MAASIN CITY- Designated information officers in their respective barangays gathered on Thursday, Nov. 15, for a communicators writeshop/training under the E-Power Mo campaign of the Department of Energy (DOE).
The city has 70 barangays, and each barangay sent a kagawad or the punong barangay himself to be the barangay information officer (BIO)while some personnel for city offices were also present to represent their heads.
Invited speakers were from the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (Soleco), who were tapped in behalf of the DOE.
In the morning, several topics were thoroughly discussed by the Soleco personnel, including power-saving tips, know-your-cooperative, and patronage credit, among others, while some technical matters were also raised during the open forum.
BIOs then went on a writeshop in the afternoonso they can practice writing news stories about developments that happened in their barangays, or from the topics Soleco personnel earlier discussed.
This was the second gathering of information officers of the city. The first was held last monthin which they were taught on writing a one-sentence news lead.
This time they were taught basic tips other than lead sentence or paragraph, such as the support lead, details, and backgrounder, to complete a five or six-sentence news story, in a one sentence, one paragraph format.
(LDL/MMP/PIA8-Southern Leyte)
Barangay information officers in Maasin City undergo writeshop training
Generation Amazing Festival/Sama Sama Games 2018
On 6-9th December 2018, the province of Cebu will host the Generation Amazing National Festival/Sama-Sama Games, a sports and education festival bringing together over 600 children and youth from across the Philippines.
Through play, they will advocate for greater inclusivity and opportunity for all. The festival is powered by Generation Amazing, a football-focused corporate social development programme of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Qatar’s delivery and legacy authority for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.
The festival, organized and hosted by FundLife, a locally-based organization founded after Typhoon Yolanda, and working with its local Cebu-based partner, Giuseppe Football Club, carries the theme “We are all ONE” – using sport as a level playing field to bring together youth from both the underserved and the more advantageous communities, uniting them through dignity and equality.
“Sport and football in particular, is incredibly powerful at bringing polarized youth together and empowering them to dream big. We’re excited about bring this festival to the province of Cebu, where educational access can lead to legitimate employment opportunities for so many young people,” Marko Kasic, FundLife Founder and managing director, says.
To promote gender equality and increase community participation, there will be 9 different categories from Under 7’s to Under 18’s for the festival with over 250 female players taking part. Unlike traditional football tournaments, the Generation Amazing Festival/Sama Sama Games promotes equal opportunity through harmony, dignity and equality by having 36 trophies up for grabs for the 72 teams joining – increasing participation and opportunity for all players, regardless of skill.
The festival will also celebrate the launch of the Community Football Girls League to promote greater access to sport and education for girls living in at-risk communities.
The action kicks-off on the 6th of December with 24 young leaders from underserved communities in Manila, Davao and Tacloban, flying to Cebu for a two-day educational and training seminar before they join the 72-team Futsal tournament on the 9th of December. The festival concludes with a special performance from local community dance groups. (PR)
‘Samuel’ leaves 1 dead while over 11,000 families displace due to floods in Eastern and Northern Samar provinces
TACLOBAN CITY — A 23-year-old man was drowned and 11,700 families were displaced when tropical depression “Samuel” dumped heavy rain and flooded 12 towns in Northern Samar and Eastern Samar on Wednesday(Nov.22).
Rescuers found the body of Ronel Quibal floating on the river at Barangay Magsaysay in Palapag town, Northern Samar, around 1:20 pm, about 21 hours after he was reported missing.
Quibal was swept by strong current while crossing the rampaging river aboard a motorcycle in Barangay Paysud, Palapag.
Seven towns in Northern Samar, including Palapag, were flooded, affecting 1,319 families, or 17,779 people, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office which is headed by Rei Josiah Echano.
The other towns were Mapanas, Pambujan, San Roque, Gamay, Lope de Vega and San Isidro.
The evacuees sought refuge in public schools and barangay halls that were on high and safe ground.
There were landslides in Barangay Mirador, Mondragon town and Barangays Nipa and Maragano in Palapag but no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
In Eastern Samar, 10,398 families, or 40,601 people, fled rising waters in the towns of Oras, Arteche, Guiuan, San Julian and Sulat.
As many as 4,488 families, most of them living near riverbanks, were affected by the flood, said Mayor Vivienne Alvarez.
Many started heading home when the water subsided hours later.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Mayoralty candidate survives slay try
In Samar
(Photo: Aran Boller Facebook)
TACLOBAN CITY- A former mayor of a Samar town who is running in next year’s elections survived an attempt to his life.
Aran Boller, who served as mayor of Matuguinao town after then mayor Celso dela Cruz, an uncle, was killed in an ambush in 2009, was hit at his right hand from the bullet coming from one of the three suspects in Barangay San Francisco, a commercial area in Catbalogan City, Samar, at about 6:45 pm Sunday(Nov.18).
Boller was immediately brought to an undisclosed hospital in Catbalogan City, 52 kms away from Matuguinao, reports reaching the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) based in Palo, Leyte, said.
Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos,police regional director, has ordered for a full investigation on the incident.
“We are looking for a possible motive of this crime and rest assured that PRO-8 will double its efforts in chasing the perpetrators,” Carlos, in an statement, said.
The 42-year old Boller, who maintains a house in Catbalogan City, is running for mayor in Matuguinao in next year’s election.
His opponent is his cousin, incumbent Vice Mayor Carmel dela Cruz whose sister, Melissa, the current mayor is her running-mate for the 2019 midterm polls.
Melissa defeated Boller during the 2016 elections.
With this incident, the police force in Matuguinao is in full alert, said its town police chief Inspector Joel Merino.
“We have put up checkpoints in strategic locations to ensure that no untoward incident would happen here. He has his own supporters, you know. But so far, it’s peaceful here in Matuguinao,” Merino, in a mobile phone interview, said.
The town of Matuguinao is considered as among the hot spot areas in Samar during elections time due to presence of so-called private army and members of the New People’s Army and hotly-contested elections.
Last October 8, another former mayor in Samar and is running for vice mayor in next year’s balloting, Ananias Rebato of San Jose de Buan town, was ambushed. He died six days later while being confined at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City.
Members of the New People’s Army claimed responsibility on the killing of Rebato.
By: Joey A. Gabieta
VICTORY. A known farming enthusiast
(Photo Courtesy: JOEY REYNA)
Return of Balangiga Bells to help draw in tourists, says Tiopes
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar – The return of the historic bells to the town is sure to boost its tourism industry.
Thus said, Karina Rosa Tiopes, regional director of the Department of Tourism, citing possible impact on the repatriation of the three bells to this town.
To recall, the US government has formally turn over the bells to the Philippine government on November 15(Philippine time) in a simple ceremony at the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where two of the three Balangiga Bells were put in display for more than a century.
The other bell is located at Camp Red Cloud, a US camp located in Uijeongbu City, South Korea.
But Tiopes said that more than the excitement and the tourism aspect on the return of the bells will bring, Filipinos should learn the lessons and what the bells symbolizes.
“There are lessons that we can learn from this historical event which we can apply in our present time like patriotism that is an important obligation for us Filipinos. We need to be patriotic to show our love for our country,” Tiopes said.
Town priest Serafin Tybaco, Jr. said that the local Church and the local government are to meet on November 23 to discuss on what activities to do relative to the return of the bells to the town.
“This is the first time for this meeting. I’m not yet aware of what are to be discussed but it is all about the return of Balangiga Bells,” Tybaco Jr., parish priest of Saint Lawrence the Martyr, said.
He said that it’s not only the Church that is happy on the return of the bells, but the entire people of the town, in particular.
“This is a long-time dream for the people of Balangiga and for the Church that the bells should be return,” Tybaco said.
For almost four decades, parish priests who were assigned in Balangiga made petitions for the return of the three bells.
President Rodrigo Duterte had asked the US government for the return of the bells during his State of the Nation Address in 2017.
War veterans, both Filipinos and Americans, also helped in the call for the return of the bells.
The Balangiga Bells were taken on October 18, 1901 by the 11th Infantry Regiment as spoils of war after the Balangiga Incident that happened on September 28, 1901, when town residents led by Valeriano Abanador initiated an attack against US soldiers under Company C of the 9th US Infantry Regiment.
Of the 74 US troops, 36 were killed during the attack, eight of the wounded died later during the escape by bancas to Basey town, and four were missing and presumed dead.
Around 2,500 Filipinos were killed by the US retaliatory attack that turned the town and the entire Samar into a “howling wilderness”.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)