TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas will be joining the Central Philippines Tourism Expo which will be held at the Iloilo Convention Center from June 16 to 18.

The expo is a collaboration between the regions of Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas, and hosted by Western Visayas, showcasing their respective destinations and other tourism products.

The three-day expo consists of six events which include the parade of festivals, tourism expo, business-to-business (B2B) meeting, product presentation and cultural performances, regional launching of “Bisita Be My Guest” program, and the post-tour/travel exchange.

At least eight local government units from the region are to participate in the expo including six travel and tour agencies, covering six booths, the Department of Tourism (DOT)-8 said.

The travel and tour agencies include Lorraine Travel and Tours, SMR Travel and Tours, Viaje Holidays Travel Services, Marsdenisse Travel and Tours, HIS Travel and Tours, and IM Travel Corporation.

Participating LGUs include Southern Leyte which will showcase its twin islands of San Pedro and San Pablo in Hinunangan town; the historical town of Limasawa Island, and the world-class diving sites along Sogod Bay; Samar province which is known for Sohoton Cave, the Olot Torpedo Extreme Adventure River Cruise, the Marabut Rock Formations, and various waterfalls like the Lulugayan in Calbiga town and Tarangban Falls in Calbayog City; and Burauen town in Leyte province for its ‘Tanguile’ trail tour package within the Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park.

Also joining them are the municipalities in the fourth district of Leyte, namely, Palompon where the popular Kalanggaman Island is located; Matag-ob known for its Bondari Peak; Isabel town that is promoting educational tourism due to the presence of Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining (PASAR) Corp., the only smelting plant in the country and mountain restaurants, Merida and Albuera for their mountain and beach resorts.

The Buraburon Festival of Burauen town, one of the most awarded festivals in Eastern Visayas is also set to perform during the festival parade at the said tourism expo.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY-A fire suspected due to electrical discharges gutted down a furniture stockyard and employees staff house in Barangay Sabang, Palompon, Leyte last June 10
The blaze took place at the Emma Appliance trading which is owned by Teofila Nuñes at about 7:45 am.

Duty fire officer FO1 John Mark Uy, in an interview disclosed that the fire started at the front area of the house where the car garage was located and just minutes after the power supply returned after an hour of power outage.

He added that based on the accounts of the witnesses, the fire came from the electric spark of a post that entered the garage and landed on the sleeping foam of the employees left in the garage.

Among the belongings that were turned to ashes were the stock appliances and furniture along with four single motorcycles owned by the employees.

The fire was controlled at about 8: 30 am and fire out was declared at about 8: 45 am.
No one was reported injured from the fire with an estimated damage of P3.2 million. (ROBERT DEJON)

CATBALOGAN CITY– The provincial government of Samar was chosen as one of the pilot areas for iSTART and SMART City Projects of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST 8).

As such, the province welcomed DOST 8 delegates headed by Regional Director Ernesto Granada, for a collaborative meeting last June 7, 2023.

Gov. Sharee Ann Tan shared her enthusiasm, saying, “We really want to provide a legacy to the province. We are so grateful to DOST, and we are so excited for Catbalogan City and Calbayog City.”

“We are here to support these projects. If there is anything that we can be of help, just let us know how we can assist you,” the governor added.

PLGU Samar also tapped Samar State University (SSU) and the Northwest Samar State University (NWSSU) as partners in the implementation of the DOST projects.

“Our state universities also have the expertise and they can help us. We will not only be working hard. We will be working smart,” Gov. Tan said.

Meanwhile, the SUC presidents, Dr. Marilyn Cardoso of SSU and Dr. Benjamin Pecayo of NWSSU, pledged their commitment and resources for the success of the projects.

iSTART is a platform for the strategic alignment of the DOST technology transfer programs and projects, engagements of Researchers, Scientists, and Engineers (RSEs), and conduct of research and development needed to create or improve micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in support to the development of the countryside.

On the other hand, the SMART Program or Smart and Sustainable Communities aims to transform cities to become SMART Cities where initiatives and approaches are taken effectively to leverage digitalization with the goal of improving the people’s quality of life, government efficiency, health and wellness, economic development, and public safety, among others.(SAMAR PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)

TACLOBAN CITY– The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the region has concluded its consultation on ‘listahanan’ data sharing.

Municipal social welfare and development officers (MSWDOs) and representatives from different national government agencies and non-government organizations attended the two-day consultation that ended on June 9.

The purpose of the activity was to encourage local governments, and public and private agencies that implement programs and social services to use the listahanan database to serve as a basis for selecting eligible beneficiaries, Leizel Astorga, listahan’s regional field coordinator, said.

By conducting the consultation dialogue, the DSWD hopes to expand the use of the listahanan 3 database in the region, she added.

Listahanan is a DSWD project that aims to identify who and where the poor are in the country.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)