PALO, Leyte – The province of Leyte will continue to maintain its lead as a rice producer in the region.
Thus said Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla who said that his administration will continue to extend full support to farmers as a way to ensure that the status of the province as a rice producer could be maintained.
The support to farmers includes, among others, the provision of agricultural equipment to supplies needed in rice growing which is under the governor’s More Income in the Countryside (MIC) program.
Gov. Petilla said that the provincial and municipal agricultural technicians are working together in providing the technical support to the rice farmers.
He said that he is optimistic that with the support given by his office to the rice farmers under the banner of MIC, the farmers will become more productive.
Based on the data of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-8), Leyte was the highest producer in rice production in Eastern Visayas in the 4th quarter of 2020.
Leyte contributed the biggest share in palay production in Eastern Visayas at 148,509 MT during the 4th quarter of 2020.
“It comprised more than half or 54.6 percent of the total palay production in the region. Samar came next with 54,859 MT production, accounting for 20.2 percent of the region’s total palay production,” PSA Regional Director Wilma Perante said.
Perante also reported that palay production in the region has slightly increased by 1.4 percent, from 268,382 metric tons (MT) in the 4th quarter of 2019 to 272,182 MT in the same quarter of 2020.
This is attributed to the minimal or 0.1 percent change in the total area harvested for palay from 72,797 hectares (has.) in the 4th quarter of 2019 to 72,892 has in the same quarter of 2020.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

TACLOBAN CITY- All major events for this month in the city were cancelled by Mayor Alfred Romualdez due to the continuing rise of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
First to be cancelled by the city mayor was the holding in the city of the 123rd Philippine Independence Day celebration last Saturday (June 12) which also coincided with the city’s 68th Charter Day celebration.
In his post on his social media account, Mayor Romualdez also said that there would be activities relative to the city fiesta which falls on June 30.
“I am informing the public that we will not be holding activities for Independence Day, Charter Day, and our city fiesta,” the city mayor said on his post.
“Those planning reunions and other gatherings, please cancel all of them,” Romualdez said
All mass gatherings like reunions are also prohibited, the city mayor said.
“Let’s protect not only ourselves but each other,” Romualdez said.
For the past several days now, the daily COVID-19 cases in the city has reached to double digits.
From June 1 until yesterday (June 14) this month alone, the total cases of the city reached to 533.
The highest number of cases was on June 10 with 112 cases.
As of Monday, the total cases of Tacloban of COVID-19 is now at 3,197 of which 2,689 are considered as recovered while 429 are active cases.
About 79 COVID-19 patients from the city were confirmed to have died due to complications.
Earlier last week the city government here has banned all public gatherings due to rising cases of COVID-19 in the city in the past few days.
Mayor Alfred Romualdez earlier signed Executive Order No. 2021-06-023 canceling all public in-person assemblies in the city and emphasize the imposition of minimum health standards.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)