Friday, August 10, 2018

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)

Thursday, August 9, 2018

DAR, LGU ink MOA for 'LinkSFarM' Project in AgSur

By Jennifer P. Gaitano /Rechel D. Besonia

VERUELA, Agusan del Sur, Aug. 9 – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Agusan del Sur, together with the local government unit of Veruela, and La Fortuna Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LAMUPCO) - a recipient Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB) Organization of LinkSFarM project, signed a two-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on August 2, 2018 at the KALAHI Farmers Center in Veruela, this province.

LinkSFarM, a partnership project that links agrarian reform beneficiaries to better market connections, integrates the supply chain and utilizes the eight steps in agro-enterprise clustering approach to increase the production and income of ARBs and their household through agricultural extension, marketing assistance, and capacity building.

In her message, Veruela Municipal Mayor Myrna Mondejar, challenged the farmers to take care of the project because this will help them as they venture into another livelihood and generate more income as farmers.

“I am so thankful that DAR has eyed the needs of our farmers here in Veruela, which is to find the right market for our locally-produced goods,” she said. 

Sangguniang Bayan (SB) member Salimar Mondejar, SB member Adelo Micutuan, Municipal Agriculturist Susan Chavez, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Leoncio Bautista Jr., Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer Fe Mosquera, Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Vilma Romero, Provincial LikSFarM Point Person Engr. Gudy Centina, LinkSFarM MEL2A Point Person Wiluna Orongan, PARCOMM Member Ruperto Bacudan and LAMUPCO Chairman Reynaldo Maido also attended said activity.

It was learned that before the MOA signing proper, LinkSFarM Point Person Engr. Gudy Centina conducted an orientation about the project and highlighted the obligations of DAR in the project implementation and monitoring as well as the part of the LGU in assigning an Agro-Enterprise Facilitator (AEF) who will provide technical assistance to the partner ARBO/AE clusters and update to the LGU management on the progress of the project. Also discussed was the role of the ARB Organization or the LAMUPCO as partner farmers.

Likewise, former Mayor Salimar Mondejar, now member of the Sangguniang Bayan in Veruela promised to personally help the department in monitoring the project so that it will not go into waste.

“We are so privileged to have been given this opportunity. Together, we will not let this chance fail. We must put our heart into it because this will bring forth better opportunities in the future,” said Mondejar, as he challenged LAMUPCO.

On his response, LAMUPCO Chairperson Reynaldo Maido thanked DAR in helping banana farmers like them to have a better market of their produce.

“Salamat sa DAR sa pagsalig ug tabang para kanamo nga mga mag uuma sa saging (Thanks to DAR for the trust and the help they extended to us banana farmers),” he said.

“For years, the department had continuously find avenues to help our people. We help them engage in business to become self-reliant. I am hoping that the farmers in Veruela will emulate us by taking the government’s assistance seriously,” bared PARPO II Leoncio Bautista, as he ended the activity with a message. (DAR-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

Military widow receives rice vending livelihood assistance from DOLE

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, Aug. 9 - The Department of Labor and Employment-Agusan del Sur Provincial Office (DOLE-ADS-PO) has recently released rice vending livelihood assistance worth PhP20,000.00 to the bereaved family of late Corporal (Cpl) Manser T. Morgadez.

It can be recalled that it was November last year (2017) when Josel D. Morgadez wrote a letter to the Office of the President requesting employment and livelihood assistance.

Josel Morgadez is the widow of late Cpl Manser T. Morgadez of the Philippine Army who died on October 22, 2017 due to cerebro-vascular disease hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage after providing route security to Loreto Mayor Ligaya L. Otaza at Brgy. San Isidro, Loreto, Agusan del Sur.

In her letter, Morgadez stated that she could hardly meet the needs of her family after the death of her husband.

As part of DOLE’s commitment to assist the Killed-in-Action and Wounded in-Action (KIA/WIA) casualties and their beneficiaries, a livelihood assistance is given to qualified immediate family members of AFP and PNP KIA-WIA.

“Daghan kaayong salamat sa inyong gi hatag nga grant sa akoa. Salamat kay bisan wala na ang akong bana naa gihapon mga tao sama ninyo nga andam mo suporta sa among pang adlaw-adlaw nga panginahanglan. Kaning Livelihood assitance nga inyong gi hatag, akoa kining palambuon og padaghanon isip usa ka Negosyo. Daghan kaayong salamat sa inyo ug sa Ginoo (Thank you so much for the grant you have given to me. Even though I lost my husband, there are people like you who support those who are in great need of daily subsistence. I will ensure the success of this livelihood assistance you have given. I thank you and the Lord for everything),” said Morgadez.

Morgadez is now a public servant after winning in the recent election as Barangay Kagawad in Brgy. Poblacion La Paz, Agusan del Sur. (DOLE-13/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

  

Ambulant vendors benefit from DOLE’s 'Negosyo Kariton' grants

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, Aug. 9 - The Department of Labor and Employment-Agusan del Sur Provincial Office (DOLE-ADS-PO) has recently released PhP460,000.00 worth of "Negosyo sa Kariton" (Nego-Kart), including cart accessories to 23 ambulant vendors in the municipality of San Francisco, this province.

The livelihood project given to the beneficiaries is under the DOLE-Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP), which aims to help the informal sector workers in the entire region to generate income through this program from the department.

The project was implemented with the collaboration of DOLE, Philippine Employment Service Office (PESO), and the local government unit of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.

“Daghang Salamat sa DOLE Agusan del Sur sa inyong gi hatag nga Nego-Kart para namong mga vendors. Dako kaayo ning tabang para sa among panginabuhian og para sa kaugmaon sa among tag-sa tag-sa ka pamilya. Amoa kining pa lambuon og ampingan sosama sa inyong pag serbisyo sa mga taong nanginahanglan sa inyong tabang. Dili sakto ang pag pasalamat lamang para ma suklian ang mga taong nagpaluyo ani nga programa (Thank you so much to DOLE Agusan del Sur for giving Nego-Karts to vendors like us. This is a big help for us and for the future of our families.

We will ensure the success of this undertaking and will take care of it in the same way that you have taken care to reach out to us. Giving thanks is not enough to return back the favor to people behind this program),” said Necelym Signar, one of the beneficiaries.

Also, Jocelyn L. Bastareche, DOLE Agusan del Sur provincial head, provided a short background of the project and simple inspirational message to the recipients as well as an overview of how DOLE put an effort in giving decent jobs. 

“I would like to thank DOLE for funding the Nego-Karts. This is a big help for the vendors to improve their livelihood,” said Mayor Jenny D. De Asis of LGU-San Francisco. (DOLE-13/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

Caraga gov’t agencies, NGOs amplify call vs human trafficking

By Mike Ariel Plaza

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 9 - “It takes a community to prevent trafficking in persons from happening.”

This was said by Hon. Judge Isabel Corazon Plaza, keynote speaker of the celebration of the 2018 World Day Against Trafficking (WDAT) organized recently by the Regional Inter-agency Committee Against Trafficking – Violence Against Women and their Children (RIACAT-VAWC) at the Agusan del Norte Capitol Gym here.

In her speech, Plaza stressed how fighting against human trafficking continues to be a struggle but with the help of RIACAT-VAWC member government agencies and non-government organizations in the region, she hopes that the call to end human trafficking will become more “resounding.”

“Trafficking in persons is not only a national problem; it is a global one. They call it modern slavery but I would like to call it the worst kind of business a person can think of,” Plaza said.

DSWD-Caraga OIC Regional Director Mita Chuchi Gupana-Lim, who also chairs RIACAT-VAWC, said that in ending human trafficking, the agencies need the cooperation of all the citizens to report existence of this crime in their localities.

“We want to emphasize that all of us can do something to stop trafficking in persons,” Lim said, urging everyone to report to the proper authorities any form of trafficking that they observe in their neighbourhood as “this terrible crime cannot be solved by one agency alone.”

“If we are not going to do something, one of us or a member of our family could be a victim because this is happening everywhere. We should do something. We should do something more. We shouldn’t be just complacent. We should be observant,” Plaza emphasized.

‘Be wary’

During the program, two victim-survivors of trafficking, who are both former overseas Filipino workers gave their testimonials.

Elsie Saguso and Rosejean German of Butuan City were both victims of illegal recruitment.

Saguso who worked in Saudi Arabia was maltreated and was unpaid by her employer for a year.

“Wala koy contact sa akong mga anak ug gipatrabaho ko sa laing balay nga walay suhol (I was not allowed to contact my children and I was made to work in other households without being paid),” Saguso said while narrating how she spent days looking for food in trash bins as this was not provided by her employer.

“Halos ikamatay na nako ang sakit sa akong lawas (I almost died because of physical pain),” she said.

German, on one hand, worked underpaid for more than a year in China with two different employers without day-off.

“Niabot ang panahon nga nadakpan ko sa Immigration ug nadetain for 45 days (I was caught by the Immigration and got detained for 45 days),” German said.

Saguso and German said that people should be wary in applying for jobs abroad.

“Sa tanan nga gusto mag-abroad, gihangyo nako nga siguraduon ninyo nga ang inyong agency ligal. Ayaw mo og adto kung walay kasiguradoan kay lisod didto (Those who wanted to work abroad, please make sure that your recruitment agency is legal. Don’t go if you’re not sure of the agency’s legality because life there will be very difficult),” Saguso expressed. 

DSWD’s RRPTP

Both victim-survivors were assisted by the Philippine government to fly back home and were referred to the DSWD-Caraga through the Protective Services Unit’s Recovery and Reintegration Program for the Trafficked Persons (RRPTP).

“Daku akong pasalamat sa RRPTP sa DSWD kay ako nakauli nga maayo sa among panimalay. Gihatagan ko nila og livelihood assistance ug educational assistance ang akong mga anak (I am very much grateful of DSWD’s RRPTP because I was able to come home okay. They provided livelihood assistance and educational assistance for my children),” German said.

DSWD-Caraga has served a total of 39 victim-survivors of trafficking from January to June 2018.

According to Lim, 24 of these clients are from Agusan del Norte, six from Agusan del Sur, four from Surigao del Norte and five from Surigao del Sur. Most of the victims are females and are between 18 and 30 years old.

“These are the only cases reported to us; we do not know yet of the many cases that probably remain unreported,” Lim said, emphasizing the importance of making acts of trafficking known for the authorities to respond to it.

Spoken word, poster making

RIACAT-VAWC’s celebration started with a “Bubble Walk for Hope” from Butuan City Guingona Park to the Capitol Gym of Agusan del Norte where participants from member agencies and organizations had a morning zumba cum foam party.

Competitions on spoken word poetry for college students and poster making for high school students were also held.

Winners of the competition are as follows:

 Spoken Word Poetry

1^st – Ann Mae Monique R. Jongko (Father Saturnino Urios University)

2^nd – Donna Mae P. Magtibay (Caraga State University)

3^rd – Jexan Macate (Butuan City Colleges)

 Poster Making

1^st – Hannah Clarice P. Cagadas (Bayugan National Comprehensive High School)

2^nd – Earl Brian V. Corregidor (Tandag National Science High School)

3^rd – Jhanna Vanessa Marie E. Cañete (Gamut National High School)

All the outputs of the competitions revolved around this year’s theme for WDAT, “Better Lives thru Safer Migration, Stop Human Trafficking!" (DSWD-13/PIA-Caraga) 

DSWD-Caraga starts UCT registration for Listahanan

By Abegail R. Alvarez

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 9 -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Caraga, through the National Household Targeting System (NHTS), started the registration activities for the eligible Listahanan-identified beneficiaries of the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) program in Caraga Region.

The registration activity is a process where the UCT beneficiaries will be enrolled for cash card account opening from Land Bank of the Philippines where they will receive their cash grant, as stipulated in Republic Act 10963 otherwise known as the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

In coordination with the City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officers (C/MSWDOs), the department completed the registration of 82 barangays in Butuan City at the identified registration sites. Meanwhile, the registration on selected municipalities in Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur is still on going.

To facilitate the said activities, Policy and Plans Division Chief Jean Paul S. Parajes and Regional Field Coordinator Aldie Mae A. Andoy supervised and monitored the registration sites with the augmentation from the barangay personnel.

“We were instructed by Regional Director Mita Chuchi Gupana-Lim to ensure orderly conduct of this activity. That is why prior the registration, we have coordinated with the Barangay Local Government Units (BLGUs) who are hosting the registration sites for logistics augmentation and manpower, which they provided,” said Parajes.

Based on the guidelines, the UCT beneficiaries are households that underwent updating and validation process by the hired Listahanan UCT validators last April and May region-wide. The data collected from the respondents were subject to Proxy Means Test (PMT) where households belonging to 1^st to 7^th income deciles were eligible for the program.

In preparation for the payout, the DSWD hired notifiers whose tasks are to visit the houses and inform the eligible households who are in the final list to receive UCT cash grant. The notifier will hand the Notification Form to the household and explain to them that they are qualified to receive the monthly cash grant of PhP200 in CY 2018 and PhP300 in CY 2019-2020. The households will also be given a Landbank Cash Card Enrollment Form and are required to comply the requirements such as three pieces 2×2 photo ID, photocopy of valid ID and other documents to support their identity. All forms will be submitted during the registration schedule.

During the registration, the hired verifiers will check the completeness and veracity of the submitted documents. These documents will be forwarded to Land Bank to facilitate their account opening.

After which, the department together with the Land Bank, will conduct the payout which is initially scheduled in August this year.

The UCT Program is the biggest tax reform mitigation program under the TRAIN Law. It seeks to provide cash grants to poor households and individuals who may not directly benefit from the lower income tax rates but may be adversely affected by the rising prices. (DSWD-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

DAR scales up abaca enterprise in Agusan Norte

By Nora L. Molde/Gil E. Miranda

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 7 - Some 427 abaca farmers in far-flung communities in Agusan del Norte are set to expand their abaca farms to boost local production of abaca fiber through the abaca value chain project under Project ConVERGE (Convergence on Value Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and Empowerment), implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) of Agusan del Norte.

The project ConVERGE supports in scaling up the abaca value chain enterprise of San Isidro Upland Multipurpose Cooperative (SIUFMULCO) as the lead proponent group of 21 participating groups consisting of 2,035 members; of which 460 (24 percent) are Indigenous Peoples (IPs) living across the four municipalities of Tubay, Jabonga, Kitcharao and Santiago (TUJAKITSAN Cluster) in Agusan del Norte.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PAPRO) II Andre B. Atega urged the local farmers and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) engaged in abaca value chain to produce quality fiber in order to compete with the market standard that will result to increased household income.

Under the integrated enterprise enhancement for abaca value chain, the projects have released around PhP55.6-million since it was launched in 2016, which composed of capability enhancement trainings; 12 units stripping machines; one unit 10-wheeler hauling truck; and planting materials and inputs covering 383 hectares distributed to at least 10 farmer-groups comprising 427 beneficiaries.

Project ConVERGE Coordinator Annelyn Chan said that from the PhP55-million budget, 43 percent or PhP23.5-million is still in the pipeline to be implemented within 2018. This included the proposed Phase I, which entailed the 1.6667-km. farm-to-market road from NRJ Poblacion 2 to Sitio Cadahon-dahonan in Santiago. 

SIUFMULCO Manager Leonora Mila admitted that for several years, the cooperative had experienced downfall of abaca production, due to widespread diseases and lack of adequate skill on farm management.

"Presently, the demand of abaca has been increasing. We are now delivering an average production of 200 metric tons per month. We are projected to double into a compounded annual growth rate of around five percent in the next five years," Mila said.

"We are very grateful through the support of DAR under Project ConVERGE and complementation efforts of various stakeholders. The farmers could slowly fill the gap on the abaca fiber supply shortage in the province,” Mila further added. (DAR-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)

Surigao del Norte solon wants broadcast media to devote airtime for PSAs

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Aug. 7 (PIA) – Surigao del Norte Second District Representative Robert Ace Barbers wants broadcast media to devote 20 minutes of regular airtime a day for Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to inform the people of social issues such as drug abuse and prevention and emergency preparedness, which directly affect everyone.

In his House Bill 7981, Barbers said media should help in educating the public on welfare rights and benefits, environmental issues, education, suicide prevention, and voter and civic education.

The public should also be made aware of policies and laws, road and traffic rules, physical and mental health, government processes, disaster preparedness and public safety through PSAs.

“Public service announcements are effective ways to generate public awareness on critical issues and in the end, promote behavioral change,” said Barbers, chair of the House of Representatives’ committee on dangerous drugs.

“If done correctly, PSAs may foster an informed discourse among community members on societal problems,” he added.

Barbers said laws that grant broadcasting companies the franchise to construct, install, operate and maintain television and radio broadcasting stations in the country mandate them to allow sufficient time for public service.

“The problem is the franchise given to media companies doesn’t stipulate a preset number of hours, and the truth is, these companies seldom comply with their mandate,” Barbers said.

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” he stressed.

Under the measure, a 30-second PSA shall be aired before the primetime news of all television and radio stations.

Barbers said the PSAs shall be non-commercial, non-denominational, and non-political and may be changed every six months to cover a wide array of social issues. (SDR/2^nd District Congressional Office/PIA-Surigao del Norte)