600 households
benefit from RCSP services in Agusan Norte town
By 1Lt. Roel T. Maglalang
BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte, Sept. 17 – Joint efforts of
the 23rd Infantry “Masigasig” Battalion (23rd IB), Philippine Army the local
government unit (LGU) of Las Nieves and the team members from the Retooled
Community Support Program (RCSP) delivered basic services to more than 600
households in Barangay Casiklan, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte on Tuesday, Sept.
15, 2020.
The RCSP team plays a vital role in the peace and development efforts of the government to communities particularly in Barangay Casiklan, one of the identified conflict-affected areas in Las Nieves but was recently declared as a cleared area by the Army. Through the RCSP, the needs and the situation of the local populace in Casiklan is directly bridged to the LGU and the national government agencies. The RCSP also strengthens the barangay-based institutions and sectoral organizations to engage in participatory issue resolutions and the different peace and order interventions.
In his message, Vice Mayor Bautista thanked the members of the RCSP and
its core team for their untiring effort to launch the activity.
“RCSP is one of the national government’s mechanisms in implementing the Whole-of-Nation Approach to peacefully end the local communist armed conflict which was institutionalized by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70,” Bautista said.
He added that the LGU of Las Nieves is always ready to perform its
duties and responsibilities to address the root causes of insurgency in the
area.
Paulo emphasized that any support given to the communist rebels will be
used to destroy communities and the livelihood of the people as the rebels
continue to engage in terroristic activities.
He also assured the people of Casiklan of the continuing support of the
23rd IB to all their peace and development endeavors. (CMO Officer, 23IB
PA/PIA Agusan del Norte)
Awarding Ceremony sa
Indigay sa Gulayan gipahigayon
By Justine Lumonsod
DAKBAYAN SA BUTUAN, Setyembre 17 -- Gipahigayon niadtong Martes, Septyembre 15 ang Awarding Ceremony sa Indigay sa Gulayan sa Kabatan-onan didto sa kapitolyo, ning syudad nga gisalmutan sa mga Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) sa probinsya.
Nasungkit sa SK Las Nieves ang 1st place, SK Carmen- 2nd place, SK
Santiago- 3rd place.
Ang mga nahimong mananaog nakadawat sa ganti nga P 30,000.00 alang sa
1st placer, P 20,000.00 sa 2nd placer, P 10,000.00 sa 3rd placer ug P 5,000.00
sa consolation prize.
Ang indigay sa gulayan gisugdan niadtong Hunyo isip usa sa mga
tipik nga kalihokan sa 53rd Araw ng Agusan del Norte.
Gihimong tulo ka hugna ang paghukom sa maong contest diin ang unang
paghukom gipahigayon niadtong Hulyo, ang ikaduha sa Agosto.
Mitambongan si Provincial Governor Dale B. Corvera sa awarding ceremony
uban ni Alvin C. Aclan, ang OIC sa Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) ug ni
Carlito Cumba isip representante ni Provincial Administrator Gerry Joey S.
Laurito.
Nahimong judges sila Marry Jane Gonzaga sa Agricultural Training
Institute (ATI) ug si Joanne Langres sa Caraga State University (CSU).
Ang indigay subay sa flagship program sa AGUSAN UP nga PLANT! PLANT!
PLANT! Ubos sa liderato ni Gob. Corvera nga nagtumong sa pagtisok sa gugma sa
pagpanguma sa mga kasingkasing sa kabatan-onan ug uban pa. (LGU Agusan del
Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
321 NPA supporters, members affirm allegiance to government
By 1Lt. Percival Carido
TALACOGON, Agusan del Sur, Sept. 17 – Some 321 former mass
supporters and members of the New People’s Army (NPA) withdrew their support to
the terrorist group as they affirmed their allegiance to the government during
the Peace Rally and Mass Withdrawal Ceremony on September 15, 2020 at the
Esperanza National High School Gymnasium, Poblacion, Esperanza, this province.
"Daku akong pagmahay sa akong pag-uban sa walhong grupo, ug karon
gusto na kong mupahulay ug magpuyo nga malinawon uban ang akong pamilya (I
regret joining the left-leaning group, and now I wanted to live peacefully with
my family)”, alias Rey said, a former UGMO member.
The mass withdrawal was made possible by the Municipal Task Force to End
Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) headed by Mayor Leonida M.
Manpatilan, through the effort of the 26th Infantry (Ever Onward) Battalion,
Philippine Army in conducting its Community Support Program (CSP) in
conflict-affected areas (ConAAs) in the said municipality which aims to help
the community identify their common issues and to bring to the attention of the
local government unit (LGU) for appropriate actions.
Mayor Manpatilan, said the presence of these terrorists is a threat to
the security as they instill fear to people in the communities and kill
civilians who contradict their propaganda. “But today, I am happy to commend
all of you for coming back to the fold of law without fear and hesitation," she
added.
The national government expedites the implementation of Executive Order
No. 70 of the “Institutionalizing the Whole of the Nation Approach to End Local
Communist Armed Conflict” asserting that all government agencies shall
prioritize the delivery of basic services and social development in
conflict-affected areas and vulnerable communities purposely to elevate poverty
situation which has become the root cause of enemy recruitment and manipulation
of the CTGs.
Meanwhile, Agusan del Sur Governor Santiago B. Cane, Jr., commended
the LGU-Esperanza and the 26IB for their collaborative efforts with the
PTF-ELCAC in ending insurgency towards a more peaceful and more developed ADS.
"The Philippines has only one flag, the burning of the communist flag
signifies your submission to the government. We only have one government, we
only have one flag, we only have one Philippines, and we have that democracy.
With that, I commend the partnership of LGU-Esperanza and the 26IB for their
persistence in our quest for peace and development in our
province," he said.
Lt. Col. Reynald Romel A. Goce, Commanding Officer of 26IB, also lauded
the LGU-Esperanza for its untiring support to the unit’s Civil Military
Operations (CMO) activities. Likewise, he gratefully welcomed the 321 former
mass supporters and members in their fearless decision to go back to the
mainstream society. "We sympathize with the NPA supporters who have
already realized the deception of this terrorist group, that is why our doors
remain open in accepting them back to the fold of the law,” he bared.
"We re very grateful that due to our continuous effort in
reaching out to our fellow citizens who support the NPA, they are now able to
realize the futility of their armed struggle and geared with the support of our
local government. We are encouraging all other supporters and members of NPA to
surrender now because you deserve a better life," Lt. Col. Goce
added. (CMO, 26IB/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
113 FRs at tagasuporta tumanggap ng cash assistance mula sa E-CLIP sa SurSur
LUNGSOD NG TANDAG, Surigao del Sur, Setyembre 17 (PIA) -- Nasa 113
dating rebelde at tagasuporta ng teroristang New People’s Army (NPA) na taga
Surigao del Sur ang nakatanggap ng pinansyal na tulong at pangkabuhayan mula sa
Task Force Balik-Loob Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program o
TFBL-ECLIP. Isinasagawa ang nasabing paggawad noong Martes, Setyembre 15, 2020
sa Governor Vicente T. Pimentel Jr Social Hall, Capitol Hills, Telaje ng
lungsod.
'Certificate of Scholarship Commitment' naman ang iginawad ng Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) na nagkakahalaga ng P1,039,609.60. Makapag avail ang mga ito ng scholarship packages, at libreng pagsasanay ng mga sumusunod:
· 64 slots for Driving NC II,
· 23 slots for Tailoring NC II, and
· 25 slots for Electrical
Installation and Maintenance NC II.
Bukod pa dito, nakatanggap din ang mga benepisyaryo ng hygiene kits,
rubber boots, drugs, and medicine, sleeping kits, seed packages ang mga former
rebels mula sa Department of Health (DOH), DSWD, at Department of Agriculture
(DA).
Sa panayam kay Rolie (di tunay na pangalan), dating membro ng
makakaliwang grupo, inamin niya na dumanas siya ng sobrang hirap at laging
nanganganib para sa kanyang kaligtasan tuwing may operasyon. Aniya, pinagkaitan
din silang mabisita ang kanilang pamilya o kamag-anak.
“Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa kasalukuyang administrasyon, dahil hindi
pinagkait sa amin ang karapatan na mamuhay ng normal kahit na sa ginawang
naming paglabag, hindi pa rin kami pinabayaan (Daku kayo kog pasalamat sa
kasamtangan nga administrasyon tungod kay wala kami gihikawan sa among katungod
nga mamuyo og normal nga kinabuhi luyo sa kalapasan nga amo nabuhat, wala
gihapon kami gipasagdan)," sabi niya.
Inihayag din ni General Centino kung bakit patuloy pa ang kilusan ng
makakaliwang grupo sa kadahilanan na may nakukuha pa rin itong suporta mula sa
mga iilang negosyante, pulitiko, at sektor na kaanib nito sa pamamagitan ng
extortion. Dito umano nakapag-generate ng panibagong myembro, at bagong armas
ang mga ito.
Sinuportahan naman ito ni Gobernador Alexander Pimentel ang sinabi ni
Major General Centino na wala silang mapapala kung patulay silang susuporta at
aanib sa mga teroristang NPA. Ang kasalukuyang administrasyon ayun pa kay Gob.
Pimentel, handang tumulong sa lahat ng magbalik loob, upang mamuhay ng normal.
Ang E-CLIP ay isang programa ng administrasyon ni Presidente Duterte na
ipinagkaloob sa mga former rebels para makapagsimula ng bagong buhay, sabi pa
niya.
Dahil sa naranasang krisis dala ng coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
na pandemya, nagpaabot naman ng kanyang mensahe sa pamamagitan ng video si
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexie Nograles bilang panauhing pandangal at
tagapagsalita sa nasabing okasyon, at si DILG Caraga Regional Director Lilibeth
Farmacion. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
ARB organizations sa Agusan del Norte patuloy na kumikita kahit may banta ng COVID19
By Nora C. Lanuza
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Setyembre 17 (PIA) -- Hindi lahat apektado ang kita
dahil sa coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, sa probinsya ng Agusan
del Norte, patuloy na kumikita ang mga agrarian reform beneificiaries
organizations o ARBOs kahit paman may banta ng COVID-19.
Sa tulong ng Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) ng Agusan del Norte,
ang mga ARBOs sa probinsya patuloy na kumikita kahit mahigpit ang pagbibiyahe
ng kanilang mga produkto. Binigyan sila ng mga accreditation pass ng DAR upang
madala ang kanilang produkto sa pamilihan, dahil naniniwala ang DAR na ang mga
magsasaka ay kabilang din sa mga frontliners sa pagbibigay ng sapat na pagkain
sa mga mamamayan.
Kagaya nalang ng San Isidro Upland Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative
(SIUFMULCO) sa bayan ng Santiago, patuloy ang kita nila at umabot pa ang
gross sales nito ng mahigit 37 million peso sa abaca fiber na edeniliver sa
Baybay, Leyte kamakailan lang.
Aminado din si Sergio Baguhin ang chairman ng AvanceΓ±a Beneficiaries
Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ABFMC) sa lungsod ng Cabadbaran na apektado
sila sa hirap ng buhay dahil sa pandemya, ngunit dahil nagtulong-tulong sila
bilang isang grupo, nilabanan nila ang hirap na dulot nito. Sa ngayon ang
kanilang kooperatiba ay kumikita dahil sa kanilang libo-libong sako ng bigas na
sinusuplay sa iba’t ibang lugar at sila na rin ang nag-susuplay mismo sa
lungsod ng Cabadbaran.
Ayon din kay Ellen Torralba ng DAR Agusan del Norte, siniguro din nila
na masosold-out ang mga produkto ng mga magsasaka ng iba’t ibang a-r-b
organizations ng probinsya kagaya ng gulay, bigas at iba pa. (NCLM/PIA Agusan
del Norte)
RCEF mechanization reaches CARAGA Region
By Jett Molech G. Subaba
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 17 -- The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
(RCEF) Mechanization Program, through the Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), turns over 113 units of agricultural
machines to qualified farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Caraga
region.
The turn-over was held on August 20, 2020 at the Department of
Agriculture (DA) Integrated Laboratory Division, Taguibo, Butuan City. The DA
Regional Field Office XIII and other local government officials attended the
event.
The 26 FCAs with an estimated 4,570 farmer members were carefully
evaluated and shortlisted by the Facility Management and Field Operations
Division (FMFOD) of PHilMech headed by Mr. Joel V. Dator prior to the
distribution.
Caraga rice farmers received 21 units of four-wheel tractor, 41 units of
hand tractor, 23 units of floating tiller, 3 units of rice precision seeder, 2
units of walk-behind mechanical rice transplanter, 5 units of riding-type
mechanical rice transplanter, 8 units of rice reaper, 17 units of rice combine
harvester and one unit of mechanical dryer.
It has an estimated amount of P85 million which is part of the 2019 P2
billion budget of the program. More machines can be expected for the region as
PHilMech is eager to accomplish the procurement under the 2019 P3 billion and
2020 P5 billion budgets.
The machinery grants are totally free and PHilMech does not require any
monetary amount from FCAs for the processing and/or release of the machines. (DA-PhilMech/PIA
Caraga)
CSU to launch intellectual property webinars, virtual tech pitching
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 17 -- The Innovation and Technology Support Office
(ITSO) and the Technology Transfer and Licensing Office (TTLO) of the Caraga State
University (CSU) in Butuan City is set to launch a series of webinars to
educate the public on intellectual property (IP) and technology
commercialization, as part of the two-month Science and Technology for
Development (SciTech4Dev) event of the university this September to October
2020.
Target participants for this webinar are those from the industry and the
micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Teachers and students from
elementary to college levels may choose on what particular day they will attend
the webinar.
Batch 2 September 22:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rceGgpzwtEt2pQ7lGKs107xKZLozV9Z6L
Batch 3 September 28:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vdO6vqD0qE9K0r21oo98xTbmQtTTHNHGN
Batch 4 September 29:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtf-GupzIrH9zQQrWPMkNq434t4C_cGJFe
On September 30, CSU-ITSO shall also conduct the technology pitching
online in the hope of engaging the MSMEs and the industries in the region.
CSU’s technologies to be presented would include agricultural machinery, food,
and ICT systems.
For those interested, the public may also register through this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ld-2vrzkvGdRaggmxu2rkDCMbvVS8Ntdh
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing
information about joining the meeting. A digital Certificate of Participation
shall also be issued to the participants who completed each of the webinars
delivered after also completing the assessment or webinar survey/evaluation
forms.
CSU’s ITSO is an Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines
(IPOPHL)-ITSO Social Franchise and the “go-to” office on intellectual property
concerns of the university and works in coordination with the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) - Caraga Region’s own IP desk.
CSU and IPOPHL have launched the first IP advocacy office in the region
at the CSU Campus, Ampayon, Butuan City way back on February 5, 2014. Since
then, numerous seminars related to IP have been conducted by CSU’s ITSO.
Innovation and intellectual property are two very significant topics to
be shared to the public, including the students from all levels and faculty
members if they intend to develop products and services for the establishment
of future startups or spinoffs.
Startups with strong intellectual property have a significant advantage
over those startups without IP. In a very competitive business environment, IP
is a catalyst for businesses to capture a significant market share. IBM,
Google, Apple, and Samsung, to name a few of the most innovative companies
today, rely significantly on the IPs developed from their products to
strengthen their market share.
The ITSO’s core functions revolve around three areas, namely:
1) In support of Intellectual Property (IP) creation by facilitating access to
global science and technology information:
• Serves as a patent search facility and library patent information;
• Provides skills training in patent searching;
• Renders patent search services; and
• Organizes a community of patent information users.
2) In support of IP protection by promoting domestic and
globally-recognized innovations:
• Provides general information on patents and patenting;
• Provides skills training in patent drafting and prosecution;
• Renders patent drafting and prosecution services; and
• Organizes a community of experts to participate in patent examination.
3) In support of IP utilization by assisting the commercialization of
globally-competitive innovations:
• Renders IP audit and evaluation services;
• Provides licensing support;
• Provides advice on IP management & commercialization strategies; and
• Be a depository of patent-related documents, papers and statistics.
For more information, the ITSO or the TTLO Facebook Page can be accessed
through https://www.facebook.com/TTLO.CSU. The TTLO Facebook Page is also
being established for the promotional purposes of these webinars. All
announcements related to the webinars shall also be posted there as well. For
other information, participants may send an email inquiry to Engr. Jeffrey T.
Dellosa, ITSO manager and TTLO director of CSU through this email
address: jtdellosa@gmail.com. (CSU-ITSO/TTLO/PIA Caraga)
New, free fertilizer
app for rice available on ‘play store’
By Allan Biwang, Jr.
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 17 -- Right amount of nitrogen fertilizer for rice
can now be generated through a free android application developed by the
Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice).
Designed for farmers, extension workers, researchers, and students, the
mobile app generates nitrogen recommendations in just under a minute based on
the digital images of intact rice leaves photographed directly from the field.
Ailon Oliver Capistrano, PhilRice senior researcher, said that app users
only need to lay down the topmost, fully expanded rice leaf on the smartphone’s
front camera to capture its image with the surrounding light as source of
luminance.
According to him, nitrogen levels of rice plants can be measured from a
digital photo of its leaves, which is strongly correlated with actual leaf
nitrogen concentrations.
“The app measures the intensity of green color based on the captured
leaf images and converts this into values correlated with the amount of
nitrogen in the leaf,” he explained.
Different camera types are normally installed in smartphones with
variations in terms of resolution. The research team found that regardless of
brand, smartphone cameras will deliver an almost similar reading at 5MP.
This means that app users can install the app even in an inexpensive smartphone
brand and benefit from its function.
“The app is more accurate than the LCC as it eliminates the subjective
perception of users, which is prone to variation or errors. The app is also
handy for new users or adopters who have no training or experience in the use
of the manual LCC,” Capistrano said.
Meanwhile, Dr.Karen Eloisa Barroga, PhilRice deputy executive director
for development, said the app is useful for farmers who often apply too much
nitrogen especially during wet season, which results in pest infestation.
“Many farmers are now online. They also have their children to assist
them. I’m sure that the LCC app will quickly find its way to them to guide them
in the accurate application of nitrogen,” Barroga said.
The January to April 2020 data of the DA-PhilRice Facebook page showed
that 75% of its clients are farmers who frequently use the Messenger. The rest
are students, extensions workers, and researchers.
Recommendations derived from the LCC app will be showcased in field
demonstration while farmers engaged through Facebook will be encouraged to
download the LCC app.
Recently, Agriculture Secretary William Dar announced that the
department will harness state-of-the-art tools, systems and technologies to
modernize and industrialize Philippine agriculture to ensure food supply.
“By digitalizing agriculture, our farmers and fishers can achieve bigger
yields of higher quality products, at a more cost-efficient and sustainable
manner,” he said. (DA-PhilRice/PIA Caraga)
U.S. Embassy, DepEd
launch new teacher training program
MANILA, Sept. 17 -- The United States (U.S.) Embassy in the Philippines,
in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), launched on Monday,
Sept. 14, a new virtual series for teachers and educators in support of the
country’s transition to digital learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio
and U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Philip Roskamp opened the series in
front of a virtual audience of more than 3,600 education administrators.
More than 8,000 teachers and administrators are expected to participate
in the live series, which will run from September 14 through October 23. After
the series concludes, participants will share their knowledge and skills with
other teachers and administrators across the Philippines.
The new series was designed by a team of three American English Language
Specialists in the United States to meet the specific needs of Filipino
teachers and students.
The specialists, who developed the curriculum based on the
education standards in the Philippines, will deliver a series of virtual
classes on the multiple learning modalities.
Course content includes guidance, methodology, instructional materials,
and resources to assist with the delivery of online and other non-face-to-face
classroom instruction, critical for continuing the education of Filipino
students during the pandemic.
During his remarks at the program launch, U.S. Embassy Public Affairs
Counselor Philip Roskamp explained, "We are extremely honored to partner
with DepEd's Bureau of Learning Delivery and the National Educators Academy of
the Philippines on this important program. American English Language
Specialists will use the latest instructional techniques to best support
Filipino students’ learning during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Usec. San Antonio further stated, “We are very grateful for the
generosity of the team in making possible this rare opportunity to learn from
their specialists on how best we could provide language teaching, particularly
in the time of COVID-19. I commend the Bureau of Learning Delivery and the
National Educators Academy of the Philippines for your efforts in partnering
with our generous stakeholders and benefactors. My sincerest gratitude to our
partners from the U.S. Embassy for making sure that our fellow language
teachers will be capacitated.”
As part of the project, an on-demand resource library for teachers and
administrators is also being developed for professional development purposes,
with a viewing guide, activities, and discussion questions for local learning
communities.
The project is sponsored by the U.S. Embassy’s Regional English Language Office, which works with DepEd, education administrators, and teachers to enhance English language learning. (U.S. Embassy in the Philippines/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
