(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 - Tuesday, April 2, 2013



BCWD celebrates 39th anniversary, bares updates on its operations & accomplishments

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, April 2 (PIA) -- In line with its 39th anniversary celebration, the Butuan City Water District (BCWD) conducted a motorcade from the Libertad Sports Complex going to their office at J. Rosales Avenue on Monday, and followed with a press conference held at their training center to update the local tri-media on the BCWD’s operations and accomplishments

The 39th Anniversary celebration of BCWD is also in time with the 12th Water Consciousness Week celebration from April 1-6, 2013 with the theme “Water Cooperation”.

Engr. Anselmo Sangtian, BCWD General Manager bared that aside from performing their daily operations, the BCWD is also performing its social responsibility.

“School children benefited the various contests and school tours last year. A number of communities were recipients of the different outreach programs conducted during the 38th anniversary. We also constructed the Multi-Purpose Hall with comfort room and a water system of Anticala Watershed Farmers Association. Once completed, a forest nursery will also be put up in the vicinity of the building,” Sangtian said.

Sangtian also said that as their office turns 39 years of providing piped water supply to Butuanons, they are placing in the pipeline projects that are geared toward raising awareness, both on the potential for increased cooperation, and on the challenges facing water management in light of the increase in demand for water access, allocation and services.

“These include the following: 1) Expansion projects going to Ubod-Ubod and Basay Resettlement, Lemon and Malalag; 2) Upgrading of transmission lines in Sunrise, Ampayon, Tiniwisan and Mahay and Amakan Resettlement; 3) Deep well drilling in Taguibo; 4) Extension of the Pinamanculan Reservoir; 5) Construction of ground reservoir in Libertad; 6) Calibration of flow meters; 7) Procurement of leak detector; 8) Rehabilitation and re-alignment of water meter stand; and 9) Working for a partnership with private sector for treatment services under Public-Private-Partnership/Joint venture,” said Sangtian.

Sangtian further emphasized that BCWD will continue the Water Maintenance Program to improve efficiency of water meters. The program will include services such as withdrawal and replacement of water meters installed for the past five years or more to ensure accurate reading of water consumption.

“There were already 35,726 active metered connections, including 1,619 new connections coming from 56 barangays. Of these 35,726 connections, estimated population served was 250,082 including the 320 senior citizens who enjoyed the five percent discount on their water consumption not exceeding 30 cu.m. per month as provided for in Republic Act 9994. Average monthly consumption per connection was 16.26 cu.m., increased by .08 cu.m. from 16.18 cu.m. in 2011,” stressed Sangtian.

Santian also ensured that BCWD will continue the development and protection of the Taguibo Watershed by being vigilant against illegal activities within the area and intensifying the agro-forestry project. “We will take the lead in the management, administration, operation and maintenance of the watershed,” he said.

Lastly, Sangtian said that their 2012 accomplishments were made possible by the combined and unified efforts of the 167 personnel distributed to the different departments, consisting of 136 with permanent status, one with temporary status, and 30 with job order status. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)


Caraga RDC-Dev't Administration Committee updates RDP 2011-2016

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, April 2 (PIA) -- Members of the Regional Development Council – Development Administration Committee (RDC-DAC) in Caraga will meet on April 4 at the Goat2geder Hotel and Restaurant, this city to discuss the following: 1) mainstreaming of labor and employment in the updated Regional Development Plan (RDP); 2) enhancing the results matrices; and 3) validating the draft situational analyses.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Caraga Regional Director Carmencita Cochingco said the RDP 2011-2016, which was approved and adopted by the RDC through Resolution No. 23 Series of 2010, is now on its third year of implementation.

“In the last two years, the region has accomplished much and performed well based on the National Statistical Coordination Board’s data on Gross Regional Domestic Products. However, human development remains a persistent challenge with poverty incidence among families at high levels. Hence, it is timely to assess and update the plan to identify appropriate strategies that will strengthen the region’s continued quest for development in the remaining three years of the Aquino administration,” Cochingco said.

Cochingco added that the preparation of the updated RDP is very crucial as it will guide the region in all its development efforts in the next three years. “It will also trigger the preparation of the Regional Development Investment Program, the plan’s operational document, which will identify the priority programs, project and activities of the region,” she said.

It was also learned that the draft Updated Caraga RDP 2011-2016 is expected to be produced in May 2013. In line with this, the committee has lined-up series of activities for the preparation of the updated plan. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)


Aggie dept launches Search for Corn Quality Awards

By Aurell P. Arais

BUTUAN CITY, April 2 (PIA) -- To push quality and safe corn production in the country the Department of Agriculture AgriPinoy Corn Program launched this year the first and prestigious search in the corn industry dubbed as 2013 National Search for Corn Quality Awards.

The search is open nationwide and is envisioned to recognize the achievement of top performing LGUs with outstanding contribution to the corn industry.

Caraga Regional Corn Coordinator Abel Wagas said that the search is open to all provincial, city and municipal LGUs, as well as its LGU-based corn coordinators, and agricultural extension workers (AEWs) who are involved in the implementation of the DA Agri-Pinoy Corn Program.

The 2013 Corn Quality Awards will choose top 5 provinces, top 25 cities or municipalities, top 5 provincial corn coordinators, top 25 municipal corn coordinators and top 100 agricultural extension workers.

The prizes for the winners are: 3 million worth of infrastructure or farm machineries plus plaque for provinces, half million worth of infrastructure or farm machineries plus plaque for cities/municipalities, 20,000 pesos cash prize plus plaque and certificate for provincial corn coordinators, 15,000 pesos cash prize plus plaque and certificate for city/municipal corn coordinators and 10,000 pesos cash prize plus plaque and certificate for agricultural extension workers.

Winning corn coordinators shall come from the chosen top provinces and cities or municipalities while AEWs must be involved in corn related extension activities.

For provincial category, judging will be based on technical requirements such as the corn grain samples and shall comply with minimum Grade No. 3 as per PNS for Shelled Corn.

Corn farms shall preferably meet the minimum requirements of Good Agricultural Practices for Corn (PNS/BAFPS 15:2008) and Code of Practice for the prevention and reduction of aflatoxin in corn (PNS/BAFPS 27:2008) and have yield records for the past 3 yrs based on BAS data an annual average of 3.5 MT/ha for yellow and annual average of 1.5MT/ha for white.

For municipal category, corn grits samples shall comply with minimum Grade No. 4 as per PNS for Corn Grits.

Corn farms shall preferably meet the minimum requirements of Good Agricultural Practices for Corn (PNS/BAFPS 20:2008) and Code of Practice for the prevention and reduction of aflatoxin in corn (PNS/BAFPS 27:2008) and have yield records for past 3 yrs based on BAS data an annual average of 3.5 MT/ha for yellow and annual average of 1.5MT/ha for white.

The level of aflatoxin and other quality parameters shall be based on the data obtained during the contest duration.

Interested LGU shall submit letter of intent and other pertinent supporting documents to the Regional Search Committee (RSC) on or before June 15, 2013. Chosen top regional contenders will be endorsed by RSC to the National Technical Committee for evaluation and validation.

Awarding of winners is tentatively scheduled on October 2013 probably in Metro Manila area.

Ensuring quality corn production is not only a responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, but also of other partner government agencies, particularly the Local Government Units (LGUs). (DA-13/PIA-Caraga)


Cebuano News: Palasyo mianunsyo sa pagkatudlo ni COA chair Pulido-Tan isip Food and Agriculture Organization auditor sa UN

Ni SusilD. Ragas

SURIGAO CITY, Abril 2 (PIA) -- Si Commission on Audit Grace Pulido-Tan natudlo ngadto sa unom ka termino isip external auditor sa Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), sigon anunsyo sa Malakanyang niadtong Miyerkules.

Matud ni Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda niadtong Miyerkules didto sa Malakanyang nga ang Pilipinas napili ngadto sa unom ka termino ug iyang gipahalipayan sa Chairman Grace Pulido-Tan kinsa maoy nag-inusarang babaye nga external auditor didto sa entero sistema sa UN.

Matud pa ni Lacierda nga si Tan ug uban pang mga Filipino staffs sa embassy lakip usab ang agriculture attaché miadto sa Rome ug maoy instrumento sa gihimong presentasyon sa Pilipinas isip usa sa mga kandidato alang sa external auditor sa FAO.

Gipahalipayan usab ni Lacierda ang mga opisyales sa embassy sa nasod ug agriculture attaché didto sa Rome, Italy tungod sa ilang tabang sa presentasyon sa kandidasiya sa Pilipinas.

Ang Food and Agriculture Organization ubos sa UN giseguro ang global food security aron ang katawhan adunay permanenteng access sa igo nga high-quality food ug manguna nga aktibo, himsog nga kinabuhi, Mandato niini ang pagpataas sa kalidad sa nutrisyon, pagpauswag sa ani sa agrikultura, maayo nga mga kinabuhi sa mga populasyo sa rural ug makaambag sa paguswag sa ekonomiya sa kalibutan. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)