(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Wednesday, 30 October 2024) At 3:00 AM today, the center of the eye of Typhoon "LEON" {KONG-REY} was estimated based on all available data at 380 km East of Aparri, Cagayan or 395 km East of Calayan, Cagayan (18.8 °N, 125.2°E) with maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h and gustiness of up to 205 km/h. It is moving West Northwestward at 15 km/h. 𝗙𝗒π—₯π—˜π—–π—”π—¦π—§ π—ͺπ—˜π—”π—§π—›π—˜π—₯ π—–π—’π—‘π——π—œπ—§π—œπ—’π—‘: 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 Localized Thunderstorms. Possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms. 𝗙𝗒π—₯π—˜π—–π—”π—¦π—§ π—ͺπ—œπ—‘π—— 𝗔𝗑𝗗 π—–π—’π—”π—¦π—§π—”π—Ÿ π—ͺπ—”π—§π—˜π—₯ π—–π—’π—‘π——π—œπ—§π—œπ—’π—‘: Moderate to Strong winds coming from West to Southwest will prevail with moderate to rough seas / (2.1 to 3.5 meters).


PIA News Service - Friday, February 8, 2013



Caraga disaster council to launch DRRM Plan in Butuan

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 8 (PIA) -- The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) chaired by Blanche Gobenciong of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is set to launch the DRRM Plan 2013-2017 of the region on March 5 at the Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort here.

Around 200 participants from the local DRRMCs of different provinces are expected to attend the said event.

As the host of the event, Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante will give the welcome remarks.

Retired Army General Eduardo del Rosario, New NDRRMC chief and acting Administrator of the OCD, and Secretary Mary Ann Lucille Sering of the Climate Change Commission are the expected guests of honor during the launching.

Also, the technical working group of RDRRMC-Caraga said that during the program, a six to seven-minute audio-visual presentation will be shown containing the situationer of Caraga region relative to previous disaster experienced and how did the RDRRMC and partner stakeholders responded to the incidents and to the needs of the victims.

RDRRMC chair Gobenciong with the four vice chairpersons of the different committees namely Preparedness, Prevention and Mitigation, Response, and Rehabilitation and Recovery will be presenting the impacts, outcomes and outputs of every aspect/focus per committee.

Meanwhile, a ceremonial signing by the executive committee with the two guests of honor will be held during the program along with the signing of commitment by the partner stakeholders. Several sectors will also be sharing their responses to RDRRMC.

A press conference will also follow right after the program/launching at the same venue. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)


DepEd-Caraga implements PPP school infra project phase 2

By Robert E. Roperos

BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 8 (PIA) -- There is no stopping this administration from going full steam ahead as it makes good its promise to fill the classroom lack even before Aquino leaves office.

The Department of Education in Caraga Region (DepEd-Caraga) is currently implementing the second phase of its large-scale classroom construction project through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme called the PPP for School Infrastructure Project III (PSIP-II).

During Tuesday’s first quarterly meeting of the Regional Development Council-Social Development Committee (RDC-SDC) held in one of the local convention halls here, Atty. Alberto Escobarte, DepEd-Caraga director pointed out that this project is one of their key programs to deliver the needed quality and accessible educational facilities for all learners.

Escobarte added the PSIP-II is implemented in several sites in 14 regions, including Caraga, under a “Built-Transfer” scheme wherein the private sector is responsible for the design, construction, and financing of the project.

“In turn, the government will make the payment to the proponent upon turnover of the completed school facilities,” Escobarte said.

The official further said 708 classrooms will be constructed for Caraga in 314 different school sites.

In Agusan del Norte, 82 classrooms will be constructed in 51 school sites while Agusan del Sur will have 153 classrooms in 46 school sites.

Also, eight classrooms will be built in four school sites in Bislig City and Butuan City with 76 classrooms in 22 school sites.

Meanwhile, the youngest province of the region, Dinagat Islands, will get 149 classrooms to be constructed in 75 school sites. Siargao, on the other hand will have 106 classrooms in 50 school sites.

Escobarte further said Surigao City Division will also receive 12 classrooms in six school sites, while 13 school sites in Surigao del Norte will be constructed with 21 classrooms.

Finally, the region’s DepEd chief said around 101 classrooms will be built in 47 school sites in Surigao del Sur.

Furthermore, Escobarte said this school infrastructure project through the PPP scheme has been published already in some national papers of nationwide circulation and in the local as an invitation to pre-qualify to bid for PPP for School Infrastructure Project 2012 – Phase II.

“The project is aimed at meeting the goal of the Aquino administration to achieve zero backlog in classrooms for calendar year 2013,” Escobarte said. (RER/PIA-Caraga)


Fishers association gets P4.6-M worth liquid quick freezer

By Vanessa P. Sanchez

BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 8 (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the National Agri-Business Corporation (Nabcor), turned-over a Liquid Quick Freeze Machine worth P4.6 million to the Tandag Boholano Fishermen’s Association (Tanbofisa) held recently at the Tanbofisa Ice Plant in Surigao del Sur.

The freezer is a commitment of DA Secretary Proceso Alcala to the association when he visited Surigao del Sur on June 2011. The machine has a capacity to produce three tons of ice per day. The making of ice takes two hours and is done by batches with 16 blocks of ice weighing eight kilos each produced per batch.

The machine can also be used to freeze agricultural products like fish, poultry, and vegetables to prolong its shelf life.

Tanbofisa operates a Barangay Food Terminal as well as an ice plant in the public market.

According to Wilma Evangelio, their business manager, with their old ice-making machine, they only get to produce 72 ice blocks weighing 25 kilos each per day which is not even sufficient for the needs of the market vendors in the market. She added that now that they have the freezer, they hope that they will be able to meet the demand not just in the public market but also the entire city and also increase the income of the food terminal.

The local government of Tandag counter parted with a transformer and circuit breaker and its installation which amounted to P130,000 while Tanbofisa’s counterpart is the building.

Tandag City Administrator Aldy Novo who graced the turn-over ceremony expressed his gratitude to the Department of Agriculture for granting the said project to the fishers association and encouraged the members of the association to take good care of the machine and use it well as it will be a big help not only to the BFT but to Tandag as well. (DA-RAFID 13/PIA-Caraga)


Tagalog news: Limang Pinay entertainers papuntang Japan pinigilan sa NAIA

By David M. Suyao

AGUSAN DEL SUR, Peb. 8 (PIA) -- Limang Pilipina na papunta sana sa Seoul, South Korea ang naharang noong nakaraang linggo sa terminal ng departure area sa NAIA 2 at pinigilang umalis ng bansa.

Ito ay dahil napag-alaman ng mga opisyal ng Immigration sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport ang kasong human trafficking na nagpapalabas sa bansa ng mga babaeng walang dokumento upang magtrabaho bilang mga mang-aaliw o entertainer sa South Korea, ayon kay Bureau of Immigration Commissioner (BI) Ricardo David.

Sinabi ni David na ang mga babae ay pasakay na ng Philippine Airlines papuntang Hongkong nang sila ay imbitahan para sa pangalawang pagsusuri ng grupo na komokontrol at nagpapatupad mula sa BI matapos na sila ay nalamang mga manggagawang turista.

Sa simula, pilit na sinabi ng mga ito na sila ay turista na magbabakasyon sa Hongkong pero sa tuluy-tuloy na pagtatanong, inamin nilang papunta sila sa South Korea para magtrabaho.

“May mga natanggap kaming ulat na yung mga babaeng natatanggap bilang mang-aaliw sa South Korea ay pinipinilit na maging puta ng kanilang mga amo,” dagdag pa ni David.

Binalaan ni David ang mga nagbabalak na magtrabaho sa ibang bansa na mag-ingat laban sa sindikatong nagpapalusot ng mga manggagawa at hinikayat silang kumuha muna ng permiso mula sa Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Sinabi ni David na iyong mga nagtatrabaho sa labas ng bansa na walang sapat na dokumento ay binubuksan ang oportunidad na sila ay maabuso, mamaltrato at mabigyan ng hindi patas na trato sa pagtatrabaho.

Hindi ibinigay ni Atty. Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, kumakatawang hepe ng intelligence unit ng BI ang mga pangalan ng mga naturang babae dahil ipinagbabawal sa batas ng anti-human trafficking na isapubliko ang mga pangalan ng mga biktima ng human trafficking.

Sinabi ni Mangrobang na ibinigay sa pangangalaga ng Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) ang mga babae para sa tuluy-tuloy na imbestigasyon. (RER/DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)


Tagalog news: Kalihim ng DSWD pinaliwanag ang kampanyang 'Bawal ang epal'

Ni David M. Suyao

AGUSAN DEL SUR, Peb. 8 (PIA) -- Ipinaliwang nang mabuti ni Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Dinky Soliman ang kanilang kampanyang “Bawal ang epal” sa isang panayam ng mga "bloggers" sa kanya noong Enero 29.

Ayon sa kalihim ang kampanyang ito ay naglalayong maprotektahan ang mga benepisyaryo ng programa ng DSWD na Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) laban sa mga pulitikong balak gamitin ang programa para manakot at mang-abuso sa darating na eleksyon.

Ang 4Ps ay isang programa ng DSWD na nagbibigay ng tulong pinansiyal sa mga maralitang Pilipino at pinatutupad sa 1,605 na mga lungsod bayan sa 79 na lalawigan sa buong 17 na rehiyon sa buong bansa. Sa buwan ng Enero ng taong ito, may kabuuang 3,843,502 na pamilya ang naging benepisaryo na naisali sa programa.

Ayon sa DSWD mayroong mga abusadong pulitiko na nananamantala sa programang 4Ps upang magkaroon ng masmaraming boto kesa sa kanilang katunggali. Ang mga pulitikong ito at mga kandidatong ito ay nagsasabi na may kapangyarihan sila na magsali o mag-alis ng mga benepisaryo sa listahan ng programa.

Ito ang dahilan kung bakit inilunsad ng DSWD ang kamapanyang "Bawal ang Epal" at ang mga magreklamo ay bibigyan ng DSWD ng tinatawag na Grievance Redness System sa pamamagitan ng simpleng pagpapadala ng text na naglalaman ng kanilang pangalan, lugar at ang reklamo na ipapadala sa numerong 0918-9122813.

Sinabi ni Sec. Soliman na walang pwedeng mag-alis o magdadag ng pangalan sa listahan ng 4Ps kundi ang DSWD lamang. Hanggang ang benepisaryo ay sumusunod sa mga kinakailangan, ang DSWD lamang ang makapagpapasya ukol dito. Idinagdag pa ni Sec. Soliman na “Walang ibang magtatanggal sa’yo kundi ang sarili mo, kung hindi ka talaga sumunod o susunod sa mga itinakdang kondisyon.” At para sa mga pulitikong umabuso at magkokontrol sa kanilang mga botante, ang DSWD ay hindi magdadalawang isip na magbigay ng ebidensiya at magsumbong sa otoridad gaya ng Ombudsman.

Ineengganyo ng DSWD ang mga mamamayan na suportahan ang kampanyang "Bawal ang Epal" dahil hindi lamang nito pinapalakas ang mga benepisaryo ng 4Ps, kundi tinitiyak rin nito na ang mga botante ay hindi maiimpluwensyahan ng mga baluktot na pulitiko at mga kandidato. (RER/DMS with reports from DSWD/PIA-Agusan del Sur)