One Mindanao - October 30, 2012

PIA REGIONAL OFFICESEDITORIAL BOARDExecutive Editor …….. EFREN F. ELBANBUENA Cluster Head, Southern, Western and Central Mindanao Regional Director, PIA Region XI

Managing Editor …….. ABNER M. CAGA Cluster Head, Northern and Northeastern Mindanao

Associate Editors …… NOEMI B. EDAGA Regional Director, PIA Region IX

OLIVIA T. SUDARIA Regional Director, PIA Region XII NORA C. LANUZA MOLDE Officer-in-charge, PIA Caraga Region

ELAINE O. RATUNIL Officer-in-charge, PIA Region X

Regional Desk Editors Jocelyn P. Alvarez, PIA Region IX Jorie C. Valcorza, PIA Region X Rudolph Ian G. Alama, PIA Region XI Danny E. Doguiles, PIA Region XII Robert E. Roperos, PIA Caraga Region

Copy Editor ............... Robert E. Roperos, PIA Caraga Region

Layout Artists ……… Victoriano B. Villacruz, Jr., PIA Region IX Zener R. Dumaguing, PIA Region X

Senior Layout Artists : Gerie Mae G. Coco, PIA Caraga Region Richard D. Atillo, PIA Caraga Region

Editorial Adviser :

SEC. HERMINIO “Sonny” B. COLOMAPresidential Communications Operations Office

Western Mindanao (Zamboanga Peninsula)P. Urro Street, San Francisco DistrictPagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur 7016Telephone no. (062) 215-1480 / 925-0038Cellphone no. 0908-8843404E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]: www.piazampen.blogspot.comFacebook: PIA WesMin Info BlizTwitter: https://twitter.com/PIAIX

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

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]

Central Mindanao (SOCCSKSARGEN) Provincial Capitol Compound 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]

Northeastern Mindanao (Caraga)Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines Bldg.,J. Rosales Avenue, Butuan CityTelephone no. (085) 341-5285 / 360-1239Telefax no. (085) 341-2370Cellphone no. 0917-7188834Email: [email protected] , [email protected],phBlogspot: www.piacaraga.blogspot.comFacebook: PIA Caraga Updates, PIA Agusan del Norte, Pia Agusan del Sur, Pia Surigao del Norte, Pia Surigao del Sur Twitter: https://twitter.com/PIACaraga

Cover Story

Faces of Successful Farming

Dani DoguilesCentral Mindanao

Today’s issue... Tuesday, October 30, 2012 Vol. 2 No. 54

page 4

President Aquino bares three-part plan for the preservation of country’s art and culture10

Juvy L. Canumay, Northern MindanaoLGU Ozamiz wins the CROWN Award anew 21DENR calls for LGUs action in solid waste management 22 Jorie C. Valcorza, Northern Mindanao

Soccsksargen cited as best performing region in implementing MRDP projects

LGU Tacurong recognizes best performing barangays

Dani Doguiles, Central Mindanao

MinDA bares options to improve power situation in Mindanao 24 Southern Mindanao

Coop month culminated with clean up activity28 Gideon C. Corgue, Western Mindanao

First modified conditional cash transfer (MCCT) launched in Veruela, Agusan del SurDavid M. Suyao, Caraga Region

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Jezereel Billano & Allan Freno, Central Mindanao

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9 road projects in Agusan Sur completed35 Melody E. de Vera, Caraga Region

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 4 ONE MINDANAO

Faces of Successful Farming

But these four individuals from Soccsksargen Region are no average people. Albeit their credentials are as varied as their names sound they are bound by a single avocation – farming. Definitely, they are an epitome of how farmers become when the desire to achieve is coupled with hardwork and strategies as well as a application of useful technologies. Saljay, Doletin, Panghulan, and Sillador are four of the national awardees of the Department of Agriculture’s Gawad Saka Search 2012. Gregorio B. Saljay III: National Outstanding High Value Crops Farmer This 28-year old bachelor councilor of Pigcawayan town in North Cotabato grew up in family whose business revolves around agriculture -- buy-and-sell of palay and corn augmented by livestock raising -- that led to his early predilection to farming and animals raising and career choice. Greggy, as he is called by his relatives and neighbors, finished Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with specialization in animal husbandry from

Their names -- Gregorio B. Saljay III, Vicente

Doletin, Alberto Panghulan, and Jaime P. Sillador -- wouldn’t ring a bell.

by Dani Doguiles

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 5ONE MINDANAO

the Central Mindanao University in Bukidnon. After finishing college, he took over the management of the family farm and began the process to turn the lot into an organic farm. In 2006, he introduced integrated natural farming system by raising goats for meat and dairy production and growing fruit-bearing trees such as durian, lanzones, among others. He also opened the farm to various agricultural research undertakings and innovations from the academe, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other public and private individuals and institutions. Out of these initiatives, he was adjudged Magsasakang Siyentista of the Cotabato Agricultural Resource Research and Development Consortium (CARRDEC) in 2010, which encouraged him to engage more in value-adding activities by adding more livestock and other high value crops including the succulent dragon fruit. Greggy shared that he learned dragon fruit production from an agricultural magazine which featured the exotic fruit and began growing it in 2008. A year after, 40 percent of the dragon fruits have began bearing fruits, which encouraged him to find more varieties. Now Saljay Farm already all the yellow, red, and white dragon fruit varieties. Never a selfish person, Greggy shares his knowledge in integrated and organic farming with members of the academe, NGOs, and other agricultural and non-agricultural entities. Vicente Doletin: Outstanding Small Animal Raiser Former vice mayor Vicente Doletin was nominated for Gawad Saka Outstanding Small Animal Raiser in 2005 but did not get the award but this was never a hindrance to work more to improve his farm. This year, his efforts has gained him a second nomination and the national award. Doletin of Brgy. Kiwanan, Midsayap, North Cotabato takes pride that his goat production means millions of pesos for himself and his family. He began commercial goat raising with just five does and one buck in 1998 after leaving the political arena, despite lack of formal training in agriculture (being a commerce graduate) but with help from other people who

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 6 ONE MINDANAO

guided him in his newfound interest. Gradually, knowledge -- and income -- in goat raising increased, until he was able to supply meat to markets as far as Metro Manila. “Goat raising is not simply goat raising. We trade in millions of pesos in this business,” he said Besides, he is also the primary producer of goats for the local government’s dispersal project and is able to earn more with the by-products as materials in the production of organic fertilizers. Alberto Panghulan: National Outstanding Coconut Farmer Venturing into coconut farming started as an experimentation for this 52 year-old former overseas foreign worker, a bid which he knew could either make or break the Panghulan family’s yearning to live a happy and comfortable life. Abet, who is a farmer-businessman and barangay leader in Sagasa, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat, albeit lacking in knowledge on farming began farming in early 1990s using P200,000 family savings. He started by planting around 300 hills of coconut. He also used a portion of the 5-hectare farm to cultivate pineapples and some backyard vegetables to ensure FAITH (Food Always in the Home) and raised cattle, goat and poultry such as native chicken and ducks on the side. Encouraged by the success from his integrated farm, he went further by planting more coconuts in between the old plants and incorporated hog raising and later added banana, papaya and calamansi to the crops he raised making his coconut farm truly a beautiful mix of plants and animals out of an experimentation. Jaime P. Sillador: National Outstanding Sugarcane Farmer “I am the producer, the director and the superstar in the movie of my life,” says this farmer from Kibudtungan, Carmen North Cotabato who as a young man once dreamed of becoming an actor.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 7ONE MINDANAO

Although unable to get a college education, Jaime was an active member of the 4H Club that led to a privilege for a two-year (1996-1977) training at the University of Hawaii through the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, under DA’s Philippine Agricultural Training Program (PTAP). Fresh from his training, he established a five-hectare mango plantation. From his income from the mango farm, he was able to buy a truck, a jeep, a home lot and another five-hectare farm lot, which he used for corn production which was later for sugarcane production. Earning more than what he first expected from his sugarcane farm, he expanded further by renting idle lands in their community, which besides earning more income for the family, also became a source of living

by their neighbors. He said, with income from sugarcane production has acquired three 10-wheeler trucks and a family service vehicle and furnished their house Now, not only his family but also his relatives are now savouring the aroma of his sweet success.

8 Tuesday, October 30, 2012

ACROSS THE NATIONMalacañang welcomes Moody’s Investors Service move upgrading credit rating for the Philippines

The Aquino government welcomed the move of the Moody’s Investors Service which upgraded its credit rating for the Philippines.

“We welcome the positive ratings action from Moody’s Investors Service, which upgraded the Philippines from Ba2 to Ba1—one notch below investment grade. This marks the

ninth positive ratings action since President Aquino took office on June 30, 2010, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said on Monday.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 9

Lacierda said the “credit rating upgrade shows sustained international confidence in the Philippines under the Aquino administration, which is especially striking given a weakened global economy.”

“Indeed, this upgrade acknowledges our resilience and commends our robust responses to an increasingly challenging milieu,” Lacierda said.

“Moody’s likewise recognizes our strong macroeconomic fundamentals and the government’s efforts to enhance its fiscal space, as it continues to strive for inclusive growth—including the historic Bangsamoro Framework Agreement, which may harness the long-untapped potential of Mindanao as well as secure equitable progress for its people,” he noted.

Lacierda said the Moody’s upgrade reflects the same confidence of Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings, which have already rated the Philippines a mere step from achieving investment grade status.

“This marks a milestone: It has been a decade since all three credit ratings agencies rated the Philippines one notch below investment grade status. Good governance is good economics,” he said. PND (js)

10 Tuesday, October 30, 2012

President Aquino bares three-part plan for the preservation of country’s art and culture

President Benigno S. Aquino III bared on Monday the government’s three-part plan to preserve the country’s art and culture to increase national competitiveness.

In his speech at the 111th Anniversary of the National Museum at the Old Senate Session Hall, Old Legislative Building along Padre Burgos Avenue in Manila, the Chief Executive underscored the need to preserve, maintain, secure and promote the country’s culture and the arts which are vital to our national advancement.

“It is through education, research, and

the arts that we can achieve “total human liberation and development” as a democratic society.” President Aquino said.

The President laid out his administration’s three-part plan to preserve the country’s national treasure.

“First, to concentrate our efforts on our core competencies. I am happy to see

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 11

government institutions working together to achieve efficiency, enabling each other to focus on their core mandates. The decision of the GSIS to entrust its collection of art to the National Museum is an example of this. It gives our people the opportunity to enjoy the marvels of our various heritages, while allowing the GSIS to focus more on its task,” the President said.

“Second, we are giving you the means to do your jobs. The budget increases we have given to our centers of heritage are significant. For our National Museum, we allocated 238 million pesos for 2012, which is 95 million pesos higher than your budget for 2011. And for 2013, we intend to give you 556 million pesos, so that you may carry out the necessary restorations for our historical and cultural collections,” he said.

According to the President, the government is retrofitting the National Library and studying the transfer of the National Archives to the Intendencia in Intramuros to better address the needs of the scholars.

“Now we are gradually implementing the National Museum Plan of 1998, which will finally pave the way for the establishment of our National Museum of Natural History, not just as a showcase for the richness of our natural resources and biodiversity,

but as a place of research and education to help build a more scientifically literate society,” he stressed.

The government has allocated P500 million to cover the necessary construction expenses of the museum, the President noted.

“The third part of our plan is to empower institutions to work with our people and with each other. With the help of groups like the Philippine National Museum Foundation, which through the years has shown great support to the National Museum, we are working hand in hand to preserve our cultural artifacts and to advance the understanding and appreciation of our people for these,” he said.

He pointed out that the National Tourism Development Plan identifies the promotion of the country’s culture as central in pursuing our national tourism agenda.

“We are optimistic that, through this, more Filipinos and foreigners will be enticed to tour our country. We know that the development of our cultural program is fundamental in achieving our tourism growth target of ten million international visitors and 35.5 million domestic tourists by 2016,” the President concluded. PND (js)

Tuesday, October 30, 2012ONE MINDANAO 12

Bangsamoro can benefit from IT-BPO investmentThe Bangsamoro

autonomous region of Mindanao created by the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement can benefit from IT-BPO investment, President Benigno S. Aquino III told delegates to the International Outsourcing Summit.

Organized by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, IOS is an annual conference and exhibition attended by local and international IT-BPO industry executives.

In his keynote speech before Summit delegates, Aquino said the framework agreement is expected to usher in peace to the troubled region.

It will also serve as the blueprint for an eventual peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.By addressing long-standing calls for political reform, the agreement is expected to foster

private sector investment in the region.

“The agreement is a positive development for the IT-BPO industry,” said Miguel Garcia, president and CEO of DTSI Group. Garcia co-founded BPAP and currently serves on the association’s board.

“First, it will enhance the Philippine brand in general. Second, the Bangsamoro region can potentially offer a new talent pool to support growth of the industry,” he said.

DTSI Group is an award-winning provider of game-

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 ONE MINDANAO 13

changing technology, advanced communications systems, and state-of-the-art facilities to global corporations.

A member company of NTT Communications, it has enabled more than 60 percent of call center seats in the Philippines.

Its clients include FORTUNE 1000 companies and mid-size investors alike, according to Garcia.

Garcia said the Bangsamoro region could eventually become an important IT-BPO hub.

“With increased investment in educational and communications infrastructure accompanied by appropriate investment incentives, the region can replicate the success of Davao,” said Garcia.

Davao City is the top Next Wave CityTM according to Next Wave Cities 2010–2011, a BPAP and Information and Communications Technology Office publication that ranks emerging IT-BPO hubs based on talent pool, infrastructure, cost, business environment and risk management.

In recent years, Davao City government officials have successfully attracted multiple IT-BPO operations to their city.

In a recent open forum with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Aquino said the national government will invest P21 billion for improvements in basic services in the Bangsamoro

region, including schools, teachers, and infrastructure.

Garcia said the industry is both impressed with and appreciative of the Aquino administration’s significant support of the IT-BPO industry, noting that good governance and increasing transparency have contributed to increasing investor confidence and fostering a healthier business climate.

The industry is expected to grow to .4 billion in revenues and 770,000 direct employees this year.

“We are seeing a confluence of many factors, all working in favor of the Philippines in general, and the local IT-BPO industry, in particular. We at DTSI are in the business of selling the Philippines to locators and investors, bringing them here, and helping them set up and manage their operations. The prospects for the industry remain positive, and indications are will further improve moving forward.”

The DTSI Group facilitates investment in the Philippines by offering a host of investor services such as strategic location services, business registration and incorporation guidance, investor incentives services, enterprise incubation, and facilities as a service.


Outstanding IP teachers honored in SaranganiALABEL, Sarangani - GoveMigs Dominguez presents the seven outstanding IP (Indigenous People) teachers representing each of the seven municipalities of the province during the pro-vincial celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Thanksgiving Day Monday, October 29, at the Capitol gymnasium. The awardees are (from left) Ginalyn Barcena from Malapatan, Karen Ruth Kusin from Maitum, Noemi Suga from Kiamba, Diosdado Sol Sichon from Alabel, Ricardo Unda from Glan, Mateo Gulac from Maasim and Avelina Sarominez from Malungon. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)


Outstanding IP teachers honored in Sarangani

MRDP now a nationwide programBy Lito Salvo

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato -- Notable contributions of Depart-ment of Agriculture’s Mindanao Rural Development Program in the devel-opment of rural folk in Mindanao has led to the expansion of the program t to cover other parts of the country.

DA 12 announced that although MRDP is coming to a close, another program, called Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP), which still follows the general format of its predecessor, takes off next year.

Recently, officials of MRDP-Program Support Office (MRDP-PSO) based in Davao have toured the country to present the newest system arrangements of the PRDP, especially among local chief executives who play

major roles in the program implementation in their areas of responsibility.

Recent orientation in Soccsksargen Region gathered in this city some 300 LCEs and personnel of municipal and provincial planning management units for a technical briefing aimed at introducing the provisions of the countrywide program.

MRDP deputy director Engr. Arnel de Mesa, explained PRDP would be a six-year national government platform

for an inclusive growth, value-chain oriented, and climate resilient agriculture and fisheries sector.

It is expected to pool a total funds of US$671.59 million or close to P28 billion from a loan portfolio of the World Bank (WB) and equity share of national and local government units (LGUs).

“Because of the better performance of the Mindanao LGUs, the WB has allowed retroactive funding for projects in Mindanao,” he said.

“This means we can implement PRDP projects as early as January of 2013, ahead of everyone else in the country and that’s to our advantage,” he explained.

“PRDP is a much bigger project as DA looks at a bigger rural development covering 16 regions and


Soccsksargen cited as best performing region in implementing MRDP projectsBy Dani DoguilesKORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato -- Soccsksargen Region or Region 12 is named one of the best performing regions in the implementation of projects the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP), according to a report of the Program Support Office based in Davao City.

80 provinces,” de Mesa said.

PRDP will be implements with for componerts: I-Plan )Investment in AFMP Planning at the Local and National Levels, I-BUILD (Intensified Building Up of Infrastructure and Development, I-REAP (Investment in Rural Enterprises and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity), and I-Support (Implementation of

Support to PRDP) During the

orientation, de Mesa announced that Region 12 is the top consistent performer both in Rural Infrastructure (RI) and Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD) implementing MRDP projects.

For this, DA 12 Regional Executive Director Amalia Jayag-Datukan congratulated the regional program

coordinating office (RPCO 12) headed by Regional Technical Director for Operations Dr. Jimmy Olivo.

“Region 12 has attained this recognition because of the all-out support of all LGUs in the region,” she added. “We are very grateful in the DA for the strong complementation with the LGUs and we hope that with PRDP, our partnership will become stronger.”

Soccsksargen, the report indicated, topped the list in implementing Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD) sub-projects and ranked second in the Rural Infrastructure (RI) component.

Soccsksargen Region covers the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato,

Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani as well as cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan, and Cotabato.

“While all the regions equally exerted their best efforts to achieve their committed performance, Region 12 consistently exceeded their targets in all three financial categories,”

the report confirmed.Region 12

registered 100 percent performance in Certificate of Availability of Funds (CAF) releases and exceeded all performance targets for LGU releases and disbursements by 13 percent.

DA 12 Regional Executive Director Amalia Jayag-Datukan,


attributed this success mostly to the committed acceptance and implementation by the peoples’ organizations in the region.

The capacity and willingness of the local governments to provide equity for local groups to avail of MRDP aid have also contributed to the recognition, she added.

MRDP, Datukan explained, improves people’s lives with the assistance of their respective LGUs by providing an equity share.

CFAD component focuses on the improvement of rural incomes thereby alleviating the vicious cycle of poverty.

Based on the financial reports provided by CFAD focal person

Rogaciano Lumen, a total of 737 CFAD subprojects, amounting to P240 million, have been implemented across the region.

Of these 510 have already been completed, 74 are on-going and 153 are set for immediate implementation

Moreover, 246 of these were carried out in North Cotabato, 202 in Sultan Kudarat, 149 in South Cotabato, and 142 in Sarangani.

A total of 35 municipalities across the region were enrolled in the program.

On the other, RI component concentrates on the implementation of agri-fishery infrastructures that hasten the transport of products from communities.

At present, 47.57% of RI subprojects have recently been completed but officials here are confident 100% completion of the projects.

Engr. Carolina Gayapa, RI focal person, said more than P750 million of infrastructure projects hae been allotted to the region.

Of these, P651, 772, 571 was allotted for farm-to-market roads (FMRs); P13,875,378 for bridges; P64,497,775 for irrigation projects; P7,431,997 for potable water systems; and P15,827,289 for other infrastructure projects.

Besides CFAD and RI, other components of t MRDP are Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Investment Governance Reform (IGR).

MRDP is a medium term development intervention that addresses poverty reduction in Mindanao region funded by the World Bank and the national government with the local government units providing an equity share.


LGU Tacurong recognizes best performing barangaysTACURONG CITY, Sultan Kudarat -- Lending credence to the national gov-ernment’s commitment to elevating the practice of good governance, the Tacurong City government has brought to its barangays the Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) initiative pioneered by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Barangays Upper Katungal, Griño, and Buenaflor were recently awarded with the Barangay Excellence in Governance Seal of Tacurong or BEST for having the highest overall performance score.

Scores are based on the following criteria: Barangay Governance Performance Management System (BGPMS), compliance to the Barangay Full Disclosure Policy, and compliance to the Anti-Red Tape Act (Barangay Citizen’s Charter).

The said barangays also topped the on-site validation for the BEST award. The evaluation was conducted on September 13 and 14.

BEST is a local initiative to identify barangays with exemplary performance thus scaling up values such as accountability, transparency, and

inclusivity in local administration and development.

Tacurong is the very first city in the region to adopt and apply the concept of the Seal of Good Housekeeping in the barangay level.

The city government of Tacurong with the help of the City Local Government Operations Office (CLGOO) set guidelines and criteria patterned with the DILG’s Seal of Good Housekeeping criteria. On-site validations were also conducted to distinguish the BEST recipients.

“We are implementing the BEST initiative in line with DILG’s strategy in ensuring the long-term foundation of a responsible government. We hope that next year, we will be able to award not just 3 barangays,’ said Mayor Lina Montilla.

“We envision that all

barangays will be able to satisfy the standards set by the DILG on excellent governance,” she added.

City Local Government Operations Officer Alberto P. Sero, Jr. and Liga ng mga Barangay President Silvestre Llanto both agreed that the award will serve as a positive challenge for the 20 barangays to become more effective partners towards the advancement of the City.

In 2011, the DILG started conferring the SGH Seal to provinces, cities and municipalities that accord primacy to the principles of performance, a c c o u n t a b i l i t y , transparency and participation in governance. Tacurong City has been stamped with the Seal for two successive years. (Jezereel Billano & Allan Freno – Tacurong LGU)


Photo Credit: http://www.thelongestwayhome.com

DOLE-10 conducts caravan at Camiguin Lanzones Festivalby Mildred E. Dablio

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 10 conducted a caravan last October 24 to 26 in Camiguin in line with the province’s Lanzones Festival.

The caravan featured programs of the Department such as the Single Entry Approach or SENA, a conciliation-mediation approach of settling issues between management and labor; the receiving of applications for the DOLE Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) and the Alien Employment Program; registration of

Rural Workers’ Association (RWAs); assistance on availing the Youth Entrepreneurship Program, DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program; and advocacy on Labor Standards and construction safety. The Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC) composed of the attached agencies of DOLE also


participated in the caravan and joined the One-Stop-Shop of government services at the UGMAD Site, Tourism Center in Mambajao. RCC programs and services highlighted in the said caravan included the assistance to the overseas workers and their dependents on applications for death, disability, and dismemberment benefits; education and training program; repatriation services; family welfare and reintegration program; and other welfare assistance by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). The DOLE also launched the Skills Registry System (SRS) for the Mahinog municipal government and gave a set of desktop computer and printer to town mayor Alex R. Jajalla to be used for the SRS. SRS is a revised version of the

National Manpower Registry System and a Labor Market Information (LMI) tool. It requires the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in said municipaity to get the total list of skills and job vacancies suitable in the area to capture the skills data from the registrants. The data will be encoded in the desktop computer with the embedded SRS program. It will then be accessed by the national government to assist in job-fit formulation and as a ready source of manpower of investors. Meanwhile, the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) through the OWWA and the DOLE also released livelihood assistance to some 18 overseas workers returnees from the municipalities of Catarman and Sagay. The beneficiaries were awarded P10,000 each as start-up or additional capital for livelihood projects.


LGU Ozamiz wins the CROWN Award anew

by Juvy L. Canumay

This was revealed by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to Mayor Nova Princess E. Parojinog-Echavez, recently. The National Evaluation Team (NET) validation done last Mayo 22- 25, has confirmed the effectiveness of the City Nutrition Program that has reduced the number of malnourished school children, including those in the pre-school, as well as the families in the community. Mayor Echavez, together with Lelit Navarez, City Nutrition Action Officer (CNAO) and some members of the City Nutrition Council, will receive the Certificate of Recognition during the Nutrition

Awarding Ceremony, this coming November 9, in Malacañang. Meanwhile, Navarez said if Ozamiz wins the CROWN award for the third time, it will have its place in the Nutrition Honor Award Hall of Fame and receive P500,000, for getting the highest rating in the National Nutrition Evaluation. On the other hand, Navarez has encouraged all the Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) to continue their efforts in implementing the Barangay Nutrition Programs in their areas because these will be evaluated and monitored by the NET.

OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental - The City of Ozamiz has been declared Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) Maintenance Award, for the second time.

Photo Credit: http://nutfit.com


DENR calls for LGUs action in solid waste managementby Jorie C. Valcorza

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Most local government units in Northern Mindanao have not completed and submitted their 10-year solid waste management plan.

Department of Environment and Natural Resource (DENR) region 10 solid waste management (SWM) coordinator Dovee Cherry I. Geollegue said as of July, only 21 local government units (LGUs) have submitted their SWM plans out of the 84 municipalities from the entire region. She however admits that some of the plans have actually not reached their office as it was forwarded directly to the provincial governments. Geollegue explained that prior to the formulation of the plan, LGUs must, however, organized or reconstituted the Municipal/City Solid Waste Management Board and the Barangay Solid Waste Management Committee, as well as, undertake the waste assessment and characterization (WACS). She urged local officials not to hesitate in submitting status reports, as this will aid the agency in identifying what technical assistance to extend. She added that if LGUs, sustain good SWM practices the more likely they would also avail of financial assistance to fund their SWM plans. The SWM plan is in compliance to the provision of Republic Act (RA)

9003 or the Ecological Solid waste Management Act which requires LGUs to come up with their respective solid waste management plans as a framework for continuity and direction. RA 9003 prohibits the operation of open dumping and orders its conversion into controlled dumps for at least five years. To date, all 5 provinces, 9 cities, 84 municipalities and 2,020 barangays in the region have established their respective solid waste management board but only few remains functional.

Photo Credit: http://colors-and-grays.blogspot.com


DAVAO CITY- Community e-cen-ters (CeCs) will continue to grow in number nationwide as the Na-tional Computer Center (NCC) continues to push its way to “un-served and underserved areas” even at the barangay level. In an interview, NCC Director for Field Operations and Philippine Community e-Center Program Manager Cheryl Ortega revealed that the new PCeC roadmap considers installing CeC for Self-

Reliant Barangays. However, she explained that this would be done through clustering of barangays, not on a one CeC per barangay basis but such move is seen to be an expansion of the usual CeC sites at the municipal level. A total of 1,400 CeCs have been set up nationwide since 2004, rolled out as a component project of the e-LGU Program

funded under e-Gov Fund managed by the Department of Science and Technology-Commission on Information and Technology (DOST-CICT). NCC serves as the program manager of the Philippine Community E-Center program but it ties up with the Philippine Community e-Center Network, Inc. which is the umbrella organizations of all community e-center initiatives

Community e-Centers to grow in numberby Jeanevive Abangan


in the country. Ortega said 230 CeCs will be established this year and that NCC is already starting to deploy its equipment package granted to LGUs and is about to conduct training of those tasked to man the e-centers. The cost of setting up an e-Center is estimated to range from P200,000 to P300,000 as NCC provides an equipment package of four sets of computer units, an all-in-one printer capable of scanning and copying, and two webcams. The recipient local government unit (LGU) is expected to provide the office space, the workforce to operate the CeC, and the internet connection. NCC prioritizes LGUs which are not served by private internet providers. “We don’t go to areas which

are highly urbanized. In terms of digital divide, the private sector has served them, so we go to areas which has none,” Ortega said. Ortega explained the progress of Community e-Centers in the country during the 8th Knowledge Exchange Conference on Community eCenters (KEC on CeCs) recently held in Davao City, that gathered more than 300 knowledge workers, CeC managers and local government officials nationwide. Ortega bared the Philippine CeC Progam to have been built upon the Philippine commitment to help address the digital divide among communities by putting in place the necessary infrastructure in the community e-center with corresponding development of content and capability training. (PIA XI/Jeanevive D. Abangan)

Davao City -An official of the Mind-anao Development Authority (Min-DA) diclosed plans for Mindanao to cope with the increasing demand of electricity brought about by de-velopment in many urban areas by activating other sources of elec-tricity. Romeo Montenegro, chief of the communications division of the MinDA said after the preventive maintenance of the Iligan City

diesel power plant in the next six months, it can deliver 100 megawatts to the Mindanao grid. He said that by April 2013, power supply from the Iligan City diesel power plant is already available. Montenegro said government through the Department of Energy and the Filipino Electricity Market Corporation also mulls of tapping the Interim Mindanao Electricity

MinDA bares options to improve power situation in Mindanao


Market (IMEM). He explained that the IMEM is a mechanism by which generators of big malls and industries will be tapped and auctioned to the market so that immediately, power will be available to the electric cooperatives.“It is more or less 200 to 300 megawatt-capacity from the embedded generators of Davao Light and Power Company, five-megawatts from SM Malls, seven megawatts from Coca-Cola and other factories,” Montenegro said. He said pulling this extra power together will yield 300 megawatts available to the market. “The details of this plan are still being thresh-out, but the

first public consultation had been done by the DOE in Cagayan de Oro City two weeks ago while other consultations will be done in other areas of Mindanao to get stakeholders’ comments since the plan impacts on the pricing of electricity,” Montenegro said. He said another plan is the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) where the Energy Regulatory Commission will come up with a rate that will compensate for the use of generators by the industries. Montenegro said industries will be paid based on the use fuel and oil and the depreciation of equipment as they pull away from the Mindanao grid during peak hours and turn on their generators.


“It is still subject to ERC approval since it is easier for industries to disconnect from the Mindanao grid, easing the pressure and consequently, providing more electricity to consumers,” he said. Montenegro said more than a thousand industries have committed to participate in the IMEM and the ILP. Montenegro also revealed that the plan to move power barges from Visayas to Mindanao have not yet been realized pending the bidding process by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation. He said it will require three months to move the barges from Visayas to Mindanao and additional months more for barges to be operational.Montenegro said that presently, fifty percent of the Mindanao power source comes from hydro-power stations in the rivers of Agus and Pulangi which perform only at sixty percent of its capacity producing only 600 megawatts. He said that since January 2012, Mindanao had been experiencing about 100 to 150 megawatt deficit, and had been aggravated by the shutting down of a Steag coal-fired power plant in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental which went on a preventive maintenance withdrawing a 200 megawatt- supply from the Mindanao grid. “As of today, we are closed to

300 megawatt-deficit and during peak hours from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, the demand would reach 400 megawatt-deficit,” Montenegro said. He said due to the deficiency in power sources areas outside the cities of Davao, Cotabato and Cagayan de Oro experience two to six hours of power outage especially cities of General Santos and Zamboanga which are very far from the Mindanao grid. He said that the power situation in Mindanao in 2013 will be in a critical phase due to the projected dry-spell during summer which might impact on the water level of Pulangi river and Lanao lake. Montenegro recalled that in 2010, the long dry-spell resulted to ten percent reduction in the power supply by Agus and Pulangi leading to ten to 12-hour brownouts in Mindanao. He noted that Davao City has been spared from the power outages due to its many embedded generators and power sources like the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Cotabato. “They may not have brownouts, but there will be increased in power bills as embedded generators run whenever the power from the Mindanao grid reduces,” Montenegro said. (PIA 11- Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)


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By Michael Vincent D. Cajulao

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Regional Selection Committee of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council 9 (RSC-RDRRMC) will honor the region’s best to further promote participation of all local governments, organizations, and individuals in Zamboanga Peninsula in disaster preparedness under the GAWAD KALASAG program of the national government.

RDRMMC 9 Selection Committee to honor region’s best in disaster preparedness


By Gideon C. Corgue

Coop month culminated with clean up activity

Office of the Civil Defense 9 (OCD) Regional Director Adriano Fuego called a meeting Monday, with the members of the selection committee to discuss and finalize the details of the Regional Gawad Kalasag search. “We need to acknowledge the efforts of those who have adhered with the law on disaster preparedness to help boost their morale and further promote participation of other LGUs who have not yet implemented their disaster preparedness program”, Fuego said. Under the proposed search, the regional selection committee will be awarding one (1) winner as the Best Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), Best Municipal DRRMC, Best City DRMMC, down to the Barangay Risk Reduction and Management Council. There will also be 1 winner for the

most disaster-prepared hospital in the region; and five to 10 individuals will also be awarded for their act of heroism. The selection committee is targeting November 28 for the announcement and awarding of the winners. The assessment and validation of participants will be conducted on November 14 to 16, and 21-22 respectively. Fuego hopes that by doing this activity, more LGUs will take disaster preparedness seriously and he hopes to submit a regional winner for the National Search Gawad Kalasag next year. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any nominee for the National Gawad Kalasag for this year as no one responded to our communication. But we hope next year, we will have a nominee from our region”, Fuego said.

PAGADIAN CITY – ‘There’s no better way to culminate the cooperative month celebration than to give back to the environment,” said Supervising cooperative development specialist Nestor Mendaros as thousands of cooperative members from 58 cooperatives all over the province actively participated in the clean up drive held over the weekend as a closing salvo to the month-long celebration.


This year’s commemoration of the cooperative month (October) is anchored on the theme ““Kooperatiba ay Pagyamanin, Mga Kasapi Paramihin” “The celebration kicked off with the synchronized hanging of tarpaulins in the different cooperative centers on October 1 to raise public awareness on cooperativism as strong force to reckon towards economic development, and culminated with clean up activity,” Mendaros said. The coop month is an annual nationwide celebration pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 493 declaring October 1-31 and every year thereafter as “Cooperative Month.” Mendaros said in support to the seventh cooperative principle, “Concern for Community” and Republic Act 9003 otherwise known as Solid Waste Management Act of 2002, cooperative members from 58 cooperatives of the city joined

the activity. “We want to show our concern for the community by cleaning the different areas for us to be spared from flood caused by garbage clogging in the streets,” Mendaros explained. He said the 3-hour clean up day, which started at 6 am and ended at 9am was aimed at preserving the environment and maintaining its cleanliness. “Cooperative members brought thier broom sticks, empty sacks marked with ‘bio-gradable’ and ‘non-biogradable’, bolos, rakes, and other tools,” he said. Areas covered in the clean-up include: Agora complex, Sta. Lucia, the bridge in barangays Balangasan and Gatas, ‘Bagsakan’ center in Sta, Lucia , FS. Pajares and Rizal Avenues, San Pedro market, Integrated Bus Terminal in Bulatok, and barangay Sta. Maria.


Marawi City Revenue Officer is Presidential Lingkod Bayan awardeeby Apipa P. Bagumbaran

Marawi City’s chief revenue officer is a recipient of this year’s Presidential Lingkod Bayan award.

Chief Revenue Officer Aminoding B. Macarampat of Revenue District Office (RDO) 102

was named as one of the awardees in a ceremony held at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang Palace with President


Marawi City Revenue Officer is Presidential Lingkod Bayan awardee

Benigno S. Aquino III conferring the award last September 19. M a c a r a m p a t received the award for his perseverance and exemplary leadership in steering RDO 102 to consistently achieve its c o l l e c t i o n targets since his assumption to office in 2009. RDO 102 was able to exceed its collection goal by 8.37 percent or P24 million in 2011 under his watch, according to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue Region 16 (RR16). He personally led the conduct of extensive tax information and education campaign in the province and convinced taxpayers to pay their tax obligations to the government emphasizing that tax is the lifeblood of the government and will be returned to the taxpayers in the form of government projects and programs. Macarampat also undertook tax mapping operations to educate the business community of their registration and bookeeping requirements.

He even had door-to-door campaigns, conducted dialogues, and strengthened the relationship between the BIR and the local government units (LGUs) in the area which resulted to the collection of withholding taxes from LGUs, the BIR-RR16 said. The Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award is one the three award categories administered by the Civil Service Commission annually under its Honor Awards Program to recognize the outstanding performance and contributions of officials and employees in the bureaucracy. The awarding was one of the highlights of the 112th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary celebration.


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4th Stat Quiz winners in Surigao del Sur bared by Nida Grace B. Tranquilan

BUTUAN CITY ---San Miguel National High School (SMNHS) emerged as this year’s champion of the 4th Statistics Quiz Surigao del Sur Division, the National Statistics Office here said.

Provincial Statistics Officer Ruel Dres said the competition was held in time with the celebration of the 23rd National Statistics Month this October.

With this year’s theme “Monitoring Progress on Descent Work through Statistics: Pathway to Inclusive Growth,” the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)


was tasked to serve as the lead agency for the said activities in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the provincial government office. The SMNHS team was composed of Kenneth Roy T. Espina and Gretchen A. Josol, with their coach Levi Cuenca. Cantilan National High School was second placer composed of Aian Pecasales and Alsuber Urquia with Coach Danny Loren.

Tandag National Science High School won the third place, while Surigao del Sur State University-Lianga and Jacinto P. Elpa National High School were awarded as the fourth and fifth place winners, respectively. The proclamation of winners was made by the Mathematics Supervisor for Secondary Schools Edna Trinidad, who is also the chair of the three-member Board of Judges of the quiz.


First modified conditional cash transfer (MCCT) launched in Veruela, Agusan del Surby David M. Suyao

AGUSAN DEL SUR --Some 194 of the 2,000 target beneficiaries selected by the accredited civil society organizations have received the first ever modified conditional cash transfer (MCCT) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) during the launching at the Veruela municipal gymnasium. Ernestina Solloso, national deputy program manager of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), said that unlike the regular conditional cash transfer, the MCCT caters to families and children affected by difficult situation such as disaster and calamities, children earning their living in the streets, and other families and children under specially poor condition in their physical and mental health. It

aims to help these families overcome such situation and be integrated into regular CCT or the 4Ps. “We have accredited some NGOs within the municipality of Veruela,” DSWD-13 Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat said. The NGOs verify the list of program beneficiaries so that the proceeds can be meaningfully used for its purpose. Among the NGOs is the Sibog


First modified conditional cash transfer (MCCT) launched in Veruela, Agusan del Sur

Katawhan Alang sa Paglambo (Sikap) that has worked with the municipality of Veruela for almost six years now. Veruela Mayor Salimar Mondejar who has been very persistent that the first ever MCCT be launched in his municipality cannot express in words the joy and happiness he felt that his dream will come to reality. “Today, no words can ever express how I feel, knowing that there is really change that will happen in the development and future of our children in Veruela,” Mondejar said. National Deputy Program Manager Solloso said MCCT also aims

to bring the children back to schools and facilitate their regular attendance including access to Alternative Delivery Mode and other special learning modes; facilitate availment of health and nutrition services through regular visits to health centers; enhancing of parenting roles through attendance to family development sessions; bring children from the streets to more suitable, decent and permanent homes and reunite with their families; and mainstream families with children in need of special protection from normal psycho-functions through Pantawid Pamilya program.

9 road projects in Agusan Sur completedby Melody E. de Vera

Agusan del Sur -- Residents in nine barangays of the province are benefitting from road improvement projects implemented by the provincial government. The completed projects have a total cost of P4,347,396 are in Esperanza, Prosperidad and San Francisco towns and in Bayugan City.


The improvement of the 14-km. road from the national road junction from Bayugan City to Barangays Cagbas, Saguma, Charito and Gamao, all in the same city until Barangays San Toribio and Labao in Esperanza and the regravelling of the 6.7-km. road from the national road junction in Patin-ay, Prosperidad to Barangays Lucac and Pisaan in San Francisco. The projects fund were sourced out from the 20% Provincial Development Fund (PDF) last year having been identified by Governor Adolph Edward “Eddiebong” Plaza as vital in improving the standard of living of Agusanons. Saguma Barangay Captain Virgilio C. Gumop-as expressed his delight and gratitude for being chosen as recipient of the road project. “Tungod niini, ang amoa nga 20% budget alang unta sa pagpaayo sa among kalsada karon madapat na namo sa laing proyekto nga pangkalambuan ug salamat gyud sa dakong tabang sa provincial government pinaagi ni Governor Plaza,” he said in the vernacular. For residents in the area who are mainly dependent on farming, the project is a huge sigh of relief as transporting their agricultural products has become easier and entails lesser cost. Barangay Captain Manuel Perez of San Toribio cited that in times of emergency the local folks will find it easier to transport patients even during

night time to the cities for treatment because of the good road condition. For their part, barangay officials and residents of Lucac took extra steps in ensuring the road’s sustainability by passing Ordinance No. 2 which regulates the passage of vehicles loaded with heavy cargoes especially during the rainy season to prevent it from being damaged. Barangay Captain Ramona Pajo explained that the ordinance is also their way of expressing their appreciation to Governor Plaza’s concern for their well-being by maintaining the road in good condition.

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One Mindanao - October 30, 2012

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