Tuesday, December 03, 2024

Tag: NorMin

DA-10 Agribiz Div convenes with FOPA NorMin for market linkages

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Aiming to strengthen the partnership with local producers in Northern Mindanao, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) helmed by Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, through the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), meets with the Food Processors’ Association of Northern Mindanao (FOPA NorMin) to discuss potential local and national market linkages for its members

On May 15, 2023, AMAD led by its chief, Larry E. Paraluman, delivered the various interventions that DA-10 can offer, ranging from market information, market linkage and products promotion, agribusiness promotion and development services, especially for the agri-based processed products that FOPA members produce.

FOPA NorMin officers who joined the meeting were President Craig Mari Padla of De Oro’s Best, Vice-President Ana Marie Viscayno of Sivako Foods, Secretary May Jacobo of May’s Golden Pies, Treasurer Agnes Gonzales of SG Ventures, Inc., and Nenita Tan of Bestfiend Goodies.

Recognizing areas for support, the AMAD has committed to assist the said association towards communication and partnership with farmers across Region 10.

Said efforts also aim to maximize the use of the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System (FFEDIS) for convenient market linkages, not only in Northern Mindanao but reaching the island region of Mindanao and the whole of the Philippines. (RLTolentino/DA RFO-10)

3 of 4 Mindanawon boxing finalists win gold in SEA Games

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MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / May 14) — The Philippine boxing team won four gold medals, three of them courtesy of boxers from Mindanao, as the ring competition ended Sunday at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Cagayan de Oro’s Carlo Paalam, a silver medalist in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, dominated Indonesia’s Aldoms Suguro in the 54 kg class.
Another Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, Nesthy Petecio of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, also pocketed the gold via unanimous decision against another Indonesian fighter in the women’s 57kg bout.
‘But Nesthy’s younger brother, Norlan Petecio, bowed to Bunjong Sinsiri of Thailand in the men’s 67kg category.
Paul Julyfer Bascon of Davao del Norte returned the favor by beating his Thai opponent, Rujakran Juntrong, in the men’s 60kg class.
Ian Clark Bautista scored an impressive victory against Asri Udin, also of Indonesia, in the men’s 57kg class. The Indonesian was given a standing 8-count in the final round.
Four other Filipino finalists in boxing settled for silver — John Marvin (men’s 80kg), Roger Ladon (men’s 51kg), Olympian Irish Magno (women’s 54kg), and Risa Pasuit (women’s 63kg).
The SEA Games will end on May 17. (H. Marcos C. Mordeno / MindaNews)

DOLE secretary leads labor, management confab in Normin

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma visited Northern Mindanao and held a Labor and Management Forum to discuss issues and concerns regarding labor and management sectors in the region on May 11 at Limketkai Luxe Hotel

“Mahalaga na mapakinggan ang mga posisyon, justification at mga komentaryo, ng aming social partners, the labor and employer sectors,” the Secretary said.
(It is important to listen to the positions, justifications, and comments of our social partners, the labor and employment sectors)
He added that the goal is to come up with a beneficial solution or formula that will guarantee continuity of employment, the creation of more opportunities for workers in the region, and the stability and continued operation of companies that will provide benefits and other better conditions of employment.
One of the issues raised by the labor sector and proposed by Nicandro Borja of the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) was the strengthening of tenure security.
Meanwhile, Teresita L. Hadman of the National Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno also proposed the abolition of contracting and subcontracting arrangements.
Laguesma reiterated that security of tenure is initiated under Section 3 of Article 13 of the Philippine Constitution and that there is an existing guideline on contracting and subcontracting arrangements under Department Order 174.
“We have heard complaints against abuses; kinikilala nang ating batas paggawa ang legitimate contracting and subcontracting, pero hindi pinahihintulutan ang abuses (our labor law recognizes legitimate contracting and subcontracting, but it does not allow abuses),” he said.
Further, he explained that employers should not tolerate these abuses because they have a big stake in good management and labor relationships.
“You have a stake in promoting and maintaining industrial peace,” he said to the management sector.
As to the proposed increase in wages, Secretary Laguesma said, “Hindi po kami tumututol sa pagdaragdag ng sweldo, hindi naman kami nagsasabi na agad isusulong natin yan, dapat po pag-aralan (We are not against an increase in wages, we are not also saying we will immediately push for that because it needs to be further studied).”
He explained that as the country eased restrictions from COVID-19, companies were also still in recovery mode.
DOLE, he said, is a consultative and advisory body that provides technical input.
“The regional tripartite wages and productivity board (RTWPB) is not a perfect mechanism, but it is the existing mechanism that can actually approximate a balance so that we can sustain, address the wage of the workers without endangering continued operations of the company, and provide for expansion and a reasonable return on investment that can be earmarked for more expansion, which can mean more jobs,” the Secretary said.
Meanwhile, the management sector raised concerns about the inclusion of employees’ salaries and benefits in the computation of value-added tax (VAT) of 12% for legitimate labor contractors and retirement pay concerns. (JMOR/PIA-10)

DOT-10 launches limitless bike adventure in Normin

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Tourism (DOT)-10 launched another limitless adventure in Northern Mindanao May 13, to attract more tourists to visit the region

Dubbed “Bike NorthMin,” the program aims to make bike tourism popular in the region and unleash its full potential in the tourism industry.
DOT-10 regional director Marie Elaine Unchuan said biking is one of the fastest-growing modes of transportation and recreational activity. It is also convenient, easy to use, low-maintenance, eco-friendly, and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
She said the campaign aims to encourage both the government and the private sector to invest in promoting and developing bike tourism, which can attract more visitors and create job opportunities for local communities.
“Bike tourism in the Philippines is an untapped potential that can generate economic growth and promote sustainable tourism. This allows tourists to immerse themselves in the local culture and experience the beauty of our region,” Unchuan further said.
To officially kick off “Bike NorthMin,” DOT-10, in partnership with the provincial government of Camiguin and Recreational Outdoor eXchange, is set to hold a 64-kilometer bike tour on the scenic island province of Camiguin on May 28, 2023.
Unchuan said more bike tours will be held in the region after the Camiguin Isle Bike Tour, adding that pilot bike sites and circuits have already been identified.
These include Cagayan de Oro City to Manolo Fortich, Cagayan de Oro City to Misamis Oriental, Claveria to Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental, Ozamiz City to Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte to Iligan City, and around Del Monte Plantation, among others.
Following the launch, Unchuan shared that DOT-10 would further collaborate with local government units to identify potential cycling routes and develop necessary infrastructure such as bike lanes and parking areas; promote new cycling routes in the region, and organize regular cycling events to encourage bike enthusiasts to explore the region’s natural beauty.
DOT-10 would also conduct road safety awareness programs to educate the public on safe cycling practices. (APB/PIA-10)

MinDA, French group ink partnership on energy investments

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DAVAO CITY – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and a French energy firm signed a partnership on Friday for the Olutanga Hydrogen Renewstable power plant project, the first of its kind in the Philippines and Southeast Asia

Hydrogène de France (HDF) Energy, the provider of Renewstable energy systems, vowed to produce entirely non-intermittent, firm, and clean electricity both in Zamboanga Sibugay province and Pagadian City.

In a press briefing here, HDF Energy Head of Asia Business Development Mathieu Geze said the project combines an intermittent renewable source and mass, long-term storage of energy through a hydrogen chain.

He described the initiative as the “green alternative” to a classic diesel fuel power plant as it only uses solar energy and water to produce stable electricity, thereby avoiding greenhouse emissions, noise, and air pollution.

Expected to be operational in two years, he said the project can provide as much as 45-megawatt power depending on the requirement of the area.

The project would position the towns of Olutanga, Talusan, and Mabuhay (OLTAMA) as pilot sites for green energy sources.

As a remote island, Olutanga town in Zamboanga Sibugay is lacking stable electricity supply.

Renewstable’s unique feature is its ability to serve baseload power, which is powered thoroughly by renewable energy,” Geze said.

With more than US$50 million in project cost, he said it would surely help in terms of job generation in the area.

“There is no negative impact on the environment,” Geze assured.

Power crisis

As a project counterpart, Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Dulce Ann Hofer said they are allocating a 40-hectare of land for the venture.

She also expressed optimism that the project would help OLTAMA solve its current power woes.

“OLTAMA is suffering in terms of energy. All their appliances cannot withstand the fluctuating power because we are far from the grid,” Hofer said.

She said that being chosen for the project is a “game changer” for the province.

Power sources

Meanwhile, MinDA Chairperson Secretary Maria Belen Acosta noted that Mindanao’s current energy sources are from fossil fuel (70 percent) and renewable or green energy (30 percent).

“We are trying our best to hit the target of a 50/50 mix of energy up to 2023. So far, we might hit not just 50/50 [more than that] because of this development,” she said.

Acosta bared that HDF is targeting 10 more sites in Mindanao for renewable energy projects. (Che Palicte/PNA)

 

NGCP energizes P52-B Mindanao-Visayas interconnection

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Transmission firm National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has energized the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) —an initiative aimed to improve power stability and reliability across the country

In a statement, the NGCP said an initial load of 22.5 megawatts (MW) was carried by the high-voltage submarine and overhead lines from Mindanao to Visayas during the project’s energization on April 30.

The NGCP said the MVIP is comprised of a 184 circuit-kilometer (ckm) High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) submarine transmission line connecting the power grids of Mindanao and Visayas with a transfer capacity of 450 MW expandable to as much as 900 MW.

“We expect to gradually increase the MVIP’s transfer capacity to 50MW by mid-May, and 112MW by the end of the month, before energizing to its full transfer capacity of 450MW by the third quarter of this year,” the grid operator said.

The company said the project also includes converter stations in both regions and more than 500 km of overhead lines to facilitate the flow of electricity.

The MVIP will benefit consumers by providing them with a more reliable and sustainable power transmission service that will lessen the instances of power interruptions, according to the NGCP.

It will also promote energy resource sharing, as excess power generated in one region can now be transmitted to the other, the grid operator said.

“The completion of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project is a significant achievement for us and the Philippines as a whole. This will not only improve the reliability of our transmission services but will lead to efficient energy utilization as one Philippine grid,” the NGCP said.

The company said parts of the MVIP were completed in 2022, such as the Lala-Aurora 138kV Transmission Line, the 350kV Submarine Cable, and Cable Terminal Stations in Santander, Cebu, and Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte.

“NGCP is committed to providing the Filipino people with a reliable transmission network which is the backbone of the nation’s development. The completion of the MVIP is a significant step towards achieving that goal,” the NGCP said. (Ted Cordero/GMA News)

Northern Mindanao tourism bounces back by 177% in 2022

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Tourism in Northern Mindanao Region bounced back by 177 percent last year following the easing of restrictions from coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) protocols, an official said on April 28, 2023

Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño, the region’s National Economic Development Authority (NEDA-10) director, said the exceptional achievement can be attributed to “revenge travels” or the return of travelers’ influx to the region.

“The region’s annual tourist arrivals, domestic and foreign, in 2022 increased by 177% to 1.66 million from 599,000 in 2021,” Cariño said in a statement.

Cariño said the continued easing of pandemic-related mobility restrictions also led to increased demand for travel and tourism-related services in the region.

She described the expansion of Northern Mindanao’s economy last year as a sign of the region’s “further recovery from the pandemic and its resilience amid external headwinds.”

The Philippine Statistics Authority-10, meanwhile, also recorded Northern Mindanao’s services sector with a growth of 10.1 percent in 2022, describing it as a signal of the region’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. (Nef Luczon/PNA)

DOT mulls ‘tourism summit’ in Bukidnon amid opening of new routes

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Tourism in Northern Mindanao (DOT-10) is eyeing a “tourism summit” in Bukidnon province in line with the opening of new air routes this year

In an interview, DOT-10 Director Marie Ellaine Salvaña-Unchuan said the summit was proposed by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri during his recent visit to the Kaamulan Festival celebration.

The proposal, she said, aims to put the province, especially its capital Malaybalay City, as a “Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions” (MICE) destination in Northern Mindanao.

“This is also in anticipation of the opening of its new airport (in Don Carlos town), accommodation facilities, and huge sports complex (in Malaybalay City),” Unchuan said.

Unchuan said the senator has asked the agency to prepare a tourism master plan for Bukidnon due to its potential for farm and mountain tourism which will be included as the main agenda of the summit.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the May 6 opening of the Cebu Pacific Airlines’ Clark to Laguindingan flight, DOT-10 said it will hold a familiarization tour for tourism operators, media, and social media influencers both from Region 3’s Clark in Pampanga and Northern Mindanao,

“This is a big opportunity for both regions to showcase their potential to the rest of the country and the world,” Unchuan said. (Ercel Maandig/PNA)

 

OFW from Bukidnon awaiting repatriation from war-torn Sudan

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – An overseas Filipino worker from Impasug-ong town in Bukidnon province has requested repatriation from war-torn Sudan

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration-Northern Mindanao (Region 10) Director Harry Borres confirmed that there is one OFW from Bukidnon awaiting evacuation from Sudan.

Borres did identify the OFW.

He assured assistance to the OFW but said they are still “waiting for the fund and a copy of the guidelines” from the OWWA central office regarding financial aid for the Bukidnon OFW’s family.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople had earlier assured financial assistance for the families of OFWs in Sudan apart from the $200 financial aid for the workers.

Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, DMW, and OWWA welcomed the first 17 repatriated OFWs from Sudan who initially sought refuge in Athens, Greece, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on April 29.

Borres said the Bukidnon OFW is not yet on the list of those repatriated from Sudan.

“The name of the worker is not yet on the list of repatriated OFWs from Sudan. Maybe it is still in the (Philippine) embassy in Cairo,” Borres said.

Borres did not divulge further information about the Bukidnon OFW. (Franck Dick Rosete/Manila Bulletin)

NPA weapons seized in Bukidnon, Surigao

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BUTUAN CITY – The military recovered high-powered firearms in two encounters with the New People’s Army in Bukidnon and Surigao del Sur on April 30 and May 2

Major Francisco P. Garello Jr., chief of the 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office (PAO), said the 1st Special Forces Battalion led by Lt. Col. Roger Anthony E. Nuylan Jr. under the 403rd Infantry (Peacemaker) Brigade captured three M16 Armalite rifles, magazines and live ammunition, backpacks, medical kits with assorted medicines, and personal belongings after a gun battle in Cambangon, Barangay Lilingayon, Valencia City, Bukidnon on April 30.

“Out-gunned and out-positioned, the rebels ran away in different directions, dragging along with them their undetermined number of casualties, after a 25-minute fierce firefight,” Garello said.

He said troops are pursuing the fleeing 30 fully armed combined elements of the Platun Ipad and Platun Huawei of the Sub-Regional Committee 5 (SRC5) of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC) in Cambangon.

Nuylan said they have been pursuing them since last month.

“We have been tracking the same terrorist group we encountered last April 12 in Bubong, Lanao del Sur,” he said.

“They continue evading our troops due to exhaustion with limited ammunition and food supplies. But we will pursue them, we will not give them breathing space until they realize the futility in fighting the government and that the only option left for them is to surrender voluntarily,” Nuylan added.

Two days later on May 2 in Barangay Maitum, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur, the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion (SRBn) under the operational control of the 901st Infantry Brigade encountered 10 communist guerillas believed to be members of the weakened Guerilla Front 30 of the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).

Soldiers recovered an AK-47 rifle, a grenade, and assorted personal belongings and supplies after the skirmish.

Troops were responding to reports regarding the presence of NPA rebels in the barangay extorting food supplies and conducting recruitment when the encounter occurred, Brig. Gen. George Banzon, commanding general of the Army 901st Infantry Brigade, said.

No casualty was reported on the government side in the two encounters. (Mike Crismundo/Manila Bulletin)