OWWA kicks off capability building series for
Caraga PESO managers
By Jean Pearl I. Millones
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 22 (PIA) - The increasing
number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their dependents in Caraga
region entails the rise of issues and cases encountered by OWWA members as well
as their beneficiaries. Clients from
distant provinces take long ways of travel to report incidents and address
their complaints to the regional office which involves both financial and
non-financial costs (time, effort).
Recognizing these developments along with its
underlying challenges, the role of the Public Employment Service Officers
(PESO) as the principal implementing arm of the efficient delivery of services
in the local government units (LGUs) essentially needs to be intensified and
their capabilities amplified.
In the thrust of capacitating the PESO managers
through transfer of knowledge and skills driven to provide response to the
concerns of their constituent OFWs within their own local government units in
an easy, convenient and minimal expense for the clients, the Overseas Workers
Welfare Administration (OWWA) spearheaded a series of Provincial PESO
Conferences, a capability building activity for the PESO Managers, for the
month of September 2015.
The forefront two of the five “PROVINCIAL PESO
CONFERENCE: Enhancing the PESO to Better Serve the OFW” was participated in by
17 PESO managers and their understudy from the province of Surigao del Norte on
September 17 and 22 in Agusan del Sur on the 18th. The exercises aimed to
provide PESO managers with Enhanced Training Orientation on OWWA Programs and
Services and capacitate them with the proper protocol in responding to the OFW
cases, queries, concerns and program availment procedures.
POEA regional coordinator for CARAGA Meriam
Balmocena, reiterated to the PESO managers, the forefront network of POEA in
disseminating overseas employment opportunities, the legal documents and means
of hiring overseas. She also emphasized the significant role of PESO managers
in reducing and gradually eliminating the threats of Illegal Recruitment and
Human Trafficking through heightened requirement in giving authorities to the
recruitment agencies.
As a major objective of the conference, OWWA
Caraga welfare case officer Annette Lovete discussed the Case Management
Protocol. Lovete highlighted the common cases encountered by the OFWs as well
as their dependents in Caraga Region. The basic procedures on handling
complaints, requests for assistance and methods of intervention for each case
were also introduced to the PESO managers. A workshop was also conducted to
usher familiarity of the most common counseled cases.
Three more conferences shall be held in Surigao
del Sur on September 23, Dinagat Island Province on the 28th and Agusan del
Norte on October 2015.
This is an action of OWWA Caraga to continually
develop its programs and services tailor-fitted to the needs and welfare of its
members, right at their localities. (OWWA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
SSS NorMIn reports increase in benefit payments
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 22 (PIA) - Benefit
disbursements for Social Security System (SSS) members in this city and the
rest of Northern Mindanao reached P1.98 billion for the first six months of
2015, reflecting an increase of 14 percent from the P1.73 billion released for
the same period last year.
SSS Assistant Vice President for Mindanao North
Division Edwin M. Alo said the payments for regular pensions of about 95,400
SSS pensioners in the area, which amounted to P1.78 billion, comprised 91
percent of the total benefit disbursements from January to June 2015.
“The six-month pension total for North Mindanao
was 15 percent higher than the P1.55 billion we disbursed here for the first
half of 2014. This increase was bolstered by recent SSS benefit enhancements,
particularly the five percent across-the-board SSS pension hike that took
effect just last year,” Alo said.
Upgrading members’ benefits is among the key
reforms implemented by current SSS management within the past five years.
Effective September 2013, the SSS increased Employees Compensation (EC)
pensions across-the-board by 10 percent and doubled the previous P10,000 EC
funeral benefit to P20,000.
Following the EC increases, the SSS announced a
five percent across-the-board pension hike that benefited nearly two million
pensioners under the Social Security (SS) program effective June 2014. The SSS
also increased its P20,000 SS funeral benefit to a variable amount of up to
P40,000, depending on the members’ number of monthly contributions and average
monthly salary credit.
Alo reminded workers of the advantages of active
SSS membership, which entitles them and their beneficiaries to benefits for various
contingencies such as sickness, maternity, partial and total disability, old
age or retirement, and death. Lifetime pensions for retirement, disability and
death are provided by SSS.
Butuan City is among the three North Mindanao
locations covered by the SSS Regional Visit headed by SSS President and Chief
Executive Officer Emilio S. de Quiros, Jr. on September 21 to 23. The other two
stops are Agusan del Sur and Surigao, where de Quiros and a panel of top SSS
officials are scheduled to meet with employers and other SSS stakeholders in
the area on September 22.
The SSS North Mindanao Division is headquartered
in Cagayan de Oro (CDO) City. Apart from its CDO hub office, the division also
supervises the operations of 10 SSS branches, including Butuan, CDO-Lapasan,
Camiguin, Gingoog, Iligan, Oroquieta, Ozamis, Surigao, Tandag and Valencia.
It also oversees SSS Service Offices in Robinsons
Place Butuan, Robinsons CDO and San Francisco, Agusan, as well as SSS
Representative Offices in Cabadbaran, Trento and Dapa. (SSS/PIA-Caraga)
All systems go for 21st Siargao International
Surfing Cup
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Sept. 22 (PIA) -
It’s all systems go for the province's biggest international event, the Siargao
International Surfing Cup held on Thursday, Sept. 24 in Gen. Luna, Siargao
Island.
Governor Sol F. Matugas said that the province
will bring the tournament to the professional surfers, after the surfing
organizer - the Asian Surfing Champions made the competition part of the World
Surf League qualifying series.
As it celebrates its 21st year, Gov. Matugas said
the tournament is expected to be attended by more than 60 surfers from the
various parts of the world, "as we have also increased the prize money to
$50,000.00."
Surfers from Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Australia,
New Zealand, USA and Europe have already confirmed their participation.
This year’s event will start with a registration
of participants on Sept. 23 and the formal opening will be on Sept. 24 at 3:00
p.m. to be held at Cloud 9, Gen. Luna. (SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Cebuano News: Balaod alang sa kabataan sa
Kitcharao aprobado na
Ni Jay Vincent V. Demain
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 22 (PIA) – Pinaagi sa usa ka
balaod, aduna nay kasegurohan nga maproteksyonan ang katungod sa kabataan sa
lungsod sa Kitacharao, Agusan del Norte.
Pinaagi sa Municipal Ordinance No. 036, ang
Children’s Code nga aprobado na sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan sa rekomendasyon ni
Provincial Board Member Elizabeth Marie R. Calo, giila sa lungsod sa Kitcharao
ang papel sa kabataan sa katilingban.
Ang ordinansa maghatag og garantiya nga
proteksyonan niini ang pisikal, spiritwal ug inteliktwal nga katungod sa mga
bata.
Kini nga ordinansa subay sa Provincial Ordinance
No. 255-2009 kun Children’s Welfare Code of Agusan del Norte. (LGU-Agusan del
Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
Cebuano News: Carmen mitukod og AIDS council
Ni Jay Vincent V. Demain
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 22 (PIA) – Pormal nang gitukod
ang Multi-Sectoral STD/HIV/AIDS Council sa lungsod sa Carmen, Agusan del Norte
pinaagi sa usa ka municipal resolusyon aron pagsumpo, paglikay sa pagkuyanap sa
among sakit makamatay.
Matod pa, usa sa pito ka nasod sa tibuok kalibotan
ang Pilipinas diin midaghan na ang nagbaton sa sakit nga Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome kun AIDS.
Ang AIDS usa ka sexually transmitted disease diin
kun dili dayon matambalan sa doctor, mahimo kining ikamatay sa taong nagdala
niini ug mutakod pa sa uban sa sekswal nga paagi.
Tungod niini, gimandoan ang tag-iya sa mga
establisimyento sa lungsod sa Carmen sama sa sauna ug massage clinics, barber
shops ug entertainment bars lakip na ang ilang entertainers, nga moapil sa mga
seminars nga ginahimo sa Municipal Health Office sa Carmen.
Kinahanglan na kini sa paghatag og permit to
operate sa mga establisimyento sa maong lugar.
Aprobado na sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan ang nasangpit
nga resolusyon, ang Municipal Resolution No. 6, sa rekomendasyon usab ni
Provincial Board Member Rey G. Jamboy. (LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del
Norte)
