(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).


Tuesday, September 27, 2016


Caraga Region’s population hits 2.5 million mark

By Fryan E. Abkilan

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 27 (PIA) - Caraga Region’s population soared to 2,596,709 in 2015, or 167,485 more than its 2010 population of 2.4 million.

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Caraga regional director Rosalinda C. Apura revealed that the region’s population grew by 1.28 percent between 2010 and 2015 based on the August 2015 Census of Population (POPCEN 2015).

Among the five provinces comprising the region, the province of Agusan del Sur had the biggest population (700,653), which accounted for 26.98 percent of the total population of the region. This was followed by the province of Surigao del Sur with 22.81 percent (592,250), Surigao del Norte with 18.68 percent (592,250), and Agusan del Norte with 13.65 percent (354,503). The province of Dinagat Islands had the smallest population (127,152) accounted for only 4.90 percent.

Butuan City, the only highly urbanized city in the region, posted a population of 337,063 (12.98 percent).

The POPCEN 2015 count showed that country’s population stands at 100,981,437. Caraga’s total population accounted for about 2.6 percent of the country’s population.

Information on the count of the population were collected by the PSA enumerators with 12:01 a.m. of August 1, 2015, as the census reference time and date.

Republic Act 10625, also known as the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013; and Executive Order 352 stipulate the conduct of a mid-decade census, primarily to update the population count in all barangays nationwide. (FEA/PIA-Caraga)


Surigao Sur wants to settle boundary disputes with Surigao Norte, Agusan Sur

By Nida Grace P. Barcena

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Sept. 27 (PIA) – The provincial government of Surigao del Sur vows to continue the series of dialogues with the province's neighbors in a bid to resolve their pending boundary issues.

Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Henrich Pimentel said the provincial government continues to find a solution to several issues raised by its neigboring provinces, Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Sur.

Pimentel said he is tasked to work it out in accordance with the law, as he cited Republic Act 7160 or the local government code of 1991.

Meanwhile, the official also bared that the boundary conflict between Davao Oriental involving the three villages in Lingig town is about to finish soon. They are just waiting for the completion of the provincial boundary monument.

The official said the province has lost 2,700 hectares to Davao Oriental after the dispute of almost 20 years was settled through a Compromise Agreement signed by both parties in 2015. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)


Caraga region celebrates elderly Filipino week

By Nora C. Lanuza Molde

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 27 (PIA) – Every first week of October every year is celebrated as “Elderly Filipino Week” per Presidential Proclamation No. 470 series of 1994.

With the theme “Pagmamahal at Respeto ng Nakakabata, Nagpapaligaya sa Nakatatanda,” a simultaneous “Walk for Life” will be held on October 1 in key cities in the country.

In Caraga region, the Department of Health (DOH), PhilHealth, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will spearhead the “Walk for Life” at Almont Inland Resort, this city.

Health services to be catered during the activity include: Nutritional Assessment, Fasting Blood Glucose, Uric Acid and Cholesterol Taking, Blood Pressure Taking, Weighing and Vaccination.

According to DOH Caraga assistant regional director Cesar C. Cassion, the activity aims to empower the health and wellness programs for the elderly and accord the celebration with more significance.

“It is a venue to raise awareness about the benefits and the updating of records of the elderly Filipinos under the Lifetime member and Senior Citizen Programs of partner agencies like Philhelath,” said Cassion.

Also, the activity will enhance cooperation with agencies incharge of implementing Republic Act 9994 of The Expanded Senior Citizens Act and to promote wellness and exercise among the elderly Filipinos, Cassion added.

“The role of the senior citizens is crucial in nation-building; and we are glad to contribute and extend the services to this sector by medical-related privileges and we hope to serve more to the sector to improve if not continue the quality of life towards longevity,” Cassion said. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga)


DILG Caraga chief urges LGUs to join national earthquake drill

By Nora C. Lanuza Molde

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 27 (PIA) – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga region has issued a memorandum enjoining all local government units (LGUs) of the region to join the third quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on Wednesday at 9:00 A.M.

In a memorandum issued by DILG Caraga regional director Lilibeth A. Famacion dated Sept. 20, the local chief executives are enjoined to participate by conducting respective earthquake drills and identify evacuation sites.

Famacion also directed the LGUs that all information, education and communication (IEC) activities related to the conduct of the NSED shall be properly documented and be submitted to the regional office of the DILG for submission to their central office Disaster Information Coordinating Center for consolidation.

According to Famacion, the NSED is aimed to understand the command and control mechanisms in disaster management operations of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) members and to provide an opportunity for training in an actual disaster environment of all stakeholders identifying their specific roles and responsibilities on how to respond to the call of the situation.

The conduct of NSED is pursuant to DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2016-128 dated September 19, 2016 signed by Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Ismael D. Sueno and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Memorandum No. 46, Series of 2016 dated August 31, 2016 signed by USEC Ricardo B. Jalad, Executive Director of NDRRMC. (DILG/NCLM, PIA-Caraga)


Surigao Norte solon urges congress to fast track passage of bill creating regional or provincial rehab centers

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Sept. 27 (PIA) - Surigao del Norte 2nd district representative Robert Ace S. Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, rallied the committee to rush up the passage of a bill seeking the establishment of regional or provincial drug rehabilitation centers in the country due to the existence of at least 680,000 drug users and pushers who surrendered but let loose by the government due to inadequacy of such facilities.

Barbers said there is a need to fast track the consolidation of 11 bills seeking the creation of drug rehabilitation centers in the country and pass them into law as soon as possible.

“In the recent briefing made before our panel by officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA), the PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Group, and the National Bureau of Investigation, we learned that the PNP in its Oplan Tokhang campaign have managed to convince to surrender some 680,000 drug users and pushers nationwide,” he said.

“But the problem is that they were let loose because the PNP, or any other law enforcement agency like the PDEA, has no drug rehabilitation facility that can accommodate that huge number of people involved or addicted to drugs, particularly shabu,” he added.

Barbers said that this is the reason why there is a pressing need to fast track the passage of a bill calling for the creation of either regional or provincial drug rehabilitation facilities to accomodate the would-be rehab subjects as quickly as possible.

“If we would dilly-dally in the effort to create more drug rehab facilities, what would happen to the more than 680,000 drug pushers and users who surrendered to the police who are now at home or on the loose? While we can presume that some of them, say 10 percent, won’t get back to their old ways, what about the remaining 90 percent?” Barbers asked.

“Most likely, they would just take a short break until the heat on them is off and later return to their old habits – smoking, sniffing, ingesting or worse, again selling illegal drugs,” he added.

Barbers explained that there are at least 11 bills filed at the lower house, with seven of them seeking the creation of drug regional rehabilitation, while four seek the creation of such facility in every province.

The country has 18 regions (17 administrative and one autonomous) while there is a total of 81 provinces. The autonomous region is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao while the Cordillera Administrative Region, originally intended to be autonomous, was reduced to a regular administrative region after two plebiscites failed for its establishment.

Under the measure filed by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, it stated that while there exists some government and private drug rehabilitation facilities that offer rehab programs and services, most of them are inaccessible and definitely expensive.

“Families in the provinces cannot meet the cost of placing their drug dependent relatives in private rehab centers. Our bill seeks to broaden the coverage of drug treatment and recovery programs for drug dependents by establishing a drug rehab center in every region,” he said.

Alvarez explained that the process of rehabilitation is not just about treating the physical and mental state of the drug dependents. “It also requires emotional preparation, psychological introspection, gradual social reintegration, and a post-monitoring mechanism that will ensure permanent self-rediscovery and continued productivity.”

“With appropriate public-private sector partnerships, we can collectively help drug victims get right back on track and pursue life aspirations that temporarily took a back seat,” he said.

Other lawmakers are calling for the creation of government drug rehab facilities in all the 81 provinces so that poor families (living thereat) with drug dependents won’t be having a hard time travelling to and from the regional rehab sites.

The PDEA and the PNP are both seeking an additional P1 billion each for their anti-drug campaign for 2017, and this does not include the creation of drug rehabilitation facilities. (SDR/AG/Congressional Office/PIA-Surigao del Norte)


LGU-led peace caravan to be held in AgNor town

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 27 (PIA) – As part of the 6-point peace and development agenda of the Duterte administration, the local government units of Jabonga and Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, in coordination with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), line agencies, and other stakeholders will conduct a peace caravan on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 in Brgy. Baleguian, Jabonga town.

The said caravan is targeted to provide services to the indigenous people (IP) communities primarily the Mamanwa tribes in the municipalities of Jabonga and Kitcharao. However, this does not exclude the non-IP residents in the community who have identified needs as well.

A total of over 500 households or 2,000 individuals are expected to receive the services offered by the government.

The caravan aims to provide an avenue for the different agencies to come together to provide services to communities, especially those affected by armed conflict. Through these efforts, it is ascertained that no community will be left behind.

At present, 24 government offices and civil society organizations have committed to support the said activity and to deliver services to the beneficiaries.

The services that will be offered will help address issues on health, poverty, grooming, poverty, livelihood, education, social, legal and land concerns. The caravan also aids in orienting the communities of services offered by government that they can avail of.  (OPAPP/PIA-Caraga)