(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).


Monday, May 23, 2016



2016 Search for Outstanding Volunteers now open

By Nora C. Lanuza Molde

BUTUAN CITY, May 23 (PIA) – This year’s Search for Outstanding Volunteers (SOV) is now open.

“If you have engaged the services of volunteers who made commendable contributions in your area of interest, we are encouraging you to participate in this undertaking by nominating them,” said regional director Mylah Faye Aurora B. CariΓ±o of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Caraga.

The SOV is an annual event that highlights the annual celebration of National Volunteers’ Month every December.

The search aims to recognize the unsung and ordinary Filipino citizens and organizations that have contributed extraordinary milestones for the country through their small, yet invaluable acts of service towards nation-building and national development.

The search is open to individuals and organizations currently providing volunteer assistance in the Philippines.

The following are the types and categories of awards: National Outstanding Volunteer Award (NOVA) – The NOVA is conferred to an individual or organization for outstanding volunteer service that has made a significant contribution to uplifting the lives of people and communities served. The individual can be a youth or an adult; and Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award (VLAA) – The VLAA is conferred to an individual or organization for consistent and outstanding volunteer service and whose achievement is regarded as an inspiration and role model in the field of volunteerism

A Special Citation in Volunteerism is also conferred to recognized volunteering efforts and/or support to volunteerism by an individual, group or organization that do not qualify under the regular SOV categories but which are deemed equally meritorious in accomplishment.

The deadline for the submission of nomination is on July 30, 2016.

For more information and inquiries, please contact Venus S. Derequito or Donabelle A. Bonghanoy at (085) 341-4066; 342-5774 loc. 21 & 22. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)


Nation’s top cop visits Police Regional Office 13

BUTUAN CITY, May 23 – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ricardo C.  Marquez arrived here on Monday morning and spearheaded the awarding of PNP personnel and the conference on post-election assessment held at Camp Rafael Rodriguez, PNP Caraga regional office here.

Police Regional Office (PRO) 13 has prepared an arrival honor led by its Regional Director, PCSUPT Rolando B. Felix to the Chief, PNP. “The Chief, PNP spearheaded the giving of awards to the deserving PNP commanders who also led in the successful conduct of 2016 Elections, and the command conference on post-election assessment,” he said.

Chiefs of the National Support Units, City and Provincial Directors from the City/Provincial Police Offices, and the Battalion Commander of the Regional Public Safety Battalion 13 also attended the said conference. (PNP-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)


Validation activity hopes to settle confusion on NGEI-NGPI lands in AgSur

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, May 23 (PIA) - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Agusan del Sur has been conducting validation and re-documentation regarding NDC-Guthrie Plantation and Estate Incorporated (NGEI) and NDC-Guthrie Plantations Incorporated (NGPI) formerly National Development Corp. (NDC) lands involving more or less 8,000 hectares located in Rosario and San Francisco, this province.

The said project is aimed to resolve problems pertaining to land aspect, agrarian beneficiaries issues and intra-organization matters of the cooperatives.

It has three components: the validation and identification of Agrarian reform Beneficiaries; the land consolidation and segregation surveys of the distributed NDC lands and the formation and registration of new small cooperatives whose members wanted to separate from the original registered coops.

The validation process also involves more than 2,000 ARBs and potential ARBs who will be entertained from May 17, 2016 to June 30, 2016.

Original and potential ARBs were interviewed recently and will be screened by the Beneficiaries Screening Committee (BSC).

“We are thankful that the DAR acted immediately to resolve this problem that we are facing so that once and for all, confusion will be ironed out. The validation and re-documentation will really help the cooperatives and will put to rest the issues on hand. Hopefully after this, we can focus on improving our respective cooperatives,” expressed Antonio Sison, Filipinas Palm Oil Plantation Incorporated Multi-Purpose Cooperative (FPPI-MPC) chairperson. 

DAR Caraga regional director Julita A. Ragandang with the Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer II of DAR Agusan del Sur spearheaded the validation andrRe-documentation project.

“We are doing our best to resolve this problem the soonest possible time. We are hoping that everybody will cooperate so that we can restore peace and harmonious relationship in the area and among the cooperatives,” underlined director Ragandang. (DAR-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)


Surigao Norte MSMes gain knowledge on e-commerce

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, May 23 (PIA) – Some 15 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the province recently participated the Expanding Your Business Thru E-Commerce seminar spearheaded by the Sector Planning Bureau - E-Commerce Office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Caraga held at Go Hotels, Robinson’s Place, Butuan City.

The activity is the Caraga-leg of the E-Commerce Caravan conducted nationwide initiated by the agency in support to the implementation of the Philippine E-Commerce Roadmap 2016-2020.

“By introducing e-commerce, micro, small and medium enterprises nationwide are exposed to a wider range of options on how to expand their market reach and do business with ease,” said E-Commerce Trade and Industry Specialist chief Maria Crispina S. Reodica.

The e-commerce seminars are designed to engage MSMEs into becoming online merchants, it provides a venue for e-commerce champions, gurus, and service providers to share their know-how and expertise on e-commerce.

Among those service providers who were present are the representatives from DigitalFilipino.com, Market Zalora, Lazada Shopify, Shopinas, among others.

At the end of the session, 50 MSMEs were being enrolled and activated their respective online account stores/shops.

The activity was attended by over two hundred MSME participants coming from the five provinces of Caraga.

For more information on the details of e-commerce just contact the Surigao City Negosyo Center at telephone number (086) 826-2373 or email Caraga.SurigaodelNorte@dti.gov.ph. (DTI-Surigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)


DAR starts re-validation of beneficiaries of NGEI-NGPI lands

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan Sur, May 23 (PIA) – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Agusan del Sur has started the re-validation process of the beneficiaries of the Guthrie Plantation and Estate Incorporated (NGEI) and NDC-Guthrie Plantations Incorporated (NGPI) lands in Rosario and San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.

DAR Field Operations Office Undersecretary Jose Z. Grageda reported that at the close of the first day of the validation process, a total of 136 farmers were interviewed. 95 of these are those from the 1988 original list while 41 are found to be potential beneficiaries.

“We are 66 percent higher than our expected target of 90 farmers to be interviewed per day,” Grageda added.

According to the DAR, even those that are not in 1988 list will be interviewed for as long the farmer can present proof of identity and proof of relationship with the company and the ARB-cooperatives.

The re-validation process is DARs initial step towards resolving the various issues confronting the area and its beneficiaries.

However, the DAR would like to stress out that the interview is just part of the gathering of information stage. “The qualification of the agrarian reform beneficiaries is a long process but we are doing all our best to speed up and finish this endeavor the soonest,” said DAR Caraga regional director Julita Ragandang.

The DAR also said that with the pace of the interview, the office hopes to complete the interview of the 1988 ARBs and other potential ARBs by the end of June 2016.

“This will pave the DAR to proceed to the next step of the validation process,” Ragandang added.

The entire re-documentation process aims to segregate the lands not eligible for coverage out of the 7,927 hectares of lands turned-over by the National Development Corporation which was covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) of the government and was distributed in 1988. These lands were under lease by the National Guthrie Plantations Incorporated (NGPI) and National Guthrie Estates Incorporated (NGEI). (DAR-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)


Caraga roadmap for peace launching set on May 24

By Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa

BUTUAN CITY, May 23 (PIA) - The Caraga Roadmap for Peace, a document that will provide a regional direction in achieving the pursuit of an inclusive, just and lasting peace for varied conflict lines in the region, is set to be launched in the afternoon of May 24, 2016 at Robinsons Place, here.

“This is a milestone for our peace and development efforts, not just in Caraga Region, but in Mindanao and the whole country. Together let us traverse this journey. We have hundreds of miles still to go, but at least now we have set the direction, we have set the pace,” said DILG Caraga regional director Lilibeth A. Famacion.         

On the launching, the German Ambassador to the Philippines will grace the occasion as the German government through GIZ-COSERAM is one of the technical service providers in the crafting of the roadmap.

The completion of the Roadmap is realized through the concerted action of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 13 as the Secretariat, the City Government of Butuan as the chair, GIZ-COSERAM as technical service provider, the partner agencies and the CSOs’ support.

RPOC chair and Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr. said that he hopes that the region will remain united as it will now embark on the next step of implementing the agreements on the roadmap and fulfilling our commitments to achieve sustainable peace and development in Caraga Region.

In the morning of the roadmap launching, an On-The-Spot Poster Making Contest will be conducted to be participated by various participants in the region. A photo display and exhibit will also be conducted at Robinsons Place from May 24-29, 2016. (DILG-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)