6 killed in Dinagat Islands landslide
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 13 (PIA) – Due to the low
pressure area (LPA) affecting Caraga Region, six people were burried alive in a
landslide incident at Brgy. Poblacion, Cagdianao town, Monday morning.
The fatalities were identified as Atanacio
Geltura, 62 years old; Realyn Geltura, 41; Michelle Geltura, 34; Felixberto
Munoz, 34; Alqueder Munoz, 2; and Primitivo Morales, 33, as revealed from a
report of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) of
Dinagat Islands.
Meanwhile, two rescued survivors were also
identified, Renz Anthony Geltura and Jose Cabillan.
According to Ma. Jane Mayola, public information
officer of Dinagat Islands, three houses were partially damaged and two were
totally damaged brought by the sudden collapse of the land.
“A composite team of debris clearing task force
was sent by the local Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the
provincial government to areas where landslide incident happened,” she added.
Earlier today, Dinagat Islands acting governor
Benglen Ecleo ordered the augmentation of relief goods to the affected families
in Brgy. Magsaysay,Dinagat town and Brgy. Poblacion in Cagdianao town.
Also, as per report from Municipal DRRMC of
Basilisa, Dinagat Islands, a landslide occured on Sunday at Brgys. Poblacion,
Tag- Abaca with no casualty or damages on record.
In a consolidated report (SitRep No. 6: LPA East
of Southern Mindanao) of the Office of the Civil Defense Caraga headed by
regional director Liza Mazo, big rockslides also occured in Magkono, Wilson,
San Jose, Dinagat Islands. The slides has been cleared and now passable to all
types of vehicles.
Mayola said that 187 families (935 individuals)
from Brgys.Ferdinand, Montag, Edera, Sto. Nino, Nazareth, Tag--Abaca, Benglen,
Coring, Roxas and Catadman have evacuated to designated evacuation centers due
to hazard of flashfloods & landslides brought by heavy rains.
Due to imminent threat of LPA, governor Ecleo
also ordered the suspension of work and declared the suspension of classes at
all levels in the entire province, effective January 13, 2014 until further
notice is issued of its lifting. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
Classes suspended in Surigao Sur due to LPA
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Jan. 13 (PIA) – Classes were
suspended on Monday in Surigao del Sur due to rains and floods brought about by
the low pressure area (LPA).
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management
supervising specialist Abel de Guzman said that several mayors have suspended
classes in all levels.
"Tandag City Mayor Roxanne Pimentel
declared the suspension of classes last night from pre-school up to secondary
level," de Guzman said.
Early this morning, the local Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Officers (DRRMOs) reported the suspension of classes
in all levels in the municipalities of Bayabas, Tago, San Miguel, Lingig,
Madrid, Cortes, Cantilan and Bislig City.
"Cagwait suspended only the pre-school
and elementary level,” de Guzman added.
As of 10 a.m. today, floods have already
subsided in the municipality of San Miguel except in some low-lying areas. De
Guzman also added that power lines in San Miguel have not yet restored.
"Tandag City's water supply has not been
restored yet," said de Guzman.
PAGASA said as of 10:30 a.m. today, the LPA was
spotted 70 km Southwest of Cagayan de Oro City. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Surigao Sur gov suspends govt work due to bad
weather
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Jan. 13 (PIA) – Surigao del Sur
Governor Johnny Pimentel on Monday suspended work in the provincial government
due to the inclement weather where some roads are still not passable.
The declaration was announced early this morning
by Executive Assistant Tomasito Pareja informing all the employees under the
provincial government not to report to office except those involved in search
and rescue operations.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management
Office (DRRMO) supervising specialist Abel de Guzman said, that the search and
rescue units and volunteers are on standby at the Operation Center ready to
respond and extend assistance. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
2 dead, thousands displaced as floods hit Agusan
Sur
By David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Jan. 13 (PIA) - Two persons died
by drowning while thousands of local residents from the eight out of 12
municipalities and the lone city of Bayugan were affected by the recent
flooding that hit Agusan del Sur and Caraga Region due to incessant rains
brought by the low pressure area (LPA).
In an initial report as of 7:00 PM, January 12,
2014 submitted by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Council (PDRRMC) to
the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Council (RDRRMC), Melito Gortina, 19 years
old from Barangay Lucena and Pinco Sabatin from Barangay Magsaysay, all of
Prosperidad town died by drowning. Two unidentified persons from Barangay
Cabawan were also missing.
On the same initial report, some 27,500 families
or 137,000 people were affected. These affected families came from the
municipalities of Rosario with 2.050 families or 10,129 persons in nine
barangays; Bunawan with 234 families or 1,122 persons in four barangays; Trento
with 5,871 families or 29,355 persons in 16 barangays; Veruela with five
barangays, 529 families or 2,028 persons; Sta. Josefa with 186 families or 30
persons from 11 barangays; San Francisco with around 14,000 families or 70,986
persons in 27 barangays; San Luis with 92 families or 368 persons with four
barangays and Prosperidad with 4,630 families or 22,190 persons in 15
barangays.
Affected families have evacuated to some 15
identified evacuation centers like gymnasiums, elementary schools, barangay
halls, mormon churches, day care centers, private schools and many were
accommodated by relatives and neighbors.
According to PDRRMO Action Officer Roberto
Natividad, the PDRRMC has been giving warnings to the local DRRMCs province
wide while radio stations keep on calling residents specially those living in
flood and landslide prone areas to be vigilant and to immediately evacuate to
identified evacuation centers even before the flood and landslides occur.
Natividad said that at the upon observation that rivers are rising, he
immediately dispatched three teams of the Search and Rescue Agusan del Sur
(SARAS) to the municipalities of Veruela, Bunawan, Rosario and San Francisco
identified as flood prone areas. On Sunday, according to Natividad, Gov. Adolph
Edward Plaza, chairman of the PDRRMC personally handled the operations.
As of 7:00 PM, Sunday, the municipalities of
Veruela and Rosario have started the distribution of food relief assistance
like rice, sardines, noodles, milo packs coffee, milk and sugar to their
respective affected constituents. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Surigao Norte gov declares suspension of work in
govt
By Darryl P. Pinabacdao
SURIGAO CITY, Jan. 13 (PIA) — The Surigao del
Norte Provincial Government declared on Monday suspension of work in the
provincial government due to heavy rains brought about by the low pressure
area.
Gov. Sol Matugas, in an advisory, urged the
employees especially those residing near the riverbanks, shoreline, landslide
and flood prone areas not to report for work.
"All provincial offices must maintain a
skeletal force as not to hamper the offices operations," she said.
Government offices in the city have also been
suspended for the day due to heavy rainfall, floods and as precautionary
measures.
However, agencies involved in disaster risk
management such as the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD), and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have
to report. (DPP/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
DENR-PIA forge blitz campaign on Climate Change
in Caraga Region
By Eric F. Gallego
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 13 (PIA) – The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through regional executive director
Nonito M. Tamayo has entered an agreement with the Philippine Information
Agency (PIA) through its director Abner M. Caga on Thursday, January 9 for an
extensive information campaign on climate change in the region to generate
people’s actions for the immediate adoption of its mitigation
measures.
“I believe this is an urgent issue in the face
of the worldwide phenomenon on climate change so that the people may understand
it and thereby guide them to adopt
mitigation measures to minimize the effects of climate change and global
warming,” Tamayo said.
“We can no longer avoid this phenomenon on
climate change but we can adopt
appropriate measures to cushion
its impact on our daily lives,” he said.
The signing of the Memorandum of Agreement
between the DENR and the PIA took place at the DENR Conference Room and
witnessed by Philippine Daily Inquirer correspondent Franklin Caliguid, the
chief of the DENR Public Affairs Office Eric Gallego and PIA staff.
“It has been our mission to help the government
agencies in disseminating this type of information to guide the people with
their decisions particularly about climate change and global warming
phenomenon,” Caga said.
Tamayo said the DENR has tapped the services of
the PIA considering its technical
expertise, network and capability in
implementing advocacy campaigns.
Similar MOA was signed by DENR Secretary Ramon
JP Paje and Secretary Sonny Coloma of the Presidential Communications
Operations Office ( PCOO) at the
national level.
Under the agreement the PIA shall provide the technical assistance and management
services in the development and implementation of the Climate Change Advocacy
Campaign; conceptualize, develop, produce and disseminate information,
education and communication materials required by the Advocacy Campaign Plan;
draw up media plan for the airing of climate change plugs, develop and maintain
social media community and platform, organize and strengthen networks of
program advocates particularly from the youth sector and organize and
conduct advocacy activities/events on
the ground including campus tours and community in selected areas.
The DENR, on the other hand, shall provide PIA
with the necessary funds to implement the Climate Change Advocacy Campaign,
provide pertinent reference materials and resource persons that maybe required
in the campaign implementation and approve the campaign plan and other requisite documents relevant to the
execution of the plan such as scripts, media placement plan among others and
monitor the implementation of all the activities under the said agreement. (DENR-13/PIA-Caraga)
Former Romblon prof, DOST’s Most Outstanding
Provincial S&T Director
By Angelica A. de Leon
MANILA, Jan. 13 (PIA) - A former professor of
statistics and agricultural engineering at the Romblon State University was
adjudged as the best provincial science and technology (S&T) director of
the entire Department of Science and Technology (DOST) system during the Outstanding Provincial S&T Director awarding
ceremony at the DOST Executive Lounge in Bicutan, Taguig City recently.
Dr. Bilshan ServaΓ±ez of Region IV-B Romblon, who has been in
government service for 22 years, bested
three other finalists to garner the esteemed award. Engr. Mario dela PeΓ±a of
Region VII Siquijor grabbed first place, while Felina C. Malabanan of Region
IV-A Batangas and Angelita Parungao of Region III Bulacan, took runner-up
positions in the annual awarding rites.
“This is important for me,” says Dr. ServaΓ±ez of
the recognition. “This is actually an
affirmation of the decision that I made.”
Twenty-two years ago, he made the shift from the
academe to industry, choosing to work at the DOST office in Romblon. “I took up engineering and wanted to become a
scientist,” he narrates. Thus, he jumped ship and moved to the Department for
the chance to apply to actual use the things he learned in engineering
school. From that time on, Dr. Bilshan
ServaΓ±ez never looked back.
“We are a province with a backwater economy so
we only have small industries there. The
only huge industry we have is the marble industry,“ he shares, “but what we lack in size, we make
up in number.”
According to him, the Romblon office is
presently handling about 62 SETUP projects in Romblon. Citing the distant location of the market in
their area and the problems involved such as transportation costs, Dr. ServaΓ±ez
stated that as a solution, DOST
cultivates the local market for these SETUP products which they produce at top
level quality.
However, he added that some of the products do
end up in the bigger market, such as peanut butter which they sell to a locator
in Shoe Mart. “The next time you eat
pancakes or waffles with peanut butter, think Romblon,” he says.
“We also bring our marble to the province. We
have several contributions to the marble industry - cutting machine, turning
machines, polishing machines, lathe machines – we deploy all these to the
marble sector,” Dr. Servanez proudly states.
He also mentioned their linkages, explaining
that he submits proposals to other agencies as well, such as the Department of
Labor and Employment.
All these factors, Dr. ServaΓ±ez believes, are
what make them tick, thus making his big win as Most Outstanding Provincial
S&T Director of the year possible.
DOST’s top four provincial S&T directors
received citations and cash prizes. (S&T Media Service, DOST-STII
/PIA-Caraga)
