TACLOBAN CITY — The rediscovery of the endangered Samar Rafflesia in Basey has prompted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to intensify efforts to protect the rare flower and the forest habitat where it survives.

The DENR-Samar Island Natural Park (DENR-SINP), through its Protected Area Management Office (PAMO), recently joined the Local Government Unit of Basey in conducting a Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) campaign in Barangay Guirang to encourage residents to help safeguard the species and its habitat.
The Samar Rafflesia (Rafflesia manillana) was rediscovered and documented in the area in 2026, about 15 years after it was last recorded.

During surveys conducted on May 26–28 and June 9–11, 2026, a DENR-SINP team documented 24 visible buds and flowers, including one fully bloomed flower, in Sitio Bagong Silang, Barangay Guirang.

Based on available records, the site is currently the only confirmed distribution of Rafflesia manillana.

“The 2026 documentation is significant because it confirms that Rafflesia manillana continues to survive in its natural habitat after approximately fifteen years without a known documented record,” said Emely C. Villocero, Forest Technician II of the DENR-SINP Protected Area Management Office.

The Samar Rafflesia is endemic to Samar and is classified as Endangered under DENR Administrative Order No. 2026-20.

During the awareness campaign, residents were briefed on the flower’s ecological importance, conservation status and dependence on a specific forest habitat and host vine. DENR officials stressed that disturbances to the surrounding vegetation could threaten the species’ survival.

The campaign also highlighted signs of possible threats in and around the Rafflesia habitat, including indications associated with suspected illegal timber poaching and other human activities that could contribute to forest degradation.

Residents were encouraged to help protect the site and report activities that could threaten the Samar Rafflesia and its habitat.

PAMO-SINP also discussed Republic Act No. 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018, which prohibits unauthorized activities that may damage protected habitats and wildlife.

DENR-SINP said it will continue monitoring the Rafflesia site and work toward establishing a Biodiversity Monitoring System. The agency will also coordinate with experts to support further research and long-term conservation efforts for the species.

The DENR said sustained cooperation among the agency, the Basey local government and residents of Barangay Guirang will be crucial in protecting the Samar Rafflesia and the forest ecosystem where it continues to survive.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY — Long before Tacloban became the bustling regional center it is today, the city was already at the crossroads of one of the most defining chapters in Philippine history.

On Oct. 20, 1944, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, President Sergio Osmeña and Gen. Carlos P. Romulo came ashore on Leyte, marking the beginning of the liberation of the Philippines from Japanese occupation.

Tacloban soon became a temporary seat of government, while the homes of prominent Taclobanons opened their doors to national leaders, Cabinet officials and military commanders helping rebuild a country emerging from war.

It was during this period of uncertainty and rebuilding that a group of Leyteños began to envision another kind of force for recovery—not through politics or military action, but through service.

That vision eventually gave birth to the Rotary Club of Tacloban.
Born from a call to serve

In 1946, as the country struggled to recover from the devastation of war, President Osmeña called on Leyteños to help confront some of the most urgent problems facing their communities: poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition.

The appeal resonated with Tacloban’s business and civic leaders.

On Sept. 12, 1946, Judge Antonio Montilla became the first president of the newly organized Rotary Club of Tacloban. The organization later received its official recognition from Rotary International on Aug. 20, 1947, with the support of the Rotary Club of Cebu, becoming the ninth Rotary club established in the Philippines.

Federico “Diloy” Larraga served as its first chartered president.

The club’s beginnings were closely intertwined with the city’s postwar recovery. Many of its founders were among the prominent citizens who had witnessed the return of the Philippine government to Leyte and had played roles in the city’s social and economic life.

They brought with them a simple but enduring idea: that those with the ability to help had a responsibility to do so.

Service beyond politics

From the beginning, the Rotary Club of Tacloban established itself as a non-political organization, choosing instead to work with government agencies, civic groups and other organizations to address community needs.

Its early programs reflected the realities of postwar Leyte.

Literacy initiatives sought to give children and adults better opportunities. Deworming campaigns addressed health and nutrition concerns, particularly among children. Job creation and livelihood efforts aimed to help families regain their footing at a time when many were still struggling to rebuild their lives.

These were not grand solutions to the enormous challenges facing a recovering province. But they represented something equally important—a willingness among citizens to roll up their sleeves and help rebuild their community one project at a time.

Eight decades later

Much has changed in Tacloban since those postwar years.

The wooden and war-damaged city has grown into a major urban center in Eastern Visayas. Its economy has expanded, generations have come and gone, and the needs of its people have evolved.

Yet the Rotary Club of Tacloban has remained.

Many of its members have also become leaders in business and civic organizations, including the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This connection between business leadership and community service has helped the club maintain its role not only in charitable work but also in initiatives that support local economic development.
Its history has also been shaped by the same resilience that defines the people of Leyte—a quality tested repeatedly by war, natural disasters and economic challenges.
A legacy carried forward

On Aug. 22, the Rotary Club of Tacloban marked its 79th Charter Anniversary, an occasion that also saw the formal induction of lawyer Niel Sia as the organization’s 80th president.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

CATARMAN, Northern Samar — The Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Northern Samar has strengthened its administrative workforce with the appointment and promotion of 224 non-teaching personnel, officials said.

The new personnel formally took their oaths during a mass oath-taking ceremony at the DepEd Northern Samar Schools Division Office in Catarman.

The group included 162 Administrative Officer II and 62 Project Development Officer II appointees, whose addition is expected to help improve administrative services and support the delivery of education programs across the province.

Schools Division Superintendent Gaudencio Aljibe Jr. led the ceremony and emphasized the important role of non-teaching employees in ensuring that schools and education offices operate efficiently.

In his message, Aljibe urged the new and promoted personnel to uphold professionalism, accountability and dedication in carrying out their responsibilities.

He said non-teaching personnel contribute significantly to creating an environment where teachers can focus on instruction and learners can benefit from improved school services.
The appointees formally pledged to perform their duties in accordance with the principles and mission of the Department of Education.

The mass oath-taking marked the formal entry or promotion of the personnel into their respective positions and underscored the division’s efforts to build a stronger workforce capable of supporting the province’s education system.

(EUGENE M. ENANO)