one mindanao - january 15, 2013

PIA REGIONAL OFFICESEDITORIAL BOARDWestern Mindanao (Zamboanga Peninsula)P. Urro Street, San Francisco DistrictPagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur 7016Telephone no. (062) 215-1480 / 925-0038Cellphone no. 0908-8843404E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]: www.piazampen.blogspot.comFacebook: PIA WesMin Info BlizTwitter: https://twitter.com/PIAIX

Northern MindanaoGraces’ Building, Antonio Luna StreetCagayan de Oro City 9000Telefax No. (08822) 72-66-83Telephone no. (088) 856-8178 / 729-594Cellphone no. 0928-5204305 0917-3084969E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]: www.pia-10.blogspot.com

Southern Mindanao (Davao Region)Ground Floor Kanto Motors Bldg.,Quimpo Blvd., New MatinaDavao City 8000Telephone no. (082) 297-0991 / 301-8580Telefax no. (082) 297-0992 / 304-2044Cellphone no. 0917-7053606 / 0918-9202950E-mail: [email protected]

Central Mindanao (SOCCSKSARGEN) Provincial Capitol Compound Bautista Bldg., Zulueta St.Koronadal City, South Cotabato 9506Telephone no. (083) 520-0249Telefax no. (083) 228-9736 / 228-9739 / 520-0100Cellphone no. 0921-6873373 / 0928-5204307E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Northeastern Mindanao (Caraga)Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines Bldg.,J. Rosales Avenue, Butuan CityTelephone no. (085) 341-5285 / 360-1239Telefax no. (085) 341-2370Cellphone no. 0917-7188834Email: [email protected] , [email protected],phBlogspot: www.piacaraga.blogspot.comFacebook: PIA Caraga Updates, PIA Agusan del Norte, Pia Agusan del Sur, Pia Surigao del Norte, Pia Surigao del Sur Twitter: https://twitter.com/PIACaraga

Executive Editor …….. EFREN F. ELBANBUENA Cluster Head, Southern, Western and Central Mindanao Regional Director, PIA Region XI

Managing Editor …….. ABNER M. CAGA Cluster Head, Northern & Northeastern Mindanao Regional Director - PIA Caraga Region OIC Regional Director - PIA Region X

Associate Editors …… NOEMI B. EDAGA Regional Director, PIA Region IX

OLIVIA T. SUDARIA Regional Director, PIA Region XII ELAINE O. RATUNIL Officer-in-charge, PIA Region X

Regional Desk Editors Franklin P. Gumapon, PIA Region IX Jorie C. Valcorza, PIA Region X Rudolph Ian G. Alama, PIA Region XI Danny E. Doguiles, PIA Region XII Robert E. Roperos, PIA Caraga Region

Copy Editor ............... Robert E. Roperos, PIA Caraga Region

Layout Artists ……… Victoriano B. Villacruz, Jr., PIA Region IX Retchie Tolinero, PIA Region X

Senior Layout Artists : Gerie Mae G. Coco, PIA Caraga Region Richard D. Atillo, PIA Caraga Region

Editorial Advisers :

JOSE MARI M. OQUIÑENA Philippine Information Agency

Director General

SEC. HERMINIO “Sonny” B. COLOMAPresidential Communications Operations Office

Cover Story

Koronadal City changes festival brand to “Korona”

Dani DoguilesCentral Mindanao

Today’s issue... Tuesday, January 15, 2013 Vol. 2 No. 103

page 4

Aquino government elated over the success of DOLE in enhancing the services extended by Phil-Job Net in providing job vacancies 7

LGU-Agusan del Norte, Caraga Region

2 POs get multi-million funds 14Fire victims get cash assistance 18 Jocelyn P. Alvarez, Western Mindanao

SP declares Butuan City under state of calamity

Northern Mindanao 2012 Schools Press Conference finally set Jan. 24-26Rutchie C. Aguhob, Northern Mindanao

DepEd-Misamis Occidental set for the Jan. 26 early registration day Rutchie C. Aguhob, Northern Mindanao

Eldie N. David, Caraga Region

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Bridge offers refuge in case of heavy flooding Mera Grace E. Apuya, Southern Mindanao26

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Koronadal opens diagnostic centerDEDoguiles, Central Mindanao29

30Dani Doguiles, Central Mindanao

DA 12 sends help to flood victims in South Cotabato

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Tuesday, January 15, 20134

Mayor Peter Miguel disclosed in a recent interview with local reporters that the city government is bent on renaming the festival from the Hiligaynon term for festivity into “Korona Festival.” “We want to be known for a festival that is uniquely our own,” Miguel said, “and nothing is more appropriate than to derive it from out city’s name, Koronadal.” He explained that several places have been using the same festival brand. Among these is Hinigaran town in Negros Occidental every April as well as nearby province of North Cotabato before it changed the title of its September 1 festival to “Kalivungan” in 2011. Besides, the local chief executive continued, the term Korona is also a fitting description of the city as a “gem

of a crown” owing to its geographical

location, a sprawling community development center surrounded by the Quezon and Roxas mountain ranges. Korona is an “icon aptly representing the multitude of ingenuity, unique blend of cultural diversity, also standing for the prosperity and abundance and grand hopes and dreams of the Koronadalenos,” according to an article in the city’s official website. For the second year, Korona Festival has highlighted the city’s Hinugyaw Festival and foundation anniversary as a “festival within the festival.” Distinctive to other festivals, Korona Festival, features a parade of elaborately decorated crowns that gives way to a Mardi Gras–style revelry and street


Last week’s festivities could

be one of the last times that Koronadal’s anniversary festival is called “Hinugyaw.”

CoVer StoRy

by Dani Doguiles

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 5


danc ing competition where each contingent is underscored by a float and a muse, again wearing a crown. “If other places have masks for visitors to wear, time will come that tourists and visitors to our festival will be wearing crowns that are distinctly representative of our culture,” Mayor Miguel said. What also separates the Korona festival to other events, he added, is that it is held at night. Korona Festival 2013 was staged as the final activity of the week-long 13th Hinugyaw Festival and 73rd Foundation Anniversary on February 10 before the fireworks display that signals the end of the festival. Hinugyaw Festival this year began with the unveiling of the national historical marker at the shrine of the 17 Koronadaleños martyrs. They were massacred during by Japanese occupants here on November 24, 1942. National Historical Commission of the Philippines

executive director Ludovico Badoy led the unveiling ceremony on January 4. Among the several sports activities of this year’s festivity, the Siok Extreme Eco-Adventure comes on top. About a hundred extreme adventure enthusiasts conquered Siok rivers’ series of water falls that require expertise in hiking, river trekking, rock climbing, and rappelling among others under the cover of a verdant

forest.

Also for the first time, Koronadal City’s Lakambini ng Koronadal featured haute couture competition featuring cogon grass as a major element of the design. Also, the winners’ crowns were designed by participants of a contest to create a replica of a crown that is representative of the culture and tradition of Koronadal. “Changing of festival brand from Hinugyaw to Korona may not happen next year, Mayor Miguel said, “ but this will surely be realized.”

6 Tuesday, January 15, 2013

ACROSS THE NATIONGovernment mulls hosting all government websites

A proposal to have government host all government websites is being studied by Malacañang in order to prevent hackers from gaining control and defacing these portals in the future, Presidential

Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said on Monday.In a briefing, Lacierda said that by

“migrating” or moving all government websites to the government host will ensure their safety from hackers as the government domain, which is managed by the Department of Science and Technology, is less prone to hacking.

“Those (websites) that are hosted by DOST are secure; for instance (the) PCDSPO (Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office) and the OG (Official Gazette), they are hosted by the government and as much as the hackers have attempted to


attack the OG (website), it has never been defaced,” Lacierda said.

“Some government websites are hosted by private entities and there has been a suggestion to move or migrate their hosting to government so that’s being studied right now,” he added.

Six government websites (http://pro8.

pnp.gov.ph/, http://mambulao.gov.ph/, http://www.cpa.gov.ph/, http://mmda.gov.ph/, http://nfa.gov.ph/, http://www.nmp.gov.ph/) were recently broken into by hackers to press their sentiments against the Anti-Cyber Crime Act of 2012 which President Benigno S. Aquino signed into law last September. PND (rck)

Aquino government elated over the success of DOLE in enhancing the services extended by Phil-Job Net in providing job vacancies

The Aquino administration expressed elation over the reported success

of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in enhancing the services extended by Phil-Job Net in providing at least 100,000 job vacancies at any given time, a Palace official said on Tuesday.

8 Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang that the administration is looking forward to the continuing development of the Phil-Job Net website to be able to give assistance to the job seekers.

“We are pleased to share the report of Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz to the President regarding Phil-Job Net (www.phil-job.net), the official job portal of the Philippine Government,” Valte said.

“For the first time in its history, the number of vacancies on the website has outpaced the number of applicants. As of today, there have been more than 264,000 vacancies posted by employers compared to a little over 117,000 a p p l i c a n t s . The number of vacancies is also at an all-time high compared to only an average of 40,000 a month as of July 2010,” Valte said.

Since Secretary Baldoz took over the helm of the DOLE, Valte said she enhanced the services provided by Phil-Job Net to include job postings from skilled workers as well as legitimate employers.

Under Baldoz’s stewardship, Valte said the DOLE has also expanded the website’s coverage to provide at least 100,000 job vacancies at any given time.

“We look forward to their continuing development of the Phil-Job Net website into an even more responsive and inclusive tool for both job seekers and job matching, which redounds to the benefit of our countrymen,” she said. PND (js)


ARMM targets P700-M investments for 2013

An estimated P700-million worth of investments is set to kick – off in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

(ARMM) this year.

Regional Board of Investments (RBOI) specialist Jun Macalawan said topping the investment plan for the province is the continuing P569-million investment poured

in by the Dilinanas Development Corporation (DDC), a subsidiary of fruit-producing giant corporation Del Monte Philippines.

In November last year,


Acting ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman, together with Dilinanas executives, led the inauguration of a 500-hectare banana planation in Datu Abdullah Sangki town in Maguindanao.

The Datu Sangki plantation forms part of the 1,300-hectare banana estate that DDC plans to set up across the province.

The plantation would include parcels of land in Ampatuan town, the site of the infamous 2009 Maguindanao massacre site that killed 57 people, including 33 local journalists.

More so, Unifrutti Group Philippines, another fruit conglomerate, is also pursuing plans to expand its banana and pineapple farms in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.

The multi-national, which has laid out a comprehensive US 20-million dollar investment for the region, is currently maintaining a 1 , 0 0 0 - h e c t a r e banana plantation in Maguindanao but plans to venture

into pineapple production in Lanao del Sur.

Complimenting such development, Macalawan said that a P300-M housing investment from Bombaran Development Corporation would be opened for workers later this month in Barangay Sarmiento, Parang, Maguindanao.

The project, comprising some 1,500 housing units and the first in the region, is expected to benefit 1,500 workers in the Parang area alone.

“The Bombaran firm is keen on expanding its housing development endeavor to areas tapped by DDC and UniFrutti for its plantations this year,” he said.


CHED-Caraga enjoins HEI to nominate candidates to Thailand training programby Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY -- The regional office of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Caraga has enjoined higher education institutions to send nominations to the training programs sponsored by the Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA).

www.piacaraga.blogspot.com h t t p : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k .


In a letter addressed to CHED-Caraga Regional Director Dr. Isabela Mahler, CHED Executive Director Atty. Julito Vitriolo said the training program is in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).

Vitriolo added two programs/training courses offered to successful candidates, namely, Training Program in Modern Technology for Sustainable Agriculture System, and Training Courses on Utilizing Indigenous Food Resources for Food Security.

The first program will be conducted on July 8-19 while the duration of the other program is on September 1-27.

Vitriolo said all expenses relative to the participation in the training courses will be borne by TICA.

Applicant must be nominated by the head of the agency. They must have rendered at least two years of service in the government at the time of nomination.

Also, applicant must hold a permanent appointment at the organization nominating her/him, and have obtained at least a very satisfactory performance rating for two consecutive periods preceding the nomination, and must have a college degree and/or sufficient demonstrated ability and experience related/relevant to the course applied for.

The official further said applicant must have no pending administrative and/or criminal

case, must have no pending nomination for scholarship in another program/course, must have already rendered the required service obligation for a scholarship previously enjoyed.

Moreover, Vitriolo said applicant must meet the position level, age, education, and experience required and specified by the donor country/organizat ion/course. More importantly, the official said applicants must be physically fit to travel and undergo overseas training.

Deadline of submission is on January 25 for the first program and on March 29 for the second program. Successful applicants will be interviewed on February 14 and April 25, respectively.

All documentary requirements are to be submitted to the Foreign Scholarship Training Program (FSTP) Unit, Pevoti bldg, East Service Road, South Superhighway, Taguig City.

Interested applicants may contact the FSTP at 817-4078 local 221/231 for further details.

According to www.ecdc.net, TICA promotes South-South cooperation and North-South-South cooperation under partnership programmes with other donor countries including non-government organizations and international agencies for development cooperation in developing countries in various regions.


SP declares Butuan City under state of calamityby Eldie N. David

BUTUAN CITY -- The Sangguniang Panlungsod here has unanimously approved SP Resolution 085-2013 in the regular session held recently, declaring the city under state of calamity.

The resolution, which was jointly authored by all the members of the SP led by Vice Mayor Law Fortun, stemmed from the recent flooding that the city experienced since last week.

Fortun said the declaration was based on the data submitted to the SP by the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) which indicated that based on their assessment, there was indeed a need to declare a state of calamity in the city.

Based on their data, there were already about 9,000

individuals who were affected by the continuous flooding in the city. Additionally, about 1,200 hectares of farm lands were destroyed bringing close to P20 million in total damages in the agricultural sector.

About P2.6 million worth of infrastructures were also damaged by the heavy floods. City Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr. also made the same request with the SP to help the affected sectors who were affected by the flooding.

Fortun said that with the declaration of state of calamity,


2 POs get multi-million fundsby LGU-Agusan del Norte

BUTUAN CITY,-- Two people’s organizations in the province received more than P6 million in livelihood funds from the Department of Agriculture’s Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP)-Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD).

a contingency plan will be implemented together with the release of a calamity fund for the rehabilitation of the affected sectors of the city. It

will also pave the way for the city government of Butuan to implement programs that will help those affected rebuild their livelihood.

The funds were turned over to the San Agustin Fisherfolk Organization, Inc. (SAFOI) based in Carmen town for its project worth P4 million pesos and San Vicente Farmers & Fisherfolk Association (SVFFAI) in the municipality of Jabonga for its P2 million-peso project

Sixty percent of the funds came from the World Bank, 20% from the national government

through the DA and 20% from the provincial government.

SAFOI will venture into Bangus mariculture in Barangay San Agustin, an area suited for fish culture. The project aims to produce premium quality bangus (milkfish) and expected to address the decline of fish production in Agusan del Norte. Study shows that Caraga region is not self-sufficient in fresh fish


which supply and demand gap in the previous years was provided by fish cars from provinces like General Santos and Zamboanga.

SVFFAI, on the other hand, will venture into squid processing and marketing. Residents of Barangay San Vicente, which is one of the coastal barangays of Jabonga, are into fishing and farming. Catching squid is the main activity of fisherfolk making the project very suitable in the area. Funds will be utilized particularly in the construction of a village level squid processing building, procurement of a mechanical dryer, and purchase and installation of a Modified Multi-Commodity Solar Tunnel Dryer.

Its study shows that there is a limited supply of dried squid in the market due to the unavailability of commercial scale processing firm in the locality. Its target markets are wholesale buyers of the cities of Cabadbaran, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Butuan.

CFAD is among the four major components of the Mindanao Rural Development Program of DA. It was conceptualized as a poverty program for the rural poor, prioritizing the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups such as Indigenous Peoples (IPs),

fisherfolks and women-headed households as beneficiaries among the communities’ rural poor population.

Among the many proponents, the two PO’s were chosen by the provincial government after a comprehensive evaluation of the proposals and the suitability of the area.

Speaking before members of the organizations, SP Committee on Agriculture Chairman, Hon. Rey G. Jamboy, encouraged the beneficiaries to be united to bring about change in their community by being successful in this new-found endeavor. With this financial assistance, he hopes to address the diverse needs and investment priorities of rural poor communities, as well as provide poor households the opportunities for food security and increased income from agriculture and fishery production projects.

For his part, Governor Erlpe John M. Amante vows to be an aggressive partner with people groups in the province in the realization of their dreams.

Another people’s group based in the municipality of Buenavista that would venture into rice production is also set to receive funds.


For the list of Philippine holidays in 2013 through Proc. No. 459, just visit the PIA-Caraga Blogspot at www.piacaraga.blogspot.com for the copy of the said proclamation...


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PAGADIAN CITY - About 58,000 old-age and disability pensioners of state pension fund of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) have started receiving the upgraded minimum basic pension of Php5,000 beginning January this year.

It can be recalled that President Benigno C. Aquino III in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2012

had announced that all old-age and disability pensioners of GSIS receiving less than P5,000 would receive the

GSIS pensioners get pension hike this yearBy Alma L. Tingcang


Fire victims get cash assistance

Vic Larato of the City Information Office, in a press statement said the distribution of cash assistance was done at the City Hall by Mayor Celso Lobregat himself. Larato said, the victims whose houses were totally destroyed by fire received P5,000 per family while those assessed/considered as house-

sharers, received P3,000 each. A family whose house was partially damaged also received P3,000. “The amount was too small to compensate the properties they lost to the fire but it is something at least to start on,” Larato quoted the mayor as saying.

By Jocelyn P. Alvarez

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Fourteen families affected by a fire in Barangay Mampang this city sometime in October, last year, recently received a total of P54,000 as the city government’s cash aide.

new minimum basic pension beginning 2013. GSIS President and General Manager Robert G. Vergara said that the pension increment forms part of a series of initiatives launched by the state pension fund to provide responsive service to its pensioners. A 2011 study on the situation of senior citizens in the country by Dr. Romulo Virola, Secretary General of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) called for the need to increase the monthly pension of

senior citizens due to rising commodity prices. Engr. Leoncito S. Manuel, GSIS branch head here said the pensioners also received a Christmas cash gift equivalent to one month current pension in December. “There are 2,700 old age and disability pensioners in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay who received the upgraded minimum basic pension of P5,000 starting January this year,” says Manuel.


Reg’l Standards and Testing Lab is now DOH accredited for water analysisby Admer Rey C. Dablio

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Regional Standards and Testing Laboratories (RSTL) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Regional Office 10 finally received its Certificate of Laboratory Accreditation for Drinking Water Analysis from the Department of Health – Bureau of Health Facilities and Services.


Reg’l Standards and Testing Lab is now DOH accredited for water analysis

Northern Mindanao 2012 Schools Press Conference finally set Jan. 24-26by Rutchie C. Aguhob

OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental - The 2012 Northern Mindanao Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) will finally push through at the La Salle University (LSU) Arts Center, this city, on Jan. 24-26, this year.

With this accreditation, small, medium, and large enterprises in Northern Mindanao and nearby regions whose drinking water need to be tested can now have their drinking water tested at RSTL, DOST-10. The services covered in this accreditation are the physical, bacteriological, and chemical analyses of drinking water. RSTL-X has already been testing drinking water samples from different sectors in Northern Mindanao like water refilling stations, hospitals, food processors, and others. The usual analyses conducted are pH, turbidity and total dissolved solids for physical parameters; heavy metals like Iron and Manganese for chemical parameters; heterotrophic plate count, coliform count, fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli (complete potability test) for bacteriological parameters. Other testing parameters specified in the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water are also available at RSTL-10. An example, which is also a main concern in terms of the safety of drinking water is the analysis of mercury in water. RSTL

can conduct this especially with the recent purchase of Direct Mercury Analyzer which gives faster results for such analysis. DOST-10 RSTL is also offering nitrite analysis of meat products to ensure safety of the meat products in Northern Mindanao, considering that the region has a big meat industry. Food safety has been one of the major concerns of the people here and with this nitrite analysis, and other testing capabilities of RSTL, people in Northern Mindanao will enjoy safe food products. This achievement of RSTL-10 is really a reflection of their quality statement, being committed to deliver quality and relevant testing and calibration services promptly and efficiently to its customers in Northern Mindanao. Also, this achievement is a result of the tagline of RSTL, “Quality is our policy. Service is our commitment. Excellence is our habit.” RSTL ensures that safe and quality water, food, and non-food items are available. Furthermore, it aims to lead the global race for better, safer products.


Schools Division Superintendent Rebonfamil Baguio of the Ozamiz City Schools Division, host of the three-day activity, said the RSPC is conducted per Republic Act No. 7079 entitled “An Act Providing for the Development and Promotion of Campus Journalism.” The RSPC aims to demonstrate understanding of the importance of journalism by expressing it through journalistic forms and approaches and provides activities that encourage students to pursue careers/studies in journalism and enhance journalism competencies through friendly individual and group competition. Participants are the top four pupil/student Division SPC winners from the region’s 14 schools divisions and their coaches/advisers, Division Education Program Supervisors (EPS) in English and Pilipino, Chiefs of the Elementary and Secondary Education Divisions (EED/SED) and EPS-IIs who are members of the technical working groups (TWGs). Meanwhile, the RSPC activity list include the following: Jan. 24 - Photojournalism Contest with a Photo

Session on “The Director’s Hour” by Dr. Allan Farnazo, of the Department of Education (DepEd), Region 10, followed by Photo Uploading. Copy Reading, Headline Writing and a lecture on “Ethics in Social Media” will be presented by Atty. Neil F. Pacamalan, Cultural Affairs Specialist for Mindanao Affairs followed by News and Feature Writing. Jan. 25 - Sports Viewing/Writing, Editorial Writing/Cartooning, Scriptwriting for Radio Broadcasting, Rehearsal/Actual Broadcasting, Collaborative Publishing and lectures on “Ethical Standards in Campus Journalism: Issues and Challenges” by Uriel Quilinguing, “Convergence in Campus Journalism” by Jacinto Alingasa, and “New Trend in Page Designing” by Allan Mediante, Jan. 26 - “Tagisan ng Talino” (Quiz Bee), Talent Show, Election of Officers of the Regional Paper Advisers Association (RPAA) and Regional Editors’ Guild, a Cultural Show featuring the LSU Cultural Arts Group and Awarding Ceremony of the contest winners.

DepEd-Misamis Occidental set for the Jan. 26 early registration dayby Rutchie C. Aguhob

OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidenta - Preparations are underway for the January 26 Early Registration Day (ERD) for School Year (SY) 2013-2014 in the Misamis Occidental Schools Division (MOSD).

The early registration is conducted to achieve the Millennium

Development Goals (MDG) and the Education for All (EFA) campaign


in the province, Schools Division Superintendent Jonathan Dela Peňa said. Pursuant to DepEd Order No. 89, s. of 2012, setting the ERD on Jan. 26, 2013, schools divisions, nationwide, have been directed to undertake an advocacy campaign to encourage the most number of parents to come out for the early registration. Thus, MOSD has organized its communications teams to undertake such campaign, including the registration process, while the schools in its 16 districts have been enjoined to work with parents, local officials and other stakeholders and student for support. Meanwhile, Dela Peňa said the MOSD schools will lead the Child or Youth Find Activities in collaboration with the barangays, following the

family maps and those enrolling children from indigenous and cultural communities will be mobilized to ensure early registration of the targeted enrollees. He said home and street visits will be conducted by the designated MOSD Education Supervisors (ES) to targeted enrollees and get the profile of the respective learners. High school principals will work with the chairpersons of the barangays and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) to locate elementary graduates who either have not enrolled in high

school or dropped out of school in order to ensure their early registration so that appropriate program interventions could be planned. Moreover, Dela Peňa said all children born October 31, 2008 or earlier will be eligible for early enrolment in Kindergarten, while those born on October 31, 2007 or earlier, with or without Kindergarten experience, will be eligible for early enrolment in Grade 1. The birth certificate of the child will be the documentary basis for early registration and for other children and youth who have never been to school. However, if it is not available on Jan. 26, the birth certificate can be submitted in June or anytime within the school year, Dela Peňa added.


TAGUM CITY – Banking on its ini-tial successes in terms of disaster response and emergency relief, the provincial government is tak-ing further steps in improving its system to sharpen the data it gets from the ground during disasters. The province has conceptualized a model for the systematic reporting of disaster loss, after Governor Rodolfo del Rosario mandated the frontline offices of the Capitol to put in place

vital mechanisms for the standard accounting of extent of damages. He said accurate damage assessment following the impact of major catastrophe is very useful in determining the needs of the victims and the strategies for appropriate assistance essential to help the affected areas return into normalcy.

“We must establish all the necessary systems that we can think of, so we can come up with a credible and quality report,” del Rosario intoned, during the workshop on the establishment of a management information system (MIS) on the impact of disasters on agriculture held by the Provincial Agriculturist Office (PAGRO). The Governor cited the final

DavNor firms up data capture system for disasters


consolidated report on the impact of Super Typhoon Pablo to the province of Davao del Norte, which sustained damages to agriculture worth P3.562 billion, as well as, to infrastructure costing P143.8 million. Del Rosario revealed the standard template generated at the disaster MIS workshop shall be replicated to other frontline offices of the Capitol, such as the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Division, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, and Provincial Health Office, among others. After polishing it, Capitol will subsequently roll out the new

system to the different local government units of the province, to institute a uniform and quick reporting of damage assessment from the affected barangays and municipalities. This is very vital in producing an accurate final calamity report in the shortest possible time, according to the governor. Del Rosario also appointed OIC-Provincial Information Officer Romulo Tagalo as the official spokesperson for the media and other organizations seeking information directly from calamities in the province. (Noel Baguio-PGO INFO DAVNOR)

regional gallery

A cyclist strikes a pose as they commenced their Padyak Tungo sa Liwanag 2013 in Aparri the group is enroute to Davao City for the Liwanag Festival.


Bridge offers refuge in case of heavy floodingASUNCION, DAVAO DEL NORTE—Living near a bridge in this town also has an advantage despite the perennial flooding. Though their houses are the first to be flooded whenever the river overflows, residents near a river in Brgy. Cambanogoy counts on the bridge near their houses as their refuge in the event flood becomes unbearable. “If floodwater rises so high that we have to leave, we will all go to the bridge,” said Virginia Baltazar having experienced the December 2012 flooding when typhoon Pablo hit the province with signal no. 3. When asked why not evacuate, “situation is difficult in the evacuation center,” another resident, Angel Edrada, said. “Meantime, we will evacuate to the bridge if we have to,” she added glancing at the 24 linear-meter bridge. The bridge is a P7.6-million Rural Infrastructure (RI) project under the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) of the Department of Agriculture pursued in partnership with the local government. While serving as a lifeline,

the bridge is also vital to the economy of the place as it connects barangays wealthy of rice fields, coconut and banana plantations to the town market.“During harvest, looking at people passing on farm produce from one person to another just to get them across was distressing,” Baltazar said. Prior to the MRDP project, Baltazar said, an old wooden bridge used to be there but it was lying low and frequently reached by flood.Mayor Nilo Parreñas “specifically requested the project to MRDP” as the old bridge had become unreliable “especially to children walking their way to school,” said municipal planning coordinator Mary Val Cortez. “There is really a big improvement now compared before,” said Edrada whose husband is a trisikad driver. She said the project makes transportation easy particularly for her husband. Also pursued in the place along with the bridge is an P8.5-million farm-to-market road still under MRDP. (Mera Grace E. Apuya/DavNor PIO)


KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato -- The executive official of the city gov-ernment of Koronadal in South Cotabato announced last week that the Phil-ippine Veterans Bank’s exhibit will now be an annual feature in the city.

Veterans’ exhibit to become a regular event in Koronadal CityBy Shahana Joy E. Duerme


Mayor Peter B. Miguel said the exhibit dubbed the “War of our Fathers” is an important tribute to the Filipino freedom fighters and should be presented to the public as a reminder of the greatness of the ancient warriors. The exhibit depicted the role of Filipinos in World War II.

First displayed in the city in 2011, the presentation will now be part of the city’s celebration of Hinugyaw Festival and will be displayed

every January, Miguel said.Miguel Angelo Villa-Real, Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) vice president for corporate communications, said the exhibit was aimed at keeping alive the memory of Filipino freedom fighters. He acknowledged and lauded the veterans who graced the activity.

The PVB donated to the city a framed collection of the 1940s photographs of Koronadal Valley and

its first settlers.The exhibit will run

until January 25. It is sponsored by the Veterans Federation of the Philippines in cooperation with the city government of Koronadal.

The opening ceremony was witnessed by employees of the PVB-central office and Koronadal branch, local government officials, tri-media and the veterans together with their family.(SJDuerme-PIA12)


KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato – Koronadal city’s health office recent-ly opened its City Health Office Diagnostic Center where among the ini-tial amenities is a new x-ray machine.

Koronadal opens diagnostic center

According to a release from the City Information Office at least 20 patients, mostly elderly, were the first clients who lined up for the x-ray services.

At the launching on January 8, mayor Peter B. Miguel, said that the city had been longing to acquire an x-ray machine, considering its importance in the early detection of related illnesses.

Further, he said that indigents and senior citizens would benefit much from this center especially that diagnostic services in private institutions are expensive.

However, the local chief executive added that the city government would be collecting minimal fees to sustain the operation since

the city would also be spending for x-ray films and its processing although special discounts would also be given to indigents and senior citizens.

Acting city health officer Dr. Jean Genevieve Aturdido said that at present, the center would prioritize accommodation of requests from the constituents of the city.

She also mentioned that the city government would be collecting PhP160.00 per request as the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital is

also collecting the same amount.

Requests for x-ray services at this center should be paid at the City Treasurer’s Office or at the health office at the Old City Hall.

Both request for x-ray and official receipt must be presented to the center upon availing of services.

As the center is now serving the people, Aturdido foresees the construction of TB- Direct Observe Treatment Strategy (Dots) building and lying inn center the

soonest. The diagnostic

center is the first building that was inaugurated this year as the mayor considered health as one of his priority programs. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12/Bic Manato-Koronadal CIO)


KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato -- The Department of Agriculture (DA)-12 has distributed at least 350 bags of palay seeds as aid to farmers affected by flooding caused by recent adverse weather conditions.

DA 12 sends help to flood victims in South CotabatoBy Dani Doguiles

Ruperto Dollaga, s u p e r v i s i n g agriculturist of the South Cotabato Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG), said the seeds were provided by DA 12 for farmers whose crops were damaged at the height of tyhoon Pablo in December and during the low pressure area early this month.

These were charged against the DA 12’s Quick Response Fund, he added.

Of the 350 bags of certified palay seeds, 333 were allocated to farmers in several Barangays in Banga town who had incurred losses after flashfloods brought

about by “Pablo” last December.

Over 300 hectares of farmlands were hit by the floods.

Dollaga added that the remaining 17 bags of seeds were delivered to farmers in Norala town where some 79 hectares of rice fields in seven barangays were submerged on January 6 following several hours of incessant rains.

Affected villages included Esperanza, Poblacion, Lapuz, Liberty, San Jose, Simsiman, and Matapol. Some 526 were affected.

The weather condition was brought about by an LPA embedded

in an Intertropical Convergence Zone that affected the southeastern part of Mindanao, including areas of General Santos City, South Cotabato and Sarangani.

Last week the provincial government released an initial five sacks of rice to affected families. Norala LGU also declared state of calamity.

Lawyer Hilario de Pedro III, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (PDRRMO) also promised additional assistance via food-for-work scheme to affected families in Norala. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)

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