Koronadal City earmarks over P2 M for 2nd Tree-Growing Festival

Koronadal City has allotted at least P2.097 million for its second tree-growing festival on June 29, an official of the city government said. 

Augustus Bretaña, city environment and natural resources officer, said the amount was apportioned for “gasoline, rental, labor, and other related expenditure items.” 

But city Mayor Peter B. Miguel pointed out that the amount may be insufficient to achieve this year’s target of 250,000 trees planted in 1,000 hectares in Quezon Mountain Range. 

“The amount is still lacking to cover all necessary expenses. This is why we have been soliciting assistance and donations from our partners,” Mayor Miguel said. 

He said they still need funds to defray expenses in logistics, preparation of the planting sites, purchase of needed fruit and forest tree seedlings, and transport of the planting materials to the tree-growing locations. 

“We are also soliciting donations of planting materials especially from national line agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” he said. 

He also said that this early he is already thankful to the help that businesses, private institutions, non-government organizations, people’s organizations, DENR, and others will extend to the festival, which could be considered one of the largest one-day tree-planting activity in the country by a local government unit. 

Based on the post-activity report of the City ENRO, the first tree-growing festival last year was participated by more than 20,000 volunteers who planted 131,028 fruit and forest tress in 522.78 hectares in Roxas Mountain Range, specifically in barangays Saravia, San Isidro, Carpenter Hill, Assumption, Mambucal, and Paraiso. Original target was only 120,000. 

“The Tree Growing Festival is just one among the major efforts of this City in its environmental advocacies. We know how important trees are if we are to preserve and protect our environment.,” Mayor Miguel said in his appeal for cooperation and volunteerism from Koronadaleños. 

He added that the 2nd Tree-Growing Festival will be bigger and will cover more areas which will send a concrete message that the local government is very serious in addressing basic environmental concerns. 

Since targets this year, have been doubled, the city government has recently embarked in a massive information drive to recruit volunteers and agency support. 

A 15-feet billboard has been installed at the Gen. Paulino Santos monument at the city center. Besides counting down the days to the big day, the same billboard also urges individuals and groups to register. 

Interested parties may register at City ENRO at the second floor of the city hall in Barangay Carpenter Hill. 

The LGU has also opened registration booths inside Ace Centerpoint, KCC Mall of Marbel and Gaisano Grand Mall. 

Tree-Growing Festival is an annual activity of the city government and is one of the major priorities of Mayor Miguel in line with his Masaganang Kalikasan Program. 

It is being held in support of the Environment Month celebration and the National Greening Program of the Aquino Administration. 

It is also aimed at increasing the city’s forest cover, which according to a report of the CENRO before the 2011 Tree-Growing Festival was only around 150 hectares of second growth trees. 

For more information regarding the 2nd Tree-Growing Festival, visit the city LGUs website, www.koronadal.gov.ph or call telephone no. (083) 228-1732. (DEDoguiles/PIA 12) 

South Cotabato gov renews sponsorship of 15,000 Philhealth beneficiaries

Over 15,000 poor families in South Cotabato are assured of health insurance coverage until 2013 after the provincial local government signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philhealth 12 for the renewal of its sponsorship program. 

Gov. Arthur Y. Pingoy is one of 36 local chief executives in Soccsksargen Region who have signed for a 2-year lock-in period until 2013. 

Soccsksargen Region or Region 12 includes the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, and North Cotabato, the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan, and Cotabato as well as 45 municipalities. 

South Cotabato has a total of more than 92,000 Philhealth cardholders. 

Besides the 15,000 provincial LGU-sponsored beneficiaries, the province also has 53,000 Philhealth card beneficiaries identified under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) whose premiums are being paid by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. 

Over 24,000 others was being sponsored by other local government units in the province and some civic and private organizations. 

As renewed members, these families may now avail of the Primary Care Benefit package through their respective accredited Rural Health Units launched last April 1, 2012 that includes primary preventive services, diagnostic examinations and free drugs and medicines. 

Primary preventives services include free consultation, visual inspection with acetic acid, regular BP measurements, breastfeeding program education, periodic clinical breast examination, counseling for lifestyle modification, counseling for smoking cessation, body measurements, and digital recital examination. 

Free diagnostic examinations include complete blood count (CBC), urinalysis, fecalysis, sputum micersocopy, fasting blood sugar (FBS), lipid profile and chest-xray while drugs free for dispensing are medicines for asthma, acute gastroenteritis, upper respiratory tract infection and urinary tract infection. 

Dr. Miriam Cynthia Pamonag, Philhealth 12's field operations chief, said benefit availment of the members is assured even without presenting their IDs, provided their names are included in the list given by Philhealth to LGUs. 

Philhealth Cares nurses assigned in public hospitals may also assist the members who do not understand about the procedure and requirements for availment. 

Maternity care package and newborn care package among other special benefit packages may likewise be availed of by the same beneficiaries from accredited birthing homes, lying-in facilities and accredited hospitals with accredited doctors. 

Pingoy added that the provincial government benefited from the signing of the MoA because there would be no increase the premium being paid by the LGU in until 2013. 

“Instead of P1,400, the provincial LGU only pays P1,200 annual insurance premium,” he said. 

He also pointed out that those who would like to avail of what is being locally called as “emergency Philhealth card” from the provincial government are now required to pay P600. 

Regarding maternal health packages, Gov. Pingoy, the government hospital that would soon be constructed in nearby Surallah town will be maternity and birthing facility. 

“We hope to start putting up a 25-bed hospital in Surallah intended as maternity and birthing home before the end of first semester for our members in South Cotabato and neighboring provinces,” he said. 

The hospital, will eventually turn into a 125-bed secondary or tertiary facility expected to provide both inpatient and outpatient health care services especially for indigents. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12/ Hanah Naanep-Philhealth 12) 

Livestream

Koronadal City bids to host 2015 Palarong Pambansa

Koronadal City Mayor Peter B. Miguel has joined South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Y. Pingoy Jr. in the bid to host the national games for the third time. 

During the city government’s regular radio programs, “Koronadal Boom…Boom…Boom” and “Kanami Koronadal,” Mayor Miguel confirmed that during his visit to the 2012 Palarong Pambansa in Lingayen, Pangasinan, he submitted a letter of intent to host the 2015 Palarong Pambansa to the Department of Education. 

He said, the city needs an ambitious activity like this as a way of promoting the City of Koronadal itself and the province of South Cotabato as a whole. 

The event, he reasoned , would be very timely to inform people from all walks of life to know that the city, the capital of the province of South Cotabato, is one of the happiest and most peaceful places in Mindanao. 

Especially now that it has become the seat of Region XII, the city is positively fast progressing as well as expected, the local chief executive added. 

Miguel believes that the city has the capacity to host such a big event owing to the success of two Palaro held here 

South Cotabato, specifically, Koronadal City, hosted the Palarong Pambansa in 1996 during the administration of Gov. Hilario de Pedro III and in 2007 under the leadership of Mayor Fernando Miguel. 

Mayor Peter Miguel, son of the former mayor, also expressed confidence that with the support and coordination with the provincial government of South Cotabato, the 2015 Palarong Pambansa here would prove even better than the previous ones given the chance to prepare this early. 

Miguel was in Lingayen, Pangasinan during 2012 Palarong Pambansa to show his personal support and to give financial assistance to the athletes and coaches coming from the City of Koronadal and to personally hand in his letter of intent. 

While in Pangasinan, the city mayor also handed a total of P800,000 allowances to the city’s 59 athletes as well as their coaches. 

City schools division sports supervisor Napoleon Cumicho confirmed receipt of said amount upon the arrival of Mayor Peter B. Miguel at Lingayen, Pangasinan on May 8. 

Each athlete and coach received P10,000 aid from the city government. 

Besides turning over the financial assistance to the city’s athletes, Mayor Miguel said, he also wanted to show his personal support. 

From Pangasinan, the mayor proceeded to Metro Manila to follow-up the scholarship grants from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) intended for Koronadal City. 

Gov. Pingoy, who authored the house bill that sought for the declaration of arnis as the national sport while he was still a congressman, has been vocal about his desire to host for the third time the national games. 

During the CRAA meet here in March, he said, the upgrading and improvements implemented at South Cotabato Sport Complex are intended towards this purpose. 

The governor said, hosting the Palaro here would propel local economy and boost the province’s advocacy to be known as a major tourist destination in this part of the country. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12/Bic Manato-CIO Koronadal) 

Directory and Emergency Nos. in South Cotabato

Festivals in South Cotabato

List of Festivals in South Cotabato