(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, September 17, 2019


CSC-Caraga reminds public servants not to get involve in corruption, other illegal activities

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 17 (PIA) -- In time with the 119th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary celebration, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Caraga sternly reminded the public servants or government employees to efficiently and effectively perform their functions, and avoid being involved in corruption and other illegal activities.

CSC Caraga regional director Annabelle Rosell stressed that with the trust and confidence given to them by the public, government employees should commit to deliver the quality services expected from them, and must uphold public interest over personal interest.

“Public service is a public trust. Therefore, government officials and employees should be able to perform what is expected of them as people give their trust and confidence that needed programs and services would also be satisfactorily provided to them,” she said.

Gov. Dale Corvera of the province of Agusan del Norte represented by SP member Erwin Dano emphasized that when people are united, prosperity will also follow.

As the guest speaker, Richard Recososa, senior jail officer of the Bureau Of Jail Management And Penology (BJMP) Caraga, said that not all are given the opportunity to be employed in government service, hence, those who are already in the service should take the opportunity to help the Filipino people; and not only for the reason of receiving their salary.

He recalled his milestones as a government worker for 22 years now and the difficulties that he surpassed. He emphasized that being a government employee/ public servant takes commitment and dedication to fulfill what needs to be delivered to the public.

Recososa was also awarded the ‘Dangal ng Bayan’ award from the CSC in 2013.


Meanwhile, all the participating government workers from various agencies took their oath and assured that they would discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, and competence as trusted public servants.

Different government agencies in Caraga region were then recognized and received a plaque of appreciation from the commission for their continued support to the commission's activities and endeavors, which include the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga.

This year's 119th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary (PCSA) celebration is anchored on the theme "Civil Service at 119: Upholding Integrity and Building a High-Trust Society." (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

RH awareness, rights of women with disabilities intensified in Caraga region

By Jennifer P. Gaitano


BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 17 (PIA) -- The Commission on Human Rights Caraga, being the chair of the Regional Development Council – Gender and Development Committee (RDC-RGADC), has intensified its effort for public awareness on reproductive health and rights of women with disabilities in the region, during the conduct of a focus group discussion (FGD) held here.

According to Atty. Jerefe Tubigon-Bacang, CHR-Caraga regional director and chairperson of RDC-RGADC, the activity aims to solicit and hear straight from the women sector their experiences when availing of the services under the government’s reproductive health program, as well as their complaints and sentiments, if there's any.

Atty. Twyla Rubin, officer-in-charge of Gender and Equality and Human Rights office said that there has been an inquiry conducted in 2016 regarding the access of the women sector on the reproductive health program, and bared the challenges they experienced when getting these services.

Karen Gomez-Dumpit, focal commissioner on women from CHR also revealed that women who were victims of discrimination and other forms of violence had struggled where to go to report their complaints due to lack of awareness and right information.
The official further assured that the government is always ready to assist women victims of violence so justice could be served.

It is expected that come October this year, results from the national inquiry from the different regions of the country will be consolidated and action plans will then be crafted to address the identified issues and concerns faced by the women sector.

Meanwhile, participating women also underscored that the conduct of FGD by the CHR is a great help to the sector as they are able to express their concerns, which the government could hopefully give immediate and appropriate action. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

299 AgSur farmers receive land titles

By Rechel D. Besonia

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur, Sept. 17 -- A total of 299 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) all throughout the municipality have recently received their respective Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) held at the Municipal Covered Court, Prosperidad, this province.

The teary-eyed farmer, Leonora Abadingo said that she did wait for this moment to come along. To finally hold the title in her hand and call herself as a landowner so that when she will die, she has something to leave for her children.

“Nalipay gyud ako ug dako sa dihang na nagunitan na gyud nako ang akong titulo, pamatood nga ako hingpit na nga nakapanag-iya niining yutaa nga dugay na namo gitikad (I’m very much thankful that I now have the land title, that serves as my proof as a land owner. I have been longing to have this land title),” Abadingo said.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO II) Jamil Amatonding Jr., said that the department is doing their best to help the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) based on their individual needs in the farm as directed by President Rodrigo Duterte who sets to prioritize the provision of support services alongside land distribution to farmers.

In his statement, he further urged the ARBs to be mindful of their obligations especially in making use of the land to its fullness and maximize the productivity.

Other officials present during the event include Sanggunian Bayan member Fragen Romero, Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer (MARPO) Alvaro Orboc and OIC-MARPO Shirley Salcedo, together with the DARMO Prosperidad personnel.

The distributed lands covered some 393 hectares of agricultural lands with a total of 342 Certificate of land ownership awards (CLOA). (DAR-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)

DAR's assisted coop opens water refilling station

By Myra Q. Yu

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Sept 17 -- One of the Department of Agrarian Reform's (DAR's) assisted coops, Doña Carmen Water User's Association (DCWUA) launched recently its new business enterprise - the water refilling station in Barangay Doña Carmen, Tagbina, Surigao del Sur.

DCWUA is the recipient of P5.493 million Potable Water System funded under the Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project (ARISP) III project of the DAR, which allows the coop to expand its operation by creating another business enterprise, the water refilling station.

DCWUA was organized in the year 2012 and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) registered. They have a total of 280 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) members and became the lead cooperative to handle the potable water system project grant from DAR in June 2014. By then, they have sustained the project which caters to more than 300 households in the barangay and at the same time their target market for their new business venture.

Tagbina Municipal Mayor Generoso Naraiso congratulated the coop with their new business enterprise and thankful to DAR for assisting and became an instrument to open opportunities for the DCWUA. Also, Mayor Naraiso expressed his full support in whatever ways the LGU could extend held to the coop.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Jocelyn Malabanan encouraged the coop officers and members to handle well their business and DAR office will continue to assist and monitor the coop operation. (DAR-PIO/PIA-Surigao del Sur)

SurSur coops benefit P1.3M worth of common service facilities
                                                                                                          By Myra Q. Yu

TAGBINA, Surigao del Sur, Sept. 17 -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Surigao del Sur recently turned over P1.3 million worth of common service facilities (CSF) that benefited four cooperatives in the municipality of Tagbina, this province.

The provision of the CSF is funded under the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) project of the DAR and is expected to serve more than 500 farmer members of the respective coops comprising of four units’ coffee dehuller and one unit coffee roaster.

PARPO II Leoncio Bautista believes that the farm implements will augment to the needs of the coops in the processing of coffee beans for trading and eventually will generate income that is beneficial to the members.

DAR Caraga 13 Regional Director Leomides Villareal expressed his congratulations to the ARBOs and the distribution of the CSFs is timely for the harvest season of coffee, thereby farmers will no longer have a problem in their coffee production activities.

Among the agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) who were the project recipients namely: Tagbina Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-purpose Cooperative (TAGAREBE), Ugoban Multi-purpose Cooperative (UMPC), Barangay Villaberde Coffee Growers Cooperative (BAVILCOGCO) and Progressive Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-purpose Cooperative (PARBMCO). These coops have existing business enterprises on coffee trading and production for more than three years now.

ARCCESS is one of the DAR’s strategic intervention that the awarded lands of the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) will be maximized to increase their production through the provision of support facilities. (DAR-PIO/PIA-Surigao del Sur)

Kampanya laban TIP, illegal recruitment, mas pinaigting pa

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Setyembre 17 (PIA) -- Nagsagawa kamakailan ang Regional Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children (RIACAT-VAWC) ng oryentasyon ukol sa human trafficking at anti-illegal recruitment sa dito lungsod. Ito ay bilang bahagi ng pagdaraos ng World Day Against Trafficking In Persons (TIPs) sa bansa. 

Dito ay tinalakay ni Ritchel Butao ng Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) ang paglaban sa problema ng illegal recruitment sa overseas workers. 

Batay sa tala ng RIACAT-VAWC mula taong 2011, tinatayang nasa 490 na ang naitalang kaso ng trafficking in persons (TIP) sa rehiyon ng Caraga, kung saan kadalasan sa mga biktima ay kababaehan na nasa edad 18-30 at kadalasan sa mga suspek ay hindi kakilala ng mga biktima.

Ang bilang ng kaso ng human trafficking sa taong ito ay mababa kompara sa nagdaang taon pero nakakabahala na may ganitong kaso sa rehiyon ng Caraga kaya naman pinaigting ang kamapanya laban dito.

Pinaaalahanan niya ang mga kababayang Pilipino na may balak mag abroad na maging maingat at mabusisi sa recruitment agencies na papasukan upang hindi mabiktima.

Nagbabala naman si Atty. Rechell Bazar-Apao ng Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) sa recruiters na maaring makansela o masuspende ang kanilang lisensya kung sila ay sangkot sa illegal recruitment.

Sa mga hindi naman lisensyado na recruitment agencies, maari silang sampahan ng kaso sa korte.

Tinalakay rin dito ang kapakanan ng mga kasambahay na madaling mabiktima ng trafficking in persons gaya ng forced labor, debt bondage at slavery.

Hinihikayat naman ang mga biktima  na magreklamo o magreport sa RIACAT-VAWC, law enforcement agencies o sa mga social workers para may mabigyan ng agarang aksyon at tulong, at silay masagip.

Ayon pa kay Catherine Aranas, social welfare officer ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga at focal person ng RIACAT-VAWC, mas maiging ireport agad ang mga insidenteng may kinalaman sa illegal na pangrerecruit at human trafficking upang agad din nila itong ma-aksyunan. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

CSC-Caraga pinaalalahanan ang mga kawani ng gobyerno na iwasan ang katiwalian

By Jennifer P. Gaitano


LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Setyembre 17 (PIA) -- Sa pagdiriwang ng ika-119th na anibersaryo ng Philippine Civil Service dito sa lungsod, mariing pinaalalahanan ng Civil Service Commission (CSC) Caraga ang lahat ng kawani ng gobyerno na huwag gagawa ng katiwalian at patuloy na gawin ang kanilang mandato para sa bayan.

Binigyang-diin ni CSC Caraga regional director Annabell Rosell, na dapat gampanan nang maayos ng bawat kawani ng gobyerno ang inaasahang serbisyo sa kanila ng  publiko. Huwag din nilang sayangin ang binibigay na tiwala ng mamamayan sa gobyerno.


“Huwag nating biguin ang ating mga mamamayan dahil binibigay nila ang buong tiwala at kompiyansa sa gobyerno at nararapat lamang na pagsilbihan natin sila ng mabuti,” sabi ni Dir. Rosell.

Ayon naman kay Richard Recososa, senior jail officer ng Bureau Of Jail Management And Penology (BJMP) Caraga, hindi lahat nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na makapasok at makapagserbisyo sa bayan kaya't dapat isapuso ng mga kawani ng ibat-ibang ahensiya ng pamahalaan ang oportunidad na makatulong sa  kapwa Pilipino, hindi lamang para maka-tanggap ng ng buwanang sweldo mula sa ahensiyang kanilang kinabibilangan.

“Hindi lahat nabibigyan ng oportunidad na makapagbigay-serbisyo sa bayan, kaya pagbutihin ang paggawa sa tungkulin bilang kawani ng gobyerno at ibigay ang nararapat sa publikong sinisilbihan natin,” sabi ni Recososa.

Si Recososa ay may 22 taon nang kawani ng gobyerno at noong 2013 ay pinarangalan siya ng 'Dangal Ng Bayan' Award mula sa CSC.

Samantala, bago naman magtapos ang programa sa nasabing selebrasyon, nanumpa ang lahat ng empleyado mula sa iba't-ibang ahensiya na magiging tapat sila sa kanilang tungkulin at patuloy na magbibigay ng serbisyo sa publiko nang may dangal.

Ang nasabing anibersaryo ay base sa temang "Civil Service at 119: Upholding Integrity and Building a High-Trust Society." (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

Karapatan ng mga kababaihang may kapansanan mas pinalawak pa sa Caraga

By May Amor O. Alabado

LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Set. 17 (PIA) -- Mas pinalawak pa ng Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Caraga ang pagbibigay impormasyon sa mga kababaihan sa rehiyon ukol sa Reproductive Health (RH) at kanilang mga karapatan partikular na ang mga may kapansanan.

Ito ay sa isinagawang focus group discussion (FGD) sa lungsod ng Butuan na dinaluhan din ng iba't-ibang sektor sa Caraga.

Ayon kay Atty. Jerefe Tubigon-Bacang, ang regional director CHR at chairperson ng Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC) Caraga, layon nito marinig mula sa sektor ng kababaihan ang mga serbisyong kanilang natatanggap sa ilalim ng reproductive health program, maging ang kanilang hinaing o reklamo ukol dito.

Sinabi naman ni Atty. Twyla Rubin, officer-in-charge ng Gender and Equality and Human Rights office, na nagkaroon na ng inquiry noong 2016 ukol sa access o pag-avail ng mga kababaihan sa mga programa ukol  sa reproductive health at kung ano ang mga hamong kanilang kinaharap bago ito makuha.

Ayon naman kay Karen Gomez-Dumpit, focal commissioner on women ng CHR, ang mga kakaibahan na biktima ng pangbubugbog, pangungutya, pang-aabuso, pananakot, panunukso at marami pang iba ay nahihirapan sa paghingi ng tulong sa mga kinauukulan, dahil na rin sa kakulangan ng tamang impormasyon.

Pagtitiyak naman ng opisyal handa ang pamahalaan na umalalay sa mga biktima upang makamit ang hustisya.

Inaasahang matatapos sa Oktobre ngayong taon ang pagkalap ng mga resulta sa isinagawang national inquiry mula sa ibat-ibang rehiyon at pagkatapos nito ay bubuo ng action plan ang mga kinauukulang ahensiya upang matugunan ang mga isyung kinakaharap ng sektor ng kababaihan.

Samantala, ibinahagi naman ng mga kalahok sa aktibidad na malaking tulong ang pagsagawa ng FGD ng CHR para marinig din ang kanilang boses at mabigyan ng pamahalaan ng agarang aksyon.

"Masaya kami at marami kaming natutunan dito at naibahagi din namin ang aming mga hinaing upang matugunan din ng maayos ng mga kawani ng gobyerno," sabi ni Rodora Fuentes, isang PWD (person with disability). (May Amor O. Alabado/JPG, PIA-Caraga)