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[ Contents 27 - April - 03 May 2019
Volume III, No. 37
Gov’t agencies conduct site inspection to non-formal schools in SurSur town REGIONAL NEWS
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DSWD Caraga names reg’l. entries for Pantawid Pamilya National Partners Summit
PROVINCIAL NEWS
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more cocaine bricks found in SurSur 10 18 town
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town imposes ‘no fee policy’ for 11 AgNor IP civil registration troopers celebrate 46 years of 12 Python service
MINDANAO NEWS
NEDA: NorMin maintains economic 14 PSA, momentum
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optimistic Congress will pass 15 PRRD measures for workers’ rights
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NATIONAL NEWS 400K employees regularized 18 Over under Duterte admin: DOLE marks another milestone with 20 CHED more Filipino youth in college
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News Briefs By virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 439 s. 2003, the month of May is National Heritage Month. The celebration takes a prime in creating among the Filipino people a consciousness, respect, and love for the legacies of the nation’s cultural history.
TESDA-Surigao del Norte, in partnership with the 30th Infantry Battalion, Phil. Army, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and Surigao del Norte College of Agriculture and Technology the Graduation Ceremony of the 25 IPs who completed the Carpentry NC II course. The Negosyo Center Tech4ED in Agusan del Norte located at the Department of Trade and Industry – Rudy Tiu Bldg. II, KM. 2, JC Aquino Ave., Butuan City will serve MSMEs, students, researchers, and other members of the public. Col. Allan Hambala is the incoming 401st Brigade Commander as outgoing commander BGen. Andres Centino now have his new assignment at the national headquarters of the Philippine Army. Col. Hambala was welcomed by the participating guests & personnel of 401st Brigade in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.
Cover Story
Gov’t agencies conduc non-formal schools in By Jennifer P. Gaitano
L
IANGA, Surigao del Sur - Government agencies in Caraga region assessed the situation of the Indigenous Peoples (IP) community in Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, this province and the Tribal Filipino Program in Surigao del Sur (TRIFPSS) - a non-formal school not registered under the Department of Education, believed to be managed by the New Peoples Army. 4
ct site inspection to n SurSur town DepEd Caraga regional director Francis Cesar Bringas said they have reached out to the group and encouraged them to have the school registered under DepEd, however, the group refused and does not want government’s intervention. This was after the Committee on Cultural Communities from the House of Representatives received a report that said school along with the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV) is managed and influenced by the NPAs, and also served as a training ground of the youth to fight against the government. According to Adora Pueblos, secretary of the committee, they wanted to know the bases of the information or complaint that they received against said schools in the area. She said government agencies are taking steps through a whole of nation approach to come up with solutions in any issues and concerns. Lawyer Reuben Dasay Lingating of the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) also revealed
that there are also reports claiming that non-government organizations from the European countries are giving multi-million budget as financial support to TRIFPSS and ALCADEV and other non-government organizations, however, these funds are not utilized for projects and programs that directly address to the education of the IPs in the region. Meanwhile, according to Remegio Pareja, punong barangay of Diatagon, they have encouraged the TRIFPSS management to register their school under DepEd, however, they always refuse to do such, and they decline assistance from the government that promotes the welfare of the locals. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
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REGIONAL NEWS
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Regional News I Empowering Communities
DSWD Caraga names reg’l. entries for Pantawid Pamilya National Partners Summit By Joana Rica P. Millama
BUTUAN CITY – In the efforts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga to acknowledge the efforts of its partners/stakeholders in the implementation of their programs and services, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Regional Program Management Office (RPMO) conducted a regional selection of the best Pantawid Focal Persons to be recognized in the National Partners Summit this May 2019.
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Regional News I Empowering Communities As a result of the series of desk and field validations, two Pantawid Focal Persons in Health and Education were selected as regional entries to the summit. For education, Natividad Labial, master teacher III of Florida National High School in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte (FNHS), stood out among all other focal persons because of her innovations such as establishing a Grievance Committee to address the pressing issues within the program, such as absenteeism among Pantawid Pamilya students.
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Municipal Health Officer Dr. Mary Michelle Paganpan was all praises about Bantugan’s work ethics. “Sa kadaghan sa trabaho, nakitan nako sa iya ang kagustuhan na mutabang (Amidst lot of workloads, I saw her willingness to help). The heart of service and volunteerism, that no matter how hard this work is, taos-puso siya at may adhikain na makatulong (she has the heart and the goal which to help),” she said.
“Mrs. Labial is one of the best teachers in this school. She has established good practices on the 4Ps program especially with students with tardiness and absences. In fact, she always gives orientation about the Program during flag ceremonies,” Ramelio Polestico, school head of The summit seeks to recognize FNHS, shared. the efforts and services of Pantawid Pamilya’s partner-stakeholders from For health, Rozana Bantugan, the Schools and Health Centers which midwife I of Rural Health Unit (RHU) in plays a vital role in contributing to the Carmen, Surigao del Sur, was selected success of the program. because of her untiring dedication in serving the Pantawid Pamilya It is also an avenue to celebrate beneficiaries especially those who are their milestones as the linkages to key located in Geographically Isolated agencies, the Department of Education Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) and (DepEd) and Department of Health members of the Indigenous Peoples (DOH). (Social Marketing Section/DSWD (IPs) group. Field Office Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
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PROVINCIAL NEWS
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Provincial News I Empowering Communities
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18 more cocaine bricks found in SurSur town By Nida Grace P. Barcena
LINGIG, Surigao del Sur – Eighteen more bricks of suspected cocaine were found by a fisherman floating in the waters of Surigao del Sur on April 30 and May 1. Based on the report from the Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office (SDS-PPO), a fisherman identified as Jolan Basadre Pucot, 25 years old, turned over a total of 18 bricks of suspected cocaine to the authorities in the town of Lingig.
30 at the seashore of Barangay Handamayan of the said town, 20 kilometers away from Lingig Municipal Police Station.
On the following day (May 1), around 10:30 A.M. while Pucot was on his way off to the shore for fishing, he found SDS-PPO revealed that Pucot again another two bricks of suspected first found the 16 bricks of suspected cocaine weighing 2 kilograms at the cocaine around 4:00 P.M. on April vicinity of the said barangay.
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Provincial News I Empowering Communities
He immediately brought the said contraband to the Barangay Hall and turned over to barangay Captain Quiobe and PCapt. Edwin Perez.
Municipal Station for proper documentation and disposition subject for laboratory examination which will be conducted at the Regional Crime Laboratory Office in The 18 bricks of suspected Libertad, Butuan City. (PIA-Surigao cocaine were brought to Lingig del Sur)
AgNor town imposes ‘no fee policy’ for IP civil registration By Jessica O. Mellejor
CARMEN, Agusan del Norte - The Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved the Sanggunian Resolution No. 085-2019, declaring valid the Municipal Ordinance No. 20 series of 2018 from the Sangguniang Bayan of Carmen, Agusan del Norte adopting the “No Fee Policy” for the registration of all Indigenous Peoples (IP)/Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) members in relation to childbirth, marriage and death registration. It supported the Sanggunian Resolution No. 360-2018 of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Agusan del Norte, urging all city and municipal governments to adopt “no fee policy” for all Indigenous Peoples IPs / ICCs for birth, marriage and death registration of their respective Local Civil Registry Offices.
2019 and March 7, 2019 meetings, suggested some refinements as concurred by the author Sangguniang Bayan Member Eva D. Palarca and the Municipal Civil Register: 1. Under section 2 (a), marriage fee: marriage registration of P32.60 shall be changed to P35.00; and 2. Under the same section, (b) registration of the following: Birth Registration from P22.00 it will now be P25.00; Late Registration from P82.00 it will now be P85.00, Death Registration from P52.00 to P55.00 and Late Death Registration from P82.00 to P85.00.
The committee on Laws, Ethics, Peace and Order, chaired by Provincial Board Member Aquino W. Gambe, believed that local civil registry fees proposed to collect are not exorbitant or very expensive and the collection of fees is within the 10% allowable This was approved by Sanggunian adjustment rate for LGUs provided Resolution Number 085-2019, authored under Section 191 of RA 7160. by Provincial Board Member Aquino W. Gambe. (LGU Agusan del Norte/ The committee, in its March 5, PIA Agusan del Norte)
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Provincial News I Empowering Communities
Python troopers celebrate 46 years of service
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte - The 30th Infantry “Python” Battalion (30IB), Philippine Army celebrated its 46th founding anniversary on April 16, 2019 held at Barangay Sta. Cruz, Placer town.
The celebration was anchored of gratitude for their years of sacrifice on the theme, “Maghiusa sa Kalinaw, and service to country and people. alang sa Kalambuan.” “Our military will never reach this Tracing back history, the 30IB kind of success in development and was activated on April 16, 1973 and become a true advocate of peace was first stationed at Camp Edilberto without the partnership among our Evangelista, Cagayan de Oro City stakeholders and personnel who now known as the headquarters of 4th serve as the main actors in every Infantry “Diamond” Division, Philippine momentous event we made,” said Army and later deployed from Southern 30IB Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Allen Mindanao to Northern Mindanao. Raymund Tomas. The celebration was highlighted with a mass and a blessing of unit vehicles followed by a formal and short program where stakeholders were recognized for their invaluable support to 30IB’s mission.
“Our success is the success of the Surigaonons, thank you for your neverending support to 30IB,” he added.
Right after the program, a traditional boodle fight lunch was Meanwhile, retiring enlisted shared by the officers and troopers, personnel were also recognized and stakeholders and other guests. (30IBwere given the “Python Seal” as a sign Philippine Army/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
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MINDANAO NEWS
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Mindanao News I Empowering Communities
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PSA, NEDA: NorMin maintains economic momentum By Jigger Jerusalem
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Northern Mindanao has maintained its status as one of the fastest-growing regions in the country with a growth of 7.0 percent last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority-10 (PSA-10). A PSA-10 report released over industry with 35.6 percent growing by the weekend also showed a significant 8.8 percent, and agriculture with 20.3 drop in poverty in the region in 2017. percent. PSA-10 described the region’s economy as “robust” and that it has surpassed the country’s 6.2 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. This acceleration, the PSA-10 said, was faster than the recorded economic growth of 5.8 percent in 2017, and was driven by the industry and services sectors.
The top contributors to the growth in services were trade and repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles, personal and household goods, transportation, storage, and communication.
National Economic Development Authority-10 (NEDA-10) Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño said in a media briefing Friday that the region still has an ample room to grow, with election PSA-10 officer-in-charge Janeth related spending and investments as Aves said the region’s economic possible growth drivers. performance “is also higher than the national average growth of 6.2 percent She said the region’s growth is well GDP.” The services sector maintains the within the agency’s target of 5.5 to 7.1 highest share with 44.1 percent, which percent and seen as the highest since grew by 8.9 percent, followed by 2006. (PNA)
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Mindanao News I Empowering Communities
PRRD optimistic Congress will pass measures for workers’ rights
By Lilian Mellejor
DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte is optimistic Congress will consider passing needed legislative measures that will fully protect workers’ rights, especially to security of tenure and self-organization. “I remain optimistic that one year since I issued Executive Order (EO) No. 51 implementing existing constitutional and statutory provisions against illegal contracting, my counterparts in Congress will consider passing much needed legislative measures that will fully protect our workers’ rights, especially to secure of tenure and selforganization,” the President said in his Labor Day message Wednesday.
all workers based on social justice in the 1987 Philippine Constitution”. It “strictly” prohibits contracting or subcontracting “undertaken to circumvent the worker’s right to security of tenure, selforganization and collective bargaining, and peaceful concerted activities”.
In joining the Filipino workers in marking Labor Day, Duterte, who is in Davao City, said the country cites the working class as an essential catalyst Duterte’s EO 51 seeks the for the country’s overall progress. implementation of Article 106 of the Labor Code of the Philippines “to The President recognizes that the protect the right of security of tenure of nation’s strength depends on the hard
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Mindanao News I Empowering Communities
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work, grit and perseverance of the powers to afford full protection to labor country’s labor force. and promote equal work opportunities for all,” he said. “Every year, we set aside this day to celebrate their valuable contributions It may be recalled that Duterte not only in the struggle to provide a certified the passage of the security of better life for our people, but in building tenure bill (Senate Bill 1826) September the foundations of a more promising last year as urgent in efforts to fulfill his future for succeeding generations of campaign promise of banning laborFilipinos,” he said. only contracting in the country. The President, however, lamented that despite the yearly observance, the plight of the workers, especially those who choose to leave their families so they may earn better compensation abroad, remains the same.
The measure was expected to strengthen workers’ security of tenure by prohibiting the prevalent practices of contractualization and labor-only contracting.
Congress approved its own “This is why my administration version, House Bill 916 or the Anti-Endo has implemented measures within its Act in January last year. (PNA)
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NATIONAL NEWS
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National News I Empowering Communities
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Over 400K employees regularized under Duterte admin: DOLE By Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA Over 400,000 workers from the private sector have been regularized since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in 2016. Data from the Department of (i.e. formal, informal, public, migrant, Labor and Employment (DOLE) show women, and youth). that for the period 2016-2018, a total of 413,940 workers have been regularized. Based on the submitted report of the 16 DOLE Regional Offices (DOLE Of the figure, 291,612 benefitted ROs), as of March 2019, a total of from voluntary regularization and 4,717 registered contractors have 122,328 were regularized through valid registration, 3,271 of which were inspection. registered under D.O. 174 and 1,446 under D.O. 18-A. The DOLE issued Department Order No. 174, Series of 2017, which Effective implementation is the new implementing rules and regulations of Articles 106 to 109 of the According to the DOLE, it has Labor Code, as amended. undertaken measures to ensure the effective implementation of DO DO 174-17 is a product of 174-17, which include regularization comprehensive and inclusive area- of workers through inspection, wide consultations involving all sectors deputization of trade unions and
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employer organizations to participate in the inspection of establishments’ compliance to labor laws and social legislations (DOLE Administrative Order No. 164-17).
National News I Empowering Communities Orders issued yet, but the results of inspection and Mandatory Conference suggest engagement in LOC.
Meanwhile, Asec. Benjo Benavidez believed that the situation of laborers Also, it issued Department Order in the country has improved under the 183, Series of 2017, or the Revised Rules Duterte administration. on the Administrative and Enforcement of Labor Laws to further strengthen the “To us, oo (yes, it has improved) implementation of the visitorial and kasi nakita namin ‘yung sa mga enforcement powers under the Labor employer marami (because many Code, towards securing a higher level employers have implemened voluntary of compliance with labor laws. regularization). ‘Yung datos namin siguro, mga 65 percent ng mga naViolators and compliant regular based on voluntary regularization so ito ay kusang loob ginawa ng mga DOLE-ROs reported that a total companies kahit hindi namin sila inof 3,377 companies were found to be inspection so mas paborable po ‘yun engaged and suspected to be engaged (Based on our data, around 65 percent in Labor-only contracting (LOC) or of regularized workers were voluntarily other non-permissible contracting/ regularized, meaning it was out of the subcontracting arrangements in companies’ actions which they did violation of the right to security of even without us doing inspections so tenure. it is more favorable),” he said in an interview Wednesday. The number covers 2016 up to April 2018. The DOLE official noted that the welfare of the workers, particularly Of these, 767 companies were with regards to their safety has also found to be engaged in LOC, and improved. issued with Compliance Orders directing the regularization of affected “Then aside from that, the workers, including those with pending occupational safety and health appeal before the Office of the Labor standards and also other labor Secretary. standards, we think these helped improved the condition of our workers. On the other hand, the remaining You cannot quantify a safe workplace. 2,610 companies, which were If you are free from diseases and other suspected to be engaged in LOC, were hazards, you are safe,” he added. establishments with no Compliance (PNA)
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National News I Empowering Communities
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CHED marks another milestone with more Filipino youth in college
By Ma. Teresa Montemayor
MANILA - More Filipino youth with access to free tertiary education marks a significant milestone in the 25 years of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Thursday, CHED chair J. Prospero de Vera III said the commission’s biggest achievement in almost three decades would be its contribution to the country’s manpower, by producing more Filipino youth “who are better educated, better trained, and more employable”.
De Vera said 1.3 million youth in public universities no longer pay tuition and miscellaneous fees, about 300,000 college students get tertiary education subsidy, and deserving students receive merit scholarships.
The free tertiary education law was fully implemented in 2018, which mandates the free tuition and “These youth will be the engine of miscellaneous fees in state universities growth of this country through Republic and colleges. Act 10931. Now, in our 25 years, we are an agency implementing the biggest For school year 2018-2019, the innovation in higher education which is government has allocated a budget free higher quality education,” he said. of PHP40 billion -- PHP16 billion for
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Free Higher Education, another PHP16 billion for the Tertiary Education Subsidy for needy students, PHP7 billion for Technical-Vocational Education and Training, and PHP1 billion for the Student Loan Program.
National News I Empowering Communities have local universities and colleges,” De Vera said. De Vera also lauded CHED employees for their commitment to education.
In 1994, CHED was established “We’d like to thank and through Republic Act 7722 or Higher congratulate the employees for all the Education Act of 1994. hard work they’ve been doing. There are employees in CHED who were part “From a bureau of the of the original batch when CHED was Department of Education into a fullcreated so we’re going to recognize blown commission doing the work them during these 25 years,” he said. in higher education in the national, ASEAN, international levels promoting To celebrate its 25th anniversary, access and equity. We have close to 2,000 higher education institutions in CHED’s officials and employees held the Philippines because initially when a Unity Walk around the University of CHED was created, what we had were the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City state universities and colleges, now we Thursday. (PNA)
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EDITORIAL BOARD Executive Editor
ABNER M. CAGA Associate Editor
FRYAN E. ABKILAN Managing Editor
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VENUS LIM GARCIA Layout Artists
RONNIE E. MADANGUIT JOHN CHARLES B. MALAZARTE Contributors
JENNIFER P. GAITANO Agusan del Sur
NIDA GRACE B. TRANQUILAN Surigao del Sur
SUSIL D. RAGAS
Surigao del Norte/Dinagat Islands
JESSICA O. MELLEJOR LILIAN MELLEJOR JOANA RICA P. MILLAMA MA. TERESA MONTEMAYOR JIGGER JERUSALEM FERDINAND PATINIO LGU AGUSAN DEL NORTE 30IB-PHILIPPINE ARMY DSWD CARAGA PNA Business Managers
ZARINA O. LASTRA REGAL C. ORIBIA Photographer
ROBESPIERRE C. TRADIO RUDOLF BONNIN E. SANICO
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