DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Philippines (PNA) — The Special Action Group Advocating for Rapid Reforms (SAGARR) is set to be deployed in the streets of Dumaguete starting January next year.

City Administrator William Ablong has been designated by Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria as ground commander following a meeting with members of the task force to thresh out pertinent matters relative to its full blast implementation.

Task Force SAGARR is divided into various teams to avoid overlapping of functions with special committees assisting them in the field.

These include a legal assistance committee to be led by the city legal officer, a security committee, and committees on community relations, surveillance and monitoring, and communications.

A secretariat will also be set up and a body will be formed to take charge of logistics. Ablong said Task Force SAGARR will use existing personnel of the city government to do away with overtime pays through flexible-time schemes.

EXPERTS TACKLE FARMERS’ ISSUES

ILOILO CITY, Philippines (PNA) — Soon, it will be easier for farmers to find answers for their queries and other concerns relative to farming with the establishment of a local farmers contact center (FCC) in Western Visayas.

Antonietta Arceo, officer-in-charge of the Knowledge Product of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) said the FCC will serve as support mechanism for farmers.

Such FCC will be comprised of a pool of experts who can immediately respond to concerns of farmers or extension workers without giving them the run-around.

Also farmers need not go to the Department of Agriculture office here or to the office of any other agency where they have concerns. Instead, all they have to do is just text the hotline of the FCC to contact the latter for their concerns.

Arceo said the FCC is already operational nationwide but that the ATI would like to have it localized. Aside from responding to queries, the FCC will also be providing technological tips to farmers through broadcast information or text.

NO TO FIRECRACKERS FOR MINORS

BACOLOD CITY, Bacolod, Philippines — Councilor Caesar Distrito is submitting to the Sangguniang Panlunsod here a resolution urging the Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and all government agencies, barangay officials and businessmen to strictly enforce the prohibition of minors from buying, selling and use of firecrackers or fireworks as mandated by the Department of Health (DOH).

Region 6 has been ranked third by the DOH as having the most number of firecracker-related injuries in the country last year, 62 reported cases.
Selling of firecrackers to the children is rampant in Bacolod and fireworks-related accidents increase yearly with a number of people of various ages rushed to hospitals for firecracker and/or firework-related accident wounds.

Distrito pointed out that “fire crackers can cause minor or severe injuries to those playing with it and may even sometimes take away lives.” Sidewalk vendors and stores here freely sell are firecrackers to anyone including minors, with some selling illegal firecrackers.

Firecrackers, said Distrito, “can also cause loss of hearing, high blood pressure, sleeping disturbances, and sudden exposure to loud noise can cause temporary or permanent deafness or even result in heart attack; nausea and mental impairment are also some of the side effects of firecrackers.” (Edith Colmo)