TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the region has turnover financial assistance to a farmers’ association in Borongan City.
Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda and DSWD-8 SLP Deputy Regional Program Coordinator Erwin Sonio led the turnover of the financial assistance to the Baras Farmers Association, the first farmers association to receive the aid under the government’s sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

SLP is under Executive Order Number 70 which is a community-based capacity building that seeks to improve the beneficiaries standard of living by enabling participants to manage micro-enterprises. There are two versions of this program: the Executive Order No. 70 and the Zero Hunger.

The organization, which has 25 members, received a cheque amounting to P300,000 as a seed fund for a livelihood project that they will be implementing, according to EO 70 Project Development Officer II Jazmin Lutao.

She said that other organizations are set to receive similar financial assistance, she added.
Meanwhile, Mayor Agda expressed his gratitude to about 100 former rebels who had abandoned their cause and surrendered to the government to live a normal life.

As of this week, about 95 former rebels have returned to the fold of the law who were provided with assistance by the city government and other government agencies.

Mayor Agda assured the newly surrendered former rebels of the city government’s support as they move forward to a renewed and more peaceful way of living.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY-A seven-year-old boy from Calubian, Leyte who was reported missing but was later learned to be kidnapped by a family errand was found dead in the neighboring town of Leyte, Leyte on Friday (Dec.15).

The dead body of the victim, only identified by the local police as Aaron, was discovered at about 5:16 pm in a grassy area of Barangay Palid, Leyte town.

The suspect, Kevin Lapu-Lapu, 27, led the police to the area where he dragged the victim and killed him by kneeling down on his stomach, police case investigator, Corporal Randolph Caratao, said in a phone interview.

It was learned that Lapu-Lapu, who is from Sitio Kamalig, Barangay Palid 1 of Leyte town, was an errand boy of the family of the seven-year-old boy.

Based on the information from the police, the suspect killed the boy out of vengeance for his younger brother, who also worked as an errant boy in the family of the victim.

The suspect claimed that his younger brother was slapped by the mother of the victim.
The boy was first reported missing on December 14 with the suspect reported for work the following day.

However, based on a CCTV footage, the suspect took the boy with him on board a tricycle on the day he was first reported missing.

At first, Lapu-Lapu denied any involvement in the incident but later admitted that he killed the boy.

Lapu-Lapu, who was earlier convicted for illegal drug use in Manila, is now detained at the Calubian municipal police station as he was charged for murder. (ROBERT DEJON)

BORONGAN CITY-A two-day “Training of Trainers” for the implementers of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was held at PGO Conference Hall, Capitol Building, Brgy. Alang-alang, this city.

Barangay Drug Clearing Program aims to reduce drug addiction in the country by taking away drugs, reducing the lure of illegal drugs, and minimizing their impact in the community through stakeholder support.

To ensure the effectivity of the application of this program, a “Training of Trainers,” which was held on December 11 and 12, was conducted, which also aims to empower and capacitate the BDCP implementers in the municipal and provincial levels.

A program was conducted before the training, in which executive assistant Raymond Campo, welcomed all the participants and guests, in behalf of Gov. Ben P. Evardone.
Followed by PD DILG Eastern Samar representative Jerry Enriquez, with his challenge to the offices to employ the Drug-free workplace policy.

According to Dir. Alex M. Tablate, in representation of RD, PDEA VIII Atty. Gil T. Pabilona, out of the 22 municipalities and a city in the Province of Eastern Samar, there are still three municipalities which are still affected or not drug-free and/or drug cleared.

Arteche, Dolores and Borongan have been the last three towns that are affected, however the 20 more municipalities are all drug free.

“We cannot do this alone, talaga burublig kita, including an mga taga RHU,” Tabale said as he asked support the LGUs and RHUs.

PCol. Jose Manuel C. Payos, provincial director, PNP Eastern Samar, emphasized the three Cs of success: Cooperation, Communication and Coordination, to bear in mind for the success of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP).

This was followed by the signing of the pledge of commitment, for the “Nagkakaisang Adbokasiya Laban sa Iligal na Droga.
(EASTERN SAMAR PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)