ORMOC CITY– A dead body of a man was found floating in a river in Calbiga, Samar with authorities have yet to determine the cause of his death.
The man, Esmeraldo Caburnay, 76, was fished out at the riverbank of Calbiga River in Barangay Polangi at about 4:30 pm on Saturday (May 20), the local police said.
The identity of Caburnay, who was from Brgy. Macaalan, also in Calbiga, was known by a friend after the municipal disaster risk reduction management office (MDRRMO) posted the incident on their Facebook account.
The police, however, have yet to know the circumstances of the death of Caburnay. (ROBERT DEJON)
TACLOBAN CITY – City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said that he would allow the organizers of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festivals of Festival to their street parade.
He, however, stressed that it will be the city government that will have a say as to when they can have the street parade, which is most likely to be on a weekend.
In previous years, the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festivals of Festivals hold their street parade attended by participating contingents either on June 27 or 28, days ahead of the annual city fiesta which is celebrated every June 30.
“Based on the recommendation of the department heads, we do this para hindi naman madisrupt yung anu, ito rin ang sinabi sa licensing, weekends na lang sila,” Romualdez said during a press conference.
“So, ta-timing tayo, hahanap tayo ng date ito ang pwede sa kanila. Hindi naman katulad noon na sila ang magdidikta kung kalian pwede o anu, hindi pwede ang ganun,” the city mayor added.
The said twin-bill festival was canceled for the last two years due to the pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease(COVID-19).
Pintados, organized by a business group from Tacloban in 1986 is the oldest festival in the region while Kasadyaan Festival, organized by the provincial government of Leyte is participated by festival contingents from various localities of the region.
Mayor Romualdez said that closing the streets will affect the operation of businesses in the city.
“I cannot do that. I cannot just close the city just like that because we will be losing a lot of money,” he said.
Meantime, Mayor Romualdez said that the Sangyaw Festival of Lights will return this year as part of this year’s celebration of the city fiesta.
“May kino-correct lang kami, may ibang things na we are modifying and correcting,” he said.
He added that as part of the city preparation, they are doing a clearing operation at the Leyte Park Hotel grounds to prepare the site as the location for some activities in relation to the city fiesta.
“We are preparing this area since it is easy to secure and more convenient to people,” Romualdez added. (ROEL T.AMAZONA)
ORMOC CITY– A teacher who had just finished a performance died in Calbiga, Samar Saturday (May 21).
Renato Ocasla 48, who taught at the Literon Elementary School in Calbiga passed out after he and his co-teachers just completed their dance number during a program held at the town gymnasium.
After their group performed and returned to their table, the victim reportedly collapsed and became unconscious prompting his fellow teachers to bring him to the rural health unit (RHU) for immediate medical assistance.
He died while being transported to a hospital in Tacloban City.
The teachers joined the town’s fiesta celebration through performances held at the town gymnasium. (ROBERT DEJON)
A fishing vessel donated by Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is now being enjoyed by a fishermen’s group in Northern Samar. (Photo Courtesy)
A fishing vessel donated by Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is now being enjoyed by a fishermen’s group in Northern Samar. (Photo Courtesy)
TACLOBAN CITY – A fishing vessel donated by the Bureau of Department of Agriculture (DA) and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to a fishermen’s cooperative in Northern Samar is now in operation.
On May 15, the FV DA-BFAR 2102 steel-hulled fish harvester, made its first fishing voyage resulting in a catch of 3,000 kilograms of fish.
The P39 million worth fishing vessel was donated to DA-BFAR to the Northern Samar Pacific Towns Fishermen’s Cooperative (NSPTFC) last March 29 of this year.
The fishermen are from the Pacific towns of Laoang, Palapag, Mapanas, Gamay, and Lapinig.
“With more fish expected to come in and more regular voyages, we are prospecting an increase of needed labor with the local fisherfolks to deal with the demand of work,” Mapanas Mayor Ronn Michael Tejano said.
“This will not only provide more employment locally but would definitely enhance our local economy and provide extra revenue for our LGU which could be used to further the development of our fishing industry. Our local consumers, particularly the indigents, are now enjoying cheaper prices of the fish caught by NSPTFC,” he added.
Northern Samar has almost 1,000 tuna fishers who mostly rely on traditional fishing methods when catching tuna within the Pacific Ocean, according to the data of BFAR-8.
Through the help of the fishing vessel that BFAR gave to the fisherfolk organization, the bureau foresees at least a 5.4% or 180-200 metric ton increase in tuna production in Northern Samar being provided with the state-of-the-art steel-hulled purse fishing vessel which can store at most 5,000 kilograms of fish catch.
In 2022, Northern Samar contributed 13% of the region’s total fisheries production and recorded the second-highest yield of tuna production in the region. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
SWELTERING HEAT. Students at the Bacayawan Elementary School in Llorente, Eastern Samar are taking shades to avoid extreme heat as Eastern Visayas continues to experience heat spells. (PHOTO COURTESY NERISSA BARBO)
Due to extreme heat
SWELTERING HEAT. Students at the Bacayawan Elementary School in Llorente, Eastern Samar are taking shades to avoid extreme heat as Eastern Visayas continues to experience heat spells. (PHOTO COURTESY NERISSA BARBO)
TACLOBAN CITY-The Department of Education (DepEd) reported that 788 schools in the region are now implementing modular or limited face-to-face classes due to extreme heat.
These schools cover from elementary up to senior high levels.
In Tacloban City alone, out of the 41 elementary and secondary schools, 14 of them have shifted the mode of learning into modular or limited face-to-face classes.
City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said that he would leave it to school officials to shift to modular or online classes saying they knew better in protecting the students due to the heat spells we are experiencing right now.
“I will fully support (their) recommendation because they are the ones who are in touch with the students every day,” he said in a press conference Wednesday (May 17).
At the Leyte National High School, with over 10,000 enrolled students, the two-day in-person classes will begin starting next week.
Bernie Jude Lamograr, the school’s information officer, said that this week, they started distributing the modules to the students which they have to answer during the three days which they are off campus.
“This is just to decongest (the school) which adds so much heat to the already hot temperature,” he said.
The in-person classes will be held every Monday and Tuesday with the students to answer their modules during the remaining three days of the school days.
It was learned from Lamograr that since the city experienced the hot spell, about 20 to 30 students every school day have experienced hyperventilation.
Despite of these changes, the delivery of education in the region will not be affected, Jasmin Calzita said on Thursday (May 18).
Calzita said that about 115,262 students are affected by this shift or learning methods which include limited face-to-face or just twice-a-week meetings; modular learning, or online classes.
“Classes are not affected by this because we are implementing an alternative delivery mode. Learning continues,” she said.
Calzita said that schools could shift to other learning methods if a situation like extreme heat would put the health and safety of the students at risk.
Under DepEd Order Number 037, schools could shift to modular distance learning due to natural calamities, disasters and human-induced hazards to ensure learning continuity.
There are 4,474 public elementary and secondary schools across the region involving 1.28 million students.
Asked if there are also private schools that have shifted to distance learning method due to the heat spell, the DepEd regional information officer said that they have no such report.
“Besides, private schools are air-conditioned. But this may adopt the same policy if needed,” Calzita said.
For several days now, Eastern Visayas has been experiencing extreme heat ranging from 34 degrees Celsius up to 46 degrees Celsius recorded in Catarman, Northern Samar on Wednesday (May 17) at about 1 pm, based on the heat index report of Pagasa.
CATARMAN, Northern Samar—As mandated by the Legal Education Board, around 211 lawyers and Bachelor of Law graduates were granted ‘Juris Doctor Degree’ during the 1st conferral ceremony here in this province on May 6 held at the gymnatorium of the University of Eastern Philippines, this town.
Said grantees, composed of 24 batches since 1996 to 2018 and graduates of the UEP College of Law were conferred by House Minority Floor Leader Rep. Marcelino C. Libanan of the 4Ps party-list group as the guest speaker.
Lawyer Daryl V. Navaroza-Basiloy, Dean College of Law, led in the distribution of the diplomas whose three-year stint has resulted in the passing of 38 lawyers.
During the program, Cherry Y. Ultra, the University president, led in the investiture and conferment of the Degree of Juris Doctor.
In his conferment address, Rep. Libanan assures lawyers from Northern Samar who seek to be connected at the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
He also mentioned that during his college of law days, “Kon may ada na hadto nga mga panahon abogasiya nga kurso dede ha UEP, dede gud ako mag eskwela.”
Aside from his congratulatory message to the 211 grantees of the Juris Doctor Degree and the first conferment held here under the deanship of Navaroza-Basiloy, Libanan also extended his appreciation to the university’s leadership along with the officials of the province for continuously producing lawyers.
Libanan was the principal author for the creation of the Public Attorney’s Office now being enjoyed of employed lawyers across the country headed by PAO Chief Persida Acosta.
Also during the conferment ceremony, Atty. Herbert Miscreola led in the renewal of pledge of loyalty to the Alma Mater together with Atty. Albert Yruma, President, UEP Alumni Association Federation who led in the renewal of alumni oath.
Also in attendance were Rep. Paul Daza, Senior Deputy Minority Leader, and town councilor Tantan Uy, who represented Gov. Edwin Ongchuan. (PETER D. PAREDES)
