(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Tuesday, 19 March 2024) Easterlies affecting 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. Light to moderate winds coming from Northeast to North will prevail with slight to moderate seas (0.6 to 2.1 meters).


PIA News Service - Wednesday, October 9, 2013

PNP-13 intensifies security on barangay elections

By Venus L. Garcia

BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 9 (PIA) – The Philippine National Police-Police Regional Office-13 (PNP-PRO-13) has intensified security operations to deter the outbreak of violence in the forthcoming barangay elections on Oct 28.

PSSUPT Eugenio Paguirigan, PRO-13 chief of Regional Operations said that PRO-13 is intensifying the security posture in identified critical infrastructures and has also put forth efforts in target hardening of vital installations by mobilization of force multipliers, deployment of security personnel, and conduct of security surveys and inspection.

“On public safety, our main concern is the security on economic key points, vital installations and areas of convergence. Adequate measures are in place to secure vital installations particularly in transport and communications,” Paguirigan said.

Paguirigan said that there are closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras already installed in strategic areas for monitoring and surveillance purposes and they have intensified police presence in crime-prone areas.

According to him, the preparations likewise include the implementation of Daily Check Point Monitoring System (DCMS), conduct of a 24/7 strong checkpoint at strategic locations, and dissemination of Project “TIPSTER” (Text Information to the Police for Speedy and Timely Emergency Response), among others.

“Part also of PRO 13’s election security plan are the outlined area security procedures and deployment strategies,” declared Paguirigan. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)


PDRRMC AgSur convenes to finalize update of Disaster Risk Reduction Plan

By David M. Suyao

PATIN-AY, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, Oct. 9 (PIA) - Members of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) here convened on Tuesday to finalize the updated Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plan that would become the official provincial guide in order that duty holders could efficiently and effectively respond in times of calamities and disasters.

According to PDRRM Action Officer Roberto Natividad, the province of Agusan del Sur has considered only five major hazards that are experienced every year, and were made to be the basis in preparing the disaster plan.

“The five major hazards that we observed here in Agusan del Sur are flood, typhoon earthquake, rain-induced landslide and armed conflict. In our last meeting, we agree to focus on these five major hazards, and therefore, we have prepared a contingency plan in order that we can immediately and efficiently respond in case these hazards that cause disaster and calamities come,” Natividad said.

According to Natividad, the updated plan covers the vision, mission and goals of the council in relation to occurrence of disasters and calamities. Considered first is the prevention or the mitigation plan, where massive tree planting and the establishment of the early warning system were considered. Second consideration is preparedness and according to Natividad, "this is where a contingency plan plays the most important role, including the forging of the Memorandum of Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding between civil society organizations and the private sector for strong partnership with the government."

“During the actual occurrence of any hazard, the response of the duty holders, and that is our council and the civil society volunteers comes in. We are therefore to deploy immediately the Damage Assessment needs Analysis teams in all levels in order to determine the extent of damages that the hazard brought. Response teams will also be deployed in order to handle the evacuation centers, while designating exclusive places or areas for livestock, poultry and pets in order for them not to be living together with evacuees for safety and health reason,” Natividad said.

After the actual occurrence of hazard, rehabilitation and recovery will follow in order that affected families can return to normal life and recover from loses caused by the calamity.

“Here, the Department of Education plays the most important role in order that they can establish even temporary learning space in the evacuation centers. Immediate repair and rehabilitation of power supply, water and irrigation system including communication facilities is much needed. Relocation area for those whose houses were damaged and were located in hazard prone areas is of much importance for affected families to recover and live a normal life,” Natividad added.

For the contingency plan finalization, soft copies will be sent to all members to review and input any comment and suggestion so that it can be submitted to the RDRRMC on time next week.  (DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)


LGU Butuan pushes for women empowerment

By Diana Generalao

BUTUAN CITY, Oct. 9 (PIA) – The local government here officially ties up with Paz y Desarrollo, a Spanish-based non-governmental organization, in its efforts of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment during the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between both parties, recently.

The MoU states that both parties shall collaborate in the promotion of women’s political participation, pursuit of gender responsive governance, and support the implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and its national translation which is the Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta for Women.

“We cannot do it alone.  We need the support of the local government unit and the implementing partner,” Paz y Desarrollo Country director Antonio Miguel G. Arias revealed.

Through the MoU, a framework of cooperation and collaboration shall be created among parties including dialogues, co-organizing activities at regional, national, and local levels, consulting and sharing training materials to achieve gender equality and promote women’s empowerment.


Five pilot areas are the beneficiaries of this recent partnership, These are barangays J. P. Rizal, Los Angeles, Pagatpatan, Bonbon, and Dulag.  Leadership Trainings, Voters’ Education, Planning Process, and Barangay Level Bottom Up will be done in these chosen areas. (NCLM/Butuan City-PIO/PIA-Caraga)