FSUU prepares for this year’s Bugsay Mindanao
Dragon Boat Race III
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 7 (PIA) – As part of the
activities set for the 2016 Balangay Festival here, the Father Saturnino Urios
University (FSUU) is once again preparing for this year’s Bugsay (row) Mindanao
Fragon Boat Race III on April 29-30.
According to FSUU Publicity in-charge Rochelle
Valencia, the race/competition for this year is anchored on the theme “Paddle
for Peace, using the waterways of Mindanao as spaces of peace.”
“The race will take place in our very own Agusan
River with dragon boat teams from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. This is one of
the highlights of the activities set for our celebration of the Balangay
Festival, in coordination with the local government unit and other government
agencies,” shared Valencia.
Also, the FSUU will be holding a press conference
on April 29, 2016 at the University’s CBE Function Hall, this city.
“We hoped to bring the mighty Agusan River back to
life through th Bugsay Mindanao Dragon Boat Race 2016 in Butuan City, home to
ancient balangays,” Valencia remarked. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur, AFP, PNP to ink MOA declaring the province
as Conflict Manageable and Ready for Further Development
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 7 (PIA) – A
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) formally declaring Surigao del Sur as
Conflict-Manageable and Ready for Further Development Province is set to be
signed by three major parties representing the Province of Surigao del Sur, the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Philippine National Police (PNP)
at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 8, 2016.
The historic event, that is going to take place at
the Grand Ballroom, Villa Maria Luisa Hotel, this city, will be a tripartite
agreement among Governor Johnny Pimentel, Col. Isidro Purisima, and P/SSupt.
Romaldo Bayting, who are in their respective official capacity as provincial
governor of Surigao del Sur, commander, 402nd Brigade of the Philippine Army
(PA), and provincial director of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
No less than AFP Chief of Staff General Hernando
Delfin Carmelo Iriberri and other military top brass under him as well as the
PNP regional director of Caraga together with Vice-Governor Manuel Alameda,
Sr., Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Member Henrich Pimentel and DILG Provincial
Director Pedrito Alacaba will have to stand as witnesses to the momentous
event.
Together with the AFP chief would be Lt. Gen. Rey
Leonardo Guerrero, commander, Eastern Mindanao Command; Maj. Gen. Oscar Lactao,
commander, 4th Infantry Division; and P/CSupt. Rolando Felix, regional
director, Police Regional Office (PRO) 13, it was learned.
Also, during the momentous occasion, which is
split into four parts—Ribbon Cutting for the Photo Exhibit, Program proper,
Entrustment of New Firearms and Wall of Commitment Signing, as well as Press
Briefing—all members of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) here “are
requested to attend,” per invitation of Governor Pimentel, concurrent PPOC
chair.
Other highlights will form part of the event like
awarding of CLIP Beneficiaries and Livelihood & Cash Assistance as well as
Cooperative Development Assistance and messages—especially the one coming from
Gen. Iriberri, the Guest of Honor and Speaker.
The MOA was said to have been approved already by
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.
It can be recalled that Surigao del Sur had been
earlier declared “Conflict Manageable and Development Ready Province” during
the First Quarter Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting held at the
headquarters of the 36th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army based in
Barangay Dayoan, Tago town, this province, on January 15, 2016.
This was on motion of SP Member Pimentel, PPOC
member and at the same time chair of the Committee on Peace and Order of the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, taking the cue from the proposal of Col. Purisima
after the latter concluded his “Updates on Peace and Security” report by posing
a question to the council whether Surigao del Sur, his area of responsibility
(AOR), was already fit to be declared as “Conflict Manageable and Development
ready” province.
Governor Pimentel, who was presiding over the
entire proceeding, banged the gavel to mark the unprecedented declaration as
the council meeting was nearly coming to an end.
“So the resolution, if there is no objection, is
unanimously seconded and approved declaring the province as ready for
investment and conflict manageable,” he stressed. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
AgNor OFC trains in IT, orients in OWWA programs
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 7 (PIA) - To promptly respond to
the desire of its OFW Family Circles (OFCs) for organizational development, the
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) rolled off its Information and
Communication Training (ICT) to the 19 members of the Buenavista OFW
Organization at the Northern Mindanao School of Fisheries in Buenavista town,
Agusan del Norte on March 1-4.
The four-day training included Modules on Computer
Fundamentals 1 and 2, Microsoft Office including its basics: Word, Excel and
PowerPoint were discussed by OWWA Information Technology (IT) Instructor
Vincent B. Mahinay. Digital Media Fundamentals, Web Design Fundamentals, Word
Processing Fundamentals, and Presentation Fundamentals were likewise taught.
Meanwhile, Rodel P. Deligero, in-charge of
Education and Training Program, utilized the gathering to campaign two of the
agency’s Scholarships, Training and Incentive Programs; the Seafarer's
Upgrading Program (SUP) and Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (SESP)
during the activity’s closing activity.
The Seafarer's Upgrading Program provides
scholarships for attendance to short-term upgrading courses for seafarers which
include Proficiency in Fast Recue Boat and Shipboard Culinary, among others.
The program grants a P7,500.00 training assistance for the first availment.
Subsequent availment of another training course requires 3 recorded membership.
On the other hand, the Skills-for-Employment
Scholarship Program (SESP) is a scholarship that aids in a short-term training
course leading to the completion of a vocational or technical course in any
school accredited by TESDA for maximum of P14,500.00 per course. The program is
not only limited to active member-OFWs but extends to their beneficiaries and
legal dependents as well. The first OWWA membership of the OFW is applicable to
one SESP Benefit; succeeding availment requires three additional membership
contributions.
These activities are in line with the agency’s
resolve to bring reintegration opportunities and capability advancement to its
members and their beneficiaries. (JPIM, OWWA-Caraga/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
DAR AgNor to nominate Jabonga coop as 2016
outstanding org
By Gil E. Miranda
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 7 (PIA) - The Baleguian Organic
Farmers’ Irrigators Association (BOFIA) is being eyed by the Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR) as this year’s outstanding organization for its excellent
performance and impressive growth. The coop has now an asset worth P40.5
million, an achievement done in just three years when they were just worth P1.9
million in 2013.
BOFIA was registered in 1977, since then, it has
been the agency's partner in providing basic services to farmers and in
managing projects like irrigation facilities with the National Irrigation
Association (NIA), provincial government, the local government unit of Jabonga,
and other stakeholders.
Because of BOFIA’s performance, DAR turned-over
four projects worth more than P51 million. Some of these interventions were
under the Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project phase III (ARISP-III)
composed of Irrigation System (IS) and Farm-to-Market road (FMR) amounted to
more than P33 million and P12 million, respectively.
The irrigation system has a potential service area
of 180 hectares that served more than a hundred farmer-beneficiaries.
Connecting the farmers and market is a well cemented 1.892 kilometer FMR which
was completed and turned over in 2011.
BOFIA’s success and effectiveness is not only in
managing and accessing infrastructure projects. It also availed credit under
the Agrarian Production Credit Program
(APCP) amounting to P3 Million for rice production inputs to match the
farm equipment funded under Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic
Support Services (ARCCESS) worth P4.3 Million.
In a ceremonial turned-over of CIS and common
service facilities last February 4, 2016, BOFIA chairman Winefredo Maldo
expressed gratitude to DAR ARISP-III and NIA for the support services provided
to BOFIA. “This is a blessing to the farmers in Jabonga . . . indeed, it’s a
dream come true,” Maldo added.
ARISP III National Project Manager Cristy Dagdag,
urged BOFIA to take care of the projects as it would greatly contributed in
raising farm income and productivity to the farmers of Jabonga. “BOFIA is
fortunate being one of the recipients of the ARISP III projects. It could bring
progress and uplift the socio-economic condition of the farmers,” Dagdag added.
DAR Caraga regional director Julita A. Ragandang
said that DAR’s partnership with NIA and the local government resulted in more
development projects for the agrarian reform community in Jabonga. “But it is
the unity and the strong will of the farmer-beneficiaries that prompt this
project to be realized,” Ragandang added.
DAR Agusan del Norte Provincial Agrarian Reform
Program Officer Andre B. Atega congratulates BOFIA for this year’s excellent
performance in realizing its dream, as it could bring a great help to the
farmers in Jabonga town.
Board Member Danny Moran, representing the
Governor Maria Angelica Rosedell Amante-Matba said that the provincial government is a crucial
ally in rural development in partnership with DAR, NIA and other stakeholders.
Under the President Aquino administration, these
support services bring socio-economic benefit
to the farmers as well as total human development in the countryside. (DAR-Agusan
del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
