(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Wednesday, 11 December 2024) Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting the western section of Mindanao and Palawan. Shear Line affecting the eastern sections of Central and Southern Luzon. Northeast Monsoon affecting Northern Luzon and the rest of Central Luzon. 𝗙𝗒π—₯π—˜π—–π—”π—¦π—§ π—ͺπ—˜π—”π—§π—›π—˜π—₯ π—–π—’π—‘π——π—œπ—§π—œπ—’π—‘: 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 Localized Thunderstorms. Possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms. 𝗙𝗒π—₯π—˜π—–π—”π—¦π—§ π—ͺπ—œπ—‘π—— 𝗔𝗑𝗗 π—–π—’π—”π—¦π—§π—”π—Ÿ π—ͺπ—”π—§π—˜π—₯ π—–π—’π—‘π——π—œπ—§π—œπ—’π—‘: Moderate to Strong winds coming from East to Northeast will prevail with slight to moderate seas / (0.6 to 2.5 meters).


PIA News Service - Thursday, January 2, 2014

2013 Jail population rate decreases in SurSur

By Nida Grace P. Barcena

TANDAG CITY, Jan. 2 (PIA) - The jail population rate in Surigao del Sur District Jail has decreased from January to December last year said Jail Inspector Jerome Gerero.

Gerero said from the first quarter of 2013, they have only recorded around 112 inmates, "109 inmates for the second quarter, 103 inmates for the third quarter and 89 inmates for the fourth quarter - a constant decrease in every quarter."

Community Relation Service Officer Junie Naugayan said the regular implementation of paralegal legal services such as counseling and dialogue with the inmates in coordination with the courts, Public Attorney’s Office and Parole and Probation Administration had also contributed to the decrease of the inmates.

"Despite the financial constraints and the absence of vehicles, our personnel were able to transfer around 20 inmates to Davao Penal Colony (DAPECOL), 11 inmates were escorted to mental hospital and one inmate was escorted and successfully turned-over to the New Bilibid Muntinlupa," said Naugayan.

On the other hand, the provincial government thru Governor Johnny Pimentel has extended support by providing eight CCTV cameras that strategically installed within its parameters to help monitor/secure the area from any untoward incidence, Naungayan added. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


Tatak TESDA video-making contest extended!

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 2 (PIA) – The deadline for the submission of the Tatak TESDA video-making contest has been extended until March 31, 2014.

TESDA circular dated December 23, 2013 signed by TESDA Director-General Sec. Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva stated the said extension gives more time to technical-vocational graduates and institutions to develop and upload their video entries.

Likewise, Sec. Villanueva said in view of the technical problems and difficulties encountered by some tech-voc graduates in uploading their entries in the internet, submission of entries in CD copy shall be allowed, and shall be addressed to:

Office of the Director-General
7/F TESDA Administration Building
TESDA Complex, East Service Road
South Luzon Expressway, Taguig City

The “Tatak TESDA video-making contest” aims to document success stories of technical-vocational (tech-voc) graduates. It also propagates Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) through testimonials from tech-voc graduates themselves using digital and social media. It also aims to give recognition to successful tech-voc graduates, and create greater awareness to TESDA and its programs and services.

For individual category, any TVET graduate of any qualification/course from 1996 onwards. He/she must be a holder of a National Certificate (NC) or Certificate of Competency (CoC) and is working in the Philippines or abroad either as wage employed or self-employed in the qualification where he/she was trained, and of any age.

For school category, any TVET graduate endorsed by their Technical Vocational Institution (TVI) may join the competition. The TVI must be a holder of Certificate of TVET Program Registration for any qualification covered by Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP). The TVI must also be a holder of Certificate of TVET Program Registration for the qualification of the graduate on the video and currently offering the said program.

More importantly, the school must be of good standing, compliant to all the Unified TVET Program Registration and Accreditation System (UTPRAS) requirements including passing the compliance audit of registered program.

TESDA employees and their relatives up to the third degree of consanguinity and affinity are not eligible to participate.

Interested participants must create a two to three minute video using any recording device. Language used can be in English, Filipino or a combination of both. The entry shall be submitted/uploaded by the graduate or by the TVI.

The video should be taken at the workplace/work setting and may be in the form of dramatization, storytelling or music video and contains the answers to the question: “How did tech-voc training change your life?”

Participants are also required to upload the video in their Facebook account and send the link to tataktesda@tesda.gov.ph, along with an accomplished entry form which can be downloaded from the TESDA website at www.tesda.gov.ph.

The TESDA Screening Committee shall review the entries and notify the graduate/TVI if the video is considered an official entry to the contest. The first 1,000 entries that pass the screening shall receive a token from TESDA. The TESDA Screening Committee shall upload the video on the TESDA Facebook account.

The graduate/TVI shall promote the video to their friends and relatives since entries that get 1,500 Likes shall be entitled to one TWSP scholarship slot. This is a one time availment during the submission/uploading period. The videos shall remain on the TESDA Facebook account until the end of February 2014.

Top ten entries from the Individual Category shall receive P10,000 for the refinement of their videos.

For Best in Video (Cinematography) category, the graduate will receive P25,000 and a trophy while winner from the TVI will receive P250,000 worth of TWSP scholarship and trophy. Same prizes will be given to winners under the Best in Story (Screenplay) category.

A graduate who wins the People’s Choice Award will receive P50,000 and a trophy while the TVI receives P500,000 worth of TWSP scholarship and a trophy.

Grand winner in the graduate category receives P100,000 and a trophy while in the TVI category, the grand winner receives P1 million worth of TWSP scholarship and a trophy.

Participants/finalists can win only one of the first three categories and the Grand Winner Award. The award and utilization of the TWSP slots by the graduate and the TVI shall be subject to and in accordance to the existing guidelines of TESDA.

With these developments, TESDA-Caraga is calling all tech-voc graduates and TVIs in the region to produce a 2-3 minute video and be part of this competition. (TESDA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)


Firecracker-related injuries up by 15% in Caraga region

By Nora L. Molde

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 2 (PIA) – The Department of Health (DOH) Caraga region has recorded a total of 31 cases of firecracker-related injuries this holiday season.

DOH said, there are 31 cases of injuries related with the holidays from December 21, 2013 to January 2, 2014 as reported by the different sentinel hospitals in the region.

This is 15 percent higher compared to the same period last year, which is 27. Among the 31 cases, 29–or 94 percent of these cases were active meaning, they were the ones who lighted the firecrackers and two or six percent were passive cases (either onlookers or bystanders).

Majority of the injuries are blasting lacerations and abrasions, which were treated at the Emergency Rooms/Out-Patient Department (ER/OPD) and were sent home except for two which were referred to a higher facility.

The victims age ranges from 6 years old to 31 years old and majority of the cases belong to 0-10 years age group (58 percent). Most of the cases were males (91 percent).

The types of firecracker used were Piccolo (28-90 percent), Triangle (1), Kwitis (1) and Plapla (1).

The following are the distribution of cases by province and city arranged from highest to lowest:
Butuan City                                                   -           9 cases (29 percent)
Surigao City                                                  -           8 cases (26 percent)
Tandag City                                                  -           6 cases (19 percent)
Agusan del Sur                                            -           4 cases (13 percent)
Surigao del Sur                                            -           3 cases (10 percent)
Surigao del Norte                                        -           1 case (3 percent)

Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Sonny Coloma also said that fireworks have posed a threat to safety and health, as the gunpowder inside them can cause tetanus. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)


AgNor conducts transport seminar for drivers

By Brian Jay Ceballos

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 2 (PIA) - In collaboration with the Department of Tourism (DOT) Caraga Region, and the Dept. of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Caraga Region, the provincial government of Agusan del Norte conducted a Transportation Seminar for Drivers in the municipality of Kitcharao at their SB Session Hall, recently.

Considered as front liners in various industries like tourism, drivers are essentially very important in providing services especially to tourists.

In the one day free training seminar, van-operators, multi-cab, tricycle and van drivers were provided the basic know how on topics like: Learning Communications Essentials, Personality Development, Road Safety, Basic Tourist Reception, Defensive Driving, Requirement for License and Traffic Signs.

Mr. Greg Patrick P. Pabelonio and Mr. Alfredo A. Gamale led the DOTC team as resource speakers for the training. The other speakers were: Mr. Tryll G. Chiu, an accredited Tour Guide, and Ms. Jean A. Camarin and Roquesa S. Palmes from the DOT.

In the end, positive feedbacks where achieved as participants got the chance to ask speakers about their day to day queries regarding traffic and its rules. (LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)


Tagalog News: Palasyo: Handa ang pamahalaan para palambutin ang hagupit ng pagtaas ng presyo ng kuryente

Ni David M. Suyao  
      
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Enero 2 (PIA) - Sineguro ng Malakanyang sa publiko noong Linggo na mayroong programa ukol social protection ang pamahalaan para maibsan ang hagupit ng darating na pagtaas ng kuryente.

Sinabi ni Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. na malaking bahagi ng P2.265 na pundo para sa taong 2014 ay inilaan para sa social protection at social safety nets.

"Yun pong pinakamalaking bahagdan ng ating 2014 national budget ay nakalaan na para sa social protection, kabilang riyan po yung sinasabi na social safety nets para sa kapakinabangan ng ating mga mamamayan, lalong-lalo na doon sa mga lower economic classes po natin na siyang pinakamarami sa ating mga mamamayan," sabi ni Coloma sa pamamagitan ng state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

Sabi pa ni Coloma na ang pangkalahatang serbisyo ay naglalayon na ptotektahan ang mga maralita sa epekto ng pagtaas ng mga presyo, kasama na ang kuryente.

Sinabi rin ni Cooloma na ang economic cluster ng pamahalaan ay patuloy na nagmamanman sa epekto ng pagtaas ng mga presyo ng mga nangungunang serbisyo at magpataw ng tamang patakaran.

Ayon kay Coloma, ang economic cluster ay nagtatrabaho upang seguruhin ang epekto ng mga naturang pagkilos ng presyo ay hindi lumikha ng negatibong pangyayari sa sangkatauhan.

"Masinsin po itong sinusubaybayan ng ating economic cluster para lapatan ng karampatang aksyon at para hindi ito makalikha ng ligalig at dagdag na pasanin sa ating mga mamamayan," sabi ni Coloma. (PIA-Agusan del Sur)