Isabela City remains under Alert Level 3 until Feb 15

ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Jan 31 (PIA) –The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has placed some areas in Basilan under Alert Level 2 beginning Tuesday, February 1, while Isabela City will remain under Alert Level 3 until February 15.

Isabela City was placed under Alert Level 3 since January 16, 2022 as per IATF Resolution No. 157-A due to the sudden increase of COVID-19 infection after the year-end holidays.

Under Alert Levels 2 and 3, intrazonal and interzonal travel will be allowed subject to reasonable restrictions as may be determined by local government units. However, under Alert Level 3, the following establishments are prohinited to operate:

1. face-to-face classes for basic education, except those previously approved by the IATF and/or the Office of the President
2. contact sports, except those conducted under a bubble-type setup
3. funfairs and kid amusement industries
4. venues with live voice or wind-instrument performers and audiences
5. casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except as may be authorized by the IATF or the Office of the President
6. gatherings in residences with individuals not belonging to the same household
7. Businesses and activities in areas under Alert Level 3 are allowed up to 30% indoor capacity for fully vaccinated persons and 50% outdoor venues.

Regardless of the alert level status both the Isabela City and the entire province of Basilan continuously strengthen its COVID-19 Bayanihan Bakunahan campaign to help all individuals here get protected from COVID-19 and attain herd immunity.

The Basilan COVID-9 IATF data as of January 30, 2022 showed that Basilan Province has a total of 241 active cases, of which 147 are in Isabela City. (RVC/NDR/PIA9-Basilan)

SM Foundation invites scholars for SY 2022-23

By Dominic Sanchez

ZAMBOANGA CITY, January 31 (PIA) – The SM Foundation is inviting students to apply to its college scholarship program for school year 2022-2023 online via www.sm-foundation.org.

In a press statement, the SM Foundation explained that the application period is from January 15 to March 15, 2022. The scholarship is open to “Grade 12 graduates from public and private schools”. Moreover, “applicants from private schools must have a DepEd voucher and must be Grade 10 finishers from public high schools”.

The statement added that applicants must have a “General Weighted Average grade of at least 92% or its equivalent for Grade 12 – 1st semester; and a total household income of at most P150,000 per year”.

Field of studies include “Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Computer and Electronics), Education (Elementary and Secondary); Accountancy, and Financial Management, among others”.

The SM Foundation scholarship program started in 1993 and produced over 8,000 graduates. (NBE/DIS/PIA9-Zamboanga City, file photo courtesy of SM City Mindpro)

11 thousand Sibugay rice farmers get P5K subsidy from DA

BY: Jocelyn P. Alvarez

IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay, Jan 26 (PIA) - A total of 11,351 rice farmers in Sibugay Province will receive their Php 5,000 cash subsidy from the Department of Agriculture (DA) thru its Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)-Rice Farmer Financial Assistance (RFFA) Program. 

DA 9 has started releasing the cash subsidy to rice farmers in Diplahan municipality here on Jan. 26 to 27, 2022 with 1,329 farmer-beneficiaries, where each receiving P5,000.00 or a total of PhP 6,738,030.00.

Photo: DA 9

Evelyn P. Academia, Regional Rice Program Focal Person, DA9, said the office have also calendared the release of the cash assistance to other farmer-beneficiaries from other municipalities in Sibugay.

“The implementation of this program will provide a direct, secure, and unconditional cash assistance amounting to five thousand pesos (PhP 5,000.00) to each eligible rice farmer beneficiary through the Western Union,” she said. An additional P70.00 will also be given for the beneficiaries’ ID. 

Photo: DA 9

Academia said, qualified beneficiaries are those rice farmers who are registered in the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA) through the Farmer and Fisherfolk Registration System (FFRS) and those smallholder rice farmers or those tilling farms with an area of two hectares and below.

Academia noted that the RCEF-RFFA covers all rice producing provinces in Region 9 with a total of 68,179 farmer-beneficiaries on this program region-wide.

She said this is actually the second release of the Ph5-K subsidy for the local rice farmers; the first was in Nov. 19, 2021 in Zamboanga City.

Photo: DA9

It can be recalled, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the RCEF-RFFA is intended to assist rice farmers who are most badly affected by the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law. It was was launched by the government to provide compensation for the projected income loss of rice farmers due to the drop in palay prices. 

The national government has allotted around PHP7.6 billion from the excess rice tariffs in 2019 and 2020 to assist some 1.5 million farmers in the country. (RVC/JPA/Zamboanga Sibugay)

DOH: Surge of cases in ZamPen is alarming

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Jan 26 (PIA) – Zamboanga Peninsula now records a total of 4,003 active COVID-19 cases as of January 24, 2022.

Department of Health 9 (DOH 9) Assistant Regional Director Dr. Lenny Joy Johnson-Rivera said during the Kapihan na Zamboanga COVID-19 Update, Tuesday (Jan. 25) that the surging cases in Zamboanga Peninsula is alarming. However, this is not to cause panic to the people but to remind them to strictly follow the minimum public health standards.

“We do not need to panic but we need to strictly implement the minimum public standards,” Dr. Johnson-Rivera added.

She also emphasized the public should avoid 3c’s or the conjested, crowded and closed places.

DOH reported that there is an average of 400 cases recorded per day since January 21 to 23, 2022. However, there are no Omicron variant detected in these cases.

Dr. Johnson-Rivera reminded the public to immediately isolate if one is experiencing flu-like symptoms and to get tested. As per the advise of DOH, Rapid Antigen Test is recommended for symptomatic individuals and only in the absence of RT-PCR testing in the area but the individual must take the RT-PCR test for the confirmation of their case.

Home quarantine will still be allowed but still depends on the assessment of the local health office and the classification of the patients symptoms whether experiencing mild to moderate and severe symptoms.

DOH 9 continues to emphasized that the most effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is being vaccinated. Zamboanga Peninsula is conducting the Regional Vaccination Days or the ‘Zambayanihan Bakunahan’ from January 26 to 28 to ramp-up vaccination activities especially in areas from Alert Level 3 and above.

“This is one of the best initiative of the region. We are taking precautionary measures during the Zambayanihan Bakunahan,” Dr. Johnson-Rivera said.

DOH 9 appeals to the public once again to get vaccinated or get the booster shot to get additional protection especially to vulnerable sectors, “keep well informed and get the correct information about the latest update on COVID-19 response,” Dr. Johnson-Rivera added. (RVC/MLE/PIA9-Zamboanga City)

Dumalinao boasts of 'Healing Paradise' COVID19 facility

 By : Jocelyn P. Alvarez

IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay, Jan 24 (PIA) -- LGU Dumalinao takes pride of its unique and first Ligtas COVID Center in Zamboanga Del Sur Province called the “Healing Paradise.”

Town mayor Junaflor Sweet Cerilles during the Network Briefing News of the PCOO said the concept Healing Paradise was created to erase the stigma of isolation.

“Other than the physical effects of COVID, is the mental health. It is very important how we mind set, paano natin binibigyang support, kasi when we speak of isolation, generally nakakatakot ang impression, and at this time parang hindi s’ya dapat na you will be isolated, that is why we conceptualize healing paradise,” Mayor Cerilles explained.

Healing Paradise is the Cerilles’ existing private property that they offered to be used as the province’s first Ligtas COVID Center and isolation facility for their “clients” to have a beautiful, scenic space while in isolation.

While in the Healing Paradise, clients get medical and at the same time mental health attention and services.

“We partnered with psychological clinic that can give psychosocial support, we have different activities like dancing in the morning or gardening, para may ginagawa din sila,” the lady mayor explained.

But before entering the healing facility, clients are checked or assessed of their mental health status, “yung depression, anxiety, stress level nila, and if may problem, we give them online consultation thru partner psychologist namin,” Mayor Cerilles said.

The mayor said they also look into the spiritual well-being of their clients while in isolation,  “we partnered with spiritual / religious organizations like mga pastor , pari for their spiritual guidance . We give them online pray-over while sa mga catholic there is Sunday mass.

When active COVID cases in the area slowed down or become zero for a while sometime during the last quarter in 2021 , the healing paradise was left idle, but with the new surge of cases and the threat of Omicron variant “we are making one “Healing Paradise” but this time, it will be owned by LGU and funded by KALAHI. It’s a Php4M project, but it will be run the same as the this private, existing healing paradise that we have now,” the mayor informed.  (JPA/Zamboanga Sibugay)

 

Teen center to rise in Dumalinao, ZamboSur

 By: Jayson R. Aucensillo

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Jan 24 (PIA) -- The Sangguniang Kabataan Federation of Dumalinao Town, Zamboanga Del Sur aimed to establish a community-based teen center that would provide youth care and services amidst the ongoing health crisis.

The facility is part of the SK's plan to help those bullied and abused children that need more of attention.

"It is really good to have this facility in our municipality. Easy access po siya para sa mga kabataan na kung saan pwede pong idulog ang kanilang mga issues and concerns para mabigyan ng mga nararapat na intervention services,” SK Fed President Jeziel Dagupan said during the Laging Handa Network Briefing news held online today, January 24.

The facility will be very interesting for the youth because this will also give the children a knowledge to know their rights to exercise and also where peer educators of the teen center will undergo multiple welfare trainings.

“We will support and give our best to accommodate them (children) with safe place and environment,” SK President Dagupan added.

Moreover, the SK Federation of Dumalinao town affirmed their support to the near start of vaccination among children aged five to eleven years old.

“We ensure our support to the vaccination roll-out of the government. We will assist and continue to encourage the parents to let their children be vaccinated,” Dagupan said.

The SK council is now doing their best efforts by using available platforms online in reminding their constituents to consistently follow the COVID-19 public health protocols and in every vaccination site, the SK does the crowd control to evade physical contacts.

“Sa lahat ng kabataan, magpabakuna habang libre pa, tumulong sa paghahatid ng tamang impormasyon sa public at wag maging fake news spreader,” Dagupan concluded. (RVC/JRA/PIA9-Zamboanga City)

Dumalinao allots BP2 funds for modular isolation facilities, FMRs

 By: Emmanuel D. Taghoy

 

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte, Jan. 24 (PIA) - Dumalinao town is also considering ease in delivering government services to far-flung communities as part of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) program.

 

Aside from improving isolation facilities for COVID-19 patients, the local government unit of Dumalinao sees the importance of having farm-to-market roads in remote barangays for accessibility and easy transportation of goods and services.

Mayor Junaflor Cerilles said they are very grateful to have been identified as recipient of the BP2 program to assist in their COVID-19 response activities, which was a great help especially in establishing their own modular isolation facility. 

 

"Wala kaming COVID-19 facility dito and pinahiram ko lang 'yong farm ko for the 'Healing Paradise', which is why bulk of the amount given to us from the BP2 program has really been allocated for modular isolation," she said.

 

Dumalinao is among the six towns in Zamboanga del Sur province that was identified to receive assistance of around P7.5 million from the BP2.

 

"Part of the amount, we have two farm-to-market roads na pinaayos ko para masama na din siya sa budget, para 'yong mga kababayan natin hindi rin sila mahirapan," she added.

 

Mayor Cerilles issued her statement during her live guesting in the Laging Handa Network Briefing with PCOO Assistant Secretary Jusan Vincent “JV” Arcena, chief of the Office of the Global Media Affairs. (RVC/EDT/PIA9-Zamboanga del Norte)