Butuan City Tourism Office to hold Annual Planning
for 2016
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, June 24 (PIA) – The city government
of Butuan through the City Tourism Office will be holding a two-day Annual
Execution Planning for the year 2016 on June 29-30, 2015 at the Balangay
Convention Center, this city.
According to mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr., the said
activity is aimed to determine the most substantial and most doable initiatives
from among the many projects identified in the Butuan City Master Plan for
2015-2016.
“With this two-day activity, we will be convening
the representatives from government agencies to solicit from them their
valuable ideas which will help us formulate the initiatives to be projected for
the next year. As tourism is identified by law as an indispensable element of
the national economy, we depend much on the support and involvement of our
partner agencies and stakeholders in finding ways to strengthen it,” stressed
Amante.
Also, on the onset, said activity is aimed to
identify for the Local Tourism Management as to what measures to take for the
full utilization of Butuan’s potential and collectively achieve its set targets
along the same development directions. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
AgSur guv bares accomplishments in SOPA
By David M. Suyao
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, June 24 (PIA) -
Governor Adolph Edward Plaza bares the situation of the province based on the
various programs under his administration when he delivers his State of the
Province Address (SOPA) during the culmination day of the Naliyagan Festival and
the 48 Foundation Day of Agusan del Sur held recently.
Referring to his administration’s eight-point
program, Gov. Plaza said the increase on revenue collection made his
administration realizes the smooth implementation of programs and projects
based on prepared synchronized planning and budgeting.
“Last year (2014), we have generated local
revenues of P186,137,644, an increase of nine percent or P14, 959,135 compared
to the year 2013 which was 171,778,509. As of April this year, we have
generated P74,051,414 with an increase of 11 percent compared to last year on
the same period which was P66,893,472. The local revenues collected and the
Internal Revenue Allocation fuelled the provincial bureaucracy to move forward
to achieve its goals and objectives and because of this, the province was
awarded the Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping, a component of the Seal of
Good Local Governance by the Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG),” Gov. Plaza said.
Giving weight to the development of young
Agusanons, the provincial government continues to grant scholarship to poor but
deserving students. According to Gov. Plaza, there are 373 student
beneficiaries on various categories of the scholarship program to date. A total
of 10 doctors have been showing their gratitude for the blessings they received
by serving the people of the province and they are assigned in various local
government hospitals, augmenting the need of doctors to enhance the delivery of
health services that the Agusanons need.
For the development of pre-school children, the
provincial government has tied-up partnership with the Provincial Road
Management Facility and constructed 17 new day care center buildings with three
buildings still on-going. The day care services are implemented in 315
barangays or 99 percent out of the 318 barangays in the province. In totality,
there are now 616 day care centers provincewide with 609 day care teachers,
serving 21,084 pre-school children. The “Pagtoon Para sa Masanag nga Kaugmaon”
program was also directed to looking into networking and linkaging with
appropriate departments and stake holders for its continued and successful
implementation.
On health and sanitation, Gov. Plaza said the
provincial government has provided medical equipment and supplies to all
government hospitals and purchased cold chain for Expanded Program on
Immunization (EPI) for all the Rural Health Units that resulted to high
coverage of fully immunized children and mothers at 96 percent which is higher
than the national and regional target.
“In addition to promoting better health, 84
percent or 102,286 households have access to potable water and before the end
of my term, I am positive that the remaining 16 percent of the total number of
households without access to potablewater will be addressed. Because of our
efforts, health indicators in the Millennium Development Goals therefore posted
positive accomplishments higher than the national targets.
Towards attaining peace and order and disaster
mitigation, Gov. Plaza said the provincial government has addressed the peace
and order problems and issues and intensifying its efforts in partnership with
national government agencies and the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA)
projects for various interventions ranging from roads and bridges to water
system. As a result, in the Comprehensive Local Integration Program, 98 rebels
returned to the folds of the law, while many have signified to surrender. Out
of the total former rebels, 30 were already given livelihood and immediate assistance.
The provincial government has also extended relief assistance to 26,975
families who were affected by tropical depressions including materials to build
new homes for those whose houses were totally damaged.
Recognizing the ill effects of climate change, the
province supported and mobilized the 14 local government units in the
formulation of their respective Local Climate Change Adaptation Plan to counter
the climate and weather disturbances. To address forest and water shed
denudation and protect locally declared watershed areas, inspections and
inventories were done while reforestation to critical areas were made.
(DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Surigao Norte Maritime Industry stakeholders join
world celebration of ‘Day of the Seafarer’
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, June 24 (PIA) –
The Surigao del Norte Maritime Industry stakeholders will join the 2015 International
‘Day of the Seafarer’ celebration on June 25.
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) regional
office 13 will lead in the celebration along with the Philippine Coast Guard
(PCG), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and other stakeholders.
The activity will start with a simultaneous
blowing of ships horn and floral offering at 7:30 a.m. at the city boulevard to
be followed by a motorcade around the city, thanksgiving mass, short program,
testimonial, and conferment and oath taking of the Certificate of Marine
Profession (CMP).
Issuance of Seaman’s Book and Friendship Games
will be conducted in the afternoon of the same day.
One of the highlights of the said event is the
adoption and signing of Voluntary Codes of Good Practices (VGCP) with the Department
of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The 'Day of the Seafarer' was established by the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) and mandated under Presidential
Proclamation No. 183 series of 2011 declaring June 25 of every year as the Day
of the Filipino Seafarer.
This yearly celebration aims to pay tribute and
recognize the seafarers especially the Filipino Seafarers and to raise
awareness to their contributions and importance to the global economy.
(SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
MinDA to
launch Cacao Double-Up Program in Butuan
By Daisy Jane M. Apit
BUTUAN CITY, June 24 (PIA) - With the aim to help
improve the income of the local farmers, the Mindanao Development Authority
(MinDA) will be launching the Cacao Double-Up Program on July 8, 2015 here.
MinDA has partnered with the Philippine Coconut
Authority (PCA), province of Agusan del Norte, city govermment of Butuan and
other government agencies for the implementation of the program, it was
learned.
The mentioned program is an inclusive agri-business
support curriculum that targets income improvement of farmers and community
enterprises by scaling-up Mindanao’s cacao production capacity to at least
50,000 metric tons (MT) of fermented cacao beans by 2020.
The project was also conceptualized to help the
region attain its 100,000 metric tons (MT) of cacao production by 2020, which
will be used to at least supply the 10 percent global deficiency of 1 million
MT.
By 2020, the country’s chocolate industry’s
projected demand is expected to reach an estimated 100,000 MT of dried cocoa
beans which would translate to 50- 70 million trees and 120- 150 thousand
hectares of land.
According to MinDA, Mindanao is responsible for
approximately 90 percent of the country’s cacao’s production. (DJA/PIA-Caraga)
Dinagat Islands to host first time Caraga Regional
Full Council meeting
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, June 24 (PIA) – The
province of Dinagat Islands in Caraga Region will be hosting the 83rd Regional
Development Full Council meeting on June 25, 2015 at the Provincial Guest
Center, Capitol Compound, Barangay Cuarinta, San Jose town.
In the notice of meeting dated June 11, 2015 sent
out to RDC members, one of whom is Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny Pimentel,
RDC chairperson Governor Sol Matugas of Surigao del Norte advised that the
occasion is going to start at 8:30 a.m.
Likewise, since the occasion will only take a day,
she pointed out “to finish the meeting at 2:00 p,m. so that we can take-off
from San Jose at 3:00 p.m.”
Being the first of its kind to be held in the said
province, Matugas has set a ceremonial tree planting to mark the start of the
event.
For reference purposes, the RDC chair has also
provided complete information as to how to get to the venue, attaching “the
schedule of ferry from Surigao City to San Jose, Dinagat Islands and
vice-versa.” (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
