one mindanao - june 9, 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

VENUS L. GARCIA, 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

EMMANUEL D. TAGHOY, PIA Region IX RETCHIE TOLINERO, PIA Region X

ZENER DUMAGUING, PIA Region X

DAISY JANE APIT, PIA Caraga Region

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

ARMM

NorthCot LGU improves zipline operation services

DepEd XI disallows 25 private schools to operate for SY 2015-2016

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Peace Caravan ignites unity, cooperation and genuine peace in Loreto, Agusan del Sur

Palace welcomes report on significant drop in number of out-of-school children

Muslim religious leaders urge DTI-ARMM to protect consumers during Ramadhan

NCIP-9 extends educational assistance to IP studes

10 troop carrier vehicles arrive at PRO 13

Tandag Water District assures customers of ample supply; bares new policies, initial plans

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By: Shahana Joy E. Duerme

By: Michael UyBy: Franklin P. Gumapon

By: Noel B. Najarro

By: Greg Tataro, Jr.

Cover Story

CARAGA

WESTERN NORTHERN

INFOCUS

SOCCSKSARGEN

SOUTHERN

NATIONAL

2021

DILG ‘Operation Listo’ confab in LdN set

BSP warns public against Phishing scams

By: Rutchie C. Aguhob

By: BSP

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26 OUR COVER

By: David M. Suyao

Contents

4 June 9, 2015One Mindanao

Cover StoryPeace Caravan ignites unity, cooperation and genuine peace in Loreto, Agusan del Sur

The long absence of rains made the rough roads going to Barangay Banawe, Loreto, Agusan del Sur looks like thick brown clouds of dust as early as 5:00 in the morning of May 29 as vehicles loaded with people from Sta. Teresita, Johnson, Mabuhay and Sabud rushed to Barangay Banawe where the second day program of the Caravan for Peace will take place.

By: David M. Suyao

5June 9, 2015 One Mindanao

Peace Caravan ignites unity, cooperation and genuine peace in Loreto, Agusan del Sur


Even with the burning heat of the morning sun, members of the army led by 26th Infantry Battalion Commander Rolando Dumawa briskly prepare the landing site of choppers that will carry the dignitaries from Manila led by Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process, Secretary Teresa Deles.

Agusan del Sur Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza arrived ahead on board the first helicopter that landed. Followed by flock of local residents, the governor proceeded to the venue where the second day of the caravan took place.

“No one will be left behind. Our work in the government cannot stop. We are here to work for the people,” said Manny Bautista, Executive Director of the Cabinet Cluster on Security, Justice and Peace, where the theme of the activity was derived, and as commitment of President Benigno S. Aquino to the Filipino people.

In his message to his constituents, Gov. Plaza lay down his challenge saying that the activity is just the beginning of the struggle to gain lasting peace.

“Always remember. Peace is everybody’s concern and struggle. We can never attain economic development if we will not work and aim together for lasting peace. We, both in the national and local governments cannot do something if you


will not cooperate with us. We are always here with you to work with you for peace and development. So we are calling you to give your share in order that we can attain our objective. To have a better and peaceful life,” Gov. Plaza said.

Sec. Deles personally handed over 900 educational kits to grades 1 and 2 children with Gov. Plaza, Loreto Mayor Dario Otaza and other dignitaries assisting. Sec. Deles escorted by Gov. Plaza also rounded the tents surrounding the multi-purpose building where various agencies were rendering their services to some 1,500 local residents from the five barangays of Loreto.

In the afternoon of that

second day, 154 rebels who showed themselves and laid down their intention to return to the folds of the law were presented to Sec. Deles and other dignitaries.

“After the legal processing and evaluation, you will be living back to normal lives. Then you can feel how the government cares for you. Anything that you feel that are not in the proper process, you can call USEC Bautista here and tell him. I know he will act on your needs immediately,” Sec. Deles said.


DBM releases guidelines on creation of procurement units to boost disbursement, spending

MANILA - The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released the guidelines on the creation of procurement units in all departments and agencies, as well as State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Government-Owned-or-Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), and Government Financial Institutions (GFIs) to fast-track procurement procedures that will support swifter government disbursement and more efficient public spending.


In line with the marching orders set by President Aquino with Administrative Order (A.O.) No. 46 as well as Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act, all agencies and departments will now have a single Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), as well as the procuring units to support them as per National Budget Circular (NBC) No. 2015-558.

“Last year’s underspending revealed to us the importance of having the appropriate structure to support the agencies’ procurement efforts. A.O. 46 laid out long-term strategic fixes to bureaucratic weaknesses in government procurement, via the creation of procurement support units,” Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said.

Agencies with major procurements requirements—like the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Education (DepEd)—may also create multiple BACs with the appropriate procurement support, depending on the number and complexity of the goods and services they need.

These support procurement units will be created at the central offices of the departments and agencies, line bureaus, SUCs, GOCCs, and GFIs. Their organization level shall be determined by the level of the department or agency, as well as their average procurement budget for the last three years.

The organization level of the procurement unit shall be as follows:

ANNUAL PROCUREMENT DEPT-LEVEL BUREAU-LEVEL GOCC/GFIBUDGET AGENCY AGENCY

P5 billion and above Service Division DepartmentLess than P5 billion Division Section Division


The organizational structure of the procurement units of the Procurement Management Service shall be divided into the following: Office of the Director, the Procurement Planning and Management Division, the BAC Secretariat Division, and the Contract Management Division.

On the other hand, the procurement units at the division-level shall be created under the Administrative Service or Finance Administrative Service with responsibilities on a smaller scale as compared to the service-level. Likewise, the procurement unit at the section-level will be created under the General Services Division or Administrative Division, but also on a smaller scale.

“Our introduction of reforms in the bureaucracy in the past years has revealed to us a better understanding of its weaknesses, as well as opportunities for improvement. We’re confident that with these new guidelines,

agencies will not only spend more efficiently but also support us in attaining our growth targets,” Abad said.

Almost half of the 2014 spending deficit was revealed to be due to structural weaknesses, which includes issues of capacity within agencies and GOCCs. Because of this, the measures in A.O. No. 46 cover the establishment of better procurement practices, more effective monitoring and evaluation, and the involvement of dedicated officials and staff in ensuring faster disbursements in their respective agencies. (DBM)


Palace welcomes report on significant drop in number of out-of-school children

MANILA - The Palace on Monday welcomed a report on the dramatic decline in the number of out-of-school children in the country from 11.7 percent in 2008 to 5.2 percent in 2012. “We are glad that attention is being given to this encouraging report, as it highlights the dividends of the government’s investment in the Filipino people,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during a press briefing in Malacañang.

The report, based on research conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), showed that the rate of out-of-school children to the total number of children


between the ages of 5 and 15, was reduced to 5.2 percent in 2012 from 11.7 percent in 2008.

The report attributed the significant decrease in the number of out-of-school children to the passage and implementation of mandatory kindergarten and the K to12 Law; the increasing budget the Department of Education has obtained from the national government; and the expansion of the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, which requires families to send their children to school.

According to the report, national funding commitments to education have increased by more than 15 percent annually since 2010.

“As a share of the national budget, education expenditures grew from 12 percent in 2009 to 14 percent in 2015, in view of the expanding Philippine economy,”

it said.

It stated that the government’s decision to increase the Department of Education’s budget, coupled with the investments in the CCT, is “clearly paying off with growing evidence of considerably improved participation of children in primary education.”

The report stated that these human resource investments should continue, so that “no one, whether poor or non-poor, male or female, is left behind in education attainments as the country pursues a path of growth, prosperity, and development.”

The results of the research were reported in the Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children Philippine Country Study published by the UNICEF, and presented by the PIDS and the UNICEF in a recent seminar. (PCOO)


Muslim religious leaders urge DTI-ARMM to protect consumers during Ramadhan

COTABATO CITY - Muslim religious leaders here asked the Department of Trade and Industry in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DTI-ARMM) and other concerned government agencies to protect Muslim consumers from dishonest traders who may take advantage of the fasting month of Ramadhan to raise prices of basic commodities.

ARMM


The call was raised Tuesday as Muslims all over the world prepare the observance of fasting month, tentatively scheduled on June 17 or 18, depending on the sightings of the moon.

The Muftis (Islamic law in te rp re te r / ju r i s consu l t s ) and Ulama (Islamic scholars) gathered for the 2nd National Assembly of Mufti and Ulama in Davao City last week and also issued appeals to DTI-ARMM and similar government agencies through a joint resolution to look into the perennial hike of prices of basic commodities during Ramadhan.

The Muslim religious leaders said they observed in previous years that when Ramadhan was approaching, traders, including street vendors took advantage of the fasting season to double or triple the prices of goods.

The assembly participants requested the “Regional Darul Ifta” (RDI-ARMM) in the ARMM to coordinate with concerned government agencies to appeal for the protection of Muslim consumers against spike in prices by traders, including Muslim businessmen, during the religious event.

They noted that under the Consumer Act of the Philippines, it is a stated policy “to protect the interests of the consumers, in particular against deceptive, unfair and unconscionable acts and practices.”

The Muftis and Ulama also noted the existing “Bantay Presyo” mechanism of DTI and urged the concerned agency to strengthen the price watch measure with the participation of the RDI-ARMM and its network of Ulama.

The highly respected personalities in Muslim communities are the Mufti, Ulama and Asatidz (Madrasa teachers) are the sources of Islamic knowledge.

Fasting during the month of Ramadhan is obligatory to able-bodied Muslims, both male and female. The religious practice prohibits eating, drinking and engaging in carnal act from dawn till sunset.

The activity, hosted by the RDI-ARMM, had the theme “And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah and do not become divided,” a verse from the Holy Qur’an. (PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Home Mutual Development Fund (HMDF) or simply called PAGIBIG Fund here invites its members to avail of the “Loyalty Card” to enjoy its perks.

PAG-IBIG offers loyalty card for membersBy: Jocelyn P. Alvarez

Ms. Corazon Mamauag, head of the Marketing Division said the loyalty card is a discount card and can be used nationwide. ‘Kahit saang parte

ng bansa ka man mapunta, maari mo itong gamitin sa mga partner establishments ng PagIbig.” (Wherever part in the country you will


be, you can use this card with our partner- establishments.) Mamauag said PagIbig is continuously inviting local (Zamboanga-based) partner-establishments and as of March, there are already four establishments in the city that have affirmed their partnership with the fund. “Mayroon na tayong apat, isang hotel, isang pharmacy, grocery store at college school, and we are still working out with 10 more local partner establishments (we have already four, one hotel, one pharmacy, grocery store and one school),” Mamauag said.

The active marketing head said the loyalty card for now serves as discount card for each member but in the future this will also served as debit card/cash card. Any member –applicant may apply in person at PagIbig office every Mondays and Fridays for walk-in. “A member-applicant just need to fill up the loyalty card application form, pay P100 and then pi-picturan sila (have a

photo taken) for the card, then they’re done,” Mamauag said. For the rest of the weekdays, PagIbig deploys its personnel to employers/companies to do the orientation and processing of applications. Loyalty card is released to member-applicant 15 to 30 days after application. According to Mamauag, as of March, they have already picture-captured 600 loyalty card applicants of which 200 were already released or are now in circulation. The Pag-ibig members with loyalty card will enjoy discounts


PAGADIAN CITY – A total of 361 poor but deserving college students belonging to the Indigenous Peoples (IP) from all over Zamboanga Peninsula including those from Basilan Province have been given scholarships under the Educational Assistance Program (EAP) of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)-9 for this school year, 2015-2016.

NCIP-9 extends educational assistance to IP studesBy Franklin P. Gumapon

and rewards: 5%-50% discount on partner medicines; P10 discount per 11kg tank with partner LPG; 10%-15% discount on tuition fee with partner schools; and a lot more. National partners include 2Go (travel) -20% discount on retail ticket fares at participating outlets; 5% discount from published retail rates on all Canon products at participating outlet; 10% discount on haircut and other hair services at David’s Salon; 50% discount on diamond power peel and other selected services at Dermcare; 5% discount on ophthalmic les

at George; get special free dish for a minimum 1,000 single purchase at participating Gerry’s Grill outlets ; enjoy points on purchase of Petron fuels at participating outlets and a lot more.


Regional EAP Focal Person Abdurasid Buddick told the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) that 353 of these scholars would each receive P10 thousand as educational assistance per semester and are required to maintain a weighted average grade of at least 80%. The other six who are classified under the “merit-based full scholarship” would be given P25 thousand each per semester and should maintain a weighted average grade of 85% or better. These scholars are currently enrolled in various degree programs like Bachelor of Elementary Education

(BEED), Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE), Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW), Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) and others. Buddick advised the grantees to study hard in order to maintain their scholarships. “Until you won’t give us a chance to remove you from the list of scholars, you can continue enjoying the grant until you finish college,” Buddick emphatically said. The IP scholars in the region are composed of Subanens, Kalibugans, Sama Bangingi, Badjaos and Yakans.

Camiguin runs EHCP evaluation in schools

MAMBAJAO, Camiguin - All 55 elementary schools here have recently undergone evaluation for the Essential Health Care Package (EHCP) implementation to sustain efforts in promoting health and hygiene values and habits among school children.

by Jorie C. Valcorza

Actual evaluation results bared that 31 or fifty six percent (56%) of the schools evaluated shows notable efforts in implementation. This means, the students with the supervision of the teachers, diligently adheres to the tooth brushing and hand washing schedule.


DILG ‘Operation Listo’ confab in LdN set

TUBOD, Lanao del Norte - A 3-day Disaster Preparedness Dialogue and Wemboree was conducted at the Macapagal Training Center, Tubod, Lanao del Norte, May 13 to 15.

by Rutchie C. Aguhob

Members of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) from 10 towns, this province, undergone the training implemented under DILG’s ‘Operation Listo.’ This aims to ensure the safety and resiliency of communities during disasters. Capping the theme “Tamang Paghahanda, Tamang Aksyon!,” Operation Listo is the disaster

preparedness program of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) implemented under RA 10121 known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. The activity was organized by the provincial government of Lanao del Norte through its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and the Provincial

Apart from the regular group activity, the provincial evaluation team also checks on the presence of health corners, functional drinking and wash facilities in schools. EHCP Provincial Program Coordinator Thelma G. Dagpin said the program is on seventh year now and they have been going around for the evaluation regularly, at least twice in a year. “We do pre and post evaluation to ensure it’s been carried out well, as well as, name outstanding implementers to encourage non-performing schools full compliance,” she said. As support to the program the

provincial local government (PLGU) regularly distributes basic supplies like toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, lice shampoo, lice comb, and nail cutter to all public elementary school children including those at the day care level. This project was first introduce by Fit for School Foundation and sustained by the PLGU to address the nagging problem of absences among school children due to toothache. To date, the prevalence rate of dental problem among elementary school children in Camiguin is still high, based on the 2013-2014 school record of the Department of Education.


Population Office (PPO). A workshop on disaster preparedness was conducted on the first day of training with action planning to align the municipal preparedness plan to the municipal convergence plan, and a one-on-one coaching of the municipal disaster management officer. A Wemboree (disaster resiliency camp) was also organized on the

second and third day of the training joined by more than 50 youth from different municipalities of the province. The camp aims to develop the participants’ mindset from the typical ‘me’ to ‘we’ and transforms participant into a good team player. Other activities of the wemboree include body painting, photo painting, and song writing.

BSP warns public against Phishing scamsCAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is warning the public against Phishing scams.

Phishing is a form of identity theft whereby someone steals or uses personal or sensitive information of another person without his/her knowledge or permission, through hacking into one’s personal account, hijacking one’s data and taking over one’s online identity, to commit fraudulent acts/crimes, or conduct unauthorized business. Once the scammers have your information, it becomes possible for them to withdraw money or purchase items under your name, open a new bank or credit card account, use your present account to illegally deal with other people, or encash checks on your behalf.

Scammers may also install computer viruses and worms or embed them in your e-mail and disseminate more phishing e-mails to other people. These fraudsters usually send an e-mail with a generic greeting, such as “Dear Customer” or “To Our Valued Client” with an urgent message or content containing a threat such as “Verify your account”, “Update your account,” or “Failure to do so will result in account suspension.” The message is usually accompanied by a link that, when clicked, leads to a spoofed or fake website which asks you to input your personal and financial information


such as User IDs, passwords and account and personal identification numbers. Scammers may use official-looking logos and other identifying information from a financial institution or other legitimate organization. Phishing may be done in various methods other than e-mail, such as text messages, chat rooms, electronic fake banner advertisements or message boards, fake mailing lists, fake job search sites and job offers, and fake browser toolbars. To avoid being victimized by Phishing scams, the BSP is advising the public not reply to suspicious

e-mails and ignore and delete the message. Do not click any link in a suspicious message and do not give personal and financial information requested through e-mail, the BSP said. Call your bank instead and send a letter to verify if such e-mail request is real. If you think you have given out information to a phisher, report the incident immediately to the company that was spoofed, the BSP added. (BSP)

Comelec-XI calls for bio-metrics voters’ registration

DAVAO CITY- Acting City Election Officer Atty. Marlon Casquejo urged residents to un-dergo biometrics reg-istration to guarantee that they can exercise the right to vote in the local and national elec-tions in 2016. He explained that the turn-out of the bio-metric registration re-mains low despite bring-ing the activity to the barangay level. Casquejo said the biometric registration aims to reach out to 179,000 voters in Davao City alone and 270,000 voters in other parts of Davao Region. “The biometrics

registration aims to cleanse the list of vot-ers of flying voters, de-ceased and double reg-istration,” he said. Casquejo who is also the act-ing regional

election of the Commis-sion on Elections 11 ex-plained that those af-fected by the biometric registration will be the voters who were listed officially from 2003 and below. Biometric regis-tration is based on the law, Republic Act 10367, aimed at listing the vital statistics, picture and signature of the voters using the computer sys-tem. It is the policy of the State to establish a clean, complete, perma-nent and updated list of voters through the adop-tion of biometric tech-nology. (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)


DepEd XI disallows 25 private schools to operate for SY 2015-2016DAVAO DEL NORTE- The Depart-ment of Education (DepEd) Region XI did not close some of the pri-vate schools in the region but only disallowed them to operate for the school year 2015-2016 due to its failure to renew government per-mit to operate. “There is no truth about the al-legations that they are being closed. We did not close any schools; they are just simply disallowed to operate for 2015-2016 school year because of that failure,” said DepEd XI Infor-mation Officer Jenielito Atillo. Atillo said that in their count, there are around 25 private in-stitutions including those schools in Talaingod and Kapalong of this province that will not be allowed to operate for this school year. He cited Batas Pambansa 2032 and Manual of Regulations of 2010, which stated that no private school should operate without government authority provided to them by the DepEd for basic education (kinder-garten to highschool) or the Com-mission on High Education for ter-tiary education. He bared that according to law, the schools should have acted on their renewal last August 1 to Sep-tember 30 of 2014, in order to oper-ate on this school year.

“They could still operate on 2016 and beyond provided they pass the requirements, which will then be perused,” Atillo said. He added that the department will still examine their papers includ-ing the facilities and human resourc-es before they will be given the per-mit to operate. “If they will opt to continue to operate this school year, all efforts exerted by the school and the stu-dents will not be taken as official records and as within regulations by the department,” he said. Atillo said that they already is-sued notice of non renewal to the schools. “The best thing for them to do if they have already catered or en-rolled students is to transfer them to public or private education institution with government authority,” he said. (PIA11, Michael Uy)

More farmers to benefit from OPVet’s Animal Dispersal ProgramBy: Shahana Joy E. Duerme

KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato, June 9--- In its bid to help farmers im-prove their livelihood, the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian in North Cota-bato are set to disrubute more live-stock under its Animal Dispersal Pro-gram.

Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Rufino Suro-pia said that they will conduct more animal dispersals in different villages of North Co-tabato especially in areas with farmers who cannot afford to buy their own livestock.

Suropia noted that recently, 69 small farmers in the towns of Antipas, President Roxas and Arakan availed of the program.

“The livestock distributed includes piglets, goats and cows,” he stated.

These animals obtained by the farmers will serve as startup for their livestock rais-ing ventures intended to help them improve their living conditions, he added.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by the beneficiaries and the provin-cial government through the OPVet requires the beneficiaries to dto take care of the farm animals and use these as income-generat-ing projects.


As stipulated in the MOA, the beneficiaries should give back the first offspring of large animals to the provincial government. These new live-stock will be distributed to other beneficiaries to sustain the animal dispersal program.

“It is a privilege given to

us small farmers in giving us a source of livelihood,” said Domingo Madao of Barangay Doroluman, Arakan, one of the recent beneficiaries. He vowed that he would take good care of the livestock for the good fo his family.

For her part, Governor Em


NorthCot LGU improves zipline operation servicesBy: Shahana Joy E. Duerme

KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato, June 9 --- Tourism players in the province particularly the staff and crew of the New Israel Eco-Tourism Adventure Park and Zipline in Makilala town were recently trained on zipline operations.

mylou Mendoza emphasized that the provincial government does not only help farmers by giving them a source of income but also by making them re-

sponsible partners in supporting the Animal Dispersal Program. (SJDuerme-PIA12 with report from NorthCot Media Center)

Twenty-seven participants went through lectures to equip them in performing their duties and responsibilities in operating the zipline and help them gain more confidence in handling tourists.

The four- day activity con-ducted in two batches was headed by the Public Affairs As-sistance Tourism Sports and De-velopment Division (PAATSDD).

The training which focused on the latest information and techniques in zipline operations underlines the role of the opera-tors and staff in helping boost tourism as well as entrepreneur-

ship.Governor Emmylou Mendoza

said that this move is to further promote tourism in the province particularly in Makilala where the longest zipline in Southeast Asia is located.

“As we continue to promote New Israel zipline to both lo-cal and national tourists, we also continue to implement im-provements in the village which include training the staff and other tourism players,” Mendoza noted.

Since it begun its operation in 2013, the New Israel zipline re-corded a continuing increase


in tourist arrival each year, she said.

Tourists from nearby provinc-es and cities in SOCCSKSARGEN region and the rest of Mindanao and from some parts of Visayas and Luzon as well as foreign tourists, such as Americans, Chinese and Koreans have been noted to arrive in Makilala to visit the site and ride the zipline.

Last year, the locals of New Israel who serve as staff and tour guides begun the tourist home stay program and were given series of trainings to en-hance their capability to receive and handle visitors.

This was further strengthened by training sessions and capabil-ity building among the people in

the village of New Israel includ-ing proper tourist handling or management, among others.

“Providing trainings and other support to the crew and staff of New Israel zipline is a clear in-dication that we want the prov-ince’s tourism industry to grow and be at par with other tourist destinations in the region,” Men-doza emphasized.

The governor said that the provincial government, local government unit of Makilala, Department of Tourism and other concerned agencies are consistently pooling efforts and resources to attain tour-ism standards and develop best practices in New Israel. (SJDu-erme-PIA12 with report from the N. Cotabato Media Center)


Butuan City inmates avail SSS’ AlkanSSSya ProgramBy: Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY - The Social Security System (SSS) in partnership with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Caraga has launched on Friday the AlkanSSSya Program with the city inmates as the beneficiaries. There were some 26 female and 72 male participating inmates in the said activity. Officials of the BJMP-Caraga Regional Office expressed their gratitude to SSS especially to SSS Northern Mindanao Division assistant vice president Atty. Edwin Alo for partnering with the


Butuan City Jail in the launching of the SSS’ AlkanSSSya Program. With this, inmates will be taught to save and assured of their future whether in jail or in the mainstream of society. Atty. Alo emphasized the importance of being an SSS member. “With your SSS membership, you are secured and protected. Just pay your monthly dues religiously and you will surely benefit from this program,” he said. J/Insp. Raul Badillo, assistant warden also expressed his thanks to the SSS officials for partnering with the BJMP-Caraga for its program intended for the welfare of the city inmates. He also reiterated that with the said program, inmates can now avail of the SSS without any hassle on their part and their relatives. “May the AlkanSSSya Program of the Social Security System help many of our inmates here in the city. I know you have your livelihood here so I believe all of you can pay your SSS premium on time without any problem. May your contribution also help you in times of emergencies especially when you will be discharged and live another life again in your respective community,” articulated Baltar.

Also, Antonio Fabia, SSS Butuan City branch head congratulated all the recipients and inspired them to continue life even inside the jail. “Your life doesn’t end up here, be optimistic that there are still many wonderful things to come. And the SSS as your partner is very willing to help and assist you. Meantime, we are asking you to save and pay your monthly due,” he said. It can be recalled that the AlkanSSSya program evolved from the original “TrikanSSSya” conceptualized by the SSS Las Piñas Branch and subsequently launched to cover tricycle operators and drivers. The project entailed the construction of a pigeon-hole-like “piggy bank” for these drivers to drop off their daily savings intended for SSS contributions. Such set-up was ideal for members who cannot afford to remit their entire monthly premiums in one payment but are able to do so on a daily basis. Inspired by the idea, the TrikanSSSya program has since been adopted and institutionalized as a nationwide program for all SSS branches to cover and collect from Informal Sector Groups (ISGs) or self-employed members with irregular income.


Under the program, daily savings are placed in the AlkanSSSya unit, which is a metal cabinet or any material with secure mini-compartments that are assigned to association members who can drop in any amount daily until the required minimum SSS contribution is met. Once a month, the informal sector group officials, under the monitoring and guidance of an SSS Account Officer, count out the collected savings, fill out the requisite payment forms, and remit these to SSS through the bank or an accredited collecting agent. It was also learned that as of June 2014, the SSS has been able to partner with 837 different ISGs and successfully registered 83,757 workers as SSS members.

In terms of contributions, more than P81.1 million have been collected, although many other ISGs have yet to make their first counting. Meanwhile, Atty. Alo, together with Mr. Fabia, BJMP Warden J/SInsp. Jonathan Baltar, JO1 Psychie Macagaan, and AMS Head of SSS Butuan Ma. Zima Balansag signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) witnessed by the male and female participating inmates. Right after the MOA Signing between the officials of the SSS and BJMP-Caraga, the 26 females and 72 males personally dropped their coins at their AlkanSSSya - a typical can where they can place their payments intended for their SSS monthly dues.


Police Regional Office 13 regional chief spokesman PSupt Martin Gamba, in an interview on Monday morning, said that the vehicles which arrived at Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez on Thursday last week were procured by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and were shipped via Cagayan de Oro City port. According to him, the vehicles were already designated to the ten municipal police stations of the province of Agusan del Norte upon the receipt of their regional supply officer. He said he did not have any idea why only the municipal police

stations of Agusan del Norte were made to be recipients of the police troop carriers, excluding the city of Cabadbaran. Each unit has already been marked with the names of the respective recipient municipal police stations upon its arrival at the Cagayan de Oro city port as received by their regional supply officer, he said. The regional spokesperson chief also said that he did not know if there will still be more shipments of similar vehicles for the other provinces in the future. He said however, that the vehicles will soon be disposed and turned-over to the supply officers of the respective designated municipality. As to when and who

10 troop carrier vehicles arrive at PRO 13By: Noel B. Najarro

BUTUAN CITY - Ten units of troop carrier police vehicles are now at Police Regional Office 13 ready for disposal to the designated municipal police stations of Agusan del Norte.


will do the turn-over rites, he did not have any idea yet. Presently, according to Gamba, they are still on the process of checking and recording the vehicles and these may probably be turned-over anytime this week.

According to Gamba that the troop carriers will be a big boost as to the mobility of the police and may greatly contribute to the peace-keeping, anti-criminality and anti- illegal activity campaign of the municipalities of Agusan del Norte.

Tandag Water District assures customers of ample supply; bares new policies, initial plansBy: Greg Tataro, Jr.

BUTUAN CITY - Tandag Water District (TWD), which is under new management, has assured its more than 6,200 customers of sufficient water supply.


General Manager (GM) Annie Ty, who took over the helm on May 18, expressed confidence about having a much better service, especially on the quantity and quality of water. She said that water interruption is no longer a major stumbling block, citing that aside from having several surface and underground sources, TWD has now employed a technology via a new “water treatment facility.” However, a busted water supply pipe has caused much inconvenience to customers over the weekend. Meanwhile, aware that the city—its service area—is booming, having in mind two medium-sized malls to open soon, apart from a new branch of a popular food chain that is expected to break ground also sooner or later, the new GM added that TWD will further venture on finding and developing new water sources. Just less than a month-old in her post, the lady executive also disclosed a more lax and lenient policy on customers who encounter problem in paying their bills—a bit of good news since no disconnection is going to take place provided those facing such circumstance will agree on executing a

promissory note or paying a minimal percentage of the amount due. Moreover, Ty took pride in saying that tap water here is indeed potable, hence suitable for drinking. She also revealed that instead of going outside of the province for a water sample laboratory test, TWD has already made possible tying-up with the Provincial Health Office (PHO) for such a requirement. In addition, the new GM, who replaced predecessor Engr. Ruben Elpa, is planning to allow a contract agreement with prospective concessionaire/s to plant trees at Tandag watershed with a total area of 784 hectares.

one mindanao - june 9, 2015

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