DTI Surigao Norte intensifies consumer education
advocacy campaign
By Rodrigo R. Matabaran
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, July 16 (PIA) –
To help ordinary consumers get the best value for money, the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) Surigao del Norte provincial office intensifies its
consumer education advocacy activities at the grassroots level.
Since January of this year, a total of 35 consumer
advocacy activities were already conducted ranging from the distribution of
consumer education flyers up to the conduct of consumer briefings and seminars.
A total of over 700 individuals and households
were being reached in the process in various communities throughout the
province.
According to provincial director Celestino L.
Negapatan, this effort has to be done consistently to educate the consumers on
the rights and responsibilities more so with the inflow of numerous products in
the local market.
Locally produced as well as imported products are
expected to flood the local market as economic integration of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will come into full effect, and wholesalers
and retailers continue to import consumer goods from other countries in the
world like the US, China, Japan and Korea among others.
DTI also reminds to keep oneself be updated and
informed on consumer advisories released by various government agencies to make
appropriate purchasing decision.
The agency encourages consumers to be watchful and
vigilant in choosing and using products to ensure their safety and well-being.
Quality has to be given due consideration first while at the same time trying
to have it at affordable cost.
As producers and manufacturers are using different
media to advertise and sell their products, consumers should not rely on one
source, and if possible must verify and validate the overall quality,
functionality, efficiency and efficacy of certain items.
One has to be a wise consumer to be able to get
the best value for money every time we make a purchase. (SDR/DTI-Surigao del
Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Agnor solon remains steadfast in pushing
environmental agenda
BUTUAN CITY, July 16 (PIA) - Agusan del Norte
representative Lawrence 'Law' Fortun joined today's gathering of technical
experts, practitioners and various local stakeholders in discussing modalities,
practices, and experiences of designing and implementing payment for
environmental services (PES) in the country.
Keynoting the workshop, the solon emphatically
called on the natural propensity of humanity to organize and collectively
address ecological crises as a "defining political discourse concerning sovereign
nation-states sharing a common space called Earth." Citing the 1987 World
Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) report, Rep. Fortun is
optimistic that “humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to
ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Rep. Fortun elaborated his stand on the current
condition of the Taguibo watershed, citing three critical issues this
governance space has to take head on. He lenghtily narrated the pains of
threats caused by unwarranted activities, such as timber poaching, mining, and
illegal road construction, that up until now came to take its toll against the
major source of potable water in Butuan.
The second source of challenge in Taguibo
watershed is its overlapping tenurial instrument, the solon stressed.
"This is a case where one particular common-pool resource cut across many
tenurial instruments, and have been managed by different local institutions,
supervised by many different government agencies with different operational
rules - which are often ambiguous and conflicting," Fortun explained.
"The third challenge of Taguibo common-pool
resource, and perhaps more compelling, is its complex absence of equitable sharing
of gains and costs from resource units withdrawn from the common-pool
resource," the solon continued.
It can be remembered that, it was during Fortun's
time when he was then the vice mayor when the Sanggunian Panlungsod of Butuan
successfully passed the City Watershed Code with the huge help of the
reactivated Environment and Natural Resources Council.
The solon, however, lamented that up until now,
there was no serious effort and genuine commitment to lift a finger and
implement the landmark legislation. "We have yet to see a serious
implementation of the reforestation and rehabilitation programs, and support to
the efforts of other NGOs and POs like the Save Taguibo Watershed
Network."
Concluding his speech, the solon borrowed the
proposal of Rev. Fr. Randy Jasper Odchigue, a scholar from Father Saturnino
Urios University, for a "dissenting particularity" in confronting
ecological issues, that is, preference to favor and fight for justice, love,
compassion for and in behalf of the poor.
"In summary, the whole advocacy of protecting
the watershed is captured by its battlecry: 'water is life.' This has also been
expounded by a parody of Cartesian cogito, Bibo, Ergo Sum: I drink therefore, I
am," Fortun said.
"But this one-line parody of Cartesian cogito
also capture our rhetoric refusal to accept that we are helplessly dependent on
nature and we cannot live without its abundance and endowments. It is our
cowardly retreat to implore fundamental and particularistic need to consume and
exploit spheres over which we hold no dominion; to rationalize our colonizing
deeds of nature; and somehow to refuse respect over flora and fauna, and offer
crusades of exhausting ecological guilt if and when nature start to strike
back," he concluded. (Lawig Katawhan/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
DTI advises consumers on pawnshop transactions
By Rodrigo R. Matabaran
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, July 16 (PIA) –
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Surigao del Norte advises
consumers who will be dealing transactions with pawnshops to carefully read and
study the agreement they will sign.
Although pawnshop operation is under the
regulatory supervision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), DTI issues
this advice to let the public understand the importance of being fully
clarified on the loan transaction they will execute with pawnshops in the light
of the recent issue on the interest rate presented to the DTI Consumer Welfare
Desk by a consumer having a transaction with one of the pawnshops operating in
the city.
In case of disputes on the interest rates and
related concerns, the regular courts have the vested power to determine the
reasonableness and legality.
It is for this reason that consumers should first
look into and compare the rates and fees imposed of different pawnshops in a
locality before making any decision to enter into any transaction.
Consumer needing guidance on this related matter
can visit the DTI provincial office located at the 2nd Floor of Simtoco
Business Center, Burgos Street, this city or call at telephone number 826-6129
or 09195971199. (SDR/DTI-Surigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
AgNor turns over ram pump water system to Las
Nieves barangay
By Aimee B. Sienes
BUTUAN CITY, July 16 (PIA) – Agusan del Norte
provincial governor Ma. Angelica Rosedell “Angel” M. Amante-Matba and vice
governor Ramon AG. Bungabong led the turn-over ceremony of the Barangay
Hydraulic Water Ram Pump Water System in Barangay Lawan-lawan, Las Nieves,
recently.
In her message, Gov. Angel emphasized that many
people worked to successfully install the ram pump and anything could be done
if everybody works on it.
She also said that a leader could not do anything
if there is no support from the people that is why everyone should help one
another to achieve something good for the community.
The project calls for the
construction/installation of Ram Pump water system classified as a Level II
Facility. Hydraulic Ram Pumps are motorless or fuelless water pumping devices
that are powered by falling water.
The pump works by using the energy of substantial
amount of water falling to a small height to lift a small amount of water to a
much greater height. In this way, water from a spring in a valley can be pumped
to a village or irrigation scheme on the hillside.
The source of water comes from the spring near
Ojot River. The water is conveyed by using pipelines. The sizes of the
pipelines depend on the capacity of the water.
The water system is accessible through public
faucets or tapstands.
The event was also attended and witnessed by
provincial board members Elizabeth Marie R. Calo, Danny M. Moran, Rodulfo A.
Pitogo, Antidio B. Amora and Virgilio R. Escasinas, Jr, Las Nieves municipal
mayor Avelina S. Rosales, municipal councilors Aleja K. Asis, Larry F. Bautista,
Joventino N. Manliguez, Melchor C. Pasquito and Melchesidec T. Balacuit, PNP
provincial director PSSupt. Rommel Francisco D. Marbil, ANECO gen. manager
Horacio T. Santos, ANECO board of director Jose P. Rosales, Lawan-lawan punong
barangay More H. Migduyan and members of his council, Simbalan Punong Barangay
Walter Tuga, Higaonon Water System Association (HIWASA) President Eddie “Datu
Bawang” S. Ampiyawan, purok officials, PPDO Rofel T. Cabaltera, PGSO Nemia D.
Alegarbes, technical working group of the province, and residents of the
barangay.
This project is implemented in Barangay
Lawan-lawan in Las Nieves and Barangay Simbalan in Buenavista, covering Sitios
Lekda, Banagbanag and Antonio.
(LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
DA Caraga spearheads SOA mass enrollment
By Rhea C. Abao
BUTUAN CITY, July 16 (PIA) - The Department of
Agriculture (DA) Caraga through the Information Section spearheaded the mass
enrollment of School on the Air (SOA): Rice and Climate Change last July 8,
2015.
The SOA has 258 officially enrolled students participated
by 97 college students, 20 college instructors from Agusan del Sur State
College of Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT), and 141 rice farmers from the
various barangays of Bunawan.
For this year, SOA will discuss the topic on rice
and climate change good for four months every Friday starting July. DA
recognizes the need of information campaign for the rice farmers and
agriculture students as they perform an important role for the agriculture
sector in the region.
Based on research and study, agriculture sector is
one of the most vulnerable sectors because of climate change. This sector is
largely dependent on climatic conditons, one of the most affected, putting food
security at risk. This necessitates putting in place the adaptation strategies
to reduce the vulnerability of the sector and enhance the adaptive capacity of
the rice farmers.
“SOA on rice and climate change is very timely as
we experienced the mild El NiΓ±o for the past months. I am interested to learn
about the new rice varieties and new
technologies that is adaptive on climate change. I am looking forward to apply
all the lessons that I will learn from the SOA,” said Noel M. Torrecampo,
Bunawan rice farmer.
On the other hand, DA encourages the participation
of the agriculture students through the SOA to build strong partnership to the
youth for the future of the agriculture sector.
“I am excited to listen and experience learning
through school on the air, this is a new way of learning and probably this will
give us (students) more information and awareness about the climatic conditions
that can affect the sector of agriculture,” said Ferdinand E. Lacson, 4th year
Agribusiness student from ASSCAT.
In celebration of the Rice Awareness Month this
coming November, DA will recognize 10 outstanding farmers, 10 college students
and two college instructors for their outstanding performance during the
four-month study in the SOA.
The activity is in partnership with the Philippine
Rice Research Institute (PhilRice)-Agusan and Regional Agrculture and Fisheires
Council (RAFC) in coordination with the Provincial Agriculture Office of Agusan
del Sur and the Municipal Agriculture Office of Bunawan. (DA-13/PIA-Caraga)
