The Golden Province shines in the latest Digital ICT National Awards

Davao de Oro Province---In the middle of the emerging crisis, just like gold’s luster, Davao de Oro strongly proves its capacity to shine even in the darkest of times.

 

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the golden province innovated ways to continue delivering government services to its people with golden standards. For Dabawenyos, Covid-19 does not just bring fear and confusion, instead it paved the way to unleash the spirit of creativity and innovativeness among them.

Through the unity of the people both from the provincial and municipal local government units, including the national agencies, Davao de Oro was able to pull off new ways of delivering essential government services to its people amidst the pandemic. With clear priorities and common necessity, a digital form of bayanihan was made possible.

 

During the recently held Digital Governance Awards 2020, digital innovations of the province romped awards.

The awards were given by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NiCP).

 

Winning the first place in the Government to Government Category is the 1DdO Helpline, a program that interlinks government services of the provincial government, municipal local governments and the national government agencies. The Funds Utilization Management System (FUMS) also won first place in the Government Internal Process Category.

 

Serbisyo Oro Mismo, the Neteleradyo platform of the PLGU took the 3rd spot in the Government to Customer Category and Call DdOC: Your Virtual Doctor also placed third in the Government’s Covid-19 response category.

 

Even when the world experiences the worst of times, the golden province still looks at the brighter side of it, continuously acting in a proactive manner for the greater good. (Jasteen P. Abella, Information Division, Davao de Oro)

To more Rice produce in the Golden province

 

 Davao de Oro Province---With much potential seen on its land area, the United IPs Irrigators Association (UIIA) of Barangay Bahi in Maragusan, Davao de Oro committed more or less 20 hectares of land area to be developed into rice fields.

 The conversion of the 20 hectare-land as an initial production area will also pave a way to interest other land owners in pursuing and replicating rice production initiatives using modern technology as way of adding income generating farm endeavors.

 Bahi has a total of 106 hectares of land feasible to rice field conversion according to survey and for the time being only 20 hectares were utilized.

 Barangay Bahi also has an irrigation facility unutilized to its full potential that compliments the conceptualization and implementation of the project and will greatly add assurance to food security in the province when fully functional.

 “Sa ginagmay nato nga mga resources ug pagtinabangay, ma-achieve nato atung gipangandoy nga nindot nga basakan.” said Minda Agarano, Head of the Provincial Agriculturist’s Office of the province.

 he groundbreaking ceremony was held on the 23rd of September 2020 and attended by partner agencies of PLGU Davao de Oro specifically the Department of Agriculture RFO XI, Department of Agrarian Reform, National Irrigation Administration Davao de Oro, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Davao de Oro, MAGRO Maragusan, BLGU Bahi, United IP Irrigator’s Association of Bahi, 66th Infantry Battalion and Philippine National Police – RPSB.

 The involvement of the AFP and the PNP through ELCAC (End Local Communist Armed Conflict) strategy is relevant to the project as this will precede to attain lasting peace, transformation and alleviate poverty in Barangay Bahi as the place was once deeply infiltrated by communist movement years ago. 

(Jasteen P. Abella, Information Division, Davao de Oro)

 

 

“Balik Dde Oro” for stranded Davao de Oro residents

Davao de Oro Province--- On account of COVID-19’s effect worldwide, fear continues to coat everyone’s heart. Daily activities were no longer the same as it was before and outside activities were being limited. Families wanted to be with each other as humanity continue to fight this dreaded disease.

As the Golden Province of Davao de Oro prioritizes the welfare of all Dabawenyos, a Return Home Special Program and humanitarian initiative called “Balik Dde Oro” was initiated by the Provincial Government.  The program intends to help residents and constituents of Davao de Oro who were currently stranded outside the province due to the different community quarantine policies implemented nation-wide to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus infection.

“Balik Dde Oro” partners with the 11 Municipal Local Government Units of the province. The program started its operation on May 4, 2020 and catered calls, text messages and online applications from Dabawenyos who wanted to get back home.  Hotline numbers coming from the municipal and provincial hub caters applications and served as the call center operation center and were operated by the municipal and provincial officers as well as volunteers from the scholars of the Compostela Valley Scholarship Program (CVSP).

The program includes guidelines and conditions for all applicants who intend to get back to their respective families in the province. The initiative was also made possible through the partnership with Smart Telecommunications who donated sim-cards for the Emergency Operations Center and "Balik Dde Oro" Operations Center.

To date, since it started its operation, it already received and catered a total of 389 applicants via call in the provincial hotlines. Stranded applicants were categorized into three (3): DDO residents stranded within Davao Region (Form 1), stranded outside Davao Region (Form 2) and Non-DDO residents stranded within our province (Form 3). There 183 applicants under Form 1; 188 applicants in Form 2 and 18 applicants in Form 3.

These individuals will still have to be verified and validated before being qualified to avail in the program. Each application will undergo validations such as: verification of residency from the municipal and barangay level, coordination with its respective family, submission of requirements such as health or quarantine certificate if there are any and if the applicant will abide to the terms and conditions of the program.

The conditions of the program includes undergoing a standard screening protocol and must be willing to undergo a 14-day quarantine period in the Barangay Isolation Unit (BIU) before going home, family of the applicant must provide them with food during the quarantine period provided that they will observe social distancing measures and wearing of protective gears during visits. The program is not applicable to those who will be going out of the province and does not cover the return trip and stranded passengers coming from “Lockdown” areas will automatically be declined.

According to Christine Dompor, Supervising Tourism Operations Officer IV of Davao de Oro, deadline of application was on May 7, 2020. For the upcoming days, dissemination and coordination to concerned EOCs will take place including the planning for the logistics. Schedules for the pick-up and transport for all qualified passengers will be posted on the official facebook page of the province after the arrangement of the logistics and coordination with EOCs from other provinces. Transport operations will start on May 16 onwards.

Davao de Oro continues to live with the spirit of “Bayanihan”, prioritizing the good of all its constituents leaving no one behind. (Jasteen Abella, ID DAVAO DE ORO)