(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, July 6, 2015

SurSur NFA allays fears on “fake rice”

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, July 6 (PIA) – The National Food Authority (NFA) here has allayed fears over the reported existence of “synthetic rice” as the launch of massive ocular inspection province-wide yielded nil, including the findings of the City Economic Enterprise Development Office (CEEDO) in Bislig.

May Sara Atomar, NFA provincial manager, has this to say to all the “doubting Thomases” out there:  patronize NFA and/or local rice.

Meanwhile, the CEEDO report stated, among others, that “No questionable appearance of synthetic rice was noted from the rice displayed and stocked by the rice dealers.”

However, it has recommended “for the creation of Task Force Synthetic Rice” to be chaired by Mayor Librado Navarro, himself, for the protection of consumers in the area in particular.

In Bislig City, when Mayor Navarro got wind of the “bad news” on the staple food, an Interagency Committee was immediately ordered to convene and conduct an “ocular inspection of all rice dealers within the CEEDO Area to detect the possible display/sale of SYNTHETIC RICE,” it was learned.

Bislig City NFA Warehouse Supervisor Joel Villarino was one among the interagency committee members.

Also, the NFA chief here admitted that news on alleged “fake rice” has indeed reached their office after it broke on national TV.

Atomar assured that their office will continue to keep an eye on commercial rice anywhere in the province. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


DILG releases P57.8Million PAMANA checks to SurSur, AgSur

By Archie Rose G. Vasquez

BUTUAN CITY, July 6 (PIA) - The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga awarded P57.8Million worth of checks to two recipient provinces in the region, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur, to implement the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) projects under the DILG fund during the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) second quarterly meeting last June 30, 2015 at Mazaua Island Resort, this city.

Awarding of checks was headed by DILG Caraga regional director Lilibeth A. Famacion joined by RPOC chair and Butuan City mayor Ferdinand M. Amante Jr., PSSupt Pedro Obaldo of Police Regional Office (PRO) XIII, and MGen Oscar Lactao of 4th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. The checks released are the first tranches equivalent to 80 percent of each project’s cost.

Provincial Administrator Efren Rivas of Surigao del Sur received P33.8Million worth of checks for the province which will fund four different infrastructure projects, namely: Construction of Carromata to Bitaugan Road Opening (30kms) Phase II in San Miguel amounting to P24Million; Rehabilitation of Union-Dogak-Rajah Cabungsuan Road Phase IV in Lingig amounting to P1.8Million; Road Opening of barangay proper to Camunohan, Bayogo Phase II in Madrid  amounting to P4Million; and Construction of 15LM Single Lane Flat Slab Bridge II, Bayogo Phase II in Madrid amounting to P4Million.

Provincial Governor Adolph Edward G. Plaza also received the check amounting to P24Million awarded to the Province of Agusan del Sur for the Construction of Bridge Approaches in Sta. Irene-La Purisima Bridge in Prosperidad. He also received the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) 2014 check of P7Million for the improvement of D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital in his province.

The PAMANA program is one of the initiatives of the national government under President Aquino’s administration in partnership with the Local Government units (LGUs) and national line agencies basically to create greater impact to the lives of the Filipino people, especially to communities in conflict-affected areas, by making available to them the basic services they need through infrastructure projects like installation of potable water system, farm-to-market roads, construction of bridges and the likes with outcomes that are hoped to steer to PAMANA’s ultimate goal of peace and development. (DILG-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)