(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 - Monday, July 18, 2011

Butuan City among the 37 venues of PMA entrance exam in August

by Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, July 18 (PIA)
–- Butuan City is among the 37 venues of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) entrance examination on August 28.

Maj. Michael Colanta of the PMA said qualified applicants must be natural born Filipino citizens, single and never been maried, and of good moral character. Height requirements for male is at least 5’4” and 5’2” for female.

Also, applicants must be 17 to 21 years old. This means that they are not a day older than 22 years old and not a day younger than 17 years old on April 1, 2012. Thus, those who were born after April 1, 1990 and on or before April 1, 1995 are qualified to take the exam.

However, Maj. Colanta said 16 years old may apply and take the exam but should they pass the qualifying exam, the validity of the result of the exam is two years.

Morever, applicants are at least high school graduate with a general average of 85% or higher. For 4th year high school students, their 3rd year general average must be 85% or higher.

Finally, Colanta said, applicants must be physically fit for cadet training.

Application forms are available on all AFP units nationwide. It can be also downloaded or apply online at the PMA website through www.pma.ph.

For details, write the Office of the Cadet Admission of the Academy, Fort del Pilar, Baguio City or call (074) 446-8002, 0949-4270584, 0927-3810493, or through email at oca@pma.ph. (PIA-Caraga)

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RDC chair urges local officials in Caraga to take the latest poverty incidence survey a challenge

by Robert E. Roperos

SURIGAO CITY, July 18 (PIA)
-- Regional Development Council (RDC) chairperson and Surigao del Norte Gov. Sol F. Matugas recently urged local officials in Caraga to take the latest poverty incidence survey as a challenge after it was revealed that the region is still the poorest in the country. 

The finding was included in the the Poverty, Labor, Human Development and Gender Statistics of the National Statistical Coordination Board, according to its Division Chief Bernadette Balamban.

“We have to double our efforts so that we can bring development in Caraga Region faster," she said. "That is why I am calling on the support not only of the members of the council, but also of the concerned citizens in the region – public and private alike to do their share so that we may be able to uplift the condition of our region.” 

The lady governor also added that the latest survey will keep the region’s officials to push the limit “in our effort to bring the development in the region.”(PIA-Caraga)

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PADAC to be strengthened in barangay level, Surigao del Sur gov says 

by Nida Grace B. Tranquilan

TANDAG CITY, July 18 (PIA)
–- As part of Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel’s advocacy, the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) will be strengthened down to barangay level.

According to Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Caraga OIC-Regional Director Joel Plaza, 25 out of 309 barangays are drug-affected based on intelligent reports.

“Strengthening the PADAC, is the only way to address this problem,” Pimentel said in his message during Friday’s orientation on advocacy and information education. He said all concerned agencies and individuals must converge to step up measures to solve the drug menace in the province.

The chief executive of the province also expressed his gratitude to PADAC members for taking initiatives in countering the problem, in an effort to make the province a drug-free.

Meanwhile, PADAC members is set to launch its program implementation with series of activities on September 3, 2011 focusing on “Anti-Illegal Drug Abuse” Information and Education Campaign, following the formulation of policies in accordance with the new dangerous drugs law in order to deter people away from abusing dangerous drugs.

The activity was participated by some local executives and representatives from different municipalities and cities of this province. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)

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Surigao Norte gov issues EO supporting DOLE’s Philjobnet

SURIGAO DEL NORTE, July 18 (PIA)
–- Gov. Sol Matugas recently issued Executive Order (EO) 015 which provides for the implementation of advocacy program on DOLE Phil-JobNet in the province.

The said EO was presented during the recently held 1st Provincial Livelihood and Employment Summit in Surigao City with DOLE Sec. Rosalinda Baldoz as the guest of honor. 

The EO provides for the implementation of the advocacy program on DOLE Phil-JobNet, an automated job and applicant matching system.

The EO requires all public utility vehiles in the province to post Phil-JobNet and skills registry advocacy stickers from the DOLE, to encourage jobseekers to register in the philjobnet; and all private industries, to register and post their vacancies in the system.

It may be recalled that Sec. Baldoz issued a memorandum to DOLE regional directors to intensify the use of the PhilJobnet (www.phil-job.net/) to reach out to the jobless and make the job vacancies in the system available to them. 

“Our target is to upload more than one million jobs at any given time.” 

Baldoz bared the target after President Benigno S. Aquino III’s Labor Day message where he emphasized once more that job generation is his administration’s priority. (ACT/FEA/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

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DPWH starts P64.9-M road projects in Siargao Island

SIARGAO, Surigao del Norte, July 18 (PIA)
-- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started the implementation of three road concreting projects worth P64.9 million in Siargao Island recently. 

Among these are the P18.720 million Junction Cancohoy-Pilar Road (Cancohoy-Pilar Road Section), P27.495 million Junction Del Carmen-Sta. Monica-San Isidro Road (Del Carmen-Sta. Monica-San Isidro Road Section) and the P18.720 Million Junction Osmeña-Pilar Road (Osmeña-Pilar Road Section).

These road concreting projects are part of the Siargao circumferential road concreting plan of the DPWH-Surigao del Norte 2nd District Engineering Office.

District Engineer Salvador E. Montil, Jr. said the completion of these projects will improve access roads for tourists to various tourist spots in the island as well as farm to market roads.

Apart from these projects, DPWH is also repairing various roads destroyed by the continuous heavy rains in the past days.

The Department is doing everything to make roads passable especially during heavy rains and ensure influx of motorists in Siargao, DE Montil added. (Michael Conte, DPWH 2nd Engineering District/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

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New SSS savings window to increase members’ retirement benefits

BUTUAN CITY, July 18 (PIA) -- The Social Security System (SSS) plans to open this year a savings window for members so they can look forward to more benefits on top of their retirement pension, a top official said.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emilio de Quiros, Jr. said the voluntary provident fund program offers members guaranteed retirement earnings that are higher than savings deposit rates.

"The voluntary provident fund is intended to augment benefits under the regular SSS program. We are finalizing the infrastructure and system support needed to implement the program and we expect to complete preparations in the coming months," De Quiros said.

The provident fund will be open to employers and members who are less than 55 years old, including self-employed (SE) workers, voluntary members (VM) and overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

SE-VMs and OFWs must be paying at maximum amount of contributions under the regular SSS program --- now pegged at P1,560 --- for at least six months immediately prior to the month of enrollment. For employees, payments in the provident fund would be on top of their regular SSS contributions.

"Unlike regular SSS premiums that have fixed deadlines, contributions to the provident fund can be made anytime. A member can put in up to P100,000 per year, with a minimum contribution of P1,000 per payment which must be in multiples of P100," De Quiros said.

He said provident fund savings are intended for retirement and total disability (65 percent), medical (25 percent) and general purpose (10 percent). Funds withdrawn within the five-year retention period from the medical and general purpose portion will be subjected to penalties and charges.

Savings for retirement can be withdrawn in lump sum, as monthly pension, or a combination of both when the member is separated from employment at age 60 or onwards, De Quiros said.

"Another advantage of the program is that SSS would compute the fund’s actual yield at the end of every year," he said.

SSS, however, would guarantee earnings based on the five-year Treasury-bond rate for the 65 percent earmarked for retirement and total disability, and the remaining 35 percent component would be guaranteed to earn at the 364-day Treasury-bill rate, De Quiros added.

An online provident fund account system will also be set up at the SSS website (www.sss.gov.ph) to enable members to monitor their investment earnings through the internet.
(SSS-Butuan/PIA-Caraga)

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DTI conducts training on food and non-food production

by David M. Suyao

AGUSAN DEL SUR, July 18 (PIA)
–- The Department of Trade and Industry conducted free demonstration – training sessions on food production and preservation, and production of non-food products. This was held at San Francisco gymnasium, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, for four days starting today July 18, in line with the celebration of micro-small-medium enterprise (MSME) week celebration with the theme “Magnegosyo aron mo-asenso caravan”.

According to DTI Provincial Director Lolita Dorado, there are eight food production training modules and another eight non-food production that the DTI will introduce during the four-day training.

“This is not just training per se. Actual demonstration will be done by our experts during the course of the training so that participants will have the hands-on as the training moves along. Every module will be attended by 30 participants only so that we can be sure that all will be attentive and will learn the details in production,” Dir. Dorado said.

The training on coco food and non-food products include coco leaves weaving, coco beads accessories, coco vinegar, coco midribs weaving, bukayo, buko strips, buko pancit, buko yema, coco lumpia buko macaroons, coco burger and buko tuyo. There will also be demonstratons on fossilized leaves, detergent powder-making, dishwashing liquid making, fabric conditioner and basic trendy ballons.

Aside from training, there will also be film showing. Among the films lined up for showing are charcoal briquettes, pag-alaga ng broiler, produkto mula sa mani, pag-alaga ng pugo at deboned bangus.

According to Dir. Dorado, the MSME caravan is expected to provide immediate income generating activities that will help the targeted participants to increase their income which purposely in the long run, would impact to our societal goals. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)

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Cebuano News: Gobyerno nagdasig sa mga deserving students pag-apply sa special employment program

ni Susil D. Ragas

SURIGAO CITY, July 18 (PIA)
– Ang gobyerno nagdasig sa mga kabos apan deserving nga mga estudyante sa pag aplay ug pagpahimulos sa special employment program aron makatabang nga madugangan ang kinitaan sa ilang pamilya.

Ang mga kabatan-onan nga nag-edad 15-25 anyos makahimo sa pag-aplay ubos sa Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) sa gobyerno.

Si Labor Sec. Rosalinda Baldoz miingon nga ang SPES usa ka “tulay” ngadto sa formal employment ug pagpausbaw sa kahanas sa mga estudyante pinaagi na sa produktibong trabaho.

Siya miingon nga ang 15 anyos nga estudyante mamahimo ng makonsiderar nga parte sa labor force.

"Pagdating kasi ng 15 years old, pasok na 'yan sa labor force so yung matibay na pundasyon ng edukasyon simula nung maliit pa sila at lalo na kung akma yung kanilang mga kurso sa pangangailangan ng industriya, napakalaking tulong noon para mapataas ang absorption ng ating mga nakatapos at may mga skills sa ating labor force," si Baldoz miingon atol sa gipahigayong Pilipinas Natin forum sa Cabinet’s Human Development Cluster. 

Ubos sa SPES, ang mga kabatan-onan magtrabaho atol sa summer ug Christmas vacations sa mga pribadong sector nga kumpanya ug mga ahensya sa gobyerno.

Ang mga estudyante pwedeng magtrabaho isip tax mappers, office workers, barangay survey personnel, encoders ug school assistants.

Ubos sa balaodnon sa SPES, ang gobyerno ug pribadong sektor mag-ambit sa pagpasuweldo sa estudyanteng-benipisyaryo, nga dili moubos sa minimum wage nga gitakda sa balaod.

Si Baldoz miingon nga ang SPES nahisubay sa 22-point employment agenda ni Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III.

"Kung may mga working age na yung ibang miyembro ng pamilya, then diyan kami pumapasok dun sa tinatawag nating income augmentation, integrated livelihood program na base doon sa komunidad kung saan sila nakatira," si Baldoz miingon. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)