SK in Placer unite to fight COVID-19
By
Venus L. Garcia
The Sangguniang
Kabataan (SK) Federation of the municipality of Placer, Surigao del Norte has
intensified its efforts to help coalesce the community for the common goal of
beating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
As part
of their initiatives to convince more youth to actively participate in
community-building efforts of the government, Ace Paqueo Relleta, SK federated
president of Placer, Surigao del Norte bared that they continue to disseminate
correct and timely information to the locals for their guidance and update them
on the COVID-19 situation.
“We
were able to deliver relief goods to the residents in Placer utilizing the SK
funds and distributed hygiene kits during this time of the pandemic. We also
gave food packs to the frontliners in our community. It’s our simple way of
expressing our appreciation to them for risking their lives and for the genuine
services that they render untiringly,” said Relleta during her guesting in a
Network Briefing News hosted by Presidential Communications Operations Office
(PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar.
She
added that online activities were also launched in celebration of the Linggo ng
Kabataan wherein the youth participated in the TikTok Kabataan challenge,
spoken words poetry, mobile photography and vlogging contests, and face shield
making.
“These
had helped in keeping young individuals busy to reduce stress and boredom amid
the pandemic and to showcase their hidden talents,” Relleta said.
To
raise awareness and build solidarity in the fight against coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19), they also played an active role in providing facts and
information to the locals on how to protect themselves from the virus.
“We
emphasized to them the need to take appropriate precautions. Wearing of mask
must be combined with physical distancing and hand hygiene. It is also
important to avoid crowds and follow the advice provided by our health
authority,” she said.
Apart
from the efforts in combatting COVID-19, Relleta said they also conducted
symposia on anti-illegal drugs, terrorism, and awareness on human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
She
said that even in this critical time the SK Federation continues in promoting
the importance of caring for the environment. “Following health and safety
protocols, we also had our clean-up drive and tree planting activities,” she
mentioned.
Meanwhile,
Relleta said that they also distributed internet routers to the students to be
used in their learning sessions, online lectures, and research activities.
“This
is really a big help for our young people. Out of 20 barangays, 17 had already
used it only three are not utilized since there is no internet connection or
signal yet in those areas,” she said.
Relleta is optimistic that Filipinos can rise above these challenging times. “We must not lose hope and remain to be resilient. Nothing is permanent, so let us hope for the best and continue to be productive in our household and communities. Let this be our inspiration as we hold on to our goal for a healthy Pilipinas,” Relleta underscored. (VLG/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Agusan Norte farmers
acquire ₱42.38M rice
mechanization equipment
By Rhea
Abao
BUTUAN
CITY, Feb. 19 -- To make accessible to Agusan rice farmers the appropriate rice
production and postharvest machinery and equipment the Department of
Agriculture (DA) - Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and
Mechanization (PhilMech) granted a total of ₱42.38
million worth of rice mechanization under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement
Fund (RCEF)-Mechanization Component.
DA-Caraga
Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo together with the PhilMech
Director Baldwin G. Jallorina handed the intervention to 15 accredited
rice-based farmer’s cooperative and associations (FCAs) in the province of Agusan
del Norte and Butuan City.
RCEF
Mechanization Component is being implemented by the DA-PhilMech in partnership
with DA regional office. In the second year of its implementation, the
implementing agencies continue to deliver the appropriate agricultural
engineering technology to the rice farmers.
“You
are now receiving the fruit of the implementation of Rice Tarrification Law.
The rice tariff revenues are allocated to programs that will raise Caraga rice
farmers’ productivity, profitability, and global competitiveness,” Director
Monteagudo said.
Of the
total project costs of RCEF machinery for the province, ₱22 million was from the second tranch of 2019 while ₱20.36 million was sourced out from 2020.
Thirteen
four-wheel tractors, 11 hand tractors, 18 floating tillers, six rice-combine
harvesters, two walk-behind transplanters, three riding-type transplanters, and
one precision seeder was turned over to farmer leaders representing their
respective groups.
According
to DA-PhilMech Director Baldwin G. Jallorina It is expected that these farm
machines will ease the drudgery in rice production from land preparation to
harvesting, to cut the postharvest losses, thereby increasing farmers’ output
and revenue.
DA-PhilMech
estimates that farm mechanization can lower the cost of cultivating palay
(unmilled rice) by P1 to P2 per kilo. At present, the cost of producing a kilo
of palay in the Philippines is P12 per kilo while it is P6 in Vietnam and P8 in
Thailand.
“We are
encouraging our FCAs to make use of the interventions that they receive from
the DA. The recipients should ensure the safety of the equipment while in
their custody and optimize its utilization,” Director Jallorina said.
Nicolas
N. Licuna, President of Sayadion-Cuyago Irrigators Association Inc., Jabonga,
Agusan del Norte appreciated now the result of the RTL as they received a
one-unit four-wheel tractor, three units of the floating tiller, one-unit
riding-type rice transplanter, and one-unit rice combine harvester with a total
worth of ₱4.97 Million.
“We are grateful for the support that we received from the government.
This could reduce our rice production cost and improving the quality of our
produce. This will serve the 85 hectares of rice area of our members and we can
also extend our services to the nearby barangays,” Licuna said.
Another
set of farm machinery and equipment will be turned over for the Provinces of
Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur for the next month. (DA13-RAFIS/PIA Agusan
del Norte)
PMO Surigao conducts
port orientation seminar for port service providers
By NC
Nusog
SURIGAO
CITY, Surigao del Norte, Feb. 19 (PIA) -- The port service providers of the
Port Management Office (PMO) of Surigao are now afforded the opportunity to get
to know the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) better - through attendance to the
Basic Port Orientation Seminar (BPOS).
The
first of a series of BPOS was conducted recently at the PMO Administration
Building in Surigao City for applicants serving the Port of Surigao and the
Lipata Ferry Terminal.
According
to Port Manager Froilan Caturla it shall continue to be conducted thereat every
Tuesday afternoon and a series of BPOS sessions shall also be conducted at the
Terminal Management Office (TMO) in the province of Dinagat Islands (Port of
San Jose), TMO Siargao (Port of Dapa) and TMO Tandag in Surigao del Sur (Port
of Tandag) to accommodate PTO applicants at the terminal ports of PMO Surigao.
With
the implementation of PPA Administrative Order no. 09-20 or the Revised
Guidelines on the Issuance of Permit to Operate (PTO) for the Provision of Port
Ancillary Services, attendance by PTO applicants to the BPOS shall be required
as a post-approval condition. (PMO-PPA/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Over P6-M DTI SSF projects
in Caraga to benefit LSIs
BUTUAN
CITY, Feb. 19 - To serve the growing number of returning locally stranded
individuals (LSIs) to Caraga due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regional office here,
through the Shared Service Facilities (SSF) program, is set to provide business
facilities amounting to a total of Php6.6 million.
The
initiative, in support of the national government’s Balik Probinsya-Bagong
Pag-asa Program (BP2), is a measure to empower local industries and at the same
time mitigate the effects of the pandemic to the livelihoods and jobs of LSIs,
said DTI Caraga Regional Director Edwin Banquerigo.
“We
have already started purchasing the facilities for these nine SSF projects that
are intended to develop our micro, small and medium enterprises instrumental to
rural development especially after the ill effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,”
Banquerigo added.
These
projects consist of SSF on food processing in three local government units of
Agusan del Norte, SSF on virgin coconut oil (VCO) processing and organic tablea
production in Agusan del Sur, SSF on mobile mariculture platform in Surigao del
Norte, and SSF on cacao processing, VCO processing and mariculture platform in
the Province of Dinagat Islands.
Cooperators
of these projects were chosen based on their capacity to reach out to BP2
beneficiaries including returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and
individuals or families who have opted to move out of Metro Manila or highly
urbanized cities due to loss of job or other source of income.
SSF is
meant to improve MSME competitiveness by providing machinery, equipment, tools,
systems, accessories, and other auxiliary items, skills and knowledge under a
shared system.
“In the
last seven years, the SFF program has touched and helped many individuals lead
better lives. It has scaled up a number of MSMEs to the next level. We hope to
continue these success stories,” Banquerigo said.
As of
2020, DTI Caraga has already established 169 SSF projects, 71 of which were
already fully turned over to the cooperators. (DTI-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
3 NPAs killed, 4 firearms
seized in AgSur clash
By
Major Francisco Garello, Jr.
BUTUAN
CITY, Feb. 19 – Three members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed and
three firearms to include assorted war materiel were seized after a five-minute
firefight between the government troops and the Communist Party of the
Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) Terrorists (CNTs) at Sitio Damming,
Barangay Zillovia, Talacogon, Agusan del Sur at around 2:00 p.m. on February
15, 2021.
Said
firefight resulted to the tragic demise of three CNTs and the seizure of the
following items at the encounter site: one M16 rifle; two shotguns; one cal.
38; two hand grenades; one anti-personnel mine (APM); assorted ammunitions;
five cellphones; one binocular; medical paraphernalia; 15 sets of Army Battle
Dress Attire (BDA); lousy caps; combat boots; numerous ammunition of different
caliber; and various subversive documents.
Brigadier
General Maurito Licudine, the Commander of the 402nd Infantry (Stingers)
Brigade, lauded the troops’ decisive victory and its persistent determination
in tracking the NPA terrorists who were pestering the communities in the area.
“This victory is for the people who for the longest time wanted to live without
the intimidation and threat from the NPA Terrorist. We urge the CNT to stop
using violence as it will not solve our problems,” he said.
Licudine
also offered his sympathies to the dead NPAs and ensures that the cadavers will
be turned over to the families once it will be identified for decent and proper
burial. However, he emphasized that the tragic fate of the dead NPAs was a
reminder of the futility of the armed struggle which the communist terrorist
group is espousing and placing the lives of innocent youths and the masses who
were deceived and exploited, to extreme danger during skirmishes.
“We
reiterate our call to the remaining members of the NPA to voluntarily surrender
and heed the call of peace. We want to assure the CNTs that our troops will be
relentless in pursuing them, there is no other way for them but to lay down
their arms or continue hiding and be hunted. It’s their choice but we insist
that they follow the path of peace for the sake of their families and for the
people who longed to live normal lives in peace,” BGen. Licudine bared.
No
casualty on the government side and troops are still on pursuit operations. (CMO,
402nd Brigade/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Rebeldeng NPAs,
supporters nagbalik-loob sa gobyerno
By Nora
C. Lanuza
LUNGSOD
NG BUTUAN, Pebrero 19 (PIA) -- Handang tumulong sa pamahalaan ang mga rebeldeng
nagbalik loob sa gobyerno kasama ang halos 500 myembro ng underground mass
organization o UGMO na sumusuporta sa mga terorsitang NPA sa bayan ng Las
Nieves sa Agusan del Norte.
Sa
kanilang pababalik loob sa gobyerno siginuro ni Tommy, presendente ng UGMO ang
kanilang suporta. Malaki din ang kanilang pasalamat sa 23rd Infantry Battalion
at nakabalik-loob na sila sa gobyerno.
Ayon
din kay Agusan del Norte provincial administrator Gerry Joey Laurito, handa at
patuloy ang tulong ng pamahalaan sa barangay Casiklan at sa mga malalayong lugar
ng probinsya.
Maliban
sa tulong ng probinsya, handa din ang TESDA na mabigyan ng livelihood at skills
training ang mga nagbalik-loob upang makapagbagong buhay at magkaroon ng
hanapbuhay.
Boluntaryo ding isinurender ng mga nagbalik loob ang dala nilang armas sa 23rd IB. (NCLM, PIA Agusan del Norte)
60 SurSur PIOs
sumailalim sa pagsasanay sa Tandag City
By Nida
Grace P. Barcena
LUNGSOD
NG TANDAG, Surigao del Sur, Pebrero 19 (PIA) -- Mahigit 60 na mga information
officers (IOs) mula sa mga nakikitang erya na may problema sa insurhensiya ang
sumailalim sa pagsasanay sa pagsusulat ng mahahalagang balita na ginanap noong
Miyerkules, Pebrero 17, 2021 sa Goldbar Restaurant Function Hall nitong
lungsod.
Ang nasabing
pagsasanay na tinawag na "Establishing Retooled Community Support Program
Messaging Hub of Surigao del Sur" ay inorganisa ng Regional Task Force-End
Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) Caraga, sa pakipagtulungan ng
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Surigao del Sur
provincial office. Ito ang kauna-unahang aktibidad sa buong rehiyon na
gaganapin sa iba pang apat na probinsya na sakop sa rehiyon.
Sa
layunin na mapaigting ang kapasidad o madagdagan ang kaalaman ng bawat IOs ng
mga barangay at munisipyo na kalahok dito, ibinahagi ni Philippine Information
Agency (PIA)-Agusan del Norte Information Center Manager (ICM) ang mahalagang
papel o katungkulan ng bawat information officer na itinalaga ng lokal na
pamahalaan sa information dissemination.
Bukod
pa nito, ibinahagi din PIA Agusan del Sur Infocen Manager Jennifer Gaitano sa
mga kalahok sa nasabing aktibidad paano gumawa ng tama at akmang
impormasyon, at mga paraan ng pagbahagi nito gamit ang ibat-ibang social media
platforms. Mobile photography naman ang ibinahagi ni John Charles Malazarte ng
PIA-Caraga.
Nagpaabot
naman ng kanyang pasasalamat si Carmelito Valeroso, mula sa bayan ng Carmen,
Surigao del Sur, sa mga nag organisa. Sinabi pa niya, dagdag kaalaman para sa
mga kalahok ang kanilang natutunan sa nasabing pagsasanay. (PIA-Surigao del
Sur)
Pagproseso sa ani sa mga mag-uuma sa kape gipunting sa Cabadbadbaran
By Angel Lyn F. Gaviola
DAKBAYAN SA BUTUAN, Pebrero 19 --Gipunting nga masugdan na sa mga
mag-uuma sa kape sa siyudad sa Cabadbaran ang pagproseso sa mga ani nila nga
kape aron himoong “local regular coffee” karong tuiga.
Gawas kini sa gilantaw nga pagproseso sa civet coffee sa Sitio Pirada,
Barangay Del Pilar sa maong dakbayan, sumala ni Ma. Arcelle Soria, ang city
agriculturist.
Sumala kang Soria nga samtang naghulat ang mga mag-uuma sa panahon sa
ting-ani sa kape, gisugdan na usab nila ang mga pagbansay kalabot sa paggama og
kape, kaabag ang Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) nga maoy nagpasiugda sa
mga trainings, partikular sa Sitio Ansili, Barangay Puting Bato.
Target nga mag-ani sa ilang produksyon sa kape ang mga mag-uuma sa
pinaka-ulahing kwarter ning tuiga, tukmang panahon lang aron mahuman sa pagtuon
ang mga mag-uuma nga interesadong magproseso sa kape.
Dugang ni Soria nga sa kasamtangan nagpadaghan pa og mga civets kon milo
ang potensyal nga lugar sa Sitio Pirada, diin ang mga fermented coffee beans
nga i-digest niini mao ang kolektahon aron iproseso nga mahimong civet coffee.
Nangita na usab og dugang nga mga sites ang City Agriculture Office (CAO)
sa Cabadbaran alang sa dugang nga kapahilunaan sa pagpalambo sa civet coffee,
lakip na ang tourism site nga maoy kabutangan sa mga produkto na unya sa kape.
Gilantaw nga dakung potensyal sa Agri-tourism ang gibansagang “Higanteng
Bato” nga nahimutang sa kabukiran sa Sitio Pirada, ug potensyal nga mahimong
kabahin sa ‘hiking site’.
Gibisita na sa Plant! Plant! Plant! Team sa Agusan UP ang lugar sa
nakalabay’ng tuig, diin makita ang daku kaayong bato. Ilawom niini nagdagayday
ang tin-aw ug bugnaw nga tubig sa busay nga makahupay sa kainit sa mga mahimong
hikers.
Sa kinatibuk-an, gilantaw sa AGUSAN UP!, ubos sa Process! Process!
Process! Project niini, nga makapahiluna og matawag nga coffee network nga
magsilbing consolidator, processor ug coffee shop nga magsilbing site usab sa
turismo sa nailang mga tourism areas sa probinsya.
Ang AGUSAN UP! mao ang kampanya sa pagpalambo sa administrasyon ni Gov.
Dale B. Corvera kaabag ang buhatan ni Kong. Angel Amante-Matba. (Agusan Up, LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
