TESDA Caraga extends additional support to COVID-19 frontliners

TESDA Caraga extends additional support to COVID-19 frontliners P ovincial News

BUTUAN CITY – Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-Caraga extended its support to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) frontliners in the city by donating recently additional 142 face shields and 200 washable face masks, this time, for police officers.

By Robert E. Roperos

Following the directives of TESDA Sec. Isidro S. Lapeña and TESDACaraga Regional Director Ashary A. Banto, TESDA-Agusan del Norte Acting Provincial Director Liza B. Budtan and TESDA-Caraga Acting Regional Operations Division (ROD) Chief Novielita A. Dispo hand-over the said PPEs to PNP-Caraga through PCol. Jimili L. Macaraeg, Acting Deputy Regional Director for Administration; and PCol. Ruben B. Delos Santos, Chief of the Regional Community Affairs and Development Division.

The facemasks were produced by Northern Mindanao School of Fisheries (NMSF) headed by School Administrator Romel M. Natad. It can be recalled that early this month, same PPEs were also turnedover to medical frontliners of Butuan Medical Center thru NMSF and the ATSBAN, a TVET organization in Agusan del Norte. (TESDA Agusan del Norte/ PIA-Agusan del Norte)

P ovincial News DOST-assisted farmers’ coop helps secure food for Butuan residents during pandemic

BUTUAN CITY - Filipinos love rice. It is a staple to every fulfilling meal. However, with the current public health crisis requiring everyone

A DOST SETUP (Department of Science and Technology’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program) adoptor and a farmer-millers cooperative in Butuan City stepped up to help Butuanons have enough food on the table. The Butuan Agusan Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BAFMPC) partnered with the local government unit of Butuan for a food security program and has committed to provide quality milled rice during the quarantine. As of April 18, 2020, BAFMPC has served a total of 2,100 bags or 105,000 kilos of rice distributed to six barangays including Taguibo (500 bags of rice), Sumilihon (800 bags), Los Angeles (400 bags), Sto. Niño (100 bags), Baobawan (100 bags), and Ambago (200 bags). BAFMPC, formerly known as Los Angeles, Damoog, Mangabao By Aliana Gene E. Sarmiento

to stay indoors, many families could not make proper livelihood thus affecting them financially. Food security is very crucial especially this time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

(LADAMA) Multi-Purpose Cooperative, started its operation in 1988 as an irrigator’s organization offering rice production services, lending, and palay trading to its members. After 20 years in rice farming and milling, BAFMPC acquired a state-of-the-art Multi-pass Milling Facility with complete accessories for rice polishing and whitening through the SETUP. The project costs Php 2,971,000.00 and since then has greatly impacted the operations of the firm. tFrom 20 bags of grains per hour and only up to 60% recovery rate, the cooperative now mills 40-60 bags of grains per hour or approximately 400 bags per day, with 67% recovery rate of rice after milling. The increase in the production volume helped increase the income of the coop and the farmers. improve their product, plant layout, business operations and marketing strategies. BAFMPC also assisted its members through the distribution of food packs containing 3 kilos of rice, canned goods and other grocery items. A total of 2,000 food packs were given to 800 regular and 1,200 associate members of the cooperative. The manager, Manuelito Suan, said that it is the responsibility of the cooperative, and as farmers, to ensure that people have food to eat this time of crisis. It is also one way to promote the products of the farmers and their role in food security. The firm continues its operation to support the need, especially during the quarantine.

Through the program, the cooperative also availed of the Manufacturing Productivity Extension (MPEX) consultancy program and technology training which helped them | APRIL 18-24, 2020 22

BAFMPC is the 2019 Best SETUP Adoptor for Agusan del Norte and among the finalists at the regional level. (S&T Promotions Unit, DOST Caraga/PIA Agusan del Norte)

namahagi ng donasyon, pagkain para sa frontliners

By Nora C. Lanuza

LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN - Maliban sa mga personal protective equipment na patuloy na ipinamamahagi ng Caraga State university o CSU sa mga frontliners sa iba’t ibang parte ng rehiyon, isang instant arrozcaldo o InstaCaldo na naman ang kasalukuyan ginagawa ng CSU Food Innovation Center (FIC) upang ipamahagi sa mga medical frontliners dito sa lungsod.

Ayon kay CSU president Dr. Anthony M. Penaso, ang nasabing InstaCaldo ay isang inisyatibo ng unibersidad upang matulungan ang mga pangangailangan ng mga frontliners sa panahon ng COVID-19 pandemic. Dagdag din ni CSU FIC director Genesis Jared Cutamora, ang naturang APRIL 18-24, 2020 | 23

P ovincial News

InstaCaldo ay kanilang ituturn-over sa DOH Caraga na sila ring magbibigay sa mga medical frontliners.

Ang InstaCaldo ay malaking tulong sa mga frontliners upang mabawasn ang kanilang oras sa paghahanda ng kanilang mga Pagkain at ito rin ay may kompleto at masustansyang sangkap na kanilang kailangan.

Sa kasalukuyan, maliban sa InstaCaldo, namahagi din ang CSU FIC ng mga manna bar at vegetable salad mix sa mga frontliners. Ang CSU Food Innovation Center ay pwedeng magpreserba o mapanatili ang kalidad ng isang produkto sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mga kagamitan.

Samantala, mga grupo din ng mga chemists ng CSU ang gumagawa ng mga disinfectant solutions para sa mga pampublikong lugar, palengke, hospitals, at maging mga opisina upang mapanatili ang kaligtasan laban sa COVID-19. (NCLM, PIA Agusan del Norte)

35 displaced drivers in AgSur town receive cash from DOLE

TRENTO, Agusan del Sur - At least 35 tricycle drivers have recently received cash assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in line with its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/ Disadvantaged Workers - “Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko” Disinfecting/Sanitation Project or TUPAD – BKBK.

By Allen Joe Lumanta

Validated through and by the Municipal Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) and the Municipal Public Employment Services Office (PESO), said tricycle drivers form part of the 150 beneficiaries of DOLE’s emergency employment program for the underemployed, unemployed, and displaced marginalized workers whose livelihood were affected by the CoViD-19 crisis. During the distribution held at RM Billanes Gymnasium, each qualified driver received an amount of P3,200.00 from Jake Abunda, Labor Employment Officer II of DOLE-Agusan del Sur who personally handed the cash assistance to the recipients. It was noted that before having received the assistance, the drivers underwent a ten-day work program that involved cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing specific areas in their barangays and their households. Meanwhile, Municipal PESO Manager Alberto Salas and his staff Xyris Kay Arańez are still finalizing the documentary requirements for the second batch of TUPAD-BKBK beneficiaries who are scheduled to receive their emergency cash assistance before the end of April 2020. (MIO Trento/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

P ovincial News

Surigao elderly port

workers get second wave of food aid By Susil D. Ragas

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte - Elderly port workers at the port of Surigao get a second wave of food assistance amid the threat of COVID 19 to public health, particularly to senior citizens.

It may be recalled that port workers aged 60 years and above at the Surigao baseport received food relief packs from staff and personnel of Philippine Ports Authority-Port Management Office (PPA-PMO) Surigao last week, just as authorities placed the Province of Surigao del Norte on enhanced community quarantine on April 7, 2020, until the end of the month. Executive Order No 20-012 issued by the province of Surigao del Norte restricts the mobility of persons with a high risk of being infected such as senior citizens aged 60 and above, as well as minors. Hence, elderly port workers are no longer allowed to work at the Port of

Containing provisions estimated to last for a week or two, the second round of food relief packs distribution benefited some 25 elderly porters and dockworkers. “My fellow workers at the PMO are supportive of the PPA’s ‘Adopt and Save a Family’ program and are willing to provide assistance to the families of these elderly port workers for the duration of the quarantine,” APM Caturla said.

PMO Surigao Acting Port Manager Froilan Caturla said that his colleagues at the PMO continue to support the PPA’s ‘Adopt and Save a Family’ and are willing to further extend assistance to vulnerable members of the port community whose incomes are greatly compromised with the ECQ. Caturla added that aside from the help given by the men and women of PMO Surigao, various sectors of the Surigaonon community did their share and continue to assist port workers displaced by the imposed quarantine. (PP-PMO/PIA-Surigao del Norte) Help continues to pour in for displaced Surigao port workers By Nole C. Nusog

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte - Food aid continues to pour in for displaced port workers at the Port of Surigao as food packs were again provided for them, courtesy of the Siargao Islands Institute of Technology (SIIT).

Chivas Dulguime, Dean of the College of Criminology of the Siargao Island-based technical institute, personally supervised the distribution of the food relief packs containing items estimated to last for at least two weeks. “This modest help is just the first in a series of food distribution activities that SIIT plans to undertake to benefit port workers at the Port of Surigao and the Port of Dapa in Siargao Island. We shall again be back to provide food packs every two weeks for the duration of the imposed COVID 19 (coronavirus disease 2019) quarantine,” Dulguime said. A project initiated by former Surigao del Norte Governor and