Hundreds of barangay officals trooped to ASEAN Forum in Isabela

 PHOTO BY: sanjosenyonggala.blogspot.com

At least 200 barangay officials, members of the civil society organizations and other stakeholders participated in the recently conducted barangay level multi-sectoral forum on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the City of Ilagan.

Director-General Harold E. Clavite of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), who was the guest of honor and speaker, said there is need to inform the Filipino people on the thrusts and core objectives of the ASEAN and its benefits in fostering the culture and economy of the Philippines and the other member-countries. 

“As the Philippines hosts this year’s ASEAN Summit, PIA takes the mantle of leadership in promoting the interests of ASEAN by empowering people through information,” Clavite said.

The director-general is hopeful that with the various communication activities spearheaded by the agency nationwide, PIA will be able to elicit the Filipino people’s support to ASEAN’s programs and advocacies and build a well-informed citizenry on the benefits they derived and continue to derive and enjoy as member-nation of the ASEAN.  

Purita S. Licas, PIA regional director, said the series of multi-sectoral fora conducted at the barangay level is part of the agency’s regional advocacy campaign which aims to generate a wide range of public awareness, understanding and concern about ASEAN, its thrusts, operations and developments in the light of strengthened regionalism. 

Licas said among the already conducted communications activities which highlight ASEAN as a model of regionalism and a global player with the interest of the people at its core include the series of ASEAN Campus Fora, press conferences, media forum, various quad-media programs, school-based contests, production and distribution of IEC materials, launching of PIA ASEAN kiosks at the Tuguegarao City airport and at Basco Airport in Batanes, and series of Multi-Sectoral Fora with the end view of informing and educating the public and communicating to them what ASEAN is, its thrusts and advocacies.

Licas, who discussed the ASEAN’s history and its fundamental principles during the forum, urged the public to support and participate in all ASEAN-related events and activities at the local and national levels as everybody is committed to building a strong and resilient ASEAN Community with one vision, one identity, one community.

Other topics discussed during the event include the ASEAN Economic Community by Zenaida Quinto of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community by Margarette Galimba of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the ASEAN’s move against illicit drug production, trafficking and use by Louella Tomas of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency or PDEA. (Philippine Information Agency)

ASEAN goes to Laguna barangay

In the unceasing effort to deliver the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and government programs information to people in the grassroots, the ASEAN Barangay Forum was brought by the Calabarzon office of the Philippine Information Agency to Barangay Bayog Los Banos, Laguna last August 19. 

Residents from within and outside the barangay participated in the forum ranging from the members of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (FARMC), Strategic Industry Science Samp;T Program for Agri-Aqua Growth (SIPAG) and other organizations within the town of Los Banos, barangay officials, and village folks.

PIA IV-A Assistant Regional Director Carlo Gonzaga welcomed the participants and provided an overview of what ASEAN is all about and the possible benefits of the ordinary Filipinos from it. This includes an opportunity for having an ASEAN-wide market for the micro, small and medium enterprises where ordinary village folks may be engaged in.

National Economic and Development Authority IV-A (NEDA IV-A) Senior Economic Development Specialist Alvin V. Olanday talked about the Ambisyon Natin 2040. "Ito po yung mithiin nating mga Pilipino para sa ating mga sarili at para sa ating bansa. So, hindi pa po ito yung plano, ito lamang po yung tinitingnan natin na sa taong 2040 maabot natin ang pinapangarap nating mga Pilipino para sa ating mga sarili, para sa ating bansa."

He saidthe vision Filipinos can be achieved through appropriate and tailor-fit policies and programs by the government. "Sa tamang polisiya ang Pilipinas po ay magiging high-income country by 2040" He said that to reach what the Philippines envisions to attain by 2040, the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 was formed where plans for the different sectors including education, health, agricilture, and fisheries, among many others, were plotted.

He urged everyone to participate in the achievement of this goal. "Importante po tayong lahat para maabot natin ang inaambisyon natin," Olanday said.

On the other hand, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency IV-A (PDEA IV-A) Regional Information Officer Mary Ann M. Lorenzo tackled about the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation No. 3, Series of 2017 with the subject, "Strengthening the Implementation of Barangay Drug Clearing Program."

She explained the process of drug clearing in barangays, informed them of the agencies involved in drug-clearing operations, and discussed the classification of barangays into affected and drug-cleared. "Ang Municipality of Los Banos dapat po mayroon kayong anti-drug ordinance. Iyon po ay ipinapatupad sa lahat ng barangay dito sa Los Banos. Kapag mayroon na po kayo niyon ay ready na kayo for the operation," she stated.

She saidthe operation comprises both Law Enforcement Operation and Information Dissemination. Lorenzo also reiterated the role of the barangay officials and tanods as part of the Barangay Anti-Drugs Abuse Council (BADAC) provided in the DDB regulation.

She encouraged them to strictly implement it in their barangay, "Hangga't kaya pong i-implement iyong programa in every barangay, gawin po natin iyan. Kasi sino po ang mag-ha-harvest Sino po ang mag-aani na ang daan ninyo ay drug-cleared kundi iyon mismong taga-baranggay. Kayo po iyong mapapanatag ang loob, kayo po iyong makakatulog ng maayos sa gabi kasi nga ay nagtulung-tulong kayo para maalis natin iyong mga drug personalities," she stressed, saying that this will help them avoid crimes within their barangay rooted in illegal drug use.

Engr. Reynan Alonde of Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) Enforcement Division reported on the accomplishments of the LLDA, including the demolition of illegal fishpens. He saidsmaller portion of the lake will be given to the mighty corporations, while a bigger portion of the lake will be allotted for the use of the ordinary fisherfolks to let them earn a decent living through fishing in the Laguna Lake based on its carrying capacity.

Through the barangay forum, the fisherfolks and barangay residents were able to be enlightened on their various concerns, and were informed of the ASEAN and government programs and policies involving them. (Philippine Information Agency)

FOLLOW US on Twitter