(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Friday, 04 October 2024) At 3:00 AM today, the center of Tropical Depression "JULIAN" {KRATHON} was estimated based on all available data at 240 km North Northwest of Itbayat, Batanes (22.6°N, 120.6°E) with maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 75 km/h. It is almost stationary. Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting Visayas and Mindanao. 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 ITCZ. 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—‘: Light to moderate winds coming from Southwest to Southeast will prevail with slight to moderate seas (0.6 to 2.5 meters).


PIA Caraga readies for ISO certification

By Venus L. Garcia

BUTUAN CITY, Apr. 9 (PIA) – With a commitment to uphold a high level of quality management service delivery and to enhance its operational procedures, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga is now gearing up to join the list of ISO certified organizations.

PIA Caraga regional director Abner Caga and senior officers have recently met up with Kevin Castillon, an ISO Auditor representing the Anglo Japanese American (AJA) Registrars, and they discussed the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification process.

“As a certifying body, we offer our extensive range of certification services that can help the agency in streamlining its operational procedures to international standards,” Castillon said.

He added that striving to attain the ISO certification mainly distinguish the agency from being compliant to Executive Order No. 605 - “Institutionalizing the structure, mechanisms and standards to implement the government quality management program.”

He further emphasized that with ISO, efficiency and effectiveness will be upheld through a well-defined and regularly reviewed office procedures.

Meanwhile, Director Caga bared that “PIA Caraga aspires to continue serving with excellence. We are open to practical solutions and recommendations to further enhance the good practices that we relentlessly championed.”

“This seal of excellence and pursuit for perfection became our bases to seek and work for improvement, thereby, finding better approaches to inspire progress. And as we welcome constructive change, we can be assured of consistency in our level of performance with increased productivity and decreased inefficiency. This reflects well our core values of integrity and credibility,” underscored Caga.

Caga is positive that by initiating such action, PIA Caraga will be putting more substance to the call of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Sonny Coloma to conform with the requirement of standards and quality management system, the logical way. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)


DTI-AgSur starts 2014 grassroots participatory budgeting; releases funding checks

By Raul H. Tidalgo

BUTUAN CITY, April 9 (PIA) - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) kick-started the implementation of the 2014 Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB) projects in Agusan del Sur with the release of DTI funds amounting to PHP5.134 million for the first batch of 12 livelihood projects in three municipalities, as of March 31, 2014.

Out of the total fund release, PHP1.250 million were transferred to the local government unit of Sibagat for three projects, PHP2.480 million to Talacogon for seven projects, and PHP 1.216 to Trento for two projects in addition to corresponding counterpart funds from the LGUs amounting to PHP130,000.00, 360,000.00 and 300,000.00, respectively.

These GPB projects were mainly livelihood projects including organic and non-organic food processing, mushroom culture, handicraft production, laundry soap and dishwashing liquid making, trading, bamboo development, coco-coir and twine production, e-commerce, and organic fertilizer production.  These projects are expected to generate 502 jobs, extend technical assistance to 364 micro-entrepreneurs, and provide additional income to 841 project beneficiaries within the year.

The province of Agusan del Sur has 39 approved projects for the 2014 GPB under DTI in thirteen out of its fourteen city/municipal LGUs (excluding San Francisco) with total project cost of PHP35.103 million; PHP30.087 million from the national government thru the DTI and PHP5.016 million counterpart fund from LGUs.

DTI-Agusan del Sur provincial director Lolita I. Dorado hopes to implement the remaining 27 projects before the end of the semester.

The GPB program, formerly the Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB), aims to help attain the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) goal of inclusive growth and poverty reduction. DTI-Caraga got PHP87.96 million for the implementation of 130 projects in Caraga region for 2014. (DTI-13/PIA-Caraga)


Caraga contingent readies for Palarong Pambansa

By Marivic M. Cuizon

BUTUAN CITY, April 9 (PIA) – The students athletes of Caraga region for the 2014 Palarong Pambansa (National Games) scheduled on May 4 to 10 in Sta. Cruz, Laguna are now undergoing rigid practice.

According to Education Program Supervisor and City Division Information Officer Dr. Israel Reveche, the weeklong event of the Palarong Pambansa will be participated in by almost 10,000 athletes from the 17 regions of the country. The student athletes will be billeted in public schools near the venue.

In Caraga region, a total of 562 students athletes, coaches, chaperon and delegation officials  composed the contingents, Reveche said.

Palarong Pambansa is an annual event showcasing and promoting sportsmanship of Filipino learners.

In May 2013, President Benigno Aquino III signed Republic Act No. 10588 or Palarong Pambansa Law institutionalizing the said event. This year’s Palaro is the first Palarong Pambansa under RA 10588. (DepEd-Butuan City Division/PIA-Agusan del Norte)


Cebuano News: BCG misulod sa kasabutan tali Nephro Synergies

Ni Lyka Quinto

BUTUAN CITY, Abril 9 (PIA) - Pormal na nga nagpinirmahay ang lokal nga panggamhanan sa Butuan nga girepresentahan ni Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr. ug Nephro Synergies, girepresentahan ni Ms. Miriam A. Martin, usa ka domestic corporation nga naghatag ug serbisyo sa tibuok nasud pinaagi sa pag operate ug usa ka Kidney Dialysis Center, alang sa pagmuntar ug dialysis center sa Butuan Medical Center niadtong Marso 31, 2014 sa City Mayor’s Office.

Ang pinirmahay gilangkuban sa ubay- ubay nga mga kasabutan. Usa niini nga ang Nephro Synergy mag-abang ug lugar o area sa Butuan Medical Center aron mamahimo unyang dialysis center sa syudad. Muabang kini sa kantidad nga Php 13,248 matag bulan. Atol sa pakighinabi kang Kag. Virgilio G. Nery, Jr., Chairman on Health and Sanitation, gipahayag niini nga “Gitan-aw nato nga tungod ang atong BMC pampubliko nga hospital man, ang mga pasyente gyud diha mga pobre unya dugang nga presumption nga atong gihimo is kining mga pasyente nato sa BMC nga nagkinahanglan ug dialysis wala gyud silay kapadulngan kay ang dialysis sa ubang hospital o sa mga pribado nga mga centers, mahal gyud siya. Ang pangutana pwede ba nato librehon? Ang problema duna gyuy mga gamit para ana nga gamitunon nga angay gyud bayran, so ang gihimo sa syudad gidoble nato ang mga indigent nato nga mga pasyente nga naenroll sa PhilHealth. Kung last year adunay 32, 000 ka mga nga pamilya lamang, karong tuiga 2014, bisan ning doble ang premium sa PhilHealth, ang syudad sa Butuan mo- enroll gihapon ug sama ug nadugangan pa gyud nga mga indigent family nga maka benepisyo sa PhilHealth. Mukabat na ug 66, 000 families. Daghan na ang mga pasyente nga dunay PhilHealth. Kon naay pasyente nga nagkinahanglan ug dialysis, kung naay PhilHealth, naa sa kontrata nga gi pirmahan nga Php 500 lang ang ilang bayaran. Libre na tanan apil na ang mga gamit ana.”

“Siguro mga March next year mag operate na ni siya. Atong ipaniguro nga sa tibuok Butuan o tibuok man nasud kaning dialysis center nga naa sa atong BMC maoy pinaka barato, pinaka ubos, while at the same time nag maintain sa top of the line nga mga makina ug serbisyo nga maayo. Mao na ang atong gisiguro sa mao nga kontrata nga while nag renta sila ang serbisyo usab maayo sa pinaka barato nga presyo,” dugang sa pamahayag ni Hon. Nery. (LGU-Butuan City PIO/PIA-Agusan del Norte)