DTI Surigao Norte to meet with consumer welfare
desks officers
By Rodrigo R. Matabaran
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Sept. 24, (PIA) –
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will be calling a meeting with
Consumer Welfare Desk (CWD) officers of various business establishments here to
discuss vital issues concerning the speedy resolutions of consumer complaints
on Sept. 25, 2015 at the Negosyo Center, DTI office, this city.
The activity is expected to create a venue for the
sharing of experiences of the best CWD practices of various business
establishments in attending to complaints and different service needs of their
customers.
Officers and members of consumer groups will also
be invited to join the meeting to provide feedback and share prevalent issues
that concerns the welfare of the consuming public to CWD officers.
DTI Surigao del Norte provincial director
Celestino L. Negapatan stressed that the conduct of the said meeting is part of
an on-going effort to improve consumer assistance services right at the firm
level for the overall welfare of the consuming public. (SDR/DTI-SdN/PIA-Surigao
del Norte)
SurSur tribal leaders hold meeting; come out with
joint declaration
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Sept. 24 (PIA) – The
Surigao del Sur Tribal Leaders Confederation, through the initiative of the
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples’ (NCIP) headed by Engr. Charlyn
Binghoy, held a two-day conference/dialogue here on September 21-22, 2015, then
came out with a Joint Declaration regarding the five “challenges” being faced
and the four “actions that must be undertaken.”
Signed by 28 tribal leaders, the five challenges
identified were the following: Forced
evacuation caused by hostilities between government forces and NPA which has
caused the proliferation of IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) who are mostly
IP members; Extra-judicial killing (salvaging) of IP members caught in the
cross fires of the hostile forces; Existence of parallel IPs (left-leaning
groups that necessarily polarize the once united ICCs (Indigenous Cultural
Communities), and this situation resulted to trading of accusations between
camps, such as calling the IP leaders as fake; Exploitation of IPs by left-leaning
groups, and government forces which resulted into a situation where IPs are
pitted against IPs; and Government programs fail to trickle down to the poorest
of the poor among the various ICCs.
In like manner, four “actions” needed to be undertaken
were pointed out, to wit: Institutionalization of the bagani system into the
IPS (Indigenous Political Structure), and elimination of the use of bagani not
within the IPS; Strengthening of the IPs
self-governance or self-determination; Inclusive peace and development among
IPs/ICCs; and Conduct of series of dialogues, thru the creation of a Peace
Committee, with Calpito P. Egua, et al. to thresh out certain misunderstanding
with concerned ICCs of Surigao del Sur, with the involvement of various sectors: LGU, church, NGOs, GOs.
As part of the introduction, the joint declaration
presented a “BACKGROUND/PRESSING ISSUES,” citing therein that “The various IP
groups of Surigao del Sur composed of Manobo, Mandaya and Mamanwa are
historically bonded by blood, customs, traditions and common aspirations,”
ending with “what affects one individual must be everyone’s concern.”
Cesar Bat-ao, Sr., who was among the signatories
to the joint declaration, is the provincial chieftain among IPs of Surigao del
Sur. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
