NSSDEO, Brgy. Burabud, Laoang, N. Samar– The Department of Public Works and Highways Northern Samar Second District Engineering Office (DPWH-NSSDEO) recently completed the third phase of its P19, 590, 332.62 evacuation center project in Mapanas, Northern Samar.

In line with this, Christfer Construction & Supply took the responsibility to build the project according to the contract documentation, with a contract ID of 22II0065.

The General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2022 is the source of fund of the project. It was directly supervised by Project Engineer Arturo C. Corocoto, Jr. to ensure that work is completed in accordance with the plan, with him is Resident Engineer/Project Inspector Geric C. Yu while Engr. Justino E. Serafin, Jr. is the designated Materials Engineer.

The scope of the project includes the removal of damaged/obstructed structures caused by the recent landslide. The replacement of damaged structures which includes reinforced concrete works, masonry works, and finishing works, fabricated material works, and painting works. Concrete painting includes the facade and exterior walls of the building while interior walls were partially painted and electrical and plumbing works were fully installed. The scope of work was completed on April 05, 2023.

The 2-storey evacuation center was built with an accommodation building, rooms, and other necessary facilities and equipment. This evacuation center project was implemented to improve preparedness and provide services to the people of Mapanas during disasters.(ZYRA JOY J. CHING,PIO STAFF/PR)

NSSDEO, Brgy. Burabud, Laoang, N. Samar-The coastal town of Mapanas now has an added protection against storm surges for the reason that Department of Public Works and Highways – Northern Samar Second District Engineering Office (DPWH-NSSDEO) completed the improvement of Mapanas Boulevard with Seawall in Mapanas, Northern Samar.

The improvement of this project includes the constructed 217 meters Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP) with a 0.434-km lane roadway. Alongside with this is a 217-meter seawall structure. The installation of 16 sets of solar street lights is also a component of the development which gave adequate lighting and improves visibility and safety to the roadway. This scope of work was completed on February 13, 2023.

The shore protection project became visible through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) funds of 2022. Furthermore, JD PARTUZA CONSTRUCTION & SUPPLY manages the construction work with a Contract ID No. 22II0050 and contract amount of P19,207,047.88.

To ensure that the construction of the project is in adherence with the DPWH quality standard, NSSDEO OIC-District Engineer Charlito S. Carlobos tasked Project Engineer Arturo C. Corocoto, Jr. with Resident Engineer/Project Inspector Geric C. Yu to supervise and monitor the said project.

The DPWH-NSSDEO optimisms that this improvement project will benefit the community through both protection and promote tourism in the area. The impact of seawall protection is to reduce coastal hazards such as storm surge during the occurrence of natural disasters while the roadway is for easy access to tourists so they can enjoy the pristine beauty of Mapanas coastal area.
(ZYRA JOY J. CHING/PR)

SAN JORGE, Samar – Forty agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) from this town now savor the feeling of a landowner after they received their respective individual land titles from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) last month.

Armando Fabillar, 53, one of the recipients of the electronically generated Certificates of Land Ownership Award (e-CLOAs), shared “We are grateful to our president, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and to the DAR for making our dreams to own a land come true.”
Fabillar, a father of two children and a recipient of a 2.5-hectare lot, was among those awarded with a collective CLOA in 1992.

To strengthen property rights of the ARBs to the lands they are tilling, DAR subdivides the lands covered by collective CLOAs and issues individual land titles under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project.

On May 11 this year, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) Alfonso Catorce led the distribution of 40 e-titles generated under the SPLIT at this town’s municipal covered court.

During the said occasion, Catorce urged the ARBs not to sell their awarded lots acquired under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

To be able to avail of the various assistance extended to ARBs, PARPO I Segundino Pagliawan advised them to join agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in their area.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer (MARPO) Ricardo Flor shared that the 40 e-CLOAs cover an aggregate area of 70.5 hectares situated in six barangays – Lapaz, Rosalim, Sinibaran, Sapinit, Bulao, and Mabuhay.

Earlier, the president ordered agrarian reform secretary, Conrado Estrella III, to fast track the distribution of individual titles to the ARBs under the World Bank-funded SPLIT project.
Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Jay Bisnar, who graced the said affair, expressed gratitude to the DAR for the various assistance it has been providing to the farmers, not just in San Jorge but throughout the province.

Catorce stressed that land distribution is DAR’s contribution to the End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), a whole-of-nation approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace in the country.

(GABRIEL MARK OCENAR/DAR-Samar)

The Department of Education (DepEd) Ormoc City and Kananga Divisions is fully supporting the GeoSkwela project of First Gen-owned renewable energy leader Energy Development Corporation (EDC), which aims to provide more valuable information on the importance of renewable energy to K12 students.

DepEd Schools Division Superintendent of Leyte Dr. Mariza Magan, Ed. DCESO V lauded EDC for the GeoSkwela project that was formally launched on Friday at the PARES Function Hall, Ormoc City.

“EDC has been our partner in education since I joined DepEd years back. I really appreciate the undertaking of EDC to ensure environmental stewardship perfectly aligns with DepEd’s vision of caring for the environment.”

Dubbed as GeoSkwela, the online platform is a supplementary learning website that seeks to help teachers discuss difficult Science topics such as energy transformation, sources, generation, transmission, and distribution, as well as the environmental impacts of energy generation.

“EDC officially launched the GeoSkwela learning management system (LMS) portal and conducted a one-day training on its use and features, with the help of our resource speakers from the Knowledge Community. Through this site, the teachers can download reference materials, sample quizzes, experiments, and other activities that will help them comprehensively explain what energy is, how it works, and what its effects on the environment are,” explained Erwin Magallanes, Head of EDC’s Corporate Relations Department in Leyte.

He added that the site may help teachers create lesson plans for both face-to-face and online learning classes. “The contents of the online platform are aligned with the Science Curriculum of the Department of Education (DepEd) for Grades 6, 9, and 11,” Magallanes emphasized.

Aside from the GeoSkwela site, EDC also prepared printed materials or visual aids like booklets that were distributed to nine schools in the DepEd Division of Ormoc City and Kananga. The beneficiary schools include Tongonan in both divisions, Milagro, Lim-ao, Lake Danao, Cabintan Elementary Schools, and Pedro D Banez, Cabintan, and Lim-ao National High Schools.

Magallanes expressed his appreciation for the support of the DepEd in EDC’s advocacy. “We are grateful for the full support and commitment of the education department from the two divisions that we have been working with including our other CSR programs not only for SIKAT education activities but also for environment-related initiatives.”

“We also understand the challenge of Internet connectivity in some schools, this is why we also prepared booklets with five modules per grade level. These good-quality booklets are meant to be used by the students enrolled in the current school year and by the next batch of enrollees,” said Magallanes.

The launch event likewise emphasizes the importance of becoming regenerative by striving to do more good for the planet and society, which is what EDC’s revitalized mission to forge collaborative pathways for a decarbonized and regenerative future is all about.

For EDC, being sustainable means doing less harm to our planet, while being regenerative means restoring it and making it better. The company believes that inspiring the youth to move forward and go beyond sustainability for a livable planet and a better tomorrow must start today.

EDC is First Gen Corporation’s 100 percent renewable energy subsidiary with over 1,480MW total installed capacity that accounts for 20 percent of the country’s total installed renewable energy capacity. Its almost 1,200MW geothermal portfolio comprises 62 percent of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity and has put the Philippines on the map as the 3rd largest geothermal producer in the world.(PR)