10 farmers take oath in SurSur
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Feb. 8 (PIA) – The
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Surigao del Sur provincial office has
confirmed some 10 qualified farmer-beneficiaries of the DAR’s Land Tenure
Services program involving an area of 20.4377 hectares of agricultural land.
According to DAR Information officer Myra Yu, the
beneficiaries, who were all from the municipality of Tagbina, took their oath
at the Municipal Trial Court in Bislig City as part of the requirement of the
program.
The Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) as partner
on the implementation also required them to undergo the process as one of the
requirements in the processing of Voluntary Offer to Sell Claim Folders (VOSCF)
and /or Compulsory Acquisition Claim Folders (CACFs).
During the activity, Criselda L. Enoy, 22 years
old, one of the beneficiaries from Barangay Sayon, Tagbina, said that she was
nervous during the oath taking and wondered at first why they have to undergo
the process…"but after the Judge explained to us the purpose, I now fully
understand the importance of the oath.”
Yu said the oath-taking ceremony is important to
ensure that the identified farmer-beneficiaries have underwent a selection
process conducted by the Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Office as stipulated
in section 22 of Republic Act No. 6657
known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DOE prioritizes assessment of Sual plant
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 8 (PIA) - The Department of
Energy (DOE) has sent a team to the Sual Power Station on Monday to assess the
restoration of its generating units that went offline.
"We need to make Team Sual aware that we are
checking on them and all the others,” DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.
Aside from verifying reports, DOE wants to ensure
the safety and reliability of the plant.
“Our goals are getting the correct reports and
pushing them to a higher degree in doing their jobs. It's not just them giving
the right account of what's going on. More importantly, it's the higher
standard we are after,” Cusi said.
The Secretary said that in the end, audit teams
must push and convince plant operators to procure quality materials to achieve
a higher level in performing their functions.
"To achieve higher standards, rewards and
penalties, monitoring and a fair system of grading should be in place."
Cusi added, “when we visit plants, we always show
concern for the workers. We put pressure on the owners to provide the best
resources for the workers to excel. Best equipment, facilities and fair
benefits will result to better performance.”
Sual Unit 2 went online at 5:21 a.m. while Sual
Unit 1 went offline at 10:15 a.m. on February 6, 2017 due to a possible
condenser tube leak, but the power situation in Luzon is still manageable,
according to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
“The grid is still normal at this time,” NGCP
representative said in a statement. Based on the most recent update of NGCP,
the Luzon grid will have a net reserve of 1,089 megawatts during the afternoon
peak.
Accordingly, Sual Unit 2 is running at 647 megawatts
and Malaya TPP Unit 2 will be utilized at minimum stable capacity of 130
megawatts to maintain normal system conditions.
Team Energy Sual disclosed that Sual Unit 1 is
expected to return on line within three to four days. They will provide DOE
periodic updates with regard to the plant conditions.
The Sual Power Station is the largest coal-fired
power plant in the Philippines generating and supplying 1,294 megawatts for the
Luzon Grid. (DOE/PIA-Caraga)
Army discredits NPA-NDF statements over killing of
soldiers in Bukidnon
CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City, Feb 8. (PIA)
- Following the incident wherein three soldiers were killed by the New People's
Army (NPAs) on February 1, 2017 in Malaybakay, Bukidnon, MGen. Benjamin
Madrigal Jr., 4th Infantry Division (4ID) commander, has expressed condemnation
regarding the accusation and libelous statements of Luis Jalandoni of the
National Democratic Front (NDF) saying that the death of the soldiers in
Bukidnon was a rubout.
“That was a report from the military. There's a
possibility that the military are the ones who shot at them because we still
have no report from the NPA. It is never a policy of the NPA to waste several
bullets in an encounter. It can be a rubout done by the military to put the
blame to the NPA. Because the NPA has established a good reputation in
different communities,” uttered Jalandoni, in a desperate attempt to cover up
the acts committed by their terrorist members.
On the contrary, it can be noted that the day after
the killing of the said soldiers, Allan Juanito, the NPA spokesperson for the
Northcentral Mindanao Region, called up the media and owned up to the said
killing saying that “the soldiers were on board two motorcycles when they were
flagged down by the NPA in Sitio Kalib, Barangay Kibalabag in Malaybalay, at
around 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday (Feb 1).”
Juanito further averred that “the soldiers tried to
fight back, pulling out their firearms, but the NPA shot at them first to
defend themselves resulting to the soldiers’ death.
The said statements can also be seen in both local
and national broadsheets and was heard over the local radio stations.
"Jalandoni's accusations have added more
injury to the bereaved families and loved ones of the three soldiers who are in
pain and suffering for the loss. His accusation of killing our own troop
members is an attempt to deceive everyone about the incident and it is clear,
therefore, that Jalandoni is not in touch with the situation on the ground,”
said Madrigal.
Moreover, with
the admission of Juanito on the incident, “let us see if Jalandoni can
sanction the perpetrators, apply the Geneva protocols, and bring them to
justice. If he really wanted to pursue the peace talks with the government, he
must order the NPA to stop terrorizing our communities, doing atrocities and
start working with the whole nation on the attainment of lasting peace,"
added Madrigal. (4ID, PA/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog News: OSCA binalaan ang mga establisimento
na tatanggi sa pagbigay ng 20% discount sa senior citizens
Ni Regal C. Oribia
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Peb. 8 (PIA) - Papatawan ng
kaukulang parusa ang mga business establishments na tatangging magbigay ng 20
porsyento diskwento sa mga senior citizens, ito ay ayon sa Office for Senior
Citizen Affairs (OSCA) ng lungsod.
Dagdag pa ng OSCA, base sa Republic Act 9994 o
Expanded Senior Citizen Act of 2010, ang isang senior citizen ay dapat mabigyan
din ng VAT exemption sa mga gamot, mga gamit at aparatong panggamot, bayad sa
mga doctor at iba pang licensed medical practitioner na nagbibigay ng
serbisyong pangkalusugan, transportasyon gaya ng eroplano, barko at tren, hotel
at mga establisyamento tulad ng restawran, sinehan, concert halls, serbisyo sa
burol at libing at marami pang iba.
Kung sinuman ang lalabag sa batas ay maaaring
makulong nang dalawa hanggang anim na taon at maaaring magmulta ng P50,000
hanggang P200,000. Ang mga aabuso naman sa mga pribilehiyo ng batas ay maaari
ring makulong nang dalawa hanggang anim na taon at maaaring magmulta ng P50,000
hanggang P100,000.
Samantala, ayon sa tanggapan ng OSCA, may naitala
na silang isang business establishment na kanilang kinasuhan dahil sa hindi
pagsunod sa batas na kung saan marami na umanong mga senior citizens ang
nagrereklamo dito. (RCO/PIA-Caraga)
Cebuano News: Duha ka NPA, misurender sa Agusan Sur
Ni Regal C. Oribia
DAKBAYAN SA BUTUAN, Peb. 8 (PIA) - Misurender ang
duha ka miyembro sa New People’s Army kon NPA sa 23rd Special Forces Battalion
nga naka-base sa Bayugan City diin nagdala kini ug mga armas nga M16, karbin,
light anti-tank weapon ug duha ka improvised explosive device (IEDs) ug granada
sa Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur niadtong Lunes, Pebrero 6.
Giila nga taga Northern Eastern Mindanao Regional
Party Committee (NEMRC) ang duha ka NPA nga naga-operate pud sa Agusan del
Norte ug Agusan del Sur nga ginganlang si Jerry Petelio ug Ranny Ayawon.
Misurender kini kay tungod wala na matud pa kini gisustintuhan sa ilang lider
sa NPA ug nahadlok na matud pa nga muatraka na pud ang mga sundalo.
Matud pa sa duha ka NPA, daghan na sa ilang mga
kauban ang nagpadayag sa ilang mga sintemyento ug nagplano nga mubiya na ug
dili na mubalik sukad nga gibayaw ni Duterte ang unilateral ceasefire sa nasod.
Sa laing bahin, gipasalig ni Lt. Col. Cristobal
Zaragosa, 401st Brigade Brigade Commander nga ilang tabangan ang duha ka NPA
nga misurender sa ilang mga kamot hantod nga makabalik kini sa ilang lugar
sumala sa mando ni MGen. Benjamin Madrigal, ang 4th Infantry Division
commander, ug tagaan usab ug mga benepisyo og mga insentibo para pud
makapanimuyo sila sa ilang bag-ong kinabuhi nga diin kini ilalom sa
Comprehensive Local Program (CLIP). (RCO/PIA-Caraga)
