TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and other government agencies are working to ease the impact of the 3-ton weight limit on the San Juanico Bridge.

DA Assistant Secretary for Logistics Daniel Alfonso Atayde met with DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon and Civil Defense Administrator Ariel F. Nepomuceno in Tacloban on Sunday, May 25, to coordinate efforts.

Among the proposed measures are prioritizing perishable and farm goods on roll-on/roll-off barges and LCT vessels; identifying and promoting alternative routes; coordinating with local governments and agencies; deploying more DA staff to ports; and monitoring the flow of essential goods.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) in Tacloban pledged support once needed infrastructure is in place. The interagency initiative seeks to ensure public safety while minimizing disruption to trade and transport.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

Part to combat insurgency problem

TACLOBAN CITY — The province of Northern Samar has become the first in Eastern Visayas to fully complete its 2024 Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP) projects funded under the Unprogrammed Appropriations (UA), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Northern Samar Provincial Office announced.

The provincial office reported that all projects implemented in the municipalities of Gamay, Mapanas, and Lope De Vega under the FY 2024 SBDP-UA have reached full physical completion within just five months after the release of funds—a significant milestone in the delivery of development support to former conflict-affected communities.

Each local government unit (LGU) received P5 million per project, credited directly to their accounts by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) through the Notice of Authority to Debit Account Issued (NADAI) on December 5, 2024.

The projects include, in Gamay, the opening and concreting of roads in Barangays Anito, Cade-an, Guibuangan, and Malidong; Lope De Vega, provision of renewable energy-based electrification for Barangay Lower Caynaga; and Mapanas, concreting of a farm-to-market road in Barangay San Jose.

The DILG Provincial Office confirmed that Certificates of Completion (COCs) have already been issued for the finished projects and will be submitted to the regional and national offices for validation and audit.

The projects form part of the SBDP, the flagship initiative of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which aims to bring basic infrastructure and development programs to communities formerly influenced by insurgency.

Earlier in 2024, Northern Samar received an initial P2.5 million per project for 167 barangays, also under the SBDP. These were followed by the P5-million UA releases in December for another set of 167 projects, totaling 334 SBDP sub-projects implemented across the province this year.

According to DILG Northern Samar Provincial Director Atty. Danilo Laguitan, LGUs in Gamay and Mapanas completed both sets of projects—the P2.5 million and P5 million tranches—ahead of schedule.

Lope De Vega has one remaining project under the P2.5M batch, currently at 61–90% physical completion.

Remarkably, LGU-Gamay also became the first municipality in Northern Samar to complete its liquidation process, returning unspent balances to the national government via the Bureau of the Treasury—demonstrating exemplary compliance with fiscal responsibility standards.

The DILG Northern Samar office reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting LGUs in project implementation and evaluation, with a focus on sustainability, transparency, and effective public service delivery.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

ORMOC CITY – An instructor from the Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) Ormoc Campus was killed in a head-on motorcycle collision in the early hours of Sunday, May 25, along the national highway in Sitio Seguinon, Barangay Libertad.

The victim was identified as Engr. Joel Capala, 52, married, and a resident of Barangay Bagong Buhay, Ormoc City. He was an engineering instructor at EVSU.

According to the Ormoc City Police Office, the accident occurred around 3:27 am but was only reported an hour later, at 4:27 am.

The crash involved two motorcycles: a Honda Click driven by Angelito Miaga, 45, of Barangay RM Tan, and a Honda Dream driven by Engr. Capala.

Initial investigation and witness accounts revealed that both motorcycles were traveling in opposite directions—Miaga was headed out of the city proper, while Capala was going towards the city. Capala’s motorcycle allegedly swerved into Miaga’s lane, resulting in a head-on collision.

The impact caused severe damage to both motorcycles. Capala sustained fatal injuries and died instantly at the scene. Miaga was also injured and remains confined in the hospital.
Authorities also discovered that both motorcycles had expired registrations.

The Ormoc City Police continue to investigate the incident to determine the full circumstances and identify any possible liabilities.

The EVSU–Ormoc Campus has expressed deep sorrow over Capala’s passing, describing him as a respected and valued member of their faculty.

(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)

ORMOC CITY– A 48-year-old farmer listed as a street level individual on the local drug watchlist was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) on Sunday night, May 25, in Barangay Libo, Carigara, Leyte.

Carigara Chief of Police Major Reymund Quinagutan identified the suspect as alias “Chito,” single and a resident of the said barangay.

During the operation, police operatives were able to purchase one sachet of suspected shabu from the suspect using a marked P500 bill. A subsequent body search, conducted in the presence of witnesses as required by law, yielded three more sachets of the same substance, along with the marked bill and P313 in various denominations.

According to Quinagutan, the total estimated weight of the seized suspected shabu was 0.5 grams, with a Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) value of approximately P3,400.

The suspect was immediately informed of his rights and the nature of his arrest in a language he fully understood. He is currently detained at the Carigara Municipal Police Station while charges for violation of Section 5 (selling illegal drugs) and Section 11 (possession of illegal drugs) under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are being prepared.

(ROBERT DEJON)