AgNor towns join forces vs CPP-NPA-NDF
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 9 (PIA) --
Several towns in the province of Agusan del Norte have been declaring the
terrorist groups Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army –
National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) as persona non-grata for their ruthless
acts and harassments to the people in the communities.
The municipality of Nasipit was
first to make the declaration following the terrorist groups' acts that caused
sufferings to the people for being inhumane and for doing senseless activities.
The local government unit of
Buenavista headed by mayor Norbert Pagaspas then followed with strong
determination to put a stop on insurgency and freely deliver the basic health
and social services and livelihood to conflict-affected areas which include the
barangays of Sangay, Olave, Simbalan, and Guinabsan.
Mayor Pagaspas expressed his
optimism that the government's vision of a peaceful and progressive town would
be achieved only if these terrorist groups could no longer penetrate and cause
chaos to the locals, and having an enhanced road networks that would bring more
opportunities for the upliftment of lives would also contribute to making it
possible.
According to Lieutenant Colonel
Francisco Molina Jr., commanding officer of 23rd Infantry Battalion, Philippine
Army, there has been a significant number of NPAs who have surrendered to the
government even until this time. He added that per monitoring, no more
recruitment activities are being conducted in the area.
Based on records from January to
July of this year, there were 27 former rebels and members of the Militia ng
Bayan who are now sheltered at the Masigasig Happy Homes under the Enhanced
Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the government.
The indigenous peoples led by Datu
Manlig-unan Rolando Lanapan, the indigenous peoples mandatory representative
supports the Philippine Army, hence, authored the resolution declaring the
CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non-grata in the municipality of Buenavista.
Meanwhile, LTC Molina urged other
former rebels to surrender to the government and live peacefully in the
mainstream society. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Transparent governance emphasized in
'Dagyaw'
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 9 (PIA) -- The
significance of transparency in governance to address graft and corruption and
achieving real progress in every community was the highlight of the recently
concluded "Dagyaw," an open government and participatory governance,
regional town hall meeting held here.
During the open forum
moderated/facilitated by Assistant Secretary Kristian Ablan of the Presidential
Communications Operations Office (PCOO), various issues and concerns of the
different sectors in Caraga region were raised and discussed with the presence
of the national and regional officials.
According to Undersecretary
Epimaco Densing III of the Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG), Dagyaw symbolizes ‘Bayanihan’ among sectors and government agencies
towards resolving the problems and challenges that are being faced by people in
different communities by coming up with programs that will directly address
their needs.
“The Philippine open government
partnership is led by the DILG and the Department of Budget and Management
primarily to create programs to bring government programs to the people and so
that the people could also open up their needs downstairs and tell these to
government. It is important that open government is the same with what we call
participatory governance in the whole process of government from the barangay
up to the national government, where people will always be involved in the
crafting of plans, programs and activities of government,” Densing said.
Cabinet secretary Karlo Nograles
stressed how the Duterte administration has been transparent in all its
endeavors.
He also cited the good results
brought about by implementing a participatory governance.
One of which that he mentioned was
the immediate response of the government to every complaint or report being
sent to hotline 8888.
“So that means that the budget
process that we have is very transparent and it allows people’s participation
in terms of formulating the budget in terms of reporting the budget. And
remember that even without the law, the President also signed executive order
for Freedom of Information and that is already in operation now. In fact
through the freedom of information, many have already accessed of the data and
records in government,” bared Nograles.
The official added that the
Philippines has been number one in Asia when it comes to open budget survey.
This, according to him, is one
good result of implementing the freedom of information.
Meanwhile, booths from government
agencies such as Philippine Information Agency, PCOO, Department of Health,
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Social Services System, and Home
Development and Mutual Fund, among others were installed inside the venue where
their programs and services are showcased, and IEC materials were availed for
free. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Caraganons unite to stop Dengue cases in Caraga
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 9 (PIA) – The
different sectors in Caraga region have joined hands in fighting against the
spread of dengue disease in the region.
This, after a report revealed that
the number of dengue cases in the region has increased and now reached to more
than 7,000 while eight barangays identified as dengue hotspots.
Sectoral groups, particularly in
the barangays, are now being cautious, especially in maintaining the
cleanliness of their surroundings. The barangay officials have also leveled up
their mitigation measures in preventing the increase of dengue cases.
Based on the data released by the
Department of Health – Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) Caraga, these
are the Barangay Abilan of Buenavista and Barangay Pinanaan, Las Nieves, Agusan
del Norte; Barangay Daywan of Claver, Surigao del Norte; Barangay Maligaya of
Rosario, Agusan del Sur and Barangays Canlanipa, Luna, Washington and San Juan
of Surigao City.
DOH Caraga Regional Director Dr.
Jose Llacuna Jr. urged local government units (LGUs) in the region to intensify
the campaign against dengue and help people be well-informed about said
disease.
Also, Assistant Regional Director
Dr. Gerna Manatad said, one of the effective ways to curb dengue is the
practice of the four o’clock habit, wherein every four o’clock in the
afternoon, people do the search and destroy of the possible sites where
mosquitoes breed.
She further stressed that apart
from this is the regular conduct of the 4S campaign against dengue - search and
destroy mosquito-breeding sites; self-protection measures; seek early
consultation; and support fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas where an
increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks to prevent an
impending outbreak.
Dr. Manatad also bared that the health department has already coordinated with the local government units, Department of Education, and other concerned government agencies and private sector for the conduct of simultaneous clean-up activity.
Manatad added that the department,
together with the LGUs continue to monitor the dengue cases in their respective
areas.
As of reporting, the status of the
region is below the alert threshold level.
Meanwhile, the health department
thanked all the sectors in different communities for their active participation
and support in all the efforts of the government against dengue.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Beneficiaries join 1st DSWD SLP Congress in
Cabadbaran City
By Marko Davey D. Reyes
CABADBARAN CITY, Agusan del Norte,
Aug. 9 -- It was a fun-filled day for the beneficiaries as Cabadbaran City
hosted the first ever Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD)
Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) Congress last July 26, 2019, in this city.
The atmosphere was full of
excitement as SLP beneficiaries, together with their families and the program’s
partners and stakeholders participated in various activities which highlighted
the program’s implementation, and success, most specifically in Cabadbaran
City, which was also celebrating its Charter Day.
Judy Amante, City Mayor of Cabadbaran,
together with the members of the Sangguniang Bayan were present to give full
support to the said activity. The Provincial Government of Agusan del Norte was
also ably represented by the Hon. Elizabeth Marie Calo, Sangguniang
Panlalawigan Member who heads the Committee on Social Services.
The celebration, with the theme,
“Karun ug sa Uma-abot, Kalampusan atong Makab-ot,” (Now and in the coming days,
we can achieve success) was a venue for the SLP beneficiaries and partners to
interact and showcase the impact of the program. Different activities
transpired during the whole-day celebration, which included a poster making
contest which was participated by SLP beneficiaries, a livelihood bazaar which
exhibited products from SLP Associations, and a livelihood symposium.
Julius Sol Jamero, Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Provincial Director,
discussed Social Entrepreneurship to the participants during the symposium,
while Gemma Clarin from the Department of Trade and Industry was also able to
discuss Business Planning and Promotional Strategies, which came handy to the
different SLP Association members who themselves are running different kinds of
livelihood programs.
Plaques of recognition were handed
over to SLP Associations who have been successful in their business ventures,
while supportive partners and stakeholders were acknowledged for their role in
the success of the program. Mayor Amante personally handed over the
certificates to the proud beneficiaries and partners.
The Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) was also able to hold a Jobs Fair during the celebration,
which was very helpful to SLP beneficiaries, especially those under the
Employment Track of the livelihood program.
The SLP is a capability-building
program for poor, vulnerable and marginalized households and communities to
improve their socio-economic conditions through accessing and acquiring
necessary assets to engage in and maintain thriving livelihoods. It has two
tracks namely Microenterprise Development and the Employment Facilitation
tracks. (Social Marketing Section/DSWD Field Office
Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
DSWD UCT program resumes disbursement of 2018
grants
By Marko Davey D. Reyes
BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 9 --
Beneficiaries of the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) program (under the
Listahanan and Social Pension Program) of the Department of Social and
Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga who have yet to receive or have yet to
claim their 2018 grants flocked to the Surigao del Sur State University
gymnasium, this city, to collect their P2,400 lump sum grants.
The long-awaited disbursement of
the funds was made possible after the prohibition period (election ban) on the
release, disbursement or expenditure of public funds was lifted paving the way
for the resumption of the payout of the grants.
The program’s release of grants
started in September 2018, but with the major issues such as the lack of
conduit banks (rural/cooperative banks) to serve as pay masters and the hectic
schedule of the Land Bank of the Philippines became major setbacks in the
implementation.
Amidst the challenges faced by the
field office, DSWD Caraga officer-in-charge regional director Mita Chuchi G.
Lim has been very positive that the 2018 grants will be delivered by the 3rd
quarter of this year.
She has instructed the UCT team to
maximize all opportunities and work with Land Bank to fast track the
disbursement of the 2018 funds which will be due by the end of September.
DSWD Caraga UCT focal person
Adelito Mendoza explained that the team has already plotted the schedule for
the remaining areas and that Land Bank has coordinated in the scheduling and
are optimistic that all beneficiaries will have their grants by the end of the
3rd quarter.
As for the 2019 grant allocation,
beneficiaries for the Pantawid Pamilya UCT will receive their P3,600 (P300 per
month) grants, through their cash cards by this month.
On the other hand, UCT
beneficiaries for Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens, and the
Listahan-identified poor households will soon follow once funds will be
downloaded to the Landbank here in Caraga.
The UCT of the DSWD is a program
that provides cash grant/assistance from the government to address the
increasing prices of commodities due to the effect of the TRAIN law approved in
December 2017. (Social Marketing Section/DSWD Field Office Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
Finding the right person is not
always an easy thing to do; sometimes you have to chart unfamiliar territory,
brave mountains, cross raging seas and rivers, and endure long treks and bad
weather.
DSWD-Caraga is currently
conducting the validation process of senior citizens for the said program. The
Field Office targets to serve 140,000 SocPen beneficiaries this year. SocPen
was established in 2010 by virtue of DSWD Administrative Order 15 series of
2010 with an overarching goal of fulfilling the provisions of Republic Act No.
9994, also known as the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.”
Overcoming challenges to find the ‘right ones’
By Daryl D. Anunciado
Finding the right person is not
always an easy thing to do; sometimes you have to chart unfamiliar territory,
brave mountains, cross raging seas and rivers, and endure long treks and bad
weather.
These challenges hold true to
workers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Caraga,
who literally went an extra mile and took the road less traveled just to find
the “right people.”
One of these workers is
23-year-old Donna Rosales, a project development officer for DSWD’s Social
Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program (SocPen).
Donna, a resident of Barangay
Antongalon, Butuan City, has been a SocPen worker for three years now, but
still finds it challenging to do her job, especially when conducting validation
of senior citizens.
“It’s very hard to find them
(senior citizens), especially when a senior has transferred residency. You
really need the help of barangay workers,” said Donna, who is assigned in the
province of Surigao del Norte.
“We have to walk under the
scorching heat of the sun just to find them. Lisud pa gyud mag-handle sa ilaha
kay ang uban dili magpa-interview (It’s hard since some of them refuse to be
interviewed),” the Sociology graduate of Caraga State University said.
“Despite these challenges, I
enjoyed my work since I get to know people and travel to many places. What is
really rewarding, is you get to help poor senior citizens,” Donna said.
DSWD-Caraga is currently
conducting the validation process of senior citizens for the said program. The
Field Office targets to serve 140,000 SocPen beneficiaries this year. SocPen
was established in 2010 by virtue of DSWD Administrative Order 15 series of
2010 with an overarching goal of fulfilling the provisions of Republic Act No.
9994, also known as the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.”
Aljen Manilag, 23, a social worker
assigned in Agusan del Sur province, said it is part of her job to reach out to
senior citizens in far-flung areas even if the weather is bad.
“Typically, ang kalay-on ug
kalisud sa dalan para maabot ang beneficiary, bisan pa ulan or init kaayo, mao
ang mga challenges (It’s the distance, the rough road, and the weather that
challenges me when reaching out to beneficiaries),” said Aljen, a graduate of
Social Work in Mindanao State University-Marawi.
During the validation, DSWD
workers will have to visit senior citizens in their homes and interview and
assess them if they are qualified in the said program.
Qualified beneficiaries are those
who are 60 years old and above; frail, sickly, or with disability; without
pension from the government and private agencies; and without a regular income,
compensation or financial assistance from their relatives.
These beneficiaries will receive
P500 monthly or P3,000 stipend every semester intended for their medical and
financial needs.
Aljen said that during validation,
some senior citizens are annoyed with too many queries so they tend to turn
down even some of the basic questions.
“It makes my job more difficult as
some seniors will not tell you the truth. Some of them lie and are resistant,”
Aljen said, adding that: “There we could see the skill of the validator on how
to determine if that elderly is telling the truth or not.”
Aljen said other beneficiaries
also forget about their personal information due to Alzheimer’s disease or
memory loss.
“Grabe na ka tigulang bisan
personal information dili nila mahatag kay dili na kadumdum kay medyo
ango-angohon na (They are too old to remember even their personal
information),” she said. “What we do is we interview other family members
instead or some community members.”
A beneficiary can be removed from
the program if he/she has already passed away, transferred residency, cannot be
located during the period of validation, is receiving a pension from other
agencies, have regular income and support from family, or absent during the
last two semestral payouts.
However, a senior citizen who have
transferred residency could still be in the program provided that he/she would
secure a certificate of transfer from the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs
(OSCA) or Local Social Welfare and Development Office (LSWDO) that would then
be submitted to DSWD Field Office Caraga. The field office will then submit the
name of the beneficiary to the LSWDO where he/she have transferred.
“Personally, I find it difficult
no to be emotionally attached sa client. Dili gyud malikayan na maluoy ko sa
kahimtang sa client. Lisud pugngan ang luha motulo. (You really will feel pity
to the clients’ living condition. It’s so hard to hold back your tears).”
Aljen, however, said that she
needs to apply the “no emotional involvement” rule and that she should trust
the Department’s process.
“It may sound cliche, pero (but) I
stayed because of my passion to help people. Nakuha nako nga (I learned the)
ideology when I was in college. My professors inculcate us to have heart for
the people. And of course, I need this job para sa akong anak (for my son),”
Aljen said.
For Donna and Aljen, taking the
road less traveled and overcoming challenges just to find the right persons for
the social pension program bring them joy and self-fulfillment. (Social
Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
