112 farmers receive stewardship certificates in Agusan del Norte
BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte - At least 112 farmers received the government’s stewardship certificates in three towns of Agusan del Norte province.
Under the first co-management sub-agreement awarding ceremony, the jubilant farmer beneficiaries, along with their respective immediate families, received such certificates at JP Satorre Gym in Buenavista town.
The beneficiaries came from the municipalities of Las Nieves, Buenavista and Carmen (LASBUENASCAR)-Sustainable Agro-Forestry Development Project (LSAFDP).
The realization of the awarding of stewardship certificates to farmers came out after the DENR and the provincial government of Agusan del Norte represented by Gov. Erlpe John Amante recently inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to help the farmers in the province, particularly those in far-flung areas.
In that awarding ceremony, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Rosendo A. Asunto expressed heartfelt gratitude to the farmers for their continuing support to the government’s environment preservation and forest protection program.
For his part, LSAFDP manager Alex Garay commended the technical working group of the concerned government agencies for their fulfillment of the farmers’ dream to have their own “management agreement awards”.
Also present during the awarding on Wednesday were Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Director Constancio Maghanoy, Buenavista Mayor Francisco Y. Chan, Jr., Vice Mayor Ramon Bungabong, Agusan del Norte Provincial Administrator Percianita Racho, barangay officials and tribal leaders.
Last year, the Butuan City-Agusan del Norte DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) under CENR officer Jaime Acebu also awarded 700 land titles to landless people under the government’s poverty alleviation program “Handog Titulo”. (PNA/PIA-Caraga)
3,000 cops mobilized as PRO 13 takes a close watch on 42 towns in Caraga region
CAMP RAFAEL C. RODRIGUEZ, Butuan City - At least 3,000 maneuvering and territorial police forces were mobilized as the Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) closely watches over 42 towns under Category 1 and Category 2 in
These areas have also been involved in some election-related incidents in the 2004 and 2007 elections.
Category 1 means the area has an intense political rivalry while Category 2 means the area has the presence of the terror groups like communist-New People’s Army and crime group, said PRO 13 chief of operation and plans division Senior Supt. Nestor M. Fajura.
“We are still evaluating and validating some areas,” he said.
Based on the directive of Chief Supt. Lino D. Calingasan, regional director of PRO 13, Senior Supt. Fajura said at least 3,000 maneuver and territorial forces were already mobilized to ensure the May 2010 national and local polls peaceful and orderly.
He said additional new patrol cars are also set to be deployed on Monday in various police stations in the region. Last week, PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa also personally released here 15 patrol cars to strengthen the forces in the Caraga region.
The deployment of more cars is part of the P10 billion five-year modernization program of the PNP nationwide, he said.
In the campaign against loose firearms since December last year, at least 166 weapons were already confiscated, recovered and surrendered while four persons were arrested for violation of the election gun ban regionwide, added Fajura. (PNA/PIA-Caraga)
Public warned on landslides, floods due to continuous rains in 2 regions in
The DENR and OCD also urged the public, particularly those living in landslide and flood prone areas to be “alert” at all times and if possible immediately evacuate to avert any casualty.
For almost two weeks now, some municipalities in the Caraga region, particularly in the four towns of Agusan del Sur suffered severe flooding affecting 52,746 individuals and caused damage to infrastructure and agricultural crops to millions of pesos. Several houses were also reported damaged and three deaths were reported to date.
Northeastern Mindanao OCD Regional Director Blanche T. Gobenciong said that at least 291 barangays in the Caraga region are identified as flood prone areas while 183 barangays are potential of landslide.
Director Gobenciong reiterated on Monday her warnings to various disaster councils in the flood and landslide prone areas to be on “alert.”
Also due to the continuous rain in
RED Sampulna said that since 2007 the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB) of the DENR had already recommended to LGUs that appropriate warning signages be installed in landslide areas, especially in areas close to settlements and in affected major roads to keep the general public on guard in the event that landslide will occur or recur.
“Those who are in the different mining areas in the Region should also be observant and vigilant this time because continuous rain will loosen the soil and may result to unexpected landslide which can damage lives and properties”, said RED Sampulna.
The warning of the DENR official came out after a recent geo-hazard mapping conducted by a team of experts from the MGB-XI found out that there are a total of 94 barangays in Compostela Valley (ComVal) Province and Davao Oriental which were found to be either highly susceptible or moderately susceptible to landslide.
The region’s DENR official said that based on MGB report, out of the total 183 barangays in Davao Oriental, 67 barangays are classified to be moderately to highly susceptible to landslides.
There are 43 barangays classified as landslide prone areas, 21 of which are identified to be highly susceptible to landslide while 24 barangays are identified to be moderately susceptible in ComVal province, he said.
In Davao del Sur, there are 31 barangays classified as landslide prone areas, nine of which are identified to be highly susceptible to landslide while 22 are identified to be moderately susceptible to landslide.
Recent study also disclosed that some parts of Marilog District and Matina Shrine Hills,
DENR-MGB-XI had also conducted series of geohazard technical conference with the local executives in the region and they were also informed of these said findings.
The Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC-XI) was also already informed about the results of the same study, further added RED Sampulna. (PNA/PIA-Caraga)
Candidates giving fees to communists under close watch of PRO 13
CAMP RAFAEL C. RODRIGUEZ, Butuan City, January 25 - The regional command of Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) is closely monitoring five local candidates who allegedly paid Permit-to-Campaign (PTC) and Permit-to-Win (PTW) fees to the communist New People’s Army (NPA), a police official disclosed Monday.
Declassified police intelligence report showed NPA extortion demands rage from P10,000 to P100,000 depending on the position the candidate is running for.
“We are closely monitoring, evaluating and validating these so called PTC and PTW fees demanded by the NPAs,” said PRO 13 chief of operation and plans division Senior Supt. Nestor M. Fajura.
He also said that the initial reported five local candidates are already being closely watched and monitored.
The police official declined to name names as investigation is still going on.
Fajura said field commanders were already directed to closely watch these candidates.
He said the regional command of PRO 13 has mobilized 3,000 maneuvering and territorial forces to maintain peace and order and to protect the sanctity of the May 2010 polls.
To date, 72 out of 100 applicants for security detail were already approved by the Caraga region’s Comelec-PNP-AFP Joint Security Control Center (JSCC) here.
Meanwhile, a field Army commander said the NPA is out to demand extortion money from election candidates to cover the gaping holes of its financial problems.
“We see extortion as a desperate coping method of the NPA to survive, because of their logistical and financial problem" said regional Army spokesman Maj. Mitchele B. Anayron, Jr.
“Extortion is what’s keeping them alive, not their ideology,” he said.
PTC fee is demanded as a guarantee for candidates to carry out “hassle-free” campaigns inside areas claimed by the NPA, while PTW fee is in exchange for definite votes delivered for the candidate payee.
At least 35 candidates from
The RJSCC secretariat said 25 of these candidates are incumbents while 10 are new ones who requested for the security detail of some 59 members of the PNP, four from the AFP and five from private protective agencies. (PNA/PIA-Caraga)
