About 1,300 seedlings were planted by an estimated 600 volunteers led by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the 2019 Oplan BroadcasTreeing Project held on September 28, 2019 in Barangay 98, Camansihay, Tacloban City.
The level and quality of involvement of participants was an improvement from the previous years, remarked Forester Jennifer Lamoste of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Palo, Leyte.
“The activity this year was participated by more sectors and many closely followed the instructions on how to plant the seedlings properly,” she said.
The seedlings consisted of 1,000 yakal, bayok and bunglas varieties from DENR Regional Office, 200 similar hardwood seedlings from CENRO Palo and 100 Pili seedlings from Department of Agriculture Regional Office.
A short program preceded the tree planting to ensure that participants understood and appreciated the importance of ensuring that the seedlings would survive.
Punong Barangay Alejandro Reataza Jr. in his welcome remarks thanked participants for helping populate the hilly forest in their barangay.
On the other hand, the messages from DILG-8 Regional Director Artemio Caneja, KBP Eastern Visayas chairman Danilo Requiez, DMO III Alexander Casco (representing DENR Regional Director Atty. Crizaldy Barcelo) and Camansihay Upland Developers Association (CUDA) president Adam Esmerez centered on the need for sustained aftercare as part of the shift toward tree growing.
KBP Member stations that were represented include DYDR/PRTV 12 Tacloban; DYVL Aksyon Radyo; RMN Tacloban; Bombo Radyo Tacloban; DYTM Love Radio; DYCJ One FM; Magik FM; IBC-6/DYMP; DYFE FM; ABS-CBN Channel 2 Tacloban and MOR Tacloban.
Among the groups which joined this year’s Oplan Broadcastreeing included the Philippine National Police Regional Police Office; Tacloban City Police Office; DENR Regional and CENRO-Palo offices; DILG Region 8; Department of Agriculture; 93rd Infantry Battalion and Army 546th Engineering Construction Battalion both under the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army; Police officers undertaking the Officers Basic Course of the Philippine Public Safety College; Philippine Information Agency; Bureau of Fire Protection; Junior Jaycees; Tau Gamma Phi; University of the Philippines Runggiyan; Alpha Phi Omega; Philippine Red Cross; barangay officials and residents of Barangay 98 Camansihay, Tacloban; CUDA; Kilusang Pagbabago Tacloban City Chapter; RADNET 5; and Alpha Mu Omega.
Oplan Broadcastreeing owes its start to a 2011 memorandum of agreement between KBP and DILG to support the National Greening Program.
Since then over 36,000 trees have been planted in Eastern Visayas through the activity. Oplan Broadcastreeing has been held annually in the region except in 2014, the year after Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ struck. (MYLES JOSEPH E. COLASITO, LGOO V/ Regional Information Officer-designate)

SAN ISIDRO, Northern Samar- In support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to clear roads from illegal structures and constructions, the Sangguniang Bayan here headed by Vice Mayor and presiding officer Conrado Avila Sr. held a special session on September 25 and unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting any form of street obstructions.
But before the measure was tackled, a public hearing presided by Councilor and majority floor leader Joel Sampayan was first conducted attended by representatives coming from different sectors and offices.
To recall, Interior Sec. Eduardo Año issued Memorandum Circular No. 2019-121 calling all local officials to exercise their powers to reclaim public roads which are being used for private purposes and rid them of illegal structures.
Aside from passing the anti-obstruction ordinance, the council also approved several measures during their September 23 special session.
Among the measures enacted were a resolution authorizing Mayor Ferdinand Avila to enter a memorandum of agreement with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for a financial assistance loan for employees of the local government unit; resolution granting San-Vic Cockpit Arena to hold a ‘pintakasi’ scheduled on Sept. 28, Oct. 4 and 5, 2019 as an aid to Samahang Magsasaka ng Palanit and a resolution granting six new applicants to operate motorized tricycles within the municipality.
In his Committee report, Councilor Marlon Amor, who chair the committee on transportation, Utilities and franchises, revealed that since July to September this year, around 106 motorized tricycles were reported to have their franchises in the municipality.
(PETER D. PAREDES)

In Biliran

CAIBIRAN, Biliran – A government employee of this town is being accused to have raped or sexually molested several minor children.
The employee, who will not be named in this story, however, was quick to deny the allegations against him as per advice of his lawyer.
The Leyte Samar Daily Express visited the alleged suspect at the Biliran Provincial Hospital in Naval town where he is confined after his blood pressure shoot up.
But one of the parents of his alleged victim, a 14-year old girl, claimed that his daughter was raped by the suspect.
According to the father of the victim, whose name will not also be divulged being a minor, her daughter was sexually molested by the suspect in several occasions.
The first incident said to have happened sometime last year inside the house of the suspect when the young victim was cleaning his house.
In that instance, the suspect touched the private parts of the victim, who was with her siblings.
Then another similar incident happened during a wake where the suspect again molested the minor by touching her private parts.
And the worst thing happened September of this year when the victim, who was then passing at the suspect’s house, grabbed her and forced her to enter his house where she was said to have been raped by him.
Based on a medico-legal report presented by the father during an interview, laceration on the victim’s private parts and presence of spermatozoa were seen.
The 34-year old father of the young victim said that they would press their complaint against the suspect.
He also alleged that the suspect has also committed sexual violence involving minors.
“I am asking other victims to come out and report to the police what they experienced from the hands of the suspect,” he said.
He said that due to trauma she had experienced, he asked his daughter to stop going to school.
Chief PLt. Vic Viros, the town police chief, said that two other minor victims of the suspect came to their station to report the sexual violation committed to them by the suspect.
The Provincial Prosecutor’s Office based in Naval filed charges of acts of lasciviousness against the suspect last Friday (Sept.27) and also received complaints from the two other minor victims.
“Based on the testimony of the victim, there is sufficient information to file rape charges against the suspect,” PLt Viros said,disagreeing the findings of the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office in Caibiran (MSWDO) provided assistance to the victims while the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) gave an assurance that they would provide all the necessary assistance to the victims’ while their cases are pending.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)