TACLOBAN CITY – Environmental group Oceana pledged to help Northern Samar province preserve its marine ecosystem in four island towns.

In a meeting Thursday, key officials of Oceana and the provincial government agreed to generate baseline data to “unravel the intricacies of the province’s fisheries sector.”
Funded by Oceana through the Center for Sustainable Aquaculture and Agri-based Innovations (CENSAAI), baseline data will be gathered in key areas, among them fishery abundance, post-harvest practices, losses, and fish consumption.

“We convey optimism about the great potential of the province’s fishery sector. The unexplored opportunities for sustainable aquaculture and responsible fishing practices stand out, presenting a promising avenue to enhance food security and bolster the local economy,” the provincial government stated.

CENSAAI has begun data gathering in Northern Samar. Specifically, they looked into post-harvest fish losses and fish consumption in coastal towns.

The target is to establish the baseline data before the end of March this year.

The Balicuatro Islands are a group of 18 small islands situated about 11 km. northeast of Balicuatro Point, the northwestern tip of Samar Island.

These islands are within the boundaries of the towns of Biri, Capul, San Antonio, and San Vicente.

The major marine product within the island group is sardines, with catches traded in Luzon.
Oceana earlier attributed the deterioration of sardine stocks in Northern Samar to overfishing, harmful fishing practices, and weak implementation of the National Sardines Management Plan (NSMP).

A study by Oceana, which monitored the movement of sardine stock in the waters off Bulan, Sorsogon and the Samar Sea, found an exploitation rate of 0.8 for sardines in the area, which meant the stock was already over-exploited.

PSA data show that the catch of sardine species significantly declined from 442,045.75 metric tons in 2010 to 325,226.20 metric tons, or 26.4 percent, in 2019.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO/PNA)

ORMOC CITY– Two alleged members of the communist group, the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in an armed encounter with government troops in a hinterland village of Tinag-an, Albuera in Leyte Saturday (Feb.10).

The alleged rebels, identified as Crispolo Agunos, Jr., and Rolando Caballera, died during a 15-minute firefight, B/Gen. Noel Vestuir, the commanding officer of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, said on Saturday.

The soldiers, belonging to the 93rd Infantry Battalion based in Kananga, Leyte, also recovered two Caliber 5.56 M16 rifles, and one Cal.45 pistol.

According to Vestuir, the soldiers were in the area at about 7:23 am to respond report on the presence of a group of armed men, conducting extortion activity to the villagers.
This resulted in the armed fight with the companions of the two dead rebels leaving them behind, the Army officer said.

Vestuir disclosed that the dead rebels belong to the executive committee of the IC-Levox of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.

Caballera, who carried the alias of ‘Chow/Brooks’ had 15 standing warrants of arrest as he was behind on the series of killing incidents involving rebels who surrendered to the government, Vestuir said.

“The death of these two notorious NPA terrorists is a result of the firm resolve and commitment of our people to prevent the recovery efforts of the remnants of IC-Levox in their community,” Vestuir said.

“Through the timely information provided by some residents, we have pinpointed the area where these terrorists hide. Indeed, we attain the situation that the people are inhospitable to these NPA terrorists,” he added.

The remains of the two were brought to the rural health unit of Kananga for their families to collect and give them a proper burial.

Their identities were known through information from the villagers and their former members.(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY– Sixty-one passengers and crews of a ferryboat were rescued after it ran aground at about 09:40 pm Sunday (Feb.11) off the waters of Capul, Northern Samar.
The rescued passengers and crews were onboard MV Reina Hossana which came from Matnog, Sorsogon, and on its way to Allen, Northern Samar.

On its report, the Capul police office said that at about 9:50 pm on Sunday, personnel from their station together with personnel of the Capul municipal disaster risk reduction management office and Philippine Coast Guard personnel responded to a call to conduct a rescue operation along the shoreline of Sitio Sagaosawan, Barangay 1, Capul.

Residents had called the attention of their station after seeing a sea vessel run aground at the shoreline of the said coastal barangay.

Initial investigation conducted by responding police disclosed that the said motor vessel left Matnog at about 7:30 pm on Sunday, and was navigating to Allen, Northern Samar, and upon reaching the sea waters between Capul and Allen, the vessel encountered engine trouble.

Big waves and heavy wind that occurred in the seawater resulting for the vessel to drift to the shore that resulted to run aground.

The vessel, according to Capul police, was carrying 16 light cars, 1 Elf vehicle, 1 forward vehicle, 1 trailer, and 8 10-wheeler trucks.

The rescued passengers and crew were brought to the rural health unit of Capul and later transferred to the evacuation center at the municipal gymnasium.
No one was reported injured. (ROBERT DEJON)