(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 - Friday, May 11, 2012

DTI-Caraga launches “Diskwento Caravan”

By Danilo S. Makiling

BUTUAN CITY, May 11 (PIA) –- With the upcoming town fiesta of Butuan on May 19, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Caraga regional office, in partnership with the Consumers Friendly Business Establishments (CFBE) and the local government of this city, will launch “Diskwento Caravan.”

The activity aims to help consumers cope with the rising cost of living by means of implementing nationwide “Diskwento Caravan,” a project where selected basic necessities and prime commodities are sold to consumers at discounted prices.

The Diskwento Caravan includes various grocery items, school supplies and other locally manufactured products. Diskwento Caravan is scheduled on May 17-18, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Wing-On QuikMart Parking Lot, Satorre St., Langihan, Butuan City.

With these developments, the public is hereby invited to this event. (RER/PIA-Caraga)

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Surigao del Sur Prov’l Gov’t supports National Greening Program

By Nida Grace B. Tranquilan

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, May 11 (PIA) -- The provincial government of Surigao del Sur strongly supports the National Greening Program (NGP) of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Under the program, the national government aims to plant 1.5 billion trees to 1.5 million hectares by 2016.

According to Marjorie Pagaran, provincial government office staff, Governor Johnny Pimentel issued Memorandum Order No. 55 addressed to all the Provincial Department Heads to support the NGP, thus, implement the tree planting activity to be participated by the provincial government employees here.

Earlier report said 500 seedlings of Caballero species from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) were planted on Friday (May 4) morning along the national highway from Kinahugan Bridge, Tandag going to Brgy. Balibadon, Cortes the first town in the northern part this province.

During the conduct of the said activity, the heads from different department made sure that services to the public were not delayed. (RER/NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)

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TUCP condemns senseless deaths in Butuan fire

MANILA, May 11 (PIA) -- The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) condemned what it claims as senseless but preventable deaths of 17 female workers in Butuan City early Wednesday.

“TUCP mourns with the families of the 17 sales ladies who died from the Butuan City fire,” says TUCP General Secretary Jun Umali, Jr.

“It is senseless. Accidents such as this could easily be mitigated if proper safety precautions and practices are mindfully put in place," he added.

Based on reports, 17 of the 21 stay-in female workers died in a fire that blazed a commercial building in Butuan. Four barely escaped death. They were treated in a nearby hospital for their injuries.

A TUCP compilation of news reports show that nine workers have been killed and 11 were injured in six serious work-related incidents from January to March this year. Some 74 workers were killed and 73 were injured in 34 workplace incidents in 2011. These were lower than in 2010 with 109 deaths, 87 injured and 58 incidents and in 2009 with 98 deaths and 158 work-related injuries.

“Improvements in safety and health at the workplace are urgent. Lack of budget and personnel are unacceptable reasons for workers to get injured, get ill, or die,” said Umali.

He reiterated TUCP’s proposal to deputize trained union leaders and workers to do joint workplace inspection and assist government in ensuring safer, healthier, and sustainable working conditions.

“We have trained leaders and members. We are more than happy to extend help and work with the DOLE to achieve better results on workplace safety and health. This could be one lasting and realistic solution to the lingering problem of lack of personnel in DOLE,” he says.

On Labor Day (May 1, 2012), President Benigno Aquino III approved the hiring of additional labor inspectors in DOLE. (TUCP/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

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More Agusanons avail medical, dental services in Talacogon's outreach program

By David M. Suyao

AGUSAN DEL SUR, May 11 (PIA) -- Nearly a thousand residents availed the medical and dental services offered by the provincial government of Agusan del Sur, the municipal government of Talacogon and the Philippine Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion during an outreach program held at the gymnasium of Talacogon on Thursday.

According to Mayor Isaias Masendo, the medical teams, composed of the team from Talacogon, Sta. Josefa, Bayugan City, La Paz and the team from the D. O. Plaza Memorial Hospital, together with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Agusan del Sur Chapter, have started rendering services and extracting blood from qualified donors.

“Our medical teams from four municipalities and the D. O. Plaza Memorial Hospital tapped by Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza and 1st District Congresswoman Maria Valentina Plaza has been very precise and fast in rendering their services that is why we have already served nearly a thousand while people from the five barangays that we prioritize to avail of this outreach program kept on coming,” Masendo said.

“I am very glad that almost all our targets from the five barangays are here to avail of the medical and dental services that we bring to you. I really understand that many of you cannot even bring your patients to a nearby doctor, or to the hospital because of our economic condition,”Cong. Maria Valentina Plaza said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza called on parents to think of their children’s future because the more children a family bear, the more problems they will encounter as the children grow.

“Let us put things in a practical situation. As you and I know, a family with only three children can very well support the needs of their children like food, clothing, their education and other needs. But for a family who have nine children, parents will really find it very hard to support their children’s needs, especially when they reach high school and college. I am therefore calling on all parents to always think and consider the future of your children,” Plaza said.

The medical and dental outreach is a year round program of the provincial and municipal governments of Agusan del Sur in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, the Philippine Army medical team and the two congressional districts of Agusan del Sur. Its financial requirements are taken from the combined resources of the provincial government, the two congressional districts and from the municipal local government units.

Yesterday’s outreach program targeted to serve 1,500 recipient patients. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

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Surigao del Sur Integrated Provincial Health Office bares accomplishment

By Greg Tataro, Jr.,

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, May 11 (PIA) -- The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) in Surigao del Sur bared its accomplishment in a presentation called “A Gift For Surigaonons.”

Dr. Romeo De los Reyes, provincial health officer, presented the office's feat recently and pointed out their objectives in the near future through “facilitated activities”.

He particularly cited the reproductive health care program, which has a total grant of P7,007,412 million for Calendar Year 2012 and the P8 million per year for the next four years from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the approved 2012 Annual Operations Plan (AOP), the Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID) Phase III P18 million grant, and the Health Rationalization Plan together with the approved infrastructure for Rural Health Units (RHUs) which will be implemented in 2013.

De los Reyes also stressed that all proposed health infrastructures and facilities with a total cost of P192.9 million programmed until said period will have to be in place. (dxJS Radyo Ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)

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OSHC opens Surigao office

SURIGAO DEL NORTE, May 11 (PIA) –- To promote occupational safety in the mining sector, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) here opened recently its Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) in Surigao City.

The OSCH Surigao branch is temporary located at the 4F, Yuipco-Lim Bldg, Borromeo Street.

The event is a milestone in DOLE-OSHC initiatives to strengthen the Zero Accident Program (ZAP) in both construction and mining sectors in the province.

DOLE-OSHC will be available to establishments, businesses, and offices in the private and public sectors for a wide variety of services which includes technical assistance on OSH services, trainings, networking, information sharing and among others.

The newly-opened OSCH will be working closely with the DOLE-Caraga Regional Office, Occupational Safety and Health Network (OSHNET) Caraga and DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

Attendees of the said event were representatives and officials from local government units of Surigao City and Province, national line agencies, Chamber of Mines-Caraga Region, Pacific Cement Inc., Taganito Mining Corp., and some local media. (DOLE-OSHC/SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

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Tagalog news: DENR hinikayat ang mga mangingisda na pangalagaan ang kalikasan

Ni Danilo S. Makiling 

BUTUAN CITY, Mayo 11 (PIA) –- Hinikayat ng rehiyonal na tanggapan ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ang mga mangingisda na pangalagaan ang kalikasan upang mapanatili ang pag-unlad ng mga yamang dagat sa lugar.

Ayon kay Eric Herzon Gallego, DENR-Caraga information officer, ang mangroves ay napaka-importante sa mga isda dahil ito ang nagsisilbing tahanan nila. Dagdag pa niya na kung marami ang mga puno ng mangroves sa coastal areas, ito’y nangangahulugan na marami rin ang mga isda.

Sinabi rin ng opisyal na sa Caraga Region, ang dalawang probinsya ng Surigao ay kilala na may maraming mangrove forests. Sa Agusan del Norte naman, ang coastal areas ng Cabadbaran City, Tubay, at mga munisipyong malapit sa Lake Mainit ay kilala rin na may puno ng mangroves na makikita.

Gayunpaman, sinabi ni Gallego na ang Barangay Masao at Lumbocan dito sa Butuan, ay may kaunting puno lang ng mangroves dahil pinuputol diumano ito upang gawing panggatong ng mga tao sa lugar.

Dahil dito, hinikayat ng opisyal ang mga mangingisda at ang publiko na pangalagaan ang mga mangroves nang sa gayon ay maprotektahan din ang kalikasan at natural na yaman ng rehiyon.

Ayon sa Philippine Cleaning House Mechanism for Biodiversity, ang mangroves ay makikita sa Palawan, Aurora, Isabela at Quezon sa Luzon, Aklan, Samar provinces sa Visayas at Zamboanga, Surigao at Sulu provinces sa Mindanao, na merong pinakamalaking mangroves area na natitira sa Mindanao na mahigit (112,745 has), Samar (65,119 has), Palawan (37,432) at Luzon na merong (16,769 has).

Ang pinakamalaking mangroves area ay makikita sa Regions IV-B, Region VIII, CARAGA at Region VII, Palawan (52,693 ektarya) sa Region V-B na lumabas na merong pinaka malaking mangrove area na sinusundan ng Northern Samar (9,961.69) sa Region VIII, Surigao del Sur (16,865.14) sa Region XIII, at Bohol (14,156.37) sa Region VII (DENR-PAWB-CMMO,2008). (RER/PIA-Caraga)

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Tagalog news: BFAR-Caraga maglulunsad ng fish hatchery sa Agusal del Sur

Ni Danilo S. Makiling

BUTUAN CITY, Mayo 11 (PIA) -- Ilulunsad sa lalong madaling panahon ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) ang isang municipal fish hatchery sa Bunawan, Agusan del Sur.

Napag-alaman mula kay BFAR-Caraga information officer Shane Abeguel Eviota na ang proyekto ay may layuning tulungan ang mga lokal na residente kung sino man ang interesado sa fishery upang gawing livelihood opportunity ngunit walang kakayahang mag-alaga ng ibat-ibang lahi ng isda.

Sinabi ng opisyal na ang proyekto ay magbibigay ng benepisyo sa mga lokal na residente dahil sila ay maaaring makakuha ng libreng similya ng isda sa nasabing hatchery.

Sa pamamagitan ng proyekto, sinabi ni Eviota na madali na para sa lokal na mga residente na maghanap ng similya ng isda na naaayon sa gusto nila, sa halip na sila ay pupunta pa sa mga commercial suppliers upang bumili ng semilya.

“Dahil sa nasabing proyekto, ang mga lokal na mga residente sa nasabing lugar ay hindi na maghihirap sa paghahanap at pagkuha ng semilya ng isda dahil maaari na silang kumuha ng libre… dahilan upang hindi na sila bibili sa ibat-ibang suppliers,” sabi ni Eviota.

Dahil dito, hinikayat ng opisyal ang mga lokal na residente sa lugar na samantalahin ang serbisyo na ibinibigay sa kanila ng fish hatchery sa pamamagitan ng BFAR-Caraga para sa kanilang pangkabuhayan.

Ang pagsisikap ng fish bureau sa rehiyon ay sumusuporta para sa kaunlaran ng ekonomiya na bahagi ng programa ng administrasyong Aquino tungo sa poverty alleviation na bahagi ng Philippine Development Plan sa taong 2011-2016. (RER/PIA-Caraga)

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Cebuano news: Aquino saksi pagpirma sa kasabotan tali sa Pilipinas ug Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Ni Susil D. Ragas

SURIGAO CITY, Mayo 11 (PIA) -- Gisaksihan ni Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III ang pagpirma sa upat ka mga gikasabotan tali sa Pilipinas ug Lao People’s Democratic Republic didto sa Malacañang kagahapon, Huwebes.

Ang mga gikasabotan, nga gilangkoban sa mga erya sa trade, education, foreign service and sports cooperation, gipirmahan atol sa duha-kaadlaw nga bisita opisyal ni Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong dinhi sa Pilipinas.

Ang unang gikasabotan mao ang Memorandum of Understanding tali sa Laos Foreign Service Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) nga tinguha ang pag-establisar sa koneksyon ug paglig-on sa kooperasyon tali sa FSI ug IFA lakip usab ang paghatag alang sa pagbinayloay og mga impormasyon kalabot sa ilang tagsa-tagsa ka mga programa ug mga seminars ug mga kalamboan sa natad sa diplomasya, internatonal relations ug political science.

Ang maong gikasabotan gipirmahan nila Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario ug Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith.

Ang ikaduhang kasabotan mao ang Memorandum of Understanding tali sa Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) ug ang Laos Ministry of Education and Sports alang sa kalamboan sa natad sa paugnat sa kusog.

Kini gipirmahan nila PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia ug Vice Minister Sengdeuane Lachantaboune of the Ministry of Education and Sports.

Ang ikatulong kasabotan mao ang MOU tali sa University of the Philippines sa Los Baños ug sa Laos National University aron pagpalambo sa kooperasyon sa edukasyon.

Kini gipirmahan nila UPLB Chancellor Rex Victor Cruz ug Vice Minister Sengdeuane Lachantaboune.

Ang ikaupat nga gikasabotan, mao ang Cooperation Agreement tali sa Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) ug Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI), nga gipirmahan nila PCCI president Miguel Varela ug Philippine-Lao Business Council chairman Antonio Chua; ug Kisaana Vongsay, president sa LNCCI ug Daovone Pachanthavong, chairman sa Lao-Philippine Business Council.

Atol sa iyang pagbisita si Prime Minister Thongsing gikatakda nga mobisita didto sa International Research Institute (IRRI), karong adlawa Biyernes ug makigtabo sa mga opisyales sa Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Siya makigtagbo usab kang Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)

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Cebuano news: MOA gipirmahan sa OWWA-Caraga kauban ang LGUs, academe

Ni Danilo S. Makiling

BUTUAN CITY, Mayo 11 (PIA) -- Atol sa kasaulogan sa ika 30 nga anibersaryo sa Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), ang rehiyonal nga buhatan sa maong ahensiya dinhi sa Caraga region nipirma og memorandum of agreement (MOA) tali na sa walo ka local government units (LGUs) ug 12 ka academe ingon sa kabanay sa paghatag og dikalidad nga edukasyon sa mga estudyante sa mga Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Sigun kay OWWA-Caraga Regional Director Mrietta Lumawag, ang kalihukan adunay tumong sa pagmugna og kabanay sa LGUs ig academe sa paghatod sa mga programa ug serbesyo pinaagi sa pagbutag og help desk sa mga munisipalidad para sa dali nga pag-ayuda sa mga anak sa mga OFWs. Alang sa parte sa academe, nahisgot sa MOA ang ilang responsibilidad sa paghatag og dikalidad nga edukasyon, lakip usab sa paghatag ug espiritwal ug moral guidance sa mga anak sa OFWs.

Ang kalihukan gitambungan ni OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon lakip sa government executives gikan sa nagkadaiyang munisipalidad nga gipangulohan ni Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny T. Pimentel. Lider sa mga academe sa nagkadaiyang eskwelahan sa Caraga region nitestigo usab sa kalihukan.

Sa iyang pulong, si Gov. Pimentel nagpagawas sa iyang pagdayeg ug pasalamat sa OWWA sa pagmugna sa usa ka importante nga dokumento nga mutabang sa OFW aron sa luwas nga pagtrabaho sa gawas nga dapit, pag-ugmad usab sa ilang mga benepisyo ug proteksyon nga serbisyo sa ilang mga pamilya, lakip usab sa pagtukod og luwas nga agi-anan alang sa ilang pag-uli human matapos ang ilang kontrata.

“Ang pag-ila sa OWWA sa lokal nga partisipasyon sa pagpadayon ug pagdala sa programa ug serbisyo sa duol nga pamaagi ug sakto nga ayuda nagpasabot nga adunay sakto nga koordinasyon sa mga ahensya ug LGUs,” ingon ni Pimentel.

Tungod niini, naglaum ang opisyal nga ang pakig-tinabangay sa LGUs ug Academe magpadayon pa alang sa mabungahon nga pagpaningkamot nga makahatag og dekalidad nga edukasyon alang sa mga anak sa OFW. (RER/PIA-Caraga)