(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Wednesday, 09 October 2024) At 3:00 AM today, a Low Pressure Area (LPA) was estimated based on all available data at 165 km West Northwest of Coron, Palawan (12.3N, 118.7E) It is embedded along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. 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 ITCZ. 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 Southwest to West will prevail with slight to moderate seas (0.6 to 2.5 meters).


Thursday, March 17, 2016



402nd Brigade chief refutes allegations of activist group in SurSur

By Lt. Karl Jan Devaras

SURIGAO DEL SUR, Mar. 17 (PIA) - Commander of the 402nd Infantry (STINGERS) Brigade, Philippine Army Col. Isidro Purisima refutes the allegations of an activist group tagging a legitimate encounter as a strafing incident and wounding a farmer allegedly perpetrated by the 2nd Special Forces (SF) Battalion.

It can be recalled that on March 11, the 2nd SF Battalion encountered a group of lawless bandits belonging to the Guerilla Front 21 which resulted to the capture of one wounded outlaw. The said outlaw was assisted and immediately rushed to a hospital in Tandag City by the elements of the 2nd SF Battalion.

In the hospital, the said wounded outlaw confessed to the authorities and media practitioners of his participation with the Sandatahang Platun Pampropaganda 21B (SPP 21B), the lawless bandit group, which was encountered by the said army unit. Furthermore, he was also identified by his former comrades in arms who have already surrendered to be a member of the group.

The 2nd SF Battalion immediately reported the incident to the Philippine National Police and filed appropriate charges to the wounded outlaw.

Accordingly, Col. Purisima immediately directed the 2nd SF Battalion to conduct an investigation with regard to the incident.

The official also assured the people of Surigao del Sur that their soldiers adhere to the respect of human rights and will not tolerate any abuse of the troops.

“We are committed to respecting human rights as stipulated in the Internal Peace and Security Plan Bayanihan and we will not tolerate any abuse of the troops,” Col. Purisima said. (NGBT/CMO Battalion/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


SurSur BIR chief assures to resume construction work of P45M office building

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 17 (PIA) – Amanoding Esmail, revenue district officer (RDO) of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) District Office here, vowed to start again, after several months of break, the construction of the P45 million five-storey office building in this city by the second quarter of this year.

Since taking over the post from Monib Dimakuta during the latter part of last year, the local BIR chief said that he already made some follow up with their regional office the purpose of getting done with this.

Esmail shared the same view that such edifice might turn into a “white elephant” if continued to be left neglected.

Before he returned to the province to run the same office for another stint, construction work of the new BIR building, which began in early 2014, had already gone to a complete stop.

The local BIR chief said that their office here had nothing to do with the contract and construction or anything whatsoever for that matter but their regional office, adding that he was not even privy to how this ended this way.

Notwithstanding the predicament, Esmail expressed optimism that the new BIR building would be finished in due time.

Just like what he bared before, during his previous stint, about some three years ago, this building would be equipped with elevator, the first to have such a facility in the province, pointing out, however, that funding for that would be separate.

Esmail was first assigned as RDO in Surigao del Sur in February 2009 up to September 2013; he was replaced by Dimakuta for about two years, then, came back in October 2015. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


P4.8M projects to be implemented in AgNor

By Aimee B. Sienes

BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 17 (PIA) - The provincial government of Agusan del Norte will implement various priority programs and projects amounting to P4,892,000.00 based on the endorsement by the Provincial Development Council (PDC) Executive Committee to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP).

The SP recently approved the recommendation of the PDC considering the importance and significance of the projects for immediate implementation, which are essential in the delivery of basic services and facilities of the province.

These projects included:

1. Completion of the Provincial Veterinarian Quarantine Station - P1,500,000.00

2. Provincial counterpart for the construction of Katugasan-Bayabas Bridge, Cabadbaran City (Payment of RROW and affected Improvements) - P1,500,000.00

3. Purchase of lot for the resettlement site, Cahayagan, Carmen,  Agusan del Norte - P1,000,000.00

4. Embankment of Navintalan-Talaganahaw FMR, Matabao, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte - P350,000.00

5. Replacement of submersible pump, Barangay Pinanaan,  Las Nieves - P172,000.00

6. Improvement of Level II Water System, Purok 1, Barangay San Antonio, RTR - P166,000.00

7. Construction of Potable Drinking Water, Marcos Calo, Las Nieves - P150,000.00

8. Gravelling of Proposed Barangay Road, Purok 2, Barangay Basilisa, RTR - P30,000.00

9. Purchase of 24 pieces toilet bowls, Barangay Malapong, Buenavista - P24,000.00

Provincial officials were hopeful that these various projects and programs will improve the welfare of the province and its constituents. (LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)


4 more NPA rebels surrender in SurSur

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 17 (PIA) – Four more New People’s Army (NPA) rebels voluntarily surrendered to troopers of the 2nd Special Forces (Airborne) Battalion under the 402nd Infantry Brigade, Phil. Army on Wednesday, March 16, 2016.

Reports forwarded by 1st Lt.  Karl Jan S Devaras, company commander of the 41st Civil Military Operations (CMO) Company, 4th CMO Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Phil. Army said the surrendered rebels are from the NPA’s Guerilla Front 21B.

The said surrendered outlaws brought along with them one M16 assault rifle, 12 81mm rounds of mortar explosives, 13 rounds of M203 grenade ammunitions and several subversive documents upon surrendering to the said military unit.

During the conduct of debriefing to the four surrendered outlaws, they positively identified a wounded male bandit as one of their members.

It can be recalled that on March 11, 2016, elements of the said military unit encountered an undetermined number of lawless communist bandits belonging to Guerilla Front 21B while conducting security operations at vicinity Baroboan, Barangay Caromata, San Miguel town of this province.

The said armed engagement resulted to one wounded outlaw who was captured and immediately rushed by the elements of the 2nd SF Battalion to a hospital in the city.

Meanwhile, a non-government organization claiming as a human rights group tagged the legitimate armed encounter as a strafing incident allegedly perpetrated by the elements of the 2nd SF Battalion which allegedly prompted the lumad community in Caromata, San Miguel town to evacuate.

Alarmed by this claim, Datu Rico Maca, the Municipal Tribal Chieftain of the Manobo Tribe in San Miguel Surigao del Sur together with representatives from the local government unit conducted a dialogue with the evacuees to assess the situation of the evacuation.

In an interview, Datu Maca debunked the claim of the non-government organization who tagged the legitimate encounter as a strafing incident perpetrated by the 2nd SFBn. “Sa akong pakighinabi sa akong mga katribu nga namakwit, wala gayud may mihisgot nga sila gi straping sa kasundaluhan. Busa, sila namakwit sa pagtuo sa giingon sa usa ka opisyales sa barangay nga pabakwiton sila (During the dialogue with my fellow tribesmen, it was found out that there was no strafing incident perpetrated by the soldiers. The reason why they evacuated was due to a false alarm by one of the members of the barangay council in Caromata),” bared Datu Maca.

He further added that the encounter site was at a distant area from the community and that the people of Barangay Caromata were frightened by the presence of lawless communist armed group in their community. “Layo ra man daw ang giengwentrohan sa militar ug sa bandidong kumunistang grupo; apan nahadlok gayod ang katawhan sa Caromata kay aduna sila’y pirmi mamatikdan nga bandidong kumunistang grupo duol sa ilang kumunidad (The encounter area between the military and the lawless communist armed group was far from the community; but the people of Caromata are frightened by the presence of the said outlaws near their community),” expressed Datu Maca.

He also disclosed that the said lumad evacuees immediately returned to their respective homes after their dialogue. “Mipauli dayon ang akong mga katribu human nasayran nila ang kamatuoran ug nasuko sila sa mga bandidong kumunistang grupo sa padayon nila sa pag samok-samok sa among tribu (The lumad evacuees immediately returned to their respective homes after realizing the truth behind the false evacuation alarm; and they were enraged by the lawless communist armed group for continuously terrorizing their tribal communities),” added Datu Maca. (JPG/NGBT/with a report from 1LT Karl Jan S Devaras, CMO/ PIA-Caraga)


PDI steps up greening project

SAN JOSE, Dinagat Islands, Mar. 17 (PIA) – In a bid to step up its greening project, another project was recently implemented by the province of Dinagat Islands (PDI) dubbed as “Verde-Dinagat Highway Project”, a tree planting activity which was officially launched on March 9, 2016 at Barangay Wilson, San Jose, this province.

The activity is one of the components of Verde-Dinagat Province program in line with national government's national greening program wherein it targets to plant at least one billion trees nationwide in order to combat the ill-effect of global warming that is considered a threat to humanity.

In fact, the island province experience water turbidity due to man-made deforestation.

Meanwhile, DENR-Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Agapito Patubo requested the barangay captains of the seven municipalities to simultaneously plant trees for the upcoming international day of forest on March 21, 2016.

The launching was spearheaded by the provincial government's Environment and Natural Resources Office headed by PENRO-LGU Zacarias Valez in coordination with the DENR-PENRO participated by the different department heads and representatives from the national line agencies, municipal environment and natural resources officials, and board members Antonio Ensoy and Joslyn Ecleo. (PIO-Dinagat Islands/PIA-Dinagat Islands)


Cebuano News: Lungsod sa Alegria nakadawat ug daghang mga proyekto

Ni Mary Jul Escalante

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Mar. 17 (PIA) – Ubay-ubay nga mga proyekto ang giturn-over ug gibendisyunan didto  sa Lungsod sa Alegria kagahapon nga adlaw, Marso 16, 2016.

Unang gibendisyunan ni Rev. Fr. Edito Alcala ang bag-ong Early Childhood Care and Development Center (ECCD) nagkantidad ug P3 milyones ug dayon ang Disaster and Rescue Equipment.

Ang maong okasyon gitambungan ni Gobernador Sol F. Matugas uban nila Board Member Melva Garcia, mga opisyales sa barangay ug lungsod nga gipanguluhan ni Mayor Dominador Esma ug uban pang mga bisita.

Pagkahuman sa blessing gipahigayon ang programa diin ubay ubay ang mga proyekto ang gitunol atol sa maong okasyon sama sa Flood Control Facilities para sa Brgy. Alipao, Evacuation Center sa Brgy. Anahaw, Drainage Canal ug Expansion sa Level II Water System para sa Brgy. Budlingin ug sa Brgy. Camp Eduard.

Samtang usa ka Evacuation Center ang nadawat sa Brgy. Julio Ouano, 400 LM Concrete Pathway sa Brgy. Ferlda, Improvement of Brgy. Hall sa Brgy. Gamuton, Drainage Canal ug Repair and Improvement of Brgy. Health Station sa Brgy. Ombong, Drainage Canal sa Brgy. Poblacion, Evacuation Center sa Brgy. Pongtud, Repair and Improvement of Brgy. Hall sa Brgy. San Juan ug Evacuation Center sa Brgy. San Pedro. (PGO-PIC)