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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY– To honor the “Liberator of the Philippines” and pay tribute to those who offered their lives so the future generation can reap the fruits of freedom and democracy, the Historical and Cultural Commission (HisCom) of Cagayan de Oro held the 75th Diamond Jubilee of Gen Douglas MacArthur’s breakout from Corregidor to Australia on March 13. During the launching program, the minds of the citizens the importance City Mayor Oscar Moreno together with of maintaining the military shrines of the the representatives of Norfolk Sister City country and publication of books as well as Association, General Douglas MacArthur production of films that are relevant to the
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Foundation and the Veterans Federation of the Philippines visited and led the floral offering at the MacArthur Marker. In his message, Moreno expressed his gratitude, admiration and respect to the Americans who aided in freeing the country and its people during the World War II in 1942. For their part, the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation congratulated the city and organizers for coming up the 75th diamond jubilee commemoration. “This commemoration is the finest possible program to thank and honor those who served both our nations during the dark days of World War II. It is essential that our future generations will always remember the service of those patriots throughout the United States and the Philippines especially those coming from Cagayan de Oro and Manolo Fortich,” Dr. Juan Montero II said as he read the message of Henry Harris, chairman of the foundation. The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office also sent their felicitations through Brig. Gen. Restituto Aguilar saying that holding such activity helps them in instilling into
Philippine military history. The HisCom also staged a reenactment of the arrival od General Douglas MacArthur and party at Macabalan Port, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental on March 13, 1942. Meanwhile, in the reenactment of General MacArthur’s convoy at MacArthur Memorial Landmark in Barangay Dicklum, Bukidnon, Mayor Clive D. Quiño said that the celebration is a start of significance since Dicklum is the last place where General Douglas MacArthur, his family and key staff members took off on their historic flight to Australia before the fall of Bataan and Corregidor by B-17 on March 17, 1942. He added that it paved the way for the general to “fulfill his promise to liberate the country and people” from the Japanese garrison. The celebration entails a lot of linedup activities on March 13-17 including the free movie screening of World War II Documentary, launching of the Gen. Douglas MacArthur photo exhibit and the Cagayan de Oro MacArthur Memorial Foundation Study Center and Mindanao Guerillas Memorial Exhibit, and more.
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BIR inspects establishments in CDO for tax compliance CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Region 16 conducted on March 1 a tax compliance verification drive (TCVD) or mapping operation in an attempt to verify compliance of establishments in Cagayan de Oro City.
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Led by BIR RR16 Director lawyer Hermeno A. Palamine, the campaign aims to verify compliance with registration, invoicing and bookkeeping requirements provided for under existing internal revenue laws, put in check tax violators, stamp out payment irregularities and generate more tax revenue. For his part, Cagayan de Oro Revenue District Officer Venerando B. Homez said the taxpayer owning, leasing or otherwise controlling the sales outlets or service equipment is liable to register with the BIR office and pay the corresponding annual registration fee of P500. Homez said that in addition to this, a Certificate of Registration (COR) provided by the tax agency should be securely attached to the sales machine or equipment and should be conspicuously displayed to the public. He further said that the COR shall be nontransferable to another taxpayer or from one location to another and should any changes be made as to its ownership and location, re-registration is required. The provision fully supports BIR’s tax collection efforts and TCVD. The registration would help the BIR have an updated record of taxpayers’ sales outlets and service equipment and enable the agency to better track the activities and operations of taxpayers. Tax mapping is usually done unannounced by the BIR representative. For this round, TCVD was conducted as among the highlights for the 2017 Tax Campaign Drive with the theme, “Tunay na Pagbabago, Para sa Bayan” aimed to mobilize sector support for the payment of taxes. Charges on non-compliance or violation to BIR rules of business establishment ranges from penalties amounting to P1,000 to P50,000, depending on the nature and scope of the violation. Some violation, however, can lead to permanent closure of the business establishment, criminal charges on the owners or imprisonment. (EOR/PIA10)
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Misamis Oriental joins Fire Prevention Month celeb CAPITOL COMPOUND, Misamis Oriental – Misamis Oriental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division (PDRRMD) led the provincial government in joining the Fire Prevention Month kick-off in Northern Mindanao.
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Rescue vehicles in the province participated to the event, which started with a motorcade around the city thoroughfare. Misamis Oriental PDRRMD head Fernando Jun Dy said that based on the order of Governor Yevgeny Vincente B. Emano the province will have a series of activities in support to the celebration spearheaded by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). Dy said that instead of fire drills, the province would conduct a series of earthquake drills to every
municipality. He said for the last two years fire drills was not their option as they are giving importance to much heavier calamity. However, Dy explained that during every earthquake drills, they always coordinate with the BFP. Dy also coordinated with the private establishments along the province to conduct earthquake drills. The activity will also course thru every schools in the province, Dy said. (PIO MisOr)
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PGLDN receives 2016 SGLG award TUBOD, Lanao del Norte – The Province of Lanao del Norte (PGLDN) received its Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award last February 17, 2017. Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) is a program of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) that seeks to recognize and incentivize local government units that displays excellence in performing various areas of local governance. For a local government unit (LGU) to be a recipient of this award, it must pass the three core assessment areas namely good financial housekeeping, social protection, and disaster preparedness; and at least one of the essential assessment areas which include business-friendliness and competitiveness, peace and order, and environmental management. The SGLG was an award given by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to the previous administration headed by former Governor now 1st District representative Mohammad Khalid Quibranza-Dimaporo. “What’s really important about the seal of good housekeeping is the pride, that once you’ve accomplished the seal of good housekeeping you can showcase it to the public that the Provincial Capitol is in order,” said 1st District Congressman
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Mohamad Khalid Quibranza-Dimaporo in his speech upon receiving the SGLG award. This is the 3rd SGLG award received by the provincial government. The former governor thanked the PGLDN employees for their unrelenting support and hard work for the SGLG award, it was for all of them and not only for the former governor, this accomplishment is for everybody. Second District Congressman Abdullah Dimaporo congratulated everyone for their contribution in achieving the said award. He is glad that the people felt the gradual
change in the province in terms of infrastructure like paving of the roads to the tourism development that put Lanao del Norte back to the map of the country. The SGLG covers more regions of governance to offer greater tests to our local governments to continue good governance practices while offering improved assistance. Those who qualified for the SGLG will have the opportunity to avail of additional funds for their priority development projects from the government’s Performance Challenge Fund.(PIO-LDN)
Misamis Oriental safe for travelers, says Army official CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – “We are safe to travel in Misamis Oriental.”
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Pelaez wanted to get a clear assessment from the military to douse fears from travelers coming to the area after an advisory was reportedly issued urging local and foreign travelers not to go to certain areas where military operations against the communist rebels are taking place. The vice governor asserted that the province is more peaceful than
other places in the country. Board members Gerardo P. Sabal III and Boris Olivier Actub, on the other hand, have called on the media men to be responsible enough in writing their stories to avoid undue harm on the society. Actub appealed not to let the enemies exploit the situation saying, “this is what our enemies want; they
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“The province ranked fourth among the most preferred tourist destinations in the country” want chaos to occur in our midst.” Misamis Oriental is teeming with beautiful beaches, diving sites, caves and other beautiful spots where local and foreign tourists love to visit.
In 2016, the province ranked fourth among the most preferred tourist destinations in the country according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). (FPG/PIA10)
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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – To respond to the adverse effects of tuberculosis (TB), a worldwide pandemic and leading killer among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected people with weakened immune systems, the Department of Health-10 (DOH) turned over a mobile X-ray machine to the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) on March 7.
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PBSP is a non-government, nonprofit corporation committed to poverty reduction. It operates nationwide with programs in education, health, sustainable livelihood, micro small and medium enterprise development, and the environment implemented with partners and communities as empowered players in development. During the turn-over ceremony, it was stressed that the DOH and PBSP have joined hands in the fight against the dreaded and prevalent TB disease confronting the country that should be eradicated, if not marginalized, for the health and the welfare of the
people. Hence, the DOH-10, through its regional implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action to Control Tuberculosis, obtained the mobile x-ray machine as it is tasked to find all missing TB cases through expansion of diagnostic facilities, use and scaleup of rapid diagnostic tools, and adoption of intensified case finding methodologies among the high-risk groups and vulnerable populations. The department has also done such action since it recognizes the benefits of using chest radiography or chest X-ray (CXR) which includes as
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1-15 March 2017 an adjunct to bacteriologic testing for TB diagnosis. Aside from acquiring such equipment, the DOH also uses various strategies to control TB such as localizing the implementation of TB control, monitoring of health
REGIONAL NEWS | NORMINPlus system performance, engaging all health care providers, promoting and strengthening positive behavior of communities, certifying and accrediting TB care providers, and securing adequate funding for the program.(RTP/PIA10)
Completion of Oro’s traffic plan pushed CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Going to war without a plan is a crime, stressed the City Council committee on roads and traffic management during discussions on the proposed comprehensive Integrated Traffic Plan of Cagayan de Oro.
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The committee, chaired by Councilor Romeo V. Calizo, invited City Police Director PSSupt/ Gerardo Rosales, Land Transportation Office regional director Oscar Salcedo, barangay chairmen, presidents of transport groups, among others to discuss the plan as presented by the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA). The committee also took the time to hear the comments and suggestions of the invited guests on how to improve traffic in the city. The traffic plan, which was drafted by the RTA, involves the construction of elevated walkways connecting major establishments, establishment of carpool services, and mass transit system, and construction of vertical
parking space buildings, among others. Councilor Teodulfo Lao, however said, it was the same presentation the committee heard in previous meetings with no additional information and input.
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Marawi City employees undergo news writing, photojournalism workshop MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur – Fifty two employees from the different departments of the Marawi City Government underwent a one-day coaching workshop to hone their skills in news writing, photojournalism and social media content development. The skills coaching workshop was conducted by the city government in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) on March 9 at the city hall’s conference room. Information officers from the PIA regional office 10 served as the resource persons and talked about basic news writing, rules of composition in photography, caption writing, and creating shareable social media content. After the discussions, the participants underwent workshops which were critiqued by the resource persons pointing out the weaknesses of the outputs and how to further improve it. Faisal Cali, a participant from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said they learned a lot from the workshop particularly on photography and social media content development. “The social media discussion gave us insights on today’s modern world and how we can maximize it in our advocacy and programs. The photography session was also vital,
we have observed that we have not been using the rules of composition in photography,” he said. Katty Gandamra, communications consultant of the city government, said communicating with integrity and credibility was the best learning the participants have gained during the workshop. “Communication cannot be over-emphasized because we simply cannot afford not communicate. Communication is part of our daily work thus we have to give accurate and honest information to have credibility and integrity to share it with our audience,” she said. The activity was the first communications workshop conducted by the city government under the new administration and the first capability building session of PIA-10 for 2017. (APB/PIA-10)
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CDO joins International Women’s Day CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Various women’s groups in Cagayan de Oro City joined the global community in celebrating the ‘International Women’s Day’ on March 8 at Barangay 24 covered court.
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City Accountant Lawyer Beda Joy Elot, Gender and Development (GAD) focal person, emphasized that women empowerment is an integral part in nation building as the sector plays an important role in our society, be it in our home or community. For her part, keynote speaker
Judge Jerlie Luis Requerme shared her valuable knowledge about Republic Act 9710 or Magna Carta of Women. The Magna Carta is a comprehensive women’s human rights law that seeks to eliminate discrimination through the recognition, protection, fulfillment and promotion
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of the rights of Filipino women, especially those belonging in the marginalized sectors of the society. The activity aims to give recognition to the women’s sector in the community, organizations or civil
society and partner stakeholders who in one way or the other advocate to mainstream women programs and services to governmental initiatives. (CIO/PIA10)
DICT holds Data Privacy Roadshow in CDO CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Mindanao Cluster 2 held this month in Cagayan de Oro City its Data Privacy Roadshow in collaboration with the National Privacy Commission (NPC).
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Dondi Mapa, Deputy Privacy Commissioner of NPC said that Republic Act 10173 or Data Privacy Act of 2012 is the policy state to protect the fundamental human right of privacy, of communication while ensuring free flow of information to promote innovation and growth. According to him, data is the new oil of the digital economy. For instance, identity thieves can get a loan, open credit cards, open utility accounts, apply for a refund, apply for employment, get medical care and commit crime or fraud. On the part of the victims, they can get denied of credit/loans, denial of public service, denial of medical care and harassment by collectors, among others. He explained that there are three types of privacy risks: low, medium and high. In a workshop that was conducted during the roadshow, it was found out that for a medium risk level of privacy, a government agency or private institution would need a Data Privacy Officer (DPO). Especially when the exposure level of data obtained such as personal information of beneficiaries is high, overall privacy risk is at stake. Privacy risk is the probability that the data processing or other activity involving data will result in a loss of rights and freedom of an individual. Further, risk level may be adjusted for severity, likelihood and magnitude. Meanwhile, lawyer Vida Bocar of Compliance and Monitoring Division
of NPC shared that in order to have proper handling of data, an agency or entity must adhere to these five obligations as mandated by law. First, to appoint a DPO)/Compliance Officer, process according to principles, establish data protection framework, setup breach reporting procedure and register systems with the NPC. According to her, designating a DPO is the first essential step towards compliance. You cannot register your systems with the NPC unless you have a DPO. You cannot report your compliance activities unless you go through your DPO. To comply, there must be a notarized appointment or designation of a DPO, filed with the NPC. If there is a breach, report within 72 hours. Otherwise, if there is no notification within 72 hours, this could be punishable by 18 months to five years of imprisonment and a fine of P500,000 to P1M. Causes of breach include theft or break in, poor controls allowing unauthorized access, equipment failure, human error, flood, earthquake, fire and hacking attacks. NPC also shared that they are open for complaints or requests for investigations through their email ad at complaints@privacy.gov.ph or post mail or personal appearance at Room B-02, DICT Building, C.P. Gracia Ave., Quezon City. (JMOR/PIA10)