TACLOBAN CITY-A housing project where members of the New People’s Army (NPA) based in Samar province who have surrendered to the government is soon to be constructed.

Tagged as a ‘peace village,’ the facility is located in Barangay Catigawan in Pinabacdao town where 144 housing units are targeted to be constructed to provide permanent houses to former rebels who have returned to the folds of the law.

Alma Gabin, a former rebel who was once the education deputy secretary of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee of the communist group, said that she hopes that the peace village will soon be realized so the intended beneficiaries could now have a sense of security for themselves.

The peace village in Pinabacdao, which sits on a three-hectare lot donated by the regional office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), was turned over to the provincial government of Samar in November 2021 with the construction supposed to start right away.

The National Housing Authority, in turn, was tasked to build the houses for the rebel surrenderees. It is not clear as to how much the said agency allocated for the project but it was learned each unit could cost around P180,000 up to P400,000, depending on the design.

“They are already tired of waiting. They said that if not for their security, they could have left to other places to find work,” Gabin said.

She added:” We hope that they will be provided with their own housing units and livelihood as well for them to live a normal life so they could also help transform communities still considered as conflict areas.”

According to Gabin, at least 600 former rebels who could be entitled to a housing unit in the said peace village are temporarily housed in various military camps in Samar province.
Gabin said that they have been making some follow-ups on this but only to be given ‘excuses’ like the facility has no water and power connections yet, lack of access road, and an Army detachment need to be established in the area.

Emy Bonifacio, area coordinator of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP), said that she hopes that the peace village would be completed for the rebel returnees to live.

“The peace and prosperity villages are part of the transformation program of former rebels and their families,” she said, noting the purpose of the program.

Aside from Pinabacdao, similar facilities are also been constructed in San Jose de Buan and Hinabangan, both in Samar province.

The OPAPP provides technical assistance to this kind of project like in the identification of potential beneficiaries and prioritization of projects that are ‘conflict sensitive’ and its implementation is ‘peace promotion.’
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Civil Registry System (CRS) Tacloban City Outlet located at Leyte SR Building; Artemio Mate Extension is temporarily closed from 22 June 2023 (Thursday) until 30 June 2023 (Friday) for the transfer to its new location.

The operation of the Outlet is targeted to resume on 03 July 2023 (Monday) under an offline mode through Batch Request System (BREQS), where all requests will be processed at CRS Catbalogan City as Servicing Outlet.

Hence, requests for civil registry documents will be released upon completion of the processing at the Servicing Outlet. Clients will be notified through text once their requested documents are already available for pick-up at the CRS Tacloban City Outlet.

The new location of the CRS Tacloban City Outlet effective 03 July 2023 is at 2nd Floor, Gaisano Capital Real,78 Real St., downtown, Tacloban City.

The clients are advised to avail of their requests for civil registry documents at PSA CRS Borongan Ciy Outlet located at 135 G. Abogado St. (Baybay 2), Barangay D-1 Borongan City, Eastern Samar, telephone numbers (055) 5602259 / (055) 8556513, PSA CRS Catbalogan City Outlet located at Laohoo Bldg., Barangay Mercedes, Diversion Road, Catbalogan City, Samar, with cellphone number 09279133219 / 09495005403 PSA CRS Maasin City Outlet E. Cabrera St., Tunga-tunga, Maasin City, Southern Leyte with telephone numbers (053) 5706334 / (053) 8026260 / 09459887478, or through the PSA Authorized online channels the PSA Serbilis(psaserbilis.com.ph), PSA Helpline(psahelpline.ph) or to any accredited Batch Request System(BREQS) partners at local government units, SM Business Center Tacloban City, PSA Biliran and PSA Northern Samar. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – At least 138 residents in 12 villages of Llorente, Eastern Samar suffered from diarrhea this month due to contaminated water, the Department of Health (DOH) regional office here reported.

Although there have been diarrhea cases recorded since January, most patients manifested symptoms in June, said Dr. Ludina Insigne, DOH regional food and waterborne diseases medical officer.
“We have received reports that some residents of Llorente town were admitted in hospitals due to diarrhea. During active surveillance, it was found that more people suffered the illness and underwent home treatment,” Insigne said in a phone interview.

Only 22 were treated in hospitals, and four of them turned positive for cholera following a rapid test but without confirmatory tests yet, according to Insigne.

Most of the patients are residents of Naubay village while some are from Antipolo, Bacayawan, 8, 11, 12, Barobo, Magtino, Piliw, San Miguel, So-ong, and Tabok villages.

“There is high probability that people contracted the infection from contaminated water. Open defecation even in rivers is still common since some households have no toilet. Some families wash their dishes in rivers, which contaminated their food,” Insigne added.

Infection is spread through contaminated food or drinking-water, or from person-to-person as a result of poor hygiene.

Patients experienced abdominal pain and loose, watery, and more frequent bowel movements.

Although some cases are acute, Insigne said the DOH and the local health office have not yet declared an outbreak since they need more evidence.

The local government has stepped up the information drive to prevent the illness from spreading.(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

ORMOC CITY– Several high-powered firearms belonging to the New People’s Army (NPA) were recently recovered by government troops in a remote village in Jipapad, Eastern Samar.

Report from the 8th Infantry Division, based in Catbalogan City, Samar said that the recovery of the cache of firearms on June 18 was the result of information from a former rebel.

The recovered firearms were buried in a pit in Barangay Agsaman, a hinterland village about 10 kms away from the town proper of Jipapad.

The report added that the soldiers, belonging to the 52nd Infantry Battalion, recovered two AK47 rifles, one M14 rifle, a shotgun, four anti-personnel mines, two magazines of AK47 and M14, 140 rounds of ammunitions of AK47, and 75 cartridges of 7.62mm ball for M14.
The discovery and recovery of the firearms were made by a former rebel, identified as alias ‘Artem’ who led the soldiers to the location where the firearms were buried.

Major Gen. Camilo Ligayo, the commanding general of the 8th ID, lauded the recovery of the firearms and the surrender of the former rebel.

He then asked the remaining active rebel members to surrender and return to the folds of the law.

“We welcome the surrender of alias Artem and we are hoping that the other members of the NPA will also do the same,” he said.

“It is not too late to surrender, return to the folds of the law and make use of the different government assistance as you start your life anew,” Ligayo added.

Artem, as a rebel surrenderee, is expected to receive government assistance under the local social integration program (LSIP) and enhanced comprehensive local integration program (E-CLIP), among others, as he returns to normal life.(ROBERT DEJON)