Team CSU brings home the 9th inter agency, LGU
statistics quiz championship
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 13 (PIA) - Team Caraga State
University (CSU) with Angela Fel Padecio, Gilbert Alerta and Breix Michael Agua
at the helm, triumphed over 15 other teams from different agencies in the 9th
Inter Agency / LGU statistics Quiz which was held at the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas Multipurpose Hall, Libertad, this city last October 30, 2015.
The said competition was part of the series of
activities of the 26th National Statistics Month (NSM) celebration that
showcases the prowess of the government employees in the field of statistics
and general knowledge.
Team CSU earned a total score of 36 points to
secure the top rank in the quiz. The team was awarded with a cash prize and
certificates. Runner-ups were teams from DILG Region 13, composed of Don
Manuelo Patrimonio, Jeffrey Dorola and Luth Edmund Apresto and team from
LGU-Province of Agusan del Norte composed of Bernardita Tener, Tijani Auxtero
and Armi Escatron for the 1st and 2nd runners-up, respectively.
This activity is one of the highlights during the
closing ceremonies of the 26th NSM and was spearheaded by the Regional
Statistics Committee of Caraga thru the National Economic and Development
Authority, Philippine Statistical Association Regional Statistical Services
Office No. 13, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas - Butuan Branch and Department of
Health - Caraga Region. (PSA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
AgNor solon co-authors house bill to lower income
tax
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 13 (PIA) - Rep. Lawrence Lemuel
‘Law’ H. Fortun of the first district of Agusan del Norte has co-authored a
house bill to lower income tax burdened by Filipinos.
The bill takes cognizance of the long overdue
reforms of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) adopted in 1997, or 18
years passed. As income of salaried individuals is increased to keep it at par
with the rising inflation, “they are pushed into higher income brackets, and,
thus, are compelled to pay more taxes that they should,” the explanatory note
of the bill reads.
The said legislative measure to cut income tax
stemmed from House Bill 4829 authored in the lower house by Rep. Miro Quimbo
and was co-authored by Reps. Fortun, Villar, Abayon, Del Rosario (A.G.), Zamora
(M.), Javier, Belmonte (J.), Chipeco, Primicias- Agabas, and Lanete.
The tax reform, the first in two decades, would
provide more disposable income for wage earners and corporations but reduce the
government’s revenue collections, it was learned.
The bill pending in both chambers of Congress
proposes to raise the tax exemption ceiling to P150,000 a year and lower the
income tax rate currently pegged at 32 percent.
It would also raise from P500,000 to P10 million
the trigger for the higher income tax rate and reduce the corporate tax rate
from 32 percent to 25 percent.
As the Congress reopens, Fortun expressed his high
hopes for the timely passage of the bill before the end of Pres. Aquino’s
administration. (Lawig Katawhan/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
DENR-13 funds 15 LGUs taking part in the NGP
By Herzon F. Gallego
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 13 (PIA) - About 15 barangays in
Caraga Region are participating in the National Greening Program of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through the Bottoms-Up
Budgeting (BUB) with a total funding of P25.2 million.
However, the DENR-13 top management has expressed
dismay over the slow utilization of the funds that were allocated to the
different Local Government Units (LGUs) for the seedling production and areas
developed considering that an average of 39 percent of the total funds was only
utilized. A total of P9.882, 268 of the total fund allocation have been so far
disbursed by the DENR as of September 30, 2015.
Nevertheless, DENR Caraga regional director Nonito
M. Tamayo has issued instructions to all PENR Officers of Agusan del Sur,
Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Dinagat Islands to provide technical
assistance to slow performing LGU particularly in Bunawan and San Francisco,
Agusan del Sur where activities appeared to have been stalled. “The NGP
component in the BUB is expected to provide job opportunities to the people who
are actively involved in the seedling productions,” Tamayo said.
“Barangay officials who enrolled their
participation in the NGP should take advantage of the job opportunities to
bring additional income to the poor families in their respective barangay,”
Tamayo said.
Based on the report of the DENR Conservation and
Development Division office, only the province of Dinagat Islands has utilized
about 68 percent of the P3 million funds allotted to the local government for
the production of 136,500 seedlings which were planted in the different
planting site covering a total of 273 hectares.
He said while other Peoples Organizations in the
region are in full swing in the production and planting of seedlings, the 15
LGUs involved in the BUB should as possible double their efforts to catch up
with the program. (DENR-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
