MAASIN CITY – A portion of the road in San Ricardo, Southern Leyte blocked by landslide and rockslide debris on Thursday(July 9) is now passable after the clearing operation of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Southern Leyte district engineering office chief Ma. Margarita Junia said traffic flow has already been restored in Barangay Camang in San Ricardo town early this morning, July 13.
“I received information last night from my maintenance point person about the landslide along San Ricardo road. Upon being notified about the incident, I immediately directed our maintenance workers to clear the area from blockage because the road is a vital link,” Junia said.
The road section leads to Benit Port, the region’s exit point to Mindanao. It is also considered a vital link from Leyte to Mindanao as part of the nautical highway’s eastern seaboard route.
The landslide which occurred on Thursday night was caused by the non-stop heavy downpour in the province this week.
The DPWH field office is stepping up their monitoring in landslide prone areas in Pacific towns and Panaon Island during rainy days. They also assigned workers in vulnerable sections as well as prepositioned equipment in anticipation of rainfall-induced landslides. (PR/FMMT)

TACLOBAN CITY-After 14 years of being a ‘rabies-free city’, the local government of Tacloban through the City Veterinary Office (CVO) will further heighten its anti-rabies vaccination and reclaim its “rabies-free” status, which was revoked following the first human rabies death this year.
City Veterinarian Dr. Eunice Alcantara, in an interview, disclosed that it is unfortunate that the city had its first recorded human transmission of rabies after years of maintaining the said tag.
Alcantara said that the recorded positive human rabies case, who was admitted to a government hospital died on June 30, 2020, is a 27-year-old male from Barangay 94, Tigbao.
The man was bitten by a dog in the first week of May and unfortunately, days after the biting incident, the dog likewise died, CVO reported.
According to the city veterinarian, the owner of the dog gave monetary assistance to shoulder the expenses of the victim. However, the latter used the aid for personal interest.
“We were also able to trace and vaccinate 10 persons which he came in contact with — his five drinking buddies, his parents, two children, and his partner,” Alcantara stressed.
Being determined to reclaim the status of Tacloban City as a rabies-free, the official is encouraging pet owners to have their dogs vaccinated to be ensured of a rabies-free community in the midst of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis.
Alcantara explained that this canine rabies is more dangerous than the COVID-19 due to its 100 percent fatality rate.
“No victim has ever recovered from rabies, especially when symptoms appear,” she stressed.
Meantime, she added, a person who becomes a victim of a dog bite should immediately wash the wound part with soap and water, and seek medical attention at the Animal Bite Centers located at the Tacloban City Hospital or the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC).
Sections 15.1, 27, and 28 of City Ordinance 2006-9-264 also known as the Animal Code of Tacloban City state that no animal shall be permitted to roam or walk upon public places, and pet owners are required to let their pets be registered and vaccinated yearly against rabies.
Tacloban City’s last recorded rabies case was in 2004. With that, CVO requests the cooperation of the pet owners, as violators will be dealt with accordingly. (C.MERIN, TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)

TACLOBAN CITY – After being tagged as the epicenter of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) of the region, the town of Tarangan is now officially out from the list where the virus afflicts its people.
Dr. Minerva Molon, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH), has announced that they have already lifted their declaration of a local transmission in Tarangan due to COVID-19.
About 35 people were confirmed to have been infected in Tarangan with one fatality.
Molon credited on the successful containment on the spread of the COVID-19 in the town to whole-of-nation-approach that both the national government agencies and local government unit did.
“At first, we are confused on how to address the problem but as weeks goes on, we are able to handle the matter properly. In fact, one of the best examples of this is the whole-of-nation approach,” Molon said.
Military forces, police and other uniformed personnel, including national government agencies like the DOH, Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development with support from the provincial government and the local government, help in making sure that needs of Tarangnan residents and quarantine protocols were strictly imposed in the entire town.
Molon added that during the visit of World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Tarangnan, they noted the intervention made in the municipality which can be a model if similar situation happens in other areas of the region.
Mayor Arnel Tan had imposed three lockdowns since the coronavirus hit the town.
First was on April 7 where residents of the two sitios or sub-villages of the town were restricted with their movements.
The second lockdown was issued on April 20 affecting residents at Poblacion B. Third lockdown was on April 29, affecting the whole town and the last lockdown was issued on June 1 to 15 in the villages of Poblacion A, B, C, D, E, Imelda and Palencia.
The DOH has declared on April 27 of a community transmission of COVID-19 in the municipality.
Roderick Boyd Cerro, DOH8 regional epidemiology and surveillance unit chief, said that during the first few days of their monitoring in Tarangnan, most of the residents who were subjected to swab sample could be seen outside their homes.
“But when people started to listen and they stayed at their homes, that’s the time that the transmission of the virus was controlled,” Cerro said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)