(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.


Tuesday, March 1, 2016



DENR 13 updates land records

By Herzon F. Gallego

BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 1 (PIA) - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Caraga region is updating its records on land patents as it took on the expertise of a private firm to facilitate the processing of the backlogs with the local government units (LGUs).

“The local officials should encourage the people in their respective jurisdiction to participate in the residential land titling services to improve their income on real property tax,” DENR Caraga assistant regional director for Technical Services Roberto Oliveros said in a meeting with the representatives of the Foundation for Economic Freedom, a private entity working on the project “Rapid Land Tenure Assessment.”

The LGU needs to boost its income from real properties to finance its basic services programs such as infrastructure, public schools, and health among others, he said.

The Rapid Land Tenure Assessment project shall entail encoding of data from the lands records through the system administrator of the CENR offices particularly in Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Province and Surigao del Norte.

“We have to clean these records to improve the land titling system of the DENR,” Oliveros said.     

He said the DENR is expected to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the provincial government in the implementation of the project.

He said the project will hopefully solve fake titles and double land titling in the future.

The DENR, over the years, has awarded thousands of patents but records also show that there are awardees who failed to register their patents to the Municipal Assessor office. 

Based on feedback received by the DENR, most of the beneficiaries have hesitated to initiate move to register their awarded titles due to the amount involve. “We have to work this out with the LGU,” Oliveros said.   

The data containing the list of patented and unpatented lots shall be prepared and presented to the Provincial Governor’s Office which will nominate a municipality under its political jurisdiction in implementing the rapid land tenure assessment project. (DENR-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)


SURSECO II GM clarifies assurance on power supply come May 9 polls

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 1 (PIA) – Despite previous assurance made by Surigao del Sur Electric Cooperative II (SURSECO II) regarding a reliable power supply service for the duration of the May 9, 2016 polls during the conduct of Provincial Joint Security Control Center (PJSCC) command conference last January 22, the same power supply utility showed hesitance to stand by it.

SURSECO II general manager (GM) Engr. Iglorio Hinayon explained about some circumstances beyond their control that might affect their power supply service, citing possible trouble in the 69KV transmission line of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

Engr. Regan Elumba, chief, Technical Services Department (TSD) of said electric coop, represented Hinayon during that conference.

Besides, the GM expressed concern over the unresolved problem on the unabated NGCP steel tower bombings that had taken place for a number of times in the Lanao area late last year.

GM Hinayon said tower collapse could be a cause for real trouble and low power supply for cooperatives which remain solely dependent on NGCP.

Hinayon said that while SURSECO II had a contract to rely on with King Energy Generation Inc. (KEGI) but the latter could not distribute power needs particularly in Carcanmadcarlan area, a cluster of five municipalities in the north comprised of Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, and Lanuza.

A separate interview with Agui Jaluag, SURSECO II information officer, corroborated Hinayon’s statement.

The service area of SURSECO II covers the entire first district of Surigao del Sur from the municipality of Lianga down south to the municipality of Carrascal at the northernmost tip, including Tandag City.

Jaluag clarified that in case of power curtailment or similar occurrence inside the whole service area of SURSECO II come election time, only the central section and the southern portion of the first district could be serviced by KEGI, citing  Cortes, Tago, Bayabas, Cagwait, San Miguel, Marihatag, San Agustin and Lianga towns, this city included. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


10 NPA rebels surrender anew to AFP in SurSur

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 1 (PIA) – In just a matter of days, 10 regular New People’s Army (NPA) rebels of the Guerilla Front Committee 30 (GFC-30) and Guerilla Front Committee 27 (GFC-27), who likewise turned in their firearms (FAs), have surrendered to the 2nd Special Forces Battalion under Lt. Col. Gaspar Panopio in a joint effort with San Miguel Mayor Alvaro Elizalde, this province, recently.

Col. Isidro Purisima, 402nd Infantry Brigade commander of the Philippine Army (PA) here, said that seven of whom (all belonging to the GFC-30) had returned to the folds of the law on February 18 and 19.

A couple of days earlier, three NPA regulars, also with firearms, had done the same, the army official disclosed.

Purisima bared that among the high-powered firearms that were brought along by the seven surrenderees included four AK47, an M2 Carbine rifle, an M16 rifle, and a caliber .357.

However, when check was done with the initial details, it was found out that an M14 rifle was on the list instead of M16.

Also, all of the guns cited were loaded with magazines and ammunitions apart from the spares—a  total of two magazines and ammunitions for the Carbine rifle, one magazine and ammunitions for the M14, plus 16 magazines and 480 rounds of live ammunitions for the AK47s, including four bandoleers.

Col. Purisima assured that every former rebels (FRs) would be entitled to cash aid—a total of P70,000 each—P50,000 for livelihood assistance, P15,000 for immediate assistance, apart from the additional P5,000 financial assistance to be given by Governor Johnny Pimentel from the provincial government.

Meanwhile, the brigade chief said his command remained optimistic that more surrenderees would be availing of the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP).

“Since the start of this year alone, the brigade has already accounted for close to 30 FRs,” Purisima pointed out.

On other developments, the 36th Infantry Battalion (36IB) here under Lt. Col. Randolph Rojas has continued to carry out security operations following the clash with NPA rebels at Sitio Boringon, Barangay Mahaba, Marihatag town on Sunday, February 21.

The army troopers had recovered subversive documents, medical kits, three rifle grenades, cords believed to be used in detonating improvised explosive device (IED), and personal effects at the encounter site, according to Capt. Al Anthony Pueblas, battalion civil military operations (CMO) officer.

 Bloodstains in all directions were also seen, he added.

Pueblas, quoting a certain Ka Corazon De Jesus, spokesperson of Guerilla Front Committee 19 (GFC-19), who, he said was monitored in an interview over a local radio station a day after the incident owned up to have suffered casualties during the 10-minute firefight.

The CMO officer also said that Lt. Col. Rojas was thankful to a civilian who tipped off the battalion via “text” about the presence of armed group in their area.

Rojas has again reiterated his call on rebels to give up their cause and return to the mainstream of society by availing of the CLIP. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


PopCom calls support for women

By Angie Balen-Antonio

BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 1 (PIA) - The Commission on Population (PopCom) Caraga is one in the campaign in bringing the concerns among women to the platform of actions by both government and private sectors.

The Women’s Month celebration this March is anchored on “Kapakanan ni Juana, Isama sa Adyenda” resonates the call for gender-balance in leadership and decision making positions both in public and private sector; inclusion of women’s concerns in leadership platforms and the government’s development agenda; and capacitating and preparing women and girls to reach their ambitions.

The theme is timely as the incoming leaders are presenting their platforms of government in preparation of the upcoming election. While women advocates are drumbeating for support on the next administration to close gender gap and to continue supporting the advocacy and consider women’s issues in various agenda.

PopCom Caraga regional director Alexander A. Makinano earnestly appeal to the government officials to consider in their respective platforms the various program that will strengthen the welfare of women.

Makinano mentioned that through its Responsible Parenting-Family Planning classes, PopCom is capacitating women on home management and budgeting and also in planning the timing and spacing of their children, which will empower women to exercise their reproductive rights.

In its continuing advocacy known as “Kalalakihang Tumutugon sa Responsibilidad at Obligasyon Para sa Kalusugan ng Ina at Pamilya (KATROPA),” PopCom is urging men to perform their roles as father and husband by actively assisting their wives in the rearing and raising the children.

It can be recalled that the observance of Women’s Role in History Month every March is mandated through Proclamation No. 277.  Meanwhile, Republic Act 6949 officially declares March 8 of every year as a working special holiday in the country to be known as National Women’s Day. (PopCom-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)


SurSur vet office set for Rabies Awareness Month celebration

By Greg Tataro Jr.

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Mar. 1 (PIA) – The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) here headed by Dr. Gervacio Yparraguirre is all set to spearhead the month-long Rabies Awareness Month celebration in March.

Dr. Margarito Latore, PVO senior veterinarian, said that the initial schedule for anti-rabies vaccination had already been disseminated for the information of all concerned.

Medicines dedicated to this undertaking were already taken care of, it was learned.

With the theme “End Rabies, Now Na!” the PVO had long wished that Surigao del Sur would be finally declared rabies-free.

However, records from the Provincial Health Office (PHO) under Dr. Eric Montesclaros here had continued to show otherwise.

Incidence of animal bites had remained high due to problems on stray dogs, in particular, sources said.

Dr. Helen Caño, chief, Provincial Health Team (PHT) of the Department of Health (DOH) here agreed with the data, recalling a patient diagnosed with rabies at Adela Serra-Ty Memorial Medical Center (ASTMMC) some years back.

In 2015, cases of dog bites alone were posted at 2,339 province-wide.

Meanwhile, Dr. Zeny Gambe, Tandag City veterinarian, confirmed that this city had the most number of cases—at 543—as far as dog bites was concerned during the said year.  But, on top of that, Tandag City had led the list among the local government units (LGUs) even on “cat and other animal bites,” tallied at 135 and 12, respectively, in the same period.

The city chief vet upheld that the LGU had not been remiss in addressing the mounting problem, admitting, on the other hand, that it needed utmost and continued cooperation from the general public.

“This year, Mayor Roxanne Pimentel is bent on building an impounding facility for stray dogs,” she stressed.

Mass vaccination, being part of the on-going Barangay Visitation, would be their major activity for this year’s Rabies Awareness Month celebration, Dr. Gambe added. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)