(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.


Thursday, August 27, 2015

Peace Caravan makes a dent in SurSur

By Greg Tataro, Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 27 (PIA) – The two-day peace caravan that was held in Marihatag and Lianga towns, this province, has indeed lived up to the expectation of the 12 barangays of three municipalities it targeted to serve on August 24 and 25.

In a press conference, Governor Johnny Pimentel, who led the event, has expressed thanks and gratitude to all the people behind the local and national government agencies including civil society organizations (CSO) that stood up to its commitment to participate and support the affair all the way.

In like manner, Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has also made similar gesture, leaving words of thanks and appreciation.

OPAPP said in an earlier statement, before the two-day peace caravan kicked off, it was expecting “to serve more than 1,000 households consisting of approximately 15,000 individuals including children.”

In addition, OPAPP also pointed out that services to be offered will focus on “health, livelihood, education, grooming, legal and veterinary consultations, land concerns, hauling services, voter registration, distribution of food packs, birth registration, feeding, advocacy and dialogue.”

The six barangays that benefited during the  first day belong to Marihatag town—San Pedro, San Isidro, Mahaba, Mararag, Bayan, and Amontay, while during the second day, the three barangays of Lianga town—San Isidro, St. Christine, and Diatagon—as well as three barangays also of San Agustin town—Janipaan, Pong-on, and Buhisan. 

Among others, aside from OPAPP Secretary Deles, the cabinet secretaries and/or agency representatives who made their way to the province for the peace caravan include: DAR Sec. Virgilio De los Reyes; OPAPP Usec. Gettie Sandoval and Usec. Apple Robles; OPA Usec. Joel Jaime Payumo and Usec. Bobbet Garcia; DPWH Usec. Romeo Momo; DENR Usec. Jonas Leones; Mindanao Coordinating Office Usec. Nabil Tan; DOST Asec. Urduja Tejada; DepEd Asec. Rey Laguda; DILG NBOO Director Leo Trovela; EastMinCom Commander Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad; 4ID Commander MGen. Oscar Lactao; PNP Caraga Dir. P/CSupt. Vert Chavez; 402nd Brigade Commander Col. Isidro Purisima; and, PNP Surigao del Sur Provincial Director P/SSupt. Narciso Verdadero.

Likewise, part of the program during the culmination day was the presentation of 42 former rebels (FRs) who decided to surrender their firearms and return to the folds of the law.

The peace caravan aims “to reinforce the gains of peace-building initiatives in conflict-affected areas in our province, Governor Pimentel said. (Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


NFA bares rice stocks, prices in SurSur

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Aug. 27 (PIA) - The National Food Authority (NFA) in Surigao del Sur headed by Rolando Sindo, newly-designated acting provincial manager, has bared the stock inventory here as well as the prevailing prices in a statement released on August 25.

NFA has a total stock of 80,601 bags—77,542 bags of which are imported from Vietnam; 3,059 bags are locally purchased, it was learned.

However, palay inventory is posted at 3,287 bags.

Also, NFA rice remains to be sold respectively at P27.00 per kilo for regular-milled and P32.00 per kilo for well-milled.

Meanwhile, NFA here told media that palay ex-farm price prevails at P19.00 per kilo.

Moreover, the retail modal prices of commercial rice are as follows:  premium—P47.00; well-milled—P45.00; and, regular-milled—P40.00. (Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


Agnor solon seeks to protect coastal resources, files envi bill anew

QUEZON CITY, Aug. 27 (PIA) – Rep. Lawrence 'Law' Fortun sponsored on second reading House Bill 5836, otherwise known as Marine and Coastal Resources Protection Act, during yesterday's plenary.

Right on the first day of his term, Fortun originally filed House Bill 360 seeking to establish the marine protected areas (MPAs) in all coastal cities and municipalities in the country.

There were three identical legislative proposals currently in the Congress. The version submitted by Rep. Fortun's was the one largely adapted by the Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources. After deliberation, the Committee endorsed a consolidated version, of which Fortun was named as the principal author.

In his sponsorship speech, the solon emphasized the role of the State to ensure that the utilization of marine resources by its citizens observes the requirements of sustainability. The legislative measure defines MPAs as “areas of the sea established and set aside by law, administrative regulation or any other effective means in order to conserve and protect a part of or the entire enclosed environment, through the establishment of management guidelines.” MPAs need not be contiguous and must have a “minimum size of 10 hectares, unless the total area of the municipal waters is 15 hectares or less, in which case the MPA shall comprise 15 percent of the municipal waters.”

It further classifies MPAs as marine reserves, Marine Park, and marine sanctuary. Under MPAs, access to, and uses of marine resources are defined, regulated and controlled in a manner consistent with its classification.

The house bill also puts premium on citizen’s participation in protecting marine ecosystem and biodiversity through a co-management scheme. As the house bill puts it, “the State also takes cognizance of the preferred status of the citizenry as the primary users and beneficiaries of the country’s resources. As such, Filipino communities are therefore acknowledged as crucial partners in the effort to conserve and manage our natural marine resources.” (Lawig Katawhan/PIA-Agusan del Norte)


Plastic wastes destroys reefs in PHL waters

By Eric Gallego

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 27 (PIA) – “Filipino people must refrain from throwing plastic wastes in the seas and oceans to protect the coral reefs and preserve the fish inorder to fully enjoy life with  healthy oceans and environment,” said Department of Environment and Natural Resources  (DENR) Caraga regional director Nonito M. Tamayo.

Tamayo said the plastic wastes thrown into the seas indiscriminately by individuals are considered harmful on all the living things living on the oceans. “It severely affect the coral reefs where fish feed and thrive so that we can have food on our table,” he said.

“We need to protect the oceans,” he added.

The UNESCA Greenpeace ASEAN Center for Biodiversity said about 40 percent of the coral reefs in the 86,205 square kilometers span of ocean in the Southeast Asia have been lost due to destructions caused by the humans including the throwing of plastic wastes materials.

He said it is alarming to note that plastics remain a top contributor to the pollution of oceans. These plastics are more than just an eyesore. They caused animals to get entangled or trapped. Worse these marine pollutants kills marine species.

He said it takes about 1,000 years for plastics to breakdown in water. (DENR-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)


Lumads asks for extension in the retrieval of typhoon-damaged trees

By Eric F. Gallego

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 27 (PIA) - The Leaders of the Indigenous Peoples in Esperanza and La Paz, Agusan del Sur have requested the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for another six months to a year extension period in the retrieval of typhoon Pablo-damaged trees during a meeting with the Undersecretary for Field Operations Demetrio L. Ignacio.

The tribal leaders were prompted to bring their request as they took advantage of the presence of USec. Ignacio who sworn-in the 744 newly-appointed and promoted DENR 13 personnel including 12 division chiefs into office under the rationalization program held at the Inland Resort Convention Center in this city.

The privilege granted by Malacanang through the DENR Secretary about typhoon-damaged trees retrieval and extractions on January 3, 2015 has expired on July 15, 2015. The lumads were given time to extract and dispose about 12,171.45 cubic meters of damaged trees in Esperanza and 15,884.75 cubic meters in La Paz which were inventoried by the PENRO personnel under PENRO Roberto Oliveros.

Based on the development, however, the IPs in Esperanza and La Paz have able to get minimal volume of the inventoried typhoon-felled trees. The tribal datus headed Datu Manlimbalang Mangaseta said there are still plenty of the inventoried damaged trees at the different sites. “We are hoping to get those remaining stocks so that we can sell them at an authorized wood processing plant” the tribal chieftain said.

The lumads in La Paz said the person they had authorized to facilitate the important documents and other transactions had “done much but below their expectation.” They said they are seeking help from the municipal government of La Paz to fund their operation although they could no longer move the remaining stocks considering the authorization period had already expired.

Two teams from the DENR Regional Office, which were sent to assess the outcome of the retrieval operation in the two municipalities  are expected to report their findings shortly.

USec Ignacio said the findings of the DENR teams are important but in the meantime, the lumad leaders were advised to help in fast-tracking the inventory and assessment of the stocks of typhoon-damaged trees in their area. (PIA-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)


Cebuano News: Ika-165 nga kapistahan gisaulog sa lungsod sa Gigaquit

Ni Mary Jul E. Escalante

GIGAQUIT, Surigao del Norte, Agosto 27 (PIA) – Gisaulog sa lungsod sa Gigaquit ang ilang ika 165th nga kapistahan niadtong Agosto 25, 2015 ning maong probinsya.

Ang pagsaulog sa maong kapistahan nagdala sa temang "San Agustin, Panguyo sanan Kaiban, Kinaiyahan Panalipdan."

Nahimong pinasidunggang bisita mao si Gobernador Sol F. Matugas uban sila Board Member Simeon Castrence ug Board Member Mamerto Galanida.

Atol sa maong programa gipahigayon usab ang Las-ay Festival Dance Showdown nga gisalmutan sa lima ka mga grupo sa mananayaw.

Nahimong kampeon ang grupo gikan sa barangay Poniente ug Camboayon, samtang ang unang dapit nakuha sa barangay San Isidro ug Anibongan, ikaduhang dapit mao ang barangay Villafranca ug Villaflor.


Nagpasalamat ug dako si Mayor Carlos Egay, Sr. nga gihatagan sa gobernador og panahon nga makauban ug mamahimong pinasidunggang bisita sa maong okasyon labi na gyud ang mga katawhan sa maong lungsod sa ilang pakigtambayayong ug kooperasyon. (SDR/PIC-SdN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)