TACLOBAN CITY- The region posted a $61.34 million surplus in the total Balance of Trade in Goods (BoT-G) in October 2019, 65.84 percent higher compared with the $36.99 million trade surplus in the October 2018.
The region’s total trade in goods in October 2019 increased to $104.62 million from $65.80 million in the same period in 2018, a significant growth by 58.99 percent.
The region’s total volume of exports in October 2019, weighing 67.10 million kilograms, was valued at $82.98 million. This was 61.46 percent higher compared with the $51.39 million exports in October 2018.
The commodity group of natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metal, metal clad with precious metals and articles thereof; imitation jewellery; coin was the major export during the month in review with total revenue of $50.26 million.
This accounted for 60.57 percent of the region’s total export revenue in October 2019.
Hong Kong was the top export market destination with $50.26 million total export revenue, which shared 60.57 percent of the region’s total exports.
The region’s total imports increased by 50.21 percent, from $14.41 million imports in October 2018 to $21.64 million in October 2019, with total gross weight of 60.18 million kilograms.
Ores, slag and ash commodity group was the major import during the month with total revenue of $13.32 million, comprising 61.58 percent of the region’s total imports in October 2019.
The top import supplier of the region in October 2019 was Peru with total import bill of $13.10 million, comprising 60.55 percent of the region’s total imports.(PR)
Eastern Visayas posts $61.34 million trade surplus in October, 2019
DOT checks tourism viability of a Leyte hot spring
LA PAZ Leyte – A newly-identified tourism destination of this town is sure to attract more tourists with the completion of a road network connecting it to the center of this town.
The construction of the road network leading to Kalabato Hot Spring, located in Barangay Bocawon, was made possible through the Tourism Road Infrastructure Projects (TRIP), a project convergence between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
TRIP promotes rural and value chain development toward increasing agricultural and rural enterprise productivity and community-based tourism covering road projects leading to airports and seaports and tourism destinations that will further boost tourism development.
The hot spring Brgy. Bocawon, which is within the area covered by the Mahagnao Volcano National Park, a protected area encompassing 635 hectares land area from this town to Burauen and McArthur, is about eight kms away from the town center.
Kalabato is a rock-like formation that got its name from the hot water that springs out at its top with a shape similar to a “kalabasa” or squash and “bato” or stone, thus its name.
These geologic formations line at the bank of Gimiranat River by the foot of Mt Malacagang in Bocawon.
“So far with what I have seen, I am satisfied with what they had done and you can see that connectivity really matters. Before, half of the time you have to spend in the vehicle and half of the time you have to walk,” DOT Regional Director Karena Rosa Tiopes said after visiting the site with DOT staff and La Paz town Mayor Angel Sia.
Before the road was constructed, the hot spring could be reached by a ‘habal-habal’ ride of almost an hour.
After the two lanes concrete road with two bridges was finished tourists accessibility to the hot spring become easier. At least 100 meters leading to the hot spring from the mount of Gimiranat River was left untouched in the implementation of the TRIP road.
Tiopes said that maintains the naturalness of the site.
Tiopes added that she also appreciates the design of the pool where tourists may dip which is partly cemented.
However, she is recommending relocating the kiosk constructed near the hot spring to make the area exclusive for wellness purposes while dining and other activities must be done in another site.
“We also told the barangay chairman as well as the mayor that whatever development they do in the near future, they should try to work around the greens, meaning they do not cut down everything just to give way to structure. They just do clearing and work around building their structures to maintain the green,” Tiopes said.
It was learned that aside from the hot spring and lush forest, monkeys, tarsiers and various types of bird species could also found in the area.
The local government and the organization that runs the operation of tourism activities in the hot spring must also observe carrying capacity to prevent damage and preserve the natural beauty of nature, Tiopes said.
“That area is a protected area. It is imperative that they set a limit, carrying capacity has to be computed,” she said.
“It’s not a matter of attracting more and more people but giving quality experience and probably attracting a right market to earn something for the community,” Tiopes added.(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Town mayor pushes tourism as way to change image from being known as an NPA lair
MATUGUINAO, Samar- The mayor of this town is pushing their tourism assets as a way to change its image from being unfairly branded as a haven of insurgency of the province.
The launching of the tourism program will be on February 28 although activities related started on Monday (Jan.27).
The Monday’s activity showcase the ‘pinakamarasa nga karan-un’,’pinakamabaysay nga handum,’’pinakamarasa nga sura’, and ‘simbolo san atun turismo.’
Winners are to receive cash prizes.
“We want people from outside our town to know us deeply through our foods and products. That whenever they visit our town and experience what we can offer, they will say that this is uniquely Matuguinao,” Mayor Boller said.
Aside from foods and handicraft, Mayor Boller said that they also have natural attractions like the Sulpan Cave and Cathedral Cave and a number of waterfalls.
However, this campaign to promote tourism will not succeed if insurgency and criminality continues to thrive in their town, the town mayor said.
“How can we push for tourism if there’s still presence of New People’s Army. How can we develop this town if insurgency and criminality still here?” Mayor Boller asked.
The mayor earlier said that out of the town’s 20 barangays, five of them have still presence of rebel members, namely, Carolina, San Roque, Ligaya, Inubod, Del Rosario, and Rizal.(ROEL T.AMAZONA)
Leyte eyes single-digit poverty incidence in 2022
Under Petilla’s Leyte EconoMICs program
TACLOBAN CITY – The province of Leyte aims to achieve a single-digit poverty incidence percentage in 2022 with the strengthened economic strategy dubbed “Leyte EconoMiCs (More Income in the Countryside).”
In an interview, Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said the efforts for human, family, and community development to alleviate poverty in the province have intensified considering the encouraging effects on the progress in the countryside.
Leyte EconoMICs remains to be the province’s main economic strategy that aims to reduce the 23.6 percent poverty incidence in 2015 to just 9 percent in the next two years.
The program adopts a community-based approach to capacitate the poor and marginalized villages through packages of goods and services.
With a target of 250 farmers and fisherfolks’ associations for 2018 to be given assistance, the program has contributed to the lives of more than 5,000 members of more than 200 groups in the province’s 40 towns and Baybay City.
Petilla said poverty is the root cause of many problems including low productivity, low government trust, vulnerability to disasters, low education, damaged moral values, poor infrastructure, lack of capital, peace, and order, lack of awareness on environmental protection, population increase, and corruption.
“Touching base with our farmers and fisherfolks proved to be rightful and significant for us because they are the most underserved sector in our society craving for the government intervention,” Petilla said.
Among the opportunities provided for them are high-value and fruit crop production, livestock projects, skills development, values formation, and education, community resiliency, and infrastructure projects.
Petilla said the Leyte EconoMICs program has slowly but surely steered the perspectives of these poor people to bond and work together to create resilient, inclusive, and competitive community economies.
“I firmly believe that people are our greatest resource and with this program backing them up, we will be able to bring about productive and sustainable rural communities,” Petilla said.
(GERICO SABALZA/PNA)
NEA Administrator Masongsong attends MCOO regional summit
PALO, Leyte-Jan 23, 2020, marks a momentous event in the feat of Rural Electrification Movement and Rural Development – the first ever Regional Summit of Member-Consumer-Owners Organizations (MCOO) of Eastern Visayas was held at the Oriental Leyte, Palo with the theme “MCOO: Vanguards of Rural Electrification and Rural Development”.
Attended by more than 200 MCOs representing the local organizations of the 11 ECs in the region together with their Board Presidents, General Managers, ISD Managers and LEXICON.
The event was also graced by key leaders in the empowerment of electric consumers such as Dir. Nollie B. Alamillo (IDD-NEA), Mgr. Guillermo M. Paz (CDPD-NEA), Urbano “Tay Bong” Talibong (NCECCO National Coordinator), and no less than the Admin.Edgardo Rama Masongsong (NEA Administrator).
The event was leap in the empowerment of electric consumers for it was an avenue of educating, raising awareness and involving the MCOs, and giving them the opportunity to be active participants in the Rural Electrification Program and Development.
Text Box: Masongsong talks on MCOPE program of NEAMasongsong urged the MCOO leaders that they are the vanguards of rural electrification, and as vanguards, they must help and protect their Electric Cooperatives.
“You must know the essence of MCOO, na maramdaman at maisapuso kung ano Kooperatiba. Educate, Organize and Mobilize, that is key to MCO empowerment,” Masongsong said.
Election of region wide MCOO Officers was also c onducted yesterday. Atty. Geraldo C. Teves, MCOO from Catbalogan representing SAMELCO II emerged as the Region 8 President.
Text Box: Masongsong leads Oathtaking of newly-elected Eastern Visayas MCOO OfficersThe Member-Consumer-Owners Program for Empowerment (MCOPE) is a program of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) in order to empower the MCOs of Electric Coops as its partner in achieving its vision of providing sustainable rural development. Under the program, organized MCOs will be involved in the major activities of the ECs thus making them partners in the cause of the electrification movement. (PR)
Man suspected to have corona virus is OK
DOH says no confirmed nCov case in Tacloban
BY: JOEY A. GABIETA
TACLOBAN CITY-The spokesperson of the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) said that the 36-year old man suspected to have infected of the corona virus appears to be well.
But still, the Caucasian man now confined in a government-run hospital, this city, is being monitored and observed by his doctors, John Paul Roca, DOH regional information officer, said.
“(The) patient has no episodes of fever, though he has occasional, non-productive cough; just like an ordinary cough or fever. The only difference is that he came from Wuhan City,” Roca said.
The DOH has described the man as a ‘suspect case’ of corona virus or 2019nCov because he was exhibiting fever and cough when he arrived in Tacloban and he was from Wuhan City, where the virus was first detected.
Roca said that the man will be observed for 14 days, which is to end on Feb.2, and if the result would turn out to be negative, he will be discharged immediately from the hospital.
He also revealed that last Saturday (Jan.25), doctors took swab test (nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal) to the man which will be brought at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila for confirmatory result.
They expect the result within 48 hours, Roca said.
It was learned from Roca that the doctors and nurses assigned to the man were wearing protective masks for their protection.
The patient was said to have developed fever and cough when he arrived in the city last January 16 from Wuhan City.
But a day after his arrival, he was said to have developed fever and coughing and was immediately brought to a public hospital and later transferred to a referral hospital, still in this city, where he is now placed in isolation.
He was said to come to the city for a vacation though there is an information that he has a girlfriend here.
Roca also said that the contacts of the man are undergoing ‘self-quarantine’ or just staying at their house as part of a precautionary measure.
He, however, said that the contacts remain to be asymptomatic which means they are not experiencing any fever.
“And if ever they will show some of the symptoms, they should immediately contact us so we can bring to the hospital,” Roca said.