Pag-IBIG Fund acknowledges 1,000,001st loyalty card holder
by Gerson R. Nob and Recthie T. Paculba
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – In celebration for another milestone, Pag-IBIG Fund recognizes its 1,000,001st loyalty card holder in the country on April 15 at Pag-iIBIG Fund Office in Cagayan de Oro.
Janet C. Cañada, an employee from the city government of Cagayan de Oro, was named as the 1,000,001st Pag-IBIG Fund loyalty card holder. Pag-IBIG Loyalty card is a new program that entitles holders to discounts and other privileges. It is created to maximize membership in Pag-IBIG and not just solely offer loans. Ferdinand F. Saniel, area head of Pag-ibig Fund Cagayan de Oro, expressed that the program is their way of appreciating the members’ support through giving back some benefits while the members’ could not yet withdraw their savings. In addition, Cagayan de Oro Central Member Services Branch Head Suzan M. Cezar said that card holders can use such whenever they go to groceries or to diagnostic centers. For her part, Cañada, shared that she was the one who distributed the forms and encouraged her colleagues to enroll to the program. However, she wasn’t informed that everyone is submitting their forms already thus she became the last one to enroll for the card in their office. Luckily, Cañada’s lone submission made her the 1,000,001st card holder of the program and for that she received a token from the agency. “Mingaw pa gyud kaayo to sa opisina ug ako ra isa ang nagkuha sa card atong panahona (The office
wasn’t so busy at that time and I was the only one who was applying for the card),” Cañada said. She also added the she was happy to find out that a certain shipping company is one of the affiliates of the program because she travels a lot. To boost the number of the card holders, Cezar said that they write to employers and call for a meeting for fund coordinators and employers to relay the relevance of the card and eventually process card membership in offices. Furthermore, Saniel shared that the agency is planning to make the loyalty card program a performance indicator next year instead of just a mere project as it will become an added value to Pag-IBIG Fund members. He also added that more partners are coming in so members will enjoy more benefits and options. Allan Abas, Pag-IBIG Fund chief of Division, also said that the loyalty card is not only a discount or swipe card as it will also serve as a transaction card of Pag-IBIG Fund and if the whole Philippines will already use the card, it could serve as a primary ID. Saniel wants to correct the perception of the members that PagIBIG Fund only exists for loans since it also has a providence savings program where after a certain number of years or upon the maturity of membership, the member can get his savings.
MisOr highlights “bakhaw” planting, coastal clean-up to celebrate Earth Day 2016
MISAMIS ORIENTAL – Employees of the provincial government will lead in “bakhaw” planting and coastal clean-up in barangay Molugan, El Salvador City, in celebration of Earth’s Day 2016. In a memorandum, Governor Yevgeny Vincente B. Bambi Emano orders all departments of the province to send not less than three employees to join the provincial government's contingent to the bakhaw planting and coastal clean-up. "The environment is something that our future generation lent to us. We should return it to them in a better shape than when they lent it to us," Emano said to emphasize Earth Day celebration this year. Although barely two years old only, the impact of the 8-hectare "bakhaw" plantation to the environment in that area is already significant, the governor declared. "The province-paid guard told us that the proliferation of marine lives under the mangrove trees is very
noticeable. Clams, shrimps among others are starting to come back," Emano said. At the same time, the governor has also ordered the preparation of fruit tree seedlings by the Provincial Agriculture's Office (PAGRO) to prepare as many as it can fruit tree seedlings for distribution to the farmers of the province. "In our campaign sorties, the areas where there are still some trees, the humidity of these places is significantly different than those areas without trees," Emano said. After the bakhaw planting activity, the participants will also install some "wave breakers." These wave breakers are made of bamboos and will cushion the giants waves as these hit the shores.(PIO/ MisOr/jv)
Traders urged to comply with suggested retail price of goods
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The city council committee on trade, commerce and cooperative in Cagayan de Oro requested businessmen in the city to comply with the suggested retail price of basic goods and commodities.
This after the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI 10) submitted its weekly report to the committee pertaining to current retail price of different goods displayed in the malls and public markets. These include the prices of sardines, processed milk, noodles, coffee, detergent bar, salt, bread, candles, distilled water, mineralized water, purified water, vinegar, patis,
soy sauce, flour, toilet soap and other basic goods sold in public markets and malls in the city. Councilor Edna Dahino, chair of the committee, said her committee will continue its monitoring with the DTI on the suggested retail price of basic commodities to ensure that consumers will be guided accordingly and not be abused by some businessmen in the city. (JRG/CdeOSP)
ARMM conducts ‘Lakbay Edukasyon’ MARAWI CITY – Teachers, school heads and barangay captains in five municipalities in the provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi visited Maribulan Elementary School, one of top performing schools in Sarangani province, for a study tour dubbed ‘Lakbay Edukasyon,’ April 21. This year’s study tour delegation comprises 160 teachers and school heads and 40 barangay captains from the towns of Simunul, Sitangkai, and Bongao in Tawi-Tawi as well as from the towns of Indanan and Patikul in Sulu. Alfhadar Pajiji, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-Education department (DepEd-ARMM) assistant secretary for special projects, said this is the first batch of Lakbay Edukasyon study tour this year. He described the study tour as an educational trip that provides
opportunities for exposure visits and learning the host school’s best practices, specifically programs, projects and interventions the participants could replicate in their own areas. Maribulan Elementary School is implementing best practices within its system among public schools in Region 12, or Central Mindanao. After the study tour in Sarangani, the participants will proceed to ACES Natural Farming Institute in Panabo City, Davao del Norte. The Panabo City tour is aimed at educating the
participants on the importance of organic farming as well as exploring the possibility of applying such farming techniques in their respective communities. “This is the first time we experienced this kind of program and after the study tour, we will surely adopt what we learned in our locality,” said Hja. Darwisa Kadil Sakiran, barangay captain of Barangay Tagbak in Indanan, Sulu. ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said the program will help improve the quality education in the region. “We want all the school divisions and
barangay captains in the different provinces in the ARMM to experience this program because this will help them a lot,” Gov. Hataman said. In 2015, DepEd-ARMM also conducted a similar study tour involving district supervisors, school heads and barangay captains in the province of Basilan. The second batch of this year’s Lakbay Edukasyon, which will have officials of other barangays and school divisions in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu as participants, is scheduled on April 2528. (BPI/PIA-10)
ARMM provides P12.6 million livelihood assistance to coops MARAWI CITY – Livelihood projects worth P12.6 million under the region’s banner program Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance and Synergy (HELPS) will be awarded to various cooperatives in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The livelihood assistance, extended to the beneficiaries through ARMM’s Science and Technology department (DOST-ARMM), comprises nine bakery projects in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi; two organic or vermi-composting fertilizer production in Lanao del Sur; and three matweaving projects in Tawi-Tawi. Mon-Em Abangad, DOSTARMM information officer, said three bakery projects were already turned over to cooperative-beneficiaries in Basilan province on April 12. The cooperatives, he said, were provided capital funds and their members given skills training. “We trained them on bread, cake, and pastry making, and basic hand washing. We also gave inputs on food safety hazards and the Halal certification process,” said Abangad. The cooperative recipients of HELPS projects are Switch Yakal Consumers Cooperative in Lantawan; Badja Kahapan Agri-Farmers Producers Cooperative in Tipo-Tipo; and Pintasan Consumers Cooperative in Mohammad Ajul.
“Masaya po kami sa proyektong ibinigay sa amin dahil magkakaroon na kami ng pagkakakitaan, may pang gastos na kami araw-araw (We are happy we are given this project, now we can make both ends meet everyday),” said Nihma Asanji, 27, a member of the Badja Kahapan AgriFarmers Producers Cooperative. Abangad said the projects will help improve the living conditions of the residents in their respective communities. He added these will also create jobs and provide additional income to members of the cooperativebeneficiaries. The six remaining bakery projects will be implemented in the barangays of Poblacion in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; and Puukan Laminusa in Siasi, San Raymundo and Walled City in Jolo, Bilaan Poblacion in Talipao, and Baligtang in Pandami, all in the province of Sulu. The agency turned over on April 20 a vermi-composting project in barangay Daguan, Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur to Malinday Daguan Farmers
Producers Cooperative. The same project will be turnedover to Radapan Poblacion Fertilizer Livelihood Farmers Producers Cooperative in Radapan Poblacion, Piagapo, Lanao del Sur on April 23. Meanwhile, mat weaving projects will be implemented in the barangays of Balimbing in Panglima Sugala, and Unas-Unas and Tong Tampakan in South Ubian, all in the province of Tawi-Tawi.
HELPS is a priority program of the regional government under the Hataman administration. It aims at providing basic intervention to poor and depressed areas in the region. The regional government has identified 200 barangays as priority project recipients under the HELPS program in 2015-2016. The ARMM government has earmarked P10million worth of various projects for each of the targeted barangays. (BPI/ PIA-10)