Feature: Disaster preparedness: enabling resilience
By Venus L. Garcia
A country fraught with plethora of perils can
topple over its posture for sustained and inclusive growth. These various
hazards either of natural and human-caused disasters are pretexts for building
a more resilient community. Thus, making several initiatives and plans to
ensure resilience by strengthening disaster preparedness and response
capabilities a top priority of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Caraga
through the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Council (RDRRMC).
In a positive note, as the Philippine head of state
highlights the efforts for Philippine Drug War, officially named Campaign Plan
Double Barrel, a campaign against illegal drugs in the Philippines, President
Rodrigo Duterte yet heeds on accentuating ways to reduce the impacts of
disasters and considers community resiliency a national imperative.
With this, multiple endeavors were undertaken and
others still on the row have to be done by OCD-Caraga to respond to the
challenge of the national government to thoroughly formulate approaches in
managing the risks and develop needed capabilities to achieve a very minimal
damage and zero casualty.
“The governing law for disaster risk reduction
management (DRRM) which is the R.A. 10121 stipulates that all local government
units should have their own DRR office. So, being aware of the importance of
the disaster planning, preparation and protocols, the need to capacitate more
the DRRM officers is highly significant to reduce vulnerability through
standards, regulation, resilient design, effective mitigation, and disaster
risk reduction measures,” underscored OCD Caraga regional director and RDRRMC
chairperson Jose Manuel Ochotorena.
Recounting its DRRM advocacy and program
implementation undertakings, the Civil Defense Caraga conducted series of
Incident Command System Training Courses to different municipal and provincial
DRRM officers.
Also, the recently concluded Local DRRM Operations
Officers Orientation has better helped the participants understand their roles
and responsibilities in managing the DRRM operations center.
Ochotorena emphasized how crucial it is for them to
cascade the guidelines on reporting disaster incidents and the database
management system in order to establish uniformity in the templates of reports.
“We have to make sure that at the municipal and
provincial levels they have their own functional local DRRM Operations Center,”
said Ochotorena.
Apart from these efforts, OCD Caraga targets the
upgrading of disaster communication equipment for local government units.
Ochotorena bared that they have enlisted the help of ham radio amateurs in
identifying the specifications of the fundamental radio equipment that every
operation center should at least acquire.
“We give them specifications of the communication
radios that can be utilized in the entire Caraga region. This is for
inter-operability and compatibility of dual-band radios operated by adjacent
localities and for them to communicate well without unnecessary interruptions
in times of disaster and emergencies,” explained Ochotorena.
Driven by his candor intent to empower the
community and disaster/emergency responders, the Caraga Civil Defense chief
admitted without exaggeration about how far his office has done in fulfilling
its agency’s mandate, but he underlined that in terms of preparedness, “we are
always progressing and not regressing.”
By collectively engaging all sectors of society in
framing shared responsibility, the nation can build resilient and safe
communities. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
GPK evaluators start envi assessment to 19 SurSur
LGUs
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Oct. 10 (PIA) – The
Gawad Probinsiya sa Kapaligiran (GPK) evaluators team conducted a 10-day
evaluation and assessment to two cities and 17 municipalities of this province.
The annual assessment aims to institutionalize the
local communities to be more effective in the management of the environment. It
also aims to inculcate to the communities that saving the environment must be
their way of life.
The first four-day assessment, which started last
October 3, 2016 was conducted in CarCanMadCarLanCor (Carrascal, Cantilan,
Madrid, Carmen, Lanuza, and Cortes) areas, Tago, and Tandag City. Other
remaining LGUs will be be visited this week.
This year’s competition is categorized into three
according to the income classifications: The city category; first to third
class municipalities; and fourth to fifth class municipalities.
The evaluating team is composed of the
representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
as its team leader, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),
Department of Education (DepEd), Philippine Information Agency (PIA),
PENRO-LGU, Provincial Health Office (PHO), Provincial Planning and Development
Office (PPDO), and Provincial Tourism Office.
(NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DAR AgNor provides legal assistance during
'Serbisyo Caravan'
By Gil E. Miranda
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 10 (PIA) - The Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Agusan del Norte held legal aid services to
farmer-beneficiaries during the “Peace
Month Serbisyo Caravan,” spearheaded by the Office of the Presidential Adviser
on the Peace Process (OPAPP), and local government unit of Jabonga held
recently at Brgy. Baleguian, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte.
During the event, the DAR legal team spent hours in
free consultation to give legal advice to some farmer-beneficiaries in Jabonga.
The team was composed of some legal expert of DAR
Regional and Provincial offices contributed to the success of the event.
DAR AgNor Attorney III Reggie Saludo said that the
legal clinic was to address the increasing land conflicts of the farmers
especially the indigenous community in Jabonga.
“This
partnership with the national and local agencies enable us to help more
farmer-beneficiaries secure their land,” Atty. Saludo said.
According to Jabonga Vice Mayor Glicerio Monton, Jr., a lot of farmer-beneficiaries
face challenges on the land they tilled and many farmlands were left behind and
became idle due to a major threat face by the farmer-beneficiaries and the
government. (DAR-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
157 Butuan school paper advisers undergo
enhancement training
By Joy Carol A. Belarmino
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 10 (PIA) – The Department of
Education (DepEd) Butuan City Division conducted a four-day Division Roll-out
on the Basics and Advance Courses on Campus Journalism and Digital Media to 157
school paper advisers (SPA) coming from 13 districts of the city at Provincial
Capitol Training Center recently.
The training was conducted in response to the
provision of Republic Act (RA) No. 7079, known as Campus Journalism Act of 1991
and in support to policy of the basic education program, which aims to orient
the SPAs on the latest trend and development in Campus Journalism and in
Digital Media; capacitate SPAs in journalistic writing, editing skills, and
school paper page designing and lay-outing, and in TV and radio broadcasting
and scriptwriting; and finalize the school’s training plans in journalism.
The activity was hosted by the Butuan City School
Paper Advisers Association, Incorporated (BCSPAAI), headed by Angelie C. Alvizo
as its president. The said activity is also in preparation of the incoming
Division Schools Press Conference. (DepEd Butuan City division/PIA-Agusan del
Norte)
120 AgSur farmers finally receive economic benefits
from their land after 5 years
By Joie L. Ceballos
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur, Oct. 10 (PIA) — Some
120 farmers here are relieved after waiting for their income from their land in
the form of economic benefits, which should have been given to them five years
ago.
The economic benefits consisted of lease rentals
from their lands and profits earned from enterprises operated by the
cooperative.
Today, the farmers of the Ronquillo group finally
received their economic benefits in cash from the NGEI Multi-Purpose
Cooperative. This farmer group is one of the breakaway groups from the original
NGEI Multi-Purpose Cooperative formed in 1988.
“Two groups have since broken away from NGEI and
formed their own,” said Agrarian Reform Undersecretary for Field Operations
Marcos Risonar, Jr.
Risonar said the five-year delay was due to
problems in revalidating original agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in 1988
and those who became members after 1988.
“The problem arose when the two original
farmer-groups of the NGEI and the NGPI Multi-Purpose Cooperatives started
encountering problems in running their respective cooperatives which resulted
in some disgruntled members to resign from their cooperatives. Some of them
encouraged those who resigned to join them in forming their own group,” said Risonar.
In the recent validation process conduced and
identified by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), out of the 1,625
agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who became members of the NGEI and NGPI
cooperatives in 1988, there are still 242 ARBs who were not able to come for
validation.
To reach out to these farmers, Risonar ordered the
DAR in Caraga Region to publish the their names in newspapers of general
circulation.
“Just like those who were validated, these 242 ARBs
will have to undergo a process. We will require them to bring pertinent
documents to be properly validated,” explains Risonar. (DAR/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
12 farmer-beneficiaries receive land titles during
'Serbisyo Caravan'
By Gil E. Miranda
BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 10 (PIA) – The Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Agusan del Norte distributed a total of 21-hectare
agricultural land to 12 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) during the
celebration of the “Serbisyo Peace Caravan 2016,” in line with the 2016
National Peace Consciousness Month held at Jabonga town on September 30, 2016.
Planning Officer Annelyn Chan said that the
distribution of titles is part of showing support to the government various
services aimed to continue peace and development in the countryside.
“We are strongly supporting the said event as part
of our efforts to provide support and legal services of the Department of
Agrarian Reform and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP),” Chan
added.
According to Jabonga Municipal Agrarian Reform
Program Officer (MARPO) Vicente Magallon, the farmer-beneficiaries of Barangays
Cuyago, Magsaysay and San Vicente in Jabonga are now the owners of the land
awarded to them under CARP.
“The said farmer-beneficiaries were happy upon
receiving their certificate of titles as their proof of ownership and they are
hoping for more support services from the department to make the land
productive,” Magallon added.
Rodulfo Salas, one of the beneficiaries, expressed
thanks to DAR by providing land which is their basic resources for a living.
“Dako among pasalamat sa DAR sa titulo nga among
nadawat (We are thankful to DAR for the
land we received,” Salas said.
Jabonga Vice Mayor Hon. Glicerio Monton, Jr. reiterated that DAR played a key
role in converting the land in Jabonga
into Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), whose farmer-beneficiaries
are now the recipient of the delivery of peace and more development program of
the government that could uplift their living condition. (DAR-Agusan del
Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
Surigao Norte solon pushes for reactivation,
revitalization of BADACs
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Oct. 10 (PIA) -
Second district representative Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House
Committee on Dangerous Drugs, recently pushed for the re-activation and
revitalization of the country’s more than 40,000 Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse
Councils (BADACs) to lead the government’s anti-drug campaign in the grassroots
level.
“The BADACs are our first line of defense in the
grassroots level, and they should spearhead the government’s fight against
illegal drugs in their localities,” he said.
Barbers explained that although the DILG created
the provincial, city, municipal and barangay anti-drug councils in December
1998, they are yet to be activated.
Police Director Benjamin Magalong, PNP deputy chief
for operations, in a recent hearing conducted by the Dangerous Drugs Committee,
said that the influx of dangerous drugs and other prohibited substances started
in year 2000 but there apparently had been no serious government effort to curb
it since then.
Barbers said it was only during the administration
of President Duterte that all government anti-drug agencies including the
military had been marshaled to put a stop in drug use and trafficking.
“When I was governor of Surigao del Norte, I
created a local vice squad which raided known drug dens, rounded up drug
addicts, and allotted certain amount for rehab. Noon, di pa talamak ang drugs
sa amin. We relied solely on our own logistics and manpower,” he said.
“It is only now, with all the support coming from
the President, the PNP and other law enforcement agencies, that the national
government has embarked on a serious anti-drug campaign, particularly with the
PNP’s Oplan Tokhang and Double Barrel,” he added.
The Department of Health and the members of the
committee that includes Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo
Bataoil, La Union Rep. Pablo Ortega and Negros Oriental Rep. Arnulfo Teves
among others, have expressed strong support for the re-activation and
revitalization of BADACs.
In earlier DILG memorandum circulars, the officers
and men of BADACs are supposed to come up with a list of illegal drug users,
pushers, financiers or protectors, in their respective LGUs to be submitted to
the City or Municipal anti-drug councils which would then refer their data to the
PNP for appropriate anti-drug action or operation.
Barbers said the DILG MCs warned the BADAC
officials of administrative cases for dereliction of duty if they failed to
comply with the directive which was anchored on Sec. 51 of RA 9165 or the
Dangerous Drugs Act. (SDR/2nd district Congressional Office/PIA-Surigao del
Norte)
Tagalog News: Pulis opisyal inalok ng kasal ang
kasintahan sa harap ni President Rodrigo Duterte
Ni Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Okt. 10 (PIA) - Sa unang pagdalaw ni
President Rodrigo Duterte sa Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters sa
Camp Rafael Rodriguez, Butuan City kamakailan lang, personal na nasaksihan ng
pangulo sa harap mismo nito ang paghingi sa kamay ng kanyang aide-de-camp na si
Police Senior Inspector Alniza Sunshine Kinang/ mula sa kasintahan nito na si
Police Senior Inspector Arvin Homillo.
Ang nasabing wedding proposal ay nagyari ilang
sandali matapos ang talumpati ng Pangulong Duterte. Bago paman ito makababa sa
entablado ay humingi si PSI Homillo ng tatlong minuto para opisyal na hingin
ang matamis na “oo” sa hangad na pakikipag-isang dibdib sa long-time girlfriend
nito.
Ang police couple ay nagkakilala sa loob ng
Philippine National Police Academy at pawang mga PNPA graduates, class 2012.
Sinabing magkarelasyon ang dalawa ng limang taon at sampung buwan na at balak
na sanang magpakasal nitong buwan ng Oktubre.
Ayon kay Police Officer Homillo, isang perpektong
pagkakataon ang pangyayari upang maipaabot ang kanyang sinserong intensyon sa
pagpapakasal sa girlfriend nitong miyembro ng presidential security group
(PSG).
Lubos na ikinagalak ni homillo ang hindi pagtanggi
ng lady cop sa kanyang kahilingan sabay abot ng bouquet ng mga rosas at halik
sa pisngi. Isa rin si PSI Homillo sa mga presidential awardees sa okasyon ding
iyon bilang most number of illegal drugs confiscated in the implementation of
project double barrel.
Sa ngalan ng pag ibig, si Pangulong Duterte ay
tatayong ninong sa kanilang darating na kasal.
Inaasahan ni President Duterte na mas lalo pang
pag-igihan ng dalawa ang pagtupad sa nakaatang na mga responsibilidad nito
bilang public servants. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
