Army to AgNor town officials, residents: Reject
communist terrorist group
By Maj. Francisco P. Garello, Jr.
CABADBARAN CITY, Agusan del Norte,
Nov. 6 -- The Army Commander in Caraga urged local leaders and its
residents to reject the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) during the Municipal
Development Council (MDC) and Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC)
launching of the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict
(MTF-ELCAC) of the Municipality of Jabonga on October 27 at the Multi-Purpose Gym,
Barangay Baleguian, Jabonga.
In his speech during the launching
of MTF ELCAC in Jabonga town, Col. Maurito Licudine, Commander of the 402nd
Infantry (Stingers) Brigade, challenged the local leaders and residents to
reject outright the CTG and its allied left-leaning organizations in order to
move forward in one direction particularly in ending the local communist armed
conflict and attain a long and lasting peace in the said town.
The launching, as a manifestation
of rejection of CTG and support to the EO 70, was also highlighted with the
Jabonga MTF ELCAC’s 1st resolution declaring the CPP-NPA-NDF and its allies as
persona-non grata in Barangays A. Beltran, Maraiging, Bangonay, Libas and
Baleguian of same town.
Present during the joint MDC-MPOC
resolution signing of Jabonga which officially created and launched the town's
MTF ELCAC were Agusan del Norte Governor Dale Corvera, Agusan del Norte Rep.
Ma. Angelica Rosedell Amante-Matba, and other guests from different agencies
and stakeholders.
Col. Licudine said the local
residents must resist the CTG and reject them from their communities.
"Your Army will side by side stand in unity with the local leaders and its
people to demonstrate that the CPP-NPA Terrorist (CNTs) and its left-leaning
legal organizations have no place in our peace-loving communities," he
said.
"It’s easier said than done
but with the local leaders leading their constituents in the fight against the
terrorist group and at the same time addressing the root causes of the insurgency
problem, no doubt we can achieve to end local communist armed conflict in
Caraga the soonest possible time,” he added. (CMO Officer, 402nd Infantry
“Stingers” Brigade, Philippine Army/PIA Agusan del Norte)
Caraga police top index crime for 3rd quarter of
2019
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 6 -- The Police
Regional Office (PRO) 13 topped among the 17 police regional offices nationwide
in index crime solved during the 3rd quarter of 2019.
PRO13 had the highest index crimes
solved at 63.33% followed by the National Capital Region Police Office with
62.53% as second and PRO3 with 58.13% as third.
PRO13 Director Police BGen.
Joselito Esquivel, Jr. said that based on the data gathered by the office of
Regional Investigative Detective Management Division (RIDMD13), 418 cases of
murder, homicide, physical injuries, rape, robbery, theft, motorcycle theft,
and cattle rustling were reported and recorded from July to September 2019.
Of the 418 reported crimes
regionwide, 260 cases have been solved while 324 crimes have been cleared.
Police Provincial Office (PPO) of
Dinagat Islands topped among other PPOs and Butuan City Police Office of PRO13
on index crime solved with 16 cases cleared and 16 cases solved out of the 17
reported crimes for the same period.
“This is a result of collaborative
efforts of the Philippine National Police, other law enforcement agencies and
all stakeholders with the active support of the community,” said Esquivel, Jr.
“Rest assured that the fight
against criminality and threats will be strengthened. We will continue our
anti-criminality campaign as well as our crime-solving efforts to improve the
peace and order and ensure the safety and security of all Caraganons,” he
added. (PRO13/PIA-Caraga)
Army launches offensive operation to thwart CNT
extortion in SurSur
By Lt. Jonald Romorosa
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Nov
6 -- The army’s 36th Infantry (Valor) Battalion, Philippine Army launched an
intensified offensive operation to thwart the Communist Party of the Philippines
- New People’s Army Terrorist's (CNT's) extortion activity in the province of
Surigao del Sur.
The intensified offensive
operation is a response to the reports from the concerned citizens that the
CNTs are conducting extortion activities in the province.
Lt. Col. Jezreel Diagmel,
Commanding Officer of 36IB, launched a series of intensified military
operations to trace the hideouts of the CNTs.
Based on the report, an estimated
amount of P6 million a month was being extorted by the CNTs from the politicians,
businessmen, mining and construction companies and even ordinary citizens in
the area of 36IB alone covering the municipalities of Carrascal, Cantilan,
Lanuza, Carmen, Madrid, Cortes, San Miguel, Tago and Tandag City excluding
Permit to Campaign (PTC) and Permit to Win (PTW) during election period.
Lt. Col. Diagmel revealed that the
army is gearing towards eradicating extortion activities to the peace-loving
people of Surigao del Sur.
“The intensified offensive
operation in the area of operation will thwart and preempt the NPA extortion
activities. We will cut their resources for them to surrender and return to the
folds of the law,” Lt. Col. Diagmel said.
He also added that the success in
combat operation will be a big leap for the victims of extortion activities of
the CNTs.
"We call on the public to
help us in this campaign and not to support this menace of the country,"
he said. (CMO-36IB/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Nursery plant to rise in Zapanta Valley
By 1Lt. Nonette
B. Banggad
CABADBARAN CITY, Agusan del Norte,
Nov. 6 -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) together with the Philippine
Fiber Development Authority (PhilFIDA) and the 29th Infantry (Matatag)
Battalion, Philippine Army recently conducted a three-day Nursery Establishment
and Management Training to the Zapanta Valley Bisaya Organization (ZAVBIOR) at
So. Zapanta Valley, Brgy. Bangayan, Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte.
The said training was initiated by
DAR Project Converge and was composed of a series of lectures on the first day
about abaca seed production by personnel from PhilFIDA followed by the actual
planting and bagging of abaca seedlings on the second day and construction of
abaca plants nursery on the third day.
ZAVBIOR was organized and
registered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) by the Community
Support Team (CST) of Alpha Company headed by 1Lt. Edmar C. Colagong last June
2018. This organization is composed of more than 50 members who belong to what
is called the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Zapanta Valley and is part
of the priority areas of the Peace and Development Zone (PDZ).
Zapanta Valley was also part of
the Conflict-Affected Areas (ConAAs) under 29IB and considered before as base
guerilla of the Communist-NPA- Terrorists (CNTs) where there are no government
projects and developments present in the area.
Now, through Executive Order 70 or
Whole of Nation approach, Zapanta Valley and its community were able to receive
training and support from DAR and PhilFIDA who distributed various nursery
materials to be used by the ZAVBIOR as another source of income and additional
support to the said organization. The said materials included abaca seeds and
seedlings, black plastic bags, fertilizers, insecticides/pesticides, nets and
additional materials for the construction of the nursery.
Brando Fernandez, Chairman of
ZAVBIOR expressed his gratitude in his statement, “Daku nakung kalipay ug
pasalamat nga nahatagan mi ug higayon sa atong gobyerno nga matukuran mi ug
nursery isip laing paagi sa panginabuhian para sa among organisasyon ug unta
dili malugda ang mga ahensya sa atong gobyerno susama sa DAR, PhilFIDA, Army ug
ang uban pa sa pagtabang kanamo. (I am very happy and grateful that we have
been given such an opportunity by our government to have a nursery which will
provide additional support for our organization. I hope that they, like the
DAR, PhilFIDA, Army and some other agencies of the government, will never get
tired of helping us.)”
According to Annalyn Chan, the
government is doing its part to help its people, this is now evident in the
support which was given to their organization. "What the government is
just asking from all of you is your time, effort and most importantly, your
dedication to continuing on this project,” said Chan.
“ZAVBIOR is like a small fishing
boat, the organization is the boat itself and the outrigger or ‘katig’ are its
members. Without its outrigger which balances the boat, it would surely not
survive, just as your organization without the help and cooperation of its
members will never improve and prosper,” added Chan.
1Lt. Edmar C. Colagong said that
he was happy that ZAVBIOR is one of the privileged organizations that have
received support from the government. "Rest assured that Matatag troopers
together with the local government unit and agencies will continue to work hand
in hand to bring just the right services for everyone especially in the ConAAs
and PDZ priority areas such as this Zapanta Valley,“ he said. (CMO
Officer, 29IB, Philippine Army/PIA Agusan del Norte)
Legislative support necessary for organic agri
sector growth
By Rhea Abao
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 6 -- The
enactment of the Republic Act 100068 or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010
strengthened the organic movement in the country.
This creates awareness among
consumers on the benefits of consuming organic products.
In Caraga, the advocacy of the
Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Organic Agriculture Program
started only with a hundred organic farming practitioners in early 2000. Today,
almost 5,000 farmers equivalent to 100 farmer associations are now involved in
the organic way of achieving the principles of health, ecology, fairness, and
care. Close to 100,000 hectares are also undergoing conversion from
conventional farming to organic farming.
However, the increasing adaptors
for sustainable agriculture are still facing various challenges. One of these
is the high-cost third party certification with the tag price ranging from
P42,000 to P150,000 per scope, valid for only one year.
This is one of the issues raised
during the 5th Regional Organic Agriculture Congress (ROAC), an annual
gathering of Caraga's organic practitioners and stakeholders held recently in
Butuan City.
"Legislative support is
needed in organic agriculture to help our small organic farmers attain the
organic certification they need to compete for their products in local and
global markets. Farmers must not worry since Senator Cynthia Villar,
chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture supports the amendments of
RA100068," said DA-Caraga regional executive director Abel James I.
Monteagudo.
House Bill No. 8314 seeks to
address the problem on third party accreditations in the Philippines by
institutionalizing the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) that offers a
complimentary and low-cost system of quality assurance, with a heavy emphasis
on social control and knowledge building.
In the region, there are only two
organic products certified by the Organic Certification Center of the
Philippines (OCCP) and Negros Island Certification (NICERT). These
are the CRV Rice Mill from Alegria, Surigao del Norte for organic rice and the
organic fertilizer of the Caraga Agricultural Business Corporation in Butuan
City.
"With no third-party
certification, it is prohibited by the law to label our products with the term
organic. But we are still hopeful that with the support of our legislators the
law will be amended. This is essential for the continued growth of the organic
agriculture sector," said Nilo B. Acupinpin, chairperson of the Sta.
Josefa Integrated Organic Farmers Association from Sta. Josefa, Agusan del Sur.
The amendment of the Organic Law
would have a big impact on organic practitioners in the region considering that
numerous groups are already certified under the PGS such as in the province of
Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Butuan City through the help of the
private sector like the Agro-Eco Philippines.
According to DA Secretary William
D. Dar, legislative support is one of the keys to level up Philippine
agriculture. “The country's agriculture sector needs the help of both the
Senate and the House of Representatives for policy and structural reforms that
need to be legislated and institutionalized,” Dar said.
With a responsive policy reform,
more farmers will adopt organic agriculture standards and methods.
Likewise, this will motivate farmers to self-organize, which will further help
in accessing markets in the local and global arena benefitting the sector as a
whole. (DA Caraga/PIA Caraga)
