TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office here has reiterated its call to rice farmers in Eastern Visayas to adapt to climate-resilient practices to solve output drop.

One of the practices that Eastern Visayas farmers should do is to plant early maturing, high-yielding and stress-tolerant rice seed varieties as excessive rain could happen and may affect pollination while typhoons may cause lodging or falling over.

“Our call to farmers is to seek fertilizer application recommendation from agricultural extension workers to avoid excessive application of fertilizer,” the DA said in a statement Friday.

Farmers were urged to get an indemnity crop insurance claim from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation before planting and using postharvest types of machinery to reduce wastage.

The DA said high exposure to the effects of climate change remains a major factor that negatively affects the region’s agricultural output and productivity.
Recurrent natural hazards make Eastern Visayas one of the most disaster-prone areas in the country.

Records showed that eight typhoons caused an estimated PHP1.50 billion in damage to agricultural products from 2017 to 2021.

The region also faces other climate disaster-related risks, including drought, landslides, soil degradation, water shortages in some areas, and increased pests and diseases.

Eastern Visayas is a predominantly farming region with 1.17 million hectares of land area dedicated to agriculture and fisheries or 54.55 percent of its total land area.

About 19 percent of the land or 219,936 hectares is for annual crops including rice.

In 2022, the region recorded 840,345 metric tons (mt) of palay (unhusked rice) harvest. Last year’s production was lower than the 864,373 mt yield in 2021. (PNA)

NSSDEO, Brgy. Burabud, Laoang, N. Samar– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Northern Samar Second District Engineering Office, spearheaded by OIC, District Engineer Charlito S. Carlobos and OIC, Assistant District Engineer Atty. Arthur Eric L. Sabong, has completed a widening project for the Balud bridge in Brgy. Dale, San Roque, Northern Samar.

The widening project aims to provide better and safer roads, and stress-free travel experience of commuters.

The main scope of work involves widening of the bridge from the existing two (2) lanes to four (4) lanes.

The project with contract ID no. 22II0039 under contract with CDU Construction with an allocation of P84 million, is funded under the General Appropriation Act (GAA) of 2022 and is supervised by Project Engineer Joseph C. Romance.

People coming from Brgy. Dale up to Lapinig, Northern Samar, are the ones who will benefit from the constructed bridge.

This widened bridge has a profound impact as it will lessen and rather prevent vehicular incidents. It also encourages commuters and motorists to travel any time of the day without hesitation.

The convenience of the widened bridge was completed last May 20, 2023. The fruition of the project promotes seamless transport of goods and services. Thus, this project paved to opportunities that can elevate the economic status of the locality, and its completion made the resources accessible and attainable.

The NSSDEO bridge-widening projects are expected to meet its objectives of intensifying domestic trade, agri-business, and eco-tourism by continuously providing added road space
(RONEL T. GALUPO, PIO STAFF)

ORMOC CITY-Police authorities in Mondragon, Northern Samar are facing a blank wall on their investigation involving the killing of a laborer who was found dead in a river in sitio Lubog, Barangay Makiwalo on August 9.

Police said that they have yet to identify the suspect and his motive in killing Roel Toreng, who was from Capul, also in Northern Samar.

Personnel from the scene of the crime operatives (Soco) who processed the crime scene noticed four gunshot wounds in different parts of the victim’s body. The Soco also recovered three cartridge cases of cal. 45 from the crime scene.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY– The regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said in a statement that some beneficiaries of their program had graduated high school.

These includes 15 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) grantees whose studies were stopped due to poverty and because they married early.

These parents graduated from high school through Alternative Learning System at Hinabangan Central Elementary School.

“These 4Ps beneficiaries proved that poverty and age are not hindrances from pursuing their dreams to continue schooling,” the DSWD-8 said in the statement.

The 15 graduates are part of the 3rd batch of ALS program at the Hinabangan Central Elementary School in Hinabangan, Samar.

Aside from the 4Ps completers, some children-in-conflict with the law (CICL) who are residents at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth (RCCY), a DSWD facility located in Tanauan town had also finished Senior High School and complete their Junior High.

The RRCY is a residential facility that provides intensive treatment for the rehabilitation of male CICLs whose sentences have been suspended, and as a nurturing out-of-home placement to enhance their psychological, emotional, and psychosocial well-being.

At least five CICLs had graduated from their senior high school, three junior high completers, and 16 other students had advanced to the next grade level.

Six students graduated with honors, 24 students received conduct awards, six students for outstanding performance in the arts, three students for outstanding performance in literature, and two students were given the leadership award.

Formal education inside the facility started in 2020 after the DSWD and the Department of Education Leyte Division signed a memorandum of agreement to open a class inside the rehabilitation facility for Grades 7 to 12.

“The graduation and moving up ceremony served as a powerful reminder that the unwavering support of the government and the community can empower CICLs to overcome their past and build a brighter future,” the DSWD-8 statement added.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)