Top Mindanao exec backs integrity of 2013 elections

TAGUM CITY, March 20 (PIA) – A top local chief executive in Mindanao expressed his confidence the votes of the Filipinos will be adequately protected in the May 2013 automated elections.

Davao deo Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, current poresident of the Confederation of all the Local Chief Executives in Mindanao (Confed) is convinced the ballots would be very secure during the midterm polls, since the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is implementing added safeguards, on top of the security measures already built into the Precinct Count Optical Scanner (PCOS) machines.

Amid concerns on the possibility of flaws and glitches, the Governor abided to the assurance of the Comelec that the PCOS machines intended for the automated election system are in good condition and are safe.

“I believe the coming automated elections is properly secured,” del Rosario said, at the recent convocation program of the province.

The Governor also hailed the Comelec for putting up a contingency plan in preparation for potential hitches that may happen.

He also allayed fears raised by concerned poll watch groups about the possibility of the machine being manipulated and used in cheating.

“I don’t think tampering of the ballots and manipulating the results of the automated elections will still be possible now with all the security measures implemented by the Comelec,” the Chair of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) – XI assured.

The Governor said he personally tested the integrity of the PCOS machines during the mock poll conducted at a recent Comelec briefing of local candidates.

Del Rosario further urged the voters to study the background and platform of government of the candidates by reading about them and watching or listening to debates aired over the TV and radio.

He said it is important for the electorate to really check out the qualifications of the candidates in order to make the right decision.

“This election is very important,” he said, as he urged voters to choose candidates who really support the reforms instituted by President Benigno Aquino, particularly his ‘Daang Matuwid’ campaign.( Noel Baguio-DN Info Div.)

Women of typhoon displaced families trained on rug-making

NEW BATAAN, COMPOSTELA VALLEY, March 19 (PIA):  About 40 women coming from typhoon-displaced families living in bunkhouses in New Bataan engage in a productive activity through the help of the Compostela Valley Provincial Council of Women (CVPCW).

In a recent interview,  Rural Improvement Club (RIC) New Bataan Federation President Fe Circulado said  the council of women of the province had tapped the RIC to bring together the women taught to weave assorted-color rags into rugs.

CVPCW has initially provided them with five sacks of rags worth P600 each, and weaving frames to work on their colorful rugs that they are selling at P150 each, bringing them substantial income especially when they can produce an average of three rugs a day.

“Lipay kaayo mi maghuna-huna nga  may kita mi.  (We are happy at the thought of having an income.),” Circulado said. “Wala pa ko mahuman naa nay gusto mopalit sa akong gihimo.  (I have yet to finish my weaving, someone wants to buy my rug.),” she said.

Personally,  Circulado has two  standing orders but the entire RIC group has 28 other orders of rugs.

Other than  engaging women in economic activity,  the rug-making takes women away from news mongering. “Busy na sila himo ug rugs. (They keep themselves busy making rugs.),” Circulado said. 

Noting the income-generating benefits of rugs-making, some women in New Bataan poblacion are now expressing interest to get involved in it, Circulado said.

As of March 6, 2013, New  Bataan has an estimated 46,679 population, among which, 12,444 are household heads with a 34,235 total number of dependents.

Such data from the Municipal Information Office (MIO) says that women makes up a total of 17,935 among the dependents.  (PIA XI/Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)    

Davao Region gets huge chunk of tourism roads infra

DAVAO CITY March 20 (PIA)- The Davao Region is getting the biggest chunk of the tourism roads project for 2013.

Based on Department of Tourism (DOT) figures Region XI was allotted P1.4 billion from the P11.8 billion Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP). It got the biggest share among other regions.

The  Provincial Tourism Officers, Provincial Planning Officers have submitted  many proposals, we vetted it and submitted it to Manila.” Art Boncato, regional director DOT-XI said of the huge share the region got from the first convergence project between the DOT and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“The DPWH has also been very good in evaluating our projects.” Boncato cited the support given by the DPWH office in the region. The DOT-XI head was among the guests during the Club 888 Media Forum held today (March 20) at the Marco Polo Davao.

The TRIP aims to build and develop road networks which connect to various tourism products and destinations. In Davao for 2013, there had been 16 road projects of which five are completed and 11 are still on-going.

In Davao City among the TRIP projects include the Quezon Boulevard widening and improvement, the thoroughfare connects Magsaysay Park to the City’s downtown area, the Mamay and Bacaca Road widening and improvement improves accessibility to the Davao International Airport and the Barrio Obrero streets improvement aims to complement the nearby University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) gymnasium as a MICE destination. MICE stands for Meetings Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions.

In the region other notable TRIP projects include the Island Garden City of Samal circumferential road network, the improvement/concreting of the Panabo Coastal Road, the improvement of the Suaon-Sambajon road in the towns of Kapalong and San Isidro in Davao del Norte and the Mt. Apo circumferential road network which will connect the highland resorts located in the foothills of Mt. Apo in the province of Davao del Sur.

Boncato said that in 2014 they will be submitting 34 road projects for the TRIP with an estimated budget of P2-billion. (PIA/RG Alama)

Third wave of Info forum on Pablo slated in Comval town

NABUNTURAN, COMPOSTELA VALLEY PROVINCE, March 20 (PIA): The provincial government of Compostela Valley through the Provincial Information Management Cluster will roll out on Thursday, March 21, the second wave of the Makigsayod Information Forum in the Municipality of Montevista, Compostela Valley Province.

Translated as getting informed in vernacular, “Makigsayod” is  designed to resolve issues and concerns of Typhoon Pablo-affected families in the five worst-hit municipalities of Compostela, New Bataan, Monkayo, Montevista  and Laak.   It also seeks to answer questions on the  continuing relief, rehab and reconstruction operation of the government.

The forum is aimed at instilling awareness and understanding among community folks on the systems of operation that the national and local government have instituted to carry out  the rebuilding of devastated areas, and to further strengthen disaster preparedness of communities.

Conducted in  partnership with  the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)  XI, forum is an initiative of the information officers of Compostela Valley Province in line with their involvement with the Information  Management Cluster of Compostela Valley Provincial Coordinating Team.

Makigsayod was launched in the Municipality of Compostela on March 01 and was then pushed to New Bataan on March 13, bringing  into the forum representatives of regional line agencies with which residents of site towns had concerns to raise.

Among the participating agencies during the first two wave of Makigsayod Information Forum were the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Science and  Technology (DOST), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Administration (PAGASA), Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB),  National Housing Authority (NHA),  Department of Agriculture (DA), Overseas Worker Welfare Administrationb (OWWA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Philippine Red Cross, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO).   

Other supporting agencies were the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army and the humanitarian agencies working for the typhoon Pablo relief and rehab operations.

The same agencies will also be joining during the  Makigsayod leg in Montevista on Thursday during which local officials, barangay captains, community leaders from various sectors and students are expected to listen to inputs from national line agencies and raise questions.   (JMDA/PIA XI)

Coops pooled P1.5 million for typhoon victims

TAGUM CITY, March 09:   Cooperatives in Luzon and in the Visayas together with Tagum Cooperative served a total of 5,480 families  who experienced the wrath of typhoon Pablo and the consequent  adverse weather conditions  causing massive floods.

Recently released Relief and Rehabilitation Report of Tagum Cooperative  showed that cooperatives in Luzon and in the Visayas  and Tagum Cooperative pooled together a total of P1,490,400 to reach out to the affected families.

Tagum Cooperative pitched in a counterpart donation of P940,000; Cebu Court of First Instance put in P300,000; Paco Soriano Pandacan Development Cooperative shared P150,000; CLIMBS Insurance, P40,000; Valenzuela Development Cooperative,  P30,000; Nocaliches Development Cooperative, Inc (NOVADECI), P20,000; and San Jose Del Monte Cooperative, P10,000.

“They extended and gave us their donations to typhoon victims without us asking them,” Tagum Cooperative Chairperson of the Board of Director Norma Pereyras said. As the trusted conduit of donations from fellow cooperative,  Tagum Cooperative brought relief goods to one city and three towns in Davao del Norte and to four towns in Compostela Valley.

Recipient  areas in Davao del Norte were barangays San Miguel and Liboganon in Tagum City; barangays Guadalupe, Maligaya and Salvacion in Carmen; and in the municipalities of Kapalong  and New Corella.

In Compostela Valley, Tagum Cooperative relief operation reached  the evacuation site of New Bataan; in barangays Poblacion and Bagungon in Compostela; New Visayas and Lino-an in Montevista;  and in barangays Babag, San Jose, Tubo-Tubo and Salvacion in Monkayo.

Including the P9,961 worth of relief goods given to Davao City,  Tagum Cooperative distributed P1,065,188.08 total worth of family relief packs to operation areas in Davao del Norte and in Compostela Valley.

Tagum Cooperative stretched the pooled resources to also buy P334,638 total worth of galvanized iron (GI) sheets  for building of new houses for typhoon displaced families in New Bataan, Nabunturan, Compostela, Laak and Monkayo; and in reconstructing elementary schools in Agusan del Sur.  (Tagum Cooperative)     

Tagum Cooperative goes to communities for ownership meetings

TAGUM CITY, March 09: In its drive to live by the spirit of transparency,  Tagum Cooperative has gone out of its way to visit schools and communities to discuss new policies and  disseminate updates on significant developments.

Tagum Cooperative has delivered information on new policies and updates to members through conducting a series of in-house and community-based pre Annual General Assembly (AGA) Ownership Meeting.

It wages the pre AGA Ownership Meeting starting January to March involving mostly members enlisted in Tagum main and in Tagum Public Market branches which contributed almost half of the total membership.

It  even held ownership meeting with employees whom  Tagum Cooperative officers and management wanted to become agents of informing the public about new policies and guidelines, and significant updates.  

The in-house pre AGA Ownership meetings  were held on Jan. 21, Jan. 22, Feb. 04,  Feb. 05,  Feb. 06, Feb. 07,  and Feb. 12, drawing  368 participants.

Its community meetings were held   on Feb. 01 in Maco Central Elem. School; and in Tagum City barangays of barangays La Filipina on Feb. 14, Magugpo West on  Feb. 27,   and in Mankilam on March 6, bringing together  a total of 335 members.  It is set to conduct the ownership meeting in Barangay San Miguel on March 12.

Tagum Cooperative Education Committee with Vice Chairperson Monica L. Salido at the helm, spearheads the holding  of  the in-house pre AGA Ownership Meetings  including those held at the community level, targeting Tagum Cooperative members in good standing (MIGS).

The ownership meeting seeks to explain to MIGS  the membership qualification and guidelines of participation in the General Assembly, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) set rules on Guaranteed Interest Rates of Share Capital, and some updates on setting up of branches in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte and in Digos City, Davao del Sur.

It also covered concerns regarding the holding of only one annual general assembly instead of holding separate branch assemblies in Tagum City Public Market, Panabo City, Carmen (covering Sto Tomas), Nabunturan (Compostela Valley),  and in Davao City branches in Matina, Mintal and Bajada.

Other than the MIGS, the ownership meetings are participated by members of  the Board of Directors, management officers, BOD clerks, Education and Community Development Program (ECDP) staff members.   (Tagum Cooperative)

Oyo Uy hailed as Region’s Outstanding Councilor

By: Rhodora Joy Lumanog - Writer, De Carlo L.  Uy - Office

TAGUM CITY – Senior City Councilor De Carlo “Oyo” L. Uy was awarded Regional Winner and one of the Finalists of the prestigious The Outstanding Councilors of the Philippines (TOCP) 2012 by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines, the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) and the Office of Sen. Edgardo J. Angara.

The Awarding Ceremonies happened Wednesday, March 7, 2013 at the Mall of Asia Convention Center during the Philippine Councilors League convention. And present to receive the award in behalf of Coun. Oyo Uy was no less than PCL National Chairman and fellow City Councilor, Atty. Alan D. Zulueta.

The young legislator championed for his outstanding leadership, legislative excellence and exceptional contribution to the cause of their constituents, the community and the nation as Councilor thereby serving as an exemplar of good governance, devotion to sworn duty and as a shining example of true public service.

Moreover, the selection process has always been the most crucial stage of the search because of the equally outstanding members of the Board of Judges who guarantee the selectiveness and integrity of the process.

Through the years, the TOCP has established itself as the Philippines’ foremost award giving body for municipal and city legislators who excel in their chosen vocation and whose selfless efforts have given notable contributions to their respective constituencies, to the community and to the country in general.

The said award also is one of the flagship projects of JCI Philippines along with The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award and The Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines (TOPP) Award which are institutions over the years and known for its reputation of being selective in granting awards.