Bislig gets P500K for disaster risk assessment
project
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
BISLIG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Feb. 1 (PIA) – The
City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) of Bislig is a
recipient of P500,000 worth of project on Disaster Risk Assessment from the
Public Services International (PSI).
Youreallylove Sango of CDRRMC Bislig said the
program is a pilot partnership between the Labor Union Confederation - Public
Services International, Bislig City Employees Association (BisCEA), and the
City DRRM office of Bislig as the recipient agency.
According to Sango, the project will be implemented
throughout this year thru the CDRRM office serving as the secretariat of the
city DRRM Council.
The project aims to help the city government come
up with a comprehensive Baseline Information for its Hazard, and Vulnerability
Assessment, which is a fundamental component in managing future disasters.
Earlier, a memorandum of undertaking was signed on
Dec. 10, 2016 between Bislig City mayor Librado Navarro and a PSI representative
for the implementation of the said project.
(PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DOE urges gov’t agencies to pursue energy
efficiency, conservation initiatives
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 1 (PIA) - Energy Secretary
Alfonso Cusi said today that government is taking the lead and serving as a
role model to private companies in achieving energy security.
“Under our Government Energy Management Program
(GEMP), the Department of Energy has required 140 government entities to submit
their electricity consumption from 2015 to 2016 to assess usage,” Cusi said.
“We are closely monitoring their energy consumption
so that we can provide strategies to help them become more energy-efficient in
their daily operations,” he pointed out.
As part of GEMP, the DOE has enlisted government
agencies with available power generating units that can be enrolled for the
Interruptible Load Program (ILP) to augment power supply capacity in times of
red alert status or when power supply reserves are thin.
"The ILP seeks to convince big load customers
of Distribution Utilities and Electric Cooperatives to register so they can run
their stand-by generation sets in times of energy supply deficiency to prevent
power outages," Cusi explained.
“Based on our GEMP survey, about 100 government
buildings have operational generator sets and these total to 85 megawatts of
power supply capacity,” Cusi said.
Other
energy efficiency measures that the DOE enjoins government agencies to adhere
to include setting the thermostat of air-conditioners to no lower than 25°C;
replacing aircon units with inverter-type, and switching fluorescent lamps with
light-emitting diode (LED) lights.
Aside from requesting government institutions, the
DOE asked nearly 70 malls nationwide to set their cooling system’s temperature
to 25°C as a way to temper their huge buildings’ demand for electricity.
“We, the government, have to be the best examples to
our people in managing our energy consumption,' Cusi emphasized.
Earlier, the DOE released a number of
appliance-focused energy-saving tips to household consumers which they can
adopt as energy efficiency and conservation methods.
“Government agencies will continue stewarding our
kababayans and private companies in achieving energy security for the country
through efficient and judiciously managing electricity usage,” Cusi said.
(DOE/PIA-Caraga)
OWWA Caraga holds livelihood orientation to
repatriated OFWs
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 1 (PA) - In its constant effort
to provide relief to repatriated OFWs who were not fortunate in their journey
overseas, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) held a series of
orientation seminar on Balik Pinas Balik Hanapbuhay Livelihood Assistance
Program and Enterprise Development Training (EDT) in various provinces of the
region.
Around 48 OFWs from Agusan del Norte attended the
said activity on January 23, while 28 attendees participated in Agusan del Sur
on January 25 and 16 OFWs have joined in Surigao del Sur on January 27.
OWWA Caraga Reintegration Program Coordinator Jean
Mary Ronquillo oriented the participants regarding the program and its
guidelines. She further discussed basic ideas on livelihood undertaking.
Public Employment Service Office Provincial Manager
Divina Lagumbay also shared to participating OFWs in Agusan del Sur her
knowledge and experiences in engaging into business in order to capacitate them
regarding enterprise development.
Aside from gaining ideas on livelihood endeavors,
the said activity also paved way for the participants to develop their
individual business plans for their proposed livelihood projects.
The Balik Pinas Balik Hanapbuhay Livelihood
Assistance Program is a non-cash livelihood assistance intended to returning
OWWA member OFWs who were not able to finish their employment contracts
overseas due to economic crisis in their jobsites, sickness and other
distressful situations. Availment to the said program is only within 1 year
upon return to the country.
For the year 2016, a total of P2,150,000 worth of
livelihood starter kits were awarded to 215 OFW beneficiaries of the program in
Caraga. (OWWA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Agusan del Norte prohibits pawning of 4Ps cash card
IDs
By Aimee B. Sienes
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 1 (PIA) - Pawning of Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) cash card IDs or any agreement to government
officials and employees, private individuals/groups and local business
establishments is now prohibited in the province of Agusan del Norte.
This stemmed from the approval of Provincial
Ordinance No. 435-2017, prohibiting such act, passed and approved by the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan and authored by Provincial Board Member Elizabeth
Marie R. Calo.
The provincial government of Agusan del Norte is
protecting its constituents especially the underprivileged from unscrupulous
individuals who are taking advantage of the plight of the poor who are
beneficiaries of the national government’s 4Ps, by extending them loans with
the condition that their 4Ps cash card IDs or agreement shall serve as
collateral.
The new law aimed to address the misuse of 4Ps cash
cards, to penalize 4Ps beneficiaries in the province who shall pawn their 4Ps
cash card IDs to informal lenders or lending agencies and penalize government
officials/employees, private individuals/groups and local businesses or
corporations who are accepting 4Ps cash cards as loan collateral.
Violators of the said ordinance shall be penalized
as follows: For the beneficiary – first offense – counseling from the Municipal
Link and a written warning from the Provincial Link; second offense –
counseling from the Provincial Link and a written warning from the Regional
Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Caraga Region;
the concerned household’s grant shall be suspended and shall not be released
for one payment period or two months; third offense – delisting of the
concerned household under the Grievance Redress System (GRS) Fraud of the DSWD,
Caraga Region duly signed by the regional director. The household’s delisted
status is non-appealable.
For the government officials/employees – first
offense-written warning from their respective Chief Executive to be attached to
their individual service record; second offense – removal from government
service. For the private individuals/groups –first offense- fine of P1,000.00
per cash card pawned; second and succeeding offenses – fine of P3,000.00 per
cash card pawned. And for local businesses (lending institutions and pawnshops
– first offense-fine of P3,000.00; second offense – fine of P5,000.00; third
offense – revocation of business permit. (LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del
Norte)
Cebuano News: Sundalo gidagit sa armadong grupo sa
Surigao del Norte
Ni Regal C. Oribia
BUTUAN CITY, Peb. 1 (PIA) – Gidagit ang usa ka
sundalong giilang si Private First Class Erwin Salan sa 30th Infantry (PYTHON)
Battalion sa Philippine Army sa mga armadong grupo kon New People’s Army o NPA
sa lungsod sa Alegria, Surigao del Norte niadtong Dominggo sa hapon.
Matud pa ni Lieutenant Colonel Rico Amaro, 30th
Infantry Battalion commander, samtang nanglimpyu sila Erwin Salan kauban ang
mga kabatan-onan sa usa ka tourist destination sa barangay Budlingin, Algeria
sa alas 3 sa hapon kalit lang kining gidagit sa armadong grupo nga gikan sa
Guerilla Front Committee 16 – Northeastern Mindanao kauban ang ilang lider nga
si Florencio Llano alyas ‘Ka Ricky’.
Dugang pa ni Amaro, gigapos ug pwersahang gidala
ang maong biktima sa dili pa matino nga lugar. (RCO/PIA-Caraga)
