CATARMAN, Northern Samar– The Fraternal Order of Eagles in this province celebrated the 28th Philippine Eagles Week by helping the local coconut farmers increase their produce.

The “Eagles” Eastern Visayas Region 2 led by its Regional Governor James Laniwan recently turned over 1,000 coconut seedlings of the dwarf Catigan variety to 10 farmers associations from different municipalities in the province.

The recipients include the Catarman Producers Cooperative, Inc. and the Hinatad Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association in the capital town of Catarman; the Bantayan Coconut Farmers Assn. of San Roque town; Makiwalo Organic Farmers Assn. of Mondragon; Moronporon Sumoroy Farmers Assn. and San Isidro Irrigators Farmers Assn. of Bobon; Binglad Farmers Assn., and Oleras Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Laoang; Kilusan ng Pagbabago Pangkabuhayan Farmers Assn. of San Jose; and the Catubig Organic Farmers Assn. in the municipality of Catubig.

A memorandum of agreement between the Eagles, the presidents of the farmer organizations, and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) was held on June 17 during the club’s anniversary party.

Under the MOA, each beneficiary association will allot one hectare of their tended land to plant the coconut seedlings that they received.

The PCA will then establish a nursery in the allotted lands and buy the harvest of good coconuts from the farmers “based on the prevailing price”.

Northern Samar PCA Provincial Administrator Engr. Renato Dubongco lauded the Eagles for supporting the local coconut industry.

He said coconut farmers need all the support that they can get despite having recovered from the wrath of Typhoon ‘Nona’ in 2015 that drastically damaged the coconut trees in the province.

“The economy in our province largely depends on our production of coconut. Eighty percent of our people benefit – directly and indirectly – from coconut economically,” he said.

The Catigan dwarf coconut variety is expected to start yielding fruits in two years.
On June 16, 1995 then former President Fidel V. Ramos signed Proclamation No. 600 declaring the period from June 15 to 22 of every year as Philippine Eagles Week.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles – Eastern Visayas Region 2 has seven affiliate chapters in Northern Samar that include the Catarman Eagles Club; Ibabaonon Eagles Club; Norsam Eagles Club; Sumoroy Eagles Club; Masarigan Norte Eagles Club; Mandaragit Eagles Club; and the Marig-on Norte Samarnon Eagles Club.

(RACHEL ARNAIZ)

BORONGAN CITY -The city government here has turned over to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) a passenger terminal building at the city airport it funded in the amount of P10 million.

CAAP director general Manuel Antonio Tamayo noted that this is the first time that a local government funded a development project for an airport.

“This achievement is a pinnacle of cooperation between the national government and the local government demonstrating what we can accomplish when we work together,” he said during the turnover rites.

“Truly by combining our resources we can propel our aviation industry to new heights driving economic growth and connectivity across the country,” Tamayo added.
The inauguration was also graced by Governor Ben Evardone and Japanese Consul General Hideki Yamaji, city, and provincial government officials, officials of the Philippine Army, and private sector members.

Prior to the inauguration, Borongan City and CAAP had inked a memorandum of agreement on June 13 for the city government to fund and undertake various development projects in the airport.

The new departure area has a capacity of 120 passengers, bigger than the old departure area that can only cater to 75 passengers.

Made from a container van, the construction started in March this year and was completed after three months.

The old terminal building will still be used as a passenger arrival terminal area and for cargo.

Since the Borongan City Airport started operating in December 2022, at least 86 inbound and outbound flights had been made by PAL Express, carrying a total of 4, 022 passengers from Manila, Cebu, Borongan City, and its neighboring towns.

The city airport has only two flights a week, every Monday and Friday, from Metro Manila to Cebu then Borongan. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY– A fisherman from Kawayan, Biliran is reported missing since he was last seen on June 18.

The missing fisherman, Jonathan Lucero, 35, is a resident of Barangay Tucdao in the said town, the local police said.

Capt. Ismael Corzon, municipal police chief, said that they have learned on the case of Lucero after receiving information from Glenn Rom, also a resident of Tucdao.

Rom told the local police that some fishermen of Tucdao saw the motorized banca owned by Lucero circling in the sea just a few kilometers away from the shoreline of the village while its engine was still running without seeing the latter operating the said motorized banca.

Rom added that the fishermen that saw the situation failed to stop the motorized banca because they were afraid that it might hit them and cause further damage.

Capt. Corzon disclosed that the motorized banca of the missing fisherman was recovered along the shoreline of Brgy. Buenavista, Sto. Niño, Samar at about 12 noon on June 18, about 28 kilometers northeast of Kawayan.

The police officer added that before the incident, Lucero said to be suffering from stomach pain but still went on fishing.

Based on the description from the family and relatives, Lucero was about 5’2” in height and was last seen wearing a long-sleeve color green with markings “DOLE Tupad” and a black short pants.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY– Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez denied that his call to probe a poultry farm owned by a municipal mayor reeks of politics.

Gomez(4th district) said that the action he has taken against the DBSN Farm, owned by Palompon Mayor Ramon Oñate, has all the legal basis and not he is just telling Congress the real situation on the grounds.

“Hindi ito pamumulitika. It’s not politicking. I have all the legal basis here. It is telling the people that he is an abusive mayor and he uses his power for his personal gains,” the solon said in an interview on June 16.

Oñate said that the action of the former mayor of Ormoc City is politically motivated. During the last congressional elections, the Palompon mayor supported the opponent of Gomez, former elections commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal.

Gomez has filed a resolution calling for the investigation against Oñate and his DBSN Farm for environmental violations, particularly on polluting a watershed in Palompon of dead chicken and chicken dung.

“He should face the allegations against him. We have all the evidence which were provided to me by various government agencies. Why he is polluting a protected area, a watershed,” the solon said.

Rep. Gomez said that he is serious on his action against the town mayor and if found guilty, should be punished accordingly.

In a position paper, the Palompon mayor dismissed the claims of the lawmaker.
“The issue that DBSN Farms Agriventures Dressing Plant has been dumping chicken waste in Barangay San Joaquin, Palompon, Leyte thereby causing health problems and contaminating its water source is irrelevant because the breeder farm has nothing to do with any of such alleged complaints,” he said.

“As a breeder farm, we only dispose our chicken waste, mainly chicken manure at the end of the breeding cycle and that is after 42 weeks from the beginning of its operation. We also have a regulated and designated soil conditioner containment area (compost pit) for chicken manure with an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region VIII, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),” Oñate added.

He also said that the rural health of Palompon has not recorded or reported any health problems relative to the operations of their poultry farm.

“The fact that as per record and certification from the RHU of Palompon, duly certified by its rural health officer, that no families nor individuals have experienced any significant health issues attributable to these operations in this and all the neighboring barangays where the breeder farm is located would suggest that the DBSN Breeder Farm is no more of a health risk than any other type of farming,” Oñate said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)