TREEDC visits Butuan City, encourages gov’t
agencies to use renewable energy
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 21 (PIA) – The officials of
Tennessee Renewable Energy Development Council (TREEDC) visited this city on
Thursday and encouraged government agencies to utilize renewable energy, during
a press conference held at the Philippine Electronics and Communication Institute
of Technology (PECIT) Conference Room.
"We're here to learn what your region needs
and we want to hear from you on how we can contribute to help the region in
terms of renewable energy. We offer various renewable energy products which may
be of great help in your city and region," said Mary Shoffer Gill, TREEDC
vice-president.
TREEDC president James Talley cited that
renewable energy technologies are clean sources of energy that have a much
lower environmental impact than conventional energy technologies. It also
provides environmental benefits such as helping to improve local air quality
and reducing the impact on the land, water and climate system. Increased use of
renewable energy will also help boost local economies through job creation.
"Mindanao has vast potential in business
and investments. Many foreign companies are also willing to engage business
here. We are doing Educational Awareness Approach to establish trust among
people and be able to develop them and its environment thru renewable
energy," added Talley.
When asked why they chose Caraga region to offer
their renewable energy projects, Warren Nevad, TREEDC executive director said
that they wanted to establish a stable network from Luzon to Mindanao regions.
"Caraga region offers excellent opportunity
for Tennessee resource energy providers and we have been coordinating with the
local officials here since 2013," Nevad added.
Meanwhile, as one of the private entities
utilizing solar energy, Engr. Romeo Zerrudo, PECIT president in Butuan City
said with the use of renewable energy, it helped the company save funds
intended for electricity.
"The light that we are using now in our
school and office came from the solar energy. So even if the local energy
provider will do rotational brownout, we are not affected because of this
renewable energy," expressed Zerrudo.
Officials of TREEDC is also here in the city for
the second Caraga Regional Conference on Renewable Energy from Feb. 20 to 22 at
the Balanghai Hotel. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Red Cross Youth local chapter holds 10th
Biennial Chapterwide Youth Assembly
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 21 (PIA) – The Red Cross Youth
(RCY) of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Agusan del Norte-Butuan Chapter holds
today until the 22nd of February 2014 its 10th Biennial Chapterwide Youth
Assembly at the Caraga State University - Cabadbaran Campus, Cabadbaran City.
The celebration is anchored on the theme,
“Stronger Red Cross Youth for stronger Chapter Youth Council” wherein more than
200 active senior and college RCY members of the chapter are identified
delegates of the Congress.
The Biennial Chapterwide Youth Assembly as the
Supreme Deliberative body of the Chapter Youth Council (CYC) primarily aims to
draw attention of the young people in humanitarian work and strengthen youth
cooperation in the implementation of the PRC programs.
It was learned that the congress has the
objectives to develop new format for the implementation of similar youth
gatherings at the school or community and associate leadership in capacity
building and resiliency; and to provide venue for the youth members to discuss
and plan for the relevance of the RCY programs in the years ahead.
“The highlight of the assembly will be the
election of CYC officers whose president elect will be sitting as member of the
board of directors,” said CYC President Mycl Angeli Sumalinog.
Agusan del Norte governor Ma. Angelica Rosedell
Amante-Matba is the keynote speaker during the opening of the event.
Also, Michelle Emee Pongao, area 8 coordinator
and NYC assistant secretary will be the guest of honor and speaker on the 2nd
day of the congress.
Part of its concluding activity is the oath
taking ceremony of the newly elected CYC officers. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
Jobs Fair set in Tandag City
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
SURIGAO DEL SUR, Feb 21 (PIA) - The Surigao del
Sur State University (SDSSU)-Main Campus in partnership with the Department of
Labor and Employment (DOLE) – Surigao del Sur Field Office will conduct a Jobs
Fair for local and overseas recruitment Friday, Feb. 21 at SDSSU Gymnasium,
Rosario, Tandag City.
According to Romelyn Bactol of DOLE SDS, a total
of 16,448 overseas job orders are available coming from the 13 participating
recruitment agencies accredited by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
(POEA).
She further said that there are also 17 job
orders available coming from the local recruiters.
Job applicants are required to bring their
pertinent documents like Personal Data Sheet, Transcript of Records, Employment
Certificate, NC II Certificates, passport and other related documents for the
possible qualification during the job interview. (NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Surigao Norte to conduct Provincial Tourism
Summit
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Feb. 21 (PIA) – The provincial
government of Surigao del Norte through the Provincial Tourism Office will
conduct a one-day Provincial Tourism Summit on February 24, 2014 at Philippine
Gateway Hotel, this city.
The summit with the theme, “Reshaping the Future
of Tourism towards Bag-ong Surigao 2020” aims to define the tourism roadmap in
the next six years (2015-2020) amid the initiatives implemented by the
provincial government, sustaining the gains and redirecting focus of
development that will reshape the new roadmap under the HEALS-PLUS (Health,
Education, Agri-Aquaculture, Livelihood and Tourism, Social Services,
Spirituality) agenda of the provincial administration.
Participants to the summit are various
stakeholders in the tourism industry like the local government units, tourism
related enterprises, national line agencies, non-government organizations and
people’s organizations.
For more details, please contact the Provincial
Tourism Office at tel. (086) 826-9017. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)
DOST-PHIVOLCS launches questionnaire for
quake-safe house
By Angelica A. de Leon
MANILA, Feb. 21 (PIA) - Is your house ready for
a strong earthquake?
To help owners of concrete hollow block (CHB)
houses answer this question, the Department of Science and Technology -
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) in partnership
with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), launched a 12-point
questionnaire last February 19 at the PHIVOLCS Auditorium in Quezon City.
The questionnaire is designed to guide homewners
in assessing whether their homes are strong enough to withstand a major
earthquake.
The questionnaire, titled “How Safe is My House?
Self-check for Earthquake Safety of CHB Houses in the Philippines”, has 12
questions, each with three possible answers. Each answer is equivalent to a
point. The total number of points earned determines the strength or vulnerability
of the structure.
Among the questions in the checklist are: Who built or designed my house? How old is my
house? What is the shape of my house?
Has my house been extended or expanded?
The rest deal with equally important information
such as damage incurred from previous disasters, CHB thickness, soil condition,
use of standard size steel bars, width of unsupported walls, among others.
“The solution is to recognize the problem. Where
will this recognition start? It should start with the homeowner,”
emphasized PHIVOLCS Director
Dr. Renato U. Solidum Jr. during
the launch. Previously, Solidum
explained that an earthquake resistant house will not collapse even if an
Intensity 9 temblor strikes.
However, the questionnaire is not just useful
for homeowners but also for local engineers, building officials, and local
government unit authorities.
“This material can also be practically used to
ensure safety before the construction of houses,” reminded Takahiro Sasaki,
chief representative of JICA
Philippines, in his message.
The questionnaire, which was tested on some
damaged houses and structures in Bohol following the Oct. 15, 2013 tremor in
the province, was derived from field verifications, quake damage surveys, and
several experiments and tests.
Among these experiments were the full-scale
Shaking Table Test of CHB Houses conducted by Filipino and Japanese experts at
the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention in
Tsukuba, Japan in February 2011. The experiment involved two houses, an
engineered model that followed the Building Code, and a non-engineered one
representing the more common CHB residence in the Philippines. Tests showed the
latter incurring damage immediately , leading to the eventual collapse of
certain parts during the earthquake simulation.
“Casualties from past earthquakes were caused by
the collapse of buildings. And part of those are from damaged to collapsed
non-engineered houses,” revealed Solidum.
During the open forum, Engr. Ronaldo S. Ison of
the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP), another
project proponent, said that a strong earthquake may still cause debris to
fall. However, an eventual collapse will
not take place if it is an engineered house.
"What we’re trying to do is to educate
everybody, that even if you employ masons and carpenters, they should be
following certain standards. It is the right time for us to inform the public
that we should not just rely on masons and carpenters to build our houses,”
declared Engr. Ison.
The PHIVOLCS director added that a safe house
should be combined with appropriate response from people living in it to make
them safer and further prevent damage and injury.
PHIVOLCS and its partners are currently
preparing a Tagalog version of the 12-point questionnaire and plan to come up with a similar checklist
for wooden houses. Also in the pipeline is a computer simulation program to
test the earthquake readiness of engineering and architectural designs.
Aside from PHIVOLCS, JICA, and ASEP, the Japan
Science and Technology Agency is also involved in the project.
“How Safe is My House? Self-check for Earthquake
Safety of CHB Houses in the Philippines” may be downloaded at
http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph. (S&T Media Service, DOST-STII/PIA-Caraga)
TD Agaton victims in Caraga get aid from DA
By Rhea C. Abao
BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 21 (PIA) - The Department of
Agriculture – Regional Field Office XIII (DA-RFO XIII) has distributed a total
of 4,500 bags of rehabilitation seeds to the local government units as support
to Caraga rice farmers reeling from the aftermath of low pressure and tropical
depression Agaton last January.
Regional Seed Coordinator June Anthony S. Ouano
said that the 4,500 bags of palay seeds consist 2,000 bags certified seeds,
1,200 bags traditional varieties, and 1,300 bags registered seeds, which will
be distributed among the affected cities and provinces of the region.
The Province of Agusan del Sur was one of the
provinces who received an allocation of 2,000 bags of palay rehab seeds to be
distributed to the 13 municipalities affected by the recent calamity.
According to Provincial Agriculture Office OIC
Jessica G. Unson, they have already started the distribution as early as first
week of February to catch up with the first cropping season of the year. The
municipal agriculturists within the province followed the 1:1 distribution
scheme, where 1 bag is entitled to 1 farmer corresponding to a 1 hectare
production area.
Farmers in the municipality of Sta. Josefa now
heaved a sigh of relief as palay seeds were distributed in their municipality.
“We are happy from the assistance given to us, as we will make a fresh start in
our areas devastated by the typhoon,” said Barangay Awao Chairman Arthur
Gunban.
Municipal Agriculturist Josefa M. Santos also
said that part of the distribution agreement is that farmers who have received
registered seeds are encouraged to share their farm produce to other farmers
for planting in the next cropping season.
The turn-over ceremony was graced by Sta. Josefa
Municipal Mayor Jann Roby R. Otero. (DA-13/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog News: Palasyo kinakatigan ang polisiya
ng PNP tungkol sa pakipanayam sa mga mamamahayag
Ni David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Peb. 21, 2014 (PIA) -
Kinakatigan ng Malakanyang ang polisiya ng Philippine National Police na
pagbawalan ang ordinaryong tauhan na makipanayam sa media tuwing magkaroon ng
imbestigasyon para maiwasan ang maling impormasyon sa publiko.
Pinagbawalan ng PNP ang ordinaryong pulis na
magbigay ng impormasyon sa mga mamamahayag maliban kung ipag-utos ng kanilang
lider.
“Gusto lang nilang maging klaro na kapag sila ay
nagbigay ng impormasyon sa publiko, ito ay tama para ito ay hindi makapagbigay
ng maling impormasyon na maidulot sa
publiko,” sabi ni Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda sa isang press briefing
sa Malakanyang noong Huwebes.
Hindi ito pagtatago ng ano man sa publiko. Ito
ay para maseguro naming ano man ang mailabas namin sa publiko ay wasto.
Ang mga mamamahayag ay kailangang magbigay ng
wastong ulat sa publiko para ang pulis ay makapagsiyasat ng masinsinan, sabi ni
Lacierda.
Ayon sa PNP, ang ganoong pagkilos ay naglalayong
mapigil anf pulis na magbigay ng maling impormasyon sa media at maging sa
publiko.
Marami sa mga opisyal ng kapulisan ang
naiimbistigahan sa pagbibigay ng hindi tama at sensitibong impormasyon sa
media, ayon sa sinasabi. Ang iba naman ay nagbibigay ng personal na opinion sa
nililitis na kaso kapag kinapanayam ng media, dagdag pa ng PNP. (PIA-Agusan del
Sur)
Cebuano News: Moral Recovery Program sa dakbayan
mas gipakusgan pa
Ni Lyka Quinto
BUTUAN CITY, Peb. 21 (PIA) – Sa tumong nga
mapalapdan sa nagkadaiyang serbisyo ug programa sa Moral Recovery Program sa
lokal nga panggamhanan sa Butuan, ubay-ubay nga mga aktibidad ang nakahan-ay
alang sa bulan sa Pebrero 2014.
Dugang niini aduna usab gipahigayon nga Values
Formation Seminar matag adlaw alang sa mga emplyado sa city hall ingon man sa
mga kapulisan sa nagkadaiyang Police Stations sa syudad.
Sa pagpanguna ni Moral Recovery officer Ptr.
Charlie Prior, giawhag nini nga tanang katawhan sa Butuan sa pagsalmot sa maong
panawagan sa pagpatuman ug pagmintina sa hisgutanang moralidad sa syudad.
Giawhag usab ang tanang buot musalmot alang sa
personal counseling. Abli ang buhatan matag adlaw’ng Lunes hangtud Biyernes,
alas 8:00 sa buntag hangtud alas 5:00 sa hapon. Mahimo usab matawagan sa
346-0375. (LGU-BC PIO/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
