TACLOBAN CITY– The portion stretching the Tanauan to Dagami road has been widened and reported completed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office.
According to District Engineer Leo Edward Oppura, the existing 2-lane pavement is expanded to 4 lanes at District II in Dagami town, measuring 1.1046 linear meters in a 2.25-meter width on both sides of the carriageway, and reflective thermoplastic pavement markings are applied to increase visibility for motorists.
Provisions for the 21 posts of street solar lights were placed to provide visibility during night time, reducing vehicular accidents by making the entire road more visible to drivers.
The project dubbed ‘Road Widening—Tertiary Roads, Tanauan-Dagami Road’, has a contract amount of P14.68 million sourced in the DPWH-General Appropriations Act CY 2023 under Network Development Road Widening Tertiary Roads.
DPWH is committed to building better road networks, uplifting economic development, and recognizing the importance of providing safer and better transportation for the traveling public.
The Tanauan-Dagami-Dagami road section measures 6.842 kilometers, sharing a boundary with the Leyte 1st District Engineering Office. (LIZBETH ANN A ABELLA)
ORMOC CITY-One of Leyte’s most wanted persons fell to the hands of the law after he was arrested on December 20.
Arrested wanted person, only identified as 65-year-old ‘Teofilo,’ at his house in Barangay Linao, Inopacan, Leyte at about 1:30 pm on that day, municipal police chief, Major Ian Po, said.
The accused, ranked number seven on the most wanted list, was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Aaron Dy Go, acting presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court-Hindang-Inopacan Leyte, dated December 13, 2023 for the crime of frustrated murder.
The court issued a bail bond recommended of P120,000 for his temporary liberty.
The accused was apprised of his constitutional rights through the Miranda Doctrine in the vernacular.
He is now detained at the local police station. (ROBERT DEJON)
CATARMAN, Northern Samar– Three times in a row, the provincial government of Northern Samar again received the prestigious Gawad Kalasag Seal of Excellence Award in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Humanitarian Assistance – Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and Offices (LDRRMCO) category for CY 2023.
The provincial government was declared as ‘fully compliant’ for adhering to the standards for the establishment and functionality of LDRRMCOs as prescribed by the Philippine DRRM law.
The Northern Samar PDRRMC and its PDRRMO was first recognized by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Council (NDRRMC) and the Regional DRRMC in 2021 and subsequently in 2022 for the province’s continuous efforts to attain risk resilience.
Chaired by Governor Edwin Ongchuan, the PDRRMC has continuously strived for excellence in disaster risk governance, to protect lives and properties, and to mitigate the effects of disasters especially in vulnerable communities.
The award was presented on December 20, 2023 in Palo, Leyte during the 23rd Gawad KALASAG Awarding Ceremony. (THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNEMNT OF NORTHERN SAMAR)
Members of the LGBTQ+ community were elated on the historic move of Pope Francis to grant them a ‘blessing,’ a move closer to their demand of full Catholic recognition. (PHOTO COURTESY)
Members of the LGBTQ+ community were elated on the historic move of Pope Francis to grant them a ‘blessing,’ a move closer to their demand of full Catholic recognition. (PHOTO COURTESY)
TACLOBAN CITY-Faithful from Catholic-rich Philippines have expressed elation over the new Vatican ruling which allows the Catholic priests to administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as this is not part of the Church’s traditional doctrine and liturgical rites about marriage.
“It’s a good step towards recognizing the needs of the community. This is a good step from the Catholic Church knowing their stance towards LGBT+ couples who seek marriage. I hope this is the beginning of a more inclusive Church in the coming years,” said Gio Costuna, 23, a member of an LGBTQ Pride group in Tacloban City.
“It may take several years for Church to give the other needs of the LGBTQ, but this one is a nice step,” he added.
While the Vatican’s move to allow blessings for same-sex couples can be seen through polarizing lenses, a 31-year-old Filipino educator said that he sees the ruling “as a progressive step towards inclusivity, opening the arms of acceptance and understanding regarding the long-term controversies on human sexuality, morality, and tradition.”
“Further, this unfastens a democratic and broader discourse on the evolving social norms, which may free us from dogmatic, condemnatory, and exclusive mindsets,” said the educator and LGBTQ member, who goes by another name.
“I think the Church wants to be safe because LGBTs are very vocal about their so-called rights. They even use social media as their platform for airing their claims. There is nothing wrong if the Church is being inclusive. Again, the LGBTQs are still humans and are still welcome in any religion they want to practice,” added Wendell Astrero, 48, and a member of the LGBTQ community in Palo,Leyte.
Redemptorist priest Ferderiz Bacong Cantiller, CSsR, who works at the vocations ministry at the Redemptorist headquarters in Cebu City, maintained that he has been giving blessing to same-sex couple “all the time in the confessional,” even before the new Vatican ruling came out.
“The intention [of Pope Francis’ ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ (‘Supplicating Trust’)]’ is to clarify it more and give clear guidance,” he said.
“It is God who imparts His graces and blessings, not us. He is the fount and source of every blessing. Every Christian (and that includes priests) imparts blessing as ‘channels’ of God’s graces. We bless any good creature. We even bless pets (of course, the owner of the pets),” he added.
According to the Redemptorist priest, it is beautiful to channel that blessing to others and make them feel God loves them too inspite of their predicament and tough situations and to encourage them never to lose hope and remain where they are.
“Our blessing can point them to our goal of fullness of life in Jesus Christ and that demands carrying our crosses and making every little step towards conversion from sin and wholeness. That is our mission to encourage them and impart Gospel friendship so we can bring them to conversion,” Cantiller said.
Push for same-sex marriage continues
Reverend Crescencio Agbayani Jr., the pastor of Quezon City-based LGBTS Christian Church Inc., continued to remind the critics of same-sex marriage, as more lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBTS) have come forward for a holy union rite despite the strong opposition, particularly from the Catholic Church.
Following the new Vatican ruling, Agbayani Jr. maintained that “only two will happen in the Roman Catholic Church: The number of members increased or decreased after Pope Francis allowed same-sex couples to be blessed by priests.”
“For me, I will have more [ LGBTQ couples who will ask for marriage blessing],” he wrote online.
Having been educated at the Union Theological Seminary in Cavite with Master of Divinity in Christianity and Culture and awarded the Bishop La Verne Mercado Award in Ecumenics, Agbayani Jr. has been officiating almost 6,000 same-sex holy union rites in the Philippines and other countries in Asia since 2006.
While the Philippine government has yet to recognize the right of LGBT couples to civil marriage, Agbayani Jr. said they remain “very positive” that same-sex couples in the Philippines will get marriage equality in the coming years.
“If we’ll be lost, then will start again. We’re not going to give up until we’ll achieve the same legal rights as any other couple. LGBT couples are family, too,” Agbayani told this writer in an earlier interview.
Meanwhile, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, reiterated that the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith approved by Pope Francis on Dec. 18 “is clear in its content and intent.
“Basically, it elaborates ‘On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings’. The document speaks for itself, and therefore does not require much explanation,” the bishop said.
In paragraph 41 of the said declaration, it says, “What has been said in this Declaration regarding the blessings of same-sex couples is sufficient to guide the prudent and fatherly discernment of ordained ministers in this regard. Thus, beyond the guidance provided above, no further responses should be expected about possible ways to regulate details or practicalities regarding blessings of this type.”
The document has an introduction where the Prefect of the said dicastery, Victor Manuel Cardinal Fernandez points out that “this declaration remains firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage, not allowing any type of liturgical rite or blessing similar to a liturgical rite that can create confusion.” (RONALD O. REYES)
CATARMAN, Northern Samar– Three times in a row, the provincial government of Northern Samar again received the prestigious Gawad Kalasag Seal of Excellence Award in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Humanitarian Assistance – Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and Offices (LDRRMCO) category for CY 2023.
The provincial government was declared as ‘fully compliant’ for adhering to the standards for the establishment and functionality of LDRRMCOs as prescribed by the Philippine DRRM law.
The Northern Samar PDRRMC and its PDRRMO was first recognized by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Council (NDRRMC) and the Regional DRRMC in 2021 and subsequently in 2022 for the province’s continuous efforts to attain risk resilience.
Chaired by Governor Edwin Ongchuan, the PDRRMC has continuously strived for excellence in disaster risk governance, to protect lives and properties, and to mitigate the effects of disasters especially in vulnerable communities.
The award was presented on December 20, 2023 in Palo, Leyte during the 23rd Gawad KALASAG Awarding Ceremony. (THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNEMNT OF NORTHERN SAMAR)
A thorough investigation is now being conducted by the Tacloban city police on the discovery of a dead body found inside an abandoned container van on December 22.
The corpse of a still unidentified corpse of a man was found in the container van in Barangay 95-A, Caibaan district.
The victim was described as between the age of 50-60 years old and believed to be 5”2 inches in height.
The police said that the cadaver was discovered by Jonar Cabujat, 25, and a resident of the said village.
Cabujat told police that he was stunned to see a man who was not moving and lying face up under the said container van parked at the roadside.
He immediately called the barangay officials who in turn, asked for police assistance.
The members of the scene of the crime operatives (SOCO) were requested to process the scene which found no foul play on the death of the man and presumed that he died of a natural cause.
The victim’s cadaver was immediately brought to a local funeral parlor while waiting for the family and relatives of the victim to fetch his cadaver. (ROBERT DEJON)
