Barugo wins ‘Masidhing Paghanga’ award from DILG
First ever winner from EV
TACLOBAN CITY- The third-class town of Barugo, Leyte made history in local governance as it became the first local government unit in the region to be awarded the ‘Masidhing Paghanga Award’ of the Department of Interior and Local Government(DILG).
And this latest award received by the town only inspire them to do better by delivering more services and projects to the people, Mayor Ma. Rosario Avestruz said.
Mayor Avestruz, who is serving on her first term as mayor of the town, personally received the award on November 8.
The town was bestowed of the said award, the first time the DILG gave it to local government units, by virtue of its being named as a recipient of the seal of good local governance (SGLG) award, covering the periods of 2015 to 2017.
“This will serve as an inspiration for us to do better and maximize our full potential. When we are doing our services, we are not really doing them after an award but we’re after delivery of the services,” Avestruz said.
“We’re overwhelmed because all our sacrifices are paying off,” she said, referring to the awards and recognitions received by the municipal government due to its various programs and projects.
Avestruz said that their challenge now is to ensure that they would keep their good record and they could only do this with the total support of the entire officials and people of the town.
For this year, the town of Barugo was only one of the seven local government units from the region to be given SGLG.
By winning SGLG, a local government unit is given an incentive through DILG’s Performance Challenge Fund (PCF).
“The essence of PCF, SGLG and other DILG projects and incentives is for the LGUs to improve the lives of the Filipinos for only then you can be a truly successful LGU official,” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said during the award rites.
Año noted that majority of PCF projects were ‘social development projects’ that redound to the benefits of respective constituents.
“Barya man na maituring ang PCF incentive para sa mga mayayamang LGUs, napakalaki ang tulong nito para sa mga nasa 4th to 6th class municipalities. The PCF projects are models worthy of replication by other LGUs,” Año said.
Mayor Avestruz said that the awards being reaped by them have resulted for them to lure more investors to the town and in the process, provide employment to the local people.
At present, there are more than 200 businesses operating in the town which help for the local government unit increased its local income of around P8 million, which is relatively higher compare to last year’s income of about P million.
As its economy is growing, its share of internal revenue has also shown an escalation from the current P96 million to P101 million for 2019.
By: Joey A. Gabieta
Tourists travel in style in Catarman using specially-designed pedicabs
CATARMAN, Northern Samar– Tourists coming to this provincial capitol could now better enjoy their sight-seeing around town using the lowly pedicab.
And it’s not just your ordinary pedicab, a tricycle with a two-seat compartment covered with a folding top with a separate for the driver, as it is designed with native products of banig, bamboo pole, coconut husk and shells.
Maria Josette Doctor, provincial tourism officer, said that using the locally-designed pedicabs will be of big come-on to tourists who want to see Catarman, particularly its tourist spots or destinations.
“It’s really the pedicabs that brings you around especially in Catarman which has narrow roads. This is a brilliant idea to use them in a tour instead of using vehicles,” she added.
The tourist-friendly pedicabs was designed by Alyanna Angelika Ambos,12, a student of the Center for Arts, Recreation and Education (CARE) Foundation in Catarman.
“I’m proud of my design because it shows local products that are available in my town. People appreciate it,” Ambos said.
Romulo Barandino Jr., one of the pedicab-drivers trained to ferry tourists, said that they are thankful to the people who conceptualized the pedicab tour.
He said that aside from an increased income, the program also boosted their morale and gave them opportunity to learn on tourism.
The 10 drivers plying the specially-design pedicabs earn as much as P400 a day just touring around the tourists around town.
The local tour was launched by Gusto Avventura owned by Kathrina Marigold Jusa.
“Catarman is untouched and has lot of potentials for tourism especially for the pedicab,” she said.
“Everything is here, it is really a local emersion if you will avail of the pedicab tour,” Jusa added.
Part of the tour, which was only launched October of this year, include watching local athletes play sepak takraw, the country’s national sport and a popular sport in Catarman.
After that, tourists will be tour to watch how the locals cook their special delicacies like pinangat and piñato, a delicacy made from pop rice, caramelize sugar, and rice cracker called koping, then in the nearby town of Bobon and minoron in Catarman.
They will also be ferried to Buko Island where they can witness how the locals make one of their premium products–copra with free refreshments.
A farm tour also highlights the experience, wherein they can ride a carabao and experience the local’s way of life in the vast rice fields.
Part of the tour is a boodle fight at the Rancho Gloria, which is owned by the family famous celebrity costume player Alodia Gosiengfiao and a stay in cozy yet affordable hotels like the Sangkay Suites which room rates cost P2, 500 to P3,500 for a two-storey condominium type rooms with kitchen and in Carmel Inn which room rates starts at P650 to P2,200 for an executive room.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Tomas Oppus folks in Southern Leyte to learn forest protection practices
MAASIN CITY– For them to be able to save and protect their forests while making it still productive, some residents of Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte are set to be taught on the knowledge and skills in forest land protection, by the personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Community Environment and Natural Resources Office Maasin (DENR-CENRO Maasin).
The DENR Office prioritized Tomas Oppus following the result of a recent assessment which revealed destruction in some parts of the forest land, due to lack of understanding on proper forest land use, mangrove beach forest and development project focal person Lydia Montabon said.
She added that a forum was held which was participated in by several stakeholders.
There, the audience was informed that the destruction is purportedly caused by indiscriminate “slash and burn” practices in preparing the land for farming.
However, hundreds of bats flee from the caves due the smoke and this is one, among the malpractices, that are harmful to the environment particularly those along the forest land area.
”It should be put in mind that the threatened forest area is the source of supply of water for the water shed areas in the municipality,” Montabon added.
Likewise, the forest land use plan aims to establish proper delineation of forest land use in the said town.
The plan would help the local residents identify areas where they can engage in agricultural production while some areas should be left for the reforestation program led by the DENR, Montabon further said.
The forest plan will guide people in identifying areas for agroforestry where they can plant fruit trees, sweet potatoes (camote), corn, pineapple, among others, while a specific and designated area for firewood will be defined and one area for Assisted Natural Reforestation (ANR) where hard wood like Narra, Mahogany, among others could be planted.
“CENRO Maasin is hopeful that the establishment of forest land use plan in Tomas Oppus covering the mountain down to coastal areas, will be adapted by local residents and stakeholders,” Montabon added.
(PIA8-Southern Leyte)
Gov. Petilla says tourism industry of Leyte continue to be vibrant
TACLOBAN CITY – The tourism industry in Leyte remains dynamic as this province continue to be the most visited by tourists in Eastern Visayas.
Thus said Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla who said among the six provinces of the region, Leyte continue to draw most of the tourists visiting Eastern Visayas.
Records from the Department of Tourism shows that out of the 1.51 million tourists who visited the region last year, 971,000 of them or 64.3 per cent of the tourist arrivals in 2017, came to the province.
The governor said that among the tourist attractions in Leyte, Kalanggaman Island in Palompon town is the most visited site.
Kalanggaman Island, now considered as Leyte’s main island tourist destination, has earned P18.5 million generated from the 101,312 tourists who visited the said island last year.
The governor said that the tourism industry is fast becoming a strong economic drivers of the province due to the increasing number of tourists visiting Leyte.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Alpha Phi Omega United conducts gift-giving in one of ‘Yolanda’ hard-hit villages in the city
TACLOBAN CITY- There were singing and dancing punctuated with laughters and wild cheers from the villagers of Barangay 66-A in Anibong district, this city, as the members of the Alpha Phi Omega United International Organization, Inc. Visayas Council-Tacloban chapter, conducted their regular community service project in the said coastal village on November 10.
Incidentally, the activity took place just two days after the country marked the fifth year anniversary of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ that barreled its way in the region, particularly Tacloban City, considered as the ground zero of the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland on November 8, 2013.
Delia Bato, the village chair, said that they are just grateful that the organization chose their village of more than 1,500 residents of their community service project.
“This is a depressed area with most of the residents are considered as indigents. We are really thankful to them for coming here and giving us some joy. We felt privilege for this,” Bato said.
Boots Palconite-Buena, who spearheaded the group’s activity, said that they have been visiting various villages in the city to conduct their outreach program as part of their corporate social responsibility.
Barangays located along the coast were the most affected areas when Tacloban was pummeled by the super typhoon as they were directly hit by the storm surge spawned by Yolanda.
‘We’ve been doing this activity for years now in coastal areas in the city from San Jose to (Sagkahan) astrodome,” she said.
“This is part of our corporate social responsibility because one of our missions is to serve God, country, people, and nature,” Palconite-Buena added.
The members of the organization pooled their resources together to finance their community programs to the villages.
Palconite-Buena, a member of the Board of Trustees for Visayas Council, Tacloban chapter, said that their activity was held coinciding with the anniversary of Yolanda’s onslaught.
Aside from providing slippers, as part of Palconite-Buena’s ‘Sapin Sa Paa’ project, residents of Brgy. 66-A, who attended the activity were provided with a hot arroz caldo, a popular congee with chicken, rice, and an egg.
About 400 people of Brgy.66-A benefited from the goodwill of the Alpha Phi Omega United International Organization, Inc.
“We chose Brg.66-A because this is one of the badly-hit barangays during Yolanda’s onslaught. We go to communities that needs our help and services,” Palconite-Buena said.
The holding of their activity in Brgy. 66-A was held simultaneously in Barangay Talibaew of Calasiao, Pangasinan Council, spearheaded by Tony Macanlalay.
Calasiao was among the areas in Luzon hit by typhoon Ompong in September of this year.(JOEY A. GABIETA with BOOTS PALCONITE-BUENA)