4,087 volunteers join advocacy on healthy
environment in Bislig City
By
Nida Grace P. Barcena
BISLIG
CITY, Surigao del Sur, Feb. 14 (PIA) – A total of 4,087 volunteers joined in the simultaneous river cleanup
activity recently held here, according to Eddie Duhaylungsod of the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Prior
to the cleanup drive, the volunteers
from the national line agencies, city government offices, students, academe,
and non-government organizations participated in the Zumba dance and Solidarity
Walk.
The
75th Infantry Battalion and other volunteers have rendered their time and
effort in cleaning the assigned area designated to them from Post 1 Bridge to Dampingan,
and Caramcam in Mangagoy, Bislig City in response to the advocacy for a healthy
environment.
Lt.
Col. Jaime Datuin of the 75IB has appreciated the effort of the DENR-CENRO
personnel who facilitated the realization of such kind of activity.
“I
am very grateful for the DENR for facilitating this activity and inviting us to
this advocacy campaign calling for action to revitalize rivers,” Datuin said.
“I
am thankful for this opportunity, that we give our concern to our environment,
and I encourage everyone to be responsible in throwing their garbage for the
development and cleanliness of our community in general,” he added. (PIA
Surigao del Sur)
Cabadbaran
City forms TWG for street food park construction
By
Jessica O. Mellejor
CABADBARAN
CITY, Agusan del Norte, Feb. 14 -The City Council of Cabadbaran created a
Technical Working Group for the construction of Street Food Park or a common
selling area for street food vendors in the city in order to accelerate the
economic efforts here.
This
was created through City Ordinance No. 2018-047, authored by the Sangguniang
Panlungsod Member Joan A. Monding.
The
Committee learned that the city of Cabadbaran has a rising number of street or
sidewalk food vendors illegally operating their small business within the city
that often perceived as nuisances causing obstruction or vehicular and human
traffic, and pollution along sidewalks and thoroughfares, despite its
prohibition under Municipal Ordinance No. 11-1993.
The
move has been approved recently by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan through the
efforts of Provincial Board Member Aquino W. Gambe, by virtue of Sanggunian
Resolution No. 001-2019 that created the Technical Working Group (TWG) in
Cabadbaran City. (LGU Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
DSWD
expands program for indigent senior citizens
By
Mike Ariel Plaza
BUTUAN
CITY, Feb. 14 - The number of indigent senior citizens who received their
social pension in the calendar year 2018 has increased by 1.81 percent, serving
a total of 130,796 beneficiaries as compared to 128,466 in 2017.
A
total of Php784,776, 000 has been disbursed by the Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD) – Caraga through the Social Pension Program to the
member elderly persons in the five provinces of the region.
DSWD
Caraga OIC Regional Director Mita Chuchi Gupana – Lim said that this increase
in the number of target beneficiaries served only highlights the Department’s
dedication in accommodating more "poor and vulnerable” senior citizens to
the program.
"Senior
citizens are an important engine in the society and should not be seen as a
dependent burden to anyone else,” Lim said, adding that DSWD, as the lead
agency in social protection and poverty alleviation, lingers to reinforce its
commitment towards promoting the welfare of senior citizens.
Lim
also stressed that from 9,375 beneficiaries when the program started in the
region in 2011, it can be seen that the social pension program for “abandoned,
neglected, frail, sickly, and poor” elderly persons continues to expand and
give them comfort and advantage.
“Social
Pension program aims to reinforce the goal of the Department to protect and
promote the rights of the vulnerable senior citizens in attaining a more decent
and quality life,” shesaid.
Sarah
Rose Salingay, focal person for social pension, said that in ensuring the
delivery of quality service to the 130, 796 beneficiaries, a clearly defined
mode of payment, validation strategy, grievance mechanism and data banking are
installed; all for safeguarding a government resource.
Salingay
also shared that one recurring issue in the implementation of the program is
the concern of having a master list of SSS pensioners for the implementers’
reference in determining the eligibility status of the senior citizens.
“Validation
activities both by the local government and units and the DSWD field office
could not be perfectly done without the said document, hence inclusion and
exclusion errors exist. However, efforts do not stop there, instead, the
grievance mechanism was intensified to address the increasing complaints of
individuals and other concern citizens,” she clarified.
Both
Lim and Salingay said that the DSWD wanted to ascertain that the benefits
delivered are given to the deserving social pensioners.
With
this, the DSWD-Caraga officially informed all LGUs to have a revalidation of
all existing beneficiaries based on the eligibility criteria and had it
notarized to ensure the veracity and authenticity of information reflected in
the validation report.
“The
said strategy is helpful in ensuring that the beneficiaries endorsed by the LGU
are really eligible to avail the program as a number of senior citizens were
non-eligible and were recommended for delisting due to having pensions from SSS
and are financially stable,” Salingay said, adding that replacements of
beneficiaries have already been made considering those who are on the waiting
list.
Republic
Act 9994 states that the beneficiaries for the social pension must be: (1)
frail, sickly or with disability; (2) receive no pension from GSIS, SSS,
AFPMBAI and other insurance companies; and (3) do not have permanent source of
income or regular support from relatives.
One
of the highlights for the social pension program in the previous calendar year
is the institutionalization of regional standing agreement with LGUS that if
beneficiaries failed to claim their stipend for two consecutive quarters
despite the door to door delivery, said beneficiaries will be delisted.
However,
Salingay clarified that they will be reactivated in the list once the LGU
notifies the field office.
Lim
attributes the success of the implementation of the program in the region to
the responsive LGU partners and stakeholders and the proactive staff in
crafting the Monitoring and Evaluation tool as basis for determining the
eligibility status of the beneficiaries.
“The
continuous commitment of DSWD to protect the rights of the poor and vulnerable
sector in the region provided an opportunity to set in place the necessary and
responsive programs and services for the said sector,” she stressed. (DSWD-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Gov’t
support propels rise of Caraga’s corn industry
BUTUAN
CITY, Feb. 14 - Strong government support and favorable weather condition have
paved the way for the rise of the corn industry in Caraga Region during last
year’s cropping season.
Based
on 2018 corn performance data, Caraga Region posted a positive increase
compared to the 2017 data in terms of area harvested, production and yield.
As
per Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) record, in 2017 the area harvested
for the corn in the region was 34,034 hectares with a total production of
119,980 metric tons (MT) and an average yield of 3.53 MT per hectare.
Last
years’ performance exceeded the 2017 record, with 36,699 hectares area
harvested and produced 135,627 MT with an average yield of 3.70 MT per hectare.
In
comparison, the area harvested from 2017 to 2018 posted an increase of 8
percent while production posted an increase of 13 percent and a yield increase
of 5 percent.
Melody
Guimary, DA-Caraga regional corn program coordinator, said that last year’s
increase was due to favorable weather condition for corn production and the
support extended by DA Caraga to the farmers.
“Our
support to corn farmers had led the way for an increase of Caraga’s performance
in corn industry in 2018,” she said.
DA-Caraga
had distributed around P60 million-worth of agricultural equipment for farm
mechanization and post-harvest facilities in 2018 such as farm tractors, corn
picker, combine harvester, compact corn mill, vertical dryer, and other
facilities.
Aside
from mechanization support, DA also extended technical support through
training, provision of corn seeds and ameliorant, and market support.
"This
year, 2019, we are hopeful that the momentum will continue for better
production and looking forward to more vibrant corn industry in the region,”
Guimary said.
She
added that for 2019, the DA-Caraga corn program is targetting to increase corn
production with an additional 3,000 hectares of corn area.
“Though
our projection is not that easy, we are closely working with the local
government units (LGUs) in identifying new areas for corn production that would
eventually contribute to the increase of our production for the current year,”
Guimary explained.
With an open mind of the farmers to
embrace right farming technology and favorable weather condition, Guimary is
optimistic that 2019 would be another great year for the corn industry in the
region. (DA Caraga/PIA Caraga)
Senior
citizens, veterans at retiradong sundalo nakinabang sa medical/dental mission
sa AgSur
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
SAN
FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur, Peb. 14 (PIA) - Bilang handog ngayong buwan ng mga
puso sa mga beterano, retiradong sundalo at senior citizens sa Caraga region,
isang free medical/dental mission ang isinagawa ng PHIVIDEC Industrial
Authority sa bayan ng San Francisco sa Agusan del Sur.
Nasa
mahigit-kumulang 1,000 ang nakabenepisyo sa nasabing medical at dental
mission. Nabigyan ang mga ito ng libreng
gamot, check-up at ang ilan ay nabigyan din ng libreng eyeglasses.
Ilan-ilang
benepisyaryo rin ang nagpahayag ng kanilang pasasalamat kasama ang lokal na
pamahalaan ng San Francisco. Isa na dito si Ginoong Alberto Laranjo, 63 years
old na isang retired army sa nasabing probinsya. Ayon sa kanya, noong taong
2000 sya tumigil sa serbisyo subalit hanggang ngayon ay nananatili pa rin ang
kanyang interest at pagmamahal sa Philippine Army.
Maliban
sa benepisyong kanyang natanggap mula sa medical mission, nagsilbing reunion
din ang pagkakataon nang makita niyang muli ang ilan niyang mga katropa noon.
Sinabi
naman ni retired Col. Alexander Noble, isa sa mga board of directors ng
PHIVIDEC, na parte ng kanilang layunin ang pagbigay tugon sa mga
pangangailangan ng mga veterans at AFP retirees na makatutulong din sa kanilang
patuloy na pagiging aktibo sa mga gawain sa kani-kanilang komunidad.
Ang
PHIVIDEC ay nagsimula noong 1974 sa bisa ng presidential decree no. 538 bilang
isang industrial estate developer at may ilan-ilan na rin programa at
proyektong naisagawa sa ibat-ibang bahagi ng bansa.
Samantala, matapos ang kanilang medical
mission sa Agusan del Sur, nagpunta din sa Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte
ang PHIVIDEC upang doon ay magbigay serbisyo sa mga nabanggit na sektor. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Ibat-ibang
sektor ng Surigao City, aktibong nakilahok sa FOI Caravan
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
SURIGAO
CITY, Peb. 14 (PIA) - Malaki ang pasasalamat ng mga Surigaonon sa isinagawang
Freedom of Information (FOI) Caravan na pinangunahan mismo ni Secretary Martin
Andanar ng Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) na layong
bigyang linaw ang mga isyung may kinalaman sa mga programa’t proyekto ng
pamahalaan.
Ang
FOI ay layong paigtingin ang pagpapatupad sa karapatan ng bawat pilipino na
humingi ng impormasyon tungkol sa mga kalakaran sa ating gobyerno.
Kabilang
si Marife Dumale, 3rd year College student ng SSCT Del Carmen, Siargao Islands
ng Surigao del Norte sa mga dumalo sa nasabing FOI forum. Pahayag niya,
malaking ang maidudulot ng FOI sa kanila.
Sinabi
naman ni Rey Suravasquez na mas magiging madali sa katulad niyang media
practitioner ang pagkuha o pag-access sa mga mahahalagang impormasyon mula sa
pamahalaan dahil sa mas maayos mabilis na mekanismo ng FOI.
Paliwanag ni Sec. Andanar, layon ng
PCOO na mas mapaigting pa ang media policies, press freedom, at freedom of
information na tutugon sa mga kinakailangang sulosyon sa ibat-ibang isyung
kinakaharap ng publiko at gobyerno. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
