By Apipa Bagumbaran
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Oct. 6 (PIA) --- School children in the province will benefit from the Essential Health Care Program (EHCP), a national flagship health program of the Department of Education (DepEd).
The EHCP which consists of preventive interventions to improve child health was officially launched today at Bacolod Central Pilot School in Bacolod Kalawi town, this province.
Spearheaded by the DepEd in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the launching was held in cooperation with the provincial government, and the Fit For School Inc., a non-government organization that works closely with the health and education sectors, various development agencies, and private partners to effectively promote, implement and sustain the EHCP in public elementary schools.
Fit For School, Inc. Program Coordinator Jennylyn B. Aguinaldo said the EHCP will be piloted in seven (7) schools divisions in ARMM, five (5) of which are from Lanao del Sur and that 25 out of the 35 school-beneficiaries are located in the province.
Meanwhile, the program includes the implementation of the proper daily soap hand washing and daily fluoride tooth brushing, which were demonstrated to the school children.
It also includes the mass bi-annual de-worming of children, as well, as improving water and sanitation facilities in public elementary schools and day care centers.
“This simple and cost-effective program has been proven to be effective in reducing the spread of infectious diseases and rate of tooth decay among children, ultimately creating positive impacts on a child’s school attendance,” she said.
She said the scaling-up of the EHCP in the ARMM is also related to the Basic Education Assistance in Mindanao (BEAM) program and made possible with the support from the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
During the launching, EHCP packages, consisting of toothpaste, toothbrush, and soap were turned-over to the Bacolod Central Pilot School.
To formalize the commitment to implement and sustain the program in the province, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by the representatives of the provincial government and Fit For School Inc., as well, as the Schools Division Superintendents of Lanao Del Sur I-A, I-B, II-A, II-B, and Marawi City Division. (PIA-10)
DSWD launches NHTS-PR database in region 10
By Apipa Bagumbaran
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, Oct. 6 (PIA) --- The Department of Social Welfare and Developmentm (DSWD), region 10, has launched, today, the regional database of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).
The NHTS-PR is an information management system that determines who and where the poor are, in the region, so that government resources are appropriately delivered to the right targets, Aldersey M. Dela Cruz, Assistant Regional Director of DSWD-10, said.
Based on the NHTS-PR, there are 338,749 poor households in region 10, sharing 6.44 percent of the identified poor households in the country.
Of these figure, Bukidnon got the highest number of poor households with 98,107, followed by Lanao del Norte, 94,007, Misamis Oriental, 93,104, Misamis Occidental, 46,061, and Camiguin with 7,470.
She said the NHTS-PR has been created as a result of the assessment of households undertaken for the identification of the qualified beneficiaries for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
The household assessment, she said, brought new ideas to the DSWD to create a system where all households in the country will be determined on the database.
The beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya program, social pension for indigent’s senior citizens, and social indigent sponsorship program of the PhilHealth have all been identified through the NHTS-PR, she added.
Dela Cruz said the database has been created so that national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), civil society organizations, and other partners in the private and government sector will be guided as to who and where the poor are, thus, will have no difficulty in identifying beneficiaries for their social protection programs.
She further said that with the launching of the database, national government agencies and LGUs will no longer spent too much for household assessment and government resources will no longer be wasted since the DSWD will be sharing the database to co-agencies and partners.
However, in order to use the database, the agency will need to sign a memorandum of agreement with the DSWD to ensure that all its content are solely used for social protection programs and will not be used for any political agenda, she concluded.
The regional launching held at the Pearlmont Inn was actively attended by representatives of national line agencies, local chief executives, civil society organizations, and members of the media, as well as, municipal, city, and provincial social welfare officers in the region. (PIA-10)
City solon lauds Iligan’s OBOP launching
By Lorry V. Gabule
ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte, Oct. 6 (PIA)—The launching of October as Business Month by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is a recognition of the vital role of the business sector in Iligan.
More so, with this latest undertaking of developing the One Barangay One Product (OBOP) Program, the barangay, as the basic unit of government in the country, and the most strategic choice where business and economy should flourish.
This was the message of Congressman Vicente Belmonte, Jr., of the Lone District of Iligan City, delivered by his chief of staff, Queenie Belmonte.
The Congressman commends the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and SP Committee on Trade and Industry Chairperson, SP Kagawad Frederick W. Siao, in coming up with this initiative of encouraging barangays to identify, develop and promote unique products that give them their distinct competitive edge and catapults their respective units into economic gains, he said.
He said OBOP will explore opportunities that will help further develop our area’s investment prospects, and that Iligan ‘s economic advancements can be easily achieved if backed up by progressive and economically stable barangays.
The Congressman is pleased that this undertaking is very much aligned with his project, dubbed as ‘MagtamVarfyayong sa Panginabuhian,’ (Together for Life) which seeks to economically empower the constituents by providing technical and financial support.
Meanwhile, Kagawad Siao added that OBOP –Iligan City will support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to manufacture, offer, and market distinctive products or services through the use of indigenous raw materials and local skills and talents.
“To make this program succeed, we need to have a comprehensive assistance package through a convergence of services from local government units (LGUs), national government agencies (NGAs), and the private sector,” said Siao.
The commitment of support we will get from the Congressional Office of the Lone District of Iligan would help sustain the program, he added. (PIA 10)
Rediscovering Nunungan’s Mt. Inayawan
Lord Leos Lavv Ladonga
NUNUNGAN, Lanao del Norte, Oct. 6 (PIA) -- With strong support from the local community, provincial government, and other stakeholders, the Mount Inayawan Range Natural Park may soon be next tourist attraction in the province.
This was the observation of the Youth for Development (Y4D), after they joined a group of nature lovers on a trek towards Mount Inayawan in the interior town of Nunungan, in whose vicinity the Lake Nunungan is found.
Led by soldiers from the 35th Infantry (Makamandag) Battalion (35IB), Philippine Army, the group composed of out-of-school youths, local media, Y4D leaders, non-government and people’s organizations (NGO/PO) and some government employees, aimed to rediscover Mount Inayawan’s scenic beauty and appreciate the abundance of its flora and fauna.
With its calm crystal clear waters complemented by the cool mountain breeze, the place is ideal for meditation and relaxation after a day of nature exploration.
The nature trek to Lake Nunungan was one of the highlights of a 3-day camp, along with a motocross competition and a boat race across the expansive waters of the lake.
Meanwhile, in a bid to further preserve the natural resources in Nunungan, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Presidential Proclamation No. 1344, declaring Mount Inayawan Range Natural Park as a protected area.
As a protected area, the natural park is placed under the administrative control and monitoring of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Now, threatened species inside the more than 3,600 hectares of the park freely roam in their natural habitat as illegal poachers are kept at bay by military forces patrolling the boundaries of the municipality.
Integral also to the development of the natural park is the establishment of a secured territory that will entice local and foreign tourists to explore the wonders of nature in Nunungan.
Moving towards this goal, the 35IB has been instrumental in strengthening peace in the area by closely coordinating with traditional and local government leaders.
Located 1,535 meters above sea level, Lake Nunungan is composed of three (3) other lakes of different sizes.
It holds an abundant supply of fish grown by the local folks and sits at the heart of Mount Inayawan which has been identified by nature trekkers and mountaineers as a great venue for regular climbs and adventure tours. (PIO/PIA-10)
Cag. de Oro Mayor says opening of businesses shows confidence in city’s economy
by Lorebeth C. Requiroso
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, Oct. 6 (PIA) – Mayor Vicente Y. Emano has expressed his gratitude to the management of Gaisano Inc. for opening its 6th branch in the city.
“Another mall was recently opened in Barangay Bulua and this has positive indications to the conomic growth of the city,” the Mayor said.
“Ang pagbukas sa Gaisano Mini-Mall sa Bulua usa ka positibong indikasyon nga taas kaayo ang pagsalig sa mga lokal ug langyaw’ng magpapatigayon sa natad sa negosyo sa atong dakbayan (The opening of a Gaisano Mini-Mall in Barangay Bulua is a positive indication of the high trust and confidence of the local businessmen in the city),” Emano said.
“Gawas pa, makatabang sa panarbaho sa mga kabus, diin ako mapasalamaton (Aside from that, it has helped the poor find employment, to which I am very thankful)” the Mayor added.
Gaisano is one of the first mall and department store in Cagayan de Oro City. (CIO/PIA-10)
No comments:
Post a Comment