(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Saturday, 12 July 2025) The Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) continues to affect Mindanao. FORECAST: The Zamboanga Peninsula will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the Southwest Monsoon. These conditions may lead to possible flash floods or landslides, especially during moderate to occasionally heavy rainfall. The rest of Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms also influenced by the Southwest Monsoon. Winds will be light to moderate from the southwest, with slight to moderate seas (wave height between 0.6 to 2.1 meters).


Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Students on temporary employment in Agusan Sur orient on result-based monitoring, evaluation

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur (PIA) — Some 140 learner-beneficiaries of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) joined in the orientation on Result-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (RBME) approach orientation in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur on June 5.

The activity trained the students on the proper ways of identifying and monitoring the success and sustainability of   projects implemented in the province by the national government agencies (NGAs), including provincial and municipal government offices, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). 

“This RBME orientation will teach them how to properly monitor the status of the local and national projects in the province,” said Divina Lagumbay, manager of the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in Agusan del Sur.

“This approach serves two purposes: first, the community becomes well-informed about the progress of government projects, and second, contractors responsible for the implementation become aware that they are being monitored by proactive and vigilant youth. This motivates them to improve their performance and project development,” she added.

She emphasized that by integrating the RBME approach, this served as an indicator of an effective implementation of SPES.  The involvement of the youth plays a crucial role in spreading awareness and ensuring that projects are being monitored for progress. “We should encourage them to engage early in the government’s efforts, while they are still young. What we instill in them now can translate into meaningful action in the future. They can become true agents of development in their respective communities.”

“My expectation from this program is to understand what the government is doing with our taxes. The government allocates resources and funding to each barangay to implement activities that benefit the people. The RBME helps track how these funds are used,” said Junmark Martinez Angcla, a SPES beneficiary.

“It’s best to expose students while they are still young. Besides, one doesn’t need to be in the government to support good governance. Over the next 20 days, these youth will help document the projects received by each barangay—from the NGAs, the provincial and local governments, including the 20 percent development fund, and interventions by the civil society organizations (CSOs),” said Michael Leo Torralba, RBME unit head and executive assistant IV.

“We should encourage them to engage early while they are still young. What we instill in them now can translate into meaningful actions in the future. They can become true agents of development in their respective communities,” he added with high hopes that the active participation of the SPES beneficiaries will create a positive impact in the community. 

The RBME approach is designed to produce verifiable results to ensure accountability and transparency, and monitor the outcome of programs and projects. It also helps raise awareness among the youth of government efforts in partnership with various NGOs.

These steps aim to provide detailed and accurate information about the actual situation in communities, helping to improve and tailor programs effectively. (KKG, PIA Agusan del Sur)