CONTENTS
Cover Story CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – What does it mean to be part of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) or one ASEAN? In a recently held ASEAN multisectoral forum in this city, Director Belina Capul of the Philippine Information Agency-International Relations Committee (PIA-IRC) shared that there are three major benefits for being part of ASEAN such as “free from war and internal strife, mobility to travel, to work, to study or to setup a business and no disadvantaged group or sector left behind.” She said that ASEAN today has become one of the world’s most experienced regional organization in the practice of dialogue and cooperation. United Nations even recognizes its contribution to peace; it also has a large consumer market of around 650 million people and
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rich storehouse of resources for the world. In its 50th founding anniversary this year, ASEAN is forging ahead together in further consolidating and strengthening the regional grouping as One Community. The theme this year is “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World” which coincides with ASEAN’s Golden anniversary. As chairman to this year’s ASEAN founding anniversary, the President of the Philippines is expected to be the spokesperson for the 10 ASEAN member states and be the chief executive in chairing and facilitating official meetings, working groups and task forces, said Capul. Further, ASEAN has identified six
thematic priorities this year. One is people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN. This corresponds to protecting rights of migrant workers, ending all forms of malnutrition, one health approach, and role of civil service as catalyst for achieving ASEAN vision 2025. Second thematic priority is peace and stability in the region, which includes fighting the rise of radicalization and violent extremism. Third is maritime and security and cooperation which includes peaceful resolution of disputes, maritime security cooperation and prosperity.
Fourth is the inclusive, innovation-led growth such as fast action to investments, reduce cost of doing business for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), youth and women entrepreneurship, ASEAN Trade facilitation index. Fifth is ASEAN’s resiliency especially on disaster management and last is to be model of regionalism, a global player. Further, Capul said there will be simultaneous ASEAN landmark lighting on Aug. 8, 2017 at 7 p.m. in Manila and 49 other cities in the country. (JMOR/PIA10)
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Pag-IBIG Fund to give away prizes for loan application CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – To show gratitude and entice member-borrowers to support existing services, Pag-IBIG Fund introduces the “May Panalo sa Loan Mo Raffle Promo.”
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The promo is open to all Fund members with approved multipurpose loan (MPL) for the January 1 to November 30, 2017 period. Every approved MPL application entitles a member to one raffle entry. MPL borrowers with loans and renewals thereof within the promo period are entitled to separate raffle entries. Also, member-borrowers should have an updated Membership Savings (MS) and MPL payments at the time of the raffle. Prizes range from P10,000 to P50,000 and winners will be drawn
on December 2017. There will be 140 consolation prize winners who will receive dry goods, seven (7) third prize winners of P10,000, seven winners of P20,000 and a winner of P50,000. Winners will be notified through telephone, email or registered mail based on their member’s contact details with the fund and or through their employer on record. All prizes shall be claimed at the concerned PagIBIG Fund branch office and winners should present the official email, SMS or mail notification from the Fund and Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card or one valid identification.(RTP/PIA10)
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Talakayan sa PIA tackles economic pillar of ASEAN CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Philippine Information Agency region 10 in partnership with Limketkai Luxe Hotel hosted “Talakayan sa Limketkai Luxe,” with guest from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) region 10 on 24 April 2017 to discuss the significance of the country being part of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) particularly in its economic community.
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1-15 May 2017 DTI Senior Trade and Developemnt Specialist Irwin Jayson Jamaca shared that the Philippines alone could not make an impact in the world’s economy but together with the members of ASEAN as a region, it becomes the 7th largest economy in the world.
Negosyo Centers where would be and existing entrepreneurs learn various skills in marketing and promotion of products, SME Roving Academy for entrepreneurs in the country side, Domestic Trade and Promotion and National Competitiveness Program. In relation to these competitiveness programs, the “4Cs for ASEAN Economic Community (AEC): PH Gameplan” were also presented. The 1st C is to Comply with commitments, 2nd is to enhance Competitiveness, 3rd is to intensify Communications and 4th is to promote Collaboration. “Compliance is the key for you to maximize income,” says Jamaca. Meanwhile, among the products that are trending in ASEAN are organic food products and those belonging to health and wellness. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an organization founded on August 8, 1967 that was built to promote cooperation on the socio-cultural, economic, and politicalsecurity pillars of the region. Member countries include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. Further, in its 50th anniversary this year, Philippines is host with theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.”(Martesha Maive Veloso/JMOR/ PIA10)
“Together with the members of ASEAN as a region, PH becomes the 7th largest economy in the world”
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Further, he said, there will be free flow of goods, easier entry and exit of goods tarriff free. He also said that entrepreneurs would have a bigger market outside the country and an opportunity to send their products abroad in complaince to the standards set by clients and government entities. In terms of programs for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the region, Jamaca shared six competitiveness programs for it to be compete in ASEAN community particularly Industry Clustering Strategy where they group together similar industries like cacao and coffee for focused program implementation, Shared Service Facility where cooperatives and organizations can use an equipment from DTI for efficient production of goods,
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NDA cites challenges, efforts to dairy dev’t MAMBAJAO, Camiguin – As the central policy determining body tasked to ensure the accelerated development of the dairy industry in the country through policy direction, program coordination and implementation, the National Dairy Authority (NDA) highlighted the challenges and development efforts to boost the industry during the 20th Dairy Congress and Expo on May 3-5 at the Provincial Convention Center, Mambajao town, Camiguin. Rene De Guzman of NDA presented the major challenges of the dairy industry in the country and these include the limited dairy stock, implementation of Food Safety Act, milk quality and safety concerns, ASEAN integration, and local milk patronage. To address such, major programs are implemented by the NDA and these are the Dairy Herd Build Up, Dairy Enterprise Enhancement, Milk Feeding, and Milk Safety and Quality Assurance. The Dairy Herd Build Up aims to increase local dairy stocks and milk production as the sector suffered significantly because of lose credit standards. It involves the importation
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1-15 May 2017 of dairy animals and distribute such to dairy multiplier farm operators. To ensure the viability and sustainability of local dairy enterprises, the Dairy Enterprise Enhancement Program is implemented. The program also aims to establish the marketability of locally produced milk. The milk feeding program on the other hand, targets to address malnutrition of children and create livelihood opportunities for local dairy farmers who are tapped as suppliers of milk. To protect human health in the consumption of milk and dairy products, the Milk Safety and Quality Assurance Program has been created. This ensures market access of local foods and food products by promoting
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and educating the dairy stakeholders in the adoption of safety standard protocols from milk production to postharvest handling. Furthermore, NDA stressed that it is important to immediately address the challenges of the industry since milk and cream products ranked third in the Top 5 agri-imports and it could go higher with proper implementation of programs and participation of dairy players. In 2016, the local milk production reached 21.16 million liters and recently, there are already 59 provinces, 480 dairy players, and 4,349 dairy animals in the Philippines. From this number, northern Mindanao has 80 dairy players and 7,779 dairy animals.(Rowena B. Tasan/PIA10)
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MisOcc agrarian reform community adopts rice-duck farming OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental – “It is an odd thing, the first time we did it,” declared Almer Galabin, a farmer-leader and chairman of the Mamanga Daku ARC Cooperative that piloted rice-duck farming at Mamanga Daku Agrarian Reform Community (ARC).
This organic rice farming technology has grown increasing curiosity among farmers in the community. The idea of rice-duck farming came when Mamanga Daku ARC was covered by Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) of the
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). Under the program, Xavier Science Foundation, a service provider and consultant hired for Agricultural Extension Services linked Mamanga Daku ARC to the Philippine Agrarian Reform Foundation for National Development (PARFUND), who introduced the rice-duck ideas
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1-15 May 2017 and extended training programs for the technology. The technology will help farmers minimized the use of expensive and hazardous chemicals. Rice-duck farming, an ecological rice farming method using ducks, was devised by Takao Furuno, a Japanese farmer and an outstanding social entrepreneur. According to published reports his idea of releasing ducks into the rice paddies, has achieved a higher yield and lesser financial capital. According to Galabin, he noted several advantages in adopting riceduck farming technology. Ducks eat weeds so that there’s not much weeding activity to do. Ducks also eat insects which destroy the plant, and the ducks droppings fertilized the
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growing rice. Ducks also eat golden snails which are serious threat to rice. Plaridel Mayor Diego Ty, who is himself an advocate of organic farming supported the program by allocating funds for the learning expedition of the LGU Staff and Mamanga Daku farmers to Valencia City in Bukidnon, purposely to acquire skills and knowledge from successful rice-duck farmers. The municipal government of Plaridel in Misamis Occidental promised more support for the development of riceduck farming in Mamanga Daku ARC including the establishment of a duck breeding station which Mamanga Daku ARC Cooperative planned to establish in the future.(Arnold V.Quicoy DARPIO)
Private sector join Bukidnon Tripartite Industrial Peace Council social dialogue VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon – Some 148 workers from the province’s private sector recently concluded the Bukidnon Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (BTIPC) special general assembly on 6 April 2017 in Valencia city, in its mission, to promote tripartite industrial peace and institutionalization of social dialogues and tripartite consultations on policies and programs affecting labor, management and the government.
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The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)- Bukidnon chief Raul L. Valmores recounted that the BTIPC had come a long way from its creation way back in the early 1990s, up to the present. “The council has always been active in its mission, to promote tripartite industrial peace and institutionalization of social dialogues and tripartite consultations on policies and programs affecting labor, management and the government,” Valmores added. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Philippines has robust tripartism, as well as its mechanisms and processes on social dialogue. Accordingly, the BTIPC has been recognized as one of the most sturdy and active TIPCs in Northern Mindanao, if not, far ahead than the other provincial TIPCs in adopting and implementing its own programs, projects and activities consistent with the development
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objectives of the government. Resource speaker Junaliza S. Aragon of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board-X (NCMB-X), an attached agency of the Department, explained the concepts of productivity and innovation. Likewise, Republic Act No. 8525, otherwise known as “Adopt a School Program, Tax Incentives and Withholding Tax Computation”, was discussed by Bureau of Internal Revenue-Bukidnon Revenue Officer Harly A. Macasling. Discussions continued on Campaign against Illegal Recruitment by Philippine Overseas Employment Agency-X Attorney II Paul D. Sabud and the recently issued Department Order No. 174 on Contracting and Subcontracting. Valmores also reported that a new set of officers and Board of Directors (BODs) for Calendar Year 2017-2019 were elected. “They are
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1-15 May 2017 tasked to continue the programs, projects, and activities pioneered by the outgoing officers and BODs. It shall also be noted that the achievement of the goals and objectives of the TIPC will not be realized without the member’s commitment to pursue the unyielding drive to work together as a team and maintain the spirit of tripartism, continued efforts to attain industrial peace among labor, management and government
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entities which serves as an effective and efficient communication channel and mechanism for undertaking joint programs towards enhancing labor-management relations,” he concluded. The attendees were very grateful to the BTIPC and to the DOLE for productive inputs and learnings during the assembly.(Jessamie M. Aliño/ DOLE Bukidnon)
DSWD bats for after-care, rehab programs for drug dependents CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – To provide support to the government’s campaign against drugs and improve the lives of drug dependents and their families, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-10 implements the after-care, transformation and reintegration program as highlighted during the DSWD’s Media and Blogger’s Forum on May 5. This program is one of the programs of DSWD under the Duterte Administration that aims to give social welfare to individuals in the community; specifically, those who are already dependent on drugs but still have a chance to change. The after-care, transformation,
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and reintegration program for drug dependents has various initiatives to address to the recovering drug dependents. Sean Pamela Balais, focal person for Adoption Resource and Referral Section of DSWD-10 said that the programs involved in uplifting the lives
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of drug dependents include the START (Strategies towards Acceptance, Reintegration, and Transformation), FDAPP (Family Drug Abuse Prevention Program) and SDEC (Special Drug Education Center). For protective services program, DSWD gives augmentations such as with the rice assistance, food packs and medical assistance in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH). Skills training through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) is also provided to give access to various training such as Technical Education and Skills Development
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Authority (TESDA), for the beneficiaries to acquire the skills and eventually have an income. This is also created to divert their attention into working instead of doing drugs. “So far for the first quarter of this year, ang DSWD through our protective services program naa nata’y nahatag nga amount nga P3.7 million for our recovering drug dependents (So far for this quarter of this year, the DSWD through our protective services program has already spent over P3.7 million for our recovering drug dependents)” says Balais. (Martesha Maive Veloso/PIA10)
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Masiu farmers join abaca production training MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur – With the growing industry of Abaca production in the country, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the province in partnership with the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority Region (PhilFIDA)-IX gathered more than sixty farmerbeneficiaries from various cooperatives of the Indarapatra Agrarian Community in Masiu town on May 3 for a Training on Sustainable Abaca Production. The activity aimed to introduce to the local farmers the demand and supply situation of abaca industry as well as its planting and care management. Engr. Mesug P. Unda , Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II of DAR, talked about the essence and impact of abaca production not just in the socio-economic status of the agrarian partners but also in the environment as well. Alex A. Jaducana, Phil FIDA IX chief of operations, introduced to the local farmers the abaca industry situation, its uses, applications and maximing potentials of investing in abaca farm while Senior Science Research Specialist Ferdinand C. Lazo and Phil FIDA IX Regulatory UnitHead Danilo C. Damiles talked about the Abaca farm care and maintenance and the harvest and post-harvest handling and management, respectively. Masui Mayor Nasser
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Pangandaman, on the other hand, encouraged the farmers to keep themselves abreast on modern farming by attending trainings and educational field-tour programs. “Pud ko kapamgay sa lupa na so mga support services para pkhawmanan so sowa iyo sa kang-gilopa na patot mambo a psoportaan iyo so mga lagid aya a galbuk (distribution of lands are coupled with support services to increase your knowledge and skills in farming so you should cooperate in such activities like this),” said Mayor Pangandaman. The 3-day training ended on May 5 with a educational field-tour at the Municipality of Calanogas to let the farmers see the processed fiber and products that can be produced from abaca and at the Municipality of Malabang to visit the abaca plantation of the Matling Cooperative. (Johaniah Yusoph/DAR-LDS/PIA-10)
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Congested MisOr jail has new, large site CAPITOL COMPOUND, Misamis Oriental – Five-hectare lot in Initao town will be ready for occupancy for the new Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail as soon as papers for its acquisition are completed anytime soon. “The PPP Code (Public-PrivatePartnership) is already approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan through Board Members Boboy Sabal and Wayne Militante (as main sponsor of this ordinance). This means that we can now accept unsolicited proposals by private entities to be our partners in implementing projects such as the construction of our new Provincial Jail in Initao. The processing of papers for the acquisition of the lot is ongoing,” Governor Bambi Emano said as he announced the latest development. The lot accordingly is donated by an organization that refused to be identified. Governor Emano said this new site will be built with sophisticated prison facility.
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“We would have separate facility for the women and men and those high profile inmates. They (inmates) would also have a portion of lot for their different livelihood projects,” the governor added. Governor Emano appeals to the inmates and their families to prolong their patience while staying at the MOPJ facility on Luna-Corrales Streets in Cagayan de Oro. “I should admit that our jail is already congested, especially that the number of inmates grew substantially due to the strengthened campaign against the use and sell of illegal drugs in the province of Misamis Oriental. So, we really decided to transfer the facility in a very spacious area,” he explained. (PIO)
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ARMM taps Islamic scholars in fight vs terrorism MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) convened around 300 Ulama (Islamic scholars) from across the country for a three-day summit that aims to explore the role of Muslim scholars and religious leaders in the fight against terrorism. ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said terrorists use inappropriate interpretations of Islamic principles to strengthen their cause and encourage the commission of vicious acts. “We urge our Ulama that if we are on the right position, we should move to show what is right, and let’s condemn what is wrong,” he said. The Philippines ranked 12th among the countries heavily affected by terrorism in the 2016 Global Terrorism Index of the Institute for Economics and Peace, and the presence of the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Maute group, the country’s leading terrorist groups, in at least two of its provinces brings the ARMM at the forefront of the fight against terrorism in the country. The three-day “Ulama Summit Against Terrorism”, held on May 1214, is an initial step of the ARMM government to enlist the support of Islamic scholars to combat terrorism. Hataman said Muslim scholars can contribute to the advocacy against terrorism by educating people about the true teachings of Islam most
especially on the principles of justice, compassion, peace and harmony. The national government considers terrorism as an urgent and critical national security threat. Sheikh Abdulrahman “Abu Hurayra” Udasan, mufti of the DarulIfta Bangsamoro, said that “there should be a distinction between the normative teaching on Islam that is based on the glorious Qur’an and the cultural practices of the Muslims which may or may not be consistent with the normative teaching of Islam.” He emphasized that Islam means peace “and this can automatically counter terrorism and extremism, because peace in Islam is a key of association not isolation; it is a key of accommodation not marginalization.” Aside from the Ulama, the summit is also being attended by local and regional government officials, military and police officials, representatives from civil society organizations and the media. (BPI/PIA-10)
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