ORMOC CITY-A fire suspected due to electrical discharges gutted down a furniture stockyard and employees staff house in Barangay Sabang, Palompon, Leyte last June 10
The blaze took place at the Emma Appliance trading which is owned by Teofila Nuñes at about 7:45 am.
Duty fire officer FO1 John Mark Uy, in an interview disclosed that the fire started at the front area of the house where the car garage was located and just minutes after the power supply returned after an hour of power outage.
He added that based on the accounts of the witnesses, the fire came from the electric spark of a post that entered the garage and landed on the sleeping foam of the employees left in the garage.
Among the belongings that were turned to ashes were the stock appliances and furniture along with four single motorcycles owned by the employees.
The fire was controlled at about 8: 30 am and fire out was declared at about 8: 45 am.
No one was reported injured from the fire with an estimated damage of P3.2 million. (ROBERT DEJON)
CATBALOGAN CITY– The provincial government of Samar was chosen as one of the pilot areas for iSTART and SMART City Projects of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST 8).
As such, the province welcomed DOST 8 delegates headed by Regional Director Ernesto Granada, for a collaborative meeting last June 7, 2023.
Gov. Sharee Ann Tan shared her enthusiasm, saying, “We really want to provide a legacy to the province. We are so grateful to DOST, and we are so excited for Catbalogan City and Calbayog City.”
“We are here to support these projects. If there is anything that we can be of help, just let us know how we can assist you,” the governor added.
PLGU Samar also tapped Samar State University (SSU) and the Northwest Samar State University (NWSSU) as partners in the implementation of the DOST projects.
“Our state universities also have the expertise and they can help us. We will not only be working hard. We will be working smart,” Gov. Tan said.
Meanwhile, the SUC presidents, Dr. Marilyn Cardoso of SSU and Dr. Benjamin Pecayo of NWSSU, pledged their commitment and resources for the success of the projects.
iSTART is a platform for the strategic alignment of the DOST technology transfer programs and projects, engagements of Researchers, Scientists, and Engineers (RSEs), and conduct of research and development needed to create or improve micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in support to the development of the countryside.
On the other hand, the SMART Program or Smart and Sustainable Communities aims to transform cities to become SMART Cities where initiatives and approaches are taken effectively to leverage digitalization with the goal of improving the people’s quality of life, government efficiency, health and wellness, economic development, and public safety, among others.(SAMAR PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)
Representatives from Save the Children Philippines, Department of Health, PopCom, DSWD and partner LGUs after the ceremonial signing of the Pledge of Commitment to Advancing Young Adolescent Health and Development.
Representatives from Save the Children Philippines, Department of Health, PopCom, DSWD and partner LGUs after the ceremonial signing of the Pledge of Commitment to Advancing Young Adolescent Health and Development.
Tacloban City – Save the Children Philippines, in partnership with the European Union, WESADEF, and LEFADO, launched an empowering initiative called Project ADDVOICE in Eastern Visayas today. The project aims to create safer and more inclusive environments for young adolescents in Mayorga, MacArthur, Abuyog, Javier, Gandara, Matuguinao, Pagsanjan, and San Jorge.
At the grand launch held in Tacloban City’s Summit Hotel, key stakeholders, government officials, and community leaders gathered to mark this significant milestone. Project ADDVOICE will provide comprehensive programs and services focusing on sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), gender equality, and child protection to address critical issues faced by young adolescents, particularly girls.
With teenage pregnancy and sexual violence against children as pressing challenges in the region, Project ADDVOICE comes at a crucial time. The initiative will equip young adolescents with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health while protecting themselves from violence.
Atty. Alberto Jesus Muyot, the Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines, expressed gratitude to the European Union for their generous support and partnership with WESADEF, LEFADO, DOH, POPCOM, DepEd, DSWD and the LGUs of Mayorga, MacArthur, Abuyog, Javier, Gandara, Matuguinao, Pagsanjan, and San Jorge in making ADDVOICE a reality. He emphasized the importance of collaboration in creating a better future for the young adolescents of Eastern Visayas.
Over the next three years, Project ADDVOICE will focus on community mobilization, capacity building of service providers, and strengthening local government mechanisms for meaningful adolescent participation in SRHR and child protection programs. By bridging gaps in access to quality services and age-appropriate information, the project aims to empower young individuals and foster their active engagement in their communities.
Eastern Visayas faces unique challenges, such as limited access to Adolescent-Friendly Health Facilities and insufficient data on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. However, through Project ADDVOICE, Save the Children Philippines is committed to overcoming these obstacles and driving positive change.
As the launch event concluded, participants expressed their excitement and anticipation for the transformative impact of ADDVOICE on the lives of young adolescents in Eastern Visayas. Save the Children Philippines remains dedicated to working alongside communities, government agencies, and civil society organizations to empower young adolescents, advocate for their rights, and create a violence-free and inclusive society where every child can thrive.
KANANGA KAANYAG FESTIVAL. In colorful costumes and upbeat cultural music, students from different schools of Kananga in Leyte dance their way during the first-ever Kananga Kaanyag Festival held on June 11, one of the highlights of the town’s 73rd founding anniversary on June 17. (ROBERT DEJON)
Part of the town’s 73rd founding anniversary celebration
KANANGA KAANYAG FESTIVAL. In colorful costumes and upbeat cultural music, students from different schools of Kananga in Leyte dance their way during the first-ever Kananga Kaanyag Festival held on June 11, one of the highlights of the town’s 73rd founding anniversary on June 17. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
KANANGA, Leyte– This town, home to the country’s biggest geothermal power, is turning 75 years old on June 17 has just launched its first ever cultural festival on Saturday (June 11).
Students from elementary and secondary public schools across the town joined the ‘Kananga Kaanyag Festival’ with prizes at stake.
The cultural festival showcases the history and culture of the town, where the Tongonan geothermal power is located and help power the Visayas and parts of Luzon, through dances and ritual presentations.
Mayor Manuel Vicente Torres said that with the launching of the Kananga Kaanyag Festival, he hopes that this will not only result for the young generations to know and appreciate the history and culture of their town but also pave the way for more tourists to visit Kananga, a town of more than 80,000 people.
“Kaanyag does not only refer here as physical beauty but also mean the beauty of the town itself. So, for me, today is historical because we will be launching the first ever (cultural) festival of Kananga,” he said Saturday.
For this endeavor, the municipal government sought support from the National Historical Commission for Culture and the Arts as well as from the regional office of the Department of Tourism.
For the initial presentation of the Kananga Kaanyag Festival, the municipal government has allocated a ‘modest amount’ of P1.5 million, Torres said.
The festival will now be conducted as one of the highlights of the town’s founding anniversary on June 17 of every year.
Karina Rosa Tiopes, the DOT regional director, said that she is happy that the town has now its own official cultural festival.
“Festivals are reflections of our tradition and culture and way of life. That is why, we at the DOT help promote festivals. But these festivals must be based on a research and not just a mere playground demonstration,” she said. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
TACLOBAN CITY– The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the region has concluded its consultation on ‘listahanan’ data sharing.
Municipal social welfare and development officers (MSWDOs) and representatives from different national government agencies and non-government organizations attended the two-day consultation that ended on June 9.
The purpose of the activity was to encourage local governments, and public and private agencies that implement programs and social services to use the listahanan database to serve as a basis for selecting eligible beneficiaries, Leizel Astorga, listahan’s regional field coordinator, said.
By conducting the consultation dialogue, the DSWD hopes to expand the use of the listahanan 3 database in the region, she added.
Listahanan is a DSWD project that aims to identify who and where the poor are in the country. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
FIRE INCIDENT. About 49 houses, mostly made of light materials,were totally gutted down in Barangay 13, Catbalogan City on Saturday(June 10)as arson investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire which reached to second alarm and with over P500,000 damage cost. The blaze started at about 5:36 pm and was declared as fire out at 7:05 pm.(LITO BAGUNAS)
FIRE INCIDENT. About 49 houses, mostly made of light materials,were totally gutted down in Barangay 13, Catbalogan City on Saturday(June 10)as arson investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire which reached to second alarm and with over P500,000 damage cost. The blaze started at about 5:36 pm and was declared as fire out at 7:05 pm.(LITO BAGUNAS)
Move could result in development, they say
TACLOBAN CITY – Church officials of Samar Island has revived on their earlier call to create a Samar Region, comprising the three Samar provinces.
This call was made during the recently-held 47th Samar Island Partnership for Peace and Development(SIPPAD) held last June 9 with Interior Sec. Banjamin Abalos present.
The renewal to create Samar Region was made by Bishop Isabel Abarquez of the Diocese of Borongan and supported by Bishops Crispin Vasquez of the Diocese of Calbayog and Emmanuel Trance of the Diocese of Catarman.
The three Samar prelates first made the move back in 2016, inspired with the move of leaders of Negros Island which called for the same purpose.
“We to appeal to our President, Hon. Bongbong Marcos Jr. thru our DILG Secretary and to our legislator to make a law declaring One Island, One Region, and that Island is no other than the Island of Samar,” Bishop Abarquez said during the SIPPAD meeting held on June 9.
“We are the third largest island in the country so we deserve the undying service from our national government,” the prelate added.
The creation of Samar Region, he said will ensure that the three provinces will achieve progress, government agencies and regional offices should be clustered in each province and road network should be interconnected to ease transportation and jumpstart progress and development in the island.
At present, the Samar region comprises the provinces of western Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar. The three provinces are among the poorest provinces in the country.
Former President Benigno Aquino III signed Executive Order 193 calling for the creation of Negros Island Region(NIR).
However, this was abolished during the time of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
But on March 6, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill 7355 creating the Negros Island Region.
Under the proposed measure, the NIR shall be composed of the cities, municipalities and barangays in Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental and the island province of Siquijor.
At present, Negros Occidental province and its capital Bacolod City are under Region 6 (Western Visayas) while Negros Oriental and Siquijor belong to Region 7 (Central Visayas).
For his part, Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone expressed his support for the creation of Samar Island Region.
“That is a good initiative, if only the need to stress to prioritize Samar Island in terms of economic development,” he said.
“So welcome that proposal, and again I just want to reiterate our firm and unequitable support to all the initiative of SIPPAD,” the governor added.
Samar Island is the third largest island in the country with an outstanding area of 333, 300 hectares and with vast undisturbed forest and home of many wild plants and animals, blessed with natural attractions and also home of the largest continuous growth forest of the whole Philippines.
Despite this characteristics, the three provinces in the island remains to be among the poorest provinces in the country, caused by continuing problem on insurgency, problem on accessibility, and its location that is prone to natural calamities like typhoon.
