Employees of Leyte’s 2nd District Engineering District based in MacArthur town, received each a sack of rice from Vice Gov. Sandy Javier and his wife, Rep. Karen Lolita Javier. (PHOTO COURTESY)
Employees of Leyte’s 2nd District Engineering District based in MacArthur town, received each a sack of rice from Vice Gov. Sandy Javier and his wife, Rep. Karen Lolita Javier. (PHOTO COURTESY)
TACLOBAN CITY-Leyte Second District Representative Karen Lolita T. Javier, along with Vice Governor Sandy Javier, gave rice incentives to all employees of the Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office (L2DEO) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
A total of 449 employees, comprising of permanent, job order, and roadside maintenance employees, were delighted to receive one sack of well-milled rice.
This has been the 5th year of the Christmas season that all employees have taken home a sack of rice since Rep. Javier assumed the position as a congresswoman representing Leyte’s second congressional district.
“On behalf of the district office, I am incredibly grateful for the generosity and thoughtfulness of Vice Gov. Sandy and Congresswoman Karen. They have been consistent in sharing their blessings with all of us,” said District Engineer Leo Edward Oppura.
“We are thankful and blessed for these sacks of rice, as the Christmas spirit is embodied in these presents. These presents are well-deserved and an indication of the dedication and hard work of our colleagues, who have served the public with great skill and diligence during the entire year,” he added.
In an interview, Jeremy Macalinao, a roadside maintenance worker, said that he is profoundly grateful for the sack of rice other than any gifts, as this is a big help to the needs of his family to lessen their expenses, especially during this time.
The sacks of rice were distributed on December 22, 2023, spearheaded by District Engineer Oppura and his assistant, Francisco Robin, Jr. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) has endorsed the extension of the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
RDC vice chair and National Economic and Development Authority regional director Meylene Rosales said in a phone interview Wednesday the region’s highest policy-making body formally endorsed the extension during its meeting on December 6.
“The RDC saw the need to support the extension as the implementation of the project was hobbled by pandemic-related delays. The extension is seen to help improve the agriculture industry in Eastern Visayas, which has seen declines in recent years,” Rosales said.
Started in 2021, SPLIT is supposed to end in 2024, but with the extension, the program is expected to end by 2027.
Earlier, DAR Eastern Visayas regional director Robert Anthony Yu said aside from pandemic restrictions, the slow absorptive capacity of other partner agencies also affected the pace of the project.
Among its partners are the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Land Registration Authority, Registry of Deeds, Land Bank of the Philippines, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and Department of the Interior and Local Government.
During the first two years of the SPLIT implementation, the DAR regional office has covered at least 13,705 hectares of farmlands in Eastern Visayas.
These titles have been received by 4,372 agrarian reform beneficiaries tilling the lands included in the department’s target for individual titling.
Under SPLIT, the DAR seeks to validate and distribute 206,221 hectares of farmlands that were earlier awarded to farmers’ groups through collective certificate of land ownership awards (CCLOAs).
Parcelization is subdividing and determining the exact meters and bounds of the areas covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
It also involves the awarding of lands to agrarian reform beneficiaries in a CCLOA, the determination of common-use areas, portions with common service facilities, and the establishment of areas capable of being alienated and disposed of by the government.
Having individual land titles would also allow farmers to access bank financial services.
The project is funded by the World Bank with a total program cost of P24.62 billion, comprising 78 percent loan proceeds amounting to P19.24 billion and 22 percent of Philippine government counterparts amounting to P5.38 billion.
In Eastern Visayas alone, the funding requirement is more than PHP1 billion.
AHEAD OF CHRISTMAS DAY. A head-on collision and a fire incident resulted in the deaths of seven persons and injured five others hit Calbayog and Maasin cities, respectively, ahead of the Christmas Day celebration.
(KABALIKAT CIVICOM 427 CHAPTER/EVA MACALDO)
Ahead of Christmas Day celebration
AHEAD OF CHRISTMAS DAY. A head-on collision and a fire incident resulted in the deaths of seven persons and injured five others hit Calbayog and Maasin cities, respectively, ahead of the Christmas Day celebration. (KABALIKAT CIVICOM 427 CHAPTER/EVA MACALDO)
ORMOC CITY– Separate incidents that snuffed out the lives of seven persons and injured others took place ahead of the Christmas celebration in the region.
In Maasin City, a massive fire burned down 22 houses while one person died on December 23 while a vehicle collision in Calbayog City on the wee hours of Dec.24 resulted in the death of six persons and five others injured.
The road mishap occurred along Barangay Matobato at about 2:50 am after a ‘Chariot,’ an expanded vehicle was hit by a passenger bus.
This resulted in the death of six persons and injured five others, all passengers of the Chariot.
Killed were James Castila, 20;Arnold Juaton, 19; Angeline Velasco, 34, Shiela Mae, 16 and her sibling Paquito, 14, and Justine Arsenal, 20.
The injured were identified as Princess Mae Arsenal, 20; Trixie, 14; Lissa Luaton, 22; Richard Magcasi, 32, and Lara Jane, 15.
All are residents of Purok 6 Brgy. Malopalo.
It was learned that they were on their way home after attending a Christmas party, the local police said.
The local police said that Chariot, driven by Castila, was traversing from Calbayog City going to Brgy. San Policarpo area and upon reaching Brgy. Matobato, he maneuvered his vehicle going to the opposite lane to escape the early warning device placed near a parked damaged backhoe.
However, a passenger bus operated by CIBL Tourist Transport driven by Rowan Gino, 46, a resident of Road 4 Tinga Labac, Batangas City, was in the other lane resulting in the collision.
The impact of the collision resulted in the vehicle passengers to fall from and unkempt in the middle of the road.
Local residents in the area lambasted the unidentified owner of the backhoe that was left in the middle of the road causing the mess.
After the incident that killed six victims another incident followed when the driver failed to see the equipment in the middle of the road causing another collision.
A resident informed Leyte Samar Daily Express that the backhoe was parked in the middle of the road after an oil spilt from its engine.
Responding rescue groups immediately conducted first aid to the victims but the six victims died on the spot and were declared dead on arrival at the Calbayog District Hospital while the six other survivors are still recuperating for their injuries in the same hospital.
The driver of the passenger bus is now detained at the Calbayog city police station and faces appropriate charges.
Meantime, the fire incident in Maasin City also resulted in the death of one fire victim, Felicito Bulan Zamora, 59.
The 12:30 pm fire took place in Brgy. Tagnipa where most of the houses were made of light materials. Fire out was declared at 3:20 pm.
The Maasin city fire office disclosed that faulty electrical wiring at the rotten ceiling of the house owned by Lando Pedrera started the blaze.
The conflagration, which reached up to alert level 3, spread quickly, burning 22 houses, displacing 24 families consisting of 99 individuals.
Fire Trucks from the neighboring municipalities of Southern Leyte such as Macrohon, Padre Burgos, and Tomas Oppus, and from the neighboring municipalities of Leyte like Matalom, and Hilongos joined the local fire in putting off the fire.
Residents of the village and even those coming from other areas conducted a bucket relay, getting water from the nearby sea, to help firemen put out the fire.
The lone casualty of the fire, according to the police, had already gone out of his house but returned to get his money only to be trapped which caused his death.
Damage from the fire was placed at P10 million.
TACLOBAN CITY – Health officials and personnel from the Department of Health (DOH) in the region made rounds to different hospitals as part of their “Iwas Paputok” campaign for the New Year’s Day.
The group visited the Eastern Visayas Medical Center, the region’s largest government-run hospital, Divine World Hospital, Mother of Mercy Hospital, Shalom Hospital, and Tacloban City Hospital.
During their monitoring, they checked the preparedness of the hospital staff in responding and providing medical attention to patients who could be victims of firecracker blasts.
They also checked if the hospitals had enough medicines, including first aid kits for digesting “watusi” consisting of egg and carbonated charcoal, and if these facilities had allocated a bed in the emergency room for firecracker victims.
“Based on the initial monitoring, the hospitals are now ready to respond in line with our Iwas Paputok campaign,” DOH-8 OIC Regional Director Lilibeth Andrade said.
“At least kung magkaroon man ng injury ang ating mamamayan madaling matutugunan ng mga hospitals,” she added expressing hope that no one will be seeking medical assistance this New Year celebration due to firecracker related injuries.
Just like in previous year, the health department is aiming to achieve a “zero” case of firecracker-related injuries.
Last year, Eastern Visayas logged six firecracker-related injuries, higher than the five cases reported in 2022. Most of the victims were from the provinces of Leyte, Samar, and Northern Samar.
Most of the injuries were due to the use of ‘lantaka’, ‘’kwitis, and ‘super lolo.’
At present, all hospitals in Tacloban still have no reported cases of firecracker related injuries. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY – Marketing remains to be the most challenging part of promoting Eastern Visayas tourism industry.
Unlike other regions in the Visayas that are already popular among domestic and international tourists, Eastern Visayas although blessed with beautiful natural tourist destinations, is still looking for ways to make a mark in the tourism stage of the country.
One of the best ways to market the region is to encourage more MICE gatherings in the region that bring in large number of people, according to a travel and tour operator from Leyte province.
MICE means meeting, incentives, conventions/conferences, and events.
During the launching of their outbound product, IM Travel Corporation owner Rochelle Alfonso said that 2023 was the busiest year for travel and tour operators in the province due to the number of MICE gatherings that brought not only a hundred but more than a thousand participants.
Among the MICE events held in 2023 were the PESO convention, and the JCI national convention.
“For 2024 let us continue our MICE tourism, because it is in group. Because it is by group, it has a lot of participants who by the power of mouth can promote and market how beautiful our region is to their relatives and friends,” Alfonso said.
Alfonso added that MICE participants are not only visiting the region to attend their activities but they also allocate time to visit some of the region’s tourist destinations which is good for marketing.
Alfonso added that unlike Bohol and Cebu, the region has still a long way to go when it comes to marketing which is why encouraging more MICE events to be held in Eastern Visayas will greatly help boost the local tourism industry.
Alfonso added that the new product of their company offering an outbound travel to countries in Asia and Europe is also a way that they can promote the region to the international market.
She hopes that marketing and promoting the region will not only be done by travel and tour operators and the Department of Tourism (DOT) but also by local government units.
The signing of contract with Miss Universe Philippines-Leyte 2023 Angel Rose Tambal, The Miss Philippines – Leyte Jamby Belegorio, and Miss Universe Philippines – Leyte 1st Runner-up Trisha Gabrielle Moreto who will act as the official tourism ambassador of the company is also viewed to help in promoting and marketing the region more especially among their social media followers.
DOT8 Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes, in a previous interview, admitted that one of the weaknesses of the region’s tourism industry is marketing.
“Marketing is not only a task of a tourism enterprise, it’s not only a task of DOT, not only a task of the LGU, but we should have a concerted effort to work and going towards one direction, we should have one brand that speaks about us, and identify us, making us different from other destinations and we should communicate this properly to our target market,” Tiopes said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
CATARMAN, Northern Samar-The awarding of the best GAD (Gender and Development) implementer barangays initiated by the provincial government of Northern Samar through the Provincial Gender and Development Focal Point System highlighted the culmination of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence against Women (VAW) held at the Ibabao Hall of the provincial capitol on December 12.
Maria Teresita Gacusan, chairperson of the PGAD Focal Point System Technical Working Group, said the awarding was aimed at recognizing barangays that excelled in GAD implementation, inspiring them to formulate programs and services adopting the GAD approach that can be replicated as best practices.
After a thorough evaluation by the team, Barangay Daganas, Catarman who got the highest score received P75,000 and plaque of appreciation; second was Brgy. Little Venice of Laoang, with P50,000 cash; and third was Brgy. Sangcol, Laoang which received P 30,000.
The other 10 barangays that participated and submitted documents for evaluation also received P10,000 each.
A barangay to be considered best GAD implementer should ensure to have a functional Barangay VAW Desk following the operational handbook provided by the Philippine Commission on Women and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
It should have established linkages with the local and national government agencies where the barangay can refer to particularly if there’s a victim or a VAW survivor which needs further assistance.
The Barangay VAW Desk promotes harmonious family and community relationships grounded on mutual respect to human rights, taking proactive measures to attain a VAW-free community.
Board Member Liza Esidera, Sangguniang Panlalawigan chairperson on the Committee on Women and Family Relations, said she is happy to note that the community is now aware of the crusade to end violence against women and children.
“This was shown with the passage of PGAD Code not only in the province but as well as in other LGUs, and this mirrored how serious we are in following what is stipulated in the law protecting the rights of women and children,” she added.
In his message read by Vice Governor Clarence Dato, Governor Edwin Ongchuan, who sponsored the prizes, said, “Let us continue our partnership with other advocacy groups to sustain the gains we have in the province in the fight to end VAWC. Let us stop the culture of patriarchy, machismo and exaggerated masculinity. Men should be aware of their responsibilities, and women should uphold and know their rights.”
