Caraga LGUs unite vs.
COVID-19
By
Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
BUTUAN
CITY, Mar. 19 (PIA) -- With the ballooning number of Persons under
Investigation (PUIs) and Persons under Monitoring (PUMs) in Caraga, local
government units (LGUs) and provinces in the region are taking part in
implementing preemptive measures to halt the transmission of the disease in the
region and maintain a Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-free Caraga.
At
present, a total of 2,751 PUMs have now been tallied in the region, with 2,640
currently being monitored. Eight Caraganon PUIs are still being tested in the
different Level 2 hospitals in the region.
In the
province of Agusan del Norte, the city of Cabadbaran has declared a state of
calamity, prompting Cabadbaranons to abide by the stricter protocols in the
city. The municipality of Nasipit has prohibited sea vessels to dock in their
seaport.
The
city of Butuan is set to implement a community quarantine today, March 19. As
such, entry of visitors in the city will entail stricter inspection.
After
the suspension of classes in all levels and the issuance of an order instructing
employees to work from home, residents in the city are all instructed to stay
at home and only go out when necessary, such as purchasing food supplies. The
city government is requiring those who are in public places to wear masks.
Apart
from the tighter inspection conducted in the province of Agusan del Norte, the
provincial government has now placed the whole province under quarantine. Prior
to the said declaration, the city of Bayugan has conducted its city-wide
quarantine.
The provincial
government of Surigao del Norte has prohibited the entry of local and foreign
tourists in the province. Only those who are residing, working in the province
and those who have received clearance from the authorities and the governor
will be allowed to enter.
The
municipality of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur has also issued a temporary ban
from tourists planning on visiting the place while Tandag City is now under
partial lockdown.
Department
of Health (DOH) Caraga regional director Dr. Jose Llacuna, Jr. appealed to the
public to be more cooperative with the government’s orders and follow protocol.
Forest products
seized in AgNor
By 1Lt.
Miguel O. Borromeo, Jr.
CABADBARAN
CITY, Agusan del Norte, March 19 -- Despite the prevailing threats of
insurgency and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) throughout the land, the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - Community ENRO Tubay
together with the 29th Infantry (MATATAG) Battalion, 2nd Provincial Mobile
Force Company (PMFC) of Agusan del Norte and the Regional Mobile Force
Battalion (RMFB) of the Philippine National Police continued to conduct its
Anti-Illegal Logging Operation this March 17, 2020, at Sitio Zapanta Valley,
Brgy. Bangayan, Kicharao, Agusan del Norte.
Based
on the positive information provided by concerned citizens and because of the
proactive action of the government agencies; various undocumented forest products,
and Band saw paraphernalia have been seized and six illegally established mini
sawmills have been dismantled.
The
said illegally cut forest products included 1,980 pieces of assorted dimensions
of the Mixed Dipterocarp and Miscellaneous lumber species of Lauan, Antipolo,
Hindang, Bay-ang, and Bagras, which have a total volume of 5,000 board feet and
a total estimated market value of P150,000.00. Also seized were six units of
band saw machines which have an estimated total market value of P90,000.00, six
pairs of ply wheels amounting to a total of P360,000.00, six pieces grinders
worth a total of P30,000.00 and five pieces Bandsaw blades amounting to a total
of P10,000.00.
As of
this writing, the team was still conducting a comprehensive investigation to
identify the owners and other persons involved in the said illegal activity for
filing of the appropriate case. These persons once identified will be subjected
to administrative adjudication proceedings and once found guilty will be
penalized under the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines, Section 77 of
Presidential Decree 705 that prohibits cutting, gathering, and/or collecting
timber or other forest products without a license as well as under Republic Act
460 for operating sawmills without a permit.
Lt. Col
Isagani O. Criste, Commanding Officer of 29IB, said that the effort is not just
about the protection and preservation of the environment but also a part of the
President’s campaign to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC). "How?
Because these illegal logging activities have long been the means of the
financial and logistical support systems of the Communist Terrorist Groups
(CTGs). Yes, that is the truth behind these illegal logging activities," he
said.
This
truth was revealed by the former rebels who claim that these illegal loggers
are helping CTGs to transport food supplies in the guerilla hinterlands. The
former rebels also stated that CTGs collect money from these illegal chainsaw
and sawmill operators in exchange for allowing them to operate in the
hinterlands. Furthermore, the CTGs also charge these unlawful operators a
certain amount of money for every board feet of forest products, or for
whatever products they have obtained from the forest.
"As
your Army, we will continue to carry on our work. We will continue to interrupt
whatever illegal logging activities they are doing until we can make them
realize the importance of preserving our natural environment and until they
decide to stop providing support to the CTGs who have deceived people with
their wicked plans. Please don't get blinded and deceived by their sweet and
alluring lies,” Criste said. (CMO Officer, 29IB Philippine Army/PIA Agusan del
Norte)
Uniformed service
agencies form task force vs COVID-19 in Caraga
BUTUAN
CITY, Mar. 19 -- Armed service agencies in Caraga unite to create a task force
against the spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the region.
The
Inter-Agency Task Force – Corona Virus (IATF-CV) Caraga Shield is comprised of
the Philippine National Police (PNP) Caraga; 4th Infantry Division (4ID),
Philippine Army; Philippine Coast Guard (PCG); and the Bureau of Fire and
Protection (BFP).
During
the coordination conference of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management
of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) Caraga on March 17 at Camp Col.
Rafael C. Rodriguez, Butuan City, it was agreed that the said task force was to
oversee the peace and order in the region and enforce laws and support to other
agencies in order to curb the transmission of the COVID-19.
An open
forum to finalize the interoperability mechanism and implementation of the
mandate of IATF-CV Caraga was conducted, with each agency vowing to provide
manpower and logistical resources.
PNP
Caraga Police Brigadier General Jose Esquivel Jr, with Brigadier General
Maurito Licudine, Commander of the 402nd Brigade representing 4ID, PA; Lt.
Junior Grade Jesmar Dasas, PCG Station Commander; and FSSUPT Rommel Tradio,
Regional Director of BFP Caraga conducted the signing of the Joint
AFP-PNP-PCG-BFP Implementation Plan to formally activate the IATF-CV Caraga
Shield. PNP Caraga was appointed as the lead agency of the said task force.
The
Task Force CV Caraga Shield is composed of Task Group (TG) Land, TG Water, and
TG Air. (402nd Brigade, PA/PIA-Caraga)
BUTUAN
CITY, Marso 19 (PIA) -- Sa mas pinaigting na hakbang ng gobyerno upang labanan
ang pagkalat ng coronavirus disease (COVID-19), mahigpit din na pinapatupad
dito ang checkpoint ng mga otoridad sa mga entry at exit points ng Butuan City.
Pagpapatupad ng
checkpoint, screening process vs. COVID-19, suportado ng mga Caraganon
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN
CITY, Marso 19 (PIA) -- Sa mas pinaigting na hakbang ng gobyerno upang labanan
ang pagkalat ng coronavirus disease (COVID-19), mahigpit din na pinapatupad
dito ang checkpoint ng mga otoridad sa mga entry at exit points ng Butuan City.
Mahaba
man ang pila ng mga sasakyan ay naging maayos naman ang pagsagawa ng health
protocol sa mga pasahero ng mga pribado at pampublikong sasakyan.
Ayon
kay Police Captain Felomino MuΓ±oz, Jr., deputy commander ng Butuan City Police
- Station 4, kasama nila ang mga kawani ng Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP), Department of Health (DOH) at City Health Workers sa pag-assess sa bawat
indibidwal na dumadaan sa screening process.
Gamit
ang thermal scanner, wala namang naitalang may lagnat sa mga pasahero. Kinukuha
rin ng DOH ang kanilang personal profile para masuri ang travel history ng mga
ito.
“Kasama
namin ang DOH sa pag-assess ng ating mga kababayan na pumapasok sa lungsod.
Sinusuri natin ang kanilang history travel at patuloy ang ating ginagawang
monitoring,” ani ni MuΓ±oz.
Kasabay
nito, patuloy din ang kanilang ginagawang standard operating procedure sa
checkpoint laban criminalidad, pagsuot ng helmet sa mga motorista, pagcheck ng
drivers license, seatbelt at iba pa.
Marami
naman ang sumusuporta sa hakbang na ito ng mga otoridad, bagamat mayroong ding
iilan na nagsasabing malaking aberya ito para sa mga biyahero.
“Mabuti
na po ito kahit na medyo natatagalan tayo sa checkpoint, masiguro lang ang
ating kaligtasan at mapigilan ang pagkalat ng COVID-19),” pahayag ni Concepcion
Yu, residente sa Butuan City.
Pinuri
naman ni Jeana Abucayan, na mula pa Bayugan City, ang ginagawang hakbang ng mga
otoridad. “Kampante naman ako sa pinapatupad na precautionary measures ng ating
gobyerno, kaso nga lang medyo abala din sa mga bumabiyahe,” banggit niya.
Samantala,
base sa executive order no. 19, nagdeklara na si Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada
ng localized community quarantine sa lungsod ng Butuan epektibo ng hatinggabi
ng Marso 19 hanggang April 18, 2020.
Mahigpit
man ang dinadaanang proceso, positibo naman ang mga Caraganon na mapipigilan
ang pagkalat ng virus sa tulong na rin ng gobyerno. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Pagpreserbar sa
Century ug Heritage Trees sa Carmen gimando
By Jessica
O. Mellejor
CARMEN,
Agusan del Norte, Marso 19 -- Hugot nga ipatuman karon sa lungsod sa Carmen,
Agusan del Norte ang Municipal Ordinance No. 27, sa tuig 2019 nga usa ka
“Ordinance Mandating the preservation of Century and Heritage Trees in the
Jurisdiction of the Municipality of Carmen.”
Kini
human gideklarang balido sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan ang maong ordinansa ubos
sa Sanggunian Resolution No. 111-2020 nga gipangamahanan ni Provincial Board
Member James T. Reserva, tsirman sa Committee on Environment and Natural
Resources.
Matod
pa sa gipahayag sa kagamhanan sa maong lungsod nga kini nga kahoy isip “isa
kagatusan ka tuig ug kabilin nga kahoy” ug ang tanang lungsoranon gimanduan sa
pagpanalipod/pag-atiman isip kabahin kini sa atong kina-iyahang bahandi.
Gidili
niini nga ang tanan gideklarang “Century and Heritage Trees” dili putlon o
gub-on gawas kung kini alang sa medical, public emergency, public safety ug
botanical reasons ug i-preserved ug i-maintain sa iyang natural state.
Dili
usab hilabtan ang tanan nga mga tanum nga adunay mga hayop nga nagpuyo sa sulod
o nagsalig sa giingon nga kahoy aron mabuhi, lakip ang mga mammal, langgam,
reptilya o ferns.
Ang mga
kahoy ug uban pang pananom sa munisipyo naghatag alang sa mga pasilidad
pangkatawhan ug lain-laing mga benepisyo sa kinaiyahan ug ekonomiya lakip ang:
pagpauswag sa kalidad sa hangin ug tubig, pagkunhod sa polusyon sa kasaba,
pagbaha, pagpugong sa pagkubkob sa yuta, pagkunhod sa kusog nga gikinahanglan
sa pagpabugnaw ug pagpainit sa pagpuyo ug ang mga kahoy nahimo’g simbolo sa
kalihukan sa kalikopan sa tibuuk kalibutan, apil ang munisipalidad sa Carmen.
Nahisubay
ang maong ordinansa sa Republic Act No. 10066, "An Act Providing for the
Protection and Conservation of the National Cultural Heritage, Strengthening
the national Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA) and its Affiliated
Cultural Agencies, and for other Purposes.”
Subay
usab kini sa Section 132 (Provincewide Observance of Arbor Day/Tree Planting as
an Annual Event) sa Environment Code of the Province of Agusan del Norte.
Kini
gi-aprobahan sa ika 33rd Regular Sesyon sa pagpaningkamot ni Provincial Board
Member Reserva. (LGU Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
