CATARMAN, Northern Samar –District Engineer Alvin A. Ignacio with the Inspectorate team lead by Construction Chief Engineer Vicente C. Galecio of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Northern Samar First District Engineering Office (DEO), conducted an inspection of various infra projects within the first district of Northern Samar on January 4, 2024.

During the inspection, District Engineer Ignacio underscored the importance of conducting routine project inspections to ensure that the contractors comply with correct construction methodologies and adhere to the department’s guidelines and specifications.

The team inspected the ongoing concreting of Barangay Chitongco to Sitio Pamiswakan, Brgy. Chitongco farm-tom-market (FMR), Brgy. Chitongco, Mondragon Northern Samar; rehabilitation of river control, Barangay Makiwalo, Mondragon, Northern Samar; construction of 1STY 4CL Cawayan Integrated School, Catarman, Northern Samar; rehabilitation/reconstruction/upgrading of damaged paved roads – tertiary roads – Bugko – Nenita – Mirador- Cagpanit-an – De Maria – Sn Jose Rd – K0762+00-K0763+092, Mondragon, Northern Samar; construction of multi-purpose building, Brgy. Cawayan, Catarman, Northern Samar and rehabilitation/reconstruction/upgrading of damaged paved roads – Secondary Road – Catarman – Laoang Rd – K0761+480-K0762+000, Mondragon, Northern Samar.

District Engineer Ignacio emphasized the significant impact these projects will have upon completion.

“The successful completion of these projects will certainly benefit the traveling public and will contribute to the overall improvement of infrastructure in the first district of Northern Samar,” he said.

DE Ignacio further stressed that routine inspections play a crucial role in monitoring the progress of ongoing projects and addressing any issues promptly. Hence, the monitoring Engineers are required to join the project inspections.

The DPWH officials are committed to overseeing the successful implementation of these initiatives for the betterment of the community and the efficient use of public resources.
(ANALIZA A. PABIA, PIO ALTERNATE/PR)

TACLOBAN CITY– More than 20 pilgrims joined a one-day pilgrimage tour to seven old churches in Leyte and Southern Leyte on Jan.7.

Sponsored by the IM Travel Corporation in partnership with the tourism office of Baybay City and the Diocese of Maasin, the pilgrims were able to explore century-old churches that define the Philippine’s Catholic rich history and culture.

The seven centuries-old churches that were part of the tour are the Maasin Cathedral in Southern Leyte; St. Joseph Church of Matalom Leyte; Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Hilongos, Leyte; Sto. Niño de Malitbog Church, in Malitbog, Leyte; the 18th century Immaculate Conception Church, the Diocesan Shrine of St. Anthony de Padua, and the 16th Century old St. Isidore of Laborer Chapel, in Baybay City, Leyte.
The pilgrims also visited the Visitation Shrine of Mother Mary at Lintaon Peak in Baybay City.

Rochelle Alfonso, owner and CEO of IM Travel Corp., said that the pilgrimage package started in 2019 in cooperation with the Department of Tourism(DOT)-8‘s ‘Sinugdan’ tour for the 500th year anniversary of the First Mass in Limasawa in Southern Leyte.

“During the training, I did not fully embrace the notion of having a pilgrimage tour maybe because I was young, and even the cost for the tour for 3 days and 2 nights was expensive, I never thought that it was possible,” she added.

However in 2022 in a travel mart organized by the DOT, she was able to present the package to a potential pilgrim and it was taken positively, thus the first international pilgrim tour last 2023 in Leyte.

The pilgrims were about 37 people from North California including a bishop and two priests and mostly senior citizens.

Alfonso added that since then blessings for IM travel and tours kept pouring, thus, she decided to continue offering the said tour package locally in fulfillment of a promise she made to the churches she visited that she would bring more pilgrims to the said churches.
For this year her travel and tours corporation’s first offering was a pilgrimage tour package.
Meanwhile, the city government of Baybay through its tourism officer Josie Gutierrez said that what IM Travel and Tours doing now is a dream come true from the city government of Baybay.

“This is already an initiation coming from the private sector campaigning, promoting doing the pilgrimage. This is partly part of the establishment of tourism in the city,” Gutierrez said.

The Baybay city government is in full support of the pilgrimage tour having the three churches located in the city by providing better roads and more comfortable space for the pilgrims.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)