JIPAPAD, Eastern Samar-Aside from easy access and to help usher in development, road network is a big factor in ending Samar Island insurgency problem, particularly in Eastern Samar province.

Thus said 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan, who is also the minority floor leader of the House of Representatives.

Libanan said that among his priorities is constructing roads to inner villages of different municipalities in Eastern Samar, where he was once its congressional representative.

The party-list solon on Saturday (July 1) led in the groundbreaking of a 2.35 kms road covering three interior villages of Jipapad, namely sitio Casapa of Brgy.4, San Roque, and Cagmanaba, connecting them to Matuguinao, a town in Samar which is also fighting against members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

“If you have noticed, most villages where there are conflicts are those located in far-flung areas which are not connected and we can end this problem if we can connect them (through pave road),” Libanan said.

He said that he is with the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in ending the decades-long insurgency problem of the country reason he is ‘serious’ in pushing inter-connectivity of all towns in the province, particularly its interior and hard-reach villagers which are prone to be influenced by the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Libanan said that connecting all three provinces of Samar Island, (western) Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar through arterial roads will make it easy for the government to end the insurgency problem.

Mayor Benjamin Ver of Jipapad town expressed his gratitude to Rep. Libanan who said that by themselves, they could not fight the rebels.

“It seems our national government has forgotten us. We are happy that aside from our provincial government, Rep. Libanan is helping us in constructing paved roads to our interior villages,” he said in an interview.

Ver said that of the 13 villages of the town, only six have no access roads, namely, Dorillo, Ricare, Magsaysay, Cagnaba, and Jewaran.

Jipapad, a town of more than 9,000 people, is a fifth-class town with an income of P121 million of which P1 million is sourced from its local taxes fees.

Meantime, Lt. Col. Rudyard Kepling Garcia, the commanding officer of the 52nd Infantry Battalion based in Oras, also in Eastern Samar, disclosed that they have relocated to Brgy. Magsaysay in Jipapad since June of this year.

The relocation, he said, is meant to ‘secure’ the of Jipapad which is closer to the towns of Las Navas and Catubig, both in Northern Samar, where there remains a very active insurgency problem.

According to him by relocating to Jipapad town, it would be easy for them to address the problem in Northern Samar which is just about 15 kms away using the Las Navas route.
Garcia said that they hope to end the insurgency problem ‘the soonest possible time.’

“Our area of responsibility is already generally peaceful but still we want to prevent any resurgence of insurgency,” he added.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

Jipapad’s secret ‘paradise’

JIPAPAD, Eastern Samar– This town’s most known falls, the Sanizi Falls, may soon see an uptick of tourists visiting it.

On Saturday (July 1), a groundbreaking for the construction of a road leading to the Sanizi Falls was held with 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan leading the event.
The 2.35 kms road project starts at sitio Casapa in Barangay 4, San Roque, and Cagmanaba where the Salizi Falls is located.

For this road project, the government through the Department of Public Works and Highways(DPWH) through its Sustainable Infrastructure Project Alleviating Gaps(SIPAG), has allocated P43.82 million and is expected to be completed within the year.

“As of the moment, tourist arrivals in our town are still minimal but when this road is completed, I am pretty sure that more people will be visiting our town, especially Cagmanaba where Sanizi Falls is located,” Dindo Picardal, Jipapad Municipal Tourism Officer, one of the villagers of Cagmanaba, said.

Picardal disclosed that preparations are now underway on the possible influx of tourists who will be visiting the waterfalls once the road is completed.

The preparations being made by the residents include organizing a people’s organization with the help of the Philippine Army, selection of local dishes using local ingredients that are abundant at the river to be served to tourists, and activities that visitors may enjoy while in Sanizi, and creation of tour packages.

Picardal added that it was Mayor Benjamin Ver who encouraged them to develop Sanizi Falls for the residents have extra income and also, for the local government earn some income.

Mayor Ver said that Sanizi Falls is considered by them as a ‘paradise’ though not often visited due to the problem of insurgency in the village.

“But now, the village is already secure due to the presence of our government forces and this situation will usher economic development because more people are able to visit the Sanizi Falls which we consider as our gem,” the town mayor said.

Sanizi Falls is a multi-layered waterfalls and can be reached by tourists by taking a 15 minutes to one-hour motorboat ride from the town proper to Cagmanaba and about 15 to 20 minutes trekking from the village to the site.

For his part, Rep. Libanan said that once the project is completed, it will bring hope and opportunity to people, including progress and development to the communities.

The project, he said, is a manifestation of the cooperation of government officials to help the people, develop tourism, and agriculture, deliver social and health services, and secure the community.

“If you want progress, construct a road. This will connect our province to the mainstream of our country,” Libanan said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY– House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez extended financial assistance to several local government units in Eastern Visayas to help them with their various programs.

Among those who received the financial assistance were the provinces of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Southern Leyte.

Also, around 70 mayors across the region were also given financial assistance from Romualdez.

The giving of financial assistance to the local leaders took place on June 29 here in the city.
It was learned that the governors received P25 million each while the mayors, P2.5 million.

Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone said that the assistance he received from the Speaker will be used in helping indigent patients as well as in helping his constituents who are in dire economic situations, including workers who were displaced.

For his part, Gov. Edwin Ongchuan of Northern Samar said the ‘generous’ cash assistance will be allocated to fund various programs of the provincial government which aim to help its poor people.

“The grant of P25 million will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the lives of many individuals and families in Northern Samar,” he said in a statement.

“As the province moves forward, the government’s support serves as an encouraging reminder that unity and cooperation remain key in fostering the growth and development of communities across the nation,” Ongchuan added.(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The mayor of Carigara, Leyte assured the members of the LGBTQIA+ community of his support to them.

Mayor Eduardo Ong, Jr. made this commitment during the town’s Pride Month celebration on June 30 which served as the initial salvo of the town’s 428th fiesta celebration on July 16.

“This year, we will continue to promote inclusivity, love, and we are going to continue showing our support to the LGBTQ community,” he said.

Ong assured the LGBTQIA+ members that despite some opposition coming from some sectors, his support for the community will remain firm.

“This event is a reminder that someone out there loves you, supports you. This is a statement of how we’ve come, showing our strength in numbers,” he stressed.

The town mayor added that showing support to the members of the LGBTQ+ community does need to be at the same level of their gender preference but anyone could be an ally for as long as they know how to show respect.

This is the second time that the municipality hosted a Pride Month celebration since 2022.
The local government also provided a space at the municipal hall grounds for LGBTQ members who have businesses to sell their products.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)