BUTUAN CITY – Caraganons praised President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during his first-ever visit in the region, as he personally handed over the livelihood and other assistance to identified beneficiaries during the Ceremonial Distribution of Various Government Assistance, including the Kadiwa ng Pangulo and Job Fair on Wednesday, July 12, at the Agusan del Norte Provincial Capitol covered court in Butuan City.

President Marcos also attended the inauguration of the 24.9-megawatt (MW) Lake Mainit Hydro Power Plant (LMHPP) in the municipality of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte,

Accompanied by Butuan City Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada, Congressional Representatives Jose Aquino Jr. and Dale Corvera, Agusan del Norte Governor Ma. Angelica Rosedell Amante, and other local chief executives, the President took time to personally engage with the stakeholders, especially on the Kadiwa ng Pangulo, as joint venture of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Caraga; and the Job Fair of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Caraga.

In his message, Pres. Marcos stressed the need to further develop the agriculture sector by creating more initiatives and programs in every region including Caraga, and the need to double and increase production of rice and other crops. Through the Kadiwa ng Pangulo, His Excellency also emphasized that more equipment and machineries will be distributed to the farmers to help them become more productive and efficient and to make them more competitive in the global market. 

PBBM also witnessed the turnover of assistance to the farmer-beneficiaries under the Corn Program of DA Caraga such as the urea fertilizer fund voucher, units of  hauling truck and farm tractor to the identified farmers associations.

During the Job Fair, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Caraga briefed PBBM on the 20 local companies that provided some 831 job vacancies and three overseas with 434 job vacancies for the Caraganons.

Peter John Maniego from Butuan City and Jhocel Frances Mae Pamatong of Buenavista, Agusan del Norte were among the applicants who were optimistic that they would be able to get the needed job after their interview with the local companies they have applied for.

“I am very happy as this is my first time to experience applying for a job on an occasion like this. And this is really a great opportunity for me knowing that many of the local companies here need to fill in their respective vacant positions, of which I believe, my skills and capabilities to do the required tasks will be met. Thank you to DOLE for holding such an activity which is open to the public,” said Maniego.

“I want to apply for a job fitted with my skills and abilities. Hopefully, I will be hired with the job I wish to have and that is in human resource management. Thank you to the government agencies conducting this activity in time with the visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. here in Butuan,” shared Pamatong.

As of 12:30 p.m, the DOLE Caraga recorded a total of 41 Hired-on-the-Spot (HOTS) applicants of the Job Fair.

Back to back with the Job Fair was the payout of some 61 Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) beneficiaries who received P3,500 each as salary for 10 days with the total amount of P213,500.

Datu Kaetun Carlos Tan Jr., spokesperson of the Mayapay Tribal Council and one of the beneficiaries of the TUPAD program, also expressed his gratitude to the administration of President Marcos and asked the government to continue its effort in providing the needed programs and services to the marginalized sectors of the country, especially the Indigenous Peoples community.

He further appealed to PBBM to address their concern on the granting of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) in their area at Purok-15 Barangay Bit-os, Butuan City. “We believe that the President cares for the IP sector and we hope that our desire to be granted the CADT will soon be realized,” he said.

Also, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga led the distribution of benefits to farmer beneficiaries under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program. A total of nine rice combine harvesters valued at P16,317,000, will be distributed to beneficiaries from Agusan del Norte and Butuan City.

Some 785 rice farmers in the region also received one sack of rice under the RCEF of DA Caraga.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Caraga displayed some of their aquaculture products such as African hito, red tilapia and lobsters. Some sea products were also shown as wild culture like the sea mantis. 

Meanwhile, Regional Director Ricardo Onate Jr. of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga shared that more than 20 sellers participated in the Kadiwa, which displayed fresh harvest and produce of fish, poultry, vegetables and crop products at affordable prices. He also called on the consuming public to patronize locally-made products and to help the local farmer-entrepreneurs increase their productivity and profit.

As chairperson of the Lingayao Kahayagan Cassava Farmers Association in the municipality of Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte, Roberto Calapre, who also received a unit of hauling truck and another unit of farm tractor, thanked the DA Caraga officials and President Marcos for taking good care of the farmers concerns and welfare.

“I am encouraging my co-farmers to really initiate and create their own association so it will also be easier for the government to pour in programs and projects while their compliance to the necessary documents is more convenient. Let us continue to support the government and help in attaining food security,” said Calapre.

With these developments, Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada also highlighted that Butuan City has more potential for progress with its vast resources and is competitive with other countries in terms of technology innovations.

"Marami po tayong magagawa dahil mayaman sa iba't ibang resources ang ating rehiyon [Caraga Region has a lot to offer because of its many natural resources], for one is our rich eco-tourism, and there are ongoing developments here in the Caraga region,"  the mayor highlighted. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)