Cong. Villar graces Bonok-Bonok festival 2008

Tourists, neighboring townfolks and covering journalists were once again treated to a cultural festivity as Surigaonons showed off not only their rich culture but also their unique rhythm through the staging of the Bonok-bonok Maradjaw Karadjaw Festival 2008.

The Bonok-Bonok is a ritual dance originated from the Mamanwa tribe which has been brought down through the generations and still being practiced today in reverence to the patron Saint San Nicolas de Tolentino.

Las Pinas Representative Cynthia A. Villar, the festival guest of honor and keynote speaker said it was her first time to attend the Bonok-bonok Festival and was overwhelmed with the unique moves of the dancers, “Ngayon lang po ako nakaatend ng Bonok-bonok Festival, ang ganda-ganda po. (This is my first time to attend the Bonok-bonok Festival. It’s very beautiful.)”

Villar congratulated the event organizers and urged them to continue the activity for it is in one way or another spur up growth and development in the province.

In this year’s winner, Surigao West Central Elementary School emerged as the overall champion out of the eight competing contingents and bagged the cash prize worth P250,000 plus trophy.

After the event, Cong. Villar was given honor by Surigao del Norte Governor Robert Ace Barbers in a fellowship dinner hosted by him. (PIA)

Another two mariculture parks launched in Caraga

Two Mariculture Parks were launched in Barobo, Surigao del Sur on April 8, 2008 and Dapa, Siargao Island on May 10, 2008.

The Barobo Mariculture Park is the second in the region but the first one to be launched under the Sustainable Management of Coastal Resources in Bicol and Caraga regions (SUMACORE) Program of the Agencia Española de Cooperacion International (AECI) in partnership with the Local Government Unit (LGU).

The establishment of Mariculture Parks highlights the thrust of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) in transforming the local fisherfolk from hunters of the seas to fish farmers. This is one of the measures to adapt to the fast-changing times and the inevitable global warming. BFAR National Director Malcolm Sarmiento pointed this out in his keynote address during the launching ceremonies of the two Mariculture Parks in the region.

BFAR Caraga Regional Director Alauya Olama earlier said that the parks will serve as showcases of fishery technologies to encourage more to invest on mariculture. He added that the yield per cropping of one cage could equal to the yield of a two-hectare fishpond. Assistant Regional Director Nerio Casil foresees the region to be the Grouper capital of the country since the local waters abound with rich fishery resources. He further said that BFAR continuously seeks for more development partnerships with the LGUs that would redound to poverty alleviation, job generation and food security in the coastal areas.

In attendance during the launching were SUMACORE project Director Jessica Muñoz, AECI Mindanao Filed Officer Miguel Angel Barba, Surigao del Sur 2nd District Congressman Florencio Garay and Barobo Municipal Mayor Arturo Ronquillo who all encouraged the local residents to support and protect for sustainable livelihood and improved quality of life.

On the other hand, Dapa Mariculture Zone counts the third, which has an area of 1000 hectares covering the coastal barangays of Dapa, Siargao Islands. Dapa Municipal Mayor Peter Ruaya envisions the park to attract investors. He said that they are ready to adapt advanced technology to make Dapa a livable place.

Congressman Francisco Matugas of the 1st District of Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands sees the park as just an initial step to development, an initial answer to the growing population. He hoped for more assistance from the BFAR like patrol boat, payaw and cold storage for fish and other marine products.

The launching were highlighted with the unveiling of the aqua tourism development plan and the ceremonial stocking of milkfish (bangus) and grouper (Lapu-lapu) fingerlings into the demo-cages. It was witnessed by executives of the respective LGUs and neighboring municipalities, DA and BFAR regional and provincial officials and employees, Sangguniang bayan members, councilmen, teachers, students, residents and fisherfolk. (BFAR-13)

Caraga prepares for landslides

In a move to mitigate if not prevent damages of properties or losses of lives arising from disasters such as in St. Bernard, Guinsaugon, Leyte landslide, the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) Caraga under the auspices of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) conducted a Contingency Plan Formulation Workshop on Landslide here recently.

The workshop aims to effectively prepare for, prevent, respond to, recover from and mitigate the effects of landslides. The workshop also aims to organize potential response structure, mechanisms, resources, and disaster risk reduction measures that are focused into landslide.

The contingency planning workshop also aims to build organizational capacity and should become a foundation for operation planning and emergency response as well as for other disaster management related planning.

Contingency planning for landslide in the region is expected to pool resources together and strengthen inter-agency coordination at the advent of early warning signals of an impending landslide disaster.

It is expected to assist in generating commitment among parties involved to act in a coordinated manner before the emergency occurs; mobilize effective actions and resources emergency response and design a concrete and continuous plan until the emergency occurs.

Different regional line agencies and local government units of Caraga attended the workshop. After the three-day activity, the group was able to come up with a useful and effective contingency plan for landslide in Caraga.

The contingency plan is more likely to be implemented in Dinagat Island considering that most areas of the province is landslide-prone.

The plan also ensures the availability of resources of each agency that can be used during disaster. A flow chart on what to do during landslide emergency is also included in the plan. (PIA-Caraga)

NPA to suspend offensives during Siargao surfing fest

The communist New People’s Army (NPA) won’t mount offensives in Siargao Island during the invitational surfing competition there, the National Democratic Front has said.

“We guarantee this to the people of the island and to the international and local tourists who will participate and witness the surfing competition and visit during the fiesta celebrations of General Luna, Surigao del Norte,” it said on the Communist Party of the Philippines website Wednesday afternoon.

The NPA, however, apologized for firing shots in a recent attack on the old municipal hall that surprised and unnerved some people.

It said the NPA made sure that no civilian was caught in the crossfire and had ordered the Red Fighters to stop firing once police forces surrender.

Also, it said the NPA medic treated a wounded policeman and made sure that the other who also wounded was brought to the hospital.

“We apologize for what happened. We also wish to inform some of the island residents whose cellular phones were confiscated that we will return or pay the unreturned units. Some of the units can no longer be returned because it got wet and were left when the NPA encountered the enemy when they withdrew to Claver. If you are one of those whose mobile phones were confiscated by the NPA, please inform us through announcements in the radio stations in Surigao City. Please include the type/brand of the cellular phone and your real name, we will pay for your lost units,” it said.

But the NDF said the NPA will continue to take steps to stop the growing illegal drug trade in the island.

It said it will continue to gather evidence against drug pushers, drug lords, and their protectors.

“We call on the enlightened Surigaonons to help the NPA put an end to the illegal drug trade in the island, to secretly provide us with factual data against the drug lords and their protectors. Revolutionary justice cannot be effected without the people’s support,” it said.

It said it will also continue implementing the revolutionary agrarian reform program to defend the interest of the peasantry.

“Land grabbing is a serious crime committed against the people. Cases will be filed against unrepentant land grabbers or despotic landlords, they will be tried in the people’s court and be punished based on the degree of their crime if proven guilty,” it said. (GMANews.TV)

SCCI partners with media for "Kapihan Nan Surigao"

After a long year of hibernation, the “Kapihan Nan Surigao” has finally been revived last Saturday, August 2, 2008.
Sponsored by the Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Foundation, the weekly discussion forum seeks to raise awareness and level of understanding among the Surigao community for Surigao’s most significant issues.

Held at Hotel Tavern Surigao, the forum kicked-off with a signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the SCCI led by its president Jake Miranda and partners in the local media led by Jun Clerigo of the Media Association of Surigao to make sure the sustainability of this initiative.

In the MOA, the SCCI will provide snacks and venue with appropriate sound and light system. Furthermore, SCCI will invite resource speakers for each event with the concurrence of the media partners.