Public and private sectors meet to improve local economy in Mahinog

Mahinog Mayor Alex R. Jajalla welcomes participants to the LRED workshop

Mahinog, Camiguin (August 9, 2012) -  Local Government officials and leaders of private sectors participated today in the Local and Regional Economic Development (LRED) Sensitizing Workshop conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at Queobe Eco Park and Training Center.

Camiguin DTI Provincial Director Joselito S. Enot gives the opening remarks during the LRED workshop

The workshop, the first in a series of four different workshops to be facilitated by the DTI, is to identify and implement local projects to boost the local economy, especially those that can be done from 6 months to one year.

DTI Provincial Director Joselito S. Enot said he sees the potential of Mahinog as an emerging growth area in Camiguin.

For one, he said, the presence of the principal port in Benoni gives the municipality a competitive advantage over other towns in the province.

In addition to the port is the presence of tourist destinations like Mantigue island and Zipline in Benoni lagoon, which can be compared to other prime destinations in the country.

These potentials, he said, if fully tapped, can bring in more economic development in the town.

Mahinog Mayor Alex Jajalla praised the DTI for introducing the LRED concept in Mahinog.

LRED is a process by which stakeholders from both public and private sectors are mobilized to become partners in a joint effort to improve the economy of a locality and increase its competitiveness.

“LRED intervention is a big step to create more jobs, small business enterprises and income especially for our residents,” Jajalla said.

To achieve this, he emphasized, both the public and private sectors need to play key roles to do their part to drive the economic development of the town. (Homer R. Jajalla)

LGU Mahinog gets P235,560 DOLE grant for women's livelihood projects

Mahinog, Camiguin. - MAYOR Alex R. Jajalla recently received P235,560 in grant from the Department of Labor and Employment, Regional Office No. 10 (DOLE-10) under the leadership of Director Johnson G. Cañete.

The livelihood grant was released by Ricardo D. de Dios, Officer-In-Charge of the DOLE Camiguin Provincial Field Office, and turned-over to Governor Jurdin Jesus M. Romualdo during a simple turn over ceremony held in Mahinog municipal hall last March 23.

Mahinog Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Manager Elvira V. Capagngan said the amount was intended for swine fattening project of Mga Kababaihan Laban sa Kahirapan, a women’s association in the municipality of Mahinog composed of 16 members.

Jajalla expressed gratitude to DOLE for its continued support towards the welfare and development of the workers of the informal sector of the municipality.

The release of the grant was in line with President Benigno Aquino III’s 22-Point Labor and Employment Agenda, to alleviate poverty in the countryside by generating community livelihood and employment for nation building.

Municipal Govt of Mahinog endorses EDC’s Camiguin wind farm project

Reinero Medrano, manager of EDC Corporate Social Responsibility, made presentation on the wind farm project in Camiguin at the municipal council session

Mahinog, Camiguin – The Municipal Council of Mahinog recently endorsed the Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. (EDC) application to put up a wind farm in Camiguin particularly in Lowan hills in barangay Owakan in the town of Mahinog.

In February last year, the Dept. of Energy (DOE) approved a Wind Energy Service Contract (WESC) to the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) for the Camiguin Wind Project.

EDC is Philippine’s leading geothermal energy provider, accounting for 62% of the country’s installed geothermal capacity.

It operates 5 geothermal sites in Leyte, Bicol, Cotabato, Northern Negros and Southern Negros, including the Pantabangan-Masiway hydro power complex in Nueva Ecija.

When completed the wind farm project in Camiguin is expected to generate more than 15 Megawatts of energy, Reinero Medrano, EDC Corporate Social Responsibility Program Officer, said on Monday during the SB session.

It will augment the supply of power in Camiguin, or even sell its power excess to the mainland, he added.

“This project will harness the power of the wind in Camiguin to generate clean and renewable electricity and will establish Camiguin as one of the wind energy sites in the Philippines,” Medrano said.

He added, however, that as of now, an additional wind data gathering must be conducted at the site to validate the wind potential at a height ranging from 60 –84 meters.

A wind mast to be installed is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2012 and is expected to be complete after at least 2 to 4 weeks, Medrano disclosed.

The data gathering phase will begin immediately after the masts are installed, he added.

The project has 3 phases which include: 1) Wind data gathering; 2) Development, construction & installation of wind farm, substation facilities and power transmission line and its associated interconnection facilities; 3) Operations and maintenance of wind farm, substation facilities and power transmission line and its associated interconnection facilities.

To date, the country's first wind project and the biggest wind farm in Southeast Asia is the 33-MW wind farm of NorthWind Power Development Corp. located in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

DFA to hold mobile passporting in Camiguin Oct. 21-22

OCTOBER 12, 2010, Mahinog, Camiguin -Applicants in the province of Camiguin need not go to Cagayan de Oro to get a passport as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) passport services will be conducting its mobile passporting system in the province of Camiguin come October 21-22 at the Camiguin Tourism Center in Balbagon, Mambajao, municipal public employment office manager Elvera V. Capagngan announced today.

She said DFA will conduct its passport services together with the National Statistics Office (NSO) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to help facilitate the fast issuance of passports.

She said residents who are interested to avail of the service need to bring the required documents and application fee.

For first time applicants, they should have birth certificate in security paper (Secpa) or certified true copy of their birth certificate duly authenticated by the National Statistics Office (NSO), marriage certificate in Secpa or marriage contract from local civil registrar duly authenticated by the NSO, proper IDs expired or valid, and at least three copies of passport-sized photo with royal blue background and with a collar attire.

Those who will be renewing their passport need only to bring their old passport with photocopy of pages 1, 2 and last, at least three copies of passport size photo and with royal blue background and with a collar attire.

For minor applicants who are travelling with parents, they should present birth certificate in Secpa or birth certificate from LCR duly authenticated by the NSO, baptismal certificate, or School ID, personal appearance of either parent, original and photocopy of parent's passport, three copies passport-sized photo with royal blue background and with a collar attire.

For minors who are travelling unaccompanied by either parent, applicants should have birth certificate in Secpa or birth certificate from LCR duly authenticated by the NSO, baptismal certificate, or School ID, personal appearance of either parent, affidavit of support and consent indicating the name of traveling companion and relationship to the minor, DSWD clearance, original and photocopy of passport of travelling companion, and three copies passport-sized photo with royal blue background and attire with collar.

Capagngan reminded that personal appearance is a must for all applicants, first time or renewal, except when applicant is eight years old and below or mentally physically incapacitated.

An application fee of P750.00 will be charged per applicant.

The mobile passporting service will be sponsored by the Provincial Government in cooperation with the Public Employment Service Office (Peso) Provincial Federation in the province of Camiguin and Department of Labor and Employment Region X.

PESO announces opening of summer job for students

Mahinog, Camiguin (2 Feb) – The Municipal Government through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) has started accepting applicants for the 2010 Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES).

This was learned from Ms. Elvira V. Capagngan, municipal PESO manager here.

She also said that due to the limited number of SPES slots in the municipality, applicants may apply at PESO provincial office at Capitol Compound.

The provincial government is accepting applicants starting February 1 and the employment will start on April 5, 2010, according to an advisory issued by the provincial government.

Capagngan said the SPES program helps poor students finish their education through wages they earned during the summer and Christmas breaks, adding that at least 60% of the salary will be paid by the local government unit in cash and the remaining 40% of the salary will be paid by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the form of education voucher to the student to pay for their tuition fees and other educational expenses for the coming school year.

She announced the SPES is open to all qualified high school, college or vocational students or drop-outs, at least fifteen (15) years of age, but not more than 25 years old, enrolled during the current school term or immediately preceding the summer vacation, with parents’ combined net income after tax not exceeding Php36,000.00 per annum.

For Mahinog alone, more than 56 students were given employment in 2009 under the SPES and Government Internship Programs (GIP) where 60% and 75% of their salaries, respectively, were paid by the municipal government and the remainder from DOLE.

SPES is implemented annually by DOLE through the PESO and the Local Government Unit (LGU). (Homer R. Jajalla, Mahinog Information Office)