(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.


Monday, December 15, 2014

DTI reminds traders, consumers to sell or buy safe fireworks only

BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 15 (PIA) -  With the holiday season fast approaching, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is again reminding all sellers of fireworks to sell only fireworks manufactured by companies which are granted the Product Standard (PS) Quality Certification Mark License and with the required PS Marks printed on the product. 

DTI Agusan del Norte provincial director Gay Tidalgo advised consumers to look for the PS Mark in buying fireworks products.

“Fireworks are included among the products covered by mandatory certification scheme under PNS 1220-2:1994 to ensure that those sold in the market comply with the prescribed safety requirements,” Tidalgo said.

Under the law, retailers selling fireworks without PS Marks will be penalized to include a fine ranging from P25,000 to P300,000, Tidalgo added. 

To date, 14 fireworks manufacturers have been granted the PS Quality Certification Mark License.

Further, the DTI also informs all concerned that importation of finished firecrackers is prohibited under Republic Act 7183, hence selling of imported firecrackers is likewise prohibited. (NCLM/DTI-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)


DTI reminds the public to buy DTI-certified Christmas lights only

By Cerila P. Inson

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, Dec. 15 (PIA) - Holiday season is now here and as expected a lot of consumers are now buying Christmas lights for interior decors at home and schools, in trees and ornamental plants and even for use as back lights in gardens.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reminds the public to be cautious in buying these products as some products may be uncertified and therefore unsafe and may cause injury or loss of life.

Follow through monitoring activities have been conducted in Agusan del Sur and other provinces in the region this 4th quarter to monitor compliance to the said requirements in selling Christmas lights.

Christmas lights are one of the products that undergo mandatory safety tests with the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS), an attached agency of the DTI, before being allowed to be sold in the domestic market. This is to ensure that such products meet the safety requirements of Philippine National Standard (PNS) No. 189:2000. Once certified, goods can already be distributed in the market with the corresponding product standard markings and labels including the required Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker.

Consumers are also reminded to do visual inspection to ensure that:

1.    Wire shall have an outside diameter size of 1.5mm.

2.    Plug has firm pins which are not easily bent.

3. The package or box shall have the following markings; name of manufacturer/supplier/distributor, address and trademark, the mark for indoor use only, the number of PNS used, the batch/lot number of bar codes, country of origin and the ICC mark.

4.    Suitable warning shall also be available such as: disconnect from supply before removing or inserting any lamp, avoid damage to insulation and do not cascade/attach more than the recommended sets of Christmas lights.

Normally, only three sets are allowed to avoid overloading. Too many plugs in one outlet may create enough heat to start a fire. (DTI-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Caraga)


Response plan vs. firecracker accidents in SurSur set

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Dec. 15 (PIA) – Dr. Ponciano Limcangco, Adela Serra-Ty Memorial Medical Center (ASTMMC) chief of hospital, assured that their response plan against firecracker accidents is all set.

He said that the emergency room (ER) of ASTMMC is in charge of cases involving fireworks-related injuries, citing the start of the period from December 16, 2014 up to January 4, 2015.

The good doctor bared that the Health Emergency Management Service (HEMS), under which are ER personnel, is always in place.

Hoping for a “zero casualty,” Limcangco, who is in favor of a firecracker ban, admitted that several cases of firecracker-related injuries have been recorded last year at ASTMMC, the biggest hospital in the entire province.

On the other hand, he said that the health office in the locality normally spearheads the drive against use of firecrackers and illegal fireworks. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


Some 2,000 advocates hold Human Rights celebration in SurSur

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur,  Dec. 15 (PIA) – Some 2,000 human rights advocates in Surigao del Sur held a rally to commemorate the 66th Anniversary of the United Nations’ ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Wednesday, December 10, in this city.

P/Supt. Jeffrey Lawrence Mauricio, chief of police, reported that the event peacefully ended late in the afternoon.

The rally that kicked off with a kilometer march along the national highway here at around 10:00 a.m. starting in front of the National Food Authority (NFA) provincial office were participated in by members of KARAPATAN, Kapunungan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Surigao del Sur (KAMASS), and GABRIELA led by their respective leaders—Pastor Boy Villasanta, Rogelio Montero, and Vicky Undangan.

Seldio Pilongo, a former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) official in Caraga, now a city councilor, was guest speaker, according to Mauricio. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


Red Cross-SurSur chapter bares new BODs

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Dec. 15 (PIA) – The Philippine Red Cross (PRC)-Surigao del Sur Chapter bared the list of its new Board of Directors (BOD).

Fourteen members of the BOD were elected by accredited delegates on the occasion of its 6th Chapter Assembly held at said office on December 10, 2014, according to the PRC here headed by Genevieve Amodia, interim chapter manager.

The new set of BOD are the following: Chairman: Pimentel, Rosalinda; Vice-Chairman: Irizari, Algerico; Secretary:  Lim, Mary Grace; Assistant Secretary:  Pareja, Tomasito; Treasurer:  Momo, Eleonor;  Assistant Treasurer:  Sarmen, Novelita;  Auditor:  Dumagan, Eleunesto; PIO:  Limbaro, Jude;  Legal Officer:  Polizon, Shana.

Likewise, the BOD members are:  Estal, Baceledes; Pimentel, Florencio; Plaza, Glenn;  Suaybaguio, Anastacio, Jr.; and, Villamor, Herwin. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


PDEA-13: Dinagat Islands least affected by illegal drugs

By Ma. Jane A. Mayola

SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands, Dec. 15 (PIA) - The region’s youngest province has the lowest percentage of “drug-affectation,” said an official from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Caraga Region.

During the 5th Provincial Peace and Order Council regular meeting held recently, PDEA Caraga regional director Erwin Ogario said that the drug statistics of the province is low in terms of drug affectation.

Ogario said that only 13 out of 100 barangays of the province were affected by drugs, as of November 2014.

“We can further reduce the drug affectation by conducting barangay drug clearing, reducing supply and demand, advocate proactive approach to the community, and implement a drug-free workplace policy,” Ogario said.

Meanwhile, vice governor Benglen B. Ecleo added that in order to avoid drug influence, the province should focus more on education and other developmental activities for the youth.

The 5th PPOC regular meeting was presided by governor Glenda B. Ecleo together with vice gov. Ecleo and was participated by all mayors from seven municipalities of the province, representatives from national line agencies, department heads and other member agencies and organizations. (SDR/PIO-Dinagat Islands/PIA-Dinagat Islands)


Medical team in place for firecracker-related cases in SurSur

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Dec. 15 (PIA) – As the Yuletide season gets more intense and the New Year draws nearer, the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) in Surigao del Sur headed by Dr. Algerico Irizari assured that district hospitals in their respective areas are going to be ready for possible victims of firecrackers.

Dr. Eric Montesclaros, IPHO assistant chief, stressed that it is just a matter of reminding all of them since this task is a normal occurrence year-in and year-out.

But, apart from that, he claimed, their office takes part in the constant drive to discourage the public on the use of firecrackers and similar pyrotechnic devices, especially in ushering in the New Year.

Moreover, Montesclaros pointed out that during this period, they also team up with personnel of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) for emergency response in case of disaster-related activities.

IPHO supervises eight district hospitals province-wide, it was confirmed.

Earlier, Dr. Ponciano Limcangco, chief of hospital of Adela Serra-Ty Memorial Medical Center (ASTMMC) here bared that the emergency room (ER) of said hospital—the biggest in Surigao del Sur—is all set to take charge of cases involving firecracker victims specifically from December 16, 2014 up to January 4, 2015. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


Cebuano News: Mokabat sa P10.5 milyon and kadaut sa Isla sa Siargao dala sa bagyong Ruby

Ni Mary Jul Escalante

SIARGAO ISLAND, Surigao del Norte, Disyembre 15 (PIA) - Mokabat sa P10,500,250 milyon ka pesos ang kadaut nga nahimo sa Isla sa Siargao dala sa bagyong Ruby nga miigo dinhi sa probinsya bag-ohay pa lamang.

Ang maong kantidad sa kadaut naglangkob sa mga danyos sa imprastruktura nga mokabat P3,200,000, residential P5,400,000 ug panginabuhian nga mokabat P1,900,250 ka pesos.

Matud pa ni governor Sol Matugas nga personal gayod nga gibisita ang maong upat ka mga munisipyo nga mao ang Sta. Monica, San Isidro, Burgos ug San Benito aron iyang personal nga masuta ang kahimtang sa mga katayhan sa maong mga munisipyo.

Sa iyang mensahe, giawhag sa gobernador ang tanang lokal nga opisyales nga unahon gyud paghatag og tabang kadtong mga pamilya nga nawad-an sa ilang panimalay ug kinahanglan gyud nga mokoordinar sa Department of Agriculture alang sa mga livelihhod assistance.


Kauban sa grupo sa gobernador ang representante sa Department of Agriculture nga maoy nagvalidate sa mga danyos sa agrikultura, social services, ug ang team capitol. (SDR/PIC-Surigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)