(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Tuesday, 19 March 2024) Easterlies affecting 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. Light to moderate winds coming from Northeast to North will prevail with slight to moderate seas (0.6 to 2.1 meters).


Thursday, February 27, 2020


Siargao LGUs formulate disaster contingency plan

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 27 (PIA) - Considered as a hazard-prone island in the province of Surigao del Norte, employees from the local government units of Siargao Island have actively participated in the four-day training on Contingency Planning held recently in this city.

The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) officers, medical doctors, municipal health officers, social workers and school principals of the said island took part in the creation of their contingency plan.

With the said training, participants gained a better understanding and in-depth knowledge on DRRM, as well as the importance of having a contingency plan particularly in times of disaster or any eventualities, as this would serve as a guide in responding to affected areas for the provision of appropriate intervention.

Dr. Marrietta Tagalo, principal of San Benito Central Elementary School in Siargao, was one of those who shared inputs for the contingency plan.

She expressed that she is determined to also relay the knowledge she gained from the training to other teachers, parents, and students, especially that schools usually serve as the immediate evacuation center during disasters.

“DepEd is also asking us a plan, and we are not able to provide because we are not that equipped on how to draft a concrete contingency plan, yet with the aid of this training, we have gained enough information and were trained so we could manage it well in times of disaster,” said Tagalo.

As the municipal health officer in the municipality of Burgos in Siargao, Dr. Alyssa Felsophie Silor learned the significant functions and responsibilities of the various sectors in the creation of a concrete contingency plan.


“From the planning, there is already a role for each agency such as the health sector that we can contribute there and from there, we could operationalize what the contingency plan contains,” Silor cited.

April Rose Ann Sanchez, head of the policy development and planning section and training course monitoring officer of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Caraga, also bared that the contingency plan is a hazard-specific plan and is a mandatory and non-negotiable plan.

“The contingency plan would not be implemented only in the national, regional, provincial levels but also in the barangays, as this would help them particularly in their response actions to be undertaken during any disaster or calamity,” said Sanchez.

Siargao Island is composed of nine municipalities, namely Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, General Luna, San Benito, Pilar, San Isidro, Santa Monica and Socorro. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)

CNT member, Militia ng Bayan surrender in SurSur

TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Feb. 27 (PIA) -- A member of the Communist New People’s Army (NPA) Terrorist (CNT), and a Militia ng Bayan (MB) have voluntarily surrendered with their firearms to the headquarters of 36th Infantry Battalion (36IB), Philippine Army in Barangay Dayoan, Tago town on Sunday, a military official confirmed.

Capt. Jonald Romorosa, 36IB civil-military operations officer, identified the CNT member as alias “JR”, 32 years old, and a former member of Platoon 8, Guerilla Front 19 (GF 19), North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC). He brought along with him one M16 rifle and short steel magazine eight rounds of live ammunition.

Accordingly, alias “JR” was a Manobo tribe member and a resident of Barangay Bagyang in San Miguel town.

Another personality who surrendered was identified as alias “Jay”, 33 years old, and a former MB Assistant Team Leader of GF 16, NEMRC. He brought with him one caliber 45 and two short magazines with four rounds of live ammunition. He was also a Manobo tribe member and a resident of Barangay Poblacion in San Miguel town.

Both surrenderees revealed that they wanted to live a normal life with their family. 

The successful surrender was made possible with the help of the Indigenous People (IP) leaders, former rebels and the intervention of the 36IB through its Community Support Program, it was learned.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Jezreel Diagmel, 36IB commanding officer, said that because of the relentless military operation of the 36IB troopers and the pursuit of localized peace with the terrorist group, other sectors of the society and the people themselves are becoming more and more active in supporting Executive Order Number 70.

“The CNT learned the genuine offer of the government towards achieving peace and development. They have made the worthy decision of laying down their arms and return to the folds of the law,” he said.

Lt. Col. Diagmel also called on the remaining CNT members to surrender and lay down their arms. “Return to the folds of the government and live a normal and productive life, and help the government to achieve a long and lasting peace that every peace-loving Surigaonons are longing for,” Lt. Col. Diagmel noted.

Also, Capt. Romorosa revealed that the surrenderees would undergo the validation process for them to avail in the enrollment to the Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), the government intervention package for the former rebels. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)

PCW, RGADC Caraga sign partnership agreement for 2020-2022

By Jennifer P. Gaitano


BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 27 (PIA) -- With the aim to further strengthen constant coordination and good working relationship between the Philippine Commission On Women (PCW) and the Regional Gender and Development Committee (RGADC) Caraga, the two parties have signed recently the partnership agreement that specifies their planned joint activities with various sectors for the year 2020 until 2022.

Four major activities were identified by PCW with the RGADC-Caraga. These are: 1) 2nd Caraga GAD Focal Point System Assembly; 2) Leveling session for RGADC Caraga members, regional line agencies and state universities and colleges in the region; 3) Leveling session for RGADC Caraga members, local government units in the region; and 4) Regional orientation on Men Opposed to Violence Against Women (VAW) Everywhere (MOVE).

According to Nharleen Santos-Millar, chief of the PCW-Technical Services And Regional Coordination Division, the Commission continues to advocate and promote women empowerment and gender equality and mainstreaming in all regions of the country. This she said, would help prevent the incidence of domestic violence, and other forms of abuse to women and children.

This is why the PCW has been very supportive to the different programs, activities, and campaigns of RGADC in the region.


With the upcoming Women’s Month Celebration, Millar bared that they are looking forward to the conduct of Women’s Summit with RGADC in Butuan City, wherein climate change and its effects on women and children will be thoroughly discussed to various participating sectors.

She also encouraged the Caraganons to support and join in the lined-up activities for the monthlong celebration.

“We are encouraging all the Caraganons to take an active part in the activities set by the RDC-RGADC in the region and be an advocate of women empowerment, gender mainstreaming, and anti-VAW,” said Millar.

Meanwhile, Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-Caraga regional director and RGADC chair Atty. Jerefe Tubigon-Bacang urged all the LGUs to reactivate their MOVE campaign being one of the strategies to allow men to actively participate in the anti-VAW campaign of the government. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)


LGUs sa Siargao aktibong nakilahok sa disaster contingency planning

By Jennifer P. Gaitano


LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Pebrero 27 (PIA) - Bilang isang hazard-prone island sa probinsya ng Surigao del Norte, nagsagawa ng apat na araw na "Training on Contingency Planning" sa isla ng Siargao.

Nakilahok dito ang nasa 40 indibidwal na binubuo ng Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) officers, medical doctors, municipal health officers, social workers at principals ng isla.

Dahil dito mas naintindihan nila ang kahalagahan ng pagkakaroon ng Contingency Plan partikular nansa oras ng kalamidad o sakuna dahil magsisilbi itong gabay sa pagresponde sa mga apektadong lugar.  

Isa sa mga nakibahagi rito si Dr. Marrietta Tagalo, prinsipal ng San Benito Central Elementary School sa Siargao Island.

Ayon kay Tagalo, pursigido siyang maibahagi ang kanyang mga natutunan sa mga guro, mga magulang at mga estudyante sa kanilang lugar lalu na at ang mga paaralan ang kadalasang ginagawang evacuation center.

“Hinihingan din kami ng plano ng DepEd kaso hindi pa namin masyado kabisado kung papaano ang pagawa nito, kaya malaking tulong din talaga itong training dahil mas lumawak ang aming kaalaman sa DRRM at mas nahasa kami kung papaano ang pagawa ng isang Contingency Plan,” ani ni Tagalo.

Bilang isang municipal health officer sa bayan ng Burgos, nalaman ni Dr. Alyssa Felsophie Silor ang mahalagang tungkulin ng bawat sektor sa pagbuo ng isang contingency plan, at makapagbigay ng tamang pagtugon sa mga apektadong kumunidad.

“Sa simula palang ng pagpaplano, may mahalagang tungkulin na ang mga sektor tulad nalang sa amin sa health sector, malaki din ang maibahagi namin sa pagbuo ng contingency plan at sa pag-operationalize nito sa aming mga lugar,” pahayag ni Silor.

Binigyang-diin ni April Rose Ann Sanchez, head ng policy development and planning section at training course monitor ng Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Caraga, na ang contingency plan ay isang hazard specific plan at ito ay mandatory at non-negotiable plan.

“Ang contingency plan ay hindi lang pinapatupad sa national, regional at provincial, kundi lalung-lalu na sa mga barangay dahil makakatulong ito sa kanila lalu na sa pagresponde sa tuwing may kalamidad o sakuna,” sabi ni Sanchez.
Ang Siargao Island ay binubuo ng siyam na munisipyo ng Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, General Luna, San Benito, Pilar, San Isidro, Santa Monica at Socorro. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)