media forum on the Accelerated Hunger-Mitigation Program

The National Nutrition Council conducted a media forum on the Accelerated Hunger-Mitigation Program anchored with a theme that says, “Mission: Good Nutrition-drive Out Hunger”.

The forum serves as a venue to share and discuss the plans and accomplishments of the Arroyo government in its drive to address hunger and malnutrition.

The media forum is consistent with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Pagkain sa Bawat Mesa (Food in Every Table) and Alagaan ang Kalusugan (Health Care) Campaigns.

The forum also contributes to the achievement of the goals of the Department of Health’s “Ok DOH K, Ok na Kalusugan, Ok sa Bayan.”

Representing National Nutrition Council Chair and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is National Nutrition Council Executive Director Assistant Secretary Maria Bernardita Flores who gave an update on the AHMP’s accomplishments and how the strategy is continuing to address hunger in the country.

ASEC Flores likewise stressed the importance of having a good nutrition as the best defense against influenza A(H1N1) and other diseases.

“It is never too late to start eating healthy and practicing a healthy lifestyle. Good nutrition at whatever stage in life is essential to good health and quality living,” emphasized ASEC Flores.

ASEC Flores also urged advised mothers to adopt breastfeeding as human milk has no substitute and is incomparable to any formula milk preparations. To ensure 100% compliance, the Barangay Nutrition Scholars are reminded to educate mothers of the importance of breast feeding to curb malnutrition.

The second quarter of 2009 results from Social Weather Stations revealed that the proportion of families who experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past 3-months increased to 20.3% or an estimated 3.7 million families from the previous 15.5% or 2.9 million families.

The increase was due to the reported increase in moderate hunger from 11.1% to 16% while severe hunger remained stable.

SWS survey also showed that in Mindanao the hunger soared 18 points from only 11.7% in February to 30% in June 2009.

Moderate hunger refers to hunger experienced only once or a few times in the last 3 months while severe hunger refers to hunger experienced often or always in the last 3 months.

Lady Firefighters of BFP Butuan Conduct Fire Prevention Lectures

Newly integrated 6 lady fire fighters of the Bureau of Fire Protection maximize their time by conducting lectures on fire prevention to Fire Safety Officers established by Butuan Doctor’s Hospital.

The BFP urged participants to be responsible in their workplaces to prevent fire incidents.

Fire Inspector Rey Antonio Restauro, Acting City Fire Marshall said his team conducts fire prevention campaign in schools, malls, offices, hotels and various organizations to educate the public on fire prevention.

Although March was declared as the Fire Prevention Month, the BFP-Butuan upon request holds lectures on fire prevention for free as part of their continuing endeavor.

SFO1 Deborah Llanus speaks on the importance of acquiring knowledge how to suppress fire and emphasize that the best way to handle an emergency is to prevent it from happening.

A lecture on different classes of fire was also included to equip participants of the significant understanding how to be able to react on emergency situations in case fire occurred in the hospital and the proper use of fire extinguishers.

A fire drill will be scheduled next week to complete the learning of hospital staff of Butuan Doctor’s Hospital.

SFO1 Jujie Jalas likewise informed participants that the BFP is not only responding to fire incidents, but also to other calamities.

“Conducting lectures is the BFP’s goal to continually provide fire prevention and life safety programs and to educate all citizens of Butuan through presentations and interactive events like the fire drill,” added SFO1 Jalas in her lecture.

Women to Fight Like a Man to Save Life and Properties

There will be a paradigm shift happening in the Bureau of Fire Protection as lady fire fighters will now become part of the usual all-man team in responding fire incidents in Butuan City.

Last month in Surigao City, 12 female firefighters, the first in Caraga, were presented by BFP Regional Director Fire Senior Supt. Warlito Daus.

The initiative of adding women to the BFP force was replicated in Butuan under the leadership of City Fire Marshall Rey Antonio Restauro who supervise the training on basic knowledge suppressing fire including rescue techniques and first aid to 6 lady firefighters.
“They have just completed series of intensive trainings and ready to respond in an emergency situation,” said City Fire Marshall Restauro.

As present, the office is undergoing modification to accommodate the night shifts of lady firefighters.

Restauro said, there would be plenty of adjustment that needs to be done but as far as work is concerned, men and women firefighters will have an equal opportunity with the same goal that is to save life and properties.

SFO1 Deborah Llanus is the team leader of the city’s first 6-member team of lady firefighters who worked in the medical division as Non-Uniformed Personnel of the BFP since 1999.

When asked why she joined a tough profession dominated by men SFO1 Llanus replied, “It would be fulfilling to help and save a life. This is a kind of job that after facing a big challenge the effort will be rewarded with a great feeling. It feels good to help people at a time they need you. Joining would also encourage other women in this new generation that working with a man’s job like fire fighting is possible, that we could work just as hard and as dedicated in a manner shown by men at the Bureau of Fire Protection.”

After undergoing rigorous trainings, women fire fighters at Butuan City Fire Station are now ready to face their first assignment in fire fighting and in responding to emergency calls to fight like a man to save life and properties during fire incidents.

SFO1 Llanus team composed of SFO1 Jujie Jalan, FO1 Maridesa Digal, FO1 Joyce Pallado, FO1 Rica Joy Palarca, and FO1 Jesiel Ramos.

To date, the City Fire Department only have 2 serviceable fire trucks but started to train these women fire fighters some driving lessons to prepare them as soon as the 3 fire trucks will be made available after undergoing repairs.

Caraga Region Deployed 365 Nurses in Far Flung Areas

Unemployed registered nurses who are willing to serve in their hometowns and who meet the requirements set by the government may qualify for the training cum employment under the government’s Nurses Assigned in Rural Service (NARS) for the second half of 2009.

Dr.Joji Yu, NARS Coordinator of the Department of Health Caraga announced that there are a total of 365 nurses deployed to rural areas in different parts of the region that commenced on October 16.

The Philippine government launched the NARS program purposely to address the increasing number of unemployed nurses in the country in the midst of the global financial crisis experienced in 2008 until this year.

This was implemented early this year where President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said the government would spend P500 million for this program.

Under the NARS program some 5,000 to 6,000 nurses will be hired by the government to serve as “warriors of wellness” in poverty-stricken areas.

They will be assigned in their hometowns and will be tasked to implement the following (1) initiate health and nutrition programs and first line diagnosis (2) to inform communities about water sanitation and health surveillance (3) immunize children and their mother.

This program will enable nurses to gain the necessary training and experience needed for overseas employment. Hired nurses will work for 6-12 months and will receive a monthly allowance of P8,000 plus P2,000 counterpart fund from the local government units where they will be assigned.

The nurses will act as an augmentation force in different hospitals which were mostly undermanned due to budget constraints.

Dr. Yu also announced that the Department of Education is joining in the implementation of NARS program in addition to the DOH, DOLE, and PRC.

DepEd was included because these nurses also serve as roving nurses for rural schools to focus on the students’ health aspects.

Dr. Yu added, these nurses employed under the NARS program will also have a major role in case of a second wave of A(H1N1) that would hit the country.

CSC Caraga Recognizes Exemplary Work of Government Employees

A total of 11 civil servants from different part of the region made it to the Civil Service Commission’s (CSC) roster of outstanding public officials and employees were awarded with honours for this year at Dotties Convention Center simultaneous with the highlights of the 109th Philippine Civil Service anniversary celebration.

This years’ theme is, “Honouring our Heroes in Republic Service: Responsive, Ethical Public Servants with Vision, Impact Commitment and Excellence.

In his speech, CSC Regional Director Adams Torres said, the awardees are ordinary persons who live and work in extra ordinary ways, thus making a difference to the lives of their fellowmen in several different ways as servants.

“Let us be happy to spread the good news of excellence in public service, let us tell the whole region if not the whole country that indeed in Caraga there are living heroes who champion the cause of merit and weakness so that good governance be sustained and defended against all source of attacks because of human greed and selfishness,” added Director Torres.

CSC Commissioner Mary Ann Fernandez-Mendoza who was the guest of speaker, encourage all public servants to emulate the best practices initiated by the awardees and commended CSC Regional Director Torres for choosing those who have accomplished so much.

The conferment of honour awards aims to motivate or inspire government employees to improve the quality of their performance and instil deeper involvement in public service.
The Outstanding Public Servants (TOPS) for this year are the following: Amorpatri Bajarla, Branch Manager of Home Development Mutual Fund (HMDF) Butuan Branch, Tandag Vice Mayor Rosario Nimfa Dumagan II of Surigao del Sur, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur Market Supervisor Rosita Morales, ASSAT-TESDA Caraga Vocational School Administrator Nardo Mariano, Master Teacher I Alma Balatero of DepEd Surigao del Sur, and Veruela Mayor Salimar Mondejar of Agusan del Sur.

The Outstanding Human Resource Management Practitioner was solely awarded to Pilar Bulawin who holds a position of Members Service Officer II in HMDF-Butuan Branch, making their office to be this years’ Outstanding Agency on HR Management.

The Ulirang Kawani Awardee for 2009 were Ardalita Caomate, Elementary School Principal of DepEd Division of Bislig City, Pacita Comandante, Cashier of Surigao Metropolitan Water District in Surigao City, Cecil Gaid, Agrarian Reform Officer II of DAR-Caraga and Larry Jadumas, Marketing Specialist of HMDF-Butuan Branch.

The Honour Awards program is an annual undertaking of the Civil Service Commission that recognizes government officials and employees who have displayed outstanding work performance.

Blood for Life

The Philippine National Red Cross Butuan-Agusan del Norte Chapter conducted blood letting program once in every three months at Father Saturnino Urios University.

For the month of October 2009, more than 50 students donated their blood. According to PNRC Representative Soljin Robles blood donations save lives and students of today's generation generally are aware of the benefits it can do to them and the purpose of voluntarily donating blood.

Aside from educating the students the importance of donating a blood, it was also explained that the volume of fluids will adjust within a few hours after donation and the red blood cells will be replaced within a few weeks, to assure donors that the procedure is safe, is done by skilled, specially trained technicians and or nurses.

The PNRC Staff set up 3-make shift beds at FSUU lobby and there are also tests performed at the donation site.

Mr. Robles said, the PNRC is willing to coordinate with any other organizations or offices for the blood letting program to ensure adequate supply of blood at Red Cross blood bank to serve people that needs blood especially patients who in the marginal sector.

In Butuan City, residents in every barangay are encouraged to have a blood typing to be able to fasttrack would be donors in case somebody needs a blood transfuson especially during emergencies.

Members of the Family were likewise taught of the importance of knowing the blood group for all practical and routine purposes, it is ideal to transfuse to the patient the same group of blood which he belongs to.

The PNRC explained, that it is only under very dire emergency that they take O group as universal donor and AB groups as universal recipient. Under no circumstances O group can get any other blood except O. Similarly A group patient cannot be given B group blood and vice versa.

There are three types of blood donors:
(1) PROFESSIONAL DONORS - They sell their blood, which is of very poor quality and can transmit very dangerous diseases to the recipient. It is illegal to take blood from any professional donor.

(2) REPLACEMENT DONATION - Healthy relatives and friends of the patient give their blood, of any group, to the PNRC. In exchange, the required number of units in the required blood group is given.

(3) VOLUNTARY DONATION- Here a donor donates blood voluntarily. The blood can be used for any patient even without divulging the identity of the donor. This is the best type of blood donation where a motivated human being gives blood in an act of selfless service.

Any person within the age group of 18 - 60 years with a body weight as minimum 45 kgs, and having hemoglobin content as minimum 12.5 gm%.

"The donor does not suffer from any harmful effects after donating blood rather a donor after having given blood voluntarily gets a feeling of great pleasure, peace and bliss. Soon, within a period of 24 - 48 hours, the same amount of new blood gets formed in the body, which helps the donor in many ways. His own body resistance improves, the circulation improves, and he himself feels healthier than before," said Mr. Soljin Robles of the Philippine National Red Cross-Butuan/Agusan del Norte Chapter.

Rotational Brownouts in Mindanao, Butuan in Total Darkness

The National Power Corporation (NPC) temporary shuts down 4 of its hydroelectric power plants and 2 other from its Independent Power producers (IPP) to undertake repairs.
A load reduction plan during peak hours followed as Mindanao Power Grid lowers the generation capacity.

National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Mindanao Systems Operations Head Mr. Eugene Bicar announced that power plants undergoing preventive maintenance are the Agus I unit 2 (40 MW) & Agus 5 unit I (27 MW) due to clogged up trash racks, and Agus 2 unit 1 (60MW).

The Pulangi Hydro Electric Plant unit 3 in Maramag, Bukidnon has also been shut down due to low inflow and high thrust bearing temperature.

Aggravating the situation is the non-operational Western Mindanao Power Corporation power plant’s units 3 to 10 (80 MW) in Zamboanga City after power cables were burned.
Also shut down was the STEAG Mindanao Coal Fired Power Plant (210 MW) in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental since September 11 for a 12-day maintenance work.

To prevent overloading of transmission lines and address the generation problem, power distribution utilities and electric cooperatives in Mindanao has been requested to drop some of their feeders.

The power situation in Mindanao will experience limited power supply during peak hours – that is from 10AM to 4PM and 6PM to 8:30PM daily – based on actual system condition until curtailment is lifted.

This would mean that areas in Mindanao will have short rotational brownouts.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines assured Mindanaoans that necessary steps have already been taken to restore normal power supply in Mindanao Grid to meet the power demands with comfortable level of generation reserves.

NGCP is the new private company that operates the country’s transmission network. It oversees over-all grid operations of the Luzon, the Visayas and the Mindanao power grids.

On September 15, Butuan experienced a blackout that started at 4 in the afternoon until 9 in the evening.