Fortun pays tribute to Day Care workers, calls them “unnamed heroes”

Rep. Lawrence “Law” Fortun

BUTUAN CITY (June 5, 2014) – Agusan del Norte First District Representative Lawrence “Law” Fortun paid tribute to the Day Care workers of Caraga region by calling them the  “unnamed heroes of our country” during the Caraga Regional Day Care Workers’ Summit held at the  Caraga State University (CSU)  Gymnasium in commemoration of the National Day Care Workers’ Week.

In his message to the workers, which was read by Mr. Manuelito Suan the Head of his District Constituency Office, Fortun gave emphasis on the contribution of the Day Care workers “who have painstakingly provided substitute parental care and early childhood education to children 2-4 years old inside government operated Day Care centers nationwide.” The solon also said that today more than ever as our country is witnessing the impeccable importance of values formation even in the early years to the children. “Issues of corruption, malpractices and what not, may have tainted early and fickle minds of our youth, I call upon you, as front-liners in the molding our children, to always inculcate unto the minds of our young children two things: rectitude and values,” Fortun said. He also added that “the story of every Day Care worker is a story of compassion, and concern for others, even at times of daunting and opposition. Today as we commemorate National Day Care Workers Week, we pay homage and recognition to every little contribution in the delivery of quality early childhood education and development. I’d like to commend every members of the Caraga Regional Day Care Worker’s Foundation.”

In summing up Fortun told the workers “you have not only brought compassion and service to the forefronts of the communities you have been servicing, but more importantly, you have brought light – a light of hope, inspiration and new beginnings. In finding our natural devotion, let us continue to feel with our people, let us continue to spread light and love to the poor and vulnerable sectors of our community, especially our children. Continue to be a symbol not only of ‘matuwid na daan’ but also ‘maliwanag na daan’ as your luminance symbolizes the beacon of hope and inspiration.”

Lawig Katawhan

1,800 students avail CHED assistance; Rep. Fortun challenged beneficiaries to make good of grant

Rep. Law Fortun delivering his message to the student-beneficiaries

BUTUAN CITY (May 30, 2014) – At least 1,810 students coming from the different Barangays in Butuan City and the Municipality of Las Nieves were awarded scholarship grants under the Student Financial Assistance Program (StuFAP) of the Commision on Higher Education (CHED) in an orientation and awarding ceremony held at the Caraga State University (CSU) Gymnasium graced by Agusan del Norte First District Representative Lawrence “Law” Fortun.

During the ceremony, Dr. Julius Jamero of CHED gave an orientation of the program to the student-beneficiaries. The bulk of the beneficiaries availed of the Tulong-Dunong scheme which will benefit them an annual assistance of P12,000.00; P9,000.00 and P6,000.00, respectively depending on the students’ tuition needs. Of the total beneficiaries, three (3) students were awarded an annual full merit assistance of P30,000.00 because of the high grades they garnered in the previous semesters. All applicants of the program were ranked based on the student’s grades and those who belong to the poorest of the poor.  In her message during the ceremony, CHED Caraga Regional Director Dr. Maricar Casquejo thanked Fortun for pushing the allocation of funding for the program. She said that with the substantial budget pushed by the solon, the beneficiaries of the program swelled compared to the previous years.

For his part, the young solon challenged the students to make good of the assistance they will get from the government since not all has been given the opportunity to avail it. “Let this grant be one of your tool in attaining success in life, you take advantage of this opportunity and make good in your studies as your way of giving back to your parents their hard work in order to send you to college,” Fortun said. He also asked the students that when they graduate they should give back something to the community any service they can render.

Lawig Katawhan

Strengthen values, grads told

BUTUAN CITY (March 30, 2014) – Agusan del Norte First District Representative Lawrence “Law” Fortun told the graduates of Saint Joseph Institute of Technology (SJIT) to strengthen their values for this is the true barometer in acquiring genuine education during the 42^nd Commencement Exercises of the said school where he was invited as the Commencement Speaker.

The solon said that when he assumed office as representative of the district, he was met with “probably the worst scandals Congress has ever been confronted with.” “Allegations of corruption and abuse left and right rocked the House of Representatives and the Senate and different departments and agencies of government. For a neophyte congressman who joined Congress with idealism and high hopes for the country, it was such a grave disappointment,” Fortun said. The young solon pointed out that “those who get involved in corruption and abuse of power in high places of government are people with sterling academic credentials. These are people who went to the best universities in the country and earned their graduate degrees from Ivy League institutions abroad.” Fortun went on to say that “we are surprised why they get involved in anomalies like these. Something must be wrong somewhere. They forgot an essential element of education. That is, VALUES. And I can only say, notwithstanding all those feathers in their caps, they have not acquired genuine education, after all.”

Fortun also paid tribute to the founders of SJIT for stirring the institution to greater heights from a very humble beginning in 1971. “As commencement speaker, I am expected to inspire you. Honestly, looking at you right now and reflecting on how you have been molded by an institution that has itself been molded by enormous challenges and has grown to become a premiere institution, I am the one who has been inspired. Indeed, you need not look elsewhere for a source of inspiration. SJIT is a great inspiration, not only to you, but to all of us in the region. SJIT is an inspiring embodiment of determination, courage, hard work, perseverance and excellence,” Fortun quipped. “We are all witnesses to SJIT’s remarkable growth as an institution of higher learning. In its pursuit to become a prominent landmark that it is now, the values of rectitude and integrity have always guided its labors for advancement. I repeat. RECTITUDE AND INTEGRITY. These, you should not forget,” the solon emphasized.

Lawig Katawhan

LAWig TESDA grads urged: use your trainings, seek better opportunities

[Adm-02] Butuan City – Six hundred fifty-five students of LAWig TESDA Training for Works Scholarship Program (TWSP) graduated last Friday, March 21, 2014, in a commencement exercise held at Capitol Covered Court, Butuan City.

Fortun delivering his commencement speech

The graduation rite was attended by TESDA Regional Director Dr. Florencio F. Sunico, Jr., Provincial Director Rodrigo De Villa, and Agusan del Norte First District Rep. Lawrence Lemuel H. Fortun, who at the same time is the commencement speaker. Representatives and heads of the different schools and training institutions, and members of the press also graced the activity.

There are thirteen participating schools under the LAWig TESDA TWSP, namely: Agusan Colleges, Agusan Institute of Technology, AMA Computer Learning Center, Butuan City Colleges, Butuan City Manpower Training Center, Butuan Doctors Colleges, Caraga State University, Center for Healthcare Professions, Global Competency-Based Training Center, Father Saturnino Urios University, Philippine Electronics and Communication Institute of Technology, and Saint Joseph Institute of Technology, all in Butuan City.

The ceremony’s theme revolved around government’s effort of providing easy and equal opportunities for every individuals through appropriate skills and training, on one hand, and student’s equity of converting the acquired competence into decent and productive jobs, on the other. This with the end view of not only uplifting their lives, but also directly contributing to national development.

In his message, RD Sunico emphasized that with the coming of ASEAN Integration in 2015, free-flow of goods and services is expected to dominate the market. The challenges, as well as opportunities, lies ahead of the TESDA graduates to find fobs in an ever-increasing competitive and dynamic ASEAN community, banking on our country’s endowments – human resource.

This year’s LAWig TESDA TWSP graduating students comes from ten different technical-vocational programs/courses: Computer Hardware Servicing NC II (165 graduates), Food and Beverage Services NC II (160 graduates), Massage Therapy NC II (30 graduates), Bartending NC II (25 graduates), Housekeeping NC II (50 graduates), Household Services NC II (35 graduates), Shielded-Metal Arc Wielding NC II (100 graduates), Bookkeeping NC II (50 graduates), Driving NC II (20 graduates), and Consumer Electronics NC II (20 graduates).

It can be recalled that while still Vice Mayor of Butuan City in early 2013, Fortun were able to source-out funds from the national government in partnership with TESDA Caraga for the allocation of over 1,000 technical-vocational scholarship for Butuan City and Las Nieves. Earlier this year, fifty Shield-Metal Arc Wielding NC II students graduated from Las Nieves Training Center (LNTC) under the LAWig TESDA TWSP.

In his message, Fortun emphasized his strong commitment of providing more opportunities to his constituents through tech-voc courses. Human resource being our competitive advantage, Fortun re-affirmed his support to technical and vocational education, and commits himself to furthering and expanding TWSP this year. He expressed his thanks to TESDA Regional and Provincial Office and training providers, and poses the challenge ahead of knowing the jobs and skills demand of the region and tailor-fit it with tech-voc offerings to ensure employment and job matching.

The young solon also expressed his confidence and bid his good luck to the graduates. “Naa na man ang skills nga gihatag sa inyo, gamita, ug ikalipay pud namo sa among buhatan ug sa TESDA nga kamo naglampus pud, because the success of the program is not really about graduating students from the course, but seeing students who have graduated find jobs that are consistent with the skills they have acquired. That would really be the barometer of the success of the program.”

Fortun files Comprehensive Civil Registration bill

Rep. Lawrence “Law” Fortun

QUEZON CITY (Feb. 26, 2014) – Agusan Norte First District Representative Lawrence “Law” Fortun has authored House Bill No. 4014, otherwise known as “The Comprehensive Civil Registration Act of 2014” in the House of Representatives.

The bill, which seeks to establish a comprehensive and more responsive civil registration system in the country, provides for mechanisms for standardization and modernization of civil registration procedures to ensure timely, efficient and accurate registration of vital events in the life of each Filipino individual.  Among the salient provisions of the bill are: a) prohibition of any individual or hospital or clinic from withholding the release or refusing to issue birth/death certificates or documents relating thereto by reason of non-payment of financial obligations with the hospitals/clinics, b) setting up of a comprehensive Barangay Registration System, c) free delayed birth registration for reason of poverty, distance and/or literacy issue, d) free delayed birth registration for indigenous peoples (IPs).

Fortun said “civil registration is necessary as it provides the means for the establishment of the identity and the recording of the vital events in the life of a person which are vital in the recognition and protection of his civil rights.  It is an essential system by which the citizenship of a person is established and his or her inherent rights as a person are respected.”

The young solon added that “civil registration affords accurate demographic data and other vital information that are crucial to the government’s planning and policy decisions as wells as the delivery of such basic services as health, infrastructure, education and social services“

Because of its enormous importance, Fortun said there is a pressing need to introduce and implement a comprehensive and truly responsive civil registration system. He expressed concern over “the sad fact that our current civil registration system suffers from deficiencies and flaws that deprive individuals of their inherent right to identity and recognition as citizens, thereby denying them also of their civil rights.”

According to Fortun, estimates have it that presently the births of over 2.6 million Filipino children have not been registered, not to mention the millions of Filipino adults, including a significant number of indigenous peoples, whose births have also not been registered. “The reasons in most of these cases have consistently been due to poverty, distance and lack of literacy,” the solon said.

Fortun likewise assailed the practice of some hospitals and similar facilities in denying the underprivileged of their fundamental right to identity. The young solon averred: “The situation is exacerbated by some individuals and medical institutions tasked to register or facilitate registration of births but delay or refuse to do so because of unpaid financial obligation on the part of the family of the new-born child.  This is also true in the case of deaths of persons whose families could not immediately settle in full their obligation to hospitals or clinics. These are effectively deprivation of their rights by reason of poverty.”

The house bill thus provides for, among other mechanisms for comprehensive and responsive civil registration, a Barangay Civil Registration System, Free Delayed Registration Program for unregistered births due to poverty and Free Delayed Registration for Indigenous Peoples.

It also prohibits and penalizes deliberate delay or refusal to deliver certificates of live birth or certificates of death and related documents to the office of the local civil registration for reasons of failure to settle hospital bills.  “There are other ways by which a hospital, clinic or medical facility can legally seek payment from the family of the newly-born or the deceased, but not by detaining documents required in the issuance birth or death certificates,” Fortun said. “That is utterly unjust to the less-privileged,” Fortun added.

“As civil registration is critical in the recognition and protection of the civil rights of individuals, it should be made available to every Filipino,” the Agusan solon said.

Lawig Katawhan

Scholarhip program to continue, Fortun hints

Rep. Lawrence “Law” Fortun

BUTUAN CITY (Feb. 14, 2014) – In a radio interview this morning, Agusan del Norte First District Representative Lawrence “Law” Fortun hinted that the scholarship program of the government, facilitated through the district constituency office, will continue and remains available to constituents of Butuan City and Las Nieves.

This is to quell unsolicited rumors that with the scrapping of the priority development assistance fund (PDAF), government scholarship programs, mostly sourced from the controversial fund, and facilitated to the congressional districts will also put to end. The solon is cognizant of the expressed concerns of students and parents and has intensely lobbied with the national government to continue the implementation of the program, as this has helped a lot of students in the past.

To cushion the impact of the new system of identifying priority projects to the congressional district, Fortun added that the district constituency office was able to synchronize efforts with the regional line agencies – giving impetus to convergence and coordination in response to much needed development initiatives of the district.

In the same interview, Fortun also proclaimed that not only the scholarship grant remains available, but it will even be expanded as well. This is to reach an even greater number of poor and equally deserving students next school year.