ORMOC CITY– A relative of one of two killed in a reported encounter in Palapag, Northern Samar is calling for justice on the death of her nephew.

Arlyn Balading, in a post on her social media account, said that her nephew, Joel Balading, was not a rebel member as reported by the police.

“Managot kayo sa walang awang pagpatay sa enosenting pamangkin ko at ng kasama niya. Wag sana kayo matahimik sa bawat araw ng buhay nyu,” she said on her post.

“May mga pamilya din at mga anak kayo. Sana alam nyu din gaano kasakit mawalan ng mahal sa buhay, kinitil nyu ang buhay ng pamangkin ko. May Diyos tayo na di natutulog,” Balading added.

To recall, the police reported that an armed encounter took place in sitio Ibalew of Barangay Capacujan last Friday (May 5) that resulted in the death of two alleged members of the New People’s Army.

Balading said that they are calling that justice be served to her nephew and his family.
“The relatives of Joel Balading Recare from Palapag Northern Samar are asking for justice for his killing. He was one of two individuals who were killed last May 5 by government troops for allegedly being members of the NPA. Joel was working as a chainsaw assistant and the relatives say he is not part of the New People’s Army,” she said.

The police and the Army, particularly those belonging to the 74th Infantry Battalion, has yet to response to these claims of the relative of Balading. (ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY-A high-valued individual in the drug watch list and listed as Rank No. 9 in the regional level was arrested during a buy-bust operation for possession of a suspected shabu in Naval, Biliran on Friday(May 5).

The suspect, Jick Romer Bolestana, 41, married a resident of Brgy. P.I. Garcia, Naval, was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Brgy. Smo Rosario at about 9:48 pm.

Recovered from his possession was one sachet containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu procured by an operative in the amount of P1,000.

Charges of violation of Sec 5 (selling) of the Art II of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002, was filed against him who is now detained at the locked-up cell of the Naval municipal police station.
(ROBERT DEJON)

EV remains to be free from ‘bird flu’

TACLOBAN CITY– Although Eastern Visayas remains to be free from Avian influenza, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the region raised an alert due to the recent unusual mortality of birds reported.

The unusual phenomenon is suspected to be due to Avian flu, also known as bird flu, as the DA is now conducting an investigation.

Jezeel Josol, Veterinarian III, said that bird flu is considered an economically important disease that can drastically affect the agriculture sector once there is a mass infection among birds on the farms.

The high mortality rate of poultry can lead to loss of profit and an unfavorable impact on the agricultural industry, she added.

The DA also assures that their task force is ready to handle in case there will be bird flu reports in the region.

Furthermore, their central office prohibits ducks to be transported to our region without complete papers and permits to ensure the ducks are free from avian-influenza flu for this type of bird shows no symptoms of flu even if it’s already infected.
(CARL ANGELO G.CORPIN, LNU Student Intern)

Manila—On April 21, the United States government and its Philippine partners demonstrated the effectiveness of satellite broadband technology in remote areas of the Philippines as part of a U.S.-supported program to increase access to fast and reliable internet connectivity in the country.

The Introducing Non-Geostationary Satellite Constellations Test Deployments to Improve Internet Service (INCENTIVISE) program was launched by the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the Department of Science and Technology’s Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in October 2021. Under this program, PhilSA invites satellite operators to conduct pilot tests in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) to demonstrate the viability of satellite broadband technology and assess its performance in the country.

Through INCENTIVISE, USAID facilitated PhilSA’s procurement of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet services for Barangay Dikapanikian in Dingalan, Aurora and Barangay Apad in Jomalig, Quezon.

Residents of the two pilot areas have cited the positive impact of INCENTIVISE in the provision of local services, particularly in the education and healthcare sectors. “With the help of the internet, we can now conveniently conduct video calls to the local Barangay Health Station to provide clear instructions on medication before our actual visit and check-up appointment,” said Bing Sabado, a midwife of the Rural Health Office of Dingalan, Aurora. “The internet is a big help to the teachers and students especially in lesson planning because they now have access to online resources,” said Dr. Sharon Villaverde, Public Schools District Supervisor in Jomalig, Quezon. “The lessons now have become more interactive and engaging because the teachers are incorporating the use of technology and the internet.”

“Satellite internet provides a reliable internet connection to those living in rural or remote areas where traditional terrestrial connections are not available. By leveraging these technologies, we can bring connectivity to all Filipinos, regardless of their location,” USAID Philippines Office of Economic Development and Governance Director Jeff Goebel said during the presentation of the results of the pilot test in Aurora and Quezon. “The entry of satellite broadband technology in the Philippines is crucial to help bridge the digital divide and ensure that every Filipino has access to the opportunities that come with the digital age.”

“We want to promote the value and benefit of space technologies so we as a country can continue investing in these capabilities and so that the benefits of these activities will reach our communities,” PhilSA Director General Joel Joseph Marciano, Jr. said.

Following this public demonstration, USAID will continue working with PhilSA and DOST-ASI to identify other GIDA sites that will test the viability and effectiveness of satellite broadband technology.

Through programs like INCENTIVISE, USAID is supporting the Philippines to modernize its digital infrastructure. USAID believes that fast and reliable internet connectivity can help the country become a competitive player in the global digital landscape by improving its access to the global market, enabling e-commerce and online transactions, facilitating communication and information exchange, and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. (PR)

Tacloban City– The City Health Office here will be obtaining a new supply of Pfizer vaccines starting the fourth week of May.

This was announced by city health officer Dr. Danilo Ecarma City Health OIC who said that they were already notified on the arrival of the said vaccines by the Department of Health.
Ecarma urged the public to avail of the vaccine for their primary or booster shots considering of the rise of coronavirus disease in the city and the rest of the region.
As of Monday (May 8), Tacloban has 30 active COVID-19 cases with the region has a total 84 cases.

Ecarma said that with the increasing COVID-19 cases in the city and the region, he reminded the public to strictly follow all the health protocols to contain further spread of the virus that already killed 694 in the region since it started more than two years ago.
“The DOH has just released an advisory on the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. We were advised again to observe all the minimum health protocols like wearing of face mask, especially in crowded areas,” the city health officer said.

The vaccination schedule at the Tacloban City Health Office is every Mondays and Fridays.
(MARK RONAN TING, LNU Student Intern)