Surigao Norte to launch Project BEEP, SHEEN
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Mar. 26 (PIA) - The provincial
government of Surigao del Norte through the Provincial Economic Enterprise
Development and Management Office (PEEDMO) is set to launch the Barangay
Economic Empowerment Program (BEEP) and Services to Help Emerging and Existing
Entrepreneurs (SHEEN) Project on April this year.
"These two major programs were conceived
mainly for poverty reduction and also to provide technical assistance,
capability building, skills enhancement, and marketing promotion to barangay
entrepreneurs as well as those existing and emerging entrepreneurs," said
Graciela Mante, PEEDMO chief.
These projects will be implemented under the
three stages framework dubbed as “SME (Small, Medium enterprise) Stars
Framework” wherein concerned agencies and stakeholders will help and share
their expertise and provide technical assistance.
"The three stages of SME Stars Framework
are start-up and SME capability building stage, domestic market penetration and
export awareness stage, and export and expansion stage," said Mante.
The PEEDMO office will be the lead implementing
office of the program, Mante concluded. (SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Pres. Aquino wants SDCR project in Surigao Sur
done earlier
By Greg Tataro Jr
TANDAG CITY, Mar. 26 (PIA) – Instead of 2015, the
entire stretch of Surigao-Davao Coastal Road (SDCR) Project in Surigao del Sur
will have to be completed this year.
According to Governor Johnny Pimentel, this
sudden change came on March 18, during the occasion of the oath taking ceremony
of the Liga Officials at all local government units’ (LGUs) levels in the
country including the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) held at the
Manila Hotel.
He said that no less than President Benigno S.
Aquino III assured him of the release in a few months of the needed funds for
the concreting of the more or less up to three-kilometer remaining portion of
the SDCR project between the boundary of Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte.
He told, he was fortunate to have had the chance
to talk with the president who administered their oath during the said
event.
Pimentel was sworn in as LPP Auditor and
National Executive Board (NEB) member for Caraga Region among other officers in
their respective posts.
Meanwhile, he also bared that the rest of the
national road projects in the province will be completed before the president’s
term ends. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan
Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
PopCom launches youth hub addressing life,
sexuality concerns
By Mylene Quiray
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 25 (PIA) - The Commission on
Population (PopCom) and the Center for Health Solutions and innovations
Philippines, Inc. (CHSI), with funding support from the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) launched on Wednesday its Teen Project for the youth,
dubbed as You-for-You (U4U) Youth Hub Initiative in Agusan National High School
(ANHS).
One hundred fifty youths attended the session on
self-image, body image, changes in the body, teen health, and life skills on
sexuality, sessions on family and friendship, and leaving a legacy, managed by
20 in-school youth facilitators.
The U4U is aimed to prepare the youth for life
skills on sexuality such as critical thinking, sound decision making, ability
to manage stress, and the like. The U4U has four platforms: teen trail - an
educational and entertaining teen caravan with an interactive exhibit, fun
workshops, songs and dances that will be set up in schools and communities and
managed by teens themselves; online portal (www.u4u.ph), an interactive website
that allows teen users to learn about self-identity, friendship, life skills
and teen health advocacy; social media (Facebook, Twitter and Youtube
accounts); and interactive voice response system, an automated mobile service
that gives recorded information to teens who send a “U4U” text message to
dedicated mobile phone numbers.
The U4U is timely, as the internet is the second
most popular source of information about sex for the youth at 16.2 percent, as
reported by the 2013 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS 4). For
CARAGA, television is the most popular source of information for the youth.
Furthermore, the U4U, which will be managed by teens themselves, addresses what
the data reveals that friends (59.4 percent) are the top choice of the youth
with whom they are most likely to consult for questions about sex. Friends are
also the preferred choice to learn about sex and reproduction.
PopCom regional director Alex Makinano said that
this initiative will contribute to addressing the fact that CARAGA has the
highest teen pregnancy rate in the country (15 percent). PopCom recognizes the
fact that the youth need to be prepared for life and sexuality, that is why the
adolescent health and youth development (AHYD) program is one of the major
components of the Philippine Population Management Program. (PopCom/PIA-Caraga)
BIR keeps best to hit 2014 tax goal in Surigao
Sur
By Greg Tataro Jr
TANDAG CITY, Mar. 26 (PIA) – The Revenue
District Office 106 (RDO 106) of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in
Surigao del Sur has been keeping its best to hit the monthly tax goal for
2014. Contrary to what took place in
2013, Revenue District Officer (RDO) Monib Dimakuta is confident to make it
this time around.
For 2014, RDO 106 has been assigned a collection
goal of P745,763,000 which has been broken down into monthly goals.
But despite the success in January for getting
P61,297,312.47 which exceeded the target of P52,919,000 or an excess of
P8,378,312.47 or up to 15.83 percent increase, a deficit of 12.35 percent has
also been posted for the month of February.
The collection during last month only reached up
to P45,216,892.21 which was supposed to be at least P51,589,000. However, Dimakuta claimed that their office
still posted an excess collection of P2,006,204.68 for the two-month period
combined. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan
Tandag/PIA Surigao del Sur)
P35M hi-tech seedling nursery center rises up in
Caraga Region
By Eric F. Gallego
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 26 (PIA) - Barring any delays
in work, the construction of a “state-of- the art” nursery house for tree
seedlings in Bislig, Surigao del Sur, the first of its kind in Caraga Region
being supervised by the Ecosystem Research and Development of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is expected to be completed on the
first week of April this year. It can produce 12 million tree seedlings every
year.
This Mechanization and Modernization of Forest
Nursery is the pet project of DENR Secretary Ramon JP Paje in his objective to
produce large volume of high-quality planting materials through a more
efficient and cost- effective methods of propagation in support of the
seedlings needs of the National Greening Program (NGP).
Secretary Paje has been tasked by President
Aquino to accomplish the job before his term of office ends in June 2016. By
that time, the NGP shall have established one billion tree seedlings of
different species planted over 1.5 million hectares in various areas all over
the country with popular species like lauan, narra, and fruit trees.
In Caraga Region, DENR regional executive
director Nonito M. Tamayo has instructed his five PENROs and 13 CENROs to plant
tree seedlings like cacao, coffee, rubber that are adaptable to soil conditions
in a given area, including the mangrove and beach forest on the shorelines.
The modern nursery project was made possible
through the initiatives of Tamayo and regional technical director Ronilo Salac,
of Ecosystems Research and Development Service (ERDS) and the Bio-diversity
Management Regional Office. They sweat it out and moved every stones along the
way to convince the top management officials at the Central Office that Caraga
deserves one allocation of the the four project sites being constructed in the
country.
Such modern and mechanized nurseries cost about
P35.3 million. The other areas are found three in Luzon and one in the Visayas.
Work activities of the modern nursery at the
area of the ERDS in Bislig, Surigao del Sur began in January this year through
the four winning bidders, all of them, are based in Butuan City doing separate
project components. This included the Hardening Area, a 15,000 sq.meter- lot
which will ensure the gradual exposure of the seedlings into full sunlight for
the sturdy and quality planting materials before they are planted into selected
planting sites. It has a section called the "Growing area" which is a
10,000- sq.meter lot that functions as development of geminants into seedlings.
At the other side is the the Seeder Building
which processes the sowing of seeds into the styro-blocks propagation container
with customized seed pads and treated through a misting area for watering
before they are placed into the greenhouse. There are two Greenhouse buildings
being built at a 350 sq.meter lot in that area. These buildings are equipped
with misting devices and other facilities that helps in the germination process
of the germinants.
Tamayo gave his assurance that the mechanized
nursery will produce at least 12 million good quality seedlings yearly assuming
they will come from the Seed Production area and Individual Plus Trees (IPTs)
and have been processed at the Mindanao Tree Seed Center.
He said the nursery may also provide fruit,
crops ,vegetables and cut flowers so that the tree farmers can earn their livelihood
while waiting for the tree crops to yield fruits and harvested.
He expressed optimism that the project will
"succeed according to plans and programs laid out by the DENR technical
people so that the country can enjoy a good and healthy environment in the
midst of a global climate change.” (DENR-13/PIA-Caraga)
World Consumer Rights Day celebrated in Agusan
Sur town
By Cerila P. Inson
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Mar. 26 (PIA) - Some 45
consumers from women sector, senior citizens, farmer groups and employees were
equipped on consumerism while attending the World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD)
forum held recently in Loreto town, this province with the theme: Fix Our Phone
Rights.”
The WCRD celebration, spearheaded by the
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in coordination with the local
government unit of Loreto, aims to ensure that consumer rights can never be
ignored, that more constituents will be aware of their rights who can properly
respond on consumer issues. This is also an opportunity to uphold the basic
rights of consumers to be respected and protected.
For this year’s celebraton, WCRD is focused on
mobile telecommunication that will provide venue to the consumers to exercise
their rights especially on the business practices of mobile service providers.
The topics covered in the forum were: Provide consumers
with fair contracts explained in clear, complete and accessible language, worth
of their money, fair and transparent billing, consumers’ power over their own
information and listen and respond to consumer complaints.
WCRD was first observed on March 15, 1983 to
promote consumer rights around the world, the date in 1962 when US President
John F. Kennedy delivered his historic address to the congress in which he
outlined his vision of consumer rights. (DMS/DTI-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del
Sur)
LAWig TESDA grads urged: use your trainings,
seek better opportunities
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 26 (PIA) - A total of 655 students of LAWig TESDA
Training for Works Scholarship Program (TWSP) graduated Friday, March 21, 2014,
in a commencement exercise held at Agusan del Norte provincial capitol covered
court here.
The graduation rite was attended by TESDA
Regional Director Dr. Florencio F. Sunico, Jr., Provincial Director Rodrigo De
Villa, and Agusan del Norte First District Rep. Lawrence Lemuel H. Fortun, who
at the same time is the commencement speaker. Representatives and heads of the
different schools and training institutions, and members of the press also
graced the activity.
There are 13 participating schools under the
LAWig TESDA TWSP, namely: Agusan Colleges, Agusan Institute of Technology, AMA
Computer Learning Center, Butuan City Colleges, Butuan City Manpower Training
Center, Butuan Doctors Colleges, Caraga State University, Center for Healthcare
Professions, Global Competency-Based Training Center, Father Saturnino Urios
University, Philippine Electronics and Communication Institute of Technology,
and Saint Joseph Institute of Technology, all in Butuan City.
The ceremony’s theme revolved around
government’s effort of providing easy and equal opportunities for every
individuals through appropriate skills and training, on one hand, and student’s
equity of converting the acquired competence into decent and productive jobs,
on the other. This with the end view of not only uplifting their lives, but
also directly contributing to national development.
In his message, RD Sunico emphasized that with
the coming of ASEAN Integration in 2015, free-flow of goods and services is
expected to dominate the market. The challenges, as well as opportunities, lies
ahead of the TESDA graduates to find fobs in an ever-increasing competitive and
dynamic ASEAN community, banking on our country’s endowments – human resource.
This year’s LAWig TESDA TWSP graduating students
comes from ten different technical-vocational programs/courses: Computer
Hardware Servicing NC II (165 graduates), Food and Beverage Services NC II (160
graduates), Massage Therapy NC II (30 graduates), Bartending NC II (25
graduates), Housekeeping NC II (50 graduates), Household Services NC II (35
graduates), Shielded-Metal Arc Wielding NC II (100 graduates), Bookkeeping NC
II (50 graduates), Driving NC II (20 graduates), and Consumer Electronics NC II
(20 graduates).
It can be recalled that while still Vice Mayor
of Butuan City in early 2013, Fortun was able to source-out funds from the
national government in partnership with TESDA Caraga for the allocation of over
1,000 technical-vocational scholarship for Butuan City and Las Nieves. Earlier
this year, 50 Shield-Metal Arc Wielding NC II students graduated from Las
Nieves Training Center (LNTC) under the LAWig TESDA TWSP.
In his message, Fortun emphasized his strong
commitment of providing more opportunities to his constituents through tech-voc
courses. Human resource being our competitive advantage, Fortun re-affirmed his
support to technical and vocational education, and commits himself to
furthering and expanding TWSP this year. He expressed his thanks to TESDA Regional
and Provincial Office and training providers, and poses the challenge ahead of
knowing the jobs and skills demand of the region and tailor-fit it with
tech-voc offerings to ensure employment and job matching.
The young solon also expressed his confidence
and bid his good luck to the graduates. “Naa na man ang skills nga gihatag sa
inyo, gamita, ug ikalipay pud namo sa among buhatan ug sa TESDA nga kamo
naglampus pud, because the success of the program is not really about
graduating students from the course, but seeing students who have graduated
find jobs that are consistent with the skills they have acquired. That would
really be the barometer of the success of the program.” (LAWig/PIA-Agusan del
Norte)
Tagalog News: Pamahalaan handang tugunan ang tagtuyot,
sabi ng Palasyo
Ni David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Marso 26, 2014 (PIA) - Sinabi ng
Malakanyang na handa ang pamahalaan para tugunan ang krisis na dulot ng
tagtuyot sa iba’t ibang parte ng bansa at sinegurong mayroong sapat na pera
para sa ganoong hakbangin.
May mga ulat na mahina ang ulan sa Mindanao kung
saan napilitan ang mga taong kumain ng bunga ng mga pananim na hindi makain.
Pero noong nagkaroon ng pakipanayam sa media
noong Martes, sinabi ni Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary
Herminio Coloma Jr.na ang administrasyong Aquino ay naglagay ng sapat ng pera
sa 2014 na pundo na inilaan para ayunan at paginhawain ang pagbago ng klima.
Ang pagsagot sa pagbago ng klima ay isa sa mga
nangungunang aspeto ng Philippine Development Plan ng kasalukuyang
administrasyon, sabi niya.
"Kasama po ang mga pangyayaring iyan doon
sa programa ng Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. Meron po tayong
komprehensibong istratehiya na ipinapatupad ng National Commission on Climate
Change na kung saan ang tagapangulo ay mismong si Pangulong Aquino, ang kanyang
pangalawang tagapangulo ay si Kalihim Lucille Sering," sabi ni Coloma sa
mga mamamahayag.
Sineguro ng opisyal ng palasyo na ang Kagawaran
ng Agrikultura at iba pang ahensiya ng pamahalaan ay sumasagot sa mga suliranin
na may kaugnayan sa mahinang pag-ulan sa ibang parte ng bansa.
Tutulungan ang DA ng National Commission on
Climate Change at ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources, sabi
niya. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Cebuano News: Web-based LTI operational tool,
gilusad sa DAR Agnor
Ni Gil E. Miranda
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 26 (PIA) - Ang buhatan sa
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) sa Agusan del Norte naglusad og oryentasyon
kabahin sa Web-based Operational Tool nga napahitabo bag-ohay pa lamang sa
Almont City Conference Hall ning dakbayan.
Usa ka team gikan sa kaulohan ang nagpahigayon
sa duha ka adlaw nga oryentasyon sa tumong nga mapadali ug mapagaan ang
implementasyon sa programang Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) ning
buhatan gamit ang bag-ong sestema ug teknolohiya sa pag-pagpatuman sa Land
Tenure Improvement (LTI).
Ang mga partisipante naglangkob sa pipila ka mga
empleyado sa DAR ning probinsya diin sagad nila nga trabaho mao ang
pag-apodapod sa kayutaan.
Ang web-based LTI Tool usa ka monitoring system
sa katuyoan nga mahimong hapsay ang mga datus sa tanan lebel ning ahensya.
Taliwala sa nagkagrabeng suliran sa operasyon sa LAD, namugna kini nga
inisyatiba gamit ang internet.
Kini namugna aron matiktikan ang pag-usbaw sa
mga kahimoan sa mga kayutaan nga nahisakop ilawom sa programang CARP ug
malikayan ang sumpaki sa mga datus. Kini moresulta sa tukma nga impormasyon
alang sa hinanaling mga disisyon sa implementasyon sa Land Acquisition and
Distribution kun LAD.
Ang mga personahe ning probinsya nanghinaot nga
mamahimong mapuslanon kini nga estratehiya alang sa pagpadali sa implementasyon
sa pag-apod-apod sa kayutaan. (DAR-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
