Peace Caravan makes a dent in SurSur
By Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 27 (PIA) – The
two-day peace caravan that was held in Marihatag and Lianga towns, this
province, has indeed lived up to the expectation of the 12 barangays of three
municipalities it targeted to serve on August 24 and 25.
In a press conference, Governor Johnny Pimentel,
who led the event, has expressed thanks and gratitude to all the people behind
the local and national government agencies including civil society
organizations (CSO) that stood up to its commitment to participate and support
the affair all the way.
In like manner, Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles
of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has also
made similar gesture, leaving words of thanks and appreciation.
OPAPP said in an earlier statement, before the
two-day peace caravan kicked off, it was expecting “to serve more than 1,000
households consisting of approximately 15,000 individuals including children.”
In addition, OPAPP also pointed out that services
to be offered will focus on “health, livelihood, education, grooming, legal and
veterinary consultations, land concerns, hauling services, voter registration,
distribution of food packs, birth registration, feeding, advocacy and
dialogue.”
The six barangays that benefited during the first day belong to Marihatag town—San Pedro,
San Isidro, Mahaba, Mararag, Bayan, and Amontay, while during the second day,
the three barangays of Lianga town—San Isidro, St. Christine, and Diatagon—as
well as three barangays also of San Agustin town—Janipaan, Pong-on, and
Buhisan.
Among others, aside from OPAPP Secretary Deles,
the cabinet secretaries and/or agency representatives who made their way to the
province for the peace caravan include: DAR Sec. Virgilio De los Reyes; OPAPP
Usec. Gettie Sandoval and Usec. Apple Robles; OPA Usec. Joel Jaime Payumo and
Usec. Bobbet Garcia; DPWH Usec. Romeo Momo; DENR Usec. Jonas Leones; Mindanao
Coordinating Office Usec. Nabil Tan; DOST Asec. Urduja Tejada; DepEd Asec. Rey
Laguda; DILG NBOO Director Leo Trovela; EastMinCom Commander Lt. Gen. Aurelio
Baladad; 4ID Commander MGen. Oscar Lactao; PNP Caraga Dir. P/CSupt. Vert
Chavez; 402nd Brigade Commander Col. Isidro Purisima; and, PNP Surigao del Sur
Provincial Director P/SSupt. Narciso Verdadero.
Likewise, part of the program during the
culmination day was the presentation of 42 former rebels (FRs) who decided to
surrender their firearms and return to the folds of the law.
The peace caravan aims “to reinforce the gains of
peace-building initiatives in conflict-affected areas in our province, Governor
Pimentel said. (Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
NFA bares rice stocks, prices in SurSur
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 27 (PIA) - The
National Food Authority (NFA) in Surigao del Sur headed by Rolando Sindo,
newly-designated acting provincial manager, has bared the stock inventory here
as well as the prevailing prices in a statement released on August 25.
NFA has a total stock of 80,601 bags—77,542 bags
of which are imported from Vietnam; 3,059 bags are locally purchased, it was
learned.
However, palay inventory is posted at 3,287 bags.
Also, NFA rice remains to be sold respectively at
P27.00 per kilo for regular-milled and P32.00 per kilo for well-milled.
Meanwhile, NFA here told media that palay ex-farm
price prevails at P19.00 per kilo.
Moreover, the retail modal prices of commercial
rice are as follows: premium—P47.00;
well-milled—P45.00; and, regular-milled—P40.00. (Radyo ng
Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Agnor solon seeks to protect coastal resources,
files envi bill anew
QUEZON CITY, Aug. 27 (PIA) – Rep. Lawrence 'Law'
Fortun sponsored on second reading House Bill 5836, otherwise known as Marine
and Coastal Resources Protection Act, during yesterday's plenary.
Right on the first day of his term, Fortun
originally filed House Bill 360 seeking to establish the marine protected areas
(MPAs) in all coastal cities and municipalities in the country.
There were three identical legislative proposals
currently in the Congress. The version submitted by Rep. Fortun's was the one
largely adapted by the Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources. After
deliberation, the Committee endorsed a consolidated version, of which Fortun
was named as the principal author.
In his sponsorship speech, the solon emphasized
the role of the State to ensure that the utilization of marine resources by its
citizens observes the requirements of sustainability. The legislative measure
defines MPAs as “areas of the sea established and set aside by law,
administrative regulation or any other effective means in order to conserve and
protect a part of or the entire enclosed environment, through the establishment
of management guidelines.” MPAs need not be contiguous and must have a “minimum
size of 10 hectares, unless the total area of the municipal waters is 15
hectares or less, in which case the MPA shall comprise 15 percent of the
municipal waters.”
It further classifies MPAs as marine reserves,
Marine Park, and marine sanctuary. Under MPAs, access to, and uses of marine
resources are defined, regulated and controlled in a manner consistent with its
classification.
The house bill also puts premium on citizen’s
participation in protecting marine ecosystem and biodiversity through a
co-management scheme. As the house bill puts it, “the State also takes
cognizance of the preferred status of the citizenry as the primary users and
beneficiaries of the country’s resources. As such, Filipino communities are
therefore acknowledged as crucial partners in the effort to conserve and manage
our natural marine resources.” (Lawig Katawhan/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
Plastic wastes destroys reefs in PHL waters
By Eric Gallego
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 27 (PIA) – “Filipino people must
refrain from throwing plastic wastes in the seas and oceans to protect the
coral reefs and preserve the fish inorder to fully enjoy life with healthy oceans and environment,” said
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) Caraga regional director Nonito M. Tamayo.
Tamayo said the plastic wastes thrown into the
seas indiscriminately by individuals are considered harmful on all the living
things living on the oceans. “It severely affect the coral reefs where fish
feed and thrive so that we can have food on our table,” he said.
“We need to protect the oceans,” he added.
The UNESCA Greenpeace ASEAN Center for
Biodiversity said about 40 percent of the coral reefs in the 86,205 square
kilometers span of ocean in the Southeast Asia have been lost due to
destructions caused by the humans including the throwing of plastic wastes
materials.
He said it is alarming to note that plastics
remain a top contributor to the pollution of oceans. These plastics are more
than just an eyesore. They caused animals to get entangled or trapped. Worse
these marine pollutants kills marine species.
He said it takes about 1,000 years for plastics to
breakdown in water. (DENR-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Lumads asks for extension in the retrieval of
typhoon-damaged trees
By Eric F. Gallego
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 27 (PIA) - The Leaders of the
Indigenous Peoples in Esperanza and La Paz, Agusan del Sur have requested the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for another six months
to a year extension period in the retrieval of typhoon Pablo-damaged trees
during a meeting with the Undersecretary for Field Operations Demetrio L.
Ignacio.
The tribal leaders were prompted to bring their
request as they took advantage of the presence of USec. Ignacio who sworn-in
the 744 newly-appointed and promoted DENR 13 personnel including 12 division
chiefs into office under the rationalization program held at the Inland Resort
Convention Center in this city.
The privilege granted by Malacanang through the
DENR Secretary about typhoon-damaged trees retrieval and extractions on January
3, 2015 has expired on July 15, 2015. The lumads were given time to extract and
dispose about 12,171.45 cubic meters of damaged trees in Esperanza and
15,884.75 cubic meters in La Paz which were inventoried by the PENRO personnel
under PENRO Roberto Oliveros.
Based on the development, however, the IPs in
Esperanza and La Paz have able to get minimal volume of the inventoried
typhoon-felled trees. The tribal datus headed Datu Manlimbalang Mangaseta said
there are still plenty of the inventoried damaged trees at the different sites.
“We are hoping to get those remaining stocks so that we can sell them at an
authorized wood processing plant” the tribal chieftain said.
The lumads in La Paz said the person they had
authorized to facilitate the important documents and other transactions had
“done much but below their expectation.” They said they are seeking help from
the municipal government of La Paz to fund their operation although they could
no longer move the remaining stocks considering the authorization period had
already expired.
Two teams from the DENR Regional Office, which
were sent to assess the outcome of the retrieval operation in the two
municipalities are expected to report
their findings shortly.
USec Ignacio said the findings of the DENR teams
are important but in the meantime, the lumad leaders were advised to help in
fast-tracking the inventory and assessment of the stocks of typhoon-damaged
trees in their area. (PIA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Cebuano News: Ika-165 nga kapistahan gisaulog sa
lungsod sa Gigaquit
Ni Mary Jul E. Escalante
GIGAQUIT, Surigao del Norte, Agosto 27 (PIA) –
Gisaulog sa lungsod sa Gigaquit ang ilang ika 165th nga kapistahan niadtong
Agosto 25, 2015 ning maong probinsya.
Ang pagsaulog sa maong kapistahan nagdala sa
temang "San Agustin, Panguyo sanan Kaiban, Kinaiyahan Panalipdan."
Nahimong pinasidunggang bisita mao si Gobernador
Sol F. Matugas uban sila Board Member Simeon Castrence ug Board Member Mamerto
Galanida.
Atol sa maong programa gipahigayon usab ang Las-ay
Festival Dance Showdown nga gisalmutan sa lima ka mga grupo sa mananayaw.
Nahimong kampeon ang grupo gikan sa barangay
Poniente ug Camboayon, samtang ang unang dapit nakuha sa barangay San Isidro ug
Anibongan, ikaduhang dapit mao ang barangay Villafranca ug Villaflor.
Nagpasalamat ug dako si Mayor Carlos Egay, Sr. nga
gihatagan sa gobernador og panahon nga makauban ug mamahimong pinasidunggang
bisita sa maong okasyon labi na gyud ang mga katawhan sa maong lungsod sa ilang
pakigtambayayong ug kooperasyon. (SDR/PIC-SdN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
