MACARTHUR, Leyte – The mayor of this town disclosed that they are planning to make Lake Bito into an eco-tourism destination as families living along its banks have been transferred to safer areas.
According to Mayor Rene Leria, with the lake now free from wastes and harm due to the presence of the families, Bito has slowly regained its natural beauty.
“When residents were still living along Lake Bito, a laboratory test conducted on its water showed that there was a high presence of coliform bacteria. But now that the residents were relocated, it goes back to normal level,” Leria said.
Surrounded by a mountain and rice fields, Lake Bito is a picturesque 115 hectares freshwater lake that is located about 5 kilometers away from the town proper of MacArthur.
The lake used to cover more than 200 hectares but due to siltation, its area was reduced to just 115 hectares.
The lake is also one of sites in the province that is often visited by migratory birds.
“But we still need to carefully plan this. Our town has not enough budget for this project but we are eager to develop Lake Bito into an eco-tourism destination to boost livelihood of locals resident in Villa Imelda,” Mayor Leria said.
The lake is a major source of livelihood among its residents that operates tilapia fish pens, while others are collecting fresh water shellfish they sell in their village and its neighboring area. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

MACARTHUR, Leyte—The Philippine Red Cross(PRC) has continued the promotion of community resilience in areas hit by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013 through the distribution of safe and durable housing units.
Senator Richard Gordon, PRC chairman, said they remain “committed to helping people get back on their feet” as he led the inauguration and turnover ceremony of another 48 permanent shelters to storm victims in Barangay Villa Imelda, this town, on August 18.
“We came here to honor you. We’re here to strengthen each other,” said Gordon who was accompanied by American Red Cross Country representative Shir Shah Ayobi, local officials and other Red Cross volunteers.
Gordon said that the Villa Imelda relocation site is built with 24 duplex housing units with a multipurpose hall, 14 community solar lights, a drain system, and individual household-water connection.
Recipients of the housing units were families who were affected by the declaration of no-dwelling or no-build zones in the area.
In his speech, Gordon thanked the coordinated efforts of the volunteers from the agency’s “Tindog Leyteño Tabang Program” and the recipients on the success of the community.
Tindog Leyteño Tabang Program is a four-year program of the Red Cross and is behind in the identifying and addressing various factors that will help people sustainably rebuild their lives, livelihoods and assets while ensuring that future climate, environmental and disaster-related risks are addressed or minimized.
It covers six sectors comprising health, shelter, water and sanitation, livelihood and disaster risk reduction.
With a funding amount of P868 million, the program covers 23 barangays in Alangalang, Mayorga, Tacloban City, and this town.
According to the PRC, the program already reached 26, 820 individuals and 5, 364 households.
The program also brought training to 5, 338 individuals, 113 staff and volunteers trained, 4, 419 students, and assistance to 18 schools.
(RONALD O. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY – The province of Leyte has produced the highest volume of corn in the region for the second quarter of this year, a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
Wilma Perante, PSA regional director, said that among the provinces, Leyte produced the highest volume of corn at 14,276 metric tons(MT) which comprised almost two-thirds (65.2 percent) of the total corn production of the region.
Perante said that corn production in Eastern Visayas increased slightly by 0.3 percent from 21,849 MT in the second quarter of 2017 to 21,905 MT in the same quarter of 2018.
Increases were recorded in Samar (7.2 percent), Southern Leyte (3.0 percent) and Eastern Samar (1.9 percent) offset the decreases recorded in Biliran (33.5 percent), Northern Samar (2.2 percent) and Leyte (0.3 percent).
Perante also said that Leyte recorded 64.1 percent (10,315 hectares) of the total corn area harvested during the quarter in review, while Eastern Samar contributed the least (84 hectares) accounting for only 0.5 percent.
Yield per hectare for corn in the region increased by 7.7 percent, from 1.3 MT per hectare in the second quarter of 2017 to 1.4 MT per hectare in the same quarter of 2018,she said.
Biliran, meanwhile, had the lowest volume of production (157 MT) accounting for only 0.7 percent.
“The total harvest area for corn in the region decreased by 2.3 percent, from 16,463 hectares in the second quarter of 2017 to 16,081 hectares in the second quarter of 2018. Contributing largely to this decrease is Biliran with a drop of 26.7 percent,” the director said.
Among the provinces, Eastern Samar posted the highest yield per hectare during the quarter in review at 1.9 MT per hectare. Biliran and Samar registered the lowest yield per hectare at 1.2 MT per hectare, the source concluded. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

BY: NORLANIE ASIS CERENA

DULAG, Leyte- Anchored from the K to 12 Basic Education Program, the Department of Education(DepEd) is now implementing a new assessment tool dubbed as Philippine Informal Reading (PHIL IRI) that aims to address the reading difficulties and alleviate the reading performance of every learner from Grade 3 to Grade 7 in English and Filipino.
This new tool is now being implemented in all public elementary and secondary schools starting this school year.
The said new assessment tool covers a series of reading test which starts from the Group Screening Test (GST ) in two languages which will serve as a starting point to which teachers will be able to determine those learners who need reinforcement or enhancement and to those who strongly needs remediation and interventions through series of graded passages in which the three reading levels the frustration, instructional and independent level should be determined ,regardless of their current grade levels
Through the enforcement of PHIL IRI, with some teachers taking as an additional burden to them, DepEd strongly affirms that the new assessment tool, if properly conducted and religiously followed, will serve as a breakthrough in the reading performance of school children as well as leaving no child left behind.
(Note: The author is the school head of Dacay Elementary School of Dulag North District in Dulag, Leyte)

ORMOC CITY- A suspect for raping his niece 19 years ago was finally arrested while he was enjoying a birthday party for his mother.
Arrested was Dante Formentera, 44, at the house of his mother in Purok 4 of Barangay Juaton, this town, on August 18.
Senior Inspector Ian Salvador Po, chief of the city intelligence bureau of the Ormoc City Police Office, said that Formentera has an outstanding warrant of arrest issued by Judge Fortunato Madrona of Regional Trial Court-Branch 35, this city.
The suspect is facing charges of seven counts of rape of his niece which took place on 1999.
Po said they acted on an informant’s report seeing the presence of Formentera at their house who attended a birthday party of his mother.
At the detention cell in police station 2, Formentera admitted raping his niece but alleged that they were in a relationship which for the victim to bore him a son.
The accused detailed that he left for Cebu City and had been staying there for 19 years but occasionally returns home for a quick visit .
He married and lived in Cebu where he works as auto mechanic prior his arrest.
(ELVIE ROMAN-ROA)

BY: DAPNE U. REFUERZO

BURAUEN, Leyte- The Burauen North District held the School Annual Sportsfest on August 10 of this year participated by several athletes from the different schools covered by the district.
The sportsfest was conducted to promote sports and boost talented pupils in the field where they excelled and choose among the best athletes who will be sent to compete in the higher level of competition as the Provincial Meet 2018 is likely to be held in Burauen.
The players beat the heat of the sun inspite of the scorching temperature of the day during the opening program because they were all willing to compete and show their ability, talent and decisiveness in the track they are striving.
Eron Reforzado, a Palarong Pambansa 2016 soccer player qualifier said that,” a bit of sacrifice, determination and self-discipline should be installed in mind to become a good athlete.”
Leo Cahillo, the district sports coordinator, in his message during the program,”Losing and winning does not matter at all, what is important is the idea of learning, sportsmanship and camaraderie to other contenders in which you will treasure forever.”
Coaches from the different areas shows great support and motivation to the athletes in order to bring home the bacon to their school as well as to show how far they could mould a child.
The event ended well bringing the thought they have learned from the activity and hoping to advance for the higher level for those who wins and hope to do better next time to those who were outmatched in the game.
(Note: The author is the school head of the Burauen North Central School of Burauen North District in Burauen, Leyte)