Monday, July 15, 2019

Over 1K residents benefit from PNP’s community outreach program in SurSur

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, July 15 (PIA) -- More than 1,000 local residents of Barangay Javier, Barobo, Surigao del Sur benefitted from the community outreach program of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Caraga.

The locals were delighted to have availed the free medical and dental check-up, as well as the free haircut, medicines, food packs, school supplies, slippers, and eyeglasses.

The said activity formed part of the PNP’s “Project Kasing-kasing” or “Project Heart,” which is a flagship program that aims to help the underprivileged in the remote communities and strengthen police-community ties to effectively address criminality and insurgency in the region.

According to PNP-Caraga regional director Police Brigadier General Gilberto DC Cruz, the project also aims to intensify the good partnership between the PNP and the locals, and their cooperation towards preventing the problem on insurgency.

The official also said that Barangay Javier in the municipality of Barobo is among the identified conflict-affected areas in the region, and declared the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) as persona non-grata, to protect and save their constituents against the NPAs as the communist-terrorist groups have been causing chaos in their community.

Cruz further bared that several violent incidents have already been recorded in Barangay Javier, which include the NPA’s burning of container vans filled with export-quality bananas in 2013.

The community outreach program is part of the PNP’s initiatives in implementing Executive Order 70 or the whole of nation approach in the combat against insurgency. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

Soldiers counter stress through health awareness

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, July 15 – The Ever Onward Troopers of the 26th Infantry Battalion (26IB), Philippine Army, have recently undergone lectures on health awareness held at the headquarters’ multipurpose hall, Talacogon, this province.

Dr. Rolly Dacera, head doctor of Talacogon District Hospital and medical retainer of 26IB, together with Janis Eryl Jandayan and Erwin Perez, facilitated the lectures particularly on lifestyle diseases and related health problems emphasizing on hypertension, its cause, complications and how to avoid it, in which the soldiers were eager to learn.

 “Hypertension or commonly known as high blood pressure is timely and common health problems nowadays especially for those individuals with undesirable lifestyle,” Dr. Dacera said.

He also conveyed that they will continue to provide health care support to the soldiers including their families.

They will also help the Philippine Army in giving health assistance to the community.

In his statement, Lt. Col. Romeo Jimenea, 26IB commander said, “Health is wealth, it must not be taken for granted especially for our troops.”

“Increasing the health awareness of our troops will equip them not only in performing their duties but also in combating diseases and countering stress. It will be their greatest weapon to carry out the mission for serving our people and securing our motherland,” Jimenea added. (26IB, PA/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

OWWA-NRCO Caraga awards livelihood starter kits to distressed undocumented OFWs

BUTUAN CITY, July 15 - The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Regional Welfare Office – Caraga through its attached office, the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), has recently awarded livelihood starter kits composed of two piglets, three sacks of feeds and vitamins to five distressed undocumented OFWs under the NRCO’s Livelihood Development Assistance Program (LDAP).

About three of these beneficiaries are from Del Carmen in Siargao Islands, one from Surigao City and one from Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte.

One of the beneficiaries, Georgette Vestil Pal from Barangay Songkoy, Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, was personally visited in her residence by OWWA Caraga officer-in-charge Ma. Ireen Cambaling and NRCO support staff Berly Sain to award the starter kit and to relieve her from traveling to Surigao City, which would take her more or less than two hours.

Pal thanked OWWA-NRCO for the livelihood starter kits she had received and did not expect to receive two piglets instead of one, including feeds and vitamins, which made her even happier and that, she can now start her proposed business.

Meanwhile, the remaining starter kits were awarded at the DOLE – Surigao del Norte Field Office.

The LDAP is a livelihood grant intervention consists of livelihood start-up kit worth P10,000, small business management training and financial awareness seminar intended to bring about improved socio-economic well-being for returning and undocumented OFWs.

Eligible beneficiary under the program shall be any undocumented OFWs who have returned in the Philippines.

An undocumented OFW is defined as: those who acquired their passports through fraud or misrepresentation; those who possess expired visa or permits to stay; those who have no travel documents whatsoever; those who have valid but inappropriate visa; or those employment contracts which were not processed by the POEA or subsequently verified and registered on-site by POLO, if required by law or regulation.

For more information, visit the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) – Caraga at OWWA Caraga Training Hall, Nimfa Tiu Bldg II, JP Rosales Ave., Butuan City or visit its website at www.nrco.dole.gov.ph or message them in their Facebook account at Nrco Owwa Caraga. (NRCO/OWWA/PIA-Caraga)

EO 70 isusulong sa Caraga 

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Hulyo 15 (PIA) -- Sa pangunguna ng National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), nagtipon-tipon ang ibat-ibang ahensiya ng pamahalaan na bumubuo sa Regional Task Force - Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC), para talakayin ang mga gagawing hakbang upang mas mapalawak at mapaigting pa ang implementasyon ng Executive Order No. 70 o “whole of nation approach” sa pagsugpo ng insurgency sa Caraga region.

Ayon kay Director Manuel Orduña ng NICA, kailangang magkaisa ang mga ahensiya ng gobyerno sa pagtukoy sa mga pangunahing isyung kinakaharap ng bawat komunidad nang mabigyang solusyon ang mga ito at pagplanohang mabuti ang mga gagawing hakbang na makatutulong sa mga Caraganons sa pagkamit ng inaasam nitong kapayapaan at sustainable development.

Pagtitibayin pa ng task force ang mga lugar na kabilang sa Peace and Development Zones ng rehiyon, maging ang mga programa't serbisyo na binibigay sa mga residente nito. Bibigyan din ng tuon ang pagtugon sa mga pangangailangan ng mga Indigenous Peoples (IPs) na siyang direktang naaapektuhan ng mga kaguluhang dinudulot ng New People's Army.

Ibinahagi naman ni Capt. Aldim Viernes, Civil Military Operations officer ng 401st Brigade, Philippine Army, marami na rin silang engagements kasama ang IPs.

Magandang paraan din aniya ang pagsagawa ng Community Support Program upang maihatid ang mga programang naaayon sa mga residenteng nasa liblib na lugar, at maipaabot sa kinauukulang ahensiya ang mga problema't hinaing ng komunidad na kailangang matugunan agad.

  

Pagdating naman sa larangan ng komunikasyon, binigyang-diin ni Capt. Viernes na mas pagbubutihin pa nila ang kanilang kasanayan sa pagamit ng social media at iba pang platform sa paghahatid ng balita sa mga ginagawang hakbang o aktibidad ng kanilang hanay kasama ang ibang ahensiya sa Task Force at malaman ito ng publiko nang hindi sila malinlang sa mga maling impormasyong ipinakakalat ng mga komunistang grupo. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)