ORMOC CITY-An employee of the public market in Tacloban City surrendered to the police one sachet containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu.

Alejandro Sembrero, 44 said that he found the sachet of shabu on the flooring of the building at about 11:25 am on Wednesday (Feb 8) which he immediately turned over to the city police office.

The prohibited substance, placed in a transparent heat-sealed plastic, has a weight of 0.05 grams and with an estimated street value of P1,500.

Sembrero told police that at about 11:25 on that day, he was at his workplace at Tacloban Public Market, particularly at the trading post area sweeping the floor and when he noticed the said item.

Having the perception that the item could be an illegal drug item, he then called the attention of the police officers near their area at Market PCP, PS2-TCPO, and coordinated the same, then subsequently brought the said item to Police Station 2 for proper disposition and disposal.
(ROBERT DEJON)

PASTRANA, Leyte – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Leyte Second District Engineering is now implementing seven school building projects for recipient schools in the second district in the province.

These school buildings will be constructed in Talisay Elementary School, Mayorga; Amandangay Elementary School, Tabontabon; MacArthur Central School, MacArthur; Caridad Primary School, Julita; Buracan Elementary School, La Paz; Aringit Primary School, Pastrana; and in Tunga Central School, Tunga.

Each school building has a construction budget of P4.9 million sourced from the Basic Education Facilities Fund of the Department of Education (DepEd).

These facilities were simultaneously constructed on January 19 and are expected to be completed May 3 of this year.

District Engineer Leo Edward Oppura directed the project engineers to closely monitor the implementation of the school building projects to ensure that they adhere to the plans and program of works.

School building projects implemented by DPWH are in convergence with the Department of Education (DepEd) aiming to address the classroom gaps in high-priority schools nationwide.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY– The Department of Social Welfare and Development Services (DSWD) here in the region is targeting 73,252 new beneficiaries under its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) for this year.

The new beneficiaries will replace the graduated or exited 4Ps households from the program, Paula Unay, 4Ps division chief of the DSWD-8, said.

The identified underprivileged households in the ‘Listahanan’ or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) are potential beneficiaries of the program, she added.

Last January, orientation and posting of the list of set 12 potential households were conducted in each barangay/municipality with the validation and registration now ongoing across the region where copies of the master list of potential beneficiaries are posted in the different local government unit offices until the end of this month.

“By March 15, we expect the approval of our regional director for these new registered beneficiaries,” Unay said.

In addition to being underprivileged in the Listahanan, beneficiaries of the 4Ps program must also be able to comply with the program’s conditions as part of their shared responsibilities which includes having children between the ages of 0 and 18 or being pregnant at the time of the assessment.

Potential members are required to submit marriage certificate, birth certificate/baptismal, school enrollment certificate of children 3-18 years old enrolled in pre-school, elementary, junior and senior high school, health registration certificate of children below 5 years old from RHU/BHS, and valid identification card (ID).

Unay urged the public especially the potential beneficiaries to be aware of the registration.
“The DSWD gives consideration for late registration from March 1-14,” she emphasized.
Of the 73,252 target new beneficiaries, 1,983 will come from Biliran; 11,638 for Eastern Samar; 29,795, Leyte; 9,785, from Northern Samar; 13,797 in Samar and 6,254 from Southern Leyte.

Currently, there are 274, 989 active 4Ps household beneficiaries in the region.

(HAZEL LLANETA, LNU Student

CALBAYOG CITY – The second phase of the flood control structure built along Tabawan Creek has been constructed, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways Samar First DEO.

Phase I of the said construction was completed on November 2019.

The 560-meter-long flood control structure with an average vertical height of 3-meters includes a 1.5-meters-wide pavement and 0.8-meter parapet that serves as a protection wall for residents of the barangay.

According to Meraflor G. Largo, a resident of Barangay Tabawan, before present, the creek overflows due to the water coming from the mountaintop, particularly during heavy rains and the rainy season, so some areas of the said barangay have become inundated—houses have been flooded, and flood water has reached waist length.

Now, residents of the community no longer worry when it rains because the flood control structure reduced the effects of the deluge, particularly during heavy weather.

As part of the DEO’s regular infrastructure plan, this project has a contract amount of P 48.63 million from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2022.

(FLORSELISSA A. JUSAYAN, PIO Staff)

TACLOBAN CITY– The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office kicked-off its month-long 72nd founding anniversary Monday (Feb. 6).

This year’s celebration has a theme of “Kaagapay sa Pagbangon, Katuwang sa bawat hamon”.

The celebration will last until March 10.

Clarito Logronio, the assistant regional director for administration, said that last January 3 was their official anniversary day with a series of activities.

“These activities are conducted to unite, foster camaraderie, and showcase the talents of employees and different sub-offices,” he added.

In conjunction with the DSWD’s 72nd anniversary celebration, they launched “Tabo ha DSWD” from Tuesday (Feb. 7) until Thursday (Feb. 9) at their office at Candahug, Palo, Leyte.

“Tabo ha DSWD” features different types of agricultural products such as food, like fruits, kakanin, pastry, and other delicacies, non-food items like essentials from DSWD Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations (SLPAs), DSWD Centers in EV, and products from the employee of FO VIII, Logronio said.

On March 8, they will be having Stakeholder’s day, to recognize the roles of partners in terms of delivery of services, he said.
(CAROL MEDINO, LNU Student Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY– The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the region has released the official list of the local governments that made it and passed the 2022 Good Financial Housekeeping.

Out of the six provinces of the region, only Northern Samar was not able to make it while all seven cities of the region passed the grade.

Several municipalities in the region were recognized by the DILG.

In Biliran province, these are the towns of Almeria, Biliran, Cabucgayan, Caibiran, Culaba, Kawayan, Maripipi, and Naval.

In Eastern Samar, the following made it to the list Arteche, Can-avid, Dolores, General MacArthur, Guiuan, Hernani, Llorente, Maslog, Maydolong Mercedes, Quinapondan, Salcedo, San Julian, Sulat, and Taft.

In Leyte, the municipalities who made it to the list were Abuyog, Alangalang, Albuera, Barugo, Bato, Burauen, Calubian, Capoocan, Carigara, Dagami, Dulag,
Hilongos, Hindang, Javier, Julita, Kananga, La Paz, Leyte, Matagob, Mayorga, Merida, Palo, Pastrana, San Isidro, Santa Fe, Tabango, Tabontabon, Tanauan, and Tolosa.

In Northern Samar, the municipalities who made it to the list were the following: Biri, Gamay, Laoang, Lapinig, Lavezares, Palapag, and San Isidro.

For Samar province, the passers were the municipalities of Almagro, Basey, Calbiga, Daram, Gandara, Hinabangan, Jiabong, Marabut, Matuguinao, Motiong, Pagsanghan, Paranas, Pinabacdao, San Jose de Buan, San Sebastian, Santa Margarita, Santa Rita, Santo Nino, Tagapulan, Talalora, Tarangnan, Villareal, and Zumarraga.

The Southern Leyte, passers include Anahawan, Bontoc, Hinunangan, Hinundayan, Libagon, Liloan, Limasawa, Macrohon, Malitbog, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan, Saint Bernard, San Francisco, San Juan, Silago, Sogod and Tomas Oppus.

The SGFH recognizes compliance of local government units with accounting and auditing standards, rules and regulations, as certified by DILG’s Bureau of Local Government Supervision.

SGFH affirms that an LGU had spent and audited its public funds completely and with full transparency.

The criteria for passing the GFH include the most recent available COA Audit Opinion is unqualified or qualified for CYs 2020 or 2021, as of November 4, 2022; Compliance with the full disclosure policy – posting of financial documents in 3 conspicuous places and in the FDP Portal for CY 2021 2nd to 4th Quarter, and CY 2022 1st Quarter period documents.
The SGFH is part of the financial administration and sustainability aspect—the first of ten governance areas of assessment for LGUs.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)