ORMOC CITY- Mayor Richard Gomez of this city has called for the resignation of National Housing Authority (NHA) general manager Marcelino Escalada amid his allegation that the housing agency is using substandard materials in a housing project intended for quake survivors of his city.
Gomez made this challenge to Escalada days after the NHA administrator said that they are mulling of filing charges against the Ormoc city mayor.
Earlier, the actor-turned-city mayor was seen in a video that went viral showing him complaining that the quality of the hollow blocks used in a resettlement site in Barangay Gaas were substandard as they could easily be broken.
This claim of Gomez put their agency in a ‘bad light,’ Escalada said as they maintained that the hollow blocks used passed the quality standard test.
“Problema ng NHA general manager, tingin ko, salita lang siya ng salita kasi di pa siya pumunta sa site. Salita ka ng salita, di mag-resign ka. Hindi pwede na housing agency head ka, tapos di mo nakikita ang proyekto sa napakaraming housing (projects ng NHA).Maraming maaaksidente pag-ganyan ang ugali mo,” Gomez said on Thursday(Oct.4) night in the sidelines of a press conference of the holding of the National Teachers’ Day in Ormoc City.
“Bantayan mo yung mga contactors mo. Bantayan mo yung mga tao mo sa mga probinsiya na gumagawa ng mga projects sa NHA. Do not get mad at me kasi pareho tayong nasa gobyerno,” he added.
Gomez said that he would welcome the plan of the NHA of suing for defamation saying that he was only after the interest of his people why he came out to say that the quality of the hollow blocks used were of low quality.
“Do not shoot the messenger. Shoot the contractor. Pinoprotektuhan ko ang mga buhay ng mga tao. Safety is my primary concern. If they cannot do that, di tayo magkakasundo,” he said.
“It is my moral duty as mayor of Ormoc to make sure na tama ang ginagamit na mga materyales sa mga proyekto dito sa Ormoc,” Gomez added.
Gomez said that he already brought his concern to Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino during his meeting with him on Tuesday(Oct.2).
The Ormoc city mayor also hope that President Rodrigo Duterte will intervene on this issue.
“Huwag kayong magagalit sa amin kung nilalabanan namin ay korupsiyon,” he said, addressing Escalada.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Mayor Gomez to NHA administrator: Resign!
Journalist-turned entrepreneur making waves in the ‘banig’ industry, products going global
IN 2008, multimedia journalist Ricky Bautista wrote some thorough articles on local native products in his town in Basey, Samar through blogging and in papers.
Viewers and followers then started asking help on how to buy locally handmade and hand-woven handcrafts.
For a year, he served as “mediator” between the community weavers and buyers or lovers of handicrafts.
Until such time in 2014, a year after the devastation of super typhoon ‘Yolanda,’ when almost all people and community folks were down with their livelihood, he and his wife Liezel decided to put out an online store exclusively for introducing the products of the community which are often unheard by the outsiders.
The online shop became the marketplace for weavers.
Their two children ages 10 and 12 inspired them to become start-up entrepreneurs.
In 2017, the family started the “focused” operations of their Henry’s Banig Souvenir Shop.
They hired community weavers mostly women, housewives, “tambays,” and students as part-timers especially during summer or semestral break.
To date, the shop has 14 in-house and part-time workers assigned as weavers, embroiders, assemblers and sewers.
“Most of our clients are resellers who resell the products nationwide and selected areas abroad. We see to it that the product is very affordable, durable but with a twist of modern style,” Bautista said in an interview.
“Also, this is one way for the tourism and livelihood of the community to grow,” he said.
Since the raw materials are being supplied by banig weavers from the town’s remote barangays like Guirang and Loog, the couple would make it sure that the banig being brought into the town will have buyers.
Sometimes, they have to buy all the raw materials themselves so as to spare the banig weavers from further inconveniences in going around the town to sell it.
They, however, assured that the products are “natural, hand-woven, vibrant and world-class quality for both local and global market.”
“Our long-term plan is to have a stable, strong factory that will somehow support local artisans and their dependents as well as promote the banig industry in the global market. If this happens, we can also help the tourism of this town which is now dubbed as ‘banig capital’ of the Philippines,” Bautista said.
Their products include mats, slippers, handbags, fold-able mats with handle, coin purse, wallets, wine and bottle holder, placemats, table runner, hats, wall decors, candle holder, jewelry box, and cell phone pouch.
They also produced shoulder bags, tote bags, pencil pouches, pillowcase, decorative mats, training kits, laptop covers, and banig envelops.
These banig items are best as corporate giveaways, token souvenir, or for personal collections.
The products are ideal for seminar, convention as well as simple events that need memorable but native touches, Bautista, who went into self-study in terms of designing the products, said.
Meanwhile, Bautista and his wife remain thankful to those who patronize the local banig products, saying it helps the community weavers and artisans by marketing the products without marking up the factory price.
He, however, hoped that the government particularly the Department of Trade and Industry will include start-up entrepreneurs like them in the promotion and marketing as well as product enhancement training.
When asked about the support they receive from the DTI, Bautista said that as of now, they’re not as lucky as the “Big 4” in Basey who gets regular support from the government in terms of training, promotions, and financial loans.
“Sa ngayon po, we rely only from ‘walk-in’ and ‘referrals’ clients. Our buyers pass on our brands and products to their friends who likewise introduce the same stuff to another handicraft lovers,” he said.
“Most often than not, the clients’ offer their exclusive designs especially those buyers from abroad,” he added.
To inquire about how to help the banig weavers or buy banig products from Basey, they can contact Bautista through mobile 0921-501-7777 / 0912-288-5769, or e-mail trexpelunker@yahoo.com. You can also visit their production site at Sitio Bamgon, Brgy. Canmanila, Basey, Samar or at Facebook: Henry’s banig Souvenir Shop.
PNP to stage fun run on Oct.27; proceeds to go to poor people
PALO, Leyte- The Philippine National Office Regional Office No. 8 will host the first ever PRO8 Evening Fun Run this year.
Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos, police regional director, said that the event will take place on October 27 and will start at 8 pm.
The fun run will begin at the PRO8 Grandstand inside the regional headquarters to be participated by running enthusiasts from the police organization and other stakeholders in the region.
“This is in line with the celebration of the Worldwide Halloween Festivity celebrated every end of October in preparation for the commemoration of All Saints and All Souls Day on November 1 and 2,” Carlos said.
As the PNP envisions for the evolution of Police units and its police officers into a community and service-oriented organization, particularly in gearing up harmonious community interactions, the fun run was conceptualized with the intent of promoting camaraderie between the police and community while at the same time, enjoy the Halloween festivities.
The event is open for all interested runners from PNP and other stakeholders.
There are two categories, the 3-km and 5-km run with a registration fee of P350 and P450 respectively, inclusive of race bib, singlet and the winning prize respectively.
As part of the mission of PRO-8, the proceeds that will be raised on this event will be given to the less fortunate families in the community.
“It will surely be an exciting event. We will not just enjoy the run as we will be happy extending our hands to the lowly,” Chief Supt. Carlos said.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
Gov. Petilla inaugurates projects worth P54 million in Dulag town
TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico ‘Mic’ Petilla inaugurated various projects in Dulag town with combined projects cost of over P54 million.
The governor inaugurated the concreting of a 2.8 kilometers provincial road section worth P25 million in the barangays of San Jose-Calubian-San Isidro; the Tabu Cabarasan road worth P3.29 million; the provincial road in Brgy. Salvacion-Cogon-Rizal worth P20 million
Another road project launched by the governor was a 3.2 kilometers road connecting the barangays of Salvacion-Alegre-Cabacungan-Del Carmen worth P3 million.
The other two projects inaugurated were the covered court worth P2.51 million in Brgy.Bolontohan, and a tanod outpost worth P220,000 in Brgy. Buntay.
During the project inaugurations, Gov.Petilla also distributed 4,000 food packs for the constituents of the six barangays.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
DILG bestows seal of good local governance award to Maasin City, 6 other LGUs in the region
MAASIN CITY- This city and six other local government units in the region bagged this year’s prestigious “Seal of Good Local Governance” award from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“It is an honor for Maasin City to have been conferred for the second time around with the SGLG award which is the highest recognition given by Department of Interior and Local Government to an LGU in its performance in the areas of financial administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, peace and order, business friendliness, environmental protection, and tourism, culture, and arts,” said Mayor Nacional “Nikko” Mercado.
“Being a recipient of the award just means that we are in the right track in our program implementation and the way we govern our day to day operations in the delivery of government services,” he added.
Mercado maintained that the success of the Maasin City is due to the collective efforts of city officials and employees ‘who worked very hard to elevate our performance to ensure that we are fulfilling our mandate of serving the people.’
He also lauded his constituents for inspiring them to do better.
The other city government in the region to bag the seal award is Baybay City.
For the municipal government category, the winners are Salcedo and Sulat, both in Eastern Samar, Barugo in Leyte, Gamay in Northern Samar, and Padre Burgos in Southern Leyte.
None of the region’s six provincial government units made it to the list.
A total of 263 local government units across the country won the awards.
SGLG is one of the awards bestowed by the DILG to local government units in the county using parameters which includes business-friendliness, competitiveness, and environmental management, among others.
Winners receive an incentive fund called Performance Challenge Fund which they could use of their own development projects.
(RONALD O. REYES)
Over 6,500 teachers converge in Ormoc City for this year’s World Teachers’ Day celebration
ORMOC CITY- More than 6,500 teacher-delegates from around the country joined in celebrating the 2018 World Teachers’ Day hosted by the city government of Ormoc Friday (October 5).
Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones, along with Undersecretary Tonisito M.C. Umali and other key officials, expressed their gratitude to City Mayor Richard Gomez and his wife Leyte Rep.Lucy Torres-Gomez, DepEd Regional Director Ramir Uytico and Ormoc city schools head Manuel Albano for successfully hosting the event.
Following this year’s theme “Gurong Pilipino: Turo mo, Kinabukasan ko,” Briones honored those who are in the teaching profession, acknowledging the “crucial role, loyal service, and dedicated commitment of teachers in developing globally-minded citizens, nurturing families, strengthening communities, and building the nation.”
The more than 6,500 who attended the gathering were serenaded by some of the country’s top singers during a program held at the Ormoc Superdome with business establishments across the city providing discount to teachers.
Mayor Gomez said that holding the national event for teachers was their way of ‘giving back’ to the contribution of teachers to our society.
The actor-turned-city mayor said that they are honored that for the first time, Ormoc has hosted said event.
Umali also urged every Filipino to celebrate the National Teachers’ month from September 5 to October 5 like how they would celebrate Christmas and other happy holidays “to revitalize the image and respect for teaching as a vocation by increasing awareness on the value of teachers in the Philippine society.”
The education officials also thanked its partners including Metrobank Foundation Inc., One Meralco Foundation, Globe Telecommunications, Enchanted Kingdom, Philippine Postal Corporation, and other private organizations and government agencies for their “treats” as a token of gratitude to the teachers.
All schools both in private and public around the country held synchronized programs and activities to celebrate the event.
Amid the issues and controversies faced by the DepEd, Briones said that teaching remains a fulfilling profession and vocation. (RONALD O. REYES)