TACLOBAN CITY — Sixty-nine Grade 6 pupils in Bobon, Northern Samar have completed a four-session drug prevention program led by the Northern Samar Police Provincial Office (NSPPO), aimed at helping young learners resist peer pressure and make responsible decisions when confronted with illegal drugs and other harmful substances.

The program, known as Project R.E.A.D.Y. (Resistance Education Against Drugs for the Youth), was conducted at Salvacion Elementary School from August 13 to September 3, marking its initial implementation in the municipality.

The sessions were held every Thursday and covered topics designed to strengthen the pupils’ awareness, values and decision-making skills as part of the police’s preventive approach to drug abuse.

During the first session, police introduced Project R.E.A.D.Y. and discussed the effects and consequences of gateway drugs and other harmful substances.

The second session focused on peer pressure and other influences that could lead young people to experiment with drugs. Pupils were taught ways to recognize and resist negative influences.

The third session centered on moral values and self-esteem, emphasizing self-confidence and a strong sense of self-worth as important factors in making healthy and responsible choices.

The final session, titled “Decision-Making in a Risky Situation,” taught the pupils how to assess potentially dangerous situations, weigh possible consequences and make sound decisions when faced with risks or negative influences.

All 69 Grade 6 pupils completed the four-session module.

The NSPPO said Project R.E.A.D.Y. forms part of its continuing preventive drug education efforts, bringing drug abuse prevention closer to young people through sustained engagement with schools, families and communities.

The program is being implemented under the leadership of NSPPO Provincial Director PCOL George B. Buyacao Jr., who has emphasized the importance of cooperation among law enforcement agencies, schools, parents and other stakeholders in promoting safer, healthier and drug-free communities.

Salvacion Elementary School head Leah T. Nogales expressed support for the initiative, saying stronger cooperation between the police and education sector is important in protecting children from the dangers of illegal drugs and other harmful substances.
The NSPPO said early drug prevention education can help equip children with knowledge and practical skills that they can use in dealing with peer pressure and other challenges as they grow older.

Through programs such as Project R.E.A.D.Y., the police aim to strengthen preventive measures against drug abuse while encouraging young people to develop positive values and make informed decisions.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY — Residents and farmers in Merida, Leyte now have improved access to markets and nearby communities following the completion of a P21.5-million concrete road project in Barangay Cabaliwan, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.

Implemented by the DPWH Leyte 4th District Engineering Office (DEO), the project was funded under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and covered the construction of 2,098.54 lane meters of 230-millimeter-thick Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP).
The road connects Barangay Cabaliwan to the national road and Barangay Ipil, providing residents and motorists with a more reliable route, particularly during the rainy season.
The project also included the concreting of previously unpaved road sections, installation of reinforced concrete (RC) pipe culverts with stone masonry headwalls, construction of a one-barrel RC box culvert, and elevation improvement of a road section near the boundary of Barangays Cabaliwan and Masumbang.

The DPWH said the completed infrastructure is expected to improve mobility and reduce transportation difficulties for residents and motorists in the area.

For farmers, the improved road provides easier access to markets and facilitates the faster and more convenient transport of agricultural products.

The project is also expected to help lower transportation costs and contribute to increased economic activity in Merida by improving connectivity between farming communities and market areas. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY — A major forest restoration initiative seeking to rehabilitate 120,000 hectares of degraded rainforest in the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP) formally got underway Friday,Sept.4, with project partners committing to a long-term effort to protect biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience and provide sustainable livelihoods to local communities.

The Green Samar Project was launched during a groundbreaking ceremony at the SINP headquarters in Sitio Campo Uno, marking the start of a privately backed initiative aimed at restoring degraded forests within the country’s largest terrestrial protected area.
The project is a partnership among the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), French nature restoration company aDryada, and local partner Samar Bamboo Corporation under a 25-year agreement, with an option to extend it for another 25 years.
The initiative is expected to generate about P80 million in annual investments through high-integrity carbon finance, without relying on public funds.

Aside from forest restoration, the project is expected to create jobs and sustainable bamboo-based livelihood opportunities for more than 20,000 community members, providing an economic component to the long-term conservation effort.
Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan said environmental protection must also address the needs of communities living near and within forest areas.

“Protecting the environment must also address the needs of our communities,” Tan said, emphasizing bamboo development as a potential source of livelihood for residents.
Tan was recognized during the ceremony for her support for environmental protection, forest conservation and sustainable natural resource management programs in Samar.
The project also aims to protect important wildlife habitats, including areas where the critically endangered Philippine Eagle is found.

DENR Central Office Assistant Director for the Forest Management Bureau Atty. Thomas Kabigting, who delivered a message from the agency’s central office, stressed the importance of cooperation among government agencies, local governments, communities and private-sector partners in protecting Samar’s natural resources.

DENR Eastern Visayas Regional Executive Director Arturo Salazar, aDryada Chief Executive Officer Fabio Ferrari, Green Samar BioSPV president Ruben Diego Picardo, and provincial and local government officials also attended the ceremony.

Ferrari thanked government agencies and local stakeholders for supporting the initiative, while Picardo outlined the project’s long-term goal of restoring and protecting Samar’s forests.

Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales also highlighted the importance of the SINP and welcomed the project as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Samar and Eastern Samar in protecting the island’s natural resources.

The ceremony culminated in the placement of a Green Time Capsule, symbolizing the stakeholders’ commitment to restoring Samar’s forests for future generations, followed by a tree-planting activity involving government officials, project partners and other stakeholders.

The SINP covers about 335,000 hectares and is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status. Its extensive forests and ecosystems provide critical habitats for wildlife and support the conservation of Samar Island’s biodiversity.

The Green Samar Project is designed to combine forest rehabilitation, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, sustainable livelihoods and community development as part of a long-term strategy to protect Samar’s remaining natural forests.

TACLOBAN CITY — A P30.29-million road improvement project being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office (LDEO) in Jaro, Leyte has reached 70.80% physical accomplishment, with the project expected to improve road safety and mobility in the area.

The project involves the installation of a 50-millimeter-thick asphalt overlay over the existing Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP) along a road section in Barangay Kaglawaan.

Damaged portions of the existing concrete pavement are also being repaired as part of the project to ensure a more durable and smoother road surface.

The DPWH will likewise install reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings to improve road visibility and safety, particularly for motorists traveling at night.

Funded under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the project has an allocation of PHP30,291,000 and is being undertaken by Socor Construction Corp.

Once completed, the project is expected to provide motorists, commuters and residents with a smoother and safer roadway, improve traffic flow, and facilitate the movement of people and goods.

The undertaking forms part of the DPWH Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office’s continuing efforts to improve road infrastructure and provide safer and more reliable transportation routes for communities in the district.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY — Fifty members of the Mamanwa community in Almeria, Biliran earned temporary income while helping protect forest resources under a joint employment and conservation program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The 31-day Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program mobilized members of the Mamanwa Tribe Association (MTA) and Caucab Forest Savers Association Inc. (CFSAI) for community-based forest management and bamboo planting activities in Barangay Caucab.

The workers carried out maintenance and protection activities involving Individual Plus Trees (IPTs) within the Tres Marias Mountain Range, particularly along the road leading to Sitio Palayan.

The activities were conducted from July 20 to August 31, 2026.

The DENR identifies IPTs as superior and healthy trees that serve as sources of seeds and planting materials for reforestation and future tree-breeding activities.

The joint initiative seeks to address threats to forest resources and improve tree survival while providing temporary employment to residents of upland communities.

Dondon Calinawan, one of the beneficiaries, said the program helped the community meet immediate needs while allowing residents to take part in protecting the environment.
“Malaki po talaga ang naitutulong ng TUPAD sa amin. Maliban sa nakatulong ito para sa aming mga pangangailangan, nagbigay-daan din ito upang makatulong kami sa pag-protekta ng ating kalikasan,” Calinawan said.

The program was implemented by the DOLE Regional Office VIII through its Biliran Field Office in partnership with the DENR Biliran Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office.

The agencies said the collaboration demonstrates how livelihood assistance can be combined with environmental protection, particularly in upland communities whose residents depend on natural resources for their livelihood.

Through the program, beneficiaries received temporary employment while contributing to forest maintenance, protection and rehabilitation efforts in one of Biliran’s important mountain areas.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)