60 ex-rebels in AgNor
receive financial aid from government
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 23 (PIA) -- Agusan del Norte Governor Dale Corvera,
together with representative Maria Angelica Rosedelle Amante-Matba and chief of
the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Caraga, handed over the
P20,000 financial aid to each of the 60 former rebels who surrendered to the
government’s fold.
Governor Corvera expressed that despite limited funds given to the former
rebels, this could already help them start a new journey as they intend to live
a normal life in the mainstream society and start a livelihood for their
family.
“Utilize this money properly, do not just spend it on unnecessary
things. Make sure that your family would also benefit from the financial
assistance given to you,” said Corvera.
In addition to the cash benefits, the FRs’ dependents would also be
given scholarship slots. This is apart from the housing program which will also
be provided to them.
“We have started purchasing the needed materials which will be used to
construct your houses in Sitio Bulak,” Corvera bared.
Agusan del Norte board member Elizabeth Calo stressed the need to extend
assistance to the former rebels who felt the real concern of the government and
would no longer return to the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) movement.
Meanwhile, alias Louie, one of the FR-beneficiaries was thankful to have
received the financial assistance. He said the government has been true to its
promise and commitment to take care of them when they surrender.
“The government has not failed us. We may have failed in our dreams
before, but now we did not fail in our intention to surrender to the
government,” said alias Louie. (JPG/NCL/PIA-Caraga)
AgSur villagers engage in poultry farming during pandemic
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 23 (PIA) - Apart from backyard gardening, the
residents in the municipality of Esperanza in Agusan del Sur are now engaging
also in raising chickens and poultry farm business to support their livelihood
especially during this time of the pandemic.
Under the free-range chicken project of the provincial veterinary
office, farmers in the area are among the sectors benefiting from it.
“This is really a big help for us especially during this time of the
COVID-19 pandemic,” said Crecencio Desire, farmer-beneficiary.
“I’m thankful because this is really a big help to support the daily
needs of our family,” added another farmer-beneficiary Aurelia Salingay.
According to Veterinarian Premo Calo, more than 20 barangays of
Esperanza are taking the best advantage out of this project.
“There are 11 participants or recipients per barangay who will receive
five chicken each. So, a total of 1,300 chickens will be given to the
barangays,” Calo bared.
Dr. Lovely Leah Sanggalang of the Provincial Veterinary Office revealed
that this project aims to provide a sustainable livelihood to the residents and
to help uplift their lives through a gainful source of income.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Agriculture Office also ensures locals that
their office is ready to assist them and provides measures to keep their
chickens in good condition. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
DA-NFA Caraga
intensifies palay-buying for higher income of farmers
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 23 -- Farmers nowadays need not be at the mercy of
private traders offering low buying of palay.
Anchored on the twin goal of the Department of Agriculture, the
Masaganang Ani at Mataasna Kita, the National Food Authority (NFA) Caraga is
beefing up its procurement of palay (unhusked rice) from the farmers as an
option for farmers to enjoy the good price.
During the Grains Monitoring Team Meeting held last Friday at the DA
Regional Office, NFA Regional Director Beverly P. Peralta said that based on
their monitoring, private traders are buying from the farmers at an average
price of P14.63 per kilo for fresh harvest and P16.95 per kilo for clean and
dry.
September to October is the peak season of the rice harvest in the
region, thus they are mobilizing all its warehouses to accommodate farmers who
opted to sell their produce to them.
“Our buying price is way ahead from private traders, as we are offering
P19.00 per kilo clean and dry,” said Director Peralta.
Contrary to what some farmers are saying that NFA is buying only dried
palay, Director Peralta said that NFA is also accommodating fresh and wet palay
but with a price slightly lower than P19 but higher than what traders are
offering. NFA is also taking the extra mile in helping the farmers by offering
a transport truck to haul the produce of the farmers.
“We are doing what we are mandated to do. We are here to help buy the
farmers produce for our buffer stocking. We have mechanical dryers in all the
provinces which farmers may avail of at a minimal fee. We also welcome walk-in
clients in our warehouses,” said Peralta.
“They just have to contact us prior so we may arrange a truck to help
haul their products into our warehouses,” she added.
DA-NFA Caraga warehouses that served as palay buying stations are
situated at Brgy. Libertad for Butuan City; Alegria, San Francisco, Bayugan
City, and Trento for Agusan del Sur; Tandag City, Bislig, and Cantilan for
Surigao del Sur; Surigao City, and Dapa, Siargao Island for Surigao del Norte;
and at San Jose for the Province of Dinagat Islands and a mobile buying station
at Brgy. Malicato, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.
For the current year, DA-NFA Caraga is targeting to purchase a total of
200,000 bags of palay from Caraga Region farmers.
The Grains Monitoring Team convened last Friday to address recent issues
on low buying price of palay and come up with immediate measures to help the
farmers.
“I ask for everybody’s cooperation and with this meeting, come up with
recommendation to cushion the impact of falling rice prices,” DA-Caraga
Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo said.
The meeting was also attended by the DA-Operations group and farmer
leaders who are also members of the GMT.
According to DA-RTD for Operations Rebecca R. Atega, there are also
partner Rice Processing Centers in the region that caters to buying farmers’
products and dryers provided by the DA in the different farmers' groups in the
municipalities which farmers can avail of. (RAFIS/DA-Caraga/PIA Caraga)
SurSur IP leaders: We won the fight on quality education for IPs
By Lt. Krisjuper Andreo Punsalan
LIANGA, Surigao del Sur, Sept. 23 -- “We won the fight on having [access
to] quality education.”
Lianga Indigenous People Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Hawudon Jumar
Bucales and Lianga tribal chieftain Datu Constancio Duhac both said during the
inauguration ceremony of the two Department of Education (DepEd) Schools of
Living Traditions (SLT) on September 16, 2020.
The schools, located at Sitio Simowao, Diatagon village in Lianga town
and Sitio Lucnodon, Brgy. Mahaba in Marihatag town, will replace the now-closed
non-DepEd accredited schools Tribal Filipino Program in Surigao del Sur
(TRIFPSS) and Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood
Development, Inc. (ALCADEV), which are allegedly linked with the
communist-terrorist group, National Peoples’ Army (NPA).
Lianga town native and Makabayan bloc Bayan Muna representative Eufemia
Cullamat has opposed the establishment of DepEd accredited IP schools, accusing
the government, particularly the National Task Force to End Local Communist
Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), of depriving the education of the IPs upon the
closure of both schools. Rep. Cullamat has also discredited the military’s
Community Support Program (CSP) in the IP communities during the budget hearing
in Congress.
Surigao Sur IP leaders, however, have been vocal in their support to the
NTF-ELCAC, and have lambasted Cullamat and her cohorts and identified them as
coddlers of NPAs.
“When the government addresses the root causes of insurgency and
confronts the NPAs through combat operations, they oppose. But when it comes to
NPA’s killings of innocent IP leaders and members, they have remained quiet.
Cullamat and the Makabayan bloc simply [wants to] cover up the NPAs and
discredit the government that is enforcing the laws against NPAs,” Datu Rico
Maca, IPMR of San Miguel town said.
Surigao Sur IP leaders have sought the help of the Caraga Regional Task
Force-ELCAC to abolish the said schools and replace them with DepEd IP schools,
citing the TRIFPSS and ALCADEV train cadres of IP and non-IP residents in the
area to become new members of the group.
Documents have also been recovered from previous encounters with the
NPA, substantiating the links between the schools and the terrorist group in
the province.
During the ceremony, BGen. Allan Hambala of the 401st Infantry Brigade
said that the closure of the non-DepEd schools were in response to the
resolutions of IP leaders, local government units (LGUs), and even the former
rebels (FRs) who attended the said schools.
“The focus of our community support program in the communities is to
identify the primary and secondary issues of the IPs so that the government
will know how to help them. One of these is access to quality IP education,
which is now being addressed by the RTF-ELCAC.”
Meanwhile, 3rd Special Forces “Arrowhead” Battalion Commander Lt. Col.
Joey Baybayan on his message emphasized how to counter terrorism through
education.
“The best weapon we can use to counter terrorism is to teach the
children the genuine essence of peace. These DepEd IP schools will not only
provide quality education but also the right values that can preserve and even
develop the culture and tradition of our indigenous peoples,” said the army
official.
The establishment of IP schools, spearheaded by DepEd Caraga, is a joint effort of the RTF-ELCAC, the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), and the Regional Development Council (RDC), with the provincial government of Surigao del Sur. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Toog tree na nasa 300
taon na, itinuturing na pinakamatandang puno sa Pilipinas
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Setyembre 23 (PIA) -- Kilala sa pagiging mayaman sa natural
resources ang Agusan del Sur at kasama ditong dinadayo ng mga turista ang 300
taon ng Philippine Rosewood Tree o mas kilala ngayong "Toog Tree" sa
bayan ng San Francisco.
Dahil sa taas nitong 54-meters, tinuturing itong pinakamataas at
pinakamatandang puno sa bansa, ngunit nangangamba na ang mga residenteng
malapit dito dahil sa unti-unti nang bumababa ang kalidad nito.
“Abot langit ang aming pasasalamat na puputulin na ang toog lalo na't
napakalapit lang ng bahay namin sa toog. Tulad nung may lindol, kung nagtagal
pa 'yun, natumba nga yung toog din doon, ito pa kaya na may malaking butas na
sa loob," pahayag ng isang residente sa nasabing lugar.
Ayon kay Bunawan, Agusan del Sur CENRO Jerome Albia, nag-isyu ng
clearance to cut nitong nakaraang taon ang Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) matapos ang pag-aaral ng mga eksperto dito at
napag-alamang maaari na nga itong makaaksidente dahil sa katandaan nito.
"Kasama din doon yung research natin kasi sila ‘yung nagsagawa ng
bio mechanical and structural analysis noong Hulyo ng nakaraang taon. At ito
‘yung pinakapangunahing rason ng ating DENR regional director sa pag-isyu ng
clearance to cut dahil nga sa panganib na dala ng Toog Tree sa mga kalapit na
residente," ani ni Albia.
Sinabi rin ni CENRO Albia na may mga grupo ring tumututol sa pagputol ng
Toog Tree. "Noong na-issue na ang permit to cut, may mga grupo na tumutol
at gustong ipagpaliban ang pagputol ng Toog Tree at hanapan ng ibang paraan
kung paano ito ma-preserba dahil na nga sa legasiya at parte na ito sa mayamang
kultura at pamana ng rehiyon," banggit niya.
Sa darating na Setyembre 25, 2020 ay magpupulong ang lokal na pamahalaan ng San Francisco, DENR kasama ang iba pang sektor para malaman ang pinal na desisyon kung kailangan na nga bang putulin ang Toog Tree o magagawan pa ng paraan upang maisalba ito. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Pag-aalaga ng manok,
kabuhayang bigay ng isang bayan sa Agusan del Sur
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Setyembre 23 (PIA) - Maliban sa backyard gardening,
abala rin ngayon ang mga residente ng Esperanza, Agusan del Sur sa pag-aalaga
ng manok bilang suporta sa kanilang kabuhayan lalo na ngayong may pandemic.
Sa ilalim ng Free Range Chicken Project ng Provincial Veterinary Office,
kabilang ang mga magsasaka sa nakinabang sa nasabing proyekto.
“Malaking tulong ito sa amin lalo na ngayong may COVID-19 pandemic,” ani
ni Crecencio Desire na isa sa mga farmer-beneficiary.
“Nagpapasalamat ako dahil malaking tulong na rin ito upang masuportahan
ang aming pang-araw araw na pangangailangan,” dagdag naman ni Aurelia Salingay
na isa ring magsasaka.
Ayon kay Premo Calo, isang beterinaryo, may mahigit 20 barangay na ang
nakinabang sa proyektong ito.
“Sa bawat barangay ay may onse na participants o recipients na tatanggap
ng tig-lilimang manok. Ang total nito ay aabot sa 1,300 na mga manok na
ibibigay sa bawat barangay,” sabi ni Calo.
Sinabi rin ni Dr. Lovely Leah Sanggalang ng Provincial Veterinary
Office, na layon ng nasabing proyekto ang mabigyan ng kabuhayan ang mga
residente sa barangay at makaahon sa hirap.
Samantala, handa rin ang Municipal Agriculture Office na umalalay sa mga residente para mapalago ang kanilang kabuhayan at maiwasan ang ibat-ibang sakit na galing sa manok. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
60
dating rebelde sa Agusan del Norte binigyan ng puhunan upang makapagsimula muli
By Nora L. Molde
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Setyembre 23 (PIA) -- Sa pangunguna ni Gobernador
Dale Corvera sa probinsya ng Agusan del Norte kasama si representante Maria
Angelica Rosedell Amante-Matba at ang hepe ng DSWD Caraga binigyan nila ng
tig-20,000 bilang financial assistance ang bawat isa sa 60 na dating rebeldeng
nagbalik sa gobyerno upang magsimulang mabuhay ng normal at tahimik kasama ang
pamilya.
Aminado si Gob. Corvera na maliit lamang ang halagang kanilang natanggap
ngunit kung gagamitin nila ito sa maayos, malaking tulong ito para sa kanilang
pagbabagong buhay. Dagdag pa ni Corvera na kahit maliit lang ang halaga ng
kanilang natanggap pero sigurado itong makakatulong sa kanilang pamilya.
Sa layuning magkaroon ng maaayos na pamumuhay ang mga dating rebelde,
maliban sa financial assistance na natanggap ng mga dating rebelde,
makaka-avail din sila ng scholarship program para sa kanilang mga anak, balik
baril program at ang libreng pabahay kung saan sinimulan na ng probinsya ang
pagpurchase ng mga materials na gagamitin para dito.
Ayon din ni Agusan del Norte board member Elizabeth Calo dapat nating
silang tulungan na mabuhay ng normal dahil hindi naman sila permanenteng
rebelled, nagbagong Buhay na sila at hindi na dapat tawaging dating rebelled
upang tuluyang makapagbagong Buhay.
Malaki ang pasalamat ni Louie, isa sa mga nakatanggap ng assistance,
dahil ayon sa kanya hindi tayo binigo ng gobyerno sa kanilang pangakong tulong
upang makapag-bagong buhay tao. (NCLM/PIA Agusan del Norte)
PWD at padyak drivers, tumanggap ng ayuda mula sa kapulisan
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Setyembre 23 (PIA) - Kahit abala, lalo na ngayong
pandemic, hindi nakaligtaang tumulong ng Agusan del Sur Police Provincial
Office (ADSPPO) sa mga sektor na apektado ng krisis.
Katuwang ang Agusan Media Club, sila ay namigay ng relief goods sa mga
persons with disability (PWDs) at padyak drivers.
“Ang husay ng kanilang ginawang pagtulong sa aming mga trisikad drivers.
Malaking tulong ito sa aming pamilya,” ani ni Arcadio Duero, president ng San
Francisco Trisikad Association, Incorporated.
"Malaki ang aming pasalamat at sadyang pinuntahan nila kami at
binigyan ng ayuda. Maraming salamat din sa media na nakibahagi sa amin,” dagdag
ni Achilles Bayano, isang PWD ng Brgy. Pisaan, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.
Sinabi naman ni Police Senior Superintendent Ringo Zarzoso, na regular
na nila itong ginagawa sa ibat-ibang barangay ng probinsya.
“Layon po ng ating kapulisan na makapagbigay-tulong doon sa mga
nangangailangan ng lalo na ngayong panahon ng pandemya,” sabi ni Zarzoso.
Maliban naman sa pagbigay ng relief goods, may pa-ice cream din ang kapulisan sa mga kabataan. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
