TACLOBAN CITY– The municipal health office of Babatngon, Leyte, headed by Dr. Juliet Conge received an award for their campaign against tuberculosis (TB) from the Department of Health.

Mayor Leny Bobares Lugnasin, who attended the ‘Race to End TB Awards,’ received the award from Health Sec. Teodoro Herbosa.

Babatngon was cited for having one of the highest rates in TB treatment coverage.
Conge said that the award would serve to the ‘unwavering commitment’ of the town’s health workers to eradicate tuberculosis in Babatngon.
(BABATNGON LGU)

The sea tragedy happened on Dec. 20, 1987

TACLOBAN CITY– A group of heirs and beneficiaries of the victims of the M/V Doña Paz sea tragedy appealed for help to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and lawmakers, saying they have yet to receive the compensation due to them.

“I hope our grievances will be heard, especially with President Marcos Jr., whose mother is from Tolosa, Leyte, as most of MV Doña Paz victims were Waraynon. I hope they will be given attention. Many claimants are already old people,” said Danny Clores, the president of the Doña Paz Tragedy Claimants Association Inc.

In a series of photos and documents provided to Leyte Samar Daily Express, Clores said the association continues to meet with its officers and lawyer for their next action.
Meanwhile, Clores, who lost his father and two other family members during the incident, considered the world’s worst sea tragedy during peacetime, maintained that he had already received his claims.

According to Clores, there were beneficiaries who received their claims in Tacloban City, Catbalogan City, and Manila in 2017.

However, Clores, a native of Barugo town in Leyte, mentioned that there are still “more or less 30 percent who have yet to receive their claims” from the 3,227 on the “master list” he said he had obtained.

In 2017, heirs of the victims received more than P200,000 compensation from Caltex International, the shipper of about one million liters of gasoline and other petroleum products aboard the M/T Victor which collided with M/V Dona Paz in Tablas Strait on December 20, 1987.
(RONALD O. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY– Senator Mark Villar said that he is optimistic that his bill institutionalizing the ‘One Town, One Product’ policy will help boost small entrepreneurs of the country.

Villar, who chairs the committee on trade, commerce, and entrepreneurship at the Senate, said that once his proposed measure become into law, this will pave the way for local products to be introduced even to the world market.

The measure is contained under Senate Bill Number 1594.

“The OTOP Philippines Program will put our nation on the international stage, showcasing the diverse range of high-quality products that our towns and municipalities have to offer,” he said during a media interview on August 10.

“This program will not only boost our local economies but also serve as an inspiration for other nations striving to uplift their MSMEs (micro, small, medium enterprises) and promote sustainable development,” Villar added.

The senator was interviewed before he left for Maasin City to attend its 23rd city founding anniversary.

According to Villar, the measure aim to showcase every town’s distinct product, create sustainable livelihood, and contribute to the nation’s prosperity.

Meantime, the senator said that he is also pushing for the enactment of the Internet Transactions Act (ITA) which he authored and contained under Senate Bill 1846.

“It’s very important because we now have a digital economy. We have lots of transactions online and we need to protect our online consumers,” he said.

The bill aims to require digital platforms and online merchants to register their businesses with the proposed E-Commerce Bureau.

The bureau shall also receive and address consumer complaints on internet transactions.
Under the bill, the secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry has the authority to take down or ban online platforms, especially if the products or services are classified as dangerous.
(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)