STO. TOMAS, Davao del Norte, Philippines — A group of tree planters in a village here has received funding from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to jumpstart an agro-forestry project, a DENR executive said on Friday.

Jim O. Sampulna, DENR XI director, said Barangay Bobongon, Sto. Tomas got R1.5 million funding to plant and propagate cacao, banana, corn and rubber in the 50-hectare area identified within the agency's Community Based Forest Management-Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CBFM-CARP).

Zambo boosting drive vs. disasters

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) — The local government is eyeing to construct a building for disaster risk reduction and management and hire personnel to man the office. Mayor Celso Lobregat said the funding for the building and the plantilla positions for the personnel will be included in the 2012 budget of the city government. Lobregat said the building will be used to store relief goods and equipment to be used in disaster operations while the personnel to be hired are to man the center on a 24-hour basis. The mayor said he wants the building constructed in Pettit Barracks where the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is constructing its own building.

City office for disabled formed

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) — The local government has established the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Unit (PDAU), a division to look into the affairs of the physically challenged sector in this southern port city. The unit's creation is the first in the region and is pursuant to City Ordinance 354 enacted on Dec. 9, 2009. The PDAU is a component unit under the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) headed by Francisco Barredo. Barredo said the PDAU was created to ensure a more meaningful, efficient and effective delivery of services to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in this city.

Gov't boost drive against poverty

BUTUAN CITY — To effectively implement the KALAHI CIDSS “Makamasang Tugon,” a poverty alleviation program now currently implemented throughout the country, the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) deployed their social workers and technical persons to conduct a series of forums in the Caraga region participated in by various Municipal Local Government Unit (MLGU) officials. The forum primarily focused on the KALAHI-CIDSS scale-up implementation of the “Makamasang Tugon”(MT), said Region XIII DSWD Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat. (Mike U. Crismundo)

'Nego-karts' set for release

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) — The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is set to release “Nego-Karts” to 10 vendor-beneficiaries in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, a DoLE official announced Friday. DoLE Regional Director Ponciano Ligutom said the beneficiaries are all from the town of Labason, a second-class municipality in the province. Ligutom said the vending carts, complete with accessory livelihood tools and working capital, will be released to the 10 beneficiaries on Wednesday, June 1.