Thursday, November 28, 2024

Category: News

50 CDO frontliners still get infected despite full vaccination

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 11 May) – Just because you are already fully vaccinated doesn’t mean you can go back to your normal life as it was before the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as 50 of them in this city have found out.

Dr. Joselito Retuya, the chief epidemiologist of the City Health Office, said in a virtual press conference on May 11 that 50 of those who have already received their second dose of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine were still infected.

He said there were 31 others who got infected after receiving their first dose of the Sinovac, and 26 of those who got their first jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Retuya said there were also a case for each of returning overseas Filipino workers who got infected despite getting the Sinopharm and Pfizer vaccines. But he did not mention if the two OFWs were already fully vaccinated.

“The vaccines we have are not perfect. Some vaccinated people still end up catching the virus,” Retuya said.

He said that the primary purpose of the vaccine is to prevent a person from getting really sick.

He noted that of those infected after being vaccinated, only two have shown moderate symptoms, the rest were either asymptomatic or only had mild symptoms.

Despite the risk of still getting infected despite vaccination, the doctor advised Kagay-anons to “take whatever vaccine is available because it will protect you from death 100 percent.”

Cagayan de Oro started administering vaccines to its frontline health workers in March, and to senior citizens towards the end of April.

A shipment of 74,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine for Northern Mindanao arrived via the Laguindingan Airport last week, according to the Department of Health regional office.

Mayor Oscar Moreno asked the people’s cooperation in helping contain the spread of the virus. “If the people get reckless, become complacent, then they get infected, and infect their loved ones as well,” he pointed out.

Retuya advised Kagay-anons to refrain from holding parties these days, suggesting sending virtual greetings instead. “Of course we remove our mask when we eat, and we’re all closely huddled together. There’s no more social distancing in those situations,” he added.

Dr. Lorraine Nery, acting head of the City Health Office, advised offices to refrain from holding face-to-face meetings. “Let’s do virtual meetings for now,” she stressed.

She reported that as of 10 p.m. on May 9, Cagayan de Oro has cumulative COVID-19 cases of 5,469, of which 758 are active. She reported 39 new cases in the past 24 hours and 230 deaths against 4,481 recoveries.

The city reported 128 new cases over the weekend, among the highest so far.

Bukidnon gets biggest ELCAC budget with P1.4-B funding

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (10 May 2021) – Bukidnon province received the highest allocation in Region 10 for its Barangay Development Programs (BDP) with PHP1.4 billion in total funding this year.

The BDP is an initiative of the National Task Force to End Local Communists Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to provide crucial infrastructure and other development projects in barangays ravaged by violent communist insurgency.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Provincial Director Enrique Carmelo B. Libot on May 10 said Bukidnon has 70 villages identified as conflict-prone areas, at least 80 percent of which are now cleared of insurgency.

Of the total funding, Libot said some PHP20 million has already been released to 14 of the 70 villages to fund various projects and development programs.

All over the country, at least 822 villages have been identified by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as conflict-prone areas.

Of the PHP19 billion total budget of the NTF-ELCAC, PHP16 billion is allotted for the development of 822 barangays cleared of insurgency.

“The proposal from senators defunding NTF-ELCAC can demoralize the mission of the government in ending the local communist armed conflict” Libot noted.

Support for ex-rebels

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 10 (DSWD-10) recently partnered with the AFP and various government line agencies to reach out to at least 17 former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

The former rebels turned in 11 firearms in Barangay Mampayag, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, according to DSWD-10.

“We committed not only our presence but also our services because this is another opportunity for DSWD to help you, as mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte, to bring the services of the government closer to those who need them,” DSWD-10 Director Mari-Flor Dollaga said.

DSWD-10 said it provided the surrenderers with food packs, hygiene kits, sleeping kits, kitchen kits, sacks of rice, and PHP10,000 cash each.

Cops seize P106k shabu from farmer, son in Kalilangan

Posted on by Diego M. Hidalgo

MALAYBALAY CITY (11 May 2021) – A joint police team seized sachets of suspected shabu worth P106,080.00 from a farmer tagged as Top seven drug personality of Bukidnon and his son in a buy-bust operation held at Purok 2, Brgy. Central Poblacion, Kalilangan, Bukidnon at 7:30 PM on May 10, a police report said.

Police Captain Merlin M. Macawili, chief of police of Kalilangan town in his report identified the farmer as Nasbi Opiz y Bayabao, 41, married, and his son Saaban Opiz y Pid-at, legal age, single. Both are residing at the said place.

Policemen have recovered from the possession of the suspects four sachets of suspected shabu weighing 15.6 grams and P500 buy-bust money.

The suspects and the confiscated evidences were brought to Bukidnon Provincial Crime Laboratory in Malaybalay City.

The police have prepared a case against the suspects for violation of Section 5 and 11 of Article II of RA 9165 known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Popcom links family planning to poverty reduction in NorMin

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (11 May 2021) – The Commission on Population and Development in Region 10 (Popcom 10) said the government’s intensified family planning (FP) services for women and couples have helped reduce the number of poor families in some Northern Mindanao provinces.

In a statement on May 11, Popcom-10 cited data from the Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) showing poverty incidence among families in Bukidnon “drastically dropped” to more than half from 47 percent in 2015 to 22.2 percent in 2018.

Popcom-10 noted that data also showed the poverty incidence among the population decreased from 53.6 percent in 2015 to 27.5 percent in the same year.

In the same period, the agency said figures from the Popcom’s Field Health Service Information System (FHSIS) showed a “leaps and bounds increase” in modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) in the area from 48.8 percent in 2016 to 63.5 percent in 2018.

“With many couples able to prevent unplanned pregnancies, they are also able to provide for the need of their children and increase savings for other investments,” it said.

The FHSIS data also showed the mCPR in Misamis Oriental province increasing to 87.6 percent in 2019 from 84.7 percent in 2016.

Since then, the poverty incidence among the population declined to 20.7 percent in 2018 from 23.4 percent in 2012. This translated to an estimated 100,000 people lifted from poverty, based on average data from Popcom-10 and PSA.

In March this year, the two provinces signed a partnership agreement with Popcom-10 for the full localization of the Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP).

PPMP acknowledges the devolved powers of the local government units (LGUs), where poverty and population problems are best resolved, Popcom-10 said.

The agreement carries with it a grant of PHP1 million for both provinces, to be used to implement the three program components of PPMP such as responsible parenthood and family planning (RPFP), adolescent health and development (AHD), and the population and development (PopDev) integration.

Popcom-10 Director Neil Aldrin G. Omega underscored the importance of implementing the population program to reap “social and economic benefits.”

“Understanding the interrelationship of population and development would enable LGUs to design development interventions that would benefit its people,” Omega said.

Along with the financial grant, Popcom-10 also provides technical assistance to LGUs in the areas of capacity building and family planning outreach activities in geographically isolated and displaced areas.

BPMC chief is first to get COVID-19 vaccine in Bukidnon

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY, March 9 (PIA) — Dr. Miguel Antonio Prantilla, chief of Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center (BPMC), was the first front liner to be injected with the COVID-19 vaccine in Bukidnon.

“As medical doctors, it is important that we not only understand this commitment but also reassure the public that these COVID-19 vaccines will prove widespread immunity. We are getting it first to show that there is really nothing to fear,” Prantilla said on March 8 during the first day of its 3-day actual vaccination.

Governor Jose Ma. Zubiri, Jr., in a statement, said Dr. Prantilla’s supportive gesture of volunteering to be inoculated in public sets as an example to more than 500 healthcare workers who were scheduled to get the vaccines.

“We have seen surveys reporting that significant percentages of the public were reluctant to take the available vaccines. We hope that this act of our BPMC chief will encourage us to be vaccinated so that we can establish the so-called herd immunity,” the governor said.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Gary Guido Tabios, meanwhile, reported that BPMC had targeted 218 front liners to be inoculated on the first day (March 8), but only 202 got their first shots because records showed there were 13 deferrals and three swift rejections.

Tabios added that only one of BPMC’s 202 vaccinated front-liners had encountered AEAIE (Adverse Event After Immunization Experience). “The AEAIE that appeared in the form of rashes alleviated quickly after taking anti-histamine,” he said.

The PHO chief reported that the Department of Health in Region 10 (DOH-10) delivered 530 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines to Bukidnon for the BPMC’s 530 front liners.

He also confirmed that in the next few months, Bukidnon will have 390,000 doses of Novavax vaccines for those who are on the government’s priority list, as affirmed by the Inter-Agency Task Force Against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hansel T. Echavez, supervising administrative officer of the Public Affairs Information and Assistance (PAIA) Division of the Office of the Governor as of 6:50 PM on March 9 said, they are waiting for the final report from BPMC about the actual number of health front-liners who received the first inoculation.

DAR releases 1,847 CLOAs, ₱30.5M CLAAP aid in Bukidnon

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY (Mar. 7) – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has distributed a total of 1,847 Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) to 1,705 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries from the province’s 20 towns and two cities.

DAR Sec. John R. Castriciones, led the distribution ceremony held at Kaamulan folk Arts Theatre, Kaamulan Park, Malaybalay City on March 6.

The total area in Bukidnon that has been distributed under the program is 1,331.7782 hectares.

Pangantucan town has 337 CLOAs, the largest that has 339 beneficiaries covering 60.4954 hectares.

But in terms of area, the largest land distributed is in Talakag town with a total of 202.0865 hectares with 251 CLOAs and 245 beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, DAR also turned over ₱30.5 million worth of Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for ARBs Project (CLAAP) in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

In the press conference after the program, Castriciones said, in Region 10 a total of 2,168 hectares is the target for distribution.

He clarified that the 1,393 hectares or 68 percent of the total area for distribution are under Convergence Areas for Peace and Development (CAPDev) in the region.

Castriciones said CLOA cannot be sold or mortgage within 10 years of the release to beneficiary.

The agency emphasized that the distribution of CLOAs to the landless farmers provides security of tenure resulting to the increase of income, improved quality of life of ARBs and thereby, significantly contributed to the reduction of poverty in Bukidnon.

896 FRs in Bukidnon receive P8.96M cash aid

Posted on by cmn

IMPASUG-ONG, Bukidnon (March 5) – Each of 896 Former Rebels who surrendered from 2016 to date has received P10,000 cash aid from the national government on March 4.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Bukidnon initiated the payout held at the town’s Gymnasium.

The recipients were composed of regular members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and Militia ng Bayan under the jurisdiction of the 403rd Brigade of the Philippine Army.

Aside from the cash aid, they also received a cartoon of relief supplies from DSWD.

Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go, who delivered his video message, also provided a packed lunch, food pack, vitamins, face mask, and face shield. He also extended five bicycles and five computer tablets that were raffled to the former rebels.

The given assistance to the formers rebels is on top of the benefits they have received under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) from the government.

Sen. Go said the distributed assistance is just a small help from the government under the leadership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. But he’s hoping that this would help them, especially this time of the pandemic.

Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr. graced the event. He called other members of the NPAs to surrender to avail E-CLIP package of the government.

Under S-CLIP, a former rebel can avail immediate and livelihood assistance, firearm remuneration, housing grant, and others.

Aside from DSWD officials, Assistant Sec. Reveree Niño Contreras of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), representatives from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Agriculture (DA), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) facilitated the activity in partnership with the 403rd Infantry Brigade also presented their intervention programs to address insurgency problem in the country.

Brig. Gen. Ferdinand T. Barandon PA, commander of 403rd Infantry Brigade, said the program is one of the results in implementing Executive Order No. 70 signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2018.

Kaamulan celebration canceled anew

Posted on by cmn

MALKAYBALAY CITY (Mar. 10) – Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr., for the second time, has canceled the grand Kaamulan celebration this year.

He informed the public about the cancellation of Kaamulan 2021through an advisory he issued on March 4.

He said the Province of Bukidnon, since it was founded in 1914, has always been celebrating Kaamulan. And this momentous gathering has become part of our tradition done annually to showcase the diverse and vibrant culture of Bukidnon.

“Unfortunately, since the covid-19 pandemic began and with the President’s declaration of State of Calamity in the entire country, the Province of Bukidnon has been placed under Community Quarantine. Following the guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), all forms of the gathering are strongly discouraged. The holding of Kaamulan was canceled last year 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the province, with hopes that the threat brought about by this will end soonest possible,” the Governor said in his advisory.

He said, “most of us are looking forward to celebrating Kaamulan this year; however, as much as I wanted to push this grand celebration, the public health and safety of the people has always been my topmost priority. This virus is no joke, and we have to take it seriously.”

On March 9, Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) member Datu Lorenzo L. Dinlayan Jr., chairperson of Provincial Consultative Body (PCB), said he had supported the decision of the Governor.

He said the decision of Gov. Zubiri aims for the protection of the Indigenous People’s community and the people in Bukidnon in general from the virus.

Meanwhile, Datu Richard D. Macas, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) to the SP on March 10, said, Kaamulan being a crowd-drawing event, must be on hold considering that we are still experiencing the pandemic brought by Covid-19.

“Though vaccines are coming, but strict health protocols are still implemented to prevent the spread of the virus. The cancellation is for the good of all local residents in the province and visitors. Hopefully, it will be pushed through next year or after 70 to 80 percent of the people will be vaccinated,” Macas said.

Kaamulan is an ethnic, cultural festival held annually in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

Kaamulan comes from the Binukid word “amul,” meaning to gather. It is a gathering for a purpose such as datuship ritual, a wedding ceremony, a thanksgiving festival during harvest time, a peace pact, or all of these together.

It is held to celebrate the culture and tradition of the seven ethnic tribal groups of the province comprising Bukidnon, Higaonon, Talaandig, Manobo, Matigsalug, Tigwahanon, and Umayamnon.

Investments in NorMin still up despite COVID-19, says NEDA

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, (March 1/PIA) – “For the last year 2020, our Board of Investments (BOI) in region 10 reported that we have investment pledges amounting to P32 billion. We are [ranked] no. 4 nationwide and no. 1 in Visayas and Mindanao area, indicating that our investors have confidence in our region,” said National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)-10 Regional Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño.

In a recently held virtual press conference of the Northern Mindanao Inter-Agency Task Force for COVID-19, Cariño said the investors are still interested in putting up their investments in the region despite the threat of COVID-19.

Among the projects approved as reported by BOI are the expansions of energy generating companies and a medical service [company].

Cariño also shared that many investors had processed their proposed investments in 2020 but were affected by the pandemic; however, they have resumed this year.

“Aside from those projects, a medical facility in Bukidnon might also open this year, and a food [company] is under negotiation and has resumed its processing this year. PHIVIDEC also has several projects in the pipelines, and they have approved the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) to put up a campus at Villanueva, Misamis Oriental, which will boost further the confidence of industries in our region,” she added.

The lady NEDA-10 director sees region 10 can recover following the re-opening of its economy (JAKA/PIA10).

26 hurt in Talakag road crash

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY (Feb. 25) – One is in critical condition, while 25 others sustained minor injuries after a bus fell into the road pavement in Talakag.

Police Col. Jun Mark J. Lagare, provincial director of Bukidnon Police Provincial Office (BPPO), said the road crash happened at the National Highway, particularly at Sitio Kinulom, Brgy. Lirongan, Talakag, Bukidnon at around 7:00 PM on February 24.

Responding Talakag rescuers brought them to Malaybalay Polymedic General Hospital in Malaybalay City for medical treatment.

The 26 victims are part of the 44 Alagads and Catechist of Roman Catholic Church coming from different Municipality of Wao, Lanao Del Sur onboard the white bus going to Brgy. Alanib, Lantapan, Bukidnon to attend a retreat, recollection, and renewal activities.

Eighteen others with no injury and the driver identified as Jay Ar Alameda y Crujido, 28, single, are now at the house of Father Dodong, Parish Priest of Alanib Lantapan.

Initial investigation conducted by Talakag Municipal Police Station disclosed that upon reaching the place of the incident, particularly in the roads curved portion, the bus’s brake has ruptured, causing the bus to fell off the road.