The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stands with Secretary National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. following the imposition sanctions against him and his family by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
The AFP views these sanctions not merely as actions directed against Philippine government official and his family, but as an attempt to undermine of the Philippine the legitimate exercise of our nation’s sovereign rights and the principled defense of Philippine national interests.
Secretary Teodoro has consistently advocated for the protection Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime entitlements accordance with international law, particularly in the West Philippine Sea within our Exclusive Economic Zone.
He has likewise been at forefront of efforts to expose and address illegal activities, espionage-related threats, and other actions that undermine Philippine security and national interests.
His steadfast commitment reflects position of the Republic of the Philippines in safeguarding its national security, territorial integrity, and maritime interests.
The AFP remains resolute in carrying out its constitutional mandate and rejects any attempt to intimidate or pressure those who stand in defense of the nation.
No external action or coercive measure will diminish our resolve to protect the Filipino people, uphold the rule of law, and safeguard our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime domain. (PR)
ORMOC CITY — A newly identified drug suspect was arrested while more than P49,000 worth of suspected shabu was seized during a joint anti-drug operation in Maasin City, authorities said.
Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Southern Leyte Provincial Police Office, and the City Drug Enforcement Team of the Maasin City Police Station conducted a buy-bust operation at around 12:13 p.m. on June 13 in Barangay Mantahan that resulted in the arrest of alias “Danny,” 48, a jobless resident of the village.
PDEA Regional Director Levi Ortiz said the suspect was identified through ongoing anti-illegal drug monitoring and was targeted following reports of alleged involvement in the local drug trade.
Recovered from the suspect during the operation was a sachet containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu, which was allegedly sold to an undercover operative for P1,000.
A subsequent body search conducted in the presence of required witnesses led to the recovery of a black-and-white striped coin purse containing eight additional sachets of suspected shabu.
Authorities said the confiscated illegal drugs weighed a total of 7.23 grams with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board value of P49,164.
Also recovered was the marked P1,000 bill used in the operation.
The suspect was informed of the reason for his arrest and apprised of his constitutional rights before being taken into custody.
Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, have been filed before the City Prosecutor’s Office. The suspect is currently detained at the Maasin City Police Station pending further legal proceedings.
HYDROPOWER. Officials of Dorelco, EBATECH, and the local government of Burauen discuss the proposed 5-megawatt hydropower project along the Marabong River system during a meeting on June 15. The renewable energy project aims to provide a stable and sustainable power source for consumers within DORELCO’s service area.(Photo Courtesy)
To boost renewable energy supply
HYDROPOWER. Officials of Dorelco, EBATECH, and the local government of Burauen discuss the proposed 5-megawatt hydropower project along the Marabong River system during a meeting on June 15. The renewable energy project aims to provide a stable and sustainable power source for consumers within DORELCO’s service area.(Photo Courtesy)
TACLOBAN CITY – A proposed hydropower facility along the Marabong River system in Burauen, Leyte could soon provide a new source of renewable electricity for thousands of consumers served by the Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative (Dorelco), as the electric cooperative pursues efforts to strengthen energy security and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
The project, a partnership between DORELCO and Cebu-based Energy & Building Applications Technologies Corporation (EBATECH), is expected to generate up to 5 megawatts of electricity by harnessing the natural flow of the Marabong River in Barangay Logsongan.
Representatives of Dorelco and EBATECH presented the proposed development to local officials during a meeting on June 15 with Burauen Mayor Fe Renomeron, outlining the project’s technical features, potential community benefits, and contribution to the region’s renewable energy goals.
Dorelco General Manager Christopher Garcia said the river system has been identified as a viable site for a small-scale hydropower facility that could help address the growing electricity requirements of communities within the cooperative’s franchise area.
“With increasing demand for electricity, this development has the potential to provide a more reliable and renewable source of power for our coverage area,” Garcia said in an online interview.
The facility is projected to have an initial generating capacity of about 5 megawatts, which could improve power supply reliability and support future economic growth in several municipalities in Leyte.
Garcia said the project complements Dorelco’s long-term strategy of securing cleaner and more sustainable energy sources for its member-consumers while supporting the national government’s renewable energy agenda.
The proposed facility is targeted for completion and commercial operation by 2027, although detailed engineering studies, regulatory approvals, and investment arrangements are still being finalized.
The project cost has yet to be determined, Garcia said.
The Marabong River hydropower initiative is part of broader efforts by electric cooperatives and local governments nationwide to invest in renewable energy technologies amid increasing power demand and concerns over energy sustainability.
The Department of Energy has been promoting the development of indigenous renewable energy resources, including hydropower, solar, wind, and geothermal projects, to enhance energy security, reduce dependence on imported fuels, and stabilize electricity costs.
If realized, the hydropower project would add to Leyte’s growing portfolio of renewable energy facilities and further strengthen the province’s role as one of the country’s major renewable energy centers, which already hosts significant geothermal power operations.
Dorelco currently serves more than 110,000 member-consumers across 12 municipalities in Leyte, including Burauen, Abuyog, Dulag, and Tanauan, where electricity demand continues to increase alongside population growth and economic activity.
HIGHEST-RATED EV GOVERNOR. A recent Boses ng Bayan Governance Assessment conducted by RPMD Foundation Inc. ranked Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan as the region’s highest-rated provincial executive, while all six governors posted ratings above the organization’s governance benchmark.
(Photo Courtesy:Governor Ann Tan Facebook)
HIGHEST-RATED EV GOVERNOR. A recent Boses ng Bayan Governance Assessment conducted by RPMD Foundation Inc. ranked Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan as the region’s highest-rated provincial executive, while all six governors posted ratings above the organization’s governance benchmark. (Photo Courtesy:Governor Ann Tan Facebook)
TACLOBAN CITY — Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan emerged as the top-rated provincial executive in Eastern Visayas, according to the latest Boses ng Bayan Governance Assessment conducted by RPMD Foundation Inc., which also showed all six governors in the region earning positive marks from voters.
Results of the survey, conducted from April 1 to 8, 2026, placed Tan at the top of the regional rankings with an 82.1-percent Index of Governance (IOG), derived from an 81.7-percent trust rating and an 82.5-percent performance rating.
Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho “Icot” Petilla ranked second with an 80.4-percent IOG, followed by Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado with 79.0 percent.
Biliran Governor Roger Espina placed fourth with a 77.3-percent rating, while Northern Samar Governor Harris Ongchuan garnered 74.0 percent. Eastern Samar Governor RV Evardone completed the list with a 70.9-percent IOG.
The survey covered 5,000 randomly selected registered voters across Eastern Visayas. Respondents were proportionally distributed and weighted based on the voting population of each province.
RPMD Foundation said the study included respondents from all socioeconomic classes and carried a margin of error of plus or minus one percent at a 95-percent confidence level.
According to the organization, all six governors surpassed its 55-percent governance benchmark, indicating generally favorable public perceptions of provincial leadership throughout the region.
The Index of Governance combines trust and job performance ratings to assess how constituents evaluate the effectiveness of elected officials.
The assessment measures public perceptions across key governance areas, including accountability, fiscal management, infrastructure development, healthcare and social services, disaster preparedness, economic programs, public safety, environmental protection, innovation, citizen engagement, and overall satisfaction with government services.
RPMD Executive Director Paul Martinez said the results reflect voters’ assessment of leadership based on governance outcomes and service delivery rather than political affiliations.
“Eastern Visayas continues to demonstrate that effective governance transcends politics,” Martinez said. “The governors who earned strong ratings are those perceived by their constituents as delivering solutions, maintaining public engagement, and providing steady leadership amid evolving challenges.”
Martinez added that voters increasingly judge public officials based on tangible results that directly affect communities, such as infrastructure improvements, disaster resilience, healthcare access, livelihood opportunities, environmental protection, and efficient government services.
The survey forms part of RPMD’s independent and non-commissioned nationwide Boses ng Bayan Governance Assessment, which measures public confidence and perceptions of government performance. Unlike electoral preference surveys, the assessment focuses on governance effectiveness and leadership outcomes.
The latest findings suggest that voters in Eastern Visayas continue to value accountability, competence, transparency, and responsive public service as key indicators of effective leadership.
QR CODE SYSTEM. Baybay City officials led by Mayor Jose Carlos Cari and Tourism Officer Josefina Granada-Gutierrez launch the “Quality Visitor Experience Initiative,” a QR code-based feedback system that allows tourists and visitors to evaluate tourism establishments and services, helping improve customer experience and service standards across the city. (Photo: Baybay Tourism and Investment Office)
QR CODE SYSTEM. Baybay City officials led by Mayor Jose Carlos Cari and Tourism Officer Josefina Granada-Gutierrez launch the “Quality Visitor Experience Initiative,” a QR code-based feedback system that allows tourists and visitors to evaluate tourism establishments and services, helping improve customer experience and service standards across the city. (Photo: Baybay Tourism and Investment Office)
TACLOBAN CITY – Tourists and visitors in Baybay City can now directly influence the quality of local tourism services through a newly launched QR code-based feedback system designed to improve customer experience and boost service standards across tourism establishments.
Dubbed the “Quality Visitor Experience Initiative,” the program allows visitors to instantly evaluate tourism-related establishments and services by scanning a QR code and rating them on hospitality, efficiency, cleanliness, and overall customer satisfaction.
The initiative, the first of its kind in Eastern Visayas, also enables users to submit complaints, suggestions, and recommendations regarding services provided by tourism facilities in the city.
Baybay City Tourism Officer Josefina Granada-Gutierrez said the digital platform is part of the city government’s feedback and service evaluation mechanism aimed at promoting, monitoring, and sustaining high standards of customer service in the local tourism industry.
“This is to inspire and encourage our establishments to improve their services and how they deal with visitors and tourists,” Granada-Gutierrez said during the launch.
She said the city government plans to recognize top-performing tourism establishments by December based on ratings and feedback gathered through the QR code system.
“We want the tourists and clients themselves to tell us which establishments are providing excellent service. This is a way for us to know what improvements are needed in the tourism industry,” she added.
Granada-Gutierrez assured respondents that personal information submitted through the platform will remain confidential, emphasizing that constructive criticism is essential in improving tourism services.
“Positive feedback is important, but constructive criticism is equally welcome because this is where we can start making improvements and do better,” she said.
Mayor Jose Carlos Cari said establishments that receive unfavorable feedback will also be given support from the city government to help improve their services.
“Those who receive poor feedback will not be left behind. We will help them because we want all establishments in Baybay City to provide quality service,” the mayor said.
To qualify for recognition under the program, establishments must be accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
Tourism data showed that Baybay City recorded 520,206 visitors at its pilgrimage sites in 2025. The Shrine of St. Anthony de Padua attracted the highest number of visitors at 323,205, followed by the 18th Century Immaculate Conception Parish with 204,036 visitors.
The city also logged 360,461 day-tour arrivals across its tourist attractions. Three destinations—Lintaon Peak, Eastern Clouds of Baybay, and Aya’s Hill—were among the top 10 most visited tourist sites in Eastern Visayas in 2025.
The launch of the feedback mechanism comes on the heels of Baybay City’s recognition as the only local government unit from Eastern Visayas to receive the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) Government Partner Award during the national FBSE Summit on July 21, 2025.
An NGCP top official maintained that the company is a Filipino corporation and run by Filipinos, allaying concerns about China role in the operation of the country’s power grid.
“The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) does not exercise control over the power grid nor over NGCP,” NGCP Vice Chairman Henry Sy Jr. told the House Committee on Legislative Franchises in his opening statement.
“Domestic corporations Monte Oro Grid Resources Corporation and Calaca High Power Corporation each hold thirty percent (30%), or a total of sixty percent (60%) of the outstanding capital stock of NGCP, whereas SGCC only holds a minority share of forty percent (40%),” he added, stressing that SGCC’s shareholding in NGCP is consistent with the Constitution.
On the matter of NGCP’ partnership with a Chinese firm, Sy clarified that SGCC was already on board and the shareholders agreement was already in place when he purchased his shares in 2010.
He also debunked reports that the Chinese can shut down the country’s power grid, stressing that “it is NGCP alone, through its Filipino directors and personnel, and not the Chinese, which has control over the System Operations.”
“The Chinese do not have control over the Grid,” he emphasized, adding “there is no proverbial single red button that can instantly turn off the Grid.”
There are protocols that actually prevent this, Sy stated.
Sy also informed the Committee that NGCP’s SCADA system is a secure stand-alone, isolated system not connected to any other network or internet, thus making it safe from remote hacking.
Sy also underscored the need for stability, not just in the power grid, but also in supply, law, policy and regulation, for a more robust power industry.
“I strongly urge our DOE to look at the problem as a whole. The data is clear, 97 percent of the power interruptions from 2016 to 2023 was caused by problems in supply,” Sy pointed out.
“We need stable, affordable baseload power. We need a comprehensive, aligned plan that considers the needs of all sectors. We are willing to be part of the solution, but transmission should not be the solution to everyone’s problems,” he said. (PR)
