2017 Chapter Volunteer Run set in Butuan
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 3 (PIA) – The Philippine Red
Cross (PRC) Agusan del Norte-Butuan City Chapter is once again calling on
Agusanons to support and participate in this year’s Chapter Volunteer Run (CVR)
Wave 2 on February 18 with assembly area at the Father Saturnino Urios
University (FSUU) gymnasium, this city.
According to PRC Agusan del Norte-Butuan City
chapter administrator Teodoro Cairo, this year’s Chapter Volunteer Run is aimed
to get fund generation for the health and welfare services of the PRC.
“Our vision is to make the CVR as one of the most
popular event of its kind in the locality, thus, demonstrating how the local
chapter leads in championing the spirit of volunteerism. We wish to show that
the Agusan del Norte, Butuan City and Cabadbaran City are deeply committed in
mobilizing humanitarian action as a means of saving lives. In calling the event
'Run to Save Lives,' we would like to emphasize what Red Cross Volunteers
actually do everyday,” underlined Cairo.
Cairo added that participants of the 3-kilometer
Run will have to pay P200.00; 5k run for P300.00; and 10k run for P500.00.
Inclusions are race bib, race singlet, and race certificate.
For more information, the PRC Agusan del
Norte-Butuan City chapter can be reached at telephone number (085) 342-4166.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)
NFA Surigao Norte reminds grain retailers to renew
business license
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Feb. 3 (PIA) – The
National Food Authority (NFA) provincial office reminds all grains retailer to
renew their NFA license to avoid penalty.
Provincial Manager Gleen P. Echin announces that
businessmen in the municipalities of Bacuag, Placer, Gigaquit and Claver should
renew their license within the month of February to avoid surcharge and other
penalties.
For further queries businessmen are encouraged to
visit the NFA located at Km. 10, Barangay Quezon, Surigao City or at Tan
Warehouse located at Bilang Bilang, Borromeo Street.
Businessmen can also call the NFA Hotline No.
0932-8681554 and 0917-8258302. (NFA-Surigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Agusan del Norte ordinance granting honorarium to
FPWD officers OK'd
By Aimee B. Sienes
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 3 (PIA) - The Sangguniang
Panlalawigan of Agusan del Norte enacted and approved on third and final
reading during its 26th Regular Session on January 30, 2017, Provincial
Ordinance No. 437-2017, providing honorarium to the officers of the Provincial
Federation of Persons with Disability (FPWD), Agusan del Norte Chapter in the
amount of P500.00 each per month.
The said ordinance, authored by Provincial Board
Member Elizabeth Marie R. Calo, strengthened the granting of honorarium as part
of the provincial government’s thrust to make the FPWD partners in the
development of the province and its people.
It was known that since 2007, the officers of the
FPWD Agusan del Norte Chapter have been receiving regular honorarium in the
amount of P500.00 during the conduct of monthly meetings charged to the funds
of the Provincial Social Welfare, Population, Nutrition and Services Office
(PSWPNSO). However, to sustain the granting of said honorarium, the body
believed that a provincial ordinance providing honorarium to FPWD officers is
more appropriate for sustainable budgetary allocation.
Republic Act No. 9442 or the Magna Carta of Persons
With Disability, as amended, recognizes the rights of the PWDs in the country
and provides for the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of
disabled persons and their integration into the mainstream of society. (LGU-Agusan
del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
AgSur town receives BuB funds for green growth
project
TRENTO, Agusan del Sur, Feb. 3 (PIA) – The local
government unit (LGU) of Trento here is poised to do yet another “green”
project with the recent release of its 2016 Bottom up Budgeting (BuB) of
P1-million funding. This is a follow through of their 2014 BuB Green Village
and Distribution Center Project.
Trento municipal mayor William Galvez recently
received the check from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Agusan del
Sur OIC-provincial director Brenda Corvera.
Mayor Galvez expressed strong commitment towards
the project’s objectives for the green growth and the promotion of Green
Economic Development. These are to utilize solar energy as alternative power
source, to convert and process non-biodegradable wastes into construction
materials, and to capacitate rural micro-enterprise in the utilization of
recyclable and useful residual wastes.
In another development, Mayor Galvez declared his
full support for the establishment of a Negosyo Center in Trento. The mayor
offered a co-working space with the municipality’s soon to be established
trading post – another BuB project. Launch date is agreed to be in July 2017.
(DTI-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
AgSur women leaders train in organizational
management
SIBAGAT, Agusan del Sur, Feb. 3 (PIA) – The
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Agusan del Sur through its Negosyo
Center has trained women leaders belonging to the Sibagat Federation of Women’s
Association, Incorporated (SFWAI) during the recently concluded one-day
training on how to manage and further develop their respective organizations.
The learning session was participated by some 13
SFWAI member-organizations, who are also partners and/or beneficiaries of the
DTI’s Shared Service Facility (SSF) and Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB) programs.
Malinda Quintana, president of the women’s group in
Barangay Ilihan presented the shared sentiments of participants saying that
they were happy because the learnings can also be used not only for their
association but also in their respective barangays. (DTI-Agusan del
Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
DTI conducts price monitoring, sensing in AgSur
LGUs under state of calamity
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, Feb. 3 (PIA) – The
prices and supply of basic necessities remain stable and adequate. This is the
initial findings from the monitoring and sensing conducted by the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) Agusan del Sur in the different municipalities of the
province.
The DTI’s price monitoring and sensing on basic
necessities also showed inventories of the monitored stories were still within
normal. For the rest of the week, monitoring will still continue.
DTI-Agusan del Sur provincial director Brenda
Corvera, stressed that this is to ensure that affected families of the recent
floodings will be protected as consumers from any business malpractices. The
office will also post notices relative to prize freeze.
DTI also encourages the local government units and
the general public to inform the office of any observed negative business
practices happening in their areas. (DTI-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
30 LGU officials participate in local
competitiveness workshop in Surigao Norte
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Feb. 3 (PIA) – A
total of 31 officials of local government units (LGUs) of the province attended
the seminar-workshop on Local Competitiveness on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 held
at Hotel Tavern, this city.
The said activity was conducted by the Department
of Trade and Industry (DTI) in coordination with the Department of the Interior
and Local Government (DILG) to provide a venue for the mainland LGUs in the
province to discuss concerns on how to improve the overall territorial
competitiveness.
The seminar, which was primarily intended for
Siargao LGUs, was joined by the participants from the mainland municipalities
of Tubod, San Francisco and Mainit since they were not able to attend similar
activity on December last year.
Participants are mostly composed of Municipal
Planning and Development Coordinators, Local Economic and Investment Promotion
Officers and Business Permit and Licensing Officers.
Chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
Committee on Economic Affairs, Trade Commerce and Industry Board Member Melva
P. Garcia, in her welcome message, explained that Siargao Island LGUs with
their inherent natural advantage have a competitiveness edge in eco-tourism and
related industries.
During the said seminar, DTI provincial director
Celestino Negapatan explained that the present economic environment calls for
individuals firms, industry sectors and LGUs to improve their respective
competitiveness level to face the challenge of globalization.
Negapatan also stressed the importance of the
Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMC) that can be used as a
planning tool that can help guide the LGUs in setting their respective local
economic development strategies and priorities.
DILG Surigao del Norte Outcome Manager Lydia S.
Bajan, as one of the resource persons, explained the DILG-DTI-DICT Joint
Memorandum Circular purposely issued to further enhance the ease of doing
business by cutting down procedural steps to reduce processing time of business
permit applications.
Bajan emphasized that that business permit
licensing system implementation should not be done for compliance purposes only
but has to be viewed as an essential component in hastening economic
development of the local communities.
Provincial Economic Enterprise Development and
Management Office (PEEDMO) Graciela E. Mante also shared other technical inputs
like the ranking of the CMCI of the province and Engr. Ma. Theresa Z. Calang,
head of the Industry Development Unit of DTI explained the establishment of
Negosyo Centers as priority development projects of the national government.
DTI Institutional Development Unit head Rodrigo R.
Matabaran discussed the implications of LGUs ranking and scores relative to
their present economic condition and realities while advising LGUs to carefully
identify projects and adapt policies that will attract private sector
investments in their localities, encourage business startups and boosts
economic development.
In preparation for the 2017 CMCI round, Trade and
Industry Development Specialist Mardel Allen G. Delanto talked on the new
parameters and indications.
During the workshop, the participants prepared
their respective LGU action plans to further improve competitiveness level by
identifying relevant projects and activities of their respective
municipalities. (DTI-Surigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Energy Department closely monitors LPG market to
protect consumers
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 3 (PIA) - Amidst the increase of
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices, the Department of Energy (DOE) assured
that it is closely monitoring the local LPG market to make sure that only
reasonably priced LPG products are being sold to consumers.
“Our Oil Industry Management Bureau (OIMB) is
closely assessing the global trend of supply and demand, while also taking into
consideration other factors affecting the prices of LPG,” said Energy Secretary
Alfonso G. Cusi.
He added that the DOE-OIMB reported that the root
cause of the LPG price hike this month was due to the increased demand by the
cold weather continents such as North America, Europe and even Northern Asia.
Moreover, Cusi said, "LPG is primarily being
used as a heating fuel in these regions, especially with the extended cold
weather or winter attributed to La NiΓ±a."
Sec. Cusi clarified, “large consuming countries are
having a hard time getting their supply because even the transportation of
these LPG products, mostly through railway, is also affected by the cold
weather. This curbs supply, then affects the demand, and ultimately the
prices.”
"The DOE-OIMB report also cites the rising
global crude oil prices and outages of oil refineries in some oil-producing
countries as additional factors for the rising prices of LPG."
Sec. Cusi also informed that LPG is a by-product of
crude oil and natural gas production. And with the global crude oil prices
going up due also to the higher demand and curbed supply production from the
OPEC, any by-product would also increase.
“Since more than 90% of our LPG supply is imported,
we must ensure that LPG products sold in the local market are reasonably
priced, according to what actually is transpiring in the global market. This is
how the government can protect consumers from these price volatilities,” Cusi
said.
“We are being more thorough in monitoring the local
market because some LPG traders might take advantage of this international
market scenario to the detriment of the public. We don’t want that to happen.”
The DOE is also campaigning on the demand-side
management of proper LPG use such as cooking with the appropriate size of pans,
setting to low fire or turning off the stove when the water is already boiling
and ensuring the integrity of the hose of the LPG to avoid leakage.
Lastly, Sec. Cusi advised that apart from prices, I
encourage the public to be more vigilant in ascertaining that the LPG cylinder
that they are buying has the right weight, 11 kilograms, which is the common
volume for a household LPG cylinder. (DOE/PIA-Caraga)
Caraga reps get national festival talent award
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 3 (PIA) – Two regional
representatives for the National Festival of Talents specifically Jingle Writing and Singing Contest and
Population Quiz garnered an award in the
recently concluded competition in Dipolog City.
Angel Rose Go, the pride of Bislig City National
High School ranked 2nd Place to the Jingle Writing and Singing, an on-the-spot
skill exhibition, while Jules Christian Sendiong of Caraga Regional Science
High School in Surigao City ranked 4th Place for the mind-boggling Population
Quiz.
Angel’s winning piece on jingle writing is an
original composition which focused on the life of teenage mothers and the
importance of population, health and environment which she performed in
acapella. Miss Go is a consistent honor student.
Meanwhile, the other contestants who competed at
the national level are: Zara Pia
Claudette Q. Vismanos of the Agusan
National High School, Butuan City for the Essay Writing Contest and Ruben B.
Bete, Jr. of Recaredo Castillo College in Bislig City for
the Poster Making Contest.
The theme for this year’s Population Quiz and
on-the-spot skills exhibition on PopDev is “Precious and Precarious: Life of
Young Filipinos.”
This annual event is a joint undertaking of the
Commission on Population (PopCom) and Department of Education among private and
public high school students at all levels which aims to promote values
supportive of population and development education among the youth and to
showcase their talents through exhibition. (PopCom-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
PopCom to finalize 6-year plan
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 3 (PIA) – The Commission on
Population (PopCom) has crafted the six-year strategic plan, which provides
direction and a timely and evidence-based data derived from demographic and
socio-economic analysis to the regional population management strategies
towards the attainment of critical population issues in the region.
The Regional Population Management (RPM) Strategic
Plan for 2017 to 2022 is the output of the recent strategic planning-workshop
participated by the local population officers/workers and program partners from
the various Regional Line Agencies, as a critical players of the socio-economic
agenda of President Duterte Administration towards the attainment of “AmBisyon
Natin 2040."
The participation of the Local Population Offices
and the Regional Line Agencies have
contributed much to the formulation of the six-year strategic plan, as they
have also developed a relevant and responsive population management strategic
interventions out of the identified
local and regional priority population issues.
Director Alexander A. Makinano of PopCom Caraga
revealed that the RPM Plan will be used as an input to the Philippine
Population Management Program (PPMP) Agenda, which will be pursued to empower
Filipino families and communities as a critical factor in attaining the
Ambisyon Natin 2040 and the key thrusts of the Philippine Health Agenda
particularly the achievement of zero unmet need for modern family planning.
The PPMP Agenda is anchored on the national
development direction within the Duterte Administration which aimed at building
and nurturing “Matatag, Maginhawa, at Planadong Pamilyang Pilipino.”
Furthermore, Makinano mentioned that the PPMP will
serve as the collaborative framework for all key stakeholders in the
implementation of key strategies specifically along the three major program
components of Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning, Adolescent Health and
Development and Population and Development Integration. (PopCom-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
