Caraga Region’s population hits 2.5 million mark
By Fryan E. Abkilan
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 27 (PIA) - Caraga Region’s
population soared to 2,596,709 in 2015, or 167,485 more than its 2010
population of 2.4 million.
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Caraga
regional director Rosalinda C. Apura revealed that the region’s population grew
by 1.28 percent between 2010 and 2015 based on the August 2015 Census of
Population (POPCEN 2015).
Among the five provinces comprising the region, the
province of Agusan del Sur had the biggest population (700,653), which
accounted for 26.98 percent of the total population of the region. This was
followed by the province of Surigao del Sur with 22.81 percent (592,250),
Surigao del Norte with 18.68 percent (592,250), and Agusan del Norte with 13.65
percent (354,503). The province of Dinagat Islands had the smallest population
(127,152) accounted for only 4.90 percent.
Butuan City, the only highly urbanized city in the
region, posted a population of 337,063 (12.98 percent).
The POPCEN 2015 count showed that country’s
population stands at 100,981,437. Caraga’s total population accounted for about
2.6 percent of the country’s population.
Information on the count of the population were
collected by the PSA enumerators with 12:01 a.m. of August 1, 2015, as the
census reference time and date.
Republic Act 10625, also known as the Philippine
Statistical Act of 2013; and Executive Order 352 stipulate the conduct of a
mid-decade census, primarily to update the population count in all barangays
nationwide. (FEA/PIA-Caraga)
Surigao Sur wants to settle boundary disputes with
Surigao Norte, Agusan Sur
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Sept. 27 (PIA) – The
provincial government of Surigao del Sur vows to continue the series of
dialogues with the province's neighbors in a bid to resolve their pending
boundary issues.
Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Henrich Pimentel said
the provincial government continues to find a solution to several issues raised
by its neigboring provinces, Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Sur.
Pimentel said he is tasked to work it out in
accordance with the law, as he cited Republic Act 7160 or the local government
code of 1991.
Meanwhile, the official also bared that the
boundary conflict between Davao Oriental involving the three villages in Lingig
town is about to finish soon. They are just waiting for the completion of the
provincial boundary monument.
The official said the province has lost 2,700
hectares to Davao Oriental after the dispute of almost 20 years was settled
through a Compromise Agreement signed by both parties in 2015. (PIA-Surigao del
Sur)
Caraga region celebrates elderly Filipino week
By Nora C. Lanuza Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 27 (PIA) – Every first week of
October every year is celebrated as “Elderly Filipino Week” per Presidential
Proclamation No. 470 series of 1994.
With the theme “Pagmamahal at Respeto ng
Nakakabata, Nagpapaligaya sa Nakatatanda,” a simultaneous “Walk for Life” will
be held on October 1 in key cities in the country.
In Caraga region, the Department of Health (DOH),
PhilHealth, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will
spearhead the “Walk for Life” at Almont Inland Resort, this city.
Health services to be catered during the activity
include: Nutritional Assessment, Fasting Blood Glucose, Uric Acid and
Cholesterol Taking, Blood Pressure Taking, Weighing and Vaccination.
According to DOH Caraga assistant regional director
Cesar C. Cassion, the activity aims to empower the health and wellness programs
for the elderly and accord the celebration with more significance.
“It is a venue to raise awareness about the
benefits and the updating of records of the elderly Filipinos under the
Lifetime member and Senior Citizen Programs of partner agencies like
Philhelath,” said Cassion.
Also, the activity will enhance cooperation with
agencies incharge of implementing Republic Act 9994 of The Expanded Senior
Citizens Act and to promote wellness and exercise among the elderly Filipinos,
Cassion added.
“The role of the senior citizens is crucial in
nation-building; and we are glad to contribute and extend the services to this
sector by medical-related privileges and we hope to serve more to the sector to
improve if not continue the quality of life towards longevity,” Cassion said.
(NCLM/PIA-Caraga)
DILG Caraga chief urges LGUs to join national
earthquake drill
By Nora C. Lanuza Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 27 (PIA) – The Department of the
Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga region has issued a memorandum
enjoining all local government units (LGUs) of the region to join the third
quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on Wednesday at 9:00 A.M.
In a memorandum issued by DILG Caraga regional
director Lilibeth A. Famacion dated Sept. 20, the local chief executives are
enjoined to participate by conducting respective earthquake drills and identify
evacuation sites.
Famacion also directed the LGUs that all
information, education and communication (IEC) activities related to the
conduct of the NSED shall be properly documented and be submitted to the
regional office of the DILG for submission to their central office Disaster
Information Coordinating Center for consolidation.
According to Famacion, the NSED is aimed to understand
the command and control mechanisms in disaster management operations of the
Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) members and to
provide an opportunity for training in an actual disaster environment of all
stakeholders identifying their specific roles and responsibilities on how to
respond to the call of the situation.
The conduct of NSED is pursuant to DILG Memorandum
Circular No. 2016-128 dated September 19, 2016 signed by Secretary of the
Interior and Local Government Ismael D. Sueno and the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Memorandum No. 46, Series of 2016
dated August 31, 2016 signed by USEC Ricardo B. Jalad, Executive Director of
NDRRMC. (DILG/NCLM, PIA-Caraga)
Surigao Norte solon urges congress to fast track
passage of bill creating regional or provincial rehab centers
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Sept. 27 (PIA) -
Surigao del Norte 2nd district representative Robert Ace S. Barbers, chairman
of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, rallied the committee to rush up the
passage of a bill seeking the establishment of regional or provincial drug
rehabilitation centers in the country due to the existence of at least 680,000
drug users and pushers who surrendered but let loose by the government due to
inadequacy of such facilities.
Barbers said there is a need to fast track the
consolidation of 11 bills seeking the creation of drug rehabilitation centers
in the country and pass them into law as soon as possible.
“In the recent briefing made before our panel by
officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA), the PNP’s
Anti-Illegal Drugs Group, and the National Bureau of Investigation, we learned
that the PNP in its Oplan Tokhang campaign have managed to convince to
surrender some 680,000 drug users and pushers nationwide,” he said.
“But the problem is that they were let loose
because the PNP, or any other law enforcement agency like the PDEA, has no drug
rehabilitation facility that can accommodate that huge number of people
involved or addicted to drugs, particularly shabu,” he added.
Barbers said that this is the reason why there is a
pressing need to fast track the passage of a bill calling for the creation of
either regional or provincial drug rehabilitation facilities to accomodate the
would-be rehab subjects as quickly as possible.
“If we would dilly-dally in the effort to create
more drug rehab facilities, what would happen to the more than 680,000 drug
pushers and users who surrendered to the police who are now at home or on the
loose? While we can presume that some of them, say 10 percent, won’t get back
to their old ways, what about the remaining 90 percent?” Barbers asked.
“Most likely, they would just take a short break
until the heat on them is off and later return to their old habits – smoking,
sniffing, ingesting or worse, again selling illegal drugs,” he added.
Barbers explained that there are at least 11 bills
filed at the lower house, with seven of them seeking the creation of drug
regional rehabilitation, while four seek the creation of such facility in every
province.
The country has 18 regions (17 administrative and
one autonomous) while there is a total of 81 provinces. The autonomous region
is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao while the Cordillera Administrative
Region, originally intended to be autonomous, was reduced to a regular
administrative region after two plebiscites failed for its establishment.
Under the measure filed by House Speaker Pantaleon
Alvarez, it stated that while there exists some government and private drug
rehabilitation facilities that offer rehab programs and services, most of them
are inaccessible and definitely expensive.
“Families in the provinces cannot meet the cost of
placing their drug dependent relatives in private rehab centers. Our bill seeks
to broaden the coverage of drug treatment and recovery programs for drug
dependents by establishing a drug rehab center in every region,” he said.
Alvarez explained that the process of
rehabilitation is not just about treating the physical and mental state of the
drug dependents. “It also requires emotional preparation, psychological
introspection, gradual social reintegration, and a post-monitoring mechanism
that will ensure permanent self-rediscovery and continued productivity.”
“With appropriate public-private sector
partnerships, we can collectively help drug victims get right back on track and
pursue life aspirations that temporarily took a back seat,” he said.
Other lawmakers are calling for the creation of
government drug rehab facilities in all the 81 provinces so that poor families
(living thereat) with drug dependents won’t be having a hard time travelling to
and from the regional rehab sites.
The PDEA and the PNP are both seeking an additional
P1 billion each for their anti-drug campaign for 2017, and this does not
include the creation of drug rehabilitation facilities. (SDR/AG/Congressional
Office/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
LGU-led peace caravan to be held in AgNor town
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 27 (PIA) – As part of the
6-point peace and development agenda of the Duterte administration, the local
government units of Jabonga and Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, in coordination
with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), line
agencies, and other stakeholders will conduct a peace caravan on Friday, Sept.
30, 2016 in Brgy. Baleguian, Jabonga town.
The said caravan is targeted to provide services to
the indigenous people (IP) communities primarily the Mamanwa tribes in the
municipalities of Jabonga and Kitcharao. However, this does not exclude the
non-IP residents in the community who have identified needs as well.
A total of over 500 households or 2,000 individuals
are expected to receive the services offered by the government.
The caravan aims to provide an avenue for the
different agencies to come together to provide services to communities,
especially those affected by armed conflict. Through these efforts, it is
ascertained that no community will be left behind.
At present, 24 government offices and civil society
organizations have committed to support the said activity and to deliver
services to the beneficiaries.
The services that will be offered will help address
issues on health, poverty, grooming, poverty, livelihood, education, social,
legal and land concerns. The caravan also aids in orienting the communities of
services offered by government that they can avail of. (OPAPP/PIA-Caraga)
