(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 - Monday, December 23, 2013

DepEd conducts orientation-seminar on IP Education

By Nida Grace P. Barcena

TANDAG CITY, Dec. 23 (PIA) – The Department of Education (DepEd) Division of Surigao del Sur spearheaded today an orientation-seminar on Indigenous People’s (IP) Education for District Supervisors, Secondary Cluster heads, Municipal Tribal chieftains, and some stakeholders held in this city.

Danilo Alcantara, IP Coordinator, said the activity aims to provide relevant information pertaining to the National Indigenous People’s Education Policy Framework and some other related legal laws to support and promote the program.

Alcantara also added that the said activity will also help capacitate the school heads to integrate the indigenous knowledge, systems and practices (IKSP) in teaching-learning processes and deepen the understandig of IP System.

"We have invited the local government units in order to strengthened partnership to support the program," said Alcantara.

Accordingly, the program will cater to the basic education needs of IPs who live in mountain villages and sitios here in Surigao del Sur as well as in Mindanao and other areas of the country. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


Maritime police commits to protect fish sanctuary

By Rina “Jiji” Jaylo

SURIGAO CITY, Dec. 23 (PIA) — Cognizant of the urgency to protect marine life and giant coral reefs in the city’s biggest fish sanctuary against illegal fishing, the local Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime station recently made a commitment to provide a round-the-clock police protection to Brgy. Buenavista Fish Sanctuary, this city in a joint undertaking with barangay officials.

P/Insp Andres Banquel, Jr., commander of PNP Maritime 1301st station, said he was saddened to know that the fish sanctuary has been constantly raided by illegal fishermen who used noxious substances and tiny nets to catch fishes.

“We learned that this kind of illegal fishing goes unabated and is rampant in Brgy. Buenavista. We’re empathic with the locals’ predicament because they were caught in a situation where barangay authorities were just being ignored by illegal fishers,” told Banquel, saying “henceforth we would be conducting sea patrol together with barangay officials and other volunteers to ensure the protection of these marine resources”.

Kagawad Noel “Weweng” Llesis, number one councilor in the said barangay, disclosed that the previous barangay officials did not take a step forward to protect their fish sanctuary from illegal fishing due to lack of interest and lack of political will.

“As newly-elected officials, I and my colleagues in the barangay council, as well as Punong Barangay Romeo Alcala, are determined to put an end to this rampant ‘rape’ and destruction of our marine resources. Hence, we’re enlisting the help of P/Inspector Andres Banquel, Jr. to ensure maximum protection of our fish sanctuary and the eventual arrest of any malefactors,” Llesis stressed.

He said the barangay council of Buenavista and the PNP Maritime 1301st station will be organizing next week a group of volunteers to be known as Brgy. Buenavista Fish Sanctuary Brigade which will serve as support group of the maritime police in protecting the said marine habitat. (FEA/PIA-Caraga)


E-bamboo sways things for the better in Surigao del Sur

By Romel M. Oribe/Teresita B. Subibi/Marson Jan S. Dolendo

TANDAG CITY, Dec. 23 (PIA) - The Department of Trade and Industry-Surigao del Sur Provincial Office (DTI-SDS), in coordination with local government units and other national government agencies, has been conducting various events in Surigao del Sur for people to take a closer look at the investment potential of engineered bamboo or e-bamboo.

Last April, DTI-SDS, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), local government unit of Tago, Surigao del Sur, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) of Surigao del Sur and the Golden Grain Farmer Irrigators’ Association signed a memorandum of agreement [MOA] for the establishment of a 3-hectare bamboo plantation in Barangay Bajao, Tago, Surigao del Sur. The project was launched with representatives of these agencies planting the recommended engineered bamboo species like giant, tinik, etc.

In July this year, DTI-SDS, in tandem with DTI-Cottage Industry Technology Center (CITC), had organized a 3-day techno training on bamboo processing in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur. As offshoot, the former had turned over a primary processing facility on 10 December 2013 to Buhisan Women Development Organization, a techno training organization-participant based in San Agustin, Surigao del Sur.

To know the extent of bamboo’s business potential, DTI-SDS conducted a Business Opportunity Seminar on 25 October 2013 in Bislig City with Mr. Edgardo Manda, the top honcho of the Philippine Bamboo Foundation, Inc. (PBFI), as speaker.

The DTI had also signed a MOA with Surigao del Sur State University-Tagbina Campus on 25 November 2013 for the establishment of a bamboo nursery-cum-bamboo gene bank.

As year-ender, DTI will conduct a “Trainers’ Training on Nursery Establishment and Bamboo Plantation Rehabilitation and Management” on 19-20 December 2013 in Bislig City. This is in partnership with the City Government of Bislig and PBFI.

For inquiries, contact DTI-Surigao del Sur at (086) 211-3029 or email at dtitandag@yahoo.com.ph. (DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)


Pangasius doing brisk swimming in Surigao del Sur

By Romel M. Oribe/Teresita B. Subibi/Marson Jan S. Dolendo

TANDAG CITY, Dec. 23 (PIA) - Just two years after the Department of Trade and Industry-Surigao del Sur Provincial Office (DTI-SDS) introduced pangasius culture in Surigao del Sur, the industry has grown beyond expectation.

This makes investors take notice of its potential. For this year alone, at least 5,000 fingerlings were stocked by different growers in San Miguel, Tandag City and Lianga which translate to about P300,000 investments. Some of these pangasius are now being processed and bottled by Donnel Polizon (former Tagbina, Surigao del Sur mayor-turned entrepreneur) who learned the processing and bottling technology from a techno training that DTI conducted in February this year.

It can be recalled that things began “swimming” for the pangasius industry in Surigao del Sur in June 2011 when DTI-SDS forged an alliance with the Surigao del Sur State University (SDSSU) for a pangasius production project in Barangay San Jose, a barangay of Tandag City that SDSSU has adopted. Attended by cooperators and stakeholders, the launch was highlighted by the loading of 1,000 pieces of pangasius donated by the Regional Office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) through Regional Director Nerio G. Casil.

All messages that day harped on the same thing: the project is a good vehicle for job generation and wealth creation for a depressed barangay like San Jose.

Pangasius was introduced by BFAR in the Philippines in 1981. It belongs to the catfish family and known commonly as cream dory. (DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)


RuMEPP-Caraga tops performance targets

By Dennis Solis

BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 23 (PIA) -  The Rural Micro Enterprise Promotions Program (RuMEPP) in Caraga Region not only met but also exceeded its performance targets in project implementation. This is the appraisal made by the RuMEPP Program Management Unit (PMU) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

It also performed beyond the expectations of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the programme funder. This was confirmed during the IFAD Supervision and Implementation Support (SIS) Mission for RuMEPP recently.

The seven-year program which will be winding up by close of this year served 6,978 new and existing micro enterprises (MEs), a 215% accomplishment versus the target of only 3,248 set by IFAD. This level of performance is true to all four Caraga provinces.

Agusan del Norte served 2,015 MEs (301%) versus 670 target; Agusan del Sur - 1,851 MEs (219%) versus 846 target; Surigao del Norte -1,653 (215%) versus 662 target; and Surigao del Sur -1,459 (136%) versus 1,070 target.

RuMEPP-Caraga has also released Php 36,642,341 pesos worth of business development services (BDS). These BDS releases were instrumental in the development of a number of industries in the region like seaweeds, kalakat (palm oil fronds), pangasius, tilapia, coffee bean production, water lily products, arts & crafts, organic farming projects as well as the series of skills training and enhancement seminars including marketing support, among others.

The highest BDS project release is Php 10.6 million pesos to Surigao del Sur to assist 1,459 MEs throughout the province. Agusan del Sur had Php 9 million pesos of BDS to assist 1,851 MEs; Php 8.7 million pesos was given to Agusan del Norte to assist 2,015 MEs; Php 8.4 Million pesos to Surigao del Norte to assist 1,653 MEs.

A survey from the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) confirms the steady growth of the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) and the decrease in poverty incidence catapulting the region from the bottom of the 17 regions to 11th place, just next to Cebu and Davao, a feat that also reflects the contribution of the RuMEPP projects by increasing the economic activities in the rural communities.

The RuMEPP programme covers only the 19 poorest provinces in the country, with the goal of increasing economic development and improved job generation to reduce of rural poverty of at least 200,000 poor rural households.

RuMEPP is involved in capability and capacity building endeavors equipping the MEs with adequate skills to start, manage and grow a business enterprise to increase their incomes and even provide employment as the business expands.

The program likewise provides the MEs access to working capital when they need it form Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) funded by the Small Business Corp. (SBC).

RuMEPP is a seven-year, US$22.826 million program assisted by IFAD with the DTI as the lead implementing agency. It aims to reduce poverty through increased economic development, job creation, and better income for poor rural households by promoting profitable and sustainable micro enterprises. (DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)


Tagalog News: DSWD tumanggap ng solar na parol, mga sasakyan mula sa donor

Ni David M. Suyao

AGUSAN DEL SUR, Disyembre 23 (PIA) - Ang Department of Socal Welfare and Development (DSWD) ay tumanggap kamakailan ng kabuuang 1,002 piraso ng solar na parol mula sa Panasonic para sa mga biktima ng bagyong Yolanda sa Eastern Visayas.

Ang naturang donasyon ay tinanggap ni DSWD-Disaster Risk Reduction and Response Operations Office (DRRROO) Director Restituto Macuto mula kay Panasonic President Nobou Yasuhira sa National Resource Operations Center (NROC) sa lunsod ng Pasay.

Habang may sariling rechargeable na baterya, ang naturang parol ay hindi lamang magbibigay liwanag, ngunit ito ay magagamit din bilang pinagmulan ng koryente para makapag charge ng mga maliliit na electronic devices tulad ng cellphones.

Bawat parol ay may limang LED at ito ay denisenyo na maglabas ng liwanang na 360 degrees. Nakapagbibigay din ito ng hanggang anim na oras na liwanag sa pinakamataas na antas na maibigay o hanggang 90 oras sa mababang maliwanag na setting.

Sa isang banda, ang Republic of Botswana ay nagbigay ng limang Isuzu flatbed na ruck para sa ginagawang disaster relief operation.

Pule Mphothwe, Deputy chief ng mission ng Embahada ng Botswana ay nag-abot ng symbolic na susi kay Dr. Macuto. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)


Cebuano News: Malakanyang buot nga dumdomon ang 2013 uban ang hinanaling pagbangon sa katawhang Pilipino-kauswagan nga panglantaw alang sa 2014 ug determinasyon

Ni Nida Grace Barcena

SURIGAO DEL SUR, Disyembre 23 (PIA) - Ang Malakanyang wala mangandoy diin ginumbok ang 2013 isip puno sa tuig sa mga kadaut sa krisis ug kalamidad, apan usa ka bahin nga makahatag ug pinakamaayo ang “hinanaling pagbangon ug pag-rekober” sa mga katawhang Filipino, komo ang administrasyon ni Presidente Aquino milantaw padulong sa bag-ong tuig uban ang hataas nga determinasyon nga makab-ot ang nahabilin nga mga katuyoan.

Si Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. mipagawas ug pamahayag kagahapon alang sa paghulagway sa mensahe sa Malakanyang sa nag-hinapos nga tuig diin kasamtagan pang giandam uban sa pakig-alayon sa National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

“Batid naman po natin na sama-sama tayong dumaan at nakaranas ng hindi lamang, ayon sa katagang ginamit ng Pangulo, hindi lamang sa sunud-sunod na kalamidad kundi sa patung-patong na paghamon at problema; na hindi pa tapos ang isa ay naganap na ang kasunod,” sulti ni Coloma sa pakighinabbi sa dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

Si Coloma mitumbok sa Zamboanga nga panagbangi, ang 7.2-magitude nga linog didto sa Bohol ug Cebu, bagyong “Santi” sa Central Luzon, ug ang malumpagon nga super bagyong “Yolanda” nga sunod sunod nga miigo sa nasud sa nag-hinapos nga tuig sa 2013.

“Sa ating paglingon sa kinabukasan, nandoon po ‘yung determinasyon natin, hindi lamang na malampasan ang mga nakaraang pagsubok, kundi magtatag pa ng mas mainam at mas mabuti—‘yung ating sinasabing ‘build back better’ na kapag naitayo na ang lahat, masasabi nating meron tayong mas mainam at mas katanggap-tanggap na mga pasilidad, at hindi lamang po maipapanumbalik sa normal, meron pong pwedeng asahan ang ating mga kababayan na isang mas maaliwalas na kinabukasan,” ang opisyal sa PCOO miingon.

Si Coloma miingon nga ang NEDA mopagawas ug “results matrix” diin mosilbe isip “scorecard” sa tanan implementasyon sa mga programang reporma nga nahisaysay ubos sa Philippine development Plan sa Aquino Administrasyon.

Siya miingon kini maoy giya sa mga mga ehekutibo sa nagkadaiyang mga ahnesya ug mga departamento sa pagderminar unsa nga programa ang natapos na, unsa nga mga proyekto ang padayon nga gipahamtang, ug unsa pa nga mga plano alag sa kalamboan ang angayan mahatagn ug dugang nga pagtagad.

“Puspusan po ang magiging pagsisikap ng pamahalaan na isagawa ang mga repormang ito at katuwang po ng ating Executive branch ang ating mga mambabatas dahil marami pa pong mga panukalang batas na dapat na isalang sa ating lehislatura,” dugang pa ni Coloma.




Si Coloma miingon nga sila mopagawas ug year-end report ngadto sa publiko sa dili pa mahuman kining bulan sa Disyembre diin gipatugbaw ang unsa ang nakab-ot sa panggamhanan sa nagkadaiyang aspeto sa pagdumala sa miageng tuig ug ang panglantaw sa umaabot nga tuig. (PND/PIA-Surigao del Sur)