SurSur provincial SK
aids marginalized students amid pandemic
By
Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
BUTUAN
CITY, Dec. 7 (PIA) -- The Provincial Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of
Surigao del Sur donated Php500,000 worth of tablets to the Department of
Education (DepEd) office in the province as part of their support to the
implementation of distance learning.
“Seeing
the plight of the education sector as well as the students in the
implementation of distance learning in the province, we wanted to extend
assistance and somehow ease the implementation of the new modes of learning and
helping underprivileged students in the province,” said Provincial SK
Federation President Charles Arreza during his guesting at the Laging Handa
Network Briefing episode on Tuesday, December 7, with Presidential
Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Asst. Secretary JV Arcena.
Reams
of bond papers were also donated by the youth group to various schools across
the province, especially in indigenous people (IP) communities.
The
youth group president also hinted other initiatives they will be launching to
provide further assistance to the educators and learners in the province.
“We
plan on giving out pocket Wi-Fi with load to less fortunate and deserving
students. Right now, we are still making the needed preparations to accomplish
that plan,” he said. (DMNR/PIA-Caraga)
Remote villages in SurSur receive livelihood aid from gov’t
By
Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
BUTUAN
CITY, Dec. 7 (PIA) -- Amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,
the provincial government of Surigao del Sur continues to provide livelihood
assistance to hinterland barangays in the province.
“With
313 barangays in the province, majority of which are located in the
hinterlands, access to basic services, infrastructure, and livelihood remains a
problem to communities in these areas,” said Provincial Governor Alexander
Pimentel during his guesting in the Laging Handa Network Briefing episode on
Tuesday, December 7, with Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO)
Asst. Secretary JV Arcena.
With
this, the provincial government appropriates Php 20 million a year from their
budget to provide Php500,000 to 40 barangays, particularly the priority
barangays identified by the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed
Conflict (RTF-ELCAC).
To
ensure that funds are used for the intended purpose, the governor and his team
personally conduct visits to barangays to consult with them the kinds of
assistance the community members need.
“Each
community should be given the right tools fit for their environment and their
resource at hand which is why in addition to funding, we also make use of
participatory governance and be personally involved with our people’s affairs
and needs,” the governor said.
Communities
near bodies of water were given assistance to establish livelihoods in
aquaculture and fishing while those in the hinterlands opted for farming,
planting crops, and poultry and hog raising. Some communities also ventured
into merchandising and buy-and-sell businesses.
With
issues on livelihood being addressed, the governor says they are slowly
addressing other pressing needs of remote communities.
“Residents
have been clamoring for the establishment of farm-to-market roads and access to
clean water. We are now trying our best to address these with the help of
national government agencies,” he said. During the program, he also appealed
for additional assistance from the national government to address the said
concerns. (DMNR/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur COVID-19 protocols remain strict amid reopening of local economy
By
Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 7 (PIA) – While COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Caraga region, local governments are forced to reopen economies to bounce back from the impact of the pandemic.
In an effort to hasten the economic recovery of the province of Surigao del Sur, provincial borders have been officially opened on November 15 to welcome local tourists to travel once again to the province’s tourist sites, some of the prominent travel destinations in the country. Establishments and businesses have also resumed operations.
But the
easement of protocol did not come without consequences. The public has become
more complacent, failing to abide basic health protocol such as social
distancing and wearing of face masks.
“As
much as we want to continue being strict in imposing protocols, we don’t have
much of a choice. This is now a ‘survival of the fittest’ scenario and those
who will fail to follow protocol will inevitably contract the disease. However,
we will continue to do our part to ensure the safety of the people,” said
provincial governor Alexander Pimentel during the Laging Handa Network Briefing
episode on Monday, December 7 with Presidential Communications Operations
Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary JV Arcena.
Meanwhile,
the city of Tandag requires individuals coming from high-risk areas to undergo
quarantine upon arrival while the city government of Bislig requires visiting
individuals to undergo varying levels of quarantine depending on the duration
of their stay in the city.
The
governor also acknowledged the efforts of the health care workers and
non-medical frontline workers such as the police and barangay personnel in
responding and helping maintain order in the province.
Efforts
to intensify testing in the province were also made through the establishment
of a molecular laboratory in the Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center
(ASTMMC), the province’s COVID-19 referral hospital and one of the region’s
referral hospitals that accommodate severe cases.
Governor
Pimentel said that preparations are still being made for the laboratory and
staff members are still undergoing training. The molecular laboratory is
expected to become operational next week.
Discussing
the measures imposed for the influx of tourists during the holidays, the
governor said they are requiring tourists from outside the region, especially
from high-risk areas, to undergo quarantine. In preparation for scenarios where
there might be a surge of confirmed cases, the provincial government has
ordered that the third floor of the ASTMMC be vacated. Non-COVID-19 patients
confined in the said part of the hospital were transferred to Governor Vicente
Pimentel Social Hall.
Upon
the conclusion of his guesting, Provincial Governor Pimentel appealed for
additional support for the province, especially for equipping their COVID-19
facilities.
“With
our current situation, we can definitely say that the pandemic is far from
over. With that, we wish to have enough resources to sustain the needs of our
people in terms of shielding themselves from the disease and capacitate our
local government units down to the barangay level in terms of detection and
isolation.”
As of December
6, the province of Surigao del Sur now has a total of 552 confirmed cases, 214
of which are from Bislig City, 114 cases are from Tandag City, and 224 in the
remaining areas in the province. (DMNR/PIA-Caraga)
Displaced Manobo community in SurSur swears allegiance to PH law
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del
Sur, Dec. 7 (PIA) -- Lumad and non-lumad community members of Purok Tubod and
in adjacent communities of Sitios Babaraas, Bishop, Nalindog, Tandungan, and
Nahikyad wilfully sworn their support to the Philippine Constitution during the
joint ceremony of the closing of the conduct of Community Support Program (CSP)
operation by 75th Infantry (Marauder) Battalion (75IB) on Saturday, Nov. 27,
and the start of the Retooled CSP (RCSP) by the San Miguel Local Government at
the open grounds of Purok Tubod, Brgy. Bolhoon, San Miguel, Surigao del Sur.
This was the communities’
way of retracting their support and membership in the underground mass
organization that was established by political officers of CPP-NPA Terrorists
(CNTs) Guerilla Front 19 of North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC),
which are comprised predominantly by the Manobos.
Two years ago, these same
Manobos were duped to participate in the “Taktikang Bakwit” of the CNTs and
stayed for around a year at the Capitol Grounds of Surigao del Sur. During the
residency in the area, their children were sent to Tribal Filipino Program of
Surigao del Sur (TRIFPSS) and Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and
Livelihood Development (ALCADEV), non-DepEd learning institutions established
in Surigao del Sur. The schools were used by the CNTs to divert intensified
military operations against the New People’s Army (NPA), and use as a front to
collect funds and resources from foreign donors.
After the IPs’ stay in the
bakwit site, they returned to their original community in Sitio Nalindog, but
eventually went deeper inland and settled to Purok Bugbog which they thereafter
renamed as Purok Tubod.
The oath-taking took place
during the Grand Pulong-pulong and Serbisyo Caravan in the area, officiated by
Town Mayor Hazel H. Elizalde and witnessed by the Philippine Army,
representatives from national government agencies and staff of the provincial
government.
A mass wedding, dubbed as
“Kasalan sa Barangay” was conducted prior to the event, where 25 Manobo couples
of different ages were united in matrimony. Rain poured throughout the day but
it did not dampen the excitement and joy of the couples, their entourage, and
the whole community.
“Our strong partnership
significantly contributed to winning back the support of our populace. From
here on, San Miguel RCSP Team will take the lead in the whole-of-nation
approach to provide our communities with government services that are peculiar
to them,” Villarosa stated.
Datu Leonilo “Tatay Eloy”
Wagdos, Purok Bugbog Chairman, was emotional when he addressed the good Mayor
and all other visitors from the different agencies of government. He was very
thankful for not giving up on his and the community’s “notoriety."
“Sa pila ka tuig nga nagpuyo
ko diri sa among yutang kabilin, walay nagpaka bana kanamo maong kami walay
mahimo ug nailad jud sa mga New People’s Army (NPA). Pero sa tabang sa pag abot
sa presensya sa mga kasundaluhan sa 75IB dinhi sa among lugar mura kami ug
nahulugan ug anghel gikan sa langit nga maoy nakaluwas kanako og sa akong mga
katribu, naghatag og kadamlag sa sayup nga pagtoo batok sa atong
gobyerno. [In my many years of stay here in our ancestral domain, I did
not feel nor receive any support from the government. They are reasons why we
got easily deceived by the NPAs. The soldiers of 75IB are angels sent from
heaven to save me and my tribesmen. They enlightened our minds of the wrong
perception about our government),” Wagdos said.
He was more thankful for the
visitors’ presence and for seeing for themselves the condition of their
community. He was grateful to the Department of Education (DepEd) for
immediately sending teachers to their more than a hundred learners the people
behind the construction of a clean and secured water system, communal fishpond,
and the basketball court.
He also conveyed to the
concerned government agency the community’s desire to have better access basic
necessities such as a school for the lumad, infrastructure, electricity, and
livelihood program and opportunities.
Concerned government
agencies such as the National Commission on the Indigenous People (NCIP), the
Regional Health Unit (RHU), the Provincial Agriculture Officer, the Chief of
Police of San Miguel, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer
(MWSDO), Surigao Electric Cooperative (SURSECO), and the DepEd enunciated their
commitment to fulfilling the appeal of the tribal leader.
In his message, San Miguel
IP Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Datu Rico Maca, lauded the local government
and the Philippine Army for their commitment to ending insurgency in the area.
“Despite the inclement
weather and unpleasant road condition, you came here to provide my fellow
Manobos the attention that they need which I know will be translated into
concrete actions. I am a staunch believer of our government and I will continue
to be against CPP-NPA Terrorists because they continue to deceive, exploit, and
kill my fellow tribesmen and all other IP tribes in our country. After all, we
refuse to be used and exploited by them,” said Maca.
Mayor Elizalde acknowledged
the hardships the community members endured and vowed to serve them better.
“Tubod occupies a big space
in my heart and I will do all I can to alleviate your condition. The resources
of our municipality are limited but Purok Tubod will be among my priority
because I know you are among those who need them most. Under my watch, no one
will be left behind,” Elizalde said.
Datu Rudy “Baning” Miranda,
a highly respected elder of the community, also conveyed his gratitude on
behalf of the community and recounted their experiences during their
displacement.
“We are like goats who got
astray. While we were wandering, we fell into a pond and were trying to swim to
stay afloat. We are very fortunate that the troops from 75IB came. They came
and saved us just before we all got drowned," he said.
The Provincial Police
Office, through the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), distributed
gifts to the learners of the School of Living Tradition while municipal
government turned-over the basketballs and volleyballs. Food packs courtesy of
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the provincial
government were also distributed to the communities.
Upon the conclusion of the
event, Lt. Col. Villarosa reaffirmed the commitment of the government and the
Philippine Army to serving conflict-affected areas and securing peace and order
in the entire province.
“Security and development is
a tandem that is inseparable. The Marauder Troopers will always be at the
forefront to ensure that there are security and peace in our communities,
especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged conflict-affected
communities such as Purok Tubod and its adjacent communities. As we work on our
mandate, we closely partner with all stakeholders so that much-needed
interventions can be immediately delivered. Our task here is nowhere close to
being over. We are just glad that the “whole-of-nation” is at work in our Area
of Operation,” he concluded. (DMNR/75IB/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
11 PDL sa Agusan del
Sur Provincial Jail, naka-quarantine dahil sa COVID-19
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Disyembre
7 (PIA) - Naka-quarantine ngayon ang labing-isang Persons Deprived of Liberty
(PDL) sa loob ng Agusan del Sur Provincial Jail na unang nagkaroon ng sintomas
ng coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
May hiwalay silang lugar
para di na makahawa pa ng iba matapos masuring positibo sila sa virus.
Naging mabilis naman ang
aksyon ng Provincial Health Office kaya agad naagapan ang pagkalat pa ng virus
sa loob ng piitan.
Ayon kay Mary-Ann Padagas,
Nurse I ng provincial correctional security management office (PCSMO)-Agusan
del Sur, tinututukan ng mga doktor ang kondisyon ng mga apektadong PDL.
“Sa ngayon, nakita at nasuri
na sila ng ating mga doktor mula sa Provincial Health Office at wala na silang
sintomas na nakita. Nakapagbigay na rin ang ating mga doktor ng medical
supplies at vitamins para sa mga apektadong pdls,” ani ni Padagas.
Tuloy-tuloy din ang
pagsasagawa ng contact tracing hindi lang sa mga nasa loob ng piitan, maging sa
mga kawani ng Provincial Jail.
Ito ang unang pagkakataon na
nagkaroon ng COVID-19 sa Provincial Jail.
“Bagamat sumusunod tayo sa
health protocols at iba pang measures na pinapatupad sa ating provincial
correctional security management office, hindi kasi natin nakikita ang
kinakatakutan nating virus, kaya talagang nagulat din ako kung bakit ganun ang
nangyari,” banggit ni Gilbert Ga, acting head ng PCSMO-Agusan del Sur.
Hindi naman mailipat sa mga
quarantine facility sa labas ng kulungan ang mga nagpositibo dahil na rin sa
dadaanang proseso ng mga ito at kailangan pa ng court order bukod pa sa
kinakailangang seguridad.
“Ginagawan na namin ng
paraan ang pagkuha ng court order, depende na ito sa korte kung papayagan
nilang mailipat ang mga apektadong pdls sa provincial quarantine facility,”
dagdag ni Padagas.
Ang mga may ihahatid ay di
na pinapapasok at hanggang sa entrance ng nasabing pasilidad lamang nila
maaaring ibigay ang mga ito dahil na rin sa mahigpit na seguridad at para
maiwasan na ang pagkalat ng virus.
Sa Disyembre a-siete nakatakdang matapos ang pag-quarintine sa 11 PDL na positibo at asymptomatic o walang sintomas ng sakit. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
