(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, February 19, 2016



DOST-ICTO to install fiber optic network linking 80 gov't agencies in Butuan

BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 19 (PIA) - The Department of Science and Technology - Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO) is set to install its fiber optic network linking up 80 government offices in the city.

During its collaboration meeting with government agency representatives here, DOST-ICTO Region X and Caraga cluster director Evamay Dela Rosa said that with this project, government agencies can expect a significant improvement in their operations and the delivery of their services with the use of fiber optic technology under the Integrated Government Philippines (iGovPhil) project.

Dela Rosa said the adoption of fiber optic technology will not only help government offices coordinate faster but also facilitate other necessary services like cloud computing, data center co-location, web hosting, document and records management, email and online security.

“The agencies connected to the government network (GovNet) will be able to access files and data easily and conveniently, thus providing unified and simplified services to the citizens,” Dela Rosa said.

“The connection is going to be faster and the bandwidth capacity is expected to be larger,” she added.

Project manager Alona Isidro of iGovPhil Infrastructure said the total cost of the Butuan project is pegged at P17 Million.

“ICT office will shoulder the costs for the installation of GovNet while the identified agency will be responsible for housing and monitoring of ICT office’s network equipment. They are allocated 1 Gbps of connection,” Isidro said.

Also forms part of the GovNet project is the free public Wi-Fi to 49 identified locations in the city, it was learned. (FEA/PIA-Caraga)


PENRO AgNor bags first prize for MBFDP poster presentation

By Maria Catherine M. Gonzaga

BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 19 (PIA) - The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Agusan del Norte won the first prize for the recently concluded Mangrove and Beach forest Development Project Poster Presentation during the Post Project Assessment held at Waterfront Pavillion Hotel, Ermita, Manila on February 5-6, 2016.

Out of the 36 provinces, the poster produced by the office which highlights the elements of technology application, social mobilization/ cash for work scheme, and sustainability mechanism has able to capture the interest of the judges paving the way to bagging the first prize.

The criteria for judging for the said competition are: 50%-contents/information presented, 30%-organization of elements and colors, and 20%-over all appeal to audience.

The breakdown of winners includes: PENRO Agusan del Norte-first prize bringing home 30,000 pesos, Province of Bohol-2nd prize, and the Provinces of Quezon and Cantanduanes tied for the 3rd prize.

This activity was held simultaneous with the healthy competition among DENR regional directors through a paper presentation of project accomplishments on the implementation of the MBFDP wherein DENR Caraga made it to the 4th place. (DENR-Caraga with reports from PBO 2016/PIA-Agusan del Norte)


14-feet long python captured at DENR compound

By Maria Catherine M. Gonzaga

BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 19 (PIA) - A 14-feet-long Reticulated Python was captured at the DENR Caraga Regional Office compound after it drops off from the ceiling of the agency’s Canteen.

The said python weighs 20 kilograms with brown and yellow skin color. It was captured by Marlon Tesiorna, Enforcement Division Staff of the Regional Office.

“Upon opening the canteen, I heard that something fell from the ceiling but I did not mind it until I went to the fridge and saw a huge snake roaming on the ground. I was terrified and immediately reported it to the enforcement division,” Canteen chef Almiro Polison said.

Marlon Tesiorna immediately responded to the report of Polison and with the help of other DENR personnel within the area, the snake was successfully captured.

“I was surprised by the news that a reticulated python was found right at the compound of our office but nevertheless, I would like to commend our personnel for the immediate response and proper control of the situation,” DENR Caraga regional director Nonito Tamayo said.

Enforcement Division officer-in-charge Ruel Ladaga said that the snakes like python usually go out during summer season to find a colder place to live.

“After capturing the said python, we immediately decided to release it back to its natural habitat. As much as possible, we would like to maintain its capacity to adapt to its environment,” Ladaga said.

The python was released at Barangay Tagabaca, this city. (DENR-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)


DAR Surigao Norte personnel undergo GAD, public accountability seminar

By Daryll M. Tumbaga

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Feb.19 (PIA) - The Department of Agrarian Reform in Surigao del Norte (DAR-SDN) conducted recently a seminar on Gender and Development anchored on Public Accountability and Values Enhancement (GAD-PAVES) held at the Kasili Mainit Lakeside Resort in Brgy. Quezon, Mainit, this province.

The three-day activity aims to raise active accountability partners in transforming and rebuilding the nation by reinforcing positive personal values system; creating synergy between organic agencies and private sectors;  producing a pool of manpower who will advocate transparency and accountability in public service; developing active consciousness and vigilance in the promotion of equal rights and opportunities of men and women; and attaining righteousness at all cost by imploring the aid of the Almighty God.

A total of 79 DAR-SDN personnel participated in the said activity ready to take on the shoes as “doctors of society.” The “doctors” will deal with the 10 identified illnesses of the society.

According to Teofilo Birad, one of the participants, the seminar was very timely and helpful in his daily undertaking to serve the agrarian reform beneficiaries and the general public.

He said it enlightened him on his outlook towards gender equality, to be tactful in dealing with his fellowmen, and more importantly to be a model public servant as public office is a public trust.

Three speakers coming from the Council for the Restoration of Filipino Values (CRFV) served as the resource persons namely, Richard Razon, Jesus Sison and Greg Remando.

CRFV is a civil society organization (CSO) and the corruption prevention unit of the Transparency International Philippines which was appointed by the Civil Service Commission in 2013 as the implementing civil society organization of the Values Restoration Program of the government. (SDR/DAR-SDN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)


Cebuano News: 459 ka mga eskolars mitambong sa ‘Eskolaran Day’

Ni Mary Jul E. Escalante

SURIGAO CITY, Peb. 19 (PIA) – Mokabat sa 459 ka mga eskolars sa mga nagkalain-laing eskwehan sa syudad ang mitambong sa Provincial ‘Eskolaran Day’ nga gipahigayon bag-ohay pa lamang didto sa Provincial Convention Center, ning dakbayan.

Tumong ug tuyo sa maong panagtigom mao ang paghisgot ug pagklaro sa mga kasabutan tali na sa mga eskolars ug sa pangagamhanan diin gipaabot sa mga eskolars ang ilang mga mulo ug kini giaksyunan dayon sa gobernador uban sa mga coordinators, eskolaran committee, SSCT president ug mga board members.

Sa mensahe sa gobernador, iyang gipasabot nga ang maong programa ubos sa iyang HEALS plus agenda sa natad sa edukasyon nga maoy importante diin mao kini ang pagmugna sa gitawag nga “human capital” nga maoy kinahanglanon sa atong probinsya aron pagkab-ot sa maayong ugma ug bag-ong Surigao.

Sa ilang bahin ang mga eskolars mapasalamaton nga mipadayag pinaagi sa ilang presidente og nagpasalamat sa gobernador sa maong programa nga diin kini nagsugod niadtong tuig 1993 sa panahon pa ni Gobernador Francisco Matugaa nga karon kongresista sa unang distreto ning probinsya ug kining maong programa gipadayon ni Gobernador Sol Matugas.

Gisaad usab ni Gobernador Matugas nga iya pang palapdan ang maong programa aron ubay-ubay pa ang makatagamtam sa libreng pag-eskuyla sa kolehiyo alang sa mga estudyante nga deserving nga angay tabangan ug walay ikagasto.

Ang maong tigom gitambungan ni Gobernador Sol Matugas, Bise Gobernador Carlos Egay, Jr, mga board members, Atty. Lucille Sering, Atty. Charlo Paredes, Dr. Gregorio Gamboa ang bag ong presidente sa Surigao Statae College and Technology (SSCT), mga provincial scholars ug mga coordinators. (PGO-PIC, PIA-Surigao del Norte)