TACLOBAN CITY- Jan Joshua Inghoy of Barangay 62-A Sagkahan, eagerly received his P3,250 salary from Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Displaced Worker (TUPAD) #Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko, or Tupad #BKBK, a jointly implemented program of the local government and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), on Wednesday, June 24 at the Tacloban City Hall.
Inghoy, who has been unemployed for four months, was among the 34 beneficiaries for the first batch of release and worked four hours for 10 days of disinfection and sanitation work of their dwellings and immediate vicinity.
“This program really helped us during this trying times, we need not only disinfect our houses but also participated in sanitizing our community to contain the spread of the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” the beneficiary explained.
According to Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Development Management Officer Katherine Peliño, the said program aimed to augment the income of the unemployed poor through short-term community work and temporary employment that can improve their living conditions.
“The displaced workers have been deployed since June 1, and their work ended last June 11,” she said.
Overall, a total of P487, 500 worth of wages was allocated for the 150 informal sector workers who have qualified from the TUPAD #BKBK program.
The second batch of beneficiaries is set to receive their salary on Friday, June 26, 2020, PESO reported. (TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)

TACLOBAN CITY- Taranganan’s youngest patient afflicted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is fully recovering.
This was disclosed by Mayor Arnel Tan who commended the boy’ as ‘very courageous’ who was placed at the town’s isolation facility as part of the protocols.
“Our youngest COVID-19 patient, a 9-year old boy, is now fully recovering from the infection and is now out from the Municipal isolation facility and recently attended the community reintegration process,” the town mayor said.
Tan said that despite being the youngest among the patients, the boy was very courageous and well-disciplined in following necessary protocols that are being implemented inside the facility.
He never feared being isolated amidst his young age. Instead, he showed determination in fighting the disease until his full recovery, added Tan.
“Such very commendable attitude for a young one,” he added.
The town is the first area in the region to be declared by the Department of Health to have a local transmission of COVID-19 cases on April 27.
Tarangnan had its first two confirmed cases on April 7 involving personnel of the 10-bed Tarangnan Community Hospital who got the virus from their co-worker, a doctor from Calbayog City, who recently traveled to Metro Manila.
On April 28, Mayor Tan issued Executive Order 8 placing the entire town under total lockdown, restricting the movement of its over 25,000 people.
The lockdown took effect until June 15.
On June 16, 4 news cases were recorded from Tarangnan town with one positive repeat swab.
To date Tarangnan has 35 total number of COVID-19 cases, 6 active cases, 2 under-recovery facility and 27 total number of individuals being re –integrated to the community. (LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The temporary suspension on the return of the locally stranded individuals (LSIs) was welcomed by the mayors in Leyte province, in particular, saying this would ‘help’ contain somehow the further spread of COVID-19.
To recall, Interior Sec. Eduardo Año has called for the temporary lifting on the return of the LSIs in the entire region amid spike of COVID-19 cases of the region which was partly blamed to the surge of the arrivals of the LSIs.
Mayor Ma. Rosario Avestruz of Barugo town who is the spokesperson of the League of Mayors-Leyte Chapter, said that they were happy that their request for the temporary suspension of the LSIs were heeded by Sec.Ano.
‘This lifting, though temporary, will really help us local government units as we are already overwhelmed with the number of LSIs arriving in our respective areas,” Avestruz, in a phone interview, said.
She also said that the lesser number of LSIs coming to the provinces would also help in the decrease on the number of COVID-19 cases.
The town of Barugo has about two confirmed COVID-19 cases with about 110 LSIs, among others, now under their quarantine facilities.
“(The suspension) will also help us LGUs in terms of funding because we are allocating funds for the daily meals of these people,” Avestruz said.
She, however, was quick to say that they do ‘welcome’ their kababayans to return but not during this time while they are grappling the impacts of the pandemic.
In Leyte, the return of the LSIs, to include those who availed of the Balik Probinsiya program and the returning overseas workers, contributed to the dramatic increase of its COVID-19 cases.
At present, Leyte has about 224 COVID-19 cases, majority of them were LSIs, returning overseas workers and those who availed of the Balik Probinsiya program.
Meanwhile, the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) in Eastern Visayas reported of 16 new COVID-19 cases of which 13 of them were LSIs.
This increase to 467 the total number of COVID-19 cases of the region.
These LSIS confirmed to have acquired the virus were from the towns of Libangon (one), and Sogod, 10, both from Southern Leyte province; and one each from Calbayog City and San Jorge town, both in Samar province.
The other fresh cases of COVID-19 of the region were from Catbalogan City, Samar, 2; and Kananga, Leyte, 1.
(JOEY A. GABIETA with LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)