Difference between revisions of "Cagayan de Oro City News October 2015"

From Philippines
Jump to navigation Jump to search
→ → Go back HOME to Zamboanga: the Portal to the Philippines.
(Created page with "{{zadheader}} {{zheader names1}} {{zheader philippines}} <table width=600 align=center> <tr> <td align=left> <table border=7> <tr> <td align=center> [[:Category:Cagayan de Oro...")
(No difference)

Revision as of 11:53, 28 October 2015

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Create Name's page

Regions | Philippine Provinces | Philippine Cities | Municipalities | Barangays | High School Reunions


Cagayan de Oro City Photo Gallery

Cagayan de Oro City Realty

Philippine News


Interactive Google Satellite Map of Cagayan de Oro City
Misamis oriental cagayan de oro.png
Cagayan de Oro City within Misamis Oriental

Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.



Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

Public market of cagayan de oro city misamis oriental.JPG
Cagayan de Oro City Public Market
Cagayan de oro city river.jpg
The river of cagayan de oro city
Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral cagayan de oro 01.jpg
St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.
Limketkai Center Mall, Cagayan de Oro City.jpg
Flood Waters in the streets of Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro City buildings.jpg
Cagayan de Oro City Buildings
Terminal bus of bulua cagayan de oro city misamis oriental.JPG
Bus Terminal, Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City

City People's Council formed in Oro

By Pamela Jay F. Orias

THE Cagayan de Oro Peoples Council, which was organized to make Kagay-anons lead a transparent and participatory governance in the city, was recognized in a ceremonial signing on Friday.

Facilitated under the Xavier University-Research and Social Outreach (RSO), the council embodies civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-government organizations (NGOs).

The RSO is committed to the church and the people by sharing its resources and expertise particularly in five areas of engagement food security, health, environment, peace, and governance.

"Namugna kini nga council para mutabang to build good governance specifically sa local government," Bishop Jollieh Petallo, the councils chairman, said during Friday's ceremonial signing of an Executive Order recognizing the peoples council.

He said the council aims to engage constructively with the executive and legislative branches to foster good governance and eventually accelerate inclusive development in the city.

He added the multi-sectoral and citizen-led People's Council would sit in the different committees and special bodies of the local government unit.

The representation in these bodies is the entry points for social accountability and transparency, Petallo said,

The council has three People's Agenda, such as crowd-sourcing to disseminate social messages in media platforms, stigma-reduction on HIV-AIDS through providing education in barangays about it, and the passage of an ordinance that regulates selling of liquors to minors.

Petallo said it is backed by the Constitution's Article 13, Section 15 which emphasizes the role of independent organizations to promote and protect public interest, collective interests, and democratic framework.

"We will look into project implementation, certain budgets, we aim transparent governance gyud," Petallo said.

"We represent the voice of the people, kung unsay ilang taho, mao pud among iduso sa administration," Petallo added.

City Mayor Oscar Moreno said the people's participation in governance would be a great contribution to his administration.

"We are very happy na they are given voice through this People's Council, I hope the collaboration and partnership between the city government and the council will really grow," Moreno said.

"At least ang katawhan naa nay tingog, they will now have a voice and shout their grievances, they can now take part in the developments we are always aiming for our city," Moreno added.

Business sectors, civic, professional associations, academic community, and faith-based organizations are among those who support the said program.

The project, dubbed as Providing Social Accountability Intervention to Foster Constructive Engagement of Stakeholders in Local Government Affairs of CDO" is supported by Asian Development Bank and the Partnership for Transparency Fund.

Storage, proper utilization of rain water up for study

(PNA), LAP/PGL/CD

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Oct. 9 (PNA) -- Local legislators here are now studying a proposed ordinance that spells out the proper storage and utilization of rain water as part of the city’s sustainable development policy.

City Councilor Ramon Tabor, chair of the city council committee on laws, said on Friday that the proposed legislation is in response to the pronouncements of the weather bureau that the El Niño phenomenon is expected to worsen in the coming months.

He said the city is fortunate since it is still experiencing rainfall, although weather officials warned that the effects of the El Niño would triple or quadruple from the months of November and December and until the summer months next year.

The proposed ordinance would require the establishment of a Rainwater Catchment system (RCS) in public and private buildings, residential buildings, agricultural plantation and other priority farms, Tabor said.

According to Tabor, the rainwater harvesting system in the city should be classified based on the size and nature of the catchment surface and based on whether the systems are of urban or rural settings.

It provides that the proper harvesting, storage and utilization of rainwater shall be integrated with the proper design, construction and maintenance of drainage systems that would imitate the natural hydrology of the site topography.

Once implemented, the proposed Cagayan de Oro City Rainwater Ordinance of 2015 will also address flooding in the city, he said.

City DepEd Meet now underway

By Lynde S. Salgados

CAGAYAN de Oro starts Thursday its final selection of athletes for this year’s Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (NMRAA) Meet otherwise known as Palarong Pampook.

A parade, followed by ceremonial rites, kicks off the City Division Meet Thursday morning at Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center.

The coaches’ solidarity meeting was held Wednesday on a rainy afternoon at West City Central School in Barangay Carmen.

“It’s all systems go na for Cagayan de Oro’s own elimination games. We’ll be utilizing the different playing venues in the city for the success of this multifarious meet,” said the returning City DepEd official Eulogio Suaner Jr.

As usual, the centerpiece events in swimming (whole Saturday) and athletics (October 8-9) will be slated at Pelaez Sports Center along with the archery (Thursday) and lawn tennis elementary (October 8-9) events.

Table tennis competition gets underway today at the backcourt of Xavier University with gymnastics booked on Sunday at the upper floor of Corpus Christi high school building in Barangay Macasandig.

City High hosts the arnis event up on Friday, while Rosevale School welcomes football on Saturday and Sunday.

Boxing matches can be seen on Sunday at Divisoria’s Amphi Theatre, while sepa takraw rivalry will last for three days (October 8-10) at East City Central School in Barangay Lapasan.

Meanwhile, Barangay Iponan will host softball on Thursday and Friday as Barangay Camaman-an accepts the challenge to be the venue again of the now popular volleyball games.

Camaman-an National High School principal Lerio del Puerto said secondary volleyball will be held at its covered court in Upper Paglaum with the elementary matches set up on Sunday at the basketball court near the Barangay Hall of Camaman-an.

The Northern Mindanao seats at stake in taekwondo will be contested at Bulua National High School, even as West City Central School prepares to hold the elimination games for chess (elem and high school) and secondary girls basketball.

Basketball games will be played until Saturday in two venues: the Nazareth gym for high school and Macasandig covered court for elementary.

Badminton is scheduled to be played on Friday at the Shuttle Square of Barangay Gusa as dancesport gets to enliven the Limketkai’s atrium Thursday.

All is set for 6th RDC-PSR national confab

(APB/PIA-10)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Oct. 7 (PIA) --- All is set for the 6th Regional Development Council (RDC) Private Sector Representatives (PSR) National Convention on October 14-16, 2015 in Cagayan de Oro city.

The convention aims to strengthen the role of PSRs in the Councils, enhance their capabilities in meeting the challenges of the ASEAN Economic Integration, and strengthen public-private partnership towards global competitiveness.

Jaime Rafael Paguio, chair of the convention’s publicity & promotion committee, said a total of 175 delegates from 15 regions have confirmed to join the three-day nationwide confab.

He said the gathering seeks to strengthen the public and private sector by taking a look on how they have worked together and their participation on projects that have been implemented.

The highlights of the three-day confab are the discussion on strategies on how to enhance the role of the private sector in public-private partnerships (PPP) as well as the impact of the ASEAN Economic Integration on tourism and the labor market, said Rodolfo Menes, overall event coordinator.

There will also be sharing of best practices on PPP collaboration particularly the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 Project; Coordinating Roads and Infrastructure Investments for Development Project; and Rocky Mountain Arabica Coffee Company-Benguet State University Partnership in Action; and the STEAG Coal-Fired Plant Implementation.

The three-day RDC-PSR national convention will carry the theme “Enhancing Public-Private Partnership in the ASEAN Market.”

The theme is timely and relevant considering that the country will be entering integration into the ASEAN community this year, said National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Assistant Regional Director Mae Ester T. Guiamadel.

She said Northern Mindanao is in a better position to sell itself to wider audience of government and private sectors to realize its vision of becoming the gateway to trade and industry and even services in Mindanao.

The strength of the region lies in its strategic location. Among the regions in Mindanao, we are in the best position in terms of trading with Manila and even in the rest of the world. Besides that, our region is also competitive in terms of the manufacturing sector, Guiamadel added.

For his part, Arsenio L. Sebastian III said the PSR confab is a good avenue to showcase Cagayan de Oro City. It is an opportunity to show why Cagayan de Oro was adjudged as one of the competitive cities in the country, said Sebastian who chairs the event program committee.

The best products and destinations in Northern Mindanao will also be featured during the convention.

Search for ‘Most Child-Friendly Police Station’ on

By Butch D. Enerio

THE Oro Youth Development Council (OYDC) launched on Monday its “Search for Most Child-Friendly Police Station” in pursuit of a creative partnership with the country’s law enforcement for a sustainable standard in relation to children’s rights and welfare.

Teodoro Sabuga-a Jr., City Social Welfare and Development officer, said the search is in consonance with Cagayan de Oro’s distinction as one of the child-friendly cities in the country.

He said the endeavor of the OYDC to institutionalize the child-friendly distinction awarded to the city would encourage other government agencies to adhere to their standards and legal obligations mandated by both the domestic and international laws.

“The police as the first government institution that a child who is in conflict will first encounter, should be equipped with the standards on how to manage a delinquent child, and the their stations must be designed to accommodate them. It is in this context that public-private partnership is created to search and award police stations in the city that exemplifies child-friendliness not only in their operations but also in their physical design and interventions as mandated by law,” OYDC said in a statement.

Aside from OYDC, this project is made possible through the partnerships with the Kuya Fish Campaign, Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana Social Involvement Office of Xavier University and the ABS-CBN Bata Foundation in the private sector, while the CSWD and the Department of Interior and Local Government representing the public sector.

The search would cover policy related areas such that whether a police station is compliant with child related laws, physical facilities, training of police officers, services, monitoring evaluation and research, and information and advocacy.

OYDC will announce and award the Most Child-Friendly Police Station on November 16.

Laudato Si: A concert for Mother Earth

By Riain Alfonso

“PRAISE be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us…” – from the canticle of St. Francis of Assisi

A TRIBUTE concert for mother earth, the Laudato Si’ Concert, was held at the Atrium of the Limketkai Center last October 3, 2015 as part of the “Season of Creation celebration” by the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City.

“This concert is a tribute to mother earth and the integrity of creation in response to the encyclical of Pope Francis,” said Johnny Raymond “Ding” Cabreira, the executive director of the event, “So this is in praise of all creation. And if you praise creation, you are praising the Creator.”

Pope Francis released his Papal encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, last May 24, 2015. Literally meaning “praise be to you” and taken from the Canticle of the Sun, a religious song composed by St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Ecology, the encyclical is the Pope’s appeal to everyone, regardless of culture, faith, or nationality, to address a pressing issue that should concern every single living thing in the planet, the care of our environment.

Transcending social and theological boundaries, the concert was a multicultural and interfaith collaboration, which brought together various sectors of the society through the use of a common language, the language of music. Performers include Friends and Music, UCCP Praise and Worship Team, Playing for Change Band, Dodu Abrio and the Viajeros, Moresco –1 Power Band, BSU Chorale, as well as tribal bands such as Daraghuyan and Apolang Tribal Youth Band of Malaybalay, Sinanglay ang Yagunyong Ta Impasugong of Impasugong, Kalayag Tribal Band, and Waway Saway and Kadugo Band.

One of the goals of the concert is to open the minds and the hearts of the people, that it is already time to take responsibility in the management and care of our environmental resources.

“We should be mindful of our home, our shared home, mother earth, because if we do not take care of the earth, what happens? We all vanish,” Cabreira added, “It has to be a burden that requires a spiritual and moral revolution within the heart of every human being.”

“This evening’s concert, a tribute to mother earth, is part of our culminating activities for the Season of Creation,” Msgr. Florencio Salvador said in his speech, “For six weeks now, the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro has been reflecting on the theme ‘Nature – God’s superfluous Gift of Providence, Stewardship – Humanity’s Collateral Manifestation of that Covenant’.”

Celebrating this season since August 28, 2015, the Archdiocese has been busy with a number of activities such as a slogan and poster making contest, an environmental lecture, and beach cleanup.

He added saying, “Brothers and sisters, mag pabilin unta kitang mapasalamaton ug madaigon sa kabuhong sa kinaiyahan nga larawan sa labing gamhanang nga magbubuhat. Magpabilin unta kitang kasaligan nga gibinlan niining tibuok na kalibutan nga kumon na puloy-anan natong tanan.”

Archbishop Antonio Ledesma was not able to attend the event but left a video message for the participants: “We also keep in mind that nature itself is God’s gift to all of us. It is the first revelation of God himself, the beauty and the design of nature is a reflection of the beauty and goodness of God.”

He further encourages the active participation and contribution of every individual to the cause, “Let us also commit ourselves to the protection and conservation of the environment as our way of saying thank you to the Lord.”

“The earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone.” – from the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ of Pope Francis

CDO leads in securing DRR module for K-12 curriculum

(CIO/PIA10)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, October 1 – The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) leads in the creation of the disaster preparedness module in the whole country that will be used by the Department of Education (DepEd) in their K-12 curriculum.

Allan Porcadilla, officer-in-charge of CDRRMO, said that the said module was created by the DepEd focal persons on disaster where the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) also takes part.

Porcadilla added that the project was outlined from the Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act of 2010 for the curriculum integration of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR CCA).

He also revealed that Cagayan de Oro will be the pilot are of the Climate Change Commission project that will be implemented in 2016.

Dr. John Mingo and Lovern Mercado, focal persons of DepEd, together with the CDRRMO through the leadership of Porcadilla and overseer Ret. Col. Mario Verner Monsanto spearheaded the three-day training.

Northern Mindanao 10 joins 26th National Statistics Month celebration

By Apipa P. Bagumbaran (APB/PIA-10)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) --- Northern Mindanao, through the Regional Statistics Committee, joins the Philippine Statistical System in celebrating the 26th National Statistics Month (NSM) for the whole month of October.

The month-long celebration in the region kicks off today Pearlmont Inn for the opening oeremony hosted by the Department of Health (DOH) with Epidemiology Bureau Director Dr. Rio L. Magpantay as the keynote speaker.

Presentation of Field Health Service Information System, Nutrition Statistics, Statistical Presentation from the Commission on Population and updates on HIV situation will highlight the opening ceremony of the NSM.

Meanwhile, agencies in the provinces, local government units, universities and schools will participate in this month-long celebration through conduct of various activities like motorcade, dissemination forums on various agency statistical outputs, statistics training, statistical quiz, poster-making contests, Statistical Exhibit, tree-growing activity, and radio interviews.

Activities for the NSM celebration in the region are posted at the PSA 10 website, http://nap.psa.gov.ph/ru10.

Earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Regional Office 10, held a pre-launching activity of the NSM at the PSA 10 office. Trivia questions about the NSM celebration were given encouraging participation from the clients.

The pre-launch was highlighted by the opening of exhibit for public viewing at the CRS area featuring the challenging experiences of the five provincial field offices of Region 10 during the conduct of the 2015 Census of Population.

This year’s NSM theme “Pagyamanin at Gamitin ang Estadistika, Kalusugan para sa Lahat ay Abot-Kamay Na”, focuses on government’s thrust on universal health care and recognition of the various efforts of official statisticians and technical personnel in the generation of health and nutrition statistics.

Region 10 to host National Convention of RDC-Private Sector Representatives

By Peleta B. Abejo (NEDA-X/APB/PIA-10)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Oct. 2 (PIA) --- A total of 175 delegates from 15 regions have confirmed to join the three-day nationwide convention of the Regional Development Council-Private Sector Representatives (RDC-PSRs) on October 14-16, 2015 at the LimKetKai Luxe Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.

The conference, with the theme “Enhancing Public-Private Partnership in the ASEAN Market,” will be hosted by the RDC-PSRs of Northern Mindanao.

It aims to strengthen the role of RDC-PSRs in the Regional Development Councils; enhance PSRs’ capabilities in meeting the challenges of the ASEAN Economic Integration; and improve and strengthen public-private partnership towards global competitiveness.

ASEC Ceferino Rodolfo of DTI Industry Development and Trade Promotions will be the Keynote Speaker to talk about “The Impact of the ASEAN Integration on the Roles of the Private Sector.”

There will also be sharing of best practices on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) collaboration particularly the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 Project (Luzon experience); Coordinating Roads and Infrastructure Investments for Development Project (Visayas experience); and Rocky Mountain Arabica Coffee Company-Benguet State University Partnership in Action (Mindanao experience).

Plenary presentations also include the ASEAN Integration and Its Impact on the Labor Market (by USEC Reydeluz D. Conferido of the Department of Labor and Employment) and ASEAN Integration and Its Impact on Tourism (by USEC Maria Victoria V. Jasmin of the Department of Tourism).

The participants are also expected to discuss strategies on enhancing the role of the private sector in public and private partnership.

Parallel to the event will be a display of Region X’s best products and destinations.

3,000 4Ps beneficiaries to celebrate National Family Day in Cagayan de Oro

(PNA), LAP/BNB/CD/ERCEL MAANDIG

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Oct. 1 (PNA) -- Around 3,000 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) are scheduled to converge at the Pelaez Sports Center on Sunday to cap the National Family Day, a welfare official said Thursday.

Dubbed as “Tuloy ang Pagbabago” (Let the change continue), the affair will highlight the positive contribution of poor families in uplifting their lives, Charmaine Tadlas, the regional spokesperson of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said.

Tadlas said that the gathering would focus on the 4Ps beneficiaries’ accomplishments through responsible parenting, family development, community participation, community volunteers, and sustainable livelihood.

She said that the event would also serve as a celebration among children beneficiaries who became recipients of education and health assistance from the national government.

In partnership with other national government agencies, DSWD implements the 4Ps program as an investment of human capital among poor families by assisting them in their children’s health and education, and in strengthening family and community development.

Through the 4Ps, the DSWD provides cash grants amounting to a maximum of PHP1,400 per poor family for their children’s health and education.

Tadlas said that during the National Family Day, the DSWD would also present the provincial “Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya” (Model 4Ps Families) from the towns of Don Carlos in Bukidnon, Catarman in Camiguin, Kolambugan in Lanao del Norte, Jimenez in Misamis Occidental, and Cagayan De Oro City.

CSC awards outstanding civil servants in Northern Mindanao

By Apipa Bagumbaran (APB/PIA-10)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Sept. 30 (PIA) --- Outstanding public officials and employees in Northern Mindanao were commended during the Parangal at Pasasalamat awarding rites held on September 29, at SM City Cagayan de Oro.

Civil Service Commission (CSC) Regional Director Adams D. Torres said the awardees were recognized for their exemplary public service and noble deeds as civil servants.

CSC gave the Katangi-tanging Kawani (Model Employee) awards to Ms. Edalyn M. Olis, Master Teacher I of Lanao del Norte National Comprehensive High School, and to PSInsp. Maricris Ybanez Mulat, Chief of Police of the Tagoloan Municipal Police.

The Service Delivery Excellence Award (group category), on the other hand, was bestowed to the Science and MAPEH teachers of the Department of Education, Division of Gingoog City.

The PhilHealth Valencia City Local Health Insurance Office was awarded with the Citizen’s Satisfaction Seal of Excellence (CSC-SEA). The CSC-SEA is conferred to government agencies that got an excellent rating in the Anti Red Tape Act Report Card Survey (ARTA-RCS)

Semi-finalists of the 2015 Honor Awards Program were also recognized. . Dr. Amer A. Saber, Chief of the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City, and Mr Virgilio M. Fuertes, Senior Science Research Specialist of the Department of Science and Technology Regional Office 10, were awarded with certificates of recognition during the ceremony. Dr, Saber is a semi-finalist for the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award while Mr. Fuertes is a semi-finalist of the CSC Pag-asa Award.

I am so happy, this is a pride and achievement of the Amai Pakpak Medical Center and the Department of Health (DOH). We have been negatively profiled as Muslims and I hope I can make a difference, said Dr. Saber.

Fuertes said he is grateful to his family for being supportive, his colleagues in the DOST for working hard in the nomination, and the CSC for giving recognition to public servants. We are inspired to do more with this recognition, he said.

I also thanked the Lord for giving me strength and guiding me in my service, Fuertes added.

Other awardees were PInsp. Julie Ann Tabuloc Garlic of the Misamis Occidental Police Provincial Office for being a semi-finalist to the Region 10 Search for Outstanding Public Servants; Legal Services of the DOH-10 headed by Atty. Carlo Limjoco; and Mr. Joel Genita, deceased agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-10.

Genita, represented by his wife, Elivie Genita, was awarded commended under the CSC Pamanang Lingkod Bayani.

The Parangal at Pasasalamat awarding rites highlighted the month-long celebration of the 115th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary in Northern Mindanao with the theme “Kayang-kaya Mo, Lingkod Bayani.”

City dads to tackle 26 resolutions passed by youth leaders

(PNA), LAP/CD

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Sept. 29 (PNA) -– The local august body here would tackle 26 resolutions of varied subjects endorsed by 34 youth leaders who took over the reign of the city government last week.

City Councilor Ramon Tabor, chair of the city council committee on laws, said Tuesday that the city council has started to review the proposed resolutions passed by the youth leaders under the “Rotary Youth 2015” program.

The 34 youth leaders, most of them coming from public secondary schools in some of the city’s hinterland villages, took over the reign of the city government in “mock governance” Thursday last week.

The local Rotary club selected the youth leaders who initiated a mock takeover of the affairs of the city’s executive, legislative, and judicial departments.

Aside from exposing the youth to the various workings of the city government, they also undertook disaster training under the auspices of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC).

City Councilor Edna Dahino, chair of the city council committee on women and family relations, said that the youth successfully completed the Basic First Aid and Basic Life Support Orientation Workshop of the CDRRMC.

Dahino also lauded the youth for passing resolutions, most of them intended to benefit the schools and the villages in the city’s rural and urban centers.

Rey Pauran, a student of Tuburan National High School -Pigsag-an Annex, outskirt village in Cagayan De Oro City, expressed the gratitude to the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro for sponsoring the program.

In a speech during the culmination of the program last Friday, Pauran said that despite the limited time of the “mock training,” he learned so many things and thanked the city government and the Department of Education for the joint project.

CDO gets P200M from PhilHealth income

(CIO/PIA10)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, September 28 – In just two years of the current administration of Cagayan de Oro city, about P200 million has been collected from the PhilHealth income.

This has been highlighted by City Health Insurance Officer Dr. Ma. Lourdes Gaane in the recently conducted Ulat ng Bayan.

According to Dr. Gaane, around P194 million has been collected by the city since July 2013 until June 2015.

In the said collection, P125 million was obtained from PhilHealth benefit payments (in-patient) in J.R. Borja General Hospital, P63 million from PhilHealth capitation payments in eight accredited health centers and P6 million from the 45 health centers that are now accredited with the Maternity Care Package (MCP).

Dr. Gaane stressed that there is a big collection difference from June 2012 until July 2013 where the city has only obtained P22 million from the said sources.

With the health reform program created by City Mayor Oscar Moreno, the 45 MCP-accredited barangay health centers can now operate and manage independently especially on providing free childbirth services.

Currently, the PhilHealth capitation payments serves as the source of fund for the procurement of medicines and equipment for the barangay health centers and City Hospital.

Finally, a novel set in Cagayan de Oro

By Mozart Pastrano

ANNIE Gorra, of Cagayan de Oro, has just published “The Witch on 17th Street” (A Mango Tree Publishing Company, Vancouver: 2015).

The title refers not to happening 17th Street in NYC -- Gorra has relocated to Vancouver in Canada, where the book saw print -- but to that tiny strip of road running alongside a triangular park in Barangay Nazareth in Cagayan de Oro City.

In this neighborhood unfolds a fictional tale about a gang of boys who spent their childhood haunted by a series of unfortunate, or inexplicable, events: someone continually nicks clothes left hanging out to dry, a cake disappears in the midst of a party, a priest takes out a room to house a woman and her child, and most of all, well, there’s the “witch” on 17th Street.

Narrated from the point of view of a young boy who is about to be circumcised, this must-read book evokes a Cagayan de Oro of a bygone era, when people went up to each other’s house for novena prayers, and when you could just hie off to the river to scoop up some shrimp for the next meal.

To give you a sneak peek of “The Witch on 17th Street,” here are some excerpts for your delectation:

♦♦♦

My father and mother were seated at the table, patiently waiting for me. When I came out, Nanay stood up to go to our abuhan, the dirty kitchen where we cooked our food with wood. She opened the kolon, made the sign of the cross on the rice with the wooden ladle, and spooned it out. The sign of the cross was an act of thanks for this blessing.

Rice was our staple; it was to be respected. “Pick up every morsel that’s left over and keep them for the next round of cooking,” Nanay would tell me. If there were plenty of leftovers, she left it in the kolon to become bahaw.

The rice was steaming fresh. I can smell the aroma of the pandan, the green shrub that grew in our garden. Nanay cooked our rice with its long leaves giving it a sweet-smelling aroma. She mixed in a little bit of pilit. I love the feel of the soft stickiness of the rice on my tongue and the fragrance that went up my nostrils. It was not only my mouth that rejoiced when I ate but also my nose. We had eggplant omelette to go with it. Tatay planted eggplants in our garden and raised hens for eggs on the side of our house. On the days that we got eggs, it was given that we would have an omelette. A bowl of malunggay soup, with fish that Nanay bought early that morning from our public market, was spiced with garlic and onions. The vegetables and spices had been picked a few hours before, while most of our neighbors were still asleep. I could taste the freshness on my tongue. Our conversations, the breaking of bread and the fruits of creation served on my plate made our time together seem like a miracle in our otherwise ordinary existence. We said a prayer of thanks for what we have in front of us.

♦♦♦

Nanay arrived from the market with ingredients for suman. She took out something that was wrapped in paper. She help it up. It was a white shirt. “It is for you, Agustin,” she said happily, “to replace the one that was stolen. Keep it in your aparador and I will wash it later.”

She only had a few hours to cook the suman before the novena at five o’clock in the afternoon. She still needed fresh coconut milk and gently roasted banana leaves to wrap the delicacy. Tatay harvested mature coconuts from the forest of Tomas Saco. He took the kaguran, a coconut shredder made out of wood and shaped like a short horse that had a sharp iron shredder at the end like a snout. Tatay broke the coconut in two, took one half, rode the kaguran like a cowboy, pressed the flesh of the coconut against the shredder and rubbed it up and down. Curly and fine pieces of coconuts fell onto the bowl under the snout. When he had shredded enough coconut meat, he soaked the strips in water, took them out and squeezed them between his hands until milk came out. I passed the banana leaves, which Tatay collected from our backyard, over a small fire in our abuhan. They turned dark green. The leaves emitted a fragrant aroma that was gentle yet strong, an indication that they are now soft and pliable enough to be folded. I cut them into rectangular pieces.

Nanay brought to a boil the pilit, coconut milk and a little salt. When it was cooked, she scooped out spoonfuls and placed them on to the pieces of banana leaves, moving the long sides of the rectangle to shape the pilit into a tubular form. When that was done, she wrapped the leaves around the mixture. She steamed them for a few minutes. It was a labor of love and sweat for the entire family. Time was redeemed not only by what we made but by working together to make this simple food.

♦♦♦

...I wondered where Tatay was. “Where is Tatay?”

“He is at the Cagayan River fishing for hipon with Mang Tomas. He wants to make omelette of them.”

Mang Tomas was a friend who lived close to the Cagayan River. He had the ability that every boy feared: he was skilled in circumcising each one of us.

To get to Cagayan River, we had to cross Tomas Saco Street and walk through the forest. It was a big river that flowed through our town. I have heard of the older boys in our school swimming in its clear cool, shiny waters, especially at noon, and sometimes catching shrimps and hipon. Hipon was a small fish delicious with eggs.

“Let us go down to the garden and get some vegetables and spices for our breakfast,” Nanay said getting up. I went to the kitchen to get her basket and went down with her. The sun was breaking above the horizon to the east but the morning air was still cool and refreshing.

The garden was colorful with red tomatoes, purple eggplants, green ampalaya and the yellow flowers of the squash and white flowers of upo. My father does a good job with plants. “When I retire, I will make a better garden,” I often heard him say. He was so busy with his work that he spent as much time tending it as he could, but could never devote much time to it. On the other side were ginger, onions and garlic. The babana and star-apples were bearing fruit. I saw the shiny star-apples, some of them purple and some of them white. They are ready to eat.

Lansad Nueve closes with advocacy concert

By Richmond Anthony Alfonso

THE 9th staging of Lansad by the 3rd Year Development Communication students of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan ended with an advocacy concert at the activity center of Centrio mall last September 24, 2015.

The theme was “Peace, Environment, Governance” or PEG.

The students presented 10 original songs, composed and performed by them and tackled the three issues. John David Moncada, the students’ instructor in his opening remarks, said, “Basically these songs are songs that cry out for social change.”

The students intend to raise awareness with regard to the three topics as it relates to Mindanao.

“What better way for us to convey this message of social change but through songs,” added Moncada.

The 10 songs were categorized depending on the subject matter. Stephanie Babaylan wrote two of the songs featured in the concert. Under the peace category, she wrote Felipe which talked about several issues such as the Mamasapano incident and the Maguindanao massacre, and Pinokyo which fell under governance.

“Ang message sa songs kay para sa ato na naa sa present, and for the future too, unsay pulos sa gibuhat sa past if dili nato ma tarong ang naa karon,” as she added saying, “People want change. We always talk about change but dili siya gakahitabo. Ang atong mga heroes, ni fight sila para sa atong country pero ngano karon, kita na man ang ga-fight each other?”

The other eight songs are Tayo ay Iisa, written by Ryan Tulba, Jojie Alburo’s Sigaw Natin ‘To, and Kalinaw Isyagit Ta by Zam Bactong which tackled peace; Celesti Bravo’s Patak ng Tubig, Weeping Earth by Twig Bacal, Nicko Abapo’s Don’t Cut Me Down, and A Better Place For You, written by Aiana Dalangin, all four addressed the importance of safeguarding our environment; and, Jefrey Robles’ The Curdled Dream which spoke of governance.

Judy Dumalo-an, from Agora in Barangay Lapasan, was inspired by the song Felipe, “Nice kaayo ang mga song labi na ang Felipe. Grabe kaayo kay naka compose sila ug songs on their own.”

She added saying, “Nag serve jud siya as an eye opener para sa amo mga audience.”

The event also featured several dance numbers and acts from Hot Males, Class Act, the DevCom dancers, as well as Murielle Lomadilla, Jeremiah Torayno, and Krayon Band.

Values Education through animè

By Riain Alfonso

IN its bid to promote values education in Philippine classrooms, Anak TV turned over several DVD sets of Animazing Tales to City Central Elementary School last September 23, 2015. This is a joint undertaking of Anak TV and its partners: Soka Gakkai International (SGI), a global Buddhist institution that promotes peace, culture, and education, ABS-CBN, and Department of Education Region 10.

The turnover was attended by 418 students and 15 teachers and principals of the school.

Mag Cruz Hatol, Anak TV secretary general, and Jose Marzon of SGI turned over the DVD sets and the companion teacher’s guide to representative students and teachers from Kinder to Grade 6.

Animazing Tales is a collection of 17 Asian tales written by Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, the current president of SGI, which tackles lessons about peace, respect for culture and the environment, and most especially moral values. The DVDs will help teachers catch the attention of the students, through interesting graphics and images, when discussing values and character education to them.

Hatol said, “The goal, really, is convince teachers that it makes sense to use technology rather than be an adversary of technology,” and added that many of the Filipino teachers now are angry that there’s too much television saturation in the minds of children and not seeing the opportunity there, that video and television can actually be used as an ally in teaching.”

Analiza Sabello, a Grade 5 teacher and member of the City Central Elementary School Reading Teachers Association, said the DVDs will be very helpful to them, “This promotes values education in our children.”

She furthered that children nowadays are visual learners. “It’s no longer applicable na magsige yaw-yaw ang teachers,” and that children learn better now by actually seeing examples.

The welcome remark was given by Melba Omandam, Grade 1 monitoring principal, after which, a message was given by Marzon.

This was followed by the screening of “Ang Princepe at ang Dagat na Coral,” one of the featured stories.

Jas Orbecino, a Grade 5 pupil of the school, said the activity is important to her as a student. “Importante siya kay aron naa pud mi ma-learn something sa mga stories na ipakita sa amo-a, mga moral lessons.”

Asked if it is easier for her to learn about values watching the Animazing Tales stories compared to traditional methods of teaching, she said it is easier and more interesting this way, “Kay tuloy-tuloy man siya and naa pa jud pictures aron masabtan pud siya sa mga bata.”

City Central has more than 8,000 students.

Anak TV plans to donate the Animazing Tales DVDs to elementary schools nationwide as part of their TV literacy efforts.

Guidance counselors play big role in K+12: CHED

(PNA), LAP/CD/ERCEL MAANDIG

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Sept. 24 (PNA) –- The schools' guidance counselors play a critical role in helping students choose the right career that could “make or break” the K+12 program, an education official said Thursday.

Natalie Igot, Education Program Specialist of the Commissions on Higher Education (CHED) in Region 10, said that when a student reaches Grade 10, the efficient advices of the Guidance Counselor would influence his or her future career.

Igot said that an important factor to be considered in making sure that the student would decide on the right direction toward deciding on future careers is the aptitude test.

The aptitude test would guide the guidance counselor in suggesting to the student the right job that would fit his or her ability, she said.

Guidance counselors must also study carefully the use of the "National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE)" in assessing whether the student has the aptitude to take the rigors of the courses of the jobs that the student wishes, Igot said.

She said that in order to address job mismatch posed by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), guidance counselors must go beyond the students and extend to families as their guidance counselors.

According to Igot, the challenge for Guidance Counselors is to produce and convince the brightest students to stay and work in the country rather than aspire to get overseas jobs, Igot said.

She said that the CHED has now developed packages designed for K+12 transition where the teachers are sent for training in order to also effectively guide K+12 students in choosing the right career for their future.

Streaking City High makes Speed finals

(LLS)

UNBEATEN Cagayan de Oro National High School (CDO-NHS) lives up to its top-seed billing, overcoming Agusan NHS, 57-52 to advance in the championship round of the 1st Oro Speed Inter-Public School basketball tournament at West City Central School’s covered court.

Second-seed Lapasan NHS, however, turned out as the biggest casualty on Sunday’s semifinal matches.

With only eight players allowed to play for them as a result of its bench-clearing tiff with Kauswagan NHS on Saturday, the undermanned Lapasan team yielded to underdog Cugman by 2 points, 42-44 to its many fans’ great consternation.

“Sayang, kusog ra ba unta ang Lapasan. Wala na control sa officiating ang mga bata mao nga nagsinumbaga,” Ballpals club regular mainstay Bong Mercado told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

Milo Janao Jr. and Rey John Macacando led City High with 16 and 8 points each, while Agusan got 16 and 10 markers apiece from Eros Dave Sorizo and Elvin Jhon Librando.

The pair of James Emhada and Christian Miñoza had 12 and 10 points in sending Cugman to the finals. Lapasan got 10 and 9 from Sandy Jamin and Jhon Bradley Jumamoy.

Other semifinal matches, still in progress as of this writing, pit Fr. William Masterson Elementary School against Kauswagan Central School and host West City Central School versus Bulua Central School in elementary and the streaking Indahag NHS against Bulua NHS and Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School opposite City High in secondary girls division.

Tournament director Raul Fuentes said the championship games will be played on Sunday at same venue.

NorMin maritime stakeholders pushes for safe, secure shipping industry

(CGDNM/PIA)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, September 21 – Port and maritime agencies in Northern Mindanao participate in the National Maritime Week Celebration (NMWC) 2015.

NMWC, an annual festivity in the maritime sector globally, aims to support the government and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as it continuously quest for a safe and secure shipping industry.

This year’s theme, “Edukasyon at Pagsasanay sa Maritima: Kabalikat sa Patuloy na Kaunlaran,” focuses on the wider spectrum of Maritime Education and Training particularly its adequacy and quality, as the bedrock of a safe and secure shipping industry, which needs to preserve the quality, practical skills and competence of qualified human resources, in order to ensure its sustainability.

Lined up activities for the celebration, spearheaded, this year, by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), in partnership with allied maritime stakeholders in the country, include: simultaneous blowing of ship’s horn and dressing of ships, floral offering, Holy Mass, opening program and onboard vessels Mass set on September 21.

For September 22 will be a lecture/forum/symposium on the proper disposal of garbage with feeding program, updates on maritime education and training, values formation and paralegal lecture.

Seajacking scenario, media forum and bloodletting are highlights for September 23.

The scenario will be simulated with eight evolutions at Macabalan, and will be composed of different teams from the different port and maritime agencies, shipping companies and private entities.

This activity has been initiated by Coast Guard District Northern Mindanao to raise the public’s awareness and vigilance on seajacking which has become a serious problem of seafarers especially those who has been assigned aboardship both domestic and international vessels plying the seas.

Fun golf tournament, coastal cleanup and mangrove planting, bloodletting, awarding and closing ceremony are set on September 24.

Underwater cleanup “SCUBAsurero” at Opol Sanctuary and Basic Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) in barangay Kimaya, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental will cap the celebration on the 25th.

National Maritime Sunday is set on the 27th, where a Holy Mass will be offered for the observance at Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Parish in Bulua, Cagayan de Oro.