by Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 22 (PIA) –- Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga Regional Director and Northeastern Mindanao Information Cluster Head Abner Caga emphasized the role of media in educating the public towards a clean and green environment.
During Tuesday’s forum and orientation on Clean Ground, Zero Waste program of the city government, Caga said broadcast and print media’s role is very crucial in advocating people to be responsible in everything they do.
“Your role plays very significantly in continuing community education on the program,” he said.
Caga added that the global call for Climate Change adaptation and disaster risk reduction provided added impetus.
With this, Caga said it is necessary that people must do their share in an effort to mitigate the impact of climate change.
Furthermore, the he stressed that this is the reason why the city government through the able leadership of Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr. is pushing each and every Butuanon to take part in this cause.
“This endeavor will benefit our children, and the next generations," Caga said.
The Clean Ground, Zero Waste program is initiated by the local government of this city.
It was conceptualized due to the urgency to develop a set of alternative, complementary, comprehensive and systematic strategies and approaches to address the issues related to solid waste management to spare the city from the financial, social, economic and environmental impact of waste.
The program was launched on September 11, 2011 at Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) gymnasium and as of November 11, the city government has fully implemented the program in a ceremony conducted in one of the local hotels in this city.
The program aims to facilitate a social transformation process among residents to manifest the desired behavior of segregating waste as source, cleaning the surroundings and converting wastes into money.
It also aims to conduct massive conversion of waste into organic fertilizers (biodegradables) by the organic fertilizer production facilities and useful materials (non-biodegradables). (PIA-Caraga)
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3rd Inter-Agency Advocacy on Maternal & Child Health & Family Planning Program set in Butuan
by Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 22 (PIA) -- The Center for Health Development (CHD) Caraga is set to conduct its 3rd Inter-Agency Advocacy on Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning (MCH-FP) Program on December 6, 2011 at the Luciana Convention Center, this city.
According to Department of Health (DOH) Caraga Regional Director Leonita Gorgolon, this advocacy will focus on the orientation of partners in the Aquino Health Agenda – Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (Universal Health Care) and its strategic thrusts.
Another equally important discussions would be on the reporting mechanism/s and critiquing of forms that will be used in the identification of Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning needs of the agencies’ personnel (if any).
“The Aquino Health Agenda – Kalusugan Pangkalahatan is aimed at identifying areas where government agencies together with our development partners can provide technical assistance in MCH-FP program and further strengthen our partnership,” stressed Gorgolon.
Gorgolon appealed to all stakeholders to participate and take part on this program. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
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Anti-illegal drugs symposium set in Bislig City
by Nida Grace B. Tranquilan
SURIGAO DEL SUR, Nov. 22 (PIA) –- The Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) will conduct a symposium on anti-illegal drugs on Wednesday, November 23 at Andres Soriano Institute, Mangagoy, Bislig City.
In partnership with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the activity primarily aims to disseminate an Information and Education Campaign (IEC) on the harmful effects of the dangerous drugs to human health.
Said IEC is part of the “JYes Kontra Droga” program implementation of the present administration.
Accordingly, the symposium aims to make people aware of what such dangerous drugs can do.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Government here is the first province to create the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council, and was an awardee of the “Best Anti-Drug Abuse Council in Caraga” during the culmination of the PDEA-Drug Abuse Prevention & Control Week, held recently in Butuan City. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
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Surigaonon news: Infra Workshop pagahimuon sa Surigao City
ni Anette Villaces
SURIGAO CITY, Nob. 22 (PIA) -- Usa ka Infrastructure Workshop ang pagahimuon karung Nobyembre 23 hangtod 24 sa City Mayor’s Conference Room sa may alas 8:30 sa buntag hangtod alas 5:00 sa hapon.
Kini nga kalihokan pinaagi na sa buhatan sa City Planning and Development Office pina-agi na ni Ms. Diana Edera ang Coordinator ug City Mayor’s Office pinanguyuhan mismo ni Mayor Ernesto Matugas diin maoy mihimu gyud ug lakang aron kini mamugna nga aktibidadis.
Samtang mamahemung partisipante niini ang mga musunod nga personahe sa syudad: City Administrator, City Engineer, City Planning & Development Coordinator, City Health Officer, Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Budget Officer, City Treasurer, City Accountant, City Tourism Officer, Vice Mayor og ang mga Committee Chairman sa Public Works, Agriculture og Natural Resources and Environment, lakip usab ang mga consultants nga gisuportahan sa United Nations Habitat nga maoy mahemung resource speakers.
Tumong sa maong aktibidadis arun matuki ug mahatagan ug igong prioridad ang paglambo sa mga urban infrastructure projects nan syudad diin sa hata-as na nga panahon wala pay igong pag-uswag niini.
Kini ilalum na sa mga investors usab nga maoy mu-assister aron mugasto kon maoy mag-funding sa maong developmental projects nan syudad sa Surigao. (Surigao City PIO/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
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2nd Visayas Blogging Summit 2011, all set for Nov. 26
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 22 (PIA) -– After months of preparation, the 2nd Visayas Blogging Summit 2011 is now set and ready.
The biggest social media gathering across the Visayas region will take place on Nov. 26 at Trade Hall 1 of SM City Cebu.
On-site registration starts at 7:30 a.m. Program will begin at 8:30 a.m. Participants can enter via Entrance 5 across Radisson Blu Hotel. For participants with cars, they can park near and enter via the Cinema B entrance.
With the theme, “Blogging and Beyond”, the 2nd Visayas Blogging Summit will feature reputable speakers in the field of social media.
The event’s keynote speaker is Chris Ducker, founder of Live2Sell Group, a business process outsourcing firm working with clients around the world, as well as chief executive officer of Virtual StaffFinder.com.
Other speakers include Janette Toral, author of several books and research reports on social media and the Internet, who will talk about social media responsibility; Joanne Apat, director of Online Marketing & eBusiness Consulting at Gwion Limited Hong Kong and Globe’s Social Media Manager Coy Caballes, will share basic tips in using social media for business; and blogger s Vernon Joseph Go and Evanjohnn Mendoza will talk about personal blogging.
More than 250 bloggers from the Visayas are expected to attend the summit. Bloggers from Luzon and Mindanao are also invited to participate.
The Visayas Blogging Summit, which was first organized by the Iloilo Bloggers, is a gathering of bloggers in the Visayas to talk on issues and concerns related to blogging and discuss how to further make blogging an effective tool for community development.
This year, the Visayas Blogging Summit will highlight the value of blogging as a potent tool in community development and in encouraging community participation.
For more information on the 2011 Visayas Blogging Summit, or to register, please visit www.vbs2011.cebubloggers.com. (CBSi/PIA-Caraga)
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GSIS, HDMF ink home lending pact for GSIS members and pensioners
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 22 (PIA) -- The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) today signed a credit facility agreement providing an initial GSIS allocation of P5 billion to finance the housing loans of its members and pensioners through the Pag-IBIG Fund.
The credit facility, signed by GSIS President and General Manager Robert Vergara and HDMF Chief Executive Officer Darlene Berberabe, is made available in line with the GSIS’s decision to wind down its direct lending program last April in favor of forging partnerships with key shelter agencies (KSAs) which has the proven expertise on home lending.
“We want to synchronize our efforts in the implementation of the government housing program and to avoid duplication with the KSAs’ functions,” said Vergara.
“More importantly, this agreement proves that the pension fund continues to be a vehicle for realizing the homeownership dream of our stakeholders in our role as a partner of Pag-IBIG.”
The lackluster housing performance of the pension fund, which has been implemented since the mid-50s, prompted the current GSIS leadership to find ways to rationalize its home lending program.
In 2010, the GSIS extended only Php600 million in housing loans to its more than 500 members against Pag-IBIG Fund’s Php5.5 billion to over 11,000 government employees, 10 times more what GSIS lent for housing and 20 times more than the number of government employees.
The pension fund chief added that half of the housing loan portfolio of the GSIS or more than 16,000 housing units have either been foreclosed or cancelled.
“It has been a difficult decision for us to stop direct home lending for our members but we are, above all, obligated to them to ensure that their contributions are managed prudently for their greater benefit,” said Vergara.
He added that that he has requested Pag-IBIG to put up a special lane for GSIS members and pensioners to facilitate the processing of their housing loans.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Vice President and concurrent Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Jejomar Binay. GSIS Executive Vice President for Finance Sector Benedicto Jose Arcinas and HDMF Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Support Services Cluster Emma Linda B. Faria stood as witnesses to the agreement. (GSIS/PIA-Caraga)
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SDSSU stude wins stat quiz reg’l championship
by Ruel L. Dres
SURIGAO DEL SUR, Nov. 22 (PIA) -- Fredierick Remonde of the Surigao del Sur State University won the Championship title in the 20th Philippine Statistics Quiz (PSQ) Regional Championship held at the Almont Hotel Inland Resort, Butuan City on November 17, 2011.
Prior to his winning in the regional level, Remonde outsmarted his fellow contender from SDSSU – Ella Mae Pasuhil who won runner-up and Mae Rose Suniel from Saint Michael College, third place winner. All the top three provincial winners participated in the regional championship.
Remonde is the son of Fred and Telly Remonde. He finished his secondary education at Unidad National High School as Class Valedictorian. Presently, he is taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Mathematics in the province’s only state university.
Accordingly, this is the first time that the province of Surigao del Sur won the competition since the creation of NSO Caraga in 2000 and since the conduct of PSQ in the province.
On the other hand, Nor Jhon M. Jala from Philippine Normal University-Agusan Campus and Ramione Clint A. Lazaga from Surigao State College of Technology completed the top three spots and were awarded cash prizes in the amount of PhP4,000, Php3,000 and PhP2,000 for the champion, second and third place winners, respectively. They were also given medals and certificates.
Meanwhile, SDSSU coach Luzminda S. Bacquial was also awarded and acknowledged during the competition.
The PSQ is an annual contest designed to test freshman college students’ knowledge of statistics. The NSO and the Philippine Statistical Association (PSA) have conducted the PSQ since 1992.
The PSQ, as held nationwide, involves students enrolled in colleges and universities in the 17 regions of the country. The 2011 PSQ is the 20th in the series.
The objectives of the PSQ are to assess the competency and skills of students in statistics as acquired from the secondary education curriculum; to promote, enhance, and instill awareness and appreciation of the importance and value of science, statistics in particular, among the students; and to generate public awareness on the importance of statistics in all development-planning activities and win overall support for all government statistical activities.
The national finals will be held on December 6, 2011 in Metro Manila. The top five winners in the national finals shall be given a PSQ trophy and cash prizes. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
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Cebuano news: Pilipinas ug Korea mipirma og lima ka gikasabotan alang sa development assistance
ni Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Nob. 22 (PIA) – Ang Pilipinas ug Korea mipalig-on pa og dugang sa 60-anyos nga relasyon niini sa pagpirma og lima ka mga gikasabotan aron dugang tabang sa agriculture, electricity, ug development assistance tali sa duha ka mga nasod.
Ang seremonya sa parpirma gipahigayon didto sa Reception Hall sa MalacaΓ±ang kagahapon Lunes atol sa tulo ka adlaw nga State Visit ni Korea President Lee Myung-Bak sa Pilipinas.
Ang unang duha ka mga gikasabotan, pinirmahan ni Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario ug Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Kim Sung-hwan, nagtumong sa pagpasayon sa proseso ug pagkuha og mga loans ug grants.
Ang Framework Agreement for Grant Aid between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic of Korea motabang sa proseso sa paghatag og mga proyekto samtang ang Framework Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic of Korea Concerning Loans gikan sa Economic Development Cooperation Fund alang sa tuig 2011 hangtod 2013 magtugot sa gobyernong Pilipinas nga makakuha og soft loans nga mokabat $500-million gikan sa gobyernong Korea.
Ang ika-tulong gikasabotan, mao ang Memorandum of Understanding tali sa Department of Energy ug sa Ministry of Knowledge Economy kalabot ang pagtukod og power plant didto sa Subic Bay Economic Zone gamit ang environment friendly nga teknolohiya aron matubag ang medium-term ug long-term nga planong panginahanglanon sa elektrisidad sa Luzon grid.
Kini nga gikasabotan gipirmahan tali ni DoE Secretary Jose Almendras ug Knowledge Economy Minister Hong Suk Woo.
Ang ika-upat ug ika-limang mga gikasabotan mao ang tali sa Department of Agriculture sa Pilipinas, Agriculture Minister Suh Kyu-yong ug ang Korea Export Import Bank President Kim Yong-hwan.
Ang MoU tali sa Departmen of Agriculture ug ang Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry ug Fisheries on the Multi-Industry Cluster Project sa Pilipinas usa ka matang sa public-private partnership business diin ang epektibong paggamit sa mga agricultural resources sa duha ka nasod madasig samtang ang MoU tali sa DA ug Korea EXIM Bank nga Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II usa ka proyekto sa irigasyon gituyo aron makatabang sa pagsustener sa rice self-sufficiency levels hangtod 2013.
Si Pangulong Aquino ug Lee maoy misaksi sa pagpirma sa maong mga gikasabotan.
Sa iyang pamahayag,ang Pangulong Aquino nalipay sa pagpalig-on sa relasyon tali sa duha ka nasod ug misaad sa “steadily advance our bilateral relationship to reach even greater heights.”
“I have full confidence that our meeting this morning has helped position our two countries towards a more positive, dynamic and nurturing friendship that will best serve the mutual interest of the Filipino and Korean peoples,” si Pangulong Aquino miingon.
Samtang sa samang bahin, si Pangulong Lee midayeg sa “limitless potential” nga aduna ang Pilinas tungod sa daghang skilled labor force ug kaabunda sa natural resources.
“And in that regard, cooperation between Korea and the Philippines is also limitless as well,” si Pangulong Lee miingon.
Ang Republika sa Korea maoy ika-lima sa pinakadakong partner sa Pilipinas nga adunay bilateral trade nga mokabat og 6.08-million dollars sukad pa 2010. Kini usab amoy ika-tulong nag-unang tigpamuhunan dinhi sa Pilipinas nga adunay puhunan mokabat 691.3-million dollars. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)
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Cebuano news: Cong. Matba aminado nga daghan pa’g kakulangon sa mga sitio sa Agusan del Norte
ni Roselyn Gangca-Exaure
AGUSAN DEL NORTE, Nov. 22 (PIA) –- Admitado si Agusan del Norte 2nd District Congresswoman Ma. Angelica Rosedell M. Amante-Matba nga aduna pa’y daku nga kakulangon sa mga sitio sa tibuok lalawigan labi na sa natad sa elektrisidad.
Sumala pa sa kongresista nga ang maong mga kakulangon dili matud pa kini makuha sa usa lamang ka higayon, apan moabot ra guihapon ang mga kaayuhan kung adunay pagpaningkamot ang mga kadagkuang opisyal.
Gidugang pa sa opisyal nga kinahanglan updated ang probinsya sa mga sitios nga wala pa ma-energize aron matud pa mapaabot kini ngadto na sa kongreso atol sa pagpahigayon og budget hearing, kon diin usa sa mga resulta niini mao ang P19M pesos nga napalabang nga budget alang sa nasangpit nga lalawigan alang sa Energization Project sa tanang sitio nga wala pa ma-energize sa tibuok probinsiya. (Agusan del Norte PIO/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
