Qualified barangays may soon avail P1M worth of dev’t projects under BuB

BAGUIO CITY, June 30(PIA) - - Qualified barangays may avail of P1 million -worth of development projects under the Bottoms-Up-Budgeting (BuB).

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Cordillera has announced that starting 2017, BuB budgeting will target further empowering the barangays by downloading as much as P1 million for the implementation of development projects. 

Eligible projects include basic services and infrastructure as well as disaster related projects.

Barangays will be assessed based on their compliance to the Full Disclosure Policy, conduct of barangay assembly, presence of a barangay development plan duly adopted by the Sangguniang Pambarangay, and capacity to implement.  

Based on a joint memorandum circular by the National Anti-Poverty Commission and the departments of Social Welfare and Development and Budget and Management signed in March this year, Barangay BuB will have covered all 42,036 barangays nationwide by year 2019.

The program will be implemented in batches, the first of which shall cover 30% of the total number of barangays to include at least one barangay per city / municipality that passes set criteria. While awaiting their turn, the rest of the barangays will undergo capacity building.

Barangay BuB aims to pursue inclusive growth and poverty reduction and promote good governance at the barangay level by involving community-based peoples’ organizations in identifying, implementing and monitoring priority projects and activities.  It also aims

CCTVs installed to help deter crime

BAGUIO CITY, June 29(PIA) - - - Seventy closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras have been installed in strategic places as part of its crime prevention and surveillance development plan in this mountain resort.

Mayor Maurico Domogan reported during his weekly “Ugnayan” media forum that the project is part of the P12 million initial funding for the city’s determination for a quick response to any type of situations including crimes, emergencies and other forms of situation that needs an immediate attention.

‘We are rapidly growing in population, but we have only a few personnel to attend to immediate concerns and the CCTV will greatly help us monitor what going around in the localities’, Domogan said.

We are the education center of the north and that we have thousands of students that are a good prey of bad elements, also as a tourist and the general public’, he added.

Domogan said the state-of-the-art CCTV should be utilized by the police in continuously improving its performance in deterring the occurrence of crimes in identified crime-prone areas.

The command center will be housed at the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) which real-time events and information relating to public safety, security and even disaster preparedness can be monitored.

The command center operates in a coordinative approach method manned by capable individuals that will implement a systematic, pro-active, aggressive and immediate response to any type of situations and emergencies.

 BCPO city director George Daskeo   lauded the project saying that it will be a big advantage to the police force. (JBZ PIA-CAR)

DSWD, RCDA to lead National Disability Prevention Week observance

BAGUIO CITY, June 29 (PIA) --The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Regional Committee on Disability Affairs (RCDA) will lead the celebration of the 38th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week from July 17 to 23.

The event was declared through Proclamation No. 361 (s. 2000) and Administrative Order 35 (s. 2002), which urge all government and non-government organizations to promote and conduct relevant activities for persons with disabilities (PWDs) during the week-long celebration.

This year’s celebration adopts the theme “Karapatan ng Maykapansanan, Isakatuparan—Now Na!” which focuses on the realization of the fundamental freedoms and rights of PWDs as provided for in existing international mandates and national laws.

The celebration will kick-off on July 19 with a whole day one-stop-shop for PWDs at the Baguio Convention Center with government agencies, non-government organizations and the private sector joining the event.

Among the services to be availed during the one-stop-shop include Non-Communicable Disease Assessment by DOH; DSWD Help Desk by DSWD and City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO); Legal Help Desk by Department of Justice – Public Attorney’s Office and Commission on Human Rights; Free Haircut/Massage by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; Display of PWD products by the Department of Trade and Industry, and PWD organizations

Activities line-up for the celebration include accessibility audit of barangay halls, basketball-on-wheels on July 21 at the PFVR Hall, and a PWD sensitivity training.

A tree planting activity to be led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on July 22 will culminate the NDPR Week celebration. (JDP/MAWC- PIA CAR)

Coop officers to undergo leadership and values re-orientation

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, June 29 (PIA) - -  A two-day training in enhancing the leadership skills and re-orientation on values of  cooperative officials in the municipality  of  Atok is  slated on July 7-8  at the Farmers Training Center in Paoay, Atok.

Municipal Cooperative Development Officer Designate Lolita Beganio said at least two to three representatives from each of the 17 functional cooperatives in the municipality are expected to participate.

With cooperatives considered as drivers of economy in the countryside, their officials need to have a strong leadership and must inculcate good values in running their group to keep the organization intact and moving and ensure profitability that would ultimately benefit its members, she said.

The participants are expected to   know and understand their roles, functions, authority, responsibility and their accountability as officers.They should also be able to determine the elements and attributes of effective leadership and integrate the Filipino cooperative values.

Training among cooperative officials is one of the supports the local government extends in enhancing their capabilities in contributing to community and nation building. (JDP/SCA-PIA-CAR, Benguet)

JICA-LGUs continue to target zero maternal-child mortality

BANGUED, Abra, June 29(PIA) -- The Japan International Cooperating Agency (JICA) conducted another local health zone meeting here recently to continue its mission to carry out its maternal health care project from the urban areas to the most remote places in Abra.

JICA and its LGU counterparts, the inter-local health zones of Dolores, Lagangilang and San Juan in northern Abra, and the municipalities of Peñarrubia, Pilar and Villaviciosa in southern Abra, are determined to move for zero maternal and child mortality in the province from the fast- growing number of cases in the past years.

JICA Chief Advisor Fude Takayoshi said this project has started in 2012 and will end on February 2017.

In the last four years of project implementation, medical equipment, birthing facilities and doctors were provided to rural health units, said Takayoshi.

They also provided seminars and workshops to the RHU teams to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills in serving their patients. 

The LGUs are very thankful to JICA for its assistance and facility provision that help them deliver quality health services to the people especially pregnant women and children from remote barangays.

 “JICA has been a great help to health department here and its legacy will continue even after its termination next year,” said Manuela Munar, Field Consultant of JICA in Abra. (JDP/MTBB- PIA CAR, Abra)

2 irrigators’ associations in CAR recognized in national awards

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, June 29- -Two Irrigators’ Associations (IA) in the region were among the country’s best IAs awarded during the 53rd founding anniversary of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on June 22 at the NIA grounds in Quezon City.

The Taloy Sur IA of Brgy. Taloy Sur, Tuba, Benguet and Bolo-Borobor Farmers Integrated Association (FIA) of Brgy. Bolo, Tabuk City, Kalinga are Most Outstanding IAs, fifth and sixth runners-up respectively in the nationwide Annual Search for Most Outstanding IAs for CY 2015 for achieving exemplary performance.  

Taloy Sur IA maintains and operates the Taloy Sur Communal Irrigation System located in Brgy. Taloy Sur, Tuba, which was first constructed in 1988 and rehabilitated after that big earthquake in 1990. Taloy Sur IA's office which was established through the organization’s fund raising activities is located at the 2nd View Deck along Marcos Highway in Taloy Sur, Tuba.

Last year, Taloy Sur IA also received a Special Performance Award as Most Outstanding IA for 2014 under the communal system category. It is the only IA that received an award in 2015 and 2016 whose farm products are high value crops.

The Bolo-Borobor FIA, Inc. is the first time national awardee under the national irrigation system (NIS) category from the region. It was registered with the SEC in 2006 with a service area of 385 hectares under the Upper Chico River Irrigation System (UCRIS), and has currently 245 farmer-members.

IAs nationwide are being evaluated based on their operation and maintenance, organizational performance and financial discipline for the Annual Search for Most Outstanding Irrigators’ Associations. 

Aside from the awarding of outstanding irrigators’ group, one of the annual activities to celebrate NIA’s anniversary is a synchronized tree planting where all regional and field offices of NIA plant fruit and forest tree seedlings last June 10. (NIA CAR)  

DOST orients Ifugao entrepreneurs on packaging and labeling

LAMUT, Ifugao, June 29 (PIA)- - The Department of Science and Technology- Cordillera Administrative Region (DOST-CAR) oriented 50 entrepreneurs of this province on its  Packaging and Labeling Services in  forum at the Ifugao State University (IFSU) here.

Dr. Pita Picpican of DOST-CAR said the agency recognizes the urgency and critical role of proper packaging and label designs that will enable the local Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the region to compete in the local and international markets.

She said that these services are conducted by their artist-designer who provides designs of product packaging and labeling materials for MSMEs in the region and which are also offered in coordination with the Packaging Technology Division of the Industrial Technology Development Institute, an attached agency of the DOST based in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Picipican also informed that Packaging and Labeling Seminars/Trainings or technical assistance can also be provided based on the request of the MSMEs region-wide on arranged schedule in coordination with the Provincial Science and Technology Centers (PSTCs).

To avail of these services, there must be requests or project proposals for the activities from the DOST-CAR through the PSTCs addressed to the DOST Regional Director or the PSTC director and if the request is granted, coordination between the PSTCs and the proponent will be done to finalize the arrangement such as the venue, schedule and others.

Those who can avail of these services are the DOST-CAR assisted cooperators and other qualified MSMEs in the region. (JDP/DBC- PIA CAR, Ifugao)