Opening of classes in Ozamiz public schools, generally peaceful – OCPS Chief 
By Rutchie C. Aguhob 

OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental, June 5 (PIA) -- The opening of classes for school year (SY) 2012-2013, here, was generally peaceful and went on smoothly without any untoward incident.

This was the assessment of P/Supt. Jonas Tungcugo Amparo, Chief of the Ozamiz City Police Station (OCPS), who said part of his station’s preparation for the Balik Eskwela (Back to School) program for SY 2012-2013 was to increase the police visibility in the school premises of the city.

“We actually fielded OCPS personnel in the different schools of the city, not only for the security coverage of the school children, but also to conduct Kiddy Cops lecture in connection with Oplan Balik Eskwela 2012,” he said.

Amparo said the lectures included topics on tips of how to prevent street crimes, anti-illegal drug abuse prevention, anti-kidnapping and youth gang prevention, and on Republic Act No. 7610 or the “Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act” and RA 9208 or “Anti-Human Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.”

Likewise, briefings and orientations on the security measures implemented under the Balik Eskwela program were provided to members of the Barangay Patrol Action Officers who served as force multipliers in the barangays.

Amparo said members of the OCPS actively participated and supported the conduct of Brigada Eskwela or National Schools Maintenance Week (NSMW) of the Department of Education (DepEd), last May 21 to 25. Particularly, the OCPS extended its services to the Labo Central School (LCS) in Barangay Labo, this city, where, together with the teachers, parents, and barangay officials, they helped in the clean-up drive and carpentry works for the improvement of school building and its facilities.

Last May 23, the OCPS turned-over three gallons of paint and 10 sheets of plywood to Selina O. Macas, LCS Principal, as part of their support for the NSMW, witnessed by the Brigada Eskwela evaluators from DepEd Region-10, school staff, parents, and barangay officials.

The following day, May 24, another three gallons of paint were turned-over to Jovita B. Saquin, Principal of Ozamiz City National High School for the improvement of its computer laboratory room, Amparo added. (PIA-10 Mis. Occ.) 


Xavier Ecoville holds blessing, "padugo" of permanent site 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, June 5 -- Xavier Ecoville with Habitat for Humanity Philippines (HFHP) had its ground blessing and "padugo" ritual for the permanent site last June 2, a day after completing the transfer of more than 500 households to its temporary shelters in Barangay Lumbia for tropical storm Sendong survivors.

Among the attendees were Xavier University President Fr. Roberto Yap SJ, HFHP Regional Program Manager Leonilo Escalada, and Lumbia Barangay Captain Wilhem Valencia.

Workers from HFHP, composed of some Xavier Ecoville partner beneficiaries who were hired for the project, led the padugo ritual. Fr. Yap blessed the land after which the stakeholders shoveled cement into the foundation of the first house to be built.

Eduardo Tangonan III, leader of Xavier Ecoville’s Physical Development Team led the closing prayer. The occasion ended with a boodle fight, which consisted among others of meat from the padugo ritual. (XU) 


Dengue cases down by 80.61% in Mis. Occ.

OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental, June 5 (PIA) -- While the number of dengue cases in Region 10 went up to 36.74 percent during the period January 1 to June 1, this year, the dengue cases in Misamis Occidental went down by 80.61 percent during the same period.

This data is shown in the 2012 Dengue Morbidity Report for the 22nd Week, submitted by Dr. David Mendoza, Head of the Regional Epidemiology, Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit (RESDRU) of the Department of Health-Center for Health Development, region 10 (DOH-CHD-10).

“Based on the yearly trending, however, we will be expecting more cases of dengue this year compared to last year,” Mendoza said.

Thus, the local government units should be strengthening their anti-dengue campaign to reduce, if not eliminate, the incidence of the dengue occurrence in their areas, Mendoza said. Meanwhile, a total of 1,109 dengue cases were admitted to different sentinel hospitals in Northern Mindanao, from January 1 to June 1, 2012, higher by 36.74 percent compared to 811 cases in the same period last year.

Ages of dengue cases ranged from less than a month to 90 years old with 55 percent males and two deaths with a case fatality rate of 0.18 percent.

Among the age groups, those with the age range of below 5-14 years of age had the highest CFR of 0.42 percent.

Meanwhile, a total of 38 dengue cases were noted in Misamis Occidental, lower by 80.61 percent compared to the 196 dengue cases noted in the province during the same period in 2011.

Mendoza’s report also shows the same observation in Mis. Occ.’s three cities, namely Tangub, from 53 to four cases or down by 92.45 percent, Ozamiz from 67 to 13 cases or down by 80.60 percent, and Oroquieta City, from 17 to eight cases or down by 52.94 percent.

Most of the cases were from the following provinces: Misamis Oriental 864 cases or 77.80 percent, Bukidnon, 116 cases or 10.5 percent, Lanao del Norte, 88 cases or 7.90 percent, Misamis Occidental, 38 cases or 3.40 percent and Camiguin, three (3) cases or 0.30 percent.

Among the region’s nine cities, Cagayan de Oro has the highest number of 595 cases or 54.10 percent, followed by Iligan, 59 cases or 5.30 percent, and Gingoog 33 cases or 3.0 percent.

The other cities registered the following number of dengue cases: Valencia, 26 cases or 2.34 percent, Ozamiz, 13 cases or 1.17 percent, El Salvador, 9 cases or 0.81 percent, Malaybalay and Oroquieta, eight cases or 0.72 percent each, and lowest in Tangub with only four cases or 0.36 percent. In terms of increase compared to the same period last year, Bukidnon registered the highest increase of 213.51 percent, followed by Misamis Oriental, 117.08 percent, while the dengue cases in Camiguin went down by 80 percent, Misamis Occidental, down by 80.61 percent, and Lano del Norte, also down by 46.67 percent. As to the cities, Valencia posted the highest increase of 2,500 percent, followed by Malaybalay, 166.67 percent, Cagayan de Oro, 123.68 percent, and Gingoog, 120 percent. The other cities posted declines in the number of dengue cases: Tangub, down by 92.45 percent, Ozamiz, down by 80.60 percent, Oroquieta, down by 52.94 percent, Iligan, down by 46.24 percent, while El Salvador, remained the same as the last monitoring week. On the other hand, Mendoza said the cluster of three or more dengue cases were noted during the past four weeks in 16 barangays of Cagayan de Oro City: Balulang, Bugo, Bulua, Camaman-an, Carmen, Cugman, Gusa, Iponan, Kauswagan, Lapasan, Lumbia, Macasandig, Nazareth, Patag, Puerto, and Puntod.

Also noted with the same situation were Barangay Poblacion, Alubijid, Barra, Opol and Imelda, Villanueva, all of Misamis Oriental and Agusan Canyon, Manolo Fortich, Poblacion, Valencia City in Bukidnon and Poblacion and Palao, Iligan City, Mendoza added. (PIA-10 Mis. Occ.) 


DepEd issues guidelines on suspension of classes 
By Rutchie C. Aguhob 

OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental, June 5 (PIA) -- All concerned officials and personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) are directed to observe the weather bulletins of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced through various media outlets, such as radio and television, regarding cancellations of classes.

This directive came from Secretary Armin A. Luistro, who issued DepEd Oder No. 43, last May 28, in compliance to the Guidelines on the Implementation of Executive Order No. 66, entitled “Prescribing Rules on the Cancellation or Suspension of Classes and Work in Government Offices Due to Typhoons, Flooding, Other Weather Disturbances and Calamities.”

Such guidelines were issued to streamline the procedure on the suspension of classes and work in government offices in times of typhoons, floods and other disasters or calamities to spare the pupils, students, teachers, and government workers and the general public from unnecessary danger to their lives and limbs.

Along with this, the Education Secretary ordered the following guidelines to be observed by all concerned regional, division and school officials of both public and private schools on the automatic cancellation/suspension of classes: when Signal No. 1 is raised by PAGASA, public and private pre-school and kindergarten classes in the affected areas shall be automatically cancelled or suspended.

When Signal No. 2 is raised by PAGASA, public and private preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary classes in the affected areas shall be automatically cancelled and suspended.

When Signal No. 3 is raised by PAGASA, work in all DepEd offices in the affected areas shall be automatically cancelled or suspended.

Depending on the signal numbers declared at 10:00 pm. and 4:30 a.m. of the following day, classes in appropriate levels for the whole day are declared automatically suspended.

Afternoon classes in the appropriate levels in areas with signal numbers declared at 11:00 a.m. that day are likewise automatically cancelled.

Teaching personnel handling cancelled or suspended classes are likewise allowed to leave their stations in consideration of the work they will need to undertake during make-up classes.

In the absence of typhoon signal warning from PAGASA, localized cancellation/suspension of classes in both public and private school and work on government offices may be implemented by the local chief executives in their capacity as chairperson of the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMC). 

Thus, concerned local DepEd and private school officials are directed to establish effective lines of communication with the respective local government units (LGUs).

Meanwhile, Secretary Luistro said any decision to cancel or suspend classes must come from the local government, but that a school head may cancel or suspend classes only in cases where urgent action is needed to prevent loss of life or bodily harm.

As stated in Sec. 2, EO 66, LGU officials are expected to announce cancellation or suspension of classes not later than 4:30 a.m. for whole day cancellation or suspension or not later than 11:00 a.m. for afternoon cancellation or suspension.

No announcement should originate from the DepEd. If interviewed by media, announcements should always be made in reference to what PAGASA has already announced in areas under a typhoon signal and to local chief executives in the absence of a typhoon signal, Secretary Luistro said.

He also said that decisions on and subsequent announcement of cancellation/suspension of classes in public and private schools and work in government offices areas affected by elementary or calamities other than typhoons, such as, but not limited to floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and conflagration, shall be made by the local government as Chairperson of the LDRRMC, in coordination with the NDRRMC through all forms of mass media available under the circumstances.

Likewise, the Education Secretary said DepEd still maintains that parents have the ultimate responsibility for determining whether or not the children should go to school, even if no order for cancellation/suspension of classes has been issued, if they feel that travelling to or from schools will place their children at risk.

Parents are then advised to check from media advisories in times of typhoons, floods disasters, calamities and other weather disturbances coming from PAGASA, National DRRMC, Regional DRRMC, Local DRRMC, or the Office of the President itself, Secretary Luistro added. (PIA-10 Mis. Occ.) 


DSWD-10 alerts public against text scams 
By Apipa P. Bagumbaran 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, June 5 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Regional Office 10, warned the public especially beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program against text scams that are circulating nationwide.

Oliver Badel Inodeo, DSWD-10 Pantawid Pamilya Information Officer, said the alarming text message coming from a certain Lea Ramos, which states "Congratulations, President Noy-Noy Aquino Foundation 4Ps Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, your sim # won P950,000 as second prize winner in the Handog Pangkabuhayan raffle promo, DTI 0154s’12," is currently spreading.

He clarified that the text message is not true and that DSWD does not hold any raffle promos or draws. 

Thus, Inodeo is urging all those who will receive this text message to immediately report to the DSWD-10 regional office or text the Pantawid Pamilya Grievance Text Hotline 0918-912-2813.

Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program of the national government that provides cash grants to extremely poor households with children 0 to 14 years old in compliance to certain conditions on health, education, and nutrition. (APB/PIA-10) 


Mass tree growing to mark World Environment Day in Lanao del Sur 
By Apipa P. Bagumbaran 

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, June 5 (PIA) -- A province-wide tree growing activity is slated here today, June 5, in time for the World Environment Day celebration.

Atty. Cosain Abbas, head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the province, said the activity aims to plant 10,000 trees across the province as part of their contribution to fight global warming and in preserving the environment.

He said the DENR in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, through its provincial office, has collaborated with multi-sectoral groups to include the provincial government, Department of Interior and Local Government , 103rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office, Mindanao State University, Lanao del Sur Peoples’ Council, civil society, and members of the media to join in the tree growing activity.

He further said the tree planting will be held in various locations such as in river banks along Tulali Creek and Agus River in Caniogan, this city; along national highways, provincial and municipal roads except those with power lines; inside the MSU campus and other school campuses, and in contract reforestation sites of National Power Corporation in the western portion of the province, among others.

The World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.

It is commemorated every June 5 of the year and aims to give a human face to environmental issues.

This year, the celebration is centered on the theme “Green Economy: Does it include you?” (APB/PIA-10) 


Gulayan sa Paaralan 2012 beneficiaries identified 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, June 4 (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture in Northern Mindanao (DA-10) through its Crops Division renewed its partnership with the Department of Education-10 (DepEd-10), Department of Social Welfare and Development-10 (DSWD-10), local government units, and other government agencies to continue the implementation and the advocacy of the Agri-Pinoy Gulayan sa Paaralan Project in a meeting conducted last May 24, this city.

Primarily, Agri-Pinoy Gulayan sa Paaralan Project aims to address problems on malnutrition by teaching the students the values of eating healthy food through sustaining the supplementary feeding program of DepEd. Children are taught on how to plant and grow vegetables through natural farming and to replicate it at home to ensure sustainability.

The meeting tackled the amended guidelines of the implementation as stipulated in Executive Order No. 15, series of 2011; criteria and composition of evaluators for the best school garden contest; status and accomplishments for the 2011 beneficiaries of the project; and the 2012 target beneficiaries.

The five-year program aims to cover 42,076 school gardens by 2016.

As of this writing, 574 beneficiary schools are confirmed to have benefited from the project in Region 10, while the other 342 is yet to be confirmed by the provinces of Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental.

Meanwhile, for 2012, it is expected that 650 schools in the region will benefit from the project by receiving vegetable seeds and planting materials. Focal persons in each schools and districts will also undergo training prior to implementation of the program.

Furthermore, the recipients of the project are also encouraged to establish their own seed banking facility to sustain the implementation of the project and since it’s also one of the criteria for the district level search for best school garden contest.

A representative from the DepEd Division of Misamis Occidental raised an issue that there are secondary schools identified as beneficiary of the program where agriculture is not even offered as a subject and normally takes most of the extra time of students.

DA-10 Crops Division OIC Chief Janen T. Paradero said that there should be a written documentation submitted to the higher management so that they can hear it out and find ways to address it to make the implementation better.

Regional Reports Officer for Agri-Pinoy Gulayan sa Paaralan Gleen A. Janubas announced that DA will also distribute five kilos of worms and vermi bed for each of the 316 beneficiary school from Calendar Year (CY) 2011 and 400 schools for CY 2012 beneficiaries in the region. Training will also be conducted prior to the distribution of materials for vermiculture.

It has been agreed during the meeting that focal persons should disseminate the information to the heads of target school beneficiaries so that they could prepare the area intended for the project.

Moreover, to continually monitor the development of the project focal persons are also tasked to submit a monthly report with regard to the distribution of inputs and production data of existing gardens every end of the month to DA-Regional Field Office 10. (Vanessa Mae S. Siano/DA RAFID 10) 


Operation Tuli benefits 100 boys in Mis. Occ. 

SAPANG DALAGA, Misamis Occidental, June 4 (PIA) -- Around 100 boys underwent free circumcision under the Operation Tuli program of the provincial government recently.

Governor Hermina Ramiro said the services were done during summer to help children of Misamis Occidental avail circumcision services from medical professionals, which is essential to their good health and proper hygiene.

It is also aimed to relieve parents from the financial burden, the Governor said.

Just like the free circumcision held in the municipality of Plaridel last April, the governor personally attended the medical mission, along with some provincial officials.

Ramiro thanked the members of the medical mission composed of doctors from public hospitals both from the first and second districts of the province.

She also expressed gratitude to the local government officials of Sapang Dalaga led by Mayor Jonjie Animas, who together with Vice Mayor Manuel Animas and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan gave their support to health programs of the province.

The governor assured that Operation Tuli will continue to be among the services of the medical mission as long as there are boys in the province who will need them.

In return, local officials of Sapang Dalaga thanked the governor for the conduct of Operation Tuli.

Parents also showed appreciation to the program.

“We are very thankful for the services of the medical mission in giving free circumcision to my son because it meant a big savings for us and because we have no money to pay for a private doctor to do it,” Elsa Patagok, mother of one of the beneficiaries, said.

Likewise, parent Jonard Capundag said he is grateful because he did not need to spend a single centavo for the circumcision of his son. (Pat Nano/PIO) 


Youth volunteers undergo calamity response confab

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, June 4 -- Realizing that the youth is a dependable force that can efficiently deliver assistance during any calamity in their respective barangays, a Volunteer Youth for Emergency seminar workshop initiated by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council was held last May 31 at the City Tourism Hall.

City Administrator Atty. Leon Du M. Gan, Jr, who represented Mayor Vicente “Dongkoy” Y. Emano during the workshop, declared that the youth attendees can learn a lot of things and acquire skills they can use to properly respond to any calamity or emergency.

Some topics discussed by the members of the Oro Alert City Rescue Group were basic rescue operations, communication and reporting protocol, and the spirit of volunteerism.

Invited guests who were present during the workshop were Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Kagawad Sunshine Obsioma, City Director Emil Rana of the Department of Interior and Local Government, and Oro Alert Incident Commander Engineer Armen Cuenca. (CIO/PIA10)