OCD equips Sarangani on Incident Command System

By BEVERLY C. PAOYON

ALABEL, Sarangani (December 7, 2013) - The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) recently completed the structure for provinces in SOCSKSARGEN region on the set up of on-scene disaster response and management in consonance with President Aquino's call to establish national and local crisis management organizations throughout the country.

Here in Region 12, Sarangani was the last to have the three-day Incident Command System (ICS) basic course which concluded Thursday (December 5) and intends to cascade the implementation to its component municipalities early next year.

In the whole Philippines, OCD accounted only some two to three percent of the provinces to have been trained and around 30 percent in Mindanao.

The reason OCD cited on the delay of training to other provinces was the absence of a Provincial Disaster Risk and Response Management Office there.

ICS is a standard, on-scene, all-hazard incident management concept that can be used by all disaster risk reduction and management councils or emergency management and response agencies which can also be used for routine incidents as well as major disasters such as floods, typhoons, disease outbreaks, hostage-taking, and even planned events such as fiestas and concerts.

Amity Public Safety Academy deputy administrator Radny Pabon said the goal of establishing the ICS is to harmonize the cooperability among agencies. He pointed out if ICS was fully implemented in the Philippines, coordination would be easier for government's response team "because regardless of how many people are working on the ground, everybody knows how to work with the system."

Pabon, however, lamented the Philippines has not yet organized its own ICS-trained national response team, a call which OCD should spearhead. This, he cited, is why the country is not in the list of the international search and rescue advisory group yet.

ICS started in the Philippines in 2010 upon the mandate of the national government. Two batches of instructors were trained by the United States Forest Service that time.

Region 12 OCD regional director officer-in-charge Jerome Barranco disclosed OCD is coming up with a regional system of incident management from regional level down to provincial level and will be doing orientation in the communities in 2014. (Beverly C. Paoyon/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Munato means “first people”

By SERAFIN RAMOS JR.

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 25, 2013) - Sarangani’s first Munato Festival was celebrated in November 2002 coinciding with the province’s 10th Foundation Anniversary (November 28).

Former Governor Priscilla L. Chiongbian, who served three terms until 2001, was the first governor of Sarangani. Her husband, the late Congressman James L. Chiongbian, is the province’s “founding father.”

In 1992, Sarangani was carved out from South Cotabato where Congressman Chiongbian represented the third district which is now Sarangani.

This year, Sarangani celebrates from November 27 to December 6 with the theme “History, Culture and Resources!”

“These and more highlight the celebration of the 21^st Foundation Anniversary and 11^th Munato Festival,” said Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon, a grandson of the former governor and the late congressman.

President Benigno Aquino III has declared November 28 as a special (non-working) day throughout the province.

“It is but fitting and proper that the people of the Province of Sarangani be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies,” Aquino said in Proclamation No. 683.

In Blaan dialect, Munato means “first people.”  

According to the Provincial Tourism Council in 2002, Munato Festival was dedicated to the undying spirit “of those who drove the first nails” and “those who dared first” to jumpstart Sarangani’s independence from South Cotabato.

The tribal council defined Munato not only to refer to the “first people” but to their tools, musical instruments and other materials they used to defend themselves as well.

The “first people” also refers to people who had lived around Pinol Cave in Maitum where hundreds of anthropomorphic jars were recovered.

Known as the “Maitum Jars”, the artifacts were found by Dr. Eusebio Dizon of the National Museum with the help of Moro National Liberation Front commander Ayub Mindog.

Dizon said the anthropomorphic secondary burial jars now displayed at the National Museum were discovered in 1991 at Pinol Cave.

The anthropomorphic potteries of human figures depicting various facial expressions are associated to the Metal Age in the Philippines.

Dizon described Pinol Cave as “the most significant cave in Mindanao” and its finds as “unparalleled in Southeast Asia.”

Potsherds from various ages likely 3000 years old had also been recovered at Linao Cave, barangay Kiambing, also in Maitum.

Dizon said the Pinol and Linao finds could provide significant information and material evidence to trace not only Philippine prehistory but also that of Southeast Asia. (Serafin Ramos Jr./SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

P-Noy with women’s association

ALABEL, Sarangani (April 16, 2011) - President Benigno Aquino III poses with members of the Baluntay Women’s Association (BAWA), together with Mindanao Development Authority Chair Lu Antonino, USAID-GEM mission director Gloria Steele and Mayor Corazon Grafilo during the turnover of a USAID-GEM assisted banana chips processing facility to BAWA Thursday, April 14. (Gandhi Kinjiyo/SARANGANI KALINAW UNIT)

P-Noy with provincial officials

ALABEL, Sarangani (April 16, 2011) – President Benigno Aquino III poses with (from left) Board Member Eleanor Saguiguit, Board Member Virgilio Tobias and Flor Limpin, provincial local government operations officer, during the turnover of a USAID-GEM assisted banana chips processing facility to Baluntay Women’s Association (BAWA) Thursday, April 14. (Gandhi Kinjiyo/KALINAW SARANGANI UNIT)

Banana chips processing facility

ALABEL, Sarangani (April 16, 2011) - USAID-GEM mission director Gloria Steele briefs President Benigno Aquino III and Governor Migs Dominguez during the turnover of a USAID-GEM assisted banana chips processing facility to Baluntay Women’s Association (BAWA) Thursday, April 14. BAWA is composed of Muslim, Lumad and Christian with 150 members who are wives and daughters of former Moro National Liberation Front combatants. (Gandhi Kinjiyo/KALINAW SARANGANI UNIT)

Baluntay Women’s Association

ALABEL, Sarangani (April 16, 2011) - USAID-GEM mission director Gloria Steele (center) signs a document as Governor Migs Dominguez and Baluntay Women’s Association (BAWA) president Helen Materdan look on during the visit of President Benigno Aquino III in barangay Baluntay to turnover a USAID-GEM assisted banana chips processing facility to BAWA Thursday, April 14. (Gandhi Kinjiyo/KALINAW SARANGANI UNIT)

Self-reliance for good governance, PNoy says

ALABEL, Sarangani (April 15, 2011) – President Benigno Aquino III has reiterated his advocacy for innovative livelihood and self-reliance as key factors for development especially in Mindanao.

President Aquino graced the turn-over ceremony of a banana chips processing facility for a women’s association in barangay Baluntay Thursday (April 14).

Baluntay Women’s Association (BAWA) is a USAID-GEM (United States Agency for International Development - Growth with Equity in Mindanao) and UNDP assisted project supervised by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

“The turn-over of the banana chips facility is a success not only in Sarangani and its partner agencies, but a success for the Filipino, to show the success of reaping the fruit of what you sow,” President Aquino said. “The United States Agency for International Development – Growth with Equity for Mindanao has been a valuable partner to this development.”

“We don’t want to take our chances. We are trying to reform our government processes so that we can build opportunities for change,” President Aquino said. “We are working on this so that we will progress by giving equal opportunity for all.”

“It’s time that we give Mindanao communities a chance to grow and be strong. It’s time to give our women sector the opportunities by doing all means to give them a lasting solution to their problems.”

“Many of you are wives of former Moro National Liberation Front’s (MNLF) combatants. I hope you will be an example of development that denounces violence,” President Aquino said.

Sarangani has 50 Peace and Development Communities (PDCs), 18 of which are UNDP assisted and the 32 are funded by the provincial government.

BAWA is composed of Muslim, Lumad and Christian with 150 members who are wives and daughters of former MNLF combatants.

Before, they were hampered by the lack of a main facility to process and package the banana chips in a controlled and hygienic environment.

“We would cook the chips in individual member’s house or backyard,” association president Helen Materdan said.

Last year, BAWA requested USAID’s GEM Program and the United Nations Development Program’s ACT for Peace to provide them a small building.

The Philippines is the third largest exporter of bananas in the world and the only Asian country in the top five.

In 2009, the country was able to export 1.664 million metric tons of Cavendish bananas worth more than USD344.

BAWA makes 12,500 kilos of banana chips every year that earns more than P300,000. When the facility opens, the production could reach up to 50,000 kilos every year, earning P1.4-M for the association. (Russtum G. Pelima/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Welcome PNOY

ALABEL, Sarangani (April 14, 2011) - Kids wave American and Philippine flaglets as they wait for the arrival of President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III in their barangay to turn over a USAID-GEM assisted banana chips processing facility to Baluntay Women’s Association Thursday, April 14. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

Turnover of banana chips processing facility

ALABEL, Sarangani (April 14, 2011) - President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III hands over the certificate of turnover of a USAID-GEM assisted banana chips processing facility to (BAWA) Baluntay Women’s Association president Helen Materdan as USAID-GEM mission director Gloria Steele, and MINDA chair Luwalhati Antonino applaud. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

PNOY with residents

ALABEL, Sarangani (Apirl 14, 2011) - President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III greets the residents upon his arrival in barangay Baluntay to turn over the USAID-GEM assisted banana chips processing facility to Baluntay Women’s Association Thursday, April 14. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

PNOY with local officials

ALABEL, Sarangani (April 14, 2011) - President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III poses with local officials in a photo opportunity after the ceremonial turnover of USAID-GEM assisted banana chips processing facility to Baluntay Women’s Association Thursday, April 14. (Cocoy Sexcion/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)