DOH, PopCom-13 set to hold family planning confab
in Cebu City
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 23 (PIA) – The Department of
Health (DOH), Commission on Population (PopCom) and the Forum for Family
Planning and Development, Incorporated (Forum) are jointly organizing the 2nd
National Family Planning Conference on November 8-9, 2017 at Waterfront Hotel,
Cebu City.
According to PopCom Caraga regional director
Alexander Makinano, the said conference is aimed to provide a platform for
national and local government units, development partners, private sector,
youth, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, academe and civil society
organizations to share their good practices in Family Planning programs demand
generation and service delivery, and to share new options, researches, and
latest innovations in Family Planning technology.
"This is also intended to know the progress of
Executive Order No. 12 (Attaining and Sustaining 'Zero Unmet Need for Modern
Family Planning' Through the Strict Implementation of Responsible Parenthood
and Reproductive Health Law), and to recommend viable actions to advance Family
Planning in the country,” underlined Makinano.
It was also learned that the Philippine Information
Agency (PIA) Caraga thru regional director Abner Caga, is invited to speak on
"Engaging Local Media in Promoting Family Planning and Reproductive
Health" during the said activity.
Said event is anchored on the theme “Delivering the
Promise: Family Planning on the Ground.” (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
FSUU to hold forum on tv literacy, child sensitive
viewing in Butuan
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug, 23 (PIA) – The Father Saturnino
Urios University (FSUU) is set to hold the Forum on Television Literacy and
Child Sensitive Viewing dubbed as “AKSYON: Bakit Dapat Mag Patrol ng TV nang 24
Oras” and an evaluation of TV programs on September 9, 2017 at the FSUU-CBE
Function Hall, this city.
According to Zenaida Azura, director of Student and
Alumni Affairs of FSUU, said activity is in cooperation with the Anak TV, who
is sponsoring the event and will run the entire program flow.
The iconic seal on Philippine television, Anak TV,
is bestowed by parents, teachers, NGOs and other sectors of society on
television programs which, in their estimate, are wholesome and child-safe. It
is a seal not found anywhere else in the world, Anak TV being a movement that
flourishes only in the Philippines.
“Television viewing has played an important role in
our lives and in our youth today. Our taste, habits and behavior are influenced
by the volume, kind and extent of media exposure,” Azura cited.
For more information on the said event, interested
participants may contact FSUU at telephone number (085) 3421830 local 2771 or
cellphone number 09088743037. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Grade 4 students receive vaccines in Caraga
By Nora C. Lanuza Molde
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 23 (PIA) – The Department of
Health (DOH) Caraga region bared a partial total of 8,510 Human Papilloma Virus
(HPV) vaccines allocated to selected Grade 4 elementary students from ages 9 to
10 for the province of Agusan del Norte and Butuan City.
DOH Caraga regional director Dr. Jose R. Llacuna,
Jr. said that the agency has finally piloted the implementation of the HPV
Vaccination through the HPV School-Based Immunization Program.
The HPV School-Based Immunization is an approach to
protect our young female adolescents against the threat of the virus before
they proceed to young adulthood.
Llacuna also said that their agency simultaneously
implements and monitors the program in coordination with the Department of
Education (DepEd) in the vaccination of more than 3,000 enrolled students in
the said level this year.
As per DOH release, cervical cancer is caused HPV,
a serious condition that affects the female genital area and is the most common
sexually transmitted infection that can lead to death. While adopting a healthy
lifestyle practices would help, vaccination against HPV remains primary
prevention against cervical cancer.
“Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer
among women worldwide and we need to address it early and hastily,” said Dr.
Llacuna. We do not want young women to lose their years of life because we know
that preventive measure is available, he added.
As per DOH record, in the Philippines, about 6,670
new cervical cancer cases are diagnosed annually while 12 Filipino women die
every day from cervical cancer. (NCLM, PIA-Caraga)
First eco-camp to rise in Siargao Island
By Lucille Sering
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Aug. 23 (PIA) –
The rise of the first ever eco-camp in the Philippines was announced during the
memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing between YES Pinoy Foundation chaired by
Dingdong Dantes and SMILE Cares Foundation chaired by Shaina Magdayao.
Dingdong and Shaina are partnering for the first
time to offer programs focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and
Math (STEAM).
The project titled “YES to Full STEAM ahead”
between YES Pinoy and SMILE Cares will be the first of several programs of the
ECO-CAMP.
The project will benefit under-privileged youth
from the island of Siargao and neighboring provinces in Mindanao.
The project will focus on experiential learning
integrating the STEAM methodologies in agriculture to improve yield and to
create new and innovative sustainable products.
It is considered a pro-active approach in
addressing challenges brought about by climate change.
Dingdong, who once joined government as
commissioner of the National Youth Commission, now heads YES Pinoy to continue
his advocacy on youth empowerment.
Shaina, on the other hand, had been involved in
various charitable works for the past decade and has invested in businesses
that had strong social values. She is also a stockholder of SMILE Group, Inc.
SMILE Group Inc. is the Philippine franchise holder
of Engineering for Kids and Challenge Island, a STEAM focused out-of-school
program form the United States of America.
Dingdong started YES Pinoy eight years ago to
address youth related issues. Now a father, his foundation is focusing its advocacy
on addressing future challenges brought about by climate change and disasters.
Its latest project, the “Go Bags Challenge” gives
out emergency kits to young people in public schools.
The partnership with SMILE Cares is another
initiative on climate change risk solutions through STEAM programs.
STEAM programs like environment engineering is
considered a pro-active approach to climate change and disaster risk
management. (CAB/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Cusi creates transition panel to manage PEMC, WESM
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 23 (PIA) - Department of Energy
(DOE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi on ordered the creation of a transition committee
for the interim management of the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation
(PEMC) and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
Under the department order that Cusi issued, the
committee is to be chaired by Atty. Oscar E. Ala which shall exercise the
functions of the PEMC president until one is appointed by the PEMC board. In
addition, the Transition Committee is tasked to assess PEMC’s existing
structures, systems, and resources and propose a way forward for the WESM to
meet the challenges ahead. The order
gives the committee seven months from August 1, 2017 to complete its tasks.
Cusi said the creation of the Transition Committee
is in line with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s thrust of ensuring the
protection of the Filipino electricity consumers, who are affected by the
operation of PEMC and the WESM.
Cusi said the PEMC shall continue to effectively
govern the operations of WESM for the benefit of all electricity stakeholders.
On the organizational level, Cusi assures the PEMC employees that the PEMC
leadership shall continue to improve and advance their welfare as WESM
operations continue to evolve.
The PEMC was incorporated in 2003 and was
constituted as the autonomous group market operator to oversee market
governance and perform the functions of the market operator in the WESM.
Aside from Oscar Escobar Ala as chairman, the
transition committee members are Engr. Jose Mari T. Bigornia, Atty. Jose M.
Layug, Jr., Atty. Francis C. Saturnino Juan and Rauf A. Tan.
The PEMC will be governed by a new Philippine
Electricity Market Board composed of: Alfonso G. Cusi as chairman with Ronald
Dylan P. Concepcion, Victor Emmanuel B. Santos, Emmanuel V. Rubio, Neeraj Bhat,
Deon James, Rolando M. Cagampan, Octavius M. Mendoza, Allan L. Laniba, Noel V.
Aboboto, Jesus L. Arranza and Peter L. Wallace as board members.
(DOE/PIA-Caraga)
Energy stakeholders gather for comprehensive power
industry audit
BUTUAN CITY, Aug 23 (PIA) - The Department of
Energy (DOE), together with various power stakeholders, recently conducted a
three-day intensive workshop on the appropriate conduct of the performance
assessment and audit of the entire power supply chain held in Mandaluyong.
“We need a comprehesive performance assessment and
audit on the power generation, transmission and distribution system and
facilities to better picture the real state of the Philippine electricity
industry. Our objective is to have a solid foundation towards data-driven
planning and decision making," DOE secretary Alfonso Cusi said.
Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella,
assistant secretary Redentor E. Delola and
the DOE personnel also attended the workshop.
"The workshop equipped us with necessary
knowledge and strategies to enable us to conduct the audit as one strong energy
family,” Fuentebella said.
Participants of the workshop had a thorough
discussion on the framework in crafting the guidelines for the assessment of
the performance of the generation, transmission and distribution systems and
facilities.
The framework identifies the scope, parameters,
process, responsibilities and timelines for the conduct of the audit pursuant
to Department Circular No. DC2017-05-0008, the governing policy of the audit.
Once finished with the proposed guidelines, a focus
group discussion with the electric power industry participants will be held.
Representatives from the Energy Regulatory
Commission and other energy experts from the government-owned and controlled
corporation (GOCCs) served as resource persons during the workshop.
The DOE assures electricity consumers that it is
committed to act on the inefficiencies in the power supply chain in order to
ensure reliable, secure, sustainable and reasonably priced energy.
(DOE/PIA-Caraga)
Restored project benefits 80 farmer beneficiaries
in AgNor town
By Jane B. Huqueriza
NASIPIT, Agusan del Norte, Aug. 23 - The National
Irrigation Administration (NIA) Caraga recently turned-over the Rehabilitation
of Culit Communal Irrigation System (CIS) project by Force Account Works (FAW)
to Culit-Igpalas Irrigator’s Association, Inc. headed by its president Fausto
B. Empanado, Jr. held in Barangay Culit, this town.
Said project is under Repair Rehab of Existing CIS
(RRECIS) funds implemented by NIA Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and
Dinagat Islands Irrigation Management Office (NIA ASDI IMO), which started last
year with a total cost of P8 million with the activities of constructing of
canal structures and canalization.
The system restored has a potential area of 100
hectares that will benefits 80 farmers, it was learned.
“The project could generate jobs particularly in
agriculture sector and increase the potential income of the farmers,” said Ferdinand
D. Amon, ASDI IMO Manager during his
turn-over message. He added, that based in his computation the completion of
the project could produce 3,000 cavans enough to feed the population of the
barangay. (NIA-Caraga/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
