(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Sunday, 28 May 2023) At 3:00 AM today, the center of the eye of Typhoon "BETTY" {MAWAR} was estimated based on all available data at 825 km East of Northern Luzon (17.1°N, 129.5°E), with maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 215 km/h. It is moving West Northwestward at 20 km/h. Southwesterly Windflow affecting the western sections of Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. 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 Trough of TY BETTY / Southwesterly Windflow. Possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms. Moderate to Strong winds coming from West to Southwest will prevail with Moderate to Rough seas / (2.5 to 5.0 meters).


Wednesday, April 19, 2023

NIA-13 to hold Irrigator’s Association Congress in Surigao City

BUTUAN CITY -- The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Caraga will hold its Irrigators’ Association (IA) Congress at the Provincial Convention Center in Surigao City on Thursday, April 20, with some 200 IAs regionwide expected to attend.

The annual congress serves as an avenue for IAs, composed of rice farmers, to voice pressing issues and concerns in their areas that need the national government’s interventions.

For this year, public relations officer Jane Huqueriza said they are pushing for the creation of cooperatives for IAs.

“Para mas ma-improve labi na sa ilang financial [capabilities]… ug ang livelihood sa atong mga mag-uuma. Mao ni siya ang giduso sa among opisina kay mao pud ang mandate sa amo sa among top management na kung pwede, makapilot mi every province na naa’y muventure from irrigator’s association to cooperative (This is to improve especially their financial capabilities and the livelihood of our farmers. This is being pushed by our office since it is also mandated to us by our top management that if possible, we can pilot an irrigator’s association to venture into a cooperative in every province),” she said.

NIA Caraga will tap local government units for this program to help legislate measures that can help IAs create their own cooperatives.

The IA Congress also aims to help local farmers increase their agricultural outputs through continuous collaborative efforts of NIA with other national government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for skills training, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) to expand the resources of IAs, the academe, and LGUs to come up with solutions that can help improve farming agriculture and ensure food security.

“Sauna man gud, gafocus lang ta sa atong food security. Ang karon, mutabang pud ta ug improve sa ilang (mag-uuma) panginabuhian kay para partner sab [ang duha] (Before, we were so focused on food security. But now, we also need to help improve the livelihood of our farmers to complement them both),” said Huqueriza.

NIA Administrator Eduardo Eddie Guillen will grace the congress together with the regional directors and operations managers nationwide, as well as representatives from the LGUs in the region. (DMNR/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

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