(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, September 15, 2016


OWWA calls on OFWs to join in 2017 MOFYA

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, Sept. 15 (PIA) – The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) is once again calling OFWs to join in the 2017 Search for the Model OFW Family of the Year Award (MOFYA).

Ronelo Maningo, family welfare officer of OWWA-Agusan del Sur bared that the MOFYA is aimed to honor the sacrifices and contributions of Filipino migrants, highlighting the best practices of OFWs and their families in overcoming the challenges of migration.

“The search focuses of OFW families who have nurtured strong family relations, properly managed the financial benefits from the overseas employment, excelled educationally as well as professionally, and achieved positive impact in the community where they belong,” relayed Maningo.

Maningo added that the MOFYA will award two outstanding OFW families per region – one for the land-based and one for the sea-based category. The winner will represent the region in the national contest.

Maningo further highlighted that the criteria of the selection process are as follows: 1) Wholesome OFW Family – 50 percent; 2) Civic/community involvement of the OFW and family – 20 percent; 3) Success in OFW and/or family member/s education or profession; and 4) Success in managing family finances – 10 percent.

Also, in order to qualify for the search, Maningo clarified that nominees should comply with the following requirements: a) The OFW is the head of the nuclear family, could be the father or mother, including widow/widower (s/he may be presently employed overseas or former OFW; s/he is/was an OWWA members; s/he has at least four year work experience as an OFW; that s/he has returned to the country for good for no longer than ten years at the time of nomination; and no derogatory record).

“Nominations from overseas may be accepted provided the family of the nominee is in the Philippines. No individual nomination shall be accepted,” stressed Maningo.

It was also learned that aside from the aforementioned requirements, a nominee must not be related up to the third degree of consanguinity and affinity to officials and employees of OWWA, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and its attached agencies, and social partners of MOFYA. Previous regional MOFYA nominees can be nominated for the second time only after two years.

“It is also clear in the requirements that the nominees must not be a holder of an elective/appointed position in the national/local office at the time of nomination,” Maningo underlined.

The group who may nominate an OFW family that meets the qualifications must be any of the following: Registered non-government organizations (NGOs); Peoples organizations (POs); Religious organization or association; Community-based socio-civic organizations/associations; and OFW Family Circle (OFCs). (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)


OWWA promotes OFW-EDL Program in AgSur

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, Sept. 15 (PIA) – The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Caraga is continuously promoting its Overseas Filipino Workers – Enterprise Development and Loan Program (OFW-EDL) Program for availment of its members – individual or group in the province.

To be eligible borrower/s, the following should be met: 1) OFW who is certified OWWA member, active or non-active; 2) legal/qualified dependent (if single, widow or widower; or separated in fact, parents not more than 60 years old upon loan maturity; or children at least 18 years old at the time of loan availment; if married, by the legal spouse); 3) only one OFW per family, within the first degree of consanguinity or affinity (parent, spouse child) shall be eligible to apply under the program; and 4) group of OFWs who formed themselves have been certified as OWWA members.

Eligible projects should also be on franchising business; contract tie-up with top 1000 corporations; sgri and non-agri production/manufacturing with identified market linkage and raw material sources; construction/rental business; service/trading business; transport service; or any viable project whether existing or new, that should generate a net cash flow sufficient to pay the projected amortization of the loan.

As to loan amount, OWWA bared that maximum loanable amount for individual loan borrowers (single proprietorship) is P2,000,000 and minimum of P100,000. For group loan borrowers, P5,000,000 is the maximum while minimum is P100,000. The interest rate per annum is 7.5 percent fixed for the duration of the loan.

OWWA further emphasized that eligible loan purpose should be for working capital and fixed asset acquisition.

The OFW-EDLP is an enterprise development intervention and loan facility of OWWA in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)


DTI, GIZ spearhead green economic development technical session to Surigao Norte MSMEs

By Susil D. Ragas

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Sept. 15 (PIA) – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Surigao del Norte in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zussamenarbeit (GIZ) in behalf of the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany conducts a two-day in-phasing event cum technical session on green economic development for the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) of the province from September 14 to 15, 2016 held at Parkway Hotel, this city.

According to DTI provincial director Celestino L. Negapatan, the activity highlights the gains of the Promotion of Green Economic Development (ProGED) project and sustaining its promotion in the province.

“The activity will be a venue not only MSMEs to share their stories and the positive results of adopting green initiatives in their businesses but also inspire other MSMEs to go green through testimonials of those who already implemented and benefited the green technologies in their establishments,” says Negapatan.

He says the event will also highlight the commitments of other national line agencies, local government units, and other stakeholders in the province to jointly pursue green economic development. (SDR/DTI-Surigao del Norte/PIA-Surigao del Norte)


News Feature: DAR farm equipment, access to credit boost farmer org's income in AgNor town

By Gil E. Miranda

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 15 (PIA) - In a poor community where businesses can hardly survive without the required economic liquidity to provide a market for any enterprise, the achievement of Baleguian Organic Farmers Irrigators Association (BOFIA) is a story of struggle in achieving a modicum of economic success through financial discipline inspiring leadership and transparent management.

BOFIA Chairman Wenifredo Maldo was recently a recipient of a recognition from the national leadership of Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP), a credit program of Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of Agriculture (DA) for production capital assistance to farmers, for 100 percent repayment of loans borrowed by its members held in Cagayan de Oro City last Mar. 9-10, 2016.

"Nindot lang ang tabang ninyo sir kung kami nakasabot nga dili lang bayran and utang kung di among ipakita nga kami nabulahan tungod sa tabang (The assistance of DAR is significant only if recipients understands that repayment is not simply returning the money but in demonstrating with our lives and families that we have been better off with it)," said Maldo upon his arrival in Butuan City.

BOFIA has now a total asset value of P40 million consisting of rice threshers, hand tractors, harvester, floating tiller and tractor with plow trailer, which they got from DAR's Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) program. The farm implements alone are providing an income of more than P200,000 annually to the association.

BOFIA has also a record performance in keeping a 100 percent payment of irrigation fees to National Irrigation Administration (NIA) with irrigation facilities funded by DAR through Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project phase II (ARISP-II) that supply water to 180 hectares of CARP distributed ricelands. Crossing through the rice fields strategically are concrete roads funded also by ARISP II.

BOFIA is the monitoring arm of DAR, NIA and LGU in providing feedback and laborers during the construction of roads and irrigation facilities. The members active feed-backing resulted in the quality completion of the projects.

Micro-lending with APCP as capital, enterprise operations with farm implements from ARCCESS, and partnership with line agencies (LAs) and local government units (LGUs) in infrastructure implementation make BOFIA a perfect candidate for outstanding award having demonstrated the capability to inspire members to pay their financial obligations, profitably operate rural enterprise, productively manage their farms and effectively coordinate with partner agencies. (DAR-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan del Norte)