ORMOC CITY-A man working in a public school in MacArthur town in Leyte was arrested in a buy-bust operation on Sunday(May 14) at about 3 am.

Arrested by the elements of the local police and Leyte provincial office as well as by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency was Ian Arron Orabe,41, tagged as a high-value target.

Report from the MacArthur police said that the suspect, who is a teacher by profession, was arrested in a sting operation at Poblacion District 1 in the said town with one cover agent purchasing from him a one-piece of suspected shabu.

The operation also led to the confiscation of 12 pieces of sachets of suspected shabu weighing two grams with a street value of P14,000.

“We have been working (on his arrest) since February. We have no conclusive evidence if he had any dealings with the students as mostly, his clients involved were loafers in the town,” Capt. Lino Lopez, officer-in-charge of the town police office said in a phone interview.

It was learned that Orabe works as school administrator of the MacArthur National High School and at the same time, also works in a day-care facility, also in the same time.
The suspect is now detained at the PDEA-8 detention facility in Palo, Leyte and charged for possession and selling of the illegal drugs.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Social Security System (SSS) branch office here has identified more than 200 employers in Leyte and Samar provinces for failing to pay SSS contributions.

SSS Tacloban branch head Lilibeth Cajucom said they have been sending notices to remind establishments of their obligations to pay their workers’ contributions.

Most of the non-compliant establishments are small businesses with five or fewer employees. Since they are small, they presumed they are not part of the social security coverage, according to Cajucom.

“These establishments have been visited by our account officers, but despite reminders, they are still not compliant. They are the priority of our Run Against Contribution Evaders (RACE) campaign. If persuasion is not effective, we go into legal means,” the official said.
The SSS Tacloban covers Tacloban City and 24 neighboring towns in the northern part of Leyte and the southern part of Samar with 4,449 registered and 130,271 SSS members.
Mario Corro, SSS vice president for Visayas Central 2 Division, said in an interview the notices sent to employers seek to raise awareness of the obligation of employers to pay contributions for their workers.

“Even if we already issued a show-cause order, our strategy is persuasive since we understand the situation of our small businesses. Before resorting to legal means, we just must see their intention to fulfill their obligations,” Corro added.

The campaign in Tacloban is part of a series of RACE operations nationwide, which aims to exact the continuous compliance of delinquent employers with their statutory obligations under Republic Act No. 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018, ensure the social security coverage of members, and enhance SSS’ collection efficiency.

Under the law, an employer who fails or refuses to register their employees, deduct contributions from them, and/or fails to remit the same, including the employer’s share to the SSS, will be penalized by a fine of P5,000 to P20,000, and/or be imprisoned for six years and one day to 12 years, at the discretion of the court.

Employers are mandated by the Social Security Act to deduct from the salaries/wages of employees their share in the monthly contribution, pay their share of contributions including Employee’s Compensation, and remit these regularly.

All employers must register with the SSS and report their employees for coverage.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

Globe recently partnered with the local government of Malay, Aklan in its move to encourage sustainable tourism, through the highly-anticipated return of Love Boracay (formerly known as LaBoracay) held on April 28 to May 1, 2023.

Globe has been supportive of Boracay’s environmental conservation efforts through conducting offshore clean-up drives, coral reef rehabilitation, community support for prevention of untreated effluents from entering the sea, and raising awareness among the youth and the community on how they can contribute to environmental conservation.

“Globe fully supports the local government of Malay, Aklan in its efforts to advance responsible tourism in Boracay. At this year’s Love Boracay, we carried out activities to encourage customers to adopt sustainable practices. We hope that this event raises awareness for responsible tourism throughout our country,” said Pia Gonzalez-Colby, Globe Chief Marketing Officer.

To encourage Boracay visitors to “Go Lang Nang Go” and discover how they can responsibly enjoy the island’s beauty, Globe held various activities at the Globe Eco Station located at the picturesque beachfront in Boracay’s Station 1.

l Plastics for a prize. Here, tourists got the chance to spin and win prizes by turning over single-use plastic bottles, plastic cups, cans, or plastic bags and presenting their GlobeOne app and proof of SIM registration. They also got a shot for the prize by donating at least P10 to Save Philippine Seas via the GlobeOne app or GCash.

l GForest signup. There was a GCash booth for customers to sign up to GForest, where actual trees are planted through points collected via activities such as walks tracked on health apps or transactions within the e-wallet, from bills payment and bank transfers to buying load.

l Globe At Home cash giveaway. Globe At Home gave away P5,000 in GCash credits to customers who took a photo at the Globe At Home photo wall and shared it on social media. The photo with the most likes and shares got the prize. Customers also received P50 GCash credits for turning over plastic bottles at the Globe At Home booth.

l Globe and KonsultaMD essentials. Globe also had booths at D’Mall and Lake Town where customers got the chance to win beach kit essentials for downloading the GlobeOne app, registering their SIM, or registering to Go+99 via GCash. KonsultaMD also offered medicine vouchers, vitamin packs and other freebies to those who registered and downloaded the app. At the GCash booth, customers also got a kit with beach essentials for every proof of payment with GCash at partner establishments.

For sports fans, the Globe Boracay Sportsfest proved to be a treat. The event held tennis, ultimate frisbee, volleyball and soccer competitions at the beachfront from Estacio Uno to Ambassador in Station 1 on April 29 and 30. The awarding ceremony was held at the sunset session featuring a local DJ, with Globe and GCash providing cash prizes for the games. Globe also brought top DJs and bands at the Globe Love Boracay Musicfest in Lake Town.

“GCash has been powering the Globe Group’s goal of promoting a digital ecosystem in the country. For example in Boracay, you can now pay for your e-trike rides, food trip, activities, and other local shopping via the GCash app. This is our way of not only promoting local tourism but also making sure that businesses in Boracay benefit from the growing digital economy,” said Neil Trinidad, GCash Chief Marketing Officer.(PR)