(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Monday, 04 November 2024) Easterlies affecting the eastern sections of Luzon and Visayas. 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—‘: Light to Moderate winds coming from Northeast to North will prevail with slight to moderate seas / (0.6 to 2.1 meters).


Monday, January 26, 2015

FSUU promotes PIA Caraga mobile app

By Venus L. Garcia

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 26 (PIA) - True to its commitment to serve the people of Caraga not just in the field of academics but also in capacitating communities for disaster resiliency, Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) in Butuan City through its president Rev. Fr. John Christian Young has strongly forged partnership with the Phil. Information Agency (PIA) Caraga  headed by regional director Abner Caga in the promotion of ‘PIA Caraga’ mobile application, an innovative platform created for mobile phone users to keep track of the real-time access to news, events, weather forecasts, and other relevant updates about the region especially during disasters.

“As among the leading educational institutions in the country, FSUU management commits to continuously uphold its mission and execution of social responsibility to help educate all sectors through our advocacies,” remarked Fr. Young.

It can be recalled that FSUU has effectively supported the agency in its campaign for climate change mitigation and adaptation and has always been actively-involved in community extension services.

Meanwhile, Rev. Fr. Chito “Kits” Butardo, vice president for administration and student affairs of FSUU has also expressed support and appreciation to the initiative of PIA Caraga in creating the mobile app, which will serve useful in times of natural or man-made disastrous events where relevant information are available right at the fingertips.

“We are encouraging the students, faculty and staff of FSUU to download the mobile app. And in our intent to increase the number of subscribers for a more prepared community, we opted to maximize our resources by plugging and including in the loop of campaign ads through our huge electronic billboard and light-emitting diodes (LED) screens installed inside our campuses. This way, we can prompt more individuals to download it in their smartphones at their own convenience. Let’s be more vigilant and act on readiness to save lives and properties by being informed and updated with the latest news, updates and weather forecasts," Butardo said.

PIA Caraga regional director Abner Caga genuinely expressed his gratitude to FSUU for its usual support and participation in this significant undertaking to raise awareness about the ‘PIA Caraga’ mobile app.

“Vital information is crucial to decision making and survival, that is why the team is taking the challenge in discovering and putting our efforts in crafting this very useful mobile app. We can do much in preventing ourselves form exposing to danger if we generously share our life-saving motives,” underscored Caga. (PIA-Caraga)


DILG 13 to launch ‘Operation Listo’ for disaster preparedness

By Bryan F. Edulzura

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 26 (PIA) - The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region XIII and the Local Government Academy (LGA) will conduct a “Regional Launching and Orientation on Operation Listo: Tamang Paghahanda, Tamang Aksyon” on January 29, 2015 in this city.

Operation Listo is DILG’s response to the continuing threat of natural disasters that confront LGUs.   “With the advent of Climate Change, we do not want to 'miss again' our disaster preparedness efforts, just like what happen to Yolanda in 2013. While we are already armed with information on lessons learned from Typhoon Sendong and Pablo in 2011 and 2012, respectively, Yolanda left with thousands of casualties. We do not want it to happen again, ever,” said DILG 13 regional director Lilibeth A. Famacion.

DILG Regional Disaster Risk Reduction focal person Ray Gregory Jaranilla said that Operation Listo sets relevant interventions for disaster preparedness aimed to create enabling environment for local government units to further develop their capacities towards mitigating the adverse impacts of disasters and climate change. "These initiatives are offered in the form of skills-building, technical support, policies and training for all  LGUs to be at the forefront of the community’s initiatives to adapt, mitigate risks, prepare and recover from disasters," he said.

The initiatives are consolidated in Operation Listo manual.  The manual contains checklist of early preparations for local chief executive and other key personnel in the LGU that will help determine the readiness of LGU in times of disaster. It will also assist them in the formulation of their respective disaster preparedness plans.

The participants of the launching and orientation are key personnel from the DILG, Philippine National Police (PNP) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) as well as officials from the selected member agencies of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) Region XIII.

After the regional launching, the agency will conduct the remaining components of the program such as Provincial Convergence Action Planning, the Disaster Preparedness Dialogue and WemBoree (for the youth) until May, this year. (DILG-13/PIA-Caraga)


Surigao Norte intensifies BEEP program to fight poverty

By Graciela E. Mante

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Jan. 26 (PIA) – The provincial government here through the Provincial Economic Enterprise Development and Management Office (PEEDMO) intensifies its Barangay Economic Empowerment Program (BEEP) to fight poverty in the province.

The BEEP is the flagship program of the Economic and Livelihood Cluster of the HEALS (Health, Education and Environment, Agri-Aquaculture, Livelihood and Tourism, Social Services, Security and Spirituality) Plus Convergence Framework aimed to consolidate and harmonize all projects, programs and activities (PPAs) of agencies and organizations relative to the inclusive socio-economic growth goal of the province.

With the common vision of poverty reduction, BEEP will bring services closer to the people through various entrepreneurial mechanisms in the barangay level.

It also aims to assist at least 2,000 households in priority barangays in all municipalities in the province belonging to the subsistence level of the DSWD 4Ps program and contribute to the poverty reduction aspiration of the province through the collaboration of national line agencies, private sector and other stakeholders.

All recipient barangays are expected to create, facilitate and sustain products that will support the project of BEEP dubbed “One Barangay One Product.”

The BEEP’s programs and services include the following: 1) Technical Assistance/Capability Building/Skills Enhancement through financial literacy, business planning, basic bookkeeping, project proposal writing, product development value chain management, opportunity assessment and marketing;  2) Financial Assistance through microfinancing and 'panginabuhi sa barangay' (barangay livelihood); 3) Technological Assistance by providing manufacturing equipment, etc, and 4) Marketing and Promotion through display centers such as Surigao’s Best Souvenir Shop, souvenir booths in hotels, airports, piers, travel agencies, partnership with hotels and catering services for food and agricultural products, and media coverage. (SDR/PEEDMO Surigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)


PSA bares rise in prices of farm products in SurSur

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 26 (PIA) – The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Surigao del Sur bared a surge in prices of agricultural products since the detour bridge traversing Hubo river in Barangay Buhisan, San Agustin town, 64.5 kilometers south, this city, has been washed away by floods during the height of Tropical Storm Seniang on December 29, 2014. 

According to PSA chief Ruel Dres, the rise in prices of some particular farm products, including poultry, has been obviously caused if not by the longer travel of cargo trucks carrying the goods via Surigao del Norte—the  “double handling” in bringing them in to Tandag City and the rest of the neighboring municipalities heading north after San Agustin town.

The PSA regularly conducts a retail selling price monitoring here which is reflected on their Agricultural Marketing Information.

However, Dres expressed belief that prices are going to go back to normal when the bridge is restored back.

Meanwhile, DPWH asst. district engineer Ruel Bantugan of the 1st Engineering District in the province said that the contractor assured that the detour bridge restoration is going to be completed over the weekend depending on the weather condition.

Bantugan pointed out that if that would be the case, light vehicles will already be allowed to cross the said bridge starting Monday.

Last week, district engineer Joseph Calderon also claimed as told by the contractor that the detour bridge, if restored, will be open to all types of vehicles only after five days upon completion.” (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


COMELEC cancels sked of provincial coordinating conference in SurSur

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 26 (PIA) – Atty. Ernie Palanan, provincial election supervisor (PES) of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Surigao del Sur has decided to hold in abeyance the scheduled ”Joint Provincial Command Conference” on January 26, 2015 in this city, with all stakeholders.

In a letter dated January 22, he cited “the possible postponement of the ‘Sangguniang Kabataan’ (SK) Elections” as the main reason for the action taken.

Palanan further stated “While waiting for any updates from the National Office and pending information for the finalization of the conduct of election, the undersigned sees the need of putting on hold the conference so that office can disseminate a one hundred percent (100%) reliable information.”

It can be recalled that sometime during the middle of this month, the COMELEC chief here has already sent out program of invitation to high ranking AFP and PNP officials as well as chiefs of offices of particular provincial and state agencies like the Provincial Treasurer’s Office (PTO), Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) by the COMELEC chief.

Also, the Barangay Federation President of the province and the manager of the electric utility here were invited to attend.

Meanwhile, Palanan assured stakeholders to “be given firsthand information the moment” updates and communications to this effect will be received from COMELEC National Office. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


Tagalog News: Libo-libong consumers nakinabang sa Diskwento Caravan ng DTI

Ni Ma. Lourdes P. Apego

BUTUAN CITY, Enero 26 (PIA) - Libo libong mga consumers ang nakinabang sa isinagawang Diskwento Caravan ng Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Agusan del Norte sa lunsod ng Butuan sa taong 2014.

Ayon kay DTI Agusan del Norte provincial director Gay Tidalgo, umabot sa 4,533 na consumers ang nakinabang sa apat na Diskwento Caravan na isinagawa sa lunsod ng Butuan at Cabadbaran sa nagdaang taon.

Ipinaliwanag ni Tidalgo na pangunahing layunin ng Diskwento Caravan na mabawasan  ang problemang pinansyal ng mga consumers sa pamamagitan ng paghahandog ng mura o mabababang preyso na mga pangunahing bilihin.

Ibinunyag din ni Tidalgo na isang grupo ng mga distributors, retailers at local manufacturers ang itinatag ng DTI upang lumahok sa panayan na Diskwento Caravan at bumenta ng kanilang mga produkto sa bawas na presyo.

Dahil dito, lahat ng mamimili ay iniimbitahan at hinihikayat na tangkilikin ang mga Diskwento Caravans ng DTI. (Radyo ng Bayan Butuan/PIA-Agusan del Norte)