PGO-AgSur invites Agusanons to join Naliyagan
Festival Jingle Making Contest
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 17 (PIA) – The provincial
government of Agusan del Sur is inviting Agusanons to join in this year’s
Naliyagan Festival Jingle Making Contest.
According to Provincial Tourism Officer Christy
Basan, the lyrics of the Jingle must be in Cebuano-Bisaya and must be relevant
to the theme “Agusan del Sur through the years: Changing Lives, Preserving
Culture.”
“It is open to all Agusanon residents who have a
skill in music composition. Interested individuals, partners, team or group
regardless of age, work, position, religious affiliation and educational
attainment can submit entry for the said contest. Each municipality and city
should encourage their music enthusiast either individual or group to submit
entries to have more chances to win,” underlined Basan.
Basan also said that the duration of the Jingle
should only last a maximum of three minutes and minimum of two minutes. It must
also be original in nature (lyrics, tone, accompaniment, etc). The use of
copied melodic pattern and accompaniment is strictly prohibited. The provincial
government of Agusan del Sur shall not be held liable to any copyright issues
if in case there are some committed by any participants, Basan added.
“Jingle entries shall be submitted in an mp3 format
with the title of the jingle as the file name; must be sent in a flash drive or
DVD/Optical Disc with the following requirements: accomplished entry form;
printed Jingle lyric (5 copies); profile of the composer/s and arranger/s with
Certificate of Residency issued by the BLGU. All entries shall be submitted on
or before April 5, 2017, while late entries shall not be accommodated,” Basan
clarified.
As to criteria of the Jingle making contest,
lyrics/relevance to the theme is 25 percent; originality – 20 percent;
musicality (melody, arrangement, accompaniment, tone) – 25 percent; voice
projection – 20 percent; and recording quality – 10 percent, a total of 100
percent.
The 1st prize winner will receive P30,000; 2nd
prize – P22,000; 3rd prize – 15,000 while seven consolation prizes amounting to
P2,000 will also be given to non-winning participants.
It was also learned that the first prize winning
Jingle will be officially owned by the provincial government and shall be used
as the Jingle track of the Naliyagan Festival celebration in June 2017.
Meanwhile, the top three winning entries will also perform on the day of the
celebration of the 25th Naliyagan Festival at Datu Lipus Cultural Center-Main
Stage (formely known as Naliyagan Cultural Center Stage).
This Naliyagan Festival Jingle Making Contest forms
part of the activities set for this year’s 50th (Gold) Founding Anniversary of
Agusan del Sur and 25th (Silver) Naliyagan Festival. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Phil. Red Cross readies conduct of ‘Bingo Social
for a Cause’ in Butuan
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 17 (PIA) – As one of the
highlights of this year’s fund raising activity, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC)
Agusan del Norte-Butuan City chapter is set to hold the Bingo Social for a
Cause on September 23, 2017 at Balanghai Hotel and Convention Center, this
city.
Some 1,200 tickets (mother cards) will be printed
and released for the Bingo. Cost per ticket is P250.00.
Jackpot prize is P20,000.00; 1st game prize –
P1,500.00; 2nd game prize – P2,000.00; 3rd game prize – P2,500.00; 4th game prize
– P3,000.00.
The local chapter is calling on all Butuanons and
Agusanons to take part in this fun-raising activity that will help the chapter
in their community services. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Phil. Red Cross AgNor-Butuan chapter supports
Million Volunteer Run 4
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 17 (PIA) – The Philippine Red
Cross (PRC) Agusan del Norte-Butuan City Chapter expressed its support for this
year’s Million Volunteer Run to be held in key cities simultaneously nationwide
on May 13. But the local chapter here has opted to re-schedule it on July 22,
2017 in time with their 69th founding anniversary.
Caraganons are encouraged to disseminate the
information and let others join the run in other regions, as well as the
upcoming run happening in July this year.
The event consists of two categories – 3 kilometer
and 5 kilometer run.
Participants of the said run have options to choose
as they pay the registration fee. For Option A with registration fee of
P500.00, participants will enjoy freebies such as Bronze membership, singlet,
registration form and waiver, runner card, and race bib. Option B for P350.00
will receive freebies except for Bronze membership. And Option C for P200.00,
participants will receive the registration form and waiver, runner card, and
race bib. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DILG 13 sets provincial preparedness dialogue
By Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 17 - To ensure that resiliency is
achieved, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 13
(Caraga) is on full swing in the conduct of disaster preparedness region-wide
through a series of provincial preparedness and partnership dialogue (PPPD).
The PPPD conducted per province has engaged the
participation of local chief executives of Local Government Units (LGUs),
chiefs of police of Philippine National Police, fire marshalls of the Bureau of
Fire Protection (BFP), DILG Provincial Directors, DILG Provincial Focal Person
on Disaster, DILG Local Government Operations Officers (LGOOs), Local Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Officers (LDRRMOs), Provincial/City/Municipal
Planning and Development Officers (P/C/MPDOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
and Local Resource Institutes (LRIs) to ensure the inter-operability of various
actors in disaster preparedness.
The dialogue stressed the avoidance or reduction of
the loss of lives and assets when various hazards strike. Thus, it reminded
LGUs to check whether it has already complied with the Disaster Preparedness
Minimum Standards set by DILG to LGUs under the Operation L!STO Program, which
were also part of the assessment indicators of the Seal of Good Local
Governance (SGLG).
Workshops were done to craft a localized planning
mechanism on the crafting and implementation of a Provincial Disaster
Preparedness Plan per province by looking at the seven components, which are
(1) Information, Education and Communication; (2) Partnerships; (3) Capacity
Building; (4) DRRM Localization; (5) Risk Assessment and Plans; (6) Continuity
of Essential Services; and (7) Preparedness for Emergency And Disaster
Response.
The schedule of the conduct of dialogues were the
following: (1) Province of Agusan del Sur – February 21, 2017; (2) Province of
Agusan del Norte – February 22, 2017; (3) Province of Surigao del Sur –
February 24, 2017; (4) Province of Surigao del Norte – February 28 and (5)
Province of Dinagat Islands – March 3, 2017.
As vice chair for Disaster Preparedness, the DILG
continues to capacitate LGUs for disaster resiliency on the premise that
disaster preparedness saves lives and assets of each one in the community. (DILG-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Feature: Quake survivors in Surigao struggle to
recover from tragedy
The province of Surigao del Norte has been an
idyllic paradise for both locals and tourists due to its myriad of attractions
that include powdery white-sand beaches, captivating waterfalls, enchanting
rivers, fascinating caves, and its world-famous “Cloud 9” waves in the surfing
capital of Siargao.
But a 6.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred last
February 10 has seemingly turned some parts of the province, especially Surigao
City, into a war zone with bridges broken in two, damaged buildings and
torn-down houses. The largest earthquake to have hit the province since 1879
(source: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) and the series of
strong aftershocks also left scores of Surigaonons in bad shape: shaken, lost,
and afraid.
The Philippine Business for Social Progress has
partnered with volunteer doctors from the Psychological Association of the
Philippines (PAP), in conducting psychosocial support to quake survivors to
help them recover from their traumatic experience.
More than 300 survivors that included adults and
children from the towns of Surigao City and Surigao del Norte underwent
psychosocial support that consists of group activities, individual sharing,
psycho-education and referral for treatments.
Last week, volunteers from the University of San
Carlos in Cebu also conducted psychosocial support sessions in Surigao, in
partnership with PAP.
A horrible ordeal
Jeffrey, the seven-year-old son of Jemalyn Lopez
was among those who developed post traumatic stress due to the strong quake
that struck their city at 10 ‘o’clock in the evening and damaged their wooden
house.
“My seven-year-old son doesn’t want to return to
our house. He is not crying but he is afraid until now as he continues to
experience flashbacks of that ordeal,” shared Lopez who is three months
pregnant with her third child.
Their family was asleep when the earthquake struck
at 10:00 p.m. on that fateful Friday. They suddenly woke up to see their house
moving sideways. She was shaking from nervousness while her seven-year-old son
bumped his head on the wall.
“We were trapped inside our house. My five-year-old
son was crying because he got stuck between the door and plywood wall which was
bent like paper. We could not open the door because it was already damaged.
When we were able to escape, we had difficulty crossing the foot bridge. My
plan was to jump in the pond but my husband stopped us because he was afraid we
would sink. When we reached beyond the shoreline, my children and I were shaking. Then we went as far away as we could from the
shore,” she said.
The family of Lopez has temporarily repaired their
house but it is still tilting sideways, and there is still the danger of
collapsing. They are in dire need of
construction materials to rebuild it into a much stronger structure.
Dominador Tabara, Sr., a 58-year-old barangay
officer left his eight children momentarily after the earthquake struck to
check on his neighbors, as part of his duty. In the long run though, he was the
one who got affected by the quake and is suffering from post traumatic stress
reaction (PTSR).
“I was not nervous at that time but up to now I can
still feel my head shaking everytime I stand up. My family was lucky because
our cement wall did not fall on us. For the meantime, I replaced our wall with
tarpaulin so that we would not get wet by the rain. When time comes, I will replace it with a
wooden wall,” Tabara said.
Immediate intervention
Volunteer psychologist Olivia Therezah
Pajente-Pelagio said many of the quake survivors need to undergo Mental Health
and Psychosocial Support (MHPS).
“We do this during recovery stage. We talk about
the disaster and their reaction to particular situations. Then, we do
debriefing but we don’t force them to share (right away). We wait until they
are ready. Psycho-social support
involves recalling the experience that is why we must have stay-in
psychologists in case somebody needs immediate intervention. One participant shared that they were in a
wake during the quake. The casket fell on the ground. They crawled going back
to their house. Now, they feel paranoid
everytime a large vehicle passes. It is a normal reaction for such situation.
It is called Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction (PTSR). If the condition reaches
six months, it will lead into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Survivors
have different coping mechanisms. Some
may leave. Some may not know that they
are already hurting others or becoming violent. We are avoiding that to happen
that is why we are providing psychosocial support,” said Pajente-Pelagio.
Psychologists also saw the need to conduct
psychological education in some survivors who thought it was already the end of
the world.
“Other survivors already lost hope. The first thing
we should do is teach them how to cope with the situation. I think it is
important to enhance their information about earthquake. What is it? Where did it come from? Others thought it is
already the end of the world. We need to educate them about tectonic plates and
realignment of the ground. They need to understand that there will be
aftershocks. Not all earthquakes can destroy houses. These are natural things.
Having the correct information would enable people to potentially react better
in an otherwise traumatic situation.
After sharing, we have to give them psychological education,” she added.
PBSP continues to mobilize resources for the
transportation and other logistical needs of volunteer psychologists and other
groups tapped to provide psychosocial support to the quake survivors. It also
helps the Department of Health in searching for communities that need
psychosocial support. (Philippine Business for Social Progress/PIA-Caraga)
DILG 13 field officers undergo continuing legal
education
By Archie Rose G. Vasquez
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 17 (PIA) - The Department of the
Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga conducted a Continuing Legal
Education Seminar Workshop for its field officers and selected officers from
the Regional Office on March 13-14, 2017 at Samping Avenue, this city.
The two-day workshop facilitated by Atty. Pioquinta
E. Quindara, former Personnel Division Chief of DILG Central Office, aimed to
demonstrate familiarity with the local legislative process and Barangay Justice
System to the field officers who are the front liners in providing primary
technical services to the LGUs.
“Field Officers are deputized to answer legal
matters relating to the mandate given to our office. This activity will guide
and refresh you once again on the local legislative processes that will help in
performing your functions effectively,” articulated DILG Caraga Regional
Director, Lilibeth A. Famacion, during her opening remarks.
DILG 13 Legal Officer, Atty. Allen M. Gasulas, also
discussed the importance of safe cyber practices and responsible sharing of
information on social media.
The activity strengthened the capability of the
field officers in carrying out the Department’s mandate in providing quality
and excellent technical assistance to the LGUs. (DILG-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Feature: An empowered woman empowers her countrymen
By April Mae N. Waban & Marko Davey D. Reyes
“The empowerment of women is the most effective
tool for development.” Kofi Annan
It is often said that when you empower a woman, you
empower a nation. This is a recognition not just of women’s significant impact
to community development but also to acknowledge women as crucial agents of
positive change for every nation. That is why a woman’s power of influence
should not only be limited to her traditional role in the family but should
also extend in her partake in local development projects. For a country to
attain sustainable development, it must be inclusive and responsive to gender
needs.
This is one of the primary objectives of the
Kalahi-CIDSS or Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan - Comprehensive and Integrated
Delivery of Services program of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD). It employs the Community Driven Development (CDD) strategy
to facilitate community empowerment by capacitating and ensuring that all
sectors in the community can contribute to create opportunities, fully
participate in local governance, and decision making.
Jean E. Cordita, a long-time Kalahi-CIDSS community
volunteer and Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee (BSPMC) chairperson of
Barangay Punta, Pilar, Surigao del Norte, is a prime example of how an
empowered woman can help empower her countrymen. She is also part of the
barangay women’s organization and a full time Day Care Worker. But even with
these responsibilities, she has always taken the initiative in guiding and
leading her community to participate in every activity conducted by
Kalahi-CIDSS. Having attended several capacity-building trainings of the
program, she was able to enhance her facilitation and leadership skills which
she maximized during their barangay assemblies and sub-project implementation.
Sharing the learnings she gained from the seminars,
she was able to help train other community volunteers which has immensely
contributed in the completion of their sub-project.
Her advocacy to improve their community (especially
access for schools and roads for the children in the community) has garnered
her the respect of the rest of the community. With these, her barangay has been
a top performing barangay in the implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS, not only in
Pilar, but in the whole of Caraga. Hence, she was awarded as the “Best
Volunteer” of the program during the region’s DSWD 66th anniversary celebration
held recently at Almont Inland Hotel, Butuan City.
Jean believes that true change can be attained
through the partnership of the government and the different key players in the
community. It is in this belief that she aims to be a productive citizen, one
that brings meaningful change in the community, and aids in the improvement of
local governance. She underlined this in her inspirational speech during the
program’s awarding ceremony.
“Dako kini nga hagit sa ako ang magdumaya sa usa ka
sub-project ug manguyo sa pagkumbinse sa katawhan nga sila makiglambigit sa mga
kalihukan nga makahatag ug gahum nga kami mga katawhan makahimo ug desisyon
para sa kalambuan sa komunidad. Dili kini sayun nan responsibilidad apan
inibanan sa suporta nan MLGU, BLGU, MCT, ACT ilabi na ang komunidad, ang
paglambo ato kini maabot (It is a great challenge for me to manage a
sub-project and lead in persuading people to be involved in activities which
can give them the power to make decisions for the community’s development. This
is not an easy task but with the support of MLGU, BLGU, MCT , ACT, and
especially the community, we can achieve progress),” she shares. (Social
Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
DILG initiates regional disaster preparedness
planning
By Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 17 - The Department of the
Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 13 (Caraga) initiated the conduct
of Regional Disaster Preparedness Planning (RDPP) recently at Prince Hotel,
South Montilla Blvd., this city.
DILG Caraga Regional Director Lilibeth A. Famacion
stressed the need to take action by crafting the RDPP based on the premise that
“preparedness saves lives and avert the loss/damage to assets.”
Partners and region-wide stakeholders were gathered
to discuss and craft a Regional Disaster Preparedness Plan (RDPP) that
localizes the strategies laid down in the National Disaster Preparedness Plan
(NDPP) magnifying the importance of the seven components, which are (1)
Information, Education and Communication; (2) Partnerships; (3) Capacity
Building; (4) DRRM Localization; (5) Risk Assessment and Plans; (6) Continuity
of Essential Services; and (7) Preparedness for Emergency And Disaster
Response.
Presentation on the inter-operability of the
government agencies responsible for the four thematic areas, the DILG for
Disaster Preparedness, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for Disaster
Prevention and Mitigation, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
for Disaster Response and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
for Disaster Recovery and Rehabilitation, with the involvement of local
government units, civil society organizations, inter-faith based groups, local
resource institutes and other development partners was made during the
activity.
As part of planning, the participants reviewed the
existing Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (DRRMP) primarily focusing
on preparedness. The workshops were also made as an avenue in the
identification of issues and concerns, areas for improvement and gaps in the
implementation of Operation L!STO.
The DILG, as the Vice Chair for Disaster
Preparedness, has always been initiating in the identification of sets of
relevant interventions for disaster preparedness that aim to create an enabling
environment for LGUs to further develop their capacities towards mitigating the
adverse impacts of disasters and climate change. These initiatives are offered
in the form of skills development, technical support, policies and training. (DILG-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
DILG 13 gives guidelines to PCF 2016 recipient LGUs
By Don Manuelo O. Patrimonio
BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 17 - The Department of the
Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga Region conducted the Performance
Challenge Fund (PCF) 2016 Operational Guidelines Orientation to the 13 local
government unit (LGU) recipients of the PCF last March 9 in one of the
convention centers, this city.
Oriented were the primary functionaries in charge
of the implementation of the respective PCF projects in the LGU, to wit: the
engineers and accountants of the two provinces, two cities, and nine
municipalities that were granted access to the incentive fund. Together with
them were the corresponding DILG Field personnel and their Cluster leaders and
PCF Focal Persons from the DILG Provincial Offices.
Covered in the orientation were the PCF Operational
Guidelines as prescribed by DILG Memorandum Circular 2016-167, as well as an
overview to the PCF Portal for the Monitoring and Evaluation of the projects.
The PCF is the incentive package accorded to
outstanding LGUs that have been conferred the Seal of Good Local Governance.
The 13 Caraga SGLG passers in Caraga are: (Provinces) Surigao del Norte and
Province of Dinangat Islands; (Cities) Bislig City and Tandag City; and
(Municipalities) Carmen of Agusan del Norte, Trento of Agusan del Sur, Loreto
of Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte’s Claver, Del Carmen, Mainit, and
Malimono, and Surigao del Sur’s Hinatuan and Lanuza. Between them, they have
received a total of P41.8 Million to implement their projects that are in line
with either: (1) Sustainable Development Goals; (2) Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management and Climate Change Adaptation; (3) Local Economic Development; or
(4) Ecological Solid Waste Management.
To view the project profiles and status of all PCF
projects, visit: pcf.dilg.gov.ph. (DILG-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
