Army officials rally support for SurSur’s
developmental milestone
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 9 (PIA) – LtGen Rey Leonardo
Guerrero, commander of Eastern Mindanao Command representing Gen. Hernando
Delfin Carmelo Iriberri, Armed Forces of the Philippines’ chief of staff and
guest of honor conveyed on Tuesday his sincere gesture of appreciation to the
government officials, prime movers, constituents, and all other community
members of Surigao del Sur province who earnestly and conscientiously worked
together in achieving a historic milestone through an official declaration as
conflict manageable and ready for further development province.
According to LtGen Guerrero, the declaration forms
part of the normalization process wherein the local government units take
active participation for relevant endeavors in pursuit of attaining peace and
development.
"Within the spectrum of insurgency, the
declaration of Surigao del Sur province as conflict manageable and ready for
further development marks the initial stage wherein obvious reduction of
insurgency cases and decrease of violence are evident. Clearly, this is an
indication that regional developmental efforts are best demonstrated,"
enunciated
LtGen Guerrero.
In a press briefing, when asked on the basis on
the declaration of the province/city as conflict manageable and ready for
further development, commander of 4th Infantry Division MGen Oscar Lactao
specified the reduction of NPA members, noteworthy performance of functioning
government elected officials, and the willful minds of the inhabitants of the
province to create a peaceful community hold an imperative criteria in the
quest for peace and security.
"It is a whole of a nation approach. The same
declaration started with the province of Dinagat Islands, followed by Surigao
del Norte, Agusan del Sur and now the province of Surigao del Sur. Also, Agusan
del Norte and Butuan City will soon be declared. We hope to improve more the
stages of curbing insurgency," emphasized MGen Lactao.
Meanwhile, 402nd brigade commander Col Isidro
Purisima recalled that “with the augmentation of army battalions, cooperation
of support elements and special forces, the journey towards peace, progress and
prosperity is not far from attaining.”
"Since April of last year, we have 87
surrenderers from the rebel group and around 53 high and low powered firearms
were recovered. As of today, more or less 200 NPA members are still taking part
in the anti-government activities. We know we have several issues to look into
but our concern of ending the insurgency problem in the region is a challenge
worth spending our time and efforts,’’ said Col Purisima.
In the signing ceremony of Memorandum of
Agreement, governor Pimentel represented the province of Surigao del Sur; MGen
Lactao, together with commander of Eastern Mindanao Command LtGen Guerrero and
commander of 402nd Brigade Col Purisima represented the army; and Philippine
National Police (PNP) Caraga regional director PCSupt Rolando Felix for the
PNP. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur guv to AFP: “Crush insurgents!”
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 9 (PIA) –
Governor Johnny Pimentel, this province, made an appeal to the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) for a “non-stop” military operations against the New
People’s Army (NPA) during the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing declaring
Surigao del Sur as “Conflict Manageable and Ready for Further Development
Province” on Tuesday, March 8.
“I appeal to the military that they will not stop
to continue their military operations until insurgents will be crushed,” he
said.
In his message before attendees of the occasion
held at the Grand Ballroom of the Villa Maria Luisa (VML) Hotel here comprised
of various sectors in the society, including former rebels (FRs), Governor
Pimentel admitted to being envious of other provinces like Bohol which now
enjoys the status of being insurgency-free province. “Bohol was a war-torn
province before,” Pimentel added.
With the MOA, of which the governor was one of the
three major signatories/parties together with Col. Isidro Purisima, 402nd
Infantry Brigade commander and P/SSupt. Romaldo Bayting, PNP provincial
director, he was glad to note about
making “another milestone” in the fight against the lingering insurgency
problem in Surigao del Sur that had started way back in 1979.
“Since then, we have had so many casualties, we
have had so many properties damaged, we have had so many constituents who have
died in this battle,” Pimentel recalled.
But declaring the province as “Conflict-Manageable
and Ready for Further Development was a welcome development, he stressed,
adding that “Today, we make another milestone with our effort to promote
stability in the peace and order situation of the province of Surigao del Sur.”
“Actually this is only the first step. Our dream. . . our long awaited dream, which
we want to realize, is to become an insurgency-free province,” the provincial
chief executive said.
“So let us join hands, let us go together—the government
side, the private sector, and the military—to attain this objective,” Pimentel
urged.
During the historic event, Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo
Guerrero, commander, Eastern Mindanao Command (EMC); Maj. Gen. Oscar Lactao,
commander, 4th Infantry Division (4ID), and P/CSupt. Rolando Felix, regional
director, Police Regional Office(PRO) 13, all came together to officially
witness the signing ceremony alongside with their civilian
counterparts—Vice-Governor Manual Alameda, Sr., Sangguniang Panlalawigan member
Henrich Pimentel and DILG Provincial Director Pedrito Alacaba.
However, AFP Chief of Staff General Hernando
Iriberri, who hails from Surigao del Sur, was not able to make it “due to very
important commitment,” as announced by the program host, Ace Orcullo, assistant
provincial secretary to the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan. To fill his shoes,
Iriberri was ably represented by Lt. Gen. Guerrero, his EMC chief, who read his
keynote speech.
“Today’s ceremonial declaration of the province of
Surigao del Sur as conflict manageable and ready for further development, is a
fitting tribute to what the joint efforts of committed stakeholders can do for
peace and progress,” the AFP chief’s impressive opening message went on.
After reading entirely the whole speech, Lt. Gen.
Guerrero was also able to share his “personal note,” saying “Allow me to thank
and congratulate the Honorable Governor, Gov. Johnny T. Pimentel for this
opportunity and the whole of Surigaonons, the people of Surigao del Sur, for
reaching this significant milestone in the history of the province. Just like the governor, I appeal and enjoin
everyone to continue to work harder and collaborate even stronger for us to not
only be able to sustain the gains that we have
achieved so far, but also to prosecute our ideas, our vision of having
Surigao del Sur as an insurgency-free province.”
Meanwhile, MGen. Lactao told media during the
press briefing that most of the provinces of Caraga region (Dinagat Islands,
Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Sur) had already been
declared “Conflict Manageable and Ready for Further Development Province,”
adding that Agusan del Norte, together with Butuan City, is set to be accorded
the same status on March 14. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DILG chief announces Barangay BUB in Caraga
By Don Manuelo O. Patrimonio
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 9 (PIA) - “Gone are the days
when local governments had to beg for funding from national government agencies
to be able to implement projects just because their Internal Revenue Allotments
are insufficient. This year, funds are downloaded to all cities and
municipalities, regardless of political affiliations, through the Bottom-Up
Budgeting (BUB). And come next year, barangays will have their share of funds
from the coffers of the national government through the Barangay BUB.”
This was the statement of Interior Secretary Mel
Senen S. Sarmiento during the rounds of Barangay BUB Planning Workshops in
Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur and Surigao City, Surigao del Norte last March 4
and 5, respectively, conducted by the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG) in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management
(DBM).
A similar activity was conducted for Butuan City
and Agusan del Norte in March 3, but Sec Sarmiento was unable to join the
group.
Other cabinet secretaries briefly joined the
Barangay BUB Planning Workshop, coming from their separate activity for the
People’s Dialogue for the administration’s Daang Matuwid program. Department of
Health (DOH) Secretary Janet Garin announced the upcoming programs of the DOH
for the Barangays during the Agusan del Norte leg at LJ Mega, this city on
March 3, and DBM Secretary Florencio Abad personally explained the rationale
and background of the Barangay BUB in the Surigao del Norte leg in Simtoco
Building, Surigao City.
In attendance during the three separate activities
were the 86 Punong Barangays of Butuan City and 167 of Agusan del Norte; 314 of
Agusan del Sur; and 335 of Surigao del Norte, respectively, together with the
City and Municipal Local Government Operations Officers of the three DILG
Provincial Offices concerned. They were personally welcomed by the governors of
each of the three provinces who also gave the statements of purpose, i.e. Gov.
Ma. Angelica Rosedell M. Amante-Matba of Agusan del Norte, Gov. Adolph Edward
G. Plaza of Agusan del Sur, and Gov. Sol F. Matugas of Surigao del Norte.
The primary discussant in the sessions was
Executive Director Karen Villanueva of the DBM’s Meaningful and Direct
Downloads. Director Villanueva discussed in detail the mechanics on how the
Barangays can access the Barangay BUB funding in 2017 by working out this year
the requirements of the program.
Director Villanueva noted that for the first
round, only about 12,000 of the 42,035 barangays (or 30%) in the whole country
can access the fund in 2017 and emphasized the criteria for selection of the
qualified barangays are: (1) compliance to the Barangay Full Disclosure Policy;
(2) presence of Barangay Development Plan; (3) conduct of participative
barangay assembly; and (4) capacity to implement and their track record in
leadership and financial management. (DILG-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Dinagat Islands PHO spearheads 'Range of Motion
Exercises' training
SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands, Mar. 9 (PIA) – The
provincial government of Dinagat Islands thru the Provincial Health Office
conducted recently a two-day training on Range of Motion Exercises for Senior
Citizens and Parents of Children with Disabilities held at the Provincial Guest
Center, Brgy. Cuarinta, San Jose, this province.
The said activity aims to educate the participants
with regards to the dynamics of children with disability; acquire skills on
range of motion exercises specially the senior citizens; and share their
learning experiences and insights from other parents who have children with
disabilities and to elderly.
They are the main benefeciaries of this activity
considering that they have the less access to health care services and
therefore experience unmet health care needs.
It was learned that the training can also help
them acquire new knowledge for disease prevention and promote good practices
for healthy living. (Provincial Information Office, Dinagat Islands/PIA-Dinagat
Islands)
Cebuano News: Community Praise and Worship seminar
malampusong gipahigayon
Ni Mary Jul Escalante
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Mar. 9 (PIA) –
Malampuson nga gipahigayon ang usa ka Community Praise and Worship seminar
kagahapon nga adlaw Marso 8, 2016 sa Provincial Convention Center, ning
dakbayan.
Mokabat sa 800 ka mga kababainhan gikan sa 20 ka mga
barangay sa syudad.
Ang maong programa nahiayon sa selebrasyon sa
bulan sa mga kababainhan ug sa value formation nga programa ubos sa HEALS plus
(health, education, agri-aquculture, livelihood, spiritual renewal) agenda sa
probinsya.
Sa mensahe ni Gobernador Sol F. Matugas, siya
nagkanayon nga agig pagpangandam sa umaabot nga kwaresma, dili lamang ang mga
material nga butang ang atong atubangon kon apan importante usab ang
panginahanglan sa atong kalag o espito diin
kini apil sa iyang HEALS plus agenda nga mao ang ‘Spirituality’.
Sa sangyaw espituhanon ug sa iyang pagpamalandong
atol sa Misa Pasalamat si Fr. Toto Tiu pasalamat sa programa ni Gob. Matugas
diin kalakip niini ang espirituhaong aspeto sa tanang mga aktibidadis sa
probinsya tungod kay siya usa man ka relihiyosa ug matinud-anon nga deboto ni
Mama Mary. (PGO-PIC/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
