AgSur guv urges public to cooperate with authorities in implementing precautionary measures

P ovincial News “Remember, this is not about who gets the news first and be on the spotlight, but it’s about ensuring that everyone around us is able to get the right information and let them be aware of the things to do and what to avoid for them to be spared from the spread of the harmful COVID-19,” Plaza added.

panic over baseless information,” said Plaza.

Plaza further reminded all that any individual who will be caught creating fake news and sharing it online will be charged for violating the AntiCyber Crime Act, wherein responsible person/s shall be put to prison and shall pay the corresponding penalty. Meanwhile, Plaza further bared that those media personalities, who are working within the province of Agusan del Sur and are gathering data in the different municipalities for their reports, are urged to have with them their ID and should undergo the screening process at the checkpoints, as the community quarantine is strictly implemented in the entire province.

“No one is exempted to undergo the health protocol,” he said. (JPG/PIAAgusan del Sur) AgSur guv urges public to cooperate with authorities in implementing precautionary measures

P ovincial News “We should follow orders from the officials in the barangay/city/ municipality/province, as well as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) for us to ensure that nobody will be affected by the said virus,” Gov. Cane, said. BUTUAN CITY - With the ongoing implementation of the community quarantine in the entire province of Agusan del Sur, Governor Santiago Cane, Jr. called on the locals to obey and follow the rules and regulations imposed by the authorities from the Department of Health (DOH), Provincial/Municipal/City/ Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) in fighting against the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.

The barangay officials are also making the move to properly inform their constituents on the things to do in order to continuously prevent the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Hotline and emergency numbers are posted in every barangay so people could immediately report any related incident. of the precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the said virus while the province is under community quarantine.

Meanwhile, despite being a COVID-Free province and region, for now, Gov. Cane urged everyone not to be complacent, instead, always follow and apply the precautionary measures and health protocol, maintain proper hygiene, social distancing, and to stay at home, and to ensure that said disease would not affect more people and increase the number of persons under monitoring (PUMs) and patients under investigation (PUIs).

The governor, who leads the Agusan del Sur Task Force COVID-19, is also visiting the designated checkpoint in the province to personally check and assess whether the health protocols are continuously followed/complied. This is to ensure the implementation “Going outside your houses and roaming elsewhere would only give the virus the chance to infect more people without you knowing you have it already. Don’t be a virus carrier. Stay home, stay clean, and be safe,” said Cane. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur) 26 March 21-27, 2020 Caraga INFOCUS

P ovincial News Bayugan City households

receive quarantine pass

The city government wanted to limit the movement of the local residents for less exposure outside their homes and prevent the chance of spreading the disease. BUTUAN CITY - As the entire province of Agusan del Sur implements the community quarantine as part of the provincial government’s precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the city government of Bayugan has already distributed the quarantine pass to every household. By Jennifer P. Gaitano

It can be recalled that Bayugan City Mayor Kirk Asis has issued the Executive Order No. 65, series of 2020, wherein he declared the entire city under general community quarantine. “While Bayugan City remains free of positive COVID-19 case, there are limited testing kits available and it takes weeks to get the results back, thus, an urgent need for a ‘Mandatory SelfIsolation for All’ because everyone is a suspect now carrying the coronavirus in this life-and-death situation,” bared Asis. Just recently, Mayor Asis also announced that the LGU has issued a quarantine pass allowing individuals to go out of their houses to buy the basic commodities and other essentials, as well as, for those employees in public and private entities.

“Along with the pass, individuals should also present their ID for 27 March 21-27, 2020 Caraga INFOCUS

P ovincial News verification. Without the pass, anyone will not be allowed to go out from their homes and roam elsewhere without official business,” said Asis.

Mayor Asis added that the quarantine pass, which the city government will be providing to every household shall not be reproduced, otherwise, those who will be caught violating will be put to prison. He further bared that the pass shall only be produced by the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) office and City Planning Office. The pass is also non-transferable with other users.

Mayor Asis also urged the uniform personnel and quarantine officers, persons in authority and agents of persons in authority both in the city and barangay levels to be present at border points and also oversee the movement of the people in internet shops/cafes, basketball courts and other recreational areas.

He also urged the concerned personnel to monitor the prices in grocery stores, sari-sari stores, 24-hours convenience stores, supermarkets, fast food restaurants, pharmacies, and public markets, and other essential business establishments.

Meanwhile, other municipalities like Sibagat has also released and distributed the quarantine pass to the barangays. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur) Joint task force to combat COVID-19 launched in SurSur

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur - Concerned law enforcement agencies have formally launched the Provincial Joint Task Force Corona Virus Surigao del Sur Shield (PJTF CV SDS Shield) on Saturday, March 21, 2020, held at the Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office, Camp Vicente Pimentel Sr., Brgy. Telaje, this city.

The said task force was organized to oversee and support the implementation of the directives of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-MEID). Its mission is to maintain the peace and order, and enforcement of laws to prevent and By Cpt. Jonald D Romorosa 28 March 21-27, 2020 Caraga INFOCUS

contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by establishing quarantine control points to seal-off the five main entrance and exit points in the province of Surigao del Sur.

The event was spearheaded by Police Provincial Office chief PCol. James Goforth, as the designated commander of the task force, along with 36th Infantry Battalion (36IB) Commander Lt. Colonel Jezreel Diagmel, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and chiefs of police of the 17 municipalities, and two cities of the province.

The activity was highlighted by the signing of the PNP-AFP-PCG-BFP Joint implementing directive Nr. 1-2020 in support of IATF-MEID.

In his statement, Lt. Col. Diagmel lauded the bold move of the PNP Surigao del Sur for activating and organizing the Joint Task Force in the province.

“We in the Philippine Army, particularly the 36IB, will fully support the implementation of PJTF CV SDS Shield. We will ensure that the peace and order will be fully implemented as we combat this virulent disease,” Diagmel said. He also urged every Surigaonon to cooperate and bear with the security forces in these trying times.

The joint task force has established five main quarantine control points to seal-off the entrance and exit points in the following areas: Barangay Adlay, Carrascal via Claver, Surigao del Norte; Barangay Payasan, Lianga via Los Arcos, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur; Sitio Cutlog, Barangay Bahi, Barobo via San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; Barangay San Jose, Bislig City via Trento, Agusan del Sur; and Sitio Lomar, Barangay Sabang, Lingig via Boston, Davao Oriental. (CMO Officer, 36IB/ PIA-Surigao del Sur)

P ovincial News Surigao Sur volunteers

make masks for Covid-19 frontliners

By Alexander Lopez

BUTUAN CITY – A group of women, youth, and members of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) in the Surigao del Sur town of Carmen are getting accolades from local residents for using their sewing skills to provide facemasks for the health frontliners in the fight against the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

“We talked Thursday night last week (March 19) and we started the project on Friday. There were seven of us who started this,” Zairha Sarmiento Pude told Philippine News Agency on Monday (March 23).

Pude is an agricultural engineer by profession and an employee at the Municipal Agricultural Office (MAO) in Carmen.

Pude said she and her friends were discussing on how to provide support for the frontliners of their town who are fighting to contain the spread of Covid-19.

“One said we could produce

P ovincial News facemasks since most of us knew how to saw. Everyone agreed and by the next day we convened and started the project,” she recalled.

Even with their talent in sewing, they initially encountered some difficulties at first as most of them had not sewn facemasks before.

“The first day was trial and error. We only had one sewing machine. Despite the difficulties, we were able to produce 30 facemasks,” she said.

They then borrowed hand sewing machines but most of these broke down, hampering their goal to produce more facemasks.

It was at that point that they turned to social media to crowdsource with their fellow residents for assistance. “We told them to just donate materials and they need not help us. We were also worried about breaking the ‘social distancing’ rule if many people would turn up to help,” she said.

Pude also expressed gratitude to Esperanza Integrated School for allowing them to use one of the senior high school classrooms with sewing machines.

“That was a relief. How can we produce more if we only have one sewing machine? The school came to the rescue,” she said.

As of Sunday (March 22), four more youth with talents in sewing joined their group.

“We are 12 now working to produce more facemasks for our frontliners here,” Pude said.

As of Monday (March 23), the group had already produced 200 facemasks that will be distributed to health workers, police personnel, the Army, and other frontliners involved in manning quarantine checkpoints in Carmen town.

“They need facemasks to protect themselves. What will happen if our frontliners will also get sick? The efforts to protect the people of Carmen from the threats of Covid-19 will be in peril,” Pude said.

She added that the group will continue to make facemasks as donations start to arrive, particularly threads, sewing pins, and cloths.

Facemasks will also be distributed to clinics and health centers in the area, including tricycle drivers and market vendors in Carmen.

“Thank you to the people of Carmen for the support. In our little way we can help the government fight Covid-19 by supporting our frontliners,” Pude said.

The municipality of Carmen is a 5th-class municipality in the province of Surigao del Sur composed of nine barangays and a population of 10,347 people based on the 2015 census. (PNA)

31 March 21-27, 2020 Caraga INFOCUS

P ovincial News MGB 13 conducts budget proposal consultations for FY 2021

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte -The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-13) conducted the FY 2021 Budget Proposal Consultations with civil society organizations (CSOs) held recently at the MGB 13 training center, this city.

In view of the Regional Development Council’s (RDC’s) approved Regional Guidelines for the Regional Budget Review for FY 2021 budget proposal, all agencies, state universities and colleges and other government instrumentalities shall conduct consultations with partner and interested CSOs, religious organizations and other stakeholders. By Melinda B. Navida

in order to generate feedbacks on MGB’s programs and projects from stakeholders prior to the endorsement of its proposed budget through the RDC of Caraga Region.

During the consultation, MGB 13 Planning Officer Carl Orven C. Eludo gave a comprehensive presentation on the FY 2021 budget proposal.

He expounded on the details of the Bureau’s work programs and the corresponding budgetary requirements.

The need to conduct budget review and consultations is imperative Engr. Leonel Z. Santos, Chairman of Surigao Economic Development and Microfinance Foundation, Inc. and Arceli T. Napalan, Executive Director of REACH Foundation, attended the consultations and took note of MGB’s targets and accomplishments.

All the stakeholders affirmed their approval for the said budget proposal’s endorsement through the RDC. (MGB13/PIA-Surigao del Norte) 32 March 21-27, 2020 Caraga INFOCUS