SSS Butuan City intensifies advocacy campaign
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN
CITY, Aug. 9 (PIA) – The Social Security System (SSS) in Butuan City
is intensifying its advocacy campaign by reaching members and possible clients
from the different municipalities of Agusan del Norte.
During
their recent visits to the different Kiss FM stations located in the towns of
Nasipit and Kitcharao, and Cabadbaran City in the province of Agusan del Norte,
branch head Antonio Fabia reminded SSS members with multiple Social
Security (SS) numbers to visit their office to avoid
future problems especially during retirement, claiming of benefits
and inquiries.
Fabia
said, in case of multiple SS numbers, the member will submit a request for
cancellation of multiple SS numbers in any SSS branch. Once confirmed, SSS will
consolidate all the records, including contribution in one SS number.
In order
to avoid discrepancy in SSS records, Fabia encouraged members to make sure that
all records submitted to the agency are correct and are based on the Philippine
Statistics Authority or Local Civil Registrar’s copies of birth certificate,
baptismal certificate, passport and driver’s license.
Also,
SSS Butuan Account Management Section team heads Jessejev Tenecio and Carlos
‘Paul’ Flaviano discussed what should an employee do if their SSS
employer failed to remit their loan payments.
During
the discussion, they advised members to report immediately to the SSS branch
and issue an affidavit or "Sinumpaang Salaysay" for the formal filing
of complaint against their employer. Based on Republic Act 8282, employers will
pay PhP5,000 to PhP20,000 with six and ½ to 12 years of jail imprisonment if
they fail to remit their employees’ contributions.
Meanwhile,
Flaviano said that as of July 20, 2018, a total of 1,534 members/borrowers have
availed of the Loan Restructuring Program (LRP) of the agency. Flaviano said
that a total of PhP17,338,000 has been condoned because of the LRP.
Flaviano
further said that 428 members who availed the program have already paid their
overdue loans in full.
"Around
466 members availed the one year installment program; 390 availed
the two-year installment plan; 168 for the three year plan; 38 for four
years; and 44 availed the five-year installment plan," he said.
Flaviano said
they are targeting a total of PhP20,634,000 that will be collected from
the member-borrowers who availed the program within the five-year period.
The
intensified campaign of SSS is in partnership with the Philippine Information
Agency (PIA) Caraga. (NCLM/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
DA equips farmers to boost Caraga’s mango industry
By Vanessa P. Sanchez
BUTUAN
CITY, Aug. 10 - To further capacitate the mango farmers of Caraga region on
pest and disease management and in effect boost their production volume and
quality, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga through the High Value Crops
Development Program (HVCDP) conducted the 1st Caraga Mango Technical Forum on
August 7-8 in Butuan City.
Regional
HVCDP Program Coordinator Marco Antonio C. Morido said that one of the problems
confronting the mango industry is the prevalence of pests and diseases which
affects the volume and quality of produce of the farmers.
The
activity aims to address this situation by providing the farmers with ample
knowledge on mango pest and disease management.
Resource
Person Graciela L. Caballero of the Southern Philippines Agribusiness Marine
and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) said that the Philippines is the
world’s seventh-leading producer of mangoes and that fresh mango makes up for
59 percent of mango products in the market.
According
to Caballero, farmers’ practice is one factor that affects the volume and
quality of their produce.
She
also said that canopy management regulates microclimate within the canopy and
removes habitat of pests and diseases.
Further,
she said that canopy management is one of the most important factors in
sustaining the yield and quality of fruits in mango.
Aside
from discussions on mango pest and disease management and insecticide and
fungicide resistance management, there was also a demonstration on mango tree
pruning.
Ponciano
Ramacula, the Chairman of the Caraga Mango Producers Cooperative (CARMAPCO)
said they are thankful that the Department of Agriculture (DA) continues to
support the mango growers in the region by providing them various
interventions.
“It’s
really a good thing that DA caters to the needs of the farmers like the conduct
of this technical forum which we really requested for since we believe that we
can learn a lot from the resource persons who are mango experts," he said.
On
the other hand, DA Caraga Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo
said that there will always be pests and diseases in crops.
“They
will always be around but we should not stop looking for means to counter them
so that the mango industry in Caraga will not be affected but rather will
continue to grow and improve,“ Monteagudo said.
Data
from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that in 2017, Caraga had a
total production volume of 18,194.74 metric tons for mango with the bulk of it
coming from the province of Agusan del Norte. (DA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
PopCom, PDI launch AHD caravan in Dinagat Islands
BUTUAN
CITY, Aug. 10 - The Commission on Population
(PopCom)-Caraga and the province of Dinagat Islands (PDI), through its
Provincial Population Office, officially launched the Adolescent Health and
Development (AHD) Caravan which highlighted simultaneous and series of
activities for the young people of the said province.
A new
initiative for the adolescents dubbed "SHAPE Mobile Academy" of
POPCOM Caraga was also officially introduced.
This
initiative is a modular assisted education on adolescent sexuality and
reproductive health using the New Sexually Healthy and Personally Effective
(SHAPE) Adolescents Toolkit. It also makes use of the Comprehensive Sexuality
Education (CSE), both for principle and as an approach.
May
Ann O. Escobal, Project Coordinator, said that the SHAPE Mobile Academy shall
be implemented in partnership with the Department of Education-Dinagat Islands
Division.
Escobal
said Don Ruben E. Ecleo Sr. Memorial National High School (DREESMNHS) is the
pilot school for the implementation.
PDI is
the first area that adopted the said initiative.
Signing
of the Partnership Agreement of Information and Service Delivery Network (ISDN)
for AHD also took place during the launching.
Activities
during the AHD Caravan included the U4U Teen Trail, SHAPE Adolescents session,
AHD Film Dissemination, Learning Package on Parent Education on AHD (LPPEAHD),
and Parent-Teen Trail.
These
initiatives aim to contribute to the improvement and promotion of the total
well-being of young people and reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy,
sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. (POPCOM/PIA-Caraga)
DOLE to conduct Jobs Fair 2018 in Dinagat Islands
SAN
JOSE, Dinagat Islands, Aug. 10 (PIA) – The Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE) here is set to conduct a jobs fair in the identified municipalities of
the province in September this year.
The event
will commence in the municipality of Loreto on September 6 to be
held at the Loreto Municipal Gym, September 7 in the municipality of Libjo,
September 20 at the Basilisa Municipal Gym in Basilisa, and September 21 at the
Cagdianao Sports Center, Cagdianao town.
This
is the first time that it will be conducted in the identified
municipalities through the effort and sponsorship of the Philippine Councilors
League (PCL) Dinagat Islands Chapter.
The
jobs fair offers various services and job opportunities in which there are
15,227 job vacancies to be availed of for local and international placement,
scholarship for children of OFW, pre-employment orientation, one-stop-shop
postal I.D. services and other government services.
The
DOLE said this will be a great opportunity for the job seekers, especially to
those Dinagatnons who live in hinterland with no permanent job, to get
employed. (DOLE-PDI/PIA-Dinagat Islands)
NC Butuan conducts entrepreneurship dev’t training to OFWs
BUTUAN
CITY, Aug. 10 - A total of 19 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and OFW
dependents recently participated in the Enhanced Entrepreneurship Development
Training (EEDT) conducted here.
Engr.
Renato Corvera, DTI Agusan del Norte Provincial Coordinator for the Small
and Medium Enterprise Roving Academy (SMERA) and Negosyo Center (NC) Butuan
Manager, facilitated the entrepreneurial mind setting.
The
training covered the concept of business, how to understand a business venture,
and how to differentiate “poor mind and rich mind”.
Corvera
also helped them determine their personal entrepreneurial competencies to check
their strengths and possible weaknesses in handling a business.
Engr.
Corvera also asked the participants to present their business ideas. After
validation and clarifications, the participants filled out their respective
draft business plans.
The
business plan preparation session was a hand-holding activity where the entries
were discussed in detail with the business plan owner. The format used was
fitted to the requirement of the financing institution which the Overseas
Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) also partnered with, in this case Land
Bank of the Philippines (LBP).
In
addition, Corvera presented common mistakes encountered by some businessmen and
how they overcome them.
Since
they will be applying for a loan to finance their business, the participants
were given bonus topic on how to manage business money.
As a
follow-through, the participants agreed to email the final draft of their
business plan for comments and suggestions.
The
training is an implementation of OWWA’s partnership with the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI), in order to help OFWs understand the world of
business and obtain other inputs as required by the EEDT.
EEDT
is part of the social preparation given by OWWA to applicants of the
OFW-Enterprise Development Loan Program (OFW-EDLP), an enterprise development
intervention and loan facility of OWWA. This is in partnership with LBP that
intends to support enterprise development among OFWs and their families.
The
activity was held at the OWWA Conference Room, Butuan City. (DTI-Agusan del
Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)