Ormoc City – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Leyte 4th District Engineering Office (DEO) conducted a Contractors Coordination Meeting on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 led by District Engineer (DE) Arnaldo R. Bonifacio along with Construction Section Chief Renato V. Frias, project engineers and attended by various contractors in the district.

During the meeting, DE Bonifacio urged the contractors to prioritize and accelerate the completion of ongoing projects and discussed the importance of adhering to project implementation deadlines.

Following the discussion, all sides reaffirmed their commitment to work together collaboratively to ensure that the 103 projects, totaling Php 5,760,343,000.00 that are to be implemented in 2023 under the General Appropriations Act (GAA), are completed on time and to the highest standards. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez lauded police authorities after they apprehended city government employees who are engaging in illegal drug activities.
Last Sunday (March 5), personnel of the Ormoc City Police Office (OCPO) in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency apprehended Arcelo Roble, 35, a casual employee at the Ormoc City Hall in a buy-bust operation.

The suspect is currently under the custody of the OCPO and was charged for violation of RA 9165 as amended by RA 10640 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002.

“The anti-drug operation that led to the capture of a government employee is incidental in the sense that there really should be no distinction when it comes to enforcing the law. Rich or poor, young or old, government employee or not —— no one is exempt. What applies to one applies to all,” Mayor Gomez said.

The city mayor added that the law should apply to all equally no matter what their status in life may be.

“No one is above the law. What applies to one applies to all,” the city mayor stressed.
The city mayor then lauded authorities for their continuous campaign against criminality like the anti-illegal drug operations to keep peace and order in the city ensuring the people’s safety.

Mayor Gomez emphasized that her husband, Rep.Richard Gomez, had worked hard in making their city a safe and free from criminality particularly illegal drugs when he was the city mayor of Ormoc.

“I will do all possible to build up on and sustain those gains,” Mayor Gomez said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY– The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources(BFAR) warns fisherfolks to hold off handling, transporting, and consuming shellfish amidst the current shellfish ban at San Pedro Bay.

BFAR posted its latest Red Tide Advisory or Shellfish Bulletin No. 6 on Feb. 22, 2023, imposing a shellfish ban in several bays within the country.
Out of all the 17 shellfish productive bays in Eastern Visayas, only San Pedro Bay in Basey, Samar was included.

Information Officer Christine Gresola explains the dangers of consuming shellfish during a red tide which could go to death caused by Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) with symptoms almost similar to food poisoning.

Additionally, Gresola clarifies that only shellfish and “alamang” from the said bay are not safe for human consumption.

Since shellfish are filter feeders, they process large volumes of seawater to ingest their food, which leads to a higher concentration of the PSP toxin found in Basey waters.
Whereas, fish, squids, shrimps, and crabs may be consumed provided that they are fresh, washed thoroughly, and internal organs are removed before cooking.

She then stressed the importance of the citizens’ roles in monitoring the handling of shellfish in their area and encouraged them to keep a look out for illegal transportation of shellfish specifically those with no auxiliary invoice issued by their LGU.

Penalty for civil disobedience amounts from a fine of P1,000 up to P10,000 and/or imprisonment of no less than two months up to one year. Fortunately, no cases have been reported as of this week.
(SAMANTHA JANE B. CRUZ, LNU Student Intern)