(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, June 30, 2016


Police beefs up security for joint oath-taking ceremony in SurSur

By Nida Grace Barcena-Tranquilan

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, June 30 (PIA) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) beefed up the security in the city in preparation for the joint oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected city, congressional, and provincial officials, which will be held at 2:30 p.m., Thursday at the city gymnasium here.

According to chief of police Arvin Montenegro, the security plan is already in place and has already been implemented, as he cited the deployment of their troops in the different areas of the city.

Montenegro said that they have not received any information for any protest schedule since nobody applied for a permit, as of press time.

Based on the program, the newly-elected officials of the city will swear their oath before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 40 Executive Judge Rufo U. Naragas, while the newly-elected provincial officials and congressional representatives from districts 1 and 2 will swear their oath before RTC Branch 27 Executive Judge Edwin Malazarte. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


MGB-13 joins environment month celeb

By Susil D. Ragas

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, June 30 (PIA) - The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Regional Office 13 has joined the celebration of the Environment Month this whole month of June.

This year’s celebration in anchored on the theme, Combat Biodiversity Loss, Beat Climate Change!”

The said celebration is aimed at increasing awareness and urging all stakeholders to undertake activities to reaffirm their concern for the protection and preservation of the environment.

MGB-13 Mine Management Division chief Engr. Daniel S. Belderol bared their month-long activities which include mangrove planting, coastal clean-up, zumba exercise, technical forum, photography and environmental video competition, hand painting and quiz bowl, recycling competition, and interpretative dance competition.

He said that the theme of this year’s celebration underscored the urgency to intensify our collaborative efforts in the conservation of our country’s rich biological diversity and the fight against the increasing threats to our ecosystems particularly illegal wildlife trade.

“We collaborate with other stakeholders to intensify public awareness of environmental preservation and instill in the participants from mining companies and host communities a sense of accountability as stewards of the environment,” said Engr. Balderol.

The Environment Month is celebrated by virtue of Proclamation No. 237 on April 4, 1988, declaring the month of June every year as Philippine Environment Month and to give time and effort towards the protection, enhancement and development of the country's environment. (SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)


Mindanao leader receives senior honors from PNoy

DAVAO CITY, June 30 (PIA) – President Benigno Aquino III conferred Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chair Luwalhati Antonino with the Order of Lakandula, one of the highest honors granted by the Republic of the Philippines to individuals who have “demonstrated dedication to the welfare of society.”

Secretary Antonino was given the rank of Gold Cross Bayani together with 23 other cabinet secretaries of the president during a ceremony on June 23 at the Malacañan Palace.

The Order of Lakandula is awarded for political and civic merit in memory of Lakandula’s dedication to the responsibilities of leadership, prudence, fortitude, courage and resolve in the service of one’s people. President Aquino also bestowed the Presidential Medal of Merit on other senior officials who have rendered outstanding service to the country.

“I think it is incumbent upon me to give official recognition to those who have gone above and beyond our expectations,” said President Aquino in a statement delivered at the awarding ceremony.

During President Aquino’s term, Secretary Antonino through MinDA launched numerous banner programs aimed to strengthen drivers of inclusive and sustainable growth, following the strategies and directions set in place by the Mindanao 2020 Peace and Development Framework Plan.  The plan is considered as the region’s socioeconomic roadmap for 2011 to 2030.

Among these projects include the Mindanao Development Corridors, aimed to bolster infrastructure and connectivity within the island-region to facilitate its transformation as a cohesive and integrated economy participating in the international community.  The corridors program was endorsed by key national government offices, ensuring budget for key infrastructure projects in Mindanao.

The MindaNOW! Nurturing Our Waters Program, a project designed to ensure that Mindanao’s natural resources are properly managed is also being currently implemented by MinDA. The project utilizes the “ridge-to-reef” approach, a strategy that requires the protection, utilization, and rehabilitation of the environment from the mountains to the seas.

Through the MindaNOW Program and in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, a Guinness World Record for Most Trees Planted Simultaneously in an hour was achieved by the Philippines on September 26, 2014.  The record, dubbed as TreeVolution: Greening Mindanao, facilitated the planting of 4 million trees across Mindanao’s six regions.

Under Antonino’s leadership, MinDA launched the Mindanao Collective Trademark (MCT), a system designed to enhance the competitiveness of products originating from the region. Once fully utilized, the MCT will give Mindanao agri-products a certain distinction in the global markets. The MCT was launched in partnership with the European Union-Philippines through its Trade Related Technical Assistance Project 3.

Over the past six years, MinDA also forged partnerships with the Philippine Business for Social Progress for the conduct of the Mindanao Inclusive Agribusiness Program; the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for an investment promotion and policy formulation agreement; the Asian Development Bank and the US Agency for International Development for the implementation of infrastructure projects and feasibility studies in the South Central Mindanao Corridors; and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies for the promotion of policy research in Mindanao and the establishment of the Mindanao Knowledge Center, among others.

In 2012, the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee (MPMC) was organized by MinDA and the Department of Energy to address Mindanao’s power situation. Since its inception, the committee has facilitated the improvement of the region’s power capacities and secured more than 347 megawatts of power supply to the Mindanao grid. Additional power supply of 639 megawatts are expected to come online within the year.

The MPMC also opened the One-Stop Facilitation and Monitoring Center to accelerate the approval of permits for renewable energy projects to cut one to two years from the three to five year requirement. A focused target to keep the region’s energy mix diversified with emphasis on renewable energy is being pushed by MinDA through the MPMC.

Antonino is the first woman to take leadership of the agency that serves as the Philippine government’s principal planning and coordinating agency in Mindanao. As MinDA secretary, she performs a broad range of responsibilities that includes addressing critical issues involving Mindanao, and those that require national representation or presidential intervention. Antonino was appointed as MinDA Chair by President Aquino in 2010.

She also sits as a board member of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, and serves as the chairperson the agency’s infrastructure committee. As the infrastructure committee chairperson, Antonino pushed for higher tourism infrastructure budget for Mindanao, and facilitated the completion of several tourism projects across the island-region. (MinDA/PIA-Caraga)


Surigao Norte launches 'Oplan Tag-ulan'

By Glenn A. Platil

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, June 30 (PIA) - After a record-breaking drought during the months of April to June this year brought about by the El Niño phenomenon, the provincial government is now bracing for the coming of heavy rains.

To prepare for the coming of the rainy season, an activity dubbed “Oplan Tag-ulan” activities and contingency plan for La Niña were beefed up recently by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).

According to PAGASA Surigao chief Francis Semorlan,  La Niña is expected to affect the eastern part of the country in the next six months. It is expected that more rainfall is expected in the Caraga provinces.

Engr. Lilibeth Filoteo of the Surigao Metropolitan Water District (SMWD) said that the report of PAGASA is good news to all Surigaonons. She explained that the drought triggered low water levels and prolonged water interruption.

The La Niña phenomenon is characterized by prolonged and intense rainfall and thunderstorms brought about by low pressure areas (LPAs), Inter Tropical Convergence Zones (ITCZs), easterlies and other weather disturbances.

Flooding, rain-induced landslides and storm surges are among the hazards of La Niña.

With the exception of Alegria, Mainit, Tubod and Sison, all municipalities in the mainland and Siargao Island are susceptible to surges, including Surigao City.

 “Flooding affects 48.1 percent or 197,189 people out of the total population of 409,468 Surigaonons. In terms of exposure, half of those affected are very highly exposed while the rest are highly exposed,” the official report from PDRRMO noted.

To drum up its emergency plans and mitigate for the impact of La Niña, strategic measures to be initiated by PDRRMO comprise of advocacy, awareness raising through radio broadcasts and education, enhanced policy framework, search and rescue, evacuation and relief, water and sanitation, health and medication and rehabilitation.

Other stakeholders and concerned offices were also clustered to identify relevant tasks on top of cluster planning, needs and activities, training of rescue volunteers, early warning, logistics, early recovery and a lot more. (PGO-SDN, PIA-Surigao del Norte)


Cebuano News: SurSur nangandam sa pagsaulog sa World Population Day sa Hulyo

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Hunyo 30 (PIA) - Ang lokal nga panggamhanan sa probinsiya sa Suriga del Sur pinaagi sa buhatan sa Population Management Division gikatakda nga makighiusa sa pagsaulog sa “World Population Day” karong umaabot nga Hulyo 11, 2016.

Ang naasoy nga tinuig nga kasaulogan adunay katuyoan nga mas mapapalapdan pa ang kahibalo sa mga hisgutanan nga adunay kalabutan sa papulasyon.

Samtang gipamahayag ni Provincial Population Officer Milagros Arreza nga padayon ang gipahigayon ang kampanya sa Population Health and Development.

Gani, sa bahin sa mga estudyante sa elementarya, diin matud pa niya nga aduna nay mga pauna nga mga gihan-ay nga dunay kalabutan sa populasyon nga pagahisgustan alang sa kahibaloan sa mga estudyante.

Kalabot niini sa naasoy nga taho apil usab sa mga aktibidad niining bulan sa Hunyo mao ang kabahin sa script-writing contest sa nga estudyante nga anaa sa grade 7 ngadto na sa grade 10. (NGBT/RNB/PIA-Surigao del Sur)