one mindanao - september 19, 2014

Jorie C. ValcorzaNORTHERN MINDANAO

Lighting Up CommunitiesCOVER STORY

President Aquino invites French businessmen to take part in Phl economic ‘renaissance’

Emergency responders undergo basic life support training by Ian Roy Genelsa

7

Page 4

NATIONAL

Information to Empower Filipinos

6

NORTHERN MINDANAO

CARAGA MINDANAO

SOCCSKSARGEN Region

WESTERN MINDANAO

SOUTHERN MINDANAO

11

8

13

10

1st Caraga OFWs Summit set in Butuan

GBP regionwide assembly draws LCEs, CSOs

DOST chief brings Halal initiatives to Japan

Reg’l child welfare council gears up for Children’s Month celebration

Tagum establishes PESO in barangays

OSYDA formulates youth development agenda for Isabela City

Tacurong City excels in citizens’ satisfaction

15 16

24

29

34

30

25

by Jennifer P. Gaitano

by Bryan F. Edulzura

by Dominic I. Sanchez

by Rene V. Carbayas

DAR forges partnership with NGOs to boost Bukidnon farmers’ organizations 12by DAR

by Danilo E. Doguiles

by Danilo E. Doguiles

Lighting Up Communities

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) affords free connection, materials and fixtures to needy families who remain powerless until now. With SEP, connection is free as well as materials to include the 30-meter service drop lines, electric meters, and house wirings to hold at least two lights and one outlet, all subsidized by the government. “This is really good news for

me, for a long time I have been trying to save money for these and now it’s available for free,” Estorioso said. The government’s Pasuga Project, implemented nationwide to recipient electric cooperatives, aims to improve the living conditions of the rural folks while it targets to achieve full rural electrification and make Filipinos more globally

Lydia Estorioso cannot contain her happiness

upon learning that she could actually have her house energized very soon free of cost.

by Jorie C. Valcorza

Lighting Up Communities

competitive. To date, some 3,636 households were lighted here since the onset of the project in November 2011, implemented by the Camiguin Electric Cooperative (CAMELCO). New lines were constructed in priority areas based on the recommendations of the local government units, with maximum of 30 slots for every line sections. As for this year, CAMELCO targets to establish some 143 line sections and another 111 for 2015. Since there are plenty of lines open, the cooperative with approval from NIA, realigned part of the project to accommodate other households with overextended service drop lines in the old/existing lines. CAMELCO Technical Services

D e p a r t m e n t Manager Glenn A. Redera said this improved their system’s quality and reliability, in terms of voltage line loss. M e a n w h i l e , C A M E L C O Members Services Division Chief Rey C. Badilla bared that as of press

time, the cooperative records around 19,840 households energized around the province out of the 20, 514 total potential households as reported by the barangays. As project partners, the local government units (LGUs) have also waived its requirement in favor for the beneficiaries, in which they pay only for as low as P25 to P100, instead of the P2,000 regular charge for ordinary power connection application.

SEPTEMBER 2014 | PAGE 6

President Aquino witnesses signing of agreements for operations of LRT 1

The agreement, signed between RATP Developpement President Pierre Mongin, and Jose Ma. Lim, President and CEO of the Metro Pacific Investments Corp., at the Philippines-France Business Forum at Intercontinental Paris Le Grand Hotel, aims to provide operation and maintenance service and technical advice and expertise relating to the operations and maintenance of the Manila LRT 1 Cavite Extension, Operation and Maintenance Project. The Light Rail Manila Consortium also signed

an engineering, procurement and construction agreement with Bouygues Travaux Publics and Alstom Transport on Thursday for the design and construction of the Manila Light Rail Transit Line 1 Extension Project that will extend Line 1 by 12 kilometers to add eight more stations. Fernando Zobel de Ayala, president and COO of Ayala Corporation, and Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya were also present during the signing of the two agreements. PND

President Benigno S. Aquino III on Thursday witnessed the signing of a technical service agreement between RATP Developpement and the Light Rail Manila Consortium for the operations and maintenance of

Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1.


President Aquino invites French businessmen to take part in Phl economic ‘renaissance’

President Benigno S. Aquino III invited French businessmen to explore investment opportunities in the Philippines, saying that the “country’s momentum is stronger that it has ever been in recent memory.”

Speaking before the Philippine Business Opportunities Forum here, President Aquino told France-based companies that this is the best time to invest as the Philippine economy continues to grow. “Indeed, our country’s momentum is stronger than it has ever been in recent memory, and we will not sit idly by; we will build on this momentum,” the President told the French business community. “I am here today to invite all of you to be part of our story—take a closer look at our country, study your prospects, and ultimately, take part in the Philippine renaissance that continues to win the admiration of the world,” he added. President Aquino, who is on an official two-day visit to France, trumpeted economic gains and the reforms instituted by his administration before French businessmen. “As one would expect, our good governance efforts have breathed new life into our economy. In 2013, the economy grew by 7.2 percent, making us one of the fastest growing economies in Asia,” he said. “The business community—both domestic and international—has also noted the sea change

in our country,” he said, adding that international rating organizations have also noticed the Philippines’ comeback. President Aquino cited the investment grade status the country obtained from Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s. Even the World Economic Forum’s yearly Global Competitiveness Report has named the Philippines as the most improved country in terms of competitiveness since 2010, he added. With the economic reforms put in place by his administration, President Aquino said that his administration is poised to sustain the country’s momentum. “I suppose the point of these recollections is to emphasize the reality: Yours is a matured, developed country, while ours has just been recently gaining momentum towards development,” he said. “There is a natural synergy between our requirements and aspirations, and your strengths and capabilities. Together, let us maximize the opportunities before us, for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” he added.


Inclusive growth initiative in Mindanao adopts corridors program

An inclusive growth initiative in Mindanao has aligned its goals and objectives with the Mindanao Development Corridors program in efforts to reduce poverty and accelerate private

sector investments that will increase employment and spur livelihood opportunities in the island-region. The Inclusive Business in Mindanao (IBIM), a public-private partnership between the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), will adopt the Mindanao Development Corridors program to advance inclusive agribusiness models in the island-region in line with the Aquino administration’s pivotal thrust of inclusive growth. At the launch of the Mindanao Inclusive Agribusiness Program (MIAP) a component of IBIM, held

at the SMX Convention here last week, PBSP Executive Director Rafael Lopa said that to achieve its goals, the program shall align its targets and activities with the Mindanao 2020 Peace and Development Framework Plan and the Mindanao Development Corridors program especially where the plan directly helps in poverty reduction and private sector investments to open up employment and livelihood opportunities. “To help achieve the goals of IBIM, we are advocating the inclusive agribusiness concept of


applying business strategies which bring about cost-efficiencies, resource stability and consistency in standards throughout the value chains, and ultimately enlarge the total market,” he said. Lopa added that MIAP calls for agri-based investments that will allow low income groups to participate in the production and supply chain, enabling them to benefit from long-term employment and sustained socio-economic development. “It is gratifying that even as we speak, inclusive business models are already on the rise,” he said while adding “for some companies, it was a pleasant realization that many of them – and perhaps many more out there – have already been engaged in inclusive business without realizing it.” President Benigno Aquino III who keynoted the program launch expressed delight on the increasing interest to push Mindanao’s inclusive business agenda. “I am glad to see that the government is not alone through this endeavor. Through the MIAP you are able to build the capacities of Mindanao’s small farming communities, thus enabling them to capitalize on the rich resources and the many opportunities available in the region,” the President said. He added that there is a need to boost Mindanao’s capacities, so that the marginalized communities may catch up and contribute to the region’s economic growth. “If the public and private sectors remain committed to the same vision and if we maintain the synergy and trust that we have so far harnessed to undeniably positive results, we can look forward to a Mindanao that will serve as a true convergence point of trade and opportunity not only for the Philippines but also for our region,” said President Aquino. As a support mechanism to the national government’s thrust of inclusive growth, MinDA is promoting a scaled-up investment facilitation that is directed by an inclusive business agenda that focus on the facilitation of private investments, which incorporate

communities with high incidence of poverty and low human development index. “The complementation of the IBIM and the Mindanao Development Corridors program forms part in our integrated approach of promoting economic growth that is broad-based and must cut across societal spectrums to become largely inclusive,” said MinDA Chair Luwalhati Antonino. She added that part of the objectives of the PBPSP-MinDA partnership is to ensure that private companies include the marginalized sector in their value chain either as suppliers, distributors, or employees to achieve shared goals of inclusive growth and poverty alleviation. Antonino added that through the Mindanao Development Corridors, commodities or product-specific and area-based investments are accordingly matched with required infrastructure, logistics, and enabling policy environment. “With Mindanao being a unique combination of challenges and opportunities in the context of socioeconomic development, MinDA and PBSP will move along the direction of facilitating investments that redound to community empowerment and subsequent creation of jobs and livelihood opportunities,” she said. In July this year, a production and trading agreement aimed to integrate and scale-up cacao production in Mindanao was sealed between the municipality of Marihatag in Surigao del Sur and the Kennemer Foods International (KFI). The deal will initiate the massive planting of four million cacao trees in the town’s 5,000 hectare pilot site and is seen to provide the people of Marihatag long-term benefits, and eventually become active players in the country’s cacao supply chain. “Projects such as these are among the targets of IBIM, and we hope that our engagement with PBSP will enhance the successful implementation of inclusive business models in Mindanao,” added Antonino. (PNA)

DFA brings the world of the futureby Recthie T. Paculba

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in partnership with Xavier University (XU) highlights the goals of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative (APEC) on advancing free trade for economic prosperity as the world of the future during the Awareness and Information Roadshow held at XU on September 16.

Laura Q. del Rosario, Undersecretary for International Economic Relations of DFA, said that the activity is conducted to let the public know where the future is going. She emphasized the advantages of globalization and the importance of keeping up with the technological advances. The Undersecretary further mentioned that APEC


has been helping in reducing costs for importers and exporters. Thus, they are encouraging everyone to imagine the possibilities like shortening of time to start a business, enforcing of contracts and seeking of financial help with lower interests. APEC is also seen to effect economic and technical cooperation, good business facilitation and energy security.

Del Rosario also added that as a start “we should take advantage of what we can sell” so that the country will further have a slot towards economic development in Asia. The APEC Declaration of Common Resolve aims to complete the achievement of the goal of free and open trade and investment in the Asia Pacific no later than the year 2020.

MAMBAJAO, Camiguin - The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Camiguin Council conducted a 10–day training workshop on Basic Life Support (BLS) at five municipalities in the province on August 30 to September 8, 2014.

Emergency responders undergo basic life support trainingby Ian Roy Genelsa

Dr. Luis S. Bollozos, provincial chair of the PDRRM-Camiguin said the workshop aimed to revisit and reorient the accredited responders of the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council (MDCC) on the Basic knowledge and tools on Community-Based (DRRM) and to equip themselves on the Basic Guidelines on Disaster response embedded in the Philippine Disaster Management System. A total of 145 participants compose of responders from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction

Management, Rural Health Workers, School Disaster Risk Reduction Management Coordinators, identified Barangay Officials participated in the training workshop. The training workshop also served as way to participants to be acquainted and learn the required skills on rescue and retrieval operations cause by man-made and natural calamities and debriefing management styles for the victims of the said calamities. Provincial Governor of Camiguin, Jurdin Jesus M. Romualdo, graced the


opening and closing activities and instilled the minds of the participants with inspiring words that the province should always be ready since it is

prone to natural calamities thereby disaster trainings should be given foremost priority.

DAR forges partnership with NGOs to boost Bukidnon farmers’ organizationsby DARCAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has recently signed an accord with the Institute for Socio-Economic and Development Initiative (Isedi) and Foundation for Rural Enterprise and Ecology Development of Mindanao (Freedom) to harness the entrepreneurial skills of agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in the municipalities of Cabanglasan and Baungon, both in the province of Bukidnon.

Provincial agrarian reform program officer (PARPO) Julio Celestiano, Jr said Isedi and Freedom would provide participating ARBOs business development services (BDS) such as development of business enterprise and market, financial and organizational management to prepare them to their much greater responsibilities of good governance. “The immediate priority of the agreement is to provide ARBOs the much-needed skills to manage their day-to-day business transactions and show them the proper way of establishing self-sustaining business units in the community. Isedi will

train 10 ARBOs in Cabanglasan while Freedom will take care of three ARBOs in Baungon,” Celestiano said. Celestiano said these ARBOs would also serve as the convergence areas for the delivery of support services not only for their member-farmers’ own needs but also for other ARBOs and non-ARBs in the area. The undertaking is a component of the Agrarian Reform Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) Project, a development intervention program of DAR designed to create a sustainable rural development through enterprise development.

DAR forges partnership with NGOs to boost Bukidnon farmers’ organizations

AgSur set to plant 116,000 fruit trees, high value treesby David M. Suyao

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur - The province of Agusan del Sur is set to plant 116,000 fruit and high value trees on September 26, 2014 and be part of the Mindanao-wide campaign dubbed as “Treevolution, Greening MindaNOW.” Of the 13 municipalities and the lone city of Bayugan, three municipalities namely Sibagat, San Luis and Sta. Josefa were

not in the list of the municipal local government units (LGU) that will participate in the Mindanao-wide tree planting


and growing activity. The 116,000 seedlings will be planted by some 6,000 volunteer planters mostly coming from private sector, people’s organization, private institutions, cooperatives and government employees and officials in some 200 hectares of land. Local chief executives from the ten municipalities and the City of Bayugan identified the areas to be planted as response to the advisory from the Department of the Interior and Local government and the call of Agusan del Sur Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza to give their utmost share in the quest of protecting the environment and mitigating the effect of the climate change. According to Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Caraga area manager Cecil Trino, this is in line with the National Greening Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and in order to ignite cooperation from all sectors. DENR and MinDA programmed it into a Mindanao-wide activity with the aim to break India’s record in the Guinness World Record having planted some 2 million trees in an hour in 2011. “But even though we will not hit our ambition to be in the

Guinness World Record because maybe of some technicalities, we can still proudly shout to the world that we have done a very noble deed, the planting of trees and become in the protection of environment and in mitigating the ill effects of the global warming,” DENR regional technical director Maritess Ocampo said. Two weeks ago, Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza called on all local chief executives in province to give their utmost support to the program in order to become part of this noble activity. Region-wide (Caraga), the target is to plant 537,065 fruit and high value trees seedlings in some 1,200 hectares of land with 29,378 planters.


1st Caraga OFWs Summit set in Butuanby Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY- The Tulay sa Overseas Filipino Workers’ (OFWs) Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC) will be spearheading the first “Caraga OFWs’ Summit” on September 20-21, 2014 at LJ Mega Convention Hall, this city.

Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr will deliver his welcome remarks on the first day of said event. He will also share the city’s Vision 2020 along with its programs and future plans for the city. Susan “Toots” Ople, President of Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute will also serve as the keynote speaker while Cong. Roy “Amba” Seneres, Representative of the OFW Family Party List will give his inspirational message. According to Engr. Zaldy Deronia, President of Tulay sa OFWs MPC, they also invited Senator Cynthia Villar, chair on Agriculture and Food Committee to grace the activity and give her message to all the guests and participants.

“This is the first OFWs Summit in Butuan and Caraga region so far. We are looking forward to the full support and participation of our cooperative-members for this momentous activity. Effective strategies for coops will be discussed and participants will be able to raise their issues and concerns during the forum proper,” bared Deronia. Deronia further said that participating OFWs will be joining the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on a livelihood training during the Day-2 of said event. “Prizes also awaits the participants for there will be a raffle promo on the second day, before the program ends,” he added.


Under the new guidelines, the budget ceiling is pegged at P30M. LGUs with less than P30M allocation will be deducted with P2.5M; while LGUs with more than P30M allocation such as Butuan City, will only receive the budget ceiling. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said that the reduction of the 2015 budget cap is pursuant to national government’s funding of other equally important national projects. However, even if the budget cap is reduced for next year, the allocation for GPB has generally increased by P1B due to increase number of beneficiary cities and municipalities. The reduction of budget would entail axing some projects; hence, the need to come up with a new list and allocation. DILG

13 regional director Lilibeth A. Famacion said that the bringing together of LCEs and CSOs in one forum promotes transparency in project selection. “We wanted to maintain the integrity of the Local Poverty Reduction Projects (LPRAPs) by lodging the decision (project selection and allocation) to the Local Poverty Reduction Action Team (LPRAT) members,” said Famacion. “We don’t want to be accused of manipulating the project list nor deciding for LPRAT’s behalf on that matter,” she added. The LGUs and CSOs submitted their final LPRAPs to the GPB secretariat for inclusion in the 2015 General Appropriation Act (GAA) come October 2014. Caraga region has a total budget allocation of P1.004B under GPB 2015.

GBP regionwide assembly draws LCEs, CSOsBUTUAN CITY- The Department of the Interior and Local Govern-ment (DILG) Region 13 convened local chief executives (LCEs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) to a regionwide assembly last September 15 here, to finalize the proposed projects to be funded under GPB 2015. This is in response to the reduction of the budget cap allotted to local government units (LGUs) for 2015.

by Bryan F. Edulzura

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Sept. 19 -- The Philippine Information Agency 12 has pledged to assist the Blaan community in Purok Bagong Silang, Barangay Linan in Tupi, South Cotabato to improve their livelihood.

PIA 12 commits help for B’laans in village near Tarsier sanctuaryBy: Shahana Joy E. Duerme

The villagers, consisting of about 30 house-holds of the Loca clan call themselves the guard-ians of the Tarsier sanctuary in the area.

The area are known for bamboo and nito, which the lumads use to make bags and baskets, as ini-tial products. They also grow coconuts and ba-nanas.

In a recent visit in the area of the PIA-12 led Information Coordinating Network (ICON) PIA 12 Regional Director Olivia Sudaria promised her office will coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry and other agencies not only for the improvement of the quality of their products but also for a more comprehensive development of the community.

“These crafts when further developed will attract more tourists especially foreigners who love native products,” she emphasized.

Aside from the DTI-South Cotabato, Sudaria said she will request the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA 12) to conduct trainings on carpentry and massage for the villag-ers.

These trainings, she explained, will help the residents of Purok Bagong Silang gain new skills as


well as learn new ways of earning a living.

Aside from the PIA 12, different government agencies in the region also vowed to help the Blaans.

Babai Tagitican, information officer of the Department of Science and Technology 12 asked community leaders to coordinate with the local government to request trainings on coconut-based technologies and other technologies since these are already available at the DOST 12.

Meanwhile, Ellen Torino, infor-mation chief of the Department of Public Works and Highways 12 an-nounced that the tourism road in the area is also already in the pipeline and may be implemented in 2015.

In response to this pledges, Cherry Ann Laco, a woman leader

in the area extended her apprecia-tion.

She said that whatever assistance they may receive would be of great help to the families in the commu-nity.

“We are privileged that you came here in our place. We are thank-ful that our visitors do not only take part in the preservation of the biodi-versity here but also in the develop-ment of the lives of the people,” Laco said.

The Philippine Information Agen-cy’s pledge of support to the Blaans in the area is part of the one day immersion tagged as Dalaw-Turo, an event in partnership with the local government unit of Tupi.

The activity which was participated by representatives from various gov-ernment agencies in the region is


part of the climate change advocacy campaign, a joint project of the PIA and the Department of Environment

and Natural Resources. (SJDuerme-PIA 12)

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato-- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 12 confirmed today that Regional Director Dr. Zenai-da HR Laidan has brought the Philippines Halal initiatives to the atten-tion of Halal industry stakeholders in Japan.

DOST chief brings Halal initiatives to JapanBy: Danilo E. Doguiles

According to a report from DOST 12, Director Laidan was among the speakers at the Japan Halal Summit and Technical Workshop last August 4-6 at the TKP Garden City, Shinagawa, and Tokyo, Japan.

Dr. Laidan was invited by the Halal Development Foundation of Japan, Inc. (HDFJ) to speak on “Is-sues and Concerns on Halal Certifica-tion.”

Laidan is the lead in the concep-tualization and implementation of the DOST’s Philippine Science and Technology Program for the Develop-ment of the Halal Industry, and the prime mover of Halal Science in the country.

The lady director said her pre-sentation was very timely as the Japanese people are very much interested in the “Halal” concept, benefits of halal certification, and in obtaining halal certification in order to seek entry into Muslim markets, while a growing number of tourists from Muslim nations are expected to offer good business opportunities to Japanese firms.

“Halal compliance is the first rule of the game,” Laidan told the par-ticipants, as quoted by the DOST 12 report.

“Thus, for the majority non-Mus-lim countries like the Philippines and Japan, there is a need to adopt and implement more stringent standards on Halal thru the application of sci-ence, technology and innovation par-ticularly laboratory testing and Halal certification to ensure a respectable and reliable premium Halal brand and to tap and commercially exploit the lucrative Halal market.”

Anchored on the themed “Global Halal Trade-Opportunities for Japan”, the summit was highlighted with in-augural addresses by the member-countries from recognized Halal International Organizations.

There were also plenary sessions on Halal tourism & hospitality in-cluding Halal medical tourism, glob-al Halal market and benefits of Halal certification, Halal meat & poultry-Halal food ingredients, and Islamic finance.

The event was the first large gath


ering of organizations from about 20 Muslim countries—including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Indonesia, Malay-sia and Pakistan—as well as about 80 Japanese companies, ministries, agencies and other organizations.

During the summit, the DOST 12 through Dr. Laidan, forged two col-laborative undertakings with the Halal Development Council (HDC) of Japan and HDFJ .

The HDC was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Asad Saj-jad, and HDFJ by its General Sec-retary Mohammad Zubair.

The partnership agreement be-tween DOST 12 and HDC spells out commitment on the promotion of co-operation and partnership on Halal related issues such as training and human resource development, Halal science and technology, Halal stan-dards and Halal research.

On the other hand, the memo-randum of understanding with HDFJ

spells out collaboration in promoting Halal in Japan.

With these linkages, the re-port noted, Laidan has remarkably established the Philippine Halal In-dustry, particularly, the DOST 12’s comprehensive Halal program, enti-tled: Philippine Science and Technol-ogy Program for the Development of the Halal Industry to be recognized internationally.

In March this year, Laidan led a 14-person team composed of DOST officials and DOST-ARMM repre-sentatives to a study mission on strengthening the Philippine Halal industry in Malaysia.

She was also a speaker at the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC-SMIIC): World Halal Assembly held in Islamabad, Pakistan on June 3-4 where she spoke on “Asian Advantage on Halal: Philippine Per-spective”. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12 with report from DOST 12)

TACURONG CITY, Sultan Kudarat -- Tacurong City’s has one of the coun-try’s best performing local government unit based on the Citizen Satis-faction Index System (CSIS), a report from the Department of the Inte-rior and Local Government (DILG) 12 announced.

Tacurong City excels in citizens’ satisfaction By: Danilo E. Doguiles

According the report, LGU Tacurong City received 70.31% in overall rating in citizen satisfaction.

Also in top five cities in citizen satisfaction were Laoag and Oro-quieta on 1st and 2nd and Dipolog

and Sagay on 4th and 5th places, respectively.

LGU Tacurong’s accomplishment in the CSIS assessment was high-lighted during the recent National Forum on the CSIS 2013 Imple-


mentation cum Orientation-Training for the 2014 CSIS Implementation conducted by the Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS) in San Juan City, Metro Manila.

The activity was participated by over 100 division and assistant division chiefs, regional focal per-sons, city local government opera-tions officers and representatives from local resource institutes that conducted the survey.

Launched in 2012, CSIS is an assessment tool designed to col-lect and generate relevant feed-back from citizens -- considered the ultimate recipients of public service -- regarding local government ser-vice delivery performance and their general satisfaction.

It assesses the reach and qual-ity of basic government services on health, basic education, social wel-fare, governance and response, pub-lic works and infrastructure, environ-mental management, agriculture and

tourism of selected local govern-ment units.

Data were gathered primarily through the conduct of survey in se-lected cities and municipalities na-tionwide.

In 2013, CSIS covered Tacurong City and Kidapawan City for SOCCSKSARGEN Region.

Based on the survey results, Tacurong City ranked 1st nation-wide in agricultural support and social welfare services, 2nd in support to basic education, 3rd in health services and 5th in gover-nance and response.

This year, the CSIS survey for SOCCSKSARGEN Region focuses on Cotabato City, General Santos City, and Koronadal City. Their respec-tive local resource institutes are Notre Dame University, Mindanao State University, and Notre Dame of Marbel University. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)

DOE warns public against refilling, selling of LPG in recycled butane canistersBy Mary May A. AbellonPAGADIAN CITY – The Department of Energy (DOE) through Energy Industry Management-Mindanao Field Office Division Chief Nilo Geroche warned the public against the refilling and selling of LPG in recycled butane canisters, during the Multi-Sectoral Advocacy Campaign on Downstream Oil Industry held at Alindahaw Hotel here yesterday, Sept. 18.


“No person shall engage in any in-dustry activity without first applying for a Standard Compliance Certificate (SCC) from the Oil Industry Manage-ment Bureau (OIMB),” Geroche em-phasized.He cited the fire incident that occurred in Davao City on June 20, 2014, caused by the explosion of an LPG in butane canister which razed 19 houses and partially damaged 8 houses. Thus, DOE calls for a joint action and response from other concerned agencies with this issue on the re-filling of LPG in canisters such as the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP),

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and local government units. “These LPG in tin canisters will not exist or proliferate if consumers will cease from buying and patroniz-ing this very unsafe trade practice,” Geroche stressed.Meanwhile, DOE reminded the pub-lic to buy cylinders with proper markings like the brand name and tare weight and to always demand for an official receipt when buying LPG.“A well-informed and vigilant con-sumer is the best-protected con-sumer,” Geroche concluded.


Reg’l child welfare council gears up for Children’s Month celebrationBy: Dominic I. Sanchez

PAGADIAN CITY – The Regional Council for the Welfare of Children (RCWC) is finalizing plans for the celebration of Children’s Month this October. Part of the planned activities is a simultaneous “walk for children,” to be participated in by all municipalities and cities in the region.Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-9 Assistant Regional Director Consejo Usman said during a meeting at a local ho-tel here that the walk would coincide with the national walk on Oct. 4. “We would like to enjoin all local govern-ment units in the region to join to have a bigger impact for the advo-cacy of children’s rights,” she said.April Obtinario of the National Coun-cil for the Welfare of Children (CWC) said that one of the highlights of the

celebration on the national level is the launching of Child-Friendly Phil-ippines on Oct. 8. “The whole month of October has several activities lined up in celebration of Children’s Month,” she said.During the meeting, it was shared that the audit for the child-friendly LGUs was already done in the early part of the year. Obtinario explained that the audit “is a tool to determine if municipalities are child-friendly, how children’s programs and ser


OSYDA formulates youth development agenda for Isabela CityBy Rene V. CarbayasDAVAO CITY – The Out-of-School Youth Development Alliance (OSYDA) of Isabela City formulated Wednesday, Sept. 17, the OSY youth development agenda and identified significant actions to move this forward.

Dr. Miriam A. Pahm, Acting Chief of Party MYDev program said the two-day gathering of the alliance at Wa-terfront Insular Hotel in Davao City on September 16-17 has opened the space for meaningful exchanges and deeper sharing about the best possi-bilities for the OSY.The OSYDA members have agreed to generate database to identify and de-

fine the general situation and condi-tions of the OSYs, including the map-ping of interventions and services given by agencies and groups at com-munities.In order to come up with a compre-hensive database of the youth in the city, the alliance created a team to de-sign the tool for data gathering. Mem-bers of the team include the Philippine

vices are prioritized.” The tool has assessment criteria to include ab-sence of child labor cases, victims of violence, presence of a local code for children, ordinance establishing Violence Against Women and Chil-dren (VAWC) desks, and functional Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPC).In region 9, there are 24 eligible municipalities that will be further screened, and will be vying for the Presidential Award for Child Friendly LGUs.Meanwhile, after the meeting and teambuilding activities, the RCWC members proceeded to the munici-pality of Vincenzo Sagun, Zamboan-ga del Sur, one of the top-perform-ing LGUs with regards to promoting child welfare.

“The members will learn of good practices in Vincenzo Sagun and to document said practices which will be shared to other LGUs,” Obtinario pointed out.


OSYDA formulates youth development agenda for Isabela City

Information Agency, City Population Commission, City Social Welfare and Development, Basilan Ulama Council, Child Fund Philippines, City Council, and OSY representatives, among oth-ers.The alliance also came up with action plans to provide technical and voca-tional completers with avenues to en-gage in economic and entrepreneurial opportunities.The Nagdilaab Foundation will lead other members of the OSYDA to for-mulate the comprehensive youth formation program that will further increase capacities of the youth in Is-abela city.The meeting also assessed the readi-ness of OSYDA as a mechanism that will champion youth development and at the same time, define organization-al arrangements to support collabora-tive actions among its members.The USAID EDC MYDev program laud-

ed the OSYDA of the city for leading and serving as model for other similar interventions of USAID in Mindanao. The alliance was cited for its many firsts, such as: the first to organize with an Executive Order, first to come up with vision, mission, and goals; first to have signed Memorandum of Understanding with member agencies and organizations; and the first to have the presence of USAID to grace its first batch of technical-vocational completers, among others.The four representatives sitting as members of the alliance were grateful to the members for the show of care and concern to the plight of the many marginalized youth in society. They are grateful that all the sentiments and aspirations of the OSYs were ar-ticulated during the discussions and the formulation of plans toward the dream that no youth will be consid-ered out-of-school.

Human Rights Victims Claims Board set up 5 regional desks

DAVAO CITY– The Hu-man Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB) has set up three re-gional desks and is preparing two more to accept applications. This is in response to the clamor for more venues for applications and to ensure more ac-cess of applicant-victims of human rights viola-tions during martial law. The HRVCB said that after they faced various challenges dur-ing the first caravan, they conducted assess-ments and adopted ad-ditional approaches to improve their services. “In our first cara-van, we noted areas where there are many applicants claiming rec-ognition and repara-tion for abuses during martial law. The areas included Davao City and Legaspi City. Thus the Claims Board decided to set up five regional

desks and to conduct a 2nd caravan nationwide to provide more venues for applications before the deadline on No-vember 10, 2014,” said Claims Board Member Atty. Jacqueline Mejia. The Claims Board said that for those who were not served during the first caravan in the country, there are three options now – file at the Claims Board office in UP, or file at the mobile sites and at the regional desks. The regional desks with one paralegal staff per area were set up in Iloilo City, Cotabato City and Davao City and are now ready to accept ap-plications. The staff will be able to accept complete documents, encode and scan documents and is-sue acknowledgement receipts to the appli-cants. Advice on re-quired documents may also be given by the said


staff, with the able support of a des-ignated staff of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). Atty. Mejia was in Davao City and has set up the regional desk in cooperation with CHR Regional Direc-tor Atty. Junitte Rose F. Barroquillo. The regional desk in Tacloban City will be set up this week. “Our team just finished accept-ing claims in 20 cities nationwide from as far as Jolo and Tuguegarao. As of September 5, as a result of our mobile intake process and our work at our UP office, we have accepted 13,699 claims for recognition and reparation from victims of martial law abuses,” the Claims Board said. “We thank all the LGU officials, CHR, PAO, PNP, victims of martial law and other individuals, civil soci-ety organizations and church leaders who helped in various ways to make the 1st caravan successful. We hope for their continuing support.” “We advise applicant-victims or heirs of the victims to prepare the necessary documents before sub-mitting your applications. The bottle neck occurs when there are ap-plicants who do not have complete documents. We need the originals and one photocopy of your docu-ments,” it added. The Claims Board further ad-vised applicants applying in big groups to please inform them “so we can make adjustments necessary to

have more efficient services.” Each team at the UP office and the mobile caravan can only accom-modate about 200 applicants per day. Since there will be only one staff at the regional desk, there will be less number that can be accom-modated per day, but the services at the regional desk will be everyday from Monday to Friday during work days until November 10, 2014. The application period ends on November 10, 2014. Failure of vic-tims of abuse during martial law to file a claim will mean a waiver. The Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board was created by virtue of RA 10368 or the Human Rights Victims’ Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013 states that the Philip-pine State acknowledges the heroism and sacrifices of those who suffered abuses by the authoritarian regime under former President Ferdinand E. Marcos and it is the state’s obligation to recognize them and provide repa-rations. Pursuant to RA 10368, the Claims Board has to evaluate all ap-plications, determine the kind of human rights abuses and determine points per claim and distribute the monetary awards to each victim or heir/s of the victims within 2 years after the start of applications for claims. (HRVClaimsBoard)


Tagum establishes PESO in barangays

DAVAO DEL NORTE - -To ensure that employment services reached the barangay residents, Mayor Al-lan Rellon announced earlier dur-ing the Biz Talk at Big 8 that the Tagum City Government placed Barangay Employment Desks (BEDs) as complement to the Pub-lic Employment Services Office (PESO). Mayor Rellon said that with the assistance of the Department of La-bor and Employment (DOLE) and the PESO, the city government started delivering its regular services directly to the barangay residents. “We began with five barangays last year to pilot the project assign-ing their secretary or councillor to be the Barangay Employment Desk Offi-

cer (BEDO),” Rellon said. According to the re-cords in PESO, the pilot barangays were Magug-po South, Magugpo North, Visayan Village, Mankilam and Bincun-gan. Orlin Bagnaan, proj-ect program coordinator of PESO, said that the BEDOs can offer all the programs of their office except special recruit-ment activities for over-

seas employment. Bagnaan revealed that four more barangays have been trained for BED, which will eventually start next year. The identified barangays were Magugpo West, Canocotan, San Miguel and Magugpo East. Mayor Rellon also commended that one of the major accomplish-ments of the BEDO was the organi-zation of its barangay job fair. Aside from that, Mayor Rel-lon stated that the city government also holds a daily mini job fair at 3rd Floor, Old City Hall. “Through the PESO, two to three manpower agencies conduct interview at the city hall everyday, in which some carry overseas jobs,” he added. (PIA 11, Michael Uy)

one mindanao - september 19, 2014

Documents