(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.


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Seminar on parliamentary procedures set to capacitate young leaders

By Venus L. Garcia

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 26 (PIA) – The Supreme Student Government (SSG) of Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) in cooperation with the Butuan Global Forum, Inc. (BGFI) and the Samahang Magdalo Butuan Balangay Chapter (SMBBC) will hold a Seminar on Basic Parliamentary Rules and Procedures on August 27, 2014, 8:00 a.m. at the FSUUMorelos Campus Mini Theater, Brgy. Ambago, this city. 

According to SMBBC regional coordinator Michael Leo Torralba, “the primary objective of said seminar is to increase community awareness regarding the fundamentals of parliamentary rules and procedures to help facilitate orderly discussions, thus, capacitating the younger and current generation as we see them as the future leaders and beacons for a stronger and progressive nation.”

No less than the vice governor of Agusan del Sur province, Hon. Santiago Cane, Jr. would serve as resource speaker and share his high level of expertise on the talking point to around a hundred and fifty participants coming from the youth sector.

Torralba said that this community initiated and funded activity intends to benefit the participants through familiarization of the correct parliamentary procedures and ethics with application of its essential principles making a more effective proceedings of the meeting.

By exercising parliamentary procedures, it will make it easier for people to work together efficiently and help groups accomplish their purposes, he added. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)


Bosstex 2014 opens in Surigao City

By Susil D. Ragas

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Aug. 26 (PIA) - The Surigao City Tourism Council in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SSCI) opened on Friday, Aug. 22 the Bonok-Bonok sa Surigao Trade Expo (Bosstex) at the Luneta Park along Borromeo Street, this city.

The opening ceremony started with a thanksgiving mass at the San Nicolas de Tolentino Cathedral, followed by a ribbon cutting and booth exhibits led by city administrator Atty. Manuel Coro in behalf of Surigao City Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas with Department of Tourism Caraga regional director Leticia dela Cruz Tan, city legal officer Atty. Manuel Delani, DTI provincial director Celestino L. Negapatan, Surigao City Tourism Council, Inc. chairman Richard Nick A. Amores, SCCI president Concepcion R. Paqueo and Senior Tourism Operations officer Roselyn Armida B. Merlin.

The Bosstex exhibit is a yearly undertaking of the city government together with other concerned agencies that features all Surigao products, delicacies and handicrafts from different exhibitors.

The event will run from August 20 to September 20, 2014. (SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)


DAR Surigao Norte joins Mindanao Trade Expo

By Daryll M. Tumbaga

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Aug. 26 (PIA) - The provincial office of the Department of Agrarian Reform-Surigao del Norte (DAR-SDN) recently joined the 2014 Mindanao Trade Expo held at the Abreeza Mall in Davao City.

The expo gathered Mindanao’s best manufacturers that converged at the mall's activity center from August 8-15, 2014.

Six products from the assisted Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) of DAR-SDN were chosen to be displayed at the expo.

The ARBOs were all recipients of DAR's Village Level Processing Center Enhancement Project (VLPCEP).

The farmers’ products were the Turmeric Salabat Tea of Garcia Farmers Fisherfolks Credit Cooperative of Brgy. Garcia, Sta. Monica; the Dried Pijanga of Magpayang Rural Farmers Producers Cooperative of Brgy. Magpayang, Mainit; the Nipa Vinegar of Cabugao First Farmers Consumers Cooperative of Brgy. Cabugao, Bacuag; the Pure Tableya of Honrado Farmers Credit Cooperative of Brgy. Honrado, San Francisco; the Papaya Pickles of Brgy. Uno Poblacion Credit Cooperative of Brgy. Uno Poblacion, Dapa; and the Banana Chips of Trinidad Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Brgy. Trinidiad, Surigao City.

Elizabeth L. De Guzman, Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer (CARPO) for Program Beneficiaries Development Division of DAR-SDN led the provincial team.

“Our purpose in going to the Expo is to display VLPCEP products of Surigao del Norte and get some vital information on improving our farmers’ products and some techniques in processing raw products for value adding to make it more marketable and attractive to buyers,“ De Guzman said.

The Mindanao Trade Expo is one of the much anticipated events in Davao City’s celebration of the Kadayawan Festival. (SDR/DAR-SDN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

  
AgSur town receives P59M worth of MRDP projects

By Emmylou T. Presilda

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 26 (PIA) - The municipality of San Luis in Agusan del Sur culminated the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) implementation through a celebration during the turnover of the remaining P5 Million worth of livelihood sub-projects completed under the 3rd round of MRDP’s Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD) last August 8.

In total, the municipality was able to avail P59Million worth of projects under the MRDP including the reinforced concrete deck girder (RCDG) Bridge amounting to P40M; P9M Farm to Market Road; and P10M worth of various livelihood projects such as expansion of potable water system (level 2), cattle production, pre and post harvest facilities, goat production, multi-purpose drying pavement (MPDP) with open storage, and MPDP with warehouse.

“I am very thankful to the Department of Agriculture for this support.  This indeed calls for a celebration,” Mayor Ronaldo Corvera said.

During the event, 13 farmer associations and women's organization received the key of responsibility and certificate of turnover from Mayor Corvera.  This is in addition to the 21 associations who already received ownership of their projects in the previous rounds.

Congresswoman Ma. Valentina G. Plaza who graced the activity, urged the farmers to take care of their projects.  “I ask you to love and nurture the projects for it is a great privilege to be one of the beneficiaries of this program. Hopefully, when we come back, we will be able to see a big difference in your lives,” she said.

Beneficiaries of the subprojects also took pride on how the projects were able to help them in their needs.

“My child was able to finish her college degree because of the cattle production project that we have availed of MRDP. I was able to sell one of its offspring to support my child’s college education,” said Gilda Bada of Brgy. Sta. Ines.

“I am not the only one who benefitted the project.  Other members of our association were able to buy farm lands and renovate their houses out from its offspring that is why we will continue to let the project grow,” she added. (DA-13/PIA-Caraga)


DOLE chief joins conduct of joint assessment of ship in Surigao Norte

CLAVER, Surigao del Norte, Aug. 26 (PIA) - Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis Baldoz emphasized that the DOLE's new Labor Laws Compliance System (LLCS) for the first time covers and applies to companies and workers in domestic shipping and, thus, encouraged Philippine-registered ships plying domestic waters to voluntarily comply with all labor laws.

"Ensuring compliance with all labor laws, including with safety and health standards, are pursuant to our obligations under the Maritime Labor Convention, 2006, and national issuances, such as Department Order (D.O.) No. 129, or the 'Rules and Regulations Governing the Employment and Working Conditions of Seafarers Onboard Ships Engaged in Domestic Shipping, and the new LLCS,'" said Baldoz during a dialogue with officials of officials of Taganito Mining Corporation (TMC), one of the country's largest nickel mining companies.

Baldoz, together with Undersecretary Rebecca Chato, head of the DOLE's internal and labor relations cluster, and DOLE Caraga regional director Johnson Canete, recently visited Claver in Surigao del Norte to join in the conduct of a joint assessment of TMC's cargo vessels at the Claver Port, in a bid to emphasize the seriousness of the DOLE in accelerating implementation of the new LLCS.

"Voluntary compliance fosters harmonious workplace relations and is generally good for business. It leads to productivity and profitability," the labor and employment chief emphasized before boarding one of TMC's cargo ships, the LCT TMC II, for the joint assessment.

TMC owns three cargo vessels and contracts several other ships to transport its mine production from the shore to the ships for export. It engages a crewing agency, Lacerta Shipping Agencies Philippines, Inc. to man its three vessels.

The joint assessment is one of the mechanisms that the DOLE uses under the LLCS. During the process, management and worker representatives sit down with the DOLE to assess compliance, with the latter informing the former about the various labor laws, including the safety and health standard regulations, that the company ought to comply.

If deficiencies or gaps in compliance are discovered during the assessment, a plan of action is formulated to correct the gaps or deficiencies. The DOLE teaches the company and the workers on how to comply. After the gaps or deficiencies are effected, the DOLE issues a certificate of compliance to the company.

Engr. Eric Igual, together with the TMC management representative and the TMC union, informed Secretary Baldoz that the result of the joint assessment showed very minor deficiencies/gaps. Some of these were the lack of organized safety and health committee; lack of occupational safety and health reportorial requirements; lack of on-board and on-shore complaint procedure; no weekly rest period; lump-sum salary structure; no written program and policy on prevention of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, TB, and sexual harassment.

Also, the employment agreement of the 19 crew of the ship is not co-terminus with the service agreement of the manning agency with the principal, and the manning agency is not registered with DOLE under D.O. 18-A.

In the presence of Secretary Baldoz, the TMC management submitted an undertaking and pledged to correct these deficiencies/gaps in 20 days under the agreed action plan. On this note, DOLE Caraga regional director Johnson Canete issued a CoC to the mining company.

Baldoz instructed Conciliator-Mediator Ericson Igual, head of the joint assessment team, to restructure the salary structure of the seafarers manning the ship, and also directed Director Canete to continue monitoring the company's compliance, particularly with its undertaking.

"The DOLE is here to help you comply. All our technical assistance services are free. You should not anymore fear the DOLE because our new labor law compliance system is designed as a mix of developmental and regulatory approaches that encourages voluntary compliance," Baldoz said. (DOLE-13/PIA-Caraga)


Cebuano News: P11M kapin nga proyekto sa Carmen gi-turn over sa MRDP

Ni Ronie P. Gerona

BUTUAN CITY, Agosto 26 (PIA) - Mokabat ngadto sa onse milyones kapin ka pesos ang kantidad sa proyekto nga gipatuman karon sa lokal nga panggamhanan sa Carmen, Agusan del Norte sa pagpaningkamot ni Mayor Ramon M. Calo.

Ang nasangpit nga proyekto usa ka farm-to-market road nga nagsugod gikan sa Poblasyon paingon sa Macopa ug Kabayawa sa maong Lungsod diin mokabat sa kwatro kilometros ang katas-on sa maong dalan.

Ang nasangpit nga proyekto gikan sa nasodnong panudlanan sa Agrikultura pinaagi sa MRDP kun Mindanao Rural Development Program.

Ang pag-abri sa maong dalan usa ka oportunidad sa katawhan sa maong dapit aron pagpasayon sa ilang produkto padulong sa maong lungsod. Kahibaloan nga ang lungsod sa Carmen naila na sa produktong manga ug maoy hinungdan nga moangat na ang ilang panginabuhian sa katawhan sa pipila ka mga barangay sa maong lungsod.

Niadtong Agosto 15, 2014, pormal nang gi-turn-over ang maong proyekto pinaagi ni Department of Agriculture Region XIII Regional Director Edna Mabeza ug gidawat ni Carmen Municipal Mayor Ramon M. Calo inabagan ni Bise Mayor Wilfredo T. Taglucop ug Punong Barangay Ger A. Montero sa Barangay Poblacion.

Ang maong kalihokan gitambongan usab ni Bise Gobernador RamBu Bungabong, Gloria Pabillore nga nagrepresenta ni Cong. Erlpe John M. Amante ug Daniel Gudahl sa Winrock International isip partner sa maong proyekto. (LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)


Cebuano News: P42.6M proyektong imprastraktura gi-implementar

Ni Gemma C. Dumpe

BUTUAN CITY, Agosto 26 (PIA) - Sugod niadtong Enero ning tuiga gisugdan pagtrabaho sa panggamhanang probinsyal sa Agusan del Norte ubos sa pagdumala ni Governador Ma. Angelica Rosedell M. Amante-Matba ang mga proyektong imprastraktura niini nga nagkantidad og 42,677,740.53 milyones ka pesos.

Kini nga mga proyekto mao ang pagpasemento sa kadalanan sa Puyo-Colorado sa Jabonga (P9,781,606.80), NRJ-Manoligao sa Carmen (4,844,426.86), Comagascas-Katugasan-Bayabas-Del Pilar sa Cabadbaran (9,764,967.95), La Fraternidad sa Tubay (P6,900,067.89), Capudlusan-Tagbungabong sa RTR (P4,861,912.11), Matabao-Tinago sa Buenavista (1,372,840.39) ug lakip ang pag-ayo sa kadalanan sa Poblacion 2 (P1,957,227.15) ug Punta Gracia (1,451,172.06) sa Tubay, ug ang dalan sa Lower Panaytayon sa Caloc-an, Magallanes (P1,743,519.32) diin kini nga proyekto natapos na niadtong Hulyo 17, 2014.

Matod pa ni Engr. Celecia J. Morales, ang OIC sa Provincial Engineer’s Office ning probinsya, basi sa ilang schedule of works ang maong mga proyekto niining tuiga ra gayud mahuman. Dugang pa, nga bisan sa kasamtangan kamulo pa silang nagtrabaho niini nga mga proyekto.

Ang probinsya aduna na usab unom ka bag-ong gihan-ay nga mga proyektong imprastraktura nga bag-uhay pa lamang gi-bidding niadtong Agosto 19, 2014. Kini nga mga proyekto mao ang Construction of Spillway sa Brgy. Del Pilar sa Cabadbaran, Construction of Slope Protection/Riprapping of Tamping Creek sa Brgy. Baleguian sa Jabonga, Spring Development and Installation of Level II Water System gamit ang Hydraulic Ram Pump Technology sa Brgy. Lawan-Lawan sa Las Nieves ug Brgy. Simbalan sa Buenavista, ug ang pagpasemento sa Sta. Ana Road sa Nasipit, Kitcharao-Anibongan Provincial Road ug Pirada Road sa Cabadbaran. (LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)