TACLOBAN CITY – Bishop Crispin Varquez of the diocese of Borongan has called the government to hire more forest guards to protect the forest covers of Samar Island from illegal poachers.

Varquez, who made the appeal during the recent meeting of the Samar Island Partnership for Peace and Development (SIPPAD) in Borongan City on June 9, also said that these forest guards should be made permanent employees.

“I suggest to our government officials especially to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to hire more forest rangers and make them regular employees so that they will take the responsibility of their task as forest guards,” the prelate said.

He disclosed that with a vast forest to be guarded and protected from illegal loggers, there are only ‘few’ forest guards in Eastern Samar alone and most of them are contractual workers.

Samar Island is the third largest island in the Philippines next to Luzon and Mindanao with a total land area of 13, 438.8 kilometers.

Found on the island is the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP), the largest contiguous tract of old-growth forest in the country and the largest protected area with a total of 333,300 hectares with its buffer spreading to a total of 458, 700 hectares of about a third of the entire island.

Inside the SINP are plants and animals many of which are considered to be threatened species and endemic to the region.

“To mitigate the effect of climate change and protect the balance of economy, this island should be protected and preserved from further destructions like mining, kaingin, and alike,” Varquez added.

Prior to this call from the Borongan bishop, the DENR and the Philippine National Police in the region had conducted a training involving 286 policemen for their deputation duties in protecting the region’s forest cover and in the enforcement of laws relative to the protection of the environment and natural resources.

Meanwhile, Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan said that the provincial government is planning to create a task force against illegal mining and logging.
The composite team will be composed of personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Army, and the PNP.

“Most of the illegal loggers in the province are protected by members of the communist group,” he said.

As part of the provincial government’s effort to go after illegal loggers, Ongchuan disclosed that they bought two high-speed bancas to go after illegal loggers who usually run towards the Bicol region.

“Some illegal loggers transport lumbers by hiding them under sacks of copra. So I instructed the Coast Guard to take a second look at trucks that are exiting our ports to make sure that they are not transporting illegally cut lumbers,” Ongchuan added.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY– With a week left before the end of the measles-rubella mass vaccination drive, at least 99,015 preschool children in Eastern Visayas have yet to receive the vaccine, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.

In its latest update, the DOH regional office here revealed that vaccination activities from May 1 to June 7 have covered at least 318,442 children, representing 76.28 percent of the 417,478 target population five years old and below.

Jelyn Lopez-Malibago, DOH Eastern Visayas information officer, said in a phone interview on Thursday the campaign needs to reach out to more households in the last week of the extended vaccination days.

“We are confident that by June 15, we will be able to reach or even surpass the 80 percent of the target children population,” Malibago told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The five areas with lower vaccination coverage are Tacloban City (60.10 percent), Southern Leyte (68.97 percent), Northern Samar (69.97 percent), Leyte (74.80 percent), and Ormoc City (76.44 percent).

The campaign also provides oral polio vaccines among children in cities and capital towns in Eastern Visayas.

As of June 7, about 95,293 children received anti-polio vaccines, attaining 78.15 percent of the target.

“We appreciate the commitment of all healthcare professionals and our collaborators and stakeholders for the success of the Chikiting Ligtas Campaign,” Malibago added.
On May 31, the DOH announced the extension of the vaccination drive for two weeks or until June 15 to reach out to more children.

The official reiterated that there is no treatment for polio, rubella, and measles, with vaccination as the only effective way to prevent the possibility of an outbreak.
Measles, one of the most contagious diseases worldwide, is characterized by high-grade fever, rashes, cough, sore eyes, and runny nose with complications that could lead to pneumonia, blindness, severe diarrhea, swelling of the brain, and even death.

Polio, on the other hand, is a potentially debilitating disease that causes fever, neck stiffness, and muscle weakness, and can eventually result in lifelong paralysis.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

ORMOC CITY-A person deprived of liberty (PDL) escaped from a jail facility in Laoang, Northern Samar on June 9.

The escapee, Ricky Mercado and a resident of Barangay san Jose, Catubig town and is facing a murder charge, managed to bolt from the Laoang sub-provincial jail in Brgy. Onay, Laoang town at about 5:45 am.

The Laoang police said at about 12:40 noon of that day, Jail Guard Jojie Mendoza reported to their office on the escape of the inmate.

His escape from the jail facility was discovered as jail guards were conducting their regular head counts of the inmates.

Immediately, personnel of Laoang sub-provincial jail conducted a search of the entire facility but to no avail, prompting them to report the incident to the police.

Mendoza, however, did not provide details to the police how Mercado was able to escape from the facility.

Pursuit operations are now being undertaken by the police and the jail guards.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Samar provincial government and three peacebuilders’ groups consisting of former communist rebels signed a pact to completely eradicate insurgency in the province.

Governor Sharee Ann Tan, chair of the Samar provincial task force to end local communist armed conflict (PTF-ELCAC), said on Friday the task force recently signed a pact with officers of three peacebuilders’ groups in the towns of Basey, San Jose de Buan, and Villareal towns.

The government has labeled former rebels as peacebuilders and formed them into associations.

“We are happy that these former NPA (New People’s Army) rebels have decided to support the government and we are just here to support them. Let us help them change their views about the government,” Tan told reporters.

The agreement consists of the different responsibilities of the peacebuilders and the PTF-ELCAC member agencies.

Among the roles of the peacebuilders are ensuring that the NPA will no longer be able to recruit new members, encouraging active NPA members to surrender, and supporting government programs on ending insurgency.

“The PTF-ELCAC, on the other hand, adhered to its task of providing the benefits under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and Local Social Integration Program (LSIP), provide livelihood assistance and capacity development training to the peacebuilders, and ensure the continuous delivery of social services, among others,” the governor said.

The task force and officers of group of former rebels signed the memorandum of agreement on June 5, at the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division headquarters in Catbalogan City.

In 2020, an agreement was entered into by then governor Reynolds Michael Tan and the officers of Calbiga, Pinabacdao, and Motiong- Paranas peacebuilder groups.
The provincial task force, through its local peace engagement panel, is set to continue localized peace dialogues with other groups from other towns, “with the intention of closing an agreement in pursuit of ending insurgency and sustaining the gains of peace,” according to the provincial government.

On June 5, a total of 41 former rebels received their financial package from the LSIP of the provincial government.

Through the LSIP, the local government allotted funds for cash assistance and provided other services to former communist terrorist group members as they return to the folds of the law.

The benefits are on top of the other assistance provided through the E-CLIP program.
For the LSIP, a former NPA combatant receives P25,000 as immediate assistance, P50,000 livelihood assistance, and P25,000 per firearm surrendered.

Every former Militia ng Bayan member is entitled to P10,000 immediate assistance, and a P25,000 cash reward for every firearm surrendered.

Each mass supporter will receive financial assistance of P1,000 under LSIP.

(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

MATAG-OB, Leyte– Mayors in the fourth district are just too willing to work with their congressional representative, Richard Gomez.

By working with Rep. Gomez, it is their respective constituents that will benefit and not them, they said.

The mayors that are extending their willingness to work and cooperate with Rep. Gomez are Ramon Oñate of Palompon, Edgar Cordeño of Isabel, and Bernandino Tacoy of this town.

The three mayors, in a press conference on June 8, said that they have a form an alliance not to fight with the congressman but to promote and boost their respective tourism industries.

“We will stop politics, we will stop vendetta and we will buckle down to work and will try to help our constituents,” Mayor Oñate.

Oñate appeared recently before the House of Representatives after a complaint was filed by Rep. Gomez alleging that his dressing plant is causing ‘foul odors’ and putting up a waste disposal to a protected area.

Mayor Cordeño, for his part, reminded Gomez of his function as a legislator.

“Be professional enough in handling your position. As a congressman, you know your duty is to enact law, you’re not there to execute the law, you’re not there to interpret the law,” he said.

Mayor Tacoy of his town likewise made a conciliatory call to Rep. Gomez saying extending help to their towns will directly benefit the ordinary people.

“Help us….for the benefit of our constituents,” he said.

The three local chief executives disclosed that Rep. Gomez is giving them the cold shoulder and has not consulted them on projects or programs being implemented at their respective towns.

Gomez could not be contacted for his reactions on this claim of the mayors.

(ROBERT DEJON)