Friday, January 10, 2025

RDRRMC-10 holds DRRM workshop for media, bloggers

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Highlighting the significance of the media in calamity reporting, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Council (RDRRMC)-10, spearheaded by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), held its one-day training on Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation (DRRM) reporting for media and bloggers at the De Luxe Hotel, July 21

Attended by various media outlets in print, radio, and online, the workshop tackled topics in Weather reporting, the basics of Earthquakes and Landslides, and Health protocols discussed by representatives of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services Agency, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-10, and the Department of Health (DOH)-10, respectively.

Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-10 Regional Director Antonio B. Sugarol rallied the media to work together to bring disaster resilience to the general public as part of efforts to bridge the gap among stakeholders towards disaster mitigation and response.

“We have this type of activity to maximize our friends in the broadcast and print media as the mouthpiece in bringing to the masses what we are doing regarding DRRM; it requires the participation of our communities in the whole of nation approach towards disaster resilience,” he said.

One of the participants, CDO Dev Blogger Tom Udasco, thanked the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-10 for providing an opportunity for capacitating the media in DRRM knowledge towards a secure and resilient Northern Mindanao. (VPSB/PIA-10)

Solon distributes P1-B agri projects in N. Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Senator Imee Marcos led on July 20, 2023, the distribution and launch of Php1 billion worth of agriculture projects for farmers in the Northern Mindanao Region

During her visit, Marcos said Misamis Oriental will receive PHP522.8 million worth of projects, and an initial PHP82.7 million for the local government here, as part of the “OneDA” program under the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“I am hopeful that these different projects involve the interventions of additional planting materials, semen straws, and chicken multiplier farms,” she said.

Marcos said the funding could be used in swine clustering, forage seeds, rabbits, provision of chicken supplies, and the putting up small village-type feed mills.

The National Irrigation Authority in Northern Mindanao (NIA-10) will get PHP478 million, of which PHP133 million will go to irrigation development projects.

The funding will also be an allotment for repairing and restoring communal and national irrigation systems and service roads toward national irrigation systems.

DA-10 Executive Director Carlene Collado said the city would have as much as PHP118.3 million on top of what Marcos had earlier committed.

“We will be handling the certificate of turnovers for our current budget for this year,” he said, adding the projects will be given to the different farmer cooperatives and associations.

Lilian Antigua, a OneDA beneficiary, said the programs improve their living conditions and the distribution of their produce to a broader market.

“We can now have a place to place our produce and sell them through ‘Kadiwa’ (program), and through that, we were able to sell it in many places,” she said in the vernacular.

Marcos also attended several turnover projects and a graduation ceremony for senior high school graduates of the Asian Business Cabletow Cooperative Academy. (PNA)

41 awarded, recognized by DENR-10

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Region 10 recognizes various stakeholders and partners during the Culmination Program of the Environment Month Celebration on June 30, 2023, held at DENR 10 covered court Puntod, Cagayan de Oro City

DENR officials, employees, and partner stakeholders are welcomed by the Regional Executive Director (RED) Henry A. Adornado. Hon. Rufus B. Rodriquez the 2nd district Representative of Cagayan de Oro City, shared his accomplishments and encouraged the DENR 10 to continue the efforts in protecting the environment and natural resources of the region.

As partners in the protection and conservation of the environment and implementation of various DENR programs, projects, and activities, a total of 41 stakeholders and partners including several national government agencies, civil society organizations/non-governmental organizations, academe, and other individuals were awarded and recognized by the DENR 10, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 10 and Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 10, led by RED Henry A. Adornado, Assistant Regional Director (ARD) for Management Services Ma. Theresa J. Allen, Regional Director (RD) Reynaldo S. Digamo, and RD Felizardo A. Gacad Jr.

A signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between DENR 10 and Central Mindanao University (CMU), Mindanao State University(MSU) Nawaan, MSU-Marawi, and Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan for internship programs was also conducted. Interns from these Universities are allowed to perform their on-the-job training/practicum related to their respective courses to prepare them and expose them for employment. (DENR NorMin)

NorMin PUV groups nix’ consolidation’ extension

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Most public utility vehicle (PUV) groups in the Northern Mindanao Region do not want another deadline extension for consolidating operators as a single cooperative

In an interview on Friday, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Northern Mindanao (LTFRB-10) Director Amenodin Guro said the feedback resulted from their series of consultative meetings with 15 existing PUV transport cooperatives this week.

“The transport players don’t want an extension again for the consolidation of jeepney operators into cooperative or corporation, whose deadline is set on December 31 this year,” he said.

During the meetings, Guro noted that only Manolo Fortich town in Bukidnon and the local government unit (LGU) here had submitted the required Local Public Transport Route Plan (LTPRP) needed for the government’s PUV modernization program.

“There’s a minimal oversight on overlapping issues that the LTFRB should undertake, but it can be done in a proper time,” he said.

Guro said LTFRB-10 is currently focused on consolidating and submitting LTPRP from different LGUs in the region.

If the LGUs cannot cooperate on the LTPRP requirement, he said transport groups can file an administrative case due to dereliction of duty.

Currently, almost 2,000 modernized PUVs are operating in Region 10 with 78 routes, the majority of which are from this city and Misamis Oriental province. (PNA)

DOH-10 inaugurates Normin regional blood center

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–The Department of Health Center for Health Development Northern Mindanao (DOH-CHDNM) inaugurates its Northern Mindanao Regional Blood Center (NMRBC) on June 30

The NMRBC is a project under the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) of the Department of Health that

aims to improve access to quality healthcare facilities and services in the region. The construction of the building started in 2018 under the leadership of then-DOH-10 Regional Director Dr. Nimfa Torrizo, which Regional Director Dr. Jose Llacuna, Jr later carried over.

The blood center is designed to be the central storage facility for donated blood in the region. Since the center is still in its infancy, the DOH-CHDNM will work alongside the Philippine Red Cross until the facilities are fully operational.

Meanwhile, the health department hopes the public will understand and realize the importance of voluntary blood donation to save lives.

“Ang pag-construct ng mga ganitong gusali or facilities, hindi ito guarantee na consistent ang availability ng blood. Kahit meron tayong ganito kung di natin bibigyan ng tamang paraan upang magkaroon ng voluntary blood donors at magkaroon nang-stock dito wala tong kwenta ang building na ito. We need to give extra effort to make the program responsive to the needs of the people,” DOH Undersecretary for Field Implementation and Coordination Team-Mindanao, Abdullah Dumama, Jr., said. (The construction of such buildings or facilities does not guarantee the consistent availability of blood. Even if we have something like this, if we provide the right way to have voluntary blood donors and have stock here, this building will be valuable. We need to give extra effort to make the program responsive to the needs of the people)

Admittedly, the health department acknowledges the need to improve the safe blood collection and distribution system; hence, they are working with partners and stakeholders to establish a more responsive blood donation program.

“All of these accomplishments have been able to be achieved because of the cooperation of all stakeholders, and we hope that in the coming years, with the blessing from God above, we will be able to serve our Filipino people, especially those who have less in life, for they deserve more from us,” DOH-10 Regional Director Jose Llacuna said. (JAKA/PIA-10)

Bivalent vaccines launched in Normin

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–To further boost the protection of healthcare workers and senior citizens in Northern Mindanao, the Department of Health Center for Health Development Northern Mindanao (DOH-CHDNM) officially launched the COVID-19 Bivalent Vaccination drive for Northern Mindanao, June 29

The bivalent vaccine, produced by Pfizer Pharmaceutical, contains the original strain of COVID-19 with an added strain of the omicron component BA.4-5 for better prevention of COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant of SARS-COV-2.

“As a matter of principle, since there is a limitation on supply, we prioritize the health workers (A1) and senior citizens (A2). We have an initial allocation of about 16,440 doses for Northern Mindanao for its initial

implementation,” DOH-10 Regional Director Jose R. Llacuna, Jr. said.

With the arrival of the vaccines, two launch sites were established by the health department to officially kick off the bivalent vaccination implementation, namely, the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) and Sitio Macanhan, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.

Despite the limited number of vaccines, Llacuna has assured the healthcare workers in NMMC that additional supplies are expected to arrive in the coming weeks and that bivalent immunization will commence in the different areas of the region.

“We will wait for about four to six months after the second [booster] dose before those will qualify for the bivalent dose,” Llacuna added.

Meanwhile, with the launch of bivalent vaccination in Cagayan de Oro City, the city government has fully supported the program. Hundreds of senior citizens have lined up for the third booster dose at the vaccination site.

As the campaign for the third booster dose commences, both DOH-10 and the City Government of Cagayan de Oro City urge all senior citizens to avail themselves of the program to protect them against COVID-19 further. (JAKA/PIA-10)

Rebels in Bukidnon surrender

CAMP ALAGAR, Cagayan de Oro City: Forty-three members of the outlawed New People’s Army (NPA) yielded to Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), in a Saturday acceptance ceremony

During the ceremony, Acorda led the oath of loyalty of the surrendered communist rebels, who vowed to support the government’s efforts to end the insurgency in Northern Mindanao.

The PNP chief commended the surrenderers for their courage in denouncing the communist propaganda that ruined the lives of innocent people in a war of deception and notoriety.

“I am confident that your decision to return to mainstream society will encourage others in the hills to come down and lay down their arms for us to attain lasting peace, development, and progress in our communities,” Acorda said.

The 43 surrenderers, all under the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC) based in Bukidnon, also led law enforcers in recovering a cache of 15 high-powered firearms buried in Talakag, Bukidnon. (The Manila Times)

3 Bukidnon people’s organizations receive P750,000 livelihood aid

THREE people’s organizations (POs) in Malitbog town, Bukidnon, have received P750,000 worth of livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Northern Mindanao

The recipient organizations, who received P250,000 worth of livelihood kits on July 3, 2023, were San Migara Tingag United Women’s Association (SMITUWA), Sitio Logdeck Higaonon Farmers Association (SILOHFA), and

Sitio Victory Higaonon Farmers Association (SVHFA).

The livelihood kits, provided through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), are for their consumer store, rice trading business, and agrivet and farm supply store, respectively.

According to the 16th Infantry Battalion, these POs were formerly organized sectors of the Communist-NPA Terrorists (CNT) in isolated communities.

Mario Senagonia, president of the SVHFA, expressed his gratitude to DOLE-Northern Mindanao, the 16IB, and the local government unit of Malitbog, who collaborated with DOLE to grant and facilitate their livelihood project.

Senagonia added that the kits will create more jobs and provide sustainable income to the members of their organization.

Earlier this year, DOLE-Northern Mindanao handed over P360,000 worth of livelihood kits to former rebels and another P375,000 worth of livelihood kits to the parents of child laborers. (Sunstar)

9 Northern Mindanao cops axed

MANILA, Philippines — Nine policemen were relieved from their posts in connection with the death of their colleague whose body was found floating in a river in Wao, Lanao del Sur

The policemen, who are with the Regional Mobile Force Battalion’s 1004th Maneuver Company, were disarmed and placed under restrictive custody, Northern Mindanao police spokesperson Maj. Joann Navarro said in a phone interview.

Navarro said one of the policemen is a lieutenant, while the rest are non-commissioned officers. They were said to be the last people seen with Cpl. Jeffrey Dabuco on the day he disappeared.

Initial investigation showed Dabuco attended a party at a patrol base in Barangay Pamotolon in Kalilangan on June 23 at around 1:30 a.m.

Navarro said probers have information on the possible reasons behind Dabuco’s death but did not give details. (Philstar.net)

MSU-IIT student wins Brightest Buwis Master reg’l tilt

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–A student from the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology emerged as the regional champion of the search for the Philippines’ Brightest Buwis Masters (PBBM) of 2023

Al Rajhie Papandayan, a second-year BS Accountancy student, aced 12 other college students in the final round of the tax quiz competition.

As the regional champion, Papandayan will advance to the national level on July 28 at the BIR national office in Quezon City. Here, the grand champion, first runner-up, and second runner-up will each receive plaques of recognition and cash prizes. Their respective schools will also receive an award to celebrate their success.

The search for tax quiz champs nationwide is part of the tax awareness campaign of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), which aims to enhance the knowledge of the youth sector, who are future taxpayers, on the country’s tax laws and regulations and other tax matters.

In Northern Mindanao, the regional search was spearheaded by BIR Revenue Region (RR)-16 with the support of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

It was held at the BIR-RR16 office on July 3, with 49 participating college students who were put to the test through tax-related quizzes specifically focused on income, value-added, and percentage taxes, as well as the taxpayers’ registration requirements.

Of the 49, the top 12 were selected to partake in the final face-off. It had three rounds (easy, average, and difficult), each with ten questions.

Papandayan was declared the champion, with Cristine Jane Oppus as the first runner-up and Joan Marinay as the second runner-up. Both runners-up are from Central Mindanao University (CMU).

Aside from MSU-IIT and CMU, other participating schools were Bukidnon State University, Cagayan de Oro College-PHINMA, Capitol University, Christ the King College, La Salle University Ozamiz, Liceo de Cagayan, and Lourdes College. (APB/PIA-10)