(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, May 24, 2019


DENR-CENRO Bislig leads World Water Day river clean-up

By Lovely May B. Uriarte

BISLIG CITY, May 24 - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) here recently led the river clean-up drive as part of this year’s celebration of World Water Day.

A total of 287 volunteers from 11 government agencies and residents of the host barangays actively joined the clean-up operation.

CENR Officer Victor Sabornido urged all volunteers to continuously participate and support the advocacy for the rehabilitation of the said river since it is also a nominee of the Recognizing Individuals/Institutions towards Vibrant and Enhanced Rivers (RIVERs) for Life program of the DENR. This river is classified under Class C, where fish can propagate and thrive.

The clean-up sites considered were downstream of Bislig River which covers Barangay San Fernando and Poblacion, Bislig City.

A total of 129 sacks or an estimated 4,442 kilograms of garbage were collected in all stations.

Also, the DENR-CENRO Bislig has recently conducted series of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns within the clean-up sites in order to raise awareness on Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (R.A. 9003) and Clean Water Act (R.A. 9275).

The area as a nominee of RIVERs for Life program would not be protected, conserved and rehabilitated for this one-day event thus, clean-up will be sustainable. (DENR-CENRO Bislig/PIA-Caraga)

LGU-Lianga prepares for municipal eco-park launching

BUTUAN CITY, May 24 – The local government unit (LGU) of Lianga, Surigao del Sur is now on its final preparation for the launching of the alternative technology for waste disposal site termed as eco-park.

During the quarterly Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) meeting, Engr. Edgar Najera, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer (MENRO)-designate and presiding officer of the meeting, recalled impediments of the transfer of new disposal site due to the delay of budget downloading and finalization of development plan. All required documents and budgetary were already set.

Najera added that the eco-park is scheduled to operate on this month of May or June of this year.
“The current open dumpsite will totally be phased-out once the operation of new dumpsite starts; and that the operation must be realized as soon as possible provided that the budget is all set for its maintenance,” Najera elaborated.

Meanwhile, Forester Septianne Rose Moreno, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) representative suggested a local ordinance to regulate the usage of plastic bags to minimize its generation.

“Production of solid wastes cannot be resisted yet can be minimized and regulated,” she said.

As support to the launching of the eco-park, a joint barangay-to-barangay information drive between the LGU and DENR is scheduled every week to intensify the implementation of Republic Act No. 9003 otherwise known as “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.” (CENRO-Lianga/PIA-Caraga)

Cantilangnons celebrate Earth Day 2019

By Shekinah L. Rojo

CANTILAN, Surigao del Sur, May 24 -  The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - Community of Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO)-Cantilan, together with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire of Protection (BFP), other government agencies, Cantilangnons and stakeholders, has showed unity in celebration of this year’s Earth Day.

The celebration was highlighted with the conduct of Mangrove Tree Planting and Coastal Clean-up activity at Barangay Magosilom, Cantilan, Surigao del Sur.

A total of 1,000 mangrove propagules were planted of mixed bakauan babae and bakauan lalaki and 25 sacks of garbage was collected by the participants.

Earth Day is celebrated annually, every 22nd day of April. Its core purpose is to raise awareness on the present status of the environment and to educate the people on ways to mitigate the causes of climate change.

“Earth Day celebration is just one avenue for us to show our care for the environment, but if we want to make a lasting legacy and change, we must practice discipline in our everyday life. How? Through proper disposal of our waste and teaching our children to do the same,” CENR Officer Ruel Efren stated.

This year’s Earth Day celebration is anchored on the theme “Protect our Species." (DENR-CENRO Cantilan/PIA-Caraga)

Network built to end teen issues

BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte, May 24 -- Amidst threats and challenges faced by Filipino adolescents today, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) intensifies its advocacy for an effective information and service delivery network (ISDN) to ensure harmonized and complementary interventions and a more comprehensive and holistic services from different stakeholders in a locality.

Recognizing the issues, POPCOM has promoted the establishment of ISDN for adolescent health and development, a mechanism to consolidate and integrate existing information and service interventions in a locality into one single functional network.

Information and services, programs related to adolescent health and development will be provided by different organizations including government agencies and civil society organizations operating within a given area.

Services for adolescent health include those that ensure the health and wellness, social, psychological and total well-being of young people.

In the recently concluded seminar-workshop for the establishment of ISDN for AHD organized by POPCOM Caraga, program partners from areas of Bislig City, Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Sur, and Agusan del Norte, were oriented and able to appreciate the concept of the said initiative.

Part of POPCOM’s continuing advocacy and to further strengthen and sustain the said initiative, POPCOM Caraga Director Alexander A. Makinano emphasized that setting up a teen center in their respective area is a priority for this will serve as a one-stop-shop facility where adolescents and youth can easily access a wide range of information and services to ensure their health and well-being.

Makinano further said that the teen center will also be the hub and extension of services by the member agencies, however, ISDN could exist even without a teen center.

POPCOM accented the need for a youth-friendly facility to avoid the stigma attached to young people going to a regular health service facility, thus, the agency urges program partners and stressed the need for ISDN to further address said issue.
In Caraga, areas of Surigao City, Butuan City, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Sur, and a few areas of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte, have already established ISDN and with operational teen centers.

Establishment of ISDN for AHD and operationalize school-based or community-based teen centers are among the key strategies of Adolescent Health and Development Program (AHDP) that aim to significantly reduce adolescent pregnancies through responsible sexuality and effective life skills among young people.

POPCOM disclosed that the various issues including the increasing incidence of teenage pregnancy being faced by young people of today are caused by complex and interrelated factors such as lack of access to appropriate and comprehensive information and services related to their sexual health and development, among others.

On one hand, POPCOM italicized that the health and well-being of adolescents and youth remain a key development concern as they continue to be threatened by various issues and challenges that impede their full growth and development. (POPCOM Caraga/PIA Caraga)

Banwaon tribe declares NPA persona non-grata

SAN LUIS, Agusan del Sur, May 24 – Another indigenous community made a firm stand as the Banwaon tribe has recently declared the terrorist New People's Army (NPA) and its affiliated organizations as persona non-grata in their own tribal territory.

With the support of the tribal leaders and elders of the Banwaon tribe, the Barangay Council of Balit pushed for the declaration of persona non-grata against the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA (CPP-NPA) and its allied organizations inside their territories.

The declaration was made thru a resolution signed by the barangay council during the Barangay Assembly which, were participated by 258 residents of the barangay.

Datu Antonio “Loay-Loay” Mangkogbahan Otacan, the Indigenous People Mandatory Representative of the Banwaon tribe, together with other tribal leaders and elders, expressed his support to the undertakings of the Council, which according to him is the only path towards the total transformation of the barangay away from its bad image.

“We must support our Barangay Leaders for this action without any second thoughts. Being the first barangay leader of Balit to experience the communists influence in 1986, I was blinded on the wrong doings of my fellow tribe members in cooperating with the communist NPAs,”  he said.

Brarangay Balit as a former CNN influenced barangay, its residents used to support the “Taktikang Bakwit” orchestrated by the Communist Terrorist Groups displacing an estimated 1500 IPs from the hinter sitios of the municipality and confined them inside Balit Infirmary Compound for almost three months, in order to hamper the conduct of community outreach program.

In her statement to enlighten the residents of her barangay, Punong Barangay Eliza Gaud explained that this act of the council was an indispensable move in order to end the long history of the barangay being tagged as the center of gravity of CNN in the whole province of Agusan del Sur.

“In as much as I wanted to bring development in our barangay, it is necessary that we must first rebuild our name and stop the misconceptions of other Agusanon about Balit that we were a solid communists mass supporters. We are indeed a truly peace-loving people. And by this declaration, I strongly believe that we are giving a strong message to all that we are no more 'masa' of the terrorists NPAs,” she said.

“We want Barangay Balit to experience the true development themselves, and with the newly constructed CAFGU Detachment in their barangay, we are sure that one step at a time, we can achieve our mission of bringing the government much closer to them. Their declaration of persona non grata against the CNN is a big contribution towards achieving that goals,” Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Jimenea, Commander of 26IB emphasized to the residents.

Colonel Allan Hambala, 401st Brigade Commander, expressed his appreciation to this move of the barangay council stressing that “for almost 33 years of being under the shadow of these terrorist CPP-NPA, this is the right time to do such significant move, and I commend the Barangay Council of Balit together with the Banwaon Tribal leaders in coming up with the resolution of making these terrorists restricted in Balit. With the institutionalized Whole of Nation Approach of our government, every Local Government Unit must also do their part on this campaign.”

“Your effort is the most important part of the plan, and with your active involvement on this mission, we are very sure to end this local communist armed conflict in no time,” Hambala added. (26IB/401st Brigade, PA/ PIA-Agusan del Sur)