(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, April 30, 2020

‘Tawag konsulta’ launched in Surigao del Norte

By Venus L. Garcia

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, April 30 (PIA) - The government sternly advised the public to stay at home. This is why amid the strict implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the entire Caraga region due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the provincial government of Surigao del Norte ensured that the medical consultation need of the residents is met.

In partnership with the Surigao del Norte Medical Society, the local government unit of Surigao del Norte launched the “Tawag Konsulta” program where the locals can avail the free medical consultation and advice without going to the hospital or clinic to physically see a doctor.

Using a telephone or mobile phone, patients may dial the hotline numbers where a designated “HEALS 911” agent assists and refers the patient’s concern to the doctor who would provide the appropriate medical advice and prescription.

The doctor then has to forward the online prescription approved by the Food and Drug Administration to the nurse coordinator who would also furnish a copy to the pharmacist for dispensing of prescription drugs.

The medicines will be delivered right at the doorstep of the patient, charged to the medical assistance program and social services fund of the province. The Tawag Konsulta services are available 24/7.


Dr. Chrismar Mocorro, officer-in-charge of the Surigao del Norte Provincial Hospital, said the program is most beneficial to the senior citizens, pregnant women, and to those vulnerable individuals who are restricted to go out due to quarantine.

“We are supportive of this program and even before the implementation of the ECQ we do anticipate this kind of challenge wherein the residents will have a hard time in going out to visit a physician for a medical check-up because of limited transport vehicles and fear of getting exposed to the virus. But with Tawag Konsulta, their medical concern is given attention,” said Dr. Mocorro.

The Tawag Konsulta has already served 287 patients and more than thirty patients have also received free medicines, as of April 28.

Dr. Mocorro said that most common illnesses were related to respiratory condition, hyperacidity, cough, hypertension, including prostate enlargement and electrolyte imbalances.

Meanwhile, Charlie Camelion, 44 years old and a resident of Sitio Cayutan, Barangay Cagniog in Surigao City felt a dose of happiness and gratitude from benefiting the free consultation service and appreciated, even more, the provision of free medicine that was delivered to his home.

The local government unit of Del Carmen in Siargao Island also offered a free use of telephone of the Del Carmen Polyclinic among its community members for its ‘Telemed’ or Tawag Konsulta program.

Also, LGU-Mainit though its Municipal Health Office is encouraging the residents to avail of the services by simply contacting them using the hotline number posted in their official Facebook page LGU-Mainit 2020, where schedules and other instructions can be found as well. (VLG/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Agusan Norte LGUs receive augmentation fund for COVID-19 ops

By Nora C. Lanuza




BUTUAN CITY, April 30 (PIA) - As support to the efforts of the different local government units (LGUs) of the province of Agusan del Norte, the provincial government has released an augmentation fund of one million pesos each to the 10 municipalities and the lone city of the province.

According to Governor Dale B. Corvera, said fund will be used in the campaign versus coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), efforts to stop its spread and to augment the ongoing activities of the LGUs in their fight against the disease.

In the municipality of RTR, Mayor Richard Daquipil said the fund from the provincial government will be utilized to the Balik Probinsya program through the improvement of the evacuation center by converting it into a quarantine area/isolation area to accommodate Agusanons, especially those from RTR for the required quarantine period before going to their respective homes.

“We cannot leave the barangays alone in the fight against COVID-19. So, after augmenting the anti-COVID funds of the municipalities and city, the provincial government also allotted a total of P8.35 million as support to each of the 167 barangays in their fight against the deadly virus," said Gov. Corvera.

Each of the 167 barangays will receive P50,000 as support to their measures to stop the spread of the deadly virus in their respective areas, Governor Corvera added.

Punong Barangay Nilo T. Fediles of Barangay Basilisa, RTR was thankful to the provincial government for the augmentation fund. "The fund is of great help to our barangay, we will spend it according to what is expected to," he said. (NCLM/PIA-Agusan del Norte)

NGO donates PPEs to hospitals in VisMin

BUTUAN CITY, April 30 - SM Foundation Inc. donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and medical supplies to hospitals in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.

A total of 21 hospitals benefitted from the 170 million pesos’ worth of N95 and surgical masks, gloves, raincoats, goggles, as well as alcohol and hygiene kits.

Hospitals in Visayan cities such as Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Roxas, Tacloban, Ormoc as well some in the Samar province benefitted from the donation, including the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City and West Visayas State University Medical Center in IloIlo City.

In Mindanao, beneficiaries included the Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City; Amai Pakpak Hospital in Marawi City; Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City and Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City.

In addition, the SM Group has also extended additional assistance in response to crisis such as the provision of Emergency Financial Assistance to its frontline workers, security guards, and janitorial staff during the Enhanced Community Quarantine period. Apart from continued compensation for its other employees, rentals have also been waived for all tenants of SM Supermalls nationwide. (SM/PIA-Caraga)

NFA Caraga focuses rice supply for relief operations

By Aurelius P. Arais

BUTUAN CITY, April 30 - To address the rice requirements of government institutional buyers amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the National Food Authority (NFA) halted its supply to all its NFA accredited rice retailers.

NFA Caraga information officer Amelou Jane Mendoza said that they reserved their supply to local government units (LGUs) and other government relief giving institutions in adherence to their new mandate.

“With the implementation of the Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tarrification Law (RTL), the primary mandate of the NFA is to secure the buffer stock to be distributed in times of emergency or calamities,” she explained.

Currently, Mendoza said that NFA is focusing on serving the needs of LGUs and other government agencies for their relief operations as the public are on limited movement due to quarantine measures.

Mendoza bared that from March up to April 24, 2020, around 37,340 bags of 50 kgs. had been released to LGUs and Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“Based on our inventory with 2% market participation of NFA rice from daily consumption rate, our supply would eventually last of up to two months,” she disclosed.

However, if the market participation of NFA rice would increase up to 25% due to high demand from institutional buyers, the NFA supply could last to a month.

“There is no need to be alarmed; so far, we have enough supply of NFA rice,” she said.

Recent report from Department of Agriculture (DA)-Caraga also assures enough supply based on the current harvest season in the region. Caraga is expected to produce 315,947 metric tons or an equivalent of 134% rice sufficiency by the end of the first semester based on the consolidated planting report of the LGUs.

Farmers are also assured of available market for their rice products with NFA currently buying palay harvest from local farmers in the region with a higher price of P19.00 per kilo, clean and dry.

NFA assures that warehouses all over Caraga Region will accommodate interested farmers who would want to sell their produce. (DA13-RAFIS/PIA Caraga)

Buntis, mga bata sa Tandag tumanggap ng ayuda habang sumasailalim sa ECQ

By Nida Grace P. Barcena

LUNGSOD NG TANDAG, Surigao del Sur, Abril 30 (PIA) - Umabot sa 650 buntis ang tumaggap ng food packs at mga dietary supplements na ipinamahagi ng City Nutrition Office ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Tandag habang sumasailalim ang buong probinsya sa Enhanced Community Quarantine, ito ang kinumpirma ni City Nutrition Office chief Reyveen Geli.

Napag alaman mula kay Geli na ang mga benepisyaryo ay mula sa 21 barangays na sakop ng nasabing syudad.

Nanguna naman sa pamamahagi ng mga food packs si Mayor Roxanne Pimentel sa Barangay Awasian sa mga benepisyaryong inang buntis sa gitna ng kasagsagan ng krisis na kinakaharap dahil sa COVID-19 pandemic. Bawat food packs ay naglalaman ng bigas, assorted fresh vegetables, iodized salt, dried fish, nutri butter (MUM), vegetables seeds at IEC flyres.

Sa kanyang mensahe, hinimok ni Mayor Pimentel ang mga magulang sa Barangay Awasian na sumuporta sa adhikain ng lokal na pamahalaan na makamit ang zero-malnourished children in three years. Sinabi rin niya na pauloy na susuportahan ng kanyang administrasyon ang programang pangkalusugan.

Nagpaabot naman ng pasasalamat si Manilyn Ellar, isa sa tumanggap ng ayuda dahil malaki ang maitutulong nito sa kanyang pagbubuntis at pati na rin sa kanyang buong pamilya sa gitna ng krisis na kinakaharap ngayon.

Samantala, napag alaman mula kay Geli, na bawat batang malnourished ay makakatanggap ng Malunggay Bread, isang beses bawat linggo, hanggang mapawalang bisa ang ideneklarang kwarentina sa nasabing lugar.

Kasabay nito ang pamamahagi ng ayuda sa 172 severely underweight at severely wasted pre-school na mga kabataan na inihatid sa 21 barangays na sakop ng siyudad.

Bawat bata ay tumanggap ng kalahating dosenang itlog,  “Malunggay Bread”, crackers, multivitamins, vegetables seeds, at IEC flyres mula sa lokal na pamahalaan.

Sa kasalukuyan, ang lungsod ay namamahagi na ng relief goods sa pangalawang pagkakataon. Isang sako ng bigas at groceries na naglalaman ng canned goods, laundry soap, bath soap, toothpaste, and 3N1 coffee ang natatanggap ng bawat household na sakop nito. (PIA-Surigao del Sur)