LGU, BFAR step up ECOFISH program SURIGAO CITY - The City Agriculture Office and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) have planned to strengthen the Ecosystems Improved for Sustainable Fisheries (ECOFISH) program. City Mayor Ernesto Matugas has issued Memorandum Order suspending the the hauling permit and banning the harvest of brown seaweeds, locally known as “samo.” The plans include the monitoring of
illegal fishing, registration of local legitimate fisherman, and provide training for sustainable fishing. The ECOFISH program is implemented by BFAR, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to protect the coastal marine resources and improved livelihood through sustainable fishing. (SDR/Annette Villaces, City PIO/PIASurigao del Norte/jdfelpf )
Mindanao Daily northmin . caraga . davao Your Mindanao-wide Community Newspaper www.businessweekmindanao.com
Volume II, No. 054
Thursday
P10.00
August 1, 2013
From former solon’s pork
‘ Bogus’ NGO gets P44M
S
Solon proposes pork as line item in budget
By Chris V. Panganiban, Regional Editor
AN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur--- An agriculture-based non-government organization (NGO) allegedly got the biggest chunk of P44 million from the reported P81.5 million pork barrel fund that former Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza has released to controversial businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.
A source has disclosed that the Masaganang Ani para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. has benefitted from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Plaza, downloaded in different releases from 2009 to 2010. The releases included P10 million, P10 million, P9 million, P7.5 million, P5 million and P2.5 million on different dates, in favour of the NGO with a certain Marina C. Sula serving as president. The source based such disclosure from the audit reports of the Department of Agriculture’s National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor), which acts as the agency’s
marketing arm in the acquisition and distribution of farm outputs. These were part of the 26 ‘dubious’ NGOs allegedly established by Napoles to corner the pork barrel funds. There were seven that shared incorporators and officers with two to four others in the list. These seven groups included two that have been identified with Napoles. These 7 ‘sister’ NGOs ‘cornered’ P611.03 million – almost half (45%) – of the P1.35 billion that the Commission on Audit (COA) found to have been misappropriated or misused by 26 NGOs. A consortium of NGOs in Agu SOLON’S | page 2
By Pat Samonte Regional Editor
TRADE FAIR - Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr (right) invites Butuanons to support and patronize locally-made goods and products even as he asks the people of Butuan to participate in the 63rd Adlaw Hong Butuan celebration. This, during the opening of the trade fair co-facilitated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-Caraga) and the City Tourism Office at Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort, Butuan City. (Jennifer P. Gaitano/PIA-Caraga/asf)
Quad-media gets role in recruitment process By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, July 30 (PIA) – The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga conducted Monday the selection job applicants, through a written examination and interview at the PIA-Caraga regional office here. PIA-Caraga Regional Director Abner Caga said, one thing that made the process unique among other government agencies was not only PIA personnel were involved, but also their part media | page 11
TRADE TEST - Philippine Information Agency (PIA-Caraga) Director Abner M. Caga briefs the seven applicants for Information Officer II position. This, during the trade test conducted by the regional Personnel Selection Board on July 29 at PIA-Caraga regional office in Butuan City. After the trade test, a panel interview followed. (NCLM/ Gerie Mae G. Coco, PIA-Caraga/asf)
For undelivered ‘balik-bayan’ boxes
Freight forwarders probed, sued, penalized By Arjay Serafin Felicilda, Assistant Editor
SEVERAL freight for- Caraga learned that said warders have either been freight forwarders were formally charged, placed not accredited with the under investigation, or Department of Trade and issued ‘show cause order’ Industry-Philippine Shipfor various violations per- pers’ Bureau (DTI-PSB), taining to cargoes from DTI-Caraga Regional foreign lands. Director Brielgo Pagaran This, as DTI intensifies said that for the months the campaign for con- of April to May 2013, 22 sumers, businesses and freight forwarding comOverseas Filipino Work- panies have been penalers (OFWs) to transact ized for engaging activionly with duly accredited ties without the required freight forwarders to avoid accreditation with fines any trouble in transporting ranging from P50,000 to balikbayan boxes. P70,000 each. Mindanao Daily- PROBED | page 11
BUTUAN CITY – Agusan del Norte 1st District Rep. Lawrence “Law” Fortun has proposed for the inclusion of lawmakers’ pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), as line items in the General Appropriations Act to forestall possible misuse. Fortun explained that in such a manner, expenditures are outlined to prevent bulk allocations. As a result, the fund cannot be disposed of at the sole discretion of the proponent lawmaker, he said. “This ensures PDAF allocations are used for programs and projects directed at the real needs of the people,” Fortun stated. The proposal came in the wake of government investigation of a P10-billion scam involving lawmakers’ PDAF that reportedly went to ‘fake’ non-government organizations and ‘ghost projects’. The scam whistleblower revealed that some lawmakers allegedly downloaded to ‘bogus’ NGOs their PDAF, most of which were hard agricultural and infra PORK | page 11
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