LOG IN. UPLOAD PICTURES.
The Philippines has Zambo Mart to help propagate the Chavacano Language.
Cagayan de Oro City News January 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
|
|
|
|
| Interactive Google Satellite Map of Cagayan de Oro City | |||
 Cagayan de Oro City within Misamis Oriental | |||
| |||
 Cagayan de Oro City Public Market | |||
 The river of cagayan de oro city | |||
 St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral | |||
| |||
 Flood Waters in the streets of Cagayan de Oro City | |||
 Cagayan de Oro City Buildings | |||
 Bus Terminal, Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City |
US firm to produce medical encoders in Oro
- Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/business/2015/01/10/us-firm-produce-medical-encoders-oro-385899
- Saturday, January 10, 2015
- By Butch D. Enerio
THE second largest healthcare association in the United States visited Cagayan de Oro City on Thursday to encourage nurses and graduates of other science related courses who are jobless or under employed to be trained for a high paying job.
American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), a company advancing the business of healthcare, said they want to source certified medical encoders (ME) in other areas as the US and other developed countries are experiencing severe shortage of highly trained encoders, essential to keep hospitals and health institutions to operate efficiently.
Cagayan de Oro has been chosen by AAPC, the first outside Manila, to locate and train interested parties to become MEs especially those who are with medical training and experiences.
Dan Schwebach, AAPC vice president during his meeting and visit with city officials here said they chose to establish training areas in the city in collaboration with the schools and universities.
“We prefer CdeO after Manila and establish a chapter here since the city exhibits a strong belief in education and the wealth of professionals, especially nurses, is huge, which would make a good match for medical coding industry,” Schwebach said, adding that CdeO ranks second among the competitive cities in the country and for having the needed technology and infrastructure.
Optimum Outsource Partners Inc. (OOPI) said that it would handle AAPC’s trainings initially in partnership with Capitol University where they already have the facilities.
Dean E. Toro, OOPI chairman, said that CdeO based on studies conducted has around 28,000 nurses who are currently not employed or are working, but outside their field of discipline.
Toro said that coming of AAPC is a big boost in the employment program of the city as well as the nearby areas.
He said that OOPI will be in charge of training and is currently coordinating with schools and universities, endorsing the inclusion of medical coding in the curriculum.
AAPC will certify a trainee and whose certification is going to be recognized worldwide.
The company was founded in 1988 to provide education and professional certification to physician-based medical coders and elevate the standards of medical coding by providing student training, certification, ongoing education, networking, and job opportunities. It has more than 143,000 members in the US and 10,000 plus members internationally that include India, Philippines, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Bahamas, Germany, Canada and South Africa.
P16.7 M earmarked to aid national govt agencies in Oro
- Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1461420785768/p16-7-m-earmarked-to-aid-national-govt-agencies-in-oro
- Friday, January 9, 2015
- (EOR/PIA10)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Jan 9 – The amount of P16.7 million has been earmarked as the city’s aid to different government entities this year.
This is provided for in Ordinance No. 12903-2014, which was approved by the City Council headed by vice mayor Caesar Ian E. Acenas on December 15, 2014.
Of the amount P9.5 million will be spent for the city’s subsidy to national government agencies (NGAs) in the form of honoraria/allowances for their services.
This year, the city budgeted P1.6 million as allowance to Court of Appeals Justice at P15,000 per month.
Meanwhile, the city is allocating P144,000 for the honoraria of Asst Exec Clerk of Court; P360,000 for the Clerk of Court; P1.6 million to Regional Trial Court judges; P96,000 to Exec Clerk of Court; and P1.2 million to Clerk of Courts.
Meanwhile, the city’s subsidy for allowance of the Regional State Prosecutor is P120,000; Deputy Prosecutor, P168,000; Asst. Regional Prosecutors, P252,000; Municipal Judge, P600,000; Clerk of Court, P96,000; while the five branches of the Clerk of Court will receive P420,000 from the city this year.
Funds were also earmarked for the City Prosecutor; Deputy City Prosecutor; Sr. Assistant City Prosecutor; and Assistant City Prosecutor.
The increase in the city’s assistance to some NGAs was supported by councilor Ramon Tabor, chair of the committee on police, fire and public safety and on laws and rules and councilor President Elipe, chair of the committee on finance, who presided over the budget deliberations, and other legislators.
Gov’t pours in P480M tourism infra support for MisOr
- Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1461420698061/gov-t-pours-in-p480m-tourism-infra-support-for-misor
- Thursday, January 8, 2015
- (EOR/PIA10)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Jan. 8 (PIA) – Noting that Misamis Oriental is prioritizing tourism development, the government has allocated more than P480 million infrastructure support for the province.
Director Catalino E. Chan III said this is in line with the government’s tourism road convergence programs of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the construction of local road projects in priority tourism destinations in the province.
He cited that there are some spots that are not accessible for tourists.
Chan further said during the opening of the 2nd Kuyamis Festival that the government has vowed to support in the pursuit of Misamis Oriental on its tourism program and commended the province for holding such activity as he echoed the statement of Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr that it is best to have more activities like this rather than promoting violence in Mindanao.
Further, he said, “Let us make this province the coconut destination of the country!”
Among the DOT-DPWH Convergence Program for Tourism Road Infrastructure Project Prioritization (TRIPP) for the province include access road for Sagpulon springs in Jasaan, falls in Naawan, and junction road from Opol town to Laguindingan airport. Talisayan and Magsaysy nesting grounds will have their share also.
Meanwhile, Chan said that northern Mindanao is set to launch Visit Philippine 2015 aimed at promoting the islands of the Philippines to the world including festivals and events, among others. Through this, we are developing, organizing and shall be promoting a year-round calendar of events and activities that will make international and domestic visitors tour our country and truly experience that “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” These events consist of traditional festivities, commercial events, rural activities and special tourism projects. He said this is an opportune time for the province to promote its tourist destinations.
We hope this year, Misamis Oriental will join us to the World Travel Mart in London, with the Tourism Promotion Board (TPB), to promote destinations in the country not only in tourism and also for investment. We have done in Camiguin and MisOcc, said Chan.
As the province commemorates its 85th Founding Anniversary, the provincial government opened its weeklong 2nd Kuyamis Festival on January 5, 2015 with the theme “Panagdait alang sa Mauswagaon, Malambuon ug Malipayong Misamis Oriental,” to perk up the local business and tourism industry.
Kuyamis Festival is an occasion associated with the founding of the province of Misamis Oriental since it became a separate and independent local government unit on January 1, 1930, by virtue of Republic Act 3537.
Historical jottings and sources reveal that Kuyamis is the orignal name of Misamis. It is a variety of sweet coconut, which was a staple food of the earliest known Negrito settlers of Misamis. The word "Kuyamis" later named to "Misamis" when the Spanish colonizers came.
The highlight of the Kuyamis Festival, an agro-tourism festival, is the showcasing of products and by-products made out of the tree of life—the coconut. Items, handicrafts, articles, stuffs and food of Filipino delicacies that necessarily use coconut and its parts are sold by different participating municipalities. Art exhibits are also conducted by local artists from the province.
We aimed to establish a unique character for Misamis Oriental through featuring our own variety of coconut, the “kuyamis” that is abundant in our province, said governor Yevgeny Vincente B. Emano.
Following are the lined-up events for the Kuyamis Festival 2015: Opening Program on January 05 at the Provincial Capitol Grounds.
For January 5-9, Booth Competition, Meat and Livestock Show, Tiangge sa Capitolyo, Partners Bazaar. These will be held at the Provincial Capitol.
Sports Competition is set on January 5-9 at Pelaez Sports Center. Visual Arts Festival will be on January 6-9 at Centrio Ayala Mall; Tree Planting of 200 kuyamis seedlings on Jan. 6 at Talisayan Municipal Plaza; Interpretative Dance and Festival Queen Contest, January 7, at Centrio Ayala Mall; Tourism Kiosk Launching at Laguindingan Airport; and Black Nazarene Vigil at Pelaez Sports Center on January 8.
Black Nazarene Translacion at Pelaez Sports Complex (PSC) to Nazareno Church; and MisOr Food Festival, Centrio Mall, January 09; Kapamilya caravan on the 10th at Libertad National High School.
For his part, vice governor Jose Mari G. Pelaez said as a support of the provincial board, the members have approved on December 29, 2014 an ordinance institutionalizing the Kuyamis festival as the festival that will make Misamis Oriental known all over the country. As we all know we need to really create our very own festival for the identity of the province, said Pelaez.
DOT-NorMin launches VPY 2015
- Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2015/01/07/dot-normin-launches-vpy-2015-385511
- Wednesday, January 7, 2015
- By Roshelle Novie L. Cabrido (MUST intern)
AS THE Philippines targets to bring in 10 million foreign tourists this year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Northern Mindanao launched the agency’s yearlong strategic campaign -- Visit Philippines Year (VPY) 2015 -- at Ayala Centrio mall on January 6.
The campaign will reinforce the agency’s famous slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” to lure foreign tourists to explore and fall in love with the country’s varied tourist destinations. Its grand launch was held during the Philippine Travel Exchange (PhiTEx) in Pasay City on September 4 last year.
To bring it internationally, the country joined the World Travel Mart (WTM) at Excel Exhibition Center in London on November 3 to 6 and launched VPY there to promote the country’s international profile.
VPY encourages the influx of foreign tourists in the country and aims at intensifying information dissemination and awareness to the different stakeholders, key players, private sectors, Local Government Units (LGUs), and regional offices around the Philippines.
The VPY launch in the region coincided with Misamis Oriental’s Kuyamis festival aimed at promoting the province’s coconut industry and tourism. Kuyamis opened on January 5.
Dancing before guests and DOT-10 Director Catalino Chan III who led the unveiling here for the region, Kagayan Performing Arts presented cultural dances such as the Meranaw’s uses of Malong, a traditional tube skirt.
- VPY Website
To make VPY 2015 more interesting, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) has advanced a microsite inside www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.com that is www.visitph2015.com to serve as directory to everything the Philippines has to offer to international audience.
Interested parties can register their events at www.visitph2015com so that the events will have a year-round local and international promotional exposure via the official calendar of events. This also encourages public-private partnerships, community participation and activation so that visitors will not run out of reasons to visit the country.
The DOT-Northern Mindanao said the registration does not only endorses specific event, but also helps in promoting Philippines as a viable and attractive destination.
DOT also banks cooperation from private sectors for the success of VPY for the world to know that the Philippines is the best place to be on the planet next year.
- VPY themes
VPY banners five themes, which are business meetings, history and culture, lifestyle and entertainment, music and the arts, sports, adventure and eco tourism.
The apostolic visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines this January 2015 is one of the major events marking the 20th anniversary of World Youth Day under history and culture. The 70th anniversary of the liberation of the country to commemorate the friendship of United States and Philippines following World War II is also enlisted in the same theme.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) as the largest meeting of economic leaders is a major event that is enlisted under the category Meeting in VPY 2015 website.
Chan said the VPY was launched in Northern Mindanao to introduce Mindanao’s best and finest.
Palay, coconut production in Northern Mindanao increases
- Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=11&rid=722208
- Tuesday, January 6, 2015
- (PNA), FPV/CD/MARK FRANCISCO/SSC
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Jan. 6 (PNA) -- Palay production in Northern Mindanao has grown by 5.79 percent equivalent to 190,930 metric tons during the third quarter of 2014 as compared to the same period in 2013.
In the quarterly report released by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) 10 on Tuesday, the agency noted an increase in farm output in irrigated areas in Bukidnon during the quarter.
The absence of infestation and good weather contributed much to the increase. Misamis Occidental also posted a 44 percent increase, contributing to the overall Palay production in Northern Mindanao, the NEDA report said.
In Misamis Oriental, sufficient rainfall and more usage of seeds also contributed to the prolific yields.
NEDA said that the rice sufficiency level during the third quarter of last year reached 83.63 percent or 1.53 percentage points higher than the level recorded in the same period of 2013.
The region’s total rice inventory as of September 2014 went up by 20 percent reaching 1,553,403 bags.
Coconut and root crops.
Other products like matured coconut, reached 494,948,967 during the third quarter, higher by 1.11 percent or 5.4 million nuts than the 2013 level.
All provinces in the region recorded positive growths led by Bukidnon at 3.61 percent. This is largely due to the salt fertilization intervention by the government, NEDA said.
Along this line, copra production slightly increased by 0.20 percent over the 2013 output reaching 119,192 metric tons.
Bukidnon made the highest gain of almost 1.2 percent. The average farm gate price of copra increased to Php25.70 per kilogram. Average mill gate price also automatically increased by 29 percent to Php28.25 per kilogram.
Green nut production in the third quarter also exceeded the 2013 level by almost 16 percent. Coconut commodities exported during the third quarter increased by 11.5 percent to 93,816 metric tons equating to USD7.751 million in value.
Single digit production growths were reported on root crops (six percent) and fruits (three percent) while industrial crops posted a significant 15 percent growth during the quarter.
Gainers included cabbage, pechay, eggplant, calamansi, abaca and cabbage. Meanwhile, most fruit crops recorded output increases with papaya having the highest growth at 164 percent.
Livestock and poultry production reached 87,835 metric tons (live weight) in the third quarter of 2014, up by three percent over the same period in 2013.
But fish production declined by two percent due largely to lesser appearance of migratory species as a result of low pressure area occurrences.
DOT Launches Visit Philippines 2015 in Normin
- Source: http://www.kagay-an.com/dot-launches-visit-philippines-2015-in-normin/
- Monday, January 5, 2015
- By Mike Baños
The Department of Tourism in Region X today launches 2015 as “Visit the Philippines Year” (VPY) in Northern Mindanao at the Activity Center of upscale Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro City.
“This launch is a response to Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr.’s directive to move tourism out of Manila and urge people to visit other places such as Northern Mindanao,” said Catalino E. Chan III, DOT-X regional director.
Earlier Jimenez cited the key role of local government units (LGUs) in spurring tourism outside Metro Manila.
“Kung saan masigasig talaga ang local [government], doon malakas ang tourism. Pag aktibista sa tourism ang LGU, magsa-succeed,” Jimenez stressed.
The DOT andthe Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), its marketing and promotions arm, launched its new campaign during the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City last September 4, 2014.
For today’s launch in Northern Mindanao, Milo Oropesa, TPB promotions specialist, is slated to present the salient points of the VPY 2015 program to tourism stakeholders from around the region.
Jimenez said the new campaign will not replace “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” but is meant to refresh and sustain the original campaign. DOT also launched a microsite (http://phl2015.itsmorefuninthephilippines.com/) as a directory of the various events around the country under the recently improved DOT website (http://itsmorefuninthephilippines.com/).
Domingo Ramon C. Enerio III, TBP chief operating officer said the agency will stress five main themes for 2015: 1) history and culture, 2) music and arts, 3) lifestyle and entertainment, 4) business meetings, and 5) sports, adventure, and eco-tourism.
To kick off History and Culture in January 2015 is Pope Francis’ 40-day pilgrimage to the Philippines. September will mark the 70th anniversary of the final battles of World War II in the country.
For Music and the Arts, Enerio said some of the biggest acts in the entertainment world such as One Direction and Justin Timberlake will visit the country in March 2015 for live performances and shows.
In the fields of lifestyle and entertainment, the Philippines will host Madrid Fusion Manila, billed as the biggest culinary event in the world, in April 2015. Enerio said this event would bring national and international chefs, journalists, and food companies from all over which should encourage local tourism stakeholders to raise themselves up to global standards.
By November 2015, the country would host Asia the Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meetings and Leaders’ Summit with over 25,000 international delegates expected to attend.
The APEC meetings would also be hosted by Boracay and Iloilo City in the Western Visayas; Tagaytay City in Southern Tagalog; Metro Cebu in the Central Visayas; Bagac, Bataan and Clark, Pampanga in Central Luzon; and Legazpi City, and Albay in Bicol.
Not the least, the country will host international sporting events such as triathlons, martial arts, eco-marathons, yacht races, beach volleyball tournaments, and tennis exhibition matches. Among these is the international white water rafting competition to be hosted by Cagayan de Oro City, the Diving Resort Travel Expo in Manila in April and the Siargao International Surfing Competition in August.
“What will truly sustain Visit the Philippines Year 2015 campaign are the people themselves. I enjoin the businesses, communities, and locals to play an active part in spreading and amplifying our messages, enticing would-be visitors to come visit our shores,” Jimenez said.
The DOT already launched VPY 2015 at the Conrad Centennial Hotel Singapore on October 28 and at the Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, central Seoul, South Korea last Nov. 4.
The Philippines was one of only five countries (with China, Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong) which had over 1 million Korean visitors annually, with 1,165,789 Koreans arriving in 2013, a figure that represents a quarter of the country’s total arrivals of 4,681,307 in 2013, the highest of any single country but which represented only 8 percent of the total 15 million overseas Korean travelers in 2013.
2014 stories at a glance
- Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2015/01/03/2014-stories-glance-384819
- Sunday, January 4, 2015 (Date Published)
- By Grace Cantal-Albasin
WHILE the province is reeling off from the aftermath of Tropical Storm Seniang before 2014 ended, it also started with the two-week low pressure area (LPA) that intensified into Tropical Depression Agaton wreaking millions worth of havoc on agriculture and infrastructure.
In the middle of January 2014, Agaton hit the region, Misamis Oriental pegged TD Agaton’s damage on agriculture at more than P20 million and P100 million on infrastructure after several bridges collapsed including the Larapan steel bridge in Linamon, which hampered trading and commuting as Lanao del Norte connects to the other parts of western Mindanao. The LPA that brought incessant rains for almost two weeks softened parts of the earth which TD Agaton amplified when it hovered through northern Mindanao.
Disasters brought about by typhoons and other weather disturbances comprised some of the major stories that saw print in the paper.
With climate change, disasters stories and the triumphs and lows of responses that come with them. Every time the DRRMCs prepare for looming disasters and how the outcomes of the responses vary would be vital information to the communities as they face the challenges brought about by this natural phenomenon intensified by man’s environmental negligence.
- Security
Security in Mindanao has remained erratic. The recent bus bombing in front of the main gate of Central Mindanao University (CMU) on December 9 that killed 10 and injured more than 40 passengers has been attributed by the law enforcers as extortion allegedly perpetrated by a member of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF), the breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The probe is still ongoing while the police has charged in court the suspect Macmod Manibpil.
On November 6, a Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. (RTMI) bus was planted with an improvised explosive device that was detonated along Maramag town, a kilometer away from CMU, while in transit to Cagayan de Oro from Tacurong. The blast wounded four. The suspect, Dawtin Gendang, is facing charges of frustrated murder at a court in Bukidnon.
Several explosions also rocked the other parts of Mindanao after the November 6 bus blast in Bukidnon.
Members of the New People’s Army launched massive raids against multinational companies, the military, sentenced politicians they identified as anti-revolutionary movement who they alleged had committed crimes against the people and captured soldiers or police as their “prisoners of war” (POWs).
On July 2, the NPA rebels in Bukidnon ambushed and killed Impasug-ong town mayor Mario Okinlay.
The NPA accused Okinlay for violating the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) since the mayor failed to recognize and give respect to the civilians by allowing the military's presence in facilities where the latter should not be.
On December 11, Iligan City lone district representative Vicente “Varf” Belmonte and his security escorts and drivers were waylaid outside Laguindingan airport at around 1:30 p.m.
Right after the ambush, Belmonte hinted politics as the motive on the attempt on his life, however, days after the ambush, reports said illegal drugs could be involved. Belmonte is on his last term as the Iligan’s representative to Congress.
- Oro summary killings
This year marked some prominence on the alleged summary executions in the city especially after Jim Jamaca survived the attempt on his life on December 11. Jamaca accused four Cagayan de Oro policemen as alleged shooters of the slaying of his two cousins, Arnold and Harold Jamaca and Jim’s girlfriend.
Fortunately, Jim cheated death after he was shot several times. The four policemen are now facing administrative charges. The two officers voluntarily submitted their guns for examination while the two police officers involved went AWOL (absence without leave) before they finally yielded to City Police Director Faro Antonio Olaguera and submitted their guns also for examination.
Jim is now under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for his safety.
Authorities said the alleged summary killings could be illegal drugs related dealings.
- Anti-illegal drugs bust operations
In its fight against illegal drugs proliferation and dealings in the region, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in northern Mindanao (PDEA-10) busted millions worth of illegal drugs in 2014 in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.
These operations resulted to arresting some police officers in the city and prominent persons in the region.
In a recent incident, a PDEA agent, Joel Genita, died in an anti-illegal drugs bust operation in Barangay 31 on December 15 after Ibrahim Zafar allegedly shot him dead. However, on December 22, Zafar died after his surgery which the family members claimed “they were never informed” and has accused the PDEA for torturing Zafar that could’ve caused his death.
In Iligan City also in December, around 12 persons were massacred in two different locations which the authorities tagged as “drug dens” and suspected the killings could also be illegal drugs related deals.
- Politics
It took time before the 2014 Oro Executive Budget was approved by the majority members of city council as they accused the Moreno administration for causing the delay due to the non-submission of requirements such as the programs of work for each department deemed by the council as necessary for the deliberation of the budget. When the majority of the city councilors approved and slashed it by P300 million, Mayor Oscar Moreno vetoed some of the items, but the city council nullified them by overriding the vetoed items.
The Moreno administration vowed to the public it would serve its constituents especially the marginalized at all cost by tapping nongovernment organizations and the private sector to find means to fund the projects and programs they believed could uplift the city’s poor and economic growth of the city.
This year, the 2015 executive budget was approved by the majority members of the city council on December 15, but again it has been slashed by P1.72 billion. The Moreno administration has yet to finalize the possible remedies it has to push for its P3.8 billion proposed executive budget.
- Economy
The National Economic and Development Authority in region 10 (NEDA-10) said in its year-end report that northern Mindanao remains the fastest growing economy in the island and furthered the unemployment rate is the lowest in Mindanao.
Ombuds to assess procedures of GSC, CDO permits
- Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2015/01/03/ombuds-assess-procedures-gsc-cdo-permits-384748
- Saturday, January 3, 2015
- By Ruji Peter S. Abat
THE Investment Ombudsman (IO) Team of the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao is set to conduct an assessment in Cagayan de Oro and General Santos Cities this month.
Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao public assistance center head Maria Corazon Arancon, who is part of the IO Team, told Sun.Star Davao in an interview recently that their team is set to conduct the Blue Certificate assessment on the different public offices in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and General Santos.
"A team of assessors will be going to these LGUs to assess and study the procedure in the issuance of permits and licenses. We will be doing it in January since this will be the time when the offices issue permits or renew licenses," Arancon said.
The IO Team member said the assessment is intended to improve the processes in the issuance of permits, clearances and licenses.
Among the issue that they will be focusing on include the reported delays in the issuance of permits and Arancon said they will have to study the process before they could make the recommendations.
“But definitely we are driven to conduct these assessments because we want more investors to come in once they know that the processes are fast and efficient. And if there are more investors, this could improve our economy,” Arancon said.
But other than the blue certificate assessment, she said they will resume with the regular seminars with the different LGU officials in Mindanao as part of their graft and corruption prevention campaign.
New Year revelry in NorMin ‘peaceful’
- Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2015/01/02/new-year-revelry-normin-peaceful-384669
- Friday, January 2, 2015 8:52 am
- By Jigger J. Jerusalem (With a report from PNA)
NORTHERN Mindanao was peaceful during the celebration of the New Year, the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Northern Mindanao reported Friday.
“The crime situation in Region 10 is generally peaceful as the year ended without significant incident that transpired,” Superintendent Gervacio Balmaceda Jr., PNP-Northern Mindanao information officer, said in a statement.
Balmaceda said all unit commanders in the region were ordered to properly supervise police officers under their command in the different police operations and activities.
“The crime incidents in this period reduced compared to last year including the [firecracker-related] incidents as the police maximized their effort in catching illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnics,” the statement added.
PNP-Northern Mindanao added that there was no report of illegal discharge of firearms and related incidents in its area of responsibility.
Balmaceda said all the police officers were ordered to seal the muzzle of their issued firearms last December 22.
On Friday, all the taped firearms were unsealed simultaneously in all police offices and precincts in the region.
So far, he added, the PNP has noted no violation of the said order. If there was an incident of indiscriminate firing of weapons from law enforcers and civilians, it would have been reported right away.
“We have been monitoring any incident of illegal discharge, even those not by police officers,” Balmaceda told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro in a phone interview.
He added the PNP still has to consolidate the reports from all police units in Northern Mindanao.
Even after the Yuletide season and New Year’s Day celebration, Balmaceda said the full alert status is still being observed by the PNP. This means no vacation or break for police officers yet, he said.
“The full alert status has not been downgraded yet,” he said, adding they will only change it once the PNP national headquarters issues a new directive.
In a text message, Senior Superintendent Faro Antonio Olaguera, head of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo), is hoping the full alert status will be lowered by January 10.
Low firecracker incidents
Meanwhile, a television report quoted the Department of Health (DOH)-Northern Mindanao as saying the number of victims of firecracker incidents has gone down for this year.
The report said the DOH reported 44 firecracker injuries for 2015, while last year it was 132.
In Manila, the DOH central office reported that the 351 fireworks-related injuries (FWRI) recorded since December 21 until 6 a.m. January 1 were lower compared to the same period in 2013 and the five-year average from 2009 to 2013.
“There is a reduction of 39 percent in comparison to last year. It is also 31 percent lower than the previous five year annual average of 511 injuries per year for that period,” DOH Acting Secretary Janette Loreto-Garin said in a press briefing at the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City on Thursday.
According to Garin, there were 578 cases of FWRI recorded during the same period in 2013.
Of the 351 FWRI, she said 346 or 98.5 percent were due to fireworks explosion, two or 0.6 percent from firework ingestion and three or 0.9 percent from stray bullet.
Drop of stray bullet cases
Garin also reported that there was a drop on stray bullets cases from 11 recorded last year to just only three cases now.
“The good news is that stray bullets cases dropped to 73 percent and we thank Philippine National Police and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for massive campaign,” she added.
Garin added that the count on the total number of injuries is not yet final and may still change until January 5 as other reports from the 50 sentinel hospitals (both public and private hospitals were most number of FWRI patients usually seek treatment) are still collected and verified. “Final report will be released by January 6.”
As the health campaigns shifts to prevention of tetanus among the injured, Garin reminded those injured to get their anti-tetanus shots in hospitals right away.
Listened, acted on awareness campaign vs use of firecrackers
Garin said the drop can be attributed to the fact that more people are now listening to the call of their conscience against using firecrackers and the massive anti-firecrackers campaign of the government in collaboration with the media and local government units (LGUs).
She said the DOH is encouraged with seeing more Filipinos heeding the call of its campaign against firecrackers. "Mas maraming Pilipino ang nakonsensya ngayon, at sila ay nagdesisyon pabor sa kanilang kaligtasan."
Garin added the bad news is that 14 of those injured from firecrackers were with amputations or 75 percent increase compared to eight last year.
The health acting chief said this can be attributed to the two major factors: one factor is the shift of age of users from adults to children.
"Since the hands of children are too small in handling firecracker, they are prone to damage in explosion," she said.
Another factor, she added, is the widespread selling of affordable firecrackers (piccolo) wherein some children even share them that led to increased number of hands amputated.
In the case of eye injuries due to firecrackers, Garin said that from 72 last year; it went down to 59 or 18 percent lower.
“This can be attributed with the gaining of awareness wherein parents of the victims come forward to seek treatment, leading to proper cleansing of the affected eye area, examination to prevent further complications,” she added.
From the total number of fireworks injuries, “piccolo” is still the undisputed the “topnotch” cause of injuries with 166 or 49 percent, followed by Kwitis with 35 cases or 10 percent, Luces 21 or 6 percent and Five Star with 12 or 3 percent.
Garin also said most of the reported injuries came from the National Capital Region with 168 or 48 percent, Manila with 31 percent, Pasig 14 percent, Quezon City 13 percent, Navotas 7 percent and Caloocan also 7 percent.
A total FWRI, 91 were children less than 10 years old or 26 percent.
The DOH acting chief also said of the total FWRI this year, 234 got injured because they handled the firecrackers themselves while 112 were bystanders or "nahagisan lang."
Girls in Manila and Ormoc, boy in CDO among 2015’s New Year babies
- Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/397710/lifestyle/peopleandevents/girls-in-manila-and-ormoc-boy-in-cdo-among-2015-s-new-year-babies
- Thursday, January 1, 2015 8:52 am
- By Joel Locsin / KG (GMA News)
Girls born in Manila and in Ormoc City in Leyte, and a boy born in Cagayan de Oro City were among the New Year babies for 2015.
In Manila, Daniella Amparado was born at 12:01 a.m. Thursday at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, GMA News' Isay Reyes reported.
Another girl, Irma Tan, was born in Ormoc City in Leyte to Nilo Platero and his partner Liza Tan at 12:17 a.m. at the Ormoc District Hospital.
"Hindi namin expected. Ang expectation namin ay December talaga, mga 21 to 26," Platero told GMA News stringer Ronnie Roa.
The newborn baby and her parents, however, had to stay in the hallway as there was no vacancy at the hospital.
Meanwhile, in Cagayan de Oro City, a baby boy was born at 12:16 a.m., GMA Northern Mindanao's Jeik Compo tweeted.