Surigao earthquake: a proof of resilience amidst
terrible tremor
By Venus L. Garcia
SURIGAO CITY, Feb 14 (PIA) – When catastrophe
strikes, a person or a family caught blindsided when hit unexpectedly. It was a
terrible Friday evening of Feb. 10 for clueless Surigaonons’ when their faith
and forbearance were put to serious test in the midst of a powerful
6.7-magnitude earthquake.
For Amparo Donoso, 56 years old, a resident of
Purok Baybay Parola, this city, living in a shanty and rearing four youngsters
was able to stand the fright as she briskly brought her family to a safer
ground.
“I am mindful of how the hazardous quake and
aftershocks might cost our lives, my instinct and adequate awareness dictated
me to prioritize the safety of my family,” said Donoso despite knowing about
the advisory of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center that there’s no tsunami
threat in effect.
Seen also at the Capitol grounds where a multitude
of common people sought refuge were lactating mothers carrying along in their
arms innocent baby, elderlies and persons with disabilities.
Displaced during a total power blackout never
hamper them to find reasons to grin as they stayed safe under some makeshift
shelters pitched by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Surigao City-Surigao del
Norte chapter personnel.
“We see to it that the quake victims be given
assistance. Large tents are provided to them appropriately protect them from
getting wet from rains than leaving them helpless. Medical and first aid
services are available for them. In addition to that, those who are still under
the state of trauma were given psychosocial support services or stress
debriefing,” said John Rafael DaΓ±o of PRC Surigao del Norte.
Romel Empalnado and his wife, together with their
eight months old, three and five years old children, who all came from Nueva
Extension, Barangay Taft, flocked to the evacuation area to secure themselves
after series of aftershocks continued to disturb them. “I am more concerned for
the welfare of our baby and kids. I can afford to lose my house but not my
loved ones,” said Empalnado in a voice quavered with emotion.
Meanwhile, no one would ever expect to witness a
scene at the Caraga Regional Hospital (CRH) with patients being catered in
portable tents assembled at its ground. Despite the structural damages where
the beams collapsed at the medical ward, the management was able to give
assistance to a large volume of patients who suffered from panic attack,
lacerations and fracture.
“In support to the patients, the city government of
Surigao and the Department of Health (DOH) were able to furnish additional
tents folding beds, assorted medicines and jerry cans to the hospital for the
use of the victims who are staying in the hospital. The Bureau of Fire
Protection (BFP) has also operated a rationing of water and more assistance are
expected from the Chinese Chamber,” declared Delfin Antallan,
officer-in-charge, administrative department of CRH.
On civilian fatalities due to the earthquake that
ravaged the city, the bereaved family of Lito Wilson, 35 years old and a
resident of Brgy. Nonoc received an initial monetary assistance of P20,000 from
the national government, P5,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) Caraga. They are also entitled to claim for an additional
burial assistance from the DSWD upon complying the requirements.
The communities also have there own way of opening
their local eatery and barbecue stalls utilizing generator sets to illuminate
the dimness and gloomy ambience as they serve the customers in need of food.
Personal resilience made them easy to adapt to
adversity. They have shown numerous measures that would define resilience.
“People’s resilience is not only capacitating them
with disaster preparedness capabilities or decreasing their vulnerabilities to
the effects of disasters but resilience has been found to be associated with
social support to the variety of population. It can be a social support
assistance, tangible and intangible, or shielding people from the adverse
effect of calamities,” underscored Rosauro Arnel Gonzales, Jr., Office of Civil
Defense Caraga regional director.
To give more relief to the victims, apart from the
humanitarian aid afforded by the Rotary Club and other non-government
organizations, the C130 has arrived on Monday at the Bancasi airport, this
city, loaded with 137 boxes of assorted medicines, 500 hygiene kits, 75 tents,
500 jerry cans and two drums of chlorine. These are all part of the promised
support from the national government through the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), DSWD, DOH and PRC.
With the suspension of business operation of the
major mall and other supermarkets in the locality, Surigaonons who are badly
affected by the quake are pleading to receive for more food and non-food items,
including financial assistance adequate to repair their wrecked abode.
(VLG/PIA-Caraga)
DTI reminds consumers, businessmen of price freeze
in quake-hit Surigao
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Feb. 14 (PIA) –
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Surigao del Norte provincial office
reminds the public and businessmen of the price freeze in the city following
the city government’s declaration of a state of calamity per Resolution No.
23-2017 dated Feb. 11, 2017.
DTI Surigao del Norte provincial director Celestino
L. Negapatan said that all prices of basic necessities are automatically frozen
at their prevailing prices, which shall be the average price of the basic
necessity within a month from the occurrence of the state of calamity.
He explained that under Republic Act 7581 as
amended, basic necessities include the following: rice, corn, bread, fresh,
dried and canned fish and other marine products, fresh pork, beef and poultry
meat, fresh eggs, fresh and processed milk, fresh vegetables, root crops,
coffee, sugar, cooking oil, salt, laundry soap, detergents, firewood, charcoal,
candles, drugs classified as essentials by the Department of Health, potable
water in bottles and containers, fresh fruits, locally manufactured instant
noodles, households liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and kerosene.
Negapatan further explained that unless sooner
lifted, the price freeze under R.A. 7581 shall remain effective for the
duration of the condition that brought it about but not for more than 60 days,
provided that for household LPG and kerosene the duration shall not be more
than 15 days.
“All concerned are warned that violators shall
suffer the penalty of imprisonment for a period of one year to ten years, or a
fine ranging form P5,000 to P1,000,000 or both at the discretion of the court
aside form applicable administrative penalties,” Negapatan added.
(DTI-SDN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
PSA prepares for the conduct of crop production
survey
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 14 (PIA) - Aside from the data on
palay and corn, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) also gathers
information on the production of other crops. Other crops sub-sector includes
three commodity groups namely: Fruits, Vegetables and Non-food and Industrial
Commercial Crops (NFICC).
It covers more than 200 crops in 82 provinces
nationwide, which 19 of these commodities were highlighted in the report of the
performance of Agriculture. The commodity coverage by province differs and
depends on what each produces.
CrPS is conducted during the last ten days of the
second month of the current quarter. It is simultaneously collected with Farm
Price Survey during the survey month.
The selection of sample farms in the province are
done by categorizing into small and large farms according to area planted to a
specific crop.
For large farms, a maximum of five plantation farms
shall be chosen for the whole province. For small farms, farmer-producers are
selected from top producing municipalities per crop identified through Key
Informant (KI) Approach and actually harvesting during the reference quarter.
The survey captures the data on volume of
production, area planted/harvested and number of bearing trees/hills/vines. All
information collected by the hired Statistical Researchers from sample
farmer-producers shall be kept strictly confidential and shall not be used for
purposes of taxation, investigation or regulation as provided under Article 55
of Republic Act 10625. (PSA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog News: Minero arestado dahil sa kaso ng rape
at illegal mining sa Butuan
Ni Jennifer P. Gaitano
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Peb. 14 (PIA) - Kulungan ang
kinahantungan ng isang suspek dito sa lungsod matapos dakpin ng mga otoridad
mula sa Butuan City Police Station dahil sa illegal mining at kasong rape.
Batay sa ulat, sinalakay ng mga kapulisan ang
bulubunduking parte ng barangay Maibu at Bilay kung saan may hinihinalang mga
New Peoples Army na gumagawa ng mga extortion activities.
At nang isinagawa ng mga kapulisan ang combat
operation ay doon na nga nahuli rin ang nabanggit na suspek na nakilalang si
Carlito Tacasan na may standing warrant sa kasong rape at paglabag ng section 5
ng Republic Act 7610 o ang batas na kumikilala sa protection ng mga bata laban
sa pang-aabuso at diskriminasyon.
Nanguna sa nasabing combat operation si Police
Superintendent Exelso Lazaga Jr, ang OIC ng Butuan City Police Station at
Police Chief Inspector Christian Rafols.
Ayon kay Rafols, nakuha rin nila sa posesyon ng
suspect ang isang unit ng Magnum 357 na may 11 live ammunitions.
Dagdag pa ni Rafols, itinuro naman ng suspek ang
kinaroroonan ng mining site sa may Purok-3 barangay Bilay. Ayon pa kay Rafols,
nakita nila ang malaking area ng minahan at doon ay nakumpiska rin ang apat na
units ng engine with water pump and hose at chemicals na siyang ginagamit sa
pagmimina. Nakipag-coordinate umano agad sila sa Cty Environment and Natural
Resources Office (ENRO) upang ma-assess ang kondisyon ng nabanggit na minahan.
Samantala, binigyang diin ni Rafols na patuloy ang
kanilang ginagawang monitoring sa mga target areas kung saan may mga ilegal na
operasyon na nakasira hindi lang sa mga tao kundi pati na rin sa kalikasan.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog News: Surigaonons nanatili pa sa mga
temporary shelters
Ni Jennifer P. Gaitano
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Feb. 14 (PIA) - Marami pa rin sa
mga Surigaonons ang piniling manatili sa matataas na lugar sa lungsod ng
Surigao dahil na rin sa takot sa sunod-sunod na aftershocks mula noong niyanig
ng 6.7 magnitude na lindol noong biyernes ng gabi ang probinsya ng Surigao del
Norte.
Karamihan ng mga residente doon ay naniniguradong
ligtas ang kanilang pamilya sakaling may aftershocks pang mararanasan kaya
tinitiis nalang ang manatili sa temporary shelters.
May ilan-ilan sa mga evacuees ang may takot na
bumalik sa kanilang mga tahanan matapos may naitalang mga nabitak at gumohong
mga pader ng bahay at establistamento.
Karamihan din sa mga apektadong indibidwal at
pamilya na nasa temporary shelters ay nabibigyan ng mga kinakailangang serbisyo
kung kaya’t mas pinipili nilang dito muna pansamantala habang wala pang mas
maayos at ligtas na matitirahan. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog News: PopCom-Caraga pinaalalahanan ang mga
kabataan na maging maingat sa Valentine’s Day
Ni Regal C. Oribia
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Peb. 14 (PIA) – Muling
pinaaalahan ng Commission on Population (PopCom) ang mga kabataan lalung-lalo
na sa mga minor de edad ngayong araw ng mga puso na mag-ingat nang sa gayon ay
maiwasan ang maagang pagbubuntis at hindi mahawa sa sinasabing Human
Immunodeficiency Virus o mas kilala sa tinatawag na HIV.
Ayon kay Alexander A. Makinano, regional director
ng PopCom-Caraga, dapat maging responsible, maingat, at maging wais ang mga
kabataan sa pagpili ng desisyong tatahakin at gagawin. Pakaisiping mabuti ang
mga bagay-bagay na sasang-ayonan at hindi sasang-ayonan. Diin din niya na hindi
matatagpuan sa pakikipagtalik ang tunay na pagmamahal bagkus makapaghihintay
ito sa tamang panahon.
Base sa mga naitalang kaso ng PopCom dito sa
rehiyon ng Caraga, halos mga kabataan ang may mataas na porsyento ang aktibo sa
hindi ligtas na pakikipagtalik.
Hanggang ngayon ay patuloy pa rin ang PopCom at
lokal na kasapi nito sa kanilang kampanya para maiwasan ang pagtaas ng bilang
sa kaso ng sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV at early pregnancy.
(RCO/PIA-Caraga)
