CARIGARA, Leyte – A more conducive learning facility will welcome the students of the Balilit Elementary School(BES), this town, being a recipient of “Adopt-a-school” project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) field office here.
On May 16, 2019, employees of the department volunteered at the said school for the repair and repainting of tables and chairs, cleaning of classrooms, and beautification of school grounds.
According to Engr. Gerald Pacanan, DPWH Leyte 2 head engineer, this is the first time that the district conducted this type of activity through the initiative of the organization.
“Employees whole-heartedly donated for the funding of this program. I am glad that despite heavy workloads in the office and short time of preparation, we still manage to realize this project,” he said.
Aside from helping in various school preparation activities, the office also distributed bags with school supplies and a pair of slippers to each pupil of the recipient school.
Clarissa Delos Santos, BES school principal, expressed her sincere gratitude to the whole DPWH family.
She added that this is a timely occasion for them as they will represent their area for the small category best Brigada Eskwela implementor.
Aside from this adopt-a- school program, DPWH will also deploy its maintenance force at various campuses for the weeklong Brigada Eskwela on May 20-24, 2019.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
DPWH adopts a school in Carigara, Leyte
Paul Daza takes father’s seat as congressman for N. Samar’s first congressional district
TACLOBAN CITY- Former Northern Samar governor, Paul Daza, was elected as congressman of the province’ first congressional district.
Daza clobbered an old political rival, Harlin Abayon, to win the congressional race by almost 60,000 votes.
Daza, who was the governor of the province from 2010 to 2013, obtained 116,209 votes against former congressman Abayon (Nationalista Party) who only garnered 59,685 votes.
Daza together with Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento (1st district) were the only members of the Liberal Party in the region to get elected during the May 13 balloting.
Abayon was defeated by Daza’s father Raul during the 2016 elections as congressman.
The elder Daza is on his third and last term as congressman representing Northern Samar’s first congressional district which covers 14 towns which include Catarman, the provincial capital.
Meantime, Abayon’s son, Rep.Harlin Neil Abayon III also lost on his reelection bid as their party-list group Aangat Tayo failed to gather votes to earn a seat at the House of Representatives.
Also elected were Rep. Edwin Ongchuan as governor of the province, Vice Governor Gary Lavin who was reelected and outgoing Gov. Jose Ong who was elected as congressman representing the province’s second district.
The newly-elected officials of the province were proclaimed by the members of the Provincial Board of Canvassers as winners on May 16. (JOEY A. GABIETA/PETER D.PAREDES)
Bloody Friday road accidents: 9 dead, 20 injured
TACLOBAN CITY- It was a very tragic Friday (May 17) as separate vehicular accidents resulted to the death of nine passengers and the injury of 20 others.
The first accident took place at about 6:15 in the morning along sitio Tab-ang of Barangay District III in Babatngon Leyte when a passenger van loaded with 21 passengers collided with a six-wheeler truck loaded with hogs.
The said incident resulted to the immediate death of the eight passengers identified as Evelyn Hodder,49; Emily Elorde,46; Marilyn Saringan,46; Alden Camuen23, and his sister Remelyn,21; Jackson Casarigo,24; Rogelio Piscos,57; and Laila Cobilla,54.
Bryan Bechachino,18, later died while being treated at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center(EVRMC).
Injured during this incident were Fritz Asis,28; Roel Iglesias,36; Ethel Erine,28; Helen Cañas,40; Renz Ezekiel Cajepe,4; Abundio Cajepe,27; Thelma Aguilar,42; Regine Abucay; Remegio Dalut; Robert Milado; Armando Solayao; and Rodel Ecat, the driver of the passenger vehicle.
Majority of the passengers were from Brgy. Tatabunan, Talalora, Samar, and Babatngon town.
Reports reaching the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police said that the passenger van, with plate number 084403 and bound for Tacloban City, appeared to be running fast and while maneuvering at the site incident directly hit the six-wheeler truck which has four passengers and 10 hogs and driven by Erwin de Leon, a resident of Brgy. Carmen, North Cotabato.
The six-wheeler was to deliver the swine to the public market in Babatngon.
And on the same day, at about 10 pm similar accident happened along Brgy.San Isidro, Biliran town in Biliran province.
It was learned that a passenger van, with plate number HVT 959 fell on the side of the road after its driver, Windelle Bacho,36 and a resident of Brgy. Lib-og, Maasin City, fell asleep.
Injured were Jose Sidanga,50 and his common-law wife Josephine,42 and their two children Jared,5, and Jade Danille,13; Conchita Vilato,51; Edward Vilato,54; and Regan Mercader,31 and a village councilor of Iyusan, Almeria, also in Biliran.(JOEY A. GABIETA/
RONALD O. REYES))
Police Gen. Carlos welcomes cops who served during the May 13 elections
CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte – The Regional Police Office 8 (PRO8) gave a heroes’ welcome to police personnel who were deployed to ensure a peaceful conduct of the May 13 elections in the region
Police General Dionardo Carlos, police regional director, led the welcoming ceremony held at the grounds of the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP), here, Monday (May 20).
About 8,625 policemen were tasked during the May 13 elections described by the police and the regional Commission on Elections (Comelec) as generally peaceful and orderly.
“You are our unsung heroes. We turned the impossible into possible thru our combined efforts. Without your cooperation and dedication, we could not have done it flawlessly. So to everyone who imparted their lives and limbs in this endeavor, my sincerest thank you to all of you,” Carlos said.
The deployment of Special Operation Task Group in Calbayog City that covers the entire Samar Island under Police Colonel Rolando Miranda, deputy regional director for operation, also helped in ensuring that the recent poll become successful and peaceful.
Records from the PNP-8, there were only 79 shooting incidents that occurred during the entire election period compare to the 149 incidents recorded during the 2016 elections.
“There was a big improvement this year. We also engaged those involved in the elections like the candidates especially those with historical background,” Carlos said.
PRO8 added that the shooting incident in San Isidro, Leyte that killed its municipal administration Levi Mabini cannot still be consider an election related incident because the investigation is still on-going.
Most of the shooting incidents were due to personal grudge, land dispute, and heated argument, police said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
More women to join Leyte’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan
TACLOBAN CITY– Leyte’s provincial board will be packed with more women, a development welcome by Vice Governor Carlo Loreto, the presiding officer of the body.
Aside from the reelected board members Gina Merilo (1st district), Trinidad Apostol (2nd district) and Maria Corazon Remandaban (3rd district), three more women were elected to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
They are Raissa Villasin (2nd district); Anna Tuazon (3rd district); and Caren Rama of the fourth district.
Tuazon is the daughter of reelected Rep. Vicente Veloso (3rd district) while Rama is the elder sister of Rep. Lucy Torres Gomez (4th district).
Villasin is an outgoing councilor of Tacloban City and sister of incumbent board member Niccolo Villasin.
Incidentally, the current provincial Sangguniang Kabataan president, Jo Vanille Chua, is also a woman, adding girl power at the provincial board.
Aside from Vice Gov. Loreto, the incoming provincial board will have six men as members.
“I think that will be something. Stereotypes are often distorted but in my own observation, women are more attentive to details and I think having more female board members is an advantage,” he said.
“Their presence will be felt significantly in the legislations that we are about to make, the standards, concerns and how to address the demands of the new normal,” the vice governor added.
The provincial board has already produced vice governors.
They were Mimietta Bagulaya, who later became acting governor, and Apostol, also a former congresswoman representing Leyte’s second district.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Samar Rep. Tan wins gubernatorial race
Despite Sandiganbayan decision
TACLOBAN CITY- Samar Rep. Milagrosa Tan was elected as governor of the province, defeating a former military intelligence officer.
Tan received 211,764 votes against her rival, Emil Zosa.
March 1 of this year, the Fourth Division of Sandiganbayan found Tan guilty for graft involving P16.1 million in the procurement of emergency supplies back in 2001 when she was the governor of the province.
Tan immediately posted bail and sought for motion for reconsideration.
Zosa, who was once the head of the intelligence and operations division of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, only managed to obtain 204,118 votes.
In his Facebook post, Zosa conceded defeat to Tan who is returning as governor of the province as she is to end her nine-year in office as a congresswoman representing Samar’s second district.
The governor-elect is to switch position with her daughter, Gov. Sharee Ann Tan, who also won on her congressional race.
The younger Tan received a total votes of 124,459 or higher by 27,223 votes against her rival, Christopher Bolastig, once connected with the Bureau of Customs.
Bolastig received 97,236 votes.
The defeated congressional aspirant also accepted his loss to the outgoing governor.
“It was a good, clean fight for us. We reach this far because of your support and I will forever be grateful,” he said.
“Let’s continue providing services that the province of Samar deserves. Congratulation to Ann Tan,” Bolastig added.
Congresswoman-elect Tan, for her part, expressed her gratitude to her erstwhile political rival for conceding his defeat.
“It was indeed a respectable fight. I salute you for being such a true gentleman. Hoping to align our vision someday soon,” she said.
Elected as vice governor of the province was Reynolds Michael Tan, son of the elected- Gov. Tan, who amassed 214,511 votes.
The vice governor-elect defeated Jesus Redaja, a former vice governor who only received 167,566 votes.
Meantime, Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento was reelected as congressional representative for Samar’s first district.
Sarmiento, who secured his second term, won by 11,018 votes against outgoing Vice Gov. Stephen James Tan.
Sarmiento had a total votes of 104,904 votes against Tan’s 93,886 votes.
The reelected solon expressed his gratitude to the people of the first district for electing him back into office.
“It is an honor and privilege to once again serve as our representative in the upcoming 18th Congress. The fresh mandate you have entrusted me strengthens my resolve to serve the first district to the best of my abilities. I give you my commitment that I will continue to work hard in the House of Representatives to make your voices heard,” Sarmiento said in his message he posted on his Facebook account.
All were proclaimed by the members of the Provincial Board of Canvassers on May 16.
BY: JOEY A. GABIETA, ROEL AMAZONA