KANANGA, Leyte– As this town is to celebrate its founding anniversary, it also launched its first-ever ‘Kaanyag Festival.’

Mayor Mat Torres said that the festival will showcase Kananga’s beauty, history, and its resources, particularly its ylang-ylang which is abundant in the town.

“The Kananga Kaanyag Festival is a celebration of the fragrance, flavor, beauty, and abundance that our beloved town embodies,” said Matt Torres, Kananga Municipal Mayor. “We cordially invite everyone to join us in this grand launch and immerse themselves in the vibrant culture and rich traditions that make Kananga truly unique.”

The five-day festivity started last Saturday with a holy Mass followed by the presentation of candidates for the Festival Queen competition.

Last Thursday (June 8), a ‘grand’ tree planting of ylang-ylang was held as the said flower is considered as Kananga’s official flower.

And on Sunday (June 11), the grand float parade will be held and the coronation of its festival queen. (ROBERT DEJON/LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)

NSSDEO, Brgy. Burabud, Laoang, Northern Samar– The DPWH-NSSDEO Quality Assurance Section conducted a t-core test of its completed asphalt road project located at the Pangpang-Palapag-Mapanas-Gamay-Lapinig Road in the Pacific Area.

The project with contract ID No. 23II0002 is under contract with ANLE Construction. It has a contract amount of P5,885,417.11 funded under DPWH regular infrastructure program, GAA FY 2023.

The testing was done by drilling a concrete road with the use of t-core machine, to determine its thickness, compact strength and mixture of aggregates, and to ensure the stability and quality of road asphalt pavement project and its resistance to deformation.

The findings indicated that the completed project passed and complied with the standard specifications as provided in the contract documents.

The activity was conducted on April 19, 2023 by the QAS technical team led by Engr. Mikhail Benedik Mondigo, Materials Engineer II, with the assistance of Engr. Ulyssis Pelegrino, Engr. Hannah Esquillo, and Remedios Nitor, Laboratory Technician I.
(MECHU T. ADONGAY, PIO STAFF)

TACLOBAN CITY– She does not middle in local politics.

Thus said Senator Imee Marcos, who visited the region last week, when asked if she will be supporting local candidates for the forthcoming 2024 elections.

“We respect the decision of the people, and we leave the local politicians alone. We don’t meddle with whoever is there. We let them be,” the senator said during a media interview.
The senator said that personally, she has a very good relationship with the family of Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla whose family has dominated the province for decades now.

“I have been working with Gov. Jericho Petilla while former governor Leopoldo was my contemporary when I was governor of Ilocos Norte,” the senator said.

“Even with Mayor Remedios Petilla, former Baybay mayor Carmen Cari and even former congresswoman Trinidad Apostol. We are all okay. We were in Congress together,” Marcos added.

Meantime, Sen. Marcos said that she will seek reelection during the 2025 elections.
“Yes, it’s for reelection for me for the 2025 elections,” she said.
There were rumors that the senator, the elder sister of President Marcos, will run for mayor of Manila which she denied.

The senator also squelched rumors that she is eyeing the second highest elective post in the country, the vice presidency, in the 2028 elections, with Vice President Sara Duterte as her running-mate.

The senator visited Borongan City and Oras town in Eastern Samar as well as in Southern Leyte to lead the cash distribution under the government’s AICS (assistance to individuals under crisis situations) program.

She also vowed to help the region particularly its poor provinces like Eastern Samar become economically developed as this will also contribute to ending the communist insurgency problem.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The organizers of the ‘Peace and Quiet’ event are hoping that this will be replicated in other provinces in the region to encourage more youth particularly artists to join the program that aims to promote peace thru the use of various forms of art.

Peace and Quiet is considered to be the biggest event of local artists in Eastern Visayas which serve as an avenue among artists showing their support to the government in attaining peace.

“This will take about a year of preparation because we need to make a coordination with other groups from the national level,” Balais said.

Mark Balais, Pitad Kultura Waraynon chairperson, said that they have already sent invitations to other artist groups in the region and even from other provinces in the country for them to have the same activity.

Eastern Visayas is the only region in the country that is holding an event involving youth artists which aim to promote peace and condemn the atrocities being committed by the New People’s Army.

The June 5 to 11 event, held at Robinsons North Abucay, is now on its third installment in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

About 60 local artists are participating the event at the Robinsons North Abucay that is to end on June 11.

Aside from DENR, the Peace and Quiet III is also in partnership with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Robinsons North Tacloban, and supported by the Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, Hands Off Our Children, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Istolo Poetry, Otaku Tacloban Cosplay Hosting Organization, Waray Rap Pilipinas, ISLAW Production, Hycal, and Youth for Human Rights International-Eastern Visayas.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)