By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 9 (PIA) – As
monsoon rains continue to come heavy in Surigao del Sur, a growing number of
local government units (LGUs) are considering enforcement of pre-evacuation
anytime due to widespread flooding.
Earlier, Abel De Guzman, Provincial Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief, reported that due to heavy
rains, City Mayor Roxanne Pimentel was prompted to declare suspension of
classes in both public and private elementary schools in Tandag City.
A little later, he also came out with the
information coming from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Office (MDRRMO) of Cortes town, 30 kilometers north, this city, that landslides have occurred in two barangays in
the area—Matho and Balibadon—which rendered the national highway impassable.
District Engr. Joseph Calderon of the Department
of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 1st Congressional District Office confirmed
the incident, but cited these are only “series of soil collapse.”
On the latest development, De Guzman said, the
road is already passable, adding, however, that only one lane is open to
traffic.
It can be recalled that Calderon has immediately
ordered the deployment of construction equipment to the area to ease the
situation. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DA’s village type corn processing facility
produces export quality
By Aurell P. Arais
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 9 (PIA) - “Superb quality;
export quality!”
These are words of satisfaction uttered by
Barangay Captain Demetrio Tabelon of Tiniwisan, Butuan City as one of the
recipients of the Village Type Corn Postharvest Processing facility provided by
the Department of Agriculture- Caraga.
“Before the establishment of the project, we had
difficulty in selling our corn produce due to poor quality and compelled to
sell our product at a cheaper price,” said Mr. Tabelon. “But with the establishment of the project,
buyers themselves such as feed millers now come to our place to buy our corn
processed through the Village Type Corn Postharvest Processing,” he added.
Turned-over by the Department of Agriculture last
January 2013 to Saint Gabriel Multi-purpose Cooperative, the project is now
benefitting corn farmers not only in Tiniwisan but other neighboring barangays
and municipalities with four thousand hectares corn-producing area.
The Village Type Corn Postharvest Processing with
a capacity of 10 tons per load can process corn on cob even those newly
harvested which after a cycle of processing, it will come out dried on kernel
form ready for sale.
Aside from Brgy. Tiniwisan in Butuan City, another
10 ton capacity corn processing facility was established in Poblacion, Las
Nieves, Agusan del Norte covering 10 barangays with 450 hectares corn
area. The same project will soon to be
turned-over in the municipalities of Las Nieves, Bunawan and Talacogon in
Agusan del Sur.
An expanded version of the project with 20 tons
capacity will soon rise also in Esperanza and Trento, Agusan del Sur. (DA-13/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur agriculture office claims damage to
agriculture due to TS Seniang
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 9 (PIA) – The
Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) in Surigao del Sur has confirmed
damage to crops brought about by Tropical Storm (TS) Seniang that hit the
province on December 29, 2014.
However, Marcos Quico, provincial chief
agriculturist, admitted that the complete data is not yet readily available
since other local government units (LGUs) have yet to submit reports as
requested.
A number of them have quickly responded, but
others have obviously failed to follow suit, Quico lamented.
He agreed that in this unfavorable situation, one
cannot just exert pressure upon the concerned persons since they also have
their priorities to attend to in their own backyards, but assured that by next
week, everything is going to be ready.
Meanwhile, among the badly hit areas by flood is
San Miguel town, which has standing crops yet to be harvested before the storm
made landfall apart from rice seedbeds that have been submerged, Quico pointed
out.
He added that farmers need government intervention
like being provided with quality seeds, first and foremost, in order to get to
back to work.
The chief agriculturist admitted the Department of
Agriculture (DA) Caraga Regional Office is also in a hurry to get all the
necessary information. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
TESDA’s video-making contest year 2 opens
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 9 (PIA) – Following the
successful conduct of its video making contest in 2014, the Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has opened its year 2 series.
The Tatak TESDA Video Making Contest which was
started last year is now open. Now on its second year, the competition aims to
document success stories of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
graduates. It also promotes TVET through testimonials from TVET graduates using
digital and social media.
Also, the competition gives recognition to
succesful TVET graduates, as well as to create greater awareness on TESDA and
its programs and services.
The competition is open in Individual and School
categories. Under the individual category are entries created and submitted by
a TVET graduate, while in the School category, these are entries created and
submitted by a Technical Vocational Institution (TVI).
Specifically, for the Individual Category, the
subject of the entry is a TVET graduate of any qualification/course from 2010
onwards. They must be holders of a National Certificate (NC) or Certificate of
Competency (CoC) for all qualifications where competency assessment is
mandatory. The subject is also working in the Philippines or abroad either as
wage employed or self-employed in the qualification where he was trained. To
facilitate information delivery, the TVET graduate must also submit an email address
to which updates of the Contest will be sent.
Subject of the entry under the School Category
submitted by a TVI is a TVET Program Registration for any qualification/course
from 2010 onwards. The TVI must be a holder of Certificate of TVET Program Registration
for any qualification covered by the Training for Work Scholarship Program
(TWSP). It must also be a holder of Certificate of TVET Program Registration
for the qualification of the graduate on the video and currently offering the
said program. More importantly, the TVI is of good standing which is compliant
to the Unified TVET Program Registration and Accreditation System (UTPRAS)
requirements. To facilitate information delivery, the TVI must also submit an
email address to which updates of the competition will be sent.
TESDA employees and their relatives up to the
third degree of consanguinity and affinity and those who joined in the Tatak
TESDA Year 1 are not eligible to participate in the contest.
The entry sender must produce a 2-3 minute video
using any video recording device. Language can be in English, Filipino or a
combination of both. Should an entry use local dialect, appropriate subtitles
must be included. Footage for the entry can be taken by a video camera, mobile
phone, Ipad, or any other similar means. The entry must include footage/s taken
at the workplace of the tech-voc graduate.
Individual or School entries must be submitted to
their respective TESDA Provincial Office via email with links on their Facebook
or YouTube account and copy furnished the Office of the Director-General
through tataktesda@gmail.com on or before the set deadline.
Videos may be in the form of dramatization,
storytelling, music video, and other creative format. The videos should answer
the question: “How did TESDA transform your life?” All entries shall be
considered the property of TESDA for use in the Agency’s advocacy activities.
All entries must not in any way violate copyright
laws. Entry senders must seek permission to use any copyrighted music, video or
animation to their videos.
The competition has three levels:
Provincial/District, Regional, and National. Only the top 2 entries (1 for each
Category) for each Province/District as determined by the respective
Provincial/District Screening Committees are considered for the Regional Level
of the Competition. In the same manner, only the top 2 entries (1 for each
category) for each region as determined by the respective Regional Screening
Committees shall be considered for the National Competition.
Submission of entries in the Provincial/District
Level is from January 2 to 31, 2015. Entries that do not fulfill the
requirements shall be notified to enable them to resubmit within the set
deadline. The provincial winners will automatically be the entries for the
Regional Level. Submission of entries is from March 1 to 15, 2014. No entries
shall be received or considered thereafter.
On or before April 17, 2015, the qualifying
graduates and TVI in the National Level will be required to refine their videos.
Awards Night is on May 1, 2015 in Metro Manila.
In the Individual Category, winners of the Best in
Video, Best in Story and People’s Choice Award in the Provincial Level will
receive P3,000 and a trophy while in the Regional Level, the winner will receive
P5,000 and a trophy, and in the National Level – P25,000 and a trophy.
People’s Choice awardee in the National Level will
receive P50,000 worth of TWSP Scholarship.
Provincial Grand Prize winner will receive P5,000
and a trophy. Regional winner will receive P10,000 and a trophy while in the
National Level, the winner will receive P100,000 and a trophy.
For the School Category, Best in Video, Best in
Story and People’s Choice in the Provincial Level will each receive P50,000
worth of TWSP Vouchers and a trophy; Regional Level – P100,000 worth of TWSP
Vouchers and a trophy; National – P250,000 worth of scholarship vouchers and a
trophy.
People’s Choice awardee in the National Level will
receive P500,000 worth of TWSP Scholarship.
Provincial Grand Prize winner will receive P50,000
worth of TWSP Vouchers and a trophy. Regional winner will receive P200,000 scholarship
vouchers and a trophy while in the National Level, the winner will receive P1
million worth of scholarship vouchers and a trophy.
With these developments, TESDA-Caraga Regional
Director Dr. Florencio F. Sunico, Jr. is calling all Tech-Voc graduates in the
region ton once again take part in this year’s second staging of the
competition.
It can be recalled that the entry of Noel R.
Japitana, a graduate of Computer Hardware Services NC-II of AMA Computer
Learning Center (AMA-CLC) Butuan, and a lone finalist from Caraga Region last
year was adjudged Best in Video during the Awards Night held at the PAGCOR
Grand Theater, ParaΓ±aque City on May 1, 2014. He received P25,000, a plaque and
a trophy. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)
