LTFRB-13 chief calls
on employers to provide temporary shelter, assistance to workers
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, April 12 (PIA) -- Due to tight implementation of the
Enhanced Community Quarantine in the entire Caraga region, operation of the
public utility vehicles was temporarily suspended.
Kristina Cassion, OIC reguonal director of the Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Caraga, bared that effective April 8,
the agency implemented the suspension of operation of the public transportation
in the region.
However, several private establishments including government agencies in
the region are still operating in order to cater and accommodate the locals on
their basic necessities and services, and other essentials. Hence, their
workers are also affected particularly those who are far from their workplaces.
She then asked other government agencies and private establishments
still operating to also provide assistance to their personnel, which include
shuttle services for them as they continue to do their functions or may also provide
a temporary shelter so it would not be hard enough for them to travel to and
from their houses to their respective workplaces.
The LTFRB also provides free shuttle services intended for the
frontliners and health workers. “Prior to the implementation of the Enhanced
Community Quarantine, we have prepared a contingency plan to ensure that the
health workers in Butuan City and parts of Agusan del Norte would be able to
work in the health facilities, hence, we provided shuttle buses with
corresponding routes in a day,” she cited.
She expressed hope that the “Libreng Sakay” Program to support the
transportation of the health personnel will be operational by next week because
it entails big resources like the need of fuel, meals and personal protective
equipment (PPEs) of the drivers and conductors. She said they are planning to
field 17 routes with 40 total number of units.
She also asked the management of the health facilities as partner to
help and provide meals to the conductors and drivers, as well as the provision
of a personal protective gears for them.
Cassion also ensured the transport sector that they will be given
assistance amid this crisis situation on coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
"We are hoping that by next week, they will start receiving the cash
assistance for them once needed requirements and documents will be completed.
We are also closely coordinating with Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) and cooperatives for any possible help that they could
provide," she said.
On this crisis situation on COVID-19, Dir. Cassion further emphasized
the need to unite with all the stakeholders in addressing the needs of the
vulnerable sectors in the region. She further asked the government officials to
allocate a portion of their salary to help others.
Meanwhile, Jose Evalegous Lawenko, chairperson of Diamond Transport
Service Cooperative (DATSCO) also expressed his concern with the affected
drivers and conductors who are currently jobless due to the implementation of
the Enhanced Community Quarantine in the region.
“We are calling on the concerned government agencies and private
stakeholders to include the transport sector in the assistance that they
provide, which could be in kind or in cash to help them cope with this crisis,”
underscored Lawenko. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
AgSur records 12
PUIs, awaiting results from SPMC
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, April 12 (PIA) -- During his interview over Radyo Pilipinas
Manila on Saturday (April 11), Agusan del Sur Governor Santiago Cane, Jr. bared
that there are 12 patients under investigation (PUIs) recorded in the province
and have already taken their swab samples tested, and are now awaiting results
from the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City.
“As of reporting time, there are some 12 PUIs in the province, one is in
Bunawan, the other one in Loreto, one in Prosperidad, and nine are in
Langkilaan Elementary School (situated along the boundary between Caraga
region and Davao de Oro) under the care of the Provincial Health Office and
with the help of the Department of Health (DOH)-Caraga,” Cane enumerated.
For the persons under monitoring (PUMs), Governor Cane revealed that
they were categorized into two -- PUM 1 are those with travel history from
abroad or in other places where there is a confirmed local transmission of
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while PUM 2 are those persons under monitoring
with travel history outside the region without confirmed COVID-19 case.
The governor emphasized that the provincial government and its
constituents are not being complacent despite having only one confirmed
COVID-19 case in Caraga region. "We have established a quarantine facility
through designated schools in the province to serve as the PUI centers. The
PUIs with severe symptoms are being brought to Caraga Regional Hospital (CRH)
in Surigao City and Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center (ASTMMC) in Tandag
City, Surigao del Sur for appropriate treatment and monitoring," he said.
Cane also highlighted that the provincial government took the initiative
to produce more personal protective equipment (PPEs) for the frontliners as
they still tightly operate in the checkpoints and ensure that all who enter the
province are properly screened and are following the necessary health protocols
and preventive measures.
Meanwhile, Governor Cane said that provision of the needed assistance
for the local residents are underway.
“There are around 66,000 plus poorest of the poor households in the
province of Agusan del Sur being recorded and the list was already forwarded to
the DSWD for their reference and will also serve as basis for the benefits and
assistance that they would give to the target beneficiaries,” mentioned Cane.
He added that the provincial government has also provided unhampered
access to the DSWD personnel for the distribution of the social amelioration
package/program to the intended beneficiaries in the province.
The vehicles and cargoes with food supply and other essentials coming in
the province of Agusan del Sur are also unhampered and could easily pass
through the designated checkpoints as the provincial government wanted to make
sure that people would not end hungry and starving during this crisis situation
on COVID-19. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Rice farmers get P5.6
million cash assistance from DA
BUTUAN CITY, April 12 -- Around 1,124 rice farmers from the Caraga
region received the cash assistance under the Department of Agriculture's -
Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) Program.
Each farmer received ₱5,000 financial support for
their farm inputs, food, or anything they need for their families.
The program is intended for the rice farmers who are tilling 0.5
hectares to two hectares of land and registered in the Registry System for
Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
For the municipality of Trento, Agusan del Sur 281 rice farmers have
received the cash aid.
For the province of Agusan del Norte, the municipality of Kitcharao has
343 beneficiaries and 500 qualified farmers for RTR's second batch of
recipients.
The direct cash transfer is intended to help farmers affected by the
implementation of the rice tarrification law.
Joseph M. Libres, 47, rice farmer from P-5 Barangay Humilog, RTR, Agusan
del Norte said he will use the amount to buy food and if there still some he
will also buy fertilizers for his one-hectare rice area.
"The cash assistance is a big help for my family and for my
continuous production of local rice," Libres said.
The release of the cash support is in close coordination with the Local
Government Units.
In the region, a total of 2,529 rice farmers have been served by the
program with total cash released worth ₱12.6
Million. The distribution of the cash aid continues until the 35,471 target
eligible rice farmers in the region will receive financial assistance. (DA
Caraga/PIA Caraga)
AgNor solon pushes
for Caraga Regional Hospital as COVID testing, screening center
BUTUAN CITY, April 12 -- Instead of restricting COVID-19-related patient
admissions, Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence “Law” Fortun urged the Department of
Health (DOH) to equip and capacitate the Caraga Regional Hospital (CRH)
laboratory to make it a COVID testing and screening center in Caraga Region.
This call was made after the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Surigao City
passed a resolution to limit COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)-related
admissions in the CRH to those from the provinces of Surigao del Norte and
Dinagat Islands only.
“Instead, I appeal that we all come together and collectively push that
the DOH equip and capacitate the Caraga Regional Hospital laboratory to make it
a COVID-19 testing and screening center that will cater to the demands of the
entire Caraga Region,” Fortun said.
“While there is still only one confirmed case in Caraga, the number of
PUIs (Patients Under Investigation) is continuously rising, and recent rapid
tests revealed several presumptive positive cases needing immediate
confirmatory tests. There is no way we can determine the real numbers unless we
pursue mass testing. This also gives our health care system a clear direction
on immediate and appropriate interventions to be made,” he added.
As noted by the lawmaker, it currently takes significantly longer to
know the results of tests on patients from Caraga Region because the collected
specimens still have to be brought to the Southern Philippines Medical Center
(SPMC) in Davao City, which is already overwhelmed by the demands of Davao
Region alone.
He also noted that Caraga alone is huge, having five provinces and six
cities with several municipalities remotely situated.
While there is already a proposal submitted by the CRH to the DOH, Rep.
Fortun urged all the Sanggunians of Caraga Region to pass resolutions calling
for the DOH to make the CRH laboratory a COVID testing and screening facility.
“I appeal to the governors, mayors, and representatives of Caraga that
we collectively lobby for this as part of a nationwide measure for mass
testing. Mass testing is imperative and an essential component of this is to
immediately put up more testing and screening facilities in strategic locations
around the country. The most strategic for Caraga is the Caraga Regional
Hospital,” said Fortun.
Rep. Fortun said that the Caraga Regional Task Force for COVID-19 One
Caraga Shield can also urge the DOH to put up this center to cater to Caraga
Region. This is seen to be most welcome for the Davao Region as this will
effectively lessen the burden and backlog of the already overwhelmed SPMC in
Davao City. (First Congressional District of Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del
Norte)
