CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte – The Philippine National Police(PNP) has increased the cost of construction for police stations located in remote or island towns.
This was disclosed by Police Major Aspiro Badiola, project management unit officer-in-charge of the PNP-8, who said that the increase in funding could help attract more bidders.
It was learned that some contractors shy away from joining bidding for construction of a police station located in a remote or coastal area due to a low amount earmarked by the PNP for such project.
At present, the PNP has a uniform budget of P4.8 million for its standard three-storey police station.
“Given this present budget, they are not keen in participating in the procurement process,” Badiola said.
The region, particularly in Samar and Northern Samar provinces, has island municipalities and towns that are located along the mainland but are better reached by boat due to accessibility or road condition problems.
“We already made a recommendation for the upgrading of cost estimates for upcoming projects. In fact, for the projects for 2019, the island municipalities and far-flung towns will now have a P6.4 million budget for police station construction,” Badiola said.
“Hopefully this will entice our contractors to participate in our bidding processes,” he added.
Of the 101 on-going implementation of standard municipal stations, the PNP-8 is set to inaugurate police stations in the towns of Bobon, Northern Samar; Can-avid, Eastern Samar; Liloan, Southern Leyte; Tabango and Bato, both in Leyte.
Other police stations set to be inaugurated are in San Isidro and Biri, both in Northern Samar; Basey and Hinabangan, both in Samar; Inopacan and Ormoc City Police Station 2, both in Leyte.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

NAVAL, Biliran- The Biliran Provincial Hospital is soon to open an Epilepsy and Seizure Clinic, according to Vanessa Ramirez, Biliran provincial health education and promotions officer.
The initiative is in coordination with the Philippine League Against Epilepsy (PLAE) who, for the first 10 months, will send representatives to mentor trained doctors in the four health facilities in the province.
Ramirez said trained doctors in the field of epilepsy and seizure are Dr. Madonna Payao, medical officer at the Biliran Provincial Hospital; Dr. Fernando Montejo at the Naval Rural Health Unit; Dr. Estrella Pedrosa at the Culaba Rural Health Unit; and Dr. Dionesio Plaza at the Caibiran Rural Health Unit.
Initial enrollment and assessment of patients started May 23 at the out-patient department of the provincial hospital where eight patients submitted for assessment while five patients submitted for initial assessment at the Culaba RHU and 10 other patients at the Naval RHU.
Dr. Rosario Latorre, pediatrics-child neurologist, and Dr. Ana Javelosa, both PLAE members, assisted in the interview and assessment of patients and their guardians at the BPH and Naval Rural Health Unit, respectively.
“The significant turnout of patients on the first day of the service was attributed to the department’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme which they started in 2014,” said Ramirez.
Ramirez informed that within 10 months, PLAE representatives will continue mentoring trained doctors in Biliran and will regularly visit every second Thursday of the month.
Next visit will be on June 13 this year.
With assistance from PLAE, patients under this program are provided free medicines and are entitled to free diagnostic tests such as the electroencephalography (EEG).
The establishment of epilepsy and seizure clinics in health facilities in the province of Biliran aims at providing immediate access to neurology services at the primary level without the need of seeking specialized services in the cities and modern hospitals.
The program also aims at strengthening the skills and knowledge in epilepsy management of the stakeholders, Ramirez added. (LDL/MLT/PIA-8, Biliran)

TACLOBAN CITY- Unlike in other churches in the country, the Archdiocese of Palo in Leyte has no plan yet to remove the arancel system or asking fee for particular sacraments like funeral or blessings.
This was disclosed by Father Chris Arthur Militante, spokesperson of the archdiocese of Palo.
Militante said that the Archdiocese, which covers the entire province of Leyte and with suffragan dioceses of Naval, Catarman, Borongan, and Calbayog, is not yet financially capable to remove the system.
According to him, the money generated by the archdiocese out of the collection from the arancel are used to help run and maintain the operation of the churches and for the faithful who are in need.
Some churches in the country has removed the arancel system like those in diocese of Balanga in Bataan and the archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.
“While we are open to that, the Archdiocese of Palo, to include its suffaragans, are not yet ready to remove the arancel system,” Militante said.
“We don’t see it as a payment but as a form of support (from the faithful). How can we help the Church and our brothers if we don’t have the funds? That is why, we are thankful that we still have this arancel system,” the spokesperson of the archdiocese added.
The Archdiocese of Palo is headed by Archbishop John Du who is also the treasurer of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Militante, however, could not say as to how much the archdiocese earns out of the arancel system.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)