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==PhilHealth 10 recognizes NorMin health care providers==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2015/02/28/philhealth-10-recognizes-normin-health-care-providers-394924
*Saturday, February 28, 2015
:By Butch D. Enerio
The awardees with PhilHealth officials from left Dr. Esther Ricardo of PhilHealth, Dr. Jose Chan of NMMC, Datu Masiding Alonto Jr. of PhilHealth, Maybelle Honcada of RHU Pangantucan, Dr. Marilou Po of Malaybalay Polymedic General Hospital, and Diosdado Ofngol of RHU Pangantucan.
THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on February 27 recognized exemplary health care providers in northern Mindanao which demonstrate outstanding performance in the delivery of quality service by upholding health and financial risk protection to PhilHealth members in line with the Universal Health Care.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, PhilHealth 10 awarded three health care institutions namely: Pangantucan Rural Health Unit of Pangantucan, Bukidnon; Malaybalay Polymedic General Hospital, Malaybalay City; and Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro.
The three awardees were chosen from the seven nominees that include Andot Medical Hospital in Bacolod, Lanao del Norte (LDN), Baroy Rural Health Unit in Baroy, LDN, Barangay Poblacion Lying-In Clinic in Maramag, Bukidnon.
Datu Masiding M. Alonto Jr. PhilHealth 10 regional vice president and concurrent officer in-charge vice president for Mindanao, recalled that since PhilHealth started in 1998, there were only 10,000 to 20,000 claims a year that they have to work on, and 17 years after, the country’s health insurance provider in Region 10 is serving more than 300,000 claims each year from the more than 300 accredited health providers, both public and private, in the five provinces and eight cities of northern Mindanao.
Alonto said that despite the limitations of PhilHealth to meet the demands of their services they are working hard to cope and uphold the standard of quality and sustainable health care for every Filipino.
He said that the awarding of exemplary health care institutions was to acknowledge their cooperation in pursuing universal health care beyond accreditation - consistently demonstrated their willingness to provide care without financial burden; physical facilities and equipment; and quality assurance program for continuing improvements.
PhilHealth 10 said that they are working on national awards be accorded to the nominees in the coming years, especially those already in the hall of fame or have been repeatedly awarded in the 10 years that PhilHealth 10 started recognizing exemplary health institutions in the region.
==Misamis Oriental, DTI sign pact for price control body==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2015/02/27/misamis-oriental-dti-sign-pact-price-control-body-394722
*Friday, February 27, 2015
:By April Argen Pat B. Marzon
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Northern Mindanao and 26 local government units (LGUs) in Misamis Oriental have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to protect consumers in the region.
The MOA, signed in Cagayan de Oro City last Thursday, aims to create the Local Price Coordinating Council (LPCC) in the region.
Fel Lester Brillantes, Consumer Welfare Desk (CWD) chief of DTI-Northern Mindanao, said the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) required them to set up the LPCC to keep prices of prime commodities from rising beyond 10 percent of the suggested retail price (SRP).
"We let the establishments justify the reason why they opt for a price increase that is beyond the SRP," Brillantes said.
Ma. Eliza Pabillore, provincial director of DTI Misamis Oriental, said stores that do not follow the price limit will be issued a show-cause order.
"And if again they would not explain, then that would be the time we will issue a notice of violation," Pabillore added.
The DTI has not detected any deviation from the SRP so far, she said.
Brillantes said the LPCC was formed to enforce price controls during calamities.
"Take for instance during (Typhoon) Sendong. The price of the bottled mineral water tripled. But DTI already included bottled water and container under the basic necessities list," Brillantes said.
He said other government agencies that regulate prices are Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of Energy (DOE).
The MOA also sets up a Timbangan ng Bayan, an accurate weighing scale in public markets.
Consumers can have the goods they bought weighed on the Timbangan to check if the scale used by vendors are accurate.
Peter Abejuela Jr., manager of the City Economic Enterprise Department (CEED), assured that the Timbangan is always accessible to consumers especially in public markets.
"At Cogon public market, we assigned a person to man the TnB and [locked] it to prevent it from being stolen," Abejuela said.
"But if there is a complaint on the [weighing scale], consumers should approach us... We will then verify [it] to the vendor using the latter's scale and then with the TnB to check if there is fraud," he said.
==Review of CDO Traffic Code sought==
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=739437
*Thursday, February 26, 2015
:(PNA), RMA/CD/CD/EDS
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Feb. 26 (PNA) -- The City Council here is pushing for the review of the city’s traffic code to determine whether some of its provisions are in consonance with the existing national traffic code or not.
City councilor Ramon Tabor, chair of the city council committee on police, fire, and public safety, said on Thursday that one of the issues raised was the fine for traffic violation on the “seat belt law.”
The local traffic code imposes a fine of Php 1,500 for violators of the “seat belt law” while the national traffic code imposes only Php 100, he said.
Tabor said that the operators and drivers have complained that the fines under the existing traffic code of the Cagayan De Oro City were exorbitant and in conflict with the national traffic code.
According to Tabor, a local law should not supersede the national law. “Obviously, the local traffic code appeared to have superseded the national traffic law,” he said.
Tabor also disclosed that there was also the need to review some provisions of the City Ordinance No. 10051-2007, otherwise known as the Traffic Code of Cagayan de Oro, in the imposition of other fines and the sharing scheme.
He said that the city’s traffic imposes a penalty of Php 1,500, Php 3,000 and Php 5,000 for driving with a delinquent, invalid, suspended, ineffectual or revoked license while the Land Transportation Office (LT0) imposes only Php 1,000.
Tabor said the city council will also review the “sharing” provision where the local traffic enforcer gets a share of the fine collected. “This provision could be subjected to abuse because the traffic enforcer would arbitrarily flagged down the drivers even if there is not a violation at all,” Tabor said.
==CBCP proposes ‘obligatory’ prayer for peace==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2015/02/24/cbcp-proposes-obligatory-prayer-peace-394072
*Wednesday, February 25, 2015 (Date Published)
:By Jigger J. Jerusalem and Ryan D. Rosauro (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
CAGAYAN DE ORO -- The leadership of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has proposed that “Oratio Imperata for Peace” be said in churches throughout the country to help “calm the anxieties” of the people and arrest the continued stirring for war after the tragic January 25 incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
“The situation of the country and the world right now calls on all of us to turn to the Lord in humble supplication and gather our people to pray,” Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop and CBCP president Socrates B. Villegas wrote in a February 23 letter to the country’s bishops.
“As the nation continues to grieve over the tragedy in Mamasapano and the family of nations is threatened by war and terror from extremist groups, our best contribution to the nation and to the world is to encourage people to pray,” Villegas added.
In Catholic Church tradition, an Oratio Imperata is an obligatory prayer said in times of natural calamity, war or any grave danger to the community. This prayer is recited kneeling. This can also be prayed individually.
In the Middle Ages, various saints (e.g. Saint Isidore the Farmer) were invoked for the assistance of granting rain, while Saint Roch was invoked for dire calamities and the Black Plague.
The bishops in every ecclesiastical territory have the authority to declare that such prayer be made obligatory.
:Oro priests
In a text message to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Tuesday, Monsigñor Elmer Abacahin, the pastoral head of the Holy Cross parish in Alubijid, Misamis Oriental, said that given the present circumstances and atmosphere following the Mamasapano tragedy, the Oratio Imperata must be said in churches.
“It is imperative especially today in our country to pray for peace when our country is in need in connection with the Fallen 44 and the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),” Abacahin said, referring to the 44 police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos who were killed last January 25 when they engaged in a firefight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Also killed were at least 18 MILF combatants, five BIFF guerrillas, several civilians and international terrorist figure Zulkifli Abdhir, also known as Marwan, the target of the SAF operation that went amiss.
The Mamasapano fighting is slowly ripping the country apart, as some lawmakers have expressed their withdrawal of support to BBL, which many believe may be the key to a lasting peace in Mindanao.
The BBL, once passed into a law, will pave the way for the Bangsamoro to achieve autonomy much like the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) but with some added elements.
Abacahin said: “Our God is God of peace and order, let’s ask God to grant us lasting peace. It is imperative to really seek the God of Peace.”
For his part, Fr. Raul Ricacho, who heads the Holy Rosary parish in Barangay Agusan, said the Oratio Imperata for Peace should be recited in churches for the Almighty to hear the prayer of the faithful.
“Prayer is the best weapon that a person can use to express his intentions to God. Although God is the only one who decides everything, a person can only hope that his intentions will be heard by God through his prayers,” Ricacho told this paper by phone Tuesday.
Awareness of the massive forces of violence
Villegas’ letter to his colleagues included a draft eight-paragraph text of the obligatory prayer. He proposed that this be said before the post-communion prayer in every Holy Mass from March 1 to 28.
The prayer written by Villegas implored that the people develop an “awareness of the massive forces of violence and terrorism that threaten our world today.”
“Grant us a sense of urgency to activate the forces of goodness, of justice, of love and of peace in our communities,” the prayer partly reads.
“... I humbly request that you issue a circular to the clergy and Catholic faithful in your jurisdiction to make this prayer for peace mandatory,” Villegas asked the country’s bishops.
“Hopefully, this prayer can calm the anxieties of our long suffering people and touch the hearts of the enemies of peace,” Villegas added.
==DTI holds confab on ASEAN economic community, EU’s generalised scheme of preference==
*Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2611424682140/dti-holds-confab-on-asean-economic-community-eu-s-generalised-scheme-of-preference
*Tuesday, February 24, 2015
:(JMOR/PIA10)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, February 24 (PIA) – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) region 10 will hold a multi-stakeholder briefing on ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and European Union’s Generalised Scheme of Preference (EU-GSP+) on March 5, 2015 at Limketkai Luxe Hotel, here.
The activity is in line with DTI’s aim in capacitating the regional exporters and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to gain awareness and updates on international trade, market standards and certification requirements.
According to Linda O. Boniao, DTI regional director, we are the only country among the ASEAN countries that has a concession in the European market, concession in terms of tariff. She said that most of the tariff lines in Europe are reduced to zero for 10 years for the Philippines.
Our exporters will simply deliver the products and pay the transport costs and container vans, but tariff reduced to zero.
This is the opportune time to catch that opportunity, she said.
Products in region 10 are mostly coconut products such as coco oil, refined, crude and copra mill which are exported to Europe like Amsterdam and Hamburg among others.
We have the competitive edge because of the zero tariffs, so our products are cheaper, Boniao said.
For this mutli-stakeholders briefing, target participants are manufacturers, suppliers and exporters in the region. The multi-sectoral briefing covers the sectors of coco-based, fresh and processed fruits, marine products, rubber, banana, coffee, cacao, tourism-retail sector, and GDH / home style.
It will provide region 10 stakeholders with current information on Philippine’s international trade strategy on the ASEAN Economic Community and the overview, benefits of EU-GSP+ and available trade-related technical assistance program for exporters and MSMEs.
Further, it also aims to guide exporters and MSMEs on how to access the EU and ASEAN markets and maximize international trade engagements of the country.
For more information, you may contact DTI region 10 through telephone numbers (08822) 722276/721369 or email irwinjasonjamaca@dti.gov.ph.
==Mindanao ‘TreeVolution’ bags 2014 Guinness World Record==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2015/02/23/mindanao-treevolution-bags-2014-guinness-world-record-393919
*Monday, February 23, 2015
:By April Argen Pat B. Marzon
“WE COINED the word TreeVolution because we want the revolution to be positive instead of destruction, chaos, negative things, [we] want to make it positive through trees –let’s plant trees, not fear and anger,” said Lordilie Enjambre, Development Management Officer of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the Northern Mindanao coordinator of TreeVolution.
The need of reforestation should be intensified as the phenomenal climate change poses a huge problem in our planet.
To achieve greener Philippines, Northern Mindanao along with other regions in island joined the Guinness World Record of the most trees planted simultaneously on September 26 last year.
For one hour, 122,168 volunteers had a synchronized planting of trees at 29 locations across Mindanao.
Fortunately, TreeVolution: Greening MindaNow is now the title holder of the most trees planted in the world.
Enjambre said that they did not know about [it] that Mindanao has won the World Guinness Book of Record for most tress planted simultaneously.
“It just came out. We saw it earlier today [the] online post. It took Guinness five months to review and gladly we have won,” Enjambre said.
She also said that they had checked the website (Guinness) since and, “it was India [then] which was listed.”
She added that there was overwhelming support from the local government units (LGUs) in the city, as well as in Iligan City and Misamis Occidental.
“The LGU in the city committed five hectares while LGU Iligan gave more than 30 hectares with more than 50,000 mangrove trees planted. Misamis Occidental committed 15 hectares,” she said.
She added that they had mobilized schools and universities in Northern Mindanao like Mindanao University of Science and Technology, Capitol University, Liceo de Cagayan University in Cagayan de Oro and Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology and Lyceum College in Iligan City, among others.
As shown in the Guinness World Record website, it said the record-breaking event saw the planting of rubber, cacao, coffee, timber and mahogany trees, as well as a range of fruit trees and other species indigenous to the Philippines.
Enjambre mentioned that fruit-bearing trees were planted in agricultural areas to help the locals in their livelihood and that the trees planted in various locations in Mindanao depended on the availability of the trees.
Support the advocacy
Enjambre said the TreeVolution aimed to support the National Greening Program (NGP) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) whose goal is to reach 1.5 billion trees covering 1.5 billion hectares for a period of six years from 2011 to 2016.
“Treevolution aimed to capture all Mindanaons – everybody has to help the reforestation effort. Everybody needs to cooperate, to enhance the forest,” Enjambre said.
She said there were, 16,185 planters in the region with a target of 20 trees to plant per person.
“But it really depends... [because] there were individuals who exceeded the target. There were those who planted 50 trees,” she said.
She also said that they did series of orientation to ensure that all volunteers are at the same level with regard to effectively planting the trees.
“We saw the need to support it – the goal of DENR in reforestation,” she said.
In its official statement, MinDa thanked all those who participated in the event, citing that their involvement has made this historic event even more meaningful.
Due to the stringent verification process of the Guinness committee, only 2,294,629 out of the 4 million trees planted were officially tallied, exceeding the previous record of India by more than 300,000 trees. More importantly, this official number from Guinness does not in any way reduce the long-term impacts of the actual four million trees planted in over 7,800 hectares of land all over Mindanao. The four million seedlings planted add one percent to Mindanao’s target forest cover by 2016.
Taking it to the next level
Enjambre told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that they will include the two islands -- Visayas and Luzon -- this year to make it a nationwide stint; thus will be spearheaded by the DENR central office.
She added that they have already designated schools to look after the planted trees to ensure the maintenance and “that those [trees] will grow.”
“We are counting more support to pour this year especially with the involvement of the two islands, making it a nationwide event,” she said.
“We are looking forward, and still planning that the next TreeVolution will fall on the Environment Month (June),” Embaje added.
Truly, the TreeVolution has showed one overwhelming reaffirmation -- the Mindanawons can unite for a common good, and that, we, Mindanawons, can truly become one for the environment, she added.
==XU-RSO holds ‘Festival of Ideas’ in Oro==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/weekend-cagayan-de-oro/2015/02/22/xu-rso-holds-festival-ideas-oro-393575
*Sunday, February 22, 2015
:By April Argen Pat B. Marzon
AIMING at innovating intellectual discourse, the Xavier University Research and Social Outreach (XU-RSO) unit held the first “Festival of Ideas” in the city.
Festival of Ideas, according to Hilly Ann R. Quiaoit, PhD, vice president of XU-RSO, was a three-part series of talks which gave a platform to local and universal ideas that kicked-off last February 7 and culminated last February 21.
She said that Festival of Ideas established discussions on RSO’s thematic areas–environment, health, food security, governance, and peace.
Quiaoit said the event was a new innovation which provided platform of different ideas from/to the audience.
She furthered that the event was an interactive venue through which the speakers and participants shared [mix] ideas and should think outside the box.
Robert dela Serna, Festival of Ideas consultant, said that there were different issues in the past talks.
Dela Serna said that it was the first of its kind to hold Festival of Ideas in a Philippine university setting.
“As we are talking about peace, the Mamasapano tragedy is a burning issue to address – the accounts, accountability and culpability from local and national perspective – and so, we had come up to have a discussion on this,” dela Serna said.
“The irony is that, [people] simply react to the issue... but have they been [here] in Mindanao,” dela Serna said.
He also said that concept of Mindanao is distorted and as the main source of information (media), there is a need to have clarification.
“We want to hear opinions, positions from different people... we want them to be critical thinkers,” he said.
He added that we need to ask the question ourselves since we are from Mindanao.
Speakers were John Nery, editor in chief of Inquirer.net; Benigno Tutor, opinion columnist of Bohol Tribune; and Froilan Gallardo, photojournalist of MindaNews.
Gallardo talked about the accounts from a field journalist perspective on Mamasapano tragedy.
He said that the tragedy was only a small fraction in Mindanao's issues but it has been magnified.
He left the audience with a question – “is Marwan worth it – peace for a restless Mindanao island or the life of a Malaysian bomb maker?”
In the national lens, Nery talked about the accountability and the culpability of the incident.
“We need to raise all questions about failure and demand answers,” Nery said.
He discussed the timeline of the Mamasapano tragedy and the elements of Journalism.
Meanwhile, musician Rhyan Casiño of Dire Husi serenaded the audience in his organic and relaxing music.
How do we heal the strain in peace? Casiño said, “Music transcends boundaries...”
He hoped that with the discussion on music, it would be reflective and be able to touch the hearts of the audience.
RSO aims to create awareness on social-relevant issues and hopes that the university will institutionalized the said event.
“Hopefully, we’ll make it every year... depends on the [desired] topic,” Quiaoit said.
==Leaders gather at 1st 'Find X Project' in Oro==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2015/02/20/leaders-gather-1st-find-x-project-oro-393398
*Saturday, February 21, 2015 (Date Published)
:By April Argen Pat B. Marzon (Date Published)
AT LEAST 200 young leaders, professionals and social entrepreneurs across the country will gather for the inaugural "Find X Project" leadership congress at the Lourdes College Auditorium on Saturday, February 21.
Find X Project is a one-day Mindanao-wide event with moderated talks and breakout sessions that will give youth leaders a venue for convergence, mentorship, and inspiration to create or scale initiatives in their communities.
“We have invited influential leaders in the country to come to Cagayan de Oro and share their experiences in nation building,” said Romcy Madronio, project chairman and president of Acquire Social Ventures Initiatives.
“FXP is designed to inspire other leaders for creative and collaborative solutions to a set of focused social issues,” he said.
:Powerhouse speakers
The congress will feature plenary discussions on five thematic areas: social media, disaster risk reduction, social entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and education.
According to Madronio, the panel of speakers is top-billed by multi-awarded journalist and social media expert Howie Severino and Climate Change Commissioner Naderev Sano.
Severino will speak on “Social Media as a Tool for Youth Activism” while Sano will discuss “The Youth in Resiliency, Reconstruction and Recovery Process.”
Other top notch speakers are public school teacher Sabrina Ongkiko (Role of Young Leaders on Advancing Public Education), social entrepreneur Marita Ann Enriquez (Enabling Communities through Social Entrepreneurship) and youth champion Meryl Grace Agudelo of ICAN Make a Difference Inc., (Meaningful Engagement of Youth Leaders in Nation Building).
Madronio said that FXP also features breakout workshops on the five thematic areas to encourage participants to brainstorm and collaborate on projects. Workshop facilitators are Ernesto Neri of Oro Youth Development Council, Princess Ubay-ubay, of start-up Knots and Woods, Commissioner Yeb Sano, Dr. Edralin Manla and Ryan Madrid of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan.
“What makes FXP different from other leadership conventions are the separate workshops that will serve as creative laboratories for participants to come up with concrete solutions,” Madronio said.
:For a cause
Madronio said that apart from gathering leaders to inspire proactive solutions, FXP doubles as a fund raising activity to build fishing boats and reconstruct pathways in a depressed community off the coast of Cagayan de Oro.
Puntabon is a sand bar surrounded by the Macajalar Bay and is home to more than 80 families whose houses are on stilts.
“With only six boats and a dilapidated walkway, children struggle everyday to go to school – sometimes even swimming through the water with their school supplies wrapped in cellophanes,” Madronio said.
With the registration fees earned from FXP, organizers are eyeing to donate at least 11 fishing boats and to reconstruct the walkway in Puntabon.
“The initiative will help address two community issues: access to education and livelihood for the family beneficiaries,” he added.
With its promising framework, FXP has gained the support of Cebu Pacific, Smart and other organizations.
==Oro Chamber gears up for Asean Integration==
==Oro Chamber gears up for Asean Integration==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/business/2015/02/20/oro-chamber-gears-asean-integration-393382
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/business/2015/02/20/oro-chamber-gears-asean-integration-393382
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