(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Friday, 13 December 2024) Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting the western section of Mindanao and Palawan. Shear Line affecting the eastern sections of Central and Southern Luzon. Northeast Monsoon affecting Northern Luzon and the rest of Central Luzon. 𝗙𝗒π—₯π—˜π—–π—”π—¦π—§ π—ͺπ—˜π—”π—§π—›π—˜π—₯ π—–π—’π—‘π——π—œπ—§π—œπ—’π—‘: 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 Localized Thunderstorms. Possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms. 𝗙𝗒π—₯π—˜π—–π—”π—¦π—§ π—ͺπ—œπ—‘π—— 𝗔𝗑𝗗 π—–π—’π—”π—¦π—§π—”π—Ÿ π—ͺπ—”π—§π—˜π—₯ π—–π—’π—‘π——π—œπ—§π—œπ—’π—‘: Moderate to Strong winds coming from East to Northeast will prevail with slight to moderate seas / (0.6 to 2.5 meters).


PIA News Service - Monday, March 28, 2011

Caraga POEA chief urges graduating college studes to undergo pre-employment orientation

By: Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, March 28 (PIA) -- Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Caraga Regional Director Marietta Bellotindos recently said graduating college students must undergo seminar on pre-employment orientation as well as anti-illegal recruitment.

Citing the need for the graduating college students to be oriented on these issues and concerns, the POEA chief here said fresh graduates are vulnerable to illegal recruitments.

“They must be given inputs by informing them the real scenario of what they will be experiencing in seeking for employment,” Bellotindos said.

Bellotindos said fresh graduates are aggressive in finding jobs which may result to them being engaged with wrong employment and employers. 

Bellotindos further said as early as now, graduating college students must also be informed on the things to be done as soon as they will apply for a certain job.

Bellotindos stressed that school administrators can arrange with POEA for an invitation to serve as resource speaker/s during pre-orientation seminars of their graduating students in the tertiary level. (PIA-Caraga)


PCDSPO Usec. graces FSUU Policy Center’s 1st anniversary celebration

By: Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, March 28 (PIA) – Undersecretary Manuel L. Quezon III of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) graced the first anniversary of the Policy Center of Father Saturnino Urios University held recently here.

During the visit, Usec. Quezon served as lecturer in the first-ever lecture of the university’s policy center, discussing “The Aquino Presidency: Opportunities and Challenges”.

In his lecture, Quezon discussed the social contracts of the Aquino Administration where specific activities, thrusts and programs have started to be undertaken at present.

According to Atty. Josefe Sorrera-Ty, FSUU Policy Center Executive Director, the center will be sponsoring series of lectures aimed at fostering a public environment responsive to the needs of Caraga Region.
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Prior to his speaking engagement in the policy center’s anniversary celebration, Quezon was also invited by FSUU during the 59th Commencement Exercises of the first homegrown university of this city.

Usec. Quezon is a prominent journalist, essayist, blogger, and political expert. He is currently. Prior to his appointment as Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO), he served as host of “The Explainer” and “The Explainer Dialogues” of the ANC Cable News Channel.

Quezon also headed the Speaker’s Bureau, columnist, and editorial writer for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and was the Assistant Managing Editor and an editorial writer for The Philippines Free Press weekly news magazine.

Undersecretary Quezon also previously served in government as Presidential Assistant for Historical Affairs and Deputy Head of the Chancellery of Orders and State Decorations, and Consultant for the Presidential Museum in the MalacaΓ±an Palace. (PIA-Caraga)


Butuan official asks probe on students hanging out in internet cafΓ©s during classes

By: Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, March 28 (PIA) – Butuan City Vice Mayor Atty. Lawrence Lemuel Fortun is asking authorities to investigate reports received by his office involving students who are cutting classes or not attending classes but instead are hanging out in internet cafΓ©s.

Fortun also said the city council particularly the committee on education chaired by City Councilor Erwin Dano was already instructed to investigate the report and come up with alternative solutions to stop this vice of the students. “In this way, the common problems of the parents will be solved,” Fortun said.

Vice-Mayor Fortun also said the City Council has already organized a technical working group to solve this problem. The group is also tasked to craft ordinance to solve this problem. (PIA-Caraga)


TESDA free competency assessment starts today

By: David M. Suyao

AGUSAN DEL SUR, March 28 (PIA) -- The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) started the free competency assessment today, March 28, at the Agusan del Sur School of Arts and Trades (ASSAT).
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According to Engr. Noel Nonan, TESDA Competency Assessment Certification focal person, the assessment will last until April 1st for the walk-in industry workers and the graduating students of short courses program of TESDA.

Engr. Nonan said, a maximum of ten candidates will undergo the assessment daily and on the last day, April 1, certification for those who pass the assessment will immediately be distributed.

“As we all know, there are thousands that will graduate this coming closing of the semester, and will be seeking employment. According to reports, although job openings are plenty, many courses of our coming graduates do not match the job vacacies that are mostly technical. What President Noynoy Aquino wants is for the government to offer courses that will fit the need of employers, and that is what TESDA are doing. We see to it that after the students’ completion of the training, they can immediately land a job,” Engr. Nonan said.

TESDA are now calling on those who are interested to avail of the free competency program to grab the opportunity because there are still vacant slots awaiting them. All they have to do, according to Engr. Nonan, is to visit the TESDA office for more information and to comply with the requirements so they can immediately join the free competency program.

“This program has caught the attention of Gov. Eddiebong Plaza, so he gave us his all-out support for this. The provincial government never hesitated to give its share, and because of that, this program became possible,” Engr. Nonan added.

TESDA has been offering trainings like welding, auto mechanic and many other short courses for years now. The trainings include allowances of the scholars and even job placement. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)


DOTC-LTO Caraga to apply for ISO certification

By: Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, March 28 (PIA) -- In its effort to better serve the public, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)-Caraga Region through the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is focusing on “total customer satisfaction,” a system that is needed by the regional office in their quest for an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification.

ISO 9001 is a quality management standard which can be applied to all types of organizations. It does not matter of what size they are or what they are doing. It can help both product and service organizations achieve standards of quality that are recognized and respected throughout the world.
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According to DOTC-Caraga Regional Director Atty. Alim Pangandaman, two of their district offices particularly in Butuan City and Surigao City have passed the initial audit.

Part of the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management general requirements are --Develop the organization's quality management system (QMS) and document the organization's QMS. This is the scope of the certification being applied by DOTC-Caraga and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Caraga Regional Office.

Pangandaman said the entire regional office is on its thorough review of documents, as well as the systems that are currently implemented to make sure that customer satisfaction will be achieved.

The transportation and communications chief of the region also said, the move of DOTC-Caraga is a way of improving the services offered to the clients, a thing that is emphasized in the ISO international certification.

It can be recalled that the Regional Office of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) here in Caraga received same international certification on April 15, 2010.

Aside from the regional office, all provincial offices of DOST-Caraga also received the said certification from Dir. Renato Navarrete, ISO Certification International Philippines, Inc. (CIPI) Managing Director.

Also, here in Butuan City, Saint Joseph Institute of Technology (SJIT), a higher education institution in Caraga Region is the first institution/organization to receive the ISO Certification in year 2000. (PIA-Caraga)


PIA-produced video, 'Operation:Homerun' on drug mules, draws positive feedback from college students

by Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, March 28 (PIA) -- The Philippine Information Agency’s produced video, entitled, "Operation:Homerun," a film on drug mules was shown to students recently.

“This video material is a reminder and warning alike to those who have second thoughts of whether or not they will get into transacting with drug syndicates in exchange for big sums of money,” thus said Jessa Duarte, a BS Computer Science graduating student when asked on her reaction after watching the film showing conducted recently by Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Caraga to some 60 graduating students of the College of Information Technology of Saint Joseph Institute of Technology here.

According to Duarte, for graduating students like her, it is a revelation for her to see the video considering that she and some of her classmates are planning to seek employment abroad and might encounter people such as those featured in the film.
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“We should know the modus operandi of these drug syndicates proliferating in the country so that we will be aware and likewise be given warning on the strategies implemented by these syndicates. In this way, we can make plan our moves to counter these dirty strategies,” Duarte said when asked to give her reaction on the five minute-40 second video production.

The reaction of Duarte also earned the approval of her classmates who also took time to be disrupted with their usual programming on Artificial Intelligence subject,. They intently watched and listened to the video production.

In a separate interview with PIA, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Caraga regional director Marietta Bellotindos said graduating students are easy targets of recruiters of drug syndicates and illegal recruiters.

Bellotindos said graduating students should undergo pre-employment seminar that should include information on anti-drug trafficking and anti-drug courier campaign for them to know the do’s and don’ts of applying for a job – either domestic or foreign.

The film-showing is part of the nationwide anti-drug courier campaign of PIA-Caraga in its effort to promote a drug-courier free Philippines, in partnership with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and other government stakeholders. (PIA-Caraga)


Cebuano News: Malakanyang nagbutyag sa mga bag-ong appointments

MANILA, Mar. 28 (PIA) -- Ang Malakanyang mi butyag niadtong Sabado, Marso 26, 2011 sa mga bag-ong appointments sa executive offices lakip na si Undersecretary Richard Tiu, usa ka topnotcher sa bar exam niadtong 1985 nga na appoint sa Department of Budget and Management ug si Fernando Manalo isip Undersecretary sa Department of National Defense.

Ang uban pang natudlo mao sila Leslie Jean Cordero, nga nagrepresentar sa Presidential Communications Operations Office in the Movie and Television Review; Amelia P. Guevarra isip Acting Executive Director of the Philippine Council on Industry, Energy Resource Research Development ug si Jose Cabanayan Jr. isip Deputy Administrator of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Ang natudlo ngadto sa National Museum board mao sila Ramon del Rosario Jr., chairman and board members Benito Vergara, usa ka scientist nga mopuli kang Fidel Malig Sarmiento; Rene Avellana, historian nga maoy mopuli kang Fr. Ben Nebres ug Marinella Fabella mopuli kang Ced Lapuz, sila adunay termino nga moluntad hangtod sa Marso 24, 2014; sila Felicity Sta. Maria nga mopuli kang Maria Eloisa Nolasco Fernan; Corazon Alvina nga mopuli kang Mariano Santiago ug si Maria Isabel G. Ongpin nga maoy mopuli kang Betina Aboitiz adunay termino nga moluntad lamang hangtod Marso 24, 2012.
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Ug ang natudlo ngadto sa DENR mao sila Datu Miketai Elsawai nga maoy mopuli kang Marcelino Gezmundo ug si Reynaldo Ganaden nga mopuli usab kang Fernando Lu.

Natudlo usab didto sa Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Philippines mao sila Agnes Bondoc ug Atty. Rodrigo Artuz isip assistant director general.

Ang mga bag-ong natudlo isip police chief superintendents mao sila Clarence Villanueva Guinto, Benjamin Banez Magalong, Fausto Villegas Marina, ug Adelio Benjamin Garcia Castillo, isip police senior superintendent. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)