Army-LGU
collaboration continues in fight vs insurgency
By 1Lt. Percivl Carido
TALACOGON, Agusan del Sur, Sept. 18 – The municipality of San Luis,
Agusan del Sur, together with the Army's 26th Infantry (Ever Onward) Battalion
continues its collaboration in fighting insurgency during the conduct of
Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC) Meeting on September 17, 2020 at the
municipal conference room.
To ensure the alignment of efforts between the military and LGU for the past
months in ending the local communist armed conflict, both have shared and
discussed the actions conducted to fulfill the said endeavor.
According to Charles V. Lim, the Municipal Local Government Operations
Officer (MLGOO), the Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) has focused on
giving basic services on Conflict-Affected Areas (ConAAs) and Geographically
Isolated barangays in order to counter the issues and propaganda that are being
used and uttered by the Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) in organizing and
recruiting the locals to utilize them on CNT activities.
"During our immersion, besides on giving basic services to
the locals, we also assisted the barangay councils on drafting the Barangay
Development Plan of every affected barangay, and we prioritized on depicting
their primary concerns on the said plan for endorsement to the national
government and fund allotment next year," Lim said.
Likewise, Municipal Mayor Phoebe L. Corvera, once again
embarked on her commitment to support the military especially on providing
the essential needs and morale to the troops of 26IB. "As per EO70, we
will be your partner on your intensified effort to defeat the communist
insurgency in the area. For that, we will also exert more effort in order to
address the root cause of insurgency in our municipality in order to pave the
way for development especially on far-flung areas," she said.
Relatively, Lt. Col. Reynald Romel A. Goce, commanding officer of 26IB,
appreciated the untiring support of LGU San Luis to the unit. He also
emphasized the importance of unity among the line agencies in fighting the
communist insurgents in the area. "Insurgency is not a mere responsibility
of the military. We cannot address the needed programs and projects of the
populace in which if not given attention, it will be used by the CNT to
undermine the government to the people," he stated.
"With your help, we will continue to put pressure on the CNT
because this will entice more surrenders and finally defeat the insurgency
problem in our area," added Goce. (CMO, 26IB/PIA-Agusan del
Sur)
DA Caraga gears up for a resilient bamboo industry
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 18 -- Joining the rest of the world in celebrating
World Bamboo Day, the Department of Agriculture – Caraga conducted a ceremonial
bamboo planting headed by Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo,
Regional Technical Director Nicandro M. Navia, Jr. and OIC-Regional Technical
Director Rebecca R. Atega at the Del Monte Lowland Rainfed Research Station
(DMLRRS) on Wednesday, September 16.
The activity is also in accordance with Resolution No.197 of the 18th
Congress that declared September as Bamboo Month in the Philippines. The
resolution seeks to promote the importance of bamboo in the daily lives of the
Filipinos by recognizing its many uses. Further, the resolution also aims to
encourage government agencies as well as the Local Government Units to plant
bamboo in suitable areas within their jurisdiction.
The bamboo planting activity is also inline with the pursuit of
the Department of Agriculture to promote bamboo and develop the bamboo industry
in the country.
In February of this year, DA Secretary William D. Dar declared bamboo as
a high-value crop to intensify its promotion.
In a statement, Secretary Dar said that the DA’s new agri-industrial
strategy does not only look at enhancing farm productivity, but also on
developing more value-added products to further empower farmers by providing
them with more business and employment opportunities, and eventually additional
income.
Aside from food products, bamboo is also used for construction,
furniture, handicraft industry, fuel, textiles, and the arts
Ecologically, compared to other trees, bamboo absorbs two times more
carbon dioxide which is essential for the survival, growth, and reproduction of
living things. Bamboo plants also have strong roots which make it quite useful
in preventing soil erosion.
In Caraga, aside from the ceremonial planting of bamboo, the DMLRRS is
targeting to produce 1,000 pieces of bamboo planting materials that will be
distributed to interested farmers.
DMLRRS Officer in Charge Catherine Juyno said that they hope to have the
planting materials ready by next month and start the distribution so that more
people can plant and Caraga will soon abound with bamboo. (DA Caraga/PIA
Caraga)
BioCon: Agriculture’s natural defense
By Kent Warren Fugoso
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 18 -- Pests can be annoying oftentimes. It destroys
the habitat of other organisms as well as its natural resources leading to the
destruction of food and shelter to native species in a certain area. However,
this can be restricted, through the use of available pest control techniques in
different approaches.
With its goal to strengthen the crop protection through biological,
ecological, and human resource development approach, the Regional Crop
Protection Center (RCPC) established in the year 2015, under the Department of
Agriculture – Caraga Integrated Laboratory Division (ILD), in the municipality
of Trento, Agusan del Sur, applied a strategy that uses biological pest control
technique, which is less costly and cheaper than any methods of Integrated Pest
Management to give protection to the crop, safer to the environment,
multiply easily in the soil and leaving no residual problem.
The RCPC prompted this initiative anchoring to its objective which is to
develop, promote, and implement sustainable biological control technologies.
Generating pest management strategies through the Local Government Units (LGUs)
which are adopted directly to the field of every farmer. Also, this serves as a
diagnostic clinic for crop pests and disease, giving technical assistance to
target farmers.
Science Research Specialist II of RCPC ILD Trento, Maricel Didal,
stressed the importance of biological control agents (BCAs) that it must be
introduced to the larger scope of farmers in the region as it is considered as
the best alternative to pesticides, efficient and safe for human and also its
environment, and most especially beneficial action for parasitoid, pathogen,
and predators in managing pest and their damage.
“We have four laboratories for the mass production of biological control
agents such as Metarhizium anisopliae, Trichogramma sp., Trichoderma sp., and
Earwig,” said Didal.
Metarhizium anisopliae is an entomopathogenic fungus that controls the
population of Rice black bug (RBB), locust, mosquitoes, soil termites, to name
a few. It was reported to infect approximately 200 species of insects and other
arthropods. The rate of application of Metarhizium is 50 packs or 200 grams per
pack per hectare.
Moreover, Trichogramma sp. is a genus of minute polyphagous wasps that
controls the population corn’s most prevalent enemy, the corn borer. The wasp
larvae kill pests before they damage plants by consuming their eggs. They are
shipped while still parasitized in the host eggs.
Trichoderma sp. is one of the most common fungal antagonists which have
a high competitive ability and capacity to produce a broad spectrum of
antibiotics. It is also a good source of cellulose, a natural agent that
hastens the decomposition of plants and other organic materials. For its
application, 30-100 g. diluted to 10 liters of water and drench per tree for
moist soil and 30-100 g. diluted to 15L of water and drench per tree for dried
soil.
Further, earwig has two cultured species namely Euborellia annulata, a
potential predator also of corn borer, and Chelisoches morio, a potential
predator of coconut lead beetle and Brontispa longissima. Euborella annulata
are elongated and flattened insects with mobile and telescopic abdomen extended
in a pair of forceps. Effective in searching prey, climbing the corn plants at
night and frequently feeding pray on the proximal part of the leaves.
Meanwhile, Chelisoches morio is a wingless organism that has large posterior
pincers. Unlike Euborella, Chelisoches are active at all times of the day,
running over leaves in search of food.
These four biological control agents are distributed to the different
provinces of the region for free to the farmers as facilitated by the
Provincial and Municipal LGUs. RCPC also caters walk-in clients and request
through formal letter.
“Since 2015, we have been giving free BCAs to multiple recipients
already through our partner LGUs. They will be the one to facilitate on giving
BCAs to farmer-cooperators or associations,” Didal added.
Reaching a wider scope, RCPC welcome organizations, associations, and
farmers who voluntarily go to the Center for training about BCAs, and LGUs who
are willing to establish their village level laboratory for faster and bigger
mass production of BioCon.
“PLGU Surigao del Sur already created their laboratory situated at the
Provincial Agriculture Office. They have been producing since, benefiting their
farmers,” Didal said.
Conservation wise, biological control agents are not just mere organisms
that exist with no good effect in agriculture, landscapes, and forests however
"it tells us otherwise for its cost-effective, self-sustaining technique
of managing pests that invade our plants and their natural habitat," she
added. Indeed, nature’s gift for defense. (DA13-RAFIS/PIA Caraga)
AgNor makadawat og usa ka milyon gikan sa DOH
By Prisilina P. Amoroso
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Setyembre 18 -- Usa ka kasabotan o Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA) ang gitakdang pirmahan ni Gobernador Dale B. Corvera sa
ngalan sa lalawigan tali sa Department of Health (DOH), Center for
Health Development Caraga alang sa gihatag niini nga performance-based
grant sa kantidad nga usa ka milyon ka pesos ( P1,000,000.00) para sa
probinsya sa Agusan del Norte tungod sa nakab-ot nga kalampusan batok sa
sakit nga Malaria.
Mahinumduman nga gisagop sa DOH ang FOURmula One Plus (F1+) ang pagpatuman
sa framework lakip niini ang inisyatibo aron mahimong usa ka
disease-free ang usa ka lugar nga nagpalig-on sa pagwagtang sa
sakit nga Malaria, Lymphatic Filariasis ug Rabies sa piling lugar sa tibook
nasud. Ang maong FOURmula gisulong kini ug gipalapdan alang sa pagpatuman sa
kahimsog sa panlawas .
Pinauyon sa survey sa pagsusi ug pagtimbang-timbang sa Technical Working
Group (TWG) DOH Central Office nahibal-an nga ang probinsya sa Agusan del Norte
nakakab-ot sa usa ka Malaria-free nga probinsya ug opisyal nga
gideklara sa DOH nga Malaria-free ang lalawigan niadtong Disyembre 6,
2019.
Ang DOH Central Office Manila nagpagawas og Sub-Allotment Advise No.
2020-05-0898, pinitsahan niadtong Mayo 12, 2020 sa kantidad nga Usa ka
Milyon ka Pisos , isip pahalipay tungod sa ilang pagpaningkamot nga
makab-ot ang usa ka Malaria-free nga lalawigan ug ang pondo niini gikuha
gikan sa Public Health Management Budget Line item RA 11465 GAA 2020.
Ang Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) nga gipirmahan ni Gobernor Dale B.
Corvera tali sa Department of Health (DOH) naglangkob kini sa kondisyon
ingon man ang kaakohan sa matag partido, aron masiguro nga ang pondo nga
gibalhin magamit sa Provincial Health Office (PHO) sa Agusan del Norte
pinauyon sa katuyoan niini.
Sa pagpaningkamot ni Bokal Elizabeth Marie R. Calo gihatagan og otoridad
si Gob. Corvera sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan pinaagi sa Sanggunian Resolution
No. 381-2020 nga nahitabo niadtong Setyembre 3 niining tuiga atol sa ilang
sesyon regular. (LGU Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
COVID-19 quarantine
facility pagatukuron sa probinsya
By Prisilina P. Amoroso
DAKBAYAN SA BUTUAN, Setyembre 21 -- Gihatagan og katungod si Gobernador
Dale B. Corvera sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan nga magpirma ug usa ka kasabutan sa
ngalan sa Agusan del Norte tali sa Department of Public Works and Highways
(DPWH) aron pag-andam sa konsepto nga plano alang sa tukuron nga quarantine
facility sa probinsya.
Ang nahisgutang proyekto sa probinsya agig tubag sa coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis nga kasamtangan giatubang karon sa tibook
nasud. Tungod niini ang kagamhanan sa Agusan del Norte naghangyo nga matabangan
sa DPWH isip maoy engineering ug construction arm, aron matukod ang giingon nga
quarantine facility ug ang pondo alang niini nga proyekto ihatag sa DPWH
pinaagi sa Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 General Appropriation Act (GAA).
Ang maong kasabotan pirmahan ni Gob. Corvera ug sa DPWH sa ngalan ni
District Engineer Edmund V. Opinion, ug ang duha ka partido nagkahiusa ug
nagkauyon sa mga kondisyon nga gilatid sa ilalum sa Memorandum of Agreement kun
MOA nga nahiuyon sa probisyon sa RA 9184, ang Government Procurement Reform
Act.
Matod pa nga ang gobernador sa probinsya adunay otoridad nga pirmahan
ang kasabutan uyon sa seksyon 465 (b) (1) (vi) sa Local Government Code of
1991, nga gihatag alang sa episyente, epektibo ug ekonomikanhon nga pagdumala
diin ang katuyoan niini mao ang kinatibuk-ang kaayohan sa probinsya ug mga
lumulopyo niini.
Pinaagi sa hiniusang komite nila ni bokal James T. Reserva ug ni Bokal
Dick Victor B. Carmona, ang Committee on Laws, Ethics and Good Governance ug
ang Committee on Public Works, gihatagan sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan og
otoridad si Gob. Corvera, pinasikad sa Sanggunian Resolution No. 379-2020 atol
sa ilang ika-56th sesyon regular, via online video teleconference. (LGU Agusan
del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
PWDs, pedicab drivers receive aid from PNP
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 18 (PIA) - Amid the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic, the Agusan del Sur Police Provincial Office (ADSPPO)
continues to extend assistance to various sectors affected by the crisis.
The members of the Agusan Media Club distributed relief goods to the
persons with disability (PWDs) and pedicab drivers.
“We are thankful that we were given due attention. Our group is also
thankful to the PNP for helping us,” said Arcadio Duero, president of San
Francisco Trisikad Association, Inc.
“They intentionally visited us here for the distribution of relief
goods. Thank you also to the media,” added Achilles Bayano, PWD from Brgy.
Pisaan, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.
Police Senior Superintendent Ringo Zarzoso said, this has been their
regular activity and many are benefiting from the different barangays of the
province.
“Life is really hard during this time of the pandemic. It’s a good thing
that we are still able to help our fellow. That is part of our program because
we all need to help those in need,” bared Zarzoso.
Apart from the distribution of relief goods, the PNP and media also
shared ice cream to the children in the area. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
AgNor solon House rep
to bicam on ALS institutionalization
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 18 – Representative Lawrence "Law" Fortun
of the 1st district of Agusan del Norte was recently designated as House
representative to the Bicameral (Bicam) Conference Committee on the
institutionalization of the Alternative Learning System (ALS).
As the principal author of House Bill No. 5145, one of the bills that
was consolidated into HB 6910, Rep. Fortun emphasized the importance of
institutionalizing the ALS in order to provide a viable option, other than the
formal mode of instruction, to a great number of Filipinos that do not have
access to formal basic education by reasons of poverty and lack of access to
schools.
"The ALS will be among our tools to democratize access to education
in order to empower our out-of-school children and youth, indigent adults,
indigenous peoples, and other marginalized sectors to become productive
partners for nation-building," Rep. Fortun said.
Among the salient provisions of HB 6910 are the strengthening of
Non-Formal Education Programs, such as the Basic Literacy Program and
Continuing Education Program; creation of the Bureau of Alternative and
Lifelong Education under the Department of Education; hiring of ALS teachers;
and the establishment of ALS Community Learning Centers in every municipality
and city. (Lawig Katawhan/PIA Agusan del Norte)
RTF concurs granular
lockdown in Butuan City, OKs Butuan-Cebu flight resumption
By Amethyst Joy A. Galos
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 18 (PIA) -- The Regional Task Force for
COVID-19 One Caraga Shield (RTF-COCS) has approved the request of the city
government of Butuan to place its 46 barangays under granular lockdown from
September 11 to 25 due to the prevalence of local transmission across the city.
As of September 18, the city now has a total of 492 cases, 318 of which
are cases of local transmission.
The implementation of the city’s granular lockdown follows the Zoning
Containment Strategy in the localization of the National Action Plan (NAP)
against COVID-19 Response. Under the said strategy, areas are classified into
four zones based on set parameters: Critical Zone (CrZ), Containment Zone (CZ),
Buffer Zone (BZ), and Areas outside Buffer Zones (OBZ). The parameters may be contained
in geographical units such as but not limited to houses, residential buildings,
business/work establishments, markets, streets, block, puroks,
subdivisions/villages, or entire barangays whenever necessary, where the
observed cases are clustered.
With this, local government units are able to design and implement
interventions that do not cause enormous strain to their local economy and
people’s mobility and well-being.
Meanwhile, the task force also gave a go signal for the resumption
of limited commercial flights from Butuan City to Cebu City and vice-versa,
effective immediately, through Resolution No. 71, series of 2020.
By virtue of the said resolution, airline companies are now allowed
flights at the Bancasi Airport once a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is
seen to facilitate balancing of the competing demands between local health and
economic recovery.
The body also passed Resolution No. 70, Series of 2020, which requires
the flight crew of airlines to present medical certificates issued by their
respective company physicians as proof of their COVID-19-free status prior to
their travel to and from Caraga Region.
To date, Caraga region now has a total of 902 confirmed cases, 396 of which are active, 479 have recovered, and 27 deaths. (NEDA Caraga/DMNR/PIA-Caraga)
