Gov. Degamo honors 150 CAFGU Active Auxiliary trainees
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Sept. 21 (PIA) A total of 150 newly recruited civilian volunteers have completed the basic CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA) basic military training yesterday at the headquarters of the 302nd Brigade at Camp Leon Kilat, Tanjay City.
In a graduation ceremony, as guest speaker, Governor Roel Degamo shared his thoughts for the newly CAAs and reminded them to be emissaries of peace as the problem in insurgency and other related problems cannot be solved by military approach alone.
According to Information Officer Major Conrado Evangelista of the 302nd Infantry Brigade the 45-day training is intended to equip the trainees with basic military knowledge and combat skills exposing them to the regimented life in the military and transform them from raw recruits into disciplined member of the CAFGU auxiliary under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Maj. Evangelista said the new batch of graduates came from the different municipalities of the province and will be deployed to the different CAA detachments ready to serve and protect the Negrenses.
The army trainees augment the regular forces of the Philippine Army in order to preserve the peace and security conditions in the province.
Gov. Degamo also cited the HELP approach for peace and development of the region which stand for Health, Education, Livelihood Programs and Projects to strengthen the basic foundation to attain total peace in Negros Oriental.
The provincial chief executive ended his speech by recognizing the efforts of the Philippine Army as partner for economic development and as peace advocates in the region, said Evangelista.
Brigade Commander Francisco Patrimonio congratulated the new CAA graduates and also said the army continues to support the province for lasting peace and development.
During the program, Col Christopher Estella, Deputy Brigade Commander gave the welcome remarks followed by a video presentation on the synopsis of the training.
The course director, 1lt Roberto Salvador presented the 150 trainees who were declared graduates by Ltc Alberto C Desoyo, Commander, 12th Infantry Battalion (CAFGU), 3ID, PA. This was followed by the distribution of certificates and academic and physical proficiency awards by the brigade commander and the guest of honor. (PIA NegOr/JCT)
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Legarda to lead Visayas IP Assembly in Iloilo
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Sept. 20 (PIA) The chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities and Committee on Climate Change Senator Loren Legarda will now lead the assembly of the Visayas Indigenous Peoples (IPs) at the Provincial Capitol, Iloilo City on September 23-24.
The IP Assembly of the Visayas is the third and last of a series before the culminating event of the National Indigenous Cultural Summit, seeks the perspectives of various IP leaders in the Visayas and identify appropriate measures to address their identified concerns.
The senator also held two gatherings in Baguio City for Luzon Indigenous Peoples on September 9-10 and for Mindanao IPs in Davao del Norte last week.
Among the Mindanao IP groups participating in the Iloilo City assembly are the Bukidnon, Akeanon-Bukidnon, Iraynon-Bukidnon, Panay-Bukidnon, Bukidnon-Karulano, Bukidnon-Magahat, Ata, Ati, Escaya and the Badjao.
Aside from the open forum, there will be special presentations on Climate Change and its Impacts on Indigenous Peoples; Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) Programme; Disaster Risk Reduction: Use of Geohazards Information; ILO Convention 169: Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention; and Sustainable Management of Schools of Living Tradition, it stated.
In a press statement, Legarda committed to strengthen the protection of the IP’s ancestral domain by assessing the implementation of existing laws that protect the environment and the welfare of indigenous communities which are threatened by mining operations, during the Luzon IP assembly in Baguio.
The Senator also said she would take to the Senate proposals from Luzon IP assembly, including an amendment to the Electric Power Reform Industry Act (EPIRA); and the extension of the period provided in Section 64 of Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) for the initiation of action for cancellation of officially documented titles, which were illegally acquired.
During the Mindanao IP assembly in Tagum City, the Senator said she would check on the implementation of the provision of the IPRA that requires LGUs to appoint IP representatives in policy-making bodies and legislative councils.
In both assemblies, she stressed the need for the effective implementation of existing laws crafted for the promotion of welfare of IPs.
“My focus is on funding the laws that I authored and on monitoring the implementation of the government,” Legarda said. (PIA NegOr/JCT)
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NEDA include s NegOr in national tourism dev’t plan
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos with reports from Gesta Riva Gamo
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Sept. 20 (PIA) The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Region-7 together with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has conducted a budget briefing recently to include Negros Oriental in the Tourism Development Master Plan in the national level.
As presented, Negros Oriental is not part of the 850 million budget allocated for tourism in Central Visayas this year, but only Cebu and Bohol got P350 million and P500 million budget, respectively.
Third District Rep. Henry Pryde Teves remarked, “We need to be aggressive, and need to have our own tourism development plan to submit for funding.”
Accordingly, the SP led by Vice Governor Apolinario Arnaiz submitted a proposal for Governor Roel Degamo to issue an executive order creating a Technical Working Group (TWG) to craft a tourism masterplan that would guide the Negrense in tourism-related programs and projects.
The proposed TWG will be composed of point persons in charge from the NEDA Region-7, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Tourism (DOT), SP, Provincial Tourism Office (PTO), Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) , Negros Oriental Tourism Council (NOTC), mayors, and stakeholders.
The completed master plan will be submitted to NEDA for proposed funding of the Regional Development Council (RDC).
According to NEDA regional head Efren Carreon,” there is a lot of potential tourist spots that promote employment and economic gain in the province.”
Carreon said that NEDA is willing to give technical assistance to enhance the Master Plan so that when the province would already be part of the national budget, a tourism circuits will be developed.
“This means, one tourism destination in a municipality will be connected to another town attraction, so that there will be more organized way of linking one destination to another,” said NEDA official. (PIA NegOr/JCT/grg)