By Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
BUTUAN CITY, June 15 (PIA) -- Amid the easement of community quarantine
protocols in Caraga region, cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
have now reached to 32, per the Department of Health DOH) Caraga’s latest
update.
Majority of the newly tallied cases are imported cases, wherein patients
are those who recently returned to the region such as Locally Stranded
Individuals (LSIs) and Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROFs).
At present, there are now 14 confirmed cases in the province of Agusan
del Norte; 11 in Butuan City; two in the province of Agusan del Sur and in
Surigao City; and one case in Bayugan City, Cabadbaran City, and the province
of Surigao del Norte.
Three of the confirmed cases are currently admitted while 22 of these
are on strict facility quarantine. Meanwhile, seven have recovered and have
been discharged.
This prompted the Caraga Regional Task Force – One Caraga Shield
(RTF-COCS) to issue Resolutions Nos. 40 and 41, Series of 2020 to the National
Task Force against COVID-19, requesting the Inter-Agency Task Force for the
Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) to ensure stringent
testing and tightened screening process for the LSIs and ROFs before permitting
them to return to their respective regions.
The task force also stated in Resolution No. 41 their favourable
endorsement of placing the entire Caraga region under General Community
Quarantine (GCQ) and the moratorium of all modes of transportation for the said
individuals.
The city government of Butuan also proposed for the placement of 33 of
its barangays under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) for the
purpose of containing the spread of the disease and ultimately halting its
transmission.
DOH Caraga regional director Dr. Jose Llacuna, Jr., bared that
coordination has been continuous among authorities. He commended local
government units (LGUs) for their swift response in accommodating the arrival
of the returning Caraganons.
Dr. Llacuna, Jr. also reiterated that the construction of COVID-19
testing laboratories in the region is now almost complete. In Butuan Medical
Center (BMC), infrastructure is halfway done, with accreditation such as
laboratory staff training still on-going. In Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical
Center, construction of the laboratory's infrastructure is scheduled to begin.
The D.O. Plaza Memorial Medical Center has also applied for the establishment
of the said laboratory.
The laboratory in BMC is expected to become operational at the end of
the month.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Caraga has had 33 probable cases,
wherein four are currently admitted and four turned negative in the
confirmatory test, and 154 cumulative cases, wherein 14 are currently admitted,
eight turned negative in the confirmatory test, and samples of six cases are
yet to be collected. (DMNR/PIACaraga)
DOTr-Caraga reminds
public to renew their driver’s license
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, June 15 (PIA) -- The Department of Transportation
(DOTr)-Caraga has reminded the Caraganons to renew their expired license as they
are strictly monitoring drivers and motorists.
According to acting regional director Engr. Nordy Plaza, all the
registrations and licenses which have expired and due for renewal were given
until 60 days as grace period due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic.
The official added that in the entire country, Caraga region is among
the 24 pilot sites for the establishment of the Land Transportation Office
(LTO) Management System, a new system which is aimed to improve the process in
appliying for a new driver’s license.
Urbano Maglines, Jr., operations chief of LTO-Caraga said, heightened
law enforcement and monitoring on the national highways are still observed
under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) especially that more
vehicles are already moving in the thoroughfares.
Maglines further bared that apart from ensuring road safety, the said
agency made sure that public health is protected and prioritized.
Meanwhile, the City of Cabadbaran in the province of Agusan del Norte
has acquired more than one million revenue collections within five days since
the district resumed its operations, which include registrations, licensing and
law enforcement. (NCL/JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DepEd-Caraga bares
initiatives in preparation for opening of classes
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, June 15 (PIA) -- The Department of Education (DepEd) Caraga
has geared up for the upcoming opening of classes amid the coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to DepEd Caraga assistant regional director Arsenio Cornites,
Jr., the region has established a Learning Continuity Plan (LCP), which would
ensure the continued schooling of students while the country deals with the
pandemic.
It serves as guide for the teachers, parents and learners in light of
the modifications in certain policies and practices and new learning delivery
modalities being introduced.
Part of the LCP is filling out the learners enrollment survey form,
which is used to assess the situation of the learners and their parents, and
their capability of acquiring the needed gadget and internet connection for the
online class.
Cornites also admitted that this would be very challenging but
manageable.
“In this home schooling, parents participation is really important. We
will be sending them the modules for their children to use. We are also
considering the means of delivering these modules to the concerned households
and how we could get it on time,” said Cornites.
Agusan del Norte Schools Division Superintendent Romeo Aprovechar also
emphasized that the lack of the needed gadgets will never be a hindrance for
students to continue learning, as the government is already working on
appropriate interventions which include the orientation to parents on the
different modes of teaching that are applicable even during this time of the
pandemic.
“We can go on with our education even without gadgets. This is through
the use of modules to be given to the students. The teacher may distribute
these to their respective homes or place that in a barangay where parents can
accessibly get the modules every week. There are tasks given to the pupils,”
Aprovechar cited.
Aprovechar added that the local government units of said province have
been very supportive and are addressing the needs of the schools in their
respective areas. Other stakeholders are also reaching out to provide
assistance.
Meanwhile, one of the elementary schools in Butuan City has recorded
more than 900 pupils already enrolled within five days or 19 percent from the
total number of expected enrollees.
School principal Dr. Jonas Jomonong bared that they have coordinated
with the service barangays to help the DepEd in providing the needed gadgets
and internet connections for the said school that will be used during the
enrollment period and during the regular online classes.
Jomonong also called on the parents and stakeholders to give their full
support to make the whole preparation for the opening of classes more
organized, and for this endeavor to be successful. (NCL/JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Agrarian org receives
farm equipment to fight recession
By Gil E. Miranda
BUTUAN CITY, June 15 -- Some 105 farmer-members of Avancena
Beneficiaries Farmers Multi Purpose Cooperative (ABFMPC) received a farm
tractor worth P1.2-million from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) of
Agusan del Norte through the agency’s Climate Resilient Farm Productivity
Support Project (CRFPSP).
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Andre Atega, CESO V, said
that the equipment improves the farmers’ agricultural productivity that will
significantly raise the farmers’ level of income.
ABFMPC Chair Sergio Baguhin said that the equipment is a need of the
farmers to shift the move to be more resilient in manuevering against climate
change risk.
“The turned over of the farm tractor happened timely when we need
it most because the farmers already feel more painfully during this time of
Covid-19 pandemic,” Baguihin said.
Baguhin said that through the closed coordination with the DAR officials
and staff on their appeal about the coop’s absence of farm equipment is now in
reality.
Vice Chair Constancio Dalanon of ABFMPC in an interview said that the
equipment will benefit not only the farmer-members but also non-farmer-members
living outside the agrarian reform community.
Both officers expressed gratitude to the agency’s effort for the release
of the equipment during this time of devastating corona virus where the farmers
suffered terrible recession.
“The equipment is expected to enhance the members’ capacity during land
preparation of palay and vegetables, transport and marketing of goods, generate
employment, and improve the farmers’ economic condition,” Dalanon said.
The CRFPSP involved a package of capacity building for adaptation and
mitigation practices and the provision of farm equipment and machinery aimed at
building resiliency at the ARC levels.
It is a DAR’s response to the risks of climate change to agrarian reform
communities (ARCs) and complies with the provisions of Republic Act 9729 or the
Climate Change Act. (DAR Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
DA launches hybrid
rice tech demo in Butuan villages
By Rhea Abao
BUTUAN CITY, June 15 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) continuously
intensifies its campaign for the adoption of hybrid rice technology among local
farmers.
In 2018, hybrid utilization is at 11.99% and posted an increase of
17.11% in 2019 based on the DA-Rice Program rice performance report.
To further convince farmers to adopt hybrid rice practices and
technologies that would help improve farm productivity the DA – Caraga will be
hosting the 11th National Rice Technology Forum (NRTF) in collaboration with
Rice Productivity Advocacy Incorporated (Rice Board) in partnership with the
Local Government Unit of Butuan.
For this year, a technology demonstration will be established in the
three Barangays in Butuan City namely Lemon, Basag, and Ampayon with a total
area of 100 hectares.
Around 40 participating farmer cooperators, the demo farms will be
established in collaboration with the agri-companies namely SL Agritech Corporation,
SeedWorks, Bioseed, Ramgo, Bayer, Pioneer, Syngenta, Advanta, and LongPing,
alongside the DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) and Phil-Sino
Center for Agricultural Technology (PhilSCAT).
DA-Caraga Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo said that
NRTF is part of the strategy of the Department to intensify the efforts in
increasing the yield and productivity of farmers and ensuring food sufficiency,
availability, accessibility, and affordability.
"Food is a vital commodity especially now as we are overcoming the
threats of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is our mission to bring to the farmers the
latest technology in rice production, this can be achieved by our collaboration
and partnership with the rice industry stakeholders," Director Monteagudo
said.
In an interview with Renante D. Polistico, Farmer Cooperator from Brgy.
Basag, Butuan City, he accepted the project for him to acquire the latest
technologies on rice production.
"In my 14 years of rice farming this will be my first time to grow
hybrid rice, I am excited to learn and looking forward to increasing my
production for this wet cropping season. I am grateful to the DA for this
opportunity," Polistico said.
Currently, the farmer cooperators are now on its land preparation in
their respective areas, preparing the rice field for planting. They will be
provided with the seeds, input requirements, crop protection as well as
technical assistance following the package of technology recommended for a particular
hybrid rice variety by the agri-companies and rice institutions.
Different planting methods will also be demonstrated and rice
mechanization will be integrated.
Through the technology demonstrations, farmers will have the opportunity
to choose which among the best practices and technologies introduced are
applicable to their farm conditions. Results are expected to be seen this
coming October during the 11th National Technology Forum. (DA 13 RAFIS/PIA
Caraga)
Planting benefits:
Nutrition and immediate food source
By Donna Cris Corpuz
BUTUAN CITY, June 15 -- With the strict order of staying at home, many
Filipinos relied on relief goods for daily food. But dishes from these relief
goods can be made healthier through the availability of vegetables around the
house.
As access to food may be limited during pandemic, malnutrition becomes
more prevalent; doubling the burden in already undernourished conditions in
rural and urban areas. The State of the World’s Children: Children, Food, and
Nutrition report of the United Nations Children’s Fund showed that “one in
three 12-23-month-old Filipino children suffer from anemia while one in three
children are irreversibly stunted by the age of 2. One in 10 adolescents are
also obese from wrong eating habits.”
Moreover, data from the 2015 Updating of the Nutritional Status of
Filipino Children and Other Population Groups of the Food and Nutrition
Research Institute showed that overweight and obesity were the prevailing
problems for adults over 20 years old in Central Luzon.
The 2015 Food Security Status, on the other hand, showed that only 3 out
of 10 Filipino households are food secure. This meant that almost two-thirds of
the households are still struggling from not having enough food for their
families.
“This calls for the need to urge consumers to eat healthy and teach them
ways how to have a stable food source at home,” said Jesusa Rivera, an expert
from the Agronomy, Soils, and Plant Pathology Division of the Department of
Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice).
According to Rivera, consumers do not have to wait too long to have a
sustainable source of food from vegetable farming as green leafy vegetables
like pechay, mustasa, kangkong, saluyot, and alugbati can already be harvested
within 25-35 days after planting. Other vegetables like eggplants, tomatoes,
and chilis usually take 45 days to 3 months to be harvested.
Willy Hidalgo, 53, from Talavera Nueva Ecija said that vegetable
farming, which he integrated with rice growing, eases his life.
“I harvested squash, chili, and pechay in a parcel in my 4-ha field, and
it really made a huge difference. I can be assured that my family will always
have something nutritious to eat, and I am confident because I grew them
myself,” the 53-year-old farmer said.
Hidalgo said that planting vegetables is a good way to secure a stable
source of safe and nutritious food at home, especially now that everyone is
advised to stay at home as much as possible and practice social distancing.
“With vegetables in our yard, we don’t have to go outside our homes to
buy food and risk ourselves catching viruses and infecting other members in our
household,” he said.
Integrating vegetable farming with rice growing is promoted in one of
PhilRice projects, Palayamananan Plus (PalayPlus), a rice-based production
system program that started in 2014. Guided by its goal of sustainably
increasing farmers’ income and tightening food and nutrition security, this
program exemplifies the “BE RICH” principle, which stands for better resource
allocation; enhanced biodiversity and ecological balance; reduced production
risks; increased cropping intensity, productivity, and sustainability;
continuous supply of nutritious food; and higher and more stable income.
Palayamanan concept also encourages farmers to diversify food and income
sources, intensify farm productivity, and integrate other components aside from
rice like livestock raising and vegetable planting. To know more about
Palayamanan, visit https://www.philrice.gov.ph/databases/references/. (DA-PhilRice/PIA-Caraga)
DA-Caraga intensifies
effort to promote food sufficiency
BUTUAN CITY, June 15 -- As the country shifts to the so-called ‘new
normal’ way of living, the Department of Agriculture (DA) - Caraga continues to
strategize its interventions and advocacies to promote food production.
With this, the DA-Caraga headed by regional executive director Abel
James I. Monteagudo provided various interventions to people who are interested
to have their own food production initiatives at home.
The DA Caraga’s ‘Project Maisan sa Nataran’ (PRO-MAIS) was launched on
Thursday led by supervising agriculturist Melody Guimary in order to promote backyard
corn production as a means of ensuring food availability in households.
Individuals who want to plant corn and have at least 100 sq. m available
area were given ¼ kilogram of corn seeds. To further encourage them, walk-in
clienteles were also treated to a free-tasting of cooked corn and rice-corn
blend.
Also, through the High Value Crops Development Program, DA-Caraga has
distributed another batch of vegetable seedlings and vegetable seeds to those
who want to have their own backyard vegetable garden.
To complement these food production initiatives is the Organic
Agriculture Program wherein they handed out organic concoctions that the people
can use and apply for their vegetables to ensure these would be safe for them
and their family members to consume.
Further, the first 15 lucky individuals who took part in the activities
received two heads of native chickens from the Livestock Program for them to
raise and start their own chicken production. Vitamins for the chickens and
stylo seeds were also given to them.
Monteagudo emphasized in his message that everyone needs to be
self-sufficient with food especially in own household. He thanked the people
who joined the activity and showed their interest in doing their part of
attaining food sufficiency.
With these initiatives, which is in support to the Ahon Lahat Pagkaing
Sapat (ALPAS COVID19) or also known as the Plant Plant Plant Program, the
Department aims to ensure food availability and security for every Filipino
even as the country continues to fight against the COVID-19 health crisis.
(DA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
U.S. gov’t announces
new Mindanao-focused COVID-19 assistance
BUTUAN CITY, June 15 -- The United States (U.S.) Embassy in the
Philippines announced that the U.S. government is providing an additional P201
million ($4 million) to help support vulnerable populations in Mindanao in the
fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total amount of
U.S. pandemic assistance to the Philippines to over P978 million ($19.5
million).
On June 2, U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim met virtually with Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) officials, led by Chief Minister
Ahod ‘Al Haj Murad’ Ebrahim, who also chairs the BARMM Inter-Agency Task Force
on COVID-19, and reiterated the U.S. commitment to partnering with the
Philippines to address COVID-19 in the region.
The meeting provided an opportunity for BARMM leadership to discuss
challenges and present its COVID-19 contingency plan, while Ambassador Kim and
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Lawrence
Hardy provided updates on U.S. COVID-19 assistance.
“In these trying times, I am inspired by the resilience and courage of
the Filipino people. The United States and the Philippines have met and
overcome many challenges together, and I am confident that by working together
we will overcome this challenge as well,” said Ambassador Kim.
With the additional $4 million in humanitarian assistance, USAID will
protect vulnerable populations such as those displaced by conflict and the recent
earthquakes in Mindanao, and from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
USAID and its partners will work with local governments, local health
authorities, and communities so that vulnerable populations have access to the
most accurate and up-to-date health messages.
USAID partners will reach over 100,000 persons with distributions of
essential hygiene supplies, handwashing stations, hygiene promotion to reduce
transmission risk and help communities re-open.
USAID will also continue to provide vital water supply in transitory
sites in Lanao del Sur for families displaced by the Marawi Siege and in North
Cotabato for earthquake-affected communities.
The U.S. has provided more than P228 billion ($4.5 billion) in
development assistance to the Philippines over the past 20 years, including
over P29 billion ($582 million) in health assistance. (U.S. Embassy in the
Philippines/PIA-Caraga)
DA
provides inputs for sustained soybeans production
BUTUAN CITY, June 15 -- To provide support to soybean farmers in Tago,
Surigao del Sur and help them increase their production, the Department of
Agriculture (DA) - Caraga turned over various interventions on June 9 to the
Meme Agricultural Farmers Association (MAGFA).
The production support included 2,000 kilos of soybean seeds, one unit
of grain master/thresher, one unit sorter, and two rolls of UV plastic sheets
which will be used for the drying pavement facility.
The MAGFA is an association of farmers engaged in soybean farming. They
were organized in 2017 and now has a total of 100 hectares planted with
soybeans intercropped with corn.
Soybean is one of Caraga’s priority commodities. The region is also the
producer of the said commodity. (DA-RFO XIII, RAFIS/PIA-Caraga)
DA-Caraga prepares
for 11th national rice technology forum
BUTUAN CITY, June 15 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) – Caraga, in
collaboration with Rice Productivity Advocacy Incorporated (Rice Board) and
local government unit (LGU) of Butuan, is now preparing for the 11th National
Rice Technology Forum (NRTF).
The DA continuously intensifies its campaign for the adoption of hybrid
rice technology among local farmers. This is to further convince farmers by
showcasing the best farming technologies through the collective efforts by the
national government, LGU's, farmers, and the private sector.
A technology demonstration will be established in the three barangays in
Butuan City, namely Lemon, Basag, and Ampayon with a total area of 100
hectares.
With around 40 participating farmer cooperators, the demo farms will be
established in collaboration with the agri-companies, namely SL Agritech
Corporation, SeedWorks, Bioseed, Ramgo, Bayer, Pioneer, Syngenta, Advanta,
LongPing, and PhilSCAT alongside the DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute
(DA-PhilRice).
DA-Caraga Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo said that
NRTF is part of the strategy of the department to intensify the efforts in
increasing the yield and productivity of farmers and ensuring food sufficiency,
availability, accessibility, and affordability.
"Food is the vital commodity especially now as we are overcoming
the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is our mission to bring to the farmers
the latest technology in rice production. This can be achieved through our
partnership with the rice industry stakeholders," Monteagudo said.
In an interview with Renante D. Polistico, farmer cooperator from Brgy.
Basag, Butuan City, he said he accepted the project for him to acquire the
latest technologies on rice production.
"In my 14 years of rice farming this will be my first time to grow
hybrid rice, I am excited to learn and I am looking forward to increasing
production for this wet cropping season. I am grateful for the DA for this
opportunity," Polistico said.
Farmer cooperators are now on its land preparation in their respective
areas. (DA-RFO XIII, RAFIS/PIA-Caraga)
