao, Dr. Alyssa
Felsophie Silor learned the significant functions and responsibilities of the
various sectors in the creation of a concrete contingency plan.
“From
the planning, there is already a role for each agency such as the health sector
that we can contribute there and from there, we could operationalize what the
contingency plan contains,” Silor cited.
April
Rose Ann Sanchez, head of the policy development and planning section and
training course monitoring officer of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Caraga,
also bared that the contingency plan is a hazard-specific plan and is a
mandatory and non-negotiable plan.
“The
contingency plan would not be implemented only in the national, regional,
provincial levels but also in the barangays, as this would help them
particularly in their response actions to be undertaken during any disaster or
calamity,” said Sanchez.
Siargao
Island is composed of nine municipalities, namely Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen,
General Luna, San Benito, Pilar, San Isidro, Santa Monica and Socorro.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)
CNT member, Militia
ng Bayan surrender in SurSur
TANDAG
CITY, Surigao del Sur, Feb. 27 (PIA) -- A member of the Communist New People’s
Army (NPA) Terrorist (CNT), and a Militia ng Bayan (MB) have voluntarily
surrendered with their firearms to the headquarters of 36th Infantry Battalion
(36IB), Philippine Army in Barangay Dayoan, Tago town on Sunday, a military
official confirmed.
Capt.
Jonald Romorosa, 36IB civil-military operations officer, identified the CNT
member as alias “JR”, 32 years old, and a former member of Platoon 8, Guerilla
Front 19 (GF 19), North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC). He brought
along with him one M16 rifle and short steel magazine eight rounds of live
ammunition.
Accordingly,
alias “JR” was a Manobo tribe member and a resident of Barangay Bagyang in San
Miguel town.
Another
personality who surrendered was identified as alias “Jay”, 33 years old, and a
former MB Assistant Team Leader of GF 16, NEMRC. He brought with him one
caliber 45 and two short magazines with four rounds of live ammunition. He was
also a Manobo tribe member and a resident of Barangay Poblacion in San Miguel
town.
Both
surrenderees revealed that they wanted to live a normal life with their
family.
The
successful surrender was made possible with the help of the Indigenous People
(IP) leaders, former rebels and the intervention of the 36IB through its
Community Support Program, it was learned.
Meanwhile,
Lt. Col. Jezreel Diagmel, 36IB commanding officer, said that because of the
relentless military operation of the 36IB troopers and the pursuit of localized
peace with the terrorist group, other sectors of the society and the
people themselves are becoming more and more active in supporting Executive
Order Number 70.
“The
CNT learned the genuine offer of the government towards achieving peace and
development. They have made the worthy decision of laying down their arms and
return to the folds of the law,” he said.
Lt.
Col. Diagmel also called on the remaining CNT members to surrender and lay down
their arms. “Return to the folds of the government and live a normal and
productive life, and help the government to achieve a long and lasting peace
that every peace-loving Surigaonons are longing for,” Lt. Col. Diagmel noted.
Also,
Capt. Romorosa revealed that the surrenderees would undergo the validation
process for them to avail in the enrollment to the Enhanced-Comprehensive Local
Integration Program (E-CLIP), the government intervention package for the
former rebels. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
PCW, RGADC Caraga
sign partnership agreement for 2020-2022
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN
CITY, Feb. 27 (PIA) -- With the aim to further strengthen constant coordination
and good working relationship between the Philippine Commission On Women (PCW)
and the Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC) Caraga, the two
parties have signed recently the partnership agreement that specifies their
planned joint activities with various sectors for the year 2020 until 2022.
Four
major activities were identified by PCW with the RGADC-Caraga. These are: 1)
2nd Caraga GAD Focal Point System Assembly; 2) Leveling session for RGADC
Caraga members, regional line agencies and state universities and colleges in
the region; 3) Leveling session for RGADC Caraga members, local government
units in the region; and 4) Regional orientation on Men Opposed to Violence
Against Women (VAW) Everywhere (MOVE).
According
to Nharleen Santos-Millar, chief of the PCW-Technical Services And Regional
Coordination Division, the Commission continues to advocate and promote women
empowerment and gender equality and mainstreaming in all regions of the
country. This she said, would help prevent the incidence of domestic violence,
and other forms of abuse to women and children.
This is
why the PCW has been very supportive to the different programs, activities, and
campaigns of RGADC in the region.
With
the upcoming Women’s Month Celebration, Millar bared that they are looking
forward to the conduct of Women’s Summit with RGADC in Butuan City, wherein
climate change and its effects on women and children will be thoroughly
discussed to various participating sectors.
She
also encouraged the Caraganons to support and join in the lined-up activities
for the monthlong celebration.
“We are
encouraging all the Caraganons to take an active part in the activities set by
the RDC-RGADC in the region and be an advocate of women empowerment, gender
mainstreaming, and anti-VAW,” said Millar.
Meanwhile,
Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-Caraga regional director and RGADC chair Atty.
Jerefe Tubigon-Bacang urged all the LGUs to reactivate their MOVE campaign
being one of the strategies to allow men to actively participate in the
anti-VAW campaign of the government. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
LGUs sa Siargao aktibong nakilahok sa
disaster contingency planning
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
LUNGSOD
NG BUTUAN, Pebrero 27 (PIA) - Bilang isang hazard-prone island sa probinsya ng
Surigao del Norte, nagsagawa ng apat na araw na "Training on Contingency
Planning" sa isla ng Siargao.
Nakilahok
dito ang nasa 40 indibidwal na binubuo ng Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management (DRRM) officers, medical doctors, municipal health officers, social
workers at principals ng isla.
Dahil
dito mas naintindihan nila ang kahalagahan ng pagkakaroon ng Contingency Plan
partikular nansa oras ng kalamidad o sakuna dahil magsisilbi itong gabay sa
pagresponde sa mga apektadong lugar.
Isa sa
mga nakibahagi rito si Dr. Marrietta Tagalo, prinsipal ng San Benito Central
Elementary School sa Siargao Island.
Ayon
kay Tagalo, pursigido siyang maibahagi ang kanyang mga natutunan sa mga guro,
mga magulang at mga estudyante sa kanilang lugar lalu na at ang mga paaralan
ang kadalasang ginagawang evacuation center.
“Hinihingan
din kami ng plano ng DepEd kaso hindi pa namin masyado kabisado kung papaano
ang pagawa nito, kaya malaking tulong din talaga itong training dahil mas
lumawak ang aming kaalaman sa DRRM at mas nahasa kami kung papaano ang pagawa
ng isang Contingency Plan,” ani ni Tagalo.
Bilang
isang municipal health officer sa bayan ng Burgos, nalaman ni Dr. Alyssa
Felsophie Silor ang mahalagang tungkulin ng bawat sektor sa pagbuo ng isang
contingency plan, at makapagbigay ng tamang pagtugon sa mga apektadong
kumunidad.
“Sa
simula palang ng pagpaplano, may mahalagang tungkulin na ang mga sektor tulad
nalang sa amin sa health sector, malaki din ang maibahagi namin sa pagbuo ng
contingency plan at sa pag-operationalize nito sa aming mga lugar,” pahayag ni
Silor.
Binigyang-diin
ni April Rose Ann Sanchez, head ng policy development and planning section at
training course monitor ng Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Caraga, na ang
contingency plan ay isang hazard specific plan at ito ay mandatory at
non-negotiable plan.
“Ang
contingency plan ay hindi lang pinapatupad sa national, regional at provincial,
kundi lalung-lalu na sa mga barangay dahil makakatulong ito sa kanila lalu na
sa pagresponde sa tuwing may kalamidad o sakuna,” sabi ni Sanchez.
Ang
Siargao Island ay binubuo ng siyam na munisipyo ng Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen,
General Luna, San Benito, Pilar, San Isidro, Santa Monica at Socorro.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)
