SP Tacurong cited as best Sanggunian in Region XII

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Philippine Councilors League (PCL) recognized Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Tacurong as Most Outstanding Sanggunian-Component City Category in Region XII.

Mayor Lina O. Montilla and SP Presiding Officer Vice Mayor Charito L. Collado accepted the award dubbed as Local Legislative Award during DILG-XII’s Year-End Evaluation and Awarding Ceremonies on December 12, 2012 in General Santos City.

Members of Tacurong Sanggunian include City Councilors Psyche Sucaldito, Jose Remos Segura, Rodrigo Jamorabon, Joseph Lechonsito, Cirilo Flores, Benjamin Fajardo Jr., Virgilio Paredes, Lino Ledda, Joselito Cajandig, Sr., Ariel Ferdinand dela Cruz, ABC President Silvestre Llanto, and SK Federation President Albert Gulmatico.

The Local Legislative Award was launched in 2006 by the PCL together with the DILG to recognize exemplary performance of Sanggunian of component cities and municipalities in legislating measures that establish meaningful local administration and development.

The units are evaluated according to effectiveness of local agenda and legislative tracking system, availability of legislative documents, efficiency of performance, and quality of office set-up as well as staff complement.

             By winning the award, SP Tacurong will be contending with other cities in the national level.

Jezereel Louise C. Billano

CSDT, LGU hold student journalists training

The City Schools Division of Tacurong (CSDT), in partnership with the City Government of Tacurong, conducted the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) Qualifiers Training, December 11-12, 2012, Tacurong Pilot Elementary School.

The training was funded by the LGU, hoping that it would increase the division’s chances of winning in the regional event. One hundred sixty-eight (168) student journalists who qualified for RSPC ’12 underwent a series of workshops and lectures on their respective events: news writing, editorial writing, feature writing, sports editorial cartooning, copyreading and headline writing, and photojournalism. Budget for the contingents’ registration fee in the regionals will also be shouldered by the city government under the Special Education Fund.

During the opening, Asst. Schools Superintendent Dr. Meilrose Peralta shared the 5Ps to the participants: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. “We do not go [to RSPC] to participate; we will be there to compete,” she said.

RSPC 2012 will be conducted on December 13-15 in General Santos City. 

Jezereel Louise C. Billano

Inugyunay Fest '12 opens tonight

                Lights on!

                City of Tacurong’s Inugyunay Festival 2012 will open tonight, 6PM, December 11 at the City Hall Grounds. The opening will be signaled by the lighting of the entries for this year’s Light a Christmas Tree contest.

                The City Government, in coordination with public and private agencies, prepared a variety of events for Tacurongnons and local tourists.

The activities are: Chicken Inasal sa Beer Plaza (Dec. 16-23); Slow Drag Race (8AM-4PM, Dec. 22) with the Tacurong G-Modified Scooters Club; Bingo Socials (3-5PM) by SMART Telecom; and the nightly presentations.

Nightly presentations include: 1) Private Schools as ONE: A Christmas Variety Show with STI, VMC and NDTC (Dec. 16); 2) Pasundayag sa Paskwa by DepEd (Dec. 17); 3) Christmas Around the World by ND-Sienna College (Dec. 18); 4) a performance from St. John Learning Center (Dec. 19); 5) Pasikatan sa Syudad: Gangnam Style with a Twist competition (Dec. 20); 6) Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) Night (Dec. 21); 8)Benefit Variety Show and Gift Giving (Dec. 22) by the Business Sector and Visual Concepts Studio; and LGU Night (Dec. 23). These presentations will be held every 6PM at the city hall grounds.

The festival will be highlighted with a fireworks display come Dec. 23. Inugyunay came from a Hiligaynon term ‘ugyon’ which means ‘unite’ or ‘cooperate’.

Inugyunay Festival 2011

Jezereel Louise C. Billano

122 families evacuate due to flood

                Over 400 residents or 122 families from Brgy. Rajah Muda, Tacurong City were displaced because of a flood caused by an overflow of the nearby Kapingkong River on December 7, 2012. 

The ‘overflow’ was caused by a heavy rain and the release of water from dams in Banga and Dumaguil, South Cotabato, according to a report from the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The families were evacuated to the barangay plaza through the help of Tacurong City Responsive Assistance and Coordinated Emergency Search and Rescue (TRACER).

The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) provided the families with food while waiting for the flood to subside. Families were led back to their homes on December 8, 2012.

Brgy. Rajah Muda in Tacurong is identified as a flood-prone area due to its proximity to the Kapingkong River. The local government unit had been very active in conducting tree planting activities and awareness campaigns to mitigate the effects of flooding in the area. 

Jezereel Louise C. Billano

Samahan ng mga Byuda of Tacurong holds annual assembly

                More than five hundred widows (byudas) who are members of the Samahan ng mga Byuda (SMB) of Tacurong gathered together for their 8^th Annual General Assembly at the Tacurong Pilot Elementary School Gym on November 30, 2012.

                The 506 byudas who attended the assembly represented almost 60 percent of the 847 total active members from the twenty barangays of the city.

                The SMB regularly set their annual assembly every November 30 in time with the birthday of former Congressman Angelo ‘Roncal’ Montilla, the founder of the Samahan. The former congressman was also present during the assembly and was greeted by the SMB members with a very warm and emotional welcome.

                Organized in 2004, the byudas have been enjoying support from the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Tacurong. The SMB’s active membership is attributed to the leadership of Vice Mayor Charito Collado who has been guiding the members since the group’s inception. Vice Mayor Collado is also a byuda. 

The SMB takes the recognition as the first sector in the country to be formally-organized and recognized by a Local Government Unit.

In the SMB’s Assembly this year, newly-elected officers took their oath of office administered by Mayor Lina Montilla. The officers are: Ma. Lourdes Bogador (President), Delia Ramay (Vice President), Juliet Garces (Secretary), Emma dela Cruz (Treasurer), Lourdes dela Cruz (Assistant Treasurer), Jocelyn Lademora (Auditor), Erlinda Perez (PIO),  Arceli Gumban (PIO), Lydia Somblingo (Business Manager), and Norlyn Ronimo (Business Manager).

In her message after the oath-taking of officers, Mayor Montilla assured the members that the LGU’s support, particularly in providing livelihood assistance, will continue to be given priority in the ensuing years.

Also, one of the highlights of the SMB annual assembly in the afternoon was the Search for SMB Queen 2012. Five candidates represented their respective clusters with each cluster composed of four barangays.

Sixty-nine year old Charlita Saavedra of Cluster 3 (San Pablo, San Emmanuel, New Isabela, and Tina) was crowned as the SMB Queen after topping the Personality, Talent, and Interview Categories. Luzviminda Dagcutan (49 years old) of Cluster 4 (San Rafael, D. Ledesma, San Antonio, and Griño) was 1^st runner-up; and Jocelyn Lademora (55 years old) of Cluster 1 (Baras, New Passi, Rajah Muda, and Lancheta) was declared as 2^nd runner-up.

Rounding up the other winners were Winifreda Silverio (61 years old) of Cluster 5 (Poblacion, EJC Montilla, Buenaflor, and New Lagao) – 3^rd runner-up; and Araceli Gumban (57 years old) of Cluster 2 (Upper Katungal, Calean, New Carmen, and Kalandagan) – 4^th runner-up.

Present during the whole-day gathering of byudaswere the other city officials of Tacurong including Councilors Rodrigo Jamorabon, Psyche Sucaldito, Benjamin Fajardo, and Lino Ledda. ABC President Silvestre Llanto and former ABC President Ganayo also showed their support by gracing the event. Barangay Chairpersons Bogador (SMB Federation President) of Tina and Welson Ferrer of New Carmen joined the byudas from their barangays in the said celebration.

Some parlor games were also held in which some byudas received prizes and tokens from Aseana Marketing. (Allan Freno)

PETDA helps 68 indigent families

Sixty-eight indigent families in Brgy. San Antonio, Tacurong City received grocery packs from the Petron Dealers Association-SOCSKSARGEN on December 5, 2012 for its annual outreach program.  The families were identified by the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

Indigent families received grocery packs from PETDA

           According to PETDA-SOCSKSARGEN President Victor Rebosura, the association had been doing this activity for almost 5 years. “This is actually the first time that we went out of General Santos to conduct this activity. This is a good start; maybe next year we will be choosing another town,” Rebosura shared.

Elena Padilla, a 59-year-old widow, was almost to tears before even receiving her share. “Nalipay guid ako nga isa ako sa napili nila. Daku na guid ni nga tabang sa amon sang apo ko,” Padilla said.

Elena Padilla poses with her grandson and the grocery pack she received from PETDA.

Hon. Lina O. Montilla, as well as Brgy. Chairperson Joan Landig, were thankful for the association’s gesture. “This is the first time that our barangay received blessings such as these from businessmen,” said Landig.

CONVERGENCE. PETDA officers and members, Hon. Lina Montilla and LGU staff,
Brgy. San Antonio officials, and the beneficiaries after the gift-giving.

            PETDA members and officers were said to be very glad to have shared their blessing and for visiting the City of Goodwill. “Now, they were able to see that Tacurong is indeed peaceful and is good for business,” said Nonito Legas, PETDA-SK Representative. 

Jezereel Louise C. Billano

LGU to implement anti-smoking ordinance

                Anti-Smoking Ordinance of the City of Tacurong will be fully implemented effective January 2013. However, according to Councilor Psyche Sucaldito, the ordinance will already take effect in the City Government buildings and areas on December 10, 2012. “We are setting the standard so we need to start earlier than the rest of the city. We should be good examples,” said Sucaldito, author of the said ordinance.

                In lieu of this matter, an orientation among the determined city anti-smoking enforcers was conducted on November 26, 2012. Salient points of the ordinance were discussed during the activity which was participated in by at least 33 representatives from Task Force Talakudong, DepEd, PNP, civilian volunteer officers, barangay councils, traffic enforcers, etc. Enforcement procedures were also discussed.

Anti-Smoking Enforcers Orientation

                As suggested by the ordinance, business establishments will be directed to designate smoking areas and sari-sari stores must be prohibited from selling cigarettes to minors. It was emphasized that the ordinance will regulate smoking among adults. At the same time, it will prohibit the act among minors.

                The body agreed that a Tacurong Anti-Smoking Task Force must be created to strengthen the campaign against smoking. Details of the anti-smoking ordinance will be posted in conspicuous areas in the city.

                “This implementation needs an extensive information and education campaign among the citizenry. They should be well-informed of all our undertakings on this matter,” said Mayor Lina Montilla during the orientation.

Jezereel Louise C. Billano