MARABUT, Samar – The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has recently turned over to the municipal officials of this town a building project which it funded.
The turnover of the newly-built two story municipal hall was held last June 7 which is part of the commitment of the Japanese government to help areas recovered from the devastation of super typhoon ‘ Yolanda’ that hit the region in 2013.
Marabut is one of the towns in Samar which sustained major damages due to Yolanda.
Yoshio Wada, JICA chief representative to the Philippines, said that the structure will serve as a testimony of a strong relationship between his nation and that of the Philippines.
“The Philippines’ and Japan’s long standing friendship has proven that our partnership remains firm whether in good times and in times of disasters. Japan shall never forget that the Philippines were one of the countries who offered help when the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami struck our country in 2011,” Wada said.
Town Mayor Elizabeth Ortillo received the donated project.
The rehabilitation is part of JICA’s development cooperation to assist the Philippines in promoting disaster resiliency, specifically in area that was devastated by Yolanda in November 8, 2013.
Last year, JICA also turned over a rural health unit to the town.
Japan has committed ¥4.6 billion as part of their commitment to help areas hit by Yolanda recover from the damages they have sustained.
“This municipal hall we handed over was built based on Japanese standards that emphasize quality and safety using the concept of Build Back Better,” said Wada.
The building will also serve as an evacuation center in times of a natural calamity.
The Philippines and Japan are among the top disaster-prone countries in the world, data from the 2016 World Risk Index of the United Nations (UN) showed. Their geographical positions on the Pacific Ring of Fire makes both countries particularly vulnerable to natural disasters.
“Apart from typhoon Yolanda assistance, Japan has been sharing its expertise in disaster risk reduction with the Philippines since the 1960s through hard and soft infrastructures including capacity building of the country’s frontline disaster agencies,” Tracy Melissa Decena, JICA program officer, said.
Among the JICA Grant Aid Assistance for Typhoon Yolanda Rehabilitation and Recovery are rebuilding of schools, rural health units, and providing equipment for the Department of Public Works and Highways, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to include the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), and local electric cooperatives.
A technical assistance was also provided to various regional and local government units like the production of hazard maps and quick impact projects.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY-Collaboration between local and international law enforcement is crucial to ensuring that the victims of online sexual exploitation could receive justice.
Thus said Atty. John Tanagho, field office director of the International Justice Mission (IJM) in Cebu City after disclosing that a senior investigator from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Internet Child Exploitation division came all the way from abroad to the Regional Trial Court Branch 10 in Abuyog, Leyte “to testify in court against a suspected online trafficker” who was arrested in the neighboring town of MacArthur late last year.
“We’re grateful for the support of the RCMP in this prosecution. That they traveled all the way to Leyte shows their deep commitment and professionalism,”Tanagho said.
IJM, a global organization that protects the poor from violence, said that Corporal Jared Clarke, accompanied by RCMP liaison officer Jay Schooley, arrived in Leyte last May 31, 2018, to authenticate the referral letter RCMP sent to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The referral letter to the local authorities led by PNP Women and Children Protection Center-Visayas Field Unit to investigate and conduct an entrapment operation against a certain Lorna (not real name) who was caught in the act of offering to perform sex acts on her own 8-year-old daughter and livestream those acts from her home in McArthur in November 10, 2017.
In a statement, IJP reported that Lorna allegedly “produced and transmitted sexually explicit images of children to foreigners overseas in exchange for money.”
The operation, participated by the Interagency Council Against Trafficking Region 8 (IACAT-8), Leyte Provincial Police Office, Leyte WCPD, Leyte Provincial Public Safety Company, Department of Social Welfare and Development Office-8, and the IJM, also led to the rescue of nine children, with ages ranging from two to nine years old, from online sexual exploitation.
Prior to the entrapment operation, Lorna allegedly told her online customers that she could abuse children of any age and that the children could perform whatever sex act the customer wanted until the children cried in pain, IJM said.
Meanwhile, the group said that Clarke’s court testimony also came four days after the arrest of Lorna’s spouse Lito (real name withheld), who at the time of the operation was still a councilor of one of the barangays in McArthur.
Lito, who was not present during the November operation, was served an arrest warrant by McArthur police on May 27, 2018.
The two were charged with qualified trafficking under Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act as amended by R.A. 10364.
Staff Sergeant Scott Lambie of the Saskatchewan Integrated Child Exploitation Unit said that “it is an investigation like this which demonstrates the international and border-less nature of ICE (Internet Child Exploitation) investigations.”
Saskatchewan, a province in western Canada, “is not immune to these horrific crimes,” Lambie said.
“Through our international ICE partners we can bring offenders to justice almost anywhere,” the Canadian police officer said in a statement.
“Corporal Clarke of our unit recently traveled to Leyte Island to testify at an ICE trial and conduct important child exploitation training locally. While in the Philippines, he also had the opportunity to meet with some rescued victims – a rare and rewarding experience. We want to thank our international partners for the work they continue to do to rescue victims and prosecute offenders,” Lambie added.
Online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) can cause severe psychological trauma to children and sometimes physical injuries, according to Rebelander Basilan, partnership development coordinator of IJM in Cebu City.
As of May 2018, IJM has worked with the Philippine law enforcers on OSEC cases which led to the arrest of 135 suspected online child traffickers and the rescue of 319 victims around the country since 2011.
At least 35 accused have already been convicted for trafficking children into online sexual exploitation in the country, it said.
(RONALD O.REYES)

NAVAL, Biliran- David P. Adongay Jr., district engineer of Biliran District Engineering Office, is rushing for the completion of on-going 2017 projects.
As of May 31, 2018, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Biliran District Engineering Office has an accomplishment of 74.16% for 57 total projects under year 2017 infrastructure program.
Out of the 57 projects, 52 are completed while five projects with an allocation of P50 million and above are still on-going.
Spilled-over projects of 2017 includes widening projects, rehabilitation of access road leading to Naval port, and rehabilitations of slope protection structures.
Having a negative slippage of 5.73% as of May 31, 2018, Adongay orders project engineers to closely monitor on the projects for fast completion.
“Hindi ibig sabihin na pag’ pinabibilis natin ang trabaho ay dapat macompromise ang quality ng project, dapat nandoon pa rin yung quality,” Adongay said.
Meanwhile, Adongay informs that starting 2019, the department will be implementing a “cash-based appropriation” policy.
This means that contractors’ payment can only be done within a 15-month period.
“From the year the project was implemented and completed, contracts delivered at the end of the year can be paid during the 3-month Extended Payment Period (EPP) or from month of January to March only of the following year,” Adongay said.
This is in contrast from the present policy of the DPWH which is the “obligation-based appropriations” wherein the inspection, verification, and payment for contractors will run 24 months and beyond.
“This year 2018 is the transition period for contractors to be cognizant of the shift,” he said.
According to Adongay, the shift will ensure that agencies will focus on executing the budget of the current year and not from prior years. This is part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Build, Build, and Build. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- Element of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the region has arrested two women and a man in separate buy-bust operations in this city which resulted in the seizure of more than P187,000 worth of suspected shabu.
Arrested were Lea Zeta,19 and a resident of Barangay 36, Sabang district; Dana Molina,33 of Brgy.87 of Manlurip, San Jose district, and Rustan Jake de los Santos,24 of Brgy.84, also of San Jose district.
In a report by PDEA Regional Director Edgar Jubay, it was learned that Zeta was arrested by the anti-narcotics agents at their village at about 5:30 pm on Wednesday (June 13) which resulted in the confiscation of five sachets of alleged shabu weighing 21.5 grams with a street value of P146,200.
Molina and de los Santos were arrested in a separate buy-bust operation on Thursday (June 14) in Brgy.83 at about 9:35 pm.
Seized from the two suspects were three sachets of suspected shabu weighing 6.05 grams with a market value of P41,140.
In all, the PDEA agents seized from the three shabu with street value of P187,340 weighing in all 27.55 grams.
The three suspects are now detained at the Tacloban city lock-up jail facility and charged for selling and possession of prohibited drugs. (PR)

CAMP CARLOS DELGADO, Catarman, Northern Samar- Two men were arrested by the police personnel of the Catarman Police Station for possession of materials used in illegal fishing.
Arrested on June 14 were Johny Foster,38, and Osias Deqiaros, 23, both residents of Barangay Cawayan, Catarman.
The two were arrested by the local police led by Supt. Michael Jude Dotinco,in actual possession of prohibited paraphernalias in violation of Municipal Ordinance 2013-43-04.
Seized from them were one mesh net; two 14mm nylon ropes; three wooden oars; one Honda motorboat engine 5.5 horse power; one motor boat and 4 ½ kilogram of assorted fish with an estimated amount of P580.
All confiscated paraphernalia was amounting to P15,580.
The confiscated items and the assorted fish were turned over to MAESO while the apprehended suspects were brought to Catarman municipal police station for proper disposition.
(PO1 JOHN RICKY M. BALANDAY/PR)

Conducted by Samar’s 1st engineering office

CALBAYOG CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways – Samar First District Engineering Office with the Regional Office No. 8 – Road Traffic Information Applications (RTIA) Coordinator conducted the Annual Axle Load Survey along Daang Maharlika in Barangay Cagsalaosao, this city from June 3 to 9, 2018.
Axle load is the total weight transmitted to the road by wheels connected to the axle of a vehicle. The axle load survey establishes load distribution and accurate forecast on traffic loading that a road will have to carry over its entire design life.
Traffic flow in the above-mentioned road section was normal as the load axle survey uses a new weighing motion scale allowing loaded trucks to be weighed without disrupting the motorists using the same road section.
A loaded truck rolls on the weighing scale while the attached monitor records the truck’s gross weight and axle load. The survey team also takes note of the truck’s plate number, number of seats, and load capacity.
The raw data collected will be submitted to the Regional Office for consolidation. Then, the consolidated data will be sent to the Central Office to determine the average axle load. If the average axle load is determined to be higher than established parameters, the thickness of the pavement will be revised to accommodate the change in axle load experience by the road.
Currently, the nationwide standard of thickness for pavement design is 28 centimeters.
“With Calbayog City’s recent economic developments, the infrastructure needs to keep up. This survey comes at an opportune time as it will help us design and build better roads for the public,” said District Engineer Alvin Ignacio. (MAE ANGELICA R. COMOTA,PIO Staff/PR)