DOH Caraga to
strengthen measures vs polio
By
Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
BUTUAN
CITY, Jan. 22 (PIA) -- With the recent launching of the second round of the
"Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio" on January 20, the Department of Health
(DOH) Caraga vowed to reach the 95 percent target coverage in the region
through its intensified measures.
Apart
from the house-to-house vaccination, the agency has situated health workers in
strategic checkpoints all over Caraga to vaccinate children below five years
old. The health agency has also encouraged the cooperation of more medical
practitioners, especially pediatricians, to provide vaccination to their
clients belonging to target age group.
According
to DOH Caraga Assistant Regional Director Dr. Rodolfo M. Alboronz, it is
important for the health agency in the country to achieve the given target coverage
to ensure prevention and control of future cases of polio.
“The
goal here is to leave no child unvaccinated,” he affirmed.
Previous
accomplishment of DOH Caraga shows that the region has attained a 94 percent
coverage. Among the provinces, Agusan del Norte has achieved the highest number
of vaccinated children with over 99 percent covered. Meanwhile, Tandang City in
Surigao del Sur has achieved a whopping 100 percent while the rest of the
cities in Caraga completed the 95 percent target coverage. (PIA-Caraga)
Slain IP leader's son
cries for justice
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN
CITY, Jan. 22 (PIA) - The family of Datu Bontula Tinaghao Mansinugdan, an
Indigenous People (IP) leader in a village in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur,
welcomed the new year with grief as they learned the killing of their family
member by the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Datu
Bontula was found dead near the Kinabonglohan Creek, Barangay Kinamaybay,
Esperanza, Agusan del Sur on January 1 after he was shot dead by the terrorist
CPP-NPA.
At his
young age, Gali – not his real name, an 11-year old son of Datu Bontula,
accompanied by their punong barangay asked for help from the National
Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the national government and pleaded
for justice to be served for the untimely death of his father.
Gali
could not accept and understand until this time as to why the CPP-NPA
inhumanely killed his father. He was with Datu Bontula on December 31, 2019,
when the terrorist group had forcibly tied his father and abducted them.
He was
also saddened to recall that one of the NPA members who called his father
"bayaw" or brother-in-law did not help them.
While
Gali was recounting the details to the media, he also stressed that he would
never forget how his father suffered from the hands of the NPA, and he would
fulfill his dream to become a soldier when he grows up, so he could protect his
tribe.
Meanwhile,
NCIP Caraga Regional Director Ferdausi Saniel Cerna said that the Commission
and other concerned agencies will give the needed assistance to the bereaved
family of Datu Bontula.
“We
will be giving assistance to the family of Datu Bontula and we will help their
adoptive family so they could cope with life,” cited Dir. Cerna.
Datu
Manligonan “Larry” Mansinugdan, punong barangay of Kinamaybay also asked for
government’s intervention particularly in addressing the security needs of the
IPs in their respective communities, with the hope to curb the insurgency problem
in the region.
“I hope
the government could also place a patrol base for us to be secured in our
community,” said Datu Manligonan. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Slain IP leaders in
Caraga reached 15
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN
CITY, Jan. 22 (PIA) - Due to the relentless violence and abuses of the
Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in the Caraga
region, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) bared that some 15
Indigenous People leaders were already killed and left their families in grief.
According
to NCIP Caraga Regional Director Ferdausi Saniel Cerna, the Commission has
condemned at the highest level the ruthless acts of the terrorist CPP-NPA and
the killing of IPs and their tribal leaders in the region.
He
stressed that the withdrawal of support and the cutting of ties with the
terrorist CPP-NPA by the IPs have caused the surge of attack and killing of the
tribal leaders.
“In
Caraga alone, I think more or less 15 tribal leaders were slain by the
terrorist group because the IPs no longer give any form of support to the
group,” cited Cerna.
Since
the start of the implementation of Executive Order 70 of President Rodrigo
Duterte, the IPs have shown higher trust and confidence to the government and
have become more active in participating in the efforts towards addressing the
insurgency problem.
The
official added that the IPs are naturally peace-loving people, who just want to
live a harmonious life in their respective communities.
With
the help of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict
(NTF-ELCAC), the NCIP director hopes that a patrol base or army detachment will
be established in every IP community that is affected by the insurgency, in
order to protect them from the violence and abuses caused by the CPP-NPA.
“For
me, I believe establishing a patrol base or army detachment in the area would
really aid in securing the safety IP community,” added Cerna.
Datu
Jumar Bucales, Municipal Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of
Lianga, Surigao del Sur, who was once ambushed by the terrorist group and
survived from the incident, also asked the government for protection. He
expressed with high hope for more IPs to avail and benefit from the programs
and services of the government.
"We
asked the government to continue to help the IPs, especially in their safety
and security. We also hope that whatever would be beneficial to the community
would really be given to them,” said Bucales. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DA to provide
livelihood to CAFGUs in SurSur
BISLIG
CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 22 (PIA) -- Aimed to uplift the lives of the
Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU)- Active Auxiliary (CAA) members,
the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga Region in partnership with the 75th
Infantry Battalion (75IB), Philippine Army has strengthen its support to
the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and CAAs by providing livelihood assistance.
According
to Captain Edwin Leo Francisco, 75IB Civil-Military Operations (CMO) officer,
the livelihood program is under the Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang
Katutubo (4Ks) implemented by the DA. This program is funded by the DA’s
Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) as part of the government’s
effort of empowering the IPs to alleviate their lives from poverty.
The 4Ks
project implementation is one of the directives of President Duterte’s
administration through the provision of assistance in the form of agriculture
and fisheries-related livelihood opportunities intended for IPs, it was
learned.
“This
is another milestone for the 75th IB since the CAAs of the unit will be first
to avail of the 4Ks program throughout the 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division,”
said Captain Francisco.
This
project will certainly elevate the lives of the CAAs who only received
subsistence allowance which is not enough to sustain the needs of their
respective families, Captain Francisco added.
Meanwhile,
75IB Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Warren Munda expressed his gratitude to the
DA-Caraga for the opportunity that could benefit the 554 CAA members under his
command.
“This
project will have a great impact on the welfare and progress of our CAAs under
the 75IB. This simply shows that the government is indeed pushing forward their
services to make it closer to our CAAs,” Lt. Col. Munda said. (PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
POPCOM partners with
pharma for FP service delivery
By Angelita
B. Antonio
BUENAVISTA,
Agusan del Norte, Jan. 22 -- The Commission on Population and Development
(POPCOM) Caraga in partnership with DKT Philippines is set to conduct three
Family Planning (FP) service delivery activities in select health facilities in
the region this month, providing free bilateral tubal ligation (BTL),
non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV), and progestin subdermal implant (PSI) for
qualified individuals.
The
three-round service delivery starts at Cabadbaran District Hospital (Cabadbaran
City) on January 20; followed by Surigao del Norte Provincial Hospital (Placer,
Surigao del Norte) on January 21; and Bunawan District Hospital (Bunawan,
Agusan del Sur) on January 23.
Both BTL
and NSV are permanent modern family planning methods. BTL (for women) is a
surgical procedure in which the fallopian tubes are permanently blocked or
removed while NSV (for men) involves cutting and tying the vas deferens to
prevent the sperm from entering the urethra, thereby preventing fertilization.
PSI, on the other hand, is a long-acting method that uses a matchstick-sized
rod that contains the hormone progestin inserted in the left arm of women to
prevent impregnation up to three years.
POPCOM
and DKT will grant material and financial support to the successful clients of
the said FP services.
POPCOM
encourages all qualified individuals to avail of the free service, especially
those who are situated near the aforementioned facilities. Interested individuals
may visit their local health units and signify their interest to the family
planning (FP) coordinator. The FP coordinators will administer the
pre-counseling and the consent form before finally referring the client to the
procedure.
These
activities form part of the intensified implementation of the National Program
on Population and Family Planning (NPPFP), as one of the strategies in
attaining and sustaining zero unmet need for modern family planning. (POPCOM
Caraga/PIA Caraga)
SurSur IP reveals
CNTs’ plan to harass military, civilians
By Lt. Krisjuper Andreo Punsalan
TANDAG
CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan 22 -- A concerned Indigenous People (IP) member in
Diatagon, Lianga, revealed on January 21, the plans of the Communist New People’s
Army (NPA) terrorists (CNTs) to harass the Community Support Teams of the 9th
Special Forces “Hounds” Company and the IP community in Sitio Simuwao
(Kilometer 9), Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
Alias Uway
(who requested anonymity for security reasons) said that before the lifting of
ceasefire from January 3 to 6, the leaders, and members of the Weakened
Guerilla Front 19 (WGF19) and Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang sa mga Sumusunod
(MAPASU), a militant and an alleged CNT-affiliated group conducted a meeting in
Sitio Panukmuan, a far-flung sitio of Diatagon. Accordingly, they plan to
harass the government troops in Kilometer 9 despite the presence of innocent
civilians. Alia Uway said, he overheard the meeting since he was invited by a
friend, who was also a MAPASU member.
“Nagplano
ang MAPASU na irequest sa armado nga harason ang komunidad sa Kilometer 9 para
magbakwit ang mga tao (MAPASU plans to request the armed group to harass the
community of Kilometer 9 so that the people will evacuate). Nireport ko agad
kasi may pamilya ako sa Kilometer 9,” Alias Uway said.
The 3rd
Special Forces “Arrowhead” Battalion (3SFBn), on the other hand, is still
validating the veracity of the information and this will not be taken lightly
as this involves innocent civilians who are now working hard to attain lasting
peace in the sitio through the various government programs and delivery of
basic services.
Lt.
Colonel Joey Baybayan, 3SFBn Commanding Officer, said that this might be the
desperate move of the CNTs to hamper the development in the area and once again
trigger IPs’ displacement, then falsely accuse and demonize the military on the
harassment.
“They
are trying to preempt the peace in the sitio because they are now on the losing
end. Survival mode na sila at hirap na sila makagalaw dahil sa Whole-Of-Nation
Approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. Gusto nila guluhin ang sitio
para matakot uli ang mga tao, then, magbakwit nanaman para magkaroon ng rason
to remove military presence in the community,” LTC Baybayan said.
"Whatever
happens, we will not leave the area as ordered by our Commander-in-Chief and
until the objectives of the Surigao del Sur Task Force to end Insurgency are
attained,” he added.
The
3SFBn official, further, said that in fairness to the group, they will continue
to reach out to the MAPASU leadership for dialogues and hear their side since
this is, by far, still an allegation and they cannot just accuse anyone.
“If
there will be no harassments, well and good. If the allegation will
materialize, then we already have a lead and suspects and this would only mean
that the report against the alleged meeting and plot of MAPASU and the
Communist NPA Terrorists to harass the Community Support Teams and the community
is true and criminal charges will be filed against them as we have a witness,”
said Colonel Allan Hambala, 401st Brigade Commander.
“If
they will harass the community, mas magagalit ang mga tao sa kanila because the
terroristic act will definitely be condemned by the peace-loving IPs in the
sitio,” Colonel Hambala added. (3SFBn/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Army offensive vs NPA
resumes in AgNor
By 1Lt Miguel O Borromeo
CABADBARAN
CITY, Agusan del Norte, Jan. 22 -- Troops of the 29th Infantry (MATATAG)
Battalion resumed their offensive against the Communist New People's Army
terrorists (CNTs) as they clashed with them again on January 16, 2020, in an
uninhabited area of Maribuhok, Brgy. Bangayan, Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte.
While
on a combat operation, the 29IB troopers encountered more or less 10 CNTs
believed to be members of Sentro De Grabidad (SDG) 16, Guerilla Front Committee
(GFC) 16 of North Eastern Mindanao Regional Command (NEMRC) under alias Weng.
The
firefight lasted for about 15 minutes; the troops continued to pursue the enemy
but they hastily scampered in different directions leaving some of their
valuable war materials such as one anti-personnel mine, two 40mm ammunition for
M203 Grenade Launcher, 10 ponchos (raincoats), food supplies, other personal
belongings, and subversive documents.
There
was no casualty among the troops while there was an undetermined number of
casualties on the side of the terrorists as indicated by bloodstains along
their routes of withdrawal.
Such a
positive encounter is a result of the civilians' cooperation with the Army to
end the conflict in their area. It can also be recalled that Brgy. Bangayan of
Kitcharao is one with the government in ending insurgency as they have
declared CNTs as Persona Non-Grata (PNG) in their community through resolution
No. 08 dated May 7, 2019, as well as the creation of their Barangay Task Force-
ELCAC through resolution no. 01 on October 27, 2019.
Lt.
Col. Isagani O. Criste, Commanding Officer of 29IB, was grateful for the
information provided by the residents about the whereabouts of the CNTs.
"This only proves that the residents are now ready to embrace change and
peace in their area. This is evidence that you are now willing to 'walk the
talk' which you have made as you signed the resolutions on PNG and
BTF-ELCAC," he said.
"I
know that the peace which we are all longing for is near at hand; we just need
to believe so and do all we can to achieve it. Your Matatag troopers are always
here to support and help you achieve the peace and development which you are
all hoping for. We just need your continuous support and trust. In return, we
promise to do our part," Criste added. (CMO Officer, 29IB, PA/PIA Agusan
del Norte)
DPWH Caraga puspusan
ang road projects para sa mabilis na byahe
By Nora
C. Lanuza
LUNGSOD
NG BUTUAN, Enero 22 (PIA) -- Patuloy ang ginagawang road construction project
ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Caraga para sa mga kalsadang
makakatulong para mapabilis ang biyahe sa iba’t ibang lugar ng Caraga region
gayundin sa ibang lugar ng Mindanao.
Kabilang
dito ang construction ng Agusan-Malaybalay road na nagkakahalaga ng P1.1 at
nasa 77.62 percent sa buwan ng Disyembre noong nakaraang taon.
Sinimulan
ang construction nito taong 2015 at inaasahang makakatulong ng maraming mamamayan.
Malaki
ang pasasalamat ng mga residente ng Esperanza, Agusan del Sur sa ginagawang
Agusan-Malaybalay road. Anila, bagamat hindi pa ito tuluyang natatapos,
nakatulong na ito para mapadali ang pagdadala nila ng kanilang mga produkto sa
merkado.
Naging
emosyunal naman si Rosie Echinique habang nagpapasalamat sa gobyerno partikular
na sa DPWH dahil sa halos 30 taon na siya ay nakatira sa lugar, ngayon
lang niya naranasan ang magkaroon ng magandang daan.
Ayon
kay DPWH Caraga Regional Director Pol delos Santos, kabilang din ang
Buenavista-Lawan lawan-boundary Bukidnon road sa mga inaasahang malapit ng
matapos.
Samantala,
dahil sa sunod-sunod na naranasang lindol sa iba’t ibang parte ng Mindanao,
binigyang diin din ni director delos Santos ang patuloy na pag-iinspeksyon ng
ahensya sa mga imprastraktura ng rehiyon at kabilang na ang Magsaysay bridge ng
Butuan City na binuksan sa publiko noong Mayo 19, 1953. Ayon kay delos Santos
nasa maayos pa na kondisyon ang tulay at walang pinsalang natamo sa sunod-sunod
na lindol na naranasan sa Mindanao. (NCLM/PIA Caraga)
Pinaslang na IP
leaders sa Caraga umabot na sa 15
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
LUNGSOD
NG BUTUAN, Enero 22 (PIA) - Nasa mahigit kumulang 15 Indigenous People-leaders
na ang binawian ng buhay dahil sa karahasang dulot ng Communist Party of the
Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) sa rehiyon ng Caraga.
Ayon
kay Direktor Ferdausi Saniel Cerna ng National Commission on Indigenous Peoples
(NCIP) Caraga, lubos na kinokondena ng komisyon ang pagpatay ng rebeldeng grupo
sa mga IPs at tribal leaders.
Napag-alaman
na ito ay sa kadahilang ayaw nang magbigay suporta ng IPs kaya sila ay inaatake
at pinapatay ng grupo.
“Sa
Caraga, siguro nasa mahigit-kumulang 15 na yata ang napatay, puro IP leaders.
Sa kadahilanan na ayaw na ng mga IPs na sumapi doon sa kabila na kilosan. Kaya
po sila tinaguriang demonyo ng kabila kaya po sila pinatay,” ani ni Cerna.
Sinabi
din ni Dir. Cerna na magmula nang masimulan ang implementasyon ng Executive
Order 70 ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, ay mas lumakas pa ang tiwala at mas
naging aktibo pa ang mga ips sa ginagawang hakbang ng gobyerno upang labanan
ang insurgency.
Dagdag
pa ng opisyal, ang mga IPs ay likas na mapagmahal at ayaw ng gulo dahil nais
lamang nilang mamuhay nang matiwasay sa kanilang komunidad.
Hiling
ng opisyal na sa tulong na rin ng National Task Force To End Local Communist
Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) ay malagyan ng patrol base o army detachment sa mga
IP communities na apektado ng insurgency. Ito ay upang mas maprotektahan ang
mga IPs mula sa karahasan at pang-aabusong dulot ng CPP-NPA.
“Mas
maganda po talaga na magkaroon po ng patrol base o detachment at nang sa ganun
po ay meron silang matatakbuhan sa oras na kakailangin nila ng tulong at
maprotektahan ang mga buhay nila. Kasi nga nasa malayo po yung mga IPs natin,”
sabi ni Cerna.
Sang-ayon
din dito si Datu Jumar Bucales, Municipal Indigenous Peoples Mandatory
Representative (IPMR) sa Lianga, Surigao del Sur, na minsang na ring na-ambush
at nakaligtas sa karahasan ng CPP-NPA. Hiniling din niya ang proteksyon at
mapagpatuloy pa ang programa at serbisyo ng pamahalaan sa mga komunidad ng
rehiyon.
"Nais
naming masiguro talaga ang proteksiyon ng IPs at kung ano man ang makabubuti
para sa sektor ay sana maibigay ng gobyerno,” banggit ni Bucales.
(JPG/PIA-Caraga)
DOH Caraga
papaigtingin ang kampanya kontra polio
By
Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
LUNGSOD
NG BUTUAN, Enero 22 (PIA) -- Sa paglunsad ng pangalawang round ng Sabayang
Patak Kontra Polio noong Enero 20, mas papaigtingan pa ng Department of Health
(DOH) Caraga ang pagpapabakuna kontra polio upang makamit ang 95 porsyento
target coverage.
Bukod
sa house-to-house na pagbabakuna, nagdestino din ang ahensya ng mga health
workers sa mga checkpoints sa iba’t-ibang lugar sa rehiyon upang bakuhahan ang
mga batang may edad limang anyos pababa. Nakipag-ugnayan din ang ahensya sa mga
health practitioners, lalo na sa mga pediatricians, upang hikayatin ang
kanilang mga pasyenteng kabilang sa target age group na magpabakuna.
Binigyang-diin
ng Assistant Regional Director ng DOH Caraga na si Dr. Rodolfo M. Alboronz
ang kahalagahan ng pagkamit ng nasabing target coverage kung saan magiging
mas madali nang maagapan ang pagkalap ng polio sa bansa.
“Ang
pangunahing layunin ng ahensya ay ang mapabakunahan ang bawat bata sa bansa,”
dagdag niya.
Ayon sa
datos ng ahensya sa naunang round ng pagbabakuna, nakamit ng rehiyon ang 94
porsyento na coverage. Sa lahat ng probinsya sa Caraga, nakamit ng Agusan del
Norte ang pinakamataas na coverage na 99 porsyento samantalang nakamit naman ng
lungsod ng Tandag sa Surigao del Sur ang 100 porsyento na coverage habang ang
natitirang lungsod sa Caraga ay nakamit ang 95 porsyento na coverage.
(PIA-Caraga)
