Locally transmitted cases continue to rise in Butuan City
By Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
BUTUAN CITY, August 10 (PIA) -- Despite the easement of community quarantine implementation in Caraga region, health authorities continue to detect a surge of locally transmitted cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the region, particularly in the city.
As of August 8, Caraga region now has a total of 55 cases of local
transmission. Butuan City holds the highest record, with 44 cases tallied in
the city, followed by eight cases in Claver town in Surigao del Norte, all of
which were employees of the Taganito HPAL Nickel Corporation. The remaining
three cases had a travel history in Butuan City.
While the Inter Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has recommended that the whole region be placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) from August 1 – 15, the city government of Butuan continued to impose a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) on 36 barangays namely Agao; Agusan Pequeno; Ambago; Baan Km. 3; Baan Riverside; Bading; Bancasi; Bayanihan; Buhangin; Dagohoy; Diego Silang; Doongan; Fort Poyohon; Golden Ribbon; Holy Redemeer; Humabon; Imadejas; J. P. Rizal; Lapu-lapu; Leon Kilat; Libertad; Limaha; Maon; Masao; New Society Village; Obrero; Ong Yiu; Pangabugan; Rajah Soliman; San Ignacio; San Vicente; Sikatuna; Silongan; Tandang Sora; Urduja; and Villa Kanangga.
An enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was imposed on Purok 6-A of Brgy. Buhangin, where local transmission is most prevalent.
The implementation of varying degrees of community quarantine was made effective on July 28 until August 10 through the Resolution No. 61 of the Caraga Regional Task Force on COVID-19 One Caraga Shield (RTF-COCS) concurring the request of the city government of Butuan.
Authorities are now hastening their interventions to address the ballooning number of cases.
The city government of Butuan inaugurated its molecular laboratory and COVID-19 facilities on July 28, which is the first in the entire Caraga region. Since staff members and technicians are still undergoing training, the laboratory will be allowed to operate upon the approval of the DOH.
The same facilities are also being established in the province of Agusan del Sur and in Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center in Surigao del Sur province.
Meanwhile, GeneXpert laboratories are now being established in different locations in Caraga. The construction of the said laboratory in Surigao City is now on-going while the laboratory in Manuel J. Santos Hospital in Butuan City had already been inspected by the DOH and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and is expected to be fully functional on August.
Local health authorities continuously appeal to the public to remain vigilant and abide health protocols even when heightened community quarantine has eased. (DMNR/PIACaraga)
SurSur coffee farmers receive P1.82M post-harvest facility
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 10 – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently turned-over a hauling truck worth P1.82 Million to the coffee farmer-members of the Progressive Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PARBMCO) in Poblacion, Tagbina this province.
DAR Provincial Office information officer Myra Yu said the project grant was part of the component B (I-SHARED) investment for Value Chain Equipment of the Project Convergence on Value Chain for Rural Growth and Empowerment (ConVERGE).
Yu said the post-harvest facility will be utilized for the coffee trading and marketing enterprise of the coffee farmers in Barobo, Tagbina (BATA) Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) Cluster in Surigao del Sur.
PARBMCO Chairperson Pastor Jerry Taguno thanked DAR for being the recipient of the program. “This is a great challenge for us because if there is an opportunity, it entails great responsibility being the lead ARBO on marketing activities of the project, and a consolidator of the coffee as well,” said Taguno.
Meanwhile, Tagbina Mayor Generoso Naraiso encouraged the officials and members of the cooperative to always perform well and maintain the stability of the business operation. The official also encouraged the members to cooperate and help each other to reach the target of the program so that the government would not hesitate to extend additional assistance and support for them.
Meanwhile, DAR Surigao del Sur Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Office (PARO) chief Leoncio Bautista, Jr. acknowledged the local government unit of Tagbina for their cooperation and untiring support of the project.
“By providing the post-harvest facility, it will help PARBMCO in their marketing enterprise activities and in the delivery of coffee produced to potential markets,” PARO chief Bautista said.
Organized in 2006, PARBEMCO has 152 members. The cooperative's main business enterprise is a consumer store when they started, and currently, they now have two branches in Tagbina town.
It started on December 31, 2019, with a capital of P7,500.00 only. But based on the current financial condition of the coop, it has reached its cash flow liquidity to P6.5 Million, Yu noted. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
TESDA Training Center at skills training program inilunsad sa bayan ng Surigao Sur
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
LUNGSOD NG TANDAG, Surigao del Sur, Agosto 10 (PIA) -- Sa gitna ng banta ng pandemya, matagumpay na idinaos ang magkahiwalay na launching ng mga programa at proyekto ng Technical Education Skills and Development Authority o TESDA na dinaluhan ng mga opisyal at empleyado mula sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno at lokal na pamahalaan sa bayan ng Marihatag, Surigao del Sur noong Biyernes, Agosto 7.
Unang idinaos ang launching ng Provisional Provincial Training Center o PPTC sa Poblacion Marihatag, pinagunahan eto ni Deputy Speaker at 1st District Congressman Prospero “Butch” Pichay na naging panauhing pandangal kasama ang mga opisyal ng probinsiya at lokal na pamahalaan ng Marihatag na sumusuporta sa pagpapatupad nang mga programa ng TESDA.
Kasabay nito, iginawad din ni TESDA Caraga Regional Director Ashary Banto sa local government unit ng Marihatag na pinamumunuan ni Mayor Justin Marc Pelenio ang Certificate of TVET Program Registration (CTPR) nang Masonry National Certificate II (NC II), Driving NC II, Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II, at ang Organic Agriculture Production NC II.
Sa kanyang mensahe, nangako si Mayor Pelenio na susuportahan ang lahat ng mga programa ng TESDA sa pamamagitan ng paglaan ng mga pasilidad at ekwepo ng lokal na pamahalaan para magamit sa implementasyon sa pagsasagawa ng mga iba’t-ibang pagsasanay sa mga benepisyaryo nito.
Napag-alaman, kasama sa scholarship packages na nakatakdang magsisimula bago matapos ang buwan ng Agosto ng kasalukuyang taon ang free training, free assessment, training support fund na nagkakahalaga sa P160 bawat araw, P500 allowance para sa personal protective equipment o PPE, P500 allowance para sa internet, at isang taon accident insurance coverage sa GSIS.
Bukod dito, inilunsad naman ang isa pang Skills Training Program na tinawag na “Barangay Mahaba Organic Agriculture Production Village Enterprise” sa isang kumunidad ng Sitio San Roque, Barangay Mahaba sakop sa bayan ng Marihatag. Layunin nito na sugpuin ang ugat na problema sa insurhensya sa pamamagitan ng “Whole-of-Nation Approach.”
Inilahad naman ng mga kinatawan mula sa iba’t ibang ahensya na myembro ng Poverty Reduction Livelihood and Employment Cluster (PRLEC) ang ibang ibang programa na pwedeng mapakinabangan ng mga taga Sitio San Roque. Kasama si Cong. Prospero Pichay na naglahad ng kanyang commitment na maglaan ng pundo para sa pagpapatayo ng kanilang Tribal Center sa kanilang kumunidad.
Nagtapos ang okasyon sa pamamagitan ng Tree Planting Activity sa komunidad na dati ng tinaguriang naimpluwensyahan ng mga makakaliwang grupo. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
