Cebu-based foundation holds jungle survival training with Aetas
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, May 15 (PIA) -- Facilitators from Cebu-based Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) Kool Adventure Camp (KAC) has recently conducted a two-day jungle survival training with the Aetas in Zambales.
The overnight training also tackled the practical application of KAC’s “Leave No Trace” trainers’ backpacking program.
The training was held at the Pamulaklakin Forest trail in Subic Free Port last February 11 to 12.
A statement from RAFI said the training was held for KAC participants to acquire and develop proficiencies in jungle survival from the indigenous people of Zambales, the Aetas.
The program also adopted the Leave No Trace principles, namely Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife, and Be Considerate of Other Visitors.
The training included basic mountaineering, fire building, wildlife identification, etc.
Without food and water during the overnight stay in the rainforest, the Aeta guide educated the participants on how to get water from vines, cook using green bamboo, and make insect repellant and soap from certain plants and other indigenous survival techniques.
KAC hopes to incorporate some of these basic skills in its current expedition program offerings.
KAC is one of the programs under RAFI’s Leadership and Citizenship focus area, one of the five focus areas of RAFI, where future leaders are nurtured to prepare them to effect change.
Its other focus areas are Integrated Development, Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship, Culture & Heritage, and Education.
KAC is an organizational member of the Association for Challenge Course Technology-USA and Association for Experiential Education-USA.
It is currently building the Philippines' first outdoor experiential learning center in Barangay Cansumoroy, Balamban, Cebu, which is set to open in 2013. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Army, DSWD partner for anti-poverty projects in NegOr
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, May 15 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 7 has partnered with the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Third Infantry Division of the Philippine Army for the implementation of an anti-poverty project in the hinterlands of Negros Oriental.
Personnel from DSWD-7 have earlier been deployed to 11 towns in the province identified to benefit from the government’s poverty alleviation program, Kapit Bisig-Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).
Said towns are Ayungon, Basay, Bindoy, Dauin, Jimalalud, Mabinay, Manjuyod, Pamplona, Santa Catalina, Vallehermoso, and Zamboanguita.
Since the presence of rebel groups have been reported in some of the surrounding communities where Kalahi-CIDSS projects will be implemented, the battalion troopers will secure the area for the safe implementation of the project.
Under the Kalahi-CIDSS program, DSWD staff will visit the target barangays and meet with village residents to integrate them into the process of community-empowerment activity cycles.
With its new partnership with the Army, the social welfare agency is confident it will be able to reach all target communities in the province by 2015.
Kalahi-CIDSS is a national project of the Philippine government spearheaded by DSWD to address poverty issues in the countryside by funding the construction of priority infrastructure projects in its coverage areas such as health stations, classrooms, day care centers, among others.
It started in Region 7 in 2003 in Bohol and Siquijor provinces.
The poverty alleviation project launched in Negros Oriental on April 17, 2012 with a signing of a memorandum of agreement by the mayors of the identified towns and DSWD. (RMN-PIA7 Negros Oriental with reports from Simeon Remata III)
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60 jailed in anti-illegal gambling campaign in Dumaguete
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, May 15 (PIA) -- A total of 60 illegal gambling suspects in the city were jailed during anti-illegal gambling operations conducted on August 2011 to May 2012.
This was revealed by City Police Chief PSupt. Crisaleo Tolentino in his report given before members of the city council during their May 9 session at the Dumaguete City Hall.
Tolentino said his office conducted 60 anti-illegal gambling operations during said period which, aside from the arrests, also resulted to the confiscation of bet money amounting to P24,647.90.
A total of 50 cases were filed in court for violation of Republic Act No. 9287 or the anti-illegal gambling law in the same period.
During his presentation, the police chief also revealed that 59 persons were arrested during 48 anti-illegal drugs operations conducted during the same ten-month period in the city.
Of the 59, 33 were identified as pushers and 25 ushers.
Confiscated during said operations were 36.63 grams of shabu and 15.42 grams of dried marijuana.
A total of 64 cases were filed for violating RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Drugs Law of 2001.
The city council earlier invited the city police chief to give a report on the city police force’s achievements in their drive against criminality in the city. (RMN-PIA7 Negros Oriental)
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NegOr State U graduate 10th placer in electrician licensure exam
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, May 15 (PIA) -- A graduate of Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental placed tenth in the recent Registered Master Electrician Examination.
Mario Sim Erosedo of Hinobaan, Negros Occidental ranked tenth in said licensure examination with a rating of 81 percent.
Erosedo also passed the Electrical Engineer Licensure Examination given this month in Manila.
Another NORSU graduate who passed said examinations is Reinhold Jek Ysic Abing of San Juan, Siquijor.
Erosedo and Abing are among the 723 passers out of total 1,655 examinees nationwide.
NORSU President Dr. Henry Sojor said the national passing percentage is 43.87 percent. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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DSWD, PIAC team up for NegOr anti-poverty project
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, May 15 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 7 has recently teamed up with the Provincial Inter-Agency Committee (PIAC) for the successful implementation of its poverty-reduction program in Negros Oriental.
Key DSWD personnel met with the PIAC members here to discuss strategies for the successful implementation of the national government’s poverty-alleviation programs in the province.
PIAC is composed of national and provincial government agencies that have a stake in the responsibility of community-building such as providing access to education and health facilities, and opportunities for sustainable development.
During their coordination meeting, PIAC and DSWD agreed to conduct a planning-workshop that will identify the structure, composition, roles and function of PIAC in the implementation of Kapit-Bisig Laban Sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) in the province.
Kalahi-CIDSS is one of the core poverty-reduction programs of DSWD that expanded to cover 11 towns in Negros Oriental such as Ayungon, Basay, Bindoy, Dauin, Jimalalud, Mabinay, Manjuyod, Pamplona, Sta. Catalina, Vallehermoso and Zamboanguita.
In Region 7, the project was initially implemented in 14 towns in Bohol and Siquijor provinces in 2003. (RMN-PIA7 Negros Oriental)