one mindanao - september 20, 2011

2 Tuesday, September 20, 2011

C O N T E N T SNATIONAL• Aquino cites indomitable spirit of Filipinos• Aquino welcomes renewed commitment of Convergys to invest in the Philippines• Aquino conferred Doctor of Laws degree by Fordham University• Joint Fil-Am company partners to invest $15-million in coconut industry• BPO company chooses PHL as ‘model’ of higher end call center work• Aquino’s economic team to meet with three international credit rating agencies• President Aquino attends launching of Open Government Partnership in New York City• President Aquino addresses Open Governance Forum in New York City

Northern Mindanao

• DOT holds road show for “open skies policy” in Cag. de Oro• Army’s 4th ID offers “Libreng Sakay“ to commuters • Transport strike in Cag. de Oro, generally peaceful – RTA • Forum on sustainable construction set Sept. 21 in Cag. de Oro• DILG cites PPP/lauds academe partnership in Project

EMPOWERING

Southern Mindanao (Davao Region)

• NCCA widens reach• “DORMITEL” hits another first for DVO OR• Jump Start your Future with DOST• Understanding Food Fortification in Davao del Norte• Gov. Uy ug Mayor Colina gipanguluhan ang Bayanihan nga pagtukod ug School Buildings sa Maragusan

Central Mindanao (SOCSKSARGEN)

• Kapitolyo ng Sarangani pangangalanang “James L. Chiongbian Building”• BFAR conducts scholarship exam for fisherfolk children• PIA 12 holds bloodletting activity • Foliar disease ng mga tanim na mais sa South Cotabato,binabantayan• 1,300 na puno itinanim sa selebrasyon ng 11th Civil Service year• Transport strike sa South Cotabato, hindi naka-apekto sa daloy ng trapiko

Northeastern Mindanao (Caraga)

• ENRC seeks probe on illegal mining in Taguibo watershed• Agusan del Sur to showcase clothing materials in OTOP Trade Fair in Manila• Agusan del Norte provl hospital celebrates centennial anniversary• Literacy Coordinating Council to hold Annual Literacy Conference • Surigao Norte to join Mindanao ONE trade expo

Western Mindanao (Zamboanga Peninsula)

• Public warned against proliferation of fake money• 13th national Physics confab slated in Dipolog Oct. 20-22• PCSO shoulders expenses for first kidney transplant in Zambo • Barangays should implement mitigation measures to prevent vulnerability to hazards: OCD9 chief urges • 41 mil ka lawak tunghaan ipabarog sa DepEd sunod tuig

OUR COVER

DSWD’spoverty reduction program

making headway in uplifting the lives of poor families

EDITORIAL STAFF

An Electronic News Magazine published daily by Philippine Information Agency (PIA)

Mindanao Clusters

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 and Northeastern Mindanao Regional Director, PIA Caraga Region

Associate Editors ……....... OLIVIA T. SUDARIA Regional Director, PIA Region XII NOEMI A. EDAGA Regional Director, PIA Region IX

RUTCHIE C. AGUHOB Officer-in-charge,PIARegionX

Regional Desk Editors …... Jocelyn P. Alvarez, PIA Region IX Elaine O. Ratunil, PIA Region X Rudolph Ian G. Alama, PIA Region XI Danny E. Doguiles, PIA Region XII Robert E. Roperos, PIA Caraga Region Nora CL Molde, PIA Caraga Region

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

Layout Artists ……………... Gerie Mae G. Coco, PIA Caraga Region Richard D. Atillo, PIA Caraga Region Emmanuel D. Gonzales, PIA Caraga Region

Editorial Advisers ……….... ATTY. JOSE A. FABIA Director-General Philippine Information Agency

SEC. HERMINIO “Sonny” B. COLOMA PresidentialCommunicationsOperationsOffice

3Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Cover Story:

The poverty reduction program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now making headway in alleviating the lives of poor families.

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by Claro A. Lanipa

DSWD’s poverty reduction program making headway in uplifting the lives of poor families


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Program Implementation in ZamboSur

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, better known as 4Ps started its implementation in the province of Zamboanga del Sur in May 2009, initially covering twelve (12) municipalities with high poverty incidence. It consisted of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 29,855 beneficiaries in the two (2) c o n g r e s s i o n a l districts of the province.Following the e x p a n s i o n program in the last quarter of 2009, three additional municipalities were included increasing the number of beneficiaries to more or less 38,262 or about 8,407 beneficiaries were

added.

P-Noy’s priority agenda

In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, President Benigno S. Aquino III ordered DSWD to expand the program to two million beneficiaries for 2011. Zamboanga del Sur got a share of about 27,940 beneficiaries. To date, the province has a beneficiary base of approximately 64,575.

Impact to beneficiaries

Pantawid Pamilya Parent Leader Nenita Arsenal-Torrecampo, a native of Dumalinao, this province said, “ang 4P’s dako kaayo ug natabang sa mga grupo sa mga kababayen-an ilabi na gayud sa relasyon sa isig ka inahan,” (4P’s is of big help to the women’s group especially our relationship among mothers). “The program instills parents’ responsibility in bringing up our children by way of sending them to school regularly. It is also part of the requirements

Cover story:DSWD’s poverty.....from page 3



for us to comply as a beneficiary,” Torrecampo added. “Ang 4P’s dako kaayo ug natabang kanamo nga kabus, kay ang mga bata nga wala naka eskuwela kaniadto karon naka-eskuwela na gayud ug malipayon sila,” (4P’s provided a big help to us. Before, some of our children who were not able to go to school are now enrolled in school and they are so happy) PL Torrecampo narrated. “The health growth of our children are being monitored

regularly, and most of all the number of malnourished children are reduced. Parent beneficiaries were encouraged to engage in individual gardening which includes communal gardening to sustain our nutritional food requirements. To advance and boost our knowledge, parents are required to attend a monthly family development session facilitated by the teachers in our respective schools,” Torrecampo concluded.

M e a n w h i l e , 11-year old Vea Andus Lumosad, grade six pupil of Diplo Elementary School and a resident of Picanan, K u m a l a r a n g , Zamboanga del Sur struggled hard to finish her education. A daughter of a 4P’s beneficiary and the second child in a family of five, Vea said she saw the efforts made by her mother but it was to no avail. Everything she earned was just enough buy food and milk for her younger siblings. Yet young Vea said, “moadto mi sa eskuwelahan walay balon, bisan na lang para ipalit ug candy” (we go to school without a single centavo in our pocket, nothing even to buy candy). We take our meal even without viand

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, and oftentimes only dried fish. If we have obligations in school, I beg my “lola” and sometimes my auntie,” narrated Vea. “When Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program came to us,

it slowly lightened the economic burden of our family. With the release of the financial assistance on a quarterly basis, we can immediately buy our needs for our schooling to include our vitamins.

Our mother saves a little amount for our pocket money in going to school,” the young Andus said. She said the difference before and today with the Pantawid Pamilya can be seen in each of the household b e n e f i c i a r i e s . “Gamay apan dako and ikatabang” (small but surely a big help). “I wish to thank my parents for faithfully following the obligations set by the program. I also thank the national government, our Governor and our C o n g r e s s w o m a n and local officials for making this program available to the poor.” Vea dreams of becoming a teacher someday. She hopes the program will be sustained until she fulfills her dream.


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Program Partners/Convergence

On the other hand, San Miguel Central School Principal said through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, parents have learned to internalize their role and became more responsible thru the Family Development Seminars (FDS) as adopted by the different facilitators. It has also drawn their active participation in all community and school activities as well as settles school obligations on time. Vices among parents were also minimized, Librea said.As to the impact on school children, they become aware of their role and functions in the family and assured of meeting their needs in school with the release of the CCT cash allocation. Increase in

participation rate and enrollment of pupils from kindergarten to grade six was also noticeable. To cap it all, a decreased absenteeism and drop-out rate resulting to improved overall performance, Librea added. D e p E d Schools Division S u p e r i n t e n d e n t Visminda Serrato affirmed the statements of Librea saying that because of the implementation of 4P’s in the province, enrolment rate tremendously increased. She made mention in particular the kindergarten, wherein the entire division has only 15 regular teachers. As this developed, the department has adopted the so-called Kindergarten Volunteer Program to handle the 871 classes catering to 20,062 kindergarten s c h o o l c h i l d r e n , Serrato disclosed.

D S W D - I X Regional Director Teodulo R. Romo, Jr. commented that “there no program or agency of the government that can solely resolve poverty. The only effective way to address this problem sustainably is the convergence of all of us.” He urged the local chief executives and partner line agencies to join hands in addressing this problem thru our available programs for intended beneficiaries. Let us not be dependent on the Pantawid Pamilya program, we have to provide them other means to sustain and uplift their economic condition. He also challenged the parents to use the cash allocation for its intended purpose and not squander the money for selfish reasons. (ALT/CAL-PIA9/Zambo Sur)



President Benigno S. Aquino III cited on Monday the Filipinos’ indomitable spirit which he said was key in giving them the ability and resiliency to withstand everything the world may throw at them and still rise

above it all.9

Aquino cites indomitable spirit of Filipinos

NEW YORK CITY – Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III arrives at the Teterboro Airport, New York for his working visit to the United States of America. In New York City, President Aquino will attend the launching of Open Government Partnership and speak before the IBM Centennial Forum and meet with business leaders and Filipino communities. He will also be conferred a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, by Fordham University. (PLDT powered by SMART). (Photo by: Jay Morales/ Malacañang Photo Bureau).


Aquino cites.....from page 8

In his speech fol-lowing his conferment as an Honorary Doctor of Laws at Fordham Uni-versity’s Rose Hill Cam-pus in Bronx, here, the President said this Filipi-no spirit has given them “a fresh start” to pick up the pieces of past mis-takes and start anew. “I am here to repre-sent a people who were not given, but rather, who gave themselves, a fresh start,” the Presi-dent said. He said that de-spite the hardships en-countered during the Martial Law years, the Filipino chose to assert the “primacy of con-science” and stood up for his rights against a dictator. “When my father was murdered, “Ninoy, you are not alone,” pre-cisely became the ral-lying cry of my coun-trymen. Within three years, Filipinos from all walks of life defied trun-cheons and tanks armed only with a conscien-tious objection to dicta-torship, and literally, a death-defying desire to uphold the principle that our social contract can-not tolerate anyone be-ing above the law,” the President said.

He added that the Filipinos determination to stand firm on their democratic ideals was once more put to the test when it condemned the previous adminis-tration’s move to sub-vert democracy in order to remain in power. “My predecessor, facing questions on her legitimacy, focused on keeping herself in pow-er, to the exclusion of all other considerations,” the President said. “In both cases, those who had grown fat on the corrupt status quo funded and sup-ported efforts to subvert democracy; and in both cases, despite it all, the Filipino renewed their social contract with each other and stood firm in their democratic ideals,” he added. The President said he was proud that the Filipino has remained true to himself and chose the right path to true democracy. “You make me proud for you have re-mained true to your-selves. Whether at home or abroad, the Filipino stands for something, by holding fast to democ-racy, by working might-ily for reform, it can well

and truly be said, there is no corner of the world where a Filipino cannot hold their head high,” the President said. “It is said of Fili-pinos that their hospi-tality and generosity knows no bounds. And it is with that sense of paying it forward that I am here in the United States, to share the les-sons - hard earned, but in the earning, so much more cherished and un-compromising — that we have learned in keeping government open and transparent. We have had our periods of dark-ness, but now we are living in the light,” he added. “Let no one doubt that where the citizen-ry is unafraid to take its leaders to task, and who participate in na-tion-building, there you have a nation of em-powered citizens cog-nizant of why govern-ment exists. And that is to alleviate the suffering of our countrymen. By means of being empow-ered, our fellow citizens will not only identify the problems we face, but will commit to be-ing part of the solution, and by so doing, seize the better future we all deserve,” the President said. (RCK)


Aquino welcomes renewed commit-ment of Convergys to invest in the Philippines

President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed a top US business process outsourcing company’s decision to renew its pledge to partner with government in its advocacy to alleviate poverty, provide more jobs and

spur economic growth through its commitment to invest in the Philippines. Jeffrey Fox, president and CEO of Convergys Cor-poration told the President of his company’s recom-mitment plans dur-ing a courtesy call the executive made to the Chief Execu-tive at the Guggen-heim Room of the Omni Berkshires Ho-tel here Monday. He said Conver-gys was cognizant of the opportunity for growth any one would have when investing in the Phil-ippines and that the company was taking definite steps to en-

sure that the part-nership between the two remains strong. “I met with Pres-ident Aquino to re-emphasize the part-nership and growth opportunities that Convergys and the country of the Phil-ippines have togeth-er and to confirm our long-term com-mitment to invest in the Philippines,” Fox said. Fox added that he took the time to personally thank the President for all the help he has done in making the BPO in-dustry in the coun-

try flourish. “We appreciate everything that the government does to make sure that we’re good partners,” Fox said. Fox said the President likewise recommitted he and his government’s support for the in-dustry. “The President has a history of be-ing engaged and very supportive of not only our indus-try but I think all industries that can bring quality jobs to the Philippines,” Fox said. (RCK)


Aquino conferred Doctor of Laws degree by Fordham University

Fordham University officials led by its presi-dent Fr. Joseph McShane, S.J. presented the Presi-dent with his Doctor of Laws degree honoris causa in ceremonies held at the institution’s Keating Hall, Rose Hill Campus, Bronx, New York. In his remarks after the conferment, the Presi-dent expressed awe at being conferred a degree saying that he was “struck by the symbolism” of the event. “I am struck by the symbolism of Fordham’s

tradition of literally carv-ing in stone, the names of leaders upon whom you have conferred honorary doctorates,” the President said. President Aquino now joins over 30 oth-ers, including that of his mother, whose names are carved on the steps of what is known as the “Terrace of the Presi-dents” at Keating Hall. “Memorialized in this manner for all time, these names serve as proof positive, or proof negative, of this universi-

ty’s considered judgment in bestowing this honor,” the President said. “It serves as a per-manent reminder that the verdict of history on those who have been ac-corded this distinction will neither be deferred, nor ignored,” he added. The President’s name was carved next to that of his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, who also received an honorary degree from Fordham in September 1986. (RCK)

President Benigno S. Aquino III was formally conferred an honorary degree by Fordham University during his visit here Monday.


Presidential Com-munications and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang said that the President was in good spirits after a soft drink manufacturer as well as a Filipino and American company expressed their intent to invest on harvest-ing the natural and medici-nal properties of coconut water and selling it around the world. In separate cour-tesy calls at the Guggen-heim Room of the Omni Berkshire Hotel here, soft drink giant Pepsi Corpora-tion (PepsiCo), American beverage company Vita Coco and Filipino based Fi-esta Coco Equity told the President of its respective investment plans for the Philippine coconut. Carandang said that PepsiCo, Vita Coco and Fiesta Coco Equity were aware of the growing de-mand for coconut water in the United States and oth-er countries as an alterna-tive to carbonated sodas. He said consumers were turning to healthier means to hydrate them-selves after working out or just quench everyday thirst from normal activities.

Because of this, Carandang said that these companies were turning to coconut-rich countries as sources for their individual products. “So these companies want to source the demand for coconut water from the Philippines. So malaking opportunity ito for our co-conut industry and for our farmers,” Carandang said. Carandang added that although PepsiCo did not throw out any num-bers during the courtesy call, the company is seri-ous in its plans to expand its coconut harvesting op-erations in the Philippines because of its “huge po-tential.” In a separate inter-view, Vita Coco co-founder and CEO Michael Kirben and Fiesta Coco Equity (FCE) president Romeo Chan said that they had just signed an agreement to increase the production and harvesting of coconut water. Chan said that FCE, which has coconut planta-tion in Misamis Occidental, has pledged to supply the demand of Vita Coco. The duo said that they had told the President of their company’s pledge to

invest $15-million over the next four years not only to harvest coconut water but to do its part in preserving the resource by planting more coconut trees in the country. “Generally we dis-cussed the coconut indus-try in the Philippines and how there’s a lot of room to bring rebirth to the industry in general,” Kirben said. “We expressed a lot of interest in the planting of coconut trees to revive the coconut industry because we noticed that a lot of the trees are senile and old,” Chan added. Carandang mean-while said the President was excited over the new investment prospects as these would help in his government’s poverty al-leviation campaign through job generation. “It (investment) is something rural commu-nities can benefit from so it dovetails with the Presi-dent’s anti-poverty through job generation campaign,” Carandang said. “Kaya nga masaya siya eh…excited siya, ex-cited si Presidente,” he added. (RCK)

Joint Fil-Am company partners to invest $15-million in coconut industry

President Benigno S. Aquino III has expressed excitement over renewed interest by potential investors on the Philippine coconut, a Palace official said on Monday here.


Presidential Com-munications Develop-ment and Strategic Plan-ning Office Secretary

Ricky Carandang said some members of the economic team who ac-companied the President

during this trip will be staying behind to meet with the rating firms. “Pagkauwi namin ni

BPO company chooses PHL as ‘model’ of higher end call center work

A leading business process outsourcing company has chosen the Philippines as one of its “model centers” that will supply the growing demand for highly trained and skilled workers to cater to clients with “higher

end” needs. Bill Bloom, execu-tive vice president of EXL Services, a leading pro-vider of outsourcing and transformation services to Global 1000 compa-nies in multiple indus-tries, called on President Benigno S. Aquino III Monday at the Guggen-heim room of the Omni Berkshire hotel here to tell the Chief Executive of their company’s growth

and expansion programs in Manila. He said that his company has a growing base of clients who need higher end services than traditional call center work. Called “middle office,” this type of higher end services caters to work need-ed by professionals in health and business

fields. “So that would include work that is typically provided to physicians, nurses or lawyers or accoun-tants and we’re build-ing models such that we can offer those services to our clients here in the US from our centers in the Phil-ippines,” Bloom said. (RCK)

Aquino’s economic team to meet with three international credit rating agencies

Members of President Benigno S. Aquino III’s economic team will meet with three international credit rating agencies here in the United States, a Malacanang official said.

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Pangulong Aquino, ang iba sa economic team ay maiiwan dito para makipagpulong sa mga rating agencies,” Caran-dang said during an in-terview after the confer-ment rites at Fordham University. The secretary said that the Philippine eco-nomic team sought the meeting with the inter-national credit rating firms. He added that the meeting seeks to ask the rating agencies to take a “second look” at the Phil-ippines’ sovereign credit rating.

“I think it’s to make the case that our fis-cal management right now probably deserves a second look as far as ratings are concerned. They have some con-cerns about the sustain-ability of our spending programs,” he said. He said he expects the meeting between the economic team and the credit rating firms will “help explain our plans for sustaining the spending programs that we have,” he added. “So yung may mga tanong kung papano ip-

agpapatuloy ito na hindi naman masyadong lala-ki ang utang natin,” the secretary said, “sasabi-hin natin sa kanila pag tiningnan iyong nagawa na natin at ang plano natin moving forward ay baka puwedeng magka-roon ng mas mataas na rating ang Pilipinas,” he added. The credit ratings awarded to the Phil-ippines by Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s In-vestors’ Service, and Fitch Ratings were all below investment grade. (CO)

Aquino’s economic team.....from page 13

President Aquino attends launching of Open Government Partnership in New York City

President Benigno S. Aquino III will attend the launching of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) on Tuesday here to underscore his administration’s commitment to good governance and anti-corruption.

President Aqui-no has accepted the invitation of US President Barack Obama and Bra-zil President Dilma Rousseff, co-chairs of the OGP, to join

the official launch of the OGP here in New York on Tues-day. The Philip-pines is one of only two countries from Asia invited

to become a mem-ber of the Steer-ing Committee of OGP. Other mem-bers are the Unit-ed States, Brazil, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Mexico,

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Norway and South Africa. Philippine Am-bassador to the United States Jose Cuisia said that the inclusion of the Philippines to the Steering Commit-tee is due to Presi-dent Aquino’s com-mitment to good governance and anti-corruption. “The Philip-pines has been se-lected because of President Aquino’s commitment to good governance and his determi-nation to fight cor-ruption in order to be able to create more jobs for Fili-pinos and eventu-ally, of course, re-duce poverty,” he said. “The fact that we were selected is, I think, very significant. It rec-

ognizes the efforts of President Aquino and, of course, his Cabinet in promot-ing accountability, transparency and accountability and good governance practices,” he said during an inter-view. Open Govern-ment Partnership is a new multilateral initiative that aims to promote trans-parency, empower citizens, fight cor-ruption, and har-ness new technolo-gies to strengthen governance. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the members of the Steering Com-mittee were se-lected based on the following cri-teria: Fiscal Trans-parency, Access to Information, Dis-

closures Related to Elected Officials and Citizen En-gagement. “Each country will submit an ac-tion plan and our action plan is fo-cused on improv-ing public ser-vices, increasing public integrity and more effective use of public re-sources. So those are the three main points in that ac-tion plan,” Cuisia said. The ambas-sador said about 40 other countries will be joining the launching of the OGP on Tuesday but only the mem-bers of the Steer-ing Committee, including the Phil-ippines, will be speaking during the official launch. (CO)

President Aquino.....from page 14


President Aquino addresses Open Governance Forum in New York City

President Benigno S. Aquino III will keynote an Open Governance forum on the second day of his official visit to the United States of America slated from September 18 to 21.

The Chief Ex-ecutive will deliver a keynote speech Tuesday morning here at an OGP-re-lated forum called “The Power Open: A Global Discus-sion.” He is the only head of state invited to address this forum to be held at Google’s New York office. The forum is an all-day multi-stakeholder con-versation focused on the role of open-ness in improving r e s p o n s i v e n e s s , fostering account-ability, creating efficiency, fighting corruption, and

similar themes. After his speak-ing engagement, President Aquino will meet with the top executives of IBM. He will also attend the formal launching of the OGP, co-chaired by US President Barack Obama and Brazil President Dilma Rousseff. The Philippines is one of only two countries from Asia invited to become a member of the Steering Commit-tee of OGP. Other members of the Committee are the United States, Bra-zil, United King-

dom, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway and South Africa. On the same day, the President will meet with the Foreign Minister of Norway. He will also be speaking about his adminis-tration’s domestic and foreign policy thrusts before the Asia Society. The Asia Soci-ety is an organi-zation founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller III to promote greater knowledge of Asia in the US. The So-ciety has offices throughout the US and Asia. (CO)


DOT holds road show for “open skies policy” in Cag. de Oro

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has set off its road show for the

“open skies policy” in the city, last Friday, Sept. 16.

by Jorie C. Valcorza

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DOT holds...from page 17

Lawyer Jose Claro S. Tesoro, one of the advocates of the policy, spoke before the industry partners about what to expect, what are the benefits, and importantly on their roles in the new policy venture. The forum was attended by the local airline representatives, tour operators, Provincial and City Tourism Officers, and members of the City Tourism Board from regions 10, 12 and 13. Also present were members of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (OroChamber), Promote CDO Foundation Inc., among others. Tesoro said the singing of Executive Order No. 29 or the New Expanded Pocket Skies Policy is seen to lower air fare and boosts tourism industry in the country. It opens opportunities for foreign plane carriers to service Philippine secondary gateways, which means all airports in the country

other than the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). In a separate engagement with the press, Tesoro admitted that local carriers have objections because of the fact that there is no grant of similar traffic rights for them, he said, reciprocal benefits has been looked upon differently on traffic right as in exchange of another traffic right. “There has been a change of approach in this kind of reputation since EO 210 was passed way back in 1995, it is now more of an exchange of benefits, we give privilege to foreign carriers to come here, and bring in their tourists for us and then we get reciprocal benefits from the tourist as they spend and patronize our services during their stay in the country,” Tesoro explained. Tesoro added that all the routes for the secondary gateways are but just developmental routes, almost all will

be operated for the first time and it’s not just because they decided to open these routes. It will surely become viable, he said, since it takes time and saves the local investors from the risk and losses in trying the feasibility of these routes. He, however, assured that if it goes on successful, there will negotiations with the foreign carriers for a bilateral framework, to include in the grant, for our carriers to operate in their home country, as well. Tesoro, likewise, reminded industry players, especially from the secondary gateways to do their job in promoting its destination. “It’s not just because we open the doors for open skies policy that tourist will automatically come in. We have to make these secondary destinations attractive for the foreign countries. We cannot just sit back and wait.

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DOT holds...from page 18wW have to entice, persuade and induce them to come,” he said. “We are in competition with more than 100 countries trying to lure tourists. Those who have succeeded are those destinations that offer lower fares, and the best example is Bangkok when it

adopted a liberalized aviation policy. Open skies have proven itself as instigator of lower fares,” he added.He also emphasized that concerns regarding infrastructure capacity, as well, as financing will not be a hindrance when there is a towering demand from the

foreign market to these destinations. Tesoro said it just needs some extra pushing from the stakeholders to get things done, as proven by some secondary gateways already established in other parts of the country. (PIA-10)

Army’s 4th ID offers “Libreng Sakay“ to commuters CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City, Sept. 20 (PIA) -- The Army’s 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division, in coordination with the City Government of Cagayan de Oro, Philippine National Police (PNP) and other government agencies provided a free ride dubbed as “LIBRENG SAKAY” to commuters affected by the transport strike, here, yesterday, Sept. 19.

Three (3) military vehicles, particularly, 6x6 trucks were dispatched as augmentation to ferry stranded commuters within the city as early as 5:00 O’clock a.m. to ensure that business will go on, as usual. The said vehicles took the following routes: Route 1 - Barangay Bugo passing thru Puerto, and C.M. Recto Ave. to the City proper and vice versa, Route 2 - Barangay Iponan to

Patag and Carmen to City proper and Route 3 – Barangay Lumbia, Lumbia Airport passing thru SM mall to the City proper. Maj. Gen. Victor A Felix, 4ID Commander, said his unit is looking forward that this endeavor contributes to the overall plan of the local government of Cagayan de Oro City was of great help to the riding public who were directly affected by the

transport strike. Thus, he has directed all units under his command to coordinate with their respective counterparts from the local government units (LGU) in their respective areas of operation to initiate the same activity, if necessary, to ensure an uninterrupted flow of government services to the people and to ease inconveniencies, among the riding public. (4CMO/PIA-10)


Transport strike in Cag. de Oro, generally peaceful – RTA CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, Sept. 20 (PIA) – At least 10 buses coming from two (2) big transport companies, the Rural Transit Mindanao, Inc. (RTMI) and Super 5, were placed at the disposal of the Task Force Transport Strike organized by the Cagayan de Oro City Government to assist the passengers affected by yesterday’ transport strike.

Engr. Nonito Oclarit, Head of the city’s Road and Transport Administration (RTA) said the use of the buses was facilitated by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), in the region. Along with the buses were three (3) 6x6 trucks of the 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, and more than five (5) motor vehicles of the city government, were fielded in the different parts of the city to assist commuters, Oclarit said. “It was actually business as usual, even with only 25-30 percent of the public utility jeepneys (PUJ) mostly not affiliated with any transport groups, took to the streets to ferry

the commuters” he said. The “Libreng Sakay” project of the City Government, with the RMTI and Super 5 buses, the 6x6 trucks and the motor vehicles of the city has indeed helped, Oclarit said. Meanwhile, he said the strike was generally peaceful as strikers confined themselves to the seven (7) designated areas of engagement allowed them, which were mostly considered “choke” points, namely: Barangay Bulua, Vamenta-Sereña junction, Kauswagan junction, Licoan-Recto junction, Ororama Megacenter, Trendline and Puerto junction. By 3:00 p.m., the strikers converged near

the Gaisano Mall for a short program before they disbanded. So far, only one (1) incident of the “suyak” or improvised nails that deflated the tires of a motor vehicle was reported, but no other on-toward incident took place. Likewise, there was no reported burning of tires, during yesterday’s strike, a good depart from the previous practice where strikers burned tires to attract attention to their cause. They just calmly explained about their concerns of urging the government to order the roll-back in the prices of oil, which was their foremost complaints, Oclarit added. (PIA-10)

by Elaine O. Ratunil


Forum on sustainable construction set Sept. 21 in Cag. de Oro by Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, Sept. 20 (PIA) – Another public-private partnership (PPP) undertaking will be held at Mallberry Suites, here, tomorrow, Sept. 21.

This time, it will be a Coffeetalk on Sus-tainable Construction, among representatives from government, non-government organiza-tions (NGO), business sector and the media practitioners of the city. Sponsored by Hol-cim Philippines, Inc., the forum will be anchored on the topic “sustainable construction and how the communities can be more sustainable.” Expected to give the keynote speech is Architect Mike Guer-rero of the Green Ar-chitecture Advocacy of the Philippines (GAAP) whose presentation will be anchored on the five (5) pillars of sustainable construction as defined by Holcim.A panel of reactors will show how the sustain-able construction stan-dards to be expounded by Guerrero are reflect-

ed in various local initia-tives. Invited reactors include Misamis Orien-tal Vice Governor Norris Babiera, representing the government, Lugait Chamber of Commerce President Ranario Perez representing business, and Rene Michael Baňos, president Konsumanting Kagay-anon, Inc. repre-senting the media. Also around to share their views on the topic are Holcim Philip-pines COO Roland van Wijnen, Lugait Plant Manager Lorenz Pen-dang and Davao Plant Manager Joe Bernal. Edgar U. Timbung-co, Manager, Communi-cations Services, Holcim Philippines, Inc. (HPHI), said a similar activity will be held in Baguio City on Oct.26. He said that these activities will end with a national forum in Manila

this coming November with plans to have par-ticipants present their ideas on building sus-tainable communities to a panel of top-level ex-perts. Likewise, the said the regional coffeetalks are part of HPHI’s ef-forts to promote one of the company’s main ad-vocacies, i.e., sustain-able construction, which refers “to the practice of creating structures in ways that are innovative and transferable, envi-ronmentally responsible, economically viable and aesthetically pleasing.” Timbungco said the first Holcim Jour-nalism Award for Sus-tainable Construction was launched, last year, to bring the discussion about this vital issue to a broader base of par-ticipants. One of the world’s leading suppliers of ce-

22


ment and aggregates, particularly crushed stone, gravel and sand, as well, as downstream activities such as ready-mix concrete and as-phalt, Holcim currently employs 1,700 in the Philippines. The group holds majority and minor-ity interests in more than 70 countries on all continents and Holcim Philippines,

Inc. (HPHI) is a Phil-ippines-based cement manufacturer and a member of the Holcim Group. The HPHI is in-volved in the manufac-ture, sale and distribu-tion of cement to the domestic and export markets producing four cement products: Holcim Excel, Hol-cim WallRight, Holcim Premium Bulk and Hol-

cim 4X and tts products are sold in bags, jumbo bags and in bulk. It also operates four (4) cement plants in the country: La Union and Bulacan, in Luzon and Davao and Misamis Oriental, particularly, in Lugait town, located at the boundary of this province and Lanao del Norte going to the west-ern part of Mindanao. (PIA-10)

DILG cites PPP/lauds academe partnership in Project EMPOWERING by Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, Sept. 20 (PIA) –The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) cited STEAG State Power Inc. for putting up some Php16.9 million, of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds for program EMPOWERING. During its launch-ing at Grand Caprice Restaurant, yesterday, Sept. 19, DILG Secre-tary Jessie M. Robredo also thanked the other partners for helping the local government units (LGU) of the province in pursuing a clear-targeted anti-poverty program.

The DILG Sec-retary, who could not make it to the signing of the declaration of support to the project due to some press-ing concerns in Manila, was represented by DILG Undersecretary Austere A. Panadero for Local Governance. Meanwhile, he

lauded the participa-tion Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, one of its partners, saying this was the first time that the aca-deme has taken part in the program. “The involvement of Xavier University, particularly, the Gover-nance Leadership Insti-

23

Forum on...from page 21


tute, is very useful in meeting the challenge of putting up the core of good people in the community and help analyze, on a regular basis, evidence-based solutions/ recommen-dations to improve the program,” he said. Projects to be un-dertaken along Project EMPOWERING is the upgrading of the geo-graphic information system (GIS) in Ca-gayan de Oro (CDO) City and implementation of the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) in the LGU’s of El Salvador City, Laguindingan,Opol, Tagoloan, Jasaan and Medina. The declaration of support was signed by Dr. Bodo Goerlich, President and Chief Ex-ecutive Officer (CEO) of STEAG, DILG USec. Panadero, Fr. Robert Yap, S.J., XU President and officials of ASSIST Asia. Also around to

sign the declaration were Gov. Oscar S. Moreno of Mis. Or., Telly Sagaral, repre-senting Mayor Vicente Y. Emano of CDO, and the following Chief Ex-ecutive Officers (CEO) of the recipient LGU’s: Mayor Pacifico T. Pupos, Jr. of Medina, Mayor Dexter Yasay of Opol, Mayor Oliver L. Ubaob of Laguindin-gan, Mayor Redentor S.Jardin of Jasaan and the representatives of the local government units (LGU) of El Salva-dor City and Tagoloan. Meanwhile, Ma. Teresa Alegrio, STEAG Community Relations Manager, said Project EMPOW-ERING or Empower-ing Monitoring System on Poverty Watch for a more Effective and Responsive Approach in Governance is a public-private partner-ship (PPP) for poverty reduction initiatives of the afore-mentioned LGU’s.

To be implemented in18 months, starting this month of Septem-ber, it aims to achieve economic growth in the province by enabling the LGU’s to acquire necessary technical skills and know-how in utilizing the CBMS de-velopment tools. “With this project, the LGU’s will be able to diagnose the extent and causes of pover-ty in the area, which could become their ba-sis in formulating poli-cies and programs, in identifying target ben-eficiaries,” she said. The generat-ed data can then be turned into a useful in-formation tool to gauge the poverty status and concentration in their area, which can be used to plan for appropriate actions in addressing its underlying causes and to assess the im-pact of their policies, programs, projects and activities. (PIA-10)

DILG cites...from page 22


by RG Alama NCCA widens reach

25T

he National Commission for the Culture and the Arts is widening its reach for culture and arts programs as evidenced by the number of requests for grants this year.


26

NCCA widens....from page 24

According to NCCA Policy Formulation and Planning head Marichu Tellano, the commis-sion has received about 800 funding requests this year as compared to about 500 requests in 2010. According to Tel-lano, the funding for the grants do not come from the general appropria-tions act or the national budget but from the 10% of the travel tax levied upon individuals leaving the country. The said the

endowment fund is aimed to provide the requests for grants of culture and arts-related programs. Tellano said that the fund has increased from last year but she said that NCCA has also wid-ened its reach to cover more programs. The National En-dowment Fund for the Culture and the Arts is a fund used exclusively for the implementation of arts and culture pro-grams in line with the Medium Term Philippine

Development Plan for the Culture and the Arts. Administering the fund is part of NCCA’s mandate. One of the funded program is the soon-to-be held Dayaw 2011: Indigenous Peoples Fes-tival in line with the In-digenous Peoples Month Celebration. Dayaw 2011 will be held in Tagum City and will be participated by 440 participants mostly indigenous Peoples from Cordillera to Tawi-Tawi. (PIA/RG Alama)

“DORMITEL” hits another first for DVO OR by Ms. Neela G. Duallo

City of Mati Located in the perimeter of a 70-hectare government owned property in Barangay Dahican in the City of Mati, the all-new Dormitel is set to become the province’s most affordable and quality facility for conventions, seminars, trainings and other activities designed to uplift delivery of local government

services. The Dormitel was blessed and inaugurat-ed last September 8. The proud care-taker of the DORMITEL, the Vice-Governor’s Of-fice and the 13th Sang-guniang Panlalawigan

through Vice-Governor Mayo Almario, wel-comed the guests to the occasion led by the different department heads, particularly from the TESDA, Dept. of Public Works and

Highways, and Provin-cial Treasurer’s Office through Prov’l Trea-surer Amacna, repre-senting Gov. Corazon Malanyaon. The activity start-ed with the blessing,


“DORMITEL“ hits....from page 25

followed by the Holy Eucharist officiated by Fr. Danilo Fuentes of the Diocese of Mati. A short program followed, with mes-sages from Vice-Gov-ernor Mayo Alma-rio, Congresswoman Thelma Almario, and Mayor Michelle Rabat. The highlight of the program was the turn-over ceremonies of the said project. The Department of Interior and Local Government –Davao Oriental Provincial Of-fice is the first tenant of the DORMITEL, as the Office transferred to their new home days before the blessing. The TESDA (Tech-nical Education and Skills Development Au-thority) and the Lupon School of Fisheries has also accepted the re-sponsibility of manag-ing the restaurant in-side the structure, as the aftermath of their Hotel and Restaurant

course, with their stu-dents working for the restaurant, as their training area, prepar-ing them for the actual work after gradua-tion. V i ce -Gove rno r Mayor Almario also boasted of the very af-fordable room rates of the facility, particularly for Davao Oriental res-idents, as stipulated in a provincial ordinance establishing the tar-iffs. A Barangay health worker, baran-gay tanod,or any ba-rangay functionary for that matter, may stay overnight for just one hundred pesos while those from other prov-inces who wish to stay will have to pay more. The DORMITEL can accommodate 114 persons, with its 2 VIP rooms, 10 small econo-my rooms, and 8 large economy rooms. The male rooms are sepa-rated from the female

rooms. Vice-Gov. Mayo Almario reminisced the days when the proj-ect started in 2008, particularly during its groundbreaking where he and Gov. Corazon Malanyaon discussed their visions for the said facility. “This is the fruit of our collaboration. We never expected the DORMITEL to turn out such as this. I would like to thank the Gov-ernor for all the sup-port, my mother Con-gresswoman Thelma Almario for her coun-terpart also, to my col-leagues in the Sang-guniang Panlalawigan, including the 12th SP for making sure of the project’s continuity by providing funds there-of as stipulated in the budget proposals. We have once again prov-en that if we are one, we can do wonders,” he said. The provincial gov-

27


“DORMITEL“ hits....from page 26

ernment allotted P3.8 million for the project, while Congresswom-an Almario gave her counterpart of P18.9 million, which brought the total project cost to P22 million. Witnessing the

event were local gov-ernment officials from the different Local Government Units of Davao Oriental, baran-gay officials, govern-ment employees, and local media practitio-ners.

The Good Gov-ernance and Com-prehensive Livelihood Training Center and Sangguniang Panlala-wigan Workshop were also blessed on the said historic event. (ND)

Jump Start your Future with DOST

by DOST

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Scholar. The scholarship is open to graduating high school students with high aptitude in Science and Technology and who wish to pursue priority fields of study in basic sciences, engineering and other applied sciences and science teaching.

There are two (2) scholarship pro-grams being offered: one is RA 7687, oth-erwise known as the S&T Scholarship Act of 1994, which is awarded to talented and deserving stu-dents coming from poor families. The other scholarship pro-gram, called DOST-

SEI Merit Scholarship is granted to students with high aptitude in science, mathematics and technology re-gardless of the fam-ily’s socio-economic status. To qualify for the scholarship pro-grams, a student must possess the fol-lowing qualifications:

1. Belongs to the upper 5% of the high school graduating class or belongs to the graduating class of a DOST-SEI-identified or DepEd-recognized science high school; 2. Natural-born Fil-ipino citizen;3. Resident of the mu-nicipality for the last 4 yrs; 4. In good

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health; and 5. O f good moral charac-ter. Qualified appli-cants will be awarded tuition fees (not to exceed P6,000.00/semester), book and uniform allowances, monthly stipend and insurance. The filing of the scholarship appli-cation can be done online thru www.sei.dost.gov.ph and www.science-schol-

arships.ph or you can visit our Region-al Office at corners Dumanlas-Fr iend-ship Roads, Bajada, Davao City and thru our Provincial Sci-ence and Technology Centers in Davao del Sur, Compostela Val-ley Province, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Norte. Application forms and information materials are available at the DOST Regional Office

No. XI, Dumanlas cor Friendship Roads, Bajada, Davao City or at www.sei.dost.gov.ph. Deadline of application is on Oc-tober 21, 2011 while the examination date is on November 20, 2011. For more de-tails, please contact Mr. Roel Chris Cañon or Mr. Ramel L. Sa-lon at tel. no. (082) 2215428 for more details. (DOST)

Understanding Food For-tification in Davao del Norte

by DOST

I n collaboration with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), a 2-day Seminar-Workshop on Understanding Food Fortification was conducted by the Department of Science and Technology Regional

Office No. XI (DOST XI) through its Provincial S&T Center in Davao del Norte and the Tagum City Investment and Promotion Office on July 26-27, 2011 at the Provincial Capitol’s Bulwagan ng Lalawigan

29

Jump Start....from page 27


The seminar-workshop was ac-tively participated by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), City/Municipal Nutri-tion Action Officers, representatives from the academes and representatives from the local government units. On the first day, the resource speak-ers who are experts on Food Fortification from FNRI namely, Ms. Marcela Saises, Ms. Czarina Teresi-ta Martinez and Ms. Abbie Padrones pre-sented relevant top-ics which are useful for the participants. The topics include FNRI-DOST and Re-sults of the Micronu-trient Nutrition in the Philippines; Guide-lines and Policies on Food Fortification Pro-gram; Food Fortifica-tion Technology; and FNRI Fortified Prod-

ucts and Communi-cation/Promotion/ Marketing Plan and Food Fortification. A plant visit was made on the second day to make the partici-pants experience the real scenarios of food fortification. The companies visited have availed of fortification tech-nologies being offered by DOST-FNRI such as vitamin A fortified bread and iodine for-tified water. It is good to note that in Tagum City, all food establish-ments were required to serve iron-fortified rice. The ordinance was because of the Mandatory fortifica-tion of rice with iron based on the Repub-lic Act 8976, “An Act Establishing the Phil-ippine Food Fortifica-tion Program and for other Purposes”. It was also sug-

gested during the open forum that Rice Millers as well as the different re-lated agencies must informed and be in-vited to the same seminar-workshop in the future for full im-plementation of the mandatory food forti-fication. DOST through FNRI is supportive of food fortification so as to combat mal-nourishment in the country. Food for-tification would also help SMEs expand its market and profit-ability while simulta-neously playing a key role in improving the health and nutritional status of every Filipi-no. It is vital for the government and pri-vate sectors to work hand in hand in order to have an effective and sustainable food fortification program. (DOST)

Understanding Food....from page 28


Gov. Uy ug Mayor Colina gipangulu-han ang Bayanihan nga pagtukod ug School Buildings sa Maragusan

by Gilbert Cabahug

Sila si Gov. Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy ug Mayor Cesar Colina maoy nangulo niadtong Septyembre 13, 2011, sa pagtu-kod ug tulo ka classrooms nga School Buildings sa duha ka mga tulunghaan sa Maragusan nga mao ang Sapawan Elementary School sa Brgy. New Albay ug ang Mapawa

National High School Bagong Silang Annex.

Ang duha ka mga tu-lunghaan apil sa upat ka mga pilot School Sites sa programang Kalinga sa Ka-bataan: Bayanihan sa Paar-alan nga gipatuman karon sa gobernador sa tibuok prob-insiya sa Compostela Valley. Ilalom sa “Bayanihan sa Paaralan Program” nila ni Gov. Uy ug Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya, gisug-dan na karon pagtukod sa paagi nga Bayanihan ang pito ka classrooms nga School Buildings sa upat ka mga napiling pilot School Sites sa Comval nga mao ang Mapawa National High School Bagong Silang An-nex ug ang Sapawan El-ementary School sa Brgy.New Albay sa Maragu-san, ang Elizalde National High School sa Maco, ug ang Eduardo Maquidato Sr. Elem. School sa Sitio

Magapalway diha sa Brgy. Bongabong, Pantukan. Atol sa gihimong opening program sa Mara-gusan, gipahibalo sa gober-nador ang tulo ka mga nag-unang rason sa programang Kalinga sa Kabataan Baya-nihan sa Paaralan nga mao ang bayanihan nga paagi sa pagtukod ug mga School Buildings kon pag-adopt sa sistema sa Gawad Kalinga alang sa maong tumong. Unang rason mao nga madaginot sa prob-insiya ang labor compo-nent sa proyekto, ug iyang gibana-bana nga pinaa-gi niining sistemaha ang budget alang sa upat lang u-nta ka classroom posi-bleng makatukod ug lima. Ikaduhang rason mao nga dali lang kini mahuman tungod sa gihimong pagtin-abangay sa mga katawhan,

ug ang ika-tulo mao nga mapromotar niini ang sense of belongingness diha sa kasing-kasing sa katiling-ban sa rason tungod kay nahimo silang kabahin, ug nakatampo sila’g dako sa gitukod nga School Building nga mapahimuslan sa ilang mga kabataan. Ang sense of belongingness maoy maka-hatag sa mga katawhan ug dugang kadasig nga il-ang ampingan ang proyek-to nga ilang gihagoan. Sa Septyembre 14 gisugdan usab pagtukod pinaagi sa sistemang baya-nihan, ang duha ka class-room sa Elizalde National High School sa Maco, ug ang laing duha ka class-room sa Eduardo Maqui-dato Sr .Elem. School sa Sitio Magapalway sa Brgy. Bongabong, Pantu-kan. (GC/ids comval)


photoreleasesThe chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communi-

ties and Committee on Climate Change Senator Loren Legarda tries her hand at weaving the dagmay cloth of the Mandaya tribe in the sidelines of the Mindanao In-

digenous Peoples’ Assembly held at the Provincial Capitol of Davao del Norte in Tagum City on September 16, 2011. “Every visit I make to you leads to a discovery of the rich

heritage of the indigenous peoples—your intricately woven fabrics, the songs, chants and dances that narrate

the story of your ancestors, and the distinct way of life you strive to preserve,” the Senator said during the two-day

assembly.

Five indigenous cultural communities of Mindanao, namely the Ata, Matigsalog, Obu-Manuvu, Diangan

and the Bagobo, adopted Senator Loren Legarda as “Bae Matumpis,” which means The One who takes care. The ceremony was held at the Tribu

K’Mindanawan, a tribal village where the heritage of various indigenous cultural communities of Mindanao are showcased, in Davao City on September 17 in the

sidelines of the Senator’s trip to the city where she convened the two-day Mindanao Indigenous Peoples’ Assembly. Legarda is the chair of the Senate Commit-

tee on Cultural Communities and Committee on Cli-mate Change

32 Tuesday, September 20, 201132 Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Kapitolyo ng Sarangani pangangalanang “James L. Chiongbian Building”

Inihayag ni Sarangani board member Eu-gene Alzate na ipinasa na ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan ang ordinansang magiging batayan para sa pagpapangalan ng pangu-

nahing gusali ng Provincial Capitol Complex na “James L. Chiongbian Building.”

33


Ayon kay Alzate ang hak-bang na ito ay bilang pagkilala sa mga ginawa ng namayapang mambabatas, at isa na umano rito ang pagkakatatag ng Lalawigan ng Sarangani noong taong 1992. Nakaukit umano sa kasay-sayan ng lalawigan ang mga ini-syatibo ni dating Congressman Chiongbian, kung kayat ang gusali ng kapitolyo ay ini-aalay sa kan-yang mga ginawa, ayon kay Alzate. Ang Sarangani ay opisyal na nagging probinsiya noong Mar-so a-16, 1992 base sa Republic Act No.7228 na ini-akda ni Chion-gbian nong ito ay kinatawan pa ng 3rd Congressional District ng Lalawigan ng South Cotabato. Ayon pa kay Alzate, si Chion-gbian umano ang humiling ng pondong Php55 milyon para sa konstruksiyon ng provincial capi-tol building mula sa infrastruc-ture funds ng Department of Pub-lic Works and Highways (DPWH). Ang itinuturing na “White House” sa Timog Mindanao, ang Sarangani provincial capi-tol building ay isa sa pangunah-ing landmarks at tourists’ attrac-tion ng lalawigan. (ac agad PIA12)

Kapitolyo ng....from page 32


BFAR conducts scholarship exam for fisher-folk children

by Jane Christine Balayo and Omar Sabal

KORONADAL CITY, Sept 20 (PIA) -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) simultaneously conducted a scholarship examination for fisherfolk children on September 17 this year in different regions nationwide.

The small-scale fisherfolk children as they were reviewing notes and exchanging ideas before taking the examination on September 17, 2011 at Ireneo L. Santiago National High School in General Santos City.

35


Among the examin-ees, 180 came from South Central Mindanao who took the examination in two test-ing center, namely: Ire-neo L. Santiago National High School in General San-tos City and at the ABC Hall in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat. The examination will determine the top ten ap-plicants in region 12 who will enjoy a full scholar-ship for college studies leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Fish-eries or any related course. BFAR 12 Regional Di-rector Sani Macabalang said that the examination is one avenue for the government to provide for the needs of its clients especially the poor small scale fisherfolk. “The scholarship is our strategy to nurture poten-tial leaders and key players of our industry and in effect they will be the ones to sus-tain our goal of modernized

and globally c o m p e t i t i v e fisheries,” Ma-cabalang said. Bonyamin Abdul, one of the examinees, said that the scholarship pro-gram of BFAR would be a big help for him to earn a degree especially be-cause it would be financially difficult for his

parents to send him to college. The scholarship, ac-cording to Vernaliza Forones, a teacher in General San-tos City, is an opportunity to supplement daily ex-penses of the students. “It is very evident that the children of fisherfolk need help as we ob-serve that their pe r fo rmance in school dete-riorates since they also have to work aside from schooling to help their parents for their expenses. With the scholarship program, they do not need to work anymore and focus on their stud-ies instead,” Forones said. Results of the ex-amination will be published

soon in national dailies. Successful examinees are entitled to avail a pack-age of benefits and privi-leges. They are expected to enroll in the nearest ac-credited school starting the school year 2012-2013. The examination is one of the activities lined up for the implementation of the BFAR-Fisherfolk Children Edu-cational Grant or BFAR-FCEG. This grant is offered annually through competi-tive examination since 1994 to poor small-scale fisherfolk children who want to pursue higher education in fisher-ies and related disciplines. The examination was conducted in cooperation with the Department of Edu-

cation, participating schools and local government units. (DED/PIA 12/BFAR 12)

BFAR conducts....from page 34


PIA 12 holds bloodletting activity

by Pops Gumana-Fruylan

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, September 20 (PIA) — Close to 100 students and volunteers flocked the Gensan College of Tech-nology (GCT) here on Monday for the Joint Blood Letting Activ-ity of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) 12 and Philip-pine Red Cross (PRC) - Gensan Chapter which collected some 6, 750 ml of blood.

PIA 12 Director Ol-ive Sudaria said this is the agency’s response to the recent public’s demand for blood es-pecially for patients in-fected with dengue. According to Rose Sabelita, Medical Tech-nology Chief of PRC-Gensan, majority of the walk-in volunteers who were supposed to do-nate blood were “de-ferred” because they lack the required num-ber of sleep which is at least 6-8 hours pri-or to the “phlebotomy” or the bloodletting. “Some were turned down because they have menstrual period; others were underweight, while there are some who have cough and colds, and were taking medi-cations,” she revealed.

Dr. Luzviminda Anislag of PRC Gensan said it is necessary that a blood donor should be “physically fit” and does not have any un-derlying sickness or any communicable disease that could be detrimen-tal to the lives of the “blood beneficiaries.” To ensure that blood donors are physi-cally fit, PRC nurses subjected them to a screening and series of physical examinations which include: taking their weight, blood pres-sure, blood type, un-dergoes medical check-up and an interview to know their medical his-tory and determine oth-er activities that exposed them to health risks. However, Dr. Anis-lag clarified that even if a

blood donor has passed all the physical exami-nations and successfully donated his or her blood to PRC, it does not mean that the blood is already safe for transfusion. She said the blood collected during the bloodletting is still sub-ject to laboratory tests to ensure that donors are safe from HIV/AIDS, syphilis, hepatitis, ma-laria, and other com-municable diseases. The PRC doctor revealed that in case a blood is found to be in-fected with any disease it will be disposed, and PRC will then contact the donor for coun-seling, or referral to medical specialist for a possible treatment. Meanwhile, GCT president Norma So

37


mido expressed grati-tude to PIA 12 Regional Director Olive Sudaria for establishing a part-nership with her school to make this bloodlet-ting activity possible. She, however, feels sorry that many stu-dents who earlier gave their commitment to voluntarily donate blood for this activity were not able to make it because of the nationwide trans-port strike which affected commuters in Gensan.

Nevertheless, Sa-belita said the 6, 750 ml of blood collected is already a big help for the PRC especially that there was a big demand for blood in the past months from patients who were undergoing di-alysis, surgeries, opera-tions, and patients who were in need of blood transfusion because of diseases like dengue. Lourence Real, a second year Informa-tion and Communica-

tion Technology (ICT) student, is optimistic that his first time expe-rience to donate blood would not only mean cleansing for him, but new life for others. He said he would be glad to know that through his blood he helps another per-son’s life to continue. “I want to be an instrument for oth-ers to live,” he opined. ( P G F r u y l a n / P I A -General Santos City)

Foliar disease ng mga tanim na mais sa South Cotabato, binabantayanKORONADAL CITY, Setyembre 20 (PIA) – Masusing binaban-tayan ng ilang kawani ng tanggapan ng agrikultura sa South Cotabato ang paglabas ng foliar disease na sumisira sa tanim na mais sa ilang bahagi ng lalawigan.

Ayon kay South Cotabato provincial ag-riculturist Reynaldo Le-gaste, ang hindi pa kila-lang foliar disease, na naging sanhi ng pag-katuyo ng mga tanim na mais ay naunang naob-serbahan sa ilang mga maisan sa bayan ng Banga at kalapit-bayan. Base sa inisyal na pagtaya, umabot na sa

mahigit 25% ng mga maisan sa Banga ang sinira ang foliar disease, naumano’y isang fungus. Ang naturang sakit sa mais ayon kay Le-gaste ay kumakalat sa mga murang mais lalo na sa reproductive age nito. Ito umano ay isang malaking kaabalah-an sa mga kawani ng agrikultura dahil ma-

giging malaki rin uma-no ang epekto nito sa aanihing mais sa lugar. Kanila din um-anong tinitingnan ang posibilidad na maaar-ing ang mga ginamit na binhing mais ng mga magsasaka ang nag-ing dahilan ng pagla-bas ng foliar disease. (ac agad PIA12)

PIA 12 holds....from page 36


1,300 na puno itinanim sa sele-brasyon ng 11th Civil Service yearKORONADAL CITY, Setyembre 20 (PIA) -- Bilang pagdiriwang ng ika-111 anibersaryo ng Philippine Civil Service, nagtanim ng mahigit 1,300 na punong mahogany at assorted fruit trees ang mga empley-ado ng kapitolyo ng South Cotabato kahapon.

Mismong si Gov. Arthur Y. Pingoy Jr. and nanguna sa tree planting activity na isinagawa sa da-lawang lugar sa Koronadal. Ang unang grupo ay nagtanim ng 700 puno sa UP School of Health Sciences campus sa Ba-rangay Carpenter Hill sa-mantalang nagtanim na-man ng 600 na puno sa

golf course sa Barangay Paraiso ang isa pang grupo. Ayon kay Rudy Jimenea, executive assis-tant ng gobernador, ang gawain ay naaayon na rin sa greening program at reforestation project ng pa-mahalaang panlalawigan. ‘ Aniya, inuna nilang tinaniman ang UP cam-pus dahil sa kawalan

ng mga punong kahoy sa lugar. Ang mga na-turang lupain ay pare-hong pag-aaari ng pa-mahalaang panlalawigan. Hindi naman naputol ang serbisyo sa publiko da-hil may iilang mga tauhan na naiwan sa mga tangga-pan sa loob ng kapitolyo. (DEDoguiles/PIA 12)

Transport strike sa South Cotabato, hindi naka-apekto sa daloy ng trapikoKORONADAL CITY, Setyembre 20 (PIA) – Walang epekto sa normal na daloy ng trapiko sa Lungsod ng Kornadal ang isinagawang nationwide transport strike. Tuloy pa rin ang pa-mamasada ng mga tri-cycles, ang pangunahing sasakyan sa lungsod. Ka-hit na ang mga malalak-ing kompanya ng bus at ilang mga pampasaherong mga van ay bumiyahe rin sa iba’t-ibang bahagi ng lalawigan ng South Co-tabato at karatig-bayan. Ayon sa pulisya, maliban sa bayan ng Pol-omolok, ang transport

strike na pinangunahan ng lokal na grupong PISTON (Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opera-tor Nationwide) ay hindi gaanong naramdaman sa ibang bayan ng lalawigan. Ayon kay South Cota-bato Provincial Police Office spokesman Supt. Jemuel Siason, sa pangkalahatan, ang transport strike sa buong lalawigan ay hindi nagtagumpay dahil nag-

ing norman naman uma-no ang daloy ng trapiko. Hindi kagaya ng mga nakalipas na taong transport strike, walang inilagay na mga barikada ang mga nagpo-protesta, kung kayat naging nor-mal ang biyahe ng mga sasakyan at walang mga pasaherong na-stranded sa mga kalsada at ter-minal (ac agad PIA12)


The newly re-convened Environment and Natural Resources Council (ENRC) of Butuan City is seeking a probe on the alleged illegal mining activity in the Taguibo Watershed area

that might threaten the supply of water here.

by Eldie N. David

ENRC seeks probe on illegal mining in Taguibo watershed

40


In a meeting held recently, the Council acted on reports that there are renewed mining activities going on in the said watershed area by people who disregard environmental protection. In a resolution passed by the Council, it sought explanation from the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regarding the mining activities being done in the Taguibo Watershed area, which already triggered vehement opposition by the residents of Butuan City in the past. The resolution stemmed from the report of Engr. Anselmo L. Sang Tian, General Manager of the Butuan City Water District (BCWD) to the Council during the said meeting that

several individuals and corporation have started mining operations in the area. Although it was unclear whether the alleged illegal mining activities are being done within the area of Butuan City, it was, however, confirmed that the said illegal activities are done within the Taguibo Watershed area. The City of Butuan hosts the biggest part of the Taguibo watershed, which runs through some municipalities in Agusan del Norte. It can be recalled that in the past years Butuan City experienced a crisis in water supply when massive illegal mining and illegal logging activities were done in the Taguibo Watershed which is the cityís source of potable water. It was only through a concerted effort of the people of

Butuan in condemning and blocking the said operations that the activities were stopped prompting the people to be more vigilant. The ENRC, which is mandated by DENR Administrative Order NO. 30-1992, is Chaired by City Vice Mayor Lawrence H. Fortun. Counting among its members are representatives from the DENR, City Environment and Natural Resources (ENRO), Sangguniang Panlungsod, Liga ng mga Punong Barangay, SK Federation, Department of Education (DepEd), Butuan City Police Office, Butuan Chamber of Comerce and Industry, Inc., Butuan Global Forum, Inc., Fr. Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) Policy Center and the Butuan City Water District (BCWD). (Vice Mayor’s Office/PIA-Caraga)

ENRC seeks....from page 39


Agusan del Sur to showcase clothing materials in OTOP Trade Fair in Manilaby Alexis Cabardo

AGUSAN DEL SUR, Sept. 20 (PIA) -- Another product produced here is expected to mark its name in the national market.

Members of the vari-ous Abaca waivers organi-zations from the province of Agusan del Sur will join the One Town, One Prod-uct (OTOP) Trade Fair at SM Megamall in Manila on September 21-25, 2011 to showcase the newly wo-ven cloth called pinukpok and other products made of Abaca fiber. According to Gil Den-nis Raposa of the Inte-

grated Conservation Solu-tions Asia (ICS-Asia), their aim in joining the OTOP trade fair is to introduce the new product made of Abaca from Agusan del Sur waived by nine wom-en waivers organization in the province. “By participating the OTOP Trade fair this com-ing September 21-25, we want to introduce pinuk-pok to the market at the

national level,” Raposa said. They also want to make known that the prod-uct is from Agusan del Sur and is now available in the market. Raposa also said that even though the product is new, these are of best quality and can command a good in the market. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)

42

Agusan del Norte prov’l hospital celebrates centennial anniversary by Nora CL Molde

AGUSAN DEL NORTE, Sept. 20 (PIA) -- The provincial hospital here will be celebrating its 100 years of providing quality health services to the Agusanons and nearby provinces of Caraga region in October, this year.

The said hospi-tal will celebrate with the theme, AdNPH @ 100: “Withstanding and Meeting the Chal-lenges of Time.” For the past 100

years, the hospital stood the test of time and surpassed the challenges in giving the quality health ser-vices to the commu-nity.

The centennial celebration, according to Mr. Dave P. Luison, vice chairman on the centennial celebra-tions, will start on Oc-tober 9 and will end


Literacy Coordinating Council to hold An-nual Literacy Conference by Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 20 (PIA) -- The Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) of the Department of Education (DepEd) will once again spearhead this year’s Annual National Literacy Conference on Sept. 27-29, 2011 at the Imperial Palace Suites, Quezon City with the theme: “Pursuing Community Development through Peace Literacy.”

DepEd Under-secretary and LCC Chairperson Rizal-ino Rivera said the

celebration of the annual Literacy Week will be held on September 2 to

8. Among partic-pants are national government agen-cies, local govern-

Agusan del Norte....from page 41

43

on the 14th. Thus, according to him, the management has pre-pared a week-long cel-ebration where differ-ent activities has been lined-up which is just fitting for the stake-holders and partners to celebrate. According to Lui-son the celebration will provide a free medi-cal and dental servic-es (medical consulta-tions and digital rectal examinations for male 40 years and above);

free diabetic, hyper-tension and choles-terol screening which is open to the public. Aside from the health-related servic-es, the celebration is also inviting the pub-lic to join the fun run which serves as a kick-off activity on the first day of the celebration on the 9th of October. Entry fee for 3K races is one hundred sev-enty pesos and one hundred eighty pesos for the 5K races inclu-

sive of t-shirt and race kit. Other activities lined-up are as fol-lows: the opening of the health fair on October 10 (health booths will be opened on October 10-13 from 8 o’clock in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon; Larong Pinoy and other games exclusive for the hos-pital staff/employees, retirees, partners and stakeholders. (PIA-Caraga)


Literacy Coordinating....from page 42

ment units, private organizations and non-government organizations. The objectives of the conference are to: 1) raise awareness on liter-acy for peace and sustainable future among the par-ticipants; 2) share good practices on peace literacy for good governance; 3) reflect on peace situations and identify appro-priate strategies and community intervention; and 4) develop Peace and Literacy Ac-tion Agenda: Pro-grams, projects and Activities for Community Devel-opment. U n d e r s e c r e -tary Rivera also bared that one of

the highlights of the conference is the presentation of the National Lit-eracy Hall of Fame to Tagum City for being a three-time first place winner in the Outstanding Local Government Unit (Component City Level) catego-ry in the National Literacy Awards. Tagum City is also an awardee in the UNESCO International Lit-eracy Prizes 2011 for its exemplary accomplishments in literacy devel-opment through peace literacy. Rivera added that participants will have to pay the registration fee of P5,000 to cover the expens-es for board and

lodging, handouts, kits, among oth-ers. Also, Que-zon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, Committee Chair on Education Arts and Culture Sen. Edgardo Angara, Committee Chair on Basic Educa-tion and Culture Cong. Salvador Escudero III are expected to deliv-er their messages to all the partici-pants while during the Literacy Hall of Fame Awarding Ceremony, Phil-ippine Informa-tion Agency (PIA) Director-General and LCC Member Atty. Jose A. Fabia will also give his message. (PIA-Caraga)


Surigao Norte to join Mindanao ONE trade expoSURIGAO CITY, Sept. 20 (PIA) – The province of Surigao del Norte is joining the Mindanao ONE trade expo which shall be conducted on 14-17 October 2011 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, Gov. Sol Matugas confirmed recently.

With the objective of optimizing the full potentials of Mindanao, the 4-day trade expo will showcase products of the island from its smallest stakeholders to its biggest companies in the fields of agriculture-aquaculture, trade, in-vestment and tourism. The event is co-orga-nized by the Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation, Inc. (MTEFI) and PHILEX-PORT Davao in partner-ship with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Local Govern-ment Units (LGUs), Bru-nei Darussalam-Indone-sia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN (Associa-tion of Southeast Asian Nations) Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Institu-tions, the Departments

of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Tourism, Trade and Industry, and its attached agency, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), Min-danao Business Council (MinBC), and USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Pro-gram. “A business forum and business matching will also be conducted to highlight the potentials of Mindanao and its ASE-AN neighbors in the con-text of the BIMP-EAGA sub-regional economic cooperation,” said Matu-gas, who is currently the Regional Development Council (RDC) chairper-son of Caraga Region. Matugas further said that Mindanao ONE

will help launch Mindan-ao from its prevailing im-age as a conflict-affected area to ONE island that is modern but deep in its cultural richness; a par-adise for those who seek the pleasures of ecologi-cal balance; and a desti-nation for those looking for business prospects in the midst of the sump-tuousness of its natural environment. “The Provincial Government is putting its best foot forward to bring Surigao’s prod-ucts to the markets in Metro Manila,” said Matugas. Matugas also said that reparations are now going-on for the said event. (PPDO-Su-rigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)


Public warned against proliferation of fake money

The Philippine National Police has recently warned the public against the proliferation of fake money in Zam-boanga del Norte and the two cities of Dipolog and Dapitan.

46

by Alfonso T. Ruda


13th national Physics confab slated in Dipolog Oct. 20-22 by Franklin P. Gumapon

DIPOLOG CITY, Sept. 20 (PIA) - - High school and college Physics teachers are slated to converge here on Oct. 20-22 for the 13th national Physics conference organized by the Samahang Pisika ng Visayas at Mindanao (SPVM).

Zamboanga del Norte Police Director, Senior Superintendent Ulpiano C. Lopez issued the warning after the el-ements of the Provincial Public Safety Battalion led by Police Supt. Jalilul Bandahala has arrested Jeoffey P. Gutib in Dapi-tan City last Sunday. Gutib. 29 years old, allegedly a resident of Sibalye, Iligan City was apprehended around 12:45 PM Sunday during the cockfighting inside the Gallera de Dapitan, Barangayn Dawo, Dapi-tan City. Police operatives have recovered from his possession six (6) piec-

es P500 bills and 2 pcs. One Thousand Peso bills used as bet money. The suspect is now detained at Dapitan City Detention cell, while the confiscated fake money was submitted to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi-nas for verification. Meanwhile, in Di-polog City, joint opera-tions of the elements of Dipolog City Police Of-fice, Philippine Drug En-forcement Agency and Team David have col-lared another set of sus-pected illegal drug push-ers operating in the city. DCPO Chief, P/Supt. Kenneth H. Mis-sion said Francis Dar-

win Moroscallo, 30 years old-resident of Purok Madasigon, Sicayab, Di-polog City; Rodrigo Bay-obay Jr, 50 years old and Hope Balancar, 22 years old, both residents of Bonifacio St., Dipolog City were arrested in a drug buy bust operation conducted at around 4:30PM in Purok Ma-dasigon, Sicayab, this city Suspects are now detained at the deten-tion cell of Dipolog City Police Office, while con-fiscated items/evidenc-es are kept at the police station for court exhibit.(ATR/PIA9-Zambo Norte)

The three-day con-ference, which will be hosted by the Andres Bonifacio College (ABC), will have Secretary Ma-rio Montejo of the De-

partment of Science and Technology (DOST) as the keynote speaker. SPVM President Dr. Reynaldo M. Vequizo said the conference will

highlight Physics educa-tion for high school and college, research session on computational Phys-ics, photonics, high-en-ergy Physics, theoretical

47

Public warned....from page 45


Physics and detectors, materials science and others. Two physicists from the Photonics Research Center, University of Ma-laya, Malaysia known as Dr. Mohd Zamani Zulki-fli and Prof. Sulaiman Wadi Harun will serve as plenary speakers. Other plenary speakers are Prof. Ivan B. Culaba of the Physics depart-

ment of the Ateneo de Manila University, Prof. Joan Cordovillo of Bi-col State University and Dr. Maricor N. Soriano of the National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines. The national Phys-ics conference is an an-nual activity of the SPVM to showcase advances in Physics research and education as well as to

enhance collaboration among physicists, Phys-ics educators and stu-dents in the Philippines. Registration fee for regular participants is P2,750 and P2,500 for student-participants to cover SPVM annual membership fee, con-ference kit, snacks and lunch. (FPG/PIA-Zam-bo. Norte)

PCSO shoulders expenses for first kidney transplant in Zambo by Jocelyn P. Alvarez

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Sept. 20 (PIA) - - The government’s charity office- Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is set to finance the first ever kidney transplant operation in Zamboanga City as local hospital here is scheduled to perform the “historical” kidney transplant on October 1, revealed Dr. Michael Abutazil, Renal Transplantation Head, Western Mindanao Medical Center (WMMC). Dr. Abutazil said, WMMC Renal Transplant Unit (RTU) is ready to perform the procedure to a 45 year old male kidney patient whose donor is his 41 year old cousin. Abutazil explained, both the kidney donor and recipient will under-

go the process simulta-neously. “The operation will take three to four hours,” Abutazil said. According to the RTU head, 7 doctors will composed the team that will do the procedure on the patient and donor. “The team will be

composed of seven doc-tors which include trans-plant surgeon, urolo-gists, nephrologists, and an anesthesiologist,” he said. Abutazil revealed, WMCC recently pur-chased an aesthetic ma-chine in preparation for the transplant proce-

48

13th national....from page 46


dure. “To assure sterility of the operating room (OR), the OR will not be used 12 hours before the scheduled transplant, that is why WMMC has purchased this aesthetic machine and other spe-cial instruments for the purpose ” Abutazil ex-plained. It can be recalled, WMMC’s Renal Trans-plant Unit recently got it’s license to operate /accreditation certificate as released by the De-partment of Health (Ma-nila) giving go signal for

the hospital to perform kidney transplantation after thorough studies and scrutiny and per-sonal visit conducted by DOH and National Kid-ney Transplant Institute (NKTI) months back. “The opening of the WMMC Renal Trans-plant Unit will pave the way for future organ transplant in the city at a much lesser cost,” Dr. Abutazil said. Abutazil shared, kidney transplantation will cost a patient some P1.5million if done at the NKTI and P800,000.00

when done in Davao City. Dr. Abutazil said there are only five local nephrologists / doctors in Zamboanga who spe-cialize in kidney disease/trouble. He confirmed that Zamboanga City alone has a 1000 patients diag-nosed with renal failure who needs kidney trans-plant. Patients with chron-ic renal failure spends three times a week for dialysis amounting to P2, 800 per session or P8, 400 every week. (JPA/PIA 9-Zambo City)

Barangays should implement mitigation mea-sures to prevent vulnerability to hazards: OCD9 chief urges PAGADIAN CITY, Sept. 20 (PIA) – The barangays should establish and implement appropriate strategies and effective measures to reduce or prevent from the impact of natural calamities.

by Gideon C. Corgue

Office of Civ-il Defense (OCD9) Regional Director Adriano Fuego told the different baran-gay chairmen of the

province during the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Semi-nar sponsored by the Liga ng mga Baran-

gay, Zambobaanga del Sur chapter, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Lo-cal Government

PCSO shoulders...from page 47

49


(DILG) held recent-ly at the Bulwagan ng Kabataan, Dao here. “Gikinahanglan gayud nga ang mga barangay mohimo ug mga lakang pag-pakunhod sa peligro nga gidulot sa natu-ral nga mga kalami-dad Mohimo kamo ug plano aron ma-likayan nga adunay makasinati sa sa ka-lamidad (It is very necessary that the barangays should implement mitigat-ing measures to pre-vent hazards that are brought by nat-ural disasters You have to make a plan to prevent from ex-periencing natural disasters, ” Fuego urged. Fuego also en-couraged the baran-gay chairmen to use 5% of their calam-

ity fund as mandat-ed under Republic Act 10121 other-wise known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010”, saying that it has been a tra-ditional practice of local government executives to use the said funds only when calamity hap-pens. “Ang RA 10121 nga na-aprobahan sa 14th Congress maoy nakapadasig sa mga LGUs nga mohimo ug mga lakang. Dili sama kaniadto ang LGUs maghulat pa nga adunay kalamidad nga mahitabo ayha magamit ang na-sangpit nga pundo ( RA 10121 which was approved by the 14th Congress has inspired LGUs to

prepare mitigation measures. Unlike before, LGUs have to wait first that ca-lamity will happen for them to use the said funds),” Fuego explained. Fuego advised them to prepare a comprehensive and integrated LDRRM plan that would serve as basis for the LGUs to use the fund properly. The plan, Fuego said shall be used to support disaster risk reduction espe-cially in the imple-mentation of disas-ter preparedness programs such as conduct of disaster risk reduction and management train-ing, procurement of equipments, medi-cines, etc. (JPA/GCC/PIA9-Paga-dian)

Barangays should...from page 48


41 mil ka lawak tunghaan ipabarog sa DepEd sunod tuigDIPOLOG CITY, Sept. 20 (PIA)—Determinado ang administra-syong Aquino nga tubagon ang kakulangan sa mga lawak-tung-haan pinaagi sa pagpabarog ug 41.000 ka mga lawak-tunghaan sunod tuig.

by Alfonso T. Ruda

Mao kini ang gipahayag ni Educa-tion Secretary Armin Luistro sa gipahi-gayong pagdungog sa senado sa gisug-yot nga budget sa DepEd para sa 2012 nga 191 bilyones ka pesos. Matod pa ni Lu-istro, 18.2 bilyones ka pesos sa ilang gipangayong pondo para sa tuig 2012 gamiton sa pag-pabarog ug pag-paayo sa mga la-wak tunghaan, diin 5 bilyones niini ang ipatuman pinaagi sa public-private part-nership kon PPP Pro-gram. M a h i n u m d o -man, nga sa gipa-

higayong pagdun-gog sa budget sa DepEd niadtong mi-aging tuig, gitum-bok sa DepEd ang lima ka nag-unang problema sa depar-tamento sama sa kakulangan sa mga magtutudlo, libro, lingkuranan ug mga pasilidad sa tubig ug sanitasyon. Matod pa ni Lu-istro, inanay nang gitubag sa DepEd ang maong mga problema. Dugang pa sa kalihim, sug-dan na sa Deped ang paghatod ug dug-ang 12.5 milyones ka mga lingkuranan para sa tunghaan sa di pa matapos ang tuig 2011.

Gawas sa pag-sulbad sa nag-unang lima ka problema sa DepEd, nga plano usab sa DepEd ang pagbutang ug in-ternet connection ang 27,000 ka mga pampublikong tung-haan sa sekondarya sa tibuok nasod. Sa pagkakaron, 68 porsiento sa mga tuinghaan sa sekondarya sa na-sod ang duna nay internet connection. Sunod niini, gilantaw usab sa DepEd ang kawalay-kuryente sa 9,000 ka mga pampub-lkong tunghaan sa tibuok nasod. (JPA/ATR/PIA9-Zambo Norte)


photoreleases11 year-old Vea A. Lumusad, grade 6 pupil of

Diplo Elementary School and a resident of Pica-nan, Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur describes

their economic situation prior and during the implementation of 4Ps.

San Miguel Central School principal Jerry C. Li-brea shares the positive impact of 4Ps to parents and their children.

Schools Division Superintendent Visminda Ser-rato shares her observations on the tremendous

increase of enrolment and participation rate of school children as a result of the implementation

of 4Ps program in the province.

DSWD9 Regional Director Teodulo R. Romo Jr. says “the only effective way to address the problem of poverty sustainably is thru the con-vergence of local government units and other stakeholders.

one mindanao - september 20, 2011

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