(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.


Tuesday, July 23, 2019


RIACAT-VAWC Caraga sets activities for 2019 WDAT celebration

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, July 23 (PIA) – The Regional Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking – Violence Against Women and Children (RIACAT-VAWC) Caraga has once again lined-up activities for this year’s celebration of the World Day Against Trafficking (WDAT) on July 30, 2019 with the theme “Isang Bayan, Isang Paninindigan Laban sa Trafficking ng Mamamayan” (One Nation, One Affirmation Against Trafficking in Persons).

“The committee has agreed to conduct series of activities to show a unified approach of solidarity with the victim-survivors and awareness raising initiative to fight trafficking in person (TIP) in the entire Caraga region,” said Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga regional director and RIACAT-VAWC chair Mita Chuchi Gupana-Lim.

Lim bared that members of the committee from various government agencies will convene on July 24-26, 2019 for the conduct of Multi-Disciplinary Training on handling/managing Trafficking in Persons (TIPs) and Victim Protection in San Agustin, Surigao del Sur.

On July 30, 2019, different sectors will also join the committee in the Advocacy Walk scheduled at 4:00 a.m. from the Agusan del Norte Provincial Capitol Ground going to Guingona Park, Butuan City, where the program will also be held. On this day also, the public could witness the launching of the Quiz Bowl for Barangay VAW Desk Officers.

“Aside from that, the committee will also recognize the focal persons and centers providing services for TIPs, and awarding of service providers/duty bearers. In the evening, an advocacy concert will also be held with various local performers,” said Lim.

The lady director also revealed that in time with the charter day of Butuan City on August 2, 2019, the members of RIACAT-VAWC will be visiting the Home for Boys and Gesu Eucharistic in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte for a Gift-Giving activity.

A total of 37 boys and girls will benefit from the activity.

Lim is hopeful that more Caraganons will be aware of the said campaign and would advocate in their respective communities to prevent TIPs. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)


Project Zacat: BCPO’s pro-Muslim intervention

By Police Corporal Laarni M. Mabilog

Negative reactions beget negative results which beget more negative reactions.

Long ago, horrifying terror attacks like what happened in Marawi City have been perpetrated by the radical Muslims. In addition to this, the traditional look and culture of the Muslims are very foreign to most of the citizens particularly in Butuan City which is a Christian dominated place. Many times, they look at the entire Muslim population in the eye of suspicion causing the Muslim population, in turn, to respond in a defensive manner. Police, however, is a subset of community and therefore share in their general view and biases.

As it is the job of the police to serve and protect the community without prejudice, they have the duty to reach out to the potentially alienated community, in this case the Muslim community.

This cannot be done effectively without first taking inventory of the feelings and viewpoints of Muslim dwelling in this city. Added to this fact is the scientific research finding that a healthy police-community relationship is important for an effective police department.

PROJECT ZACAT

Butuan City Police Office (BCPO) continues to innovate programs that would address the issues on the Muslim community. As far as the ongoing programs of the Philippine National Police in police community relation (PCR), BCPO will create new programs that would solely focus on the Muslim dwellers in this city.

Programs such as feeding, medical mission, Brigada Eskwela, clean-up drive, pulong-pulong, and other community-based programs will be modified in a way that it would suit the needs of the Muslim community of Butuan City.

Police Col. Albert G. Magno, city director of BCPO, instructed the newly installed force commander of Butuan City Mobile Force Company (BCMFC) Police Lt. Col. Romeo A Villalobos, Jr.  to come up with an idea on how to improve the police relationship with the Muslim community.

According to Magno his strong belief that factions in the community and misconception of one’s culture are devastating factors for a good public service resulted to the idea of creating a new project that should foster an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect between the police and the people they serve.

Subsequently, Villalobos initiated the creation of “Project Zakat” which aims to build a good Police-Muslim community relationship and would encourage the Muslim community to support the plans and programs of the BCPO.

Zakat is an Arabic word that means almsgiving for charitable purposes. This implies that this project would relay the message of sincerity of BCPO in serving the community without bias and without looking at the individual races and cultures.

BRIDGING THE CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM DIVIDE

Recently, elders, imams and other prominent Muslim citizens of Butuan City were invited for a conference with Villalobos at the BCPO. He presented the plans of launching a new project and its activities that are solely intended for the Muslim community.

The conference gained positive response from the Muslim attendees. The Sultanate of Caraga expressed his gratitude to the efforts exerted by the BCPO in reaching out to them.

Most of the participants mentioned that this is the first time that they felt their existence has been given importance and equal view with the Christian dwellers.

Villalobos mentioned that he is hoping that this would end the negative impressions and misunderstanding among the Muslims, police and the community of Butuan City and would strengthen the support of the people to law enforcement.

At the end of the conference everyone expressed their promise of support for the project which will be launched in August this year. (BCPO/VLG/PIA-Caraga)


Farmers’ association ng Caraga makikinabang sa mechanical rice transplanters mula sa DA

By Nora L. Molde

LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Hulyo 23 (PIA) -- Malaki ang pasasalamat ng mga magsasaka sa Caraga region dahil sa tulong na ibinigay ng Department of Agriculture (DA).

Isang daan at sampung rice transplanters ang ibinigay sa 110 farmer's association ng DA Caraga na nagkakahalaga ng 30.4 million pesos.

Ayon kay Felisa Hambala, chairperson ng Bayugan 3 Irrigators Association ng Rosario, Agusan del Sur, malaking tulong ang mga transplanters na ito para mabawasan ang kanilang gastos sa pagtatanim.

Ganoon din ang pasasalamat ni Roman Padilla, Jr. Ang chairperson ng Mambotua Farmers Association, Inc. ng Magallanes, Agusan del Norte dahil isa sila sa mga naging benepisyaryo ng programa.

Makakatulong daw ito para makabawas sa oras ng pagtatrabaho.

Maliban sa ibinigay na  transplanters sa mga magsasaka, tinuruan din sila ng DA kung papano ito gamitin at alagaan.

Ayon kay  DA regional technical director for operations Alberto Ocampo, Jr., maliban sa bawas ng oras sa sakahan, ang mga makinaryas ay makakatulong din upang dumami ang kanilang mga ani at mapataas ang kanilang kita.

Nakatuon ang DA na baguhin ang pamamaraan ng mga magsasaka upang maging produktibo at maging competititve sa pamamagitan ng mechanized farming technologies. (NCLM/PIA Caraga)