MAASIN CITY- More than 3,000 crown-of-thorns (COTs), specie of starfish, were seen in the waters of Malitbog town alone, according to Aileen Estrera, member of the province’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan, citing a recent survey conducted by the Southern Leyte State University (SLSU).
During the 3rd Quarterly Meeting of the Provincial Disaster Risk reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) held in this city on September 9, Estrera has urged the PDRRM officer to recommend to the Sanggunian a COT outbreak in the province once all the municipalities with COT presence will be able to submit their list of barangays affected, after the said municipalities’ COT outbreak declaration.
“The normal COT in every hectare of corals is only one, but after the survey, it was found out that there are 25-30 COTs per hectare of corals,” Estrera, who is the committee chair on Environment Protection, disclosed.
As of this writing, the barangays of Kuwangon has 76 COTs; Iba – 40; Timba – 195; Abgao – 130 and the rest were seen in other areas, all in the municipality of Malitbog.
Other municipalities with crown-of-thorns based on the survey include Limasawa, Liloan, Padre Burgos and Libagon, Estrera said.
“In every single COT, it produces 60 million eggs, though only 1 percent will survive but 1 percent of 60 million is already 600,000,” Estrera said.
Once a crown-of-thorn prey on corals, the affected corals will die, she said, adding that this should be addressed immediately.
Southern Leyte is considered as one with the best dive sites in the country where coral reefs and best marine sites are promoted. (LDL/RGC/PIA-8, Southern Leyte)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) is pushing for the establishment of two state-run agencies to supervise housing projects in the region.
The RDC is still waiting for the central government’s response on the resolutions requesting for the establishment of regional offices of Housing Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) and Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC).
The region’s highest policy-making body sent the resolutions approved on June 21, 2019, to the Office of the President and to the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.
National Economic and Development Authority regional director Meylene Rosales, the RDC’s vice-chairperson, said on Friday they are upbeat on the positive response of the government to this request.
The RDC pushed for setting up of these two offices to eliminate corruption in the implementation of community-based housing projects and fast-track the issuances of clearances and licenses for housing activities.
“There was an issue raised on the alleged irregular collection of fees from the beneficiaries of the government’s permanent housing project implemented through SHFC. The major factor behind this was the absence of their field office here in the region to monitor projects,” Rosales said in a phone interview.
Early this year, hundreds of housing beneficiaries have filed cases against a community housing organizer and her accomplices for overpricing of land acquisition, non-remittance of payments, and illegal collection of fees from recipients housing projects funded by SHFC.
Meanwhile, the absence of HLURB regional office has slowed down the pace of housing projects due to the lack of personnel and absence of authority to monitor and resolve issues and approve plans and applications for clearances and licenses.
“RDC members agreed that the presence of a fully staffed HLURB and SHFC offices in the region is important to regulate and monitor the implementation of remaining Yolanda resettlement projects and other ongoing and future housing projects,” Rosales said.
The HLURB regional office in this city has stopped its operation in 2010 after the merger of two field offices in Cebu and Tacloban due to the implementation of the Government Rationalization Program.
The agency has been maintaining a desk at the Government Service Insurance System office in this city to answer public queries. All transactions from the region have to go through the regional office in Cebu City.
The HLURB is the primary agency mandated to provide technical assistance in the preparation, review, and approval of Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of local government units.
All development and constructions on land of towns and cities without the CLUP will have to get the approval of the HLURB office in Cebu.
As of 2018, only 85 percent of the region’s 143 towns and cities have approved CLUPs.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The month-long intensified campaign against the New People’s Army (NPA) is gaining grounds in Eastern Visayas region, the Philippine Army reported on Monday.
Since the launching of the campaign last August 1, seven NPA lairs have been discovered with nine gun battles fought, resulting in the death of four armed rebels, the Army’s 8th Infantry Division (ID) said.
The military has also recovered 14 assorted firearms, 14 backpacks, and several magazines and ammunition.
“The government troops also suffered casualties because the NPAs used an improvised explosive device (IED), which is against the International Humanitarian Law (IHL). But despite the use of IEDs, the NPAs were forced to vacate their encampments and fled towards different directions to save their lives from the pursuing government troops,” said Major Bard Caesar Mazo, officer-in-charge of 8th ID’s public affairs office.
The military lauded residents for providing government troops with information. These informants decided to support government troops after suffering from extortion and forced collection of food by the jobless armed fighters, the military added.
The NPA, which has been waging a five-decade armed struggle against the government, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
“Soldiers will never stop hunting the communist NPA terrorists. The NPAs can run but they cannot hide. Their best option is to return to the folds of the law and use the benefits being offered by the government under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) to start new lives,” Mazo added.
Under E-CLIP, each former rebel is granted immediate assistance of P15,000 and livelihood assistance of P50,000. There are also other benefits specified in the E-CLIP implementing guidelines.
The 8th ID vowed to continue intensified combat operations to protect communities in the region through its more than 7,000 combat troops.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

Heeding the order of Pres. Duterte

TACLOBAN CITY-At least three former inmates from the region who were earlier released under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) personally turned themselves to police authorities.
On Monday (Sept.9) at about 10 am, Emiliano Mero, 72, surrendered to the police authorities in Tagapul-an town in Samar province while Pio Nabarquez,64, also turned himself to police authorities in Ormoc City on Wednesday (Sept.11) at about 2:15 pm.
Mero, of Barangay Mataluto of said town, was convicted of two counts of homicide and was previously detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City on May 18,2006.
On August 20,2019, he got his clearance for his release under GCTA.
Mero was supposed to serve up to 29 years but only served his sentence for just 13 years due to the GCTA he had obtained.
He was brought to an undisclosed hospital in Calbayog City for a medical checkup before his return to NBP, a police personnel of Tagapul-an, who declined to be named for not being authorized, said.
“According to him, he does not feel bad on this (directive of the President).Anyway, he said, in just few years, he would complete his prison sentence,” the police personnel, said in a private message through Facebook, referring to the reaction of Mero on his surrender.
Meantime, Nabarquez of Barangay San Pablo, Ormoc City personally appeared before the city’s station 1 office at around 2:15 pm on Wednesday, said station chief, Major Shebert Alvin Machete.
Nabarquez was convicted for the crime of rape and was sentenced for 30 years by a local court on July 14,1992.
He was released on June 10 of this year from his detention at the NBP.
“He said that he was just following the order of the President that is why, he personally surrendered. He will be brought to the Leyte Regional Penal Colony in Abuyog in Leyte before his return to the NBP,” Machete said in a phone interview.
The Leyte Regional Penal Colony is under the supervision of the Bureau of Corrections (Bucor).
Another inmate from the region who was also granted of GCTA surrendered before police authorities in San Isidro, Northern Samar.
Justiniano Gregorio, 68 of Barangay Pob Norte of said town, surrendered to local police authorities on Wednesday (Sept.11) at about 2:15 pm.
Reports reaching the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police said that the inmate was detained at the Iwahig, Puerto Princesa in Palawan on September 30, 1991 after he was convicted of illegal possession of firearm and was to serve for a life term imprisonment.
However, he was released on February 20, 2019 after he availed the GCTA.
The inmate is now under the local police custody and will be turned over to Iwahig prison colony once all the needed documentations are completed.
Earlier, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte gave an ultimatum of 15 days for all prisoners released under GCTA to surrender or be considered as fugitives.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)