(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.


Friday, January 9, 2015


By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 9 (PIA) – As monsoon rains continue to come heavy in Surigao del Sur, a growing number of local government units (LGUs) are considering enforcement of pre-evacuation anytime due to widespread flooding.

Earlier, Abel De Guzman, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief, reported that due to heavy rains, City Mayor Roxanne Pimentel was prompted to declare suspension of classes in both public and private elementary schools in Tandag City.

A little later, he also came out with the information coming from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Cortes town, 30 kilometers north, this city, that  landslides have occurred in two barangays in the area—Matho and Balibadon—which rendered the national highway impassable.

District Engr. Joseph Calderon of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 1st Congressional District Office confirmed the incident, but cited these are only “series of soil collapse.”

On the latest development, De Guzman said, the road is already passable, adding, however, that only one lane is open to traffic.

It can be recalled that Calderon has immediately ordered the deployment of construction equipment to the area to ease the situation. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


DA’s village type corn processing facility produces export quality

By Aurell P. Arais

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 9 (PIA) - “Superb quality; export quality!”

These are words of satisfaction uttered by Barangay Captain Demetrio Tabelon of Tiniwisan, Butuan City as one of the recipients of the Village Type Corn Postharvest Processing facility provided by the Department of Agriculture- Caraga.

“Before the establishment of the project, we had difficulty in selling our corn produce due to poor quality and compelled to sell our product at a cheaper price,” said Mr. Tabelon.  “But with the establishment of the project, buyers themselves such as feed millers now come to our place to buy our corn processed through the Village Type Corn Postharvest Processing,” he added.

Turned-over by the Department of Agriculture last January 2013 to Saint Gabriel Multi-purpose Cooperative, the project is now benefitting corn farmers not only in Tiniwisan but other neighboring barangays and municipalities with four thousand hectares corn-producing area.

The Village Type Corn Postharvest Processing with a capacity of 10 tons per load can process corn on cob even those newly harvested which after a cycle of processing, it will come out dried on kernel form ready for sale.

Aside from Brgy. Tiniwisan in Butuan City, another 10 ton capacity corn processing facility was established in Poblacion, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte covering 10 barangays with 450 hectares corn area.  The same project will soon to be turned-over in the municipalities of Las Nieves, Bunawan and Talacogon in Agusan del Sur. 

An expanded version of the project with 20 tons capacity will soon rise also in Esperanza and Trento, Agusan del Sur. (DA-13/PIA-Caraga)


SurSur agriculture office claims damage to agriculture due to TS Seniang

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 9 (PIA) – The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) in Surigao del Sur has confirmed damage to crops brought about by Tropical Storm (TS) Seniang that hit the province on December 29, 2014.

However, Marcos Quico, provincial chief agriculturist, admitted that the complete data is not yet readily available since other local government units (LGUs) have yet to submit reports as requested.

A number of them have quickly responded, but others have obviously failed to follow suit, Quico lamented.

He agreed that in this unfavorable situation, one cannot just exert pressure upon the concerned persons since they also have their priorities to attend to in their own backyards, but assured that by next week, everything is going to be ready.

Meanwhile, among the badly hit areas by flood is San Miguel town, which has standing crops yet to be harvested before the storm made landfall apart from rice seedbeds that have been submerged, Quico pointed out.

He added that farmers need government intervention like being provided with quality seeds, first and foremost, in order to get to back to work.

The chief agriculturist admitted the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga Regional Office is also in a hurry to get all the necessary information. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


TESDA’s video-making contest year 2 opens

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 9 (PIA) – Following the successful conduct of its video making contest in 2014, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has opened its year 2 series.

The Tatak TESDA Video Making Contest which was started last year is now open. Now on its second year, the competition aims to document success stories of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates. It also promotes TVET through testimonials from TVET graduates using digital and social media.

Also, the competition gives recognition to succesful TVET graduates, as well as to create greater awareness on TESDA and its programs and services.

The competition is open in Individual and School categories. Under the individual category are entries created and submitted by a TVET graduate, while in the School category, these are entries created and submitted by a Technical Vocational Institution (TVI).

Specifically, for the Individual Category, the subject of the entry is a TVET graduate of any qualification/course from 2010 onwards. They must be holders of a National Certificate (NC) or Certificate of Competency (CoC) for all qualifications where competency assessment is mandatory. The subject is also working in the Philippines or abroad either as wage employed or self-employed in the qualification where he was trained. To facilitate information delivery, the TVET graduate must also submit an email address to which updates of the Contest will be sent.

Subject of the entry under the School Category submitted by a TVI is a TVET Program Registration for any qualification/course from 2010 onwards. The TVI must be a holder of Certificate of TVET Program Registration for any qualification covered by the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP). It 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 TVI is of good standing which is compliant to the Unified TVET Program Registration and Accreditation System (UTPRAS) requirements. To facilitate information delivery, the TVI must also submit an email address to which updates of the competition will be sent.

TESDA employees and their relatives up to the third degree of consanguinity and affinity and those who joined in the Tatak TESDA Year 1 are not eligible to participate in the contest.

The entry sender must produce a 2-3 minute video using any video recording device. Language can be in English, Filipino or a combination of both. Should an entry use local dialect, appropriate subtitles must be included. Footage for the entry can be taken by a video camera, mobile phone, Ipad, or any other similar means. The entry must include footage/s taken at the workplace of the tech-voc graduate.

Individual or School entries must be submitted to their respective TESDA Provincial Office via email with links on their Facebook or YouTube account and copy furnished the Office of the Director-General through tataktesda@gmail.com on or before the set deadline.

Videos may be in the form of dramatization, storytelling, music video, and other creative format. The videos should answer the question: “How did TESDA transform your life?” All entries shall be considered the property of TESDA for use in the Agency’s advocacy activities.

All entries must not in any way violate copyright laws. Entry senders must seek permission to use any copyrighted music, video or animation to their videos.

The competition has three levels: Provincial/District, Regional, and National. Only the top 2 entries (1 for each Category) for each Province/District as determined by the respective Provincial/District Screening Committees are considered for the Regional Level of the Competition. In the same manner, only the top 2 entries (1 for each category) for each region as determined by the respective Regional Screening Committees shall be considered for the National Competition.

Submission of entries in the Provincial/District Level is from January 2 to 31, 2015. Entries that do not fulfill the requirements shall be notified to enable them to resubmit within the set deadline. The provincial winners will automatically be the entries for the Regional Level. Submission of entries is from March 1 to 15, 2014. No entries shall be received or considered thereafter.

On or before April 17, 2015, the qualifying graduates and TVI in the National Level will be required to refine their videos. Awards Night is on May 1, 2015 in Metro Manila.

In the Individual Category, winners of the Best in Video, Best in Story and People’s Choice Award in the Provincial Level will receive P3,000 and a trophy while in the Regional Level, the winner will receive P5,000 and a trophy, and in the National Level – P25,000 and a trophy.

People’s Choice awardee in the National Level will receive P50,000 worth of TWSP Scholarship.

Provincial Grand Prize winner will receive P5,000 and a trophy. Regional winner will receive P10,000 and a trophy while in the National Level, the winner will receive P100,000 and a trophy.

For the School Category, Best in Video, Best in Story and People’s Choice in the Provincial Level will each receive P50,000 worth of TWSP Vouchers and a trophy; Regional Level – P100,000 worth of TWSP Vouchers and a trophy; National – P250,000 worth of scholarship vouchers and a trophy.

People’s Choice awardee in the National Level will receive P500,000 worth of TWSP Scholarship.

Provincial Grand Prize winner will receive P50,000 worth of TWSP Vouchers and a trophy. Regional winner will receive P200,000 scholarship vouchers and a trophy while in the National Level, the winner will receive P1 million worth of scholarship vouchers and a trophy.

With these developments, TESDA-Caraga Regional Director Dr. Florencio F. Sunico, Jr. is calling all Tech-Voc graduates in the region ton once again take part in this year’s second staging of the competition.


It can be recalled that the entry of Noel R. Japitana, a graduate of Computer Hardware Services NC-II of AMA Computer Learning Center (AMA-CLC) Butuan, and a lone finalist from Caraga Region last year was adjudged Best in Video during the Awards Night held at the PAGCOR Grand Theater, ParaƱaque City on May 1, 2014. He received P25,000, a plaque and a trophy. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)