(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 - Tuesday, November 05, 2013

One stop shop info portal for Typhoon Haiyan created

BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 5 (PIA) - The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga has assigned a special page of its website, www.piacaraga.com for Typhoon Haiyan, as the weather disturbance is set to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday.

Various forecast tracks of Typhoon Haiyan from the different weather agencies such as Japan Meteorological Agency, US Joint Typhoon Weather Center, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), among others can be viewed on this webpage.

“It serves as a one stop shop information portal for Typhoon Haiyan in just a click away and this is being updated every now and then,” said PIA Caraga regional director and Northeastern Mindanao Information Cluster Head Abner Caga.

Caga said that the ultimate purpose of this initiative is to create a massive awareness to the community and hopefully provide appropriate information intervention of the impending ‘Super’ Typhoon, which is set to make a landfall later this week. “This is also our manifestation of our will to provide simple but innovative and convenient way of gathering, and monitoring information that can effectively serve the community.”

Caga said this initiative is the first in the agency, “we have learned from Typhoon Pablo and Tropical Storm Sendong. We want our community to have an informed decision and eventually achieving zero casualty.” (FEA/PIA-Caraga)


Bislig Bay is free from red tide toxin, BFAR says

BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 5 (PIA) - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Caraga has released the latest Shellfish Bulletin No. 25 dated October 18, 2013, disclosing that Bislig Bay in Surigao del Sur is negative from red tide toxin.

BFAR Caraga regional director Nerio Casil said based on laboratory results, all shellfish around the area of Bislig Bay are safe for human consumption.

However, shellfish from the waters of Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental; Balite Bay in Mati, Davao Oriental; and coastal waters of Milagros in Masbate are still positive for paralytic shellfish poison that is beyond the regulatory limit and are not safe for consumption.

With these developments, BFAR reminded the people to avoid consuming shellfish from the infected areas.

They also said fish, squid, shrimps and crabs are safe to eat but must be properly prepared and provided that the fish is fresh and washed thoroughly. Internal organs such as gills and intestines must also be removed before cooking. (FEA/PIA-Caraga)


Cabadbaran schools receive armchairs from TESDA

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 5 (PIA) – Some 16 elementary and high schools in the division of Cabadbaran City recently received a total of 3,376 armchairs from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-Caraga.

In a ceremony held in one of the elementary schools in Cabadbaran City, TESDA-Caraga Regional Director Dr. Florencio Sunico Jr. led the turnover of armchairs to DepEd City Schools Division and local officials led by Mayor Dale Corvera.

Dr. Sunico, in his speech said this is part of the PNoy Bayanihan Project initiated by TESDA through the leadership of Sec. Joel Villanueva, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through Sec. Ramon Paje and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), where illegally-cut logs in the region confiscated by DENR were processed and made into armchairs and desks, addressing the armchairs shortage of public elementary and high schools in the region.

“This is another noble project of the Aquino Administration initiated by TESDA, DENR and PAGCOR to ensure that elementary pupils and high school students will be comfortable as they spend basic education in their respective schools,” Dir. Sunico said.

Meanwhile, Cabadbaran City Schools Division Superintendent and concurrent DepEd-Caraga OIC Assistant Regional Director Dr. Rebecca Delapuz acknowledged TESDA, DENR and PAGCOR for choosing their division as one of the recipients of the project in the region.

The official said this is another laudable project of the national government in providing quality education to schoolchildren not only in their division but as well as in other divisions in Caraga Region.

“While we are advocating Education for All (EFA) by 2016, our government has see to it that this will be achieved by providing facilities for the comfort of our schoolchildren… Thanks to TESDA and DSWD,” Delapuz said.

Of the total number of armchairs turned-over, North Cabadbaran Central Elem. School received 841, Caasinan Elem. School received 117, while Kauswagan Elem. School received 43 armchairs.

To complete the list, Bay-ang Elem. School received 54 armchairs, Comagascas Elem. School – 162; Del Pilar Elem. School – 251; Pirada Elem. School – 173; Putting Bato Elem. School – 286; Cabinet Elem. School – 144; Calibunan Elem. School – 226; La Union Elem. School – 198; Sanghan Elem. School – 70; Cabadbaran City National High School – 391; Alfonso Dagani Elem. School – 74; Calamba Elem. School – 69; and Cabadbaran South Central Elem. School (CASOCES) with 277 armchairs. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)


TESDA-13 chief presents Phl’s qualifications framework

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 5 (PIA) – Citing the importance of educational qualifications towards the attainment of quality education in the country, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-Caraga regional director Dr. Florencio Sunico Jr. presented the Philippines’ qualifications framework.

Speaking before the members of the Regional Technical Education and Skills Development Committee during its second regular meeting held recently in one of the local convention centers here, Dir. Sunico explained that qualification is a package of competencies describing a particular function or job role existing in an economic sector. Dir. Sunico added it covers the work activities required to undertake a particular job role.

The Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) according to Dir. Sunico is a national policy describing the levels of educational qualifications and sets the standards for qualification outcomes.

“It is also a quality assured national system for the development, recognition and award of qualifications based on standards of knowledge, skills and values acquired in different ways and methods by learners and workers of a certain country,” RD Sunico said.

Objective of the PQF is to establish national standards and levels for outcomes of education and training, skills and competencies. It also supports the development of maintenance of pathways and equivalencies which provide access to qualifications and assist people to move easily and readily between the different education and training sectors and between these sectors and the labor market.

“PQF also aligns with the international qualifications framework to support the national and international mobility of workers thru increased recognition of the value and comparability of Philippine qualify qualifications,” Dir. Sunico added.

When asked what are the benefits of the PQF, the TESDA chief of the region said that for the person/individual, it encourages lifelong learning allowing the person to start at the level that suits him and then build-up his qualifications as his needs and interests develop and change over time. He also said the certificates and licenses awarded to the person are recognized by government.

For the employers, Dir. Sunico said they are assured that standards and qualifications are consistent to job requirements and demands. It also provides common understanding on standards, qualifications and levels.

The official also said for the education and training providers, PQF ensures transparency in training provision, conformance to standards and preciseness of accountability for learning outcomes, as well as to provide common understanding of policies and guidelines on credit transfers, articulation, portability, bridges pathways and RPL.

For authorities, the PQF provides the standards, taxonomy and typology of qualifications as bases for granting approvals to providers and stakeholders. It also harmonizes qualifications and education and training across the country.

With these developments, RD Sunico said authorities will review and revise Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSGs) to transform into an outcomes-based format. The Technical Panels/Committees for each discipline will also prescribe the competencies required for each program.

Further, Dir. Sunico said concerned agencies should also review and revise the training regulations to realign with the new descriptors; harmonize the pertinent K to 12 curriculum with the new descriptors; Department of Education (DepEd), TESDA and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to agree on the format. There should also be a continued consultations with the industries; and advocacy and public hearings to be conducted at the regional levels. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)


88% of C4TP graduates in Dinagat Islands are NC-holders

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 5 (PIA) – Eighty-eight percent of the total graduates of the Cash for Training Program (C4TP) in the Province of Dinagat Islands (PDI) are now holders of national skills certificate.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-Dinagat OIC provincial director June Elizabeth Tanquieng said of the 142 beneficiaries of the program who graduated, 125 were already certified by TESDA and awarded national certificates (NC).

The awarding ceremony was held in time with the program’s culminating activity held recently at Don Jose Ecleo Memorial Foundation College of Science and Technology (DJEMFCST).

PD Tanquieng stressed the seven municipalities of the island, namely Basilisa, Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo, Loreto, San Jose, and Tubajon were allotted scholarship slots and the trainings were provided by TESDA-PDI partner schools like the DJEMFCST and the Surigao del Norte College of Agriculture and Technology-Ruben Ecleo Senior Polytechnic College (SNCAT-REESPC).

The number of graduates is broken down as follows: Housekeeping NC II – 25, Bartending NC II – 20; Preparing and Maintaining Aquaculture facilities/Operating fish nursery – 17; Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC II – 25; Automotive Servicing NC II – 17; Driving NC II – 17; and Computer Hardware Serving NC II – 38.

Tanquieng further 62 recipients of the self-employment or hanapbuhay component were given entrepreneurship training program to enable potential entrepreneurs to generate and select business ideas that can be subsequently developed into a concrete business or any productive economic activity.

“This training completed the participants’ need for self-sufficiency and equipped them for entrepreneurial activities,” Tanquieng said.

The program is a collaboration of TESDA and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that has been effective as significant training provision and intervention on the identified priority skills need has been pursued as a shared responsibility to address community development.

“The Province of Dinagat is less urban with less opportunities for skills provision. This is bringing the training to the communities. This is reaching the grassroots. This is real deal,” PD Tanquieng said. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)