Region 7 brgy nutri scholars hold annual congress in Dumaguete
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Nov. 7 (PIA) --- Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) from Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces are in Dumaguete City for this year’s 7th Regional Congress from November 7 to 8, 2011.
The congress is held at the Claire Isabel Luce Auditorium, Silliman University which a statement from National Nutrition Council (NNC) has described as the “Cultural Center of the Philippines in the South.”
The congress with its theme: “Developing Capacities of BSN to Overcome Challenges” is organized by the NNC in Region 7 through the Federation of Barangay Nutrition Scholars Association (FeBaNuSA7).
Negros Oriental’s First District Congresswoman Jocelyn Limkaichong is this year’s Keynote Speaker.
Topics to be tackled during the congress include food safety, community health team, strengthening the capacities of BNS, and the proposed Magna Carta for BNS.
Resource speakers include Michelle Naranjo of Silliman University, Dr. Ma. Socorro Entera of Department of Health and Dhaianne Laborte from Cebu.
The annual gathering of nutrition workers aims to update the scholars with new information vital to their profession and in implementing health and nutrition services at the grassroots level, the statement said.
The congress will also feature the crowning of the new Mutya ng BNS 2011 among the vying representatives from Region 7 cities and provinces.
Rowena Bautista Dilao of Cebu City, the reigning 2010 Mutya ng BNS, is expected to turn over her crown to the next scholar who will continue the role of being the Ambassador of Goodwill for all BNS regionwide. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental with reports from Dave Bargamento)
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BSP invites Dumaguete runners to join ‘Mahalaga Ako Night Run’
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Nov. 8 (PIA) --- The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in Dumaguete City is inviting local runners and brisk walking enthusiasts to join their “Mahalago Ako Night” run on Nov. 10, 2011.
The 2.5-kilometer to 5-kilometer run is in partnership with the Bankers Club of Negros Oriental (BCNO), Dumaguete Amateur Runners and Striders (DARS) and the Metro Dumaguete Road Runners Club (MDRC).
Divine Labitad of BSP Dumaguete Economic and Financial Learning Center said the run is in support to the central bank’s momentous attempt to make it to the Guinness Book of Records for the longest line of coins on November 30 to December 1, 2011 at the Manila Grandstand.
Runners interested to join said activity are requested to assemble at 7:30 p.m. at the new building of the BSP Dumaguete Branch at North Road Daro where they can register for the event.
To register, participants are required to either bring with them as many low-denomination coins as they could, particularly the 25-centavo coins, or donate an amount of at least P20 more for BSP’s classroom-building project.
“For those who choose to bring coins, we are requesting them to count their coins by pieces and amount, and put them in a plastic container before handing them over to the our branch secretariat for registration,” said Labitad.
Participants can look forward to prizes, especially for the runner with the most number of coins gathered or donated, added Labitad.
The money collected during the local run and the attempt for longest line of coins in Manila will help build classrooms in La Union, Cebu and Davao provinces representing the three BSP regional offices.
“This will also support our National Coin Recirculation Program by creating a huge awareness campaign on the importance of coins and coin recirculation,” she said.
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Army’s Youth Leadership Summit produces 121 youth leaders
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Nov. 7 (PIA) --- A total of 121 young Filipinos from various villages of Canlaon City in Negros Oriental province and Moises Padilla town in adjoining Negros Occidental province completed the four-day Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) recently spearheaded by the Philippine Army (PA).
The youth summit, facilitated by PA’s 11th Infantry Battalion, was held simultaneously in the two local government units (LGUs) from October 26 to 29, 2011.
Some 65 youths participated in the summit at Jose Cardenas Memorial High School in Canlaon City coming from the villages of Panubigan, Pula, Binalbagan and Mabigo while 60 turned up at Moises Padilla Elementary School in Moises Padilla town from Brgy. Quintin Remo.
During the simultaneous graduation ceremonies, the participants staged a cultural show as a creative demonstration of what they learned at the summit with the theme “Peace and Unity for Progress.”
A statement from the 11th Infantry Battalion said the goal of the summit is to develop the youth into responsible members of the community.
“YLS emphasizes values formation to make the youth morally and spiritually upright; personality development through leadership skills development, team building and role playing through exposures in various exercises and group activities; and, social awareness to insulate the youth from destructive vices, lawless elements, and deceptive scheming from some sectors,” the press statement said.
Said battalion has been teaming up with LGUs in central Negros area for a series of youth trainings.
11th IB Commander Lt. Col. Ramil Bitong said the youth plays a vital role in the community and cited the need for them to realize their full potential.
“The youth should realize the implications of their actions and decisions to themselves and the community now and in the future,” he said. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental with reports from 1Lt. Von Ryan Gomez)
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DSWD to Pantawid Pamilya LGUs: Hold convergence caravans
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, November 7 (PIA) --- Local governments units (LGUs) with families benefiting from the government’s poverty-reduction program, Pantawid Pamilya or more popularly known as 4Ps, are encouraged to initiate a Convergence Caravan in their area.
Bella Tse, Pantawid Pamilya provincial coordinator at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), said LGUs where 4Ps is implemented can also hold their own caravan to help DSWD bring government services and programs closer to the 4Ps beneficiaries.
“They can also initiate the convergence caravan for the 4Ps families themselves by inviting the various government agencies to their areas,” said Tse.
DSWD has started rolling out the Convergence Caravan in 4Ps areas this year to gather in one venue the 4Ps beneficiaries and personnel from government agencies to talk about the government programs and services available in their offices for the 4Ps recipients.
“Right now, the awareness level of our beneficiaries is limited only to what DSWD is doing for them so we want them to know that there are other government services that are available for them,” explained Tse.
The caravan in the province kicked off recently in Mabinay town where a crowd of around 2,000 – mostly mothers from 4Ps family-beneficiaries – turned up at the Mabinay municipal gymnasium to listen to representatives from government agencies such as the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth talk about what the government can do for them.
The five-year Pantawid Pamilya program was implemented in Mabinay in January this year.
During the caravan, DENR Provincial Environment an Natural Resources Officer Oscar Magallones personally handed over free patent titles to 56 recipients who are also 4Ps recipients under the department’s Handog sa Titulo program.
A large number of beneficiaries was also seen crowded around the TESDA section to sign up for free skills and livelihood trainings classes.
“We bring to the caravan the government offices who target the same clientele, the 4Ps families. DSWD alone cannot gain a big unless we tap the resources also offered by other government agencies,” said Tse.
She hopes that other LGUs with 4Ps beneficiaries here will also follow suit. “Given DSWD’s meager resources, we hope we can pool our efforts and resources together,” she added. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Pantawid Pamilya in NegOr adds 5 more areas this year
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, November 7 (PIA) --- Five more local government units (LGUs) have been added to the roster of LGUs covered by the government-led poverty reduction program, Pantawid Pamilya, in Negros Oriental province.
According to Bella Tse, Pantawid Pamilya provincial coordinator from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here, the additional LGUs for the program’s Set 5 implementation this year are Dumaguete City, San Jose, Tanjay City, Dauin and Valencia.
A total of 7,511 indigent families identified by DSWD are seen to benefit from Pantawid Pamilya in said areas, said Tse.
These are in addition to the 53,000 families in 17 towns and cities in the province already benefiting from Pantawid Pamilya’s monthly conditional cash grants since the program was first implemented in Negros Oriental in 2008.
DSWD, the government agency spearheading the implementation of said program, is now holding pre-engagement sessions with the additional LGUs for the implementation of said program in their areas, said Tse.
To date, there are three remaining towns in the province not yet covered by Pantawid Pamilya, namely: Amlan, Sibulan and Bacong.
“We don’t know yet if there will be a Set 6 implementation of Pantawid Pamilya but if there is, these three areas will then be covered,” said Tse.
Pantawid Pamilya was implemented in seven LGUs when the program first rolled out in the province, followed by three LGUs in 2010 and seven more in 2011. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)