Thursday, December 19, 2024

800 NorMin families to get food credits under ‘Walang Gutom’

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (July 16, 2024/PNA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Northern Mindanao (DSWD-10) on Tuesday started the implementation of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), which will initially benefit 800 families

During the launch, DSWD-10 Director Ramel Jamen said the initial beneficiaries were identified as those from Talakag, Bukidnon, and Iligan City.

Each family will receive PHP3,000 worth of food credits monthly through the electronic benefit transfer card that DSWD-10 will issue.

Suppliers who are also beneficiaries of the Sustainable Livelihood Program will accept the food credits.

“We would need constant communication for this program to prosper. If we have a problem in our supply distribution, we can look for alternatives,” Jamen said.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, 1.4 million Filipino families are categorized as food-poor In Northern Mindanao.

The WGP targets to serve over 9,000 beneficiaries in Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte, including Iligan City.

The program aims to reduce involuntary hunger and malnutrition in low-income households and empower them to become productive citizens. (Nef Luczon/PNA)

Bukidnon claims top spot as Philippines’ leading agricultural area

Bukidnon is the top agricultural area in the country, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed

Based on the survey of 82 provinces and 17 highly urbanized cities, it reported that Bukidnon had the highest gross value added (GVA) to agriculture, forestry, and fishing (AFF) in 2022 which stood at P125 billion.

 

The province contributed seven percent to the sector’s overall national GVA.

 

GVA is defined as the total of all revenues, from final sales and net subsidies, which are incomes into businesses; these incomes are then used to cover expenses, savings, and taxes.

 

It is also used to adjust gross domestic product, which is a key indicator of the state of a nation’s total economy.

 

Nueva Ecija comes after Bukidnon, with a GVA of P79.74 billion or 4.5 percentage share, followed by Pangasinan with P66.93 billion, Pampanga with P62.71 billion, and Isabela with P58.78 billion.

 

Completing the top 10 provinces outside the National Capital Region (NCR) that had the highest shares of GVA of AFF were Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Davao del Norte, Batangas, and Quezon.

 

On the other hand, the country reached over P1.78 trillion in GVA of AFF.

 

In terms of per capita GDP among provinces and cities outside NCR in 2022, Baguio City shared the highest per capita GDP of over P420 billion.

 

The per capita GDP is a measurement of wealth or poverty through the economic output to a per-person allocation.

 

Also sharing the highest per capita GDP were the cities of Cagayan de Oro (P343 billion), Lapu-Lapu (P313 billion), Iloilo (P306 billion), and Bataan (P297 billion).

 

Rounding out the top 10 wealthiest areas outside NCR were Cebu City, Laguna, Mandaue City, Davao City, and Batanes.

 

The Marcos administration is targeting to achieve an economic growth of 6.5 to 7.5 percent target band this year and 6.5 to 8.0 percent in the next four years.

 

The country’s GDP is already above pre-pandemic levels in peso terms, according to Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort, however, it could be slowed by higher prices and interest rates. (Xander Dave Ceballos/April 2, 2024)

NorMin 2023: New chapters, calls for justice

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Dec. 27, 2023) – Northern Mindanao will always have a story to tell every year. In 2023, the region did not disappoint, bringing in a considerable amount of national attention

In particular, Misamis Occidental province had more of that this year.

The aftermath of the December 2022 shear line floods compelled President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to visit the province and Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental as well, in early January.

Marcos’ meetings with regional and local officials with Cabinet members have created long-term policies, especially in adding disaster-resilient infrastructure projects and social welfare programs.

Since then, the provincial government has rolled out cash assistance in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for flood-affected residents.

Crime, deaths

Misamis Occidental also brought stories that call for justice – one being the death of community broadcaster Juan Jumalon, who was killed while livestreaming inside his house in Calamba town on Nov. 5.

His death prompted a series of condemnations from media groups, public officials, and even Marcos himself.

Suspects were identified, and murder charges were filed.

The incident led Gov. Henry Oaminal to direct the provincial police and the Police Regional Office (PRO-10) to arrest the culprits and revisit the investigation of other assassination attempts.

These included the Oct. 15 blast in Clarin which hit his convoy; the Oct. 23 shooting of Calamba Municipal engineer Jopson Baones; and Oct. 28 grenade-throwing incident at the house of Calamba Mayor Luisito Villanueva.

Almost a month after Jumalon’s murder, the province will again mourn the death of Riza Ramos Daniel, 49, who was killed in a blast inside the Mindanao State University-Main Campus gymnasium in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur on Dec. 3.

Daniel was the mother of El Dritz, who was also injured in the blast, both of Tangub City. El Dritz was a third-year Computer Studies student at MSU-Main. Daniel decided to work in Marawi City to be closer to her son.

MSU-Marawi incident

The incident in MSU-Main brought the provincial government of Lanao del Sur and the Marawi City government together to coordinate with the police and military.

Within the week, the Islamic State militants claimed the attack, followed by the arrest of suspects Kadapi Mimbesa and Arsani Membisa, who are said to have links with local terrorist group, Dawlah Islamiyah. Both had prior arrest warrants for murder and kidnapping charges.

Other than Daniel, the three other fatalities were students Janine Arenas and Junrey Barbante, and faculty member Evangeline Aromin. The blast also injured some 50 people.

Change of command, anti-insurgency

Meanwhile, this year saw major changes in the region’s military and police leadership.

Maj. Gen. Jose Ma. Cuerpo II replaced Maj. Gen. Wilbur Mamawag as the commander of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) in March. Brig. Gen. Ricardo Layug also replaced Brig. Gen. Lawrence Coop as PRO-10 director in October.

As soon the two assumed office, they had their hands full in continuing the mandates of the national government in securing the peace and order situation in the region.

The 4ID under Cuerpo continued its operations against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, and even on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, troops under the 403rd Infantry Brigade killed 10 rebels in Bukidnon.

Cuerpo said the Army has maintained its position of allowing NPA rebels to surrender or face a military operation, wherever they may be in Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.

PRO-10 also accepted rebel surrenderers who brought in firearms and ammunition. Those who surrendered were assisted in the programs of the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

On anti-drugs, Layug said the police has continued its anti-illegal drug campaign with a series of buy-busts in partnership with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

With the introduction of “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, PRO-10 followed suit in promoting a holistic approach to addressing illegal drug issues.

Village polls

Layug and Cuerpo would again have their hands full in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) that were finally held on Oct. 30 after several years of delay.

Police and military troops were deployed to keep the peace.

While reports of vote buying by the local chapter of the National Citizens; Movement for Free Elections, and tensions among supporters in Nunungan, Lanao del Norte, both PRO-10 and 4ID reported a “generally peaceful” BSKE.

On election gun ban operations, PRO-10 reported that from August 28 to October 30, a total of 77 operations were launched that resulted in the arrest of 90 persons, confiscation of 55 firearms, 41 deadly weapons, 367 rounds of ammunition, and an explosive.

But in Lanao del Sur province, which is part of the Bangsamoro Region, the BSKE was marred with heated confrontations among political supporters, voting delays in precincts, and occasional violence that led to a death in the town of Butig.

Rice, economy

The limited rice supply and increase in its prices prompted the national government to issue Executive Order 39, which put a ceiling on prices and provided assistance to affected farmers and small-scale retailers.

Bukidnon province, the region’s food basket, was also affected by drought that some had attributed to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon being experienced in the country.

However, according to the Department of Agriculture, the lean months between August and September would be offset by the fresh harvests that came in October.

And so it did, as the Philippine Statistics Authority Region 10 released its monthly inflation reports and regional economic status in the following month, showing a rosy picture of the regional economy. The National Economic and Development Authority-Region 10 forecasts a stable overall economy for 2023.

Based on the 2022 gross regional domestic product, NEDA-10 Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño said Northern Mindanao achieved a GRDP of 7.2 percent or PHP935 billion, compared to the 6.3 percent growth in the previous year, which was impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. (By Nef Luczon/PNA)

NorMin ‘service-oriented’ contributor in PH economy: NEDA

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (December 14, 2023, 3:33 pm) – Northern Mindanao region is hailed as a “service-oriented” economy, with its services sector posting a 54.5 percent contribution to its 2022 gross regional domestic product (GRDP), the regional National Economic Development Authority (NEDA-10) office reported Thursday

In a statement, NEDA-10 director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño said the services sector contributed PHP509.9 billion in gross value added in the region and a growth rate of 10.1 percent from the previous 2021-2022 rate.
“That includes tourism, accommodation services, and other service-related subsectors,” Cariño said.
Northern Mindanao’s GRDP increased by 7.2 percent or PHP935 billion, compared to the 6.3 percent growth in the previous year, which was impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
“That is why we are hoping that there will be no more pandemic because it will affect the mobility of our industry, especially in the services sector,” she said.
Also included in the growth drivers in the 2022 GRDP were the industry sector which covered 25.6 percent or PHP238.8 billion; and the agriculture sector which has 19.9 percent of the share or worth PHP186.6 billion in gross value.
Out of the five provinces and two chartered cities in the region, Bukidnon province remains the capital of the agriculture industry in Northern Mindanao.
Meanwhile, this city remains the top contributor to the regional economy of Northern Mindanao, according to the data presented by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
PSA data indicated that of the PHP935.3 billion value of Northern Mindanao’s gross domestic product in 2022, this city accounted for the largest share of 28 percent, followed by Bukidnon province at 26.6 percent, while Misamis Oriental in third at 16.8 percent.
The PPA measures the economic performance of the provinces and highly urbanized cities of the region. (Ercel Maandig and Nef Luczon/PNA)

Manolo Fortich OBO among PSA Bukidnon top awardees

The Office of the Building Official (OBO) of the Local Government Unit of Manolo Fortich secured a place as one of the Top 3 awardees of most timely submissions of Approved Building Permits by the provincial Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) last Oct. 26 at Landing, Casisang, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon

The award is an annual recognition with participants from 20 municipalities and two cities of the Province of Bukidnon, with only the Top 3 chosen awardees. This year, Malaybalay City, Maramag, and Manolo Fortich made it to the top list.

OBO Head Engr. Rosa Bella Saluta along with Engr. Cherry Mae Galvez had the honor of receiving the plaque during the forum and awards ceremony.

Since OBO processes and authorizes building permits for local and new establishments in the municipality, submissions of approved permits to the provincial office of PSA are done monthly. PSA uses these submissions as a report to their central office to keep an updated record of newly built establishments in the Philippines. In return, PSA awards offices that regularly submit reports.

The timely responsiveness of OBO not only promotes the efficiency of the LGU of Manolo Fortich but also contributes to the quality policy and output of PSA. (Manila Standard)

17K 4Ps beneficiaries in NorMin streamlined with PhilSys

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The data of 17,740 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in Northern Mindanao have been integrated into the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) to streamline social welfare services, reduce redundancy, and ensure that government assistance are distributed most efficiently

Ramel Jamen, Social Welfare and Development director for Region 10 (DSWD-10) said partnering with Philippine Statistics Authority Region 10 (PSA-10) for the Philsys integration signifies the two agencies’ commitment to uplifting the lives of Filipinos.

“By integrating 4Ps beneficiaries into the PhilSys, we are creating a foundation for more targeted, efficient, and accountable social welfare programs,” Jamen said in a statement on Tuesday.

The 4Ps program, which provides financial assistance to impoverished families, plays a crucial role in the country’s poverty alleviation efforts, he noted.

PhilSys is the government’s central identification platform designed to establish a single and reliable identification system for all citizens and resident aliens.

By enrolling 4Ps beneficiaries in the PhilSys, the DSWD, and PSA are taking steps towards improving service delivery and promoting transparency in social welfare programs, PSA-10 Officer-in-Charge Janith Aves said.

“Through PhilSys, we are building a more inclusive and digitally connected society,” Aves said.

Both agencies encouraged all eligible 4Ps beneficiaries to participate in the registration process, which will be carried out through designated registration areas by province.

The PSA also urged those who have not yet registered or received their e-PhilID to do so as soon as possible, as the agency aims to complete the target registration of 92 million individuals by December this year. (Nef Luczon/PNA)

Region 10 inflation accelerates further to 6.7% in September

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Inflation accelerated for the second time this year, driven by faster increases in food and non-alcoholic beverages, transport, and information and communication

Chief Statistical Specialist Sarah Balagbis of Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-10 said the regional headline inflation or the rate of change of the average prices of goods and services in the region accelerated at 6.7 percent in September 2023, faster than the 5.0 percent in August 2023.

Balagbis cited food and non-alcoholic beverages as the main drivers of the uptrend in overall inflation, as the commodity group registered a higher inflation rate of 13.2 percent in September from 9.1 percent the previous month. The said commodity group contributed 83.5 percent share in the overall inflation.

“The main source of the 4.1 percentage points increase of inflation in food and non-alcoholic beverages was cereals and cereal products with an inflation of 23.1 percent in September, from 9.5 percent in August, with rice as the primary source of acceleration.

The increase in food inflation was also attributed to vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses at 24.7 percent inflation, with onion as the major contributor, and fish and other seafood at 7.1 percent, with dried fish as the main contributor.

Transport also pushed the inflation rate up as the commodity group registered 0.0 percent in September from -1.5 percent in August.

Accordingly, the major sources of inflation of transport were gasoline, which posted a slower decrease of prices at -4.4 percent in September 2023 from -10.8 percent inflation in August, and diesel, which also posted a slower drop of prices at -14.6 percent in September from -16.9 percent in August.

Balagbis further said that all the provinces and highly urbanized cities in the region posted faster increases in prices in September, with Lanao del Norte registering the highest inflation rate at 9.1 percent, followed by Bukidnon at 8.7 percent and Misamis Oriental at 7.3 percent.

On the other hand, Cagayan de Oro City registered the lowest inflation at 4.7 percent.

Given the latest inflation result, the government vowed to continue implementing measures to respond to rising prices.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-10 Planning Officer Blessie Cimacio said they would continue their regular price monitoring for basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs) throughout the region. We will ensure that the prices of our goods are within the suggested retail prices,” she said.

Patrick Ian Pedarse, chief of the Department of Agriculture (DA) -10’s Administrative and Finance Division, said that aside from the interventions to boost the production of corn and rice, DA-10 is also conducting an allium derby to cushion the effect of inflation on our onions. (APB/PIA-10)

Mindanao cassava growers given direct market

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has provided cassava and corn growers in Mindanao with a direct market for their produce by linking them to the San Miguel Foods Inc. (SMFI)-Visayas

The DA-Northern Mindanao (DA-10) said on Monday, October 9, that the established connection will benefit cassava and corn-producing farmers’ cooperatives, associations (FCAs) from Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro.

The SMFI-Visayas team led by Eduardo Co said that their company is looking to tap FCAs in Region 10 “to augment the volume of their existing shipments and also maximize their operations from Cagayan de Oro City to Cebu City.”

Co added that they also plan to join in the agriculture department’s bid to help increase the farmers’ income, boost the quality of their lives, and, at the same time, learn about the challenges they have encountered on the ground.

The DA said that the endeavor between SMFI and Mindanao farmers will not just provide an additional market for their harvests but will also ensure that it will be bought at reasonable prices.

Carlene Collado, DA-10 regional executive director, said that the FCAs should consider tapping the said company to cut the trading layers when marketing their corn and cassava harvest.

He gave assurances that the agency will continue to provide the needed support for the FCAs, such as the provision of seeds, fertilizers, farm tractors, postharvest facilities, and capitalization, among others, to empower their groups and enable them to forge a long-term business partnership with SMFI-Visayas.

Northern Mindanao was the top producer of cassava in the second quarter of 2023, supplying 279.29 thousand metric tons (MT), or 39.3 percent, of the total production, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

From April to June 2023, cassava production was estimated at 709.91 thousand MT, which indicated a growth of 1.6 percent from the 698.63 thousand MT output in the same quarter of 2022.

Other regions that produced a higher volume of the said crop during the quarter were the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, with 218.99 thousand metric tons, or 30.8 percent, and Cagayan Valley with 47.50 thousand MT, or 6.7 percent of the total.

The area harvested for cassava from January to June 2023 reached 109.62 thousand hectares, an increase of 0.8 percent from 108.80 thousand hectares in the same period of 2022. (Janine Alexis Miguel/The Manila Times)

Northern Mindanao gears up for 34th NSM celebration

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–Preparations are underway for the 34th National Statistics Month (NSM) celebration in Northern Mindanao

To mark the celebration, the Regional Statistics Committee (RSC)-10 has endorsed a series of regional activities designed to accentuate the importance of data and statistics in enhancing health outcomes.

Dr. Janith Aves, officer-in-charge of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-X, said NSM is celebrated in October of every year to enhance awareness and appreciation of the value and importance of statistics to the different sectors and to elicit the support and cooperation of the public in upgrading the quality and standards of statistics in the country.

This year, NSM bears the theme “Accelerating Progress: Promoting Data and Statistics for Healthy Philippines,” which underlines the use of quality health-related statistics to accelerate development and promote a healthier populace.

Opening the month-long celebration are activities to be spearheaded by the Department of Health-X, which include a motorcade, Zumba, and health forum on October 3. The other activities lined up are a tree-planting activity (October 6), an interagency statistical exhibit contest (October 16-20), an infographics-making contest (October 16-20), and a data appreciation seminar for media and statistics quiz show – media edition (October 13).

All Provincial Statistical Offices of PSA-X will likewise hold the 27th Philippines Statistics Quiz Provincial eliminations on October 19 with participants from Higher Education Institutions in the region.

A dissemination forum on the results of the 2018-2020 Water Flow Accounts and financial health literacy activity will highlight the closing ceremony on October 27 to be hosted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas – Cagayan de Oro Branch.

RSC chairperson and NEDA-X Regional Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño said the lined-up activities will significantly promote the importance of statistics in every sector of society. She also urged RSC member agencies to support the NSM and conduct activities that would enunciate the significance of the celebration. (APB/PIA-10)

Statistical exhibit opens PSA’s 10th-anniversary celebration in NorMin

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – To continue providing statistical services to the people in the region, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-10 kicked off its 10th anniversary celebration in Northern Mindanao with a statistical exhibit on September 5

With the theme “PSA@10: Providing Quality Service through Digital Transformation,” the celebration aims to foster and celebrate PSA’s achievements over the past decade. It also emphasizes the agency’s enhanced cooperation and partnerships with other government agencies and local government units.

As another year begins for PSA, Janith C. Aves, PSA-10 officer-in-charge, assured the public that PSA’s data dissemination and civil registration functions will be further enhanced with innovative approaches. It includes the integration of the latest technology into data-gathering procedures.

“PSA strives to implement strategies to improve using the latest state-of-the-art technologies to deliver quality output. It proves that PSA also embraces innovations to provide better quality services, not just to deliver its functions but to serve the Philippines by embracing the modern world,” she said.

Cagayan de Oro City Councilor lawyer James Judith said in a message that as society moves toward a data-driven culture, the role of PSA-10 has become increasingly vital to policy-making, similar to that of the National Economic and Development Authority.

As part of the celebration, PSA-10 offers a nine-day civil registration and PhilSys ID application services to complement the statistical exhibit to streamline the processing, reduce the usual processing time at the main office, and accommodate walk-in inquiries for added convenience to mallgoers.

Aves also committed to much-improved and more efficient services and data dissemination forums in the coming years. (DCC/PIA-10)