(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.


Friday, December 2, 2016


Transnational crime intel group targets to expand network in Butuan City

By Venus L. Garcia

BUTUAN CITY, Dec. 2 (PIA) – In line with the mission of the Transnational Anti-Organized

 Crime Intelligence Group (TAOC-IG) to establish intelligence networks in accordance with the constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, a press conference is set on December 3, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. in this city.

The TAOC-IG is a non-government organization organized by a group of retired yet active servicemen and professionals mandated by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and United Nations Civil Society Organization (UNCSO) under the program of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

According to Brigadier General Julia Felisa Martinez of UNODC TAOC-IG Caraga, since its establishment in 1997, it has doubled its effort to expand and intensify membership of the organization across the country to promote world peace and order, eradicate graft and corruption and criminality.

“Series of trainings and other relevant activities were conducted in all regions nationwide to promote and achieve the objective in the fight against massive graft and corruption, widespread criminality, poverty and environmental concerns,” said Martinez.

Top officials from the UNODC TAOC-IG national headquarters will be present during the press conference. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)


Fire razes house, pharmacy in Tandag

By Nida Grace P. Barcena

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Dec. 2 (PIA) – A fire razed a residential house and a pharmacy near the main entrance of the Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center, this city on Monday afternoon.

No one was reported hurt.

Based on the police report, the fire started around 2:48 p.m. at the multicab parked at the garage of Virgelio Talisic’s residence in Purok Upper Pulang Lupa, Telaje, this city. The fire spread throughout the residence and the adjacent JK Cares pharmacy.

Property damage from the fire was estimated at P700,000.

Arson investigators are still looking into what caused the fire as of posting time. (FEA/NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)


PENRO SurSur mobilizes 86 forest rangers for LAWIN system

By Nida Grace P. Barcena

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Dec. 2 (PIA) - Some 86 forest rangers of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Surigao del Sur were trained and mobilized for the implementation of Landscape and Wildlife Indicator (LAWIN) Forest and Biodiversity Protection System in the province.

In a press statement released, PENRO Information Officer Johnny Natad said that LAWIN system is a forest and biodiversity protection system that integrates forest, biodiversity and threats monitoring, implementation of interventions to address threats and monitoring of the response of the forest ecosystem to these management interventions.

Natad said the system uses five key innovations in forest protection, enumerated as follows: First is a science-based purpose-driven process for identifying conservation areas and hotspots and formulating measurable conservation objectives.

Secondly, LAWIN replaces manual recording and encoding of patrol data with a mobile application. Forest patrollers can use tablets or smart phones and directly record geo-referenced observations on habitat, wildlife, trees, threats and illegal activities. Cyber Tracker free open-source software, is used to create the interface for the mobile application. After a patrol is completed, observations are uploaded to a computer using the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) software for data analysis and mapping.

Natad further explained that this fast processing of data leads to LAWIN’s third key innovation: enhanced coordination between biodiversity and threats monitoring with environmental law enforcement.

The fourth innovation, LAWIN enables decision-makers to monitor patrol efforts such as manpower exerted, distance covered, and number of hours spent patrolling.

While the fifth innovation, LAWIN allows for the visualization of the spatial distribution of observation records and patrol efforts and trends that show the effectiveness of the interventions implemented to address the observed threats.

Along this way, well informed, community leaders, resource managers, and environmental law enforcers can evaluate and continuously improve their forest conservation strategies.

Meanwhile, Natad added that each trained forest patrollers or forest rangers are well equipped with knowledge and skills and provided some gadgets used in the conduct of LAWIN activities especially the android phone with CyberTracker application, cap, and watch.

LAWIN is officially implemented at the identified program sites and other forest degradation hotspots in the Philippines by DENR through the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) and Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) in support and partnership with the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) Biodiversity and Watershed Improved for Stronger Economy and Ecosystem Resilience (B+WISER) program, according to Natad. (PENRO-SDS/PIA-Surigao del Sur)