(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, December 2, 2013

Pacquiao’s visit in Tacloban inspires typhoon victims

By Venus L. Garcia
        
TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 2 (PIA) – The visit of Filipino boxing champ and Sarangani Representative Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao in this city has inspired numerous victims of typhoon Yolanda which struck the city early of November.

Pacquiao took the time to join the regular flag raising ceremony at the City Hall grounds on Monday morning where a crowd of people felt hopeful upon hearing his positive words. 

“I came here not just to give help, but to make everybody feel that amidst the unfavorable situation I am more willing to share whatever I gained in life,” bared Pacquiao.

He recalled that he was even emotional and had shed tears as he witnessed the overwhelming damage caused by the calamity.

He donated some P2.5 million to the local government of Tacloban City for the rehabilitation and relief operation.

“We were there when the champ falls short of his fight. Now, he is here to support us in return especially at this time of devastation and despair,” City Mayor Alfred Romuldez said.

The champ also emphasized that “God can restore our lives and we can bring everything back to normal if we continue to fight our trials with perfect trust in Him.” (VLG/PIA-Caraga)


UNESCO advisor lauds PIA Team Mindanao’s initiatives for typhoon victims

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 2 (PIA) - A UNESCO official has lauded the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Team Mindanao for spearheading a film showing and free charging activity to the different evacuation centers in Leyte.

UNESCO Advisor for Communication and Information Andrea Cairola congratulated the entire team for coming-up with such a unique activity. “We have been conducting this kind of activity but I have never seen as unique as this. Utilizing the generator set to the fullest. As simple as having a gen set, laptop, and LCD can make a difference. Congratulations to the team,” said Cairola.

It can be recalled that for the past few days, Team Mindanao led by Caraga regional director Abner Caga has been conducting a film showing and free charging service (cellphones, rechargeable flashlights and lamps and power storage device) at the RTR Plaza, Tacloban City Astrodome and Philippine Science High School in Palo, Leyte.

The team has also oriented the people on how to utilize their cellphones as portable radio, which is important to get information and updates.

“We also made them fill up a public assistance-form, which will in turn be our basis to include them in the Google’s people-finder feature and our textblast operation,” said Caga.

The team has also inserted government intervention video clips before the start of the show.

Caga said what they really wanted is to create an atmosphere that will lessen the impact of trauma and provide temporary relief to Yolanda victims.

“Any medium that would aid in our information intervention efforts were utilized to create a useful and meaningful effect in the lives of the people that we are serving,” said Caga. (FEA/PIA-Caraga)


TESDA top official graces Caraga Regl Skills Competition 2013

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 1 (PIA) – Top official of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) has graced the Closing Ceremonies of the 2013 Regional Skills Competition (RSC) held recently in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte.

During the press conference held prior to RSC’s Closing Ceremonies, TESDA Deputy Director-General for Field Operations Teodoro C. Pascua underscored the importance of partnering with the private sector. He said the government’s effort to partner with private organizations has been noted to be successful in delivering services towards the attainment of quality technical-vocational education.

DDG Pascua explained through the convergence of public and private Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs) with TESDA supervising the tech-voc program offerings, skilled individuals in the country has been observed to be increasing.

The official further said with TESDA spearheading the skills competition, it promotes the capability and skills not only of tech-voc students but as well as skilled workers to be effective in their respective trade areas.

Pascua said in the history of ASEAN skills competition, skilled Filipinos are at par excellent with the other neighboring countries as it showed remarkable performance for the past years. He added sometime in 1995-1996, the Philippines was proclaimed overall champion, besting competitors from other neighboring Southeast Asian countries in different trade areas.

Last year in the same competition held in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Philippines made a remarkable comeback after the country did not participate in late 1990s, winning bronze medal in the fashion design courtesy of Christine Guzman. DDG Pascua added that with Christine receiving the ASEAN fete, she is now one of the seven most outstanding and promising young fashion designers of the country.

The second top official of TESDA admitted that because of the country’s absence in the previous staging of the competition, the Philippines has been left behind by other Southeast Asian neighboring countries.

With this development, Pascua said the government, thru TESDA with the help of the public and private TVIs have been doing strategies to develop skills of young Filipinos.

“… One of these strategies is the holding of skills competition showcasing capabilities and skills of tech-voc students and skilled workers… Through this event, we could be able to scout for talents who will be developed so that they may represent the country not only in the ASEAN Skills Competition but as well as in the World Skills Competition,” Pascua said.

The Regional Skills Competition is a friendly competition on vocational and technical skills. Competitors are endorsed by the respective TVET institution in Caraga Region who is currently enrolled or six-months graduates prior to the competition of Training Centers and/or Technical-Vocational schools of trade areas such as Restaurant Service, Electrical Installations Technology, Visual Graphics Design, Welding, IT/Software Application, Cooking, Plumbing and Heating.

The competition promotes transfer of tech-voc education and training technologies. It also highlights active participation and contribution of industry organizations in advocating skills excellence through competition.

This year’s skills competition is anchored on the theme: “Ganda ng Buhay, Tekbok ang Tulay” (Good Life through Technical-VocationalEducation). (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)


Filipinos, among the best skilled workers in the world – TESDA official

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 1 (PIA) – Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Deputy Director-General Atty. Teodoro C. Pascua recently said Filipinos are among the best skilled workers in the world.

Speaking before the competitors, coaches and experts during the recently-concluded 2013 Regional Skills Competition (RSC) held in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, DDG Pascua pointed out that Filipino skilled workers are among the sought-after workers in different parts of the globe.

DDG Pascua added this is proven through the increasing number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) based on the database of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA).

According to Pascua, because of the country’s significant contribution in the world labor force, it is but necessary for technical-vocational students to be trained as early as now.

“Because of the country’s significant contribution in the world’s labor force, other countries are expecting to hire Filipino skilled workers from time to time… That’s why we need to train our students and skilled workers to prepare them for their future,” DDG Pascua said.

However, Pascua said what is more important is the values and character that Filipino workers possessed. He added this is also one of the reasons why most foreign employers preferred to hire Filipino workers than other nationalities.

“Filipinos are trustworthy and willing to sacrifice no matter how difficult life may be… This is proven by our skilled Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)… Also, more foreign employers give values to their family, a thing they have seen as the reason of Filipino employees working abroad,” Pascua said.

With these developments, the official enjoined those in attendance especially the youths to be at their best. “Develop your skills and do the right thing… Be the best that you can be… and if you have already qualified in the ASEAN and World standards, you will be given the opportunity to represent the country,” DDG Pascua said.

Winners in the different trade areas will undergo thorough training with their coaches to prepare them for the upcoming Philippine National Skills Competition (PNSC) which will be staged during the first quarter in 2014.

National winners will then represent the country in the ASEAN Skills Competition in 2014 and from there, winners will represent the Southeast Asian region in the World Skills Competition in 2015. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)