Monday, 10 November 2025

DOLE trains micro-establishments in Surigao Sur on basic life support

By Nida Grace P. Barcena

CAGWAIT, Surigao del Sur (PIA) — In support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr’s vision of “Bagong Pilipinas,” the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Surigao del Sur spearheaded a two-day Basic Life Support (BLS) Training for 28 micro-establishments in the municipality.

In partnership with the local government unit (LGU) of Cagwait through its Public Employment Service Office (PESO) and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC), the initiative equipped small business owners and workers with essential life-saving and emergency response skills, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), wound care, and first aid procedures, while promoting compliance with workplace safety standards under the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) and Republic Act No. 11058.

“This program contributes to the national goal of fostering a productive, protected, and prepared workforce, key to achieving inclusive and sustainable development,” DOLE Provincial Head Genebelle Bal said.

Leading the opening activity, Mayor Glenn Go Batiancila, expressed full support for the initiative, underscoring that readiness and volunteerism are vital in fostering community resilience.

“Volunteerism, readiness, and training are not just responsibilities, they are essential elements in building a resilient and safe Cagwait. I commend DOLE and our local agencies for making this training possible,” said Mayor Batiancila.

Under the supervision of MDRRM Officer Nerissa T. Plaza, the training combined classroom instruction with practical simulations. Participants engaged in hands-on exercises using training mannequins and first aid kits, enhancing both confidence and competence in responding to emergencies.

For many participants, it was their first formal training in life-saving techniques, an empowering experience that strengthened their sense of responsibility in the workplace.

‘It was our first time learning how to properly perform CPR. Now, we feel more confident that we can help if someone collapses at work,” the participants shared as they continued to gain valuable knowledge and hands-on experience throughout the training.

The 28 micro-establishments involved in the activity were previously identified through DOLE’s Technical and Advisory Visits (TAVs) and are now taking proactive steps to address compliance gaps in occupational safety and health standards.

This joint effort underscores the shared commitment of DOLE and LGU Cagwait to nurture safe, healthy, and disaster-ready workplaces, demonstrating that even small enterprises play a vital role in achieving national resilience and economic inclusivity.

As local businesses grow stronger and more aware of their role in disaster preparedness, Cagwait emerges as a model of community empowerment and local collaboration, where safety, livelihood, and people development go hand in hand toward a truly resilient Bagong Pilipinas. (NGPB, PIA Surigao del Sur with a report from DOLE–Surigao del Sur Field Office)

Monday, 10 November 2025

DA-SAAD trains Siargao farmers on agribusiness

By Susil D. Ragas

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program is enhancing the livelihood of the local farmers by conducting a series of Business Model Canvas (BMC) training-workshops in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte. 

Held on October 14–17, this initiative cultivated an ‘agripreneurial’ mindset among group beneficiaries, facilitating the establishment of successful Community-Based Enterprises (CBEs).

Through the training, the participants were guided to better understand the business side of their production projects as part of the program’s sustainability efforts to link food production and enterprise development.

Twelve  farmers’ associations (FAs) across Siargao Island participated in the program, with 10 representatives from each association attending such as the Farmers Association of Magsaysay (AFAM) and the United Farmers Association of Sta. Cruz (UFASAC) of General Luna; Makugihong Mag-uuma sa Katipunan (MMK) and Malipayon ug Mauswagong Mag-uuma sa Mahayahay (M4) of Del Carmen; Caridad Vegetable Association (CAVEA) and Consolacion Goat Raisers Association (COGORA); Bongdo SAAD Farmers Organization (BOSAFO) and Nagkahiusang Gagmayng Mananagat sa Maribojoc, Inc. (NAGAMAMA) of San Benito; United Del Pilar Farmers Association (UDePFAss) and San Miguel United and Resilient Farmers (SMURF) of San Isidro; and Abad Santos Farmers Association (ASFA); and Bailan Farmer Entrepreneurs Association (BAFEA) of Sta. Monica.

Rex G. Parro, a faculty member from the College of Agriculture and Agri-Industries of Caraga State University (CSU) in Butuan City, introduced and emphasised the foundational truth that a long-term business is built on more than just the product. “Farmers, when thinking of a long-term business venture, should take into account the capacity of their production, the viability of the market  they want to engage in, and the building of good relationships and strong networks to ensure the stability of the business.”

He emphasized that if the mere goal of the business revolves around earning money, it is poorly established and will struggle to develop a customer base in its community. 

“Employing good customer service to your clients is a great way of making a mark on them,” Parro said.  “On-time delivery catering for the volume of their orders, and replacement policies to ensure client satisfaction are some of the ways to establish a good business venture.”

Marvilyn Estaloza, secretary of Makugihong Mag-uuma sa Katipunan, shared her insight of the activity. “We are grateful for this training because we can apply our learning to our SAAD project and to our own businesses. We also appreciate our speaker as he made the sessions engaging and we learned valuable ways on how to deal with customers to build trust and sustain loyalty.”

The DA-SAAD initiative challenged them to go beyond the physical yield and see the enterprise opportunity hidden within their collective effort, serving as the program’s deliberate strategy—to embed sustainability by linking their hard-won harvest directly to viable market success. 

SAAD Caraga is committed to supporting this evolution, continuing to provide focused training that reinforces the newly acquired entrepreneurial spirit and forging a more prosperous and self-reliant future for Siargao Island. (SDR, PIA Surigao del Norte with a report from DA-SAAD)

Monday, 10 November 2025

Bayanihan spirit shines amid Butuan City’s efforts to serve typhoon-displaced residents

By Mariesh F. Celedeña

(Photo from CSWD Department Butuan FB page)

BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — Days after the teetering impact of Typhoon Tino, torrential rains once again battered Butuan City from November 8 to 9, as Super Typhoon (ST) Uwan whipped the city with its powerful winds and dumped heavy rains that caused rivers to overflow, submerging main roads and neighborhoods in floodwater. 

Uwan displaced 44,317 residents from 33 barangays, destroyed their houses and disrupted their livelihoods. 

A total of 3,615 families were forced to seek refuge in various evacuation centers in the city.

To ensure the safety and comfort of evacuees, the city government immediately distributed modular tents and relief goods, providing families with a sense of security amid the moments’ uncertainty. 

Recognizing the severity of the situation, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Butuan, through Proposed SP Resolution No. 17-061-2025, has sought to declare the city under a State of Calamity in order enabling to mobilize emergency resources for immediate response and recovery efforts.

Initial assessments revealed that the city’s agriculture, infrastructure, and livelihoods suffered significant damage, with losses in the agricultural sector alone amounting to over P4.5 million.

Amid these challenging times, the people of Butuan once again proved and manifested the true Filipino spirit of ‘bayanihan,’ a communal unity and cooperation that is alive and strong, according to the city government.

Volunteers from the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines (PYAP) Butuan, government employees, Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) leaders, barangay youth volunteers, solo parents, students, the Butuan City Police Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD), Task Force Bantay Butuan, and many others came together to assist affected communities.

City Mayor Lawrence Lemuel H. Fortun also visited the evacuation centers to assess the situation and coordinated with the barangay units on the immediate needs.  

Barangay units also stepped up with the call of the local government, providing logistical support and extending assistance to their constituents. City departments and regional line agencies shared real-time road advisories, situation updates, and reminders, helping ensure the community’s safety and awareness.

Youth volunteers played an active role in packing and distributing welfare goods, which included three kilos of rice, canned goods, coffee, and milk. 

Government offices and city departments joined hands to deliver relief packs to evacuation centers, ensuring that help reached families in need without delay.

For Joshua Batac, president of PYAP Butuan, volunteering is more than just a duty as a PYAP officer, rather it’s a personal mission rooted in empathy.

“This is not just about our commitment as PYAP officers,” Batac said. “We saw the need to help. My family was once among those affected by flooding, so I understand firsthand the urgency of timely support. By volunteering, we the youth can help ensure relief reaches evacuees when they need it most.”

Batac, who has been a volunteer since 2020, served during the COVID-19 pandemic and the onslaught of Typhoon Odette. For Uwan and Tino’s aftermath, PYAP Butuan deployed 20 youth volunteers, joining dozens more from various organizations who united under a shared purpose that is to serve the community in this time of need.

As Butuan City moves forward toward recovery, the ‘Bayanihan’ spirit continues to serve as the cornerstone of rebuilding efforts. Offices and organizations coming together to provide any form of assistance for these families to rebuild their homes and livelihoods, the city government said. (MFC, PIA Caraga with a report from Butuan City PIO and Butuan CSWDD)

Sunday, November 09, 2025

Farmer fulfills lifelong dream through DAR’s land distribution

By Nora L. Molde

BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — More than two months after receiving his long-awaited land title, 68-year-old Antonio P. Rosales of Barangay Del Pilar, Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, reaffirmed his belief that a piece of land is more than just a dream as it is also a promise of stability, dignity, and hope.

After more than three decades of tilling the same farmland, Rosales finally achieved what he once thought was impossible, becoming the rightful owner of the land he had nurtured with sweat and perseverance since 1991.

That dream turned into reality on August 14, when he received his individual land title from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). The title covers 4,596 square meters of farmland he had been cultivating for more than half his life.

“This is the moment I have been waiting for all my life,” Rosales said, holding his title close to his chest. “At last, I can look forward to a secure and brighter future for my family.”

For most of his life, Rosales endured poverty and uncertainty. With only an elementary education, he once worked as a coconut climber earning P280 a month and later tried gold panning just to feed his wife and six children. In 1991, he began cultivating a parcel of government-foreclosed land in their barangay, planting coconut, falcata, banana, and vegetables, his family’s only source of livelihood.

Despite the years of toil, the land was never his. “I always prayed that someday, I could call it my own,” he shared. That prayer was finally answered when the DAR recognized him as the actual tiller of the land in 2015. Ten years later, he officially became its owner.

Today, Rosales’s coconut and falcata farm continues to provide food and income for his family. His greatest pride, however, lies not in the land itself but in his six children—one of them now a college graduate, and the rest still pursuing their studies.

“My only wish is for my children to finish schooling. I don’t want them to be like me, someone who only knows how to write his name,” he said with quiet determination.

Rosales is one of 463 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Agusan del Norte who received land titles covering a total of 608.11 hectares (ha). The regional distribution ceremony, led by DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III, reaffirmed the government’s continuing commitment to improving farmers’ lives through equitable land ownership.

Across the Caraga region, the DAR has already distributed 33,694 hectares of land to 17,564 ARBs, broken down as follows: Agusan del Sur – 19,394.12 ha (8,965 ARBs); Surigao del Sur – 9,594 ha (4,941 ARBs); Surigao del Norte – 3,175.83 ha (2,312 ARBs); Dinagat Islands – 922.33 ha (883 ARBs); and Agusan del Norte – 608.11 ha (463 ARBs).

Through DAR’s sustained implementation of CARP, farmers like Rosales now enjoy not only the fruits of their labor but also the dignity, stability, and sense of fulfillment that come with finally owning the land they have long called home. (NCLM, PIA Agusan del Norte, with a report from DAR Agusan del Norte)

Sunday, November 09, 2025

DHSUD Caraga readies shelter assistance to victims of Typhoon Tino in Dinagat Islands

By Renelle L. Escuadro

BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Caraga strengthens its Integrated Disaster Shelter Assistance Program (IDSAP) to families whose houses were either lost or damaged by Typhoon Tino that hit the Province of Dinagat Islands on November 4.

In an interview with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga, OIC-Regional Director Paris Raymond S. Gaballo of DHSUD Caraga said, “As the lead agency of the Shelter Cluster of the Caraga Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC), we have ongoing coordination with the council and partner stakeholders for the efficient implementation of the program in areas affected by the typhoon, especially in Dinagat Islands, as the province in Caraga region with the most impact.”

IDSAP, through Department Order No. 2024-004, is a post-disaster initiative that allows DHSUD to deliver timely and sustainable shelter-related interventions to disaster-stricken communities.

“IDSAP provides assistance to families whose houses are totally or partially damaged by hazards such as typhoons, earthquakes, fire, among others,” Gaballo added.” The amount of P30,000 will be released for totally damaged houses, while P10,000 for partially damaged residences.”

In the initial report of the province’s Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis, 680 houses, both partially and totally damaged, were reported. 

For the timely processing of the shelter assistance, Gaballo encouraged the Dinagatnons to immediately report to their barangay the damages to their houses together with two valid identification (IDs) so they will be included in the local government unit’s report on the list of damaged houses. “The LGU’s list of damaged houses will be forwarded by either the MSWD or the local DRRM office to DHSUD, and together with key shelter agencies, we will conduct validation,” he said. 

He added that if documents are complete and the report complies with the rules of the program, shelter assistance will be released within one to three months.

For DHSUD, a house is not only a structure; it is a basic need. Through IDSAP, it fulfills its commitment to help families rebuild their homes with hope and resilience, especially with the number of disasters occurring in the country, Gaballo said. (RLE, Dinagat Islands)