Butuanons celebrate 30th Balangay Festival
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, May 8 (PIA) – Butuanons are all set
for this year’s 30th Balangay Festival celebration with various lined-up
activities this month of May.
According to city mayor Engr. Ronnie Vicente
Lagnada, this year’s celebration will kick-off on May 10 with the conduct of a
motorcade at 3:00 p.m. and a grand opening ceremony at 7:00 p.m at the Libertad
Sports Complex.
“This is one of the most important events as this
will showcase performances by top-caliber artists who will perform the journey
of Butuan from an ancient and glorious kingdom to where it will be in the
future,” highlighted Lagnada.
The good mayor also bared that several
party-concerts will follow daily after the grand kick-off to entertain
Butuanons and visitors alike.
It was learned that Butuanons will enjoy trade fair
and exhibit, various local sports events of regional, national and
international prestige, and several other activities that will add glitter to
the whole celebration.
Butuanons are also excited for the Mutya Hong
Butuan happening on May 18 with Jason Dy as invited celebrity who will also
serenade the candidates. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
20 SurSur MSMEs enroll in DTI’s ‘Mentor Me’ program
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, May 8 (PIA) – A total
of 20 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have enrolled the Kapatid
“Mentor Me” (KMME) program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in
Surigao del Sur and the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship,
Incorporation-Go Negosyo as pilot beneficiaries.
DTI-Surigao del Sur Provincial Office chief Romel
Oribe confirmed that 10 MSMEs were from the 1st District while the other 10 are
from the 2nd district of the province.
“We were guided by the guidelines as to the
qualifications of the mentees (MSMEs)… These 20 mentees are the regular clients
of the DTI, which we feel could benefit the program,” Oribe said.
The training consists of 11 modules to be conducted
in three months and will be undertaken in partnership with institutions
specializing in functional areas of entrepreneurship.
DTI ARD Caraga Lolita Dorado explained that the
KMME program could help resetting the MSMEs entrepreneurial mindset, where the
mentors share their personal experiences in a person-to-person or
heart-to-heart talk.
The KMME is aimed to assist MSMEs scale up and
sustain their enterprises by equipping them with the needed skill sets by way
of theoretical/conceptual discussions (lectures) and mentoring/coaching session.
(PIA-Surigao del Sur)
DTI, DPWH converge for infra development program
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, May 8 – The
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH) rolled out a new convergence program that would develop
infrastructure leading to manufacturing and economic zones in the bid to
attract more business to these areas.
According to DTI Surigao del Norte provincial
director Celestino L. Negapatan the program, dubbed as, “Roads Leveraging
Linkages for Industry and Trade” (ROLL IT) will align DPWH projects with that
of DTI projects in support to local industries.
He said an instructional and orientation briefing
was conducted on April 25, 2017 at Hotel Tavern to help the participants
familiarize with the guidelines and techniques of the program.
The said orientation was participated by
representatives from different local government units of Surigao del Norte, key
industry players and other concerned agencies and stakeholders.
Negapatan said that aside from the orientation, the
two agencies plan to conduct a writeshop for the said program to engage the
LGUs in drafting their own proposals in preparation for 2019 ROLL IT
implementation.
The ROLL IT program envisioned to further fuel the
recent high growth of domestic investments as well as the surge in foreign
direct investments of the country through more road projects. Through better
road infrastructure connecting the industries, industrial and regional
development strategies can be realized and these will further facilitate
balanced development, dispersal of industries away from urban areas towards the
rural areas, creating more jobs and income opportunities to more Filipinos.
(DTI-Surigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
2 new lawyer-cops receive commendation medal
BUTUAN CITY, May 8 - Two police officers in Caraga,
who were among the recent 3,747 bar passers received the Medalya ng Papuri (PNP
Commendation Medal) during the flag-raising here on Monday.
Chief Supt Rolando Felix, Caraga police director,
spearheaded the giving of awards to SPO1 Leomille Elicano and PO3 Junyvil
Tumbaga after passing the 2016 Bar examination.
Elicano is assigned to the Discipline, Law, and
Order Section of the Regional Personnel Human Resource Development Division
while Tumbaga is an investigator of Agusan del Norte Provincial Investigation
and Detective Section.
They finished the Bachelor of Laws at Father
Saturnino Urios University.
“Their expertise in law can eventually help the
Police Regional Office 13 in our crime solving efforts since they can provide
better legal opinions or advice to our police units. May this feat serve as
inspiration to other police personnel to take a step higher for their personal
and professional advancement,” Felix said.
Felix added that the lawyer-cops may become
commissioned officers with the rank of Police Senior Inspector if they would
apply and pass the requirements of the PNP's Legal Service lateral entry
program.
They will take their oath as lawyers on May 22,
2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena. (PNP-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
PH biodiversity paves way for revitalized drug
development in the country
By Geraldine Bulaon-Ducusin
BUTUAN CITY, May 8 - Philippine biodiversity offers
potential leads for the development of pharmaceutical medicines, according to
an outstanding researcher recently awarded by the Department of Science and
Technology - National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP).
“There are endemic plants, insects, marine
organisms, minerals (in the country) that could be a source of pharmacologic
interventions in diseases,” says Dr. Joven Apostol, a 2017 Outstanding Filipino
Researcher. Apostol, a pharmacy professor at the University of Sto. Tomas,
admitted that while the presence of foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers has
dipped over the years as most have
shifted operations to the other countries, such drawback was in a way a
blessing.
“It has awakened the Filipino spirit to become more
entrepreneurial and there has been a growth spike in drug research and
development in academic and research institutes and local manufacturers
focusing on endemic biomaterials,” he said. “This is also partly due to the
encouragement and support of the science and technology agencies of the
government and other funding agencies.”
Apostol likewise pointed out that basic research is
crucial in drug development. “A pharmaceutical product is only good as it is
safe and effective,” he says.“A drug molecule will not advance to formulation
and manufacturing without the preliminary data on its safety, effect, mechanism
of action, toxicity and others – basic information on drug source, synthesis,
kinetics and interactions which can only be provided by basic research.”
Research in basic pharmacology includes screening
of these biomaterials for their effects on the physical and chemical processes
of the living organism and on the nature and courses on diseases. Various
methods of testing are employed, such as in vitro, in vivo and in silico. The
results of these basic researches serve as the basis to support further studies
leading to formulation and clinical use of the drug product.
Gains in the growth of the pharmaceutical sector
can be sustained by continuous support to both basic and applied research. This
way we can reduce our reliance to foreign manufactured drugs.
Dr. Apostol is optimistic that given the right
support, structure, formation of scientists, industry, and government, it is
possible that in five to ten years, the country is halfway in terms of drug
discovery. In such time, the drug being developed should be in the clinical
trial phase and the company doing the development should have spent half a
billion dollars, he said.
DOST-NRCP is the country’s lead agency in basic
research, and is mandated to promote and support basic and problem-oriented
researches, particularly those which are multidisciplinary, in the sciences as
well as in the humanities. NRCP supports researches that identify and provide
solutions to national issues and problems, and generate new knowledge in
preparation for the future.
This June 2017, NRCP will host the 17th Science
Council of Asia Conference to be participated in by renowned researchers and
scientists from 31 academic institutions and organizations of the 18 member
countries across Asia. For details visit
http://www.nrcp.dost.gov.ph/previous-issues/173-ph-to-host-the-17th-sca-conference. (S&T Media Service, DOST-STII/PIA-Caraga)
Agusan Norte guv OKs P10M for Santiago public
market
By Aimee B. Sienes
BUTUAN CITY, May 8 - Agusan del Norte Governor Ma.
Angelica Rosedell M. Amante-Matba approved the funding for this year of
P10,000,000 for the construction of a Premium Public Market in the municipality
of Santiago, Agusan del Norte.
It was learned that due to lack of funds, the local
government of Santiago requested governor Matba for funding of ten million
pesos for the construction of the said project through Sangguniang Bayan
Resolution Nos. 12 and 14 series 2017.
Considering that it is one of the province’s
infrastructure development thrusts, governor Matba provided and allocated the
funding and to be transferred to the municipality of Santiago through a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
For immediate implementation of the said project,
the Sangguniang Panlalawigan authorized governor Matba to sign the said MOA
with the local government of Santigao through Sanggunian Resolution No.
124-2017, authored by Vice Governor Ramon AG. Bungabong. (LGU-Agusan del
Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
Gawad Kalasag validation team conducts regional field
validation in Dinagat Islands
SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands, May 8 - The Annual Gawad
KALASAG Search for Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and
Humanitarian Assistance 2017 once again conducted the Regional Field Validation
on April 25, 2017 held at the Provincial Guest Center, Brgy. Cuarinta, this
town.
The validation aims to check how resilient the
province of Dinagat Islands in terms of disaster risk reduction and to check
the best practices in terms of plans and policy implementation.
The process composes of two phases wherein the
first is to check the documents as mode of verification to their consistency to
plans implementation and the second is to validate the disaster risk
reduction’s related infrastructure at the ground level such as the operation
center and the evacuation center and others.
The regional validators is spearheaded by its
chairperson Jeffrey A. Ramo from Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG) Caraga with their counterparts from National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA) Caraga, Graziella C. Harting; Lorene S. Catedral from Office
of Civil Defense Caraga; and Lorijane D. Sacote of Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) Caraga.
Members of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council (PDRRMC) are in full attendance to participate the said
regional validation. (PIO-Dinagat Islands/PIA-Dinagat Islands)
Army, GMA Kapuso Foundation deliver free medical
services in AgSur town
TALACOGON, Agusan del Sur, May 8 - The 26th
Infantry (Ever Onward) Battalion, Phil. Army in partnership with the GMA Kapuso
Foundation and Municipal Health Office of Veruela, this province has brought
services to the children thru “Operation Tuli” held recently at Veruela
Gymnasium.
The group continues with the delivery of free
services after the successful distribution of school supplies in the
municipalities of Agusan del Sur.
The whole-day activity benefited 371 children
coming from different barangays of Veruela. Said program was actively
participated by doctors and nurses of Veruela MHO and reinforced by the Medical
Aidmen of 401st Infantry Brigade and personnel of Philippine National Police.
While waiting for circumcision, some children availed free haircut offered by
26IB skilled personnel at the venue.
Also, Veruela Mayor Myrna Mondejar expressed her
gratitude to the major stakeholders especially to GMA Kapuso Foundation,
Department of Education (DepEd) Veruela and 26IB for choosing the municipality
to be the recipient of said program that benefited her constituents especially
the children and young adult who cannot afford to go to hospital for
circumcision expenses.
Meanwhile, Lt Colonel Pagayon said that the program
is timely and appropriate with the summer season and non-school days. “It was a
chance to avail free services beneficial to the young males of the municipality
as this had been part of the physical/mechanical hygiene practice. This is one
concrete basis that the 26IB of the 401st Brigade thru the leadership of
Colonel Cristobal Zaragoza, together with partner stakeholders are working in
unity to provide the needs of the people by bringing to them the government’s
programs and services,” he added. (26IB Phil. Army/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Loreto SLP beneficiaries learn entrepreneurship,
convenience store management
LORETO, Agusan del Sur, May 8 – “We’ve learned a
lot from this training especially in managing our business.”
This was the statement of Tessie Nierves, president
of Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) Association in La Caridad, this town as
she summed up the feelings of the group members.
The Skills Training on Store Management and
Warehousing was sponsored by Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) under the SLP in partnership with Negosyo Center – Agusan del Sur
(NC-AdS) held recently at Brgy. Sto. Tomas, Loreto, Agusan del Sur.
Some 50 members of the association attended said
event. The association will be putting-up a store for general motor parts and
mechanical services as identified by the beneficiaries under the (DSWD)-SLP
Fund.
The group was introduced to the basics of
entrepreneurship and marketing. The session also included inputs to capacitate
them to grow their business via proper budgeting of their expenses and
appreciating the value of savings through B.E.S.T. Game approach.
The NC-AdS has also scheduled a follow-up training
for the group on Financial Wellness on the third week of May 2017. (DTI-Agusan
del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
