(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Wednesday, 27 March 2024) Easterlies affecting the eastern section of the country. Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur will experience Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to Easterlies / Localized Thunderstorms. Possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms.


PIA News Service - Thursday, June 10, 2010

PDEA-Caraga launches “Iskolar ng PDEA”
.
By: Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY (10 June) – In time with the opening of classes this school year, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Caraga Region today launches the “Iskolar ng PDEA” in support to the efforts of the Arroyo administration particularly on the “Education for All” program as embodied in the ten-point legacy program of the President.

In a press statement, PDEA-Caraga Regional Director Atty. Joey S. Quiriones said, the scholarship program is a pilot project of the agency in cooperation and in partnership with concerned agencies and organizations.

“The project is aimed to financially sustain the educational requirements such as school supplies, tuition fees, allowances and other miscellaneous fees of elementary and high school students who were/are enrolled in public schools but have stopped or are encountering difficulties in continuing with their studies due to financial constraints,” Quiriones said.

The recipients of this project are coming from Brgy. Ong Yiu, identified as drug-affected barangay in Butuan City. The barangay, is in fact the most notorious barangay throughout the city and even in Caraga Region, in general, in terms of drug affectation.

The 20 children who qualified in the scholarship program were recommended to PDEA-Caraga by the Barangay Captain of Brgy. Ong Yiu after undergoing the initial process of qualification in the barangay level, and finally chosen according to their academic capabilities as well as the financial status of their families and the capability of their parents to send them to school, it was learned.

Also, some of these scholars are children of PDEA’s confidential informants who have, in one way or the other, assisted the agency in the conduct of anti-drug operations in the region. “This is also one way of showing that PDEA somehow cares by giving their children a chance for a better future,” Quiriones said.

The launching was graced by PDEA Region XI Regional Director PSSupt. Roybel M. Sanchez who led the ceremonial distribution of school bags and supplies to the 20 scholars.

Meanwhile, the recipients, together with other children in Brgy. Ong Yiu were treated with the usual “Palugaw ng PDEA” feeding program of PDEA-Caraga. (PIA-Caraga)


“Iskolar ng PDEA,” paving the way to educate, touch lives of youths in Brgy. Ong Yiu
.
By: Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY (10 June) – "Education is the most important thing that can never be taken away from you," as the saying goes.

To prove this saying, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Caraga paves the way to make this saying a dream come true to 20 less fortunate children who have simple dreams and vision – to spend their daily activities in the four corners of the classrooms and be equipped with knowledge that will contribute to their success.

Dubbed as “Iskolar ng Bayan,” the scholarship program of PDEA-Caraga is inspired by the Millennium Development Goal – Families and their Children and their Environs in the Slums (MDG-FACES) program of this city where Brgy. Ong Yiu was chosen as a venue for a pilot project where 50 children were selected as beneficiaries – some of whom are now recipients of the program.

MDG-FACES aimed to study the condition of children in the slums and provide programs to alleviate their conditions especially addressing the issues of poverty, safety and well-being.

The “Iskolar ng PDEA” program is in pursuance of Campaign Plan: “Bandila,” a noble project of the agency that humbly attempts at an application of the “thinking out of the box” principle and, therefore, a deviation from the usual and traditional demand reduction programs and efforts of the agency.

The program promotes and enhances the goodwill and good image of the agency by adopting yet another laudable undertaking.

In a nutshell, this scholarship program is an initiated project of PDEA-Caraga backed and supported logistically, financially and otherwise by concerned local government agencies and socio-civic groups such as the city government of Butuan through the City Peace and Order Coordinating Council (CPOCC) and the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) Office, the barangay officials of Brgy. Ong Yiu, the Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Office, Golden Tara Square and Compasses Club, Free and Accepted Masons of Butuan City, Rotary Club of Butuan, and the Association of Caraga Executives (ACE).

By providing a scholarship program for financially distressed but academically inclined and deserving students in the elementary and high school, PDEA-Caraga envisions to create a pool of young role models for all other youths in Butuan City and in Caraga Region.

The good values on staying away from bad company, avoiding vices such as drinking alcoholic drinks, gambling and most especially using drugs and putting premium on education as an effective vehicle to eventually reclaim and save themselves as well as their family from the quagmire of poverty shall be instilled and emphasized on the young scholarship recipients.

In line with this and to underscore this program’s relevance to Campaign: “Bandila,” it is noteworthy to mention that poverty almost comes up in studies and surveys as primal reason that spawns drug problems.

Furthermore, the youths will be closely monitored by barangay officials of Ong Yiu, the CSWD Office, and PDEA-Caraga.

Kudos to the men and women of PDEA-Caraga headed by Regional Director – Atty. Joey S. Quiriones for coming up with this noteworthy project… Our Congratulations! (PIA-Caraga with data from PDEA-Caraga)


NGCP explains power rate hike

By Michael A. Imbo

BUTUAN CITY – The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) conducted media forum to explain power rate hike, held recently at Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort, this city.

In a written statement, NGCP explained the ancillary charges that have been charged to consumers starting April this year. True to this, NGCP has been holding dialogues with its direct customers in Mindanao to fully explain the dynamics of its billing and charging procedures.

NGCP said the bills and ancillary services charged to its direct customers were remitted to the ancillary services provider per Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (ASPA) approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). As the collecting agent, NGCP does not get revenues from the said fees.

Transmission rates per se have remained stable in the past few months. Charges for ancillary services, on the other hand, have increased from P77/KW in December 2009 when the supplying power barges were still owned by the National Power Corp. (NPC) to around P607/kW in April 2010.

Mr. Mark Canlas of the Revenue and Regulatory Affairs (RRA) discussed the ancillary services charges in Mindanao. According to him, charges are based on prevailing world market prices for fuel used in running the power barges which supply the ancillary services. He further said that the charges are not subsidized anymore by the government and thus reflect the true cost of electricity per current market forces.

Also, Ma. Cynthia Manrique, RRA Head reiterated that the billing computation and collection for these ancillary services remitted to ancillary services provider have been duly approved by the regulatory body.

Meanwhile, the power concern over the increase in charges to be recovered by distribution utilities and electric cooperatives serving the area will cause continuous daily power interruptions to be experienced in Mindanao.

Manrique said that that these outages are attributed to a generation deficiency or lack of power supply generated by power plants. (PIA-Caraga)


Cebuano News: BEAT sa Buenavista gimugna

BUTUAN CITY – giaprubahan bag-ohay pa lang sa Sanguniang Panlalawigan ang ordinansa gikan sa Buenavista nga nagmugna og Buenavista Emergency Assistance Team (BEAT).

Matod pa ni SB member Jose S. Amoroso, ang nangamahan sa Municipal Ordinance 02-2010, ang tuyo sa pagmugna niini mao ang paghatag og dugang health assistance ug serbisyo sa katawhan hilabina kun adunay mga kalit-kalit nga panghitabo (emergency) ug aksidente.

Miyembro sa team ang Municipal Health Officer nga mauy hinoong lider, representante sa Municipal Health Office Peronnel: usa ka driver, duha ka aides; ug usa ka registered nurse.

Naaprobahan ang maong ordinansa sa pagpaningkamot ni Bokal Ernie M. Ceniza. (AGNOR Bulletin/PIA-Caraga)


Cebuano News: Kababayen-an hatagag panginabuhian

BUTUAN CITY – pinaagi sa usa ka programa nga ipa-tuman ni Gobernador Erlpe John M. Amante, sigurado nang magabton og panginabuhian ang mga kababayen-an ning probinsya.

Base sa kasabutan nga gitakda nang pirmahan tali sa pangabamhanang probinsyal, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Department of Science and Technology (DOST) ug 10 ka lungsod sa Agusan del Norte, apil ang syudad sa Cabadbaran magtinabangay kini alang sa implementasyon sa programa’ng Development of Agusan Women for Nation Building thru Enterprises Development (DAWNED).

Tuyo sa programa nga mahataga’g kaugalingong panginabuhian ang mga kabus nga kababayen-an nga sakop ning probinsya pinaagi sa paghatag dili lamang capital sa negosyo apan ang kahibalo sa pagpadagan ug pagmintenar niini.

Ang paghatag og gitawag nga empowerment sa atong mga kababayen-an maoy usa sa mga yawe nga magbaton sila og kumpiyansa sa kaugalingon ug abilidad sa pagtabang sa tagsa-tagsa nila ka pamilya” matod pa ni Gobernador Amante nga mo-invest og lima ka gatos ka libo (P500,000.00) ka pesos alang niini nga programa dugang sa maong kantidad usab nga ihatag sa DSWD pinaagi sa Self Employment Assistance Program niini.

Ang mga local executives sa tanang lungsod sa probinsya lakip ang syudad sa Cabadbaran mipadayag na sa ilang hugot nga suporta alang sa hinanali’ng implementasyon niini. (Agnor Bulletin/PIA-Caraga)