Items filtered by date: November 2021

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 27, 2021) – Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Arvin Alejandro, Glan Mayor Vivien Yap, and Department of Health Provincial Director Dr. Shahrir Dulduco in an informal conversation during break up session of the consultative meeting last November 22. In the meeting, Sarangani’s Covid-19 status and the preparation for the upcoming National Vaccination Days set on November 29 to December 1 were discussed. Also tackled were the strategies to be employed in reaching Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) in Sarangani. Dr. Alejandro urged the support of all the officials in Sarangani, from the provincial down to the barangay level, in encouraging the unvaccinated eligible population in the province to get their jabs during the 3-day vaccination drive and to spread only factual information about Covid-19 vaccines. Dr. Alejandro anticipated a 15% increase in the total jabs administered in the province after the three-day vaccination. (Jake Narte-Joshua John Pantonial/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 27, 2021) – Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon takes a photo of the presentation of the Covid-19 status in Sarangani during a consultative meeting on November 22 at the Capitol gym. The meeting was attended by some health personnel from the seven towns of the province. Part of the discussion were the strategies to be carried out in delivering the vaccination drive to the far-flung or the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) in Sarangani. The shortage of encoders needed to assist health personnel during the 3-day vaccination drive was among those that were addressed in the meeting. The consultative meeting was conducted in preparation for the National Vaccination Days on November 29 to December 1. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Arvin Alejandro disclosed that from April to October, Sarangani only had “about 10%” vaccination rate against the total target population. But as of this writing, he said “we have a total of 35.95% province-wide.” The health officer also reported that the Provincial Health Office currently has a total of 89,000 doses of vaccines which he said “can suffice the need for the National Vaccination Day.” (Jake Narte-Joshua John Pantonial/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 26, 2021) – Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon says he no longer sees “discrimination in the IPs” as he lauded the tribes, especially the Tagakaolos and Blaans, who have excelled in their respective fields and have become successful leaders in Malungon. “All forms of leadership roles sa whole community, may IPs. may mayors, may department heads, may business leaders, may teachers, may firemen, may police, may army, ug dili tanang probinsya makaingon na capacitated ang IPs kagaya ng mga IP diri sa Sarangani,” Solon said. In his speech during the 14th Slang Festival on November 18, Solon also encouraged all attendees, including the tribal leaders and chieftains, to get their Covid-19 jabs already in order to achieve the herd immunity in the province. The 14th Slang festivity was held at the Sunken Arena, Municipal grounds, and was celebrated following minimum health protocols. (Martin Fernando Bernad Jr.-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 26, 2021) – “Leadership is service shown in action not in position,” is the crux of Mayor Tessa Constantino’s speech as she encouraged all the government and tribal leaders attending the 14th Slang Festival on November 18 to make tangible contributions in their leadership. According to Mayor Constantino, due to the Covid-19 minimum health protocols, only few leaders were able to physically attend the celebration held at the Sunken Arena, Municipal grounds. Constantino also supported Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon’s appeal to the public to get vaccinated against Covid-19 “kay wala ginapili ang Covid-19, tribo ka man o Kristiyano.” This year’s Slang festivity was themed “Panaghiusa, Pakigbisog, Panahon sa Pandemya.” (Martin Fernando Bernad Jr.-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 26, 2021) – Reynaldo “Bong” Constantino, former mayor of Malungon, thanks the people of Malungon especially the tribal community of Blaans and Tagakaolos for their contributions and “cooperation in lifting the tribes’ dignity,” during the celebration of the 14th Slang Festival at the Sunken Arena, Municipal grounds on November 18. Constantino said he was honored to have initiated the Slang festival in Malungon in 2007 during his first term as mayor of the municipality. Slang is Blaan term for “barter” and according to Constantino, the festivity is being held annually to continue the tribal practice of barter trading, socializing, and conflict resolution among different indigenous tribes in Malungon, which is the only landlocked town in Sarangani. (Martin Fernando Bernad Jr.-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 26, 2021) – Sarangani will fast-track the implementation of projects under the Barangay Development Program (BDP) fund to counter insurgency and create more prosperous communities in the uplands, according to Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon in a press conference on November 17.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan, he said, already passed a resolution allowing the province to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the municipalities for the downloading and implementation of the BDP fund to the recipient barangays for their identified projects.

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 26, 2021) – The Department of Health Region XII is gearing up for the roll-out of the National Vaccination Days on November 29-30, and December 1, to ramp up the Covid-19 vaccination rate in the country.

With this, a coordination meeting was held via Zoom app on November 23 to discuss the roll-out strategy proposal for the massive vaccination drive.

Leaders of local government units, LGU health offices, LGU information offices, LGU data managers, LGU disaster risk reduction and management offices, and other private and government agencies in SOCCSKSARGEN attended the meeting hosted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government XII and DOH-Center for Health Development XII.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (November 19, 2021) – Agriculture Secretary William Dar (right) and Sarangani Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon, chairman and vice chairman of the SOCSKSARGEN Area Development Project Board, respectively, are in a chit-chat at Greenleaf Hotel on November 16 while waiting for the board meeting to begin. The meeting was held to discuss the ADP activities and the plans and projects of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for Region XII. The SOCSKSARGEN ADP, a special project of DA, has been vital in the concerted effort of the local government units in the SOCSKSARGEN area to develop its agriculture and industrial potentials, and to sustain its economic growth. Secretary Dar commended the SOCSKSARGEN ADP Board for being “a consistent and strong platform which enhances growth and development” in SOCSKSARGEN. Among the resolutions passed in the previous meeting that the plenary discussed for updates was the resolution supporting the application of Sarangani province for the declaration of Mt. Busa as Protected Landscape under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System (eNIPAS) Act of 2018. (Martin Fernando Bernad Jr.-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 19, 2021) – Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon underscores the intention of his administration of “creating prosperous communities” to attract more insurgents to return to the fold of the law. In a statement during a press conference at the 1002nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters, in Sitio Pulatana, Barangay Malandag on November 17, Solon said the provincial government has been implementing massive access road projects to far-flung barangays as among its strategies. “Gi-abrihan nato ang kabukiran ug gi-semento ang mga dalan aron makasulod ang economic development ug ang gobyerno.” He also credited the Philippine Army as “a strong armed government” in partnership with the provincial and local government units in Sarangani in trying “to create prosperous communities so that armed conflict will not last.” He said a total of 204 rebels have surrendered in the province since 2013, while four rebel returnee associations were established after mainstreaming them back to the society. (Martin Fernando Bernad Jr.-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

MALUNGON, Sarangani (November 19, 2021) – MGEN Ernesto C Torres (2nd from left), 10th Infantry Division commander, answers questions from the media in a press conference held to present the accomplishments of the 10ID and its partner agencies in the whole-of-nation approach on eradicating insurgency and armed conflicts through programs implemented under Executive Order 70. According to Torres, since January this year a total of 605 members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) were neutralized, including 27 high-ranking Communist Terrorist Groups (CTG) leaders, in the area of responsibility of the 10ID. Also, two guerilla fronts, South and North, and one Pulang Bagani Command were dismantled. “We can say that the CTG is continuously losing every battle they face against the government and the Filipino people,” he said. Joining him in the panel were BGEN Potenciano C Camba (extreme left), 1002nd IB commander, Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon (2nd from right), and COL Oliver Maquiling (extreme right), 701st Brigade commander. The press conference was held on November 17 at the 1002nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters, Camp Agaab, Sitio Pulatana in Barangay Malandag. (Martin Fernando Bernad Jr.-Jori Mae Samillano/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)