Students plant trees for environmental protection
by Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 4 (PIA) -- High school and college students here have shown support to environmental protection through a tree planting activity held Saturday at Brgy. Anticala. The activity was aimed at rehabilitating critical watershed and key biodiversity areas of Caraga Region.
According to Fr. Chito “Kits” Butardo, school administration of different higher education institutions and from the high school signified their support to save the Taguibo Watershed, which is the only source of potable water in Butuan and some portions of Agusan del Norte.
“The activity is also part of the advocacy campaign of the Save Taguibo Watershed Network (STWN) to inform the general public of their role as concerned citizens living in Butuan City,” Butardo said.
The priest and academician also said they (students) have also learned how to value cooperation to save our nature. “A thing that must be passed to the (generations to come),” Butardo said. (PIA-Caraga)
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Butuanons join the Million Volunteer Run
by Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 4 (PIA) -- The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Agusan del Norte-Butuan City Chapter spearheaded today’s Million Volunteer Run with the theme “Run for Humanity.” Students, government employees and partner stakeholders assembled at the Agusan del Norte Covered Court around 5:30 a.m. for a short program.
Some 350 participants from different sectors joined in the Million Volunteer Run. The route followed during the run was Agusan del Norte Covered Court-City Hall-Ochoa Avenue-Guingona Street-Capitol Covered Court.
Participants received certificates of appreciation.
PRC Agusan del Norte-Butuan City Chapter Administrator Mr. Teddy Cairo said that the formula to alleviate human suffering in the buffet of disasters is the mobilization of millions of Red cross volunteers supported by robust technological capabilities.
“With this, the Philippine Red Cross has organized the Red Cross 143 Program wherein 44 volunteers (1 leader and 443 members) in each of the 42,000 barangays of the archipelago are highly trained to cope with and reduce the risks of disasters, enabling them to respond accordingly to any catastrophic event that will strike the Philippines,” Cairo said.
Cairo further said that PRC’s vision is to increase number of first aiders, blood donors, and health and welfare volunteers in every home, school, business and community in every corner of the Philippines. “Thus, today will mark a culture of volunteerism that defines the Filipino nation before the whole world,” he added. (PIA-Caraga)
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PIA Central Visayas chief cites the need to communicate the Phl Dev’t Plan
by Robert E. Roperos
QUEZON CITY, Dec 4 (PIA) – PIA-Central Visayas Regional Director Minerva Newman emphasized the need to popularize the Philippine Development Plan (PDP), country's blueprint for progress and poverty alleviation, during a workshop early this week on communicating PDP, held at the University Hotel of the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
Dir. Newman said basic technical concepts in the plan need to be explained in ways that make reading effortless and entertaining.
She added the audience is better to retain the information being disseminated in easy-to-comprehend style.
Newman said "technical" stories tend to turn people off. Thus, the need to populare the PDP to enhance audience comprehension, enjoyment and interest in the material.
Foremost in the mind of the communicators, she said, it the audience being addressed by an article or message about PDP. Further, Newman said that the most important quality of message presentation is accuracy.
“Thus, it is important to have manuscripts verified for technical accuracy before finalizing the presentation," Newman said.
To make the message more understandable, a communicator may use practical or "down-to-earth" examples, she added.
The Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 was formulated in accordance with the Constitutional provision of Section 9, Article VII, directing the Government’s economic and planning agency to “implement a continuing integrated and coordinated programs and policies for national development.”
Upon the assumption of President Benigno S. Aquino III of the country’s leadership, he embarked on his program of government that is based on his “Social Contract with the Filipino People” wherein he articulated a commitment to transformational leadership, institutional reform, economic stability and inclusive growth. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
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DOH turns over new P10-million peso hospital to PNP
by Noel B. Najarro
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 4 (PIA) - Ten months and twenty-two days after its cornerstone was laid on January 10, 2011, the Caraga Center of Health and Development, Department of Health Regional Office (CHD-DOH) turned over the new P 10-million peso hospital to the management of the Philippine National Police, Friday morning.
The new Police Regional Office 13 Hospital, a ten-bed capacity facility with a floor area of 810 square meters is located within the 1,800 square meters lot area owned by the Philippine National Police, at Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez Compound, Brgy. Libertad this City.
The hospital has an emergency room, a conference room, an administrative section, business office, dental room, laboratory section, out-patient department, storage area, nurses station, male and female ward, isolation room, delivery room, utility room and a kitchen, which will function as an emergency obstetric and a newborn care or birthing facility.
PNP chief Gen. Nicanor Bartolome did the honors of receiving the keys of the new health facility. With General Bartolome were also top officials from Camp Crame led by PDir. Victorino Panganiban, Jr., chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Eastern Mindanao. Top police regional officials were also present led by Caraga PNP chief PCSupt. Reynaldo S. Rafal.
In his welcome message, CSupt. Rafal said that the new PNP Hospital “is a realization of a dream.” He said that the new health facility will provide better access to quality hospital facilities and health care to police personnel and their dependents, as well as, the community.
PNP Chief Bartolome during his acceptance message thanked the Department of Health for including the police among the beneficiaries of the Aquino Health Agenda through the health department’s program of “DOH Kalusugang Pangkalahatan.”
He added a five-storey hospital is also under construction at Camp Crame also with the help of the DOH. This will be completed in six months, he said.
Director General Jovencio Ordona, the guest of honor and speaker (who represented Health Secretary Enrique Ona) said that the health secretary gave him three marching orders: 1)To do the proper turn over of the new heath facility, 2) To make sure that the facility should be fully functional within the first quarter of next year, and 3) To make the services of the facility available to the Philippine National Police and their dependents as well as to the general public.
Present during the blessings and turn-over rites were top health officials from DOH Central Office, Manila, led by Director General Jovencio Ordona, Assistant for Special Projects from the Office of the Health Secretary and Director Jaime Lagahit, Head Executive Assistant of the same office. Top regional health officials were also present led by CHD-DOH Regional Director Leonita P. Gorgolon and ARD Cesar Casion.
Also seen during the ceremonies were Dr. Noemia Bartolome (wife of the PNP Chief), Mrs. Rosalinda Pimentel, (wife of Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny Pimentel) and Mrs. Rona Rafal (wife of the Caraga PNP chief). (PIA-Caraga)
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Caraga GADCC dialogues with survivors
by Gervacio Dauz, Jr.
AGUSAN DEL NORTE, Dec 4 (PIA) -- A government official here said that it is ready to provide support to survivors of violence against women and children.
Atty. Marylin M. Pintor, regional director of the Commission of Human Rights for Caraga and chair of the Regional Development Council’s the Gender and Development Coordinating Committee ( GADCC), led a dialogue with the Sisters of Jesus’ Disciples in the Eucharist (SJDE) at Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.
The members of the GADCC also dialogued with the survivors, including seven girls who are under the care of the religious order.
Pintor said that the dialogue aimed to hear first-hand from the survivors and the Sisters the situation of the survivors, and how government can help. “We want to hear from you,” she said, “in order for us in government to improve and tailor-fit our services for you.”
She also assured the Sisters and the seven survivors of sustained partnership.
The GADCC’s initiative is part of its annual observance of the “18-day Campaign to End Violence Against Women” on November 18 up to December 12. This year’s theme is “Unite: Stop Violence Against Women, Now.”
The GADCC offers the following services to its clients such as skills training, legal services, planning, and even agricultural support. (TESDA-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Caraga)
