Red tide alert up in 7 Eastern Visayas bays
TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas (Region 8) ended the year with seven bays still affected by red tide toxins, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional office here reported.
BFAR Region 8 Director Juan Albaladejo said the heavy rains this month triggered the runoff of pollutants from the uplands to the sea.
“The series of massive rains caused runoff of soil sediments rich in organic load that fertilized the cyst of red tide and triggered the sudden appearance of red tide events,” Albaladejo said in a message sent to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Based on laboratory examination results of shellfish meat samples, the toxic organism was found this week in San Pedro Bay in Basey, Samar; Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City; and coastal waters of Biliran Island.
For the past few weeks, the toxic organism has been present in Carigara Bay in Capoocan, Carigara, Barugo, San Miguel, and Babatngon in Leyte; coastal waters of Guiuan, Eastern Samar; Matarinao Bay in General MacArthur, Hernani, Quinapondan, and Salcedo in Eastern Samar; and coastal waters of Leyte town.
The fisheries bureau has stepped up its monitoring of these coastal waters and reactivates its information drive system to alert the public and inform affected local government units.
Albaladejo requested local government units in these bays to also heighten their watch against the gathering, trading, and consumption of shellfish to prevent paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).
PSP occurs after ingesting bivalve shellfish, such as mussels, oysters, and clams, which contain toxins.
Symptoms include tingling of the lips and tongue, which may begin within minutes of eating toxic shellfish or may take an hour or two to develop.
This may progress to tingling of fingers and toes and then loss of control of arms and legs, followed by difficulty in breathing.
Fish, squid, shrimp, and crabs harvested in these areas are safe to eat “provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly and internal organs, such as gills and intestines, are removed before cooking.”(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)
Province still reeling from ‘Odette’s devastation
Nonstop rains trigger flooding, landslide incident in So. Leyte
TACLOBAN CITY- Incessant rains spawned by the shear line and the northeast monsoon or ‘amihan’ have triggered flooding and landslide incidents in Southern Leyte province, still reeling from the massive devastations caused by Typhoon ‘Odette.’
In Saint Bernard town, at least six individuals were rescued and evacuated to a safer place as their house was inundated as a result of the swelling of the nearby Kapanangan River.
A minor landslide was also reported in the village of Lipanto, also in the same town.
In Libagon town, a 53-year old man, who was not identified, was also rescued due to the flooding that hit their village in Talisay.
Flooding was also experienced in Barangay Pancil, Malitbog town where a resident, in a video, called on provincial officials and other government agencies for assistance as their bridge was flooded.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that the Agas-Agas Bridge in Sogod town was rendered not passable due to the nonstop rains.
The bridge is the main route of going to Southern Leyte from Leyte province.
Despite of the bad weather condition prevailing in the province, relief operations will not be affected, Rey Gozon, assistant regional director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said.
“Our relief operations are not hampered despite of the bad weather,” he said.
All assets and equipment of the government like military trucks and sea crafts from the Coast Guard and Navy are being utilized to ensure that assistance will reach to all affected towns and villages in the province, Gozon added.
Meantime, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has lauded all elected officials of Southern Leyte for their presence during and after Odette hit the province on December 16.
“All chief executives of the province were around during and after Odette hit Southern Leyte,” Ian Adrian Colasito, senior local government operations officer of the DILG-8 said.
For her part, Lt. Maria Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police (PNP-8), said that they did not monitor any looting incident in the province in the aftermath of the onslaught of Odette.
“From day one, there was no looting incident in the province and we are thankful to all the support of different government agencies, local government units, and the local themselves,” she said.
UEP to start limited face-to-face classes in 2022
The University of Eastern Philippines will soon start limited face-to-face classes in its College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences programs, including those with laboratory and on-the-job training on the second semester of the present school year, in January 2022.
UEP’s proposal to hold limited face-to-face classes was approved by the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force for COVID-19 (PIATF) in its joint meeting with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) on December 14, 2021 at the UEP Gymnatorium.
UEP President Dr. Cherry Ultra proposed to the PIATF for UEP be allowed to hold limited face-to-face classes in January 2022, blended with modular and online class sessions saying “this is necessary to increase the students’ level of knowledge in their chosen fields of endeavor, and for an unhampered flow of academic learning.” Dr. Ultra made the appeal before PIATF chair Governor Edwin Ongchuan, municipal mayors led by LMP President Mayor Galahad Vicencio, provincial health officials, and other members of the PIATF.
Governor Ongchuan pledged support to the Ligtas Balik Eskwela initiative of UEP, leading others in signing the Pledge of Commitment and Support. Mayors Galahad Vicencio, Don Abalon, Edito Saludaga, Gerardo Miranda and Leo Jarito also gave their support, along with provincial health officer Dr. Ninfa Kam, and DOH provincial officer Rommel Francisco. Other members of the PIATF were also present to give support for the limited face-to-face classes.
Northern Samar has the lowest attack rate of COVID-19 in Region 8, Dr. Rommel Francisco reported during the meeting. At present, more than 54% of the province’s eligible population has been vaccinated, which number is expected to increase in the coming days with the National COVID Vaccination Days Part 2 set on December 20-22, 2021. (PR)
Residents of Maasin City slowly returning to normal life
After the onslaught of ‘Odette’
MAASIN CITY- The residents of this typhoon-battered city are slowly trying to recover.
Feloina Viocente of Barangay Maria Clara, about four kms away from the city proper, is doing the repair of her damaged house by herself with the help of her brother.
Viocente said that she learned carpentry works by observing her husband who is a foreman but currently works at the nearby Hilongos town in Leyte.
The ceiling of their house was blown away due to the strong winds brought by typhoon ‘Odette’ that hit Maasin City on Thursday (Dec.16).
She said that instead of waiting for her husband to repair their house, she chose to do it herself so they will have a roof and will not worry in case there will be rain.
“Eto halong pagod, yung kaba hindi pa rin maalis, nandyan pa rin, at saka syempre po nag-iisip kung saan kami kukuha ng panggastos sa bahay naming. Dagdag pa po yung una, syempre pagkain, kaya talagang magsisikap na lang po ulit para makabangon,” she said when asked how she is feeling at the moment after the disaster struck their village.
The city government has yet to report as to the number of houses damaged due to the onslaught of Odette as inspection, especially those in the upland villages, is still underway.
Mayor Naccional Mercado said several areas in the city remain unpassable due to fallen trees and power lines.
Out of the 70 villages of Maasin, only 26 are located in the city center and along that national road.
Mercado said that they have to prioritize clearing operations for them to deliver food and other essential needs for those living in these areas that remain to be inaccessible.
The city remains without a power supply with communications have yet to be restored.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)