PIA-10 News (18 February 2011)

Feature: Bringing services closer to the poor man’s door
By Jorie C.Valcorza

CAMIGUIN – Children and folks in Sitio Quipasa, Poblacion, Mambajao dash together today for an early morning treat in their community center, eager to avail of free services that await them.

Little kids immediately gobbled down their share of the delicious ‘champorado’ (chocolate porridge) and bread as they wait to avail for free medical and dental services.

This has been a regular thing in the town, under the “Makanunayong Serbisyo Alang sa Katawhan” (MSAK) program of the municipal government of Mambajao.

MSAK simply means continuing service for the people. It aims to strengthen the delivery of basic services especially for the poor by bringing it down to their doors.

In every Sitio visit, the team distributes vitamin A or iron supplements to pregnant women and prioritizes them for dental service like cleaning.

Unregistered newly born babies were not missed out, they are likewise welcome for late registrations by a representative from the local registrar office.

Not a single folk goes home empty handed, some clutched on their medications. The government has given away free medicines for immediate relief on sickness such as fever, colds and cough.

Complete set of anti-biotic were likewise afforded for those who availed of the dental services.

Farmers on the other hand took their share of seeds and fertilizers, pre-identified under the Community-based Participatory Action Research (CPAR), a location specific research that deals with improved farming system technologies for specific micro agro-climatic environment within a province or municipality.

The scheme has to be undertaken to avoid duplication and flooding of supply.

Set of farmers in each visit also takes home livestock under the dispersal program, the beneficiaries however are obliged to return the same set of livestock to the government as this will also be distributed to other intended beneficiaries.

Fisher folks have likewise received their share of fingerlings to cultivate. Medical cards from PhilHealth were distributed to priority families.

Mayor Maria Luisa De La Fuente Romualdo said the program is conceptualized to be an on-site in terms of the locals’ economic and social needs. It is hoped to help alleviate the living condition of the people and promote their total well-being.

As for the first half of this month, six communities in the town of Mambajao have already availed of the MSAK services. (PIA 10)


RDRRMC tells local councils to prepare for flashfloods and landslides
By Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental - A shallow low pressure area (SLPA) was estimated at 420 km. South East of Davao City, today, Feb. 17, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

This weather system is expected to bring widespread rains over Mindanao which may trigger flashfloods and landslides, thus the local DRRMC’s are advised to take all precautionary measures to mitigate or prevent damage to property and loss of lives should the disaster occur.

The latest advice of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also indicate that Mindanao will have mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, just like Southern Luzon and the Visayas.

This, while Northern and Central Luzon will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated lights rains, Ricardo A. Mercado, Officer-in-Charge of PAGASA, region 10, said during the meeting of the RDRRMC, region 10, held in Cagayan de Oro City, yesterday.

He said moderate to strong winds blowing from the Northeast will prevail over Eastern Mindanao, Luzon and the Visayas and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, however, winds will be light to moderate coming from the Northeast with slight to moderate seas.

Meanwhile, he said the first quarter, January to March, this year, is the second half of the Northeast (NE) monsoon season, locally known as "Amihan" that generally affected the Eastern portions of the country from October, 2010 up to late March, 2011.

Characterized by widespread cloudiness which may bring rains or rain showers and thunderstorms, effects of this weather condition are likely to be stronger with the current cooling in the Eastern and Central Equatorial Pacific Ocean, nearing its peak.

Above normal rainfall conditions are likely to affect most parts of the archipelago during the period. The weather systems expected to affect the country are the NE monsoon, the tail-end of the cold front, the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and ridge of high pressure area. (PIA10)


Earthquake drill sa Cagayan de Oro malampuson

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental - Malampuson ang gipahiyon nga Earth Quake Drill kung pagbansay bansay batok linog ganina didto sa Puntod National High School ning dakbayan.

Kini uban sa gipahagayong nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill sa mga pampublikong eskwelahan.

Mapasalamaton si Dr. Gina F. Labitad, Principal sa Puntod National High School nga sila ang gi-representa alang sa Amihanang Mindanao ug gihimo isip modelo kay kini makatabang ug daku sa mga bata dili lamang unya sa ilang skwelahan kundili lakip na usab sa ilang panimalay kung ugaling adunay moabot nga kalamidad.

Ang drill gipangunahan sa buhatan sa Department of Education (DepEd) ug inubanan usab sa ubang sakop sa Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council kon RDRRM sama sa Office of Civil Defense (OCD), ug Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

Matud pa ni Office of the Civil Defense kon OCD director Carmelito M. Lupo, ang earthquake drill padayon pa nga ipahahigayon sa uban nga eskwelahan, pampublikong struktura ug buluhatan.

Ang matag skwelahan unya panahon sa drill mopakita unsa sila ka andam panahon moabot ang gikahadlukang kalamidad.

Matud pa sa mga evaluators bisan tuod kulang ang kagamitan sa Puntod National High School sama sa fire extinguishers ug medical kit, kini mipakita man ug maayong marka pag abot sa aktwal nga drill exercises. (Rodolfo d. Mendoza/PIA10)


Cebuano News: NBI clearance gipadayon sa pagpang-isyu
By Joni Ester P. Parrado

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon - Si City Mayor Ignacio Zubiri ug ang National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief sa Amihanang Mindanao nagpadayon sa pag-pang-isyu ug NBI Clearance sa syudad sa Malaybalay.

Matud pa sa maong buhatan kini nga kalihukan ipahigayun matag adlawng Sabado sa katapusan sa bulan, ug kinsa kadtong mi apply sa maong NBI Clearance sulod sa bulan sa Enero 2011 mamahimo na nilang kuhaon kay miabot na ang nasangpit nga mga approved clearances.

Si Boyet Dulanas nagpahibalo ngadto sa mga milukat sa NBI Clearance nga pwede na kuhaon sa BAC office sulod sa city hall sa Malaybalay. (JEPP, Malaybalay CIO/ZDJ, PIA Bukidnon)


31 LGUs train on CBMS Data Collection, Field Editing

Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental - Thirty One (31) local government units in Northern Mindanao underwent training on Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) Module I on Data Collection and Field Editing in two batches, this city, on February 15 and 16.

Planning coordinators and IT specialists in the LGUs of Cagayan de Oro City, El Salvador City, Gingoog City, Iligan City, Malaybalay City, Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental (Concepcion and Panaon), Misamis Oriental (Claveria, Initao, Kinoguitan, Libertad, Manticao and Talisayan), Bukidnon (Baungon, Cabanglasan, Damulog, Dangcagan, Impasugong, Kadingilan, Kalilangan, Kitaotao, Lantapan, Libona, Malitbog, Maramag, Pangantucan, Quezon, San Fernando, Sumilao and Talakag) participated.

Also giving assistance to the LGU functionaries during the workshop were the DILG field officers assigned in these LGUs.

CBMS is one of the tools developed in the early 1990s to provide policymakers with a good information base for tracking the impacts of various economic reforms and policy shocks on the vulnerable groups in the society.

Current applications and uses of CBMS are on local planning and budgeting, design of poverty reduction and related development programs, focused targeting, localizing the millennium development goals, and program-impact assessment.

To date, CBMS is being adopted by local government units in 51 provinces, 502 municipalities and 39 cities nationwide covering at least 13,152 barangays in collaboration with the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and selected non-government organizations.

DILG-10 Regional Director Loreto T. Bhagwani enjoined the local chief executives and functionaries to continue utilizing the system, per directive by Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo in institutionalizing the system to all LGUs in the country as the foremost local poverty monitoring tool.

Participating LGUs will then have to undergo training on the remaining three modules, namely: Data Encoding and Map Digitizing, Data Processing and Analysis, and in Planning. (DILG10/PIA10)


NPA surrenders on Heart’s Day

Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental - The Army’s 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division announced that another member of the New People’s Army surrendered into its folds on Valentine’s Day, February 14, making a total of six (6) surrenderees since the start of 2011 alone.

Florendo Entoc aka Ka Enen/Rohel Bayang, a resident of Barangay Lahi, Gigaguit town, Surigao del Norte voluntarily surrendered with a cal.38 pistol to the Community Organizing for Peace and Development (COPD) team under 1Lt. Jefrrey DG Lumague at the temporary base in Barangay Lahi.

Entoc is a a member of fire squad Abe of Guerilla Front 16 A, North-Eastern Mindanao Regional Command (NEMRC).

Major General Victor A. Felix, Commander of the 4th Infantry Division said that he is very pleased with the increased numbers of rebels who surrendered.

“The recent surrender of another member of the NPA is a good sign from the field that more and more of the rebels are not satisfied with their lives within the armed struggle and that they trust our COPD teams,” Felix said.

Fourth Infantry Division Spokesperson Major. Eugenio Julio C. Osias IV, Commanding Officer of the 4th Civil Military Operations (Masaligan) Battalion, said that we attribute the recent surrender to the success of our COPD teams.

“The increase of surrenderees is the result of our COPD activities in the region punctuating the Army’s commitment in the pursuit of lasting peace and development. This is also a sign that more of our armed brothers are tired of the armed struggle. They are now willing to help convince their friends and comrades to put down their arms and join the mainstream of society,” Osias said. (4ID PA)


PDEA nabs retired army officer in a buy-bust operation

Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental – Another notorious retired army colonel was arrested in a buy-buy operation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

This after a successful operation following the past controversial issue on the involvement of seventeen (17) alleged pushers and one (1) active member of the PNP in the illegal drug activities.

The retired colonel of the Philippine Army was arrested during a simultaneous buy-bust and serve search and seizure operation with SW # 2011-04 signed by Executive Judge Jose L. Escobido of RTC Branch 37, Cagayan de Oro City.

The said operation was conducted by the operatives of the PDEA in Northern Mindanao led by Regional Director Lt. Col. Edwin F. Layese (Ret) today at Block 32 Lot 78, Vamenta Subd., Barra, Opol, Misamis Oriental at around 6:30 a.m.

Arrested suspect was one (1) Pangompig Mama-0 y Dibay, male, married, 51 years old, residing at the said subdivision.

The suspect was arrested after selling two (2) pieces heat sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance believe to be shabu to a PDEA agent who acted as pusher-buyer.

Recovered from his possession and control were Twenty five (25) pieces heat sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance believed to be Shabu, Eleven (11) pieces opened plastic sachets with suspected shabu residues, One Thousand pesos (P1,000.00) as mark money and other drug paraphernalia, one (1) piece Armscor .45 cal pistol with six (6) bullets placed inside a magazine , one (1) pc 9mm sub-machine gun with one (1) empty magazine and one (1) piece jungle knife.

Director Layese said that the total estimated weight of these confiscated illegal drugs reached to more or less 12.44 grams, with a Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) street value amounting to One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00).

Based on our intel data, people in all walks of life ranging from the elite, middle class or lower class citizens, whether professional, old, young, educated or not are now engaging in the proliferation of these dangerous drugs, said Layese.

He further said that victims are usually belong to the younger generation of today. What would be the upcoming future of these people if none of us would care to inform and take action in informing law enforcers.

Meanwhile, alleged pusher is now temporarily detained at PDEA 10 Office for booking and documentation while seized illegal drugs and non-drug evidences will be brought to PNP Crime Laboratory for quantitative and qualitative examination. Case for violation of RA 9165 and PD 1866 as amended by RA 8294 is now being prepared for filing appropriate charges in court. (PDEA10/PIA10)