2015 disaster consciousness celebration launched
in Caraga
By Daisy Jane M. Apit
BUTUAN CITY, July 3 (PIA) – Aiming to inform the
stakeholders and at the same time to capacitate the member-agencies, the Caraga
Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) led the region’s
celebration of the National Disaster Consciousness Month (NDCM) in a kick-off
ceremony held last July 2, 2015 in this city.
The activity was spearheaded by the Office of the
Civil Defense (OCD) Caraga and was attended by the RDRRMC member agencies,
local government units and partner-institutions, and the emergency response
teams from the different provinces of the region.
"In terms of preparedness, we've set a high
standard and we've been doing different trainings to capacitate our response
teams in the region. And we will be showcasing their skills through bomb
exercises with casualty drill, vehicular accident drill, fire incident drill,
and marine incident drill," said OCD Caraga regional director Liza Mazo.
Mazo also emphasized that the general public must
know that the government with the volunteers are hand in hand in improving
their efforts for disaster response.
“The government together with all the other
agencies and groups have done something, doubled even tripled, our efforts in
terms of disasters responses,” Mazo said.
The celebration started with a thanksgiving mass
at the PNP-Caraga regional office in Camp Rafael Rodriguez with RDRRMC member
agencies Thursday morning. It was followed with a motorcade around the major
city streets.
In the afternoon, a bomb simulation was conducted
by the local disaster response teams at Brgy. Langihan near the public market .
Simulations of different emergencies are also set to be conducted by the RDRRMC
these coming days in the city.
The month-long celebration is anchored on the
theme: "Pamilya at Pamayanang Handa, Katuwang sa Pag-unlad ng Bansa.”
(DJA/JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Butuan City launches ICARUS
By Daisy Jane M. Apit
BUTUAN CITY, July 3 (PIA) – For an immediate and
real time response to disasters and crimes, the city government here launched
on Thursday its Information Center Assistance and Unified Services (ICARUS)
located at the fourth floor of the city hall compound.
City Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr. told the media and
other guests that ICARUS is just a phase one of the planned endeavors in
improving the efforts of the city in terms of disaster preparedness, response
and crime reduction.
"With this facility, we will be able to
monitor the peace and security situations in the city. Our personnel in the
command center will also immediately respond to any verified report
received," Amante said.
As she relayed the message of Department of the
Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Mar Roxas, DILG-Caraga regional
director Lilibeth Famacion emphasized that the secretary is extending his
congratulations to the city government on this significant day which is a
milestone in advancing the efforts in disaster prevention and crime reduction.
"It only proves that the government is doing
something to provide immediate and real time disaster response that is through
ICARUS," Famacion said.
The launching of its Command Center forms part of
the National Disaster Consciousness Month celebration of the city this July.
(DJA/JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DTI Surigao Norte supports microenterprises under
SSF program
By Rodrigo R.Matabaran
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, July 3 (PIA) –
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Surigao del Norte provincial office
had assisted a total of nine micro-enterprises with the implementation of
Shared Service Facility (SSF) since last year.
According to DTI provincial director Celestino L.
Negapatan, various equipment and accessories were delivered and being set-up
for community-based projects of various proponent groups.
He said that among the recipients are Esperanza
Farmers Credit and Consumers Organization of Esperanza in Del Carmen, Siargao
Island with their Camote Moledo Processing project; the Kababayen-an sa Panatao
Producers Cooperative of Barangay Panatao, Claver on their Virgin Coconut Oil
Production project; Claver Coconut Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative of
Barangay Daywan, Claver with their Geo-Net Production project; Mayag Women’s
Association of Barangay Mayag, Sison on their Coco Sap Sweetener Processing
project; and Trinidad Farmers Agra Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Barangay
Trinidad, Surigao City for its Calamay Production project.
He also said that the local government of Alegria
supported their farmer beneficiaries on their Bamboo Slat production project;
the Samahan ng mga Kababaihan of Barangay Cancohoy in Del Carmen with their
Cassava Fritters Processing project; Tinago Eagles Fisherfolks and Farmers
Association (TEFFA) of Barangay Tinago, Malimono on their Bamboo Slat
Production project; and the Malimono Farmers Consumers Cooperative of Barangay
Cayawan, Malimono with their Coco Sap Sweetener Processing project.
According to Negapatan, all the nine projects had
an aggregate cost totaling to P5,125,087, and the latest delivery of equipment
under SSF implementation was done last June 17-19, 2015 for the cassava
fritters project of Barangay Cancohoy, Del Carmen.
The team of SSF project evaluators from the DTI
Manila had visited the province third week of June to look into the actual
status and utilization of the processing equipment that it had really helped
the target beneficiaries on their different enterprise activities. (SDR/DTI-Surigao
del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Army EastMinCom commander pays courtesy call to
SurSur guv
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, July 3 (PIA) – Lt.
Gen. Aurelio Baladad, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao
Command (EastMinCom) chief, paid a courtesy call on Governor Johnny Pimentel at
around 1:00 p.m. at the provincial capitol here on Wednesday, July 1.
Accompanied by 402nd Brigade commander Col. Isidro
Purisima along with his brigade executive officer Lt. Col. Randolph Rojas and
battalion commanders—Lt. Col. Anastacio Suaybaguio, Jr. and Lt. Col. Haron Akaz
of the 36IB and 75IB, respectively—the highest ranking military officer of
EastMinCom exchanged pleasantries with the governor.
However, the two leaders discussed in particular
the nagging insurgency situation plaguing the province.
Since insurgency problem has been going on in
Surigao del Sur for almost 40 years, Pimentel admitted he is already “sick and
tired” of it.
With Lt. Gen. Baladad’s vow to help address the
situation, Pimentel in return stressed to extend full support to “eradicate”
the mess.
The governor, to prove his point, even reiterated
the desire of the provincial government to purchase at least a three-hectare
lot nearby, ideal enough to house a headquarters, to be donated as military
reservation for the use of the brigade to keep the presence of the army for
good.
In the meantime, 402nd Infantry Brigade is
temporarily occupying a portion of the compound of the Police Provincial Office
(PPO) using as headquarters the old PPO building at the Camp Vicente L.
Pimentel, Sr., this city, that has been offered by PNP provincial director
P/SSupt. Narciso Verdadero.
Baladad was in Surigao del Sur, the sole area of
responsibility (AOR) of 402nd Brigade, which is under EastMinCom, for an
“Information Briefing.”
Capt. Regie Go, brigade civil military operations
(CMO) officer, explained that, in military parlance, an information briefing is
a process of relaying the status of their AOR in general and their
accomplishment in particular based on their mission and vision for the
assessment, in this particular case, of the EastMinCom commander, for guidance
and support purposes. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
PDIC advises borrowers of Siargao Bank to pay
their obligations
MANILA, July 3 (PIA) - The Philippine Deposit
Insurance Corporation (PDIC), the Receiver of the closed Siargao Bank (A Rural
Bank), Inc. reminded borrowers of the bank to continue to pay their loans and
transact only with authorized PDIC representatives. Siargao Bank was placed
under the receivership of the PDIC by virtue of Monetary Board Resolution No.
919.B dated June 11, 2015.
In a statement, PDIC advised borrowers of Siargao
Bank to pay their loans and other obligations directly at any Philippine
National Bank (PNB) Branch under account name, PDIC FAO BURL (SIARGAO BANK,
INC.). PDIC emphasized that it has not engaged any person, agent or agency to
collect the loan payments for and in behalf of the bank.
To ensure proper recording of their payments, PDIC
further advised borrowers to keep copies of the PNB Deposit/Payment Slips. The
PDIC emphasized that for payments to be valid, it must be supported by a
machine-validated PNB Deposit/Payment Slip. Official receipts will be issued by
PDIC upon validation of payments and will be sent through mail to the
borrowers. For proper accounting of their payments, borrowers who do not
receive their official receipts are advised to send a photocopy of their
deposit slips by mail to the Deputy Receiver for loans Democrito L. Bitang at
the PDIC Office, 5th Floor, SSS Bldg., Ayala Avenue corner V.A. Rufino St.,
Makati City or send via e-mail to Ignacio M. Quintano atimquintano@pdic.gov.ph
and to Ms. Thelma A. PeΓ±a at tbarias@pdic.gov.ph.
Borrowers of the bank may also communicate with the
PDIC-Loans Management Department I at (02) 841-4992 or 841-4766. Queries may
also be sent through email at pad@pdic.gov.ph.
Siargao Bank is a three-unit rural bank with Head
Office located at 03406 Jose C. Sering Bldg., Borromeo St., Surigao City,
Surigao del Norte. Its two branches are located in Dapa and Mainit, both in
Surigao del Norte. (PDIC/PIA-Caraga)
Business leader sworn in as board of MinDA
DAVAO CITY, July 3 (PIA) - A key business leader
from Mindanao was officially sworn in as member of the Mindanao Development
Authority Board of Directors (MinDA-BOD), strengthening further the
participation of the private sector in delivering good governance and
development initiatives in the island-region.
Mindanao Business Council Chair Vicente Lao was
sworn in by President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday at the MalacaΓ±ang Palace,
officially designating him as the representative of the private sector
(business sector) in the MinDA-BOD.
“I am happy to note that we have one of the most
distinguished business leaders of Mindanao sitting with us in the board. His
participation will allow us to develop and determine programs that will improve
the region's business climate,” said Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, MinDA chair.
The MinDA-BOD was created through Republic Act No.
9996 or the MinDA Act of 2010. The board provides and approves the overall
directions and thrusts of the agency for Mindanao.
MinDA is the government agency mandated to promote,
coordinate, and facilitate the active and extensive participation of all
sectors to effect socioeconomic development of Mindanao.
“In the recent years, we have observed increasing
investor confidence in Mindanao. Having Lao in the board will allow us to
understand and determine the needs of the business sector, and in turn help us
develop programs and align projects that will benefit both the business sector
and the Mindanawons,” Antonino added.
Among the major functions of the MinDA-BOD include
ensuring that the goals and policies of MinDA are consistent with the overall
national development goals and objectives; ensuring that the programs of MinDA
are consistent with regional and local development plans, programs and projects
and vice versa for purposes of harmonization; exploring sources for financing
of priority Mindanao-wide and/or Mindanao-specific inter-regional plans,
programs, projects and activities; and creating committees or task forces as
may be deemed necessary in the accomplishment of duties and functions.
“The business sector plays a great role in the
development of Mindanao’s socioeconomic climate by providing jobs to the
Mindanawons and spurring economic activity in the region,” said Lao.
Currently, the MinDA-BOD is composed of Antonino;
Sen. Teofisto D. Guingona III; House Committee on Mindanao Affairs Chair Rep.
Arnulfo F. Go; House Committee on BIMP-EAGA Affairs Chair Rep. Catalina
Leonen-Pizarro; Mindanao Confederation of Governors President Gov. Johnny
Pimentel; Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines President Gov. Alfonso
V. Umali Jr.; Regional Development Council (RDC) IX Acting Chair Teresita
Socorro C. Ramos; RDC X chair Gov. Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo; RDC XI Chair
Gov. Rodolfo P. del Rosario; RDC XII Acting Chair Arturo G. Valero; RDC XIII
Chair Sol F. Matugas; ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman; National Commission on Muslim
Filipinos Sec. Yasmin Busran Lao; Private Sector-Academe Representative Atty.
Rejoice Subejano; Private Sector-NGO representative Amina Rasul-Bernardo; and Southern
Philippines Development Authority Administrator Sultan Yahya Jerry M. Tomawis.
“The MinDA-BOD through MinDA will continue to
carry out coordinating and integrating development efforts that bring about the
accelerated socio-economic development of Mindanao, which has been laid out in
the Mindanao 2020 Peace and Development Framework,” Antonino said.
(MinDA/PIA-Caraga)
Provincial Population Office continues to make a
dent for SurSur
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, July 3 (PIA) – The
Provincial Population Office in Surigao del Sur headed by Milagros Arreza
continues to make a difference here.
On Monday, during their turn to host the flag
ceremony program, wherein the population office chief rendered their July
2014-June 2015 Accomplishment Report, Governor Johnny Pimentel took time in
recognizing their feat thereafter.
“First and foremost, please allow me to extend my
congratulations to the Commission on Population (PopCom). They have always been an awardee. Last year, national awardee kita (we were a
national awardee). Then, we’re also a
regional awardee. So, I would like to
thank the effort of our PopCom officer.
And of course this could not be possible without the support of the
municipal PopCom. So daghang salamat sa
inyo,” Pimentel said.
During the program, some municipal population
officers came over.
Earlier, for purposes of clarification, the
population office chief said in her presentation of the Accomplishment Report
that many are still used to calling their office PopCom, stressing it is
supposed to be Provincial Population Office.
Among the highlights that Arreza presented before
the presence of capitol employees and the governor, himself, were “Major
Programs, Adolescent Health and Youth Development, Responsible Parenthood,
Reproductive Health and Family Planning/Gender and Development, and Population
and Development Integration.”
However, before starting to discuss everything and
all about the scope of her presentation, the vision, mission, and goal were
first brought to the fore together with the strategies employed, citing the
conduct of “Information, Education, Communication and Counseling
services/activities on the major program areas.”
The population chief pointed out what they have
“done to improve the quality of life of our young people.”
Arreza stressed that their goal is indeed to
“Improve and promote the total well-being of every individual Surigaonon for a
strong and well-founded, gender-sensitive Surigaonon families.” (NGBT/Radyo ng
Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Surigao Norte PRC observes disaster consciousness
month
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte July 3 (PIA) – The
Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Surigao del Norte Chapter joins the nation in the
observance of the National Disaster Consciousness Month (NDCM) this whole month
of July.
This year’s celebration carries the theme,
“Pamilya at Pamayanang Handa, Katuwang sa Pag-unlad ng Bansa.”
The month-long celebration is aimed at increasing
awareness of the Filipino people towards disaster resiliency through risk
reduction and climate change adaptation.
PRC-Surigao del Norte Chapter Administrator
Marilou E. Talingting revealed their month-long activities which include the
community typhoon and evacuation drill on July 13-18 in Barangay Sapa,
municipality of Claver; installation of Local Flood Early Warning System
(LFEWS) instruments in Brgy. Magpayang, Mainit and Brgy. Bagakay and Sapa in
Claver; Small Scale Mitigation Measures (SSMM); lakeshore reforestation in
Brgy. Quezon, Mainit; Bio Intensive Gardening (BIG) adaptation and replication
in barangays, schools and purok; Mangrove Area Management Program (MAMP) in
Brgy. Bagakay, Tayaga and Magallanes, all in the municipality of Claver.
She said that under the MAMP program, they will
conduct a slogan and poster making contest on mangroves and environmental preservation
with students of the partner schools, barangays and house to house information
dissemination on mangrove and environmental preservation, information drive
through radio program to cover the whole province of Surigao del Norte.
Talinting further said that the additional MAMP
initiatives to be undertaken are eco-tourism development training with
consultancy, mangrove trail phase (path walks), mangrove and bamboo fence phase
one in Sitio Bisibos part of Brgy. Bagakay, establishment of cottage/rest house
for eco-tourism and livelihood, and planting of bamboo along the riverside at
Brgy. Magallanes, Claver. (SDR/Phil. Red Cross-Surigao del Norte
Chapter/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
OWWA orients 76 new scholars in Caraga
By Jean Mary Ronquillo
BUTUAN CITY, July 3 (PIA) – With the aim to
provide sufficient awareness in granting of scholarship for OFW dependents, the
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA-13) recently conducted series of
scholarship orientations in various provinces of Caraga.
This school year, 76 grantees under the Overseas
Filipino Workers Dependent Scholarship Program (OFWDSP) jointly attended the
said orientation with their parents and guardians.
Scholarship Coordinator Rodel Deligero of OWWA
Caraga, cited the rationale of the activity and conducted program advocacy to
broaden the understanding of the participants of the agency’s programs and
services.
Deligero also facilitated the signing of
scholarship agreement. He likewise exhaustively discussed the provisions of said
agreement including the scholarship program regulations and implementing
guidelines to enlighten the scholars and their guardians of their roles and
responsibilities in order to continue with the scholarship.
Moreover, Officer-in-Charge of the Programs and
Services Division Ma. Ireen Cambaling encouraged the scholars to do well in
their academics not only to sustain the educational grant but also to pay
tribute to their OFW parents.
“Pagbutihin ninyo ang inyong pag-aaral at gawin
ninyo itong regalo sa inyong parents or guardians for their sacrifices,”
Cambaling said.
Cambaling also hopes that all the OFWDSP availees
will graduate as OWWA scholars.
OFWDSP is an educational grant that offers
financial assistance not to exceed P20,000 per one-school term to qualified
dependents of lowly paid migrant workers. Availee of the scholarship grant may
enroll in any four-year to five-year baccalaureate course or associate course
leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree in a state college or
university. (OWWA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
