One Mindanao - April 23, 2015

EDITORIAL ADVISERS

SEC. SONNY B. COLOMAPresidential Communications Operations Office

JOSE MARI M. OQUIÑENA Director General Philippine Information Agency

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

EFREN F. ELBANBUENACluster Head, Southern, Western and Central MindanaoRegional Director, PIA Region XI

MANAGING EDITOR ABNER M. CAGACluster Head, Northern & Northeastern MindanaoRegional Director - PIA Caraga Region

REGIONAL DESK EDITORS FRANKLIN P. GUMAPON, PIA Region IX

ALMA L. TINGCANG, PIA Region IX ELAINE O. RATUNIL, PIA Region X RUDOLPH IAN G. ALAMA, PIA Region XI DANNY E. DOGUILES, PIA Region XII FRYAN E. ABKILAN, PIA Caraga Region

COPY EDITORS

FRYAN E. ABKILAN, PIA Caraga Region NORA C. LANUZA MOLDE, PIA Caraga Region

SENIOR GRAPHICS LAYOUT ARTIST

GERIE MAE G. COCO, PIA Caraga Region

Western Mindanao (Zamboanga Peninsula)

P. Urro Street, San Francisco DistrictPagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur 7016Telephone no. (062) 215-1480 / 925-0038Cellphone no. 0919-9994516E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]: www.piazampen.blogspot.comFacebook: PIA WesMin Info BlizTwitter: https://twitter.com/PIAIX

SOCCSKSARGEN Region

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]

Northern Mindanao

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

J. Rosales Avenue, Butuan CityTelephone no. (085) 341-5285Telefax no. (085) 341-2370Cellphone no. 0917-7188834Email: [email protected] , [email protected],phWebsite: www.piacaraga.comFacebook: PIA Caraga Updates, PIA Agusan del Norte, Pia Agusan del Sur, Pia Surigao del Norte, Pia Surigao del Sur, Pia Dinagat Islands Power FM - CaragaTwitter: https://twitter.com/PIACaraga

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]

LAYOUT ARTISTS

MARY MAY A. ABELLON, PIA Region IX RETCHIE TOLINERO, PIA Region X

ZENER DUMAGUING, PIA Region X

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

NOEMI B. EDAGARegional Director, PIA Region IX

THELMA B. OLIVERRegional Director, PIA Region X

OLIVIA T. SUDARIARegional Director, PIA Region XII

EDITORIAL BOARD

PIA REGIONAL OFFICESOne Mindanao

CONTENTS

OWWA-12 partners with techvoc school for OFW training and education programsDry spell could cause heat stroke among livestock -- Prov’l Vet

Agusan Norte LGU, DILG 13 join forces vs HIV, AIDS

Spanish official vows to pour more assistance to Zambo for peace, dev’t

DTI to set up ‘NegoCenters’ in all provinces, cities, towns

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Keeping the sea-travel safe. . .

NEDA backs eco-efficient infra development to improve climate change resiliency, water security

Australian Government beefs up school libraries in ARMM

Butuan City Division shines in the 2015 National Festival of Talents

PRC conducts mobile registration in OroquietaMore classrooms for CDO, says Luistro

By:Bryan F. Edulzura

By: Dr. Jonas H. Jomonong

By: Joey Sem G. Dalumpines

By: DepEd

11

By: Oliver Ross V. Rivera

By: Danilo E. Doguiles

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1920

By: Dominic I. Sanchez

By: Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob


By: Cheri Lian V. Ansale


Cover Story

CARAGA

WESTERN

NORTHERNINFOCUS

SOCCSKSARGEN

SOUTHERN

ARMM

NATIONAL

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DavNor’s Del Rosario is outstanding Governor

ARMM to hold confab for agrarian reform beneficiaries

DOH-ARMM holds stakeholders’ forum on NTDs

By: Noel Baguio

By: Bureau of Public Information-ARMM

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4 APRIL 23, 2015One Mindanao

Cover Story

The Philippine Coast Guard Southeastern Mindanao with its civilian-counterparts, the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Maritime Industry Authority have intensified the monitoring in the influx of people sailing the sea to the islands in its areas of jurisdiction, maintaining the easy flow of people and safe sea travel since the start of the summer break.

Keeping the sea-travel safe. . .By: Joey Sem G. Dalumpines

5APRIL 23, 2015 One Mindanao

The Philippine Coast Guard Southeastern Mindanao with its civilian-counterparts, the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Maritime Industry Authority have intensified the monitoring in the influx of people sailing the sea to the islands in its areas of jurisdiction, maintaining the easy flow of people and safe sea travel since the start of the summer break.

Keeping the sea-travel safe. . .


The effort was spearheaded by Commodore Joselito de la Cruz, of the PGC-Southeastern Mindanao area, with the support of Commodore Efren Elbanbuena, commander of the PCGA Davao Region and Felisa Orongan, director of the Marina 11.

Travels of sea-crafts, and ferries were monitored closely.

A joint-monitoring conducted by these agencies on Maundy Thursday looked closely on the proper accounting of passengers, observation of safety precautions on sea travel and smooth flow of human traffic as people went to board the sea-crafts from Sta. Ana Wharf to the ferry stations in Sasa, Davao City and Island Garden City of Samal.

During the Holy Week, Lt. Commander Dan Carino, chief of the PCG-Sta. Ana made sure that passengers travelling towards the Island Garden City of Samal and Talikud Island in Davao del Norte were all accounted for and afforded safety precautions as they took either the ferries or the passenger launches.

He said vessels were allowed to sail only when the passengers were listed in the manifest, with the sea transport assured of integrity to travel.

“The safety of the passengers and


crew is our primary concern,” Carino pointed out.

As of Black Saturday, April 4, the PCG Sta. Ana Station accounted a total of 100,000 people going to the islands alone to spend the Holy Week.

On the duration, with the use of its speedboats, the PCG-Southeastern Mindanao also looked closely on the beach resorts to ensure that operators comply with the deployment of lifeguards to monitor the safety of the people and to respond accordingly in times of contingency.

Araceli Ayuste, president of the Davao del Norte Tourism Council and owner of the Punta del Sol Resort said that all resort operators in the island comply with the deployment of lifeguards to look into the safety of people swimming and frolicking the beach.

Commodore Joselito De la Cruz welcomed the full compliance of the safety measures and assured the readiness of the PCG to respond to people in distress especially those at sea.

He expressed satisfaction that no untoward sea accident that happened at that time.


10,000 Pantawid Pamilya high school grads demonstrate anew success amid poverty

MANILA - To prove further that determination and perseverance coupled with a little help from the government are the key to success, more than 10,000 beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program who have graduated from high school in the National Capital Region will participate in the second post-graduation event at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City today. The event with the theme, “Pagtatapos Niyo, Tagumpay ng Pilipino,” is being organized by

the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to recognize the beneficiaries for


working hard to fulfill their dreams of finishing high school.

It can be recalled that the first event was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on April 9 with 4,000 graduates from the National Capital Region.

“The activity is our way of expressing our appreciation for the Pantawid Pamilya students who never wavered in their determination to improve their lives,” DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said. “I am proud to say that these students are among the first high school graduates of the Pantawid Pamilya.”

Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program that invests in the health and education of poor families, primarily those with children aged 0-18. It provides cash grants to partner-beneficiaries who comply with the conditions of sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers for checkups, and attending the monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS)

In 2013, the DSWD expanded the coverage of the

program to include the 15-18 age bracket to ensure that the children-beneficiaries will graduate from high school, and have a higher rate of employability.

The Secretary also shared that the post-graduation event will serve as the venue to give citations to those who graduated with honors.

She added, “These students are proof that given the little assistance, they too can excel.”

Graduating valedictorian from Maligaya High School in Novaliches, David Louie Manansala will give a valedictory address to inspire his fellow graduates.

Furthermore, partner agencies, business sector, and civil society organizations are also expected to participate in the event to present their programs and services which the graduates may avail of.

To give the students an orientation on academic and career opportunities, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, Technical Education and Skills


Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Joel Villanueva, and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chair Patricia Licuanan will share their respective programs and services.

As the event is a celebration of the students’ accomplishment, selected Pantawid Pamilya graduates will also showcase their talents and will share their inspiring stories.

“The more than 300,000 graduating high school children

of the Pantawid Pamilya are a confirmation that development can indeed be achieved. All we need to do is help them continue dreaming and striving for a better life. It is important to tell these children to never give up,” Sec. Soliman enthused.

The Secretary said that whether in academic, technical skills, or other talents, the Pantawid Pamilya youth show that, “Kaya din nila ang pagbabago [they too can achieve change and development].”


NEDA backs eco-efficient infra development to improve climate change resiliency, water security

MANILA - The Philippine government, as embodied in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP), has adopted the ecologically and economically efficient (“eco-efficient”) concept in the development of water infrastructure as an overarching strategy towards the pursuit of water security, and, through innovative interventions and technologies, as an important approach to dealing with the challenges of climate change. This is in recognition that despite the Philippines being blessed with abundant water resources, increasing demand and competing use have resulted to water supply shortages. While the increasing frequency and intensity of rainfall could augment water supply during

dry months, excess water has not been taken advantage of and efficiently utilized. Instead, extreme rainfall has resulted in flooding and damages. “We see the mainstreaming of eco-efficient water infrastructure (EEWIN) as a


strategy to help enhance our country’s competitiveness by helping increase the efficiency and productivity of our growth sectors,” said NEDA Deputy Director-General for Investment Programming Rolando G. Tungpalan.

“We have been advocating the development and mainstreaming of EEWIN, which utilizes water resources in an economically-efficient and environment-friendly way, in the planning and project preparation processes, such as in the design of infrastructure,” the NEDA official added.

In February 2013, the NEDA Board – Committee on Infrastructure (INFRACOM) directed all relevant and water-related agencies to mainstream the eco-efficient concept in their proposed/identified activities, programs, and projects, and tasked NEDA to disseminate EEWIN key principles and standards for reference of concerned agencies.

To comply with this INFRACOM directive and facilitate said mainstreaming, NEDA developed appropriate information, education, and

communication (IEC) materials on EEWIN, with the objective of providing implementing agencies, local government units (LGUs), and other stakeholders with model EEWIN technologies/innovations that can be replicated or adopted in designing their own activities, programs, and projects.

EEWIN was presented during the March 18, 2015 Symposium on Water Security Towards Sustainable Development, an activity spearheaded by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) as part of the World Water Week 2015 celebration.

Successful and replicable EEWIN projects developed by agencies and institutions, such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Department of Science and Technology – Region 7 (DOST-7), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), City Government of Muntinlupa, SM Malls, and Ayala Land, Inc., were showcased, with emphasis on their advantages and benefits, to inspire stakeholders to welcome innovation in their planning and design processes.


“With this approach, we can ensure the availability of water at this time and for future generations while building on the needed infrastructure to ultimately achieve a high, sustained, and inclusive growth,” the NEDA official explained.

Consistent with the concept of value engineering/value analysis (VE/VA), EEWIN aims to optimize resources and investments, reduce overall life-cycle costs, and expand the functionality of a project, without compromising its intended

objectives.

“When applied to infrastructure development, eco-efficiency means being able to do more with less cost and with lower negative effect on the environment,” the NEDA official emphasized.

To help disseminate information about EEWIN, the NEDA had uploaded an information video on its YouTube channel accessible via this shortlink – http://goo.gl/81ET9l. (NEDA)


Australian Government beefs up school libraries in ARMM

The Australian Government through its Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao (BEAM-ARMM) Program is distributing at least P117 million worth of brand new books to select schools in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in an effort to upgrade the region’s school libraries. Atty. Jamar Kulayan, ARMM’s education secretary, said the books are donated

by the Brother’s Brother Foundation and the Rotary Club of Makati (RCM) to the Learning


Improvement through Book Reading Opportunities or LIBRO Para sa Batang Bangsamoro Project, a book donation drive spearheaded by the department and the BEAM-ARMM Program.

BBF is a US-based foundation that focuses on medical and educational needs of children around the world and works with RCM on various charity work in the Philippines.

The books were shipped straight from the warehouse of McGraw Hill and other major publishers in the United States to Zamboanga and Cotabato City just recently.

Speaking before the handover ceremonies of books held here on April 9, 2015, Kulayan said that more than 300 school libraries including 32 madaris or Islamic schools across ARMM will receive new

math, science, and English books from the LIBRO Project.

He added that the BEAM-ARMM Program also allotted P15 million for minor repairs and refurbishing of school libraries and reading centers in the region.

“This is a huge and ambitious project. But DepEd-ARMM is confident that with the help of the Australian Government, thousands of our schoolchildren will get access to libraries that offer quality reading and reference materials,” said Kulayan.

Kulayan noted that reading is key to increasing the learning outcomes of schoolchildren, especially in ARMM where access to learning materials such as books is seen wanting in recent years.

“Lack of access to learning materials hamper the learning of our schoolchildren,” he said, adding, that through reading, “we are teaching them the process of critical thinking, which allows them to make better choices.”

He pointed out that a better Moro is an educated Moro. “We can start educating our children


by teaching them how to read and comprehend what they are reading,” he added.

“When we accomplish the task of teaching our children to think rationally and to make better choices, we can already solve more than half of our peace and order problems in the region,” Kulayan said.

The Australian Government-funded BEAM-ARMM Program aims to contribute to the alleviation of poverty in ARMM and, in the longer term, to the emergence of sustainable peace in the region through closely-targeted investments in early childhood and basic education as well as skills training of out-of-school youth and senior high school students.

Aside from beefing up the

region’s school libraries, the Australian Government helps DepEd-ARMM implement the Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum or K to 12 Program through supplemental training of elementary, high school, and madrasah teachers and administrators on core subjects such as math, science, and English.

The Australian Government also constructs and rehabilitates classroom buildings, promotes and delivers school health and sanitation facilities, increases the chances of out-of-school youth and senior high school students in landing decent jobs through skills development and training, and provides alternative delivery model of basic education in remote and conflict-affected areas of ARMM. deped.gov.ph


P19.6 M Kalahi-CIDSS projects set for Maasim town

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Apr. 23 -- Thousands residents of coastal town of Maasim in Sarangani province are set to benefit for PhP19.6 million worth of com-munity projects from the national govern-ment.


Bai Zorahayda T. Taha, re-gional director of Department of Social Welfare and Development 12, said Tuesday at least 11 villages have been identified to gain from the projects that are intended to address press-ing needs.

Taha said the develop-ment initiatives will be carried out by the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-A Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of So-cial Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), a government flagship poverty-reduction program under the auspices of DSWD.

Far-flung communities of No-moh and Kabatiol will soon have safe source of potable water with the construction of water systems amounting to PhP1.53 million and PhP1.03 million, re-spectively.

Barangay Lumasal will hava a PhP 3.49 M new school build-ing with amenities. Another school building with a project cost of PhP3.41 M will be con-structed in Barangay Malbang where a PhP793,000 worth day care center will also be con-structed.

The regional director noted that these particular projects would help ease classroom shortage in line with the imple-

mentation of the Department of Education’s K to 12 program.

Meanwhile, community train-ing centers will be constructed in Barangays Bales, Seven Hills, and Kablacan with allot-ments of PhP1.86 M, PhP1.96 M and PhP1.95 M. Skills training and livelihood component come along these community training center projects.

Health centers will be es-tablished in Barangays Panan-ag and Kanalo, each amounting PhP890,000 .

A drainage system amounting to PhP1.82 million is expected to address flooding concerns in Barangay Colon.

Ann Allaga, the program’s area coordinator in Maasim said that prior to this, barangays in the municipality have received Php17.2 million worth of com-munity projects including 11 school buildings and a training center from previous Kalahi-CI-DSS implementations.

Allaga added that documents are now prepared and reviewed for the eventual release of funds to commence the sub-project implementation.

Maasim has been identified as one of the Kalahi-CIDSS areas for it is considered as one of the poorest towns in Sarangani.


OWWA-12 partners with techvoc school for OFW training and education programsBy: Oliver Ross V. Rivera

According to the Small Area Estimate of 2009 of National Statistical Coordination Board, the town posted 52.2 poverty incidence.

Kalahi-CIDSS is a program funded by World Bank and Asian Development Bank, collabora-

tively implemented by DSWD and local government unit, aim-ing to reduce poverty, improve local governance, and empower communities through a more inclusive local planning and bud-geting processes. (HTEstacion-DSWD-12/DEDoguiles-PIA 12)

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Apr 23 -- The Overseas Work-ers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Regional Welfare Office 12 has entered into an agreement with the Institute of Motorbike and Automechanics, Inc. (IMAMI) in Kidapawan City to intensify its education and training programs for OFW dependents.

The MOA signing on Tues-day, April 21, was led by OWWA 12 OIC Regional Director Mar-ilou Sumalinog together with IMAMI President Brenda Lee and other key officials.

Sumalinog said, this is OW-WA’s way to establish a fruit-ful partnership to provide the clients of both entities a more convenient and efficient way of acquiring quality education.

“The agreement strengthens the partnership between the agency and these schools, in providing assistance and edu-cational opportunities to the cli-ents, specifically OWWA mem-bers and their beneficiaries in the area who can now avail of education and training benefits,” Sumalinog added.

This will enable OFWs and their beneficiaries in Kidapawan


City and neighboring towns in North Cotabato to avail of vo-cational and technical trainings under OWWA’s Skills for Em-ployment Scholarship Program (SESP).

SESP offers six-month voca-tional and one-year technical courses, following the regular school-year calendar.

Meanwhile, IMAMI President Brenda Lee expressed gratitude for the privilege given to their school and assured OWWA that IMAMi will continue to assist students especially OFWs and former OFWs to be productive citizens. (ORVRivera-PIA12 with reports from GBDocusin-OW-WA12)

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Apr. 23 -- Farm animals may also suffer from heat stroke, an official of the Provincial Veterinary Office here warned.

Dry spell could cause heat stroke among livestock -- Prov’l VetBy: Danilo E. Doguiles

Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Flora Bigot emphasized that like humans, farm animals may also may also be en-dangered if left unprotected against the searing heat brought about by the weak El Niño.

Heat stroke could kill, she added.

“Farm animals such as cara-baos and cattle should be kept under shades from 9:00 in the

morning until 3:00 in the af-ternoon,” Bigot said.

“Provide the animals enough drinking water and bathe the animals at least once a day to keep their body tem-perature down.”

Instead of allowing the live-stock to graze in open pastures from the mentioned time, ani-mal owners should resort to cut-and-carry method of feed-ing.


This means, she elaborated, that owners have to cut grass-es and bring these to the ani-mals while the livestock are in the shaded and cool place.

“Pigs should be bathed twice a day and provided enough water to drink,” she added.

In case of heat stroke, af-fected animals should imme-diately be bathed in cold wa-ter and urged to drink a lot of water.

“Mix 2 tablespoons of dex-trose powder to each liter of drinking water. Oral rehydra-tion solution (oresol) or hydrite may also be used,” she con-tinued.

The mild El Niño , which started around December of 2014 , has already caused over P156.6 million damage to crops, according to the latest report from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.

Affected crops include corn, rice, cassava, high value crops and vegetables.

Earlier this week, Orlando Tibang, the irrigation manage-ment officer of National Irri-gation Administration – South Cotabato confirmed that wa-ter levels in dams in province have also reduced.

“Water in many communal irrigation systems in the prov-ince have been depleted due to the mild El Niño,” he said.

In Barangay Liberty , in nearby Tampakan town, 70 percent of households lost sources of drinking water.

The situation has led the local government unit with support from the provincial government of South Cotabato to ration water to the affect-ed families.

The provincial government has not yet declared a state of calamity. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)


Cabadbaran celebrates Friday JAM finaleBy: David Mabalcon

BUTUAN CITY - The city of Cabadbaran in the province of Agusan del Norte celebrated its Friday Jam finale, an activity intended to combat drug influence among young Cabadbaranons. The event, which was launched on December 12, 2014, is an initiative of the city government under the leadership of city mayor Dale B. Corvera. Since then it operated every Friday for four months educating young people about drugs while entertaining them with Christian contemporary songs from different


bands. The finale performance held on Friday, Apri 17 featured the following bands: Vantage Point, Captured Band, G Soldiers, JM 45, D’MECC and, Higalas. “Because of the widespread illegal use of drugs nowadays, some of the young Cabadbaranons were not spared from using illegal drugs. That is why the local government conducted an activity like this [Friday Jam] to help and prevent the young people of Cabadbaran on drug influence,” said Friday Jam chairman Pastor Philip Sandy P.

Gonzales. Kathyrain Olaer, a Communication student of Xavier University and a Friday Jam volunteer, said that she is very happy to be a part of the event. Olaer also said that she is sad knowing that Friday Jam has finally reached to an end but she is hopeful that the local government would again make an activity like Friday Jam. However, Gonzales revealed that the city government has already plans in conducting a similar activity in the near future.

Agusan Norte LGU, DILG 13 join forces vs HIV, AIDS By:Bryan F. Edulzura

BUTUAN CITY - The alarming rise of HIV and AIDS cases in Agusan del Norte has pushed the provincial government of Agusan del Norte and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 13 to intensify their advocacy against the epidemic and conducted a province-wide Orientation of HIV and AIDS last April 17, 2015.


Attended by mayors, Sangguniang Bayan chair on health, health officers, civil society organizations, and partner national agencies, the activity was aimed at educating these sectors about HIV and AIDS including provincial statistics, legal mandates, prevention measures and localizing response. According to Department of Health Region 13, of the 53 cases recorded in the region between January to December 2015, 22 are found in Agusan del Norte and Butuan City. This year at least three new cases were recorded in the city, bringing to a total of 77 People Living with HIV (PLHIV) as of March 2015. “We should do something drastic about the rising cases of HIV and AIDS in the province,” said DILG provincial director Romeo O. Solis. “Advocacy is not enough, our local governments should craft policies and allocate resources to ensure that HIV and AIDS prevalence remains low,” he added. Solis said the high prevalence rate of Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro cities makes Butuan City doubly vulnerable because these cities are geographically and

economically close to the city. “We also have several young people studying or working in these cities,” he said. The provincial government has strengthened their Local Aids Council (LAC) by allocating budget to the program, conducting quarterly meeting and encouraging all LGUs to do the same, it was learned. “We will support the program in terms of resource allocation and policies,” said Sangguniang Panlalwigan member Ray Jamboy. “Among the policies that we will push through is the policy requiring Entertainment and Tourism related industry to display HIV and AIDS advocacy materials within their establishment. These will red flag the dangers of contracting HIV and AIDS,” he emphasized. Meanwhile, DILG Caraga regional director Lilibeth Famacion said that their office fully supports the HIV and AIDS program not only because they are mandated to do so, “but because we value the lives of these young people (most vulnerable group) who are the future of our country. We could not allow our local governments to be crippled with this epidemic, hence, we enjoin all LGUs to organize their respective Local


Butuan City Division shines in the 2015 National Festival of Talents

BUTUAN CITY - Department of Education (DepEd) Butuan City Division

once again shines in the recently concluded National Festival of Talents (NFOT) held at Makati City in various venues with the theme “Harnessing Talents toward ASEAN Integration 2015” last April 7-10,

2015 where three of its participants bagged major awards on the said

competition.

By: Dr. Jonas H. Jomonong

Rafael G. Carampatana and Mark Kleen Reve S. Iquiban of Agusan National High School won 1st place in Landscaping category with their coach Ignacio S. Falcon. On the other hand, Raymund C. Atillo of Tungao National High School bagged 3rd place in Hairstyle with Make-up Category with Nera B. Bocala as coach. The NFOT aims to provide opportunities for students to showcase their talents in the following subject areas: language, arts, social studies, and technology and livelihood education through exhibitions of

their products and performance as evidence of their learning; and extend parallel learning sessions for teachers and students to enhance their knowledge and skills in their respective fields of interest. DepEd through the Bureau of Secondary Education, conducted the 2015 NFOT consisting of skills exhibition in different fields, simultaneously with the National Schools Press Conferences (NSPC) on April 7-10, 2015. The entire Festival was hosted by the National Capital Region (NCR) at different venues.

AIDS council – as a venue to tackle issues on HIV and AIDS.” “The entire force of DILG 13

is one with the local government units on this fight,” Famacion added.


IPs celebrate 1st IP Day in Buug townBy: Alma L. Tingcang

BUUG, Zamboanga Sibugay - Indigenous peo-ples (IPs) of this town gathered together at Buug Central SPED Center to celebrate the first IP Day last April 16 with the theme, “The Uplift-ment of IP’s Culture.” The activity was spearheaded by Ms. Jocelyn Murayao-Chua, IP Mandatory Repre-sentative (IPMR) of Ba-rangay Poblacion and president of the Buug Subanen Workers As-

sociation (BSWA), who cited the overwhelm-ing support of the trib-al leaders, local offi-cials, IPs, volunteers and other stakeholders in making the celebra-tion a success.


“I would like to thank all of you for your untiring efforts, some of you did not even sleep to ensure that the festivity will be complete with the food that you have prepared for all of us today. You have given me inspi-ration, and without your support, I would not have done this on my own,” Ms. Chua said passionate-ly.

Above all, she is grateful to the Lord for all the blessings.Ms. Chua said there are five IP tribes in Buug, namely: the Sub-anen, Yakan, Samal, Kalibugan and Badjao tribe. “We want to show the government that we are one and united for a purpose, that of uplifting our culture with the support of the government,” she opined. The BSWA president said she was grateful for the government support in putting up a wine and vinegar factory in barangay Man-

lin in this town. To date, there are already 100 officers and members of the association and currently producing “pangase wine,” special spicy vinegar, “ad-lai wine” and corn wine. “My vision is for the IPs to awaken from their sleep, to stand up and be proud of our rich cul-ture. I want to see the IPs uplift their quality of life and move on to progress,” Chua was quoted as saying. Part of the celebration was the Daga Festival led by the trib-al leaders, which signifies bless-ings for everyone who joined and supported the celebration. “Everyone is welcome to attend, observe, listen and learn the cul-ture of the IPs,” she said cheer-fully.

The festivity was replete with an actual demonstration on how to prepare their delicacies. “For 30 minutes, they had an actual demonstration on how to prepare


various delicacies such as pany-alam or rice cake, budbod pilit, lukot-lukot, budbod kamote/ka-moteng kahoy and other foods,” she said. Meanwhile, Sangguniang Bayan Member William Chua, who is also an IP, lauded the ef-forts of Timuay Chua. “We are very inspired that our Timuay Joy Chua spearheaded this affair with the support of our Subanen and Muslim brothers,” he said. Rest as-sured that the succeeding cel-ebrations will have the full support of the local officials. He vowed to help promote the cultural legacy of the IPs. Melecio Tumutod, SPED prin-cipal and also a member of the IP tribe thanked the government, especially President Benigno S. Aquino III through the Depart-ment of Education (DepEd) for the support extended to Indig-enous Peoples Education (IPED). Various national govern-ment agencies and individuals have supported the said activ-

ity by giving their commitment of support such as the National Commission on Indigenous Peo-ples (NCIP), Philippine Informa-tion Agency (PIA), Department of Sicence and Technolofy (DOST), National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Depart-

ment of T r a d e and In-d u s t r y ( D T I ) , DepEd, Depart-ment of S o c i a l Welfare and De-v e l o p -m e n t

(DSWD), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Tech-nical Education and Skills Devel-opment Authority (TESDA), Phil-ippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Phl-ippines (AFP) and Princess Suni-ta Ryde.


Spanish official vows to pour more assistance to Zambo for peace, dev’tBy: Dominic I. SanchezZAMBOANGA CITY – A Spanish official said recently that the government of Spain is looking to provide more assistance to the Philippines, zooming in to Zamboanga in particular to help address peace and order issues as well as incite more development here.

On Thursday (April 16) dur-ing an annual partnership forum hosted by the Zamboanga Basi-lan Integrated Development Alli-ance, Inc. (ZABIDA), Don Ignacio Cabria, Deputy to the General Co-ordinator of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation, or the Agencia Española de Coop-eración Internacional para el De-sarrollo (AECID) shared the good

news that the Kingdom of Spain will be sharing more resources to help the Filipinos. “The Philippines is a priority country,” said Cabria, “and Zam-boanga is in focus for Spanish cooperation.” “We are focusing on this re-gion, providing you with tools for development,” he added, refer-ring to the Convenio II program,


which was presented to local stakeholders on the same day.Cabria announced that the pro-gram will officially be launched sometime this year and to em-phasize its importance, the am-bassador of Spain will be present during the ceremony. Meanwhile, Miguel Carballo, coordinator for the Convenio II program said that Spanish and Filipinos will be closely working together for the program. “We are going to work very hard to promote a culture of peace in Zamboanga,” he said. Convenio aims to strength-en partnerships between gov-ernment and non-government sectors that include vulnerable groups, women, the youth, the academe, barangays and the marginalized sectors in the effort

to promote peace, development and disaster-resiliency. Accord-ing to the project brief, Convenio aims “to contribute to democratic governance with a gender focus and management of disaster risk reduction in context of security and peace, guaranteeing human and civil rights of the most vul-nerable population in Zamboan-ga City and three municipalities in the province of Basilan”. Locally, this program will be implemented through the ZA-BIDA, a consortium of four non-government organizations head-ed by peace advocate Fr. Angel Calvo. “I hope during all these pro-cesses, lives will be changed and new opportunities will arise,” Carballo said.


DTI to set up ‘NegoCenters’ in all provinces, cities, townsBy: Dominic I. SanchezZAMBOANGA CITY– To help micro small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) in doing business and to ease their access to services, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will be establishing “NegoCenters” in all provinces, municipalities and cities starting this year.

According to DTI-9 Regional Director Sitti Amina Jain, the DTI with the support of other govern-ment agencies, the local govern-ment units and the private sec-tor will establish these “Negosyo Centers” in all of the region’s 67 municipalities and five cities, as mandated by Republic Act 10644, or the Go Negosyo Act authored by Senator Bam Aquino, and which was signed into law last year. “For 2015, we will start with the five cities to be followed by the municipalities, and at the end of five years, we will have Negocenters in all towns in the region,” Jain said. Each Negocen-ter has a budget of P1 million. In Zamboanga City, the date set for the launching of the Ne-gocenter is on July 30, during the ZamPen MSME Conference. “We are expecting Senator Bam Aqui-

no to be here during the launch-ing,” she added. The Go Negosyo Act, which is the enabling law for the es-tablishment of the NegoCenters aims to foster national develop-ment, promote inclusive growth, and reduce poverty by encourag-ing the establishment of MSMEs that facilitate local job creation, production and trade in the coun-try. The NegoCenters shall be manned by the local micro small and medium enterprises devel-opment council chaired by the DTI. The council shall perform oversight functions and assign personnel to the NegoCenters. Its main functions include business registration assistance, business advisory services, infor-mation and advocacy and moni-toring and evaluation of the ser-vices for the MSMEs.


DSWD lauds first batch of Pantawid Pamilya HS graduates

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) holds on April 20 the Pagdiriwang para sa Pantawid Pamilya Graduates ng 2015 with a theme, “Pagtatapos niyo tagumpay ng Pilipino!” at Capitol University Gymnasium.

By: Michelle Joy T. Gamon and Flora Mae M. Tañeca

“The goal of the Pantawid Pamilya is to ensure that the students will graduate from high school and have higher rate for employability, and eventually help lift their families out of poverty,” DSWD Assistant Regional Director, Aldersey Mumar Dela Cruz said.


Pantawid Pamilya is already on its sixth year of implementation. The program was launched in 2008 covering 160 cities and municipalities in all 17 regions. As of 26 March 2014, the program has expanded to 41,342 barangays in all 144 cities and 1,483 municipalities in 80 provinces nationwide. Meanwhile, there are also eight academic achievers from different schools who expressed their gratitude towards the program and the people behind its successful implementation. “Let our accomplishment today be an inspiration to all of us; that despite trials and challenges, nothing can stop us if we sow a seed of faith--a faith that we can move mountains; that we can achieve our dreams if we stay committed and passionate with what we do,” Edward Hans Joseph Lumandez, Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School salutatorian and academic achiever said.

Opportunities for Pantawid Pamilya high school graduates were introduced by the government partners including the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Health

(DOH). Several scholarships are also offered to students who will qualify and are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya at the same time. Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households, particularly of children 0-18 years old. It is implemented through the DSWD in partnership with DepEd, DOH and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and in coordination with the Local Government Units (LGUs). Hence, to be eligible in this program, a household must be an identified as poor based on database of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) or Listahanan. The household must also be willing and able to comply with the conditions of the program as part of their responsibilities.


PRC conducts mobile registration in Oroquieta

“Thus, we are inviting all professionals from the city and the neighboring areas to avail of the PRC services,” City Mayor Jason P. Almonte said. “This will give the professionals the opportunity to avail of the various PRC services, such as, to submit their applications for examination and renewal for PRC identification documents (ID),” the mayor said. Almonte said other PRC services include the acceptance of initial registration and releasing of PRC ID’s, which can ease the burden in terms of time and money expenses that will be incurred, when traveling to the PRC regional office in Cagayan de Oro City. Moreover, to facilitate the speedy transaction of applications for licensure examinations, applicants may apply online at www.prc.gov.ph and submit the printed copy of online

application during the PRC Mobile Services, Almonte said. Meanwhile, Dr. Jonathan Dela Peňa, schools division superintendent of the Department of Education in Misamis Occidental (DepEd MisOcc) has encouraged the teachers in his division to avail of the PRC Mobile Services, in time for the summer. “This way, the teachers will be able to save their time, effort and money to go to CDOC to renew their licenses,” Dela Peňa added.


OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental - The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), region 10, will conduct its third Mobile Services at the ABC Gym, here, on April 23 to 24, 2015.


Education Secretary Armin Luistro said this during the inauguration of the new division office of Cagayan de Oro, April 21, here.

This he said in addition to the 26 senior high school sites that the national government is planning to construct in the second quarter. Furthermore, Luistro asked the attendees to help the Department of Education (DepEd) in monitoring the construction plans to make it in time before the senior high school

students start their classes in June 2016. “It will be helpful if our citizens and the school board also help our education officials to monitor and

to ensure they are constructed according to standards and in time for June 2016 opening of our senior high school,” Luistro said. M e a n w h i l e , Cagayan de Oro City mayor Oscar Moreno received an education champion award for his dedication in shaping education in

the city. He shared that the local government is committed to help and be a partner in elevating quality education in the city. The new DepEd division office is now located in Fr. William Masterson, S.J., KM 5, Upper Balulang.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The government will be constructing a total of 142 classrooms here.

By: Cheri Lian V. Ansale

More classrooms for CDO, says Luistro


29 high school graduates from Lanao Sur qualify for DOST-SEI scholarship

A total of 29 high school graduates from Lanao del Sur and Marawi City qualified for the scholarship program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through its

Science Education Institute (SEI).

Twenty-eight of the qualifiers passed the Republic Act 7687 program while one qualified under the Merit Scholarship Program.

Provincial Science and Technology Director Payongan Pili said the passers

By: Apipa P. Bagumbaran


ARMM to hold confab for agrarian reform beneficiaries MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur - The Department of Agrarian Reform in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAR-ARMM) is set to hold a conference in each of the five component provinces of the region to help identify assistance needed by agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) and tackle unresolved issues on land distribution.

The first ARB provincial conference is slated on April 24 to 25 in Basilan. ARMM Agrarian Reform Secretary Amihilda Sangcopan said the series of provincial ARB conferences will help them come up with the right plan. “We will find out the support service that our farmer-beneficiaries are expecting. We will also find out how we’re going to develop agrarian reform communities, assist agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations and increase their productivity level,”

she said. The region presently has a total of 68, 087 ARB based on the latest record of DAR-ARMM. The DAR-ARMM will also distribute certificates of land ownership to identified farmer-beneficiaries during the event. In Maguindanao, more than a hundred farmers are expected to receive Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA), entitling them the right

came from eight secondary schools in the province and Marawi City. According to her, the province posted the biggest number of qualifiers in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) representing almost half of the 68 total scholars from the region. She said the conduct of two DOST Syensibilidad reviews in the province was one of the factors that contributed to the high number of passers. The DOST scholarship programs provide scholarships to poor, talented and deserving students. The scholars

can enroll in state universities and colleges and other higher education institutions recognized as Centers of Excellence or Centers of Development and must take-up priority science and technology courses. The programs are part of the DOST-SEI’s strategy to identify and nurture talented Filipino youths in science and technology who can be the future leaders of a competent workforce that will bring about more breakthroughs in science and technology in the country. (APB/PIA-10)


of an owner over a piece of land. Lands distributed under DAR’s CLOA cannot be sold, transferred or donated within 10 years upon awarding, except through hereditary succession or if sold back to the state or to another qualified beneficiary within the 10-year period. Sangcopan said the provincial conferences will also serve as build-up to an ARB Congress scheduled on 15 June. The congress will be one of the highlights of the agency’s anniversary

celebration. The Department of Agrarian Reform is the leading agency concerning the “implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) of the government through land tenure improvement, agrarian justice delivery, and coordinate delivery of essential support services to program beneficiaries.” (Bureau of Public Information-ARMM/APB/PIA-10)

DOH-ARMM holds stakeholders’ forum on NTDsMARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur - The Department of Health in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DOH-ARMM) held a stakeholders forum, April 20, to help address cases of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the region.


According to the World Health Organization (WHO), NTDs “are a diverse group of diseases with distinct characteristics that thrive mainly among the poorest populations.” In the ARMM, these diseases include malaria, filariasis, schistosomiasis, rabies and food and water borne diseases. ARMM Health Secretary Dr. Kadil Sinolinding said the forum was aimed at strengthening ties among regional line agencies to totally eradicate these diseases because they affect a significant number of the region’s population. DOH-ARMM records show high cases of malaria, filariasis and schistosomiasis in the island provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan. Further, food and water borne diseases are rampant in the entire region, most commonly in coastal areas due to the lack of access to potable water and the prevalent practice of open defecation. “Ang NTDs ay problema ng

buong ARMM. Attention had been given but it is just not enough. Kulang pa rin ang ating ginagawa natin at kulang pa rin ang response ng ating subject clients sa kanilang dapat na gagawin,” Sinolinding said. Representatives of various line agencies gathered on Monday’s forum to discuss interventions made by the region to tackle NTDs. Sinolinding said his

agency cannot address the problem alone. “The role of everyone is very important. With coordination and collaboration, magkakaroon ng ‘cascade effect’ from their office to their families to their community. We believe other agencies can also participate and help form solutions to this pressing problem.” He said DOH-ARMM is making significant headway in combating malaria through an intensified awareness campaign, improved case detection and case holding, and the provisions of better health facilities. These interventions, he said, have brought down malaria cases in the region from 3,481 cases in 2009 to 807 as of 2014. Sinolinding said resolving the problem on NTDs is life-saving and will help address the region’s poverty concerns. (Bureau of Public Information-ARMM/APB/PIA-10)


Army no longer using public buildings as bases- 10th ID

DAVAO CITY- The mili-tary asserted that it no longer uses public buildings like barangay halls and schools as bases for their soldiers deployed in the hin-terland barangays, as claimed by progressive organizations. Major General Edu-ardo Ano, commander of the 10th Infantry Di-vision said the soldiers strongly adhere to the order of Lt. General Aurelio Baladad, com-mander of the Eastern Mindanao Command not to use public buildings as military quarters. He said the military leadership gives impor-tance on the respect for human rights and inter-national humanitarian law which the soldiers on field must follow all the time. “We strictly follow this directive and any infraction will be inves-tigated and dealt with accordingly. Gone are the days that the soldiers

figure in abuses,” Ano pointed out. He said soldiers under the 10th Infan-try Division continue to the deployment of peace and development teams in the barangays where they help residents ven-tilate pressing issues and problems and elevate these concerns to the lo-cal government and line agencies for action. Ano said complaints about alleged use of gov-ernment buildings like schools and barangay halls as headquarters usually hails in areas where the rebel move-ment thrives. He said more dis-ciplined soldiers will continue to reach out to the communities in or-der to bridge them and the government, so that together immediate con-cerns will be attended and eventually will have tangible results. (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalump-ines)


DavNor’s Del Rosario is outstanding Gov-ernor

DAVAO DEL NORTE - Top social workers in the country conferred the Gawad Parangal Award 2015 to Davao del Norte Governor Ro-dolfo del Rosario as Outstand-ing Governor for his dedication in making the lives of his constitu-ents better. The governor received the award during the 19th Annual Forum and General Assembly of the Associ-ation of Local Social Welfare and De-velopment Officers of the Philippines, Inc. (ALSWDOPI) held recently at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia. The ALSWDOPI paid tribute to the outstanding local chief execu-tives for their commitment in “ex-tending unrelenting commitment and fullest support to social welfare pro-grams in their respective localities.” The governor was among the three governors and five mayors who were given the citation. The ALSWDOPI took note of del Rosario’s community empowerment programs that uplifted the quality of life of the Dabaonon people. These include Project NOBLE (No Barangay Left behind) that pro-vided P1-million worth of projects to each of the 223 barangays of the province; establishment of Barangay Council for the Protection of Children and Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) Desk; and,

assigning the Community Affairs Of-ficers as liaison of social services to all the barangays. Under his watch, Davao del Norte also actively participated in the search for the Huwarang Pamilyang Pilipino, where the province was the consistent regional winner in 2013 and 2014. He carried out innovative, rel-evant and responsive policies and programs that pursued a balanced inclusive socio-economic develop-ment towards a better quality of life for all the Dabaonons. The governor was known for the no-nonsense innovative strate-gies that he instituted during his five-term stint in office since 1998. It started with the minimum basic needs (MBN) approach to de-velopment, infrastructure-intensive RDR WHEELS agenda, to the human-centered P.E.O.P.L.E. development strategy that is now interlaced with the climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and manage-ment. With del Rosario’s sound poli-cies, Davao del Norte leapfrogged from the 52nd spot in the 2000 Hu-man Development Index, to 32nd in 2003 HDI, outpacing the other 20 Provinces already in the top 30. (Noel Baguio-PIO)


regional gallery

Top social workers in the country conferred the Gawad Parangal Award 2015 to Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario as Outstanding Governor for his dedication in making the lives of his constituents better. The Governor received the award from Vice-President Jejomar Binay during the 19th Annual Forum and General Assembly of the Association of Local Social Welfare and Develop-ment Officers of the Philippines, Inc.

One Mindanao - April 23, 2015

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Transcript of One Mindanao - April 23, 2015