AgNor SP holds barefoot journalists assembly
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 22 (PIA) – The 16th Sangguniang
Panlalawigan (SP) of the province of Agusan del Norte will hold its 1st
Provincial Assembly of the Barefoot Journalists on December 23 in one of the
convention centers here.
About 1,000 purok legpersons/individuals or
ordinary citizens are expected to attend the assembly with the theme
“Empowering and Uniting the Agusanons through Information and Effective
Communication.”
The assembly aims to enhance the skills of the
legpersons especially on news writing, reporting and to have confidence in
facing the public.
According to Atty. Ramon AG Bongabong, the
assembly cum seminar-workshop on para-media/citizens journalism was
conceptualized because on their evaluation of the performances of the barefoot
journalists/purok legpersons.
"There is a need for the legpersons who
ordinary citizens or known as the 'yanong tao' in the barangays to be trained
because they serve as the mouthpiece and citizens patrol of the province,”
Bongabong said.
Also, Bongabong cited that the very purpose of
training the legpersons is because they help bring the provincial government’s
chamber closer to the people especially in the grassroots level.
The functions of the legpersons include providing
information and updates to the people particularly those living in the far
flung areas on the recent plans and developments, approved legislative
measures, programs, projects and activities implemented in the province. They
also collect feedbacks from the ground especially on the issues and concerns of
the communities that need actions and interventions of the provincial
government, Bongabong added. (NCLM, PIA-Agusan del Norte)
DOST’s science and tech fair highlights industry
benefits to Mindanao
By Ma. Lotuslei P. Dimagiba
MANILA, Dec. 22 (PIA) - The Department of Science
and Technology’s (DOST) Science and Technology (S&T) Fair for the Mindanao
Cluster got underway in Zamboanga City from December 3-5, 2015 with focus on
S&T’s impacts on the rubber, mining and food industries, including halal.
The fair showcased the many benefits of DOST’s
Small Enterprise Upgrading Program or SETUP via project visits to program
beneficiaries Philippine Pioneer Rubber Product Corp. (PPRPC) and Monmon
Bakeshoppe and Snack Haus in Zamboanga.
Organized in 2000 as a federation of six agrarian
reform communities, PPRPC provides milling services to rubber-producing
cooperatives, rubber farmers and traders. With SETUP’s assistance, the company
has increased production by 25%, provided better quality and faster service to
rubber farmers and traders, became compliant to ISO 2000 quality standards, and
generated 23 additional employment from 127 to 150 employees.
Monmon Bakeshoppe was also given assistance
through upgrading of the bakery facility to meet the growing demand of
customers. It increased gross sales by 11.3%, upgraded its product packaging,
and now employs eight additional employees aside from the previous five regular
workers.
The S&T Fair also saw the launching of various
DOST initiatives, such as the rubber testing laboratory inside the DOST Region
IX compound at Pettit Barracks in Zamboanga City, as well as the Food
Innovation Center in Northern Mindanao located at the Mindanao University of
Science and Technology in Cagayan de Oro City which will serve as a hub for
innovation of food products.
Also launched was the Halal Laboratory at the DOST
Compound in Cotabato City. The facility is projected to increase the integrity
of locally made halal products and give credibility to certifying bodies, local
halal product manufacturers, producers, and processors for local and
international trading.
The Complementary Food Production for the CARAGA
Region was also rolled out, featuring food technologies by the DOST’s Food and
Nutrition Research Institute. These are the Rice-Mongo Curls, a nutritious
snack made from rice flour and mongo flour; and the Rice-Mongo Baby Food Blend,
a ready-to-eat baby food. These technologies are part of DOST’s strategies to
meet the Philippines’ Millennium Development Goals, namely, to reduce by half
the proportion of people who suffer from hunger and to solve the persistent
problem of malnutrition among 0-5 year-old children.
Another launching held was that for Better Mine, a
DOST and University of the Philippines collaboration for the mining industry.
Better Mine eliminates the use of mercury and cyanide, thus promoting a
non-hazardous and environment-friendly method to extract gold in the
Philippines for small-scale mining applications through integrated gold-copper
mineral processing. It can increase gold recovery from 40-50% to 80%, recover
other valuable minerals like copper and zinc, has a tailings disposal and
treatment system, a flexible operation, as well as low capital and operating
expenses for small-scale miners.
“With DOST,
with the help of the science and technology agenda, we Filipinos must chart our
own course guided by the principle that what we do ultimately benefits Aling
Maria and Mang Juan, that science is being felt by the people,” said Dr. Rowena
Cristina L. Guevara, undersecretary for S&T services of DOST during the
S&T fair opening ceremony.
A Sci-Tech Campus Journalism Training-Workshop,
research forum, and exhibit, were also held, among others. (S&T Media
Service, DOST-STII/PIA-Caraga)
DENR sees no relax of duty on anti-illegal log
monitoring on Christmas
By Herzon F. Gallego
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 22 (PIA) – Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Caraga regional director Nonito M.
Tamayo has instructed personnel involved in the monitoring of log movements in
Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur to further tighten the watch on unscrupulous
individuals who would attempt to smuggle undocumented logs during the yuletide
season.
“There are two hotspots of illegal logging in the
region which are being monitored by the DENR field men in coordination with the
Philippine National Police,” DENR Caraga assistant regional director Roberto
Olivares said.
He said those involved personnel in the
anti-illegal logging operation have been told to maintain round-the-clock
monitoring this Christmas Season particularly during long vacation
periods. “Personnel on duty who are
requesting for vacation leave during this season are advised to inform their
respective CENRO officers to ensure those assigned on duty at the monitoring
station are always kept posted by somebody relieving them,” Oliveros said.
Meanwhile, the DENR has noted the apprehensions
and seizures of illegal lumber and flitches have steadily declined since 2014.
According to records released by the Enforcement
Division under the Technical Services Office, the apprehensions and seizures of
undocumented lumber have dipped further to 833,944 board feet in the 3rd
Quarter of this year as compared to the combined apprehension and seizures made
in the 1st and 2nd quarter of this year of 478,448.65 board feet.
In 2014, the DENR made an apprehensions and
seizures of illegal lumber to 1,931,303.84 board which is lower that than the
previous record of 2,677,184.77 made in 2013. (DENR-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
DENR 13 eyes 29,000 hectares for NGP in 2016
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 22 (PIA) - About 29, 647
hectares of denuded, open and access timber land in Caraga Region are being
considered next year for reforestation and development by the DENR under the
National Greening Program over and above with the accomplished projects since
2011.
DENR Regional Director for Region 13 Nonito M.
Tamayo said the five Provincial and 10 Community Environment and Natural
Resources Officers of Caraga Region including the Protected Area Site Unit of
Dapa, Surigao del Norte have reported full accomplishment of NGP target for
2015 in their respective area during the DENR’s 4th Management Conference held
in the city on Monday.
This year’s achievement has brought to 65,951
hectares the total NGP area developed in
the region by the DENR in over five years since the program was implemented.
The total number of seedlings planted in the different NGP sites in Agusan del
Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and the Dinagat
Province from 2011 to 2015 have reached 38,993,226 according to DENR -13
Technical Services Assistant Regional
Director Roberto Oliveros.
Tamayo said the mechanized-nursery center in
Bislig City which has a daily capacity to produce one million seedlings is expected to augment the requirement in
the NGP sites when it is completely operational in January 2016. “We need to
produce about 53,237,039 seedlings most of which will be provided by the
mechanized nursery center,” Tamayo said.
At the opening program of the Management
Conference, Tamayo has relayed the message of thanks and congratulations of
Secretary Ramon JP Paje to the entire senior staff, the PENRO and CENRO and the
personnel of the DENR-13 for a well-done job on the NGP.
“Secretary Paje was very happy about the output of
the NGP in Region 13,” Tamayo said. “I commend the entire personnel of the DENR
for their full cooperation in achieving 100 percent of the NGP target this
year,” he said.
As of November 20, 2015 about 12,119,900 seedlings
were planted in 16,649 hectares of timberland which are spread in different NGP
sites. PENRO Paterno Olivera of Agusan del Norte together along with his CENR
Officers Norman Asugan of Nasipit and
Vince Estopito of Tubay have posted better performance in the NGP.
(DENR-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
